Blended Family Wedding Vows

Including your children in your wedding is the ideal way to reinforce positive feelings about your union and to form new bonds between your children and your new spouse. I myself am married for the second time and I know how hard it can be to make your children feel like a part of your special day. I have, in my years of experience come up with a few ideas of how to incorporate your children to make them feel included and special.

• Have your child play a role in the wedding, such as flowergirl, ringbearer, bridesmaid, usher, male attendant, best man or maid of honor.

• The actual wedding vows are also a way to include your children. You can ask the minister or officiant to add the children's name to the ceremony. By also pledging a vow to love and honor your stepchild, you will indeed make them feel like they are a special part of the day.

• Include your children in the receiving line so that you may be greeted by your guests as a new family instead of just a new couple.

• Sand ceremony kits are one of my favorite ideas for including the children. Using sand ceremony unity sets allows each person to pour a small amount of colored sand into a large cylinder. The mixing of the different colored sand represents the individuals becoming blended in their new lives together. You can even get each small cylinder engraved with your children’s names to give a personal touch.

I recently read a story online about a couple who after they read their vows to each other and exchanged rings, they presented each others children with a necklace that had a special medallion on it representing family. While giving each child the gift, they promised to love and cherish each child and to make a loving family together.

I am lucky to have a very special husband who told me that when he married me he also married my children. Including your children will make them feel important and let them know that marriage is not just about joining a husband and a wife, but it can also be about creating a new family!

Carrie

Personalized Can Koozies Make The Memory Of Your Wedding Day Last

I don't know about you but I love, love, love going to a wedding and receiving a favor that I can use over and over again.  The gesture really lets you know the bride and groom were thinking of you.

One of my absolute favorite favors to receive are can koozies.  They are just so darn fun and laidback.  Koozies are especially great for summer and spring weddings when the heat can get so sweltering that you know those babies will be used the minute your guests enter the door to your reception.

Personalized can koozies are a great way to make the memory of your wedding day last.  You can have a witty phrase, a monogram, or your names and wedding date printed on them in almost any color from the rainbow.  Every time your guests use their custom gift, you can be sure they will think of you and the fun they had on your big day.



Personalized Koozies from My Wedding Reception Ideas



Set your koozie favors out at each place setting for guests to grab up on their way into your reception.  Include a basket at the bar filled with any extra koozies you may have for guests to take.  For destination weddings, put a couple of your custom gifts into your out of town gift bags for your hotel guests.  Happy Planning!

Allie

Make Your Wedding Cake Stand Out with a Unique Cake Topper

One of the most important parts of a wedding ceremony is cutting the wedding cake. One way to make your cake stand out is by selecting a unique wedding cake topper. Brides today are looking for something different than what their parents and grandparents have done in years past.

There are so many different types of cake toppers to choose from. For a more formal cake you can go with a glass or acrylic topper engraved with the couple's first names or monogram. Or it could be two entwined hearts representing two hearts becoming one. Another popular and modern cake topper is a single monogram for the top of the cake. Long gone are the days of figurines dressed up in formal wear but they are also still available for those of us who love anything vintage.

The most important recommendation that I could give to any bride is to choose the cake topper most suited to your personality. Make it unique to yourself or your wedding theme. What ever you decide, wedding cake toppers are a great way to add some extra style and grace to your wedding cake.

Carrie

New Trends in Bridal Shower and Wedding Reception Favors

Spring is the time of the year that brings new beginnings hopes and dreams. The colors and freshness associated with this season make it ideal for bridal showers and weddings. With the start of the 2010 wedding season I am excited about our new line up of wedding favors and accessories.

Look to bring color and variety to your reception or bridal shower with the hottest new trends in wedding favors this year. We offer new selections we believe our customers will be thrilled with. Practical, elegant and useful favors such as bookmarkers, key chains, glass coasters, drink mixes, candles and so much more. Each favor comes individually packaged in an elegant or themed gift box that arrives ready to place on your wedding reception tables.

One of the concerns of shopping online is that you cannot see the favor before purchasing. We do offer online sample requests for brides who want to compare dimensions, colors and materials to match or blend with their wedding reception colors and theme.  So make your wedding reception, bridal shower or any special occasion a memorable one with practical and affordable wedding favors for your loved ones to treasure long after your event has passed.

Renee'

Colorful Wedding Shoes..Who Says White is Right

While I seemed to have been oblivious to the colored wedding shoe trend back when I tied the knot, I didn't want all you current bride-to-be's out there to miss out on this fabulous trend!  After all, who says brides have to match their shoes to their gown? 

We all know that the likelihood of actually wearing off-white satin pumps again is, well...slim to none.  So I say embrace your inner diva and select a pair of heels that makes you feel like the gorgeous bride you are.  From blue peep-toes pumps (for your something blue) or look-at-me red platforms, if you can find the color in the crayon box, you're sure to find it in a heel.  Here are some of our favorite shots of bride's shaking things up with unique and colorful wedding shoes.  Happy Planning! ~ Allie

Custom Color Wedding Ceremony Accessories

Have the power over your wedding day must-haves with custom made wedding accessories.

So you've finally decided on your wedding colors only to find out the hard way that the colors you dreamed of are impossible to find.  Don't fret.  This is a problem we hear often and one of the main reasons why we love these Choose Your Color wedding accessory collections.  They give you the power over your wedding day must-haves.

