Wedding Cake Wake-Up Call

The perfect wedding cake should reflect the overall theme of the festivities, and so there are a few questions that need to be answered prior to ordering this most important centerpiece.

Questions such as:

• Are you planning for a formal or informal wedding reception?
• Is it going to be an indoor or outdoor event?
• Warm weather or cool?

Believe it or not, each of these factors should be taken into consideration when choosing a wedding cake; as ignoring them could be turn out to create unnecessary drama, as well as, unpleasant memories…in pictures and on video.

That being said…just because your Aunt Edna has a sterling reputation for making a fierce carrot cake, does that mean you should entrust her with your reception’s  crowning masterpiece?  “But she’s so sweet”, you may say. “Cakes are so expensive and she offered to make it for free….as a wedding gift!“  While the sentiment may be nice, just think: Could you honestly entrust this woman with making your wedding cake?  Has she ever made one before?    While her cakes may be a hit at the family reunion, you’d better think twice before commissioning her to bake  your “cake of a lifetime”.  A lopsided cake on a picnic table, sliding under the weight of its own icing, in the hot July sun may be acceptable at a barbecue, but is this what you really want to happen to your cake at your wedding reception?  And do you really want a blue cake trimmed in red icing?  Hold that thought and marinate in it for a while…

Now that we’ve gotten you frightened to death…you can call Aunt Edna, and decline her offer.  Go ahead…call her now.  Thank her profusely, while nicely telling  her that its “already been taken care of”.  End the conversation by kindly letting her know where you are registered and tell her that you “haven‘t been given a kitchen spatula yet” … then move on….To the REAL baker.

During your consultation with your chosen baker, be sure that all questions are answered to your satisfaction.  Make sure that you are both clear as to what you do, or do not want.   Do not assume anything!  Be sure to provide your baker with details, keeping in mind that he has no idea as to what is most important to you.   Take a look at the baker’s cake portfolio to see examples of work previously done, and to get ideas that can be incorporated into your final masterpiece.  Provide your baker with as much advance notice as possible.    Be VERY clear as to the delivery date, time and setup instructions.   Be doubly sure to have everything in writing.

One last thing:  Please don’t forget to give Aunt Edna a seat nearest the bridal table.  You’ll thank me for this later.

photo by tastetheworld

Get Married at A Golf Destination

A marriage at a golf resort should be as straightforward or as complex as you wish. Just because you share a love of golf, doesn’t mean that you have to give up the drama of the white gown. It means that the traditional long flowing train and a full skirt is probably not a very good choice. Rather, a simple straight elegant white dress that allows you to easily move with a detachable train would be the best possible choice for your gown, especially if you’re going to swing a club as part of your ceremony. Use special bridal jewelry to enhance the simple elegance of your dress. Picture crystal glistening in the sun, or pearls to accessorize the gown.

Perhaps, you want to have your wedding be more informal, and then the choice of clothing is simple. Simple white golf clothes for the bride and her bridesmaids can that compliment the wedding colors are a great choice. Enhance a white visor with some beads and a lace veil and you will be ready for the ceremony. The clothes of the groom should distinguish him from the crowd, possibly with a special tie or hat as an addition to his golf clothes. Don’t forget to add elegance by donning  special crystal wedding jewelry purchased just for this special day. The money you saved on your dress should allow you to treat the entire wedding party to stunning jewelry for your wedding.

The wedding can be on the course, if it’s allowed, and the reception right in the clubhouse. Choose a nice vacation site at a higher price to increase the luxury of your golf wedding. Las Vegas golf courses offer a vast array of prices for your wedding that closely resemble the traditional cost of any other type of wedding. Some have packages that often save you a considerable amount of money. If you want to up the ante, consider places like the hotel at Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Course, Banff, Canada. The beautiful setting of the greens against the backdrop of the Canadian Rockies is set off by a hotel that has looks like a Scottish castle. It is nearly impossible to find a comparable setting with such a scenic impact. If your guests don’t golf, there are side trips like a visit to the glacier or a trip on the gondola to the top of the mountain, an especially beautiful event when the wild flowers are in bloom.

The reception can be the most fun to plan for this type of wedding. Why not choose special golf gifts for the guests? They will add to the theme. A golf ball with your names and wedding date is one way to catch the eye of everyone that walks through the door. Golf tees with your names and the date is also a great way to have everyone have a remembrance of the event that they will appreciate. Giving candy golf balls of chocolate and special golf themed cans containing mints are another way to make your wedding unforgettable for your guests.

