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By admin, December 30, 2009 2:56 am

The butterfly is a beautiful creature that many are incredibly fond of. Have you ever wanted a wedding filled with these gorgeous, delicate creatures? Now you can have that butterfly themed wedding plus much, much more. With wedding favors decked out in butterflies, as well as a few other tweaks, you could have the butterfly wedding of your dreams.

Let us paint a picture in our minds. We do not need a typical white wedding dress, if you’d prefer not to wear one. Choose maybe a dress of a pastel color, such as a light blue, periwinkle, or pale pink. Instead of releasing doves as the bride comes down the aisle, release elegant butterflies of all types. As the bride steps down to the music of her choice, the butterflies are released moments later, and a rush of color sweeps behind the bride as she walks down the aisle. The altar and the aisle seats are draped in a soft fabric that compliments the pastel color of the bride’s dress. The bridesmaids can also be dressed in pastel color dresses, with the groomsmen in matching ties or shirts.

As the ceremony comes to an end, the celebration begins. We enter into a room decorated with tables, chairs, and a stage for music. On each table a white cloth is draped over. In the center of each of these tables a small frame is placed, decorated with butterflies, and the couple being celebrated, smiling in the picture. Surrounding the frame are small butterfly tea lights, which creates an inexpensive centerpiece perfect for low lighting. Small, pewter butterfly card holders are placed around the table displaying the guest’s names proudly. A large cake is rolled out decorated with our theme, butterflies in vibrant colors dance around the cake. Bottles of champagne sit next to our beautiful cake, each bottle topped with a butterfly bottle stopper. The guests are greeted by our theme in abundance, but it only gets better.

Each guest can leave with the perfect wedding day favor. Perhaps in the center of each table a few little butterfly bookmark’s can be placed. Joining the bookmarks can be butterfly key chains, candles, and magnetic memo clips. The bookmarks are oval and silver, topped with a silver butterfly. A simple silver butterfly key chain is an ideal wedding favor as well. Candles are one item that may be a little tougher because there are just so many to choose from! Should we go with a small pastel one, with a butterfly painted on it? Or perhaps a pewter butterfly that holds a small tea light? If you can not decide which direction you would like to head with candles, there is always a small silver butterfly that also acts as a magnetic memo holder, perfect for any of your guest’s fridge!

We wouldn’t want to overwhelm guests with too many butterflies, but little wedding favors are perfect with pastel colors. And all of these favors are within any bride’s budget! So go wild, and release the butterflies!!

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By admin, December 28, 2009 2:58 pm

By Maureen Thomson

So he’s popped the question. Let the games begin! Most wedding advisors urge you to begin planning your wedding anywhere from 12 to 18 months before the big day. To quote one online source; “We know it sounds simple but the key to successful, carefree weddings is planning ahead. The earlier the planning takes place, the more you can let go and relax closer to your wedding day. The end result of early wedding planning is that the bride and groom can have more fun, enjoy their guests and drink in that special day.” Hmmm….kind of makes it sound like the more you plan, the better your assurances of lifelong marital bliss. What if you don’t have that kind of time? Maybe you simply want to be married without all the stress of wedding planning. Still, though, it is a special day and you certainly don’t want it to look thrown together. How do you balance sanity, a reasonable timeline and budget and the desire for a beautiful wedding against high-priced vendors, year-long waiting lists and bridal magazines that urge you to begin the planning process up to 18 months in advance? (I’m assuming Vegas is not your style.)Now, bear in mind that we are anything but “anti-planning,” but good heavens, do you really want 18 months of your life consumed with planning the festivities for one day? Granted, it is an important day, but so are the 547 ½ involved in the aforementioned 18-month timeframe. Better for you (in our humble opinion) to enjoy that time being in love with your fiancé than becoming embroiled in cake tastings, the color of your bridal party dresses (sage, mint or teal?) or the ever-critical choice of music for your first dance!If the prospect of planning your wedding feels more like an arduous chore than a delight, don’t worry. The answer is simple. Just “do the never”.  I can’t take credit for this bit of ingenious simplicity, for I believe the phrase was coined by Seth Godin http://www.sethgodin.com/ in Small is the New Big.  Forget the always and do the never. I like this philosophy so much that I made it my theme for the year. It’s wonderful. You look at how everybody else handles a situation and then entertain how you could handle the same issue in a totally opposite way. So, in order to do the never in planning your wedding day in a more feasible time period, I offer the following:1.        Plan off-season. Late fall and winter can be breathtakingly beautiful in all 50 states and in most cases, you’ll have many more options. Many vendors cut their prices in the winter months, as well. Just picture an outdoor winter setting, complete with sleigh-rides and hot chocolate (spiked!) for your guests and thousands of twinkling white lights.2.        Get married on a Thursday…or any weekday. Who made the rule that weddings need to be on weekends? And don’t worry that people won’t attend if it’s during the week. All kinds of important events occur during the week-births, deaths, Christmas, presidential inaugurations, the first day of pre-school. It’s your wedding day-they might grumble a little-but they’ll make it. Some of them will even thank you for an excuse to leave work early.

