A Romance for Wedding Gowns
September 30, 2008
Ever since I was a little girl, I loved wedding dresses. I used to sneak into my mom’s closet to look at her wedding dress when she wasn’t home. She had no problem with showing it to me, but if she had known how many hours I spent practically drooling over it, she probably would have freaked out a bit. I had pretty childish tastes back then – unsurprising because I was a child. I loved wedding gowns because they looked so soft and fluffy. They were like cakes, and they made whoever wore them look halfway between a princess and a pastry. I could not get enough.
Back when I was buying discount wedding dresses at thrift stores and wearing them to the school with various punk rock modifications to shock my teachers, I never dreamed that one day I would be a wedding designer. You see, as much as I loved wedding dresses, I wasn’t particularly enamored of weddings. I was very independent, and I couldn’t imagine spending my entire life with one boy, raising kids, and living in a boring suburban corner of the world like my parents did. I wanted action and adventure. I wanted to be a mountain climber or a park ranger, or perhaps a professional photographer. One thing I didn’t want to be was a bride.
Nonetheless, I was still impressed with bridal fashion. I loved when I got to see outdoor weddings at the local park. We lived by a gorgeous state park complete with the rivers, lakes, and beautiful rolling hills. There was a small wedding chapel there, and they would frequently rent it out. My boyfriend at the time must have thought I was giving him messages! I made him sit there with me all afternoon, watching the wedding party. Perhaps he thought I had dreams of long-term romance, but such thoughts were furthest from my mind. I was interested in it purely from a fashion perspective.
Now that I am getting ready for my own wedding, I am struck by how different the experience is from that of helping other people get ready for there big day. Looking for wedding gown ideas. Although there are vintage designs, modern designs, classic designs, and many other variations, it doesn’t amount to all that much variety. There are only a few things to keep track of, and if you appreciate the clothes it is easy. Picking out one for yourself, however, is another matter. It is probably the hardest part is getting married.
10 Tips for Selecting Your Design of Wedding Invitations
September 30, 2008
Your wedding invitations are just the beginning to having your wedding reflect your own personal style. Today, more than ever, couples are doing everything they can to make their wedding day uniquely personalized.
No doubt your personal tastes helped you choose your wedding location, colors and theme. Since your wedding invitations are an introduction to your wedding, they should reflect your selections and ultimately your personal styles.
It used to be that wedding invitations were always very traditional in both color and appearance. Today, they come in a variety of styles, sizes, themes and vibrant colors to reflect the creativity of modern wedding couples.
Traditional is still an elegant choice, but today your options are truly limitless. There are designs based on seasons of the year, personal interests, colors, specific themes, location settings, ethnic backgrounds, flowers, etc. Your wedding invitations can have a contemporary look featuring bold colors and patterns or they might showcase your engagement photo or they may even highlight your monogram.
Your decisions do not end with the wedding invitation itself. There are the font styles and ink colors. Again, there is an impressive selection of fonts to fit any type of wedding design. Be sure when selecting your font style that it is easy to read for your guests. The more script the style, the more difficult it usually is to read. Ink color choices are not quite as abundant as font styles, but there are still plenty to match up with your chosen wedding colors.
Here are some questions for you to consider when choosing your wedding invitation design:
1. In what type of setting are you getting married – church, formal, casual, outdoor, destination?
2. What is the color scheme of your wedding?
3. Is there an overall theme to your wedding?
4. Do you want to be earth friendly with your invitations such as choosing a recycled paper stock?
5. Do you want to incorporate a specific ethnic or religious theme?
6. In what season will your wedding take place?
7. What is the style of your wedding – will you want traditional or modern wedding invitations?
8. What type of flowers are you having in your wedding?
9. Do you want to include your photo on your wedding invitations?
10. What is your wedding invitation budget?
Another creative idea for personalizing your wedding invitations is to include a favorite piece of poetry, a beloved quotation, a particular Bible verse, or words from a special song. Many times the invitation printer will also have a large selection of extra verses to choose from. Just be sure your chosen invitation style has enough room for these extra lines of printing.
Your wedding invitations should be uniquely personal just like your wedding. With all of today’s gorgeous choices, you are sure to find exactly the one that is perfect for your special day.
