Wedding News and Advice

Help with choosing your wedding songs

2009-06-28T20:52:00.001-07:00

Wedding Songs Just Got a Whole Lot Easier To Choose From Thanks to 1Weddingsource.com's New Wedding Songs Section

Wedding songs can be very difficult to select while planning a wedding. Today 1WeddingSource.com has released over 8000 wedding songs sorted by category for every aspect of the wedding from the ceremony processional and recessional, to the First Dance, and even suggestions for cocktail hours and cake cutting ideas. On each song page you will find both the song title and artist, You Tube video clip, lyrics, comments, and even 5 star ratings.

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) June 28, 2009 -- 1Weddingsource.com has today launched a new section on its website dedicated to helping couples select wedding songs for their wedding.

This section of the wedding planning website features over 8,000 wedding song suggestions for both the wedding ceremony and reception, along with suggested lyrics and YouTube videos to accompany them.

We noticed an increasing number of brides posting requests on our forum for suggestions for wedding music, not only for the first dance, but also for other elements of their wedding day

"As a former wedding DJ myself, I understand how important choosing the right music is to couples," says 1WeddingSource.com founder Jason Hennessey.

When choosing the music for their wedding, couples will need to select special songs for walking up and down the aisle at the ceremony, for their reception, and of course that all important wedding first dance. Some couples may already have a clear favorite for each of these, while others may struggle to choose the perfect track. This is why 1WeddingSource.com has compiled the largest resource of wedding songs available on the internet.

"We noticed an increasing number of brides posting requests on our forum for suggestions for wedding music, not only for the first dance, but also for other elements of their wedding day," says Jason Hennessey.

Couples searching the music section can find the following features:

No requirement to join or log in to view music tracks
Over 8,000 wedding songs with lyrics and You Tube videos
Ability to sort music by most viewed, alphabetical order or by highest ratings
Ability to rate songs with a custom 5 star rating program
All music categories available for both ceremony and reception music
Comments and song suggestion features

The right choice of wedding music will set the tone for the entire wedding, and many couples fail to realize just how many tracks they will need to choose.

1WeddingSource.com CEO, Brad Fallon hopes the unique features of the music section will attract couples looking for wedding music from all over the world. "The sheer number of tracks we have included, along with the ability to view recommendations and comments from other couples should prove a valuable resource to those looking to compile their wedding songs list," he says.

Many couples may already know their wedding first dance song, but when it comes to choosing music for their ceremony they are lost. Finding music which is not only appropriate but which also suits the style of the wedding can be an overwhelming task for couples, who are already stressed out with the other elements of their wedding planning.

"Our system of rating songs, combined with recommendations and comments from other couples should enable those looking for suitable music to choose tracks safe in the knowledge they have already been tried and tested," says Brad Fallon.

He adds, "It is our aim to make the music section of 1WeddingSource.com as valuable a tool to couples as the many other free wedding planning resources we offer on the site."

About 1WeddingSource.com

Founded in 2004, 1WeddingSource.com has quickly become one of the best online wedding planning sites in the country. With a focus on service, the company has grown rapidly since inception. Offering brides useful planning tools such as free wedding website templates, and unique and affordable wedding favors.

Money Saving Tips for All Brides With a Chance to Win $1000 Grand Prize

2009-06-25T08:23:00.001-07:00

Wedding Paper Divas and Beau-coup Partner to Provide Tips for Resourceful Brides

What not to print

2009-06-01T20:23:00.000-07:00

All brides want to make sure their wedding day is perfect. And sometimes you need to give your guests a few instructions to help create your wedding day vision.

Maybe you don't want kids at your wedding, or you would like to have your guests wear special attire. You want to get these instructions across without offending your guests. After all you want them to want to come to your wedding.

Instead of saying "No children allowed", try "Adult reception following". When addressing the invitation if you say "Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Family",that means everyone in the household is invited, the kids come too. Perhaps send the children a separate invitation with their instructions - "Movie night following in the church nursery".

You also don't want to clutter up your wedding invitation verse with special requests. RSVP, gift registrations and other information do not belong inside of your wedding invitation verse.

