Runaway Bride Plans More Conventional Wedding Entrance

Sophie Clarke, the Bretforton, Worcestershire bride whose wedding plans were dashed last month when the horse drawing her church-bound carriage dashed off after being spooked in traffic, has organised new plans that involve a more conventional mode of transportation: a good old fashioned limousine.

Clarke and her father were left alone and helpless in the runaway rig after the coachman and his assistant were both jettisoned when the horse bolted. The horse took the pair on a dangerous ride that included railroad tracks and collisions with passing motorcars. At one point, Clarke’s father pulled his daughter back into the cart after she was nearly thrown out. It was then that the elder Clarke made the decision to throw his daughter and himself out of the cart as the horse approached a sharp curve in the road.

The not-to-be bride suffered a concussion, cuts, bruises and a black eye. Her father was similarly injured. Both have recovered from the wild ride, and Clarke has reset a January wedding date. She says that the incident has made her realise just what’s most important in life and adds that despite giving up a wedding that was two years in the planning, she feels lucky to be alive.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Wanted: Decent Wedding Guests

A Ukrainian woman who is marrying her man in London, England has posted a classified ad in search of 30 guests for her wedding. The groom’s family and friends make up the bulk of the couple’s guest list, but only the bride’s parents – who still live in the Ukraine – will share the bride’s special day. The bride would like to find guests who are willing to make her special day – well, special.

Prospective wedding guests must send a picture and a note about themselves, and in return, will receive an invitation to sit on the bride’s side of the church and celebrate afterwards at the reception.. Some volunteer guests will be pressed into service as bridesmaids, groomsmen and ushers.

The bride and groom expect to entertain about 150 guests at the nuptials. While many people dread attending weddings, they do provide an opportunity to meet some new and interesting people.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Couple Weds In New York Cave

A couple from Corinth, New York in the US made it official when they wed 156 feet below ground in Howes Caverns. The celebration marked the 600th time in more than 150 years that couples wed among the cave’s limestone caverns. The unusual location has hosted some unusual weddings. The one that stands out the most in caretaker Bob Holt’s mind happened about ten years ago, when the entire wedding party and all of the guests came dressed as clowns.

The groom, Dennis Dowen, visited the cave as a child and witnessed a wedding there. The cave made quite an impression, and he suggested it as a location for his wedding to Karen Rowland. This is the second wedding for each, and between them, they have five adult children.

The wedding was officiated by a justice of the peace. After the ceremony, the guests toured the cave, then retired to a local restaurant for a wedding feast. The bride and groom wore matching Oxford shirts and jeans to keep warm. The cave has a constant temperature of just 11°C.

Most of the cave weddings have taken place in recent times, but the first wedding in Howes Cave took place in 1854, with Harriet Howes – the proprietor’s daughter – being the first Howes Cave bride. She and her husband, Hiram Dewey, married within the cave as a publicity stunt to draw attention to her father’s business, which also included a hotel at the entrance to the cave.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Wedding Services To Engaged Couples

About 30 businesses on and around Union Street in San Francisco have banded together to offer wedding services to engaged couples. The business group calls itself the Union Street Wedding Ring and includes hair salons, studios, jewellery designers, florists, dress designers and men’s formal wear shops, photographers, calligraphers, vintners, wedding and event planners, and other hospitality providers.

The group hopes to strike a balance between luxury and convenience. The stores are located within a six-block area of the city and hopes to capture business from some of the 45,000 weddings that take place in San Francisco each year. The business owners in the area realized that engaged couples were coming to the area to work with one or two businesses, but were unaware that many other wedding-related businesses were within walking distance.

A spokesperson for the group says that couples can plan an entire wedding using the businesses in the Union Street Wedding Ring. Don’t look for discount wedding services, however. The stores are in an upscale area of San Francisco and cater to higher-income couples.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Mothers Establish A Cookie Tradition For Weddings

A group of thirteen mothers has established a tradition of baking cookies for their children’s weddings, and the approach has added a touch of laughter and friendship to each wedding event.

For a typical family wedding, the group bakes between 800 and 1,000 cookies, which are arranged on a table at the wedding reception. The mothers group met nearly twenty years ago when their children were in high school in Grand Rapids, Michigan in the US.

The tradition of the cookie table was established twelve years ago, when the prospective son-in-law of one of the mothers asked if his own mother and friends could bring home baked cookies to the couple’s wedding. The cookies were such a hit that the group decided to carry on the tradition at subsequent weddings.

The group uses family recipes, along with a few experiments and trials, along with the bride and grooms favourite cookies to assemble an eye-popping assortment of cookies. The women make enough cookies to cover three times the guest count, and come wedding time, the group goes to work.

The designated “mother-in-charge” is the mother of the bride or bridegroom at the most recent wedding. She is responsible for dividing the work and making dinner for the other women during a baking session, which also includes decorating the cookies. The women have also learned about the logistics of transporting cookies from the baking site to the wedding site, including how to negotiate airports with the goodies in tow. As part of the gift, the women also provide goodie bags for the guests to fill with cookies at the end of the reception.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Wedding Planning Requires A Heavy Dose of Reality

If you’re about to start planning a wedding, you’ll quickly come to understand that you can have just about anything you want, but everything you want comes with a price tag attached. For brides-to-be who have spent their formative years mentally planning their weddings, the sticker shock for this one-night event can be overwhelming.

The average traditional Western-style wedding will cost about AUD$40,000, and while many brides-to-be have spent hours daydreaming about their wedding fantasies, few have set aside the cash needed to fund the wedding of their dreams.

The best favour a bride can do herself is to be very realistic about the wedding budget. A solid approach includes deciding up front what the most important elements of the wedding and reception will be, and funding those priorities in light of the money the couple has available to spend.

Being practical may include reducing the guest list down from the ideal to the manageable, and limiting the known budget-busters, like the cost of food and drink, the wedding clothes and other amenities. With each element, look for the most cost-effective way to provide it without going over budget. After all, digging oneself deep into debt is no way start out married life.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Holiday Season Brings An Uptick In The Number of Marriage Proposals

Nearly twenty percent of marriage proposals are issued in December and coincide with the year-end holidays, when couples can make engagement announcements to family and friends. With the global economic slowdown, budget-conscious couples are looking for alternatives to more expensive engagement and wedding jewellery.

Titanium and tungsten are proving to be popular alternatives, since they are less expensive and more durable than gold. Tungsten does not rust, corrode or tarnish, is lightweight and highly scratch-resistant. It’s also extremely hard, giving it an exceptionally long life.

The price of diamonds has also risen considerably, and couples are looking for diamond alternatives. Cubic zirconia rings are much less expensive than genuine diamonds, and high quality stones often look like the real thing. While not as hard as diamonds, cubic zirconia come in the same cuts and colour ranges as natural diamonds do, and look lovely in both traditional and contemporary settings. Using cubic zirconia, couples can either reduce the cost of the wedding set, or can get a much larger stone for the money.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Who Should Be Invited To Your Wedding

The question of who should be invited to a wedding is one every bride wrestles with. If you’re paying for your own wedding, you have complete control over who gets an invitation. The guiding factor in your decision-making should be your budget. Reliably, 10%-15% of the guests you invite won’t be able to attend your event, but you should leave a little room between your budget cap and your invitation list to be on the safe side.

Immediate family members and their spouses or significant others should receive an invitation, unless there is some valid reason not to invite them. Negotiating this point may be difficult, especially if some enmity exists between you and your immediate family members. Blacklisting a family member could lead to problems later on. If the situation permits, invite the troublesome family member and assign a close friend or two to help keep the peace.

Extended family members should receive an invitation, if the budget permits, and if extended family members are traditionally invited to family weddings. Check with aunts and uncles about the relationship status of adult cousins before you write out your list. Cherished family friends from both the bride and groom’s families may be invited. Don’t feel pressured to invite people you know only casually, or haven’t seen in years.

Friends from school or work can be added to the list as the budget permits. You’ll need to verify relationship statuses and invite guests accordingly. For acquaintances from work, you’ll need to consider the size of your office or department. If you work for a large firm, invite those whom you consider to be friends outside of work. You may also have to bow a bit to corporate culture, if the job demands it. Be very careful about whom you invite from work. Weddings are rarely a good place to make a positive impression on the boss.

Your guest list is the place to make or break your wedding budget. Do not unnecessarily inflate the guest list if you’re trying to save money on the overall event. Keep in mind that each guest represents a separate charge for food and drink. The size of the guest list also determines the venues you can use for your event.

Don’t let outside influences pressure you when it comes to your guest list. Unless you’re receiving financial help from family or friends, you should have the final say on who makes the guest list and who doesn’t.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Wedding Photos When The Marriage Is Over

Wedding photos capture a timeless event. Unfortunately, a high proportion of couples never make it to Happily Ever After. The question of what becomes of the wedding photos is often troublesome, since they include photographs of cherished family members and friends, intermingled with at least one deceased or not-so-cherished former family member.

Individual portraits of brides, grooms and family members can be kept and displayed. Despite the outcome of a marriage, wedding photos capture images of family members at what should be a happy event. Children of the marriage may appreciate having a photograph of Mum and Dad at a happier time in life, too. If this is the case, these photos should be put away for safekeeping, or turned over to adult children.

In the case of death, photographs of the deceased spouse can be displayed as desired. Divorce, on the other hand, is rarely pleasant or easy, and parents or other family members may harbor warm feelings for a child’s former spouse, much to the disappointment of the divorced family member. In this case, portraits of the couple together or the former spouse individually should not be displayed prominently, but could be moved to a quiet corner, or kept in photo albums that can be stored easily.

Upon remarriage, photographs of former or deceased spouses should not be displayed. Doing so may engender hard feelings in the new spouse or the remarried family member. Instead, photographs from a first marriage should be stored in albums. One exception may be photos that are displayed in the home of adult children of a divorced couple, who may prefer to remember their parents together. Photographs of deceased parents may be displayed as desired.

When divorcing, couples should split the wedding photos appropriately. Once the photos are split, neither party is under any obligation to keep the photos, except as noted earlier with regard to children of the divorced pair.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

How To Handle Single Wedding Guests

One common issue that brides confront is the wedding invitation for a single guest. The rules of etiquette don’t dictate that single guests must be afforded the opportunity to bring a friend, wedding invitations addressed to single guests inspire their share of rue.

In the name of cost-cutting, many brides look at the single guest as a “bargain” to invite, however, the rules of etiquette may not have caught up with the reality that most singles have a significant other, or would like the opportunity to invite a guest.

If your single invitee lives with another person and is in a committed relationship, the invitation should be issued to both parties. If your single guest is in a committed relationship, but doesn’t share an address with his or her significant other, an invitation should be issued to each member of the couple individually – no “& Guest” needed.

If neither of the circumstances applies, but the single invitee is a family member or close friend of either the bride or groom, a “guest” invitation should be issued if at all possible.

If your wedding includes a number of singles and you do not plan to issue “guest” invitations to them, your seating plan should include a mix of guests with which your single friends will be comfortable.

Finally, don’t try to play “matchmaker” for your single guests. It rarely works and you may be the one to pick up the pieces of a spectacular failure down the road.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Bridesmaid Bails Out Of Wedding To Give Birth

A bridesmaid attending her sister’s wedding at the Farringford Hotel on the Isle of Wight made it through the pre-ceremony pictures before admitting to her big sister that her baby was about to crash the wedding. Gina Weeks, 22, was taken from the wedding site to a hospital 20 minutes away, with her contractions only two minutes apart.

Four hours after the bridesmaid hit the labour suite, little Harley was born, healthy and happy. Gina passed a cell phone picture of the second new member of the family that day to her mum, still at the wedding reception. The DJ announced Harley’s arrival to the wedding guests and a loud cheer went up from the crowd.

Bride Nikki called Harley’s arrival the best wedding gift ever. She said that she couldn’t believe that her sister made it to the hotel to be with her on her wedding day when sister Gina knew that she was about to give birth.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

UK Couple Barters To Reduce The Cost Of Their Wedding

Dan and Gemma Scott, of Staveley Derbyshire reduced the cost of their wedding by about £9,000 by bartering for most of what they needed, including the church, the reception, their wedding photographs, wedding clothes and the cars they had organised for the day.

The couple worked free of charge for local businesses in exchange for wedding necessities. Dan, who is a plumber and part-time firefighter, installed lights at the church where the pair were married. In exchange, the pastor provided the venue free of charge. Gemma, who is a catering assistant, worked two days a week as a housekeeper at Ringwood Hall, the site of the couple’s reception, and Dan performed labour at a site owned by the company that owns Ringwood Hall. As it turns out, Dan worked on the couple’s honeymoon suite.

The idea to barter for the wedding and reception came from Gemma’s mother, who had seen a story about bartering on the BBC. The couple decided that they had nothing to lose, and worked hard to make their dream wedding come true.

In the end, the couple did spend £3,000 on their big day, but ended up not owing anyone anything, and had the wedding and reception they’d hoped for. The local businesses also felt like they got a bargain, and were happy to help the couple with their plans.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Worlds Highest-Paid Model May Be Planning A Wedding

Published reports say that Brazilian super-model Gisele Bundchen may be planning a wedding to American football star Tom Brady. According to sources, Ms. Bundchen approached the famed New York restaurant Tavern On The Green to help plan a wedding reception.

The world’s highest-paid model (according to Forbes magazine) has dated New England Patriot quarterback Tom Brady since late 2006. Prior to dating Mr. Brady, Bundchen dated actor Leonardo DiCaprio. Before dating Ms. Bundchen, Brady was romantically linked to actress Bridget Moynahan, with whom he has a child.

Neither Bundchen nor Brady has confirmed the wedding plans, but the couple reportedly became engaged in April of this year.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Hurricane Washes Away Dozens Of Wedding Plans

Hurricane Ike, which ravaged the US Texas gulf coast earlier this year, has apparently undone dozens of wedding plans. The owners of two wedding venues, the Bella Terrazza and the Tuscany in Garden Oaks, say that they will not be able to re-open the Bella Terrazza, and it’s not clear what will happen to the Tuscany in Garden Oaks.

Instead, the owners have filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in early October. Chapter 7 bankruptcy allows a business to “reorganise” its debts and negotiate settlements with creditors. The owners did not place wedding deposits into a trust account, which means that the business’ secured creditors have first crack at the deposited cash.

Those holding “secured” debts, like mortgages, and equipment loans, will get paid first. The couples, however, are considered “unsecured creditors” and can look forward to settlements of pennies on the dollar, if they receive anything back at all. Unsecured creditors can place a claim on whatever assets remain only after secured debts have been paid.

Couples who placed deposits of between $1,800 and $30,000 are likely out of luck. The owners have not said when or if they can return the deposits for weddings that were booked through 2009. Some couples have been able to find good deals through other local venues, some at a discount. One bride said the facility threw up a red flag when it offered her a discount on her reception if she paid in cash, so she purchased a wedding insurance policy for about $300 before putting down her deposit. The wedding insurance policy means that she’ll get all of her money back, albeit through the insurance company. That bride said a friend of hers had lost about $20,000 on a similar wedding disaster, which prompted her to seek wedding insurance for her own event.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

UK and NZ Brides Pony Up To Try On Wedding Dresses

Brides in Britain and New Zealand can add another line item to the wedding budget: charges for trying on wedding dresses. Some high-end bridal boutiques are now charging brides who want to try on the dresses, ostensibly to cover the time of shop workers who must work with brides-to-be. Shop owners are saying that many women who enter the store have no plans to buy their expensive gowns and can waste hours trying on dress after dress.

For some, the charge is a nuisance, ranging from £10 to £20. Other designers charge as much as £175 for “mirror-time” at their boutiques. For pricier stores, the charge is often deducted from any purchase a bride makes at the store. Store owners see nothing wrong with asking brides to pay to try on dresses, especially when it discourages brides from looking at dresses they can’t afford.

