Vintage Wedding Cake Toppers

If classic vintage style is what your wedding theme is all about, you will love the detailed vintage wedding cake toppers available.

Topper styles range from 1920’s  to the 1960’s,  folk, ethnic and contemporary, French and American. Vintage cake toppers add a little – okay – a whole lot- of interest to a simple, elegant or even elaborate wedding cake. These little figurines can tell a story of the bride and grooms personality, tastes and even sense of humor.

Whether you are looking for a classic look of a bride and groom cake topper or aiming to get a giggle from your guests, you are sure to find the perfect match for your personality and taste!

Here are a few examples of adorable, classic and whimsical vintage wedding cake toppers:

All of the above wedding cake toppers (and quite a few more) are available at Fancy Flours.

What’s your favorite look? Which vintage wedding cake topper will be gracing your cake?

4 Unique Manhattan Wedding Venues

Everything you can imagine or dream of is at your fingertips when you are planning a wedding in New York City. You will not be short on choices, in fact, you may find your self with too many choices!  Wedding venues in NY are diverse. Have a very clear picture of what you want your wedding day to look like, or start touring facilities and see what feels good to you!

Here are 4 Manhattan wedding venues that are a little different than the standard ballroom reception sites and have that unmistakable NYC flair.

620 Loft and Garden: Outdoor wedding space in Midtown Manhattan is rare and sought after.

Indoor Space at 620 Loft and Garden

Tribeca Rooftop Offering incredible panoramic views and classic New York style:

Top Deck at Seamen’s Church Institute Located on a original cobblestone street in South Street Seaport, this unique wedding venue appears to be a modern day ship moored  at a historic 19th century pier.

The New York Public Library: This NYC historic landmark offers a dramatic wedding venue:

Take your time searching for the  perfect wedding venue for your needs.  What is most important to you? The perfect location or the view of the river?  Do you want a space that can accommodate 50 people of 250? Will you hold the ceremony and reception all  in one place? What’s more important to you, drama or comfort? Space for dancing or ideal space for photos? Thinking through these points will help you narrow down your choices and find the wedding venue that is just right!

Engagement Announcements 101

He asked…you said YES!

Congrats! You’re engaged! Now you want to go scream it from the hilltops. You want to share your happy news with the whole world – or at least your whole world. Take just a little time to organize your engagement announcement plan.

To get started, think about the following questions. Your answers will help you decide what to do first.

• Do you want to submit your announcement to the local newspapers?
• If yes, which ones?
• Would you like to include a photo with your announcements?
• Would you like to send printed announcements to family and friends, or will a simple phone cal be sufficient?
• If you will be sending custom printed announcements, will you need to collect an address list from your parents and your future in-laws?

Use these questions to help you make an engagement announcements to do list. Here is a possible list, if you answered yes to all of the above:

• Make another list of newspapers that you would like to have print your announcement.
• Schedule a photography session for your engagement photo.
• Collect a list from mom/dad and future in-laws. Ask for an approximate number from each first so you can order the announcements.
• Research, write, rewrite your announcement for the newspaper. Keep in mind that many will charge by the word, so you may want to keep it short if you are on a budget.
• Order the announcements to be sent to friends and family.

If you are on a tight budget, consider printing your engagement announcements yourself at home.  Postcard style announcements will save you even more on postage.

Remember to keep the address list that your family gave you in a safe place. You will need them soon enough to begin building your guest list for the engagement party (if you choose to have one) and for the wedding.

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Eco Chic Couture Wedding Gowns

I’ve been browsing around  looking for beautiful, truly green, eco-wedding gowns.  It wasn’t that long ago that being an eco-friendly bride meant dressing rather plain, perhaps not the most stylish bride around, though for a true “greenie” it didn’t matter.

Luckily, green brides no longer have to sacrifice style, quality or beauty when it comes to their gown. They do, however, need to know where to look. All eco-wedding gowns are not created equally green! Although many mainstream designers are now jumping on the green trend and offering their version of  eco wedding gowns, that may only mean they have used a little hemp, organic cotton or bamboo somewhere within their design. It doesn’t make their gown truly green!

Eco Chic Couture is green to the core. They have  been creating beautiful, authentic. eco-friendly bridal gowns in a socially responsible manner, for years. Styles range from casual beach wedding styles to cathedral trains and exquisitely detailed beading.

