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Archive for January, 2012

Best Wedding Songs of VH1′s Greatest Songs of the 2000s Part I

Jan
26


Below you will find a list of the Greatest Songs of the 2000s as ranked by VH1.  We will offer our assessment the greatest songs of the 2000s for weddings.  Not every song is wedding appropriate.  However, many songs can be incorporated into weddings from father daughter songs to first dance songs.  Just for your wedding reception enjoyment, we’ll get started.

100 Thong Song - Sisqó Wedding guest won’t want to think about thongs even at beach weddings.
99 Before He Cheats - Carrie Underwood – Not the wedding appropriate theme – cheating.
98 Kryptonite - 3 Doors Down – A great rock song but we feel will not fill the dance floor.
97 It Wasn’t Me - Shaggy – Another song about cheating that is not a good theme.
96 Don’t Cha - Pussycat Dolls (Feat. Busta Rhymes) – If you are looking for a risqué song for the bouquet toss, this is your song.
95 You’re Beautiful - James Blunt – This is the first true wedding song on the list that would make a great first dance love song.

94 It’s Not Over - Daughtry – A great rock song be not a perfect wedding song.
93 Here It Goes Again - OK Go – This song wins our favorite video on the list.
92 Low - Flo Rida (Feat. T-Pain) – If you want to get a limbo line at your wedding reception, add this song to the list.
91 With Arms Wide Open - Creed – If you are looking for a father daughter song, the words of this song it would make a great slow dance song.
90 Shake Ya Ass - Mystikal – Well, lets just say we’re not fond of the lyrics.
89 Paper Planes - M.I.A. – Know your guests if this song will fill the dance floor.
88 Stacy’s Mom - Fountains of Wayne – Not really an appropriate theme song for weddings.  Great party song though.
87 I Believe in a Thing Called Love - The Darkness – It has the right theme but know your guests if this song will fill the dance floor.
86 Jaded - Aerosmith – We hope people are not jaded at a wedding.
85 I Try - Macy Gray – We’re not too fond of the lyrics for weddings.
84 In the End - Linkin Park – Not an appropriate subject for weddings.  However, it is a great rock anthem song on the list.
83 Untitled (How Does It Feel) - D’Angelo – If you are looking for a soulful, sensual slow song to fill the dance floor, this is it.
82 Unwell - Matchbox Twenty – We hope everyone is well on their wedding day.
81 The Rising - Bruce Springsteen – This song remembers 9/11.  We want to have good thoughts at a wedding.
80 Get Low - Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz (Feat. Ying Yang Twins) – This is a club hit but we will say know your guests if this song will fill the dance floor.
79 Hero - Enrique Iglesias – A very popular wedding love song to fill the dance floor for a slow song or as a first dance song.

78 Hey There Delilah - Plain White T’s – We really like this song and a great love story.
77 How You Remind Me - Nickelback – Not a song that will the dance floor.
76 Live Your Life - T.I. ft Rihanna – Depending on the song mix selected, this could be a great party anthem for the right party crowd to fill the dance floor.
77 I Don’t Want to Be - Gavin DeGraw – Know your guests if this song will fill the dance floor.
74 Ridin - Chamillionaire (Feat. Krayzie Bone) – Not one of our favorite songs to fill the dance floor at a wedding reception but know your guests.
73 Promiscuous - Nelly Furtado (Feat. Timbaland) – We’re not fond of the theme for a wedding reception.
72 Are You Gonna Be My Girl - Jet – We like the theme of this song and for the rocking’ guests is the perfect song.
71 Bubbly - Colbie Caillat – We like her unique voice and can fill the dance floor for its slow tempo.
70 Run It! - Chris Brown (Feat. Juelz Santana) – Can fill the dance floor for dancing attics.
69 Bring Me to Life - Evanescence – One of our favorite rock songs but not wedding appropriate.
68 Stand Up - Ludacris (Feat. Shawnna) – A great party theme to get people to stand up and dance.  Know your guests if it will get them to stand up and dance.
67 Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis – One of the most played songs on the radio.  Everyone will be familiar with this song and will fill the dance floor as a slow song.

