Rhinestone Buckles Add Inexpensive "Bling"

Your event will be the talk of the town when you embellish your wedding decor with exquisite "High Society" rhinestone buckles!

Sometimes also referred to as rhinestone buckle ribbon slides or sliders, rhinestone wedding buckles are the perfect way to enhance any chair sash, reception table, bridal bouquet or centerpiece. Simply slip your desired ribbon or sash through the rhinestone buckle and tie to you bridal bouquet, or even as a special "bling" touch to your glass centerpiece vases.

They come is several different colors, styles and sizes from 10mm to 50mm and larger. Do remember that bigger is not always better, as the bigger the buckle, the heavier it will be.
Select a size the complements, but does not overwhelm or hang awkwardly. With planning and an eye for detail, you can take your event to the next level with only a few strategically placed pieces and not break the bank.



Visit A Beautiful Table for more info!

I Do Wedding Shoe Appliques

Say "I Do" with your shoes!

These gorgeous "I Do" shoe stickers are so cute!
They affix easily to the bottom of your bridal shoes and are so pretty!  I Do shoe stickers are great fun for your wedding day and will be a hit with your groom!

Show them off in your Getting Ready photos during the wedding, and let them peek out from your hem if you will be kneeling at an altar during the ceremony.

 Get them in blue and incorporate the "Something Blue" wedding tradition into your wedding in an unexpected way. Add this set of "I Do" stickers to your shoe soles and present your wedding guests something they have never seen before.
A simple, inexpensive detail that's fun!

Inexpensive Summer Wedding Flowers

If you are getting married this summer, it’s time to make the final selections for your flowers (if you haven’t already) and to place your order, if you are DIY’ing your own centerpieces and arrangements.

There are so many beautiful flowers that come in a variety of colors and affordable prices, that will compliment your wedding this season.  To help you in your planning, here are some of my favorites…


Dahlia - this flower expresses sentiments of elegance, and symbolizes commitment and a bond that lasts forever. 

 

 Calla Lily – the white color, specifically, signifies the purity of the bride and groom’s heart.

 Spray Roses - this mini rose carries the same meaning as a larger standard rose, however, the meanings vary by color.  Pink represents happiness, elegance, romance, admiration, sweetness and thank you!

 

 Orchid - this “paradise” flower symbolizes love, beauty and strength.

 

 Sunflower - this “flower of summer” represents loyalty and longevity.

Hydrangea - the official 4th anniversary flower symbolizes enduring grace and beauty.

 

 To keep cost down, stick with flowers that are in-season and try to use the same type of flower(s) in all of your arrangements.  This will allow you or your florist to order in bulk.

 

To Trash the Dress or Not?

You can go on You Tube and see lots of videos of brides getting their photos taken jumping into water, rolling in mud or even setting themselves on fire (!) in order to make sure THE dress is a true one of a kind.

It's becoming quite a world-wide phenomenon. There is even mass trashing of the dresses! A large group dress trashing took place on 10-10-10 and the next one will be held on 11-11-11, of course.

So how do you get great trash the dress pictures if you actually want to keep your wedding dress?

Trash the Dress Tips:

1. A professional cleaning service should be able to restore the dress to brand-new quality so you can do what ever you like with it after the shoot.

2. If you are not sure about trashing your own wedding dress, consider buying a cheap dress off the rack.

3. If you want a bouquet, you can pick up one at a local grocery store or make one from silk flowers bought from the local craft store.

4. Bring some props to add a unique touch and that is exactly what you’re looking for.

5. Wear comfortable and contrasting shoes. And, don't be afraid to break out the “bling” as it really adds to your photos.

6. Not sure what to do? Or are you shy? Search Google images for trash the dress photos and print out the ones you like. Your photographer should also be able to walk you through body placement and facial expressions to help you get creative and loosen up.

7. The sun is NOT your friend! The sun will wash out your photos and makes you squint your eyes like crazy. Schedule for an overcast chance of rain day or later in the day as the sun starts to go down.

8. Bring your improv skills and don't be uptight. This shoot is where you want to have fun and NOT do the norm. Relax, be silly, get dirty, goofy and bring out your personality in these photos.

