LovImac

Three tips to help plan a wedding

admin — Tue, 11 May 2010 19:24:18 +0000

Planning your wedding can be fantastic, exciting and even a little bit stressful. The best way to reduce the stress level is to be organized in your planning. It is very important keep a clear head, listen to each other’s needs and wedding ideas and discuss them together.

Start with an idea of how you think your big day should look and come out. Sit down and consider how you want to remember your wedding day. Most brides to be have a general idea of a few things. Maybe you always thought tiaras were nicer than veils or you know how your hair should be or have an idea of the fantastic bouquets or bridesmaid dresses. Start with what you absolutely know you want and build from there.

Here are 3 hints which can be valuable of creating your wedding ideas:

Be Unique

Sure, you can follow the common tradition, but having a special wedding become more and more popular recently. You don’t have to be unique of your entire wedding, picking some special parts will be good, too. Try choosing a special location for your wedding, like a historic site, art gallery or other unique reception space.

Go searching for ideas, and use them as inspiration for your own creative ideas. Think about what you look for to have thing involved such as your common interest and hobby. Try taking traditional wedding ideas and combine your own twist.

Pick a theme

A wedding theme is one of the best ways to be creative with your wedding planning. It gives you a beginning point for your creativity, and helps you connect all of your ideas together.

Wedding themes is usually as simple as a color, or they could be very complicated like a circus wedding. Common themes include seashore, outdoors, seasonal (like fall or spring) and flower (like daisy or rose).

As stated above, don’t be worried to choose a one of a kind wedding theme. Even though you choose a standard wedding theme, try to let the creativity flow and change it a little bit to make it unique to you.

People for Assistance

You can ask family and friends for ideas and advice. Speak to them to get them involved, give everyone a job they can carry out and once the job is done you can begin to see your wedding ideas come to life.

Also you can consider experienced vendors. They’re great resources to bounce ideas off of, and they should also love to share their wealth of knowledge with you. Search for vendors like florists, caterers and cake designers that match your creative style. Wedding planners
can also be very helpful in providing ideas and advice while helping to take it all together for you.

Fall weddings are very popular

admin — Fri, 07 May 2010 19:22:24 +0000

Did you know that Fall is a popular time for weddings?

September is the most popular month for weddings? 14% of couples choose this month for their wedding day. ?October is the third most popular month for weddings. 12% of couples select October for their wedding day. With ?6% of weddings take place in November.

When you total this up, 30% of weddings take place during a fall month. There must be a very good reason for so many couples selecting this time of year for their weddings. What do you think it is? Many couples tell us they prefer this time of year over warmer, stickier summer months. Also many couples became engaged at this time of year and want to have their wedding during the same month.

If you’ve decided to get married at this time of year and are searching for some creative wedding ideas, you’ve found the right article. This is absolutely one of the most breathtaking times of the year for weddings – and decorating has never been easier if you take advantage of the fall season as a backdrop.

If you’ve selected September or October or live in an area where the weather is still nice outside, you may want to have your wedding outdoors. Choosing a relaxed outdoor wedding theme will not only take the pressure off you, but is guaranteed to have your guests feeling relaxed right from the beginning.

Outdoor fall weddings are very easy to decorate for and contribute to the relaxed feel of the day. Consider hay bales for seating or to hold the beverages placed in metal containers with ice. The coolness of the days will make the ice last longer than during summer months.

This is the time for harvests so be sure to use the flowers and vegetables that are plentiful at this time of year in your fall decorating ideas. Sunflowers, mums, squash, pumpkins and more are all in abundance. Place beautiful sunflowers and mum is unique containers for the table centerpieces. Choose squash and pumpkins to accent your buffet or serving tables, the bar, and gift tables. These fall wedding decorations are not only beautiful but quite inexpensive to boot.

When selecting fall wedding favors, you should also keep the time of year in mind. There are many party favors that any guest would love to receive that are also fall themed. For edible favors, take a look at chocolate with personalized wrappers. These wrappers may be personalized in fall themes plus have the couples name and date on it for that extra special touch.

Another great eco-friendly favor option are wildflower seeds. Wildflower seeds are not only perfect for spring events but tie very nicely into fall events also. Choose wildflower seed favors that you can customize with a fall theme label. For more practical fall party favors, how about a photo frame that can first serve as a place card holder then be taken home to be used later by your guests? This year, there is a very nice fall photo frame designed in beautiful branches in a lovely bronze color. Another great option for a fall party favor is any favor in a gorgeous fall color such as orange, red, yellow or brown. Choose candles, soaps, and more in these beautiful colors.

Money Saving Ideas For Your Wedding and Reception

admin — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 23:40:51 +0000

Cash Money
Most merchants will give you a small discount if you pay in cash. Using credit or debit cards cost them anywhere from 2 to 5%. At the most, request a deposit with a credit card and offer the remaining balance in cash. Most merchants, especially small business owners, will work with you.

