Saturday, February 6, 2010

Planning A Renaissance Themed Wedding

One of the most romantic weddings you can plan is a Renaissance themed wedding reception. Many children envision a Fairy Tale Wedding and these themed ceremonies can fulfill those childhood fantasies. There are many places across the nation that host such wedding receptions and it will surely be a reception that your guests will be talking about for years to come.

First of all you must find a venue to host your wedding and the first place to look is going to be places that host Renaissance Fairs. These theme parks often host this type of wedding and offer themed atmospheres complete with wench servants and medieval style catering to add that authentic feel to your reception.

There are several large theme parks across the nation. One of the biggest and best theme parks is going to be the Texas Renaissance Festival located in Plantersville, Texas just North of Houston. They offer all amenities and even provide the wedding cake.

Another venue is The Kansas City Renaissance Festival. At this venue your union is announced while you march in the King's Parade along with King Henry the 8th and Queen Anne. The ceremony takes place in the Chapel of Blessed Mercy which is a replica of a 16th century chapel in Canterbury, England.

Another great venue that hosts these themed weddings is the Connecticut Renaissance Faire. This venue hosts the ceremony in a beautiful scenic area in the faire set aside exclusively for weddings which gives the truly romantic medieval setting for your union. The ceremony can be roped off for only your guests or it can be open to other faire patrons who gladly watch from the sidelines enjoying the festivities.

Next comes the fun part; picking out your wedding dress. Most Renaissance wedding dresses are beautiful flowing gowns with flowery wreaths and sometimes colorful hats with flowing veils reminiscent of a fairy princess. Another flair could be the medieval dress with leather bodice and a cloak with a hood. You can also decide on whether you want to dress like peasants or Royalty, but the look of Royalty is always more flashy and gives more of a sense of awe. A Scottish style dress can be very attractive as well and most feature a flowing white dress underneath with a plaid layered dress over the top.

Dressing the groom can also be a fun part of planning the reception and there are many styles to choose from but the style should of course match the bride, whether the theme is peasant, nobility, Scottish or royalty.

When planning your Renaissance wedding, the surest way to guarantee the atmosphere you're looking for as well as making it easy to plan catering is to use one of the local Renaissance Faire Theme parks that handle all the amenities. Then all that is left is deciding on attire and you are on the road to fulfilling your childhood dreams of the ultimate Fairy Tale Wedding!

Where To Buy Your Wedding Dress

The first things brides-to-be do when they get engaged is think about the wedding dress. We all want to look breathtaking on our wedding day and the dress seems to be the most important factor. There are so many options, styles and different prizes when it comes to Wedding Dresses & Bridal Gowns and it can be very overwhelming in the beginning. It is therefore very important to ask yourself a few questions before running to the nearest boutique.

The theme, style, season and venue will play a big role in the selection of your dress.

Another thing to decide on is whether you're going to buy your dress in a Bridal Boutique or Online. A few years ago, there wasn't even an option, as it was very risky to buy a wedding dress online. But not everyone lives in a big city with a lot of dress options and buying online has never been easier.
Buying a dress in a Boutique:

Advantages:

* Professional help fitting the dress: Bridal Boutiques usually have qualified people that work with brides everyday. They know body types and what would suite your figure the best.
* Fit your favorite dresses: In a boutique, you’ll be able to try on a few dresses, which will give you a good idea of what style of dress fits you best.
* Get good help and advise about your Accessories: When you buy a dress in a boutique, you can be sure to get the best advise about your bridal accessories and lingerie. They will know all the secrets about good undergarments and can give you ideas for your jewelry, veil and tiara. Most of the time you can even buy these accessories at the same boutique.

Disadvantages:

* Pay to try on a few dresses: Most of the time, you will have to pay an amount to fit a few dresses. And there is usually a 3-5 fit limit per appointment.
* Expensive choice: Dresses bought in a Bridal Boutique can be much more expensive than the ones you get online.
* View and fit only with an appointment: You will have to make an appointment to fit wedding dresses. You sometimes need an appointment just to enter the premises. The working brides-to-be will have to make appointments for the weekends which are also their busiest time.
* You might miss out on the dress of your dreams: It can be very overwhelming to see rows and rows of dresses on hangers. It is very difficult to brows through gown pressed together on a rail and then imagining your body in them.

