Welcome to The Wedding Vendor Guide

Getting married soon? Nervous about the big day? Having jitters already? Learn how to beat the pre-wedding and wedding jitters. Overcome Wedding Planning Stress Syndrome, a term coined by former bride and wedding photographer assistant Victoria Carrington so that you will look and feel your best on your big day!

I was once a bride and I am now the assistant to Sam Carrington, my husband, owner of Sam Carrington Photography specializing in wedding photography. I have combined my experience with my continuing observation of brides and brides-to-be to coin the term Wedding Planning Stress Syndrome. Every bride knows that there is nothing more nerve-wracking than planning a huge event, especially one that will change your life forever (hopefully). How can you be aware of and……

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Eco-friendly Wedding Favors: Also known as “green” favors or eco-favors, favors that are made from biodegradable material or recyclable material. Mini pots of plants, flower seeds, or trees, for example. Packaging material such as recycled paper. Give a gift that gives back!

above top to bottom: Flower Seeds, Plantable Magic Bean in Handpainted Mini-Pot , and Braided Paper Cosmetic Pouches

I just stumbled on this - Check out Portovert! A new magazine for those who want to give back to the Earth on their wedding day.

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Boxed Martini CandleProduct Description:Planning a party or wedding these Boxed Scented Martini Candles in Silver Plated Cup are the perfect candle accessory. A silver plated martini cup is filled with exotic petal scented ivory wax to create this beautifully candle. Sold individually and boxed as shown.Isn’t it cute? I’d either use it as a wedding…..

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10 Steps to a Green Wedding

Every engaged couple wants their wedding day to be a special celebration that reflects who they are and what they care about. Going green is a great way to make the festivities unique and meaningful–and show friends and family just how fun, beautiful, and delicious a sustainable lifestyle can be. Here’s how to start planning the kind of wedding the online nuptial gurus at TheKnot.com have anointed “the hot new thing”:

1. With this ring…
A green wedding begins where any engagement does: with a ring. Don’t start off on a sour note. The beautiful alternatives to “blood diamonds” (those that are mined in war zones and fund conflicts) include:

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Get the cake you have always wanted…just don’t pay for it! Here are great tips to treat your guests to a tasty cake at a tasty price:

1. Make sure that the decoration and design is the right kind to suit your taste, before you agree to give an order to the baker. Go through referrals and see what prices are being quoted. Look through the samples first before deciding on your cake. A supermarket could offer a wide range of cakes at a lesser cost than your bakery.
2. Decide on how you want to decorate your wedding cake, whether you want to keep it simple and cute or splendid and rich………….

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Avoiding Outdoor Wedding Pitfalls

You’ve decided to have an outdoor wedding? Congratulations. Outdoor weddings are romantic and beautiful. However, they aren’t as easy as they may look. Outdoor weddings come with additional caveats and pitfalls, but if you follow these tips, you’ll be sure to shine on your wedding day.

