Tag: Wedding

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Tactfully Asking Your Parents For Money

 

 

Forget that old rule that weddings are paid for by the parents of the bride.  That time has passed.  As the marrying age has gone up, so has the amount that the couple contributes to their own nuptials.  And while parents on both sides still often contribute, don’t automatically assume that they will give you carte blanche for your wedding.

Then comes the “fun” part of asking the parents if they are interested in contributing.  Don’t make one person do all of the asking.  Each one of you gets to ask your own parents.

 

How to Ask Parents for Money

First of all, you should ask to have a conversation with your parents. Don’t spring it on them!  Ask, “When would be a good time to talk to you both about whether or not you’d like to help cover the cost for the wedding?” Ask first if they would like to contribute, not how much they want to contribute.

Show your parents ideas of the type of wedding that you are looking to create, how much it will cost, and how much you and your fiancé(e) can contribute.  Then ask if they would consider contributing a set amount to fund a specific part of the wedding in lieu of giving you a gift. And don’t expect them to have the money right on the spot. Tell your parents to take some time to think about it because weddings can be expensive.

Regardless of their answer, make them feel comfortable with whatever they decide.  Remember, this is your event, not theirs.  They shouldn’t have to go into debt for your wedding day, no matter how important you feel it is to have a designer gown or a full five-course dinner with open bar for everyone you know.

The best attitude is to appreciate when anyone contributes in any way at all–whether it’s helping you plan and prepare or giving you money to help with costs–Be grateful.

 

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Bride and Her Bridesmaids Bridal Shower Invitation

A Bright and Simple Design for a Bright and Easy-Going Young Lady

 

But first have to thank Linda Rangel of Rangel Catering and Events for recommending me to her client. Ofelia Caballero is one of the most easy-going brides I’ve had the pleasure of working with. Not only is she getting married but she’s a recent graduate of Cal-State. Her bridal shower invitation is consistent with the colors of her wedding. She’s getting married Saturday….so wedding invitation will be posted afterwards…Congratulations Ofelia!

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American Gangster Themed Wedding

I  came across this vintage styled wedding over at the Boho wedding blog.  They’re based in the UK and profile unique, unusual and alternative weddings in the UK.

This one is a throwback to the 50’s and proves it’s possible to have a wedding truly unique without spending a ton cash.  The bride gives an interview of how they did it.  I love the  really vivid red color for their look.

To read more about the details visit Boho here

 

 

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8 Ways To Keep Your Wedding Guests Happy

 

When you start planning your wedding, you will be consumed with details that might take months to complete. Think about it. You’ve got to make decisions about the ceremony, receptions, rehearsals, attendants, flowers, food, music, your dress, decorations, a honeymoon to plan and wedding guests to accommodate, to name just a few.

Don’t Make Them Travel Too Far

Think about the logistics of your wedding, your reception and the hotel/motel accommodations you’ve arranged for out-of-town guests. Since popular site bookings for weddings tend to fill up early, it would be a good idea to book your wedding site, reception hall and the overnight accommodations for your guests as early as possible in order to get them reasonably close to each other.

 

 

 

Pass on the receiving line

Thank each guest for coming during the reception (table by table or as a toast) and don’t hold up the party by having a receiving line. Trust us, your guests will appreciate not having to wait around after the ceremony.

 

 

 

Plan Your Menu Carefully

Food is another possible mistake at your reception.  Your guests will be hungry and hors devours and a supply of cold soft drinks will be welcomed by those who arrive at the ceremony before the bride and groom. If you are serving the traditional reception meal, stick to customary food. You will be serving a meal to many guests with many different tastes and tolerances for food. Your taste for exotic dishes or ethnic selections will not be a hit at your reception with children and those with tender stomachs. Any caterer can help you with your food selection. It might be a good idea to send a request for information about any food allergies to your reception guests along with your invitation.

 

The Never Ending Speech

While guests appreciate the sentiment of wedding speeches, sometimes they can be too much of a good thing. If you have many people speaking–even if the speeches are good ones–it can become boring for the guests. Harsh? Perhaps. True? Definitely. Keep it as short and sweet as possible and should be refreshing for guests to hear.

