Our office will be closed from December 24th until December 28th, so we’d like to take a moment to wish you a safe and happy holiday.

Heather and I recently attended the Association of Bridal Consultants’ annual conference in Indianapolis.  We met a lot of great people, and attended some very informative classes.  One of the highlights of the conference for me was meeting Peggy Post. That’s right, Peggy Post, the great-granddaughter-in-law of Emily Post – etiquette guru!

I attended two of Peggy’s sessions at the conference, and learned some really interesting things about etiquette and how it changes between cultures and over time.

One thing that really stuck out to me was that the giving of a thank you gift can differ between cultures.  The type of gift, when to give it, when to open it, and the appropriate way to reciprocate the gift can all vary depending on the culture.  For instance, be cautious if giving flowers as a gift.  Different colors or types of flowers have various meanings depending on the culture;  some even symbolizing death.  What I found even more interesting (and not surprising) is that chocolates are the universal thank you.

My favorite part of Peggy’s presentation, (besides her calling wedding coordinators saints) was her showing how the principles of etiquette have changed over time.

In 1922:
A bride-to-be could not accept apparel, a house, or a car from her fiancé.
A wedding in the evening would never take place in New York. A sit-down breakfast reception was the norm.
Southern weddings took place in the evenings (because the weather was typically cooler).

In 1980:
Female guests should never wear white or black to a wedding.
A woman who is re-marrying should never wear white.
A bridal gift registry could only consist of crystal, silver, china, and linen – that’s all!
The bridal party could only consist of men standing with the groom and women standing with the bride.

Now in 2009, we have honor attendants or even pets as participants in the bridal party.  It is acceptable for female guests to wear black; sometimes even the bridesmaids’ dresses are black.  And bridal registries often consist of just about any household item, even camping gear and flat screen TVs.  Not to mention the option of having a honeymoon registry, or requests for charity donations in lieu of gifts.

I also found it interesting that the one rule of etiquette that has not changed in over 80 years is the sending of a hand written thank you note after receiving a gift.

How do you think the rules of etiquette will change over the next 20 years?  Will evites be acceptable as wedding invitations?  Will social or eco-responsibility be more of a rule instead of an option?

One week from today, we will be announcing  the winner of Peek Romance Photography giveaway!  Check out the post about the contest here:

http://www.firstcoastweddings.com/wordpress/2009/11/were-back-with-prizes/

We’ve had some great entries but it’s not too late!  Get your entry in soon.

We’re working on some changes to our blog!  Please excuse the dust as we tweak our new design.

Melanie and I are finally back from the Association of Bridal Consultants’ annual conference, and we have lots of great ideas and thoughts to share.  But in the mean time, we want to announce a special contest to celebrate our 7th anniversary!

We are excited to be giving away a boudoir photo session from Peek Romance Photography’s Jennifer Brum.  We are so honored to know Jen and she was so sweet to give us this prize for our readers! Jennifer was even featured recently on WJXT’s The Morning Show.  What a great holiday present for someone special in your life!

So how do you win?!  Either write a comment on this post about that someone special in your life and why you’d like to surprise them with a sexy, sophisticated photo of yourself.  Or, if you’re too shy to make it public, send an email to contest{at}firstcoastweddings.com.  The winner will be chosen on Tuesday, November 24th.

We have some other great prizes too, so stay tuned!

Melanie and I are getting ready to attend the annual Association of Bridal Consultants’ International Conference, and we are so excited!  I’ve always been a believer in continuing education and feel that our clients benefit greatly.  Next week, we’ll be learning from keynote speakers Sylvia Weinstock (“The Leonardo Da Vinci of Cakes”) and Peggy Post (THE wedding etiquette expert), as well as two of the industry’s top pros, Rebecca Grinnals and Frank Andonoplas.

Each breakfast, lunch and evening event is themed, with events at the Indianapolis Museum of Art and the famous members-only Columbia Club.

We’re sure to come back with notebooks and Blackberries and cameras full of great ideas!  I’m looking forward to telling you all about it when we return.

(Please note, our office will be closed Saturday, November 7th through Wednesday, November 11th)

Be sure to visit our Spotlight photo gallery on our website!  We have just uploaded some gorgeous photos from Jennifer and Karl’s September 26th wedding, courtesy of Oeil Photography.