We recently found an online service that helps you find and book local photographers for your wedding, event, modeling portfolio or whatever.  Snapm is a mix of professional and amateur photographers, so prices, styles and capabilities vary, but most have a portfolio on the site and links to their other work.

Full story at http://snapm.com/

(hat tip: Lifehacker)

Want to rent a photo booth for your wedding, but don’t like the cost?  Check out a new software app called Party Booth:

Party Booth simulates a classic photo booth producing a vertical 4-photo strip. The application features a fullscreen mode that converts any computer with a webcam into a photo booth kiosk. All the photos are saved to disk with option to upload to photo sharing services. All you need is a computer and webcam.

There are options to print the photos using a classic photo booth layout, and you can customize the borders with your own wording and images.

Full story at http://www.partyboothapp.com/

TLC’s Cake Boss is coming to Pittsburgh! 

Date: Saturday, January 9, 2010

Time: 9am-noon (Market District, Bethel Park)
2-3pm (Market District, Robinson)

Full info at http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/ae/s_660790.html.

In today’s Parade Magazine, one of their Unexpected Food Trends reminded us of a blog post we’ve been meaning to write for a while now.  Here’s the trend:

Many brides and grooms are skipping tiered wedding cakes in favor of childhood favorites like cupcakes. "Red velvet and chocolate are most popular," says Patty Rothman, owner of More Cupcakes in Chicago. Meanwhile, Brooklyn-based baker Sarah Magid says her biggest request is an organic spin on another childhood staple: Twinkies. "I also have made silver-dusted Ring-A-Dings," she says. Other sweets such as doughnuts and s'mores are popping up on wedding buffets, too. And some couples say, "I do" to Cracker Jacks and lollipops. Talk about happy endings.

(http://www.parade.com/food/slideshows/unexpected-food-trends.html?index=2)

We read this as we nibbled on a gourmet cupcake from Mimi’s Bake Shoppe in Cranberry Township.  Something we've needed in the North Hills area has finally arrived--a gourmet bakery!  We first met the folks from Mimi's at several bridal shows, and enjoyed their cake samples.  A lot.  Their wedding cakes are delicious.  Mimi's is a good as anyone at making your basic wedding cake, but where they truly excel is in the artistic cakes.  You can check out their photo gallery for samples of their work.

Mimi’s creates their cupcakes in a dizzying array of flavors.  So many flavors, in fact, their “Flavor of the Day” is really five or six.  You can check out their Flavor of the Day calendar so you know when to stop in and try some of your favorites (hint: their cherry cola is scary good).

Another trend we’ve seen that Mimi’s also does well is custom cookies you can use as seating cards.  These cookies also double as favors, and are customized with your guest’s names.

Mimi’s is easy to find, they’re located in the little plaza on Route 228 across from Quaker Steak and Lube and Uno Chicago Grill.

Planning a wedding just got a little more difficult.  Conde' Nast, publisher of Modern Bride and Elegant Bride, has decided to end publication of these two magazines.  These titles may become an electronic edition as several other titles Conde' Nast has closed, but no word on that right now.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review recently published an article about how couples are saving money and still having great weddings.

Look for ways to recycle flowers, which can cost $2,000 on average. Maybe you can take flowers from the ceremony and turn them into centerpieces.

Great advice, and we see this often.  Altar pieces become buffet or entry decor, and unity candle arrangements become head table centerpieces.

In some churches, the altar flowers are considered a gift to the church, and cannot be removed, while other churches and ceremony locations don't have this rule.  Most of our brides arrange to have a family member or good friend move the flowers after the ceremony.  We can also be hired for move the flowers.

Another idea is to use your bridal and bridesmaid bouquets as decor on the head table.  For a really cool effect, we make greenery pillows you set your bouquets on, or for a cheaper option, we rent vases you can use to hold the bouquets and return the following week.

Consider using cheaper flowers like carnations and baby's breath, rather than roses.

More good advice, especially in arrangements that are some distance from the guests.  Even in your bouquet, we can substitute a number of less expensive flowers to give you the same look and feel at a lower cost.

Consider having your wedding any day other than Saturday, or during an off-season month like January, in order to save about 20 percent.

For the most part, your savings will come from the reception.  Flowers aren't really cheaper on other days.

One final piece of advice not mentioned in this article--opt for simpler designs, and a smaller variety of designs.  The main cost of your flowers is the labor to create them, not the actual flowers.  By choosing simpler designs of similar or the same style, you can greatly reduce the labor cost to make your flowers.

Rea the full article at Couples cut costs and still have great weddings.  And, check out one of our tips for saving money on your centerpieces.

This weekend, July 31 to Aug 2, 2009, Lydia's Place will be holding a benefit bridal dress and gown sale:

Lydia's Place, a nonprofit agency Downtown that helps incarcerated women and their children rebuild their lives, is collecting for its bridal and formal dresses sale, a fundraiser that will take place at The Mall at Robinson from Friday through Sunday. The sale is aimed at brides and their families who are looking to reduce costs or who want an environmentally sensitive wedding.

…

"People are very generous," said Ms. Sirockman. So far her organization has received about 800 items, including bridal gowns, flower girl dresses, mother-of-the-bride dresses, bridesmaid dresses and prom dresses.

source: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09210/987019-53.stm

For some time now, couples have put disposable cameras on their guests' tables, the guests would take photos, and leave the cameras behind.  Couples would develop the cameras and have candid photos and memories from their receptions.

