Buying Wedding Cakes: Tips And Helpful Advice

Generally, wedding cakes are is the conventional cake being dished up to the guests at the breakfast after the wedding. It is characterized as a huge cake, different from the usual cakes we have on ordinary occasions. In most cases, wedding cakes are layered or multi-layered and are heftily decorated with icing, beads, and other embellishments that would reflect the grandiose of the event. On the top is a small image of a bride and groom.

Wedding cakes can go from the simplest to the most complex decorations; each has its own artistic distinctions depending on the creative juices of the baker. They should conform to the main purpose of the cake, that whatever embellishments it possess, it can still be edible and can be eaten.

Because the wedding cake is such an important part in the wedding celebration, here are some tips you need to know in case you will be buying a wedding cake in the future.

1. Check on the length of time required for you in ordering your wedding cake.
   

   Time is such an important factor when making wedding plans. Of course, you would not want your wedding be hurriedly done or rushed. Because the wedding cake is a part of the wedding plan, it is important to devote an appropriate time in ordering wedding cakes.

   It is best to ask your favorite bakeshop on the time frame that they usually give with regards to wedding cake so that you can make early orders if it will take such a long time to create your wedding cake. In this way, you will not be in a hurry coming up with a wedding cake to be served on your wedding day.

2. Verify the details of the cake and its cost.
   

   A lot of couples are so fascinated with the luscious treats that go with their wedding cake. What they do not know is that each embellishment and every twists and turns embedded in the cake has a price.

   Therefore, it would be better to clear it out with your baker how much will be the cost of every decoration are added features you wish to add on your wedding cake.

3. Tell your baker about the details of your wedding.
   

   In today’s modern world, weddings are not just done in the church. A lot of ideas had come up in terms of wedding venues. Therefore, if ever you have any plans of having your wedding by the beach or anywhere else where it is open, it would be better to inform your baker about this.

   In most cases, icings are vulnerable to environmental hazards. So, if the baker knows that your wedding will be a garden wedding or a wedding by the beach, he could make such arrangements with your cake in order to endure the environmental conditions where it will be placed.

4. In a budget? Why not decorate your own wedding cake.
   

   It is not so uncommon nowadays to find somebody decorating his or her own wedding cake. In fact, it is a feasible idea especially to those who have a very tight budget.

   All you have to do is to order a plain wedding cake and buy the decorations from the retail stores.

So, set aside some special decisive moment when it comes to your wedding cake because there would be no better way to glamorize your wedding than to have a perfectly made wedding cake.

4 Tips to Help Write Personal Wedding Vows

A person’s wedding is one of the most memorable, important, and high points in an individual’s life. At a time when a man and a woman want to make the ultimate commitment to spend the rest of their lives together, the desire to have personalized vows is certainly understandable. This is one of the most unique and special days in a person’s life, so if you want to speak your own personal wedding vows, than by all means, you should go for it!

Writing your own vows can be intimidating. Wedding days always add pressure to even the most mundane of tasks, and certainly writing the vows you want to say to your significant other in front of all your friends and family is no small matter! Still, don’t let fear cause you to go along with some basic commonly used wedding vows if you really want that personalized touch. Just follow a few basic tips, and this will help you be on your way to writing the tips your future spouse deserves!

1. Write from the heart . Your wedding day represents the epitome of love between you and your future spouse. The two of you are together for a reason. Anything you write should be honest and from your heart, because that is what will really make your words special.
2. You don’t have to be Robert Frost or Emily Dickinson. If you are a poet, great. Keep in mind, though, that in the end words are just words. Your wedding vows do not have to be an amazing classic piece of literature—they need to be an honest display of your feelings for the other person. Don’t use long poetical words if all it does is put distance between your words and your feelings.
3. It’s okay to brainstorm. Before you set down to write everything, make a list of the things about your spouse that you absolutely love about your spouse, then make a list of the commitments you want to make. Figure out what parts of those lists you really want to include (keep in mind the vows are read in front of families and friends) and keep those.
4. Short and Sweet. It doesn’t take many words or a lot of time to make your heart known to everyone present. A lot can be said in a really short time, so don’t feel like you have to make the vows any longer than they naturally come out.

