Wedding Slide Shows: Are They a Do or a Don’t?

It has become very popular in recent years for the bride and groom to put together a slide show for their wedding. Sometimes displayed during the ceremony, sometimes during the reception, and in a few cases at both, the slide show can be a chance to share pictures which show bow the bride and groom’s relationship developed over the years. The wedding slide show can be very sweet, but it can also be a major bore for guests. This is a look at the slide show concept, and whether it is a do or a don’t.

In an era where “personalization” is the biggest buzzword of wedding planning, there is nothing more personal than pictures of the bride and groom, often set to music. Many of the shows do go all the way back to childhood, through the early courtship of the bride and groom, right up through engagement photos, and even studio shots of the bride in her wedding gown and bridal jewelry taken just days before the event. Such an involved presentation may well last 20 – 30 minutes, which frankly, is well past the attention span of most of the people in attendance.

The chief complaint that wedding guests have about slide presentations is being forced to sit and watch them for extended periods of time. At one wedding I recently heard about, the bride and groom stopped their marriage ceremony to show a 20 minute presentation before they exchanged their vows, and then subjected their hapless guests to a second slide show during the toast portion of the reception. It might have been a beautiful journey down memory lane for the bride and groom, but for everyone else, the slide show was the obstacle standing between themselves and getting fed in a timely fashion!

This is not to say that a couple cannot choose to do a photo presentation without aggravating their guests. The key is to have a slide show playing in the background while something else is going on rather than forcing people to sit still and watch it continuously. If you want to project some images on a wall while guests mingle during cocktails, fine. As long as your guests do not feel like a captive audience, a wedding slide show can be a wonderful addition to a reception.

Tips on Finding a Budget Wedding Gown

Believe it or not, there are some truly breathtaking wedding gowns available for under $1000, even under $500. In general, it is far better to go with a simpler wedding gown which is well made from a high quality fabric like silk than a heavily embellished one which is cheaply made from poor quality synthetics. The first will look chic and modern, the second will look, well, cheap.

If you have your heart set on a very traditional full wedding gown, but your budget is tight, your best bet is to search creatively for a quality gown, rather than settle for one which is not well made. Sample sales and blow out sales can be a great way for brides to find a dreamy designer wedding gown at an incredible discount. Search the Internet for both local sales at bridal shops and huge discount gown events like the traveling Filene’s Basement “Running of the Brides” sale.

For brides who seek budget wedding gowns with a modern chic sensibility, a great place to shop is J Crew. In their bridal collection, they feature gowns in luxe fabrics like silk chiffon, taffeta, jacquard, and silk tricotine for under $1000 and in some cases under $500. The gowns tend to have slimmer skirts, either column or a small A-line, and are perfect for a beach wedding, a garden wedding, or a city chic affair. The wedding gowns at J Crew include many fashionable designs and details, from the popular goddess look to the asymmetrical style which is in vogue this year.

Many brides will select an ivory or white dress from a bridesmaid line. When choosing an ivory “bridesmaid” dress to wear as a wedding gown, the right accessories will help to make sure that you look like a bride. A long veil, elegant bridal jewelry, and a pretty headpiece will make sure that no one mistakes you for a bridesmaid in an ivory dress. In fact, choosing distinctive and unique accessories like bridal jewelry is one of the fun things about wearing a more simple wedding gown. It allows you to express your personal style, look gorgeous, and find a fabulous wedding gown on a budget – you can’t do much better than that!

Tips on Choosing a Wedding Date

One of the first steps after getting engaged is to select a date for your wedding. There is a lot than can go into this seemingly straightforward decision, though, and it can be more complex than it initially seems. Let these tips on choosing a wedding date guide you to the perfect date for your wedding.

A couple of basic things to consider when setting a wedding date are the season in which you would like to get married, where, and how long you are willing to wait. If you have your heart set on a destination wedding in the Caribbean, for instance, it would be best to avoid hurricane season. Women who become engaged at a popular time like Valentine’s Day will need to decide if they want to rush to pull together a wedding for this summer, or if they can stand to have a year and a half engagement and put off the wedding until next summer.

