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Posts Tagged ‘Avoid’

5 Common Wedding Favors to Avoid!

Thursday, September 30th, 2010

Making a choice for wedding favors can be a difficult task for some brides, because after all, they want something that’s beautiful, that will express their own personal style, that their guests will appreciate, and that won’t break the budget! This can be a pretty tall order for one little set of wedding favors!

Obviously there are no right and wrong answers of what one should get as wedding favors, and being able to express your own personality and individual style as a bride is one of the most enjoyable parts of any wedding. However, there are some cautions that a bride might want to consider as to what she should avoid when choosing items for this very expressive part of her special day, and we’ve compiled a list of five common but cautionary wedding favors that you may want to think twice about before choosing.

1. Bottle Stoppers

Sure, these are great for those who drink wine or soda, but what about everyone else? Chances are that these types of wedding favors are going to sit in a drawer and just be considered junk by most guests.

2. Coasters With Your Picture

Do you have any idea how tacky looking these become, and how quickly? And think about it – do you really want people putting their drinks down on your face? There are so many other choices out there when it comes to wedding favors that there’s really no reason to steer clear of this one.

3. Seed Packets

Sure, they’re economical, and to some brides concerned about the environment, they can seem like a great statement about conservation, deforestation, and so on. But what will people who live in the city do with these? Or those who really aren’t into gardening? Or who get them in winter months when there’s no planting?

To many guests, seed packets as wedding favors seem a bit cheap and even downright tacky, and most get thrown away immediately. Unless you live in farm country or know they’ll be put to good use, opt for something else.

4. Key Chains

Specialized key chains are actually a very personal item that people don’t typically buy, unless they see something that expresses some part of their personality. A person with a tiny Rubik’s cube may appreciate puzzles and intellect. Someone with a photo of their child dangling from their keys is close to their family. A memento from a special museum means that the subject is something close to their heart, whether it’s art or science or a particular culture. But giving personalized key chains with your picture is a little invasive. Very few people want to see a picture of you and your fianc?e as a couple every time they take out their keys. It’s a bit like giving out t-shirts with your photo – this is just too much personal advertising for it to really be thought of as nice wedding favors.

5. Anything That Breaks the Budget

Everyone wants every part of their special day to be just perfect, and the absolute best that there is, and this includes wedding favors. But no matter what your taste or preferences, avoid wedding favors that are going to put you over the top when it comes to your wedding budget. Yes, you want to give your guests something tasteful and thoughtful, but there are some beautiful and affordable options that would work just as well as those expensive choices.

Again, these are just general guidelines when it comes to choices for wedding favors, and obviously your opinions may be different about each of these items. But remember that a favor is a gift that you give to your guests as a way of saying thank-you for being a part of your celebration, and you need to keep their tastes and preferences in mind as well. With a little bit of shopping and planning, you’re sure to find the right choice of wedding favors that are truly appreciated and cherished.

Linda Ellison is a freelance writer who specializes in trends and lifestyles. Her previously published fiction works, including the Dana Ford Mystery Series, have been on bookshelves nationwide. Visit www.FavorsAndWraps.com to read more about the latest trends in wedding favors.

3 More Items to Avoid as Wedding Favors

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

Choosing just the right wedding favors can be one of the most enjoyable parts of planning for a wedding, as there are so many options available that are unique, artistic, and expressive. Whatever your theme and whatever your tone of your wedding – fun and whimsical, traditional and elegant – you’re sure to find something that’s just right for you. However, before you make your final selection, here are 3 common items you should avoid as wedding favors, and why.

Anything too “girly.”

Scented sachets, lip balm, cookie cutters, pedicure sets, sewing kits, and anything shaped like a wedding dress or fancy shoe is probably not going to be appreciated by your male guests. Remember, wedding favors are a way of thanking your guests for being there and for sharing your special day, and you want the male guests to feel just as appreciated as the women. Opt for wedding favors that will appeal to both sexes; if you see some “girly” wedding favors that you absolutely love, purchase those for a bridal shower or bachelorette party, or just get a few to give to your bridesmaids as an extra thank-you gift.

