Wedding Ideas

Looking For Memorable Wedding Ideas? 10 Key Areas To Consider When Planning Your Dream Wedding

Wedding Ideas - Christian Oth Photography

Many first time brides very much realize that their wedding day will be one of the most important days of their lives, but since they have never gotten married before, many of them have no idea how to actually make their wedding day truly unique and special. The truth is that it takes a lot of creativity and hard work. It pays to get tips and advice from brides who have been there and done that. Thankfully, thanks to the Internet, it is not hard to find memorable wedding ideas and guides that will help you pull off your dream wedding. In fact, we have collected quite a few tips, ideas and guides that we think will be very helpful for any bride.

The truth is that planning a wedding can be absolutely overwhelming and it is easy to overlook some important areas that could make a huge difference in your wedding experience. The following are 10 key areas to consider when planning your dream wedding....

#1) The Engagement Ring

When you first get engaged, everyone is going to want to see the ring. So don't go boring. There are a lot of dazzling modern styles that can set your engagement ring apart from all the others, or if you want to do something truly unique you might want to wear an antique engagement ring.

#2) The Engagement Announcement

Most couples really overlook this area. In fact, many couples end up announcing their engagement to their families and friends in the most boring and unceremonious of ways. You don't want to announced your engagement on Facebook. Choosing just the right moment to announce your engagement can really make a huge difference and can really set the tone for your engagement period.

#3) The Location For The Ceremony

Do you really want to get married at city hall or in some local church that you don't even attend? Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life, and so you will want to choose a location for the wedding that is unforgettable.

# 4) The Timing Of The Ceremony

Holding the wedding on a holiday or on a day that holds special significance for you or for your family can give a wedding ceremony a really festive feel.

#5) The Wedding Dress

Do you really want to wear a dress that you purchased at a department store during your ceremony? This is a once in a lifetime event. Don't be afraid to invest in a designer wedding dress for your wedding. This is one day that you will never get back again, and you will always remember the dress that you wore on that day.

#6) The Wedding Jewelry

An increasing number of brides are wearing a wedding tiara during their ceremonies. Choosing a jewelry piece such as a tiara can really help you achieve a formal, elegant look on your wedding day.

#7) The Wedding Vows

Do you really want to repeat the same words that every other couple has uttered? Look for ways to inject your own personality into the vows that you will exchange with your partner.

#8) The Wedding Songs

The music played during a wedding ceremony and during a wedding reception sets the whole tone for the day. They are songs that will stay with your forever. So it is absolutely imperative that you put a lot of thought into picking out just the right music for your special day.

#9) The Reception

The reception is often referred to as the "fun" part of the wedding. In reality, it is an opportunity to throw a party that nobody will ever forget. But there are a million things that can go wrong with a reception. In fact, if you can afford it, a wedding professional can be extremely helpful with planning a reception. A perfectly planned and executed reception is something that you and your guests will remember for a lifetime.

#10) Wedding Dances

Dance has always been an important part of wedding ceremonies and wedding receptions, but in this decade couples have been taking creativity when it comes to wedding dances to entirely new heights. Don't be afraid to inject your creative spirit into your wedding dances.

The Pros And Cons Of Holiday Weddings

Winter Wedding Ideas - Pictured is Cate Blanchett Photo By Annie Lleibovitz

Are you thinking of having a wedding during the holidays? At first blush it can seem like a really tempting idea for brides who are searching for unique and creative wedding ideas. After all, for most people it is one of the most memorable times of the year. But the truth is that holiday weddings can create a lot of headaches. It is very important to weigh the pros and the cons before committing to a wedding date during the holidays. In this article we will examine many of the pros and cons of holiday weddings so that you can make the very best decision about whether or not a holiday wedding is right for you.

Pros

*It is often easier for the couple and other family members to get time off around the holidays.

*Often family members who live some distance away are already planning to come into town for the holidays.

*The lights and decorations of the holiday season can be easily incorporated into a holiday-themed wedding.

*If there is snow on the ground that can provide a gorgeous background for wedding pictures.

*People are in the mood to celebrate during the holiday season, and thus a holiday wedding may be more likely to have a festive atmosphere.

Cons

*You and your future spouse will be busy during the holidays. Do you want to add a wedding on top of that?

*Your families will be extremely busy during the holidays. Are they going to be willing to help with wedding preparations?

*Will your guests be available during the holidays? Many people make plans for the holidays a long, long time in advance and do not like to change them.

*Often wedding locations and wedding vendors are booked with holiday events.

*A holiday wedding during the winter can often mean bad weather. Will your guests be able to get to the wedding if bad weather does break out?

