One of my favorite ‘activities’ as a bride was getting one of those electronic guns and clicking away at all the glasses, plates, bakeware and towels I could find at the local department store.  There are pros and cons to registering.  But in the end I HIGHLY recommend at least registering for a few items.  

Many people feel that if they don’t register (my now husband), that you will just get cash.  This is NOT true.  The fact is, people are either cash givers or gift givers.  If you don’t register, well, then those gift givers are going to use their own judgement to decide what you need.  Unfortunately, good old Aunt Betty thinks that a crocheted quilt at the craft fair will look lovely on your new bed.  

So, if you want to limit the number of toasters, punch bowls and craft fair items, register for a few items you would like.  Beware, however of over registering.  That registry gun can get the best of you and before you know it, you are registering for a culinary torch and a cherry pitter that you will NEVER USE!!  Trust me on this one!

When I was getting married, I think I tried on several dozen dresses at several different stores.  I mean, when would I get another chance to put on dress after beautiful dress.  I ended up deciding on the third dress I tried on.  However, I tried on all different styles, fabrics and designs until I was assured I had made the right decision.

As you begin or continue your quest for the perfect dress, just know that you may never get that ‘This Is The One’ feeling.  It usually is that one dress that just keeps sticking out even after you try on others.  Think of it like finding your hubby.  If you were lucky (and it’s rare), it was love at first sight.  But for most of us, we really liked our soon to be hubby and over time, we realized he was perfect for us and hence, you get married.  So, don’t be too worried if you haven’t found that perfect dress.  You will eventually find one and you will wonder how you could have ever worn anything else.

If you have a future spouse that isn’t so good with dates like birthday’s and anniversaries, perhaps you should choose a date that is easy to remember.  Today is 8/8/08 and many brides are choosing creative dates like this for their wedding day.  Last year it was 7/7/07 and famous brides like Eva Longoria and hubby, Tony Parker tied the knot on this popular wedding day.  If you want your wedding on such a date, be sure to book well in advance. These dates are quite popular among brides and venues and vendors book up quickly!

Many brides and grooms consider several options for favors at their reception.  Everything from traditional jordan almonds to personalized candles are available to give your guests a keepsake from the big day.

However, some brides and grooms are forgoing the personalized chocolate bar and opting for a charitable donation.  Money that would have been spent on hundreds of favors is donated to a charity of the couples choice.  

You can let your guests know you have made this donation, by including a printed card on each table or guests place seating that provides information on the selected charity.  Let the guests know that the donations were made in place of a favor.  

While favors personalized and coordinated in your wedding colors can be cute, a donation to a charity is priceless.

The dream of the perfect wedding dress may have changed over the years.  In fact, many brides are finding that there isn’t a perfect dress, there are TWO.  Yes, brides everywhere are finding that to have the wedding of their dreams one dress simply won’t do.  Sparing no expense, brides are purchasing a dress for the ceremony, and after a quick wardrobe change, enter their receptions in an entirely new gown.  

Some brides are opting for the traditional Cinderella dress for the ceremony and then glam it up for the reception with an elegant sheath or a sexy mini.  

So, if you can’t decide on your perfect dress, get two!

Note from the Big Wedding Blog Editor:

All Wedding Professionals are invited to become a Contributing Blogger and share your expertise with brides who read the blog.
To apply to be a contributing blogger, click on the register button at the bottom of the left column or on the top left of this page. Then sign up and submit your first post. Your submitted post will be reviewed by ADMIN and you will be approved as a blogger on the BIG Wedding Blog. To maintain your Contributing Blogger rights, you must agree to the Contributing Blogger Rules.

The BIG Wedding Blog is an exclusive feature brought to you by www.BrideAndGroomPlanner.com

I have some girlfriends that are getting married this year and they are planning their Girls Night Out.  It brought back some great memories of my own Bachelorette Party.

The good news is if you aren’t necessarily into the whole wearing a veil to the bar scene, there are so many other options.  Spa days are always a big hit.  Try to find one that has a ‘relaxation’ or common room, where you can hang out between treatments with your gal pals.

If Spa(ing) isn’t your thing, what about a cooking class.  Cooking schools are popping up everywhere.  You don’t have to be the next Emeril to participate either.  Most classes are for you average person that just wants to spend some time out with friends and enjoy some good food.  

So, whatever your Bachelorette style may be, it is a new tradition that should be continued for years to come! 

The Big Wedding Blog was briefly infiltrated by some very crude and offensive pornography.

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To prevent this in the future we have put a total administrative review/block on all comments. ALL comments, as well as postings will be reviewed directly by Blog Admin from this point on. We will not depend on spam filters at all.

We apologize to all who received any inappropirate and offensive material. We feel confident that there were no viruses spread during this infiltration of pornography.

With these new admin proceedures now in place, our industry (merchants and brides) can again confidently and securely depend on The Big Wedding Blog. The BIG Wedding Blog remains committed to being the most widely read and distributed source of information for today’s bride.

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The Big Wedding Blog

Editor

Throughout the entire wedding planning process, your fiancé and family have been trying to fine tune the invite list. Everyone seems to have a friend, co-worker or long lost cousin they MUST invite. This can lead to a rather lengthy and ultimately costly head count. Here are some tips to consider when you are trying to make final ‘cuts’.

1. If you haven’t spoken to the person in the last year (family excluded) then it is probably safe to leave them off the list.

2. Either invite all co-workers or none. I’ve seen many people get married and only invite a select few co-workers. This usually causes someone’s feelings to get hurt and cause unnecessary tension in the workplace.

3. Don’t invite someone just for a present…period.

4. Always…and I mean ALWAYS invite the person PLUS A GUEST. It doesn’t matter if they are single and you know they won’t find a date. It is simply rude not to include them with a guest. If you are trying to save money by only inviting the one person…don’t invite them at all if you can’t afford to include a guest with their invitation.

5. You can usually safely assume that about 75% of your invites will attend. However, there are those situations, when everyone seems to send back a ‘Will Attend’ RSVP card. So, if you invite them, be prepared for them to show up at your wedding!

As you start to plan your big day, one of the decisions you will need to make is if you will have a receiving line at your wedding.  There are many options on how to proceed with a receiving line.

1. You can essentially dismiss your guests pew by pew by greeting them as they exit the pew. Not a bad idea, but it keeps the majority of your guests stuck sitting there waiting for each row to let out before them.  Let’s hope no one has to use the bathroom.  I mean, you don’t want to be the one guest that gets up and leaves before the bride and groom have greeted you!!!

2. Form a line at the back of the church/wedding site.  This is one of the most traditional forms of a receiving line. This give people a chance to wish you their best as they leave church.  It also gives your guests the opportunity quietly sidestep this activity.  Some guests may prefer to say congrats later in the evening.  

3. If you aren’t sticking around for photos, you can beat your guests to the reception and welcome them into the reception site as they all enter.  This again gives guests the opportunity to meet and greet at later time if they so choose.

For me, I think the receiving line is a tradition that can be put to rest.  The reality is that as a bride and groom, you will be cornered all night by well wishers and old aunt Flow that flew in from Iowa for the big day.  So, save your guests from standing in a long line and skip the receiving line.  

A good alternative could be to make rounds during dinner to each table.  You didn’t think you were actually going to EAT the food you carefully choose for your reception, now did you???

Before your big day approaches, you may want to thing about some beauty basics before your big day. Many brides automatically go on a diet. Let’s face it, nothing motivates you to lose those five pounds than knowing you will be the center of attention in a white dress. Just remember when it comes time to ordering that dress, do NOT order a dress too small with the hopes you will lose weight. Even if you do shed those extra pounds, you don’t know where they are going to come off. Nothing is worse than having back fat on your wedding day because you ordered a size 4 dress, when you should have ordered a size 8.

If you decide to start a new skin treatment, do this months before the wedding. It will give your skin time to adjust to the new products and treatments. Do not get a facial the week of your wedding. Facials have a tendency to bring oil and impurities to the surface and you could end up with a lovely blemish on your nose for your wedding. You may want to start a regular treatment routine at least six months out. It will prepare your skin and give you a wedding day glow.

This isn’t the time to experiment with hair cuts and color. If you have brown hair, don’t decide to become a platinum blonde right before you wedding. You don’t want to look back at your wedding photos and wonder who that women is the white dress…oh, it’s you!

Don’t mess with manicures and pedicures the day of your wedding. Do that the day before to give it time to dry. Spend you wedding day relaxing with a massage and enjoy some pampering by having a professional do your hair and make-up.

Note from the Big Wedding Blog Editor:

All Wedding Professionals are invited to become a Contributing Blogger and share your expertise with brides who read the blog.
To apply to be a contributing blogger, click on the register button at the bottom of the left column or on the top left of this page. Then sign up and submit your first post. Your submitted post will be reviewed by ADMIN and you will be approved as a blogger on the BIG Wedding Blog. To maintain your Contributing Blogger rights, you must agree to the Contributing Blogger Rules.

The BIG Wedding Blog is an exclusive feature brought to you by http://www.brideandgroomplanner.com/