Have fun!!!

How to prevent wedding day disasters

You can be the most prepared bride in the world and still drinks get spilled, buttons pop, heels break, and foreheads get shiny— very shiny. Today we reveal the contents of our tried and true wedding emergency kit. Keep one on hand on your big day and you’ll be ready to deal with any wardrobe malfunction or fashion disaster that might come up.

Believe it or not, the following can all fit into a tiny makeup bag. Most items are inexpensive and available at your standard drug store or dollar store. Pack one for yourself and your bridesmaids. A fully stocked kit makes a fantastic bridal shower gift!

* A tiny mirror… small and portable so you can peek at your look

* A handkerchief… for tears, of course

* Bobby pins and a travel-sized bottle of hairspray… to keep that hairstyle in tact

* A small comb… to smooth back flyaways

* Lipstain… it lasts and won’t get on your teeth

* Band-aids… clear ones, for the inevitable blisters

* A Tide to Go pen… for unforeseen spills

* Blotting papers…for shine-free photos

* Dental floss… also necessary for those photos

* An emory board… to smooth out rough parts on nails that snag delicate dresses

* Krazy Glue… for shoe heels, clothing jewels or other adornments that come off

* Extra pantyhose… in case of a run

* Clear nail polish…in case there’s no time to change stockings

* White chalk… to cover up marks on your gown

* Topstick toupee tape… the best double-sided tape there is

* Extra earring backs… hopefully, you’re wearing screw-ins, but just in case you’re not

* A mini sewing kit… tiny scissors for loose threads, a needle and thread for mending and extra buttons because someone will lose one

* Safety pins… a quick fix for rips

* Travel-size perfume… to keep that great scent all day long

* Mints… think of all those people you need to talk to

* Eye drops… happy tears make for red eyes

* Aspirin… for that annoying headache

* Straws… so you stay hydrated without smearing your lipstick!

Eloping, Not a Stigma Anymore!

Once thought to be a formality used only by troublesome teen couples, eloping has now become a legitimate event for many lovers. It includes not only the traditional form of eloping, where you head down to the local justice of the peace, but now, many couples are tying their knots in many exciting, out-of-the-ordinary ways.

No longer are elopement ceremonies only for the couple lurking off in the night where they find themselves standing alone in a dark hall saying their vows. Elopement ceremonies are now glories affairs, with a few special friends and family, and really just a miniature wedding as opposed to a grand affair with guests who the couple might not even know.

What drives this need for something different? Most couples start with exciting plans of a romantic, enjoyable traditional wedding. They dream up wild ideas for creating a memorable event to start their lives together. And then... reality hits.

Estimates put the average American wedding in the $25,000 to $35,000 range. And since 45% of couples end up paying for their own wedding, this can often mean the difference between having a memorable one day event and having a down payment on a home. Plus, coordinating everything... from photographer, to location, to dates, to relatives, becomes an increasingly painful experience.

In fact, a large portion of elopers, some independent statistics show up to 75%, actually plan their weddings months in advance. This is much different from the common perception of an instant, spontaneous wedding... which is often how we see elopers portrayed on TV and in the media.

If you have hit that point, where you are tired of all the stressful planning, all the schedule juggling, and all the money draining from your account, then maybe it's time to stop. Relax! And think about the other wedding option... eloping.

Whatever you do when you elope, have an amazing day, in a great location, and announce it in style!

It's Your Day, Your Way!

Make your day about the two of you, not about the third party guest lists, not about the most convenient location, and not about a something-for-everyone buffet. It may sound romantic to proclaim your love in front of hundreds of people but how meaningful is it when these people are made up of your mother in law's friends, your partner's boss, your cousin's date, or the neighbors?

Your wedding can be personalized, original, out of the box. Or at the very least, not catered to everyone else besides you. Imagine your own backyard or dream destination as the setting; neither of those are too likely with a full set of RSVP's. Speaking of guests, imagine just the two of you committing your lives to each other in the sanctity of each others company or in front of the few people who mean the most to you. An elopement doesn't have to be totally exclusive; it's just that you actually own the guest list.