 

Two Strangers and a Wedding

Nobody likes being at a table of strangers. A table where strangers are all seated together will be very uncomfortable for your guests.  You should attempt to strike a balance and arrange a mixture of guests where everyone knows a few people at their table. This way everyone will feel comfortable chatting with him or her and have a great time at the reception.

 

Stick To Your Timeline

Sticking to your time frame will keep prompt guests happy. Consider hiring a wedding planner.  They keep you on track. They live by their calendar, their lists, and their plans. They are super organized and make sure that you are always on track and on schedule with your wedding plans. They are the “mothers” of the wedding world.  Don’t write the start time on your wedding invitation as 4:30pm if you really meant the ceremony to start at 5 pm.

 

 

I Can’t See Who I’m Sitting With

Table centerpieces are a key element to dressing your room although they can sometimes cause issues for your guests. Choose low floral arrangements or something high with a thin stem so that the main arrangement is above eye level. This will make it easier for everyone on the table to see and talk to each other, helping them feel involved in the conversation.

 

 

 

 

We have to pay for our drinks?

Having a cash bar, is a big don’t. All ceremony and reception costs should be covered.  If the bar is breaking your budget, scale back by limiting what type of alcohol is served.  Most guests feel that if they are going to the time and expense of attending your wedding, the least the happy couple can do is make sure they don’t have to peck their way through the Chicken Dance stone cold sober.

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3 Alternatives to Wedding Cakes

Wedding Trends: Alternatives to Wedding Cakes

You may have noticed that wedding cakes tend to take center stage at a wedding reception, as the cake is a symbol that is prominently displayed at wedding receptions. What you may not have noticed is that many wedding guests do not like wedding cake and so the slices of sugary decadence often end up in the trash. If you’re looking for a couple of ideas to replace the wedding cake, or to serve in addition to the wedding cake, here are few ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

 

The Cupcake Makes a Comeback (with a Twist)

Around the country, couture cupcake bakeries are popping up everywhere. These are not your standard Betty Crocker cupcakes either because they come in flavors and designs that almost look and seem too gorgeous to eat (but are as delicious as they look). Cupcakes can also be displayed to simulate cake layers, placed at each place setting or designed into a cupcake buffet table, where guests can choose the flavor they wish. You can just as easily create your own cupcakes (for you DIYers out there) and put them on display. It may be nostalgic of days gone by or something different, but those cupcakes will disappear faster than any slice of wedding cake ever will.

 

Dessert Buffets

Another option is a wedding buffet or dessert table. Similar to a buffet restaurant, several different dessert options are put on display. Guests can either serve themselves or you can have the wait staff visit guest at their tables and ask which dessert they prefer. Pies, tarts, cakes, ice cream, cookies and more are but some of the options you may have on display.

 

Cookie or Candy Table

You can also pile a table high with platters of cookies or a myriad of dishes filled with different kinds of candies. Guests can fill up on the sweet treats after the meal and you can even provide favor boxes or bags for guests to take the treats home with them to enjoy later.

 

The wedding cake is a time-honored tradition. Modern brides and grooms, or couples that are looking to put a new twist on an old tradition, are seeking ways to offer wedding desserts in an innovative manner. Cupcakes, dessert buffets and dessert tables are but a few of the ways to put a new twist on an old way of doing things.

Sources:

  1. Phoebe’s Cupcakes
  2. The Pink Cakebox
  3. Ashley’s Bride Guide
  4. Beams Sweets Treats


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Tips For Choosing Your Wedding Vows

You should take your time when deciding on your wedding vows and personalize them to suit you and your partner and don’t be influenced by what other people expect you to do.

This is one of the most important parts of the wedding because it is after the recital of your vows that you will be officially married.

More and more people are becoming very creative with their wedding vows and this adds a personal touch that represents what you and your partner believe your marriage means to the both of you.

It is a chance for you to both express your true thoughts on why you are getting married and what it will mean for you in the future.

Here are the typical wedding vows…

“I [your name] take you [your partners name] for my lawful [wife/husband] to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part”

Many people use these traditional vows as the foundation that they will modify to suit their needs by adding personalized touches where they like.

Some people find the traditional vows a bit too formal and the wording no longer appropriate to get the true meaning of their care for one another across. If that’s the way you feel then changing them is the right solution for you.

These words are more important than all the wedding speeches combined so it is well worth spending as much time as necessary to come up with something that is really special.

