Wedding Trends That Take The Cake

You’re engaged, and you’re ready to start planning for your big day! The best place to start? Right here…with these 13 Top Wedding Resource Sites!

Best Little Wedding Shop: The Best Little Wedding Shop has been serving brides across the country since 1995 has decided to make their top-quality product line available to brides across the world. In this fast-paced world, brides find it easier and faster to shop online for their Wedding Invitations & Bridal Shower Invitations, Wedding Accessories and Wedding Favor needs.

Team Wedding : Team Wedding wants to be a part of your wedding planning team. Just name a wedding topic, and they can help you with it! Browse by category or state for some terrific planning tips and resources.

Brides.com : Brides.com has a wide range of galleries and topics for you to research, and they have tools that you can use such as budget, to-do list, guest list, and seating chart guides.

The Knot: The Knot has tools, great articles, videos and honeymoon ideas. Check out their photo galleries and wedding planning tips, plus peruse “Grooms + Guys” and “Maids + Moms” for some specific wedding strategies.

MyWedding.com: MyWedding.com offers and “Ideas and Trends” blog, free wedding websites and over 100 local wedding guides to help you plan your wedding.

Perfect Wedding Guide : At Perfect Wedding, you can find vendors, get ideas, go shopping and attend events. This is a terrific comprehensive online wedding guide for brides and wedding planners.

Green Elegance Weddings : Offers eco-friendly wedding tips for couples who want to leave a small green footprint when they get married. They offer wedding contests and green wedding news too.

FrugalBride.com: Canada’s number one online wedding magazine, FrugalBride.com,  is a great resource for brides that offers wedding bulletin boards, frugal wedding crafts and budget tracking worksheets for weddings. They also offer a “Bride’s Planner,” a “Groom’s Planner” and “Vendor Tips.”

GayWeddings.com: If you’re planning a non-traditional wedding, GayWeddings.com discusses gay and lesbian wedding questions that you may have. They also offer products, resources and information networking to same-sex couples seeking to affirm their life-long commitments to each other through commitment ceremonies, civil unions, domestic partnerships, civil marriage and other alternative weddings.

InStyleWeddings : Want to plan a classy, celebrity-style wedding? The InStyle Wedding website can help you plan your dream wedding. Even if you can’t afford a lavish wedding, you can get fabulous tips and ideas here.

WeddingChannel.com: If you’d like the answers to all your wedding planning questions, WeddingChannel.com is a great resource, and they also provide tools like bride checklists and budget calculators.

WeddingSolutions.com: WeddingSolutions.com offers “Real Reviews from Real Brides Like You,” “Celebrity News and Gossip,” wedding registries and a multitude of wedding resources and advice.

DestinationWeddings.com : DestinationWeddings.com offers a full service “one stop shopping” approach which has one goal in mind–to make the planning and coordination of your Destination Wedding as simple and stress-free as possible.

Lisa Bakewell

The perfect time for the new adventure that your marriage will bring might just be springtime! Spring is considered a time of rebirth and renewal, and isn’t that just what your wedding signifies? Also, spring is not the most popular time for a wedding  (summer and fall are), so you may have an easier time getting top-notch vendors and venues. You may even get discounted rates! Use these tips to help you plan your spring wedding:

Think. What are your favorite parts of the season? Do you love the flowers? Do you want an early wedding so that you can enjoy the whole summer with your new hubby? List what you love most about the season…even if it’s just the fact that it may be easier on your budget…so that you’ll have a clear picture of your wants and needs while planning your wedding.

Indoors or outdoors? If you live in a warmer climate, you may consider holding your wedding outside. If your weather is kind of “iffy” in the springtime, you may want to keep it indoors. Also, keep in mind that spring brings rain, so any time spent outdoors may require an umbrella or an awning.

Timing is everything. As mentioned before, since springtime isn’t the most popular time to have a wedding ceremony, you may find that vendors and venues are more available. Still, you’ll want to pick your date, venue and vendors in a timely manner. Also, keep in mind that proms are held in the spring, so limos and tuxedos may be rented early. Plan for this.

Choose your colors. When choosing colors for your spring wedding, keep in mind that you may want to stay away from the bright colors of summer and winter. Consider pale, muted colors instead to reflect the season.

