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New Confetti Traditions for Weddings

For many years, it has been the tradition at weddings to through rice at the bride and groom as they are departing for their honeymoon celebration. However, in recent years, this tradition has somewhat become boring and couples are constantly looking for new ways to celebrate their union.

Over the years, there have been many things that have been used to replace rice throwing at wedding. Below are some of the most popular items as well as a couple that are fun and unique.

Bubbles

Instead of throwing rice, many couples have decided to use small containers of bubbles instead. These are great because there is very little work involved with them; you simply throw them into a pretty basket. Also, they do not cause a huge mess as other options do and kids love taking them home for later. This means that there will be very few left over that must then be disposed of or cleaned up.

Confetti

Although it may be more difficult to clean up, confetti can create a beautiful effect for the bride and groom’s departure. It can be created to match any wedding color theme and will be beautiful in pictures. Another fun idea would be to offer the guests party poppers instead that they can launch them as the bride and groom leave as well.

Balloons

Balloons are not typically thought of as a wedding item, but they can make for a great way to celebrate as the bride and groom leave for their honeymoon. Each guest can be provided with a balloon that they will release as the bride and groom are exiting the building. Not only will this create some fantastic pictures, but it will be a nice memory of the wedding as well.

Silly String

If you are looking for a unique and fun idea, silly string can also be a fun addition to a wedding reception. Keep in mind that it will be extremely messy, but is also an option that can be very fun. To add even more fun, the bride and groom should have a can or two to defend themselves with as they are leaving as well.

Rose Petals

This is another option that is inexpensive and fun. You can easily find a good number of options at your local flower shops for relatively little money. You can also choose flowers that match your wedding bouquet or the flowers in your wedding as well.

Conclusion

Throwing things at the bride and groom while they are leaving the wedding venue for their honeymoon is a tradition that most couples include with their wedding planning process. It is a fun tradition that can create great pictures and enjoyable memories.

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Best for Bride is a bridal shop that offers a great number of resources for brides and the wedding planning process. Brides can experience something special when they begin planning their wedding at this one stop shop bridal store that offers everything needed to plan a wedding.

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Getting the Best Possible Out of Your Wedding Photos

Pictures are worth more than thousand words, therefore your wedding photos must include some perfect combinations of humorous, serious outrageous and sentimental shots, because they are the ones you will treasure for the rest of your life. Here are some tips you should consider.

For your pre-wedding meetings, make sure you set up some consultations with your chosen photographer at the venue of your wedding because it helps in all cases. Try to organize a consultation with your photographer late in the afternoon because that is the time mostly scheduled for couples’ photo-shoots. You need to make plans with your photographer, especially how the day’s events will unfold. For instance, your photographer needs to know when will the couple walk into the reception hall, and He needs to know where you want your pictures to be taken from. Adequate preparations for timing, and lightning will save you from any likely embarrassments.

You need to book your engagement shoots ahead of time. The quality of photos taken at your engagement will help you work with your photographer ahead of the proper wedding. Engagement photo-shoots can serve as wedding photo-shoot trials and the quality you get can help you determine whether you can hire him for the next phase of your wedding program.

The venue of the wedding must be arranged early so that your photographer can take pictures of the wedding decor earlier in the day, and just before the arrival of your guests. It is almost impossible to get excellent decor photos when your guests are already at the venue. Make arrangements with your photographer and ensure that he arrives not later than 3 hours before the start of the wedding ceremony.

Preparing your venue for the wedding photo-shoots is important. Make sure you choose a large hall with lots of windows to provide natural lightning. Make sure you plan the overall look and feel of the wedding venue by de-cluttering and making the room as neat as possible.

Try to get your wedding ceremonies done at one venue as much as possible, this will save you the hassle of moving your guests from one place to another as such can disrupt the effectiveness of your photographer. This will also save you some money, considering the fact that you are paying your photographer on an hourly basis.

Try as much as possible to keep the total number of your family photos to between 8 and 12 in order to save time and give the lists to your photographer as well as someone in your bridal party who can gather people when they are needed to take pictures.

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Digital Dress Dreams: Expert Tips for Successfully Buying Your Wedding Gown Online!

