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 bridal 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 bridal gowns, 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!

When you were young and blessedly far from being wedded, you laughed at the videos of wedding cakes melting, falling down, trampled upon by nature, thrown by guests, and just simply ruined. Now that you are planning your own wedding, you definitely do not want these disasters to happen at your special day, not when your wedding cake is the main highlight of your reception. Not to mention, you spent a good deal of the food budget on it!

The best way to avoid wedding cakes disasters is to hire professional bakers with the right equipment to safeguard your wedding cake. You can choose from among a wide array of cake designs and flavors and they can answer your questions about your cake.

The Natural Cakes

We are not talking about wedding cakes made of organic ingredients and fresh flowers. We are talking about cakes ruined by Mother Nature’s creatures like insects, birds, cats, dogs, and other undesirable natural elements.

You have insects landing on your cake and adding in a natural color; you have birds pooping on your cake and adding in a natural flavor; you have pets that literally put their stamp of approval; you have leaves adding crunch; you have wind that thinks your cake is its birthday cake. The list goes on and on.

You can avoid these wedding cakes disasters by:

* Renting or investing in a screened tent for your wedding cake
* Erecting a fence to surround the cake with an umbrella poised above it
* Instructing someone to stand guard over the cake to shoo away undesirables
* Conducting your reception inside even when you have an outdoor wedding.

The Falling Cakes

This is one disaster you laughed at the hardest since this is the most obvious. For your wedding day, this is no laughing matter and one that you can avoid by following a few common sense tips:

* Make sure your wedding cake is placed away from high traffic areas like the dance floor and the entrance and exits.
* Ensure that it is far from the loudspeakers as the inevitable shaking is bad for your cake’s stability especially when it is of the three-tiered variety.
* Check the stability of the cake table especially when you have multiple wedding cakes; remember that it will be on display for hours and wobbly tables are disasters waiting to happen.

The Melting Cakes

Sure, you want a melt-in-your mouth cake that will be the rave of your guests. What you do not want is literally melting cakes with icing flowing down like gooey make-up on a very hot summer’s day, colors running into each other like a painter’s canvass gone bad, and flowery designs turning into Goth symbols.

This disaster usually happens on a spring or summer wedding when the heat and humidity can wreak havoc on your wedding cake. You can avoid this by:

* Ensuring your baker stores the cake in a carefully-controlled environment during the decorating stage and the transport to the reception venue
* Covering the cake with a tent if you are having an outdoor reception
* Keeping the cake away from heat sources and windows if you are having an indoor reception.

If you want to be surer, then you can always have cupcakes as your wedding cakes. It is practical and it is becoming more fashionable.

With expert advice on your dream bridal dress, wedding favours and wedding cakes, you will never have disasters on your hands on your wedding day. Visit BestforBride and get this expert advice today!

 

You are planning your first wedding. There are plenty of things to attend to – dresses, rings, invitations, venue, music, food and drinks, schedules, and engagement problems – that leave you feeling like a cold is coming on. Cold feet, that is. However, do not be discouraged by the hoopla. Take comfort in the knowledge that your perfect wedding favors will be the talk of your guests when they exit your reception.

What Are They and Why Should You Give Them?

Wedding favours are tokens of appreciation that you provide your guests. These express your appreciation for their attendance of your most special day, especially when they got all dressed up and coiffed, bought you thoughtful wedding gifts, and shared your happiness.

Of course, these tokens also express the hope that your magnificent wedding will be remembered by your guests. Besides, it is good to have something to have and to hold, literally, from your wedding day. When your silver wedding anniversary approaches, you might even want to replicate your first wedding favors for nostalgic purposes!

How Do You Go About Them and How Much Do You Need to Spend?

There are many online shops and brick-and-mortar stores you can source for your wedding favors. The basic guidelines for these are usually:

* Pick favors that match your wedding colors. You can take a swatch of fabric to the manufacturers of your favors to be sure about the hues you want.
* Double-duty favors are better. You can put nametags on your favors for each guest – place these on their table assignments or have the receptionist give them upon their entrance to the reception venue with their table assignments.
* Provide one favor for each couple and one favor for singles. This way, you save on the cost of the favors and you ensure that every one has something to bring home from your wedding.

