Welcome to The Wedding Vendor Guide

I am a list person and like to have a plan for everything, including my wedding. In fact, the day after I got engaged, I started creating my wedding timeline. Think of your wedding timeline as a tool to preempt wedding-induced stress. It is not only a checklist of what needs to be done, but also lets you know when to do it. The more time you put into creating a solid plan with clear long-term and short-term tasks, you can stay on schedule and make sure you don’t forget anything important.

There are many ways to create a wedding timeline. You can hire a high priced wedding planner to work with you to create a plan. You can wing it by yourself and hope you don’t forget anything. You can purchase a wedding planning book where you can write it down and continually erase it anytime you make adjustments. Or you can find an online wedding timeline tool that makes the process fun and easy.

Since I had a limited budget and knew I would be doing most of my wedding planning online, I went for the online wedding timeline tool. I used the planning tools at WeddingWire.com, but many websites have their own set of planning tools.

The title of this post is a little self-explanatory. If you’re worried about experimenting in the wrong way with colours and designs, here is a list of classics that will never fade. Consider them your back-ups in a way, if that pink leopard print doesn’t end up going with the lime green chair covers, I’m here to help:

- A strapless Cinderella dress. This dress is timeless, otherwise the fairy godmother wouldn’t have conjured it up would she? This attire eliminates your worries about your thighs looking big in a little mini, your concerns that your back rash will be exposed in the strappy dress; it’s perfect classic wedding.  (A tip though, make sure that it’s snug and if you want to be even more careful, buy fabric double sided tape for it and your bra, you really don’t want anything to slip the day of.)

- Your hair down in loose curls. Loose curls are much safer as you won’t have to worry about them really losing their shape and putting more hairspray in during the night. Loose curls actually tend to look more styled the more naturally-worn down they get. They almost always frame the face of every blushing bride beautifully

- Champagne colored flowers for your bouquet can never go wrong. With a creamy base to the coloring, they’re bound to match anything from your shoes down to the brown of the wood of the seats.

- Chocolate for your favors. As much as the thought is nice, your guests probably don’t want a little trinket that says “Mr. and Mrs Charming” on it. Chocolate is always a big crowd pleaser and if you want to take it a step further, you can pair up with a charity and donate the money to it. Helping people will never go out of style (As seen on the JACOB shirts).

- The Top 40 for the DJ to play during the dance. My advice is to not try out that new song that your friend recommended, stick to what you know. Big crowd pleasers are always songs that were popular when you were teenagers, the top 40 of your generation. And of course you have the YMCA, the Locomotion and Twist and Shout to rely on.

- Black and white photographs. They hide any blemishes you were worried about and seem to make things look more artistic. They might not capture the red of the flower but they won’t capture the red of your pimple either.

- Plain diamonds or pearls are everlasting and will compliment almost anything you wear. Pick classic cuts like a diamond-shape or just a round one. Then you don’t have to worry about your ears or your wrists looking fat or something.

You can’t go wrong with any of the things I have listed. But hey! Kudos to you if you want to wear a strappy dress, have your hair straight, carry green flowers, use picture frames as favors, play Metallica all night long while colored photos are taken and your alligator skin bracelet slips off.

Seriously, it’s your wedding. Do whatever you want, just know there are always these classics to fall back on.

You’re drunk. Things seem to be swirling slightly and the flashing lights that were once distasteful and annoying seem to give you a sense of glamor and adventure. Here, anything seems possible.

Result? Marriage.

The appeal of the Las Vegas wedding has hit millions. The spontaneity of making life decisions can give you a thrill. The idea of doing something crazy with the person you love is charming. But the extremity of this feeling is probably going to fade faster than your hangover will the next morning. So before the cheering and the tossing of the bouquet begins, think about what the after affects are.

This article is in no means an outlet to lecture those about to be wed in Vegas but rather a place where those who went the traditional route can relax that at least one person agrees with their decision.

The appeal of planning beforehand may not be totally palpable at first, but the execution of the planning is worth the wait. Brides who struggle through decision after decision, from florals to live music or a DJ, see the choices they make come to life on their special day.

It may seem tedious to discuss the benefits of planning but then again, who actually stops themselves from talking about topics they enjoy even though they’re being repetitive? The answer is no one so why shouldn’t we?

With an impromptu wedding, the bride won’t be able to look back and say with ringing truth that it was magical. The sparkle at a wedding comes from the people being relaxed, their laughter as a sign that everything is going exactly the way they imagined it. Las Vegas’s wedding tend to be trimmed with an explosion of emotion that might seem crude and over-the-top later on. The photographs from a planned wedding will be filled with dancing, decor and delight whereas the pictures from your night in Vegas may include dancing, but we’re guessing the effect looking through the pictures won’t be the same.

When others look through your photos they might wonder where they are. A favorite pastime of some is riffling through wedding pictures to remember the joyous night and stir the memories that came from it. With an unplanned wedding, those who have gave so much to you and your life, have the opportunity to experience it with you ripped from their hands. With a planned wedding, they will not only be able to reflect back with you and remind you of the intricate details that slip your mind but they also will have seen and experienced the (theoretically) one wedding you will ever have.

