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Honeymoon Ideas in 2009

Looking forward to your wedding day in 2009?  While all of the planning and leading up to the big day may be a bit stressful, at least you can rest assured that when it’s all said and done, you can head off to a relaxing honeymoon with your special someone.

Picking the right honeymoon can be a difficult choice, so to help you start your search, we offer the top 3 honeymoon destinations in Playa Del Carmen, St. Barths, & Punta Mita on our Dallas wedding site.

A honeymoon is supposed to be a stress-free romantic vacation, and the last thing you need is to deal with cumbersome luggage to and from the airport.  We recommend this great luggage site, which allows you to ship your luggage in advance to any destination, so that it’s waiting for you safe and sound at your dream destination!

Plan the Perfect New Year’s Eve Wedding

New Year’s Eve is one of the best times of the year to pop the big question, and it can be an even better time to plan a wedding you’ll never forget.  Here are our suggestions on how to plan the perfect New Year’s Eve wedding:

Step 1

Reserve your ceremony and reception locations. Be aware many venues may be reserved for New Year’s Eve parties. Try to make reservations more than a year in advance, if possible. Schedule the times for night, starting your reception at around 8:00 so your guests will be there at midnight to ring in the new year.  If you’re still trying to decide on a venue, take a look at our Dallas wedding reception venues.

Step 2

Inform guests well in advance with a save the date notification before sending invitations. Because it’s a holiday, many people may have standing plans or reservations they’ll need to cancel. Do this as soon as you have officially determined the date, aiming for at least 6 months in advance. If you’re looking for help sending out these save the dates, try our Dallas wedding invitation partners.

Step 3

Plan your food and drinks. Since guests will be eating later, it’s a good idea to just stick with hors devours and dessert for food. Mention in the invitation that guests should eat something beforehand and you’ll be serving snacks and appetizers since they’ll be eating later than usual. (Our catering partners can help you plan out all of the details.)  Make sure you include lots of champagne on your drink list, as well as coffee.

Step 4

Decide on wedding colors and attire. Having a wedding on New Year’s Eve is a good opportunity to do a black tie event. Everyone will enjoy the chance to dress up to ring in the year. Black, gold and silver are the colors typically associated with New Year’s, so use those if you can.

Step 5

Send invitations to your guests. Do this around 3 months in advance instead of the usual 2 month timeframe used for wedding invitations. Our wedding invitation partners can help you send out the ideal invitations.

Step 6
Plan your decorations and flowers for the wedding. When doing a black tie theme, red and white roses are a great choice for flowers. Include noise-makers, confetti and party  hats. Have a big clock or TV for the countdown.

Step 7

Purchase party accessories and favors to go with the New Year’s Eve theme. Good examples are personal champagne bottles, fortune cookies, a CD with the songs which were a hit during the past year, bells which say ring in the new year with (your names) or personalized calendars for the year to come (do it yourself or use the local copy shop).

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You

You’ve gotten so many lovely gifts, and now they all must be properly acknowledged. Handwritten notes show that you care enough to take time for individual thank-you’s. If you prefer printed or engraved cards, do add a personal handwritten note. Tradition calls for finishing all of your thank-you’s within three months of the wedding. In today’s day and age, email and text messaging are what you’re comfortable with (but your parents friends and family still come from a traditional era), so do a few each night and the list will soon disappear.

To offer truly personal notes of thanks, try hand crafting your stationary.

• Start with Plain white or cream note cards
• Buy rubber stamps of houses, leaves, flowers, or whatever design you like
• With the fold positioned at your left, stamp a design on the note card, using a color that was featured in the wedding décor—or one that you like. Practice your stamping technique a few times to get it right. Be sure to extend the design to the edges of the note card. Let the stamped design dry.
• Stamp envelopes to match; limit your design to the lower left-hand corner of the envelope, to leave room for the address, return address, and postage stamp. Let the stamp design dry.
• Using mounting corners (pick white, gold, or a color that complements the stamped design), attach a photo of the couple to each card, centering it on the card. The Photos should be small enough so that you have 1/2-to 1 inch border around them, to allow your design to show.
• Write your greeting inside the note card and address the envelope.
• That’s a very personal thank you!

Need a good resource? Please contact one of our StrictlyWeddings.com partners.

Holiday Spas

While it may be “the most wonderful time of the year”, it can also be the most stressful!  Sometimes, all we need is to take a time out and recharge our batteries.  We’ve got the perfect cure for the stresses of the holiday season – a full-service spa treatment!  As Christmas is just around the corner, isn’t it about time you rewarded yourself or another with a rejuvenation of mind and soul?

