Top Nine DIY Wedding Favors

Creating your own set of distinctive wedding favors does not mean you have to forgo quality.  The following is a creative list of inexpensive and practical do it yourself wedding favors.

1). Lottery Scratch-off Tickets. With scratch-off lotto tickets, there will be no doubt that each of your guests will use their wedding favors.  Simply place your scratch-off ticket into glassine envelopes and affix decorative personalized labels that cleverly read “Lucky in Love”.  For scratching, don’t forget to include in the envelope a penny minted in the year that you’re to be married.  A perfect DIY wedding favor for any season!

2). Forced Bulbs. Take 2 to 3 forced bulbs (eg: paperwhites, amaryllis) and place them inside a drawstring burlap bag or jute bag.  Dangle a personalized hang tag that reads “Love Blooms” from the drawstrings.  Makes great fall wedding favors or winter wedding favors!

3). Homemade Jam. Share your family recipe for sweet homemade jam by canning them into miniature glass jars.  Tie a gingham wedding ribbon around the neck of the jar.  Hang a custom label that reads your names and wedding date.

4). Chocolate Bars. Perfect for the inner-graphic designer in you.  Remove the original paper wrapper and take note of its measurements.  Based on these measurements, design a new wrapper using your favorite illustrating software.  Print your design onto colored paper.  Wrap your new design around the chocolate bars.  Use double-sided tape to secure the ends of the paper wrapper.

5). Pears.  Pears are a delicious fruit that makes a wonderful symbol of your status as the “perfect pair.”  Create a rubber stamp with your names and date and the phrase “The Perfect Pair.”  Stamp onto squares of kraft paper or light-weight butcher paper.  Wrap around each pear.  Arrange in a rustic wood crate for the guests to take home with them.

6). Homemade Chocolates. Make homemade chocolates using one of the many molds out in the market today.  Put some of these sweets in a little translucent bag.  Tie a ribbon around the neck of the bag and dangle a tag that reads “Thank You.”

7). Homemade Cookies. Using a family secret recipe, bake cookies and place them in a small baker’s box.  Wrap in red and white baker’s twine and a darling hang tag that reads “Sweet Treats.”

8). Small Bouquet of Flowers. Place small sprigs of flowers into plastic vials.  Wrap several vials together with decorative fabric and tie with a colorful ribbon.  Display all together in a wicker basket for the guests’ to help themselves.

9). Small Potted Herbs. Small pots of thyme, rosemary and basil make practical wedding favors for a spring wedding or garden theme event.  Wrap a colorful ribbon printed with your names and wedding date around the clay pot to personalize the look.

Choosing the Perfect Wedding Dress

When little girls spend their maths classes daydreaming of weddings what do they dream of first? The perfect wedding dress: a gown in ideal embellishments, and sweeping train, the perfect embellishments, and the ideal shoes.

Many brides are lucky. They may search high and low, braving chilly dept stores and in your face bridal shops, but eventually they come face-to-face with The One. They know this is The One as they start crying, or their mother or chums all start crying instantly. All of the planning …. the theme, the right sort of venues …. it all springs to life.

Other brides are not as lucky. They’ve searched just as hard, working their way thru shops across 3 or four states, but they haven’t found The One. Instead, they’ve found three or 4 Contenders, all of which are serviceable and nice, but not earth-shattering sufficient to tell them that now is definitely time to stop the searching and get on with the planning. These brides have it harder.

Even if you are the first kind of bride, purchasing the dress is such a significant call that you run a risk of falling into that wallet-skinning category known as the Two-Dress Bride. Here are some tips for picking the ideal dress and avoiding that horrible fate.

