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Archive for April, 2009
10% off *any* order, no matter how big or small!
Wednesday, April 29th, 2009It’s just a stinking’ dress, right?
Monday, April 27th, 2009
It's not just a dress
Here’s one for you brides to pass on to your hubby-to-be.
Grooms, you may have noticed your bride-to-be bordering on obsession over finding that perfect wedding dress. Did she start looking before you were even engaged? Crazy, right?
Maybe…
Maybe not.
As a guy, you’re not programmed to understand the bridal gown phenomenon. I mean, it’s not like you’re spending six months trying to find that perfect tuxedo (well maybe you are, but that’s for a different blog).
That being said, one thing you are programmed to do is be involved and understand why certain wedding planning activities matter so much. Never is this more important than during the bridal gown selection process. It’s cliché to say, but your bride has been planning her wedding day since she was a girl.
Here are some important timelines to get used to, guys. This should help you get the idea of the amount of time that goes into the dress alone.
9-12 months – Length of time before wedding day that the bride should start looking for a dress
6 months – Length of time before wedding day that the dress should be ordered
2-3 months – Amount of time that should be counted on for alterations
2-3 weeks – Average amount of time in the bridesmaid dress selection process
3-4 – Number of arguments you just avoided by becoming familiar with the wedding dress shopping process.
TheManRegistry.com is an online resource for grooms and is the internet leader in grooms’ wedding information. The centerpiece of the website is a specialized wedding registry featuring wedding gifts tailored toward grooms. Included in the thousands of products you’ll find at The Man Registry are barware, electronics, tools, logoed sports items, and groomsmen gifts. The company also recently launched a local vendor directory which gives grooms an outlet to connect with local wedding vendors
Who says you have to wear a traditional wedding gown?
Thursday, April 23rd, 2009Happy Thursday everyone! I look at a lot of wedding gowns everyday and I love the untraditional styles that pop up on our site every once in awhile. Whether the dress is short or a different color, some of these gowns will definitely make you a memorable bride in your own unique and stylish way!
Great for a garden wedding!
Could be used for a fun holiday themed wedding!
Perfect gown if you'd like a touch of red!
Stunning and unique!
If you are having a casual wedding, this dress would be perfect!
This untraditional gown is vintage
Love this dress!
What to do with all that wedding cash…
Monday, April 20th, 2009
Cold hard cash is still one of the most popular gifts to give for weddings. And what’s not to like. Cash gives the couple many options and provides a sense of comfort for newlyweds just starting out.
Now assuming you aren’t getting married in Las Vegas, you’ll have a big pile of cash the day after the wedding and you’ll be faced with a question: “What should we do with it?” There are two obvious options: bank it or spend it.
Option 1: Bank It
If you’re conservative, this presents a great opportunity to start a joint savings account or another type of investment. The money could go towards start retirement fund, buying stock, or saving for a down payment on a house. There’s really no going wrong when you’re saving for the future.
Option 2: Spend it
An equal number of other couples will put their wedding cash towards the honeymoon. This is not a bad idea as it allows you to save the cash you would otherwise be spending on dinners, drinks, excursions on your honeymoon. The cash you rake in can also go towards buying gifts that were not purchased off of your wedding registry.
TheManRegistry.com Recommendation: We think the safest bet is doing a little of both. Let’s say you get $2,000 in cash gifts. Why not put half of it in the bank (or other investment) and use the other half as “mad money” for the honeymoon. This gives you the comfort of knowing you’re saving, but also allows you to kick back and enjoy a few extra mojitos on the honeymoon.
Cheers.
TheManRegistry.com is an online resource for grooms and is the internet leader in wedding advice for men. The centerpiece of the website is a specialized wedding registry featuring wedding gifts tailored toward grooms. Included in the thousands of products you’ll find at The Man Registry are barware, electronics, tools, logoed sports items, and groomsmen gifts. The company also recently launched their official blog, GroomsAdvice.com, which gives grooms an outlet to read, share, and laugh at unique wedding experiences.
Guest blog: Writing your own wedding vows
Wednesday, April 15th, 2009To Have, and to hold, and… {fill in the blank.}
By Personalized Wedding Poet Chloe’ Yelena Miller
www.WordArrangement.WordPress.Com / www.WordArrangement.com
You’ve spent time planning the menu, flower arrangements, music, etc. Of course, the real reason for all of these details is that they help you and your guests celebrate your union with the person you love. Writing your own vows is the perfect way to personalize the ceremony and share your promises publicly.
There are many ways to approach your vows. Some religions and traditions offer you more flexibility than others; it is important that you create the tradition for yourselves, as new or familiar as that may be. You can write your vows together or share them for the first time during the ceremony.
