Posted on December 11, 2009 by nlcf28
Couple saying their vows, photo from The Wedding Lens!
Here’s the latest wedding question from our reader:
I am getting married in a couple weeks! I can’t believe it. My fiance and I decided we each want to write out own vows to say to each other during the ceremony. But I’m so nervous that I’ll forget something that I want to say, I’m not sure what to do. Do you have any suggestions? Is it inappropriate to have a piece of paper to read from? Help!
Take a deep breath! Remember your partner is standing across from you, loving you, regardless of what you actually say (unless, of course, what you say is that you don’t want to be there! But since you’re asking, I dont think that’s what you’re planning!).
This is your wedding and you should do what makes you feel comfortable. So, if you and your fiance are committed to sharing vows that you’ve written, do it in a way that makes you feel at ease. For some, this means just talking off the cuff and saying whatever comes to mind in whatever manner it gets said. For others, this means memorizing a speech that says what you want to say. And others find that it’s more comforting to have something written down. I’ve seen people do both!
If you decide you need something in front of you, of course you can just use paper or note cards or whatever works best for you. If you use note cards, NUMBER THEM! Just in case you drop them! That way it’s easy to put them back together.
You can also use technology to have your vows in front of you. One friend ditched the paper idea and used an iPhone application for her wedding vows. Similarly, most phones have a “notes” section that you can write on too. My only request for the technological route is that you not take your computer up there with you! It can be heavy. 
Good luck! And congratulations!
~ Natasha
Have a wedding question? Email me! natasha@theweddinglens.com
Filed under: Tips, Wedding Advice, Wedding Trends | Tagged: speech, speeches, vow, vows, wedding question | Leave a Comment »
Posted on December 9, 2009 by nlcf28
One of the up & coming trends is the “being green” on your wedding day. Because of this, I have decided it would be great to do a series of green wedding tips that focuses on each part of the planning process. Sounds good, right? So here are your green invitation tips!
Photo from Twisted Limb!
- Use recycled paper for your invitations. By using recycled paper, you can save a lot of paper and a lot of trees, especially considering how many pieces of paper get mailed out (directions, return envelopes, etc… ). Twisted Limb Paperworks makes fantastic, beautiful handmade & 100% recycled invitations. Plus they’re great folks to work with! AND Wedding Paper Divas also assured me that all of their stationary is now recycled!
- Use electronic communication for invitations, updates, and replies. Save money and trees by announcing, inviting, and updating people online or via email. You can also ask people to reply online or via email. For example, Paperless Post is a fantastic company that has great paperless invitations, complete with envelopes and beautiful designs! They work with anyone worldwide. They’re customized & personalized (and Paperless Post even lets you monitor recipients replies!) And if you’re in NZ (or dont mind paying in NZ dollars) check out Paperless Wedding – another great company! They also have beautiful designs & great customer service.
- Consider treeless paper. Make your invitations from bamboo, hemp or kenaf. Smock prints on bamboo & they have some really classy invitations shown on their site.
- Don’t use toxic ink. When printing your invitations, make sure the ink you use, is not toxic. Many inks are, so this is something you can easily ask about (or purchase if you’re printing your own). Just be sure to ask!
Check out our other green wedding tips for more great ideas!
~ Natasha
Filed under: Tips, Wedding Planning, Wedding Trends | Tagged: eco-friendly, green, green tips, green wedding tips, invitations | 1 Comment »
Posted on December 7, 2009 by nlcf28
This engagement story is a little shorter than some of the others that we’ve shared with you, but this one is also more personal for me! I’ve known Brent for what seems like forever and despite growing apart over the years, I was really happy that he and his fiance sent me their engagement story. So, congrats to Diana & Brent!
In Diana’s words….
“We became engaged on January 1st, 2009 at Fort Miley in San Francisco and we are both so excited! We’ve been asked how the proposal happened so here is the short version of our story:
Brent needed to find a way to bring me to the proposal location without having me think that something was up. He tricked me into thinking that his coworker gave him a gift card to The Cliff House restaurant. He told me that he had never been there and that it’d be cool to go for lunch the next day. The reservation was set for a late lunch and the plan was in motion.
And though we ordered lobster ravioli, scallops and crabcakes as an appetizer, being the pig that I am, I ate everything, including half of Brent’s 3 scallop dish (they were gigantic scallops!). Now you may think his lack of appetite was due to nervousness, but it was really because he was still nauseous from the night before. As Brent was paying for lunch, I seemed to notice that he had not pulled out a giftcard so I began to ask where the giftcard was (which was non-existent!). He quickly came up with the excuse that he had left it in his car on accident and forgot to take it when we decided to drive my car instead. I completely bought his excuse.
After lunch, we decided to go for a walk around the Sutro bath ruins and check out the scenery. After about 1.5 hours of walking around to different locations in the park, Brent’s restlessness finally got the best of him and he finally plopped down on a bench. What is tricky about this park is that it is not exactly private so there were visitors everywhere, as close as 5 feet at any given time. This meant that the original bench that Brent wanted to propose at was surrounded by people. After I sat down next to him, he started his proposal “speech” and slowly pulled out a pouch from his jacket pocket. As he was opening the pouch I started to realize what was going on and began to cry (but trying so hard not to in case it wasn’t a ring!) Shortly after I said “Yes”! “
Got engaged? Email me! Natasha@theweddinglens.com. Dont forget to share photos of your big day!
~ Natasha
Filed under: Feature | Tagged: engagement, engagement story | Leave a Comment »
Posted on December 4, 2009 by nlcf28
Not sure what kind of flower this is, do you know? Then I can tell you when it's in season! Photo from The Wedding Lens!
A friend of mine just got engaged (congrats!!!) and she and her partner have decided to get married next fall. They really want purple flowers, but they also want to be sure that they use flowers that are in season. Why? Because it’s a little more green: if flowers are in season, then they dont need to be transported from another part of the world where they’re being grown. Here’s a list of flowers that are in season during the Fall, organized by color.
If you’re getting married at another time of the year, here’s the complete list of which flowers are in season when, organized by color! And check out our list of green wedding tips, if you think there’s something else small you can do that helps the environment AND doesn’t change your wedding!
Year Round Flowers
- White: Baby’s breath, Bachelor’s button, Calla lily, Carnations, Delphinium, Gardenia, Gladiolus, Lily of the Valley, Orchid, Rose, Scaboisa
- Red: Bachelor’s button, Carnations, Roses
- Orange: Carnations, Roses
- Yellow: Carnations, Roses
- Blue: Bachelor’s button, Carnations, Delphinium, Eucalyptus, Roses
- Purple: Delphinium, Orchid, Roses, Scaboisa
- Pink: Bachelor’s button, Heather, Lily of the Valley, Orchid, Roses
- Silver: Eucalyptus
Fall Flowers
- White: Aster, Crysanthemum, Dahlia
- Red: Marigold, Zinnia
- Orange: Crysanthemum, Dahlia, Marigold, Zinnia
- Yellow: Crysanthemum, Dahlia, Marigold
- Green: Dried leaves
- Purple: Statice
- Pink: Aster, Crysanthemum, Zinnia
Hope that helps! Dont forget to share your photos of the flowers!
~ Natasha
Filed under: Tips, Wedding Advice, Wedding Planning | Tagged: color, color scheme, fall, flowers, in season | 2 Comments »
Posted on December 2, 2009 by nlcf28
Just a photo of a wedding party! No ties to this post! Photo from The Wedding Lens
I recently saw this question posted somewhere: “Is it fair to tell bridesmaids to lose weight or cover tattoos?” It made me think that this must come up a lot — where brides or grooms do not want their wedding party to show too much skin or expose a tattoo or piercing.
If you read this blog at all, you can probably guess what I think about that! I generally feel that people should come as they are. If you selected someone to be in your wedding party, presumably you are close friends and you have some amount of unconditional love for them. It doesn’t matter what they look like or what they wear, it’s that they are there to support you!
Some people strongly believe that it’s important to hide tattoos, especially on your wedding day — meaning that the bride and groom should hide them too! Others think that tattoos are a part of a person’s personality and the wedding day should be no different. Just for the record, I think there’s a big difference between asking someone to put a bandaid over an ankle tattoo and asking somone to lose weight! As in, asking someone to lose weight is more intrusive and makes people feel badly about themselves.
Suffice it to say, my advice is to always BE REASONABLE. Take yourself out of the mentality that this day is a “perfect day” where nothing can be amiss. You are surrounded by your friends and family! You are surrounded by love! There’s no reason to start nitpicking at your closest friends/family in your wedding party about their bodies.
What do you think?
~ Natasha
Filed under: Wedding Advice | Tagged: advice, wedding party | Leave a Comment »
Posted on November 30, 2009 by nlcf28
Filed under: Feature, Roundup, Wedding Advice | Tagged: Budget, buffet, champagne, dinner, drinks, food, lunch, money, reception, wine | Leave a Comment »
Posted on November 28, 2009 by nlcf28
A lovely "champagne" toast! Photo from The Wedding Lens!
As always, we love getting questions from readers. Here’s the latest reader question:
My fiance and I are trying to buy champagne for our wedding toast. Most of them are so expensive, though. Is it too cheap of us to get sparkling wine instead? Or do other people do this too?
Good question! I think this comes up a lot. You should know that “champagne” is sparkling wine that comes from Champagne, France. So anything that’s not from Champagne, France can’t be called champagne — but they can be just as tasty! California and Italy have delicious sparkling wines that are perfect for the “champagne” toast. Most people will not know the difference, you’ll save a few bucks, and everyone gets to toast you & your signifiance other!
Good luck! And congratulations! And don’t forget to share photos of your toast!
~ Natasha
Got wedding questions? Ask me! Email natasha@theweddinglens.com.
Filed under: Tips, Wedding Advice, Wedding Trends | Tagged: alcohol, champagne, drinks, sparkling wine, wedding question, wine | Leave a Comment »
Posted on November 25, 2009 by nlcf28
A friend of mine is going to a wedding this weekend — Thanksgiving weekend! It sounded really odd to me at first, but then I started thinking about all the great things that a Thanksgiving wedding weekend could have! So if you are contemplating dates, here are some great reasons to have a Thanksgiving theme!
A great wedding party photo from The Wedding Lens! Wouldn't it be great to have everyone together for Thanksgiving too?
First, of course: FOOD! Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce…. YUM! It’s all delicious, and it’s all pretty reasonably priced if you want to cook it yourself.
Second: family and friends! Thanksgiving is all about surrounding yourself with great family and wonderful friends. What’s a better time to show your gratitude? Get everyone together, eat a lot, drink a lot and celebrate! Plus, if friends and family were going to be traveling to your vicinity (or somewhere else), it’s a little more green to have their travel do double duty, right? Right.
Photo from The Wedding Lens
Third: colors and decorations. I’m a sucker for all things orange, so the fall season is particularly appealing to me. Everything is orange! Pumpkins, persimmons, sweet potatoes (not my fav, but orange!). All of these can combine for easy color decorating and natural decorations, especially if you’re in an area where leaves are changing. Nice, right? Plus, with all these biodegradable decorations, well again, it’s just being green (but orange at the same time)!
I’d LOVE to see photos from a Thanksgiving weekend wedding! What do you think of the idea?
Happy Thanksgiving!
~ Natasha
Filed under: Wedding Advice, Wedding Planning, Wedding Trends | Tagged: colors, food, orange, Thanksgiving, Themes, wedding, wedding theme | Leave a Comment »
Posted on November 23, 2009 by nlcf28
A friend of mine got married, um, well over a year ago and she’s just now trying to figure out how to go about changing her name. She has chosen to add on her husband’s last name to her name, but with no hyphen. I have a few friends who have chosen to hyphenate and others who opted for taking their husband’s last name. I also have a few friends who decided to combine their names and both hyphenate. Cool idea, huh?
photo from The Wedding Lens
Regardless of what you decide, here’s how to go about changing your name:
- Get a copy of your marriage license in the mail (or pick it up, depending on where you are)
- Go to the Social Security Administration in your vicinity with your old ID, your marriage license. They will issue you a new Social Security Card.
- Go to the DMV with the new Social Security card, the marriage license, and your old ID. They will issue you a new ID.
- Now that you have your new IDs, make sure you change your name on your:
-
- passport
- bank account
- credit cards
- 401(k)
- phone, utilities
- airline accounts
- anything else that has your name!
It’s a lot of work initially, but then you dont have to think about it again. And if you’re getting divorced, the process is the same, you just need your divorce certificate instead.
Good luck!
~ Natasha
Filed under: How-To | Tagged: after the wedding, name, name change | 2 Comments »
Posted on November 20, 2009 by nlcf28
Here’s the monthly guest post from Wishpot! Thanks so much for this great advice!
This month Wishpot brings you creative and new ways to accessorize your wedding dress. As if finding a wedding dress isn’t hard enough, these days finding the perfect accessories to match can be even more difficult. Accessories are in this season, and they are bigger and bolder than ever. Our Wishpot Wedding Experts helped us out with ideas to help accessorize your wedding dress. So out with the plain white dress and in with the flashy fun accessories that will make you look like a modern chic bride!
This season is all about big statement necklaces. Our first item is a Sofia Pearl large pearl necklace recommended by wedding expert Ken & Barbie Events. This necklace could make any plain white dress look elegant and sophisticated.
Why not spice up your outfit by dressing up your feet? Adding a bright colored pair of heels to your wedding gown can help add a whole new level of modern style to your big day. Wedding expert Mara (Wedding Cabaret) suggests these gorgeous pink peep toe pumps which would make quite an impression going down the aisle.
In any wedding you can never go wrong with diamonds! Which is why the next item is a diamond brooch recommended by expert JunePlumm Events. A brooch traditionally has been worn by being pinned to the front of the dress, but today brides have found new creative ways to wear brooches. Many brides now tuck brooches into their hair. It is a great way to add a delicate touch to your ensemble.
A wedding ring is not the only ring that can be worn on this day. A cocktail ring is another way to add that extra WOW factor. Many different styles and sizes of cocktail rings can be found at Nordstrom.
Lastly, chandelier earrings can bring out the innate beauty in any bride. Wedding expert Couture Celebrations recommends these amazing Jessica Bridal chandelier earrings that will no doubt leave a lasting impression.
@gift_girl
Wishpot is a shop anywhere online wish list service. Find us on Twitter @wishpot and fan us on Facebook.
Filed under: Feature, Wedding Trends | Tagged: accessories, bridal accessories, bride, guest post, white wedding dress | Leave a Comment »
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