1. Bring the entourage, but don’t buy. It is fun and helpful to bring your mum, mates or sisters on the dress-shopping expedition. It gives you a buffer against an overbearing sales staff, and it’s entertaining to see if your impressions of perfection are shared by your family, not to say how they will love being part of such an important decision. But no matter how ardent everybody gets over a certain dress, don’t buy in the heat of the moment. Give yourself time to rethink and buy with a cool head later, alone. The vast majority of dresses are non-returnable, so when you have purchased it, you’ve bought it.
2. Don’t buy too early unless you may. Bridal gowns can take four to 10 coming months to come from the manufacturer, but there isn’t any reason to buy over a year previously, unless your selected style is going to be abandoned. Give yourself some time to sit on your decision. Once you pick a robe, you can see one hundred others nearly like it. You can become a walking encyclopedia on that style of gown. All the better if you have room to choose.
3. If you have acquired “The One,” stop shopping. Any more window-shopping at this point will only lead you down the line toward the dreary land of Two-Dress Brides. What you want to do instead is remember that blissful feeling of having tried on The One. Go get The One out of the closet, put it on and stand before the mirror. You will remember precisely why it’s the One.
4. If you have acquired “The One” and can’t stop shopping, get a second opinion. Show your first and 2nd selections to other brides. Be honest — tell them you have already remortgaged your apartment for the 1st dress, but you suspect this second dress might be It. They are going to be truthful, too — the 1st one was better. You can feel reassured.
5. Don’t tell yourself “I’ll sell the old dress and select a new one.” This old saw of the Two-Dress Bride just will not work. You’ll never get more than a fraction of what you paid for your first dress if you bought it new.
6. Don’t be scared to target high — regardless of what your position. Some brides knew from the start they wanted a designer label, but life just failed to cooperate by making them heiresses. Yet all is not lost if you’re willing to buy courageously. At any given moment, a better-heeled bride is selling her once-used St. Pucchi or Ulla-Maija on eBay. She paid thousands on thousands, but you, smart client, will pay half that or less. To take this road, you need to shop earlier than other brides so you’ll have a choice of gowns.
7. Shop on the internet, but never send a check. Bridal robe companies infrequently have a technique of vanishing overnite. Whatever what the proprietor tells you, never make a purchase as large as a wedding gown without the chargeback protection of a Credit card . If they say they won’t take plastic, move on.
8. Don’t hold out forever for The One. Some brides never find The One. What they do find is some dresses they look handsome in. If you are this bride, try beginning your planning from the theme rather than the dress. You will potentially finally get sick to death of dress shopping. When that happens, “good enough” actually will be ok. Focus on other sides of the wedding that mean a lot to you, like the venue, the food, or the inevitable adoration of your soon-to-be husband.

Choosing the right wedding dress for your wedding can be a tough decision, visit yourweddinggowns.com and find your own wedding dress.

Tips For Choosing An Eco Friendly Wedding

A typical wedding should be fun, lively and very memorable. However, it will still be typical and so will lack the novelty that a slightly different kind of wedding can provide – such as an eco-friendly wedding. The current interest in going green should have made you also become aware that you can still celebrate the big occasion in a more novel way while also considering factors such as pollution (including noise pollution) and think about ways and means by which you can turn your wedding into an occasion that does not contribute to the woes of the world and instead helps preserve our delicate environment.

Usage Of Recycled Candles In An Eco Friendly Wedding

A simple though effective way to ensure a more eco-friendly wedding is to make use of candles that have been recycled and to also prefer using soy candles over paraffin candles. You can also opt to use Mason jars that are adorable especially when decked with some satin ribbons or vintage organza. The centerpiece could be created in the shape of a heart that is made from seashells.

As for eco=friendly catering, you can achieve this goal by choosing a local caterer that only makes use of natural ingredients in their foods. As mints are very candy you can replace Jordan almonds or traditional forms of table candy with organic chocolates as well as Fair Trade certified candies. If you need to find these and other organic foods check out some of the organic stores including those such as NaturalCandyStore.com.

For the wedding dress, it is possible to go green by shopping for organic as well as vegetable dyed fabric for the bride as well as bridesmaid’s gowns and even for the flower girls. Types of good online stores are available that specialized in these kinds of green dresses and Get conscious.com in particular is a good option.

Similarly, there are several good ideas for green and eco-friendly wedding invitations including using pure cotton paper and for flowers, you can choose potted plants or cut flowers (organic and certified) rather than the traditional floral arrangements. Antique or traditional rings or those which are used from generations will be good for wedding. And, for the honeymoon why not opt for an eco-friendly honeymoon?

