Wedding Tactics

When I was planning my wedding, less than a year ago, I spent hours just looking for images on the Internet to give me ideas for everything from centerpieces to hairpieces. To help you with your wedding planning, I’ve decided to create an entry consisting of photos to help give you ideas. As the seasons change, wedding colors and dress styles change, so there really are endless ideas and images to choose from. When possible, I will give as much detail about the type of flower or brand of dress that I feature. If you have questions about where I found a certain image, please email me or leave a comment and I will give you more information.

Hairstyles

I predict that 2008 will see a lot of soft low-bun hairstyles with gentle accents like flowers and beading. If you are going to put flowers in your hair, be sure to speak with a florist first and use the ones that are most likely to hold up the longest. For example, stephanotis are great flowers, their little white brilliance is perfect for bridal hair, but they wilt very quickly in sunlight and heat. Instead, use orchids, they are much more hardy.
More hairstyle info can be found by clicking here.

Placement Cards

I really like these placement cards for an afternoon beach-side wedding. While they are not the most elegant, they are cute and would go very well with a surfer/beach/ocean ish theme. You can even touch it up by using a place-card holder like a little mini Adirondack chair or a small photo frame.

Flowers
I really like this bridesmaid bouquet. First of all, I love the pink! Gerber Daisies are one of my favorite flowers. I think they are whimsical and classic — at the same time. Also, the wrapping on the stems adds a very elegant touch. Also, as a bridesmaid, it helps to have something like that ribbon to pin a few extra hair pins into. You never know when the bride might need her veil re-secured.

Posh Nosh Catering located in Raleigh, North Carolina serves the entire Triangle area. They have a diverse catering menu featuring a variety of real foods dressed up just elegantly enough for your wedding. The will create custom menus for your event!

Surrounded by English Gardens, The Historic Mankin Mansion is an excellent venue for a central-Virginia historic wedding venue.

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Everyone wants to look their absolute best on their wedding day. Some careful planning can help you get yourself in top beauty-shape for your big day. I have never been so careful, thorough and devoted to a skin care regime than I was in the months preceding my wedding.

6-9 Months Before:

- Collect names for wedding day hair and make-up professionals
- Begin getting manicures twice a month and pedicures once a month. (This can wait until about two to three months prior if you are trying to save money)
- Arrange to have monthly haircuts, just trims to keep your hair looking fresh and free of split ends. If your hair tends to be dry, schedule monthly conditioning treatments as well.
- A massage never hurts to help you relax and focus on what matters.

4-6 Months Before:

- Schedule trials for your hair and makeup and plan to make a decision at about three or four months before the big day. You will want to plan a hair trial only about two months before the wedding when you know exactly what length your hair will be.
-If you were planning to hit the gym before the big day, start now. It can take about six weeks for weight loss and new muscle to really show. Exercise will also double as a stress-reliever.
- Schedule monthly appointments for eyebrow waxing to get your brows into shape and to allow for regrowth if you are reshaping them. Begin regular waxings now if you are planning to have a great bikini wax for the honeymoon.

2-4 Months Before:

- Visit your hairstylist for the trial run of your wedding hair. Bring a picture of your dress so the stylist can see the neckline. Bring your veil or headpiece too so the trail can be exactly as it will be for the wedding day.
- If you are interested in airbrush tanning, try it out now so you know what to expect.
- Continue getting as much rest as possible, drinking 6-8 glasses of water each day and moisturize your hands, face, legs and feet.

1 Month Before:

- Contact your wedding day hair and make-up people and confirm the date and time that they will arrive at the place you are getting ready. Make sure they have directions to the wedding venue too.
- If you are going to use an at-home tooth whitening kit, now is the time to start.
- Assemble a day-of-the-wedding beauty kit for yourself if you are getting ready away from home. It should include all sorts of potential last minute things you might need. Also, you can ask a bridesmaid or a close friend to help you put this together as well. Click here to see a picture of my emergency bridal kit and also some instructions about what to include.
- Consider making lists and beginning to get things organized for your honeymoon travel. Depending on how soon after the wedding you are leaving and what you packing style is, perhaps even get out a suitcase and just collect everything you will need to pack later on.

1-2 Weeks Before:

- Get one last hair trim.
- Schedule you final waxings; eyebrows, bikini and anything else you are having done.
- Take some time to relax … get a massage or a facial and make a point now of getting enough rest each night.

1 Day Before:

- Get your final manicure and pedicure.

Wedding Day!

- Wake up in plenty of time to get everything done without having to rush. Take a walk or get some light exercise, it will help with nerves.
- Drink water early in the morning, once your dress is on, you don’t want to have to visit the bathroom too many times.
- Have your hair and make-up done and have someone help you into your dress.
- Enjoy your wedding day because it is YOUR day and you have prepared better than anyone could have. (or, you know, as well as I did! … hehe)

Here are some tips to help make your honeymoon even more exciting and memorable:

1. When you are searching for resorts, look at all the available pictures. Look very carefully at the detail. Does the pool have plastic or wooden furniture? These small details will tell you if the venue is up to your standards and meets your needs.

