Simple Stunning Weddings

The three biggest trends in weddings today are simplicity, personalization, and color. Wedding design expert Karen Bussen highlights these elements as she shows couples how to design their own weddings without going crazy or broke.

Simple Stunning Weddings is the first wedding design book to focus on the where of the wedding. Location is the first and most important decision brides and grooms must make: everything else flows from that. Bussen showcases 12 popular wedding settings, including the city loft, country inn, art gallery, botanic garden, and private club, and demonstrates how to make them extraordinary. With the site as the starting point, she creates unifying themes with color, flowers, and personal touches. She explains how to deal with vendors, how to spend the wedding budget, and when it makes sense to hire a specialist.

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Wedding Planning Checklist

One of the first things you should do once you decide you are getting married is to create a wedding planning checklist of all the things that you think are necessary to create a smooth running event where all your needs will be met.

You will be quite surprised as you start writing out your checklist how it will grow and grow over the weeks and months as you move towards your wedding and getting additional input from your partner and other people will help you realize everything that is required.

Rather than trying to go into too much detail right from the start it is best to begin your checklist with the most important items and then go into more depth on your list as you think more and more about those items.

So you would start your list of the basic headings of: dress, flowers, reception, guests.

Then under each of these headings you would go into more detail so that under a heading such as dress you would list your wedding dress, your bridesmaid’s dresses and possibly even your mother and mother-in-law’s dresses as they will be in the wedding photos and will need to coordinate their clothes with yours for the best photo results.

Then you would start listing the various different places you need to investigate to get your dress sorted and that might include getting wedding magazines, contacting dressmaker’s, going to wedding dress shops and trying on the various dresses and so on.

Then you drill down even further in these lists and write down prices of the various solutions that you have found.

As you can see the list will grow bigger and bigger until you find every solution that suits your needs.

You can then create another list of items that have been solved and these can be checked off as they are implemented; for instance the second list might have the date where you will get your dress fitting, the name address and phone number of the dressmaker and other such details that you will need at hand at all times.

By staying well-organized at all times and keeping all these details in one place you will find that the time leading up to your wedding will be a lot less stressful and quite possibly less expensive.

Rose Topiary Wedding Centerpieces

Romance is in bloom! These beautiful bouquets of ivory roses make perfect centerpieces or aisle markers. Not only will this serve as a centerpiece or an accent to embellish your wedding reception, but this will be a keepsake that will always stay fresh and never fade.

Fabric roses with terra-cotta pot. Pot 3 1/2″ diameter x 11 1/2″ high. Set of 8.

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Wedding Emergency Kits

Having a little bag that you can carry (or have someone in the bridal party carry) with you throughout the wedding day can keep you from worrying about things that may happen, and dealing with them when they do.

Medicine

Although everyone is feeling wonderful on the wedding day, it’s amazing what a few nerves can do to the body. Headaches, upset stomachs, and dizziness can all rear their ugly heads right when you are feeling the most pressure.

And that’s not just the couple.

You may want to keep on hand a few things to keep everyone feeling good, or at least keep them upright throughout the ceremony. A chewable or liquid antacid is a great way to calm any nervous stomachs. Crackers and ginger ale are good though too. For headaches, you can keep some acetaminophen on hand. This is usually gentler on the stomach than ibuprofen, and can be taken without food.

If the bride or bridesmaids should feel dizzy, then have them immediately sit down. Dizziness can be caused by a lot of things—low blood sugar, nerves, and more serious conditions. If the bride or groom should faint, smelling salts can help to revive them.

Bandaids are good for sore feet stuck in shoes that are too tight or that rub.

Beauty fixes

For the women, you may want to have a few beauty tools to keep everyone looking their best. Spare lip gloss and balm are good to keep the lips looking good. A translucent face powder will keep the nose and forehead from shining. Always keep a small bottle of clear nail polish as well. This is good for fixing rhinestones that have fallen off dresses to sealing tears in stockings.

A small brush and mirror can also help, while hair spray and extra deodorant are also nice to have on hand. Bobby pins can help most hair crises, but a curling iron can be an asset too.