Depending on your budget and preference, you can spend as little as C$1 to C$20 per guest. You can opt for do-it-yourself favors or store-bought favors depending on your priorities. However, there some tips you can keep in mind:

* Buy in bulk to save on cost
* Edible favors and goodie bags save time and energy from packing them up

Regardless of how much your wedding favors cost, you should package them with care and thoughtfulness.

When Do You Give Them?

Your favors can be provided to your wedding guests in a variety of ways:

* Place your favors in the tables preferably at each guest’s table napkin.
* Set up a table for your favors, place a card that says “Please take one and take me home” or simply “Thank you”, and have one person man the table to make sure every guest gets one.
* Instruct the waiters to hand out the favors between courses.
* Instruct the doorman, the coat attendant, or your bridal party to provide each guest with a favor when they leave the reception.

Of course, you can always hand out the favors as a couple but that is time-consuming and could possibly take you away from other activities. Just be sure you are up to the task.

Ultimately, your attention to details in small things like your wedding favours can make your wedding memorable for you and your guests. Take the time to achieve near perfection and you will be rewarded with a glitch-free wedding from start to end.

For the best online bridal shop for your wedding needs like discount wedding invitations and affordable wedding favors, visit BestforBride now and get only the best for your wedding day!

 

The Daring Darling Bride

Yes. More brides are thrashing their wedding dresses for non-traditional and action packed wedding photography. Imagine being underwater in a forest stream with your groom. The photographer, also underwater, catches the moment – billowing white silky sheath of your bridal dress silhouettes your body in the mysterious depths, highlighted by a beam of sunlight above. Mind blowing, isn’t it?

The photograph is taken from below the couple to show the upward movement towards the sunlight; the underwater scene gives a very other-worldly and artistic effect perfect for wedding photo album your children will enjoy in the future. But are you ready for the adventure that might ruin, stain, and tear your bridal dress?

If the idea is appealing than the usual ritual of group pictures, then go for it. By agreeing to your groom’s proposal for exotic photography, you are ready for anything that might happen to your wedding dress because there is no guarantee that your bridal dress will remain in pristine condition after a romp on the sand or running in the railway station. Anyway, the photographs will more than justify the trashing of the wedding gown.

The Best Trash the Bridal Dress Sites

These tips can provide more ideas an exciting and fun photography session:

* Select from the rural, urban, or water themes for your trash the dress sessions.
* Look around the neighborhood; the park or an old junkyard can provide the stage without having to get out of town for a special shot after the wedding.
* If you want a sentimental touch, and if it is the right time, you can have your shoots in apple orchards or in a cornfield.
* A haunting photo session in an abandoned house may not appeal to others but it jacks up the photojournalistic appeal of the pictures.
* The wharf is another spot for a perfect sunset photo op.
* An empty university grounds where the couple have studied can also be a meaningful backdrop. If it won’t be against school policy, get permission to have your pictures along the hallway, where there is a heavy traffic of students.
* A night shoot at the beach under a canopy of stars adds romance to the pictures.

Here are tips to help you along while trashing your bridal gown:

* Before the shoot, check your make-up.
* Don’t worry about your hair.
* Don’t be conscious of the photographer.
* Just do what you are supposed do and love every minute of it.

Trash the bridal dress photo sessions are not about literally trashing the wedding gown but a new way of photographing the bride and groom wearing their wedding finery in non-traditional and unusual settings -but the pictures always capture the radiance of love surrounding them, which makes the pictures truly appealing.

This is what counts in the new wedding photos. As for your bridal dress, you can donate it to charity or send it to the cleaners. You will not need it anymore once you have the dress forever preserved in amazing wedding pictures.

Choose your bridal dress, wedding favours, and sample tasty wedding cakes from BestForBrides.

