Just because you are on a budget doesn’t mean you can’t impress!

A lot has to do with the venue that you choose for your reception/ceremony. At a hotel or hall you are going to have to do a lot to put your personal stamp on it. Choose a unique venue that is beautiful in and of itself. Be that a beach, a tropical garden something with a view of it’s own. That way you don’t have to use special lighting, lots of flower arrangements and other things to make it look other than four walls.

Pay attention to your tablescape. You don’t need a fully set table (it cost’s too much, the more utensils, glasses and dishes the more you pay). Use ribbons in your colors to criss cross the table to give it color. If you are on the beach fill vases with sand, shells and a candle. Use something inexpesive like raffia as a napkin ring with a starfish glued to it. If you are in a garden pick some of the flowers and use them on your table…nature is there and is free, use it to make your tables a wow.

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Authored By Lori. Lori is the Innkeeper/owner of Sea Breeze Manor Bed and Breakfast Inn in Gulfport, Florida. She hosts weddings in her tropical garden for up to 100 people. The bride makes the dramatic second story entrance, joins her groom under the jasmine covered gazebo for their vows, head’s across the street to the beach for photos and then finishes up dancing in the garden under the stars! See www.seabreezemanor.com for more information.

With so many envelopes and different sized cards, choosing wedding stationery can be a bit bewildering. Here are the essential elements of a wedding invitation explained in clear terms that any bride to be can understand.

Invitation Card
The actual wedding invitation card is the heart of your wedding stationery. Since this is the most important item, it is usually the largest in size. The invitation card should include all the indispensable information about your wedding event. Both of your names should have a prominent position on the card and are usually printed in a larger font. You can choose whether to put your first names only or your full names. The date, time and location of the ceremony should be included.

Generally, the reception time is not noted but you can write something along the lines of, “Reception to follow at the Grand Hotel in Sheffield.” Guests will assume that the reception will start as soon as everyone has made their way to the reception hall from the ceremony location. It’s good to include the name of the town or city the reception will be in, if it’s taking place in a different locale than your ceremony. That way guests can figure out how far they’ll be driving and if they want to carpool.

Many couples also include their parents’ names on the wedding invitation card. Traditionally, the bride’s parents have hosted the wedding and therefore their names have been featured on the card. Nowadays many couples are breaking from tradition to include the groom’s parents’ names as well, or just using the names of the bridal couple if they are primarily hosting the function without parental support.

Inner Envelope
The inner envelope is the addressed envelope that your wedding invitation goes inside. It generally only includes the names of the addressees, and not their mailing address. Calligraphy or fancy writing with a gold or silver pen is often used to address these envelopes.

Reply Card
The reply card is what the guests used to give you their RSVP and entrée choices. This card should have tick boxes of places where the guests can mark how many people from their party are attending and what they’d like to eat. Make sure all the entrée choices are listed and spelled correctly. You may opt to give a short description of each dish, if you think your guests may need an explanation in order to choose. Design your reply cards so that they’ll be easy to tally when you receive them in the mail.

Return Envelope
The return envelope is a stamped envelope that your guests used to send their reply card back to you. It should be smaller and the perfect size for the reply card. They should already be addresses so that guests don’t need to look around for your current mailing address.

Outer Envelope
What holds it all together is the outer envelope. This is the big envelope that everything goes inside and is addressed to your guests. Many brides choose to have their outer envelopes addressed by a calligrapher or to make stick on labels via computer. The last thing you want is for your wedding invitations to get lost in the mail because you didn’t dot your i’s or cross your t’s!

When ordering your wedding stationery package, be sure that what you’re being quoted for includes all of these elements. If reply cards and return envelopes are an add-on, it’s good to know beforehand so you can calculate your wedding invitation budget accurately.

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Authored by Heather Carreiro from Dependable Printing.

Please visit Dependable Printing for a great selection of wedding invitations, shower invitations, party invitations, and much more.

A planner refers to a person that plans each and every aspect of your wedding and corporate event. The success of an event whether wedding or any corporate meeting or seminar depends upon the competency of the planner. No doubt, marriages are made in heaven but a professional wedding planner recreate the aura of heavenly experience on earth and fascinate your guest with their exceptional service.

They manage the overall wedding event and ensure that everything goes exactly as planned right from the initial stage to the closing stage. They will not only assist you in making right selection and choose the perfect wedding vendors and venue but also maintain a balance in what is happening, when it is happening, who is doing it while keeping a strict watch that everything goes within budget.

But you don’t need to worry as both the wedding and corporate event planner is supposed to work under your supervision. Effective communication between you and the planner is quite essential to make the event successful. Just tell him plainly your taste, preferences and desires and it is his responsibility to make arrangements accordingly. Make sure to follow their work and always remember that you are the one who will pay the cash therefore, your decision will always be final and binding.