Recently, fewer and fewer couples have been doing this, partly as a move to save expenses, and partly because so many guests are bringing higher quality digital cameras and giving photos to the couple on a CD.

Enter The Wedding Lens.  As they describe themselves:

The Wedding Lens allows you to create a customized online wedding album filled with photos from you and your guests. Everyone uploads their photos into one online album that is only accessible by you and your friends. From there, you can download and print whichever photos you like – regardless of who uploaded them to the album.

It's a cost-effective and eco-friendly way to have the equivalent of disposable cameras on each table. But it’s even better because you don’t have to print blurry photos and everyone (not just the bride and groom) get to see all of the fabulous photos from the event.

When you register, you get a customized domain name, which you email to your guests.  Your guests then upload their photos to your album.  The Wedding Lens stresses your guests do not need to register, all they need is the web address, their email address and password.  You and your guests can then upload as many photos as you want, and all guests can see and comment on photos in your album.  You and your guests can download the photos you want to keep, or have them all burned to DVD.

If you're trying to decide to place cameras on your guest tables or not, maybe you should consider The Wedding Lens.

P.S.  If you're the lovely bride planning her wedding we talked to at the Airport Doubletree today, this is the blog post we promised you.

One wedding industry tracking group calculates the average wedding cost in 2009 was slightly under $22,000, not including the honeymoon or rings.

In a recent Post-Gazette article reporting how brides are planning smaller and less expensive weddings, our pal Herman Heyl helps make a point we've wanted to for a while:

Brides are opting to use more greenery and less expensive flowers, such as daisies and carnations. Smaller bouquets might save a little on price because fewer flowers are used, but the charge for labor is nearly the same as for a larger bouquet.

One great way to save money on your wedding centerpieces is to buy your own glassware and apply your own elbow grease.  If you're lucky enough to live near an Ikea, that's a great place to get inexpensive glassware, such as the rectangular vase below (much of their glassware is also available online at http://ikea.com):

One of our recent brides did just that--she purchased her own glassware, and some ribbon, and decorated the vases herself.  We then made simple arrangements of white hydrangea, orange spray roses and green hypericum berries, and delivered the final piece to the reception site, Greystone Fields.

Working together, we were able to create an elegant centerpiece that fill well within her budget.

Not every florist is cool with the idea of brides supplying glassware, so you may have to ask a couple to find one willing to work with you.  Remember to buy and decorate a few extra vases, just in case.

If you're a fan of hydrangea, you need to check out Hydrangea World, a site dedicated to hydrangea.  Hydrangea World is filled with photos of stunning arrangements, information about the different varieties, and photos of the different colors of hydrangea.  You and your florist can use this information as a guide when planning your wedding or event.

Hydrangea World is produced by the Flower Council of Holland, and has more of a European vibe than South American, where a great deal of hydrangea are also produced.

Come see us at the Days Inn Butler 2009 Winter Bridal Show, Feb 22, 2009 from 12pm to 4pm.

More info at http://www.daysinnbutler.com/contact_us.

The historic Mountain View Inn & Conference Center on Route 30 in Westmoreland County will close at the end of the week.

An employee said today a press release was being prepared outlining the decision, and he referred further questions to owner Vance Booher, who was not immediately available for comment. The reservations center for the 89-room inn, opened in 1924, was accepting no requests for rooms beyond Saturday night.

Brides and events planners who had reserved future dates at Mountain View began scrambling in recent days to rearrange their affairs.

"The phone has been ringing off the hook booking business," said Steve Mitchell, general manager of the Four Points by Sheraton in Greensburg. "We're receiving phone calls from brides and other clients that were tentatively booked there, or booked there, and that were informed they're closing."

The hotel midway between Latrobe and Greensburg has been in the Booher family since 1940. It has handled 100 weddings a year in the past.

Reposted from http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09021/943515-100.stm.  Updates as we find more.

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.

You may never attain all your dreams, and that's fine. This conversation, instead, aims to help you articulate your priorities and talk about how you'll ultimately fund those priorities together. This shows where common ground already exists, and where you need to start looking for it.

As part of the online version, there is a free podcast publicly available: “Jeff Opdyke discusses what happens when one spouse in a married couple earns more than the other and the stress it can cause”.  Listen at http://podcast.mktw.net/wsj/audio/20060324/pod-wsjopdyke/pod-wsjopdyke.mp3 (this podcast may be available for a limited time).

Money is perhaps the most difficult topic to discuss when in a relationship, but money strife is one of the leading causes of divorce.  Discussing money is tough to do, but doing so could help build a stronger foundation for your relationship.

We know that planning a wedding can require a tremendous amount of organization, especially if your wedding party is spread out across the country.  Email helps a lot, but can’t solve all your problems.

There is one solution, available for free or low cost (depending on your needs and usage) that can help eliminate many of the problems you have with sharing information such as dress photos, to-do lists, reminders, etc.  BackPack from 37 Signals is a highly regarded collaboration tool, noted for its simplicity and flexibility.  You can post and share to-do lists, photos, and have reminders sent via e-mail or to your cell phone.  You can keep your planning private, share it with your party, or make it public for every one to see.  They even feature wedding planning as one of their examples:

Keep your wedding planning simple and organized by listing all your tasks and tracking your accomplishments. As the big day draws near, you'll have a to-do list to be your guide, photos to reference when making decisions, and reminders that can be sent to you via email. Let your whole wedding party be a part of the planning by sharing your tasks and notes. No more need to stress over all the little details. With Backpack at your side, you can get back to looking forward to the happiest day of your life.