Shoppers aren’t as enthused, but many confess to understanding why shopkeeper are levying the charge. Many have also said that they would not mind paying the fee if it were deducted from the purchase price of the gown.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Wedding Trumps Babys Arrival But Not By Much

Emma Lowdon and her fiancé Sean Allum were getting married at a Registry Office in Ashington, Northumberland when Lowdon’s labor pains began. The bride, 36, and her husband-to-be had chosen October 3 as their wedding date months earlier, when Lowdon found out that she was expecting the couple’s first child.

On September 30, the new Mrs. Allum’s waters broke but her labor did not begin. The couple considered canceling the wedding due to the baby’s impending arrival, but Lowdon confesses that she was determined to be Mrs. Allum by the time the baby was born.

During the ceremony, Mrs. Allum’s contractions began, but the couple were able to enjoy a bit of their reception with family and friends before Mrs. Allum was taken to hospital to await the arrival of Baby Joshua, who was delivered five weeks early. The hospital staff renamed Mrs. Allum’s room the Honeymoon Suite, and report that mother, father and Baby Joshua, who weighed in at just five pounds, are all doing fine.

Keywords: Wedding News, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Hawaii Bags A Bust As Fewer Japanese Couples Visit To Wed

Hawaiian business owners are lamenting their losses in the wedding industry, as fewer Asian couples are making the trek to the islands to marry and spend a honeymoon. Certain businesses that depend on Japanese weddings have been particularly hard-hit. One wedding chapel formerly saw only Japanese couples schedule weddings there, but over the past two years, a higher proportion of non-Japanese couples have booked the chapel’s services.

According to business owners, Japanese couples are staying closer to home, traveling instead to Guam, Saipan, and Okinawa. Since 2006. Japanese weddings in Hawaii have declined by more than 30%. Japanese brides cite the high cost of airline travel as one of the primary reasons for planning a more local wedding.

Bridal shops are also reporting a significant downturn in their business. One owner said that the number of weddings she works on has dropped from an average of 15 per month to just one or two per month in the past year. Those weddings are getting smaller, as well. Brides are not buying the more expensive dresses and they’re also renting fewer tuxedos.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Spending Decisions And Wedding Planning

Spending and saving on wedding expenses has always been at the center of every bride’s wedding plan. With the average cost of a wedding approaching AUD$40,000, and with similar expenditures found around the world, some brides are taking a different approach to their Big Day.

But where should brides apply cost-cutting measures to achieve the greatest savings without changing their wedding dreams? Experts always advise that the guest list is the place where brides will make the biggest impact on the bottom line. In the past, parents paid for the wedding, and often had more say in who attended the wedding. Today, most couples pay all or most of their wedding expenses themselves, so the guest list is a major consideration. Paring back the guest list will produce the best savings. Reducing the guest list not only reduces the food and alcohol costs, the savings will ripple through the rest of the wedding expenses.

Brides can also see substantial savings on invitations and favours by shopping online for the best deals. Some brides will opt for do-it-yourself invitations. Kardella has a wide variety of do-it-yourself wedding invitation kits that can save money. Brides are cautioned against issuing electronic invitations to their weddings. That approach still doesn’t carry much weight with the guests. Instead, use wedding Web sites to post important information like directions, hotel accommodations and last minute details. This can cut down on the number of inserts that accompany wedding invitations, and save on postage as well.

Brides are increasingly turning to alternate sources for wedding dresses, too. eBay has a trove of wedding dresses that are brand-new or slightly used. Many brides are also selecting off-the-rack dresses not specifically designed for weddings to realise big savings. In addition, brides are putting their sentiments aside and selling their dresses after the wedding to recover some of the cost of the dress.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Inviting Singles To Your Wedding

Every bride-to-be confronts the issue of inviting a single person to her wedding. Should an invitation to a single person always include an invitation for a guest? This is one area where etiquette and finances clash. Brides looking to reduce headcount may view a single guest as an opportunity to cut corners, but etiquette rules say that all persons who are married, living together, or known to have a partner must receive an invitation for two.

But what about those who may not have a significant other, or whose “couple” status is not known? Must they also receive a “for-two” invitation? When at all possible, it’s best to invite a single person and that person’s guest. In issuing an invitation for two, brides leave it up to the guest to decide if s/he wants to bring another person along. You may find that many of your single guests choose to come alone.

Failing that, if you want to invite a single person and you don’t know the guest’s “relationship status”, you may explain to the invitee that you would like to issue a wedding invitation and you would like to know how to address your invitation. This gives the guest the opportunity to let you know whether or not a “guest” invitation is in order and should eliminate misunderstandings or hurt feelings when the invitation arrives. You are not required to issue “guest” invitations to minors, even if the minor has an exclusive boyfriend or girlfriend.

Kardella offers guidelines on wedding invitation etiquette and invitation wording. Please take a moment to look at some of the wording suggestions we offer.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Wagner College Offers Wedding Planning College Course

Wagner College, on Staten Island in New York City, is offering an 8-week wedding planning course. The course is taught by two professional wedding planners, both of whom have planned more than 400 weddings combined.

The course covers weddings, cultural customs, wedding attire, catering, flowers, bridal shows, transportation, budgeting, etiquette, event planning and the planner’s role. The course also covers business plans, starting a wedding-planning business and working with brides and their families.

The course, which was also offered last spring, is meant for restaurateurs, caterers, hobbyists, brides and those considering a career as a wedding planner or an event coordinator. According to the instructors, the best wedding planners are people who are competent, creative, patient, and can deal with a wide variety of people. They also say that flexibility, the ability to multi-task and think quickly also help.

The course costs USD$895 and includes books as well as access to the Wedding Planning Institute.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Low Cost Weddings

For brides planning a wedding today, cost is a growing concern. Brides from all over the world have stepped up to the challenge and are trying to plan the most cost-effective weddings possible.

Employing tactics like buying their dresses on eBay, using do-it-yourself invitation kits, visiting the local supermarket just before the wedding to pick up bouquets of roses, putting together their own favours, choosing unusual locations at off-hours and using restaurants for wedding receptions instead of banquet halls, these brides are bucking the trend toward the expensive and putting together budget-but-beautiful weddings for as many as 100 guests.

The budget wedding is indeed possible, and many budget-conscious brides are learning that ordinary is the new extravagant. By spending less on the wedding and reception, couples are starting married life with little or no leftover wedding debts. Budget brides agree across the board that this is the way to go.

The biggest savings always come from reducing food costs. By having your reception at a restaurant, you can avoid additional charges for table linens, alcohol and servers. If you work with the restaurateur ahead of time, you can also craft a menu that the restaurant can cope with that also matches your budget. Off-hours are great for restaurant receptions, too. Avoid the typical dinner rush by having a wedding luncheon instead. You can still dine and dance with your guests, and the restaurant has full tables for the afternoon – a rarity.

If budget is your overriding concern, you’ll have to be willing to sacrifice (or at least compromise on) your “dream wedding.” Some brides actually approach their wedding with no preconceived notions about how their weddings will look, making budget celebrations a snap.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Rock Slide Bride Plans Wedding In 24 Hours

The mettle of a Canadian bride in Whistler, British Columbia was torture-tested when an overnight rockslide cancelled the bride’s original wedding plans. Tracy Mercier awoke on July 30 to discover that an overnight rockslide on the Sea-to-Sky highway had closed off the main route to her wedding site in Whistler. Her wedding, an elaborate three-day affair for 80 people, was scheduled to happen Sunday, August 3.

That would have broken most brides, but Tracy Mercier sprang into action and within 24 hours had completely rearranged her wedding. The couple were able to locate a hotel that could accommodate the wedding and reception, and also supply rooms for the out-of-town guests already en route. She was also able to re-route the flowers for the wedding and located a minister at the last minute to perform the ceremony. Mercier’s original plans also included rounds of golf and a barbecue reception, but all of that fell by the wayside when 16,000 pounds of granite closed the highway.

Mercier was able to get partial refunds from the golf course and the baker who was putting together the wedding cake, but is still waiting to hear from the condo owners whose accommodations she had reserved for her guests. She’s not hopeful that she’ll be able to recover the deposits on those. The rockslide caused heavy losses to the tourist industry in Whistler, in what was supposed to have been one of the biggest weekends of the summer travel season.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Brides Are Turning To Do-It-Yourself Wedding Invitation Kits

In an effort to cut wedding expenses, more brides are looking for do-it-yourself wedding invitation kits. The most popular kits include elegant and stylish papers that give a unique look to an invitation.

Brides aren’t interested in sacrificing quality, colour or style, however, they are looking for a variety of papers, cuts and colours that will lend a beautiful touch to their wedding invitations.

Kardella has a full line of do-it-yourself pre-cut invitation cards in a number of cuts and folds that will help any bride create lovely invitations. In addition, Kardella offers a Design-Yourself invitation service that enables brides to design unique invitations that feature unique colours, cuts and innovative embellishments. Design-Yourself invitations are highly cost-effective and compare favourably to pre-printed wedding invitations.

Kardella also offers a full line of affordable original invitation designs, envelopes, wedding favours and wedding supplies. Their entire catalogue is available on the Internet. They also offer sample packs of all of the invitations. Each sample is charged at the per-piece rate, and sample packs shipped to Australian addresses are sent postage-paid, as long as the pack contains only invitation samples.

You won’t find a better selection or better prices anywhere else. When you’re looking for high quality invitations and wedding supplies at affordable prices, we invite you to shop Kardella.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Gift Ideas For Newlyweds Bride Gives New Man A Shell Casing

James Raines, of Wales, left his Territorial Army position without a proper goodbye, so his bride, Michelle Watkinson, arranged to have a special memento delivered to Raines at his wedding. Raines, who had served as an engineer with the 101 Engineer Regiment, worked as a bomb disposal officer during his years of service with the TA, but missed out on the customary formal sendoff when members of the regiment retire. He confided to his bride-to-be that missing out on the formal sendoff was one of his greatest disappointments, since he relished his time in the TA.

Ms. Watkinson contacted the Reserves Forces and Cadets Association and explained what she was looking for. The group went to work and found a solid brass shell casing from a field gun that could be engraved to recognise Raines’ years of service to the TA.

Captain Jayne Hemmings, of the TA, surprised Raines at his wedding reception when she presented him with the shell casing and spoke to the guests about Mr. Raines’ achievements while in service. Many of the couple’s guests served in the TA or are currently serving there, and having them on hand while Captain Hemmings made the presentation capped a very special day for the couple.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Black Is The New White For Weddings

More brides are incorporating black into their wedding colours this year. Many designers are showing bridesmaids dresses that feature black prominently, and are also incorporating black into their wedding dresses in the form of trims and adornments.

Black lends a touch of ultra-formality to what is already a very formal event. Bridesmaids dresses that include black and white designs, black piping and accents are becoming very popular. All-black bridesmaids dresses are making a stand as well. Vera Wang, David Fielden and Pnina Tornai have all spruced up their lines with black velvet trims on gowns.

More adventurous brides can find all-black wedding dresses. As a bridal colour, black is definitely reserved for those brides who are confident and free-spirited. It’s a stark contrast from traditional wedding clothes but brides who are looking to stand out are flocking to it.

Cymbeline of Paris is offering a full-length black wedding dress, in a style that reminds one of Moulin Rouge. The strapless dress, complete with feathers and a tulle petticoat, would appeal to only the most daring of brides. Throughout the collection, however, black’s influence is felt, in trims, and bridesmaids dresses. Short dresses, and those with rich colours, are also making a comeback in Paris.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

The Children Debate Is Stirred Again

Recently, a Church of England vicar made worldwide headlines for tossing a two-year-old out of a wedding. The major problem, of course, was that the noisy toddler who got the gate was the son of the bride and groom. The couple has complained to the Church of England, but the good vicar has fired a “shot heard ’round the world” in the debate over inviting children to a wedding.

Wedding planners are reporting an increasing number of “no children” weddings, estimating that as many as half of their clients are asking guests to leave the children at home. On the other side, many couples say that they are refusing to attend weddings that don’t include their children.

So, “adults only” or “no-child-left-behind”? The decision is truly one that belongs to the bride and groom, and depends solely upon their views of what their wedding should be. For some brides, the question is elementary; many of their friends have no children to bring, so a few relatives bring children of assorted sizes and the wedding goes on with kids in tow. After all, a wedding is a celebration of family and isn’t it the presence of children that creates “family”?

For other brides who marry later in life, many friends have children. The added expense of children’s meals and managing many children in a small space may detract from the solemnity of what may be the most important occasion in a couple’s shared life.

There’s no right answer here, but many brides who choose to allow children are also providing child-friendly entertainment and distractions to help children pass the time and enjoy the celebration in their own special way.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Gretna Scotland Continues To Attract Wedding Couples From Around The World

Couples from all over the world come to marry in Gretna Green. The town released the most recent statistics on weddings there, showing that 4,452 couples married in the town, and 86% of those ceremonies did not involve a resident of Scotland, much less a resident of the town itself. The number of weddings is up slightly from 2006, when 4,434 weddings took place there.

Gretna Green’s all-time record for weddings was logged in 2004, when 5,555 marriages were recorded in the town, nearly 100 of those taking place on St. Valentine’s Day alone. In 2002, the town recorded the first civil marriage to take place outside of a Registry Office. That was the year that changes to the Marriage Act in Scotland rubbished the requirement that marriages take place in Registry Offices, and permitted nuptials to take place in hotels, castles and private homes.

Traditionally, young couples traveled from England - where the age for legal marriage without parents’ permission was 21 - traveled across the border to marry in Scotland, where the marriage laws were more lenient. Gretna Green became known as a destination for eloping couples, and that reputation has spread all over the world.

It’s a reputation that Gretna Green works hard to keep, and has recruited dozens of officiants to meet the varying demand each year for marriage ceremonies. The town averages about a dozen marriages per day, but certain days are busier than others. The Registry Office in Gretna Green works with couples from around the world to ensure that their big day goes off with the only hitch they’re expecting.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Shooting A Wedding Videography and Photography Tips

If you’re planning a wedding, you’ll need to decide whether you want to organise photography and videography services to capture the moment. To save expense, many couples opt to have their weddings captured for posterity using willing family and friends.

What goes into making good wedding photography and videography? Planning and preparation are both key to getting a good result. Photographing an event can be hard work. When the event is something that can’t easily be recreated, like a wedding, the pressure can be intense.

If you plan to press a friend or family into service for wedding photography or videography duties, talk ahead of time about the equipment you’ll need to scare up. This may include extra cameras, batteries, lighting, tripods, extension cords, and sound equipment. You may also want to locate an assistant or two. An extra pair of hands never hurts. Also talk about the “must-have” shots so your volunteers can make snap decisions if necessary.

Work with the venue to make sure your photographer has access to the space where your wedding will occur. Being able to see the venue and its layout will help the photographer/videographer plan. Also ask your crew to talk to the officiant about what is permitted during the ceremony in terms of photography and videography.

As the guest are assembling in the venue, the videographer should be collecting shots of the guests for insertion into the wedding video. These shots are hard to take during the wedding but add a professional touch to the finished product.

On the big day, have someone point out the important people to the photographer and/or videographer. Make sure the entire ceremony is covered and talk to the imaging team about whether or when they should leave to cover the reception. Make sure they have plenty of recording media, whether that’s tape or magnetic media if they’re recording digitally.

If your volunteer can edit the material, that’s great. If not, plan to turn over the raw footage to a professional who can assemble the wedding video. Before you turn over the video, make a copy for safekeeping. If you’ve got the material on disc, burn a copy off to CD or DVD.