Buying a wedding dress Online:

Advantages:

* Save hundreds of dollars: Online Wedding dresses are usually a lot cheaper to buy. You can sometimes buy two or three dresses online for the prize of one boutique dress.
* Variety: You can see a huge variety with the click of a button.
* Any time or day: You can go online and view or buy a dress any time or day and the delivery time is usually quick.
* Real picture of the dress: You can see the dress on an actual person, even though it’s just a photo.
* Exchange and Alterations: Most of the online stores will give you the opportunity to exchange or make alterations if you are not satisfied.

Disadvantages:

* Quality risk: You can’t always get an accurate idea of the quality of the dress and the fabric it’s made of from just viewing it on your computer.

Wedding Favour Bags – 5 Ideas For Filling Wedding Favour Bags On A Budget

Wedding favour bags are available in an array of colours, styles and materials. They can look really great on a wedding table and can add a touch of colour to compliment your wedding theme and your choice of wedding table decorations. They are also a great option if you are on a tight budget, but still want to provide wedding favours for your guests that will look elegant. So if you have decided to use wedding favour bags, you just need to decide what to fill them with! I have outlined some ideas for you in this article that might just provide a little inspiration.

Idea 1

Confectionery – There are many options to choose from including the traditional sugared almonds, chocolate truffles , candy coated chocolate hearts, retro sweets, jelly beans and more. Organza bags can be easily filled with the confectionary of your choice and you can also easily provide separate favours for adults and children.

Idea 2

Miniature Drinks – You may choose to provide a miniature bottle of Bailey’s, Brandy, Whiskey or indeed another tipple of your choice for your guests and present them in wedding favour bags.

Idea 3

Candles – small votive candles or floating candles can be nicely presented in wedding favour bags. You can always add a little confetti or some crystals to your bag for added impact.

Idea 4

Homemade Cookies – If you are a whizz in the kitchen or better still if you can find a volunteer who is, you could provide a little bag of miniature biscuits or cookies for your guests. You could choose a traditional shortbread and if you really want to make it special, you can use a heart shaped cookie cutter to shape your cookies and you can dip half the cookie in chocolate. Another idea would be to create Bride and Groom Gingerbread figures.

Idea 5

You could create a small scroll with a poem, a quote or perhaps the story of how you met. Whether you choose a style that will bring a tear to your guest’s eyes or a smile to their faces is up to you. You might also like to add one of the above items to the bag also.

There are many, many items you can use to fill wedding favour bags as gifts for your guests. The above is just a small sample of what you can use. The great advantage of using wedding favour bags is that they are budget friendly, easy to assemble, versatile and they will even multitask as both gifts for your guest and wedding table decorations.

Wedding Gifts

The wedding gifts that you give your guests and bridal party
are more important than the gifts that you get at your wedding. People are taking time out of their lives to come celebrate with you or be a part of your big day, and you need to thank them for that. Of course, what types of gifts you choose will depend greatly on who you are giving the gifts to and how much you have to spend on those gifts. You should consider high-end gifts for the bridal party, and nice affordable gifts to use as party favors for your guests. Forget bubbles and mints, because there are tons of other ideas for gifts that will suit your needs much better and appear less over-done.

Gifts for your guests could include anything from customized stemware to personalized towel cakes, which are cakes that are made completely from towels. In favor form, these are usually ‘slices’ of cake or cupcakes, and they can be a cute idea to thank people and help to commemorate your big day. Keep in mind that you should find things that are useful and that people won’t just toss out because they are taking up space, or toss in a drawer somewhere and forget about. There are so many different favors and gifts to choose from, and you can find many ideas online that you might not have thought of on your own.

