Just Engaged: Now what?

Once the initial shock of being engaged wears off, you'll need to make a lot of decisions. Here are the first things you need to do after you get engaged.

1. Set a Timetable
Consider how long your engagement will be. This will depend on factors, such as your ideal wedding date and how much time you'll need to prepare. Engagements lasts anywhere from six months to a year and a half or more. Keep in mind that many of the best vendors and reception sites are booked a year or more in advance.

2. Set Your Budget
Money, are a main determining factor for the size and style of your wedding. So, what affects the price tag?
· Formality: The more formal the reception, the more expensive, considering you'll have to match

the site, food, and decor.
· Date and time: Saturdays, summer months, and evenings tend to be the most costly times to

have a reception.
· Location: In many cases, a wedding in a major city is simply more expensive than in a smaller

town.

3. Determine a Date
There are a few things to consider when choosing a date:

- How much time will you need to prepare for your wedding?

- Do any loved ones having a conflicting event?

- If you have your heart set on a particular place, caterer, band, or photographer, the availability of

these vendors may also play a large part in your decision.

- Try to avoid dates like Valentines day and Mothers day (flowers are way more expensive). School

holidays and long-weekends may cause a problem for accommodation.

- Once you've picked the date, start your wedding checklist for a to-do list of what to do when.

4. Announce Your Engagement
The social network, Facebook, are a popular medium to tell friends and family. For those who don't do social networks, send them a text message or phone them. You can also place a photo in your local newspaper. Be sure to find out the fees for publishing this announcement.

5. Choose Your Attendants
Remember, the earlier you ask, the sooner you can enlist their help.

6. Make a Guest List
When building your guest list, you'll need to consider a number of factors:

- If you have a particular ceremony or reception site in mind, you're going to be limited by how many

people it can accommodate

- If parents are adamant about inviting all friends and family, you'll have to hear them out especially

if they're paying a major part of the bill.

- The more relatives you must invite, the larger your list will be. More guests means a bigger

bill. Catering costs are generally calculated on a per-head basis.

- Your budget will have a big influence on the size of your guest list.

7. Consider a Wedding coordinator
There are 3 scenarios to consider here. If you're a super-busy couple, hire a full-time wedding coordinator to help you prepare your entire event, from the announcement to the honeymoon. You can also hire a part-time coordinator to devise a wedding blueprint - including budget, schedule, and lists of good vendor and site choices, before you launch solo into the preparations. Another option is a day-of coordinator, who will make sure everything goes as planned on your wedding day.

8. Start Gown Shopping
It's never too early to begin thinking about your wedding dress. Start by figuring out which style will look best on you. Read up on silhouettes, necklines, trains, and hues that might flatter you. Season will also affect your choice. For a summer wedding, go with lightweight fabrics such as chiffon, linen, or organza. A winter bride can go for brocade, faux fur, and velvet fabrics which will keep you warm. Satin, shantung, silk, and tulle are perfect year-round.

(Source: The Knot)

Cherry Blossom Wedding

Not much text for today. Just a pretty pink inspirational board to kick of the week.

Cherry blossoms are found in several Asian countries but a wide variety of them are indigenous to Japan. If you’re not a fan or never considered designing an event around the beautiful cherry blossom, hopefully this inspiration board below will inspire.

(Photo credit: Bliss Wedding Market)

Detox Before Your Wedding – The Do’s And Dont’s

The winter is over and we feel bloated, tired and far from bikini-ready. Here are a few simple tips to kick-start a healthy new lifestyle

Small Steps:

If you want to improve your diet, rather than drastically change it, try cutting out one naughty craving, like mid-morning snacks. Taking small steps is the only way to make fundamental changes in your life. If you set yourself realistic goals that you can work towards, you’ll get what you want. In contrast those who try and make radical changes in their life are less likely to succeed, as their challenges are usually unrealistic.

Drink water:

All models consider water to be an essential beauty product – nothing else so directly affects the look and feel of your skin. Water can also help your diet: often when we think we are hungry, we’re actually thirsty. If you drink two litres a day, you’ll know that any hunger you feel is definitely for food.