Appropriate wedding attire is a matter of opinion. Your guests will use your wedding time and location as a clue as to what to wear. If it is outside in a garden on a summer afternoon your guests may assume they can be more casual than at an evening wedding inside a church. However, if you want your guests to dress in a specific way, or if you need to include special instructions, add it with a card separate from your invitation (i.e. Don't forget to wear sunscreen!).

Instead of adding RSVP and a phone number on a wedding invitation, include a response card. This gives your guests an easy way to respond without having to remember to do it later. Be sure to put postage on the return envelope.

New! Birchcraft invitations at Invito Cards

2009-05-16T11:37:00.000-07:00

Invito Cards has just partnered with Birchcraft Studios to offer you a new elegant collection of wedding invitations!

One of the unique styles of invitations Birchcraft is best known for is the "Pockets" line. The invitations include colored cardstock printed in raised ink that can be mixed and matched with different colored pockets. The pockets hold the invitations and accessory cards including reception and response cards.

Birchcraft has also added Pockets with a vellum inner envelope "pocket". The vellum envelopes are decorated with floral designs.

To check out the collection of Pockets and other designs from Birchcraft, visit http://www.yourinvitationplace.com/invitocards.

Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Contest Rolls Out For Fifth Year!

2009-05-02T17:26:00.000-07:00

Cheap-Chic-Weddings.com Is Announcing the Start of It's Fifth Annual Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Contest Where Contestants Submit a Dress Made Only of Toilet Paper, Tape and/or Glue.

Boca Raton, FL (PRWEB) May 1, 2009 -- Can you use toilet paper to make a beautiful wedding dress? If you can, you just might win $1000!

Everyone likes to save money here and there. And for some, saving money on weddings is more than a hobby, and a little less than an obsession. Roxie Radford, Laura Gawne and Susan Bain operate the popular website www.cheap-chic-weddings.com.

This year, they will host their fifth annual "Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Contest" based on the classic wedding shower game where contestants create a gown made of toilet paper. The contest will run from April 17, 2009 to June 5, 2009.

The Grand Prize winner will receive $1000, the second place winner will receive $500 and the third place winner will receive $250. Cheap Chic Weddings would like to welcome back Ripley's Believe it or Not as a sponsor of the contest.

Here's How to Enter:
First: Enlist a friend's help (optional)
Second: Plan your design.
Third: Grab some Toilet Paper, Tape and/or Glue (that's all you can use)!
Fourth: Make the dress on your model or mannequin and take some digital photos (front, back and side). Video clips are welcome but not mandatory.

All photos and video are submitted to contest@cheap-chic-wedings.com. There is no entry fee. The digital photo entries will be judged by the Official Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Judging Panel at Cheap Chic Weddings along with Celebrity Judge Edward Meyer, of Ripley Entertainment.

"Each year, we are amazed at the level of talent that our entrants display", said Laura Gawne of Cheap Chic Weddings. "We are so looking forward to this year's entries"!

Official contest rules along with lots of other wedding cost saving tips and information can be found at www.Cheap-Chic-Weddings.com.

Win $250 for the most outrageous wedding photo!

2009-04-28T19:04:00.000-07:00

Hey Brides!

Here is a fun contest for you! TMZ has a contest where the winner gets a $250 prize for the most outrageous fashion pic.

This week's theme is Wild Wedding Receptions! Post your wild wedding themed picture to win the prize. $250 can help towards that honeymoon fund! At least pay for a dinner or two!

The entry email link is below this week's winner of this week's "Trashin-Fashion" contest.

http://www.tmz.com/2009/04/28/tmzs-trashin-fashion-winner/

Keep it straight with an address guide

2009-04-21T21:46:00.000-07:00

If you are like me, writing an address in a straight line is difficult. That's why we use printers and labels for everything right?

Well, hand addressed envelopes have that personal touch and you want your wedding invitations looking their best. Keep your addresses looking great with this handy address guide to help you write in a straight line. Just click on the picture to print out your free guide!

Eco-friendly wedding ideas

2009-04-16T17:34:00.000-07:00

Do you want to make your wedding Eco-friendly? Well here are a few ideas that you can carry through to your reception, and even share with your guests.

