Printing Books for Guests

One of the main things that you will want to do during the wedding planning process is find a business that does wedding printing. Printing things for your wedding is very important, so it’s a good idea to work with someone who is a professional when it comes to printing announcements, guest books, etc. You want anything printed to be aesthetically pleasing because this is something that all attendees will be able to take home with them. This is part of the reason that wedding printing is so important. It is often used as a souvenir if the prints include such things as one’s wedding vows and any engagement pictures. Printing things for your wedding is also something that you can do yourself if you want to save money. Although doing it on your own could be time consuming. This is definitely something you will want to take into consideration when it comes time to plan your wedding printing.

Decorating

In addition to printing things for your wedding, another very important thing to consider when planning a wedding is the decorations. Like your wedding printing, decorations can be expensive. If you’re creative or know someone who enjoys doing arts and crafts, though, some decorations can be self-made for relatively cheap. These decorations will look nice and elegant if you put in the necessary effort to make them that way. Wedding decorations can include such items as centerpieces, place card holders, signs, banners, and candles. The centerpieces are to be used on tables at the reception and are often personalized. Personalized centerpieces always reflect something about the bride and groom or their relationship. Flowers are also something that you should spend a lot of time on. Many people hire a florist to do this, but sometimes it’s cheaper to just purchase the flowers and arrange them yourself. Whether your wedding decorations are handmade or store-bought, they should always be beautiful and classy.

Author Bio

Karlee Wiggins blogs about fashion and weddings. She is a supporter of booklets printing from weddings and other important events. She loves taking pictures to remember important events in her life.

1.Mason Jar Lights

Mason jar lights are a unique way to set the tables at your reception aglow. Take tissue paper in the colours of your choice, coat the outside of your jars in watered-down glue, and press torn squares of the paper onto your mason jars. When they are dry, you will have great votive holders! The romantic light shining through your jars will give your reception hall a soft, colourful hue.

2.Guestbook Scrapbook

Have your guestbook attendants snap a Polaroid of each guest, or group of guests, as they walk through the door. Ask your attendants to glue the Polaroid to a page in the scrapbook and have the guests in the picture add their signatures to the page. This is a fantastic alternative to a traditional wedding guestbook!

3.Bridesmaids’ Dresses

Instead of having your bridesmaids wear the same dress, let them pick out their own! Give your ladies some general guidelines, such as colour and length, and let them choose their own style of dress. No one enjoys spending hundreds of dollars on a dress that they will never wear again! This way, your friends will be able to purchase a dress that they can wear more than once, and you’ll eliminate the boring uniformity of a traditional wedding party.

4.Horse-drawn Carriage

Forego the traditional limousine and hire a horse-drawn carriage to take you from the ceremony venue to the reception hall. There are a variety of companies that offer this service. Not only will you feel like a princess on your wedding day, but you’ll have amazing memories to cherish forever.

5.Children’s Table

If you will be having young guests at your reception, make sure that they are entertained. Instead of seating them with their parents, seat them at the children’s table. Decorate each chair with a balloon and give each child a gift bag containing an assortment of puzzles, colouring books, and crayons. This small touch will please the parents and ensure that all of the children at the party have a great time.

6.Wedding Gifts

If you and your future spouse already have all that you need, ask your guests to make a donation to your favourite charity in lieu of gifts. Include the name of the charity and your donation request with your invitation, and let your guests know that there will be a box for their donations in the reception hall. When you send your thank you cards to your guests, let them know how much money was raised and how the charity may put it to use.

Your wedding doesn’t have to be like every other wedding. There are dozens of ways that you can let your unique style shine through. Use one or more of these six ideas as a starting point and see what else you can come up with. There’s no doubt that your wedding will be as original as you are!

Author’s Bio

Tina Duncomb is a freelance blogger who writes for wedding advice columns. Ever the romantic, Tina recommends hiring a horse drawn carriage for your wedding day.

Keep in mind that the more money you save, the more can be given to the things that are the most important to you: your dress, your honeymoon or even your caterer. Are you looking for something that can be done on a budget, and done well? Look to your centerpieces! Here are some great ideas:

1. Upcycle your Bouquets

Here’s a fantastic idea that’s becoming a new rage: use your bridesmaid’s bouquets as centerpieces. Chances are that you won’t have as many bridesmaids as you have tables but you can use them on the food table or even on every other table. If you have a large bridal party, consider alternating centerpieces: one table has a bouquet and one has a candle arrangement in coordinating colours. They can place them “in water” on the tables and then take them home after the party as keepsakes.

2. Keep It Small

If your heart is set on centerpieces of beautiful flowers put together by a professional, shop smart and get the best price available. Buying flowers that are in season and local may require you to be a bit flexible, but will net you a better price. In addition, keeping your centerpieces less than 12 inches in height will lower the price. Simple arrangements will be cheaper than those that are more extravagant so keep that in mind.