Smart shopping:

Supermarket shopping is a minefield when it comes to healthy eating, so stick to some simple rules. Always make a list of what you need and make sure you stick to it. Never go shopping when you’re hungry: you’re guaranteed, not only to buy more, but also to ‘treat’ yourself to unhealthy snacks.

Willpower:

Willpower isn’t really something that you have or don’t have; it’s a skill. It’s a sign that you’ve decided to make a conscious decision to do something about your life. When your brain is motivated in the right way, healthy food actually tastes great, and you’ll want to eat it. Eventually your brain will be tricked into believing that healthy food is more satisfying and it won’t be an effort to choose it over junk food.

Appreciate food:

Eat with awareness. Don’t gulp down food or eat on the run. Sit down and really take notice of what you’re eating with all your senses. This will allow you to take pleasure in eating. Eating quickly also means you eat more as your stomach doesn’t have time to register that it is full.

Wedding Invitations: A Few Check Points

Will your wedding be at the beach, in a chic hotel or on a rustic wine farm? What will be the colour scheme, or the mood you're going to create? Whatever it is going to be, your invitations will be the element that will give your guests a glimpse of what type of wedding to expect. The design should compliment your decorative ideas, and should be brought on to all of your wedding stationary.

Here are a few points to keep in mind when getting ready to post:

• Have two guest lists. List 1 for people you absolutely want at your wedding. And list 2 for people you would like to invite - who will fill the place of someone from list 1 should they turn their invitation down
• Normally invitations are sent out 6 - 8 weeks before the wedding date. Should your wedding fall over the school holidays or over a long weekend, do think about sending 'save-the-date' notes to your guests the moment you decide on a wedding date. This will ensure your guests who will have to travel, to keep their eye out for flight specials, to book accommodation in advance and to avoid a double invitations that might occur.
• Order extra invitations - This can come in handy for late additions to the guest list, any mistakes or to have as keepsakes
• Order additional envelopes - For those mistakes that might creep in with the addressing
• Make sure the there are enough stamps per invitation - if not sure, take the inviation in full to your post office and have it weight
• Double check addresses and postal codes before posting the invitations and ensure to put on a return address on each envelope for that undelivered invitation

[Source: Wedding Moments; Photo credit: Etsy]

Bridal Hair Pieces

One of this year's latest wedding trends is the use of feathered hair pieces. Below are just a few of the gorgeous choices avaliable from Hair Comes The Bride. Visit them at http://www.haircomesthebride.com.

Then the ever so popular silk flowers:

Wedding register: Do's and Don'ts

1. Don't wait till the last minute
Be sure to have your registry in place in time for those pre-wedding celebrations and parties

2. Don't register for gifts you'll never use
Take advantage of your options and register only for items you'll really use

3. Don't forget to say thank you
Notes received on or after your wedding day should be sent within six weeks of your return
from honeymoon. Mention the gift by name. If you were given a voucher it is also nice to
include what you bought with the money.

4. Don't overlook details
Always read the fine print before committing to a registry

5. Don't make it hard for your guests
Make sure the registry is convenient for your guests. Have a registry at a store with a
few branches. Have the option to buy online. And choose items in different price ranges to suit
everyones budget.

6. Do spread the word
Make sure every member of your bridal party and the mothers know where you are
registered and spread the word. It is considered inappropriate to print the details of your
registry on your invitation

7. Do include your fiancee
You must decide together what you need for your house. Register things you both like.

8. Have fun
This is part of the planning for your big day. Listen to each other's suggestions.

9. Do register enough gifts
Base your registry on the amount of wedding guests invited. If you invited 200 people, 50
items om the registry will not be enough.

(Source: Wedding Moments)

Your menu

Most venues insist that you use their in-house caterers. If that is the case, be sure to check the costs and whether or not you actually like the food.

Here's a few things to think about when deciding on what to add to your menu:

• Consider the weather when planning your menu. Hot soup on a hot summers day won't go done well. It will work it's magic on a cold and wintery one
  
• If you and your fiancé have a favourite dish, incorporate it in the menu


• Determine the guest count as soon as possible. Your quote will be based on this.


• Do ask for help from your caterer when planning your menu and determining how much food to make. You don't want to waste money and food or want your guests to go home hungry


• Have a contract with your caterer stating the details including food costs, rentals, labour and gratuities


• Decide on how you want your food to be served. The 2 most popular are your buffet and 3-course sit-down meal. Ask your caterer to help you decide on the best option.

[Source: Wedding Moments; Photo credits: Zara-Zoo Photography]

Questions for your photographer

Having a good photographer is probably the most important ingredient on your wedding day. However, you need to make sure you know what to ask your photographer when meeting him/her.

What is included in the package?

You need to find out what you are paying for. Packages can vary greatly, from how many printed pictures you get, the amount of hours your package includes, whether your receive a coffee table book or not.

Are there any additional charges?

Do make sure if there are any additional charges. Things like travel-costs and/or accommodation costs in case of your wedding being out of the photographer's travelling radius. The best would be to ask your photographer for a customized quote. One which indicates each item together with it's price. To give you the assurance that there will be no hidden costs. Especially if you are on a tight budget.

Will you be taking the pictures yourself?

The photographer you choose is the photographer you want. Not some business partner or assistant. So make sure that your photographer has only your wedding to shoot for that day. And that he / she will be there in person.

Do you shoot film or digital?

This will make a difference in the price quoted. Digital photography mostly gets edited, which takes a few hours extra to create. In the end it all comes down to personal choice. And what look and feel you want your photographer to create.

Make it personal

There are certain wedding traditions that most couples will include in their day, but make sure your wedding is an expression of who you are:


Macaroons are a great new 'somthing sweet' at weddings.

It has a slight crispy cake on the outside and inside is the most delectable flavored cream.

Celebrate your event with a real Bang! With matches and sparklers. This is also great to use as favour for your guests.

Great new item to compliment this years hottest "Love Bird" theme. Real Vine wrapped together to form the cutest nakpin rings.

Birds nest perfect for for place cards, egg-shaped chocolates, jordan almonds etc....

Petals in cones comes personalized with your choice of monogram and date or names, date and 2 line mini poem.

(Photo credit: Favours by Lisa)

Wedding Gown Tips

Here's a few pointers to keep in mind when choosing your wedding gown:

1. To veil ... or not to veil? Don't get caught up in a big veil. It should not over shadow your gown. It should rather compliment your style of dress.


2. Start shopping for your wedding dress well in advance. Browse through wedding magazines, on the Internet and go and fit some dresses to see which style compliments your figure


3. Buy / hire the best gown you can afford. It should not cost more the 10% of the total budget for your wedding


4. Go for a gown which is comfortable. You want to be able to move around at the reception, especially when the dancing starts.


5. When receiving the quote for your gown from the designer, make sure you understand what is all included. Your dress should be in your possession nothing less that one week before the wedding


6. Discuss your veil, shoes and accessories with your designer when planning your gown


7. Do keep in mind the season in which you are getting married - for winter something warmer around the shoulders can come in handy. When it's the raining season, a white 'bridal' umbrella can prolong your hair and make-up, funky gum boots will keep you from messing up beautiful bridal shoes. Both these items can be great props for your photographs
   

[Source: Wedding Moments]

Flowers ... Or No Flowers ???

As soon as you really start asking for quotes on flowers for your wedding day, you shall find that this can seriously get very expensive. Some might feel it is really not worth the money for only a few hours, and for some the flowers will make their wedding a dream come true. The decision in the end really depends on your budget. There is no set rule that you have to have flowers on your table or down the aisle. By using other centerpieces, the benefit you get, is that these centre pieces can be used again. You can also save money by not using flowers but rather use candles.

These first four ideas are great for a beach wedding:

Or for a 'green' wedding:

And candles as centrepiece, will never let you down.

(Photo credit: The Knot; Martha Steward Weddings)