Articles from April 2010

Bridal Shower Cake – Ideas On Designing a Shower Cake

Bridal Shower Cake is The Main Attraction

When it comes to bridal showers, the bridal shower cake is typically the main attraction. We all agree that bridal showers are one of those events that under normal circumstances come only once in the lifetime of a bride. They are exciting, fun and present a rare opportunity to just let your hair down and forget all the worries in the world. Fortunately, even though they occur only once in the bride’s life, the bridal showers you can attend and organize are limitless, depending only on the number of relatives and friends you have that are single and are open to the possibility of marriage. A bridal shower is full of activities in addition to great dishes. The item that is normally the most important is the bridal shower cake and it is usually the highlight of the day and a centerpiece for the occasion.

Since the bridal shower cake is meant to offer well wishes to the engaged couple, a shower cake should be lively, innovative in design and should match the theme colors of the bridal shower. Here are two ways in which you can go about presenting wedding shower cakes.

Making a Home Baked Bridal Shower Cake

A home baked bridal shower cake is relatively east to pull off. After the shower cake is baked, apply the base frosting with a butter knife. White is usually the icing color of a traditional wedding shower cake, but if you like adventure, you can experiment with different colors, as long as they reflect the mood of the occasion. Use an applicator to ice the different theme related colors to the edges of the cake, and try to be original and create some unique designs. Apply gel icing on the top of the wedding shower cake with a special message for the bride and groom and let your artwork be neat and nicely designed. Use monograms of the couples names to give it a personal touch and finally press in some hard or soft chocolate to give it some texture. Finally, present the cake with a colorful ribbon around it.

Another Option For Making a Bridal Shower Cake

This is the second option which involves ordering a custom made bridal shower cake from a bakery. Your work entails designing of the bridal cake and choosing the ingredients, then presenting the concept to the baker. In designing the cake, try and match it with the preferences of the bride. If the bride loves shopping, you can order a cake shaped like a pair of high heels or a classy handbag just as long as the cake is feminine and if possible, can humorously relate to the bride. You can ask the baker to include intricate icing designs on the bridal cake to give it an elegant dynamic feel and even use the cake for the bridal shower centerpiece of the room for that day.

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Learn About Some Brunch Menu Ideas For Your Bridal Shower Brunch

Consider a Bridal Shower Brunch

A bridal shower brunch is an excellent and inexpensive way of bonding with close family members and letting them chip in ideas and suggestions about the wedding. Weddings preparations are usually activity packed events and the bride will find that she may intermingle with a good number of people. Unfortunately, the bride may end up having no time to interact with close family members and may end up loosing those precious moments that only a family can share prior to the wedding. That is why it comes highly recommended that the bride have a bridal brunch with close family and friends before retreating to hustle with the wedding day preparations. The bridal shower brunch usually takes place between 10am and noon, 2-3 days before the wedding.

Tips For a Bridal Shower Brunch

The first thing in hosting a bridal shower brunch is selecting a serene ambiance for the brunch. This could be a banquet hall or a private section of a restaurant. Traditionally though, a bridal shower brunch is normally held at the bride’s home, but any calm surrounding will normally do the trick. Decorations for the bridal brunch should be stylish and preferably match to the color theme of the wedding, while reflecting the class and maturity of the bride. Consult the bridal party for any adjustments they may want to make, but overall the décor, theme and color scheme should depict a wedding atmosphere. To allow for a relaxed atmosphere, set the dress code to be semi-casual with a touch of sophistication.

When it comes to brunch menus, the meals and drinks should be in tandem with the theme of the bridal shower brunch and the wedding. If the couple will have the traditional white wedding, it is preferred you use white serving dishes and preferably white food like mini bagels with cream cheese ,white pizza and chicken salad. Other brunch ideas that you may consider are to prepare home made dishes from the bride’s family recipe, recipes from close friends or just shop for the latest cook book and make them a delicious meal. For exotic themed weddings, you might want to hire a chef who specializes in the exotic meals the wedding is based on, but the trick is to keep the meals light, so cheeses, salads and soups are best for such an occasion.

