Tiffany Jackson choreographed her first dance with Chad Quinn at their wedding in Upper Marlboro. (Photograph by Jennifer Smoose)

What’s In

■ Bright colors. Brides are making bolder choices when it comes to flowers and bridesmaid dresses, choosing such hues as tangerine, mango, and pomegranate.

■ Mini foods. Small passed appetizers like whipped potatoes in a sherry glass and one-bite desserts—tiramisu in a demitasse or Key-lime pie on a stick—give guests a taste of something delicious without having to sit down.

■ Celebrating ethnicity. More menus and song playlists are honoring couples’ family backgrounds. At one recent wedding, Occasions Caterers set up a buffet that included both Chinese food and a Jewish deli station.

■ Signature drinks. Caterers and couples are concocting cocktails that match wedding colors or mirror the event’s theme—such as a sake martini for Asian-themed nuptials.

■ Going green. From serving organic and local foods to using biodegradable containers for centerpieces, couples are throwing more ecoconscious celebrations.

■ New first-dance favorites. Think less Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight” and more Nina Simone’s “My Baby Just Cares for Me.” DJ Chris Laich of DC says that for first dances, couples are choosing everything from Kenny Chesney to Paul Anka remixes to punk rock by the Suicide Machines. One couple recently walked down the aisle to Coldplay.

A Badgley Mischka gown. Photo courtesy of Badgley Mischka Bride.

Thursday, May 15: Summer Sample Sale Begins  
Starting Thursday, get sample gowns at Promise (4931A St. Elmo Ave., Bethesda; 301-215-9232) at up to 60 percent off. The sale goes through August 2, but looking at the store’s gallery of gorgeous dresses (we’ve got our eye on the Lea-Ann Belter number in the top row of photos), we’d mark it with a “while supplies last” tag. Schedule an appointment (required) by calling the salon or e-mailing info@promisedc.com. Tuesday through Friday 11 AM to 7 PM; call for Saturday hours.

Friday, May 16: Badgley Mischka Trunk Show
Through Sunday, view Badgley Mischka’s complete 2008 collection at Harriet Kassman Bridal Salon (5300 Wisconsin Ave., NW; 202-363-1870). Appointments are recommended, but not required. Friday and Saturday 10 AM to 6 PM, Sunday noon to 5 PM.

Dye a tub of white frosting to turn this cookie into a bridesmaid dress.

To make Wedding Dress Cookies, you’ll need the following ingredients:
• 1 bag white chocolate chips
• 1 package Twizzlers Pull-n-Peel licorice
• Supplies for your favorite sugar cookie or snickerdoodle recipe (I like these)

I’m not going to lie—I was a little behind on baking duty last night when I got home at 11 and realized I had never decided what I was making to celebrate a co-worker’s last day in the office before her wedding. I surveyed my candy cupboard—white chocolate chips, Twizzlers, and strawberry fruit leather. I looked at the clock. I set the oven to 375.

To make these strapless (always in fashion) snacks, throw together some cookie batter (anything you can flatten with a rolling pin, like sugar cookies or snickerdoodles), roll it out a quarter-inch thick on a floured surface, and use a butter knife to cut out cookies in the shape pictured. Because the dough will expand while baking, make sure to cut the waist extra narrow—otherwise, your finished product will look like The Blob. Warning: These cookies are thin, so they will take significantly less time to bake than the traditional fat, round snickerdoodle. My recipe called for 12 minutes in the oven, but the edges of each cookie were nicely browned in five.

Pets in weddings? No matter how much you love them, it’s not a good idea, says wedding planner (and pug owner) Kelley Freeman. In yesterday’s chat, Kelley also covered how to throw a multi-day wedding celebration (hers lasted four days), how to tell your best friend her shoes don’t match her dress, how much to tip vendors, and more.

Just don't think about Kermit. Photo courtesy of the Catering Company of Washington.

In Caterer’s Choice, a local caterer highlights a trendy hors d’oeuvre or mini-dessert to spark ideas for your own reception.

The dish: Frog’s-leg tempura with lemon butter, garlic, and parsley, created by chef Tom Berry at the Catering Company of Washington in Northwest DC.

The scoop: The chef deep-fries frogs’ legs—a traditional French delicacy—in tempura batter and tosses them in butter flavored with lemon, garlic, and parsley; you grab one from the hors-d’ouevre station and pop it in your mouth in one rich bite.

Get it while it’s hot: “The feel of the French bistro is back in a big way,” says Drew Lepp, an event coordinator for the Catering Company of Washington. With top chefs here, in New York, and across the country adding so much food straight from the French countryside, brides and grooms are opting for more French-inspired hors d’oeuvres like this one.

Skip expensive steak appetizers in favor of fruit and cheese.

Haylee and Adien, my team’s fictional bride and groom, have been busy working on the details of their wedding. They’ve selected Dana Point, California, as the spot for their beach wedding and picked fuchsia and orange as the colors. Because they’re on a tight budget, instead of flowery centerpieces for the beachside reception we’ve suggested creating a centerpiece of floating candles with daisies mixed in.

We’re also helping Haylee and Adien cut costs on drinks. Instead of having an open bar, they’ll have just two signature drinks available (plus the typical Champagne toast). The drinks will be created to represent the couple’s heritage: an Irish-based one for Adien, and a Hawaiian-based one for Haylee.

If you really want an open bar, don’t fret—I can give you some money-saving tips there, too. If you’re inviting children, have a sandwich tray available. You can feed the sandwiches to your vendors as well. No need to pay $39 per person for lobster—the kids will be just as happy with mac and cheese. Having a no-kids wedding? Serve passed hors d’oeuvres, and don’t go crazy. Instead of filet-mignon bites, try cheaper—but still delicious—choices such as fruit, cheese, veggies, and bread. Having someone pass them around instead of serve-yourself stations will cut down on the number of hors d’oeuvres served, keeping your budget on track.

Chips and dip, only classier. Photo courtesy of Occasions Caterers.

Within 24 hours of setting a date, you were probably online looking for wedding advice. (When should I book the caterer? What flowers are in season in October?) But tip after tip isn’t enough to plan your big day—you also need some inspiration. In Caterer’s Choice, Bridal Party asks local caterers to highlight a trendy hors d’oeuvre or mini-dessert to spark ideas for your own reception.

The dish: Hand-cut Potato Chips Three Ways; created by Occasions Caterers in Northeast DC

The scoop: You get a plate with a small serving of three types of hand-cut potato chips: classic Idaho with seasoned salt, waffle-cut sweet-potato chips, and spicy Yukon Gold potato triangles, all served with a sour-cream/chive mousseline.