Last year, we covered WeddingMapper.com, a free service where you can create online wedding maps for your guests.

If printed maps are more your style, idoweddingmaps.com might be more what you're looking for.  idoweddingmaps.com offers four styles of maps, which you create online by filling out some information about you and your event.  You can choose to have a PDF e-mailed to you, or have your maps printed and sent to you to include in the invitation.

We recently attended a wedding where the map was created on idoweddingmaps.com, and it was very clear and attractive, and printed on good quality paper.

A recently married couple (not one of ours) was the butt of a lot of jokes on the morning radio shows yesterday:

According to a criminal complaint, the Wielechowskis had just checked into the Holiday Inn-McKnight Road in Ross and were ready to enter their room on the seventh floor when they began arguing.

Dr. Wielechowski "then used a karate-style kick with his leg to kick Christa, knocking her to the floor," the complaint reads.

Upon hearing her screams, two guests of the hotel who had been attending another wedding reception ran to Mrs. Wielechowski's aid. But when they attempted to restrain Dr. Wielechowski, he began fighting the would-be rescuers only to have Mrs. Wielechowski "turn against [them] and also begin to assault them," according to the complaint.

(full story at http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08119/877164-52.stm)

And also in newspaper articles

Marriage consultants and relationship therapists will speculate about the Wielechowskis' marriage. Is reconciliation possible, or do they bite the bullet and put boxing promoter Don King on retainer?

(article at http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08120/877372-153.stm)

But seriously, domestic violence is no laughing matter, and we hope that if you're in a relationship, you seek out help to end the cycle.  Too many people convince themselves their partner will change once they're married, or after the child arrives, but usually things only grow worse and worse.  There are people who will help and protect you if you're in a violent situation.  It will take an incredible amount of bravery to get out of the relationship, but in the long run, it's the best thing you can do.

We're not sure if this couple was overcome by the stress of the day, or if this is more of the same in their relationship (and apparently they have been under a considerable amount lately, see http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08120/877410-85.stm), but we wish them all the best.

The Butler Days Inn will hold their Winter Bridal Extravaganza on Feb. 17, 2008.  Once again, The Bloomery will be there with all sorts of sample bouquets, photo albums, invitations and accessories.

There isn't any information on their website, but you can contact them at 724-287-6761 x262.  Their site is http://www.daysinnbutler.com/.

Brides getting married in Oakland, PA this year, remember the Boulevard of the Allies bridge is now closed, resulting in serious roundabout detours.  As your wedding day draws closer, be sure to check detour maps--you may need to hand out a modified one at your ceremony!

Popular affected venues include Heinz Chapel, St. Paul's Cathedral, Phipps Conservatory, The Carnegie Museum and the popular photo sites around Pitt and CMU campuses.

Full story at http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07347/841299-53.stm.

Thanks to Cyndy Meyer for pointing this out!

Are you trying to plan a bachelorette party, or shower, and need an online site to plan, organize and invite?  Microsoft recently launched Windows Live Events, a free service with the features you need:

Invite guests, add events directly to your preferred calendar software, or share post-party photos and blogs at Windows Live Events, Microsoft's foray into the online event planning field. In addition to standard online invitation features seen at Evite and other spots, Live Events allows the anticipated weather for an event to be displayed, along with pictures and maps chosen by the host. Live Events requires a Windows Live sign-up to use and can pull contacts from Hotmail accounts, but allows syncing through iCal, Google, and Yahoo calendars, along with Outlook.

This is certainly not an acceptable way to invite your guests to your wedding, but may fit the bill for organizing the less formal aspects of your wedding.

(hat tip: Lifehacker)

In response to one of the most stressful events in life, The Professor's House has opened up a new advice and relation section to combat the pre-wedding woes. For all about to be wives, husbands, in-laws, friends, and family, the new Wedding Information (http://www.professorshouse.com/family/relationships/relationships-weddings.aspx) section is a relief and a welcome resource for those in the throes of marital vows.