66 Drop It Like It’s Hot - Snoop Dogg (Feat. Pharrell) – This song has an off beat so not our favorite to fill dance floors at most weddings.
65 Try Again - Aaliyah – Not a perfect theme for a wedding.
64 I’m Real - Jennifer Lopez (Feat. Ja Rule) – Another song that has a medium tempo beat that many may find hard to dance to.
63 Party Hard - Andrew W.K. – A little to heavy for most wedding receptions.
62 Complicated - Avril Lavigne – Weddings shouldn’t be complicated.
61 Milkshake - Kelis – A good song in its day but I think most are over it.
60 Tik Tok - Ke$ha – A great party dance songs to fill the dance floor.
59 Cry Me a River - Justin Timberlake – Another medium tempo song.
58 I’m Yours - Jason Mraz – This is a great love song and first dance song.

57 Family Affair - Mary J. Blige – This song makes a great family dance song.

56 Party Up (Up In Here) - DMX - Know your guests if this song will fill the dance floor.
55 Mr. Brightside - The Killers – A song about jealousy is not wedding appropriate.
54 Don’t Know Why - Norah Jones – A great slow tempo song that will fill the dance floor.

53 All the Small Things - Blink-182 – We feel this is a bit too heavy for weddings but is a great rocking’ party song.
52 Hips Don’t Lie - Shakira (Feat. Wyclef) - Know your guests if this song will fill the dance floor but most times will fill the dance floor to this great dance song.
51 Pocketful of Sunshine - Natasha Bedingfield – This song could go either way to fill the dance floor.  Know your guests.
50 You Belong With Me - Taylor Swift – Not an appropriate theme for a wedding.

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Best Wedding Songs of VH1′s Greatest Songs of the 2000s Part II

Jan
26


Part II Songs 49-1

Below you will find a list of the Greatest Songs of the 2000s as ranked by VH1.  We will offer our assessment the greatest songs of the 2000s for weddings.  Not every song is wedding appropriate.  However, many songs can be incorporated into weddings from father daughter songs to first dance songs.  Just for your wedding reception enjoyment, we’ll get started.

49 Bad Romance - Lady Gaga – Great dance song.  Terrible theme for a wedding.
48 Sex On Fire - Kings Of Leon – Great rock song but not the best song for most weddings for its suggestive words.
47 Lady Marmalade - Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mya, Pink – A great dance tune that can be added to get girls to the dance floor or for a bouquet toss.
46 Picture - Kid Rock & Sheryl Crow – Great rock groove but not a great theme for a wedding.
45 Eve (Feat. Gwen Stefani) – “Let Me Blow Ya Mind”
44 Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Californication”
43 I Kissed A Girl - Katy Perry – A very popular pop song but know your guests if the song will fill the dance floor.
42 Drops Of Jupiter (Tell Me) - Train A great pop tune but really a sad song.
41 Trapped In The Closet - R. Kelly – This song or rhymes just don’t seem to stop.  Not our favorite as you only get so many songs at a wedding reception.
40 Sugar, We’re Goin Down - Fall Out Boy – Know your guests if they would dance to this song.
39 Chasing Pavements - Adele – A great love song addition to any wedding.

38 Party In The U.S.A. - Miley Cyrus – For the younger cord would fill the dance floor with this party hit.
37 Oops! … I Did It Again - Britney Spears – One of the biggest stars of the 2000s.  Know if your crowd would dance to this dance classic.
36 Bye Bye Bye - *NSYNC – Call me crazy but a good way to end the evening.
35 Daughters - John Mayer – A great father daughter dance song.

34 All For You - Janet Jackson – A great pop song but a bit dirty lyrics for weddings.
33 Hurt - Johnny Cash – Not a wedding song.  Period.
32 This Love - Maroon 5 – Know your guests if they would dance to this pop song as it has a medium tempo.
31 Rehab - Amy Winehouse – Another non-wedding song.
30 Hollaback Girl - Gwen Stefani – Know your guests but this could play as a bouquet toss song.
29 Best Of You - Foo Fighters – We really like this song but not thought as a stereotypical wedding song.
28 Music - Madonna – Know your guests but can fill the dance floor.
27 Yeah! - Usher (Feat. Lil Jon and Ludacris) – This dance phenom will fill the dance floor.  Love it!