Other Things to Consider For a Bridal Shower Brunch

Other brunch menu ideas include croissants, and brioches, fruits like grapes and strawberries, vegetables like, tomatoes and gourmet, among others. As for the drinks, let them also reflect the theme surrounding the wedding and please make sure there are non-alcoholic versions as well. Fruit punch for the exotic wedding, coffee, tea or soft drinks are a safe way to go for the non-alcoholic beverages. On the other hand, it’s also deemed appropriate for the bride to give out gifts to her guests. The gifts should not be too expensive and could even be homemade gifts like sweaters, blankets or bottles of wine, gift vouchers, and chocolates among others. So as you can see, a bridal shower brunch should not be such a difficult event to pull off.

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Romantic Weekend Getaways – Reconnect With a Weekend Vacation

Romantic Weekend Getaways

Romantic weekend getaways are great ways for adults to reconnect with each other when they feel that they are living with a stranger at times because they are so busy. Do you feel frazzled and tired all of the time? Do you feel that you have a closer relationship with your in box than you do your spouse? Do you children take up so much of your time that you wonder when the last time was that you had an adult conversation? If so, you may be due for a weekend get away. You have to make your relationship a priority or it is not going to last. It can be one of the best gifts you can give your children. So, go ahead and schedule one of those romantic weekend getaways and have some fun.

Things to Consider When Planning Romantic Weekend Getaways

One of the first things you may consider when you think about romantic weekend getaways is about what you are going to do with the kids. This is not something that should stop you from getting away. Your children will miss you, but they are going to be better off if you have a strong and lasting marriage or relationship. Your parents can be great sources for weekend child care if you want a romantic getaway weekend. If you have brothers or sisters with kids, trade off weekends with them so you can both have a weekend vacation without the kids. Good friends with kids are also great sources of childcare when you have to get out of the house alone for some romantic vacations.

You also have to cut work and other obligations out of the picture for romantic weekend getaways. You can not be checking your email or attending to other events when you want to get away. If you have plans, find a free weekend and mark it off as when you are going. Make no exceptions or you are never going to find the time to have a weekend vacation. You may even have to cancel some things to take your romantic get aways, but that is something you should do. Those that don’t understand are just going to have to deal with it. You have to take care of yourself for a change.

Where to go For Your Romantic Weekend Getaways

Where you want to go for your romantic weekend getaways is up to you, and as long as you go and have fun together, it really doesn’t matter where you go. You can find a small romantic bed and breakfast that is nearby if you wish, or you can get on a plane and fly somewhere for a longer weekend get away. Either way, you just have to have time to be together with nothing else going on and your weekend will be what you hope it will be. Don’t make your expectations too high, just go to be with each other, relax and find some romantic things to do.

Leave your laptop and your briefcase at home when you go on romantic weekend getaways with your spouse. You have to take your phone in the event that there is an emergency, but do not use it for anything else. Instruct your children to not call unless they have to. If it makes you feel better, make a few quick calls a day to make sure all is okay, but focus on each other for your weekend vacation or there may not be anything romantic about it. The point is to get away, even for 48 hours, to reconnect with your spouse and to remember why you married each other. A few weekend romantic getaways a year is usually all it takes when life takes over otherwise.

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Bridal Shower Decorating – Ideas On Decorations For Bridal Showers

Bridal Shower Decorating is Vital

Bridal shower decorating is vital if a bride wishes that she together with the guests have fond memories of that day. Bridal showers are among the few occasions in a year where family and friends can get together and have a good time. They are parties held to celebrate the life of the bride and her up coming wedding. A bridal shower party is therefore a social occasion and as such, much preparation goes into making sure it is lively and well attended. Most people opt to base their bridal shower decorating with colors like white or pink to convey elegance, but it is important to have a clue about the preferences of the bride before selecting a color theme.