For their example, visit http://backpackit.com/examples/archives/personal/plan_and_organize_a_wedding_or_special_event.php.  Real-life wedding plans made public include http://lisabliss.backpackit.com/pub/211154; others show up as you refresh their examples page.

Fall weddings have become more and more popular in recent years, and one of the main reasons is because of the dramatic colors of the leaves at this time of year.  This is one of the better years for leaf-watchers in terms of splendor--brilliant golds, blazing reds and oranges, all brought on by a hot and dry August.  Sadly, the weather these past two weeks has been miserable.  Mid 40's and raining, and this weekend (when it seems the leaves are at their peal) doesn't look any better.  We're located about 35 miles north of Pittsburgh; we saw our first frost last week, and had some sort of sleet/slush on the lawn and cars this morning.  That's a shame, because dramatic foliage is one of the things wedding photographers salivate over, and we florists love because the bouquets are so much more striking.  Moral of the story: have a "Plan B" for wedding photographs and anything involving the outdoors at this time of year.  You just never know.

<update>

Record snowfall today in areas east and south of Pittsburgh, thousands without power.  And Halloween isn't even here yet.  More at http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05298/594632.stm.

At the Ceremony

• Adorn the ceremony entrance with flower-filled urns that can later be moved to the reception.
• Use flowers and candlelight at different levels to give dimension to design.
• Use a single rose to mark the seats of both the groom's and the bride's mothers.
• Attach flower petals to a large ribbon for an elegant decoration piece.

At the Reception

• Garland the center of the head table with flowers, foliage and votive candles.
• Use the bridesmaids' bouquets to create lavish buffet table decorations or to surround the cake.
• Have your florist create guest table centerpieces with 4-5 separate clusters of flowers so that each couple can take a part of the centerpiece home.
• Float large fragrant flowers, such as open roses or gardenias, in crystal containers with votive candles.
• Sprinkle rose petals on the cake table and walkways.
• Have the "throw-away" bouquet double as a cake top.
• Decorate goblets and cake knives with flowers.
• Use a cake plate with a mound of flowers on it as a centerpiece.
• Use roses to make a dome at the top of a glass bowl filled with pretty rocks, and place a wreath around the bowl to highlight it.
• Toss rose petals instead of rice as the bride and groom leave.

© 2002 SAF All Rights Reserved.
Reprinted from www.aboutflowers.com/holidays_b1.html

After all your attendants do to help you in planning and executing your wedding, you'll want to thank them with a special gift.  It can be a memento of your wedding day or an indulgent gift for them to enjoy.  It's usually given at the rehearsal dinner, the bridesmaid's luncheon, or at the bachelor or bachelorette party.

Some Suggestions for Her

• Jewelry, either for the wedding or after:
  • Small crystal bangle bracelets
  • Delicate necklace
  • Locket
  • Earrings
• A purse that either matches or coordinates with her gown:
  • Satin bag decorated with silk flowers
  • Small decorated evening bags on delicate chains
  • drawstring pouches
• Compacts
• Indulgent spa or beauty kits, containing loofahs, bath salts, creams, aromatherapy candles, body scrubs, etc.
• A beautiful jeweled frame to hold a picture of them decked out in the wedding day finery (and you've selected such great gowns that they look truly stunning!)
• Coffee or tea basket personalized with their favorite types of tea, coffee beans, syrups, biscotti or shortbread
• A striking journal to record their innermost thoughts
• A commemorative book of poems, sayings, or wisdom they will return to again and again for comfort and inspiration
• Scent, either in the form of elegant little sachets or cologne
• Cosmetic or toiletry bag
• Fine stationery
• A gift pertaining to a particular interest or hobby of hers:
  • Ballet tickets
  • a gift certificate at a cycle shop
  • tickets to an art museum
  • a spa day
• Payment for a portion of her bridesmaid dress
• Click here to view our selection of bridesmaids gifts

Some Uinsex Suggestions

• Day planner
• Luggage tags
• A truly stunning pen
• Sake cups
• Watch
• Espresso cups
• Business card holder

Some Suggestions for Him

• Leather travel, toiletry or shave kit
• A really great bottle of wine
• Cuff links
• Pocket watch
• Shaving brush and a fine shaving cream
• Martini shaker
• Bar accessories set, like a jigger, corkscrew, bottle opener, etc.
• Golf balls and tees
• Tickets to a hot sporting event or concert
• A nice poker chip and card set
• Aftershave
• Pilsner glasses
• Desk clock
• Small portable tool kit
• Pocket tool with many uses
• Grooming kit
• CDs
• Click here to view our selection of groomsman gifts

This is the fourth of our recurring series of planning advice and excerpts from Beverly Clark's "Planning a Wedding to Remember".  Visit frequently to make sure you don't miss a single one!

Reprinted by permission from Beverly Clark, "Planning a Wedding to Remember, 6th Edition", Wilshire Publications.  "Planning a Wedding to Remember" can be purchased by clicking this link.

