EverAfter-Bridal Blog

Are you looking for a beautiful spot to hold your wedding and possibly you are on a budget? Look no further then your own backyard! At home weddings are becoming more popular as they save a lot of cost on venue costs.

Most backyard weddings can be set up with chairs and maybe a decorated arch. Use of the natural surroundings could save you money on flowers. If it is a small wedding you may want to have your guests stand if the ceremony isn’t too long.

For lunch or dinner you may either choose to have the food prepared and catered to serve your guests or you could prepare your own dishes for a buffet. Tables and chairs can be rented as well as tablecloths and silverware. You can place them outside or inside – depending on space available.

You have decided that you would love to have a winter wedding, but not sure when to have it? You may want to plan your wedding near the holidays.

For holidays around Christmas time you may decide you want to go with early December so you do not overwhelm your guests with too much to handle during this time. You can still add the many Christmas decorations to your wedding and add a touch of your own style as well.

If you decide on a date closer to Christmas when family and friends are visiting, you may want to hold it a couple days to a week before or after the holiday. December 24^th, 25^th and 26^th might make it too difficult for families to get away.

How can you make your wedding ceremony more memorable to your family and friends? There are several ways to give an everlasting impression without having to spend a lot.

The mothers of the bride and groom are very special. One way to show your love and appreciation for them is to present them with a single rose (color of choice). This can be presented a few different ways: Both the bride and groom can present the rose to each mother, the bride can present to groom’s mother and vice versa or the bride can present to her own mother and groom – his mother. Traditionally, before the presentation the wedding officiant says a small introduction and you may want to opt for a song to play during this event. This is traditionally done toward the end of the ceremony or can be done at the recessional.

Unity candles are beautiful for indoor weddings and for outdoor weddings you may want to go for a sand blending ceremony. In this ceremony the bride and groom combine two shades of sand to fill the middle bottle. This serves the same example as the unity candle as you two are now becoming “one”.

If your planning a special wedding anniversary and would like to do something special for your loved one, why not do a renewal of vows ceremony? Renewing your wedding vows is a way to experience the magic of your wedding day all over again and requires alot less detailed planning and preparation.

You could choose to renew your vows on a cruise or island getaway. Many cruise ships and tropical islands have special wedding packages that include minister, champagne toast and ceremony location. And the weather is usually nice which is an added plus.

An anniversary party is often a time when couples choose to renew their vows. You can spend this time with your friends and family at your home or many other locations.

You may want to send out anniversary party invitations or wedding invitations announcing your renewal of vows. Save the date cards are another unique reminder for this happy event.

By Kristina

When its time to purchase your wedding invitations, here’s some tips you may want to keep in mind:

Quantity - Deciding how many to buy is always a difficult task. You should figure out first how many guests you will be inviting. After you have figured that out, you need to establish how many of those people are grouped into the same family or couple. Only one invite should be sent out per family or couple. For example if your guest list includes 100 guests, you may only be needing to purchase about 75 invitations.

Another challenging decision when buying wedding invitations is what do you purchase with them? Most invitations come with blank outer envelopes, but most people find it easier to have the return address printed on the outer envelopes for a small fee. This looks nice to your guests and saves you most of the time and work of writing or printing them yourselves. Lined inner envelopes are another optional purchase. These envelopes are usually lined on the inside with color of choice (usually matching invitation colors), and invitation is enclosed inside of it. The bride and groom’s names are usually written or typed on the front of the envelope and it slips inside the outer envelope for a traditional elegant appearance. Reception folders or cards are needed if your ceremony and reception are held in separate locations. They include address of your reception and possibly menu options. Respond folders are for your guests to respond on how many people in their party will be attending. They sometimes include options for guest’s menu selections and come with your printed return address indicated.

Other optional items you may want to look into are menu cards or place cards for tables, printed matching napkins and wedding ceremony programs.

By Kristina

So your getting married and need someone to say those “magic words” to pronounce you “husband and wife”.  Choosing a wedding officiant can be a challenging task, but here are a few tips in mind when choosing someone to perform your wedding ceremony:

The best way to find a reputable wedding minister is to find one recommended by either a vendor, someone you know, your own pastor or rabbi or from a wedding referall website.  If you plan to go to your local county courthouse, you will find many Justice of the Peace that will be able to perform your wedding their.

You will also want to meet with your minister/rabbi before hand to discuss how they will be performing your ceremony.  Also its a good idea to choose someone both you and your fiancee feel comfortable with.   Make sure he/she also can perform the type of ceremony you are wanting whether its spiritial/non-spiritial, religious or non-religious.

Most ministers require an honorarium fee for their services which can range between $100-$600 dollars.  You may choose to include an additional tip if you feel it’s needed for their services.

Flowers play a big part for your wedding. They decorate your ceremony and reception site and add a touch of romance to your wedding. It is best to buy flowers when they are in season due to increase rates during off season. Some of the most popular flowers used for weddings are roses, lilies, gardenias, hyacinth, sweatpea and many others. Keep in mind that some flowers can be a bit more costly than others, and even more so during holidays such as Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day when flower sales increase.

Depending on what type of flowers you are using for your wedding, can determine the style of wedding invitations you purchase. Wedding invitations can be found in various floral designs including calla lily, roses and daisies. Calla lilies have become a popular a popular wedding flower and can accent almost any other wedding flower. Wedding invitations in calla lily designs include embossed calla lilies, verses and many more.

Roses have been the flower of choice for weddings over the years. Wedding invitations in rose designs have become popular as well. You can choose from various designs including tiny rosebud accents to large embossed roses, with some featuring bride and groom couple.

Daisies have also recently made a comeback for the wedding flower. They can bring warmth to an outdoor spring or summer wedding. Daisy invitation styles include white, yellow or orange daisies embossed on invitation cover.

By Kristina