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Archive for August, 2009

Surviving Your Wedding Stress-Free Wedding Tips

Aug
31


Surviving Your Wedding: Stress-Free Wedding Tips

It’s down to the wire, and you find yourself pulling out your hair because the florist is slow at returning your calls, the tailor is taking too long to alter your gown, and you can’t decide which dish to serve at the reception. It’s enough to make anyone go crazy, but surviving wedding stress is possible.

Even if you have a wedding planner, you’re still facing hurdles of your own when it comes to surviving the wedding stress, trying to make sure that everything flows smoothly on the big day. But what do you do when unexpected issues arise? Have you considered your plan of action and which stress-free wedding tips you’ll rely on if something goes wrong? In these instances, a hands-on approach to the problems you’ll encounter will solve everything right then and there.

So, with all the potential problems that can happen before and during your wedding day, how do you handle, manage, and overcome wedding planning stress? Here are a few of the best stress-free wedding tips that brides swear by to get them through the wedding planning stages.

Stay in Control with These Stress-Free Wedding Tips!

1. Surviving wedding stress involves giving yourself enough time to plan. Your wedding is what you make of it. If you allot no more than six or seven months for an extravagant affair, chances are it may look like it was rushed. With extra time, you can plan, make changes, hire the right vendors the first time around, and choose the best venues that match your budget (because you can shop around). And if you’re in a rush to get married, opt for a simpler ceremony and reception – one that’s affordable but doesn’t cause you stress in the long run.

2. Remember that a holiday wedding, while beautiful, is more stressful. Not only do you have a wedding to plan, but you have to worry about the added stress from the holidays. At Thanksgiving, for instance, you’ll have guests coming in from out of town, and you’ll worry about a big dinner, while at Christmas, you’re focused on buying gifts and decorating—all at the same time. This is not to say that surviving the wedding stress (and holiday stress) can’t be done; holiday winter weddings are some of the most elegant, joyous events. But you need to keep in mind that you will have added stress to deal with. Make sure you have a dependable wedding planner who can offer valuable stress-free wedding tips as well as many helpful friends who have the time to help you plan your big day.

3. Hire the right wedding planner – and get knowledgeable stress-free wedding tips. This is a given when it comes to surviving wedding stress. Of course, some brides do not hire a wedding planner, and that’s fine. Planners simply provide a sort of stress buffer for you and your family so that you can concentrate on other elements of the wedding. You’ll have the opportunity beforehand to interview wedding planners in your area to see if they can accurately align with your wishes and carry them out as you see fit. Plus, you can evaluate his or her personality to see if it’s someone you can work with on a regular basis.

4. Surviving wedding stress when one of your vendors goes MIA. Yikes! This is a tricky situation. You’ve planned for months that your vendor will show up at the time agreed upon. But it’s the day of the wedding — what can you do now? If at all possible, try to find a replacement; this may not be feasible since it’s truly last minute. A missing vendor does not spell immediate doom however. Here’s your chance to save the day – if the florist doesn’t show up, make a pit stop at the local grocery store and buy all the flowers you can. If the DJ cancels, enlist a friend to bring along an MP3 player with music everyone can dance to. And if the minister calls out sick, there’s a possibility a notary (in some states) can marry you, or you can have an eloquent guest perform the ceremony. After all, once you have that license in hand, you’re officially married regardless.

5. One of the best stress-free wedding tips for you (and your family) is to avoid being a ‘bridezilla.’ Stress can bring out the worst in anyone, and tackling and surviving wedding stress is the most difficult. And no one knows it better than the friends and family of the bride, who may witness a change in her demeanor over time. There’s no need to subject your loved ones to your emotional outbursts. Always give yourself time to reflect and relax. You don’t have to spend every waking moment making plans. Trust your friends to help you when it comes to planning the wedding and surviving the wedding stress; don’t go it alone.

Proper Planning Means Surviving Wedding Stress

Managing and surviving wedding stress is not easy. There are so many things that might make you want to call the planning off. Just remember that one of the most helpful stress-free wedding tips out there is to make sure that you allow yourself enough time to plan and make the day right. This is, after all, your wedding day, and while everything will not go the way you planned, keep a smile on your face and appreciate the many people who made the time to celebrate with you.

