The Perfect Themed Wedding and Reception

No matter how large or small your wedding budget is, you have the ability to be a trend setter! Consider a theme wedding.

Choosing a Theme

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What activities are you interested in or involved in? What sorts of things do you collect? Are you planning on honeymooning in an exotic place? All of these offer ideas for a theme for your wedding and/or reception.One of the most beautiful and memorable weddings I have attended was renaissance themed. The bride, groom, and their attendants rented renaissance period costumes instead of purchasing wedding attire. The guests were also invited to attend the wedding dressed in renaissance costumes. It was fabulous!

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The Beach Theme

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Maybe you love trips to the beach or are planning a honeymoon on a tropical island. Have you considered a beach themed wedding? Guests really enjoy beach themed weddings because they are more casual. It really is a party when you and your guests can celebrate such a joyous occasion in comfortable attire!

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Picture it: the gentlemen are dressed in their khakis and brightly colored, printed shirts. The ladies are decked out in colorful dresses with flowers in their hair. The tables are decorated with seashells, hibiscus blossoms, and brightly colored candles. Palm trees have been perfectly placed to create a tropical look. The guests are enjoying grilled chicken, tropical fruits, a variety of cheeses, and icy cold drinks. The music is lively and festive and people are dancing and having a wonderful time.

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The Nature Themed Wedding

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Are you a nature enthusiast? Do you enjoy the great outdoors? Maybe an outdoor wedding in a park or beside a lake appeals to you. The reception could be held in a rustic lodge and the tables decorated with pinecones, tree leaves, and other items from nature. The wedding cake could be topped with live wedding flowers or silk flowers and a couple of artificial birds (available at your local craft store.)

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The Butterfly Themed Wedding

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Butterflies are symbolic of transformation or change. The butterfly theme is perfect for a second wedding because the bride and/or groom have left the troubles of a previous marriage and in many cases matured so that they are very different than they were before. Their lives have changed dramatically and that change has brought new happiness and vitality. This is truly a transformation for them… a new beginning!

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The butterfly theme can be especially beautiful and inexpensive. This comes across as very classy if you don’t overdo. It is simply a matter of purchasing some silk butterflies from your local fabric or craft store and adding them to some fresh flowers for topping the cake, adding them to flower arrangements for the centerpieces or placing silk flower garland with a few of the butterflies down the center of each table and adding small dishes with brightly colored floating candles. Simplicity is the key!

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Whatever theme you choose is sure to make your wedding day memorable for you and your guests and save you money at the same time. Remember to keep it a simple and elegant wedding. Don’t go overboard with your theme. Too much of even a good thing is never good. Work toward incorporating your theme while keeping the look classy.

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With some creative planning on your part, a theme wedding can provide hours of fun and celebration for you and your guests, as well as fond memories to last a lifetime.

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Have an awesome day,

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Glenna Harris

Save A Fortune On Your Wedding Ceremony!

If Your Are Planning A Church Or Outdoor Wedding Here Are Some Tips To Help You Save.

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If Your Planning A Chuch Wedding

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Look for a church that offers complete services or all inclusive packages rather than separate fees.

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Try to bargain deals for outdoor weddings.

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Rent the church alone and hire your own minister.

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Have your services on a day where there are no church services because it will be less expensive.

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Decorate the church yourself.

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Offer to volunteer at the chuch for awhile in exchage for a discount.

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You can save some money by hosting your ceremony in the church basement rather than in the worship center.

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Churches will often offer more inexpensive prices if you are a member of the church.

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If You Are Planning An Outdoor Ceremony

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Here are some of the formalities that go with having an outdoor ceremony that can save you money all around.

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Choose an open public forum that does not generally have a great deal of people trying to access it, and get the right permits etc. beforehand.

Opting for an ordained minister rather than a priest etc. is often less expensive. Just be sure to check that whoever you choose can legally perform wedding ceremonies in your area.

You can forgo the chairs and have the guests standing as long as you host a short ceremony.

A nice white or themed linen on the ground for guests to stand on is an elegant touch.

When going with outdoor ceremonies, people often opt for the portable arch because it is easy to transport and just as elegant.

Of course, you can always host your ceremony at city hall and save your money for the reception. Record the ceremony and host a viewing during the reception.

Outdoor ceremonies open the door to many themes that can greatly reduce the cost of your wedding and reception.

Hawaiian themes and beach themes can help you save money on formal wear, and decorations etc. because people having an outdoor wedding are often casually or island dressed. It makes the ceremony more comfortable for the guests too because they are also dressed casually.

Outdoor ceremonies can immediately switch from ceremony to reception which saves some extra money on travel fees too, such as limos etc.

The Hawaiian theme will be a great way to have a luau or pig roast reception.

You might want to consider a theme that lets you have a picnic for your reception party or a beach party or bonfire, but I will get into themes in more detail in my next post.

You can also choose to have your ceremony at a court-house or city hall building; record the services and play the recording during your reception instead.

It is a nice way to share your vows with your friends and family without spending a fortune on the ceremony.

Have an awesome day,

Glenna Harris

Color Your Wedding In 2008

This year brides are crazy about color. From colored wedding gowns and headpieces to brightly colored wedding flowers, you can incorporate color creatively and elegantly without breaking your wedding planning budget. No sacrifice is required.

Colored Wedding Dresses

The tradition of wearing a white dress began with the wedding of Queen Victoria in 1840. Up until that time, brides simply wore their best dress. Only the social elite could afford to wear white. Colored bridal gowns are fashionable now and this gives you the opportunity to have a unique wedding. The most popular colors are yellow or silver this year. But if your skin tone is sallow, yellow will not be a good color choice for you.