If you have the reception at the club, normally they handle the food. A catered outside reception is also another way to keep with the theme of the game. Decide whether you would like to have a regular meal or just provide snack food that your guests can take with them when they go on the course. It would be a shame to waste the pleasure of playing golf on a beautiful day when the golf is only a short distance away. If you are serving alcoholic drinks, you should have a special champagne punch and a few drinks a lot of people will like as well as some beer. Be sure to remember to save enough Champagne for toasts to the bride and groom. Use a couple of golfers as a topping on your wedding cake or have a topping that has a golf club or golf bag. Have fun with your reception and enjoy a round of golf as husband and wife.

Unusual Bridal Shower Favors for Special Day

Bridal shower favors are supportive crucial factor for your bridal shower. Bridal shower favors are souvenirs porovided to the bridal shower guests in case to be thankful for their coming to a bridal shower. If you confuse what to opt for your upcoming bridal shower favors, just check at the.

Bridal Shower Favors on a Budget

Excessive or expensive bridal shower favors isn’t a must. Affordable bridal shower favors are welcomed and wanted as you must consider about your budget. You could buy several fun unusual gifts at the Dollar Store. Perfumed candles are always a welcome favor; almost everyone appreciates the value of aromatherapy. Be careful; guests who are allergic to scents or mostly sensitive may not welcome a bridal shower favor that is scented.

A good-looking notebook with a special new pen – a journal – is another great bridal shower favor idea. You could write a unusual note on the first page of all guest’s journal, telling them how much you appreciated their coming to the party.

Bridal Shower Favors Guests Can Eat

If you want appetizing bridal shower party favors, you could give bridal shower cookies and cupcakes. You are able to make or buy sugar cookie dough and use cookie cutters to form your bridal shower favors based on your bridal themes: cakes, rings, gowns, tuxedos, and umbrellas. You may also embellish cupcakes in the color scheme of the wedding. To reflect your bridal shower theme, you can discover colorful toppers to place on the top of your cupcakes, or get a little bride and groom to top each cupcake, just like on a real wedding cake.

Fun Bridal Shower Favors

You could also design the other fun bridal shower favors. Such as you could also give special old-fashioned statue, traditional fan, or magnet in various shapes as your bridal shower favors. If you are able to make the bridal shower favors by yourself, any idea would be accepted too.

You should give the bridal shower favors to your guests when they are about to depart, on their way out the door. Otherwise, your guests will have to bring their bridal shower favors around with them throughout the whole shower.

Adapted Gifts

To sum up, bridal shower favors is a kind of prominent souvenir given to your guests as the symbol of your gratitude for their coming. You could choose one out of those ideas aforesaid. To prepare your bridal shower elements, you could also ask for advice from a professional. Okay, it is the time to enjoy deciding the most suitable bridal shower favors for your unusual day. Have fun.

Keep Your Wedding Costs Under A Thosand Dollars

People frequently complain about being engaged forever because they don’t have the money to get married. Not only is this misleading, it is far from the truth because it is really easy to get married very cheaply. In fact, you can get married at the courthouse and not pay very much money at all! On the other hand if a reception is important to you and you would like to celebrate your wedding with family and friends it will take a few more dollars to have one. For as little as a thousand dollars you can have the wedding you have always dreamed of. Sure, you might not have the bridal jewelry made of diamonds and platinum. You can have a wonderful wedding that you will always remember and you won’t need expensive limousines to do it.

Let’s start off saving money by getting a bargain on a dress and pay less than $100. There are many bridal shops that sell off the rack wedding gowns for as little as $99. Shop around and find a dress you love. Remember, too, that your bridal jewelry will make your dress even more beautiful and special. If possible, shop for dresses with your bridal jewelry so you can get the full effect.

The next way to save money is to buy plain, gold bands for the bride and groom. Bridal jewelry that is simple can be affordable. You can buy both bridal jewelry bands for as little as $250 and sometimes less if you shop around. You can add more extravagant bands later on when you have more money. You can always give bridal jewelry as a gift for a special occasion like an anniversary.

Find a photography student willing to shoot your wedding for $100. Many will be delighted at the opportunity to make a little money and practice their craft. The priest or pastor will also cost around $100. You will need to serve refreshments of some sort and the easiest way to save money here is to have family members and friends each bring something. You can ask for menu items to get what you want and many people will be willing to help you find ways to save money. You may want to buy a wedding cake and if you choose a simple one from a bakery it will cost around $100.

