-by guest author Rosanna Hardin

Photo by epSos.de

You don’t have to wear a hemp dress or serve only mixed greens at your reception to have a sustainable wedding.  There are tons of things you can do to make a difference that your guests won’t even notice!  The following are a few tips for adding a little “green” flair to your special day!

The Ring
Contrary to what the jewelry industry wants you to believe, there are a plethora of diamonds and precious metals out there, with a majority of them just waiting to be recycled. So hop on the Internet, research sustainable jewelers and visit local pawn shops. Even if you don’t find the exact ring you’re looking for, a reputable goldsmith can redesign rings to your exact specifications. Wouldn’t it be great to know that your ring is one-of-a-kind and makes a difference?

Planning
Go digital, ladies! The days of brides lugging around giant wasteful paper wedding planners are over. Enter the age of the online wedding planner. Wedding planning software is available all over the Internet these days; you just have to know what you’re looking for. A good comprehensive planner will allow you to organize all of the aspects of your wedding in one spot. You’ll need comprehensive tools for your budget, calendar, guest list, wedding related events like the engagement party, and a checklist. Also, make sure you can export your data, and can print pages if need be. The online wedding planner is a great green alternative to the messy paper workbook.

Stationary
We understand that just sending out email invites may be a little tacky, so in the spirit of environmentalism, we recommend going with recycled paper. You may need announcements, save the date cards, engagement party and bridal shower invitations and thank you notes, wedding invitations and RSVP cards, ceremony programs, place cards, menu cards, and wedding thank you notes, so just going green with your stationary is a little way to make a big difference!

The Dress
Thank goodness there’s no need to sacrifice your dream of wearing a Vera Wang to have an eco-friendly dress.  Recycled wedding dresses are becoming a popular trend, and it’s a great way to implement sustainability in your wedding!  Wearing a recycled dress can also save you money with most designer dresses selling for around half their original price.  Still want a new dress? Consider a dress made of sustainable materials like milk fiber, hemp, and organic fabrics. 

There are also options for your dress after the wedding.  You can donate to a charitable organization, resell it to a new blushing bride, or (my favorite option) have the dress revamped into a gown you can wear out on anniversaries!

Whether you choose to implement one or all of these ideas, the slightest effort makes a big difference. Good luck, and happy planning!

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Rosanna Hardin is a writer for My Wedding Workbook, the online wedding planner software for do-it yourself brides, and My Wedding Workbook Pro, the premier  wedding planning software for wedding professionals.

Once you have that ring on your finger, one of your first decisions should be when you want to actually hold your ceremony. In general, you should make sure you have at least six months for planning, unless your wedding is going to be very small or informal. Most brides work better when they have nine to twelve months to plan. Beyond the length of time between today and your wedding date, here are five tips to consider:

~ Check the wedding dates of other couples you know. You don’t want to step on any toes by having your wedding the same day or the day before.

~ Plan with your guests in mind. If most of them travel to be with families on the holidays, having a Christmas Eve ceremony might not be a wise choice. In addition, if you have a lot of guests flying in for the wedding, holidays means that their travel is much more expensive.

~ Search for a venue with a few dates in mind. Booking a venue should be a top priority, and if you want to get married somewhere that’s very popular, you may want to book the venue before you set the date, according to what days are free.

~ Stay away from birthdays. Logistically, having a wedding on your birthday or the birthday of a close family member might be a problem in the future. You’ll want to spend time with that person, but that means that you can’t have alone time for your anniversary.

~ Consider the weather. A wedding in Minnesota in January might mean that half of your guests are snowed in at the airport, while an outdoor wedding in July in Alabama might be dangerously hot for older guests.

Unfortunately, not every wedding planner works well with every couple. Before working with anyone, you should do your homework to ensure that you’re working with someone who is a professional and have clear connections in the wedding field. However, even if you’re working with the best wedding planner in the state, sometimes personalities just don’t mix. So how do you fire your wedding planner?

First, take a few days to really decide if this is the best choice. Sometimes, a disagreement can get more heated than it should, and it’s understandable that you’re emotional about your wedding day. However, if your wedding planner is doing a great job, you may want to work things out instead of undoing all of the work and starting over with your wedding. A single difference of opinion usually isn’t worth destroying the relationship completely.

Next, check the contract you signed. Almost all wedding planners have couples sign a contract, which will outline the amount of money you’ll owe them, among other things. If you fire your wedding planner before your wedding is actually finished being planned, chances are that you’ll still owe them at least part of the payment. You might owe them all of it, and that means you could lose a lot of money if you have hire another wedding planner. Even if you have a reason for firing your wedding planner, you could be looking at a court battle if you don’t pay up. Hopefully, you read your contract before you signed it!

If you’re working with a company, not just an individual, sometimes you can work out your problems by speaking to the owner. There may be another wedding planner from the same company available to help you so you don’t have to worry about breaking your contract.

