Wedding Cakes

Gone are the days when a wedding cake was always white with very little decoration and a plastic bride and groom on top. Today, you can just about decorate your cake any way you want. Weddings are becoming more and more personalized, so why not do it with your cake, too?

You can personalize your wedding cake by taking a particular element of the wedding décor and design the cake around that theme. Bakers can decorate cakes with the look of embroidery, lace, appliqué or elegant drapes or swags. Think Martha Stewart style. :-)

Many brides will use the lace or detailing from their wedding gown as a design for their wedding cake. Bring in a picture of your gown and talk to your baker to incorporate the lace or pearl beading detail into the cake. Keep in mind, however, the more detail you have, the more expensive the cake.

Here are some other ideas:

• Have a wedding cake with an unusual shape, such as, a wedding cake that resembles a stack of presents. This is a fun cake, and generally has two or more square layers, is heavily decorated and tied with a bow.

• Get sentimental! Copy or use the cake top your grandparents or parents used at their wedding.

• Have your monogram intertwined in icing on your cake as decoration.

• A never-fail simple, yet elegant decoration is using fresh flowers. Some favorites include roses, carnations and pansies. These flowers can be made into cascade designs or other styles. For a simply stunning look, have one single, perfect bloom on your cake, such as a lily or orchid. Using fresh flowers to decorate your cake looks great and does not need to cost a fortune.

So go ahead - have your cake and eat it, too.

The photos above are from Martha Stewart Weddings, fall issue.

WEDDING GIFTS

Have you received a damaged wedding gift and don’t know what to do or how to handle it? Well, here are some tips for you as well as information about exchanging gifts.

Damaged gifts - If the store name is indicated on the box or some other way, notify the store where it came from and ask them what their policy is for handling damaged merchandise. If you know that the gift was insured, you should notify the sender of its condition. If you do not know the store from where the gift was purchased nor whether it was insured or not, it should be assumed that the sender sent the gift in perfect condition and probably got damaged through the shipping process. Unless the sender asks about it, unfortunately, you will have to assume the loss yourself.

Exchanging gifts - If you would like to exchange a gift because it was a duplicate or want to exchange it for something more useful, then by all means, do so. However, a gift from a close friend or relative should never be exchanged without informing them first and asking permission to do so. It is also in poor taste if you exchange a gift for a cash refund.

Photo Image Cookies

How cool are these? What a great idea as a favor for your wedding guests. You could have your engagement photo on the cookies or have a variety of photos of you, your groom and both of you together.

Mrs. Beasley’s photo image cookies will take any photo, image or logo and scan it onto an edible high-quality iced Shortbread cookie. The cookies are printed with an edible food coloring sugar paper that is glazed onto a vanilla iced cookie.

You can get the cookies in one of three different shapes: rectangle, circle or heart. The image lasts approximately four to five weeks before fading and are edible up to three months. The price is only $3.50 per dozen and includes 4-color processing and individual packaging. You can add some embellishments for a little extra cost.

If you are planning an anniversary party for your parents, you can have their wedding photo scanned on these cookies. The ideas are limitless. Man, I’m getting hungry for some cookies. I'm off to the kitchen.

Great Tips for Your Rehearsal Dinner

My clients often ask me, "Who do I have to invite to the rehearsal dinner?" Since this question, as well as others, come up pretty regularly, I thought I would write my tips on the blog on how to have a great rehearsal dinner and who should get invited.

Traditionally, the Groom’s family is responsible for planning and paying for the rehearsal dinner. Sometimes, they have no idea what should happen at the rehearsal dinner. The following ideas should keep your rehearsal dinner lively, interesting and running smoothly.

The rehearsal dinner should be fun and upbeat. It can be casual and festive. Keep the décor understated, as you do not want to upstage the wedding day.

You want to create an ambiance that is favorable to lots of toasts and well wishing. The groom’s father may want to start things off with a toast to the bride and her family. Then the Best Man can toast the bride and groom. Next, the groom may want to offer a toast to his bride and her family. These toasts do not necessarily have to be serious. They can include a funny story or anecdote. Most important, try to make it an early night so everyone will get enough rest for the wedding day. You may want to use this time to thank your parents and future parents-in-law and propose a toast to say "thank you" for all their love, support and help for a wonderful wedding!

You can also use the rehearsal dinner as a place to give your attendants, parents, etc. their thank-you gifts, if you did not have a separate groom’s dinner or bridesmaid’s luncheon.

As you plan the menu, avoid serving any of the main dishes that will be served at the wedding. The rehearsal dinner is also a nice time to have a Groom’s Cake. You could honor your man by surprising him with his favorite cake designed to match his personality, hobby or favorite sport. You could also choose to show a video montage with baby pictures, pictures of each of you at different ages, and ya'll enjoying the beach, zoo, park, or whatever you enjoy doing together.

Keep the dinner low-key – this will help conserve energy for the next day. You also don’t want to upstage the bride by having something more extravagant than what is planned for the wedding reception.

