Showing posts with label wedding cakes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wedding cakes. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Make Your Occassion Happy With Wedding Cakes


The concept of a wedding ceremony stems from the fact that it is supposed to be a celebration of the brand new life embarked upon together by the bride and the groom. It is but expected that the programme should be a grand event not just for the bride and groom, but for the entire gathered wedding party. It is imperative that you make your occassion happy with wedding cakes.

Why wedding cakes in particular? Well, for one, everybody loves cakes. Secondly, it has always been a long standing tradition to cut cakes during weddings. In fact, wedding cakes are so popular, they even make up a very important aspect of the wedding planning. The wedding planner has to sit down and decide how much budget has to be set aside for the wedding cake, what quantity would be perfect, especially when considering the guest strength, what flavors to incorporate into the cake, how to decorate the wedding cake (keeping the decor of the surroundings in mind et cetera).

There are a number of facts the wedding cake designer should make clear to the wedding cake baker and/or wedding bake designer- the patterns of the cake, size, and ingredients, being some of them.

Wedding cakes in Europe

Wedding cakes are all the rage in Europe where people go to great lengths to stylize them. French wedding cakes are the biggest culprits of this. There are high end bakers in Paris, who charge unreasonable amounts of money to bake the most scrumptious kinds of cake possible. They make these cakes highly elaborate, perhaps reflecting the festivity and importance that food symbolizes in Europe.

Paris, and in general, France, is the epi-center of stylized wedding cakes as that is where you will find all the “wedding cake designers” just ready, and waiting to add a touch of glamor to your wedding ceremony, by baking the best cakes possible for varying prices.

It isn't a coincidence that the first multi-tiered cakes were baked by a Parisian baker in the 19th century. It is here that wedding cakes were given fancy patterns and designs with the help of fondant frosting. The cakes were often based upon patterns of women's clothing and accessories, which is why you would find the cakes emulating fabrics like lace, silk, or have rows of edible pearls attached to them. Other ornamentation for the cakes included flowers, especially white roses and lilies for white wedding cakes, arranged in such a way that it looks like they are cascading down the multiple tiers of the cake.

The aforementioned practices not only hold true for France, but also other European countries like Italy and the United Kingdom.

You don't need a big budget to include a cake into your function. You could just prepare one at home as well, and creatively decorate it with icing (through piping bags) and place fresh flowers or sprinkle edible pearls on it. As long as you make your occassion happy with wedding cakes, by hook or by crook.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Four tips for a Unique and Personalized Wedding Cake while Cutting Costs

Wedding cakes can be a great way to continue the theme or decor of your wedding while giving your guests a tasty treat, and creating beautiful photo opportunities.  Here are a few tips for personalizing your wedding cake and cut the cost of it at the same time.

1)  Serve a cupcake tower instead of an actual wedding cake.  You can choose to have the top tier as a small cake for the cake-cutting ceremony, and to personalize with a cake topper if you so choose.  Not only will this alternative probably cost less, it will also save you from cake-cutting fees.




2) Order a small wedding cake for display, and an undecorated sheet cake in your preferred flavor to provide cake for everyone.  The sheet cake can be cut in the kitchen, and guests will never know their slice may not be from the actual wedding cake.



3) Have your wedding cake decorated with fresh flowers, rather than flowers made of sugar.  The cost of sugar flowers can be very costly.  Also, your wedding cake can be very simple, since fresh flowers are so vibrant and beautiful.  A simply decorated cake is always less expensive.




4) Ask to have a foam cake decorated to look like a real wedding cake, but serve guest from a sheet cake that will be cut in the back so they never know the difference.  Bakeries use this trick for trade shows, and it can be used to save you money for your wedding too!



For more ways to personalize your wedding and make it truly unique, contact Power Wedding Planning for you complimentary consultation.

Monday, February 13, 2012

How to decorate Unique Wedding Cakes

Unique Wedding Cakes

It was not at all a simple walk for me when I thought of ordering a simple wedding cake and decorate it on my own. Hence, I thought of sharing my experience with you all to help all of you who have taken up similar initiative.

I began my journey for decoration of the wedding cakes by collecting the information about the different wedding cakes that are available. There were pictures of unique wedding cakes which were available. Besides these, I surfed various websites and recipe books to get information about the different wedding cake designs and tips for the decorating the cake.

It would also inform you about the latest trends and accessories which would be used for the purpose of decorating the cake. One should go through the different trinkets that are available to accessorize your cake.

I selected the best one which would be required for the cake. You can try out preparing the trinkets on your own. This will help you to save the money spend on the purchasing these accessories.

Flowers are an excellent option to decorate your cake. While selecting the accessories, you can go in for only those that would complement well with the theme for the ceremony. There are plenty of options which are required for decorating the wedding cake.

After collecting the necessary details, the next step that I undertook was to prepare an outline of the cake and the decoration on it using my ideas. I did this with the help of the online tools available for the purpose. This gave me a brief idea about the appearance of the cake after its completion.