What to wear? When deciding on wedding attire, keep in mind that the weather can be sketchy. One day it’s warm, the next it’s cold. Some days are dry and some are wet. For this reason, you may want to avoid satin shoes (rain) and pick dresses that are versatile. If you choose sleeveless dresses, give your bridesmaids wraps as their bridesmaid gift to keep them warm, if necessary.

Consider a hint of color. Even if you want a white wedding gown, you may want to add a sash in a pastel color. Or how about a hint of all-over color? Embroidery in a light color would work well for this.

Think spring when decorating! What could be more festive than using the colors of spring to decorate your wedding reception? Pale greens, lavenders, pinks, roses and blues would all work well.

Accent tables with gingham fabrics, ribbons or even polka dots. Fill white baskets with an abundance of spring flowers for a fabulous centerpiece, or why not use an inexpensive terracotta pot with a moss or ivy-covered Styrofoam ball inside of it? Rose petals spread around the tables would be the perfect touch too.

Pick your flowers. Spring flowers include roses, peonies, irises, tulips, hyacinth, lilies and Gerber daisies. Choose a variety of these blooms to make the perfect spring bouquet!

Have fun with your wedding stationary! Save the Dates, affordable wedding invitations, place cards and announcements can all be quite whimsical and colorful. Use a matching theme and consider using some fun font styles to accent the whimsy of the season.

Favors should be fun! Keeping with the theme of whimsical fun, some good options for guest favors might include personalized seed packets or bulbs. Individual flower bud vases, personalized with your names and wedding date, might be nice too.

Lisa Bakewell

You want your guests to have a great time at your wedding reception, so you’ve spent some time thinking about the music that you’d like to have your band or DJ play. And it’s a good idea. After all, you want to have the perfect songs for your First Dance, your Daddy and Daughter dance and your Last Dance. 

But…have you given any thought to songs that you DON’T want played at your reception? No? Well, you may want to consider adding these songs to your  “DO NOT PLAY” list:

YMCA, the Macarena, the Hokey Pokey and the Chicken Dance…Sure your guests all know the moves, but these dances are not the most flattering for guests dressed for elegance. Do you really want to see your relatives swiveling their hips and flappin’ their arms?

Locomotion, Cha Cha Slide and Limbo Rock…Again, these songs bring out the teenage dancer in all of us, but, again, some of your guests are a tad further from their teen years than others. People could get hurt!

Mony Mony (Billy Idol) and Total Eclipse of the Heart (Bonnie Tyler)…These songs are ones that everyone loves to try to sing. They also love making up their own…objectionable lyrics…to them too. Do you really want Aunt Bertha subjected to that?

Stayin’ Alive…This Bee Gees classic brings back memories of John Travolta’s classic hustle moves, but there aren’t too many of your guests that will know more than one dance move to this song…Yep, that’s the one!

Who Let the Dogs Out? (Baha Men) and Everybody Have Fun Tonight (Wang Chung) …Yikes! I’m not sure how these songs ever became popular in the first place!

My Humps (Black Eyed Peas)…Again, this song may be objectionable to some of your guests. Think teens and twenty-somethings dancing to this song in front of grandma! Not a pretty thought, huh?

Every Breath You Take (The Police)…A little stalkerish, don’t you think?

Lips of an Angel (Hinder) and Jesse’s Girl (Rick Springfield)…These songs are about cheating and lusting after your friend’s girl. A bit inappropriate for a wedding, don’t you think?

Tears in Heaven (Eric Clapton)…Sure it’s a beautiful song, but a bit of a downer for a wedding reception.

White Wedding (Billy Idol)…This song is about Idol’s hate for his sister’s fiance. Other hate songs you might want to skip include Love Stinks, I F**king Hate You, You Gave Love a Bad Name and Tainted Love.

For a great selection of Save the Dates, visit Best Little Wedding Shop.

Lisa Bakewell

If you’re a true romantic, a Valentine’s Day wedding theme might be right up your alley. Even if you’re not getting married on Valentine’s Day, you might consider incorporating some of these fanciful touches to create the wedding of your dreams

Attire: Classic style dress is just what the doctor ordered for a truly romantic wedding. Consider wearing a timeless white dress and have your man wear a tuxedo with tails…and possibly a top hat and gloves. Check out old movies for great ideas. You might also consider a wedding dress with red accents, and have your bridesmaids wear a complementary color, such as red or pink. The groomsmen might wear red ties (maybe bowties) and cumberbunds.

