What does change with time is the desire to wear a tiara with veil and get blasted to the max (see “Bridesmaids“). This begs the question how best to celebrate without acting like a gaggle of giggling pre-pubescent girls. Here are a few thoughts applicable to our status in life that won’t wring all the fun out of the occasion. Oh, and I’ve included a few money-saving ideas, some of which are based on my thrice-married experience.

1. Vegas, Baby!
You know your secrets will stay in Las Vegas, right? While you and your gal pals don’t have to go the route of the boys in “Hangover,” the town that never sleeps is mighty tempting for a destination event. Plane fair and accommodations are usually cheap and there’s nothing that says you have to blow a pile of money to have fun. Atlantic City makes for a good alternative, should you live on the East Coast.

2. Ante Up
If a trip is out of the question, how about hosting a poker night with friends? The bride might even walk away with enough cash to pay for a portion of the wedding or—if everyone is a high roller—the entire event. If cash flow is a problem for some, play penny ante or with poker chips. (Wood matches also make a cheap and funky substitute.)

3. Gift Card Your Way to Happiness
There are registries for weddings…why not a registry for bachelorette parties? You can defray costs by setting up a gift registry at such sites as CardAvenue. Register for everything from hotels and gas to car rentals and party supplies. This works particularly well for Boomers, since we already have all the fine china and blenders we normally would request in a wedding registry. (Unless, of course, you lost all those things in the divorce.)

4. Live in the Lap of Luxury
If you can’t afford a spa weekend, how about just a spa day or a few hours of pampering? My first (and only) pedicure was administered during a bachelorette party, during which we all gabbled away while luxuriating in personal care. It was a total blast, particularly because the spa allowed us to supply our own libations and treats. They were happy for the group business and we came out maximally relaxed.

5. Sing Your Hearts Out
Karaoke isn’t for everyone, particularly in public, but it’s hard to resist a good warble in front of your closest friends. Remember that nobody expects everyone to turn all Beyoncé. There are always a few group-sing numbers particularly suited for those with a tin ear. You can rent a karaoke system for anywhere from $50 to $150, depending on the quality and number of song collections you select. If you don’t have a rental company in town, companies like Nationwide Karaoke will ship a system to you.

6. Take Them Out to the Ballgame
…or the football, soccer or hockey game, perhaps? Whatever your gang’s favorite sport, it’s more fun when you share the experience. Baseball games particularly make for great bachelorette parties as there’s plenty of time to chat while sitting in the sun and sipping a beer or margarita, depending on the refreshments available at your local ballpark. Don’t overlook minor-league games as an inexpensive alternative.

7. Give Back
A new trend in bachelorette parties is to forsake the traditional debauchery in favor of volunteering on a community project, such as working on a home-building project for Habitat for Humanity. You might also organize donations for The Women’s Community, which supports victims of abuse and assault.

8. Get Cheesy
Our mothers were the original fondue nuts, but this is a trend that’s making a sizable comeback, with entire restaurants devoted to this customer-cooks method. Naturally, you don’t have to limit yourselves to cheese. You can add separate pots of boiling bouillon for meat and melted chocolate for dessert. You can round up the necessary fondue sets without making a major investment by cruising a few garage sales.

9. Exchange Clothes
One of the best parties I ever hosted was a clothes swap. We all brought cast-off items in good shape and had a great time modeling our new wardrobe items for each other. Best of all, it didn’t cost a cent. You can donate any remaining items to a local non-profit.

Kate Forgach is a Baby Boomer consumer specialist for Kinoli Inc. She has written about senior issues for 11 years as a Cooperative Extension specialist and for a wide variety of newspapers and magazines. She has been featured in USA Today, Detroit News, New Orleans Times-Picayune, New Yorker magazine, “ABC World News,” NBC’s “TODAY” show and many other media outlets.