Miscellaneous

It’s amazing what you may need and never think of. For example, did you think to bring extra straight pins for the corsages or in case the bouquets fell apart? A small sewing kit is good to in order to fix up any small emergencies.

Stain remover and chalk are also good to have on hand. If there should be any stains that need removing, the stain remover is there. If there’s something on the bride’s dress, then you can lightly cover it with the chalk—it works great and won’t hurt the dress.

Summer Weddings – What is the Best Dress

A big question of many brides’ minds is what type of wedding dress should they choose for a summer wedding. Most traditional wedding dresses are made with heavy material, such as satin, and have multi-layered petticoats under them to poof up the skirt. Needless to say, this sort stiff, heavy dress isn’t well suited to most summer weather. The last thing a bride wants perspiration marks under their arm and down their backs. So, what type of wedding dress is best to help you stay cool?

Fortunately, traditional wedding dress colors – white or pale colors – are perfect for hot weather. These colors reflect the heat, rather than absorbing it like dark colors do. Try to keep this in mind when choosing bridesmaid dresses too!

Summer brides can wear white easily, but may want to choose a lighter fabric. Whatever your fabric choice, remember that a good lining in an absorbent material will help soak up any perspiration and will help keep marks from showing on your dress. Look for a dress with a natural fabric lining, if possible.

Fortunately, bride’s have a wide choice in dress styles. Popular styles include lightweight, flowing fabric that are perfect for hot weather. When you try on the dress, make sure to leave it on for a few minutes to see if you heat up right away or not.

Of course, if you are having a more informal summer wedding, you may choose to go with a nice sun dress or even a prom dress, rather than a formal wedding dress. Choosing a more informal dress may open up a larger range of styles, colors, and fabrics. It may also be easier to choose complimenting bridesmaid dresses that won’t give you attendants heat stroke!

Choosing an informal dress has another advantage over traditional wedding dresses in that it is usually less expensive, even if it is custom made. This will free up your wedding budget for other areas, perhaps flowers or the cake.

Summertime is also the perfect time for a beach wedding. Sand can wreak havoc on traditional length dresses, so a beach bride may want to opt for a slightly shorter dress. But keep in mind that beaches are also often windy- you don’t want to show that garter until the reception!

If you live in an area where the weather is sometimes hot and sometimes cold in the summer, you may want to look for a sleeveless wedding dress, but keep a shawl or wrap handy in case the weather turns.

Wedding Vows – Write Your Own

Writing your wedding vows is not something that should be rushed. This is definitely one area of your wedding planning that you will want to take some time sot think about. While you can always chose to use the traditional vows that couples have been saying for years, writing your own vows may suit you and your partner better.

Once you recite your vows, you will be man and wife. Your wedding vows are promises that you and your chosen make to each other, with your family and friends as witnesses. Make your wedding vows even more special by writing personal promises to your future spouse.

Your vows are a great place to insert your personality into your wedding ceremony. Unique wedding vows not only add a personal touch, but they also tell your partner what you hold special in a marriage. You can not only make promises about your future together, but you can also take this time to express to your future spouse why you are getting married and what they mean to you.

Traditional wedding vows go something like this:

“I [your name] take you [partner's name] to be my lawful [husband/wife], to have and to hold, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, from this day forward until death do us part.”

These vows may be act as the basis for your wedding vows, that you will then embellish with phrases that express what you wish to say. However, some people find traditional wedding vows to be more formal than what they want, or may not suit your personalities and situation. If so, you will probably want to take some time to either re-write this vows, or write completely new vows.

You may need some inspiration to find the right words to say to your intended. Listen to love songs, read some poetry, or search the Internet for some ideas. Ask your closest friends for some ideas or feedback. You may want to write your wedding vows with your partner, instead of trying to surprise each other with your romantic vows at your wedding.

Your wedding is your special day, and wedding vows that touch you personally are a great way to celebrat your day. However, if writing your vows is causing stress and removing the fun from planning your wedding, don’t forget that traditional vows have worked for thousands of couples for hundreds of years!

Wedding Themes

Your wedding should be one of the most memorable days of your life. You will still remember a cookie cutter wedding, but personalizing the details of your wedding according to your personality (and your soon-to-be spouse’s) will turn that boring wedding into an event you’ll remember forever!

Now more than ever, couples can spice up their wedding in ways that make their day unique to them alone, and unlike days gone by, no one will bat an eye. Traditional wedding protocol is still popular, but that doesn’t mean you need to follow it to the letter.

Before you start calling reception halls and caterers, sit down with your partner and discuss what the two of you want for your wedding. Write down your ideas for the perfect wedding. Keep these ideas in your wedding organizer for reference later.

Theme weddings are very popular. These can be very subdued events, or crazy and outrageous. Remember, this is your wedding, your special day. Don’t be inhibited by what you think others will think. As long as you and your partner are having fun, then your theme wedding is a success!

If you want to have a theme wedding that is fairly elaborate, then be sure to allow yourself plenty of time for planning. It may take some time to find the right place to hold a pirate themed wedding, or a caterer that can make an elegant castle cake to go with your fairytale theme. Remember to give your guests plenty of time to find costumes, if you choose to extend the theme to them as well.

You may think a wedding planner is a useless expense. However, having someone else to take care of all the minute details of a theme wedding (or any wedding for that matter) might be just the thing you need to take the stress off your shoulders. A planner that specializes in theme weddings will know shortcuts and vendors that will make your wedding a fantastic success.

Be sure to interview several wedding planners before making the final decision to hire one or not. Prices for their services will vary depending on how elaborate and large you want your wedding to be, and how involved you want the planner to be. When balancing the cost of a wedding planner against your budget, keep in mind that using a wedding planner will allow you to continue your busy daily schedule knowing that every detail of your wedding is being handled. That alone could make a good wedding planner well worth their price.

The Best Wedding Toast Ever

From the bride:

This is my Man of Honor’s speech from my wedding on April 28, 2007 in Sanibel and Captiva Islands, Florida.
In this magical moment, I seriously felt like my heart was going to explode!

Wedding Hairstyles

Every bride wants to look their best on their wedding day. While many women are comfortable styling their own hair, many more would rather leave their strands in the hand of a professional. You may even be able to find a hairstylist in your area that specializes in wedding day hairstyles.

It’s common for the bride and bridesmaids to have complimenting hairstyles. As the bride, you may not want to have the exact same hairstyle as all of your attendants.  The best practice is to choose the style you want, then choose the style for your bridesmaids.

If you can arrange it, have at least your maid of honor with you when you visit your stylist to try different wedding hairstyles. Your maid of honor will give you a third opinion on your chosen hairstyle, and will be able to help you choose what styles you want for your attendants.

Keep in mind that each of your bridesmaids has different hair, that is probably different lengths. A professional stylist will be able to you style both short & long hair so that the hairstyles are complimentary, both to the wearer and within the overall group.

If you have chosen a specific theme for your wedding, perhaps Medieval or Civil War, then you will want to make sure that your chosen hairstyles fit with the theme. If you or one of your bridesmaids has short hair, and your theme calls for long hair, you may want to check out wig options.

Hair can make or break the feel of a theme wedding, especially in the pictures. This is also true of traditional weddings, if one of your bridesmaids decides to show up with pink spiked hair. This may be perfectly fine any other day, but if that’s not what you want for your wedding, then you will need to make sure this is clear before hand.

You may want to have a hairstyle party with your bridesmaids well in advance of the wedding to choose styles and iron out any differences. You will probably also want to ask your fiance to talk to his groomsmen about their hairstyles and facial hair. Ask the men in your wedding party to make sure they are either clean shaven or neatly trimmed for the wedding.

To ensure your hair is healthy & beautiful for your wedding day, make sure you eat healthy, drink lots of wate, take a good multi-vitamin,  and use quality hair care products. If possible, don’t try out a new style for 6 months before the wedding. Keep your hair trimmed to avoid frizzies and breakage. Start this at least 6 months before your wedding and by your wedding day your hair will be gorgeous  in whatever wedding hairstyle you choose.

Bridal Bouquets – How to Make Your Own

If you are on a tight budget for your wedding, or if you just like working with flowers, you might try making your own bridal bouquet.  You may run into some problems that can be avoided by paying attention to our checklist for making a bridal bouquet.

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