Follow these four tips, and you’ll find yourself getting over your worries to write some great wedding vows that your spouse will love!

Beautiful Wedding on a Budget

Few people realize that having a beautiful wedding does not require spending their entire savings.

If you’re planning a wedding, learning where to cut costs and how to budget will leave you with money to spare.

“There are many ways to have the wedding of your dreams without the nightmare of huge bills,” said Anna Griffin, wedding industry expert and designer of the Wedding Studio line of wedding products. “You just have to be resourceful.”

Here are some tips from Griffin on how to create a designer wedding on a budget.

• For something old, wear a vintage wedding dress. You can save hundreds on a wedding gown by shopping in consignment or vintage shops, in newspaper classifieds and on the Internet. You also can update your mother’s, grandmother’s or aunt’s wedding dress with a new neckline or hemline, beading or lace.
• Print your own invitations. There are many wedding accessories that can be made instead of bought – the veil, the centerpieces and even the invitations. Do-it-yourself kits are available to help you create designer looks without the designer price tags.

The Wedding Studio, for example, is an entire line of paper-related wedding accessories – from invitations to menu cards to guest books and photo albums – designed for brides who want original and elegant paper goods. The invitation kit comes in four styles in three color options and includes envelopes, reply cards and printing instructions.

• Use an antique or classic car instead of a limousine. Contact a local antique or classic car club to rent a luxury vehicle, such as a 1939 Rolls-Royce or a 1952 Cadillac DeVille. Most of the owners will be thrilled to loan out their cars and you’ll have more than enough room for the married couple at a much lower price. And, whereas a limousine is rented for a couple of hours, you have the benefit of keeping the antique vehicle for 24 hours or longer.
• Keep the flowers simple. Instead of hiring a florist, contact a floral-design school and hire students to provide you with flower arrangements. You also can create your own flower arrangements. Buy one color of flower in bulk. It creates a visual impact while saving money. Contact a wholesale florist; many will sell flowers directly to the consumer.

Best Places to Have Weddings

If you’re getting married, or know someone who is, weddings can be quite complicated and expensive. Even if it’s a common wedding held in a church followed by a reception and honeymoon, there is a lot of planning and cost involved. Couples can cut those costs in half and save on all the time and frustration of planning a wedding by seeking out a travel agent to plan a dream destination wedding.

Weddings that are held in a vacation location, typically away from the betrothed couple’s home town, are called destination weddings. In the recent years, these destination weddings have been rapidly increasing in popularity. Some destination weddings involve couples eloping to an adventurous and exciting location, while others choose to invite a few close family and friends to celebrate with them. Many couples even find themselves saving money by planning a destination wedding.

There are so many beautiful locations in different parts of the world with great accommodations and beautiful sightseeing adventures. Narrowing all of these locations down to five dream destination wedding locations was a difficult but necessary task. Creating the perfect wedding is not easy; the hardest part of getting married is choosing the location. Listed below are the five most popular major locations for dream destination weddings:

