13
Jan

Traditions have been passed on from generations to generations but let us face it, we have reached that point where we just want to do away with certain customs and rituals. Take weddings for example. Yes, wedding traditions are beautiful and memorable but because so many couples have done these things before, modern couples are now looking for non-traditional ideas that can make their event special and one-of-a-kind. If you feel the same way, you would surely enjoy looking at these wondrous ideas for a non-traditional wedding and reception.

  • Groom and Wedding Singer in One

Traditionally, a choir or wedding singer would sing while the bride makes her way down the aisle. But what if the groom does this? Would not it be lovely and dramatic if a groom would sing the song for his lovely bride’s walk down the aisle? There would not be a single dry eye in the house. But of course, this is only ideal if the groom has talent in singing. Abandon the idea if the groom’s voice sounds like a cat screeching on the roof. It may ruin the moment.

  • Tossing the Bouquet? Not Anymore!

While the usual routine would have the bride toss the bouquet to bride hopefuls, the new thing would be to play a game. All the single women can gather around in a circle and they will pass the bouquet around while the music plays. When the music stops, the woman holding the bouquet would be the next bride.

  • Blow them Away with Unique Favors

Another great way to make your wedding unique is to give away extraordinary wedding favors that would commemorate the occasion. Instead of the usual candles and ceramic figurines, hand out cookie cutters, manicure/pedicure sets, mint tins, monogrammed make-up bag, bottle stoppers, sewing kits, mini tote bags, topiary photo holders, and so many more.

  • Dessert, Tea, or Cocktails Reception

The customary sit-down dinner or buffer dinner receptions are quite expensive. Less costly options such as dessert, tea or cocktail receptions would not only enable you to enjoy maximum savings, these would also be an excellent way to stand out.

  • Fluttering Butterflies in Lieu of Shower of Flowers

During the recessional when the bride and groom walk out of the wedding ceremony venue, instead of showering them with flower petals and rice grains, a creative alternative would be to have butterflies fly out. Balloons would also be a fun idea.

  • Sing your Vows Out

Writing personalized vows are becoming more and more popular for weddings these days. To make yours even more unique, why not sing your vows to each other? Again, this would be a plausible idea for couples who have good singing voices. Saying poems would also work just as great.

While traditions have been here since time immemorial, there is certainly nothing wrong with wanting to do away with the norm. Couples who are looking for unique ways to make their wedding event extraordinary would surely love the ideas mentioned above. But do not stop here, let your mind fly, and you will be able to come up with more wondrous ideas to use for your special day.

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24
Dec

MyDreamWedding.ca Bridal Veils

Every little girl has the fairy tale bridal veil wedding day fantasy. Walking down the processional aisle arm in arm with her father, mysteriously covered by a long, white netted veil. The bride arrives to meet her groom at the altar, and her safety is passed from her father to her betrothed. The mysterious veil is lifted and the bride’s loveliness is revealed to one and all. The dream may seem a little old fashioned but everyday, brides all over the world continue to honor this tradition and wear a bridal veil on their wedding day.

There is something totally enthralling and entirely fairy tale like about a bride wearing a veil on her wedding day. It does depend on the time of year, the location of the wedding and the formality of the affair – a veil is not appropriate for all brides or all wedding ceremonies. However, for a church or cathedral wedding, where the bride is wearing a traditional wedding dress with a long train, a veil is absolutely at home walking down the aisle.

When choosing a bridal veil, the length of the wedding dress is vitally important. A wedding veil should harmonize the wedding gown, and not overshadow it. Proportion is also important so is you have a simple, sleeveless, tea length wedding dress, it would be inappropriate to wear a full length veil. Furthermore, if the wedding gown has a long train, a cathedral length veil is not appropriate. Basically, there are three familiar lengths of veils, namely elbow, fingertip and cathedral lengths.

Elbow length is 30 inches long and falls to the elbow and is the most popular bridal veil length. This length is best suited for a dress with no train. Perfect for formal and semi-formal wedding dresses, an elbow length veil is best suited for a full skirted wedding dress.

Fingertip length is 36 inches long and falls to the fingertips on most brides. Sometimes a fingertip veil has a finger loop so that the bride can easily control the veil during the wedding ceremony. This length of veil is appropriate for any full length gown, from informal to formal in design. A fingertip veil is not appropriate for a wedding gown with a train and looks particularly lovely with sheath style wedding gowns.

Cathedral length is full length, and usually fall to the floor or longer. The most dramatic of all bridal accessories available, the cathedral veil is generally only appropriate for very formal weddings only, and only when the bride is wearing a formal gown with a very long train. To achieve this look, be sure that the veil extends at least 6 inches past the length of the dress train.