As of Saturday, there's a new nephew around, and his daddy is already in the doghouse.  Mom and dad have a digital camera they have trouble getting to work correctly, so they borrowed grandma's digital camera to record the moments surrounding his birth.  The photos were saved to their laptop, and more photos were taken later.  These photos were also saved on the laptop, and this is where dad had some problems.  Grandma keeps removing the battery instead of the memory card, and so the camera always thinks it's New Year's Day.  The photos on a digital camera are named by date and photo number.  Since the camera always thinks it's New Year's, all the photos have the same name each time the card is formatted, and dad accidentally overwrote the photos of the birth with photos from later in the day.  This is heartbreaking for the parents, since all record of their first child's birth has been erased.  And this emphasizes an important point--through the course of your wedding, and even in the time afterwards, you are going to have a number of important moments you'll want to save.  It's important for the sake of posterity to make sure you have a camera that both of you are comfortable using, and both of you can take decent photographs with.

If you are thinking of buying a camera, make sure to spend time shopping around.  Spend time picking up each model available, making sure it's fairly intuitive to use the basic features, and that it's small enough to fit in a pocket or purse, but not so small as to get lost easily.  Have the sales person explain to you how the camera works, and if you're not finding what you want in the camera, don't make a rash decision into buying one.  Look at other models or even at other stores.  If you have a camera you're not pleased with, consider purchasing another one, making sure to look for different features than the ones that disappoint you in your current camera.  The good news is that very good cameras have become very cheap in recent years.  We purchased our camera few years ago for over $700.  A comparable model today would be about $150 today.  If you need convincing, remember that you'll probably have at least one bridal shower, a rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, perhaps bachelor and bachelorette parties (might be best not to have the camera at some of those), preparation on the day of, and then your honeymooon.  That's a lot of photo ops in a very short period of time.  Remember to take a lot of pictures of your flowers.  We're not just saying that because we're florists--people genuinely will want to see them, especially ones who were not a part of the festivities.  When it comes time to copy your photos to your computer, just to be safe, put each batch in different folders.

Every bride is so beautiful and radiant that she makes the moon and the stars weep with envy.  But just in case you want some reassurances, here are some surefire tips to guarantee your wedding day radiance.

The best way to beauty and good health is with preventive measures.  And yes, we've all heard them before but they bear repeating, especially because in the busy months ahead you'll no doubt be tempted to let some good habits slide.

Health Habits To Remember

• Eat well, and stick to complex carbohydrates and protein to give you lasting energy.

• Eat smaller meals, more often.

• Don't overdo the caffeine.

• Don't rely on sugar boosts to give you energy.

• Drink plenty of water.

• Exercise daily.  Remember that any exercise is a great way to rid your body of stress.  Better yet, consider signing up, perhaps as a couple, for a good yoga class to help you deal with the ongoing happy stress of planning your wedding.

• Try to get regular sleep.

• Don't overdo the alcohol at your pre-wedding parties.

This is part of our monthly series of planning advice and excerpts from Beverly Clark's "Planning a Wedding to Remember".  Visit frequently or subscribe to our blog to make sure you don't miss a single one!

Reprinted by permission from Beverly Clark, "Planning a Wedding to Remember, 6th Edition", Wilshire Publications.  "Planning a Wedding to Remember" can be purchased by clicking this link.

Few things go together like photos and weddings.  Few things can bring an internet connection to a standstill or fill up an e-mailbox than big photos.  Not a happy combination.  Microsoft has a plug-in for Windows XP called the Image Resizer Powertoy.  The Image Resizer helps you quickly resize a photo to a smaller file size so you can e-mail it to your friends without killing their mailbox.  It's a small download which installs easily, and adds an option to your right-click menu.  Find the photo you want to resize, right-click, and choose the size you want the file to be.  Windows will copy the file to the size you selected, ready for you to send.

If you are your fiancee' are photo buffs, and you own a Nikon or Canon camera, you can look at the Windows Raw Image Thumbnailer.  Microsoft's description says it best:

RAW image capture is preferred by many serious-minded photographers to preserve all the subtle color and detail possible from digital cameras. However, until now it has been impossible to view thumbnails and previews for RAW images in Windows without use of special software.

The Microsoft RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer enhances the Windows XP photos experience by providing thumbnails, previews, printing, and metadata display for RAW images from most Canon and Nikon digital cameras. This tool enables advanced digital photographers to organize and work with RAW files directly in Windows Explorer in much the same way as with JPEG images. No more "guessing" which image is which!

This is a large download, so make sure you have time or a lot of bandwidth.  Also, check out the Readme file first to make sure your camera model is supported.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently ran an article about wedding insurance.  Included in the article were a couple of stories that made the insurance well worth the price.  We imagine weddings where the insurance wasn't needed simply aren't newsworthy.  In the hundreds of weddings we've been part of, disasters have been very rare, but they were big.  Until 2004, the worst problem we'd seen was a bride's dress delivered to her ready room with a stain on it.  The dress shop sent someone out, and it was cleaned in time for pre-ceremony photos.  2004 brought on a couple of doozies.

One bride spent 2 years planning every aspect of her wedding--double, triple and quadruple checking everything.  She wanted everything perfect, and to remember it all, hired a videographer to record every memory for posterity.  On the day of the wedding, the videographer (a local rep for a national agency) failed to show up.  They were not present at any part of her day.  To make matters worse, a thunderstorm knocked out the power to the reception hall, and the hall had no backup power.  Fortunately, the groom's father owned a farm nearby, and had enough portable generators to power the rest of the evening.  She contacted the national agency, who confirmed the videographer should have been at her wedding, but did not offer a full refund.  Several months later, she was planning to take the agency to court.