Finally, remember that you haven’t hired a professional, so it’s not likely that you’ll get a Hollywood-quality video production. Keep your expectations in check and you’re likely to be thrilled with the results.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

UK Wedding List Firm Struggles To Stay Solvent

Hundreds of UK couples who used the Wrapit wedding list service have been told that there will be further delay in getting wedding gifts that were ordered through the company. Wrapit, which serves about 300 couples per month, offers an upscale wedding list service for couples to select wedding registry gifts.

The service claimed to offer a broader range of goods than what is available through local retailers and promises to deliver wedding gifts purchased through the service by friends and family within eight weeks of when the couple closes its list. To date, hundreds of newlyweds are reporting waits of nine months or more to receive their wedding gifts.

The service is owned by Pepita Diamand, a former fashion journalist, who complains that Wrapit’s bank, HSBC, is to blame. The bank recently withheld £1 million in previously extended credit from the venture. This action put Wrapit into a tailspin and Diamand is now seeking credit assistance from the KPMG liquidation firm and other potential investors, though it has not announced that it is closing its doors. Wrapit has stopped taking new appointments from couples but is still working with couples who have already established a list with the firm.

The firm employs about 100 people and operates 15 showrooms around Britain. Officially, Wrapit says that it will provide refunds for any gifts purchased with a credit card. That’s of little comfort to newlyweds who were counting on the service to help them begin their married lives together and who charge that the service let not only the couples down, but also failed their guests who used the service in good faith.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

9000 Chinese Couples Will Say I Do

The world will be watching Beijing on August 8, 2008 because that was the date chosen for the opening ceremonies for the 2008 Supper Olympics. The government chose that date because the number “8″ is considered lucky. More than 9000 Chinese couples also chose that date to wed when the application period for marriage licenses opened in June.

The 9000 planned weddings will top the single-day marriage record in Beijing by more than twice the existing record. The Mandarin word for the number 8 sounds like “to get rich” and wedding officials in Beijing did not close the day to marriages, despite the Olympic Opening Day festivities.

Chinese couples are not the only ones who are vying for the 08/08/08 wedding date. Caribbean officials reported a sharp increase in “destination wedding” requests for that date; and Las Vegas wedding chapels will be open around the clock to serve couples on 08/08/08. Caesar’s Palace reports being near capacity for weddings and the Flamingo reports that it will host 60 weddings on that date in its six chapels, nearly four times the number of weddings for a typical weekend.

The Marriage Bureau in Las Vegas County, which issues licenses for weddings, learned its lesson last year, when it struggled to issue a record 1,624 licenses in a 24-hour period on 07/07/07. On a normal day, the bureau issued between 300 and 500 marriage licenses.

This year, officials will issue express passes, printed in English, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, Italian, German and French to engaged couples who appear at the bureau, which will allow the couples to return at a pre-assigned time later in the day to claim their marriage licenses. This system will avoid a repeat of last year, when couples waited in line for 4-5 hours in 44°C heat to apply for a marriage license. The passes will be handed out in groups of 30 every half hour. Tents have been set up to shield couples from the intense desert sun, and the line can be moved indoors if the heat becomes too much.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Five Brides For Five Brothers And All Have Celebrated Their Golden Anniversaries

Glen Wheaton celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary with his wife Dixie in Kansas City, Missouri in the US this past weekend. In doing so, he joined his four brothers, who also reached their 50th wedding anniversaries. Ken and Nellie Wheaton celebrated their 58th anniversary this year. Ed and Betty Wheaton celebrated their 57th, while Kent and Jane celebrated their 56th anniversary. Jim and Marti Wheaton notched anniversary number 54.

The brothers credit their good upbringing and healthy lifestyles to their longevity, and the absence of major tragedies for the length of their marriages. The brothers all served in the armed forces, and remained close throughout the years, getting together once each month to share a meal. Ed and Betty live too far away to join the rest of the family, but they share email once a week to keep up on family events.

The trick to staying together? According to Marti and Jim, married couples have to do things together, but maintain separate interests at the same time.

About one in twenty couples in the US celebrate their 50th anniversary, but no one has calculated the odds that five brothers would all reach that milestone.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Brides Tackle The Challenge Of Saving Money In A Tight Economy

Brides who are planning their weddings are looking at all angles to save money on their big day. Where are the biggest gains?

The dress: Brides who are looking to cut corners are buying used dresses, and white or ivory dresses that weren’t designed specifically for weddings. The savings can be huge.

The flowers: Fresh flowers can be enormously expensive. The tricks to saving here? Buy flowers in season. Also buy from wholesalers and make your own arrangements and bouquets. Finally, make your flower budget count. Put flowers at the reception rather than the ceremony, since your guests will spend more time at the reception than at the wedding site.

The invitations: Brides are going for the do-it-yourself kits. Pre-cut, pre-printed invitations that they can dress up afterwards with ribbons or other adornments are very popular.

The venue: Fridays and Sundays are big, since they can reduce the cost of the venue by one-third or more. Free and low-cost venues, like public parks, beaches and community buildings are also a huge hit.

The cake: Multi-tiered wedding cakes are out. Sheet cakes can save a bundle. To save even more, go for cupcakes. Cupcakes are growing in popularity because they avoid the cake-cutting charges altogether and are just about the right size for dessert.

The guest list: This is the area where brides can save the most. By reducing the number of guests you entertain, you reduce the cost of the food and drinks, the primary expense in a wedding. When it comes to saving money, there’s no substitute for having a smaller reception.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Saving On The Bar Bill

One of the biggest costs for a wedding reception is the bar tab. Alcohol ranks as the second most significant cost for a wedding reception, right after the cost of food. For brides who are looking to save a bit on the cost of the reception, the bar is a prime target for cutting back.

To cut back on the bar bill, consider scheduling your wedding and reception earlier in the day. Serve lighter drinks like wine or just a few cocktails, and be sure to offer plenty of non-alcoholic drinks. Fruit punch, water, lemonade, and iced teas will all help keep your guests hydrated but won’t pump up the bar tab. If an earlier wedding won’t work, consider scheduling your wedding on a Sunday afternoon. The cost of your reception will plummet and guests who need to work in the morning will be more likely to drink with restraint.

If you have an evening wedding planned, close the bar during dinner and instruct the service staff to leave half-consumed drinks on the table. People often get up and walk around, but intend to return to their seats. By picking up only empty glasses, servers can cut down on the number of refills the guests will seek out. It may also give them a better handle on how much a person is drinking. Also tell the servers to re-fill wine glasses only when the guest requests it, instead of refilling when the guest’s glass is below one-half or one-quarter.

If you plan to serve your own wine, buy it by the case to save money. Check with the catering staff about corking fees. If you’re charged for each bottle that you open, a corking fee can eliminate all of your savings. You’d be better off placing unopened bottles at the table along with a corkscrew and letting your guests open their own wine. You can have the service staff replenish wine bottles at each table, if needed, during the evening.

Offer appealing non-alcoholic drinks at the bar. Virgin margaritas, daiquiris, sangrias and other non-alcoholic “mocktails” can be just as appealing as their alcoholic counterparts.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

UK Bride Scores Wedding Dress For £2.50

Emma Dunn was looking for a wedding dress and had decided on one with a £1,500 price tag. Before plunking down that kind of cash, she decided to check eBay and found an exact duplicate of the dress she was thinking of purchasing. To Dunn’s great fortune, the auction was less than 10 minutes from closing, had no bids and no reserve price, so she bid a modest £2.50.

To her surprise and delight, the auction closed and Dunn’s bid was accepted by the seller, a dressmaker in Shanghai, who emailed Dunn seeking her measurements. After five weeks, Dunn got a bit nervous and mailed the seller to ask about the status of her dress. The seller replied saying that he had been busy with Chinese New Year celebrations and said the dress was on the way. True to the dressmaker’s word, a package arrived one week later with Emma’s size six dress. The postage, paid by Ms. Dunn, was £16.50.

The total expenditure on her dress came to £23.50, including postage and a petticoat that she also found on eBay. Ms. Dunn, who works as a kitchen assistant in a local hotel, married Paul Worthington, a machine technician on July 19. Dunn’s entire wedding bill, including wedding clothes, reception and entertainment for 100 family and friends cost the frugal bride just £3,000.

As for the dress, Dunn says she’s thinking of lending it to a friend who will be getting married in December. Her husband thinks she should put it up for auction on eBay.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

British Couples Low Key Wedding Draws A Lot Of Interest

A British couple who wanted a low-key wedding got that and more. Catherine Webb and Mark Campbell decided to tie the knot in a low-key ceremony. They assured family and friends that it was not necessary to come to the wedding, the second for each of them. Instead, the couple, who planned to marry while on holiday in Barnstaple, Devon placed an advertisement in the local paper looking for two witnesses for their ceremony.

The response to the advert was overwhelming, especially after the North Devon Journal picked up the story. Within hours of its publication, the couple had dozens of volunteers, including a young brother-and-sister pair who stood in as a bridesmaid and a pageboy. A local Barnstaple florist donated a bridal bouquet and one of the volunteers organised a reception following the ceremony.

In all, fifteen locals attended the wedding and reception for the pair. As for the Campbells, they liked Barnstaple so much that the couple plans to move there.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

After Consideration California County Still Says We Dont To Civil Ceremonies

Ann Barnett, the county clerk of Kern County in California, decided in June to stop performing civil ceremonies for couples who take out a marriage license. The decision coincided with the California State Supreme Court’s ruling that California counties must issue “gender-free” marriage licenses.

Barnett says that Kern County is unprepared to deal with the cost, space and security requirements of conducting an increased number of civil ceremonies and opted to eliminate all civil ceremonies as a result. The County Board of Supervisors considered Barnett’s actions and after a vote, agreed to support Barnett’s decision to bow out of the wedding business.

Prior to Barnett’s decision, Kern County performed about 2,000 civil marriages per year, or an average of about eight ceremonies per day. Kern County is strongly conservative and most voters oppose homosexual weddings. Since state law only requires that the county issue marriage licenses, the county will comply with state law, but will not perform any civil unions for any couples, regardless of their gender.

Opponents argued that the refusal to perform civil weddings would negatively impact minority and low-income couples in the county. In November, California voters will consider a constitutional amendment to define marriage as a union that exists only between one man and one woman. It is not clear whether passage of an amendment would nullify existing legal marriages that don’t conform to that definition, but it would prohibit such unions in the future. Barnett has not said whether the county would perform civil weddings again if the proposal passes.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Cutting Costs Without Cutting Corners

With the average cost of a wedding spiraling out of control, brides are leaving no stone unturned in their search for cutting costs while still having a memorable and enjoyable wedding.

Wedding planner Mindy Weiss reports in her book The Wedding Book: The Big Book For Your Big Day on some of the best ways to reduce the cost of getting married and having the wedding you want.

The single largest expense for a traditional wedding is the food and drink costs, so tactics aimed at reducing the catering bill are going over well. First, reduce the number of guests on your guest list. If you wouldn’t invite a prospective guest to your home for dinner, then don’t invite them to your wedding. Acquaintances, work mates and far-flung relatives can run up your wedding costs quickly. Resist the temptation by trimming these folks from your guest list.

While you’re reducing your food costs, reduce the alcohol costs as well. If you want to go non-alcoholic, you can serve a variety of beverages for your guests. If you can’t do without a toast, let guest toast with whatever they’re drinking instead of popping the corks on expensive champagne. Also limit the bar to a few choice drinks and you’ll save a bundle.

Choosing a beautiful setting for your wedding will reduce your decoration costs. If a site is naturally pleasing, there’s little need to add decorations, flowers and other adornments.

Print your own invitations using do-it-yourself invitation kits, available through Kardella. You’ll save money on the printing costs, you can control the number on invitations you print, and the DIY kits look beautiful!

Finally, instead of splashing out on expensive table centerpieces, write notes to your guests instead. Include photographs of you and your spouse and let your guests know how much you appreciate their presence at your wedding.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Brides Looking For Sparkle Add Fireworks To The Wedding Budget

According to the American Pyrotechnics Association, their membership is being asked to produce more fireworks shows related to weddings, birthdays and other celebrations. Fireworks require the permission of the venue and a permit from local authorities. Provided that both are granted, brides can expect to spend about $1,000 per minute on a dedicated fireworks show.

To take advantage of the interest, some fireworks vendors are setting up display booths at bridal shows. For the vendors, weddings and other special events provide the opportunity for year-round revenues, whereas relatively few holiday and municipal displays take place each year. For brides, the cost of hosting a fireworks display can vary, depending upon the length of the show. Vendors say that even a five- or six-minute show can seem like a half-hour.

The cost of the displays doesn’t seem to deter some brides, who are looking for that special and unique touch for their wedding receptions. For some wedding planners, the venue that doesn’t permit fireworks can be a deal-breaker, and venues report being asked more frequently if they’re amenable to nighttime fireworks displays.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Couple Ties A Star Wars themed Knot At Comic Convention

A couple from Yuma, Arizona in the United States took advantage of the annual Comic-Con event to stage a Star Wars-themed wedding. Thomas and Tenille Kuhlman married last year in a civil ceremony, but that didn’t stop the couple from going forward with their plans for a Mandelorian wedding. Mandelorians, of course, are a fictional warrior race that appears in the Star Wars movies.

The Star Wars fan club, of which the Kuhlmans are members, gathered at Comic-Con to see the couple wed, since many of the close-knit group of friends could not attend the ceremony last year.

The bride and groom were both dressed in armor designed to resemble the Mandelorian costumes worn in the movies. The guests also dressed the part, wearing armor, jet packs, boots, helmets, metal collars, dart launchers and other gear. A few Jedi knights and super heroes joined the crowd and Elvis was also spotted among the guests, who formed a “light sabre” arch as the couple moved toward the altar for the ceremony.

The couple exchanged vows in the wilting summer heat and then headed to a Mandelorian-themed reception with their guests.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Four Couples Celebrate 50th Wedding Anniversaries Together

Four couples who lived as neighbors in an apartment complex in Ann Arbor, Michigan – a college town just west of Detroit – reunited to celebrate 50 years of marriage to their respective spouses last week. The four couples all attended and graduated from the University of Michigan, and married within two months of each other.

The reunion was nothing new for the friends; they’ve remained close to each other since they were neighbors in 1958. Two of the couples still live in Ann Arbor, and another couple live in a suburb of Detroit, not far away. One pair moved back to their native New York State. Among the couples are four children and nineteen grandchildren, many of whom have become friends on their own.

The couples count each other among their many blessings and believe it is unusual to find so many couples celebrating their 50th wedding anniversaries together, especially having remained so close throughout the years. They vow to gather again next year to celebrate their 51st anniversaries, although according to one of the women, “we’ll all be wearing bibs!”

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Man Showers The Latest Wedding Trend

Why should women have all the fun when it comes to getting married? Man showers – parties designed for men – are a growing trend among men who are getting married. Men are growing comfortable with attending couples’ showers with wives and girlfriends, so a “man shower” is a natural extension of that. Others think it has arisen from the increased role men are playing in wedding planning.

But don’t believe that a man shower is a substitute for a bachelor party. Instead, it’s just the opening act. Like wedding showers for the brides, guests bring gifts to the party that can help a groom set up or maintain a household. Some “man showers” are scheduled at the same time as the bridal shower, to give husbands, brothers, male family members and friends time to spend with each other. In some circles, the man showers extend to expectant fathers as well.

What about games, which are a mainstay of bridal showers? You’ll find games at man showers too. Guests may find themselves being judged on the manliness of their gift wrap, which may include duct tape, homemade containers and other “manly” adornments. Tools are popular gifts for man showers, and many home improvement centers are beginning to offer wedding registries.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Sweden To Host Drive-In Wedding

Auto enthusiasts in Sweden will get a double dose of true love in July, when the country’s first “drive-in wedding” will be staged at a gathering of car lovers in Vasteras, in Central Sweden. The wedding, which 36 couples have already registered for, will be performed by about ten priests from the Church of Sweden.

