Archive for the ‘Weddings’ Category
Friday, November 14th, 2008 by Jen
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Looking for a creative gift for your Bridesmaids that doesn’t blow your wedding budget? Sometimes the little things can make a big impact and show your Bridesmaid how thankful you are during this busy time. Here are some inexpensive ideas for bridesmaid gifts:
- Make it personal: It doesn’t have to be expensive if you show that you really took time to find something special just for her. An engraved jewelry box or picture frame are great examples.
- Travel essentials: If your bridesmaids are traveling from out of town, something small to welcome her will be much appreciated. Whether its her favorite snacks or a local souvenir, she’ll feel much more welcome. Or how about a monogrammed tote bag to carry her stuff home in?
- Something she needs: If you’ve ever been a bridesmaid, you know that the cost can really add up. Treat her to a manicure and pedicure, or give her the jewelry that you would like her to wear in the wedding. A small gesture will make her feel appreciated and know that you understand her financial sacrifice for your special day.
- Something sentimental: This one takes some thought, but chances are you will be able to think of something really special that isn’t expensive. Maybe you could give her a newer version of that “best friends” necklace you two wore in Junior High. Or perhaps your nickname for her is “Ladybug” so you give her something ladybug-themed. Think about how you met, the things you’ve been through together, and the things you have in common.
For some of my favorite bridesmaid gift ideas, click the pictures below:
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Wednesday, September 24th, 2008 by Jen
Fall weddings set the scene for the perfect combination of romance, elegance, and natural beauty. For those of you planning a fall wedding, I’ve compiled a list of top themes, ideas and tips for fall weddings:
- Locations: old churches, apple orchards, vinyards, or even an old barn
- Colors: Jewel tones will add elegance and aren’t too bright or dark. Warm rich colors, as well as metallics, also look great at a fall wedding.
- Decorations: corn, pumpkins, wheat, feathers, acorns, cornucopias, apples
- Linens: Try textured linens in off-white with your wedding colors as accents. Or experiment with a touch of velvet.
- Table Decor: Rather than many small items, try decorating your tables with several large, dramatic props, like large pillar candles
- The dress: Off-white is very common. Rather than a highly-embellished gown, go for a simple soft satin dress. Gold embroidery or other small touches will add elegance
- Food: Heavier meals are more common. Don’t feel like you are stuck with turkey and mashed potatoes, though. Try beef, venison, or any other main dish that will pair well with hearty side-dishes. Harvest vegetables also make a nice touch.
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Wednesday, September 17th, 2008 by Jen
Amidst the millions of other wedding decisions you are making, sometimes it’s easy to forget about your bridal jewelry. So for the busy bride, I’ve prepped the following top 5 tips you should keep in mind when shopping for wedding jewelry:
1. Wait! Don’t shop for your jewelry until you’ve decided on the dress and headpiece. It’s a lot easier to find something to match your dress than it is to match a dress to the necklace that you’ve already fallen in love with.
2. Feel free not to splurge! Okay, so it’s your wedding and you have every right to spend as much as you want for this important event. But, at the same time, don’t spend more than you have to. While everyone is certainly going to notice those stunning earrings you’ve selected, they certainly aren’t going to know if they are CZ or real diamonds. There are a lot of affordable alternatives, like silver-plated, CZ gemstones, crystals or faux pearls.
3. Compliment your dress. There’s no doubt that your dress is the most important part of the outfit, so don’t take away from that - compliment it. If you are wearing a rather simple dress, feel free to pick something a little more “wow” than what you would typically wear. On the same note, if your dress is extremely detailed and snazzy, stick with a more basic necklace, earrings and bracelet.
4. Match! Feel free to purchase each piece separately, but make sure you are sticking with the same general color, gemstone, etc. For example, if you are wearing a pink pearl necklace, a pink CZ tennis bracelet isn’t going to look as nice as a pink pearl bracelet. Buying your jewelry as a set is a great way to get your shopping done, and be sure that everything matching perfectly.
