What I learned in ACC 255 This Semester

1. I learned how to work a running blog.
2. I learned what a sneeze page was.
3. I learned how to start a web site.
4. I learned how to add ads to my web site and blog.
5. I learned what Cafe Press is, and how to make products on it.
6. I learned how to submit my web site and blog to search engines.
7. I learned what different TLD or top level domains mean such as .org is used by nonprofit organizations.
8. I learned that the ads that appear on web sites like Yahoo! where they run over the page are called floating advertisements.
9. I learned how to recommend amazon products by promoting them through my blog posts.
10. I learned what Google analytics is, a tracker for web sites, and how to use it.
11. I learned what click-through meant, and realized how often not only I do it but most likely everyone.
12. I learned that when you Google something you are brought to a SERP or search engine results page.
13. I learned how to add HTML text to my blog and web site successfully.
14. I learned that everything that can be seen on a computer screen without scrolling down is referred to as above the fold.
15. I learned what to look for when looking at other blogs that are related to mine, in turn learning how to analyze them.
16. I learned that if software is open source it means that other developers can look at it and add stuff or even work to improve it.
17. I learned what an e-book was and how to create one.

These are things I learned in ACC 255 this semester!

Engagement Party, Bridal Shower, and Bachelor(ette) Party Etiquette and Advice

I recently found an article on Brides.com titled "Engagement Party, Bridal Shower, and Bachelor(ette) Party Etiquette and Advice." I thought that I should defiantly take time to share this article with you guys because as a new bride-to-be there are so many questions that we don't know that we need help answering, especially when it comes to etiquette and what proper and not. Some people might not care about that, but if you are anything like me you don't want to offend anyone and you want as many things to go right as possible. That is why I think that it is really important for everyone to look over this article and look at all of the questions and take time to read the answers that the experts over at Brides.com have taken their time to give to each question. However not everyone has time to read really long articles or Q&A sessions so I have taken time to give you a sample of what the questions inform you of by picking out one of my favorites.  

Q: Do we have to have an engagement party?

A: You aren't required to have an engagement party, but it isn't a bad idea. Often it's the perfect opportunity to introduce parents and attendants to each other before the wedding. And don't think you're doomed to a stuffy cocktail party. Anything goes when it comes to engagement parties—from backyard barbecues to clam bakes, so make it as laid-back as you want.

I found this to be one of the better questions because a lot of people are unsure of the prewedding activities so this is very informative when it comes to whether or not you should throw yourselves an engagement party or not. But also be sure to check out the other great questions from the article because there are a whole slew of them!

Bridal Parties

Bridal parties are something that is talked about almost as soon as the engagement happens; at least they were with my circle of friends. It could have been because I was the first person to get married but I also think that my friends are genuinely excited for my wedding and want me to have as much fun as possible beforehand. That is when I was kindly informed of the 3 bridal showers that were going to be thrown. I am not sure if all brides have all of these or not or if they only have the traditional bridal shower but let me fill you in on all of the ones that my bridesmaids have told me that they are planning at some point.

First up is the lingerie party. With this party the guests will strictly bring presents that are lingerie. For me, I don’t like to be the center of attention so this could be a little awkward but if anyone knows how expensive lingerie can get; this might just be the perfect party to have to have an extra exciting honeymoon.

The second party is a sex toy party. Now I have never been to one of these and I am pretty sure that it would make me very uncomfortable but if my girls want to throw me one then I will defiantly be attending one. I can’t promise to buy anything but the memories of having it will be worth it!

Last but not least is the traditional bridal party that you invite family and friends and parent’s friends to. This one will be the only party where family and parent’s friends will be invited, as you can probably understand why.

What do you think of all of this? Too much or it’s my day so I should just embrace all of the love – sound off below!

Read This Now!

When I first became engaged I felt overwhelmed, sometimes I still do. It can become a very stressful time, especially when it seems like there are always so many other things going on in our lives and the lives of the people around us. Not only do we need to find time for our daily activities, jobs, & housework just to name a few things but now with the large amount of free time we had before we got engaged (the free time was sarcasm in case you didn’t pick up on it!) now we are engaged and must spend every free second planning the wedding it seems like. Being one of the first of my friends to get engaged and the first person to have a big wedding, or least a wedding that would not be at the courthouse, I had no idea where to begin. So I began searching on Amazon and Google for different things that I thought might be helpful when it came to planning. I have shared with you different products that I found that have come in handy but I would also like to share with you a book that I have come across that I couldn’t imagine going through this process without. I mean I guess I could imagine it, but who would want to?

The book that I found I came across it here on Amazon. It is called “The Wedding Book: The Big Book for Your Big Day.” Some of the brides may have heard of the author, her name is Mindy Weiss. Mindy Weiss is a famous wedding planner based out of Los Angeles and has planned weddings for a number of celebrities including one of my favorite female comedians Ellen DeGeneres. She also planned Jessica Simpson’s wedding, but since that one didn’t end to good we won’t focus on it. Instead let’s focus on Ellen’s and who if anyone can remember pictures of her wedding? It was absolutely breathtaking and beautiful, which who would expect anything less, I don’t think anyone would. But this book is beyond amazing because it is basically a step-by-step guide to help every couple have and plan their perfect wedding – no matter their budget, taste, or personalities. Mindy Weiss is very good at what she does, I have seen pictures on her blog and could only dream up some of the things that she plans for her clientele. With this book she is sharing her years of expertise and knowledge with anyone who is willing to buy it. The book covers everything from announcing the engagement, creating a budget, preparing the guest list; and the things you would never think of such as contracts and wedding insurance. Wedding insurance? I know I never would have thought of it either. She also throws traditional fun information into the book such as how to go about freezing the first layer of your wedding cake for your one year anniversary and how the preserve your wedding bouquet! If you find it on Amazon you can also see other reviews from other brides who have bought the book and call it “life-saving!”

I defiantly recommend at least checking out this book because as far as I can tell it is absolutely a must have and very helpful!

Another Great Blog

There are many great wedding blogs out there for everyone to look at and read, and I know guys not all of them can be as great as mine, although I have run across a few. One of my favorites that I have happen to come across is actually earthfriendlywedding.blogspot.com - I know what you may be thinking but trust me don't. This isn't just some "tree hugger" who wants everyone to appreciate the world we live in and to be as environmentally friendly and contentious as possible. Yes, most of her ideas are about nature and going green but they also just so happen to be pretty awesome and very DIY mostly, which fits perfectly with my budget and style. Some of the things that she posts she doesn't say "This would make an awesome wedding favor" or "you should wear these" but if you read between the lines you can find some pretty neat things for your wedding.

Like these starter pots that you can view here. How awesome of a wedding favor would this be, especially for someone getting married in the Springtime. You can make all of the pots yourself out of newspaper, all you would have to buy were some flower seeds and potting soil, which can usually be found at a discounted price the Fall before.

And things like the newspaper starter pots are just the beginning, she shows you earth friendly shoes for those of us brides who want to go green and be comfortable. Don't get me wrong though as great of a blog that this is it is also very narrow and doesn't reach out to a broad category of future brides. A lot of people probably wouldn't even look at this site as soon as they noticed it was "Earth Friendly" because some people think that it is too much of a hassle to go green and ends up costing more money as well. But even though this blog is narrow it is defiantly worth a look, so check it out!

Check Out My Products

So I am not sure if any of you have heard of a a website called Cafe Press but it is a web site where you can go in and create your own products to buy and sell. It is a great place to find gifts for anyone, especially when it comes to weddings. If you can't find a gift for someone you can always create your own store and personalize it anyway you want with any products you want. You also get a discount on your own products if you buy the ones you have created. I love this store because since I am getting married I have found great gifts on here for my parents, my bridesmaids, my futures in-laws, the groomsmen, as well as fun gifts for myself and my fiance. I also thought that it would be fun to create some products myself that I didn't find in other people's stores.

A lot of my friends are really into the green movement, you know reusable water bottles and all of that stuff. So the first thing I created was a reusable stainless steel water bottle that can be bought for $12.49 and is monogrammed with the word "Bride" on it. Check it out!

I also wanted to make something special for my future husband, and of course he has an iphone because it seems as though everyone does nowadays. So I created him a new cell phone cover for it that says "Groom" on the back! He thought it was adorable and put it on his phone right away. I am even going to make one for myself cause I like it so much. Check it out here!

I also wanted to make something special for my girls so I made each of them a truckers hat with "Bridesmaid" on the front of it with a cute pink and green flower. If you want to order one for your bridesmaids you can do that here!

Make sure you check out my store if nothing else. Also if there is something you like but you want a different word on it just let me know and I can defiantly make that happen! 

Engagement Ring Insurance 411

Paying for insurance is something you think about doing for your car and home, so why not the most important piece of jewelry you will ever own? Piece of mind is always a good thing and I am here to tell you everything (well almost everything) that you will need to know about acquiring insurance for your most precious piece of jewelry.

What Insurance Is for Rings:
There are a couple ways that you could have your ring insured. If you own your own home you can purchase ring insurance as an extension (or a "rider") on your home owner's insurance. The only down thing, in my opinion, about this is if something happens to it your insurance will most likely just write you a check for how much your ring is worth and be done with it. Another way to acquire insurance is through a company that specializes in jewelry insurance. The diamond store that you bought the ring from (assuming that's where you got it) should be able to recommend someone and walk you through the process of getting insurance through them. This company most likely will have a number of different policies that you can choose from including replacing your ring for you in the event that something should happen to it.

Who Should Get It:
Any couple with jewelry that has high material or sentimental value. An insurance policy is a way of honoring not just their financial value but what they represent. The sentiment behind your rings is priceless, but the rings themselves can be replaced -- if they're insured -- in the event that something happens to them

Questions To Ask Before You Choose a Policy:

• Is the ring covered if you lose it accidentally, or only if it's stolen?
• How will the company replace the ring -- with a check? Or will they require you to purchase a replacement through a specified jeweler?
• What if it's a vintage ring or other unique piece? How will the quality and size of your diamond -- and that of a replacement if needed -- be documented?
• Is the ring insured to full cost or a fraction of it?
• How will you need to prove the ring vanished if you make a claim?
• Are there any circumstances that aren't covered? (What if you go scuba diving and a fish swallows your ring?)

Average Cost:
The yearly cost to insure a ring is usually $1 to $2 for every $100 that the ring would cost to replace. So if your ring would cost $5,000 to replace then you should expect to pay $50 to $100 a year to insure it.

What to Remember if You Only Remember One Thing:
ALWAYS read the fine print when shopping for an insurance policy. A good policy will cover absolutely everything from theft to damage from accidentally flushing it down the toilet.

For any other information or questions you may have make sure to check out this awesome article on ring insurance! 

DIY Dessert Table

I know you have all been looking for ways to save money, that is why you are looking at my blog. Well I have thought of a fabulous way to do so! Well, okay I'll admit it I am not the person who came up with this idea, but I am not sure that anyone really knows who thought of it. But with no further wait the best DIY dessert table idea is a cupcake table! I bet we all wish that we would have thought of this a little bit sooner. Can you imagine how much fun it would be to buy as many different cake mixes as you wanted and make all of them? I know that if I was a guest at a wedding that had a ton of different cupcakes I would be in heaven, I don't think that I would know which one to choose, I might just have to taste one of each somehow!

Also think about the possibilities when it comes to decorating them. You can have it just be you and your groom; you and your bridesmaids; or you, your groom, and your whole wedding party can make a whole night out of it! I am sure your guests might prefer gourmet cupcakes with fancy icing and decorations but I am also sure that I think your guests would appreciate the fact that you took time out of your busy schedule to make the dessert that would be served at your wedding. I absolutely love this idea! What do you guys think?

DIY Wedding Day Hair

A new trend that I am seeing become even more increasing popular is a braid in the hair. There are different varieties and different styles or ways that the braid can be warn. Also depending on how you wear your braid it can set the mood for your theme or for your venue/destination. I recently looked on the Brides magazine web site for different types of braids and how they were worn and these two are my absolute favorites.

If you plan on having a destination wedding I think that a braid can add a nice touch and play on your theme. A braid gives you the beachy (yes I know it is not a word), surfer vibe that plays well with the sand and ocean in the background of your nuptials. Below is a picture of the kind of braided hairstyle I am referring to.

Don't you love it? To me it just screams beach or destination wedding! It is so whimsical and magical; it could also be a great hairstyle for someone who is getting married in a garden, very enchanted.

Another version of the braid that I love is the classic structured braid bun. You see the hairstyle and immediately know that the bride is going to look beautiful walking down the aisle of her parent's church into the arms of her soon to be husband. The braid I'm talking about is like the one pictured below.

You can even add a touch of flair to the braid by putting it to the side on the bottom on your head.

What do you think about the braid trend? I love it for a number of reasons and the main, most important one, is that you can do it yourself! It is something that a member of your family can do for you or you can do yourself and style it up however you would like to.

The Royal Wedding

I know that this is on the opposite spectrum of trying to keep your wedding on a budget however it is the entire buzz on the Internet, including the Bridal web sites. The Royals sure do know how to make an event last a whole day. Most of us believe that our weddings are an all day event, at least we spend all day getting ready for it that is. However, with the Royal wedding between Prince William & Catherine Middleton they put the icing on the cake for an all day event. Below is a time line that the Royal Family has released for the day of the event:

• On the morning of April 29 the day will start with an announcement from the Queen’s office stating the titles that Prince William and Catherine will take, or that they choose to not take.
• 8:30 a.m. – Guests will begin arriving at Westminster Abbey by foot and car.
• 10:40 a.m. – The royal family will begin to arrive, entering the front of the church through the west door. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip will be the last to arrive before the bride.
• 11:00 a.m. – Catherine Middleton will be accompanied by her father into Westminster Abbey, along with her five bridesmaids.              

The ceremony is expected to last approximately an hour. It will include the vows as well as a sermon delivered by the Bishop of London, private clergyman to the queen. The bells of Westminster Abbey will chime as the Prince and his new wife depart from the church.

Once the royal couple arrive at Buckingham Palace, wedding photographer Hugo Burnand will take the official photos. But those private moments between Will, Kate, their families and their bridal party will remain private. The palace says they "hope" to release some photographs the following morning.

•  1:25 p.m. -  The married couple will re-appear on the balcony at Buckingham Palace for 10 minutes

After that Prince William and Kate will head straight to the afternoon reception hosted by the Queen. But upon its end, husband and wife will drive to St. James Palace for some down time. Luckily, the 7 p.m. evening party is expected to be much more fun, relaxed, and most importantly, private. If you consider 100 people private that is. No pictures from the event are expected to be released. Speeches, including the one given by Best Man, Prince Harry, will be delivered at this reception. This is the one moment of Prince William and Kate's day that is not planned to the second. The palace says the party will "finish when it finishes." You can find more information about the royal wedding day here.

One thing that is different about this wedding is that the details about Catherine’s wedding dress will not be revealed to the public until as she is walking into Westminster Abbey. Many have speculated that the reason Catherine has been so determined to keep the designer and design a secret is because she would genuinely like to surprise Prince William, something I think all of us women can relate to.

As a bride or groom how would you feel about your wedding day being so structured and planned out? Would you like to have this much direction and structure, or would you rather just go with the flow?  Also the royal wedding is starting at 8:30 in the morning, think how early not only the bride will have to wake up but how early everyone will have to wake up in order to get everything accomplished that they would like to do in order to look their absolute best. Personally, I will need as much sleep as I can get the night before my wedding, what about you?

Sound off below on your own opinions!

New DIY Trend

There is a new trend that I have been seeing a lot of lately and have to admit I am very fond of. It is something that looks very easy; I have to admit I haven’t done it yet so there might be more to it than what I am seeing. But this is a great idea for an outdoor wedding, possibly even an indoor wedding if you know how to incorporate it into the right aspect. This idea makes me want to have an outdoor summer wedding! You probably are dying to know what I am talking about right? Well I am talking about decorative signs that can be placed throughout your wedding venue and reception. Look at the picture below that I got from Brides.com it illustrates the use of signs for guests that are walking down the aisle into the venue.

It truly sets the scene for the entire evening. Letting guests know what a magical experience they are about the share with the bride and groom and how much time and effort you have put into your big day. Another and completely different look that could be made with signs is like the one pictured below.

There are more signs in the picture above and it has a little more of a rustic outdoor setting as opposed to the more whimsical romantic setting as the first picture. The second picture is to let guests know where anything is that they might need. I love this new DIY idea though because you can have a sign for just about anything. There are so many things that could use a sign, reception cocktails, appetizers, and lounge area just to name a few.

Do you like this up and coming idea or do you have something you like more? Let us all know!

ROYGBIV minus the “I” plus some Favorites

For those of you just tuning in the last few blog posts we have been talking about the most popular, and of course my favorite, wedding color combination's! There are so many different ones to choose from but of course I had to narrow it down and create a list for you of my favorite ROYGBIV color combos from my previous blogs and some that I didn't mention in my first post!

From my Red blog post my favorite would have to be red, purple, and silver but also if it's a summer wedding red and yellow would be beautiful I think. Just think of sunflowers and tulips, how lovely!

For those of you who love orange don't forget about the fall favorites of orange and green. Just think pumpkins! But if your looking for ideas for an orange and gold color combination don't forget to check out my Orange blog.

If you're looking for something a little bright, like yellow, I love yellow and pink as a color combo. Maybe because lemonade is one of my favorite drinks and you can make yummy cocktails out of both to match your color combo? Possibly, but if something more diverse like yellow and blue is what you're going for don't forget about some great ideas for the reception on my Yellow blog post. 

Green is just a great color all year round but goes particularly well in the winter with red, think Christmas time. But if you're getting married in Spring don't forget about my Green blog and the unique ideas I had for using different pastel colors.

One color combination that for Blue that I didn't mention in my blog is a dark navy blue and silver, this would be great for a New Year's wedding perhaps. But don't forget in my Blue blog is where I talked about incorporating some of your favorite Sports teams if you wished to do so.

Purple, bring my favorite color, I wish I could tell you every single idea I have for this color but I want to save some for myself after all. However I do mention my favorites on my Purple blog, but for one more idea I once saw purple beta fish swimming under a floral bouquet of the accent colors used in the wedding. It was unique and kids loved it!

Pink is a color that can go with so many different things and can be elegant or fun and spicy just like the pictures on my Pink blog demonstrated. For one more idea though try a strawberry flavored cake, it will just be one more thing that is pink that coordinates with the wedding and it will taste delicious!

On a more elegant and classy note is the black and white wedding. It defiantly tells people that the occasion is meant to be taken seriously. However if you want to lighten things up a bit throw in some color, like I suggested in my Black blog post.

And for those of you wondering what other colors there possibly is, well there's still brown don't forget. In my Brown blog posts I mentioned ways to incorporate the color into your wedding but one other idea is brown and cream, or ivory. It will go wonderfully with the dress and like the first suggestion in my brown blog post, it would look beautiful on a beach somewhere!

And again if you have any more suggestions please feel free to share them with all of us because, like me, I am sure you will appreciate all the ideas and advice you can get!

Brown

Some of you may be wondering who would ever have a wedding where the main color is brown but you probably don’t know that it does tend to be a very popular color, especially for beach weddings. Beach weddings tend to popularize the colors of brown and light brown (or tan) because the colors look good next to the sandy backdrop. However when you have a beach weddings most of the men usually don’t wear tuxedos though, they usually lean more towards suits or casual dress pants with a dress shirt and tie. However beach weddings are not my favorite brown color combination, my favorite and one of the most popular is mocha with a light blush pink. I also really like mocha and teal. There is something about the two color combinations that you could do so many things with and they both seem to be becoming very popular in the last couple years. About an equal amount of each but I am have teal used maybe a couple more times but that might be more so at the groom’s request than the brides because he doesn’t want to wear pink, which not all men like to do. Who would have thought that right? However if you groom can pull off a chocolate brown tux or mocha than more power to him because it defiantly doesn’t look right on everybody. However let’s say the color combination is mocha and teal, I think it flatters the groomsmen even more when the bridesmaids dresses are teal with a mocha accent or sash and the groomsmen have a mocha tux with teal ties and vests. They accent each other in just the right way that makes your pictures look beautiful, of course not as beautiful as the bride!

Black

Black and white weddings, we have all been too at least one. This might be the most popular and classic color combination of them all. It can be done no matter what time of year, no matter what time of day, no matter what season it is or what the whether is like because it is that timeless. However not everyone likes it, I myself am not a fan. I love the pictures but when I think of my friends and my mother and my fiancé’s mother all wearing black to my wedding it feels morbid. I understand that the tuxedos are black and some may argue that it’s the same thing, however to me it’s what colors the vest, tie, and dress shirt are that really matters. Don’t get me wrong I have seen pictures of wedding parties that have done black and white and it looks nice, it certainly makes having black and white photography a little bit easier but it’s just not my thing. If you do go the black and white route though I do love when color is thrown in all over the place. Not just a little here and a little there but add some pizzazz make the bouquets an assortment of pinks, oranges, and yellows for summer or blues, greens, and purples if it’s a winter wedding. Adding color that way really livens things up and in my personal opinion I think it makes everyone relax a little bit too because it shows then that you’re ready to have a good time. Reds, oranges, and yellows for the summer and you’re having your wedding outdoors – make sure you serve your guests a Tequila Sunrise they will love it and it will accent your wedding colors fabulously!

Pink

When I think of pink I immediately think of hot pink. It is by far one of my favorite wedding colors for summer. It is bold and fun and goes great with orange (or some prefer tangerine) and green, a lime green that is! Of course the hot pink and tangerine is going to be fun with so many possibilities. When choosing your cocktail for the night you can pick something for everyone that has a slice of orange in it even to play up with them theme! Also try adding the a touch of lime green in with the orange and pink, it will open up even more possibilities such as maybe setting out fresh fruit (only if you’re reception is inside though you don’t want to have pesky gnats and such around the food!) you can do things like honeydew, strawberries, pineapple, and oranges! It makes my mouth water jus thinking about the deliciousness of summer. If you don’t think the color combos go good together just check out the beautiful picture below I found of a bouquet, just imagine it in front of a white dress or your maids hot pink ones!

However, if you’re looking for something a little more on the elegant side I still like the hot pink and lime combo but try adding some black to it. Black can make anything seem classier especially if you add some detail to your invites like in the picture below that I found at this website! 

Either way if you chose hot pink or a shade closer to blush you can never go wrong in my opinion – make sure you share your favorite pink combos with us below!

Purple

Purple, the color of royalty, it’s no wonder that so many people chose this as one of their colors for their wedding day because who doesn’t want to feel like a princess marrying her prince, or a price marrying his princess. There are many different color combinations that are very popular throughout the year at different times with the color purple so this time I am just going to tell you my favorites. I have many because purple is my favorite color and also the color that I am going to be using as the main color for my wedding. I haven’t figured out what other colors I want to use yet so I will just talk about my favorite combinations that I have come across so far. For spring weddings my favorite combination, and a popular one is lilac and sky blue with a bouquet filled with an assortment of pastel colors. There is something about this combination that is so whimsical and magical. Imagine walking into your reception venue with purple tablecloths, sky blue table runners, and an accent of different centerpieces and favors in a variety of pastel colors including lilac and sky blue. It’s as if you have the whole season of spring covering the venue.

My other favorite combination is plum with lilac and jade green accents. Another popular accent of plum is gold. I am not a big fan of gold but it does make for a wedding fit for a king and queen.

Please don’t forget to share with us your favorite purple color combinations!

Blue

Blue is a color that has many different shades to it, not that the other colors don’t but with blue there is robin’s egg blue, sky blue, royal blue, blue, navy blue, ocean blue, teal, and the list goes on. With all of those different shades of blue it is hard to decide where to focus and what the most popular color combination are. So I am going to focus in on sky blue and navy blue because with both of those colors the most popular combination to go with them is silver. Silver is a great accent to almost any color and can be added to almost any decoration or added as decoration to almost anything. Whether it’s spring or summer, my two favorite months for sky blue, you can do wonderful things with it. A day when the sun I shining think how beautiful your gorgeous white gown will be standing next to your girl in light blue dresses it will be as if they are the sky accenting a beautiful cloud that is gracefully floating by. Think of the photography opportunities outside with the gorgeous sky as the backdrop to your girls you and you’re soon to be husband with his buddies; or even just you and you’re soon to be husband because nothing is more romantic then that.

Now it is my duty to my husband to be to throw this out there but in our house we are avid University of Kentucky fans and Yankee fans so IF we were to have a theme wedding, which we’re not, having blue as our color of choice would be a great way to make our tribute to our favorite teams and if could tie right in to possible wedding favors and his groom’s cake. So my favorite color combinations are Kentucky blue and white and Yankee blue and white.

Sound off below on your favorite blue color combinations!

Green

Green is a color that when I see many things come to mind. One of the only colors that I can see being used all year long in a variety of different ways is green. In the winter the most popular green color combination is evidently green and red. The epitome of Christmas colors and so many things can accent your winter wedding with these colors. Poinsettias can be laid around as decorations for flowers at any venue; you can set out red and green peppermints as some sort as favor at the reception. For a spring wedding there are many popular color combinations that go with green, however the favorites are any pastel color such as light pink, light yellow, sky blue, and periwinkle. With these and spring there are so many possibilities. If you plan on inviting children to the wedding to keep them busy you could set up an Easter egg dying station while the parents have fun on the dance floor.

Winter and spring are not the only times that green works, it is also a beautiful color in summer and hot pink is my favorite color combination for summer. Imagine each attendant in a tee-length bridesmaid dress with each one holding a bouquet of hot pink flowers. How fun would pictures be? However as much as I love that color combination fall is a time for one of my all time favorites. Fall is by far my favorite season so my favorite color combination for green is a jade green with a dark purple. You can do so many different things with this. Adding a bit of orange for decoration can spice things up a bit as well.

Please share your favorite green color combination below!

Yellow

Yellow is a color that can be used all year long, in shades at least. By shades I mean that fall and winter are perfect occasions for using gold, which I consider a shade of yellow. However, my favorite time to use yellow is in the spring and the summer. The most popular yellow color combination right now is light yellow and a light blue. To me this sounds like the perfect spring color combination. Imagine light yellow dresses outside with all of the freshly blooming flowers and bright green grass, along side the bride in an ivory dress. This would make for fantastic photographs! You could add the blue accent in almost anywhere. A light blue sash on the girls dresses, a signature blue cocktail and the reception, blue hydrangeas as centerpieces with maybe some yellow accent in with them. That would offset the girls yellow dresses with blue sashes nicely.

But personally my favorite color combination for yellow is a light yellow and light green with an accent of red. I have seen photographs of the most beautiful wedding with these colors and I have loved this yellow color combination ever since. I believe these would be wonderful colors for a summer wedding, especially an outdoor wedding. The yellow sun, beautiful green grass, and an assortment of beautiful red, green, and yellow flowers, imagine the possibilities especially of everything that you could do yourself. If you were doing an outdoor wedding at a garden or in a field there would be no need to decorate the venue because its natural beauty would be enough. However you could put out decorative signs for guests to be directed towards different places such as the dance floor and the venue. You could also use these colors for an assortment of signature cocktails such as a mojito.

Make sure you share with everyone your favorite yellow color combinations!

Orange

Orange is one of those colors that I feel you have to have loved your whole life. I am not a fan of orange. I don’t know why I just have never really liked the color. However, there are some beautiful color combinations you can use it with and it can be a very flattering color on some people. When I think of orange I immediately think of summer and fall. Summer because of the bright flowers and the sun, many people may think of yellow when they think of the sun but I think of yellow and orange because when I was little and would color the sun I would always add some orange to it. I think of fall because of Halloween, pumpkins, autumn leaves, and many more of my favorite fall things.

One of the most popular color combinations that brides have been choosing is orange and teal. I think of this more to be summer colors than fall but they would look gorgeous in summer. You could also do a lot of things yourself with the color orange. You could buy flowers from your local hobby store and make beautiful centerpieces, even maybe your bouquets for the wedding. Tie some teal ribbon around the bottom and you have found a way to incorporate both colors.

My favorite color combination with orange though would have to be orange and gold. Maybe because I love fall but there are so many different things you could use with orange and gold in the fall. If you are getting married on a farm you could use hay barrels and some outdoor seating. You could also serve lemonade with orange umbrellas in the drink. I love fall and orange and gold are defiantly one of my favorite fall wedding color combinations!

Don’t forget to share your favorite orange color combinations with us below!

Red

Over the next few blog posts I am going to be telling you my favorite(s) and the most popular wedding color combinations for every color of the rainbow plus couple colors that weren’t so lucky as to make it into the rainbow family. What ever color my blog post is titled for the day is going to be the dominant color. Bt dominant color I mean that this is the color your are going to focus your wedding around, and it most likely will be the color of your bridesmaid dresses.

We’re going to start off with Red. Red is a color that can be used almost throughout the whole year. The season that it looks the best in though, in my opinion are winter, spring, and summer. Don’t get me wrong red could defiantly be used in a fall wedding; I just prefer these seasons better. 

For instance, in winter red can be used in a number of ways. One way it can be used is red is the color of the poinsettias that the church puts out, which most churches do this around the Christmas season. So if you are looking to save some money you could use the poinsettias that the church has out as your flowers you will use to decorate the church.

Back to the color combinations though; the most popular colors that people use to accent red with are color combinations of red, silver, and black. My favorite color combination of red is red, purple, and silver. I don’t mean a light periwinkle purple either I mean like the color of a purple crayon, it’s not dark and it’s not a light, it is the perfect shade of purple. Some of you may think that I am crazy for this but I assure you I am not. Purple is a shade of royalty so what better day then on your wedding to feel like a princess?

Make sure you share your favorite red color combinations with us below!

