Writing Your Own Vows

Are you thinking about writing your own vows to one another? If so, here are a few things that you should consider first:

1. If you're getting married in a church, do they allow it? If not, you can still write them to one another and read them to each other after the ceremony, or exchange them in the morning.
2. Will you be able to get through them while still being understood. If you know you're going to cry, sometimes it's easier (and doesn't leave your face all red and splotchy) if you repeat after the officiant.
3. Make sure you practice. Your hands may be shaky, you might have a glimmer of a tear, and you might get a bit choked up. Practicing will definetly help.
4. Have a backup plan. If you thought you could get through them, but during the ceremony you feel too choked up, or you are getting a bit too nervous, have a sign with the officiant to show them you'd like to go with his version of the vows.

If you're going to write them, start early. One bride came up with a great way of writing her vows, and I don't think there was a dry eye in the house! She got a small notepad and wrote down every time her fiance made her feel special, and how exactly she felt. After about 6 months of notes, she was able to skim through and pick the perfect words for how he made her feel. She then gifted the notebook to him.

I thought that with this romantic holiday ahead, some brides might be able to begin a notebook.

Mashed Potini Bar!

Another favorite food trend of mine is the Mashed Potini Bar. I've seen it featured in so many weddings, and is always a hit. If you're thinking about doing a buffet and this isn't on the menu, you might want to think about adding it!

So what does it typically include?

-Regular Mashed & Sweet Mashed

-Toppings Galore!

For the Regular Potatoes:

1) Sour Cream

2) Shredded Cheese

3) Bacon

4) Onions

5) Ham

For the Sweet Potatoes:

1) Marshmallows

2) Brown Sugar

3) Cinnamon

The best part: They're served in a martini glass, so it adds a fun modern twist on an old fashioned favorite!

Website: Wedding Chicks

So one of my favorite wedding sites is Wedding Chicks. They've got great inspiration boards, and even have a local site that lists vendors in different categories. If you have a second, I'd totally check them out.

New Stamp Price!

I know it's a bit late in the afternoon, but for anyone still keeping up:

The price of stamps will be changing this May 11th, up by another $0.02/stamp. If you're mailing out invites with RSVP envelopes that will be returned to you in May, I'd suggest purchasing the Forever Stamps. They are still widely available at Post offices. To learn more about the change go to the website for USPS. They also have plans to up them every May from now on. Those of you in the very early stages of planning, keep this in mind.

Laura Simon: Makeup

Photo Courtesy of Kristy Odom.

I want to introduce all of you to Laura Simon. If you haven't selected your makeup artist yet, I think she might be perfect for you. She travels to the bride, and works efficiently while making sure that every tiny detail is attended to. I've worked with her multiple times, and I'm always impressed with how beautiful everyone looks, from flower girls to mothers of the bride!

The best way to get in touch with her is e-mail: laurasimonmakeup@gmail.com. I do suggest getting in touch with her as soon as possible, because she books quickly!

Children in Wedding?

Are you planning on inviting children to your wedding or are you thinking about having children in your wedding party? If so, here are some tips I've gathered over the past few years.

In the wedding party:

1. Don't have them ready 3 hrs before the ceremony for pictures, take some pictures with them right after the ceremony. This way they stay clean, and you don't need to have an older bridal party member be a babysitter.

2. Have their parents practice with them. If they know what's coming, they'll be better prepared. The best Flower Girls and Ring Bearers are the ones that have practiced walking down an aisle, or practiced throwing petals.

3. Don't give them their petals or pillow until the very last minute. If they're told to hold onto it, it will get lost, dropped all over the place, or could even be broken.

4. Don't give them the real rings. In some cases the ring bearer might be older and reesponsible but if you tie the ring to the pillow, when you go to untie it, and it drops, rings are round- they'll roll.

On the Guest List:

1. Give them something to do. It's great if you provide them with small baskets with coloring books, crayons, puzzle books, and even disposable cameras.

2. Ask the parents if they would like the child to sit with them, or if they think it would be better for all of the kids to be together at a table. This is great because then you can put tons of fun stuff on that table. Only do this if they're old enough.

3. Be prepared for dancing! Usually the kids are the first ones on the dance floor. They love being invited to the big kid's party, and they're sure to get the party started.

If you're not inviting kids or having them in the wedding party, that's totally cool too. There are some weddings where it's just not their place to be. Just make sure that if they are invited, they've got something to do, this allows their parents time to enjoy the wedding!

A Friday Double Blog Dose!

I just had to share this wonderful vendor with you before the end of the week. Recently, I had the pleaseure of meeting Tamara of I Do Linens. She introduced me to one of her new products and I've fallen in love!

She's got this new concept of making the cake table mirror the design of the bride's dress. Then after the wedding, she will turn it into a baby blanket for the bride and groom. I just had to share this quickly before the weekend begins. I hope you'll have a chance to check out her website and get in touch with her!

Traditional Cake Topper Not Your Thing?

If you're not into the traditional cake topper where the bride and groom simply stand next to each other, and you're not really feeling the monogram toppers, I've got a fun site for you to check out, InkyPink.

They've got great styles that rage from your athletic baseball bride and groom to your beachy bride and groom, with plenty of other style in between.

They've also got the perfect topper if you want traditional with just a slight twist.

If you're intrested in traditional, they've got tons of those toppers available as well. Be sure to check out the site for favors and other fun products!

Friendly Valentine's Day Reminder...

For all of you that like to wait to the last minute, Valentines Day in Atlanta is not the place to do it! Make your reservations now, if you still can. You can also try Open Table.

Good luck! And Happy Hunting!