5. Don’t shop at all! Borrowing jewelry is becoming more popular, especially if it has sentimental value. Sure, you detest your Mom’s out-of-style wedding gown, but her classic diamond stud earrings might be the perfect “something old” to add a personal touch to your wedding.
For some of my favorite bridal jewelry picks, click the pictures below:
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Monday, August 18th, 2008 by Jen
While most wedding jewelry is classic and timeless, each season I see some exciting trends in wedding jewelry. This fall, the trend is dramatic wedding jewelry to match those dramatic fall wedding colors. Think long chandelier earrings, thick cuff bangle bracelets, and multi-stranded necklaces.
Another fall trend is not so trendy at all: vintage wedding jewelry. What a great way to incorporate “something old” into your wedding attire. Maybe it’s Mom’s pearls or Grandma’s cameo. It doesn’t even have to be “really” vintage - you can steal the style with vintage fashion jewelry, which is much more affordable for brides on a budget!
For some possible stunning wedding jewelry ideas, click some of my pictures below:
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Thursday, August 14th, 2008 by Jen
One of the hottest colors for Fall weddings this year is orange. There are tons of ways to bring this color in to your wedding ceremony and wedding reception to add a touch of fall elegance to your wedding.
For some great ideas on how to incorporate orange into your fall wedding, check out this great orange wedding inspiration board.
And of course, you don’t have to make the entire color palette orange! Try mixing in browns, greens, and blues for a beautiful mix of fall colors. I’ve also seen some beautiful flower bouquets that mixed peach and orange for a more subtle look.
For some of my favorite fall wedding accessories, click the pictures below:
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Saturday, July 19th, 2008 by Jen
With the economy suffering right now, it can seem impossible to afford your dream wedding. But luckily there are ways to cut costs in your wedding budget so that you don’t have to compromise that dream gown or beautiful destination. Here’s my top five tips for keeping your wedding budget under control:
1. Choose your date carefully. Off-season is the best, and stay away from holidays. Many locations will give big discounts for Sunday vs. Saturday. A candlelight wedding on a Friday night is extremely romantic - and much less expensive than the typical Saturday evening wedding. Not only can you save on locations, but vendors such as catering, bakeries, and florists, will often give you a discount since they are less likely to be busy those days.
2. Invite less guests. It’s amazing how much you can save by eliminating a few folks from your guest list. It’s your wedding - you don’t “have” to invite anyone. Let go of the pressure to invite those friends you haven’t seen in years or those coworkers you don’t even like. Not only will it keep your wedding day less expensive, but you can actually spend time with all your guests this way. A smaller wedding can feel more intimate and relaxed, as well.
3. Plan the wedding yourself. Wedding planners can be costly, and many of the tasks that they perform you may be able to do yourself. Enlist the help of bridesmaids, Moms, grandmothers, and other friends to keep from getting overwhelmed. Your family and friends will be happy to help with your special day!
4. Have the wedding and reception in the same place. By picking a multi-purpose venue you can usually get a package deal and save a good bit of money. It also keeps your planning less stressful, and you don’t have to pay for transportation to several locations.
5. Limit your attendants. Each bridesmaid, groomsman, flower girl, ring bearer, etc. all cost you. Sure we all want our family and friends to be involved in our wedding day, but try to limit the number of attendants wherever possible. There are lots of way to get these folks involved, like with the planning!
I found some great budget wedding tips here for further reading. Brides.com also has several great articles on saving money in your wedding budget.
If you are looking for affordable bridal accessories, check out some of my favorites below. These pieces look pricey, so no one will know your money-saving-secret!
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Friday, June 20th, 2008 by Jen
Outdoor summer weddings are absolutely beautiful, but sometimes leave guests wondering what to wear. Here are few helpful hints whether you are clueless or a summer-wedding-expert:
- Check the invitation to see what attire is suggested. Sometimes couples will have a wedding website with more detailed information than what would fit on the invitation.