You may want to consider assigning seats. This way you can balance the energy of the room, encourage guests to meet new family and friends and avoid any embarrassing situations that could arise when family members who don’t get along well are seated near each other.

As referred to above, family members from both sides may not have met before the rehearsal dinner so it’s a good idea to introduce everyone at the dinner, if they were not at the rehearsal. You can do this formally by "going around the table" or informally by "mixing and mingling." A nice idea would be for the bride and groom to make the introductions and say something personal about each person.

Even though it is not a requirement, it may be a good idea and a nice gesture to send out invitations to the rehearsal dinner. The invitation should include where and when the rehearsal will take place as well as where and when the rehearsal dinner will take place. Type of dress and directions to the dinner should also be included. If you do decide to send invitations, they should be less formal than your wedding invitations.

Finally, who should be invited? The “must haves” to invite are those individuals who are part of the wedding ceremony. Spouses and/or fiancées of all adult attendants should be invited. The ring bearer and flower girl should be invited along with their parents. Parents and grandparents of the bride and groom should be invited as well as the Officiant and his spouse. If your budget and site space allows, it is a nice gesture to invite special friends who have traveled to the wedding from out of town. You may want to ask local guests to provide transportation for the out-of-towners.

Happy rehearsing and enjoying a great dinner afterwards.

How do I change my name…

…let me count the ways. One! That’s right. You only need one way to change your name after you are married. There’s a great name change service called missnowmrs.com. They will help you through all the paperwork, forms, etc. that you need in order to change your name. For a small fee, they will provide all the forms you need to simplify the process of changing your name as well as filling out the forms for you, if requested. Go to their Web site at www.missnowmrs.com and check them out. You will see how simple it really is.

A New Trend

In September, a friend of mine sent me an article published in the New York Times entitled, “Will You Marry Me? Say Cheese!” by Kathryn Shattuck. What does that mean, you may ask? Well, with the advancement of technology and such Web sites as MySpace and Facebook where people post pictures of themselves all the time, why shouldn’t you document the most important event of your life and share it with others? Yes, I mean having pictures taken of your actual marriage proposal.

Anna Post, author of “Emily Post’s Wedding Parties,” says, “The trend is on the rise to have all the moments documented in your life.” She further states that she finds the idea of photographically preserving a marriage proposal “wonderfully romantic.”

My husband “sort of” did this, albeit not with photography, but he did record the proposal on cassette tape, unbeknownst to me at the time. It was a great way to preserve and document his marriage proposal. He had pre-recorded music that we listened to as we walked around on Federal Hill in Baltimore, MD. When he knew the last song was playing, we sat down on a bench overlooking the Inner Harbor. When the song finished, he distracted me somehow and quietly turned on the record button on the tape player and proceeded with his proposal. Afterwards, on the car trip home, he suggested playing the cassette to “hear the songs again.” When the last song finished and I started hearing his voice of what he had just finished saying, I was so surprised, shocked and ecstatic that he had thought of recording it so we could always listen to it. It was a great way to document the proposal and have it forever. We did take pictures prior to the proposal, but he never thought of having a photographer hiding behind a bush to take pictures. However, that seems to be the current trend.

With the onslaught of photojournalism type of wedding photography today, it just seems natural to also take pictures of the actual proposal that begins to tell the story.

With that being said, however, the groom better know his bride really well and know whether she would go for this kind of thing for such a private, intimate moment. She may not be the type who wants that special moment photographed and witnessed by someone hiding in the bushes. In the New York Times article, one bride said, “I thought it was a little stalkerish to know that this person was following you to get these great pictures,” said Briana King, of the secret photo session in December 2004 that Christopher Joralemon, now her husband, arranged with Gruber Photographers. A crew armed with telephoto lenses and dressed like tourists trailed the couple, who were on a stroll through Central Park — ostensibly to attend a holiday brunch — where they’d met at a dog run seven months earlier. “But the end product was good,” Ms. King said. “It was a little weird but definitely worth it.”

Having a photographer following you around like paparazzi might be a little scary or unsettling, but the pictures will be worth a “thousand words” and something you will never be able to recreate.

Don't Forget...

...to turn your clocks back one hour this weekend - officially at 2am on Sunday, November 4. You really want to make sure you have done this prior to going to bed after your wedding Saturday night. You don't want to arrive too early for your flight and you'll probably need and want that extra hour of sleep after dancing all night.

Bridesmaids and Groomsmen Goodie Boxes

I was looking at a past issue of Martha Stewart Weddings and saw in her “Good Things” section an idea for a Bridesmaid Goodie Box. All of a sudden, I thought, “What a great idea. I could start offering these to my clients as well as those individuals who want to purchase them separately.” At the same time, I also thought, “Why limit it to just the Bridesmaids? Don’t the Groomsmen need goodies, too?” So, I put my thinking cap on and started coming up with all sorts of ideas and decided that, “Yes! I am going to do these.”