26 Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes – The tempo is all over and relatives will have a hard time dancing to at weddings.
25 Hot in Herre - Nelly – Not only a dance hit but can be used as a garter removal or garter placement song.
24 Get Ur Freak On - Missy Elliott – One of the most innovative videos.  Know your audience as it could fill the dance floor.
23 Get the Party Started – Pink – A great song as it states – for the grand entrance.
22 Fallin - Alicia Keys – A great love song for any wedding for any aspect.

21 99 Problems - Jay-Z  - Hopefully your wedding is not full of problems.
20 Toxic - Britney Spears – Know your audience but it was viewed more than 53 million times on YouTube.  Wow!
19 Bootylicious - Destiny’s Child – So popular they added it to the dictionary.  Can be added to wedding aspects for fun or to fill the dance floor with the ladies.
18 Beautiful - Christina Aguilera – Not a love song but a very powerful song.
17 Clocks - Coldplay  - This song is a great pop song but doesn’t have the best tempo for dancing.
16 Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) - Beyoncé – What can we say.  This should be our #1 wedding song with so much wedding meaning.

15 Beautiful Day - U2 – Another popular wedding song.  It can be used in many facets of the wedding reception from the entrance to the closing song.
14 Crazy - Gnarls Barkley  - Know your audience or place in the song set as this could fill the dance floor or lose out as the tempo is a bit slow.
13 American Idiot - Green Day – Hopefully there’s no idiots at your wedding.
12 I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas  - A great dance anthem to fill the dance floor as as an entrance song.
11 Umbrella - Rihanna (Feat. Jay-Z)  - A great dance song and love song to incorporate into a wedding reception.
10 In Da Club - 50 Cent – A dance floor mega hit.
09 We Belong Together - Mariah Carey – A great slow song to fill dance floors.

08 Empire State Of Mind - Jay-Z (Feat. Alicia Keys) – If you are from NYC – must play, if not, you can leave off you playlist.
07 SexyBack - Justin Timberlake (Feat Timbaland) – A pop mega hit to get guests dancing.
06 Gold Digger - Kanye West (Feat. Jamie Foxx) – We hope the bride or the groom is not a gold digger.
05 Since U Been Gone - Kelly Clarkson – This is a great break-up song not a wedding song.
04 Lose Yourself - Eminem – An angst anthem from the 2000s.
03 Poker Face - Lady Gaga – Definitely a dance mega hit to fill dance floors.
02 Hey Ya! - OutKast – Another dance crazy song for wedding guests.
01 Crazy In Love - Beyoncé (Feat. Jay-Z) – Should describe every bridal couple on their wedding day.

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Wedding Reception – What to do if no one is dancing?

Jan
17


The day is finally here.  The day you have been dreaming of since your were little.  The day  you have planned for the past 12 months. With all stress, with all the pains, the day is finally here.  Your WEDDING DAY.  First thing you should do is relax and enjoy the day.

wedding dance floor

The wedding ceremony is beautiful and very heartfelt.  It transpires without any hitches.  The bridal couple enters the reception hall to a standing ovation.  Then, everyone eats and the formal dances are complete.  FINALLY, the part-e begins.  Thirty minutes transpire and no one is dancing.  This is not the reception party that you had envisioned.  You pictured everyone dancing the night away.  However, no one is dancing.  What can you do to get people on the dance floor to get the party started?  We offer the following recommendations to get the party started.

