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Should you unplug your wedding?

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Technology is undoubtedly a massive part of our lives in this day and age. Our phones are practically extensions of our arms and we can’t go without checking in to our social media once a day. Most of our memories are made by captured moments on our digital devices and not by living in those moments. This can frustrate people who would rather be doing the latter, especially when it comes to significant occasions such as weddings.

This might be the reason some couples choose to have ‘unplugged’ weddings, where guests along with the bride and groom must forego using their mobile devices and instead be present in the moment.

The benefits of having an unplugged wedding is the intimacy and the lack of distraction. Take away cellphones and the guests will pay more attention to the happy couple. Everyone will be able to relish the occasion. Requesting that digital devices are switched off also eliminates the chance of unwanted disturbances during the ceremony.

By unplugging, the photos from your wedding will also look a whole lot better – no more pictures of your beautifully-dressed guests with their eyes glued to their mobile devices. There’s just something refreshing and romantic about photographs without cellphones in sight. There also won’t be any unplanned overexposure in the pictures because five people all decided to take a photo with the camera flash on at the same time as the photographer. It will also remove any awkward encounters. We all know the aunties are going to insist on taking fifty pictures, of the same shot, with their outdated cellphones. That either means your paid-for photographer will have to compromise their shot or uncomfortably wait for the aunties to get their picture.

 

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Aunties aside, there are some positives to plugged-in weddings as well, the first being that you don’t have to wait for the professional photographs to be sent to you (there is a bit of a waiting time) before you can see pictures from the wedding. While you wait for your professional photo’s, you can enjoy Auntie Jackie’s pictures from her phone!

Having access to social media at a wedding can also be a good thing. Using a unique hashtag just for your wedding on Instagram or Facebook is a smart way to create an online ‘photo album’ made up of pictures snapped and uploaded by you and all your wedding guests. Everyone will be able to view pictures posted with that specific hashtag, all in one place. It’s also a lovely idea to implement the hashtag from the first wedding event onward, for example, the engagement party. This will allow snapshots from every wedding celebration to be placed in one section.

 

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Oh Snap! #gunningwedding #socialmediarequest #pluggedinwedding #diybride #diywedding #TableTents #PleaseSendPics #NPRofWeddings

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Still can’t decide if you should have a plugged or an unplugged wedding? Why not do both. You can opt for an unplugged wedding ceremony and a plugged-in reception, for example. You can customise it however you want, after all, it’s your big day.

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Not-so-traditional wedding cakes

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The wedding cake is an important element at any reception. It serves as a centrepiece on the big day, and is often one of the most spoken-about things (along with the bride’s gown and the décor!) at the wedding. As hard to believe as it may be, though, some people don’t enjoy cake. We’ve found some alternative options for those who aren’t a fan of this soft, baked dessert, or for any couple who wants to try something different.

1. Croquembouche Wedding Cake

Croquembouche is a French dessert made up of choux pastry puffs. It usually forms a cone-like shape and is strewn with strings of caramel. There are many variations, including chocolate, sugar-coated, or fruit-topped.

2. Pancake/Crêpe Wedding Cake

Sounds odd, right? But for all the pancake and crêpe lovers out there, you can finally fulfill your fantasy and have a cake, made up of layers and layers of the thin flat cakes. They are stacked to form a ‘typical’ wedding cake shape. They can create a one-tiered ‘cake’ which at first glance looks like a normal cake. This is called Mille cake. The crêpes can however also be spread out and be made up of various sizes to have a multi-tiered wedding cake.

3. Doughnuts galore

Who doesn’t love a good doughnut? If you answered yes, you may want to look into a doughnut wedding cake. They come in all shapes and sizes. There are oversized one-tiered ones, doughnut-hole cakes and multi-tiered cake stands filled with normal doughnuts.

 

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What better way to say ?? to your wedding diet being over | @saltimages_

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4. Macaroon Wedding Cake

Layers of macaroons are stacked to give the illusion of a tiered cake. You can choose to have one colour, or many! The options are endless.