1. Mexico. Two of the most beautiful locations to hold a destination wedding reside in Mexico. Cancun is paradise for the romantics and the white powdery beaches and blue water make for a perfect setting for wedding on the beach. The Cancun Hotel Zone and the Bahia de Mujeres is known for the best swimming areas. Cozumel is just off of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula has some of the world’s best diving. Cozumel has attractive resorts that contrast with the empty stretch of beaches with a tropical atmosphere. Mexico is great for those betrothed couples who enjoy water sports and sun washed beaches.
2. Hawaii. As the fun in the sun capital of the Hawaiian Islands, Oahu is such a rich and rewarding experience far beyond the pristine turquoise water, the long sandy beaches and the harsh mountains. Here lies a legacy of royalty, luxury and relaxation. Maui is the perfect place to create memories to last a lifetime. Get married and enjoy your honeymoon in Maui and embrace what the entire Hawaiian Islands have to offer. The perfect weather all year round, uncrowded beaches and wonderful accommodations, Maui is the perfect place to tie the knot and embark on new adventures with your loved one.
3. Jamaica. Come to Jamaica to be embraced in the rich culture, the tropical climate and easy lifestyle. Enjoy a beautiful wedding surrounded by an island of natural beauty. Waterfalls, jungle mountain tops and pristine white sand beaches like the Negril, Montego Bay and Ocho Rios are waiting for you to indulge yourself in their beauty. Don’t forget the fine cuisine and local entertainment to complete the Jamaican experience. What’s more beautiful than a Jamaican wedding on a white sand beach or near a majestic waterfall in the perfect climate?
4. Bermuda. An island paradise and considered one of the worlds most beautiful islands, Bermuda is embellished with lush gardens, attractive pink sand beaches, coral reefs and a strong tradition of hospitality towards the islands guests. The island offers wonderful hotels, resorts and other accommodations that is sure to make your stay as wonderful as it can possibly be. Bermuda is an island you will want to come back to, again and again.
5. Las Vegas. The marriage capital of the world with well over 100,000 couples obtaining marriage licenses every year and the only place you can get legally married by a rhinestone studded Elvis impersonator. As one of the hottest wedding and honeymoon destinations, Las Vegas, is the place to go to elope or for a planned dream destination wedding. No matter how many times you have been to Las Vegas, there is always something new to experience every time you return. Despite its reputation, there is more than just gambling in this city. A new trend of ultra hip nightclubs and resorts are developing to join the already established nightclubs like the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, Baby’s Nightclub at the Hard Rock Hotel, Coyote Ugly at New York New-York and Studio 54 at MGM Grand.

Why is Wedding Entertainment Important?

A wedding or civil partnership is one of the most special days in two people’s lives and a day of celebration shared with family and friends.

The wedding entertainment you choose helps to create and maintain the air of celebration, turning the day into a really memorable event. Entertainment at a wedding or civil partnership has many practical uses as well, such as adding structure to the day and breaking the ice between guests.

A Magician as a Wedding Entertainer

Magic is the ideal form of entertainment for a wedding because it is versatile, flexible and suitable for a mixed family audience. Most people, young and old, enjoy magic and an experienced wedding entertainer will be able to perform for all ages.

Despite being more popular than ever, a lot of people have only ever seen magic on television. Seeing magic performed ‘live’ is quite a novelty for most people and will make your wedding day even more special.

Close-Up Magic for Weddings

Close-up magic and illusion is the most versatile and flexible form of magical entertainment. A close-up magician doesn’t require any special equipment or facilities such as power or a public address system and will usually carry all his or her props in their pockets. Also, it only takes a few minutes for a professional magician to get ready before they start entertaining.

Compared to many of the things that need organising for a wedding, the close-up magician is easy – tell him the date and time, and leave him to it!

A close-up wedding magician will mingle with guests, either seated at tables or standing in small groups, and spend a few minutes with each group entertaining them with amazing magic. It is a great way to break the ice amongst people who have never met before because they come together while enjoying the entertainment.

It also provides a great talking point, even for those not directly involved in the magic at a particular time. While the magician is entertaining one group, everyone else is wondering about the sounds of astonishment and laughter coming from across the room. And those who have already seen the magician are discussing what they have just witnessed and trying to work out ‘just how did he do that?!’

Close-up magic can fit into any part of the big day. There can be times at weddings and civil partnership celebrations when not much is happening, especially for the guests. Close-up magic can fill these lulls and turn them into a highlight. For example:

• When guests are arriving at the reception or waiting in the reception line.
• While the wedding party are being photographed.
• While guests are waiting for the meal to start.
• Between the courses of the meal (especially if there are a lot of guests to cater for).
• While guests are waiting for the buffet.
• Between the daytime and evening functions.

A professional close-up magician will not be too intrusive and will enhance your special day without detracting from it or taking it over.

Cabaret Magic for Weddings

If you want some really special and unusual entertainment, a cabaret magic show is a great option. A cabaret magic show usually fits in best after the wedding breakfast and is a really effective way to start off the evening party.

