A Bride’s Top Time Savers

Today’s bride is busier than ever. As the clock counts down to her wedding day, she has appointments and a schedule that seems to go on for miles. How can any bride get it all done? The solution is learning to use top time savers brides add to their wedding planning and organization. Some may shave time, steal time and others simply change how you view the time you spend. But each can help you manage your wedding planning a bit easier, letting any bride-to-be breathe easier and get everything taken care of for that big day she’s been looking forward to for so long. So while no one can fool Mother Nature or take moments from Father Time, a bride can learn to make her wedding planning far more manageable with a few time saving tips!

Group errands/appointments by location. No matter what stage you are in with your wedding planning, this is an ideal time saver for you. Don’t run all over your city, town or county trying to get it all done in a day or an afternoon when you can save hours grouping tasks according to where you are when you do it. In order to do this, you’ll need to be very aware of the addresses and locations of any place you are visiting before you start to fill up your schedule. Remember that many brides have multiple visits to locations like their bridal dress shop or bakery so once you know a location this will become easier.

Leave early or on time for your errands/appointments. Now for this you may throw up your hands saying, “Well how can I find the time to do that?” We gently point out to you that if you are constantly running late for things, this is a sign that your overall time management is out of whack. Learning better time management will improve your overall life and not just your wedding. Getting up earlier or leaving just ten minutes before you planned will put you in an easier, low key state of mind for your appointments. It also means if the person you are meeting is not quite ready for you, that you are less anxious or irritated by this delay than otherwise expected. Which brings us to the next tip…

Always bring things to do while waiting. Often when you go for a dress fitting, cake tasting or other appointment, you’ll wind up waiting. Sometimes you wait a few minutes and other times you’ll have to wait even longer. Every moment you spend drumming your French manicured fingernails on the table is time you could be spending on another errand – frustrating you even more. We suggest you plan to wait and expect to spend a little time at these appointments taking care of other things. Every little ten or twenty minute time period here you snatch away will save you time other places. Do this three times a week and you’ve saved yourself an hour!

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Spring and Summer Wedding Favors are Hot Hot Hot

2010 Spring and Summer Wedding Favors Celebrate the Balm-y Weather

Here we are, right in the middle of wedding season! If you’re getting married in the next few months, here’s your chance to see several (but not all!) of the newly launched spring and summer wedding favors (and bridal shower favors!) from top-tier wedding favor designer Kate Aspen.

Let’s start with lip balms and favor boxes. Yes, lip balms are much-appreciated bridal shower and wedding favors, because the sun that warms our days also brings us dry, cracked lips. Lip balm favors have been around for a while but, this year, Kate Aspen ups the ante with two styles and dozens upon dozens of personalization options!

“Sweet Kisses” Lip Balm Container                                           “Love & Kisses” Lip Balm StickKate Aspen’s new “Make It Yours” favor box collection and Icon favor boxes are definitely taking the art of favor box design to a higher level.  The top three are from the personalized “make it yours” collection and the next three are Icon boxes!

The Icon favor boxes below are “With This Ring,” “Express Your Love,” and “For the Love Birds!”

If your passion is butterflies or beautiful birds, Kate has something for you, too. First, the butterflies—one of spring and summer’s most welcome ambassadors!

Did you notice the delicate, silver-finish butterfly charm on the “Spring Elegance” Laser-Cut Butterfly favor boxes on the right? Touches like that and the gift-ready creative packaging of hundreds of their favors—not to mention affordability—have  set Kate Aspen’s favors apart for years!  But don’t take it from me. I’ll let these next favors tweet for themselves—they’re salt and pepper shakers, a bronze-finish metal nest tea light holder and a sweet songbird taking a bath in a place card holder!

I’ve saved something fabulous for my big finish. I’ll admit there’s nothing new about drink mixes—coffee, tea, lemonade, hot chocolate, etc. –have been around for a while. What spices up Kate Aspen’s new drink mixes—and your reception tables—is the sensational, eye-catching, colorful gift presentation!

Check out “Main Squeeze” Lemonade Mix, “Razzle Dazzle” Raspberry Iced Tea Mix and “Mix & Mingle” Key Lime Margarita Mix!