3. Stones or Shells

I love this look! A simple tall, glass candleholder, surrounded by smaller glass tea light holders are the centerpiece, and the grouping is surrounded by river stones or combined with sea shells. It’s a simple, natural look that lends a Zen feeling to the table. The centerpiece is perfect for a garden wedding and will have your friends copying your great idea for their own weddings.

4. Cupcakes

Order a smaller wedding cake and use a cupcake tree for the centerpiece; it is a cute, fun idea that can look as simple or exquisite as you desire. Not only does this make a fantastic centerpiece but will give your guest ready access to their dessert at the same time. Consider using this centerpiece idea in combination with a smaller cake; you’ll save twofold.

5. Oil Lamps

You can buy oil lamps or lanterns at Wal-Mart for around $5 apiece. A bottle of paraffin oil will easy fill 3-5 lamps and costs less than a fiver. An oil lamp lit on each table makes a stunning, elegant vision. You may think it too plain, but wait until the lights are turned down; trust me, it will look amazing! If you want to get a bit more fancy with the idea, surround the lamps with loose flowers, flower petals or even pretty leaves that you’ve collected. The idea lends itself to hundreds of unique looks!

Your wedding doesn’t have to be extravagant to be the talk of the season. Save your budget for the things that matter most, like your dress, and use your rewards card the large expenses. Using your travel points for your honeymoon will save you even more money. Just remember, there are creative ways to fund your wedding, and you don’t have to go broke in the process!

Author’s Bio

Angie Trace is a money consultant and content contributor for a financial comparison website offering detailed comparisons for the top providers, and featuring bad credit builder credit cards for those who’ve experienced an unfortunate hit to their credit score.

Start with Colour

Picking up on the colour palette available in nature at this time of year is quite easy, just look around! Blue hues and white are the core colours during this time of year that can inspire. Brown and other neutrals offer a subtle palette to play from. Festive reds and wintry sages are also classic colours for this time of year.

As the bride it’s your special day – so go ahead and choose the colours you look best with. Red not in your colour wheel? Choose a tone that will play up your natural beauty, not wash you out. An easy to work with colour palette of silver and white with blingy accents are all the rage in 2011.

Expert tip: Ensure that whatever colours you decide on will be used throughout the ceremony and reception – flowers, table linens, seat covers, runners, candelabras, etc…

Choose Flowers Wisely

During winter months in some parts of the U.S. it can be hard to find flowers that won’t cost more than an arm and a leg. That’s why you should choose flowers that are in season. Choices like red roses, calla lilies, and amaryllis are traditional winter flowers. Other choices that will likely be available at a nursery near you are: orchids, gerber daisies, tulips and chrysanthemums.

Foliage in lieu of flowers can be a good choice, especially for weddings on a budget. Ivy and holly are traditional during the winter season, but also using plant or tree stems, dogwood, or even pussy willow stems can add height to a table display.

Expert Tip: Try embellishing flower or foliage displays with crystals or other bling. For a classic look just tie a large solid coloured ribbon.

Venue

The location for your wedding is right up there in importance to choosing the right wedding dress. A lot can go wrong if you find a bad venue. Don’t forget what time of year you’re planning your wedding for. Icy roads, spontaneous blizzards, and power outages aren’t uncommon during this festive time of year.

Make sure the venue of your wedding is easily accessible via car, has nearby accommodations, and is close to an international airport for your guests flying in from out of town. Rural areas are great for weddings, but hard to get to for traveling family.  Do everyone a favour and choose a venue that is easily accessible.

Expert Tip: When choosing a winter venue make sure the location has proper heating, snow & ice removal, and proper parking for guests. Snow and ice can make it difficult on wedding attendees, that’s why it’s so important to make sure guests are warm and safe.

These are just a few areas you should be concerned with for your next winter wedding. Are you planning a winter wedding? What colour palette did you choose?

Author’s Bio

Vera Mosley is a freelance writer and is planning her own wintery wedding. She also writes at TungtsenWorld.com, an online resource for tungsten wedding rings.

These boxes can be used for favours such as candy (my personal favourite), key chains, candles (using a bigger box), or whatever favour you chose.

Materials:

• Boxes (I went with a hunter green colour, but The Container Store and many other stores have a variety of colours)
• Lace
• Ribbon
• Scissors
• Hot Glue Gun

I actually only covered the box top, but you can cover the top and bottom if you choose.  I like the contrast provided by leaving the bottom of the box as is. Cut the lace to create a 1″ parameter around the box top and fold over gluing as you go.

Once all sides have been glued to the interior of the box top, add it to the bottom, and tie a bow on it!