  • What guests are the most likely to dance?  Yes, it’s the young adults.  Therefore, play current music hits that are to on the charts now including Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Black Eyed Peas, Rihanna, etc.  The younger crowd could get the party started.
  • Men typically will not get up to the dance floor to many high tempo songs.  Think about playing a couple slow songs consecutively to get couples to the dance floor.  Play well known songs by every age group such as Unchained Melody by the Righteous Brothers and What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong.
  • Play an anthem song that everyone knows that they can sing along to.  Rock – Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey, R&B – Shout! by the Isley Brothers, Country – Friends In Low Places by Garth Brooks, Classic Rock – We are the Champions by Queen and much more.  Know your crowd and the type of music that get’s them excited.
  • Talk to the bride and groom beforehand and get an idea of their favorite music style.  Find out if they like group dances and which ones suit their fancy.  You can play a group dance but it must be headlines by the bride and groom leading the way.  Such dances include he conga, the train, the electric slide, the macarena and so on.  Reminder – keep the bride and groom in the forefront so that everyone joins in.
  • Finally, plan a group dance to get everyone on the dance floor.  This way it will be hard for them to leave!  One such planned dance is to invite all married couples to the dance floor.  Then, start removing married couples from newest to oldest until the longest married couple is remaining.  The, give a bride’s bouquet to them as a gift from the bride and groom.

Do you have any further suggestions to fill the dance floor when empty?  Please comment in!  Lastly, stay away from our list of songs not to play at weddings.

 

How to save money on your honeymoon

Jan
12


Weddings and honeymoons can be very costly, especially if you are paying for everything yourself.  Here are some ways that you can save some money on your honeymoon.  Just because the wedding is in June does not mean that you have to honeymoon in June also.  Think about taking your honeymoon in the off-season.  Also, different honeymoon destinations have different off-seasons.  So you will need to do some research on this depending on where yo wish to travel to.

wedding honeymoon

Another way to save money on the honeymoon is to sign up for a honeymoon registry.  This works particularly well if you are a couple that has most everything for your house.  Instead of registering for that toaster or coffee pot, register for a honeymoon.  Cruises are a great honeymoon destination with this option.  Go to your local travel agency and they can help you set this up.  This way, instead of your guests purchasing a wedding gift, they can put money towards your honeymoon.

Cruises are a great money saving idea even if you do not want to put the expense on a honeymoon registry.  Cruises are all inclusive vacations that can be very affordable.  Your room, food and destination are all included in the fee.  There are some extra charges you may occur but you have control of what you want to spend.  Usually any type of excursion is an additional charge.  Therefore, choose those carefully.  Also, any type of liquor, beer, or soda is an additional charge. Water, tea and coffee are typically included.  There are other all inclusive destinations which follow many of the same rules.  It doesn’t have to be a cruise if that is not your cup of tea.  An example would be Sandals resorts.

Booking early can save you tons of money.  Most airlines and hotels offer better rates if you book early versus waiting until the last minute.  At the very least, this guarantees that all of the inexpensive rooms will not be sold out.

You know all your airline miles/points that are just sitting on your credit card waiting to be used?  What better time than this to use them up.  Don’t forget that in some cases those credits can be used for more than just airfare.  Sometimes they can also be used for hotel or other forms of transportation.

Honeymoons do not need to be exotic destinations.  Check into your own neighborhoods and see what kind of deals you can get at home.  No matter what you decide on for your honeymoon destination, the best way to make sure it is affordable is to budget, budget, and budget.   Do you really need those monogrammed napkins at your reception?  The ones that everyone is going to wipe their face on and throw away.

 

Best Love Songs of the 2000′s – Top 20

Jan
10


We are continuing our lists of love songs.  We only have 2 era love song list left to complete and this week we decided to post our favorite love songs of the 2000s.  They are now only a couple years past and fresh in our minds.  We have picked songs that also make fantastic first dance songs for brides and grooms.

The 2000s were full of prosperity and despair.  This brings many emotions to the forefront in songwriting and in emotional attachment to songs.  We have selected out favorite.  If you feel we have left your favorite love song out, be sure to comment it in so others can read and comment also. If you like the 2000s like we do, be sure to check out our Top 100 Songs of the 2000s.

