Archive for the ‘gift ideas’ Category

Bomboniere

Friday, September 11th, 2009

(Sugared Almonds Wedding Favors)

Your wedding reception should be the party of your life and when planning it, every effort should be made in order to ensure that’s what you get. Table decorations, floral arrangements, venue, entertainment and bomboniere are key to a successful wedding reception.

When it comes to the venue, it needs to suit the theme of your wedding. For example, if your bridal gown were princess-like, a castle would be suitable. Alternatively, you may have a simple floor length shift-shape dress and to be in keeping with your look, the venue may be a modern riverside restaurant. Whichever theme you choose, even the smallest detail must be meticulously well planned and this includes your choice of bomboniere.

Originally, brides were supposed to make up favors or bomboniere by hand, but in the busy lives we now lead, this is near on impossible. Bomboniere consist of round shaped colored nets tied together with coordinating ribbons and finished with dried flowers or beads. These pretty nets are filled with a dish of delicious dragees [tear-shaped sugar coated chocolates in various colors] or sumptuous almonds [sugar coated tear-shaped nuts available in a range of colors].

Each dragee or almond is said to represent one of the five common wedding wishes; fertility, health, happiness, longevity and wealth. By giving them to your guests, the bride and groom are said to have a marriage filled with all these things. Nowadays of course, many brides are turning away from traditional almond or dragee bomboniere and are choosing more modern ways to thank their guests. Although there are a huge range of inedible favors such as candle favors, flower seed wedding favors and ornament wedding favors, there is nothing more beautiful than leaving a wedding reception with a hand-tied net pouch filled with almonds or dragees. Despite popular belief, the traditional bomboniere can still be very much a part of a modern wedding. There are so many options when it comes to bomboniere, that the world is quite literally your oyster.

For example, natural color theme weddings are very much en vogue with brides choosing simple, clean cut dresses for themselves and taupe, pale green or ivory 50’s style dresses for their bridesmaids. Floral arrangements reflect the simplicity of the wedding as brides opt for small hand-tied white bouquets or a drape of plain orchids across their arms. Traditional bomboniere can fit beautifully in these more retro occasions as brides can select ivory or white nets, fill them with white almonds and finish them with a pale green bow. Alternatively, ecru colored nets can be complemented with ivory or gold dragees and finished off with coordinating ribbons or flowers.

So, whatever your wedding venue, dress or bouquet, there is a bomboniere to suit all occasions. Your choice of bomboniere should reflect your theme and personality and with such a vast range of nets, almonds, dragees, colors, flowers and ribbons, no two bomboniere need be the same!

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Add Some Flair With Wedding Favors

Tuesday, August 18th, 2009

Celebrating the unity of two people for eternity is the foremost purpose of a Wedding Ceremony. It has been this way and will continue to be this way for as long as the tradition lives. Wedding Guests are invited to share not only in the joyous occasion but also to bear witness to the union. There is something spiritual about standing before all those who are special to you and make a lifelong commitment to someone for others to hear, which is what really transforms two people into a married couple.

To show an appreciation for their guests, for the time they have taken out of their busy lives to be part of the Wedding, the bride and groom shower their guests with Wedding Favors. These Wedding Gifts or Wedding Favors have been the tradition to thank the wedding guests for their thoughtfulness, their gifts and help in any way given to the couple in making the wedding a special occasion.

Wedding favors traditionally are given to all of the guests that have been invited to the wedding reception, of course, more expensive wedding favors are available and there are many weddings for which these higher-priced wedding favors are appropriate. These are typically inexpensive gifts, averaging in the $1 – $2 price range. Numerous wedding favors are available in just about any category one could imagine, from sterling silver picture frames, to personalized edible chocolates, and even fragrant bath soaps.

Selecting wedding favors is not that difficult at all, nor is it necessary to purchase these well in advance of the wedding date. Most are readily available at online and retail outlets that specialize in these kind of wedding accessories. You don’t want to wait until the last minute however, as that is a particularly hectic time. You will need to allow ample time for personalization, or if you select an item that requires special ordering, for example, an unusually large quantity, or an exclusive item.

To be on the safe side, two to three months prior to the wedding date is a good time to make your wedding favor selections. Once you have them in your possession, the only other thing you need to worry about is getting them to the reception before the guests arrive and presenting them in a unique and beautiful manner appropriate for the occasion

Online shopping has made finding appropriate wedding favors very easy. Type ‘wedding favors’ into your search engine and you’ll get pages of web sites offering every type of wedding favor you could ever want. So where do you begin? It’s definitely a good idea to consult your budget worksheet first so you know the price range to focus on.

