Keeping it Unique - Personalized Wedding Favours

Personalized favours for weddings are the most popular choices of unique gifts given by brides and grooms to show their appreciate to guests who share the big day. Giving favours and keepsakes are part of the wedding tradition and etiquette. Personalized favours come in many different shapes and forms, from simple to elegant, and in a variety of prices too. A favour can be customized by adding a personal touch, very ideal to solemnize the special day for the newly wed couple. There are different specialty stores that offer ways of making souvenir items personalized that depends on the couple's desired materials and structure. Ways to make it personalized are engraving or embroidering. k k kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk Edible Treats - Who doesn't love cookies, candies, chocolate bars or mints?! Go one step further and have them personalized. Creativity and imagination adapt trendy ideas of making wedding days more memorable to all guests. Other edible options are fruit jams, gourmet and teas made with personalized labels for the bride and groom. Try having M&Ms printed with your faces, wedding date, or any other significant part of your wedding. You can even choose the colours you'd like included!

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Men's Wedding Rings

Shopping for your hubby-to-be's wedding ring may not be as easy as you think. There are lots of different styles from the traditional gold band, to a contemporary ring with black onyx, or a sparkling men's platinum or diamond ring. Today, the best choice for your man's ring may very well be not one of gold, diamond, or platinum, but from an alternative contemporary metal. Because men didn't typically wear rings until the World War II era, as a way to show commitment to their brides awaiting them back home, it took a little time for men's wedding rings to catch up with all the options available for women. Previously men had no choice but to wear a typical gold band, but now they have lots of new options! Now, not only is it common practice for grooms to wear a band, but they have many fashionable styles to choose from. Since men are typically more hands on and less careful with their hands than us women, practicality is definitely important with their rings. One of the hottest trends in men's wedding rings is the alternative metal men's wedding band, such as stainless steel, titanium and cobalt. These options have given us rings with improved durability and drastically decrease the need for maintenance. Titanium Titanium bands offer superior strength, modest pricing, and many fashionable styles. They are known to hold their colour and polish much longer than gold bands or other precious metals, an dare also lighter weight and very comfortable!

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel rings are not only durable and masculine, but they are also light in weight...and in price! Fo the man that frets over the idea of wearing jewelry, a comfort fit stainless steel wedding band, like the ones below, could make a perfect fit.

Cobalt

Cobalt has been used for centuries for many products and is an essential part of organic life, but is fairly new to the men's wedding ring market. SK Cobalt wedding bands designed by jewerly guru Scott Kay, are arguably some of the most indestructible men's wedding rings on the market, and range between $200 and $300 each.

Designing your Wedding Invitations

When you decide to create your wedding invitations you want it to be a beautiful design and truly reflect the feel of your big day. The invite is the first impression of your wedding on the guests, and many of them will keep it as a keep-sake afterwards as well. It is therefore imperative that your invitations leave a lasting and unmistakble presence among your guests.

There are so many options when it comes to designs for invitations! Here are 3 unique ideas to really make your invitations stand out.

Letterpress

As more people share a growing concern for the environmentl and want to do their part to ensure they are reducing their carbon footprint, more people are turning toward using letterpress wedding invitations. The lovely thick cotton of these invitations gives it a distinct texture element.

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Engraved

Engraved invitations are very beautiful. The raised print or design that results from this technique gives the back of the invitation an indentation effect. These invitations do not have to follow any sort of traditional format, but often use formal language.

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Hand-made

Looking for something truly one-of-a-kind? Have your invitations made by hand. While this process can take more time than other systems, it is a great way to truly ensure that each of your guests get a personalized cards. These can come in a variety of layouts just like other cards. A few samples of Cariad Creations cards for weddings can be seen here.

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Final words of advice: No matter what type of invitation you decide to go with, always be sure to order samples before making your final decision!!!

Your Do for your I-Do-Day

Are you an up-do or a free-flowing curls kind of bride? Check out these pictures to see the most popular wedding hair trends this year! k k Adding some bling One of the most popular ideas is to use a head band or head piece with some bling or a very dramatic accent! This seems to have taken off thanks to last years' Hollywood Brides, such as Sarah Jessica Parker in Sex in the City. k k k Getting some assistance If you are unsure on what style will look good on you or with your dress, opto to do a hair and make-up trial with a professional. Find pictures of ideas that you love, take them with you to your appointment, and show the professional a picture of your dress and venue. This will help the professional to create a look that is unique for your wedding. k k Remember: Take pictures at your trial so you can see what it will look like in photos too!

Get the right tan for your wedding day!

We all want to look our best on the big day. Many of us have made pledges to lose weigth, tone up, and then some. No matter what goals you are embarking on, it seems that often tans are included! With the sun not quite out yet, how do you get a little darker tone? While options of high-pressure beds, mystic tans and self-tanner are probably the first to pop into your mind, it's also probable that you have heard horror stories about these options as well! Chances are you or someone you know has been burnt, sticky, stinky, or walked away the colour of a lobster, which is definitely not what you want for your wedding photos! So let's go over a few tips on how to NOT end up that way. k k kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk Au Naturel Of course, a natural tan (as in from the sun) looks the best. So if you're fortunate enough to have the right weather and some free time, get golden this way. Invest in a bandeau top to avoid pesky tan lines. You should still use a low SPF to avoid burning, and be sure to watch how long you're out there for! k k kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk Tanning Salon If you choose to visit your local tanning salon, please do so as safely as possible. Ask an employee if the bulbs have been recently changed. If they have, cut your tanning time in half. Always use a lotion made for indoor beds to help keep your skin hydrated and avoid burning. Buy your own pair of protective eye wear - they're not expensive! k k kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk Self-Tanner Another option is with a self-tanner. Make sure you experiment way ahead of time to find one that doesn't streak or look orange on your skin tone. Exfoliate before applying and go sparingly on the elbows, knees and heels. Shower roughly 8 hours after your last application to rinse off any bronzer that may rubb off on your dress.

Fall Wedding Ideas

"No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace as I have seen in one autumnal face" - Anonymous

Autumn is a very popular wedding season! It's great, as most of your local guests will be in town back from their summer vacations, and prices go down again for most venues. Fall has some of the most vibrant and gorgeous colours to use as wedding backgrounds, or to include in your celebrations in many invigorating ways. Here are a few specific fall theme ideas:

Delicious Apples
Autumn is the ultimate season for picking apples. You can incorporate this very fulfilling event into your wedding quite easily. The simple act of adding apples into just about everything for your wedding is more than enough. Think wedding favors and decor for a minute here. You can place a plate of apples and apple slices for every table for your guests. You can also make use of apple-scented candles with candle holders shaped like apples as well. And if that's not enough, you can serve your guests apple pie, apple cider, or any other delicious apple treats. Below are apple-inspired wedding ideas: candy apple favours, apples used as place cards, apples in the center piece and apple decor on a signing table.

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Pretty Pumpkins
When autumn hits, you definitely have 2 holidays to look forward to: Halloween and Thanksgiving! For both holidays, the pumpkin is the mainstay in any household. If you plan to hold your wedding in the fall, then you can use pumpkin items for your wedding decorations and even favours. For instance, you can serve your guests boxes of pumpkin cookies, or chocolates in the shape of pumpkins. You can also use shades of yellow and orange as your wedding colours to continue the continuity. When you add dark green or chocolate brown to these colours, it actually makes the perfect combination for a pumpkin-themed wedding.

Graceful Grapes

The shades of green, purple and red are essential for a vineyard theme. There are so many things you can do with grapes, wine and vineyard themes. For starters, you can use fruit displays of grapes for each guest table. They make great centrepieces as well. As for wedding favours, you can go for wine glass charms, wine goblet card holders, and even wine stoppers. As for your decor, you can use vines to give that romantic ambiance of being in a vineyard. Even substitute the traditional signature book for empty wine bottles that you can then display around your home.

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If none of these theme ideas interest you, then you can always just work with the autumn colours that surround us. Here are a few more photos to help inspire your fall decor and colour schemes.