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.



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Sending Those Wedding Invitations

Timing is everything and nowhere is that truer than when you are planning a wedding. Wedding invitations are critical to wedding planning not just for the bride and groom but also for the wedding guests. The wedding invitation itself serves a dual purpose. It's first purpose is to announce the wedding plans of the couple sending it out. The second purpose is to provide the guests with a wedding planning tool of their own.

Wedding invitations provide the date, time and location of the wedding. It will also alert the guest to the type of apparel that may expected from the formal to the informal. A wedding invitation to a beach wedding will indicate a different type of clothing than one might wear to a formal Catholic wedding ceremony in a grand old cathedral. Because the wedding invitation provides so much information and the couple needs the RSVPs returned from the guests to confirm how many are coming – you might say the wedding invitation is the lynch pin that makes the wedding possible.

With that in mind, you should send out the wedding invitations at least 6-8 weeks prior to the wedding. At least 3 weeks prior to the wedding contact the guests you have not received RSVPs from. Most vendors will require a final count approximately 2 weeks (and some sooner) prior to the wedding, so this gives you and your guests the perfect window to coordinate their schedules with your plans.

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How To Choose The Perfect Wedding Dress

Congratulations, bride-to-be, on your engagement! As you begin your journey towards becoming husband and wife, close your eyes and envision how you want to look on your wedding day. Long traditional bridal gown with cascading train? Knee-length strapless dress with short silk veil? Every little girl dreams about getting married someday and walking down the aisle in a beautiful dress.

Here are a variety of tips and suggestions for selecting the perfect bridal gown that are sure to make things easier.

1) Ask your trusted friends and family about where they purchased their wedding dresses.

2) Ask to look at photographs of friends, family and co-workers wedding dresses to gather some new ideas.

3)Look at and research wedding dresses online. Ask friends and family to recommend bridal websites they have used.

4) Purchase subscriptions to several good quality wedding magazines to search for ideas. Pay attention to the specific styles, fabrics, and colors that appeal to you. Cut out photos of wedding dresses that you like and place them in a notebook or scrapbook that you can take with you when you shop.

5) Have your mother and/or bridesmaids accompany you to various wedding boutiques. Try on various dresses. Avoid settling for first or second dress you try on. Don’t settle shopping in just one boutique, check as many as you can find.

6) Consider putting several possible dresses on hold and return to the wedding boutique several days later to try on the dresses again with a fresh perspective. This will help you have the time needed to properly take everything in and avoid making an impulsive decision.

7) Consider the style that you want:

• with straps
• with long sleeves
• with short sleeves
• high-waist
• low-waist

8) Consider the length that best suits your needs and fits the theme of your wedding:

• floor length dress with long train
• floor length dress with short train
• floor length dress with no train
• ankle length dress with or without train
• knee-length dress

9) Think about the head-piece that you desire:

• long veil
• short veil
• no veil
• tiara

10) Think about the color that you would like:

• shades of white
• shades of ivory
• shade of cream

11) Consider the material/ fabric that you would feel most comfortable in:

• silk
• satin
• lace
• chiffon
• brocade
• organza
• taffeta
• velvet

12) Consider your body type and what dress style best flatters your figure.

13) Consider the month of your wedding and the typical weather at that time.

14) Consider the destination of your wedding:

• local wedding – traditional theme – cold or warm
• destination wedding – casual theme – tropical or cool

15) Consider any cultural or familial traditions that you want to uphold.

16) Try on your bridal shoes with your gown:

• flats
• small heel
• high heel
• sandals

17) Purchase jewelry that compliments your body type, face and your wedding dress.

18) Practice good time management. Begin looking for your dress shortly after getting engaged, so that you allow for plenty of time to shop at various boutiques and getting necessary fittings and alterations.

You'll be beautiful in your dream dress!