To help engaged couples and their family and friends deal with the long list of potential stressful issues that are likely to erupt, the website known for its commitment to life enhancement has launched their new section with stress reduction as its key focus. All under one quaint roof, engaged couples and their family members and friends can seek out advice and get down to earth useable information no matter what type of wedding information they are seeking.

"How awesome to have so much advice in one place. Every time I think I have all my ducks in their row," exclaims Georgia Houston of Hampton, "I find new questions and concerns, usually at three in the morning. Having an abundance of information in one place makes it easier to find out how others have handled the stress and even had fun at their own wedding!"

The details of an upcoming wedding are exhausting. There are churches or places of worship or outdoor locations to secure for the day. You need to find someone to marry you. People need wedding dresses, mother of bride dresses and bridesmaid dresses. There is a honeymoon to plan. There are details involving food, reception, drinks or the lack thereof, and of course, all the special festivities that go along with creating a very special occasion for a very special day. Nobody makes it through this time without a little help. And the more help that can be piled on, the better. That's why resources such as The Professor's House Wedding Information Section is so vital to reducing stress and making the big day all about the wedded couple instead of failed details. Sometimes, the only thing a future bride really needs is to laugh at the understanding that everyone has a crazy wedding story, and hers will seem just as funny some day.

Thankfully, resources such as this are out there, making a real dent in the stress of wedded bliss. By simply utilizing one solid resource, future brides, grooms and their friends and family can significantly reduce the expected stress levels and make the process of getting married much more enjoyable for everyone.

According to the Conde Nast Bridal Group, December is the most popular time for marriage proposals (and, we're guessing, acceptances).

Being a very agricultural state, farm and barn weddings are popular in our semi-rural area.  Lancaster Farming recently published an article titled Ceremony in a Field, Reception in a Barn, where they provide some tips for a farm wedding:

There are many considerations to think about when you consider having an on-farm wedding, and Good suggested a few, such as what are the fields going to look like in the background, will the pond get muddy if it rains and how will road traffic affect the wedding? “Even the animals,” said Good, are considerations, such as dogs barking or cats strolling across the tables?”

...

For couples considering a farm wedding, “every little detail that you do makes a difference,” advised Good. “You don’t have to go overboard — just urns with greenery in it or little touches — people notice that.”

One creative feature was the old chicken feeder that became a holder for guests’ table place cards. The feeder was filled with soil and grass, then held the “flowers” (made of a painted stick and with a paper daisy at the top) with the guests’ names and table numbers.

Lancaster is on the other side of the state from us, but here in western Pennsylvania there are a number of sites available for barn weddings.  Two close by are Betsy's Barn in Portersville, PA and Armstrong Farms Bed & Breakfast in Saxonburg, PA.  We've done a number of weddings at both, and the families at each farm are easy to work with and very accommodating, and the farms are beautiful.  Betsy's Barn was one of our featured locations last year--you can see their page at http://www.bloomeryweddings.com/blog/FeaturedLocationBetsysBarnPortersvillePA.aspx.

The Wedding Fanatic recently posted 22 Questions You MUST Ask Your Florist, Musicians, and Transporation Company.  It's actually 22 questions in total, not 22 for each vendor.  We're happy to answer the florist questions below:

Can we please see your portfolio?

You're looking at part of it!  In addition to our online photo galleries of bridal bouquets, centerpieces, etc., at http://bloomeryweddings.com/wedding_flowers.asp, we feature a more in-depth look at the wedding work we do here on our blog.  The categories on the right include Featured Bouquets and Featured Locations, with many examples of our work.  In the photo galleries, if the item code starts with "BW", we made it.  We also have several photo albums of our work in the shop, and some additional ideas books you can browse.

When will the flowers for our event arrives?

We typically deliver your flowers to the church (or ceremonly location) two hours before your wedding, as allowed by the location.  Many locations have tight schedules, and we can only get in with 90 minutes to spare.  If we are setting up a reception location as well, we will coordinate with that location to work on their schedule, while ensuring your flowers are the freshest possible.  Different flowers in your centerpieces also determine when we can do the final setup.  Tulips, for instance, can't be delivered too far ahead, but roses are usually fine if we drop them off several hours before the reception.  If you need flowers to be delivered to your home or other location for photography, we can arrange that.