Most vows incorporate the idea of standing by each other no matter what challenges you face (financial, medical or otherwise) and that your love will endure. For some examples of traditional and untraditional vows, here is a helpful website.
Your vows are pledges to your partner and your guests. If you decide to craft them privately, your conversations will probably be longer than the actual vows. You don’t have to include everything in your vows, but it can be beautiful to share your full thoughts with your partner.
The first step is to talk to your partner and decide if you are going to write them together or separately.
Here is a short list of some of the ideas to consider and expand on when writing your vows:
What is your favorite part of your relationship?
How did you meet?
How does your love inspire your life?
What does your partner offer you and what do you hope to offer the other person?
What is your definition of marriage?
The next step is to consider what aspects of your love, hopes, dreams, and maybe even fears, that you’d like to include.
Consider the following:
What is most important to you?
How does love nourish your life?
Where would you be without this love?
Poet Alli Shaloum-Brydon wrote her own vows and shared them in a guest blog post: the Adventures of Planning an Interfaith and Intercultural Wedding. I particularly love the last line, “Let us strive for excitement, adventure, and passion in everything we do.” That is exactly what we all hope for in life and in a partner.
Another idea is to speak with your celebrant. Most celebrants, like NJ based Celia Milton, help couples to build their own vows. I asked Celia to share some advice. She wrote, “I honestly think couples make this too hard, too terrifying by thinking their vows have to be great snippets of literature. That’s really not it at all; their vows are their promises to each other; the promises that they have made in their hearts long before their wedding day.”
Be reminded that your vows don’t only take place on one day. They are promises that carry into the future. We are reminded of that by Philadelphia area Wedding Priestess Ann Keeler Evans . She writes in her blog, “What if you crafted your vows as the working document that will carry your relationship into the future?”
If you are looking for additional help, you are welcome to contact Chloe‘, she writes personalized wedding poems which can be tailored to be read as vows.
Groom’s Guide to Keeping the Honeymoon Cheap
Tuesday, April 14th, 2009
Planning a wedding in this economy can be downright scary. However, most couples say that they’re ignoring the temptation to postpone the wedding and rather scaling back costs. There are definitely ways to bring wedding costs down to meet your budget. And believe it or not, making the honeymoon a little more affordable is very possible.
The honeymoon is one of the bigger drains on the wedding budget. The trip is traditionally paid for by the groom – however today couples often share the cost. Here are a few quick tips that may be helpful in your planning:
Consider a cruise
It may come as a surprise, but cruises are traditionally much cheaper than doing a resort. You want to remember that food is normally included in the trip cost. If you’re not big drinkers – you won’t be racking up a huge bar tab and your only other expenses will be souvenirs and on-shore excursions.
Keep the trip shorter
Depending on where you’re planning to go planning a weekend honeymoon rather than a full week can make the trip much more affordable. It’s not ideal, but it sure beats canceling the trip altogether.
Road trip
Consider doing a road trip honeymoon in the states rather than leaving the country. Gas prices have fallen significantly and if you use a trip planning website you can find cheap hotels along the way. Use the same website to find cheap lodging at your destination. One of the most popular trending honeymoon destinations are mountain areas. These spots are ideal for travel by car.
Do a short trip now and a long one later
Another alternative is doing a short weekend or one-night trip immediately after the wedding and then waiting until there is enough money to do an all-out trip.
Remember to check out TheManRegistry.com for all of your groom’s wedding planning needs.
Cheers!
10% off from Jenny GG Photography!
Monday, April 13th, 2009
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Wednesday’s Featured Guest Blogger – FavorIdeas!
Wednesday, April 8th, 2009Since 2004, FavorIdeas has been helping brides hone their vision around a theme, and support that theme with personalized favors and accessories. Drop by for friendly, supportive advice on the boards. For a more irreverent look at wedding trends, check out the blog at WedSmack.
Savvy Wedding Flower Savings for the Cost-Conscious Bride
Photo source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/momopeche/2557359532/
Wedding flowers are costly (duh!). Many brides are shocked when they first learn the bouquet, the moms and the entourage will cost $800 and up. Want reception decor, too? Brace for 2-3K at least.
Given this, it’s not surprising to hear some brides say, “I don’t want to spend that much on something that dies in a few days.” But for others, that ephemeral thrill is precisely the point. After all, the steak tartare disappears even faster, but your guests will still savor it.
If you’re in group two, ditching the flowers would be a major, grumptastic concession. So how to keep these pretty little things from draining the budget dry? Read on!