Choosing wedding gifts and favors might seem like the least of your worries. While it is less significant than other aspects of your wedding planning, it is still something that you need to take seriously because this will make an impact on your guests. If you don’t show them how much you appreciate them by getting nice wedding favors, you will likely make a bad impression. You don’t want to do that. After all, these are the people who took time out of their lives to come together and help celebrate your big day. They deserve a little thanks for that, to say the least.

Choosing the best favors and gifts might seem difficult, because you want to get nice things without spending a fortune. However, you should have very little trouble finding the best wedding favors for your needs, and you might even be surprised at the budget-friendly prices that you’ll often find. Whether you want fun wedding gifts or something more high-class, you can find just about anything if you take the time to look.

Top Tips For Choosing An Emerald Engagement Ring

There are many unique and beautiful rings available when a person is planning a marriage. Choosing the perfect ring can be difficult when you are trying to find the ring that will reflect your personality and style. The emerald engagement ring is a unique and beautiful stone, that will is the perfect tool for giving you a distinct and signature look throughout your married life.

There are many types of engagement rings made. Some of these rings are designed to incorporate different gemstones including diamonds, emeralds, and rubies. An individual who is looking for a unique ring will often find that a unique style and can be difficult. One reason, it is that many rings are designed and manufactured en masse and are not intrinsically unique.

Having a ring created and designed by an artist with a distinct eye for creativity, will give you an opportunity to select the perfect engagement ring to complement your relationship. The size of the ring may vary, and may be dependent on the budget of the person purchasing it. However, when a person decides to select a ring that is unique, beautiful, and unusual, they often find that getting an affordable ring is much easier than they anticipated.

The characteristics of the emerald engagement ring, give a classic elegance to any style. A person who wants a modern design in their weddings set, will find that the emerald is a beautiful stone that complements modern or classic designs.

When choosing the design of your ring, it will be important to take into consideration how you normally wear rings. If you are an individual who works with their hands, or might get their ring caught on equipment, clothing, or other items, a ring that has an inset stone will be a more viable choice.

Some people select rings that have a solitary stone, set high on the band. These rings, while beautiful, often get caught on clothing or other objects if a person works in an industry where they will be using their hands. Having an inlaid emerald placed in a ring protects prongs holding the ring, and gives it an added layer of protection from damage.

In many cases the emerald will be paired with another stone such as a diamond, which can create a fabulous setting when it is attached to a wedding ring. In many cases, people will incorporate the emerald in both the engagement ring and wedding band to create a seamless and continuous look in the entire set.

When you are looking for an emerald engagement ring that is reflects your personality and style, it will be important to talk to a professional jeweler who has the knowledge and expertise needed to provide you with information that will be important in your selection process. You decision will include your requirements for wearing the ring, the style of the ring and the design that you want your ring to embody.

In many cases when a person selects an emerald ring, it is because they have an affinity for the beautiful rich color that is captured in this marvelous stone. Creating a themed wedding around the color of a an engagement ring makes it very easy to utilize this wonderful color with one that complements it. By pairing the emerald green with another color, the result can be a spectacular display at a wedding event.

When making the purchase of the ring, it is always a good idea to simultaneously purchase ear rings, bracelets, and other accessories cut from the same stone or from the same location. This creation of a timeless keepsake makes the entire set a valuable memory that can be passed on through generations.

Emeralds are cut in much the same way as diamonds. This stone is comparatively hard, but must be maintained properly to retain it’s splendor. It is important that the stone be pretreated to avoid scratches and damage. When participating in rigorous sports, it will be important that the ring be protected.

When purchasing the ring in a princess cut, there will be edges around the facets. This is a beautiful cut for an emerald, however it will be important that the edges are protected by the design of the ring. The emerald cut engagement ring gives an individual the opportunity to be creative in their design as well as protective of the stone. When properly maintained the emerald will last throughout a lifetime.

When purchasing the an emerald engagement ring, setting up a maintenance plan to have the ring cleaned, checked and repaired when necessary will be an excellent idea. Once the ring has been purchased, it will be important to maintain it as you would any valuable. Insurance is always a good idea with buying jewelry, and you will want to keep it in a well protected area when it is not being worn.

Wedding Shower Favors

Wedding shower favors don’t have to be cheap little trinkets that are going to get lost or forgotten in just a few weeks. They are a gesture of your appreciation, but today’s brides understand that these favors have more significance than ever before. The wedding day has become the wedding month, and the wedding shower is almost as important as the actual wedding itself. Therefore, the gifts given to guests at this event need to speak of the importance of this day and not minimize its importance.

Candy and flowers are still nice ideas for shower gifts today, but only in addition to something a little more special or noteworthy. This is a major event and the variety of favors that are available allow you to provide high-quality gifts to all of your guests, no matter what you’re interested in giving. You can find great packaging for different favors, along with many favors that are 10 times more luxurious and appreciated than candy or flowers, but without a much bigger expense. The favors should be as sophisticated or whimsical as the event itself, which is why you are fortunate that you have access to so many options.

Wedding shower favors can include anything from flatware, glassware, and other useful items to decorative picture frames and commemorative gifts that people will want to keep. Make sure that your gifts are either practical or high-end accessories and decorative items, because they might get thrown away if they are not useful or seem to just cause clutter and get in the way. Satin purses, wine glasses, bottle openers, vases, keepsake boxes, and other similar items are much better options for today’s showers than they might have been in years past.

Think about your wedding theme, if you have one, when planning your favors for the wedding or bridal shower. It helps if you can tie the entire wedding event list together with similar items so that people can keep track of which wedding they attended based on the items that they received. Brides often include a nice card with a personal message on the gifts, but this is not required. If you choose the best favors that you can find for your specific theme, costs, or style, you will likely find people will hang on to the items for much longer and remember your special day for years to come. Wedding shower favors don’t have to be expensive, but they do have to be memorable so that they don’t wind up in the trash.

Wedding Favours – 5 Steps To Choosing The Perfect Wedding Favours

Choosing the perfect wedding favours for your guests can be a daunting task. There are so many options available these days that if you like shopping and browsing online you could literally spend days looking at all the many choices of wedding favours on the market. I would advise you to take a little time out before you start looking for the perfect gifts for your wedding guests and consider a few things that will help narrow your search, save you time and ensure that you find exactly what you are looking for.

One

Before you begin looking for your wedding favours, it is often useful to decide whether you are looking for something that will compliment your wedding colours and theme or whether you would like your favours to reflect your personality or interests as a couple.

Two

Some brides choose to make their own favours whether from a budget, creative or personal perspective. If you decide in advance whether you wish to make your own favours or prefer to source something that is ready made for your guests, this will narrow your search.

Three

It is important to decide on your budget for favours before you start sourcing them. This will prevent you getting distracted by all the beautiful items you will see but that may not fit your budget. If you decide on your budget and commit to sticking to it, you also won’t have any dilemmas about whether an item you see is too extravagant - if you like it and it is within your budget you can have it, if it is not you just need to move on.

Four

When designing your wedding table decorations, decide how your favours will fit in to the overall look of the table. Some favours can become an integral part of the table decoration while others will compliment your chosen design scheme.

Five

Think about what type of gift you would like to give to your guests. Would you like to provide the traditional and popular confectionary favours or perhaps something more modern and practical. You may also decide to choose a romantic, keepsake of your day.

If you spend just a few minutes deciding on the above items before you begin searching through the many options of wedding favours available to you, you will save yourself a significant amount of time and are more likely to find the perfect wedding favours for your guests.

Wedding Theme Favors For The "brides"" Maids"

If you have planned for a themed wedding them some wedding theme favors are in order. Literally speaking the Bridesmaids are in fact the "Brides" "Maids".

They have stuck by you through all the planning, anguish, frustration, happiness, ran all over town with you, attended your bridal shower, bought you a gift and even agreed to wear those lime green, puffy sleeved, hillbilly prom dresses that you picked out. I think you owe them something a little special, wouldn't you agree?