Do I Need Wedding Insurance?

Most weddings cost far more than you would spend on a decent saloon car. It’s unthinkable that you would drive your brand new car without insurance cover, yet so many couples take a bigger financial risk by not insuring their wedding costs against the risk of total loss. By comparison to cars, house content, possessions, valuables, etc., wedding insurance costs very little for comprehensive cover. The relatively small premium for wedding insurance will give you peace of mind as you plan for your wedding.

Wedding insurance policies give a wide range of cover for many eventualities that could affect your wedding day. However, it is unlikely that small, irritating events would be included in the cover, such as rainfall, cloud, etc. but stronger weather forces that affect the wedding day almost certainly would, such as floods, landslides, earthquakes, etc. If adverse weather or other unpredicted events were to cause your wedding or reception venue to close or become inaccessible then your wedding insurance policy would provide a suitable level of cover. The same policy would cover unpredictable events with the wedding car supplier or the caterer or even if the bride or groom should sustain an accident which caused the wedding to be canceled for the planned date. A low premium insurance policy to cover all of the wedding day suppliers and events will compensate for those unexpected situations that can leave you seriously out of pocket.

Don’t Forget to Plan for Wedding Insurance Early

When you start to plan the wedding arrangements most couples wouldn’t consider including insurance as a part of their list – but you should! When you have set your wedding date and you start to book the suppliers for your wedding you are starting to make financial obligations for the big day – at that stage you should have your wedding insurance in places as well. This will give you a maximum period of cover for your insurance fee as well as adequate cover should anything go wrong in the period leading up to your wedding day that may leave you financially disadvantaged.

Wedding Insurance Policies

Most wedding insurance policies are similar, both in price and in the level of cover that they offer, but it’s still worth shopping around to find the cover that best suits you. The internet and insurance brokers are a great source of information for the levels of cover offered by different companies. A good policy will include cancellation (but unlikely that this would include a change of mind!), the wedding rings and other wedding jewelery, wedding dress, the Groom, Best man and bridesmaid’s outfits (if you are hiring formal attire, then check the insurance requirements), venue(s), caterer, transportation, florist, personal accident for the Bride and Groom if this affects your wedding plans, personal liability, wedding cake damage, photographer (including destruction of the wedding photographs), wedding gifts (ensure that cash and vouchers are included).

The insurance cover for your honeymoon should be arranged separately from the wedding insurance. Your honeymoon would normally be covered by travel insurance, generally arranged at the same time as making your travel arrangements. However, you may wish to consider that the travel insurance would not normally cover cancellation as a result of your wedding plans having been disrupted, so you may want to include cover for this with your wedding insurance policy or take out separate cover for this specific risk.

Peace of Mind for Your Wedding Day

Planning and organizing your wedding can be a very enjoyable experience, leading up to one of the most exciting and important days of your life. No one expects things to go wrong, and they rarely do, but you should have the reassurance of wedding insurance to give yourself peace of mind over any unexpected or unpredictable events that could disrupt your wedding day. When you start to plan your wedding day and book the suppliers, take out your wedding insurance policy at the same time. This gives the maximum period of cover and means you can concentrate on your wedding whilst you have the reassurance that the whole event is covered by your wedding insurance policy. Enjoy planning for the big day and your wedding day itself – congratulations, it’s one of the most enjoyable days of your life.

Article by Steve Shaw, of wedding services and information. The website offers advice and information on organizing and arranging your wedding.

Photo by lemonjenny

Five Wedding Planning Mistakes

Just as with any big show, your wedding day will not be perfect – but that’s okay. While you cannot plan ahead for every little detail or problematic situation that may arise, you can arm yourself with some helpful advice to be prepared at all times for any potential wedding mistakes. But before you begin planning your special day, consider these five biggest wedding preparation and planning mistakes that amateur ‘wedding planners’ often make.