There are as many ways to personalize your wedding day as there are ways to get married. Ponder getting married on the top of a beautiful hill, in a cave, in a beautiful southern mansion, on a gorgeous mountain, or at a surprise party in your own home.

So stop the thought of hiring the meat carver when you're both vegetarians. Getting married is surely one of the best days in your life. Make it the day you want and not the day that your mother in law, parents, bridesmaids, buffet zombie guests, and last but not least, the wedding industry insist upon.

Unusal Wedding Chapels!

I love unusual wedding chapels! I wouldn't want to get married in one, I probably wouldn't recommend them to my clients, but oh how they make me smile!

How about an Inflatable Church?
Visit: www.inflatablechurch.com


Or maybe you'd like the chapel to come to you?
Visit: www.bestweddingchapel.com


Perhaps you'd rather get married in a floating chapel? This is a whole new view of getting married at the beach! Visit: www.weddingsonwater.com

These are great, innovative ideas for the couple who wants to have a wedding ceremony that's non-traditional, and bordering on wacky. As I tell all of my clients, there are no rules to the perfect ceremony. This is your wedding, have fun!

Trends & Traditions

New wedding themes will also emerge in 2010. Thanks in part to Vera Wang’s 2009 classical design of Ivanka Trump’s dress, I believe we will start to see fewer strapless gowns and more creative accents like feathers. "The stuffy by-the-rule-book wedding of years past has completely vanished. There is a woman in white, music, food, cake and vows - but every other aspect of the American wedding has been reconsidered," reports BRIDES Magazine New American Wedding Survey. Here are some additional statistics from the survey related to emerging wedding trends:
• Fewer than half of weddings take place in a house of worship.
• 20% of couples have a friend or relative deputized to perform the ceremony.
• 13% of receptions feature music via iPod.
• Couples going with live bands are hiring specialty bands such as salsa, R&B and Polka.
• Over 1/4 of couples plan their weddings around a theme.
• 97% of grooms get involved with the planning.
• Soul-food and Mexican are the new go-to wedding cuisines.

Despite the surge in new wedding trends, many old traditions will still live on throughout the next decade. BRIDES Magazine New American Wedding Survey also reported:
• 76% will have a large wedding with all the traditions.
• 87% of women will wear a long white dress.
• 93% will indulge in a cake-cutting ceremony.
• 75% of brides will toss the bouquet and just under that amount will share a father/daughter dance.

Rose Ice Cubes

For a truly romantic evening, whether it’s for Valentine’s Day or an anniversary, show your love with this wine bucket filled with roses encased in ice. They’ll melt any heart.

Is it edible?
Most roses are indeed edible. However, many growers use pesticides on the roses, so avoid putting these ice cubes in drinks unless you’re sure there were no chemicals used. Just use the ice to cool the wine or champagne bottle.

What you’ll need:
(per ice tray)
12 spray roses (the small ones)
12 twist ties
2 wooden skewers
1 ice tray
Floral tape

1. To keep the roses submerged in the ice trays, we have to build a framework that will weigh them down. Cut the spray roses, leaving about 2 inches of stem, and use twist ties to attach the stems to the skewers.

2. Place the roses, which are attached to the skewers, upside down in their individual ice compartments of the tray.

3. Tape down the skewers at the ends of the ice tray to keep everything from floating when you add water. Your ice tray should look like the one in the photo.

4. Add water to the ice tray and freeze overnight.

From www.jonathanfongstyle.com

Why Wedding Favors?

The history of wedding favors is a long and amazing one. After all, everyone knows what a wedding favor is. If you have ever been a guest at a wedding, you more than likely left with some kind of wedding gift or keepsake. This is known as a favor.

Back in the day (which in this case means many centuries ago), in places like Italy and France, people who were having a wedding would send their guests home with a small gift that was (in that day) called a Bonbonniere. However,it's very important to note that at that time these where not just given out at weddings. They were given out at almost any kind of celebration that you invited people to, like a birthday party. Now, what a Bonbonniere really was, was a favor box that was made out of something like crystal or some kind of stone, and inside you would find great things that were usually made out of sugar. It's very easy to see how wedding favor ideas were derived from these gift wrapped boxes.