Get ideas from books and poetry and songs. Bounce ideas off one another and you will soon know when you have hit the perfect combination that will lead you into your married life.

Just remember to never stop having fun because that’s what it’s all about – getting the most happiness in your life by sharing it with someone you love.

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Top Trends in Wedding Food

If you don’t care to serve the fancy plated dinner, then don’t. Wedding food has switched from the typical plated meal to a reception filled with food stations and a selection of several foods. When considering a stylish food option, think about your own preferences, your guests’ taste preferences — and your budget. You should also consider the time of the reception and how eager the guests will be.

Downsize to Minis

Guests love picking up bite sized minis.  Food items like a cheeseburger slider that they can eat in one bite. Mini sized tasters have become one of the hottest trends in wedding food, from shots of soups to large spoons of macaroni and cheese or whatever you prefer.

Comfort Foods

Dress up conventional comfort foods. Mashed potatoes look absolutely stylish at a martini potato bar. Guests create their own potato mixture in a martini glass and get both a side dish and a conversation piece out of it.

Food Stations

Giving your guests the option of visiting food stations creates a comfortable and informal atmosphere. Guests will enjoy the variety and being able to converse with people not seated at their table. Personalize your wedding by creating a food station that says something about you and your spouse. If one of you loves grits, then feature a grits station with different toppings — anything from cheese to spicy shrimp.

Fondue Station

Fondue isn’t new to weddings but it still feels new and fresh. Provide bread and vegetables for dipping and if you can, offer more than one fondue. Less courageous guests will enjoy a basic cheese offering, such as the traditional Gruyère, while other guests might prefer trying something unusual, such as a goat cheese fondue.

Cross-cultural Cuisine

Marriage is often a fusion of two cultures. Embrace it and create a wedding menu to reflect it. Creating a theme such as East meets West (Asian-Mex food, anyone?) can inspire creative and delicious dishes that will impress your guests. Be sure to talk to your caterer to see what they can create and make sure they can carry out your wishes.

Ordinary Transformed

Many foods can be elegantly transformed into an innovative entrée for wedding guests. Instead of serving the traditional filet of fresh fish, have the chef serve it as stuffed roulade medallions.

Sushi/Raw Bar

A sushi/raw bar will please the most health-conscious guests, but these can be expensive. This option is not recommended for couples who are on a tight budget.

Eco-Friendly Fare

This can run up the price tag of your wedding if you want all-organic, cage-free, wild-caught items. But there are ways to be eco-friendly and stick within a budget. Look to local, seasonal foods as inspiration for your menu, which require less gas to transport, lessening your wedding’s carbon footprint. Some farms practice green approaches to growing food, yet haven’t completed the process of becoming organic-certified. They tend to have lower prices than certified organic farms; your caterer may be familiar with these suppliers.

Nix the Cake

While cutting the wedding cake may be a tradition, don’t let it box you in if you’re more of a creme brulee kind of girl. You can serve whatever type of dessert you like at your wedding, whether that’s individual cobblers, milkshakes at a milkshake station, or an array of cookies and candies at a sweets table.

Original Article on DexKnows Weddings

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{Color Inspiration} Lime Green and Yellow

Green is such an adaptable color.  Think about it: a spring wedding party can wear radiant emerald-green, a summer event can be shades of grass and lime, a fall party can take on many different tones of olive with browns and golds, and a winter wedding can use evergreens as stunning centerpieces.

A bridal bouquet made up of yellow and white gerbera daisies, green Hypericum berries, white freesia, green roses, and lime button mums

Yellow painted tin buckets to line the bridal isle

 

A bright yellow fondant wedding cake with a lime green polka dot ribbon accent

 

Elegant, & Simple Tablescape

A Max Azria draped gown in a brilliant lime color. This is elegant, classy and a stand-out piece!

Lime Green & Yellow Flower Cupcakes

Carry the green throughout your event by creating a dessert buffet to surround the wedding cake.

Gorgeous strapless dress with an empire waist insert. A-line skirt with a bow-tie back

 

Sources: Bridal and Attendant Bouquets; Lime Green Fondant Wedding Cake; Lime Green and Yellow Tablescape;   Max Azria Gown; Lime Green and Yellow Cupcakes;  Amy Atlas; Strapless Empire Waist Dress

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