Wedding veils come in bright white and creamy off-white and can be custom dyed to match a wedding gown that is a non-traditional color, although this is not a popular option. Veils can be purchased plain and simple, with scattered pearl or floral embroidered details, or with lovely satin ribbon edge. Hems can be plain, scalloped, or double border in gold or silver thread. The options available are unlimited. If you cannot find a veil to perfectly match your wedding gown, many brides will purchase a plain veil and have a local seamstress hand sew the embellishments onto the veil for a perfect match.

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23
Dec

autumnfavors6Weddings are a big celebration to any culture and tradition we all have. It is a very memorable, intimate, and the grandest of all occasions in a person’s life, well mostly for the ladies’ point of view. On weddings, preparation is very important. No mistakes are allowed to happen. No miscommunications, no misunderstandings, no errors. The bride will want it all to be perfect, starting from invitations, to gown, to make-ups, to wedding favors, to church and the bridal car. The list is endless.

Choosing a wedding gown is one of the toughest jobs a bride will be doing during the wedding preparations. However, the trinkets or wedding favors counts as an equally difficult task to do as well. There are so many varieties to choose from. One of the most fancied for are the wine bottle wedding favors.

Whoever has thought of making a wine bottle for a token of appreciation is just so vividly creative. Because it is not a common thing that you can simply use it as a party favor more so a wedding favor for once. It is most commonly used as a party give away from work, as Christmas gifts, or something you bring to your dinner host for a get together dining in, but not really as wedding tokens. However, society has started to change, it has come to evolve. It has emerged from the traditional gifts and tokens like those of tiny trinkets made of candles, baskets with perfumed potpourri, or those little silver photo frames that we usually get. The modern times has opened the gates to change. It now embraces the revolutionized era not only in fashion but in accessories as well.

shower1Party favors like those in weddings are meticulously hand picked by the bride to be. She would want it to reflect the personality of them both as a couple or at least her as the bride. Choosing wine bottles as thank you give-aways are just extraordinarily classy and posh. Those elegantly designed and uniquely crafted wine bottle wedding favors are just fashionably tasteful. Its stylish look reflects sophistication and class.

Any bride would be very excited and eager for the moment to come. Especially if all is set and just polishing the last minute changes. The gown has been made and fitted. The reservations are done. The seating arrangement which takes a lot of time to fix is finally completed at last. The flowers in the church and the reception area are made and ready, so as the bouquet of the bride to be and all her entourage. Nothing compares to the excitement a soon to be bride would actually feel. It is a mixture of happiness and sadness. But mostly it’s excitement.

Excited to get into the limelight and get married. Some are also excited to finally give out the favors, so to know if they did a good job picking it and what would be the guests’ reaction to it. What would be their comment about it, and how the guests’ would enjoy it.

If you are having wine bottles as wedding give-aways, the wine itself should be taken into consideration and not only the façade it displays. The wine itself shall be very good in taste as much as it looks good from the outside. What’s inside is also vital, and not be taken from granted. Because people will remember the look of the keepsakes and it is best to recall how it actually tasted like before you take the taste into consideration. It is a given that the looks is always the main point of getting or choosing it as the wedding favor.

However, getting something that taste better as well is not such a bad idea. Besides having a very good bottle of wine that goes with the theme as wedding favor would not only make your wedding day a hit but will also become the talk among your society for quite a number of weeks for sure. And that is priceless for any bride to experience. To be known even for awhile as the wedding of the moment, and the most fashionable one as well.

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20
Dec

uniquegifts30The purpose of the wedding gift is to show your appreciation for the happy couple while giving them something that they can use as they start their new lives together. To that end, most people elect to purchase “safe” items instead of gift ideas. They opt for toasters, microwaves, china patterns, blenders or other common household items that are functional, practical and, well, boring.

That is not to say that the happy couple will not appreciate each item, but come on, how excited can you get over a blender, unless it also comes with a book on crushed ice cocktails? The toaster might be used every day for years, but would the happy couple enjoy more something that is related to hobbies they enjoy either individually or together? Nothing against a china pattern or a table setting, they are practical, but how much more fun would it be to buy them gift certificates to a store where they can choose what they want as opposed to need?

In reality, the person who chooses unique gifts over the status quo ones actually has an easier time. The guests choosing the “normal” presents have to consult registries, run a risk of giving a duplicate gift and have to worry about whether or not the couple already has a toaster, blender or coffee maker. The guest who is going the elegant gift ideas route runs little risk that their tokens of appreciation will not be noticed for their stylishness or the fun they provide the couple.

