Preparing yourself for the wedding is one of the most difficult parts about the whole planning process. You have to get your wardrobe together, make hair and nail appointments on top of planning for the ceremony and reception. The last thing that comes to mind is dance skills but trust me a basic dance is very important. We all want to look great and feel confident on our wedding night!

When you start thinking about the reception and all the activities, dancing is one of the big events. First you have the “first dance” with your new spouse and then the father-daughter dance. Between these two and the rest of the night, you will most likely want to be able to dance at least a little bit.

Since all eyes will be on you, there is little room for mistake without feeling silly. I surely felt all the nerves when the first dance came along and everyone was staring. The solution I found to making sure it was not as scary was learning how to do basic ballroom dance.

The most easy and necessary dance is the waltz. It is a basic three count dance which gets you spinning around so all angles can be seen on the dance floor. Your guests will be delighted and your nerves will be a little lower. Of course there are some butterflies, but knowing the dance by muscle memory will make your wedding reception that much more enjoyable.

To learn the waltz you have a few options; dance school, DVD movies or have a friend teach you. We just so happen to get a gift certificate to a well known dance company for a few group lessons and individual lessons which worked out great. However if you search for “how to dance the waltz” you can find movies right online. This is the more new age way to find everything under the sun.

Once you line up a way to be taught the waltz it is important to discuss leading with your fiancé. This was what I found to be the most difficult. I like to lead and so does my husband so we found ourselves leading one-another. To make the dancing easier, just let your fiancé lead. It makes you feel a little more like a princess at the ball.

All in all your wedding will be a very special night and it is important to make sure and take advantage of the spot light. The waltz is a very basic dance and gives the two of you a basic move to get through the most special dance of the night. He will be able to lead you around the dance floor with ease and you will be able to just float along. No nervousness, just fun! That’s what your wedding reception should be about!

The bachelor party is one of the most difficult obstacles for a wife-to-be and there is good reason for this. Between the rowdy single men and alcoholic beverages there is way too much room for disaster. Let’s face it ladies, there are way too many horror stories from bachelor parties that have gotten out of hand. To avoid the possibility of experiencing the horrors yourself it is important that you set boundaries and communicate with him about your feelings. Here are some ideas to make this discussion a bit easier.

Well you hope by now that you have a pretty good idea about the man your about to marry. You’ve seen him on his best days and been there for him on the worst. Through all the ups and downs the two of you have been able to bond and developed a close relationship based on trust. While there are still minor insecurities, for the most part things are in good shape and you completely trust each other.

With a foundation of trust still come questions of boundaries and influences. In is not so bad if your fiancé is the last of his friends to get married. However, if he is the first there are way too many possible scenarios for the bachelor party. This is where setting boundaries is extremely important so that you do not feel bad about the situation.

The most important thing to talk about is what you are comfortable with as far as the more erotic bachelor party activities. Strip clubs and rented strippers at house parties are two popular things the guys planning the party incorporate into the night. While some women have no problem with this, there are a lot of women who do not feel comfortable about the activities involved with either of those things.

Even though some women don’t have a problem with strip clubs and strippers in general, they still have a line that can be crossed. This is where setting boundaries is extremely important. If you don’t mind using eyes but do mind touch, make sure you specify this to him.

However, if you can not stand the idea of any erotic activity and it goes against your morals make sure and talk seriously about it with your fiancé. Don’t make it sound like your trying to be controlling or don’t trust him. Approach the topic in a “from the bottom of my heart” and sincere way. By this point in the relationship there is usually a common ground and he will respect your feelings.

An important factor to remember is that men and women have different ideas of what is ok and what is not. Then when you add alcohol into the equation there is was too much room for disaster. To avoid a bad situation where the guys loose their discretion, discuss alcohol consumption. For those who drink often a few drinks will be just fine, but if they have not had a drink in a while then only about one or two is way more than enough.

Although this may be a tough night to figure out and discuss with your fiancé, make sure you do talk about it. Communication is very important and I can not stress it enough. Remember the golden rule of “treating other as you would like to be treated” and in this case ask him “how would you feel if I did that.” This keeps the two of you thinking about each other instead of yourselves.

Good luck with the topic and remember that he will probably want to give input about the bachelorette party as well.

