Archive for December, 2010

Seeking Professional Help for Planning Your Wedding?

Dec

As daunting as it may seem, wedding planning can be a pleasant task if you have the support of a professional. You can find yourself a company, which already has the experience and knowledge to help you plan a memorable wedding at a reasonable price. There are some companies that have the proper experience and will be able to leverage their knowledge with previous customers to provide you with the wedding of your dreams.

Professional wedding planners can prepare a range of available wedding packages for brides-to-be. You can choose from any of these, which you deem the best. Brides-to-be can get complete flexibility and a personalized service with a full planning service to cover all of the wedding aspects. Several websites provide brides and grooms with various ideas and tools that they will need to plan a wedding. These include wedding carbon footprint calculator, budget calculator, reception worksheet, guest list, notebook, wedding website, etc. Managing the wedding budget is the most important issue consider when planning a wedding. Brides-to-be can contact a professional planner to find the best wedding ideas and get their expert advice on a budget plan for any size wedding.

The most essential part, while planning a wedding, is to realize how to make your wedding day the most memorable day of your life. A wedding would definitely be dull without the added accessories and pernonal touches. You can have a memorable wedding with the help of professional wedding planners. A bit of professional help regarding accessories and other details would really transform the whole wedding experience.

A common accessory is a guest book, usually found on a table along with a photograph of the couple about to get married. Some couples choose a more creative route. They have a large matte on which the guests can sign their names and write little messages of encouragement. This seems more useful than a guest book; it is something that can be displayed in the home without the “cheezy” factor of keeping your guest book out in the open. It is also more interesting to view than flipping through a book of meaningless signatures.

Wedding cakes are an important tradition of a wedding reception. Cutting the cake together, hand in hand, is a symbol of unity and togetherness. A few websites provide a range of customized cakes, which can preferably differ in areas such as recipe, aesthetics, flavor, taste, number of tiers, color of icing and more.

A wedding website would enable you, your friends and family to recollect wedding memories whenever they want. A fully automated wedding website includes details such as the wedding date, bridal party attendants, ceremony and reception locations, visitor information, online gift registry links, etc. After the wedding, you don’t have to go through the toil of making multiple copies of the wedding pictures; you can simply upload them in the photo album on your website.

To get wonderful wedding ideas on a limited budget for your wedding, contact a professional planner who can provide you with a wedding planning checklist to manage your total wedding budget.

This article has been written by an expert associated with WeddingMuseum.com, a company providing ideas for wedding planners to make your wedding day the most memorable one in your life.

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Top 7 Wedding Unity Candle Songs

Dec

Wedding unity candle songs are a great way to highlight the process of lighting unity candles during a wedding ceremony. The unity candle ceremony typically takes place after wedding vows are read. The unity candle ceremony can include just the bride and groom only or the addition of parents of each the bride and groom. If parents are included in the unity candle process, it would signify the coming together of both families through matrimony.

WeddingMuseum.com created a list of our Top 52 Wedding Unity Candle Songs. From that list we selected our Top 7 Wedding Unity Candle Songs.

7. You Light Up My Life – Debby Boone. Originally released in 1977. A great love song to show how much another lights up their world. We placed this at number 7 as it fit the theme of light. However, this song may also be seen as corny because of the same theme. It is one of our favorites but use your own judgment.

6. Circle Of Life – Elton John. Originally released in 2002. This song became popular from the movie the Lion King. However, the words are very fitting to the unity candle ceremony when the bride and groom’s family members are included.

5. Inseperable – Natalie Cole. Originally released in 1975. With lyrics such as “We are just, Inseparable, that’s how it is”, this is a classic R&B love song. Natalie has a soulful voice to truly make this a ceremony with lots of feeling and emotion.

4. True Companion – Marc Cohn. Originally released in 1991. Just as the previous song, Marc has one of those voices that really stands out and makes you feel the song lyrics. We feel this is a great unity candle song as a companion relationship is like a unity of two people. With lyrics like “My arms are reaching out, out across this canyon, I’m asking you to be my true companion,” a classic rock love song.

3. I Could Never Love You Enough – Brian McComas. Originally released in 2003. Our only country love song on our list. This is not a song known by the masses, but it should be. Just by the song title, you get an idea of the theme of this song.