To help keep the cost more affordable, I am going to use brown (guys) and white gloss (girls) gable boxes (pictured at top right) instead of the plastic lunch box style (pictured on left) that Martha had which are more expensive. The gable boxes will be simple, yet still have an elegant flair to them. The standard goodie boxes will be filled with bottled water, cheese & crackers, white grapes, cookies, chocolates and mints. However, the customer could opt to customize each one according to their Bridesmaids’ and Groomsmen’s own personal favorite treats. For example, if you know one of your bridesmaid’s favorite chocolate candy is a 3 Musketeers bar, then we would substitute the chocolate for the 3 Musketeers bar and so on.

If you are reading this and you are not the bride but maybe a bridesmaid, then consider purchasing these for all the bridesmaids as a gift for the bride. It will be one less thing she has to worry about on the day of the wedding. Or, if it’s not in your budget to provide one for everyone, then you may want to just purchase one for the bride. We’ll be sure to dress it up for a special presentation.

For my clients, I will provide a goodie box for the Bride and Groom for free. For the wedding party, the goodie boxes may be purchased for only $15 each.

If this is something that might interest you, whether you are a client or not, please contact me. I would be more than happy to supply these for your wedding party. And, while you’re at it, order one for yourself. You, the bride especially, need to make sure you eat something before walking down that aisle.

Victorian Ribbon Ceremony

Photo courtesy of Carlson Craft

Back in Victorian England, charms were placed into the wedding cake that brought luck and foretold the future. These charms were attached to ribbon and were hidden within the layers of the wedding cake.

Currently, I do not see many brides using these charms anymore. In fact, I have only had one bride that did use them. I guess the only couples that would use them would be those who wanted to do something a little different or are having a Victorian theme wedding – one of my favorite themes, by the way. Hence, why I decided to write something about these charms, which, of course, can be used whether your wedding theme is Victorian or not. Here is the lo-down on how the ribbon ceremony traditionally takes place:

The bride should, in advance, determine how many women of marriageable age she will have in order to have the appropriate number of charms. These women were traditionally the bridesmaids, as they were always single. However, these days that may not always be the case, so this is why you would want to pre-determine who the bride wants to receive the charms.

Traditionally, there were six charms:

1. The Heart – “Love will come”
2. The Clover – “Good luck”
3. The Engagement Ring – “Next to marry”
4. The Anchor – “Adventure awaits”
5. The Flower – “Love will flower”
6. The Horseshoe – “Lucky in life”

Today, and presumably since the bride usually has more than six women who are dear to her, other charms have been created. Some other charms you may find are:

The Wreath – “A happy home”
The High Chair – “Blessed with children”
The Rocking Chair – “Longevity”
The Airplane – “Travel and adventure”
The Satchel – “Good fortune”
The Mirror – “A Happy Life”

If you want to pull the charms out of your wedding cake at the reception, consult with your baker and let her hide the charms when assembling and icing the cake. The charms should not be baked into the cake. It is easiest to have the ribbons draping from the back of the wedding cake. This is the best photo opportunity set-up for the ribbon-pulling ceremony. The ribbon-pulling should occur before the cake is cut and should be announced by the Master of Ceremonies. If you wish, each bridesmaid can read out loud what her charm means after she pulls it – usually the charm’s meaning is on the ribbon.

Traditionally, the ladies who are going to pull the charms gather behind the cake, along with the Bride and Groom, at the wedding reception. The ribbon-pulling ceremony takes place just after the cake-cutting ceremony, but prior to cake-serving. Each lady takes a turn and pulls a ribbon from the cake. The charm foretells the future. Some couples like to have the ribbon-pulling ceremony prior to the cake-cutting.

So, c’mon. Bring back the old! Have a ribbon-pulling ceremony.

Using Martha's Idea

Well, I used the Mason jar idea for my gathering Sunday night. Although, duh, I forgot to take pictures, so I just took a picture of them grouped together as you can see. Anyway, I didn't have the vintage green-tinted Mason jars like Martha, but I did have the clear ones and they still looked beautiful. I used them to line my walkway. Since this is fall, I tied orange raffia around the top. Just as Martha Stewart suggested, I filled each jar with a little bit of water. It did make for a very easy clean-up. Since they were standing in the water, the melted wax just sort of "floated" and it was very easy to get them out afterwards.

On a side note, another way I use these Mason jars, and have for several years, is I fill them with homemade hot chocolate mix I make for friends and family to give as gifts for Christmas. I love them.

I love Martha Stewart!

Isn’t it amazing how she can make the simplest things look so elegant? Take the Mason jars pictured above, for instance, which were featured in the latest Martha Stewart Weddings magazine. Who’d thought you could dress up a canning jar? All she did was take vintage Mason jars, tie gold-rimmed ribbons around the tops and place a votive candle inside and Voila! you have instant lanterns. These would be great for a fall or country-style wedding used either as centerpieces or to line a walkway in the evening. To prevent the candles from sticking to the bottom of the jars, she suggests adding about an 1/8 inch of water before setting the votives inside. Also, be forewarned – the jars will get very hot so you need to take care in handling them after they have been lit for several hours. I have several Mason jars. I think I’ll use this idea to decorate for a small gathering I’m having at my house this Sunday. Love it!

