Friday, October 31, 2008

Last Chance to Win an Early Honeymoon!

Today is the LAST day to submit your best wedding ideas for a chance to win an early honeymoon at the super lux Taj Hotel. The Unveiled Wedding Blog from Elegala.com is looking for buzzworthy wedding ideas from brides (or anyone who's been to a recent wedding). Unveiled is known for punchy, catchy posts on what's new and trendy in the world of weddings, and they're offering a free two night stay at the luxurious Taj Hotel for the best entries.

Simply complete the brief form with your idea, and you're automatically entered to win. But you better hurry and get your submissions in today - October 31st is the deadline for entries.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Wedding Favor Booklets Tell Guests Your Engagement and Proposal Story

Between your mother-in-law’s bridge club and your fiance’s college lacrosse team, chances are not everyone attending your wedding will know much about the chain of events resulting in their being “gathered here today.” Fill them in with professionally written and designed keepsake booklets that relay how you met, how he proposed, and other notable moments in your lives together.

Pause here for a moment to say, “ick,” at this seemingly cheesy idea, then think of it this way: The magazine-style brochure or booklet will bring home the emotion of your celebration while preventing you from having to explain how you met to one of his distant relatives when you’d rather be partying with friends. Another plus? These booklets can double as wedding favors for your guests.

Read more about wedding favor booklets at the Unveiled Wedding Blog

Monday, October 27, 2008

Guest Gripes - Top 8 Complaints that Irk Wedding Guests

Chances are, you’ll be the only one to notice if the five-tiered wedding cake tilts slightly to the left or the best man dons his favorite black sneaks, but wedding guests everywhere agree that the certain blunders make for a painful wedding experience…

This article lists to top 8 wedding guests complaints. You better read it to ensure you avoid these common wedding etiquette faux pas.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Luggage Forwarding Services Make Honeymoon Travel Worry Free

Schlepping overstuffed suitcases as sweat stains threaten the freshness of your fabulous, if impractical, day-one honeymoon ensemble, or worse – stewing in yesterday’s travel clothing while awaiting your bag that errantly made a detour to Yemen - is hardly a romantic way to spend your first hours as newlyweds. Instead, enlist a luggage forwarding service, and enjoy the worry-free honeymoon travel that comes with knowing your bags await upon your arrival. Whether its skis, a set of golf clubs, or shoes – lots and lots of shoes - they’ll collect it all from your home while you jet off to your honeymoon or wedding destination, and voila, your luggage is waiting for you in your room. And there you’ll relax with a tasty beverage in hand, smirking slightly as you think of those fellow honeymooners still stuck at baggage claim – wishing they were as savvy as you.

Apparently, it's easier than you think. This post on luggage forwarding services from the Unveiled Wedding Blog explains how the services works and provides links a number of reputable luggage forwarding companies.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Get Your Hand on a Stylish Couture Handbag for Your Wedding

So you’ve got the rock and you’ve found your frock, but you’re a bit perturbed whenit comes to your wedding day arm candy. In the world of wedding accessories and bridal purses, the profusion of gaudy beading and chintzy white satin just doesn’t cut it for the fashion forward bride. Answering the call for a suitable option are online storefronts that make getting your hands on a stylish couture bag for your wedding convenient and affordable.

Read more about where you can find stylish couture bridal purses

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Renew Your Wedding Vows - 5 Essential Tips

What better way to express your love for your spouse than to do it all over again? Maybe you want to celebrate a milestone such as 25 years together or to mark a new beginning after a rough patch in your relationship. Maybe you eloped or had a destination wedding when you first exchanged vows and now want to celebrate with everyone you know. Or maybe you just want to let the world know that you'd do it all over again in a heartbeat if you had the chance. There is no wrong reason for wanting to celebrate your love for each other.

This guide offers 5 essential tips for renewing your wedding vows.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Wedding Cost Estimator Tool

How much does each wedding detail cost where you live? This tool takes your zip code into account to give you a more accurate estimate on how much each aspect of your wedding costs.

You will find this tool invaluable, since understanding average wedding cost now can help you with your wedding budget later.

You can also find even more useful wedding planning tools here.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Green Your Ride

The latest vendors to jump on the green wedding bandwagon are the ones who will actually get you to and from the church. A number of green-oriented wedding transportation services now feature fleets of fuel-efficient sedans, limos, or buses. Book the same way you would that gas guzzling Hummer limo, since eco-transportation options are comparable in price. Then celebrate the fact that you can still arrive instyle, just while taking up a fraction of the carbon footprint. Who said it’s not easy being green?

Where to Find
PlanetTran, planettran.com, 888-756-8876; OZOcar, ozocar.com, 866-696-5966; Elite Green Car, elitegreencar.com, 404-350-8511; Eco Limo, eco-limo.com, 888-432-6546. Rates are similar to gas-powered car services, starting at about $50 per hour.


Wednesday, October 15, 2008

How to Buy an Engagement Ring: A Complete Guide to Selecting a Diamond and Setting

No bride-to-be feels like she’s really getting married until that all important ring adorns her left finger. You know the one, swooned over at the office water cooler, eliciting looks of envy from all who witness its sparkle. The engagement ring may well be the only pre-wed accessory sweeter than an actual, adoring fiancĂ©.