Jerker Asterlund, one of the organisers of the event and a priest, said he was motivated to put the novel group wedding together because weddings are too commercialised and the Church of Sweden has no interest in promoting that. Instead Asterlund wants to promote a low cost, simple approach to tying the knot. He also wants to remind people that the Church of Sweden can be a part of celebration and happiness and is not limited to just crises and catastrophes. The mass wedding will take about seven minutes to complete and will feature a parade of classic cars from the 1950s and 1960s.

In addition to the parade, the mass wedding will feature a gospel choir and in keeping with the 1950’s and 60’s theme, one of the participating priests will sing Elvis tunes to entertain the attendees. The organisers have also erected a Las Vegas-style neon sign that reads “Get Married.”

Keywords: Wedding News, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Woman Married Eleven Times Gives Advice To Couples Thinking About Marriage

When it comes to marriage, Bonnie Ashley has it down. In fact, lately she’s been giving advice to people who are considering a walk down the aisle. Few people in the world are better prepared to give advice about marriage than Ashley. She’s married (and divorced) eleven times.

Ashley, 53, has written a book called Ex-Husband In Freezer about her experiences with marriage. Her best advice: Don’t jump into marriage. She should know. Ashley married two of her ex-husbands three times each.

Ashley has been married eleven times to seven different men. She married her first husband to escape her father, whom Ashley describes as a domineering, dictatorial minister, and things went downhill from there. Among the first ten years of her marriages, Ashley also had a long-standing affair with a man she truly wanted to be with.

She’s currently unmarried, having made peace with herself after divorce number three from Husband Number Seven. Her book was written with the understanding that none of their real names would be used. One of her ex-husbands pitched in to edit the manuscript, which Ashley self-published.

Ashley has no children and receives no alimony from any of her husbands. She works as a real estate agent in Delaware, in the United States, and since publishing her book, has been in high demand for radio and television interviews. She’s also in talks to bring the book to the big screen.

Ashley says that she hopes her book helps people to avoid the same mistake she’s made when it comes to marriage. She advises people to wait to marry, and take time to get to know their prospective spouses before talking about marriage. According to Ashley, “Live with people if you have to, and try on the shoe before you buy it.”

Ashley says she is not in a relationship right now, after passing on the opportunity to take on Husband Number Eight. She says she’s just learning how to enjoy life being single.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Episcopal Diocese In California Urges Couples To Marry Outside The Church

Bishop Marc Handley Andrus has urged members of the Episcopal Diocese of California to instruct its followers to marry in a civil ceremony and have their unions blessed by the Episcopal Church. Andrus is following a model used heavily in European countries, but not in the United States.

Andrus is finding support among California clergy who are being pressured by shifting legal and social opinions about who can be married. California recently lifted a ban on same-sex weddings, which the Episcopal Church does not recognize.

Some pastors feel that they are being placed in the middle of a political statement. Pastors work as agents of the state to perform wedding ceremonies that are recognized as legal marriages. They are concerned that the ruling on same-sex weddings may lead to a circumstance where a pastor may be put at odds with his or her beliefs, or may require them to perform same-sex weddings as a civil function if they also perform traditional religious marriages according to the dictates of their religious beliefs.

Other pastors see another reason for exiting the wedding business. According to the Conde Nast American Wedding Study conducted in 2006, nearly half of all weddings in the United States take place in a church, synagogue or other house of worship. Pastors privately complain, however, that many couples choose to marry in their churches, but rarely return after the ceremony.

To date, the Episcopal Diocese of California is the only diocese recommending this approach to marriage in the US.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Choosing A Wedding Ring

Wedding rings can be traditional or completely unique, but exercise care when choosing a wedding band. Most wedding and engagement rings are made from a gold alloy, but other metals like silver, palladium, platinum, titanium and tungsten are also gaining in popularity.

Pure gold is too soft for daily wear. Typically, gold is mixed with other metals like nickel to give it strength without losing the traditional gold colour. Wedding bands are most often made with 18K gold, which has substantially more strength and will stand up to the rigors of daily wear. Consult with a jeweller about the nickel content of a wedding ring. Some people develop an allergy to metals like nickel, and the higher the nickel content, the more likely a sensitive wearer is to react to the ring.

Do not choose a wedding ring made from different material than your engagement ring. If possible, buy the wedding and engagement rings from the same jeweller at the same time. Different metals may react with each other, and since the rings will be in daily contact, one ring can wear the other down. If the rings are made from the same materials, they are less likely to damage each other when they’re worn together.

If your wedding or engagement ring contains a precious gem, spend the extra money to get a six- or eight-prong setting. The setting should be of the same or harder material as the ring. With a six- or eight-prong setting, a lost prong will not cause the stone to fall out. A broken four-prong setting almost guarantees that the gem will be lost.

One note: tungsten carbide has been gaining in popularity as a wedding band material. It is sold as being virtually indestructible and scratch resistant. Think carefully before buying a tungsten carbide wedding ring. If your ring finger is broken, or your hand is injured and your ring finger swells, a tungsten carbide ring cannot be cut off, since it is harder than the cutters that most hospital emergency rooms use to remove metal jewellery.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Bride-To-Be Is An Expert At Beating The Odds

Courtney Dempsey is a survivor. Four years ago, the now-33-year-old bride-to-be was told by doctors that she was suffering from terminal cancer and had less than one year to live. She had been diagnosed with late-stage melanoma and the prognosis was not good. Through aggressive treatment, she beat the odds and recovered, only to find that the cancer had returned. After a double mastectomy, Ms. Dempsey beat the odds again and recovered a second time.

During her recovery, she started dating Gary Courtney, 37. Gary moved in with Ms. Dempsey to help her recover and the pair became engaged. Ms. Dempsey and her fiancé entered a contest sponsored by the US-based Us Magazine. The grand prize is a USD$100,000 dream wedding.

Dempsey defied the odds yet again. She won the contest and will now enjoy the wedding of a lifetime. As Dempsey and her fiancé finalise the plans for their big day, she explains that she plans to take her husband’s last name – making her Courtney Courtney. “I love it,” she says. “I’m in sales, so no one will ever forget my name!”

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Surprise More Couples Opt For Surprise Weddings

A growing trend these days is the surprise wedding. Couples who don’t want to get tied up the planning process are opting instead to throw surprise weddings with family and friends. Couples usually use the ruse of an informal party, engagement party or shower, and surprise guests with a wedding instead.

The surprise wedding eschews the traditional planning, and is often a small, casual affair. It offers the couple a way to keep the wedding plan simple, while maximizing the use of holiday time, and minimizing the cost. Often, the bride and groom inform a few close friends. In other cases, everyone is in the dark.

Recently, celebrities including Julia Roberts, Beyonce Knowles and Jay Z, Steve Martin, Usher, Mariah Carey, and Seal and Heidi Klum have all opted for surprise weddings. While celebrities typically choose surprise weddings to throw off the paparazzi, ordinary couples are more interested in taking advantage of a particular time or event where many of their friends will be gathered anyway in order to reduce costs, or celebrate two events at once.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Make The Most Of Your Wedding Budget

You’re planning a wedding but you can’t afford everything you want. Welcome to life! There are so many decisions to make and so little time in which to make them. When everything associated with weddings costs so much, how can you ensure that you get the wedding you want?

Wedding planners agree that the best way to save money on a wedding is to prioritize the areas in which you want to spend your money, and don’t be afraid to let some things slide. By breaking down your wedding into spending categories, you can quickly determine where you want to put your financial effort.

If having great food or entertainment at the reception is important, then you can adjust your spending in other areas to make sure you get the reception experience you want. On the other hand, if having a beautiful gown is at the top of your list, then spending less in another area that’s not as important to you can help you get the dress of your dreams.

Some experts counsel brides-to-be to choose the five most important elements of their wedding and let the rest go. This approach can help you remain focused on your spending priorities, and not get caught in the trap of spending a lot on things that don’t matter so much.

Areas in which brides can save the most include having the wedding on a day other than Saturday, and taking steps to control liquor and food costs. Brides can also have “off-season” weddings, when venues are easier to book and costs are lower.

Longer planning cycles give brides time to make better decisions, and spend less money in the process. Nothing inflates the cost of a wedding like having to make a hasty decision. With more time to plan, brides can research more options, take advantage of sales and get better pricing on goods and services.

Organization goes a long way toward cutting costs, too! Keep all of your wedding receipts, contracts and ideas bound together in a “wedding binder.” The binder should travel with you when making the rounds, so you can easily compare prices and services, and will be less tempted to sign on the dotted line without weighing other options.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Couples Look For Wedding Savings To Quell Financial Jitters

Couples planning their weddings are now looking carefully at their finances before agreeing to spend thousands on their wedding plans. While the well-to-do have not curbed their appetites for extravagance, couples of more ordinary means are looking for ways to save on the cost of tying the knot.

Where can you save the most? Typically, brides who reduce their guest lists also reduce their wedding budgets. Smaller weddings allow the bridal couple to spend more time with their guests while spending less money on the venue, food and liquor. If size matters, go with a larger guest list and a cocktail reception instead.

Popular advice making the rounds these days is to save on invitations. In the grand scheme of things, cutting the invitation budget won’t give much of a bump to your bottom line. These days, high-quality and custom invitations are available for less than ever before, and brides have hundreds of designs to choose from. A better bottom line boost comes from cutting down on the use of fresh flowers at weddings. Flowers can easily run into the thousands and last only a few days. Skip the flowers altogether, rent greenery or use silk arrangements instead.

Another great save? Use an elegant bridesmaid’s dress as a wedding dress. Bridesmaids dresses can often be special ordered in white, off-white, gold or silver. Even as a special order, you’ll still save a bundle on a beautiful dress for your wedding. Bridesmaids’ dresses can be bought “off-the-rack” in fabrics, styles and colours that are more flattering and less expensive. For a little flair, try going with complementary colours instead of matching ones, and let your bridesmaids pick out their own shoes.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Price Of Gold Spurs Change To Arab Wedding Traditions

For most Arab brides, it’s inconceivable to marry without wearing a stunning collection of gold jewellery. Gold is a traditional part of the Arab wedding scene, and babies are often given gold as gifts.

Inflation and the high price of gold on the commodities market are eating into the Arab appetite for gold. Some jewellers report that their sales are down more than 70% from just three years ago.

Brides typically acquire gold jewellery as part of their shabka – a collection of gold finery that is purchased with money from the dowry she receives from the groom. At minimum, the shabka consists of a necklace, earrings and a bracelet, and often contains much more.

Lately, couples who plan to marry can’t afford gold jewellery because the price of gold is about AUD $1,100 per ounce, which substantially exceeds the average monthly income. From all indications, gold prices may even double from their current levels. To compensate, couples are skipping the shabka until gold prices come down.

Using another metal like silver is simply not an option for many traditionalists. Although the price of silver is much more affordable, it is considered a cheap metal and brides would rather borrow or rent gold jewellery for the ceremony than accept a silver shabka.

Privately, however, jewellery store owners report that silver sales have increased by as much as 60 percent since the price of gold soared. Store owners are being very careful to identify silver jewellery to prevent customers from mistaking it for white gold.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Pakistan Cuts Down On Wedding Feasts

If you’re looking for a way to cut down on the cost of a wedding, consider having it in Pakistan. The government in Punjab has begun to enforce a law first enacted in the 1990’s that limits wedding receptions to a single entrée and a few “appropriate” side dishes, like rice. When originally passed, the law forbade food of any kind, but allowed wedding guests to celebrate with soft drinks and tea.

By tradition, Pakistani weddings span several days and may include hundreds of guests. Even the poorest families feel honour-bound to throw a lavish wedding, and many begin saving for a wedding day immediately after a child is born. Families can spend multiple years’ incomes on a lavish wedding for a child. As the cost of food rose in the country, the Pakistani government was moved to enact the legislation to give a break to poor families, without making them feel humiliated by not being able to meet social customs.

Until recently the law was not strictly enforced because it runs completely counter to tradition. Newspaper advertisements by the government warn families to observe the law. Families risk substantial fines for disobedience. The government has begun enforcement in Punjab, the country’s most populated state, and is encouraging everyone to report violations. While wedding planners profess to be delighted by the law, they say that enforcement will simply push the wedding feasts into private homes instead.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Reducing The Cost Of A Wedding

Wedding costs occupy most brides’ minds. The cost of a traditional wedding is staggering, and most couples can’t accumulate the funds needed to pay for the event in the year or so they plan to be engaged. Engaged couples are coming up with some creative ways to reduce the overall cost of getting married.

According to the US-based National Association of Catering Executives, members report decreases in the overall spending on weddings. They’re currently seeing a 12% cancellation rate, primarily due to the worsening economy in the US. Caterers also report an increase in the number of Friday and Sunday weddings, and an increase in the number of afternoon ceremonies.

To reduce costs, brides are reducing everything from the size of the guest list to the size of the wedding party. By cutting down on the size of the wedding party, brides reduce the cost of gifts given to the honour attendants.

Brides are also trimming dress costs by buying used dresses, buying dresses online and substituting ivory-coloured bridesmaids dresses for the wedding dress. Limiting liquor costs by reducing the choices available at the bar is another favourite reduction.

Brides are also finding excellent savings by renting greenery from the local nursery instead of spending their money on floral arrangements for the wedding and reception. Overall, brides are reducing their expenses and looking for ways to trim their costs while still enjoying a traditional wedding and reception.

Ordering invitations online is a great way to reduce the cost of printing for wedding invitations. Kardella also offers a full line of do-it-yourself wedding invitation kits, low-cost traditional invitations, and custom designed invitations for those who want to splurge.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Couples Choose Wedding Loans Despite Financial Advice

Some couples still choose to take a wedding loan, despite the double-digit interest rates that come with these loans. The average cost of a traditional wedding is hovering around $40,000, and the figure can be significantly higher in large cities.

Couples who are considering marriage should think twice about taking a loan to cover the cost of the wedding. In years past, the bride’s family paid for the wedding, but weddings were much simpler events. Couples who paid for their own weddings normally invited family members and a few close friends.

With larger ceremonies, couples have not only taken on the responsibility of planning the wedding, but also the responsibility of paying for the event. Paying for a large wedding sometimes flies in the face of sensible financial planning, but experts almost universally agree that borrowing to pay for a wedding is a bad idea. Aside from starting out married life in debt, couples can end up paying significantly more for their wedding ceremonies if they also pay high interest rates on top of the cost. If couples also have other debts, such as student loans, mortgage debts or credit card debts, paying for a wedding loan on top of these other obligations can seriously strain a couple’s finances.

As alternatives to paying for a large wedding, couples may consider eloping. This may be the most financially responsible alternative, especially if they take the money they would have spent on the wedding and reception, and invest it instead. Other couples who have their hearts set on a larger wedding may choose to delay marriage until they have amassed the needed capital to pay for the ceremony. A significant number of couples choose this route, although a recent study by ING Direct of UK couples showed that as many as 15 percent of engaged couples had indefinitely postponed their weddings due to costs.

A third alternative is to have a simple, small ceremony. By scaling down on the guest list, couples can reduce the largest expense associated with a wedding – food costs for the reception. Holding the wedding and reception on a Friday evening, or having a daytime ceremony and lunch reception can also significantly reduce costs.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Simple Table Centrepieces That Add A Dash Of Fun

If you’re looking for ideas for simple table centerpieces, try these:

Add a small fishbowl or collection of fishbowls at the center of each table. Use gravel that’s coloured to match the theme of your wedding and see to it that the guests have an opportunity to take a fish home at the end of the evening. Don’t plan on having one fish per guest, but you’re likely to find at least one guest per table who will take your swimming centerpieces home. If you don’t like the idea of a live fish, float a tea candle in the fishbowl instead.

