Wedding Planning Blog

When it comes to food...

1. Budget. Obviously, if you have a small budget you might not be able to have your food catered.  The cheaper way to go would be to have finger foods.  If you have a company helping with your food, talk with them about your budget and what you’d be able to serve.
2. Mood.  You need to decide what mood you would like to set at your reception. An array of finger food can be fun and laid back letting your guests know they are there to have fun!  If you set a dress code for your guest, like semi formal or formal, it’s best to go with a buffet or catered meal.  For a semi formal event, buffet style would best suit your needs.  For formal attire, catering would suffice. 3.
3. Time. The type of food you serve is decided on the time of your reception.  If your reception is going to be at a mealtime, you may want to look into buffet or catered food.  You don’t want your guests to arrive hungry and only get snacks and finger foods.  If you do, however, have your reception scheduled at a mealtime and your budget doesn’t allow for a catered or buffet meal, include something about hors d'oeuvres being served at the reception so your guests know not to come hungry.

A Winter Wedding Doesn't Mean Going Without Flowers

You have set your wedding date for a winter month.  After picking the venue, caterer, photographer, you realize that you haven’t thought about flowers.  What type of flowers are available during this time of year, can I actually get flowers this time of year that look half-way decent, will I have to ship flowers in from Hawaii or some other warm location?  These are all questions you start asking yourself.

Don’t stress.  Believe it or not, you can get a wide range of beautiful flowers even during those cold winter months.  Here are just a few choices that might help make your day more beautiful.

• Amaryllis - Red, White
• Anemone - Blue, red, pink, white * Jan-May and Aug-Dec.
• Bells of Ireland - Green * January-October
• Camellias - White, Pink
• Casa Blanca Lily - White * January-October
• Cosmos - Pink, White, Brown, Other Colors
• Daffodil - Yellow * January-Early May
• Forget-me-nots - Blue
• Holly - Green with Red Berries
• Jasmine - White
• Narcissus - White, Yellow
• Poinsettia - Red, White
• Ranunculus - white, pink, red, orange and yellow * February-May
• Star Gazer Lily - Pink and White * January-October
• Star of Bethlehem - White
• Sweetpea - white, pink, red/coral, and lavender/purple * December-May
• Tulip - Many colors, including white, pink, yellow, red, and purple * December-April
• Waxflower - Pink, White

Earth-friendly, green wedding ideas

I like all of the focus on trying to treat Mother Earth better.  While there are obvious solutions like walking, riding bikes, taking the bus, we should be looking at all of the areas in our lives where we can make a difference.

For those couples planning a wedding, there all sorts of things to think about to have a "green" wedding.  I've consolidated a list of our earth-friendly wedding ideas below.  If you have creative ideas for how you're planning a green wedding, we'd love to hear from you!

"Thinking about your wedding?  So are we!"

David

Green wedding ideas, invitations, tuxedos and more:

http://www.wednet.com/articles/green-wedding-ideas.aspx

http://www.wednet.com/articles/GreenWeddings.aspx

http://www.wednet.com/articles/CeremonyReception.aspx

http://www.wednet.com/articles/WeddingApparel.aspx

http://www.wednet.com/articles/GreenGifts.aspx

http://www.wednet.com/articles/GreenWeddingPartyGifts.aspx

http://www.wednet.com/articles/Earthlyhoneymoon.aspx

http://www.wednet.com/articles/GreenInvitations.aspx

http://www.wednet.com/articles/ReceptionPlanning.aspx

Wedding hair help

You have your perfect dress and a perfect hairstyle will complete the perfect look.  Your wedding day is the time to make the most of your hair.  Finding a good hairdresser is most important to make your hair just the way you want it. 

Perfect wedding hairstyles flatter your face, your wedding gown, and your veil. They suit your personality while accentuating your best features and minimizing your weak ones. Here are some suggestions for different kinds of hair.

