
You know the story. Bride throws bouquet. Lucky dame catches it and is next to wed. And so the bouquet-tossing cycle continues. But just what will you have and hold on that big white wedding day? We’re going a bit atypical for the modern bride with 27 unconventional bouquets. You won’t find roses and orchids here. Instead, everything from faux-quets, hops, and veggies to butterflies and Coke cans. Seriously, Coke cans.
1. Succulents: To have and to hold, this bouquet is not only beautiful but it’s long lasting. Create a terrarium with it as a little everyday reminder of the big day. (via Style Me Pretty)
2. Cotton Balls: Forget using them to remove eyeliner and mascara. Cotton balls are now reserved for wedding day. (via Jasmine Star)
3. Tallow Berries: Out with the baby’s breath and in with the tallow berry… and more cotton! (via Etsy)
4. Hops: For lovers of craft brew, this bouquet is for you. We’ll happily raise a glass to cascading hops on your wedding day. (via Snippet + Ink)
5. Butterfly: Oh Martha, of course you’d come up with such a delightfully, whimsical bouquet. Perfect for a spring wedding, guests are sure to be buzzing over this DIY bundle of butterflies. (via Martha Stewart Weddings)
6. Coke Can: Kitsch and artful, get ready to pop those Coca-Cola tops and wield your tin snips to garnish this tin-fully brilliant bouquet. (via Rock N Roll Bride)
7. Sea Shell: Getting wed on the seashore? Take a romantic walk on the beach with your beau, and collect some shells along the way to create your bouquet. (via Confetti Day Dreams)
8. DIY Origami: They say one thousand origami cranes are lucky. We think one thousand origami flowers are too. (via Capital Romance)
9. Embellished Paper: To have and to fold. Embellish folded paper flowers with pretty paper, lace, and splashy paints. (via Chelsey Paul)
10. DIY Paper Rose: Elegant, unique, and definitely one to keep. (via Lia Griffith)
11. DIY Crocheted: If you’re a bride who knows her way with a crochet hook, working on this bouquet may be the perfect wedding stress reliever. (via Maize Hutton)
12. Felted Craspedia ($65): Woodland weddings are in, folks, and here is the perfect fairytale bouquet. Sweet and eco-friendly. (via Etsy)
13. Yarn Balls: Yarn bomb this! (via Full Mood)
14. Bulb: A stunning take on a floral bouquet. Make your winter wedding sparkle with a pairing of shiny christmas bulbs. (via Little House Charming)
15. A Touch of Metallic: Winter white interspersed amongst silver and gold. Make bells ring with this metallic statement. (via Wedding Chicks)
16. Steampunk: Baby’s breath tidied up with a wrapping of wire and keys to your heart — this is where sci-fi meets chic. (via Ruffled)
17. Artichoke: Simplicity + elegance transform the average bouquet when ornate artichokes take over. (via 100 Layer Cake)
18. Vegetable Patch Crown: When else will you wear a crown? (Hopefully more often than you think). Don this floral crown of ornamental cabbage and kale on your big day and flatter in romantic elegance. (via the The Natural Wedding Company)
19. Sugar Lemon: This is one shocking bouquet. Not only are lemons incorporated in the most lovely way… but they aren’t actually lemons. Nor are those actual flowers. This whole thing is made out of sugar. Sweet, huh? (via Design Sponge)
20. Herbs: Simple and sweet, this posy is scented with rosemary, sage, and the intoxicating scent of peonies. (via The Knot)
21. Fresh Vegetables: Forget flowers, raid the veggie patch to gather your bouquet. (via Hallmark)
22. Oversized Paper Magnolia: Make a simple statement with a single oversized magnolia. (via Wedding Party)
23. Crystal Snowflake ($225): Winter weddings are all about sparkle, the dress, the glistening snow, the crystal snowflake bouquet.
24. Cotton Candy Bouquet: And if you get hungry during the ceremony, you have a snack right in front of your face. (via Burnette’s Boards)
25. Fleur Pale Pink Feather Fan: Get inspired by the ’20s, and flutter this feather plume around on your wedding day. (via The Bijou Bride)
26. Pastel Parasols: Not only are they eye catching but parasols save you from the hot, hot sun and make for fetch photo ops! (via Weddings By Lilly)
28. Custom Clutch ($26): Now here’s an idea that can be used again and again. Double this up as your bridesmaid’s gift by filling them with a special trinket or jewelry piece. And finally, a place to put your phone!
Calling on all modern, unconventional brides. What will you be throwing or holding for keeps on your wedding day? 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