The use of music can make your wedding day more romantic and memorable. Choosing the best music can add to the whole atmosphere and leave your guests with an experience they will remember, and talk about, for many years to come.

Here are 5 tips on how to choose the perfect music during your wedding.

By Bethany Gardner

Plan with your partner what music you both want used at your wedding ceremony and reception. Remember to think of the appropriateness of each song for where you want to use it and its purpose to adding to the wedding experience. Create a list of your favorite songs that would complement the ceremony and reception individually. Once you have listed down your favorite songs, select the songs which are best during the prologue, the ceremony, and reception. Remember, the more significant each song is to the bride and groom as a couple will lead to the entire experience being more personalized and unique.

Decide how the songs are going to be presented, should they be sung live or will playing a recording of the song be acceptable. If all the songs are pre-recorded, have a look for compilation CDs that contain a number of these songs or similarly go onto Itunes and download the specific songs. Make sure you make note of the length of time each song is to ensure that there is sufficient time for the different activities accompanying that song to be completed. If you decide that you want the music performed live then you need to look into booking singers and musicians, ensure that you plan far enough in advance to allow time for the musicians to learn the desired pieces. If you do not know where to find musicians, research into wedding music organisers or planners, they have a vast knowledge and experience to be drawn upon.

During the processional hymn (entrance), romantic and instrumental songs can be played, instruments that can be used include violins and other various strings, saxophones, piano, oboe and flute. If the bridal party is large sometimes it is advised to use two songs, one for the brides maids and then one especially for the bride. The use of vocal music, either choral or solo is also very common and acceptable for the processional hymn.

During the wedding ceremony, if held in a church, traditional church hymns are usual played. More contemporary songs can be used in a church ceremony but it is important to remember to check with the marriage celebrant as some churches have strict policies onto exactly what music is appropriate and what music isn’t. For a civil celebration the bride and groom have a lot more freedom to select the music that is meaningful and significant to them.

At the wedding reception, the use of music can really add to the atmosphere. It is advisable that the couple select appropriate songs for cocktails as guests arrive, background music for during the meal, a song for their first dance as husband and wife and a playlist of fun and well known music for the guests to dance to at the conclusion of the formalities. Other songs to think about is whether upon the bridal party entrance specific theme songs are wanted for the various couples, theme music for each speech and exited music for the farewells at the end of the evening. All of this music can be performed by either a DJ or a live band or a combination of both. The positives and negatives of both of these forms of entertainment should be carefully considered as this will affect the overall atmosphere of the wedding reception.

By: Bethany Gardner

When thinking of a wedding everyone thinks of the dress, the venue, and most of all flowers! Whether it’s your wedding ceremony or reception, in a church or on the beach flowers remain a number one priority of decorating and enhancing any wedding.

Source: dianamaweddings.com

Jennifer Schmidt of Embellish Floral Studio Shares Her Favorite Floral Trends

A few weeks ago, I had the distinct honor and pleasure to visit Jennifer Schmidt of Embellish Floral Studio for some coffee and cake in her home (in Keene, NH).

Jennifer’s talent and creative flair is quite remarkable!! With a background in art, she is a self taught floral designer and has worked under the apprenticeship of Tamara Rogers based in the Boston (MA) area.

Between laughing and mouthfuls of amazing coffee cake (the one from Panera Bread is seriously TDF!), Jennifer shared with me her top 4 favorite wedding trends in everything floral.

1. Think loose, flowing and organic. Our shaken economy has forced almost everyone to get back to basics. We all seem to be looking for ways to scale-back, opening our wallets only when we absolutely need to – for high-quality essentials. I think that this trend has spilled over into the wedding industry and can be seen notably in flowers. Look for looser, more haphazard arrangements as they would appear in nature. Why go to the trouble of taming roses into a tight ball, when they grow gorgeously on their own? With more and more weddings being planned in backyards or at private residences, looser arrangements charming, whimsical and very beautiful.

2. Bolder colors make a bigger impact. Jennifer mentioned to me that she was seeing a lot of requests for unusual, bright color combinations. I can’t help but love this trend! How can you not be wowed by turquoise or teal teamed with orange and red? Talk about making a statement!

