Wedding Talk

8-Bit Wedding Invite Makes Me Want to Pop the Question

GeekSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:10:57 -0800

We may be smack dab in the middle of holiday season here on the Sugar Network, but I can't help but share with you this crazy-fun find to whet your palate for next year's wedding season. We already have enough geeky wedding ammo to fuel an entire ceremony, so this 8-Bit wedding invite is the icing on the cake (pun intended).

Complete with binary code speech bubbles, the vintage feel of this wedding invitation I spotted on BuzzFeed has me longing for my arcade days. Of course, if you do rock the old-school invite to your wedding (or DIY it for any occasion), just be sure to have some retro gaming action on hand to complete the feel. Party on!

How do a plan a bridal shower for an international wedding party?

PureGrace — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:37:13 -0800

I'm looking for advice on how to plan my sister's bridal shower. My sister Colleen and her fiance Gordon live in Ireland, however their St. Patrick's Day wedding will take place in New York (where all my family is).
I am confused about what to do for a bridal shower for her. I definitely want her to have a shower, but I'm unsure about what steps to take. Do I make arrangements to ship the gifts to Ireland after the party or do I tell everyone to give her Mastercard gift cards or lingerie? Do I plan it for when she comes home for the holidays or do I plan it for the week of the wedding so her friends and new family members from Ireland can attend?
The good thing is the wedding is over a year off but I still want to be prepared. I love my sister and want to give her the very best but I haven't found anything to address this issue. Thanks!
-Katie

27. The Quotations of Links of London

linksyu — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 23:44:26 -0800

The humorous re-writing thus functions as what Hutcheon names "Parodic Satire" ("Tronie" 168), as Winterson challenges a whole way of life, intermingling a profusion of comic effects and intertextual referencesranging from Punch and Judy Shows and Dallas to irreverent allusions to the Romantic poets and botched quotations of their titles of poems. Some aspects of contemporary Western society which are criticized include materialism, capitalism, political and religious Links of London Bracelet, the power of the media, the S Charmwith physical appearance, narcissism, romantic love, illusions and irresponsible attitudes, disrespect for manual labor and emotions, and the importance given to the intellect. More generally and fundamentally, Winterson denounces all forms of tyranny - of totalitarianism, of fanaticism, of fundamentalism - all monologic discourse (R Charm), and all belief in a unique legitimating Truth. She unmasks what René Girard, in Des choses cachées depuis la fondation du monde, calls the "victimization" processes set up in Biblical discourse, whereby scapegoats and marginal links of londonare unjustly condemned in order to ensure the survival of a dominant group.

How to pop the question: Will you be my bridesmaid?

TrishaWood — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:20:34 -0700

Have you popped the question... “Will you be my bridesmaid?” Most every aspect of planning a wedding is full of excitement and anticipation. Asking your closest friends and family to do you the honor of standing up with you is certainly no exception! So, how will you ask… what will they say… and after the day, will they remember how you did it? Sound familiar? I can imagine it is quite similar to asking your significant other to marry him or her. Here are some great ideas for you bridal planning book as you take one of the first steps in your planning process.

Give a tote packed with bridesmaid goodies: They’re sure to say “I do” when they open a package packed with bridesmaid goodies to put them in the wedding spirit. Pack an adorable tote with necessities for planning a perfect wedding; note pads to jot notes as you quickly rattle off your favorite ideas, bridesmaid wine glasses for toasting to the big event and your friendship, bridesmaid cosmetic bag, photo frame, and compact. Try these great gifts and more from The Brown Bow Gift Co.

Send a beautiful square photo vase for them to remember your gesture long after the day. Fill each side with memoirs and sentiments of your relationship. An old photo of the two of you, a new photo of the two of you, a poem that describes your friendship perfectly, and finally a personal note asking him or her to do you the honor of being a bridesmaid. You could even send your vase with a fabulous bouquet of fresh flowers within!

