Your Flower Style

A great way to express your own personal style is with the use of flowers. While the notion of flowers at a wedding is anything but new, incorporating them in subtle yet meaningful ways has fast become the latest twist on a time honored tradition. Flowers, like gemstones, are linked to corresponding birth months and for this reason a lot can be said by simply introducing a few blooms here and there. By adding their birth flowers brides are creatively personalizing their gowns, bouquets and centerpieces – and this is just for starters. In addition, some couples have begun to use the flower that corresponds to their wedding month to symbolize the birth of their new life together as husband and wife. Check the chart below to locate your birth month and its representational flower.

January	Carnation
February	Violet
March	Daffodil
April	Daisy
May	Lily of the Valley
June	Rose
July	Larkspur
August	Gladiolus
September	Aster
October	Calendula
November	Chrysanthemum
December	Poinsettia

Once you begin to think in terms of those things that hold special meaning to you personalizing your choice of flowers can expand to include special memories that you and the groom share, special people, such as parents (moms especially will love this thoughtful little touch) and bride’s maids too will be honored when you include their birth flower into their individual bouquets. As with every other decision you make for your wedding the ultimate is to be true to your own personal style. Remember, flowers speak the language of love. So whether they are sewn beautifully into the plunging backline of your gown (my personal favorite) or just petals strewn about on a banquet table, their presence has the capacity to conjure happy memories of the past and even happier ones for the future.

Sharon Naylor is the author of 1000 Best Secrets For Your Perfect Wedding and over 35 additional wedding books, www.sharonnaylor.net .

Planning a Wedding in Today’s Economy

Don’t Let the Recession Blues Impact Your Big Day!

You’ve been dreaming about and planning your wedding since you were a little girl. Who knew an economy, like no other one in history, would have to be a factor in your special day! Unfortunately, reality is that, just like everyone else, brides and grooms, have to plan with our challenging economic times in mind. JoAnn Latorraco, General Manager of The Waters Edge at Giovanni’s, notes that while the economy is having an impact on some couple’s wedding day plans, there is a way to create the event of a lifetime, and stay within your newly trimmed budget. “Brides and their families are getting creative when planning a wedding in today’s economy,” said Latorraca. “There are useful ideas that can help young couples save money, yet still create their dream wedding.”

1. Carefully review your guest list. Limiting the number of guests quickly brings down the cost of a wedding. In the past couple of decades, it was not unheard of to have a wedding with 300 people. Now, couples want to create greater intimacy by making sure that their guest list reflects those closest to them.

2. Make creative food choices. It’s not necessary to offer guests a choice of multiple meat entrees. Consider one meat entree and one vegetarian dish. Or switch the chilled lobster appetizer for a salad.

3. Consider alternative dates for booking your hall. Those seeking greater value might wish to choose a Friday night or Sunday afternoon affair. Also think about having your wedding in the Winter months.

4. Prioritize your “must-haves.” Some couples feel music is the life of the party and must have that fabulous 10-piece band. Others feel flowers create the mood for the entire event. Certainly, dedicate more of your budget to the items that mean the most to you.

5. Save on the bridal gown. From sales at bridal shops, to online bridal exchanges, young women are finding creative ways to have that perfect wedding at a more affordable price.

6. Save on wedding favors. Instead of an expensive knick-knack, get creative. Potpourri, sachets or chocolates are inexpensive alternatives.

7. Skip the Destination Wedding idea. It’s not only more expensive for you, but it’s a burden on your guests who have to travel to get there.

8. Create a Honeymoon Registry. There are honeymoon websites that offer registries just like major retailers. Small donations from each of your guests add up.

9. Stay in the U.S. for your honeymoon. Rather than go overseas, save money and spend the money here to stimulate the U.S. economy!

10. Communicate with your wedding planner. Be sure your wedding venue and planner add value and are committed to working within your budget.

The Waters Edge at Giovanni's

Recently engaged...What's next?

Happy New Year!

So you just got engaged, now what. After the many congratulations are received for all those who got engaged over the holiday the task of planning your wedding begins.

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". However, our recent polling reveals that these traditions of who pays are changing. WedAlert also offers tips for Planning a Wonderful Wedding on a Realistic Budget which is especially relevant given the current economic climate.