3. Masses or groupings of centerpieces on long banquet-style tables. This look is adorable and so unpretentious. I absolutely love the look for any tented wedding. Think little bundles of lush arrangements on a long rectangle vs. a single massive one arrangement and tea lights in the middle of a circle. The look of long, rectangular tables is less fussy than their rounder counterparts. Plus, a family style meal invites more conversation and laughter when you’re passing food to one another!

4. Vintage and heirloom touches. What makes Embellish Floral so unique is Jennifer’s attention to detail. She told me that she actually scours flea markets almost every weekend for unique vases, urns and estate jewelry. She also encourages her clients to incorporate their own heirloom jewels in bridal bouquets. How cool is that? You can definitely do this too and come up with your own eclectic look from off-beat flea market finds.

Jennifer Schmidt is an absolute delight and highly talented. Embellish Floral Studio offers personal detail and flair to any home spun wedding.

For full article click here.

Before the bride takes her stroll down the aisle all eyes will be on the bridal party! Although you don’t want to pick a dress for your bridesmaids that will outshine your own, the way they look does reflect your wedding. You’ll also want to be aware of how long it will take for the bridesmaid dresses to come in, remember, you’re bridal party has to get fitted too! Get more helpful tips below.

Source: dressofbridesmaids.com

Where do I start?

When choosing a dress, it is the bride’s privilege to select the color and type of fabric of the bridesmaids’ dresses. It should complement the bride’s gown, but it should also be comfortable and attractive for the attendants. Consideration should be given to the bridesmaids’ style, color preferences, their figure types as well as their budgets.

The Internet is a wonderful resource for finding bridesmaid dresses. We also recommend thumbing through the more popular wedding magazines, such as Bride’s and Modern Bride magazines. It is recommended that the bride go shopping with one or two of her bridesmaids and see what styles they like. Once you narrow it down, you can then get input from your other bridesmaids if you desire.

What are the latest trends in bridesmaid dresses?

Styles – A-line dresses which look great on all different body shapes and sizes are very popular. The hottest styles right now are two-tone, two-piece floor length styles, mostly sleeveless. Also very popular are column style dresses, floor length, halter top or straps criss-crossing over the back and sleeveless. Another big trend is having a shawl accompany the dress, particularly the barer styles.

Colors – Platinum is very in style at the moment, as well as the paler colors, pale yellows, sand, and taupe. There is also a trend toward burgundy and hunter for Fall weddings too. Black bridesmaid dresses are always in style and always popular choices among both brides dresses and their elegant bridesmaids dresses. In addition, many of the designers today are also using better quality fabrics like dupioni silk, silk chiffon bridesmaid dresses will make you seems noble.

Combinations – Another trend is to choose a manufacturer that offers different styles in the same fabric and color and letting each bridesmaid chose the style they look best in. You could apply some simple rules – no dress above the knee, or no strapless dress (or whatever look you want for your wedding). Another popular and pretty trend, especially for spring and summer weddings, is a “color run”. That means that each bridesmaid wears a different color of the same dress.

Although today there is less tradition around colors, styles and seasons, it is always wise to use common sense. For example, it would not be wise to choose a short cut and strapless bridesmaid dress during the winter, or a heavy material during the summer in an outdoor ceremony.

I’ve found the bridesmaid dress I want, what should I do next?

The first thing you want to do is to have all of the bridesmaids professionally measured. This way you can cross reference them with the size chart for the manufacturer you have selected in order to ensure you order the size that is closest to their figure. Each designer bridesmaid dresses use different size charts so you won’t be able to assume that a size 8 from manufacturer “A” will fit the same way a size 8 does from manufacturer “B”.

How can I find the best price?

Typically retailers have a lot of overhead and have to charge full retail prices to cover their costs. However, some retailers also have an online presence and offer good discounts.

How far in advance of the wedding should I order the dresses?

Manufacturers are constantly adding and discontinuing styles. As a result, it is strongly recommended that you order your dresses as soon as you have made a decision on the dress you want. Different manufacturers have different lead times. You will also want to leave enough time for alterations – usually at least 3 weeks before the wedding if not sooner.
You should order all your bridesmaid dresses at the same time as fabric dye-lots can vary. If you don’t order the dresses one at a time, the dresses might not all be from the same dye-lot so they might not all be the exact same color.

Do you have any other advice?

