Animal and Fairy Tale Themes- Contest Winners

ELLISVILLE – Animal and fairy tale themes were the big winners at the annual Jones County Junior College culinary arts bake off. 

Students used fondant decorate their cakes in the cake decorating contest, they had two days to make their creations before the campus was invited to vote on their favorite and were judged by an expert. Culinary arts instructor, Lisa Little said,“ The cakes look so great and they are really works of art, making these cake are really a hard job, because fondant can be difficult to mold.”

There are fifteen players in the competition who are all students. However Nikki Kay of Madison and current Hattiesburg resident won the overall competition with her ‘Hippo in the Spa’ cake.

"I really like hippo’s so that’s what inspired me to make a hippo cake,” said Kay. “I liked working with the fondant. It reminded me of playing with clay as a little girl.”
The JCJC preschool kids chose the ‘Chicken Farm’ cake created by Linda McLeod of Collins as their favorite. Second place honors went to Katelyne Ball of Purvis with her ‘Snow White’ themed cake.

Ashley Watkins of Petal took third place with her ‘Fantasy Island’ cake and Kala Carpenter of Ellisville won fourth place with her ‘Wedding Cake’.

Invite Santa to Our Wedding- Christmas Weddings

We would like to wish all who celebrate it a very happy Christmas, and we thought what better time to talk about Christmas weddings than on Christmas day? Christmas weddings are unusual, but not unheard of. Often, brides and groom will plan a Christmas wedding that falls not on the holiday itself, but on some other day in December. This, we suggest, is for the best, as many people expect to be at home with their immediate families rather than at a wedding ceremony or wedding reception on holidays.

But on to the planning! Christmas weddings are as different from one another as any other wedding, though there are usually some elements that can be found at most. Here is some Christmas wedding inspiration that may just convince you that a holiday wedding is the right way to go.

First, the bride and groom need to choose their Christmas theme wedding colors! We’d wager that green and red are the first choices that come to mind, but we’d personally shy away from these as obvious and just a little hokey. How about silver and deep blue or silver and white? Gold and cream is another nice wedding color scheme choice. And for those who really want to get into the spirit of the holidays, we recommend a scheme including bergundy, forest green, and gold or white.

For your Christmas wedding invitations, think ‘anything but Christmas cards.’ Your wedding guests shouldn’t put your invite aside thinking that it’s a holiday card and not an invitation to your big day! White and gold schemes are great and, better still, widely available all year round. For embellishments, think engraved Christmas flora, like holly, poinsettia, or fir sprigs. When should you send your Christmas wedding invitations? Since you’re asking your guests to give up a holiday, make sure you give them *plenty* of lead time.

Decorations are hands down the best part of the Christmas wedding. Don’t skimp on the stringed lights, but stick to the small white ones because they make a venue look ethereal. Combine them with tulle for a very pretty effect. Wreaths and pine garlands are a good choice, either on the walls or on your tables… for centerpieces, Advent wreaths are pretty much all you’ll need. If your reception venue has a fireplace, make sure that you can use it for your wedding, and hang stockings that match your wedding color scheme. Bonus points for stockings that feature the names of the wedding party.

For your wedding cake and wedding favors, think gifts! A wedding cake shaped like a pile of gifts is perfect for a Christmas theme wedding, but individual cakes for each guest shaped like tiny wrapped packages can look beautiful, too. Christmas ornaments make great favors at a Christmas theme wedding, but you can choose any favor you like and simply package it like a holiday gift.

At the reception, have the DJ or band play at least some Christmas music, and encourage guests to sing along to their favorites. After caroling, offer up Christmas treats like eggnog, gingerbread cookies, candy canes (or candy cane ice cream), and make sure that the dance floor is hung with plenty of mistletoe to encourage shenanigans among your wedding guests!

A Camelot Wedding Theme

When we think Camelot, we think Royalty and a land of magical fantasy. The greatest American affiliation to Camelot is the Kennedy's. The Kennedy presidential era was considered to be Camelot - a time of promise which captured the American imagination. The Kennedy family has been a dynasty that is an emblem of American royalty. With this stature American's have looked onto the many royal like weddings of the Kennedy clan.

To create a wedding of Kennedy repute look onto the classic Kennedy bride Jaqueline Bouvier Kennedy. What did a fashion icon like Jaqueline Kennedy wear? A couture gown was designed for her, which depicted the style of 1950's wedding dresses. Mrs. Kennedy chose pearls, a very classic choice for brides. She carried a bouquet of pink and white flowers, and accessorized with wrist length gloves as well as a small lace cap. Current brides may not want to mimic Mrs. Kennedy's wedding attire to the tee, but choosing a classic gown and traditional jewelry will create the look of the Camelot bride.

The Kennedy wedding was certainly extravagant with over a thousand guests. It was a church ceremony and the reception was held on the terrace of the Auchincloss oceanfront estate, Hammersmith Farm. The cake had 5 tiers and a full orchestra played under a canopy. To create this elaborate type of wedding, select a venue, such as a local mansion house or presidential library to create this sort of atmosphere. Hire a live band or an orchestra. If budget is an issue, hire a quartet to create the same elegant ambience. Since wedding menus in the 1950's were not very extravagant, this is where money can be saved. Think simple and light, such as a fruit salad, chicken, and sorbet or ice cream.

The modern bride may not want to work with the details of Jacqueline and John Kennedy; however she may prefer the taste of John F Kennedy Jr. and his bride Carolyn Bessette. Their wedding was much more intimate as they were married in a secret ceremony on Cumberland Island, off the coast of Georgia. There were only 40 guests at the evening ceremony that took place on a wood-frame Brack Chappel. Carolyn Bessette, selected simplicity and elegance for her gown. She wore a pearl-colored silk crepe floor-length gown, hand-rolled tulle silk veil and long silk gloves. Her hair was pulled back with a clip belonging to Jackie Kennedy and held a bouquet of lily of the valley. The modern bride, who prefers simplicity can select a silky strait gown and accessorize with gloves. Perhaps a getaway wedding for intimate family and friends would be of preference. Look for romantic and rustic locations, such as a country farm house decorated with candles and lanterns. Carolyn Bessette and John F. Kennedy Jr. had their reception at the Greyfield Inn and dinner was simply served with shrimp, artichokes, grilled swordfish and lemon-raspberry ice cream. The cake was a traditional three tier white wedding cake. Such an elegant and simple wedding is not difficult to create at a Country Inn or even a Victorian home. This is a great style for fall weddings and a romantic bride.

Camelot idealism was engrained into the Kennedy presidency and created a family legacy of royal stature. Camelot is the most famous castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur and the idealism of the boy king who drew the sword from the stone. The city of Camelot is depicted as standing along a river. It is surrounded by plains and forests, and its magnificent cathedral is the religious centre for Arthur's Knights of the Round Table. There Arthur and Guinevere are married and there are the tombs of many kings and knights. This magical romantic image is the original story of Camelot that the Kennedy family has been attached to. To create a fantasy wedding with a medieval imagery, brides could get into costume and look for a castle like venue. However, for an elegant depiction of a Camelot wedding without costumes, traditional wedding gowns with veils and trails should be selected. Flower in the hair for bride's maids with long flowing dresses will be lovely. A church wedding will be ideal and a reception venue that reflects old world style will be perfect.

A Camelot wedding theme can be created in many ways. It can be created by mimicking one of the many Kennedy family wedding styles or by selecting to create the times of King Arthur's court. One vital aspect to creating a Kennedy style wedding as well as a Camelot wedding is a church ceremony. The Catholic Church has played significant role in these stories. However, you chose to create a Camelot wedding it is an occasion of romanticism and ideal love. What better image could you reflect of your wedding other than a legacy of your love as you unite together.

Sharmeen Shahid is the lead designer and coordinator of Event Trendsetter. View more wedding ideas and party planning tips at http://www.eventtrendsetter.com Event Trendsetter is a leading full service wedding coordinating and party planning agency that specializes in corporate events, parties, and weddings in Southern California. The Los Angeles and Orange County area wedding coordinator and party planner also caters to South Asian Celebrations. Take a journey through the mystery of South Asian weddings at http://www.eventtrendsetter.com

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Star Themed Wedding Ideas

"Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight." Stars have long been linked with romance so a star or other celestial themed wedding is an appropriate choice. Imagine getting married outdoors at night with your closest friends in attendance. Evening weddings are easily more intimate and relaxed than day time weddings because people are used to unwinding at the end of the day. Here are some ideas for a cozy and dreamy star themed wedding.

Soft and flowing fabrics, reminiscent of clouds or angels, are an excellent choice for both the bride and bridesmaids. Navy, black, gold, silver, or even white are all stunning for decorations and apparel colors. For the bride, "add a sparkling tiara, and a bouquet of pure white roses dipped in gold as a bouquet. Get the florist to add a couple of shooting star picks into the bouquet with gold streaming ribbons." For an angelic affect, have the bridesmaids wear a slim gold headband to mimic halos. Instead of flowers, they could carry star shaped wands with streaming ribbons attached.