Leave a guest book and pens on each table and ask your guests to write congratulatory messages on the pages.

Put a centerpiece made of cupcakes, small desserts, cheescakes, a chocolate mini-buffet or similar sweets in the center of each table. Having a varied selection at each table will encourage the guests to mingle and may be a welcome before- or after-dinner treat.

Wrap different gifts for guests and put them at the centre of each table. Allow the guests to select a gift one at a time and open it. Other guests at the table who haven’t opened their gift yet can “steal” an opened gift and give an unwrapped one to the “victim” or open an unwrapped one instead. The last guest at the table has his or her pick of gifts, or could choose the remaining unopened gift.

A jigsaw puzzle at the center of the table may intrigue your guests and help break the ice. You can choose off the shelf puzzles or have special puzzles made from pictures of you and your intended. For fun, take one piece from each puzzle and put it at a different guest table. Guests from each table will have to look for their missing puzzle piece among the other guest tables.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Saving Money On Your Wedding

Many couples dread the cost of a traditional wedding, and some couples put off getting married altogether because they fear the budget-busting ceremonies that are common today. Getting married doesn’t have to be expensive and a new movement is underway to reduce the cost and stress involved in planning a wedding.

After a couple decide to tie the knot, the biggest commitment they make is the size of the guest list. This factor, moreso than any other, determines the overall cost of the wedding. If the planning cycle is short and the couple have little time to save, the best way to stay on budget is to limit the size of the guest list.

Limiting the list to close family and friends may enable the couple to have a small, intimate and happy event that doesn’t leave them in debt for years. Nearly 20 percent of couples today choose to take a loan to pay for wedding costs. Financial experts uniformly agree that starting out married life saddled with debt is not the way to go, especially if bride and groom already have their own debt to deal with.

Once trimming the guest list has been accomplished, the next biggest cost is reception food. Trimming the guest list will do much to keep the reception costs under control, but limiting the liquor or cutting it out completely will reduce your per-person costs further.

Morning and afternoon weddings can also save a great deal on the reception costs, as can moving the wedding from Saturday to Friday. Moving the location of the wedding from a reception hall to a private home can also help manage the reception costs.

The cost of the wedding dress can be substantial and can be minimized in a number of ways. Buying a regular dress or suit, or using a regular suit in place of a tuxedo, can significantly reduce the cost of wedding attire. Also, buying a used dress can also reduce your costs significantly. In some locations, brides can rent wedding dresses. For brides who don’t want to preserve their dresses for posterity, this can mean significant savings.

Do-it-yourself wedding invitation kits can also save money. Kardella has a full line of do-it-yourself wedding kits that look fantastic and can save on printing costs.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Bride To Be Turns To Dad For Wedding Dress

A British bride-to-be couldn’t find the wedding dress of her dreams, so she turned to the only person she thought could help: dear old dad! Katrina Wardrop had seen her father’s handiwork when he made a wedding cape for his second wife. The 21-year-old asked her dad to design and make her wedding dress, a task he accepted.

The pair scouted for material for the dress and turned up some cream-coloured French chiffon. Dad bought a tailor’s dummy and set to work. The two-piece dress was done about a month before the wedding and was a perfect fit and a perfect hit. But dad wasn’t done once the dress was finished. He also decorated the couple’s wedding cake.

Katrina said she was looking for a “one-off” dress and that’s exactly what she got. Many guests commented on how beautiful the dress was. Incidentally, dad was nervous about letting the bride-to-be see the full ensemble together, so he let her try on the top and the skirt, but never at the same time. Katrina didn’t see the dress in its entirety until the day of the wedding. She also said that she was thrilled that she and her dad didn’t fall out once while the dress was under construction.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Comparing Wedding Planning Software

Wedding planning Web sites are nothing new, but some brides prefer a more comprehensive (and private) method of planning their big event. TopTenReviews put together a list of the top ten wedding planning software packages in a head-to-head comparison.

Packages were ranked for their feature set, ease-of-use, ease of installation or setup and technical support. The median price for the top ten products was about USD$30, and all products were available for Windows XP. Some were also compatible with Windows Vista, and only one of the top ten products had a Macintosh version.

Most products offered a large feature set related to invitations and budget tracking. Most programs also helped with vendor tracking, and many included the ability to define task lists and create timelines.

The products were less thorough when it came to tracking wedding gifts, and only three of the top ten products included seating planners for the reception. Most products offered some form of reporting.

Overall, the reviewers went with iDo as the best overall wedding planning package, with Smart Wedding and Marziplanner coming in second and third respectively. You can read reviews of each product and view the comparisons at TopTenReviews.com

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Keeping A Lid On The Wedding Budget

For a bride-to-be who is planning a first wedding, the number of choices can seem overwhelming. Common sense often goes out the window when decisions that affect the wedding’s bottom line must be made. How can you plan a wedding, stay on budget and still have what you want?

In most cases, wedding planning is a complex negotiation. If the bride and groom alone are paying for the wedding, decisions are simplified, because the bride and groom have no one to answer to, other than themselves. Couples are usually more aware of the limits on their finances, so making money-related decisions isn’t so hard.

One strategy aimed at keeping the bottom line intact is for the bride and groom to plan the wedding jointly. Most men aren’t interested in colours and cocktail napkins, but this can sometimes work in a couple’s favour. By keeping a perspective on the most important things, couples can better stick to the budget and learn some valuable lessons about negotiation.

Always determine a list of priorities for the wedding event. Put the power of competition to work for you. By knowing what the must-have expenses are, you’ll be less likely to come under the spell of a last-minute budget-buster. Focus on the most important things and make decisions accordingly. This is another area in which joint planning helps. By having to clear an added expense with the other party, or understanding that a new addition will come at the expense of a priority that’s already on the list, you retain your awareness of your ongoing expenses, and how much money the budget still contains.

As new expenses arise, you can also look for ways to lower the cost of existing or upcoming expenses, or plan for acceptable substitutes. In most cases, you’ll find that wedding planning isn’t an all-or-nothing deal. You may have to reduce the size, compromise on colour, location, or style, but you can often put together an event that you like and that your guests enjoy as long as you know what your budget is and where your priorities are.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Keeping Your Wedding On Budget

Budgeting for a wedding is difficult because it involves so many tough choices. Most couples overshoot their budget, but a wedding doesn’t have to be unbearably expensive. The average Australian wedding is approaching AUD$40,000. If that doesn’t seem like it’s in the cards for you, the best time to control your costs is early in the planning stages.

First, determine how much money you’ll have to spend on the wedding. If you’re a disciplined saver and can stand to wait for a year or more, you may be able to budget for a more expensive evening. If you’re on a short planning cycle, simpler is better.

After you’ve figured out how much money you’ll have to spend on the wedding, create a “cushion” to accommodate cost overages. If you have $15,000 to spend, aim for expenses around $13,500. Once you hit that 90% mark of your established budget, you’re in the spending “danger zone.” Your major expenses should be covered in full by this point. If not, you’ll need to make some hard decisions.

The reception is usually the most expensive element of a wedding, so this is most likely where you’ll lose your budget if you’re not careful. Plan out your guest list according to what your budget will bear. Limiting or eliminating alcohol is a great way to keep the budget in line.

The wedding dress is another budget buster. Designer wedding gowns can be expensive. If the truth be told, all brides look beautiful on their wedding day. A simpler gown or a designer knock-off can look just as fabulous for one-third the cost.

If the budget won’t take it, don’t get caught up in the trap of meeting all of the “standards” for a wedding. There are none! Unless you’re independently wealthy, you’re going to have to live with the consequences of over-spending. Prioritise the things that are important to you, then use your priorities to guide your wedding expenses.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

2008 Wedding Trends

Wedding planning Web site myweddings.com reports that the site is seeing an increase in the number of casual weddings, and weddings that are highly customised to suit the wedding couple’s tastes.

Ecologically friendly weddings are growing in popularity. Eight of ten couples who are using the site to plan their wedding report incorporating at least one eco-friendly element in their wedding plans. Ecologically friendly elements could include reductions in power consumption, reduction in the amount of garbage generated by the reception, or the use of recycled paper for invitations, decorations and napkins.

Couples are increasingly choosing to use a “wedding logo” and theme to tie together the elements of their wedding event. A customised wedding logo appears on the invitation and wedding stationery, as well as on napkins, reception decorations and gift boxes for the guests.

Couples are also planning “888″ weddings – events that take place on August 8, 2008. For the record, that’s a Friday. Friday events are less expensive than Saturday affairs. Couples who are looking to economise on their wedding expenses may find that the August 8 date suits their budget, in addition to being memorable.

Finally, wedding couples are on the hunt for wedding favours that are useful. Sought-after favours include potted plants, seeds and gourmet samplers that offer the guests a special post-event treat. Kardella offers a full line of wedding favours and personalised wedding supplies.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Maternity Bridal Designers Head Straight For White

You’re pregnant, or have been married before, but you still want to wear white? No problem! According to MaternityBride.com, white is the most popular dress colour today for expecting brides. More designer are offering white maternity dresses and many brides are choosing them, breaking with what turns out to be a relatively modern tradition.

For the last 60 years or so, white has been the standard colour choice for brides who had never before married and weren’t pregnant. Second-time brides and those who were expecting were encouraged to choose colours like off-white or even shades of champagne. The standard line was that white symbolised the bride’s virginity, therefore previously married brides, or those who were expecting should not choose white. History tells a different story about the meaning of the white wedding dress, however, and its relatively new emergence on the wedding scene.

At one time, white was an unusual colour for a wedding dress, even in Western European marriages. Queen Victoria’s colour choice of a white dress for her wedding to Albert of Saxe-Coburg in 1840 was rare for the time. In her case, white symbolised wealth and made no statement about purity.

According to bridal industry surveys, nearly half of women who walk up the aisle today are expecting, and bridal designers are just keeping up with the times. If you’re expecting, or have been married before, and want a white wedding dress, go ahead and wear white.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

That Wedding Dress

In an interview with CNBC’s Michael Eisner, wedding dress designer Vera Wang says the most expensive wedding gown she’s ever created was never worn. Wang created a wedding dress for singer and actress Jennifer Lopez, during her engagement to actor Ben Affleck. The wedding was canceled and the dress was never seen in public. Reportedly, Lopez burned the dress. Wang was never paid for the gown. Some reports say that Lopez refused to pay for the dress; others say that Wang offered it at no charge in exchange for the publicity.

Wang, who designed (but did not manufacture) her own wedding dress, is married to Arthur Becker and will celebrate her 20th wedding anniversary in 2009. Wang, who was a 1968 Olympic figure skating hopeful, started designing wedding dresses after being disappointed in the selections available at the time she was planning her own wedding. Wang sketched her own dress and took it to a colleague, who turned the drawing into a dress, reportedly worth $10,000 at the time. Aside from wedding dresses, Wang designed skating costumes for Nancy Kerrigan and Michelle Kwan and outfits for the Philadelphia Eagles’ cheerleading squad. Wang also offers a ready-to-wear line of women’s clothing.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Paying For A Babysitter

If you’re planning a wedding and you’re stuck on whether you should allow children at your event, consider organising a babysitter for guests with younger children. The idea of using a wedding sitter is also appealing to brides who may have small children of their own.

A wedding sitter will attend the reception and provide entertainment, activities that appeal to children and supervision for small guests while their parents enjoy the celebration. While you may believe that guests are responsible for organising their own sitters, some out-of-town guests, mothers of small children, and family members might find it difficult to provide sitting services under these circumstances.

Wedding sitters can normally accommodate six or more children at a time, depending upon the age of the children. Infants and toddlers will require more supervision. Older children may require more engaging activities to ward off boredom.

If you plan to entertain several children at your event, you might consider hiring more than one sitter. The sitter should be given ample room away from the main event to play games, do crafts, or provide activities of interest to children. Provide the sitter with sufficient information about the ages of the children in his or her care, and ask for references and recommendations before hiring a sitter.

By providing sitting services at your reception, you may make your event more enjoyable for all of your guests, including the little ones.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

ING Says UK Couples Postponing and Foregoing Weddings Due To Cost

A growing number of UK couples are postponing wedding plans or foregoing the event altogether due to the rising cost of wedding ceremonies. Financial planner ING Direct says that as many as 102,000 engaged couples in the UK have indefinitely postponed wedding ceremonies, citing their cost as the primary reason for the delay. This number, which represents 15 percent of the country’s engaged couples, has risen from 10 percent over the last 20 years.

Also according to the survey results, 41 percent of respondents indicated that they had exceeded their wedding budgets by an average of £3,700 (AUD$8,000); 14 percent of respondents said their spending choices were driven by a desire to outdo friends and family members’ weddings; and 25 percent said they felt pressured to make certain spending decisions by pictures they viewed in the media.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Reduce The Rising Cost Of Weddings

To anyone who is planning a wedding, the cost is no surprise. If you’ve just gotten engaged, you can reduce the cost of your wedding by taking some simple steps.

To save on invitations, experts recommend shopping online. In addition to finding pre-cut invitations in a number of styles, many printers offer do-it-yourself wedding invitation kits that will reduce the cost of invitations and postage. Kardella offers a full range of wedding invitations, including custom designs, pre-printed invitations and do-it-yourself invitation kits.

To save on gowns, experts also recommend buying online. Online retailers can order gowns at a discount, and some manufacturers will ship gowns to brides directly from the factory, saving hundreds of dollars in the process. Department stores are another source of reduced-cost wedding wear. In addition, bridal shops periodically sell sample gowns at a significantly reduced cost. Buying a used gown is also an option, but one caution here: many used gowns have been altered.

To save money on flowers, choose seasonal bouquets. Using flowers that are readily available to local florists will significantly reduce the cost of having flowers at the wedding. Also consider using a single flower, rather than a full bouquet for bridesmaids and even for the bride. Balloons, candles, and potted plants can also be used as table centrepieces.

To save money on reception food, serve chicken or fish as an entree instead of beef or more expensive seafood. Buffets are also less expensive, since the larger number of food choices mean that guests will consume less of each item.

You can also save money on the wedding cake by ordering a small cake for the cutting ceremony and a sheet cake for dessert. Experts also recommend reducing the number of dessert choices for guests, and frosting cakes with buttercream frosting, rather than rolled fondant.

Finally, brides can also save money on reception costs by holding daytime weddings instead of evening events. Additionally, by scheduling a wedding in the “off-season” brides can also reduce the cost of their event.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Choosing Your Wedding Party

Brides and grooms-to-be usually select their wedding party members early in the planning process. For some, the choices are easy: the wedding wouldn’t be perfect without a sister, brother or best friend as the Maid of Honour or Best Man.

Sometimes, couples have very different views of how large the wedding party should be. The bride may want six bridesmaids, while the groom may only want one or two close friends to stand up for him. Engaged couples will need to negotiate the size of the wedding party.

Once the size of the wedding party is agreed upon, couples must choose the members of the party. Family members and close friends are natural choices. Brides may choose members of the groom’s family to witness the wedding, and vice versa.

It’s important for brides and grooms to remember that their wedding party members are people, and not just props for wedding photographs. Participating in a wedding can be expensive. Wedding party members may have to pay for their dresses and tuxedos, shoes and accessories, hairdressers’ costs, airplane tickets, rental cars and hotel rooms. Engaged couples should be considerate of these expenses and do whatever possible to minimise the cost of participating in a wedding. That may mean being flexible on attire, shoes or accessories; providing accommodations for out-of-town wedding party members; and even assisting with the out-of-pocket expenses, if possible.

