Controlling your guest list

The title alone is enough to make you cringe, but don’t worry it can be easier than you’ve heard it can be. Nothing about this process is gonna be easy and it can result in daily disagreements until it’s finished , but it’s something every bride and groom must buckle down and get done.The most difficult part is getting started, but no worries, we can help you out with that.

If you haven’t already thought about it, figure out the general size of the wedding you would like to have. Do you want a large fairytale wedding with 250 of your closest family and friends or an intimate wedding of 50 or less. Once you decide which direction you would like to go and what number you’d like to stick closest to you can then move on to decide how you will choose your guests. This decision can also be narrowed down depending on your budget for the reception, it will also be easier to decide on a specific number when you decide on how many you can afford.

In order to diffuse any tension the guest list may cause, establish early on if it will only be the two of you making guest list decisions or if your family will have a say in who’s invited. Deciding to include your parents in the guest list process can be a headache in itself because they can try to over take your list with old friends and family members you haven’t spoken to in years. If you would like to avoid that kind of tension the two of you can make separate list’s of must have’s and then combine them and fill whatever spaces might be left. However, this method is not always fool-proof due to the fact that one of you may have a large family while the other one has a rather small family. This issue can also be a source of stress because the guest list may end up being uneven and that isn’t exactly fair either. Should you and your mate reach an impasse take a second alone and really crunch your list to decide who must be at your wedding.

Children or no children? This can have a large effect on the size of your guest list. Kids are always great but sometimes they aren’t a great match for a wedding and reception. If this is the case make sure that you address both the inner and outer envelopes to the parents only.Printing “no children” anywhere on your correspondence may not be the most polite option and having a blanket “no children allowed” policy is not always practical either. So in order to fix this here is what you do, have an age limit that states that only children 12 and over are allowed or only of the children of the bridal party are allowed. This is not one of the easier parts of the invitation process because lots of friends have children but these types of decisions have to be made.

Once you’ve narrowed down your guest list to the absolute last guests make sure you are keeping constant tabs of the people on your guest lists. This means keeping an electronic version as well as a hard copy and please make sure that they are both up to date. This means tracking guests who will be attending with a date and guests who will be attending on their own. There should be space for you to note things like wedding and shower gifts you’ve received from them as well as when and if a Thank you note has been sent out.

Of course it may be harder than you thought but that doesn’t mean it will be impossible. Once your done you can then go on to focus on other things for your wedding day.

ENJOY!!!

How to pick the perfect wedding cake.

Picking your perfect wedding cake can be stressful, especially when you’re not sure where you should start. However, it’s not as hard as it seems, if you are able to decide what you would like and what you can afford that is half the battle.

First of all, you should consider whether you will adhere to a strict budget or if you will have some wiggle room as far as the budget is concerned. Once you set that amount firmly in your mind it will be easier for you to determine what range you can and will stay in when your choosing the style and extravagance of your cake.

Even if it’s too early for all of your guests to have “RSVP’d” try to have a number in mind of how many guests you will be expecting. The more guests you have the bigger the cake needs to be, assume that everyone you invited will be accepting your invite. This will give you an exact number for how many your cake will need to feed.

See if anyone you know can recommend a baker that they have enjoyed, this will make it easier to narrow down a specific style of cake. Take a look at some catalogs and attend any local bridal fairs (which usually occur in the first few months of the year) , if no one can recommend a baker they loved.

Make an appointment at one or two of the bakeries you like in order to have a cake tasting. At this cake tasting the bakery will offer you and the person who accompanies you samples of their cakes and fillings. This will give you an idea of the things you want to include in your cake and what bakery best matches your taste preference.

Keep in mind the cake preferences of both you, your mate, and your close family and friends. This will allow you to pick out a cake that everyone will love and it will not be wasted. Though you want to keep these things in mind, you should also take into consideration new flavor combinations.

Once you’ve gotten through these simple steps all that is left is to choose your favorite baker out of the one’s you sampled.Once you choose one you can discuss everything from specific designs to delivery and assembly arrangements. ENJOY!!!

The sweetest wedding favors you can give your guests.

Looking for favors to give your guests? Ones that will not end up collecting dust or end up in the trash shortly after the wedding?

Try candy! If your like most of us, you have a sweet tooth and you like to cater to its wants every now and again. Giving your guests candy favors is the perfect way to make sure that they not only remember your wedding day but they actually enjoy the favors they have been given. Here are some of the best ideas for candy-themed favors ( most of them are DIY, if you like to save money , thats also a plus).

