For $40, your wedding hashtag can be less terrible

Millennial weddings come with a basically compulsory social media component these days, and one woman is taking advantage.

After dealing with wedding overload (19 ceremonies over the past two years), Los Angeles-based magazine editor Marielle Wakim had witnessed her fair share of bridal processions, wedding veils and best man toasts.

She'd also seen the rise of the wedding hashtag, a short phrase that's usually an overly cutesy blend of the bride and groom's names or a trying-too-hard nod to how they met.

If you've been to a wedding in the last few years, you'll know it. The wedding hashtag can be found on everything, starting with invitations and the wedding website, and then plastered onto napkins, photo booth pictures and and centerpiece displays at the reception.

They've become as expected as a bouquet toss.

Wakim started offering to help some of her many soon-to-be-married friends come up with something clever for the special day's Instagram posts, and she realized she could monetize the phenomenon.

Last month, Wakim launched "Happily Ever #Hashtagged," with package deals for her hashtag-making services. The simplest start at $40, while $115 gives couples three options, plus two more for any bachelor and bachelorette parties.

"People can't think of that notch-more clever of word play," she told Mashable in a phone call Friday. "That's why they hire me."

Today's couples don't want a generic #SmithWedding2016, but something that reflects who they are, whether that be super romantic, mega cheesy or more quirky.

"People are always trying to add a really personal touch to their day," Wakim said, which she thinks makes her service that much more appealing.

Thanks to her magazine training, Wakim said she's a prime punning expert, which she believes is a big part of building a catchy hashtag. (Wakim was the source of the viral asparagus water ridiculousness at Whole Foods, so she seems to know what resonates.)

For her clients she tries to avoid the obvious, because that's why they're paying her. She usually starts with rhyming and combinations of first and last names and working in any idioms. She has customers fill out a survey with nicknames, wedding details and back stories, which all help her process.

For one couple with the last name Ferris, a Ferris wheel proposal story and Ferris wheel decor planned for the event, she came up with #WheelyInLove. Another for sillier pair Maggie and Charlie became #CharMagweddon.

"They are deceptively difficult to come up with," she said, since it's not just what the hashtags sound like spoken aloud but how they look written down — without any gaffes or unintended innuendo.

In the past week, Wakim's received a flurry of media attention, and she claimed her business has since quadrupled. "I'm going to be hashtagging my face off," she said about her side hustle.

As for her own wedding hashtag, if the 29-year-old one day decides to tie the knot, "How will I ever pick?" she mused. The pressure is on.

Couple surprise their wedding party with puppies instead of bouquets

Flowers on your wedding day? So overdone. Try puppies instead.

After Sarah and Matt Crain’s puppy bouquets got loads of love online, other couples have replaced their flowers with dogs to make pup bouquets a full-on wedding trend.

Kathryn Dombrowski and Brad Zeimer are one of those couples.

Kathryn volunteers at animal rescue Secondhand Hounds, and has always had a passion for rescuing animals. Brad, like most people, loves dogs.

So when they tied the knot, they knew that puppies had to be involved.

Kathryn contacted photographer Alycia Faye, who happens to be a Puppy Party Coordinater at Secondhand Hounds (sounds like our dream job),  and Rachel, the Executive Director, to work out how they could include some puppies in their special day.

They decided to bring in 13 puppies to appear in their photos, to use their wedding as a chance to promote adopting pups in need instead of buying dogs from pet shops.

On the day, Kathryn and Brad surprised their wedding party by handing them each a puppy in place of a bouquet as they came outside to pose for wedding photos.

‘They were SO excited,’ Alycia told metro.co.uk.

‘Kathryn said they thought they were coming outside for regular photos but when they got outside we were there with 13 pit bull puppies.

‘The bridal party was so in love and there was a lot of kissing going on!’

Alycia told us that the puppies were the perfect wedding surprise, and that – thankfully – there weren’t any extra difficulties involved with photographing them instead of flowers.

‘The puppies were so great and absolutely loves on everyone.

‘No challenges other than hoping everyone, including the bridal party since they were so excited, could hold their potties until after the photos were taken.’

After the wedding the five-week-old puppies were taken back to their mum, named Pikachu, and are currently living with a foster owner.

The bride and groom also made donations to Secondhand Hounds in place of wedding favours, and told The Huffington Post that they hope the photos of their pup bouquets will remind everyone to rescue dogs in need instead of going to breeders or shops.

The modern wedding present: what to buy and what to avoid

Now that we have marriage equality, is it okay (yet) to say marriage is out-dated? I don’t mean the legalities, rights and protections it brings: but the things that go along with it. I’m all for a brilliant party, and wouldn’t begrudge a loving couple their dream holiday, but what about the white wedding dress, the giving away of the bride, and most of all, what about the wedding presents?

 In the distant past, by which I mean a generation ago, wedding presents made sense. You were helping a couple setting up home to get started, with essentials including toasters, best china, candlesticks and carving knives. Who needs any of this stuff now, when most couples have been living together for ages already?

 I remember being quite shocked to discover that large stores which offer wedding lists will also let the couple swap items for vouchers later. So that pretty dotty bowl or epic chopping board you’re happily imagining your friends using for the rest of their lives, could well have been parlayed into just about anything else.

One couple I know decided to spread the love, and on their wedding invitation said they had everything they needed and would prefer donations to charity. “If you do want to give us a present,” they added, “that’s fine too.” It was a risky strategy and it didn’t pay off – for anyone. They got just one charitable donation, a small forest of candlesticks, and an enormous gaudy samovar.

