Category: Weddings

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Top 10: Fun & Unique Wedding Gifts

A wedding signifies the fusion and coming together of two wonderful souls. If you’ve been invited to a wedding, it’s critical that your gift does justice to this occasion. The value of a gift comes from the thought put into it, not so much the money invested in it. You could send something really expensive but have it not mean much. That being said, you could send something affordable and touch the newly weds hearts profoundly.
Here are our top ten choices:

1) Wedding Day Contributions
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If you want to think outside the box then don’t pick up a traditional wedding gift. Instead give thought to what exactly the bride & groom may need help with in preparation for the wedding. Weddings are expensive so any help in this area will go a long way.

2) Department Store Gift Certificate
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Many people think about giving cash as a wedding gift. The problem with cash by itself is it’s very impersonal, uncreative, and quiet frankly doesn’t show much effort. If you know what store the bride & groom frequently enjoy shopping at, you can pick up a gift certificate for a reasonable amount.

3) Paid For Vacation Package
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If you’ve ever planned a wedding, been married, or have been close to someone who has then you understand the hassles of doing so. There are literally a million things that need to get done and everyday that goes by you are getting closer to the big day. Treat them to a fun vacation where they can spend time with each other after the wedding is over, they’ll love this one.

4) Set Of Kitchen Utensils
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At every wedding the couple is expecting to receive the typical kitchen utensils such as spoons, forks, glasses, pitches, plates, and other similar items. In fact they will receive multiple presents containing these. What everyone seems to forget is the less obvious items like can openers, knifes, spatulas, ladles, soup ladles, and other similar products.

5) Spa Gift Baskets For Two
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These are the ultimate forms of relaxation, pampering, & rest. Pick up any two of these gift baskets, one for the bride with a feminine touch & one for the groom with a masculine touch. A wedding is stressful event in itself so give them a day of complete relaxation with a pair of spa gift baskets.

6) Personal Hobbies & Interests
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It’s important to only go with a gift relating to a personal hobby or interest if you are already friends with the bride, groom, or both. The last thing you want to do is try to make a guess of what they enjoy doing with their time because chances are it won’t be right. Another tip would be to find someone who is friends with them and ask for suggestions.

7) Monogrammed Pillow Cases & Bed Sheets
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Instead of going with something off the shelf you can add a personal touch to it by customizing the gift. In this case we recommend going with monogrammed pillow cases & bed sheets. They’ll not only need these anyway but really enjoy these when moving into their new home together.

8) Customized Wedding Photo Quilt
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The cool thing about wedding photos are that every time the couple looks at them they’ll think of their wonderful day. Not only that, they’ll remember you for gifting it to them. The best way to organize this present is to get a handful of favorite photos by asking around & having it delivered directly.

9) Personalized Presents
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These days you can personalize just about everything by engraving, monogramming, embroidery, special silk-screening, lamination, or just getting something really unique that appeals to both the bride & groom. Some common items include glassware, photo frames, gift sets, & other high quality usable products.

10) His & Her Bath Set
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These are affordably priced and the quality is super high, at only the $45-$65 range you can buy the best of the best bath sets. When you usually pick out a present it’s either perfect for the bride or perfect for the groom. What’s nice about a his & her bath set is both can enjoy this lovely gift together.

This list was contributed by the good people of TotallyTop10, a great place for funny and interesting top ten lists.

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If You Can’t Be that Creative with Wedding Favors

If you can be very creative with your wedding dress and wedding motif, you can also get creative wedding favors.

If You Can’t Be that Creative

It takes some spunk to be creative; you take on new ideas and make them into tangible objects. According to Rollo May, American existential psychologist, “creativity is the process of bringing something new into being…” This can be well applied on wedding favors. Admittedly some people have this gift for creativity. Well if you share the same boat, you can borrow these ideas to bail you out of a creativity plateau.

wedding favor

Capitalize on Your Locality’s Specialties

Look around you. What are tourists buying left and right from your shops? Are they buying delicacies or special sweets only available in your region? If your California region has the best peaches order the fruits and have them preserved. Package these in personalized bottles and you’re ready with your creative wedding favors. This is a special treat for out-of-town guests but local guests will equally love the preserved bottled peaches.

If sweets are not your region’s top tourist drawers, how about having a great carver do miniature caricature carving of you and your groom? This won’t be cheap, but this is fun, and something different in the wedding scene. If you are having 25 guests for your wedding, this idea won’t cost you a fortune. Hire an experienced caricature carver or look for this service online and don’t forget to ask for his portfolio.

How about flowering plants? If you are living in Oregon or Seattle, Washington you must have known about the stunning roses, which are the best in the US for their beauty and scent. Scout around for some potted tiny rose bushes. If this is a great idea for you, start making arrangements with the local nursery and have your potted roses readied months before the wedding. Pots of roses in the bud are romantic and irresistible wedding favors. You can plant this yourself if you love gardening.

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Keeping the Budget Down

If budget is an issue, water down your plans for your wedding favors. Instead of expensive items, go for something practical that won’t ‘bankrupt’ you. If your guests know that you bake a superb chocolate cake and that the groom dishes up great steak, it’s time to share them your secret recipes. Add more family recipes and have these laminated; tied with a satin ribbon, you give the wedding favors flair.

Chocolates, jelly beans, and mint candies are great edibles to give away to your guests. Personalize these with your initials with custom-made molders. Edibles are inexpensive and if you have a hundred or more guests, you can keep the budget down with edibles.

For their wedding favors, some bridal couples ask the caterer to bake a small wedding cake for the sharing-the-cake ceremony and small cupcakes in special boxes for the guests. This is a concession to an age-old tradition of sharing the wedding bread. The tradition was to share the couple’s happiness and good fortune with the guests as a way of thanking them graciously for witnessing the big day and sharing the fun.

