The Wedding Guest Dress Code: What Should Your Wedding Guests Wear to Your Wedding?

 

What should you wear to a wedding? When planning a wedding, try to remember that your wedding guests may be having a hard time trying to figure out what to wear to your wedding. They may also  be having difficulty determining the dress code. Different types of wedding call for different levels of dress. Many factors influence what the dress code will be whether it will be a church wedding, beach wedding, summer wedding  or winter wedding.

 

Don’t feel awkward to give your guests a heads up as to what the dress code will be. For example, if it is expected that all  female wedding guests need to wear hats to your church wedding, guests would much rather know this before the ceremony than walk into a church and be the only one not wearing a hat.  I know this from personal experience! I felt extremely awkward walking into a small church wedding being the only female other than the bride, not wearing a hat.

 

Letting the wedding guests know about the dress code is best conveyed through word of mouth, or a small mention either on the invite itself. Additionally, you could slip a small general note slipped inside the invitation.

The Benefits of Using Silk Flowers at Weddings

Silk wedding flowers can be an inexpensive alternative to having fresh flowers at your wedding. You could either opt to use silk flowers for all your floral needs, or use a combination of fresh flowers and silk. For example, your bridal bouquet could be made up of fresh flowers and your bridesmaids bouquets could be made up of silk flowers. Another approach, would be for the all the bouquets to be made up of a mixture of silk and real flowers, using the silk flowers as the ‘filler’ flowers.

Some Benefits of Using Silk Flowers

1. The main benefit of using silk flowers is that it is a cheaper alternative to fresh flowers. If flower arrangements feature heavily in your wedding (table décor, room décor, bouquets) fresh flowers can end up being very costly.

2. Using silk flowers, you have a greater variety of flowers available to you. Certain flowers are only in season at certain times of the year. If you are after a certain flower, one that has special meaning to you, you will find that it will be available to you all year round as a silk flower.

3. The silk flowers that you use at your wedding can be transferred into your home, so that you have a reminder of your wedding day.

4. Silk flowers are great for brides who suffer from hay fever.

5. You can pick-up the silk flowers as early as you want, alleviating the pressure from the ‘wedding week.’
They key in using silk flowers as an alternative to fresh flowers is to buy from a quality supplier. Good quality silk flowers can really look like the real thing. You could even add some floral essence to the petals of the flowers to give it a more genuine effect.

Bridal Shower Ideas: Bridal Bouquet Party

Bridal parties “bridal showers” are typically hosted or thrown by the maid of honour. There are various things to consider when planning a bridal shower. The host usually does the arrangement for the venue, catering and drinks, bouquet, gifts, games, and everything that is centered on the bride. The main role which a maid of honour plays includes picking up the tab for such an event and sometimes enlisting the help of the bridesmaids in the planning process up to the actual day of the bridal party. The very thing thing that the maid of honour and bridesmaid’s need to decide on, is what will the theme of the bridal shower be.

One possible theme, for the craft lovers, is to hold a bridal ‘bouquet’ shower. Guests along with the bride create bouquets, which could either be a take-home ‘souvenir’ for the guests, or could be incorporated into the wedding venue decor.

Bridal bouquets parties are attractive and create more excitement to the event especially when the party is held weeks before the upcoming wedding. Here are a few ideas for the bridal shower bouquet party which you might want to consider or for the kind of setting you are trying to organize.

• Consider the theme. Are you arranging for a casual and fun bridal party or a game-time which will reveal more about the bride? As well, you can choose the colors of the wedding motif as the same colors for bouquet ideas.

• Accessorize. There are many accessories which can be added to the bridal party bouquet such as ribbons, bows, tassels, beads, green foliage, sparkly materials, and baskets among many others. You can work with your florist as to the kind of accessories which should go well with your bouquet.

• Bride’s personal favorites. If you are planning a surprise bridal party, ask ideas from the bride’s mother or sister. Discover her favorite flowers from her childhood along with the ones that she might not appreciate. It is more touching to know that you have actually done more research about her preferences. Try to know whether the bride is allergic to some types of flowers or foliage which you must avoid at all cost.
•Cost of bouquet. Since most of the people that would attend the bridal party are composed of the women closest to the bride, the host may request them whether they want to chip in for the cost of the bouquet or volunteer to arrange flowers for the venue and the guests on the list.
•Creative designs. Some bridal party bouquet ideas follow certain types of designs such as a bouquet shaped into a fan or other fancy objects. You can be as creative as you want.

Bouquets for your wedding are one of the most imperative components in your most awaited day. Just similar to a fragile clutch or a unique and expensive pair of shoes, the correct flower arrangement and proper blooms should flatter the whole bridal concept, your fashion character as well as your beloved.

