Wedding Themes for 2012

Having a wedding theme lost popularity for a while, but all-out themes are coming back with a vengeance. Many of the new themes have a natural do it yourself attitude which may be due to the current economy or the desire to make the wedding more personal. Overall, wedding themes for 2012 are definitely tagging on a "DIY" factor. Rustic and outdoor weddings have gained popularity along with playful themes such as circus and "Love is Sweet." Anything related to "Green Weddings" and "Eco-friendly" themes are also gaining popularity. In addition, you will see wine lovers with cork & bottle décor and even wine tastings at the reception; seaside-themes with everything from shell decor to a seafood dinner. Embrace your theme and incorporate it into everything from your wedding invitations to your wedding favors. Currently, the top wedding themes are "beach", "garden", "winter wonderland", "vintage glamour", "woodland or rustic", and "sparkling diamonds." Destination and ethnic-influenced celebrations also remain popular choices. It is your day so make it your way!

Breaking the Glass

The Breaking of the Glass is a Jewish tradition with many meanings.

The Breaking of the Glass is . . .

1. a symbol of the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

2. a reminder of the tragic losses the Jewish people have suffered.

3. a reminder that, even amidst joy, a broken world still needs our attention and people less
fortunate still require our care.

4. a reminder not only of sorrow, but also an expression of hope for a future free from all
violence and hatred.

5. a representation of the fragility of human relationships.

6. a reminder that marriage changes the lives of individuals forever.

Make a Program

Your guests will be able to enjoy the features of your wedding much more if they can follow them in a program. Programs not only enlighten and inform; they remove the restlessness that comes from being confused or lost during an unfamiliar service. This does not mean that every word of the service must be transcribed, but it would for example, be helpful to have an outline of the order or a brief description of an unusual custom which you have included. Wtih the right font, stationary and attention to detail, your program can also be a lasting keepsake for a memorable day.

Save the Date Cards

He asked you to marry him and the ring is on your finger. Planning is now underway and time to let you future wedding guests in on the exciting news. Your first step may be to send out save the date cards. This pre-invitation announces your wedding date and lets guests know that they will be invited to your upcoming celebration.

Save the date cards are especially important if guests will need to travel during a high travel holiday weekend or to a particularly popular resort area. Save the date cards are a courtesy and although you don't have to send them, they may increase the chances of your guests attending your wedding.

Rehearsal Dinner Invitations

Unless your rehearsal dinner guest list is ten or less, you should send out dinner invitations. Your guests will appreciate knowing where to be and when. These invites, however, should not just be added to the wedding invitation envelope. Rehearsal invites should be sent out separately from the formal invitations. Otherwise, your guests could miss them. The rehearsal dinner invitations don't have to be letterpress creations on glitzy card stock but there are some very fun and creative ideas on Etsy.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/EdenWeddingStudio?ref=seller_info

Share the jobs

At the end of the night, there are a few things that must be taken care of before everyone can leave. There will be gifts, personal items, decorations, etc., that need to find they way back to your home. Parents and siblings are often the ones left with this responsibility. Why not ask an Aunt, Uncle, or Cousin to help at the end of the night Your parents will be very grateful for the break and you will make another family member feel like they are contributing to your special day.

Go Green

A new year often means new trends in weddings. The brides of 2012 are choosing to Go Green. Choosing a venue is usually the first major decision the couple needs to make. When making this decision, keep in mind that traditional spaces, such as hotel ballrooms and resorts tend to use a great deal of electricity, water and many other unfriendly earth items to host a wedding. Consider getting married outdoors. Check out a local botanical garden, gazebo, farm, garden, greenhouse, inside or outside a cave (check out Ash Cave in Hocking Hills, Ohio), or waterfall. Outdoor weddings are not only romantic and scenic—they are earth friendly! Selecting a venue that is close to where the majority of your guests live will also save on gas.

Almost anything can be found locally. Brides are choosing locally grown flowers, organically grown food, recycled invitations and repurposing items to become centerpieces.

Reusable cloth tote bags, natural soaps, soy or beeswax candles make wonderful environmentally friendly wedding favors. Some couples are deciding not to give favors at all but rather to make a small charitable donation in each guest name.

