The Music!

Sorry for the lack of posts last week! It got very hectic 'round these parts. There are just a couple of posts left until the big day, and maybe then I'll blog about something else. Any suggestions? :) Leave them in the comments, guys and dolls.


The music is a very key part to any wedding. Let's break it into five sections.

1. What are you going to be walking down to?

•    There's always the traditional wedding march. 
• Or maybe Pachelbel's Canon in D Major?
• Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring? 
• Ode to Joy?
• Rondeau?
• Or maybe something completely non-traditional but very meaningful to you and your fiancee. 
• I like Yiruma's River Flows in You but then Twilight ruined it even though it apparently wasn't in the movie.
• WHATEVER.

I know some couples have decided to not actually walk down the aisle, but to just be there when the guests arrive. There's also that one thing about people dancing down the aisle. Whatever you want to do, pick music that's fitting. A wedding is a very joyous occasion, and it should be fun, but please don't make it ridiculous. Take into account how serious a decision that you're making. The ceremony is not meant to be a dance party, in my opinion, as cute as I thought the idea was. (I'm very conflicted on this matter). 

2. What will you be playing during dinner?

• This might be the opportunity to play the older, jazzier songs on your playlist. While I love those types,  it's not very likely that they'll be good songs to really dance to, unless they're for slow dances or if your friends are big fans of that genre. Of course, there are older songs that can get people moving and that they're familiar with, but most people like to sing along to familiar songs that are popular and that they hear often.
• So if you have some a lot of softer songs that you'd like to play during the party at some point, play them during dinner and save some for slow dances. 

3. If you decide to, what are you and your father going to dance to?

• I'm going to get this out of the way right now. DON'T PLAY BUTTERFLY KISSES, I LOVED HER FIRST, ETC. You will have a room full of sobbing people, including you and your father. Save everyone some pain for the love of all that's holy. You can do something very sweet and meaningful without making everyone need to get another stiff drink at the bar to compose themselves. 
• A wedding is a very happy day, but it can be bittersweet for parents. Go easy on them, kids.

4. What are you going to dance to with your husband or wife?

• This, like the father-daughter dance (or mother-son, if you want!) should be meaningful. It doesn't necessarily have to be slow. It could be fun and fast-paced, but it should mean something to the two of you. Again, try to avoid tear-jerkers. People will most likely cry no matter what's played, so maybe that's kind of unavoidable, but try to not add to their suffering. 

5. Lastly, what are you going to play for dancing?

• As mentioned earlier, people like to dance to songs that they're familiar with. If you like older songs, there are definitely a lot of them that are familiar. Even if they're not, they're punchy and fun and fast and should be nice to dance to. Don't, however, fill your playlist with these. Most people listen to the radio, which is pretty much not-great-music-but-fun-to-dance-to-music central. 
• People like to sing along. If they don't know the words, they might feel kind of awkward on the dance floor.
• Pick a fantastic song to start the dancing out with, and bride and groom, maybe you should consider being the ones who start. Few people like to be the ones that start the dancing (I kind of love attention so I have no problem with this, and neither does my oldest brother - the one that's getting married). 
• Definitely have some slow songs lined up! If you have older people at the wedding, chances are they aren't going to be fist pumping to the Black Eyed Peas. Married couples might want to share a slow dance with their significant others, and your parents may not have had their fill of dancing with you. If you have siblings, this would be a good opportunity to get a dance with them in. 

I think that pretty much covers all the bases. Have a fantastic rest of your day, guys and dolls! :) I'll see you week. 

The Decorations.

Good afternoon, guys and dolls! I'm really loving your outfit. You look fantastic. Also, last week's post is below this one! Check it out. :)

So a big part of the wedding reception is the decorations. Obviously the first step is to think of your wedding colors and what you like as decorations. Do you like balloons, tulle, paper flowers, fairy lights, etc? Do you want to make them yourself or buy them?

