Flameless LED Tealight Candles for Your Wedding or Special Event

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These tea lights normally sell for $25, so you are saving 20% off list price.

These battery-powered LED tealight candles provide a realistic amber flickering effect and will fit into most votive and tea light holders.

These energy-saving, smoke-free, flameless LED lights will provide the perfect finishing touch to all the tables at your wedding reception or event.

 

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Tipping Guidelines for Couples Planning a Wedding

When planning a wedding, a lot of couples are curious about how much to tip the vendors used in their wedding.

Are you one of them? If so, you'll find the following wedding planning article helpful in deciding how much to tip.

We hope you find these guidelines useful.

Personalized thank you cards are a great way to say "Thanks" to vendors. Don't forget to include them in your wedding planning along with the tip! 

3 Simple Steps to Planning an Outdoor Wedding

Are you considering an outdoor setting for your wedding or reception? If you are, there are three critical questions you need to answer, no matter if you're planning an intimate backyard gathering, or an outdoor event the size of Chelsea Clinton's wedding.

Now, without further ado, here's wedding planner Stephanie Lopez with the three questions you will need to answer. Take it away, SL...

To Have and to Hold an Outdoor Wedding
Copyright (c) 2010 Stephanie Lopez

Outdoors weddings are a thought that crosses almost everyone's mind as they plan a wedding. There is nothing more beautiful than a well-planned wedding outdoors; yet on the other hand there are so many things that could go wrong that it makes it a hard choice to choose. Fortunately there are 3 steps that can lead you to your own decision in whether you want an outdoor wedding or not. Can it really be this easy?

Step 1: Think About the Time of Year

What time of year is your wedding planned for? Are the chances of precipitation high? What is the normal temperature for that time of year? Weather and temperature are the two things that need to be thought out and considered the most. Decide whether or not you want to take the chance of changing your plans. Be prepared to be flexible and roll with the flow. Also consider if it is extremely hot or cold. Neither sweating nor shivering is an ideal environment for you or your guest. Try to have accommodations such as water and fans available. If it's a cooler time of year consider outdoor heaters to keep your guests comfortable. One way of picking the day with the best odds is to look at an almanac. Even with all the accommodations and pre-planning sometimes Mother Nature just has a mind of its own, but prudent planning really does go a long way.

Step 2: What is Your Décor?

Depending on the outdoor location, you may have to spend little or nothing at all on decorations for the ceremony site. Whether it's an outdoor garden, a beach or a grove of trees, it may just be the exact décor that you wanted in the first place. All that you may need are chairs, maybe some flowers, and sound equipment if it's a larger wedding. In many cases the risk of an outdoor wedding may give a beautiful ambiance as well as save a little cash. Consider the price as including as least some of what you would budget for decorations for an indoor venue.

Step 3: Do You Have a Back-up Plan?

Even if everything seems to be fitting right into place it's a good idea to have a plan "B"; whether it means moving the ceremony indoors or having a tent rental on hand. No matter what you decide for your back-up to be make it a priority to have one. Try to make it something that you would be just as happy with as the original plan (or at least close.) Unfortunately weather is not controllable and there is no need to have it ruin your wedding day, so plan for the unforeseen circumstances that may arise.

Yes it really is that easy! Depending on the personalities of you and your fiancé an outdoor wedding may just be a wonderful choice for you. Outdoor weddings can be full of surprises and risks, but with the proper planning you can have the magical day that you have always dreamt of.

Now that you know what questions you need to answer when planning an outdoor wedding, make sure to check out the related resources below to find the items you will need to put the finishing touches on your outdoor wedding.

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If you are located in the Kansas City Metro area and are looking for the perfect setting to have an intimate wedding or reception visit
http://www.weddingreceptionhallandgarden.com/ . Not only is the setting readily decorated, but the family-owned Cotillion Room and Garden can alleviate the stress to assist you in your planning needs.

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Fall Wedding Flower Trends

With the fall wedding season upon us, I though it might be a good time to review some of the top trends in fall wedding flowers this season. From white flowers to decorative accents, the folks at Get Married show you what's hot.

Fall Floral Trends Copyright (c) 2010 Get Married

Brides, if you are planning a fall wedding look no further for what's hot in fall floral trends!

