Wedding Day Emergency Kit



Part of the adventure of getting married is to expect the unexpected. So when you are planning your day, don’t forget to consider the smaller details and prepare for them. Below are a few suggestions on what to include in your wedding day emergency kit.


Pain Killers/First Aide: Make sure you know what you and your wedding party can take for tension headaches or upset stomachs and have them on hand. Include band aids, ice packs, water, straws and snacks. Also, eye drops will come in handy if anything like hairspray accidentally gets in your eyes.

Nail/Manicure Kits: Broken or chipped nails can be distracting so be sure your manicure kits include a nail file, clippers, nail glue and matching polish for those all too frequent accidents. Also include a bottle of clear nail polish which is perfect for repairing pantyhose.

Sewing Kits: Sewing kits are an absolute must for repairing buttons, small tears, seams and hems that have come unraveled. Make sure to include thread to match the bridal gown, the bridesmaid’s gown, and one to match the groomsmen’s attire.

Miscellaneous: Items you want to include that will help you and your wedding party on your big day. This could range from umbrellas, sunglasses, lint brush, tampons, breath mints, white chalk (to rub over grass stains), stain stick/wipes and white cloth, bobby pins, hair spray, scissors, extra corsage pins, and of course, the all important tissue.

With a little foresight, brainstorming and careful planning, you can handle the unexpected with ease and minimal stress. Let us know if you have a recommendation that will be helpful for brides to include in their own wedding day emergency kit.

Renee

At Last - 2010 Color Trends Are Here

Pantone LLC, a leading authority in color innovation, has announced their forecast for 2010's spring color trends and their pick for color of the year.  Turquoise, an inviting shade of blue-green, was recently announced as the pick for 2010's color of the year.  "In fashion, Turquoise makes a statement that can look elegant and dressy in fine silk and gemstones, or casual and fun in cotton and athletic apparel..." says Pantone.

According to a recent press release from the color industry giant, 2010 will also be a year for bright and muted tones ranging from colors like hot pink to earthy greens.  Pantone's picks at a glance:

2010 Spring Color Trends from Pantone LLC

For weddings, we love the idea of taking bolder colors and accenting them with softer hues.  Pantone's Aurora mixed with muted grey would make for a great pairing.  Dare to be bold with a combination like turquoise with bright red or hot pink paired with Pantone's Fusion Coral to create a unique and gorgeous color combination.

What do you think?  We would love to hear from you.  Do you think Pantone got it right?  Let us know your top color picks for 2010.

Allie

Planning a Vintage Themed Wedding

Vintage themed weddings have become a very hot trend and will only gain momentum in 2010. Planning a vintage themed wedding can be a fun and unique way of showing of your personality and style.

There can be many different types of vintage weddings depending on which historical time period you like the most. If you and your fiancée are history buffs who want every detail of the wedding to be historically accurate then you will need to do your research. The Web has become an indispensable source for vintage wedding information, from dresses to flower arrangements that capture the era of choice. If, however, you want to just have the feel of that time period without being historically accurate on every small detail, the wedding can be a lot easier to plan and less expensive.

Depending on what time period you are going for, finding vintage clothing can sometimes be difficult. A great way to get around these problems is to have vintage style clothing made to measure by a seamstress or tailor. There are lots of websites that sell vintage clothing patterns. Buying a few patterns is a great way to get the vintage look that you want for the clothing of the wedding party without the hassle, expense, and frustration of trying to find actual vintage clothing.

The small details are the important ones, like using inexpensive Vintage Inspired Antique Place Card Picture Frames or Damask Tapered Favor Boxes. Some other extra touches for a vintage wedding include inviting the guests to dress in period clothing, sending invitations patterned after those found in Harper's Bazaar or Life magazines and hiring a dance instructor to teach the basic dance steps of the wedding's theme era. That way the guests can get in on the fun while they are watching the happy couple start their lives together.