Besides these, I also tried out to write up some message in the form of artistic calligraphy on the cake. All these would be really helpful for decorating the wedding cake. Once the designs and the plan for decoration have been finalized, I consulted a cake designer for the same. He advised me some changes in the plan and the final outcome was as desired.

The decoration done on my cake was the point of discussion at the party and got plenty of compliments for the same. The ideas discussed here will help you to decorate your unique wedding cakes.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Difference Between a Bridal Shower Cake and a Wedding Cake


Is there really a difference? For years, I thought that a cake is a cake and what matters is the way it looks and tastes. But apart from the fact that both of them are cakes, there is a big difference between a Wedding Cake and a Bridal Shower Cake. The origin of these differences lies in the origin of these occasions.

A bridal shower cakes are different than a wedding cakes in terms of tradition and meaning. Bridal Shower is an informal event arranged by the bride’s close friends. It is a way of sending her off in a new role, whereas wedding is a traditional bonding between a man and a woman which not only unites them, but also their families.

Bridal Shower is a party. There are no set ground rules or etiquettes to carry it out. You can modify it according to the bride’s likes and dislikes. Many different customs have developed in various regions regarding the bridal shower. Traditionally, this was just a gift-giving party arranged by the bride’s friends to help her start her new life. Now-a-days, it is more of an excuse for the bride to spend a quality time with her close ones and have some party time. These days, the custom of ordering a cake for the bridal shower according to the theme has been picking up fast. But it is not a mandatory requirement. It is just a visual treat and is typically used as a centerpiece.

Wedding is considered as one of the seven sacraments. It is a formal announcement of the bride and the groom’s decision to spend the rest of their lives together. A wedding cake is usually multi-layered, multi–tiered and heavily decorated with sugar icing. It is a symbol of the love and commitment of the couple with each other. Traditionally, a white wedding cakes symbolized the purity of bride. Cutting the cake together symbolizes the first joint task carried out by the married couple. However, these symbolisms are outdated today. Now-a-days, the sexist meaning of the traditional white wedding cake has taken a backseat and is used mostly as a centerpiece and a visual treat.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Delicious Fruit Cake Recipe

Fruit Cake

Mixed fruit cakes have become outdated one. However, you can decorate your cake with fresh fruits of your choice. Today, couples are on a look out for cakes that are trendier and unusual. The cake selected should be the star of the ceremony. It should be the point of discussion for the guests present at the venue.

You can either go in for ordering a fruit cake of your choice or can easily prepare it at home. It is very easy to prepare a fruit wedding cake. You have to follow the recipe for the cake. Fruit cakes are the popular choice among people regardless of the occasion. There are several varieties and designs of fruit wedding cakes that are available especially the Christmas wedding cakes.

Here we are providing you some simple ideas which would help you to prepare a fruit cake on your own. You have to firstly make arrangement of all the utensils and ingredients required for baking it.

The ingredients required for preparing a fruit cake includes one tablespoon of cinnamon, three eggs, half a cup of raisins, one tablespoon of baking powder, one cup fresh apple juice, two cups of all purpose flour, three fourth cup of unsalted butter and half cups of walnuts, and two tablespoon of dark corn syrup.

The procedure for preparing the fruit cake is as follows- You have to take a large mixing bowl and mix the ingredients such as flour, fruit juice, baking powder and spices included for the cake. Mix it properly till all its ingredients are properly blends with each other. The next step would be take a mixer and add butter, sugar, eggs and beat this mixture well. Then you have to add a bit of corn syrup it and beat it till, the ingredients are properly mixed.

Add this mixture to the earlier batter kept in the bowl. You should add some dry fruits such raisins and walnuts in it. You should properly stir the mixture till it forms a perfect batter for the cake.

You have to preheat the oven up to three hundred degrees F. Pour the batter in the pan you used for preparing the cake. Bake the batter for the cake for about one and half hour. The cake is ready to be used for the ceremony. You can use your own ideas and decorate the cake.

The recipe mentioned here will help you to bake your own fruit wedding cake and win plenty of compliments from your guests.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Creative Ideas for Fall Wedding Cakes

Wedding cakes are the primary concern for all the couples irrespective of the entire theme and the budget decided for the ceremony. They want their wedding cake to be the best in world and should draw attention of all the guests. Hence, couples put in a lot of efforts to select the cake for the ceremony.

As you have decided to go in for fall wedding cakes, check out the cake designs that would be relevant to this theme. There are numerous options for themed wedding cakes. You can consult your wedding planner and finalize a single design. While selecting the cake, you should check out some important factors such as the flavor, design and the shape of the cake. Check out pictures of wedding cake to get more ideas.

You can either go in for a simple cake in golden color or a simple decoration with golden leaves. These golden color leaves would resemble the dried leaves which are a common phenomenon during the fall season. You should try out the designs that would perfectly portray the nature during fall season. This would be relevant to the theme as well.

