How to choose your wedding colors

To have visual unity in your wedding, you need specific colors. The colors you choose can create a look that evokes elegance and make your wedding appear more expensive than it actually is.

As you may well know, lots of brides have a difficult time choosing their colors, but it is possible, and it can be easy.

Many individuals use their favorite colors for their wedding theme or determine it by considering a favorite flower. Ideally, you should select one main color and one to two accents.

How do you choose?

First, find out if there are any predetermined aspects. For example, does the ceremony or reception location have strong colors? Do you absolutely have to have a certain flower? Have you already decided on the bridesmaids dresses?

If any of the above are true, then you're halfway there. If not, you can start thinking about the season your wedding will take place: Spring and summer ceremonies generally have bright colors or pastels; many winter weddings have deep purples, gray-greens, burgundies and silvers; and fall ceremonies usually have harvest tones like oranges, yellows and reds.

Here's what you should stay away from:

• Too much black. Yes, black is sophisticated, but have too much, and your wedding might end up looking like a funeral. If you love black, and it's an absolute must-have, balance it with a bright color or lots of crisp white.
• Losing your personality. Don't choose colors just because your grandmother or future mother-in-law loves them. Instead, consider what you usually wear and the shades used to decorate your place; these are probably colors you're more comfortable with.
• Choosing too many wedding colors. Two is ideal; three will work; any more than that, and your wedding will probably look like it's all over the place. Your wedding colors are supposed to tie everything together. The best way to do this? Have everything in one of two shades.

Other things to consider:

• Go monochromatic and have various shades of one color. For instance, if green is your color, maybe your bridesmaids could wear different shades of that, and you could have various shades at your reception as well.
• Have related tones (ones adjacent to each other on the color wheel). You could try green and yellow or red, purple and blue.
• Try complementary shades (colors located opposite each other on the color wheel). These are combos like forest green and burgundy or lavendar and pale yellow).
• If you have a favorite color you really love, emphasize it with neutrals. For example, if purple is your fave color, you could have your bridesmaids wear cream dresses with purple sashes and your groomsmen wear off-white tuxedos and purple botonnieres.

When you have an idea of the shades you want, check this out to see how everything will look together.

Have you chosen your wedding colors? If so, what are they? If not, what colors are you leaning towards?

Photo from: best-wedding-info.com; Article Source: Choosing your wedding colors

Stella & Dot Giveaway !!

We promised you an exciting Stella & Dot giveaway so here it is. Our representative Naomi Legault http://stelladot.com/sites/naomi is putting this stunning Sofia Pearl Bib Necklace up for grabs, valued at $131. http://stelladot.com/sites/naomi/productcatalog?page=productdetail&sku=N1016I

This necklace has been featured on brides in runway shows and Naomi told us the brides went bananas for it- we believe it !

How can it be yours? Simply sign up for our newsletter at: http://www.marrymeproductions.ca/gossip.html and you'll be entered into the contest- it's that simple. Are you already one of our wonderful subscribers?- don't worry, you have already been entered into the contest ! Our newsletter is sent every month and includes fabulous wedding tips, local vendor recommendations, a 'website of the month' feature and fun wedding facts.

Oh, and don't worry if you are not getting married, this necklace looks amazing with a crisp blouse and sharp pencil skirt at the office. Either way, you're going to look fabulous- the only question is where will you be looking fabulous.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJw9bijvp6E

Contest closes Wednesday May 12 2010. We will be choosing an email address/entrant at random and notifying that person via email.

Good luck !

How to create your wedding inspiration board

When it comes to planning the wedding of your dreams, every detail is important. Initially, you may not be exactly sure what you want; creating a wedding inspiration board can help you come up with and organize your ideas.

A wedding inspiration board is a collage of photographs that signifies the tone of your wedding. It will help you choose colors, themes, decor and other wedding details, and it will serve as the inspiration for your wedding.

Additionally, you can show the board to your vendors to give them a better idea of what you want for your wedding. It will also help you stay focused and keep you from purchasing things that don't fit your vision.

So, how do you make one?

Choose images that speak to you and that portray the type of wedding you want. You can find photos in magazines, websites, catalogs and online. If you're creating a physical board, print any photos you find online and cut out the ones you see in magazines and other publications. You can also use small objects or fabric swatches for your board. Place the items on a poster or bulletin board, and you're all done!

Creating an inspiration board on your computer is easier than creating a physical one. Do an online search, and you'll find thousands of images that fit your wedding vision. You can also scan magazine images and other photos you have. To make your board on the computer, you can use a photo and image editing software or a free software program like MosaicMaker.

For an example of how to create your wedding inspiration board, check out our source: How to create a wedding inspiration board.