Brides:

In the end, when selecting your bridesmaids’ dresses, it is always best to try to keep your bridesmaids’ tastes in mind. As the bride, when you look back on your wedding, you probably won’t care as much about what your bridesmaid dresses looked like, as much as you will care about how they felt. Their budgets, personalities, shapes, sizes and opinions should all be factored in to your decision. When it comes down to the bottom line it is your decision because it is your wedding. However, try not to forget that the reason they are standing up in your wedding is because they are the ones that have been there for you in your life. You don’t want to embarrass them or make them uncomfortable just for your happiness. Although some dresses are more reusable than others, eventually all styles go out of fashion. However, your friends and family never will go out of style and will always be needed.

Bridesmaids:

As a bridesmaid, try to be flexible and be willing to compromise to a certain extent. This is your dear friend’s or relative’s special day and you want her to be happy too. Don’t let a dress that you may only wear for one day get in the way of your long time friendship that will hopefully last a lifetime to come. If you really don’t like the dress, take it to a local consignment store soon after the wedding while it is still in style. Best months are in the Spring – right before prom season and in the Fall – right before homecoming. Otherwise you can donate it to a local charity. Someone else out there will love the dress and be thrilled to get a bargain. Then you will have made another person happy too!
If you are interested in getting the bride a little something, it may be cute to get her a little lingerie for her honeymoon or garters for her wedding day! This will surely make her man happy on their wedding night!

Time/Planning

As the wedding grows more near, it seems that there just isn’t enough time in a day. Dress planning is extremely important. Bridesmaid101 has listed below some important times to be aware of:
- Shopping For The Dress
- First Fitting
- Shoe Shopping
- Picking Up The Dress
Make sure you leave yourself enough time for a second and possibly third fitting in case the dress does not fit right. Many girls wait until less than a week before the wedding to pick up their dress only to find out it doesn’t fit well and there is not enough time to send it back. The best advice is to help the bride shop early (If she wants help) and to try on the dress the day you receive a phone call that the bride’s dress has arrived.

Keeping The Bridal Dress Perfect on The Wedding Day

There are steps you can take to make sure the dress stays clean and wrinkle free on the big day. Below are some great tips in making the bridal dress and bridesmaid dresses a success:

Make sure to choose types of flowers that don’t stain. You can also ask your florist for this information as well as to remove any parts of the flowers that may stain the dresses (if possible).

Bring an iron and spray bottle with you. It is also helpful to remember an extension cord and mini ironing board if possible.
A garment bag is key to making sure the dress stays nice, especially if you are going to change.

Use both a deodorant and antiperspirant on the big day since both will help in keeping your bridal dress clean.

If you are doing your makeup, make sure to do it before your dress is on and if you have to touch up the makeup after the dress is on, use a towel or some drape cloth to make sure no smudge hits the dress.

Use barrettes or something to hold the long dresses up so they do not get dirty on the ground before walking down the isle or taking pictures.

Make sure to think the worst when getting into a car, leaning or sitting down that there may be something dirty you will be pressing against.

Always make sure to wipe off or look at what you are pressing against whether sitting or leaning.

In outdoor weddings, watch out for ledges where birds may be resting. It has happened before for a bride to be pelted by a bird which is not a pretty sight.

Read the full article here.

Saving money is difficult especially when planning a wedding! We found these helpful tips to have your dream wedding without over-spending.

Source: Reuters

When it comes to lavish weddings, event planner Sasha Souza has seen it all: $25,000 cakes, a live performance by Tony Bennett and more caviar than most people could eat in a lifetime.

But in these somber economic times, more couples are saying “I don’t” to the kinds of affairs that will put them in a financial tailspin long after the last crystal candleholder has been unwrapped.

“People are often shocked by the cost of everything they need to create their big day,” says Souza, owner of Souza Events in northern California and author of Signature Sasha: Magnificent weddings by design.  “If you want a wedding that is customized and has little details, those details cost a lot of money.”

The average price of a wedding in the U.S. has dropped to an estimated $20,088 in 2010 from a lofty $28,732 in 2007, according to figures released by The Wedding Report. But the cost of saying “I do” can still take a love-struck couple by surprise.

“Unfortunately, wedding fantasies mostly translate into big costs, and even more unfortunately, the bride and groom start out their life as a married couple limited by the debt they accumulated in order to host the perfect wedding,” says Emma Lotto, creator and writer of the blog, Tightwad: A Girl’s Guide to Living on Less.

