A Beautiful Wedding for a Beautiful Bride

Katie and Didi contacted me from Hong Kong as they had arranged to have their wedding at the Cortijo de la Perdiz here in Cancelada near Marbella. 

Heather at Fiestasol was their planner and caterer and they wanted to add some special touches and flowers to their day.  We had a lovely time with Katie listening to her ideas and creating her wedding details and never actually met with her until her wedding day.

 Katie was one of the most helpful and delightful brides I have had this year, she was a beautiful person and delighted in having the children around for her wedding.  Heather had set up a kiddies area in the courtyard for the kids and they put on a lovely show and stole the bridal flowers!!!

We created some country style enamel jugs with some foliage and a few gerberas to add the colour and tied the table names to the jugs with fuschia ribbons.  Katie had a ceremony at the villa with a gazebo set up on the lawn, there is a lovely photo of the girls looking out the window to see us setting it all up on Jeremy's blog.

Plan a Simple But Stylish Wedding

Weddings are one expense that can quickly spiral out of control, and unlike the purchase of your home, you will likely need all the money up front or at least a credit card to get the job done. Planning a simple wedding can help you keep the costs down, but that does not mean you have to have a "cheap" event because it can still be very stylish. Below are a few tips for planning your simple but stylish wedding.

Planning

Before you look for flowers, banquet halls and catering you will want to sit down and plan the entire event. Make a list of the things you want in your wedding and then come back and take out things that are not essential. You may be amazed at the money you can save with this step alone.

Guest List

Some people want to invite everyone they have ever come in contact with to their special day. However, consider the merits of having only very close friends and relatives at the ceremony itself. You can invite the rest of the town to the reception afterwards if you like. Keeping the guest list small will affect the size of the location you need for the actual wedding, thereby cutting expenses immediately.

Location

Once you have a firm guest list in mind it is time to find the location for your wedding. While fancy banqueting halls are nice, you have to ask yourself if they are that important. Some of the most beautiful weddings have been conducted on the beach or at a friend's stylish home. I got married by the side of a lake. So, forget all the fancy scenes you have seen in the movies and concentrate on making your day the best it can be within your budget.

Do it Yourself

Decorations and food add a good amount of money to your wedding. Think about creating some of the decorations yourself to save money. For instance, a beautiful trellis can be easily constructed with PVC pipe, lights and tulle. This works especially well if you will be having an inside wedding where the lights can be lowered and the trellis creates a romantic backdrop. If you are not mechanically or artistically inclined check with friends and family. Chances are good that one of them can come through for you.

Browse the bridal magazines for ideas and then look for ways to recreate them for a reasonable price. Flowers, table centerpieces, and even the cake can often be done very reasonably if you use just a bit of creativity.

Conclusion

Do not let the thought of planning a stylish wedding on a budget get you down. Look at it more like a challenge or a treasure hunt! Even your wedding gown can be absolutely stunning, but still bought for a reasonable price. Consignment shops and discount shops often have gorgeous dresses for less than $500. Remember what the day is all about: you are joining your life with the person you love, and everything else is just icing on the cake so to speak.

Steve Roberts has provided Pre-Marital Counseling for over 25 years and has seen wedding preparations from the inside out. Married 31 years to Pam, his partner in Life and profession, he has personally known the peaks and valleys of the couple experience.

A Winter Wonderland Inspiration

I love this winter wonderland board I found on the White Petal Blog.

The Winter Wonderland theme is endless for adding a creative touch to your party or wedding, using snowy branches, pine cones and frosted silvery decorations presents such a special quality.

New Wedding Stationery Range from Reviva Weddings

We are very excited to launch our new wedding stationery range, which has been designed in particular with our weddings in mind, by our hugely talented Anoulka.

Anoulka is part of our design and decoration team and is a hugely creative and talented person, who I nearly let slip through the net!

Thank goodness I didn't, as Anoulka contacted me last year and nagged me stupid to let her do a trial day, the rest is history and Anoulka is now well and truly integrated as part of the Reviva wedding team.

We have been working on a range of stationery, over the winter, to compliment our fabulous designs and weddings, currently we have my favourite, the Bali nights, our very stylish Moroccan range, the romantic Midsummer night garden collection that we specifically created for one of our brides here, and the range will continue to be developed over the next few months.

Some other ranges we are also working on at the moment, again in particular for some of our weddings this year, are a spanish flamenco fan theme which is very pretty with fan shaped menus and our new vintage candle and lantern range.


All the themes offer Save the Dates, Invitations, Order of Service, Table Seating Plans, Placecards, Tags, Menus, Welcome Gift Bag Messages, anything you feel you need to compliment your complete stationery requirements for your wedding.

We can personalise your stationery with a beautiful range of ribbons, diamante and embellishments and please do watch this space as we introduce our new ranges into the collection.

If you would like more information please do contact us or visit Anoulka's brand new website which is still under some construction, to see more of this very exciting new stationery range available now for your wedding, which we feel is very different :)

If you have a particular design you would like made up for your wedding here please do let us know or we can match to your existing stationery if you wish to continue your theme here for your table seating plans, placecards, etc and we do offer a service to organise your guest list and send out the stationery for you.

Why Have Titanium Wedding Rings Become So Popular?

Fifteen years ago very few people outside of very high end jewelry shops had even heard of using titanium for rings. While it had been used in aviation, medicine and manufacturing, the use of titanium for rings and jewelry was just unheard of for the most part.

Now titanium wedding rings are the hottest sellers in the jewelry industry. Those couples who compare gold, platinum and titanium for their rings often end up with a titanium wedding ring.

There are several reasons why titanium has become a popular choice for those seeking a wedding ring:

Hypoallergenic Properties
Many people have had the experience of buying a watch, ring or earrings and suffering an allergic reaction. Impure metals-rings are seldom 100% of any material-can cause reactions with human skin. Titanium is inert, which means it will not react with human tissue. In fact, it is often used for hip transplants due to its strength and non-reactive properties.

Cost
The cost of gold and platinum are at all-time highs. This, of course, means that gold wedding rings and platinum wedding rings are also very expensive these days. For example, a basic platinum wedding band will cost at least $1000 and a gold wedding bands, depending on the design, can be equally or more expensive. Titanium, however, has not seen such dramatic rises in cost over the years. A great, handcrafted titanium ring is typically about half the price as its counterparts.
Strength and Durability
Titanium is an extremely durable material for wedding rings. Often used for airplane and submarine components, titanium is very strong and will not ding or dent like gold-a much softer metal. Scratching, though possible, is much more unlikely for a titanium ring than a gold ring. Another great thing about titanium is that it won't react with sea water or almost all corrosive elements. This means that titanium ring wearers can wear their ring day in and day out without worrying about damaging the ring. A well-made titanium ring will last a lifetime.
Design Choices
Many people getting married these days do not want the same gold wedding band style their father, uncles, grandfather and grandfather's father had. Gold rings are just, well, too traditional and boring for many wedding ring buyers.
Titanium, unlike gold, allows for some very creative and unique ring designs. For example, a simple titanium wedding band can have a gold inlay, but it can also have an opal, Koa wood, or Tiger's Eye inlay. Titanium rings with inlays are very popular for wedding bands because they are available in many designs that are stylish, unique and a better reflection of the wearer's personality than the old standby-a yellow gold wedding band.

Chocolate Diamond Wedding Rings - Today's Popular Engagement Ornaments

Marriages are said to be made in heaven. Wedding rings symbolizes this happy event, today chocolate diamond engagement rings have become the choice of most consumers. These are studded with beautiful and sparkling chocolate diamonds. International stars and common men are buying these sparkling finger ornaments. Chocolate colored diamonds are obtained from mines of Africa, Australia and Russia. These diamonds attain a brownish hue due to pressure of the earth. Today these gemstones have got a huge craze in the jewelry market. Chocolate rings are used by couples to mark holy and sacred emotions during an engagement or marriage ceremony. These are excellent alternatives for those who want to wear something special and unique than white and colorless diamond rings. Before choosing such wedding rings one should be acquainted with the background of chocolate diamonds studded in it. These diamonds are cheaper than traditional white diamonds and have an attractive dark luster.
One can buy chocolate rings of any shapes. They are also available in combination with other gemstones like Emerald, Ruby and Blue Sapphire. But the best stone combination of these rings is that of "chocolate and vanilla cream".This marriage ring is made by combining chocolate diamond and white turquoise. Now after making one's mind what to buy a buyer has to choose a suitable place to purchase the ring. One must beware that some sellers may try to cheat by showing low graded stone rings that appear may appear like chocolate diamond rings due to radiant luster. One should be cautious while choosing and buying them. Search for original jewelry should be made until one finds it. Wedding rings studded with chocolate diamonds can be worn by those people who are sure of going well with it against a public crowd. These rings should be provided special care to make them sparkle for a long time. They must be protected in various ways. These rings should be kept away from heat to keep them rich in color.

Vera Wang Wedding Dresses - Why Are They So Loved?

Wedding dresses vera wang

Wedding dresses vera wang

vera wang wedding gown

Wedding dresses vera wang

Wedding gowns vera wang

Vera Wang was born in 1949 to affluent Chinese immigrants. She lived a luxurious life in Manhattan's Upper East Side where she attended private schools and studied at the School of American Ballet. Wang was a very talented figure skater and competed professionally throughout her teens and even placed fifth in the U.S. National Championships. When Wang graduated from college, she went to work at Vogue and was already a Senior Fashion Editor by the age of 23. After 15 years at Vogue, she went to work for Ralph Lauren.

Fabric of Wedding Gowns, 2012

Wedding gowns

Wedding dresses

Wedding gowns dresses

Wedding gowns dresses

Now-a-days, wedding gowns come in many styles, many shapes, several colors, many different types of material and many different types of embellishments. The consideration in regards to wedding gowns has to do with gown material cut, the way the gown might drape, and the different textures in materials.With each different type of material comes a different look. Because of the different types of material for wedding gowns, a different feel of the material is appropriate. Some materials can bring about the appearance of crispness, while others might give the appearance of softness.

Some materials might be more popular than others. The material most popular and most desired by today's brides is that of silk. Silk has a "quality of refinement." The reason silk is in such demand is because it has a sense of resiliency, elasticity, and strength. The threads of silk-type materials have been created to be that of density woven silk that creates similar to that of densely woven silk that creates a gloss. Then there is that silk like material charmeuse that has a rougher nubby quality. Then there is a other types silk like that of chiffon, tulle, and organza. The last few silk types just mentioned here, are light weight and transparent.

As you continue reading here about, let's define and describe other materials that could be used as part of one's bridal gown. They are:

1) Baptiste: This is a light soft transparent fabric.

2) Crepe: A light soft thin fabric with a crinkled surface.

3) Duchess satin: A light weight hybrid of silk and rayon or polyester woven into a satin finish.

4) Illusion: This is a fine sheer net fabric generally used on the sleeves or neckline of a bridal gown.

5) Moire: This is a heavy silk taffeta with a subtle wavy design to the material.

6) Organdy: This is a stiff transparent fabric.

7) Peau de Soie: A soft satin-faced high quality cloth with a dull luster, fine ribs, and with a grainy appearance.

8) Silk: The most sought after cherished fiber used for wedding dresses and is also the most expensive type of material. Then there is also what's called raw silk, silk mikado-silks heavier than 100% silk.

9) Taffeta: This material is not only crisp and smooth, but it also has what is called a "light rib."

10) Tulle: Netting made of silk, nylon and rayon. Tulle is used often for bridal petticoats and wedding veils.

Now-a-days, there seems to be more of a variety in bridal gown material types. Some gowns even have a combination of several of the above material types within one gown itself. Regardless of material in a bridal gown, most gowns will create a very special picture of any bride wearing any type of gown made with any type of material.

Bridal Hair Accessories - Are You Looking For The Best Pin Up Choices?

wedding hair up

wedding hair up

wedding hair updos

wedding hair up style

So what's the big deal about bridal hair accessories that make the bride-to-be so jittery? Plenty, if she is planning a wedding ensemble that is perfect. After all, it is once in a life time that she will be decked up. So, why not make the right fuss. There are a number of bridal hair accessories that can add to the crowning glory of the mega-event. First, have a look at the ones that are the hottest trends of 2010 and then make the choice.