 

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#macaroons#macaroonweddingcake#shaadibymarriott#cheflife#chefscroll!

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5. Cheese cake

Not cheesecake. This wedding cake is comprised of various cheeses – yes, you read that correctly. It’s a savoury-lover’s dream!

6. Pies, pies and more pies

You can go sweet or savory with this one. Have them on different layers to create pie-tastic centerpiece.

 

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Don’t want a traditional wedding cake? Celebrate with a Freshly Baked Pie instead! We loved being a part of Cat and Daniel’s day and baked a delicious #weddingpie just for them!⁠ ⁠ .⁠ .⁠ .⁠ Planning: @purelavishevents @purelavish_lauren⁠ Catering/Bar Service/Desserts (including pie): #CanyonCatering⁠ Florals, Design, Shot Glass Wall: Bottles & Blooms⁠ Specialty Rentals: @JakeDukeStudios⁠ Napkins & Chargers: @BBJLinens⁠ Photography: @AllieMarion⁠ Venue: Private Home, Corona⁠ DJ/Silent Disco: @Extreme DJ⁠ Dancefloor: @StarEventProductions⁠ .⁠ .⁠ .⁠ #canyoncatering #passionatelycreative #weddingplanning #wedding #weddinginspiration #weddingcatering #dessert #catering #weddingfood #ocwedding #weddinginspo #instawedding #desserttable #weddingdetails #coronawedding #californiabride #cutthecake #cakecutting #letthemeatpie #eventcatering #weddingfoodideas #backyardwedding #weddingplanning

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7. Actual (little) cakes

You can have a wedding cake made up of cute cupcakes or, alternatively, have mini individual cakes for everyone! A dessert cup stand is a great idea too.

8. Cookie cake

Stack some cookies to create a wedding tower or have a giant cookie be your ‘cake’.

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A brief guide to sending out thank you cards

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The wedding is over. Now you can finally relax, right?

Nope! There is still one thing left to do – send out thank you cards. This may seem like a daunting task, but it has to be done. The general rule for sending out thank you cards after a wedding is that you have 3 months to do so, but try to do it as soon as possible.

Some tips for making this process as easy as possible:

  • When opening gifts, keep a list of every gift received and who it was from. This will help you when you are actually writing the cards as you won’t have to rack your brain trying to remember who gave what.
  • Keep a pen and your wedding stationery next to your bed so that you can write a few cards each night when you get into bed. This is better than writing them all at once as you want the cards to be as appreciative and sincere as possible which can be hard to maintain after you’ve already written 50 cards. It also takes the pressure off finding time to sit down and write them all.

A few things to include in the card: specify the gift that was received so that the card is personalised, write something personal about the giver, and comment on the joy that the gift will bring you.

The best tip I can give when writing a thank you card is: NEVER start with thank you. Start with any other sentence. If you start with thank you, you won’t know what to say next.

A great thank you card doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be done.

 

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Setting a wedding budget and actually sticking to it

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Whether you are paying for the wedding yourselves or your parents are contributing, you will need to calculate how much money you have to spend. Once you have this figure, immediately set aside 5-10% of that for contingency.

Establishing and sticking to your budget is the best gift you can give yourself as a couple. In order to do this, you have to ensure that all your planning is documented. But before you start crunching numbers, think about the overall feeling you want your wedding to have as this will affect how you spend within your budget.

Do your research on vendors and get estimates on how much each thing will cost. This will include everything from venue to flowers to the dress and so on. Then get quotes from vendors and write it all down next to estimated costs.

Now that you know what kind of wedding you would like to have and how much money you have to spend, put together a rough guest list. The number of guests determines your venue, food and alcohol.

These are generally the largest expenses and a wise rule to follow is to allocate 40% of your budget to these three things.

It is time to discuss your non-negotiables with your partner (try to keep it down to three). These are things that you have always dreamed of having at your wedding and are willing to spend the money needed in order to achieve them. Research vendors and get quotes so that you can allocate it to the budget and then see how much is left to spend on the rest of the wedding. If you are already over budget based on your list, or close to the end of your budget, have a look at your priorities again and see what you can reduce.

