Archive for the ‘Weddings’ Category

When trying to decide what type of transportation to use for your wedding day it is easy top get confused due to the many options available. To be able to make a good decision you should keep your needs and your budget in mind while researching this. For some couples, wedding transportation is essential and they happily spend money on luxury cars or a landau with footmen and outriders. Read the rest of this entry »

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Wedding chocolates undoubtedly make a wonderful gift for your wedding guests and it's a special way of thanking them for sharing your experience on your special day.

Wedding chocolates come in a wide variety of flavours, typically you can find the more traditional kinds such as chocolate truffles, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, rum and raisin, mint creme, caramel mousse, strawberry or raspberry mousse, orange truffle, hazelnut galore, fruity champagne, coconut creme, passion fruit, Irish cream mix and mocca coffee. Wedding chocolates generally come either in pre-designed boxes or they can be personalised to suit your tastes and packaging preference which would allow you to have more control on the overall presentation of your wedding chocolates including the types and flavours of chocolates to use, ribbons for decoration, chocolate wrappers to use, how they are presented and what material to use to hold them in.

There are now so many well-established online websites who are specialist wedding chocolate makers. They offer you a rich selection of exquisite chocolate flavours with delicious fillings and you can personalise the decorations by specifying the materials you want to use to package the wedding chocolates and how they are going to be presented. Some companies even take advantage of digital technology to scan in meaningful photographs of your choice and with this digital copy of the photographs, they can be reprinted onto the gift boxes and even onto each chocolate for a highly personalised finishing touch.

For those who are bursting with creativity, the internet is a great place to start in terms of getting a good idea of what is available out there and gathering options. This may also be a good exercise to compare prices so that you know you are getting the desired results at the best possible price. If you have a strict budget to stick to, it does not mean you have to compromise on the quality of the chocolates. You can choose to have organza bags that are filled with chocolates which are a cheaper alternative to having boxes to hold the wedding chocolates. These bags are just as elegant and dainty when tied up in beautiful ribbons or a smart bow and will look equally stunning in any setting. Boxes do come in different shapes and sizes depending on how many chocolates you want to store in each box. The most popular shape is the heart shaped box. Patterned, coloured and textured boxes cost more compared to a plain coloured box.

If customisation is required such as special message or a hand-picked photograph printed on the box, then this will add to the overall cost of the final product. Nowadays wedding chocolates can be presented according to different themes. For a more traditional look and feel, ivory, white and cream colours are popular choices but for a non-conventional look, bold colours such as black and red can be incorporated to suit your theme. For example if your theme is winter wonderland, neutral and white colours are used but if rock and roll or going gothic is the order of the day, much bolder colour combinations will be employed. All these can be reflected in the flavour of the chocolates, the decoration, the box and the outer packaging. There will be endless hours of fun in trying to create your own masterpiece that is truly unique and highly personalised.

You are also able to let the chocolate makers know of any food allergy in advance to ensure the chocolate ingredients are safe for consumption for all of your wedding guests. As you want to make sure the chocolates stay as fresh as possible and do not melt prematurely that will mar the presentation of the package on your wedding day, talk to your chocolate makers to address issues such as storage methods and delivery date. Back up plans need to be discussed should the weather turn very hot or wet and you need to know how the chocolates will be kept and transported safely to the wedding venue.

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The layout of the reception determines the entire tone of the setting. A number of factors need to be incorporated while determining the layout and setting of the wedding reception. The two most important factors, style and practicality, can sometimes prove to be contradictory in nature. What looks nice may not always be the most appropriate or comfortable for a setting and vice versa. The key guiding factor should be ensuring that all the elements of your layout sit in balance with one another. While a bare hall looks spacious, airy and full of never-ending decoration prospects, once full of hundreds of guests, furniture and decoration, it will hardly be so. Hence, keeping in mind factors like manoeuvrability, space, size and aesthetic appeal, choosing the layout can be quite a challenge.