Carrie

Image Credit:  Vintage Bride

What Next Now That You're Engaged...

You're engaged!  Congratulations.  First and foremost, take a moment and relish in your happiness.  Enjoy the fact that he loves you and that you are about to embark in a lifetime of happiness.  Next, time to plan, plan, plan.  What to do after he pops the question...
1. Set a Timeline - How long is your engagement going to be?  Are you going to plan your wedding within a year or more than a year?  More brides are stretching out their engagement which gives more time to save money and secure the ceremony/reception site of their dreams.

2. Book Your Hall - Reception and ceremony sites can book up a year or sometimes two years in advance.  Be sure to make this your top priority.  Finding the site for your wedding to be held will help determine the length of your engagement, the size of your wedding, and your wedding date. (Don't forget the officiant!  Someone to marry you is just as important and can sometimes book up just as fast as the ceremony site)

3. Set a Date - Once you book your hall/officiant and set a timeline for your engagement, the date of your wedding should be easy!  It normally follows the open dates of your reception/ceremony location.  Once you've decided on the date, announce your big news.  Tell family and friends with engagement announcements like custom save the date magnets.  Your family can stick them up on the frig to brag to their friends about their pride and joy.

4. Set Your Budget - Talk with your fiancé and any other fabulous people helping with the cost of your wedding.  Determine what you will be able to reasonable spend on your big day.  Setting a wedding budget will help you decide on how many people you will invite and how much cash you can throw at the ceremony/reception site, the dress, etc.

5. Keep Notes - Be sure to get a binder to file all those ideas in.  Make sure it has a calendar for important dates and separate areas to keep inspiration photos for flowers, cakes, table settings, gowns, receipts, etc.

6. Go Gown Shopping - Believe it or not, many bridal gowns can take 8+ months to be ordered and come in.  Don't put this off until the last minute.  Make sure you start researching gowns right away.  Take into consideration the time of year you will be getting married.  Summer wedding?  Think airy chiffon or tulle.  Fall or winter wedding?  Look for more heavyweight fabrics like thick satin or velvet.

What can wait until later?  Be sure to take care of these important six points first before diving into the cosmetic parts of your wedding day.  The colors, centerpieces, and favors can wait until you have set your date and budget.  

Congratulations to you and happy planning!

Allie

Creative and Fun Wedding Trend - Groom's Cake

A creative and fun trend for 2010 wedding celebrations is the comeback of the groom's cake. This is an old fashioned southern tradition in which the bride honors the groom. The best part of having a groom’s cake is how creative a bride can be with any number of ingredients, shapes and styles that reflect the groom’s hobbies, favorite sports, alma mater, profession, or anything he enjoys. The groom’s cake will add a personal touch as one of the most memorable and delightful parts of the wedding celebration.

Groom's Cake Design

The flavor of the groom’s cake is typically chocolate with strawberries, rich fruit based, liqueur soaked, candy cakes, brownies, or any flavor the groom prefers. The cake may be presented at any time during the wedding celebration. Serve it at the rehearsal dinner as a toast to the groom and a way of thanking wedding attendants, family members and special guests. Or, at the wedding reception, display the groom’s cake near the wedding cake for guests to enjoy throughout the evening. The groom's cake is cut by the groom or the groom and his family and may be served as an alternate dessert with the wedding cake.

The legend behind the groom’s cake indicates the bridesmaids, or single women, were to sleep with a slice of cake under their pillow the same night they received it and if they did, they would dream of their future husband. A great way to incorporate this legend with your wedding reception is to provide personalized cake boxes to serve as your wedding favors for all guests to take home and enjoy. The possibilities are endless so have fun planning.

Renee

Wedding Candy Buffets are a Hot Trend in 2010

One of the hottest trends for 2010 wedding reception is the candy buffet. A candy buffet will bring out your inner child and is a great way to thank guests for attending your wedding. In addition to candy buffets being a great wedding favor, they are also a fun wedding decoration.