Location: Make sure you book your location early, especially if Valentine’s Day falls on a weekend, as it’s a very popular day to get married. Pick a location that’s not too small or too large, but one that allows you to create a cozy, romantic feel. Decorate as you would for a romantic dinner with soft lighting, lots of candlelight, flowers and flowing fabric.

Décor:A classic red and white color scheme would work well for your wedding reception, and you can play up the Valentine’s Day theme in a number of ways. Anything heart-shaped or red and white (and, possibly, pink) will add to the overall romantic ambience on your special day. You might also consider draping the light fixtures with jewel- toned beads. A great source for beads is area thrift stores, such as Goodwill and the Salvation Army stores.

Music:You’ll want your music to set the mood for your romantic day. Consider hiring a string quartet to help set the Valentine’s Day mood. Or, if you want a DJ, consider having him/her create a song list full of romantic love songs. Granted, your guests will want some music to get them moving, too, but a great slow dance every now and then will set the mood for romance.

Flowers: Flowers are by definition romantic, so use them in abundance for your Valentine’s Day theme wedding day. While roses are the classic, they may be expensive in February. You may want to look to other red, pink and white flower type, such as carnations, which look great and are typically inexpensive.

Menu: Since Valentine’s Day is the most popular lover’s holiday, why not fan the sparks between your guests by including some aphrodisiacs in the menu? You might include foods, such as oysters, asparagus, almonds, poultry with mole sauce (a Mexican chocolate sauce), chili peppers and chocolates.

Cake:Valentine’s Day is all about love, so a great option for your wedding cake might be a tiered cake in the shape of a heart. Other things you could incorporate might include cupid, Valentine’s Day cards, doves, candied hearts, sugar ribbons and, possibly, a Swarovski cake topper.

Invitations and Save the Dates: Again, Valentine’s Day is all about love…and so is your wedding day…so you may want to consider continuing the V-Day theme with hearts, flowers and “Love.” You’ll find a wide variety of appropriate wedding invitations and save the dates to convey your message at Best Little Wedding Shop.

Favors:Give your guests tiny heart-shaped boxes of candy, chocolate kisses in a mesh bag tied with a red bow or heart-shaped ornaments that can be used on your guests’ Christmas tree as a remembrance of your big day.

Special Touches: Instead of table numbers, consider naming your tables after famous romantic couples…from today and yesterday. For some great ideas, check out Famous Couples website.

Lisa Bakewell

Traditionally, the most popular day for a wedding is Saturday, which makes for tough competition when it comes to securing venues and services for your big day. To avoid hearing “that date has already been booked,” why not plan an “off-day” wedding instead? Not only will you have a better chance of having your wedding on the date of your choice, it also makes economic sense because:

Banquet facilities, caterers, photographers, videographers, musicians/entertainers and limousine services are much more willing to negotiate. (Vendors tend to see Friday and Sunday as bonus days, a time when they can earn income.)

Some hotels and restaurants require a lower minimum number of guests during the week.

Lower airfare is often available for your out-of-town guests during the week.

If you choose Friday night as your off-day wedding day, you’ll probably have your wedding later in the evening. This means that your reception will follow immediately after the ceremony, and you’ll avoid the extra cost (and hassle) of having to provide an interim reception or cocktail party. (Also, having the ceremony and reception back-to-back ensures that more people will attend the wedding ceremony.)

Keep in mind, too, that restaurants are usually thrilled to have rehearsal dinners booked on Thursdays or other evenings during the week. These are, typically, their slower business days, so you’ll find that the staff will be more attentive to your party’s needs, and the atmosphere will be more relaxed.

Another reason for the growing popularity of off-day weddings is that benefits you, your family, and your friends.

Many couples host off-day weddings, so they can pay more attention to those that traveled to be there. (For example, your ceremony could be held Friday, and you could plan activities through your honeymoon departure on Sunday.)

Additionally, an off-day wedding frees up at least one day of the weekend, making your family, friends and guests more appreciative of the extra time–especially if they are traveling.