“Just being made in natural fiber does not make it organic. My fabrics for our gowns are made clean and organic from seed through textile finishing.”  Gwendolyn Gleason

The following video shows off a few lovely examples of her beautiful eco-wedding gowns:

Designer Gwendolyn Gleason is known as the “green” Vera Wang and gowns can be custom made to your specifications. The following video features a personal interview with the designer.

For more information about Eco Chic Couture wedding gowns, visit GwendolynGleason.com

7 Tips for Planning a Green Wedding

Your wedding day is a perfect time to express your love and commitment to the planet  while you are celebrating  the beginning of your new life together as a couple.

Are you searching for way to have a eco-friendly, greener wedding day? Reducing the carbon footprint of a major event is not as difficult as you might think. There are many little things that you can do to make your wedding greener without sacrificing style, busting up your budget or disappointing your guests.

Here are 7 little things you can do to have a green wedding:

1. Shorten your guest list. This one step will save you money and reduce the carbon footprint of your wedding on every level. You will reduce travel and consumption on everything from food to centerpieces.
2. Buy locally grown food and  flowers. Buy in season flowers that don’t need to be shipped from afar. The very greenest option is to eliminate or reduce the use of flowers in your decorations. (I know, that’s a tough one!)
3. Pass on the paper plates, cups and disposable cutlery. If you don’t have enough Reusable dishes and cutlery are the greenest choice, but if your need to supplement, try compostable dishes  and utensils made from potato starch.
4. Look for a caterer who specializes in organic, sustainable food choices.
5. Consider sending e-invites instead of paper. Request that your  guests  reply by email. If paper is a necessity, opt for hemp or recycled invitations.
6. Register for gifts with care. Select only items you truly need and will use in the long term. Offer an option for your guests to make a donation to your favorite environmental charity instead of, or in addition to a gift.
7. Hold your ceremony and reception all in one place. This will cut back on the transportation for all of your guests and save you money transporting the bridal party!

As you plan your green wedding, consider how each and every decision you make will effect the planet. It is amazing how helpful it is to make a few simple changes to your plans. You will be so glad that you did!

Find Your Bridal Style

Planning a wedding that both bride and groom will be thrilled with takes time, effort and a clear idea of what both people like and love about their lives. Where do you begin? Are you confused about where to start your wedding planning?

Not sure whether an outdoor casual wedding is more your style then a formal evening affair? Roses or wildflowers for the bouquets?  Traditional vows or your own words?

Co-authors Casey Cooper and Sharon Naylor have figured it all out for you. In their book What’s Your Bridal Style they offer advice, tips and a lengthy questionnaire to help you determine which direction to head in with your planning. By determining your unique style – individually and as a couple – you can make choices for your wedding that will make you both happy !

Best part about it? You can to work together as a couple to answer the questions. It will help you get to know each other even better, and hopefully add a  little bit of fun to the often stressful wedding planning schedule!

Take a look at the video below to understand how the ideas in  What’s Your Bridal Style? can be put in to action:

Take a little time to shut out all of the outside influences and really discover what you want your wedding day to be like.  You may have to make a few compromises along the way, but having a vision and a plan is essential to making your wedding dreams a reality.

And really now, it should be fun!

3 Ways to Organize your Guest List

After much discussion and consideration, you have finally completed your guest list. You’ve taken the time to figure out how many guests you would like at your wedding and how many you can afford to have attend.  You are ready to order your invitations.

Are you organized?

Do you have all of your guests full names, addresses and phone numbers in one easily accessible place for future reference?

How do you plan to keep track of your guest list – which you will need to refer back to throughout the planning process?

Here are a few tips to help organize your guest list:

1. Use a template or design your own spreadsheet. Ensure you have potential guests’ full name and address entered.  If you are missing information, ask your mom or a bridesmaid to help you make the calls to fill in the blanks.
2. In your spreadsheet setup columns to keep track of who has responded to the invitations, a column for meal choice, and a column to check off when you have sent your thank you note after the wedding.
3. Keep your list up to date. As you approach the big day this information will be essential for finalizing plans with the caterers, setting up the seating plan and ordering wedding favors. Keeping your list updated will prevent you from making any costly mistakes.

