Merry Brides: 09/16/06

9/16/06

There's a Flower for Every Bride

Your wedding day is the perfect time to stop and smell the roses - or the daisies or the tulips or the hydrangea. A bride's flower options, from her bouquet to the centerpieces, are virtually limitless. If you're having a difficult time choosing the right blooms, consider the type of bride you are. There's a perfect flower for everyone. Here are some suggestions depending upon your own personal style.

THE CLASSIC BRIDE

Silver-screen star Grace Kelly comes to mind when you think of the classic bride: Simple, sophisticated and timeless. She follows all the rules of wedding etiquette, and she takes tradition seriously. The classic brides' current celebrity role model might be someone like Jessica Simpson, who walked down the aisle carrying a bouquet of stephanotis in 2003. White roses or stephanotis with pearl pins in the center are the ideal flowers for the classic bride's bouquet. The classic woman's bridesmaids carry cascading roses in shades that match their dresses. Her groom and ushers sport rose and baby's breath boutonnières. Long-stemmed white roses in tall vases that allow guests to see one another make for traditional, tasteful reception centerpieces.

THE MODERN BRIDE

This bride is up on all the hottest wedding trends, and she's more than happy to include them in her big day. She is in vogue and willing to think outside the box. Debra Messing, the "Will and Grace" star who carried a tall bouquet of calla lilies at her wedding in 2000 to screenwriter Daniel Zelman, is someone the modern bride can emulate. When it comes to the bouquet, she should consider single-flower monochromatic nosegays or calla lilies in white or a bright color. Calla lilies in various shades - from yellow to crimson - are ideal for the modern girl's attendants. Her groom might stick with the traditional rose boutonnière or simply a silk handkerchief tucked in his front pocket, depending upon the affair's degree of formality. Wildflowers for centerpieces or towering trays of cookies or another conversation piece are key signs of a modern bride.

THE GLAMOROUS BRIDE

Diva is the first word that comes to mind when you hear about the glamorous bride. Everything she does makes a dramatic statement. And her flowers - or lack thereof - are no different. Think Melania Knauss, who wed Donald Trump in January 2005. She clutched rosary beads in lieu of a bouquet as she walked down the aisle solo. A glamourous bride who prefers to make a statement with flowers should choose something like orchids, peonies, giant peonies, or black-magic roses. This bride often chooses more sleek and simple flower arrangements for her bridemaids - if she includes them - because she should be the center of attention.

THE ROMANTIC BRIDE

She wants to be a princess for a day and often wears a big frilly dress with lots of regal details. The late Princess Diana is her role model. The romantic bride chooses flowers that are cascading and pastel. Consider dahlias, a baby's breath cloud or a nosegay in a silver or gold cone-shaped vase called a tussy mussy. Tea roses are a great choice for the bridesmiads, and the flower girl wears a wreath of baby's breath in her hair. Decorative reception flowers should be soft and demure in color.

Dealing With Wedding Vendors

Even in the bridal industry, there will always be shady people who might be looking to take advantage of a young couple getting married. It could be a wedding photographer who nickels and dimes for every little thing, or even a high priced wedding consultant who has dollar signs in her eyes. To avoid any misunderstandings, headaches and really bad experiences, follow these tips below and you're wedding planning will be worry-free, for the most part.

Establish a contract; this is really a no brainer. If you are dealing with a reputable business, you will find that this is often standard procedure before engaging in any business. Remember; do not to assume anything, always read the fine print and the terms and conditions. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Do not sign anything until you full understand what you are signing for.

It is also important to consider cancellation policies. What happens if you wish to cancel a service you have booked? Will there be fees involved? Dear God, what if the wedding is called off? You have to be sure that there is an escape clause for extreme circumstances such as these. As much as we don’t want to think such horrid thoughts, things do happen all the time.

When dealing with caterers or reception facilities, find out if there are additional fees for set up and clean up. Do not be afraid to ask about charges for cake cutting, coat rooms and corkage fees. All costs should be itemized in the contract and request that no additional fees are to be added after these fees have been agreed upon.

Be sure to inquire about overtime fees. Whether this is for your reception, limousine service or any other service on the day, you do not want to be slapped upside the veil with an unexpected charge for overtime fees. Play it safe and find out what options you have if your wedding runs overtime. Nine times out of ten, they always do.

Be cautious of a deal that seems too good to be true. If you shop around, ask questions and do your homework, you should have a general idea of how much a certain service will cost. If you find an offer that is suspiciously cheap, don't be afraid to ask why. Most likely, it’s not too good to be true; rather, the service is simply horrible.

Double bookings can sometimes happen, particularly during the peak wedding seasons. If you know that another wedding is booked for the same day in the same room as yours, be sure that you specify your exact time, from which hour to which hour you require the room. Remember to allow for enough time to clean-up between weddings. Hopefully, someone on staff will manage their time effectively to avoid any awkward situations.

Don’t be obsessive, don’t compromise, don’t forget about your budget, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Just because you are planning the most important day of your entire life, don’t get too emotional and do not be pressured by slick vendors or high pressure sales tactics. There are enough quality wedding professionals to choose from – you do not want to regret one of these decisions later.

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Until Next Time!

Jasmine

is a wedding planning guide that offers a complete array of wedding article, vendors, tips and free wedding resources. Britopian Marketing is a consulting firm that offers internet marketing services for small business. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Brito www.fun,createswebsites.com, http://windsor.weddingwindow.com