Whether you want to design your bouquet yourself, or you plan to have it made for you, you’ll definitely want to know what your options are. After all, you’re not the only one carrying a bouquet!
You have the ultimate say in what type of bouquet your bridesmaids will be carrying too. So whatever the situation may be for your wedding, here’s some basic bouquet-arrangement terminology that’s bound to help you out:
Cascade: Every bride has seen or at least heard of this bouquet style! The cascade is a round of flowers trailing into a long, thin V-shape at the front. The length of the cascade can vary, from just long enough to cover the hands to reaching as far down as the floor.
Nosegay: A nosegay is a small, compact bouquet that usually consists of one type of flower with no greenery between the blooms.
Hand-Tied: The hand-tied consists of a cluster of flowers tied at the stems, usually with the exposed stems showing beneath the point where they are held. This is a very contemporary styled bouquet used in many weddings today.
Round: The round is a more traditional bouquet made up of flowers, greenery, and filler with no trailing elements. Rounds can also be made of just flowers and filler, with no greenery, or of a single type of flower, like a cluster of roses for a more contemporary look.
Presentation: The presentation bouquet (also called an arm bouquet or arm sheaf) is usually made of long-stemmed flowers that are held in the crook of the arm. It’s not very traditional, but it can look beautiful.
Tussy-Mussy: A Victorian-style bouquet in that accentuates a decorative holder. Generally, the holder is made of metal (and might very well be antique), and the bouquet is designed to show the holder rather than trail in front and cover it.
Now you’re all set! Head out to the florist of your choice and impress everyone with your extensive knowledge about flower arrangements while you pick out the perfect bouquet for you!
Have you ever thought of making your own wedding invitations?
I never would have even considered it until I saw this video.
Melissa Nyssen, owner of FormalInvitations.com, explains how you can create very unique, expensive-looking wedding invitations for less than a dollar each.
You select a background card and printable overlay paper, then connect it together with embellishments like sheer ribbon, a minature silk flower, or a cute metal charm. You can buy all the supplies you need to make the invitations from FormalInvitations.com.
Another plus is these invitations are eco-friendly. The handmade petal and silk papers from Formal Invitations are from recycled cotton, while their other papers use post-consumer fibers and are processed chlorine free.
Watch this video to learn more how to make the invitations, it’s very cool.
If you’re a fan of modern wedding movies, I’ve got some good news for you. It looks like we’re going to have a fabulously funny chick flick on our hands sometime next year called ‘Bride Wars.’
The best part? It’s staring Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway.
If you’re excited already, just wait until you hear the synopsis:
According to Entertainment Weekly, “Hathaway and Hudson will play best friends who get into a rift when their planned wedding dates clash. Neither one will step aside, so the two [brides-to-be] compete over venues, services, and guests.”
Though Hathaway just decided to sign on to star in the movie this week, Hudson committed earlier this year to star in and produce the wedding comedy.
The talented cast isn’t all this movie has to offer either. Gary Winick, director of 13 Going on 30 has also joined the ranks, making this movie a virtually guaranteed success when it hits the box office.
Unfortunately, it looks like we’re going to have to wait until the middle or end of 2008 to finally get a glimpse of the finished product. Filming begins early next year.
Forgive me for posting two posts with videos in one day! But seriously, this is worth watching.
What a wonderful tribute to a couple that has been married for 60 years. The first part of the video is a collection of photos and narration from the time of their 25th anniversary. The second part of the compilation is honoring their 60th anniversary, which took place last month.
I really love how they used the photos of all the children, grandchildren and great children! Congrats on 60 years!
You’re always going to want to remember your wedding day. Well, hopefully anyway. And while pictures and videos are great, they certainly aren’t all-encompassing.
As silly as it may seem at the time to have all your guests sign their names to your guestbook, you’ll be glad to look back and remember all the people that were there to share your special day with you. Pictures are great, but there’s no way to be sure you’ll capture every guest who attends your event, especially with everyone so into getting pictures of you.
Guest books are the traditional method for guests to sign good wishes to the bride and groom. And just like no wedding album would be complete without photos, no wedding guestbook would be complete without words.
But just like everything wedding these days, wedding guest books are very often given a modern twist, so just for you, we’ve found out the most creative ways to have your guests sign in at your wedding. Check out the following ideas to turn this time-honored tradition into something that suits your contemporary style:
Combine your efforts: I’m a big fan of Adesso Albums because they allow you to fit your pictures and guest signatures all in one book! This is a convenient, classy solution if you want to keep everything together.
Make it all about you: Have a picture printed of you and your husband-to-be. Choose an overly large frame and matte the photo to fit the frame; then, have guests sign all around your picture. This will become a unique memento of your big day, and will always remind you of those who care about you.
Think inside the box: One of the most modern ideas I’ve seen is called the Wish and Prayer box. This contemporary take is a keepsake that allows guests to write a wish for your and your new husband on a blank card and drop it in the box. At the end of your reception, you’ll have a whole box full of memories!
Go practical: If you don’t want your guestbook to sit in a closet for years to come, you still have a few options. Many couples today are getting creative by having their guests sign platters, or even vases, so they can be reminded often of how much they are loved.
Balancing ecology, style, expenses and tradition isn’t always an easy task, but it’s important that couples inquire about the different eco-friendly options that wedding planners, florists, caterers, bakers, and venues have to offer when planning a wedding.
