Archive for November, 2010

Wedding Budget: The Basics

November 30th, 2010 | Rss Feed

Let’s talk about your wedding budget. We’re pretty sure some of you already cringed at the mere mention of budgeting for your special day. We know it’s not the most delightful part of planning your wedding, but setting a clear-cut budget truly is the first step in your wedding planning adventure.

First, you will need to sit down with your fiance, and your respective parents, to figure out some wedding budget basics. For example, who will contribute to the wedding monetarily? It’s important to know if both sets of parents are contributing or not. You also have to know the magic number they each have in mind, and how much they can really afford. We know it can be a hard subject to bring up, but you want everyone to be comfortable with the amount they contribute to your special day. If you’re not sure about who pays for what — according to wedding etiquette — we found a great post about it. http://bit.ly/exUedj

Once a final number for the budget has been agreed upon, you will have to start thinking about what you envision for your wedding and decide which elements are the most important to you on your big day. If you’re looking forward to a big party with lots of champagne flowing, you would have to allocate more of your budget to the reception and try to save money elsewhere — forget about the fireworks, or the letterpress invitations. If you prioritize the things you really want, it makes it easier to cut costs in other areas. It can seem like a tiring balancing act, but it’s well worth all the trouble of not going over budget.

Now that you have an idea of how to spend your money, you will need to found a way to oversee all your wedding expenses. A great way to keep track of all your expenses is to use a free online wedding budget calculator. WeddingMuseum.com offers one in their wedding planning section. http://bit.ly/et99Ft

Another great trick is to hire a wedding planner to help you stay within your budget. They will track all your expenses for you, and they can also become the voice of reason when all your ideas and choices start to quickly add up. Also keep in mind that with their experience and invaluable insider information, they probably have found many ways over the years to save money that we, as the general public, would never have thought of, or be privy to.

In the end, budgeting for your wedding doesn’t have to be a painful experience. You just need to be prepared and realistic both in your expectations and in your budget. And remember that compromise is the key to marital bliss!

About the Author: Nadine Elliott, freelance writer for WeddingMuseum.com.

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Posted in Articles for Planning a Wedding, Finance | 4 Comments »
 

Bridal Lingerie: What are the options?

November 29th, 2010 | Rss Feed

You spend week’s possibly months choosing the perfect wedding dress, you have the most beautiful flowers, venue and everything is falling perfectly into place for the big day. You have spent a fortune on getting yourself in shape with facials, manicures, pedicures, hair colors and cuts, make up and tanning. You may have however made the mistake like many brides and over looked your bridal lingerie. This is a vital part of your planning for the big day as all the other elements could be ruined if the undergarments are not correct.

Bridal lingerie can see like a bit of midfield but there a few essential elements you need to decide on they are bra, pants and hosiery. The most important thing about getting the bra right is that it fits. Many women have never been properly fitted for a bra and this is the perfect opportunity to get professionally fitted. Most stores offer a free service for bra fitting this really can prove invaluable. Once you have correctly identified your size you should consider the shape and material of your dress. If you have for example a backless dress than you will need to look for an adhesive bra or specially fitted low cut bra. You also need to be careful when choosing the color anything highly patterned will show through and should be avoided.

If you have lumps and bumps and you would like to be streamlined then some magic pants can be great option. Think Bridget Jones style pants that don’t look particularly attractive when worn alone but when worn under a fitted dress can work wonders. Some dresses allow for all types of pants such as a ball gown or a-line cut. If you have a dress like this then you can choose pretty much anything. There are some really beautiful pants available complete with bows and ribbons or you could even get personalized ones! Just make sure that you are comfortable and they suit your body shape. French cuts knickers and boy shorts are more flattering to the bottom than a g-string. Whatever you chose make sure you are comfortable as you will be wearing them all day.

Once the bra and pants have been chosen you might want to wear some form of hosiery. Hosiery can be good if you are having winter wedding as it will keep you pins a bit warmer and can add some color to your legs. If you are wearing open toed shoes then make sure that you have seamless tights or stockings.

Basically you want your bridal lingerie to flatter your assets and remain invisible. You don’t want any knickerlines or bra straps on show. You want to feel as comfortable and as confident as you can on your big day so plan your bridal lingerie in advance. Even if it doesn’t look great on its own what’s important is that is working hard. You can change into something more attractive for your wedding night later on!