#1 Bless The Broken Road – Rascal Flatts, Released in 2004, Country

#2 Fallin’ – Alicia Keyes, Released in 2001, R&B

#3 Everything – Michael Buble, Released in 2007, Jazz

#4 I’m Yours – Jason Mraz, Released in 2008, Rock

#5 Halo – Beyonce, Released in 2008, R&B

#6 Love Story – Taylor Swift, Released in 2008, Country

#7 With You – Chris Brown, Released in 2007, R&B

#8 Come Away With Me – Norah Jones, Released in 2001, Jazz

#9 You and Me – Lifehouse, Released in 2005, Rock

#10 Such Great Heights – The Postal Service, Released in 2003, Electronica

#11 Making Memories Of Us – Keith Urban, Released in 2004, Country

#12 Chasing Cars – Snow Patrol, Released in 2006, Rock

#13 Lost In This Moment – Big & Rich, Released in 2007, Country

#14 Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Maps, Released in 2003, Rock

#15 You’re Beautiful – James Blunt, Released in 2005, Rock

#16 Yellow – Coldplay, Released in 2000, Rock

#17 Then – Brad Paisley, Released in 2009, Country

#18 A Moment Like This – Kelly Clarkson, Released in 2002, Pop

#19 We Belong Together – Mariah Carey, Released in 2005, R&B

#20 Bubbly – Colbie Caillat, Released in 2007, Pop

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Wedding Colors by Season

Jan
03


Brides and grooms choose their wedding theme for many reasons.  Maybe they have favorite colors that they want to incorporate into their theme, like purple and teal.  Maybe they have a special time of year they prefer, like Halloween or Christmas.  They also may have a special theme in mind, like the roaring 20′s or antiques.  There are many way of incorporating these things into your wedding day.  You can incorporate them into your flowers, linens, centerpieces, invitations, etc.  If you are choosing a color, or colors, into your theme, why not choose colors that are associated with the season you are getting married?

wedding season colors

If you are getting married in springtime, you may want to choose pastel colors.  Think about pastel pink flowers, accented with yellow, wrapped in a baby blue ribbon.  You can choose white chair covers tied with large pastel green ribbons.  You can also select to have more than one color or you can stay with a single color within the color range.

Getting married in the summer?  We suggest to brighten up your color pallet.  Look for vibrant blues, purples, greens, pinks, etc.  Think about cream colored invitations with royal blue lettering.  Centerpieces are a good place to add color into your wedding also.  How about large white mums and deep greenery in a clear vase that is wrapped in a brightly colored ribbon.

Want to have a Halloween/Fall wedding?  The best colors for this time of year are deep reds, rust, orange and golden yellow.  Although there are plenty of flowers in those colors, don’t forget that fall foliage can be incorporated also.  Since the season is fall, which is when the leaves fall off the trees, think about using twigs and leaves.  Twigs in a large vase look very nice as a centerpiece.  Instead of sprinkling confetti or glitter on the table, try placing different colored leaves around.

Last but not least is a winter wedding.  This can be a very beautiful time of year.  There are two ways to look at winter weddings; look at it as winter, cold and snowy, or as Christmas themed.  If choosing the winter wonderland theme, go with blues, whites, silvers and crystals.  You can take bare branches painted white and place them into a vase.  Wrap the vase with a white ribbon with silver glitter throughout.  Now hang crystals from the branches.  You can also do this same option with snowflakes hanging from the twigs.  Another idea to incorporate winter wonderland into your wedding is by adding snowflakes to your wedding invitations.  If choosing Christmas as your theme, you may want to think of reds, greens and even black.  When thinking of flowers, think of poinsettias and holly.

No matter what you choose, use any opportunity you can to add your own touch of personality to your wedding.  Keep in mind that if you get plants and flowers in season, it will be less expensive to buy them at that time they are in season.

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Social Wedding Florist Tips to 2011 Average Wedding Cost

Jan
01


WeddingMuseum.com makes daily posts to our Facebook account.  We post about wedding fun facts, videos and ideas for planning a wedding.  Want to join the conversation?  Join us at facebook.com/ThinkWeddingPlaning.

Bring to the florist – list of who gets flowers, photo of ceremony and reception locations, photos of decor inspiration, wedding color swatches, pics of dress and bridesmaid dresses, and detailed list of what you want decorated.

