Image: istockphoto

What is your flavor?
If vanilla is your choice for flavor, you might have to be more specific. Some of the vanilla choices include extra vanilla almond (a traditional flavor), moist vanilla (a moist, delicious, and tender cake), vanilla marble (a vanilla/chocolate swirl), and vanilla butter mint (a creamier, rich flavor). For chocolate lovers, the mainstays include chocolate fudge (a moist deep flavor) and chocolate mint (similar flavor to chocolate mint cookies).

If your tastes desire more of a fruit flavor, you can incorporate real strawberry (adding a moist, sweet flavor-and touch of pink), strawberry swirl (strawberry batter swirled with white cake), lemon (tangy flavor), cherry (real cherries add sweetness and pink color), and spice (this old-fashioned flavor adds cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger to the mix). Citrus flavors including lime, lemon, and orange (with a rich curd or crème filling between layers to enhance the cake flavor) is increasing in demand.

For a Richer Flavor…
If your taste buds desire a richer flavor, you can go with what is considered more of a deluxe flavor. Some of the deluxe flavors include; butter pecan (made with creamery butter and pecans), carrot cake (finely grated carrots and English walnuts give this cake a deep, rich flavor), apple pecan (cinnamon and apple flavor with pecans give a warm, autumn flavor), and banana walnut (extra-ripe, sweet bananas and English walnuts give this cake its old-fashioned flavor). These are just a few of the deluxe cakes emerging for today’s wedding cakes. Cakes with a liqueur-based flavor are becoming increasingly popular as well as higher demand for the more “adult” flavors, such as cappuccino.

With the variety of choices for cake flavor, there is not a reason to “not like”, or not be happy about, your cake. Flavors can be mixed, and you can even request more than one flavor (for multiple tiered wedding cakes). Remember, if you are keeping the top tier (or top layer) of your wedding cake, it must be a sponge cake. The remaining layers can then be the flavor (or flavors) of your choice!

Image: istockphoto

What does your cake topper say about you and the groom?
Your wedding cake topper will be the subject of many photographs. Remember…it will be looked at for many years, so it is important to take your time, and choose one that suits both of your tastes. Also keep in mind that it needs to photograph well!

Traditional Wedding Cake Topper
If you prefer tradition, this wedding topper is for you! Of course, the traditional topper features a groom and bride, dressed to the nines in their tuxedo and dress respectively. Traditional cake toppers have a wide price range, and come in many shapes and sizes for the traditional looker.

Flower Wedding Cake Topper
A flower wedding cake topper is also a popular choice. Matching your cake topper to your flowers will add class and really dress up your cake. It may also add that touch of color you may be looking for. Lastly, photographs of cakes with a flower topper are stunning, and will be noticeable from across the room!

Comical Wedding Cake Topper
Are you the zany, wacky couple? Maybe a comical topper is for you! Maybe you are avid cyclists, and would like your cake topper to represent your passion. Are you an animal lover? Many couples choose to have a set of dogs/cats sit a top the cake. Fishing enthusiasts may have a couple sitting in a boat as the cake topper. If this kind of topper interests you, maybe a comical approach is right for you.

Image: The Knot Wedding Shop

Seasonal Wedding Cake Toppers
Seasonal wedding cake toppers work well for those who are getting married during, or near, a holiday. Couples who are married near Valentines Day may have a heart topper. Fall weddings have seen rustic coloring and acorns on a cake. Show your patriotic colors, or include sparklers if you are getting married near July 4. Halloween toppers are easy to find and can be enjoyable as well.

Personalized Wedding Cake Toppers
Cake toppers can be personalized with your photo, likeness, dates of the wedding and much more. This personalized acrylic heart cake topper is simply beautiful. It will be a keepsake that you’ll treasure for years after your special day. Get it at The Knot Wedding Shop for just $25.00.

There is not a right or wrong wedding cake topper. Choose the topper that suits the both of you, and enjoy your wedding!

HansonEllis

Since many married couples and whole families attend weddings function together, they often receive duplicates of the same favors. With the broad selection of wedding favors available, there are several fun and innovative ways to avoid this type of monotony. Instead of offering the same personalized frame or elegant ice cream scoop to a family of five, you can choose to carry out a theme instead—such as hearts, a nautical theme or wine themed gifts.

