For some couples, a Thanksgiving or Christmas wedding is the perfect choice. Your family is already gathered in one place, so you’ll be killing two birds with one stone. On top of that, many churches and ballrooms at hotels are already decorated, meaning that you’ll save the flower expensive. That said, there are a few things to keep in mind if you’re going to plan a holiday wedding to make sure that things go off without a hitch.
~ Some guests won’t be able to make it. People are very protective of their wedding traditions. Although your friends and family may be in town, some won’t want to deviate from their normal schedules for your wedding. So, if you get married during the holiday season, keep in mind that you may be compromising your guest list.
~ Receptions halls are booked very early for holiday parties. Make sure that you find a venue early or company Christmas parties and other holiday events will fill up the schedule, leaving no room for you.
~ Some vendors may not work on holidays. That cake shop you love might be closed on Christmas Eve or your favorite DJ might be out of town for the week if you plan a holiday wedding. Make sure you confirm the date with your vendors before finding out the hard way that the alteration shop closed early and you can’t get your dress until Monday…two days after your Saturday wedding.
Purchasing gifts for your bridesmaids is fairly easy in most cases - a spa gift certificate or other fun indulgence will do the trick. Choosing gifts for your groomsmen might be a bit more difficult. Although your husband-to-be should have a batter idea of what his groomsmen will like, here are some great groomsmen gifts you can suggest:
Engraved Silver-Plated Pocket Watch
This silver-plated pocket watch offers the sophisticated elegance that a wristwatch simply cannot match. This handsome timekeeper includes a 12 chain. As an added value may be personalized with up to three initials at no additional charge.
Personalized Oxford Round Leather Flask with Shot Glass
Contemporary design meets modern technology with this handsome stainless steel pocket flask. Leather center, embossed with a braided pattern, holds a personalized removable shot glass that easily pops in and out when he wants to quench his thirst. Holds 6 ounces of his favorite beverage.
With their classic form and magnetic closure, these silver-plated cuff links will look traditional but feel completely modern. They can hold two petite photos of the people closes to your groomsmen! Each cuff link measure 3/4 inches in diameter.The Personalized Photo Cuff Links can be presented in the included silver gift tin and may be engraved with up to three block initials at no additional cost.
Do you and your intended love to drink wine? If so then you might really enjoy have a wine country wedding.
Weddings at wineries are a lot of fun because they are usually located in gorgeous setting to begin with. There are usually grape arbours and gardens out of doors and luxurious long bars and party rooms inside the winery.
According to Now and Forever Weddings a recommended winery location for weddings is the Temecula Winery in California. This is a vineyard located at the top of a hill that has a natural grassy theater in which the wedding will performed.
A winery like this can add lots of elegant touches to your wedding such as a carpet of flowers for walking down the aisle, a lit wood dance floor outdoors and unlimited champagne for toasting the bride and groom!
Of course with this type of wedding it might be a good idea to plan it so that guests can stay overnight in a nearby hotel.
This helpful kit with CD included features all the forms necessary to change your name, even when your name is simply becoming hyphenated.
The kit, a steal at less than $30, includes hard copies of all forms, and provides information necessary to notify Social Security, the IRS, the Dept of Elections, the Dept of Motor Vehicles, and for changing a Driver’s License, updating a passport, and notifying banks and merchants. Don’t let the slow wheels of bureaucracy impede your wedding joy!
Of course, when you decide to get engaged, your name is something you need to consider carefully. Some brides don’t change their names, and if you have a job where you name is recognized readily, you might want to consider keeping your own last name. Some brides also choose to drop their middle name and instead use their maiden name as their middle name. If you don’t want to change your name, your groom shouldn’t pressure you to do so. Names are very personal, and only you can make a decision about yours.
Often, we let friendships fall, and losing track of the people we knew in high school, in college, at past jobs, and so forth is all too easy. When it comes time for your wedding, however, you might want to reconnect to these people and invite them to share in your special day. Only one problem - how do you get in touch again? Here are three ways to find the people you’ve been missing:
~Social Media Websites: You might be surprised, but millions of people around the world have profiles on MySpace, Facebook, and other social media sites. Some that aren’t as common, but are still worth a shot include Twitter and LinkedIn. You can even seach for friends on photo sharing sites like Flickr.
~Contact their previous places of employment or alma mater. If you knew a friend through work or school, people at these places might know where they’ve moved - maybe they even still keep in touch. With an employer, try to talk to a manager or someone who worked directly in your friend’s office so you can explain the situation. Human resources usually don’t know or won’t give out information. At an alma mater, you can contact the alumni relations office. Some even have space in the alumni newsletter or on alumni websites for friends looking for one another! In any case, contacting work or school is easier than contacting old mutual friends, who you may not want to invite to the wedding.
~Try Craig’s List. If you know the city where your friend lives, but he/she isn’t listed in the phone book or on any of the social networking sites, try placing an ad on Craig’s List in the missed connections section. Your friend or someone who knows him/her might respond! This is a long shot, but definitely worth a shot.
