The History of Bomboniere Boxes

Bomboniere boxes – we all love receiving them at weddings. But where did they come from? When did people start giving them as favors at their wedding?

Wedding favors are given by the bride and the groom to their guests as a sign of appreciation and friendship. Favors are usually left on the tables at the reception as a part of the decoration, though sometimes they are distributed in person.

One of the most popular wedding favors is the bomboniere box. A “bombon” is a sweet morsel or piece of candy, so a “bomboniere” is a box that contains such candy. It is believed that the bomboniere originated in Europe many centuries ago, at a time when sugar was an expensive commodity. Wealthy members of the aristocracy would delight their guests with gifts of sugar or candies, presented in elegant porcelain or crystal boxes. Some of the boxes were even made of gold or were set with precious stones, making them valuable (and valued) keepsakes of the couple’s special day.

As the years passed, sugar became less expensive. More people were able to follow the lead of the aristocracy by giving out bombonieres at their own weddings, thus spreading the tradition. Eventually, candies began to fall out of favor and couples began to give almonds in their bomboniere boxes instead. It became tradition to give five sugared almonds to each guest, with each almond symbolizing a wish for the couple: health, wealth, happiness, fertility, and long life.

How did almonds come to be chosen for bomboniere boxes? Popular belief has it that the custom arose from the Greek legend of Demophon and Phyllis, lovers separated before they could be married. Phyllis, believing that she would never see Demophon again, died of a broken heart. Moved by her love, the gods transformed her into an almond tree. When Demophon returned at last, he offered daily sacrifices to the leafless, flowerless almond tree to show his love and remorse. The almond tree blossomed, and thus became a symbol for hope and undying love.

In modern times, the legend of the almond and what it symbolizes has faded, and new traditions have arisen regarding bombonieres. It has become commonplace for couples to offer more personalized bombonieres, filled with anything from favorite chocolates to fragrant bath salts. Bombonieres are no longer just boxes, either; they may be small fabric bags, shiny tins, or even heart-shaped totes. No matter what form they take, bombonieres boxes are a wonderful token of appreciation for wedding guests.

Keywords: Bomboniere Boxes, Weddingblog, Wedding
Add to: | Technorati | Digg | del.icio.us | Yahoo | BlinkList | Spurl | reddit | Furl

Wedding Cameras

Wedding cameras are a creative and inexpensive way to make your wedding fun and personal. More and more couples today are placing these single-use cameras on every table at their reception, or even making them available at the wedding. While hiring a professional photographer for your wedding is still a good idea, disposable wedding cameras can save you a lot of money by providing high-quality pictures at a fraction of the cost.

Some of the most popular wedding cameras come in soft shades of ivory, silver, or gold. You can also choose from bright metallics or subdued pastel wedding cameras to match the decorations you’ve chosen. There are dozens of “theme” cameras, too, so finding a camera to match your event should be a breeze. Some wedding cameras have inscriptions, such as the word “Love” or the phrase “A Day to Remember.” You can even have your wedding cameras personalised with text of your choosing, whether it’s a message of welcome to your guests or lines of verse that have special meaning for you as a couple.

An interesting question to consider when choosing a wedding camera is whether to include black-and-white film cameras. Black-and-white film is a natural choice for a modern wedding with a black-and-white theme. But for any wedding, no matter the theme or colour scheme, black-and-white film can capture vignettes in ways that colour film can’t. Scan your guest list and look for people who might offer a creative perspective. Do you have a cousin who is in art school? A colleague who’s a graphic designer? A neighbour who enjoys amateur photographer and has wowed you with his photo albums? If so, ask these guests if they would like to take black-and-white photos for you at your wedding and reception. More than likely, they will feel honoured by the request and will take their mission very seriously, seeking out unique photo opportunities and considering which shots will truly look best in black-and-white. When you put their black-and-white shots together with the colour photos taken by your other guests, you will have a unique collection of fun and artistic photographs to enjoy.

Wedding cameras invite your friends and family to capture your special day from their own perspective. You’ll get to share in the experiences and joys of your many guests, discovering scenes that you didn’t even know took place at your own wedding! Better yet, with so many guests snapping pictures, they are sure to capture many more memorable moments than a single photographer could possibly deliver. And best of all, you’ll have dozens and dozens of photos to choose from after your event is finished and it is time to put together your wedding album.