The larger the wedding party, the more difficult it will be to manage all of the concerns that are likely to crop up. This, too, should be considered when deciding how large a wedding party should be. Fear of hurting someone’s feelings by not asking him or her to participate should be addressed immediately, before this misgiving inflates the size of the wedding party - and the wedding budget. Engaged couples should also stand firm about wedding party size, and not allow themselves to be unduly influenced to add wedding party members to satisfy the demands of family politics.

Take some time to consider the members of your wedding party before asking them to participate, and have a few potential substitutes in mind, in case one of your first choices must decline your request. Planning ahead when it comes to your wedding party may save some angst in the long run, and make for a more pleasant event.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Celebrities Make Quiet Wedding Plans

Actress Jennifer Love Hewitt is staying mum about her wedding plans with fiancé Ross McCall. She has indicated that the couple will have a low-key wedding with a small, private celebration. The couple met on the set of Love Hewitt’s television programme Ghost Whisperer in January 2006. McCall proposed to Love Hewitt in November 2007. Hewitt admits that they have nothing planned yet. McCall said that they may also decide to marry on the spur-of-the-moment.

Jennifer Love Hewitt is not the only one who is planning a low-key ceremony. Reports published by the New York Post indicate that singer and actress Janet Jackson has accepted a marriage proposal and is planning a quiet ceremony with long-time companion Jermaine Dupri. The singer is reportedly looking at dresses for the event.

The Jackson wedding is something of a surprise, since Ms. Jackson, who has been married twice, said in a recent magazine interview that she may never marry again. In that interview, Jackson cited concerns that her failed marriages were an indication that marriage is not meant for her. Ms. Jackson neither confirmed nor denied the report.

Neither couple have announced a wedding date.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Playing Host At The Wedding

Couples who are being married sometimes forget that they may also be hosting a large party after the ceremony. Most of the couple’s planning efforts are directed toward planning the reception, but planning doesn’t always help couples remember to be gracious hosts!

To make certain that your guests are comfortable at your wedding reception, you’ll need to do some heavy lifting on what is bound to be one of the most stressful days in your life. Start by reviewing the guest list with your soon-to-be spouse in the days prior to the wedding. Talk about the people who are on the guest list and fill your partner in on any pertinent history prior to the wedding. Likewise, ask your partner to do the same for you.

When it comes to picture-taking, if you’ve hired a professional photographer, consider doing all of the portraiture prior to the wedding ceremony. This will reduce the amount of time between the end of the wedding and the start of the reception. If you can’t do this, be sure your guests are offered food and drink while they wait for your arrival. Appoint someone to oversee the assembly in your absence and work with the catering staff to ensure that your guests are comfortable.

Talk to all of your guests. Introduce yourself to people you don’t know and welcome them to your reception. Thank them for taking the time to join in on your special day. The event will go by quickly, so don’t delay in taking care of this responsibility. Visit each guest and converse with them, if only for a moment.

Keep an eye on the service and make sure your guests are being served properly. Food and drink should be replenished as the need dictates. If you can’t manage this task, find a friend who can help make sure the party moves along well.

Talk to your DJ or the band ahead of time about the music you want. Guests will make requests, and that’s to be expected, but make sure that the music is varied enough to engage all of the guests. Also make sure that the sound system isn’t too loud. Small rooms don’t need high volumes! If you’re uncomfortable with the volume, chances are good that your guests are too. Feel free to ask the DJ or the band to adjust the sound level to suit the room.

Say Thank You! Don’t forget to thank your guests for coming to your event. You’ll send a formal, written thank you note when the party’s over, but acknowledge each guest and thank them for the time and effort they spent on your behalf.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Hairstyles For Your Wedding Day

Most brides concentrate on wedding party apparel, and leave hairstyles and makeup to the last minute. If you’re planning a traditional wedding and you have a significant amount of time to plan, one element of your planning should be a consult with a hair stylist.

The stylist can give a professional opinion about the most flattering style for your hair, and can also consult with members of your wedding party. Your hair style should reflect the same style as the rest of your wedding. If you plan a formal affair, your hair should be professionally coiffed before your event.

Consult with your stylist after you have selected your dress. Take photographs of the dress you intend to wear to the consultation. It will be important for the stylist to see the neckline of the dress, the overall length and the colour. You should also take pictures of your bridal party dresses or a swatch of fabric that accurately represents the colour of the gowns.

Your stylist may recommend a new cut, or a different timetable for haircuts between the consult and the wedding, especially if you have a particular style in mind. The stylist may also recommend a different hair colour - if you colour your hair - for the event. You can often find temporary colouring products that will wash out easily, so you won’t need to make any long-term commitments o a hair colour or highlights that you don’t normally have.

Your stylist may be able to recommend a professional makeup artist who can help you choose colours and styles that complement your apparel and hair style choices. If not, you may want to investigate having a professional makeover in the weeks prior to your wedding. Consult your hair stylist first before consenting to a haircut at this stage!

Wedding apparel is only one part of the look you will project on your wedding day. Professionally styled hair and makeup can make a real difference in your appearance, and can give your confidence a real boost when you’ll need it the most!

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Valentines Day Proposal

If your Valentine’s Day celebration this year included a wedding proposal, start planning your wedding. The cost of the average Australian wedding is approaching AUD$40,000, but don’t let that stiff price tag interfere with your wedding plans.

Instead, you should plan, plan, plan! Nothing increases the cost of a wedding like unplanned expenses, so the more thorough your plan is, the less likely you are to be surprised by additional expenses.

Set a budget and stick to it. Creating a wedding budget can take time, and you’ll probably need to make several adjustments along the way. Spend a week or two researching the potential costs, and determine those things that are most important to you. Once you’ve established a preliminary budget, determine whether your calculated costs are within your spending range. If your budget is significantly different than the funds you have available, you’ll need to look at each planned expense in the cold light of day to determine whether you can reasonably afford it, and the impact it - or its absence - will have on your event.

Order your invitations early. Generally, it doesn’t take long to have your invitations printed and delivered, but if this detail is left to the last minute, you could end up with disappointing results. If you have more than a year to plan your big day, consider sending your guests a “save-the-date” card, especially if you plan to wed near a major holiday or at the height of the wedding season. Guests can usually plan around you wedding if they know the date well in advance.

Consult with family and friends who have planned weddings in the past. They can give you a good idea of how much time you should allocate to your search for apparel, catering, photography, flowers and other wedding services. Start looking at wedding planning resources to help you find suppliers, options and ideas that suit your budget.

Planning a wedding can be challenging, but you’ll be most comfortable with an event that fits both your style and budget. Solid planning is the key to making certain that you and your guests enjoy your wedding day.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

2008 Could Be A Colourful Year For Bridal Dresses

If you’re looking for something to make your wedding stand out, consider wearing a colourful wedding dress. This season, the designers have created a flurry of gowns that range from pale blue to fire engine red. Red is certainly a departure from the traditional white wedding gown, and it is a traditional bridal colour in many Asian cultures. It’s also strongly associated with love and passion, so it should be right at home at a wedding.

Shades of red vary from bright red to deep maroon, and are a striking contrast to the traditional white. Red dresses come in a flood of dazzling styles and will guarantee that you will be the center of attention. If you’re considering a red wedding gown, check out the designer collections from Maggie Sottero, Demitrios, Bonny Bridal and Essense of Australia.

Not ready to go all-red? Several designers offer white gowns with red trim or red accents. Especially striking are white dresses with red panel insets in the back or on the skirt. You can also find dresses in a number of other striking colours, if red isn’t your style.

If you want to pass on the traditional white wedding dress, be sure to choose a colour that suits you. The staff at your favourite bridal shop should be able to help you assess the available shades and help you choose one that will let you shine. They can also help you choose complementary colours for your wedding party.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Who should be in the Wedding Receiving Line and Where Should They Stand

The wedding receiving line generally occurs after the wedding ceremony and before the bride and groom depart for the wedding reception. Occasionally, the wedding receiving line will occur at the beginning of the wedding reception as guests enter the venue. The question then becomes; “Who should be in the wedding receiving line and where should they stand?”.

Ultimately, it is up to the couple to decide who they would like to stand with them in their wedding receiving line. However there are some standard guidelines that can help the couple decide who they want in their wedding receiving line as well as where each person should stand.

It is standard practice for the bride and groom to include their parents in their wedding receiving line. In addition, most couples include their wedding party in the receiving line. Some couples will choose to include just their maid of honor and best man, while others will include the entire bridal party. This can be a hassle if the wedding party is very large. In that instance, it would be best to stick to just the maid of honor and best man in addition to the parents and the bride and groom.

The order of the receiving line is also a decision that is ultimately up to the bride and groom. Most couples choose to stand at the very end of the receiving line so that they are the last people that greet their guests. It is common for the parents of the bride and groom to stand next to the newlyweds and then the bridal party stands at the beginning of the wedding receiving line. If the full wedding party is involved, then the first people in line would be the flower girl and ring bearer followed by the groomsmen and bridesmaids and finally the maid of honor and best man.

Deciding who should be in the wedding receiving line and where they should stand should not be one of the more difficult wedding planning decisions. As long as the couple knows beforehand that they would like to have a wedding receiving line, they can alert their parents and bridal party and choose someone to organize the line on the day of the wedding. With these bases covered, the wedding receiving line should go smoothly!

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

After The Wedding Watch Your Spending

Brides-to-be and anxious grooms sweat over the details of their weddings in an effort to remain on budget. At stake is cost of what is likely to be the single most expensive event a couple will plan together. Once the wedding is over, some couples forget their cautious spending. That can cause serious problems later.

Couples need to understand each other’s spending styles and priorities well before the wedding day. If one person likes to spend lavishly on home decor, furniture, clothing, cars, gadgets or entertaining, and the other person likes to be financially conservative, the different spending styles could cause severe financial problems down the road.

Having complementary spending styles may not work so well, either. If both members of the couple enjoy spending for the “finer things in life” financial trouble could appear even faster. To avoid this, couples should plan a few sessions with a financial counselor as part of their wedding planning.

Prior to the wedding, engaged pairs should have a serious discussion about finances, including a disclosure of all income, debts and obligations. Further, the couple should work out an estimated budget, and come to an agreement on how bills will be paid, when they will be paid and who is responsible for paying them. If one member’s debt load is likely to impair a joint credit report, the couple may decide that it is better to keep their obligations separated wherever possible.

In addition to disclosure, budgeting and logistics, the couple should agree upon their spending priorities. Supporting those priorities may mean selling vehicles, cutting up credit cards, or opening new savings and investment accounts.

Money problems, including heavy debts assumed after the marriage, are often at the root of marital unhappiness, and are frequently cited in divorce proceedings as the cause of a breakup. Further, the loss of a job, accident and ill-health can compound money problems, making it exceedingly difficult for one or both partners to remain in the marriage.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Avoid Being Overcome By Stress of Planning A Wedding

Many couples today find the task of planning a wedding to be a daunting task, in the face of competing priorities in their lives. Time, money, and family can all take their tolls on the wedding planning process. Here are a few tips to help you hang onto your sanity while you plan your wedding.

If you intend to plan your own affair, keeping yourself organised will be a high priority. Set up a filing system immediately to help you track quotes, notes, and the status of major elements of your wedding plan. Keeping your documents in order will relieve a great deal of stress. You’ll need to refer to your notes and quotes often during the planning process. If everything is kept together and orderly, your planning will go much more smoothly.

Use the Internet to do research whenever possible. You’ll be able to do product research, locate retailers, read reviews and gather ideas for your event when you have available time. By knowing what you’re looking for and where you’re likely to find it, you can reduce the number of shopping trips you need to make, saving time and money. Internet research can also help you make purchases online for invitations, stationery, and honeymoon travel.

When you announce your engagement, be prepared for an onslaught of well-meaning (and sometimes misguided) advice on wedding planning. The best defence is to know ahead of time the things that mean the most to you and your spouse-to-be. Don’t allow overbearing parents or other family members to start calling the shots on your big day. This issue often arises if one or both sets of parents pay for some or all of a wedding. If you want to call all of the shots on your big day, pay for the event yourself. You’ll reduce the wear-and-tear on yourself and your intended, and feel more comfortable turning down requests (or demands) from family members.

Generally, the more planning you do, the better you’ll feel about your day. Finding the time to devote to planning a wedding can be a challenge for even the most loving couple. If the time is right for you and your intended to take a walk down the aisle, but event planning isn’t your speciality, consider hiring a wedding coordinator to help you manage the details of your event.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Floral Centerpiece Ideas for Your Wedding Reception

Flowers are an integral part of decorating for the wedding ceremony and reception. Many couples choose specific colours and flowers to incorporate into their design. Every table at the wedding reception should include a centerpiece. This gives the table a look of completeness and elegance. Consider these floral centerpiece ideas for your wedding reception.

Over the past several years, topiary designs have become quite popular in floral centerpiece ideas for a wedding reception. Likely, you have seen these topiary designs whether or not you knew what they were called. By definition, a topiary is any plant that is grown and shaped into a geometrical design. A topiary, as it pertains to a wedding is potted and stands tall on the table. The flowers are generally placed together in a round ball and placed at the top of the stalk placed in the pot. The complete design is very elegant.

In direct opposition to the tall topiary floral centerpiece ideas for your wedding, consider much smaller yet just as elegant arrangements. Many couples are choosing to have short, but wide vases or bowls to hold their floral centerpieces at the wedding reception. This allows for a beautiful arrangement, often costs less, and allows guests to be able to see one another over the centerpiece. This is an excellent floral centerpiece idea for your wedding reception, especially if you are on a budget!

Consider the more traditional floral centerpiece ideas for your wedding reception. These are generally beautiful arrangements of flowers in a simple vase or basket. This is a classic option that can be enhanced by using very colourful or out of the ordinary flowers. It is impossible to go wrong with a traditional floral centerpiece idea for your wedding reception.

It is important to remember that a centerpiece does not need to be entirely floral. Many couples choose to add candles and/or mirrors to enhance their floral centerpieces. When choosing from the many options of floral centerpiece ideas for your wedding reception, make sure to look at the florist’s portfolio for the many ideas they can create. Remember, this is your wedding, so make sure that your floral centerpieces are exactly what you want at your wedding reception!

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Dont Cut Wedding Costs Too Close

If you’re planning a wedding, saving money on the event is likely to be a high priority. Some expenses should be carefully considered before they’re submitted to the budget axe.

Flowers: If you want to save money on flowers, the best approach is to budget for reception flowers. Save the flower budget for the location in which your guests will spend the most time. It is possible to move flowers from the wedding site to the reception, but that does add logistical details (and stress!) to the move. If you have your ceremony and reception at one site, you can stretch your flower budget farther. Also, when choosing flowers, look more at colours than specific species. The more stringent your requirements are, the more you’ll spend on flowers.

Catering: Some current advice making the rounds is to tell the caterer that you’re planning a party, instead of a wedding reception. Some folks have noticed that a wedding reception is more expensive. Some caterers have good reason to up the bill when it comes to wedding receptions: they’re more work! Caterers, who often provide the table linens, silverware and food tables in addition to the food, use different equipment to support a wedding. Likewise, the catering staff is responsible for cutting and distributing the cake. If you’re not up-front with the caterer about the type of “party” you’re planning, you may end up with less-than-spectactular reception services, and a caterer who’s caught flat-footed when it comes time to decorate the tables, open the champagne, and provide for the cake-cutting.