3.        Keep your numbers low. It’s difficult to plan a wedding for 200 guests in 30 days or less, especially if folks are coming from out of town. Make it easy on yourself and keep the guest list to 75 or less.4.        Grocery stores have gorgeous flowers and talented arrangers who can make up bouquets and boutonnières in a day or two. Professional florists can also put something together for you quickly if you are ordering flowers in-season. 5.        Ditto #4 with cakes. Large-chain grocery stores can put together something gorgeous and delicious in less than a week’s time.6.        Consider a non-traditional wedding venue. (Remember-do the never!) Traditional wedding venues are usually the first to be booked, so consider alternative options.  The parlor of a B&B is an excellent idea (often they will let you use this for free if your wedding is small and your guests book their rooms there.) Consider recreational centers, restaurants with small private rooms (also free much of the time if you order off their menu), or how about a restaurant that is closed for the day (usually Mondays)-a perfect win/win opportunity. Know any real estate agents? (Who doesn’t?) They may know of some vacant (even posh!) properties in the area that you could rent from the owner for an afternoon or evening. Consider out of the way lakes or parks. I performed a lovely wedding last month at a small local park-on an octagonal-shaped dock overlooking the lake. Breathtaking and arranged with two days notice. (Also free!). Think of private homes and gardens, as well. Aunt Millie may love the idea of hosting your wedding in her living room. 7.        If you can’t find a photographer on such short notice (and if your wedding is on a weekday, this shouldn’t be a problem) then schedule a professional  photo shoot at their studio-complete with your bridal attire-so that you have some professional-quality photos. Then, let the amateurs (i.e. your guests) handle the day of wedding shots. The new digital cameras are virtually foolproof and you’ll get some great photos. Or, contact one of the professors at the local college-they’ll recommend one of their students who will do a beautiful job on short notice. 8.        Traditional bridal shops don’t always take forever to order your dress. Approach them with your request and ask what they can do for you. They may have something off the rack and their alterations department can work wonders. Also consider bridal consignment shops, and general formalwear stores. Of course, if you are truly “doing the never” you’d opt for something totally different to wear anyway. Throw a Great Gatsby wedding and wear vintage. Do Halloween and come in costume. Go outdoors on horseback wearing western attire. 9.        As far as your bridesmaids go, simply pick a color (black is easiest, but any color will do) and tell them to buy a dress of their choosing in that color. Or be even more flexible and let them pick out their own dress in whatever color and style they wish. This lends interest and variety to your wedding. Besides, identical bridesmaids are so beige!10.        Plan an eBay afternoon at your computer (do it at work when the boss isn’t around in order to save your precious leisure time!) and completely blitz the task of shopping for favors, cake toppers, guest book, cake-cutter, bridal party gifts, place-card holders, garter, unity candle, disposable cameras, tiara, jewelry and any other wedding day accessories you might want.11.        Getting someone to marry you with 30 days notice might be a stretch (But again, not on a weekday, or in off-season). If all the ministers in town are booked, then consider writing your own ceremony (there are tons of resources available online or at your local library). Or consider hiring a professional wedding officiant to help you write your ceremony (it shouldn’t take more than an hour of their time) and then having a friend or family member read it. (Note: they will need to obtain an instant ordination to do this and this is not legal in all states, so check your laws before going this route!). A great chance for your fiancé’s brother-the wannabe actor, or your jocular Uncle Ed to shine. If you’ve got your heart set on a church wedding, then approach your place of worship first (before booking other vendors) and be willing to work around their schedule. 12.        Delegate. Delegate, Delegate. A brilliant and talented person like you has equally brilliant and talented friends and family members. Put your cousin in charge of flowers, enlist the help of your best friend to create your ceremony programs. Your future mother-in-law offers to find the wedding officiant. Let her! You can’t expect to handle all the details yourself in this timeframe. Let them have at it and refrain from micro-managing. We’ve found that grooms excel at getting the officiant and planning the honeymoon, so give him those two tasks for sure!13.        Hire a wedding coordinator for a few hours. Even during their busy time, they will be willing to work with you on the planning aspects of your wedding and they have wedding resources like you wouldn’t believe. They will find you a chocolate fountain in a day, a DJ in two. 14.        Speaking of music-that shouldn’t be a time-consuming factor either. In addition to professional DJ’s and musicians (ask your other vendors for recommendations) contact the music departments of local colleges and private music schools. Anyone who travels in music circles will have contacts, so try high school music teachers as well. When I was married, I had my high school chorus teacher sing at the ceremony-it was beautiful. Don’t overlook the simple solution of an Ipod with some decent speakers; the sound quality will amaze you.15.        Invitations can be made easily on any computer with a decent printer. They do not have to be ordered months in advance. Delegate this project to your best friend, the graphic designer and let her creativity flow!16.        Pick out your wedding rings at any reputable jewelers (they can be sized) and have the engraving done after your wedding. No one will know.After it’s all over, at the end of your wedding day when you (finally!) find yourselves alone, pop some Champagne and congratulate yourselves. You’ve pulled off the perfect day and remained best friends through the process! Cheers!

