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Fabric for Wedding Decorations On Any Budget

June 30, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Choosing fabric for wedding decorations creates masterpieces on any budget. Whether you buy pricey fabrics or cost-effective weaves, the fabric for wedding decorations create a magical mood throughout your ceremony and reception.

Fabric for wedding decorations depends on the type of accessories you plan. For a bridal aisle runner to show off the bridal walk down the aisle, a nylon or rayon material works best because it is most durable. Make sure the runner carpet has a rubber backing to avoid slippage. Steer clear of plastic runners that can rip under a high heel and even trip up the bride.

Ribbons are used for a variety of purposes throughout your wedding. Large ribbons and bows are used as pew markers and chair markers. Medium size ribbons decorate railing, columns, posts and ceilings as streamers. Small ribbons are used to tie bouquets and wedding favor bags. Wedding ribbons are available in many colors and fabrics.

Wire ribbons hold their shape for floral arrangements and centerpieces. Silk ribbons are elegant on bridal bouquets. Satin ribbons are ideal for traditional wedding decorations. Tulle and satin ribbons are usually used as chair markers and pew markers. Ribbons may also be velvet, gingham, chiffon or tartan. You can have ribbons personalized to include your names and wedding date, usually printed on satin.

Tulle is a versatile fabric for wedding decorations. Because of its hexagonal weave, tulle can be cut and never frays. You can purchase large, affordable rolls of tulle and cut it down to make numerous wedding decorations. Make tulle bows for your wedding ceremony pews and chairs. Hang tulle from the ceilings of the wedding reception venue for a gossamer, fantasy feeling at a princess wedding. Cut small squares or circles of tulle to wrap up wedding favors and tie the tip with a small, satin ribbon bow. Tulle can even be used in the bridal gown to puff out the skirt or as a swishing, glamorous train behind the bride as she sashays down the aisle.

Silk flowers are a lovely touch throughout your wedding ceremony and reception. Use silk flower petals in the flower girl basket to scatter when the bride arrives for her ceremonial walk down the wedding aisle. The bride can carry a silk flower bouquet with satin ribbon streamers for a forever keepsake of this special moment. Silk flowers can be mixed with real flowers for budget-conscious floral arrangements throughout your wedding ceremony and reception. By mixing silk with real flowers, you maintain fragrance and texture for less money.

Linen is a fabric used for wedding decorations, especially at formal parties. The timeless quality of linen adds elegance to your wedding tables as a table covering. Cover the chairs with matching linen for a professional look. Add ribbons or bows in complimentary colors. The effect is amazing when you match the tablecloths and chairs. Less expensive materials may be used for the same purpose, such as organza, cotton, polyester or lame. A pricey but pretty alternative is silk.

Lame has streaks of silver and gold, making it a versatile fabric for wedding decorations. Hang sheets of lame overhead for a starry, fantasy look or cover doors and windows at your wedding reception with this glittering material.

Lace is an essential fabric for wedding decorations, especially at Victorian or old-fashioned receptions. Often the bride’s gown in trimmed in lace. You can also embellish the tables and centerpieces with strips of lace to match the bride’s gown. A similar lace pattern can be used to ice the wedding cake.

Paper is another popular, budget-conscious fabric for wedding decorations. Paper is used to create puffy wedding bells to hang in every corner of your ceremony location and reception. Paper streamers in a rainbow of colors can be hung from ceilings, on railings, down columns and even in the landscaping to decorate all the areas of your special day. Paper flowers can be used in your wedding floral arrangements. Spray paper flowers with essential oils to add fragrance.

Fabric for wedding decorations may be expensive or cheap, based on your personal budget. Choose a variety of fabrics to add texture and color to your wedding day decorations.

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Silver Toasting Flutes: Create Sparkling Romance at a Wedding Reception

June 30, 2008 By Leave a Comment

The wedding reception is a very important part of the wedding day, and often times the speeches bring on more tears than the exchanging of vows. In keeping with a fairy tale wedding theme, silver toasting flutes are often the most appropriate for the bride and groom, and become a wonderful memory and keepsake of such a monumental day.