Music: Also making the rounds is advice to skip the DJ and load music onto an MP3 player instead. While this will certainly save money, the DJ often functions as the Master of Ceremony for the wedding. He or she keeps the guests entertained, and chooses music based upon the reception crowd. Constant fumbling with an MP3 player, using a poor sound system, and not having someone running the show can leave guests confused about what’s going on, and irritated. It can also make song requests a nightmare. If you plan to go the MP3 route, designate someone to be in charge of the device, and make sure they understand how to operate it.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Wedding Traditions to Incorporate into your Wedding

Every different religion and every different culture have their own wedding traditions. It is important that we try to incorporate these into the wedding ceremony and reception if they are important to our heritage. However, there are certain wedding traditions that are being used all over the world and these can easily be part of any wedding.

Consider the wedding tradition of the bridal bouquet. When the bridal bouquet was first used, it was actually a selection of herbs that were meant to ward off evil spirits. The tradition of tossing the bridal bouquet came much later when in England; it was considered lucky to rip off a piece of the bride’s clothing. The bride would throw the bouquet as a distraction while she ran away. Today, this wedding tradition holds a different meaning. Most people believe that all of the unmarried women should stand behind the bride as she tosses the bouquet and the lucky woman to catch it will be the next woman to marry. This is one of those wedding traditions that is most often used.

Another one of the more popular wedding traditions is the wedding cake. The couple cuts the cake together with the groom’s hand over the bride’s hand and they each serve the cake to the other. This is also a very old tradition that has evolved into what we know and use today. In older days, the bride would cut the cake alone and serve it to her new family signifying her loyalty to them. Now, this tradition is used to signify unity between the couple. Many couples keep the top layer of their wedding cake, freeze it, and eat it on their one year anniversary. This is one of the most beautiful wedding traditions.

Dancing is a wedding tradition that every religion and culture embraces. Whether it is a special dance for everyone to enjoy or simply the first dance between the newlyweds, dancing should be one of those wedding traditions that is incorporated into every wedding. Popular dancing traditions include the first dance between the bride and groom, a dance between the bride and her father as well as the groom and his mother, and a dance with all of the bridal party. Each of these dances is special and the couple can choose songs that have meaning to make this wedding tradition even more personal.

Regardless of which wedding traditions you choose to incorporate into your wedding, it should be special to you and your beloved. Wedding traditions will make your wedding that much more memorable and special to you and your friends and family!

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Trends For 2008 Weddings

If you plan to get married in 2008, the WeddingChannel.com has released its list of celebrity-inspired trends for 2008. According to the site, expect dresses to be ultra-feminine, with plenty of flowers and tiers. This move is inspired by last summer’s storybook wedding of actress Eva Longoria and NBA star Tony Parker. The WeddingChannel.com points to plenty of designs from the 2008 Spring runway shows that feature the feminine look.

Location, location, location! Brides continue to choose unique locations for their affairs, including historic train stations of all places!

Headliners at the reception continue to be big in 2008. In a trend spotted in 2007, brides are looking for name acts to spice up their receptions. Several talent firms now specialise in placing well-known artists at the wedding receptions of the well-to-do. Brides looking to make a celebrity splash with the menu instead are seeking top-drawer chefs to prepare a sumptuous meal for their guests.

Couples are also turning to charity registries instead of gift registries. Couples indicate which charities they’d like donations directed to and guests supply donations instead of gifts to the happy couple. If you plan to go the charity route, indicate your preferences on your wedding Web site, or ask your bridal party to spread the word.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Should We Have a Prenuptial Agreement

The majority of couples do not have a prenuptial agreement, but it is always something that a couple should consider prior to getting married. Unfortunately, there is a certain stigma associated with the prenuptial agreement that the couple is distrustful of one another. This is definitely not always the case. A prenuptial agreement is meant to safeguard the assets of one or both people in case the couple chooses to divorce. No couple wants to think that they will someday divorce, but in this day and age, divorce does occur often. Should you have a prenuptial agreement?

The majority of couples do not have a prenuptial agreement because neither person is bringing a lot of assets into the marriage. Yes, one person may own a house or have money in the bank, but chances are that these assets are not enough to warrant signing a prenuptial agreement.

A prenuptial agreement is practically essential when either the bride or groom or both people are bringing significant assets into the marriage. These assets may include real estate, stocks, money, and other valuable items. In addition, a future inheritance may be included in the prenuptial agreement if either the bride or groom stands to inherit a significant amount of money or property.

Why should you have a prenuptial agreement? The prenuptial agreement is a form of protection. When a couple’s relationship ends in divorce, it may not end amicably. This can lead to either person vying for the other’s money and assets that were brought into the marriage. Unfortunately, some marriages are actually based on one party marrying just for the money. This can be devastating when a marriage ends. A prenuptial agreement can help to alleviate some of the legal matters and keep assets where they belong.

Essentially, you should have a prenuptial agreement if you have something that you want protected. For instance, you have inherited your grandmother’s home and you want to make sure it stays in the family. If you do end up divorced, your partner may be entitled to a portion of that home if you did not sign a prenuptial agreement. This can force you to have to pay them for their portion of the home or to sell the home in order to give them the money equivalent of their portion of the home. So, if you have assets that you want to protect in the event that you do end your marriage, then absolutely get a prenuptial agreement!

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Important Questions to Ask when Choosing a Potential Wedding Photographer

The wedding photographer is likely going to be one of the biggest decisions made during wedding planning. This is not only because every couple wants to have the perfect pictures to remember their wedding day, but also because wedding photographers tend to be very expensive. Since these photographs are so important, it is necessary to be armed with these important questions to ask all potential wedding photographers.

Prior to even making an appointment with a potential wedding photographer, check out their web site and see their style of photography. Many photographers will be able to work within the style that the couple chooses, but some are limited by their equipment or experience. If there is no web site, then chances are that the photographer is not an experienced wedding photographer. This is an important consideration before spending the money on hiring a wedding photographer.

When the time comes to sit down and talk with a potential wedding photographer, it is important to ask about their experience. How long has he been in business? Approximately how many weddings has he photographed? Can he provide references from past clients? Of course, it is absolute necessity to ask every potential wedding photographer to view their portfolio. The portfolio will contain some of their best work and some photographers will even show an entire wedding from start to finish, whether the pictures are their best or not. It is important to remember that every single picture is not going to be worthy of framing and hanging on the wall.

The next set of questions to ask the potential wedding photographer is about the equipment they use when photographing a wedding. What format do they use? Is it still film, digital, or both? Can they provide for special requests such as black and white photographs, sepia toned photographs and special touch-ups for certain pictures? Does the photographer have his own lighting? Can the photographer retouch photographs to fix blemishes and other such small problems? It is important to ask these questions of every potential photographer in order to find the one that best suits your needs.

Finally, once these details have been figured out and the photographer meets your needs, it is time to discuss the contract. How much will the photographer charge? How many hours does that include on the day of your wedding? Does he include printed photographs within that price? Does he put together the wedding album? Will he retain the rights to the photographs or will he provide either the negatives or a disc in order for you to make your own copies? All of these questions are important to ask a potential wedding photographer to ensure that you have your needs met while still maintaining your budget.

Each and every one of these questions is important to ask a potential photographer. This is the one day you will have to remember for the rest of your life and it should be captured with photographs that fulfill your desires. There is too much money involved to end up hiring a photographer that does not meet your standards. So, be picky, and ask all potential wedding photographers these important questions!

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Borrowing For The Big Day

“Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.” These days, more brides are finding that the “borrowed” item is money. Wedding loans are becoming more common as the cost of a formal wedding soars. Should you borrow to cover the cost of your big day?

Most experts say no. Borrowing should be reserved for big-ticket items that will leave you with some residual value. Borrowing for a home or for a college education? Good. Borrowing for a wedding or a vacation? Not so much.

Although a $30,000 - $40,000 price tag can be daunting, that cost will balloon when you consider the interest you’ll pay to finance your wedding. Instead, scale back your plans to fit what you can realistically afford. Look for ways to cut corners on the high-dollar expenses. This includes your wedding dress; food and alcohol at the reception; venues that require you to use in-house catering; bartending services or entertainment. Don’t feel pressured to have flowers at the wedding and reception if you can’t afford them. Likewise, don’t buy into “tradition” if it’s going to blow the budget.

The best approach is to prioritise the elements of your wedding. Determine the things that are most important to you and fund those first. Later, if you find you have leftover money, you can add elements that are lower on the list.

Weddings can be both beautiful and fun without being over-the-top in terms of cost. Your wedding is a celebration of your love for one another. It’s not a challenge to outdo the weddings you’ve attended in the past, and it’s not meant to set the bar for future events.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Blending Families

Today, it is not uncommon for a bride, groom or both to have children from a previous relationship. In a wedding ceremony, these children are sometimes left out of the wedding, which may cause resentment and hurt feelings later. A new approach to ceremonies may help resolve some of those problems before they appear.

More frequently, couples with children from previous relationships are holding “family medallion” ceremonies as part of the wedding ceremony. A “family medallion” ceremony allows the entire family to acknowledge their commitments to each other, and to enable the bride or groom to take on the new role of step-parent publicly.

After the bride and groom exchange rings, the children are asked to come forward. The celebrant says a few words about the importance of family. The couple then exchange “vows” with the children, promising to love and support them as they grow up. Each child is presented with a “family medallion” in the form of a necklace, pin or ring made of gold or silver that features three symbolic rings. The “family medallion” ceremony takes about five minutes and is non-denominational. It can also be included as part of a civil ceremony.

Jewellers are beginning to craft jewellery for just such an occasion. If you’re planning a wedding and are looking for a way to include your children or those of your spouse-to-be, consider a family medallion ceremony or something similar as part of your wedding plans.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

What to Expect from a Wedding Florist

It is very important to choose a wedding florist that meets your expectations. Every couple will have different needs and desires from their chosen florist, so it is important to meet with several potential florists prior to signing a contract. These are the basics that you can expect from any decent wedding florist.

You can expect to meet with a wedding florist and discuss designs and view a portfolio. A portfolio should be made available to see exactly what the florist is capable of creating. You will need to have some information prepared prior to your meeting. This should include the number of bouquets, boutonnieres, centerpieces, and any other floral decorations needed for the ceremony and reception space. You should also have an idea of what your budget will allow for your flowers.

In addition, you can expect your wedding florist to work within your budget and provide an estimate for all of your floral needs. This will be based on the size of the floral arrangements as well as the specific flowers that are used. In season flowers are going to be much less expensive than those that need to be flown in. It should be expected that the wedding florist will accurately price all arrangements at a fair price. It should also be expected that the wedding florist will want a deposit prior to beginning any work or ordering flowers.

The day of the wedding brings a whole new set of expectations from the wedding florist. The couple can expect that the wedding florist will deliver all of the floral arrangements to the proper places. This means delivering flowers to the ceremony and reception sites. The florist should also deliver the bouquets and boutonnieres to wherever the bride and groom will have their pictures taken before the wedding.

Above all else, the bride and groom should expect excellent service from their wedding florist. Wedding planning is a long process and the couple should feel comfortable with their chosen wedding vendors. This can be accomplished by having reasonable expectations for your vendors. This means that you can reasonably expect your wedding florist to provide a portfolio, offer design suggestions, give detailed pricing, and offer delivery service on the day of the wedding!

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Latest Trend In Wedding Receptions

More couples who are planning their weddings are beginning to add a little sizzle to the reception. It’s not unusual to find couples who want to spend extra money to book a celebrity, or unusual entertainment for their reception guests.

Brides are looking for something that’s unusual without being over-the-top. Strolling musicians, professional entertainers, celebrity look-alikes, dance troupes, drag queens, magicians, comedians and other entertainers are making regular appearances at wedding receptions to provide a little out-of-the-ordinary entertainment for the wedding guests.

Overall, guests are welcoming the change because it adds a little levity to an otherwise ordinary reception. Brides who are looking to add a little sizzle to the reception should consider the space they have available, the guest list and the budget before signing up for professional entertainment.

Talent agencies and management companies should be able to help brides who are looking for reception entertainment. Adding live entertainment to the wedding won’t come cheap, but it may make for a very memorable reception.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Serious Business: University Offers Course In Wedding Planning

George Mason University, in Fairfax, VA, now offers university coursework in Crisis Management and Event Planning. The majority of students who take the class are planning their own weddings, or intend to plan weddings professionally.

Professor Maggie Daniels, who said she had to fight to get the course offered for the first time in 2005, teaches the course. To run the class, she needed 10 students to sign up. She got seventy. This semester, the class has 100 students and the course covers not only the business end of event management, but also how to deal with the inevitable crises that arise, no matter how well an event is planned.

Professor Daniels has written her own textbook on wedding planning. Each class brings something new and unexpected, from working within a small budget to solving last-minute crises. The students’ final project is a 100-150 page group plan for an imaginary wedding.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Including Children In The Wedding Party

Brides often struggle with the question of including children in the wedding party. A small child is often pressed into service as a flower girl or ring bearer, but there are a few caveats to consider before enlisting the assistance of a child.

Children have very short attention spans, and lose interest in the events around them quickly. If your ceremony will be long, you may want to think twice before asking a child to participate. If you decide to go ahead with including a child, make sure their part can be executed at the beginning of the wedding ceremony. Allow them to rejoin their parents or other guests with whom they’re familiar immediately following their part of the ceremony.

Children often speak their minds, regardless of the circumstances or how thoroughly they’ve been coached to do otherwise. They also have a hard time understanding that at a wedding, they’re not really the center of attention. While they may relish their walk up the aisle, they may not be so quick to step to the side when their work is finished.

Children are easily excitable and not so easily calmed down. Participating in a wedding can be furiously exciting to a child. The child participant may not have been able to sleep well the night before, or may simply be overwhelmed by the enormity of the event. If other children are present, they may all get caught up in the excitement, making it difficult to bring order to a group of newly discovered playmates.

When you’re planning your wedding party, you’ll need to weigh the importance of having a child in the party with the circumstances of the wedding, the limitations of the wedding venue and the abilities of the individual child to follow directions and remain calm during the ceremony.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Superman Returns Star Marries

Actor Brandon Routh, best known for his role as Superman in the movie Superman Returns, was married to his long-time girlfriend, Courtney Ford on November 24, 2007. The pair were married at the El Capitan Ranch, in Santa Barbara, California at the home of Superman Returns director, Jon Peters.

Ms. Ford wore a Junko Yoshioka dress with Chantilly lace and platinum beadwork. Mr. Routh wore a cashmere suit. Ms. Ford’s wedding ring and diamond earrings were both designed by Neil Lane.

The pair met four years ago at a wedding rehearsal for the bride’s brother. At the time, Mr. Roush was working as a bartender. Ms. Ford has had minor roles in the motion picture Outside, and has made appearances on the television programmes “Ugly Betty” and “Moesha.”

The couple were engaged last year in Europe while Mr. Roush was on a publicity tour for Superman Returns. Mr. Roush has been cast in a new movie entitled “The Informers” and will reprise his role as Superman in the next year or so.

Keywords: Wedding News, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Leaving The Reception

Traditionally, a bride changed from her wedding gown into a suit or dress for travel at the end of the reception. While some brides choose to honour this tradition, more often, brides will leave their reception wearing their wedding dresses.

Changing from a wedding dress to another outfit was a popular choice when brides left their reception to begin their honeymoon. Especially if travel was involved, the bride would find getting on a plane or train awkward. As a result, many brides chose to bring a suit or a travel dress to the wedding.

There’s no requirement that you change out of your wedding dress at the reception. Some brides prefer not to walk around in their wedding dress, since a dress can be rather heavy, especially if it is covered in beadwork.

The reception is also the place where a wedding dress is most likely to acquire stains from food or drink spills, or dirt from the floors. Under these circumstances, if the dress is an antique, or the bride would like to preserve the gown, changing into a lighter suit or dress is a wonderful alternative.