The more questions you ask the better it is for the environment, so why not go green!?
For your decorating and floral decisions DeJuan Stroud, Event & Floral Designer of DeJuan Stroud Inc has offered us these wonderful tips.
Use locally (or regionally) grown and seasonal flowers that can be bought from community markets and don’t have to be shipped from foreign locations.
Incorporate live trees in centerpieces that can be planted later (a great ceremony backdrop) or donated to a local school or charity rather than cut flowers that will be thrown away.
Use products from nature in the theme of your wedding such as sand, rocks, tree limbs and flowers.
Have your wedding locally; destination weddings are expensive and not eco-friendly.
Recycled bamboo-disposable plates are chic, biodegradable, and add a unique touch to table decor.
Incorporate candles of soy, hemp and citronella oils to give a romantic setting, yet earth friendly environment.
Use wooden tables (ex. farm tables, mango slab tables) that can be used over and over and don’t need cloths.
Event décor and floral designer DeJuan Stroud at the top of the industry. DeJuan has created large scale, themed events, parties, weddings and movie premieres for celebrities, socialites, and film producers across the country. DeJuan specializes in custom-designed event décor and floral masterpieces.
With an impressive list of past and present clients, DeJuan has worked on events for celebrity clients such as Jon Bon Jovi, Justin Timberlake, Elizabeth Taylor, Sarah Ferguson, George and Barbara Bush, and the weddings of Robert DeNiro and Grace Hightower and the Weinstein family. In addition, DeJuan has designed large scale, themed after-parties for such blockbusters as The Good Shepherd, King Kong, Cinderella Man, The Producers, The Interpreter, Jarhead and American Gangster. You can learn more about Dejan and his services at dejuanstroud.com.
Singer Kanye West has been engaged for awhile, but plans to tie the knot by the end of this year. Though the original plan wasn’t for West and his fiancée Alexis Phifer to be wed this month, everything changed upon the rapper’s mother’s untimely death.
Donda West underwent routine plastic surgery in mid-November, which tragically resulted in her death. Mrs. West’s last wish, however, was for her son to settle down. Kanye and his bride-to-be plan to do just that.
A friend of the family says of Kanye, “His mother’s sudden death brought into focus just how short life really is. Kanye doesn’t want to wait any longer to make Alexis his wife. He believes that this is what his mom would want him to do.”
Fortunately, Donda made her feelings about Phifer known before she passed on calling Phifer “a very outstanding young woman,” and adding, “I can’t think of one negative thing I would say about her—even in private.”
No details regarding West’s December-set wedding have been released to date. In spite of the sad events surrounding their big day, we hope Kanye and his soon-to-be bride enjoy their wedding and holiday season. Cheers!
Over the last few years, wedding webcasts have become very popular. Having a webcam at your wedding will allow your friends and relatives who can’t make it to the wedding to be able to watch your ceremony and reception live on the Internet.
Many couples are opting to pay the cost of setting up a webcast of their wedding, and then cutting back on their guest list.
One wedding webcast company that is very reputable and relatively inexpensive is Webcast My Wedding. They can set up a full-service webcast package for just $595 that includes a live broadcast of your wedding over the Internet, plus an on-demand archive where anyone can view the video for the next 30 days after you wedding day.
What do you think about wedding webcasts? Leave your comments here and let us know!
If you are looking for an interesting one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry to wear at your wedding, check out Designs by Ilan.
Ilan Yampolsky is a self taught artist who came to America from Israel in 1999. When she arrived, everything she brought with her was stolen, plus the job she lined up for herself didn’t work out.
After sleeping on a friend’s couch for a while, she ended up finally getting a job where she met her husband-to-be Harris. And with his encouragement, Ilan began making and selling craft items, which eventually escalated to one-of-a-kind jewelry. Now Ilan, Harris and her mother-in-law work together to create a very unique line of jewelry.
Using a mixture of semi-precious stones, glass beads, Swarovski crystals, fused glass and other elements, Ilan creates wonderful earrings, bracelets and necklaces. You can view samples of her wedding jewelry at designsbyilan.com.
Each piece is handcrafted and unique. She can make a piece to order and design something special for you.
A necklace or pair of earrings from Designs by Ilan would make a great “something new” for your wedding day!
Whether you want to design your bouquet yourself, or you plan to have it made for you, you’ll definitely want to know what your options are. After all, you’re not the only one carrying a bouquet!
Have you ever thought of making your own wedding invitations?
If you’re a fan of modern wedding movies, I’ve got some good news for you. It looks like we’re going to have a fabulously funny chick flick on our hands sometime next year called ‘Bride Wars.’
You’re always going to want to remember your wedding day. Well, hopefully anyway. And while pictures and videos are great, they certainly aren’t all-encompassing.
Balancing ecology, style, expenses and tradition isn’t always an easy task, but it’s important that couples inquire about the different eco-friendly options that wedding planners, florists, caterers, bakers, and venues have to offer when planning a wedding. 
Singer Kanye West has been engaged for awhile, but plans to tie the knot by the end of this year. Though the original plan wasn’t for West and his fiancée Alexis Phifer to be wed this month, 
Over the last few years, wedding webcasts have become very popular. Having a webcam at your wedding will allow your friends and relatives who can’t make it to the wedding to be able to watch your ceremony and reception live on the Internet.
If you are looking for an interesting one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry to wear at your wedding, check out