About the Author:  Jennifer is a part of the digital blogging team at shoutingindigital.com who work with brands like Debenhams. For more information about me, or to keep up to date with the latest in retail news, check out my posts at shoutingindigital.com or visit my Twitter account, @shoutingID.

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Posted in Articles for Planning a Wedding, Attire | No Comments »
 

Be Prepared For The Unexpected On Your Wedding Day

November 25th, 2010 | Rss Feed

A great way to alleviate some of your wedding day’s stress is to be prepared with your own bridal emergency kit — just like the ones used by professional wedding planners. We gathered all the information you’ll need to put together an awesome goodie bag filled with all the essentials required to deal with any wedding day dramas. To save space in your bag, try purchasing travel-size toiletries and items.

Wedding Day Essentials:

- Tissue or handkerchief
- Breath mints
- Blotting papers
- Moist towelettes or wet wipes
- Cell phone (turn the ringer off during the ceremony)
- Compact mirror
- Lip gloss, lipstick or lip balm
- Make-up (mostly the shades you’ll be wearing that day)
- Make-up remover
- Swabs and cotton balls
- Hand lotion
- Toothpaste/toothbrush
- Dental floss
- Deodorant
- Brush and comb
- Bobby pins
- Hair elastics
- Hairspray
- Nail file and clipper
- Eye drops for redness
- Contact lenses solution
- Contact lenses case
- Sunglasses and prescription eyeglasses
- Double-sided tape
- Sewing kit
- Small scissors
- Straight pins (for boutonnieres)
- Safety pins
- Lint brush
- Clear nail polish
- Nail polish (bride’s shade)
- Nail polish remover
- Stain remover pen (like the Hollywood Stain Remover)
- Deodorant remover
- Static cling spray
- Pair of flat shoes
- Foot cushions
- Headache (or migraine) medicine
- Antacid
- Smelling salts
- Tampons and pads
- Band aids
- Vendors contact information

If you’re looking for a nice bag for your emergency kit, we would suggest buying a monogrammed weekender bag or a cute bridal tote. Splurge on a great bag that can become a keepsake after the wedding by using it as a beach bag on your honeymoon or as a summer bag for years to come. We found a great website with a large selection of bridal tote bags at reasonable prices. http://bit.ly/f9kUkW

If time is not on your side and you really can’t find the right moment to put together your own kit, we found two great — ready-to-use — emergency kits for your big day. Both kit contains most of the essentials you would need on your wedding day, such as mending kit, dental floss, deodorant, mints, etc.

- Mindy Weiss Bridal Emergency Kit: http://bit.ly/9qlA4K

- Wedding Day Survival Kit: http://bit.ly/30kpRU

The second company, called Ms. & Mrs., also sells emergency kits for groom, bridesmaid, mother of the bride, and mother of the groom. They could make really cute gifts for your bridal party. They also offer a smaller size emergency kit for brides called the Bridessentials kit.

Lastly, put your maid of honor, or anyone else in your bridal party, in charge of the emergency kit. Make sure they keep track of it all day. The bag should follow you everywhere — from your house (or hotel room) to the ceremony to the following reception. You never know when disaster will strike!

About the Author: Nadine Elliott, freelance writer for WeddingMuseum.com.

Posted in Articles for Planning a Wedding, Planning | 2 Comments »
 

CMT’s 40 Greatest Songs of the Decade

November 24th, 2010 | Rss Feed

In the weekend of Saturday, November 13, CMT debuted it’s top 40 songs of the decade.  The songs listed are country’s music’s most memorable from 2000-2010.

To view their official news release, visit the CMT Songs press release.