Now that you’ve got all your quotes and guest list numbers, you can create the spreadsheet. You can get a template online or create your own but try to keep it as simple as possible. Put your overall sum in the top corner somewhere and then create these tabs: estimated, modified and actual.

Your estimated tab will be amounts that you have found based on research.

Modified will have real quotes from vendors.

Actual will be the final amount that you end up paying.

Time for a reality check – does your budget allow you to achieve what you want? If not, you may have to adjust your budget if that is an option or adjust your expectations.

Steps to take in order to ensure you stick to your budget:

  1. Figure out how much you have to spend.
  2. Research vendors and get quotes before settling on your budget.
  3. Write a list including all researched costs and quotes from vendors.
  4. Write down your proposed guest list
  5. Create the spreadsheet and input all the relevant information.

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Do you believe in these wedding superstitions?

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Let’s be honest, we all know a few. Wedding superstitions have been around for centuries. The question is, do you believe in them? Not seeing your loved one the night before the big day, lest the groom changes his mind at the last minute, is a widely-known superstition.

Here are a few superstitions you may not have come across:

1. Ditch the yellow roses. It is said that yellow roses symbolise jealousy.

2. The incy wincy spider superstition – finding a spider on your wedding dress is supposedly a sign of good luck.

3. Welcome the tears. Some people people it is good to cry on your wedding day, as it means you will have no more tears left to cry in your marriage.

4. Dodge the nun or monk. It is said that a bride who sees a nun or monk on her wedding day will be cursed with infertility and poverty.

5. In the wedding world, Saturday is viewed as the least lucky day of the week to get married, while Wednesday is supposedly the best day to wed. Getting married on the 13th of the month also does not bode well, and getting hitched in the month of May is seen as unlucky too, due to the Romans’ festival of the dead that was always held in May.

6. The bride and evil spirits. One belief held by some is that the bride is more susceptible to evil spirits. In some cultures, the bride therefore needs to be carried over the threshold in order to be protected from them. She also has to wear a veil to ward off the spirits. Roman brides, meanwhile had to wear garlands and wreaths because they believed that if you were inside a circle, malicious spirits could not harm you, while in Ireland, it was believed that ringing bells would shoo the supernatural away.

7. If you have an older, unmarried sister, one superstition has it that she needs to dance barefoot at your wedding. If not, she will be at risk of never getting married.

8. Count the pieces. In Italy, it is thought that you have to break glass on your big day and count all the pieces – the number tells you how many years you’ll be married.

 

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Rain is a good thing…especially when your photographer gets a shot like this one of our real bride Megan! ?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We know the weather has been kinda crazy to kick off of wedding season so fear not. If you’re lucky ? enough to have some on your day, it can mean: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1. Fertility ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ It signifies that you will have children. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 2. Cleansing ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ It signifies the cleansing of tough times or sadness in your past. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 3. Unity It signifies that your marriage will last. A wet knot is extremely hard to untie – therefore, when you “tie the knot” on a rainy day, your marriage is supposedly just as hard to unravel! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 4. Renewal ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ It signifies washing away of bad memories or occurrences and, in effect, gives you a completely new, fresh chapter in your life. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Photo: @jlarsonphotography837 #realbride #chicagobride #chicagowedding #chicagoweddingphotographer #chciagoweddingvenue #rainphotography #rainydaywedding #goodluck #weddingsuperstitions #rainisagoodthing #weddinginspo #bride2019 #bride2020

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9. Don’t be a butterfingers! Some believe that if someone drops the wedding ring during the ceremony, they will be the first of everyone at the ceremony to die.

10. Let the heavens open – it is said by some that rain on your wedding day brings fertility and cleansing.

So, which of these do you believe in?

 

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Bachelor parties gone wrong

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Before the “I do’s” come the infamous bachelor parties. Fuelled by movies like The Hangover, there are certainly some crazy and shocking stories out there. Here are a few stories from anonymous brides- and grooms-to-be of stag do’s that didn’t go quite as planned.

