Tuesday, March 31, 2009

7 Ways to Make Your Wedding Greener


Weddings are a very important celebration--for the bride, groom, friends, and family members. Who would think that such a happy celebration could wreak havoc on the environment? Unfortunately, if you don't make conscious green choices, a wedding can be bad for the environment.

So here are seven ways you can make your wedding just a little bit more eco-friendly.

1. Pick a central location for your wedding ceremony and reception so that the amount of wedding guests who have to travel long distances are kept to a minimum.

2. Save some trees by choosing invitations made from recycled paper or paper alternatives. You can even choose environmentally friendly inks.

3. Go for a gently used gown instead of buying brand new. Wear a dress that a friend or family member has worn before you, or shop second hand stores, thrift stores, and consignment shops.

4. Register for a cause. Have guests donate to your favorite organization, or register with companies that donate a percentage of your bought gifts to an organization.

5. Choose PC flowers--politically correct flowers that are not grown or harvested by exploited workers.

6. Choose local and seasonal foods for your menu. Try to avoid foods grown with dangerous pesticides.

7. Wedding favors should serve a purpose beyond your wedding day. Plastic doodads that wind up in the trash are not eco-friendly.

If you're interested in leaving a smaller carbon footprint behind from your wedding celebration, follow these seven guidelines and your footprint will shrink.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Doing Away with Wedding Traditions

Maybe it's the economy, or maybe it's a desire to be unique, but the new wedding trend is to be as un-traditional as possible. No longer do brides have to learn their wedding etiquette and follow all of the wedding "rules." Now you can create a wedding ceremony and reception that is truly about you and your groom. Ceremonies and receptions that fit your personalities is what today's wedding is all about.

It's not to say that traditional weddings aren't still taking place because they are. It's an emerging trend, however, to make your wedding more about you want rather than what is considered tradition.

Happy planning!

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Spring Wedding Theme


Spring is here! And like spring brings new beginnings, it's a great theme for a wedding. Weddings, after all, are all about new beginnings. If you're planning a spring wedding, here are a few quick and easy ideas to string the spring theme throughout your wedding.

1. Invitations. There are so many things you can do to create a spring theme wedding invitation. Consider using a verse that talks about new beginnings and growing to use as part of your invitation verse. Include a packet of seeds for your favorite flower in the envelope with a note asking your invited guests to plant the seeds and watch them grow.

2. Centerpieces. Pick up pretty decorated flower pots at garage sales, flea markets, or at a wholesale floral store or discount center. The pots don't have to match. Each one can be different and unique. Plant your favorite flower or a variety of plants and flowers in each pot. Place these on each table at your reception for perfect centerpieces.

3. Favors. Buy small terracotta pots. Fill each pot with a mini shovel and rake tied with a pastel colored ribbon. Insert a package of seeds or give an already potted plant or flower.

These are but a few ways you can sprinkle a little spring into your wedding.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Alfred Angelo Wedding Dress Diva Contest


Alfred Angelo is hosting a contest, where you can win a $5,000 honeymoon package, a Canon camera, a wedding gown and a tiara of your choice from Alfred Angelo.

Visit alfredangelo.com/weddingdressdiva and upload a 1 minute video explaining why you should be Alfred Angelo's wedding dress diva. The video with the most votes wins, so be sure to spread the word to everyone you know.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Wedding Budget: Prioritize Your Spending


Especially in these hard economic times, brides have to watch their spending. It hardly ever happens that you suddenly find thousands or tens of thousands of extra money to infuse your wedding budget. So if you're looking to cut down your wedding budget, but don't know where to start, start by getting your priorities in order.

Prioritize your spending

Every bride has a personal attachment to some aspect of their wedding. It's the priority. It's the one thing they're willing to cut spending in an area that's not important in order to be able to spend more on the priority. It's not about sacrificing areas of the wedding. It's about making adjustments where necessary. It means buying the wedding invitations that cost $1,000, instead of those that cost $2,500. It's about then applying the $1,500 savings toward the photographer that you must have for your wedding instead.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Enter to Win


Looking for expensive jewelry for your wedding but don't have the funds to buy it yourself? Try to win it! Lucky Magazine is running contests for several pieces of jewelry. Free jewelry--what a way to save!

Check out the items you can win and enter now.