If you know that you want to plan an elaborate affair with all of the trimmings, it might be sensible to have a long engagement to allow you to save more money. A farther out wedding date also allows you to spread out both your expenses and your effort over a comfortable time period. Rather than spending every weekend in a frantic search for the perfect wedding gown and bridal jewelry, some brides prefer to have a more leisurely approach to wedding planning. When your wedding is over a year away, you can take your time choosing your gown, bridal jewelry, and other details, without a looming deadline hanging over your head.

Special dates can also be an important factor in setting a day for your wedding. Perhaps you would like to be married on your birthday, or your parents’ wedding anniversary. Maybe the anniversary of your first date would be a great time to get married. Calendar dates with auspicious numbers tend to be very popular, such as 7-7-07 a few years ago, or this year’s favorite, 10-10-10. Conversely, some dates are often avoided due to specific associations. Would it depress you to host your wedding on the anniversary of a loved one’s passing, for instance? In a more general sense, September 11^th remains a less-than-popular wedding date, despite falling within prime wedding season.

There are so many things that go into picking the perfect date for your wedding. From religious factors to work obligations to your favorite flowers, there are any number of reasons why some dates will be more appropriate than others. In the end, the perfect wedding date ends up being a personal decision that only the bride and groom can make for themselves.

2010 Wedding Cake Trends

Do you know what the most stylish wedding cakes will look like this year? Are cupcakes still in? Is fondant still king? Here is everything you need to know about 2010 wedding cake trends.

A new simplicity is ruling the bakeries this year. Overly ornate and precious cakes are taking a backseat to those which are simple, elegant, and above all, delicious. After seasons as the hot wedding trend, brides are finally cooling towards cupcakes, and instead opting for a real wedding cake, usually with three tiers. Very elaborate frosting made to mimic the wedding gown and bridal jewelry is less popular than frosting which looks like…well, frosting.

No longer reserved for the groom’s cake, rich dark chocolate has made its way to center stage on the main wedding cake. It is being used in elegant cake designs which feature architectural detailing, fresh flower accents, and a swanky use of ribbons.  Chocolate cakes are one wedding trend which your guests are guaranteed to love!

Streamlined geometric wedding cakes are also in style for 2010. A three or four tier cake with square layers will look chic this year. Motifs with clean lines suit this modern cake design, as do bands of horizontal stripes. Emphasize a minimalist chic by keeping the cake itself pure white. Festive touches of color in the motif will keep the cake from looking too plain. Symmetry is also in, by the way, so stack those square tiers with the same orientation; none of that topsy-turvy stuff that was popular a couple of years ago. The Dr. Suess look is definitely out this year.

They say that three is a magic number, and that is true for wedding cakes in 2010. A pretty way to make a statement with a simple cake is by making it in multiple. Make one medium sized cake with several tiers as the centerpiece, and then flank it with two matching mini-cakes, one on each side. This is a great idea for brides who want to keep the design of their cakes clean and modern, yet want to have a cake display with some “oomph”.

Too Young or Too Old to Get Married?

We all know that the average age to get married is the mid-20s. But people of all age find love and want to make a permanent commitment to their beloved. Is there one perfect age to say “I Do” or can a person follow their heart at any age? Can a person ever be too young or too old to get married?

When it comes to being too old, the answer is no. As long as both people are of sound mind, why shouldn’t they have the chance to enjoy a romance as seniors? I know a woman who creates custom bridal gowns, and she says that one of the sweetest brides she ever made a gown for was a woman in her 80s. She had been widowed for many years, and met a man in a similar situation through a place where they both volunteered. This man was a true gentleman, and courted her properly; he even asked the widow’s daughter for permission to propose to his sweetheart. She made a truly beautiful bride in her custom blue wedding gown and elegant bridal jewelry.

The other question is not so easily answered. The short answer is yes, people certainly can be too young to make the lifelong commitment involved in a marriage.  Readiness to marry is less a question of a particular age, perhaps, but one of the maturity of the potential bride and groom. That said, few people are truly mature before they have had time to live on their own, take responsibility for running a home, and gotten a little life experience. Statistics bear this out; couples who wait until their late 20s or early 30s to get married have a lower divorce rate than teen brides and grooms. So don’t go rushing off to marry your high school sweetheart just yet.

A final piece of advice for young engaged couples is to opt for a long engagement. Both people should definitely be out of high school; finished with college would be even better. After all, if it is true love, the relationship will last and grow into something even better over the period of a long engagement. And besides, every bride and groom should be able to raise a toast at their wedding.