An example would be pair wine coasters with a wine corkscrew and stopper set or a winery themed reception. With a mix and match wedding favor set, your guests can trade or swap with each other to gain a gift they will love.

Another idea is to present different gifts to your male guests than your female guests. With mix and match wedding favors, you can place one gift at each place setting or arrange an assortment of wedding favors in the center of the table for your guests to pick and choose from.

HansonEllis Wedding Favors

There is a wedding favor or gift for almost every theme. Some favorites include:

• Angels
• Beach/seaside themes
• Butterflies
• Garden party
• Seasonal (spring, summer, winter and fall)
• Winery/vineyard motifs

Rather than presenting a one-size-fits-all gift, present individual but different wedding favors by mixing and matching. This also eliminates the need to pick only one favor when you are torn between several favorites. Your wedding guests will also appreciate your thoughtfulness and creativity.

There comes a time in planning a budget wedding where you have to put your money where your mouth is. Or, in my case, put our money where my head is. I have decided to follow all the advice I’ve read about “using your own creativity to save money,” and make my own veil.

I first considered this idea the day I bought my wedding dress. The shop attendant, Nancy, brought out a number of veils for me to try on with the gowns. Although I was mostly concentrating on choosing a dress (and/or feeling like a princess), I did notice that the veils seemed to be little more than silk flowers and rhinestones on plastic headbands or combs, for anywhere from $100 to $400, and nothing I saw really appealed to me.

Wedding Veil

Today I am standing in the wedding section of the craft store. I’ve reviewed the section of veil and hairstyle photos in my indexed, tabbed, color-coded, alphabetical-ordered wedding binder and decided that I want a circular headpiece that is large enough to gently hold a pile of loose curls at the crown. I grab several packages of small silk flowers, some floral wire, floral tape, narrow white ribbon and a few yards of soft tulle. I don’t know how all these things are going to somehow metamorphose into a veil, but hey, I’m creative, right? At the checkout, my pile of veil parts comes to less than $20 – and I probably have enough for a couple of practice attempts.

At home, I open all the packages and look more closely at my magazine clippings. I run into the bathroom with a measuring tape to figure out how big around I want the headpiece to be. Gary finds me in there with my hair in a crazy pile on my head as I wrestle with the measuring tape, and walks out with a “she’s crazy” look on his face. Never mind. Five inches! The darn thing needs to be exactly five inches across! I feel like a scientist who has just made an important discovery. A mad scientist.

Back at the table, I grab my floral wire and floral tape. I am going to try to bend several pieces of wire into this mythical five-inch circle and hold them together with the tape. It only takes me an hour and a half to wrestle several pieces the flexy, flimsy wire into the proper shape and secure them tightly. Whew. I need a beer.

Veil-making gets easier when I begin to attach the flowers. Each tiny bud comes on a long, thin wire stem, which I can easily attach to my wire ring. I try a random pattern at first, then realize that it looks too gappy and asymmetrical. I rip off all the flowers and start over. I place small bud-shaped flowers all around the ring, then go back and fill in the bare spots with tiny petal-style flowers to give it more shape and fullness, and hide all the tape and wire.

Into the bathroom again. I whip my hair up into a pile and slip the ring of flowers down over the top. Ooooooooh, it is just so perfect! I admire myself from all angles with the help of a hand mirror. Gary walks in again and this time he can actually tell what I am doing. “Is it against the rules for me to see you in that thing?” he asks. I laugh and tell him that he won’t see it again until the big day.

It takes a bit of experimenting to figure out how to attach the veil to the headpiece, but I discover that running a threaded needle through the tulle gives me a nice firm edge to work with. I easily complete the veil by attaching hook-and-eye fasteners to the headpiece and the tulle so the tulle can be removed separately for the reception. Thoughts of opening a veil-making business – with killer profits – fill my head as I work, marveling at how easy the whole process was. Twenty bucks, two hours, and a whole new respect for my creative skills. That’s not a bad day’s work in the wedding budget battle.