2004 was a very wet year for Western Pennsylvania.  By September, we had already received an average year's worth of rain, and we still had the fall rainy season to go.  The three rivers of Pittsburgh are fed by thousands of small tributaries, which normally pass under roadways with no problems.  Early in September, the remnants of hurricane Frances added several more inches to the total, swelling the rivers and tributaries to near record levels.  One week leter, Ivan's remnants dumped 5 inches in a matter of hours, causing streams and tunnels to flood, roadways to wash out, and entire towns to be evacuated.  By the time it was all over, nearly 8000 homes were damaged or destroyed, along with 600 commercial buildings and 300 governmental buildings.  Cleanup and recovery continue 9 months later.

It was during Ivan's visit that we were attempting to deliver a wedding.  A trip usually 30-45 minutes took over four hours to make because roadways were closed.  The ceremony had to be delayed over an hour so guests, flowers and the cake could arrive.  The hotel was running on emergency power, but the kitchen was not fully functional.  Because of road closings, few guests (even those close by) could make the trip.  The couple was married, but little turned out as planned that day.

Whether to add wedding insurance is a decision you have to make, and the budget should be considered.  We can't really offer advice on way or the other.  Be sure to fully understand what is covered and what is not.  Hopefully, our stories, as well as those in the Post-Gazette article, will help you evaluate the risks and the need for wedding insurance.  Like most things about your wedding, it's not an easy choice.

Whether you call them wedding program covers or wedding bulletins, we sell a lot of them (view our selection of blank wedding programs from Warner Press).  Right now, at the height of wedding season, supplies can run thin and backorders of a week aren't uncommon.  Don't let that discourage you from ordering--you don't need the papers to preactice printing your wedding programs.  After you place your order with us (please try and do so at least 2-3 weeks in advance of your wedding), you can start setting up your programs so they're ready to go.

We tell you the size of every program in the description.  The vast majority are letter sized paper (8 1/2 inches by 11 inches), and are landscape orientation.  Most of the wedding programs fold in half like a book, but the chapel fold is a little different.  To make a chapel fold, hold a piece of letter sized paper landscape, and bring each edge toward the middle.  Crease the paper once the edges meet--you'll now have a piece of paper folded into three parts--one about 2 3/4 inches wide, one about 5 1/2 inches wide, and one about 2 3/4 inches wide (that should equal 11 inches).

Once you know how your paper is laid out, you can use Microsoft Word, Microsoft Publisher or some similar program to start making your program template.  The exact specifics of how will depend on which program you use to print your wedding programs.  In Microsoft Word, to print a standard wedding bulletin, open a new file, and change its page layout to be landscape.  Make a margin of 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch on all sides, and create two columns, with the separation exactly in the middle (the Word help files can show you exactly how to do these steps, one at a time).  For the chapel fold, set up three columns with the measurements above.  Once you have this file set up, you can start adding your text.

What to say in your wedding program is up to you.  Most couples put the order of the ceremony on the left side, and introduce the wedding party on the right, with a personal message to the guests somwehere inside.  But you're free to do whatever suits you.  Keep tweaking the words, margins and spacing until you get the exact look you want.  Once your blank wedding program papers arrive, print a final draft on plain printer paper, and place it over the wedding bulletin paper, and hold it up to the light.  Make sure everything lines up correctly.  Then print only one of the blank program covers to make sure you know how to load the paper properly, and fold it to check the spacing one final time.  Then, load up your blank programs and print away!

We'll have some templates later this summer--keep watching this blog so you'll know when we do.

If a picture paints a thousand words -- and it does -- then you'll want to make sure you have a photography plan to capture this incredible day you've planned.

The average bride and groom spend approximately twelve months planning an event that will last four hours -- or, as so many brides and grooms claim afterwards, one that is over in the blink of an eye. Quite often the bride and groom are so busy that they don't get to savor their hard planned details. Well, in the wedding photos you get to do exactly that. You get to relive the moment as often as you like for the rest of your life.

Creative Wedding Photo Ideas

• On the guest book table, set around the room, or mounted on the wall, display a few photos of the bride and groom from birth to marriage. You might also include the wedding pictures of both yours and your fiance's parents.
• Have Polaroid pictures taken of each guest alone, or with the bride and groom, to give as a favor.
• Place a disposable camera on each table. Ask the guests to take pictures during the reception. It will not only be entertaining, but you'll get a lot of great candid shots. Remember to arrange for someone to collect all the cameras at the end of the reception.
• Keep a camera with you throughout your planning and create a pre-wedding album. Capture the following moments: buying your rings, trying on dresses for yourself and the bridesmaids, addressing and mailing invitations, showers, a picture of getting your marriage license. Remember the fun of planning your wedding.
• Order extra pictures for special friends.
• Don't forget your honeymoon photo album. Be sure to pack your camera.
• Have a friend take Polaroid pictures of your wedding day. You can take the pictures along on the honeymoon.
• Make sure you don't have suntan lines, or that your face doesn't get sunburned. A red face won't look attractive in the pictures.

