Unique Wedding Ceremony Ideas

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A wedding ceremony is a joyous occasion that requires a considerable amount of planning. There’s nothing more special than a wedding that includes a couple of non-traditional ideas – whether it’s a change in the processional or writing your own wedding vows, the options are endless.

A unique wedding will create lasting memories that family and friends will talk about for years to come. If you’re searching for unique wedding ceremonies ideas here are a few to help get your creative juices flowing:

• Write your own vows. Not sure where to begin—search Google. There are several websites that offer wedding vow ideas.

• Instead of having your bridesmaids carry flowers as they walk down the aisle have them carry candles.

• Don’t want to use the traditional wedding march during your processional? You can use Johann Sebastian Bach's "Air on the G String" or virtually any song you desire.

• Face your guests when you exchange wedding vows rather than having your back to them.

Wedding Planning Tip: Instead of throwing one bouquet to your female guests, surprise them with having more than one small bouquet to throw.

5 Reasons To Plan A Small Wedding

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The days of planning an elaborate wedding with 200 or more guests with all the trimmings is quickly becoming a thing of the past for many brides. Today’s economy has forced many brides to scale back.

The good news is you can still have an elegant wedding while staying within your budget. The following are five benefits of having a small wedding.

1. A smaller wedding is less stressful than an extravagant wedding. It allows you to enjoy planning your wedding because you have less on your plate to handle.

2. A smaller wedding allows you to remain within your budget and save money.

3. A small guest list allows you to truly have a wedding with all the trimmings because you don’t have to accommodate a large amount of guest.

4. A smaller wedding allows you to spend quality time your guests, making them feel welcome.

5. A smaller wedding allows you to be creative and make your wedding unique and memorable wedding for you, your spouse and guests.

Wedding Planning Tips: Instead of having four or more limousines for your bridal party and your entire family, your bridal party can still ride in style with one stretch limo. Also, many brides are ditching the traditional wedding ceremony to elope and then set a later date for the wedding reception.

Wedding Etiquette …“I Do? I Don’t?”

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Have you ever attended a wedding where etiquette was not on the bride’s priority list?

You more than likely vowed never to make the same mistakes. The most important thing to remember is that a bride is like a celebrity for a day, so, you have to make sure that you carefully cross your T’s and dot your I’s to prevent embarrassing mistakes. The following are a few common wedding don’ts to remember.

1. Don’t put “cash gifts only please” on your wedding invitations. Yes, I know the economy is bad but it’s considered blatantly rude and tacky to put this on wedding invitations.

2. Don’t put your gift registry information on your wedding invitations. However, you can place an insert within your invitation about your gift registry. If you have a personal wedding website, you can also place a link on your home page leading to your gift registry information.

3. Don't write "and Guest" on your wedding invitations. Find out the names of each guest your family members and friends will be bringing to your wedding and include the guest’s full name on the invitation.

4. Don’t open your wedding gifts at the reception in front of your guests. Wait until after the reception when your guests have left …better yet, wait until you get home.

5. Don’t try to multi-task on your wedding day, delegate tasks to your Maid of Honor.

6. Don’t forget to mail out thank you cards to every guest who attended your wedding.

Wedding Trends in 2009

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Whether it’s the 1920’s vintage look or the Hollywood glamour look, brides still desire to have a designer gown …But they don’t want to pay a year’s worth of mortgage payments for a designer gown in this economy.

In 2009, it’s all about expressing your personal style and individuality at inexpensive prices.

Here are the latest wedding fashion trends…

The Rebirth of the Ball Gown

Ball gowns are back this year. Brides who choose this look will make a huge impact down the aisle. Silhouette’s range from a full A-line gown to more extravagant designs. Brides who want to wear white with a hint of color are choosing hues that compliment the theme of their wedding. Fabrics range from silk satin to airy tulle with layers in sage, plum, espresso brown, chocolate and shades of green for spring and summer weddings.

Wedding Bouquet’s

Brides are choosing roses, orchids, gerbera daisies, calla lilies and hydrangea in an assortment of colors harmonizing with the wedding theme in shades of pink, latte', champagne and terracotta. Hardrangea is a popular choice for hand-tied and cascaded bouquets because it compliments a variety of wedding themes.

Bridal Accessories

Brides are wearing veils ranging from traditional to contemporary. Other accessories include organic pearls and silver accessories. Brides on a budget are wearing costume jewelry and DIY custom-made accessories.

Wedding Fashion Tip: Can’t afford that MUST have $500 pair of designer wedding shoes to die for? Purchase a pair of plain shoes and get creative! Add jewelry, rhinestones or a ribbon and you’re all set.

Should You Hire An Amateur Videographer For Your Wedding?

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You received a discount on your floral arrangements, saved a couple of hundred dollars on wedding decorations and even a discount on your honeymoon package. If only you could find a videographer that will charge you next to nothing – you would be all set for your wedding day.

So, should you hire an amateur videographer or a professional? Think of it this way, a skilled videographer knows how to capture a beautiful moment during a wedding …whether it’s the bride and groom exchanging wedding vows or the bride tossing her bouquet up in the air to her cheerful bridesmaids. When it comes to wedding videography, leave the amateurs for filming family picnics and barbeques. Unfortunately, not every bride-to-be heeds this advice.

For example, a friend of mine believed that she could save hundreds of dollars if she hired her cousin to film her wedding. She offered to pay him a small stipend but he refused to accept pay for a gift. After the wedding, her cousin offered to edit the video for her. He edited alright.

My friend never was able to see her wedding in motion because her cousin accidently used the same video to record the Super Bowl. She was better off spending a few hundred dollars on a professional videographer. It’s great to be frugal but sometimes you have to spend a little money if you want quality results, especially on your wedding day.

Benefits of Hiring a Professional Videographer

Hiring a professional videographer to film your wedding will give you peace of mind on your wedding day because you don’t have to worry about not receiving a quality video. An experienced videographer will have a spare camera in case their main camera fails. In addition, a videographer knows the ins and outs of creative post-production in order to present a wedding video in a variety of scenes. Some videographers will even make arrangements with the bride and groom to arrive early on the wedding day to capture the wedding preparations on film. Hiring a professional videographer is worth the investment. Here are standard videography rates:

-Basic wedding video packages can range between $500 -$1000.

-Deluxe wedding video packages ranges from $1,100 - $2,000 (Includes music and video coverage of both the wedding and reception).

-Luxury wedding packages generally range between $4,000 to $7,000 (documentary or movie style with a timeline from the wedding rehearsal to the end of the reception. Interviews of the bride & groom and other guests included).

Creative Wedding Budget Ideas For Less

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After spending money on your wedding gown, floral arrangements, decorations, the photographer and the limousines, the reception is one of the most expensive segments of a wedding. So, how can you have an elegant wedding without spending a fortune? Here are a few tips:

-If you’re renting out a church dining room for your reception, contact a local cooking school and ask them if they would be interested in using your wedding reception for a fee as a class project. This is a great way to get a hint of fine cuisine at an affordable price.

-Create your own wedding bouquet and floral arrangements for less than $300. Purchase roses in advance at wholesale prices. Nobody has to know that you purchased your flowers from Costco. This may seem way over the top but you receive quality and great prices. There are a variety of options available. For instructions on how to make your own bouquet, retail bookstores such as Barnes & Noble and Borders sell a variety of “how to” wedding bouquet books.

-If you’re planning to have your reception at a hotel ballroom or a catering hall, you can save a substantial amount of money by having your wedding mid-week. Also, Friday and Sunday evenings tend to be less expensive than Saturday evenings. Contact your local catering hall for quotes.

-Make your own wedding invitations. You don’t have to be a pro in order to make attractive wedding invitations. You can purchase pre-cut wedding cards, decorative specialty paper and wedding envelops online and create your own invitations. Many companies offer a variety of wedding invitation accessories such as invitation bands, envelop seals, satin ribbons, self adhesive bows and much more.

-Your wedding reception will not only be a memorable event for both you and your spouse; it will be a memorable time for everyone who attends your wedding. Most of all, you don’t have to raid your 401k in order to have a great wedding reception.

How To Find A Wedding Gown Without Spending A Fortune

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You and your fiancé have finally set a date. Now it’s time to start planning your wedding. The first order of business is to find the perfect wedding dress. Today, the average wedding costs nearly $20,000 and that’s low-end.

So, unless you have a few thousand dollars to spare, finding the perfect wedding gown can prove to be a challenge, especially in today’s uncertain economy. The good news is - you don’t have to settle for second best when it comes to searching for a wedding gown. Here are three ways to find the perfect gown for less…

Sew your own wedding dress. If you have great sewing skills, you can save money by sewing your own wedding gown. Ivory Dutchess Satin, Walker Snow, Pintuck Ivory and White Silk Dupioni, just to name a few, are examples of fabrics that you can order from fabric stores. Prices can range anywhere from $9.95 to $29.95 per yard. You can purchase Vogue Patterns (see the above photo) and Butterick wedding patterns for as little as $16.95. Make sure you allow yourself a good 6 to 8 months in advance to sew your dress.

Rent a wedding gown. Men aren’t the only ones who rent wedding attire. You would be surprised by how many bridal shops and online bridal stores offer wedding gown rental services. Some even offer accessories saving you more money. The only drawback to renting your wedding gown is that you won’t have a gown to pass down to your daughter or grandchildren.

Search for a wedding gown online. The Internet is filled with online bridal shops and auction sites. Many websites offer huge discounts on wedding gowns and bridesmaids’ dresses. Don’t buy the very first wedding gown you see. Search on at least 3 to 4 websites and compare prices before making a purchase.

So, there is hope after all. You don’t have to spend a fortune on your wedding gown. Hopefully, these three tips will help you find a dream wedding gown to remember.