Wedding Ceremony Checklist

Okay, the big day is finally here, and in mere moments the wedding ceremony will begin! At this point, all of the big stuff should be under control, but there are still a few finishing touches to be put in place. Make sure that you do not overlook anything with this wedding ceremony checklist.

First, the maid of honor or the bride’s mother should spend a few minutes carefully looking over the bridal ensemble.  Check to be sure that her veil is securely anchored and the headpiece is nice and straight. Have any clasps on pieces of bridal jewelry slid to the front? If the bridal gown has those little hanging straps, be sure that they are completed tucked into the side of the gown or better yet, just cut them out. Does the bride have her something old, new, borrowed, and blue? And finally, someone should make certain that the bride does not have any lipstick on her teeth!

The groom has a few last minute tasks to undertake as well before taking his place at the altar. Is his breath fresh? If not, he can quickly pop a mint or a piece of gum. But for goodness sake, take the gum out of your mouth before the ceremony begins! I have actually witnessed grooms chewing gum while reciting their vows, and it looks absolutely terrible. Speaking of vows, if you have written your own for the ceremony, be sure you have them in your jacket pocket. The groom should also take a moment to comb his hair, straighten his tie, and adjust his boutonierre, if needed.

The wedding party should also get themselves ready before the ceremony music begins. Bridesmaids, if you need to adjust your strapless gown, this is the time to do it! Please resist the urge to tug on your dress while standing at the altar. The best man has one incredibly important thing to check before the wedding ceremony, and that is to make sure that he has the wedding bands. He would also be a good person to make sure that the troops are in order: shirts neatly tucked in, boutonierres in place, ties straight, and so on. With everyone looking their best, the wedding will be ready to go!

The Order of a Wedding Processional

Organizing a wedding can be a bit confusing. In what order should everyone walk down the aisle? How do I line up my bridesmaids? What do I do with the mother of the bride? Do the groomsmen walk at all? These are some of the commonly asked questions by brides everywhere. To sort it all out, here is what you need to know about the order of the wedding processional.

Think of the wedding processional as more than a way to get people from one end of an aisle to another. It is an integral part of the wedding ceremony, not as important as the exchange of marriage vows of course, but still significant. The idea is that the processional builds anticipation until the grand moment when the bride is revealed in her beautiful white gown, long flowing veil, and dazzling bridal jewelry. This is why it pays to spend a little time to get it all right, and why wedding rehearsals are so important.

The processional begins when the groomsmen begin their march down the aisle. The groomsmen are followed by the bridesmaids. Traditionally, they walk in pairs, but in many weddings, bridesmaids will march single file, especially when the wedding party is not particularly large or the aisle very wide. The last of the bridesmaids to march is the maid of honor. If there is a ring bearer, he is next in line, followed by the flower girl, who traditionally scatters petals upon which the bride will walk.

Once everyone else has completed their trip down the aisle, the bride and her escort begin their march. As this is a central moment in the ceremony, they should wait until all the last member of the bridal party has reached the altar and is standing still; no one wants their view of the bride blocked by a bridesmaid. Then it is time for the bride and her father, or both parents in the case of a Jewish wedding, to make their way to the altar, and the marriage ceremony can begin.

Balancing a Wedding With Work or School

Timing, as they say, is everything. There is no doubt that as soon as he pops the question, most women start thinking about having the wedding and getting married. The idea of putting off your nuptials due to the other things going on in your life can seem downright unromantic. On the other hand, if you know that you are in a hectic part of your life now, but that in a year things will have settled down, a long engagement might be well worth the stress saved.

Balancing school with planning a wedding can be one challenge. Although it seems very exciting to graduate from college in May and get married in June, the truth of the matter is that you might have more fun with both your senior year and your wedding planning if you push the wedding back to the following year, or at least until the autumn. After all, you don’t want to feel rushed when you are shopping for your wedding gown or bridal jewelry because you have an exam looming that you need to study for. Nor do you want to miss out on the best venue or band because your weekends were so tied up with school that you did not get anything booked.