If feasible, you could have telescopes available for guests to get a more personal look at the stars. If you have children at your wedding, be forewarned that they will monopolize this activity. Angel wings, such as those used for children's costumes, are perfect decorations to set the tone. Twinkle lights hung behind dark tulle will also lend a celestial atmosphere to the room. Table centerpieces are easy to make with cotton batting acting as clouds. Set a candle filled hurricane lamp in the center and sprinkle some gold confetti around and you're set. Small, bare branch trees with angel ornaments is another option for centerpieces.

Star covered tulle can often be found at fabric stores and make a "heavenly" covering for your tables. Black or navy tablecloths will make the stars stand out even more. For a more realistic look, a 3D solar system can be a stunning presentation on your food table. Foil star cutouts hung from the ceiling at different heights can add depth. For fun wedding favors, consider giving out glow in the dark stars. Star shaped favor bags can also be purchased for soap, candy, or traditional Jordan almonds.

For more information about weddings and wedding ideas, please visit http://www.jointhewedding.com

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Destination Wedding Ideas

An increasingly popular choice among couples is to travel to a quaint little town in the United States, or somewhere exotic abroad. Most ‘destination weddings’ are considered ‘hot spots’ for tourists. Say, a dream-vacation place. And what better place could you choose to exchange your wedding vows?

First and foremost, you have to decide whether you want a large wedding or a discreet elopement. Now ask yourself–is this destination wedding in your budget? Although it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, you have to ask if a destination wedding is right for you.

Who Chooses a Destination Wedding?

There are many couples who choose destination weddings for several different reasons. Perhaps they want to share this specific destination with their friends and families. Maybe it’s a place that both people have always wanted to visit together. If the couple has been together for a long time, a destination wedding might serve as a well-needed vacation and a perfect place to pop the question.

What are the Best Locations for a Destination Wedding?

When deciding where to go for your destination wedding, one word comes to mind: fun. You want to be sure that there are plenty of exciting things to do. Great restaurants, nature, and hobbies that you both enjoy, will keep you busy for days. You need to decide whether you want to explore an exotic location outside of the United States , or a fun tourist attraction within the United States.

Some exciting locations within the United States are:

*Las Vegas *New York *Disneyland *California wine country areas (Sonoma and Napa) *Hawaii

Should you decide to venture outside of the United States, the following are some of the hottest dream- vacation places for a destination wedding:

*Mexico *Caribbean *Italy *Germany *France

If you’ve already ‘shopped around’ for a destination wedding and you were overwhelmed with the prices–start looking during the off-seasons, as you’ll save a considerable amount. In addition, look for packages that are all inclusive: hotel accommodations, meals, sports, tours, etc. It’s always a good idea to use your credit card which insures your purchases.

Most importantly, if you are getting married in a foreign country, educate yourself on their rules and customs before going abroad. What documents will you need? Is their a blood test required? What’s the legal age of consent to marry? These are all important questions you should research before jumping on an airplane or cruise-ship with your spouse-to-be.

Jen Carter is owner of My Wedding Blog, a free wedding planning guide all about weddings. The following article can be found in our destination weddings category You may publish our articles on your website only if you do not edit the article in any way, and include all html as direct links to our site.

Jen Carter is owner of My Wedding Blog, a free wedding planning guide all about weddings. The following article can be found in our destination weddings category.

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Scottish Wedding Ideas

I recently went to a family Scottish wedding which was held in the House for Art Lovers in Glasgow, Scotland. The bride and groom were on a tight wedding budget but still managed to pull off a truly magnificent wedding affair.

The happy newlyweds wanted a wedding in keeping with the Charles Rennie Mackintosh theme of the house. Every guest had a wonderful time at the wedding.

The bride and groom chose to have a civil service which was held within the main area of the house. The brides choose a wedding dress in cream with a beautiful red flower design which draped down the front of the wedding dress in a vine style.

The groom and some family guests decided to wear to wear kilts in a black and grey tartan. Wedding photographs were taken outside in the grounds of the house for Art Lovers. Since the wedding was in autumn Mother Nature produced her own color theme of dark orange, reds, and golden autumn leaves changing colour from green to rust.

After the wedding photographs were taken. All the wedding guests went back inside to be seated for the wedding feast. The meal consisted of three courses with tea and coffee offered at the end of the meal.

The wedding tables were circular in design with white table cloths. In the centre of each table was a tall vase with beautiful purple lilies. Each guest also received a silver wedding favour box filled with love heart sweets. This wedding favor went down a treat with all the kids big and small around the room. A silver triangle shape revealed party poppers hidden inside. Another DIY wedding favor idea was bubbles.

As there was a balcony which opened out from the dining room, all the children had their own party outside blowing bubbles and eating the wedding favor sweets and making lots of noise with the wedding party poppers.

As the kids were being entertained outside on the balcony. The adults were treated to a piece of wedding cake which was placed inside a wedding cake favor box with the Rennie Mackintosh design on the outside of the cake box. Placed on the wedding tables for the adults to enjoy with their coffee were also shortbread and some homemade tablet.

Kath Anderson is a writer for DIY Wedding Favors at http://www.mydiyweddingfavors.com.

The original of this article can be found on My DIY Wedding Favors
Copyright 2009 - Kath Anderson. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, give author name credit and follow all of the EzineArticles terms of service for Publishers.

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Banish Cookie Cutter Carbon Copy Wedding Ideas

One of the biggest wedding worries that brides and grooms have is, "we don't want our wedding to mesh into all our other friend's weddings and to be completely indistinguishable from the next."

Sound familiar?

Every bride and groom wants their wedding to be unique but when all the brides out there are reading the same bridal magazines, watching the same wedding shows and following the same wedding traditions it's not surprising that most weddings are not much different from one to the next.

How To Avoid Planning a Cookie Cutter Wedding

If you want a wedding that people walk away from saying, "that was the best wedding," then you've got to step up your game. Here are 3 strategies to make your wedding stand out:

Identify the "It" Color and Run - Every wedding season there is an "it" color or and "it" color combination. One year it'll seem that all the weddings you go to are Tiffany blue and chocolate brown or black, white and red or purple. If you want to stand out, one way is to get away from the "it" colors and create a color combo that is more reflective of the colors you gravitate to, not what the magazines and blogs are telling you to like.

Get Really Creative With A Theme - So maybe, the "it" color just HAS to be your color too because you've loved it forever. That's okay, but take the focus away from color and put it on your theme instead. To come up with a really great unique theme I suggest looking at literature, foreign locations, and classic movies (especially musicals). You could decide that you're going to have a Mediterranean inspired wedding and use a Grecian blue and a crisp white, but then take a cue from Mama Mia (the movie) and use an assortment of china. And when it comes to literature there's of course Shakespeare, but what about basing your entire wedding theme around a poem by Robert Frost and choosing items that evoke the same feeling for you that the poem does.

Mix It Up - Wedding traditions are just that, they are traditions because it's traditional for everyone to do them. But you can mix it up. We had one couple where we surprised the guests with a reversed itinerary wedding (dinner first, ceremony at sunset). You could serve dessert first during the cocktail hour. Speeches could happen in between dances with everyone crowded on the dance floor. Switching up the wedding traditions really throws your guests for a loop and they love it!

If you want your wedding to stand out then you're going to need to figure out exactly why it would stand out in anyone's mind. Yes, your friends and family love you and because it's your wedding day that in itself makes it unique. But I'm sorry to say, that in a long summer of weddings where they love (or at least like) all the couples who's weddings they're attending, there has to be something different about the structure of your wedding to really make it stand out and be noticed.

Make a list of out of the box ideas that you could incorporate into your wedding. Don't worry about the cost right now, just make the list and inspiration will jump off the page and you'll realize just how you want to add a twist to your wedding celebration.

Ciara Daykin is Calgary's premiere Wedding Choreographer. Brides wanting a dazzling, dashing, dream-filled wedding turn to Ciara for all their wedding planning needs. Ciara is a proud member of the Association of Bridal Consultants. Sign up for Tips & Tricks to turn your wedding from cookie cutter to couture at: http://www.fireflyoccasions.com

Email: info@fireflyoccasions.com

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African Wedding Ceremony Ideas - African Wedding Ideas

If your heritage as an African-American is important to both you and your fiancé, you may want to incorporate some of those customs into one of the most special days you will spend as a couple. There are many facets to an African wedding ceremony and deciding what aspects to include in your wedding day is something that you and your intended should talk about before you begin planning.

To get you started, you should do plenty of research once you have found out the traditions your family holds near and dear to their heart. Once you have some of that information, it can help you get started choosing the ideal components for making your day speciaAl.