2. Don’t rely solely on star ratings. Remember that different countries have different rating systems, as do different travel guides and websites. Instead, check more reliable sources and cross check from different travel guides. Depending on where the resort is, inquire with AAA, and local and national travel bureaus as well as reputable travel agents. Sometimes small boutique hotels are owned by larger hotel chains which can ensure some safety in their legitimacy.

3. Don’t be afraid to ask for extras and special treatment. From the time that you book your travel until the time you leave, be sure to mention that you are on your honeymoon. You may get a lot of little extras from the management, small upgrades to better rooms or views, better tables in the restaurant, champagne and desserts left on your bed or special treats at turn-down time. The one thing that isn’t done too much anymore is an upgrade to first-class on planes. Three recently married friends all reported that the option wasn’t available and they were told explicitly, it wasn’t done much anymore on planes. BAH. Wait until you get to the resort and brag all you want, it should pay off at least a little.

4. Don’t get too caught up in the room descriptions. Sometimes terminology can be misleading — as can room size. Those pictures are taken at angles to make the rooms look much larger than they often are. Read all of the details and remember that “ocean view” doesn’t mean “ocean front”. If websites are not clear, call and ask.

Ruthie’s Wedding Cake’s and Desserts in Columbus, Ohio will deliver cakes anywhere in Ohio and free delivery is available in Franklin County.

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If you are planning a wedding in the Washington, DC metro-area, you might really love DaVinci Florist. They are affordable, friendly and very professional. They work hard to make the brides happy and they have excellent floral talent too!

I also really like that their website has extensive wedding photo galleries and lists of flower information.

While recently reading a bridal website, I saw that a bride had posed the question that her bridesmaids had asked her to come up with a shower theme that she might like. It is common to have a kitchen shower, or a linens shower … and the gifts then correspond with the theme.

A theme can help with decorations and help the bride get gifts she might need rather than things she doesn’t so much need as just want. However, a bridal shower can be totally successful without any specific theme.

If you want to have a bridal shower with themes to make sure the gifts are diverse consider having certain guests responsible for different areas of the “home”. For example, your shower can have the theme “Around the House” and each person or a few people can be assigned to each room. Thereby, the bride will get gifts for the kitchen, the bathrooms, the dining room and the bedroom. The bedroom gifts can be linens or lingerie … depending on who is invited and how er, uh… *exciting* you want to make the shower.

At any kind of shower, you can add some special meaning and memories to the day by asking guests ahead of time to contribute a favorite recipe. If you include the recipe cards in the invitation guests can fill it out ahead of time and at the party, you can put the recipe cards into a recipe notebook.

For more bridal shower ideas and to see some photos from my actual shower this past Spring, click on this link.

Charlotte’s Flowers features silk flower arrangements. They have a very comprehensive package for less than $200!!

If you are marrying in the Phoenix area consider using a Sarah Lansdale ring pillow.

Her hand-sewn pillows can add an extra special touch if you are looking for delicate detail.

Contact Sarah Lansdale for information about creating a special pillow just for your wedding day.

Outdoor weddings are some of my favorite weddings. I, had an outdoor wedding — but before you commit to one, you should recognize a few issues that an outdoor ceremony presents.

You definitely lose a little control over some aspects of the day if you plan an outdoor ceremony. The obivious one is the weather. You are at the mercy of heat, cold, and rain. The other is that you can’t control each little decoration detail. For example, rose petal lining the aisle might blow around a little. It’s important to remember that outdoor ceremonies can be spectacular, but also you have to be a little flexible and it helps to embrace the concept that some things are just not controllable.

To see some other outdoor wedding sites in the San Francisco area, visit this website.

Utah is a state of great natural beauty.

Outdoor reception sites are common and amazing! I really like the ones listed below. I found them on the website, Utah Weddings.

1. Somewhere Inn Time features indoor and outdoor ceremony options. Located in Lindon, Utah.

and,

2. Arbor Manor Reception Center is located in Salt Lake City. Elegantly built in 2003, this site features ultra high ceilings and other details designed to make your wedding easy to plan and beautifully celebrated. They are an all-inclusive wedding facility where catering and decorations are supplied by the reception hall.

I usually like to feature vendors in the areas I am writing about but I found a website that allows you to sign up for some information and register for a planning kit too.

If you are planning a wedding, or are just recently engaged and are curious about a wedding in the western mountains of Colorado, this includes the popular ski areas of Summit County and the Vail Resorts, look at Western Colorado Wedding Guide. The publications have lists of vendors, ideas and tons of area-related information. It will allow you to compare different towns in the same area.

A … A-line skirt. Invented in the 1960s, it refers to a skirt that is slightly flared at the bottom, creating a very nice line for many body types.

B … Best Man: the term given to the head male assisting the groom in a wedding. In current times, a best man is generally responsible for planning a bachelor party, helping on the wedding day, holding the rings during the ceremony and providing friendly moral support to the groom and the couple.