Let your guests take home flowers! Many brides like to decorate the tables are the wedding reception with floral centerpieces. Consider using potted annuals in the center of the table and ask your guests to bring them home and plant them in their garden. You can make the pots festive with a big ribbon.

Use soy or beeswax candles in your centerpieces as they are non-toxic and biodegradable. I found some reasonably priced soy candles at the Greenhouse Soy Company website.

Use natural fabric tablecloths like linen or cotton which are kinder on the environment.

Leave seed favor post cards, or packets of wild flower seeds for your wedding guests. They can take them home and plant the entire card which will grow into beautiful flowers to enjoy.

Buy wedding invitations printed on recycled paper like this Calla Lilly Invitation from the Naturally Ever After collection by Carlson Craft®.

Or, reduce the amount of paper used in your wedding invitations by choosing a Seal-N-Send style. The invitation folds into itself and is closed with a decorative seal. Just address and mail the piece, no envelopes needed. The bottom section also has a perforated post card for your guests to use a an RSVP.

Unique thank you gifts for the women in your wedding party

2009-03-28T16:29:00.000-07:00

It's tradition to give a gift the the participants in your wedding party. You want them to know how much you appreciate them sharing in your special day.

It's common for brides to give their bridesmaids jewelry, personalized compacts, or jewelry boxes. These gifts are beautiful and generous, but you might find the women in your wedding party may also appreciate gifts that suit their life style. Here are some ideas for your bridesmaids:

Business card holders: For the professional women in your wedding party, consider a stylish, personalized business card holder. Let them carry their cards in style to meetings and trade shows.

Shopping tote: Being green is in style, and you can help out your bridesmaids stay trendy with a personalized shopping tote. Great for everything from groceries to packing for a day at the beach.

Water bottles: Another green option is reusable water bottles. These are perfect for ladies who like to work out and they have a clip to hang on to their gym bag.

Cosmetic bag: Every women can use another cosmetic bag, get one for your bridesmaids with their initials on it. Fill it with accessories for your wedding day such as hair clips or earrings.

Gardening Apron with Tools: Perfect for your bridesmaid that likes to spend time in her garden, give her a personalized apron with tools. She will think of your wedding day every time she uses it.

Fun Bridal Shower Idea: A Honeymoon Shower

2009-03-16T20:49:00.000-07:00

Looking for a fun bridal shower idea? How about a honeymoon shower?

Find out the bride and groom's honeymoon destination and ask guests to bring gifts the will make the honeymoon more fun and romantic. For instance, for a couple honeymooning in Hawaii, perfect gifts could include snorkel gear, fun beach towels, massage oils, music or a picnic basket (for a day at the beach). Try to find gifts that are easy to travel with.

Your menu can match the honeymoon destination theme. A Hawaii theme could include tropical fruit, daiquiris and grilled swordfish. For a honeymoon in Mexico, choose Margaritas, enchiladas and refried beans with chips and guacamole.

A perfect game for the honeymoon shower is matching a list of exotic cities to their countries. See how many your guests can guess right. Have your guests bring pictures from their honeymoons to share.

Decorate your honeymoon shower with the destination theme. Some examples include tropical flowers, leis, grass skirts, bright colored tablecloths and linens for a Hawaii shower; or paper lanterns, fancy chopsticks, bamboo placements, and china tea sets for an Asian themed destination. Find easy to afford decorations and favors at specialty party shops like www.orientaltrading.com.

Have other ideas? Please share!

Keep your wedding needs straight with a checklist

2009-03-13T13:52:00.000-07:00

There are so many parts and pieces to wedding invitations. And there are so many people to remember to thank for taking part in your special day.

To help you keep it straight, download this handy checklist. You may not need everything on it, but hopefully it will help you not forget something, or someone, important.

Just click on the image to download this handy pdf.

Fast Acne Cure for Brides to Be

2009-02-24T20:25:00.000-08:00

Brides have so much to stress about on their wedding day. The last thing you want to have to deal with is problem skin.

Well this is not a concern for New Jersey and New York brides anymore. The Beaura Spa in Paramus, NJ offers an extremely fast and effective approach to combat even the most severe acne breakouts, known as the Isolaz laser acne treatment. New Jersey and NYC brides are reporting dramatic improvements in their acne in as little as four 20-minute sessions with a licensed aesthetician.

