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How to Choose the Best Wedding Reception Venue

Today we are publishing an awesome guest post. After you do your pre-wedding planning and select your wedding bands, you need to plan your wedding reception. Here are some great tips to help you choose the best wedding reception venue. Enjoy!

For many, a wedding is a long-dreamed-of event. If you are in the process of planning your wedding, laboring over every detail and trying to get every element just right, one important thing to consider is your reception venue. The venue you select for your reception can have a major impact on the quality of this post-wedding party. As you move through the deciding process, consider some of the factors that could play a part in determining just how ideal the venues you are considering are for your special day.

Capacity

The capacity of the space is the first thing you should consider when screening wedding reception venues. For the space you are considering to be a perfect fit, it must be neither too large nor too small to accommodate the number of guests you plan to host. If the venue is too large, it will likely appear empty and may seem impersonal. If the venue is too small, your guests will be cramped and far from comfortable at your reception. Because of the importance of finding a site with the perfect capacity, make this high on your list of determining factors.

Convenience

On your wedding day you will want everything to be easy and convenient, both for you and for your guests. When picking your reception venue, seek one that is conveniently located, ensuring that your guests don’t have to travel a long distance from the site of the wedding itself to this post-party place. While it is perfectly acceptable to ask your guests to drive a short distance to get to your site, the less they must drive the better. If you plan to host out of town guests, also take into consideration the proximity of the reception site to a hotel. If you can select a reception site that is very near a hotel, you can allow these guests to enjoy your wedding celebration then travel to their hotel with ease and substantially decrease the likelihood that guests who have imbibed alcohol at your wedding get behind the wheel as they will have a nearby place to sleep post-reception.

Ambiance

The perfect reception space will fit seamlessly with the theme you are trying to establish for your wedding. If you plan a sleek and modern wedding, seek specifically a reception space that echoes this theme, choosing an inner-city penthouse with sweeping views of the skyline or a stark loft-like space with exposed brick walls and metallic accents. If the wedding you have planned is more quaint and romantic, select an old-world space, such as a centuries old winery or a historically significant space that still has all of the charm of a bygone era. By selecting a space that already fits with your wedding theme, you can reduce the amount of money and effort you have to dedicate to decorating the space, as the space will already fit with your wedding motif.

Dance Space

Dancing plays an important part in many wedding receptions. When selecting your reception venue, keep in mind whether the venue you are considering offers adequate space for your guests to cut loose and dance the night away. Seek specifically a site with a dancing-ready flooring option, such as engineered hardwood flooring. Flooring of this type not only looks sleek and attractive, but also provides the perfect space for dancing. If the space you are considering lacks a dance-ready space, it may not be the ideal option as you will not be able to offer your guests a space for this popular reception activity.

Personal Significance

If there is a reception venue that has personal significance for you and your partner, it may prove the ideal space for your post-wedding party. Think back in your relationship to determine if any reception-appropriate space holds special meaning for you and your partner. For example, if you first started seeing your partner romantically after sharing a dance at your high school prom, the venue at which this first dance took place may be the ideal one at which to have your reception as the site already holds special meaning for you and your soon-to-be-spouse.

Cost

Many people are willing to splurge on their wedding days, paying more for a reception venue than they would for any other event in their lives. You should, however, consider cost when seeking out the best venue for your reception. Even if you are willing to stretch your budget a bit to get that perfect reception site, you shouldn’t abandon your budget all together as doing so could set you and your new spouse up for financial hardship. If you have budgeted an amount for your reception venue when initially planning your wedding, try not to deviate too much from this original figure, as doing so could put serious stress on your new union. If you worry that you will completely abandon your budget if you find that perfect reception site that is outside of the budget, don’t go to see sites that are too far above the monetary amount you hard earmarked for this portion of the wedding expenses.