With your special day just around the corner, it is time that you have a plan as to what kind of wedding theme
favors you are going to get for your wedding party and guests. I am sure that you are up to your eyebrows in (oh and speaking of eyebrows, don't forget to add a tweezing to your list, a Bride with bushy eyebrows just isn't pretty) schedules, fittings, tasting and rehearsals but you need get something special for your Maids, I mean Bridesmaids.

First, you will need to know who you will be getting wedding favors for. For example, the norm would be your bridal party (Bridesmaids) the Groomsmen, Parents, Brothers and Sisters and of course something for your guests to take away with them to remember your beautiful event.

Once you have your list then deciding what you will be getting for each is something that needs some careful selecting. First and foremost, you’re Bridesmaids. Bridesmaids usually consist of close friends, co-workers, cousins and sisters.

When choosing your Bridesmaids wedding theme favors, know whether you would like a favor that can be consumed or something for them to treasure. The choice is yours and there are many things to choose from in either category.

There are websites that can give you plenty of options to choose from. For example, if you planned to have a beach themed wedding, you can get some star fish or beach shells wine bottle charms. There are also Gourmet chocolates in the shape of beach shells etc. with your names and wedding date engraved on the wrappers.

If your having a summer wedding you can get personalized Ice Cream cone Towels or even some customized Gourmet Coffee. Keep in mind again, that your gifts or favors, that you give your Bridesmaids should be special and you may even want to personalize each with a handwritten note or something that gives a unique message specifically to you and the individual Bridesmaid.

Most of these ideas can be purchased for under a few dollars which wont put a huge dent in your pocket book. Keep it simple yet meaningful. With millions of couples getting married every year finding those Unique or one-of-a-kind, wedding theme favors, should not be a difficult task for you to accomplish quickly and easily.

Congratulations on your Special day make it a memorable one.

How To Choose Informal Wedding Dresses

Having a wedding abruptly always gets us in a rush to find a wedding dress for the occasion. Remember, there are many different informal wedding dresses
on the market. You have many choices when choosing a wedding dress as well. And you can find the best informal wedding dresses for your needs.

There are many retailers that specialize in cheap wedding dresses. And you can find quite a variety of cheap wedding dresses. If that fails, you should certainly never feel as though you are at a loss or as though there is nothing available for you to choose from, because this is certainly completely untrue.

If you are finding it hard to find an informal wedding dress store near you, you could ask friends and family or do a search on Google. This will likely bring you a lot of places that sell cheap wedding dresses. Some other things to consider when purchasing an informal wedding dress online, is to look at how long it takes for delivery, and also if they will deliver the informal wedding dress to where your location.

There are many places online that have cheap wedding dresses, and if one online informal wedding dress store does not have an informal wedding dress that you like, you can always check other sites to find the best informal wedding dress for the upcoming wedding. It is a good idea to look at several places before deciding to buy an informal wedding dress online or in a wedding retail store.

The Art Of Creating Unique Bridal Shower Wedding Favor For Your Guests

To be a good wedding planner, you need to be very creative and resourceful. Remember that each client in unique and they should be treated differently. This means that every bride need unique bridal shower wedding favors and wedding shower favor tags that shows her personality. Yes, coming up with unique bridal shower wedding favors that show the personality of the bride can be a lot of hard work but if you want to be one of the top wedding planners in your area, you just have to put in a few extra hours on that bridal shower wedding favor.

Choosing The Right Bridal Shower Wedding Favors

Some clients will demand that you present to them several bridal shower wedding favors that they can choose from. When this happens, you should be prepared to present at least three bridal shower wedding favors that may be suitable for the bride. To help you come up with different bridal shower wedding favor idea, you need to first get to know the bride better. Talk to the bride and ask her to tell you how she sees herself and what she wants people to see in her.

It may not be easy to get these types of information out from the bride so you have to be patient. Aside from talking to the bride, you may also get a sense of her personality by taking a peek at the things that she keeps in her closet. The things that women keep in their closets tell a lot about them. Looking at the kind of clothes and stuff that a woman keeps in her closet will give you an idea of her sense of style and taste.