The cost of hiring a caterer can be way too expensive for many people. They charge you for everything including the linens, dishes, food and a handful of servers at a pretty high rate. While some are more fortunate and have parents ready to front the bill at one-hundred dollars per person, most cannot afford this part of the wedding. For many couples trying to get started in life, a few extra thousand dollars for a caterer can make or break the bank. Due to the high costs of having a caterer I’ve gathered five easy recipes that show you it is possible to cater your own wedding.

Appetizers

Stuffed Mushrooms:
This recipe makes twenty eight stuffed mushrooms and serves seven to eight people. Make sure you make one batch for every seven to eight people attending the wedding to ensure you have enough for everyone. The whole process should take about an hour from start to finish. Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis.

What you need:
• 1/2 cup Italian-style dried bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 28 large (2 1/2-inch-diameter) white mushrooms, stemmed

Directions:
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Stir the bread crumbs, Pecorino Romano, garlic, parsley, mint, salt and pepper, to taste, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium bowl to blend.
• Drizzle a heavy large baking sheet with about 1 tablespoon olive oil, to coat.
• Spoon the filling into the mushroom cavities and arrange on the baking sheet, cavity side up.
• Drizzle remaining oil over the filling in each mushroom.
• Bake until the mushrooms are tender and the filling is heated through and golden on top, about 25 minutes.

Veggie Platter / Cheese & Cracker Platter:
You have the option here of doing two separate platters or combining them into one. There is no exact portion for the veggies or meat and cheese platters. However, to be safe there should be a couple of pieces of everything for each guest.

Veggie Platter with Ranch Dip
What you need:
• Head of cauliflower (1 per 5 guests)
• Head of broccoli (1 per 5 guests)
• Baby Carrots (1 pound per 5 guests)
• Bunch of celery (1 bunch per 8 guests)
• Cherry Tomatoes (1 pint per 5 guests)
• Nice Large Platter for displaying veggies and a bowl in the middle for dip

Directions:
• Take all your veggies and wash them thoroughly with water.
• Chop the cauliflower and broccoli into one inch little trees.
• Take the celery and chop the stalks into 2 inch pieces.
• Arrange the veggies around the platter so they create a circle, oval or square around the dip bowl.
• Fill the dip bowl with ranch and you are finished.

Cheese & Cracker Platter
What you need:
• Swiss Cheese (1/2 pound per 10 guests)
• Cheddar Cheese (1/2 pound per 10 guests)
• Provolone Cheese (1/2 pound per 10 guests)
• American Cheese (1/2 pound per 10 guests)
• Water Crackers (5 per guest)
• Whole Wheat Crackers (5 per guest)
• Bagel Chips (5 per guest)
• Large platter for displaying cheeses and crackers

Directions:
• Slice cheeses in cracker size pieces.
• Take platter and arrange the cheeses on one side
• Put rows of each type of crackers on other side

Dinner

Apple and Walnut Salad:
After your guests mingle and snack on appetizers it’s time to show them some great culinary skills. What more could they want than a delicious apple and walnut salad. Crisp greens and tangy vinaigrette dressing are a great part of a complete dinner menu. This easy recipe is sure to impress your guests!

What you need:
• One head of green leaf lettuce
• One head of red leaf lettuce
• One cup dried cranberries
• One cup of caramelized walnuts
• One green apple
• ¼ cup raspberry vinaigrette
• This portion serves 6 guests

Directions:
• First start off by caramelizing your walnuts if you are unable to find them in the store. This is possible by dunking your walnuts in butter and coating them with sugar. Then you bake them for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees or until golden brown.
• Next you wash your green apples and chop them up into ½ in pieces.
• Then wash your lettuce and slice it into ½ inch strips.
• Finally you are able to put it all together in a large salad bowl with the exception of the dressing. Wait to put the dressing on until about 10 minutes before eating so the lettuce stays crisp.

Classic Lasagna:
Lasagna is one of those simple and yet delicious meals that you really can not go wrong with. While it may seem a little basic, a few veggies can make this meal classy. As a buffet item lasagna does great and will make the food line move smoothly. As a special bonus you can get loaves of garlic bread from your local grocery store bakery to add a final touch to the meal. This recipe feeds about twelve guests.

