Six Tips For A Worry-Free Wedding

From getting everyone to the church on time to making sure the centerpieces look stunning, planning the details of your wedding day can be stressful. Use these tips for a worry-free wedding day.

Details, details, details! From the perfect menu to the beautiful centerpieces, there are so many details to take care of when planning your dream wedding. But what happens when your perfect wedding is not so perfect? Let’s face it. There are plenty of opportunities for things to go awry. Even with the best-laid plans, things are bound to happen. But don’t worry. Here are some tips to help you panic-proof your wedding.

1. Don’t make any verbal agreements. Have everything in writing. Be specific about the items you want AND the things you don’t want. For example, if you don’t want to see a lot of posed pictures in your wedding photo album, it’s best to be specific about that and request more candid photos.

2. On the day of the wedding, bring along a survival kit for those little emergencies. Include a needle and thread, aspirin, safety pins, nail polish, hairpins, extra pantyhose and some hard candy or breath mints.

3. Do a test run. Practice driving the route to the ceremony at the time of day and day of week of your wedding. Check out traffic patterns, construction delays, etc. That way you’ll minimize surprises and will know how much time you’ll need to get to there.

4. Call all your wedding vendors and verify your bookings two or three days before the wedding. Confirm the time, date, location of the wedding and reception, directions to the sites and the services or items they'll be providing. A good way to know you are both on the same page is to have them read back the instructions from their notes.

5. Assign someone to take care of the last minute details, such as helping the bridal party get dressed, running errands to the store, etc. Provide her with the contact numbers for all of the vendors, just in case someone is running late.

6. Don’t wait until the last minute for anything. If possible, take care of as many details well in advance of the wedding. The night before the wedding is not the time to put together 200 wedding favors. Limit yourself to just a few small tasks and leave the rest of the day to relax.


What’s the best wedding day stress reliever? Realizing that, while you will have a wonderful day, a beautiful day or even a memorable day, it will most likely not be a perfect day. Try not to make a big deal about things and take it all in stride. Sometimes, it’s the quirky things that go wrong that help make your day memorable. Stressing over every detail can take the joy out of the wedding and the planning process. The most important thing to remember is that you are marrying the man of your dreams, and at the end of the day, that’s all that really matters.


By: Karen Sullen
My Wedding Favors

Winter Wedding Tips

Are you planning on getting married this winter? Here are some tips on how to decorate and plan your winter wedding.

Décor that appeals to the senses is important when trying to pulling off a romantic winter wedding. "Choose colors of rich jewel tones such as purple, forest green, and navy. Sapphire blue, ice blue or powder blue, silver and white can be used if you want to steer clear of the traditional Christmas colors", suggests Lynette Gamble, senior coordinator of Affairs of Grandeur. The glow of candlelight will add warmth and ambiance to your ceremony and reception site.

Lynette also suggests to keep floral costs to a minimum, use flowers that are already available during the winter months. Some flower choices are: poinsettias, roses, amaryllis, and lilies. Evergreens are popular choices for decorations while holly branches and other plants with red berries are ideal for use in floral arrangements.

The season that you are getting married can spark some great, creative ideas for wedding centerpieces, says Stephen Badali of the Wedding Ideas Guide, who suggests adding pine cones or holiday items.

Mikki Viereck, WedAlert's resident wedding expert from Ask Mikki advises choosing white flowers (with touches of silver twigs and/or silver netting. Additionally, silver ribbon on the cake, tables, bouquets or chairs would work.

Many reception facilities have cozy fireplaces to add ambiance and warmth for your winter wedding.

Adding an ice sculpture to display during your cocktail hour and/or reception is always a great idea for a winter themed wedding.

Also, you can consider winter foods for your menu. Include hot chocolate with the coffee service, and start with a hot soup appetizer.

As for favors, Lynette Gamble recommends candles of course. "Cinnamon Apple, Pumpkin Pie, and Vanilla are all pleasant scents that remind you of being a kid in your grandmothers' kitchen and they're nice this time of year", says Gamble. "Spiced teas, coffee mugs, snow globes and Christmas ornaments imprinted with the couples name and wedding date will also make great favors."

Good luck with your upcoming wedding. May it truly be a Winter Wonderland.

WedAlert Resources:
How to Create a Romantic Winter Wedding
Ask Mikki
Wedding Centerpieces - Four Tips For Stunning Centerpieces

PhotoStamps perfect for Weddings

PhotoStamps are a perfect way to make your special day even more special.

Use these personalized stamps for wedding invitations, save-the-date cards, thank-you notes, and gifts!

So before you mail out anything to your wedding guests get PhotoStamps first.

So you just got engaged...what now?

Happy New Year! Congratulations are in order for all those who got engaged over the holidays. Traditionally, many people "pop the question" between Christmas and New Year's Day. For all those who are beginning the task of planning your wedding here are a few tips and tools from WedAlert.

First, sit down with your fiance and go over the budget. The more detailed you can be, and the more you adhere to your budget plan, the less stress you will encounter. We have put together a Wedding Budget Checklist that you can print out for help creating your own plan. When creating your budget, you may want to consider the traditional wedding expense breakdown to find out "Who Pays for What".

Secondly, wedding planning follows a logical timeline. You cannot book the essential vendors such as a photographer, or wedding band until you have secured the wedding date and reception location. WedAlert offers a twelve month wedding planning calendar to help you with your upcoming marriage plans.

Third, begin to look for essential wedding professionals. The internet has made this task much easier than in the past, since you can compare vendors online from the comfort of your home, in your own time, and without travel. However, once you have narrowed down your selections, it is strongly suggested that you meet the vendors "face to face", and that you view personally all the items and services to be used in your wedding celebration. Start with using the WedAlert Reception Site Locator to search our database of Banquet Halls, Catering Halls, Mansions, Yachts, Hotels, Reception Halls, Country Clubs, Lofts, Museums, Restaurants, Gardens, and other unique spaces. Once you have booked your date search our directory to find all the essential local and national wedding professionals.

Fourth, focus on the details. Find the perfect gown, decide on favors, toasting glasses and other items to use at your ceremony or wedding reception. WedAlert offers another checklist to help you with purchasing all your wedding necessities. You may also want to find the perfect songs to walk down the aisle to, use for your first dance, or any of your parent or other specialty dances. Find over 1,400 wedding song samples in the WedAlert wedding music library.

Lastly, maintain a good attitude, remain positive, and have a sense of humor.

WedAlert also has the following tools and recommended articles to help you plan your upcoming event:

• Bridal Gowns and Bridesmaids Dresses
• Bridal Registry List
• Schedules of Bridal Shows in your area
• Honeymoon Ideas and Suggested Itineraries
• An online wedding consultant - Ask Mikki
• The Top Ten Planning Tips
• 5 Steps to a Fit Wedding Day
• Wedding Photography Check List
• Marriage Laws

Good luck, have fun, and best wishes on your upcoming wedding from all of us at WedAlert.