The first step is to select a room or hall that is large enough to hold the wedding you have planned. This involves you to have an idea of the number of people attending the function, whether you want the dance floor or not, the scale of decorations and your budget. When furniture is added to a room, a lot of free space is lost. Add to this the wedding decorations like the arch and the ornaments and flower arrangements, even less space is left. And the number of people who can sit comfortably is thus affected. Hence it is important to choose a room that can incorporate all of the above.

An excellent idea is to hold an outdoor wedding, provided the season is appropriate. Outdoor weddings are not only more spacious and airy, but they also allow one to use the natural elements such as trees and wildflowers in an aesthetically pleasing way. The seating arrangements can be more scattered, the food banquet can be set up at a distance and the trees can be used to bear a number of decorations. Using the elements of nature to your purpose is an excellent option, often easier and more reasonable than renting a hall.

Dance floors need to be rented or installed and the same holds true for tents and canopies which are a must for all weddings. The placing of the dance floor has to be in accordance with availability of electric sockets for the music systems and speakers.

Seating arrangements have to be made in such a way that the tables and chairs are accessible but have enough space in between for the guests to stand around without having to manoeuvre their way through tight spaces.

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Choosing a phrase to put onto the wedding invites involves much research and deliberation. The words should be in harmony with the traditions and sanctity of marriage but not generic and overused. It is important that the phrase(s) you use are special and speak of the bond that the ceremony is all about.

As the wedding invites have to go out to all family and friends, it is crucial for every aspect of the invite to be perfect. The style and design, the colours and patterns, the paper etc all play an important role in determining the look and feel of the invite. However, it is the phrase that is the most important aspect of the entire invite as it is the part that sums up the true emotions of the entire ceremony.

The style and theme of the wedding are to be reflected in the invitation and hence you need to decide on the kind of tone you want the invitation to possess. The format in which the names of the bride and the groom are to be introduced along with who it is who sends the invitation determines how the phrase should be styled. If it is the parents of the bride then the phrase should read ‘From the Bride’s Parents’, however if both sets of parents are jointly sending the invite, then a more appropriate phrase would be ‘Bride and Groom’s Parents Invite You’. While these elements may not seem too crucial, they actually help to define the mood and setting of the wedding as they intimate the guests to your frame of mind.

Even though there is no defined format for writing out the invitation phrases, there are some basic steps to follow. The first step is to spell out your reason behind requesting the presence of the people you are sending the invite too. This is a chance for you to tell them how special they are to you and how important it is for you that they be there with you to partake in the celebrations. In the second line, mention the names of the bride and the groom. The third line should include the time and date of the ceremony. The last line should include the location of the ceremony though you can also provide a destination map overleaf the wedding invitation card.

The aforementioned guidelines should be followed especially when the invitation is a formal one. It is always best to make it personal yet formal.

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To be able to have a truly special and one of a kind wedding, it is important for the bride to be wearing a dress that is at once different and exceptional while being graceful, attractive and tasteful at the same time. If you are opting for something other than the conventional white wedding, your wedding dress will have to be chosen keeping the unique theme intact.

As the form of weddings in the last few years has changed drastically, and sometimes surprisingly, the wedding dress too has seen some variations. As wedding ceremonies on the beach have become popular, many a bride has been seen to choose a stunning bikini outfit and a sarong in place of the conventional lacey white gown and a long train.

In this article, we help you to consider and choose from a number of interesting ideas for wedding dresses. The idea is to find an outfit that is a true representation of your unique personality and is in sync with your wedding ceremony.

The most popular and tasteful of all wedding outfits is a pantsuit combination. Of late, formal pantsuits in shades of pure white, ivory, cream, peach and pearl white have become extremely popular as wedding outfits. The pants should skim the ankle and to complement the outfit, the bride should wear some heavy pumps. A white tank top under the blazer will be appropriate with the pantsuit, regardless of the color. A simple set of pearl earrings and a necklace as the accessories is a tasteful and elegant combination.