The possibilities for decorations are endless. My soon to be sister-in-law is doing beautiful things with lace, paper lanterns, tulle, and puffy paper flowers, which we are going to be working on later on tonight. She, her mom, and the rest of the bridal party are hard at work on the decorations and didn't really buy much for decorations, except for the supplies to do it themselves. I think this is a great option if you have the time and resources, unless you are not someone who really likes to do crafts (such as myself). In that case, there are lots of great decorations on the market. My favorites that are the most traditional are flowers, fairy lights, and candles. Using those three are a really nice way of keeping it simple but still very pretty and classy.

But what if you want a little more pop to your wedding? Go for brighter colors and maybe some ribbon around the chairs and along the walls. Paper lanterns are always a nice touch to every occasion. If your wedding is themed, then choose decorations to match.

At my cousin's wedding, they weren't allowed to put anything on the wall, and my brother and his fiancee are using the same venue. They're playing up the tables and hanging a lot from the ceiling, and so far I think it's going to be gorgeous. At my cousin's reception, though, they kind of back lit the room with purple lights on the floor, which looked really cool. There are so many awesome ways to incorporate lights into a wedding reception. You don't have to use just plain tea lights or taper candles. You can float them on water, hang them from the ceiling, nestle them in grass, whatever you want to do! The decorating part of the wedding might be the more fun aspect and definitely the most creative.

As for centerpieces, do something fun and pretty, but don't put so much on the table that your guests won't have anywhere to put their dinner plates. Choose the flowers you want there, and a couple of candles, and if there's still room, maybe some candy. Pick out original and unique vases that you really like. There's also no law that you have to have flowers! Make it all candy, or all candles, or whatever else. At my graduation party (or wedding) I want to have fake fireflies in jars as centerpieces with some grass around them and small flowers. Just picturing it makes me happy.

To sum up:

1. As always, keep it original, but keep it classy, too!
2. Think of ways to make the centerpieces and tables look really cool, but don't make them too busy or crowded.
3. Come up with ways to make the lighting pretty, but not harsh or too dark. 

Have a wonderful rest of your day!

The Cake!

I was so busy last week with actual wedding stuff that I did not have time to make a post. But things have quieted down, and here I am. Still, this post is going to be shorter than the other ones. Time crunches!

There are a LOT of generic wedding cakes in the world. You know the ones; white frosting, some fondant flower, and white icing to decorate. I mean, if you're into that kind of traditional stuff, then go ahead. But there are ways to do traditional while still adding a little bit of your own flare to it.

My biggest pet peeve when it comes to wedding cakes is that yes, the ones covered in fondant may look pretty, but very few people are going to want to actually chew through fondant. I think fondant is SUPER gross and should be restricted only to cake decorating. You can have a cake that looks beautiful with just icing that actually tastes good. However, if the majority of your guests like fondant and will eat cake covered in it, carry on. Just don't expect me to be happy about it.

Consider getting a cake made that's unique to you. Do you and your fiancee both love video games? Why not have a video game themed cake? More of a superhero kind of couple (like myself?) Get a couple of Batman and Catwoman cake toppers. I know a couple that had Green Arrow and Black Canary toppers on their cupcakes at their table and I thought it was pretty awesome. But really, don't have a cake that everyone has seen a hundred times before. Jazz it up with some bright colors, cute toppers, or pretty lace or ribbons. I'd also suggest not going for the basic vanilla flavor. Try chocolate, red velvet, peanut butter, marble, gingerbread, pumpkin, or whatever else you can think of. Pick one of your favorite cake flavors and go with it!

If you want to make your own cake and you are not an expert baker/cake decorator, go for something simple and pretty. There a ton of cake decorating tutorials on YouTube and everywhere else on the Internet if you want to learn how to do something more intricate. That's how one of my good friends got started with her cake decorating business, and her cakes are gorgeous. A couple of pictures of hers will be at the end, as well as a link to her Etsy site. She mostly sells decorations, but I've had her cakes and cupcakes and they are absolutely delicious.

