Feature Article
By Tracey Baxter
Your budget is actually irrelevant! A wedding is a time for grace and that’s not a category that can be calculated on the balance sheet. The intrinsic value of proper etiquette at a wedding is immeasurable. So if you want to plan a wedding fit for royalty, the budget is the last thing that will be remembered. Invest some time at your local library or bookstore perusing the wedding etiquette section. Your wedding is a great opportunity to learn (or relearn) how to properly address invitations, how to delicately tell your neighbor that the wedding will be an intimate family affair, and overall how to be a delight to others.
Above all, remember, friends and family mean well! The devil is in the details as they say! What makes your wedding special to you is not necessarily going to speak to your best friend’s tastes and desires. It’s OK to disagree with others on what trend you should be following this season or what menu to offer. This is your wedding and the only thing it should be is a reflection of you and your fiancé’s love for each other. Remember you can agree to disagree without ruffling too many feathers just by saying “You might be right about that!” And then gently change the subject to a different wedding detail or other topic entirely.
Although it might be a given where Prince William and Kate Middleton will be wed, the ceremony location is perhaps the most important place to visit first. Kudos to Kate for her first public wedding planning step she’s taken since the engagement announcement: taking a personal look at Westminster Abbey where her ceremony will very likely be held. Without the ceremony site, there is no wedding. So don’t book too much until the ceremony location is secured.
Guests reign supreme especially when they are royalty and dignitaries from foreign lands. But every bride should take plenty of time considering her guests when planning her wedding. Yes, it’s your day but you want to convey to your guests that you truly desire for them to enjoy your day too. So how can you do that? Plan responsibly! Consider your event day timeline carefully by allowing plenty of time for travel between the ceremony and reception sites. Your guests want to enjoy every part of the event you have planned for them. If it takes more than half hour to travel from the ceremony to the reception site, and your ceremony will end at 4:00pm don’t plan your cocktail hour to start until 5:00pm. Your guests will have time to freshen up and safely arrive without missing a moment of the fun!
Don’t forget the smallest guests! With children in tow, some guests feel it’s challenging to attend a wedding. From individual fun buckets to a table of shared activities, make it easier for guests to relax by providing kid friendly entertainment and fun! This also keeps the kids from controlling the dance floor and thereby allows the guests without children to feel comfortable to enjoy the party too! What should you provide for the kids? Etch-a-Sketch, Rubik’s Cube, Mad Libs, and easy clean crafts in a back pack or bucket are a great start. Lining a kid height table with a stack of butcher paper with a canister of markers, crayons and colored pencils makes a fun table – and it’s sweeter with a centerpiece featuring big yummy lolly-pops for all the kids!
Traditional, trendy, theme-ey or timeless, your wedding above all else should be enjoyable for you and your fiancé. There may be many hurdles to jump but unlike Kate & Prince William you won’t have all the world watching and scrutinizing your every step. Keep your wedding stress perspective! Don’t let yourself get so stressed that you are prone to bride-zilla moments. Take time for yourself to relax and have ‘NWP’ days – Non-Wedding-Planning days that is! Recharge, regroup and relax so you are not overwhelmed. Plan these days into your wedding planning itinerary!
Your Wedding Planning Homework: Plan a spa day, shopping trip or movie night with your bridesmaids, sister, mom or other friends. It's time to relax and recharge your batteries!
November 25, 2010
November 19, 2010
Congratulations Prince William & Kate Middleton
"Prince William and Miss Middleton became engaged in October during a private holiday in Kenya," the official statement read. "Prince William has informed The Queen and other close members of his family. Prince William has also sought the permission of Miss Middleton's father."
Pardon my delay in congratulating the happy couple. Technical difficulties this week were unrelenting!
I am very excited to see all the wedding details unfold and how the royal wedding plans will inspire the wedding trends in the coming year!
Enquiring minds want to know...
Will your wedding plans be changed or tweaked based on what you see Prince William and Kate choose for thier wedding?
Post a comment if you may be taking some cues from the royal couple or if you plan to be totally oblivious to what they do!
November 11, 2010
What If It All Goes Wrong?