Aside from talking to your client and peeking at her closet, you can learn about her personality by observing the way she interacts with her friends and family members. To do this, you need to spend sometime with your client and her friends. Yes, it is alright to socialize with your client and her friends. Just make sure that you remain professional and do your job while doing a little chit-chat.

Once you have an idea of the personality of your client, you may not start hunting for bridal shower wedding favors that suits her taste and style. Visit your favorite specialty shop. Pick at least three bridal shower wedding favors and then present them to your client and ask her to choose which one she likes. Do not place an order for bridal shower wedding favors until your client said that it is alright for you to place the order.

Points On How To Select Unique Personalized Wedding Favor Tags

Personalized wedding favor tags are without a doubt one of the best ways of adding a personal touch to wedding favors. In fact, if you want your wedding favors to be special and unique, adding personalized wedding favor tags is your best option because not only will your wedding favor be appreciated by the recipient, but they will also stand out from the ordinary run of the mill wedding favors.

Fond Memories

Personalized wedding favor tags will certainly help ensure that when wedding guests take home their wedding favors they will immediately have fond memories of the special occasion. What's more, the fact that your wedding favors were truly unique and nice will only make the guests feel even more appreciative of the wedding favor.

There are many different choices available when it comes to picking the right personalized wedding favor tags. For example, you can choose tags that are heart shaped or those that are round and even those that are diamond shaped. Once you have selected the shape of your intended personalized wedding favor tags you then need to think about a suitable design.

Among the different design options to choose from you should look at cupids, cosmopolitan, Grecian, classical, Victorian, contemporary and baroque as well as gardens. Once you have decided on a particular design for your personalized wedding favor tags you will then need to select an appropriate color. Among the different colors worth checking out don't miss out on reds, blues, pale yellows, periwinkles, burgundy, light blues, ballet pinks, lavenders, pinks, hot pinks, sage, pearl grays, mint, and deep lilacs as too corals.

Now, after having chosen the shapes, designs and colors of your personalized wedding favor tags you will then need add dates as well as your name and that of your partner in life. Once you have attended to these details you can be sure that your personalized wedding favor tags will look more special and will prove to be an ideal way of commemorating that very special day in your life. It is also possible to use personalized wedding favor tags that are available for free or those that are sold at hugely discounted rates.

Personalized ribbons for wedding favors are an excellent means of decorating your wedding favors; especially those that are made from satin. With so many options you need to stop procrastinating and do something about using special personalized wedding favor tags to make your wedding favors stand out, be appreciated and be reminders of a very special day in your life.

Wedding Shower- Planning And Ideas

The wedding shower has gone from being a small, informal affair to being a part of the entire wedding celebration, which usually takes place over the course of a month. Before this is planned, there will be the engagement party and then the planning of the wedding. Your shower will generally be within a month of your wedding, and will allow your family to get together in a more informal setting to commemorate the event. It’s sort of like a congratulatory party before the big day. You will have a reception after the wedding in most cases, but a bridal shower is a must for the sake of wedding traditions.

When you are planning this event, try to make sure that you are able to make the theme similar to your wedding theme. You don’t want to confuse people by having a beach theme for your wedding and then having a high class party theme for your shower. If you keep things similar between the two events, people will be much more likely to remember your special day because it fit together well. There is a lot of planning that goes into a wedding, and the shower is only a small part of that. However, you should make sure that it’s not discounted or taken for granted, either.

Find wedding shower gifts that will show your guests that they are appreciated. Make sure that you provide useful items and customize them when you can so that they will remember your special day forever. Consider kitchen utensils or glassware, as well as household accessories and items that people will be able to use and enjoy for many years. Bubbles, key chains, candy, and flowers are all nice, but they aren’t going to provide any lasting memories because they don’t have the value of nicer gifts.

If you coordinate your wedding with your shower, you will be able to get great deals on decorations and party favors, and often be able to combine the items that you buy. For example, if your wedding theme can be tied in with the colors of your shower, you can often buy one set of decorations and then use part of them for the shower and part of them for the actual wedding or the reception. Strategic planning is the key to pulling off the perfect wedding shower and wedding day without forsaking the importance of the shower.