Archive for January, 2010

Wedding Reception Tips for Brides Upon a Budget

Posted by admin on Friday, 15 January, 2010

The reception is traditionally one of the most expensive aspects of a wedding. However, by combining personal creativity and ingenuity with inexpensive, ready-made items available at discount retailers, brides-to-be and cash-strapped parents can host a beautiful wedding reception without blowing through the entire bridal budget.

“Creating a beautiful wedding environment on a budget is simple”. By putting a personal touch on everything from table centerpieces to wedding favors, brides and grooms can save while creating memories for years to come.

While June is still the most popular month for weddings, according to a recent study by Hallmark.com, September and October are quickly gaining in popularity. Here are some great last-minute planning tips this fall for brides and grooms-to-be:

* If renting a reception tent, create a romantic environment by purchasing sheering fabric and 2-inch ribbon from a local discount retailer to drape around the canopy. Create billows of fabric and hang from the ceiling, wrap around poles, and swag in the entryway.

* Whether throwing an indoor or outdoor reception, flowers help set the tone but can quickly add up. A typical flower budget is 15 percent of the overall cost of a wedding. Consider using some of the beautiful and realistic-looking silk flowers available today intermingled with arrangements of fresh flowers to keep the romance high and the costs low. The bride and groom can use the silk flowers in the home for years to come.

* Every bride wants to do something unique at her wedding. Create a dramatic, sweet-smelling entrance for guests by lining a walkway to the reception venue or reception tent with fresh rose petals. Also consider renting a bubble machine, available at retailers such as Wal-Mart, for some added ambiance and fun.

* Renting both table settings and white linen tablecloths can get expensive. Instead, consider purchasing clear glass plates from a discount retailer. Stack the salad plate on top of the dinner plate and place a large leaf between the two for a very pretty place setting. Buying plates is often less expensive than renting and the bride and groom can keep them for the years (and dinner parties) ahead.

* Remember to keep centerpieces either low enough or high enough so guests can see each other from across the table. A simple cake pedestal adorned with sugared fruits and a candle makes a beautiful and an inexpensive centerpiece. Add to the sugary sparkle by placing candles in votive candle holders to illuminate the centerpieces from underneath. Remember to place approximately half an inch of water in each candle holder or glass for easy removal of melted wax.

* For more formal wedding receptions, assigning guests to tables is considered proper etiquette but that doesn’t mean it has to be stuffy. Purchase large sugar cookies and pipe romantic words like “joy,” “hope,” “love,” and “forever” on each cookie. Place one cookie in each centerpiece to replace traditional numbered tables and have your place cards direct your guests to these romantically identified tables.

* Wedding favors that double as place cards can be made by purchasing sugar cookies from a local bakery that are iced in white. Pipe each guest’s names on the cookies in colored icing a day or two before the wedding. Place in cellophane bags, tied with a ribbon, and set at each guest’s place setting so guests know where to sit.

* Handmade keepsakes given out during the wedding reception are an easy and thoughtful way to thank the wedding party. Create beautiful, unique cards for the bridesmaids by purchasing simple white note cards, decorated with the wedding’s theme colors embellished with different fabrics or small trinkets purchased from a craft department. Write a cherished memory or personal note inside the card, which bridesmaids can keep for the years to come.

* And don’t forget the wedding cake, which can be very expensive, depending on the number of guests attending. Consider purchasing a decorated sheet cake from a local bakery in addition to a smaller tiered cake. Then marry them together as one elaborate cake with piping and rose petals. Brides and grooms may find that bakeries like those at a Wal-Mart Supercenter can make unique and cost-conscious tiered wedding cakes that are beautiful as well as delicious. Remember, all cakes are created equal — flour, sugar, and butter — so there’s no need to spend a fortune on one.

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For more useful tips and hints, points to ponder and keep in mind, techniques, and insights pertaining to weddings and wedding gifts, plans, etc. do please browse for more information at websites.

http://www.infozabout.com

http://www.wedding.infozabout.com



How to Find the Right Color for Your Wedding Invitations

Posted by admin on Thursday, 14 January, 2010

A wedding is an incredibly special day. The amount of planning and preparation that goes into a wedding pays off in memories that last a lifetime. Of the many decisions that have to be made when planning a wedding, choosing what color to design a theme around is high on the list. In many instances, the color theme chosen is also represented in the wedding invitations.

There are of course many colors to choose from. While the number of color choices may make it easier to personalize the particulars of your wedding, it can also seem overwhelming when you are sorting out all of the details in the initial planning stage. Finding the right color for your wedding invitations should be something that you enjoy. Still the question remains, how can this task become a smoother process?

Choose a color theme for the wedding



Before you choose a color or colors for your invitations, choose the overall color theme for the wedding. There is no rule that states that you must use your wedding colors on your invitations, but if you do decide to, you will already know what color to use.

There are many different ways to settle on a color theme for your wedding. Some brides have known since they were little girls what colors they wanted to use in their wedding. Some grooms have a strong opinion about one color or another. Still, other couples choose seasonal color and some choose colors which will coordinate with their wedding flowers. There is no rule for how to choose a color theme, or how many colors to choose.



Extend the color theme to your invitations



Some people want every part of their wedding to be color coordinated. Others are less sure. For some people, the traditional ivory paper is what they always imagined as part of their wedding day, while others want their invitations to be as unique as their relationship with their future spouse.

For many people who are planning a contemporary wedding, implementing the wedding colors into the invitations is more straightforward. A popular invitation style for contemporary weddings is with a solid, vibrant color for the invitation, with the ink in a lighter color. Pink, green and yellow cards come in a variety of shades, and make gorgeous contemporary invitations.

If you are planning a casual wedding, you can still add color to your invitations. Pastel paper, accent ribbons and colored ink are all popular ways to add color to wedding invitations. If you stray far from the traditional ivories and whites, you may want to use the colors from your wedding, to maintain a coordinated look.

Other color choices



If you do not want to use your wedding colors on your invitation, you will probably want to stick with the more traditional ivory or white paper, with black or, for a more formal wedding, metallic ink. You can use these colors on your invitation and be perfectly proper, whether your wedding colors are bold or pastel, traditional or contemporary.

If you want the look of a traditional wedding invitation, but would like to implement your wedding colors, consider using one of your colors as the lining color for the envelopes. This is a subtle and attractive way to customize the appearance of your invitations. Other places to add accent colors are on envelope seals, monograms and motifs. Careful use of color can add drama or whimsy to your invitations without adding much to the price.

Combining ideas



Some couples choose a neutral color for the invitation itself, and compliment it with ink in one of their wedding colors. You can also add a bow to many invitations. If your invitations have a bow, you can choose a color that coordinates with your ink color or matches it. No couple is beholden to extending their wedding color theme into their invitations, many do, but there are many other alternatives.

Making the right choice



There is also no “right” choice when designing your wedding invitation. There is no one color that will look acceptable. Many people choose colors from their wedding theme to help coordinate the look of their wedding, but that is not necessary. It is more important that you choose a look that you love. The wedding invitation is a lifelong keepsake of your special day.

If you choose to use colors other than those which are your wedding colors in your invitations, consider how you will choose reception place cards. These are often chosen to coordinate with your invitation. If the reception hall will be decorated in different colors than the invitation, consider how the place cards will look on the tables before committing to a particular color. Paying attention to these small details can help ensure that your wedding and reception commences without any missteps.