Filed Under: Wedding Receptions Tagged With: wedding receptions

How to Plan Efficiently Before the Big Day

The secret to a great wedding day is to is to plan ahead and plan efficiently. Ideally, planning should begin about a year before the wedding day, soon after the proposal’s been given and accepted. Some of the first things that should happen are:

A date for the wedding should be set immediately. Most people get married during the warmer months, on a Saturday, so it makes sense to book a catering hall, dressmakers, florists and wedding sites about a year in advance.
The couple should know how large they want their wedding to be and who’s going to be invited. They should do this before they talk about it with their parents. Some flexibility is going to be needed.
The couple should discuss their budget and how much money bride, groom and parents are willing to contribute. Unless the bride’s family is truly wealthy, it’s quite burdensome to lay most of the cost of the wedding on her family in this day and age. A family meeting will go a long way into clarifying who pays for what. Among the things that need to be paid for in a wedding are:

Wedding rings for the bride and groom, and an engagement ring for the bride
Marriage license
Gifts for the maid or matron of honor and the bridesmaids
Gifts for the groom’s attendants
Clergy fee
Bridal gown
Flowers
The wedding dress and accessories
The honeymoon
Rental of tuxedos and other attire
Reception costs

Other things a couple needs to do about a year in advance are:

Make an appointment with clergy to discuss the wedding details
Choose members of the wedding party
Set up a gift registry
Choose the color scheme as well as the wedding gown, the bridesmaids’ gowns and other accessories
Select a florist
Interview and choose the musicians and the disc jockey
Interview and choose wedding photographers and videographers
Decide on the details of the honeymoon. As the wedding date nears the couple should make arrangements to get cheap rental car insurance while they’re on their honeymoon.

Four Months Before

About four months before the wedding the couple should check to see what the requirements are for a marriage license. If they’re going to be honeymooning abroad, they should make arrangements to get passports if they don’t already have them.

They should make a list for what they’ll need for the honeymoon and the wedding night and buy it. The bride should also give copies of the list to her mother and her maid of honor. Check social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google Plus for other tips from people who have just gotten married.

The guest list should be finalized, if it hasn’t been already and the stationery should be bought. The engagement should then be formally announced, including on social media.

Other items like hiring the catering hall, photographer, videographer, disc jockey and others should be finalized and down payments made.

The rings should be selected and the wedding attire should be ordered for the groom’s attendants and both mothers.

Two Months Before

Two months before the wedding the invitations should be mailed if they haven’t been already. Transportation should be organized. The bride and groom should buy gifts for each other as well as their attendants. There should be the final fittings for costumes.

The bride and groom should also get their marriage license and arrange for hotel and transportation for out of town guests.

One Month Before

About a month before the wedding the couple should plan the ceremony and the reception in detail. They should arrange for a family member or friend to handle the guest book. Both bride and groom should arrange to visit the beauty parlor or the barber shop a day or two before the ceremony.

The couple should also have their wedding portrait taken and let people know about name and address changes by getting forms from the post office, the department of motor vehicles, credit card companies and other parties. The bride and groom should also make sure to check different life insurance companies after the wedding to protect each other’s future.

Two Weeks Before

All the costumes should be fitted Two weeks before the wedding. The caterer should be given the final count for who’s going to be at the reception and the seating arraignments should be finalized as well. The honeymoon plans should be confirmed with the travel agent.

A Week Before

The couple should make sure that their rings fit and pick them up at the jeweler. The details for hiring the caterer, photographer or videographer, DJ or musicians should be confirmed. Someone, perhaps a hired hand or a trusted family member, should run errands.

The couple should pack their bags for their honeymoon and make sure all documents, including their passports, are in order.

On the Wedding Day

Before the ceremony, the couple should take it as easy as possible. They deserve it!

Filed Under: Wedding Planning Tagged With: wedding planning

Need A Fancy Ride To Take You Away From Your Wedding? Check Out These Great Car Choices

This is a guest blog post from Pat at SellMyCarSanDiego.com. After your elegant wedding ceremony and after you present each other with your beautiful wedding bands, you can choose one of these amazing cars to take you away in style!

Weddings are indeed a special occasion. These memorable events are the perfect time to show off a display of sophistication and elegance. This can be done with lavish attire and also the use of a fashionable mode of transportation. Here are some of the finest choices for the perfect wedding cars:

Limousine

This is probably the most popular transportation choice for a wedding. Not only can classic styles of limousines be used, but also more modern choices, such as Hummer limos, can also be employed. Limousines can fit many members of the wedding party and are always an appropriate option.

Mercedes

As one of the most prestigious car models, guests at the wedding will be envious when they see one of these luxurious vehicles arrive at the wedding.

Ferrari

For the serious high rollers, this posh car is the perfect choice. A sleek coat on the car’s exterior and a chic design will definitely be the talk of the event.