Making Your Wedding The Most Memorable With Brilliant Bridal Bouquet Ideas

Weddings are a time for celebration. Not only is a wedding a gathering for the closest family and friends of the bride and groom to be, but is is also a milestone in the relationship of the couple. Being in the wedding party in itself, usually calls for a number of various obligatory pre-wedding celebration events, too. Parties are held separately for the groom and the bride, arranged by their best man and maid of honour. As for the big day itself, everything in it is typically organized by a wedding coordinator or organiser which considers every single detail from the food and drinks, music to be played, lighting, decorations, accessories, seating arrangement as well as the bridal bouquet ideas.

The bride, along with her maid of honor and sometimes bridesmaids, usually conceptualize her bridal bouquet. For the most part, the bridal bouquet is the core accessory of the bride during her wedding day. Traditionally, bouquets symbolize a bride’s purity and honor as a woman. In modern times, the bridal bouquet is essential and never left out in the whole outfit of the bride. Sometimes, it simply reflects the personality of the bride.

If you are the bride to be, here are some brilliant ideas on the list which you might want to consider.

•   Decide whether you want an all-white bouquet or a cornucopia of different flowers accented by green foliage. How do you imagine the bouquet when you eventually walk down the aisle?

What is your type of bridal bouquet arrangement? Do you want a long-stemmed or a cascading bouquet? Do you want it wrapped inside a material? Do you want fresh flowers or a bouquet that can be kept as a souvenir?

•   Determine the budget you have intended for the bridal bouquet.

• What are your personal preferences for flowers? Examples are: calla lilies, roses, wildflower, etc.

• What colours of flowers did you want for the bouquet?

•   Bridal bouquets can have accessories that go with it. Florists for wedding bouquets may add optional materials such as elegant silk or shiny fabrics, faux pearl beads, sheath materials, or a basket among many others.

• What are your ideas for the bouquet for the bridal entourage? You can choose whether you want a corsage, boutonniere, toss, basket, or cascade.

In the end, you should have fun while planning and choosing the bridal bouquet ideas for your wedding. After all, it is a once-in-a-lifetime event that should be the most memorable for you.

Should I Engrave My Wedding Ring

A question many wedding couples ponder over is if they should engrave on their wedding rings, and if so, what to engrave on them. We found a great list of engraving messages on E-Wedding Bands. Some messages were romantic, others sentimental, some humorous and others questionable….

If you want a huge list of engraving inspiration head to http://www.e-weddingbands.com

Wedding Table Centerpiece Ideas # 2 Potted Flowers.

The second installment for Daily Wedding Blog’s Wedding Table Centerpiece Ideas series is potted flowers. Potted flowers are simple wedding centerpieces that you can then take home and put into your garden after the reception. You could opt for a single colour for the potted flowers, it could be the same colour as your bouquet or the bridesmaid’s flowers, or each table could have their own colour.

It is quite inexpensive to buy small terracotta pots with flowers from the garden store, but if you want to be super frugal, you could buy the terracotta pots separately. You will also need to buy trays of flowers that you can replant into the individual pots.

Using your home computer or coloured cardboard and markers, create table labels. This can be affixed to icy pole sticks with a glue and placed into the pots.

Are You Financially Ready To Say “I Do”

Getting married is a big step in your life, both relationship wise and financially. Most people, I assume, marry for love – which is a great thing. But what they don’t know is that financial issues are responsible for more divorces than any other factor in a marriage.

So before you say “I Do”, make sure you not only look into whether or not you can afford marriage, also look at how financially compatible both of you are. Here’s how to do that.

The Cost of Marriage

First of all, note that the title says the cost of marriage, not the cost of wedding. Sure, a wedding is a big part of the cost of marriage (which I will talk about too) but it’s certainly not the only cost. Here are some additional costs you need to consider:

1. The opportunity cost. Opportunity cost is defined as the cost of any activity measured in terms of the value of the best alternative that is not chosen. In other words, what are you missing out by getting married, financially speaking?
Some of you may need to spend time cleaning up after your partner (for both genders) so you may not be able to earn as much as you could. Others may need to set aside time to spend with their spouse – and that time must be suitable for both of you. If your spouse were to fall sick, would you be the one to stay home and take care of him/her?

Of course, there is absolutely nothing wrong with these things. But that doesn’t mean you don’t need to know them. There is nothing worse than to jump into a marriage before knowing all the facts.

2. First of all, I am not a tax accountant nor do I play one. Having said that, make sure that you look into the tax implications of marriage. Married couples in the U.S suffer from the Marriage Tax Penalty – that is a married couple pay more in tax than two single individuals who earn the same amount of money would. It doesn’t even matter if you choose to file your tax jointly or separately. That penalty will still be there.

Can you afford that? Many couple are shocked to find out that they have to pay more tax at the end of the financial year just because they are married – and worse part is, they needed the tax returns to pay off their wedding debt

3. Many people just don’t realize how important insurance is – and your potential partner maybe one of them. Sure, you have health insurance, life insurance, home insurance, etc but what happens when it’s your partner that needs help? As a result, couples often have to upgrade to insurance plans that cover two people instead of one, which of course cost almost double what you pay now.