Brides are also looking for ways to be environmentally responsible when selecting the perfect dress for their special day. Do your research—avoid artificial fabrics that were produced under unsafe or unjust working conditions. Consider updating your mother or grandmother’s dress with the help of a local seamstress. If this isn’t an option, consider looking for a vintage dress at a local store. If your heart is absolutely set on having a new dress, look for a bridal designer who uses eco-friendly, natural fabrics.

I won!

{Avon,OH} – January 23, 2012 – WeddingWire, the nation's leading wedding Marketplace, is excited to announce Celebrations by Shari has been selected to receive the prestigious WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2012 for Officiant!

The esteemed annual awards program recognizes the top local wedding vendors from the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism within the wedding industry. While many industry awards are selected by the organization, Celebrations by Shari was selected based on its stellar reviews from past newlywed clients.

Celebrations by Shari is recognized as part of the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire local vendor community, comprised of over 200,000 wedding professionals throughout the United States and Canada. The Bride’s Choice Award recognizes the best local wedding vendors across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, based on their overall professional achievements throughout the past year.

“WeddingWire is thrilled to honor the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community,” said Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire. “Since the launch of the Bride’s Choice Awards™ program four years ago, thousands of outstanding wedding professionals have been recognized by the bridal community for their supreme service and dedication to the wedding industry. It is with great pleasure that we congratulate Celebrations by Shari for their continued professionalism and commitment to enriching the wedding planning experience for engaged couples.”

We are happy to announce that Celebrations by Shari is one of the very best Officiants within the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding planning sites WeddingWire, Project Wedding, Brides.com, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for taking the time to review our business on WeddingWire. Thanks to their positive feedback we were able to receive the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ for 2012.

For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today at http://www.weddingwire.com/biz/celebrations-by-shari-avon/040080da2f09088a.html.

To learn more about the Bride's Choice Awards™, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.

Giving Away the Bride

The father who "gives away" his daughter at her wedding ceremony is following an ancient tradition that has evolved over hundreds, if not thousands, of years. The custom dates back to the time when a daughter was considered property, and the groom had to pay a price to her family before he could be permitted to marry his intended.

Another theory is that it symbolized the transition of authority from the bride's father to her husband as she moved from the parental home to the conjugal home. Today, many brides follow this custom, but its meaning has emerged as an outward approval of the groom by the parents or family of the bride.

Brides who consider this tradition archaic, or who have lived independently for years before their wedding, can eliminate this custom entirely or revise it to include their mother, brother, stepfather or any other significant member of the family. Some brides even elect to walk down the aisle alone.

Throwing of Garters and Bouquets

The story behind throwing the garter and bouquet goes back as far as the 1300’s when people were particularly superstitious. It was believed that taking a piece of the bride’s clothing would grant the guests good luck. As you can imagine, through the excitement created at the wedding festivities, many guests would become driven to literally tear cloth from the bride’s dress. In an attempt to stave off greedy luck-seekers, many brides began to throw items to guests that could be easily removed from her person. This included her garter. Eventually, grooms began to remove the garter from their new bride, and tossing it to the men. This was done to prevent tipsy male guests from becoming impatient and trying to do the deed themselves. In an effort to help the women feel included, it eventually became customary for the bride to throw her bouquet at the female guests.

Marbelhead Lighthouse

Marblehead Lighthouse is one of Lake Erie's best known and most-photographed landmarks! It can also be the perfect backdrop for an outdoor wedding. Couples who are looking for a simpler but still distinctive way to celebrate their wedding may find this venue perfect. Although the lighthouse and nearby keeper's house are not open for such events, wedding parties with 50 or fewer guests may use the Lake Erie shoreline for their celebration. The grounds surrounding the lighthouse offer great views of Lake Erie, Sandusky Bay, Kelleys island and South Bass Island. Marblehead Lighthouse, the oldest lighthouse in continuous operation on the Great Lakes, has guided sailors safely along the rocky shores of Marblehead Peninsula since 1822.

You're engaged!

Getting engaged should be one of the most memorable and exciting moments in your life. For t­he first few weeks after the proposal, you may both feel a little crazy with happiness and be bursting with anticipation. And why shouldn't you feel this way? You've met the man or woman of your dreams, and have decided to get married. Then it is time to get down to business and begin planning the wedding -- the official celebration of your love and commitment. As the two of you plan this wonderful day, you will hopefully continue to feel great joy, but you may also experience a few butterflies and a little confusion. After all, organizing a ceremony and reception is a big undertaking. You will have questions about anything and everything: from the meal (fish, chicken, or beef?) to the wedding gown (strapless, fitted, or empire-waisted?) to the reception music (live band, small orchestra, or DJ?) and much more. There will be issues about budgets, guest lists, and styles. In the end, however, it is important to remember what this day is really about -- a celebration of love. Stay focused, and take time to enjoy the process. Work as a team and be ready to compromise if necessary.

It's all about the groom!

Let’s face it—any groom will look handsome in a classic tuxedo. The real challenge, is in looking unique. This might take a bit more thought, however, and since most grooms would rather be planning a bachelor party than figuring out if a basic black bow tie is boring, I thought I would share a couple of my favorite ideas.

(1)Wear fun socks—black socks are the expected, but how about selecting a patterned pair or a pair in the colors of your favorite sports team. (2) Wear suspenders—not only do they look great with a slim-fit tux, dancing will be much more PG appropriate (no plumber’s crack). (3) Select a unique boutonnière—avoid the traditional rose and wear a boutonniere that shows off your favorite hobby like guitar picks or legos. You could also choose to have all the men in the bridal party wear a different bloom in your signature hue for unique looking lapels.

Wedding Cake

The wedding cake has always played an important part in this special day. Ancient Romans broke a cake over the bride's head to symbolize fertility or abundance. Many other cultures dropped wheat, flour or cake on the bride's head, and then ate the crumbs for good luck. The early British baked baskets of dry crackers, and every guest took one home after the wedding. In medieval times, guests brought small cakes and piled them on a table. The bride and groom then attempted to kiss over the cakes. Thankfully, a young baker decided to put all the cakes together and cover them with frosting, thus the tiered wedding cake was born.

Wedding Photography

Many couples are choosing to do many of their photos BEFORE the ceremony. This gives the bride and groom more time to enjoy the party and allows the reception to follow immediately after the ceremony. Couples are also choosing a more photo journalistic style of wedding photography meaning they are opting for fewer posed pictures and more candid pictures that capture the moment. Once you have decided what you want, be sure to talk to your photographer. Check out my husband's website for more examples www.carusoimages.com

Peacock Feathers--Head to Toes!

This might be my final post on building your wedding around a peacock feather theme. I have found so many wonderful things I want to share with you, it has been difficult deciding how to stop. I definitely couldn't resist sharing this adorable way to carry out your theme--from your head right down to your toes! I absolutely love these shoes which could be worn by a bride as a surprise splash of color under her dress or by all of the bridesmaids. The peacock hair comb would add a perfect bit of color in everyone's hair. Please check out all the other creative items made by Louisa and sold at her Etsy store TheHeadbandShoppe http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheHeadbandShoppe

More Peacock Wedding Ideas

Trying to think of a wedding favor for your guests that uses the peacock theme doesn't need to be difficult. Fill these cute little peacock decorated candy boxes with your favorite treat or order the candy bar wrappers to put around a Hershey bar! Take a look at lots of other creative favor ideas at Lisa's store on Etsy. http://www.etsy.com/shop/shadow090109

Wedding invitations for Peacock themed wedding

If you are holding a peacock themed wedding, then you might be on the lookout for some great looking peacock invitations. I have spent a great deal of time shopping on Etsy and have decided the invitations pictured below are among my favorites. Check out Julie Chapman's shop for more ideas. http://www.etsy.com/people/hellodahlia

Using Peacock Feathers in Your Wedding

Trying to think of a special theme to use for your wedding? Looking for something new for invitations, table centerpieces, bouquets, boutonnieres, floral arrangements? Consider using peacock feathers. Here are a few ideas worth checking out. The colors are beautiful. Take a look at these Etsy stores for more ideas. http://www.etsy.com/shop/Ardesign http://www.etsy.com/shop/Rationale
http://www.etsy.com/shop/watermenot

Bridesmaid gift sure to please

One of the biggest challenges for a bride is what special gift to give to her bridesmaids. Many brides have decided they don't want to give the typical jewelry that is often only worn the day of the wedding. Make your ladies feel special with these custom printed and painted wine glasses.
Check out her shop on Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/glasspizzazz