 

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In one groom’s story, the stag do started out fairly tame, with everything fairly in order. As the party proceeded however, along came the stripper. Organised by his group of friends, the groom-to-be was unaware of who the woman was. It was only upon her arrival that he saw the stripper was his ex-girlfriend’s mother – certainly not a pleasant surprise.

In a separate story, the bachelor spent the night before the big day drinking copious amounts of alcohol. The menu included a fifth of rum, 30 beers, a bottle of whiskey, and more – followed by a head injury and a blackout. The husband-to-be only woke up just four hours before the wedding and managed to make it there just in time, an hour before the ceremony started.

Another man had been dating his fiancée for a few years. She had recently made friends with a man at work. The groom-to-be had mixed feelings about the colleague but somehow this man ended up being a groomsman. At the stag do, after a lot of alcohol, the bachelor broke down in tears and left his own party. The partygoers later found out that the suspicious co-worker was having an affair with the bride-to-be.

Hoping to be a little smarter than others, one bachelor decided to have his party a week before the wedding. He also not-so-smartly indulged in a little too much alcohol (we’re starting to see a pattern here) and fell off a deck, three floors above the ground. He attended his wedding with two broken wrists and a shaved head due to the stitches he needed above one of his ears.

A different groom-to-be decided to party it up in Vegas. He met a girl there and the two exchanged numbers, to his fiancée’s knowledge. The bride-to-be was at home with a tablet that must was linked to the bachelor’s phone, and received all the texts between the two. The wedding was called off.

So whether it’s confirming that you DON’T know the stripper, knowing your alcohol limits, trusting your gut or steering clear of high-rise venues, here are some of the crazy stag do situations you definitely want to steer clear of experiencing yourself.

 

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Save the planet… one eco-friendly wedding at a time

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By Yashna Balwanth

Contrary to popular belief, being environmentally and socially responsible on your wedding day is easier and possibly cheaper than you think. What could possibly be more important than protecting the Earth? Small considerations can make a world of difference – like using seasonal and local flowers flowers instead of importing them.

Being eco-friendly is fashionable, will boost your eco-consciousness levels – and perhaps even turn a few guests into eco-warriors. We’ve put together a few conscious decisions to consider to make your special day more eco-friendly and your wallet a little happier.

Disposable confetti
Every bride wants to be showered in glittery confetti. In reality, you are throwing microplastics everywhere. An eco-friendlier alternative to this is to use biodegradable confetti which are made from flower petals. Or punch out confetti circles from leaves, colour them metallic and voilà. These are materials that still look as beautiful in pictures and will do exactly the same job.

 

Re-use wedding attire
Being eco-friendly also means finding more than one use for certain items, this includes wedding attire. By allowing your bridal party to choose their own style of dress within your colour palette, they will wear the dress again since it is something they have chosen for themselves. The bride’s dress can also be a vintage or pre-loved garment, perhaps handed down through generations. Don’t grow too attached to your wedding gown, you can have it altered once the wedding is over into two separate pieces of a top and skirt, then mix and match it within your closet for multiple uses.

 

Potted vs cut flowers
Cut flowers do not have a long lifespan. Why not opt for a potted centerpiece instead? These can also double up as wedding favours for guests to take home, which help save on costs. However, if you really do want cut flowers for decor, work with a company that can have the flowers reused after the function or even donated to a hospital or community centre.

 

Digital stationery
Let’s be real for a second… how many of us actually save wedding invites of friends and family? This is wasted paper and a waste of money printing invitations that still need to be hand delivered to guests. Besides the digital realm keeping us in touch with one another, it has also helped with invitations and notices to guests. Wedding websites can be set up for minimal costs and can also keep track of the guests who have rsvp’d and those who have not.

 

Food donations
It comes as no surprise that weddings attract a lot of wastage when it comes to food. Whether guests didn’t show up, or caterers over prepared, there is always waste of perfectly good food that shouldn’t be thrown away. Perhaps leftovers can be donated to a shelter for the homeless or even handed out to a nearby children’s school. Ensure your caterers are aware of your plans to donate so the food is not thrown out unintentionally.

