Affordable Weddings
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Let’s Party
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Marriott Hotel & Conference Center
Medici
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Owen Nursery & Florist
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Scentsy (Independant Consultant)
Seno Formalwear
Simple Elegance
So Chic Events

Come visit us on April 18 from 11:00am-3:00pm at the Marriott in Normal, IL for The Wedding Show! Pre-registration for brides is here.

The Wedding Show 2010

On your wedding day, hundreds of eyes will be on you, and your chosen bridal hair style can either complete the picture or detract from it. That is why it is so important to choose the perfect formal hairstyle well in advance of the big day so that you and your stylist can get it right and make custom additions to your wedding hair style. Nothing is worse than a hastily crafted coif decided upon only minutes before the ceremony.

You can begin your search for the perfect bridal hair styles and bridesmaid hair styles by browsing through style books that highlight formal updos and popular wedding hair styles. While looking, keep in mind the style of dress that you have selected and choose wedding hair styles that compliment the style, era and cut of the dress. The same thing goes for your bridesmaids dresses.

Another important thing to consider when choosing bridal hair styles are the styles, lengths and textures of the bridal party’s hair. For example: if every member of the bridal party save one has short hair, selecting a French Twist as your only bridesmaid hair style would not be very feasible. But you could do a French Twist on the one member with long hair and select different wedding hair styles for the rest of the party as long as it doesn’t bother you that everyone is not going to look identical.

When it comes to coordinating your wedding hair styles for your wedding party, you do not have to choose cookie-cutter styles for each member of the party. Look instead at bridal hair styles that compliment each member’s personality, facial structure and hair texture. Let your wedding party members have some say in how they would like to wear their hair and set some practical guidelines such as whether or not the bridesmaid hair style should be pinned up off of the neck or allowed to flow free down the back.

Then, coordinate the individual bridal hair styles by using matching accessories and placing them in similar patterns on each member. These pointers apply for the bridal party only; the bridal hair style should set the bride apart from the others and be more intricate and beautiful than all other wedding hair styles chosen by members of the wedding party.

Once all bridal hair styles have been chosen, have a practice run where all of the ladies meet at the same salon and allow the stylists that are going to do the wedding party’s hair on the big day have a crack at crafting the intricate wedding hair styles that you have chosen. While it may cost you a little bit of money to do this, it will save you a great deal of headache on the big day.

With that said, here’s the real deal on setting up your wedding registry and getting the word out without offending your guests. Remember that retailers can be an enormous help to both you and your guests. At the same time, you can’t take everything they say at face value.

Q: Where should I register?
A: Chances are, if you’re getting married in your own town, you already know where “everyone goes” to set up and shop from a registry. If not, and guests are flying in from far away, pick from some bride-tested standbys likely to be present almost anywhere. Macy’s has a great reputation for registries, as does Williams-Sonoma, Bed Bath & Beyond and other retailers.

Before you choose your stores, be sure to stop by a wedding forum and get feedback from brides who have been there, done that. Store policies vary quite dramatically, ranging from the easy-does-it (who’ll give you cash back for returns off the registry, no questions asked) to the extremely restrictive (who’ll only let you exchange for another item *in that department*, requires a receipt for each item, and so on). You’ll want to know about these policies and the store’s overall reputation for bridal friendliness before you go in, or returns and exchanges could become a big hassle.

Q: I have a wide range of interests. How many stores should I register at?
A: Two to three stores is fairly typical. They don’t have to be typical stores, though. If you’re a wine drinker, and live in a state where it’s legal to ship wine, set up a registry at one of the great online wine merchants.

Q: When should I register?
A: Although close family members may pressure you to start earlier, it’s helpful to wait three to six months before the wedding. Not only are the vast majority of gifts bought within a day or so of the shower or ceremony itself, stores turn over merchandise so rapidly that any gifts you select earlier may be discontinued.

Q: What if I already have all the kitchen appliances and throw pillows I need?
A: Consider putting together a honeymoon registry instead, so guests can contribute toward a special meal or snorkeling trip or a night’s lodging during your honeymoon.

