Plan The Wedding

How to Get Your Family and Friends Involved With Your Wedding Preparations

October 19, 2009 By Nicole Leave a Comment

If you are a superbride, it is most likely that you would want to do everything by yourself. However, because you are smart enough, you know that an entire wedding preparation is a feat impossible to be conquered by one person. For special occasions like weddings, there is no better else to help you than the people you love most—your family and friends.

The idea definitely sounds terrific. But before you rush to call your brother to join you in shopping for a wedding gown, you also have to know that involving family and friends in wedding preparation can be quite of a challenge. There are several things you have to know about this process so you do not end up offending someone or burning bridges with a certain person. Here are some tips regarding this matter that you would find very useful for your upcoming wedding.

1. Give everyone a role he or she will love. Make a checklist of all the tasks you need help with and list all the people whom you think will be suitable for the job. Make sure you consider the person’s personality, taste, style, skills, experience, and hobbies.

For example, for your gardener sister, you would want her to assist you in choosing flowers. Your brother who is fond of sports cars would probably love choosing the right wedding car with you. It would be best to appoint your fashionista best friend the task of shopping for (or designing) the bridesmaid’s dresses.

2. Involve both families in the wedding preparation. Always remember that this wedding is not just about you but it about you and your spouse-to-be. Therefore, you should never forget that the groom’s family should also be involved with the preparation.

If just in case you feel that some family members are being overly engrossed with planning (or in other words, nosy!), you can put him or her in charge of something that you do not care much about. For example, if you do not give much importance to the guestbook, you can ask this family member to take care of it. See, you can make solutions to such problems without offending anybody.

3. Delegate the tasks efficiently. Aside from considering the personality, skills, and taste of a certain family member or friend, you should also take into account the working attitude of that person. Never give difficult or very important tasks to people who lack responsibility. If your cousin is known for being a latecomer, do not risk ruining the event by letting her keep the CDs for the processional music.

4. Make the preparation fun. Keep in mind that these are your family and friends, they are not your slaves. See to it that you make the whole thing a fun experience for them so that they will not feel like it is a chore to help you. Schedule meetings in restaurants or coffee shops, keep it light and funny, and do not sweat the small stuff. In short, do not be a bridezilla!

5. Give them a thank you gift afterwards. This is very important. Your family and friends put much effort into making the event special and memorable. Do not forget to give them some token of appreciation at the end of the affair. By all means, say thanks to them in your thank you speech (if ever you are giving one) and make special mention to people who played major roles in the preparation and organization of your wedding.

Wedding is one of the most significant milestones in any person’s life. And because your family and friends are some of the most important people to you, you would want them to be a part of this once in a lifetime celebration. Make sure you get them involved but without giving them too much trouble.

Source: Wendy L. Bishop is an expert writer on the topics of weddings and a contributor to MyDreamWedding.ca

Filed Under: Plan The Wedding, Tips & Ideas Tagged With: Family and Friends, get involved, help, involvement, Wedding Preparations

Wedding Guide For The Encore Bride

September 14, 2009 By Kyla 1 Comment

dreamstime_4306168 Love deserves to be celebrated no matter how it is found. For those who have been married before, the thought of their second wedding brings just as much excitement and anticipation as did their previous wedding, if not more! If you are an encore bride, don’t hesitate to plan the wedding of your dreams. The idea that a second wedding should be small and informal is a thing of the past. Your friends and family will be more than happy to join in your celebration.

Those who are getting married for the second time may have children involved in their relationship. In such instances, it is important that the children be the first to be told o your intentions to remarry. The conversation with children should be handled delicately, as this experience can be one that causes some stress for young ones. They need to have the understanding that joining your lives with your soon-to-be spouse will be a good thing for them.

Not sure about registering? Guess what; it’s a must! There will be people who want to give gifts and they will need guidance to know what to buy. If you are joining households and don’t need much, be creative and register for a honeymoon or family vacation. Register for donations to a charitable organization or non-profit, or something else that is out of the box. Family and friends will appreciate your innovative thinking if you choose not to register for things you need or feel good about vs. registering for items you simply don’t need.

A second wedding can be held in any way a fist wedding is held, just not using the same dress or held in the same location; be original. There is no clear rule that says second weddings must be civil ceremonies, so that means if your preference is to have your encore wedding at your church, you can do it! Having your second wedding ceremony in the church simply requires that you speak with your clergyman about your desires and inquire about any special tasks you may need to go through before they will perform a wedding. Some churches like couples to go through pre-marital counseling before they are married in the church. This certainly couldn’t be anything but beneficial to any new marriage.