Rolls Royce

This famed classic car is another top choice. Obtaining a vintage model would be even more impressive. A classic gray or black coating on the car would definitely be suitable for the occasion.

Beauford

A touch of worldly sophistication is offered by driving one of these vintage British cars. The unique and stylish design gives this automobile a truly special quality.

Jaguar

This low riding car is another classic. Many vintage models are difficult to find, and locating one of the rarer models will truly add to the splendor of any wedding.

Porsche

Those who want an especially hip and trendy event can drive this sports car to add to the appeal. A convertible model would add an additional level of style.

Classic Cadillac

The classic versions of Cadillac cars are the most ideal for a wedding. They can give the event a flare from the past while still looking stylish enough for the occasion.

Land Rover

Pragmatists will especially find this vehicle appealing for its spaciousness and dependability. Plus, its high stature can give the appearance of prestige and importance.

Car choices can definitely shape any wedding. They can easily add or detract from the event, so making the right choice is crucial. The appropriate choice will come down to the overall theme of the event and the desires of the parties involved. The right car selection can provide the perfect accessory for a special and memorable wedding.

About The Author

You’ll typically find Pat blogging about automobiles. If you like is work, you can visit cash for cars San Diego, where he bogs about how to sell a car

Filed Under: Weddings Tagged With: wedding cars

Top 6 Colorful Wedding Dresses – Enrich Your 2012 Valentine’s Day Wedding

This is a guest blog post from www.micweddingdresses.com. Regardless of where in the world you are getting married there are so many different wedding gown designs and colors to choose from (just like mens wedding bands). I hope you enjoy the post!!

The wedding dress is the most important trump for each bride. In an era when more and more fashion-conscious girls desire to seem unique, they do hold stronger appetite about what to be worn on their big days. And obviously, white wedding gowns are not the only choice they take into consideration. However, while heading to colorful wedding gowns, some of them feel perplexed and a little unconfident. So, how can you look great with a colorful wedding gown? To enhance the romantic sense on a Valentine’s Day wedding, exquisite color on your dress must become a finishing touch. So, follow us to unveil the latest trends on colorful bridal dresses.

Top 1: Mustard Yellow Wedding Dresses

Most Chinese girls say No to yellow wedding gowns even at the first glimpse. Why? Yes, it’s because of their yellow complexion. This makes them always fail to look great with yellow wedding dresses. However, why not try a mustard yellow dress like this one? The slim body shapes gets totally and perfectly flattered. Exquisite neckline design draws a wonderful accentuation on the wearer’s femininity. If you keep updated with tendencies in the vogue industry, you must still remember the mustard yellow one-shoulder prom dress from Lanvin X H&M, right? Once released, it stirred up a big tide across the globe. So, just be confident to wear a dress in mustard yellow for the memorable day!

Level of Easy to be Worn: ★★★

Top 2: Red Wedding Dresses

Red wedding dresses are the most frequently seen choices on nuptials. But if the style is designed to be overly complicated, it may feel old-fashioned. This may be the reason why most brides in China tend to avoid red wedding gowns. Anyway, does this one bring you new thought? The amazingly charming red makes the fan-shaped dress much more elegant undoubtedly. Plus the length reaching to the floor, the wearer impresses us by a graceful & aristocratic appearance!

Level of Easy to be Worn: ★★★

Top 3: Dark Blue Wedding Dresses

It seems like not warm enough to be harmonious with the romantic sense on a wedding themed on Valentine’s Day. But take a closer look, you do detect something tranquil and graceful oozing out from a dark blue wedding dress like this one. Dark blue is the safest and most modest color. A dress in this hue can always highlight the noble and gorgeous appeal on the bride. But there is a shortcoming – you may easily meet a color collision with your elders.

Level of Easy to be Worn: ★★★★★

Top 4: Lavender Wedding Dresses

Dark purple wedding dresses are loved by many females. To be different, try a lavender wedding gown please. It seems like drawing more and more attention in the spring of 2012. But don’t choose a too transparent lilac, which seems a little stodgy.

Level of Easy to be Worn: ★★★

Top 5: Green Wedding Dresses

The place where a green wedding dress exists always catches most eyeballs because white, red and purple are the most popular colors on a wedding. To steal the show, to wear a green gown must contribute a lot. Plus delicate accessories on the chest and the halter neckline pattern, you will be overwhelming alluring!