And what will you have gotten married in? Your jeans and a tank top? Statistics say, and we assume that nobody keeps a spare wedding gown on them during all trips. Part of a wedding is finding that one perfect dress. Without planning, your opportunity to go and harass salespeople who will oblige to your needs, your chance to try on every dress you want without somebody wanting to go to another store is gone. Poof! Vanished.

The bottom line here (Figuratively of course, not literally) is that planning pays off. Spontaneous weddings can happen anywhere and we don’t want to pick on Vegas. But taking the time and effort to think through your wedding and what you want for and from it is worth the while. The night you design is completely yours for the taking, as opposed to the next "adventurous" couple who’s about to do the exact same thing at the wedding Chapel on The Strip in Vegas.

While every bride thinks their wedding is going to be perfect, inevitably something happens, could be major, could be minor, but something unexpected usually happens. However you can be prepared to help keep you from pulling your hair out. All brides should have an emergency kit with them on the wedding day. Here’s some of the essentials:

Advil/Aspirin Breath mints Snacks Extra makeup & mirror Stain remover Static Guard Hand lotion. Q-tips and tissues (for any make-up issues) Tampons Nail Polish and a Nail File Extra pairs of nylons Safety Pins, Masking Tape, Stapler, Small Mending Kit

It never hurts to be prepared.

Still looking for a wedding dress?  If you’re in Washington DC, Filene’s Basement is having their annual bridal gown/dress blowout event this friday the 3rd. It’s a great event to get a gorgeous dress for a bargain of a price since all dresses are either $249,$499 or $699…That’s it! I’ve seen $7000 Vera Wangs for $249. I’m not saying that’s the norm, but you get the idea.

Doors open at 8am, I suggest getting there early.

For a sampling of the fun, here’s video footage from CBS in Baltimore from the Filenes Basement event earlier in the month http://wjz.com/video/?id=29458@wjz.dayport.com

So as many wedding gifts are duplicates of items from other guests or stuff you already own, why not register for money? Reebles.com is offering a gift registry just for money. Rather than worry about cash, checks, gift cards and the like, have your guests give you money online. Guests can give you money gifts at Reebles who will then wire or send you the money on your wedding day (which is great if you plan to use the money for your honeymoon) The only down side is they take 8%, but it doesn’t cost your guests anything. It could be worth knowing the money you receive is safe and readily available and you can link to their registry directly from your wedding website (or use the inserts they’ll send you). Have a look.

giftsweddings

If anyone knows the value of a good insurance policy, it’s Romeo Lavarias.  As the director of emergency management operations for Miramar, Fla., Lavarias has seen his share of disasters. So it was a no-brainer when his fiancee, Stephanie Goldstein, suggested buying insurance for their wedding, set for July during the upcoming hurricane season.

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It happens, I know. You’ve looked through magazines and photos of design ideas and you’re still not sold on anything. Well maybe this site can help. Elizabeth Allis and Company has lots of great ideas for stationary, ring pillows, guestbooks, favors and more. They have an online design studio to break down certain elements to help pick and choose what you want your designs to look like. Check out this site, it just may keep you sane…..at least for another week or two.

Elizabeth Allis and Company

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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So it’s time to find that wedding dress, the one you’ve been dreaming about wearing for years. You have some idea of what it should look like, but actually finding that dress is a different story. WVG offers a few tips and suggestions to help get you started:

RESEARCH: Find pictures, pictures, and more pictures. One of the best ways to find ideas is to start with magazines, Brides, Modern Bride, etc. Or if you’re tech savy and don’t want to lug around magazines, start with Google. Do an image search and see what comes up, you may be surprised.

KEEP AN OPEN MIND: One thing you will realize very quickly is that all wedding dresses are not created equal. You’re going to want a gown that complements YOUR best attributes, not some model’s best attributes

FACTOR IN THE WEDDING DETAILS: One big thing to keep in mind is the wedding itself. Is it a spring or fall wedding? Are you on a beach or in the great outdoors? What time of day is the wedding? Is it a formal or semi-formal wedding? These are details that will affect your choices so have these details set before you walk into any bridal salon.

LOOK AT YOUR SOCIAL CIRCLE:Talk to your friends and family that have been married in your area. Learn from their experiences with bridal salon’s so you don’t make any mistakes they made.
Schedule appointmentsSome salons allow walk-ins, but by booking an appointment you’ll be guaranteed that a consultant will have time to help you. But don’t overload: Limit your appointments to two a day. Cramming three salons into one afternoon will leave you tired and stressed.

$$$: What’s your budget? Avoid dissappoint later when you realize the dress you really want is way out of your price range. Figure out what you can spend and only look at dresses in that range. If you don’t know what you’re missing, you won’t be disappointed, trust me.

ACCESSORIZE: Don’t be afraid to put your best make-up face on when trying out dresses. Doing little things like make-up, hair and jewelry will help give you a better idea of how you will look in your dress on your wedding day.

YOUR ENTOURAGE: Don’t invite the world to try on dresses, you only need a couple conflicting opinions, not hundreds. Maybe mom and a best friend/maid of honor. Keep it small.

NO SNAP DECISIONS: It’s alright to walk out of a shop, even if you think you found the perfect dress. Sometimes when you take a step back and remove yourself from a situation, you may see things a bit more clear and realize it’s not the dress you thought it was. On the other hand, it may just reinforce that you are making the best decision. In which case, why are you still reading this, go get it!