I was browsing the Net today looking for Wedding Cake ideas. There are so many ways to design a cake, but only a few present the elegant image that I find perfect for a wedding cake. Many of the cake designs that work well for me are topped with floral arrangements. The flowers really add a nice touch to a wedding cake. A few flower toppers look clean and simply, but present very elegantly. When you begin to incorporate a lot of different colors or objects into a wedding cake, the cake begins to become more of a birthday or party cake. Here are some examples that you could consider when designing your wedding cake. The cakes are all designed by the designer “Cakes By Sam, Inc.“.Mini Calla Lilies work very well as you will see.
There are a number of ways to save on your wedding. Today we’ll look at some cost saving ideas to consider for your wedding attire. We’ll first look at the Groom’s Tuxedo. Unless you plan on being in another wedding, or have an event that requires a tuxedo, it is best for the groom to rent a tuxedo instead of buying a tuxedo. Most tuxedo rental establishments will provide a Groom with a free tuxedo rental if the groomsmen rent their tuxedos from them. This can eliminate a $100 – $150 tuxedo and shoes rental fee for the Groom.
How about a Blue Tuxedo? Just Kidding
Brides wear much more wedding apparel then the Groom, so there are many areas a Bride can save. The first and most obvious savings tip, borrow what you can. If many of your friends and family are getting married, why not borrow some of their wedding items. A veil and tiara can be an extra expense not worth buying.. When do you plan on wearing a veil again? If a friend or family member purchased theirs, ask to borrow it, and remember to returned it dry cleaned!! The same goes for a Gown. Most Brides wear this gown once and never do anything with it again, if you’re okay with borrowing a wedding gown you can save yourself $1,000 – $3,000.
More Bridal Gown ideas – shop sample sales. There are a number of designers that have annual and or seasonal sample sales. You can buy a perfectly new (slightly tried on by other Brides, but who cares?) wedding dress for a fraction of the original cost.
Jewelry – Don’t go out an buy all new Jewelry for the wedding. Ask your family to see if anything has something that may work perfectly with your dress. You can save yourself hundred’s to thousands of dollars by borrowing from a family member who will most likely be honored that you love their jewelry.
Amazon.com has announced that the Nintendo Wii is the most registered for wedding item by engaged pairs. In addition to having the Wii on most people’s registries, the second most popular wedding registry item was a Pyrex 10 piece Tupperware set. Coming in 15th place is the wii accessory remote and 26, the wii nunchucks!
If you think you’re ready to get married, remember to figure out your finances before jumping in. If you plan on following the guidelines of many of the bridal magazines, your wedding isn’t going to come cheap. Wedding magazines are full of the most fancy and expensive wedding options and dresses out there. Unless you truly can afford it, be careful how high you set your expectations. If you get yourself into financial debt as many newly weds do, when putting their wedding expenses on a high interest credit card, your marriage may be doomed. One of the top three factors contributing to divorce these days is money. If you plan on financing your wedding, be careful of the interest rate of your loan. If you live in the US, expect an interest rate around 11% from a bridal lender, compared to a credit card’s interest rate of 20%.
Which wedding loan is best for me? As Jim Eckland Suggests, “There are many wedding loan programs available. A quick Internet search will turn up any number of them, offering such deals as $25,000 to plan your wedding if you pass the credit check. However, you should make sure that you only borrow as much as you need. Taking out too much money on your wedding loan could find you with a bigger bill than you expected. A wedding loan can be a great way to ease the stress of your wedding bills”
You’ve probably seen the other Surprise wedding dance posts by now, Jack Johnson Michael Jackson Surprise First Wedding Dance and Surprise Breakdance. Both dances were executed very well, due to the choose of music, dance and most importantly timeliness. One surprise wedding dance that I don’t believe was as effective is this wedding dance that starts off with an Indian slow song and cuts into California Love by Tupac. The crowd’s participation / reaction was nonexistent which to me, makes this surprise a bust… you be the judge
GetMarried is running a promotional contest for $100,000 toward your wedding. The $100,000 can be used for a variety of wedding expenses including your dress, flowers, cake, photographer, venue / location and more. The “Get Married $100,000 Wedding Giveaway” runs from April 8, 2007, through October 21, 2007. Brides can log onto GetMarried, register only once for their chance to win the $100,000 prize.
