Winter Wedding Ideas

Planning a winter wedding? Here are five ideas you may not have considered:

1. Colors. Think about using a less-is-more approach when it comes to your color palette. For instance, silver and white with crystal accents can add glamour to your winter wedding. Some ideas for the ceremony: Use a white velvet aisle runner trimmed with white satin ribbon or adorn the altar with a crystal curtain backdrop decorated with hanging strands of elegant white phalaenopsis orchids. If you're getting married oudoors, you can create the ambiece by handing out clear umbrellas to guests as they arrive.


2. Flowers. Yes, red roses and calla lilies are obvious winter wedding flowers, but there are several other options for winter blooms. For example, think about white hydrangeas and soft ranunculses. Additionally, white boutonnieres can look great with a simple white ribbon, and you can add sparkle to your bouquet by wrapping the stems in ribbon and adorned with crystals.


3. Invitations. Winter weddings are typically held indoors, and more formal invitations are often used. Use heavy cardstock and a navy blue, chocolate brown or eggplant font with hand calligraphy to convey a black-tie event. Want a fresh way to create a formal feel for your wedding? Use thick, frosted Plexiglas invitations in white scripted ink. Send them to your guests in silver envelope liners.


4. Centerpieces. To increase the drama, bring the icy outdoors in with ice-carved vases on your reception tables. One idea: Fill vases with tall, winter-white branches and hanging crystals to reflect the light from the tables. Place votive candles around the centerpieces and top your tables with white dupioni table linens and frosted glass china.


5. Escort cards. Make the entire table sparkle! Hand-calligraphy the cards in silver ink and connect them to invidual crystals with a ribbon. Hang each of them from a large crystal candelabra centerpiece for a fresh take on the common escort card tree.

For five more ideas, check out our source.

Photo Credit: Brides.com

How to make matching bridesmaids dresses unique

Are you a bride that want your maids to have their own distinct look at your wedding? Well, here are five tailoring ideas to make matching bridemaids dresses look unique:

1. Have extra trim from the dresses? Use them to make chic ruffle hems.
2. If you've shortened the hemline (even just an inch), take the leftover fabric and use it to create straps.
3. Got scraps? Make a whimsical and fun fabric flower brooch.
4. If they're wearing strapless dresses, gathers in the front and center can form a flattering sweetheart neckline.
5. Allow each maid to select a hem length that best suits her figure. For instance, tea length will look fabulous on your tall, slim friends, and above the knee hemlines look great on those with shorter figures.

From: The Knot Georgia

Photo from ioffer.com

The top 10 prewedding fights & how you can stay away from them

Your engagement period is, for the most part, a fun and loving time. But you'll probably experience some not-so-great moments as well, from fighting over the guest list to who pays for what.

"Planning the wedding is a trial run for your future marriage," says Tina B. Tessina, psychotherapist and author of "True Partners: A Workbook for Building a Lasting Intimate Relationship."

"The things that you battle about now are clues to where you're going to have trouble in the future."

Some of the most common things couple fight about include the groom's involvement, money, prenuptial agreements and bridezilla behavior.

Read what causes these common issues and how you can resolve them in the article, Top 10 Prewedding Fights (and How to Avoid Them).

Feel free to share you've dealt with or are dealing with issues in your engagement.

Photo from: momlogic.com

Choosing an engagement ring on a budget

Guys, maybe you're ready to pop the question to your special lady, but you're not exactly sure what kind of ring to buy and how you can purchase it inexpensively.

Well, here are some tips to help you get the ring of her dreams without breaking the bank (from TheKnot.com):

Put a ring around it. You've heard the phrase, "strength in numbers," right? The same thing applies when it comes to enhancing a stone. A ring with a halo setting (a circle of smaller diamonds around the center stone) can make the middle diamond look bigger. Not only is it an excellent way to create an illusion of additional carats, the halo can also completely alter the diamond's appearance by giving it a vintage look that'll stand out.

Choose an emerald cut. An emerald cut has fewer facets (the surfaces that reflect light and make the diamond sparkle), so it won't be as shiny, but the shape allows the diamond to cover more surface area than other cuts of the same carat weight. This means it will look bigger, and the style is timeless so your ring will never seem outdated.

Skip the eternity bands. Diamonds around the band are great for many; not so much if you're a frugal shopper. Instead, try a band that highlights the center stone such as one that's decorated with twists or engraving. If you must have a little more bling, try adding baguette diamonds on each side of the center stone for more glitz at a lower price.

For more tips, check out Engagement Rings: Engagement Ring Budget Tips

Photo from: diamond.com

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