Wedding Style Guide Goes Digital !

One of my absolutely favourite wedding magazines, Wedding Style Guide has just gone digital !!

WSG is one of the most creative and distinctive wedding mags available. A lot of the popular bridal mags just replicate last months issue with a few new articles and an idea or two. Not WSG each issue is a fresh new set of ideas, style tips, stationery, wedding lines, pictures and resources. It also has an awesome website & blog with loads more information & pictures and heaps of free downloads.

Now they have added all of their back issues to the site and you can download the lot for $4.95 ! Which is incredible and the best part …..I will never have to tear out a page or cut up my WSG ever again!!!!

If you haven’t checkout their site & blog before, it’s well worth a visit, you won’t be disappointed! www.styleguide.com.au

Wedding Flowers, Colors & Meanings

I adore flowers! Some of my earliest childhood memories are of the flowers in my grandparent’s garden. As much as I hate to admit it I am truly a romantic girly girl who falls for the beautiful colours & perfume smell ever time.

One of the best things about having two ceremonies will be choosing a second bridal bouquet. I can’t wait to see my Disney bouquet; I know it will be amazing.

Apart from seasonality, availability, color and cost, many brides, myself included, are fascinated to learn the meanings of their flower choice. For centuries flowers have played an important role in our history & mythology, infused with symbolism and meaning that continues today.

Over the years I have come to learn some of my favorite & the more popular flower & color meanings, but I was surprised to learn that their significance can change once two flowers were entwined together.

Some of my favorite flowers and greenery and their meanings are:

Apple Blossom - Better things to come

Bells - Are closely linked to the realm of fairies & also referred to as "fairy thimbles”, they represent humility, constancy and gratitude.

Camelia - Gratitude

Carnation - Fascination and love

Chrysanthemum - Red - I love you

Chrysanthemum - White - Truth

Daffodil - Regard

Daisy - Innocence

Fern - Fascination and sincerity

Flowering Almond - Hope

Forget-me-not - True love and remembrance

Honeysuckle - Generosity

Hyacinth - Loveliness

Hydrangea - Boastfulness

Iris - Warmth of affection

Ivy - Eternal fidelity

Jasmine - Amiability

Lemon Blossom - Fidelity in love

Lily - Majesty

Lily-of-the-valley - Return of happiness

Lisianthus - appreciation and an outgoing nature

Magnolia - Perseverance

Mimosa - Sensitivity

Rose (red) - Love

Rose (yellow) - Friendship

Rose (coral) - Desire

Rose (peach) - Modesty

Rose (dark pink) - Thankfulness

Rose (pale pink) - Grace

Rose (orange) - Fascination

Rose (white) - Innocence

Sweet Pea - Delicate pleasures

Tulip - Love

Veronica - Fidelity

Violet - Faithfulness

For the superstitious, there are flowers said to be best avoid, however flowers come with as many & varied meaning as they have petals, and I personally place no value in that at all.

It’s so much fun looking through pages of different bouquet flowers, styles and colors, but it hasn’t help me narrow down what flowers I would like in either bouquet or what flowers we want for the bridal party, ceremony or reception. Our floral plan just moved to the top of my ‘must do’ list for this week!

Hunter Welcome Party Booked!

 

We have secured a venue for our welcome party, the Grapevine Bar at the Crown Plaza.

It’s the perfect location as most guests are staying at Crown, so those who arrived earlier in the week can just walk down to the restaurant and for anyone arriving on Friday evening, they can come down and join us whenever they arrive.

 

 

 

Secret Brides Business

I have been waiting very patiently for today and the Secret Brides Business Event. I booked tickets to it months ago and have been counting down the days.

With no real idea what to expect, my wonderful BM and I made our way to the Shangri-La Hotel for our 2pm session. When we arrived we were given a booklet on the afternoon’s events and our makeup & nail appointment times.

We made our way down to the entrance of the grand ballroom to find a handpicked selection of Sydney wedding experts. Each area of your wedding planning was covered with a single expert supplier, for you to meet with & see their work. All the while collecting little gifts from the suppliers and champagne freely flowing all around.

After the vendor showing we all went into the grand ballroom to enjoy a champagne high tea while we watched a bridal runway show.

