Saturday, March 30, 2013

How to Cut the Cake at your Wedding

The Tradition of Cake Cutting


The tradition of cutting the wedding cake represents a special moment at your wedding. This ceremony is intended to show the commitment of your union. 

Did you know that there is actually a method on how the cake cutting should be done?  During the cake cutting, the bride holds the cake cutting knife in her hands and the groom’s hand then holds the bride’s as they make the first cut together. The reason the bride's hands are placed on the knife first is because the cake is a symbol of fertility and prosperity and the direct connection with the bride should not be broken. 

This tradition started long ago with the bride actually serving the cake to the wedding guests.  It has since evolved into the bride and groom cutting the cake together, sharing the first piece with each other, and making a toast to their guests to thank them for sharing in the celebration.The reception venue or caterer generally cuts the remainder of the cake and serves it to the guests.

Capturing the Moment

You want to make sure the moment is perfectly captured when you cut the cake. When planning the setup of your reception venue, be sure the cake table is setup in a well lighted area or have your DJ enhance it with a spotlight. You also want to be certain your photographer and DJ know exactly when the ceremony will take place. Your DJ should announce to your reception crowd that the cake cutting ceremony is taking place and give your guests plenty of time to gather around the table.  Have your photographer take several "before" shots of the cake ... and then have them ready for the cutting, sharing, and toast portion of the ceremony!

Whether you politely eat the cake as a couple or mash it into each others mouths (don’t forget about the hard work your lovely bride did with her makeup), have fun with this long standing wedding tradition. We suggest you have a conversation before the wedding about your plans for the cake sharing ... this will help avoid unwelcome, messy surprises.

Wedding Cake Toppers

Cake Toppers add to the uniqueness of each couple’s commitment.  The traditional wedding cake topper often shows the couple in formal attire…but they can also represent hobbies, shared interests, humor or an unusual theme.   This is a perfect way to bring your personality to the cake for everyone to see. 

Pick a cake topper that is representative of who you are and have some fun with it! If you are using fresh flowers on the cake, you can still have a cake topper set off to the side of the cake.  It serves as decor at the cake table and still enables you to share some of your personality with the wedding cake.

Preserving the Top Tier

Preserving the top tier of the wedding cake has been part of the wedding tradition for centuries. Often couples will open the cake package on their first anniversary and enjoy another taste as part of their celebration. If this is something you plan to do, make sure to have an airtight plastic bag or box ready to store the top tier of the cake.  It helps if the top tier is frozen briefly before being wrapped with wax paper and placed into the airtight container. For best results, it should be placed in a freezer right away. 

~ The WhereBridesGo.com Team
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Saturday, March 23, 2013

Traditional Order of the Wedding Procession

There is a traditional order for the procession in Catholic and Protestant ceremonies. That said, don't be afraid to change things up for your own wedding to suit your needs and situation. This order is simply for your reference when planning your wedding ceremony.
  • The officiate enters (usually enters from the side) when the music begins
  • Groom's grandparents (walk down aisle, then take a seat)
  • Bride's grandparents (walk down aisle, then take a seat)
  • Groom's parents (walk down aisle, then take a seat)
  • Bride's mother (walk down aisle, then take a seat)
  • Best Man (usually enters from the side)
  • Groom (usually enters from the side)
  • Groomsmen and Bridesmaids (usually paired in twos)
  • Maid/Matron of Honor
  • Ring Bearer (walks down the aisle, then takes a seat)
  • Flower Girl (walks down the aisle, then takes a seat)
  • Bride (typically escorted by her Father)
Are you changing this up for your wedding ceremony? We'd love to hear about YOUR wedding procession plans and what you doing to make it unique!

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    Where brides go®  ... for what brides love! For a great selection of affordable wedding supplies, wedding accessories, and wedding cake tops, check out WhereBridesGo.com!  
     
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    Tuesday, March 19, 2013

    10 Great Ways to Get the Groom Involved

    groomsmen gifts from wherebridesgo.com
    Great gifts for your Groomsmen from WhereBridesGo.com!
    Gone are the days when wedding planning was the sole responsibility of the bride and her mother. If your fiance is happily going about his life while you are out alone talking to the florist, caterer, baker, stationer, DJ, etc., it's time to get him involved in the planning of what will be the most special day of your lives together—your wedding day! After all, planning this day will probably be the first major project of your life together. It's important for both of you to feel connected to this process.

    Here are the top 10 ways to include your man in planning for the big day.
    1. Request His Help. This may sound like a "no-brainer," but often the groom doesn't get involved because he has been under the mistaken impression that his help wasn't desired. Sit down with your fiance and ask him what he would like to have at the wedding/reception. Tell him what you would like and develop a plan together.

    2. Give Him The Knowledge. The fact that almost every bridal magazine is directed at brides is not lost on your fiance. He may be hesitant to help with planning because he simply doesn't know what's expected of him. Give him a checklist with dates that tasks need to be accomplished. Offer suggestions for each area. Remember, he may not do things exactly the way you might, but that's okay. He's getting the job done.

    3. Enticements. Finding the most delicious wedding cake or most bubbly champagne can be a good way to have your fiance have input into the wedding plans. Spending a few afternoons or evenings eating delicious desserts and sipping on champagne isn't work; it's fun!

    4. Gift Registry. Remind your man that the gift registry isn't just for china and crystal. While he may genuinely care about those types of gifts, today's gift registries are much more diverse. If he's had his eye on a great barbecue set or barware, remind him that the wedding gift registry is the way to go.