Creative ways to announce your engagement

So, you just got engaged? Congratulations!

Now that you've taken that big step, you might be wondering how to let everyone know. Here are five creative and fun ways to share your big news with all your loved ones:

Show them with pictures. Take a favorite photo of you two or schedule an engagement photo session and turn the shots into postcards on an online photo service like Snapfish.com. Pre-print your engagement announcement, then all you have to do is mail them to spread your wonderful news!

Send a video ecard. You're probably feeling goofy-happy about your engagement, so why not share that feeling with everyone in a funny way? On TheKnot.com, you can make a personalized engagement announcement that will get big laughs. Pick a theme (ballroom, beach or barnyard) with music to match, and upload your favorite photos of each other. Your smiling heads will be connected to kooky dancing bodies as you star in a musical production guaranteed to get a laugh. And the best part? It gets to everyone's inbox with a simple click of a button. (See how to make it here).

Check out the other three tips: 5 Creative Ways to Announce Your Engagement

Photo from: molleen.com

Earth Day of 2010 - April 22

Today is earth day. Check here to learn what actions you can take to make this world greener! If you are planning your wedding, you can do your part to add more green touch to your wedding. Check Here for green wedding favor ideas. Click Here for more eco-friendly favors.

Visit us at http://www.supergiftplace.com

Welcome!

Hello and welcome to the blog of Anointed Affairs Weddings and Events!

Anointed Affairs is a premier wedding service based near Washington, DC specializing in wedding planning and coordination. They also coordinate other events such as retirements, networking socials, anniversary parties and more.

We created this blog to share wedding tips, ideas and resources to aid you in your wedding planning process.

If you have any questions or have something you want to read, send us an email at anointedaffairs@comcast.net or leave a comment.

We look forward to serving you!

Accessorize with style

One of the most overlooked details about your wedding attire is your jewelry. Hair clips (once the veil comes off), earrings, a necklace (if the neckline of the dress warrants it), are often forgotten in the midst of choosing your dress, designing your hairstyle and shoe shopping. Most brides end up wearing the same pearls they wear to the office or the jewelry becomes your 'something borrowed'. Don't get us wrong, we are inspired with brides borrowing their mom's pearls she wore at her wedding or honouring Grandma's memory by wearing her vintage diamond earrings. But if you have nothing planned, consider buying something from a fabulous website we discovered.

Stella & Dot is a fairly new jewelry company based out of San Fransisco and has (thankfully) spread to Ottawa. Despite it being a new player in the industry their products have already been featured in prominent magazines such as Oprah, In Style, People, Lucky and more. Not to mention seen on a multitude of celebrities. The available jewelry looks so luxurious but can be yours from between $30 to $400. Affordable luxury- is there anything sweeter to the ears of a bride-to-be ?

The items are purchased by a company representative either online or at 'trunk shows' (think Tupperware parties minus the Tupperware).

Our contact at the company is Naomi Legault and she is extremely helpful and knows her stuff. The items can only be purchased through Naomi and can not be found in retail stores. She recently told us the the company is coming out with new items for the Spring. Specifically on April 26, we'll be introduced to the little girls' line which would be perfect for your adorable flower girl(s). Soon to come as well, a 'charms' collection that you can mix and match and personalize making them unique gifts of appreciation for your maids.

Now that you know a bit more about Stella & Dot, we're excited to announce that we will be teaming up with Naomi for an exciting giveaway!! We don't want to reveal too much now so check back here soon for all the details. We will say that we're pretty upset we are not eligible for the draw because the piece that is up for grabs is gorgeous !

Check out all the available goodies here http://www.stelladot.com/sites/naomi

or contact her at 613-858-5347. Items can be purchased directly through Naomi's website or by phone. If you can't narrow down an item and think your friends would love some of the stuff too, you could contact Naomi to request hosting a 'trunk show' so all your friends can see this chic jewelry up close. Just don't forget the mimosas !

Sabila and Brian's Literary Themed Wedding

As promised here are the FABULOUS pictures of Sabila and Brian's gorgeous wedding. Notice the stack of books on each table, the bride works in publishing and provided each guest with their own novel as a wedding favour!

Love Bird Rectangular Label - Edible Favor Ideas

When you select favors, there are so many choices. You are wondering which one to choose. You can choose edible favors and let your guests taste some local specialties. Or you are good at baking and want to impress your guests with your secret recipe. Here are some ideas to share with you.

Find and purchase airtight jars. This one is 21 oz / 600ml which can hold 30 pecans.

Purchase Love Bird Rectangular Label - $0.34 each with free personalization

Peel Love Bird Rectangular Label (4 colors available) off and put it on the jar. Wrap the top with a regular ribbon or our personalized ribbon.

