Congrats you are engaged! As you begin your search for a wedding venue, search for your caterer too. As you find dates for your venue, be sure to book 12 months in advance, same goes for your caterer. The two really go hand-in-hand. Your venue may have an in-house chef, if so set up a tasting before securing your venue. And if you are allowed to bring in outside vendors, set up a tasting with them as well before securing your venue and date. If for some reason you are not happy with the in-house chef, at least you will have outside options, otherwise if you have to stay with the in-house chef, you may want to choose another venue-so don't book it until you have both locked into the same date and you are happy with the chefs food. Good luck!
Wednesday, May, 16 2012 • Planning • by Dynamite Weddings
First thing is first, make your wedding legal!
If you are going through all the trouble to throw an elaborate party, you best make it legal. In California you must be 18 years of age to obtain a marriage license. You must show a drivers license or a valid photo ID. There is no waiting period, once issued, it is valid for 90 days anywhere in the state of California. The cost of a marriage license varies from county to county, so call ahead to obtain specific details for where you live. For more information visit California Department of Public Health.
Tuesday, May, 15 2012 • Photography • by Dynamite Weddings
Wedding party photos can be boring and traditional, but add some fun to a few of them!
Yes, have your traditional bride with the groomsmens, and groom with the bridesmaids. But we love the wedding photo when the bridal party is all together and everyone jumps off the ground at the same time and the photo is caught with the party in mid-air. So fun! Getting married is a happy, fun time, so capture it! Ask your photographer to capture several so you can at least get one or two good keepsakes.
Serving champagne for the toast is a tradition, but add your own twist!
For a fun twist, have the champagne died to match your wedding colors. For a garnish, serve crystallized swizzle sticks, or set up a tasting station with bite size raspberries and chocolate pieces to accompany the drinks. Instead of plain champagne, add peach puree to make it a delicious Bellini. Or rent a champagne fountain and let your guest serve themselves.
Haven't checked out Oriental Trading Co. yet? Whether you are just starting your wedding planning or your wedding is fast approaching, Oriental Trading Co. has so many cute things. Check them out to get your ideas flowing.
They carry items from favors, to wedding napkins, ring pillows to even wedding party gifts. They even have champagne glasses and list their best sellers. If you are looking to buy a large quantity of something, this is a great place and price. What we liked, if you know your colors of your wedding, you can search by colors on the website, cut your search time down. For instance, if you have pink as a main color, on the wedding page you can select pink and everything related to weddings in pink will come up. Its awesome! Check them out at orientaltrading.com.
Have you ever seen wine bottles with custom labels from vineyards? What better way to personalize your wedding favors. Or leave personalized wine bottles on each reception table so guests can serve themselves with your personalized label on each bottle!
California custom cellars sources their wine from local northern California vineyards. They can make custom wine labels for your wedding day and for years to come as favors for your guests too and cellar keepsakes. Contact California custom cellars for more info on wine labels at Californiacustomcellars.com.
Friday, May, 11 2012 • Planning • by Dynamite Weddings
Just like when you get pregnant, they have what to expect when you are expecting. There are great wedding information books to use as resources and tools to assist you when planning your big day.
One we like is by The Knot: The Knot Book of Wedding Lists, rated 4.5 stars. This book has helpful timelines, checklists, questions you need to ask vendors. Whether you are having a simple wedding of 25 or an extravagant wedding of 250, you will find planning details to assist you in throwing a successful wedding. It is the ultimate wedding planner. Check it out at local bookstores or amazon.com.
Now that you will be taking on a new last name, have fun and get some things monogrammed. Here are some great ideas:
For your wedding, have personalized customized stirrers made with your initials for cocktail hour.
How about an over-sized personalized license plate with your initials made with poster size paper, ribbon and flowers; it will make for the a perfect touch on your getaway carriage or vehicle.
Serve your guest drinks in mason jars with etched interlocking initials. There are plenty of DIY etching blogs to assist you! Here is one we liked by Armour (they have etching cream products).
We found a few clever table signs you can use to guide your guests around your wedding.
Having a garden or outdoor wedding, why not name your tables after trees, plants or flowers? Have a small version of that tree, plant or flower nicely arranged in a pot or vase and use calligraphy to write the name of the plant and frame it or use card holders to display it.
Or perhaps your hubby-to-be and you are more into wines? Label cards with different types of wines, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, etc. for your table signs. And be creative with wine corks, cut a small slit in the top and use as the sign holder to display it.
Last but not least, love to travel? Use cards or postcards from different countries or cities you and your hubby-to-be have traveled together as table signs.
Looking for a fabulous place to say your nuptials? Have you checked out the Cliff House in the Bay area? All we can say is amazing!
The Cliff House, a national landmark, is known for its great food and amazing ocean views. The famous Cliff House has been around for over a hundred years. They have rebuilt from the ground three times due to fires and once to restore it back to its original state. This historical place has had presidents like Roosevelt and McKinley stay as well as other famous people. It is a stunning location to have your nuptials on the beach or perhaps just throw your reception party here. Check out their website for more info at www.cliffhouse.com.
Have you met Monica and Marvin yet? These two have the best insight on everything weddings from the wedding checklist to fancy wedding ideas. They might look like a couple of monkeys, but they know their fare share about your big wedding day! Marvin likes to take the wedding planner duties and Monica comes up with clever wedding ideas, but also keeps everyone on track with her amazing wedding checklist. These two are always open to questions and willing to help at anytime!
