Announcing our newest seminar, Blueprint For Wedding Success!  Join us for an afternoon of valuable tips and information from Master Bridal Consultant, Heather Canada. Topics include:

Followed by individual Q&A with Master Bridal Consultant Heather Canada. Plus:

Shower games are a great way to bring together a group people who might not know each other well.  Even if you’re not a game person, this bridal shower activity is ideal for everyone.

To start the activity, instruct the guests to write down one of their favorite memories that they shared with the bride-to-be on an index card. When everyone has their memory written down, have them place it in a jar. Ask the bride to draw the memory cards and read them aloud, then she will guess the person the memory belongs to.

This game is unique because it reveals fun and sentimental stories about the bride and is enjoyable for the entire group to participate in. The bride especially loves hearing all the special memories she’s shared with her friends and family.

All 9 styles come in a variety of colors. So if you are looking for a budget-friendly option for your ‘maids, this might be it!

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Ribbon Wands

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Rose Petals

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Fall Leaves

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Paper Airplanes

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Twinkle Poms

Image from btinternet.com

The white wedding gown has been worn for centuries. Egyptian brides wore layers of pleated white linen. In Rome and Greece white was worn because it was the color of celebration. But white wasn’t always an easy fabric to find. It was a difficult color to achieve before bleaching techniques and was very hard to maintain. Wealthy brides then wore white to exhibit their prosperity. So for many generations brides would just wear their best dresses.

On February 10th, 1840, Queen Victoria took weddings took the next level. Victoria’s train was so long it took twelve train-bearers to get her down the aisle, and her cake was said to be three yards around. She made the white wedding gown the dress to emulate, not because she was the first to wear one, but because hers was the first royal wedding to take place after the invention of photography. Brides all across England finally had a wedding dress to imitate after.

The Queen wasn’t necessarily known for her beauty, but was stunning on her wedding day. Her presence convinced the world that every bride can be breath-taking on her day.

Pinterest is an online pinboard that lets you organize and share things you find on the web. You can create multiple boards – one for dresses, one for hairstyles, one for flowers, the list goes on and on – so that everything stays neatly organized. And even better, you can share your boards with anyone, and they can comment on your pins. What a great way to collaborate!

Just remember, anyone can see your board – so if you want to keep your wedding details a secret, you might want to look at other options.

Right now, Pinterest is by invitation only – but if you need an invite, feel free to leave a comment below and I’ll send you one.

Our educational session at last night’s Association of Bridal Consultants’ meeting was all about selecting wines for weddings. With the help of the Certified Sommelier Steven Jones from TPC Sawgrass, we learned that some wines are better for cocktail hour, some are better for dinner, and some can be used for both.

We tasted Beringer Foudners Estate Chardonnay, which is a great option for cocktail hour. It’s light and crisp, but doesn’t have enough body to be paired with your dinner entree. For dinner, we tried Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay. This was the #1 selling restaurant wine list wine in the US, which makes it an excellent choice to pair with a meal. The third wine was Wente “Morning Fog” Chardonnay, which had a nice balance. It was light enough to enjoy on its own, but had enough body to pair with dinner too.

When you are selecting wines for your wedding, don’t automatically pick the house red and white. Talk to your catering sales manager about options; most venues would be happy to discuss wines that will compliment your meal choice.  Even if they do not have a Sommelier on staff, their chef or food and beverage director can help you with your selection.

Interesting side note: On any given day, TPC Sawgrass has roughly $800,000 in wine inventory. The weeks leading up to The Players Championship make that number even bigger! That’s a lot of wine.

Don’t do it. The easiest way to avoid this problem is not to talk about the wedding at all. Not always practical though!

Use Facebook Lists to filter who sees  your wedding-related posts.  Click on “Lists” on the left hand side, then click “Create New List.” Set up a list called “Wedding Guests” or “Bridesmaids,” then add certain people to that list. Then, when you go to post a status or photo, select that list from the dropdown box and only those people will see that update.

Keeping track of ideas – don’t use Pinterest. I have a blast checking things out on Pinterest. But, if you want to keep your wedding ideas private, don’t use it for this purpose.  Check out a free program like Evernote, that has a Web Clipper feature.  It’s the same basic concept, but private. Or, consider using a shared folder like Dropbox if you need to collaborate with your mom, maid of honor, fiance, etc.

Think about what you share online – and if you wouldn’t talk about it publicly, don’t talk about it online!  Happy planning…

Image from www.fanpop.com

Selecting your bridal party is an essential role to your wedding. Consider popular choices like your sister, your fiance’s sister, close friends or family members. It’s also important to remember that it is your wedding day and although a friend might be upset for not being selected, your friends and family members will respect your choices.

The main thing to ask yourself when selecting your entourage is, who will be there for me throughout the whole process? Take in account that these women will have many responsibilities, and try and determine who you think will live up to your expectations.

Maid or Matron of Honor - Head support system and responsible for:

• Throwing a bridal shower.
• Getting the word out  as to where you’re registered.
• In charge of making sure you’re properly corseted, zipped, buttoned, and all-around ready for your wedding day.
• Making sure the rest of the bridal party is looking flawless, and has their appropriate flowers.
• Holds the groom’s ring (if it is a double-ring ceremony) and your bouquet during ceremony.
• Signs the marriage license as an official witness.
• Offers a toast to the couple at the reception.

Bridesmaids - Have to be present at the wedding and prewedding events. Their responsibilities include:

• Collaborating with maid of honor and other bridesmaids in planning a shower.
• On call for anything the bride needs.
• Emotional support.

Whimsical Prints via Etsy

I was at a networking event recently, sharing stories about recent weddings with a colleague.  She said that a bride asked her, “How many people should I invite to end up with 150 people at my wedding?” What an interesting – and impossible to answer – question!

When determining your guest list, you should assume that everyone invited will come.  That means that you should budget for each person, have seating for each person, and truly want each person there.

But, it’s still a question we get a lot. So what percentage will most likely attend? There are a lot of factors involved.

• If most of your guests are traveling to your wedding, the cost or distance of the trip may limit some.
• The number of people invited also plays a role. If you invite 50 people, they are most likely your closest friends and family, and a majority will come. If you invite 300 people, some of which may be your parents co-workers and your 5th grade best friend who you haven’t seen in  years, the “no” percentage may be higher.
• Is your wedding around a holiday? This can either increase or decrease your attendance. If it’s spring break time and a majority of your guests live in Minnesota, they may welcome a trip to sunny Florida.  If it’s the week between Christmas and New Year’s, a bigger portion may have other family commitments.

If I had to give a number, I’d estimate between 10 and 20 percent will RSVP “no” for the average wedding. But remember, assume they will all come, and then the money left over can be used for your honeymoon!