A cabaret show is a structured magic act lasting anything from 5 minutes to an hour and can incorporate everything from visual magic (objects appearing, disappearing and changing) to mental and psychological magic (mind control and mind reading) depending on the wedding entertainer you choose.

Most modern performers incorporate a lot of humour and audience participation into their magic, which is what really makes a cabaret show entertaining and makes magic stand out from other forms of entertainment. An experienced wedding entertainer will quite often want to get the newly-wed couple involved during the show but will check that this is OK beforehand. A professional magician will be sensitive to your wishes and will not want to embarrass you.

Unlike close-up magic, a cabaret magician usually requires some extra facilities and time to prepare their act. For larger audiences, a cabaret show requires a stage and public address system, which should be provided by most venues. Some magicians can perform a special act for a smaller number of guests, perhaps up to 20, which doesn’t need a stage or sound equipment. This type of act can be performed in one room with the audience sat around the magician.

Finding the Right Wedding Entertainer

There are many challenges when organising a one-off occasion like a wedding, especially if you are not used to organising large events. Booking an experienced professional magician will make it much easier. Here are a few pointers:

• Make sure the magician has plenty of experience as a wedding entertainer by checking their previous clients and engagements. Most should be able to provide testimonial or recommendation letters.
• It is very important that that the magician has public liability insurance because they will be closely interacting with your guests.
• Check that the fee you negotiate is fully inclusive and that there are no hidden extras such as VAT or travelling expenses.
• Make sure you obtain a contract or confirmation letter. A contract protects you and makes sure both you and the wedding entertainer are clear about the event.

Most importantly, make sure you are comfortable with the magician by talking to him or her beforehand. An experienced professional will be able to offer wide-ranging advice as they are likely to have been to many more weddings than you!

The style and personality of the entertainer you choose should fit in with your aspirations for your wedding – after all, you are planning for one of the most special and magical days of your life.

How To Have A Fairytale Wedding On A Sensible Budget

Congratulations! So now that you both have agreed to take the big step and get married – the excitement of a long and happy life together lays ahead for you both.

So now comes the fun of planning the wedding, the big day, the main event! The most important part of the planning is setting the budget. Did you know the average wedding costs $19,000? So you need to set your budget carefully and stuck to it. If you overrun, even a little, it could cost you thousands of dollars.

Set your budget very carefully – nobody wants to spend every last nickel they have on their wedding yet every couple dreams of the perfect wedding. Gone are the days of parents footing the bill for the wedding, in fact 4 out of 5 couples today pay for their own weddings. So that probably means you are.

Fortunately there are many things you can do to have your dream wedding without breaking the bank. But be prepared for the hard sell! Every vendor out there just loves it when a newly engaged girl walks into their store – they start seeing the dollar signs! Make sure you shop around and get at least 3 quotes for each service – you will be surprised how much they vary.

Also do not be afraid to negotiate with the vendors. If you find a florist you just love but they are $1000 more expensive – then talk them. Maybe tell them you just adore their work but they are a little too expensive – ask them what they could do to make the price fit within your budget.

Additionally be very careful when telling any vendor the budget you have for their service. Somehow all the photographers will quote you $1500 when you tell them your budget is $1500! Ask them their price first. If they try to tell you they have many packages ask them what their most popular price point is. It also doesn’t hurt to let it slip that you will be visiting some of their competitors as well!

Finally don’t forget this is supposed to be FUN! Your wedding day WILL be wonderful, sure there will be some hiccups, but trust me, in the end it will go off wonderfully if you just apply a little planning and commonsense.

Enjoy your life together!

Tips For A Great Wedding Portrait

Each and every important event that happens in a person’s life should ideally be commemorated through portraits; because pictures, as the saying goes, can convey more than a thousand words. Through portraits, you’ll be able to remember just how it was that day, the people you were with and the relationships you had with them.

Of all occasions, it’s weddings though that has an absolute need to be memorialized in portraits. After all, for most people, you only get married once so the event is incomparably special. If you are about to be married, do have a wedding portrait made of yourself, the more the merrier. And if you’re worried about what you should do and consider when it comes to wedding portraits, here are a few tips.

