Goin’ to the Chapel event – Week 1: Getting Yourself "Wedding Day Ready"

 Giveaways, goin to the chapel event, Reviews, wedding, wedding planning  No Responses »
Jun 122011
 
One of the first words you hear used to describe brides is glowing.  And to get glowing skin, you need to start with a good base.  You want skin that’s hydrated and healthy.  Once you’ve got a great base then you can use makeup to enhance and create the perfect look.  Some of you may have naturally flawless skin but the rest of us are going to need a few products to help us get there.

Before we get into skin care products, though, did you know that one of the best ways to have healthy skin is for the rest of you to be healthy, too?  Getting plenty of sleep and exercise, eating right, not getting too much sun, limiting stress – all of these directly impact your skin as part of your overall well-being.
SparkPeople.com
With the rest of the wedding details that are constantly running through your head it can be hard to remember all the details of a new health regimen if you choose to start one.  To keep it all straight you may want to consider a journal or online tracking tool.  For those of you who prefer an online approach I’m a fan of SparkPeople.com.  I like that you can keep track of everything from what you ate and your exercise minutes right down to the amount of water you drank each day.  You earn points for daily tracking which is good for those of us who like incentives.  The points really aren’t good for much but some of us just like to see them add up.

If you like something a little more concrete then I would suggest a journal – like the Light Fit & Healthy journals that Yoplait is providing to three lucky winners!  Journals are great because you can throw it in your bag if you’re heading to the gym or out of town and want to keep track on the run.  It’s also nice because sometimes you just want that satisfaction of writing something down in black and white.

Either way you choose to go I strongly suggest using some tracking method.  Not only for the organizational aspect but also because research has proven that when you keep a food and exercise journal you get better results than if you don’t.  I guess seeing all those M&Ms written down on a page guilts you into not eating them again.

If you want to jump start your health plan consider checking out Yoplait’s Two Week Tune-Up plan.  It’s always nice to see some quick results and this plan is super-easy.  Then just keep following the healthy habits until the big day (and beyond!).

Now that you have the glow from the inside we can work on the glow from the outside.  First skin needs to be hydrated so you’ll want something like Skin MD Natural’s Shielding Lotion.  Prior to hearing about Skin MD Natural I didn’t know what a shielding lotion was and how it’s different from a moisturizer or other type of lotion.  Most moisturizers do not seal in the body’s own moisture, they just artificially lubricate the outer layers of skin.  Once it wears off you’re back where you started.  This shielding lotion, however, uses natural ingredients to restore the outer layer of skin to help replace the barrier that’s stripped away by the daily use of most soaps and cleansers.

Arbonne’s RE9 Advanced systems
Next you can look to make additional repairs like with Arbonne’s RE9 Advanced system.  It has not just one but 9 major age-defying elements and botanicals that are clinically proven to start working within 24 hours.  83% of testers said they had increased skin firmness in just 24 hours and 92% said they saw a reduction in fine lines within 1 week.  While almost any product works best and produces the best results when used over time this is a system that if you get down to the last couple of weeks before the ceremony and notice that all that summer sun has you looking a little older than you are you could still see a change.  After all the late nights with Baby C I was looking a little older, myself; I tried the Instant Lift Gel and definitely thought I looked a little more refreshed after.

No matter what you choose just make sure you choose something that works for you.  These are lifestyle changes and good skin care habits you want to form and you’ll only make changes and stick to them if they easily fit into your day.

Skin MD Natural, Yoplait and Sarah from Arbonne have all generously donated prizes for this week’s giveaway.  I received samples from Skin MD Natural and Sarah from Arbonne in order to facilitate my review.  No compensation was received and all opinions are 100% mine.

Goin’ to the Chapel event – Week 1: Selecting a Florist

 flowers, Giveaways, goin to the chapel event, wedding, wedding planning  No Responses »
Jun 102011
 
You’ve signed the photographer’s contract and you’ve picked out all your stationary.  One of the next pieces of wedding planning that you’re probably considering is selecting your florist.  Choosing a florist can be a challenge; the floral knowledge of the average person probably ends somewhere around roses and baby’s breath.  You want to choose someone that’s not only an expert at quality design you want someone that’s going to be able to guide you through the process of choosing flora that’s right for your particular needs.

Wise Originals Bridal Bouquet
As with photographers you’ll want to get recommendations as to a good florist or floral designer.  Ask family and friends who they worked with and if they were happy with all aspects of the service the received.  If you don’t have any friends or family that have recently used a florist talk to the venue manager where you are having your ceremony.  They’ve seen hundreds of weddings and chances are they’ll have suggestions of who to use – and who to avoid.

Wise Originals Corsage
Next you’ll want to start collecting photos.  You may not know the difference between an orange day lily and a tiger lily but you do probably have some idea of what you like aesthetically.  It will be much easier to express that to your florist if you have visuals that you can share – especially since most standard lists of wedding flowers is in the hundreds of varieties.  Tear pictures from magazines, print out a list of URLs or photos from online pages, any place that you find a design, flower or color that strikes you.