You can use the seasonal fruits such as berries and leaves to decorate the cake. You can also go in for edible accessories in the shape of flowers or leaves for decorating the cake. You can prepare your own personalized accessories using your own ideas.

The shape of the cake could be either a combination of two or more geometrical figures. You can also go in for the shape of the pillows stacked on top of each other or go in for simple shape such as square or round.

In case, you are going in for simple shaped wedding cake, you can make it more fascinating by bring about some beautiful quotes or calligraphy on them. You can also make some designs of leaves and flowers on them. An excellent idea would be to go in for the cakes in the shape of the nest. You can decorate the cakes with colorful birds and plants.

The creative ideas mentioned above will help you fetch the best fall wedding cake for the ceremony. It would help you to get some innovative designs for the cake.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Christmas Wedding Cake Ideas

Wedding cakes should reflect the theme and design for the wedding. The wedding cakes and its flavor are decided by the season and the theme selected for the ceremony. You can try out different wedding designs for the cakes. The Christmas wedding theme is the most popular wedding theme commonly selected for weddings.

There are plenty of thoughts options to choose from. You can get pictures and details about the different designs of cakes which can be selected for the Christmas theme. You can decorate cake with flowers, accessories and many other toppers.

There is no need to purchase a separate set of accessories for the cake. You can go in for the ones that were used for the Christmas celebration. You may get different varieties of chocolates, candies and other edible accessories for your Christmas Wedding cakes and cookies which can be used for the cake.

You can also go in for some personalized cake designs on the basis of your own requirements and ideas. You can develop it on your own or take inspirations from the already available cakes. The most common choice for Christmas wedding cake is white and red color combination.

You can decorate the cake with the help of the flowers, accessories and star shaped trimmings. You could decorate it with icing that would resemble the snow flakes. You can either prepare it or purchase it from the shops.

You can get ideas for the cake design for the Christmas wedding theme from your wedding planner, friends or baker. They would help you to bring about a unique design for your cake that would attract the attention of all your guests.

You can go in for some unique designs such as Christmas gifts or cake in the shape of Santa Claus or Christmas tree. You can use your artistic talents and decorate your cake as per your desire. You can just stack up layers of your white wedding cake and use some creative wedding cake jewelry for decoration.

The Christmas wedding cake ideas mentioned here will help you to get an extremely beautiful cake. It would also guide the couples for decorating the wedding cake.

Monday, December 19, 2011

Selecting the Perfect Cake for the Wedding Day


Your wedding has been finalized and you are off with the most complex task of planning your wedding.There are some aspirations and dreams about your wedding that you would like to fulfill. One among them is the wedding cake. You have always dreamed about your wedding cake to be unique, relishing, and to be a point of discussion after years of your marriage.

It is not at all a very difficult task to select a perfect wedding cake. This entire journey of landing up for the yummy cake could be easily done, if you take up an organized approach. Some important aspects which are to be checked out for selecting the perfect wedding cake for the ceremony are enlisted below:

The appearance of the cake:

You have to just take a break from the busy schedule of planning a wedding and think about the appearance of your wedding cake. You should try to visualize the cake, its appearance, and the decorations used. These visualizations can be discussed with your partner to land up to a perfect classy and beautiful cake.

Flavors for the cake:

There are many varieties of flavors that are available. You can try for some unusual flavors or a combination of two or more flavors. If is it is a multi- tier cake, you can go in for distinct flavors for each layer. This would help to bring about uniqueness and would cater to likings of all your guests present for the ceremony.

The size of the cake:

The cake size should be determined as per the number of guests expected for the ceremony. You can go in either for single layered or multi-layered cake as per your personal choice and the amount allocated for purchasing the cake.

Baker:

You can check out the local listing of the bakers and select two to three among them. Discuss with them about your requirements and finalize the best deal. You can consult your relatives and other family members to find out information about the bakers in your region.

Decorations for the cake:

The decoration of the cake could be done with the help of the cake topper or some accessories relevant to the cake design and style.

Follow the ideas mentioned above to select a stunning and unique wedding cakes for the wedding day.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Have Your Wedding Cake Reflect Your Style


Wedding cakes are the most desirable and essential component for every marriage ceremony. There are plenty of wedding cakes available in various styles and prices. You can select the best wedding cake that would satisfy all your requirements.

There are plenty of sources available which would inform you about the simple wedding cakes available in that category. You can try out various designs and styles of bridal cakes. The designs selected should clearly exhibit your style.

If it is not able to do so, then the prime objective of selection of the cake has failed. The bride and the groom have to discuss with each other about their expectations regarding the cake. This will help them to easily finalize the type of cake desired for the ceremony.

The cake should be carefully selected as it would bring about some really interesting ideas for the cake. You can either select it from the internet or from the shops nearby. You can select the cake and place an order.