Is there a delivery fee?

Yes, and the fee depends on where we're going and what we need to do.  You'll know the exact charge when we send you your contract.  Depending on what you have ordered, pick-up is an option--many of our brides with small floral needs do this.

Do you distribute and pin on flowers?

If you need us there, let us know at your consultation.  There is a labor fee for this service, but many photographers recommend having us there, since it makes the process much easier.  We do label corsages and boutonnieres, and ask you provide us with the name of the person to receive it.  Otherwise, we just label them "organist" or "bride's grandfather".  Corsages and boutonnieres are packed separately for easy handling.

Will you be doing any other weddings that day?

Many times we do, it all depends on the size of the weddings and the order in which they are booked.  We only take as many weddings as we can handle, and we keep careful watch on sizes so we don't overextend ourselves.  We have done as few as one, and as many as six, in a single day.  We have four designers, some of whom may double as delivery/setup for your wedding.

Have you ever done an event at our venue?

Very probably.  We are one of the largest wedding florists in the Butler/Pittsburgh area.  If necessary, we will scope out the locations ahead of time, and take photographs of the areas you want to decorate.

 

We hope we've answered these questions to your satisfaction, but if you have any additional questions, please call us at 724-285-1711, or e-mail us at info@bloomery.com.

Create your free wedding countdown clock, which you can embed in e-mail, use in your forum signature, or add to your wedding webiste.  Choose from a number of different designs, completely free from When Is My Wedding.  A sample countdown is below.

For a different style of countdowns, have a look at Daisy Path's free wedding announcements.  Instead of a countdown, these are more of a timeline to your wedding day.  You choose from several different timeline styles (such as the sunflower below), one of three markers (such as the doves below), then add some text and even a small image of your own.  These also can be used in e-mail, or forum sigs, etc.

Did we miss any?  Please let us know in the comments!

These days, many brides are doing much or all of their table settings themselves.  If you're decorating your own tables, one simple way to spice up your place settings is with folded napkins. Here's a website which shows you how to easily create any of 27 napkin folds.  Happy decorating!

Napkin Folding Instructions: 27 Photographed Napkin Folds

(hat tip: Lifehacker)

Powered by ScribeFire.

The definition of a mixed marriage in many cases refers to the mixing of dogs and cats in the same household:

LuAnn Verbosky, off-site adoption manager for the Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania in East Liberty, says that many cat-vs.-dog conflicts with couples are solved by challenging misconceptions about canines and felines. Some people think all cats are aloof and reclusive, for instance, while many cats, in fact, are very affectionate. Other people might think all dogs are hyperactive and overwhelming, while many are calm and mellow.

Usually, mixed-pet households work out fine, says Verbosky, who often sees happy couples come back to rave about their adoption of a cat or dog, after one person was reluctant.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review printed two very similar articles at http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/search/s_521987.html and http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/search/s_522082.html.

YouTube is good for more than just water-skiing squirrells and teenagers embarassing themselves (but who can get enough of either, really).  More and more florists are using YouTube to show off their wedding work.  Some videos are better than others, but you're not hiring these folks for your wedding video anyway.  There are some amazing designs shown in these videos.  If you're lucky, some of these great florists are in your area.  We'll try to keep a running list here until it becomes overwhelming.

Here are a few to start with:

Avante Gardens of Anaheim, CA - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7ulaBIDOzI
Datura of Middletown, CT - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4sNfe0WgCs
Kebbie Hollingsworth - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioQBVdLZFPs
Stephanie's Flowerhaus - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56e5Aa4JcMo
Mitchell's of Orland Park, IL - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr2t5De-Nbw
Everyday Flowers of Tustin, CA - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9MIfd6okG0

Here are some which show the creation of wedding and event flowers:

Everyday Flowers of Tustin, CA - http://youtube.com/watch?v=LMPTJfcs_ww
http://youtube.com/watch?v=3fFXB6EFN5Y

 

Besides the flowers (of course!), one of the most important parts of your wedding is your photographer.  Your photographer will capture your special moments and preserve your memories of your wedding day.