You’ll also need to set your budget.  Let’s be honest, budgeting is probably the least fun part of the wedding.  It would be nice if you could simply go around selecting anything and everything you want without flipping a price tag, but that’s just not realistic.  You’ll save yourself and your floral designer a lot of heartache if you set the budget up front.  This way the florist can be honest with what they hope to create for you with the dollars you’ve set aside for flowers.  On average the floral budget of most weddings is 8-10% of the overall budget.  Since the average cost of a wedding in 2010 was just under $24,000 that means you may want to set aside $2400 for this portion of your planning.
Wise Originals Reception Piece

Lastly you’ll need to decide exactly what you need for floral services.  The bride’s bouquet is probably a given but what else?  Bouquets for the bridesmaids, boutonnieres for the groomsmen, flower petals for the flower girl to spread, corsages for your parents and other special guests, centerpieces for the reception.  If you want to keep your bouquet you might want to consider a separate tossing bouquet for the reception.  Maybe a few floral arrangements for the wedding ceremony?  Jot down what you think you may want and then take it with you to your consultation.
Wise Originals Ringbearer Pillow
About 6 months before your wedding (you can start earlier if you already have all your venues selected and booked and your colors and dresses selected) you’ll want to start having consultations with different florists until you find the one that’s right for you.  Be sure to take the photos you’ve collected, the list of services you think you need, as well as swatches of the bride’s and bridesmaids’ dresses (and anything else with a color you want to match or compliment), and quotes from other florists you’ve met with.  Some questions you may want to ask:
  • Is the same person who arranged the flowers in these photos the one that will arrange mine?
  • Is there a delivery charge?
  • Is there a setup fee?
  • If I want to change something about the order later, can I and what’s the latest date changes can be made if so?
  • Will you transport the flowers from the ceremony to the reception or do I?  Is there an extra charge for that?
  • What flowers are in season near my date?
Once you’ve chosen a florist you’ll want to book them and sign the contract.  A month or two before the wedding call to confirm they were able to procure your flowers in the colors you wanted.  Keep in mind that if your wedding falls around major “floral holidays” – like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, etc. – you can expect to pay 2-3x the amount for your flowers that you would at other times.

That’s a lot to digest!  It makes those consultations so important – not only so you can get your questions answered but also to get professional suggestions to help you create your dream look.  Joan and Alycia at Wise Originals Florist & Gifts would love to meet with you and help with all your needs.  They have been serving Ashton, PA and the surrounding areas for over 25 years.  If you are in the Ashton area you can request a face-to-face consultation with them.  You can view samples of their work here.  If you’re not local to them they also deliver world-wide with no service fees.

Wise Originals is providing an awesome prize for this week’s giveaways, which will be posted this weekend.  Be sure to check back to win some flowers!

Goin’ to the Chapel event – Week 1: Invitations, Announcements & More

 goin to the chapel event, photos, stationery, wedding, wedding planning  No Responses »
Jun 092011
 
After you’ve booked your photographer and know your dates one of the next things you’ll likely want to do is to select your stationery.  The number of design options available can be downright staggering, especially considering you may need or want each of the following:

  • Save the Date cards
  • Engagement party invitations
  • Bridal shower invitations
  • Bachelorette party invitations
  • Wedding invitations
  • Response cards
  • Reception cards
  • Thank you cards
  • Address labels
That list is probably more than comes to mind when you think of needing wedding stationery.  And not all of it may be applicable to you and your wedding plans.  Once you decide what you need, however, then you need to decide if you want different looks for different events or if you want everything to coordinate.  For example, I would probably want my wedding invitations and response and reception cards to all match and to also have matching address labels.  I would probably use my Save the Date cards to show off a little of our personality.  And for a bridal shower, maybe something a touch more girlie or feminine that’s different from all the other selections.

Pear Tree Greetings has a brand new wedding line for 2011 with a number of designs to match the look you’re trying to achieve no matter what your tastes.  Pear Tree Greetings, which designs produces and distributes special occasion stationery, was founded in 2005.  They focus on offering high quality, top trend products at an affordable price.
Pear Tree Greetings sent me a sampling of some of their new line.  First are some of their Save the Date cards.  They included the Simple Happiness, Classy Flourish and Lucky in Love styles.

Lucky in Love, Classy Flourish & Simple Happiness

They also included two Save the Date magnets (Simply Getting Married and Blocked Collage) which I think are a great idea.  Hard to forget about something stuck to the fridge!

Blocked Collage & Simply Getting Married

For the bridal shower, they have quite a few cute ideas.  They even have cards specifically for a couples shower; I like the BBQ one the best, I think.  I don’t think I’ve known anyone that’s every had a BBQ for their shower, but I say thumbs up to the idea.  And if you’re planning to include recipe cards for the bride-to-be you can order those, too, so they all match.
Collage of bridal shower invitations
 The bachelorette party invitations were really fun and some were even a little sassy, which I loved.  It’s a toss-up between the “Ooh LaLa” and “Last Fling” for my favorite.