- Only an Ultra Formal (or White Tie) wedding after 6pm would require a long gown. Those weddings are very rare (particularly in the summer) so most likely you’ll want a shorter (and cooler) dress.
- Stay cool in lighter colors (no black, navy blue, etc.) but try to stay away from white since that is what the bride will be wearing
- Never “out-do” the couple getting married. If the bride is wearing a short dress, so should you.
- Don’t dress to call attention to yourself, since after all, this isn’t your wedding day. Bright colors are popular in the summer, just remember to tone it down a bit.
- Don’t wear heavy makeup or heavy jewelry. You’ll be miserable in the heat. Keep makeup, hairstyles, and jewelry simple and lightweight.
- Weddings after 6pm are typically more formal. You can still stay cool with a sleeveless dress or sandals. Consider dressing up a classic summer dress with jewelry or gold/silver strappy sandals.
- Even if the invitation says “casual” stay away from jeans or shorts. “Casual” really means your “nicer casual” clothes, not the shorts and tank top you usually wear while hanging by the pool.
- Sometimes the temperature can drop when the sun goes down, so consider bringing a lightweight sweater just in case.
No matter what, just keep in mind that you are there to celebrate the marriage of a friend/family member. There’s no need to upstage anyone or stress over looking perfect. Let the bride worry about that!
Click on the pictures below to check out some of my favorite lightweight summer jewelry that would look great at a summer wedding.
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Monday, June 9th, 2008 by Jen
One of the summer’s hottest wedding trends is beach weddings. Whether actually located on a beach, or using a beach decor, a beach wedding motif really sets the scene for a relaxing, romantic day or evening.
If you are having a beach motif wedding, here are my top ten tips:
1. Let nature inspire all of your wedding decor, including the cake. Check out this wave and beach motif wedding cake featured in Modern Bride magazine. Just remember to choose an icing that won’t melt as easily, like fondant.
2. Keep the favors simple. Remember no chocolate or anything that could melt if it might be sunny. Try salt water taffy or seashell candles.
3. Check a tide chart when planning your event times. Try www.tidesonline.com for a list of tide time charts. Tides coming in are noisier than tides going out.
4. Keep your guests comfy. As the sun sets, it can really cool down. You could include a note on the invitation reminding guests to bring a sweater/jacket to stay warm. Or provide small throw blankets, just in case.
5. A beach wedding is the perfect excuse to select a comfortable (and often less expensive) wedding dress. Barefoot is a common option, but try adding an anklet to dress it up. Check out some of these Hawaiian style beach wedding dresses.
6. Plan for the unexpected. This is true for every wedding, but when dealing directly with Mother Nature, you definitely want to plan ahead. This will keep your stress level low, too, since you have already planned for all of the “what ifs”.
7. If you don’t want to spend a lot on decor (which you really don’t need to since you already have the perfect backdrop: the beach!), your food selections can really add to the ambiance. Shrimp is very popular, but you’ll also want to have some options for guests that do not prefer seafood. Try selecting a local restaurant that is more familiar with the beach for your catering. Fruits are a refreshing appetizer option.
8. When choosing your hairstyle, keep the humidity in mind. Check out this list of ways to avoid hairstyle problems at your beach wedding.
9. Talk to other Beach Brides. There are numerous resources on the web for you to chat with brides that have already experienced their beach wedding. They might think of something you forgot, or just have some tips to calm your nerves. The Knot also have an excellent resource for planning a beach wedding.
10. Do it your way! Just because everyone else has seashells on the table, you do not have to follow suit. Add a little personality. I’ve heard of calypso themes, clam bake themes, and even mini tiki huts for the tables. The beach is a beautiful backdrop on which you can paint any picture you dream up!
If you are looking for wedding accessories, click the pictures below for my favorite guest books, unity candles, and champagne glasses. Best wishes for an amazing beach wedding!
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