40. Save A Horse – Ride A Cowboy – Big & Rich

39. In Color – Jamey Johnson

38. Days Go By – Keith Urban

37. Stay – Sugarland

36. Come A Little Closer – Dierks Bentley

35. Believe – Brooks & Dunn

34. Like We Never Loved At All – Faith Hill & Tim McGraw

33. Cowboy Take Me Away – Dixie Chicks

32. Forever And For Always – Shania Twain

31. What Hurts The Most – Rascal Flatts

30. Then – Brad Paisley

29. Austin – Blake Shelton

28. She’s Country – Jason Aldean

27. Our Song – Taylor Swift

26. Three Wooden Crosses – Randy Travis

25. Before He Cheats – Carrie Underwood

24. You’re Gonna Miss This – Trace Adkins

23. Beer For My Horses – Toby Keith and Willie Nelson

22. Chicken Fried – Zac Brown Band

21. Drive (For Daddy Gene) – Alan Jackson

20. I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow – Soggy Bottom Boys

19. Red Dirt Road – Brooks & Dunn

18. Give It Away – George Strait

17. Redneck Woman – Gretchen Wolson

16. Somebody Like You – Keith Urban

15. It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere – Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett

14. Breathe – Faith Hill

13. There Goes My Life – Kenny Chesney

12. Bless The Broken Road – Rascal Flatts

11. The House That Built Me – Miranda Lambert

10. Need You Now – Lady Antebellum

9. I Hope You Dance – Lee Ann Womack

8. You Belong With Me – Taylor Swift

7. Live Like You Were Dying – Tim McGraw

6. The Good Stuff – Kenny Chesney

5. Courtesy Of The Red White And Blue (The Angry American) – Toby Keith

4. Jesus Take The Wheel – Carrie Underwood

3. Whiskey Lullaby – Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss

2. Hurt – Johnny Cash

1. Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning) – Alan Jackson

For great songs for weddings, please wedding WeddingMuseum.com’s list of wedding reception music.

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Wedding Invitation And Stationery

November 23rd, 2010 | Rss Feed

Choosing a wedding invitation, and all the additional wedding stationery, can seem like a confusing undertaking, especially, if you have no prior knowledge on the subject. With that in mind, we decided to compile a general list of wedding paper goods to take into consideration for your big day — including a quick description to help you decipher all the wedding stationery lingo.

Wedding Invitation – The official letter (usually a flat card) inviting guests to your wedding celebration. The traditional wording of a wedding invitation includes the names of the bride and groom, the date, the ceremony location, and let the guests know who’s hosting the wedding (the couple, one set of parents, or both set of parents). They are usually sent 6-8 weeks before the wedding.

Outer Envelope – According to wedding etiquette, outer envelopes are part of the double envelope tradition where the outer envelope is the one addressed, sealed, stamped and mailed to guests.

Inner envelope – In the double envelope tradition, the inner envelope arrives at their destination in pristine condition. The inner envelope only has the name of guests written on it and is never sealed.

Pocketfold - Decorative — and protective — enclosure for your wedding invitation and additional paper goods. They’re usually adorned with ribbons and bows, or closed with a paper band or seal. The pocketfold would take the place of an inner envelope.

Response Card (RSVP) – This card is usually sent with the wedding invitation and comes with a pre-stamped return envelope. The response card needs to be filled out by your guest and return in a timely fashion. Your guests should specify if they will attend the wedding or not — as well as stipulating a specific number of guests.

Reception Card – The card is a way to invite your guests to the reception and give them the location, times and type of reception to be expected. To be sent with the wedding invitation.

Directions Card – Gives out specific instructions on how to reach your wedding’s location. It can also feature a map of the area. Sent along with the wedding invitation.

Thank You Card – The card is a way to thank your guests for attending the wedding and express your gratitude for the wedding gift they gave you. Thank You cards are usually sent 4-6 weeks after the wedding to all your guests.

Save The Date Card – It’s a great way to inform your guests that a date has been selected for your upcoming wedding. The card should be sent at least 6-12 months before the wedding to insure that your guests pencil in your big day on their calendar.

Ceremony Program – Small booklet that informs your guests of the order of service for your ceremony, as well as songs, prayers, readings and vows. You can also include the list of your wedding party and other useful information.

Escort Card – Displays the name of your guests and specifies which table they are assigned to. The formal version is a flat card tucked in its own envelope. The casual version are tent folded cards. Escort cards are usually displayed on a table near the entrance of the reception room.

Place Card – Found at each place setting on all the tables; it assigns a specific seat to each one of your guests.

Table Number Card (or Table Name Card) – Displayed in the center of each table, they’re a way for your guests to easily find their pre-assigned table.

Menu Card - Fun way to decorate each place setting. It’s also a practical way to inform each guest of the food offerings — as well as the various choices for the main course.

Hang Tag or Stickers -  Personalized hang tags or stickers that include the couple’s name and their wedding date. Adds a personal touch to your wedding favors.

Keep in mind that not all the various stationery elements are required for your wedding — except maybe the Invitation, Response card and Thank You card.

About the Author: Nadine Elliott, freelance writer for WeddingMuseum.com.

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Posted in Articles for Planning a Wedding, Invitations, Stationery | No Comments »