This selection of the cake should be done in consultation with the baker or cake designer. They would guide you whether the cake design selected would complement well with the theme and would suit your budget.

The cake selected should depict the personality of the couple. Hence, some couples go in for selecting a wedding cakes in the shape of their favorite sport. For instance: football or basket ball.

You can opt for a cake in the shape of your favorite bird or a hobby. The cake can also be decorated as per a favorite destination spot. The color of the cake could be selected as per the theme of the ceremony. The size of the cake should be as per the number of the guests present for the wedding.

The decoration of the cake could be done with the help of the accessories and cake toppers. You can go in for some designs that are inspired from the cakes of famous couples.

With the help of the above mentioned ideas, you can select your best wedding cake. It would surely help you to reflect your style.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Choose the Right Taste Your Christmas Wedding Cakes

Christmas weddings are preferred more nowadays by couples as they want to add the excitement and joy of the festivity to their wedding and make it more enjoyable. The festive mood is contagious and couples put in all efforts to make their Christmas weddings as special as possible. They plan every part of their wedding well in advance and especially the wedding cake. Christmas wedding cakes become the highlight of Christmas weddings and it is essential to choose the right taste that would be enjoyed by one and all.

Ideas to Choose Christmas Wedding Cakes with the Right Taste

You can do a simple research to know the varieties available in wedding cakes that would match your taste and also your Christmas wedding theme. Decide whether you want a cake recipe based on fondant or a simple white wedding cake. You can also opt for a fruit-based cake recipe or jam based recipe depending upon your taste and budget.

It is also easy to buy a simple white fondant cake and decorate it with different things like flowers, ribbons, toppers, and ornaments. Since yours would be a Christmas wedding add elements that would remind everyone of the festive season. Snowflakes, red accents, pinecones, Christmas trees, and Santa with Reindeers, etc., can be used to decorate your wedding cake and make your Christmas wedding a truly special event that would be remembered by everyone for many years to come.

Rich colored fondants in red and green can also be used on alternate tiers of your cake and also decorate your cake with flowers like daisy and cherries. This would reflect the spirit of Christmas in a unique way. You can opt for cookies as wedding favors that are famously used in Christmas or winter wedding. Snowball cookies are very popular cookies that can be given to your guests as wedding favors. This would delight your guests to no end and they would remember your Christmas wedding with a big smile.

If you want to try something different you can opt for cupcake wedding cakes that taste really out-of-the-world. Cupcake fruit recipes would be ideal for your Christmas wedding. You can arrange for a cake stand that resembles a fountain setup and place the cupcakes on it. Place a larger cake at the top with a snowman cake topper. Cake icing paints can also be used to decorate the cupcakes. For example, paint them red and green alternatively. If you have the time, prepare fondant icing and cut them into desired shapes like snowflakes. Decorate each cupcake with the icing and your Christmas wedding cake is ready.

Ice-Blue Wedding Cake

Make your cake the perfect reflection of the snow and blue sky. Choose a simple three tier white fondant cake and wrap each tier at the bottom with ice-blue colored satin ribbons. Icing in the shapes of small stars and dots can be designed on each tier to make your cake really cool.

Get ready to be showered by praises from your wedding guests for your yummy and stunning wedding cake.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Beautiful Christmas Wedding Cake Pictures

White Christmas Wedding Cakes with Red Ribbons

Tradition Christmas Wedding Cakes

Black & White Christmas Wedding Cake with Red Roses

Gift Box Christmas Wedding Cakes with Fondant Polka Dot

Christmas Wedding Cakes with Christmas Tree


Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Simple Wedding Cakes Design


Simple things are always beautiful and so are simple wedding cakes. Wedding cake designs that are very intricate or offbeat are often expensive. The taste and the appearance of the wedding cake should be good.

You can simply stick sugar flowers to form a design or draw it with butter cream. You can draw beautiful floral designs on all tiers of the cake. Your cake design depends a lot on the season you are getting married apart from your personal preferences. The colors you choose also could largely depend on the season and this quite helps in setting the mood for the wedding.

For instance, if you are getting married in spring, you could include all the colors of the spring. You could draw blossomed flowers on the cake. The gaiety and cheerful mood of the spring would set a nice tone for a spring wedding. You could place vibrant pink flowers on a simple three tier white cake. These flowers could be made of sugar or gum paste. You can also draw these flowers on the cake.

Polka dots on cake look fabulous. Polka dots on just about anything from cake to clothes have always been known to look trendy and faddish. These dots look good in any pastel shade on a simple white 3 tiered cake.

A basket weave is simple and looks good. A white basket of a three tiered white cake looks amazing. You could decorate this basket with fruits or flowers of your choice. You could use fresh ones or the ones made from edible sugar or gum.