For those who like to wear dresses but don’t want to wear the traditional fancy white gowns, there is always room for experimentation. You can wear any kind of dress, in any style, form, color, cut etc. as unconventionality is the key factor, the color of your dress need not be white. Blues, pinks and greens make for lovely pastel tones. Even deeper colors like navy, khaki or purple can look very flattering.

For those who are getting married on the beach, wedding gown is not the kind of dress which will blend perfectly with the surroundings. Instead, a striking top combined with denim shorts or a skirt will definitely look just right. If your beach wedding has a Caribbean theme to it, then matching a bikini top with a long, colorful and fluttery wrap-around skirt is one of the best available options. Both kinds of outfit are best accompanied by sandals in nude tones. Also, fixing flowers in your hair will facilitate to add a playful touch to the entire ensemble.

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Over the last few years, vintage gowns have become extremely popular as wedding dresses, owing to their unique styles and quirky appeal. While the traditional white gowns, laces and trains continue to remain in demand, the last few years have noticed a shift in attention and the era of vintage gowns seems here to stay.

Perhaps the reason the spotlight is shifting from the traditional lace white gowns to the distinctly unique vintage gowns lies in the fact that people are searching for originality and freshness in every turn in life. With standardisation becoming evident in almost every sphere of life, the need for a novel touch has taken precedence over almost everything else. A wedding is a milestone event in a person’s life and every bride wants her wedding day to be just that: special. The wedding gown is undoubtedly the highlight of the entire ceremony as all eyes follow the bride and every woman wants to shine at her best on this day. Hence, vintage gowns as wedding dresses have become understandably popular as they make for a one-of-a-kind dress.

Vintage dresses are especially suited for weddings that have a slightly classic setting. These dresses remind one of the bygone days and retain all the charm and glamour of olden times. If you are planning a wedding with a theme based on the olden eras, choosing a vintage gown will definitely help to add that extra touch to your wedding.

Many women choose to opt for vintage wedding gowns because of their fine quality and exquisite workmanship. It is a common sentiment that modern day dresses are produced in bulk and so they often lack the personal touch that sets the vintage dress apart. Worked by hand, the hand-done embroidery and detailing of the vintage dresses is at a glance infinitely more precise and painstaking than the machine produced structures of the modern day wedding gowns.

Finding the prefect vintage wedding dress can be a tricky task. Some boutiques and designers are willing to produce copies of a dress if you provide them with adequate photographs and sketches. This works best if the dress you have in mind is truly one of a kind. There are a number of fashion houses that have some beautiful vintage dresses to offer. A number of websites on the net sell a variety of vintage gowns.

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A wedding is one of the most important days in a person’s life, and one that is to be remembered and cherished for years afterwards. Wedding albums take on the essence of a family heirloom and generations are known to pour over the beautiful pictures and hold onto the memories of that one special day.

For the happy couple, the wedding is the first day of their lives together, and it is a must to capture every perfect moment and preserve it in any way possible. While professionals you hire will undoubtedly help you to perfect all the technicalities, we have included a number of practical photography tips that you and your family members can use while clicking pictures of the event.

The first task on your list should be to have an idea of the kind of photographs you would surely like to have. While it might not seem so beforehand, it is entirely possible that in the rush of the entire ceremony you might miss taking pictures with some relatives or you might not get a particular pose that you wanted. Having a list of the photographs that you wish to have in your album will help you to focus on the wedding day.

If you have a camera that emits a noise every time a picture is taken, like a beep or a click when the shutter closes or at the flash, it is important to remember to switch it off. While preserving special moments such as the wedding vows, the ring exchanging ceremony and the speeches on film is important, it would be inappropriate to break the spell of the moment with a sudden noise.

Family photos and significant moments are not the only elements that make up the wedding. Since every small detail is important and contributes to the whole, it is important to capture all the details on camera. This includes photographs of the rings, the flower arrangements, the food banquets, the dress, and the pre-wedding preparations and so on. Once the wedding is over, the couple should have memoirs of all all the moments that went into building the entire ceremony.

