Category: Gift Ideas

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Bridesmaid Duties From Past To Present: It’s More Than Just Bridesmaid Dresses

Did you know that the whole wedding ceremony has a long and rich history? Yes, from the groomsmen to the bridesmaids, a lot has been written about the how they entire wedding entourage came to be.

Today, it is but proper for the bridesmaids to wear the best and the most interesting bridesmaid dresses. In the past, bridesmaid dresses are limited to mimicking the bridal gown? Let’s see why.

The Early Roman World

During this period, bridesmaids formed some kind of a protective shield or an infantry in order to protect the bride as she travels from her place to the village of the groom. Protection was needed as there’s always a possibility of thugs hurting the bride or suitors stealing her away. You can see here that even at such an early civilization, violence has always been one of the by-products of unrequited love.

In the Western World

The tradition begins with complying with the wedding ceremony requirement of having ten witnesses. The aim of this requisite is to outsmart evil souls and spirits who are believed to be in attendance during the ceremony. Thus, it is but proper that bridesmaid dresses are identical to that of the bride (the attire of men ushers must also be identical of the groom’s) so the so-called evil spirits would have a hard time identifying which of the ladies and gentlemen present are being wed.

If you take a look at wedding photographs of Victorian marriages, you’d really have a hard time identifying which of the couples got married simply because of the sameness of the clothes that the entourage is wearing.

In Today’s World

These days, the need for a female troop to protect a bride is no longer imminent. This clearly eliminates the fact that bridesmaid dresses need to be identical with the bride’s. However, bridesmaid dresses should still be in harmony with the theme of the wedding ceremony.

Wedding decor

And although bridesmaids are no longer required to help fend off curses and hexes and evil spirits altogether, they still maintain a vital role in the entire wedding ceremony.

For example, they need to provide key support to the bride. This may be in terms of shopping for the perfect wedding gown or scouting for the most reasonably-priced hotel for the couple’s out-of-town guests. In addition, bridesmaids would also prove to be such a great help in looking for least costly but memorable wedding favors.

Wedding favor

Of course, their responsibility to the couple — especially to the bride — is not only confined in the wedding ceremony itself. There is still bridal a shower to host and organize.

Being a bridesmaid is truly demanding — in a positive way. If you are one, make sure you prepare yourself to get busy months or even years before the special date. You need to spare some time in taking care of wedding preparations. And the payoff for all of these hardwork and sweat? A gorgeous gown that you can wear down the aisle!

You see, the function of bridesmaids hasn’t really changed that much over the years. It has never really made a 360-degree turn, it simply has modernized and has adapted to modern times. Because the fact is, wearing those bridesmaid dresses (identical to the bride’s or otherwise) gives bridesmaids one role: supporting the bride.

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Why Weddings Are Not Complete Without Wedding Cakes

We often wonder what the big fuss on the wedding cakes is all about. Brides pore over its design, flavor and decorations for months on end. Grooms look forward to taking a bite of it. Guests seek it and eagerly anticipate tasting its richness. Wedding cake makers showcase a wide variety of designs on their display windows, making each passerby drool at its magnificence.

We now know that the wedding cakes’ essential role in marriage ceremonies is up there with the wedding dress, the bridesmaids dresses and wedding bouquet. Every guest holds their breath in anticipation of their first glimpse of the wedding cake, the first slice made by the bride and groom, the first forkfuls that the couple feed each other, their first bite of the lovely, rich luxurious cake. So what exactly is the fuss all about? What is with wedding cakes and what does it actually symbolize?

Very few know what wedding cakes represent. Very few understand why bridal boutiques have tons of magazines piled up with various topics about it. Actually, wedding cakes are illustrative of the bliss, as well as the lightheartedness that abounds during the wedding celebration. It shows the bond that husbands and wives will eventually share — it represents the friendship and love that will continue to flourish within the marriage. Feeding each other in front of so many witnesses is deeply meaningful, wherein the bride and groom seem to show the world their affection for each other.

Wedding cakes are, more often than not, a central part of your theme. It links together all the other aspects of your wedding – your decorations, wedding favors, wedding invitations, wedding dress and bridesmaids dressesAnastasia, among others. The cake is the biggest representation of your wedding theme; it is also the best representation of your personality.

What adds to the glitz of wedding cakes is its design. The essential components of its design are the wedding toppers, the icing, and the color of the wedding cake. These designs and decoration determine the impact of your wedding cakes. A wonderfully made cake with a dowdy design is deemed ineffectual. At first glance, guests already have made a judgment on your wedding cake. The already have a preconceived notion on how dowdy it must taste like. Similarly, an exaggeratedly embellished wedding cake will put a lot of guests off. On another note, there are also a few wedding cakes that look superb – every bit as glorious as those in wedding cakes magazines. Yet, these wedding cakes taste bland. Wedding cakes like these are even bigger disappointments. You are building up the expectations of a lot guests, and you let them fall off a cliff when they get to taste the cake.

BlackandWhiteDoubleHeart

All in all, wedding cakes are indispensable. As mentioned above, wedding cakes are the bond that holds you wedding theme together. Without it, your wedding day would seem patchy. It is definitely one element of a wedding that you simply can not do without. A wedding is never the same without a lovely wedding cake.

GoldenButterflyCupcakes

 

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Wedding Cakes in Toronto Blues?