Tips and Ideas on Bridal Shower Decorating

Now, when it comes to bridal shower decorating, it is perfectly legal to use bright colors or other objects like imitation palm tree leaves, stained glass, flowers or even exotic fruits for bridal shower decorations. You can begin by pasting colored ribbons along the ceiling, hanging nicely from window and door frames and covering bulbs to give a dim colored illumination. If the bridal shower is to be held outdoors, there is still no limit to the use of ribbons. They can be strewn decoratively along the hedges and fences, hanging from trees and ceilings and around pillars.

Pretty up the tables by first using colored table cloth that matches the bridal shower decoration theme to act as a backdrop. The tables are usually the first thing the guests see when they arrive, so table decorations should be catchy and attractive.

Remember to consider the age and maturity of the guests before setting up the shower decorations since some suggestive decorations may be offensive to an older crowd. To be on the safe side, use simpler bridal decorations like fruits, flowers and bowls. Another great idea is to have photo albums of the bride on the table so that guests can have a chance to view them as they settle. This can also be an effective ice breaker that will give the guests a chance to engage in conversation if they are not already acquainted.

You can never go wrong with the balloons. Just like ribbons; they can be placed either outdoors or indoors. Go for balloons that match the theme of the shower or you can get custom made ones with writings about the bride or having special messages to the guests.

Make Bridal Shower Decorating Fun

Finally, with a little knowledge and creativity, bridal shower decorating can be a lot of fun. Be sure to have a bridal shower centerpiece that will reflect the bridal shower theme and the personality of the bride. You can use the bridal shower cake as a centerpiece or alternatively have a miniature version of the centerpiece on each table.

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Wedding Bridesmaid Dresses – They Can Be Just as Important as The Wedding Dress

Selecting Wedding Bridesmaid Dresses

Be sure to put in some thought into the selection of your wedding bridesmaid dresses. When young girls daydream about their wedding day, they usually focus on the wedding bridal gowns more than any other particular factor. Don’t get me wrong – a young woman with an active imagination will think about wedding cake toppers, bridal floral arrangements, the sound of wedding bells, and all the rest as well. Still, it usually comes down to the wedding dresses. The problem with this is that, when picking out bridal dresses, women are inevitably constrained to some degree or another by convention. There is just too much tradition behind it all. Wedding gowns have to be white, usually have a veil, and often have a long train of ruffles hanging behind them. Although there is a good bit of variation in wedding dresses and more innovation arriving every year, they are still not a great opportunity for self expression. Strangely enough, the wedding bridesmaid dresses are where the bride really gets to express herself.

Wedding Bridesmaid Dresses Have a Second Function

After all, the wedding bridesmaids dresses are not there just to make the bridesmaids look beautiful. As a wedding planner, I used to always be surprised when my clients were disappointed about the variety of wedding dresses available. That is when I began to tell my clients that they should put more thought into the wedding bridesmaid dress than into what they are wearing. These bridesmaid dresses will serve a second function as well. A wedding bridesmaid dress helps to set off the wedding gown. For example, if the wedding bridesmaid dresses are cream-colored, they will look similar to the bridal gown, but not as radiant, making the bride seem to glow more brightly. If, on the other hand, they are a dark color or some vibrant shade of red or blue, they will set off the wedding dress quite strikingly.

Coordinate Wedding Bridesmaid Dresses With Other Decor

The wedding bridesmaid dresses can also be coordinated with other aspects of the decor. They can reflect the colors used in the wedding flowers, the wedding cake topper, the decorations of the room, or even an outdoor wedding scene. The bride is supposed to stick out and look iconic – that is the whole point. But, she is also required to walk down the aisle with the bridesmaids. There is a point to that too. Her wedding is her opportunity to shine more brightly than anyone else, and the bridesmaids dresses should reflect this. I’m not saying that they shouldn’t be beautiful – of course they should be beautiful. But, their beauty should be carefully tailored to enhance the beauty of the bride even more.

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