4. Many couples choose to make big purchases under a joint name after a marriage like buying a house – but what many people don’t know is that your spouse’s credit rating will affect your application. If you a stellar record, you maybe able to get a few percentage points lower in interests if you apply alone rather than if you apply together – and that small percentage points can translate to thousands of dollars over a year for big loans like mortgages

The Real Cost of a Wedding

You probably don’t need me to tell you the cost of a wedding. Let’s just say it’s huge. Some surveys found that the average cost of a wedding is a whopping $30,000. Meanwhile, the amount of money people save for rainy days are falling – precipitously.

So where did these people get the money to pay for their weddings? That’s right – debt. And debt comes at a cost and that cost is called interests. At a modest 10% (assuming you’re not paying fees and missing repayments), that’s still $3000 a year. And that doesn’t include paying down the capital.

So the price of the wedding for most people really is not just $30,000. It’s $30,000 plus the interest over the life of that debt.

But what if you don’t take out a loan? What if you paid for your wedding outright? Well, you’ll still need to consider your opportunity cost. If you saved that $30,000 into a high interest savings account, you could be earning significant amount of money risk-free. Invest that in some kind of fund and you may see some nice returns.

Am I saying everyone should not spend a dime on their weddings? Of course not. But I do believe you have to be fully aware of what is really happening.

Financial Compatibility

This is one of the biggest marriage killers out there. And one of the most common issues is in the difference of values. Both of your finacee and you may love frugality but both may not place it in the same level of importance.

For example, you may place frugality at the top of your list. As a result, you’re always budgeting and you prefer to stay at home. Your fiancée, however, may also like frugality, but he places fitness to be more important than money. As a result, he/she may spend more money than you like on supplements and health checks. Imagine these little quarrels drag out for years into your marriage.

Can it survive?

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Ally is part of the team that manages several personal finance sites in Sydney, Australia, which feature tips on how to save money fast . Before joining the team, she was a Media Planner in McCann Worldgroup Philippines, Inc., with award-winning executions, including the Levi’s 501 “Live Unbuttoned” global campaign.

Table Centerpiece Idea #1 Citrus Vase and Flower Combo

A visually pleasing centerpiece can be as simple a combination of citrus fruits, a clear glass vase and flowers. It is simple to achieve a stunning look. You have the option of using slices of the citrus fruits for your wedding centerpiece or whole citrus fruits as shown in the photo.

Method 1: Sliced Citrus Fruit Wedding Centerpiece

Step One: Cut up slices of citrus fruits. Lemons and orange work well.
Step Two: Place the slices inside the vase. Try to arrange the fruits so that the slices are facing outwards.
Step Three: Place some flowers into the vase fill with water and voila your centerpieces are ready.

Method 2. Whole Citrus Fruit Wedding Centerpiece

Step One: Use a selection of limes and lemons to fill a vase as shown in the photo on right. Experiment with different positions, such as using a yellow base of lemons.

Step Two: Place and arrange flowers into the vase.

step Three: Just add water.

photo source: http://www.hopeinthekitchen.blogspot.com

Consider Your Wedding Guests

When choosing a wedding reception, do spare a thought for your guests too.

Are the facilities adequate? If you have guests with disabilities will they be taken care of? Is there a disabled bathroom available? If the reception or ceremony is on an upper level, is their wheelchair access (this is not always the case)

Is there adequate seating for the elderly who cannot stand for long periods?
If you are inviting kids or parents with young babies, are their parent rooms nearby?

You may not be able to accommodate all your guests requirements, but you need to be aware of them.

Can I invite guests to just my bridal shower and not the wedding?

Discussing wedding planning today with a newly engaged woman, she asked me if It would be considered rude to invite her co-workers to her bridal shower, but not to the actual wedding. Her justification was that she didn’t consider herself close enough to her co-workers to merit an invitation, however she felt obliged somehow that she needed them to still have a small part in the wedding.

Her intentions may have been good, but her co-workers will read into this that they are not good enough for the wedding and are only good enough for a bridal shower that will require them to bring gifts. Needless to say this will create work tension later on. It is considered bad form to invite guests to a bridal party and NOT the wedding and doing this will undoubtedly cause tension.

If you are adamant on having people at your bridal shower and not your wedding ensure that you are tactful. You can state on the invitation that the wedding is very small and limited to just family, however a bridal shower will give you the opportunity to celebrate with friends.

Some may debate that it is your wedding and you can do what you like, and sure there is truth in this, however some brides use this as an excuse to quite simply practise poor manners. You don’t have to invite all your family, friends and co-workers to your wedding, but you must be tactful and fair.

In the case of this newly engaged woman that inspired this post, she has decided to hold a small pre-wedding brunch with her co-workers and some casual friends and limit the wedding to just family and close childhood friends. She will explain to them that coming from a large family the guest list will be taken up by obligatory invitations of aunts, uncles and cousins (about 45 just on her side) and this brunch will be an opportunity for her to celebrate with her co-workers.

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