1) Skip ‘Em (and Say Hello to Succulents, Fruit, River Stones). Heck, if you don’t care that much about flowers you’ve probably already researched the *many* non-floral centerpiece/bouquet options out there. Bridesmaids are carrying silk fans, lanterns, you name it, and tables are looking great with non-floral centerpieces that give off a modern vibe. Just hit Google Images or flickr for the type you like (“fruit centerpieces”) and you’ll be rewarded with a wealth of budget-friendly ideas.
2) Fear of Flowers (Beat It). Farmers markets are cost-slashing dynamos. Or, BJ’s Wholesale will sell you 125 roses for about $150, and that includes shipping. There’s a lot you can do with 125 roses, seeing as they’re hardy blooms (as are tulips and orchids). Keep them cool and shaded until the reception. Then, in addition to centerpieces, you can tuck them into chair sashes, tied-up swags, the list goes on.
The only drawback? That knee-knocking fear! We’ve all been taught that floral work is like nuclear engineering: one wrong move and it blows sky high.
Not so — you just need confidence. I know almost nothing about flowers … the craziest I’ve gotten is those $1 blocks of wet foam from the dollar store. Yet, when I arrange them for parties, people *always* ask about the florist. Crack a book one evening and you can expand your horizons tenfold. Also, more and more craft stores are teaching brides to whip out bouquets in half-day workshops. Just do a trial to boost your confidence: gussy up one of your parties. Then, have a team of helpers who’ll truly show up and pitch in the day before.
3) Go to Pot. Obviously if you’re set on towering Phalaenopsis orchids, you’ll pay more than hitting up a nursery for seasonal offerings, like Easter lilies in spring or mums in the fall. Either way, potted is growing more popular each day — after all, it’s not only budget- but eco-friendly too. Potted or cut, you may be able to deduct your flowers after the fact if you donate them to a local park or hospital. Check with your CPA before diving in, though. Hint: Donated gowns can also be write-offs, as can a portion of some religious and non-profit venue fees.
4) Go Faux. Personally, not a fan … not to offend anyone, but you can spot silks a mile away, just like the restylane in Meg Ryan’s lips. In photos, fakes are even more obvious. Still, if you’re at peace with the faux look, go for it — maybe even get something fantastical, like bright blue roses. Exception: silk blooms can look fabulous wired to bare-branch centerpieces. Also, silk orchids submerged in clear glass cylinders can be lovely under floating candles. Use distilled water to go bubble-free, and tack a small weight to the orchids.
5) Embrace the Age. Do you love Target, too? Then you probably agree that modern design rocks precisely because it doesn’t try to resuscitate the past. In this spirit, paper flowers are on fire this year. Google it and you’ll see all kinds of amazing centerpieces, bouquets and boutonnières made with origami orchids and lilies. Or, look into tissue paper poms. Bunched together, these ruffly beauties have all the appeal of hydrangeas or peonies plucked from the garden. YouTube is bursting with paper flower tutorials, so get crafty — or hit Etsy and tap the crafty for much less than florist-sourced blooms!
Include the groom with a “stock the bar” shower
Monday, April 6th, 2009
A “stock the bar” wedding shower is a great co-ed wedding shower that both the bride and the groom can enjoy. It generally involves guests bringing some sort of gift that can be used in the newlywed’s current or future home bar.
Not only is this party a great way to get both sides of the wedding involved in a shower, it’s also a great opportunity for some of the couple’s friends who don’t already know each other to meet in a fun and relaxed atmosphere before the wedding.
If you’re a groomsmen, bridesmaid, or friend of the couple who has been put in charge of planning this shower, here are some tips:
First, think about the types of bar gifts the shower should include. For example, is the shower being thrown to help stock the couple’s bar with barware gifts (such as wine, beer, martini, margarita, brandy or champagne glasses), utensils and accessories (such as wine and beer bottle openers, wine racks, jiggers, martini shakers or drink recipe books) or liquor only? We recommend including all of the above.
Next, think about the invitations. Make sure to include the theme of the shower someplace on the invitation, so guests will know what kind of gifts are appropriate. If guests will be bringing liquor, you may even want to call the guests that have accepted ahead of time to let them know what type of liquor to bring. Otherwise, the couple may end up with seven bottles of scotch. While this may not be a problem for some couples, others may prefer a slightly more diversified bar. If the gifts will include other bar items, it’s helpful if the couple has already registered for some options.
What about guests? This type of couples shower easily lends itself to the wedding party and friends of the couple, but can also include close family members and extended relatives. This type of shower is usually held during evening hours, so refreshments can include drinks and hors d’oeuvres rather than a full meal.
Enjoy (and save some drinks for us)
Cheers!
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