Go Basic on Invitations
Ordering specialized, custom invitations with more than one enclosure can cost big bucks. Special borders, extra coloring, and designs are also extra. Comparison shop also to get the best deal on invitations.

Saving on the Reception
As soon as you set the date start shopping for caterers. The sooner that you book in advance, the more likely that you are to save money and time. If you are on a budget, avoid holidays like Christmas or Valentines Day. It will likely double your cost. Selecting one type of food instead of choices, like an ethnic food, will lower your costs. Also, consider using disposal dinnerware rather than china. There are many upscale brands that you can find at party stores that are very inexpensive and look like the real thing. The added benefit is that you don’t have to work about cleanup.

Flowers
Make sure that you choose flowers that are in season rather than something that has to be specially ordered or imported. Also, ordering them early is also a good idea.

Professional Photography
Consult with the potential photographers in advance and compare what they are offering you. Many photographers keep the negatives and make you pay later if you want reprints. Also, ask to see their previous wedding photographs.

How to Have a Successful Wedding

admin — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 23:40:21 +0000

So much goes into having a successful wedding but so much can go wrong and some things will go wrong but that is not to say it still cannot be the wedding of your dreams.
To have a successful wedding the bride and groom must be happy with the outcome. This means that the down to the last detail must be double checked.
Meet with your vendors a couple days before the wedding just to make sure everyone is on the same page about specifics like arrival time and so on. Many times the day before you can already take a look at things like the cake and the flower arrangements. Seeing these before hand will help take some stress off. Most of the big stuff like the dress and venue will all be taken care of before hand but it’s the day of that hosts endless possibilities for mishaps.
A great way to do this is to have the bride and groom split up the wedding duties in half; each one will be in charge of confirming different things, everything from the cake arrival time to the music scheduled to play must be double checked. Make a list and do a run down of everything on it.
Also, they cannot do it alone, the bride and groom can delegate simple tasks to members of the wedding party. Things like giving the caterers directions or checking that each table is correctly set up. Once again, on the actual day there is so much that can happen and the bride and groom must understand that one tiny detail cannot ruin a whole day but confirming and double checking these details will surely help prevent many mishaps.

Using a Wedding Checklist to Stay Focused

admin — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 23:39:37 +0000

Begin your wedding planning by starting a checklist. It will help you stay on track and be organized. There are several things you will need to place on your checklist:

You will need to make an announcement. Tell you family and close friends. You may also want to place an announcement in your local paper. Some people opt for setting up a wedding website instead.

If you so desire, have a party to announce your engagement.

Decide what type of wedding that you will be having. Is it going to formal or outdoors? Will it be a traditional church wedding or at a non religious venue?

What, if any, theme will you wedding have? This is how your wedding will come together so it’s best to have a vision early on. This is also the time to pick your wedding colors. A lot of base this on the season of the wedding.

Determine who is paying for the wedding and then set a budget. There are several great books you can buy with budget saving tips.

Choose your wedding date and what time of the day you will be having it. Always have a plan B instead of your first option falls though. Book your venue and reception location once you pick your dates.

Choose the person who will be marrying you.

Select your wedding party.

Arrange meetings with merchants, such as caterers, photographers and florists. It’s always best to comparison shop as this helps you find the merchant right for you. Most caters will arrange tastings that will help you pick the perfect cake.

Gift Ideas for the Wedding Party

admin — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 23:39:09 +0000

Some of the most important people in a wedding are in the wedding party. Yes, the bridesmaids and groomsmen are not only close friends and family of the bride and groom, but are there to help with everything from planning to cold feet. With this said, let’s treat them well.
A great idea for the bridesmaids is to give them each a basket or a tote bag filled with female goodies. Arts and crafts places often sell plain baskets and tote bags, this is ideal because you can design and decorate them for the individual. Next, fill them up with gifts like lotions and body sprays. Be sure to give each bridesmaid the same size and amount of things but different colors, scents, etc. depending on their preferences. Close to the day of, treat your bridesmaids to a day at the spa where they can get manicures and pedicures for the big day. Also, surprising the gals with makeup and hair will make them feel like stars as they get all glamed up.
For the groomsmen the idea is similar. Try filling up gym bags or back packs with things like sports equipment or grooming tools. Things like shaving creams, after shave and cologne are perfect as gifts. A must have for the men is a nice package of cigars, they, including the groom, will love to light it together as they celebrate the event. Lastly, men always love events, how about taking your groomsmen out to ball game or a car show, some quality guy time is a must before the wedding.
Remember that the maid of honor and best men should get all the above and a little extra thank you gift for their hard work. Congrats and good luck!