From there, think about what makes you and your partner unique. Do you both love golf? Are you wine connoisseurs? What about a theme? If your wedding has one, there’s sure to be a favor to complement that theme. Do you want the favor to be the place holder? If so, select one that allows you to write the person’s name and table number. Creating your own wedding favors is another option and can end up being the most unique wedding favor of all and one that your guests are sure to treasure!

Wedding Favors most suited to the occasion are the ones that reflect your personal style and personality. So select something that you personally enjoy and that your guests will appreciate and remember your wedding and you for a long time to come.

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Bachelorette Party at a Winery

Thursday, August 13th, 2009

If you want to throw a nontraditional bachelorette party, there are many good ideas floating around the internet to choose from. One great option is a bachelorette party wine weekend. In many areas of the country there are wineries that offer a wide variety of activities. From Virginia to California, nearly every state has some wine producing capabilities, and local wineries are a great spot for a different kind of bachelorette party fun. If the bride-to-be is looking to spend time with her girlfriends but isn’t interested in a night of wild drinking and strangers hooting and hollering about a tiara on her head, a wine weekend might be a great option for the bachelorette party.

Wineries often provide many benefits. They are usually away from the city, in areas with lots of land and beautiful scenery. This is a great place for women to unwind, talk with each other, and just spend time bonding as is intended at a bachelorette party before one of the group goes from single to married life.

Wineries also have great wines to taste. You can take a winery tour, do a wine tasting, and buy bottles of the ones that you like. You can give each girl a party favor of a spit of wine, often you even have options to personalize the labels to say something special about the winery bachelorette party event. You can also buy wine stoppers and other wine paraphernalia as a great set of favors for the girls. Wineries also often are connected to quaint, local restaurants. This gives you an option for dinner, a wine tasting, and then you can take back several bottles of wine to a hotel room or someone’s house to let the party continue!

In addition, if you do a daytime event for a bachelorette party, you can take a picnic of gourmet foods to the winery. Most wineries have outdoor areas to sit and enjoy the sunshine when the weather is nice. Pack a complete meal, do a wine tasting, buy the wines the girls all like best, and drink them together over your picnic. It will make you feel close to all the girls at the party as you sip wine, talk about the view, and bond.

Lots of wineries also have live entertainment on special days, so if you plan the party to coincide with another event, you can take in a local jazz band, for example. The bachelorette party at a winery also doesn’t have to be limited to only one winery. Most areas have a series of wineries clumped together, as the land attracts many wine makers. If that is the case, plan your trip with multiple stops, and taste wine at a lot of locations along the way. If you are opting for a “wine tour” bachelorette part, you should check ahead of time to map out where you are going. In addition, arrange for either a sober driver or a limo or van to drive you between wine tastings so that everyone can have a good time and still be safe.

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10 Ideas For Bridesmaid Gifts

Sunday, August 2nd, 2009

Your wedding day is approaching and you have picked out your wedding jewelry, written your vows, booked the caterer, and reserved the limo along with a million and a half other things on your to do list. But have you purchased the gifts for your bridesmaids yet?

If not, don’t panic, as there are many quick and simple things that can be purchased for the girls who will be standing by your side. Whether you are on a budget or the sky is the limit for you, there are many items that make wonderful bridesmaids gifts.

Take a look at the following ten bridesmaid gift ideas and you wil,l without a doubt, find something that jumps out at you. Just make sure that you always add a little personal touch to each gift to show how much you really appreciate each and every one of your bridesmaids.

Spa Gift Card
This can be any dollar amount from twenty-five dollars and up for a local spa in your area. This will give them a way to relax after wearing those heels all night long.

Bath and Body Oils and Soaps
Maybe your girls will not want to spend a day at a spa but they could always enjoy pampering themselves a little bit at home.

Engraved Jewelry Box
This is a nice way for them to store the bridesmaid jewelry they wore. Engrave the box with their name or the date of the wedding.

Jewelry
You can buy them jewelry for the wedding or could pick up a special bracelet or pair of earrings that could be worn at any time.

Photo Album
Leave it empty or add in a few pictures of you and each bridesmaid at the shower. Just make sure to leave plenty of room for photos from the wedding.

Photo Frames
These are always a popular choice. Silver frames are generally the best and engraving can be done to these as well.