On our Dallas wedding site, we feature the top spas in Dallas, including The Greenhouse, Corinthian Wellness Spa, The Spa at Willow Bend, and the Rosewood Crescent Hotel Spa.  Whether it’s a Christmas gift or a jump-start to the New Year, we’re confident that these unique spas will allow you to relax, unwind, and completely revitalize your energy and spirit.

Make Sweet Music Together

Selecting your music is something that the two of you (bride and groom) can do together and one of the few tasks that a groom may actually enjoy! Music sets the tone – before the wedding, during the ceremony and at the reception. Plus it adds an elegance to your wedding and liveliness to your reception.

If you have hired musicians for your ceremony to provide the perfect sounds and you are having your wedding and reception at the same location then you will be able to use them for both, but if you have paid them for the ceremony and your budget won’t allow for additional entertainment, consider having CD’s made that can be played at your reception to enhance the excitement of the event. (If you are using the church organist meet with them in advance to hear and select music from their repertoire).

Having CD’s made also allows you to be creative and personalize the songs you choose as a couple and if the music is close to your heart then you could create a copy of the CD that your guests could take with them in memory of your big day.

If you choose pre-recorded music, just make sure to double check that your wedding and reception locations have adequate sound systems to accommodate the sound you are trying to provide.

As your research for your musicians or DJ’s, the first place to turn for recommendations would be your close friends and family. However, at StrictlyWeddings.com, our partners have been uniquely selected to provide you with beautiful music.

Whatever your choice, make it uniquely yours … it’s what memories are made of.

Holiday Dating

The holidays may be the most wonderful time of the year, but they’re also the busiest. With so many demands on your time and your wallet, it can be hard to make quality time with your guy. But with a little creative connecting, you can boost your bond, whether you’ve been married for years or just met him under the mistletoe last week.

Bake a Deux

Strap on an apron, and get things cooking! There is something about playing in the kitchen together that definitely creates a bonding experience. Particularly good is anything that requires icing. Playfully dab it on his nose (or yours) and then lean in for a kiss. (Don’t blame us if the cookies never get frosted.)

If you’re more inclined to eat out, be sure to check out our rehearsal dinner venues on our Dallas wedding site.  Each are guaranteed to offer a uniquely romantic setting where you can keep your relationship growing all the more stronger.

The Perfect Tuxedo

Even though the groom doesn’t have quite the angst that brides have in selecting their wedding attire, it’s still important that he feels as “dashing or handsome” as the bride does beautiful. Below are a few ideas as he begins his search.

Rent or Buy?

If the groom will wear a tuxedo a few times in the future, it makes perfect sense to purchase and invest in a quality tuxedo. However, if the groom will not be wearing a tuxedo much and has his eye on a look that he is less likely to wear again, then it makes more sense to rent his attire for the wedding. A cut-away coat is a trend currently being worn, but it is a coat he would be less likely to wear again, so this is a situation when renting is cost effective.

Body Shape

If the groom has a shape that is hard to fit, then choosing to buy a tuxedo or suit is the best way to go and you can have it tailored to fit his body type. Choosing a style that uniquely fits his shape is crucial to the fit and comfort of the attire for the groom. A three or four-button suit lengthens the appearance of his body and gives added height to his appearance. The groom should avoid slacks and cuffs and try something along the lines of a peak-lapel jacket. A man with broad shoulders and a broad
build will fit better and feel more comfortable in a single-breasted jacket.

Trendy or Not?

If the groom likes to stay in tune with the latest styles and trends, it’s important not to overdo it on the big day. Going with the trends for a waistcoat or shirt color along with the bride is acceptable, but he should stick with one variation. Hot trends right now include black four-in-hand ties and waistcoats.