What you need:
• 1 small can of tomato paste
• 2 large cans of diced tomatoes drained
• 1 box of no cook lasagna noodles
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 red bell pepper finely chopped
• 1 yellow bell pepper finely chopped
• ½ sweet onion finely chopped
• 2 tbsp of the following dried herbs: basil, thyme, parsley, oregano
• 1 tsp of black pepper and salt
• 1 pound of grated mozzarella cheese

Directions:
• Start off by browning your ground beef in a large skillet and then draining once cooked.
• Then chop your peppers and onions and add them to the ground beef along with your drained tomatoes and tomato paste.
• Next add your herbs, salt and pepper to the sauce and simmer on low until peppers are soft.
• Finally get your large lasagna pan out and layer three times as follows: sauce, mozzarella, noodles. Finish off the top with a layer of sauce and mozzarella then bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Finalize
Putting together recipes and meal plans can be quite a challenge and with these ideas you can hopefully come up with your wedding food. Substitute something you love with one of the ideas or pick your own recipes all together. Just let me emphasize the importance of at least two appetizers, one side and an entrée.
In addition to the food expense, remember that you also need to come up with linens and dishes. Some companies actually rent these items at a reasonable rate. Try and do some research in your area well before the wedding due to date confliction with other brides and product availability.

Good luck with your wedding food and enjoy catering your own wedding as it cuts a huge corner in the wedding budget!

One of the most memorable moments of your wedding might just be getting cake shoved in your mouth. While this may seem silly to you, it is a traditional part of the wedding reception. We’ve all seen movies of the cake cutting where the husband and wife feed each other the first piece of cake. It is a classic act and since you will defiantly be eating the cake and sharing it with all the wedding guests it is a good idea to make sure you love the taste. With that in mind, here are five important things to remember when picking out your wedding cake!

Flavor
The most important aspect of a wedding cake is the way it tastes in your mouth. This includes the texture and the flavor of the cake. If it is too dry or the frosting isn’t made right, the whole cake will taste horrible. So as a reminder, do not order a cake without trying a sample first.

In order to make the cake sampling process more efficient, you should have a flavor picked out for the cake, filling and frosting. Then you can call around to all the bakeries in the area near the wedding and order sample cakes with your specific flavors. If they are a good bakery they will usually make a tiny version of the wedding cake with a layer of filling and frosting. Then when you go and sample each of the cakes keep notes of the ones you like most so you can use them to make your final decision.

Size
The size of your wedding cake will be dependent on the number of guests invited to the wedding. If you have less than one hundred people a three tier cake will usually work well. However, if you have a fairly large wedding it may be necessary to have two cakes or add more tiers.

If you would like to save the top tier and eat it on your one year anniversary then you will have to plan so that the rest of the tiers feed the wedding. The bakery will usually offer advice as to which size cake serves certain amounts of people from which you can choose. Just make sure to let them know ahead of time that you will be saving the top tier. Then they can put it on a separate foil covered cardboard layer to make it easier to be removed at the wedding.

Shape
Wedding cakes can be ordered in many shapes and usually each bakery will give you a book of pictures from cakes they did in the past to give you ideas. Square cakes and round cakes with no separated tiers are the most popular at weddings. However if you want a different layout you can get your tiers separated with columns to create a gap between each of the layers.

The shape of your wedding cake can directly correlate with your wedding theme. Bakeries are usually capable of creating exotic wedding cakes to order as long as they are not too complicated. In this case you could order a wedding cake in the shape of a large flower or hearts. As long as there is plenty of body to the cake so that it will feed all your guests than you can do whatever you would like. Remember that the more exotic you get, the more expensive the cake will be.

Color
When planning your wedding you will most likely choose one or two colors to use for the theme. There are a number of ways you can incorporate the colors into your wedding and the wedding cake is a great opportunity. You can add colorful flowers on the cake that match your wedding colors or add a design all over the cake to match. Either way it gives your wedding cake a personal touch to match your specifications.

Adding color to the cake is a more affordable way to get color at your wedding. With colored frosting detail you are able to have white linens which are usually about half the price of colored linens. With flowers and cake detail according to your wedding theme it will save you money in other areas and give the wedding your own specific look. I took this approach and my wedding still turned out beautiful.

Cost
The final part of the cake decision process is figuring out the cost. Some bakeries will have an average cost per person when it comes to ordering their cakes and others will have prices depending on the style of cake. Both time and materials come into play when determining the cost of the wedding cakes so if they are priced fairly you should see a direct correlation between detail or size and price.

