{Summer of Love} Popular Decor Items

Nothing says love like diamonds. Then, you start thinking about your wedding day and it's fun to imagine diamonds all over. That's what the suppliers at Koyal Wholesale have spotted as their most popular items. For your wedding day, there's never too much bling or fashionable ways to make your wedding unforgettable. Check out these fun accents for your day. The options below allow you to add some color or turn to a more common theme of black and white this season.



Diamond Chandelier

Add some fun to your table with these gorgeous diamond votives. Your florist will have fun with these! 

Diamond Wrap for votives



Flower Poms to accents aisle or diamond centerpiece



Diamond Sheets to accent any decor



{Summer of Love} Unique Engagement Gifts

Wedding and engagement parties are the best way to celebrate the happy couple before their big day. For many couples, close friends or family will throw them a fabulous party within a couple months of making the annoucement to get hitched. I'm celebrating a close friends engagement this week and this started me on the path to find a perfect gift. There are many personalized gifts and sentimental gifts out there. Take time to find a gift that is different than a gift found on a wedding gift registry. This gift can be small or large. Remember to save the blender for the bridal shower but a wine set is sweet for the engagement party.

Check out some fun ideas I found below. Gifts are optional but you can also bring a nice card to share your sweetest wishes with them.

Romantics Love Personalized Pillow Cases via engagementgiftsonline.com



Artistic Couples via engagementgiftsonline.com

Homemaker Today via gifts.com

 

 

Wine Enthusiasts via gifts.com

 

Eco-Friendly/ Natural Foods Lover via gifts.com

{Spring Into Love} Fruit and Vegetable Wedding Bouquets

Gorgeous bouquets are in season for this wedding year. Not your usual bouquets found out there but something a little more unique. Vegetable wedding bouquets are making a splash onto the scene.This may sound a little surprising but take a look below at some unique finds. You'll be pleasantly surprised some local Arizona florists are creating some amazing bouquets. I'm loving these eco-friendly choices of bouquets and I'm sure you will too!



Delicious strawberry,lettuce, and peppers bouquet
via weddingsatwork.com



Rose bouquet adorned with artichokes
Amanda Johnson of Butterfly Petals- AZ Florist
Photo: Ashley Maxwell Photography
Bride: Jasmine Amber - AZ Photographer too!



L: Artichoke, brocccolini,okra,kale and bear grass (& more)

R: Butter lettuce, clementines,coxcomb,brussel sprouts (& more)

Jen Colvin of EverAfter Florals creations- AZ Florist

Photo: Dan Vermillion



{Spring Into Love} Covenant Marriage for you?

Marriage through thick and thin. There is a second kind of marriage called a Covenant Marriage which is a harder bond to break than traditional marriage. You may be wondering what difference is between these two and how they will impact your decision. According to CovenantMarriage.com, "A covenant marriage is intended by God to be a lifelong relationship exemplifying unconditional love, reconciliation, sexual purity, and growth. A covenant is an eternal commitment with God. People can negotiate out of contracts, but not out of a covenant." In a traditional marriage, you can plan to start pre-marital counseling 6 months prior to your wedding. This is optional counseling based on your religious beliefs. For many denominations, such as Lutheran and Catholic, pre-marital counseling is a requirement to be married in the church.


Requirements
According to legislation (A.R.S. 25-901-906) which became effective Aug. 21, 1998, couples who are planning to apply for a Covenant Marriage License must provide a notarized statement from the clergy or marriage counselor who provided their premarital counseling. (Clerk of the Court website)


The notarized attestation/statement should confirm that:

• the parties were advised about the nature and purpose of a covenant marriage;
• the parties were advised regarding the limited reasons for ending marriage by legal separation or divorce; and
• the parties were given a copy of the pamphlet, Covenant Marriages in Arizona, published by Arizona Office of the Courts (AOC).

Cost
Marriage licenses can be obtained in Maricopa County at the Justice Courts for $72.

Click here to visit the Marriage License site.

{Twirl Corner} Bridesmaid Bounty Hunter

By Keri Chantler, Twirl Co-Owner


(Originally published in The Wedding Chronicle and back by popular demand)

Look out, slacking bridesmaids – the Bridesmaid Bounty Hunter is on the prowl. As the co-owner of Twirl, I help manage bridal parties, and keep brides apprised of who has placed their order, and who is lagging behind.

Every week I console too many brides who are simply perplexed as to why their friends and family are proscrastinating at placing their dress order for the most important day of the bride’s life.