Whites: The Little Black Dress of floral fashion, white flowers are a signature style for every season. Whether you choose to dip into winter whites or lightly accent your bouquet with the last of the summer brights, white arrangements are making a statement this fall for romantic, modern, classic and even sassy brides. Wrap your bouquet with jeweled toned purples and red fabrics to add rich fall flare. Don't be afraid to play around with your shades of white either. Creams, winter whites and even crisp whites can work together to pull off a stunning combination.

A Rustic Bunch: For an effortless and nature-chic floral combination, pull inspiration from the colors of the changing leaves. Canary yellows, burnt oranges and deep purples are a great color board for your fall wildflower bouquet. Use ethereal grey and silver ribbons to bundle your bouquet for that fresh from the earth look. This rustic style will compliment any shade of bridesmaid dress and look timeless in your wedding photos.

Varying Heights: Long stem orchids, calla lilies and roses have such a graceful look when carried on the arm of a bride. This fall, play into the look of varying lengths when crafting your bouquet. This cascading effect gives such personality and life to your arrangements, both in your bouquet and as centerpieces. If you are working on a budget, and who isn't these days, this may be the look for you as even the simplest coupling of long and short stem flowers turn heads.

Accessories: As with any great outfit, accessories add the final touch. Why should your bouquet be any different? No matter which color theme and floral combination you choose, you can find the perfect floral accessory to add character to your bouquet. The fall provides you with a plethora of different types of berries, grasses and leaves. These pieces add rich texture and vibrant color to your arrangement. Be daring and incorporate jewels into your fabrics when you wrap the stems or as accent pieces on your tabletops. Try using pearl pins to wrap your arrangements or decorate your centerpieces. You can't go wrong with this look.

Brides, no matter what your personal style may be you can incorporate these trends into your fall wedding. Take advantage of this beautiful time of year and flaunt these floral trends.

Now that you know what's hot this fall, make sure to check out the related resources below to find the fall wedding items you will need to create the perfect look for your wedding day.
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Get Married offers hundreds of wedding videos and articles on wedding planning, wedding food, wedding dresses, fashion, bridal trends and much more. Visit http://www.getmarried.com for more fantastic tips and advice.

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Eight Reasons to Hire a Wedding Planner

If you're still on the fence about whether or not your need to hire a wedding planner, this article I came across may help you decide. It explains the best reasons why hiring a wedding planner may be one of the decisions that you will make for you wedding day.

The article is from Elegala.com and contributed by Luxurious Wedding Etiquette & Protocol Expert, Claudia Lutman.

Eight Reasons to Hire a Wedding Planner

An etiquette and protocol expert explains why hiring a wedding planner will help you avoid some dreadful mishaps…

Congratulations! You are engaged and you are elated. Your wedding day is going to be the most important day of your life and you envision everything is going to be perfect.

You want to be involved. You have planned parties that have wowed your friends. You want to take a hands-on approach to the planning of your wedding and the prospect excites you.

Yes, the thought of planning a wedding is very exhilarating. But in reality, it is like solving a Rubik’s Cube. Getting all the pieces to work together and fit together precisely to complete the design is the objective.

It may look like a seamless process but it is not easy. A wedding requires Synergy – the interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects.

Much like a movie, a wedding has to be produced, scripted, edited, and directed. As a visual feast for the eyes, a wedding has to have a flow and a tempo. It needs to be as pleasing for your guests as it is for you.

As the star of your movie, can you envision yourself being the central character, producer, editor, director, and run interference for all minor details on your wedding day?

If you are having more than 25 guests, the idea of working with a wedding planner should appeal to you. As the creative director for the most important day of your life, your wedding planner will help you avoid some dreadful mishaps that could ruin your day.

Reason # 1: A Theme Is More Than A Hodgepodge of Great Ideas

Your ideas are fabulous. But they are only the foundation of your theme. Remember: They are only ideas and pictures ripped out of magazines. Brides have ended up blowing their budget on one item to the detriment of the whole wedding. This is where your wedding planner becomes your magician. Knowing all the tricks and resources, your wedding planner can create a theme that runs through the whole event. They see the whole picture. If budget is a constraint, they will advise you how to economize and still achieve a similar look.

Reason #2: Is Your Budget A Guideline Or A Blueprint For Bankruptcy?

A budget is an essential part of your wedding planning. Even a million-dollar wedding has a budget. A budget will give you perspective and it will center you. It will be a great comfort to you when you want to know where you stand financially. Expenses tend to mount up quickly, and your budget will always give your a realistic assessment. I have witnessed brides being so out of control that they end up randomly buying items that have no rhyme or reason. That money could have been spent elsewhere to make the wedding a better experience for the guests. Being realistic about your budget is essential. Don’t fool yourself with a figure knowing you can go over it. You will only be hurting your chances of selecting the best possible vendors. Your wedding planner is your accountant and will believe the budget you give them. They honestly try to work within your parameters. Therefore, decide on a realistic figure so your wedding planner can recommend the vendors who will deliver the best work within your budget.

Reason #3: The Venue Event Manager

When the event manager from your venue tells you they can do your wedding planning, they are not lying. They will do everything under the sun to oversee everything they are responsible for; however, they are not responsible for 90 percent of the details that go into your wedding. Some brides are shocked when things go wrong. They thought their venue person would be on top of things. Not necessarily. If they have several events that day, they can’t be held responsible for letting you know your flowers haven’t arrived or your best man is held up in traffic. Imagine walking into a bald room instead of the floral intensive ballroom you paid for. Your wedding planner is your overseer. Their job is to make sure everything arrives on time and complete. If you have 15 tables, 13 centerpieces just won’t do. They will get the florist to fix it. If the videographer does not show up, they should be able to find a replacement for you. Things happen, but it is your wedding planner’s job to see that things are fixed and end up perfect. Your wedding planner is your fairy godmother.

Reason #4: Timelines And Other Annoying Details

Checklists. Do we know anyone who likes them? And timelines. “Who has time to think of these boring things? I’m getting married!” I recall one bride saying. Actually, you might not be getting married after all if the minister does not show up. Timelines are critical. Timelines are necessary. And timelines keep your wedding planner sane. They thrive on them. You, however, should never be subjected to them. These are the things a bubbling bride should be kept far away from. They will certainly kill the excitement.

Reason #5: Synergy Applies To Vendors Too

There are vendors who work so well together you almost get double your monies worth. Having a vendor with an attitude can affect everyone. Your wedding planner knows these things and will steer you in the right direction. By involving your wedding planner in the selection of vendors from the invitations on, you will be guided down the path of success. After all, synergy is what we are striving for!

Reason #6: What Are The Rules?

Brides need a go-to person for etiquette, wedding-related questions, and to keep the planning timeline moving forward. All brides need a liaison to help keep emotions and relationships from straining during planning. Your wedding planner is a combination of Martha Stewart and Emily Post. Do you really have the time and inclination to research, answer, and solve the problem yourself?

Reason #7:Overtime Charges Accrue Faster Than Champagne Pours

One hour of overtime with a location site or photographer can cost you plenty! Everyone is on the clock and so is your wedding planner. The difference is your wedding planner is on your clock. They keep everything in motion so extra costs are avoided. In the end, your wedding planner is the most cost effective choice you can make.

Wedding planning and the events that lead up to your day will be stressful. You should have one job only. Keeping yourself relaxed and living in the moment. You need time to take in and enjoy this special day. Be with your loved ones. Be happy. Be kind. And mostly, be assured that your wedding is going to be the most fabulous day of your life.

Yes, all weddings have glitches. And yours will, too. But your wedding planner will make sure you never have to deal with or see them. You may never even know anything out of the ordinary happened. And that is the sign that you are a genius at wedding planning. You started out with great ideas, hired a wedding planner to bring them to life, and sat back like a pampered princess on your wedding day accepting all the accolades that you deserve.

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Serious about your wedding colors?

Today's bride wants the ability to customize, mix and match fun colors that reflect her unique taste and style.

With Pantone Wedding, the world's leading wedding color experts, you can choose from today's hottest wedding colors and have your wedding party strutting down the aisle in head-to-toe accessories that complement even the most complex wedding color schemes.

If you are serious about the colors in your wedding, forget hardware store paint chips, these are the essential wedding tools you need. The Pantone Wedding Color Fan pictured here, or the Pantone Color Chiplettes are chromatically arranged by color family, numerically referenced and named to assist quick color decisions.

Both are ideal for shopping for dresses and decorations, and coordinating colors with your wedding vendors, such as florists, caterers and stationers. They are available exclusively from Dessy Group.

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5 Tips on How to Deliver a Great Wedding Toast

Being asked to deliver a wedding toast is an opportunity that not everyone gets to do in their life. And it's not something that everyone is comfortable doing, especially if they don't feel that they have great speaking skills. If you are in the same situation, the advice in this article will help you overcome your fears and help you to deliver a memorable wedding toast.

After weeks, months and sometimes years of preparation, your friend or loved one's wedding day is here. And a wedding just wouldn't be a wedding without a toast! If you've been asked to give a toast it's quite an honor (not just anyone gets to hold that microphone), but it can be a little nerve-wracking too.

Whether you're the best man, maid of honor, father of the bride, or other honored wedding guest, here are a few tips on how to write and deliver the perfect wedding toast.

Procrastination is the First Step to Failure

The bride or groom holds you in high enough esteem to ask you to make a toast, and you need to approach this task with the same amount of seriousness. The last thing you want is to be writing your speech on a cocktail napkin five minutes before you're supposed to speak. Write your toast at least three weeks before the wedding to give yourself time to edit your work, have others give you their suggestions, and most importantly, memorize what you're going to say.

What Not to Say

First things first, what should you avoid saying in your toast? When writing your wedding toast it can be really tempting to bring up exes, embarrassing dating stories, or mention the fact that you never thought the bride or groom would settle down - but save that for the bachelor or bachelorette party. You may have been friends with the bride or groom since you were toddlers, but not everyone may appreciate the sense of humor the two of you share. Worse yet, the audience may laugh, but you could leave the happy couple feeling embarrassed, uncomfortable or even angry - big no-no!

Guests should never wonder if you are giving a toast or a roast. Don't tell inside jokes in order to make just a few wedding guests laugh, and don't say anything you wouldn't repeat to your mother-in-law or grandmother if she were the only one in the room. If you know something is a touchy subject between the bride or groom (or possibly the bride and groom's families) avoid these at all cost.

What to Say

Even if you think you've met every single person at the reception, start off by introducing yourself with a brief description of how long and in what capacity you've known the bride and groom. You want everyone to know why you were chosen for your role in the wedding and what gives you the authority to be toasting the couple. If you've been friends since grade school you might briefly explain how you met on monkey bars at the playground, but if you met in an unpleasant place or situation try to focus on your present friendship.

Next, you can share a funny story about the couple (remember to stick to humor that everyone will appreciate), what you thought when you found out they were engaged, or simply express how happy you are that they've tied the knot. Make sure you are toasting both the bride and groom. If you don't know one of them very well (which is often the case), mention how much you are looking forward to the second act of your friendship with the bride or groom, complete with their new spouse. If you know both of them well enough, throw in a few words about the perfect nature of their union. ("Their mutual love for Adam Sandler movies and Marcel Proust's late-19th century literature make them the perfect couple.")

Your speech doesn't need to be long or overly complicated (avoid using words you wouldn't use in your everyday life); whatever you say, say it simply and say it quickly. Two or three minutes are sufficient for a wedding toast, especially if a large number of people are planning to speak.

End on a High Note

Last but not least, use the authority that you established in the beginning of your speech to assure the new bride or groom that they have made the right choice in partnering with your friend, son or daughter. ("As Mike's mother I can say with certainty that Angela has chosen the handsomest, funniest, and kindest man to spend the rest of her life with.") You're basically giving their relationship two thumbs up.

Offer any advice you may have for a long, happy marriage and wish the couple a joyful future. Close your toast by thanking the couple for including you in one of the happiest days of their lives, congratulating them, and introducing the next person to speak (if you're the last person to give your wedding toast, hand off the microphone to the DJ).

What's My Line?

Practice, practice and more practice is the key to pulling off the perfect toast without sounding too rehearsed or letting your nerves get the best of you. Your wedding toast to the bride and groom should be sincere yet spontaneous at the same time, so leave the index cards at home. If you absolutely know you are going to forget your speech, write down the main points of your toast on a 3x5 card so you can look down every once in a while for a reminder. As long as you remember the gist of what you wanted to say, no one will know if you flub up a line or two.

Remember, your friend, family member or loved one picked you to speak at their wedding for a good reason - because they love and trust you! They don't expect your toast to be absolutely perfect. Just speak from your heart, and let the spirit of the occasion carry the rest of the wedding toast. Avoid drinking too much alcohol prior to speaking, follow these tips and be sincere, and you will be sure to deliver a fantastic wedding toast!

PerfectWeddingGuide.com helps Brides and Grooms through the sometimes challenging, but always exciting process of planning a wedding and honeymoon. Any wedding planner or bride can benefit from the unique wedding guide tips, trends, and helpful wedding planning tools at PerfectWeddingGuide.com.

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Wedding Invitations: A How-To Guide for Wedding Postage

Mailing your wedding invitations is the little details that very often can get overlooked. Since it's one of the first impressions that your family and friends will have about your wedding, it's important to get it right.

Whether you made them yourself or ordered them from a professional printer, you've most likely put a lot of time, effort and money into the design of your wedding invitations. It's time to mail them out, but do you know how? Mailing out your wedding invitations is a lot more than just slapping a stamp on them and dropping them in the closest mailbox. Read on for top tips and guidelines to ensure your wedding invitations get to their destination on time and in pristine condition.

Postage

First things first, when you receive your wedding invitations, put together one complete invitation (including all added inserts, tissue paper, invitation jackets, bows, etc.) and take it to your local post office. They will measure and weigh your invitation and let you know exactly how much your postage will be. Both size and weight can affect the amount of postage you need to pay, so if you are trying to save money on postage, consider the amount of embellishments you add to your wedding invitations.

Don't assume your invitation will be the same amount of postage as your gas and electric bill; going into the post office and having it weighed and measured by a postal worker will ensure your wedding invitations don't get returned to you for insufficient postage. If you have a uniquely sized RSVP card, you will want to have that looked at by the post office as well. Irregularly shaped envelopes generally require more postage too.

Wedding Stamps

The post office usually has a selection of wedding themed postage stamps that you can use on your wedding invitations, or you can customize your own. Personalized wedding stamps have become increasingly popular and can be designed and created at a large number of websites. You can personalize them with your wedding colors, your wedding theme, or you can even put a picture of the happy couple on the wedding stamp itself. A personally created wedding stamp is the ultimate final touch in accessorizing your wedding invitations.

Hand Canceling

When you mail a letter at the post office it is processed and filed through machines with all the other letters that get mailed on a daily basis. Most wedding invitations are thicker, larger or different shaped than regular mail however, and run a higher risk of getting stuck or damaged in these machines. You can avoid this risk by having your wedding invitations hand canceled, which means they will be processed by hand and not put through automated processing machines.

When you are set to mail your wedding invitations, hand deliver them to a postal worker at the post office and ask that they be hand cancelled with a rubber stamp. Not only will this ensure your beautiful invitations don't get caught in any machinery, it will minimize the amount of printing markings and bar codes that get put on the invitation.

Changes in Postage

From time to time the postal service raises the price of stamps. To avoid returned invitations or non-delivered RSVP cards, be sure to check for any changes in postage that will be occurring. You may even have to put a different amount of postage on the return envelope than on your wedding invitation.

If you are unsure of when your guests will be mailing back their RSVP cards, consider Forever stamps for the RSVP envelopes. Forever stamps were developed by the postal service to help consumers ease the transition during price changes. Forever stamps do not have a denomination and will be honored whenever they are used with no need for additional postage for a one-ounce letter mailing.

Follow these simple wedding postage tips, and you can make sure your save-the-date cards, wedding invitations, RSVP cards and thank you notes are all delivered on time and in the condition they were sent in.

About the Author:

PerfectWeddingGuide.com helps Brides and Grooms through the sometimes challenging, but always exciting process of planning a wedding and honeymoon. Any wedding planner or bride can benefit from the unique wedding guide tips, trends, and helpful wedding planning tools at PerfectWeddingGuide.com.

You can find more wedding postage samples here: Wedding Postage

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