In order to choose the right cake refer back to the notes you took about the cake samples you tried. Contact each of the bakeries that made a cake you loved and get an estimate based on your specific order. Remember all of the previous parts I discussed above, as they are your cake order.

Once you give the bakery your flavors, head count, shape and color specifications they will get back to you in a timely manner with a price. Most large bakeries have pre-determined prices that go along with a basic cake and then add on for each additional filling, tier or design.

Good Luck
Hopefully these tips come in handy and make it easier to choose your wedding cake. It will take some time and patients to make the appointments and try each cake, but it is well worth it. In order to get the whole process done with plenty of time before the wedding, start sampling about six months in advance.

One of the most fun parts of planning your wedding is the honeymoon. This is the time when you and your new spouse get to go away somewhere beautiful and celebrate each other. There are no distractions or interruptions and you have full attention on one another. With that in mind you want to choose a place that fits both of your interests. This can be difficult if you are two lives becoming one. However, with a little help you just might find the right place to honeymoon.

Outdoorsy
For those of you who love the outdoors there are many different options. You can go camping, hiking, biking, fishing, boating, climbing, diving, snorkeling or even skiing. Most of all you can pretty much do one of these activities anywhere in the world.
If your honeymoon budget is large then you can go to Brazil or Australia or if your budget is small you can drive to a state near by with a beautiful National Park. There are plenty of parks all over the United States that you can do most of the outdoor activities listed above.

Love of History
If you and your fiancé are fascinated by historical events and artifacts, traveling to an old city or country would suit your interests. Places like Venice, Italy or Athens, Greece are great in Europe and Plymouth, Massachusetts or Tulum, Mexico are closer and less expensive to travel to within the North American continent.
To make the honeymoon fun on a small budget try and find an old city or town within driving distance that you could visit and spend a few days in looking at museums and taking tours of the old buildings and monuments.
On the other hand, if you have a large budget, choose a place far away that you have both wanted to travel to and make an adventure out of finding historical places. While it may sound silly, making a game out of the historical places keeps the honeymoon fun and exciting.

Beach Bums
For those of you who love the beach and can’t get enough of it there are plenty of places for you. The activities can be anything from lying out and relaxing on the beach to jet skiing and surfing. Of course if you love to scuba dive then finding a gorgeous coral reef in some tropical waters would be at the top of the list.
If you have a tight budget, then try getting to the coast. There are plenty of gorgeous beaches along the Pacific and Atlantic sides of the country and if you really need to cut back then you can camp on the beach as well. With the cost of airfare these days it can get pretty pricy to fly anywhere so driving is your best bet.
For those of you who don’t have to worry about budgeting, try finding a country south of the equator on the coast. There are plenty of gorgeous white sand beaches in South America and Africa and either way you can’t go wrong because there are plenty of amenities in most coastal places. Most people thrive along the coast lines so traveling to places like South Africa would be very nice indeed.

Overworked
For those of you who live very stressed out lives and are looking for a honeymoon to relax and unwind, your best bet is to create your own retreat. There are places around the United States that offer an all inclusive relaxing experience with activities like yoga and meditation. These types of exercises are a way to unwind and really come to the point where you feel connected with your new spouse.
Putting the daily grind behind you for a week or so can be quite the challenge for those who work constantly so relaxing activities can really help pull your mind away from it all. This is key to a honeymoon where this is the first time the two of you have spent days on end with one-another. All the stress of the wedding and work needs to be dealt with so the two of you can focus on each other.
Why yoga and meditation may not seem interesting to some, there are always all inclusive resorts that you can go and stay in down in Mexico or in the states. This is an alternative if you would rather just get away and do everything yourselves. In this case you may want to order a couples massage to your room or sit in the hot tub under the stars. Either way, time together to relax is necessary for those of you who are overworked.

Overall
Hopefully those four categories covered almost everyone who is seeking out a honeymoon or gave you an idea of where to start. It can be very difficult to put your finger on an exact place in the world the two of you should go, but the activities you would like to do usually lead to a destination. Also when you have a small budget then choosing a place you can get to and fulfill your interests at little cost can be a bit more difficult. Don’t let this get in your way because there are plenty of beautiful places real close to home that you could go to. All that matters is that the two of you are able to spend quality time together as husband wife and focus on each other. Once you go back home there will be packing and moving along with work, so enjoy every moment!

