After the date has been set, the flowers have been ordered, and the dress has been fitted, the focus of wedding planning turns to the more intricate details of the ceremony and reception — especially music. But because of the sheer number of songs to choose from, the task of selecting the right wedding music — and the right musicians — can be overwhelming.
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More wedding trends…
Budget wedding gowns
A once-in-a-lifetime experience no longer requires a once-in-a-lifetime investment. So here comes the bride — in a budget wedding gown from Target. The gowns that were introduced in May are sold through Target.com for less than $200. Bridesmaid dresses sell for as little as $30.
J. Crew offers wedding gowns for $295 to $2,450.
At H&M, a Viktor & Rolf designer wedding gown for $349 introduced in November sold out in one day.
The typical bride spends more than $1,000 on a wedding gown.
http://www.kansascity.com/238/story/204616.html
Wedding planning guide offers comprehensive ideas and suggestions on planning your wedding.
Sounds like alot of work….
Brides today have more choices than ever before when they are picking a wedding dress. Many of the old rules have been tossed out. For example, dresses aren’t always white, they’re not always big and poufy and they don’t have to include trains that go on for miles. A bride can feel free to choose a wedding dress that fits her body type and personality.
Are you looking for romantic or racy? Will your gown be out of a fairy tale or a fashion magazine? To truly have a gown that is yours and yours alone, consider making your wedding dress yourself. According to couture seamstress JoAnn Musso, brides should not be intimidated by the thought of making their wedding dress. “The skills needed to make a wedding dress are all ones a home sewer has used before,” she says. “Set in sleeves are set in sleeves. Don’t let the fact that they’re on a wedding dress make them seem more difficult than they are,” she says.
Musso, who lives and work in Dallas, makes custom wedding dresses as part of her couture business. While she firmly believes every bride should have the dress of her dreams, Musso feels it is also her duty to help a bride select a dress that will be flattering. “The bride will have this dress for the rest of her life to remember her wedding day,” she says.
Also see wedding gown trends
If you’re like most brides-do-be, you’ve been dreaming about your wedding day since you were a young girl. Whether it’s a lavish gala or an intimate affair, it will be one of the most important days in your life. To the tiniest detail, it must be perfect. If your big day is looming on the horizon, consider personal touches to make your dream wedding a reality. Start when considering the décor for the location of the actual wedding as well as the reception or party to be held afterwards.
“Instead of hiring someone to do the decorating for you, do it yourself. It will mean more, and you’ll be amazed at what you can do,” suggests Laura Byrne of Michaels Arts and Crafts stores, one of the nation’s leading suppliers of wedding accessories.
See wedding favors for more information
WHITE weddings may be the stuff of tradition – but officials have now started promoting the idea of “green” weddings.
In a bid to make wedding days more environmentally friendly, Waste Awareness Wales (WAW) has urged brides and grooms to favour e-mail invites over hand-written RSVPs, and to ask for charity donations instead of ostentatiously wrapped presents.
Interesting how customs and traditions change:
WEDDINGS
Then
* ”Sundays, and days in Lent, are not chosen for weddings, and Friday being a ‘fast’ day in Catholic and very ‘high’ Episcopal churches, weddings on that day, if not forbidden, are never encouraged.”
* For invitations: “…the bride and the groom make one each of their own friends, to which is added the visiting list of the bride’s family … and the visiting list of the groom’s family …”
* ”When a poor girl marries, her wedding must be in keeping with the means of her parents.”
Now
* Make the guest list first. Budget priorities will be based on how many people you invite.
* Most weddings are held on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Aa weekday is an option; more wedding and reception sites are available, and vendor/supplier costs are lower.
* A bride’s parents are not obligated to bear all expenses.
http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/480596,CST-FTR-lifemanners24.article
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Here’s a money saving idea…
In a marriage of discount and dreams, a major retailer is trying to prove that a once-in-a-lifetime experience doesn’t require a once-in-a-lifetime investment.
So here comes the bride . . . in a wedding gown from Target.
The gowns, sold through Target.com for less than $200, have appeared in recent weeks on Oprah and on the pages of Lucky and Glamour magazines. And they’ve caused a stir on fashion blogs, where their arrival has ignited a debate about whether there are any boundaries left when it comes to saving money.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/lifestyle/orl-cheapchic07jul19,0,3167940.story
Go to wedding gowns for tips on choosing a wedding gown.
There goes the wedding budget….
Bridal dress designer Monique Lhuillier leapt into the wedding business on a whim. Having had a difficult time finding her own gown, Lhuillier, a 23-year-old newlywed at the time, decided to begin sketching her own line of dresses. Her husband figured it was little more than a hobby, one that she would tire of soon enough. “He thought I had the wedding blues and eventually I’d get over it,” she says, chuckling warmly.
That was a decade ago, and Lhuillier (Lo-lee-ay) is still not over it. In fact, she’s now regarded as one of the premier designers in the bridal industry, and her “hobby” has become a thriving enterprise that grossed more than $20 million last year. Her wedding gowns, ranging in price from $2,000 to $25,000, have been worn by the likes of Christine Baumgartner (wife of Kevin Costner) and the rock star Pink.
http://usaweekend.com/07_issues/070722/070722fashion.html
More ideas on buying a wedding gown
Here’s a unique way to get married:
Here’s how it works: Regent guests looking to get married or renew their vows in port (or onboard, if they wish) can plan their ceremony directly with a wedding consultant. But what’s interesting to us, and unique to the industry, is that pre-arranged wedding packages for Regent’s guests do not exist! The bride- and groom-to-be, or couple renewing their vows, get to create their own day. The traditional wedding staples (the officiant, marriage certificate, wedding cake and Champagne) will be there — but you get to pick everything else, with your consultant’s help.
So, think outside the box for a minute. If you could tie the knot or renew your vows any way you wanted, how would you do it? Some of Regent’s suggestions include a kilted ceremony in an ancient Scottish castle (with bagpipers!), a hot air balloon ride over a tropical pineapple plantation and a sunset wedding in the South Pacific.
http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=2117
Go to complete wedding guide for wedding tips and advice.
Karen McMillen, owner of Coshocton’s East of Chicago Pizza, enjoys being creative and cooking. On Friday, she combined both passions to make a wedding pizza.
The bottom pizza is adorned with flowers – made out of ham, pepperoni, peppers and black olives. The second pizza has a flower made out of tomatoes, black olives and peppers, while the third pizza has a ring of pepperoni around the edge. Once cooled, they will be topped with a bride and groom, just
http://zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070721/NEWS01/707210318/1002
Also see wedding cake tips
