His and Her Cock-tails!

While the Signature Drink is so yesterday, the updated version pays homage to both the bride and the groom. If one is good… TWO is even better! So move over signature drink and make room for the bride to pick her favorite and the groom to pick his. Pairings can be exotic; imagine a Cosmo or Lavendar Martini for her served along side a Jagermeister or a Jager Bomb for him. Take it a step further and include a pairing. Consider a Syrah paired with a Dark Chocolate Truffle and a drink from yester-years, the Manhattan along side a cigar. And you don’t have to always think about alcoholic drinks as many people are now lending selections as non-alcoholic drinks or even a small root-beer float shooter? The combinations are endless and will give your guests a taste of your favorite drinks as well as something to talk about.

Talk about personalizing your wedding...I'll have one of those or rather, one of EACH!

What's HOT...Make-up and Hair styles for 2011

Ladies, I'm sorry to give you this NEWS. It almost KILLS me to write this blog because I'm one to use a fierce cat eye (blue, green, pinks) and enough hairspray to put another hole in the ozone. You know some women like a little mascara and gloss to go to the grocery store...I NEVER leave the house without a cat eye and teasing. Anyways on to the topic.....

It's OUT, all of it...The smokey, cat, colorful eyliner.....eye is OUT. Wanna know what's in...
Au Natural...Damnit!!!! Hello Plain Jane.....

Make-up...

Wedding trends for make-up are little to nothing.
Little shimmer, bronzer, 1 shadow, no liner and a very light mascara. The only thing that was showing for this season was a nice colored "gloss" lip. Say good bye to lipstick.

Hair...

Wedding trends for hair are loose, light hairspray, bouncy free hair. We're talking buns, ponytails, braids, curls....All off the face. There weren't even any swoops...Dear Lord...I have a swoop too!

Well that's what it is but 1 thing is for sure: I'll still rock the ever so OUT of style... teased, swoop, my hairs not going anywhere in a monsoon and I'll still use every color of the rainbow as a cat-eye to finish off my "Look." After all, you know what looks best on you..so, just do you!

Favors as Centerpieces.

Economically, it's so much smarter in this day in time to double up on certain items to save money. I hope you'll take this advice; you don't have to break the bank to have a FABULOUS wedding. Here's some ideas on having your centerpieces double as your favors.

Spring wedding are perfect to use herb centerpieces. Along with centerpieces and favors they can also be used as place cards for your guests.

Potted Plant centerpieces would be perfect for the spring/summer months. Pot zinnia, tulips and marigolds for a piece of the celebration your guests can take home.

Flower Boxes are gorgeous. Grab a box, wrap with ribbon and put floral arrangements on top.

THINK DETAILS...IT'S ALL IN THE DETAILS!

Oh How I LOVE Being Crafty...

Homemade Wedding Gifts:

Homemade wedding gifts are good for a few reasons:

1. You know not a single person will be giving the same gift

2. They are way more personable than say...A GIFT CARD. ( I know some people do LOVE gift cards but in my opinion it couldn't get anymore un-personable. I mean a gift card basically says, "I don't know you well enough to know what you like or I just don't give a damn!) Ok so back on topic....

Here are some fantastic ideas for homemade wedding gifts:

1. Jams, jellies, honey, pickles...etc. I mean come on, It's not like we don't make these in the summer anyways. Throw a cute piece of fabric under the lid and secure with a bow!

2. Cooking basket including your family favorite recipes. A new bride will love trying these new recipes for her husband..or the other way around:)

3. Wreath for the door. All of you Hobby Lobby Fans (Yes, I'm in love too) take a trip out there and make your new couple a beautiful new wreath for their house.

4. Like to sew? How about using your creativity to sew the family Christmas stocking (provided that they do celebrate Christmas) Add cute things like fur, buttons, ribbon and pearls.

I love all of these ideas and I know your wedding couple would appreciate the thoughtfullness. If you aren't so crafty; go buy these items and put them in a cute basket secured with a ribbon! Happy Crafting!

Themed Weddings?

Weddings come in all different shapes and sizes. They can be simple or elegant, large or small. One type of wedding which individuals throw once in a while is a theme wedding. These can be as tasteful or outrageous as the couple desires them to be. Some examples of popular themes for weddings are the Beach Theme Wedding, Winter Wedding, Valentines, Medieval, Christmas, Western, Las Vegas, Hollywood and Fall Weddings to name a few.The following will highlight some theme wedding ideas to give individuals a place to start should they desire to have a wedding celebration of this type.

Black and White Weddings

An example of an elegant type of themed wedding is the black and white wedding. This exquisite affair entails the guests wearing some form of black and white attire. Although it is usually only the bride who should wear white to a wedding, this type of affair negates any etiquette requirements with regard to the white clothing ban. A black and white wedding is perfect for a country club setting or large-scale estate where the theme can really be brought to life. There is so much one can do with a wedding planof this type including everything from guest attire requirements to exquisite black and white decorations.

Hawaiian Weddings

These hawaiian weddings are a great choice for casual weddings. Weddings such as beach weddings or weddings held in the backyard of one's home can really be jazzed up by utilizing a Hawaiian theme. All of the guests can be asked to wear Hawaiian shirts and floral dresses to the special event. As for the bride and groom, they too can wear casual Hawaiian oriented apparel and exchange their vows in their bare feet or sandals if they like. The food served after a wedding in hawaii can be similar to that offered at a true Hawaiian luau. This type of wedding theme provides an overall festive atmosphere for the couple and their guests as well.

