Saturday, January 24, 2009

The Perfect Wedding Cake

You can have a simple wedding cake or a extravagant one. It is all up to you if you want it to be relatively inexpensive or enough to break your bank savings.

What makes wedding cakes so expensive is due to its intricate designs and the long hours of labor needed to create the beautiful cake decorations.

For some people this is an expense that they feel is unnecessary and a simple wedding cake or alternative form of 'symbolic food' such as a favorite dessert or something similar can be used.

More often than not however people prefer a traditional wedding cake and in keeping with the rest of the theme of the wedding it is generally decorated in colors similar to those of the flowers and any other decorations at the reception.

Certainly by reducing the size of the wedding cake it can help to keep the costs down and also by keeping the cake less intricate in its decorations you can save yourself a lot of money.

You can also use your flower arrangements or other forms of decoration that are more cost-effective to enhance the look of the wedding cake and keep the cake itself relatively plain and simple.

It really is a case of weighing up the expense with the importance that you put on the style of cake that you prefer and whether you can save money elsewhere to get the cake you desire.

Once again, do your research and get some prices from various different suppliers of wedding cakes and also consider asking your friends and family if they know anybody who does cake decorating as many people do it for a hobby and will be only too willing to help out on the special occasion.

Often you can get somebody to create your cake for the cost of the materials alone and this can be their gift to you for your wedding rather than paying for something else.

One important thing that you must remember however is to check their work to see if it is up to your standards. If it is enough to make you happy to have it at your wedding day, then go for it! You should not feel obliged to use their services if you aren’t satisfied at all. Go for the best wedding cake, after all it's your wedding day!

Friday, January 23, 2009

Preparing The Wedding Speech

Make sure that you do know what people are going to say if they are giving a wedding speech as there is nothing more embarrassing that to have someone reveal some information that you don't want made public on your wedding day.

Often people don't realize that they shouldn't mention particular events so it is always wise to discuss the contents of any wedding speech before the event.

The people who are giving the speeches also need to understand that there might be people from various different generations at the wedding and what might be acceptable for younger members at the reception might not go down as well with the older generation.

If you are preparing a wedding speech for yourself then take a copy of it to the wedding so you don’t forget anything or forget to thanks people for the work they have done or the support they have given you.

You should write your speech in such a manner as though you are talking to friends as it will be a lot more natural and you will be less likely to make mistakes or forget what you are saying.

Read it aloud to your partner and see what comments might help you to improve.
It is only when you read it aloud that you will realize if it is a suitable speech or not as we often write in a different manner than we speak.

Start preparing your wedding speech early on in the wedding planning as you will probably want to make changes along the way as you get closer to the day.

Having a copy of the wedding speech will also help reduce the chance of nervousness affecting the outcome because you can always refer to the notes and always talk (or read) slowly to give yourself time to breathe and it will also help people to hear what you are saying.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

The Perfect Wedding Dress For Your Summer Wedding

Planning for a summer wedding? How should you dress as a bride on a hot summer day? The old traditional wedding dresses usually are heavy, stiff, multi layered and you could end up sweating under the warm weather! You don't want perspiration signs appearing under your arms or on your back, so what is the best wedding gown to stay cool for a summer wedding?

Choose white! White or very pale colors works good in the heat. White radiates heat out instead of absorbing it. That is why many desert tribes wear white clothes and white head coverings. So you can stay with white but choose a lighter fabric if you wish.

One thing to remember is that stiff, lined fabric is not so likely to show damp patches even if you are very hot. The lining will absorb it. So in fact, it can work very well to have a lining on your dress. Just be sure the lining is made of a more absorbent fabric than the dress itself. This will also help you to stay cool and comfortable.

If you prefer an informal summer wedding dress, you can choose any color or style. Many brides choose a prom gown style of cut with a long loose skirt in a floral design or single pastel shade, but a shorter dress is often preferred and there is no rule about the color. It is completely your decision.

Another advantage of choosing a dress that is not the classic wedding gown style is that it will often be less expensive. Even if you have it made exclusively for you, the dressmaker is likely to charge less than for a traditional gown and there is usually less fabric to buy. If you choose a ready made dress you can set your own budget and spend as much or as little as you like.

Brides planning a beach wedding usually choose a shorter length dress to protect it against the ravages of sand and surf. You can maintain the look of a white wedding gown but with a slightly shorter, less full skirt, or you can have something more informal.

Of course, when it is your wedding you cannot do what you would usually do and look out the window or check the forecast to see the weather before deciding what to wear. You only have one chance to choose your wedding dress, you have to get it right and in most cases you have to do it months before the wedding.

