Bridal 2011

Welcome to Charlottesville Woman magazine’s special bridal edition! This magazine gives us the chance to take a closer look at one of the most important days in a woman’s life. Additionally, we added a special weddings channel on our new website: http://www.cvillewoman.com under Hot Topics so we can explore this year-round. Check it out!

As a girl I loved weddings. I would dream about my own—I know I’m not the only one. My cousins, sister and I would play dress-up in my grandmother’s wedding dress. I remember thinking it was the most beautiful dress I’d ever seen.

In high school I took sociology and we had to marry, have kids (sacks of flour I believe), jobs and see how to be an adult. Of course there weren’t enough boys in the class for all of us to marry, so I married my best friend at the time, Lori…very progressive for 1991.There were several of us young ladies that had to marry other ladies for the project. We had to plan our weddings—every little detail. I remember scouring wedding magazines for the perfect dress and I wasn’t even old enough to marry yet! But that’s how it goes for us women, once we find the dress the entire wedding can fall into place.

In this issue we explore a day-in-the-life of a wedding planner (page 18) and ask others about how to handle some sticky situations (page 20). Additionally, we chat with a fitness instructor who offers a bridal bootcamp for those interested in getting in shape before the big day (page 22). Jennifer Carroll helps break down all those little details that go in to planning the perfect wedding (page 14). We also show you some do-it-yourself items on page 7, choosing the perfect dress with the fashionista on page 8 and creatively preserving your wedding flowers on page 9.

As we usher in prime wedding season don’t feel boxed in by the traditional trappings of weddings; make the day your own (page 17). One staffer had her mother walk her down aisle. I walked down the aisle in October to the Princess Bride theme song rather than the Wedding March because I felt it resembled the story of me and my husband.

We hope you glean what you need from this magazine to make your day as uniquely yours as possible. Enjoy.