Summer Stagette - Amazing Race
This summer I went to a stagette. The bridesmaids hired a company to put on the bachelorette party and it was supposed to be like the Amazing Race. It was more like a scavenger hunt but still very fun. We were in teams of two. The object was to collect a list of items as you went throughout the city, finding clues to your next destination. We had 50 objects to collect including: boiled egg, pickle, bag of dog food, a photo of Christmas dinner with my family, construction helmet, 40 business cards, hickey, stripper poster, piggy back ride from a cab driver. While collecting objects we had to complete several tasks: play croquette blindfolded, act out a scene from a play, etc
You could easily organizing something similar without hiring a company. It would take a bit of work, but would definitely be worth it. Be sure not to forget prizes!
The evening was finished off with a summer BBQ with girlie drinks and a very stagette appropriate cake!
Recycling your wedding flowers - Lilies
The flowers I chose for my wedding were gerber daisies (the bridesmaid's bouquets) and star gazer lilies (bride bouquet). Unfortunately the gerber daisies did not last very long. They are a very pretty flower, but not very durable. I'm not sure the gerber daisies didn't even last the entire evening.
The bridal bouquet had tons of lilies, with the perfect amount of buds open on the wedding day. It continued to flower for about 2 weeks after the wedding and was gorgeous in full bloom and so fragrant.
In addition to the star gazer lilies in my bouquet, I also had lilies in pots all over the reception hall. I tried to keep them restricted the the gift table, guest book table, etc. and away from the guest tables as many guests are sensitive to their potent aroma.
After the wedding, I took the potted lilies home to decorate my livingroom. Once they died (in the fall) I planted them in my flower gardens. I wasn't sure if they were going to come up in the spring but they did and by August they were in full bloom and beautiful! Here is a photo of the flowers growing in my flower garden:
I'm not sure if these lilies grow in all climates, but I say give it a try. They are perennials and should come up every year. They are a great yearly reminder of your wedding day!
Looking to save money?
If you are looking for more ways to save money for your wedding, think about disconnecting your cable or satellite for the summer months. Not only will you save money (probably an average of $50/month at least), but you will have more time to spend with your fiancé and plan your wedding.
I just disconnected my cable as it is too nice to be inside wasting time watching reruns and bad television shows. With my cable provider I had the option to suspend my cable or disconnect it. I chose to disconnect it since as an added bonus, after 3 months I have the option of reconnecting as a new customer and receiving the new customer discounted rate. Hopefully you have the same option.
You will have more free time and can save a few hundred dollars to put towards flowers, a gown or something else for your wedding!
Mother’s day is approaching; get your mom something special
I'm sure your mother has been super helpful lately and putting in many long hours assisting you in planning your wedding.
Be sure to get your mother (and your mother-in-law) something special to let them know you appreciate everything they have been doing lately.
This Sunday, May 4th , order a nice bouquet of flowers, pick up some chocolates or find the perfect card to say "thanks mom"!
Busy planning your summer wedding?
As spring approaches, it is an exciting time of year. Approximately 65% of all weddings happen in spring and summer. If you are one of those 65% getting married in the upcoming seasons of 2008 you must be busy planning right now!!!
I personally am getting ready to attend a wedding this summer. It will be an outdoor wedding in Calgary at a golf course. I must say that I'm very happy to be attending a wedding this summer as the guest instead of last summer as the bride! Although it was one of the best days of my life, the months of planning were extremely difficult.
If you are one of those brides out there getting married this summer, my advice to you is to take some time to yourself to relax away from the hectic planning. Slot some relaxation time. Head to the beach (work on your tan!), settle down in the shade with a good book, or head to the spa to be pampered.
I hope my website can help you through some of the planning!
Setting up your hall for the reception
The owner of the hall should be a great resource on this topic but in case they aren't or you don't have time to discuss it with them, here are some things to keep in mind.
At the entrance you should have a table for your guestbook. It is important to have it as the first point of contact as guests will want to sign it upon arriving. If you are having arranged seating, you should a seating list available on this table. There is an option to have someone in charge and man the guest table. This is a great way to involve someone important in your wedding. Do you have a close family friend with a son or daughter old enough to take care of the guestbook table?
The gift table placement is extremely important. It must be close enough to the door that guests do not have to carry gifts all over the hall looking for a place to put the gifts. However, you do not want it so close to the door that anyone can enter and make off with your gifts. I recommend having a basket or wedding chest for cards so they don't get lost.
At most weddings the bar will be a high traffic area. Be sure not to position anything near the bar, allowing room for guests to form a line.
Sometimes the dance floor can double as the buffet area. Once the speeches and dinner are done, the buffet can be moved to make room for a dance floor and a DJ booth. The booth should be out of the way as cables and equipment can be an eyesore and there will not be much traffic to this booth apart from guests requesting songs.
For the comfort of your guests, be sure not to put more than 6 or 8 people at each guest table. Ideally you want every guest to be facing the head table and have an unobstructed view, if space will allow. Immediate family and parents should occupy the tables closest to the wedding party table. I recommend raising the head table on a platform so that is visible even for those guests unfortunate enough to be positioned at back of the room. If possible, avoid setting it up in front of a window. This will cause reflections for the photographer or any guests trying to take pictures during dinner.
If you are getting married in the summer, be sure to consider the sun. You will not want your cake sitting in the hot sun, melting the icing. Place your cake table somewhere shaded so it keeps it's shape until it is cut.
Tips on Saving Money on your wedding
There are many ways to save money on your wedding and decrease / maintain your budget.
Here are some tips from my experience:
1.) Decrease the number of guests to only friends and family who are very important to you. You can save hundreds of dollars by shrinking your guestlist slightly.
