Wedding Trends That Take The Cake

Looking for a great way to relieve the stress and tension of wedding planning? Why not consider including one of these classic wedding movies as part of the wedding preparations?

27 Dresses (2008)
After serving as a bridesmaid…27 times…Jane (Katherine Heigl) struggles with the idea of standing by her sister’s side (and planning her sister’s wedding) as she marries the man that Jane secretly loves.

Father of the Bride (1991)

Steve Martin and Diane Keaton star in this romantic comedy about a dad’s struggle to let his “little girl” grow up.

Fools Rush In (1997)
A Las Vegas chance meeting with an American construction worker (Matthew Perry) leaves a Mexican photographer (Salma Hayek) pregnant. They meet again three months later, and Isabel Fuentes lets Alex Whitman know that she is going to have his baby. In the rush of the moment, he follows her and they wed. A clash of customs and ideas soon follows.

Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)
Hugh Grant and Andie Macdowell star in this romantic comedy. Charles, a confirmed British bachelor, unexpectedly meets the perfect woman, Carrie, at a wedding and falls in love. His inability to express his feelings, though, prohibits the relationship from blossoming…until they meet again and again at four weddings and a funeral.

My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)
Julianne (Julia Roberts) falls in love with her best friend (Dermot Mulroney) the day that he decides to maryy someone else (Cameron Diaz).

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)
Based on the real life experiences of Nia Vardalos, a Greek Winnipeg-based actress, this romantic comedy was originally a one-woman play.  In this romantic comedy, a young Greek woman (Nia Vardalos) falls in love with a non-Greek and struggles to get her family to accept him while she comes to terms with her heritage and cultural identity.

Runaway Bride (1999)
Julia Roberts stars in this romantic comedy about weddings that don’t happen. Her character is so afraid of commitment, she keeps leaving her grooms at the altar…until Ike Graham (Richard Gere) arrives on the scene.

The Wedding Planner (2001)
Jennifer Lopez plays a very successful wedding planner who falls in love with the fiancé (Matthew McConaughey) of her client…breaking her biggest rule.

The Wedding Singer (1998)
Robbie (Adam Sandler), a wedding singer, and Julia (Drew Barrymore), a waitress, are both engaged to be married…but to the wrong people. Romantic good fortune intervenes to help them discover each other.

While you’re watching a chick-flick or two with your wedding party BFF’s, why not fill out your Save the Dates from Best Little Wedding Shop?

Lisa Bakewell

How to tell the difference between cold feet and more serious problems

Almost everyone gets nervous before their wedding…thus the terms pre-wedding jitters or cold feet. And, most often, these feelings are nothing to worry about, but they are real. What you need to determine is whether or not your feelings are just apprehension about the major life changes that you’re getting ready to make or a red flag warning you that there’s something more serious going on…and you might want to call off the wedding.

Strategies for overcoming cold feet

You’re nervous, but you’re still excited: You’re probably just suffering from pre-wedding jitters and have nothing to worry about. Go ahead and get married.

You’re feeling stressed out about the wedding planning.

• Try to determine if sweating the small details of your wedding is causing you to feel nervous. If you think this may be the problem, ease off on the plans for a bit…or scale them down altogether. This may go a long way to alleviate your nerves.
• Designate one night per week that you and your significant other DON’T talk about wedding details. Spend this time together as a couple…go on a date or just spend time like you did before you began planning your wedding.
• Take a mini vacation or a long weekend. If you can’t afford a full-fledged getaway, just spend time pampering one another.

You’re worried about what it’s going to be like as a married couple.

• Write down what’s making you nervous and talk with your future spouse about your concerns. You may find that you’ll form a tighter bond with one another. Maybe your soon-to-be spouse is having some of the same worries.
• Talk to happily married couples to find out their secrets for success. Friends or family members who have spent a lot of years together and still love one another will have lots of advice for you. They’ll also be able to alleviate a lot of your concerns about what married life is like.
• Consider talking to a couple’s therapist or priest before your wedding to help hash out any of your concerns. Pre-wedding counseling will bring you closer together and allow you to air your concerns in a safe environment.

If, on the other hand, any of these situations are true, you may have cause for concern, and you may want to call off the wedding:

• You’ve discovered that your future spouse has a drug or alcohol problem and is not in recovery or refuses to go for help.
• Your future spouse is violent towards you. If he has been prior to the wedding, it’s a certainty that the abuse will continue after the wedding.
• Your future spouse has been unfaithful…or you’ve been unfaithful. Chances are, if you or your future husband has cheated before the wedding, not much will change afterwards.
• You are dreading your wedding day…and you have been for more than a month. Dread is different than nerves. If you are feeling depressed in any way about your wedding, you should talk to a therapist or counselor about your concerns.
• You don’t agree on whether or not to have children. This is not a conversation to have AFTER the wedding. Don’t go into the marriage thinking that you’ll be able to change your spouse’s mind.
• Your family and friends don’t like your future spouse. If the majority of your family and friends don’t like your fiancé, you should find out why. Maybe they see something that you don’t.
• You want to call off the wedding, but you’re worried about hurting your fiancé. If you’re having grave concerns about getting married, it’s best to postpone the wedding. It’s much less painful to cancel the wedding before it happens than to get a divorce later. Heed these concerns, and find someone to talk to about them.