The Famous candy buffet will always be the best way to give your guests a tasty treat to remember your wedding by. This is probably the easiest way to assure that your guests will get exactly what they want out of your favors. Fill the buffet with the most popular candies of the time or your own personal favorites. Top the buffet off with beautiful bags either designed with your names and the date of your wedding or a special message for all of your guests.

Something like a candy buffet, these lollipop trees are a clever way to hold and present your lollipop favors to your guests. These trees can be simply hand made or they can be purchased. You can make this idea your own by adding special designs top the trees themselves as well as picking specific lollipop flavors and adding tags and/or labels to each and every lollipop. Again, the labels can either feature the couples names and the date of the wedding or it can feature a special message for the guests. This is an idea that you can include your entire bridal party in on, each person can design a tree and choose the flavors that will go on their tree.

These clear candy boxes are probably one of the easiest ways to offer sweet treats to your guests. The type of clear containers you choose to house your candies are up to you, choose an assortment of shapes or go with one uniform design. Like all of the other candy options what type of candies you choose is up to you. Fill the clear box, wrap a wide piece of ribbon on the center or one end of the box , and then wrap a smaller ribbon around that one for an extra pop of color. These type’s of boxes don’t always require labels but ofcourse if you would like to include a label you are always welcome to do so.

Personalized candy bars are always fun, though they may require custom online orders it is still an option for you to consider. The wrappers for your candy bars can include things like the pictures from your engagement photo session if you had one. They can also include old family photos from when the two of you were growing up ( at least your guests can take home a few laughs).Though this option is probably the most expensive of the listed options it still promises loads of sweet memories for all of your guests.

ENJOY!!!

Flowers complete the look of your ceremony and reception!

Once you decide on a date for a wedding and you choose your dream venue, it is time for decor! This means everything from your color choices and of course your flowers.Though there are many flowers to choose from as well as many colors, you don’t want to go to your florist with way too many ideas to choose from. Here’s a few of the most popular flower choices for any type of wedding.

The Rose:

The rose has long been considered the symbol of beauty and love, it’s been written into many novels and poems as the one true symbol of love and devotion. Because of this the rose has been apart of many people’s dream weddings. More than 3,000 roses are grown commercially every year in a wide assortment of colors, they are also available for most of the year which means that they are surprisingly affordable. This popular flower is always sure to please and will rise to any occasion.

The Tulip:

A native of Persia, the tulip represents “consuming love” and “happy years”, this makes it a definite choice for many weddings. These beautiful flowers are grown throughout most of the year and come in a large variety of colors, the most common tulips are very affordable.However, there are some rare varieties that can be very expensive. The tulip will fit in with the most elegant of settings as well as a more casual venue. These features assure that the tulip will make your day as beautiful as possible.

Calla Lily:

This beautiful trumpet-shaped blossom originating in Africa is a representation of “magnificent beauty”. The distinctive beauty of this flower has been the center of many 20th century art forms. Though the most popular calla lily’s are the creamy ivory variety , they are also available in yellow, orange, pink, and a dark purple.Whether alone or in a bouquet this flower is sure to please .

Hydrangea:

With its big head, and vibrant colors the hydrangea mostly represents vanity. One of the most popular varieties of this flower changes in color as it grows from a light pink to sky blue depending on the acid levels of the soil. This flower is popularly used to fill out a bouquet or it can be used to make a single corsage.Though it can be found in many colors the most popular hydrangea are white.

The Gardenia:

Originating in South Africa, the gardenia is an amazing flower that exudes a sultry, heavy scent. Gardenia make a beautiful bouquet but they are also beautiful floating in a low bowl as a centerpiece. However, this expensive flower is very delicate so be sure not to bruise its petals.

Now that you’ve seen some of our wedding flower favorites you may have an idea of what you may or may not be looking for on your wedding day.

ENJOY!!!

Father-Daughter Dance Music

Though mother-son dances are a pretty special part of the wedding reception, the dance between the bride and her dad is pretty special as well.As we stated in the previous post this portion of the wedding reception means a lot to the parents of the bride and groom so it should always be done properly.