2.) There is no need to rent a fancy car, in my opinion. When I showed up to my ceremony no one saw me getting out of my car. Plus, if they did, guaranteed they wouldn't remember what my vehicle looked like since they were too busy looking at my dress and hair. After the ceremony I stayed to take pictures so not a single guest saw me get into my vehicle. To stress my point further, when I arrived at the hall most people were inside getting a drink and socializing and were not waiting outside for my arrival. Once I entered I had all the attention but the vehicle is not important. You can save hundreds of dollars going without a limo or a car rental.
3.) If you would like to have a variety of alcoholic beverages to offer, hold a bachelorette party or a shower and have each person bring a different type of liquor. This should greatly decrease your beverage tab at your wedding.
4.) Alternatively, you can make your own wine or beer for your reception. Be sure to check your local liquor laws as in some areas (Calgary, for example) it is illegal to bring homemade alcohol into a hall.
5.) Get your make-up done by a friend. Or, if you would prefer a professional, get it done at MAC. As long as you spend $40 on products they will do your make-up for free! At least you get make-up for your money instead of paying upwards of $100 for make-up for one day.
6.) Buy silk flowers - JustFlowers.com
instead of real ones. If you are worried about the lack of fragrance, light candles. Candles will also work to decorate. If you are very insistent on having real flowers, choose flowers that are in season. They will be much cheaper if you are willing to be flexible. Supermarkets will be far cheaper than a florist.
7.) Rent gray chairs instead of white. Think of the last wedding you were at. Do you remember the color of the chairs? I sure don't. Gray chairs are cheaper to rent and are more widely available.
8.) Make your own invitations.
9.) Hold your wedding on a Friday or a Sunday Most halls will be available and have cheaper weekday rates than on the Saturdays. The other option is to have it during the low season (winter). Supply and demand. During the off-season there is less demand and the rates are lower.
10.) Have your guests RSVP to a website. Websites (http://www.weddingannouncer.com/) are very user friendly and reduce waste, but most importantly the reduce the cost of invitations, reply cards and postage. Be sure to include a phone number for some guests who may not have internet access.
Tips on Saving Money before your wedding
Getting married can be extremely expensive! The financial burden can cause stress to the bride, groom and even family members.
Here is some advice on saving money and budgeting to help ease the financial burden.
1.) Set a budget and stick to it. Don't be tempted into over spending because a dollar per person times 150 guests equates to $150 in savings instead of in debt.
2.) If you have a line of credit, don't be tempted to use it just because it is there. Instead, make an attempt to always pay it off. For example, if your credit card is due on the 15th of the month and it is $1000, put $1000 on your line of credit for 15 days and then move it onto your credit card on the 15th. That is 2 weeks of interest that you can save on your line of credit. If you move your entire pay check onto the line of credit, anything you don't spend will remain and you will pay it off faster. Be sure that you don't take more than you put in!
3.) Leading up to the wedding make small lifestyle changes to save here and there: use coupons, make coffee at home, bring your lunch to work, make a point of decreasing the number of times you eat out.
4.) Cancel your tv. Spend the time with your fiancé or planning your wedding instead!
5.) Take books and CDs out from the library instead of buying them.
6.) I recommend buying generic or store brand products instead of brand name.
In another article I will discuss saving money on wedding expenses specifically.
Decorating the hall for your wedding reception
Decorating is a great way to incorporate your wedding colors and create a wonderful ambiance for your wedding night. Guests will spend sometimes up to 9 hours at the hall for dinner and dancing, so you want an environment that will make them want to stay.
Here are some decorating tips from my experience:
1.) The ceiling - Before you begin, ensure that the ceiling is a smooth surface. If you plan to put the balloons anywhere that the ceiling has spackle or sharp surfaces, the balloons will burst!
2.) Balloons - Everyone loves balloons. They come in so many shapes and colors. Incorporate your wedding colors in various balloon combinations and by varying the length and color of the ribbon. Do not cheap out on balloons! More expensive balloons are worth it as they leak less. You can also fill higher quality balloons fuller before they pop, allowing them to stay afloat longer. Plan for one balloon per square foot or double that for complete ceiling coverage.
3.) Helium is a must. If you have access to the hall the night before, I recommend decorating at that time, as the last thing you want to do on the day of your wedding is to spend your time blowing up balloons. Helium filled balloons will stay afloat for approximately 10-12 hours depending on the environment. If you want the balloons to stay afloat long enough for the reception, I recommend using a product called Super Hi-Float, which seals all the tiny holes inside the balloon and slows down the escape of the helium. In terms of time it takes about 45 minutes for 2 people to inflate 100 balloons.
4.) Streamers - Attach various colored streamers to the ceiling, chairs, walls or anything else you can think to wrap them around. Twisting different colors together can create a nice effect.
5.) Table - Each table is a great host for decorating. Use tablecloths, napkins and centerpieces to display colors. Don't forget about your wedding favors to help add decoration.
Gifts for Groomsmen
Groomsmen have several important responsibilities during a wedding from organizing an awesome stag and keeping the groom calm all the way to carrying the rings. In return for their hard work you should give them a nice gift of thanks, which can sometimes be trickier than it sounds. Here are some groomsmen gift ideas:
-A nice bottle of liquor. Buy him something that he would not normally buy himself. We did this and it was a huge hit.
-Is he into a particular sport? Why not get him some sports equipment. Golf balls or a baseball glove.
-Get him tickets to a concert or game.
-How about a gift certificate? I recommend a nice restaurant, clothing store, or outdoor store.
-Something engraved can add that personal touch: flask, Swiss Army Knife
, money clip, Beer Stein just to name a few.
-A barbecue tools kit
-Go for something useful: a tie, a watch, cufflinks, a fancy pen, a tool.