If you choose a second dress for your reception, there’s no need to go overboard on the expense. A simple outfit can be as lovely and attractive as a traditional wedding dress. It may also be more comfortable to wear when circulating among the guests, and while dancing.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

The Truth about Wedding Kisses

There is a movie starring Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler called “The Wedding Singer.” In this movie, they discuss what is appropriate for kissing at the altar. While this is going to be a very passionate moment, it is also a moment that is shared with family and friends. They finally decide that the kiss must be passionate with what they call “church tongue.” Until you have either seen this movie or read an article such as this, this may not have even occurred to you. However, it is important to discuss with your partner what you deem appropriate for your wedding kisses.

You have just become husband and wife and it is time to “kiss the bride.” This moment is one that can never be repeated. It should be passionate, but there should be no making out in front of your friends and family. Consider Drew Barrymore’s “church tongue.” These wedding kisses are passionate but slightly reserved. The couple should feel free to embrace one another and there is little limit to how long the kiss should linger. Just as much as the couple should not kiss for too long, the kiss should not be too short either. Enjoy the moment but remember that people are watching! Wedding kisses are an endearing sight to behold.

The wedding kisses do not end at the altar. Once the bride and groom enter the wedding reception, they will be subjected to a common wedding tradition involving wedding kisses. Any time a wedding guest chooses, he or she can use their silverware to tap their drink glass. Whenever the couple hears this beautiful tinkling sound, they must kiss for the crowd. There is no protocol for these wedding kisses, however by the end of the night the couple may have tired lips that make the bride and groom keep their kisses short!

Wedding kisses are a subject that should be discussed prior to the wedding day. This is one of the most fun aspects of wedding planning and practicing those wedding kisses is going to be a great stress relief from all that wedding planning!

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Hurry Up Weddings

Typically, a western-style wedding takes months to plan, partially due to the high costs associated with it. In practical terms, if you plan to have the trappings of a traditional wedding, you should expect to spend minimally six months in the planning stages.

As always, start with the venue for the reception. If you can book a reception venue, you can have it pull double-duty for the wedding if you can’t find a place to have your wedding.

Venues book fast for weddings, and many are booked solid months in advance. If you’re stuck for a venue, check wedding chapels, country clubs, public parks, private gardens, university buildings and other non-traditional wedding venues.

If you plan to have a reception, locate a caterer quickly. If your reception will be small, look at booking a restaurant for a private party. Hotels often have smaller rooms and on-site catering services that can accommodate a short timetable. Also talk to the caterer about a wedding cake, if you intend to have one. If the caterer cannot provide one, he or she can direct you to a confectioner that can.

Wedding dresses and bridesmaids dresses take anywhere from eight to twelve weeks to arrive once they’re ordered. They can be acquired sooner, if the bridal shop is willing to rush order. You should expect to pay additional charges, however, if you need your gown in less than eight weeks. To minimize this cost, look for a used wedding dress or allow your bridesmaids to shop at regular retailers for their dresses, or at bridal shops that have dresses in stock.

Invitations can be delivered quickly, and can be rush-ordered when necessary. If you’re in a hurry for your invitations, consult directly with the printer to determine the best way to get your invitations quickly. You’ll need to leave at least four weeks for mailing and responses, so handle the invitation details quickly!

In the weeks before the wedding, you’ll need to create a bridal registry, book a photographer (if you plan to have the wedding photographed), and organise a honeymoon. Creating a registry is time-consuming, but you should have yours completed by the time the invitations are mailed. If you cannot find a photographer or don’t plan to have the wedding professionally photographed, you can still have a studio portrait made prior to (or after) the wedding. A travel agent can help with the honeymoon details and can often find good last-minute deals on travel and accommodations.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Simplifying Your Wedding Plan

The cost for the average Australian wedding approaches $40,000, so it’s no surprise that couples are looking high and low for ways to save on the tab. If you are planning a wedding and haven’t done so yet, make a budget! Read more about simplifying your wedding plan

Registering For Gifts

When planning a wedding, brides often wonder how far in advance they should create their gift registries, what should go on the gift list and where they should register.

Make your gift registries at least six months in advance of the wedding. This will give you time to consider your gift suggestions, and will also allow enough time for you to add suggestions to the registry that you may have overlooked or missed on your first pass.

Minimally, make registries at two different stores and consider making three registries. Don’t duplicate items on the registries unless you’re deliberately asking for more than one of the registered items. Make sure one of your registries is at a national store. Online registries are a must in the Internet age.

Determine ahead of time where you would like your gifts shipped, and check each shipment when it arrives for damage. Also make sure the order was correctly fulfilled. This is a great opportunity to get a jump on thank you notes. Acknowledge to the sender that his or her gift was received.

Consider your requests carefully. Don’t ask for what you don’t need, or can’t store. Keep this in mind when you’re registering. Will you be able to store everything you’ve asked for on your registry? If not, don’t ask for it!

Don’t feel compelled to ask for gifts that aren’t your style. If you don’t foresee a need for crystal, china, and silverware, don’t ask for it. On the other hand, consider asking for “seasonal” items like holiday decorations and linens that you may need or want if you’re just setting up a household.

Make gift suggestions in a range of expenses. This will help your guests give according to their budgets and tastes. Also, make sure you have a sufficient number of gift suggestions on your registry.

If you are comfortable doing so, give your guests the option of donating to your favorite charity. This is a nice route for couples who have already established a household, or who are financially well situated.

Finally, let your guests know where you are registered. You can do this by word-of-mouth or by a small inclusion in your wedding invitation. Encourage your guests to ship their gifts to you prior to the ceremony to avoid transportation problems after the wedding.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Planning A Wedding? Think About Wedding Insurance

With the cost of the average Australian wedding approaching $40,000, some couples are not leaving much to chance. Wedding insurance, a relatively new phenomenon here, is catching the attention of brides-to-be who are putting down thousands of dollars on dresses, venues and food. With wedding budgets easily in the five-figure range, couples are left to hope that nothing goes wrong.

Wedding insurance will cover a number of disasters, including the replacement cost of a product or service if the vendor cannot perform according to the contract. If the reception venue burns down three days before the wedding, for example, insurance would cover the cost of organising a new location. Likewise, if a dress shop goes out of business having accepted a deposit, and before the dress is delivered, the cost of a replacement dress would be covered.

Some policies will cover the cost of rescheduling if the weather is not cooperative for an outdoor event. Likewise, if illness or death interferes with the event in some way, most policies will cover the costs associated with canceling the event or rescheduling the wedding for a later date.

Wedding insurance would not cover cancellations on the part of the bride or groom, however. In the absence of illness, injury or some other circumstance that makes it impractical or impossible for the wedding to go forward, if either party deliberately walks away from the event, the insurance will not cover the loss to either party. In other words, if circumstances conspire against your wedding, you’re covered, but if you get cold feet, you’re on your own.

Several major Australian insurers are now writing wedding insurance policies or are considering adding wedding insurance as a product. Currently, the cost of a policy starts at about $250.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Keeping Floral Costs Down

The cost of fresh flowers will make a significant impact on your wedding budget. If you’re watching your pennies carefully, but still want to have beautiful fresh flowers at your event, consider your choices carefully.

Choose flowers that will be in season at the time of your wedding. This seems obvious, but many brides fall in love with the sample photos and never consider availability. Florists can import flowers virtually year-round, but imported flowers will cost much more than seasonal ones.

Choose natural colours. Exotic flowers or not-so-exotic florals in unusual colours will push your flower bill up. Always be realistic about the cost of things. If exotic colours or varieties exceed your budget, ask your florist if there is something similar in colour or appearance that will go a bit easier on your funds.

Focus your flower budget on your reception, instead of on your wedding venue. Your guests will be at your wedding venue an hour or less, but will be at your reception for several hours. It makes sense to spend the majority of your floral budget on your reception site.

Look at your reception site carefully. There are likely to be a few spots where flowers can be concentrated with great effect. If you want floral centerpieces, consider putting one or two flowers in a bud vase, or floating fresh florals in a small dish at each table. You could also alternate floral and non-floral centerpieces at the reception tables.

Use simple, local flowers for your bouquet. Consider carrying a single flower, or passing up on a bouquet altogether. They can be difficult to manage during the ceremony, and your bouquet won’t see much action during the reception, unless you plan to throw it. Throwing a large, unbalanced bouquet doesn’t work very well, especially when you can’t see what you’re doing! If you want to toss a bouquet, make up a small floral arrangement for the bouquet toss.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

The Appeal Of Simplicity

With the average wedding cost now hovering around $40,000, it’s no wonder that the emerging trend is simplicity.

Weddings have become very elaborate affairs, due in some part to the lavish, public weddings of many celebrities. Many couples are waiting to marry until they’re more established financially, and can spend more freely on weddings.

Even with the extra resources, some couples are opting for a return to simpler weddings, with fewer of the trappings of larger affairs.

If a simple wedding appeals to you, start by trimming your guest list. Invite only close family members and friends. For those not invited to the wedding, send a simple wedding announcement after the ceremony has occurred.

Choose a smaller, more intimate location for your wedding. A very elegant wedding can be planned in a private garden or home. Cut the size of the bridal party and have only a maid of honour and a best man.

A morning wedding followed by a brunch reception can keep your event simple.

Another emerging trend in weddings is a late-night affair. A moonlit wedding under the stars, followed by a strolling dinner reception for 30 or 40 friends and family can restore the simplicity to your event. Place a few fresh flowers or scatter flower petals on the tables as centerpieces. If you’re going to provide alcohol, limit it to wine or champagne and other light refreshments.

For small venues, organise a string quartet to play during dinner. Hire a comedian or a magician to provide light entertainment for your guests, and shorten the length of the reception to no more than a few hours.

There’s something inherently lovely about simplicity. After attending many all-out affairs, your guests may appreciate a simple, intimate gathering.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Wedding Colours For 2008

The newest colours for 2008 weddings are yellow and silver. Yellow made a big splash on the runways for the 2008 bridal collections, so expect to see plenty of it in the coming months. Yellow makes a great addition to a daytime wedding, and can easily blend with darker colours for an evening affair. Yellow also plays well with white, so don’t be shy about dressing up your dress with a little yellow.

Silver, which has been catching a lot of attention in the past year, is still showing off. Silver bridal gowns, gowns trimmed in silver, and silver accents make a dazzling statement at any wedding. If you’re not adventurous enough for silver, consider it as a colour for your bridesmaids. Silver makes nice with white, but don’t go too far with it if you’re not aiming to look like a Hollywood starlet. Paired with sequins or rhinestones, silver is definitely a stand-out at any wedding.

Get ready for a colour-shock! Jewel-tone colours are on the runways again, ready to liven up any wedding. If you’re not going for shock value, you can settle down these hearty hues with pastels and creams. Paired with silver or rhinestones, these colours will let your bridesmaids really stand out.

If none of these trends appeal to you, don’t worry. Bridal designers always have many traditional styles and colours available for the not-so-adventurous-at-heart.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Planning A Wedding Part III

As you move into the three to four months immediately before your wedding, your advance planning will start to pay off. Mail out the invitations, giving your guests ample time to respond. You’ll need to supply the caterer with estimated counts – although the actual guest count won’t be needed until just few days before the event, schedule dress fittings for yourself and your bridesmaids, purchase shoes, organise seating charts for the reception, make sure the remaining deposits are paid, and handle the small details. If your planning becomes too overwhelming, ask your maid of honour or a member of your family to help out.

Now is also a great time to discuss a hens’ night, if your bridesmaids want to plan one for you. Have your celebration a few weeks in advance of the wedding, since the last days before your event will be filled to the brim with taking care of last minute details and spending time with family and friends.

As your wedding day approaches, remember to eat healthy meals, take time to relax and get plenty of rest! If your planning has been solid, you should be able to find opportunities to rest and relax. Consider taking a weekend off now and then to grab some extra down-time.

Schedule a final fitting for your dress about a week prior to the wedding. Verify that all deposits have been paid and that your bridesmaids have everything taken care of. Make sure your groom and groomsmen have all of their tuxedos ordered and paid for.

Supply the venue and caterer with final guest counts within a few days of the event. If you plan to have a rehearsal dinner or a groom’s dinner, plan those now. Reserve a restaurant or make plans for something more intimate at your home or someone else’s. Really take care with this one: on the day before the wedding, another dinner to plan and provide for can be too much. Strongly consider making reservations at a nice restaurant for this one.

Remember, the more planning you do and the more details you take care of early in the process, the smoother your event will go.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Planning A Wedding Part II

After your venue is booked, get to work on finding your dress. Wedding dresses can take months to be delivered and properly fitted, so don’t let this task wait until the last minute. Give a minimum of twelve weeks from the time you order for the dress to be received, then plan for fittings on top of that. Be sure your bridesmaids get fitted for their gowns early as well.

Finalise your guest list and send save-the-date cards as soon as possible after your venue is booked. You can order your invitations, bomboniere boxes and thank you notes at the same time. Remember, you’ll need to provide about 3 months for mailing the invitations and receiving your guests’ response cards, so don’t wait to order them.

Put your man to work researching a honeymoon. Before you turn him loose, have a discussion about the kind of honeymoon you want. You may have sunbathing on an exotic beach or visiting Paris in mind while he’s booking a two-week sport fishing excursion. If you’re travelling abroad, leave at least four to six months to get passports, if you don’t already have them. Don’t wait to get those credentials.

Have your man organise your wedding day transportation, if you plan to do something special. As with the honeymoon, either have a discussion beforehand so you each know the other’s expectations (and budget!), or be prepared to live with your man’s touch on this one.

Finally, get tuxedos for the groom and groomsmen organised - another great task for the guys. Just provide budgetary and fashion guidance on what you’re expecting. These “man-tasks” should be done with about six months’ lead time.

Also give about six months notice for your florist. Order your flowers well in advance of the ceremony, whether you’re going with fresh or artificial. Purchase your rings and have them sized. Jewellers can work quickly, but this is one of those tasks that you can do early and get out of the way. Also, if you buy your rings early, you won’t be tempted to skimp on them when you’re up to your elbows in wedding bills.

Also on your “six-month list” should be organising a DJ or live band. Six months will give you adequate time to audition bands or find a DJ who complements the style of your reception. If you plan to do your own music, start putting together your own playlists. This is a deceptively time-consuming task that will quickly overwhelm you if you put it off until the last minute.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to:

Planning A Wedding Part I

If you’ve just become engaged and your wedding is 6 months to a year (or more) away, how soon should you begin planning? It’s never too early to start planning, but the more early planning you do, the smoother your event will be. Establish a timetable early on for your event, and you’ll save yourself a lot of stress and anxiety as your big day approaches.

If you intend to have a large wedding, you’ll need to extend your planning time. You can’t pull off a big event on short notice. Once you’re engaged and have a wedding date, immediately decide what kind of wedding you would like and how large it should be. If you’re paying for the wedding yourself, your resources will be the most likely determinant of how many people you can invite. If you’re receiving help from family, have an honest conversation about what you would like and what the available resources will bear. You may have to modify your dream wedding to fit into reality.

Once you know how much you have to work with and how large your party will be, begin searching for the major components of your wedding. That includes the wedding venue, the catering, flowers, music, cakes, invitations, favours and other stationery, transportation, photography, and wedding attire. Book your venue first. It will help if you can be flexible about your wedding date as you look for a venue. Sometimes, weddings are booked as much as two years in advance, so don’t be surprised if your date isn’t available for your chosen venue. Saturday evenings book fast. Booking the venue is the only critical task you’ll have right out of the gate, as long as you have at least six to nine months’ lead time.

Many small details are taken care of now because you will not have time to take care of them later. Before the heat gets turned up, organise your gift registries. Get your cake ordered sooner rather than later. Weddings tend to fill up a baker’s weekends, and they can only produce so many cakes at one time. This is actually a fun job. You may find yourself sorting through some delicious samples.

I’ll continue to look at the planning process in a future post.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding

Add to: