Welcome to Wishpot Wedding Blog - The latest ideas for your wedding and wedding registry!
Your big day has come and gone and now the vacation begins! Your honeymoon is the perfect way for you and your sweetheart to relax, enjoy each others company, and forget about the stress that a wedding invariably brings along.
Chances are you chose a sunny, relaxing destination in which case don’t forget your swimsuits! Spring is here and there are plenty of adorable suits to choose from, with flattering styles for any body type. Below are just a few:
One pieces are all the rage this summer and you can tell why when you see the La Blanca by Rod Beattie One Piece Bandeau Swimsuit. It boasts a twisted sweetheart bust, flattering fit and comes in three colors.
If the traditional bikini is more your style then be sure to check out the Trina Turk ‘Palmetto’ Bikini. The bright, abstract floral print is lovely and the goldtone hardware is sure to turn heads.
This MARC BY MARC JACOBS ‘Bow’ Bandini Top & Briefs provides coverage without sacrificing style. The pink bows and polka dots give the suit a super sweet look.
The ABS by Allen Schwartz Twin Print Bandeau Bikini’s two coordinating patterns lend to its eye-catching appeal. The bandeau top can be worn around the neck as a halter or tied in a bow for a strapless option. A great suit for tanning!
There are hundreds of swimsuit style options for each body type so whatever one you choose remember, you don’t have to sacrifice comfort or fit for style.
You’ve said yes! Now comes the major planning. What dress are you going to buy? What type of venue will you choose? How many people will you invite?
Who will you ask to be in your wedding party?
This can turn into a daunting decision, but it doesn’t have to. Here are a few things to think about to help you make your final decision.
1. Are you close with any members of your family and if so would they want to be a member of your wedding party? If they are a member of the opposite sex, could they fit into your spouse’s side?
2. Which friends are you going to ask and how many? Don’t feel like you only can ask a few people, your wedding party can be as large or small as you like!
3. Being in the wedding party takes time and in some cases some planning. If you are going to be asking your maid of honor to help you plan your bachelorette or bachelor party you should ask yourself: does your closest friend has the time, patience, and in some cases, money to give you the experience you are looking for. If not, asking an equally close, but more creative or free friend may be in your best interest.
4. Don’t be afraid to jump off the tradition bandwagon! Maybe you don’t want to choose one person over another for the role of maid of honor or best man. Feel free to change the rules; it’s your big day!
There are other roles your friends and family members can play as well such as flower girl (or boy!), ring bearer and ushers just to name a few. With a little imagination and creativity everyone can have a role in your big day!
These days, technology makes it easy to keep in contact with people from all over the world. You might have an aunt in Boston, a buddy in Tijuana, a former roommate in Mississippi, and a cousin in Canada all of whom you talk to regularly. Of course you’ll want to invite all of your long-distance friends, and most of them will want to make the trek to witness your ceremony. They’ll be excited to see you, excited you invited them… but not so excited about the money it costs to see you. Nor about the inconvenience of air travel. So the easier (and more budget-friendly) you can make it, the better!
One way to cut spending and increase convenience is to do an online wedding registry. This helps in a couple of ways. For one, it means they don’t have to pack that awkward toaster-oven you wanted in their checked luggage. It’s bulky and would be pricey if it put their checked luggage over the airline’s bag weight-limit.
There are also a lot of stores that aren’t nation (or world) wide. Even some big name brands only have one store in certain states; not exactly convenient for your far-away guests. An online registry would allow them to access the stores you’d like gifts from. Here are a few good ideas from Crate and Barrel for an online registry:
Gala Wine Glasses are budget friendly but not travel friendly. An excellent option for an online registry!
Bamboo Dish Rack: awkward to carry? Undoubtably. Good for an online wedding registry? Most definitely.
A 52-Piece Cirrus Flatware Set is heavy and could definitely tilt someone’s bag over the 50 pound airline limit. This makes it a great contender for an online registry item.
St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner and for all you Irish lads out their here is a little background behind some fun Irish wedding traditions.
The Claddagh Ring is an Irish ring that can either be given as token of love or worn as a wedding ring. It is heart held by two hands with the heart topped with a crown. The hands represent faith, the crown symbolizes honor, and the heart signifies love. The motto of the ring is: “Let love and friendship reign”. A single Irish woman will wear the Claddagh Ring on her right hand with the heart facing outward toward the end of her finger signifying she is free to see whomever she desires. If the ring is worn on the right hand with the heart facing inward toward the woman’s knuckle, then she is engaged to be married. Lastly, if the ring is worn on the left hand of the woman, it signifies that she is married.
One Irish tradition that takes place on the actual wedding day is the tradition that the couple walk to the church together before exchanging their wedding vows. As the couple walks down the street to the chapel, guests would not only throw rice to bless the marriage, but larger items such as pots and pans!