According to Kim Ashton, Customer Service Coordinator at Beaura Spa, New Jersey. “Isolaz laser kills bacteria, so it doesn’t matter what happens with a bride’s stress hormones- her skin will stay clear."

Isolaz is powered by a breakthrough technology called Photopneumatics, which is the only therapy in the world that combines a vacuum and painless laser to purify and deep cleanse the pores from the inside out. Additionally, when it comes to Isolaz laser treatments, brides will quickly notice the procedure is painless and up to 7 times faster than traditional light-based treatments.

For now this service is in the NYC/New Jersey area - hopefully it will expand to a spa near me!

For more information and to view the original press release: http://www.prweb.com/releases/acne/treatment/prweb2076784.htm

Alternatives to the Unity Candle

2009-02-07T10:29:00.000-08:00

Unity candles are a long standing wedding tradition. During the ceremony the bride and groom each use a taper candle to light the unity candle together symbolizing the blending of two lives. Some couples will relight this special candle on their anniversary to celebrate their continued commitment to each other.

Unity candles are decorated for your wedding day, and some are personalized with your names or monogram and wedding date. One challenge with these candles is that they can be costly, especially if you are working with a tight budget.

In recent years, some couples have used alternatives to the unity candle. One popular alternative is using colored sand. The bride and groom each have a different color of sand that is in a carafe or clear glass. They pour the sand into a third, larger carafe which creates a colored layering effect. This beautiful blending sand represents the beginning of their two lives. Special carafes designed for wedding can be personalized to make them uniquely yours like this Unity Decanter Set.

In some wedding ceremonies, the mothers of the bride and the groom will go to the alter or unity candle table and light the taper candles. In a ceremony using colored sand, they can carry the carafes up to the alter or table.

Here are some other alternatives to the unity candle:

Water – Similar to sand, the bride and groom each have a carafe of colored water. They pour the water into a third carafe creating a new color. If you use this, test colors first to make sure you like the outcome. Grey or black water may not be appealing.

Wine – The bride and groom each take a glass of wine and pour it into a single glass. Then they both drink from it.

Bread – The bride and groom tear of pieces of bread from a single loaf and each eat a piece. Sometimes the bread is shared with other members of the family symbolizing the blending of families.

Broom Jumping - An African-American tradition that has its roots in slavery times when slaves couldn't marry. Typically the family places the broom on the ground, and the bride and groom jump over it together. The broom can then decorate a place of honor in their home.

Lei – Popular in Hawaiian weddings, the bride and groom exchange leis. Leis represent love and respect for the person you are giving it to, and the unity of a new family.

Lasso – A lasso or rope is place around the bride and groom’s shoulders by the officiate.

Salt - An Indian tradition, the bride passes a handful of salt to her groom. He then passes it back to her and the exchange is made three times. She then makes the salt exchange with the rest of the groom’s family.

Save Money with Value Priced Invitation Sets

2009-01-18T13:17:00.000-08:00

New to Invito Cards, save anywhere from $30 to $100 by choosing a value priced wedding invitation set.

These wedding invitations are the same high quality, thermographed (printed in raised ink) wedding invitations you can purchase separately, but have been grouped with response cards or response, reception and note cards and printed in black ink to save you money. The packages take the work out of choosing all the parts and pieces for your needs.

Small Value Ensembles include:

Wedding Invitation
Printed return address on outer envelope
Unlined inner envelope
Response Card with printed return envelope
Black ink

Large Value Ensembles Include:

Wedding Invitation
Printed return address on outer envelope
Unlined inner envelope
Response card with printed return envelope
Reception card
Personalized note card
Black ink

Value sets come in quantities of 100 and you can add additional sets in multiples of 25.

Click here to see the selection of value priced invitations at InvitoCards.com.

Wedding Trends for Spring 2009

2009-01-07T20:28:00.000-08:00

With the recent crazy winter weather this year, it may be hard to picture spring. But spring weddings are expected to have a fresh look with these top trends in 2009:

Flower Embroidery: The classic white gown with contrasting threads in colors including burgandy, black, navy and dark green. Look for elegant Victorian designs.