Rocquelle Porch is a 25 year old wedding consultant in Houston, TX. You can find more of her wedding inspiration and ideas on Consider Me Lovely: a wedding blog, www.considermelovely.com!

Cherub Ice Sculptures

Cherubs are a timeless classic for weddings, and offer a number of options for a sculpture – choose two cherubs holding a banner or heart, or add musical instruments for a cute twist. You could even add some functionality to your cherub ice carving by adding an ice luge feature that can be used to dispense drinks at your reception.

Heart Ice Sculptures

Hearts are another classic, and can be as simple or elaborate as you like – choose a series of interlinked hearts for a breathtaking centerpiece on the bridal table, or choose smaller hearts for all tables. You could even position a giant heart or two at the entrance of your reception venue for a romantic touch.

Swan Sculptures

Swans are always an instant hit, and for good reason. Nothing could be more romantic than a pair of entwined swans. A striking swan sculpture made entirely of ice and positioned on the bridal table or at the entrance to your reception venue is sure to have your guests mesmerized.

Favourite Characters

If you have always secretly dreamed of a Beauty and the Beast themed wedding, or a Little Mermaid under the sea wedding, then a life-like ice sculpture of your favourite character will be the ultimate way to bring your dream wedding to life.

Bride and Groom’s Names

Keep it simple and choose a design that has your names sculpted in ice. This can be done in any shape or form – either as part of a design, or as cursive script as a centerpiece for the bridal table.

Functional Ice Sculptures

To add even more value to your sculpture, why not consider a functional piece – ice luges can be used to pour cocktails, while champagne or snacks can be served on layer platters made of ice. These can have decorative items, while still adding a practical element to these ice sculptures, making them the perfect option for a fun wedding reception.

Author Bio:

Joan Smith is a writer and event specialist at Ice Art, offering ice sculptures to suit any occasion. Choose from live ice carving to custom designed ice sculptures, wedding and party ice sculptures and more.

Don’t Think Too Small

Even though flowers can be expensive, you have to remember that it isn’t simply about having a nice bouquet to carry down the aisle. You have quite a few floral choices to make as you plan your wedding. You should avoid getting too hung up on one particular flower choice and first think about the entire look you want to pull off for your wedding and reception. Before you settle on any individual floral piece, remember that you will need to balance all of your flower choices to get the best possible look for your wedding.

Don’t forget all the choices you need to make. Besides your bouquet, you will need to consider the following:

• Boutonnieres
• Centerpieces
• Ceremony Flowers
• Receptions Flowers

You want each of these floral options to accentuate your bouquet. This day is all about you and your groom. Make sure that you choose the right kinds of flowers for each of these individual choices that will reflect well upon the bouquet that you carry down the aisle and ultimately throw over your shoulder at the reception. Keeping an eye on the big picture will help you put together your floral details to reflect the feel that you want your wedding day to have.

Don’t Forget About Seasonal Choices

As you are budgeting for your wedding flowers, you must remember that some flowers are going to cost you more at certain times of the year. This is especially true if you are working completely with a local florist. The florist will have to order a lot of your flowers, especially those that are out of season in your particular area. It may help you save some money by considering working with an online floral resource instead of, or in addition to, the local florist you have picked. You may be able to get some of your flowers for a more reasonable price online. Keep in mind that you won’t see the flowers until they arrive, so make sure that you work with a reputable floral company to get the best quality flowers for your wedding.

Add Some Personality

It seems like every wedding invitation you get is based on the same few cookie-cutter templates. You and your fiancé have a personality, both individually and as a couple. Let that personality shine through in your wedding invitations. Instead of putting in the same boring, “Mr. and Mrs. so and so are proud to…,” add in a verse from your wedding song, or a favourite selection of poetry. You can even put in a line from a movie that you saw while you both were dating. Have some fun and let your personality shine through in your wedding invitations.

Buy All Your Printed Materials at Once

You will probably be buying more printed materials for your wedding besides invitations. Be sure to buy them all at the same time from the same company. You can save a significant amount of money by buying a few different things from the same printer. If you buy wedding invitations from one company and printed programs from another, you are likely to have to pay more. Printers are happy to cut you a deal if you buy all of your printed materials from them at the same time.

Hand Deliver When Possible

If you are inviting a lot of people to your wedding, don’t pay postage on every invitation. Some people say that it is a no-no to deliver your invitations in person, but it can save you quite a bit in postage expenses. You have better things to spend money on than postage. If you work with people that you are inviting, take all your invitations to work and give them to invitees. Visit family members who live close by and drop off their invite while you’re there. Every penny counts, so save some on postage by delivering in person.

Your wedding will be something that you and your future spouse will remember forever. Be sure to start the whole thing off on the right foot. Carefully consider your invitations and use the tips mentioned here for memorable, affordable invitations that your guests will cherish.