A traditional Irish bride wears a blue wedding dress, instead of the typical white gown. The blue symbolized purity in ancient times and was this way until the year 1499 when the white wedding dress began to also symbolize purity and virginity. The English lavender color which symbolizes love, loyalty, devotion and even luck is often mixed with the bride’s wedding bouquet to help bring happiness and a forever lasting union between the couple.
Another tradition is for the bride to wear her hair in a braid for the wedding. The braided hair is an ancient symbol of feminine power and luck. To set a wedding date on St. Patrick’s Day is also a symbol of luck and considered to be the luckiest wedding anniversary date in Ireland.
One final tradition is the Irish honeymoon. In Irish the word “honeymoon” is “mi na meala” which can be translated to “the month of honey”. Yup, that’s right! The Irish newlyweds take an entire month to spend together drinking honeyed wine, in a secluded destination away from their family so that they could not try to separate them. This originated from those couples who had eloped without telling their families. It was believed that after a month had passed the bride would have become pregnant and the family would therefore accept the marriage and desire for her to remain with her new husband.
So for those of you with a little bit of Irish blood in you, maybe try to incorporate some of these fun Irish traditions into your wedding day celebration or even plan a St. Patrick’s Day wedding to bring you some extra luck!
Thanks to Andrea from WeddingCollectibles.com!
Planning your honeymoon is an exciting experience. However, between sifting through various destinations, deciding on what to do when you get there, and making a budget, planning a vacation may leave you needing one sooner.
So why not bring some of that vacation to your home? Creating a cozy reading nook is a great way to create your own vacation space at home. Here are a few items you can add to your wedding registry to get you started:
What’s a reading nook without a place to store your favorite novels? This sleek and modern bookshelf offers both practicality and character, and it’s eco-friendly!
Keep all your thoughts and ideas together in this adorable canvas Kate Spade notepad. Comes with a refill pad, so you’ll never run out of writing space.
If you like to keep all your books in one place, then the Nook may be the thing for you. This e-book reader has over one million titles available for download, as well as eNewspapers and eMagazines. It’s also shaped to fit comfortably in your hand and boasts a touch screen interface!
You need good light to read. Why not have a light with character as well? This wood tripod floor lamp adds style and light to any room and the natural paper shade is easy on the eyes.
Relax and put down your thoughts with this calligraphy set, made from beautifully grained wawa wood. Comes with three iridium-plated nibs, a bottle of sepia brown Austrian ink, two ink cartridges, and an ink converter.
Wherever you’re planning to take your honeymoon, make sure you have a relaxing space to come home to with these simple ideas.
Planning your wedding requires a great deal of time and thought. What color themes to use, how many people to invite, and who you are going to ask into your wedding party, are just a few of the larger decisions you will have to make. Your wedding party can be as large or small as you desire and probably will include both family and close friends.
So why not include your favorite four-legged friend? After all, they are part of the family.
This can be tricky but is very doable. Outlined below are three tips to pulling off a successful pet included ceremony.
1. The first step is to decide what role you want them to play in the ceremony and reception. There are plenty of roles to fill that could be easily filled by your pet: ring bearer, assistant to the flower girl or even best man or maid of honor.
2. Once you have decided how you want to include them, make sure that they can successfully complete their role. If you know your pet doesn’t listen or follow instructions very well, it probably wouldn’t be the best idea to give them a role where they are acting alone. Bringing them to the wedding and reception space before the big day is a great way to practice with them and see how they react in those environments.
3. After the reception is over you should make sure you have designated someone to take care of your pet. You may want to consider having someone take them home, back to the hotel or bring them somewhere quiet. Remember, this a strange situation for them with a lot of people and may be overwhelming for them.
Have fun and be creative!
Hawaii, Belize, Virgin Islands, Bali; these are honeymoon dream destinations. Why? Because they are exotic, warm, and tropical. Unfortunately, tropical is often a nice way of saying humid, and humidity can do crazy things to a woman’s hair. Combine that with the damage your hair will suffer from swim pools and sun, and you’re facing a bad hair week for your honeymoon.
The best way to get rid of frizz/damage is to buy good, high-end hair products. These can be pricey and since you just spent a lot of money on the wedding, it may not be in your budget right now. Don’t worry! You can always put them on your wedding registry. It’s a unique twist to the regular gifts you have on your list.
Aquage is a nice, less expensive line to check out. If you have curly hair, then consider getting Curl Defining Cream. It’s a great every day product that you can use once the honeymoon is over.