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By admin, December 26, 2009 2:50 pm

Everybody wants his big day to be special and memorable. The average wedding nowadays costs between 20.000 and 30.000 Dollars – but in times of credit crunch not everybody can afford to spend this kind of money. Being on a tight budget doesn´t mean you have can´t have a stylish wedding – here are some tips on how to organize an elegant but cheap wedding.

Set up a Budget

A crucial step for the organisation of a cheap wedding is making a plan. Without a plan costs add up and you will run out of money really fast. So you will have to sit down and talk things through. Determine what is important for the two of you and at which points it might be possible to compromise. You want the dress of your dreams? Then you might have to save money on the reception. Your fiancé has his heart set on live music? Cut down on the guest list perhaps. You get the idea – get your priorities clear.

In a second step determine how much money you will be able to spend and then divide it between the different points on your list. Use a checklist in order not to forget anything. This way you´ll stay on top of everything and avoid ugly surprises.

Setting the Date

By choosing the date of your wedding wisely, you can save a huge amount of money. Go for the off season, avoid the typical wedding season (spring) and days like Valentines day, “pretty” dates like the 10 of October 2010… Wedding venues tend to charge a hefty surcharge for these days. If you decide to get married on a friday you might be able to get an even bigger discount, just make sure to ask for it! Make sure people know you are looking for a good price and ask for their advice. Nowadays being on a tight budget is a very common thing and nothing to be ashamed off!

Hands on: Do it yourself

You want an elegant wedding for a cheap price? Then start working! If you do it yourself, you won’t have to pay anybody for it! While some things are better done by professionals (like the photos for example) there are lots of things that you can do yourself. Do the first step and skip the wedding planner – this will save you a huge amount of money! Browse the web and look through bridal magazines and books (visit your local library and see what they have on weddings) to get inspired. Take note of everything you like and then think about how you can copy it. A classical do-it-yourself project when it comes to weddings is the decoration of the reception and the wedding favors. For an elegant wedding make sure you chose your wedding colours wisely and then coordinate the different elements around these colours.