Here's the scoop.  Choose your color accessories come with either a white or ivory satin base.  Choose your accenting color by selecting one of 28 premium satin ribbon color options.  After you find the perfect ribbon color to compliment your theme, your wedding accessories are custom made to order to match your wedding day vision.  To learn more, check out the white or ivory custom choose your color wedding accessory collections.  Happy Planning!

Allie

Creating the Perfect Wedding Gift Bag

Today’s modern bride is finding herself receiving more out of town guests then in years past. One of the ways in which today’s couples choose to honor these guests is by presenting them with personalized wedding gift bags. Gift bags are usually given to the out of town guests that are staying in a hotel. The gift bags can be left in the guest’s hotel room to welcome them when they arrive.

Fill your gift bags with bottled water, snacks for the room and brochures with things to do in and around town for those who may not be familiar with the area. Some other good items to add would be aspirin, mints, and mini sewing kits for lost buttons and ripped hems. Of course don’t forget about the wine. You can also add a bottle of wine and a couple of wine glasses, maybe even some nice chocolates, cheese and crackers to go with it.

No matter how you choose to put together your wedding gift bags, it is always important to include a welcoming message for your guests and thank them for making the trip for your special day. By using personalized gift bags you can add a note of appreciation to the front of the bag and save yourself so time. Then dress up the bag with some nice tissue paper and ribbon. Wedding gift bags can make your guests feel welcomed and appreciated; they are a great way to start the wedding festivities.

Carrie

Why Hire Wedding Videographer?

Wedding video has grown in recent years and is such a powerful way to re-live and experience all the wonderful emotions of your special day. Choosing the right videographer means you can actually have a story of your wedding complete with events even you missed the first time. And a truly talented videographer knows how to capture the right moments at the right time. With videography, you will see your groom anxiously waiting at the altar, your grandparents enjoying the cocktail hour or your friends having fun at the reception. Types of video packaged offered by videographers may include the following:

Engagement Video: A video documenting the groom asking the bride to marry which can be done without the bride's knowledge.

Invitation DVD: The DVD shows the couple and/or the parents on camera inviting viewers to the wedding and reception. The DVD is usually produced by the same videographer who films the wedding and may include footage from a Concept Video.

Scrapbook: Includes but not limited to still pictures displayed on a video. Can also include sound bites and video footage, but is mostly a photo collage.

Love Story: Traditionally an interview of the bride and groom about how they met, what they are like together and what their plans for the future are. Quite often the interview is inter-cut with romantic footage of the couple frolicking together or re-enactments of what they are talking about.

Concept Video: Typically a short film that incorporates to tell a story about the bride or groom or both.

Same Wedding/Day Edit: A short video produced from the footage of the wedding shot earlier in the day, usually only incorporating footage from pre-ceremony, ceremony and post ceremony, which is then showed at the reception as a recap of the wedding.

Bridal Elegance: A video shot in the style of a fashion shoot that depicts the bride in her wedding gown.

Highlights: A chapter on the final DVD that shows highlights of the ceremony and reception. Usually running under 10 minutes, highlights videos may be uploaded to social networking websites. The shorter highlights chapter is popular to show friends, while family might watch the full-length wedding DVD.

The largest and still active organization Wedding & Event Video Association International (WEVA) offers a wealth of information on selecting a reputable videographer in your area.

Renee'

Customizing Your Corporate or Wedding napkins with Your Own Logo

Many companies are turning to a nice disposable guest towel for there restrooms as well as brides for there wedding reception halls. Using a custom logo or monogram on a napkin or guest towel can be easily done. All you normally need to provide is a digital file of your logo or artwork saved at a resolution of a least 300 dpi or more.

Adding custom logo’s to guest towels or napkins is a great way to personalize and add a special touch to your office or wedding reception. For the office it will be impressive to your customer’s who visit and it will also keep your logo in the back of there minds. For the bride it is a way to personalize your wedding and make it memorable for your guests.

Many brides are using a custom monogram for wedding invitations. Adding that same monogram to you napkins and/or guest towels is just another way to carry that personalization throughout the entire wedding. It is also a great way to keep the same theme throughout. For example if you are having a beach themed wedding and your monogram or logo incorporates a seashell you can have that custom artwork added to your napkins, guest towels, matchbooks, place cards etc.

The sky is the limit with the digital technology that is available in the market place today. Don’t be afraid to ask the company that you are working with how to customize your personalized napkins and guest towels with your own personal logo.

Carrie

Colorful Retro Inspired Bridesmaid Dresses for 2010

Vintage inspired weddings made their mark on the wedding industry in 2009 and we can expect to see this trend hold strong as we head into 2010. There will be some changes as brides opt to put their own spin on retro styles. Trends that you can expect to see are retro cuts to bridesmaids dresses but in bolder color choices. We love these picks from Alfred Sung which evoke Old Hollywood Glam fusing it with modern color schemes.

From left to right: style D448 in niagara, style D436 in mango, style D445 in quarry, style D449 in watermelon

Look from bold reds, blues, and yellows to be hot colors for bridesmaids dresses. Vintage inspired cuts will be popular in styles like sweetheart necklines, high necks, and fit-n-flair dresses. Birdcage veils and retro accessories will continue to be a hot trend. Think sequin brooches, pearls, and lace. Happy Planning!

Allie