Archive for the ‘Gifts’ Category

Food Gifting on the Rise: Wedding Shoppers Realize Good Food Equals Great Gifts

March 17th, 2012 | Rss Feed

Food has a unique way of connecting people. It brings together families and friends, joins people in reminiscing or in experimenting, and is the center of celebrations, memories and friendships. With this year’s wedding season approaching, more nuptial presents will include desserts, entrees and specialty foods than ever before.

Food gifting, for both weddings and in general, is one of the few areas that has increased despite the down economy over the last few years. Edible gift sales rose nearly 10 percent in the United States from 2007 to 2009, according to the report “Food Gifting in the United States, Second Edition,” and experts say those numbers continue to grow.

This rise is marked by both an increased demand for specialty foods, like truffles, gourmet marshmallows or artisan granola, as well as the rise in smaller food companies adding ecommerce capabilities to their websites. With these boutique delicacies on the web, gift shoppers not only have convenient access to foods from across the country, they can also easily send these tasty treats directly to the recipient’s door.

More than anything, food offers a unique way to personalize gifts – after all, it’s easy to warm the heart when you fill the stomach!

When shopping for a bride and groom, food is a perfect addition to an item off their registry. Buying an oversized pot? Complete a date-night package with fresh lobsters straight from Maine. Getting the dessert trays she asked for? Add a selection of oatmeal cookies and sweet candies. Can’t make it to the shower? Send a bouquet of cake pops for the bride and guests to enjoy.

The bride herself has a number of gifts to buy as the big day approaches. With online food vendors she can now find gifts for the wedding party, typically made up of people from all different stages of the couple’s life, with a personalized touch.  You can buy ice cream for your sister from your favorite shop in the town you grew up in. For your college roommate, the soup you had on your spring break ski trip.  And for the parents of the couple, share your wedded bliss with a romantic evening of their own complete with steaks, all the fixings and a bottle of wine.

As wedding season approaches once again, be prepared with a food gift whether you’re at the altar or catching the bouquet.

About the author: Lynn Steinberg started Goodies For Gifts as a food review blog. As it built in popularity and realizing people were increasingly looking for food to give as presents, she expanded it into an online resource. Today, Goodies For Gifts is the first and only website providing consumers a free resource to find, buy and share unique, edible “goodies” to give as gifts. Visit it now at www.goodiesforgifts.com.

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Unique Wedding Guestbook – Custom Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle

August 25th, 2011 | Rss Feed

Anderson Woodcrafts offers custom wooden jigsaw puzzles.  The puzzle can be deconstructed and signed on the back of the pieces for a unique wedding guestbook.  The puzzles are made with defect free 1/4″ plywood.  You choose what picture is affixed to the puzzle utilizing glue with a vacuum press.  Finally, each puzzle is treated for protection.

wedding guestbook

The wooden jigsaw puzzles are offered for guests from 50 to 200.  Wedding couples can also purchase a wooden storage box to display the puzzle after the wedding.  The average piece size is 3 to 4 square inches.  50 guest can be supported with a 11×14 puzzle.  However, larger weddings can be supported with a 24×24 puzzle for up to 200 guests.

Guestbook Puzzle

For more information about the wooden jigsaw puzzles, please visit Andersonwoodcrafts.com.

We found a unique product that we thought we would share with everyone.  We are not paid for this article and we will not profit from it.  However, we definitely like to promote small businesses that create hand-made products for weddings.

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Ideal Gifts for Groomsmen

May 12th, 2011 | Rss Feed

While planning and preparing for a wedding, every couple wants to make it perfect and one of the most memorable days of their life. They not only want to look their best on the most important day of their life, but also want their family, friends and other guests to enjoy the entire wedding to the fullest. However, in order to make the wedding ceremony a grand success, the effort put in by the bride and groom alone, is not sufficient. They also need a lot of help and involvement from their close friends and relatives.

Among the different people involved in making the arrangements for the wedding, the groomsmen and bridesmaids chosen by the bride and the groom themselves, have a very special and important role to play. At the same time, it is the responsibility of the bride and groom, to acknowledge their efforts and thank them for the same. One of the best ways to appreciate the groomsmen and bridesmaids for their efforts and thank them is to gift them something, which they will treasure for a lifetime.

While the brides are very keen in selecting the best and most suitable gifts for the bridesmaids, the grooms most of the time are confused, as they are not aware what would delight the groomsmen. If you too have been looking for gift ideas for your groomsmen, this article will provide you with some ideal gift ideas.

While shopping for the groomsmen gift, you always need to remember that it is not a ritual, but a way to show your gratitude towards them for all the effort that they have put in to make your wedding day a success. Therefore the gifts that you pick up must be such that these are cherished by your friends for the next many years to come. At the same time you need to remember that your groomsmen might not have a common taste. Therefore, you need to choose the gifts according to their personality and likes and dislikes.

Before visiting the stores looking for the most suitable gifts for your groomsmen, it will always be wise to estimate your budget and then look for gifts within your budget. This way, you can make your friends happy, without making a hole in your pocket. Also, you should remember that the worth of the gift that you give them will not be estimated from the price you pay for it, but from the feelings attached to it. Therefore, to gift something that will be cherished, doesn’t mean that you need to overspend.

When you visit the stores you will find that, right from decorative items to useful products, there are numerous things that you can buy for your groomsmen. Some of the most popular items that make groomsmen gifts include cufflinks, sports bags, pocket watches, money clips, travel bags, perfumes, shaving kits, cigar accessories, and lots more. The best thing is that you can also get these personalized.