Top Ten Reasons to Hire A Wedding Day Coordinator

Okay. I know you are like me. You are very administrative, detail-oriented and love to plan. So, you shouldn’t be feeling overwhelmed in the planning process of your wedding, right? Good.

But, what about the wedding day itself? You want to enjoy your wedding; you want to be relaxed and be stress-free, don’t you? Well, what is stopping you then from hiring a Wedding Day Coordinator? Let me answer that with what I call my “Because List” of the top ten reasons why you should hire a day of coordinator:

10. Because the coordinator will create a very detailed schedule of events. This is a very important instrument for the wedding party and all of the major vendors. The schedule ensures that all activities during the reception happen in a timely manner.
9. Because your coordinator will act as your liaison and handle any unforeseen circumstances, so you, your groom and families can rest and enjoy time with your guests.
8. Because your coordinator will ensure your desires for the day are just what you envisioned and planned.
7. Because you want your best friends to remain your best friends after the wedding and not have to “work” on your wedding day.
6. Because you still want to have a relationship with your mother after the wedding. No need to have her running around checking last-minute details, resolving any problems and end up exhausted before the wedding even begins.
5. Because you want to be worry-free and stress-free.
4. Because you want to breathe and relax.
3. Because you want to enjoy your day just like the rest of your guests.
2. Because your Wedding Coordinator will orchestrate your wedding from the rehearsal through the end of the reception. She will ensure everything and everyone is in place from having the ushers ready to seat guests to cueing the musicians, plus much, much more.

…and the number one reason for hiring a day of coordinator…

1. Because you can’t afford not to. (See reasons 2-10 above)

Creating a Web site for Your Wedding

Technology. How can we live without it these days, you may ask yourself. However, you may still think that weddings are still a big No-No for using this wonderful technology we call the Internet. Think again.

A long, long time ago, there was a time that you would not have even thought about using anything but your hand to send save-the-date cards or even invitations, let alone have your very own Web site just for your wedding details for the world to see – well, at least your family and friends.

I, for one, still would not use the Internet to send invitations. I still like the old-fashioned snail mail way. However, I am all for technology and the many ways you can use it to help serve you and your family and friends. How? By having your own wedding Web site.

You can include as much or as little detail as you want. It’s a great way for guests to purchase a gift directly from your registry online or to get maps and directions to the ceremony and reception sites.

You can post pictures of you and your groom, engagement party or other pre-wedding events as well as write a story of how you met and how he proposed. It helps bring your friends and family closer before the wedding by being a part of your planning process. You can even have your own blog now to keep everyone updated on your plans. You may even want to keep your wedding Web site up after the wedding for awhile to post pictures from the ceremony, reception and even your honeymoon. This would help those who could not attend feel as if they were there.

If this is something you would be interested in having, please contact my Web site designer. Barb will be happy to help you design your very own wedding Web site. Contact her at: info@wnetdesign.com.

To Open or Not to Open...

Have you been wondering whether it was proper etiquette to open wedding gifts prior to the wedding?

I was listening to a radio station the other day and one of the DJ’s is getting married soon and he was asking this same question. His fiancé wanted to go ahead and open the gifts but he didn’t think it was right. He thinks you are suppose to wait until after the wedding.

Nope! It is very much proper etiquette to open gifts as you receive them prior to the wedding and write the thank you notes at the same time (preferably within two weeks of receiving the gift.) There was a time long, long ago when brides use to display their gifts as they received them prior to the wedding. As friends and family would come to visit, they would view the beautiful display of gifts. In fact, guests really aren’t suppose to bring gifts to the wedding at all. They should always be sent prior to the wedding, but we live in a very different and convenient world today so guests bring their gifts to the wedding instead of mailing them.

So by all means, open your gifts as you receive them and knock out as many thank you notes as possible, ‘cuz ya know after the wedding, it will take awhile to get back into the swing of things and start writing all those thank you’s. The sender will also appreciate hearing from you sooner than later knowing that you did receive their gift.

So, what are you waiting for? Start ripping that paper off!

Saving Money for Your Bridesmaids

You’ve asked your closest friends to be your bridesmaids. You have picked out the perfect dress you want them to wear BUT it will cost them an arm and a leg to purchase.

You know you don’t want them to stress over the money for the dress just to be in your wedding. Some may even bow out because they just can’t afford to purchase a dress that they may wear only one time.

When choosing your bridesmaids dresses, consider their budgets, too. Just as you want to save money on your wedding, you can also ensure your bridesmaids don’t go broke wearing that expensive dress.

How can you still have them wear a beautiful and elegant dress for your wedding but not have them go in debt?