What "Day Of Coordination" Is (and is NOT)

Brides seeking wedding planning assistance generally fall into two categories: Full Service ("I’m overwhelmed, I don’t know where to start, I need all the help I can get!") and Day Of ("I’m a hands-on kind of gal, I’ve got lots of help, I just need a little assistance along the way"). With the onslaught of wedding planning blogs, magazines, TV shows and books along with the downturn in the economy, more and more Day Of Brides are surfacing. Being a crafty, creative, practical, "hands-on" type myself, I can totally appreciate the Day Of Bride. But with this continuing emergence of the DIY wedding, there seems to be a bit of confusion about what "Day Of Coordination" actually means….

A Day Of wedding package means that the Bride is responsible for doing the majority of her own planning. In order for your Planner to do her job (and do it WELL), she needs to know every detail you have planned. No detail is too small here. If your Aunt Shelly suddenly decides to sing a solo during the ceremony, the Planner needs to know. If you are considering including a sand ceremony with your vows or want to surprise your new Scottish family with a special bagpipe performance in the middle of dinner, the Planner needs to know that, too! A good Planner will be asking LOTS of questions about your planning, maybe even asking you to fill out some forms, but sometimes details can fall through the cracks. Communication is key.

There is actually no such thing as a "DAY Of" anything. Any reputable planner will tell you that she starts coordinating the final details of your wedding at least a month out. There are vendors to contact, coordination of deliveries, set-up, strike (that’s industry speak for break-down), confirming final payments, going over every little detail with a fine tooth comb to ensure nothing has been overlooked (and trust me when I say it happens…all the time!).

Is your Planner creating a detailed Itinerary for you, your wedding party and all your vendors? She should be. And that, too, takes time. Scheduling all the "major players", letting everyone know where to be and at what time. Contact names, cell numbers and emergency backup contacts can’t be gathered on the "Day Of". It all takes TIME.

Trust me…you do NOT want a Planner who is just going to show up on your wedding day and make sure everyone is doing what they are supposed to be doing, when they are supposed to be doing it. Because what if they DON’T? What would she do then? And how would she even know? By then, it’s too late.

Price is important here, too. A smart, budget savvy Bride will get some references and call more than one or two Planners before making her decision. She also knows that pricing should not be the deciding factor when hiring any wedding professional. A good general rule of thumb is to "throw out" the highest and lowest priced Day Of Coordinators and focus on the one(s) in the middle. Coordinating your Day Of package could take upwards of 30 hours, so consider the time and cost associated with that. A ridiculously low price quote and my guess is that the Planner is not doing all she is supposed to be doing.

One more thing; more and more vendors (photographers, caterers, florists, rental companies) are telling me that they are "this close" to not taking weddings if the Bride doesn’t have a Planner. They are being paid for a service that most likely does NOT include lining up the wedding party before the ceremony, coordinating the dances or showing you how to cut your cake. Will they help you if you need it? Of course they will, because they are professionals who love Brides, weddings and helping you have the day you’ve always dreamed of. But given the choice, they’d much rather be able to focus on doing what you hired them to do, because they are good at what they do!

If you decide to go for a Day Of Coordination package, be sure you are asking the important questions of potential planners:

* When do you officially start coordinating my wedding?
* Are you willing to look over all my contracts to be sure I am getting what I am expecting?
* Will you be contacting all my vendors?
* What kinds of details will you be asking them for?
* Will you create an itinerary/timeline for me, my wedding party and my vendors?
* Will you be present for and coordinate the details of the rehearsal?
* Will you be bringing an assistant with you on the day of my wedding?
* Do you bring an emergency kit with you on wedding day?
* What kinds of items/how many items are in it?
* Will you personally take responsibility for personal items like the cake knife/server, toasting glasses, etc and make sure they get back to us at the end of the night?
* Will you stay until the VERY end of the reception, after we are gone, to be sure any last minute issues are taken care of?

Don’t be misled into thinking that a Day Of Coordinator will (or should) show up on your Wedding Day, magic wand in hand with nary a thought for the details prior to her arrival. If you are paying more than several hundred dollars for a reputable Day Of Wedding planner, chances are you WILL get what you are paying for and you will NOT regret it!

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.