A wedding portrait done in real-time could take a few hours or even days to be made, depending on the want and skill of an artist. If you prefer to have your wedding portrait done in this fashion, you may be forced to do so after the wedding already. On the other hand, you could also try considering having your wedding portrait based on photos taken of the occasion. This could be more practical, albeit less romantic, as you would have a lot of poses to choose from.

Ideally, a wedding portrait contains only the figures of the bride and the groom. But remember, this is your wedding so it’s what you two want that counts. If you feel that you prefer a wedding portrait done of the whole family then by all means, do so.

If you opt to have your wedding portrait done with your family and/or friends, keep in mind that it would probably be best if you just have a photo of the whole group taken then give this to the artist.

Last but certainly not the least, it’s time to think about poses and settings. After all, these factors have great influence on how a portrait turns out. Naturally, if you’re willing to have your wedding portrait based on photos, you would have a wider selection of photos to choose from and more freedom when it comes to the settings.

A bride could have her picture taken just before she leaves her home, as she steps out of the car and so on. The two lovebirds may also opt to have the moment they released the doves crystallized for eternity. On the other hand, if you decide to have your wedding portrait done at the studio, you’ll be able to determine which pose for the two of you is better.

Tips for Planning Wedding Flowers

When planning your wedding flowers you must consider them to be the bride’s arrangements, reflecting the spirit of her life’s happiest day. From bouquets to decorations and wedding reception flowers, many brides are clueless about which one of them to select.

Flowers should be chosen according to the bride and groom preferences, color of the bride and bridesmaids’ dresses, church and reception places, and sticking to the decoration theme, if any.

Another point to consider is the season because most floral varieties are easily found year-round, but seasonal flowers are cheaper and easier to find. Fresh flowers are the most viable option when it comes to planning the wedding day, but a few brides prefer dried flowers or artificial ones made of silk.

Having an overall perspective of the flowers available throughout the different seasons of the year may help to save money on flowers and yet allow you to select the most appropriate flowers for the big day. Wedding Flowers can be classified into Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter and Anytime categories.

Spring Wedding Flowers to choose from are tulips, violets, greenery, fern, pansies, peonies, ivy, daffodils, lilacs, lilies and lily of the valley, dogwoods, irises, forsythia branches, hyacinth, larkspur, sweet peas, apple or cherry blossoms.

For summer, the seasonal Wedding Flowers are daisies, roses, dahlias, zinnias, asters, iris, larkspur, Shasta, stock, calla lilies, delphinium, geraniums, hydrangeas, sunflower, sweet William, greenery, beech leaves, ferns, meadowsweet, stock, goldenrod, Jacobs ladder and Queen Anne’s Lace.

During the fall, most wedding arrangements include both flowers and foliage but not necessary. The mix of these elements is always a decision of the bride who can choose from a single flower theme to combined floral arrangements with or without specific foliage any time of the year.

In Autumn, Wedding flowers include asters, dried hydrangeas, roses, zinnias, statice, marigolds, chrysanthemums and gerbera daisies while the most commonly used foliage are autumn leaves, yarrow, rosemary and rosehip.

Wedding Flowers for winter include the classic poinsettias, as well as orchids, amaryllis, camellias, jasmine and forget-me-nots in addition to accents of pine, ivy, fem, spruce and rhododendron leaves, so there is no need for dried or artificial flowers as many brides still believe.

Apart from the flowers already mentioned, there are some others available anytime when brides seek fresh flowers, including a variety of carnations and roses, besides of gardenias, baby’s breath, snapdragons, stephanotis and ivy mainly used in wedding bouquets.

Wedding flowers are part of your special day, but can take a large portion of the wedding budget if not planned in advance. However, their importance should not be underestimated because they are symbol of joyful celebration, prosperity and fertility contributing to the atmosphere of love joining the bride and groom’s lives together.

Tips On Choosing Your Wedding Invitations

This is your big day and you want everything to be absolutely perfect, so the invitation is the best way to send the right impression to your guests. You want to show the theme of your wedding as well as give important details, so there’s a lot to consider.