Wedding invitations, keeping it fun but real
September 30, 2008
Wedding invitations, keeping it fun but real
Wedding Invitations can oftentimes be a difficult issue to clear up. The whole thing of who to invite and who not to invite can be a difficult bone of contention, which if not done properly can leave bad feelings long after the event itself is over.
Very often the bottom line with wedding invitations is dependant upon financial restraints. When it is just not practical to invite everybody that both parties feel should be invited tough decisions need to be made. Obviously there is the risk of offending people by not inviting them, but you can only do what is best for your circumstances. The simple truth is that there is only a certain number of people you can invite and these people should be your nearest and dearest. Your wedding day is meant to be shared with the people that play important roles in your lifes and this is the criteria you need to use as a starting point. As you look back on your wedding in the years to come it’s nice to think that the people who you wanted to be there were there to share in your special occasion.
Plan your list of invitations like any other aspect of the wedding by writing a general list of everybody who you would consider inviting. Then trim the list to those you feel absolutely must be at the wedding.
Now look at the total cost of having these people at the wedding, it is not just a matter of choosing who is to receive an invitation but there is also the matter of deciding on your wedding invitation verses,wedding invitation wording or phrases,the types of wedding invitations materials, favors etc.
Now when you have an idea of the total cost involved you know whether you can trim the wedding invitations list or not. Once you know this you can start the fun part of the process.
Choose invitation wording that appeals to both of you, and if you are really lucky keeps those that are sticklers for wedding etiquette happy also ( within your budget of course ! ).
Remember the wedding invitation when received is a direct representation of you as individuals and you as a couple, so try to let some of your own style or personalities shine through.
Of course this is just a starting point as once you start looking at the various styles and options that are available you will soon discover that there is a massive array of options with literally hundreds of wedding invitation ideas. Just remember that you need to stick to your original budgetary constraints or the whole process will take on a life of its own.
Choosing your favorite style etc. is really a fun part of wedding planning and something that you both can do as a couple, so keep it fun but keep it real by viewing the wedding invitations part as one part of the entire jigsaw that is your wedding day. And as with all good jigsaws all the pieces come neatly together to form a brilliant scene.
Wedding Planning Software To Plan Your Own Wedding
September 29, 2008
Is that big day coming the one you’ve dreamed of your entire life, your wedding day. You want everything to turn out just the right way, the way you always dreamed it would. How can you be sure that everything will go smoothly? You could spend a big bucket of money on a wedding planner, or spend a few bucks on wedding planning software to make it all go a lot smoother.
Software that covers every little detail, including ones that you might not have thought of on your own is invaluable when you’re planning your wedding. Think about it managing, your invitations, budget, RSVP’s and more. You’ll know at the click of a button who is coming, who has declined the invite and more.
Wedding planner software can literally turn the mundane tasks of planning your wedding into something that is almost enjoyable. Think about this just a moment, addressing invites takes a lot of time, what if a piece of software allowed you to import your data from another windows application then ensure you addressed them all correctly if your holding a traditional wedding. Many people don’t realize it but if you’re going to be following a traditional wedding then there are right an wrong ways to address the invitations to different people.
How about the wedding gifts, keeping track of who is bringing and giving what saves you a lot of duplication of effort after the wedding. Sending out thank you cards couldn’t be easier then just clicking a button to address them all, print out what the guest gave you then sign and send out.
How about the remaining parties in the wedding, the groomsmen, bridesmaids, caterer, photographer. All of these peoples contact information should be at immediate access to you, especially when the date is getting close. Wedding planning software keeps it all organized and planned in one easy to follow place. A detailed list of what each person is taking care of, and what duties they have. This can be very helpful again when planning a traditional wedding where different members of the wedding party have responsibilities.
If you or someone close to you has ever planned or been involved in the planning of a wedding before then you know just how much time it can take out of you. If you have never been involved in the planning process, then just take our work for it that wedding planning software is a smart way to go about making the experience as smooth as possible.
Most software will give you simple tips on doing things you likely haven’t done before such as hire a photographer, or caterer. Asking the right questions before the reception or wedding means less surprises on the day of.