So why was the Bonbonniere given out in the first place? Well, things like weddings (back in the day) were considered lucky. The thought was that if the bride and groom would pass out gifts to the guests, it would somehow include them in the luck as well. Back then, the most common type of wedding favors that were given out were actually five pieces of sugar coated almonds. These almonds were supposed to show luck for wealth, happiness, fertility, health, and a long life.
At many weddings this tradition is kept alive as being one of the best wedding favor ideas.

Green bride exquisite and eco friendly!

Deborah Lindquist is a designer of beautiful eco friendly wedding gowns.
After showing one wedding dress during a fashion show a few seasons back Deborah received such an overwhelmingly positive response, she decide to start a “green” wedding collection. The collection is bursting with couture inspired gowns, chic column skirts, bustier tops and cashmere shrugs & sweaters. The simple yet intricate construction of the Vintage Lace Bustier and matching skirt are perfect for any type of wedding, from beachside nuptials to traditional church ceremonies. For the bride-to-be looking to make an unforgettable impression, the Organic Linen Dress embellished with billowing rosettes is sure to make a statement sauntering down the aisle.
For more information visit: www.deborahlindquist.com

Green Weddings: Are Your Rings Earth-Friendly and Conflict-Free?

As if buying a diamond wasn't tough enough on your wallet -- there's also your conscience to consider. Though outcry about "blood diamonds" (ones whose trade yields profits for warfare in unsettled regions) and environmentally poor mining practices has led many jewelers to adopt higher standards, it's still smart to do some homework.

Other Alternatives:
Consider wood. Yes, wood! This is for the true green heart. If you still want your piece to sparkle, artist Gustav Reyes' designs include braided silver and eco-friendly diamonds set in a wooden base.

All the material used to make these rings had a previous noble life before their transformation to a new life of beauty. Every ring is handcrafted to bring out the warmth and honesty of the wood. The artist endeavors to maintain the original spirit of any wood that offers itself to evolve into something new such as a wedding ring, anniversary ring or just simply a celebration of nature ring.
For more information visit: www.simplywoodrings.com

Wedding Cake Topper Take the Cake!

Wedding cake toppers have a rich cultural history, which can be traced back to the late 19th century. While toppers became wildly popular in the mid-20th century, most cultural historians agree that they first hit the social scene in the late 19th century.

Original wedding cake toppers featured a bride and groom in various poses. These were removed and saved as treasured mementos of the wedding ceremony by the bride and groom. As cake toppers became more en vogue in the 1900s, variations on the bride and groom theme began to expand. Options that became widely acceptable were silver bells, love birds, doves, cherubs, cupids, etc. As varied as the style, the materials from which wedding cake toppers are made run the gamut.

Nowadays, couples have a range of options from which to choose. The variety of custom and personalized wedding cake toppers is simply astounding. They come in every theme, shape, size and color imaginable.

3 Ideas for Selecting Unique Wedding Cake Toppers:

So, how do you choose a unique topper?
1) Think about the couple getting married. Are they sports fanatics?
Choose a wedding cake topper with the bride and groom dressed in baseball attire - instead of the traditional wedding dress and tuxedo.

2) Another way to choose unique wedding cake toppers is to highlight a couple's future plans.
For example, do they have a dream of sailing around the world? Cake toppers of sailboats and sea maps would illustrate this dream perfectly.

3) Many couples often overcome difficulty before getting married.
Choosing unique wedding cake toppers that highlight the adversity a couple has overcome can not only add to the festivities, but remind the couple of what brought them to this point.

Whatever you choose to grace the top of your cake, make sure it's a reflection of you as a couple. After all, you'll be keeping it forever right?

Bridal Mehndi

Mehndi is the applying of a temporary form of skin decoration that is also known as a henna tattoo. It is applied during special occasions such as weddings or festivals. Usually it is put on your hands or feet and can last for a couple weeks.