Pick any one family member to play the role of the coordinator so that the pictures, especially the family photos can be synchronized. It will not be possible for the photographer you hire to ensure that all family members are included in the pictures. Having someone from the family will make it easier to recognize and include all relatives.

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Unusual Wedding Cakes

A wedding cake is an integral part of any wedding ceremony. You can make some unusual wedding cakes with some wonderful toppings and icing for your very special day. Read on to get an interesting information about unusual wedding cakes.

A wedding cake holds a special place in every wedding ceremony. The wedding cakes are prepared and decorated with a great passion and care. Most wedding cakes have three or more tiers and they are beautifully detailed with some attractive icings and toppings. Some of the traditional toppings include the small models of dolls that look like the groom and the bride, as well as the gold rings, doves, glass models of dolphins, flowers and fruits. The traditional white wedding cake is still very popular. However, many couples prefer some unusual wedding cakes for their very special day.

The unusual wedding cakes can be made with the shapes of buildings, wrapped presents, flowers, trees buildings, animals, people or any structure and shape. They reflect the wedding theme, confectionery artistry as well as personality of the couple. Some cakes reflect a family tradition or a piece of family history. Special interests, activities and hobbies can be conveyed through the wedding cake decorations. Some brides prefer to decorate the wedding cake to look like their wedding gown. Along with traditional ivory and white colors, the cakes can be decorated with vibrant toppings. Color can add a fanciful look, texture, drama and interest to the wedding cake. You can use any flavor for the wedding cake, ranging from white to chocolate, red velvet to carrot, pumpkin to cheesecake.

Unusual Wedding Cakes Ideas

You can make fantastic wedding cakes using your imagination and creativity. You can make the wedding cake in the form of model of any world-famous building or landmark, e.g. the Eiffel Tower or the Statue of Liberty. You can make a square wedding cake with two swans swimming in a pond on the top of the cake. It can be prepared from the icing. The box wedding cake is another unique idea to make the unusual wedding cakes. It is a three-layered cake and its every layer is decorated like a different present, sealed with the bows.

A Chinese wedding cake is a three-layered red cake, adorned with the most intricate details and flowers. Another unique type of wedding cake is a Phantom of the Opera wedding cake. It is a single-layered cake, decorated with red, black and white colors. A white mask is placed on the top of the black icing and red icing cloth is draped over it. You can decorate the wedding cake in the form of a castle featuring the bride and the groom as the Prince and the Princess. A tiered wedding cake with every tier reminiscent of a suitcase is also a fantastic idea for making the unusual wedding cakes.

A doughnut cake is another unusual cake alternative. It involves a collection of doughnuts of a single flavor or a variety of flavors. All the doughnuts are individually frosted and arranged in a festive manner to represent a cake.

Unusual Wedding Cakes Themes

You can decorate the exceptional wedding cakes according to the wedding theme. A theme wedding can give you a great choice for a number of creative wedding cake ideas.

• For a medieval theme wedding, a cake with a golden crown, laced with peals is a perfect one.
• A cake topped with the miniature figurines of the newlyweds on a motorcycle or a small plane suits to the wedding ceremony of an adventure-loving couple.
• For a Victorian theme wedding, a cake can be adorned with the Victorian roses and bows.
• If you have chosen an Oriental-themed wedding, then you can make a cake with two tiers topped with a vase filling with the edible handmade orchid.
• For a flower-themed wedding, you can decorate the cake with your favorite flowers including bird-of-paradise, pansy, sunflower or rose.
• For the seasonal themes, a cake can be decorated with grape leaves, grapes and chrysanthemums to represent the fall season. For the summer-themed wedding, a cake can be detailed with white daisies and bows.

You can make your wedding day truly special and memorable with unusual wedding cakes. They will make your guests to remember your wedding ceremony for years.

By Reshma Jirage Published: 7/16/2008

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