C … Cut, Color, Carat, and Clarity The cour C’s of a diamond. Cut refers to the shape of the diamond, is it round, oval, pear shaped or emerald cut (rectangle). Color refers to the clearness of the diamond. Not all diamonds are alike. In fact, they are ranked on a scale of color from D to Z. But, for a ring, color usually only goes up to about a J. Anything higher and the stone will have a deeper yellowish to brown color. It is still a diamond, just not a clear diamond.

D … Diamond Engagement Ring

E … Engagement! The average first marriage engagement lasts 9-12 months and the average second marriage engagement lasts anywhere from three to six months.

F … Flowers! Most wedding ceremonies have many flowers as decorations. People use fresh, silk and dried flowers of all different colors and textures to create relaxing, romantic atmospheres for their wedding ceremonies. When it comes to choosing wedding flowers, the sky is truly the limit. You can spend as little as a few hundred to as much as thousands.

G … Guests. GUESTS. Guests can make a wedding the party that you want it to be. They give gifts and come to celebrate with you. They cost you the bulk of your wedding budget in food and alcohol and too often people decorate just to amuse the guests. Without guests, you really don’t have a wedding. It’s a catch-22. This article here talks about how to be a good guest, in a not-too-patronizing kind of way. This one here talks about what NOT to do, as a guest.

H … Honeymoon!!

I … Investment. Consider investing some of your wedding gifts so you can create a nest egg or just a small savings for household projects or future vacations.

J … Jewelery. In many cultures married people wear a wedding band as a sign that they are married. For many, this is as simple as a solid metal band made of gold, platinum, silver or titanium. Others prefer a fancier approach and their rings include diamonds and other stones. To see some modern day matching band sets, click here. And, to read about why should NOT take your ring off, ever really, but in public, click here. And read all the way to the bottom for ring cleaning instructions.

K … Kippot, or, yarmulke. In a Jewish wedding you will see the groom and all male guests wearing a head covering called a kippot.

L … Love. Don’t marry someone unless you really do love them. Marriage is not easy at times. Loving the person unconditionally will truly help in the tough times and make the good times even better.

M … Marriage. Wikipedia says marriage is an interpersonal relationship with government, social and religious recognition. Huh.

N … Nuptial. Nuptial is the adjective of Wedding. According to Wikipedia, it is used more in zoology to refer to mating season coupling, however, nuptials are also a marriage ceremony.

O … Outdoor weddings. Outside weddings are increasingly common and are a lot of fun. Usually reserved for the warm-weather months and more common in areas where the scenery is worth celebrating and can be incorporated as decoration in and of itself. Beach weddings, water-front weddings, boat-ride weddings, English-tea garden weddings are all very common wedding experiences.

P … Petals. Rose petals. Consider sprucing up your ceremony site by having rose petals line your aisle. It is a relatively inexpensive way to add some romantic detail to your ceremony site.

Q … Queen! At least you are for one day, so be sure to act like it! Remember that this is your wedding day. And you only get one. You have spent a lot of time planning and dreaming about this day, not to mention you have spent a lot of money on this day too. It is OKAY to be a little demanding and expect that people will put aside petty issues and just celebrate with you. Keep this in mind when dealing with annoying relatives and unruly vendors. You are paying the vendors to do a job for you and you have a right to expect that things be done according to plan and on time. From family members, you have a right to expect that they will put aside petty differences for a few hours for your sake. If they don’t, ask them to deal with these issues tomorrow because you would like the party to be a party.

R … Royal Doulton. Creators of china patterns and casual tableware.

S … Square Diamond.
Or, Princess Cut, as it is commonly referred to as is a very common style of engagement ring.

T … Tuxedo. Most men get married in a tuxedo. The most formal of men’s suits, tuxedos are easy and affordable to rent from a number of local and nationwide stores. Plan ahead and choose a tuxedo style and pattern about four months prior to your wedding so that all the groomsmen and fathers have time to get fitted and secure their rentals.

U … Unwind. Be sure to take some time prior to your wedding to spend some relaxing time with your family. It’s a special time and it will help you relax and focus on your big day ahead.

V … Vera Wang. Not only making dresses these days, Vera Wang has a line of household goods including china, silver and glassware.

W … Winnie Couture

X … X-tras! Be sure to keep an eye out for extras in your wedding planning. Ask all your vendors if they have seasonal specials or even reduced prices for holding your event at less popular times, like Sunday afternoons, Friday evenings and after a holiday weekend.

Y … Yolanda Couture.

Z … Zzzzz…… Sleep! Be sure to get some sleep the night before your wedding. It will help you keep going strong all day and make you feel better too. If you haven’t gotten much rest during your months spent wedding planning, be sure to plan a relaxing honeymoon where you can get plenty of rest. On a beach, in a hammock, on a boat, in the sun, in bed on a rainy afternoon …. many couples spend the first day or so of their honeymoon catching up on much needed rest.

Dance in Boston is a company in Boston providing dance lessons to bridal couples.
They offer flexible class times and a special one-time two-hour class that is simple and comprehensive.