Using Carnations

Yes, those good ‘ole “grocery store standards” can really make a very stylish centerpiece. As a matter of fact, I designed a carnation centerpiece for Janet and Tom’s recent wedding, as pictured above. I put curly willow in the bottom of the vase to hold the carnations together. To add a simple, yet elegant touch to the square vase, I tied a ribbon around it and secured same with a sticker. I heard great comments about them and when the carnations are tightly bunched together, they can take on the look of more expensive flowers, such as peonies.

Notice how it is a low centerpiece so it doesn’t obstruct the view of guests across the table - a very important factor in keeping conversations flowing. Too many times I see centerpieces that are right at eye level and guests either are leaning to the right or left or worse yet, the centerpiece is moved to the side or even to the floor. Yes, that has happened.

Another benefit of having carnations is the cost. They generally average about $1 per stem. If you are on a tight budget, (and aren't we all these days) you may want to consider using carnations as they are very inexpensive compared to, roses.

Other benefits – they last longer – about three weeks if properly watered; they come in thousands of shades and they are available year-round.

So, what are you waiting for? Go get those carnations and let your imagination run wild!

Duties of the Wedding Party Part 3

Groomsmen/Ushers

The groomsmen are usually friends or relatives of the bride and groom. They can also act as assistants to the best man and are usually dressed in the same attire as the best man. Groomsmen will usually serve as the ushers at the wedding – a very important duty – as they will be responsible for seating the guests as they arrive for the ceremony.

Following are some general instructions for the groomsmen, a.k.a. ushers.

1. Meet the Wedding Coordinator at the doors 45 minutes prior to the start of the ceremony.
2. Greet early guests and converse with them but do not seat them until the doors are opened.
3. One-half hour prior to the ceremony start time, the doors will be opened and you may begin ushering in all female guests. Offer a strong right arm. Ask each guest if they are a friend or relative of the bride or groom. Friends or relatives of the bride are seated on the left and friends and relatives of the groom are seated on the right as you are facing the altar.
4. When seating a female guest on the right, turn clockwise to stand in front of the row as she enters it. When seating on the left, the lady should be allowed to walk across in front of you. Make a counter-clockwise move to stand in front of the row and face her as she enters. When she is seated, proceed immediately to the back to continue ushering. All guests should be seated from front to back. You should walk beside a single man to his seat. If a guest is disabled or handicapped, you may offer your arm if needed. Proceed ahead of a couple who wish to walk together. Variation: If there are several ladies together, the more elderly should be ushered in first. The others may follow or wait to be ushered in separately.
5. Ushers assigned to light candles, candelabra, etc.: Wait for the Wedding Coordinator’s signal to begin lighting the candles. Watch as candles are lit to safeguard against the wick going out. On the candelabra, light the candles from lowest to highest, synchronizing with the other usher. Watch the other usher out of the corner of your eye so you stay together. Light the candles slowly. If one usher is having trouble lighting a candle, the other usher should wait until he is ready to proceed.
6. Ushers assigned to escort mothers, grandmothers or special guests: At the designated time, usher in the groom’s grandmother(s) first to the second row on the right side. Then the grandmother(s) of the bride are ushered in and seated in the second row on the left side. At the designated time, the mother of the groom is ushered in and seated on the first row on the right side followed by the father of the groom. Then the mother of the bride is ushered in and seated on the first row on the left side. After the ceremony, you may be asked to escort them back out. These arrangements should be decided upon prior to the ceremony.
7. Groomsmen and/or ushers assigned to unfurl the aisle runner: Grasp the outside corner of the rope and pull firmly, making sure not to jerk, and roll out slowly. Face forward while going down the aisle, glimpsing over your shoulders occasionally to check that the runner is straight. Groomsmen, as soon as you are finished, you will then join the groom and best man and line up to enter for the wedding. Ushers, see #8.
8. Ushers who are not groomsmen: After your ushering duties are complete, you should remain in the back in order to direct late arrivals to be seated off the side aisles, not the center. However, if the processional has already begun, do not direct them to be seated until after the bride has made her grand entrance and is all the way down the aisle. Then, after all late arrivals are seated, you may be seated.
9. Ushers assigned to dismiss rows: As soon as the recessional is complete, go to the front of the center aisle, turn to face the guests. Wait until the officiant is finished with any announcements and when he indicates that the guests will be dismissed by row, you begin by standing next to the first row of guests and place your hand on the pew or chair to indicate it is time for the guests to leave. When one row is complete, move to the next row and repeat until all rows are dismissed.

Now, you have one excellent group of guys. (Sorry about the picture above being a little blurry. I was using a pocket digital and my hands weren't too steady, I guess.)

Check this out...

You have Spanx to help flatten your tummy and slim your hips and thighs. Now, you can have Invisibelt, too! I just saw this on a fashion style Web site and thought, "Wow! This is pretty cool." I sometimes have pants or skirts that fit great everywhere except the waist and when you wear a belt, you have that bulky buckle bulge under your shirt. Well, I don't have to worry about the "bulky" look anymore. As stated on their Web site at www.invisibelt.com, "No more unflattering bulge from bulky belt buckles! This flat, undetectable and adjustable belt instantly gives you a sleeker, slimmer look." It sells for $19.95.

Apparently, fashion stylists are using these for their models and Hollywood and rock stars, such as, Beyonce, are now wearing them.

Hmmmm, maybe I'll ask my husband to get me one for my birthday,

What will they think of next?

