My husband bought me three pair if smartwool brand cable knit socks for Christmas. I don't care for them. They are pretty and a nice weight - not too thick or too thin and fit well in my snow boots - but they have an odd texture. It seems I can feel the individual threads when I walk. Also, there are two short diagonal seams in the heel that somehow end up under my heel, so that I'm walking on them. It feels like I have something inside the sock. Ugh. Back to the drawing board on my own hunt for the perfect socks. By the way, I do like the wigwam wool socks at Costco and like to wear them around the house in my slippers, but they are too thick to wear in shoes or boots. Also, the colors aren't quite right for me, as I prefer dark or black. Each pack of three pair contains either light grey, purple (that washes to a very bright color) and light blue. You can't get a three-pack of just the dark colors.

mrsmarv. You can have your opera length pearls made into 2 necklaces (or a necklace and a bracelet) and still wear it as one necklace if you want. One of my necklaces is about 36" long- it is made up of 2 separate necklaces, one is 18 1/2" and the other is 17". I can wear them separately as individual necklaces, wear them at the same time and they look like a double strand or screw them back together and wear one long necklace. The necklaces don't have a clasp but instead have a screw that's invisible when the pearls are screwed together.

I don't know; I think it's a mistake to focus too much on the photos. The photos are supposed to be a memory of the day -- how it really was, how the people looked. The day's not supposed to be a setup for perfect photos. It's one thing to ask the attendants to match (although lately I prefer it when even they don't). For others not in the wedding party, even though they will be in photos, I think it's too much to dictate their clothes (beyond the usual formality guidelines you put on the invitation for all guests) to the point of asking them to choose harmonizing colors. Even at weddings in our community, where the parents stand up with the couple through the whole ceremony, they don't wear matching clothes, and it always looks fine -- like real people dressed in their best for an important occasion. Another thing to consider: this seems to be the bride's father asking what his wife, the bride's stepmother, should wear. I would be very careful to consider whether even she, let alone he, should start asking about having her dress look good in photos; it may be misunderstood. When I got married, my mother-in-law (she's wonderful, by the way) would not stop asking me about what she should wear, what my mom was wearing, and EXACTLY what shade the attendants were wearing so she could match them. No matter how many times everyone told her it didn't matter WHAT color she wore, she kept at it. She sounded ridiculous, like she was trying to play bridesmaid, or at the very least rather narcissistic, as if what she looked like at the wedding should be everyone's chief concern. This is a different situation, but I think that if there is any kind of discomfort or touchy feelings, the OP (or his wife) should at least be careful in how they phrase any questions like this so it won't be seen by anyone as the stepmother trying to make herself more a central character than they want her to be. That may not be the slightest issue in this family, but in case it is, I'd keep it in mind. I note that the OP didn't ask whether they should ask the bride about the stepmother's clothes, just whether black with teal jewelry would be okay. In my opinion, sure -- more women guests at dressy weddings seem to wear black than any other color. Just avoid looking like you are dressed either for a funeral (= "I disapprove of this marriage"), all white (= "Look at ME, not the bride"), or for picking up sailors (= "This is a beer blast, not a solemn occasion"). But in any event, as a general rule, I don't think that the mothers and grandmothers (or fathers -- horrors, what if someone wears a clashing tie?) need to ask about their clothes. If it's so important to you later that everyone in the photos look matchy-matchy, photoshop their clothes later (or use B&W prints).

This is going to be beautiful! I'd go with stainless to lighting things up a bit. Also, I'm suspicious of the coating they use to make black stainless and I think the stainless will wear better.