In recent years, there has been a strong trend away from set, formal portraits to more of a photojournalistic style, with casual portraits and more candid photos.  It's not a style every photographer can pull off, since it takes a lot of creative vision and an ability to work with you, the couple.

Wading through portfolio after portfolio can be time consuming and uncomfortable, since usually you can only see a lot of photographers at a wedding show.  To help you narrow your search, the Artistic Guild of the Wedding Photojournalist Association has compiled a state-by-state search of its members.  In addition to contact information, you can view the photographs which gained them entrance into the Guild.  Guild members are some of the best photographers out there, which means they're not the cheapest, and they book quickly.

2008 brides, mark your calendars--the Butler Days Inn 2007 Fall Bridal Extravaganza will be Sep. 16, 2007.  As always, we'll be there with some incredible fresh bouquets, the latest accessories, and trendy invitations.

More information will be posted at http://www.daysinnbutler.com/Weddings/BridalShow/tabid/66/Default.aspx soon.

According to the Bridal Association of America, in 2006:

• the typical bride spent $1,505 on a dress
• brides spent an additional $274 for a veil and another $333 on various accessories
• brides also spent $1,970 on flowers

The BAA estimates the average 2007 wedding will cost $27,710.

The outdoor wedding reception and party season is here, and that means afternoons looking for something cool.  We recently found the coolest of all somethings--an ice cream sundae bar!  Featuring homemade ice cream and hand made waffle cone bowls (colored to match your wedding or event), Kaliedo Kone Creamery serves up delicious and cool treats to your guests.  We recently had a chance to sample some of their ice cream, and it was very good.  If the ice cream and waffle cone bowls aren't enough, your guests can add one or all of a dozen toppings to their sundae.  Yum!

Shown below is Kaliedo Kone's toppings bar, featuring chopped peanuts, sprinkles, hot fudge, butterscotch, cherries and more!  Click the photo for a larger view.  Their services also include an ice cream cart and uniformed staff member to scoop the ice cream.

You can contact Kaliedo Kone Creamery at 724-368-3119, or kaliedokone@earthlink.net.

The California Cut Flower Commission has added a new Seasonal Availability Database to their website.  You can check the availability of flowers by searching the flower's name, or you can select a month and see what's commercially available.  Clicking on the flower's name brings up a photo of that flower, the flower's meaning, and a chart of which months that flower is in season.

This database is for California grown flowers only.  The South American, African, Dutch or Anzac markets may have different availabilities, and flowers which are out of season in California may be in season from other areas.  It's good to work with a florist who is familiar with worldwide availability if you're looking for a very special flower.

If you're a cake lover, May is going to be a very sweet month for you!  Both Warren Brown, owner of CakeLove and host of Food Network's "Sugar Rush", and Duff Goldman, owner of Charm City Cakes and profiled in Food Network's "Ace of Cakes" series, are both coming to Pittsburgh.

[Warren Brown] will bring his cake-making prowess to Pittsburgh on May 5, appearing at Ross Park Mall as part of Simon SuperChefs Live!, a tour billed as a "daylong celebration of food."

Hosted by Marc Silverstein of the Food Network, the event from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. also will feature local chefs in a cooking competition, cooking demonstrations, food and beverage sampling, autographs and cookbook sales. Admission is free.

Mr. Brown will stir it up with demonstrations of how to make buttercream (around 1 p.m.) and vanilla cake batter (around 3 p.m.), extolling the crowd to extinguish any fear of baking from scratch.

Full story at http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07116/780978-34.stm.

Coming to the Pittsburgh area for public appearances in May is another maker of cakes -- actually, the "Ace of Cakes" from that Food Network show, Duff Goldman.

..