The History of Mehndi:
If you have ever been to an Indian wedding you have probably seen brides wearing the “henna tattoos”. Mehndi is a timeless tradition that goes way back. In the Indian culture it is an important ritual that symbolizes beauty and is acquired for all ceremonial occasions, such as weddings. It is an essential part of the wedding ceremony and brings good luck in the couple’s years to come together. It shows glamour and adds mystery to the bride’s appearance on the wedding day.
Mehndi is made from the henna plant, or lawsonia inermis, the leaves from the henna plant are finely ground and is mixed with lemon juice and oil. The mehndi is only temporary and when washed off shows an orangish-brown color. It is completely safe and painless and has been used for over 5000 years. This art is now popular all around the world.

Importance and Designs:
Henna or Mehndi has a deeper meaning than just a temporary tattoo. One of the celebratory nights of a South Asian wedding is the “Mehndi Party”. All the relatives and friends of the bride come over to the bride’s house to get henna done on them, just small designs. As the bride gets intricate henna on her hands and feet she is informed of the marriage life and the mysteries of it. Not only does the Mehndi look gorgeous on a bride’s hands and feet, but it compliments the beautiful colors and shine that Indian Wedding & Bridal Outfits consist of.

In the design of the mehndi, the groom’s name is usually added upon the brides’ design where his name is to be found by the bride or couple. Each design is very intricate and usually covers up the entire hand. It takes a couple of hours for each mehndi to be completed depending on how detailed it is.

Tips for Brides:
* Plan your Henna Night two days before your wedding. It takes around 24 hours for your mehndi to reach its best color.
* If you have a lot of guests arriving, make sure to start your mehndi at least 3 hours ahead of time.
* Get all your pre- bridal beauty work done before so that nothing will get ruined.
* It takes around 15 to 20 minutes for your mehndi to dry. Once dried, you need to apply lemon sugar solution to help enhance the color. It will start crusting off after a few hours leaving an orange stain to your hands. Keep it away from water for about 10 hours to help last longer and it should last around 2 to 3 weeks.

Mehndi is a great way to bring your relatives and family together a few days before the wedding to enjoy each other’s company and have fun while getting hennas. It is a very unique idea added into the wedding ceremony and can be used for any type of wedding.

The Knot Wedding Dress Look Book on iPhone!

Obsessed with finding the perfect wedding dress? Of course you are. Now you can browse dresses whenever you want! Download Wedding Dress Look Book, our new (free!) iPhone app, and look through hundreds of new wedding dress photos, no matter where you are. You'll also get listings of wedding dress salons that carry dresses you've been dying to try on. Search dresses (by style, shape, and price), and bookmark your favorites for later. It's the new go-to app for wedding dress shopping. Need we say more?

About Wedding Dress Look Book...
Think of it as your on-the-go source for wedding dress shopping on your iPhone from TheKnot.com -- from wedding dress suggestions, customized to your body type and wedding style, to the bridal salons in your area that carry your favorite designs. With our app, you can:

* Get suggested wedding dress search results based on your body type, wedding style, and personality.
* Search the hottest new wedding dresses -- by style, shape, price, and designer -- and bookmark your favorites for later.

Get it FREE at the iTunes Store Now!

RSVP Etiquette

As an wedding planner, I’ve observed that some of the simple, basic rules of etiquette seem to be disappearing. One example of bad manners I continue to see time and time again is how people handle an RSVP.

More and more these days, hosts are not receiving firm RSVP’s for their events and it’s causing unnecessary hassles for those who are kind enough to extend invitations. Among many headaches are difficulty in planning food quantities, uncertainty over the number of party favors and difficulties in planning appropriate seating, just to name a few.

If an invitation includes an RSVP, it means the host needs a definite head count for the planned event, and needs it by the date specified on the invitation. The process is not complicated – Step One: The host invites a guest to a party. Step Two: The guest tells the host they are either a) attending or b) not attending. Simple, right?

But there are three (at the least) very frustrating anomalies in the world of entertaining: The RSVP Blow-Off, the RSVP Fake-Out and the RSVP Take-Back.
• The RSVP Blow-Off is when the guest just doesn’t RSVP at all. They are too busy and important to even bother responding to an invitation and expect their hosts to be mind readers and just know if they are attending an event or not. RSVPing is the most important responsibility guests have. Not following through is inexcusably lazy, thoughtless and rude. (Note to guilty parties: The host will absolutely remember that your RSVP habits (and tell everyone who will listen, and eventually, if not immediately, you will be blacklisted.)

