Wedding Planning and Bridal Advice

Once you have established your wedding budget, whether it is $2,000 or $25,000, there are a few things you can do to make sure you stick to it!

1) Create a Realistic Wedding Budget: If your budget is too low, you will struggle from the day you start planning your wedding. Do your homework so you know what everything costs in your area or shop around online to see if you can find better deals, and then allot money accordingly for each area of your plan (wedding ceremony, reception, wedding party, favours, flowers, decoration, stationary, wedding dress, etc).

2) Work Together As a Team: You are going to be spending the rest of your lives together, working through problems and creating budgets for many other things - buying a house, saving for a vacation and yes, even eventually saving for your children's' college. It only makes sense that planning your wedding together and working hard to make every dollar go as far as possible would be a good place to start that financial partnership. It will help to set a strong foundation for your marriage.

3) Be Flexible: Sometimes you cannot always have what you want and that is true for wedding plans as well. Of course, we all want to have the wedding of our dreams, but if you can only afford to invite 150 guests, you need to work with your partner and your immediate families to whittle down the list from 225 to the desired target of 150.

4) Look for Bargains: Buying cheap does not mean you have to sacrifice on quality, especially with the internet. You can purchase high-end bridal accessories and wedding decorations online for a fraction of the cost. In small towns and rural areas especially, local wedding stores and bridal shops can charge exorbitant prices for wedding supplies. If you plan ahead and order early, you can shop online and save a bundle.

5) Shop Early: Planning a wedding is stressful and often times, many items are left to the last minute when it is do or die time. That means that you end up paying top dollar because you have no choice. If you plan well and start shopping early, you always have time to buy the perfect items for your wedding day, at the best possible price.

6) Something Borrowed: For less important items, do not be afraid to borrow from family or friends. There is nothing wrong with using decorations, wine glasses or an alter arbour for example, that is online from a friend or neighbour.

7) Timing is Everything: If you get married in primetime, such as May, June or September, be prepared to pay top dollar for everything. If you are able, perhaps choose a low season bridal month to get married and you can save yourself a whole lot of money. The weather in April is lovely as is October, as with both these months you can save as much as 25% of your total wedding budget.

8) Accept Financial Help with a Smile: If your parents or future in-laws are offering to pay for a certain aspect of your wedding, accept it with a smile and thanks. Your wedding budget will go so much further if you don't have to pay for the reception dinner, the wedding favours or the wedding photography fees.

Did you know that every color has a specific meaning or symbolism? Just like horoscopes, some people believe in these symbols and meanings and others do not. Whether you believe it or not, certain colors certainly do exude specific energies (red is hot, yellow is cheerful, etc) and the colors that you choose for your wedding theme can have a big impact on the overall success of your big day. Here is a closer look at what the specific meanings are behind the most popular wedding colors:

The color RED signifies passionate love: Red is the warmest color of all and is the most chosen wedding color for couples (or brides) with outgoing, confident personalities. Be careful not to overuse red or it can come across as garish and tacky. In Asian culture, red is the color of eternal joy and prosperity, and therefore red is a popular color for Chinese brides to wear on their wedding day. In Western culture, red is the color of passion and red roses symbolize passionate love, often making them a preferred choice for table arrangements and bridal bouquets.

The color PINK signifies calm, joyous love. Known as a quiet and soft color, pink symbolizes universal love and is a favorite wedding color for brides everywhere. Pink carnations symbolize 'forever remembered' and therefore, are a sweet flower to add to a grooms boutonnière or bridal bouquet. Since pink is the result of mixing red with white, the degree of white dictates the softness or shocking shade of pink achieved. The softer tones of pink, which are most appropriate for a wedding theme color, signifies tenderness, love and acceptance.

The color BLUE signifies true, sincere love. Blue Perfect especially if you are having a tropical, exotic or beach themed wedding, blue is the coolest color of all and represents the sky, ocean and twilight. It is said that in Ancient Egypt, blue represented heaven, and since it is a calming color, blue can be wonderful and symbolic as a wedding day theme color. Blue flowers are strikingly beautiful, such as the blue iris, which symbolizes the importance of a relationship and would be a good flower in a mixed bouquet or as part of the table centerpieces at the wedding reception.

The color WHITE signifies pure love. White is the universal color for innocence and purity - worn by brides at weddings and babies at christenings around the world. Depending on the country or culture, white has many meanings - it can mean kindness, wholeness, completion, openness or truth - all good qualities to include in a wedding ceremony. White daisies are a symbol of loyal love - white tulips, roses, calla lilies and gerbera daisies are all very popular with today's bride. White can have a cold, stark quality so you need to be very careful with your wedding décor. Balance it out with a second color and use warmer shades of white whenever possible.

The color PURPLE signifies magical, mysterious love. It is said that purple is the color of good judgment and peace of mind - two qualities that are ideal to share with wedding guests to symbolize the couple's love, feelings and commitment. Of course, all throughout history, purple has been considered the color of royalty and thus has been a very popular wedding theme color for hundreds of years, and remains so today. Wedding flowers in purple such as orchids, freesia, violets and forget-me-nots are a wonderful complement to a bridal bouquet or table arrangements.

The color ORANGE signifies creative, vital and warm love. Orange is truly a color of power, and is chosen as a wedding theme color by the strong and confident couple who loves life and is not afraid to share their vibrancy and energy with others. Orange has always symbolized vitality, endurance, sincerity and thoughtfulness - perfect qualities to showcase on your wedding day. Orange flowers such as daisies, sunflowers, tulips, marigolds, and hothouse roses can create a stunning floral display for table centerpiece arrangements, especially when set against crisp white linen.

The color GREEN signifies healthy and balanced love. Green In most cultures, the color green represents earth, nature, life and fertility. However, it also symbolizes balance, self-respect and overall well-being. Given its restful properties and its ability to harmonize with other colors, green is a common color choice for wedding décor and reception decorations. Since green represents change, life and growth, it is the perfect complementary wedding color, especially in floral arrangements using lush ornamental grasses, baby's breath, green fern leaves and other greenery. Green is also a very popular color for bridesmaid dresses, with soft sage being the current shade of choice with brides in North America.

The color YELLOW signifies happy and wise love. Yellow is the color of happiness, joy and bliss. Yellow is also a color with high energy so use it sparingly as a wedding theme color. The beautiful yellow daffodil is the symbol of unequivocal love, and makes this flower a poignant wedding flower choice. Other yellow flowers such as tulips, roses, and wildflowers make wonderful flower arrangements and bouquets if you are going with a yellow color palette. For a spring or summer wedding, yellow is the perfect color choice with shades such as buttercup yellow, lemon yellow and soft corn yellow the most popular choices.

We are all firmly entrenched in the digital generation, and none of us can live on a daily basis without the aid of a cell phone, PDA, instant messaging, personal computer or electronic mail (email). In the United States, 74.9% of citizens are online and in Canada, 85.4% of Canadians are online. With so many North Americans using the World Wide Web on a regular basis, having an electronically planned wedding is not so far fetched.

When is the last time that you purchased and mailed a paper birthday card? How about the last time you sat down and hand wrote a letter to your good friend that lives out west? Chances are that you sent that birthday card online from a website like Hallmark or Blue Mountain and it is even more likely that you keep in touch with your best friend via IM, email and through social networking sites like MySpace and FaceBook.

Professionally printed, custom ordered wedding invitations are very expensive - averaging about $400 per 100 invitations plus about $50 for 100 envelopes, and then the postage cost. When all is said and done, for a wedding with 250 guests, wedding stationary alone could cost in the region of $1,200. The other downfall of paper invitations is that, when the RSVP's start trickling in, you never know which guests received their invitations and which were delayed or lost in the mail. This makes it very awkward if you want to follow up with guests, but are not sure if they got the invite and just don't want to come%u2026 or they didn't get it and are going to be totally offended that they were not invited to your wedding.

The newest thing in wedding trends is electronic invitations, most commonly known as evites. An evite is an electronic version of a paper 'invite' or invitation. There are many websites that specialize in electronic invitation services, with the original and most famous being Evite.com - most sites offer free services and others other evite services charge a nominal fee.

Essentially, using electronic invitations for your wedding works like this:

Sign up with the website you choose to use (such as sendomatic.com or evite.com)

Create your wedding invitation - you can use a template or design a custom invitation

Create your recipient list (guest list of those who will receive a wedding invitation). You must include a valid email for the recipient in order to send a wedding evite.

Send the wedding evite to your guest list

Keep track of RSVP responses in your invitation management center at the site

Later on, you can use the same account to send out electronic thank you cards to wedding guests for gifts and words of kindness

You can save a lot of time and money by sending your wedding invitations online. If you and your betrothed are online junkies, perhaps met online, work in the IT industry or just love surfing the world wide web - then evites are perfect and in total keeping with your lifestyle and personalities.

Do not feel obligated to wear a white wedding dress, if you don't want to. It is not a wedding requirement and many modern brides are choosing wedding gowns in a variety of colors from off white to royal purple and crimson red. It is true that for more than 100 years, brides have been wearing white flowing gowns on their wedding day, and it would seem that it is the traditional attire. After all, walk into any bridal boutique in North America, and you will immediately be inundated with wedding dress choices, all in white. However, take a moment to ask the bridal consultant and you may be surprised to learn that most dress styles can be special ordered in colors other than white.

Before 1840, most brides wore colored wedding dresses - practical garments that could be worn again after the wedding day. It was not until Queen Victoria married Price Albert, and she walked down the aisle in a snow white wedding gown, did fancy white wedding dresses become so en vogue. Once Queen Victoria wore white, it seemed like the whole world started wearing pure white wedding gowns; it was said to symbolize glamour and social status. Within just a few years, as mass production became more prevalent, average brides began to wear white wedding dresses and the tradition has stayed mainstream ever since.

White wedding dresses, long associated with virginal purity are overrated and outdated! In fact, many couples live together long before they ever get married, and there are a higher number of second marriages now than ever before. If you want to wear a wedding gown that is mint green, peachy orange, iced lilac, red velvet, or buttercup yellow, go for it! It is your special day, and you should feel comfortable wearing whatever wedding dress best suits your personality, and a gown you will look back on fondly.

The placement of guests at your wedding table is important to the overall success of your wedding dinner and dance. It may seem like a minor detail when you have a million and one other important wedding issues to consider, but if you seat the wrong people together, or make your guests feel uncomfortable, you will regret it.

Place card holders, especially fancy ones, are a really nice addition to your reception tables and they serve a very important purpose - they tell your wedding guests where to sit for dinner. Don't assume for a moment, that everyone will know where to sit, or that all of your guests will be at ease sitting at a table full of strangers. However, if you 'put' them together, you are giving them a valid reason to sit at that table - their name is on the place card. It also helps to move things along. If you leave 200 guests to fend for themselves, it could take hours before everyone is seated. Furthermore, you need a way to inconspicuously inform the wait staff of who ordered what meal. You may use two different place card holders - the starfish place card holders are having sea bass, and the silver shell place card holders are having roast beef. Or you could simply put an F (for fish) or B (for beef) in the top corner of each place card. Another good method is to tie ribbons around the place card holders in different colors to signify the meal choices.

Place card holders can be purchased to match your wedding theme as well%u2026 starfish or shell holders for a beach theme, silver fortune cookies for an Asian theme, snowflakes for a winter theme - you get the idea! The other hidden benefit of place card holders is that if you purchase nice ones, you can let your guests take them home when the affair is over, and thus you have just killed two birds with one stone since the place card holders can easily double as wedding guest favours. What a great way to stretch a wedding budget and still offer your esteemed wedding guests a nice thank you gift.

In the past few decades, wedding themes have gained tremendous popularity and have paved the way for couples to truly express who they are by choosing a wedding theme that is an extension of their lifestyle. For example, a couple that lives on the beach might have a beach or seaside allure themed wedding; a couple that met at a butterfly conservatory and loves nature, might have a butterflies theme wedding or an autumn splendour wedding to celebrate the changing of the seasons.

Then, there are those that choose a wedding theme without a lot of forethought, or use a wedding theme simply for shock value. A Goth theme where the couple come dressed as Frankenstein and his bride; a funny theme where the men wear tails and top hats with black pinstriped boxer shorts but no pants; or the couple who met online and decide to tie the knot in an electronic chat room.

Of course, it is your wedding day and you are free to choose whatever wedding theme tickles your fancy. Just make sure that both the bride and groom sit down and discuss it, think about it long and hard and make sure it will be a decision you will still be happy with 10, 20 or even 50 years from now. Will it be the fairytale story that you will share with your children and grandchildren with pride and without regret? Will you still feel comfortable hanging your wedding photos in your living room in a few years time?

We have all made decisions and done silly things that we have lived to regret - that is simply part of living, learning and growing up. However, most of us would agree that we don't want that to be a lifelong memory and one of such monumental importance as our wedding day.

A viable alternative: If you have your heart set on an extreme theme for your wedding, why not make it a reception theme? Have a wedding and photographs where everyone is happy (including your parents!) and then let loose at your reception! Of course, that doesn't mean your wedding ceremony has to be totally stuffy with a white silk wedding gown and an army of bridesmaids. You can still make the ceremony your own by adding unique touches. That way everyone is satisfied, and you can truly have the best of both worlds on your wedding day!

Q. My fiancée and I have a really small wedding budget and we just cannot afford to invite everyone from both families. What can we do?

A. There are no hard and fast rules on who you should and should not invite to your wedding. If your budget is on the small side, you have to make some really hard decisions and perhaps consider only inviting your immediate family and closest friends. A few suggestions: hold a mixed stag party to which you sell tickets for a few dollars each, have an open cash bar, and hold a silent auction or raffle. All of the proceeds from the stag can be put towards your wedding costs that this may allow you to expand your wedding guest list, depending on how much money you raise. How about having a DJ instead of a live band, a stand up buffet meal instead of an elaborate sit down dinner, and homemade wedding guest favours wrapped in tulle? All of these will have significant cost savings and allow you to perhaps increase the number of people you can invite to your wedding and reception. Lastly, you may want to have one list of guests for the wedding ceremony only (where you can invite everyone), and another list of guests who are invited to the wedding and reception (family, close friends, etc). This way you are allowing everyone to share the most important part of the day with you, which is the wedding ceremony, without anyone feeling left out.

Q. Is it practical for a bride to carry a handbag on her wedding day? I keep looking at lovely purses that match my wedding gown but I wonder if it would be a waste of money.

A. Granted, a handbag or clutch purse may be the last thing a bride considers when they are picking out their wedding gown and bridal accessories, but it really is important, practical and functional! You will not need it at the wedding ceremony (although if you choose an old-fashioned drawstring bag, you could dangle it delicately from your wrist) but you will need it after the ceremony while the wedding photographs are being taken and then of course, at the reception. If you are asthmatic, diabetic or on certain medications, a bridal handbag is a great place to conceal medical supplies and prescriptions, without spoiling the look of your wedding ensemble. Furthermore, a bridal purse is perfect for stashing a compact and mirror, lipstick, a purse size perfume atomizer, pen and paper and perhaps evens your cell phone for taking calls from out of town well-wishers who could not attend your joyous affair. Depending upon your culture, many brides carry drawstring bags so that wedding guests can stuff it full of money for the bride and groom to start their new life together with financial health.

Q. Help! How do I get my fiancée involved in the wedding planning process? He sees tulle and taffeta, and he runs and hides. Planning this wedding alone is making me cranky and exhausted and I feel like it is affecting our relationship.

A. It is true that when it comes to fussy stuff and fluffy fabrics, men feel completely out of place and uncomfortable. This is about the same way that many women would feel sitting around a sports bar, spitting shelled peanuts onto the floor and watching a live wrestling match. Instead of trying to make your fiancé do things that he is clearly not equipped to deal with, give him a "To Do" list of things that he can do with confidence and dignity. Men like to eat so take him with you to choose the reception menu and wedding cake. Put your man in charge of all the out of town guests - this would include booking their hotel rooms, picking them up at the airport, shuttling them around while they are in town. Lastly, and you may not like this one, but put him in charge of the wedding budget. If he knows how much money things cost, he might be more inclined to help out with certain tasks if he knows it will save a few dollars! The planning phase of a wedding can certainly be challenging for any couple and if both parties are not pulling their weight, it can have a negative effect on the relationship. Most brides try and do it all, without asking for help. In many cases, the groom is just waiting to be told what he should be doing and will be happy to help out in any way that he can to make you happy.

English folklore says that Saturday is unluckiest of all days to be married. In North America, couples get married on Saturday more than any other day of the week - bad luck or not!

You have probably heard the old wedding saying "Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed and Something Blue". Did you know that the "something blue" was originally meant to symbolize the blood of royalty (blue blood)? However, since the bride and groom, no matter their background or royal pedigree, are considered king and queen on their own special wedding day, the traditional has remained popular.

In Ancient Egypt, it was believed that the 'vein of love' ran from the fourth finger on the left hand, straight to the heart. Thus began the tradition of wearing the engagement and wedding bands on this finger.

Statistically, it is said that the average person falls in love 7 times before they get married.

Barbara Bush, former first lady and mother of the current President Bush said, "I married the first man I ever kissed. When I tell my children that, they just throw up."

Having a winter wedding can be filled with the enchantment of the season, including the magical wonder of snow and glittering ice crystals. Especially in locales where snow capped mountains are the norm, a winter wedding can be ideal. It is also the perfect time of year to have a wedding if the couple enjoy skiing, skating or snowboarding together.

There are certainly perks to having a winter wedding. Since the large majority of weddings take place in the spring and summer months, winter is considered 'low season' and deals are bountiful. It is easier to book a church or a reception hall because there is less competition for a certain date. Most catering companies and reception ballrooms are also willing to negotiate on cost - having a paying customer in the dead of winter is better than having no customer at all. Of course, these benefits do not apply (and good luck finding a reception hall at all) if you are planning to marry over the Christmas/New Year week.

Bridal boutiques and wedding stores offer their largest sales during the winter months. Just like any other retail niche, after Christmas money is tight and retailers and large department store chains compete heavily for your consumer dollar - this means big sales, great incentives and super deals! During the winter months, substantial savings can be readily found when purchasing a wedding dress, jewelry for the bride and bridesmaids, and bridal accessories such as handbags, veils, tiaras and will be on sale. These cost saving benefits are also available on ceremony décor, wedding reception decorations and wedding stationary such as invitations, wedding bulletins and thank you cards.

Keep in mind that there are also a few pitfalls when planning a winter wedding. However, if you plan ahead and are aware of the common obstacles so that overcome them before they occur, your winter wedding can go off without a hitch.

First, Mother Nature may decide to have her way on your wedding day, gracing you with a huge snowstorm, below zero temperatures or blustering winds. When planning the wedding, allow plenty of time for the wedding party to get hair done, get dressed and travel to the church for the wedding ceremony. Be sure to plan ahead, even if the weatherman is calling for clear skies - we all know how often they can be wrong! Second, the bride should have a weatherproof hairdo since winter weather can be so unpredictable. This can be said for all members of the wedding party, male and female to make sure everyone looks their best and the wedding photographs turn out beautifully. If you have guests travelling from out of town, make sure your wedding ceremony is not too early in the day. Traveling by car can mean delays if the weather is iffy, and for guests flying in there can also be weather delays. Plan ahead and have places for out-of-town guests to stay the night before so there are no wedding day panics or surprises.

Second, getting fresh foods and flowers in the winter months could be a challenge, depending on where you live. Therefore, you will need to be somewhat flexible on your menu and bridal bouquet selections. For example, fresh asparagus is out of season and your caterer may not be able to get it for you, or it might be quite costly. Instead, consider a more seasonal vegetable like spaghetti squash or winter turnip. Gerbera daisies and spring tulips are not in season in the middle of winter and you may need to have them imported at a hefty price. Or, you can be creative and use lovely winter flowers such as holly, eucalyptus, white and red roses, poinsettias, pine and berries - what a breathtaking floral arrangement for a bride's bouquet or reception table centerpiece these would make!

A winter wedding can be a dazzling, crystal dream affair that many couples want to achieve on their wedding day. Be sure to plan ahead so that you can take advantage of the benefits, the cost savings and to avoid the seasonal pitfalls and your winter wedding day will be 'winter wonder land' perfect!