Silver is such a popular color for a wedding theme because it exudes richness, glamour and sparking romance. Whether the wedding theme is autumn splendor, winter wonder, fairy tale dreams, or floral fantasy, silver goes with everything. Often, it is the silver glitz added to the reception tables that gives the entire room and the affair, the perfect finishing touches.

Silver toasting flutes are generally reserved for the bride and groom and can be taken home afterwards, perhaps to enjoyed each year on the wedding anniversary. It is certainly true that no matter what you can imagine or what your heart desires in the design of your reception toasting glasses, you can find it.

From silver plate to silver dipped rims; lusterware toasting sets to elaborate silver plate open heart and jewel drop stem champagne flutes. You could certainly go with casual elegance and choose open loop heart flutes, ring of crystals flutes, or silver plated heart stem glass flutes. These types of silver toasting flutes are simple in design with a long, elegant silver stem and goblet foot, and in most cases a clear crystal drinking vessel.

If you want be a little different and choose something more elaborate, there are now some interesting choices available to you. Silver plated interlocking heart stems with glass flutes are sensational and when sitting together, form a heart and signify love and unity. For a touch of drama, consider the clear glass flutes with silver stand. The stand doesn’t move and when toasting, the bride and groom lift a footless flute from the elegant silver plated toasting stand.

If you are looking for the ultimate in silver refinery that is custom and totally personalized to you and your partner, silver toasting flutes are available where the crystal glass can be custom etched with your names, date or initials. As an example, the silver plated love stem champagne holder and glass flutes is spectacular! The removable glass flutes are held in place with the word “love” on a silver plated heart shaped base.

Silver toasting flutes along with other silver accents on your reception table will go a long way to pulling off the fairy tale wedding theme, or simply to present a very elegant and exquisite display for your wedding guests. Silver and crystal look best on crisp, white linen so steer clear of colored tablecloths or napkins. Sculptural silver flatware sitting atop white folded napkins cannot be beat for understated grace on a table setting. Keep the linens simple and let the silverware and stemware be the star of the table show.

Another element that blends nicely with silver is cut crystal. Of course, with silver toasting flutes, this is usually easy to accomplish. Aside from the goblets, you can incorporate crystal glass onto your tables with the centerpiece vases filled with fresh flowers such as tiger lilies, wild orchids and freesia. If your flowers are the only color on the table, the vision will be simply breathtaking… imagine freshly pressed snow white linen tablecloths and napkins, silver plate art deco cutlery, white dishes and place settings, silver toasting flutes and cut crystal vases filled with muted flowers. The only other thing that might be added to such a spectacular table would be a single candle (either votive or taper) so that soft light bounces off the cut glass and silver that is gracing your wedding reception tables.

As you can see, starting with silver toasting flutes can lead to all kinds of good things where your wedding reception theme is concerned. Sometimes an entire theme can be built around just a single object. In this case, you could not choose a better starting point than a stunning set of silver toasting flutes for the bride and groom to enjoy on their wedding day, and every year for the rest of their lives.


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First Wedding Anniversary Gifts that Celebrate One Year of Marital Success!

June 29, 2008 By Leave a Comment

It is still wonderful when you hear that a couple has made it happily through twenty, thirty, forty, even fifty years of marriage. For those people, wedding gifts are usually theme related, such as a silver, bronze or golden anniversary, but first wedding anniversary gifts usually focus on the couple as a pair of newlyweds, and less on the time milestone. First wedding anniversary gifts allow friends and family to celebrate what is one of the most important milestones as without the first celebration, none of the others would be possible.

The average marriage lasts an average of 28 years, which is down from 37 in 1980, but up in recent years as divorce rates have stabilized. Hopefully, everyone knows at least one couple who has been married blissfully for multiple decades. One couple, recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as having the longest recognized marriage at a “normal” age, was married 86 years. As remarkable as that is, an even more significant milestone is often the first wedding anniversary.

Couples that have been together for decades have worked out a routine. They know each other like the “backs of their hands.” They often can communicate just by a look or without even talking. When they get to that point, the milestone is important and impressive, but much less challenging than that first year of becoming a married couple.

The average newly married couple; even if they have lived together before the wedding still have a lot to learn about each other. They have to figure out details like finances, wills and the routines that make life easier. They undergo a transition that is both uplifting and uprooting. Making that first milestone is indeed a hallmark that makes virtually every year after seem relatively easy.

As you can see, celebrating the first anniversary is extremely important to both sides. In many ways, commemorating the first year is a bigger endeavor than the wedding. Making sure it is special is one way that friends and family can continue to celebrate the happy couple as well as offer them support and congratulations.

Gifts that commemorate the date as well as the union are always popular. These would include “Mr. + Mrs.” Towels, or perhaps a honeymoon memory book that celebrates the date, the milestone and remind the couple of their relatively new “us” status. A wedding certificate holder also allows the couple to showcase their decision to marry as well as provide a save environment for one of the most important documents in their lives. “Mr. + Mrs.” Bathrobes give them both something to wear in the morning as well as reminds them of their commitment and their status as a couple.

Other gifts lean towards the practical, even if they are relatively indulgent. A photo frame with brushed silver and crystals in heart shape or a crystal cube photo frame will allow them to showcase favored photos of friends or family in prominent places around their home.

First wedding anniversary gifts do not have to be “object-oriented.” Many couples celebrating that first milestone also are living on a budget, so a gift certificate to an expensive local restaurant will allow them celebrate in style at a place they might not ordinarily consider. Other suggestions that would give both of them a day off, pamper her and entertain him include a day spa gift certificate for her, tickets to a sporting event or a gift certificate a store that caters to one or both of their hobbies.

When they get to their 20th, 40th or even 50th, they will look back on the years and remember the journey they have taken as a couple. They will remember the joyful moments and the challenges that have made up their adventure; they also will appreciate the sacrifices and love that went into each year. To get there, however, they have to make it to one and helping them celebrate their first wedding anniversary in style and with a thoughtful gift will remind them of just how much they have accomplished.

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Tulle Wedding Decorations Add Budget-Conscious Beauty

June 28, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Tulle wedding decorations add budget-conscious beauty to every aspect of your day. Use tulle wedding decorations as a powerful, affordable way to romanticize the atmosphere everywhere.

Tulle is a sheer fabric often used for ballet costume and veils. Tulle is easily purchased in bulk quantities. Because tulle does not fray when it’s cut, it never has to be sewn. Tulle has a hexagonal weave so it won’t fall apart when you cut it down to make a variety of tulle wedding decorations. Tulle is durable, affordable and brings gossamer magic to a variety of areas during your wedding day. You can purchase tulle in a variety of colors and with glitter. Tulle is usually made from silk, nylon or rayon. Its versatility is unsurpassed, making tulle a creative decoration material to work with.

Bring the elegance of tulle and light together to decorate the doorways and walkways at your wedding ceremony and reception. The tulle is luxurious while the light illuminates any area you want to accent including rails, flowers and tables.

If you have a church wedding ceremony, pew bows are often used to designate seating areas. Instead of ordering pew bows from a florist, you can make your own tulle wedding decorations. Tie the tulle into a bow and leave plenty of extra to drape to the floor when hung on the pews. Embellish the tulle pew bows by using gold or silver ribbons in the middle to give the decoration shape and sparkle.

Chairs are eye-catching with tulle wedding decorations. Wrap tulle over or around the top of any regular chair to transform it into wedding seating. Pin a silk flower to the tulle chair wrap for a colorful touch. Embellish the chairs for the bride and groom with tulle wraps and ribbons to spotlight the happy couple.

Brides use tulle to accent their outfits. Tulle may be used in skirts, sleeves, gloves or the bridal bouquet. Add a few layers to your bridal gown for body and a fuller shape. Make a tulle train for your bridal gown for a smooth sashay down the wedding aisle.

Soften the look of your flower stands with tulle. Bind them with ribbon into a bow. Use the same effect to decorate the main wedding table so everyone knows where the stars will sit. Add a light garland under the tulle at the wedding table to really light up the happy couple when they sit to share their wedding toast or reception dinner.

If you have a fairytale reception, you can create a fantasy world with tulle wedding decorations. Feel like a princess everyone you go by hanging tulle from the walls and ceilings of the wedding reception venue. Drape colorful tulle from one wall to another. Include clouds of tulle in doorways. Everywhere you walk, have tulle accents for a dreamy and heavenly atmosphere. You can even line your walls with tulle to guide your guests down walkways and halls to your reception area.

Tulle is also used to wrap up wedding favors. Circles of colorful tulle can be tied to cover a variety of goodies. If you give out seeds or bubbles at your wedding ceremony, tie them up in small squares or circles of colorful tulle using a small ribbon. For your wedding favors, add that extra special touch with tulle. Tulle can be used in your wedding colors to spice up the guests to your gifts. Wrap candies, mints, Jordan almonds and other wedding favors treats in a piece of tulle and tie the tops with decorative ribbons. Ordinary items are turned extraordinary with tulle to wrap them up.

The beauty of tulle is the price. For a minimal investment, you can get meters to tulle to decorate your wedding location, bridal attire and wedding favors. All the elements of your special day are more luxurious with tulle embellishments. Without breaking your budget, tulle wedding decorations add elegance to every detail to your day. If you purchase tulle well before your wedding, make sure to store it in a dark place away from direct light so it doesn’t disintegrate.

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Wedding Table Decorations To Delight and Entertain Your Guests

June 28, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Wedding table decorations entertain and direct your guests when they arrive. Adding wedding decorations gives your guests something to look at and do as soon as they get to your reception. Wedding table decorations also reflect the theme of your special day so everyone gets into the spirit of the occasion.

Choose your wedding table decorations based on the theme and location. Some wedding reception venues provide certain wedding table decorations so make sure to ask what is included when you secure a location. Flowers are always attractive wedding table decorations at all types of weddings. Whether the celebration is formal, casual or outdoors, flowers are an important part of your wedding table decorations.

Display square glass vases in different sizes as an eye-catching centerpiece for each table. Include real or silk flowers in each vase. A single flower vase is perfect for smaller, more intimate wedding reception tables. Add water and water diamond lights to your wedding table vases for an illuminating glow. When you select flowers, use seasonal blooms and try to select varieties that aren’t too fragrant so you don’t irritate sensitive guests. Silk flowers are easy to bring home as keepsakes after the party ends and don’t require pressing like fresh flowers.

Flowers immediately add a romantic feel to your wedding table decorations to get your guests in the mood. Candles are another atmospheric element to add to your wedding reception tables. Large pillars, smaller tapers and monogrammed unity candles are all beautiful ways to light up your wedding tables. Use luminaries with tea lights as centerpieces. If you invite children to your wedding, use battery operated tea lights for safe candlelight that won’t harm the little ones.

Most wedding reception locations provide the tablecloths, but certain venues require you to use your own. Match the tablecloths and napkins to the wedding table decorations and the colors worn by your wedding party. Include napkin rings for an elegant feeling at your wedding reception tables.

Have a special wedding centerpiece for the bride and groom table. A heart-shaped fondue is a fun way to thank your wedding party. Serve luscious strawberries and melted chocolate for everyone to share after the champagne toast. Select a themed toasting set to make your wedding toast a bit more special. Use your toasting set every year to celebrate your wedding anniversary.

Set up a special table for your guest book. Display a themed wedding guest book with a fancy pen for everyone to sign. Decorate the guest book table with a sprinkle of heart-shaped or just married confetti for a fun, festive feel.

Each table will need a tent card or table marker to designate the number in accordance with your seating chart. Decorative place cards are put near each guest’s seat so they know where to go when they arrive. Display the place cards in attractive silver frames for your guests to take home as keepsakes of your special day. Your place cards may be themed just like the rest of your wedding table decorations. Shell place cards are perfect for a beach wedding while monogrammed place cards are ideal at a formal affair.

Your wedding table decorations can also include photos of the happy couple. Have a professional photographer take a photo of both of you right before the wedding day so you can display it as a centerpiece at each table. Put a wallet-sized photo in a small frame as a wedding favor for all your guests. Everyone wants a photo of the bride and groom, so they are perfect wedding table decorations and treasures.

Wedding favors are part of your table decorations. Frames, candles and silver-plated treasures decorate your table and give your guests a memory of the day. Another way to create fun memories is to place a disposable camera by each guest’s seat. The guests can take pictures and leave the camera for the couple or take it home to have their own photos of the occasion.