Keywords: Wedding Cameras, Weddingblog, Wedding
Add to: | Technorati | Digg | del.icio.us | Yahoo | BlinkList | Spurl | reddit | Furl

Wedding Invitation Wording

The date is set, the location is chosen, and now it’s time to send the invitations. Choosing the right message for your wedding invitation is a matter of great importance. Wedding invitations are usually worded differently depending on whether the ceremony will take place in a church, at home, or outdoors. Some invitations are written in formal language, while others are casual in nature. Read more about wedding invitation wording

Wedding Invitation Basics

Once you’ve recovered from the initial shock of becoming engaged to be married, there may be a myriad of pressing issues facing you in advance of your wedding. Read more about Wedding invitation basics

Choosing Your Wedding Cars

Now that you’re getting ready for your wedding, there are a million details to take care of. From ordering the cake to planning the honeymoon, it’s an exciting time! In all the hustle and bustle, though, don’t forget one of the most important details: the wedding cars.

Finding the right wedding car may require a lot of searching, as you want the car to match the style and theme of your event. If you’re having a modern, casual wedding, you might choose a flashy new convertible as your wedding car. On the other hand, if your ceremony and reception will be more traditional, a classic or vintage wedding car may be exactly what you’re after.

Here are some helpful tips when choosing your wedding cars.

1. Go for quality over price. That bargain-basement wedding car you’ve hired won’t seem like such a bargain if it arrives with scratches and dings—or worse, if it breaks down! Inspect each car you’re considering for cleanliness, polished surfaces, and visible damage. If it doesn’t look good on the outside, chances are that the operator hasn’t taken very good care of the motor, either.
2. Book with a reliable operator. Check out the operator with your local business bureau to see if any complaints have been registered. Be aware that some companies subcontract wedding cars from other operators. To avoid problems, make sure the wedding car you select is actually owned by the operator you’ve chosen. The more people involved in the transaction, the more complicated it will be, and the more likely it is that a mix-up will occur.
3. Make sure that the exact car you reserve is the one that you will receive—guaranteed. Operators do sometimes substitute one wedding car for another, so be sure that the specific car you select is reserved by its registration number.
4. Find out what your operator will do for you if your wedding car should break down. Many operators have spare wedding cars available should this happen. The best response, though, is “We keep our cars in such great shape that we’ve never had one break down!”
5. Ask for references. If you aren’t sure that an operator will be reliable, talking to past customers can help tip the scales either for or against. Naturally, the operator will refer you to customers who were very happy with the wedding cars and services they received. However, if the operator can provide dozens of satisfied customers like these, that speaks volumes about their business.
6. Book well in advance. There are only so many wedding cars available for hire, especially if you are looking for a particular vintage model. The best cars go quickly, so it’s a good idea to look for cars many months before your wedding day.

Keywords: Wedding Cars, Weddingblog, Wedding
Add to: | Technorati | Digg | del.icio.us | Yahoo | BlinkList | Spurl | reddit | Furl

Wedding Invitations Around the World

Wedding invitations and the traditions surrounding them vary greatly from culture to culture and country to country. Let’s take a look at some interesting traditions perhaps they’ll give you an idea or two! Read more about Wedding invitations around the world

Wedding Cakes

The wedding cake is one of the most memorable aspects of your reception. If you want a wedding cake that will really impress your guests, how about one of these?

Tried and True
Traditionally, wedding cakes are rounds of fruit cake, stacked or layered in tiers, and covered with white frosting. Decorations such as hearts, flowers, and ribbons may adorn the layers of such a cake. At the top, of course, rests a cake topper. Most often, the cake topper is a miniature bride and groom. Cake toppers come in hundreds of styles, though, so it is easy to find one that reflects your personality. You might choose a monogrammed initial studded with gems, or the word “Love” in gold or silver. You can even find comical cake toppers, such as the groom carrying his golf clubs while the bride looks on in dismay!

The Flavour of Love
If you’d like to be a little different, but not too different, you might choose an unusual flavor for your wedding cake. Layers of strawberry cake and pineapple cake complement each other beautifully. White chocolate raspberry cake, peanut butter and chocolate cake, and even carrot cake will give your guests a taste to remember—and rave about!

A Great Gift
One way to add an element of surprise to your reception is to have a wedding cake shaped like a group of gifts. When decorated with bows, this cake blends right in amongst the wedding gifts. Just be sure that nobody sets more gifts on top of it!