Shop smart

You could just go to one of the established wedding shops (there are plenty on the web) and get everything you need there – this is the easy, but also the expensive way. If you want to save money, here are some ideas:

Buy flowers that are in season rather then going for what you’ve seen on that glossy bridal magazine. Try to copy the style you like with similar colours. You might just buy a few of the expensive variety and complement it with a cheaper flower – this way you get a similar effect for less money. Instead of visiting your local florist, buy your flowers at a farmers market, or online at a wholesale seller – very often they offer wedding packages, that are really good value.

Visit your local dollar store (or shop online) and see if you can get items like candles, decorative pebbles, flower vases, bowls, artificial plants etc. here. Borrow items like potted plants or decorative statues from friends and use whatever you have at home.

These are just a few ideas on how to have an elegant wedding for cheap money.

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By admin, December 26, 2009 2:52 am

There aren’t many weddings these days where the tradition of giving wedding favors is not followed. Guests arrive at the reception & take their places at their tables, only to be greeted by a cute little package sitting on their place setting. However in recent years, placing favors at guest’s table settings has been dismissed by imaginative brides who have chosen other, more creative ways of distributing these delightful little gifts.Choosing your Wedding Favors When it comes to selecting your wedding favors, the sheer variety of choice is likely to make your selections a near impossible task. Whilst some will want to choose a favor which will appeal to all their guests, others will be concerned about cost & not blowing the budget. But there are choices of favor available which won’t cost a fortune & can appeal to everyone. Try creating your wedding favors as centerpieces. Use a large decorative bowl filled with a selection of candy & chocolates, from which guests can help themselves. Provide some small boxes or bags & a little scoop so they can take some home with them. This s great solution to giving something which will appeal to all & will allow guests to pick out what they like.Another version of this which has been popular in recent years is a candy bar or station. Arrange jars, bottles & bowls filled with candy & chocolates on a small table & again provide scoops & bags so guests can help themselves. This is a good idea if you have a larger budget for your favors & can afford to offer a wide variety of sweet treats. If your wedding is to be a small intimate affair with only a small number of guests, then you may find it possible to buy individual gifts for each guest. I would suggest a maximum number of 30 guests for this approach, otherwise you may find yourself overwhelmed with the task! If you do go for individual favors, make sure they are clearly labeled & placed on the correct place setting or you could find your carefully chosen gifts in the wrong hands! Edible wedding favors are always a popular choice & never fail to delight. Traditionally sugared Jordan almonds were the favor of choice, but these days there is a wealth of different edibles to choose from. Cookies are perennial favorite amongst brides as they come in various shapes & sixes & can be customized as you wish. Other ideas include luxury chocolates, miniature cakes, mints & other more unusual items such as maple syrup, honey or hot sauce (however, guests can’t really sit & munch on these whilst waiting for the first course!). Alternatives to Wedding Favors There are other less traditional alternatives for wedding favors. These can be innovative & cost effective choices, whilst delighting your guests with something a little different from the norm. These ideas include:Lottery tickets – this idea has been around for a while now & revolves around giving each guest a single lottery ticket. Stationers have cottoned onto the trend & produce specially designed envelopes or cards for lottery favors. You may however, want to consider how you would feel should one of your guests win big with a ticket you purchased!Donation to charity – some couples choose to give their favor budget to charity or a number of causes. This is a great idea particularly if you are affluent & feel your guests would appreciate this gesture more than a mini box of sweets! You can inform your guests of the donation by placing a card on their place setting telling them ‘in lieu of a wedding favor we have made a donation of $… to the …………….’The important thing to remember about wedding favors is they are intended as a small token of appreciation from you to your guests as a thank you for sharing your special day with you. Your choice should reflect your own personalities, tastes & coordinate with your wedding theme or style. Whether you choose edible cookies or a useful keepsake, your guests will appreciate your efforts & the gesture you have made.