I love the look of today's wedding dresses that add a bit of color. It can really tie in with the theme of your wedding and can help the accents of your dress stand out in photos.

Empire Waist Goddess Gowns: Loose fitting and flowing gowns that accentuate the shoulders, collar bone and neck area.

The great thing about an empire waist dress is that you don't have to have a perfect figure. The key is making sure the bust area of the dress is well fitted.

Pink and Blue Bridesmaid Dresses: Baby blue and pink combination dresses and accessories give a fresh spring look.

I personally haven't seen any pink/blue combination dresses, but pastels seem to be back - a lot of light blue.

The Miniskirt Wedding Gown: Show off your legs in a mini-skirt wedding gown, or go with a modest look of the knee-length dress.

Here is a trend that I'm just not a fan of. I love the elegant look of a long, formal wedding gown. Miniskirt's take me back to the 80's. Leave the miniskirt's for prom.

5% off everything!

2009-01-04T08:37:00.001-08:00

Invito Cards is kicking off the new year with a sale.

5% off everything through January 31, 2009.

Shop today and save on wedding invitations and more at www.invitocards.com!

6 honeymoon money saving tips

2008-12-30T20:49:00.000-08:00

SheKnows.com recently posted an article on how to save money on your honeymoon. Here are the tips they mentioned:

Honeymoon tip #1: It's All About Timing

Booking your honeymoon off season will save you money, so research your destination. A honeymoon in Jamaica in November/December can save you thousands of dollars verses other times of the year.

Honeymoon tip #2: Dollar Power

Find destinations where the dollar is strong like Mexico, Puerto Rico and Montreal. European destinations will cost you more as the exchange rate is not in our favor. Sticking to destinations close to home can save you money as well.

Honeymoon tip #3: Re-gifting Frequent-Flyer Miles

Being a user of frequent flyer miles, I think this could be hard to do. They are suggesting that you request your bridal party give you miles instead of wedding gifts to use on your honeymoon. Before requesting this, check the miles exchange rate of the airline you are trying to use, and know that you may have to flexible on your travel dates.

Honeymoon tip #4: Sign up for a Honeymoon Registry

Large resorts like Sandals and Starwood offer honeymoon gift certificates that can be purchased by family and friends prior to your honeymoon departure date that are good for hotel room upgrades and activities on the resort.

Honeymoon tip #5: Wait to Book

Tour excursions like scuba diving, horseback riding, and shopping trips tend to be cheaper if you book them directly through a local tour operator.

Honeymoon tip #6: Broadcast Your Newlywed Status

Let the world know you just got married including the airline, hotel, restaurants etc... It could possibly translate into discounts, upgrades, and free vouchers.

The original article is posted here if you would like to read it through. http://www.sheknows.com/articles/807155.htm

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2008-12-24T13:11:00.001-08:00

To all my readers, have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Anniversary items at Invito Cards

2008-12-21T20:40:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to share that I have added some items for anniversaries to the Invito Cards website. I will add some more anniversary favor items in future months.

New items include:

Invitations
Invitation seals
Toasting Glasses
Guest Book
Photo Album
Balloons
Cake Top
Napkins

Visit InvitoCards.com to see wedding anniversary products..

New! - Wedding Map Cards

2008-12-16T19:04:00.000-08:00

Finding your way around an unfamiliar town can be stressful. So it's always good to include a map to your wedding ceremony or reception.

Now at InvitoCards.com, you can order your own custom wedding map cards. Cards can be printed to include up to 14 lines of text, a printed map, or both.

How to set a realistic wedding budget

2008-12-15T18:59:00.000-08:00

How to Set a Realistic Wedding Budget

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Setting a budget for a wedding can save you a lot of disagreement and heartache if discussed early, openly and honestly.