Level of Easy to be Worn: ★★★★★

Top 6: Grey Wedding Dresses

Seldom will girls choose grey wedding gowns because this color is really common and smalltime. But when purple collides with this quiet color, amazing design sense is embodied instantly. Off-the-shoulder neckline is always considered to be another ideal accentuation on the female properties of a girl. Understated appeal embraced by the plain colors seems like completing a perfect combination with the sexy neckline. To break away from fixed fashion rules, try this one!

Level of Easy to be Worn: ★★★★★

We hope this post has inspired you about buying your own wedding gown. To learn more, visit Katherine’s wedding site.

Filed Under: Weddings Tagged With: wedding dresses

Weddings in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina

This is a guest post written by Hardee Hunt and Williams. Regardless of where you live, Wrightsville Beach is an amazing place to exchange vows, exchange wedding bands, and to hold all wedding related celebrations. Enjoy the post!

Wrightsville Beach on the southeastern coast of North Carolina is known for its classic beauty, gorgeous real estate, beautiful views, ocean piers, and miles of white, sandy beaches. These elements and more combine to create the ideal wedding destination.

The beauty of the landscape on its own, however, is not quite enough to complete a great wedding event. Accommodations, catering, venues, and wedding vendors including photographers, florists, and planners are also essential elements in creating a memorable event. Because Wrightsville Beach has become such a popular wedding destination over the years, area businesses offer every product and service desired for wedding ceremonies and receptions. Here are some of the resources that can be used for weddings in Wrightsville Beach.

Accommodations – Popular hotels and resorts in Wrightsville Beach include Shell Island Resort, the Holiday Inn Sunspree, and The Blockade Runner Beach Resort. Guests may also consider renting a beach house or condo for their stay.

Church Ceremony – There are a few churches in Wrightsville Beach and others close by in Wilmington. On the island, there is Wrightsville United Methodist Church, Wrightsville Beach Baptist Church, St. Therese Church Parish, and The Little Chapel on the Boardwalk Presbyterian Church. St. Mark’s Catholic Church, Port City Community Church, and St. Andrews Episcopal Church are all in close proximity to the island and may accommodate larger groups.

Beach Ceremony – For a wedding ceremony on the beach in Wrightsville Beach, couples have to plan for a minister who will conduct the ceremony, chairs or benches for guests, and decorations or other structures they need or want. They also have to get the required permit and approval from WrightsvilleBeachParksAndRecreation.com as well as obtain fee information, rules, and regulations.

Transportation – For couples who need to get their family and friends from hotels to the ceremony to the reception and back again may want to consider providing transportation given that parking during the peak season is extremely limited. Trolleys are a popular option at the beach. They may also want to check with the hotel to see if buses or transportation may be arranged through them.

Reception – Popular reception venues on or near the beach include the resorts we mentioned earlier as well as restaurants including The Oceanic, Blue Water Grill, or The Bridge Tender. Airlie Gardens close to the island also hosts weddings and receptions and would be a beautiful coastal gardens setting.

These resources and suggestions cover some of the biggest elements in planning a wedding in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. There are many more vendors available in the area including bands and DJs, florists, supplies, rentals, and even dance instruction. So, in addition to the gorgeous setting that Wrightsville Beach offers, couples planning their wedding here have many options and resources to help with their planning.

About the Author:

Hardee Hunt and Williams is a boutique real estate firm specializing in Wrightsville Beach real estate, Figure Eight Island, Landfall, Wrightsville Beach Condos, and Intracoastal Waterway properties. For more information visit http://www.HardeeHuntAndWilliams.com.

Filed Under: Weddings Tagged With: wedding accomodations, wedding receptions, Weddings, wrightsville beach

The Top 50 Wedding Blogs To Follow In 2012

I think it would probably be safe to say that there is a wedding being planned every single day of the year. There are a ton of resources online to help someone with planning their wedding and getting loads of wedding ideas, so we decided to compile a list of the top fifty wedding blogs that you should follow if you are planning on getting married this year.

Some of the blogs are general wedding blogs, some are more specific like blogs about wedding/engagement rings, wedding planning, wedding photographers, wedding expos, wedding flowers, wedding cakes, and wedding invitations.

General Wedding Blogs

These blogs are about everything weddings. If you are planning a wedding, these are probably your best bet for finding all of the information you need.