Thirsty for more? Kate Aspen wedding favors and bridal shower favors are featured on Kate Aspen’s “preferred vendor online favor sites” like My Wedding Favors and others. Remember—they’re called favors because they do something special for someone. They thank your guests for celebrating the most amazing day of your life—and that deserves something special!

Susan Hawkins is senior copywriter and a blogger for My Wedding Favors, a leading online retailer of top-tier wedding favors, bridal shower favors and wedding accessories.

Thoughtful Bridesmaids’ Gifts That Don’t Break the Bank!

Let’s face it: planning a wedding is tough. Many brides admit that planning their wedding would be much harder if it wasn’t for their bridesmaids. Often your bridesmaids help with logistics and things that just can’t be handled by a single person. So when it comes time to say, “Thank you!” to these lovely ladies – we know you want to pick out special bridesmaids’ gifts. But after the expense of a wedding, adding any other expenses can be a challenge. Here are some of our favorite bridesmaids’ “Thank you” gifts that are thoughtful and won’t have you reaching the top limit on any credit card.

Personalized Makeup Mirror. Many women like to touch up their makeup during the day, and what could be better than a personalized makeup mirror as their bridesmaid’s “Thank you” gift? This is an ideal gift, as they will think of you each time they use it and it is reasonably priced. Best of all, it is personalized with their first name or monogram for a sophisticated and elegant look. Any bridesmaid will appreciate this gift ideal for daytime and evening use.

Birthstone Jewelry. This is a thoughtful gift for your bridesmaids and you’ll find a wide selection of birthstone jewelry to choose from. There is personalized birthstone jewelry and simply birthstone jewelry that features the lovely gemstones on their own. One of the best things about this choice is that each woman will feel special and remembered as “their” birthstone month is uniquely their own. While they are there to share your Big Day, their “Thank you” gift is something that remembers them as unique individuals. You’ll find birthstone jewelry for every budget price and both daytime to evening looks.

Handmade Gift. Now this can be a very special and thoughtful gift if done with care. A handmade gift is best when it is created specifically for the recipient. So you are using their favorite color, their name or initials and including themes or topics that they enjoy. Any ways you can make this special for them or about your friendship/relationship will make this a grand-slam gift. Let’s say you are known for making delicious chocolate pretzels. So you choose to make this as your bridesmaids’ “Thank you” gift. Make this even more special by dipping each bridesmaid’s set of pretzels in their favorite color of sprinkles. And then put them in a pretty re-useable tin or jar. Include a thoughtful note saying how “sweet” they are. You see? Your handmade gift suddenly becomes something uniquely about them.

Plan a Fun/Girly Activity for After Your Honeymoon. This is a great choice especially if your bridesmaids are conveniently located and can all come back together. Treat them to a “Thank you” barbeque, fancy picnic or day at an amusement park. Or go be girly together and take them for manicures and pedicures. The key is to choose activities and themes that they will especially enjoy. Simply remember that this day is not about you as a bride or your getting married but about your friendships and celebrating them.

How to pick your perfect wedding dress

If you ask most women what the most important thing is on their wedding day, we’d take a guess that the majority are dead set on finding that dream wedding dress to walk down the aisle in.

Women spend more time and energy looking for their dress and more thought is likely to go into this decision than any other!

Of course, everyone has their own idea of what their perfect wedding dress looks like with some preferring sleek and elegant gowns and others opting for more traditional full skirted dresses and of course there are endless options of length, colour, styles and accessories to choose from as well.

A few things to remember about choosing your wedding dress is that you’ll be looking at these pictures for years to come so picking a dress with timeless elegance, rather than going with the latest fad style is probably better in the long run so your pictures will always be something you are proud to show off.

Pick a style that suits you. It’s all very well falling in love with a style of dress that looks fantastic on the hanger but shows off all of your lumps and bumps or doesn’t show off your best features. Try out a variety of styles, and take along a trusted friend or relative to help you choose a style that makes the best of all your attributes. Try everything on, sometimes a style that you think will look horrible on you will actually turn out to be the one that you fall in love with, it’s worth trying as it’s a once in a lifetime dress so you want to get it right!

The most traditional colour for wedding dresses is white and you’ll find that the majority of wedding dress stockists have most of their dresses in this colour. Of course white isn’t for everyone and you’ll be pleased to hear that many dresses are offered with other colour tones in them, resulting in many off-white colours such as ivory, cream, gold and many other hues. There are also dresses available in completely different colours so if you look good in red or blue there’s no reason why you couldn’t go for a wedding dress in those colours as well.