Guests will appreciate a Friday wedding because they won’t have to face a workday after a night of merrymaking.

The off-day wedding becomes more of a reunion than a quick ceremony.

By now, you may be thinking that an off-day wedding sounds like a terrific idea for you and your soon-to-be-spouse. If this is the case, you’ll not only save money, you’ll be able to enjoy more time with your loved ones and you’ll most likely hear “Yes” from vendors and service providers instead of “We’re already booked.” Here are a few things to keep in mind, though:

You’ll want to schedule the wedding a little later, if you choose Friday, to avoid rush-hour traffic.

You’ll want to design your menu to fit the timing of the reception. Again, if it’s a Friday, you may want to opt for light snacks instead of a full meal.

Your guests will need ample time to take off work, if necessary, so you’ll want to send out your “Save the Date” cards early.

If all of this advice sounds good to you…go ahead and buck the traditional Saturday wedding!

Lisa Bakewell

Looking for some great wedding ideas? Bridal magazines are always a great start! You’ll be able to plan your perfect wedding by perusing the pages of each of these great publications. Not at the planning stages yet? Daydream away!

Here are 10 bridal magazines you won’t want to miss:

Brides is designed to make the planning stage of your big day less stressful with in-depth articles on fashion, beauty, wedding style, etiquette, registry ideas and honeymoons. From destination weddings to backyard weddings to traditional weddings, Brides covers every aspect of the planning process to make your wedding special.

Modern Bride is a must for the bride-to-be. The bridal magazine that gives you fashion advice and options, and answers all your planning questions. Offering information and guidance for wedding preparations, the latest ideas in fashion, honeymoon travel, as well as tips on married lifestyles.

Martha Stewart Weddings received the National Magazine Award for general excellence. Read up on ideas that will help you stay within your budget, guidelines to hiring a florist, and beauty tips for the big day. You will find in each issue a section of worksheets that will help you plan and organize the many vital details of your big day such as your guest list and the catering.

Bridal Guide is the true guide for the beautiful bride.

Elegant Bride speaks to the sophisticated bride who expects both style and substance.

World Bride Magazine is an international, multi-cultural, bridal lifestyle publication. Its primary focus is that of marriage and the voyage of two people joining their lives together, mixing culture and heritage.

Wedding Style Magazine is a must-have resource for sophisticated brides.

Weddings Unveiled is everything weddings with vivid imagery, lush editorials, incomparable fashion and a sophisticated manner that appeals to intelligent, modern brides.

Latino Bride & Groom Magazine celebrates the culture and traditions of Latinos in the U.S.

THE KNOT Magazine has their dedicated wedding pros show you how to make the most amazing DIY favors and save big on flowers, cakes, photos and more.

To find these magazines, and more, go to your nearest local bookstore or order them online at Magazines.com, Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. Happy planning!

Lisa Bakewell

Pulling off the perfect wedding is a challenge, but making yours an eco-friendly wedding doesn’t mean making it more difficult. Use these 10 tips for planning your green wedding:

Plant the centerpiece.
For centerpieces and other wedding décor, you can use potted flowers, trees or plants. When the wedding is over, you’ll have a head start on beautifying your yard or patio!

Decorate with bamboo.
Bamboo is considered one of the most sustainable materials on earth, growing up to two feet per day, so it takes only three to seven years to mature. Use stalks of bamboo in centerpieces, or choose other bamboo accessories for your reception tables. To get more information on bamboo, visit Green Earth Bamboo.

Plant a tree or two or three.
Plant one tree or more in your backyard or the neighborhood where you got married after the honeymoon. That way you’ll be able to track the growth of the tree by the number of years you’ve been married.

Ditch the bouquets.
Have your bridesmaids carry fans instead of flowers. Or how about beautiful silk boxes or purses? If you still want the look of flowers, consider using silk instead of real blooms. Though they may be a bit more expensive, they will last forever.

Think locally.
If you REALLY want traditional blooms, support your local nursery. Locally grown, seasonal blooms will cost less money, and you’ll be helping your local economy. You could also use locally grown herbs, greenery, and berries instead of blooms or you can use them for fill in your bouquets.

Make a donation.
Make a donation in your guests’ names to an organization that plants trees (such as AmericanForests or the Arbor Day Foundation) in lieu of a traditional wedding favor.

Choose organic foods.Base your menu on food that is organic or locally grown. Consider serving a wedding cake made of organic ingredients as well.

Toast organically.
True Organic wines are certified by the USDA National Organic Program and have become quite popular. For the back-story on organic wines, check out this article from The Wine News.

Light an earth-friendly flame.
Candles are a must for weddings, but paraffin candles are produced from petroleum, which is not very earth-friendly. Use soy wax candles instead.

Put it on the Web.
Create a wedding site where you can list your wedding details instead of including them in your invitations. There, you’ll be able to list your registry details (along with your wedding details) and be able to express to your guests that you’d like eco-friendly gifts or, in lieu of gifts, you’d like a donation made to your favorite charity.

Lisa Bakewell

With weddings costing an average of $20,000 today, it’s smart to start budgeting right away to determine who will pay for what. Traditionally, the bride’s parents picked up the tab for most of the wedding, but today more couples are breaking with tradition (due to later marriages and skyrocketing costs) and divvying up the costs in their own way.

Traditional Expenses:

Bride’s Family

Reception (including food, music, decorations, rental fees and entertainment)
Ceremony
Flowers (wedding and reception)
Wedding Dress, Headpiece and Accessories
Invitations
Announcements
Programs
Postage
Favors
Photography
Transportation

Groom’s Family

Rehearsal Dinner
Wedding Present
Alcohol for Reception

Bride

Groom’s Ring
Groom’s Gift
Makeup, Hair and Beauty Treatments
Gifts for Her Attendants
Bridesmaid Luncheon

Groom

Marriage License
Bride’s Wedding and Engagement Rings
Honeymoon
Bride’s Gift
Gifts for His Attendants
Corsages
Boutonnières
Bride’s Bouquet
Clergyman/Officiant Fee

Wedding Party

Bachelorette/Bachelor Parties
Tux Rentals/Bridesmaid Dresses and Accessories

Non-Traditional Ideas:

Older Bride and Groom
The bride and groom pay for all wedding costs.

Asking for Help
The bride and groom set their budget, then ask for help from their parents for the remainder of the costs. Another approach may be to split the bill three ways (bride & groom, bride’s family, groom’s family).

Lisa Bakewell

As discussed in Part 1 of Wedding Invitations: Choose the best one for your wedding, there are literally thousands of wedding invitation styles and designs available, but only a handful of basic types. In this post, we’ll discuss wedding invitations that are:

Engraved

Thermographed

Offset Printed

Calligraphic

Embossed

Handmade

Boxed

Engraved. Engraved invitations are the most classic choice of wedding invitations available and are generally used to announce a very traditional-style wedding. For very formal weddings, engraved invitations are an absolute must.

Engraved wedding invitations are also very expensive and time consuming because it takes an engraver several steps to complete the invitation. First, he/she carves the image or message into a copper plate. Then the engraver inks the plate and wipes it clean, leaving the ink only in the indentations. Last, soft, high-quality paper is pressed hard against the plate, which causes it to deform into the etchings, creating raised lettering on the paper. You can spot true engraving by the “bruise” or dent on the back of the paper.

Tip: Keep in mind that you should order your engraved invitations no less than 8 weeks from the date of your wedding, preferably further in advance.

Thermography. Thermographed wedding invitations are an affordable alternative to an engraved invitation. The technique was developed as a less expensive alternative to engraving. Thermography creates the illusion of raised text through a printing process that heats the ink and resin chemical in a combination that causes the printed text to appear raised while the paper beneath it looks smooth. The end result has a very elegant look and works very well for semi-formal weddings.

Tip: Plan on ordering these invitations at least six weeks in advance.

Offset Printing. Most modern printing is offset printing, also known as lithography. This type of print– when used on wedding invitations–may seem common, but will still announce your wedding in an elegant manner. Offset printing has become one of the most popular choices on the market today because they are very cost efficient, they are available through most stationary vendors and printers (both online and off), and the invitations can be purchased “blank” allowing you the option of printing your own information on them. Printed invitations are appropriate for semi-formal and casual weddings.