Cherry blossoms look wonderful on a wedding cake and also have a deep meaning in some traditions. Cherry blossom trees look wonderful and they make you stop and gaze at them. Cherry blossoms indicate beauty of women especially in Japanese culture. You can draw or paste cherry blossoms on any white or pastel color cake.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

How to Make Simple Wedding Cakes at Home

Weddings are very expensive and involve plenty of tasks to be completed. Selecting the wedding cake is one among these important tasks on your wedding ceremony. There are some simple instructions to be followed that would help you to select simple wedding cakes and bring out some ideas to decorate them.

Wedding cakes are available in different styles and colors. You can either select the cake and order it in advance or bake it on your own. Baking your own cake is not a very difficult task.

You can bake a simple cake for your wedding at home. There are some important aspects which are to be decided for baking a wedding cake. This includes selecting the flavor and the color for your wedding cake. The color for the cake should be based on the theme that you have selected for your wedding.

Once all these aspects are finalized, you have to find out some simple recipes for your cake. You should try out baking the cakes in very small quantities at your home before baking it for the special occasion. You can easily get these recipes from various cook books and websites.These sites would offer you some interesting ideas for baking, icing, and decorating the cake . Here we provide you some simple instructions to bake your wedding cake. These are mentioned below:

  • Select the recipe, design, and flavor for the cake. The next important aspect is to decide the shape and color for the wedding cake. You could also go in for single layered cakes or multi- layered ones depending upon your preferences.
  • Once you have finalized the design for your wedding cake, you have to make all the ingredients and tools ready to bake the cake. Some important aspects required include wooden dowels, colors, filling for the cakes, and frosting decorations for the cake.
  • Practice decorating and icing of the cakes. You can try out some unique ideas and utilize various things such as flowers, fruits to decorate your cake.

It is extremely easy to prepare simple wedding cakes at home. You can use your own ideas and bake a cake that would grab the attention of all the wedding guests at one glance.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Types of Wedding Cakes

Chocolate Wedding Cakes


Elegant Wedding Cakes


Ribbon Wedding Cakes


White & Blue Wedding Cakes


Flower Wedding Cakes


Simple Wedding Cakes


Thursday, June 23, 2011

S'mores Cupcakes!

Yes, you read the title correctly...I said s'mores cupcakes!
I seriously started to drool when I found this recipe. Sounds like the perfect way to transform one of my favorite all-american camping treats into an elegant treat that could be served at a wedding or bridal shower.
Happy Fourth of July! :)
S'mores Cupcakes
makes about 24 cupcakes
Recipe courtesy of keyingredient.com
For the graham cracker crust:
- 1 and 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 5 and 1/3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
- 8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
For the cake you can use box mix chocolate cake.
Follow directions on box to prepare mixture then set aside.
For the frosting:
- 8 large egg whites, at room temp
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
2) Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter with fork. Drop about 1 tablespoon of mixture into the bottom of each cupcake liner and press down to line the bottom.
3) Sprinkle a small amount of chopped chocolate on top of the graham cracker crusts. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
4) Prepare cake batter according to box directions.
5) Fill liners about 1/4 way full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, rotating pans halfway through cooking. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes then remove and transfer to a wire rack to completely cool.
6) To make frosting, combine the egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in the top of a double boiler. Heat mixture, whisking frequently until it reaches 160 degrees with an instant-read thermometer.
7) Transfer mixture into bowl. Whisk starting out slowly then gradually increasing until stiff, glossy peaks form. Mix in vanilla until combined. Frost cupcakes as desired.
8) Brown with a kitchen torch. Garnish with Hersey chocolate.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Modify free wedding vows

A well-versed and well rehearsed wedding vow, especially when it comes from the heart, sends a certain chill to everyone who hears it. Vows have been a long time tradition in wedding ceremonies. The promise of a lifetime commitment to each other despite of difficulties and differences guarantee that true love really exists. Isn’t that a nice thought?

Both the groom and bride exchange wedding vows. Commonly, the vows would include a pledge of unselfishness, faithfulness, and unconditional love. If you are in the dark on what to write in your wedding vows, don’t be! You can find one of a kind wedding vow just by a click of your mouse. Surfing the internet for wedding vows proved to be a good source of ideas and tips that you can readily use on your wedding day. You may need to pay for the service on some sites, but you can scout one for free too.

Free wedding vows do away with the traditional and scripted promise one hears over and over again in common wedding ceremonies. The good thing about free wedding vows on the net, aside from the fact that they are free, they give you the freedom and flexibility to write what you want to say from your heart. You can modify the free sample vows or if you find the writing incredibly heart-warming, you can go ahead and use it without revisions.

There are different vows you can choose from. Like everything, vows can be customized according to the circumstances that you are in. There can be vows specially written for second marriage couples, couples with children, religious variations or wedding anniversaries. Using poetry as part of a vow is a common practice too. Those of Gibran, Keats and Browning are popular choices. You can browse on some internet sites that can even offer a free worksheet format and questionnaires that you need to fill out for you to easily modify your chosen wedding vow. These will serve as your guideline so that you can re-evaluate what you want to say.