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 bridal 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 wedding 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 Vacation Ideas and Suggested Itineraries
An online wedding consultant - Ask Mikki
Top 10 Honeymoon Destinations List
Top Bridal Fitness Questions (And Their Answers)
Wedding Photography Check List
Many more helpful articles
Honeymoon Giveaway contest.

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

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

Slashing Wedding Food Costs

With rising gas costs and other expenses through the roof, Kelly Howell of
www.wedding-reception-food-ideas.com provides the following ideas to save money planning your wedding reception.

The cost for food and drinks for your wedding can easily climb to several thousand dollars, but it doesn't have to. Here are several tips that will save you money and still provide you with the classy wedding you've dreamed of:

1. The biggest cost saver, whether you are using a caterer or planning the food yourself, is to schedule the wedding and reception at a time of day when a full sit-down meal won't be expected by guests. An afternoon/evening cocktail or dessert reception can save you thousands of dollars when compared with an elaborate dinner.

2. Next, be smart when planning beverages for your reception. An open bar can break the bank. Consider a classy champagne punch or a wine instead (or even an alcohol-free punch). And remember that it is always less expensive to purchase and serve the drinks yourself than to pay a caterer or bartender to do so.

3. Second to alcohol, the biggest food and beverage expense is usually meat for the wedding reception or dinner. Keeping meat to a minimum is another easy way to trim your wedding food costs. Choosing a vegetarian entree, a dish whose main ingredient is not meat, or a less expensive cut of meat are all wise decisions that will positively impact your food budget.

4. Another easy place to save money is on the wedding cake. Bakers and caterers often charge anywhere from $2-6 per slice to make and/or serve the wedding cake. For about $1 per slice, you can purchase a nice cake at a bakery and have a friend cut and serve it at the reception.

5. If you are well-organized and have a good support system of friends and family willing to help, you may wish to consider planning and making your own food for your reception. You can save several thousand dollars by doing so. And it's not as difficult as you may think. Food for a dessert reception, for example, can be made ahead and served cold the day of the wedding with little effort on anyone's part. For many brides, the extra work is worth the savings if it means more money to spend on the honeymoon or being able to afford a designer wedding gown.

The food for your wedding is one of the easiest expenses to slash, while still allowing the smart bride and groom to host a very nice affair. Be creative, ask questions, don't be afraid to ask for cheaper menu items, and do as much yourselves as you can handle, and you will be able to trim hundreds (if not thousands) from your wedding food costs.

WedAlert tip: In certain locations some of the above suggestions are not feasible, but many catering halls/reception sites offer much cheaper price per plate (which include food and drinks) depending on the date and time of your reception. So while the reception hall may not permit you to bring in your own food, a Friday night or Sunday afternoon reception will be substantially less that a Saturday night.

10 Mistakes to Avoid when Planning your Wedding Reception

Your wedding day is a time of celebration with light-hearted, good times that create happy memories. Above all, the day is supposed to be fun.

The less stress you feel on your big day, the more fun you'll have. Great planning helps you avoid forgetting important details. Avoid these stumbling blocks that threaten to ruin your happy day:


1. Not prioritizing your budget on the important things. The banquet is over, and now the party begins. If the majority of your reception time will be spent listening to music and dancing, it makes sense to allocate a proportionate amount of your budget to the vendor responsible for your entertainment. Whether it’s a band or a DJ, the key idea here is quality.


2. Not communicating with your vendors. Have a thorough conversation with all of your vendors, and let them know EXACTLY what you expect. Don’t assume that, because they are professionals with years of experience, they automatically know what you want. Each bride’s vision is different. Vendors want to avoid disappointing you, so share the details of your dream with them from the beginning.


3. Not communicating your needs and expectations with your bridal party. Let each person in your bridal party know, prior to your wedding day, where they are supposed to be and when. Important moments at your reception can’t be rehearsed, so prepare a timetable for your bridal party that includes the Grand Entrance, speeches and toasts, bridal dances and any planned photo opportunities. They will be grateful for your organization.