Jewel tones are also very popular and red is an especially good choice for sallow tones. Prefer a softer color? A pastel colored wedding gown can also be very elegant choice, especially for an outdoor summer wedding. Can’t decide which color is best for you? You could use several different colors for a rainbow effect.

The bridal shops have been a bit slow to stock colored wedding dresses, and if you do manage to find them you can expect them to be a bit pricey. To save money, look for a beautiful evening gown in your color and in a style that flatters your figure. Department stores and online retailers may be better places to find what you are looking for. Once you have found the right dress, simply add a headpiece and accessories for a stunning look.

Add Color and Style to a Traditional White Wedding Dress

Have your heart set on the traditional white wedding dress? That’s great, too. White is the symbol of joy and getting married is a joyous occasion. You can still add color and style without a fortune being spent.

Another current trend is emphasizing the waist. Add a colorful sash at the waistline, or purchase ribbon or fabric rosettes from your local fabric or craft store and have them sewn on the dress at the waistline after the final fitting. The rosettes are very inexpensive and add an elegant touch to a simply designed gown. They come in a wide variety of colors and sizes.

Colored Headpieces

If you have chosen a colored gown, you may be wondering what to do for a headpiece. You have many choices available to you. If your hair is long, you might consider wearing it up with flowers tucked in it, or a headband trimmed in pearls or rhinestones. You could wear a tiara or even a stylish hat. If you have a veil in mind, you might consider making one to match your dress. Tulle is available from your local fabric store and it is not only inexpensive, it comes in many colors.

You can find everything you need for creating your own headpiece at your local fabric store including color-coordinated lace to attach to the edges. With even minimal sewing skill and a little imagination you can have a one-of-a-kind headpiece for not much money. Best of all, you can have the sense of accomplishment that comes from having made it yourself.

Adding Color With Accessories

Accessories do not necessarily need to include the traditional white pearls. You can use a matching necklace and earring set with colored gemstones. The key is to keep the design simple. Earrings should not be too long or dangly. The idea is to accentuate, and if your accessories are too bold they will detract from the overall look instead of accentuating your beauty.

Colorful Decorations and Centerpieces

Take a walk through your local fabric or craft store and just look at the items that are available to you. This will help spark creativity and more ideas for incorporating color as you plan your wedding. You may also find other ways to save money when it comes to decorating for the wedding reception, creative ideas for centerpieces for the tables, and ways to add a personal touch to favors for your guests.

May your wedding be truly beautiful, enjoyable and remembered by your guests for many years to come!

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Have an awesome day,

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Glenna Harris

Create Beautifully Unique Wedding Invitations And Save

From: Glenna Harris
Date: July 12, 2008

Hello, I'm Glenna and welcome to my blog. Thank you for choosing Wedding Rings And Things. Below are some informative articles that I wrote to help you in planning your magical day. Take your time and read them, if you find them helpful, please share this blog with your friends.

You have been very busy trying on wedding dresses, selecting just the right wedding rings, ordering your wedding flowers and finding the places to hold your wedding ceremony and reception. Now it is almost time to send out the invitations.

Creating Your Guest List

Who will you invite? Keep in mind that the more people you invite the more food and beverages you will need to purchase and the bigger the facility you will need to hold your reception in, and these costs can really wreak havoc on your budget quickly. You will want to list family first, and then add close friends and others as your budget will allow.

Once you have made a list of the people you would like to invite, you will have a better idea of how many invitations you will need. If you order custom-printed invitations you may end up paying for more invitations than you really need. There is a simple way to eliminate the waste and save money at the same time.

You may want to consider making your own invitations. It doesn't take a lot of time to do. Best of all, it saves you money and your invitations end up being truly unique. Sometimes family members like to save the invitations to place in a scrapbook along with photos from the wedding and reception. This makes a uniquely designed wedding invitation all the more desirable.

Creating Wedding Invitations Using Stock Photographs

I designed beautiful wedding invitations for my friends using free stock photos. I downloaded the photos onto my computer. Then, using my word processing software, I started a new document and inserted the photo. I resized the photo to fit the size of the entire page.

I changed the image by playing around a little bit with the brightness, contrast, etc. to get the look I wanted. I then added the text in a large fancy font with the photo image behind the text. I tried different font colors until I found one that really seemed to work well and centered the text on the page.

I printed out one color copy and took it to a copy center to have more color copies made. My friends ended up with very elegant, custom-made invitations that were inexpensive. You will need to purchase some nice envelopes to mail your invitations in.

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Most copy centers and office supply stores have great selections of envelopes to choose from. You will also need to enclose an R.S.V.P. Card with each invitation. These can be made on your computer and printed on blank postcards.

Customized Invitations Using Blank Note Cards

Another idea is to purchase a box of really nice note cards that are blank inside. Use your computer to type the information concerning the event and print copies to insert in the cards. Then tailor the cards to fit your style.

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You may want to use a glue stick to attach a small, lacy paper doily inside and then place a picture of you and your fiancé in the center of the doily and simply attach the pertinent information concerning your wedding and reception below that.

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The upside to this idea is that you will not need to purchase envelopes, since the cards usually come with matching envelopes.

Or, simply use your computer to create the text with the font style, size, and color that you want and print on specialty paper that you have purchased from your local print shop or office supply store. The idea is to just get creative with your invitations.

Designing and printing only the number of invitations you need saves you money and it enables you to have truly unique invitations. It also cuts waste and that helps to save our environment, which is another big trend in weddings for 2008.

Elegant occasions start with unique invitations. Consider getting started on your invitation creations.

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Have an awesome day,

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Glenna Harris