Mardi Gras Weddings

For those individuals who have a love for the Big Easy festivities, why not bring the spirit of New Orleans to one's wedding. Beads, masks and colorful clothing can be worn to a wedding of this type. This is the perfect kind of wedding for individuals who want their special day to be fun and festive. This can be as casual or elegant as the couple likes. The food which is served after the wedding ceremony can be full of Southern flair which adds to the New Orleans flavor of the occasion.

One can do a lot in the way of having a theme wedding. Theme weddings are great as they provide a fun atmosphere to the special day and allow the couple and guests to have a great time while rejoicing in their marital union. One who chooses to have this type of wedding can utilize the theme for the ceremony, reception or both. There are so many options to individuals when it comes to choosing that perfect theme for their wedding.

Wedding Customs and Superstitions...

Surnames -It was thought unlucky for a woman to marry a man whose surname began with the same letter as hers
Choosing the Day-Although most weddings now take place on a Saturday it was considered unlucky in the past
Something Old, Something Blue ...The rhyme originated in Victorian times although some of customs referred in it are much older. The "something old" represents the couples friends who will hopefully remain close during the marriage. Traditionally this was old garter which given to the bride by a happily married woman in the hope that her happiness in marriage would be passed on to the new bride.
"Something new" symbolises the newlyweds' happy and prosperous future.
The "something borrowed" is often lent by the bride's family and is an item much valued by the family. The bride must return the item to ensure good luck.
The custom of the bride wearing "something blue" originated in ancient Israel where the bride wore a blue ribbon in her hair to represent fidelity

Wedding Dress-It is thought unlucky for the bride to make her own wedding dress. The bride should not wear her entire outfit before the wedding day. Some brides leave a final stich on the dress undone until it is time to leave for the ceremony when the outfit is completed.
Dress Colour-Most brides today marry in white which symbolises maidenhood. This tradition started by the rich in sixteenth century. The tradition was given a boost by Queen Victoria who chose to marry in white instead of silver which was the traditional colour of Royal brides. Before the white dress brides wore their best dress.
The Veil-The veil was originally worn by Roman brides. It was thought that it would disguise the bride and therefore outwit malevolent spirits
Flowers-Flowers have always been used for decoration at weddings
On the Way to the Wedding-When the bride is ready to leave the house for the wedding ceremony a last look in the mirror will bring her good luck
Bridesmaids-Bridesmaids were dressed in a similar way to the bride for the same reason as the origin of veil
The Couple's First Purchase-It is said that the first partner who buys a new item after the wedding will be the dominant one
The Wedding Cake-Cutting the wedding cake is now part of the ritual celebrations at the reception. The couple make the first cut together to symbolise their shared future.
Confetti-Confetti is Italian for sweets which in Italy are thrown over the couple as they emerge from the Church
Shoes-In the past there have been a number of customs involving shoes
Bouquet-After the reception the bride throws her bouquet back over her shoulder
Crossing the Threshold-It is traditional for the groom to carry the bride over the threshold when they enter their home for the first time
The Best Man-It is the best man's duty to protect the groom from bad luck
The Honeymoon-The term "honeymoon" is though to originate from the times when a man captured his bride

Statistics...Where do you fall?

2.3 million couples wed every year in the US. That breaks down to nearly 6,200 weddings a day

• the average age of a bride in the US is 25.3
• average age of a groom is 26.9
• average number of guests invited to a wedding is 178
• one-third of those getting married each year have been married before
The money behind the marriage
• $72 billion per year is spent on weddings
• the average wedding budget is $20,000
• $1,016 is the average cost of wedding rings for the bride and groom
• traditionally, the father of the bride would pay for everything. Today, however, the bride and groom themselves pay for the wedding about 30 percent of the time; the bride's parents pay about 17 percent of the time. As for the rest of the time, costs are covered by different sources -- the bride and groom and one or both sets of parents, according to surveys by Bride's magazine.
• $19 billion per year is spent on wedding gift registries
• $8 billion per year is spent on honeymoons
• the average honeymoon budget is $3,657
• over 91 percent of all to-be-weds register for gifts. The couple receives gifts from an average of 200 guests
• most wedding guests spend between $70 and $100 on a gift
Timing of weddings
• June is the most popular month for weddings, then August, followed by September and October

here's a monthly breakdown:
January 4.7%
February 7.0%
March 6.1%
April 7.4%
May 9.8%
June 10.8%
July 9.7%
August 10.2%
September 9.6%
October 9.4%
November 7.4%
December 7.8%

Where do weddings take place?
• 80 percent of weddings are performed in churches or synagogues
Honeymoons
• 99 percent of newlyweds take a honeymoon
• the average couple will spend three times more on their honeymoon than a regular vacation
• 40 percent of honeymooners will travel within the United States, about 60 percent will travel to a foreign country• honeymoons usually last 7 to 9 days
• the most popular destinations are Las Vegas, Hawaii, the Caribbean, andJamaica
• 35 percent of brides and grooms have a valid passport

Other Interesting Info
• the top wedding city in the world is Istanbul, Turkey with 166,000 for the year
• Las Vegas, Nevada is in second place with 114,000 weddings.