These are some things to definitely think about. As fun as the idea of a holiday wedding may seem, the truth is that you have to consider the holiday plans of your guests and relatives. Will all of the people that you want to be there be able to attend a holiday wedding? Is it simply a time that is too busy and too chaotic for everyone? Would one bad snow storm have the potential to ruin your wedding?

Each situation is different. Many couples have had amazing holiday weddings. Others wish that they would have avoided the hassle. Whatever you decide, work at it with all of your heart and make your wedding day as special as it can be!

Wedding Ceremony Ideas

Have you ever wondered what the inspiration for the wedding entrance dance for Jim and Pam's Wedding on the Office was? Well, it was actually from a real wedding entrance dance that has over 27 MILLION views on YouTube. Yes, you read that right. The brainstorm of a couple named Jill and Kevin has taken the Internet by storm. The video of Jill and Kevin's wedding entrance dance has over 27 million views on YouTube, and now thanks to the Office it is immortalized forever.

Pam and Jim From The Office - Wedding Ideas

The trend is for weddings to not be the formal, stuffy events that they used to be. We are starting to see a lot more creative things such as we see in the video of Jill and Kevin's wedding entrance dance below. It is no wonder that when the writers of the Office were trying to find something really creative for Jim and Pam's wedding episode that they turned to this Internet phenomenon.

So what do you think about the video below? Do you think it is proper for a wedding party and the bride and groom to dance down the aisle like at Jill and Kevin's wedding? Do you think it was smart and creative for the Office to play off of this video for Jim and Pam's wedding? Do you think that this kind of things represents a good trend in weddings or a bad one? Watch the video of Jill and Kevin's entrance dance for yourself and let us know what you think.....

Milla Jovovich & Paul Anderson's Wedding

Milla Jovovich's Wedding Look

Actress Milla Jovovich and sci-fi director Paul W.S. Anderson, got married on 22nd of August at their their Beverly Hills Spanish-style home. The couple met during the movie Resident Evil.

The bride designed her own wedding dress, which was inspired by the 60’s styles. Her hair was down and wavy, decorated with red flowers. Anderson wore a beige suit. Before the ceremony, guests enjoyed a cocktail reception by the pool, where guests were entertained by a Spanish guitarist and a female vocalist. The reception featured traditional Cuban music, decked out with red and white flowers and a round four-tiered white cake decorated with a ribbon. The flowers in her bouquet are stunning white Phalaenopsis Orchids, Marroussia Roses and Hydrangea.

The Economic Collapse Of The Wedding Industry

Wedding Ideas

The current economic downturn is hitting many industries really hard, and one industry that is really feeling the pinch is the wedding industry. As stock portfolios have declined and layoffs have multiplied, brides have found themselves with stricter budgets and fewer resources. In fact, the Wedding Report has indicated that the wedding industry's projected revenues for 2009 have slipped to $56 billion, which would be down by 4 billion dollars from last year.

That means that the wedding industry is adjusting to a new reality: belt-tightening.

"People are absolutely cutting back," Shane McMurray, the founder and CEO of the Wedding Report recently admitted. "But brides are also rethinking what's important. There's more focus now on family. People will still get married. But we won't see them spend the way they used to."

The reality is that many in the wedding industry do not view this as a temporary downturn - they are beginning to see this as a fundamental shift in the industry.

Elizabeth Oakes recently wrote this in the Examiner: "The wedding industry isn’t just having a bad week, it’s reeling from precipitous declines in wedding spending, pretty much across the board."

Ouch. According to Oakes, this is causing a lot of consternation in the industry. The truth is that a lot of vendors and service providers are really hurting, but Oakes did not pull any punches in her column when she openly rebuked the wedding industry and told them that they need to adjust to this new reality:

Hey Wedding Industry! How about some compassion for the brides and grooms who don’t have any, like, freaking funds for health insurance or child care or a mortgage (or rent), and all those who have lost jobs and all their savings (if they had any in the first place?) With all this going on, you think people are supposed to feel guilty for using their own iPods to play music? Have you seen foreclosure rates lately, have you heard about Chrysler and all those bank failures? Get a grip...it's not all about you.

And yes, Wedding Industry, you need to face up to your responsibility in all this: with relentless decades-long fantasy-based marketing campaigns that caused couples to grievously overspend for so many years, with ruthless manipulative advertising and price-gouging designed to deprive families of their dollars for decades, can you really complain because brides are just as ruthlessly slashing your needless commercial fantasies from their budgets? Wedding Industry, you bought and paid for your image as a purveyor of “luxury” and “elegance," and insisted that overspending was the only way to achieve your golden standard; now that luxury is out and simplicity/frugality are in, you should stop complaining, suck it up, and start reinventing yourself, quick.