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By admin, December 23, 2009 2:50 am

Wedding favors are small gifts that are given to your wedding guests to show your appreciation for their attendance. They also serve as souvenirs to remember your wedding by. Your favors should fit well with your wedding’s theme and colors, as well as with the couple’s personalities.
Before buying favors, take your budget into consideration. Personalized favors, for instance, make wonderful keepsakes, but are more expensive than ones that are not personalized. While there’s nothing wrong with splurging on favors, make sure there’s room in the budget for the other things you consider important in your wedding before you do.
If you are the practical type, you might want to give your guests something that is useful as well as commemorative. Key chains make great wedding favors, and they are something that almost everyone uses. You could get them in a design that goes with your wedding theme, or have them personalized with the couple’s names and wedding date. Bookmarks are another useful and easily personalized item. Even small household items, such as measuring spoons and coasters, are available with wedding motifs.
If your wedding has a distinctive theme, you can take cues from that theme to help choose your wedding favors. If you are having a western wedding, for example, you could give your guests western-themed candles or candleholders, or items with cowboy hat or boot designs. In a beach wedding you could use flip-flop or surfing inspired favors. Garden themes can be commemorated with flower or watering can items.
What if you’ve found your dream wedding favors, but they don’t come in the colors you’re using? You can easily doctor them up to match. Pouches, small pails, and tulle circles can be found in most colors, and your favors can be put inside them. Ribbon can be used by itself to accent favors, or to tie up the tulle circles. Silk or freshly picked flowers in the colors of your wedding also make great accents.
If you have the time to create them, handmade wedding favors are a sincere way to show your guests that you truly appreciate them. It’s not necessary to make anything elaborate. Simply taking the time to put some candy in a small tin and pretty it up with ribbon will make your guests feel special. If you are a crafter at heart, you could make small items such as key chains or magnets for your guests. Just be sure to give yourself plenty of time to complete them.
Your wedding favors serve as tokens of gratitude to your wedding guests, remembrances of your ceremony, and reflections of your personality. There are a wide variety of favors available for purchase, or you can make your own. Choosing the right ones should be an easy and fun part of your wedding planning.

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By admin, December 22, 2009 2:52 pm

If you want good bridal supplies then it is worth doing a lot of research. Once you start to plan your wedding, you will realise how many different things are involved and it may seem rather daunting. However, the best thing to do is to make a list of everything that you need and then work through it one thing at a time. Whether you are on a budget or not, it is worth taking a look at several supplies for each thing that you want. You may not be worried about comparing prices but there are other things to consider such as the quality of the items and how well they fit in with your requirements. It can be a lot of hard work and this is why people tend to start planning weddings well in advance of the date.

There are also things such as the bridal shower and wedding breakfast to organise as well as the main event. Things like bridal shower invitations can easily be overlooked or left until the last minute and so it is a good idea to get some help with some things. Maybe make sure that the chief bridesmaid organises all of the bridal shower and makes sure that she is responsible so that you can leave everything to her without any worries at all. Then you could perhaps give your other bridesmaids jobs as well if they are old enough, perhaps ask one to help you with choosing flowers and another with the wedding favors and another with the groomsman gifts. Make sure that you ask your mother to help you choose your dress and perhaps ask you new mother-in-law for help with something too, maybe the menu or drinks. It is nice to make everyone feel involved but not put undue stress on them.

It is also nice to keep your family involved, discuss your plans with them. If they are paying for the wedding or at least helping towards it, then you should make sure that they are included and know where their money is going. They may even want to plan it with you or for you and so you will have to think hard about this before accepting any financial gifts. So planning your big day can be a lot more complicated than you might have ever imagined and so it is well worth giving it lots of thought, starting early and being as organised as you can.

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By admin, December 22, 2009 2:55 am

Planning a wedding takes time, patience, and enough understanding of what goes on at a wedding to make the right decisions.  There are many wedding planning sites available on the internet and they can be a good starting point.  But deciding on the vendors that will help you on your wedding day is a complicated venture.  Hopefully this article will provide some insights into how to choose the best wedding vendors for this very important day.

