
Alright, it’s true: Everyone’s eyes will be on you, but there’s another lady on the scene who just might steal the hearts of guests before you’ve even made your grand appearance. We’re talking about your flower girl. Already found the perfect dress for your big day’s littlest star? Complete her look with one or more of these 16 unique accessories guaranteed to make an adorable impression.
1. Giant Agate Balloon ($7): Why play it safe with pastels? A giant agate balloon, or even an entire bouquet of balloons, promises maximum wow factor. (via Snippet + Ink)
2. Here Comes the Bride/Just Married Banner ($48): Not into traditional petal tossing? No one will miss it when she announces your grand arrival (and exit!) in style with a too-sweet cotton-linen two-sided banner.
3. Tulle Pom Pom Wands ($18): Perfect for even the littlest ladies, these whimsical wands will charm guests and help flower girls channel their inner fairy princess. (Photo via FreshPhotography)
4. Floral Crown: By working with your florist to design a custom flower girl crown just like this one, you can easily keep the colors popping everywhere you want them. (via United with Love)
5. Laser Cut Pinwheels ($28): Quirky yet understated, these pretty pinwheels bring an unexpected twist to your processional… and did we mention they’re laser cut?
6. Flower Dog Wreath: Who ever said your flower girl has to be human?! Make woman’s best friend a part of your day by letting her loose in a custom crown or necklace that’s truly one of a kind. (via Weddbook and The Merriment Blog)
7. Boho Headband ($90): Feathers plus flowers make a show-stopping statement on a bohemian-inspired headband.
8. Crinkle Fans ($12-20): With a variety of motifs to choose from, including sky and sea, flora, gold-gild and blooming ombre, it’s fun finding the set that best suits your theme.
9. Paper Hand Fans ($38): When it’s solids, not patterns, you’re after, these colorful creations offer the perfect alternative. Send her down the aisle carrying any one of 10 shades, including bold black or of-the-moment mint. Extras can be used as favors, escort cards and décor.
10. Flower Pail With Custom Arrangement: Simply ideal for a garden ceremony, this stunning arrangement can also double as a centerpiece during the reception. (via Snippet + Ink)
11. Wooden Wagon: Guests will ooh and smartphone cameras will snap as your youngest celebs roll down the aisle in a vintage wagon. (via Amanda Archer)
12. Garland: Simple and fun — add some sparkle to your aisle parade with a Confetti Systems inspired look. (via Ashlee Raubach Photography)
13. Ribbon Wand: One sweet flower girl plus a colorful ribbon wand equals unforgettable cuteness. Check out this helpful Hey Gorgeous Events tutorial for instructions on how to DIY your own. (via Ruffled)
14. Oversized Flower: While bouquets are tailor-made for soaking up the limelight, we think this oversized bloom looks incredible all by itself. Want to DIY your own paper version of a gigantic flower? Draw inspiration from tutorials by Spoonful and Carte Fini. (via Want That Wedding)
15. Butterfly Hairpiece: A multicolored butterfly hairpiece, or even several combined, adds the ultimate finishing touch to an already amazing flower girl ensemble. We heart this one, available for $45 on Etsy. (via Vika Pobeda)
16. Pixel Sign: Taking a page from our very own Brit Morin’s wedding playbook, we just can’t help falling in love with this tech-inspired throwback that calls up childhood memories of Mario and Princess Peach. Whether you choose to DIY or work with a designer, an original element like this one brings plenty of personalized flair to your day. (via Brit. + Co.)
How will you up the cuteness factor for your flower girl? Let us know in the comments below!
Welcome to Selfmade Finance School, our new money series with Block Advisors to help small business owners with their tax, bookkeeping, and payroll needs year-round. This week, we explore the tax implications of bringing family members into your business.
The question for today is this: Does hiring your family members make sense for your business? Let me be clear. This is not a piece about whether hiring your family members makes sense for your relationships with those family members. As someone who is part of a family business, I could fill up a lot more than 600 words on my opinions about that. For today's purposes, we focus on whether it makes sense from an overall "good business and tax implication" perspective. As it turns out, there is a decent amount of tax nuance when it comes to employing your family. Let's break it down based on relationship to the employee:
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Spouses Who Are In Business Together
Personally, if I had to be in business with my husband, it would not go well. However, many couples build viable, strong businesses together and I say, good for them! Depending on how you have your business entity structured, it will make a big difference on the tax treatment of you and your spouse working as partners. Because a business jointly owned and operated by a married couple is generally treated as a partnership for Federal tax purposes, the spouses must comply with filing and record keeping requirements imposed on partnerships and their partners. The election to file two Schedule C (Form 1040) forms, (one for each spouse) permits certain married co-owners to avoid filing partnership returns, provided that each spouse separately reports a share of all the businesses' items of income, gain, loss, deduction, and credit. Under the election, both spouses will be subject to self-employment tax and on net earnings from self-employment and receive credit for Social Security earnings.
One Spouse Employs Another
If you have a dynamic where your spouse is an employee of your business, then your spouse's wages are subject to income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare taxes. If you are self-employed (not a corporation or a partnership), your spouse's pay does not have to be included in your federal unemployment tax account (FUTA) contributions and payments. However, if your business is a corporation or a partnership you must include that spouse's pay in your unemployment tax contribution calculation.
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You Employ Your Child
First, let's be clear. I work in my family business, but I am an adult, so I am treated just like a normal employee. However, if you, for example, run a family restaurant and want to hire your children under 18 to work for you, there are some tax benefits. But first, you should check with your state for rules on how many hours minors can work (in non-agricultural jobs) and reference the Fair Labor Standards Act for information on limitations on the kinds of work children can perform.
"This is an often overlooked or under-utilized strategy. Paying your children for true services they provide in your business can be a powerful tax-saving tool," says Cathi Reed, Block Advisors Regional Director. "If you are a sole-proprietorship or single member LLC, and the child is less than 18 years of age, the business is not required to withhold FICA or payroll taxes. The child can use his or her standard deduction against income you pay."
You Hire Your Parent
Oh dear. If you are brave enough to do this, know that you will need to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on your parent's wages and make the appropriate withholdings, but you don't have to pay unemployment taxes. Now all you have to do is convince your parent that you are the boss. Have fun with that!
Is Hiring Family Members Worth It For The Tax Benefits?
"There are some positive tax advantages to hiring family members. It's important to treat a family member like any other employee. Hiring your children can result in substantial savings for businesses. Make sure your child has real, age-appropriate work to do and a reasonable pay rate, comparable to other employees. Consult with a Block Advisors small business certified tax pro to ensure that you are complying with all requirements," advises Reed. "Block Advisors, a team within H&R Block, is dedicated to meeting the tax, bookkeeping and payroll needs of small business owners year-round. To start working with the tax experts at Block Advisors, visit blockadvisors.com."
In my opinion, you should not hire a family member solely because of the tax benefits. You should always hire based on whether that person is right for the job and keep in mind how this hire could materially impact your relationship with that person and others in your family. Finally, as I mentioned, make sure you have a tax professional on your team when making these determinations. As you can see, things can get a little tricky!
*All details were sourced from IRS.gov and blockadvisors.com
The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those held by Kestra Investment Services, LLC or Kestra Advisory Services, LLC. This is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. It is suggested that you consult your financial professional, attorney, or tax advisor with regards to your individual situation. Comments concerning the past performance are not intended to be forward looking and should not be viewed as an indication of future results. Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. O'Keeffe Financial Partners and any other entity listed herein is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS Investor Disclosures: https://bit.ly/KF-Disclosures