Check out Duff Goldman at one of his Giant Eagle Market District store appearances on May 19:

* 10 a.m. to noon at Shadyside (5550 Centre Ave.)
* 2 to 4 p.m. at Bethel Park (South Hills Village Square Mall).

Full story at http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07116/780948-34.stm.

We were in the Oakmont Bakery the other day, and we noticed something new in their case--gourmet cupcakes!  The gourmet cupcake trend has hit Pittsburgh full force, with the opening of Dozen Cupcakes in Shadyside, and now Oakmont's creations (shown below).  Oakmont has long been one of Pittsburgh's favorite wedding cake bakers, and it looks like now they'll be part of the cupcake wedding cake trend as well.

Of course, we had to bring some home.  Starting at high noon and going clockwise, we had an Orange Creamsicle, a Pretty Woman (white cake with strawberry filling, complete with chocolate covered strawberry), Double Trouble (chocolate frosting and chocolate cake), Parrot Head (lime filling and white cake), and Elvis (peanut butter icing with banana filling in yellow cake).  Yum!  Now, off to the treadmill...

For years, the wedding books from the John Henry company have been favorites for brides seeking ideas.  This year, John Henry has a brand new Wedding Flower Style book, filled with some of the trendiest ideas and designs.  John Henry's prom guide made a big splash at last year's prom season (you can see the designs on our site at http://www.bloomery.com/promgallery.htm), and their new wedding book continues the trend.

We're the first shop in our area to have this book, and we'll bring it to the Butler Days Inn 2007 Winter Bridal Extravaganza.  If you want to look at chic bridal bouquets and upcoming wedding trends, be sure to attend the show and flip through our idea books, as well as our portfolio.

About two months ago, the New York Times published an article with 15 questions couple should ask before getting married.  Included are questions regarding health history, children, financial goals and having a TV in the bedroom.

Read the full article at Questions Couples Should Ask (Or Wish They Had) Before Marrying.

WeddingMapper.com is a new Google Maps mashup which you can use to map out the locations for your wedding.  From their website:

Wedding Mapper was built to make it fun, easy, and affordable for you to map out your wedding, ensuring that your guests have all the information they need in order to have a great time at your wedding.

We wanted to make it as easy as possible to build and share your wedding map, with a simple interface, both a map view and a list view, easy printing, and the ability to include your map in your wedding website.

The free maps display ads from Google, or you can pay $9.95 for an ad-free map.  This is a new service from the folks who brought you Community Walk, a service to map out all the cool spots in your local area.

hat tip: Lifehacker

The Butler Days Inn will hold its Winter Bridal Extravaganza on Feb 18, 2007 from noon to 3pm, and a fashion show starting at 3pm.  This is a huge event each year, attracting over 70 vendors and hundreds of brides (with door prizes for the first brides to check in).  This may be the only bridal show we attend, so it's a great chance to come see and talk to use outside of a regular appointment.  Check out http://daysinnbutler.com/ for more details.

We've had a number of posts on making unique seating charts for your wedding, but this is the first on actually planning who sits where.  A new website named SimpleSeating.com is a free (for up to 50 guests) on-line tool for you to design your seating layout, and

SimpleSeating.com is the fastest and easiest way to make seating charts online. Experience the power of expensive desktop seating chart applications on the web without the learning curve. Create, preview, and print your seating charts in just a few simple steps.

We can't comment on its ease of use, since everyone has a different definition of "easy".  But it's tough to go wrong with a drag an drop interface.  If you're in need of a seating chart for any reason, check out SimpleSeating.com at http://www.simpleseating.com/.

(hat tip: Lifehacker)

We love baked goods, and are happy to report another bakery coming soon.  We recently received the following e-mail:

Dear Bloomery,

I am the owner of Dozen Cupcakes, a cupcake cafe opening in Squirrel Hill this December. We currently available for catering weddings and bridal showers. Made popular by Sex and the City and Oprah, cupcake trees are the latest trend in wedding cake options. A unique and elegant alternative to the traditional cake, more and more brides are choosing cupcakes because of ther practicality and uniqueness. Cupcakes can be easily customized to suite the wedding parties tastes.