2. Wedding Song (There Is Love) – Peter, Paul & Mary / Noel Paul Stookey. Originally released in 1971. This song has been around the longest on our list. However, this is a classic love song that could be considered a folk style music song. However, we love acoustical songs that that show true love. In addition, the song is themed for a wedding.

1. One Hand, One Heart – West Side Story Cast. The initial release date of the play was October 18, 1961. This song is a fantastic vocal or as an instrumental song for the unity candle ceremony. The main chorus is as follows: “Make of our hands one hand, make of our hearts one heart, make of our vows one last vow, only death will part us now.”

About the Author

Matt Campbell is the owner and webmaster of WeddingMuseum.com, an online wedding planning resource. WeddingMuseum.com features free wedding websites, wedding planning ideas and tools, local vendor listings, wedding song lists and wedding store.

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WeddingMuseum.com teams with Clearsky, NAME and AFWPI

Dec

WeddingMuseum.com has been busy in the months of November and December by connecting with other businesses. Clearsky Climate Solutions, based in Missoula, Mt, offers carbon offsets as a powerful way for individuals and businesses to act immediately to counter global climate change. WeddingMuseum.com has offset all of our carbon offsets for the year of 2011. Our offsets were selected with the Montana Rangeland Carbon Sequestration Project Pool. Ranchers in this project pool are committed to responsible grazing practices that help the soil sequester carbon, maintain native grassland species, and provide habitat for native wildlife.

In November 2010, WeddingMuseum.com became a member of the AFWPI, Association for Wedding Professionals International. The AFWPI members have agreed to a set code of ethics assuring greater confidence in shopping with them. The AFWPI is an international organization dedicated to providing a source of information and referrals – for those planning weddings and wedding business owners.

in December 2010, WeddingMuseum.com finalized our corporate sponsorship of N.A.M.E., National Association of Mobile Entertainers. Matt, owner of WeddingMuseum.com, was a member of NAME when he was a mobile DJ in Montana. Matt knows the importance of NAME and how it promotes professionalism in the wedding DJ industry.

WeddingMuseum.com is seeking to align itself with other prominent business throughout the USA. We know the above associations and businesses will help us move forward in meeting our goal of being and promoting professional wedding businesses.

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Your Pet And The Wedding

Dec

We love our pets! They’re like family. And on our wedding day, we want nothing else than to incorporate them into what is sure to be the most memorable day of our lives. So here are a few things to keep in mind before deciding if having your pet present at your wedding is a good choice for everyone.

Plan Ahead

The first thing you should do, when planning to include your pet in your wedding, is to make sure your pet will be welcomed on the premise of your different venues — both at the ceremony and the reception. If your pet is not allowed anywhere, you could still have some pictures taken with your pet on the front steps of the church or synagogue; or relocate to a near by park or outdoor area for a quick photo session with your pet and the wedding party.

Additionally, you’ll need to figure out how you want to incorporate your pet into your wedding day. For example, it could be as a ring bearer, or a flower girl, or simply a guest of honor. The type of pet you have would probably determine their role best.

You also need to make sure your pet as the right personality or temperament to be included in the wedding. Take into consideration if your pet exhibits any aggressive, unruly, antisocial, or nervous behavior on a regular basis — they should definitely be left at home to prevent any disastrous situation.

Even if your pet is always well-behaved and social, you should still inform your guests that you are thinking about incorporating your pet in your wedding festivities ahead of time. Keep in mind that some guests could be allergic or even fearful of pets. It’s a good idea to find out in advance and make your decision accordingly.

If you would like your pet to perform a special trick on your wedding day, start teaching the trick at least a couple of months in advance. You don’t want to wait at the last minute and be all stressed out about it. It’s going to put too much pressure on you and your poor pet.

As for the wedding attire, they are many options available for your pet — from ring pillows to tuxedos to flower collars. To make sure your pet is comfortable with its wedding attire on the big day, you could make your pet practice wearing it a couple of times before the wedding. It will give your pet a chance to get used to it.

On Your Wedding Day

Arrange for a friend or a pet sitter to be in charge of your beloved pet for the duration of the wedding. Your pet should never be left alone or without any supervision, and that includes both at the ceremony and the reception.