Reprinted by permission from Beverly Clark, "Planning a Wedding to Remember, 6th Edition", Wilshire Publications. "Planning a Wedding to Remember" is available at BloomeryWeddings.com.

Whether you have a wedding to announce, a new baby in the family or a photogenic pet, PhotoStamps are a fun and easy way to add a personal touch to everything you send in the mail! You can also give them as unforgettably unique gifts, or keep them and frame them so you and your family can treasure your PhotoStamps for years to come!

"Perfect for weddings" is the claim, and how true.  What a cool way to personalize your invitations--the stamps can feature you and your fiancee'!  The USPS has authorized Stamps.com to offer PhotoStamps again.  After a trial last year, Stamps.com has been authorized to offer personalized stamps for your letters.  According to Stamps.com:

PhotoStamps are a new form of postage that allows customers to include their favorite digital photographs, designs or images on valid US Postal Service postage. Customers design state-of-the-art, professional-looking postage by simply uploading pictures from existing image files, digital photographs, and original graphics. An intuitive interface allows users to flip, rotate, and zoom in and out of their images, as well as add colored borders to create harmonized themes.

You set up your account, upload a digital photo, tweak it if you want to, and order your stamps in sheets of 20.  There is an additional charge for the personalization, which works out to cost about 75-cents for a 37-cent stamp (the stamps are available in other values as well).  The price goes down with each additional sheet of stamps you buy.  Remember that your invitations will probably require more than 37-cents to mail, so you may be buying a number of sheets.  It would be a good idea to weigh a complete invitation at the post office to figure the correct postage.  The average invitation costs around $1.00 each to mail, so your postage bill for 100 invitations would be approx. $150 for PhotoStamps, vs. around $100 for regular postage.

This is probably not for the couple on a tight budget, but if you have a little room to personalize your invitations, PhotoStamps are an idea to consider.  Get started today!

After today's weddings, we picked up the latest Alison Krauss CD, then grabbed a couple of Frappuccinos at Starbuck's.  Spring is here, and Mother's Day is approaching, and it seems everywhere we look, there are flowers.

The back cover of Alison's CD features a dressing room vignette with a vase of dried roses.  Starbuck's featured gift cards for Mother's Day with a cartoon flower envelope.  The window dressers at department stores and the prints at fabric stores feature flowers.  It's no coincidence.  Flowers add color and elegance.  Flowers set the mood, whether it's a store display or the Today show set.  And when it comes to planning your wedding, you don't have to think too hard about how to help set the mood you want.  Arrangements at the bar or in the bathrooms and petals scattered on the tables can help to unify your event throughout the entire location.  Many florists (us included) have for rent grand arrangements you can use to greet your guests in the entryway.

When it comes to setting moods and unifying themes, the experts choose flowers.  Your wedding deserves nothing less than what the experts choose.

You'll see a lot of advice while planning your wedding about when to visit what vendor.  A lot of this advice comes from people who write about weddings, but don't actually produce weddings.  We'll give you some real insider's information here.

Before you reserve any vendor, you'll need to have your date and time.  These are determined by your ceremony location and reception location.  Book these first, especially if your church or hall has significant meaning for you.

Once you have your date and time worked out, find the vendors you want to talk to.  There's not doubt you'll find somebody to handle anything at your wedding, but do you really want just anybody to be a part of your special day?  Some vendors, such as photographers and DJs, can only service one wedding at a time.  Others, such as florists or bakers, can handle one or more per weekend, depnding on the size of the event.  Couture florists and bakers may only take one extravagant event as they wish.  Larger bakeries and dress shops can accomodate many, many events at a time.

In our case, we begin booking events about 18 months in advance, and the most popular weekends are completely booked at least one year in advance.  We have several May and June weekends in 2006 already full.  A good DJ friend of ours is almost completely book two years in advance.

Here's your insider tip: The top vendors book up quickly.  As soon as you have your date and time, begin contacting the vendors on your list.  You don't need to know exactly what flowers you want, or have your playlist worked out, to book these vendors.  In our case, a $50 deposit will guarantee your day.  We'll take some general information about your wedding at that time, and plan to meet with you during a slower time.  Although we write from a florist's point of view, we know our photographer and DJ friends have similar policies in place.  We'll all guide you as to when we need your shot lists, play list, or bouquet selections.

If you want to meet with a couple of different vendors, we always encourage that.  Make sure you find someone who understands your vision and can work within your budget.  But don't dally in meetings or decisions, or your top choices may be gone.  If you're out of town, you can reach us or a number of other top vendors via e-mail.  We can accomplish a lot--even planning entire weddings--via e-mail.

There's no doubt, chocolate fountains have become extremely popular in the last couple of years.  A luscious waterfall of chocolate, what's not to like?   We have on several occasions offered to help clean up using the "chug" method of disposing of the chocolate, but 20 pounds of melted chocolate is a lot, even for our sweet tooth.  If you are interested in renting a chocolate fountain for your wedding but don't know where to go, visit http://www.chocolatefountainnetwork.com.  This is a new site that features an easy map-based search for finding chocolate fountains in your area.

If you are in the Butler/North Pittsburgh area of Pennsylvania, have a look at http://www.chocolatefountainenterprises.com (they're the same people who created Chocolate Fountain Network also).  We have come to know Chocolate Fountain Enterprises will over the past several years through bridal shows and being hired by the same brides.  They are wonderful people, and not just because they always save us a plate of goodies at the bridal shows.  Even if you are not located in our area, their site is very informative.