About the Author: In 2006, Cherie Johnson decided to blend her love of weddings with a business model by starting Creative Bride, a one-stop shop for baby and bridal shower, graduation, quinceañera, anniversary, and wedding favors. Cherie’s helpful tips have been published on many websites including The Wedding Source, Little Wedding Guide, and The American Chronicle. Over the past few years, Cherie has helped countless couples and families make their big events a success. Prior to starting the company, she worked as a professional wedding photographer. Browse Creative Bride’s colorful selection of favors by visiting www.Creative-Bride.com.

 

Keeping your wedding costs within your budget

Aug
26


Keeping your wedding costs within your budget

Tougher economic times have left many people watching their spending and weddings are no exception. It is a delicate balance between making your wedding the most amazing and beautiful day of your life, and not spending beyond what you can afford.

There are a number of ways to cut down on costs without compromising quality, and in a recent forum on a bridal club website a number of Brides gave some useful tips. Ideas included:

Purchasing publisher software such as Microsoft Publisher to create your own invitation and “Thank You” cards. You can achieve a professional look for a small part of the price of having them printed.

Buying a bottle of wine with your shopping every week to bring down the big spend at the end!

Trading professions and time with friends. Offer to help them in return for their help on your wedding day.

Doing nibbles and drinks, or platters after the ceremony instead of a meal.

Having a small reception for very close family and friends but inviting everyone to ‘dessert and drinks’.

Purchasing Bridal Wear, decorations, accessories etc. from auction websites. There are a number of auction websites specifically dedicated to weddings such as www.weddingauctions.co.nz in New Zealand. As well as saving on items for your wedding, you can sell the items you don’t want to keep after the wedding to recover some of the cost.

Ask people to pay for their meal instead of bringing gifts.

Using the same venue for the ceremony and reception. Venues will often give a discount or provide a ‘package’ for using them for everything.

Another idea would be to have your wedding in winter, or on a weekday. Having your ceremony and reception outside of the peak seasons and days can save you a lot of money.

Although your own finances maybe feeling the squeeze, remember that wedding businesses are also feeling the same pressure and they are keen to get your custom. With a little bit of shopping around and getting quotes from a number of places, you may be able to get some good bargains to help drive your cost down.

For a small amount of effort, and some good forward planning there are many ways to keep your wedding to a budget and still make it the most amazing day of your life.

About the Author: Ron Schepers of www.nzweddingdirectory.co.nz in Nelson, New Zealand.

 

10 Essentials for Brides

Aug
16


10 Essentials for Brides at Their Wedding: Tips to Keep You Looking Your Best

It’s the day of your wedding, and the tips and advice you received from your mother, friends, and loved ones have paid off and you look and feel beautiful. Time has been spent arranging your hair just so, making up your face perfectly, and getting you ready for your big day. Many times, however, brides just consider the big picture – and often forget how uncomfortable they may be during the ceremony or reception in a hot, heavy dress with four-inch heels. It’s a bad scenario, but it happens. To keep you up, dancing, and mingling with your guests, here are a few of the most essential bride must-haves for your wedding day. With a little forethought and a carefully packed cocktail bag, you can be prepared for whatever the day has in store with these wedding tips!

The Top 10 Bride Must-Haves

1. Comfortable shoes: One of the most essential bride must-haves is comfortable shoes. Imagine having to dance and walk around in those four-inch heels for a few hours. Sounds painful, doesn’t it? Not buying comfortable shoes is the reason that many brides switch to flip-flops during the reception. Though a quick wardrobe change is one option, consider testing out the shoes you buy well in advance. One of the more routine wedding tips that experts suggest is to walk around your home to break the shoes in and ensure you don’t get any annoying blisters in the process. After all, squinting and wincing in your pictures will not be pretty. And if you’re insistent on those pretty, but painful four-inch heels, bring along another pair of more comfortable shoes for the after party – some simple flats will do the trick!