Before you rush to a chapel in Vegas, take heed:  you don’t need to be independently wealthy to throw a shindig worth remembering. “With the right level of creativity and resourcefulness, it really is possible to pull off a beautiful wedding for $3,000 despite the fact that the average wedding today costs around 10 times that,” says Linda Kevich, editor of SuperWeddings.com.

Here are 12 ways to enter wedded bliss without all the bills:

Start early. It’s easy to overpay when the wedding is six weeks away and you still haven’t found a dress or chosen a florist. While it’s true you can pull off a wedding in two months (or less!), give yourself six months to make thoughtful decisions to avoid buckling under pressure.

Get connected. Bridal forums can be your best bet for finding deals on everything from wedding attire to centerpieces. Check out Brides.com or find a blog that suits your style at BestBridalBlogs.com for helpful tips from brides who have been there.

Do-it-yourself (or enlist your artsy friends). If you’re crafty, now’s the time to put it to good use. Order your invitations online or make them yourself to cut costs. Don’t want to pay for a DJ? Make a custom playlist on your iPod and ask a friend to take the reigns (or better yet, hire a trustworthy teenager). Know a budding photographer or videographer? Ask to see their work and hire the best one you can reasonably afford; many up-and-coming photographers will offer their services at a fraction of the price in an effort to build their portfolios.

But don’t take DIY too far, warns Carolyn Fairley, certified wedding planner and owner of Premier Wedding and Event Planning in Pittsburgh. “If your party favors look like a third-grade art project, people will notice,” she says.

Be flexible. Consider tweaking your “vision” to get more bang for your buck. For instance, opting for a daytime reception will shave hundreds of dollars off your bar bill and quite likely lower your food costs, too.  If you insist on an evening reception, think about serving cocktails and hor d’oeuvres or having a stand-up reception with finger foods instead of a sit-down dinner.

Likewise, think about trimming your guest list. It’s one of the easiest ways to curb your overall expenses and makes for a more intimate affair. “If you wouldn’t invite them to Sunday dinner, they shouldn’t be on your list,” Souza says. Same goes for your bridal party, Souza says. The fewer bridal bouquets and thank-you gifts you need to buy, the better for your budget.

Forget Saturday in June. You’ll increase your bargaining power and reduce your reception hall costs if you opt for a less in-demand day and season, but be warned: the rest of your vendors may not lower their prices. Generally speaking, weddings outside “peak” season (spring and summer) are cheaper due to higher availability.

Negotiate. There is plenty of room to save money through simple negotiation, Kevich says. “Don’t be afraid to ask, but keep it reasonable,” she says. For instance, some vendors will agree to waive the sales tax if you offer to pay in cash. Bulk purchases also give you leverage. Everything from wedding invitations to the per-person cost of hair and makeup application are cheaper when purchased in bulk. The cardinal rule: just ask.

Read the fine print. Watch out for hidden charges buried in vendor contracts and be sure to ask specific questions about any extra charges that may apply because there usually are, warns Kevich. For instance, are chair covers included in the cost of your banquet hall? What about flatware and coat check? Do you have access to the entire venue for pictures, or is there an extra charge? Is there a minimum guest count? Ask for details before signing on the dotted line.

Watch out for the little costs that turn big. So you booked your hall, hired a caterer and nailed down a photographer. Now comes the little details that can cost a fortune. Ask yourself the following questions:

* How important is a champagne toast? Guests often skip the bubbly in favor of their own drink, Souza warns. Best to skip the Cristal and and let your guests raise their glasses with their preferred drink.

* Do you really need party favors, or would your money be better spent making a donation? (Hint: donations are usually much more cost effective and appreciated by guests.)

* Is the wedding cake worth it? If you don’t care about five tiers of frosting, then skip it and save a couple hundred bucks.  If it’s the photo op you’re after, rent a fake cake and serve sheet cake to the guests; nobody will ever know the difference.

* How ugly are the chairs without covers? If you can live with uncovered chairs, then do it. You’ll save anywhere between $4 to $10 per chair, plus service charges.

In the end, the old cliche is true: a wedding is just one day,  but a marriage (hopefully) lasts a lifetime. If you and your beloved can’t muster the enthusiasm for a your Big Day, then don’t. There’s always Vegas.

Source: Reuters