Who Needs a Wedding Planner?

Think wedding planners are only for opulent weddings with six figure budgets? Well, think again, because couples with all different budgets and tastes hire wedding planners these days. In fact, more people can benefit from some professional help than may realize it. This is a look at who needs a wedding planner and why.

Budget conscious brides and grooms. Surprised? Yes, you have to pay a wedding planner for his or her services, but they can also be really helpful in making sure that you stick to your budget. There are even planners who specialize in fabulous weddings on tight budgets, which is ideal if you are looking for tricks to stretch your wedding dollars. Besides knowing the tricks of the trade, a planner will also know vendors with whom they can negotiate to get you the best rate or freebies thrown in.

Busy brides. Let’s face it, most of the wedding planning is still handled by the bride, maybe with help from her mother. If you are a bride with a demanding career, finding time to interview caterers, shop around for the perfect bridesmaid jewelry gifts, and pore through dozens of wedding stationery books can be flat out impossible. The planner will do all the legwork for you, and present you with the top few options which suit your needs. From listening to bands to searching for custom gifts of bridesmaid jewelry for your girls to seeking out a caterer who specializes in Portuguese cuisine, a wedding planner can do it all so that you don’t have to.

Destination wedding brides. This is a big one. Planning a long distance wedding on your own can be next to impossible. How are you going to visit with florists, check out venues, and go hear local bands play when your home is hundreds of miles from your wedding location? A common scenario is that the planner does all the research and the bride and groom make just one or two trips to the wedding location to see the options that the coordinator has rounded up and to make their final decisions.

It is always a good idea to know when you could use some help along the way, whether it is just a wedding day coordinator to make sure that everything goes smoothly, or a full service planner who will arrange everything from soup to nuts. One thing is for sure, if you need one, you sure will be glad to have a professional wedding planner on your side!

Hit the Road With Your Wedding Gown

Planning a wedding far from your home? Then you will need to know how to select a wedding gown that travels well and what to do to make sure that it arrives at the wedding destination looking great. These are the top tips on how to hit the road with your wedding gown.

Lightweight gowns will be the easiest to carry around, and they also are among the nicest options for destination weddings at the beach. Lighter-than-air fabrics like chiffon and tulle will be much easier to gently fold in a carry on bag if you are flying than a heavy or stiff fabric like satin. Never ever check your wedding gown! It must always be carried aboard the plane, even if you have to stuff it into a tiny duffel bag. That is one reason why a filmy chiffon is preferable to a bulky satin wedding gown with a big crinoline and a long train. If you wish to make a lightweight gown more formal, simply layer on special custom bridal jewelry and an embellished veil.

Another fabric which might not initially come to mind as one that travels well is lace. An all over lace gown will show very few creases and holds its shape very well. Lace wedding dresses can run the range from traditional Alencon to filmy Chantilly, so there is really a style for almost any bride. If you like sparkle, choose a beaded lace. Just be careful when the gown is packed that the beads won’t snag the lace if the dress shifts in the bag en route to your destination.

Travelling by car is significantly easier than by air when your wedding site is within driving distance. The most important thing to remember is to pack your gown into the car last. You don’t want a big suitcase on top of it crushing the bodice! With a little advance planning, you will be able to get your bridal gown to your wedding site in tip top shape.

Makeup Mistakes That Brides Make

They say that you are never fully dressed without a smile, and how better than to show off that happy smile than with the perfect makeup? That said, the right makeup can enhance, but the wrong makeup can look artificial and just plain bad. These are some of the most common makeup mistakes that brides make, and how to avoid them.

One of the most typical makeup mistakes that brides make is not to wear enough, or any at all. Even the most natural and earthy bride needs a little makeup to look her best on her wedding day. If you are unaccustomed to wearing makeup on a daily basis, work with a makeup artist (either in a salon or at a department store) who understands how to apply makeup with a light touch. A very sheer foundation, sometimes called a tinted moisturizer, topped with a light dusting of sheer powder will give your skin a flawless finish that will photograph beautifully.