Over the past 25 years at Dubnoff Wedding Photography, I have had the opportunity to speak with well over a thousand engaged couples.  I am always surprised by some of the criteria many of them use to choose their wedding vendors. Here are 6 suggestions I often make to brides and grooms searching for wedding vendors for their big day:

1.  RESEARCH WEDDING VENDOR REFERRALS.  Be careful here because many wedding vendors trade referrals with other wedding professionals with no real knowledge of the other’s work. They make deals with partner vendors to give out business cards to brides and grooms that they meet. Many times it’s an honest referral based upon working a few weddings with one another.  But how much can a DJ, for example, really know about the quality of a wedding photographer’s work?  Often times this type of referral is just based on the fact that the DJ has worked with the photographer at a number of events and liked him or her. Did the DJ ever see the final result? Did they see the wedding album? Probably not. Be sure when receiving this type of referral you ask the vendor why they are making the referral and the criteria they are using. Then check their story out with the vendor they referred.  Obviously, you should try to obtain other referrals, especially from married couples who have experience with the referred vendor.

2. DON’T CHOOSE A WEDDING PROFESIONAL BASED SOLELY ON A “GREATEST HITS” PORTFOLIO OF THEIR WORK. This rule particularly applies to choosing your photographer, videographer, florist or caterer. As a wedding photographer myself I can assure you that there is nothing more misleading regarding a photographer’s talent than looking at a sample wedding album that is a compilation of their best shots at a 100 different weddings. Ask to be shown an album of one entire wedding from start to finish. Virtually anybody with a decent camera can get one great shot per wedding!  The same goes for florists.  Make sure that they show you examples of the flowers they provided for one entire wedding. Any caterer can give you some yummy appetizers to sample, but how many different dishes do they offer?  Can they show you photos of one entire food service at a wedding?  Again, the challenge for a vendor at a wedding is doing EVERYTHING right, not just 1 or 2 things.

3. CAREFULLY ASSESS THE PERSONALITY OF THE INDIVIDUAL WHO WILL BE HANDLING YOUR WEDDING. This is a very important point that is often overlooked. You will be spending most of your day with your photographer, DJ, wedding coordinator or videographer.  It’s not enough that they are good at what they do.  Make sure you can get along with this person and find them pleasant to be around.  Rude and bossy photographers can cause problems with your guests and make your day miserable.  A DJ will be interacting with many people at your wedding including you.  Make sure he or she is friendly and easy to get along with. 

4. USING FRIENDS OR RELATIVES TO SERVICE YOUR WEDDING. Only if they are professional!  This is one of the biggest mistakes made by brides and grooms. Perhaps they have a cousin who is great with music or an uncle who always takes all the photos at family events.  Trust me, providing these types of services at a wedding is entirely different due to the stress, volume and time constraints involved. Some experience with weddings is absolutely necessary. The fact that “Uncle Bob” is good with his new digital camera does not mean he can handle a wedding. Your sister does wonderful work with flowers?  That’s great but has she ever decorated a huge church?  Has she produced 7 bouquets the night before an event?  I can’t tell you how often I have seen well meaning friends or relatives completely ruin their particular part of the wedding. Be very careful here.

5. LOOK FOR SIMPLE PRICING. One of the most common stories I hear from brides and grooms is how they spent so much more on a particular wedding service than they were led to believe. If you can’t understand the pricing or packages, keep looking.  You should make it clear to the vendor that you expect COMPLETE SERVICE from them. This means that on the day of the wedding, the florist should not be telling you that there is no pedestal available for the flower arrangement in the church, so now you will be charged for one to be brought in.  Make it clear that you won’t stand for that. Ala carte pricing can confuse and be misleading.  Look for a vendor who offers complete package pricing, but offers the flexibility to alter the package to suit your needs.

6. IS THE VENDOR WORKING FOR YOU?  When you interview a vendor pay close attention to how they handle the presentation. Do they ask questions?  Are they concerned with what is important to you at your wedding?  If a vendor presentation is just one long speech about how wonderful they are, this may not be the right person for you.  Look for vendors who ask YOU what you want for your wedding.  As a wedding photographer, one of the first things I ask a couple during my presentation is what THEY are looking for in a photographer.  Right away, this establishes whether a good match exists between vendor and the bride and groom.  But more importantly, it tells you something about the person.  If they ask you lots of questions, chances are they really do care about providing a service that truly fits your needs.      

This list was intended to assist you in making the very difficult decisions involved when planning a wedding. It is not a complete list, but it should help you understand what’s important. There is no substitute for good, solid referrals from other brides and grooms with recent experience.       