Before that big day, preparing your wedding vows is very crucial. Writing your vows together is a very special activity that is highly recommended.

When writing a wedding vow together, set a specific time and place where the two of you can have some privacy. You can jot down your promises on a separate sheet of paper and agree to compare what you’ve written after an hour or so. First, write a letter professing your love for your partner. Do not hesitate to elaborate what you are feeling. Be creative and be sure to take note of your favorite and memorable times together, either good or bad. Some suggestions are the first time that you met, the moment when finally said ‘yes’ or when a trying situation happened but still your love for each others endure. Grab sweet lines from songs, books or scriptures that translate your love for your partner. After writing down your letter, get back together and read each other’s writings. Reading the letters can be truly heart-warming. Prepare to share a laugh or even occasional crying. Share your thoughts on the best part of the letter and from there start your outline for your vows.

The secret of a good wedding vow is making it a personal commitment to your other half and make sure that the message you convey are made clear and simple. Nothing beats anything that genuinely comes from the heart.

Free Wedding Speeches, helpful or dreadful?

You’re sitting in your couch watching TV on a Saturday night, minding your own business and then your Best friend calls you up, tells you he’s getting hitched and wants you to be his best man. You sweat, but can’t decline, so you end up agreeing on a toast at the wedding. After you hang up the phone, you go straight to the net and search for Free Wedding speeches.

Get the picture? Statistics have shown that more people are afraid of public speaking then they are of more common fears, and it is indeed a very fearful act, speaking in public, anything you say cannot be taken back, and if you say something bad, you’ll get foot “in” mouth disease.

But does looking for free speeches on the net really help? Most of the time you’ll find some cheap tips on how to make the perfect, speech or how to say it. Or maybe you’ll be lucky enough to find one that is already made, and you’ll just have to print it. But these speeches tend to be rather, impersonal and very general, and if you’re the best man, you’ll probably just end up boring your friends and family.

When making speeches, the simpler the better, you won’t have to depend on free wedding speeches off the net if you have memories of your friends.

What you are asked to do on a wedding toast is to tell the people something about your friends, the ones getting married, how they were meant for each other and how you wish them happiness for the rest of their lives. You don’t need a factory made, winding speech, all you need is memories, and your genuine care for your loved ones.

If you’re still having the jiggly stomach about giving your speech you can follow these free wedding speech tips, they may not be ready made but they’ll surely help.

- Forget the preaching go on with the memories
Most people give winding speeches because they tend to give “unasked advice” leave that to the marriage counselor or the pastor, just give ‘em memories. Most couples appreciate the nostalgia of a few well chosen memories. Find a funny or a touching memory you have of the couple and share it with the room, plus a few well wishes and you’re done.

- go for short but effective, rather than long and winding
Many of us know that a long speech is very boring; you don’t want to dull the night with your talks of your childhood, and your games, with your friend. A biography is for a book, one or two memories are for a wedding.

- Write a Poem
You may say that poems are for sissies but that depends on every person point of view. But a Wedding Is a very emotional moment and it’s sure that everyone is in the mood for a little emotion and tears and what more to provoke those dams to flow than a few well said lines in the form of a poem?

- Don’t forget to introduce yourself
A simple “Jade has been my friend since high school and I’ve never seen her gaga over any guy other than Andrew” Make a basis for what you’re saying, especially if you’re talking about moments in the newlywed’s life. If it was a trial, you’re the witness, and you’ll need credibility. Just imagine would people “feel” your speech if they’re don’t know who the heck you are?

Tips in selecting discount wedding invitations

Choosing a wedding invitation is very important because it will give your guests a first impression or glimpse of what your actual wedding will be like. A wedding invitation must, first and foremost, reflect your wedding theme and motif. Wedding invitations also often serves the purpose of being delightful keepsakes.

However, the right wedding invitation need not cost an arm and a leg. It is not wise to spend a fortune that can be used somewhere else. The range of kinds and styles of discount wedding invitation is vast. Choosing a particular one can be very confusing. There are discount wedding invitations and if you follow the guidelines below you will definitely never go wrong in choosing one. The key is to be prudent and not letting yourself get carried away. You can even save more money if you follow these guidelines.

Choose wedding invitation style well. As mentioned earlier, your primary consideration in choosing a wedding invitation style is the theme and motif of your wedding. Is your wedding grad or simple? Will your wedding be light or formal? Other than that, it all depends on personal taste and budget. But whatever your taste or budget range is, you will definitely be able to find a good wedding invitation. If you want, you can even buy some cards and design your own invitation by buying a printing kit which is offered by some wedding service providers.