One of the biggest events in your wedding plans is buying your wedding dress. While nothing beats the experience of visiting a bridal boutique and being enraptured at the sight of yourself in “the dress,” there are situations when this may not be the best choice.

Fortunately, you can still have fun shopping for your dress online, and do it right too! You may even find more options than you can find at your local store, which can be enticing. If online dress shopping is the way for you, let us find out what you need to know to do it properly.

Choose the silhouette and neckline

Since you won’t have a bridal consultant to help choose the right silhouette for your body type, you must do this yourself. Identify the type of wedding dresses that are suitable for your body shape and shortlist the ones that seem right. A good idea is to head to a nearby clothes shop, try on few gowns and see your transformation in them. Notice the silhouettes and necklines that flatter your figure, and base your search on gowns in similar patterns.

Choosing “the dress” from a vast collection

You will quickly realize that online shopping throws open an ocean of choices, and you can feel overwhelmed and confused. So, don’t start looking at pictures right away. First, list the various things in a dress that would look good on you. This would include the neckline, silhouette, type of sleeves and fabric. Also make a second list of the features that don’t flatter you in a dress.

Once this is done, begin your search. First choose by price. Find gowns that fall within budget. The next step is to pick out a certain number of gowns with features in the first list you prepared. Now, eliminate any of these dresses with features on the second list. Continue this way, till you have a small list of just a handful of dresses.

Pay attention to these chosen dresses in closer detail. Look at the fabric, the construction and how it drapes on the model. Get help from your friends to decide which of these would be the best choice. Take time to finalize it; meanwhile, look on the web for pictures of real brides wearing the dress you chose. Once you have decided, check the measurement charts for this particular dress and determine the optimal size. Place your order.

Work with a good tailor

Once you receive your gown, you will likely have to make alterations so it fits perfectly. Find a good tailor who can do this for you. Choose someone who has experience working with complicated garments and gowns so he/she can handle the job properly. Leave plenty of time for more than one fitting session so your dress looks perfect in time for your wedding.

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Rules for Wedding Tipping and Gratuity

There will be many vendors that you deal with on a regular basis throughout the planning of your wedding. While you will be paying each of these a certain amount of money, it is always best to consider offering them a gratuity for their services as well.

While most are not required, others are built into the contract and some people who are planning a wedding find it helpful to know what is customarily given to these vendors. Below you will find the gratuity amounts that you should expect to pay so that you can add them into your overall wedding budget.

Caterers – Wait Staff – Bartenders

This is one area that the gratuity is typically included in the contract when you first sign it; normally around 15% – 20%. However, some feel as though their caterer did an outstanding job in regards to handling their guests and offer an additional dollar or two per guest for this reason.

An additional 15 to 20% is also typically included in the contract, but if it is not you should offer the additional gratuity to the maître d’ with an additional 1% to 2%. Bartenders are also typically given 15 to 20% gratuity, but if they are not also accepting tips from your guests, it is best to add an additional 10% on top of this amount.

DJs – Bands

Neither of these vendors require a tip, but many people offer one if they have provided an exceptionally nice experience for the bride and groom or the guests. For DJs, the standard is to offer a 15% to 20% gratuity. For bands, the standard is $25 per band member.

Limo Drivers

Many couples choose to have a limo driver to transport them to the wedding venue, to the airport or other locations before and after the wedding. It is standard to offer this driver 15% to 20% after they have completed their services.

Other Vendors

Other vendors that you may conduct business with throughout the wedding planning process are photographers, videographers, florists, and bakers. Each of these provide something special to your wedding and it is usually typical to provide them each with a 15% to 20% gratuity.

While this is not required, nor will it be added into the contract, some feel as though these vendors have done an amazing job and wish to reward them for their hard work.

Wedding Planners

This is one of the main vendors that typically receive a gratuity after the wedding. They are usually in charge of many aspects of the wedding planning process and help make sure that everything comes together as planned. The customary gratuity for the wedding planner is 10% to 20%, but an additional 10% to 20% is sometimes offered for an exceptionally good job.

Conclusion

Gratuity may be one area of your budget that gets overlooked when you are setting up funds for your wedding. While most of these areas are not required, it is still standard to offer a gratuity to the vendors after the wedding.

In order to make sure you have the funds available, you should make sure that you add the proper amounts to your budget so that you can properly thank your staff for their hard work.

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