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Party Ideas

Great Ideas for Wedding Gifts if You Did Not Attend the Wedding

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If you must decline a wedding invitation from someone who is dear to you, you’ll want to give an excellent gift that both underscores your feelings for the recipients and serves as something that will remind them of you for years to come. Here is a list of the best wedding gifts to give if you cannot attend the wedding:

  1. Money

Believe it or not, money is the best gift to give a new couple, whether or not you attend the ceremony. This is agreed upon by married couples, engaged couples, and those who write the rules of etiquette for things like weddings. People who are just starting out together need big things. Your wedding couple might need money to buy a new house or car. The thing they most need to start a new life together might be to pay down past debts or pay off school loans. Giving the gift of money is traditional for a reason. It gives the bridal couple the choice of how to spend it, and that ensures they will get exactly what they want most as a gift from you.

  1. An item from their registry

Many people bypass the wedding registry when trying to decide on a gift for the bridal couple. Maybe they want their gift to be seen as more creative and heartfelt than something that might be on a list. The problem with this is if you buy something that isn’t on the registry list, you run the risk of getting the couple something they do not want, have no use for, or already own. The wedding couple registered for things they needed. If you cannot be there to watch them walk down the aisle, you can at least give them something you know they will use.

  1. The gift of a memory

Buying picture frames and engraved wedding goblets is popular because there is a desire to give the couple a gift that will remind them of their wedding day. These ideas could use some creative twists. One way to do this is to buy the couple a bottle of fine wine or aged scotch engraved or labeled with their names and the wedding date, coupled with instructions to enjoy on their first, fifth, or tenth wedding anniversary. Another gift in this theme is to commission a portrait of the two of them. Select a portrait artist and send them photographs of the couple, both posed and candid. Your wedding couple will enjoy the resulting painting for years to come.

  1. The gift of an original

This is a category you don’t want to go crazy with, but which can produce really nice gifts if done right. The wedding couple probably doesn’t want a set of handmade macrame plant holders, but a carefully-selected handmade, antique, or heirloom can be an excellent wedding gift. These gifts will truly show that you have put thought into the gift and will remind the couple of you whenever they see it. Works of art, a wedding ring quilt, handmade wooden furniture, and antique silver all fall into this category.

  1. The gift of a honeymoon

Find out if the wedding couple has registered at a honeymoon registry. This is a service that allows guests to gift the couple with dollars toward a vacation or toward specific items they might enjoy on a honeymoon, such as dinner, massages, drinks, or adventures. These gifts are truly memorable because they allow the couple to make the kinds of memories together they may never have a chance at again.

Sometimes life prevents us from being present to witness the marriage of those we care about. Sending a gift from one of these categories, along with a personal message of care and well wishes, will show the wedding couple how much they mean to you and contribute to the gift of their togetherness for many years to come.

Party Ideas, Weddings

Tips to Find your Perfect Wedding Dress Style

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If you are still in the in search of the perfect gown, you are in the right place! This whole week, I will be featuring wedding dresses that will help you decide what to wear on the big day!

Halterneck
The halterneck features straps that join at the back of the neck. It usually has a very low-cut back. This style looks good on brides with great shoulders!

Scoop/Round
The scoop is a U-shaped neckline, often cut quite low and echoed on the back of the dress. This is a style that suits any bride.

Off-the-shoulders
The broad, sweeping off-the-shoulder neckline features small sleeves or straps that sit just below the shoulder on the upper arm, showing off the shoulders and collarbone. It is good for curves and for medium-to full-chested brides, but not ideal for those with wide shoulders.

Strapless
The strapless bodice is usually figure-hugging, often with a straight or subtly-shaped neckline. This style is good for those with broad shoulders.

V-neck
The V-neck dips down to a V-shape at the front, which draws attention away from the bust line. The back may be similar. This style suits brides with a medium bust.

Jewel/T-shirt
The jewel neckline is round and high cut, sitting near the base of the throat. This style is good for small-busted brides and those wishing to cover up their upper chest and collarbones.

Here are the final tips!
If you are tall and thin, you could choose a ball gown with a strapless, fitted bodice.

However, if you feel your shoulders are too bony or that your collarbones protrude too much, go for a fitted dress, perhaps with high neckline.

If you are short with a fuller, feminine figure, try an empire-line dress. The beauty of this style is that it has a seam under the bust line and then just flows down. Although a knee-length dress could work for you, this longer shape will give you a nice silhouette.

If you have full or wide hips, you can try the A-line style. It will disguise larger hips by creating a triangle on the lower half of your body.

Even the ball gown look, in quite a simple material, will draw attention away from the hips. The empire line will work, too, if your bust is a bit smaller, but could end up downplaying your waist and stomach area.

Party Ideas

5 ideas for your Wedding Guestbook

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Hey Brides! How’s your wedding planning? Still sane? I hope so! I almost lost my sanity on my own wedding journey thinking about so many things! And because there are too many things to think about, we often forget little things like… GUESTBOOKS. Now that I mentioned about it, do you plan to go traditional and just buy a White Guestbook with your guests’ names and addresses. Not that I want to give you more trouble but if you want to be more creative, here are some ideas you might want to consider. =) Enjoy!

wedding guestbook ideas

1.) Guestbook Tree. That’s my brother in red (left) and my dad in red too (right) and this is my very own Guestbook Tree! =) Got this idea from Glamour Weddings. Hubby had his friend draw that tree with our names below. Guests put their fingerprint and sign their names. =D

2.) Guestbook-Scrapbook. Just 2 weeks before my wedding, I attended another wedding and the DIY bride made a (20-page I think) Scrapbook highlighting their relationship. It was really gorgeous!

3.) Wedding Photobook. You can avail of this Photobook from your photographer. For some, it’s part of the package and for some, this might be an additional cost. I attended 3 weddings with Photobooks and they are nice =)

4.) Wedding Wishes in a Jar. You can get this jar at Kind Notes or (for DIY brides) simply buy a jar and decorate it. Get some nice papers and place them inside the jar after the guests have written their messages.

5.) Wedding Signature Frame. Ok.. If you want to go traditional because you don’t have time to get all these DIYs then you can find a perfect piece of your Engagement Photo and buy a Wedding Frame. (I had one on my 18th birthday and it still hangs on my wall!)

Are you adopting any of these? What do you like best? If you have other wedding guestbook ideas, feel free to share them to us!

Party Ideas

7 DONT’s in your Wedding Planning

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Most of the items you’ll see here were mistakes I have committed myself and some others were from the brides I know. Don’t be one of us! Read on.

1.)    Don’t throw away receipts.
Trust is a good thing, but receipts are important. A bride confided with me a couple of weeks ago about her sentiments with her caterer. She had paid a big amount already but still the manager keeps asking her for more. She has no way to prove that she had paid them already since she has no receipts to show.

2.)    Don’t pay without a receipt.
It doesn’t matter whether it’s just a piece of paper as long as the amount you paid, the date, your sign and the supplier’s sign are there. That’s still a proof that you paid.

3.)    Don’t decide without research.
The internet will give you tons and tons of ideas. Spend some time every day or every weekend for research. Believe me, it will save you from making mistakes.

4.)    Don’t decide on impulse esp in bazaars.
You will definitely get good deals at a bazaar but never go there unprepared. Like what I said, prepare yourself by researching first. When you get there, they will not give you time to think. It’s like now or never. And before you know it, you are already paying for something you actually don’t need or want.

5.)Don’t hire someone just because she is nice. Make sure she is able.
You don’t want a “nice” pilot. You want a “skilled” pilot. You get what I’m saying right?

6.)    Don’t get a supplier if you have not seen their previous work.
I made a mistake in hiring an amateur couturier. Well, she was “nice” but I wish I had trusted my impulse when I saw her previous gowns. They were mediocre. I just “trusted” that she can do better with mine. I was wrong. =( I had to hire another couturier to make another wedding gown for me.
(Try checking their Fanpage or website too.)

7.)Don’t get a supplier if you have not talked to any of their previous clients.
They could be skilled but they could be unprofessional too. Recommendations from your friends are always the best thing. They will tell you honestly if the supplier is worth hiring or not. Wedding planning is a journey. Maybe it’s too late and you have done some of the don’ts here already. Take heart and just enjoy your planning!

Party Ideas, Trendy Dresses

Do you need child bridesmaids at your wedding party?

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Children can be a LOT of fun at weddings (especially busting their cute little moves on the dance floor!)  Unless you already have children, of course – in which case I’m sure they’ll be a big, beautiful part of your day!

It’s your decision because it’s your wedding! Do what makes you happy! Pictures may be hard, but they also may go amazing. You won’t know that until the day of. Maybe do some way of practicing beforehand if possible?