Make a list of ideas that appeal to you such as rituals and ceremonies that are common in an African wedding ceremony. Choose at least three of these ideas to be the outline for your wedding and reception. If you don't feel comfortable building a wedding ceremony and reception yourself, you might think about hiring a wedding professional who can help you realize your inspirations and make them a reality.

You can create invitations that reflect the African flair of your wedding. You can also think about creating a newsletter detailing what your guests can expect when they attend and anything they can do to help with the participation. You may want to employ the services of a designer to create signature wedding garb for your special African wedding ceremony.

Many people are familiar with the concept of the "Circle of Love" from the blockbuster hit and long running Broadway play, "The Lion King." You can form a circle of love at your ceremony that will join you and your wedding party along with the guests into one entity, which will start your wedding day off with a sense of unity for everyone.

Use readings and prayers to honor those who have come before you such as your parents and your grandparents as well as any other elder who deserves recognition. This is traditional at most African wedding ceremonies and serves to show the respect that the young have for those older and wiser.

Be sure that you serve traditional African fare that will be sure to please all of your guests. You can also offer something a little less exotic for those who have a more timid palette. To really set the mood and get the party started you can hire drummers and dancers who will add cultural beats to get your guests moving on the dance floor.

If you are looking for some favors for your corporate party, birthday or weddings we got you covered.

We have many different wedding favors that will be perfect thank yous for your wedding guests.

We also have a wide variety of bridesmaid gifts such as tote bags, cosmetic bags, spa slippers and more.

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Fun Wedding Ideas For Animal Lovers

If you are an animal lover, you will surely want to weave that into your wedding. From subtle touches to grand gestures, there are plenty of ways to show your affection for animals as part of a wedding. These are some fun wedding ideas for animal lovers.

The wedding invitations are your first chance to be expressive. A fantastic way to show your love of animals is with a small motif on your stationery. A gold embossed dog, horse, or bird motif can be done in a very tasteful way that will definitely not resemble a child's birthday party invitation. If you have a favorite pet at home, take the concept to the next level and have custom postage stamps made featuring a picture of your furry friend.

Many animal lovers like to find ways to incorporate one into the wedding ceremony. One of the most popular ideas is to have a beloved dog walk the bride down the aisle or to have him walk down the aisle with one of the attendants. Make it even more fun by adorning the dog with a floral wreath over her collar. Not all venues will permit non-service animals inside, so be sure to take that into consideration when booking a ceremony site.

If you really want to make a splash, make a grand entrance or exit at an outdoor ceremony on horseback. A lovely bride in her flowing white gown galloping up to her groom instead of merely walking down the aisle is something that no guest will ever forget. Bedeck the horse's mane with ribbons and flowers. This is a great idea for a bride who is an experienced horsewoman, but a risky one for a bride who is not a strong rider.

Gifts are an important part of weddings, and offer another chance to honor animals. A lovely gesture is to make donations to the Humane Society or other association that helps animals in need. This can be done in lieu of traditional favors. You simply place a card at each guest's place which states, "A donation has been made in your name to the Humane Society". To sweeten the gift, think about tying the card to a small box of chocolates in the shape of your favorite animal (guests do like to get something tangible). It would not be equally appropriate to substitute a donation in lieu of classic bridesmaid gifts, however. Bridesmaid gifts should be something of lasting value that your friends will have for years, such as jewelry. You could, however, add on a donation in addition to a more traditional bridesmaid jewelry gift.

There are many other neat ideas for showing a love of animals on your wedding day. You can even display an ice sculpture made in the form of your favorite animal or have a groom's cake modeled after a beloved pet. Instead of conventional table numbers, name each table after an animal. For example, a dog lover could have tables called Bulldog, Golden Retriever, Pekinese, Whippet, Saluki, and so on. Truly there is no limit to the create yet elegant ways in which animal lovers can pay tribute to their beloved furry friends at their wedding.

Guy has been writing about society and weddings for a long time. If you have a topic you would like to know about. Let us know at SilverlandJewelry.com. Thank your attendants with beautiful bridesmaid gifts that they will adore.

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Crazy Las Vegas Wedding Ideas For Getting Married

Las Vegas wedding ideas are truly a dime a dozen. Plenty of people get married in the gambling paradise every day, and new ideas are always coming out of the experiences people have there. So what are the craziest ideas for getting married in Nevada? I like the following ideas - but remember: these are just general suggestions. You should research each of these before getting started to find out more.

Get Married by Elivis

Everyone knows Elivis Presley as "The King," but did you know Elvis is actually a very popular officiant for contemporary weddings in Las Vegas, Nevada? Yes, this age old tradition is simple. Some local Elvis impersonator or impressionist performs the entire ceremony from beginning to end. He will even say, "You may now kiss the bride" in that well known swaggering speech.

Get Married Nude

I know it's surprising and rather strange, but a lot of people are getting married in the buff these days. It is crazy to think that people would want to have a wedding ceremony in their birthday suit. It does happen, and Las Vegas is a popular place for a naked wedding. Just be sure you take a shower before you think about stripping at your marriage.

Get Married in Costumes

On the other side of the coin, some people are dressing up as Frank Sinatra or Cleopatra or whatever for their special day. Costume weddings are very popular now - maybe it has something to do with reality TV. Does it really matter? This article is about crazy wedding ideas, so we should not be surprised.

Get Married on the Hotel Roof

To be fair, I am not exactly sure where this is happening, but it seems to be widely available. The best way to find out if you can get married on the roof of your Vegas hotel or chapel is to contact the staff and ask about "special options" for your wedding package.

Get Married in the Sky

This is one of my personal favorites. When I get married, I may very well do this. Here's how it works: the bride and groom go up in a plane with parachutes and then sky dive their way back down to earth. The official ceremony can either take place inside the plane before the jump, in the air, or after the couple has landed. Take your pick!

These are just some of the wild wedding ideas I have heard about in and around fabulous Las Vegas.

Read about how you can plan a Cheap Las Vegas Wedding at http://Cheap-Vegas-Wedding.com today!

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Tacky Wedding Ideas

The dictionary definition of the word tacky is "lacking style or good taste". Not exactly the vision that most brides would say they have for their weddings, and yet every Saturday of the year, there are plenty of tacky things taking place at weddings around the country. These are some of the tackiest wedding ideas that some couples have at their weddings; ones which brides of taste should try to avoid at all costs!

Now, most brides do not set out to be tacky. They usually fall victim to poor advice from friends or family, and decide that the suggestion sounds good, and that because it came from a trusted source, it must be in good taste. Sadly, this is not always the case, and before they know it, well-meaning brides have turned their weddings into something that they never intended. Don't less this happen to you!

One of the first examples of this that comes to mind is something that happened at a friend's wedding. When her in-laws suggested a dollar dance, the innocent young bride, thought to herself, "Money is tight when planning a wedding, so a dollar dance would be a great way to raise some cash for the honeymoon.". What she did not consider is that a dollar dance was not a custom that was usually observed where she came from, and far from lining up to dance with the bride and stuff money into her apron, the guests were appalled. Everyone remained standing on the sidelines while the bride suffered through the awkwardness of standing out on the dance floor alone for most of the dollar dance. A word to the wise, ladies, no matter how good it may sound at first, a dollar dance is always a tacky idea.

Another truly tacky idea that some couples have is to attempt to round up sponsors for their wedding in the same way one would for a charity event. The bride and groom go around to their relatives asking for donations in exchange for billing in the wedding program or a mention in the wedding toasts. It usually goes something like this: "Aunt Margaret, if you wanted to buy my wedding jewelry and veil for me, I will put a note in the program telling everyone how generous you were. And Uncle Bill, would you like to sponsor the d.j. for the reception?". There is no other word for this behavior than shocking (or at least no other word that can appear in print!).

Oftentimes, a close family member might offer to help the couple with their wedding expenses, and if Aunt Margaret had come to the bride and told her that it would be her honor to gift her the wedding jewelry and bridal veil, that would be a lovely offer that the bride could accept in good conscious (with no note of thanks in the program, just a handwritten thank you note directly to the generous person). However, a wedding is not a commercial enterprise or a charitable foundation, no matter how much the bride and groom might try to pretend otherwise.

There is another very tacky thing that is sadly rather commonplace these days, which is including bridal registry information in the wedding invitations. Many brides may not even realize that this is in poor taste, especially since some registries will give you little cards for the express purpose of putting them in the envelopes with the invitations. However, a bride cannot always trust a store as her etiquette expert, as their goal is to sell as many sets of china and toasters as possible; whether you offend your guests is not a particular concern for them. But it should be for the bride and groom, which is why registry information, or worse yet, a notation requesting "cash gifts only", should never, ever appear in a wedding invitation. After all, the last thing that you want is for the first impression people have of your wedding to be,"Oh my gosh - how tacky!".

Finding the whole process of weddings and all the planning that goes into one fascinating, Laura writes about many of the considerations that brides have to deal with. Wedding jewelry makes a lovely gift for the bride.

