Accessorize It

Remember the lovely young ladies who we hope will look beautifully generic and will not upstage the bride? They’re sure to want to look their best on your special day as possible even as they try to stay within your theme. Why not help them along by giving them beautiful, matching accessories?

They are already wearing gowns in matching colors, maybe even matching styles. Adding matching accessories will complete their ensemble and help them look even more like bridesmaids. These can also be your gift to them as well for being part of your very special event.

For example, if you have a beach themed wedding you would probably dress your attendants in beautiful form fitting dresses in bold colors, much like they would wear in Hawaii. Maybe you’d have them wear sarongs. Add to the elegance with carefully chosen shell necklaces. There are many to choose from. Find sets that will really set off the beauty of your friends and are unique so that they can serve as keepsakes long after your nuptials are done.

Want to get more classy? Pearls are always a good choice. Every woman loves pearls. There is something about the luster and radiance of pearls that has captured the imagination and hearts of many individuals. Pearls are elegant and a truly feminine gift. A string of pearls is something that no female should be without. As a gift from you, they are priceless.

Pearls too expensive a gift? Not to worry. How about seed pearls or rice pearls instead. They have the luster of their more expensive counterparts yet are not too expensive. As an added bonus, they can be found in many, many colors from the familiar pearly white, to champagne, lilac, turquoise, blue, and pink just to name a few. You might even get some in the exact color of your theme. You can get them ready made or acquire them as beads and make your own accessories.

If you decided to give your ladies Roman styled gowns, how about giving them beautiful armbands to go with it. There are quite a number of elegantly shaped pieces that may perfectly match your theme. You may want to check if there are any that has your chosen flower as its design. Of course if there isn’t, you could always have it commissioned.

Don’t forget to think about the hair accessories as well. A simple wreath may be all you need to make your ladies look even more maidenly. With the right pieces, your bridesmaids will look the epitome of spring or summer.

Of course you may prefer to give them the jeweled look for their hair as well. How about some jeweled hair pins? They are easy to make if you can’t find any and are an old favorite. Their beautiful tresses will be a foil for the beautiful jewels gleaming in their hair, the mark of your special favor.

Accessories complete your outfit. They add that finishing touch to your ensemble but should not be overdone. Keep in mind, here less is more. Try to keep them as coordinated as you do the rest of the parts of your wedding.

[tags]weddings,wedding themes,accessories,pearls,shells,colors,hair,do it yourself,beads[/tags]

Wedding Souvenirs or Favors?

How many weddings have you attended? With a clan as big as ours, lots of old classmates and officemates of marrying age plus a lot of good friends, our family has a cabinet full of nothing but wedding souvenirs.

Why is it that when people get married they immediately think they must have something to give the guests that is cute and unique, yet not the least bit practical? A Cinderella themed wedding is a really beautiful idea; everyone wants to someday become a princess. What in the world though will your guests do with a small shoe? It will probably sit in a cabinet gathering dust since no one in their family can wear it anyway.

Why do brides do this? It could be because they want their guests to have a souvenir of their special occasion - one that will last as long as their lifetime; and maybe beyond. For others, it’s because they themselves just love the specific item and want everyone to have one too, even if its only purpose is decorative with their names and wedding date engraved on it.

Instead of wedding souvenirs, ladies, you may wish to give wedding favors instead. “What is the difference?”, you ask. The difference is that wedding favors are meant to be savored to celebrate your nuptials and may or may not last beyond your wedding day.

A great favorite for wedding favors come from the Italians. They call them bombonniers. Traditionally they gave 5 sugar coated almonds placed in colored netting or boxes which are called confetti. These five almonds are said to represent health, wealth, happiness, fertility and long life. They are given to family and friends as a token of the bride and groom’s love and friendship. Some couples will even add a bottle of champagne (not necessarily a big bottle) to complete the memento.

A piece of your wedding cake is always a great choice for a wedding favor. Your baker will decorate each piece beautifully and place it in beautiful boxes for your guests to enjoy. Single ladies may wish to put it under their pillow on the off chance that it is true that doing so will allow them to dream of their true love.

Of course, there is no reason why you can’t have something that lasts more than a day or a month or a year; and still have a practical choice. Picture frames are also a favorite choice. They can be stylish and elegant and really keep the memory of your wedding alive for your guests. Each guest gets to put a favorite picture in it; and when they look at the picture, they also see the frame you gave them and remember. Pretty cool!

Another favorite choice as a souvenir is the CD. You can give your guests the wonderful gift of music, songs that you yourself have loved and have played a part in your relationship. Just don’t forget about the copyright laws please. The artists, composers, musicians and producers will truly thank you.

All About Love Songs

When choosing music for your wedding there are so many choices, it can be bewildering. Some want to go with classics. Others want to push the limits of the sound barrier. It can be a toss up between what you want and what your church or reception venue will allow (if there are any restrictions).

Most places of worship prefer music that is focused on God or on the sanctity of the sacrament of matrimony. Your minister or priest or rabbi may have some music that they will recommend. They may also suggest that you confer with the choir on your selections.

A song that appeals to most people is the song “That’s All I ask of You” that comes from the Phantom of the Opera. Usually it is used as the bride walks down the aisle. The words of this song is apt for many as they convey the sentiment of the wedding vows, especially the part where it goes:

Say you’ll share with me one love, one lifetime
Say the word and I will follow you
Share each day with me, each night, each morning
Say you love me
You know I do
That’s all I ask of you

Yet another favorite song for weddings that also begins with the word all comes from the movie the Three Musketeers. There is no greater gift of love than loyalty, unswerving and unshakeable. It makes for more solid relationships which is something that every couple prays for. It makes a particularly poignant touch when played as the groom offers what he has to his bride (depends on your religion).