Build a personalized and hand created memory album that timelines your friendship. Fill with anything and everything from old pictures to handwritten recounts of fun times and great memories to telling her just what it is that makes her so special. The grand finale page will pop your question… will you be my bridesmaid? Try this personalized silver stamped album from The Brown Bow Gift Co.

T-shirt rolled up w/ letter inside: For a cute and casual way to ask your bridesmaid to make your wedding day complete, send a simple rolled up bridesmaid t-shirt with your personal letter rolled gently inside. Send it in a unique mailing tube that will immediately get her attention.

Or send a cookie invitation, new by special order at The Brown Bow Gift Co. Find all these gift ideas and more for your bridesmaids and entire wedding party at The Brown Bow Gift Co. Bridal Shop

Source: The Art of Gifting

Reception tips and ideas

TrishaWood — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:13:57 -0700

Henry Hager And Jenna Bush Wedding
Your wedding will no doubt be the most romantic day of your lives, it's a celebration of love and commitment. But it's also the biggest party you'll probably ever throw. So pull out all the stops and make it a night to remember. We've researched the top wedding experts to find their best ideas for throwing a fun and unique reception, while maximizing the romance and tugging at the heartstrings of your guests. Whether you use one or 10 of them, we hope you will find at least a few new and creative ideas to make your reception even more fabulous.