Shopping for wedding favors, bridesmaid dress, and the best of the wedding dresses? Visit BestforBride.com today.

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Wedding Dresses Secrets You Should Know

How do some brides pull it off with their wedding dresses? Where do they shop for fantastic dresses that do not come with the prices of Balenciaga wedding frocks? If you are getting married this year, the thought might not cross your mind, but it pays to know what to do in advance.

Shop Months Ahead

Planning for the wedding covers hundreds of details for a one-day affair. If you can afford a wedding planner to do the worrying that would be great but if you opt to do the footwork yourselves, be realistic about diving the chores with your groom so you can focus on shopping for a wedding dress, bridesmaid dresses, and your trousseau.

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In your excitement, you might make the mistake of hundreds of brides before you. The common mistake brides make is taking too much time deciding on their wedding dresses. Ordering a bridal dress should have a margin for alterations and several fittings before it is finally ready for pick up, which in most cases is about three weeks before the wedding. Bridal shops require that you make an order at least six months before the wedding; this may seem to be too well in advance, which is correct.

In six months time, you start shopping around. When you find one that stands out from the rack of wedding dresses and discover it does not fit, there is time to make extensive alterations. If you find a dress that’s perfect but you want pearls to be added on the bodice, then that’s another time-consuming refurbishing.

Another thing, if you are planning a summer wedding get your order before the summer boom. Bridal stores are up to their neck with alterations by this time and you won’t find a shop willing to take on a rush order for wedding dresses. Unless you have a perfect figure and can fit the regular sizes and you immediately find something gorgeous, there should be no problem. But don’t bet on this.

The Custom Look Without the Expense

You might have set your sights on Oscar de la Renta wedding dresses, which are unfortunately beyond your budget. If you look around, you can find a similar style from a Divina Sposa bridal collection, Mori Lee collection, Jai Bridals, Alfred Sung, and Collector – for the fraction of the price of ritzy designer labels. You might be surprised at the extensive selections, the fabulous fabrics, and designs and best of all, the price for a stunning wedding dress and you can rent your wedding dress!

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Advantage of One-Stop Wedding Shopping

Bridal shops have bridal packages and give away lots of discounts if you buy your wedding dress, bridesmaid dresses, mother-of-the-bride’s dress, wedding invitations and wedding cake from them. This saves you time and the stress of dealing with different shops. The bridal shop specialist assigned to you also works closely with you and gives you updates on your wedding stuff. These are a hundred dollars

Ordering Online

Ordering wedding dresses online is a convenience. But be very accurate with your measurements before clicking away. Ask a professional seamstress take your measurement first. Doing the measurement yourself may not be a good idea; mistakes are costly and the dress may need extensive work for a single mistake.

If the bridal shop is within your locality or just an hour’s drive away, visit the shop and try on the wedding gowns and dresses that suit your body shape and skin coloring. This eliminates future problems about fit. Now you know some of the secrets when shopping for your wedding dress.

This shop has the best that wedding dresses, wedding favours, and wedding bouquet flowers Toronto can offer excited brides. Visit BestforBride.com today.

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Fixing the Moms’ Evening Dresses Dilemma

Mothers love to be pampered on their daughter’s or son’s wedding even if they do not make it an issue. But for your wedding day, let your moms dress up in evening dresses and they’ll love it. After all, the wedding is their special day too.

mother of the bride dress

Behind the Wedding Preparations

Elegant evening dresses are always associated with the brides and their bridesmaids. Seldom is it connected with the mothers of the bridal couple. Here’s what, even if your moms are in their late fifties or sixties, they can still wear chic dresses with panache. It wouldn’t be tough looking for the appropriate dresses; stores have an array of the right mix of dresses for all ages and there would be dresses that moms would be willing to wear with pride.

Moms usually favor simple lines or the uncluttered look; but at the advice of the fashion stylist they can venture into new styles and match their dresses with the right accessories and hairstyles. Although they are all set to experiment with the latest trends in evening dresses, comfortable wear still tops their list. However, brides and grooms should watch out for the dress choices of their moms. If one is going to splurge on a caliber evening dress, the other should also be dressed up with a fancy designer label.

The two moms could offer to buy their own dresses or the bridal couple could offer to buy their respective moms their evening dress. This arrangement should be agreed on early during the planning stages to deter any misunderstanding or should you say, hurt feelings? If you are going to buy your moms their dresses, be clear about the budget for the dress. Your moms may put up some amount if they want a particular dress that goes beyond the agreed budget.

The Shopping

When the bride starts shopping for her wedding dress, she should set a different shopping schedule for her mom and the groom could ask a sister or cousin to take his mom to a store that carries a line of designer labels for evening dresses. Both moms should have agreed to some dress expectations – length or color of the dress. Their dresses should complement their styles not clash for attention. So early on the wedding planning, careful attention should be given to the mother of the bride and groom.

mother of the bride dresses

Moms can be defiant and won’t settle for anything they don’t like. They are ready to scour the whole city to find the dress that they’ll love at first sight, whether they find it in a yard sale or in a ritzy NY shop. Most often brides let their moms tag along when shopping for the bridal dress. It is not advisable to let mom look at evening dresses when at the same you are shopping for your wedding dress. This would be stressful for both of you.

Time the shopping for your mom’s evening dress separately so you can focus on your mom’s needs. You can help her browse the offerings from different online bridal shops or magazines to give her ideas for her evening dress. Invite your groom’s mom if it is possible for her and your mom to shop together for their evening dresses. The shopping can give them time to know each other and enjoy the outing together.

Shopping for evening dresses and your wedding dress in stylish bridal shops is fun and exciting. For your flowers for wedding, Toronto bridals have these too, which is also convenient. Visit BestforBride.com today for all your wedding needs.