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Charitable Wedding Favors

With prices for everything going up these days, many couples are feeling a pinch in their pocketbooks when it comes to wedding planning.??Trying to decide where to cut costs can be very difficult.??This could be the perfect time to sit down and discuss what is most important to you and how your money??can??best be spent. Do your guests really need, or want for that matter, a shot glass with your names on it as a wedding favor? Instead, have you thought about a charitable wedding favor?

More and more couples are looking for socially conscious alternatives to the typical wedding-related items. Organizations such as the I Do Foundation (www.idofoundation.org)??help couples find a charity that best fits their values and makes it easy??to??create donation??opportunities.??As the nation’s first wedding-focused nonprofit, the I Do Foundation offers solutions for couples who want to??share these values??with their wedding guests and provide them with a wedding favor that will??make a lasting impression.??I’m sure your??friends and family??will appreciate your donation in their name.

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Fun Ideas Friday: A new twist to your favorite drinks

Add??a new twist to your favorite cocktails! GlamDish??has found a way to make your beverages a little more exciting with a few interesting garnish ideas.??This is a great way to??incorporate your theme into your cocktail hour. You could find (or DIY) a cute swizzle stick or charm in your wedding colors or with your monogram. Maybe a signature cocktail with a fun garnish is just the thing you need to spice up your wedding reception!

Are you including a signature drink at your wedding?

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Bid to be a bridesmaid?

A Virginia Beach, VA couple??is trying to plan??the wedding of their dreams, but needs a little help in the financial department to do so.??They, most likely, received advice telling??them to scale down their selections, re-work their budget, or even ask family members for help.??Apparently that wasn’t good enough.??Instead, the couple chose to be very creative in their quest for some extra dough.??Where did they go???Ebay, of course!

The bride, 23-year-old Kelly Gray,??allowed perfect strangers the chance to bid to be a bridesmaid in??her wedding! The bidding ended yesterday, June 25th. A total of 59 bids were entered with the winning bidder offering to pay $5700 to be a bridesmaid in a stranger’s wedding!

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Would you ever consider doing this??

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A wedding over floodwaters

By now, we are all aware of the tragic flooding in the midwest and??our hearts certainly??go out to all affected by the floodwaters.??

Some good news??has emerged, however,??from this unfortunate situation. Iowa National Guard Specialist Curtis White and his fiance Dannie Ritter, whose wedding plans were tarnished??by the devastating??floods,??were married on a Columbus Junction, Iowa highway last week.??The community came together to make their wedding dreams come true in the midst of chaos and cleanup.??What a great story!

The bride wore a white t-shirt that??sums up her feelings on the big day - it read,??“Come hell of high water.”

Congratulations Dannie and Curtis!

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A Charmin wedding dress?

What happens when Charmin toilet paper meets the wedding industry???A wedding dress of course!??Katrina Chalifoux of Illinois recently won $1000 as her first place prize in the Cheap and Chic Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Contest.

Katrina used seven rolls of Charmin, tape, and glue??to create this unique gown. I’m impressed!?? Unfortunately, I’m not sure how well it will hold up while dancing, or??walking for that matter!

This is certainly one of the most…creative…uses of the paper product??I have??seen!??Congratulations Katrina!

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Fun Ideas Friday: Sweeten Up the Coffee Bar

I love this idea from Martha Stewart Weddings!????What a perfect way to sweeten up your coffee bar - add a mini doughnut!?? A fun variation on the typical reception pick-me-up, enjoy a cappuccino and a sweet treat to cap off the party.?? I figure this is just one more idea to complicate your decision process!?? (You’ll thank me later)

I’ve attended a few weddings recently with unique dessert ideas.?? It’s always nice to see something new!?? Do you have any fun ideas for a dessert/coffee bar?

???

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Add some color to your bridesmaids’ lives!

For some reason, finding bridesmaids gifts was hard for me when I was getting married.?? I wanted the gifts to be personal (ok, somewhat mushy), but also fun - something that would reflect their personalities.?? While the sentimental portion was something I could handle, I couldn’t find anything for my bridesmaids that was fun and funky.?? Although it’s too late for my girls (sorry ladies!), I found some really cute and colorful gift ideas from J. Crew and Pottery Barn that would be perfect for your maids!?? Actually, I may have to get some of these for myself!?? Happy shopping!

Have you found any great ideas for bridesmaids gifts?

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Tips for a Healthy Bride

By now we’ve all heard Doctor knows best…well, nurses also know a thing or two! LiveSmarter, a blog from The Online Nursing Degree Directory, has published The Pre-Wedding Health Guide: 25 Things Every Bride Should Do to Stay Healthy Before the Big Day to offer suggestions on how to stay healthy during this stressful time.

The top 4 tips include:

1. Eat Well

2. Take a Walk

3. Practice Good Posture

4. Eat some CHOCOLATE!!! - now that’s my kind of health tip!

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Do you have any tips of your own?

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Fun Ideas Friday: Beer Cocktails

Here’s a little something different that I would love your thoughts on: Beer Cocktails.?? I’ve been to a few weddings now where a specialty drink has been served during cocktail hour, like mojitos, or a martini bar setup.?? But would you consider beer cocktails as a speciality drink during your cocktail reception?

I found this idea on the Hostess with the Mostess blog. Here are the links with receipes for each:

1. 1. Beer Margarita or, as I like to call them “beer-garitas”) {via Rachael Ray}
2. 2. Strawberry Panache - strawberries, lemon-lime soda, & beer {via cocktailtimes.com}
3. 3. Chambeer - 1 part Chambord, 3 parts beer {via hostessblog.com}
4. 4. Basil Shandy - lemonade & lager, garnished with basil {via cocktailtimes.com}

So what are your thoughts?

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Ann Taylor sale this week

WeddingBee posted a pretty good sale from Ann Taylor if you’re shopping bridal party dresses or rehearsal dinner dresses for yourself.?? 30% off today through Sunday the 15th only so you’d better act fast if you’re going to take advantage of this.

(click on image to see a larger version)

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