While the wedding toast is usually given by a close friend or family member at the wedding, it is still a very important part of the whole experience. Given the fact that most people do not give speeches on a daily basis, it can be quite nerve wracking standing in front of a bunch of people with their attention on you. To help with the whole experience, I’ve come up with some tips on how to prepare for a wedding toast. Hopefully it will put the nervousness at ease!

Brainstorm Memorable Moments
To begin the preparation process you will first want to brainstorm a list of memorable moments with the bride and groom. This can be anything from the night you first met them to a funny memory at the beach.

Then you can go through yoru list and pick your favorite moment that means the most to you. No matter which story you choose, think about how it has made you support their marriage and give thanks for being part of their lives.

Short and Sweet
When it comes to the length of the wedding toast, try to keep it short and sweet. This doesn’t mean you have to cut back on the nice things you would like to say. It just means that you should make sure you’re not saying the same thing over and over.

It is important to make sure the length is reasonable and the guests’ interests are up. This will keep your nerves from getting the best of you and avoid a rambling moment. Trust me rambling is not very fun, especially in front of a crowd of people.

Write it Down
To ensure that you are including all you would like to say, make sure and write down a rough draft of wedding toast. This will also avoid the repetition problem and keep your focus on the highlights of the toast.

Making a flash card to carry in your pocket and pull out is just fine if you want to be sure and cover certain thoughts. In the moment we all have the possibility of getting a blank mind so it’s nice to have a little reminder.

Practice the Part
The best way to make sure your wedding toast will go smoothly is to practice. Stand up at your kitchen table and pretend to be giving the toast by raising your drink and talking in a loud voice. Of course you might not want to do it in front of others so you can find another place if necessary.

The whole idea of practicing is that you’re going through the motions so the toast is more from memory than from the note card. Then when you get up to give the wedding toast, it will flow nicely and make you feel good about the job you did.

Relax
With all the time and effort put into the wedding toast it will surely pay off. It’s amazing how seeing the good in others will help you see the good in yourself. This is especially true when you’re putting the positive feelings about the bride and groom together and trying to express them in words. Not everyone is the best at putting their feelings into words, but trying to do so helps you grown. Don’t let this be the factor why you choose not to say the wedding toast. Try your best and make it happen. The bride and groom will be so thankful you did.

By: Alexine

When it comes to getting your wedding registry together there is a lot to choose from. Almost all stores these days offer you a registry for different life events. With that in mind you really have to choose the stores that suit both you and your fiancé. Due to the fact that the whole picking and choosing process of wedding registries can be quite a headache I’ve put together a few tips that make it a little easier.

Choosing Your Stores
Due to the fact that you have such a large selection of stores to choose from, it would be nice to register at all the ones you shop at. Unfortunately, that would mean either sending a list of all twenty stores or including twenty different little registry cards with your invitations. This is excessive and looks rather greedy and overwhelming from the guests stand point. Instead of over doing it, try to limit yourself.

Tip One: Pick one or two stores that have a large selection of goods. Many nice department stores are a great choice because they are all over the country and offer online purchasing for those out of town guests.

Prices of Registered Items
With everything on a registry from napkin rings to mixers, there are many different item price ranges to choose from. Make sure to have several registered items in each of the different price ranges. This allows guests with little money to still be able to get something you really want and not have to just get a gift card for the amount they want to spend. Guests want to be able to show up with something wrapped all nice for the two of you. Also it’s a lot of fun to open gifts together as a newly married couple.

Tip Two: Register for items in all price ranges, starting under twenty five dollars and working up in ten to twenty dollar increments. This doesn’t mean you have to have a price check list. Just skim through at the end to make sure there is a variety of price ranges.

Number of Registered Items
The number of items you register for depends on the number of guests you invite to the wedding. You should have no less than about twenty percent more gifts on the registry than guests invited. This is necessary, because people will want to pick out a gift that they can afford and possibly represents them. It may seem odd, but some people actually put a lot of thought into the gifts they give and pick according to memories and tastes. The more selection you have, the less the pricing problem will happen as well. So all in all it is important to have an excess of registered items.

Tip Three: Make sure and register for twenty or more percent extra gifts than guests invited. This is necessary to ensure each guest has a fair shot at finding an item they would like to get you.

