Welcome to the Savvy Bride! Here you'll find wedding planning tips and ideas to help you create that perfect special day.
Browse our extensive site by to find wedding advice on numerous bridal topics including wedding dress ideas, wedding cakes, wedding favors, flowers, how to budget a wedding, throwing great bridal showers, wedding gift ideas, all aspects of wedding planning, and much more!
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Jul 01 2009
(ARA) – Wedding album, videos and a carefully preserved gown — your wedding mementoes are meant to be precious reminders of your special day. But you may find yourself cringing with shame when you look at your album years down the road if you choose trendy over traditional style for the look of your wedding.
It’s easy to tell the difference between a look that’s trendy and a more classic style. Think of the bell bottoms and love beads from the ‘70s and big hair and “Dynasty”-style gowns of the ‘80s — looks that were “hot” at one time, but that years later elicit an eye-roll and a “what was I thinking” attitude from women who wore them.
Now consider the elegance, grace and demure femininity of icons like Grace Kelly, Ingrid Bergman and Audrey Hepburn. Their style was classic and timeless — and one that today’s smart bride mimics to ensure she’ll love the look of her wedding as much in 20 years as she does the day she walks down the aisle.
Today’s bride knows that choosing fabrics, silhouettes and accessories borrowed from the classic era — the 1940s through the 1960s — will give her wedding and gown timeless appeal. No dated looks from easy-to-identify fashion fads for her. The classic look also plays well with the growing trend to achieve less with more by accenting the basics with luxurious finishing touches.
Here’s how to achieve that classic look for your spring wedding:
The Dress
Avoid large, modern swags of fabrics in favor of silhouettes that emphasize an hourglass figure. Nipped-in waists, or waistlines defined with belts and sashes, often in a color that slightly contrasts with the dress, create an elegant, eternal style. You can draw your classic style from the ‘40s, ‘50s and even ‘60s.
Designers offer charming gowns that evoke the look of 1950s prom dresses with fitted bodices and full skirts in tulle, lace and appliqué. For a 1960s look, a shorter, sophisticated frock with a gathered waist and narrow skirt will be reminiscent of the classic ‘60s cocktail dress.
The Accessories
A veil is essential for classic bridal style, and birdcage veils with large netting that falls at cheekbone length epitomize the look. These simple veils frame the bride’s glowing face and highlight special jewelry. Ladylike wrist-length gloves are the perfect complement to vintage bridal looks.
The classic bridal look is a perfect match with a simple and elegant pair of pearl stud earrings and a lustrous 16-inch strand of cultured pearls around the bride’s neck. Pearls have long been associated with the essence of sophisticated womanhood in American pop culture.
“The Hindu Lord Krishna is said to have offered pearls to his daughter as a wedding gift, which is where pearls and weddings were first married,” says Jeremy Shepherd of PearlParadise.com, the world’s largest online pearl company. “Pearls are considered a symbol of purity, making them the perfect fit with a bride’s white dress.”
Shepherd recommends white akoya pearls, a saltwater pearl that grows primarily in the coastal areas of Japan and China. Considered to be the classic pearls for jewelry, akoya pearls are prized for their perfect round shape, mirror-like luster and soft, neutral colors.
Visit www.PearlParadise.com for more ideas and classic bridal pearls.
The Look
Tie a classic dress and accessories together with a polished hairstyle such as a bun or chignon and keep makeup understated. Dark brown or black eyeliner extended slightly past the end of the eyelid, a touch of black mascara and a shade of red lipstick perfectly matched to the bride’s complexion are all that’s necessary to complete the perfect, classic Hollywood face.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...May 29 2009
(ARA) – Planning for a wedding can be tough, especially when money is tight. But as you make your way through the mile-long checklist of things for the big day, have you thought about life after the wedding? Whether this is your first or second wedding, your dream wedding or a spontaneous ceremony, the financial implications of sharing a lifetime with another person last long after the “I do’s.”
To ensure happiness and financial security in any economy, you should be thinking about your financial future today. And, the good news is that taking the necessary steps to a sound financial future is not as complicated as you might think. Here are some things to discuss as a couple, as suggested by financial experts at SBLI USA Mutual Life Insurance Company, Inc:
1) Come up with a Budget
You may have your own budget, but now you are planning income and expenses for two. If you combine your income and expenses, you will need to combine your budgets as well.
Be prudent with your spending. Write down everything each of you spends per month and cut back on non-essentials. Take into account housing, food, utilities and transportation, as well as student loans, credit card balances, car payments, taxes and if applicable, alimony and child support. For further tips on creating a sustainable budget read “Become Your Own Financial Advisor: Tips on Planning a Budget and Sticking to It” at www.sbliusa.com.
2) Begin an Emergency Fund
An emergency fund helps ensure that you and your partner are secure should something happen, such as a job loss or serious health issue. You should agree on how much you want to save for a “rainy day.” It’s a smart idea to save between 5 and 10 percent of your salary in a joint savings account. To avoid the temptation to spend your savings, consider having the money automatically transferred from your checking accounts. Aim to save 3 to 6 months of living expenses.
3) Purchase Life Insurance
According to a study conducted by LIMRA International 48 million Americans either, don’t own life insurance and believe they should, or own life insurance and believe they need more. Purchasing life insurance will give you the peace of mind of knowing your loved ones will have money to help maintain their standard of living should anything happen to you. To access a variety of financial information and tools, as well as to learn more about life insurance and get a free quote, speak with the experts at SBLI USA.
4) Create a Plan for the Future
Take the time to create a written financial plan with clear goals. The plan should include specific and realistic steps to achieve your dreams, including buying a home, starting a family, taking vacations and retirement. Decide what additional investments you’d like to make apart from your regular savings such as maximizing your 401(k) or IRA contributions.
Using financial planning software, such as Quicken, can help with keeping track of your expenses and investments. Decide what your tax filing status will be for the year. Make sure you consider the difference between married filing separate versus joint filing, based upon your particular circumstances. Consult your tax advisor if you are unsure.
5) Pay Down Debt
Credit card debt is the number one obstacle to a secure financial future, and knowing both of your credit scores is essential. You’re allowed one free credit check annually with each of the major credit bureaus: Experian, TransUnion and Equifax. Order reports and go through and correct any inaccuracies. This will help you both get a loan at a lower rate when it comes time to borrow money for a house, car or other major purchase.
Getting married is an opportunity to get a fresh start on your financial well being. These types of wealth-building efforts are extremely beneficial, and create a solid foundation to a long, happy marriage.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Apr 01 2009
(ARA) – When your best friend or sister announces she’s engaged and wants you to be her maid of honor, of course you jump up and down with excitement – for her. But inside, you’re starting to cringe. Dresses, presents and planning at least one bridal shower – you can feel the pressure building up.
If the thought of the bridal shower creates more stress than satisfaction, there’s help. Culinary expert and newlywed, Kendall McFarland, research and development manager at Simply Organic, suggests cutting down on hassles with these five timesaving tips for simple but sensational shower refreshments.
Dishes like this Fruit Chutney are special without requiring hours in the kitchen.
* Take smart shortcuts. For enticing flavor without fuss, keep a supply of natural dressing and dip mixes on hand for fresh, homemade appetizers and snacks. Add a dip or dressing mix, such as creamy dill, French onion, guacamole, or ranch to equal parts of low-fat cottage cheese and non-fat plain yogurt and mix in a blender or food processor until smooth. Serve with fresh veggies you can buy already cleaned and cut up at the store.
* Dress up everyday favorites. Special dishes don’t require hours in the kitchen. Make your easy-to-prepare favorites and dress them up with special, wedding seasonings. Try distinctive seasoning blends like red pepper and curry, apple and basil, pineapple and cilantro, or orange and ginger for a gourmet touch. For example, simply add a liberal dose of a spice (like oregano, basil, or cayenne) or seasoning blend along with some garlic and Parmesan cheese to your usual mashed potatoes, and you’ll instantly serve something outside everyday fare.
* Plan and shop wisely. Forget about shopping ’til you drop. Develop your menu, including impromptu snacks, ahead of time. Then pick up everything non-perishable at the same time, eliminating those last-minute treks to the grocery store. To save even more time, order ingredients online. For example, Simply Organic carries culinary items like organic spices, seasoning blends, baking extracts and flavors, gluten-free baking mixes and other cooking ingredients and supplies which they will ship to you within a few days of your order.
* Accept help. When the bride’s mother or other guests ask if they can bring anything, say yes! Ask them to bring something you don’t especially enjoy preparing or something you know is that person’s specialty which the bride really loves. Or have each guest bring a dessert or appetizer, so you can focus solely on the rest of the party and fun. Offers to help are gifts, so allow other bridesmaids or friends to assist if they offer. Working together can add to the shower fun, and give you stories to share as you continue down the wedding planning road.
* Make it healthy – the bride, her bridesmaids and the mother of the bride all want to fit into their dresses when the big day finally arrives. The best meal you can offer your guests is a delicious and healthful one. Provide great-tasting, nutritious snacks that go easy on salt, fat, sugar, and other potentially unhealthy ingredients and your guests will fondly remember your hospitality.
Here are two great examples of healthy bridal shower dishes from the Simply Organic recipe Web site that are easy to prepare:
Fruit Chutney
Serves 8
Ingredients:
1 cup peeled and diced mixed fruit
1 package Apple Basil Dressing Mix
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Directions:
In a medium bowl, mash fruit or use a food processor and blend. Add Apple Basil Dressing Mix and vinegar and mix. Chill and serve as a relish.
Take smart shortcuts. A natural dressing mix gives this Italian Egg Bake enticing flavor without fuss.
Italian Egg Bake
Serves 6
Ingredients:
8 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 package Italian Dressing Mix
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup diced vegetables (tomatoes and mushrooms are good choices)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add milk and Italian Dressing Mix and whisk well. Add cheese and vegetables. Pour into a greased 9-inch pie pan. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until center is firm. Top with diced tomatoes and shredded Parmesan cheese for an extra special flavor.
For more delicious, healthy and easy recipes, visit www.simplyorganicfoods.com and click on the recipe drop-down menu.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Dec 31 2008
A bridal consulting course is something a wedding planner would take in their preparation for a career dealing with brides and weddings. So what would you think they teach in a bridal consulting course? To figure out the course content of a bridal consulting course we first must examine exactly what a wedding planner would have to know and what kinds of situations they would have to deal with. For example, in order to deal with the one in every three brides that wants the world and everything in it to be available at their wedding a bridal consulting course would have to teach a wedding planner disaster planning. Inevitably the weddings for the bride that wants everything would probably wind up being a disaster so that seems appropriate. But a bridal consulting course is much more than just teaching how to organize things and how to prepare for the absolute worst. It is also a way of preparing the potential bridal consultant for how to deal with the service providers that will inevitably either not perform their duties or fail to show up altogether. For these situations the bridal consulting course will teach important things like how to be an emergency DJ at a wedding and how to make Molotov cocktails to deliver to the service provider that left you hanging at a very important client’s wedding.
Of course we are only speculating here on what would go into a bridal consulting course and we are also making useful suggestions. An obvious part of any bridal consulting course would have to be some sort of psychology class. When you are dealing with brides in what can be one of the most stressful times of their lives you really need to develop the skill of dealing with unreasonable people under stress. For this particular instance whatever the bridal consulting course does not teach it is almost assured that the wedding planner will learn through painful and repeated real life experience.
But Seriously Folks
We have had a little fun here with outlining the perfect training material for a prospective bridal consultant but in reality a bridal consulting course offers a very valuable service to apprentice bridal consultants and the advice and information they offer are an excellent foundation to furthering the consultant’s career. If you are considering a career as a bridal consultant then you need to look into taking a bridal consulting course and be prepared to learn valuable skills towards your new career.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Dec 28 2008
When you are looking for a bridal consulting course you want to make sure you choose a quality bridal consulting school. There are a lot of things that go into making a quality bridal consulting school and some of those things are the same features you would look for in any kind of educational facility.
The very first thing you want to look for in a bridal consulting school is that the school is certified by a bridal consulting organization. There are a few organizations that are recognized as premier bridal consulting training organizations and they either run their own bridal consulting school or they will certify that a particular bridal consulting school meets their course criteria. It is important to get involved with a bridal consulting school that is certified because there are many things that you need to study to be a successful bridal consultant and the curriculums created by the official certification organizations is based on years of experience of many successful bridal consultants.
So if you see that a bridal consulting school has their courses certified then that is definitely a school you want to consider. You can also look into a non-certified school but you may want to check their references and get a hold of their curriculum before you sign on the dotted line. You do not get a long time to study in a bridal consulting school so make sure you are able to take advantage of the experience with a certified school.
Another aspect of a bridal consulting school that you need to look into is the qualifications of the instructors that they employ. A certified school is one thing but the experience and knowledge of the instructors is of paramount importance. Ask to see the experience resume of each of the instructors that the bridal consulting school employs and always ask for references you can check on. It is not only your money you are spending but your future you are investing in so be certain that you are making the right choice by insisting on quality instructors.
A Good School Has A Good Track Record
Always check on the reputation of the bridal consulting school you are considering and also make sure they are a solid organization with a history behind them. You do not want to waste your time and money on a fly by night organization that could be here today and gone tomorrow. A quality education in this field is important so be sure that you look into the history of the bridal consulting school you are considering and always check out their reputation as well.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Dec 26 2008
When people think of a bridal consulting school they often think only of people that have aspirations for a career as a wedding consultant. That stands to reason but there are other people that may have a motivation for taking a wedding consultant class and some of those people may surprise you.
A wedding consultant class offers some great practices and advice for nearly anyone that is in the business of supplying weddings and when you are in the wedding supply business much of the business you get is by networking with other wedding suppliers. It is easier to know how everyone else gets their referrals and does their networking if you have take a wedding consultant class or two and learned how consultants do it.
A wedding consultant class will show you the techniques used by the wedding consultants and since wedding consultants are the people expected to tie all the other service providers together into a wedding then it stands to reason that their networking techniques need to be of the highest quality. When you take a wedding consultant class you find out how to network with other wedding service providers, where to find wedding service providers to network with, and most importantly how to tell which kinds of wedding service providers you do not want to network with.
In any trade it pays to know as many trade secrets as possible. If you make wedding cakes for a living then a wedding consultant class will tell you what consultants are looking for in wedding cake makers and you can adjust your practices to fit their criteria. A wedding consultant class will really open your eyes to the things you would need to do to keep your business competitive and a wedding consultant class will also help you find new ways to help your business grow. Once you know what the consultants are looking for you can adjust your business accordingly and profit from that knowledge.
The How To’s And The How Not’s
There is a lot that goes into becoming a wedding consultant and a wedding consultant class will let you know what the consultants are looking for in their business partners. IN a wedding consultant class you can also meet people that will eventually become wedding consultants and that allows you to get a head start on marketing your business. If you can catch a consultant when they are just learning their craft then you can watch your business grow as their business grows as well.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Dec 24 2008
When people hire a service provider of any kind they always like that extra level of reassurance that the service provider knows their business and knows what they are doing. For doctors it is framing and displaying their various college degrees. For counselors and therapists it is a certification from an accredited program that shows that they went through a training program that focused on their trade. For a real estate agent it is their real estate license that shows that they have studied their trade and are certified to practice it.
For wedding consultant’s there is a wedding consultant certification and while the idea of sitting in wedding consultant class to obtain wedding consultant certification may seem off base to you, to your prospective clients it shows that you cared enough about your business to invest in some sort of training and certification. For over two decades now there have been organizations that can offer you wedding consultant certification and all you need to do is attend classes that they have deemed to be part of a wedding consultant certification curriculum.
Once you have obtained your wedding consultant certification you can then display to your prospective clients that you have take the time and effort to study a carefully crated course in your field and you have that detailed knowledge that experts have to perform your duties as a wedding consultant.
It is not difficult to find schools that can offer you a wedding consultant certification curriculum and you would be surprised at how many are available. It is possible that a wedding consultant certification school is close to you and you can attend it at your leisure. You may even be able to find a wedding consultant certification course on the internet that you could complete in the comfort of your home. A wedding consultant certification course is not a long and involved curriculum but it is important to your career as a wedding consultant. You will find that the average wedding consultant certification course lasts only a couple of weeks but a lot of important material is covered in those weeks.
Make Sure It Is For You Before You Invest Your Money
A wedding consultant certification course may be of short duration but it is far from cheap. Before you get yourself involved in a wedding consultant certification course you want to be certain that a career as a wedding consultant is what you really want to invest in. Aside from the course work there are years of hard work networking with service providers and then trying to get new clients. After all you are looking to be a wedding consultant and that is not a service that people will need repeatedly for a very long period of time. Your main source of revenue will be new customers and new customers love to see a wedding consultant certification on your wall when they meet you.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Dec 22 2008
When people talk of bridal consultant training they are usually talking about the kind of training that results in wedding consultant certification. For bridal consultant training there is a great deal of detail that goes into preparing to become a bridal consultant. You have to remember that a couple is entrusting the first truly important day of their lives together to you so when you take your bridal consultant training just remember that learning all you can is of the utmost importance.
One of the most important aspects of bridal consultant training is networking with service providers. Service providers are the people that you will call on to provide music, cake, photography, gowns and other kinds of services for your clients’ weddings. If you do not know how to choose the right service providers then you wind up planning bad weddings and your client list will surely not grow.
You will get a reputation for working with unreliable people and you yourself will get the reputation for being unreliable. But in bridal consultant training they train you on how to search out and find the reliable service providers so that you can establish a solid business and build a positive reputation that will allow you to take on the most exclusive clients around. In the bridal consultant business your fee is directly connected to whom you have worked for in the past. If your client list is impressive then so is your fee.
Something they teach you in bridal consultant training is how to find the best package deals to save you the most time and headaches. Usually these package deals revolve around the reception hall and the services they provide. If you can find reception halls that offer a variety of wedding reception themes and services and you can count on the reliability of that hall to provide the highest quality each time then you just saved yourself a lot of work. A wedding reception hall that has gained a reputation for being good at offering discounts because of the mistakes they make is probably not one you want to work with.
Where To Network Is Important
There are many ways to find reliable service providers and bridal consultant training will show you a variety of ways to find the right people. In bridal consultant training you will be taught how to look for the right service providers and then bridal consultant training will teach you the very important skill of background checking to see the quality the service provider offers. There is definitely an art to networking with the right service providers and bridal consultant training teaches you that art.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Dec 18 2008
If you are an incredibly organized person, want to work for yourself, and love the pomp and circumstance of a wedding then maybe you should consider wedding consultant training. Why should you consider wedding consultant training and what in the world could wedding consultant training that a setting up a couple of wedding couldn’t teach you? If you have ever tried to set up a wedding on your own then you know how chaotic it can be.
The limos don’t show up on time, the caterer gets the menu wrong, and the DJ forgets to bring the song for the bride and groom’s first dance together. But when you go through wedding consultant training you are taught ways to not only deal with situations like that but you are also taught how to avoid situations like that all together. Unlike bridal consultant training where you are essentially preparing yourself to work in a bridal shop selling gowns and accessories, when you go through wedding consultant training you are taught the broad range of what to expect in a wedding and how to make sure that all your angles are covered.
You are also taught how to deal with unique situations that are destined to come up in every wedding plus you are taught how to take the interests of the bride and groom and turn those interests into their dream wedding.
In wedding consultant training the first thing they tell you is that the families of the bride and groom come to a wedding consultant because they want someone who will take care of all of the arrangements and also someone who will have the imagination necessary to create the perfect wedding day for the bride and groom. The wedding consultant is needed as much for their ability to pull off a worry free wedding as they are for their ability to make it a day no one will forget. With wedding consultant training you can make it that day for all the right reasons.
Just A Moment Of Your Time
In many cases wedding consultant training is counted in weeks and not months. You are not re-inventing the wheel with wedding consultant training but you are learning the fine art of ultra-efficient organization and how to network with the right people.
There are a lot of DJs, photographer, caterers, wedding dress makers, and the like out there and it is up to you to find the ones that you are confident can do the best job for you clients and it is up to you to find these people without experiencing any problems. So if you are finding the right DJ by booking every DJ you find into your clients’ weddings and your DJs keep making horrible mistakes then chances are your business will suffer. With wedding consultant training you learn how to avoid that.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Dec 14 2008
A wedding consultant training is probably one of the basic dreams of girls. Because all of us want to design our own little weddings, we have the innate ability to plan other people’s weddings as well. Those who have their own creative side can become great in being a wedding planner. Through entering a wedding planner course, that innate ability can turn into something more professional and credible.
A wedding planner course is easy to enroll to. Just like any other college degrees, you get to study on a four-year training program which could help you a lot in becoming a professional in the field. If you have gotten yourself the proper certificates and credentials, then you can start working as a professional on this field. Your skills and your ability would help you in becoming great as a wedding planner. Together with the credentials that you have with you, you can become globally known as the finest wedding planner and coordinator.
Wedding Planner Course: Four-Year Training
A four year training would encompass a wedding planner course. Since this is a legitimate degree, you get to earn the proper certification once you have graduated on the course. The training consists of actual wedding planning activities which help you in becoming good on the field. Through constant practice and exposure to the tasks that you will be doing in school, you can undoubtedly grow to be the best in planning the most wonderful wedding activities.
Wedding Planner Course: Obtaining A Certificate
A wedding planner course would help you obtain the necessary certificates needed for you to be called a professional on the field. If you do well in your studies, you would surely learn a lot about professional wedding planning in your school. Because there are frequent exposures to different wedding events, you can easily adapt to the skills needed for you to become the finest in your field. Additionally, if you are born a natural designer, you wouldn’t have any problems excelling in your career.
Wedding Planner Course: Availability Issues
A wedding planner course is greatly available over many places around the globe. However, you need to find the proper school that is backed up by the government so you can be guaranteed of its credibility. You also have to enroll in a good school so you can get all the necessary training needed to become a good wedding planner. If you have the dream and the eagerness to excel on this field, then you wouldn’t have any problems in becoming a great wedding planner.
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