 

When guests troop to the reception hall, they expect to see a gorgeous wedding cake proudly ensconced where everybody can see it. They are also pleasantly surprised when it tastes as good as it looks. This should be your goal when you are looking for the wedding cake of your dreams. 

Wedding cakes come in wonderful designs and trimmings, and colors undreamed of. You no longer have to settle for a pristine white cake that looks so official with the traditional sugar flowers also in white or the usual hoi polloi of green, blue and pink.

Wedding cakes have fun colors ranging orange to lavender and an assortment of trimmings an inventive and creative baker can dish up. Lace, ribbons, fresh flowers and fruit, candies, grated coconut, and swarovski beads and edible fondant pearls are used for stunning decorative pieces that would send your great grandma to fits of envy.

Fondant and marzipan icing revolutionized cake decorating and new baking technology allowed the successful baking of wedding cakes in unusual shapes – cubes, triangles, hearts, harem pillows, castles, and yes, shoes and bags or your caricatures for a touch of fun. Perhaps if you could afford it, you’ll have them all for their stunning looks alone.

How to Find the Right Mix of Looks and Flavour

Planning for a fantastic wedding cake starts month before the wedding because bakers are fully booked months ahead. Your plan should include the cake recipe. Here are some ideas for your cake:

* White cake recipes
* Chocolate cakes
* Cakes with fruits and nuts

Wedding cakes may cost $1.50 a slice or $15.00. This is how bakers calculate the cost of the cake and price includes cost for frosting and flavour. For your chocolate or white cake, ask the baker how much he will charge for ganache or fruit fillings because bakers routinely charge more for specialized cakes that require special fillings and frosting. But if flavour is tops in your requirement, then shell out a little more.

For your cake icing, you can choose one to complement the cake’s recipe:

* Cream cheese icing
* Cocoa and butter sauce
* Traditional butter icing
* Meringue frosting
* Milk chocolate

Icing for wedding cakes can be made to look like swaths of silk, Venetian lace, and feathers. This will all depend on the skill and of the baker who will also present his portfolio of wonderful wedding cake designs.

Ideally, since it is your wedding, get your favorite cake recipe. The groom may also want his groom’s cake or may want a different flavoured cake. If this is so, request the baker to have a three tiered cake in different flavours.

Before You Get a Baker

Before talking to a baker, prepare to give the following information:

* Date of wedding
* Wedding motif
* Venue of reception
* Number of guests
* Number of servings for the cake

Armed with this information find a baker who has the patience to understand the visions of wedding cakes cavorting in your head and who can duplicate the exquisite flavor of your mom’s butter rum cake. If you find this gem of a baker, sign that contract at once before he can say no.

Wedding cakes and wedding favours should be as delectable as the bridal dress. You can have your cake and eat it too from BestForBrides.

 

If you want wedding favors that all of your guests will appreciate and partake of, the edible varieties are your top choices. After all, not everybody can appreciate the subtleties of scented candles, the cuteness of miniature watering cans, the usefulness of glass coasters and fridge magnets, and the playfulness of light-up rings, among other things. But with food, you can satisfy your guests’ love for candy, wine, coffee, cookies, cupcakes and other delicacies.

For the Sweet Tooth

You can set up a penny candy cart where your guests can stock up on childhood candy favorites – button candy, jelly drops, gum drops, mints, and mini chocolate bars, to name a few – in personalized takeout boxes. Not only will you satisfy the sweet tooth, you will also be taking a trip down memory lane with these simple but delectable wedding favors.

Or you can provide a jar of organic honey for your guests, wrap it in a length of ribbon, and pin a tag with sweet messages of your choice. You will be providing sales to the local bee farm while providing sweet wedding favors of the health-friendly kind to your family and friends.

Or you can hand out your favorite cookies packaged in cute little boxes wrapped in ribbon. You need not bake it yourself since you can ask the local bakery to make it in batches for you.

However, if it is a long-cherished family recipe, you can always ask the help of your siblings and parents.