There are plenty of retailers out there that sell beautiful dresses/gowns off the rack or online that would be perfect for your wedding. Places such as, J. Crew and Chadwick’s as well as department stores, such as JC Penneys, Macy’s, Nordstrom’s, etc. Most of them have formal wear sections in their catalogs, online or at the stores themselves. They are usually very affordable (look for sales) and come in styles that can easily be worn again.

When my daughter was getting married almost six years ago, we looked through the Chadwick’s catalog, JC Penney’s and Macy’s where she found the perfect dress, in the color and sizes she needed and they were drastically reduced for sale.

So, start thinking “outside the box” and don’t think you can only get your bridesmaids dresses at bridal shops where they mark them up so high just because they are for a “wedding.” You do have choices now. Go shopping and see what you can find so your bridesmaids won’t have to “break the bank” for your wedding.

Flowers, flowers and flowers

What would a wedding be without flowers? Pretty dull, I'd say. I love flowers. I love their beauty and fragrance. My favorite flowers right now are peonies and hydrangeas. Flowers can really add to the decor of your wedding and reception.

Since my mind was on flowers for some reason, I thought I would post some tips for when it's time for you to visit florist shops in preparation for your wedding or other event.

To make your visit to the florist the most productive, do some preparation ahead of time. Here are my suggested tips:

1. Look through books and magazines for flowers, bouquets, table centerpieces and decorations. Bring in pictures of the items that you like. Many times it is easier to show the florist what you like versus trying to explain it.

2. Bring pictures of your gown and your bridesmaid dresses. Then, your florist can better recommend styles of bouquets that will compliment the gowns.

3. If you have fabric swatches for the bridesmaid dresses, bring them, too! There are so many shades of just pink -- so a swatch can really help the florist in selecting the right flowers.

4. If you don't know a lot about flowers... do some research ahead of time. You can surf the web, buy a book or visit a "bucket shop" - they're located in the larger cities or high traffic areas. These flower stands have many buckets of flowers with the name and price labeled on each bucket. This is a great way to become familiar with the different varieties of flowers and how much they cost.

5. If you haven't visited the ceremony or reception site recently, you may want to take another look. It will help you to visualize how large and how many arrangements you'll need.

6. Try to choose flowers that are in season. These will be less expensive than say, tulips in the winter. Listed below are flowers by season:

Year-round

Calla lily
Carnation
Freesia
Gardenia
Lily
Orchid
Ranunculus
Rose
Stephanotis

spring

Cherry blossom
Daffodil
Dogwood
Forsythia
Hellebore
Hyacinth
Lilac
Lily-of-the-valley
Muscari
Peony
Quince
Sweet peas
Tulip
Viburnum

summer

Astilbe
Cosmos
Dahlia
Daisy
Delphinium
Garden rose
Gladiolus
Hollyhock
Lady’s mantle
Larkspur
Marigold
Scabiosa
Snapdragon
Violet
Zinnia

fall

Autumn leaves
Chrysanthemum
Dahlia
Hydrangea
Seasonal berries
Sunflower

winter

Amaryllis
Anemone
Evergreen
Forced bulbs
Paper-whites
Poinsettia

Have fun shopping and smelling the sweet aroma of flowers.

Cake Topper

I know it’s been awhile since I have blogged. I’m still trying to get used to this blogging thing.

Anyway, I wanted to introduce a new type of cake topper. Maybe not so new, but unique. You have probably seen other types of monogram cake toppers, but these are absolutely gorgeous. Each handcrafted original monogrammed initial is beautifully sculpted and set with genuine Swarovski crystals. They have a gleaming high-polished finish and are lead-free. The stem is removable so you will be able to use them over and over again after the wedding.

They take about 3-4 weeks to ship. If you are interested in ordering a unique monogrammed cake topper for your wedding or other event, please contact me and I’ll be glad to help.

Colin Cowie Responds!

Wow! I am psyched! Colin Cowie actually saw my blog (see below) talking about his book and he sent me an e-mail in response. Here is what he said:

"I saw your comments about my book on your blog and I wanted to say
thanks. It was very nice of you to say those things and I am glad
that I was able to inspire you in your business. I was just looking
at your site and I am impressed. I wish you the best of luck with
your business and thanks again for the kind words."

I can't believe he actually responded. Now, that's a classy gentleman.

Colin Cowie Rocks!

I love Colin Cowie. If you have never heard of him, he has helped celebrities and other famous (and very wealthy) people plan their weddings. He is THE celebrity wedding planner IMHO. He is the epitome of elegance. I just purchased his latest book, “Colin Cowie’s Extraordinary Weddings: From a Glimmer of an Idea to a Legendary Event.” (Okay, I know. I’m shamelessly plugging his book and he probably doesn’t even know it. Colin, call me, okay?)