Determine the kind of wedding you’ll have. Your type of wedding invitation will largely depend on whether you will have a traditional or modern wedding. Traditional weddings would require a more formal invitation. On the other hand, a modern wedding will call for a more modern kind of wedding invitation. Traditional wedding invitations would only contain texts. It wouldn’t contain any graphics. Traditional wedding invitations are usually upright and folded with the words engraved on the right side. Cards used in traditional wedding invitations are usually white or cream and the letterings are in silver and black. If you are having a themes wedding then choose a wedding invitation that is appropriate for your chosen theme. For example, you can have a sixteenth century scrolled parchment wedding invitation if the theme of your wedding is Tudor.

Choosing a supplier. Wedding invitations can be obtained by mail order, printer, stationers and stationery designers or you can buy online. Choose a supplier hat provides value added services and features so you will get real value for your money. Some suppliers will help you right the wording in your wedding invitation. Some will even help you with wedding etiquette rules and would help you if you are confused about all the etiquette rules involved in sending out wedding invitations. It would also be nice if the supplier has trained and experienced wedding etiquette and social correctness experts. Choose a supplier that offers personalized service so you can be sure that you are not getting run of the mill wedding invitation.

A good discount wedding invitation supplier will also respond to your inquiries and requests promptly either through email or by phone. But your privacy must always be requested so make sure that any personal information you provide to them is used for the sole purpose of processing your order. Your order must be transmitted across a secure server, so your billing information is kept private.

American Wedding

Living in the US makes one feel free - free to do anything, free to live, free to love, free from traditions. While this is true, there are still many practices done during wedding that renders this memorable event with a distinct American touch. Here are some:

Starting from the engagement, Americans can think of unique ways to personalize their wedding. As there really isn't any engagement tradition, the more unique the marriage proposal is done, the better.

For most wedding preparations, the engaged couple visits their parents to inform them of their recent engagement.

At times, the engaged couple hosts an engagement party. The engagement party costs less than a wedding reception since most of the time, the menu will only include cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. Therefore, if the couple is on a tight budget, they can just invite more guests to the engagement party if they plan to limit the number of guests during the wedding.

Most wedding preparations have a bridal shower given by the maid of honor and the bridesmaids. The groom may also have a bachelor party the night before the wedding but he has to be careful not to drink too much.

Wedding invitations should include response cards to quickly inform the couple whether the person has accepted or declined the invitation. The wedding invitations should also be sent within four to six weeks before the event.

Usually, there is a rehearsal dinner in which the wedding party and guests came from far places to be present at the wedding attend. It was practiced that the groom's parents pay for this dinner.

A bridal luncheon may be hosted for the bride's attendants during the wedding day. However, time constraints may not permit this to be part of the schedule for the wedding day. Likewise, the groom may also host a groom's dinner for his groomsmen.

Interestingly, even if the couple is not very religious, they still prefer a religious ceremony. However, this may pose a problem since in America people of different faiths and religious backgrounds get married.

Even if there are few people who believe in bad luck, some couples still make sure that the groom does not see his bride until she starts waking on the aisle.

It is still practiced that the groom and his groomsmen enter the church through a side door. The bride will then walk down the aisle with her father. In some cases when both her father and stepfather brought up the bride, she may ask them both to escort her.

During a formal reception, there is usually a bridal table where the couple and the attendants sit. Also, food and drinks should be served as the guests appear at the reception.

Before, gift giving used to depend on what the guest will feel useful for the couple. Now, it is better to register for gifts so the guests will know what to bring that the couple will need.

Upon receiving an engagement or wedding gift, it is better to send a thank you note apart from saying "thank you" to the giver. This should be sent within two weeks upon receipt of the gift. Make a personalized thank you note, instead of using an impersonal generic thank you note.

These are just some American practices during weddings. Whether one chooses to this or prefers to have a very different wedding, what's more important is that American's still believe in the wedding vow, "For better or worse, 'til death do us part."

Friday, June 19, 2009

Cheap Wedding Dress Or Best Wedding Dress

Bride to be, as you plan your wedding on a tight budget there is already enough anxiety attached to getting the perfect gown at a price you can live with. When the internet came into being, it became easier to search for a cheap wedding dress that could fit your budget, along with style, elegance and taste.

As a girl, the wedding dress really bring us to much imagine, and the dream has begian at the first sight of Mr Right. however, do you know how can select an elegent, delicated design wedding dress with low price. No one deny that the wedding is sacred, a siutable wedding dress will give bride and groom more happy and romantic feelings.

Compared with Europe , some Asia countries can supply quality and more competitive price for bride to be. The mateirals they use in the wedding dress making are best silk that from China Hangzhou (a well-known China silk city with more than 1000 years) or India. If you are considering buying direct from China, or overseas, here are a few additional things to consider, based on some independent research. You need to Beware because the pictures they use do not always represent the actual dress that they send.

Here is a source for a cheap wedding dress online. You can go to the Aminweddingdress bridal Online Store website and find prices that are 60-80 percent lower than bridal shops. I hope this article will give you useful information of quality and Cheap wedding dress.

