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A "wishing tree" is a traditional part of Dutch weddings, and an interesting alternative to the guest book. A beautifully shaped bare branch (or two) is placed in a pot and arranged on a table beside the bride and groom's table. The branch can be bursting into bud for a spring wedding, or a dried and painted branch. You can decorate the branch with ribbons or beads, whatever looks beautiful to you.

Guests are given a paper leaf or piece of decorative card attached to a ribbon when they arrive. During the reception, they write their best wishes to the bride and groom. The couple gets to read them before hanging them on the branch. After the wedding, the couple can use the branch as a centerpiece or decorative item in their own home. Eventually, couple can take the leaves/cards off the tree and make a collage of them or put them in a scrapbook. Whatever you do with it, you'll have a tree-full of warm wishes to savor for years to come.

Wednesday Wedding Wrap-up is a weekly roundup of highlights from the past week, covering wedding blogs and websites, reality TV, even particularly hot scoop right here at AisleDash. Think we missed something? Leave your favorite highlight in the comments!

Did you miss out on something exciting before you got hitched? Manolo for the Brides discusses the importance (or lack of importance, as the case may be) of the "Do THIS before you get married" lists.

Decidedly Uncomplicated puts together a welcome bag ... and they come out to $37 each! Find out what she kept and what she nixed.

Weddingbee's Miss Tiramisu has chosen a wedding song, but not until she and her Mr. went through a long and arduous process of elimination, including dissecting the lyrics of every possible contender. However, they made a great choice, and her reasons for choosing or not choosing a song might just help you out.

Let's face it - the unity candle can be a beautiful part of your ceremony. But sometimes, it can feel outdated. Or maybe even slightly dangerous, what with the open flame and all. And it's a one-trick pony. If you have children and want to involve them, you probably won't hand them a candle. Not to mention it's difficult for two people to light a candle, much less more.

A unity sand ceremony may be just the thing for you. Here's how it works. You have two smaller vases and one larger vase. The two smaller ones are filled with colored sand - one color for the bride and one for the groom. If you have kids, add a small vase with another color for them, too.

The groom pours some of his sand into the vase. Then the bride pours some of hers. The bride and groom then pour the rest of the sand in together, creating a sand pattern in the central vase. You can create many alternatives to this. Let your officiant pour in some sand of another color, forming the base, and then the bride and groom can follow. Children can pour in some sand after or with the bride and groom.

And when you're done, the sand pattern is a perfect keepsake of your day. Just don't forget to seal it up so it doesn't get ruined if it gets knocked over.

On this date in 1923, Lady Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowles-Lyon married HRH The Duke of York. If you don't recognize those names, perhaps "the Queen Mother" and "King George VI" might mean more.

Lady Elizabeth wore the fashionable lace cap and veil of the 1920's, wreathed with white heather, myrtle leaves, and white roses. The roses are the emblem of the County of York, and thus suitable for the new Duchess of York. Her dress had the very popular boxy shape of the 20s. The vagaries of fashion are widely considered to have been unfortunate for Her Highness, as she was a curvaceous woman whose best features were effectively muffled by her dress.

Still, the dress is beautiful, and one of the simplest made for a royal wedding. Her antique point de Flanders veil was lent to her by her MIL, Queen Mary, and her chiffon moire dress was dyed to match it. The dress had two trains: the first attached at the waist; the second, made of tulle, fell from the shoulders.

The bouquets of the Roaring 20s tended to the large. In fact, many of them were outright huge. In addition to all those flowers, the were lush with ribbons. To our modern eye, they might have appeared tangled, untidy even, but that was because they would be knotted every inch or two.

The knot, you see, is a symbol of love. Traditional brides would repeat their name and the name of their groom-to-be three times for each knot, binding the two together in happy union forever. If you don't think you have quite the budget for an immense bouquet, perhaps you can manage a few yards of knotted ribbon!

Seals and sealing wax are quaint whispers of times gone by. Once, they were an efficient way not only to seal a document, but to ensure it hadn't been tampered with. Because each person would have a personal seal, once a seal was broken, it couldn't be re-sealed without the original. Clever, huh?

These days, of course, seals are used primarily for show, to add a little class, history, and a sense of ceremony to a document or envelope. What better place, then, than a wedding invitation? If you have a monogram, this is the place for it! Or you can use a generic heart or something similarly romantic.