2. Breathable gown: Much like your shoes, one of the best bride must-haves is a wedding dress that moves with you. A constricting dress will make you cringe as much as those shoes do, and tugging and jerking the fabric will damage it, not to mention alert everyone to the fact that you’re extremely uncomfortable. Try your dress on beforehand. When trying it on at the shop, if it feels too tight, then your wedding day will be no different. Move around and get a feel for the dress to ensure that you are at ease on your big day.

3. Waterproof mascara: Oh, there will be lots of tears shed – by you, your mother, your close friends, and family. But, you’ll be heartbroken when you see your mascara making bee lines all over your face. One of my favorite wedding tips is to wear waterproof mascara to combat the ‘raccoon look.’ Wearing waterproof mascara on your wedding day will keep your makeup looking fresh, and you’ll rest assured that you have no smudges to worry about.

4. Long-lasting lipstick: From eating to kissing, your lipstick has many opportunities to fade or smear away. Before deciding on one brand or color, try it out for awhile. Wear it while doing all the things you normally do to see if it has the possibility of fading, smudging, or smearing. And make sure you pack the tube of lipstick in your ‘bride must-haves’ bag!

5. Durable antiperspirant: Whether your dress is sleeveless or not, antiperspirant that stands the test of time is an absolute necessity. You want to stay clean, fresh, and sweet-smelling throughout the ceremony and reception, and one of the many wedding tips that experts suggest is to use long-lasting antiperspirant. The only way to guarantee this, of course, is with durable and/or prescription strength deodorant/antiperspirant. This extra layer of protection will give you more confidence in whatever you’re doing.

6. Small compact mirror: Throughout the ceremony and reception, you’ll be relieved that you had your little compact mirror on hand. Tucked away in a small cocktail purse with your other bride must-haves, it’s just a little bit of added confidence. You can quickly check for makeup smudges and reapply as needed or see if any food particles have become lodged in visible places.

7. Aspirin or Ibuprofen: Headaches happen. And so do aching limbs – usually at the most inopportune times. And as far as valuable wedding tips go, be prepared by adding a little tube of aspirin or ibuprofen to your ‘bride must-haves’ cocktail purse. Even if you don’t need it, someone else just might.

8. Stain removal pen: You can find these handy, little pens everywhere. Plus, they’re small enough to be tucked into your cocktail purse filled with your other ‘bride must-haves.’ Just make sure to spot test the pen on a discreet part of your dress before applying it anywhere during the actual event. Some contain bleach, which may harm the fabric. For quick removal of a tiny, but noticeable stain, however, these pens are a god-send.

9. Hairbrush/comb: Tame those frizzies and stay beautiful throughout the day. Another of my favorite wedding tips is to purchase a fold-up brush, which is ideal for a small purse with precious space. A quick dab of lipstick and one or two brushes through your hair will have you ready to meet and greet with guests.

10. Emery board: There is nothing more annoying than a jagged nail. Keep your freshly manicured fingers looking lovely by taking a quick swipe of the emery board (or nail file) across it should one break or chip.

More Than Just Wedding Tips – Valuable Advice

These ten bride must-haves and wedding tips will ensure that you are prepared for your big day. Weather the day effortlessly by testing out your wardrobe, makeup, and hair in advance as well as by packing a little cocktail purse with some of the essential bride must-haves listed above, like that tube of lipstick, compact mirror, aspirin, stain removal pen, comb, and emery board. Even if you don’t need them, you’ll be glad you had them. Think of these bride must-haves and wedding tips as a little helpful layer of extra protection.

About the Author: In 2006, Cherie Johnson decided to blend her love of weddings with a business model by starting Creative Bride, a one-stop shop for baby and bridal shower, graduation, quinceañera, anniversary, and wedding favors. Cherie’s helpful tips have been published on many websites including The Wedding Source, Little Wedding Guide, and The American Chronicle. Over the past few years, Cherie has helped countless couples and families make their big events a success. Prior to starting the company, she worked as a professional wedding photographer. Browse Creative Bride’s colorful selection of favors by visiting www.Creative-Bride.com

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