Booking Your Honeymoon?

Are you planning to use the web to book your honeymoon? Does your honeymoon involve a flight? If so, I'd suggest checking out Kayak. It is a search engine that checks all other travel sites for deals, like Travelocity, Orbitz, Priceline, Expedia and more. Once it finds you a good rate, I'd suggest going to that airline's website to check and see if they can do better- sometimes they can, sometimes they can't.

Happy Honeymooning!

Wedding Wire Award!

Woo Hoo!!! We have received a 2009 Bride's Choice Award from recent brides on Wedding Wire!

Thank you to all who have reviewed our services as well as those who answered survey questions! We truly appreciate it, and honestly couldn't do it without you!

Reception Venue Selection

There are many factors that should go into the selection process of your venue. Here are a few for starters.
1. Price: Can you afford the rental fee, catering/beverage minimums and rentals (Such as chairs, chair covers and linens) it would require?
2. Food: Do they have a caterer on site or would you also have to hire one. For some the fewer vendors the better, for others, it's great to have a large selection of caterers to work with.
3. Beverages: What is their alcohol policy? Beer and Wine only? Do they charge an alcohol fee?
4. Location: How far is it from your ceremony location? Atlanta is a tricky town to drive in, so make sure that if it is a bit of a distance, you give excellent directions and the contact # of someone who knows their way around. How close is it to a hotel where out of town guests can stay? Is there anything else locally that guests can do to enjoy while they're in town?
5. The Look: Is it the look you're going for? Classic Ballroom, Antique House, Rustic Plantation...
6. Style: Can you see it decorated with your style, colors, and flowers? Does it need much to get it where you want it to be?
7. Timing: Are they available on your date? How long is the time slot they give you?

Here were just a few to get you started. This is one of the more difficult decisions, so hang in there!

How involved is mom?

First of all, I want to congratulate the Steeler fans out there! A tough win, but a good win!

Just some food for thought today...

How involved are your moms in the planning process? I know that some moms want to be over-involved and that inevitably leads to more stress for the bride and groom. I've noticed that the more things YOU ask them to do, the more they stay out of your hair. So what does this mean? If you give them something to work on, like coming up with a list of songs they know their friends and family will dance to, asking for input on invitations, asking them for opinions here or there, they will be less likely to keep asking you what they can help with and offering to do things that you want to have most of the control over. And hey- if they're willing to do more and have some free time- how about those DIY projects you haven't gotten to because you're so busy with everything else!

Personalized Stamps

One way to jazz up a boring invitation envelope is to personalize your stamp with photos of the two of you!

Here are a few great compaines to try:

Picture It Postage

Photo Stamps

Stamp Expressions

Zazzle

Have fun!

Rehearsal Dinner: Location

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending the Southern Weddings Magazine Launch Party. And I must say, the entire time I was there, I was thinking about how great it would be for a rehearsal dinner! The restaurant is Dogwood, and it's located right across the street from Emory Crawford-Long Hospital. It's got a private room upstairs and the food is excellent. So, if you're still looking for a location, I highly suggest you try it for an elegant twist on southern cusine!

DIY Invites: Cards & Pockets

So one of my favorite types of invites are the pocket-folds. I know there are some of you out there that can't wait to get rid of them, but I still love this trend. They allow the addition of so much style and color to be brought into your invite. So my website of the week is Cards & Pockets because they offer the materials to DIY these invites! Keep up with the blog and I'll be talking soon about the best way to assemble and about all that you can inclue with a pocket-fold invite!

Having your cake and eating it too... a year later.

How to save your top layer:

1. The night of the wedding, have someone take home the cake and put it in the freezer for you while you're on your honeymoon. This is just to solidify the icing so it doesn't become totally crushed.

2. Wrap it first in plastic wrap.

3. Wrap it in aluminum foil.

4. Wrap it again in plastic wrap or put it in an air tight plastic bag (getting as much air out of it as possible)

5. Store it for a year.

6. Order another replica so that when you don't feel like having more than a bite, you've got a backup!

Enjoy,

Adding some bling... to your shoes!

A current style trend is going with colored shoes. And to be honest, I LOVE IT. I've seen blue, pink, purple, hot pink, orange, and red! It's so much fun to see just a peek of it under the dress. Here's another new idea to jazz up the shoes just a bit more. Shoe Rhinestones! They're inexpensive, but who gets up close to your feet anyway, they just add a bit of shine!

Bridal Show, This Sunday!

Don't miss it ladies! This Sunday, A Bride for All Seasons Bridal Show is hitting Atlanta. With some of the finest wedding vendors, you're sure to find a wedding vendor in a variety of categories.

The bridal show is taking place in the grand ballroom at the Four Seasons Hotel. Also be sure to check out other event areas that they have, with gorgeous views of the Atlanta skyline. You're sure to be impressed. The price for admission is $45 for the bride and $25 for each additional guest. A high price to pay, but sure to give the highest quality and results!

Date: 1/25/09

Time: 2-5pm

Location: Four Seasons Atlanta.

Have fun!

Wild Oats Catering

In June of last year, I had the pleasure of working with Terry and her staff from Wild Oats Catering. They were fabulous! The food was so fresh and had a fun new look to it. They had a delicious new twist on a fun southern menu.
They had very clean lines of service, and never ran out of food, even the most delicious of foods.(Photos Courtesy of Shannon Wright)

They had fresh biscuits with a peach barbeque sauce over pork, deliecious skewers of shrimp and pineapple in a coconut mint sauce. But this isn't all that they've got. Check out their website to see another sample menu, and to get in touch with them! If you're lucky, they may still be available. They book up quickly!