Wow! Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we all could afford weddings like he plans? “But, I can’t afford a celebrity-style wedding,” you say. That’s okay. You don’t have to, but perhaps you can use some of Colin’s ideas or ideas from other books, etc. and downsize it to fit your needs and budget. Quoting from Colin’s book, he says, “The examples may be lavish, but readers will surely find ideas here that they can incorporate into their own celebrations…” Even if you don’t have mega-thousands to spend on your wedding, you can still glean some great ideas from this book. He certainly inspires me to help brides create beautiful weddings and receptions.

I just love seeing all the ways he creates what the couples want. They just give them their ideas and away he runs! He would be one person I would love to meet one day. Okay ‘nuf said about Colin. I just had to write something about him. It’s time to get back to reading and looking at the beautiful pictures in his book…

Meet my new granddaughter

It's a good thing we had the baby shower when we did because my granddaughter decided to arrive 18 days early!

My daughter called at 12:50am Tuesday morning with the news that her water had broken. Her doctor said wait about an hour and then come to the hospital. This gave me time to take a quick shower and get to the hospital.

After only a little over four hours of labor, my granddaughter was born at 5:58am on Tuesday, February 27. She weighed in at 6lbs 13oz and is 18.5" long. I was able to be in the delivery room with her helping to hold her legs, along with her husband and other grandmother, and encourage her to push when it was time. Wow! What a miracle birth is. It was so exciting to see my granddaughter born. It was amazing!

Now, the fun begins - spoiling her to death!

Wedding Night Stories

"What? Wedding night stories?" you ask. "But, I'm not married yet. How can I have a wedding night story?"

That's okay. I'm not looking for wedding night stories from you. But, you certainly have friends and family that are married. That's where you can help.

As a wedding planner, I always wonder in what unique ways the bride and groom will celebrate their wedding night. To me, the wedding night should be the most special, memorable, and romantic evening of your married life and should be just as carefully planned as the wedding itself. So, one day I was thinking, “Wouldn’t it be great to have a resource out there for couples to get great ideas on how to plan for their wedding night?” That’s when the idea came about to put together real-life stories into a book that could be shared with others.

Some couples probably don’t even think that far ahead when they are so busy planning for their wedding. But, I think it’s just as important to really make that first night together as husband and wife as special as it can be. You’ll never have that night to do over again. Sure, you’ll have plenty of romantic evenings together after you’re married, but there is nothing like that first night. It’s just like having that first kiss, that first dance, etc.

Therefore, I am currently in the process of researching stories about how couples made their wedding night special and romantic. I want to know the creative ways couples made their first night together as husband and wife unique and memorable.

I want to know such things as where they spent their wedding night. Was it a luxurious hotel suite, a bed and breakfast or in their new home? What did they do? Did her husband carry her over the threshold? Did they use candles? Did they have wine, champagne, or something else? Rose petals tossed around? Did they have romantic music playing in the background? Did something funny happen? Those are the kinds of things I’m looking for.

With these real-life stories, I hope to help future brides and grooms get ideas on how to make their night special, romantic and something they will remember and cherish forever.

If you think your friends or family would be interested in submitting their wedding night story, please have them send me an e-mail through my Web site at: www.smoothweddings.com and I will send them more details.

Maybe their story will help inspire you to plan the most romantic and memorable night of your life.

Baby Shower Update

Well, my daughter's baby shower is over and by all comments, it was a great success. My daughter was very happy and pleased with how everything turned out. There was one surprise she didn't know about. Her aunt, my sister, lives in North Carolina. When my daughter asked her several months ago if she would be able to come up for the shower, my sister had said "no," because of the drive and she didn't want to come alone. Well, since the shower was going to be held on President's Day Weekend, I suggested that she and her husband come up and stay for the long weekend. My sister thought that was a great idea and I told her not to say anything to my daughter so it would be surprise.

Fast forward to this past Saturday - the day of the shower. I had already arranged for my daughter to arrive at 12 and my sister at 12:30pm. When my sister rang the doorbell, I had my daughter answer the door. Well, when she opened the door, she just stood there for a few seconds before it registered who it was. Needless to say, she was shocked and excited that my sister was, afterall, able to attend her baby shower.

Around 1pm, everyone else began to arrive. When they came in, my son was the coat check person and took their coat to hang up in the closet. Each guest filled out a name tag shaped like a bib, wrote a note of advice, comments, etc. for the new "mommy and daddy," and pre-address an envelope to themselves in order to help my daughter save time in writing her thank you notes.

When everyone had arrived, we opened the buffet. I had a cheese and fruit platter, vegetable crudite and miniature quiche. I also had a bowl of mixed nuts. We served coffee, punch and iced water.

We opened the shower with the "ice-breaker" game that I told you about in the previous post. As I was in the middle of reading the story, one last guest arrived. We continued the story and guess who won the prize? The last guest that arrived! Next, my daughter began opening her gifts. There were lots of "oohs and ahhs" as everyone "cooed" over the cute little outfits. After my daughter opened about half the gifts, we played another game. It was the "guess how big my tummy is" game. Most of the guests cut a ribbon way too long. There were a couple of people that were very close, but the guest who won had cut her ribbon almost exactly to the actual belly size.