• Hair swept back or up is most traditional.  This allows people to see more of your face and profile. This style can be especially nice for formal or evening weddings.
• A wedding up-do will accentuate your neck. This look can range from a simple French twist to a stylish mass of ringlets.
• Hair worn down or loose has a more casual look, perfect for daytime, outdoor, and informal weddings.  This look has become more popular for formal weddings over the past year.  Have fun with this one, but make sure if you curl your hair that your hair will hold the curls the entire time.
• Medium-length hair is nearly as versatile as long. It can be curled, straightened, tucked behind your ears, or brushed loosely down.
• Even brides with short hair can have a long, thick wedding day hairstyle. Clip on hairpieces and extensions are available in a variety of colors and styles.
• Short hair can be versatile, from sleek styles to curly. Tiaras, decorative bobby pins, combs, and hair clips all look stunning worn in short hair.
• Bangs can be worn several ways: soft, fringy, angled, or textured. If you've never had bangs, experiment with them well in advance. If you've always had them, this is not the time to sweep them aside and bare your forehead. 

Make sure you choose a style that is right for you, even if it is not a current look.  Something may be "in" but all wrong for you or your dress. Whatever style you choose, have practice sessions in the week before your ceremony. Do this and your wedding day will most certainly be a fabulous hair day.

For suggestions on your wedding day hair choices, check out our Bridal Accessories Wedding Topic.

It's never too early to hire a wedding planner

Believe it or not, hiring a wedding planner is becoming a staple to most weddings.  Most planners will assist in everything from the planning of every detail during the entire process to being there to make sure your day-of goes off without a hitch. Plan on hiring your planner as soon as possible.  It's better to interview several planners to find the one that you feel fits your needs the best.  You will most likely have close to a year-long relationship with this person and you want to make sure that your most important day is left in the hands of someone you get along with and someone you feel understands your vision.  The Planner's responsibility is to make sure your day is as perfect as you have always imagined.  Get started early to make sure you find the Planner that will make this happen.

The price you pay for a planner will depend on where you live.  Average prices for a planner to help plan your entire event will be $1,300 and up depending on what you are asking for and your total budget.  Day-of services will be $500 and up.  Don’t get caught up in the price of the planner - remember how much time and stress they will save you.  At the end of your wedding day, you will be happy and know that the planner you hired was worth every penny.  So, remember to build wedding planner fees into your budget and let them do the rest!

Bridal Show Know How

Bridal shows are probably the best tools you can use as a busy bride to plan your wedding. These shows are exciting, festive and full of great ideas. You get to talk directly with the professionals, see samples of their work and get an idea of what costs are involved.

Plan ahead before you attend so you can best optimize your time.

• Set your priorities. Make a list of the products and services you need the most. Decide what your budget will allow for each of the products and services. You will be prepared, when you get to the show, to first visit those service providers who have what you need the most, and to give them an idea of what you are able to spend.
• Bring your calendar with you.  This will help you mark dates that you will need to order products or book services.  The vendors will be able to give you a great idea of how soon to get these items done.  Most venues and photographers will have their appointment books with them and are ready to book at the show.
• Bring with you people that are going to help you plan all the details of your wedding, be it your best friend, sister, mom or wedding planner. The more decisions you can make at the show, the more items you can check off your planning list.  They are also great to bounce ideas off of throughout the day.
• Prepare to bring some important items with you. Besides your date book, you might want to bring with you your checkbook (or credit card) to put down deposits on bookings. Swatches of material and ribbon in the colors of your wedding are helpful when speaking with florists, bakers, balloonists, gown shops and other professionals.
• Most exhibitors (as well as the show producer) have drawings to enter, so bring a business card, labels or a stamp with your name, address, phone number, email and wedding date printed on them. This will save you time and prevent writer’s cramp.
• The more time you plan to spend at the show, the more you can accomplish. Most shows last six to eight hours per day, including fashion shows.  Wear comfortable shoes – you will get your exercise walking.
• Most of all, plan to have fun! Attending bridal shows is sure to help you enjoy planning your wedding and to share this exciting time with others. 

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