Wedding planning……?
September 26, 2008
I'm beginning the process of planning my wedding and have no idea where to start! I was wondering if anybody knew of a good website that has a complete checklist. One that starts with the very first thing you do and ends with the last thing you do. I'd really appreciate it!! =)
First of all congratulations on your engagement … now let the stress begin!
1. theknot.com is a great place to start a guest list. You can enter all the guests you want to add and then export it into an excel spreadsheet (excel will be your best friend as a bride) and customize it according to your needs.
fyi – as soon as i hear about a friend getting engaged, i tell them to immediately go to the book store and look for the Bridal Bargains Book. This is the only book that will actually be of help to you, unlike all the bridal magazines that sugar coat wedding planning with romance and fairy tales. Here's the link:
Wedding Planner?
September 26, 2008
My dream job would to be a wedding planner; however, it will probably never happen. But, i still want to explore the career. How does one become a wedding planner? How much do they make a year?
Generally, I just want to know about the career? Is anyone a wedding planner, or know someone that is? Give me experiences.
Definitely go for your dream!
Check out the following associations
ABC (Association of Bridal Consultants)
AFWPI (Association for Wedding Professional International)
WBW (Weddings Beautiful Worldwide)
JWI (June Weddings, Inc)
These associations are the best there is, and each have certification courses you should study.
The best person to learn from is Doris Nixon. She is the retired President of Weddings Beautiful Worldwide, and is world famous for her expertise. The person who replaced her is no where near as capable or credible, but the course to become a Certified Wedding Specialist was written by Doris Nixon so at least you would be learning the correct way to be a professional wedding planner. I have heard that Mrs. Nixon is in the process of writing another certification course, but I do not have any specific information as yet.
I am a Certifed Wedding Specialist who had the honor and privilege to have been mentored by Doris Nixon herself, and am in constant awe of her knowledge and experiences.
Just one thing…DO NOT go into this for the money. Do it for the love of the events. Although you do get the expensive weddings now and then, the majority of the weddings are within the average budget. You have to do quite a few of those before you can be recognized among the social elite and land a "big one" (unless of coourse you already have friends in high places).
I have been doing this since 1992 and I have had a radio talk show, have had my weddings make the front page of many major Times newspapers, have written several books and have produced very affluent weddings. It never gets old, (even with bridezillas) and I can honestly say that I still feel like a small fish in the sea. I love weddings, quiceaneras, debutante balls and sweet sixteens. My daughters have also developed the same passion and we work the events as a family. However, we have all given up luxuries and freedoms such as vacations, weekends, holidays, etc. We are always at the beck and call of our brides and each week a new bride is the "Queen" with a never ending barrage of issues.
This is also not a business to enter with little cash flow. Advertising is your biggest cash outlay, and without it, you will not get your clients. At a minimum you will need a DBA name, a dedicated business telephone line with yellow page advertising, business cards, state, county & city licenses, a company checkbook, a website, e-mail, membership in your local chamber of commerce, the local better business bureau, the local rotary club, and the local Lions club or Kiwanis club, and if you county requires it, a resale license. You will need to get involved in local bridal expos and these cost big bucks, not only for the registration fees, but for your booth decorations, giveaways, flyers etc.
Many people disagree with me about the memberships, but here are my reasons for believing they are critical. 1) the BBB provides legal assistance and contract review. So you can save thousand of dollars on legal fees just by joining. 2) All the other memberships require you to network, and for the small fees each club charges, the networks you are exposed to provide you with automatic business that you might not otherwise get. So, even if I only get one wedding from all the clubs per year, the return on my investment would be well worth it.
Besides studying the courses listed above, you may want to volunteer at local businesses to intern with them on some of their weddings. I interned at a florist for 6 months, my church for 1 year, and a photographer for 6 months. These were all during my first year in business. Also, I was a partner in a limousine company. I learned valuable insights as to what is expected, what can and can't be done and how to get what the bride wants within her budget.
I hope you find your way to realizing your dream, but be sure you dedicate the time and money necessary to get the company setup properly and adveretised heavily, because halfass doesn't cut it in this business!
Good luck!
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