When that game was over, my daughter finished opening her gifts. At that time, my daughter drew the name for the winner of the gift basket. I had made up a wine basket consisting of a bottle of wine, wine glasses, corkscrew, cheese sticks and a can of cashews. Well, the guest that won does not drink wine, but she liked the rest of the items in the basket, so we chose another name to win the wine and wine glasses. My sister actually won that, which she was very happy because it happened to be her favorite wine.

It was time for dessert. I commissioned one of my wedding cake bakers to make the "baby buggy" cake to my daughter's specifications. I also had a mini-chocolate fountain with strawberries, marshmallows and pretzels for the dipping. That was a hit! No one left the table.

It was so much fun planning and hosting this baby shower for my daughter. She is not due until March 16, but last week she was already 3cm dilated. Her doctor thinks she will probably deliver before her due date. I can't wait to have a granddaughter. It will be so exciting.

Now, that the Super Bowl is over...

…I thought it would be a good time to tell you about a wedding I did a couple of years ago.

The groom was an avid football fan. I mean, he lived and breathed football. So, the only way to incorporate even something remotely close to football for his wedding, he decided to have a little bit different way of having the groom’s processional. The groom had pre-recorded “stats” about each of his groomsmen in one of those exciting, enthusiastic, announcing kind of voices like they do on TV. When it was time for the guys to come in, the lights were turned down, strobe lights and different colors of lights were flashing in all different directions. As it was dark, the groom and groomsmen came out from a side door and sat in the front row. The groom went up on the stage. The pre-recorded “stat” started playing. As the first groomsman’s name is announced, he runs up on the stage, high fives the groom and takes his place accordingly. This is done for each groomsman. It was great. The guests were laughing and clapping right along. It was a lot of fun to watch.

It’s hard to transition from that into a bride’s processional, but after the guys were standing in their places, the flashing lights stopped and a video montage began of the bride and groom which helped to tone down things and bring the guests back down to a more subdued environment, preparing them for the bride.

It really made it a very fun, personalized wedding. Knowing this couple, especially the groom, the guests were really not surprised that somehow a “football theme” would have been incorporated into the wedding. They probably were thinking it wouldn’t show up until the reception. Little did they know.

Remember, your wedding doesn’t have to be the old traditional way of doing things. Make it personal to you and your groom. Make it fun. Make it what you want. Social customs do not always have to be followed – as long as you never offend anyone – do what you want. This is your wedding!

Tips for Stocking the Bar

Wondering what to do about having liquor at your reception? If you are making the bar arrangements for your wedding reception, you may be wondering how to do this. You are probably asking how much liquor you should buy or what kind you should buy. Will you be able to return the unopened bottles.

If you are allowed to stock your own bar, it can save you a lot of money! Here are some tips…

Think about the types of guests you are having. Are they beer, wine, or hard liquor drinkers? This will help you to determine the quantities of each kind. But, remember, you can make the final choices as to what you will serve. Having a cocktail reception with just beer and wine is great. If you are having an early afternoon reception, perhaps you could serve Mimosas or Bloody Mary’s or create your very own signature drink – a popular choice today.

You can save money for the champagne toast by having it brought out already poured at the time of the toast. This way, the guests will not see the brand and you, therefore, could choose a less expensive champagne. Most people only sip it anyway for the toast and don’t touch it again, so why waste your money on Dom Perignon when you can serve André. This will enable you to spend a little more on the wines you'll be serving with dinner, if that is more important to you.

You can set a budget for liquor. Contact a good liquor wholesaler, as they will work with you to stay within your budget. There are such a wide variety of wines in different price ranges, that you will be able to find a good one to fit your budget. Additionally, you can choose between "top shelf" liquors or "house pour" liquors (i.e. Absolut vs. Smirnoff.)

If the wholesaler is a good one, they should also be able to help you choose the right wines, champagne, etc. to go with your cocktail hour and menu.

Finally, make sure they will credit you for any unopened bottles.

Cheers!

Changing Records to Your New Married Name

If you will be changing your name to your new married name, there are a few things you will need to do. Following is a general checklist for you to use as a guide.

Apply for a New Social Security Card

Don't forget that you are required to change your maiden name to your married name (if you decide to do this) officially with the US government by applying for a new Social Security Card. You can do this at your local Social Security Office, by mail or online at: www.ssa.gov. If you were married in 2006, you will need to do this prior to your filing your tax returns this year. Otherwise, if you file married and use your married name but haven't changed your Social Security records, the IRS will kick back your return because your SS number will not match with your new married name. So don't delay - do it today!