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Dinner Service: Buffet vs. Plated

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Should you serve a plated dinner or buffet dinner at your wedding? A few things to consider when making this decision: What sort of atmosphere are you trying to create? What is your budget? And how many guests will be attending?

Generally, a buffet dinner is much more casual than a plated dinner as the evening is less structured than a plated dinner. A plated dinner can be structured in the sense than you can plan speeches and toasts and even dancing in between courses. If you want your wedding to be a formal affair, then serving a plated dinner is the best option. Plated dinners ensure that there is no chaos that could come with buffet dinners when everyone goes to get their food.

With a plated dinner, everyone eats at the same time and will be finishing up at the same time and you can move on to the next part of the evening.

In order to control the chaos that comes with buffets, you have to think of ways to control the traffic by setting up lines to get food or setting up two buffet tables with the same food to limit long lines or sometimes even scheduling times for each table to go and get their food. This results in each table eating at different times and can hinder your desired proceedings for after dinner.

Buffet caters for larger groups and a variety of tastes, meaning there is usually something for everyone, which is appreciated by your guests. But being served is also appreciated; and if you offer special meals for people with dietary requirements, everyone will be happy.

Budget-wise, it is tricky to determine which style of dinner service is more cost-effective as there are many factors that will influence the cost of the type of dinner service that is chosen.

Buffet style is generally considered more cost-effective as you do not have to hire as many waitstaff as you would have to if you do plated. However, you cannot determine exactly how much food will be needed and can therefore end up over-catering or have the possibility of running out of food.

Plated dinners are easier to plan as the caterer will know exactly how many portions of each dish are needed and there is no possibility of waste or running out of food. You can also save in this way as you control each persons’s portion size.

At the end of the day, it is your wedding and you will need to decide on the type of atmosphere you are trying to create. If you want a formal wedding, a plated dinner service is the better option as it is much more structured and guests are not expected to stand around and attempt to balance their plates while trying to get their food all the while being in their formal clothing.

If you want a more casual wedding then buffet is the better option because  guests have the freedom to structure their own evening by eating when they want and how much they want, just ensure there is enough food.

 

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Should you tip your wedding vendor?

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By Mariska van Zyl

There’s no denying that planning your wedding can be exciting, overwhelming and very expensive. So establishing a budget and planing ahead is crucial. There are a few hidden costs when it comes to your wedding day, tipping vendors being one of them.

 

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@adellet all the way from australia!!

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Photographers & Videographers:
It’s not necessary to tip the photographer and videographer if they own their own business as all the costs will usually be included in the contract. If you feel that they went the extra mile you can add an additional amount to the agreed price or you can send a thank you gift after the wedding.

Catering staff and Bartenders:
If your contract doesn’t include tip, you should tip 10 to 20 percent of the total catering bill. If you have an open bar, bartenders do expect to receive a tip from guests as they serve the drinks but it isn’t necessary as they’ll already receive a fixed amount from the venue.

Hair & Makeup artist:
When you hire a hair and makeup artist that owns their own business, you aren’t obligated to tip them. However, if you go to a salon you are expected to tip as you would going for a normal appointment.

 

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Officiant:
While it isn’t customary to tip religious officiants, however if you want to thank them for their service, you can send them a thoughtful gift or better, make a donation to their place of worship.

Musicians and DJs:
If you are hiring an independent band or DJ, you aren’t obligated to tip, however when the band or DJ is being booked through an agency, tipping each member is standard.

Tips are meant to to be given to vendors who go above and beyond their contracted duties, so remember to have a look at the vendors’ contracts to see if any gratuity is added in the costs. If your budget is tight, there are other ways of giving “tips”. You can give your vendors excellent reviews or refer them to other friends that are getting married.

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Deciding on the shape of your engagement ring

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There are many popular diamond shapes to choose from when it comes to engagement rings. The top ten are: round, princess, oval, marquise, pear, cushion, emerald, asscher, radiant and heart.