1. Make your guests comfortable Think about what the weather will likely be at the time of day and month of the year of your outdoor wedding. Sunny and hot? Don’t leave your guests uncomfortably melting – have your ushers give guests ice-cold bottles of water as they are seated. Consider printing your wedding program on a fan so that guests may cool themselves. Don’t forget to have plenty of sunscreen on hand as well. For a very warm location, look into renting large electric fans (don’t forget a generator) and/or a tent to shade the suns rays. If it will be cold and damp, make sure you tell guests that so they can wear extra layers. A simple xeroxed insert will do. You might want to have lap blankets on hand, or rent portable heaters.
2. Have a backup plan What will you do if it rains? The ideal outdoor wedding location has an indoor location waiting just in case. Many brides and grooms opt to have their ceremony outside and reception inside. In a pinch, the tables can be scooted to the back of the room during the ceremony. A tent is another option, but only for light to moderate rain storms. A heavy rain will soak the ground underneath, leaving guests with soggy and muddy shoes. Make sure any tent you rent is sturdy so it won’t flip over, and that it has thick and weighted sides.
3. Plan for Wind Many outdoor weddings suffer from windy conditions. Avoid light fabrics like chiffons and china silks in your dress and the bridesmaid dresses. Tell your hairstylist that you’ll be having an outdoor wedding so she/he can plan a style that won’t leave you looking like Cousin It! Men in the wedding party should use pomade or other styling product. Again, tell your guests in a printed insert so that they can plan accordingly. And of course, make sure your tent will stand up to gusting winds or find an indoor backup plan.
4. Can everybody hear? When you picture your dream wedding at the beach, you’re probably not hearing the roaring of the waves, the rushing wind, or the local kids running and screaming around you. Look into renting a sound system with clip mikes for the bride, groom and officiant. Your DJ or band may be able to easily arrange this for you.
5. Decorations One of the bonuses of an outdoor wedding is the natural beauty around you, lessening your need to decorate. But you still need to do some work. Visit the site a week before your wedding to make sure the grass is mown, the ground raked, and the flowers have bloomed. If your wedding is at a public park, you may want to ask the groomsmen or friends to do this the morning of your ceremony. If it’s been an especially cold season, you may need to supplement the flowers with some potted bulbs from a florist. Other decorations you may want to consider include an arch or trellis to focus the ceremony and frame the bride and groom as they say their vows; strings of lights or lanterns in the trees; luminarias; torches; or farolitas.
6. Make things tasty outside Does your caterer have experience planning an outdoor wedding menu? Make sure they’re planning things that will keep well outdoors in the heat. Avoid things like mayonnaise salads or dishes which must be served cold.
7. Don’t leave your guests parched Since alcohol is dehydrating, consider serving a variety of lemonades, teas and punches. Be sure to have plenty of ice and water around as well. For a fancy cocktail, why not serve a classic mint julep or a mojito? The mint will refresh and cool your guests.
8. Those pesky flying things Be sure to put out citronella candles or a bug zapper so that your guests won’t spend the whole ceremony swatting at the air.
9. Here comes the sun Consider timing your outdoor wedding for sunset where your guests will see you take your vows surrounded by the warm glow of the sun. Those having a daytime outdoor wedding should orient the ceremony so that the sun will be on guests’ backs rather than in their eyes.
10. Permits Don’t forget to contact your city parks department or other local government to get a permit for an outdoor wedding. Be sure to ask about rules concerning trash removal, candle or torch lighting, and pre-wedding photography.

WVG Thanks:

Nina Callaway,

Different Kinds of Wedding Favors

Although Jordan almonds have been and always will be the perfect example of wedding favors, couples have used other kinds of wedding favors. One of the favorite wedding favors is the trinket boxes. Scented candles wrapped in special cloth are also a big favorite. With all the many colors and designs to choose from, the couple can choose their candle based on their motif. They are also making use of wedding flowers tied with motif-colored ribbons, and these wedding favors contain the couple’s names and the date of the wedding to remember the special occasion by.

Personalizing Your Wedding Favor

Because there are many kinds of wedding favors out in the market, they are all beginning to look alike. As more and more brides want to have a more personalized wedding, wedding favors have to be customized, too. But with the wide variety of wedding favors, personalizing them is a daunting task.

You can give perfumes to your bridesmaids and maid of honor as wedding favors. This could be small vials of your favorite perfume wrapped in silk cloths and tied with elegant ribbons. You can also give them stylish and elegant shawls as a wedding favor if your wedding is set for the cold season. For the groomsmen and best man, simple cufflinks are a perfect wedding favor.

If candles are commonly used as wedding favors, why not give them small lanterns instead? You can have motif-colored lanterns for a more customized look.

Another perfect idea for a modern wedding favor is a DVD copy of the couple’s favorite songs, and they can have their wedding picture printed on the DVD cover.

With the popularity of wedding favors and its importance in weddings, it has become a major mainstay in any modern wedding and is here to stay.

WVG Thanks:

Eric Hartwell