It’s best to face every big purchase equipped with a little savvy. There's a lot to know, so you'll need to do some research before walking into the jewelry store.

To get you started, visit this complete and easy-to-follow guide to engagement rings. With tips on how to choose the right metal, setting, and diamond, it will walk you through the process of selecting and buying a diamond engagement ring.

While you're there, you can get advice on wedding rings and other bridal jewelry in this complete wedding rings, jewelry and accessories guide.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Bridesmaids - 5 Ways to Keep Them Happy

Keep the Peace with Your Maids!
After the initial congratulatory exclamations subside, distress can erupt on the bridesmaid front. From gripes about bridesmaid dresses and wedding planning logistics, to deeper issues of insecurity and envy, there's enough drama potential to strain even the closest friendships.

Here are the top five stumbling blocks on the road to happy bridesmaids - and tips to avert each crisis.

Friday, October 10, 2008

How to Create Your Wedding Programs

Smart additions to your ceremony, wedding programs provide useful information to help your guests follow the proceedings, and they also make nice mementos from your big day. Ceremony programs can be as simple as a homemade one-page leaflet or as elaborate as a custom-ordered bound booklet. Arrange them in a basket at the ceremony entrance, or ask a close friend or family member not already a part of the wedding party to hand them to guests upon arrival.

This wedding programs guide has everything you need to know, including what to include in them, wording samples, trends and ideas

Thursday, October 09, 2008

5 Easy Steps to Planning your Wedding Flowers

Aside from the bouquet you spring for each Mother's Day, chances are you're a novice when it comes to flowers. However, now you are a bride-to-be planning your dream wedding, and suddenly you must make decisions on bouquets, boutonnieres, reception centerpieces and ceremony arrangements. Overwhelming? Yes. Fortunately, this guide will walk you through this process so you can enjoy planning your wedding flowers without wilting from the stress. Read through these useful tips on wedding flowers basics gathered from experts in the field.

And for more advice to help you plan your wedding flowers, this complete guide and photo gallery offers inspiring floral ideas and will walk you through the entire process

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Wedding Etiquette - Solutions to the Top Etiquette Dilemmas

As one of the biggest and most potentially stressful events of your life, getting engaged and subsequently planning a wedding brings with it an onslaught of questions. As times change and weddings evolve, traditional rules of etiquette have followed suit, only adding to the confusion.

To gain a little perspective, first understand that “etiquette” is above all about treating people with courtesy and making them feel comfortable. When an etiquette question arises, consider the feelings of those who will be affected.

When an etiquette question arises, brides can consult this wedding etiquette guide for the answers. The guide's articles address all of the most commen questions - including family issues, invititations and wording, appropriate dress code, and budget questions.

Thursday, October 02, 2008

Find The Right Venue for Your Wedding Reception

The wedding reception site is undeniably the most important piece of the planning puzzle, so you’ll want to put some careful thought into this essential task. Take these four easy steps to finding a venue that meets the needs and style of your wedding reception.

1) Determine the Theme and Style of Your Event -
Different types of wedding venues set the stage for specific styles of receptions. Before deciding, determine the type of affair you would like to host.

Today's weddings are about personality and creativity. Consider your personal style. Do you want your wedding to be a reflection or a departure from that? Just because you tend to be more city-chic does not mean you can't throw a country-style foot stomping hoe down of a wedding (it can be done in an equally fabulous manner).

Put some thought into this, and envision your perfect wedding reception. The theme and style you wish to reflect will help dictate the type of wedding venue you choose. Remember that options abound beyond hotel ballrooms, banquet halls and country clubs. Also consider mansions and historic sites, museums or parks. The sky is the limit!

2) Decide on Geographic Location -
Where do you want to get married? In your hometown? In your fiance's home town? In the town where you currently live? How about a Caribbean island? With today's jet-set couples, the possibilities really are endless. Don't be afraid to consider something different or unexpected. Perhaps the style or theme of your wedding will dictate the location-a tiki-style hut by the beach, a rustic farmhouse in the country, a posh ballroom overlooking a metropolitan cityscape. You get the idea...

3) Estimate the Number of Guests -
So you have decided to get married in an historic mansion near your hometown. Great - you're almost there! But before you get in your car and start touring wedding venues, there is one final criteria to consider - capacity. No matter how beautiful a place may be, if you anticipate a guest list of 300, cramming them into a facility that seats 150 will quickly turn an elegant affair into a mob of angry guests. Most reception sites make setting capacity information readily available. If not, give a quick call to the general phone number and find out. Make sure to differentiate the capacities for the type of wedding reception you envision (seated dinner, buffet, cocktail reception etc.) There may also be different capacities based on the setting with or without a dance floor.

4) Now Find Your Site! -
Find as many venues that meet these initial criteria as you can. You can search the national directory of wedding venues and services at Elegala.com to find sites in your area that meet your needs and narrow down your list. Then schedule appointments to tour each venue and meet with the manager. After that-it's decision making time!

This complete guide to wedding receptions has even more advice on finding and booking your venue, as well as planning your entire reception.