Image: The Knot Wedding Shop

Guest Book Platter
You’ll be reminded of your wedding day every time you see this platter in your kitchen. This oval porcelain platter accommodates 75-100 signatures and comes with a special pen. Get this unique platter at The Knot Wedding Shop for only $39.00.

Signature Vase
This is a cool guest book alternative – a signature vase. This ceramic vase holds up to 100 names and messages. It comes with a special permanent marker. Just fill it with beautiful flowers place it on the reception entry table, or place one on each of the guest tables. Get this signature vase at The Knot Wedding Shop for $39.00.

Autograph Wedding Picture Frame
This picture frame is a 11″ x 14″ wedding autograph mat. It holds a photo of the bride and groom in the center, and your guests can sign around the edges. Originally $15.99, this Autograph Wedding Picture Frame is on sale now at Hanson Ellis for just $8.95. This is a fantastic guest book alternative for smaller weddings.

Image: istockphoto

Hindu custom has always dictated that the Hindu wedding ceremony take place outside. The ceremony is to take place on the ground, although the proceedings take place underneath a covering known as a mandap. The mandap is a canopy supported by four pillars.

It is important that both the wedding party and guests at a Hindu wedding ceremony wear shoes that can be easily removed as no footwear is allowed underneath the mandap. Aside from this condition, the wedding apparel for the ceremony is fairly flexible. Traditionally, the bride would wear a red or red and white sari, while the groom would wear a kafni with some sort of leggings. A tradition which is supposed to contain some portents is the application of henna. An old saying by Hindes dictates that the level of respect a new bride’s in-laws are according her is related to the amount of time it takes the henna to wear off.

Another important part of the Hindu wedding ceremony which is still incorporated into all Hindu weddings is the sacred fire. The fire is lit underneath the mandap, in the centre of the area. This fire represents Agni, the Fire Deity. No Hindu wedding ceremony is considered complete until the couple has circled the sacred fire seven times together.

The groom’s party will assemble at a prearranged place before the ceremony, and the groom will have both a garland and a coconut. When the groom and best man arrive at the mandap they are met by the bride’s mother. The groom will give her the coconut and she will apply kumkum to his forehead. The kumkum represents the tilak ritual which is a portent of auspiciousness.

The bride is then escorted into the area covered by the mandap by her maternal uncle. She carries the groom’s garland in one of her hands, and is sometimes preceded by flower girls. The priest invokes the ritual of welcome and the couple is seated facing each other. The guests will then recite the invocation of the Lord Ganeesha, the invocation of Saraswati, and the Prayer for Harmony. The couples then place their garlands on each other’s heads.

The bride’s parents indicate their approval of the groom to the audience, and the couple acknowledge their commitment to one another. After some words from the priest, a rope (varamala) is placed around the couple’s necks and they are considered officially married.

Now, the couple will offer a sacrifice of rice together to the fire. After the offering, they will make the traditional rounds of the fire, sealing their union before the assembly and in the eyes of the gods.

Image: istockphoto

I feel a little awkward helping to pick out my own ring, but I’m excited too. Now I can make sure I end up with something I love. I do a little bit of research online, looking at different styles and trying to figure out what is “in” that won’t look too trendy and outdated a few years from now. Then I feel like an idiot. It’s a diamond ring. How is it ever going to go out of style?

There are several jewelry stores in town, most of them located in the mall. I get their cheesy sale flyers in the mail all the time. Once, months before Gary proposed, a friend talked me into going inside one of these garishly lighted stores to look at rings “just in case.” A salesman showed me a huge diamond ring at a ridiculously low price. As I put it on, I could see an inclusion in the stone, a terrible flaw that was clearly visible to the naked eye. Any store that would mount and display such a stone, let alone giving me the high-pressure sales pitch, didn’t impress me very much.

Gary and I decide to go to a small local jeweler, off the beaten path (basically, a non-chain store outside of the mall). We’ve heard good things about the owner and, as seems to be the case for everything else with our wedding, we are really into finding a great service with a personal touch. His small shop is in an office building, with antique wooden doors and floors. I feel right at home. Moments after arriving, I spot a ring like one that had caught my eye during my online forays. It’s a simple gold band in a cathedral design rising gracefully toward a one-carat diamond.

The one-carat diamond is out of the question on our budget, but I still love the ring. Mark, the jeweler, takes it out of the case and lets me slip it on my finger. Gary, standing nearby, can see that my mind is already made up, and a tiny grin tugs at the corners of his mouth. I wink back at him, suddenly feeling like we’re starring together in a romantic-comedy movie. Mark takes our order for the ring, with a good quality half-carat stone, thank you very much, and Gary and I leave the store hand-in-hand. Completely forgetting that we meant to look at rings for him too. Oops.

My ring won’t be ready for about two weeks, and in the meantime, Gary and I take a weekend trip to see my sister Brittany. We’re out shopping when Brit mentions that she needs to stop in at a jewelry store to pick up a necklace she was having repaired. Inside the store, Gary casually wanders over to the display of men’s wedding bands. It’s my turn to smirk as he tries on a two-tone ring of yellow gold rims outside an etched inset of white gold. It’s perfect, and we both know it. Our order is placed before my sister even gets the attention of a clerk to pick up her necklace. Once again, winks and smirks all around.

This whole romantic-comedy thing is quite out of character for us. Usually Gary and I are completely down-to-earth with very little drama; more practical than fanciful in all aspects of life – including our wedding. And here we are finding our wedding rings like we’re following a movie script. It’s hilarious. Even more so the following week, when both of our rings are delivered on the same day. I get home from work, check the mailbox, and find two small packages inside. I race inside, rip them open and set out the rings side by side on the counter. The look so unbelievably beautiful, so clean and shiny and elegant in their velvet boxes. I am tempted to touch them together to see if they cling like magnets, as if their physical properties are somehow representative of their future wearers.

I am so happy with our choices, and so proud to wear a ring from Gary. I start to slip it on my finger, then stop. I will wait until Gary is here and he can place it on my finger, again, like when he proposed. I smile to myself. A little bit of movie magic never hurt anyone.

This week we’re making a big commitment. We are going to choose our cake.

Oh, how I’ve dreamed of this day. The day we go around to all the bakeries in town, taste cake after cake, and choose the most delicious of all. I’m not particularly concerned about how this cake is going to look. I care about how it is going to taste. I have been to approximately seven hundred weddings where the cake includes tiered stands, latticework icing, fake greenery, a waterfall, and an entire garden of flowers, yet the actual cake tastes like sawdust.

Image: sxc.hu

Throughout the wedding planning process I have purposefully included Gary in all decisions, even when it was obvious he didn’t have an opinion, in the name of planning our wedding together. After all, this isn’t just about me. But when it comes to the cake, I have put my foot down. It will be chocolate. I loooooooove chocolate cake and am completely opposed to white cake, carrot cake, fruit-filled layer cake, or any other kind of cake. I am, and always have been, a chocolate kind of girl. However, I am willing to be flexible on the frosting. I can go with either cream-cheese or whipped-cream.

It’s Saturday morning and Gary and I head over to Ronnie’s Bakes & Cakes, one of the longest-running bakeries in town. They must have good cake if they’ve been in business so long, right? While we wait for a break in the Saturday morning donut traffic to catch the attention of a cashier, we flip through the shop’s portfolio album of wedding cakes. Most of the cakes are tiered rounds with floral accents and a standard bride-and-groom topper. Nothing spectacular, but as I said, I care more about the flavor than the appearance.

We finally get the attention of a young woman whose frosting-smeared apron is embroidered with the name Janice. She’s more than happy to take our name and number, but the wedding cake consultant only works on weekdays. Gary shrugs and orders a donut, but I am disappointed. I was so looking forward to having cake for breakfast today. When do you ever get to eat cake for breakfast? And what kind of bakery doesn’t have wedding cake tastings on a Saturday?

It occurs to me that perhaps we should have called ahead for an appointment. I suddenly recall reading this somewhere in a bridal magazine. But I must have thought it only applied to highbrow cake shops in the big cities. Apparently, that’s not the case. We visit two other bakeries and are told the same thing – cake consultant only available on weekdays. I am starving, my blood sugar is plummeting, and I’m getting frustrated. This was supposed to be one of the most fun parts of the entire wedding planning process!

My phone rings and it’s my mom, calling to see if we’ve found our dream cake yet. I tell her the saga of the cakeless morning and she says, “Why don’t you try that new grocery store on the east side of town? I had their cake at a party and it was excellent.” I roll my eyes and say we’ll check it out, although the cake snob in me hadn’t even considered a grocery store bakery. But at this point I am desperate for even one bite of rich, gooey chocolate cake. Gary and I buzz over to the store.

Well, well. I am pleasantly surprised. The bakery is light, open, and stocked with beautifully displayed baked goods of all types. And the smell is my own personal version of heaven. A cheerful, smiling woman greets us and asks how she can help. We explain that we’re here for a wedding cake and she quickly steps back into the hairnet zone to put together a plate of generously-sized cake samples for us. Ha! I’m going to get some cake after all!

And what cake it is. I’m so hungry that I try all the flavors (even the carrot), saving the chocolate for last. Each bite is tender, moist, and free of that horrible, commercial-bakery, cheap-shortening, artificial-flavoring taste I had feared. When I finally sample the chocolate, I have to stop myself from taking Gary’s piece too. The flavor is rich and complex; the frosting is light, smooth and not too sweet. It’s absolutely delicious – and exactly what I had always wanted for my wedding.

Gary smiles at me and hands me a napkin. I must look like a four-year-old who got into the birthday cake while mommy’s back was turned, and I don’t care. We quickly select a design and fill out the order form. As we leave I smile at all the other shoppers in the store. I hope they all have a chance to visit the bakery.

I can’t put it off any longer.

I realize this is an odd sentiment for one of the most glorious and daydreamed-about experiences of any bride-to-be, but shopping for my wedding dress is stressing me out. There is so much pressure riding on this choice, especially after I heard somewhere that “the style of the gown dictates the style of the entire wedding.”

Image: istockphoto

Oh sure, at first it was exciting to leaf through the bridal magazines and imagine myself in the gorgeous dresses. But as I clipped the pictures and made notes about what I liked (“cute bodice!” “love the beading!”) it started to hit me: these dresses were modeled by gorgeous, six-foot glamazons, styled by hair and makeup experts and photographed under flattering light. How can a petite, average-sized woman who (gasp!) does her own hair and makeup ever hope to look that good, even if I do fall for the advertising and buy a super-expensive dress?

I bite the bullet and call my local bridal shop for an appointment. I had been shopping for dresses with my sister, early in the engagement, but it was a farce; a grown woman playing a child’s foolish dress-up game. This time I decide to shop alone so I don’t tempt the people-pleaser in me to buy whatever my shopping buddy loves. Unlike a lot of women, I don’t have a vision in my mind of the perfect dress. I’m just hoping to find a dress that is elegant but not too fussy, flattering but not too sexy, comfortable but not too casual. Oh, and all this for well under a thousand dollars. Including alterations.

Heading to the bridal shop after work one evening, I am unexpectedly nervous. The shop is a small boutique where I can hardly slip in unnoticed; they assign a saleswoman to shepherd each customer around the shop to make suggestions and recommendations. “Nancy” promptly steers me to a rack of expensive dresses I recognize from a popular designer in the magazines. They look like a bead factory exploded on them. Next is a rack of sheath dresses. No thanks – I’d rather not spend my wedding day feeling like a basketball stuffed into a drinking straw.

Then I see something that makes my heart race. It’s a sign that says “Visit Our Clearance Gallery Downstairs!” I manage to extricate myself from Nancy’s iron grip and dart down the stairs, only to find a dim and dingy space that might as well be called “Reject Room.” Optimist that I am, I pounce on the section for my size and come up with two possibilities: a beaded number with narrow straps and chiffon overlay, and a square-neck with a deeply plunging back. I haul these two beauties up the stairs and catch Nancy’s eye to request a changing room. Considerably less helpful now that the prospect of a fat commission is gone, Nancy sighs and opens a room.

The beaded one goes on first. I am amazed at how the act of putting on a fluffy white dress, even if it’s not THE dress, makes me feel suddenly gorgeous and special. The glittery beaded straps draw attention to my collarbone and shoulders. The cut of the waist somehow makes me look both slim and tall. I now have stars in my eyes and contemplate a completely unexpected dilemma: what if the dresses actually look good on me? And if they do, how do I choose?