Check out Best Little Wedding Shop for Rehearsal Dinner Invitations!

Lisa Bakewell

You’re engaged (Yay!), and you were looking forward to planning your wedding. What you hadn’t planned on, though, was the arguing that you and your husband-to-be would be been having over EVERYTHING!

Ah, engaged life. This period can be a minefield…where even the minute topics can trigger huge blow-ups!

Use these tips to ease some of the pressure:

The guest list keeps growing. His family’s guest list is growing well beyond what you both agreed on, and it’s putting a bulge in your budget. To resolve this issue, keep it about the money. Tell him that you don’t mind adding more guests to his family’s portion of the guest list (because you certainly don’t want to cut anyone out), but ask him if he’d mind asking his parents to chip in for the added cost. If your guest list continues to grow, too, you should ask your parents the same question.

He doesn’t care about the details. Most men are clueless when it comes to design and décor…and they really DON’T care what the table cloths look like or what flowers you choose. This doesn’t mean that you should give up on including your spouse-to-be, though.

Give him choices. If he’s not interested in the linens, maybe he’s interested in the menu. If he could care less about the invitations, maybe he’d like to offer input on the music or photographer.

Let your man know that it’s his day…as well as yours. Just let him choose where he’d like to be involved.

Now he cares too much! Well, you wanted him to be involved in the details, and now he is. What you didn’t expect, though, is that his involvement would drive you crazy!

In order to stay sane, prioritize the details. If a detail is minute, and he feels strongly about it, let him have the “win.”

Remember, it’s good practice to learn early on how to prioritize, negotiate…AND compromise. These are all life skills that will come in handy after your wedding day.

You can’t agree on where to spend the big bucks. You want to spend it on your dress. He wants to spend it on a fantastic honeymoon. How do you decide?

Sit down with him, like two adults, and work out the finances of your wedding together…before you go dress shopping. After all, your dress is for you, the honeymoon is for both of you.

If he doesn’t care, though, then go for it! But have this discussion before you fall in love with the dress that costs as much as a trip to Europe.

His best man irks you. Sure, the guy’s been his friend since college, but you can’t stand him! Well, this time it’s important to be supportive, but also sensible.

If your groom’s best buddy is only about the party, respect their bond, but make sure you have some reliable and supportive guys around to help keep things under control. Arrange for your brother or another male friend to help your man resist the ploys of his best man. You might also share your anxiety with your guy, so that you can handle the situation together, if trouble does rear its ugly head.

Come back next week for Part 2 of Wedding Planning: Tips to Tone Down Tension.

With so many Affordable Wedding Invitations available at Best Little Wedding Shop, you and your man are bound to agree on one of them.

Lisa Bakewell

Every bride wants to look her best on her wedding day. And you’re no exception. You want to look glamorous, fresh and sophisticated, but you also want to look natural.

Use these tips to help you look “picture perfect” for your big day!

If you hire a makeup artist:

6-12 Months before the Wedding…

Find an Artist. Finding a makeup artist shouldn’t be a daunting task, but you’ll want to plan ahead. Book a few consultation appointments with experts in your area, but be sure to allow yourself 6-12 months to find the best one for you. Most good artists are booked well in advance. You’ll want to look for:

• A qualified, experienced artist

• An artist who’s also friendly and a great listener

• An artist who’s flexible and won’t overbook your wedding date

• An artist who has a an extensive portfolio

• An artist who will give you referrals

What to ask your potential makeup artists:

• What do you charge?

• Will you come to my home?

• Do you charge a traveling fee?

• Do you have discounts available for group bookings?

• Do you charge more for holidays or Sundays?

• Where did you study?

• How long have you been doing makeup for weddings?

• What experience do you have?

• What makeup products do you use?

• Do you have any other makeup commitments on my wedding day?

• Also, get their advice on nail technicians and hair stylists.

0-6 Months before the Wedding…

Plan a pre-show. About 1-2 months before the wedding have your makeup artist do a trial run. Have your bridesmaids with you to get their input. Plan the trial for the time of day that your wedding will be held. If you’re getting married in the daytime, do your trial then; if it’s in the evening, do it then. You might also consider bringing photos from magazines for makeup styles that appeal to you. Also, bring fabric swatches so that the makeup artist can create the perfect color palette to compliment the dresses and flower bouquets.

Tip: Have one of your bridesmaids snap a photo at the makeup trial, so that you can see how the makeup is going to show when photographed.

If you do your makeup yourself:

Make it waterproof. Choose mascara that’s waterproof, since it will last longer and withstand tears.

Lighten your liner. Charcoal, navy, and mahogany are good color options for eyeliner, since black or brown may look too severe.

Highlight your eyes. Use a white shadow on your brow bone if you have light skin, or a warmer light peach or vanilla shade, if you have a deeper complexion.