A set of luster ware champagne flute combined with some expensive champagne, both for the couple to enjoy now and then a bottle for six months and year will keep you in their minds all year long and gives them incentive to celebrate milestones. Helping them set up their own bar with a wine gift set, cocktail and wine glasses, shakers and his and her stir sticks along with an assortment of “essential” liquor and wine is a great way to give them something they will use, but might not spend money on. “Just Married” sunglasses with a gift certificate for them to do something on their honeymoon (maybe para-sailing?) is a gift that they both can enjoy and can showcase their commitment.

uniquegifts10Other fantastic wedding gifts can be practical to help the couple out as they start their new lives together. If they are home owners or soon to be home owners, giving them a lawn mower or yard tools will help them avoid the costs associated with new home ownership purchases, which often can sneak up on the checkbook.

Other outdoors inspirations include giving them a gift certificate to a home improvement store or buying garden tools, soil and plants to help them start their first garden together. If they rent or live in an urban area, stackable flower shelves or deck garden boxes will allow them to enjoy nature’s bounty, but not take up valuable space. The garden boxes are also easy to maintain, which means you will not be associated with endless hours of weeding in the hot sun.

You also could focus on practical inside type gifts. A box full of adhesives with various types of glues, tapes and fasteners is always a practical wedding gift as is a box full of high quality office supplies including staplers, pens, pencils and note pads. One suggestion is a book set that covers home repair, cooking and decorating that will come in handy whether they rent or own their own home.

These ideas are fun to assemble and give and are practical for the bride and groom as well as memorable. If you focus on the truly indulgent, such as a day spa gift certificate, you will be remembered fondly not only when they enjoy the experience, but you will also help them feel great. If you focus on the practical, you will be remembered each time one of the items they need is located in your gift assortment. Unique gift ideas do not have to be extravagant or expensive to stick out; they just have to be thoughtful and functional.

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18
Dec

heartplacecardholderBridal showers complete with fun wedding shower themes and practical gifts that commemorate the engagement. Legend has it that a rich young woman wanted to marry a poor man, and her father refused to provide a dowry to express his disapproval. In such a case, if the couple was determined to go forward without the lucrative dowry, their prospects starting their marriage were grim… think macaroni and cheese on paper plates with plastic utensils and only one ox in the barn for at least the first year of marriage!

Luckily, the young couple had friends. These friends got together and presented the young couple with practical gifts that they could use to set up their new home. The legend serves as the foundation for the time honored tradition of feting the bride with a party and showering her in wedding shower gifts.

Whether that is hopeful folklore or something that actually took place is anyone’s guess. The important facet of this folklore is that a group of friends got together to celebrate their friend’s good fortune. The modern wedding shower often includes pampering for all, showering the bride-to-be with gifts and wedding shower themes that that emphasize comfort, luxury and the personality of the featured and honored guest.

If the bride is into hiking, a shower outdoors in a scenic setting might be in order. If she is into surfing, a beach theme might be the thing to do. A formal luncheon is appropriate if the bride to be is a more professional and formal person.

Color is also a possibility for wedding shower themes and/or wedding shower gifts. If the bride-to-be loves the color orange, orange colored party favors and gifts will make the day. A spa themed wedding shower is always a huge hit with all in attendance and with the popularity of day spas just about everyone can find a place to celebrate in luxury within an hour’s drive.

weddingt-shirts1The important thing is that the party celebrates the bride-to-be and the theme reflects her taste. The theme should be integrated and coordinated in a way that gets everyone excited about the get together. It makes no sense to have a beach wedding shower theme if the bride-to-be cannot stand the beach.

Any wedding shower is not complete without party bags, loot bags or little take home gifts for the attendees. These should be simple, inexpensive and fun little shower favors that are in keeping with the wedding shower theme. The key is to integrate the bride-to-be and her tastes with the overall theme of the shower.

For instance, if the person in question has a penchant for wine, consider making one of the favors a wine stopper. If she greatly enjoys little mementos, consider giving all the guests diamond favor/place cards or magnet backed aluminum heart photo frames. Your decorations should also mirror your wedding shower theme as well.

Consider personalized napkins that commemorate either the wedding shower or the bride and groom. Another popular decoration if your wedding shower theme is more formal are flower bouquets for tables or candle holders that each guest can take home. Wedding shower themes, decorations and favors are easy to integrate if you tie together the overall wedding shower theme with your featured guests and her likes and dislikes.

Wedding Shower Favors

Wedding Shower Favors

Finally, there is the issue of spouses and boyfriends. For many years, wedding showers meant the groom could kick back and enjoy an afternoon to himself. Today, co-ed showers are popular as are showers that celebrate both the bride and groom. Remember, however, that any “mutual approach” sacrifices the concept of the “girls getting together” and takes on a more “party” approach, instead of the ambiance of a ladies afternoon luncheon.

With a little planning and thought, your wedding shower theme can integrate candle wedding favors and theme decorations, and perfectly portray the overall mood you want for the event. Most of all, wedding shower themes should celebrate the bride-to-be. A well planned bridal shower is one of the critical steps to making “her day” memorable, fun and something to talk about for years to come.