If you get married on your own property, that will be free. A church can be very low cost-sometimes as little as one hundred dollars and if you are a member sometimes nothing for members. So, if you are a member of a church get married there!

Flowers add a tremendous value to the wedding. Believe it or not but you can buy some beautiful flowers at your local super center and then arrange them yourself. Less than one hundred dollars will be enough to buy the flowers for a lovely wedding. Have family or friends contribute green leaves or other green plant cuttings.

Even after buying everything so far you will have only spent about 75 percent of your budget. Take the rest and brainstorm on choosing something else to add to make the day even more special-perhaps ballons or butterflies. Choose real invitations or take the free route and invite by email. Now that you can see how easy to have a nice wedding for a very low cost spend some time coming up with some more fun ways to spend the money.

Star Wars Wedding Cakes

Some people dream of a wedding day where everything is virgin white and flowers abound. The wedding cake is 5 tiers tall and beautiful handmade flowers adorn the edible edifice. It is as if the wedding cake was from a sweet dream.

Those people did not make these cakes.

No, that pleasure went to those who love lightsabers and wookies and believe the Force is always with you. The people who made these cakes should consider themselves lucky to have found another Star Wars geek who likes the opposite sex. You’ll find not traditional cakes here, only creations made possible by the imagination of one George Lucas. Here are 20 Star Wars wedding cakes in a galaxy not so far away.

I don’t know if you can read it, but the plane says “Oceanic” on it. “Lost” and “Star Wars;” what a weird combination.

See more unique wedding cake designs.

Choosing a Wedding Photographer

For many individuals, having a record of their wedding that is permanent is important, and they will hire a professional wedding photographer who can get the job done. Many people may be curious as to the costs of having professional level pictures taken.  Here is how the money gets divvied up when paying off these individuals.

Candid photos are pictures that are taken at the wedding and the reception, and these pictures are usually put together in an album for both the bride and groom.  Many of these candid photos we put together in albums which can be sent to friends and family, and this will actually make up a majority of the costs associated with wedding photography.

When you’re looking at spending $250 are more on an album made by designers such as Art Leather, Leather Craftsmen, or a similar leather bound album, the costs can add up quickly.  The pictures and the styles are permanently attached and the albums themselves are made of leather and will last a lifetime.

Most people don’t realize why they should go out and buy such expensive leather albums, but the truth is that 10 years down the road, vinyl will eventually destroy or at least degrade the quality of most photographs.  If you’re serious about preserving your wedding memories it is a good idea to go for a very expensive model of wedding album which will preserve a photographic record of your wedding forever.

Digital options are also prevalent in the photography marketplace today, and you may want to choose these as the photographs can simply be printed directly onto the album itself.  This makes an excellent selection for wedding guests who you don’t want to spend $500 on.

The portraits themselves, such as those of a bridal portrait, also factor into wedding photography costs.  Bridal portraits are usually taken about four to six weeks before the wedding itself starts.  Some individuals decide that they also want to have an engagement portrait taken and a sitting fee and a developing charge will usually be assessed.

The session fee covers the photographers time for the session and the print charges are the costs it will take to edit, develop, and assemble the pictures.  So how much does an average wedding photographer cost?  Fees range widely depending on professionalism, but in a rural area, you are looking at around $600 and in New England fees may be upwards of a few thousand dollars. Shopping around is advised to find the best deal but remember that you will usually get what you pay for and if you want quality then you had better be ready to pay up.

To discover additional info about Wedding Flowers check out my Wedding Cake Designs web site.

Your Groom Speech – 5 Ideas for Success

I’ve observed lots of groom’s speeches, and there often seems to be that moment of hesitation and uncertainty by the groom. This is definitely a mistake you should do your best to avoid.

Let us start with some general suggestions for delivering any speech at a wedding ceremony.

What To Do

• Keep it clear, straight forward, and simple
• Keep it short. Three or four minutes is sufficient
• Write down down the major points on a piece of paper or a card
• Smile at the members of your audience. This is a fun event.
• Be sure not to look grim, like it’s a funeral.
• Speak clearly and loudly. Maintain your voice at a volume where everyone can hear. If there is a microphone, use it.

