Make Writing Your Wedding Thank You Notes Easy as 1-2-3!

Every bride is touched by wedding or bridal shower gifts. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming to see just how many family members, friends and loved ones care enough to give you something special. And then a bride realizes that she must send thank you notes to each person. For some brides this can be 75 to up to 400 thank you notes! This is a lot of thank you notes to write for any single person to do.

But thank you notes should be written and they are an important bridal task to be accomplished. Bridal etiquette says that you actually have a full year to write your thank you notes – but we’d like to think you get them in the mail a bit earlier than that! What brides need is a bit of a system for writing their thank you notes. Try some of our tips to writing your thank you notes and you’ll be writing them as easy as 1-2-3!

Set aside certain times to write thank you notes. Schedule an hour or half hour each week to write your thank you notes. Having a certain time to do this is very useful. Knowing you will do it during this time takes a lot of stress off of you and you’ll know you will get a lot done. Many brides admit they multi-task and write thank you notes while watching television or getting other things done. You could write them on your lunch hour at work if this was convenient for you.

Consider setting a goal to write a certain number of thank you notes each day or time period. This is especially ideal if you are pushing yourself to write these thank you notes and get this task done. Knowing that you need to write at least 10 thank you notes will help you work hard to write them. You’ll get at least 10 completed, if not more.

Take notes as you unwrap gifts of who gives you what. This is an important bridal tip many brides have used for years. To remember their great aunt gave them candlesticks or their old college roommate gave them an espresso maker. Using these notes can help you write personalized thank you notes.

The best thank you note is thoughtful and to the point. A thank you note doesn’t have to be long, it simply needs to be thoughtful. Thank the person or couple for their gift and say how much you’ll enjoy it. If they came to the wedding thank them for coming and that you enjoyed seeing them there and hope they had a good time.

Get your stamps and thank you note supplies all together in one place. A savvy bride knows to stay organized with her thank you note writing she’ll need to keep her thank you note supplies all in one place. Get plenty of stamps, a good pen and lots of thank you notes. You don’t need to be ready to write thank you notes and not have what you need available to you. Keep it all in a box or bag, right on hand.

Have a list or file of thank you notes to write. Cross of the names as you go. This will keep you from writing two thank you notes to the same person. It’s an easy mistake to make, but any bride wants to avoid this.

See! These thank you notes for brides can be as easy as 1-2-3! Happy writing!

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A Wedding Reception Idea: Candy Buffet

If you’ve been knee-deep in wedding planning, chances are you’ve heard of the “candy buffet” or “candy bar” wherein a table-long array of the sweetest and colorful candy is displayed for your guests to dig in.  The Wedding Candy Buffet made its debut to wedding guests all over the nation within the past few years and there are no signs of the wedding candy bar concept slowing down.  Wedding candy buffets are genius, really, and super simple.  The following are a few wedding candy buffet ideas.

First, decide on the type of candy you’d like to display in your wedding candy bar buffet.  Not as easy as you may think.  There exists hundreds of hard and soft candy in every color of the rainbow.  Begin with your childhood favorites and then work your way up to your most recent faves.  Imagine candied mints, colorful jelly beans, wrapped chocolates, licorice sticks, and even childhood lollipops gracing your wedding candy buffet!  Try to narrow down your choices to your favorite top 10 all-time favorite candy.

Next select the containers in which you will exhibit your sweet treats.  Clear glass jars are the vessels of choice.  Create a standout showcase with a mixture of narrow and wide glass jars to tall and short glass containers.  Indicate each jar’s contents with a decorative tent card displayed in front of the container.  Alternatively, handwrite the name of the candy onto a beautiful sticker and affix to the front of the glass jar.  Provide a candy scoop by the candy jar for your guests to serve themselves a helping of the sweet treats.

Lastly, choose a generously-sized yet portable container that your guests can use to load up with their goodies and take home.  Gourmet food paper bags personalized with your names and wedding date is the perfect idea.  Or transform Chinese takeout boxes into a great container for your memorable wedding candy buffet.  Glassine envelopes can be spruced up with personalized labels resulting in creative candy buffet packaging.

By offering an “all-you-can-eat, make-your-own” experience, you’ll invite your guests to create their own wedding favors that they’ll be sure to enjoy!  The wedding candy buffet is a great way to lend your guests a festive atmosphere at your wedding!

Should we stay at home for our weddings or go overseas for luxury?