Wedding cakes have been around since the Roman era, and though many traditions over what to do with the wedding cake – such as breaking it over your (bride’s) head, keeping a piece to eat for your first year anniversary, or making you and your new husband kiss over the cake – have thankfully passed, almost every wedding will still have a cake. It has become the quintessential symbol of marriage.

wedding cakes

Back then it was a simple, single-tiered, often white (to symbolize purity) cake. Over the years, the tiers have added (and added), the current contender for the record being a 17 foot, 7-tiered, 15,032 pound cake made by Mohegan Sun. As cool as this may seem, it’s certainly going to be out of place in a place like Toronto. So how should you choose among the many wedding cakes in Toronto?

What Cake Would You Choose?

It seems like a simple enough question, isn’t it? After all, a cake is a cake is a cake. Besides, how many wedding cakes in Toronto can there be? There are literally THOUSANDS of wedding cakes in all shapes, sizes, flavors, and forms, from traditional to extra kinky (yes, kinky) for you to choose and be confused from. When your baker starts babbling on about how this is better than that, wouldn’t it be nice to know what he’s talking about?

What You Should Know

Here are a few definitions that may help you sort things out when choosing wedding cakes in Toronto. Tier means layer. The number of tiers dictates how tall the cake is going to be. The most popular number is three – extravagant enough, but not too much. When you are asking for a quotation, be sure to ask if ALL the layers in that quotation are edible and not styrofoam.

wedding cake

The most common types of cake base from fluffy to dense are sponge, chiffon, and pound (including the fruitcake-type). For the icing, commonly used are butter cream, made of fat or butter and sugar, while foam icing is made of egg white and sugar or marshmallows and fudge icing are chocolate-based icings. All types are placed onto the base with a spatula or an icing funnel. Flat, royal, or fondant icings are basically sugar and water, rolled out into sheets and topped on the cake. However, royal icing has egg whites for thicker consistency, and fondant icing has glucose syrup and cream of tartar to give it that elegant porcelain finish.

Fondant icing is also featured on the most expensive wedding cakes in Toronto. The color to match your wedding motif may be added through the trimmings: flowers (fresh or candy), ribbons, fruit, candies, almost anything that is small enough to place on a cake can be. The last and final touch would be the cake topper. That’s the small figurine of the bride and the groom at the top of the tiers.

And Off You Go You are now armed with the basics, and can now keep up with the shop talk. Good bakers of wedding cakes in Toronto will also offer taste samples of the different cakes. So you can be assured that when you cut into that cake and give your new life partner that first piece, it will almost be as sweet and good as your love.

Looking for wedding favours and wedding cakes in Toronto? Look for a bridal boutique that has it all. Visit BestForBrides.com today.

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Wedding Invitations and Other Wedding Budget Bombers

Wedding Items You Can’t Do Without

When you receive wedding invitations, you already picture the event, if it is a flashy or simple one. After the wedding, you remember the beautiful bride in her stunning wedding gown, the beribboned wedding cake, and the romantic wedding venue, everything straight out of a fairy tale.

Now you are planning your wedding. At the top of the list are your wedding dress, rings, wedding cake, wedding invitations and wedding venue. Ridding one item is unimaginable so you juggle your funds. Redo your calculations to stretch your budget because there are the wedding accessories, wedding photography, DJ, wedding officiant, wedding planner, the wedding entourage, wedding videography, and the pre-wedding dinner to host.

A hefty chunk of the budget goes to the wedding gown, rings, wedding cake, wedding invitations, venue and corkage. Unfortunately, you cannot choose to ignore any of these because the stuff makes your wedding memorable. But you can save hundreds of dollars if you know how to trim down your expenses.

Money-Saving Tips

Wedding Dress

Before entering a favoured bridal boutique inform the sales clerk you are looking for a dress within a particular price range. This done, you are shown the appropriate items. If you do not or forget to tell the clerk about your preference, expect to be shown top designer gowns you cannot afford and chances are you end up with a pricey wedding dress because you get upsold.

Wedding Invitations

Wedding invitations and stationery that are professionally printed are not cheap. These have fancy designs and printing techniques and before you know it, you are spending more than you have planned. Avoid more expense by choosing simple invitations or making your own personalized wedding invitations if you are feeling adventurous.

Wedding Rings

You can easily be distracted with flashy rings so tell the clerk upfront you want wedding rings within certain price tags. Be ready with your finger sizes to avoid ending up with rings that do not fit, it is again a waste of money.

Wedding Cake

The cake is costly because of baking pans and baking accessories are expensive. Bakers also use quality ingredients for tasty cakes. Ask the hotel if their pastry chef can bake your cake. Brides who have done this route swear they saved money on their wedding cake. Also, consider a “dummy” cake for the centerpiece.

Wedding Venue

If you want 100 guests to break it out on the dance floor or an intimate bunch to lounge in an outdoor setting, visit the venue to see if it suits your style. So before signing the contract for the venue, check out what is included and not. You might get stung with a ruined budget because of additional fees.

Corkage

Find out the corkage cost for wines. This can cost you a packet if you are not careful. So before finalizing the contract for the venue, know what you are in for. Other venues charge lower corkage fees so continue looking around.

The best rule to follow to avoid wedding budget bombers is to stick to your budget, no matter how much you hanker for that luxurious wedding gown, romantic venue, glittering rings and beautiful wedding invitations.

Brides, shop wisely for your wedding invitations, wedding dresses, and wedding favor. Find quality but affordable items at BestForBrides.com.