Archives for: April 2007

This summer I am celebrating my eighth anniversary. It’s hard to imagine that it’s been so many years since my husband and I exchanged our vows! It feels like only yesterday I was biting my fingernails, hoping our wedding would be perfect and all of the details would come together just right. In fact, everything did go off without a hitch, and now, here we are, two children and a dog later and we are getting ready to celebrate another passing year in our long history together. Back when we first got married, I had expected each anniversary to be commemorated with lots of fuss and planning. But these days, we are lucky if we even remember the day, let alone do much to celebrate it. I am counting down, though, for my tenth anniversary. This seems like a great opportunity to plan an event and invite family and friends to share the day with us. My dream party would include renting small tables, getting a band and putting up a tent in my yard for an intimate catered dinner party. Sometimes, I browse online looking for just the right dress for this celebration. Another option would be to take a small group of people out for a fancy dinner to celebrate. I know that I want candles on the tables and bottles of good wine for the guests. But whatever we plan, it is exciting to have something to look forward to. Once the wedding is over, many brides feel a bit of a letdown, but the truth is, the ceremony is just the beginning. By planning for the future, you can celebrate the (even better) milestones that come next!

Tags: anniversaries, celebrate marriage

If you’re planning a party anytime soon, consider stocking up on some small gifts or party favors to thank your guests for coming and to give them something special to remember the event! It used to be that favors were mainly for weddings or children’s birthday parties, but some little gift items can also be very appropriate to give for other occasions, such as dinner parties, baby showers, luncheons, tea parties and adult birthdays, as well as just for simple get togethers. Some of the types of things you can give can be anything from pretty embellished pens to tiny boxes of chocolate to small frames. If your party has a theme, you can use that to help select the gift items. For instance, for a spring party, why not pick up some little plastic water cans and put flower seeds for favors. Or, give small bouquets of silk flowers tied with a ribbon. Another cute option is to give small flowerpots either with plants in them, or even filled with cookies or candies. For a baby shower, tiny rubber ducks and duck-shaped cookies can be nice giveaways. Or, for a dinner party with Chinese food, buy some paper Chinese food takeout boxes, wooden chopsticks and fortune cookies for your guests to take home. In addition to providing a very nice personalized touch for your event, the party favors can also serve as pretty decorations. For a sit down dinner, I like to set the favors out on each person’s plate to embellish my table. For a buffet style party, you can set out a large bowl with the favors. Look for colorful options that will pop against your table settings or tablecloth. For my baby shower, which was a large tea party, my friends made little packets of flavored teas, biscuits and sugar sticks. These sat in a bowl right by the door, so they looked pretty and were easy for guests to grab on their way out. These were the perfect items to end a perfect event. Whatever you give, whether it’s something to eat or something for people to display on their mantle or shelf, your guests will appreciate your choice and your thoughtfulness!

Tags: party favor ideas, party favors, party gifts, wedding gifts, birthday gifts, dinner favors, gift ideas

Do you pride yourself of your unique sense of style? If so, your wedding just may be the perfect time to let it take center stage! One of the best ways you can express yourself is through the dress you pick for your big day. If nothing on the bridal store racks seems to be calling your name, you might try designing your own one-of-a-kind dress, to create something that is uniquely YOU and won’t look like anything else you’ve seen on the runway. If you know how to sew, you can make the dress you design yourself. Or, consider hiring a good dressmaker or seamstress to turn your ideas into reality. To see what your dream dress will look like when it’s put together, you can try an online dress-designing tool at www.wedding-planning-guide.net/design_your_own_wedding_dress.html</a>. This interactive template lets you select different details for your dress, so you can see how it will look. The tool also gives you descriptions and choices of different aspects so you can easily decide on the style, cut, fabric and other details that best suit you, your body type and your taste. One word of caution, though. If you do decide to design your own dress, whether you sew it yourself or hire someone else to do it, be sure to allow plenty of time so if you are not happy with the final results, you can still make any alterations you desire. With a lot of creativity, skill and patience, you can indeed be your own wedding dress designer!

Tags: wedding dress, wedding dresses, design wedding dress, wedding planning, wedding dress designer

Several years ago, my co-worker Amy got engaged. She and her fiancé were truly “the perfect” couple. They fell in love at first sight at a college party and hadn’t been apart since. Now they were planning their dream wedding, with all of the bells and whistles. I was single at the time, as were most of the other people in our office. Enviously, we females all watched the preparations for this big event, each of us wondering when it would be our turns to have the spotlight and find our “happily ever after” like Amy did. I still remember the yearning I felt each time I glanced at the big diamond that sparkled on Amy’s left hand. My own hand was just too plain and too empty next to Amy’s. But in addition to the envy I felt so keenly back then, I also remember the wonder I felt at something that Amy and her fiancé Dan did: they were so happy at finding each other that they wanted to do something to give back to the community in which they lived. So in the midst of all of the wedding preparations, Amy and Dan decided to volunteer an hour or two a week playing with children at a homeless shelter. This was a wonderful experience for both of them, and they grew even closer in the process. Looking back, I realize now that this volunteering also helped to keep them grounded and reminded them of all of their good fortune, lest they forget that in the chaos of selecting flowers, dresses and decorations. Now, Amy and Dan have their own children, and my left hand is no longer bare. But I still remember the good example they set, and hope that other couples will find the same satisfaction they did by reaching out to share their happiness. Once the wedding is over, the gifts unwrapped and the photos carefully displayed in the albums, experiences like this one are what really matter in the end.

Tags: volunteering, community service, engagement

Although planning a wedding is a joyful occasion, at the same time it can be the most stressful thing you have ever done. With all of the numerous decisions and responsibilities that go into planning a wedding, it's easy to see how some couples become overwhelmed and stressed-out. Here are 5 ways to deal with the stress of planning a wedding.

1. Set up a wedding-free weekend.
   For an entire weekend, take a break from the wedding planning process. No planning or arguing allowed! No talk of guest lists, menus, or reception sites. Use this time to remind each other why you fell in love and decided to get married in the first place. Spend time with each other, flirting, laughing and enjoying one another’s company.
2. Have a night out with your friends.
   Plan a night out with the girls or boys. With all of the talk of “two becoming one,” remind yourselves that you are still individuals. Spend an evening out with your respective same-sex gang and paint the town red. Check out the latest night club, have dinner at your favorite restaurant or plan a day of beauty at the spa. The next day amuse each other with anecdotes from your big night out.
3. Plan a romantic date.
   Most likely, for the past few months you’ve been saving every penny to pay for your wedding. If you are on track with your wedding budget, plan a romantic date with your fiancée at the fanciest restaurant in town. Spare no expense: fine wine, appetizers, entrée, dessert, and after-dinner drinks. Use this time to fall in love all over again!
4. Schedule a movie marathon.
   Clear your schedules and have a movie marathon day. Turn off you cell phones and shut down your computers, rent several of your all-time favorite movies and spend the entire evening cuddling on the couch and snacking on popcorn. There's nothing like a good movie to transport you from reality to fantasy.
5. Have a night of games.
   Challenge your fiancée to a night of games: Monopoly, Scrabble, Chess, Dominoes, and Trivial Pursuit. A little healthy competition is sure to help you remove yourselves from the nuptial hassles.