Add other special touches to your tables such as dove picks for finger foods or martini glasses for tantalizing cocktails. Your wedding table decorations can be functional, fun loving and timeless as you see fit.

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Bridal Headpieces Are Like Icing On A Cake

June 27, 2008 By Leave a Comment

You carefully selected your wedding dress and shoes but your ensemble is not complete without choosing one of the most flattering bridal headpieces. The perfect bridal outfit includes a bridal headpiece that compliments your face and your wedding dress.

Bridal headpieces are much like the icing on a cake because they add that necessary finishing touch to an already wonderful thing. The right bridal hairpiece brings out your features and the style of your dress for fabulous photographs and videos of your special day. From a small, elegant tiara to a long, eye-catching veil, there are as many bridal headpieces to choose from, as there are brides.

Keep in mind your bridal gown, the formality of your wedding, the shape of your face and your bridal hairdo when you shop around for bridal headpieces. If you have a Christian or Catholic wedding ceremony, a wedding veil is traditionally worn by the bride. The moment when a father lifts the veil to present the bride to her husband-to-be is a dramatic part of a Christian wedding ceremony. Wedding veils come in a variety of lengths including shoulder length, elbow length, chapel and cathedral. Choose a lightweight, sheer fabric in shades of white, ivory or cream to match your wedding gown.

Your wedding veil may be embellished to match your dress. A veil decorated with satin trim and pearls is perfect for a formal wedding gown. If you have a more modern wedding dress, consider a beautiful silver or gold scalloped edged veil with glittering rhinestones. For a garden ceremony, a veil with floral embroidery brings your wedding theme into every aspect of your day.

Tiaras make stunning bridal headpieces, especially for princess brides. If you have a Cinderella wedding, a tiara is a royal choice to top off your bridal outfit. A loop tiara resembles a princess’ crown and tops off a Cinderella wedding dress perfectly. Another stellar choice is a white pearl crest tiara, which adds a touch of elegance to your face.

Your wedding tiara can also match the theme of your wedding. If you decide to exchange your vows in a

garden setting, wear a lovely flower garden tiara to reflect the essence of your day. A lacy daisies tiara is ideal for a bride who wants to wear flowers in her hair but may be allergic to having live ones so close to her face. If you have a butterfly wedding, you are likely to release butterflies at the end of your ceremony to celebrate your love. Bring butterflies back to your reception by wearing a sparkling tiara with butterflies. After all, you can wear flowers in your hair but butterflies would be impossible without a dressy tiara featuring these amazing creatures.

Whether you choose a wedding veil or a tiara, make sure the fabric and color matches your wedding dress. Shades of white, ivory and cream vary so compare bridal headpieces to your gown. Your veil should blend perfectly with your gown and include embellishments to match the design of your dress. If your dress is satin, wear a satin edged veil. For glittering gowns, wear a veil with pearls, rhinestones and metallic accents. Your bridal headpiece is the finishing touch on your ensemble so choose colors and designs carefully.

When select a tiara, make sure it will fit on your hairstyle. When you plan on having a large, bouffant type hairstyle, try the tiara on elevated hair to ensure it still looks attractive. A small tiara perched on big hair may get lost. If you really like a particular tiara, choose a hairstyle to compliment it. Likewise, if you are decided on a certain hairstyle, choose bridal headpieces that will suit the hairdo.

Finally, select bridal headpieces based on the size and shape of your head. An over sized, heavy veil would overwhelm a slender girl with a smaller head. On the other hand, a tiny tiara on a large girl may look out of place or get lost. Keep in mind your unique proportions when you shop for bridal headpieces, the ultimate finishing touch for your bridal ensemble.

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Personalized Wedding Gifts add an Extra Touch to your Wedding Gift Selections

June 26, 2008 By Leave a Comment

We all like to receive gifts and nothing makes a gift more special than to have our name or initials etched onto it. Personalized wedding gifts not only are classy, they show the recipient of the gift that the giver not only thought about the gift, but also saw fit to add to the gift an extra touch. Etching on a gift can be the recipient’s name, their initials, the date of the wedding ceremony, the location or the names of the bride and groom.