A wedding is certainly once in a lifetime affair while corporate events strengthen your business and motivate your employees! Therefore you must choose a reliable planner.

The planner should be competent and skilled enough to implement your ideas and understand your needs and objectives. Discuss the plan with him and analyze the aspects of the event will they cover and how much say so are you going to have in the planning?

You should feel comfortable with them as you will be spending considerable amount of time with them. Planning an event whether corporate or wedding can be a great deal of fun, but there are often several hectic times as well. A professional planner can go a long way in making your event memorable and mesmerizing.

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Authored by Alice Shown from Samaya Events

Samaya Events is a full service special events company capable of managing events across the US of any shape and size.

Many of our guests have been requesting captions for our photo galleries. So today we’re giving you the ability to do exactly that!

To add captions to any photo gallery element, go to the ‘Manage Gallery’ area and you’ll see a space to add a caption beneath each photo.

Enjoy!

The MomentVille Team

Regardless of what type of wedding you are having, planning is essential.  There can actually be even more planning involved when planning a wedding on the beach.  After all, there are going to be numerous unique and unexpected problems that occur.  Because of this, here are five things to keep in mind as you begin planning beach weddings.

1. Weather alternative

Anytime you plan an outdoor wedding you need to understand that you cannot control the weather.  You cannot rely on the weather being sunny and gorgeous even at the beach.  Because of this, it is important you have a back up plan in case there is bad weather.  Some alternatives can be an indoor location or a large tent that you can retreat to.  Just make sure you inform all guests of the alternate location.

2. Food

Although the wedding itself is the reason this day even exists, it is the food that many people enjoy coming for.  There are several options you can consider when planning for a beach wedding. Some options include a barbecue or a Hawaiian style pig roast.  Some popular foods you can cook can be individual skewers with steak or chicken and vegetables, salads, and anything else you would put on a grill.

3. Lighting

Beach weddings are obviously not going to require any lighting if the weather permits.  However, if you are planning a night wedding this is something you will want to keep in mind.  If you are going to need a power source, make sure you plan ahead so you know how you will plug in the cord and where you will be able to plug it in.  Other options include candles and torches.

4. Music

As with everything else in the wedding you want the music to compliment the theme.  Consider music that is calm, soothing, and fun.  In addition to selecting the right kind of music for the wedding, you also want to be aware of any noise violations that may halt the party on the beach.

5. Decorations

The last thing you want to keep in mind when planning beach weddings is the decorations.  This should be one of the easier things to plan as long as you keep it simple and connected to the overall theme.  Think of tiki torches, leis, sandcastles, and bright colors.  Beach weddings are supposed to be romantic and fun and selecting the right decorations can make this day everything you have ever imagined.

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Authored By florida destination beach wedding a beach wedding company that will travel to your location in area’s for Florida Beach weddings and Alabama Beach weddings. For Beach weddings that are romantic have a Destin Beach wedding, Gulf Shores beach weddings, or Panama City beach wedding.

Bride and Grooms are always looking for uniqueness in their event planning but often become dissapointed either during or after their wedding day due to exaggerated claims and /or promices.

My advice to the future couple would be to seek professionals who do their own work. Most would agree that there is  more effort and care- in- service provided by the owner of the business than someone who is just hired-out. Also, too many photographers think that they are in “control” of their “subjects” which can only inflate their egos thereby alienating the family and freinds invited to share this day. Rapore and respect should be the first quality of the photogapher(s) at your wedding. Excellent images at a fair price make for a solid foundation in establishing a friendship and a referral.

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Authored By True Image Photography. For 20 plus years, wedding photography has been the main focus of my studio. My sincere belief in my skills and effort is that I create a pictoral legacy that will impact family and friends forever. What a great way to go through life!!

Planning your wedding? Congratulations!

With all the planning that has to be done, you’re probably feeling a bit overwhelmed. There are wedding invitations and programs to order and send out, a ceremony and reception to plan, food to choose for the reception, and so many other important things to do. However, one of the most important decisions you’ll make is choosing a wedding dress. After all, you want to look amazing for the big day.

Here are several great do’s and don’ts to help you out when you go shopping at bridal shops for your wedding gown and accessories.

DO Start Shopping Early
First of all, it’s very important that you remember to start shopping early for your bridal gown. Starting too late may make this more stressful for you and choosing your bridal gown should be a fun and memorable event. Get started early so you don’t cut it too close to your wedding day. We recommend that you start shopping 9 -12 months in advance for your wedding gown.

DO Allow Plenty of Time for Any Alterations to Be Made
One reason it’s so important to shop early is that you want to allow plenty of time for any alterations to be made. There’s always a chance that some alterations will need to be made so that your gown will fit you perfectly. This could take a couple of months, so be prepared. You don’t want to suddenly find this out the week before your wedding.

