Archive for January, 2009

Shopping For My Gown And Bridal Veil

Tuesday, January 27th, 2009

   My mom, sister and I went shopping for my wedding dress together. It was really such a special time to share with them. I was excited and so were they. I must have tried on at least a dozen wedding dresses at this one shop, but wasn’t really satisfied with any of them. So we decided to try another shop. Once again, I tried from six to twelve gowns on. But the difference was, I actually found one I liked. In fact I really loved it. It was a cream color with little pearl beads embedded along the bodice, with long lacey sleeves and sparkling silver sequins scattered here and there. It was beautiful. I knew that was the one I wanted as soon as I saw it. Even my mom and sister agreed that it was perfect for me. So that was that. I had my wedding gown, now for a veil.

    I never knew you could get a bridal veil that was 108 inches wide. Can you just imagine. I knew I didn’t need anything that big, so I chose the smallest in width which was 54 inches. That was perfect. It was quite lovely too. It was a long veil with lace and tulle netting with little pearls and sequins, just like my gown. They also had some fabulous head pieces too, so I ordered a tiara to go with my veil. I think it gives me a sense of style and elegance, plus, it kinda makes me feel like royalty, like a princess, and what better time to feel like a princess, then at your wedding ceremony?

   While my mom and sister waited in the waiting area, I went in the dressing room and tried the whole ensemble on. I stood there looking in the mirror, not really sure if it was me looking back or not. The dress was exquisite and the bridal veil falls almost to the floor. I was right about the tiara, it really made the whole outfit stand out even more. Everything looked perfect and I felt like I was stepping out of a storybook.  When I came out to where my mom and sister were waiting, I thought my mom was going to faint. They started crying, and then I started crying.  It was definitely not a kodak moment. Our eyes were red and my masacara was running. I couldn’t help but think, if we cry this much just from shopping for the wedding, I’d better make sure there’s plenty of tissues at the actual ceremony.

     After everyone, including the flower girl, had their dresses, we moved on to choosing decorations, refreshments and the most important part of the reception; The wedding cake!  I’ve never tasted so many varieties of cake before. I didn’t realize there even were that many cake recipes in the world. The cake I chose had to be sugar free, because a couple of our guests have sugar problems and I didn’t want them to be left out of having wedding cake.  That just wouldn’t be right.  So sugar free is was, and delicious it was too.

Then of course, we went on to finish up the list of accessories and the wedding favors for all of our guests.  Everything was as perfect as I’d hoped.

   The wedding was beautiful, and so were my bridesmaids and flower girl in their dresses and bridal veils. The groom, of course was extremely handsome, and the groomsmen and ring boy were quite elegant. The reception was a great success too, with laughter and dancing and two very teary mother in laws. All in all, it was a fabulous day.

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Wedding Articles | No Comments »

I Really Lucked Out On Party Invitations

Friday, January 23rd, 2009

   Did you ever wish you could be cloned? Well, I sure have. Especially last month. I’ve never been the type that felt the need to be needed. With four kids, I’ve pretty much got that territory covered.  I already had a 10 year olds birthday party to plan, my 18 year olds graduation party, and then the girls at work nominated me to handle a wedding shower. Being me, I said “Sure, no problem”  I need to pick up one of those self help books that teach you how to be assertive and just say no! So now, I’m planning three separate parties.

   The first thing I needed to do, was have the guests lists ready, and then I picked out the party invitations for a graduation, birthday and a wedding shower. That part was easy, I went online and ordered them all. Got them at a pretty good price too. After I mailed them out I started worrying that I may have mixed them up. I’d hate to have a 32 year old woman show up for a 10 year olds birthday party.  But I was pretty sure I got them right.

   Next I sat down and planned all the drinks and refreshments for all three celebrations. The kids were basically the same, pizzas, pop, chips and sandwiches.  Of course, for the ladies it had to be a little more sophisticated, I had a vegetable tray with dip, fruit tray, and a meat tray for sandwiches with a bunch of different cheeses.  It was so much easier just getting everything in already made up trays. There was fruit punch and snacks too, of course.  Then there were the cakes.  Three different cakes. I could see the delight on the bakers cake as I ordered a birthday cake, a graduation cake and a shower cake.  I think I really made his day.  I could see the dollar signs as I spoke. I ordered all three as sheet cakes and as I stood there placing my order I’m thinking to myself that I may need a u-haul to pick them all up.

   Next came the decorations, and party favors.  I didn’t have to worry about games for the graduation party, just some loud music where they scream whatever lyrics there are and plenty of food and drinks, and they’re good to go.  But I had to plan games for the 10 year old and the shower guests. This was a real fun project to have. It wasn’t too hard for the kids, I bought a pinata, and they had relay races and a few other games I picked up here and there, and of course, loud music and lots of food and drinks. I went on the internet and looked up party games for the wedding shower and picked up favors for all three parties. Having to take care of invitations favors and all the refreshments may have been a little much for one person. At least I had a couple of days to rest before the festivities started. Saturday was the birthday party, Sunday was the wedding shower and then I had a whole week before the graduation party. I would I do with all that spare time?

    Well, all the parties are over now and everything went smoothly. The invitations and favors, the refreshments and games, all worked out as I had planned, and no 32 year old woman showed up at my 10 year olds party.  So I guess I did good. Now I’m just going to sit here with my iced tea and read my new book. “ Ten Ways To Just Say No!”

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Wedding Articles | No Comments »

No Problem Finding Vegas Favors For Our Guests

Tuesday, January 20th, 2009

My fiance and I decided we wanted to have a big vegas night wedding reception. We thought that would really be a blast for us and our friends and family. So, we decided to check and see what we could get in the way of decorations, invitations and other wedding reception supplies that would go with our vegas theme ceremony. There were even cute little vegas favors for all of our guests. There were a lot of accessories to choose from and a lot of vegas party ideas. We were surprised at how reasonable the cost would be, it really wasn’t as bad as we expected.

   While we were browsing through all of the decorations and invitations and such, we ran across this thing called a destination wedding.  Neither one of us really knew what that was, I guess we’re just not in the loop when it comes to new things.  But it sounded like a really fantastic idea.  It’s where you pick a location, just a few friends and family and have your ceremony and reception there. You can even plan your honeymoon there if you want. So we started thinking, why have a themed vegas wedding when we could have a destination wedding and really get married in vegas.  So that was what we decided to do.

   The next day we started making all of our arrangements. We found a hotel in Las Vegas that would let us have our wedding and reception right there. We checked out all the financials about it and it wasn’t as expensive as we thought it would be, and since we already live in Nevada, travel expenses were more than reasonable.  The hardest part for both of us, was choosing who to invite.  Of course we are having our parents, sisters and brothers and their families, the best man and maid of honor, flower girl and ring boy. That’s really all we needed.  Just the most important people in our lives, to share this special day with us. So, I sent out the invitations and everyone gave me their RSVP.

   My fiance took care of all the arrangements at the hotel and even paid for our guests to spend the one night there after the reception, if they wanted to. I was busy checking out all my accessories and vegas themed favors. They really have a lot of choices for favors these days. Adorable little favors, perfect for a vegas reception. I also picked out special gifts for our Moms and Dads, the best man, the maid of honor, the flower girl and our little ring boy. I never realized how easy it is to shop online. I’ve never done that before, but I’m sure I will in the future. You can find just about anything you need when you go online shopping. They even had things for birthday celebrations and graduations. You can even find themed supplies for those parties too.  There is also some adorable baby shower supplies and favors that may come in handy one day. I’ll have to remember that for future references. 

   Well, the wedding and reception were both a great success. Everyone had a wonderful time and they all liked their vegas wedding favors we got them as thank you gifts. After the reception, we all spent a little time in the casino and caught a show together. The next morning we all had breakfast together and then they headed for home, and me and my new husband started our fabulous honeymoon. This was definitely a memorable wedding day, we’ll talk about for a long time.   

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Wedding Articles | No Comments »

Wedding Cake Toppers, Then And Now

Tuesday, January 20th, 2009

Their popularity began to grow in the 1950’s with the traditional bride and groom placed on top of a gorgeous and intricately decorated wedding cake.  Many were made of ceramic and dressed in the traditional tuxedo and wedding gown. As the years went by and their popularity grew, new ideas and designs for wedding cake toppers were being created everywhere.  Brides were given a much wider variety of choices of cake décor and no longer had to stick to tradition, giving them a much larger selection to explore.

     When looking for cake toppers today, you can choose from a variety of styles and designs.  There are even some that will go along with themed weddings, that seem to be one of the favorites of young couples today. Themed weddings have become very popular and everything from decorations to wedding favors are available for almost any theme you choose. If you are planning a wedding and reception by the ocean, you can find toppers that have a beach theme, designed with the beauty of the tropics in mind.  Sea shells, sand and surf, and the ocean waves make a fantastic place for a ceremony and beach party reception.  There are also selections for a winter wonderland reception, Irish reception, and even a western frontier reception. There is just about any style you can think of for the crowning glory of your confection creation.

     For those with a sense of humor there is also cake toppers that depict the humorous side of marriage, that would get the ball rolling at any wedding reception, like the man that didn’t get away, or the groom with cold feet. You can start this marriage off with love and laughter for the bride and groom and all that are attending your special day. There is also toppers that help show the personalities of the happy couple, or some of their favorites things to do together. Fishing, hiking, just strolling on the beach, and so many more options.  A brides wedding cake is a very a important part of any reception and you want to have the very best, not only in cake design, but the décor surrounding it and resting on top.

     If modern isn’t the way you want to go with your reception, there’s a beautiful selection of bride and groom toppers for the traditional wedding and reception. also.  Lovely, exceptionally designed with all the romance your heart desires. Flowers, doves, and hearts of crystal and glass are just a few of the elegant wedding toppers available for brides and grooms today.  Maybe you would prefer the exquisitely designed monogram letters with beautiful, genuine Swarovski crystals or brushed silver. All of which will enhance the romance of any wedding cake and reception.  

     Today’s modern bride can choose from many new, sophisticated toppers for her wedding cake. From traditional to modern, from humorous to romantic, the selection is growing everyday.  With all the new designs and ideas to choose from, a bride to be would have no problem finding exactly what she wants to add to the décor of her wedding cake. All eyes will be on the bride and groom as they cut that first slice as a symbol of togetherness and will always remember how beautiful your wedding cake and reception was. So remember, the topper for your cake is not just a decoration, it’s a precious keepsake that will hold memories for you, for many years to come, of the most important day in your life and of all the loved ones who shared it with you.

Posted in Wedding Articles | No Comments »