My Website

As you know my blog is all about wedding planning. However if you just started reading my blog you might not know that I am actually planning my own wedding and as I find information for it and come across things that I like and find interesting I am sharing them here with you. Nevertheless many of you might not know that I also have a web site. My web site goes by the same name as my blog - “I’m going to the chapel .. and I’m on a budget.” My website is a little bit different from my blog though. On my  web site I write more in depth articles about wedding planning with a lot of detail, but I don’t post them as often as I post things on here. Some of the articles I have on my web site include “Dream Wedding on a Budget,” “Wedding Checklist,” “Just Engaged – Check Out These Helpful Items,” and “Reception Music.” Each article gives and in depth overview over something different. The wedding checklist provides you with not only a checklist but an in depth description of each item on the checklist and different ideas about some things. The article about just getting engaged recommends some pretty amazing items that I have come across since being engaged that I have found very helpful when planning my wedding. I’m sure you could have guessed this one but the reception music article gives you times throughout your reception that couples enjoy playing certain music and some ideas of songs to play for each occasion throughout the night. But I’m not done with my web site because just like my blogs I continue to update my website. So when you check out my blog make sure to check out my web site as well and look for new content and articles that you might find just as helpful as my blog posts!

Great Wedding Songs

If you are anything like me you could always use ideas for songs to play at your wedding. Since I haven’t been to too many weddings I don’t really know how the whole reception order goes and when you play certain songs that you pick ahead of time. So I have gathered a few songs from my collection and different web sites and certain times that you could play them throughout your big night! A few key moments that a lot of people like to pick which songs are played are the first dance, father/daughter dance, and mother/son dance. These are just a few of the key moments when couples like to give their DJ or band a list of songs to play during those particular times. For more songs and more key moments check out my website! So here are a few suggestions for each of the key moments I listed above:

The first dance (between the couple):

“You & Me” by Dave Matthews Band

“Only You Can Love Me This Way” by Keith Urban

“At Last” by Etta James

Father/daughter dance:

“The Way You Look Tonight” by Frank Sinatra

“My Little Girl” by Tim McGraw

“Daddy’s Hands” by Holly Dunn

Mother/son dance:

“What A Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong

“My Wish” by Rascal Flatts

“A Mother’s Song” by T Carter Music

I know this doesn’t seem like very many songs to choose from or very many moments but that is why you should check out my web site. I have many more key moments and wonderful songs suggestions for each moment throughout the night! Just go to my website and check out my articles, while you’re there feel free to look around I have tons of wonderful information on there as well!

Fairytale Wedding Dress

The wedding dress is one of the biggest pre-wedding items that the bride looks forward to the most. When wedding dress shopping there is laughing, sighing, stress, and usually tears. However when there are tears it is usually because you know that you have found your dress, or because your mom is seeing you in a wedding dress for the first time and it is finally sinking in that her little girl is getting married. However I chose to write this particular blog not to tell you about wedding dress shopping but to tell you about some magical wedding dresses that I found. Growing up I loved to play house. I would get all dressed up and pretend like I was one of the princesses in a Disney movie getting ready to marry my prince. Now every little girls dream has come true and she can finally wear the Disney princess wedding dress she dreamed of wearing as a child. A famous, top of the line wedding dress designer, Alfred Angelo, has come out with a line titled “Fairy Tale Weddings by Alfred Angelo.”  Ariel’s dress is a mermaid style with sea-inspired details such as pearl and crystal beading. Princess Jasmine’s dress is a flowing gown with a jeweled halter neckline. Sleeping Beauty’s dress is a romantic single shoulder strap dress with layers of tulle for the bottom that are meant to resemble cascading briar rose petals. Princess Tiana’s dress is a one should taffeta ball gown that has ruched pick-ups that are meant to resemble a water lily. Cinderella’s dress, which is one of my favorites, is exactly how you would imagine it; it is a classic ball gown with glitter all over the tulle and a criss-cross bodice with a sweetheart neckline. Belle’s dress is just like the yellow one she wore in the end of the movie, only in white. It is a beautiful gown that has a detachable shrug, a draped net pick-up skirt and subtle hunts of gold metallic embroidery on the corset. Last but not least Snow White’s dress is my absolute favorite. It is a beautiful dress that was inspired by nature with apple blossoms all over the sweetheart neckline top and cascading over the bottom of the dress. Every girl should at least look at these dresses because even if they aren’t for you they might do for you what they did for me which if remind me of my childhood and how I imagined my wedding when I was younger.

Wedding Planner in a Box

I recently purchased something from one of my favorite wedding Web sites, The Knot, called Wedding Planner in a Box. I don’t plan on hiring a wedding planner because I am on a budget and want to save as much money as possible. In contrast to hiring a wedding planner, this wedding planner in a box was only $14.99 + tax & shipping and handling of course. Even after all of that though I still only paid $26.31, which I’m sure beats the price of a wedding planner anywhere! This is something that I would recommend any bride to buy that is planning her own wedding. It is so helpful and has so many different things in it that I’m sure you would never think about on your own. Here are just some of the things that come inside the wedding planner in a box:

- A wedding checklist for the months leading up the wedding as well as the day before and day of.

- Tips for how to get started planning the big day

- Questions for each vendor that you should ask them

- Make-up tips, as well as tips for your accessories and gown

And a ton of helpful suggestions regarding bridesmaid dresses, tuxedoes, photography, flowers, the menu, the reception site, and so much more! This might the best thing I have bought so far to help my with my wedding. Since I am the first person in my family to get married my mom and I have no idea where to start or what questions to ask vendors. With my planner in a box I can just take out the card that is labeled “photography” when I go to meet with the photographer and I at least won’t forget to ask the important questions! To check it out and buy one just click here!

How Do I Respond?

As every bride, and groom, will find out sooner or later is that as soon as you get engaged people you haven’t talked to in years will start congratulating you. That’s not a bad thing, until you start getting the uncomfortable questions and comments. You all know what I’m talking about, the questions that go a little something like this, “I’m invited right?” or “Am I invited?” Or you get the awkward comments such as “I’ll be looking for my invitation!” or “I can’t wait to see how beautiful your wedding is going to be.” The comments are the worst because you can’t tell if they are being nice or just trying to get an invite! Most brides never know what to say in response, I know personally I hate letting people down, it always makes me feel guilty even though I know I shouldn’t because it’s my day and I should be able to have the people there that I want and not have the people there that I don’t want. So I have come up with a few polite responses that I have been working on and actually using!

“We’re so excited about being engaged we haven’t even started thinking about all of the details yet!”

“We’re probably going to be footing the bill ourselves, so we’re focusing on having a really small and intimate wedding.”

“It’s so awesome you’re interested in our wedding! We haven’t even set a date yet though so we have to get all the details first!”

It’s always easy to put the blame on someone else so this excuse always works best with friends – “Sorry, it’s out of my hands. My parents are footing the bill, so Mom and Dad are in charge of the guest list.”

If you have any excises you have used please share below, it would help to have multiple ones I could use, as I’m sure all of you know!

Also check out this etiquette book that I found, it seems to have a lot of really helpful information in it!

Don't Wait Too Long!

Every bride as soon as she gets the ring on her finger has a million things running through her head. But there is always that one thing that the bride has dreamed about, no not the actual wedding but what she will wear on her big wedding day! Trying on different dresses can be the most fun, stressful, crazy, enjoyable times before the actual day of the wedding. It is also the one thing that you get to do all by yourself, without the groom that is. Trying on wedding dresses is a day to spend with you mom, sister, grandmother, aunt, or whomever you chose to go with you. There will most likely be tears shed and you might want to pull your hair out after the first 15 dresses or so. However once you find that one, the one that as soon as you put it on you just know it is the one, it will all be worth it and it will make you want your wedding day to be here that much sooner. Nevertheless this is something that you should not wait too long to start doing! Unless you plan on buying off the rack, which there is nothing wrong with especially since you can usually get a discount when you buy off the rack, you need to start shopping early! By early I mean at least 10 months in advance. You might think that this sounds a bit ridiculous and way to early but if you order your dress most people don’t know that it can take anywhere from 2-6 months for a wedding dress to come into a store. It all depends on if the maker has your size in one of their stores or has to have one made and shipped. So just remember that you'll want to leave plenty of time for shipping and for your fittings. The same goes for the bridesmaid dresses too!

DIY Guestbook

When looking for ideas for my wedding I really like interesting and unique things that you wouldn't see everyday or at the usual wedding you would attend. A couple years ago I was looking at the website that I stumbled upon that I really love and has a lot of uncommon things on it. It had what almost looked like a mailbox and it came with a box with 200 tiny sheets of paper. It was called something along the lines of “A Special Occasion Box.” Instead of the traditional guest book where guests just sign their names and where they are from the guests write little notes on these tiny pieces of paper and shove them in an empty hole. The happy couple could then display the “mailbox” in their home and look at the little tiny slips of paper of well wishes from their friends and family whenever they wanted. Of course when I went back to look for the item it had been discontinued. So I have been trying to think of other unique options that could substitute for this item that I fell in love with. The closest thing that I have come up with is I could possibly try to recreate this item. Cutting out the tiny pieces of paper would be no problem; it would just be trying to recreate the mailbox that would be the difficult thing since it was made out of cardboard. So since I love the scrapbook I thought that I could possibly incorporate a traditional guestbook with the one I fell in love with through a scrapbook. I could design it and fill it with pictures of my fiancé and I, and leave room from pictures from our wedding and the reception with cutouts of blank pictures with quotes like “The Guest With the Best Dance Move Will Go Here.” Then along with the pictures I will leave places on each page for guests to tuck the tiny pieces of paper with their well wishes. It is a great way to incorporate both ideas and still kind of get the unique “mailbox” feeling I was going for. It is a great DIY idea that I really look forward to doing myself with my fiancé’s help! The only problem is scrap booking can be a little costly but with sales and cutting coupons I am hoping to not run up to big of a tab, the only problem is scrap booking is one of my weaknesses. If you have any unique guestbook ideas please share them below!

Emergency Kit

Something that every bride needs to have on her big day is an emergency kit. For me the day is just too perfect, I am getting ready to marry the love of my life, something I have been waiting to do for eight years. Which means something is bound to go wrong, the day can't be this perfect. I mean it could but just in case something does happen it is always best to have an emergency kit! Many things can go in this and it’s always best to let someone else carry it because your probably going to be too excited and end up forgetting it all together or missing something important. This might be something that your mom can take to the church or venue for your wedding ahead of time just to be prepared. Some things you’re not going to want to forget to put in your emergency kit include:

- A hairbrush or comb

- Small bottle of hairspray

- Emory board

- Extra Panty Hose (if you’re going to be wearing some)

- All of your makeup (just in case)

- Mints

- Deodorant/perfume

- Tide to go pen/White Chalk (or something in case someone spills)

- Bobby Pins and Hair Ties

- Clear Nail Polish / Nail Polish you and your Bridesmaids are wearing as well

- Extra Earring Backs

- Iron

- Lint Brush

- Sewing Kit

- Tylenol/Ibuprofen

- Band-Aids

- Lotion

- Mouthwash/Toothbrush

- Tissues

- Tampons or Pads

- $20 Cash (you never knew when you might need it)

- Driver’s License

- Phone with Important Phone Numbers (Caterer, Wedding Party, etc.)

- Snacks (need to keep refreshed and hydrated)

- And most importantly all Important Documents (Marriage License)

These are just a few items that I have been told I can’t forget because you would always rather be safe then sorry!! If you have any more ideas please share them with us!

Also if you don't have time to make one yourself there are a ton on sites such as Amazon that range from pretty cheap to rather expensive depending on what all you want it to include. This is the most reasonably priced one that I have found that includes a lot of the things every bride needs!

DIY Theme Wedding

When you think of a theme wedding most girls thing of centering their wedding around things such as the couple’s favorite musical groups, a movie the couple loves to watch, or creating a wedding that was like the couple’s first date or where the groom proposed. However the type of theme wedding that I am talking about it probably more so what the groom would think of. I am talking about a sports themed wedding. It is something that I have been seeing more often, maybe because since I got engaged I look for these things now, but regardless it’s happening all around us. The couple usually has a favorite team or it is even the place where the groom proposed at, maybe on the jumbotron in front of everybody. And it is something that is easy to do and maybe might even save you some money. There are tons of things you can do to incorporate your favorite team into your wedding, aside from the obvious. Obvious things being that you can coordinate your wedding colors to match those of your favorite team or your groom’s cake can be decorated or shaped to match those of your favorite team and the sport that they play in. Other ideas that you can incorporate your favorite team in is that you can make your save the date or wedding invitations in the shape of a game day ticket and put all your information on there like a game would have, with your picture at the top where that of a player or the stadium would normally be. Also after you have gotten married and are walking down the aisle for the first time as husband and wife you can play your team’s fight song or whatever song that the team may have (or you can play it at another time that you might prefer better). At the reception your table numbers could be sections like in a stadium or something else like player’s names. Your wedding favors can become almost anything you want, be creative as possible it will make your wedding very memorable. You can have set around that you got from the stadium. My fiancé’s favorite team is the New York Yankees, when you go to a baseball fields some fields have fan photo takers that walk around, you can have the same thing at your wedding as a favor. You could have your photographer take the pictures and put a border around each photo about being a big fan of the New York Yankees and being a part of your wedding. Or you can have a photo booth and have borders put around photos when they print out. Theme weddings can be as fun, creative, and as memorable as you want them to be you just have to be creative and go all out!

DIY Dessert Table

Some people have a far less dressed up wedding receptions. Which is perfectly fine because this idea is something that I am considering for my wedding. It’s an idea that can be dressed up or dressed down depending on your particular wedding style. My idea is to have a candy dessert table at my wedding. It’s something that guests can enjoy all throughout the night, especially long after the dinner food has been served and taken away. Since I plan on getting married in January I thought that I could get some really great Christmas candy for a discounted price since it will be after the holidays. I can place out different flavored candy canes (I actually saw Jolly Rancher candy canes this year, I had never seen those before!), peppermints, Christmas kisses, and tons of other great holiday candies that would match my colors of purple with red and silver accents. This isn’t just a great idea for January though it would be a great accent for any month! If you were getting married in February great candy hearts and homemade valentines would be a great accent. In April a great accent would be the candy eggs and chocolate Easter bunnies, and let’s face it if you’re getting married in October everyone loves Candy Corn and fun size Halloween candy bars. If you want to have a little bit more of a fancy wedding your cake can sit as the centerpiece of the candy table or you can even have a separate table for both! If you are going to opt for no cake though and just a candy table a nice accent might be to have a couple cupcake towers decorated to match your candy table for those guests who have an extra sweet tooth. The cupcakes don't need to be anything fancy though, buy your favorite box cake mix from the store and round up your groom, or your bridesmaids, and have fun decorating them yourselves!

Make Sure You Think About

There are many things that can go forgotten when planning a wedding. Whenever I know I have something important to do I always make a checklist. I know in a previous post I gave you guys a link to a bunch of helpful wedding checklists. But the list I am going to give you today is a little bit different. The wedding checklist on the site that I gave you was more detailed and instructional about things you should do in certain time frames before you wedding. This list is just something that I have compiled to help me remember little things that I don’t want to forget. Here’s what I have so far:

The Beginning Stages

Wedding Date and Time

Budget (Money)

Type of Ceremony (Indoor, Outdoor, Religious)

Printed Items

Save the Dates

Invitations

Guest Book

Marriage License

At the Wedding

Rings

Flower Girl Basket

Unity Candle

Emergency Kit

The Reception

Venue (Ceremony & Reception)

Guest List

Seating

Place Cards

Alcohol & Bar

Table Decorations

Present Table

Food

Wedding Cake (how to cut it)

Groom’s Cake

Wedding Favors for Guests

Music 

Vendors

Rings

Photography

Flowers

Musician/DJ

Transportation

Wedding Officiant

Bride

Wedding Dress

Wedding Accessories (Shoes, Jewelry, etc.)

Hair

Make-Up

People In the Wedding

The Wedding Party

Bridesmaid Dresses and Accessories

Flower Girl Dress

Tuxedos

Mother of the Bride/Groom Dress

Rehearsal Dinner

Gifts for the wedding party

After the Wedding

Honeymoon

Thank you cards

I am sure that I will come up with things to add to this list since I am still in my planning process. But this has helped me to think about the things that I need to start planning for. If you have any suggestions of things that I left off please let us all know that way we don’t forget them either!

Save the Date - Theme Wedding

In my past blog post, which you can read here, I gave you some ideas for Save the Dates if you are going to be having a destination wedding. Now I am going to give you more ideas only for theme weddings! Whether you’re a music lover, you want a modern wedding, a traditional wedding or you love unique ideas there is always a DIY idea that you can use for your save the dates. Save the Date magnets are very popular right now, I have been seeing them a lot. They are convenient and a great way to remind your guests every single day of when your wedding is. It’s something that they will see every time they open their refrigerator. Another idea is to send out a postcard to all of your future guests. It’s something that is very DIY and very affordable. You can buy blank postcards in almost any store that has a craft section. After that you just put them right in your printer, design them, and print them out just as you would anything else. You can put an engagement picture on one side of you and your fiancé along with all of the information and add a personal note on the back with the address of whom it is going to. Or for only the cost of blank CDs and supplies you want to use (or only for the supplies you want to use) for the very tech savvy you can make a save the date video. If you search for one on YouTube you can find some very interesting and unique ones. These are some of my favorites and in no particular order. This one! 

As well as this one and  this one too! They are all really great, unique, and different. It’s something that is becoming very popular with the common use of the Internet and computer nowadays and you are guaranteed to have a unique one because no two people think a like and its guaranteed to reflect you and your fiancé’s unique personalities. It’s also has the potential to be completely free as long as you send the video over the Internet. The only thing that it will cost you is a lot of time and patience!

Save the Date - Destination Wedding

Sending out your save-the-dates is almost as exciting as preparing them and it’s the first time your potential future guests get a little insight into your big day! You can show them anything you want on your save the dates that’s the fun part about doing them yourself. A few things that you might want to show are a new engagement picture of you and your fiancé, possible wedding colors, or even possible wedding themes. Some possible ideas are if you’re going to have a destination wedding you could send out a save the date that resembles a boarding pass, like the one seen here below:

If you Google “boarding pass save the dates” you can get a lot more ideas and they are great because you can buy card-stock paper in bulk online or at your local hobby store. Where I’m from we have two hobby stores that sell it, one is Michael’s and the other is Hobby Lobby, although I am sure that you could buy it at places like Wal-Mart or Target as well. Once you buy the card-stock thought you can design this in a design program if you have one, something like Adobe. Or I am sure that you could even make one as simple as the one below in Microsoft Word.  

Another cute idea for a destination wedding is a little bit simpler but it might cost you a little bit more. Instead of a boarding pass you could send out a luggage tag. It’s something that everyone who gets one could use again and again as long as they travel! All you would have to buy would be a clear luggage tag, or a colored one if it fits into your wedding theme or if you like it, as well as some card-stock. I found one below on Google.

 As long as you have a printer and ink either one of these ideas would be a great DIY that would save some cash and be super cute! 

Must Do!

Even before I got engaged one of the first place I heard about was The Knot. It's an amazing wedding Web site that you can sign up for at anytime and in my opinion every bride should do it! It has awesome ways for them to be able to help you find what you're looking for. Some things like entering where your wedding will be held at (location wise) to help you find vendors and venues around your area. Another cool thing you can do is you can label yourself. I know that sounds really odd but by label yourself some examples of that could be as "almost engaged," "engaged," or "after the wedding." By putting these labels on your account the site helps you find things that might help you with your planning or you might even find a great wedding dress that you fall in love with! Or if you're not yet engaged it might help you find the perfect ring that you have dreamed about your whole life. Then you can slyly put the picture somewhere your boyfriend will just happen to see it (only do this though if you have talked about marriage, if you haven't it might freak him out a little bit!). I signed up for the Web site before I officially got engaged because I knew I was going to marry my fiancé. When I first signed up I got a lot of e-mails about weddings rings and the types of designs that are popular right now. Now that I have changed my status to engaged I now get the fun e-mails! And by fun e-mails I mean e-mails that suggest honeymoon locations or even some e-mails with deals on honeymoons if we book now, which we're not interested in doing this early of course. But it still is nice to get ideas on all sorts of fun things early because it gives me a chance to see things I really like and want. 

What to Put on Her (Your) Finger

When you’re getting an engagement ring there are many different types of precious metals to choose from for this wonderful occasion. Most engagement rings are offered in platinum, yellow gold or white gold, rose gold, palladium, titanium, and silver. When my fiancé and I were picking out my engagement ring we had to think about a lot of things. Most girls already have some idea of what they want, and if they tell you they don’t then I would suspect them a telling a little white lie! When we were looking at rings I knew right off the bat that I didn’t want yellow gold. I seriously thought about rose gold because I thought that it was so unique and something different that you don’t see very often. Besides those two, the only other metals that I really knew about were silver, white gold and platinum. I knew that I didn’t want silver because let’s face it most girls want something a little nicer. White gold is the metal I had for the two other rings that I owned, my class ring and a ring my fiancé had previously bought me a couple years ago. I could never wear the rings for very long though because I would develop some sort of dry skin rash underneath the ring on my finger. So we decided to eliminate white gold because the people we talked to at the jewelry store thought that I was most likely allergic to something in the white gold. So since I eliminated white gold and silver are only other option was platinum. Not that I minded that at all, especially since hundreds of years ago platinum was declared to be the only metal fit for royalty (and all girls are princess’ don’t know you)! This item is something that if you want to save a lot of money on and still have the ring look gorgeous you can but we decided to let this be our one splurge since I plan on wearing this ring for the rest of my life, or at least until our 25th wedding anniversary! But most likely longer because I love my ring so much!  If you want to check out more specific information about metals check out these websites that I found:

 Pros and Cons for Choosing the Right Metal     
                         and/or
Engagement Ring Metal Glossary

The Important 4 C's

I possibly could have started my blog with this blog post but it's better late then never! These next few blogs are for all the guys who need a little help (or for the girls who are helping their guys pick our their rings and want some more information!). By now we all know what I'm talking about and that is the engagement ring. There are many factors to consider when picking out the perfect ring for the woman in your life. However, the first thing to think about (besides how much you want to spend) is the diamond that you are going to place in the ring. One of the most important things that anyone ever taught me (and by anyone I mean my mother) was when picking out a diamond you must consider the 4 C's. The 4 C's are Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat.

The Cut can be a variety of shapes. The most popular ones are pictured below.

My engagement ring center stone is a Round cut along with most of my side diamonds. The Round cut is also known as the Brillant cut and is the most popular. The cut of the diamond doesn't just refer to it's shape, it mainly refers to how the diamond is actually cut. To learn more information about Cuts you can look here.

The Color and Clarity of the diamond is just as important as the Cut. The Color and Clarity are going to be key factors in telling you how much the diamond is going to cost you. Colors range from D-Z with D being colorless and Z being a light yellow color. Bad news for your pockets guys most girls want a colorless diamond. However a flawless diamond is very rare and very hard to find. Therefore the Clarity of the diamond you most likely want to buy is going to be in the middle of the chart. To learn more about both Color and Clarity check here. 

The C for Carat strictly refers to how big of a diamond you are going to buy. Whether it be big or small, however this most likely goes without saying but the bigger the diamond the rarer and more expensive it will be. Make sure you check out the sites I gave you to learn more about diamonds! Next time we'll be talking about the kind of metal that beautiful diamond will be sitting in.

$5 and under Favors

I recently stumbled upon an article on Brides.com titled "Favors for $5 (or Less)" It gave me a lot of great ideas because a lot of things are either completely or at least partly DIY, which is exactly what we're looking for! Some of the ideas the article gives could even be made cheaper if you are really looking to save some money without anyone noticing. For instance the first picture shown is a decorated canister of popcorn, which is a great idea because I don't know too many people who don't like popcorn and it would be something easy you could either pop yourself or buy fairly cheap. The canister would be really fun and easy to decorate as well for fairly cheap. This is a great idea, however if you wanted to take it a little bit further and save a little bit more money instead of buying canisters you could use old-fashioned popcorn bags. To help the popcorn stay fresh you could put a plastic bag inside of the paper bag, maybe finding a plastic bag that matches the one of your wedding colors might even add a little flair to it. The paper bag could potentially even be a better idea because you and your groom or bridesmaids could make a whole night out of decorating the paper bags that would hold the popcorn, which would save you even more money, which we all know I'm game for! Make sure you check out the other great ideas the article has as well, there really are some awesome ideas (Numbers 3, 8, 11, and 13 are my personal favorites!)

Who to Invite?

So this is where I am at right now. We have decided that we think we want to have a traditional wedding in our hometown, and by we I mean I because my fiance doesn't really care where we get married at as long as we get married. Which is nice that I get to make a lot of the decisions but I am a very indecisive person so it is very hard for me. I want to do whatever will save us the most money but I really want my friends and most of my family to be there. To decide how expensive your traditional wedding could potentially cost in my opinion a good estimator of that would be to decide and figure out who exactly you want to be at your wedding. Personally, we have decided to keep it as small as possible but to include all the people we really want to be there. I come from a really big extended family, my dad has 12 brothers and sisters and my mom has 3. My fiance's family isn't as big, his mom is an only child and his dad has 2 sisters. However to try and save costs and to only include the people we really want there we have decided to only invite our parents siblings and their spouses and to include just a couple of our cousins. That way it will leave room for inviting our friends and some of our friends parents who have really been a part of our lives throughout high school and college and even longer who will really enjoy being a part of our big day. This is what we have decided to do though so whatever works best for you and allow you to save money might not work for everyone. I know some people might not agree with not inviting all of our extended families, especially since we would rather have other people there that really know us and know our story and how much this day will mean to us. We have really struggled with who to invite and this has been a really difficult decisions but we also thought that we could do our invitations in waves that way if someone couldn't come then we could always send out an invitation to someone else and give them a chance to come. If you have any other ideas please feel free to share them! =)

Where do I start?

When planning a wedding I have found that it can be very stressful. I had no idea where to start or even where to begin planning. I thought that I would start with some wedding checklists. If you're unaware of what those are or don't know where to get one most bridal magazines have them or I have found a website to be very helpful. You can find many checklists at this website for all kinds of things ranging from a wedding checklist to a guest list manager:

Wedding Checklists

Something else I found helpful was this Ultimate Wedding Planner that I bought from Amazon.

 

Once you get a time line of when you are going to get married hopefully everything will run a lot smoother from then on out. I am planning a traditional wedding that will include family and friends in the hometown both my fiance and I grew up in, therefore most of my information and references will be illustrating my type of wedding.

So after you begin to get started and after you look at a wedding checklist or make one of your own there are four things you need to think about. First is you need to set a date! This is one of the most exciting parts because every girl knows she has dreamed about this day almost her entire life, therefore I am sure there is a season or time of year that you already have in mind. After you set a day the second thing you need to figure out how much time you have to plan your wedding. I have a little under two years so I have a lot of time to budget and plan my wedding and hopefully save up a lot of money for my big day.

The third thing that you need to do is decide how elaborate you want your wedding to be (if you don't have a budget and you have no limit then you are one lucky lady and can move onto the fourth item). You should start by making a list, on your own for the items that you want most to have your dream wedding. Be realistic, and don't make a list of 100 things if you can really only afford 50. After you have your small list sit down with your fiance and make sure you both want the same things and maybe add to your list anything that he wants.

Now for the fourth thing to do before you begin any big planning, this one is very important. You need to decide who is going to pay for what. If your going to be the one paying for everything then I guess you don't need to worry about this. However if both parents are going to be contributing or even helping in the least bit you need to figure this out ahead of time so there is no confusion later. Sit down with both sets of parents (or just the parents that are helping) and ask them directly what they are willing to help with or if they are going to give you a set amount what will it be, that way you know what you will have to cover yourself. Since you decided in the third step what kind of wedding you want it will be easier to tell your parents when they ask.

I hope this helps because I know when I first started planning I didn't know where to begin. I finally decided though what kind of wedding I wanted and it made it a lot easier to talk to my parents about things after I decided that and had talked to my fiance about things he wanted as well. I can't tell you planning is going to get easier because these few things were the easiest decisions I have made so far.

Next blog we'll talk about the guest list which unfortunately might bring about a few, let's call them disagreements!

First and Foremost - Where

Since you're reading my blog I want to introduce you to myself a little bit. I'm a 21 year old college student who recently got engaged (about 2 1/2 weeks ago) but I have been with my now fiance for a little over 6 years. We come from different backgrounds, I'm half Hispanic and half Caucasian and my fiance is African American. Not that it matters at all but I thought that it might help you get to know our situation a little better. I absolutely love him, he is my best friend and I couldn't ask for anything else. He is going to be a wonderful husband and a great father one day. Our wedding day is going to be two years from now, on January 20, which is our anniversary now. We picked our day because I originally wanted a fall wedding. It is what I had dreamed about for as long as I can remember, however I didn't factor his little brother (who will be his best man) playing college football. Since football takes place in the fall it would be impossible for his brother to get back for the wedding. Therefore since it is the only thing my fiance has asked for I guess I can compromise and move the wedding to January. Which in a way worked out for the best because 35 years ago today my parents got married and I couldn't ask for better role models for a marriage. However before that, I am not sure of the exact number but over 60 years ago on this day, and the same day my parents chose, my grandparents (my mother's parents) got married. So in the end January has special meaning for marriages in my family. I know it's not the same day but it's a special day to us in the same month which means just as much.

Now onto the wedding stuff. My fiance and I have talked about this for about the last year and have been talking about it a lot in the past couple weeks. In my opinion (and I have never done this before) the first thing when getting engaged is to decide where you want to get married. Our options that are on the table right now are, a) going to Vegas, b) going to a tropical island where we can have our wedding and honeymoon all in one, or c) the traditional wedding with our family and friends in our hometown. We have been talking about this so much that I think I am more confused now then I was before we started talking about it. They all have their pros and cons and since we're on a budget we're trying to decide what would be the best for us. I am so confused I cant decide. I am open to suggestions though so as I continue to post blogs and update you on my search for budgeted wedding items and DIY ideas please help me by leaving your opinions and comments they are much appreciated!

Until Next Time,

DIY wedding girl