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17
Dec

weddingdecorWedding decorations set the tone for your special day. You both choose a theme based on your unique preferences and reflect your idea in all your wedding decorations to create a professional feeling throughout your wedding ceremony and reception. Creative wedding decorations get all your guests in the mood to celebrate along with you on your very special day.

Make a master list for your decor ideas so you remember to light up every aspect of your day. At the ceremony, you will want flowers in all the areas you accompany. Attractive decorations may be used to guide your guests. Pew markers direct everyone at church weddings. Special wedding signs lead your guests to a particular hall or chapel for the ceremony to minimize confusion.

During the ceremony, a variety of wedding decorations adds to the spirit. Use bows and ribbons to decorate the seats and aisles. Choose themed accessories for your wedding ceremony to highlight all the special moments. Your ring bearer carries a luxurious, decorative pillow with your wedding rings to spotlight that exchange. The flower girl carries a specially decorated basket with flowers for the bride.

You may decide to have a unity ceremony with candles or sand. A unity ceremony can express the joy of joining two people as one or the pleasure of blending families when a couple gets married. These ceremonies are performed after the happy couple exchanges their wedding vows. The monogrammed unity ceremony candle or colorful sand-filled unity vase becomes a keepsake of the day that truly represents you union.

When the ceremony ends and you run out to your limo or getaway vehicle, give out champagne bubbles to all your guests to blow at both of you. Many facilities do not allow confetti so bubbles are a fun way to express enthusiasm for the happy couple as they leave to go to the wedding reception. It feels so festive to run out into a sea of bubbles after you get married.

At the wedding reception, there are many decoration ideas to consider. The decorations you choose for your wedding reception bring your guests into the theme of the day. Your location will also dictate the type of wedding ideas you choose. From formal to casual, wedding decorations get the party started for everyone.

weddingdecor9Your tables need centerpieces for your guests to look at while they wait for the meal or sip their drinks. Attractive centerpieces are creative without being overbearing or blocking the view of other guests. Create interest with square vases in different sizes with silk or real flowers. Use diamond lights in the water to illuminate the table and add intrigue to the arrangement. Use functional centerpieces such as heart shaped plates filled with candies or mints. Include table numbers, place cards and napkin holders for professional-looking wedding reception tables. Guest gifts are placed as favors next to each seat as keepsakes for everyone attending your wedding.

Other great ideas to add to your table include decorative luminaries, candles and tea lights to create a romantic glow. Sprinkle heart-shaped confetti on your guest book table and put out a fancy pen for everyone to use. Remember to choose wedding decorations for all the ceremonies during your reception including a toasting set, bridal garter, cake serving set and cake topper. Themed wedding decorations make your photos and videos even more fabulous.

After your wedding reception, you will both head for the getaway car to go on your honeymoon and start married life together. The honeymoon getaway vehicle should be decorated to show off your just married status to the world. Display a just married license plate and decorate your windows with removable liquid chalk so you can write your names with hearts. Tie pom-poms to the car instead of tin cans. Make sure your getaway vehicle shouts out your just married status to keep the good feeling going all the way to your honeymoon.

Wedding decorations are part of every aspect of your special day. Choose decorating concepts to add to the fun as treasured keepsakes of the love you share. Displaying these ideas at your reception and at home after the party ends is a constant reminder of your forever love.

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15
Dec

weddingplacecardsNot only do wedding place card holders help your guests find their seats but they make great favors, too. Why don’t you give your guests something to remember your wedding celebration with in the form of a multi use place card holder in many beautiful designs.

A place card holder makes a wonderful little table guest gift. Although its main purpose is to hold a guest name card and assist in helping your guests to find their places, these wedding table decorations also set an elegant tone to your wedding.

Your guests will love finding a keepsake waiting for them, as a place card holder is usually left as a gift for the guest to bring home. These wonderful gifts come in a variety of shapes and sizes from classical picture frame shapes to contemporary shapes such as irregular neon frames and so on. It is actually purely up to individual choice and budget; depending on the wedding theme you choose there are always a variety of  designs out there to suit the tone and setting of the wedding.

You would have to take into account a few aspects when selecting your momento. The theme of the wedding dinner plays a major role in this selection. As a rule of the thumb, a more formal reception requires a more ornate holder but for simpler less formal one then wider choice is available according to the theme. The color of your décor is another aspect to consider as the favors should match your décor. One way is to use the place card holder as the keepsake box. This adds a personal touch to each keepsake.

placecardholdersLast but most importantly, it is advisable to make your choice which is suited to your budget. There is no need to overspend as there are plenty of great looking designs out there to meet your needs. These gifts are meant to add joy to a wedding dinner without creating financial constraints for the host

When all is said and done it is certain that your guests will be appreciative of any keepsake of the wedding regardless of cost. It is of course the thought that counts and it is good enough that you spared a though to give your guests a gift.

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