If you're planning an outdoor event, don't forget to spray the grounds for insects about an hour before the guests arrive.
Skip the huge head table at the reception, share an intimate dinner for two, or share a small table with your parents or children.
Ask your caterer to prepare a late night snack for the bride and groom. As more often than not you are too busy with guests when dinner is served.
Want to use those disposable cameras on the reception tables. To avoid having hundreds of the same pictures by turning your guests into creative photographers with a photo hunt. Leave a list of ten great photos you would like that table to take during the reception. Photo ideas could include; build a pyramid, group table shot, funniest pose, a guest kissing the bartender or grandparents holding hands.
Don't like the disposable cameras but still want to get memories captured by your guests? Set up a docking station so guests can load their photos to your computer on the spot.
Offer your guests one or two signature cocktails that you've personalized with a cute name and your wedding colors.
Want the expensive look of calligraphy for your invitations without the cost? Calligraphic fonts that look like the real thing are readily available. Free font sources: searchfreefonts.com, highfonts.com, dafont.com
Have a graphic artist create a custom wedding logo that you can use on printed materials and other elements of your wedding to create a cohesive look. (If you’re artistic you can do this yourself. Another option: Purchase a logo at marrymonograms.com)
Tell it to the world! Hire a skywriter to spell out “Congratulations, Trish and Jason!” during an outdoor cocktail hour.
Ask your camera people to set up a live feed of the bridal party’s photo session for guests to enjoy over cocktails and appetizers. This way, no one is excluded from what the stars of the day are doing.
Glam up the ladies room. It will be an unexpected suprise for your guests and will add a touch of elegance to your event.
Put your stamp on water, wine or beer bottles with personalized labels.
Don’t forget your youngest guests. Create an activity book-print coloring pages on your computer, for example-and place at each child’s seat. Personalize the cover with your names and wedding date.
Having a beach wedding? Personalized beach towels are the perfect gift for guests. You could adorn them with your wedding logo or motif or have each towel embroidered with guests’ initials.
Another destination wedding idea, give every female guest a single flower, say, a vibrantly colored hibiscus, to wear in her hair.
Research family traditions. For an Irish/Scottish wedding, for example, you or a group could learn an Irish step dance. (And then invite your guests to join in, to add to the fun.)
Give a short speech before dinner in which you thank your parents as well as your guests. Mom and Dad will treasure these words forever. Weddingspeeches4u can help with the writing.
Surprise your parents and your new in-laws by having the band play the first songs from their weddings.
Instead of numbering your tables, name them. If France is your honeymoon destination, call one table “Paris,” another “Cannes,” another “Provence” and so on.
Groom’s cakes are back in a big way. Select one that represents your new husband’s hobby, favorite sports team or hometown.
Place blank CDs in envelopes preaddressed to you on a table near the exit. Enclose a note with this request: “When you download your pictures, please burn us a copy-and send!” Or, set up a docking station so guests can download to a computer for you, right there before they leave your event.
Another clever touch that you might want to try, place a giant antique suitcase near the dance floor with a sign that says “For tired toes.” Inside the trunk add pairs of inexpensive slippers, for the ladies who want to dance but need a break from their high heels.
Instead of the traditional sit-down dinner or buffet, opt for smaller food-serving areas where a particular entrée or side dish might be paired with a complementary drink-like sushi with sake or a carving station with a rich cabernet. Stations get people up and moving, and that makes for a dynamic party, and they give guests something to talk about. Or, consider having a family-style dinner. Passing around platters of food creates a much more intimate feel among guests than a waiter-served meal would.
Vodka ice slides are a popular trend right now. A bartender pours flavored vodka through a long tunnel carved into an ice sculpture, and by the time it empties into a glass held at the bottom, the vodka's been chilled. It's a creative and interesting twist on the martini bar.
Give champagne an extra kick by placing fruit-peaches and blackberries are popular choices-in the flutes, because it'll stimulate the bubble action. Fresh fruit works well, but frozen fruit provides even more fizz.
Here's a hot new trend, make your guests smile by renting a photo booth for your wedding so guests can take turns mugging for the camera. Place the booth in a corner of your ballroom, and get ready for all sorts of silly photo strips to come out of the machine-perhaps even one of you and your new husband sneaking kisses behind the curtain.
Hire an unusual entertainer to thrill party-goers. Some fun ideas: a juggler, belly dancer or a magician. Have a favorite celebrity? Hire an impersonator to liven up the cocktail hour by performing, mingling with guests and posing for photos with them.
Make dessert a group activity. Arrange to have pots of chocolate fondue delivered to each dinner table, along with pieces of pound cake, pineapple and strawberry for dipping. Or, serve s'mores, camp-style-guests can roast their own marshmallows over mini sterno-fueled grills placed at the center of each table.
Carve out a little alone-time in the midst of your party. Sneak away to a private room in your reception venue-you can ask your caterer in advance to have champagne and strawberries waiting for you. Kiss, toast to your future, and relish the fact that this is your wedding day.
The salad course of your wedding meal can make a lovely statement. Dress up the greens with edible flowers, such as nasturtiums or delicate peach blossoms. Serving soup instead of salad? Showcase your new monogram-in the soup. Serve a thick concoction (like pumpkin soup in fall or vichyssoise in winter) and have your caterer spell out your initials with heavy cream in each bowl.
Imagine taking your first spin around the dance floor while listening to the words that joined you together as husband and wife. Apparantely it's relatively easy for your DJ to record your vows at the ceremony, and then splice them into your first-dance song.
Make the cocktail hour interactive by setting up a wine, champagne or liquor tasting. A beverage expert or a sommelier can offer guests a sampling of libations and a little lesson on flavors.
Hire dance instructors to teach guests how to swing, merengue, boot-scoot or polka. There's no better way to get everybody on the dance floor.
Hire a caricaturist to render on-the-spot drawings of guests (which they can take home, of course).
Love dress-up? Have a trunk full of costumes and silly props on the dance floor. Guests can try on hats, boas and oversize sunglasses, and "play" faux guitars.
Burn CDs of the songs you'll be playing at your wedding. Ask the parking valets to put the discs in guests' car stereos, and to leave a note from the two of you on the front seat. On the way home, guests can replay all the fantastic musical memories of the day.
Favors shouldn't be for guests only. Send yourselves off with a treat, too. Ask your caterer to create a basket filled with champagne, cheese, crackers, fruit, cookies and chocolate that you can dip into when you're up in the honeymoon suite.
If certain guests-college friends, family members-are needed for a group photo at the reception, a clever way to get them all together with minimal fuss is to make a note on their place cards about the time and location.
The classic floral vase has given way to mix-and-matched clusters of vintage pitchers, vases, jars, and galvanized buckets. Other ideas: apothecary jars with colorful rocks, sand, or even candy; uniquely shaped glass vases featuring fresh fruits like raspberries and blueberries; and mason jars loaded with fresh flowers like daisies and dahlias.
Say good-bye to pale pastels and bright poppies. Rich gem colors like navy, plum, and amber are this season's hottest trend. And instead of chocolate brown, look to a soft creme brulee hue, bronzes, coppers, and black. Yes, that's right -- black is the new black.
Plan an after party. Any bride will tell you that the reception flies by. But the last dance doesn't have to signal the end of the celebration.
There are wedding watercolor artists who will draw in pastels, or paint in watercolors, the reception as it unfolds. This can be a great gift for the bride and groom, but it's also some quiet entertainment for guests and especially good for weddings set in great scenery.
A luxury lounge can take your reception to the next level. Drape off seating areas around the dance floor or on the lawn for guests to rest their feet. Set up white couches, chairs and tables decorated with bright blooms, colorful pillows and throws for a club-like feel.
Consider wedding insurance. Wedding insurance are policies specifically designed to protect you from financial loss in the event your wedding must be cancelled or postponed due to circumstances beyond your control, or if one of the major elements of your wedding (e.g., photographs, wedding attire, and/or gifts) is lost or damaged.
Arrange for an old fashion popcorn machine or ice cream or candy cart to park outside your reception at the end of the evening so your guests can munch while they wait for the valet.
Don't want to wear an heirloom dress but still want to honor your Mother or Grandmother? Clip a piece of fabric to wrap your bouquet, or drape the escort card table for an elegant custom look.