Yesterday we posted Amazing Wedding First Dance Video – Surprise Breakdance, and some of you really enjoyed it. So, I decided to post another example of a surprise wedding dance, this time the couple dances to a slow Jack Johnson song, followed up with Micheal Jackson. One personal note about this particular surprise wedding dance. Although it was successful, I would recommend starting the surprise a bit sooner. Enjoy the video:
Okay, this is just awesome. This couple decided to get a bit creative with their first wedding dance. Instead of the typical box or waltz step, this couple decided to start off traditionally, and mix it up a bit. You’ll be shocked when you see their transition from an elegant Waltz to the 80’s breakdance move – the Robot! The mix of music used is Johann Strauss – Blue Danube, Afrika Bambaataa – Looking for the Perfect Beat. The entire dance was choreographed themselves!
When budgeting for a wedding, keep in mind the gratuity tips that you have to hand out on the day of your wedding – and put them in your wedding budget. When paying for your wedding reception, the tax and gratuity will be included in the final price of the wedding. However, it is proper etiquette to tip wedding suppliers if you are happy with their services. The biggest tip, and most common courtesy, is to tip the Maitre ‘D. Expect to tip your Maitre D’ around 2.5% of the total reception. For most people this is about $500 – yeah, not bad for one night’s work? Some receptions suggest tipping the Captains and the Bride’s assistant, that’s truly your choice. Here’s the full breakdown of who you are expected to tip:
Wedding Service Tips:
Maitre D - As discussed above, you typically provide 2.5% of your total reception free as gratuity to the Maitre D.
Wedding Band – In addition to tipping the Maitre ‘D, if you choose to use a Band, you will be expected to tip each of the band members. It is common to tip the band members between $25 – $50 each for their work.
Limo Driver / Transportation – Typically transportation drivers are tipped 15 – 20% of the total bill. However, often times tax and tip is included in the total price – keep that in mind before handing out some cash.
Seamstress / Dress Fitter / Tuxedo Fitter - You should tip around $10 – $30 for their services.
Photographer -Photographers range greatly in price, typically 10% is a generous tip for a typical photographer, however, many photographers are pricey and 10% can be over $500. Shoot (no pun intended) to tip your photographer between $40 – $100 dependent upon the total charge.
Makeup Artists, Hairstylist, Beautician – Beauticians are typically tipped between 15 – 20% of their total fee.
So you spent a ton of money on your wedding already, you’ve paid for a photographer, a DJ or wedding band, rings, a reception venue, a dress, a tuxedo, gifts for the members of your wedding, flowers on and on… oh, but wait, did you purchase wedding favors yet? There are so many expenses associated with a wedding, and they don’t come cheap. The last thing that you want to dish more money out on is wedding favors. Most people don’t take them and for those who do, often end up throwing them away a few days later. So, what’s one to do? Here’s some inexpensive wedding favor ideas to consider:
Seed Packets – You can buy your favorite flower, fruit and vegetable seeds in bulk or in package and give them in small bundled groups along with caring instructions to your guests, placed in a small pot to plant the seeds. American Bridal sells cute already bundled “Love Grows” seeds on their website. Here’s their description of the product:
“With every marriage a seed a new seed planted that, when given kindness and understanding, will grow and blossom into enduring love. Give your guests a wedding favor to remember you by. With this collection of blossoming wild flowers, embedded into every handmade favor is a lovely variety of wild flowers.”
Candy Favors – Even if you’re not the best cook or baker in the world, you will find that making homemade chocolate or peanut brittle is very easy. There are a number of recipes out there on the Net that you can experiment with before your wedding. Try making your own Candy and see how it comes out. Once you’re happy with the recipe, go out and find some cute molds – heart molds work well for little chocolates or lollipops. Here’s an example peanut brittle recipe that turned up with a google search – submitted by 2Gmom.
Something Unique – Cinnamon Peanut Brittle Recipe
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2 cups peanuts
1 tsp. butter (no substitutes)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
Combine sugar and corn syrup in large microwave safe bowl. Heat, uncovered, on high for 4 minutes. Stir and heat 3 minutles longer. Stir in peanuts, butter and cinnamon. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 45 seconds. Quickly stir in baking soda and vanilla. Immediately pour onto a greased baking sheet and spread out with metal spoon. Regrigerate for 20 minutes.
Candles – Who doesn’t like candles? Especially when they are scented. You can pick up a few heart shaped candles at a low price, pick out some nicely scented and colored candles, bundle it, and you have a nice wedding favor
Wedding Cake Design Ideas – Flowers, Toppers, Designers