If dealing with sticks of melting wax and wee spoons seems a little too fiddly, you'll be pleased to know that you can now get wax that fits in a standard-size glue gun. If you're familiar enough with a glue gun to actually own one, making a few seals will be a breeze!

In the 1920's, with women enjoying their freedom from the restrictive fashions of the Victorian and Edwardian eras, the loose-fitting, slightly-bland, chemise-style dress became all the rage, even for weddings. As a result, the focus of style was drawn upwards to their heads.

Veils became beautiful, elaborate concoctions of metres and metres of silk tulle or the finest Brussels lace that fell straight down and pooled dramatically at the bride's feet. Worn quite low on the forehead and fitting snugly over the bride's head, it was held in place by a floral wreath (orange blossom was a favourite) or an intricately beaded head band. It's a beautiful, romantic look and would set the mood for your 1920's wedding just perfectly.

Alternatively, opt for a cloche hat embellished with jewels, a la the legendary Gloria Swanson, or flowers. It's a timeless classic from that era, and was often used in place of a veil. For a more glamorous, sophisticated look, a jewelled and beaded headband with feathers (ostrich or peacock) is another option.

Your best bet for finding authentic flapper veils and head pieces, or good reproductions, is to do a search on Etsy. Or, find a milliner who is able to reproduce a cloche wedding hat, or perhaps even a 20's veil. This website on fashion history is a goldmine of inspiration.

Browse through the gallery below for our favourite cloche hats and flapper head pieces.

Whether or not you and/or your beloved are in the military, you've probably seen the military tradition of the arch of sabers. Though details of the ceremony vary depending on which branch of the military is involved, the essentials are the same throughout. Depending on the branch, however, not every serviceman (or woman) is eligible for the arch. If you're in the military, consult with your chaplain, who will know the ins and outs of your particular requirements.

The arch is usually performed outside the church. The saber- (or sword-) bearers, who must be in uniform, line up on either side of the walk. As the attendants proceed, they will have their sabers upright against their bodies, tip to their chin. When the bride and groom appear, a series of quiet commands have them raise the sabers into the arch. The couple proceed through the arch, but when they get to the end, the final two saber-bearers will drop and cross their blades, preventing the couple from proceeding.

Are you looking for a special wedding garter and coming up against a wall of mass-produced, scratchy creations that are sure to drive you bonkers on your wedding day? Well, we've found someone who makes one-of-a-kind, bespoke garters that have received rave reviews from real life brides.

Peterene Designs, on Etsy, is a Boston-based artist with a passion for design. If you're looking for a unique garter that is more than just the traditional band of tight, thigh-squeezing, 'something-blue-it-will-do' satin and lace, then have a look at the fantastic garters that Peterene has designed. There's pretty much anything there you can think of, from sexy French style to army-camouflage, raunchy leopard-print to virginal white lace and roses. It's a visual feast!

This is a funky way to add a contemporary personal touch to an old wedding tradition.

The days of throwing rice at the happy couple as they head off for their honeymoon are waning. Now it's all about bubbles or birdseed or confetti or no send-off at all, since most people wait a day or more before leaving for the honeymoon anyway.

But for those who want to participate in the traditional getaway and photo-op, here's another idea: sparklers. Instead of throwing seeds or blowing bubbles at you, your guests form an aisle for you and wave sparklers as you make your getaway. It makes for a festive feeling and a colorful photo, whereas photos with bubbles or rice often show the couple wincing and squinting as they run, trying to avoid getting anything in their eyes. As long as your guests don't throw the sparklers at you, this shouldn't be a problem.

Whether or not you love the roaring 20s with freedom-loving flappers, endless nights of dancing the Charleston, and drinking under the table, you'll fall for these hip flask garter belts that take tradition to a new level.

Discreet and oh-so-pretty, these hip flask holders come in many styles and colors on this site. At $50 with a three ounce silver flask or $40 without, these garters aren't cheap but they make for interesting and practical wedding party gifts. If you don't drink and choose to go without the flask, you and your bridesmaids can still use the hip flask holder to store lipstick, compacts, tissues, and any other essential you can imagine (ah-hem, condom).

Check out the gallery to see how other brides employed this hip idea.

The Crim Dell bridge at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, is fabled to be one of the most romantic places on earth. I have not been everywhere on earth, so I can't say for sure that this is true, but I have seen the famous bridge, and yes, it is very romantic.