Having been a bride last year, and with ten bridesmaid stints under my own belt – trust me, I know both sides of weddings. Bottom line, ladies - it’s an honor to be asked to stand beside this person as she promises herself to the man she loves. Honor her back by being a supportive, and responsible, bridesmaid!

Chasing after grown women who are causing stress and hurt feelings for one of our brides is not enjoyable Bounty work. I would love for my bounty hunting days to end, and have some insider tips for both brides and bridesmaids.

Tips for Brides:

1) When asking girls to be in your wedding, openly discuss what they will be responsible for – financially and regarding their schedule.

2) Work it into your wedding budget to purchase part, or all, of the bridesmaids’ dresses. Your head is already spinning from how much the wedding will cost, so adding a little more for this shouldn’t be too painful of a stretch. Trust me – brides who do this NEVER have to bring Twirl’s Bounty Hunter on board. Plus, you can use this as their gift.

3) Be considerate of your bridesmaids when choosing dresses, but never, ever, let your vision be lost trying to make everyone happy. Your entourage will unlikelyagree 100 percent on a dress. Holding on to your vision, while being thoughtful, will keep you from an unpleasant metamorphose into Bridezilla.


Tips for Bridesmaids (or How to Avoid Bridezilla and the Bridesmaid Bounty Hunter):


1) Before you commit to being in a wedding, assess your financial situation. Can you afford to participate in throwing her a shower and bachelorette party, and buy gifts? Can you spare money for a dress, shoes, jewelry, and hair/make-up? You don’t have to have a lot of money to be a bridesmaid – I was in 3 weddings just out of college, and in several on a teacher’s salary. You may have to sacrifice a few things, but isn’t this what we do for those we love the most?

2) If you truly can’t afford all of these things, be honest and gracefully thank the bride, but opt out of being in the wedding. She will understand, and will appreciate your honesty.

3) Once you do say yes to being a bridesmaid, understand you are saying yes to whatever makes the bride happy. If you don’t love the dress she chose, too bad – if the bride loves it, wear it with grace and a smile. This is her day. Come to Twirl and check out our collage of “Why Twirl Was Created” – you should see some of the get-ups Jenni and I had to wear back in the 90’s! Please, ladies – you surely can survive the much more stylish choices designers offer these days.

4) When given a deadline to order your bridesmaid dress, get it done before you have to. Remember – the bride is getting updates from the Bounty Hunter, so she knows who is on top of it, and who is slacking.

Above all of this, a wedding day is about two people promising their lives to each other – it’s not about the flowers, the free cocktails, or anyone’s attire. When those things become the focus, the real reason you’re all coming together is lost. Feelings and emotions can be fragile during the wedding planning months. Simply honor each other throughout the process – the Bridesmaid Bounty Hunter can cease to exist, and you can all look as happy and beautiful as these girls….



Photo: Hollye Schumacher

 * Be sure to check out monthly tips from Twirl in our newsletter. Email me to get connected in Blueprint Affairs' monthly newsletter at info@blueprintaffairs.com

Dude, will you be my groomsman?

BLUEman: The Male Perspective




  Ever thought about how you might ask a friend to be one of your groomsmen?  Most guys simply just make a phone call to ask.  But some grooms are worried that asking a friend to be a groomsman rather that a best man can be offensive, especially when you have two really good friends, and a coin toss may determine who you choose as the best man.  Although, each can be viewed as equally important within the scope of the wedding.  However, making sure the best man can ensure the ring is not misplaced before the cermony, or is not fumbled around to the ground during the cermony, should play into your decision.

So how else can you ask your friend to be a groomsman or the best man?  How about mailing out an invite to be one or the other?  The Wedding Chicks came of with this great idea, and they have the templates to download for it.  All you need to do is purchase some A-2 note cards and envelopes, and you can print these from home utilzing the templates they provide.

So, if you're on the border as to who you should choose between best man and groomsman, let the invites do the talking for you...then, after acceptance, go out and buy them a drink and get to figuring out how to best enjoy your last days as a single man with your buddies.

{Spring Into Love} Fresh Escort Cards

Something fun and new! Plus they're edible! Escort cards that bring us into the Spring 2011 wedding season. I found some great ideas for fruit escort cards. I know this sounds a little different but with some planning you can bring this great idea to fruit-ision! Escort cards are what the guests find on the table outside the reception area to guide them gently to their seats. Have fun with this! Click on the links below each picture for templates to get started.


Image: 100 Layer Cake



Here's another idea if you want to match your colors to your escort cards.

The ones pictured below are white but you can do any color.



Image: mywedding.com