Ouch!

So is this the end of the wedding industry gravy train?

Are the good times permanently over?

Nobody knows for certain, but things look really bleak right now.

But in the middle of all of the bad news for the wedding industry, there is a silver lining. Business is actually increasing for discount bridal outfitters.

David's Bridal, now referred to as the "Wal-Mart of Weddings" by some in the industry, is actually doing quite well. As brides have sought to cut back expenses, more of them are heading to places like David's Bridal.

The truth is that more than 2.2 million women will get married in the United States this year, and approximately one-third of them will be outfitted by David's Bridal.

Other budget-conscious brides are doing their shopping online at sites like Ebay. Brides have become more comfortable shopping online in recent years, and now the prospect of saving hundreds or even thousands of dollars is making Ebay an even more attractive option. Our hope is that this website can help budget-conscious brides take advantage of many of these great deals.

Birdcage Veils

Going for that Vintage Look? BirdCage Veils were popular in the 30's, and seen on the covers of Vogue at that time. They were worn as a part of a ladies attire, but with a hat. Today they are very hot! A bit of uniqueness, and glamour! It seems like even celebrities are using this vintage look in their own weddings such as Katherine Heigl, during her wedding in 2007 and Drew Barrymore also showed up at the premiere of “Grey Gardens” wearing a very glamorous veil over her eyes. Some of the most unique looks can be ones that combine the veil with a hat, or a large flower. You can make it even more glamorous by adding a flower broach as your headpiece, or combine it with white feathers.

Katherine Heigl's Birdcage Veil - Wedding Pictures Wedding Ideas

Vera Wang Gowns

Vera Wang stumbled on the idea of starting her own line when she was frustrated shopping for her own wedding gown. She sketched her own design and commissioned a dressmaker to tailor her design which costed her $10,000. The following year, with financial backing from her family, she opened her own bridal boutique in the luxurious Hotel on Madison Avenue in New York City. Catering to mostly to celebrities and socialites she offered couture gowns and high fashion. Over a few years she utilized her own skills as a fashion designer and started her own label with her own signature collection. Vera Wang has been honored with a number of awards for her achievements, including the 1993 Chinese American Planning Council’s Honoree of the Year Award and the 1994 Girl Scout Council’s Woman of Distinction Award. Later that year, she was elected as a member of the prestigious Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). In 2005, the CFDA selected Wang as the Womenswear Designer of the Year amongst many other achievements.

Vera Wang

Jessica Simpson Wore a strapless lace gown with sweetheart neckline designed by Vera Wang. The dress was a classic A-line fit through the waist and circular skirt with pleats. The dress was ALL LACE which is very rare for a Vera Wang ball gown.

Vera Wang On Weddings

Buy New! from DesignerChoice VERA WANG 1.7 Oz Eau De Parfum For Women by VERA WANG

Wedding Songs

Music is always the best way to put people at ease and create memories that will last. Here are 16 Wedding Song considerations for your wedding. Each and every part of the wedding is different, and music can signal a reaction or an emotion for each part.

1. Pick out music to be played while guests are being seated

2. Pick out music to be played as the groomsmen & bridesmaids make their way to the front

3. Pick out music to be played as the bride walks up the aisle

4. Pick out music to be played after being pronounced man and wife, & the couple leave the altar

5. Pick out music to be played as people arrive at your wedding reception. Outside or inside the reception

6. Pick out music to be played as you arrive as a couple at the reception.

7. Pick out music to be played as your guests are eating dinner

8. Pick out music to be played at your first dance - as the newly married couple

9. Pick out music to be played at the mother/son dance - usually right after the first dance

10. Pick out music to be played at the father/daughter dance - optional, although many couples now include this as well

11. Pick out music to be played at your cake cutting - soft background music

12. Pick out music to be played at your bouquet toss - lively tune,

13. Pick out music to be played at the garter toss - lively or sexy tune while groom removes the garter and tosses it
dance music - a good variety of music

14. Pick out music to be played at the last dance - before you depart the reception

15 Pick out music to be played for the rest of the night for your guests.

16 Pick out music to be played for winding down your party at the end of the night signaling for guests that the wedding is over

A Day to Remember - Instrumental Music for Your Wedding Day

The Knot Collection of Ceremony and Wedding Music Selected by the Knot's Carley Roney

Wedding Songs

Modern Bride Presents the Wedding Album

A Bride's Guide to Wedding Music

Bride's Guide to Wedding Music

Acoustic Wedding

No. 1 Wedding Album

Bride's Guide to Wedding Music, Vol. II