Another makeup mistake that brides often make is to wear way too much makeup.  The goal of wedding makeup is to enhance your features, not to take over your face. I once knew a gorgeous bride who was wearing a custom bridal gown with very delicate hand beading on it. Her mother talked her into wearing a full face of heavy pancake makeup with bright red lipstick and heavy eye makeup, as well as very heavy looking bridal jewelry. What she needed was a soft romantic look with delicate bridal jewelry to bring out the beauty in her face and her gown, but what she got was makeup so overpowering that it was all you saw when looking at her.

The best way to ensure that you avoid these wedding makeup mistakes is to practice, practice, practice. After a few times of wearing your wedding makeup, you will discover what holds up over the course of a long day, and what photographs well or does not. By the time the day of your wedding rolls around, you will know exactly how to wear your makeup to look your absolute best.

The Basics of Wedding Centerpiece Design

Designing your own wedding centerpieces can be a very fun project, if you know where to start. Whether you want to make your own table arrangements or simply want to have the knowledge needed to work with your florist on the design of your centerpieces, the more you know, the easier it will be. These are the basic elements of wedding centerpiece design that everyone should know.

The Vessel:This is what will hold your flowers. The most common vessel for centerpieces is a vase, but many other types of containers can be used. You can really set the style of your centerpieces by the type of vessels which you choose. A garden urn, for instance, would be lovely for a garden theme wedding. A tall silver vase works beautifully for a formal affair with the bride in lots of sparkling crystal bridal jewelry, and a simple tall clear cylinder is modern and clean. Baskets, pitchers, bowls, and silver mint julep cups are some other options for wedding centerpiece vessels.

The Flowers: Obviously, the flowers are the most important part of a wedding centerpiece. You will want to base your selections on certain categories, such as season, color, style, and cost. Choosing blossoms which are in season at the time of your wedding is always a very smart idea. They will be less expensive, fresher and prettier, and will also evoke the feeling of that time of year. A poinsettia, for instance, would be marvelous for a holiday wedding, but would be just plain odd in July. Lovely lily-of-the-valley definitely say “spring”, and nothing says autumn wedding quite like mums. Of course there are some wedding flowers, especially roses, that are year-round staples.

The Extras: Once you have selected your vessels and flowers, it is time to think about the extras that will make your centerpieces unique. Brides who are wearing crystal bridal jewelry may choose to adorn their centerpieces with teardrop crystal accents dripping from the flowers. For an earthy look, weave natural elements such as wheat and seed pods into the blossoms. Or add a gentle scent to your centerpieces with the addition of fragrant lavender and rosemary. When it all comes together, you will have designed wedding centerpieces which are unforgettable.

Including Nieces and Nephews in Your Wedding

If you have a lot of young relations running around, you might be wondering how best to include the little ones in your wedding. Children of all ages can have a role in a wedding, and their spirit always adds something special to the festivities. These are some ideas on how to include your nieces and nephews in your wedding.
The most common role for young children is ring bearer or flower girl. This tends to work the best for children who are between the ages of three and eight years old. The flower girl (or girls) can either carry a small bouquet of flowers or a basket of petals to toss (if permitted by your venue). They are usually dressed in sweet little dresses with patent leather shoes and possibly wear a floral wreath in their hair. The bride should plan on giving flower girl gifts to the little ones. Traditional flower girl gifts include silver lockets or very dainty pearl pendants.
The ring bearer theoretically carries the wedding bands down the aisle to the altar (I say theoretically because the rings on the pillow are often fakes). If you had two little boys and wanted each to be a ring bearer, they could each carry a small pillow, one with the bride’s wedding band, and one with the groom’s ring (or the facsimiles). When you have a larger number of nephews, they can be pages.  Pages traditionally help to carry the bride’s train.

Older nieces and nephews can be invited to participate in the wedding as junior bridesmaids or groomsmen. This is a bridge position for a child who is too old to be a flower girl or ring bearer, but too young to be a full fledged bridesmaid or groomsmen. The typical age range for junior attendants is around nine to fourteen. Once they are about fifteen or sixteen years old, they are ready to be regular bridesmaids or groomsmen. The junior bridesmaids will wear dresses which are similar in style to the bridesmaids’ dresses, only a more demure and age appropriate. It is wonderful fun to include as many of your nieces and nephews in your wedding as you like.