Feature Article
by Tracey Baxter
Everyone dreams of a flawless wedding day. This is a universal wedding wish regardless if the wedding is simple or elaborate. Some brides’ wishes include pleasant weather, deliveries arriving on time and orders filled completely and perfectly – or all of the above!
Of course, a wedding planner is going to be your best bet for wedding day solutions. A wedding planner will have an emergency kit and be there to make sure your needs are taken care of! But I know there are many brides who cling to being their own point person.
Here’s a few easy fixes for common wedding day dilemmas and some ideas for your wedding day emergency kit:
• Short a boutonniere or corsage? Take a bloom and some greens from a bridesmaid’s bouquet, aisle flowers or even the grounds of your ceremony site! Having some floral tape to wrap the stems will make these quick fixes look like the rest of the gang, but in a pinch they will be just fine pinned on au-natural.
• It’s raining – it’s pouring! Legend has it that rain on your wedding day is good luck. Even still, nobody enjoys wearing a wet wedding gown for long! Golf umbrellas are big and will easily do the trick but for the more frugal minded, a vinyl shower curtain or table cloth will get the job done quite well too!
• Missing earring backs? Earring backs are available at craft stores where jewelry making supplies are sold. For a quick fix on wedding day though you can tear a corner off a Band-Aid and wrap it around the earring post. It will stay put until your earlobe is ready for you to take them off anyway!
• Cure what ails you! In addition to the basic pain relievers like acetaminophen, ibuprofen and naproxen, a wedding day emergency kit is complete with antacid, gas and indigestion tablets, breath mints, saline eye drops, hand lotion and just in case a guest is diabetic, I always recommend some quick dissolve glucose tablets. Outdoor weddings need sunscreen, aloe and bug bite remedies.
Can you ensure that things won’t go wrong? Not always. Sometimes bigger issues come up and there is just nothing you can do about them at that moment. Your grace and decorum through these bigger wedding day crises will be appreciated by your guests because they will still be able to enjoy the event …and your company! It’s better to have guests comment on how in spite adversity you were gracious and appreciative then have them go home thinking you were a bridezilla beyond belief!
What is the most important thing you should not forget to have in your wedding day kit? Your sense of humor! A smile can change even the most difficult situation for the better. And since you will look back on the momentary madness fondly anyway, resolve to enjoy the day no matter what and smile upon it in the moment.
Your Wedding Planning Homework: Now is the time to start planning your wedding day kit so you have essentials you need and some just in case of emergency items too! Make a list and don't wait until the weekend before your wedding to gather these things together.
Want to use this article in your e-Zine, blog or website? You may as long as you include this complete statement:
Wedding Solutions Specialist Tracey Baxter publishes the "Aisle Do" bi-weekly e-zine. Get your Free Report: "5 Fun and Fabulous Reception Ideas for a Reluctant DIY Bride” at www.aisledoweddings.com
by Tracey Baxter
Everyone dreams of a flawless wedding day. This is a universal wedding wish regardless if the wedding is simple or elaborate. Some brides’ wishes include pleasant weather, deliveries arriving on time and orders filled completely and perfectly – or all of the above!
Of course, a wedding planner is going to be your best bet for wedding day solutions. A wedding planner will have an emergency kit and be there to make sure your needs are taken care of! But I know there are many brides who cling to being their own point person.
Here’s a few easy fixes for common wedding day dilemmas and some ideas for your wedding day emergency kit:
• Short a boutonniere or corsage? Take a bloom and some greens from a bridesmaid’s bouquet, aisle flowers or even the grounds of your ceremony site! Having some floral tape to wrap the stems will make these quick fixes look like the rest of the gang, but in a pinch they will be just fine pinned on au-natural.
• It’s raining – it’s pouring! Legend has it that rain on your wedding day is good luck. Even still, nobody enjoys wearing a wet wedding gown for long! Golf umbrellas are big and will easily do the trick but for the more frugal minded, a vinyl shower curtain or table cloth will get the job done quite well too!
• Missing earring backs? Earring backs are available at craft stores where jewelry making supplies are sold. For a quick fix on wedding day though you can tear a corner off a Band-Aid and wrap it around the earring post. It will stay put until your earlobe is ready for you to take them off anyway!
• Cure what ails you! In addition to the basic pain relievers like acetaminophen, ibuprofen and naproxen, a wedding day emergency kit is complete with antacid, gas and indigestion tablets, breath mints, saline eye drops, hand lotion and just in case a guest is diabetic, I always recommend some quick dissolve glucose tablets. Outdoor weddings need sunscreen, aloe and bug bite remedies.
Can you ensure that things won’t go wrong? Not always. Sometimes bigger issues come up and there is just nothing you can do about them at that moment. Your grace and decorum through these bigger wedding day crises will be appreciated by your guests because they will still be able to enjoy the event …and your company! It’s better to have guests comment on how in spite adversity you were gracious and appreciative then have them go home thinking you were a bridezilla beyond belief!
What is the most important thing you should not forget to have in your wedding day kit? Your sense of humor! A smile can change even the most difficult situation for the better. And since you will look back on the momentary madness fondly anyway, resolve to enjoy the day no matter what and smile upon it in the moment.
Your Wedding Planning Homework: Now is the time to start planning your wedding day kit so you have essentials you need and some just in case of emergency items too! Make a list and don't wait until the weekend before your wedding to gather these things together.
Want to use this article in your e-Zine, blog or website? You may as long as you include this complete statement:
Wedding Solutions Specialist Tracey Baxter publishes the "Aisle Do" bi-weekly e-zine. Get your Free Report: "5 Fun and Fabulous Reception Ideas for a Reluctant DIY Bride” at www.aisledoweddings.com
November 10, 2010
Bedazzle My Bonbons Part 2
Bedazzle My Bonbons are in the house .... or were!
I was impressed with Bedazzle My Bonbons before but Wow! Now I'm beyond sold. Frankly, I thought there was possibly some website magic happening when I first saw them online. So in addition to taste, I was really on a mission to determine if they really looked that good in 'real life'. But they twinkle rather nicely don't they? This is just my own photo taken with my point and shoot digital camera. These were really delightful!! They are the perfect amount of yummy chocolatousness!
As announced recently, Aisle Do will be at the Bridal Showcase in January. If you are an ezine subscriber and stop by our booth (#219) you will get a special gift... perhaps something tasty and chocolatey.... but I wouldn't want to give away the surprise!
Don't have a subscrption? It's easy! Sign up for the Aisle Do ezine here!
November 08, 2010
Got Mad Tea Party Skills?!
Last Monday, was certainly a manic Monday! My four year old daughter hosted a princess tea party at my house! It was the cutest thing ever and so much fun to enjoy the party with my sweet girl!
With a giant poster teapot and a dozen matching lids, the kids played pin the lid on the teapot. We also had a cake-walk. There were tea sandwiches of cucumber, cheese and PB&J too. Plus fruit salad, carrots and sliced cucumber. Punch, lemonade and iced tea was served in personalized tea cups that the guests decorated when they arrived. Lots of cookies and mini-cupcakes made the dessert complete!
The final fun addition was the fabulous favor bar seen above including gourmet jelly beans, silly bands, candy lollipops and tattoos! My daughter choose all of the decorations and then it was up to me to figure out how they all would be put together. It wasn't too difficult because that's actually how I work best and everything she choose was very princess-ish so it blended quite well! Feathers, butterflies, gems -yes very princess-ish indeed!
Here's a close up of the centerpiece with giant diamond rings around the base of the vase.
With a giant poster teapot and a dozen matching lids, the kids played pin the lid on the teapot. We also had a cake-walk. There were tea sandwiches of cucumber, cheese and PB&J too. Plus fruit salad, carrots and sliced cucumber. Punch, lemonade and iced tea was served in personalized tea cups that the guests decorated when they arrived. Lots of cookies and mini-cupcakes made the dessert complete!
Here's a close up of the centerpiece with giant diamond rings around the base of the vase.
So that's a glimpse into what happens around my house when it's party time!