~Get out the old yearbooks. Many high schools printed student addresses in their yearbooks, so you can probably at least find contact information for where your friend’s parents lived. They may still live there and be able to forward your invitation.
Remember, contacting an old friend can simultaneously be wonderful and difficult. A lot changes over the years, so be prepared to reconnect with a person who isn’t much like the person you once knew. Still, sharing your big day, or at least putting forth the invitation, is a great way to reach out to old friends. Once you’ve made that reconnection gain, work to keep in touch this time around!
Photo by Jayray24
For a couple of years now we have seen wedding color themes turn all different colors of the rainbow from lime green to chocolate brown to bright red. White was cool for wedding this year as long as it was black and white. Champagne and other off white colors have been hot for a long time. According to The Knot, however, we are seeing a return to the days when the Bride wore white. Not just any white. That stark white with a bluish tinge. This means we will start to see white phalenopopsis orchid, clouds of baby’s breath and glittering white cakes with butter cream icing. The tables are decorated with white china as well as scores of tall white tapered candles.
Do you want to add a touch of color to your snow white wedding? The Knot suggested adding rose-colored metallic ribbons and other metallic colors to give it a magical and glamorous look. Touches of gold are also very pure and elegant looking on a wedding table and less expected than silver.
According to Favor Ideas you can really save a lot of money by holding a martini party wedding reception because you are not expected to serve a big expensive sit down dinner. Instead you will be having a cocktail reception that runs for a couple of hours – for instance from five to seven p.m. For this to work you need to present the occasion to your guests as a cocktail party and on the invite encourage them to wear cocktail attire? Another nice touch is to serve a signature martini of some sort that reflects a favorite taste of yours and the grooms. For instance if both of you like mint then you could have peppermint martinis made from schnapps and vodkas as a special drink.
There are lots of creative ideas for wedding favors with this sort of reception as well. This can include monogramming the napkins or inscribing the martini glasses with the initials of the bride and the groom. Make sure you hire a bartender who is a natural born showman to make your evening complete
Some wedding couples want a sleek, elegant wedding, but for others rustic is more beautiful.
The key is to remember that rustic doesn’t have to mean unrefined. You can still have a gorgeous dress and a reception that is the envy of your friends, even if you opt for a country theme. You don’t have to wear camouflage, flannel, or gingham to get that rustic feel!
If you and your groom want that country feel, here are a few ideas to help you create a rustic look without feeling like your wedding is being held in a barn.
- Choose earthly colors. Chocolate brown, forest green, straw, and other colors that are found in nature are the perfect setting for a rustic wedding. Avoid colors that are rarely found in nature.
- Use straw wreaths as a basis for decorations. You can add in your own wedding flowers and the straw will immediately give off that rustic feel.
- Hire a band instead of a DJ. Most DJs want to play traditional dance music, but if you go for a band, you can look for one that specifically covers country and bluegrass music.
You can find more ideas for rustic, country weddings at Brides.com. This isn’t an option for everyone, but it is perfect for many people.
This is one of the more innovative ideas I’ve seen in a long time. Photographs on bags are still fairly popular, but usually the pictures are of cute baby animals, vintage models, or scenic cityscapes. Now, you can turn your own wedding pictures into bags! At WeddingShowerGifts.com, they’ll take any picture you send and create a one-of-a-kind accessory. Of course, it doesn’t have to be a shot from the ceremony itself. Pick any picture you like - the one you used for your wedding announcements, a fun snapshot from the honeymoon, or an artistic picture by the professional photographer at your reception.
This is an affordable gift for yourself as well. The medium size, like the one pictured, starts at just $40, with a larger size starting at $50. Ordering online is preferred, although for an additional $5, you can send a hard copy of your photograph which will then be returned unharmed with your order in about two weeks. You can choose to leave the picture in color or, for a classier look, go for black and white or sepia tones.
These bags are so super-cute that it is a good idea to order two - one to keep for special occasions so it stays nice and another for carrying with you every day. Splurge on this little gift for yourself - after all, what woman doesn’t need another purse?
(Picture from WeddingShowerGifts.com)
If you want a real wow factor at your wedding try presenting a champagne fountain. Real champagne fountains are not made of plastic. They are metal constructions that are made out of wine glasses that sit on special tiers. You can get them in three to six to eight tier versions. The more tiers the prettier the waterfall of champagne is as it spills into the glasses. It is possible to have sixty, forty or twenty champagne flutes or bell shaped glasses filling in the champagne fountain at any one time. They come with light boxes that have them illuminated in different colors and the effect really is gorgeous. The glasses are lit from beneath in neon pink, lime or yellow hues. They can also be rigged up with silver cups or with tinted liquids such as pink champagne. You can find this type of fountain at A1 Champagne Fountains, which is a U.K. company that specializes in selling and renting these super fun decorative objects.
A1 Champagne Fountains
102 Charles Street
Greenhithe
Kent
DA9 9AJ
01322 384 706