DO Choose a Shop that Offers Full Service
Another important “DO” is to make sure that you choose a bridal shop that offers full service. Go for one of the a bridal shop that has an experienced sales staff as well as seamstresses on site. The right consultant can help find a gown that best flatters your body type. Also, having a seamstress on hand will be helpful if you end up having to have any alterations done to the dress before the wedding.

DON’T Be Closed Minded When Considering Styles
When you are considering various styles for your wedding dress, don’t be closed minded. You may have the idea that certain styles won’t look good on you, but you never know until you try them. You don’t want to miss out on getting your perfect gown just because you never considered wearing that particular style before. It’s great to have an idea of what you want when you first start shopping but keep an open mind.

DON’T Forget to Wear the Right Undergarments When Shopping
Don’t go bridal gown shopping without wearing the right undergarments. You need to wear the same or similar garments that you’ll be wearing for the wedding. Some gowns won’t fit the same way without the right undergarments. If you need some help, ask your bridal consultant about the right undergarments for the dresses you are considering. A full service bridal shop should be able to offer options for trying on with your gown as well.

DON’T Sell Out Your Dreams
If you have dreams about the beautiful dress that you want for your wedding, make sure that you don’t sell out on your dreams. If you dream of a particular style, search out a bridal salon that carries it. If your dream dress is out of your budget, see if there’s a similar style in your price range or ask a family member if they can split the cost of the dress as a wedding gift to you. After all, this is a special moment in your life. Don’t settle for anything less than the dress that you really want for your wedding.

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Authored by Bel Fiore Bridal

Bel Fiore Bridal is Atlanta, Georgia’s #1 bridal shop, selling wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses, accessories and gifts for brides of all budgets. We’re honored to be the recipient of CitySearch.com’s Best Of Bridal and TheKnot’s Best of Weddings, and Fox 5 Atlanta’s Best Wedding Dresses.

It’s the problem that plagues every bride: How do I keep my lipstick in place? In just a few careful steps(and without any long-wearing lip stains), your color can stay put through the ceremony, the reception, and even the after-party for two.

What you’ll need:

• Foundation or concealer
• Lip liner
• Lipstick tissues (or face blotting
• tissues)
• Loose powder
• Powder brush

Step 1:
As a primer for your lipstick, apply a matte foundation, concealer, or an eye shadow base to lips. (It’s the best way to give the color something to adhere to.)

Step 2:
Use a lip liner, which helps keep color corralled. Always start at the highest peak of your mouth and follow your lip line to the corners. Note: Don’t use a liner to fake fuller lips – you’ll only end up with an awkward look.

Step 3:
Apply your lip color outward from the center of your lips. Pat your lips with a tissue. (No mashing your lips together on the tissue — just blot gently.)  Reapply color, pat with tissue again, and repeat once more.

Step 4:
Place a piece of tissue over your lips. With your powder brush, apply loose powder on top of the tissue (which will seal the top coat). Remove tissue and apply one more layer of lipstick.

This is the most effective way to have your lipstick stay on all day long. You will not be able to kiss the lipstick off.

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Authored by Renee Simmons

Renae Simmons has been a professional makeup artist for over 26 years. She is the current owner of BeauEsperer.com (beautiful Hope) She is currently the only makeup artist in Tallahassee, FL doing airbrush makeup. Her personal motto is

“To make you even more beautiful than you already are.”

From formals to weddings, proms or public appearances, Beau Esperer’s Professional Makeup Artists ensures the perfect look every time. When you look good, we look good. Please visit us on the web at http://www.beauesperer.com/

It’s part of MomentVille’s mission to help people remember life’s special moments, and today we’ve released a new feature with that in mind. You can  now download a zipped version of your MomentVille website as a keepsake! By saving a local copy of your site you will be able to access your memories anytime.

Premium websites can request a zipped version of the site anytime, and you can download versions of your site before, during and after your wedding to take “snapshots” of your site at various points in time. To request a zipped copy of your site go to the Upgrades->Keepsake tab of your wedding website.

Enjoy!

The MomentVille Team

Talent is the single most important characteristic of a Photographer.

Choose a photographer who’s capable of creating amazing images that reflect the special people you are. Don’t be fooled by merchandise you don’t need or special “deals”; hire the best. Although some cameras are superior, it is the artist not the equipment that makes exceptional work. All photographers take pictures but a professional artist has the eye and expertise to capture more than just the scene and can produce good work regardless of the conditions. Composition, light and mood are used masterfully to create exceptional photography.

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Authored by Laurie Schneider from Laurie Schneider Photography

Laurie has specialized in fine art portraiture, art and weddings for over 17 years. Her current project is a series of figurative dreamscapes; photographic fairytales. Laurie’s passion for the beauty of the natural world and all of its sentient beings is evident in her work. Laurie contributes 5% of her income to animal rescue programs. Her studio also offers portrait, commercial, art and animal photography. See more of her work at http://lschneider.com OR http://lauriesblog.lschneider.com