So that’s cool. You’re engaged. And now that the holiday hype is officially a thing of the past,  it’s time for you to get serious about your future. There’s a good chance that you’ve already started planning. Which is great. Because the first thing that people are going to ask you once they finish fawning over your perfect ring and giving you a solid congratulatory hand-shake—is “how’s the planning going?” and “when’s the big day?” With so many people asking you such hard-hitting questions right off of the bat, it’s hard not to feel pressured to jump straight into the planning and start trying to sort out the perfect vision of you and your partner’s idea of wedding day bliss.

So instead of jumping feet first into a world of stress and panic, check out this upcoming, bridal show in Boulder. Find some direction. Get some ideas. Taste some delicious food. You’ll be happy that you did. You might even find your perfect venue! Which, next to finding the perfect partner and the perfect dress, is pretty much the most exciting thing about planning your perfect wedding.

The 15th Annual Boulder Wedding Showcase
Sunday, January 29th | 11 am – 3 pm

Wedding showcases are hands down the best way to get an sense of exactly what type of wedding details fit your style. This popular Boulder Wedding Showcase will give a good idea of the different culinary and photography companies that you can book in Boulder County. Sample food, check out photographer’s portfolios, listen to some live and jazz, and possibly find your perfect venue. The showcase will be hosted by the Boulder Theater and Rembrandt Yard, and you’ll get a good look and the chance to ask the experts about any questions that you might have about either venue. Maybe the funky, historic Boulder Theater, with its giant full bar and unique decorations is the perfect venue for you. Or maybe you’re the artsy type. Incorporate a little hipster into your big day and book a venue with tons of windows, tons of light, a beautiful and serene décor and local artwork covering the walls. Either way, follow this link and mark this Sunday on your wedding planning calendar today!

See more Bolder Life’s at yellowscene.com. Wanna get your bridal show plugged on cobrides.com? Email editorial@yellowscene.com

Bloomin Invites and More

One of our sales reps tossed a folder on my desk a couple weeks ago, and I didn’t peek inside until today (I get a lot of things thrown on my desk). Little did I know, had it sat there much longer, the folder and all its content could have eventually sprouted.

Bloomin, 3080 Valmont Rd. in Boulder, specializes in “seed paper.” It’s 100 percent recycled, post-consumer paper that is embedded with wildflower seeds. The ink is biodegradable and does not affect the seeds.

So, yes, your guests can basically plant your invites, your envelopes or your save the dates. No waste. No enviro-guilt. And lots and lots of wildflowers will sprout up in your name (which is just so romantic, isn’t it?).

Plus, there are some pretty cool styles, designs and colors for the paper. We love the Hawthorne Suite…can you get anymore Colorado than that?

“We are seeing couples move away from formal and traditional type weddings to fun, romantic, simple, casual, and unique weddings with a touch of formal and tradition,” the report reads.

Here are more trends forecasted for 2012, as couples scale back, simplify and reflect their personalities.

1. It’s a small world. Couples are keeping a tight rein on guest numbers (under 150), as the overall cost of the wedding is directly affected by how many heads are in attendance.

2. Autumn leads. While June is the reigning month for marriages, September is a close second, and other months including August and October are on the rise.

3. Rustic and vintage themes. Rustic themes and vintage touches continue to trend. Kellie Hanley of Orlando, Fla., is planning a “rustic, country chic” wedding this June at the Mead Gardens Amphitheater in Winter Park, and a reception at the local Farmer’s Market “to tie in that ‘barn’ feel we wanted,” she says. To pull off the theme, she’s opting to do most of the decorating herself.

4. DIY reigns. “You can do things for so much cheaper yourself!” says Hanley, who relies on sites like Pinterest.com for ideas. She’s not alone. Megan Knight, from Coppell, Texas, is taking on most of the wedding day tasks. “Flowers, invitations, website, so far, perhaps even the cake,” she says. “We haven’t decided if we’re going to take on that yet.”

5. Tech love. Today’s brides (96% of them according to Weddingwire.com) are planning, shopping and registering online and even incorporating technology into the wedding day itself. Online blogs are providing the inspiration brides are looking for to piece together their day. Hanley’s other favorites include Sparkle & Hay, RuffledBlog.com and TheKnot.com.