Elegant Lollipop Favors

TrishaWood — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:03:12 -0700

Are you a bride stuck trying to decide the perfect favor for your guests, but don't want to waste money on trinkets your guests will leave on the table or never use? No one can resist the temptation of a sweet treat, so what better way to entice your guests than with these scrumptious Lollipop Favors? Each Lollipop favor features a delicious white candy with strawberry flavor wrapped and tied with the most perfect white bow to accent and bring a touch of class to your candy offering. Arrange these delightful favors as a bouquet, use them as the highlight of your candy bar or put one on each of your guest's place settings. You could easily use these treats for bridal showers, baby showers or even as wedding favors. Available in a variety of color options to perfectly suit your decor, these Lollipop Favors make the perfect confection for your unforgettable event. And if you are lucky enough to have a few left after your event, we're sure they won't go to waste.

Easy Personalized Dance Floor

TrishaWood — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 07:15:01 -0700

There is no better way to make a statement at your wedding than with a personalized dance floor, and we have a simple, do-it-yourself way to get that elegant, designer feel on a budget. Click here to see one option for personalizing your dance floor, then browse our Bridal Shop for other personalized wedding and reception options.

Our Wedding at the Claremont Resort & Spa

jc — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 09:16:16 -0700

My husband and I had a gorgeous summer wedding this past August. We both grew up in the Bay Area and wanted to incorporate nothing but the finest from where we grew up. We wedded at the breathtaking Claremont Resort & Spa, our wedding cake made by the renowned Katrina Rozelle and our favors from the delicious Charles Chocolates. Enjoy photos from our wedding...

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My wedding proposal cupcakes!

kbussanich — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:19:43 -0700

My boyfriend very creatively proposed to me the other night with these beautiful "Will You Marry Me?" cupcakes. And I said "YES!" I love food, especially cupcakes and this was just too perfect. And they're from my favorite cupcake bakery, Flour & Sun in Pleasantville, NY.

Fall Weddings - 29 Fall Wedding Ideas | Elegala.com

corann — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:59:03 -0700

elegala.com

Looking for autumn-spiration? These tips and ideas for fall weddings will get you started towards planning a wedding with a fall twist. Consult this list of creative and easy fall wedding ideas.