Princess Style Wedding Gowns

What elevates a bridal gown into something so regal that it makes the lucky bride wearing it feel like a princess for a day? The answer is drama! A true princess wedding gown must have outstanding features that make all of your guests’ jaws drop and will leave your groom speechless. In other words, it must have that “wow” factor that will cause everyone in the church to gasp when you take your first step down the aisle. There is more than one special feature that can have this marvelous impact; here is a look at the top details.

Elaborate embellishment is one thing that will set a bridal gown apart. Think about it, when you see a royal wedding, they will always have the finest of everything, including lavish embroidery, exquisite lace, and opulent crystal beading. Sparkle is definitely a plus, as is silver embroidery or silver lace. A true princess style wedding dress has details that just look rich, and that are impressive enough that they will be instantly noticed. Subtlety has its place, to be sure, just not on a royal style bridal gown!

Another fabulous feature to look for in a princess wedding gown is a show-stopping train. Your wedding may well be the only day in your life that you get to wear a dress with a long train on it, so why not go all out? If your ceremony will take place in a grand venue with a long aisle, a cathedral length train will look impressive. Many of the best princess style wedding dresses have trains that are not especially long, but which have amazing details. There is nothing like a mountain of cascading ruffles to give your gown a stately presence when you glide down the aisle.

Once you have found a wedding gown to love, don’t forget to plan your accessories. They will certainly add to the overall impact of the dress you have selected. Every princess needs a crown, after all. Choose a bridal tiara with plenty of sparking crystals. To complement the tiara, glittering Swarovski crystal necklaces will hit the perfect note. When wearing a strapless gown, bold multi-strand necklaces of Swarovski crystal are amazing, or opt for a large crystal drop to highlight a V-neck. Finish it off with a fabulous pair of Swarovski crystal earrings and a bracelet to catch the light when you move. Gorgeous!

Winter Wedding Cake Ideas

A great way to make your wedding extra special is with a gorgeous wedding cake. The cake is much more than a dessert, it is one of the key decorative elements at the reception. These are some fantastic ideas for winter wedding cakes.

Snowflakes are one of the loveliest motifs for winter weddings. They can be used in everything from your crystal wedding jewelry to the invitations to favors. Snowflakes also look great on a wedding cake. This motif works beautifully in an icy color like white, pale blue, or silver. A simple fondant cake with ice blue frosting can be decorated with piped snowflakes in white or silver, scattered around the tiers like falling snow. Mix up the sizes and designs of the snowflakes for the best effect.
Speaking of the Winter Wonderland idea, you can use it as a terrific point of inspiration for a wedding cake. An all white cake is always a classic; for a formal winter wedding, it can be personalized with a heavy dusting of a shimmer powder to give it glitz and glamor. A wide silver satin ribbon can be wrapped around the base of each tier, then top it all off with a crystal monogram cake topper. The effect is elegant and modern, yet festive and not at all plain. This style of cake is gorgeous with crystal wedding jewelry, especially when done with the crystal cake topper.

If you are looking for something truly unique, ask your baker to design a winter scene on your wedding cake. Think about how incredible it would be to have a handpainted scene of horse drawn sleighs in snowy meadows or ice skaters circling each tier of your cake. You can personalize this one of a kind cake even more by representing scenes of your favorite winter activities, whether they are skating, snowshoeing, or even ice fishing. Your wedding cake will be such a work of art that it will be hard to cut into i

There are just as many wonderful ideas for winter wedding cakes as there are for the more common summer cakes. It is simply a matter of using your creativity and featuring a theme that highlights something unique to winter. The resulting winter wedding cake will be so special that it will be almost too good to eat.

The Prettiest Pink Wedding Centerpieces

There are so many wonderful options for pink centerpieces out there that the first step is to narrow it down to the style that is best for your wedding. For instance, if your bridesmaid dresses are pink and green striped A-line dresses which will be accented with pearl jewelry, take a look at the preppy centerpiece suggestions. If your style is more contemporary, such as charcoal gray bridesmaid dresses with simple crystal bridesmaid jewelry, then you will enjoy the modern pink centerpieces. For those brides who love the customs and heritage of weddings, the traditional centerpieces will be your cup of tea.

Preppy pink wedding centerpieces are cheerful and perky, with fairly traditional flower choices. They will always be lush and beautiful, but need not be fussy or formal. A perfect example would be big fat garden peonies in silver mint julep cups. Set one at each place setting and fill the center of the table with a candle in a hurricane lantern. This is a great look for an outdoor wedding.

