Planning Your Wedding

The moment has finally arrived…you’re getting married! No doubt that thoughts of joy,
excitement and anticipation for the big day are racing through your mind. There is so much to do, and perhaps not as much time as you’d like to do it. Most people spend about a year planning their special day. The big question on everyone’s mind as they enter the world of wedding planning is “where do I begin?”
Every wedding is different, but if you work on making a checklist (it may continue to grow as months pass by) you’ll be able to keep track of what tasks have been completed and what is yet to be taken care of. A few items you might see on someone’s Wedding To-Do Checklist might be:
• Wedding Colors and Theme
• Wedding Music
• Centerpieces
• Reception Hall
• Save the Date cards and Wedding Invitations

Simply start building your list and worry about the minor details in later months (things like wedding favors or wedding programs). When you plan your wedding, you can opt to do it yourself, with the help of family and friends, or you can hire a wedding planner. A wedding planner can take your ideas of a dream wedding and make them a reality, for a price of course. Most people do plan their own weddings and they turn out to be a wonderful event, although most people can expect some stress to go along with planning a wedding.
When you choose to be your own wedding planner, you need to make sure you’re doing your research. If you like a specific gown, is there more than one store in your area that carries that designer? Shopping around can save you on the financial side, leaving more money to enjoy your honeymoon! Are you picking colors that are favorable to the season? For instance, if you’re getting married in the winter, are you picking those deep, rich holiday tones that would accent the cold weather perfectly? However, it’s your wedding. If you’re a December bride and you want lime green linens adorning your head table, so be it; it’s your special day!
Consider getting a 3 ring binder to collect your ideas and track your wedding purchases. There have been plenty of times when a bride has made a purchase in haste, only to toss the receipt as quickly as they bought the item they no longer desire. Organization will aid you in eliminating stress during the planning process. You can get creative with your wedding binder and make folders dedicated to food for the reception, wedding hairdos that interest you or even pictures from bridal magazines that you can take with you when you go and search for that dream wedding gown you’ve been waiting for.
One of the best things a new wedding planner can do is ask the advice of others who have experienced wedding planning for themselves. Those bits of advice and information can come in handy. You’ll learn about the best places in town to get your bridesmaid dresses, wedding jewelry and photographer. Remember that wedding planning takes time and patience, but in the end, it will come together perfectly as you and all of your loved ones take part in one of the most special days in a person’s life.

How to Find the Best Wedding Favors and Gifts

The dress of your dreams has been purchased and the flowers are picked out. You’ve gathered your “something old and something new” and are putting the finishing touches on the wedding you’ve been planning since you were young. The time has come to decide about wedding favors and gifts for your wedding party and guests.
Remember first to set your budget for your wedding favor fund. It can easily add up if you’re not financially prepared to buy a favor for each of the 300 people who will be in attendance. After you know how much you’re willing to spend, you can begin searching for favors that reflect your style.
Wedding gifts for your guests can take many forms. They can be edible, delicious and enjoyed by guests of all ages, or they can be keepsakes that your loved ones can have with them forever to mark the joyous occasion of your wedding day. Great keepsake wedding favor ideas are picture frames, ornaments or paperweights. They can also be practical. No gift could be better than one that can prove useful in everyday life! These could be favors like hand soaps, bottle openers or even key chains. You’ll know your perfect wedding favors when you see them. Just as you knew your wedding dress was meant for you, the gifts will give you that same feeling.

It is also customary to give a gift to each person who is part of the wedding party. This may even extend past the bridesmaids and groomsmen to the ushers, bridal attendants and so on. These gifts should be even more thoughtful than those you might be purchasing for your guests. Many brides and grooms choose to give their wedding party a personalized gift to thank them for taking part in their special day. Popular wedding party gifts for those on the bride’s side might be gifts of silver. Candle stick holders, picture frames, or compact mirrors engraved with their names, a special quote or the date of the ceremony add a special touch and let the wedding party know how much they mean to the happy couple.
For the groom’s side, consider some popular options like a men's grooming kit, a set of wine stoppers or even glass mugs with a personalized message etched on the glass. They’ll get use of the gifts and cherish the thought you put into them. If an item you want to get for your party seems small, consider getting a few accent gifts to go with it. For example, pick out a lovely bottle of wine to accompany the wine stoppers. If the bride has decided to give her ladies a compact mirror, perhaps some lip gloss or earrings would make the gift that much more thoughtful.
As with all wedding gifts and favors, let them reflect your style and even the theme of the wedding if possible. There is something for every style and budget. You’ll be pleased by the numerous choices available and you’re sure to find the right gift or wedding favor that will match the occasion. Have a wonderful wedding day and enjoy your new life together!

The Best Destination for Your Wedding

Destination weddings are exciting for so many reasons. They’re usually not your typical church-style wedding. Destination weddings usually take place somewhere exotic, with the ocean as the backdrop for a romantic beach wedding. Are you thinking of saying your wedding vows on a sandy shore at sunset? Here are some excellent ideas to think about if you’re up in the air about a location for your destination wedding.

Think about where you want to have the wedding. Now, destination weddings do not necessarily mean they have to be outside, on a beach. Destination weddings are just weddings that aren’t in the area you reside in. Las Vegas can be considered a destination wedding just as much as saying “I do” in Hawaii. Destination weddings at Disney World are also very popular and quite a spectacular event! Odds are, if you want your special day to be far away from home, you may already have a place in mind.

When you know where you want to be married, research the area to see how they handle destination weddings. Most times, there are resorts that are more than happy to help you make all the arrangements. These resorts will usually do a bundle package for your wedding, meaning you don’t have to worry about anything except the dress! You can browse their gallery of wedding bouquets, wedding songs and centerpieces and find the perfect food to serve your guests. Quite often, they have stylists on staff that can also do hair and makeup, meaning you’ll never need to leave the resort. Many brides and grooms look to destination weddings because the ceremony and reception are pretty much “hassle-free” and they stay on location after the services to enjoy their much-deserved honeymoon.

Something you may want to consider if you’re looking into a destination wedding is the importance of family and friends being present. If you live in the United States, and have decided to enjoy a destination wedding in Cancun, perhaps not everyone you’d want to be there can attend. Travel may prove difficult for family and friends for one reason or another. Often times, if this is the case, the couple will continue on with their dream destination wedding, knowing it will be an intimate occasion, then return home and have a larger reception, to incorporate everyone who was unable to attend the nuptials.
For your destination wedding invitations, you can go about them a couple of ways. Send an invitation to the people you’d like to be present at the ceremony. For those who are welcome to be at the reception at a later date, just simply state on the invite that you’re having an intimate ceremony (there are endless ways to word this statement to make it classy). Then state that there will be a reception they’re invited to, and include the date for that event only, so there is no confusion.

Destination weddings are a fun and exciting way to start your lives together. You’ll usually work closely with a wedding planner on location to make sure you’ve got everything you’ve hoped to see on your big day. Don’t forget about wedding gifts or favors for those who make the big trip to be with you both on one of the happiest days of your lives!