Your Wedding Advice - StrictlyWeddings.com Blog

Sweet Gifts for Your Maids

We’ve not used theses cookies personally, but we just could not pass this by when we recently found it in our “ongoing search” for great ideas for our brides.

Here’s a sweet way to ask your friends to be your bridesmaids (or save the date). The Flour Pot, a bakery in Philadelphia, bakes delicious sugar cookies in the shape of (bridesmaid) dresses and can attach a card with a note inviting your girls to be your maids.

You can customize the color of the cookie’s icing to reflect your wedding colors or the color of the dress you are planning on having them wear. Each cookie is wrapped in The Flour Pot’s signature polka dot gift box and tied with a bow.

While the company is based in Philly, they ship nationwide. And in addition to their “Will you be my bridesmaid?” cookie, they also create cookies as save-the-date “cards” and favors for engagement parties, showers and weddings. Visit flourpotcookies.com to view their complete portfolio.

Top Bridal Fashions for 2009

One of the main trends for 2009 is floral details. Almost every designer on the catwalks featured a bridal design with flowers, in all shapes and sizes, from delicate floral embroidered lace to bold Mikado rose petal skirts. “There are few things as feminine and beautiful as a flower. It is the perfect complement to bridal fashion, and a fabulous way to give your dress that extra delicate touch.”

It is hard to imagine wearing a short dress as a wedding gown, but bridal designers are big supporters of the short hemline this year. For the destination wedding, summer nuptial or the bride who wants a bit of edgy style, this look is perfect. “Often brides overlook finding the dress that suits the season of their wedding, the mini dress is perfect for the summer event.”

Visit our StrictlyWeddings.com Partners

Tips for Guests Buying Wedding Gifts

Wanting to make sure your wedding gift will resonate with your friend? Here are a few suggestions before you make your purchase.

• Find out where the bride and groom are spending their honeymoon and give them gift certificates to the hotel’s spa or arrange with the hotel to have your gift waiting for them when they arrive, such as a bottle of champagne and chocolate-dipped strawberries.
• When in doubt, a gift card to their favorite nursery (if they like to garden); a certificate to a romantic restaurant (budgets will be tight when they return from that honeymoon); a season ticket packet or tickets for two to their favorite theatre, opera or symphony (season tickets are a gift that keeps on giving) or maybe they’re big sports fans.
• If a couple has registered for 12, 16 or 32 sets of flatware (maybe they’re planning for a big Utah family?), don’t feel like you have to buy all the pieces for them. Just buy as many of the sets as you would like and other guests will fill in the rest.
• Keep in mind what you do know about the couple’s interests – maybe she loves to collect unique serving bowls (don’t laugh, it’s possible) or they are the cocktail and hor d’oeurve type, so look for fun cocktail glasses and a few unique “cocktail recipes,” as well as unusual serving plates. If they love to grill and sit by the pool develop your gift around that theme.
• Your friends might have everything they want or need or are just very down to earth people, if so, think about honoring them with a gift to their favorite charity.

 
Crystal and china are important, beautiful and wonderful to give, but you know your friends best, so give them something they will use often (and hopefully think of you with appreciation for thinking of you during this special time in their life!).

Last thought, if you’re attending a “destination” wedding, ship your gift to the bride or groom’s home instead of bringing it to the wedding. Bring a card with a description of what your gift is to give to the happy couple so they’ll know.

Whatever the gift, it IS the thought that counts.

StrictlyWeddings.com partners – Spas

Wedding Day Make-up

Even if you don’t wear a lot of make-up, it does need to be a little darker and thicker to look perfect in your wedding day photos.

Start with a good “base” so your wedding day photos look flawless. Use a good concealer to cover up any stress pimples that might have “popped” up. Find a good liquid foundation. Foundation helps to cover and make your skin look smooth and beautiful. Lastly, find a good compact powder. Make sure it matches your skin so you won’t have lines on your neck plus the compact allows you to touch up as needed.  

If you like your make-up simple, downplay your eyes. Just add a neutral, shimmery eye shadow. If you love dramatic make-up, don’t be scared to be bold (but if you need help, you may want to go have it professionally done or get advice first). When doing your eye shadow, make sure to start with the lightest color first. Using the lightest color shadow, place the color near your eyebrow line, working your way to the middle of your eye lid. Next, use your medium dark shadow for your eye lid closest to your eye lashes. Make sure you are using a good eye shadow brush and that you are brushing from your inner lid to your outer lid. Lastly, take your darkest shadow, and shade in the crease of your eye lid. Use your own judgement on how light or dark you want your eye shadow to be. For a more dramatic eye, use a black eye liner to line the upper and lower eye. If you would like to get a little creative, you can take a white, shimmery shadow and dab a little on the inner corner’s of your eye for an “eye popping” look! Finish this look of with some black mascara.