Steps

Set aside some time to review your own opinion on how you should split the wedding expenses - then discuss that with your fiancee. Do you want to go traditional (parents of bride pay & bride)? Do you want to be more modern (pay for it yourself)? Do you want to be progressive (and share the wedding expenses with your fiancee)? Keep in mind that the tradition of having the bride's family pay for the wedding was established in days when a father would effectively pay a family to take his daughter off of his hands, as she wasn't seen as contributing to the family economy. Consider whether that's a tradition you wish to be a part of.
Since today is not the 1950s and most brides are working full time and plan to continue working full-time,advise asking your fiancee to share the expenses of the wedding. Traditionally the groom's family only pays for the rehearsal dinner, and possibly part of the honeymoon. The bulk of the expense is really the wedding (the flowers, the cake, the gown, the food, the music, etc.).
Research the vendors and get price quotes before setting the budget. This is really critical. You may think flowers would cost $500, but really they can cost $2,400 easily. Many vendors have minimums - get this information up front.
Write a detailed list with vendor name and projected cost and tally everything up. It may be good to use software like Excel to easily update this and make cost comparisons between different vendors for the same thing (like different flower shops).
Once you have an idea of what your wedding may cost in your area (with vendors that you like), discuss the finances with your fiancee. How? Asking questions about his views would be a good place to start. Sharing the list of potential costs with him would be wise. Better yet, look into venues and costs together - reviewing purchases and setting budgets based on one another's needs is something you'll be doing for the rest of your lives!
At this stage, start formulating a guest list, because many budget items are proportional to the size of the wedding you host. Keep in mind that if your families are paying for all or part of the wedding that they may feel entitled to add to this guest list. Be up front with them about this.
Come to agreement with your fiancee about how you would like to pay for the wedding. Will you pay for it yourself or ask your parents for assistance? Do you both feel right even asking your parents for financial assistance?
Meet with your respective parents to speak honestly and openly how much they are willing to contribute to the "wedding fund." Special note: money from family has strings attached, so be careful about setting expectations that this is YOUR wedding and that you appreciate their financial contributions.
Create a spreadsheet using Excel or OpenOffice to write down and track your budget. The top line should have the total amount you are willing to spend and the end of the sheet should have a running total of projected and actual wedding related expenses.
Try to enjoy the busy and stressful wedding planning process, knowing that you have made one of the first and important financial decisions with your fiancee!

Tips

OpenOffice and StarOffice are low cost alternatives to Microsoft's excel and let you calculate your budget easily. Pen and paper also work fine.
Ask your close friends who are married for suggestions on how to budget for your wedding.
Ask local married friends suggestions on low cost but quality vendors.
Be sure to start the planning process as early as possible. The more time you have the better chance you have in getting what you want.
Think about purchasing wedding insurance to protect your big investment. Don't forget to read the fine print!
Build some flexibility into your budget - plan for things to end up costing about 10% more than you estimated.
Make your budget as detailed as possible to avoid surprise costs. There are lots of wedding planning/expense lists out there on the internet - look at a few to see what you might be forgetting about.
Work with your fiance to prioritize your spending - you may be able to reduce or eliminate some costs in order to get the dress/flowers/band etc. that you really want. Just because *everyone else* has a certain something at their wedding doesn't mean you have to!
Keep in mind that some of your wedding choices - the rings, the photographs, the video, will be with you long after the guest have gone home. If your budget is tight, consider prioritizing these items.
Think about you and your fiance's long term financial goals, and make sure that your wedding budget is not interfering with them. If you need to use credit to pay for your wedding, consider carefully whether taking on debt is something that fits with your long-term plans.
Ask around to see if a relative or a friend knows someone who does flowers, photography, etc. and can get you a deal.

Warnings

Planning a wedding can unfortunately bring out the worst in the extended family and even cause contention between you and your fiancee. Remember why you are planning this - to celebrate your choice.
Add the cost of pre-marital counseling to your budget. I would strongly recommend pre-marital counseling especially if talking about finances has been a problem between you and your partner.
Please know that not talking about the financial side of the wedding and pending marriage can only lead to greater heartache and misunderstanding. Be courageous - it'll pay off for both you and your life partner!

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Set a Realistic Wedding Budget. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Would you rent a fake wedding cake?

2008-12-06T18:16:00.001-08:00

Today I was catching up on wedding news and found an article particularly interesting. The concept was to cut costs out of your wedding by renting a fake wedding cake. I found the idea unique so I had to read more.