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By admin, December 21, 2009 4:13 am

One of the first options to consider when planning your wedding is the amount of guests you’ll be inviting. Discuss with your partner who they wish to invite, and remember that compromise is the key to successful and stress free wedding guest lists. Someone who is very important to your partner may not necessarily mean the world to you, so compile your guest list and from this you can work out what kind of wedding you’ll have.Start your wedding planning early, you’ll be very surprised how quickly the time passes when you’re engaged and considering your options for your wedding. Unless you’re planning to get married very quickly then take your time and make a list of all the various services you’ll be needing and sit down to discuss how you’ll make these bookings, perhaps check with friends if they recommend anyone. Once you’ve compiled your list of all the wedding services you’ll be wanting, then you have to consider the costs involved. Draw up a comprehensive wedding budget and stick to it, don’t be fooled into thinking that a little extra cost here and there won’t mean much, it all adds up and if you can’t keep control of the finances, then the wedding stress starts to begin. Contacting wedding suppliers is simple enough, there are so many resources to be found on the Internet, but remember to search locally too. Wedding directories online are full of ideas and options for your wedding. There are also wedding fayres where you can attend and meet suppliers, this gives you an easy option to discuss your wedding requirements with the professionals, and walk away if you feel they are not quite right for you. Some wedding fayres charge an entrance fee, but they are guaranteed to give you plenty of ideas when it comes to planning your wedding. Remember, there are lots of things you can do yourself, but don’t take on too much, if you don’t have the time to do the things you set aside, then more wedding stress is imminent!Another good tip is to ask members of your wedding party to take on certain roles. Your bridesmaids or best man would be quite happy to do certain errands before the wedding. Think about their skills – for example, the best man may be happy to organise the drinks for the wedding. The bridesmaids may be happy to help choose flowers, or organise the table arrangements. Give the right jobs to the right people and eliminate wedding stress.Our final tip on wedding planning is a simple yet very effective one, don’t worry about what anyone else thinks. Their is little point in your and your partner trying to plan a wedding because you think someone else has done it this way. Make your wedding day unique to you, and do not feel pressured by any family members who have different ideas of how your wedding should be. If you want a big wedding and can afford it, then plan it that way, if you want something small and simple then ask your family to understand this. Never get stressed or pressured when planning your wedding day, it’s fun, exciting and will only happen once.

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By admin, December 20, 2009 2:53 pm

Wedding favors are the perfect way to express gratitude on behalf of the couples towards their friends & family who graciously came to their wedding and made it a ceremony worth cherishing for life. These are the small tokens of their appreciation that the marrying couple gives out to their beloved on their wedding day.
I. Facts About the Wedding Favors
1. The wedding favors are available in the markets in all shapes & sizes.
2. There are infinite options to choose from.
3. However, like all other things in the wedding, the wedding favors too depend on the couple’s budget.
4. One needs to be very resourceful & creative while finding a solution to this problem.
5. The very creative ones can also select a wedding favor with regards to the theme on which each & every item of the marriage would be decided.
6. You can buy these from any stores.
7. In some cases the bride & the groom can make it themselves with the help of the bride’s bridal entourage.
II. History of the Wedding Favors
1. The initialization of the wedding favors dates back many-many centuries ago from the European countries.
2. The people of those times believed that the weddings were one fortunate occasion of life.
3. They believed that giving wedding favors by the couple shared their luck among the family &friends;.
4. This tradition was born in the upper class families of Europe centuries ago.
5. The French & the Italian families handed out ‘bonbonnieres’ to their guests as the wedding favors.
6. These were confectionary delicacies placed in the small fancy boxes that were made of crystal, metal, and / or porcelain.
7. These boxes were all decorated with very precious stones creating that precious keepsake for the guests.
8. As the trends move, soon all the social classes followed the tradition of giving out wedding favors among their guests.
9. In the olden days, almonds were the most popular wedding favors distributed by the couples.
10. They believed that almonds represent longevity, happiness, health, wealth, and fertility.
11. Till date, almonds are one among the commonly given wedding favors gifted by the couples. Usually they prefer giving out candy-coated almonds.
III. Wedding Favors Given Out in the Modern Days
1. Wedding favors are quite an essential part of all wedding preparations these days.
2. The couples these days have unlimited choices to opt from for the wedding favors.
3. The wedding favors can either be purchased from the department stores. Or these can be made in order to match with the couple’s wedding theme.
4. You can choose, either to have a practical or a decorative wedding favor to give away among the family & friends.
5. There are several sensible couples who opt to give away practical wedding favors. It implies that these items can all be used by the guests afterwards.
6. The usable items gifted these days range from all sorts of kitchen gadgets such as salt & pepper shakers, coasters, cookie cutters, etc.
7. Also there is a majority of the couples who give out soaps & candles as their wedding favors among the family & friends.
IV. Wedding Favor Ideas
1. To get down to the best of ideas for the wedding favors you must think as wild & imaginative as you can.
2. These couples can also come up with some wildest wedding favors to give away among their family & friends.
3. The wedding favors are available in a wide variety of rates. So, you must have your budget on hand to choose the apt that you would like to give away.
4. The wedding favors symbolizing the theme of the wedding mark a real class.
5. The wedding favors can some times also be chosen in regards to the prevalent season of the wedding.
6. Then the themes vary like Christmas, winter, summer and fall.
7. Those who are creative enough also choose to make their own wedding favors, that is, some self made crafts.
8. Another well known wedding favor is the wedding songs recorded on a compact disc. This lets the all the couples share the special day with their guests for years together.
At the end of the day, it is the couple itself who decides the wedding favor with their choice & imagination!