If you live where the climate is very predictable this is not an issue, but in many areas where even in summer you cannot be sure of the temperature or whether it will rain. So if that is how it is where you live and you are planning a summer wedding, the best solution is to choose a sleeveless wedding dress on the assumption that the weather will be hot, but have a matching shawl or even a light bolero jacket that you can add around your shoulders if you need it. That way you are free to choose something very light as your dress for a summer wedding.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Personalize Your Wedding Vows

When planning to get married, make sure to give enough time in making your wedding vows and you should personalize them to suit you and your partner. Don't be influenced by what other people say and tell you to do.

The exchange of wedding vows is one of the most important parts of the wedding. After the recital of your vows, then you will both be officially married!

More and more people are becoming very creative with their wedding vows and this adds a personal touch that represents what you and your partner believe your marriage means to the both of you.

It is a chance for you to both express your true thoughts on why you are getting married and what it will mean for you in the future.

Here are the typical wedding vows...
“I [your name] take you [your partners name] for my lawful [wife/husband] to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part”

Many people use these traditional vows as the foundation that they will modify to suit their needs by adding personalized touches where they like.

Some people find the traditional vows a bit too formal and the wording no longer appropriate to get the true meaning of their care for one another across. If that’s the way you feel then changing them is the right solution for you.

These words are more important than all the wedding speeches combined so it is well worth spending as much time as necessary to come up with something that is really special.

Get ideas from books and poetry and songs. Bounce ideas off one another and you will soon know when you have hit the perfect combination that will lead you into your married life.

Just remember to never stop having fun because that’s what it’s all about – getting the most happiness in your life by sharing it with someone you love and spend the rest of your life with...

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Colored Wedding Dresses And What Your Color Choice Represents

Ever thought of wearing a colored wedding dress for your wedding? If you want to find a colored wedding gown, there is now a variety of choices. Colored wedding gowns are getting more popular, particularly for weddings with a seasonal theme.

The first thing that you must take into account when you are choosing a color for your wedding dress is to find whether the color suits you. This is an individual matter depending on your skin, hair and eye coloring. Most people will automatically prefer colors that suit them, so go with colors that you often choose. If you have a problem with this you can consult a book like Color Me Beautiful which contains charts and explains how to determine which group of colors will suit you.

The second important point is the meaning of each color and the psychological message that it gives out. Throughout history, we have attached symbolic meaning to different colors. Not surprisingly, some of these meanings will be more appropriate for colored wedding dresses than others. So what are these meanings?

Red

Red is hot: warmth, love, excitement and desire, but also anger and danger. It is associated with speed, daring, strength and bravery.

Orange

Orange is associated with 'cheap and cheerful'. Enthusiasm, a bargain, also creativity.

Brown

Brown is an earthy color of course and strongly associated with nature and the fall season. Solid and reliable, relaxing, comforting and honest, it also suggests qualities of endurance.

Yellow

Yellow gets our attention! That's why bright yellow is used for safety clothing and for highlighting text. Associated with summer and the sun, it speaks of energy and enthusiasm, hunger, optimism and happiness. However, it is also linked with cowardliness.

Green

Green is another color of nature, associated with the environmental movement and with the spring season. It symbolizes calmness and relaxation, harmony, well-being, honesty and freshness.

Blue

Blue speaks of professionalism: honor, loyalty, trust, dependability, stability and peace. Associated with winter, it is generally a cold color and can imply boredom and depression.

Purple

Purple was traditionally the color of royalty. It has meanings of nobility, prosperity, luxury, elegance, sophistication, mystery and magic.

Black

Black was another expensive dye in the past and so like purple, it is associated with elegance and sophistication. Worn well it can be very slimming. On the other hand it is worn for mourning in the western world and therefore it is linked psychologically with death, negativity and depression. It is also the color of the illegal activities of the 'black market', linked with dishonesty and unfaithfulness.

Gray

Conservative and traditional, gray is associated with intelligence and seriousness, but it is likely to be seen as dull and boring unless you brighten it up with striking accessories in another color.

White

White of course symbolizes purity, innocence, simplicity and virginity and is the traditional color for a bride's dress, at least at her first wedding. In the past it was often felt unsuitable for a widow to wear a white wedding gown and she would more often be remarried in a shade such as ivory or cream.

So those are the main meanings of the different colors of the spectrum. But what if you would like to wear a certain color because of its meaning, but you do not think you look well in that color? Just remember that there are many shades of most of these colors. Try different shades and choose the best shade that fits your skin tone. Best wishes!