Tents are all the rage

Lately I've seen an increase in the number of tents that couples are having at their weddings. This can include small tents or really big and elaborate ones that can cover a whole reception area. I found a great site, Boutique Tents, in a blog post from The Bride's Guide.

Check out some of her work!!! And can you believe that Ann Girault does all of these tents by hand. AMAZING.

Would you ever get one of these for your wedding?

Happy Planning,

Shafonne

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Planning Pad takes the guest work out of favors

Look no farther than Planning Pad for the best in favors and gifts.

They have the best in wedding favors, invitatons, stationary and gifts.

Here are some of the best things that I found.


These are some great labels that you could use to put on any of your favor boxes or even your invitations.












They even have Save the Dates Magnet Kits. So you can make your own.

And can you believe they have little mini blenders that are timers for your kitchen. Too CUTE!!!






And you know you can't go wrong with having these Eco-friendly plantable wildflowers in the shape of a Pink Breast Cancer Ribbon.

And you can't forget about your bridesmaids with this amazing sachet that you can give them jewelry in with their initials on it.

Happy Planning,

Shafonne

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Best Wedding Processional EVER

I LOVE it!! I wish I could get married again so I could do this.

Would you do something like this?

Happy planning,
Shafonne

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Worst Wedding Songs EVER

Ok, so I'm always looking for new and fun things to write about so when I got this email this morning, I knew that this was the perfect post for today.

We all have been to a wedding and a song came on and you were like "OMG, how could the DJ have played this" and you feel sorry for the couple as well as the guests that have to sit through the song.

So I have come to the rescue with some assistance from my friends over at Elegala, to bring you the Worst Wedding Songs EVER list. So you can make sure and keep these ones off your wedding playlist.

• Chicken Dance - Our Take: Nothing about a wedding screams “flap your arms and pretend to be a chicken.” Nothing. No one likes this dance, we promise. I totally agree with this one
• YMCA - The Village People. Our Take: Most people look ridiculous attempting to spell out the letters. But it is a good crowd pleaser, especially if everyone has had a few drinks
• Shout - Isley Brothers. Our Take: One of the most overplayed songs at a wedding reception. Please be original and leave this off your play list. Save this one for new the end, drinks make it better and easier.
• Macarena - Del Rio. Our Take: As a general rule, songs that promote a form of line dancing should be reserved for bad karaoke bars. Definite NO
• Electric Slide - Our Take: See previous response. Well I have to say this one is a staple and some people really like it so feel your crowd out.
• Celebration - Kool and the Gang. Our Take: Again, grossly overplayed. Another crowd pleaser, so feel the crowd out first.
• Hot, Hot, Hot - Buster Poindexter. Our Take: So not hot! Not hot at all.
• Heart Will Go On - Celine Dion. Our Take: Leave the Titanic song off the playlist unless you want to leave the impression that your marriage is a sinking ship. Please, Please, Please don't play this one, for your guests sake.
• Gold Digger - Kanye West. Our Take: Jaws drop, the dance floor clears, and the first official fight between the bride and groom commences I don't think one is that bad but maybe it's just me.
• D-I-V-O-R-C-E - Tammy Wynette. Our Take: Seriously? I have never heard of this one.

Feel free to add to the list or comment about any of the songs.

Happy Planning,

Shafonne

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DIY Project: Fan Programs

I have been on a kick the past few weeks talking about things relating to outdoor weddings. I guess since it has been so hot and it is in the midst of summer weddings it is fitting.

I always try and recommend that people doing any outdoors wedding provide things that are going to help ease the outdoor elements for their guests. One great thing is a Fan Program. This is a great idea because you need a program so why not make it one that is useful.

Fan Programs can get very costly when getting into very ornate and elaborate designs but they are very simple and easy to do on your own. I have gotten together three websites that provide the instructions and resources for you to make your own.

Custom Programs






This was a great site because you could actually purchase the kit that included the paper and instructions already in a package. So this alleviates having to go out and buy everything sepearte.