How to Plan a Cheap Wedding
Don't let the title fool you! A Cheap wedding doesn't mean running off and eloping or running down to city hall on your lunch hour. You can have a very memorable wedding and not spend an arm and a leg on the whole event.

Here are some tips to save money and cut on the costs.

Tip1: Cut back on some of the guests. Every time a name gets added you are adding to the catering bill, the table arrangements and postage. A Good rule of thumb is this, if you haven't seen or talked to them in 5 years, it won't hurt for them to miss the event. Don't feel obligated to invite everyone you work with and just because some one is single, they don't have to bring a date and veto children.

Tip2: There are a couple of ways to save money in this category. If you just have to have the invitations done by a professional, get rid of the inner envelope, blotter paper and the R.S.V.P cards. Have people respond back by email or by telephone. Of course, another way to save money is buy your own paper stock and print them yourself. It will take some time, but will save money in the long run.

Tip3: The wedding dress. Cheap weddings don't mean you have to forgo the lavish wedding dress. Search the web; check Ebay and Craigslist for people selling used dresses. There are also sample sales and resale shops. Other things to look for are bridal stores that have special sales on certain dresses for 99.00 and up. You may not get all the lace and pearls, but still have a beautiful dress.

Tip4: The day you are having your wedding could cost your more than you think. Saturdays one the big day for weddings and as such vendors are usually booked. Change the day to a weeknight or a Sunday. Vendors may cut you deals or give you discounts on packages.

Tip5: If you are having a church wedding, try to plan around a holiday. The church will already be decorated and could save you a ton on flowers and decorations. Candlelight ceremonies are also romantic. Try those for off days in the church. Candles are usually abundant.

Tip6: Another way to have a cheap wedding is check with family and friends see who can do what and see who they know. You may have a preacher or minister in the family, some who is crafty and can design center pieces or help you do corsages or put together the flower arrangements. Maybe you know someone that has a bar or a restaurant and would let you use it on the day he or she is normally closed. Or maybe there is an aspiring photographer in the family, give them practice and get your wedding pictures free or at least at a discount.

These are just a few tips for have a cheap wedding but still having a memorable day and including family and friends. It doesn't take a lot of money to have a good time and keep a memory for the rest of your life.

How to plan a low cost wedding: Focus on these eight specific areas.

Food: When it comes to food there are a number of creative ways to save on food costs. Wedding venues that cater for the event will build healthy margins into the food they serve as is expected when running a business. They will also charge differently depending on the day of the week and time of the day. By doing some leg work you can pick a venue and establish your cost guidelines that fits in with you budget allocations. Sometimes picking a venue that doesn’t break the bank and using your own source of catering can end up being cheaper. Examine the options before you proceed.

Bar: Buying wholesale will definitely save you money. If you use a reception center this is not likely permitted. By hiring your own venue you may be able to assemble your own team of caters/waiters and supply the alcohol and food. If you find a suitable venue then this low budget wedding tip can save you thousands alone.

Wedding attire: In general, the more formal you make the occasion the more expensive the cost. Consider employing a less formal approach. You can still look stunning by selecting wedding attire that doesn’t cost a fortune. Custom made dresses are often expensive and if you do some research you can often find a discount designer dress at a greatly reduced price.

Flowers: Select flowers that are stunning in appearance but not as expensive as high end alternatives. There are also other ways to employ decorations that can minimize your investment in flowers. By having one main centerpiece and using other decorations you can greatly reduce the money you need to allocate towards floral arrangements.

Photography & Videography: This is a major cost and is something you will need to carefully consider. Having a professional do the job is essential because it is something you will cherish for years to come. If you are investigating cost cutting in this area you need to make sure that the person you employ has the necessary professional expertise and experience to be able to deliver a high quality reproduction of the event. You can go for a student to reduce costs but you need to make sure they will be able to handle the job.

Music: If you are going to hire someone to provide the music this will add additional expense. You can save in this area by using prerecorded music or by hiring a person who is musically talented but doesn’t charge professional rates. Asking friends can often produce someone who is talented and can be booked at a greatly reduced cost.

Honeymoon: Saving money on your honeymoon depends on a number of factors including the time of the year, duration and the honeymoon destination. You will have to be prepared to do extensive online research to find bargains. You can often get a great deal by traveling at the end of the season. Making use of any frequent flyer miles can also help reduce your honeymoon costs.

Guest List: Keeping the numbers down will greatly reduce your costs. If you have a large guest list then you will need to find an approach that reduces the cost per head. You can also save on your wedding invitations by creating your own. If you add humor to the occasion you can often create memorable invitations that will really strike a chord with your friends for very little outlay.

The above represents some basic guidelines to plan a cheap wedding. The more you research the more creative solutions you will find. It just takes time and a little effort. Creating a memorable wedding that doesn’t cost a fortune is attainable for everyone provided you are prepared to do a little leg work.