Tip: While the turnaround time for printed invitations is typically better than engraved or thermographed options, you should still plan on ordering your printed invitations at least 4-6 weeks in advance. Also, the quality of offset printing can vary greatly, so be sure to look for a printer who can deliver crisp quality and true colors.

Embossed. Similar to engraved invitations, the raised print on an embossed wedding invitation looks impressive and classy, but may be hard on your budget. Since embossing is a more expensive process, though, it adds a significant level of elegance to your wedding invitation. Also, since it is rarely seen, embossed wedding invitations stand out among the many pieces of mail your guests receive.

Usually used for small insignias, monograms or return addresses, the embossed appearance is obtained when paper is pressed between metal plates, raising an image or text outline out of the surface (think notary seal). When no ink is used, the process is called “blind” embossing.

Tip: Buy a small embosser with your monogram or return address on the plate. This will allow you to create custom stationery in a more affordable way.

Calligraphy. Calligraphed invitations are very elegant and work well for weddings with an old fashioned theme, but they can be very expensive due to the amount of time and effort involved in producing them. When done by a skilled calligrapher, calligraphy wedding invitations are appropriate for all types of weddings except very formal ones. You might also look for a printer who creates the look of calligraphy on printed invitations, which is more affordable than the hand-written calligraphy–though they may not look as elegant as the hand-written one.

Tip: When deciding on whether to choose calligraphy invitations, remember that you need to allow extra time for preparation. Keep in mind, too, that this type of invitation may smudge if it comes in contact with moisture.

Handmade. Wedding invitations that are handmade are gaining popularity because they are not only cost efficient, they also add a nice personal touch to your very special day. Though there are unlimited options when creating your unique invitations, you may want to consider using a desktop publishing program and attractive stationary to make the process a little easier. Handmade invitations are appropriate for most weddings except very formal events.

Tip: Remember to plan on making additional invitations in case of mistakes and allow plenty of time to prepare them.

Boxed. Boxed wedding invitations are available at most retailers and provide a quick and easy alternative to other types of invitations. Also, they can be easily dressed up for a unique and personal touch.

Tip: Buy extras to ensure that you have enough in case of mistakes or you need to invite additional guests.

Lisa Bakewell

Most often, one of the last details the bride and groom attend to is the wedding cake. In 2009, this may be a mistake–especially since wedding cakes have become somewhat of a style trend (can you say designer cakes?) and have evolved into more than the standard two-tiered, white frostinged finale to the reception meal. So, if style matters to you, here are a couple of sites you’ll want to visit great ideas:

Visit Wedding Cake Trends from Bakery Craft for super ideas and beautiful photos of seven wedding cake styles including:

• Opulence (think brocade fabrics, beaded gowns and precious stones)
• Black & White (perfect for formal and casual gatherings)
• Color Strong (bounty of color)
• Silhouettes (think “wedding cake architecture”)
• Lace (hand-embroidery in frosting)
• Destination and Eco-Friendly (think destination weddings and earth-tone colors).

Also, you’ll want to read Cori Russell’s article titled “Wedding Cakes – 7 Top Trends For 2009”. Russell, editor for Elegala.com and Gala Weddings Magazine, highlights trends including:

• Going back to buttercream (she says that thanks to advanced tools and techniques, buttercream can look as smooth as fondant)
• Using chocolate frosting
• Decorating your wedding cake in shades of blue and pink
• Creating square mini-cakes (think spin-off of cupcake towers)
• Using scripted text (calligraphy-style motifs)
• Nationalizing Groom’s Cakes (an old Southern tradition)

Additionally, check out these resources for more information on hot wedding cake trends for 2009:

• Unique Wedding Cake Trends for Spring 2009
• Top Wedding Cake Trends for Summer 2009
• Wedding Cake Trends for Spring ‘09 from Bridal Fashion Collections Provide Inspiration
• Unique Cake Trends for 2009 from Cakella
• 2009 Wedding Cake Trends from Wedding Café Online
• Wedding Cakes from Wedding Channel.com
• Wedding Cake Pictures from Project Wedding

Finally, vist Best Little Wedding Shop for all of your wedding cake accessories including:

• Porcelain Cake Toppers
• Wedding Knife and Server
• Disney Wedding Accessories

Lisa Bakewell