The shape of the diamond refers the basic outline when viewed face up. The cut of a diamond refers to how the diamond’s facets are arranged and its ability to reflect light. The most common cutting style is brilliant (cut with 57 or 58 facets to maximise sparkle) and then there is also the step cut which is generally used when cutting square and rectangular shapes (used for cutting emerald and asscher shapes).

Considering the 4 C’s and your budget when deciding on a shape is important but what it really comes down to is personal preference and each shape has its own charm.

Round

A round shaped diamond is the most popular choice for an engagement ring as it looks good on most hands and in most settings. Almost all round diamonds are cut brilliant which maximises the potential brightness. However, due to the high demand of this shape, the cost per carat is higher than other shapes.

Princess

This shape is also very popular due to the fact that it has a unique shape and has a slightly lower price per carat than the round shape. It also works in most ring setting styles, although it should be set with 4 prongs to protect all four corners. A brilliant cut princess diamond rivals the brilliant round because it offers that sparkle at a lower price. Its square shape also easily disguises imperfections meaning that you can choose pretty much any carat size.

Oval

This shape is becoming more popular and it is an adaptation of the brilliant cut round shape so it is perfect for those who like the sparkle of the round but want something a bit more unique. The elongated shape creates the illusion of a larger size and makes the finger appear longer and slimmer. It is also flexible in terms of setting styles and hides small imperfections.

Marquise

This long and narrow shape has one of the largest surface areas in the upper part of the diamond of all the shapes. It makes the size appear larger than it is and makes the finger seem longer and slimmer, like the oval. Symmetry is important when cutting this shape as the two end points should align and the right and left sides should form a mirror image. It should be set with 2 prongs to protect the two points.

Pear

This shape is a combination of the round and marquise shapes with a tapered point on the one end. It also has the lengthening and slimming effect on the finger due to its asymmetry. It is feminine, unique and elegant. This shape also needs to be symmetrical and set with a prong at the point for protection. You can decide which direction you would like the point to face but positioning the point to face the fingernails is more flattering on the hand.

Cushion

Cushion cut is a square shape with rounded corners. This style shows clarity (imperfections) well which is something to take into consideration when deciding which of the 4 c’s is most important to you – high clarity in this case. This shape works well in vintage settings.

Emerald

This shape was originally for cutting emeralds, hence the name. Due to the way it’s cut, it produces a hall of mirrors effect rather than the sparkle that comes with brilliant cuts. It also emphasises the symmetry that comes with this shape. It is flattering on the hand and the long lines and flashes of light that come with this shape bring a sense of elegance. It is not such a common choice for an engagement ring meaning that you can find more affordable options in higher quality than other shapes. However, this shape does not hide imperfections as well as shapes that are cut brilliant.

Asscher

This shape has an antique feel to it and is similar to the square emerald but with larger facets. The more facets, the more sparkle. But like the emerald and because of the open and square cut corners, it does not hide imperfections well and so a high clarity is necessary.

Radiant

This shape is the first square shape to be cut brilliant, the second being princess. A square radiant shape is similar to princess but with cropped corners. It will often look the same as princess if it is set with four prongs covering each corner. A rectangular radiant shape is perfect for those who like the look of the emerald shape but want the shine that comes with the brilliant cut. Clarity is less of a concern with this shape as the many facets hide imperfections.

Heart

This shape is a classic symbol of love but carat weight is important as the shape is difficult to achieve in diamonds smaller than 0.50 carats. Symmetry is also important in this shape. The irregular shape of a heart cut means it will need to be set with more prongs to protect the stone. The many facets that come with the cutting of this shape will ensure a lot of sparkle.

Now that you know what each shape has to offer, you need to decide what is most important within your budget – size or quality?

If size is important to you but you are on a budget, you should consider a shape that appears larger than the carat weight indicates, such as the emerald and marquise.

If having a very sparkly ring is important, you should choose a shape that is cut brilliant rather than step.

If clarity is important to you but you are on a budget, choose a shape that has many facets (like round and princess) because the facets help to hide imperfections.

It is recommended to narrow your choice down to two shape options and then try on the rings that are available to you within your budget to see what you love most.

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