Nancy helps me into the other dress. I notice as it settles over me how incredibly light and soft it is. She says, “It’s 100% silk! I didn’t know we had this in the clearance room…” Her voice fades out as I focus on the mirror. It’s way too big around the waist, four inches too long, and I’m not crazy about the squared neckline. But I can see that with a few snips and tucks, it could be stunning. There is just something about it that makes me feel happy, and comfortable, and like I am making the right choice. I can’t take my eyes off the mirror.

Ever hopeful for a sale, Nancy recognizes the sparkle in my eyes and promptly begins to bring in shoes, veils and jewelry to “complement my selection.” In a daze, I try them on. Is that bridelike woman in the mirror really me? I’m on cloud nine. How could I have ever have dreaded this wonderful, exhilarating, momentous experience? I have fallen in love again, and it’s with a wedding dress. I schedule an alterations appointment with the seamstress and sign the charge slip, glad that I stayed within budget.

Later, on the drive home, I realize my dress makes me feel comfortable, special; the way Gary makes me feel. Coincidence?…

Lee and I have been the best of friends for a very long time. We bonded in middle-school math class over the antics of our goofy teacher, and our friendship has been growing stronger ever since. Despite attending different high schools and living on the opposite sides of town, then choosing different colleges and careers, we have somehow managed to stay close. I can’t imagine asking anyone else to be my maid of honor.

Image: istockphoto

Of course, I should say matron of honor. At Lee’s wedding six years ago, I stood beside her as her own maid of honor (in a shiny green taffeta bubble dress with puffy sleeves). I don’t think my eyes left her face during the entire ceremony as I watched her begin the biggest journey of her life. Later, at the reception, my toast to the couple devolved into a tearful mess as I told her husband, Brant, that he would have to be her new best friend now.

Lee’s family has always been a second family to me, to the point of calling her parents “Mom and Dad” and spending time with them on every holiday, sometimes before I even made it home to see my own folks. That’s why it was such a shock and a surprise to everyone (ourselves included) when Gary and I started seeing each other. Because Gary is Lee’s older brother.

Gary loves to joke that I had a crush on him throughout my teenage years, when Lee and I spent every second together and he was away at college. I always respond by saying that he was “way too old” for me to even think about. Whatever the reason, whether luck or chance or simple good timing, Gary and I hit it off during on of my Thanksgiving visits. Lee was a little put off at first, but she was a good sport, joking and teasing with everyone else. As Gary and I grew more and more serious, any concerns she had with our dating were forgotten, and I sensed her approval (as long as I didn’t share too much information!)

I’m sure she knew immediately after I told her that Gary and I were engaged that I would ask her to be my matron of honor. But Gary and I decided to wait to ask our attendants until we had a better handle on our budget, location and the tone of the wedding. With those matters settled, we decided to keep the wedding party to a small group of family members. I planned to ask Lee and my sisters, while Gary would ask his brothers and a close cousin.

I think I feel as nervous as Gary did when he proposed when I ask Lee to stand up for me. I don’t doubt that she will agree, but her presence, and the implied blessing, at the ceremony are deeply important to me. I want her to understand that I need her there, not just as a token gesture but as a symbol of what her friendship has meant to me over all these years. In a nervous voice I say “Lee, would you be my…”

Tears well in her eyes and mine, and we laugh and hug without my ever completing the sentence. We reminisce about her wedding day, including our elegant private lunch together… at the local taco stand. Which will of course be duplicated on my own wedding day. “I am so glad you will be there for me,” I say, more than once.

At that moment it occurs to me that my best friend, the one with whom I made it through adolescence and young adulthood, sharing every hope and dream and fear, was going to become my sister. For real, officially and legally. Sisters by law, yes. But sisters by choice, first. “I promise I won’t make you wear an ugly dress,” I laugh. She knows. She always will.

Are you looking for a unique, fun gift for your attendants? Consider this  Pink Flask. It’s priced at just $24.95 at The Knot Wedding Shop.