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By admin, December 20, 2009 2:50 am

If you have knocked the socks off your guests as they stand and cheer because you will settle for nothing but the very best on the day of your wedding, then you know that you have served a truly spectacular wedding cake.
Don’t be distracted by confetti, crashing cymbals and trumpets because when it comes to your wedding cake you need to attempt something truly remarkable.
Conventionally, wedding cakes are cakes that are dished up to all the guests after the wedding during breakfast. Usually the wedding cake is huge and different from the ordinary cakes that are had at other occasions. Usually, the wedding cake will be multi layered and will have a hefty icing decoration with beads and similar embellishments that reflect the event’s grandiose.
Wedding cakes can either have a simple or a complex decoration. Depending on the bakers creativity, each cake will have its own artistic distinction. As long as the cake conforms to its main purpose, that of being edible so that it can be eaten, it does not matter what embellishments it possesses.
Because a wedding cake is an extremely important part of the celebration, here are a few tips for buying the perfect wedding cake.
1. Check the amount of time it will take you for ordering the cake. Time is an extremely important factor when it comes to making wedding plans. Without doubt you would not want your wedding to be a hurried affair. As the wedding cake forms a part of the wedding, you need to devote enough time on ordering the wedding cake. It is better if you ask your local bakeshop how much time they usually take when it comes to wedding cakes so that you can place your order well in time for the cake to be created perfectly. This way you don’t need to be in a big hurry when it is time for your wedding cake to be served.
2. Find out the costs and details of the cake. Many couples find the treats that come with their wedding cake extremely fascinating. But they often forget that each embellishment and each twist on the cake has its own price. Therefore, it is always better for you to clarify with your baker the cost of each decoration that is featured on your cake so that you know just how much you will be paying.
3. Give your baker details of the wedding. Today, weddings are not restricted to the church alone. Today people are very particular and creative about their wedding venue. Therefore, in case your wedding is going to be in some place open, such as a beach or some place, it is recommended you inform the baker about the location. Usually icing can be affected by environmental conditions. So in case your wedding is by the beach or in a garden, your baker can make the necessary arrangements to ensure that the cake is made and placed in such a way that the environmental conditions do not spoil it.
4. Decorate your wedding cake yourself. Nowadays, many people have started decorating t heir own wedding cakes. For those who are in a tight budget, this is an excellent idea. All you need to do it order a simple, plain wedding cake and go to a retail store to buy your own decorations.
So set aside a particular moment when it comes to presenting your wedding cake because your wedding can be given a lot more glamour if you have the perfect wedding cake.