Or you can always hand out mini cupcakes that are a reflection of your wedding cake. This way, your guests can have mini-cakes to show at home if they want. Or they can eat it right there! How is that for wedding cakes doing double duty as wedding favors?

For the Oenophiles

To the uninitiated, that is wine lovers for you. You can package mini wine bottles with the same wine you used during the reception, use a personalized wine bottle stopper, and attach a ribbon to them with your own message of thanks.

Admittedly, this can be on the expensive side but your guests will admire and appreciate the thoughtfulness behind the gifts. It is small compensation for the trouble they, too, took to attend your wedding.

For the Coffee Lovers

These are wedding favors that almost every adult will love. Do not settle for the instant variety of coffee but instead go for the gourmet touch. After all, it is not as if you will be spending for a coffee chain; just enough for a cup or two of coffee will do nicely!

You can buy gourmet chocolate-covered coffee beans online, package them into personalized tins or bags, and wrap with a ribbon. You will be giving your guests a welcome boost at the end of or in the morning after the festivities.

There are other edible wedding favors that you can provide your guests. The first thing to do is to determine what you like, what your guests might like, the time you can devote on making or buying them, and the amount you can afford to pay for them. In the end, it is your wedding and your favors are just small tokens of appreciation that guests will take no matter the cost.

For the best bridal shop online, visit BestforBride and get expert advice on wedding matters like discount wedding invitations and wedding favors.

 

Everybody likes to receive wedding favors from the couple, whether it is of the edible kind, the practical type, or the displayable variety. For your wedding, you are thinking along this line and looking at catalogs for wedding favours like cute wine bottle stoppers, quirky scented candles, sweet mints and candies, delectable cookies and cupcakes, sweet picture frames and fridge magnets.

However, you can make your wedding more memorable by giving donations to charitable causes of your choice. You can always provide for the above mentioned wedding favors if you have the budget for them and you want concrete objects to have and to hold; your guests will surely love your thoughtfulness.

Do Your Research

Before you make charitable donations to the organization of your choice, be sure to do your research. Organizations have different approaches to accepting donations and spending contributions, which you need to be aware of before you sign that check. You can check the Internet first.

You have to make sure that your choice of organization issues an official receipt for your donation, which could be used for tax deduction purposes. Otherwise, you need to start looking somewhere else lest you run into trouble with the law. With the problems you face in your wedding preparations, you definitely do not want trouble in your wedding favors where there is none expected.

Donation Ideas

First, determine who and what you would like to help. This way, you can narrow down your wedding favors cum donations to these choices:

* Environmental Causes

Visit the website of your favorite environmental group and make a donation through your credit card, which should take you very little time. You can check out National Arbor Day Foundation, Save the Elephants, Greenpeace or any local environmental group you want. For example, National Arbor will plant trees in the name of your guests.

For presentation, you can place a table card with an image of a tree, the guest’s name and your favorite tree quote. Your guests will be thrilled to know that a tree is planted in their honor!

* Disaster Causes

You can donate to organizations helping to assist victims of disaster rebuild their lives. Check out the Twin Towers Fund, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army and any local organization helping your neighbors.

Furthermore, you can save on the cost of your wedding since you determine how much you donate. You can present this donation through cards with messages of thanks from the organization and from you.

* Cancer Research and Patients

You might have a family member battling the Big C. Your donation to cancer research will warm his heart and those of your guests, too. You can check out the hospitals that have cancer wards and ask around for the patients who need help the most. You can also directly donate to cancer research institutes.

The documentary requirements to make the contribution legal will be more complicated but it is worth the trouble. Check out the Make a Wish Foundation, The American Cancer Society and your local hospital.

These donation ideas are just a few but when you put your mind to it, you can find other causes to support. How about feeding the hungry? Or clothing the poor?

Whatever you decide on for your wedding favors, always remember that it is your thought that counts. If you decide to give both donations and concrete favors, then everybody gets to be happy on your most special day.

If you are looking for a bridal shop that can help you with discount wedding invitations and personalized wedding favors to help you achieve your dream wedding, visit BestforBride today!