In general it is a hard topic to really decipher.We all have different ideas on what will be our ideal wedding will be.Although not everyone will want to go abroad to get married, with the recession in flow as it is, you might save some money in doing so.

Let’s have a look at some of the Pros of weddings abroad.  Well if you’re thinking about going to the Caribbean there are some immediate pluses.At the start of the list is the weather, you wont be let down by unpredictable weather. The sun will have his hat on and you can be sure of a warm wedding.  Another item on this agenda is that sometimes getting married in the tropics is proving to be cheaper than getting married at home in a church, and with so many people out there to help you its become so easy.  These days it is getting so expensive to get married at home, a lot of people are considering getting married abroad and in some cases for cheaper than what it would be at home.

Obviously the best part about it is that you can start your honeymoon straight away, no extra flights because you’re already in the perfect location to have a great time.  Why get married at home when you can have a luxury holiday for your wedding.

Now we can’t just look at the good parts about this, unfortunately there are some Cons.The first item on the Cons list is probably the one that will affect your decision, although it might be cheaper to have your wedding abroad, you might find that not everyone will be able to make it, getting time off will be hard and some relatives may not be able to come along.  Another problem that could reflect the cost for you is that some places have a minimum residency policy.What this means is that you need to take up residence in the location where you are going to get married for some time. The upside of this is you get an extended holiday.

One more problem you might find is that the wedding you have abroad might not be recognised by the church at home, but if you don’t mind having a civil ceremony followed by a blessing when you get back you can overcome this pretty easily.

So what is the best decision? Some people will like to get married in a church, but some will like to have thier wedding abroad on a sandy beach, in the end it depends on what you really want.  What is it that you would like to do on your special day, a Caribbean holiday in the place of your dreams, like a Grand Cayman vacation, or at the church where you know you will have all of your family and friends to be with you?

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Niagara Falls – Taking the Plunge

When it comes to celebrating the love and commitment you share with your partner, you want to go big. Everything the two of you share is so spectacular that it only makes sense to get married at one of the most majestic locations on earth: Niagara Falls, Ontario.

It’s an historic place for romance. The daughter of the third United States President, Aaron Burr, honeymooned there in the early 1800’s, as did Napoleon Bonaparte’s brother. People still flock there today to pledge their love.

Honeymoon Capital of the World

Niagara Falls has been a popular destination for wedding ceremonies and honeymoons for hundreds of years, leading to its fame as the “Honeymoon Capital of the World.” Perhaps it’s the beautiful spring weather or the rainbows that dance in the mist of the falls. Something about the beauty of the location puts its seal on forever.

Fallsview Weddings

Many couples that get married in Niagara Falls want one thing, to wed somewhere overlooking the falls. The Tower Hotel features a wedding chapel on the 25th floor, where the special couple and guests can take in the awe-inspiring sight. During the day or night, both the Canadian and American sides of the falls can be viewed from this chapel. It’s a match made in Heaven, a perfect place for your wedding, since you’ll already be floating on air.

Niagara-on-the-Lake

In this quaint town just outside of Niagara Falls, you can say your vows in an historic church or a romantic vineyard. Many of the hotels feature spas for a before-the-event pampering session. Cozy inns will enchant you and your guests and the friendly town is colorful and full of life. In the spring, the smell of flowers fills the air.

Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens

Couples who want to celebrate their special day surrounded by nature can take advantage of the botanical gardens’ lush greenery. The secluded wedding arbor provides an intimate ambiance, and the hidden willow pond will make you feel as though you just stepped out of a fairy tale. The reception can be held in the Butterfly Conservatory Terrace for a unique experience. Or get as close as you can to the falls without getting wet in the Elements on the Falls Restaurant.

Maid of the Mist

Thrill-seekers can seal the deal on the Maid of the Mist boat tour. This is the closest you can get to the falls, but be careful about getting some water on your wedding gown. The roar of the water and the phenomenal view from below the falls will take your breath away.

A Winter Wonderland

If you’re not worried about getting cold feet, get married at Niagara Falls in the winter. During the colder months, an ice bridge forms from one side of the river to the other, and the snowy backdrop is striking. Snuggle up to your love after dark when multi-hued lights illuminate the falls. The transformation of the icy panorama to a rainbow-colored fantasy world is absolutely stunning.
You don’t have to go over the edge in a barrel to take the plunge at Niagara Falls. The thundering cascade is every bit as extraordinary as your wedding will be. Fireworks reflect off the mist many nights during the year; perhaps they will explode over your special night. Whether you celebrate the moment overlooking the falls or in a picturesque nearby village, your wedding party will share the event of a lifetime.

Gina Hamilton is an insurance consultant and a resident of London, Ontario. She also contributes content for Kanetix, a full-service insurance company; including home, business, vehicle, travel and health (including visitors to Canada).

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Wedding photography – Styles and trends

Image via Wikipedia

According to many wedding industry sources, when couples are putting together their budget, they plan on spending the most on the reception and venue and second most on their photographer. This is how important photography is important to them, because for most people preserving the memories is a close second to creating them.

When you are evaluating a photographer for your big day, there are tons of things to consider. How much experience do they have? What does their portfolio look like? How much do they cost? Will they be able to capture what you’re looking for? Do they use photography studio software that enables them to stay better organized? And what styles of photography are they proficient in?

As far as this last question goes, here are a few of the current styles and trends in wedding photography so you can decide what suits you the best so you can prepare for your conversations with prospective photographers.

1. Photojournalism style – This style is completely candid and is more of a documentary way of shooting a wedding. Few (if any) photos are staged and everything is shot in the moment, where the photographer roams around the ceremony and reception and captures the event as it’s happening. This style is very in vogue and popular among couples.

2. Traditional posed photography – This is the style of photography that your parents probably used in which most photos are staged, with participants facing the camera and smiling or otherwise posing for the photos. This is akin to traditional portrait style and is sometimes used in combination with the photojournalism style.

3. Fashion-shoot style – For brides who can’t get enough of Vogue or Cosmo, this style is for you. It is a much more modern style of shooting, with different camera angles and closeups, fashion-forward poses, unique lighting and lots of finishing touches with photography studio software.

4. Vintage contemporary – Vintage clothing is back in style, and thus the demand for vintage contemporary photography, which is often staged with vintage or throwback props and attire. In addition, photos can be given an antique treatment with photography studio software.

5. Pre-wedding photo shoots – Because the big day can get so jam-packed with events, sometimes it’s a better idea to get some of the photography out of the way early. Because of this, some couples are choosing to have a photo session with their photographer a day or two before the wedding. This is an opportunity to get more causal photos of the couple as well as family members who have arrived for the wedding.

Hopefully this gives you a start on some of the current trends when you’re meeting with photographers.

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Interviewing your wedding planner / event planner

Planning a wedding is a huge undertaking, which is why many couples choose to go the wedding planner route. This is a very wise decision for many couples, especially if you don’t have the time, interest or inclination to plan a wedding on your own. In addition, although you wouldn’t think so, hiring an event planner to plan your big day can actually save you money because they will negotiate with vendors on your behalf to make sure you pay a more than fair price (and that you don’t get ripped off).

When you are scouting out planners, there are some key questions to ask to make sure that you choose the planner right for you and your wedding.

1. How much experience do they have? Probably the most important question to ask. Every professional has to start somewhere, but do you really want your wedding to be planned by someone with no professional experience? Probably not. So, you need to ask fairly specific questions about how many events the planner has planned, how big they were, how big the budgets were, what were the themes of the weddings, etc.

2. Do they have a portfolio book? Nothing speaks to the quality of an event more than pictures. From a planner’s book, you can get a sense for how detailed they are, their flair for design and how polished and finished their events appear.

3. Can they give you references? Of course, any decent planner will provide you with glowing references, and you should definitely call these references. However, you should go beyond this and look for past clients of the planner via Yelp! and other wedding websites where there are reviews of the planner and then try to contact those former clients.

4. Are they credentialed? Many wedding and event planners have taken courses or even completed training for event planning, and these programs can provide planners with a substantial amount of knowledge and preparation as well as official certification. In addition, many planners belong to professional organizations like the Association of Bridal Consultants. You should definitely weigh these factors heavily when evaluating your planners.

5. Do they have tools and resources that are part of their process? Some event planners have event planning software and some wedding planners have wedding planning software to help them stay well organized and streamline their operations, and these tools can really be an asset to both the planner and to you. They also show a commitment to their business and a desire to provide the best service possible to clients.

6. What is their personality like? Although this isn’t a precise question you can pose, it is an important question to ask yourself because you are going to have to work very closely with this person, so you should enjoy working with them.

7. What other value-add things can they offer you? Some wedding planners have special relationships with vendors so they can offer discounts that you can’t get anywhere else. Some event planners use professional event planning software or wedding planning software that includes special tools and features that clients can use. Be sure to ask if there are any special things that the planner can offer beyond their base services.

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Managing the DJ at your wedding

For most engaged couples, the wedding reception is a time to kick back, enjoy yourselves and celebrate with your family and friends. And nothing sets the stage for good times better than excellent music. This makes the selection of the right DJ critical, because they can make or break your reception.

After you hire your DJ, there are a few things regarding the DJ you should keep in mind as you move forward toward your big day and make plans for the musical portion of your evening.

1. Make your expectations of the DJ clear – If you want the DJ to be your emcee and announce the wedding party as well as play a more vocal role in the evening, you need to let your DJ know about this ahead of time. This also means providing him with a list of the wedding party as well as how to pronounce all the names. In addition, if there are any special dances or announcements he/she needs to make, let them know when all this needs to occur.

2. Plan your playlist ahead of time – Most DJs take pride in selecting the playlist based on your musical preferences, and this is perfectly fine. But if you have any special requests or must-play songs, you need to let the DJ know ahead of time. Some DJs use DJ event management software with which you can pick out particular songs from their music library, so if this is an option you should take advantage of it.

3. Map out the dance floor setup – This requires working with both your DJ and your venue to determine where the dance area will be set up and where the DJs equipment will be placed. DJs are very particular about their equipment and know exactly where speakers should be placed in order to get the best sound quality, so you should consider having them visit the venue to determine ahead of time the music logistics. Again, DJs with DJ event management software may have tools so you can collaborate in planning the setup with them.

4. Check in with your DJ a few days ahead of the event – You should do this with every vendor, but definitely confirm with your DJ a few days ahead about the time and place to make sure you are all on the same page. This can avoid any last-minute no-shows or lateness.

5. Put a friend in charge of assisting the DJ – Again, you should do this with all your big vendors, but the DJ has lots to set up and organize, so you should put a friend or family member in charge of checking with the DJ to make sure they are all set and if they need any help. Any good DJ should be fine, but it’s always best to have someone there in case of emergency (because you probably won’t have time to deal with it).

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Get Wedding Invitations in a Celebrity Way

Pull out the geranium carpet because your matrimonial lavish will grip the paparazzi speech for a long time to come! From the gently hand selection centerpieces to the amazing flower bouquets, current brides and their beaus can get tie the knot in approach just like the celebrities. No question of what your budget is, you can cliquey the finest wedding invitations that your account can allow and still be considered an, A-Lister to all your friends and family.

Champagne and Caviar

Mark out all the stops and get rid of any misconceptions you might have about wedding invitations as merely some other invitations. Traditional stationery featuring lovebirds and wedding bells are a thing of the yesteryears. Follow the likes of steel giant, Lakshimi Mittal, whose daughter, Vanisha, was married in 2004. Casing in silver and gift twenty pages of prose published by family members, the 1,200 wedding invitations rate Mittal a mere kismet.

The common pair can’t favor to propel out invitations like Mittal’s, but they can tap into the inspiration of the effect by crafty wedding invitations that take your breath away. Go into encasing your invitations in a red envelop to ooze the fame sensitivity. Or you can even make your own satin fabric envelops that will luxuriously confine all the details to your elite day.

Wedding Invitations with Celebrity Values

Alicia Silverstone, who played Cher in the hit movie Clueless, and her hubby, Christopher Jarecki, incorporated their ideals into their wedding theme. By entertaining an all-natural, organic wedding, Silverstone and her fiancé were able to dispatch out recycled invitations all over with seeds that could be planted later. Not only was the stationery matchless, but it also was eco-welcoming, which fit the lifestyle of the actor and her soon-to-be spouse.

Simple Ways to Make Your Wedding Invitations Glamorous

Black wedding invitations with gold or silver lettering look elegant without being too overweening. Select a style that suits you and choose a font that matches your theme. If you would like more gloss added to your stationery, select brainy tones like fuchsia, orange, emerald green, or purple. Bold patterns add entity to even the most inexpensive wedding invitations.

You don’t have to be eminent to have the wedding of the century. Ingrain your guests with amazing wedding invitations that ponder the essence of who you are and where you plan your wedding will sometime be.