6. Sweet endings. Dessert buffets continue to take a bite out of receptions, with nontraditional choices like: square mini-cakes and cupcake tiers or pies, macaroons, Whoopie Pies, cake pops, color-coordinated candy and even ice cream sundae stations or a cookies and milk bar. The dessert choices reflect the whimsical, fun nature of today’s weddings.

7. Color me vibrant. Knight, who describes her upcoming Texas wedding as “laid back” and “casual,” is using a formal royal blue theme, and softening it with yellow and white accents. Some of the biggest colors this year are purples and green as well as jewel tones, according to TheWeddingReport.com.

8. Casually groomed. Much to the relief of grooms everywhere, tuxedo rentals are out and suits and casual wear are in. TheWeddingReport.com states demand for tuxedo rental is down 11% over 2010 numbers (61% to 54% in 2011).

9. Candid cameras. Formal photos are out and candid shots are in that fit with the look and feel of the wedding day. Demand for photo booths continues to rise as a fun way to capture memories.

10. Non-traditional gifts. Non-traditional gift registries like CardAvenue.com are popping up, allowing couples to register for gift cards according to their tastes and needs, as research shows that couples are waiting longer to get married (brides are 27 on average, grooms 29).

11. Close to home. TheWeddingReport.com predicts destination weddings will decline or remain flat in 2012 as couples are sticking close to home for the wedding day. They’re also choosing more outdoor and/or all-inclusive locations to simplify their weddings and save money.

12. Staying put. Not only are couples staying close to home, they’re opting to host the ceremony and reception in the same location – again, to save money and simplify. Cindy Vega, who describes her upcoming wedding as “a little nontraditional” and “simple” has chosen Ashton Gardens in her hometown of Houston, Texas, because the on-site chapel and reception hall will allow them to keep the festivities in one location. “It was voted 4 years in a row as the top venue in Houston,” she adds.

Weddings expert Cara Davis is the author of Cheap Ways to Tie the Knot and blogs from her home in Orlando, Fla., about cheap ways to spend and save at CheapWaysTo.com.

Just down the street from the Colorado Babies world headquarters, Intricate Icings is baking up a storm.

And it’s not just lovely wedding cakes. The ladies of this cake shop recently WON the Food Network Challenge: Halloween Ghost Story Cakes! They took home $10,000 with their “Dreaded Dreams Come True” showpiece: a frightened little girl and her cat curled up in a comfy chair with a skeleton hovering over her. You can see a blog post with more photos of the winning piece here.

When my boyfriend (now fiancé) and I were talking about getting married, this topic presented itself a number of times. He wanted to know if I thought it was important that he ask my dad first. In the end I told him not to. For me, it wasn’t a matter of sexism or tradition. It was more about my independence and desire to make my own choices, regardless of my father’s thoughts on the subject. We compromised, though, by having my fiancé call my father first to tell him of our engagement. My dad told me later he thought that was a meaningful gesture.

For those guys who still believe asking the father-in-law for permission shows sincerity and honest intensions, it’s best to have a conversation with his bride-to-be prior to doing so. Tell her why you think it’s important and let her share her thoughts on the subject. One way to go about it is to ask the father for his blessing, rather than his permission. He could also ask both parents instead of only the father. Including her mother in the conversation would be special for both parents and also eliminates the possibility of seeming sexist.

In the end it really depends on what kind of couple you are. If you are more traditional, and especially if her family is traditional, then the man-to-man conversation might be necessary. Whereas, if you are like me, you will decide it’s not a necessary step in the process.

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue

According to this rhyme from Victorian times, the “something old” symbolizes the bride’s bond to her family and her past. “Something new” represents the couple’s future. “Something borrowed” should be an item given from a happily married woman in order to give similar happiness to the new bride. Lastly, “something blue” shows fidelity and steadfastness.

Sharing the first piece of cake

Many of us have witnessed couples stuffing wedding cake into each other’s mouths, but why? According to the Romans, where this tradition derived, sharing the first piece of cake creates a special bond between the couple. Also, the sugar is thought to bring sweetness to all aspects of the couple’s new life.