Some other records you will need to change are:

¨ Driver’s license
¨ Vehicle registration
¨ Voter registration
¨ Passport
¨ Employer’s records
¨ Bank accounts
¨ Credit card accounts
¨ Wills
¨ Insurance policies
¨ Property titles
¨ Medical records

Check with each office to see if you will need a copy of your marriage certificate. Most places will require it, but some only require a copy where others require a certified copy. You may request certified copies from the License Department where you applied for your marriage license for a nominal fee. It’s a good idea to call these places ahead of time to see what they require and then order the appropriate number of certified copies and make additional copies as well.

If you are able to after you return from your honeymoon, take a full day where you and your husband can go to the bank, MVA, etc. and get the records changed knocked out all in one day. My husband and I were able to do this and it saved us a lot of time later down the road.

Passports - again

Okay. I keep finding out more info. about the new law regarding passports. Besides, Canada, the Bahamas and the Caribbean, you will also need a passport to go to Mexico. However, if I heard correctly and correct me if I'm wrong travel people, you only need a passport to go to Canada and Mexico if you travel there by car - you still need the normal paperwork, such as, birth certificate, driver's license, etc. Otherwise, if you go there by air, cruise, etc. I assume you don't need one.

Remember, this goes into effect on January 23, 2007.

Baby Shower

Okay. I really only do weddings, however, this baby shower is for my oldest daughter. She and her husband are expecting their first child, a girl, in March. I am having so much fun planning this for her. It's sort of nice planning something other than weddings for a change of pace. Who knows? Maybe I'll add baby showers onto my wedding business one day.

Anyway, I thought I would share what I am doing. Her shower is next month on February 17. I am hosting it at my house. The shower will be from 1pm-4pm. We are going to serve light Hors d'Oeuvres with a baby buggy cake and mini-chocolate fountain for dessert. Her colors are lavender, yellow and pink with a butterfly theme. I scanned the picture of a butterfly from the invitations and am using that as the "logo" on all the signage, favor tags, etc. for the shower. It's so cute.

We are playing two games and having a raffle for a gift basket. The first game is an "ice-breaker" game. I have a made-up funny story about the shower using the words "right" and "left" several times throughout the story. As the guests hear the words "right" or "left" they will pass around an object (or it can be the actual prize) in that direction. It is really funny to see the guests pass a gift around back and forth several times and never know where it ends up until the end of the story. I did it with my family for Christmas a few years back - with a Christmas story, of course. Obviously, the last person holding the object or prize when the story is finished, wins. The second game will be the common "guess the measurement of the expectant mother's belly" using ribbon. Each guest passes around a spool of ribbon and tries to estimate how long they need to cut it in order to fit around the mom-to-be's belly. The guest that comes the closest, wins. For the gift basket raffle, each guest has to bring a pack of diapers or wipes. I will have their names pre-printed and as they arrive with their diapers or wipes, I will drop their name in the basket for the mom-to-be to draw the winning name near the end of the shower. To increase their chances, they can enter as many times as they like by bringing more than one pack of diapers or wipes. This is a good way for the expectant mother to start out with a good supply of diapers and wipes.

The "ice-breaker" game could be revised for a bridal shower. That would be really fun. Sorry, I just had to have something related to weddings on this post.

Back to baby shower - I will post pictures afterwards. I am just hoping the weather cooperates by not suddenly having a blizzard. We've been so fortunate to have a very unseasonably warm winter. I'm just praying that continues throughout the rest of the winter, especially for the shower and when it comes time for the baby to be born.

All right. I've written enough on the baby shower for now. More later.

Update on Passports

I just found out the effective date for requiring passports to travel to Canada, the Caribbean and the Bahamas is January 23. So get cracking on applying for those passports if you are traveling after January 23 to one of the countries listed above.

Honeymoon Planning - Passports

If you are planning to travel to Canada, the Caribbean or the Bahamas, be aware - beginning this month, you will now need a passport to travel to these countries, just as if you were traveling to Europe. To help with this new requirement, some hotels and resorts from these countries are actually offering to pay for the cost of getting your passport. Be sure to check with your travel agency when booking your honeymoon to Canada, the Caribbean or the Bahamas to see if the hotel or resort you plan to go to offers this service. Make sure you allow enough time to apply for your passport. Sometimes it can take over a month to six weeks to receive it. Happy traveling!

Welcome...

to the Wedding Day Insights blog. I am new to the world of blogging, so you will have to bear with me if something doesn’t seem to work correctly.

Let me tell you a little about myself. I became interested in wedding planning after planning my own wedding in three and a half months. Everything went so smoothly and I enjoyed the planning so much, I thought this would be a great job I could do from home. I love all the attention to detail it takes to put a wedding together. You are asking, “Are you crazy?” No, I really love it.

I started helping friends with their weddings and after I felt I had enough experience, I decided to go professional in 2000. I read and read many books and I took a home-study training program to become a professional consultant as well as join a local wedding professional association. I now serve on the Board of that association.

I have kept my business small on purpose. I limit the number of weddings I do per year in order to allow me to give personal attention to each client and ensure I treat each bride as if they were my only client.

I finished my last wedding of 2006 on December 16 and look forward to another great year in 2007.