There are so many more rectangular favor labels with all kinds of designs and colors. If you would like to receive a free sample of love bird rectangular label as shown on this blog post, please contact us. If you are planning a love bird themed wedding, check more love birds wedding items here. You pay $9.75 flat shipping fee, why not purchase all at one visit. To view our love birds blog post, click here.

Visit us at http://www.supergiftplace.com

The Future of Wedding Registries

With time comes changing trends. This is never more evident than in the wedding industry. Colours, textures and food tastes change annually, other wedding-related aspects change too, just more slowly.

Take for example wedding registries. They have been very useful to both the bride and groom (they get what they want) and their guests (they avoid visiting 5 malls to find the perfect gift) for years. But in this day and age, couples are getting married later in life (the average Canadian bride is 29.5 years old when she is engaged according to Wedding Bells magazine) and most likely living together with their partner before getting married (Wedding Bells magazine states that 75% of couples are living together before they are married). Therefore the engaged couple's home is fully furnished from couches down to gravy bowls. So what does today's bride and groom do regarding registering? Registering will most likely cause the couple to select items they don't really need. However, not registering will cause Aunt Edna to buy the couple a salad bowl shaped as a giant lettuce leaf because she thinks giving gift cards or money as a wedding gift is tacky.

Enter Hanna the owner of Wedding Republic, an Ottawa-based company that is revolutionizing the way engaged couples today are registering.

We met with Hanna recently and she explained in detail what her company does for both wedding guests and engaged couples and we just had to share the news with our blog readers.

In short, Wedding Republic is a web-based wedding registry for engaged couples who want to select wedding gifts that reflect who they truly are, with their gifts located all over the city/province/country. It's basically a cash fund; the couple lists gifts they would like to receive and the wedding guests contribute cash towards the gift. This allows the couple to get what they really want no matter where the gift is located and it gives the guests the opportunity to see what they are contributing to in the couples' new life together instead of just writing a cheque and placing it in a wedding card.

The funnest part for everyone involved is that nothing is off limits; from a winery tour during the honeymoon to solar panels for an energy efficient home to a handmade pottery bowl available only at a tucked away niche store that is owned by a husband and wife team.

We think the best part is that Wedding Republic finally caught onto the idea of 'group gifting'. When the couple registers for something a little pricier, a few guests get together and all chip in to buy the gift. But that is only possible if you organize it as a group beforehand. Wedding Republic has created the 'Puzzle Piece' feature which allows any guest to contribute a 'piece' towards the puzzle (the gift) without having to plan anything in advance or even having to know each other. The couple can have Uncle Ed, their coworkers and their BFF all contributing towards a new car or or their big screen TV.

Personalizing your wedding has never been more hot than it right now, so why not carry that over into your wedding registry as well and get the gifts you really want? Wedding guests will appreciate it too since there they can buy the gifts from the comfort of their own home, avoid collecting money for group gifts and avoid bringing the gift or a large amount of cash to the wedding reception.

After the wedding, couples can write thank you cards to their guests while their Roomba vacuums their floors (purchased through Wedding Republic) as they enjoy a chicken sandwich made with tasty Baconnaise (purchased through Wedding Republic) as the hubby heads off to the golf club to enjoy his new membership (purchased through Wedding Republic).

Visit Wedding Republic's website for more details: http://www.weddingrepublic.com/

and view a sample registry here: http://www.weddingrepublic.com/sample#

Keep up the great work Hanna !

Love Birds Water Bottle Label by Weddingstar - Free Sample

Spring is coming and flowers are blooming. Isn't it a good time for your wedding? On the warm weather, what do people need the most? Water, yes.
When planning your wedding during spring and summer time, it's a good idea to set aside water bottles for your guests to take home or drink during the event. To add a little personal touch on your water bottles, let me show you how easy it is.
Here is the water bottle you can buy from any super market. Peel off the label.

Here is our love birds water bottle label ( you can personalize it ).

Peel off the back side, and stick over to your water bottle.

Here is the water bottle with your own brand.

The cost is $0.34 each with free personalization. Can you afford? Yes, you can!
To view more water bottle label designs to match your wedding theme and color, click Here.
To find more inspiration and ideas on love birds wedding theme, check our blog post Here.

Visit us at http://www.supergiftplace.com

Easter Inspiration

Happy Easter !

This blog post was inspired by all things Easter.... pastels, soft fabrics and fresh Spring flowers. If you are not getting married over an Easter weekend, you can use these ideas for future Spring bridal showers, engagement parties or wedding-related brunches.

We also threw in a photo of a beautiful garden wedding ceremony in honour of this amazing sunshine over the Easter weekend. Get out and enjoy it !