A popular way for the bride and groom to make sure they get gifts that they want is to set up a registry at a store they like. This way there are no duplicate gifts, either. There are several gifts that may not come to mind when you set up a registry, but these five gifts can be very useful.

Blenders

Toasters and other appliances are commonly registered for, but many people do not think about blenders. A blender is a very useful tool that has many different applications. Ideal blenders are high-quality, beautiful, and functional. Their durability ensures a long lifespan so you and your spouse can create an assortment of delicious concoctions with it. Before investing in a quality smoothie maker, always check the .

Vacuum Cleaners

A vacuum cleaner is a gift most people don't think of putting on the registry. It seems mundane and boring, but it's actually a fantastic gift. Unlike some gifts that will only be used once and then forgotten about, vacuum cleaners are very useful and will be used many, many times. They clean up dirt, pet dander, and keep carpets and floors in great shape. Good vacuum cleaners can rid a house of allergens and keep you and your spouse from having allergic reactions. This is a must-have item, and putting it on the registry saves you a lot of money.

Sheets and Comforters

Another item you may not think to register for is bedding. People spend a large amount of time in bed, so bedding will get a lot of use. A great set of sheets and a cozy comforter can help you and your spouse have a wonderful night's sleep, and it will keep you warm on cold winter nights.

Knives and Peelers

Many types of kitchen gifts are very common items that everyone registers for. However, there are some kitchen gifts that people don't think of or give low priority to. Knives and peelers are another very useful gift you should register for. A good, sharp knife is crucial to safely and easily preparing a meal. Knives and peelers will get a lot of use, and your experience in the kitchen will be more enjoyable.

DVDs and Electronics

A lot of people refrain from registering for electronic gifts because they think they won't last or be worth it. In truth, you should definitely register for a DVD collection or a nice blu-ray player if you intend to get a lot of use out of it and will enjoy it.

Your wedding is one of the most important events in your life, so wouldn’t it be disastrous if anything went wrong on this special day? With so many variables in play, from in-laws to flower arrangements, it can be difficult to avoid tragedy. However, this is no reason to give up hope. By following a few simple tips, almost any catastrophe can be avoided, and your big day will be perfect.

The first and most important step you must take is to put your team together early.
One person cannot handle the task of planning an entire wedding day, so you need to round up a team of people you can depend upon. Have your most trusted go-to friend (or mom, or sister, etc...) be your team leader, and assign other friends specific duties such as catering, florist, invitation printing, and decorators. Let your team leader coordinate these team members and help you with planning the big picture.

The next step is to lock down your wedding location and date.
The best locations fill up early, and the waiting list can be years long if you are not quick enough. Finding a date that works for family and friends on both sides of the isle can also be a challenging task. The moment you and your fiancé agree on where and when the big day will be, call and place a deposit to reserve the location.

One of the most common disasters to strike wedding, is budget problems.
It is important to figure out your budget early, but it is even more crucial to stick to it. Knowing your budget limits from the beginning can help you escape stress later. If you happen to find something that can’t afford, there are always resourceful ways to get what you want.

Knowing what you are going to get is crucial.
Before you buy anything, be sure to test a sample. Everything from the food that will be served, to the music that will be played must be checked and double checked to ensure the quality that you deserve.

Finally, one of the most effective ways to avoid disaster on your wedding day is to simply relax.
Let your team deal with the last minute seating changes and other small emergencies. All you need to worry about is getting there on time. Having a meltdown during your wedding is surefire way to spoil the good memories.

On one the most important days of your life, it is imperative that everything goes right. Even the smallest problem could throw the whole day off. By following these five simple tips, your wedding has a high chance of finishing disaster free.

Find a clean work area
This is the first point you need to consider. Before you even start, you need to look for neat area in which you could assemble your invitations. You will need a large table as you will have several different pieces and many persons who will be assembling your invitations. Clean the table with a wet cloth and leave it to dry completely. Also, ensure that everyone who is helping you in assembling your invitations keep their hands neat and dry. Or else, even a little dirt on the invitations will show highly. The grease will leave stains on the tissue pieces.

Stamp RSVP envelopes
Along with your invitations, if you wish to send RSVP cards, you will also have to send self-addressed stamped envelopes. By doing this, your guests won’t have to look for your address. Also, you could buy stamps with some creative wedding designs. Be careful while you put your stamps on, as even a little mistake can have a great impact on the total outlook of your invitation.

Put everything in order on your table
You need to consider as to which item you should keep on the top and which should go to the bottom. It would do well if you would keep the invitations at the bottom and the envelopes around it. After arranging everything in order you will have your invitations first, then, secondly, the tissue sheets, the reception cards and lastly the response envelopes and the response cards.

Stack into piles of twenty five
This is really an important step and many of them don’t follow it. In case you forget to do this, I’ll bet you will be left embarrassed in front of your guests. This is to ensure that you won’t forget to place one invitation in each of your envelopes. First of all, pile all your invitations and envelopes into stacks of twenty five. Also, don’t miss out to check them again. Then, while packing your invitations, if you run out of them or find some left, then, one of your envelopes might contain more than one invitation or none of it. So, you can check again that particular pile to see where you have misplaced the cards.

Stuff the envelopes
If you have finished all the above, you can rest. The remaining part is easy. You should remember to cover the print with tissue. Put in the invitation into the inner envelope in such a way that the printed side should face you. Next, insert the reception card in front of it. Place the respond card next to it. Also, don’t forget to stick the stamp on the envelope. After assembling all of these in order, just slide this inner envelope into your outer envelope. Now you are done with your invitation.


About The Author: Brianne is a writer/blogger. She loves writing, travelling and reading books. She contributes to Hydroxycut

Getting married is one of the most significant milestones of a person's life. Because the occasion is special, it is okay to wow attendees and onlookers alike. To make this momentous time one that the guests and participants will never forget, several important items are needed. The following are four items you need to make your wedding unforgettable.

Floral Arrangements

No gesture says "I love you" more than flowers. Since this idea goes without question, it is important to make the tradition an extraordinary, out-of-the-box kind of concept. To make the memory of flowers one that will be edged in the minds of everyone, select a special spot that will be conspicuous to all. Dedicate this area to the couple of the hour by having their names or a term of endearment spelled out with the flowers. Capture the arrangement via camera and video to revisit for a lifetime.

Photography

In the words of an adage, "A picture is worth a thousand words." It would be unheard of in a modern society not to have photographs taken at a wedding. Because the importance of this item is to preserve memories, only the best will do. To meet this demand, the photographer must be a qualified professional who knows how to capture the essence of the moment.

Videography

As someone once said, "If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth an entire book." A video is capable of showing moving images, focusing on actions and recording sounds. These features make the device ideal for comforting the bride, groom and their guests as they age. They do a great job of reminding everyone decades later how youthful they looked on that special day.

Com-memorable Booklet

Most people are familiar with a bi-fold or tri-fold brochure type program to announce the order of events. They serve the purpose; however, a great item to commemorate the wedding is to have a beautifully decorated ceremony booklet. This idea will add exclusivity to the written details of the day, and it can accommodate more information. Unlike the regular brochures that can be easily misplaced, a booklet can be better identified due to its size. It is also a better item to put on display or to archive.

Most people get married with the intention of sharing their lives until death. Therefore, when hosting a wedding, you want to make it count. Flowers, photographs, videos and a ceremony booklet will be remembered.

The spring season, with its welcoming warmth, striking new blooms, romantic colors and fresh culinary selections make it the perfect time of year to celebrate a wedding. Imaginative invitations, wonderful accents, choice flowers, stunning backdrops and breezy reception solutions effortlessly dazzle the most conscientious bridal parties and impress the most discerning guests.

Spring flourishes with one of the best palettes of color of any season. Mix and match soft pastels with bright accents to create stunning color combinations to tantalize the eye. Soft peach hues highlighted by touches of turquoise, or light roses standing with bright spring greens impress with delightful flair. Incorporate fun spring hues in bridesmaids’ dresses, bouquets, centerpieces and groomsmen's boutonnieres. Spring colors pop not only against white bridal gowns but also against beige, tan, and natural toned tuxedos.  The colors below were chosen for the Spring 2013 Pantone Fashion Color Report and would be perfect for a springtime wedding.

Creative Invitations

Finding the perfect invitation for a spring wedding is a breeze. Pastel paper with floral borders or cutouts paired with whimsical typefaces create lively invitations for vibrant spring events. Cards crafted from thicker weight artist’s paper decorated with a splash of watercolor paint such as this fun design from Invitations by David’s Bridal make elegant bases for memorable wedding invitations.

The Best in Blooms

The most stunning flowers in the world bloom in spring. Take advantage of all the season has to offer with luscious violet hyacinths cascades, crisp white and yellow daffodil bunches, vivid red and yellow tulip clusters and magenta-tinged peony sprays. Wow wedding guests with show-stopping flower-bursting bouquets, and charm reception-goers with centerpieces cleverly crafted from spring garden flowers.  Natural foliage like cherry blossom trees and dogwood trees offers instant backdrops for extraordinary wedding photography choices.  If you are looking for bouquet inspiration, check out these gorgeous bunches on Wedding Wire. 

Tasty Temptations

Senses are easily delighted by spring offerings. Include light tea sandwiches, satisfying finger food and spritzers at post-wedding cocktail hours for truly graceful spring events. At receptions, fresh wild green salads pair well with heavier entrees. Floral themes elevate beautiful wedding cakes to absolutely incredible creations with leis of cascading frosted flowers.

With impressive possibilities for everything from invitations to wedding cakes, the spring season offers brides and grooms the opportunities to have an event to remember, and their guests the fortune to be positively wowed.   

When we think of weddings, we always tend to think of them as ceremonies teeming with purity and the prospect of everlasting love and happiness. We think oh, weddings are perfect, that veil is perfect, the rings are perfect! But have we ever gone around to thinking how they came to be?

If anything, they weren’t always that pristine…

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a sixpence in my shoe
Flickr/epSos.de
We start with the most peasant and arguably the most curious. Come on, were you never curious as to where this little limerick came from and how connects to a wedding? It’s not just because it sounds clever!

Weddings, from long ago and until the present are built on a lot of superstition, and boy aren’t people a superstitious folk (no matter what we say about being in a new millennia)? The little limerick is derived from a set of wedding customs from the Victorian era that, when said to be worn in combination would bring the bride enough good luck to last the entire duration of her marriage (hopefully, forever). “Something old” was meant to be something from her past, to tie her to her past and her family, while the “something new” was supposed to be something that stood for being a member of a new family. The “something borrowed” was supposed to come from someone else, usually an already successfully married wife, so that the good fortune that wife had from her marriage would rub off on the new bride, while “something blue” was a reference to the very Virgin Mary approved qualities of purity and faithfulness and loyalty, and then finally “sixpence in my shoe” which was meant to bring the newlyweds fortune…not just good fortune, but an actual, solid fortune in the form of cold hard cash.

The White Wedding Dress
Flickr/…love…
It wouldn’t be fair to the hundreds of color-specific brides and brides-to-be out there to just say “white wedding dress.” White comes in all shades: Ivory, Ecru, candlelight, Frost…whatever sub-hue that more or less goes under the label “White.” All right, we get the general idea.

But did you know that the tradition of the bride wearing white was a recent comeuppance? It was popularized in the Victorian era, which is quite recent-ish considering that people have been marrying in ceremonies and dresses for as far back into the dawn of humanity. It was Queen Victoria that popularized the white wedding dress, wearing her own pale gown trimmed in orange blossoms as she wed the love of her life (and cousin) Prince Albert. It is also among the earliest instances when people caught on to the trend of copying celebrity fashion styles.

So what did brides wear to their wedding before that? Usually, just their best dress, in any color, even black. Plus their best items of clothing, like furs and wraps and hats and shawls, the objective of this was to show the new family that the bride was loaded, and well off.

The Bridal Veil
flickr/Ashley Campbell
One would think that the veil was there merely for an ethereal effect, or as an elaborate headpiece. Its origins were of a far more sordid nature, however: the veil usually was said to have protected the bride from enchantments on her wedding day. It was also a very practical manner, back in the day when marriages were business transactions rather than celebrations of love and togetherness, the veil was meant to hide the bride’s face so that the groom would have no chance to back out once he discovers the bride to have…not so aesthetically pleasing facial features. Through time, however, the symbolism of the veil has evolved from the untimely revealing of unsatisfactory merchandise to a status symbol: in the Victorian era (apparently the golden age for the idyllic modern wedding), the longer and more elaborate the veil, the higher up you are on the social ladder. Notice how royals have unnecessarily long trains and veils? Showoffs.


The Diamond Ring
Flickr/slgckgc

No line has ever highlighted the significance of this little bit of jewelry more than Samantha of Sex and the City when she said, aghast, to her then boyfriend who had gifted her with a ring: “This is a ring with diamonds, not a diamond ring?” referencing a cultural breakthrough where weddings are concerned. Rings have been used to bind marriages since as early as the Egytians were building their pyramids, but it was only in the 1920s that the idea of a diamond engagement ring spread like wildfire and became the norm. No metaphors to it really, only a De Beers ad that said, “Diamonds are forever” Traditions built on capitalism, oh yes.

The tossing of garters/bridal bouquets
flickr/Tarry McGarry

While it seems entertaining and another popular ruse to get single people at weddings to meet new people, the throwing of the garter or bouquet had originally been intended to keep a luck-hungry crowd from tearing the new bride to shreds. Yes you read that right; there had been a time when people were so superstitious and hungry for luck that they would grab pieces of the bride’s dress because it was said to be very lucky, and that weddings are definitely not a bride’s moment most fond. You could only imagine what a luck-starved mob could be capable of doing to a poor little bride. Through the years, one of those terrified brides eventually came to think of tossing away her garter or her bouquet to keep a wild mob at bay.

Joel Chang has had extensive experience in event organizing prior to working at JAF Gifts, an online source of cake stand tiers and candy dishes. Guys would surely appreciate his post on DatingSymbol.com about the “Top Five Gifts to Give Her on Your First Date”, check it out now!

4 Ways to Wow with Your Holiday Wedding

A holiday wedding can be charming and romantic, but it also faces the risk of blending into the dozens of other holiday happenings. Don’t let it. A sleigh-load of ideas can help your holiday wedding stand out from the daily holiday activities and festivities, making it a party that guests will remember for years to come.

Décor

Deck the halls with gold and black? Why not?! Your wedding can have any colors you choose, and those two make a smashing and unexpected holiday statement. The same goes for silver and blue, metallic reds mingled with pink, or an overall cozy green scheme that channels a warm winter forest. Winter white as your main color choice can be exceptionally eye-catching and you’ll already have the dress to match!

Picking the overall color scheme is your first order of business. Matching up creative holiday-inspired details is your second. Floral arrangements should definitely merge seamlessly into your overall hues. White flowers with ribbons that match your scheme always works if you’re having a tough time selecting bouquets to go with, say, your gold and black plan.

Flowers are nice, but…

You can part from the expected by going for holiday-inspired décor where flowers would typically be. Use small, artistic Christmas trees or Menorahs as centerpieces. Don’t forget the color-coordinated candles. Go for fresh evergreen wreaths or boughs, or stream color-coordinated snowflakes from the ceiling. Make a list of holiday décor that has always delighted you and find ways to incorporate similar pieces into your own wedding.

Themes

Your holiday wedding theme is on equal par with color when it comes to importance. For the most cohesive and wowing effect, all other event details should match. Recreating the feel of a location can work for a holiday wedding theme. Try a magical forest, a chic, modern city, or old-fashioned town.

Entertainment

Entertainment that matches the mood of your décor and gist of your theme is a perfect way to round out the event, truly making it a holiday wedding to remember. There’s nothing wrong with a mariachi band at your wedding if that’s what goes with the flow!

Likewise, you can hire a jazz band for your sultry city-inspired wedding, a folk band for your earthy, all-natural forest theme, or a barbershop quartet for your quaint old-town wedding. Just remember holiday songs can be way overdone, but holiday love songs may not be!


Once again you can depart from the traditional wedding fare by spicing up your holiday catering with seasonal dishes that are a bit unexpected. Find a catering firm with a personality that matches your own and feed them your ideas. If you really want to go for broke, choose food items that match your holiday color scheme. While you may think you’d be hard-pressed to come up with foods that are gold and black, throw the idea out there and see what happens.

Frosting and desserts can often be made to match any colors. Pears and squash come in golden hues. And what about blackened chicken or seared catfish to round out the color scheme on the entrees? Matching the food to your theme can put another unexpected twist into the mix, with amusing ideas such as a Hansel and Gretel German bread selection to match your magical forest theme.

People will always remember the fun and unexpected details, so make sure to put a lot of it into your holiday wedding. Your wedding can become one of the fondest holiday memories for everyone who attends, especially for the bride and groom. After all, that’s what matters most!

Here are five things to avoid so you will end up glowing and radiant when you walk down the aisle.

Don’t experiment with new makeup and grooming products.

Many cosmetic lines are geared towards the blushing bride, with palettes that are supposed to make your skin soft, supple, and camera-friendly. While it is tempting to splurge on these and believe in their miraculous makeover claims, it is much wiser to stick to your tried-and-tested grooming and makeup regimen so you won’t end up with a look that isn’t flattering…or worse, end up in hives due to an allergic reaction to certain product ingredients.

If you really want to try a new product, consult with a professional makeup artist at least a couple of weeks before your wedding day to decide on the bridal look you want, and stick with it. If ever new products will be introduced, you will have ample time to decide if it’s safe and working for you.

Don’t stay up late, drinking.

Staying up late can cause unflattering dark circles around your eyes. Drinking can cause your skin to look either dull or flushed…either way, not exactly the pretty blush you want to achieve on the big day. It’s okay to celebrate your last day as a single girl, but try not to get too soused or you might just end up with bad skin, blood-shot eyes, or a hangover that will get documented on the very day when you’re not supposed to have one.

Don’t get a facial, threading, or waxing job.

Facials and hair-removal methods rank high on a bride’s must-do list for a glowing, fuzz-free complexion. However, doing these a day before the wedding could cause unflattering red spots, swollen parts of the face, and too-sparse brows. Facial skin is extra-sensitive and can get easily irritated with treatments like these, which is why it’s advisable to get them at least three days in advance. In the case of over-threading of eyebrows, a week is enough time to allow the hair to grow back (otherwise, you can ask your makeup artist to professionally cover up the sparse areas with a pencil).

Don’t get your hair permed, straightened, or color-treated.

As with new makeup and new eyebrow shapes, having drastic changes to your hair like having it curled, straightened, or dyed in a color you don’t usually go for may just prove to be disastrous. Permed hair needs at least a month to “soften” and lose that lacquered look (and chemical scent). Newly-straightened hair tends to look limp. If you need your hair to be colored, touch ups and highlights are better than going for an entire head dye job.

Don’t go for any sort of cosmetic makeover.

Microdermabrasion, Botox, glycolic peels, acid-based pore refining treatments, collagen injections for the lips…these are not to be treated lightly, especially just a day before your wedding. Not all girls respond the same way to dermatological procedures. Some develop extreme sensitivity to them, while others end up glowing and looking like goddesses. To be on the safe side, book an appointment for them three weeks to a month in advance to be on the safe side.

As Director of Products for Brilliance, it is guest author Sharon Sussman’s job to ensure that each engagement ring or wedding band is crafted with the utmost attention to detail. See their new line of diamond stud earrings at Brilliance.com.

It’s wedding season and things are beginning to brew this summer! I am not talking about the butterflies at the pit of the bride or groom’s stomach. I am, however, referring to the scorching heat and powerful rays beating down on their special day.  Besides the risk of high heat, there are many perks to having an outdoor wedding such as spectacular scenery, fabulous flora and amazing natural aromas. For those brides with your heart set on a summer wedding, don’t let the heat stop you…simply beat it! It is important to relieve the wedding party and guests from any heat related stress in order to ensure those involved are comfortable and able to enjoy such a significant event.  Here are a few suggestions on how you can “beat the heat” and guarantee that your memorable day is all you have dreamed of and more.

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Planning a wedding is not only about the gown, venue and cake. It must consider the possibility of a fire and other safety factors that might result in injuries or tragedy at the joyous event. While the likelihood of a fire starting during the wedding is low, preparing beforehand will ensure the risks to guests and the happy couple is much lower.

Identify the Exits

Any public venue will have exit signs above the doors and should have several possible exits in case a fire occurs. When planning the wedding, identify all of the exits and ensure the ushers at the event are able to direct guests to the appropriate doors if a fire occurs.
Spend a little time working on finding the exits in the reception area and the location where the couple is taking their vows. By learning where the exits are located, the risk of guests getting harmed in a fire is much lower. The ushers can help guests move to the appropriate doors in care a fire occurs.

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Kate Middleton sparked a massive lace craze with her wedding dress last year, and the trend has thankfully lasted long enough to filter down into affordable brands. A dress with a simple silhouette automatically becomes fancy when a lace overlay is added to it. Many manufacturers are experimenting with romantic Victorian-style lace in bright modern colors. A knee-length dress made out of bold lace is perfect for an outdoor wedding. Black lace is too funereal for a celebration.

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How adding a live music element can really enhance your Wedding Ceremony and Reception

The music a bride chooses for her wedding day is extremely important:  it sets the background or ”music wallpaper” for everything that takes place this day.  For something unique and elegant, the couple might consider a Harpist for the Ceremony and Cocktail Hour.  The benefits of this include: a gorgeous instrument adding an instant aesthetic appeal to the indoor or outdoor site, the energy & ambience provided by live music, and the ability to have Ceremony processionals perfectly timed, as opposed to the fade in & out of pre-recorded music.  Also, wedding guests are always impressed & amazed with the ability & wide variety of music played by an expert, professional Harpist.

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A wedding day is one of the most important and special days in a person's life.

It has been said that girls have a vision of their perfect day from as early as the age of eight. Of course, the traditional wedding is not for everyone. Interfaith marriages in particular benefit from non-traditional services, but many people simply want to be different, which is why wacky wedding ceremonies are becoming so popular.

Doughnuts

Paraphrasing Homer Simpson, is there anything doughnuts cannot do? In Oregon, USA, three doughnut shops provide the perfect venue for wacky weddings. Voodoo Doughnuts offers a whole range of packages, from the simple to the extravagant, to ensure that the happy couple stick together. Of the five packages available, four are completely legal and carried out by an ordained minister. Ceremonies are conducted underneath the Holy Doughnut. They are witnessed by a velvet painting of Kenny Rodgers, Isaac Hays or a weeping Conan, depending on which venue you choose. Other than the bride and groom, doughnuts take centre stage at the reception and can be personalised for the happy couple.

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From the delicious cake to the fresh flowers, paying for the elements of a beautiful wedding can quickly add up. Rather than becoming overwhelmed by the sheer enormity of things to pay for, brides-to-be should instead work to develop a budget that won't break the bank, but will also allow for a lovely wedding. In fact, setting a wedding budget does not have to feel like mission impossible. Armed with the right tools, brides should be able to efficiently manage costs, while also getting the wedding they have always dreamed of.

The Wedding Dress

You definitely have to factor the price of the wedding dress into your budget.  No girl's big day would be complete without a flowing gown to make her feel like a princess, it is an integral part of a wedding. While wedding dresses run the gamut in terms of price, there are plenty of places to find a beautiful dress that won’t break the bank. Wedding dresses at David's Bridal come in a myriad of different styles to match any taste or preference. With designer collections like the White by Vera Wang collection you can find a dress that is not only affordable, but high fashion as well.

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An outdoor wedding is a popular option for couples who enjoy nature, especially during the spring and summer seasons. Because most outdoor venues do not come equipped with furniture, planning for seating becomes an important part of the wedding planning process. When choosing outdoor furniture for a wedding, it is important to keep in mind what color scheme that has been selected, along with which types of styles will be the best fit for the overall wedding theme.

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It does not take long for the tears of happiness that accompany an engagement to turn into tears of frustration during the wedding planning process. Future brides figure out quickly that making wedding related decisions is far from easy; the astonishing amount of options there are for everything from aisle runners to custom favors is mind boggling. If a bride is not implementing a tool that assists her in keeping track of her progress, she may mistakenly order tiny chocolates with her new monogram on them several different times, from several different vendors. The surplus of chocolate would not make up for the missing cake topper that the bride forgot about when she could not remember what webpage it was on.

A professional wedding planner will keep those mistakes from happening, but not every bride can afford someone to smooth out their wrinkles. However, the internet is full of tremendous tools that are at a savvy bride's disposal; they can help her make her wedding dreams come true.

Texas Old Town

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Written by Michelle Lee, a wedding planner and consultant at Miramare Gardens

The wedding day is supposed to be the most special day for the bride and bridegroom and with good reason. It is the day the couple declare their love and commitment to each other and a lot of meticulous preparations go into the planning of this special day. That said, many people involved directly or indirectly may end up becoming the thorn in planning an otherwise picture perfect ceremony. Who would create such problems?

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The wedding rehearsal dinner is a special time before the wedding, after all the planning and preparations are finished, for a bride and groom to relax and celebrate with their family and friends.  In most cases, the rehearsal dinner kicks off all the wedding festivities.  Many rehearsal dinners are the beginning of a weekend filled with parties, family, friends and love.  Why not make sure your rehearsal dinner stands out from the crowd by planning a unique rehearsal dinner?  Before planning your rehearsal dinner, there are a few things to consider first.

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Wedding favors are a thoughtful way to thank your guests for witnessing your marriage and celebrating your union, and designing your own unique favors is one easy way to infuse your special day with your personality. Instead of giving your guests a meaningless trinket that will only gather dust, get creative and make one of these budget-friendly favors that they will love.

Herbed Olive Oil

This practical and delicious wedding favor is easy to make, and easy for your guests to enjoy. Start by gathering your favorite fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme and oregano, then letting them dry completely. Add a few sprigs or leaves to a small glass bottle and pour in olive oil. Finish off with a cork and a personalized label. If you put the favors together about two weeks before the wedding, the herbs will infuse the oil with flavor.

Potted Plants

This wedding favor is perfect for eco-conscious couples who want to thank their guests in a green way. Many plants and herbs can be purchased in bulk for as little as one dollar each. Choose a flower that means something to you as a couple or an herb that you love to cook with. Decorate a small terra cotta pot with your wedding date, names or a special quotation. Add a recycled paper tag with care instructions so your guests can enjoy their favor for seasons to come.

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