Women with demanding careers would be wise to determine if the workload is temporary or ongoing before jumping into the wedding planning process. In other words, if you are finishing a medical residency, you would be insane to try to plan a wedding at the same time, but waiting is not so terrible, because there is a definite end to that particular work situation. On the other hand, if you are trying to make partner at your law firm and eighty hour weeks will be the norm for the foreseeable future, there is no point in waiting, since things are unlikely to change.

When a demanding career is the norm for you, the best possible thing which you can do for yourself is to hire a wedding planner.  Better yet, plan a destination wedding at a beautiful resort. They are used to taking care of most of the details for their long distance brides, and when you are working a grueling schedule, a trip to a tropical paradise is exactly what you need! You can have your dream wedding and a relaxing vacation, all in one. What could be better?

Where to Meet a Mate

All humans crave companionship. Especially as people approach certain milestones, like turning 30, they may start looking for a person with whom they can settle down and build a life. This can be particularly stressful for women, as they watch their friends get to have the fun of being brides, picking out a bridal gown and jewelry, flowers, etc. Many a woman, no matter how independent and successful she may be, has watched all her friends go down the aisle and wondered when she will the one picking out bridal jewelry and bouquets.

So how does a man or woman set about finding a person with whom they can settle down? Personal introductions are still a great way. There are certain types of establishments of which it is said that “the house makes the introduction”. What that means is that the people that you meet there are not exactly complete strangers, more like friends that you have not met yet. Churches and schools are the most common of these places.

Believe it or not in the era of Internet dating, there are still old-fashioned matchmakers out there. I once met one at a party, and she had a very high success rate of putting together couples who would eventually get married. The nice thing about a matchmaker is that, unlike a dating service, she spends time will all of her clients individually; since she gets to know them personally, she is much more able to match up compatible people than a computer. Matchmakers often specialize in certain religious or ethnic groups; the one I met worked exclusively within the Jewish community.

Then there is the Internet. Many people have certainly found their future husbands or wives through an online dating service like eHarmony or Match.com. There is no longer the stigma that used to be attached to finding a spouse this way. Online dating sites, however, have some definite disadvantages to them, including potential safety concerns. Exercise caution before meeting anyone you meet on the Internet in person.

Finally, keep your eyes and heart open to other possibilities. If you are having a hard time meeting people, think about signing up for an interesting class or volunteering. You may meet that special person, and even if you do not, at least you will be enriching your life.

Affordable Tin Cup Necklaces for Brides and Bridesmaids

The floating pearl necklace worn by Renee Russo in the movie “Tin Cup” made a huge impact on the fashion world. Today, the pearl tin cup necklace is one of the favorite designs for brides and bridesmaids alike. Yet not everyone can afford to shop for their jewelry in Beverly Hills, which may leave one to wonder, it is possible to find affordable tin cup necklaces?

The answer is absolutely yes! While some tin cup necklaces are indeed very costly, savvy brides can find the same fantastic look in a fine quality necklace for a reasonable price. The best place to start your search is the Internet, although there may also be some local boutiques with good prices. Many of the more affordable floating pearl necklaces are every bit as beautiful as those which go for two or three times the price in designer jewelry stores.

A fantastic way to get the gorgeous look of a tin cup bridal necklace at a good price is to select a necklace which is handcrafted with freshwater pearls rather than more costly Akoya pearls. Today’s freshwater pearls can be just as round as the traditional salt water ones, and also boast a fabulous luster. Happily for brides on a budget, you give up none of the beauty of the pearls by choosing freshwater instead of Akoya. The only thing that is different is

Typically, a bride will be inclined to splurge a bit more on her own wedding jewelry, but will try to save what she can on her bridesmaid jewelry gifts. After all, when you have to buy 5 or 6 sets of jewelry, it can add up, no matter how reasonable the price is. For this reason, a very popular idea for bridesmaid gifts is to purchase tin cup necklaces which are handcrafted with beautiful Swarovski pearls. With an even lower price than the already affordable freshwater pearls, Swarovski pearls can be a fantastic option for a bride who has to give gifts to a large group of attendants. Not only is the price right, but a Swarovski pearl tin cup necklace can be created in a color which complements the bridesmaid dress.

The classic elegance of a pearl tin cup necklace is within reach of brides with every budget size. By carefully choosing the right jeweler, type and size of pearl, you can find stunning floating pearl necklaces for every member of your wedding party.