Wedding Tips

Here are some helpful wedding ideas.

•          Make your ceremony more accessible to your guests by facing the crowd as you exchange your vows or by seating guests in a circle instead of the traditional rows.

•         Have a handfasting ceremony in which couples are asked a series of questions and at the end of the ceremony a ribbon is placed over their clasped hands, symbolizing their bond.

•         Personalize your aisle runner with crystals that match your wedding  gown.

•       During the hot summer months if you choose to have an outdoors wedding give your guests pretty parasol to help keep them cool.

•      Also, for outdoor wedding during the summer months, try this unique idea. print your ceremony programs and fold them into accordion fans.

•       Make Guests a part of your ceremony by inviting them to share special thoughts of you and your fiance. They can also, show their support of the bride and groom's union with applause. Both you and your groom will delight in seeing and hearing your loved ones express you their warmest wishes.

•       Personalize your aisle runner with a poem you both love.

•       Ask both sets of parents to light a unity candle during the ceremony to signify the merging of the families or pour wine into a single glass, or pour colored sand into a vase.

•        If you have children integrate them into your ceremony at the end of the ceremony hand a balloon to your groom and each of your children. Tie the balloons together and release them as one to symbolize your unity.

•       For an outdoor wedding keep away pesky insects during your ceremony by using citronella candles that accent your decor.

•       Try giving each guest a pair of flip flops for a beach wedding. Your guest will appreciate them and find them much easier to walk in than traditional shoes.

•        Place champagne bubbles and champagne shaped candles on each table with guest's names on each bottle for great escort cards.

•       Hand out favors personalized for each guest.

•     Customize candles with ribbons or tags for a unique style to fit your wedding theme.

•     Award the guest who traveled the farthest to reach your wedding by giving them your bouquet. Have your band leader, or DJ inquire who has traveled the most miles.

•      Deck hard to find sites with your name or initials which will let them know they have arrived at the right place.

•       Honor both set of parents by placing a framed photo of both on their wedding day in a prominent place at your reception.

•     Ask your Mother or a family member to make sure all your gifts and personal items make it home from the reception.

•     String votives from trees and frame trees with tiny white lights for outdoor weddings.

•      Ask a friend to save memorabilia from your wedding that you can turn into a heart warming display for your office or home.

•       Give your wedding a Spanish flair by serving tapas and sangria, hiring flamenco dancers to perform during dinner or using Spanish fans as centerpieces.

•    Add a magical touch to a formal reception by hiring a fortune teller, palm reader or a magician to perform for your guests.

•       Have your guests write notes on long colorful ribbons then tie the ribbons to a tall pole for the reception. This is great for any Fairy Tale Themed Wedding Reception.

•       Placing handwritten notes at each reception table will create a warm welcoming feeling for your guests.

•      Try serving a buffet style meal and make a game out of giving away your centerpieces for a dance free reception.

•      Decorate the reception area by using tone on tone colors. Layer different shades of the same color such as gold to create a rich luxurious look.

•     Arrange the reception room with a mix of small and large rectangular tables to create a sophisticated less structured look and feel.

•     Send your invitations to Loveville, Maryland. They have special wedding postmarks that add a nice touch to your envelopes. (301) 475-5243

•      Consider using recorded music for your reception, typically a DJ cost from $300 to $500. If you must have a band, try your local college music department to cut the cost of hiring a band. Arrange to hear them and have a contract outlining their pay, hours, which instruments they will bring and the type of music they will play.

•      Order a small fancy cake for the cutting ceremony; then have the baker provide frosted sheet cakes of the same flavor and filling to serve to the majority of your guests. All sheet cakes should be sliced and placed out of guest's sight. Buttercream and fresh flowers are more affordable and less labor intensive.