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Outdoor Wedding Ideas - 3 Ideas For A Location

Outdoor wedding ideas are essential for throwing a successful wedding outside. A lot of time and hard work goes to planning a wedding, and an outdoor wedding can pose additional challenges.

There are things to consider like whether to have the ceremony in a church or not, if the weather will cooperate and how to coordinate everything associated with having a wedding outdoors.

Spring and fall are great times for an outside wedding as the weather is usually not too hot or cold in most regions. In fall you also get to take advantage of the beautiful backdrop that the season brings.

There will be many loose ends to tie up that you wouldn't have with an indoor wedding. For example, if you are having your ceremony outside the transition to the reception will have to be coordinated.

A tent will also most likely be required, and caterers often have specific needs for working outside. For reasons like these, brides often turn to the services of wedding planners for help in coordinating the day.

The money you spend on hiring a wedding planner will pay off quickly during the days leading up to the wedding and on the wedding day itself.

One of the most important parts of an outdoor wedding is the location. Here are three ideas for a location.

Backyard

Have a big backyard or know of someone who does? A backyard wedding can be a lot of fun, and it could also potentially save you some money by not having to pay a site fee.

There are a few requirements, however, when thinking about a backyard wedding.

First, the backyard in question has to be big enough to hold all of your guests. Second, there is the chance that the backyard could incur some damage, and third, you have to make sure there is enough room for all of your guests to park.

The Beach

Getting married with you toes in the sand has become a very popular option. If you live near a beach, this might be the perfect option for you.

Destination weddings have become very popular, so even if you don't live near a beach you can always fly to the Caribbean or Hawaii with your close friends and family to get married.

Try looking for resorts that offer beach weddings. They will have packages that include your ceremony in the sand which will help to avoid the extra work of obtaining a permit.

Public Parks

There are many great public parks that can provide the perfect atmosphere for your wedding. Look online for parks in your area that might be good locations for your wedding.

The fees are usually relatively inexpensive. Just make sure you file for all necessary permits and find out what rules you need to follow for your wedding. Some parks have strict rules especially if they are historic sites.

Gardens, arboretums, farms and national historic sites are all outdoor wedding ideas that you can research in your area.

Stephen Badiali is the owner of Wedding Ideas Guide. For more ideas visit Backyard Wedding Idea and Outside Wedding Idea.

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Beach Wedding Ideas - Ideas to Help You Pick Favors, Invites, Decor and More!

Are you searching for inspiration for beach wedding ideas? Are you searching for that those perfect supplies that will complete your wedding theme? If so, let me share some insight into simple yet truly lovely ideas - from themes to favors and invites.

Picking a Theme

The simplest yet most impressive themes and ideas pull inspiration from the natural surroundings. You can choose your wedding theme colors from aquatic wildlife (orange and blue!), plant life (green, pink, red!) as well as the water (varying shades of blue). There are also some less obvious things like the sunset (pink and blue or orange and brown) as well as things like seashells, the palm, or sea horses.

Ideas for Decor

Some of the most charming decorations and tabletop decor accessories include items like ropes, anchors, starfish, seashells, pearls and flip-flops. Starfish and seashell candles are excellent additions that can be scattered across your head table or even as part of the centerpiece for each of your guest tables. You may also consider using floating candles at each of the tables as well to create an iridescent, affordable and romantic display.

Ideas for Wedding Favors

Choosing from the various beach favors is a delight since there are so many from which you can choose. Here are some simple ideas:

• Luggage tag favors: especially great for destination weddings, plus there are so many different styles and prices!
• Starfish favors: great compliment to a theme and affordable!
• Soap: practical and depending on the style, also a great compliment to a theme
• Wine stoppers: practical with a lot of beachy styles to choose from!
• Candles: who doesn't love candles!

Choosing Your Invites

Your invites might be the inspiration to your theme, so pick carefully. Pick invites with colors that will work with your locale and won't add extra expenses to decor - like an unusual blue that will make dressing your table twice as expensive!

Beach Wedding Apparel

Beach wedding apparel is fairly simple and doesn't have to be super casual - though it does happen to be the choice of many beach brides/grooms. Remember a wedding on the beach will include such elements that will influence the choice of the bride and groom for their style of suits, dresses, shoes and other wedding attire for the wedding party while considering the temperature, water, sand and wind.

For complete details and pictures go to:

Beach Wedding Ideas at K.i.s.s

About the Author

This article was written by Susanna Miles, K.I.S.S Specialist, and online publisher of K.I.S.S Honeymoon and Wedding Ideas, a resource site which provides honeymoon and wedding ideas that help brides and grooms K.I.S.S - keep it simple + special that is!

Born and raised in Ontario, Canada this genuinely warm young woman and bride-to-be recently started her web development career in the throws of wedding planning. With a background in event planning her advice is invaluable in helping other brides and their grooms plan a wedding free of the common stresses and anxieties involved.
The philosophy of her website is quite simple as it focuses on ideas for both weddings and honeymoons and are incredibly unique and beautiful but also simple enough to relieve the pressures involved with a lot of the ideas out their that will involve ridiculous hunts for items or outrageous costs that will blow most budgets. With a strong focus on wedding planning for simplicity this playful and informative site is a must for the bride and groom who want to keep it simple + special.

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Wedding Ideas - How to Personalize Your Wedding

Many people enlist the help of a wedding planner to assist them with their wedding ideas and advise them for all aspects of their wedding day. One of the main questions a bride and groom ask is 'how can we make our wedding different?' The best way to make your wedding stand out and be different is to personalize it.

Do not waste time trying to out do other weddings or special events. Instead spend your time looking into ways to personalize your own wedding ideas and use it as a time to be creative, imaginative and fun.

In some cases it is traditional for a bride to wear their mothers wedding gowns. However over time the dress may have deteriorated or may not be the style you want. Instead of leaving the dress sitting in a box why not use it to make a ring pillow or incorporate it into your wedding reception ideas by using the material to make wedding favors or use the dress as part of the table decoration.

The wedding table is the focal point of any wedding reception and can be extremely easy to personalize. You can add personalized napkins, name plates, wedding favors and decorations. To save money all these details can potentially made by you with the help of your friends and family.

One of the first wedding ideas to think about it are the wedding invitations. It is becoming increasingly popular to personalize wedding invitations by having them made with a photo of the couple in question.

Wedding invitations are something that a lot of people will keep as a piece of memorabilia to remind them of the day so adding a photo is a great way to make your wedding invitations stand out and look different together with giving the invitation that extra personal touch that will no doubt be appreciated by your guests.

Traditionally the wedding cake should be a three tiered cake with white icing. Nowadays more and more people want their wedding cake to be personal and unique. You may decide to have the cake topper created as a replica of the bride and groom or pull all the stops out and have a totally unique wedding cake made to represent what the couple enjoy. There are many wedding cake designers who will be able to incorporate even the most unusual ideas.

There is also nothing to stop you breaking away from the traditional tiered wedding cake and going for something more unusual like a chocolate fountain or fairy cakes.

Personalizing your wedding with your own unique wedding ideas, likes and interests will make your special day unique, fun and a day that not only all your guests will remember but you will be remember for the rest of your life.

Vicki Churchill offers free information and wedding ideas. She can help you write the perfect wedding speech, and find the best wedding dresses.

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Winter Wedding Idea - A Guide To Choosing a Winter Wedding Theme

A Winter Wedding Idea To Warm You Up Although not as popular as the other seasons, winter can be a great time to have a wedding. That might possibly the best reason to have a winter wedding. Wedding vendors are not as busy during the winter, so you should be able to book your first choice of photographer, videographer, band, florist and dj.

Winter is also a slow time for wedding spaces. Possible locations for a winter wedding include Bed and Breakfasts, Inns, Country Clubs, private estates and anywhere that provides a winter wonderland backdrop for your wedding. Think fireplaces and comfy, cozy locations. Mountain locations always provide a beautiful backdrop for a winter wedding.

Since wedding vendors and wedding spaces are less busy in the winter, you may be able to secure a great deal at a significant discount. When talking to vendors, don't be afraid to ask if they offer an off season discount. Many vendors will offer their services at a discounted rate to fill up their slow months.

When talking with wedding spaces and interviewing caterers, be sure to ask them if they have different packages for winter months. Many times they will offer different menu selections in winter months.

After selecting your wedding location, you should start thinking about choosing a winter wedding idea for your wedding theme. There are many possibilities for a winter wedding theme, however if you are having trouble thinking of some consult with a wedding planner or browse online for some ideas.

Here are some possible theme ideas for a winter wedding:

• If your wedding is in February, consider having a Valentine's themed wedding.
• Snowflakes are a sign of winter, and they can run through your entire wedding from your invitations to favors.
• Ice is also a sign of winter, and you could have a blue ice themed wedding complete with ice sculptures and vodka bar.
• If your wedding is in December, a Christmas themed wedding gets everyone in the mood for the holidays.
• New Year's weddings can also be a lot of fun. However, don't expect any discounts from vendors or wedding spaces for December 31st.