Year-round Style Guide

(Source: Brides.com)

Daytime Informal   

Winter

• Dark business suit, navy-blue blazer with khaki trousers, navy-blue blazer with cream or white flannel trousers
• Plain shirt with four-in-hand tie (aka standard long necktie)
• Plain coordinating shoes 

Summer

• Light-colored suit or navy-blue blazer with khaki, white, or cream linen trousers
• Plain shirt with four-in-hand tie
• Plain coordinating shoes

Daytime Semiformal

• Black or dark-gray sack coat, gray waistcoat
• White pleated shirt or soft white shirt with standard four-in-hand tie
• Plain black shoes

Daytime Formal

• Black or gray morning coat (cutaway) with black- or gray-striped trousers and gray waistcoat
• Starched white shirt with turndown collar and a black-and-gray striped tie or dress ascot
• Gray gloves
• Black patent-leather dress shoes

Evening Informal

Winter

• Dark business suit or tuxedo, depending on bride’s level of formality

Summer

• Navy or light-colored business suit or tuxedo, depending on bride’s level of formality

Evening Semiformal

Winter

• Tuxedo

Summer

• Tuxedo or white dinner jacket with formal black trousers
• White pleated shirt with turndown collar
• Black vest or cummerbund and matching bow tie or cravat (a short, wide tie)
• Black patent-leather dress shoes or plain black calfskin shoes

Evening Formal

• Black tailcoat and trousers
• White piqué waistcoat
• White starched-bosom shirt with wing collar
• White bow tie
• White gloves
• Black patent-leather dress shoes

Accessorizing – The Final Touch

The bride has found the perfect dress for her coveted wedding and is now ready to accessorize, but what jewelry best complements the dress she has chosen and accentuates her sense of style? A bride should look to jewelry that she feels most comfortable wearing and it’s best to not over-accessorize. A single piece of jewelry that can serve as a focal point is best, while not overwhelming the look. Your choice should Complement (not overwhelm) the dress.

Strapless gowns are a classic yet trendy style for brides, which call for a bold statement piece of jewelry to draw attention to the neckline. For a halter style dress, a bride may choose smaller diamond earrings and a stunning bracelet leaving the focus on the cut of the dress. For a sweetheart neckline, a bride may find the best piece of jewelry to be a beaded necklace or a lariat necklace that accentuates the neckline.

Whatever jewelry the bride may choose, it’s most important that she feels it complements her look and resonates with her own personal sense of style and grace.

Winter Flowers – Splash Color or All White

The flowers that will adorn your wedding are symbolic and have a profoundness to the feel of your wedding. Having information about which flowers are in season can save you a great deal of money in planning a winter wedding and can help you determine when to take advantage of flowers in season and when you may want to invest in particular flowers that you feel will add the perfect touch. The good news is there are a multitude of flowers available and many florists import flowers from growers in much warmer clients year round.

There are no color restrictions in winter and in fact one of the most popular winter flowers is Amaryllis, a beautiful and vibrant red flower. Cymbidium Orchids are in season and come in various colors. Also available for your winter wedding are Gerberas or gerber daisies, Tulips and Roses, which are available in a multitude of colors. An unusual flower that is available in winter is Anigozanthos, commonly known as kangaroo paw, available in yellow, pale pearly pink, lime green or rich dark red. Nerine is a delicate flower available in pink and white and make a nice addition to a winter bouquet.

Winter whites can easily be achieved by using flowers in season such as Calla Lillies, Gardenia, Lily of the Valley and Scabiosa.

So many choices of flowers abound and give you many avenues in which to pursue in order create a warm and elegant feel to your wedding. For more information, please don’t hesitate to contact one of our partners.

Reasonably Priced Flowers

• Mums/Daisies/Poms
• Carnations
• Gerbera Daisies
• Stock
• Statice
• Snapdragons

Fancy Flowers

• Alstoemerias
• Lisianthus
• Asiatic Lilies
• Hydrangeas
• Mini Calla Lilies
• Cymbidium Orchids
• Bells Of Ireland
• Rananculuc
• Iris’
• Gladeolas
• Dahlias
• Sunflowers

Extravagant Flowers

• Mokara/Vanda Orchids
• Dancing Ladies
• Freesias
• Tulips
• Hyacinth
• Stargazer Lilies
• Peonies
• Ecuadorian/Colombian Roses
• Lily Of the Valley
• Stephanotis
• Gardenias

Planning That Second Wedding Reception

Planning your second wedding and thinking about the reception? Maybe you have children, he has children, as do all your friends?

Think about a dessert reception for adults – with the bride and grooms cake, coffee bar and wine (maybe even a sparkling dessert wine instead of champagne) and hurricane vases filled with snacks for kids – goldfish, M&Ms, peanuts, Hershey Kisses, Chex Mix, pretzels and more. Other nibble ideas to place on one of those tiered cookie stands … Brownie bites, mini cupcakes, rolled pastries with jam/jelly fillings and covered in sugar. We can see the kids (and parents) running around on a sugar rush already (so don’t forget the music to dance it out of the system!)