Things you need to plan for in a wedding

admin — Sat, 29 May 2010 23:37:20 +0000

Getting married can be a very wonderful time in your life. There’s a lot of planning that goes into it and unfortunately the bride is usually the only one doing the planning, however for a bride who is organized, she will have a very smooth time organizing her wedding.
The most important step in planning your wedding is to set a date. This is something that you and the groom will have to sit down and discuss. You need to consider what type of wedding that you actually want, what particular season.
Next you will need to decide how much you actually want to spend on the whole cost of the wedding. Once you set a budget please be sure to stick to it.
You will need to locate a place to hold the ceremony. It can be very costly depending on what type of venue you want for the wedding. Just please be mindful of the budget that you have set for the wedding and plan accordingly. Once you have selected the venue, please be sure to sit down and talk to who is in charge of running the venue so that you can be sure that they are able to accommodate the type of wedding you are planning.
Now that you have selected the venue, you will need to decide how many guests are invited. Please be sure to stick to that number, because you will find that the cost of your wedding can be very pricey if you constantly add on more guests.
Before you make your final decision as to who will be the photographer, be sure to have seen several pieces of work. The photos from the wedding will be your most memorable thing from this lovely occasion and you want good quality work.

Create a Schedule to follow for your Wedding Planning

admin — Thu, 27 May 2010 23:36:51 +0000

It is very important to create a schedule to help in organizing your Wedding Plans. An easier way to accomplish this is to purchase a good indexed looseleaf notebook. The index tabs may be labeled to separate each step with information that you gather along the way. The many steps will contain pictures of location sites for the ceremony, where you will hold your reception, decoration ideas and final choices for colors, themes, music, flowers, invitations, thank you cards, and the list goes on. That is the main reason for a schedule of planning the important day and all of the days before that.

1. Set the date for the wedding. Many things will need to be considered. Vacation times, , already scheduled obligations, the probable weather for your area, if you want an outdoor wedding.

2 Wedding and Reception locations. Contact the chamber of commerce or go online for a listing of wedding venues for that area, inspect and select. Schedule the chosen sites.

3 Wedding gown shopping and selection. List that under Bride and Attendants. The Groom and attendants may be listed in that same section.

4. Flowers for wedding and reception. Color scheme and theme information and decisions.

5. Guest List, selection,ordering invitations and thank you cards. Scheduled mailing times.

6. Music for the wedding cermony. Reception band selection. Choice of at least three bands.

7. Photographer information and selection, including the cost.

8. Decision on the officiating clergy and scheduled consultation.

9. Decorations for church or other locatons for the wedding.

10, Honeymoon reservations.

11. Wedding Rehersal schedule and celebration meal.

12. Wedding cost account records.

Wedding on a Budget

admin — Mon, 24 May 2010 23:35:33 +0000

Has anyone noticed there seem to be fewer weddings now than a few years back? Part of this may be because the cost to throw a wedding has become so high that this alone may be scaring couples out of engagement. We are going to shine some light on weddings on a budget.
Realistically, it may not be possible to have the fairy tale wedding with a castle and gold covered plates, but it is possible to have an amazing celebration without breaking the bank.
Start off by researching, research is by far the best tool one can have when planning any event. This means you either have to plan the wedding with plenty of time or you have to move really quickly. Make sure for every purchase you have gotten more than one price quote and that you have looked enough into the company to trust that a low price does not mean they are low quality.
Next, do not be above knock offs, yes, it is horrible to say and to hear but when bargaining the key is to buy something that may not be exactly what you want but is so close and the price is so great that one cannot help but to buy it. Now, this is not settling, it is merely staying within your means.
Lastly, order and travel, yes for good prices and a larger variety you must be willing to order from different places like websites and far away companies. You must also be willing to travel for purchases as well, if your local area does not have an item or it does but you know that a couple hours away you can buy the same thing and save hundreds then go for it. Explore places and shops that maybe you wouldn’t normally, they might surprise you. Now good luck and congrats, it is going to be a great day.

Wedding Stress

admin — Sat, 22 May 2010 23:24:59 +0000

Merchants
The main goal of vendors is to make money. They will push you into the more expensive options. Chances are, they will not listen to you when you tell them that you are on a budget. Stand your ground and let them know that you have options elsewhere.

Family Harmony
Everyone has family members that are divorced or don’t get along (or both.) It’s very stressful worrying about how they will interact with one another. Sitting down with me them to explain your concern is a good way of reducing the stress involved. Communication is the key to a happy family wedding.

Everybody Has an Opinion
Even though they have good intentions, you will end up tgetting lots of thoughts from everyone about every aspect of your wedding and reception. Remember, this is your wedding not theirs. Respect their ideas, but in the end, make it your own wedding.

Parents
Parents can be one of the greatest sources of stress in planning a wedding. They want to be involved and know that you are spending their money effectively. Let them feel involved and help out without taking over. In a nice way, let them know what your vision is early on and set some boundaries.

Just the Two Of Us
The single most stressful aspect of wedding planning that you will encounter is the person that you will be marrying. One person should do all of the planning. Both of you should be involved and plan things together. A stress free wedding will make for a stress free union!