Goodie Bag Full of Goodies
This bag could be filled with perfumes, lotions, sprays, jewelry, gift cards, and anything else that you want. It is a great way to give your bridesmaids a little bit of everything.

Group Trip For a Manicure and Pedicure
This is a fabulous way to get all of the girls together after the wedding. They can relax, get pampered, and share wedding day stories.

Girls Night Out
Grab a bite to eat, watch a movie, or go dancing. Now that the wedding day is over you and your bridesmaids can kick back and have a little wild fun together. Or do it before, but it doesn’t count as your shower

A Cute Handbag
If there is one thing a girl cannot get enough of, it’s handbags. Keep it empty or fill it with treats or special goodies. This is a gift that the bridesmaids will get a lot of use out of.

With so many options, it may seem at first glance to be difficult to make a decision. But you know your group of friends better than anyone else. Once you start putting a little thought into it, you will see how easy it is to find the perfect bridesmaids gifts for them.

10 Must Have Gifts Ideas For The Wedding Party

Wednesday, August 20th, 2008

It is traditional for the bride to give the groom a gift on the wedding day. Although the wedding rings that the couple exchanges can be considered gifts, many brides choose to honor their groom with an additional gift that suits his personality.

One unique gift ideas for your bridesmaids is an evening bag to be used as an accessory on the wedding day. This gift can be a lovely gesture and will serve the purpose of keeping the accessories of the bridesmaids’ uniform and will free your bridesmaid from the burden of searching for an evening bag that matches the dress. In this case you may choose to give the bridesmaids their gifts early in the wedding planning so that they don’t purchase a bag specifically for the occasion of your wedding.

A photo album complete with a picture of you and the bridesmaid or the entire wedding party can be another unique gift idea for the bridesmaids. You could purchase photo albums with the date of your wedding engraved on the front cover and start the photo album with a picture of you and the bridesmaid. This is a wonderful gift idea because the bridesmaid can place her photos from the wedding day in the album and will always have a precious souvenir from your wedding day.

Gift certificates to a spa or a salon also make unique gift ideas for your bridesmaids. Your bridesmaids most likely spent a great deal of time and energy in helping you to plan your wedding. The week prior to your wedding was also probably especially hectic with a great deal of last minute details to attend to and errands to run. While you will have your honeymoon to relax and renew your energy your bridesmaids do not have this luxury so by honoring them by presenting them with a gift certificate to a spa or salon you are giving them the gift or being pampered and the gift of relaxation.

A few more unique gift ideas for your bridesmaids’ gifts include handcrafted or homemade gifts. For example you could put together a CD of some of your bridesmaids’ favorite songs. You could make the CDs different for each bridesmaid and include a photo of the two of you on the cover and include a heartfelt poem on the inside of the CD cover. You could also create a scrapbook for each of your bridesmaids. You could either make the scrapbook a memory of your entire friendship together and include photos and other items from your various adventures throughout the years or if you plan ahead and take many photos documenting your wedding preparations, you could create scrapbooks as a remembrance of the wedding planning that you shared.

Personalized cosmetics bags can also be used as unique bridesmaids gifts. You could purchase attractive cosmetic bags and have them embroidered with your bridesmaids’ initials and the date of your wedding. Another nice touch with this gift is to include a few items such as lipstick or nail polish that complement each of your bridesmaids’ style and complexion.

Another unique gift idea for a bride to give to her bridesmaids is a gift certificate to a local restaurant. Assisting in your wedding preparations was probably extremely stressful and time consuming for the bridesmaids and they certainly deserve a night on the town and the opportunity to not have to cook for a night. This simple gift lets your bridesmaids know that you appreciate their efforts and that you want to thank them for all that they have done to support you.

Unique gift ideas for the bridesmaids can also stem from the wedding theme. For example if you are having a beach themed wedding you might want to give your bridesmaids a gift of a tote bag, a beach towel and a novel to enjoy on the beach. This unique gift idea ensures that your bridesmaids will remember your wedding fondly the next time they are at the beach.

Although the tradition of the bride and groom exchanging gifts on their wedding day is beginning to fade, many couples still wish to honor this tradition. Many couples spend so much money on their wedding and reception that they feel as though they cannot afford the additional expense of buying gifts for each other. While it may be true that the couple cannot afford one more extravagant gift it is also true that a truly thoughtful gift for the groom does not have to be overly expensive. If the couple is partaking in this tradition it is advisable that they exchange gifts that truly reflect the personality of their spouse.