With these three wedding registry tips in mind, you can have peace of mind about one more part of the wedding planning process. Of course there are a million items to list as what to get and what not to get, but that is up to you and your fiancé. Only the two of you know your needs as far as the registry goes so make sure and get together to register at your favorite stores. Make it a fun date and enjoy the process of selecting and scanning.

By: Alexine

After talking to a few of my friends about weddings they have been to lately and how disastrous the receptions were, I’ve decided to give some party planning advice. We all have great ideas about music selection, types of alcoholic beverages and what type of atmosphere is ideal. The unfortunate reality of wedding receptions is that without a great balance of all three, your guests may become bored and want to leave early. With that in mind, here are some tips to help make the reception a fun and memorable experience.

Dance Floor
To keep the interacting going all hours of the reception make sure to include a dance floor. The key to a dance floor is where you position it. Make sure it is front and center so that people are drawn to get up and have a great time together.

If you just have hours of sitting around drinking and talking things can get pretty bland. This is often the case because people at each table don’t always know each other well and feel awkward after long hours of awkward conversation. A great mix of dancing and chit chat makes the time fly and people genuinely enjoy themselves.

Music
The selection of music is what makes or breaks your dance floor experience. While traditional wedding songs are great for the first dance and bride and father dance, don’t over do them. Make sure you really touch on fun dance music no matter how silly you think it is. Trust me on this one, nobody wants to slow dance all night long.
Bring out the party music that kids listen to with things like the electric slide and Macarena. This will get people dancing if they were afraid to get out of their seats before.
In addition to fun songs, be sure to choose songs that the majority of your guests will dance to. Of course grandma and grandpa don’t know what you listen to these days but most people will. Don’t hesitate to include more up to date fast songs. These will ensure a fun time for you and your new spouse along with keeping your guests entertained.

Alcohol
Most weddings include some type of alcohol like champagne, wine, beer or hard alcohol. While an open bar of hard alcohol can be pricy and not affordable for most, bottled alcoholic fruity drinks are a great addition to beer and wine. This will ensure that all the guest have something to sip on and it won’t break your bank.
It may seem unnecessary, but a glass or wine or a fruity drink can lighten people up to the point where they let go and dance. This will ensure a better experience at the wedding reception for the more uptight and anti-social individuals. It’s not that alcohol is necessary, but it surely helps. I mean one day in their life isn’t going to hurt.
Reminder: Please make sure to have people designate drivers if you have alcohol at the wedding. It can save lives keep good memories of your special day.

Enjoy
I hope these ideas help when planning your wedding reception and your wedding is a wonderful experience. There may be minor flaws to your plan but most likely you will be the only one that notices. Don’t worry too much and focus on having fun. It is amazing how fast your wedding days is over, so make sure and fill your head with wonderful memories of friends and family.

By: Alexine

With the environment and conservation on the headlines these days it is no wonder people are becoming more interested in getting green. This is especially hard when planning your wedding due to the fact that most companies produce waste before they even get to your wedding. When you hire a company to do the work based on their prices and sample performances, most of us don’t ask about how green the company is. Due to the push for “going green” today I’ve come up with five parts of the wedding that you can make green.

Recycled Paper Products
When choosing the type of set the date cards and invitations to send out use recycled paper. There are a lot of beautiful designs and imprints you can get made of recycled paper. This will require you to make the invitations yourself, but it can be fun. Get your girl friends together for ladies night to help you put them together. This will give you an excuse to spend time with friends and also be green with the paper products you use.

Reusable Dishes and Linens
When choosing a caterer make sure they use glass dishes, glasses, stainless steel flatware and washable linens. This way you can ensure that your wedding is not producing garbage from the plastic utensils and dishes. When reusable items are used the only waste is the water to wash them when they are finished being used. That is a nice relief and allows the company to use them on multiple weddings which can put you at peace of mind in the sense of having to accommodate for lots of people.

Stay Local
Another great way to have a greener wedding is to keep the traveling to a minimum. In most cases this would be to have it where you and your family live. However, some of us live far away from the majority of our families. In this case having the wedding where the majority of people are keeps down the traveling, even if it means you have to travel. I know it may seem like a headache, but then more people can attend without flying on an airplane or wasting lots of gas driving cross country.

Carpool
Traveling in a carpool is a great way to save on gas and get people to the wedding. If you ask them to carpool they can also assign a designated driver which keeps people from drinking and driving as well. This would eliminate having to call cabs and figuring out what to do with vehicles. All in all the carpooling idea helps in a few areas and is a greener way to get to the wedding.