There's also no law saying you have to have a cake. Lots of people are opting for cupcakes nowadays, as well as pie. I don't really like pie (yeah, I know. I don't like bacon, either) but I do think it's a very cute idea, especially for an autumn or winter wedding. Cupcakes, in general, are just a fantastic idea for every occasion. Keep these things in mind when you're planning your wedding. You don't have to go with the flow of tradition, but don't be quirky for the sake of it, either! Do what you like and what you think will make your special day even more special.

To wrap up:

1. Don't do something boring and forgettable for your cake.
2. Think of things that you and your fiancee both like and try to find a way to incorporate them into your cake, or any other aspect of your wedding.
3. Be careful and think it over carefully if you want to make your own cake for your wedding. It will be a lot of work if you have a large guest list.
4. Consider other options instead of a cake - some people don't even like cake. Try pie, cupcakes, cookies, brownies, etc.

Pictures!

                                          Tami's cakes! Link to her Etsy shop:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/SugarArtByTami?page=1

Have a fabulous day!

To ring or not to ring?

Most every engagement is proposed with a ring of the to-be-bride's choosing. And that's just fine, although I would prefer if my ring was a surprise. That's just me, though. It's always the couple's choice  on whether or not they want to pick out the engagement ring together. That, however, is not the point of this post. Let's get crackin'.


Ladies, please take into account that if your boyfriend cannot buy you the $10,000 Tiffany's ring you saw online, it is not because he a) does not love you, b) he should get another job, or c) YOU DESERVE IT AND HE'S JUST BEING STUBBORN WAAAAH! No, it is not any of the above. It's because a $10,000 ring is ridiculously, outrageously overpriced. I don't care if the diamond was found in the midst of Pompeii being clutched by a small, preserved infant who happened to be a king. Most people cannot afford to spend $10,000 on a stinking ring. Buy yourself a car. Get yourself a nice apartment. And let me tell you, I could find a ring that looked exactly the same on Amazon for $40.

I beg of you to find the difference between those two rings. Not much of one, is there? Another thing that bugs me is that so many brides insist on the diamond and the princess cut. How crazy overrated can a ring get? Go for something different! Try a marquise. I see those so rarely, and they're gorgeous. Instead of a diamond, look for your favorite gemstone. If diamond is your favorite stone, then by all means, carry on and scroll past this. But do not feel like you have to get a diamond because that appears to be the only thing available to you. It isn't! There are so many options that go unnoticed because of this stupid diamond-princess-gotta-have-that-only trend. I would much prefer an emerald or a pearl.

Really, though, the engagement isn't about the ring. Who says you need one? Get a necklace, a bracelet, a toe ring, an anklet, a pair of earrings. Don't get anything. Get a Ring Pop. Get something that means something to you. Better yet, save the money if you can't afford to spare it and just be thrilled about being engaged. Getting married is one of the biggest decisions of your life. Why waste your time whining and being picky about a ring your boyfriend cannot possibly afford to buy you, or a ring he hates? I know that you have to wear it for the rest of your life. However, that doesn't mean it has to be a ring you don't like. The best option if you're very picky IS to go shopping with your boyfriend. You can choose something you both think is pretty, affordable, and very much to your taste. 

To sum up:

1. Don't be ridiculous. Don't expect your boyfriend to shell out thousands of dollars for a ring.
2. Don't feel like you have to go with the trends. Try something new and something that you love. Go traditional, go crazy, go silly - whatever you want. Just make sure it's you. 
3. Most importantly, don't feel like you HAVE to have a ring to be engaged. That is not what an engagement is. If you want a symbol that you're engaged and don't want a ring, or can't afford one, try something cheaper but still tasteful and pretty. 
4. Choose something that looks good on your hand and that you love, not something all your friends got.
5. Buying an expensive ring isn't necessary. (Can you tell this is one of my wedding pet peeves?) You can find the same ring online somewhere for much cheaper. Spare your bank accounts a little pain, eh?
6. Frankly, you don't even need a ring. Keep that in mind!

DIFFERENT ENGAGEMENT OPTIONS: