19 Times Flower Girls Stole The Show At A Wedding

Just before the bride walks down the aisle, there's a sweet moment all guests look forward to: the flower girls!
Below, we've gathered 19 flower girl wedding moments that are just too cute for words. 

• 1 These cuties are sharing a laugh.
  
  Elle Danielle Photography
• 2 And these two are sharing a secret.
  
  Del Sol Photography
• 3 This little one is trying to keep the ring bearer on task.
  
  Christina Carroll
• 4 And this angel just can't part with her pacifier.
  
  Anna Delores Photography
• 5 This one knows how to get the party started.
  
  Braxton Black of JLP and Associates
• 6 This twosome has their eyes on the prize.
  
  Maureen Cotton Photography
• 7 This tot has some big shoes to fill.
  
  CHARD Photographer
• 8 And this kiddo looks positively precious in her dress.
  
  Duy Ho Photography
• 9 This pipsqueak is playing a little game of peekaboo.
  
  Pie Shoppe Photography
• 10 These little ones got a game of leap frog going.
  
  Kristen Honeycutt Photo Co.
• 11 This bite-sized beauty definitely takes after her mom.
  
  Jonathan Connolly
• 12 This cutie is charming her way down the aisle.
  
  JoPhoto
• 13 This little one is grinning ear-to-ear.
  
  Studio 29
• 14 And this flower girl is taking a peek at the pretty wedding attire.
  
  Tracey Buyce Photography
• 15 These two goofballs are striking a silly pose.
  
  L. Hewitt Photo
• 16 This tot is owning the dance floor in a tutu.
  
  Joe and Marianne of Marianne Wilson Photography
• 17 This bubble-blower looks pretty as can be in her princess dress.
  
  Anna Delores Photography
• 18 And this one looks boho-chic in her flower crown.
  
  Anna Delores Photography
• 19 Like we said -- too. damn. cute.
  
  Mylife Photography

Phrases Engaged Couples Should Never Say — Plus Tips For The Taking

Maria Mack

 

By: Simone Hill

 

We’re assuming you want to be on speaking terms when you meet at the end of the aisle. If that’s true, never, ever utter the following phrases to your about-to-be-spouse.

1. “I don’t care about the flowers (or cake, music or food…)”
The fact is, some people are just more interested in certain parts of planning a wedding than others, whether it be choosing flowers, tasting the menu and cake, putting together a music playlist for the band or DJ, buying or making favors, or narrowing down the guest list (who are we kidding, everyone seriously hates that last one!). But instead of effectively saying, “this is your problem not mine, so why don’t you just deal with it yourself,” explain to your soon-to-be-spouse that you’d love to choose something else off the to-do list and you trust them to handle the reception centerpieces and bouquets. Then, offer your opinion when asked, even though it’s “their” task.

2. “Don’t you think it would be better if we just eloped instead?”
Everyone says this at least once or twice during planning, but you don’t really mean it. You’re probably uttering this in frustration, so explain that to your significant other — chances are they aren’t exactly feeling super-relaxed about the whole situation either. Then plan a date night where you don’t talk about the wedding to remember how you got to this (amazing) place: You love each other!

3. “My mom says you have to serve cake at a wedding.” 
If you want to serve cake, go ahead and make your case. But suggesting something that sounds like an ultimatum based on nothing more than someone outside the inner circle’s opinion (the inner circle being you two) should be avoided. If your parents are contributing, that means they have a say — but not absolute veto power.

4. “I have to invite every single person from my office and book club.”
This is just crazy talk. You can’t commandeer the guest list any more than your partner can — it’s a compromise. So instead, decide how many people you want to invite (possibly dictated by venue space and definitely impacted by budget) and then divide it fairly among everyone who is contributing to the cost (for instance, if your parents are helping, they should get a share of the invites). If you have to prioritize inviting key people from your office (or a sports team or other group), do what you have to do — but don’t expect your soon-to-be spouse to just invite their immediate family because you have an itchy invite finger.

5. “Your mom called me again. Can you please call her back?”
Families are all crazy — it’s a legitimate fact. And that natural craziness is exponentially exacerbated by planning a wedding. So if your future mother-in-law has your number on speed dial during this time, rest assured it’s a temporary situation. But call her back yourself — you’re almost family now.

6. “Can we sell your car or open a new credit card to pay for the wedding?”
Stop the insanity! At best, your future partner will look at you like you’ve temporarily lost your mind (which you may have — planning can do that to a person). At worst, they’ll say “yes” and then you’ve just gotten permission to spend more on your wedding than you can afford. There are so many great ways to save on every aspect of your wedding that you should never put your credit on the line (literally) for one (amazing, important, memorable) day.