The show had gowns from Alex Perry, Joanne Panzarino, Louise Alvarez, Mark Holt and several othes. The room was gorgeously themed by Michael Cartwright in several different styles, which was great to see in real life.

The entertainment was average, but as we had a great group of people at our table we didn’t really mind.

After our high tea we went up to the 36th floor and WOW! talk about spectacular views! more champagne, chocolates, topless waiters and our makeup & nail appointments.

One of the big stuff ups was that both our make up appointments were scheduled for after 5pm. But luckily my BM was able to be squeezed in (as we wanted her make up done for a big night out) and she looked Fantastic!

I will contact Secret Brides Business on Monday and see what can be done about my trial.

As things started to wind down we collected our gift bags full of treats, gifts, magazines, make up samples and discounts.

While a few things could be improved upon for next year’s event, all in all we had a fantastic time and left feeling quite pampered

The Supporting Cast .....

Wedding planning is as exciting as it is overwhelming and choosing which of your family & friends will play a special role in your day can be one of the easiest or one of the hardest & most daunting decisions you’ll make.

While there are no hard & fast rules around whom & how many should be in your bridal party, it should be made up of your closest family & friends. It is a special honor and an important responsibility to be part of a bridal party, and each member has a role to play that extends beyond fun & bachelor/ bachelorette party planning.

This is why it’s important to choose people you know & trust as they will be your support network when times are stressful and you need to know you can count on them. And for me especially, this has been a more difficult decision that I expected, partly because of me and partly because of circumstances.

Many years ago my best friend and I started to plan every intricate detail of my wedding, complete with a folder full of clipping & ideas, run sheets & photos. We added to it over the years & changed details but the two constants had always been the groom & my best friend. Several years ago my best friend passed away and while many things since have been difficult, I knew this would be one of the hardest. This is why it was so important to us to make sure our wingmen & women who would plan, prepare & stand with us, were our nearest & dearest, whom we trusted completely.

When all have had a chance to think & decide if they are able to participate we will update our website with all the details, but until then a few things to consider when choosing your bridal party:

First, don't rush into choosing your attendants; think about what each of their responsibilities will be (practical, time & financial).

Second, try & choose people who you can trust & rely on, and that you know will be honest with you.

Third, factor in the lifestyle and current situation of those you intend to ask, and how it will work with their responsibilities and your needs.

Lastly decide what's most important to you both and go for it, don't get caught up in other people’s expectations or history.

The Perfect Wedding Gift

Is buying the perfect wedding gift really that difficult?

Buying the perfect gift has turned into somewhat of an art form nowadays. Some put enormous amounts of time into choosing the perfect gift, thinking about the bride & grooms likes & dislikes, hobbies & homes, then the best & most creative way to wrap & deliver it.

Others mistakenly believe that the more it costs the better & more memorable it will be, and let’s not forget those who stumble on the only box of chocolates within the ‘expiry date’ at the service station – 15 minutes before the ceremony starts.

I love buying gifts for people; so far it is my favorite part of wedding planning. As now I get to purchases all kinds of gifts and favors for everyone! But I know a lot of my friends dread buying things for me. As I love gifts that are unique, one off’s, handmade and have character. I especially love things that have a personal significance between the gift giver & receiver.

So how do you find the perfect gift that the couple will love without breaking the bank?

The easiest way to start is by taking a look at the gift registry, although don’t feel you must stick to it exactly if you don’t want to. If you do decide to purchase from the gift registry:

*Decide before you go shopping what your budget is and stick to it!

*There is no rule that says you have to spend your entire budget on one item

*Get in early as often the lists are created months in advance and items can sell out or may only have seasonal availability.

*Add your own personal touch to items from the registry, for example have towels monogrammed with their initials or purchase the vase they wanted and fill it with kitchen gadgets.

If you decide not to purchase from their list can you expand on it? Does a particular brand or designer appear several times on their list? You can always choose an item from the same collection (but not off the list), that way you know it their taste, but it’s still a surprise.

Most importantly don't re-gift items that you dont want! dollars to donuts if you didn't like it, neither will ! 

Whatever you decide to purchase (or make) just remember the thought you put into it is far more important than the price tag.