You should also prepare a small bag with all the essentials your pet might need: food, water, bowls, toys, leash, collar, wedding attire, pee pads, empty bags, paper towels, etc. Don’t forget to give the bag to the person in charge of your pet for the day.

You also need to have a back-up plan for your pet in case the wedding becomes a little too much. A good idea would be to find, ahead of time, an area on your venue’s premise where your pet can relax and have some quiet time with the pet sitter. Another option would be to arrange for the pet sitter (or friend) to take your pet back home after an hour or two of fun and excitement.

In the end, incorporating your pet in your wedding can be a fun way for them to share your special day, and create lasting memories you‘ll cherish forever.

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

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The Wedding Party: Each Member And Their Roles

Dec

You just started planning your fairy tale wedding and you would like nothing more than to include all your close family and friends on your special day, but you‘re not sure how. Here’s a quick overview of each member of the wedding party, their roles and some of their duties.

Maid of Honor (or Matron of Honor)

The maid of honor’s role is to assist the bride on her wedding day — to lend her support, be reassuring, alleviate some stress and to even be a shoulder to cry on. She’s usually the bride’s sister or her best friend. The maid of honor will usually host the bridal shower and organize the bachelorette party. She can also assist the bride during the wedding planning process by accompanying her to various appointments (dress, cake, venue, etc). She’s also in charge of coordinating all the bridesmaids on the day of the wedding — making sure everyone is on time.

Another one of her duty can be to help the bride get dressed for the wedding as well as helping the bride manage her train, veil and bouquet during the entire day. She will hold the bride’s bouquet during the ceremony. The maid of honor can act as a legal witness for the bride by signing the marriage license after the wedding ceremony. She can also make a toast to the happy couple at the reception — usually following the best man‘s toast.

Best Man

The best man is usually the groom’s brother or his best friend. His duties are similar to the maid of honor’s duties. He will lend his moral support to the groom during what is sure to be a nerve-wracking day, but he can also help out with some of the wedding planning tasks, such as organizing the bachelor party or decorating the newlyweds‘ car. He’s also in charge of coordinating all the groomsmen for the day.

During the ceremony, the best man can be in charge of carrying the rings for safekeeping in his pocket. The best man can also act as a legal witness for the groom by signing the marriage license after the wedding ceremony. At the reception, the best man usually is the first one to make a speech and toast the happy couple.

Bridesmaids

The bridesmaids’ role is to assist the bride on her wedding day and in the months prior to the big day. The bridesmaids can help the bride, or the maid of honor, keep track of wedding gifts or RSVP responses. They can also help the maid of honor organize the bridal shower and the bachelorette party. They can help keep an eye out for the ring bearer and flower girl before the ceremony.

Groomsmen

Groomsmen are usually close friends or family members that hold a special place in the groom‘s life. On the wedding day, they will escort the bridesmaids down the aisle, and they can also act as ushers before the ceremony starts. They will also help the best man plan the bachelor party or decorate the newlyweds‘ car.

Flower Girl

The role of the flower girl is to walk down the aisle carrying a small basket full of petals and look cute as a button in the process. If your ceremony venue doesn’t let you drop fresh flower petals down the aisle, the flower girl could also carry a small bouquet or pomander down the aisle. Another idea would be for the flower girl to carry a flowered wand with ribbons.

Ring Bearer

The role of the ring bearer is to carry the rings down the aisle. Usually the rings are securely attached to a nicely decorated pillow. The ring bearer and the flower girl can also walk down the aisle together. If you’re not comfortable with having the real rings on the pillow, you can use fake rings for the ring bearer to carry, and give the real thing to the best man for safekeeping.

Ushers

The role of the ushers is to help seat your guests, answer general questions, hand out ceremony programs or wedding booklets, and help with the aisle runner. Ushers can be family members (brothers, cousins or brother-in-laws) or friends of the couple. They usually wear the same attire — tuxedos or suits — as the groomsmen

Pages

The role of the pages is to help the bride walk down the aisle by carrying her cathedral or royal length train for her. Pages are usually a little older than the ring bearers.