Bachelorette party invitations
For the wedding invitations themselves they have a number of choices ranging from vintage to more timeless to very modern.  They invitations have coordinating reception information, sticker (to seal), RSVP card, etc.
Sweet Calligraphy Wedding Invitation set
Vibrant Pattern – Vintage Wedding Invitations
Modern Monogram Wedding Invitation
From the sample cards, notes, stickers and magnets that I received in the mail I can vouch for the fact that the quality of their products is high (they use heavy matte card stock).  Everything had a good weight to it and felt like it would stand up to being mailed without being damaged.  The printing was exceptionally clear and the colors really popped.  And for my Earth-friendly readers – many, if not all, of their products are 100% recycled.  If I were in the market for these products I can honestly say I would shop with them.
Pear Tree Greetings is sponsoring both a weekly theme prize which will be posted at the end of the week as well as an item for the grand prize pack so be sure to keep an eye open on Friday or Saturday to get entered to win!  And if you’re still deciding on your stationery needs, please take a moment to visit them; you’ll be inspired, I’m sure!

Don’t forget to leave your comments on the first two posts for the week to score some extra giveaway entries!

I received product samples for free to facilitate this review.  I received no compensation and all opinions are 100% mine.

Goin’ to the Chapel event – Week 1: Planning

 goin to the chapel event, wedding, wedding planning  No Responses »
Jun 052011
 
Welcome to the “Goin’ to the Chapel” event!

I’m excited to be talking about wedding-related topics this month.  It’s getting closer and closer to October when my brother will be marrying his fiance, and it’s been fun to watch them get ready for it.  It may be cliche to say, but young love is a great thing.

This week I’ll be focusing on one of the most time-consuming – and most fun – parts of the wedding, and that’s planning!  Most women have at least some idea of what they want for a wedding before they’re even asked; many have been dreaming and planning since they were little girls.  So once the proposal is made, it doesn’t take any time at all before you see them surrounded by bridal magazines, vendor catalogs, hairstyle guides and honeymoon brochures.  While it’s definitely fun it can also be a little overwhelming, especially if you aren’t having a very long engagement.

One great resource for wedding planning that may help you keep it organized is TheKnot.com.  The Knot is what I would consider to be the most comprehensive wedding planning site there is.  You’ll find something for every aspect of your planning:
They also have some really great tools to use on their site, my favorite being the wedding checklist.  You will not overlook anything if you use this checklist.  The checklist counts down how many to-dos you have, how many you’ve completed, and how many reminders you have.  Then it breaks it all down all your tasks by how far in advance you should be completing them.
TheKnot.com Wedding Checklist & Planner
Many are standard suggestions; you can delete the ones that don’t apply to you as well as create your own custom ones.  The details on the task list are quite awesome, actually, down to “pick up your wedding rings and check the inscription before leaving the store” and “work on a ‘must play’ list (and also include a ‘do-not-play’ list) for the DJ or band”.  Print a copy of this thing off at the start of each week, tuck it in your purse, and you’ll be able to enjoy the planning phase with as little stress as possible.

When you mention “stress” and “weddings” naturally one cause of that stress is how to pay for it.  Whether it’s a fairytale wedding complete with white doves and a carriage ride or a more modest ceremony and reception down to an intimate family-only bare-foot-on-the-beach exchange of vows, what things cost can set a lot of people on edge.  Questions like  can quickly turn fun into a fight.

The Knot’s wedding budget tool can help you set a budget and play around with different options to help you determine if having an 8-tier cake and a chocolate fountain and a candy table for the kids is really as important as you initially thought or if springing for more flowers is more important to you.  There’s also a section for budget weddings that may help you as well.

One last section that you might find both useful and fun is the wedding website tool that helps you make a custom wedding website where you can tell the story of you and your fiance, share photos, share your registries and much more.  These are especially nice if you have family spread out across the country or if family members and friends on both sides have not really had a chance to spend much time together.  You can also create a personalized “wedding ticker” to add to your Facebook page, blog or email signature to let people know how close it is!  You choose from a number of different backgrounds, ending images, add your wedding date and then can even add optional custom text at the top.

Wedding Countdown Ticker

Check back the rest of the week as we go more in depth for some of the planning stages, including selecting a photographer and florist, getting in wedding shape with a skin care and health regimen, selecting invitations and more.

Don’t forget – at the end of each week until July 2nd there will be a list of giveaways that match the week’s theme.  Visit the sponsors throughout the week and get a head-start on your entries!  See below for an extra entry opportunity, too.  And if you’d like to sign up for the giveaway blog-hop the last weekend of the month, get the details here.

For an extra entry into all of the giveaways that will be held this month – including the grand prize package – please share your best wedding planning tip in the comments section.  Or if you’d rather, you can ask a planning-related question and see what advice you might get!

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