A favorite first dance since it first came out in the movie Footloose is the song “Almost Paradise” sung by Anne Wilson and Mike Reno. It is a beautiful and romantic song that expresses how many lovers feel. The first two verses speaks for a lot of lonely people who are thankful to have found the gift of love:

I thought that dreams belonged to other men
Cause I each time I got close it falls apart again
I feared my heart would beat in secrecy
I faced the nights alone
Oh how could I have known
That all my life I only needed you

98 Degrees’ song “I Do (Cherish You)” is one of the most appropriate wedding songs created in the nineties. A bit sentimental, but then who isn’t at weddings. To have some man express such sweet sentiment is a joy to the heart of the woman he has chosen to share his life with. Who wouldn’t want to hear their groom say:

I do cherish you
For the rest of my life
You don’t have to think twice
I will love you still
From the depths of my soul
Its beyond my control
I’ve waited so long to say this to you
If you ask me do I love you this much
I do

Of course you won’t want all the music at your wedding to be slow songs. You will definitely need a few to get everyone in a party mood. Just don’t forget to listen to the words of the songs you choose not just the melodies. That will save you from unpleasant surprises at your party.

Keep These in Mind for Stress Free Preparation

Weddings are supposed to be fun. Even in the planning stage, you should have fun getting ready for this major event in your lives. You’ll enjoy everything more if you are relaxed and enjoy the ride, even as you work to create your dream wedding.

Here are some tips to help you get from your engagement to your honeymoon without becoming stressed out:

Know your timetable. You need to be clear on how much time you are giving yourself to work on your dream wedding. Keep in mind that you are working around your work schedule and any previous commitments as well, which may cut down on your wedding planning time.

Have a wedding checklist. The checklist is a clear guide on what you need to purchse, acquire, borrow or rent in order to achieve your dream wedding. Paired with your timetable, it will help keep you on track so that you don’t end up with too many last minute things to do and feeling wrung out before your big day.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Rare is the bride who does everything herself. With so many tasks to accomplish and a limited amount of time, it is a great blessing to have someone you can rely on to help you complete your wedding preparation. This can be a professional wedding planner or your mom or best friend. It can even be more than one person. Especially when putting together an event as major as this is unfamiliar to you, it is comforting to have someone to turn to who can help you make your vision real for your big day.

Get things done early. It is to your advantage to get as many items done as soon as you can. This will give you more time to relax and enjoy your wedding guests as they trickle into your hometown to be present for your nuptials. Running around like a headless chicken on the eve before your wedding is the last thing you want to do. The best way to avoid that scenario is to never procrastinate.

Get your fiance involved. There are two of you getting married. It is his wedding too. He may appreciate your considering what he wants as well. He may even enjoy some of the tasks such as the food tasting. Don’t be surprised though if he says he’d rather you handle it since most men feel this is your event and want to give you a free hand.

Less is more. A lot of brides go for tons of frills and flowers and swathes of cloth. Sometimes, it works out. Other times, it is a disaster of designing. Better to keep things simple. Choose your theme and work within it. Go for elegance and harmony instead of size or quantity. Your loved ones are there to witness your nuptials not see the decor.

Make it a girl’s day out. Ladies, we all know shopping is more fun with friends. If your fiance is unavailable, ask one of your bridesmaids to come along. She can help you choose and you can chat and have some fun while looking for the perfect things for your wedding.

[tags]wedding,wedding tips,designing,flowers,wedding planning[/tags]

Beauty Tips for the Bride

Preparing for your wedding looks begins the moment you decide to get married. What you can do to enhance your beauty even more is now dependent on how much time is left between now and your wedding date. There is no time to waste so let’s get started.

First off, drink lots of water. Our body needs at least 8 glasses of water a day to cleanse and refresh our system. Drinking juices, teas or any other beverage does not count though your body appreciates the liquid. These drinks are laced with sugar and caffeine which do not do you much good. In fact for every cup of coffee you drink, you need 2 glasses of water to clean up the mess it leaves behind. For soft drinks (diet or otherwise) have 4 additional glasses of water. The sugar in those things are high and can make you bloated.

By simply increasing your water intake, you will feel less hungry so you slim down a little. With your system getting hydrated better, you’re system will be cleaner and your skin will be clearer. You’ll look even more radiant!

Second, lay off the fatty food and chips. You’re sitting in front of the TV or in the theater happily munching away. In the meantime those things add oil, lard, too much salt and trans fat into your body. They are what clogs up your arteries and increases your weight. Ease up on the junk food and oily stuff and you’ll notice your skin will also be less acne prone and oily.

Third, get at least eight hours of sleep everyday. Your body needs to rest and recharge. It requires sufficient time to recover from the stress that you put it through. Our skin, particularly around the eyes will show if you lack rest. The face becomes haggard and sags. Only proper and sufficient rest rounds it out again and removes the shadows under our eyes effectively.

Sleeping in the daytime really isn’t the same. Your body responds to the natural rhythm of the sun and the moon. Notice that you still feel loggy-headed even after 8 hours rest if you take it during the day? Your body shut down because it needs to recharge but by no means did you get sufficient rest.

Getting your proper beauty rest will also help you to avoid midnight snacking which is one of the biggest reasons people gain weight. Your body doesn’t process food well before it shuts down in sleep. What you eat doesn’t get digested properly and just becomes fat.

Lastly, learn to care for your skin properly. It is what everybody sees. No matter what makeup you use, nothing substitutes for beautiful skin, inside and out. Find out what skin products really work with you. Learn to use the correct facial soap, toner and moisturizer to keep your skin clean. You may not realize how deeply dirt can get into your pores.

Make these things a habit and see the results for yourself. You’ll be happily amazed at how these simple steps can turn you from gorgeous to glowing and naturally beautiful.

« Previous Page — Next Page »