Interesting news story – Better to be cautious than sorry – Wedding Crashers Plead Guilty To Stealing From Newlyweds -http://yhoo.it/v8NM2H

Something blue ideas? Brooch, ribbon, garter, nail polish, sapphire ring, temporary/permanent tattoo, bouquet, charm, and blue shoeshttp://amzn.to/tjqpH8

Great news story – Wedded Blitz: The Month in the New York Times Wedding Section – A highly scientific analysis - http://es.pn/tt1pco

Great story on MSN – 15 unusual celeb wedding venues with pics -http://on-msn.com/tlFfQQ

6 months before the wedding – Order wedding invitations. DIY? Get started early. Visit Etsy’s wedding invitations section for ideashttp://etsy.me/w4zZky

We found a money saving wedding article on Bargaineering – How to be a Wedding Guest on a Budget - http://bit.ly/tDjISh

A great way to have personality at your wedding reception is to have a custom money card box. Visit Enamorweddings http://etsy.me/vvkECl

We attended the wedding of a co-worker’s son. Because we did not know the bride and groom, we decided to send them a practical household gift, a fire extinguisher. Apparently, the couple mass-produced their thank-you notes because we received a card saying: Thank you very much for the nice wedding gift. We look forward to using it soon.

After the royal wedding, there has been a significant increase in the desire to have a horse-and-carriage entrance http://bit.ly/sAgF8y

Question: $2,097. Answer: The average amount spent on wedding photos.

Hot Wedding News & Debate – Wedding Photographers Sued for Using Music Online - http://abcn.ws/tPgcDj

Want to add personality to your wedding program? Include your favorite cartoon, create a crossword puzzle or tell how you met.http://bit.ly/tQrglK

10 months before the wedding – Sign contracts with wedding vendors – DJ, Photo, Video, Food, Officiant. Find vendors - http://bit.ly/rGWb3s

Wedding Saving Tip – Most smartphones now have video recording. A new age save-the-date invite – Record your invite and post it on YoutTube. Then, email family and friends a link to the special save-the-date video invites.

Superstitious? Add a little luck to your wedding – 4-leaf clover, rabbit’s foot, dream catcher, horseshoe, bamboo, wishbone and more.

Beginning of January we will be updating our song lists with new songs. Be sure to comment in your favorite songs http://bit.ly/azwT7h

According to the WSJ – Fewer Americans Are Tying the Knot - http://on.wsj.com/vpnSto

Looking for a cake topper that speaks your story? Etsy has their own wedding cake topper section - http://etsy.me/uNMxpv

Looking for a great groomsmen gifts? We suggest sun glasses. Select by color or type – aviator, retro, sport and more http://bit.ly/tXlYhT

People’s Best of 2011 – Star Weddings of the Year with stories and pictures - http://bit.ly/uMzU9M

10 months before the wedding – Start compiling your guest list. Utilize our guest list manager: http://bit.ly/sBSoae

Follower’s Post - How did you ask her (or him) to marry you? Our contest is back.  Tell us your story using the contact link at the left, the two favorite stories will be published 01.31.2012 and voting will take place for that next week. Winner receives an engagement or family portrait session with a beautiful custom designed layflat book. Runner-up wins a portrait session with a complimentary 11×14 of their favorite image! Whether it was 2 days ago, or 20 years…we want to hear about your proposal! NE Indiana / NW Ohio and traveling worldwide!

Think about having a unique wedding pic? This couple did. Already viewed by 260k+ people in 6 days. http://bit.ly/rP8o0h

Wedding Planning Tip – Who to ask for a vendor biz referral? First, ask recently married friends. Then, ask vendors who see it all – venue mgr, photographer, wedding planner, DJ, etc.

Looking for a perfect gift for the groom before the wedding day? We suggest a book – A Gentleman Walks Down The Aislehttp://amzn.to/vwt2uw

Wedding Planning Tip – Select music for your surroundings – Swing for black tie, reggae for the beach, country for the backyard or park, christian for a church. Most of all, play what you like!

Great wedding dress pic – Bride makes her own Manchester City wedding dress - http://yhoo.it/tvkay3

Wedding Money Saving Tip – Lilly of the Valley less expensive alternatives include white lilacs, andromedas and mini calla lilies. Talk to your florist about less expensive options to more expensive flowers.http://bit.ly/tUOINH

Article on MSN – Guess How Much the Average Wedding Cost in 2011! How Will Yours Stack Up? http://on-msn.com/vbImiD