I hope you will consider recommending us to your clients. And please take a second to view our website at www.dozencupcakes.com

Sincerely,
James Gray
Dozen cupcakes Owner

We checked out their website, and they have some delicious looking cupcakes.  We hope to cross paths with them sometime in the future.  Yum!  If you're interested in a trendy cupcake wedding cake, Dozen Cupcakes seems like a place to check out.

Imagine having your wedding in a beautifully restored building from 1906.  The Grand Ballroom at Cornerstone Commons features 16-foot high ceilings, carved oak trim and gold leafed details.  Located at the corner of Main and Cunningham, the building was most recently the home of the Butler County Chamber of Commerce.  It was purchased two years ago and has undergone extensive renovations.  The Grand Ballroom is on the third floor, and the large windows provide views of Main street and the surrounding areas.  If you've ever seen Butler decorated for the winter holidays, you'll know these views will be treasures.

For more information (as well as some photos), visit http://www.cornerstoneballroom.com/.

Here's one way to really set your wedding apart--you can make your own paper.  Your paper could be used for programs, or invitations, or even place cards.  This isn't something you would want to do on a very large scale, but the results would be very dramatic and unique.  It doesn't look that hard, but it will take some time to make enough for your purposes.  You can see the process at http://flickr.com/photos/bzedan/sets/967347/.

(Hat tip: Lifehacker)

Tabblo is a new service where you can upload photos and arrange them on a canvas called a “tabblo”.  You can either share your tabblos to the world, or order posters, cards and books of your tabblo.  The account to create and share tabblos is free, the only cost is for the posters or whatever you order (if you do).

We’ve seen at a lot of weddings (ours included) posters of the bride and groom made by the parents or friends.  These are usually assembled with good old cut and paste methods.  This is a very slick way to make a nice looking poster.  Photos can be imported from Flickr, iPhoto and Picasa.  Even if not all your photos are digital, a low end scanner will overcome that with professional results.

The tabblo interface takes only a couple of minutes to figure out, and there are some basic photo editing operations (such as crop and resize) available after you upload your photos.  You can also add text to your tabblo to help tell your story.  You can find some additional review of Tabblo at TechCrunch.

Diann Valentine is the wedding planner to the stars, known for her unique and personalized weddings.  To put it simply, she plans some seriously hoity-toity celebrations.  Diann has planned weddings all over the country, for celebrities such as Toni Braxton, Kelis and Lela Rochon.  You may have seen some of her events on Entertainment Tonight and in O: The Oprah Magazine.

You can find some of Diann’s secrets in her new book, Weddings Valentine Style: Rich Inspirations fo Every Woman's Dream Day.  Diann’s style is to pretty much do away with tradition, ignore the bridal magazines, and tailor the wedding specifically to yourselves.  That’s a sentiment we certainly endorse.  Every couple we’ve worked with has their own story—how they met, became engaged, the little things they do to keep each other amused and happy.  There’s no reason to discard any of that on your wedding day.

If you’re looking for tips in planning a completely personalized wedding, check out Diann’s book.  Then give us a call at The Bloomery—we’d love to work with you.

More and more we’ve seen projection screens set up at receptions to show movies or slideshows of the happy couple, set to music.  In some cases, these wedding montages are professionally produced, but in most cases the couple makes them.

If you’re thinking of such a thing, there are a couple of free tools you can use to make these movies.  On Windows XP, there is the Windows Movie Maker, which has a video tutorial on YouTube at http://youtube.com/watch?v=hTLGGnSpf_k.

A new onlline tool called OneTrueMedia was recently reviewed in the Wall St. Journal (http://ptech.wsj.com/archive/solution-20060830.html).  The online video editing tool is free, and should work on both Windows and Macs.  OneTrueMedia will also convert your old photos, slides and VHS tapes to digital format for you.