According to the article, the average cost of a wedding cake is $550. I found this price tag shocking as we had a three-tier professional wedding cake to feed 100 people for just around $100, but I guess that was 11 years ago so maybe today's brides expect to pay more.

The idea of the cake rental is that you purchase a more economical cake (like a sheet cake from Costco for $20) that tastes wonderful, but give the illusion of a traditional wedding cake. The fake cake has a compartment inside with a few slices of cake for the bride and groom's cake cutting ceremony.

The concept is a good one, but here is where they lost me. A fake cake rental starts at $150! To all the brides and grooms out there - although it may depend on the number of guests, you can definitely get a real wedding cake for $150. I hope you research your options before spending dollars on a fake cake.

The article on renting a wedding cake can be found here - http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2008/12/05/cut-wedding-cake-costs-with-a-fake-cake/

Wedding Invitations - are all those other parts necessary?

2008-11-24T09:28:00.000-08:00

Choosing a wedding invitation can become surprisingly complicated and confusing. Learning the proper etiquette rules, proper wording, all the parts and pieces - are they necessary?

I'm going to tell you something that goes against the rules of selling wedding invitations - no, all the parts and pieces are not always necessary. Sure I want to sell you more cards to stuff in the envelope with your wedding invitation, but only if it adds value for you.

Let me explain:

Reception cards - These are the additional smaller cards that are included with a wedding invitation to give guests direction so they know when/where your wedding reception will be held. However, most wedding receptions are held at the same location as the wedding, immediately after the ceremony. You can save yourself money by having a corner copy printed instead. This is smaller wording printed in the lower left or right corner of your wedding invitation (up to three lines of text). So if your reception is in the same location, you can just print "Reception immediately following" in the corner and save yourself at least $50-$100.

You do want to use a Reception card if you need to include an address and more information about your reception. For instance

Dinner Reception
Immediately Following Ceremony
Carinos Italian Restaurant
111 Main Street
Albany, New York

That would obviously not fit in the corner of your wedding invitation.

Respond cards - I am actually a big fan of these. Respond cards are also additional cards that go in with the wedding invitation. It is always proper etiquette to put postage on the return envelope for your guests. The goal is to find out how many guests are attending so you can give a final count to your caterer. Having the right amount of food for your guests can save you hundreds of dollars by not oversupplying your reception so I feel these are worth your dollars. However, if you are having a small wedding they may not be necessary. So weigh out the benefits of a final guest count before you purchase these.

Save the Date - This is a pre-announcement before your wedding invitations are set out. Save the Date is typically sent out 1 year to 18 months before a wedding. This type of announcement has become very popular over the past several years. Save the Dates are important if you have guests that need to make arrangements to attend your wedding such as travel, taking time off work, etc... If you have guests coming in from out of town, or even planning a large wedding, I would recommend sending these out. If you are planning a small wedding with local guests, or if your wedding is less than 6 months away, I would recommend skipping these. They are not necessary.

So when you choose your wedding invitation, think through the purpose of the other pieces so you can get what you need. Don't worry about someone else's rules.

Vote for the top wedding photo

2008-11-21T13:32:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! The Newagen Seaside Inn needs our help!

They have posted the top 10 wedding photos from 2008 and would like you to vote on the best one. The winning photographer will receive a nights stay with breakfast and dinner.

The beautiful photos are posted at http://www.boothbayharborblog.com/newagen_seaside_inn/2008/11/our-top-maine-wedding-photos-of-2008-.html.

The Newagen Seaside Inn is located a Maine and is rich with history. According to their website the origin of the inn dates back to 1816. Special guests who have stayed there include Frank Sinatra and many Maine governors. If you are getting married in Maine, they also include a list a top wedding vendors in the area to help you plan your special day.

Shop for your wedding on Black Friday

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Hey brides and grooms! I just wanted to share a tip with you. Black Friday is coming up and this is a great time to save on your wedding supplies.

Yep, shop for your wedding during the holiday sales. This is a great time to get gifts for your wedding party (think jewelry, personalized gifts, etc.), dresses for your bridesmaids, and even decorations.

All the major retailers are in crunch time at the end of the year to make their annual sales goals. And with the economy down this year, it is perfect timing for great deals.

So shop for that wedding. Pick up great deals early and save!