Fun for all Ages
If you’re young at heart, or if there will be lots of children attending your reception, create your wedding cake by stacking tiers of cupcakes. These little wedding cakes will disappear like hotcakes!

Chocoholics, Rejoice!
Are you a chocoholic? Then you might want to have a wedding cake fondue! Set up a chocolate fondue fountain at your reception, along with a mouth-watering selection of fruits and sweets. Bite-sized cubes of cake can be placed on toothpicks and easily dipped into the flowing chocolate to create an enjoyable alternative to the traditional wedding cake.

Spring is in the Air
For a spring celebration, a wedding cake in pastel colours is perfect. Decorate your cake with fresh flowers or flowers made of frosting or fondant. Wedding cakes can be decorated for any season or holiday, from the red and gold of autumn leaves to ice-blue sparkle of Christmas snowflakes.

Make a Splash
For something really unique, make one of the tiers of your wedding cake a miniature fountain. Or, elevate your cake on a pedestal and place the fountain underneath. Some fountains even have lighting to make your wedding cake glow.

Cake? Who Needs Cake?
Perhaps you aren’t a fan of cake. Don’t feel obliged to have a wedding cake just because it’s tradition. Who says you can’t have a wedding cheesecake, or a wedding ice cream cake? Choose a dessert that strikes your fancy, and get creative! You might even offer a “cake” made of fruits for those health-conscious of your guests.

Whatever cake you choose, wedding cakes are an important part of your big day. Bon appetit!

Keywords: Wedding Cakes, Weddingblog, Wedding
Add to: | Technorati | Digg | del.icio.us | Yahoo | BlinkList | Spurl | reddit | Furl

Wedding Invitation Types and Terms

There are so many types of wedding invitations available today where should a bridge and groom begin? Traditional invitations come in a number of way and include several parts. Read more about wedding invitation types and terms

What You Need to Know to Host a Proper Wedding Shower

A wedding shower can be a phenomenal event. It can provide a much-needed bonding experience between a bride and her bridesmaids. It can be a joyful occasion where friends and family get the opportunity to treat the bride as a queen. It is definitely one of those “scrapbook moments” that a bride will remember for the rest of her life.

But, while a bridal shower can be fun and entertaining, it’s also important for the planners of the shower to adhere to certain rules of etiquette. Otherwise, misunderstandings and hurt feelings can result, turning what should have been a happy occasion into a miserable one for all concerned.
To begin with, the maid of honor should be the one in charge of the wedding shower. This is true, even if the maid of honor happens to be the bride’s sister or other relative. If she is unavailable for some reason, she can choose someone else with a connection to the bride to host the shower. It is generally considered bad form for the mother of the bride to play hostess, because it gives the appearance that the mother is trying to solicit presents for her family. These days, it’s also acceptable to hold more than one bridal shower—particularly if the bride is in the workforce and would enjoy a wedding shower exclusively with her co-workers.

Generally speaking, everyone who is invited to the wedding shower should also be invited to the wedding. This means that all female members of the wedding party should be invited to the shower. It would be a shame for someone to be asked to come to a bridal shower, only to be excluded from the actual event. However, conversely, it is not essential for every female wedding guest to be present at the wedding shower.

The bridal shower invitation can take a variety of forms. However, it should include key information such as the date, time, and location of the wedding shower. It’s also a good idea to include information about where the bride is registered, so that the guests have some idea what kind of gifts she would like to receive. Such information can also prevent duplication of gifts, since the registry will record whenever a noted item has been purchased. Also include contact information for the hostess so that the guests can RSVP by an appropriate date. You might also want to include directions to the event—especially if the guests might be unfamiliar with the location.

On the actual day of the event, the hostess should be careful to greet each guest as she arrives. The hostess should inform the guests about where gifts should be placed and where they should sit. During the gift opening ceremony, the hostess should make careful note of who gave which gift so that the bride knows how to craft her thank you notes. This task can be more difficult than it would at first appear, since, in the frenzy of gift opening, it can be hard to keep track of all the different gift-givers. But it is also an essential chore, since no guest wants to receive a thank you note meant for someone else—or to be overlooked for a thank you note altogether.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding, Wedding Shower
Add to: | Technorati | Digg | del.icio.us | Yahoo | BlinkList | Spurl | reddit | Furl