How To Incorporate Social Media Into Your Wedding: Very Easy Tips!

It is amazing how technology is a natural part of our lives today in comparison to 10 years ago. Social media websites such as Twitter and Instagram and phones like the iPhone and Android makes connecting with friends and family easy.

Professional photos of your wedding ceremony is a must have in my opinion, but some of the best pictures a bride and groom may like are the amateur pictures taken by their friends and family that show the moments that the photographer may not have seen. These candid moments are reflective of the people you love and invited to share your special day.

It only takes a few steps to implement the use of social media into your wedding:

1. First, download Twitter and/or Instagram. These applications are free to download with your smartphone, but use pre-existing accounts for less hassle. Instagram allows you to take photos, add cool effects and share with friends. It is like a Facebook, but with pictures only.

2. Next, you and your significant other should determine a wedding hastag. This helps to filter pictures on Instagram just as it filters tweets on Twitter.

3. You must then decide where you want to filter all of your pictures. Dropbox and Flickr accounts are two of my favorites. They are easy to access and have large storage availability.

4. Next, you connect your social media outlet to your storage area with the use of your "recipe" through ifttt.com. Create an account on ifttt.com which means IF THIS, THEN THAT. This account will create a chain reaction that allows you to establish that IF THIS hastag is used, THEN THAT photo is automatically downloaded into your Dropbox/Flickr account.

5. Last, but not least, SHARE your plan with guests. There are many creative ways to share your plan with your guests. Whether during your engagement announcement or on the wedding day. Signs on the bar, notes on the table during the reception, boards displaying the hastag, or the information written on personalized napkins are creative ways to share the information. You can also include the information on your wedding website.

You will see the wedding journey from many perspectives, not just the day of, but leading up to the wedding day. The photos may be blurry, but they will show the laughter and love that day between family, old friends and new friends. This is a great way to incorporate the guests into your wedding day, letting them get involved. You will have a great laugh and even more smiles when you look at these photos with your new husband/wife.

Open-Bar versus Consumption Bar

Bride and Grooms are faced with a lot of decisions during their planning, but an unexpected decision couples encounter is deciding between a Consumption Bar or Package Bar. 

Choosing a Consumption Bar, you are charged a confirmed price per each drink that is consumed during your event.  You only pay for what you and your guests actually drink.

Choosing a Package Bar, you are commonly given a price based on the amount of guests for your event and the total amount of hours your event will be. This price is charged regardless of the amount consumed during the night.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself when contemplating which bar suits you:

1. How comfortable are you with not knowing your bill until the end of the night? Consumption bars are not totaled until the end of the event. 
2. What is your guest list like? Are there more young adults? Children? Does your family like to party? If you have a group that like to drink, a flat rate would be best to avoid any surprise costs at the end of the night.
3. How long is your event? Guests will typically consume on average 1-2 drinks an hour. You can consider closing the bar at a certain time of the night (i.e for dinner, instead serving wine and/or champagne for toasts).

Another option for controlling costs, is to request a limited selection for the bar. You can choose beer, wine and a signature cocktail for the night, instead of a full bar of top shelf liquor. 

Radiant Orchid - The Color of 2014

As we move on from 2013 and luxurious emerald, 2014 introduces a new "color of the year" : Radiant Orchid. A rich purple color that is vibrant and alluring, Radiant Orchid is complimented by shades of purple, pinks, cream, gold and silver. The color of royalty, just a small amount of Radiant Orchid incorporated into your wedding day will stand out in a good way! You can incorporate the color within the wardrobe, the decor, the food, or use the color as the base of the invitations, menus and programs. Look out for some creative use of this color in events during 2014.

A teardrop bouquet of orchids is eye-catching against a wedding dress.

Shades of pink with Radiant Orchid.

Lighting in Radiant Orchid adds a soft glow to a reception.

Make each arrangement a different color and a different flower for a striking constrast.

Bridesmaid Gift Ideas

What to give your bridesmaid as a gift is tougher question than it sounds. You want the perfect gift that shows shares your appreciation for your girls, and be something that they will love as well. Monogramming is one way to make each gift personal for each individual bridesmaid in your wedding party. Jewelry is another option that can also be used as accessories for the wedding day. Simple, matching pieces are perfect and your bridesmaids will want to wear them everyday. You do not have to restrict yourself to conventional gifts. Every bridal party is different, and you know them best. Here are a few ideas:

Perfect for the destination wedding

Personalize these robes with initials in the wedding colors, and wear them as you prepare for your wedding day.

Girls also want to have fun!

Let Them Eat Cake!

Guests join the bride and groom to celebrate their nuptials. The bride and groom want their guest to enjoy delicious food, wonderful company and a great atmosphere. Just as important as all other aspects of the wedding, the bride and the groom take the time to pick their cake for the special day, so why keep it in a corner? The cake should have its moment and the details chosen by the couple should be in plain view. Here are some creative cake/dessert displays:

None of these pictures are my own.

A Reception Dress to Shock the Guests!

I have watched many wedding shows, had many discussions with friends and have read many blogs where this question pops up: Should a bride change out of her wedding dress for the reception? I have finally, after a lot of thinking, come up with an answer; It depends on the bride. It is a pretty simple answer. As the most important person that day, the bride has to do what makes her happy. Dream ceremony dresses can be heavy, form-fitting, or just not what the bride feels is right for dancing the night away at her reception. I will agree that more than one wardrobe change is extensive because the bride begins to miss events during her own special night, but I support the reception dress. Every star has a wardrobe change!

 So take a look at these fun, flirty, short dresses that still have that unique bridal feel that every bride wants, for all of her dresses:

None of these pictures belong to me.

Creative Decor Tip - Use Succulents!

I was very shocked as I was writing a proposal at one of my past internships, that my supervisor's notes stated 'succulents'. Thinking that this was an odd description for a flower arrangement, I quickly questioned what she meant. After I learned more about this unique and understated plant, I instantly thought it was very ingenious to use this plant that could easily be overlooked and make something beautiful for someone's special day.

Succulents are a type of plant, commonly with a thick out layer that are beneficial for storing water for a long period of time. Cacti and Aloe are two types of succulent plants. Succulents Sempervivums are the common choice for decorators. They are available in different colors, including pink, purple, red and green, and the formation of the cushions are unique and attractive. Succulents add a unique beauty to any wedding decor. They can be left in their natural state or spray painted gold. They can be incorporated into the ceremony, the reception or given as favors for guests. The uses of these plants are endless! Here are some ideas that I thought were really creative and only enhanced the natural beauty of these plants:

The succulents almost look like they are naturally gold. The work perfectly in this bouquet.

Individual potted succulents are easy to maintain and a nice change from candles.

Also a great Holiday Party idea!