With a few winter wedding ideas in hand, talk to potential vendors and find out how they can help you pull off your theme. Florists and caterers can be especially helpful to work with on your theme. Spend some time at the location you choose for your wedding, and think about what theme would go best there. Don't be afraid to get creative.

Stephen Badiali is the owner of Wedding Ideas Guide

For more information about a winter wedding idea, visit http://www.wedding-ideas-guide.com/winter-wedding-idea.html

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Sparkle with Great Winter Wedding Ideas

Welcome to the WWI – that’s the Winter Wedding Ideas page. But first, congratulations, both on your upcoming wedding and on the fact that you were clever enough to see the value in a winter wedding. You see, the fall and winter season’s are the off season for most of the wedding industry (this may not be true in places like Aspen, Colorado where their winter landscape is a prime draw) so you have a better chance at negotiating a great price on everything from your photography to the wedding / reception location. So hunt away, if you haven’t already, but not until you’ve settled on the winter wedding idea that you want to make come to life.

Christmas Wedding Options

The first among winter wedding ideas is the classic Christmas wedding and is a natural for those who absolutely love all the decorations, smells, and sounds of Christmas. Because this option is so rooted in your own families’ (including that of your future husband) traditions we won’t linger here except to point out that this option presents a number of fun opportunities for wedding favors. For example, you could thank your loved ones by giving them a handcrafted wedding cake ornament that will serve as a reminder of your winter wedding every year when they look at their Christmas tree.

Winter Wonderland Options

Another option from the winter wedding ideas department is to create your own winter wonderland wedding. Imagine a wedding that is a study in shades of whites, silver, and ice blues. Your wedding cake could be a gorgeous mountain of white on white. Go for the smooth simple lines of elegance by adding a grand ice sculpture to your wedding reception. Or if you want to make it a little more light hearted you can take advantage of the plethora of snowman themed decorations that are available today. Either way, you might want to consider the silver tree place card holders or snowflake bath confetti (it's great as part of your decorating too!) as your wedding favors. Its clean lines make it fit beautifully in almost any winter wedding setting. Or for a whimsical touch, perhaps miniature snow globes are the way to go.

Respite from the Cold

Finally, go for the warm colors as you create the atmosphere of something like a mountain ski lodge with a roaring fire, warm drinks, and lots of friend around the celebration. For this winter wedding idea you might want to consider giving gifts of specially packaged wedding coffees, teas, hot cocoas, or a tea infuser (either with or without the ceramic tray).
There really are so many winter wedding ideas to consider. Dream. What part of the winter season gets you excited? Once you’ve decided, personalize your winter wedding ideas and you’ll be on your way to an unforgettable wedding experience.

Jeanette Shinn is the co-owner of Your Exciting Wedding Favors http://www.ExcitingWeddingFavors.com a website dedicated to helping brides realize their wedding day dreams with tons of tips, ideas, and the latest wedding news stories from across the country, as well as offering wedding favors, and accessories to enhance the entire wedding experience. Jeanette is also the founder and edible design artist behind Layer By Layer, http://www.frostingonthecake.com, a special order bakery serving weddings and other special occasion needs of the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area.

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Summer Wedding Ideas

Summer weddings are always more preferred because of the versatility in wedding themes and ideas during this time of the year. With the abundance of nature blooming in the surrounding area, a pleasant summer wedding is easier to put together. Not to mention, the beautiful warm outdoor weather is always conducive to a celebration and outdoor ceremonies.

The most popular theme for a summer wedding is a beach themed wedding. For a beach themed wedding choose a public or private beach for your wedding. Set the beach wedding theme from the very beginning. Let the beach wedding theme reflect on your invitations and stationary by adding sea side elements and decorations to them. You will save on the wedding decorations for a beach themed wedding as the beach itself will set the scene. Add subtle touches to your tables and centerpieces with seashells.

For your menu, definitely seafood in your menu and there are some fabulous wedding cake designs with a beach theme. Select a cake topper that reflects seaside elements to tie it all together. To top it all off make sure to give out wedding favors with a beach theme such as a sea shell gel candle. The most fun part of a beach wedding affair is picking out wedding favors. There is an abundance of beach wedding favors to select from. For a formal beach wedding give sand and seashell tea lights and use personalized Adirondack chair tea light and place card holders to guide your guests to their table at your beach wedding reception.

If you are having a casual affair, give out seashell bottle openers or seashell gel candle favors. Another great part about beach weddings is that you can incorporate the beach theme into the bridal shower or bachelor party as a precursor to the beach wedding. Fun beach bridal shower favors are perfect pair flip flop candles or for a more elegant favor give French lavender bath salts in a seashell. For the guys, tropical shirt candle favors are great. One of the best beach wedding favor is for the bride and groom to take on their honeymoon, Just Married Sandals. Just Married Sandals are also great for the guests at a casual wedding on the beach. Most popular beach wedding favors can found at Chic Wedding Favors.com.

A beach wedding or a nautical wedding theme can be a lot of fun. It's easy to be whimsical and more relaxed with a beach wedding. However, if you want to go all out, a formal beach themed wedding can be a gorgeous affair. Beach wedding ideas are available in abundance. Whether you are getting married during winter or summer, you can incorporate the beach theme into your wedding to create a beautiful wedding affair. Make your beach wedding fun or elegant with creativity.

If you are not crazy about the beach or the ocean is just too far away, a mid-summer wedding theme is beautiful. A mid-summer wedding theme should be magical. For this theme combining nature and old-world charm, choose an outdoor venue and have the ceremony under a flower-covered altar. Choose mid-summer motifs such as butterflies, vines or even fairies for your stationery. Use the brightest summer blooms for flowers, decorations and bouquets. Brides can use fresh flowers in their hair instead of other accessories. A summer-themed cake using fresh flowers or fruits, a light menu with lots of fresh fruits and cool drinks or ice-cream will complement the theme perfectly.

In a beautiful garden in the summer afternoon, the most elegant wedding favor idea is intricately carved sandalwood fans. More recently, the sandalwood fan wedding favor has become very popular for Spring Weddings, Garden Weddings, Summer Weddings, Outdoor Weddings, Beach Weddings, and other weddings with themes. The Sandalwood Fan Wedding Favor is a great idea for large weddings, as it is a fairly inexpensive wedding favor. If the favor can not be handed to all your guests, then your bride's maids would look beautiful holding them also. The Sandalwood Fan also makes a nice bridal shower favor and is appreciated by the ladies at a bridal shower any time of the year. Sandalwood Fan Wedding Favors have become increasingly popular with both large and small weddings. Its beauty enhances the most formal and elegant weddings as well as simple lighthearted wedding affairs. The Sandalwood Fan Wedding Favors are easy to turn into your special and personalized wedding favors.

Whether your style is formal or stylish and informal, a summer wedding can accommodate an abundance of ideas and themes. Wedding favor and accessories markets make it easy to find ideas and embellishments for your special occasion. Designers and wedding planners like Event Trendsetter can help put it all together for you. The summer is a great time to plan a wedding. Let your imagination run wild with the summer breeze!

Sharmeen Mahmud is Director of Chic Wedding Favors. Chic Wedding Favors is a leading retailer of Wedding Favors, Gifts, and Bridal Shower Favors and Accessories. Go to http://www.chicweddingfavors.com for more summer wedding ideas and favors.

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Backyard Wedding Ideas to Take Your Wedding To the Next Level

There is little as intimate as a garden wedding. The good news is that with the right backyard wedding ideas you can transform your garden into a wedding paradise. And this is true regardless of whether you are marrying in the gardens of a local mansion, in your own backyard wedding ceremony, or are having a beachfront wedding. With the right backyard wedding ideas you can create that perfect wedding memory that will last you for years to come.

Start With a Wedding Tent

Regardless of where you live, the weather is just too unpredictable to risk not having a tent. Even if you live in Southern California and are getting married in a time when it never rains, you never know when that freak storm's going to hit. You'd hate to be unprepared if it chooses your wedding day so the first backyard wedding idea is to invest in the purchase or rental of a tent large enough to cover your wedding party in an emergency and to provide shade for your wedding guests.

Put the Wedding Cake Table under the Protection of the Tent on a Sturdy Table

Backyard wedding idea number two is to simply protect your investment in the masterpiece you commissioned that is your wedding cake by putting it inside the tent. Leave a side wall open, if you like so that your cake cutting pictures will have the beauty of the wedding garden in the background, but protect your wedding cake from birds flying overhead and the intensity of the sun.

Likewise, use the folding table for something else. A wedding cake needs a sturdy table that won't wobble when a guest bumps into it.