The main ingredient in Loma’s Pearatin line is aloe, so any product from them will be highly conditioning. A favorite among hairstylists is the Fortifying Repairative Serum with ThermalColor Complex; whether you have curly or straight hair, thick or thin, colored or not, this will make your locks soft, silky, and healthy (extra plus: it smells amazing!).
Bracato’s Cloud 9 line all have light-weight conditioning agents that are excellent in harsh elements. Keep it healthy by trying Cloud 9 Miracle Repair Treatment. It will nourish and strengthen your hair.
Colure Hair Care is a must-have line if you dye your hair. Get the Richly Moisturize Shampoo/Conditioner. It guards against environmental stresses and protects the color, keeping it from yellowing out. Seriously, this stuff is amazing!
Pictures via shampoofashion.com, lalarouxroux, williamcollierdesign.com, Brocato, and Colure Hair Care
Your wedding will be one of the happiest days of your life. It’s the day you and your spouse commit to spend the rest of your lives together with all of your family and friends are on hand to celebrate with you. In addition to posing for countless pictures, you’re the center of everyone’s attention so it’s a good thing you look picturesque in your dress: the dress you probably spent countless hours searching for.
Maybe price was a determining factor, maybe it wasn’t, but everyone loves saving a little bit of money. There are plenty of stylish, budget friendly dresses out there. Here are a few great options:
The one shoulder gown is a beautiful way to show some shoulder if the strapless dress is not on your list. The JS Collections One Shoulder Chiffon Gown is beautiful and the sheer shoulder strap provides both coverage and style.
Halters are another great way to show off the shoulders while retaining support and coverage. This Aidan Mattox Niteline ‘Pearl Necklace’ Halter Gown has pearlized stones attached to a mesh bib to form the halter. A beautiful and unique option.
If a strapless option is what you’re looking for the Laundry by Shelli Segal Strapless Charmeuse Gown is a gorgeous option. It features cascades of silk charmeuse and a sweetheart bust.
Finally, this BCBGMAXAZRIA Crinkled Chiffon Gown is both simple and stunning. The unique crisscross design on the back is sure to keep eyes on you all evening.
Chic, budget friendly options are out there. You don’t have to spend a million bucks to look the part!
Music is an important element of your wedding reception, so you’re going to want to spend some time deciding what tunes you’ll play. You will want to look for good first-dance songs, good father-daughter songs, and good mother-son songs. Also, be sure to have a nice mix of fast and slow songs.
These are some good options to consider:
Slow songs:
- What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong. This is an amazing, feel-good song. You may want to consider it for a father/daughter or a mother/son song.
- When You Say Nothing At All by Alison Krauss. This one is a little sappy, but in a totally wonderful, heartwarming way. Who doesn’t love that?
- At Last by Etta James. Powerful vocals, powerful lyrics, powerful opening song for your wedding reception.
- Unchained Melody by Righteous Brothers. Here is classic song and nice for slow dancing.
- This I Promise You by N’ Sync. Okay, so people might be singing with this one more than dancing, but it’s still fun to toss in.
Fun Songs:
- How Sweet it is to be Loved by You by James Taylor. Young and old alike can dance to this fun 1964 song.
- Sexyback by Justin Timberlake. If you want your reception to feel like a dance party, play this song.
- Fire Burning by Sean Kingston. If dancing isn’t your talent, this is a great option. All you have to do is jump up and down on the beat.
- Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond. It’s fun to sing along to and is great for group dancing.
- Yeah! by Usher feat. Ludacris and Lil’ Jon. Like Sexyback, this one will get the crowd moving.
Why go to a studio to take engagement pictures when you can take them outside with a natual backdrop? Nature has to be one of the best places to do your engagement photo shoot. The scenery could represent where the wedding will be held or a location that is close to your heart.
When choosing a location ask yourself a couple of questions. Where is my wedding venue? What outdoor places do I like the most (forest, beach, park, etc.)? What time of day do I enjoy the outdoors the most? These questions should help you figure out whether you want sunset pictures on the beach or sunrise atmosphere in the forest. It is all up to you! Keep in mind, from a photographer’s standpoint the absolute best light is one hour before sunset and one hour after sunrise. If you are a morning person and your photographer is agreeable, by all means, get up and get out for some beautiful sunrise photos!
Photos provided by The Memory Journalists
When it comes time for your engagement photos try to dress casual or wear something that expresses you two as a couple. If you love wearing dresses, then go with a dress. This will make you feel most comfortable and let your true colors shine. You may also want to do a hair and makeup trial run before hand. Try not to go over the top, just keep it simple and with your regular hair and makeup regime. These photos should represent you two as the wonderful couple all your friends and family know you as.
So get out there and get creative! Find that personal location that will create memories with you and your love for times to come.
Thanks to Jasmine Sekhon of Dynamite Weddings!