Do Not Do These

• Don’t mumble
• When speaking, do not stare downward or look at the ceiling
• Do not write out the entire speech, word for word. You just need some thoughts to keep you moving from one point to the next.

There are a couple basic things that men fear most: commitment, and public speaking. While this article won’t help you with the first one, it can be assumed that since you’re getting married, you’ve already overcome the commitment issue. So, that leaves public speaking, and it’s a lot easier than you think.

There are five things you must put in your groom speech in order to be considered a success -

Five Tips

• Be nice. Say complimentary, nice things about your wife.
• Don’t tell jokes, unless they have a positive tone to them. Remember, you have an upcoming honeymoon, the in-laws, and the rest of your life together to consider. Humor can play an important role in any speech, therefore, we will cover this topic in much greater detail in future articles.
• Do thank your new bride’s family. You will most likely be involved with them the rest of your life, so you do want to start off on the right foot by showing your gratitude to them.
  • If you do not like your wife’s in-laws, just thank them for their support and move along.
  • If indeed you do like your wife’s in-laws, then by all means express your appreciation and fondness for them. You can also thank them for inviting you into their family.
  • If there was any financial contribution offered by your new wife’s family, now is the time to say thank you for their support.
• Thank friends and family for coming to celebrate your wedding, and sharing the day with you.
• Thank the Father of the Bride.

Your grooms speech is delivered right after the Father of the Bride speech, which customarily comes first.

This gives you the opportunity to play off that speech and continue by thanking him for his kind words; then begin your speech right after him.

A Short Example

“Thanks, Robert, for your supportive words. I am honored and proud to be your new son-in-law. I hope I can live up to what you expect from me. I would also like to thank my mother-in-law, Janice, who has always made me feel like a member of the family starting from when we first met, and for helping make our wedding and reception a success. I would like to give my thanks to both of you for allowing me to marry your beautiful daughter, Alison.”

With this brief excerpt, you have: You have thanked the bride’s family, mentioned their contribution to the wedding, spoken favorably about your new bride, and come off like an all ’round great guy to your audience. And, that was just the introduction to your groom speech.

Free Wedding Speeches Can Help Novice Speakers

If you have been called upon to make a wedding speech at an upcoming wedding, or if you just want to be prepared with a good wedding toast, then you may be happy to know that there are some sources of free wedding speeches to help you out. While these free speech resources might not turn you into a polished public speaker, they can give you some pointers and tips to on how to make your words more refined.

For the wedding reception, most couples plan for three people to give a wedding speech, although it is up to the couple’s discretion to ask more or fewer people to speak. Traditionally, there are father of the bride speeches, best man speeches and the bridegroom speeches given as part of the reception. At times, siblings, the father of the groom and even the maid of honor are asked to speak, as well as anyone the couple feels can add a special sentiment to their day.

The vast majority of people never are called upon to speak in public, so giving a wedding speech can end up being a very nerve-wracking proposition for most. The many stresses that the couple and the whole wedding party experience during the days leading up to the wedding can add to this nervousness.

This is when looking for free wedding speeches resources can help a great deal, as the more prepared one is, the smaller a part nerves will play on the big day. With the structure of a free wedding speech in hand, you can often set aside the fear of public speaking and focus on what you want to say to the couple.

It is a simple fact that free wedding speeches, which can be obtained online, can significantly help to eliminate the fear of public speaking. They can also help to solidify your thoughts, which is particularly helpful for those whose minds go completely blank when faced with the task of saying something meaningful at an event so important as a wedding.

Free wedding speeches are basically simple, pre-outlined orations, humorous thoughts and jokes and even poetry that you can use to give your wedding speech a framework to start with. While a free wedding speech will obviously be generic, it does give you a place to start so that you can insert specifics about the bride and groom to make the comments more customized and personal. The more you are able to interject interesting tidbits of information and insights into the speech, the more meaningful it will be to everyone in the group.

Downloading your favorite free speech from a helpful website will get the ball rolling. At this point, you can add your personal commentary, put some effort into memorizing and practicing your speech and then you will be ready to make your wedding speech debut.

Some of the best advice you can follow to make the most of the wedding speech you have prepared is to say it out loud over and over again as you memorize it. This will help you find just the right voice inflections and help you naturally know when to pause and what words to emphasize. With daily practice before the event, by the time the wedding day arrives, you will be calm and confident even if you are a novice at public speaking.