Brides who want something more contemporary and chic will love the look of submerged flower centerpieces. Take a branch of pink berries and submerge in a tall clear cylinder filled with water. These centerpieces are simple yet striking. You can also layer in other vessels of submerged flowers, like bouquets of pink tulips and exotic pink orchids. The resulting centerpiece design will be clean and modern, yet breathtakingly beautiful.

Traditional brides will find countless pleasing ideas for pink centerpieces. One of the most classic is a lovely mixed bouquet of flowers in a range of pinks set into a simple round clear vase. Include roses, lisyanthius, sweetpeas, and tulips for an utterly romantic effect. If you should happen to be a May bride, delicate pink lily-of-the-valley would make darling table decorations. They are fairly small, so they are best used either as an accent to more substantial pink blossoms like roses, or as centerpieces which feature clusters of vases to give the tiny flowers more presence. Pink is such a lovely color that it is the ideal accent for almost any style of wedding.

Tips on Customizing Wedding Vows

A great place to start the process of customizing your wedding vows is by reflecting on why you want to say something different. Are you simply a person who prefers things that are unique, rather than standard things that everyone uses for their weddings? Or maybe you feel like the old fashioned vows do not speak to your contemporary views. It could be that you want to say the words that will truly express the depth of your love for your intended. Whatever your personal reason, identifying it will help you set an intention before you sit down to right; with a goal in mind, you will be much better focused.

With an intention in mind, you will be ready to start customizing your vows. The point of adding your own words to your wedding ceremony is to express something personal, so avoid cliched phrases that are no more unique than the standard vows. On the other hand, a wedding is a ceremonial event, and a bit of reserve is called for; in other words, make your vows personal, but not too personal. Never say anything that would embarrass your fiance or any of the guests, especially the grandparents. Risque jokes or naughty innuendos are always a bad idea in wedding vows.

Feel free to include quotes from your favorite authors, poets, and songwriters. Authors that honor your cultural heritage can also be a meaningful inclusion. For instance, if you have chosen Claddagh rings as your wedding jewelry, choose a lovely quote from an Irish poet. This can be a great base upon which to build, especially if you are not accustomed to writing. Use the quote as a starting point, and frame it with your own words to make it more personal.

If you are comfortable with it, include a brief (brief being the operative word) anecdote in your vows. It could be something sweet about how you first met or how much you admired your intended from afar before getting up the nerve to approach him or her. Consider the context of your memory. For instance, if you met the bride at church, that could be a nice thing to include, but if you first saw her at a wet t-shirt contest on spring break, well, you might just want to leave that bit out!

Top Bridesmaid Gifts for Winter Weddings

Looking for some great ideas for your bridesmaid gifts? Well, look no further! These are the top bridesmaid gifts for winter weddings, any of which your bridesmaids will surely be delighted to receive.

A tin cup necklace. Why are these beautiful necklaces one of the best bridesmaid gifts? Simple, because they are a true classic that is always in style, in any season and for any style of wedding. The floating pearls on a tin cup necklace make them so airy and feminine that they are a natural to pair with your favorite bridesmaid dress style. For every woman in your bridal party, a tin cup necklace makes a fantastic gift!

Swarovski crystal necklaces. Winter weddings are often very elegant, and nothing adds glamor like the sparkle of genuine crystal. You can customize the Swarovski crystal necklaces for your bridesmaid gifts in your wedding colors. Or choose a dramatic color such as rich garnet to add intensity to a bridesmaid dress in one of the neutral shades that are in vogue this season. Clear crystal Swarovski necklaces are fabulous for that icy “Winter Wonderland” effect.

Snowflake theme bridesmaid jewelry. How beautiful will your bridesmaids look and feel in gorgeous crystal snowflake earrings? It is a stunning style that is festive and cheery for a winter wedding. Another idea is to use a Swarovski crystal snowflake on a simple pendant for a piece that is sure to dazzle the recipient. For your flower girls, a small silver snowflake charm for her charm bracelet would make a lovely gift idea.

These ideas are fantastic for winter wedding bridesmaid gifts. Some celebrate the winter season, while others are great for any season; what they have in common is that all are heartfelt expressions of your appreciation.