Catering Food
Try to find a caterer that uses locally grown food. By using local food you eliminate the global transportation of the goods that uses lots of fossil fuels. Unfortunately this would be more for summer and fall weddings in the areas that have all four seasons. However, if you plan a wedding during the harvesting seasons the locally grown food would be fresh and that ensures very tasty food. If you go to your local farmers market you may meet some people that know of caterers that use their produce or other local produce. It’s always worth a try if you have a little time to check it out and see what is available.

Hopefully these ideas gave you a little inspiration to try and make your wedding a little more green. If you are able to do one, two or three things, that’s great. With all the talk about being more environmentally friendly today, remember that even one change at your wedding helps with limiting waste.

Bridesmaids’ gifts are one task on the wedding list that take a bit more thought than picking out the dresses, shoes and hairdos. Most typical gifts like jewelry can really rob your wallet, especially when you have a party of six to eight. The best way to save money and give a wonderful gift is to get crafty.

Here are eight great ideas for bridesmaids’ gifts that you just might consider.

1. Earrings:
If you go to a craft store and pick up some hoops or wire and coordinating beads, you can easily throw together some fun earrings. At craft stores or bead stores there are usually books on how to make jewelry which are really easy to follow. Just make sure you have the right types of earrings incase one of your bridesmaids needs clip on instead of posts.

2. Necklace:
Necklaces are simple because you can typically find strands of beads at the craft or bead store and easily thread a needle with the tough silk string to make a beautiful necklace. The thread at the bead store typically will come pre-threaded with a wire needle to make it easier on you. Just make sure you grab the clasp to knot onto each end in order to be able to put the necklace on and off.

3. Bracelet:Bracelets are a great accessory for the bridesmaid dress and are pretty simple to make. You can use wire and a clasp or elastic string which is easier and makes the bracelet convenient to put on. I especially like this kind of bracelet because I can put it on my writing hand without struggling.

4. Photo Frame:
Decorating a cute photo frame with a picture of you and the bridesmaid hanging out at an earlier date would be great. You can typically find plain wood frames as craft stores or plain colored ones at department stores. Then you can paint pretty flowers or designs on them and write something like “friends forever” or “beautiful bridesmaid” and the date of your wedding.

5. Jewelry Box:
Painting or making a collage on a jewelry box is another fun project that doesn’t cost much. Most craft store or stores that sell wooden items have a box or a premade jewelry box ready for decorating. If you get a normal wooden box you just need a piece of velvet for the inside and paint or paper scraps and pictures for the outside. Once painted or collaged you can write their name and the date of the wedding on it in a pretty silver or gold paint pen. Personalizing adds the special “just for you” touch to the gift.

6. Scrap Book Page:
If you and your bridesmaids love to scrap book, why not take advantage of your talent and make each one a page? This is not that expensive and very thoughtful. Go to the paper store and pick up some fun and flirty paper and accessories, print some pictures and get to work. It won’t take too long but will be greatly appreciated.

7. Fleece Blanket:
Ever wonder why so many people have those fun fleece blankets with the bows all the way around? That’s because they are fun and easy gifts to make and don’t cost much! All you need is two pieces of fleece and a pair of scissors. When selecting your fleece you can pick two solid colors, two prints or one of each. The most common way is to have a printed side and a solid side.
First you lay the two pieces of fleece on top of each other and line up the corners. Then you cut one inch strips around the whole edge of the fleece pieces. Then you tie the two strips from the fleece on top to the fleece on the bottom. Once you finish tying all the strips together, you’re done! Ta da! Now you have a beautiful fleece blanket.

8. Wedding Candle:
If you go online to a wedding favor website like favorfavor.com you can order custom wedding candles. These are a great gift accompanied by a small hurricane candle holder. They don’t cost much and will keep the memory of your wedding in the bridesmaid’s heart for days after the wedding. This is a great favor for those of you that don’t have much time but want something sweet.

I hope these ideas help with the planning of your wedding and give you one less thing to worry about. When it comes to giving gifts to your lady friends or sisters in the wedding, if you know them well then it’s a little easier but any of these ideas can be appreciated by anyone. The only thing might do is include a scrapbook with the page or frame it if you pick that gift. Otherwise you should be set with any of the other ideas.