Contour. To give your eyes shape, use a contour color under your brow bone. Make sure it’s not too intense, though, so that it detracts from the natural beauty of your eyes.

Define. Shade and shape your eyebrows with a pencil or eye shadow that matches your hair color. Make sure not to overdo it!

Get cheeky! Color on your cheeks provides an instant facelift. If you have fair skin, use a pink tone. Women with deeper skin tones can use a rosier hue.

Even out your skin tone. Use bronzer on your neck and chest, if they’re whiter than your face.

Give your lips pizzazz! Choose a lip color that’s a bit brighter than you’d normally wear. Pale colors can make you appear washed out in photos. Bring the lipstick with you for touch-ups after the wedding.

Either way, do these things to look your best on your wedding day:

Prepare. A skin and nail care plan should be started about 6 weeks before the wedding. Talk to your beautician about having regular facials and manicures.

Pluck. Shaping and maintaining your eyebrows should be started well in advance of the big day. Make sure that your final pluck is done about a week before the wedding.

Promote. You’ll want to put your best face forward, so get regular facials done up until about a month before the wedding.

Spray Tan. You don’t want to get too much sun before your wedding day. Sunburns and peeling skin are not attractive. Consider getting a spray tan instead, but be careful not to overdo it.

Whiten. There are lots of safe, reliable over-the-counter teeth-whitening systems, which all whiten teeth by a few shades. Make sure to allow yourself about a week or two before the wedding to do this.

Eat. Remember to keep your diet healthy, and don’t starve yourself. Also, you may want to consider taking vitamins.

Drink. You’ll want to stay hydrated, so drink plenty of water. Eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day is recommended.

Sleep. You’ll want to be well rested on your wedding day, so make sure to get plenty of sleep. Shoot for eight hours per night.

Exercise and relax. Planning for your big day can be stressful, so you’ll want to get plenty of exercise and take some time for yourself. You might want to consider the occasional massage leading up to the big day.

Brighten your eyes. Use eye drops to get the redness out of your eyes. Make sure to use a brand that you’ve used before. You don’t want any unwelcome surprises!

Keep your hands away from your face. If you have a blemish or, worse yet, a breakout just before your wedding day, don’t mess with the pimples. The spot/spots will heal better if you leave it/them alone. See your dermatologist and ask for a cortisone injection if a monstrous pimple invades your face just prior to the wedding.

Put your best face forward with Photo Invitations from Best Little Wedding Shop!

Lisa Bakewell

Even if you’ve planned EVERY STINKING DETAIL of your wedding, you may end up having some sort of wedding disaster anyway. Now, though you won’t be able to stop everything that might go wrong, use these suggestions to tip the scale in your favor.

Know your seasons. Even though you can get discounted travel in the off-season, there’s a reason tourists travel IN season. Bad weather! (Think hurricanes, snow storms, etc.) Keep in mind that though cheap prices may appeal to your budget, they could spell potential wedding disaster!
 
Insure yourself.  The likelihood of disaster on your wedding day is small, but insurance could be what saves you big bucks when and if it occurs. If you’re planning a destination wedding, you’ll have a higher chance of something going wrong. If it does– AND IF YOU’RE INSURED– at least you’ll be reimbursed some of the cost. 

Know your vendors–or at least their contracts.  Read and understand your vendors’ contracts. In most cases, an Act of God relinquishes your vendors from their obligations. At least, try to negotiate a contract that gets you a reimbursement of  a percentage of the fee in case of disaster.

Have a music back-up plan. Don’t assume that, because you’ve hired a band or a DJ, they’ll show up.  Accidents do happen.  Before the wedding, ask your bridal party to bring their iPods or laptop and speakers–just in case.

Create a venue back-up plan, as well.  If, for some reason, you can’t hold your reception at the designated venue, it’s a good idea to have another place in mind where you can hold the party and avoid disaster.

Don’t let them slip.  Someone from your bridal party (or your wedding planner) should check out the floors of the venue before your guests arrive. If there’s grease or water on the floor, have them make sure that it’s cleaned up. This way you can prevent accidents. Be aware, too, of anything that one of your guests might trip on.

Stop that thief! It would be a shame if your wedding gifts were stolen. Prevent this disaster by hiring security or designating one person from your wedding party to keep an eye on them. Have your gifts removed from the venue once the reception gets underway.

Plan for a medical emergency. Talk with your wedding planner or venue personnel about a medical emergency plan. Someone on the premises should know first aid and CPR in case of an emergency.

Prevent fires. Most weddings and receptiongs include candles. Pay close attention to their proximity to other items like tulle, fabric, paper and any other flammable item.

Go for it. So you weren’t able to avoid the wedding disaster? Don’t let it stop you from getting married! Years from now you’ll look back and laugh. Really!

Lisa Bakewell

Planning a wedding and reception is very stressfull. Why not plan on having some fun at your wedding and/or reception? Why not bust loose a little? Enjoy these YouTube viral wedding videos, and you may just get some great ideas. Because, after all, your big day should be a fun day. Enjoy it!

Lisa Bakewell