Therefore, choose the perfect gift for your groomsmen within your budget, and tell them how much you appreciate all that they have done for you.

This article has been written by an expert associated with WeddingMuseum.com, a company providing wedding gifts for today’s weddings.

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Great Ideas for Bridesmaid Gifts

May 5th, 2011 | Rss Feed

Bridesmaids play a very important role throughout the wedding. Right from counseling the bride, helping with all the preparations and wedding planning, to providing emotional support to the bride, the role of bridesmaids can never be ignored. To appreciate their presence and effort to make the wedding successful and a memorable event, nothing can be better than gifting them something that they will treasure and remember lifelong. This article will provide you with some great ideas for bridesmaid gift.

When you check out the shops or online stores, you will find that there are numerous bridesmaid gifts available in the market. Some are fun gifts, while there are others which are practical and useful. While selecting gifts for your bridesmaids, there is only one thing that you must remember. Your bridesmaids should love the gifts that you have chosen for them and at the same time, the gifts should reflect the relationship and the strong bonds that you have shared for all this time.

Bridesmaids are the dearest friends of the bride, who have stood by her through thick and thin, provided a shoulder to cry and also made her laugh numerous times. Therefore while selecting gifts for them, the bride needs to be very selective, because it is one of the best ways through which she can reciprocate the feelings and express them what they mean to her.

The traditional bridesmaid gifts are usually something which can be used in the wedding ceremony itself. The most common bridesmaid gifts include fashion jewelry or purses, which complement the bridesmaid dresses. If you too are planning to buy some nice jewelry for your bridesmaids, you should select something according to their personality, and not only according to the color and design of the bridesmaid dresses. Instead of buying a single ring or a bracelet, it will be better if you buy a complete set of necklace, earring and bracelets for your bridesmaids and make them feel special. However, if your bridesmaids don’t like to wear too much jewelry, then you can go for some nice and fashionable bracelet, anklet or ring.

Nowadays the handmade jewelries are very much in. If you are creative and have sufficient time in your hands, you can design and make some beaded jewelry for your bridesmaids yourself. It will be definitely more valuable for them, then any fashion jewelry. You can always take the help of the internet or handmade jewelry catalogues for design ideas.

If you want to gift something unique and new, you can gift your bridesmaids a complete makeup kit, so that they can get ready in your wedding and also in the future. If your bridesmaids are more into books and music, then you can gift them books written by their favorite authors or a nice music album. Another unique bridesmaid gift idea is to gift them a gift coupon of a spa or massage center, where they can go, relax and get themselves pampered after the hectic wedding schedule.

No matter what you choose, your bridesmaids should cherish and remember your gift for a lifetime.

This article has been written by an expert associated with WeddingMuseum.com, a company providing wedding reception songs for today’s weddings.

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Share Your Courtship Story with Wedding Guests

June 18th, 2010 | Rss Feed

Your wedding day will be all about “happily ever after.” But how did you get to that point? There are joyful and significant moments you may want to share with your wedding guests, the special times that led to “I Do.”

Preserving your courtship story can revitalize the magic and memories of those special times. You and your groom will bond more as you crystallize the reasons you fell in love by creating a story booklet or video to share with your guests.

Your story is the beginnings of your family history. It will be read or watched by you and your children generations from now.

Many wedding guests want to know how you met and got engaged. I remember wishing that I had a handout at my wedding for everyone who asked us about the strange new way we had met — on the Internet. We were pioneers in the mid 1990s.

Most important, two families will get to know each other through the story of how you came together. One family knows the groom, the other knows the bride. By learning your story, they will know “us.”

Here are some ways to preserve your love story to share with family and friends.

Have your videographer produce a seven to 15 minute love story to be projected on a large screen at the reception. You and your groom are interviewed separately in a place of your choice. It might be where you met. The video can be edited so you alternate telling your story in a running dialogue. The videographer often incorporates music and a montage of photos going back to your childhood.

A professional writer or journalist can write your love story by interviewing you separately. The text of the story can be printed in a ceremony program or designed with engagement photos and snapshots in a magazine style booklet. Guests will be surprised and delighted when they discover this unusual keepsake at their table.

Try writing your own story. One approach is to alternate passages so both of you tell the story. You can signify who is speaking like this: John: Mary: or just make you’re your transitions clarify who is speaking. Carefully edit your story and keep it family friendly. Show it to at least one or two people in your family before putting it in print.

Another option for sharing your story is to have your DJ interview you live during the reception. Make sure the DJ is well familiar with your story.

The story should focus on what interests guests the most – the first meeting and the engagement. In between, stick with significant events in your courtship that moved you closer. Keep that part shorter so guests can get to the juicy part – the proposal.

Another approach is to have a wall of framed photos of you and your groom from childhood to the present. Showcase your engagement portraits on the wall as well.

Lastly, you can have a friend or professional artist draw cartoon sketches of your courtship. They can be printed in a program or other keepsake for the guests.

Or, if you have the time at your wedding, don’t hesitate to talk up your story to anyone who pops the questions.

About the Author: Ellen Braunstein is writer and creative director of Courtship Stories www.courtship-stories.com. She writes the magazine style stories of how couples met and got engaged for their wedding guests. They are professionally designed and printed in 12 to 16 page booklets.

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