Archive for December, 2007
Posted on December 4th, 2007 by Kori Ellis in Anything Goes
All couples, young and old, need to learn about relationship skills and communication in order to build a solid foundation for their marriage. Though a lot of emphasis is put on planning your wedding day, even more emphasis should be put on planning your life together after the wedding.
Karen Sherman, Ph.D. has written numerous books on relationship and self improvement. If you are getting ready for your wedding or a newlywed, pick up a copy of her book, “Marriage Magic! Find It, Keep It, Make It Last.”
This interesting and helpful book discusses how to keep your marraige stable and thriving throughout the years by building a lasting foundation from the beginning.
Dr. Sherman was kind enough to share with me her five tips on keeping excitement in the marriage.
1. Bring novelty into the relationship.
2. Be spontaneous with one another.
3. Have fun and be silly at times.
4. Create a carefree attitude.
5. Do things that are a little risky.
You can get more information about Dr. Sherman, her tele-seminars and workshops by visiting her website at DrKarenSherman.com.
If you want to buy a copy of her book, “Marriage Magic! Find It, Keep It, Make It Last,” you can find it at Amazon.com.
Posted on December 4th, 2007 by Courtney in Wedding Anniversaries, Wedding Traditions
So maybe you’re approaching that first year and you’re trying to find the perfect gift. Granted, its been a whole year, and you could probably safely give your new husband or wife anything you choose, but why not go traditional?
I should probably practice what I preach, and I, in fact, did not give my husband the traditional paper gift on our first anniversary. I, however, didn’t have such an excellent resource to help me figure out what paper product I should give my honey. I thought the ‘paper anniversary’ meant I’d be stuck giving my sweetie a drawing or poem, and he’s not really into that…
But I was wrong. And so, just so you can be one step ahead of where I was after a year of wedded bliss, here are your 5 most creative paper gifts for that first anniversary:
- Paper roses: A gift that lasts forever is always a good one! You can make these yourself (good luck!) or you can order them. Some really nice ones I’ve seen are available at Architect’s Touch Online; check them out for yourself!
- Plane Tickets: If you have the money, why not take a trip for two? Nothing is as romantic as getting away from it all, and this is a great way to put a modern twist on a classic tradition.
- A star: I know it sounds cheesy, but really how many people have their own star? This would be a classic gift that would never be forgotten. Clearly the star isn’t made of paper, but you’ll be able to give your sweetie the certificate of ownership, and that certainly is paper!
- A newspaper from the day you got married: This one takes a little bit of forethought, or a lot of luck. Usually you’re so wrapped up in the events of the day that you wouldn’t think to grab a newspaper to commemorate the day. This gift will definitely go down in the books as sentimental and thoughtful.
- A tree: So it’s not technically paper. It could become paper. In any case, if you have a house, this is a very original way to celebrate your first anniversary, and watch your marriage grow throughout the years. Though you probably won’t be living in the same place in 50 years, you’ll always remember that tree, and how far your love and marriage has come.
(Photo credit: Curbly)
In recent weeks, we have discussed several times about brides wearing colored wedding dresses.
Although I have always thought it was unique and innovative, I hadn’t really seen a colored wedding gown that I loved. But now I have …
This Alfred Angelo gown pictured here comes in Rosebud (pictured), Vanilla Cream and White. The A-line strapless gown features a basque waistline and a chapel train. If you aren’t into wearing a completely strapless dress – you can get optional spaghetti straps. It comes in every size from 2 to 28W.
What I really, really love about this dress is the skirt. It’s full without being puffy and it exudes confidence. Whoever is wearing this dress would feel like she is the most beautiful woman in the world.
Another great thing about this dress is that it’s priced under $599!
Check out this and many other wonderful wedding gowns at the Alfred Angelo online gallery.
I know some men don’t always like to wear their wedding bands. But a man in Jackson, Mississippi proved why they always should.
Donnie Register has a big reason to be thankful he’s married right now. His wedding band deflected a bullet during a robbery and possibly saved his life.
Two men walked into Register’s antique store and asked to see a coin collection. When Register went to get the collection, one of the men pulled out a gun and demanded money. During the robbery, shots were fired and Register raised his left hand.
The police say that his wedding band deflected the bullet, probably saving his life.
“The bullet managed to go through two of his fingers without severing the bone. A part of the bullet broke off and is in his middle finger. The other part is in his neck, lodged in the muscle tissue. But it’s not life-threatening,” said his wife, Darlene Register.
I bet next time Darlene tells her husband to wear his ring, he will!
Source: Associated Press
When decorating your reception tables, consider using bowls and baskets of fruit as centerpieces. Grapes, apples, pears and even citrus fruit make color centerpieces that are beautiful and serve a practical purpose.
If you aren’t serving another dessert other than your wedding cake, it’s a great idea to have a big bowl of fruit on each table for your guest to enjoy.
Keeping with the theme of fruit, you can also select wedding favors made of fruit. Here are some ideas for fruit favors:
- Individually wrapped candied apples
- Small personalized bottles of apple cider or grape juice
- Jars of homemade fresh fruit preserves with customized labels
- Fruit shaped candles
A terrific place to get individually wrapped caramel or candied apples is Mrs. Prindable’s. They offer cute little mini-apples dipped in chocolate, caramel and walnuts that are delicious! They also offer a variety of other apple options.
Visit their website at mrsprindables.com for more information.
If you are looking for fruit shaped candles, you can get them at Truly Wedding Favors. The Perfect Pair Candles pictured here are a very nice choice. Each favor consists of a pair of pear candles in a white mesh bag. These candles are priced as low as $2.34 each.
Check out these and the rest of the wonderful favor choices at Truly Wedding Favors.
If you are looking for a very unique way to wear your hair for your wedding, I’ve come across Fete Accessories.
Instead of wearing a veil, tiara or bridal headband, you can wear one of these hair accessories to glam up your look. They are made from a variety of interesting fabrics and embellishments, including recycled suede, velvet, feathers, crystals and antique jewelry.
Many women are wearing them to holiday parties and other special events. However, some of these would also look marvelous for a wedding. Even if you don’t like them for a bride, I think that they would be great for bridesmaids.
Some of the styles (particularly the ones that are all feathers) are just TOO outrageous, but others are rather beautiful.
Every bride needs to pack a wedding day survival kit with must-have items to help you handle any wedding day disasters. From clear nail polish to a sewing kit, you should have everything in one convenient place.
I’ve come across a variety of companies the sell pre-packed wedding emergency kits, but one of the best is Ms. & Mrs.
Their Wedding Day Survival Kit comes in a silver reusable train case and features over 30 items you may need. Inside the kit, you will find – Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Dental Floss, Mints, Drinking Straw, Pain Reliever, Antacid, Hand Lotion, Emery Board, Clear Nail Polish, Nail Polish Remover, Facial Tissues, Deodorant, Tampons, Adhesive Bandages, Hair Brush, Hair Spray, Bobby Pins, Interior Mirror, Lint Remover, Mending Kit, Scissors, Safety Pins, Stain Remover, Static Remover, Super Glue, Double-Sided Hem Tape, Earring Backs, Corsage Pins, and Extra Wedding Bands.
This kit is priced at just $49. What’s cool about Ms. & Mrs. is that they also offer different survival kits for the groom ($49) and for your bridesmaids ($18).
Check out their website at MsandMrs.com, where you will find these special wedding day kits, as well as kits for pregnant women, college students and others.
Most wedding experts will agree that wedding color trends for 2008 will include plenty of yellows, oranges and browns.
Though these colors may seem like fall shades, they will actually be used as wedding colors throughout the year.
Pale yellows will be popular in spring, while bright lemon yellow will be used in the summer. As the weather turns cooler, the yellows will darken to mustard, green-yellow and beige-yellow.
The trend is similar for oranges. In the spring, pastel peach will be popular with tangerine coming into play in the summertime. Many brides are choosing to use yellow and orange together in complementary hues, which is beautiful when used properly.
Brown is continuing to dominate the fashion runways in the form of dresses, suits, shoes and handbags. And the brown trend is carrying over in the world of weddings as well. Chocolate brown will be popular all year, particular when paired with a gold or pink. One of my favorite color combinations is dark chocolate brown with bright pink!
What about you? Have you chosen your wedding colors yet? Have you seen any interesting color schemes in weddings lately?
Please leave your comments here and let us know!
The brown bridesmaid’s dress pictured here is from David’s Bridal.
Keepsake Weddding Invitations offers very unique, screen-printed metal wedding invitations. I had never really thought about metal wedding invitations before, though I have received other party invitations on metal or plastic rather than paper.
This company specializes in invitations printed on metal and polycarbonate materials. They are very elegant looking and you can customize them in a multitude of ways – including adding your photograph.
If you are looking for a way to make your wedding invitations stand out – this could be it.
I really love the look of the silver square metal invitation pictured here. However, you can also choose from an array of other colors and styles.
Check out their website at keepsakeweddinginvitations.com and let us know what you think by leaving your comments here.
If you’re looking to have a fairy tale wedding, a must have for your “I do” day is a happily-ever-after dress fit for a princess. It may have been hard finding a gown fit for royalty in the past, but since couture designer Kirstie Kelley joined with Disney to bring brides everywhere her fairy tale inspired gowns, you may just have your chance to feel like Cinderella, Belle, or even Snow White for your big day.
Since the collection debuted at the 2007 Bridal Fashion week this past April, Kelley has followed up her creations with a Maidens collection (dresses for your bridesmaids) and a story book inspired jewelry line. Her flower girl designs are to be released later this month.
Kelley’s collection is available nationally at stores in 29 of the 50 United States, as well as internationally in Canada, Ireland, Israel, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Saudi Arabia. More information about store locations can be found here.
Disney’s Fairy Tale Wedding Gowns are a little on the pricey side, ranging in price from $1500 to $3000. According to a Disney spokesperson “The price point is aimed at a generation of couples who are getting married older and paying for their own celebrations.”
Maybe these dresses are a little pricey, but they certainly are gorgeous! If you can splurge for one of these dresses, it might just be worth it to be a princess for a day!
(Photo credit: Disney Bridal)