You will want to find some great candy containers and candy scoops. Clear containers usually work best because they showcase your candy selections and have a charming appeal. Use your wedding colors to inspire your candy selections. You can also tie ribbons around clear glass containers to incorporte different colors or even personalize the ribbon with your names and wedding date. Be creative. The sky is the limit when it comes to how you want to present your candy buffet.

Incorporating some details from your wedding theme can help make your candy favors even more memorable. If you are having an Asian themed wedding you can add fortune cookies. If you are having a Valentine’s Day Wedding you can add candy hearts with little sayings on them. The possibilities are endless.

A wedding candy buffet is a great do-it-yourself favor that your guests will not soon forget. Make sure to include favor boxes or bags so they have something to put their candy selections in. Personalized favor bags with a sweet message or your names and date would be a very nice touch. Make your guests literally feel like a kid in a candy store when they join in the celebration of your wedding.

Carrie


2010 Wedding Trends and Styles




Weddings have taken on a whole new world of their own in the past decade. For the coming year the trends and styles have once again changed. Some of the hottest wedding related themes and styles for 2010 are going to be natural flowered bouquets, back yard weddings and receptions, styles of photography that will include videography, and lets not forget the wedding dress and accessories.

Vintage style wedding dresses are the newest trend and while they are still fancy, the hemlines have been pulled up quite a bit. It’s all about being short, fancy and sassy in 2010. Accessorize the knee length or tea length wedding dress with short gloves and a birdcage veil for brides who want to show off their great legs and shoes.

Another great comeback is the birdcage style veil.  The birdcage is a vintage style veil that is designed with a jeweled clip or feathered headpiece combined with netting that only covers the face. It creates a dramatic look and glamorous feel that will compliment the shortened wedding dress. I found a really great website with beautiful and one of a kind hand made birdcage veils by artist and designer Dorene Vandermeer. The birdcage veil depicted in the photo is The FLEUR Wedge that you can order as shown or choose from a wide variety of options to create your own individual styled veil. www.unveiledbridaldesigns.com

Photo courtesy of  Maria Mernal

Renee

Valentine’s Day Weddings

 Personalized LOVE Frosted Glass Coasters
Getting married in late winter, early spring is the most perfect time of the year. This is because we associate this time with new life, new love and happiness. This year Valentine’s Day falls on a Sunday and I am expecting many Valentine Day Weddings.

February is the month most associated with romance and naturally lends itself to a Valentines style wedding. No doubt your theme will be teaming with romance and the color red! Think white, pink, and of course–red. White flowers represent purity. Pink flowers represent passion. Red represents everlasting love. Put the three colors together and you have a powerful combination that expresses your sweetest sentiments to your spouse and all of your guests.

You don’t want your wedding to look commercialized like the window display at a card store. Avoid large cupid cut-outs and gigantic teddy bears. Of course it’s a themed wedding, but you still want to capture intimacy and elegance. For creating your centerpieces, you can consider large frosted bowls filled with water, lit floating votives, and red rose petals. The table can be accented with red silky fabric tablecloths, which can be cut from a fabric store.

It’s quite easy to accommodate a Valentine’s Day themed wedding with favors. You can give your guests Hershey kisses in an organza bag. Heart shaped wedding favors of any kind would be a big hit. Also the word LOVE would be a great theme for wedding favors. Go all out when it comes to this theme. This is the most romantic day of the year to get married.

Carrie

Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Men

Swelling with the holiday spirit, we are so happy to present to you some fabulous personalized stocking stuffer ideas for men.  I always loved waking up on Christmas morning to an overstuffed stocking hanging on the mantel.  Who doesn't love getting a sock full of surprises, no matter what you're age?  It's a tradition that is sure to always be a staple of any Christmas morning.  The great thing about a personalized stocking stuffer is the meaning the custom detailing brings to the gift.  By having a message printed or engraved, you can really speak to his personality.
Personalized stocking stuffer ideas for men
Is your guy a sports enthusiast?  A hunter?  A businessman?  For the man who loves his sports, have a beer koozie custom made with his favorite NFL team.  Have his name or quirky phrase engraved on the back.  For other NFL inspired stocking stuffers, wrap up personalized NFL team shot glasses, money clips, or beer mugs.  For the golf lover, have a terry cloth golf towel or divot tool monogrammed with his initials.  Is your man a hunter?  Have a premium lockback knife or camo flask engraved with his name or monogram.  For the businessman in your life, have a business card case personalized with his company name.

For even more gift ideas to fill his stockings, visit our stocking stuffer ideas for men.

Allie

Irish Themed Wedding Favor and Accessory Ideas



Honoring the Irish heritage at your wedding can be interesting to research and fun to put together. As you set out on one of life's greatest journeys, the important thing is to show family and friends how much you appreciate their support and the effort made in sharing your special day.

The Claddagh has been in the Celtic culture as a symbol of the heart, friendship and loyalty. You can easily incorporate the sentiment 'With my hands I give you my heart and crown it with my love' that the Claddagh symbolizes as your Irish wedding theme.
Another popular and long standing Irish symbol is the shamrock that is considered a sign of good luck and can also be added throughout your wedding decor and into the favors. For a little flair and inexpensive creativity, place individual terra-cotta pots of clover at each table setting to carry the shamrock theme and add color to the reception tables.

Tradition is very important to the Irish and will undoubtedly be for many generations to come. Enjoy planning your Irish themed wedding with accessories and favors that will keep your guests feeling lucky and as blessed as you.

Renee

How to Set a Beautiful Christmas Dinner Table

Personalized Christmas Tree White Cocktail Napkins
Christmas dinner is the time to bring your loved ones together and create memories that will last a lifetime. One of the easiest ways that you can create a special meal is by creating a beautiful table to serve your meal on.

Start with a tablecloth. It doesn’t have to be expensive but a nice Holiday color that will match the rest of your décor. China is not always a must, especially when you will have a house full of guests and children. Using a simple color palette is the way to go. You can use an inexpensive red charger plate with a green plate on top or vise versa.

Another great way to set a beautiful Christmas table is to create a special centerpiece for your table. This too can be simple and affordable. Simply fill a glass bowl with Christmas bulbs or pine cones. You don’t have to be a designer to create a beautiful table.

For a fun and whimsical touch, add personalized holiday napkins. They come in several different holiday designs with many different colors to choose from. It will also give your table that personalized touch that will make your guest feel at home, not to mention save you from washing a ton of linen napkins.

By following these easy tips, you will be able to make a beautiful table while also getting your creative juices flowing. And as you sit down to your holiday meal, your heart will be filled with Holiday cheer to see how beautiful everything looks!

Carrie

Brooch Bridal Bouquets by Fantasy Floral Designs

This week we want to pay tribute to the exquisite bridal bouquet designs from fantasyfloraldesigns.com.  Amanda Heer of Fantasy Floral Designs creates the unexpected by fashioning mini brooches and the accents of your choice into one-of-a-kind bridal brooch bouquets.  We love her use of vintage inspired accents and unique materials.  Why brooches?  Besides being completely unique, your custom bouquet will never wilt or die and can be kept for years as a gorgeous keepsake of your special day.

Bridal Brooch Bouquets by Fantasy Floral Designs


Amanda takes great pride in giving brides her undivided attention, working one-on-one with clients to make their vision become a reality.  During your personal interview with Amanda, she will take notes on your likes and dislikes.  You will go through pictures and portfolios to find the look your after.

To contact Amanda, visit fantasyfloraldesigns.com; 949.240.3571.  Located in San Juan Capistrano, CA.  Consultations scheduled on Mon., Tues., and Wed. only.

Allie
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