7. “Can you please lose 20 pounds before we walk down the aisle?”
In short, this is so not okay to say. The fact that you’re having a wedding is clearly not a surprise to the person you’re about to marry. And they definitely understand there will be a lot of people there, including a photographer, and that all eyes will be on the two of you. This rude request will only lead to hurt feelings.

If you want to make healthy eating and exercise a part of your pre-wedding regime, that’s great—your soon-to-be-spouse will probably join in. But if you try to force them to shed serious weight, things will be anything but picture-perfect by your wedding day.

Photo of the Week

Little Girl Falls Asleep At Wedding, Reminds Us That Receptions Are Very Exhausting


When you're tired enough, anything can be a bed. Literally anything, anywhere -- like, say, a table top in a room full of people at a wedding.

On Monday, Redditor kit_carlisle posted an adorable (and also very relatable) photo of a pint-sized guest who clearly had one too many root beers and passed out at the reception. Check out the photo, aptly captioned "Wedding reception aftermath," below.




Not going to lie, after a few glasses of champagne, we've definitely considered doing this. But we probably couldn't pull it off as well as this sleeping cutie.

 

Here at HuffPost Weddings, we're all about celebrating unique and innovative ideas in the wedding world. In this series, Wedding Trailblazers, we'll be spotlighting wedding-industry professionals doing creative new things. Check out our latest trailblazer below.


The best wedding photographers are trained, ceremony after ceremony, to capture those perfect moments in time: the groom's face when he first sees his bride; father and daughter dancing cheek-to-cheek.


Jeffrey Lewis Bennett, the owner of JLB Wedding in Clawson, Mich., is there, cameras in hand, to record the essential memories. But his unique wedding GIFs are a creative way to give eternal life to those fleeting hours of Big Day bliss.

 

"The way that wedding GIFs work, they look more like a photograph that happens to be telling a story inside of it," he told The Huffington Post.

Bennett, who is married with two small children, said it was a gamble to leave his full-time graphic design job three years ago to concentrate on weddings and engagements.

"For the photography business to make me happy, I wanted to fulfill my own artistic need more than I was -- and if I could find a way to do that and pay all the bills, then great," he said. "But I wasn't 100 percent sure it would work."

Bennet's GIFs, which are created solely from images, not video, require hours of digital manipulation after he's done holding the camera. He made his first GIF after shooting several quick images of a bride and groom practicing their first dance. All the while, he and the groom were joking about internet culture and their favorite memes. The groom suggested that he upload those images together to make a wedding GIF.

"It was actually pretty bad," Bennett admitted. "I went back and found it today, and it does not look good, compared to the stuff I've done since."

Clearly, his skills have improved. Who wouldn't want one of these captivating keepsakes?

Scroll down for more animated and still photographs by Jeffrey Lewis Bennett and to learn more about his creative process. See more of his work at his website.

 

"My mother's father was an electrical engineer, and he taught me how to use a 35mm camera. I remember him explaining to me how light creates an image on film and what you can accomplish by controlling that light; whether it's aperture or shutter speed or film speed."

 

"There isn't always a GIF that comes from every wedding. The majority of them, I have the idea before I take the picture. It's often something I thought of before the wedding even came, and then tried to find a way to make that happen."

 

"Other GIFs, we just happen to be walking around the corner of a building, and the wind is blowing, and there's an interesting wall. So I have the bride and groom stand there, and I set up my tripod, and I take a photo of the wind blowing the bride's dress and her hair and the jacket of the groom ... and there it is."

 

"I love to capture somebody's imagination and make them want to work with me."

 

"It wasn't enough for me anymore to just make sure the exposure was right and what was supposed to be in focus was in focus. That wasn't satisfying enough to me."

 

"I really didn't know how many people in this area would see the weirder work and think it was cool and something they wanted to preserve their wedding with."

 

"I have to focus on everything about the day, I can't exactly focus on my own ideas, even though that's what feeds me creatively in this job. It's still a small portion of the whole. They might have me for eight hours, but only one of those hours, do I have the bride and groom alone, to be really creative."

 

"What you see now, I'm very proud of. ... I was hoping that enough people out there found my work, felt the same way, hired me, so I'd be able to feed my family and buy health insurance and stuff. It's worked out very well."

 

"I've gotten to meet incredibly creative people. Some of them have their own ideas, but most of them don't. They just want me to run with it, and they're looking for me to art-direct the day and have ideas and lead them. They really are."

 

"I'm not afraid of my clients' ideas, at all. If they've got them, I want to hear them, but the majority of my clients believe in setting an artist loose and are excited to see what can come out of that."

 

"You may have 200 different photographers all over the world that make up your Pinterest board, but it's not realistic to hope you can find one local creative who can take your Pinterest board and make all those things happen to you. I'm looking to work with people who wanted me to do the thing that I do. Hearing your clients wishes and dreams and playing off their own ideas -- that's true collaboration."