Anything too personal.

It’s easy to think that keychains make great wedding favors since virtually everyone has keys, but do you really think a man is going to use a keychain that is shaped like a huge novelty engagement ring or stiletto heel? Even many women would find that type of gift just a bit tacky and inappropriate. Salt and pepper shakers, t-shirts, coasters with your picture on it, and anything that someone may not choose for themselves or that is too taste-specific is not going to make for a good gift. Wedding favors should be something that all your guests will appreciate and use, and you have just too many options available to settle for something that your guests will probably hate.

Anything too cheap.

Wanting to keep your wedding budget manageable is a good thing, and of course wedding favors are one area where you can spend far too much if you’re not careful, so many brides opt for more inexpensive favors. There are many inexpensive wedding favors that you can purchase or make yourself without having them look cheap or tacky. If you do opt for more inexpensive favors, dress them up by wrapping them in nice wrapping paper or with wide organza ribbon. A nicely presented table setting goes a long way toward making your guests feel welcome and appreciated, and beautifully displayed wedding favors can add to that look. Resist the urge to just run to the dollar or discount store and stock up on something plastic or flimsy.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed with the many choices you have in front of you when it comes to wedding favors, but having so many choices is just part of the fun. The key to making the right choice is to start shopping early so you can really do some comparing, and think of your guests and what they would enjoy. By being sure that you’re making a choice that they will enjoy, you’re sure to make the right decision when it comes to your wedding favors.

Linda Ellison is a freelance writer who specializes in trends and lifestyles. Her previously published fiction works, including the Dana Ford Mystery Series, have been on bookshelves nationwide. Visit www.FavorsAndWraps.com to read more about the latest trends in wedding favors.

15 wedding flower mistakes to avoid

Monday, August 30th, 2010

15 wedding flower mistakes to avoid
The Knot asked top wedding florists from around the country for the most common mistakes brides make — here’s what your florist wishes you knew.

Read more on KIVI Boise

Hiring A Professional Wedding Photographer – Useful Tips To Avoid Mistakes

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

An old saying reads – A picture is worth more than thousand words. While this fits in perfectly for the all ceremonial pictures, the wedding is once in a lifetime moment that one cherishes for years to come.

Usually, the wedding pictures refer to the photographs of the moments from the wedding. A majority of all these pictures capture the bride, the groom & their group.

We often fail to understand that the wedding pictures are not just a mere solid representation of the event. These are a real memorabilia of all the wonderful moments the couple longs to live for so long.

The culmination of all these pictures in one place that is the album is something that makes you nostalgic when ever you come back to it. Once again you share the union of your becoming a man & wife amidst all your friends & family.

So, while choosing a photographer for your wedding is a task one just can not take for granted. The reason for this is that only a good professional knows the right & creative angles & shots that would make the coverage more explicit & long lived.

So, in order to have truly long lived wedding pictures one must hire a good & professional wedding photographer, some one who could handle all the shots perfectly.

Now while looking for a real good & professional wedding photographer, you must look for the factors mentioned below:

a. He / She must have a valid & legal sales tax license holder.
b. Get your hands on his latest proof of the business insurance.
c. He /She must have the very specialized & well kept professional equipments.
d. These equipments must include the medium format camera and the professional 35 mm camera.
e. He / She must be a member of some professional association.
f. He / She must have a permanent studio.

Here are the things that you must consider before finalizing the wedding photographer:

1. Level of his / her experience

Check the background of the photographer and ask the names of the persons whom he had photographed. You can try calling them & check if they were perfectly satisfied with his / her work & services.

2. Personality

It is a must that the professional you choose, you must be comfortable working together with them. So, try and discuss his / her idea of work. Check if it is easy for you to communicate with that person. He / She must understand your imagination of the images so that they can set their style of photography as per your wished pictures or rather excel on your dreams.