Put the Pets Away

For so many reasons, but primarily because of the inherent unpredictability of animals your next backyard wedding idea is to control the movements of your pets. Perhaps this means putting them in a kennel for your wedding day. Maybe it simply means having them on a leash. It's better than having Fido lovingly push grandma into the middle of the spread your caterers put out for your reception.

Build a Gazebo or a Wedding Arch

This backyard wedding idea will add beauty to your wedding ceremony. A bride and groom framed with their pastor, rabbi, or priest by a tastefully decorated gazebo or wedding arch with manicured foliage in the background is a picture perfect setting.

Accent with Lights

The whole point of your wedding decorations is to create an inviting space that shouts welcome to your guests. So this backyard wedding idea is as follows: Using small lights like rope lights to line arches, windows, and doorways is a backyard wedding idea that achieves just that even if your wedding and reception is in the middle of a sun filled day. Just that extra touch of light has a way of inviting people in.

Theme Your Wedding to Suit Your Tastes

Remember, backyard wedding ideas don't lock you into a floral themed (or cactus themed) wedding. I heard recently of a couple who found an outdoor location to create a Lord of the Rings themed wedding. That might be a bit much for most of us, but it proves that your options are limited only to your imagination, budget, and nerve. Dream. You're backyard wedding ideas might create something people will talk about for years.

Jeanette Shinn is a wedding professional with over a dozen years experience making dreams come alive. Find the perfect garden wedding ideas at her website http://www.ExcitingWeddingFavors.com.

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5 Tips for an Outdoor Wedding Theme

Outdoor wedding themes really do depend on the location. One couldn’t plan on a Hawaiian Luau with a volcano in the background in any other place than in Hawaii. Sure, some other tropical island might work, but it wouldn’t be a Hawaiian luau with a native Hawaiian officiating as judge or minister. But, you could plan a Hawaiian luau wedding wherever you are with flower leis for each guest and the wedding party dressed Hawaiian style with large flowers behind the ears of women in the wedding. Hawaiian music could be played or recordings of Don Ho singing his romantic songs would highlight the wedding and assure everyone a memorable time.

Working on that premise that one can choose any theme from any part of the world and decorate around it, an Alice in Wonderland theme would make for a wedding that would most definitely be remembered. Wedding members could plan their outfit around the Queen of Hearts or Alice herself. The gentlemen could dressed as if they were coming to tea and the ushers could be the Queen of Hearts’ guards. There is no end to the fun that could be had as well as the solemnity of a wedding feast planned by the Queen of Hearts for Alice and her rabbit groom.
Planning an outdoor wedding theme involves looking at the area that you can use. Deciding on a mission statement and executing it down to the last detail. An Alice in Wonderland theme would work great in a park with signs signalling the rabbit hole entrance. It could be just the entrance to a large tent for the wedding feast.

Of course, if what is wanted is a daringly romantic adventurous theme, a wedding in Sherwood Forest with the bride and groom dressed as Robin Hood and Maid Marian and the wedding party as his merry men would capture the spirit of the wedding as an outdoor real life experience. After all, Robin Hood and his merry men did actually live outdoors. The romantic British accents of the Sheriff of Nottingham officiating and ladies headdresses and gentlemen in capes would make for a brilliant wedding event.

If one lives near a river, or lake, an Indian wedding theme would recapture Longfellow’s Hiawatha and bring the grand poet’s longing for the majestic red man back to life. The wedding party can add the quaint touch of the wealthy squaw with beads and feathers and jade jewelery leading their princess to the wedding altar. The river background would be an ideal place for wedding photographs and maybe a canoe or two for accent.

A simple outdoor theme could be a parking lot wedding. The officiating judge could be dressed like a parking lot attendant and round up all incoming guests and park them in designated areas. The bride and groom could come in and roar out on a motorbike. Their attendants could be their guests and the food could be prepared by a short order cook standing behind a long table. Whatever theme you decide on be sure and invite all your relatives because you don’t want the rest of your married life being left out

History and Moral of Wedding Favors

It started long ago that the tradition of offering guests at weddings gifts of appreciation for attending your occasion. It is said that the first wedding favor was known as a bonbonniere which is a tiny trinket box, made out of porcelain or crystals. The European aristocrats filled these boxes with sugar cubes or confections. During this era, sugar was expensive and only the wealthy could afford it. Therefore, if guests were given wedding favors consisting of this precious commodity, it made them happy.

As time went by, the price of sugar reduced and soon every family could afford it. When people realized that sugar was a very modest gift they replaced it with almonds. For a long time, almonds were the best wedding favors any bride and groom could give. It symbolized well wishes from the new couple. This was used for some time until something better came up. This time almonds were coated with sugar for better taste. Sugarcoated almonds, candle history, symbolized the bitter sweetness of every marriage.

These sugar coated almonds were called confetti which later evolved into the present types of wedding guest favors in use today.

Wedding favors in the olden times included five sugarcoated almonds. These represented the five aspects of marriage which are usually hoped for. The five aspects are fertility, wealth, longevity, happiness and health. To this day, some cultures give wedding favors in groups of five. Therefore when are planning your wedding guest favors you might want to include some tradition by offering the gifts in groups of five.

Remember to label each gift representing each of the different wishes so the guest grasp your intent.

Through all these years, the tradition of wedding guest favors has continued to evolve. These days’ couples decide on wedding favors based on the theme of the wedding. Some themes used in weddings include heart theme, beach theme, flower theme, wine theme, and valentines theme just to mention a few. Depending largely on the wishes of the bride some choose to make a bold statement by personalizing their favors.

There are shops that offer the services of personalizing candles, plates, bags and even picture frames.

Despite the change in types of favors offered, the reason for them remains the same. Whether you offer almonds or sophisticated favors, your aim should be to show sincere appreciation. Wedding favors may seem like a small part of a wedding but they have such a long history, albeit ever changing, that they continue as an important part of the modern ceremony.

If you’re finances are pressed try not to cut out these favors from your ceremony.

You can resort to simple homemade gifts and, in most cases, people would appreciate something that looks like you put time and effort into. Now you can share the history of wedding favors with your guests.

Winter Wedding Themes

I don't know what it is about winter wedding themes, but I just can't seem to get enough! Winter weddings can be absolutely gorgeous! There's just something about the glistening sparkle of icicles and snowflakes that can take your breath away...Plus, you can have a winter wedding on any day of the year..Even in the middle of summer :)

Whether you're searching for winter wedding theme ideas, snowflake wedding theme ideas or even Christmas theme ideas, the ideas on this page should help get you started.

Winter Wedding Themes- Color Schemes

For winter wedding themes, the most suitable colors are generally white, light blue, dark blue and silver.

Try to fill the room mainly in white, and use the rest of the colors as accents and features.

Winter Wedding Themes- Wedding Invitations

You can really get creative and come up with some really unique winter wedding invitations. You can go crazy with snowflake confetti and snowmen cutouts! Here's one to try: Buy some blue or white paper and cut it to the appropriate size. (You may want a relatively thicker paper, which you can purchase at any office supply store). Buy snowflake, icicle or snowman stamps and use silver metallic ink to stamp the images onto your invitations. Use a silver metallic marker to draw swirls and designs that will add to the card. With a hole puncher, punch a hole on the bottom corners of the card, and string a ribbon through the holes. Tie the end of the ribbon into a bow for a finished look.

Tip: Use pattern scissors to cut a "wavy" edge. You can find these at any craft supply store.

Winter Wedding Themes- Wedding Decorations

To bring the look of winter indoors, try to think of as many small details as you can that will accent a winter theme..Here are some stand out winter features, and how you can duplicate them:

* Snow - Remember that "cob web like" material commonly used for Halloween decorations? That stuff makes perfect (and cheap) fake snow! Then sprinkle some glitter on top to make it shimmer.You can find it at a Halloween or craft store.

* Ice - To get the look of glistening ice, (without the cleanup that comes with the real stuff) find some little white or clear gem stones or beads, and sprinkle them wherever you want an "icy" effect.

* Icicles - A nice, inexpensive alternative to icicles, are those white hanging Christmas lights. They'll hang like icicles, but will also give off a nice white glow to enhance the mood.

* Snow balls - Have fake snowballs incorporated into your table settings, centerpieces or scattered around the room. You can use fake snowball decorations or snowball candles (very cute). An added bonus is that they can double up as wedding favors!

* Snow Flakes - Hang snowflake cutouts from the ceiling, made of white construction paper.Spray them with a clear top coat finish used for coating paintings. This should give them a shiny finish.

* Frosty Windows - Make it look extra chilly outside by frosting up the windows. There is decorative spray out there that is specially made for creating this effect.

* White Lights - String white Christmas lights along the edges of tables, doorways and stands.

* Dry Ice - This can really set the stage for your winter theme, but you need to be willing to put in a little effort to make it work. You'll need someone monitoring the dry ice at all times. And there are some safety precautions you'll need to take. Check the dry ice directory for local retailers all over the world.