We've learned several important facts about renting chocolate fountains in the times we've talked to various "fountaineers":

1) There are different sizes of chocolate fountains.  Many places offer several sizes for rent, at different prices.  Don't waste money and rent a fountain that is too large for the number of guests that will be attending your wedding.  be sure to ask what sizes are available, and check with several different rental companies to make sure you are renting the right sized fountain.

2) There are different qualities of chocolate, but the most important factor is what the chocolate is thinned with.  Many places melt their chocolate and thin it out with large amounts of vegetable oil.  This can alter the flavor, and may prevent the chocolate from hardening properly on whatever is dipped into the fountain.  Chocolate Fountain Enterprises uses their own formulation of chocolate that does not need to be thinned with oil.  Make sure to ask how the chocolate is thinned before you rent a chocolate fountain.

3) Ask what varieties of chocolate are available to you.  You are not limited to milk or semi-sweet chocolate only.  White and dark chocolate are available in some areas, and some companies even offer caramel--how perfect for a fall wedding with apples!  Although most fountains can handle caramel, the cleanup is atrocious, so most companies do not offer this option.  White chocolate can even be colored to match your event, but guests are sometimes wary of eating oddly colored foods.

In a couple of previous posts, we looked at software you can use to make photo storybooks (Organizing Those Photos and Making Photo Storybooks, Part 1 and Organizing Those Photos and Making Photo Storybooks, Part 2).  After all this planning and work, you don't want to just label the CDs with a marker!  One option you have to create labels and case inserts is the Acoustica CD/DVD Label Maker.  This program has received a number of awards lately, and has a large number of features that allow you to create really custom labels and inserts.  You can even import your own photos or artwork to use on the label or cover.  CD labels are available at most office supply stores, and you can use any printer paper to create covers--choose something cool!

We see more and more couples making CDs of photos and music as favors.  Wedding websites, where you can post details of your wedding and photos of yourselves, are also becomming more popular.  Each of these adds a very personal touch to your wedding, and is a great way to to share highlights of your relationship with friends and family.  Your lives have probably moved through several stages in different places, and not everyone at your wedding may be familiar with how you first met, where you went to school, etc.

In a previous entry (http://www.bloomeryweddings.com/blog/OrganizingThosePhotosPart1.aspx), we looked at two programs to help you organize your photos, and turn them into a storybook you could burn onto a CD, or put on your website.  Microsoft, never to be outdone, has two programs you can download for free if you are a Windows XP user.

The first program is PhotoStory.  Now in its third version, PhotoStory allows you to make storybooks with your photos, complete with background music, narration, titles and captions.  You can also add a number of transition effects, and burn your storybooks to CD or put them on your website.  Since digital photos (from a camera or scanner) are typically very large when displayed on your screen, you can add all sorts of neat zoom and pan effects.  There is an overview of PhotoStory 3 at http://www.updatexp.com/microsoft-photo-story-3.html.

If you have a digital video camera, or if you can hook your VCR to your computer, you can use Movie Maker 2.1 to copy and edit your videos into movies.  There is a beginner's guide, examples and how-to's available at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/moviemaker/default.mspx.

In order to download PhotoStory 3, Microsoft requires you to confirm your version of Windows XP is genuine--they will install a small program that checks your software, and anonymously reports back to Microsoft your installation code.  No worries, unless you bought your OS from that greasy guy on the corner of Times Square.  Movie Maker 2.1 is part of the Windows XP SP2 update, and there are instructions on the page linked above for getting the update.  Besides MovieMaker, the XP SP2 update will install some additional security features on your computer, including a pop-up blocker for Internet Explorer, and better security against spyware.

After all your attendants do to help you in planning and executing your wedding, you'll want to thank them with a special gift.  It can be a memento of your wedding day, or an indulgent gift for them to enjoy.  It's usually given at the rehearsal dinner, the bridesmaids' luncheon, or at the bachelorette party.  Some ideas:

• Jewelry, either for the wedding or after
• A purse that matches or coordinates with her gown
• A striking journal to record her innermost thoughts
• Cosmetics or toiletry bags

These are just a few suggestions.  You can find more great bridesmaid gifts by clicking this link.

If wedding planning is a production worthy of Hollywood--and it is--then consider invitations to be your guests' sneak preview of coming attractions.  It is their initial, tantalizing glimpse of what you have in store for them, conveying both the tone of the event and your personal vision.

In the not too distant past, invitations selections were limited to one "correct" choice, ecru card stock or paper with black ink.  Not so anymore.  Just as wedding styles have become more varied and unique, so too have the invitations that couples can now choose from.  Even when it comes to having a formal wedding, there's quite a variety available for classic, yet personal, invitations.  Consider an embossed design or edge, which gives dimension and texture to the paper, but no color to distract the eye.  Or if color is what you are looking for, add it in a clean, architectural, beveled edge with a touch of unexpected color.  Whatever you choose, couples can now select invitations as unique as they are.

Invitation Timeline

6-9 Months
Begin researching invitations anywhere from six to nine months in advance.

6 Months
By the sixth month, you should decide on your choice and firm up your guest list.  Begin compiling any information you'll need for the enclosures, such as maps, parking information, reception details, etc.  Get a firm, itemized quote and cost breakdown, then place your invitation order.

4-5 Months
Anywhere from four to five months before the wedding, is good for addressing the invitations and assembling them.

6-8 Weeks
Mail all the invitations at once, about six to eight weeks before the weddings.  This will give you time to mail additional invitations to guests on your stand-by list should any of the first batch of guests decline.

At The Bloomery, we offer wedding invitations at 30% off everyday!  You can even browse and order Birchcraft wedding invitations on-line.  Click this link to peruse our Birchcraft wedding invitations offerings (note: this will take you to another website).  Or, stop by our shop at any time and browse our 15 volumes of wedding invitations from Carlson Craft, Regency, Chase and Birchcraft Studios, all at 30% off every day!

This part of our series of planning advice and excerpts from Beverly Clark's "Planning a Wedding to Remember".  Visit frequently, subscribe to our RSS feed, or sign up for our e-mail alerts to make sure you don't miss a single one!

Reprinted by permission from Beverly Clark, "Planning a Wedding to Remember, 6th Edition", Wilshire Publications.  "Planning a Wedding to Remember" can be purchased by clicking this link.

As you begin planning your wedding, you'll need to start with the basics: who, what (style), where, when and how (much).  While these issues are somewhat related to style, they also factor heavily into the planning process.

Who - You'll need to come up with a preliminary guest list.  You can pretty well count on it being far to long and needing lots of pruning.

What (Style) - Your wedding style will largely influence the planning process and degree of formality.  A Zen wedding will most likely be less costly than a full-out Glamour Queen celebration, just as informal weddings tend to be less expensive (this is not set in stone, mind you) and have simpler location requirements than formal weddings.

Where - How many people you'll be inviting, how you envision your ceremony and reception will directly affect your location, which in turn affects every other aspect of the planning process, from setting the date to planning the budget.

When - Your date will somewhat be determined by where you want to get married, as some locations are booked eighteen to twenty-four months in advance.  Also, some highly in demand wedding vendors can be booked up solid for months.  Make sure to do a little preliminary research so you'll have some idea of the lead times involved.

How (Much) - That's very sweet of your parents to offer to take out a second mortgage on their house, but really, do you want them to have to work until they're seventy-five?  Chances are you can plan the wedding you want at a fairly reasonable cost if you are just willing to do some research and compromise a little.

This part of our series of planning advice and excerpts from Beverly Clark's "Planning a Wedding to Remember".  Visit frequently, subscribe to our RSS feed, or sign up for our e-mail alerts to make sure you don't miss a single one!

Reprinted by permission from Beverly Clark, "Planning a Wedding to Remember, 6th Edition", Wilshire Publications.  "Planning a Wedding to Remember" can be purchased by clicking this link.

You've planned a beautiful wedding, right down to every last detail...even the stamps you use on your invitations and response cards?  Ugly stamps have no place in your beautiful wedding.  The US Postal Service will unveil four new floral stamps at the Chicago Flower Show on March 15, and the stamps will be available nationwide on March 16.

You can see the new stamps, and place a preorder at http://shop.usps.com/cgi-bin/vsbv/postal_store_non_ssl/display_products/preOrder.jsp?OID=4849352&QTY=1&orderType=PRE.  On March 16, the stamps will be available from your local post office, or from the USPS store at http://shop.usps.com.

The USPS also offers another floral stamp in both $0.37 and $0.60 denominations, and sells this design in a "wedding pack" of 20 of each.  You can see and order this stamp at http://shop.usps.com/cgi-bin/vsbv/postal_store_non_ssl/display_products/productDetail.jsp?OID=4848953.

Remember to weigh one or two of your invitations before buying a lot of postage--you want to make sure you apply enough to send your invitations!

The beach trip where you first talked about it.  The night he proposed.  "The Dinner", with all your families celebrating together.  Your bridal shower.

By now, you've accumulated a lot of pictures, probably digital, and keeping them organized can be a real hassle.  You'd love to share your photos with family and friends, or maybe even make a photo album on CD as a favor to your guests.  Fortunately, there are a lot of programs available that will organize your photos, help you easily touch up your photos, and even create photo albums to share.  There's a good chance your wedding photographer will be using a digital camera, too, and could provide you with even more files to fill up your hard drive.

Macintosh computers ship with a suite of software known as iLife.  Not being Mac people, we can't comment too much on the software, only that we've seen it in action, and it's nice.

For the Windows crowd, Google provides a free tool named Picasa, which you can download for free from www.picasa.com.  A comparable commercial application is Photoshop Album, available almost everywhere.  A comparison of the two is at http://searchenginewatch.com/searchday/article.php/3460061.  Each program has its good features and "I wish it had" features, but in the end, it's tough to beat the price of Picasa, especially since it will do pretty much everything the average user needs it to.  Both of these programs offer the ability to create photo albums you can burn to a CD as a favor for your guests.

If you want to share traditional prints via a digital means, there are lots of flatbed scanners available that will do a decent job of converting prints to digital files, which can be used with either of these programs just as if they were digital photos.  We typically avoind buying the cheapest thing on the shelf, but any mid-priced model from HP or Canon will do an excelleet job.  You want to look for a scanner that supports 1200 dpi or better, ideally 2400 dpi or better.  Since your monitor displays at (probably) 96 dpi, a scanned photo will look enormous.  Most scanners will come with software to help you resize your photos, and both Picasa and Photoshop album will resize as well.