Ice, Ice Baby

Short on time and ideas today, so just dropping a quick line about including an ice bar in your plans for the reception to entertain your guests.

We’re not a huge fan of ice “sculptures,” but those ice bars where your guests can get their drinks directly from the ice sculpture are really getting my attention.

Besides adding some elegance to your celebration, they are really fun. We’re sure your guests will find the ice bars quite cool, as well as, a unique touch.

A Kiss to Build a Dream On!

The kiss at your wedding ceremony is important. Passion, hope, wonder and respect at your wedding ceremony are important and the kiss should celebrate all of these things. You just exchanged wedding vows and promised to love one another forever.

Being hesitant. You may be private people. But weddings are public statements. And there is not, I don’t care what anyone says, too much public affection. It’s good to claim your love for your partner in public. Be affectionate. Show the world how filled with wonder you are for this miraculous relationship. And then continue to do it. And each time you reach out to your beloved, do it with reverence (and a healthy dose of passion!)

Being bold. Everyone wants to know that you love your sweetie. But no one wants to be a voyeur at your wedding. This passion is sacred passion. It is reverent. It’s not “hubba-hubba;” it’s oh-my-goodness-can-you-believe-we-are-married-to-each other. Keep your tongues in your mouths and your hands off one another’s butts.

Being comfortable. You might actually need to plan for this and maybe even practice a little. If you are shy and not a frequent public kisser, start with a peck and work up. Don’t wear lipstick that smears. It’s often the hug that really lets people know how overwhelmed you are, but that kiss is something to share. So have a kissing fest. Practice being silly. Practice being serious. Try passionate, wondrous, dramatic kisses. You’re not going to have anything but fun by practicing! (And it’s not a bad habit to get into as most marriages can stand a bit more kissing!)

“This kiss, this kiss,” indeed! Make sure your photographer takes a series of photos. Frame them and put them on the wall. Whenever you look at them, remember the joy. And then go over and plant a big one on your guy. In a snit with one another? Ask your partner, “for a moment, before we dig this hole deeper, can we kiss the way we kissed at our wedding?” And then take another look at the argument remembering how much hope and love you offered one another  and how that hope and love has deepened over the years. Trust us when we tell you, it will change the outcome of the fight!

Photography by StrictlyWeddings.com photographers - Larry Sengbush and Scott Hagar

Going Green

I know, we all feel beat up by the push for “going green.” To be honest, our experience shows that it’s sometimes more expensive. Yet, we do have a few ideas that may work with your plans as well as your budget.

How to add shades of green to your wedding day:

• Limit guest travel. Have the wedding in the town where most guests live; help arrange car pools.
• Have a daytime wedding, outdoors when possible.
• Choose recycled paper for invitations and place cards.
• Serve locally grown food.
• Decorate with locally grown flowers, herbs, fruits and veggies. Create smaller centerpieces. Choose potted plants rather than cut flowers. Use mason jars if it’s an informal setting.
• Seek out caterers who recycle materials and use linen and china instead of disposables.
• Wear vintage clothes and jewelry, or choose “green” fibers like silk or organic cotton.
• Use candles.
• Go acoustic.
• Pick digital over film (most photographers are in today’s world, but just in case…).
• Check out businesses that claim to provide green services and see if they really do; many new companies have entered the rapidly growing market.

Destination Wedding Tips

• Each of your guests has unique needs. They are coming from different cities, and may stay for different lengths of time. You don’t want to be in the middle of all of that chaos. Find someone you trust to manage your guests or hire a professional so that it will go more smoothly and you can focus on your special day.
• Create a realistic budget. In today’s economy you want to be considerate of everyone’s budget – yours, your parents, your friends and family. The more affordable it is, the easier it is for more people to attend. However, you don’t want to book at a resort that doesn’t meet your needs as a wedding couple. Contact one of our partners to help you plan the perfect destination.
• Timing is everything. The perfect time to put your arrangements in place is between six to ten months prior to your date. You’ll want to send “Save the Date” cards out in plenty of time for your guests to arrange their schedules.
• Ask before you confirm. If there is anyone who absolutely must attend or your heart will break, speak to them first to see if they have any conflicts for the dates you’re considering.
• Relax! The main reason to have a destination wedding is that you can relax! Let us handle the inquiries from your guests, let us help you choose the resort and the destination so there will be no surprises.

StrictlyWeddings.com destination wedding partners.