Alert! Time to hit the sales!

In the blink of an eye Christmas is over. That means, everything Christmas is on sale. If you are a bride, now is the time to go out and stock up on ribbon and all things on sale. If your wedding colors include white, red, silver, green, blue, or gold you are sure to find some great items to use for decor. Go with an open eye and look for containers, fillers, and papers that you can utilize in your wedding arsenal without it looking like it came from Christmas. And hurry, because of their incredible prices everything will be gone from the shelves in the blink of an eye. Who knows, you might even find things for a fun DIY project that you can complete over the break! I suggest trying Pier 1, Target, Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel, Anthropology, Michael's, and JoAnn Fabrics. But, don't forget to hit up clothing stores as well. Do you need shawls for your bridesmaids or guests? Now is the time to pick them up!

Wishing you a 2010 wedding made of amazing deals and lots of love!

Happy Shopping,

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you a very blessed Christmas and a joy filled 2010!

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. -Isaiah 9:6

We have had an amazing whirlwind of a year and thank each and every one of you for being a blessing to our lives. We cannot wait for all that is to come. May you have peace, joy, and love today and always!

Cheers,

Update...

Keep checking back. With the new year we will have a new blog featuring amazing wedding planning tips for brides of all budgets. We are going to have some great features and guests, so stay tuned.

The original plan was to keep this blog going while I worked on the new blog and site. But, I don't like to create posts just to post. I want every word to be one that makes your life easier and helps you plan your wedding. I am very excited about what is coming, and I hope you will be too when you get to see it.

Thanks for hanging in there with us!

Cheers,

Selecting Stylish Bridesmaid Dresses

Today I'm going to get up on my soapbox and talk to you about bridesmaid dresses. Many a bride will tell her bridal party that she is going to select something that they will love, look great in, and want to wear again. If you as the bride are picking the dress, then it probably won't be something your bridal party will truly love, think they look great in, or want to wear again. Sorry, but everyone has their own taste. By no means does this mean the dresses you pick are bad. However, if you really do want your bridal party to love their dresses, feel great in them, and wear them again then you must let them do the picking.

You do not have to give your bridesmaids free reign. On the contrary, you don't want them looking like some cacophony of color and style. But, they also don't have to look like quadruplets (or twins... based on how many you are having in your bridal party). Pick a color scheme and a basic style. Go shopping with them. But let them pick the cut or shade that will best suit them.

Don't want to be bridezilla? Remember that your bridal party loves. However, this doesn't mean you have to make them wear matching, off the factory floor, dresses.

Note: Take this advice with a grain of salt. I too am guilty as charged. And yes, there are dress lines that you select that may look great. I'm just saying, letting your girls pick will make them the happiest of campers. Besides, you and the grooms are the ones everyone is looking at during the ceremony!

Let the dress shopping begin,

FYI: We Are On Twitter, Talking About Weddings

I joined Twitter awhile back, but I realized today that I never posted it here. (The new blog will have a link. Yay!) It was against my better judgement, and I have made a vow never to tweet things like 'Time for a bathroom break!' However, I cannot think of a better way to stay up-to-date with what's going on in the wedding industry. If you are a bride, Twitter is a great way to hear about new venues, great deals, and be inspired with great ideas. If you are in the industry, it's a great way to keep in touch with the fast, and never ending, changes. So, come hear us tweet our wedding advice. If you dare to be bold like we were ;-), step out and follow us on Twitter.

Happy Learning,

Taking a Step Back

No, don't worry. I am not stepping back from wedding and event planning. Actually, we've got lots of new and exciting things going on that you will be hearing about over the next several months. However, I do find that I do my best work and planning when I take time now and again to step back, breathe, and take a day to gain perspective. It's in these times that some of my best ideas come to me.

Brides and grooms, remember to apply this strategy in planning your wedding. It's so easy to get caught up in phone calls to florists, emails to the caterer, shopping only for wedding stuff... Make sure you take a day every now and again where you don't do a single wedding-related task. It's important for you and the sanity of those around you.

All I want for every bride and groom in their planning is to have a day that they and those around them enjoy. One where they can sit back and take in the full meaning of the day. If you don't do this from the start of planning, trust me, it will be difficult to do on your big day!

Wishing all of you the absolute best with your weddings,