4. Waiting until the last minute. Finish everything on your checklist at least two days before your wedding. You don’t want to be scribbling place cards at 2 a.m. on your wedding day. Give yourself and your groom a task-free day or two before the wedding to relax and rejuvenate.


5. Having too much to drink early in the day or the night before. Not only is it a good idea to avoid alcohol until the final party hours, it’s best to stay hydrated by drinking water or other non-alcoholic beverages. If you can’t resist a good nip, be sure to eat something.


6. Spending too much time taking pictures. There are the photographs of special moments you MUST have, pictures of spontaneous moments that are FUN to have, and staged photos that become a nuisance. Don’t be afraid to say NO to your photographer when you’ve had enough.


7. Losing your perspective. Keep your mind on what the day is about, and on the things and people that are really important to you. Don't get bogged down in so many details that you forget to have FUN! If something goes wrong, try your best to take deep breaths and think about the big picture. Don’t let the little things that might go wrong ruin your night. Above all, keep your sense of humor!


8. Getting stressed or overwhelmed. Eat! Talk! Dance! Have Fun! Keep things simple. After you’ve greeted your guests, let them find you if they wish to visit.


9. Not planning an exit strategy. Assign end-of-the-night tasks to others you trust, so you can leave unburdened. Final duties might include gathering gifts and transporting them “home,” paying the hall, and removing decorations -- including flowers, centerpieces and other wedding notions.


10. Immediately leaving on your honeymoon. Try not to plan a 6 a.m. departure the day after your wedding. Give yourselves a day to recuperate and get your things together. Better yet, go back to work for a week before leaving on your honeymoon.


By Mike Staff
Mike Staff Productions

Copyright: 2007

Unity Candles: A Symbol of a Couple’s Love

Your wedding is one of the greatest milestones which you could every experience in your life. It is an event which has a lot of meaning and you want to share it with your friends and loved ones. In short, your wedding is holder of many symbols of the love between you and your future husband, as well as your love as a couple for every single person who is in attendance on that memorable day. Because it is a holder of symbols, many different things that are ever-present in your wedding also stand for things that ultimately point towards the direction of love, togetherness and eternity. One such symbol is the unity candle. The lighting of the unity candle is a beautiful wedding tradition that has been carried on for centuries. One can only hold his or her breath in awe as the unity candles are lit, as a sign of your love and willingness to go through life as a couple.

These unity candles are used during the wedding ceremony, specifically in the part where the vows are read and the corresponding rituals and traditions follow. Unity candles are a lot more special than the other decorative illuminants in your wedding, as they hold a special meaning and stand out from the rest by being lit during the time when you declare wholeheartedly your desire and determination to spend forever with a single person until death do you part. However, the purpose and beauty of unity candles do not end with “You many now kiss the bride” or when everyone leaves for the much-awaited reception festivities. Some couples specifically instruct their aides to bring the unity candles with them to the reception hall and be placed in front of the couple’s dining table as a way to romantically illuminate and further enhance and solidify the evidence of their togetherness.

Unity candles are a wonderful part of any couple’s wedding mementos. Apart from the obligatory keeping of the wedding dress, ring cushion and other whatnots, the unity candles are also carefully placed in storage as part of the remembrance of that special day. Some couples even make it a point to continue to celebrate their relationship year in and year out with their unity candle, bringing it out and lighting it for a moment as they reminisce of that beautiful day that they were proclaimed man and wife. Some, in their old age, keep it out as a symbol of the love that has carried them through the decades and now look forward to a quiet togetherness in their twilight years, with plenty of beautiful memories to share together.

Indeed, unity candles are more than just some pretty store-bought item that must be purchased to complete the entire wedding procedure. Unity candles are meant to be cherished not just for their beauty and intricacy, but for the symbol it carries – the love of a man and woman and their desire to create a beautiful life of their very own.

Submitted by Engraved Gift Creations

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

Sedona has been added

The Sedona Wedding page has been added to WedAlert. So if you are planning a Sedona Arizona wedding, visit it at http://www.wedalert.com/local_wedding_services/arizona/sedona.asp.

Whether you are local to the area, or planning a destination wedding, Sedona couldn't be a more romantic setting for your wedding ceremony and reception.