Duties of the Wedding Party Part 2

MAID OF HONOR

This special woman is your “right-hand” woman. She could be your mother, sister or best friend. Think of your maid (single) or matron (married) of honor as your very own lady-in-waiting. She is usually the one who will host the bridal shower. One of her main duties during the wedding is to hold the groom’s ring as well as your bouquet. She will help you with your wedding dress as well as adjust your veil and train as necessary. She should practice beforehand how to bustle the train as this will be one of her responsibilities prior to your entering the reception.

The maid of honor can also offer up a toast at the reception. She would usually do this after the best man’s toast. If you are changing into street clothes after the reception, your maid of honor will assist you and will ensure the best man gets your luggage to the car. She will also be responsible for picking up after you have left and assist your mother with anything she may need help with. She may be asked to assist with loading the gifts into the car.

The maid of honor will listen to the bride. She will need someone to lean on during stressful times and receive encouragement and help her during the planning process.

Therefore, brides, when trying to decide who you want as your maid or matron of honor, keep in mind the above "job description" and she will do you right.

Duties of the Wedding Party

Have you been wondering exactly what a maid (matron) of honor, best man and other members of your wedding party are suppose to do besides just stand up for you at your wedding? Have they been asking you that same question? Believe it or not, they do have “real” duties to perform.

Over the next several days, I will post general brief “job descriptions” for the main players of your wedding party. Today, we will look at the...

BEST MAN

First and foremost – this is the guy you can trust and depend on. He could be your father, brother or best friend you have known since childhood. This is the man that will do his “best” to ensure you have everything you need and that you arrive to the church on time. One of his main duties during the ceremony is to carry the bride’s ring as well as make sure you, the groom, are properly dressed and have everything you need. He will have your keys in order to bring the car up when it’s time to leave the ceremony or reception and ensure that all your luggage, as well as your bride’s, is loaded into the car prior to leaving.

The best man traditionally gives a toast at the reception to the bride and groom. He may also act as the emcee by introducing the wedding party as well as make any other announcements during the reception. He probably will be responsible for returning your tux to the rental shop the day after the wedding.

Sweet 16

As promised in one of my previous posts, I was going to tell you about my daughter's Sweet 16 party I had for her. I'm finally getting around to posting about it.

My daughter is thinking of becoming a fashion designer or wants to work in some type of fashion industry. So, I planned a simple, yet elegant "Design Your Own Style Fashion Luncheon." We asked the guests to create their own fashion style to wear to the party. We said it could be very formal, dressy casual, shabby chic - whatever they wanted - there would be a prize for the most creative, fashionable style. The girls really did a great job of dressing up in their own styles. My daughter chose a Simply Vera by Vera Wang dress for her own "fashion style."

I had a signature drink called a "Fizzy Virgin Strawberry Daiquiri" served in champagne flutes that I purchased at a thrift store for $0.50 each! As each guest arrived, I took a picture of her with my daughter, they lit a tea light in a votive holder and with their signature drink in hand were directed to our family room to place the votive tea light on the mantel and then sign the guest book.

For the guest book, I had pre-drawn an outline for a 4 x 6 photo, alternating vertical and horizontal, on each page. On that page, the guest would write a note and later their photo with my daughter would be placed on that page. (Haven't gotten around to doing that yet.) Surrounding the guest book, I had printed out various photos of my daughter at different ages to display. Also as the guests arrived, I had my son and his friend be the "waiters" and they passed Hors d'Oeuvres of carrots and celery sticks in individual cups of Ranch dressing and mini-crab cakes.

We played an "ice-breaker" game and then we opened the buffet. (My husband was the "caterer".) The buffet included steamed shrimp with cocktail sauce, mini-quiche, popcorn chicken, deviled eggs, ham & cream cheese ball served with a variety of crackers and bite-size pieces of watermelon. What do you think those girls ate the most? The popcorn chicken. They couldn't get enough of those babies.

After about 45 minutes, we played a trivia game. We had made up questions about our daughter to see how well her friends knew her - and do you know that her best friend did not win? Oh, well. When the game was finished, it was time for the gift opening. Later, we went out on the deck to take some group photos.

By then it was time for dessert. My daughter LOVES ice cream! So, of course, we set up an ice cream sundae bar along with my mini-chocolate fountain. The dessert was definitely a big hit. With the ice cream bar, we served brownies, mini-chocolate chips, mini-M&M's, sprinkles and whipped cream. For the chocolate fountain, we served marshmallows, strawberries and pretzels.

My daughter's color scheme was yellow and pink. I purchased yellow and pink paper lanterns to hang in the family room. As part of the decorations, I had taken a picture of my daughter and used it to make a mock-up cover of a fashion magazine. She really loved it. For favors, we used yellow take-out boxes, lined them with pink tissue paper and filled them with mini packs of M&M's, pack of gum, personalized lip balm from my Kate Aspen shop, and an anklet that my daughter made for each guest. We put the anklet in a cellophane bag with a label that said, "Made Especially for You."

All in all, I think it was a great success and a lot of fun.

DIY

With the rising cost of gas, food and just about everything else, more and more couples are choosing to do things themselves. I love doing things myself, as long as I can do it where it will still look professional. Well, with the way technology is today, DIY projects are becoming much easier, cost effective, and can look very professional. Martha Stewart is known for doing things herself, but now she is providing beautiful templates that you can download for free to design your own menu cards, programs, place cards, etc. as shown in the pictures above. So, so easy. So what are you waiting for? Go to marthastewart.com/weddings-summer-2008 to see these templates and more.

Martha has also made it easy for you to plan your wedding by now offering free planning tools on her Web site for your budget, timeline, seating chart, vendor search, etc.

Happy creating! I’m going to play around with some of those templates and see what I can create.