 So what do you give the couple who has everything? Money towards the honeymoon or a new car? – it adds up pretty quickly. It’s unromantic but usually well received.

You could add imagination: try a case of wine from the year of the wedding, buy en primeur (ie before the wine has been bottled) with any of the major wine merchants; a piece of Irish craft or design from the couple’s home county (search makers by area at dccoi.ie); or commission a portrait of their house (from €441 at paintfor.me).

 On the other hand, the Daily Mail reported that 82 per cent of newly-weds admitted to selling their wedding gifts on eBay, so maybe the best present is either money, or something that can be easily, and lucratively sold on afterwards – or regifted when the next wedding comes around.

8 Wedding Decoration Ideas To Fall In Love With

The best finishing touches for your big day...

So you’ve picked a date and booked your venue. Now all that you need is to turn that Pinterest board into a reality and choose the decorations that will make your wedding what you always dreamed it would be.

The problem is where do you start? Decorating a venue can seem pretty overwhelming when you’re presented with a big blank space. But it really only takes a few touches to turn it into something special. Here are a few of our favourite wedding decoration ideas to give you a helping hand.

1. Add a little twinkle

If you’re not having a country wedding or don’t like that cute, twee vibe, fairylights can be a great alternative to bunting. More cost-effective than flowers, they’re great for adding a twinkling touch when the sun goes down.

2. Don't be scared of succulents

Not the most obvious choice for wedding flowers, but bear with us. Sweet little succulents make both chic centrepieces and pretty hanging decorations. Plus you don’t have to worry about them wilting before the guests arrive, either.

3. Pimp your jars

Been collecting glass jars for months? Excellent idea. Now give them your own personal touch by gluing lace ribbon or a hessian trim around them depending on your scheme. Alternatively, wrap a bit of twine around them to give a simple, rustic edge.

Sound waaaaay too fiddly? Spray painting jars is an easy way to tie them into your overall colour scheme. Extra points for plastering them in glitter.

4. Give glasses a pop of colour

Worried that your tables might end up looking a little too white? Try tailoring your tableware to add a pop of colour. Choosing wine glasses in one of your bouquets accent colours is an easy way to make a statement and tie your scheme together.

5. Blow up some balloons

Balloons divide people – some think they are the naffest decoration on Earth, others love the sense of fun they bring. If you’re on the fence, try incorporating them into your floral displays. They’ll save you money on expensive flowers without compromising on any of the wow-factor.

6. Let it all hang out

What with all the glasses, menus, napkins, tableware and name places, things can get a little crowded on your tables – even more so when you factor in your centrepieces.

Keep your tables fuss free by suspending your flowers overhead instead. Perfect for bringing the outdoors inside, hanging flowers also encompass large empty ceiling spaces to make bigger venues feel that bit more intimate.

7. Make room for moss

People spend so much money on flowers and trinkets to use as centrepieces when there’s probably a free alternative on their doorstep. Moss makes an amazing decoration for tables at weddings, especially if you’re going for that magical, woodland vibe.

All you need to do is head out into the woods, find a shady spot and pick as much moss as you can find. Once you’ve got it home again, simply lay it out to dry out and voilà: your own free table decoration.

8. Factor in some fun

We get that marriage is a serious commitment, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add a little fun to your wedding. Adding a few quirky decorations, like these gold pineapples are a great way to reflect your personality and stop the celebrations from feeling too formal.

How To Grow Your Own Wedding Flowers

Because having a florist is like so last season...

If you've found the dress, booked the venue but are panicking over having yet to find a florist then well, don't. It turns out although having one is traditional it isn't actually essential. Instead if you've got a garden or an allotment or simply friends with a spare plot you can save a lot of money by doing it yourself. Think an average of £200 compared to a whooping £800. Plus gardening is said to burn an average of 400 calories per hour so you can save on the bridal gym membership too.  We spoke to the experts at Wyevale Garden Centres to find out all about the DIY option. Here's how to do it...

Consider the season

The range of flowers you’ll be able to choose from for your wedding displays is of course going to depend on which season you’re holding your ceremony. While you’ll have an abundance of choice when it comes to your flowers in spring and summer, a winter ceremony is obviously going to be more restricting. However, that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to create some stunning arrangements, just take a look on Pinterest for some inspiration.
Plan your colour scheme well in advance

For maximum impact, you’ll want to match your bouquets to the colour scheme of your wedding. This will create a gorgeous end result, but requires a lot of forward planning, as your flowers will of course take a while to grow. You may even want to choose the colour scheme of your wedding based on your favourite in-season flowers. If this is the case, make sure to check out our gardeners colour wheel, which will help you choose tones that complement one another perfectly.

Plant more than you need

Even the most experienced gardeners can struggle to get certain plants to thrive, even when providing them with their favourite conditions and lavishing them care and attention. With this in mind, it’s essential that you plant up a lot more flowers than you’re going to need, as you’ll no doubt encounter a few problems along the way. You may even consider asking a few close friends and family members to help you grow some of your chosen flowers, which will also give them a chance to get involved and contribute their own personal touch to your ceremony.

Keep your flowers fresh for longer

Once you’ve gone through all of the trouble of planting and caring for your wedding flowers in the build-up to your big day, the last thing you want to do is mess up at the final and most important stage: cutting. If they’re properly prepared, most flowers last around a week on display before they begin to wilt. Ideally, you therefore want to cut your flowers three or four days before your wedding to ensure they look their best. You should do this in the morning or evening if at all possible, as this is when your plants will be at their freshest, and you should get them straight into water. For the best possible results, make sure to follow the RHS’s guide to conditioning cut flowers.