Ayleebits


I liked this site because they gave a template plus the option of purchasing predesigned ones. Their directions were very good and easy to follow.






Wedding Paper Products




I LOVE this site because they give you all the information from A-Z on how to make these lovely fan programs. They give supplies, explicit directions and all the templates that you could ever want. This is definitely my best choice.

Would you use any of these sites?

Happy Planning,
Shafonne

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Designer Wedding Dress Thrift Store

Yes, you heard me right. A thrift store with designer wedding dresses. I came across the site and was amazed by 1. the prices of the dresses and 2. the brand names.

The site is Once Wed and they have everything from Vera Wang and Monique Lhullier to David's Bridal.

The site is set-up like a thrift store where people sell their gently used wedding gowns. It is amazing how nice the dresses look and the cost reduction that you get compared to the regular retail prices.









And truthfully I think that if I could change it I would have gone this route because so much is spend on the dress and you only wear it one time and then it sits in a box in the closet.

Would you ever use a site like this?

Happy Planning,

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Living together before marriage?

This is becoming more and more common, especially with the economy the way it is. I know for my husband and I we did live together before we got married but I required that we were engaged first. I guess that was my way of making sure that he truly wanted to be with me and didn't just want someone to help pay the bills. (lol)

I found a great blog by Isabella Snow and she did a post about living together before marriage and I thought that it had some good points to think about.

If you're a very religious person who believes that you shouldn't live with someone until you're married, that's fine; I'm not trying to change your mind or even alter your opinion. This article is for those who don't share in those beliefs, and who may be wondering if they should move in with a boyfriend or girlfriend. This article is based on both personal experience and the collective experiences of others I've known in similar situations. Personally, I believe moving in together prior to marriage is a very good idea; read on to learn the five biggest reasons why.


1. It takes time to learn how to be partners.
When you marry someone, you're automatically partners from a legal point of view, but this doesn't mean you're mentally ready for such a thing. You've got to learn how to give and take before you're ready to give everything up for someone, and you can't learn this simply by giving up that one corner in your bathroom for your girlfriend's makeup.

2. Quirks are easily hidden when you don't live with someone.
If you're dating someone who gets psychotic when the bathroom light is accidentally left on, you've got a better chance of discovering this when living with them, as opposed to just visiting them. If you're dating someone who downs a fifth of Jim Beam before bed every night, this is more easily discovered when living with them, rather than when sleeping over once in awhile. Nearly everyone can behave normally on a short-term scale -- few disturbed individuals can hide that on a consistent basis, though.


3. It can take time to learn that you don't want to marry someone.
Love can sweep over people pretty quickly and it's easy for some couples to fall in love with the idea of getting married. The last thing you want, however, is to get married, move in and then find out you can't stand your new spouse's sleeping, eating or drinking habits. And like I've said, you can't know these things until you have moved in with them. Yes, you may love them, but that doesn't mean you're going to be able to tolerate living with your girlfriend or boyfriend.

4. Your love life can be a good indication as to the strength of your relationship.

It's easy to stay attracted to someone you only see a few times a week. But if you're living with someone every day, you'll have a much better idea of how strong your bond (emotionally and mentally) is, and whether or not marriage would be a good next step or not. It's not "marriage" that kills the love life, it's learning that you're not compatible through all the little things one experiences when living with someone else.

5. You need time to learn what their real values are.
Compatible values are very important when it comes to relationships, and you can't know what someone's real values are just by talking about them. You need to see how they react to things, and to people, on a daily basis before you can really know such a thing. And when I say values, that includes the whole gambit; anything you can think of. For example (and this is just an example!) it's easy to think your man believes in women's rights, but later discover that your new husband sits in front of the tv all night and bashes female politicians simply for being female. You don't know what someone really believes until you see them act those beliefs out on a regular basis.

Did you live with your wife/husband before you got married or for the to-be's out there are you living with your fiance before you'll get married.


Happy Planning,
Shafonne

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