Wedding Ring Blogs

These are blogs that focus specifically on wedding rings. Some of the blogs talk about women’s engagement rings and some talk about men’s wedding bands, like our tungsten wedding ring blog.

The Wedding Ring Blog

Ring Envy

Wedding Ring Guru

The Engagement Ring Blog

Affordable Tungsten Ring Blog (Shameless Plug)

Wedding Planner Blogs

These blogs talk about how to plan weddings. There are a ton of great tips in here.

Masterpiece Weddings

Become A Top Wedding Planner

Perfect Wedding Guide

Miami Wedding Planner

Planning Elegance

A Delightful Day

The Wedding Planning Institute

Wedding Photographer Blogs

These blogs are about wedding photography. Just by following these blogs, you can get a ton of great ideas for when you get your wedding photos taken.

Wedding Expo Blogs

These blogs are about wedding expos. If you haven’t been to a wedding expo, or read a blog on wedding expos, then you are really missing out.

The Original Wedding Expo

Destination Wedding Expo

Wedding Flower Blogs

These blogs are about wedding flowers. You can get a ton of great ideas on what types of flowers are great for weddings and what to do for your bouquet and centerpieces.

Utah Wedding Florist (Shameless Plug… Baby Sister’s Site)

Wedding Cake Blogs

These blogs are about wedding cakes. Again, you can get a ton of awesome ideas on wedding cake designs for your big day.

Wedding Invitation Blogs

These blogs are about wedding invitations. Actually, most of them are about invitations of all kinds, but you can find some great examples of wedding invitations that you can order right from the sites, or take examples to local company who produces invitations.

Invitations by Ajalon

Look Love Send

The Green Kangaroo

Oh So Beautiful Paper

Big Dot of Happiness

Filed Under: Weddings Tagged With: wedding blogs, wedding cake blogs, wedding flower blogs, wedding invitation blogs, wedding planner blogs, wedding ring blogs

Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves Are Finally Engaged!

Word on the street is that Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves are finally engaged. Matthew and Camila had a fabulous Christmas and in fact, popped the question to his long time girlfriend sometime during the day yesterday.

Unlike most engagement announcements, He announced his via twitter, see picture below.

The proposal actually comes to many as no big surprise since back in March, Matthew told Esquire Magazine that he has known his girlfriend of five years is “the one” for a very long time. He said in the interview, “I found the woman… I wanna make a family with, hopefully live our life out together,”.

The couple met at an L.A. bar in early 2006. They and have two children: a three-year-old son Levi and a daughter, Vida, who is almost two.

Filed Under: Celebrity Rings & Bands Tagged With: Camila Alves, Celebrity Engagement, Matthew McConaughey

Britney Spears Is Engaged: Feast Your Eyes On Her Engagement Ring

I was about ready to call it a night until my wife asked me if I had blogged about Britney Spears engagement. I asked her what in the world she was talking about and she informed me that she just got engaged this past Friday. Wow… I’ve apparently been living under a rock for the last few days.

Anyway, Britney Spears has confirmed that she is officially engaged to her long time boyfriend, Jason Trawick (formerly Brit’s agent). Trawick popped the question with a beautiful four carat diamond ring that he and famed jeweler Neil Lane worked together on.

The ring has a crown like band and the whopping four carat diamond is held by a beautiful tiara style setting surrounded by 90 small round diamonds around the band. Britney debuted the ring during a trip she and Trawick took to Vegas over the weekend.

Everyone is a bit surprised that Trawick settled for four carat diamond since the last time Brit was engaged (to K-Fed) she was presented with a five carat diamond ring. Regardless of the size, it is still a beautiful ring and we couldn’t be happier for Ms. Spears.

Here is a close up:

Pictures courtesy of MTV & Brides.com

Filed Under: Celebrity Rings & Bands Tagged With: britney spears, Engagement Ring

20 Worst Wedding Photos of All Time

When you live in Utah, it is always wedding season. There are so many college students getting married that it seems like it never stops. Outside of Utah, wedding season typically runs from early Spring to late Fall. So, in honor of everyone gearing up for wedding season, we wanted to put together a fun little post of the twenty worst wedding photos. If you are getting married this spring and in the preparation phase right now, take some pointers so you don’t end up being on this or other lists in the future.

Enjoy!