3. Style of photography

Check out some of the sample works of that photographer and see if they appeal you indeed in terms of their style & presentation.

4. References

Check the professional with the references he / she mentions to you. You might like to meet the referred person personally and check his / her work on your own. In case you like the outcome of their work, you can be sure to hire the professional. When the professional is not willing or is hesitant to mention his / her references, he /she is surely not the right photographer you would like to hire.

5. Packages

You must talk about all the packages that the professional photographer can offer to you. In case you aren’t comfortable with all those packages he / she offers try getting one tailor made for your requirements.

6. Accomplished work

Confirm the time limit he / she would require to take to accomplish all the requisites like the album, the bridal portrait and the photos clicked during the wedding ceremony.

7. Price

Check their price in detail and see if their price fits in your budget. In case it does not, you may try looking some other options in the industry. Make sure that the price they quote to you is the final one that includes the price of all the services & photos together.

8. Payments & deposits

In case some unfortunate or unexpected things happen & you would have to cancel the contract, would the photographer give you a refund. Or if the photographer does not turn up at the eleventh hour what would be the consequences. In case they can not come up on the D-Day do they have a partner who could take over the place? You must make sure about all these conditions and discuss all your concerns. Their answers must convince you and they would enhance your trust in their work.

9. Contract

Read & check each & every part of the contract very carefully. In case you do not understand or are confused about any part of the contract feel free to ask about it in detail from the photographer. Try taking the contract home and read it overnight & study it in detail. You must be certain that all the parts of the contract are satisfactory to both the parties mutually.

Now while checking the photographer’s work, make sure to check the following traits:

a. Each & every sample album must have only one wedding. Also check if he has a bulk of sample works.

b. Does he / she have some recent wedding where he could have taken you to have a look at? Now, check out his / her recent wedding album.

c. Study each & every album shown to you well enough and see if it actually tells you the story of the ceremony rather than just filling it up with all similar photos.

d. Check if the portraits are clear enough and how well has the photographer succeeded in capturing the subject’s mood.

e. See if all the pictures are done up artistically. How impressive is the play amidst light & shadow in the photographs.

f. See if the candid shots manage to impress you. They must be very clear & well composed.

Remember, it is a once-in-a-lifetime happening that you must try to live to the fullest in all regards & make it immortalizing with the best of photographs clicked!

Abhishek is a Wedding Planning expert and he has got some great Wedding Etiquette Secrets up his sleeves! Download his FREE 93 Pages Ebook, “Wedding Etiquette Made Easy!” from his website http://www.Wedding-Stars.com/144/index.htm . Only limited Free Copies available.

Avoid These Mistakes When Making Your Own Wedding Favors!

Monday, August 23rd, 2010

There is absolutely nothing wrong with today’s trend of brides making or assembling their own wedding favors.  With the cost of weddings skyrocketing, it’s no wonder that she and her groom will want to trim a few dollars from the cost in any way they can.  And many companies sell beautiful supplies that require just a bit of effort to make your own wedding favors, the end product being just as stunning as any store-bought item.

But there are some words of warning that should be shared with any bride that is considering making her own wedding favors, as there seems to be some common mistakes that many brides are making these days.

For one thing, while you want to be conscious of your budget, you don’t want to skimp too much on your wedding favors.  Remember, these items are your way of thanking your guests for being there, and while it’s your special day, these guests did to through some effort to be there and to share in your day.  Not to mention the fact that they probably got all dressed up, paid a sitter, and sat through your father’s teary-eyed speech of how he remembers his little girl’s first day of school … and so on.  They deserve a small token of your appreciation for how they’ve made your day all the more special, and wedding favors are your way of expressing that appreciation.  So yes, keep your budget in mind but still plan on spending around a dollar per favor, at least.