Macintoshes have iDVD, which you can use to create your wedding movies.  Other parts of the iLife suite may also be useful for your needs as well.

Florists: Your Fridays might be getting a little busier. Friday night weddings – once only chosen as a way to get great deals on food, a cake and flowers – are becoming a first choice for many brides- and grooms-to-be, according to The New York Times.

“It sets the tone that your wedding is about the party,” Carley Roney, editor in chief of The Knot, a magazine and wedding resource Web site, told The Times. “You could have even more cost savings on a Sunday afternoon, but that doesn’t say ‘We’re cool.’”

Because Saturday night has traditionally been the most popular (and expensive) time to hold a wedding, according to The Times, venues often offer great deals – say, $2,000 to $3,000 off – if brides book the spot on a day it’s less likely to fill. But those special rates are starting to diminish as more people opt for the Friday-night cocktail event.

Source: SAF Dateline, July 14, 2006

(we’d link to the original, but you need a password to access the site)

Want a few insider secrets for choosing your wedding flowers?  We shared a few with By-area writer Mike Adamcik, in his recent post "Interviews: Floral and funna …".  He's right, that's a terrible pun.

The interview's been up for a couple of days, but since we're on the beach at Hilton Head Island right now, we're a little behind in our blogging.

Something we’ve seen at many weddings lately is small bottles of asti spumanti, sometimes with homemade labels celebrating the bride and groom.  Along the same idea, but also a great idea to bring some local flavor to your reception, check out local wineries.  Many of them produce the small bottles, and some may even provide custom labels for your event.  It’s also very common (especially here in Pennsylvania) for couples to arrange for their own bar and tending services, adding local wines to your bar would give your reception both an exotic and local flavor.

We have a wedding at one local winery very soon—La Casa Narcisi Winery in Gibsonia, PA.  In addition to their wines, wineries also can be picturesque locations for showers, ceremonies and receptions.  We’ve also had the occasion to try several of the wines from nearby Rustic Acres Winery (right here in Butler), and they were very good.  If you’re not a fan of traditional wines, fruit wines or blends may be more your style, and local wineries will usually have a better selection of these than your typical wine store.  Local vintners can also work with you to pair the proper wine with your meal choices for the perfect meal.

If you’re unsure about choosing a wine, find a winery nearby and attend a tasting.  There, you’ll be able to sample various wines and learn about each one.  Here in Pennsylvania, you can find local wineries at http://www.pennsylvaniawine.com/.  We here around Pittsburgh are in the Pittsburgh Countryside region, with at least a dozen wineries close by. 

If you’ve had a good experience with a local winery or their wines, let us know.  Also, if you’re a local winery, please feel free to leave a comment below describing what you have for weddings and events.

If you’re having an outdoor wedding, one way to add a lot of decoration at a reasonable price is to use hanging baskets.  Early in the summer, retail baskets are usually small so they’ll last through the summer.  Late in the summer, you may have trouble finding baskets you like, and retail baskets may be strung out.  You could buy your own baskets at the beginning of the season, but then you’re left to care for a large number of hanging baskets—you’ll need to protect them from summer storms, water and fertilize them, and be sure to trim the plants as they grow so the baskets are lush and full for your wedding day.  That’s a lot of work if you don’t have the right facilities!

One option some local growers (such as Crighton’s Florist & Greenhouses in Prospect, PA) offer is to custom grow hanging baskets for your wedding.  Professional growers will keep your baskets safely in their greenhouses, using a proper water and fertilizer mix for lush growth.  Professional growers know how to trim back the vines and faded flowers (remember that each plant variety has a different flowering cycle) to ensure the plants are in fill bloom for your special day.  The baskets in the photo below are some of the 20 being grown for an August wedding at Butler Country Club.  These particular baskets will feature white petunias, white bacopa, sweet potato vine, as well as some other grasses and vines in a cocoa lined basket.  There is such a variety of colors of plants that can be used in hanging baskets that almost any color scheme could be matched or complemented.  Work with the grower early in your planning so ensure the best selection of plants and the timing of your baskets.