The actual ceremony of the encore bride can be wonderfully free of traditions. A second wedding ceremony can be formal or informal, can have a wedding party or just you and your beaming groom at the alter. If children are involved, they can walk down the aisle with you, or stand with you at the alter. When it comes to who walks the encore bride down the aisle, the answer is whomever she chooses. At a second wedding, the bride may walk down the aisle on her own, with her groom, her mother, sibling or best friend. Whatever makes you the most happy on your second wedding day is what you get to do.

After your ceremony, you can choose to send out wedding announcements to those who were not invited to your nuptials. The wedding announcement is a simple statement such as the following:

Jane Marie Doe
and
John Stephen Doe
announce their marriage
Date, location

A second wedding is a joyous occasion that is worthy of the type of celebration that makes the bride and groom happy. Creating a special day brings you and your new families closer together, and starts your marriage off on a high note. All you have to do from here is keep the good times rolling.

Filed Under: Plan The Wedding, Tips & Ideas Tagged With: encore bride, Planning

How to Plan a Beautiful Wedding on a Shoestring Budget

September 8, 2009 By Nicole Leave a Comment

shoestring In today’s financial crunch, having a grand, extravagant and ostentatious wedding is not smart. It is not all practical to spend your life savings on one big day and then have nothing left for more important expenses like buying a house or car, saving for a child’s education, or investing on a business.

After all, you can have a beautiful, elegant, and memorable wedding on a shoestring budget. All it takes is a dash of creativity, some resourcefulness, little help from family and friends, and a couple of useful tips on how to have a budget wedding.

The Budget Plan

Before you set out planning for your wedding details, one of the foremost things you have to do is to formulate a budget. To help you do this, you and your partner should sit down and discuss what your priorities are in your wedding. This way, it would be easier to allocate a budget for each aspect of the wedding and to avoid overspending.

Save Money on the Wedding Gown

It is true that the bride’s gown is one of the anticipated aspects of the wedding but it does not have to be expensive. You can save money on this by scouting for budget wedding dress stores, renting a wedding gown or wearing the gown that your mom wore on her wedding day (and perhaps doing some modification on it to make it look chic and modern).

Guest List: Needs Some Trimming

Limit the number of guests to a minimum and expect big savings on your wedding budget. With fewer guests, you will need a smaller reception area, less food and drink, smaller wedding cake, and lesser invitations. Make this an intimate gathering between you, your partner and the closest people in your lives.

Invitations and Decorations: Turn them into DIY Projects

With the computer and Internet technology that we have today, making an invitation does not need the hands of a professional anymore. This is especially true if the bride and groom are crafty ones. Sure enough, anyone can whip up beautiful, creative, and personalized invitations and decorations.

Buffet instead of a Formal Sit-Down Meal

To save money on the food and drinks, consider having a buffet style meal instead of a formal sit-down dinner. A formal sit-down meal is more expensive because of the extra staff that would plate and serve the meals.

Have a Wedding Tower of Cupcakes

A wedding tower made of sumptuous and alluring cupcakes can be a better option than the usual tiered wedding cake. With this, you can enjoy a wedding cake for a lesser cost without sacrificing beauty, quality and taste.

Capture the Moments for a Smaller Tag Price

To minimize the cost, one thing you can do is to hire a service-only photographer and videographer who will be there during the event to capture priceless moments but will leave the printing of the photos or editing of the video to your hands. Again, with the modern technology of today, this can be a piece of cake.

Another way to cut down the expenses is to have disposable cameras spread on your guest tables for them to use to catch candid moments during the event. You can also have a trusted friend or family member take video shots of the wedding.

Wedding on a shoestring budget is not in any way less special than an extravagant wedding. After all, what is important is not the event itself but the journey that you and your spouse will be sharing together for the rest of your lives.

Filed Under: Plan The Wedding, Tips & Ideas Tagged With: budget weddings, wedding on shoestring budget

12 Non-Alcoholic Drinks for Your Wedding Reception

September 7, 2009 By Stephanie Leave a Comment

cocktail-theme Drinks are just as important as the food in the reception. Most wedding experts would agree with this. Many weddings today often serve alcoholic drinks to get the party started and to liven up the festivities. However, this is not compulsory. If you and your partner feel that you are better off not to serve alcoholic drinks in your big day, then so be it.

Having no alcohol in the menu does not mean that the reception party will be boring. To spice up the event, here are some exciting non-alcoholic drinks that will make your wedding reception a hit.

1. Madras

A popular drink in the Southern United States, the madras is a fruity concoction made of orange and cranberry juices. You can create this without adding vodka. Serve this beverage in a champagne flute with ice and garnish with a spitted cherry.

2. Sparkling Cider

A non-alcoholic version of the champagne cider, the sparkling cider is a lightly carbonated juice from fresh apples. It contains no concentrates, no sweeteners, no preservatives and definitely no alcohol. This is purely apple juice, healthy and delicious!

3. Tom Collins

The Tom Collins, which is an old gin drink that was popular in the early 20^th century, is served in a tall glass with an added lemon juice and carbonated soda water. Garnish with a maraschino cherry or an orange slice.

4. Tequila Sunrise

A tropical drink perfect for beach or outdoor weddings, this one is made with a mix of orange juice, grenadine or cherry syrup. Serve in a tall glass, add some ice and garnish with spitted cherry or orange slice.

5. Wild Berry Mojito

This drink, a mix of some berries, mint, and lime, can surely be a unique drink that would amaze your guests. Do not forget to spritz with soda water to give it a fizz.

6. Cosmopolitan

HBO’s Sex and the City made this drink popular once more. This drink is made of cranberry juice, some orange syrup, and drops of limejuice. This is best served in a rocks glass and garnish with lime.

7. Neon lemonade

Neon lemonade minus the vodka will wow guests with its bright blue color and enticing sour taste. It is lemonade or lemon sour mix added with a dash of blue-tinted fruit punch. Also served in a tall glass with spitted cherry or orange slice.

8. Long Beach Iced Tea

Another drink ideal for beach weddings, the long beach iced tea is a combination of orange, cranberry, and pineapple juices with a dash of grenadine on top. Serve this enticing drink in a slim tall glass with a lemon wedge and cherry.

9. Non-Alcoholic Punch

A punch does not always need to have alcohol, right? Enjoy this merry mix of fruit juices minus the alcohol.

10. Long Island Iced Tea

A refreshing mix of lemonade and brown cola, this can be a hit among friends who love iced tea. Serve this in fun tumblers and garnish with lemon wedge or slice.

11. Lime Rickey

This drink is made of limejuice, dashed with simple syrup, topped with a club soda and garnished with lime peel.

12. Brewed Coffee, Espresso or Mocha Frappe

Juices are not the only non-alcoholic beverage you can serve during your wedding. Delicious coffee and other similar beverage can surely make guests forget that you are not serving alcohol in the party.

Serving non-alcoholic drinks will offer many advantages. For one, it will help you avoid embarrassing moments of having intoxicated guests say or do things they should not do. Also, serving beverage with no alcohol can give you maximum savings on your wedding budget, as alcoholic drinks do not come cheap.

Filed Under: Plan The Wedding, Reception & Ceremony Tagged With: non-alcoholic drinks

Latest Trends for Wedding Reception Music

September 7, 2009 By Harmony Leave a Comment

bridal-music We cannot see it, eat it, wear it, or touch it, and yet music is one of the most important aspects of your wedding reception. Music plays a significant role in this event as it creates the mood and stirs up inner sentiments not only of the bride and groom but also of the people closest to them.

Most people choose music based on the melody. However, the beat, tempo and melody of the music are not the only things you should consider when picking songs for your wedding reception. Just as important are the lyrics as these express and communicate the love and emotion that the couple shares.

For modern couples who do not want to play traditional wedding songs in their wedding day, this list which includes the latest trends for wedding reception music will surely come in handy.

Romantic and Slow Songs

What is a wedding reception without those romantic slow songs that make the couple and their mothers want to cry? These tunes are ideal for dances, cake-cutting ceremonies or between dinner courses. Be sure to look at the lyrics first to ensure that the message of the song reflects the love and commitment that you and your partner have. Here you will find some of the songs that you can choose.

Lucky by Jason Mraz featuring Colbie Caillet. This is a nice song to play for the couple’s first dance.
Good Time by Alan Jackson. This song is ideal for couples who love country music. You can play this song right after dinnertime.
Beautiful by Akon
The Way I Am by Ingrid Michaelson. This is a romantic and nostalgic song perfect to play during the cake cutting.
Viva La Vida by Coldplay can set a nice mood during the cocktail hour or in between dinner courses.
Green Light by John Legend
When the Night Comes by Dan Auerbach is another slow song that you can play during the end of the night.
A Moment Like This by Kelly Clarkson
Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis

10. Cayman Islands by Kings of Convenience. This song is not in the mainstream and yet, you will surely find this soothing tune wonderful to play during the reception.

Party Music and Danceable Tunes

Since the reception is not all about slow songs and romantic dances, you also need to have fast tunes that will keep the event alive. Start a dance showdown by carefully picking the right danceable songs to play during the reception. Some of the best choices are enumerated below.

Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) by Beyonce is the one of the best tunes to play during the fun bouquet toss.
So What by P!nk can motivate guests to hit to the dance floor and show off their moves. This is nice to play after a slow song.
Disturbia – Rihanna
Don’t Stop The Music – Rihanna
Just Dance by Lady GaGa. Just like the previous songs mentioned, this danceable tune can surely get everyone into the groove.
About You Now – Sugababes

The music that you play during the reception is one of the biggest aspects that will help make the event a truly memorable one.

Filed Under: Plan The Wedding, Tips & Ideas Tagged With: wedding reception music trends

Choosing your Wedding Theme Colors

September 7, 2009 By Angela Leave a Comment

Remember that Goth girl in high school? How about that kid who always wore tie-died shirts or brightly colored socks. Color, especially in weddings, can set a mood and can help you make your day extra special.

The Goth girl is remembered because she always wore black or sported bright lipstick or colored hair. The kid who dressed in bright colors will likely be remembered for his choices because they were bold and stood out. Color not only augments, it creates an impression in people’s mind that helps them get in (or out) of a mood.

So how can you ensure that the colors you choose for your wedding collection, favors or other articles set the mood you are looking to achieve? The answer to that is to use the advice that politicians use when planning public events: Use basic or soft colors as your main themes and darker or bolder colors to augment the primary colors. This is why you often would see a red power tie and a blue suit in the 1980′s or more recently, a blue tie with a grey suit and white shirt.

Politicians figures out a long time ago that certain colors give off a certain aura. They use colors to set a mood or appear in a certain light. In the two instances mentioned above, red ties exuded power and authority, while blue ties impressed focus groups as quietly confident and determined.

The same logic applies to your wedding theme colors. You should choose bolder colors to highlight clothes or to make lines or shades appear streamlined. Additionally, your choices of colors should be tailored to your wedding party’s physical appearance. Certain colors make people look pale or grim while other colors obscure fair skin or make darker skin look murky.

Choosing some colors can also help you set he overall theme. The Autumn Splendor Collection, for instance incorporates yellow, brown, orange and green while the Winter Wonder Collection embraces white and dazzling crystal to evoke a sense of a winter wonderland. Match your color theme to your overall wedding theme and you cannot go wrong.

What wedding theme colors you choose can set the entire mood for your day. Sticking to basics is the key. In addition, making sure to use colors in their appropriate roles can make you and your wedding party dazzle all in attendance.

Filed Under: My Theme, Plan The Wedding, Tips & Ideas Tagged With: theme colors

The Lazy Groom’s Survival Guide

August 22, 2009 By Harmony Leave a Comment

lazy groom So you have found your dream woman and asked for her hand in marriage. While the two of you are no doubt floating in the clouds; as you step over stacks of bridal magazines strategically placed in every room, you may be wondering what in the world you have gotten yourself into in regards to planning. All the details of the wedding itself are small beans to most grooms, especially the lazy groom.

Does this mean that you don’t care about your wedding, or about your bride? Absolutely not. It simply means that you have the ability to go with the flow and enjoy the day for what it represents, not who it impresses. There are ways that a lazy groom can make it to the alter unscathed, and with a happy bride at his side. We will look at just how you can do that here.

Luckily, bridal magazines, books and the internet seem to pay great attention to the wedding duties of just about everyone but the groom himself. It’s as if the groom, an integral part of this party, is merely along for the ride. He shows up, looking dapper, on wedding day and they live happily ever after. It just doesn’t get any easier than this!

However, there can be a glitch when the bride, or one of her trusted bridesmaids, comes up with the idea that the groom would like to miss the big game to go shopping for invitations or taste cake. One could wonder if women really think men want to do these things, or if they only ask their groom out of guilt for leaving him at home while she handles all of the preparations with her girlfriends.

Here is the one big way the lazy groom can ensure that his time is not eaten up with mundane tasks during the wedding planning stage. Continue to woo your bride-to-be. That’s right. When she feels loved and pampered, you will find you are easily released from many duties that you may otherwise get roped into.

The bride has much on her plate, and she does need to know that you care. Turn off the TV long enough to listen to your beloved after a long day of shopping, talking and planning. Support her every decision, and do all that you can to make sure she is not getting stressed out; otherwise, you may wind up with a Bridezilla on your hands.

The one thing you need to remember is to be interested. While you may not desire to walk the entire wedding district of your town, you can show interest by listening to your bride. Don’t say “just tell me when and where to show up’. Don’t EVER say “I don’t care” when asked what you think of an idea or plan. Find constructive ways to give some amount of input and make your bride feel supported. Keep her happy, and you’ll make it through. Comedian Jeff Allen has it right: “Happy Wife, Happy Life!”

Filed Under: Plan The Wedding, Tips & Ideas Tagged With: wedding planning tips for grooms