1. Not Budgeting Costs

It’s hard to believe, but true – many couples do not create a budget when it comes to wedding preparation and end up in a deep hole of debt. The very first thing you should do to avoid disastrous (and bankrupting) wedding mistakes is devise an itemized budget, allowing for the necessary requirements, such as a venue for both the ceremony and reception, food and drinks, flowers, favors, decorations, etc. If anything is left over, either use this money for your honeymoon or spend it on something a little more frivolous, like a horse drawn carriage for your departure from the reception. Read more

Wedding Transportation Options

Finally – something about the wedding that doesn’t involve what color the flowers should be or how many tiers the wedding cake should have! One wedding-related issue that should get most guys very excited is cars. It’s the groom’s financial responsibility to arrange transportation from the reception site to the hotel, airport, or wherever else the married couple will be headed after the festivities have ended. Because there are a lot of options when it comes to wedding transportation, we’ve broken it down to help simplify the decision. Here are some of the most popular options. Read more

Buying or Renting a Tuxedo

So you have been invited to a formal event and the invitation reads “black tie required”. What this means is that you have to wear a tuxedo, vest or cummerbund, black bow tie, and tuxedo dress shirt. If you don’t already own a tuxedo and are thinking about if spending the money on a tuxedo will be a good investment, than this brief article will help you decide whether to buy or rent. Below are a few deciding factors to consider:

Frequency of Use

If black tie events will be a more frequent occurrence for you in the future, that buying a tuxedo is most likely the better option. Renting a complete tuxedo consisting of tuxedo shirt, black bow tie, tuxedo shoes, cummerbund or vest, and the tuxedo itself, will usually cost between $80 and $120. Buying a quality set made from fine wool will range between $400 and $600. Keep in mind that classic tuxedo’s will never go out of style. It is very traditional attire that has been around for more than two centuries. So if you plan on attending a black tie event more than 5 times in the next few years than buying a new tuxedo will be the way to go.

Lifestyle Changes

Besides frequency of use, your lifestyle has some impact on the buy vs. rent decision. If you know that you might be moving quite frequently due to your job or family, then minimizing your wardrobe will make moving much easier. Also think about how much closet space you have available. If you are living in a small New York studio, then adding an entire new outfit to your wardrobe might be unpractical. The tuxedo should be hung in a somewhat ventilated area to protect the fabric and lining. Stuffing it into a duffel bag is not an option.

Weight & Body Changes

Think about if you will keep the same body type. If you are currently over weight and have set the goal to yourself to lose 20 pounds, then wait to buy your tuxedo until you have accomplished your goal. Having spent a good amount of money on your new outfit might be a nice additional motivation to keep the pounds off once lost.

So, take the few pointers above into consideration before you head to the mall ready to spend the hard earned cash. Weather you choose to rent or buy your tuxedo, do some research on the place you are purchasing from. A quick search on the internet on customer reviews will usually be a good starting point.

Mr Pohl is a regular author for articles related to men’s fashion. He himself has a passion for wearing designer neckties and bow ties.

The 2007-2012 World Outlook for Wedding Dresses

This study covers the world outlook for wedding dresses across more than 200 countries. For each year reported, estimates are given for the latent demand, or potential industry earnings (P.I.E.), for the country in question (in millions of U.S. dollars), the percent share the country is of the region and of the globe. These comparative benchmarks allow the reader to quickly gauge a country vis-à-vis others. Using econometric models which project fundamental economic dynamics within each country and across countries, latent demand estimates are created. This report does not discuss the specific players in the market serving the latent demand, nor specific details at the product level. The study also does not consider short-term

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Photo Fusion: A Wedding Photographers Guide to Mixing Digital Photography and Video

A full-color reference-and-DVD package covers shooting and editing a successful multimedia projectWith the introduction of dSLRs with high definition video functionality, a new world of multimedia capture has been opened to digital photographers. This book shows you how to embrace the exciting new option of photo fusion, by incorporating digital video content with your photography.The author duo guides you through creating seamless multimedia presentations that maximize both still-frame and video photography functions on your dSLR. From the setting up and shooting, to downloading, editing and presenting a multimedia project, this book clearly explains how to move beyond stills into the exciting world of multimedia creation.Encourages you

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