From your menu selections to your florals to your wedding accessories: each and every detail matters in making your wedding day your dream day. As Florida Keys wedding planners, we mean it when we say we care about every single detail. One might not think a wedding a planner would be too concerned with what the bride chooses to say “I do” in, but the reality is, it effects the day more than you think!
I have come to realize that in my planning, I often have the same questions I tend to be asking to my brides regarding their wedding accessories.
How long is your veil?
What kind of bustle do you have?
What kind of shoes are you wearing?
Based on these 3 common questions, we have gathered our insights and advice on how to ensure your wedding accessories are pretty, practical, and far from problematic.
Veil
You’re probably wondering, why I would ask about your veil? Well, in all outdoor weddings, we always need to work around the environment we are in. If you are getting married on the ocean side, you are likely to have a higher chance of wedding ceremony gusty wind. What do you do if your veil is blowing out of control? At our ceremony rehearsals, we teach you and your wedding day crew how to navigate this. With the help of your maid or matron of honor, she will be keep an eye on it so you can keep your eyes locked on your soon to be spouse. Right before that oh so dreamy walk, we also make sure your maid of honor tucks it just under your inside elbow. This way, any unruly veil movement doesn’t distract from the ceremony, and also doesn’t cover your beautiful face from photos.
Another veil tip? Be aware of the terrain you will be walking on. Determine if a long veil will work with that. In the Florida Keys, many steps are made of coral rock. As much as you think you would be walking on sand the whole time, really visualize your venue. After thinking down through it, you may realize that your walk may begin on steps or a boardwalk. Your veil will stick to the coral rock because it is so porous. It may also catch on the edges of the board walk. If this is the case, plan to have your flower girl carry your veil for you. You may have seen this in previous royal weddings. It’s cute, practical, and unforgettably elegant. Plus, nothing is more awkward than getting stuck on your veil when walking down the aisle!
Bustle
Now for the bustle! I’m pretty sure all of our previous brides will chuckle when reading this part. They will very likely remember many preaching pep talks from us about this. Although a bustle speech is unexpected, this is something you will wish you knew. When getting alterations for your dress, or buying your dress off the rack, find out what kind of bustle it has or requires. Here is a link to the many kinds of bustles that exist: Wedding Dress Bustle Guide
Have who ever goes with you to the fitting to take a video of the seamstress tying the bustle while you are in the dress. Assign this job to someone on the night of the wedding. If you can have them practice doing the bustle before hand, even better. The reason why this is so important is due to the time you will lose if your bustle buddy struggles with it. You want this part of the evening to happen quickly & seamlessly. No bride wants to spend thirty minutes in the bathroom while guests are waiting for the next part of the evening to begin!
Of course, we are always there to assist with this, but during the time of needing to bustle, this usually means time of transition throughout the night, which pulls your coordinator away as needed. Having this part well planned and organized will make the night run that much smoother.
Shoes
We know you have been flipping the pages of that wedding magazine, starry eyed over all of your could-be wedding accessories! More than likely, the infamous shoe switch thought has crossed your mind. “I could pull off that 4-inch stiletto for my ceremony, and then change later. Easy!” Wait! If you are contemplating spending a considerable amount on shoes for your wedding day, consult your planner first. Even though a lot of places have hard packed sand in the Florida Keys, it’s not hard enough to handle stiletto shoes.
If your heart is set on stilettos, tweaks will need to be made to make your walk comfortable. Unfortunately, an easy fix like an aisle runner won’t work. In this case, you might find you have to invest in a boardwalk rental in order to be able to walk comfortably down the aisle. Now those shoes just became much more of an investment then you planned. Yikes! Of course, we want to see you looking and feeling your best, and if those shoes are a must, we will fully support you & make it work!
Haven’t yet shopped for shoes and looking for a simple guiding standards?
- Select shoes no higher than 2 inches.
- Have a change of shoes to slip into after dinner for dancing.
- Make sure you pick both your shoes out before your last alteration so the seamstress can hem your dress perfectly.
Feeling like a wedding accessory pro now? Fantastic! Need a bit more guidance until you feel like putting on your dancing shoes? Give us a call today. We are here and honored to help you rock your practical & pretty wedding day look.
XOXO,