* Old Wooden Sleds - A great accent piece that can add a playful feeling to your winter theme.

* Ice sculptures - These are gorgeous features that can really add a uniqueness to your wedding. You can hire a company to make one for you, or you can buy or make moulds to create your own.Search for ice sculpting companies in your business directory. Or look online for ice moulds that you can buy. Just make sure that you have a tray to collect the water as it melts.

* Fabric - Hang white fabric to your walls, and have white lights dangling behind them. The lights will shine through and sparkle.

* Trees - Find long branches (about 7 feet long) with many offshoot branches on them. Stand them up so they look like trees.Spray paint them white, and stick them into a filled pot so they will stand up on their own. Hang lights from them, or have flash lights shining up at them from their pots below.This creates a gorgeous lighting effect in a dark room.

* Hang up white or clear crystal beads for an "icy" illusion.

* Use snowflake confetti on your tables and around accents.

Winter Wedding Themes- Wedding Favors

There are tons of different wedding favors that you can make yourself.

Keeping to the idea of your theme, try to keep the colors (and contents) "winter related"..

Pick out some decorative silver, white or blue Christmas tree ornaments and attach a personalized tag using ribbon.

Give a away pairs of mittens.

Candy canes with ribbons tied to them.

Luau Wedding Themes

Luau parties can be a lot of fun! Especially when you have all of your friends and family together to make it extra special!Use these Luau theme ideas to bring a tropical luau party to your wedding - without it costing a fortune!
Luau Wedding Themes- Color Schemes
Use beige and tan as your main colors. Then add lots of bright colors to living it up. Use yellows, greens, pinks, oranges, blues and reds.
Luau Wedding Themes- Wedding Invitations
Cut your invite into the shape of a hoola dancer. Get some fake grass and attach it to the waist as a grass skirt. Then get some small flowers and make a lei for around her neck. Cut the invites out to look like a tropical drink. - Don't forget the mini umbrella! Design your own mini surfboard invitation.

Luau Wedding Themes- Wedding Decorations

Before you read on, have a look at this eBook called "My Island Party". It has all kinds of creative tips and ideas on how to throw a unique luau party! Have tropical lounge chairs for your guests to sit on. Punch holes through coconuts and string them around the room. (be sure clean out the insides first so they don't start to go bad.) Have a limbo area set up for decoration or for people to play later. Hang leis around the chairs for the guests to wear throughout the night. Tack bright colored flip flop sandals side by side along the walls. Hang grass skirts along the walls. Have tropical flowers (fake or real) everywhere! This should be a big focus since a luau is such a tropical theme. Use hibiscus flowers, daisies and lilies - pretty much any flower you like the look of. Get (or make) some fake palm trees, and put them around the room. Have sea shells, star fish, and toy crabs placed around the room. Have bright colored decorative umbrellas at each table. Turn your bar into a grass hut by giving it a roof, and then attaching grass, hay or straw to cover it. Find tall miniature statues shaped like tiki's, flamingos and torches. Put surfboards up on the walls. (borrow real ones or use inexpensive Styrofoam boards)

Luau Wedding Themes- Wedding Favors

Flower leis.

Shell necklaces. You can usually buy these cheap, or you can make them yourself by punching holes through small sea shells and stringing them up into a necklace. Buy some small glass tea light candle holders, and cut a wick to fit inside each one (just long enough for the top of the wick to reach the same height as rim of the glass). Place a few small shells on the bottoms, then fill the glass holders with clear gel wax.

Luau Wedding Themes- Fun Things to Wear

Grass skirts.

Button up flower shirts for the guys.

Leis.

Luau Wedding Themes- Food and Drinks

Tropical fruit such as pineapples, bananas and mangoes,with a yogurt dip.

Tropical and colorful drinks, such as mohitos and daqueris.

Western Wedding Themes

So you're thinking of having a western wedding, are you? What a great choice! A Western / Country wedding theme can be a lot of fun to bring together. - Not to mention unique! Check out our ideas on how to do it!

Western Wedding Themes- Color Schemes

Western wedding colors are generally a mix of browns, rusts and tans.

Western Wedding Themes- Wedding Invitations

For a cute, original western invitation, cut a brown piece of paper in the shape of a cowboy hat. Outline the details in a dark colored pen, and tie a mini "rope" around the base. Do the same with the shape of a cowboy boot.

Western Wedding Themes- Wedding Decorations

Collect cowboy hats and tack them side by side along the walls. Use wooden fence posts to line the isles, and have old cowboy boots resting against them. Get some hay bundles or bails, and add to them but putting old tins cans, cowboy boots, cowboy hats, and other items around them. This is a great way to fill empty side spaces, or even make main focal points. Here are some items you can collect that have a "Western" element to them: Cowboy hats, cowboy boots, old wagons, hay, tin cans, saddle, spurs, bandanas, rope, sheriff's badges.

Western Wedding Themes- Wedding Favors

Make a bottle of "xxx' full of any item of your choice. Go out and buy some little kid cowboy boots. Attach a card with your guest's names, and presto, you've got your own personalized place card holders!

Fun Things to Wear

Have the groomsmen wear bandanas, and have the bridesmaids wear old western style dresses.  Or have the servers wear the same.

Las Vegas Wedding Themes

Bright lights, exciting atmosphere and always something to do.. Its no wonder people love Vegas! But you don't have to spend tons of money to get a "Vegas wedding", you can have one right from home. Here are some fun Las Vegas theme wedding ideas to help bring the Vegas atmosphere to you!

Las Vegas Wedding Themes- Color Schemes

Use black as your main color with lots of bright vibrant colors on top. Use bright reds, greens, yellows, blues, purples and oranges.

Las Vegas Wedding Themes- Wedding Invitations

Cut your invites into the shape of a die, a money chip, a playing card or a poker table.

Las Vegas Wedding Themes- Wedding Decorations

Out of construction paper, make big versions of a deck of playing cards and tack the cards to the walls. Get a poker table and set it up. Keep it off to the side so that people can play on it afterwards. Decorate your guest's tables to look like poker tables. Put together some large card board boxes, and paint them with white and black paint to make them look like oversized dice. Florescent light up signs with theme related words like, "Las Vegas" or the bride and groom's names.

Las Vegas Wedding Themes- Wedding Favors

Dice

Money chips

A deck of cards

Personalized martini glasses

Bottle openers

Mini cocktail shackers

Las Vegas Wedding Themes- Wedding Cakes

Have your wedding cake made to look like a slot machine or poker table. Favors A small pack of money chips. - Personalize them for an added touch. A deck of playing cards. - Have photos of the bride and groom printed on them. There are stores online that will do this for you. Make your own dice key chain - To make them, just buy some separate chains from a craft store, then buy some dice and ordinary dice. Cut a small hole in the dice for the end of the chain to fit into it, then crazy glue or hot glue it in place. Have personalized shot glasses made for your guests.

Las Vegas Wedding Themes- Fun Things to Wear

Bright colored, sparkly dresses for the women. Make it a black tie event where every man has to where a tuxedo. Go all out and have the person marrying you dress up as Elvis!

Vineyard Wedding Themes

Do you wish you could spend your days walking among the endless fields of Tuscany or Napa Valley? Is one of your favorite past times sipping wine at a local vineyard? If so, then having a wine themed wedding may be for you! Take a look below for some ideas on how you can make your dream wedding come true..

Vineyard Wedding Themes- Wedding Color Schemes

Use earth tones, like greens and browns, then add depth with deep purples, burgundy's and reds.

Vineyard Wedding Themes- Wedding Invitations

Send a bottle of your favorite wine as your invitation. Just write their invite on the label. Cut your invitation paper in the shape of a wine bottle. Then tie a red ribbon around the neck of the "bottle".

Vineyard Wedding Themes- Wedding Decorations

To make some really cute place card holders: Get some cork screws and lay them sideways on a table. Cut about 1/4 inch off each one lengthwise so it will stay in place without rolling away. Then on the opposite side, cut a lengthwise incision into the cork, deep enough to hold a place card. Then add a place card into the incision. Find a few wine barrels form a local vineyard a place them around the room. Decorate with wine bottles, wine glasses, plastic grapes, vines, cheese and bread. Use table clothes with grapes or vines running through them. Place wine racks around the room, filled with wine bottles.

Vineyard Wedding Themes- Wedding Favors

Make your own wine glass candles. Fill wine glasses with colored candy (either deep red or white), and tie ribbon around the bottoms.

Vineyard Wedding Themes- Wedding Theme Food and Drinks

Wine (find wine bottles filled with cider or apple juice for children). Host your own wine tasting session.