In any case, approach the situation when you’ve had a chance to calm down from whatever made you angry. People talk in the wedding industry, and you might find that vendors don’t treat you as well if they hear from a wedding planner they like that you’re bridezilla. If you must fire your wedding planner, part ways as amicably as possible.

Every bride wants to have the most beautiful face on her wedding day. It is very easy to get busy with all of the necessary plans for the big event. Pampering yourself along the way, is not a bad thing. In fact, this is especially good to do on the week you’re getting married.

Facials, perform a number of functions for women. First of all, they are a relaxing way to get away from the rest of the world. And, facials also, work well to treat your skin to the best products available. Facilities like Beyond Beaute offer a number of special spa services to their customers, including quality facials.

The services offered by Beyond Beaute are dedicated to the promotion of great skin care. They use some of the best products available today. Beyond Beaute uses Pervonia skin care products on their customers. Here you have a choice between masks, age defying repair, and facial treatments. There are several facial offerings to choose from.

Two of the most popular are the Acne Control Facial, and the Deep Cleansing Back Facial. The Acne Control Facial is a fantastic choice for those struggling with acne issues. This one specifically focuses on the pores. It cleanses the pores using pineapple and papaya enzymes. Having this service done prior to your wedding day, will ensure that you look your best.

The Deep Cleansing Back Facial is another special service. This facial has an exfoliation component. It is done by a brush cleaning technique. After this, the customer is treated to a smoothing mask. The final result is a gorgeous appearance, as well as, silky feeling skin. These facials are great treatments for brides before the big day.

Photo by ToOb

Getting organized in the wedding planning process is often one of the most difficult things to do. Many couples are looking for ways to keep on top of all of their new responsibilities. Planner workbooks and organizers are valuable purchases. They help to not only plan wedding components, but to also organize individual events.

Target is one of many stores that supply couples with these types of products. One of the products they sell is the Wedding Planner Workbook and Organizer. This is a purchase that is wise to make at the very beginning of planning. As soon as the big date is set, a planner workbook is needed.

Most of these planners allow you to take a look at everything that needs to be accomplished before your wedding day. They have goal lists and valuable advice on planning. The planners, which Target stocks, put into order which tasks need to be handled first. An example of this is booking your church or reception hall.

Since many locations are popular, booking could be difficult. Therefore, it is smart to do so many months ahead. Planners allow you to look ahead and to keep track of important contacts. These books generally provide space for contact information, such as email addresses and telephone numbers. Having all of you contacts in one location helps to organize and to also familiarize yourself with who has yet to be listed.

Today’s planners often include crucial website information. Another great component of planners is the workbook portion. This area is specifically for jotting down notes. It gives you a place to note volunteers, duties, and goals.

The Wedding Planner Workbook and Organizer may be your first key purchase in the planning of your special day.

One of the most difficult tasks you’ll have to complete during the wedding planning process, especially if you have a large guest list, is your seating chart. A proper seating chart ensures that the most important people in your life, like your grandparents, don’t get stuck at a table in the back near the bathroom just because they arrive to the reception later than your college roommate and coworkers. Here are some things you should keep in mind when preparing the seating chart:

~ Your wedding party might have dates that aren’t in the party. If your maid of honor’s boyfriend doesn’t know anyone else at the wedding, you might want to consider seating him at the nearest table possible or having a non-traditional table for the wedding party that includes seats for their guests.

~ Consider the locations of doors. While you want honored members of your family to sit up front, you should also be considerate of mobility needs. If you have a great-aunt in a wheel chair, she might appreciate a seat near to the exit and restrooms.

~ Work with many small tables instead of a few large ones. It is easier to come up with a seating chart when you use smaller tables, since you can control not just the people sitting at each table, but also the locations of the tables in conjunction with one another. You can put people who might enjoy one another’s company at nearby tables, without having the awkwardness of seating them at the same table with nothing to talk about.

~ Be sensitive to your single friends. Unless you have no other options, it isn’t polite to seat one single guest with four other couples. The empty chair can be embarrassing for some people. Worse yet is to seat a single female and single male together at a table filled with couples. It will feel like a set-up.

~ Corral the children. If you have some guests with children and some without, consider keeping all of the families in one area. That way, the youngsters can all be under the watchful eyes of the entire group of parents so that they can take turns slipping away occasionally to dance, congratulate you and your groom, and otherwise enjoy the reception. Keep your friends who are more prone to heavy drinking on the other side of the room.

Dancing is a part of most weddings, and many brides opt to have a father-daughter dance. Here are some etiquette tips to help this dance go well, even if your situation is complicated:

~ Make sure your dad is comfortable. Some dads simply don’t like to be the center of attention. There’s no rule that you have to have a father-daughter dance, so if your father has stage fright, consider skipping the spotlight. You can instead choose to play an unannounced special song for the two of you when everyone is already up and dancing. You’ll still get that special moment together, but you won’t be the only ones on the dance floor.

~ Consider honoring another male. If your father is deceased or you don’t have a good relationship, consider instead honoring a male figure who did help to raise you. It’s perfectly fine to have a father-daughter dance with a grandfather, uncle, or step-father.

~ Split the dance if necessary. If you had both a father and step-father who were instrumental in raising you, split a single dance between the two. This is more polite than asking your guests to sit through multiple full songs as you dance alone of the floor.

Whatever you decide for your first dance, keep in mind that weddings are very emotional, and you shouldn’t use the day to play favorites, pay back people for past mistakes, or hold grudges. If your father-daughter situation is extremely difficult, you might want to skip the dance completely.

Renting a venue can be expensive. How can you save money when booking a place for your ceremony and reception? Use the following tips:

~ Book multiple events. You might get a discount if you hold the reception at the same venue where you hold your reception. Have other family-related events coming up, like anniversary parties? It never hurts to ask for a package deal.At the very least, have your ceremony and reception at the same location. Even if you don’t save money on the venue, you’ll save money on transportation between venues.

~ Look for free outdoor locations. Think outside of the box. For example, your neighbor might allow you to hold your reception on his farm or a local vineyard might only charge a very small fee for you to say you vows surrounded by vines. You can also approach friends and family members with large properties about hosting the wedding.

~ Offer to do the clean-up yourself. Some venues will take off as much as 15% of the cost if you have your own cleaning crew. If you plan to have a small wedding with responsible people who won’t make a huge mess, ask your wedding party to stay behind and take out the trash before they leave.

~ Approach your college. Often, for a small fee, you can get married at one of the spaces found at your college. This is a great option if you met there, and you can also talk to your college’s dining services about catering the event, which is often extremely inexpensive compared to most catering companies.

Some brides eagerly plan themed weddings from the start, while others cringe at the though of having a luau reception or making their guests wear cowboy boots and hats. Having a themed wedding doesn’t have to mean that your reception is over the top. You can still plan an extremely elegant wedding, using one of these ten unique themes:

Flowers: You’re probably going to have flowers at your wedding anyway, so why not take it a step further and make your whole reception garden-themed. This is great for spring weddings, and you can add special touches like flowers floating in the punch bowl, seed packets as favors, and more to carry out the theme.

Tea: What girl doesn’t love a tea party? Some grooms may not enjoy this idea, but if your future husband is leaving the planning completely up to you, having a tea theme might be perfect. Instead of serving appetizers in a traditional manner, have scones and tea cakes on severs distributed around the tables and give custom tea blends or tea cups as favors.

Your First Date: One loving theme you could take to the reception is the idea that you’re recreating your first date together. If you met for a movie, serve popcorn and candies as your appetizers. If your first date was dinner together, recreate the meals you ordered for your guests. Include pictures from the first date, if you have them, or subsequent dates together.

Casino: Just because you aren’t getting married in Vegas doesn’t mean that you can’t bring a little Sin City to your wedding reception. You can actually rent slot machines and photo booths, as well as set up poker tables and hire blackjack dealers for the night. Give all of your guests pretend chips at the door and have fun seeing who can win the most by the end of the night – maybe even have a prize for the winner.

Time Periods: If you love a certain time period, consider a wedding reception that brings that era to life. Have your bridesmaids change into poodle skirts, plan a feast with traditional foods from the Victorian era, or get your DJ to make it 80s night on the dance floor. Match your favors to the era and make a note of the theme on your invitations so guests can dress the part if they want to.

Ask Ginka has some more great theme ideas if none of these strike your fancy!

Women planning for their wedding day are looking for all sorts of unique items. Many want to step outside of the traditional offerings, and pick things that are truly original. Your jewelry can be one of those things. Finding pieces, which are different and beautiful, can serve to accentuate your ceremony.

Earrings are special touches that compliment your wedding gown. It doesn’t matter which style of gown you choose. Earrings serve to complete your ensemble. Stores like Bead Trends sell jewelry items that elegantly add to any look. There are many different accessory styles and designs. You can easily find the right earring style for you.

For ladies who have chosen a pink color scheme, the Pearl Elegance earring style is a great choice. These earrings are a warm pink, with just a hint of silver. The style would be perfect not only for the bride, but the rest of her party as well.

Another wonderful set of earrings sold by Bead Trends, is the Bali Petite style. These are a round design, which have a distinctively Asian appeal. Any ethnic ceremony would be accentuated by adding these accessories.

The Tea Rose earring set has an intricate design, but an amazing display. These earrings are gorgeous with their miniature rose design, applied to a miniature pink pearl. This choice may be the most unique of all. Pairing them with a matching bracelet will bring out the colors in your fabrics, as well as, those in your bouquets.

Bead Trends, also offers other jewelry accessories. Brides will be able to put together the sets they like best. These pieces will help to create beautiful wedding day memories.