Legend has it that if a couple kisses at the center of the bridge, they are destined to be together forever. It's not a myth that W&M students take lightly. Many college couples avoid ever even crossing the bridge together, lest they seal their fate before they're prepared.

What if a couple breaks up after a Crim Dell kiss? Simple. The young lady must throw her former sweetheart over the bridge and into the water below to break the curse. A newer rumor states that if a woman crosses the bridge alone, she's doomed to a life of spinsterhood.

So, do I know anyone who's ever kissed on the Crim Dell bridge? As a matter of fact, I do, and I'm attending their wedding in July!

Today we bring you the talented and adorable Megan Carty, letterpress artist and the genius behind Megan Creates and Presslings. We love her beautiful wedding invitations and were thrilled when she agreed to share her knowledge about letterpress (here's her actual press!) and so graciously offered her best tips to Aisledash readers.

How did you get started working in letterpress? Why do you love it?

As a graphic designer, I love everything to do with design and with paper. I love when paper items feel special...like keepsakes you treasure in a scrapbook or box for years to come. Letterpress lends itself to that feeling since it's a process that makes use of special thick cotton papers that feel so luxurious and soft. There is a tactile element to it; the text and images deboss IN to the paper so you can feel the impression. It adds a special touch to an invitation or to stationery. It particularly works well for adding a vintage feel to a design.

I got into letterpress because I was frustrated that I couldn't find anyone to print my wedding invitations at what I considered an affordable price. Of course, I understand now why that is (it's so time consuming and detailed!). I ended up having my own invites offset printed due to budget issues. Anyway, I was tired of coveting the work of all the other letterpress companies out there and decided to get in on the fun. It's so fun to see my designs come to life on the press...to ink the press and rollers by hand, to feed each sheet in one at a time while pushing the treadle with my foot...and see the final result pressed into the page; it's magic!

I enjoy partnering with brides (and moms-to-be or stationery lovers) to make their dream design come to life...printing it is just the icing on the, um, wedding cake.

What should couples keep in mind when designing their letterpress wedding invitations?

Couples need to keep in mind that letterpress is NOT for the budget conscious. I wish that weren't the case!

Here is why that is:

A woman in New York sued the community college she works for in order to get her same-sex marriage recognized. Patricia Martinez married her partner in Canada and later applied to get health benefits for her. The application was denied.

A state appellate court ruled that the community college must recognize the marriage, citing a longstanding marriage recognition rule. If a marriage is legally valid where it was performed, New York state must recognize it.

This ruling could help New Yorkers negotiate spousal health benefits for other same-sex marriages. And if New York must recognize it, will other states be far behind? As it stands now, any marriage in Vegas, Niagara Falls or other popular destinations are honored in all states. So what's to stop other couples from traveling to Massachusetts or Ontario to get married? And if they are legally married there, they could sue to get spousal coverage back in their home states.

It's only a matter of time before more of these lawsuits pop up. And even if states like California don't move to allow same-sex marriages, they may soon be forced to recognize them (if they don't already).

What are your thoughts - should states recognize same-sex marriages from other states?

Photo by kumon licensed under Creative Commons.

Incorporating a special reading into your ceremony (and even the reception speeches) is a lovely way to add meaning to your day. we've already highlighted some popular readings, but here are a few more really romantic readings that carry a lot of imagery and sentiment about enduring love.

The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer

This reading is about personal inner strength, and supporting each other. It's about the 'for better, for worse' part of your vows. It's not whimsical or sweetly romantic but, rather, touches on the raw passions and grittiness of everyday life. This line says it all:

"It doesn't interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the centre of the fire with me and not shrink back."

The Most Wonderful of All Things In Life by Sir Hugh Walpole

"The most wonderful of all things in life is the discovery of another human being with whom one's relationship has a growing depth, beauty and joy as the years increase."

Just a short bit of prose, but so rich with meaning.

Blessing for a Marriage by James Dillett Freeman

We like the informal tone of this reading, and the list of 'wishes' for the relationship:

"May you need one another, but not out of weakness.
May you want one another, but not out of lack.
May you entice one another, but not compel one another.
May you embrace one another, but not out encircle one another.
May you succeed in all important ways with one another,
and not fail in the little graces.
May you look for things to praise, often say, "I love you!"
and take no notice of small faults."