Grapes

Salads (leafy greens)

Cheese

Bread sticks

Olives

Vineyard Wedding Themes- Centerpieces

A bowl or miniature wine barrel, filled with grapes

Autumn / Fall Theme Wedding

I see warm colors, cozy surroundings, and a very inviting atmosphere. When you imagine fall weddings, what comes to your mind? This is a wedding theme that really allows you to be creative, so you can bring the outdoors in.. Here are some tips and tricks on how to create your perfect fall wedding.

Autumn / Fall Wedding Themes-  Wedding Color Schemes

To create a fall atmosphere, use warm colors such as reds, rusts, oranges, browns, burgundy and deep yellows.

Autumn / Fall Wedding Themes-  Wedding Invitations

Cut your invitations into the shape of a leaf or pumpkin.

Autumn / Fall Wedding Themes-  Wedding Decorations

* Drape fall foliage over entrance ways, along the aisles and throughout the room.

* Old fashioned wine barrels. Find these at a local winery, hardware store (sometimes), or online.

* Bundled sheaths of wheat or stalks of corn

* Collect small pumpkins, pinecones, acorns, and leaves and scatter them all around the room. Also use them to fill wicker baskets, or copper buckets.

* Scare crows - These are a cute addition to really emphasis your fall theme. You can make your own out of hay and old clothes, or you can purchase one. For pre-made ones, I would start by looking online.

* Find long tree branches (about 7 feet long) that have lots of branches on them. Spray paint them brown, and stand them up in a filled pot so they'll stand on their own. Scatter leaves all around them, to look as if they have just fallen from the trees themselves.

Autumn / Fall Wedding Themes-  Wedding Locations

This is where you can get creative, to make your wedding truly unique! Set out to find the most interesting, rustic looking places that are relatively close to home. Look for inns, barns, old churches, old mills, orchards, vineyards, and parks with a lot of foliage. There are many untouched, old rustic farms out there that you may not know about until you go looking.

Autumn / Fall Wedding Themes-  Wedding Favors

Maple syrup in a nice bottle with a decorative ribbon tied around it.  Mini pumpkin with a place card attached to it. Caramel apples. Mini pumpkin containers filled with candy. Filled keepsakes.

Autumn / Fall Wedding Themes-  Theme Food and Drinks

Turkey 

Pumpkin pie

Ham

Caramel apples

Home-baked cookies

Nuts

Marzipan fruits

Cider

Hot chocolate

Autumn / Fall Wedding Themes- Centerpieces

Wicker baskets / copper buckets filled with hay or leaves, corn cobs and mini pumpkins.

Victorian Wedding Themes

There is no other era as beautiful, classy or as sophisticated as the Victorian era. It was an time that was not only known for its high prosperity, but also for its incredible artistic expressions. There are some gorgeous and unique ways to create a Victorian style wedding, read on for some of our favorites!

Victorian Wedding Themes- Color Schemes

For a Victorian style wedding, choose light pastel colors, such as pale pink, ivory, lilac, pale blue, and light green. Using a gold or silver trim works very well.

Victorian Wedding Themes- Wedding Invitations

* Whether you're making your own invitations or buying pre-made, try to use ones that have a classy, olden day feel.

* Try engraving your invites with fancy writing and gold or silver printing.

* Use thick, high quality paper for a more formal look and feel.

* Decorate them with pictures ferns and roses wrapped in swirly vines.

Victorian Wedding Themes- Wedding Decorations

* Crystal is a must when it comes to a Victorian theme. Have crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and crystal dishes, candlestick holders and other accessories placed around the room.

* Line areas with Victorian style pillars and spindles.

* Use lace trim along tables edges and curtains.

* Use pewter style decorations wherever possible (chairs, tables, etc).

* Drape long, flowing fabrics over tables and accents.

* Place doilies on tabletops.

* Have potted ferns placed around the room.

* Tea cups and potpourri.

Victorian Wedding Themes- Wedding Favors

* Engraved champagne glasses

* Victorian heart shaped jewelry boxes

* A small potted fern

* Decorative, personalized doilies

* Glass candlestick holders

* Tea cups

* Lace baggies filled with potpourri

Victorian Wedding Themes- Fun Things to Wear

You can really have fun getting dressed up in this theme. Have your guests join in by getting them to come in a Victorian style get-up!

* Long, elbow or wrist length gloves.

* Look for replicas of Victorian style wedding gowns to wear

* Wear your hair up and big, with curls hanging down to frame your face.

* Men can wear old time formal tuxes with tailcoats, bow ties, white gloves and formal vests underneath.

Victorian Wedding Themes- Wedding Flowers

You can have a lot of fun choosing flowers for this theme. The key to remember is to make your arrangements look as formal as you can. Here are some flowers that work well:

* Pansies

* Baby's breath

* Pale pink and white roses

* Violets

* Lilies

* Orange blossoms

* Ferns

* Dried flowers and potpourri

Cinderella Wedding Theme

As little girls, we've all been there... We've all watched movies like Cinderella, wishing that we could be lucky enough to have a dress as beautiful as hers, glass slippers just like hers, and waiting for our Prince charming to come and take us away.. Well, now that time as come, and with a Cinderella theme those fantasies can come true. Here are some ideas to get your Cinderella dream wedding started..

Cinderella Wedding Theme- Color Schemes

For a Cinderella, or Fairy Tale theme wedding, opt for light colors, such as baby blues, silvers, whites, pinks and grays.

Cinderella Wedding Theme- Invitations

A cute idea is to cut your invitations into theme related shapes, such as a "pumpkin" coach, a castle or a glass slipper.

Cinderella Wedding Theme- Decorations

The main items in your Cinderella theme decorations should be a coach, a castle and glass slippers. Be sure to incorporate these into the decorations as much as possible. Keep things looking elegant with shiny or sparkling decorations, like glass and silver. Drape silks and satin fabrics from the walls for a soft, flowing effect. Put up large mirrors, or choose a hall that has mirrored walls. Try to get a hold of a fountain (you can usually rent them for fairly cheap). Have tons of balloons bunched up, with long ribbons hanging from the bottoms. Have the bride and groom show up in a white coach pulled by horses.

Cinderella Wedding Theme- Fun Things to Wear

The bride and groom could dress up in outfits just like the ones at the end of the Cinderella movie.  Crowns and tiaras.

Cinderella Wedding Theme- Cakes

A castle shaped cake would be a nice choice.  Or do the cake the way you want, but have a theme related cake topper on it. (like a glass slipper)

Summer Wedding Themes

Brides have been choosing the summer months to celebrate the nuptials for centuries. The flowers are in bloom, the weather is gorgeous, and the sun is shining – it’s the perfect time for festivities!

Planning a Summer Wedding

If you plan to wed in the months of June, July, or August, you’re officially a summer bride! You’ll need to take the weather into consideration as you plan each aspect of your big day. The heat is a huge factor and can make wedding cakes turn into melted messes, and turn brides into uncomfortable, perspiring princesses! Do yourself a favor and choose a gown that is breathable, cool, and comfortable.

Choosing a Theme for Your Summer Wedding

Choosing a theme is one of the most fun parts of planning your wedding – it will set the tone for your event and make all your decisions easier down the road. Choose your theme early on in the planning process so you can apply it to all aspects of your wedding, from the invitations to the thank you cards and everything in between! There are so many themes that work well with a summer wedding!

Summer Wedding Themes- Hot Color Combinations

Many brides choose a color scheme as the theme to their wedding. Whether you are planning an elegant, traditional day or a funky, fresh celebration, there’s a color scheme for you! Great summer hues include fuchsia, lemon, aqua, and crisp white. A stark contrast between your two colors will ensure that your bridesmaids look amazing with their bouquets – opt for two bright colors, or one main color plus a more muted tone such as champagne, cream, or black. Be a modern maven by choosing one color in varying hues, such as pale pinks, dark pinks, and hot pinks.

Summer Wedding Themes- Pattern Themes

Patterns are so fun to play with, and can be applied to wedding cakes, table settings, and favors. Are you a polka dot bride? Or a damask diva? Choose a pattern you love and turn it into a theme for your summer wedding!

Summer Wedding Themes- Summer-Specific Themes

You can choose an element you love about summer and turn it into the theme of your entire wedding! Love canoeing on the lake? You can feature a canoe-shaped wedding cake topper, blue and green balloons, and invitations featuring a peaceful lakeside scene. From fishing and baseball to ice-cream cones and barbecues, you can create a summer scene for the perfect backdrop to your big day!

Garden parties are popular in the summer and perfect for a summer wedding theme. Give out small potted flowers as your favors and feature gorgeous summery bouquets for your centerpieces. Why not host a picnic themed summer affair? Complete with gingham tablecloths and potato salad, celebrate your big day the all-American way with a fabulous family day in the park. “A day at the beach” is another wonderful summer wedding theme – feature seashells, a sandcastle-shaped wedding cake, and lots of seafood, of course!

Hosting a wedding in the summer makes travel a breeze, helps makes your photography stunning, and gives you options, options, options when it comes to every aspect of the big day!