Throwing rice

Although rice is rarely used any more, the tradition remains the same. This ancient tradition represents fertility. Couples these days often opt for bird seed or bubbles (especially after an urban legend circulated about rice making birds blow up…by the way, it’s not true.).

Wedding ring on the third finger

In ancient times, it was believed the vein in your third finger ran straight to the heart and, thus, this finger represented all things love. Although this is actually untrue, the tradition remains.

The bride’s veil

The veil literally represented the subordination of a woman. It was also worn because, back in the day, fathers often times gave away their daughters as payment for debts or in order to receive monetary gain. And, if the father was giving away his ugly daughter, he didn’t want the groom to know. These days, veils are often used as a fashion statement; bird cage veils are a nice alternative to the long, traditional pieces.

Giving the bride away

And this brings us to another not-so-nice wedding tradition. Today, the father walking his daughter down the aisle is a real tearjerker, but this comes from a time when daughters were little more than a nice bartering chip to good old daddy dearest.

Now that some of those quirky wedding traditions have been unveiled, pick and chose what is right for you. Also, feel free to tweak a few here and there in order to create your own wedding traditions that better fit your style and values.

These special relationships often involve issues of jealousy and revenge, the need for approval and the need for attention. It’s emotional residue of teenage torturing—the time she gave your Barbie a haircut, when she flirted with the boy you liked or when she called you Amazon girl during your very awkward puberty. These are long-festering neuroses that will likely haunt the two of you forever.

And then one of you gets engaged.

There are so many potential conflicts between sisters when it comes to weddings. The thing about sisters is—for better or for worse—you are stuck with them. And unlike your bridesmaids—who you picked as friends—a sister can be as unaware, as selfish and as destructive as she wants to be…and she is still your sister. You are especially sensitive to her snarkiness and she is especially senstive to your vanity. It’s an emotional atom-bomb waiting to happen.

So, whether you are the sister of the bride or the bride, here are five rules for dealing with your sister when the wedding bells ring:

1. Open communication: Maybe you don’t want your sister to be a bridesmaid, or maybe you’re worried she won’t help out or she’ll try to steal the show. Open up the dialogue from the very beginning, and let her know your thoughts (be sensitive, because you know how she gets when you judge her). Tell her about your expectations. And tell her what you want her role to be. If you two talk about it, it can save you from major drama on the wedding day.

2. Make her feel special: If you’ve decided not to have your sister(s) in your wedding, give her another role. Or give her a special shout-out in the program. Have her do a reading, or make a toast. Give her some credit. She is your sister, for Christ’s sake.

3. Relax: If it’s your sister who is getting married, give her a break. Literally. She’s under enormous amounts of stress, so practice some major forgiveness and make sure you offer to help out when you can. When she goes all bridezilla on your ass, be the one who lets her freak and then pour her a glass of Champagne.

4. A wedding is no time for revenge: I’m not sure if this actually happens in real life, or if it’s just a movie thing. You may really want to get your little sister back for all the annoying stuff she did as a kid, but save that for the family reunion or Christmas. Today is her day. Let her have it.

5. Be excited: There is something so simple about texting “yay!!!” to your sister after she sends you a picture of the groomsmen’s vests (super boring, I know). Be happy for them. Show your excitement. Your sister wants you to be super stoked; even if you’re not, pretend.

Bonus tip: A friend of mine asked her little sisters to be maids of honor. But she was so disappointed when they failed to throw her a bachelorette party or a bridal shower. They didn’t help her pick out flowers or find the venue. They were never around to give her advice or calm her nerves. She had to do everything by herself, including her own bachelorette party. Just remember, when you pick women who have never been a bride or bridesmaid to be in your wedding party, it often means they don’t know what it entails. You may love your sisters more than anything in the whole world, and you want them to stand right next to you when you say I do. Just be sure to let your super-organized, overly helpful best friend know you need her to step up and be a leader.

Bring some drama into your fall festivities with pops of red, pink and yellow.