When you dream of your wedding day, what do you see; beautiful flowers and your gorgeous gown flowing as you walk down the isle toward your sweetheart? How do you see that moment when your eyes meet his? Are you at the end of the garden isle holding onto your daddy’s arm surrounded by friends and family? Are the church doors opening wide with the start of the traditional wedding march? Have you flown to an incredible mansion somewhere with just a few of your close friends and family?

the Wedding Cake ... an outdated tradition??

As traditions often go, that of the wedding cake has evolved over the centuries. From the early roots of a barley or oat cake broken over the bride’s head symbolizing submission and fertility, to a glass ring baked in a bride’s pie for a single woman to find for her own marital luck, to our more modern tiered cake. Now we find round, square, white or dark chocolate, fondant, fresh flowers, sugar flowers, monograms, little people dancing on top…. this is quite an evolution.

The Bridal Shower began as a way for wedding guests to “shower” the bride and groom with gifts to celebrate their wedding. Often displayed at the bride’s parent’s home for all to see. Over the years, this tradition evolved into a separate party where the ladies came together to “shower” the bride prior to the wedding. Today we have many variations on the Bridal Shower. Hopefully this will answer some commonly asked questions and give you some fun ideas for planning a wonderful celebration for the bride-to-be in your life.

Remember to think of the Bride, her likes and dislikes, as you begin planning the Bridal Shower. Is she a balloons or flowers girl? Is she brunch or dessert? Champagne or fruit punch? Traditional or not-so-much? The shower should reflect who she is and provide fond memories for her.

Centerpieces ..... the easily forgotten wedding d’ecor

Do you remember the centerpieces from the last wedding you attended? Of course you want them to be beautiful, after all, everyone will be looking at them for the entire reception, but are they truly remembered? Consider these ideas for saving on your budget or for multi-purposing your centerpieces.

Your mother should have known better than to say your dress wasn’t white enough, she deserved to be yelled at in front of everyone at the bridal Your mother should have known better than to say your dress wasn’t white enough, she deserved to be yelled at in front of everyone at the bridal salon.

How dare your Maid of Honor wear that dress to the bridal shower she threw for you! She should have called to be sure her dress wasn’t cuter than yours!

Wedding Favors can be as traditional or as unique as your own personality. They can be expensive, inexpensive, edible, musical, you name it and it can be turned into a wedding favor. The purpose of the favor is to thank your guests for celebrating your special day with you, so make it fun, make it about you, make it memorable! Here are a dozen ideas you might find fun:

We’ve all had a good laugh at past decade’s wedding photos. How about that 10 person wedding party where the guys are all in blue tuxedoes with ruffled shirts and the girls in huge pink hoop skirts? Or how about the groom in the crushed velvet brown tux? I’d be willing to bet that none of these things seem like wise choices in hind site. More recently have you seen or heard of themed weddings? And I don’t mean hearts and doves, I’m talking about zombie themed or asking everyone to come in a costume! I wonder as I see photos of these weddings whether or not the bride and groom will regret their choice when they grow up. Or if they have things to do over again, will they make the same choices?

A simple but elegant, “Mr. and Mrs. Jones request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their daughter…” invited your guests. You want everyone to know that your fairytale will be wonderfully traditional. At six o’clock in the evening, your friends and family will gather at the Griffin Mansion, TORRE PALAZZONE, TUSCANY or the Castle at Disney World (you get the idea… some place magical!) to witness the wedding of the century. You arrive in a white, carriage pulled by 6 white horses and driven by a man in a top hat. The ceremony takes place amidst twinkling lights, fluffy wedding tulle, and dozens upon dozens of red and white roses.

Bridal bouquets have come along way since their origin of garlic and herbs were meant to ward off evil spirits. I for one, am thankful this tradition has evolved to become the beautiful tradition of floral bouquets. As you begin to plan for your bouquet, remember to consider your gown. With an elaborate and detailed gown keep your bouquet very simple to not overshadow the gown. With a simple gown design, you can use more detailed flowers and design for your bouquet. The following are some beautiful suggestions and explanations of what you see.

This simple bouquet is made up of large white calla lilies surrounded by ivory roses. Wear this bouquet with a soft colored dress. If you are wearing a white dress, wrap the bouquet with dark greens to keep it from clashing with the fabric of your dress.

Let’s face it weddings can be expensive! As you plan your special day, if you are working within a budget, there are many things you’ll want to consider, ways to cut corners, things you can ask friends to help you with that may keep the cost down. There are some things that maybe in the grand scheme of things aren’t really that important. Favors, minor décor or programs can be done by friends or completely eliminated and the likelihood is that no one would ever notice. You could even play with your menu if the budget is really tight. Talk to your caterer about nice but less expensive options that they may offer.

When done right, a candy buffet can be a simple but whimsical addition to your special day

Height and depth are important parts of any display. When planning your candy containers, plan to use some tall, mid size and short, and consider all different widths as well. And always go with an odd number of containers.

Don’t underestimate the use of a little ribbon and some flowers or flower petals. One garden bunch of something whimsical, like gerbera daisies, can add height and color to your display.

We’ve all heard “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, a sixpence in her shoe”. Where did it come from and what are we doing with it these days?

There are lots of different types of grooms. Some want to be involved in the intimate wedding details, some care a little less, and some couldn’t care any less. If you are a bride who would like to have her groom involved in the planning, here are some suggestions to hopefully help your journey together toward “I DO”.