Our top 10 Father-Daughter dance songs:

1. In my daughters eyes Martina McBride(2003)
2. Daddy’s Girl- Red Sovine(1975)
3. Father’s eyes- Amy Grant(1979)
4.Dance with my father- Luther Vandross(2003)
5. A song for my daughter- Ray Allaire(Year unknown)
6. Daddy’s little girl- Michael Bolton(2005)
7. There you’ll be- Faith Hill(2001)
8. My special Angel- Bobby Helms(1957)
9. I loved her first- Heartland(2006)
10. Gracie- Ben Folds(2005)

Though this may be an emotional moment for the bride and her dad,it will also be emotional for your guests.If they don’t join in on the dance they will sit back and watch in awe as memories are being made
.Enjoy!!!!

Mother-Son Dance Music

One of the most emotional moments of any wedding reception is the Mother-Son and Father-Daughter dances. Moment like these will be the things that everyone remembers long after the wedding festivities is over. So, in order to assure that your moment is as memorable as possible you should pick a song that speaks to that lifetime connection between a parent and a child , specifically a Mother and her son.

Our top 10 songs for the mother-son dance are:

1.Parents Prayer – Steve Curtis Champman (2006)

2. Mother – Pink Floyd (1979)

3. The first time I ever saw your face – Roberta Flack (1972)

4. Always on my mind – Willie Nelson (1982)

5. Because you loved me – Celine Dion (1996)

6. A song for mama – Boys II Men (1997)

7. I hope you dance – Lee Ann Womack ( 2000)

8. My wish – Rascal Flatts ( 2006)

9. Through the years – Kenny Rogers (1982)

10. What a wonderful world – Louis Armstrong (1968)

 

Of course there are many more songs that will touch the hearts of both mother and son on your wedding day. Just make sure to keep extra tissues at each table because this can be emotional.

Enjoy!!!

 

 

Long or Short Engagements?

For some people, the wedding planning starts immediately after the proposal. However, this does not mean that the wedding will also be as fast. While some couples choose to marry immediately following their engagement some couples choose to take some time and simply enjoy their engagement.Which one will be right for you?

Pros of a Short engagement:

Less time to be stressed out about planning.

There isn’t enough time to be stressed about minor details.

There’s no time to think twice about style.

No time to disagree with your bridal party.

Cons of a Short engagement:

You have to make quick decisions.

Unless you have an unlimited budget , you will not get your perfect wedding.

Theres not much time to simply enjoy being engaged.

Finding the perfect date to get married will be hard.

You will most likely have to go with the plan B for all of your elements.

Pros of a long engagement:

You have more time to plan your perfect wedding at prices you can actually afford.

Theres more time to enjoy being engaged.

You have a free range of dates to choose from especially if you want your wedding to be on a special holiday weekend.

You get to pick your dream venue and the perfect band to make your day all that you’ve dreamed of.

Cons of a Long engagement:

There is more time to feel stress and pressure.

It’s easier  to procrastinate if your wedding date is far away.( that’s not always a bad thing is you ask me)

Remember no matter how long or short your engagement will be you should make a point to enjoy it full heartedly.

Enjoy!!!

 

Hollywood Wedding Blockbusters

Planning a wedding can be stressful, especially if you have to do it on your own. It’s always best to give yourself a break, if you feel guilty about wasting any down time you can watch some of hollywoods best wedding films in order to gain some inspiration.

These famous wedding flicks are often what we model our weddings and love lives after. So don’t feel bad about taking a few notes from each movie:

If you’ve never really understood all the things that your wedding planner has to do to assure that your day is perfect this movie will give you a great understanding.However, don’t read to much into the plot of the movie and have your husband avoid the wedding planner all together. As weird as this movie may make you feel it is in your best interest to have your husband help as much as possible to take some of the stress off of both you and the planner.

 

Every father can certainly identify with the chaos and expense of hosting his daughters wedding.Although many fathers hate the idea of having to pay for things like ice sculptures and swans they will do anything to assure that their daughters day is everything she dreamed.

 

 

 

Anyone with a really large family understands that there is no such thing as a small wedding.This movie is the perfect example of how a very opinionated family can overtake the planning of one wedding.

 

If the title of this movie doesn’t say it all then we really don’t know what will do it for you. This movie will show you that large weddings are stressful and chaotic in every part of the world.This can especially be stressful when you are trying to mix old and new customs and traditions into a modern wedding.

Hopefully you never find yourself in the same position as the bride in this movie, but it does make for a pretty funny story line. if anything you will know what signs to look for in your husbands close friends.

 

 

 

Though you may want to take plenty of notes from wedding movies I suggest you use a lot of your own ideas because trying to incorporate too many elements can cause way more confusion than any of these movies.

ENJOY!!!