Worst Wedding Dresses

How often is it that the bride’s dress sets the tone of the wedding? Is it not the one thing you’ll remember from the event more than anything else? More often than not, the rest of the wedding decorations revolve around the style and theme of the dress. In a way, the bride’s wedding dress represents her ideals. Some women have dreamed about their wedding dress since they were toddlers. Other women apparently don’t care at all, which would explain most of the atrocities you are about to witness. Just how do you choose a bridesmaid dress?

Some you most likely have seen before, but others I dug a little bit to find. It was challenging to only pick 25 dresses though because of the plethora of horrible designs out there, but I pulled through after wiping the blood from my eyes. I actually had to stop myself at some point because I realized there was a never ending supply of bad dresses. And no, I didn’t put in the pregnant African American girl because she’s wearing a prom dress. Thanks to www.uglydress.com for many of the dresses.

I’m not sure what this looks like more: a electronic device for…um…massage or… Well, it looks like that and nothing else. Sorry.

Is Napoleon in the building?

It’s worth mentioning that this one is made out of thousands of condoms stitched together. So they are ready for the wedding night and how!

In case you couldn’t tell, this one is made out of newspaper.

A slutty wedding for all! I bet the bra can be removed for the topless wedding you always dreamed of.

At least the bridal shower streamers were put to good use after the party.

I would run if I saw this coming down the isle toward me.

I would run screaming if I saw this coming down the isle toward me.

This will hopefully stay in the window…forever, as a warning to all brides-to-be. Yellow is not a good color on a wedding dress.

Let’s hope this is for an indoor wedding or else the bride will also be wearing a beard made of bees.

This “dress” is more for the stripper the night before. Good luck, buddy, she seems the stay-at-home type.

Words do not do this picture justice. Just try to look away. Now imagine if she she jumped.

Nurse, oh nurse. Can you please pull the plug on this wedding dress.

Two outfits in one: a wedding dress and a straight jacket. Lovely.

As ugly as the wedding dress is, the head ornament is a nice distraction. Don’t poke an eye out with that.

Here are some from www.uglydress.com

And now the one you’ve all been waiting for…

The Truth About Bridesmaids Dresses

“You will be able to wear it again”.

One of the biggest lies ever told about bridesmaids’ dresses.  This tall tale has been passed on for ages and the time has come to put an end to it.  It can be said that just about any woman, aged 30 and under,  has had  in her possession at least two bridesmaid’s dresses hanging in a dark corner, way in back of her closet.   And what about the matching shoes?  Let’s not even go there!   In the past, especially up until the mid 80’s, bridesmaids dresses were easily recognized, due to their pastel colors, huge bows on the butt, shiny fabrics and profusion of lace oozing from every sleeve, collar and hem.  We challenge these women to get up the nerve to wear these one-time wonders to any other function without feeling the least bit self-conscious.  Yes, bridemaid’s dresses have evolved over the years; and most now can be described as being in some kind of in-between “style limbo“…not quite looking like a bridemaid’s  dress, but still not something to be worn to any other important function.  This is especially true if the bride’s circle of friends is small, and attend many of the same social events.   Who wants to risk being seen in the same get-up?

The cold hard fact is this:  No matter what she may tell you, bridesmaids dresses are more often than not, chosen by the bride and selected with only one day in mind:  Her wedding day.  This is hardwired into her bridal subconscious.   She is unable to help herself, and so should be forgiven. Sure, she may feel guilty about the cost, but usually not at the expense of giving up her dream wedding ideas.   Any potential bridesmaid should be aware of this, and if the request is reasonable enough, be prepared to “suck it up”.

However, this doesn’t leave the bride “off the hook” completely.  She should be sensitive enough to consider each attendant’s best features, and choose colors, styles and fabrics that complement them as a whole.  It may also be a wise move for the bride to organize a meeting and have a civilized group discussion prior to selection.  Fabric swatches and a variety of styles should be made available for study; and if there are any out-of-town attendants, samples and photos should also be dispatched to them as quickly as possible.   In this way, a consensus can be made.

Let’s face it:  In all honesty, the odds of wearing these dresses again are most likely slim to none.   However, the fun and hilarity that goes along with the dress selection process can create memories that will last a lifetime; and  that for entertainment value alone, history will eventually show that it was  a couple hundred of dollars well spent.  Don’t believe me?  Go back and take a look at your mother’s wedding album.