November 04, 2010
Color Your Wedding Wonderful -Part 2
Feature Article
by Tracey Baxter
To complete our series on color combinations we’ll jump around that color wheel a little more to find complimentary colors for your wedding design scheme. If you missed the first part of this article, be sure to check out the Aisle Do Blog post on Thursday October 28, 2010 to catch up!
You’ve chosen your favorite color for your wedding and are looking for a great accent color. Complimentary colors come in a few basic regions on the color wheel. This is where I have to stop and say – there is such a thing as working with too many colors.
Unless you are working to specifically create an ubermodern multicolored event or your cultural traditions typically include multiple colors, working with no more than 3 colors, is going to keep your wedding planning and design life simplest! Brides purposefully working with multiple colors will need to focus on balancing each colors intensity.
Balancing Colors
Back in elementary school, you probably played on a see-saw and tried to make it so both you and your partner were suspended evenly. Like this see-saw trick, on the color wheel directly opposite of your primary color choice, you will find its instant balance! Here is a visual:
This is the simplest form of complimentary color. If you ever wondered why shades of purple and green can go well together, that is why.
Multiple Color Combinations
If you want to work with 3 different colors, you have a couple options. Split complimentary colors are found on the color wheel on either side of your primary choice’s complimentary color. Waaa? OK, the see-saw analogy was helpful so let’s get a visual of this too. Think of a peace sign. Now think of that peace sign over a color wheel.
So you have your primary color choice, its complimentary color and on each side are its split complimentary colors! That was so easy. Split complimentary colors are great fun to use. They are exciting and unexpected combinations that work well together.
Triads create very bold color schemes. A triad, as the name suggests is created by making a triangle on the color wheel. Finally, an obvious one! But just in case, there is a visual aid for this also.
Your Wedding Planning Homework
It's time to get inspired and finalize your color schemes. If you are well into your planning process, you can start using these same color combining techniques when choosing home decor items for your registry or to compliment what you already have.
Want to use this article in your e-Zine, blog or website? You may as long as you include this complete statement:
Wedding Solutions Specialist Tracey Baxter publishes the "Aisle Do" bi-weekly e-zine. Get your Free Report: "5 Fun and Fabulous Reception Ideas for a Reluctant DIY Bride” at www.aisledoweddings.com
by Tracey Baxter
To complete our series on color combinations we’ll jump around that color wheel a little more to find complimentary colors for your wedding design scheme. If you missed the first part of this article, be sure to check out the Aisle Do Blog post on Thursday October 28, 2010 to catch up!
Choosing Colors
Unless you are working to specifically create an ubermodern multicolored event or your cultural traditions typically include multiple colors, working with no more than 3 colors, is going to keep your wedding planning and design life simplest! Brides purposefully working with multiple colors will need to focus on balancing each colors intensity.
Balancing Colors
Back in elementary school, you probably played on a see-saw and tried to make it so both you and your partner were suspended evenly. Like this see-saw trick, on the color wheel directly opposite of your primary color choice, you will find its instant balance! Here is a visual:
This is the simplest form of complimentary color. If you ever wondered why shades of purple and green can go well together, that is why.
Multiple Color Combinations
If you want to work with 3 different colors, you have a couple options. Split complimentary colors are found on the color wheel on either side of your primary choice’s complimentary color. Waaa? OK, the see-saw analogy was helpful so let’s get a visual of this too. Think of a peace sign. Now think of that peace sign over a color wheel.
So you have your primary color choice, its complimentary color and on each side are its split complimentary colors! That was so easy. Split complimentary colors are great fun to use. They are exciting and unexpected combinations that work well together.
Triads create very bold color schemes. A triad, as the name suggests is created by making a triangle on the color wheel. Finally, an obvious one! But just in case, there is a visual aid for this also.
Want to use this article in your e-Zine, blog or website? You may as long as you include this complete statement:
Wedding Solutions Specialist Tracey Baxter publishes the "Aisle Do" bi-weekly e-zine. Get your Free Report: "5 Fun and Fabulous Reception Ideas for a Reluctant DIY Bride” at www.aisledoweddings.com
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