The reason that personalized wedding gifts are so popular is that they remind the bride and groom of their wedding as well as the gift giver every time they use, see or talk about the gift. With a few exceptions, any gift can be personalized; the only determining factor is the size of the gift, and what it is made of. While gifts of stone, metal or glass are the easiest to personalize, other materials, such as fabric, leather and even plastic can have a personalization etched on them and still look very sharp.

About the only type of gift that cannot be personalized are items too small to have an etching or materials that would be damaged by the etching, such as some plastics, some stone and very malleable metals. The reason these types of substances are not good for personalization or etching is that they do not hold up well under the pressure of inscribing whatever it is that is being etched. Some stones, for instance will slough off or crumble under pressure, while some plastics will puncture or become weakened and some metals are just too soft to be effectively etched.

Another aspect of personalization to consider is the shape of the gift. While some items, like glasses can be etched even though they are round in shape, most rounded items either distort the etching or are so spread out that they are hard to decipher or the etching has to be miniscule to be able to be read. Flat surfaces is best, but if your personalized wedding gifts are rounded, remember that any personalization will have to be succinct enough to be able to be read with a single glance, otherwise the entire reason for personalizing them is lost.

The style of personalization you choose is also important. Some script is too hard to read, while other fonts do not translate well onto etchings. Additionally, the quality of the etching can make or break the personalization. Not all artisans or etching establishments are the same, so make sure that you see a sample before you elect to go ahead with the personalization. Also, remember that you have the right to refuse a product if the personalization or etching do not live up to their billing; you should closely examine all gifts and the personalization to make sure that you are getting what you paid to receive.

Personalized wedding gifts come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and types. A key fob with cable is one great idea that will be used on a daily basis, as is a silver plated brass money clip or a silver plated purse shaped compact mirror. If you are partial to drinking containers, a footed pilsner glass or a brushed finish stainless steel tankard will be big hits, as will stainless steel flasks.

While most personalization is etched, this is not the case if you are giving gifts such as luggage or anything made of material. For any materials that are personalized, you should check to see how many stitches per inch are used to make up the personalization. Also, verify that the fabric underneath will wear well if it is punctured by the needles used to put the personalization on them.

Personalized wedding gifts are great ways to show your bride and groom that you put a lot of thought into their gifts. By personalizing their gifts, you also will be able to remind them of the day or give them an easy way to identify luggage or clothing. By personalizing their gifts, you also create for them an easy “connection” between their gift, you and the event that prompted your generosity.

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A Wedding Planning Checklist Keeps You Organized

June 25, 2008 By Leave a Comment

A wedding planning checklist helps you remember every detailed aspect of your special day. Organizing your day without a wedding planning checklist is like building a house without a blueprint or going to the market without a list – you are certain to forget something important.

Your wedding planning checklist will include several elements. While most couples plan their wedding a year or more in advance, you can apply the same concept to a wedding in a month by stepping up your pace. Your first priority is to meet each other’s family and formally announce your engagement to your friends and community. Often couples publish a short summary of their engagement with a photo to announce their future wedding to the community. To tell your friends and out-of-town relatives about the good news, send formal engagement announcements. Your may want to choose a wedding theme at this time so you can select engagement announcements accordingly. Wedding themes range from formal to tropical to casual, based on the unique preferences of the couple.

Elements to organize on your wedding planning checklist include stationery, attire, photography and videos, music, gifts, location, accessories for the ceremony, accessories for the reception, decorations, flowers and legal paperwork. To have a successful wedding, all of these elements must be taken care of within a designated budget. A wedding planning checklist ensures you won’t overlook any of them as you try to handle all the details of your special day. It’s a challenge that a wedding planning checklist makes much easier.

Stationery choices for invitations and thank you notes range from whimsical to elegant. Adding stickers to your outer envelope is a great way to reflect the theme of your wedding day. For elegant weddings, seal your envelopes with ornamental baroque monogrammed stickers. If you decide on a destination or beach wedding, beach towel stickers are simply perfect.

No bride is complete without an attractive headpiece and eye-catching jewelry. While the gowns, tuxedos and shoes are obvious items you need for your wedding, jewels and headpieces are also required attire for most brides. From simple to sparkling, the right jewelry and headpiece (possibly a rhinestone tiara) make the bride absolutely stunning.

Themed wedding ceremony accessories make exchanging vows even more special. Items to include on your master wedding planning checklist include a ring bearer pillow and a flower girl basket. Choose themed items for a professional look throughout your wedding day.

Besides the traditional ceremony, you may also decide to use a unity candle at your ceremony. Smaller tapers are used to light a large, monogrammed candle to show the joining of two as one. You can also have a unity sand ceremony, which is a wonderful way to bring blended families together. Everyone pours different colored sand into a large, decorative vase to create a lasting keepsake of the couple’s and family’s union. If you have lost a family member but want to include them in your wedding ceremony, display a memorial. Personalized memorial pillar candles are a perfect way to represent a lost loved one at your wedding ceremony.

After the ceremony, champagne bubbles should be given to all the attendees instead of using confetti to congratulate the happy couple. Many facilities do not allow confetti so bubbles are a fun alternative.

At your wedding reception, you will need a guest book, bridal garters, cake topper, and cake serving set, place cards and favors to include in all the special ceremonies throughout the party. A guest book is a convenient way to assemble names and addresses for thank you notes and gives your guests a chance to make a personal statement to you. The bride wears a special garter for her husband to remove and throw to the single men to determine which one is likely to marry first. During the cake cutting ceremony, the happy couple feeds each other for the first time. Having themed accessories makes these moments even more special in photos and videos. These themed wedding reception accessories are also fantastic keepsakes of your day. Favors are the keepsakes given to your guests, such as photo frames and silver plated accessories. With so much to remember along the way, a wedding planning checklist gives you an organized blueprint to build the perfect day.

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Wedding Guest Book Ideas: Written Memories to Cherish Forever

June 25, 2008 By Leave a Comment

After all the checklists you have carefully reviewed, all the wedding plans that have been carried off perfect (and those that went astray), the wedding day finally arrives. In a whirl of taffeta, silk and tulle, the day is over in what seems like an instant. When the confetti settles, the excitement wanes and all the guests go home, the newlyweds will be left with pictures, memories and the sentiments left behind in the wedding guest book. It may seem like such a minor issue during the planning of the big event, but wedding guest book ideas and how to best position your signing table are important if you want your guests to feel comfortable leaving notes and best wishes.

First, let’s talk about real estate – on your wedding day, whether it is at the ceremony or at the reception, everyone and everything has a place… their own little piece of real estate. The maid of honor stands beside the bride and the best man stands beside the groom at the alter, the cake goes on the designated wedding cake table and the gifts go on the assigned wedding gift table. At the reception, the floral arrangements are custom made for each of the dining tables, and the wedding party always sits at the head table. It is a simple matter of real estate, and at most weddings the guest book gets the wasteland. In actuality, at your reception, the wedding guest book should receive prime real estate, front and center where everyone can see it and remembers to sign it. Here are a few excellent wedding guest book ideas…

Use the arbor from your wedding ceremony and create an alcove over a small table. Dress the table up with a lovely tablecloth, perhaps a floral arrangement and your wedding guest book and fancy pen set. Create a unique sign on your computer before the wedding that reads something like “Take a Moment to Sign Our Wedding Guest Book – Your Thoughts are Important To Us On Our Special Day. Love, Bob and Suzy.”. Print out the sign and place it in a large 11×14 inch inexpensive picture frame and place it on your guest signing table where no one will miss it. Be sure to have a comfy chair by the table so your guests can relax and write from the heart. By creating a cozy and PRIVATE spot for your guests to leisurely leave comments in your guest book, you are inviting them to take their time, do it in complete privacy and leave quality thoughts that you can read later and for years to come.

Another good wedding guest book idea is to assign a member of your wedding party, perhaps a bridesmaid or groomsman (or both) to go table to table and have guests sign the book. This can be a fun way to ensure everyone signs your book. Keep in mind that this generally only works well with small weddings where there are less than 50 guests – otherwise your helper will be working all night getting signature and miss out on the wedding fun completely! You may also find that guests are rushed a tad, since the bridesmaid or usher is standing over them, waiting for the book back. Consider leaving the book at each table for 30 minutes, which allows everyone ample time to share their thoughts in writing.

Final wedding guest book ideas include actually finding the perfect guest book! Basically buy what you love; choose a guest book that tickles your fancy! It might be in a color that matches your wedding theme with perhaps a luxury cover and gold foil lettering on the front. Perhaps you want a wedding guest book that reads “And They Lived Happily Ever After” across the front – then buy it! Or you may want to stay with your chosen wedding theme, such as camouflage for the armed services couple, seaside allure for a beach wedding, romantic vintage western for the country duo, or butterfly dreams for the dreamy romantic duo.

Think about your best wedding guest book ideas, where you will place the signing table and how you want the table to look and feel to your wedding guests. Then choose a book that will go with that ideal perfectly – if you follow your heart, your wedding theme and your instincts you cannot go too far wrong!

Filed Under: Blog, Planning, Supplies Tagged With:

Beach Wedding Ideas For an Easy, Breezy, Beautiful Marriage Ceremony

June 24, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Is there any more romantic a place to hold a wedding than a beach? For beach wedding ideas, the sky is the limit. It does not matter if your beach is next to an ocean, lake, pond or river, beach weddings are hard to top in terms of the environment, setting and the many different things you can do to make the event fun and memorable.

All of us love the beach, regardless of whether it is miles of glistening white sand next to the ocean or a strip of hard packed sand by the side of a pond or lake. Even in crowded cities, beaches are usually mobbed in summer and busy in winter. Build a beach, to paraphrase the movie line, and they will come.

This is because of what beaches represent and allow us to do. For most people, the beach is a place of relaxation, peace and restoration. Each day, a new environment is created as water scours the shore. In many ways, a beach resembles the new beginning of a couple commencing a marital union.

Beaches also are picturesque. There is hardly a prettier setting to hold a wedding than a wind swept, sand and water driven beach. Not only beautiful, beaches are tranquil and offer an menagerie of fauna, wildlife and interesting artifacts.

Beaches also merge the solemnity of the ceremony and occasion with the outdoors, which is always a good mix. Since most weddings happen in the late spring, summer and early fall, weather is a consideration, but usually not a concern. Beaches optimize great weather by offering the beach itself bordered by whatever body of water meets it.

Regardless of the location you choose, there is a plethora of beach wedding ideas and concepts you can adopt to make your event special and memorable. Most couples choose local beaches to hold there ceremony, but you do not have to. More and more, getting married in an exotic location, like an island in the Caribbean, is a viable and increasingly affordable option.

If you stay closer to home, your location will likely be chosen by geography. With that in mind, make sure that your choice for a beach wedding is accessible to all your guests. Asking your elderly guests to walk a significant amount to get to the location is not suggested.

When choosing the exact location for your ceremony, make sure that your selection is clear of any unnatural buildings or construction that might be caught in the background or on the horizon. If possible, pick a place that offers a little shade for if the wedding day is hot. You also should make sure that wherever you choose, there is ample parking within a reasonable walking distance; most people like the beach but will not want to get dress shoes filled with sand. Also, remember to honor any conservation areas, such as sand dunes or animal nesting areas.

Beach wedding ideas are more than just the location, though. To get your theme off and running, consider sending “save the date” cards that announce the location, date, time and theme with a beach theme background. For invitations, include a pinch of sand with your Beach Theme Stationery to set the mood for the event. Use seashore favor / place cards to give guests something easy to store to remind them of your special day.

At the reception, metal boats with mints in the center of each table set the tone as do beach theme wooden trinket boxes as favors. Miniature folding beach chairs for each party also set the tone, particularly if they also include a beach towel sticker that commemorates the day and the couple. For decorations, consider using decorative pieces of driftwood as place card holders and silver dollars with ribbon through the middle as napkin holders. Select candles that smell like tropical fruit, such as kiwi, mango, banana, papaya and coconut.

Beach wedding ideas are limited only by your imagination. Whether you marry on the beach or hold a cocktail party or reception, beaches provide great environments in a natural backdrop that is nothing short of stunning. Choosing a beach for a wedding is almost a guaranteed hit for you and your guests.

Filed Under: Accessories, Blog, Ceremony, Decorations, Favours, Themes Tagged With:
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