After your reception is over, the hanging baskets could be given away to your guests (as with centerpieces), or could be used as gifts for your bridal party and parents.

Scott Adams, the guy who draws the Dilbert comic strip, is getting married.  And he’s blogging about it.  Almost as a follow-up to our Stick to the List post, Scott talks about actually creating the wedding registry:

One of the curses of wedding planning is the whole gift-giving dilemma. This is especially acute for people like my fiancée and me because for us, all material goods fall into one of these categories.

1. Already have it
2. Don’t need it
3. Too expensive for a gift
4. What the hell is it?

Also in the planning stages now are the wedding favors:

Apparently the point of the wedding favors is to avoid embarrassing ourselves in front of the Pope or Martha Stewart or whoever else we invited. Off the top of my head, I can’t think of any of my friends or family that would judge us by the quality of the wedding favors, as in “I kind of liked them until the whole bottle-opener-with-a-bow incident.”

And although the next statement starts another thought about wedding favors, it’s a sentiment a lot of grooms-to-be can apply to a lot of the wedding planning process:

My theory – already judged unhelpful...

Guys, raise your hand if you've been there.  That's a lot of hands.

 

What's one of the major mistakes couples make when planning their wedding reception?  Forgetting their guests at their wedding reception.  Sure, nearly everyone remembers the guest list, the seating chart, the champagne toast, etc., but we're talking about something more fundamental.  Planners at the reception halls call it "bride worship", and it's the overriding notion that "this day is all about me".  That's very true, your guests are coming to celebrate your new union.  But they are your guests, and it's your responsibility to plan for their comfort.  Sometimes it means not choosing your favorite dish as the main course, but something more guests are likely to enjoy.  If you're having having your reception in a location that doesn't have many (such as outdoors or a private home), will there be enough bathrooms, changing stations, or places to relax?  Do any of your dishes contain allergans, such as peanuts, that might send a guest to the hospital?

Couples who haven't planned a dinner party are more likely to overlook some of this.  We're not talking about a "come over, hang out, and we'll order some pizza" party, but one where you plan and prepare the meals and entertainment.  If you haven't planned a party like this, it might make a good dry-run for your reception to do so.  Perhaps have both sets of parents over at one house, and the both of you pland and prepare the meals.

In the end, it is your day--a celebration of you--but it is also your responsbility to ensure the comfort of those who celebrate with you.  Congratulations, and have fun!

Today’s Wall Street Journal has a special Journal Report on Love & Money.  The cover story is “Nine questions partners should ask each other before getting married”.  If you can still get a copy of the Journal, and you’re getting married this year, definitely check this article out.  If you have a subscription to the online version, you can find the full article at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB114288450388303200.html?mod=OHP2MP.  Some of the questions (and reasons to ask them) include:

2. How do you use debt?

Once you know how much debt your partner-to-be has, take the next step and find out what type of debt. There's a big difference between $30,000 in school loans and $30,000 of credit-card debt.

So ask each other: Do you amass debt in the present, figuring you'll earn more money later in life and can pay it off then? Do you abhor debt and refuse to own a credit card? Either approach could cause marital strife if your partner isn't on the same page.

4. Do we need a prenup?

This is, potentially, the most explosive question. The very utterance of "prenuptial agreement" can send one partner into paroxysms of fury, since a prenup often implies mistrust or a lack of faith in the relationship's survival.

Of course, there could be a situation where one partner legitimately wants to shelter certain assets for a special-needs sibling, or maybe kids from a previous marriage. In many cases, a spouse who expects to give up a career would do well to have a prenup; in case of a divorce, it could help him or her recoup the retirement nest egg that would have accumulated in a company 401(k) plan.

5. What are your financial aspirations?

This is the fun talk.

This is about your individual and combined hopes and dreams: the college you want your kids to attend; the lake house you want to buy; the trips you want to take; the classic Corvette you want to restore. Saving enough to retire early to open a bistro or flower shop or to do pro bono work for a nonprofit.

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