Also, it’s tempting to use your computer to make up something personal such as bookmarks or personalized candy bar wrappers as wedding favors.  But be honest with yourself – how skilled and artistic are you with the computer and the creation of this type of thing?  Anyone can slap some clipart and fancy lettering on a page and call it a bookmark, but what does it really look like?  Most people who create those things professionally go to school for years to learn about how to balance things on a page, how to use certain fonts to complement certain designs, when certain styles are too busy versus those that need some more decoration, and so on.  Remember, your wedding favors are going to express to your guests your appreciation for their participation in your special day, and if you give them something that looks like your child created it, well, what will this say about how much you appreciate them as guests?

This isn’t to say that you can’t do this type of thing yourself, but might it be better to approach a friend or even someone you work with that is experienced in graphic arts and that can give you some assistance in this regard?  Or consider just purchasing these types of items online.  Most printed items that are sold as wedding favors such as bookmarks and personalized candy bar wrappers are usually very affordable even when you buy them from a professional company – usually a bit less than a dollar each.  With personalized candy bar wrappers, you can buy your own chocolate bars and assemble them at home, saving you even more money.

To avoid the mistakes of making your own wedding favors look a bit too cheap and even downright tacky, consider dressing up your choices as much as possible.  For example, if you buy candy in bulk and put it in tulle or net bags, purchase some ribbon at the fabric store that you can tie those bags with for a very festive and unique touch.  If you purchase individual bonbons to put in small candy boxes, wrap those boxes with beautiful wrapping paper in gold or silver or some color that coordinates with your wedding colors.

Again, there’s nothing wrong with making your own wedding favors but keep in mind that your guests will remember your wedding even after the day is over, so giving them a beautiful and thoughtful favor to take home is always preferable to anything that’s too cheap or simplistic.

 

Linda Ellison is a freelance writer who specializes in trends and lifestyles. Her previously published fiction works, including the Dana Ford Mystery Series, have been on bookshelves nationwide. Visit www.FavorsAndWraps.com to read more about the latest trends in wedding favors.

Wedding Bridal Tips ? Avoid Brides Day Problems

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

For a bride, it will be frustrating to see once something wrong happened right on their wedding day.  The reason for this is that they would like to have the best wedding as much as possible.  Because of this, a lot of future brides would really go online just to find the right wedding bridal tips that will be helpful for them to avoid all the potential problems.

 

In order to help these brides, the following are the tips that they can get to avoid stress on their brides day.  They just need to follow these things to give them the best wedding that they are thinking of.

 

First of all, many brides were having problems that their wedding dresses on the right fitting.  So if you are that bride who does not want to have that problem with your dress, you have to make sure that you will exercise properly in order to keep your body at the right proportion.  Making the gown fit even though it will not really fit can be problematic.  So once you had a size, commit to it by working out and eating right.

 

Second, there are just some brides who do not want to have a share with their gowns.  Because of this, they don’t really know what to do about this.  If the bride will be get married on different church then it will not be a problem.  But if the bride would really want to be unique, they can alter the gown a little bit by adding sash with their color motif or like a belt.  They can also search online for the right way of designing their gowns so they will not look that altered and that they can still do something else to make the gown looking very unique than the usual.

 

Most of the time, some brides would just like to save money on their services.  The only problem is that some bride would do all their programs to the point that they may not do everything anymore.  So in order to avoid this problem, they just need to choose a project or two that they really love and do it themselves for customization.  In this way, they can focus on the project, finish them on time, and have a personal touch on it.

 

Finally, if there are something that the brides notice to be something wrong on their wedding day like in terms of design, it will be no use to cry over it.  Therefore, don’t mind it as long as they are not causing any problems to your guests and basically just enjoy the special day.

 

These are some of the wedding bridal tips that can be helpful for their brides day.  As long as they would go online, they can still find lots of different tips that will be very useful for them and definitely help them enjoy their wedding day.  And of course, they have to make sure that they will have a very good perspective right upon waking up in the morning.

 

Premier destination for wedding and bridal tips, brides day and wedding bridal tips all in one place for everything wedding and bridal information and materials.

The Wedding Scammers: How to Avoid the Big Swindle on Your Big Day

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

The Wedding Scammers: How to Avoid the Big Swindle on Your Big Day
When it comes to major life events—specifically having a baby and getting married (not necessarily in that order)—marketers know how to weasel, prod, and guilt consumers into spending money in all sorts of nonsensical, wholly unnecessary ways. The message sent not only by marketers, but also by colleagues, cranky mother-in-laws, and friends who apparently don’t [...]

Read more on It’s Your Money

Tales of Horror: Worst Ideas For Wedding Dresses You Must Avoid Fast!

Sunday, July 11th, 2010

Unless you intend to marry like Elizabeth Taylor, you only get to wear a wedding dress once in your life. Of course, if by chance or choice you do get married again and again, you would have many wedding dresses! (Don’t even think about recycling your old wedding dress. You might be saving on costs but you are not doing yourself any favors)

Due to the one-time nature of the wedding dress, you must carefully plan for it. And need we mention that cameras and video camcorders are unforgiving in recording for posterity and notoriety your wedding planning lapses including the worst wedding dress ideas anybody dared to apply?

Outrageously Unique Head Ensembles

When you walk down the aisle, people will start assessing your appearance from your veil to your shoes and then back again, hopefully to focus on your radiant face. What if they stop in shocked silence at your outrageously unique headgear? You want awed silence at the heavenly vision you present, not shocked silence at the horrific apparition of whatever is on your head!

You have to avoid wedding dresses with headgears that 1) look like the nests of wild animals and your grandma’s whole flower garden; 2) allow your groom to bask in the shade like very wide hats; 3) hide your face completely like layers upon layers of veil; 4) bastardize Queen Amidala’s elaborate head ensembles; and 5) get in the way of the first matrimonial kiss.

Basically, you need a simple and elegant veil that will highlight your face while providing for the traditional head cover required in most church weddings. If you want embellishments on the veil, you can always have a small tiara tucked in there.

Balloon Sleeves

You might not have arms to die-for but trying on all wedding dresses with big sleeves can be the death of your look. Why avoid big sleeves like the bubonic plague? Let us count a few reasons: 1) your groom cannot sit beside you because your sleeves take up all the room; 2) you will bump guests off the dance floor; and 3) you will bump the wedding cake unto the floor.

However, there are a few advantages to wedding dresses with big sleeves like: 1) your sleeves can serve as pincushions; 2) your groom can use them as handkerchief – just lean to the right and sneeze; and 3) you can use them as small bags. Indeed, for every cloud there is a silver lining.

Plunging Necklines

Your groom will appreciate the view but it is doubtful if the officiating priest will approve your plunging-to-the-nether-regions neckline. Maybe he will deliver a sermon on how there is a time for everything – a time to bare and a time to care. Or something like that.

If you are unfazed with the possibility of a long and winding sermon on how the modern Eves lead Adams to sin with their wedding dresses, then think about these possibilities: 1) your wedding rings can get lost in there and what a spectacle that will be; 2) your guests will stare at you and not in a good way – think jeers and leers; and 3) your turn being Janet Jackson with a wardrobe malfunction will happen on your most special of days. Do you really want your nipples to play peek-a-boo?

You have to remember that when it comes to wedding dresses, you might wear them once but you will wear their memories forever. And that is not including the guests who will remember you either in your most beautiful best or in your most horrible outfit ever! You choose.

If you are looking for an online bridal boutique, visit BestForBride.com and choose from among the best wedding favors and wedding dresses for your most special of days!

Wedding planners help bride and groom avoid conflicts

Sunday, June 20th, 2010

Wedding planners help bride and groom avoid conflicts
Planning a wedding can be a stressful task. That’s one reason couples say “I do” to enlisting the services of a wedding planner.

Read more on Canada.com

Couples avoid cookie cutter weddings

Sunday, June 13th, 2010

Couples avoid cookie cutter weddings
Couples are finding ways to make their celebrations unique during one of the busiest wedding seasons of the year.

Read more on Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune