Butterfly champagne toasting flutes

When it comes to your wedding day, one of the most personal choices for any couple is the champagne flutes you will use to toast each other, as well as your marriage. If you’re looking for wedding champagne flutes that will look lovely on display in your new dining room after the wedding, these champagne flutes from Bridal People are a perfect choice.

The butterflies give a great dash of spring flair to your wedding in a subtle way that won’t make your husband-to-be feel silly holding it for your big toast. Picture yourself standing before your wedding party and all of your guests, smiling into your spouses’ eyes and feeling your heart as light as the butterflies on the glass. Those butterflies that were in your stomach on your first date…the butterflies you will feel when you find out you will be grandparents.

They can be personalized with your and your spouses’ name and wedding date, which is a must for turning your champagne flutes into keepsakes that will be treasured for years to come. At only $22.95, they don’t have to break your tight wedding budget either.

No matter what your wedding theme is, butterflies on your champagne flutes will fit in smoothly. No worries about your spring wedding decor not matching, no worries about having something too “cute” or “different” - but at the same time, having something that you can show to your bridesmaids and get a little thrill when they ask, “Where did you get those flutes? They’re just gorgeous!”

The Cake

In my opinion…I think that a cake, while very pretty, is a waste of money. I mean you can get a beautiful small cake to display and do the traditional cutting of the cake without spending a fortune. And then have a sheet cake in the back kitchen that they can cut and give out to your guests. You can get really good sheet cakes at a great price too - especially the kinds with the thick and sweet frostings (yum!!). Save your money for something else…like the honeymoon!!! I convinced my cousin to do this and she was so glad that she did - she ended up saving $400 and the cake she served was so much better than any pricey wedding cake I have ever had!

Reception: Food on a Budget

The meal or refreshments for your wedding reception can cut into a large part of your budget. Although there is “general and traditional” etiquette, you don’t necessarily have to follow. This is your wedding and it should reflect who you are and not a matter of trying to impress to the point you go in debt. Whether refined or downscaled, your reception can have style and stay within your budget.

Tips for early afternoon weddings:

A dessert buffet - have an assortment of cookies, mini cakes, pastries, truffles, along with punch and coffee. If you have a friend or family member who is a great cook, they may be more than willing to offer their baking skills. It would make the perfect wedding gift.

Tea-party style - a large variety of finger sandwiches, toasted panini, small cakes, tarts and tea, coffee and champagne.

Picnic - if you’re having an outdoor summer wedding, especially near or in a park, going picnic style may work very well. Include fried chicken, slaw, green beans, corn on the cob, potato salad, baked beans, rolls, chips and dips, simple desserts and drinks. Wine, whether alcoholic or non-alcoholic would add a nice touch.

Tips for evening weddings:

A buffet - a variety of pasta, rice, potatoes and bread, along with vegetables and/or garden salad, roasted chicken, sliced turkey, cabbage rolls and simple desserts. Soup would also work well.

Simple - a variety of sliced meats such as roast beef, ham and turkey and a variety of sliced cheese such as provolone, swiss, cheddar. Add in fruits such as grapes, strawberries, sliced apples with dip, a variety of salads and a variety of bread and crackers.

Cocktail-hour style - keep it simple with only cocktail food and drinks. Serve a variety of non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks with garnishes such as olives, lemon or lime and cherries. For food, include cheese and crackers, canapés, chips and salsa, raw vegetables with dip, pigs in a blanket and a variety of nuts.

Other tips:

Having the reception catered can be more expensive, but it can also lessen the pressure. This is an individual decision. If you cater your own reception, enlist friends and family members to help. Most people genuinely enjoy being part of the wedding in some way. You can also buy prepared fruit, vegetable, cheese and meat trays at a quality deli, which will save you time and be good on your budget.

If your budget doesn’t allow for a large wedding cake, have a small one made, just for the bride and groom, and then have sheet cakes for the guests.

Simple wedding receptions can be elegant and certainly just as memorable as more elaborate receptions.

Novelty Wedding Cakes for Creative Brides and Grooms

I love flipping through bridal magazines and seeing all the creative wedding cakes (and groom’s cakes) that people come up with. It’s really amazing.

I think most of these cakes would be considered over-the-top by the average bride and groom — who, I’d guess, would prefer something abstract and/or elegant to, say, something with a Super Mario Bros (!) theme.

But they’re still totally worth a look — you never know what sort of idea might be sparked by a novelty wedding cake.

Things:
Jukebox cake
Tea for Two cake
Daleks & Phone booth cake (here’s an explanation)
Grandfather Clock cake
Turtle & Elephants cake
Classic Car cake
A Suitcase cake… and, another Suitcase cake
Rotary Phone cake
Nintendo cake (perfect for a retro wedding!)
Dog cake

Places:
Mountain cake (perfect for ski buffs)
Lifeboat cake
Yacht cake
French Village cake
Taj Mahal cake
Moroccan Pagoda cake
Japanese Pagoda cake
Sherwood Forest cake, for the Robin Hood fans
Minas Tirith, for the Tolkien-obsessed

Which of these is your favorite? Would you ever use one at your wedding? (Or, maybe a toned-down version of one of them?)

Let’s Talk Appetizers!

If you have been thinking about appetizers, please check out Appetizers To Go. You can order on-line and they are offering free overnight shipping, and a free gift with the purchase of three boxes of appetizers.

The suggested appetizers for your wedding are also on sale, and can save you a good deal of money. Here is a list of some of the most popular wedding appetizers..

Asparagus Rollup
Butter Marinated Maine Lobster Brochettes
Chicken Dumplings
King Mushroom Cap Combo
Panko Breaded Artichoke
Poached Pear with Brie in Filo Purse
Salmon Dill Gougeres
Shrimp and Pork Dumpling

…and many more.

What will the hot wedding trends of 2008 be?

I just came across a list of wedding trends to watch out for this coming year. The trends I liked best were:

Green Weddings
…for couples who want to do their part to help the Earth. Green weddings can incorporate such things as invitations made of recycled paper, conflict-free diamond jewelry and honeymoons to eco-resorts.

Interactive Planning
Everyone has a wedding website nowadays, so why not make your wedding planning interactive? Set up a bunch of polls and have your guests vote on various aspects of the wedding (e.g., first dance? cake flavor? favors?).

Cover Bands
How cool would it be to have a Guns N’ Roses cover band at your wedding? Or… maybe that’s just me. Swing orchestras, Latin ensembles, and many other types of cover/tribute bands can add a special feel to a wedding.

Sample Stations
Wine and cheese station, chocolate station, champagne bar… yum!

Vintage Visions
More couples will aim for an old-fashioned look with dresses, suits and rings that are either genuinely vintage or cleverly designed to seem that way.

Other trends included: Switching up one’s gown or hairstyle halfway through the event, ’steel gray’ as an accent color, and having weddings at home.

Special Diets Driving You Crazy?

     When trying to decide what and how to serve the food for your wedding, you will want to make sure that you offer things that everyone can eat. You may have family or guests that are on special diets due to diabetes, or other health issues. There may be those that are on lo-calorie, lo-fat, lo-carb, lo-salt, or even allergic to peanuts or wheat, or those that are lactose intolerant.

Be confident that if your menu offers variety, even those that are diet restricted can eat something you offer. Don’t let it drive you crazy. You as the hostess are responsible for offering a variety of foods, but you are not responsible for a complete days dietary requirements for each person. For example those that are vegetarians can easily eat pasta, salads, and other side dishes and just choose not to eat the meat. If it is a matter of a severe allergy like with peanuts, you may want to give that special attention. However with a good variety of meats, produce, and carbs, your guests can pick or choose what they can and want to eat.

My Bridal Show Experience (And Some Advice!)

I’m just starting to plan my wedding, and yesterday I attended my first two bridal shows.

The best part of each was definitely the free food. I sampled tuna, pork, scallops, potatoes, egg rolls, sushi, assorted finger foods, and 6 different types of cake. (Never go to one of these things on a full stomach!) And then there was the wine — I had a glass of so-so pinot grigio and fantastic pinot noir. Yum.

Besides the good food, though, there was the real reason for going: to learn about my local vendors and decide which (if any) would be a good fit to the party I’m trying to plan. I talked to photographers, videographers, florists, cake people, chefs, DJs, officiants, stationers, and even a chauffeur. From each of these people I received at least one (more like 3 or 4) pieces of written information, so that by the end of the day I had a bag brimming with booklets and brochures.

Overall it was a really fun, helpful experience. I do have some ideas about how I might do it differently next time, though, so I thought I’d share them here:

• Set up a separate e-mail account to give to wedding vendors and wedding websites. I gave my main email address to 50 people over the course of the day, and now I’ll probably be inundated with messages I don’t really need. In hindsight, I wish I had used an alternate address — both to keep all wedding stuff in one place, and to keep it from taking over my main account.
• Go with specific questions in mind. And have a pen. Ask your questions, and if you like the answers you hear, jot that down on the literature they give you to remind you later on. For instance, I’m considering a double wedding with my soon-to-be sister-in-law, so we went around asking various officiants how they would handle such a thing. Some people came up with great responses; others did not.
• Don’t eat too much! I know it’s hard not to try a little of everything, but remember that a lot of the food is rich, filling, and exotic — the type of stuff most people aren’t used to eating and that may or may not mix well in the stomach. Add to that the noise, the heat of a crowded room, the strong odor of other foods and flowers, and you have the perfect recipe for nausea.

If you’re planning a wedding and you hear about a bridal show in your area, I encourage you to attend. Even if you don’t find any vendors you like, there are a lot of fun things to see and cool people to talk to — and, best of all, many delicious foods to sample (in moderation, of course). Have fun!

A Simple Affair

Congratulations! You are getting married. Now it’s time to make at least 100 different decisions on a weekly basis until the Big Day. One decision to make early on is how elaborate a wedding you will be planning. Some brides opt for a simple affair with fewer than 100 guests and a more casual setting. Some brides want more and that is OK, too. It is your day after all. For a simple wedding, there might not be as many details to iron out, but there still is much to do. One order of business will be food.

For a simple wedding, a caterer may seem like overkill. If you are just having a few close friends and family at your wedding, save the money for the honeymoon. There are some simple food solutions that can be done for small weddings. First you will need to decide the menu. The menu will depend upon the time of day. If your wedding will fall during a normal eating time, then a meal should be served. If it’s more of an afternoon or morning affair, then appetizers should fit the bill.

Serving a meal doesn’t have to equate to a lot of money. Chances are you will be asked by family if there is anything they can do for your wedding. Take them up on their offer and ask them to bring something. Maybe an aunt has a great chicken recipe that would go great for your reception. Most family members will be more than happy for the chance to have a part in your wedding day.

Snack foods like cheese and crackers make a nice spread for a wedding reception. A fruit and vegetable tray will help to balance all of the cake eating that guests will be doing. The food doesn’t have to be fancy to be good. Simple foods will be a huge hit since everyone will know what it is and eat up.

Meal planning for a simple wedding will depend upon budget and time of wedding. Once those two details are hammered out, the possibilities are seemingly endless even on a tight budget.

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