Cinema Style
Ivette Manners
Many times life imitates art, so why shouldn’t your wedding, too? Long Island Bride & Groom selects the best details from four popular wedding-themed Hollywood films, which you can use in your wedding.
Wedding Crashers – keeping it traditional
While Wedding Crashers shows all the zaniness that occurs at a wedding, it’s full of wonderful wedding traditions almost every bride includes in her big day. Don’t let yourself feel pressured to make your wedding completely one-of-a-kind and different, it’s okay to want to go the traditional route. “What worked so well with the main weddings in Wedding Crashers is that they were kept simple,” says Lovelynn Ann Jensen, of Lovelynn Wedding & Event Design who actually consulted the movie’s directors on wedding details and even played a wedding planner in the movie. “There were many beautiful touches, but they didn’t go overboard trying to incorporate every wedding dream a bride, her mother, her mother-in-law, and her aunts might have.” If you want a traditional wedding, first ask yourself what that means to you and your groom. “A traditional wedding can mean different things to different couples,” says Jensen. “Find out what the wedding traditions are in both your families. You might discover there was something really special that your grandmother and great-grandmother incorporated in their weddings.”
It’s a good idea to hire a wedding planner to help you sift through all the traditions and create a unique, harmonious event. “I think a lot of brides make the mistake of trying to include too many traditions in their wedding,” says Jensen. “A wedding planner can help you define what is important to you, and keep your wedding beautiful and personal.” And don’t underestimate what your mother and future mother-in-law can help you with. They’re the best experts in your families’ traditions.
Bride & Prejudice – cultural bride
Many couples today are choosing to have two weddings to recognize both of their cultures. “This lets a bride and groom pull from two family traditions and lifestyles to create a personalized wedding they and their guests will remember for years,” says Jensen. In Bride & Prejudice, when Lalita’s (played by Aishwarya Rai) best friend weds, she and her groom decide to have a small intimate ceremony in their hometown in India, and then invite all of her family and friends to a huge American-style wedding in Los Angeles, where she would be moving to live with her husband.
If you’re combining two cultures or religions in one wedding, you can use elements from one culture (like typical flowers used) and elements from the other (such as ceremony rituals).
The menu is a fun way to combine cultures. “I recently had a bride serve strudel with her wedding cake to honor her German heritage,” says Jensen. You do, however, need to be careful that you don’t offend one side of the family or the other. Tapas for hors d’oeuvres and baked ziti for the main course can bring Latin American and Italian families together. But, you never want to serve pork at a Jewish wedding or beef at a Hindu event.
Some brides or grooms don’t mind completely taking on their beloved’s culture for the wedding. When Lalita and Darcy (played by Martin Henderso) finally get married, Darcy is thrilled to have a traditional Indian wedding for his bride.
The Wedding Date – fun wedding weekend
In The Wedding Date, Kat (played by Debra Messing) flies back to London for her half-sister’s wedding, which is planned around a weekend packed with events. The fun weekend kicks off with a semiformal, afternoon cocktail party. The next few days are filled with a softball game in the park, a golf-theme bachelorette party, dance lessons, a family picnic in the English countryside, and the rehearsal dinner in a garden.
Wedding weekends are a growing trend that every bride can tailor to her wedding’s style and theme. “It’s a great opportunity to spend time with family and friends you don’t often get together with,” says Jensen. Finding a hotel where everyone can stay at together will be your first priority when planning your wedding weekend. “A small, boutique hotel or bed and breakfast would be nice to take over for the entire weekend, “ says Jensen. Next, plan the events. Many couples like to plan a golf day for the guys and a spa day for the girls. Trips to local attractions – such as zoos, aquariums, and parks – are great if there are a large number of children attending, suggests Jensen. And, planning transportation for everyone is a nice touch. That way, guests won’t have to worry about how to get to any of the wedding events.
“A nice rehearsal dinner in a different theme than the wedding is fantastic,” says Jensen. Many couples today are not only inviting those in the actual wedding party to the rehearsal dinner, but also those who are in from out of town. You don’t have to plan a big affair; a more casual event may be a better idea if you’re inviting all of your out-of-town guests. The important thing is getting everyone together. “The [post wedding-day] brunch is probably my favorite modern wedding tradition,” says Jensen. The bride and groom’s families are usually so busy with all the details leading up to the wedding that they rarely get a chance to spend quality time with friends and family who have arrived for the weekend’s festivities. After the wedding, everyone is much more relaxed, and a next-day brunch gives them the opportunity to really visit with each other. Your post-wedding event can be anything from a casual gathering at a park with gourmet bagels and cream cheese to a catered breakfast at a country club. Your hotel might offer something nice, as well.
Monster-in-Law – pretty bridesmaids dresses
You finally found that perfectly stunning wedding gown, now you’ve got to dress your bridesmaids. Thankfully, gone are the days of the poofy and tacky bridesmaids dresses a girl dreads wearing even once. Today’s brides are no longer subjecting their attendants to wearing unappealing frocks – if for no other reason than to have them look good next to her in the wedding photos. With the bevy of beautiful bridesmaid gowns to choose from, your attendants will look gorgeous alongside of you. (Don’t worry; you’re still the starlet of this production.) Charlie, the main character in Monster-in-Law (played by Jennifer Lopez), looked way too glamorous in her wedding gown to be framed by anything less than stylish bridesmaids. Her attendants wore ultra-feminine silk charmeuse slip dresses, designed by Saeyoung Vu of Saeyoung Vu Couture. The dresses were made in a butter yellow hue that matched the yellow slip of Charlie’s pale pink wedding gown. “Yellow is a popular color for bridesmaid dresses,” says Vu. “Brides also love strapless, knee-length bridesmaid dresses with a contrasting sash. It’s clean and classic, yet modern and sexy.”
Since it can be impossible to make all of your girls happy when choosing the bridesmaid dresses, especially if you have a large bridal party, Vu recommends that a bride choose the color, fabric, and length of the gown and then let each bridesmaid pick the style she feels the most comfortable in. “If they feel good, they’ll look good, and that’s what you want,” says Vu. If you’d rather have all of your bridesmaids wearing the same style, choose something strapless because it’s the most flattering shape for a lot of women. “If one of your girls needs support on top, she can have thin straps added to the dress,” says Vu. “She’ll still match the rest of the girls, and not stand out too much.”
Gather your bridesmaids for a night of DVDs and snacks, and choose your favorite details from these wedding-related films that you can use in your own nuptials.
Incorporating your colorful culture to finding the perfect dress for your bridesmaids, your wedding will be a dramatic affair worthy of the movies.