Although there are some who are simply naturals at giving a wedding speech, the majority of people need a little help along the way to feeling confident about giving wedding speeches and toasts in front of a gathering of family and friends. Using free wedding speeches can help you avoid embarrassing comments and will make you more assured and comfortable.

Tip on Choosing a Wedding Reception Hall

Planning a wedding and all that goes into it can cause a lot of stress and anxiety. If you want a traditional wedding you can still keep it simple and less stressful. The key to planning any type of wedding is to be organized. The more people involved in the decisions the more chaotic it will be.

The wedding reception is usually one of the most memorable parts of the wedding.  This is why it’s important that the location and atmosphere of your reception reflect your personality and style.  In deciding on picking a reception place you need to consider how large a reception it’s going to be and your budget restrictions.

Wedding receptions can be held almost anywhere, including hotels, country clubs, and historic buildings with banquet halls.  There are also the options of private gardens, restaurants or some type of outdoor space.  Words of caution, if you are planning something outdoors make sure you check out the weather for that time of year. You should also have a plan in case it does rain. You can be creative with where you have your reception.

Getting the place for your wedding reception is one of the first things you should do after you have set the date. Many places are booked up to a year in advance.  You should always shop around.  The time of year and the place you choose could affect the price dramatically.  You can look for reception halls in your phonebook or search on the Internet for wedding reception halls.  This way you can find out information such as, how large a place is and how many people it will hold. You can look at menu listings and pricing information.

This way you can make a list of ones that you are considering and cross off others that are either too small are not in your budget. Once you’ve narrowed down your list, you can call and set up a time to visit the different places. Make sure that you bring along  a notebook to write down all the information so you can refer to your notes later.

While you are look at the reception halls you can ask about the availability of the place during your wedding date.  When you think you have found the right place make sure you consider whether it is within your  price range. You should be certain that the price you are quoted includes the dinner for the number people you estimate.  Make sure you consider whether the wedding reception hall will adequately fit the number of guests you will be having.

Other information to find out is whether the reception hall requires you to work with their kitchen or with only certain caterers. Make sure you ask if the wedding reception hall charges for the room as well as the food.  There can be many hidden costs so make sure you ask lots of questions such as is there a cake cutting charge.  You also want to ask about any restrictions on how you can decorate the wedding reception hall.

When you have narrowed it down and have found the perfect one; you should book it immediately. Wedding reception halls are often booked more than a year in advance and you will want to make sure it will be available on your wedding day.  You will now be able to have the wedding of your dreams plus you’ll have a wonderful reception.

by Danforth Diamond, experts in engagement rings and wedding rings. Photo by klaxon

How to Throw a Bridal Shower Surprise Party

Modern technology might have made it more difficult to throw surprises because almost everyone is aware of what is going on around the world. However, that does not mean you cannot throw a good surprise if you wanted to. There are at least a few things you can do when you are planning to surprise someone during a bridal shower surprise party. The following are some ideas.

Making the Lists Ready

You cannot do anything without having a proper guest list first. Send proper invitations to them, with an RSVP so that you know who will actually attend and who won’t. If there are adjustments to be made, such as some of the guests find some other day suitable than what you have chosen, try to make the changes. You also have to take their traveling into consideration.

Make up a guest list of the bride-to-be’s best friends and closest family members, the number of people that you invite is really up to you and how many people you think they would like to have come.

Zeroing in on the Date

The next step in planning the Bridal shower surprise is to actually set the date. This can be somewhat tricky, because more than anything you are going to have to make sure that the bride herself is going to be able to make it on that date, but without letting her know that you are up to anything.

You can speak to her fiancé to see what his opinion is on this, and if you can get a hold of her datebook or calendar, without being overly nosy, you can check to see what dates she has free.

Keep the Bride Occupied

One thing is sure – if the bride has nothing to do, she is going to suspect something about your little surprise. But if she is kept busy, she just won’t have the time to care. Hence, if she ! is not occupied in any other way, you have to ensure that you keep her occupied. That gives room for you to plan things out without worrying that she will come to know. Of course, she must not understand that she is being kept away.

Ensure that No One talks!

This is very important, because even if one person tattletales to the bride, the whole surprise bridal shower is spoiled. Make everyone you speak with, including the ones ! you send invitations to, agree that they will keep this a surprise. It is best that you keep the weaker people out of this secret until the nth hour and that you don’t tell anyone who doesn’t need to know about these plans.

photo by ciboulette

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