If you are considering setting up a personal wedding website, you may want to select a site that provides you with custom guest list organization.  Some sites will even allow your guests to RSVP and it will automatically do the updates for you. This is a great time saver that is worth looking in to!

Watch for a post here at Best Wedding Days about choosing the best personal wedding website including reviews of both free and premium sites – coming soon!

Write Your Own Wedding Vows

Writing your own wedding vows may seem like a terrifying task at first. There are a few things that  you can do if you are stuck and need a little push to get started.

*Before taking the time to write your own wedding vows, check with the officiant of your wedding, as well as your fiance to be certain that custom vows are appropriate for your ceremony. Some religions require that you use their traditional vows, although they may permit you to add a few words of your own.*

Tips for Writing your own Wedding Vows:

• Research: If you don’t know what to say, but you want your vows to be unique and special, look at what other people have done. Consider using classic passages of poetry or quotations from classical literature.
• Ask Yourself Questions:  Have a seat. Get comfortable. What do you love most about your future spouse? What do you enjoy doing together? What did you think when you first met him /her? What impressed you most – his eyes, her smile, his laugh, her sense of humor? Take this opportunity to tell your fiance how you feel and make them feel treasured and beloved.
• Make a List: Compile all of your thoughts from the above questions into a list. Make the list as long as you can. You can edit it and use only the best, warmest or touching parts in your vows. Save the list to give to your spouse at a later date (it make a sweet gift)!
• Personalize Traditional Vows: If you are still feeling stuck in composing your vows and putting it all together, try reviewing traditional vows and making them your own by adding a few points from your list above.
• Read it Aloud: Do you think you have something you like? Try reading it aloud a few times to see how it feels to day he words and how it sounds.  Edit your personal vows a little more if needed.

Keep in mind that your custom wedding vows do not have to sound like they were written by a master writer. Sometimes simply  expressed, sweet emotions mean the most and will be easily remembered.

Mother of the Bride Dress Code

The mother of the bride may be as excited (and difficult to please) as the bride herself.  She wants to look stunning on her daughter’s wedding day.

Before the mother of the bride (or groom) heads out to pick her wedding attire, casually discuss what she is going to wear.

Here are a few points to cover when discussing the mother of the bride’s (or mother of the groom) dress code:

1. Remind them that this is the bride and groom’s big day and that if they have chosen a subtle and conservative dress, a beaded mini will not be appropriate for them! Althought she doesn’t have to change her personal style, her dress should match the  “drama” level and venue of the wedding.

2. Remind them that white, cream and off-white are not appropriate for the most part. If the dress is cream with a color brocade or design then it could be okay. the mother of the bride / groom should not look like they are attempting to upstage the bride.

3. Ask them to keep their own drama level a notch down from the drama level of the bride.

4. Request that they stay in the same color family as the rest of the wedding party -or a least not clash terribly -  so you have a cohesive look on  your wedding day and in the photos.

Mother of the bride and mother of the groom dresses can be difficult to choose. If you are the bride, offer to go along and help them shop! Take advantage of this time to enjoy your wedding planning with your mom or future mother in law.

How to Save Money on your Wedding Invitations

If you are working with a tight wedding budget, invitations are a great place to cut costs without sacrificing quality or style. Comparison shopping and cutting back on the extras will save you money and simplify the process.

1. Shop Carefully. Get a clear idea of what you want and then look for wedding invitations that are similar in style or meet your specifications at discount stores, Costco or online outlets. You may be able to find exactly what you want shopping online for significantly less.
2. Consider eco-friendly options. Request that your guests reply via email or go entirely paperless with e-vites. Set up a free website for your wedding and allow guest to reply there, make their meal choice and get directions and hotel information. This small green effort will save paper, time and the cost  of mailing these resources.
3. Simplify. Choose a simple, but elegant design for your invitations and eliminate the extra envelope and layered papers. You will save on the cost of the  invitations and the additional postage.
4. Check Postage. Check the size and weight of your wedding invitations to make sure they can be sent with a regular first class stamp. If you have a huge guest list, the postage can really add up quickly! For more information check the US Post Office for postage rates.

Do you have any money saving suggestions? Please let us know in the comments below. Good luck and have fun finding beautiful wedding invitations at a great price!

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