When you find that perfect dress, the best advice you can take is to buy it on that day, especially if it’s a dress on sale or there’s only one left in stock. There’s nothing worse than finding your dress, only to have someone else buy it while you think about it and come back a few days later to find it has been sold! You can tend to reserve dresses as well, so at the very least make sure you do this, you can always change your mind but once it’s gone – it’s gone forever! With Very.co.uk you can order the dress and try it on and of course, if it’s not the right one for you it can be returned.

Another important factor in the bride’s mind is the issue of bridesmaid dresses. Whether you’ve got one bridesmaid, or a dozen; coordinating them to wear the colour and style that you want can be tricky, especially if you have a few bridesmaids you are all different shapes and sizes.

The first thing to decide on is what colour you want, many brides will fit the bridesmaid dresses into the colour scheme, so if you’re having pink and white flowers and table centrepieces for example, it’s likely that pink will be a good colour for the bridesmaid dresses.

You could also go for a colour theme, such as purples, which include plums, lilacs and bright purple colours so you are able to find a colour that suits everyone.

Once you’ve chosen your colours, then you’ll need to find a style for your bridesmaid dresses, which again can be a little tricky if you have a few bridesmaids of differing shapes! The best thing to do is take them all to try on a variety of styles and pick out the one which is best across all of your bridesmaids.

If you’re going for block colours then you can dress up the bridesmaid dresses with accessories that match your colour scheme, such as corsages or hair pieces which fit into the scheme. This is often a nice idea if you’ve gone for plain block colours, such as cream as it brightens up the outfits and also makes the bridal party easily identifiable!

To get some ideas for your ideal style of wedding dress and bridesmaid dresses then there is a beautiful selection at Very.co.uk where you will find inspiration not just for dresses but also everything from accessories and jewellery right through to wedding shoes and veils to make your wedding day absolutely perfect.

The Benefits of Being a Recession Bride

Let’s face it: trying to do anything big and splashy like a wedding is tough, no matter the time you try to do it. But getting married during one of the worst recessions the International economy has ever seen – has been tough on a lot of brides. But do you realize there are actually some benefits to being a recession era bride? Let’s talk about some of the “good” reasons that getting married during the recession isn’t quite so bad after all.

A tighter wedding budget forces you to focus on what’s important. Do you really need calla lilies flown in from an exotic location at every table – or would you rather have delicious food at the reception? Do you really need an open bar all night long – or will a single signature cocktail do the trick? Do you really have to invite your very best friend from summer camp you haven’t seen for ten years – simply because you always wanted to do so? The recession era bride has an easier time of focusing on what is really necessary and needed at her wedding and what can be tossed by the wayside.

Today’s bride is a savvy shopper. Gone are the days when a bride would pick the very first wedding dress that gave her tingles up the back of her neck. The recession era bride knows to go to a variety of wedding dress shops and to take digital photos of the dresses she likes. To do more comparison shopping. Also not to be afraid to ask for a better deal – when a competitor’s shop is offering a coupon the shop you are in just might honor it as well – you never know!

A wedding truly isn’t about what you buy – it’s about what you are doing. Getting a beautiful dress and going on an exotic honeymoon is certainly fun. But the recession era bride realizes more than ever what matters is the special moment she’ll be saying her wedding vows with her husband-to-be. That moment when they’ll kiss for the first time as husband and wife. The treasured father and daughter dance or having her father walk her down the aisle. These special moments can’t be bought in a shop or charged to your credit card.

A recession era bride isn’t afraid to get a little creative. If that banquet hall is just too far out of your budget – or you can’t afford flowers or something else you’ve been dreaming of – the recession era bride doesn’t pout – she gets to thinking! Could she get married in the big backyard of a family friend or at her college or university chapel? Could she visit a flower market on an early morning and buy flowers at a discount or get flowers from the grocery store? Or would small potted plants from a nursery make great centerpieces (sure…why not?) that you just wouldn’t see anywhere else? In another economy that bride might not get as creative – but the recession era bride learns to stretch and expand her thinking like never before.

So if you’re a recession era bride – enjoy the special and treasured moments your wedding day brings. Enjoy being with family and friends and your first day of married life!

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How to Choose a Bridesmaid Dress Video

In this how to choose a bridesmaid dress video, an expert from Brides.com gives us some tips on picking bridesmaid dresses that our bridesmaids can actually wear again. A little-known secret about being a bride is that we have some sort of hypnosis or disorder when we’re planning our weddings that make it so we can convince ourselves that any dress we pick for our bridesmaids will be something they’ll be thrilled to wear again. Later, after the wedding fog clears, we realize that it ain’t gonna happen. Truly, after this video, I’m still not convinced, though she gives some good suggestions, like making sure the fabric and color are current or classic, pick something with a little detail (because, as she said, “nothing says ‘bridesmaid’ like a completely plain dress.’” She makes some cool suggestions, like choosing a dress with a pattern, and suggests different accessories to help the dress make the transition. Now, if they only offered different ways to wear that wedding dress!

Popular Winter Wedding Shower Gifts

Are you attending a winter wedding shower? You’ll want to get the bride something special. That truly makes her feel like a bride and especially something ideal for winter. Fortunately, there are many terrific winter wedding shower gift ideas you’ll love. Try some of our favorites!

The key to giving a winter wedding gift is to think of something ideal for the season. Some gifts simply lend themselves more easily to the season than others do. Giving the bride and groom a gift that is suited for the winter is something that is more thoughtful than you might at first think. If the bride and groom get married during the winter, your giving them a winter themed gift means that they will think of winter and their wedding every time they use it. Some gifts they may use year-round – but for special winter themed gifts they will use them even more during winter months and this will bring a special smile to their faces as they remember their wedding day and the moments they shared with you.

Hot chocolate machine. This is a sweet treat ideal for the bride starting a new life. A winter wedding means moving into a new house when it is cold and often snowy. A hot chocolate machine makes yummy hot chocolate at the push of a button. This tempting treat is sweet and also romantic. Chocolate is actually an aphrodisiac, ideal for newlyweds. Include all of the hot chocolate fixins’ with this gift like whipped cream and sprinkles.

Bread maker. A bread maker machine is a great gift for a new bride. What could be more delicious in the wintertime than hot, freshly made bread? Bread makers today are quite easy to use. A bread maker used to be a bit tricky to operate but today they are rather simple to use and create delicious fresh bread at the push of a few buttons. You can make many varieties of bread in a bread maker.

Ice skating lessons. Many say that the first year of marriage is the hardest. Often couples simply have to adjust to being with each other, and not “dating.” Giving newlyweds ice skating lessons is some romantic fun for them to look forward to. They can have fun on the ice and enjoy ice skating during this winter – and then for every winter following. Your thoughtful gift of ice skating lessons this year could mean they ice skate for the rest of their lives – thinking of you as they start of on the ice! Those couples certainly look happy as they skate side by side holding hands on the ice. We’re sure you’d agree.

Tanning sessions. This might look funny on a winter wedding shower gift list, but the fact is that many winter wedding couples go to tropical destinations for their honeymoon. It is so important to get that base tan for protection before you go into the sun. A nice tan also looks wonderful in your wedding photographs. If the bride and groom enjoy tanning, tanning sessions could be a thoughtful gift they would enjoy. A little imported summer sun for the wintry weather.

Do You Want to Be Your Own Wedding Planner?

Do you want a wedding planner? Many brides dream of having a wedding planner who can give them the wedding of their dreams. But with some planning, preparation and a little creative thinking – you can be your own wedding planner. You’ll save on costs and best of all you will have exactly what you wanted for your own wedding.

Stay organized for the fairytale wedding. When you are trying to coordinate an event that can have up to 300 guests and a wedding party with 20 or so people in it, staying organized is critical. But don’t make staying organized more difficult than it needs to be. One of the best tips is to simply keep everything related to your wedding in a single place. Create or purchase a wedding organization binder to keep your planning, receipts and other materials in. When you can easily put your hands on “the wedding stuff” you’ll find your stress level goes way down – and your fairytale wedding is that much easier to plan.

Put time on your side when planning your wedding. The “typical” wedding can take 1 to 2 years to plan. That is “if” you can get the site you desire and everything in place. Brides and grooms who have their eye on a special venue or site may have to wait a little longer – or if you want to get married in a specific season you will simply have to wait for the calendar pages to turn. Use this time to your advantage when planning your wedding to organize everything and do things in advance. Many bridal magazines give a timeline – consider your own personal desires. Some brides may need additional time if they have more responsibilities to juggle. Other brides may have help putting together their wedding and can do things quicker.

Use your strengths and know your weaknesses as a planner. We all have our talents and we all have our weak points. What are yours? Maybe you are a foodie or a fashion plate. Maybe you are a black belt bargain shopper. Make a list of your wedding planning skills. Then sit down and make a list of the skills you may be lacking in. Are you not good at details? Do number or budgets drive you up a wall? With these skills you will need reinforcement. Ask family, bridesmaids and your groom for help in planning the wedding of your dreams. You may have a bridesmaid who is a foodie when you don’t understand menus as well. Or your mother-in-law may love fashion when you don’t enjoy shopping for clothes at all. When you know your skills and weaknesses, you get things done quicker and with more confidence. Best of all, you have more fun planning your wedding!

Take inspiration from life, bridal sites and other brides for the wedding of your dreams. Your fairytale wedding is a combination of what you always dreamed of as a little girl and what makes everyone happiest today. Many brides have specific things they “must” have at their weddings and that’s okay. You can get great ideas by connecting with other brides to learn today’s bridal trends and hot ideas for your wedding. Or take your own passions, inspirations and include them in your wedding. A wedding should be about the joining of two lives and including things about your two lives gives your wedding truly a polished and complete look. Ask your Groom for ideas about adding to the wedding too!

The Running of the Brides

Twice yearly, Filene’s department store sponsors  a  well known event that is recognized around the world wide as The “Running of the Brides”.   On the selected day(s), brides line up at the door to participate in a race, in search of their dream wedding gown.   Many have already brought along lawn chairs, tents and sleeping bags in anticipation of being amongst the first to grab the best bargains.

The gowns selected for sale are usually available due to cancelled orders, cancelled weddings, or shops needing to relieve their inventory.  Many famous labels are included and gowns are usually priced at astonishingly low prices.   This “no holds barred” event begins when the doors open and a flood of  mostly women, race in to grab as many gowns as possible.  Future brides often enlist the help of friends and family members to assist them in the free-for-all.  The  vast rows of gown –filled racks are said to be often cleared in less than a minute . This race  is not for the fainthearted, nor is it the time to be picky in making selections.    After all of the initial chaos is over, the real work begins.

Each participant then examines the arms full of gowns to determine whether anything is worth keeping or trying on.   Soon the real “wheeling and dealing” begins!  Negotiations involve trading amongst the group for correct styles, sizes and prices.  Many purchasers enjoy the fun and the high energy surrounding the event, and so attend with a  specific shopping strategy in mind.  In any case, fun can be had by all.

And yes, men can also attend….if they dare!

Have a Wonderful Winter Wedding!

Winter weddings can be exceptionally beautiful; especially around the holiday season.  During that time, many places of worship and commercial venues have already been outfitted in festive colors, and oftentimes come with ready-made celebratory atmospheres.  In many cases, very little will be needed in the way of additional decorations.  In many parts of the world, snow is prevalent, which can definitely add to the festivities.

However, winter weddings can be subject to their own seasonal challenges.  Many a happy couple have had to navigate stormy weather to get to the church on time.  Brides often have to find practical (yet elegant ways) to keep warm, while not detracting from the overall look and feel of the occasion.  A winter bride may want to consider including either a cloak, cape, shrug, shawl, wrap, bolero, or faux fur stole to her wardrobe.

Certainly each and every delay and/or potential snag cannot be foreseen.  However, having a little peace-of-mind ahead of time can prove to be priceless if the occasion should call for it.  Before scheduling a winter wedding, having a Plan “B”, just in case things are not pulled off as smoothly as planned can surely be a good thing.  So as not to have a stranded bridal party (especially the bride and groom) , an alternate means  of transportation may need to be kept at the ready; and contracts made with any venue scheduled to host the reception will need to be examined for clauses that detail what would happen in the event of unavoidable tardiness or a cancellation.  Maintaining a list of things that need to be taken into consideration is a great way to keep track.  In the meantime, enjoy planning your winter wedding while not forgetting to set a place for Mother Nature….keeping in mind that she reserves the right to be the ultimate Wedding Crasher.

Photo by Anne Ruthmann

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