• The RSVP Fake-Out is when a guest tells their host they are attending an event and then don’t show up. Again, this guest was too busy and important to let their host know that their plans have changed and they will not be attending. Barring illness or Acts of God, are you obligated to attend if you RSVP? Yes! Backing out once you’ve committed for a “better” event or because you’re too tired is unacceptable, it’s disrespectful and it’s an abuse of the host’s time, money and effort.

• The RSVP Take-Back is when a guest RSVPs no and then shows up anyway. This is just plain inconsiderate. For most events, the cost of everything increases exponentially with the guest list. The more, the merrier does not always apply to hosts who have carefully planned out their party (and paid a head count to the caterer).

Whether it is to a wedding, a dinner, a shower or just a party, keep the following guidelines in mind:

RSVP – What It Means:
It’s French and it means “Répondez, s’il vous plaît,” or, “Please reply.” Please do so promptly, within a few days of receiving an invitation.
Responding:
• Response Card: fill in and reply by the date indicated and return in the enclosed envelope.
• RSVP with phone number: telephone and make sure to speak in person – follow up if you leave a message.
• RSVP with email: you may accept or decline electronically.
• Regrets only: reply only if you cannot attend. If your host doesn’t hear from you, you presence is expected (and probably paid for)!
And always pay strict attention to the deadline – it’s there for a reason.

Changing Your Mind:
• Changing a ‘yes’ to a ‘no’ is only acceptable on account of illness or injury, a death in the family or an unavoidable professional or business conflict. Please call your hosts immediately to explain.
• Canceling because you have a “better” offer is unacceptable.
• Being a “no show” is unacceptable.
• Changing a ‘no’ to a ‘yes’ is OK only if it will not upset the hosts’ arrangements.

Bringing …
• A Date: Some invitations indicate that you may invite a guest or date (Mr. John Evans and Guest) and when you reply, you should indicate whether you are bringing someone, and convey their name.
• Children: Never bring children to an event unless they are expressly invited.
• A Houseguest: It’s best to decline the invitation, stating the reason. This gives your host the option to extend the invitation to your guests, or not.

Say “Thank You”:
Make sure to thank your hosts before you leave. Follow up with a quick note or phone call within the week following the event.

Photo Booths Create Forever Memories!

Many people remember the days when instant photo booths were everywhere. From carnivals to stores, movie theaters to sidewalks, those large boxes with the pull curtain and single seat produced strips of candid pictures that were later pinned to bulletin boards or tucked into wallets or scrapbooks. Today, those clever booths have entered the digital age and found a new life adding a fun and memories to wedding receptions.

Photo booths are available to rent from companies and independent entrepreneurs. The booth is brought to the reception and placed at the entrance or positioned in another easily accessible location. During its time of service, guests can use the booth to create a little extra wedding favor keepsake for themselves. And copies of all photos taken become an extraordinary treasure for the bride and groom.

Photo booths are a great way to entertain guests and capture priceless memories at your wedding reception. You'll get great pictures that will give you a cool behind-the-scenes look at your own wedding, or you can use the photos as favors that your guests can take home. You can either rent a photo booth from a rental company, hire a photographer to man one for you, or set up an easy DIY photo booth that your guests can operate themselves.

Fun reminders of a great day with friends and loved ones!

Remember a Loved One On Your Bouquet

Keep the memory of loved ones close by adding their photo to this pewter frame and attaching it to your bouquet. You may also add the frame to a vase holding an arrangement in your loved one's honor or to a memory candle. Frame holds a 2 1/2" x 2 1/4" photo and is engraved with "In Loving Memory." 3" x 3" frame. White ribbon included; colorful ribbon sold separately. Available for $18.00 at www.getmarried.com

Butterfly Bouquets!

This whimsical bouquet has been crafted from lots of fake brown and orange butterflies. I included all sizes and types. This is something a little different from the traditional bouquet. If you like butterflies or just want something different this bouquet is for you!! This bouquet of butterflies is hovering around a stem of ivory hydrangeas. It was tied off with a ivory bow.
The bouquet measures about 17” round and 12" tall. Available for $65.00 on etsy.com