Q: When I signed up at Store X, they gave me a bunch of attractive registry cards to enclose with my wedding invitations. Should I do it, or is that tacky?
A: Sorry, but the consensus is almost universal — it’s uncouth to include any mention of gifts in your invitations. You can, however, tuck those cards into shower invitations. Perhaps the best solution is to include a note in your invitations that reads, “Please see our wedding web site at www.xyz.com” and place your registry information there.

Q: How many gifts should I register for? I don’t want to look demanding.
A: Typically, you’ll want to select two or three items per guest. That gives people room to choose instead of locking them into something they don’t enjoy buying, or worse, forcing them to guess what else you might like, giving birth to the “second yogurt maker” type of gift.

If you have many guests, you can avoid creating a 16-page monstrosity for them to print out by breaking up your registry over several stores.

At the end of the day, “more is more.” Many retailers offer discounts on those items you registered for but didn’t receive. Many stores also retain your registry for at least 12 months after the wedding. You may find it’s best to register for everything that you plan to buy, even if you don’t expect to get it as a gift; you can then purchase your selections for 10% or 20% off after the ceremony. Many brides also find friends and family tapping registries for gift buying ideas for birthdays and other holidays!

Q: What price range should I stick with when selecting items?
A: Generally, you should register for things you really feel you want or need, without worrying too much about the price. Some guests enjoy picking up a number of items in the low price range, and sometimes guests will group together to purchase bigger-ticket items.

Q: I’ve set up my registry just fine, but now I’m addicted to checking it online. How can I stop?
A: Sorry, there’s no known antidote for registry-checking addiction, though it’s a widespread phenomenon. Counting to ten, taking deep breaths or distracting yourself with double-fudge ice cream might be worth a shot.

· Do you prefer a traditional, plain wedding band or a design wedding band?

· Do you want to budget in for a designer name brand or do you prefer to forgo the brand name and opt out for essentially the same ring without the “name”, thereby significantly reducing costs?

· Pricing Your Wedding Band.

Plain Wedding Bands

You may want to consider a plain band if you prefer a simple design or are not a big “jewelry person”. As a jeweler, I often get women shopping for their husbands wedding bands who are considering a plain band because their husband “does not like jewelry”. I usually recommend a narrower plain wedding band, such as a white gold or yellow gold 4mm wide band. Although a wider 6mm, 7mm, or 8mm band is standard for most men, someone who does not wear a lot of jewelry may feel more comfortable in a narrow band. (Wedding bands are usually measured in millimeters. A 4mm band is approx. ¼” wide).

If someone is looking for something with a little more of a design, but still wants a simpler band, I may even steer them towards a more subtle design, such as a hammered wedding band. Hammered bands are still understated, but a little more exciting than a traditional plain band.

Design Band

There are many types of design wedding bands to choose from, such as braided wedding bands, hammered design bands, paisley bands, and other unique designs, such as a Celtic wedding band.

The type of design band wedding you choose is a personal choice. There is nothing scientific or practical in selecting a design wedding band other than primarily deciding what type of design you simply like.

The only practical considerations that you may want to make in selecting a wedding band with designs is in understanding that trends come and go and you will be wearing and looking at the design hopefully forever. The other consideration is in deciding whether you will wear your ring on a daily basis and what kind of wear and tear your ring can safely sustain. This usually depends on the type of work or career or regular hobbies.

Do you work with your hands a lot? Do you do construction work or do you have an office job that is not taxing on your hands? In purchasing a design band, if you are planning to wear your ring to a job that is physically demanding you may want to consider a hammered design band or a similarly rugged design that can withstand wear and tear. You may want to stay away from a braided wedding band, for example, if you are a police officer and want to wear your ring on the job! If you are “outdoorsy” and rugged, you may want a more wedding band with less design that could get damaged.

Keep in mind these are extreme cases. Most braided wedding bands are tougher than they appear and will be fine under most conditions. And if not, they can easily be repaired (we offer a one year warranty and inexpensive repair service after the warranty period). Out of the thousands of braided wedding bands we have sold, not even 1% have been returned for repair and often only by people who are tough on their jewelry.

Design Band or Designer Name Brand

Most wedding bands that are on the market today are actually not designer name brand rings, yet they are, in my opinion, the same quality as most designer name brand rings. The difference with a designer name brand and a generic version is mainly the price. Most design bands range between $300-$350, for example, at http://wedding-band-ring.com vs. $600-$800 for the exact ring made by a known designer name.

However, if paying 2-3 times more is not a significant difference to you, you may want to consider a name brand simply for the security or status that the name you purchase may give you. In shopping for a wedding band, whether it is a designer name or not, make sure you understand your wedding or jewelry store’s policies, warranties, and guarantees. Often, the generic brand will offer you the same security, quality, and warranties. So why spend the extra?

Yellow Gold, White Gold, or Two-Tone

This too is mostly a personal choice, but there are a few things to consider in selecting your wedding bands’ color or metal type.

White gold is often more suitable for those who are not normally big jewelry wearers. White gold is also somewhat more contemporary, although trends suggest that yellow gold may be coming back strong into fashion. Ultimately, whether you choose yellow or white gold should depend on your personal preference, rather than following any trend, since trends come and go and you plan to wear your ring forever!

You may also want to consider two-tone gold. Two-tone wedding rings are an excellent compromise between subtle and rich tones and they serve one additional purpose that people tend to overlook.

Two-tone wedding bands give you the flexibility of both yellow and white gold colors so that you can match a variety of other jewelry with your wedding jewelry. If you buy a white gold wedding band, all of your future jewelry purchases will tend to be white gold. Wearing yellow gold or two-tone with your white gold ring may clash. The same can be said of pure yellow gold. But with a two-tone wedding band, you can wear an all yellow gold bracelet or watch, for example, and interchange jewelry and colors. This adds great versatility to your jewelry line-up.

Price Benchmarks

Use the below benchmarks to assess if your selected jeweler is charging you too much or if their prices are reasonable.

Expect to spend between $100-$150 for a plain, traditional wedding band.

Expect to spend approx. $300 for a standard, but high quality design wedding band.

Expect to spend between $600-$800 for a designer name brand.

Remember, you may not want to dish out the additional cost for a designer name brand when you can find virtually the same ring without the “name”. Above all, this should be a choice that you make yourself or with your spouse. Forget about trends and think long-term. $300 over 50 years of your life is less than a penny a day! Don’t get caught up too much in the price. Opt for the ring that you really want. You plan to wear your ring forever.

There are numerous factors that will affect your choice of wedding invitation. The first question you should ask yourself is whether you are planning to have a formal, semi-formal or casual wedding ceremony because the type of ceremony you plan will impact your choice of invitations.

Regardless of whether you choose formal, semi-formal or casual invitation, generally, wedding invitations include the invitation itself as well as a reception card, response card, separate envelope for the response card, detailed information on accommodations for guests and riving directions and important telephone numbers.

Be aware that while there are literally thousands of styles and designs of invitations available for the choosing, there are only six basic types of invitations. These include:

Engraved
Thermo graphed
Printed
Calligraphy
Handed colored
Box set

Engraved invitations are the most classic and traditional choice of invitations available. They are also the most expensive type of invitations on the market; however, if you are planning a very formal wedding, engraved invitations are an absolute must. Keep in mind that you should order your engraved invitations no less than 8 weeks from the date of your wedding, preferably farther in advance.

Thermo graphed invitations provide an affordable alternative to engraved invitations. The end result is a very elegant look and while thermo graphed invitations might not be appropriate for a very formal wedding, they would work well for a semi-formal wedding. Plan on ordering these invitations at least six weeks in advance.

Printed invitations are one of the most popular choices on the market and are very cost efficient. You can find a wide variety of printed invitations available through most stationary and printer vendors as well as on-line. While the turn around time for printed invitations is typically better than engraved or the monographic options, you should still plan on ordering your printed invitations at least 4-6 weeks in advance. Printed invitations are appropriate for semi-formal and casual weddings.

One option in printed invitations that is definitely gaining favor is the alternative of purchasing ‘blank’ invitations from printed stationary retailers and then printing your own information. This gives you the option of choosing the design you want and saving a few dollars by handling the printing on your own.

Calligraphed invitations are very elegant and work well for weddings with an old fashioned theme. They can be very expensive; however, due to the amount of time and effort involved in producing them. When deciding on whether to choose calligraphy invitations remember that you need to allow extra time for preparation, plan on additional cost and keep in mind that this type of invitation may smudge if it comes in contact with even a slight amount of moisture. Calligraphy invitations are appropriate for all types of weddings except very formal events.

Hand made invitations are gaining in popularity not only because they are cost efficient but because they add a nice personal touch to a very special occasion. There are numerous options for creating hand made invitations and basically the sky is the limit with choices. Just remember to plan on making additional invitations in case of mistakes and allow plenty of time, especially during this hectic time of your life. Handmade invitations are appropriate for most weddings except very formal events. Handmade invitations can also be easily generated with desktop publishing programs and attractive stationary.

Box set invitations are available at most stationary retailers and can provide an quick and easy alternative to other types of invitations. This type of invitation can also be easily dressed up for a unique and personal touch.

Regardless of which type of invitation you ultimately choose, do be sure to allow plenty of time for printing and an additional two weeks for mailing. Also, consider interesting and unique ways you add a personal touch to your wedding invitations, such as unique wording and verses.

For more wedding invitations articles visit Nick’s Discount wedding invitations website.

I hear it all the time. Couples come to me after going through every other marriage improvement method under the sun and tell me they experience a brief sense of relief from a certain program, but with passing of time, they fall back into their old ways.

This got me thinking. With the millions of books and seminars available to struggling couples on how to make a marriage last, why hasn’t the divorce rate gotten any better?

I came to realize the reason is that expert advice is based on the core idea that if you “do the right thing”, your problems will be solved.

If this core idea were actually true, the divorce rate would be dropping. It’s not.

For 27 years I struggled in a miserable marriage as I read every book, attended every seminar, and listened to every tape set that I could in an effort to find out why my marriage was so difficult.

These resources gave me advice like, “start holding your wife’s hand to reignite intimacy in your relationship”. At the time, that was the LAST thing I felt like doing. I was so loaded with resentment towards my wife, I could hardly stand to be in the same room with her let alone hold hands!

This advice (like all other advice) was telling me to “do good, then you will feel good”.

But then I realized this simple truth: You have to FEEL GOOD FIRST, before you can do good things for your marriage.

Finally after my 27 years of constant searching, I discovered how to eliminate my negative feelings in 60 seconds. And ever since then, my relationship with my wife has never been the same.

During those years, I discovered a second secret of how to make a marriage last. But first let me ask you, were you programmed for a failed marriage? Keep reading to find out what I mean.

After you attend a marriage seminar, counseling session or any other means of marriage improvement, something happens inside your brain that makes you fall back into your old ways.

That “something” is a set of “instructions” on how to be married which was given to you during your childhood by your parents.

If you’re a woman, your mother showed you how to treat a man by the way she treated her husband. If you’re a man, your father showed you how to treat a woman by the way he treated his wife.

These “instructions” are NEVER addressed, NEVER found or discussed in marriage seminars or books. They are the “master program” that you will always follow unless you identify and replace them with a different, more positive set of instructions.

Your original instructions on how to be married were put into your brain by your parents during your first ten years on earth. I call these instructions, your “Invisible Lifestyle”.

The reason they are invisible is the same reason why, when you’re standing too close to a tree, you cannot see the forest. You must step back, far back to see the forest.

In the same way, you are either living the way your parents showed you to live…OR…you are living your life the OPPOSITE way you were shown to live. Either way, what’s driving your actions is transparent and very hard to see.

These instructions are what you will “default” back to for the rest of your life…UNLESS you find them, dismantle them and replace them with what you now believe in. There is a definite method to do this but only those with a real desire should attempt it.

Want to discover how to dismantle your original programs and get your marriage back on track? Larry Bilotta’s Marriage Lifeline gives you specific instructions on how to replace those programs with new ones that will guarantee a happy marriage