 

"That shot didn't enter my head at all when I was taking the pictures. Weeks later, when I was editing the pictures, I saw the potential for a GIF. ... That moment, that couple's first dance ... everyone at that reception was watching them dance. Every eye was on them."

 

"They're standing in Lake Michigan. It was a really organic moment that I hadn't decided would be a GIF until it was happening. Of all the moments throughout the engagement session, that was THE KISS. When they kissed and that moment happened, I saw it through the viewfinder and changed my settings so I could take pictures quicker, and they were still kissing. I just tried to be as still as possible."

5 Easy Ways to Add Meaningful Personal Touches to Your Wedding

Today, weddings are all about personalization. Rather than choose a "theme," most couples want their big days to be as unique as they are and hope to fill their event with details that will make their wedding special -- not to mention stand out from the rest.

Here are some easy ways to make your wedding exude your personality, without breaking your budget.

1. Design your own logo or monogram. This is a very simple and affordable way to get a custom look while completely personalizing so many aspects of your wedding. Choose your favorite font and colors, then use the logo throughout your wedding -- from the invitations to the programs to the menus to your thank-you notes. I always design one for my couples and, from my experience, I know that you'll use it forever, which is another perk of having one.

2. Customize your menu. Infuse foods from your travels, your favorite restaurants, or family recipes into your event. Many chefs or caterers will work with you to devise a meal that really captures the cuisine you want, especially if you give them enough lead-time.

3. Dress up your photo booth. While photo booth props are very popular right now, many couples focus on those details and miss customizing the booth itself. Use personal photos to dress up the booth's exterior, or go with a company like The Photo Bank, which will wrap the booth with a large photo of your choice for an even more custom look.

4. Make your champagne your own. Use the champagne toast as a way to further show your personal style by outfitting each bottle with a custom label. You can adorn the bottles with your monogram, a photo of the two of you, or even a special message to your guests. Also, use your own champagne flutes (you may have been gifted these) on your sweetheart table for another personal touch.

5. Take advantage of the timing. If you're getting married around a holiday that's meaningful to you, create customized place cards as your favors and infuse some of the celebration into this detail. For weddings near Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year), do green apples with your guest's names attached alternating with small jars of honey, for Halloween, do baby pumpkins, or for New Year's, noise-making place cards would really make an impact. (You could even take the holiday merriment a step further by using apple tree centerpieces marked with the table numbers, placing large pumpkins on the tables and marking them with the table numbers, or having glittery top hat centerpieces.)

 

Teacher Wedding: Travis Meiers Incorporates His Third Grade Class Into His Big Day

When third grade teacher Travis Meiers tied the knot with fiancée Racheal Yeager in April 2013, his class of 22 students wasn't in attendance, but they played a role in the Big Day festivities anyway.

 

 

Meiers teaches at Learning Without Limits, a small public charter school in Oakland, Calif. Yeager -- whom his students came to know as "Ms. Racheal" -- frequently spent time in the classroom and had developed a relationship with the kids. When Meiers told his third graders that he was going to marry Ms. Racheal, the kids were very excited.

 

 

"It was a big deal, and with reactions such as one student saying 'Awesome! What should I wear?' I realized that there was no way I wasn't going to somehow involve them in the ceremony," he told HuffPost Weddings in an email.

 

 

Meiers engaged his students in a class discussion about the meaning and importance of marriage and eventually arrived at the conclusion that the most significant element of a wedding is the act of standing up in front of all of your friends and family and declaring your feelings for one another. That gave way to a writing assignment with the prompt, "What do you think Ms. Racheal and Mr. Meiers should promise to one another when they get married?" Check out some of the sweetest and most hilarious responses -- which Meiers' brother later read aloud at the ceremony -- below.

"Mr. Meiers promises to give Ms. Racheal 8 billion kisses every day."

"Ms. Racheal promises to travel all around the world with Mr. Meiers in a giant car the he bought for her."

"Mr. Meiers promises to buy Ms. Racheal a Lamborghini, and let her keep the change."

"Ms. Racheal promises never to change because Mr. Meiers likes her just the way she is."

"Mr. Meiers promises to always sit by Ms. Racheal on roller coasters."

"Mr. Meiers promises to buy Ms. Racheal a Komodo dragon."

"Mr. Meiers promises to be more like Johnny Depp."

Based on the students' enthusiasm during the writing activity, Meiers thought the class would enjoy another wedding-related activity and had them create the place cards for his reception.

"My kids got really into customizing the name cards according to the personal interests of whomever they were making a card for, so they were asking me tons of hilarious questions about my family and friends," he said. "It all had a really fun and organic feel to it, very appropriate for the kind of wedding we wanted to have."

Meiers and Yeager tied the knot on April 27th, 2013 at the Annapolis Winery in Annopolis, Calif.