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

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Top 10 Wedding Anniversary Songs

Dec

Wedding anniversary songs are are great way to celebrate love at wedding receptions. We recommend starting by inviting all married wedding couples to the dance floor. Ask who the newest couple on the dance floor is by narrowing down by newest date. Then, remove couples 5 years at a time until you find the longest married couple in the room. Then, invite the bride and groom, newest married couple and the longest married couple to a special anniversary song dance.

WeddingMuseum.com created a list of our Top 64 Wedding Anniversary Songs. From that list we selected out Top 10 Wedding Anniversary Songs.

10. This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) – Natalie Cole Originally released in 1975. A great r&b love song celebrating an eternal love for one another.

9. Still The One – Orleans Originally released in 1976. A classic rock love song proving how much you still mean to one another after all these years together.

8. Just The Two Of Us – Grover Washington Jr. with Bill Withers Originally released in 1980. A great jazz tune with Bill Withers singing “We can make it if we try.”

7. You Decorated My Life – Kenny Rogers A classic country song released in 1979. This song is a great love song story.

6. Anniversary – Tony Toni Tone Our first true “anniversary” song on the list released in 1993. This r&b song will be a mainstay on many couple’s lists celebrating an anniversary.

5. When I’m Sixty-Four – The Beatles A classic love song by the Beatles released in 1967. A love story about a man growing old with his lover.

4. 100 Years – Five For Fighting This rock song was originally released in 2003. A song about growing up until you are 100 years old and in the end “And I’m just dreaming counting the ways to where you are.”

3. You’re Still The One – Shania Twain Our highest raking country song was released in 1997. Another song stating how much you still mean to each other after all these years together.

2. Anniversary Waltz – Eddy Howard For generations that have been around for many years, they will appreciate this classic song from 1950. Be sure you know how to waltz before playing this one though.

1. Happy Anniversary – Kelly Morrison How can a song so new end up at the top of the list? This is a song sung by Kelly who has one of those raspy, memorable voices. This song is one of the feel good songs that just makes everyone want to dance!

About the Author

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Wedding Cakes: Indulge Your Sweet Tooth

Dec

Here comes the tastiest part of planning your wedding, selecting the cake. Not only will you be able to select a fabulous and delicious cake, you’ll also be able to taste it. Yummy!

Cake Tasting

A great way to be prepared for your cake tasting appointment would be to familiarize yourself with some of the terms frequently used by bakers, such as buttercream, fondant, gum paste, ganache, royal icing, piping, etc. Having a basic knowledge of the lingo could be very useful and a big time-saver. We found a wedding cake glossary you can peruse at your leisure. http://bit.ly/hxXVpk

Cake tasting appointments usually last one hour. You will be able to sample different flavor cakes and icings. When you call to make an appointment, let the bakery know which flavors you have in mind, but also ask them to provide their best-selling flavor combinations. You could be pleasantly surprised by an unexpected flavor sample.

When selecting your wedding cake, try to choose a cake that reflects the theme you selected for your special day, or that carries your wedding’s color scheme — in both the decorative aspect and the flavor aspect.

Groom’s Cake

Groom’s cakes are typically a southern wedding tradition where the bride gifts her new husband with a chocolate-flavored cake. A popular trend lately has been for the cake to depict the groom’s favorite sports, interests or hobbies.

Additionally, the cake should be presented to the groom at the reception, and displayed next to the bride’s cake; or it can be given to the groom at the wedding rehearsal. The groom’s cake can also be cut, boxed, and offered as wedding favors to your guests.

Budget-Friendly Options

Remember that the more layers, flowers, and intricate details your cake has the more expensive it will be. To save some money, you could order a smaller size cake for the cake-cutting ceremony, and serve sheet cake slices to the rest of your guests in the same flavor as your wedding cake.

Keep in mind that some venues will charge a fee to cut and serve the cake to your guests. It’s called a cake-cutting fee, and it usually costs $1.50 or more per person. Some venues include the fee in their wedding package when you use their in-house baker, but they will charge you extra if you hire an outside bakery to create your wedding cake.

If cakes are not your thing, you could skip the traditional wedding cake altogether and explore other dessert ideas. For example, you could display cupcakes, petits fours, cannolis or even donuts on a beautiful tiered dessert stand. Other ideas would be to offer a pie buffet or a cookie and milk buffet.

Whatever your choice is; just indulge your sweet tooth and have fun with it!

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

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