Setting the tone

If you’re a fun loving person, then there’s no need to pick a stodgy old wedding invitation. And why would you? You want to show your guests the real you (and that includes both soon-to-be spouses) as well as what they can expect for the events of the afternoon or evening.

Decide with your fiancé or fiancée what the overall theme of the wedding will be. If you’re stumped on that, perhaps you can choose more than one idea and figure out invitations for each. A lot of couples will actually choose a theme from the invitation, rather than the other way around.

Not only are the pictures or illustrations on the invitation a way to show guests the colors and the atmosphere, but the wording can be a sign as well. By choosing casual phrases like ‘May 28’ instead of the ‘28th of May in the Year of Our Lord,’ you can signal to the recipient that your reception and ceremony may be a little less formal.

Buying or making?

Of course, you may have looked in various bridal magazines or at print shops for wedding ideas, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to purchase them. A lot of couples decide that they want to make their own and add another personal touch to their wedding affair.

But for the busy couple, having your invitations made to order is the best course of action. By looking at samples and choosing the wording that you would like, the invitations will be personalized (even the envelopes can be printed for your convenience), so all you have to do is buy stamps and find the nearest mailbox.

If you have a little more time and patience, then you may want to consider creating your own wedding invitation. You will find that this process takes a bit longer than you think, but the results are tremendous.

Sit down with that book of samples for the printed invitations and see if there are any that you like, and can duplicate. Many times you can even use a home computer to do the printing for you.

5 Tips To Select The Best Wedding Reception Location

Being disc jockeys, we get the opportunity to evaluate many reception facilities while having little or no bias to “sell” one location over another. Most Brides and Grooms know where they will be holding the ceremony before they decide where to have the reception, so we have compiled five observations that can help you when selecting your venue.

Distance - If people have to drive a long way to get from the ceremony to the reception, some will get distracted or decide to do something else. Try to keep the reception within a 15 to 30 minute drive of your ceremony. If it is not possible to get a reception hall close to your ceremony, make a caravan. Have the Bride and Groom lead the parade, and people will follow you to your reception.

Time - Time is just like the distance issue. If your reception is several hours after the ceremony, people will get busy doing other things and not show up for the reception. Try to start the reception within an hour or two of the ceremony. If you don’t want to start your wedding dance at 4 o’clock in the afternoon, have a Meet and Greet mixer before your reception. Serve some punch and get people to mingle. This will be one of the few times that both families will be together. Encourage family members to share stories about your childhoods.

Size - People like their personal space, and they have most likely spent an hour packed into a church for your ceremony. If you let them spread out, they will enjoy themselves more. Make sure your reception hall has plenty of room for your guests. The people renting the location might tell you it holds 200 people, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it will hold 200 people comfortably! Make sure to visit the venue before booking.

Climate Control - Having a summer wedding? Is your reception hall air conditioned? If people sweat while just sitting, they won’t dance. On the flip side, if they are cold they won’t dance either (who wants to dance in a parka?). Also make sure you know who has control of the thermostat so the temperature can be adjusted if needed. Chances are your reception will be warm and stuffy while all the guest are there, but as they trickle out during the night the room will begin to cool down.

Smoking - This is a hot button issue, but if your reception hall is non-smoking, you can fully expect smoker’s to leave your reception for 15-30 minutes every hour. If enough of them leave the reception area, you may find a large percentage of your guest just hanging out in the smoking area. This can be a big problem if you have many smokers in your wedding party. You don’t have to allow smoking, but it is something you should consider, especially if anyone has any health problems like asthma or allergies that could be triggered by smoke. If you decide not to allow smoking in the reception area, how close is the nearest place for a smoker to go? Is it close enough that you will be able to get needed wedding party members during events like the bouquet toss or garter auction?

Facility coordinators will no doubt bring up several other factors for you to consider when you interview them for your booking, but these are often missed items, especially if they don’t favor the potential venue. If you keep the overall picture in mind and work with your wedding planner or event coordinator on the decorating ideas, you will no doubt have an enjoyable and memorable wedding reception.

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