    5. Entertainment. Choosing the entertainment for your reception may be just the ticket for getting your fiance involved. Chances are he has very definite opinions in this area. Put those tastes to good use. Have him "audition" the various bands or DJ's your considering. Spending a few evenings together going to clubs listening to music is a date not wedding planning!

    6. Invitations. Chances are you haven't met everyone in your fiance's family or group of friends, yet it is important that they be included in the guest list. Ask him to make a list of people he wants to invite. Better yet, ask him to address the envelopes of his guest list. Don't worry if his handwriting is illegible, there are many computer programs available for printing labels.

    7. Keeping Track. If your fiance is a natural organizer, ask him to keep track of receipts, schedules, contracts, and appointments. Not only will this lighten your load, but also he'll be involved in the planning process.

    8. Accommodations. Asking your fiance to arrange for accommodations for out-of-town guests can be a good way for him to stay involved. Just give him a list of acceptable hotels, and let him do the arranging.

    9. Rehearsal Dinner. Your fiance probably knows that this dinner has traditionally been the groom (or groom's family's) responsibility. If he doesn't already have ideas for this event, give him a few suggestions, and let him have at it. Don't worry if his ideas of fun for all differ from yours. It's his wedding, too!

    10. Honeymoon Planning. If your guy doesn't already have a plan for your honeymoon, give him a few suggestions. Let him know the type of hotel you would find acceptable and be prepared to be pleasantly surprised.
    Enjoy the wedding planning process .... together!

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    ~ The WhereBridesGo.comTeam

    Where brides go®  ... for what brides love!
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    Thursday, March 14, 2013

    7 Smart Wedding Flower Strategies

    It's no secret that flowers add beauty to your wedding ... gorgeous draping floral canopies, floral wedding arches, pew arrangements, wreaths, centerpieces, and more. They set the stage for your walk down the aisle, dress up the ceremony venue, and adorn the reception tables.  By the time you add up all the bouquets and arrangements, you can quickly bust your wedding budget.



    Try these 7smart (and simple) floral tips to keep your floral budget in check while still enjoying the beauty, elegance, and fragrance of fresh flowers:
    1. Keep your floral arrangements simple.  For your centerpieces, use hand tied bouquets. These require much less labor than complex arrangements that have to be pinned to foam boards or that require on-site assembly.
    2. Concentrate your floral budget on the flowers that will show the most. This includes your bridal bouquet, flowers on the altar, and the centerpieces.
    3. Use candles as centerpieces instead of fresh flowers. Then decorate the reception tables with small inexpensive wedding favors at each place setting. This also gives your guests a small memento from the wedding.
    4. Use a fun cake topper instead of flowers on the wedding cake. The cake will be disassembled anyway ... why not choose a whimsical cake topper that reflects your personality or hobbies? It becomes a conversation piece for your guests and a keepsake for you after the wedding.
    5. Choose a smaller wedding party. Ten bridesmaids can mean ten bouquets totaling $1000 or more on the high end.
    6. Avoid having your wedding around dates where there is peak demand for flowers. This includes Mother's Day and Valentine's Day.  Not only will your florist be extremely busy, but the price of the flowers can almost double.
    7. Choose a beautiful venue. If you select a venue with incredible beauty, either architecturally or interior decor, you won't have to spend as much on floral arrangements to decorate it.
    wedding cake topperTalk with your florist to see if he or she has done a wedding at your venue previously. It's likely that s/he will have some ideas on where you actually need fresh flowers versus where you don't. Florists understand weddings and will often provide great advice on how to how save money by selecting less expensive (but equally beautiful) flowers. They can also provide guidance on making flowers look incredibly lush, using a few of your favorite expensive buds as the focal point and combing them with less expensive fillers.  Take advantage of your florist's expertise and you are sure to have a gorgeous floral spread without busting your wedding budget.

    Do you have any money saving tips for your wedding flowers?  We'd love to hear them!




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    ~ The WhereBridesGo.comTeam
     

    Where brides go®  ... for what brides love!

    For a great selection of affordable D.I.Y wedding favors, pre-packaged wedding favors, and wedding cake tops, check out WhereBridesGo.com!  
     

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    Thursday, March 7, 2013

    3 Things To Never Say In Your Thank You Notes (and more!)

    Do I REALLY have to send hand-written thank you notes?

    Many people think that hand-written thank you notes are a long-forgotten tradition. In the age of Twitter, Facebook, text messages and all the rest,  we rarely sit down and craft hand-written notes and letters anymore.

    Your wedding is not the time to blow off the hand-written thank you note, though. Each guest will put time, a lot of thought, and money into the gift they give you. It's important to take the time to thank them appropriately, not only for the gift but for attending the event, as well!

    What do I say in my wedding thank you note?

    Before we get to what you should never say, let's look quickly at what you should say. If you follow these simple guidelines, writing your thank you notes will be easy. You don't have to write a novel, but you want to make sure your thank you notes are personal and sincere.

    Here's what TO say:
    1. Say "thank you for ..." (fill in the blank with the gift). Start every note this way.
    2. Be specific about how you plan to use the gift.  For example, if you received something for the kitchen, you might say, "I can't wait to use it to make our favorite lasagna!"
    3. Let them know how nice it was to see them at the wedding.  If they couldn't make the wedding and they just sent a gift, let them know they were missed.
    4. Close with a reference to a future visit or get together.
    3 Thing to NEVER say in your thank you notes:
    1. Never imply that the gift was less than you were expecting.
    2. Never let them know if you received a duplicate of the gift from someone else.
    3. Never let them know that you are returning or exchanging the gift.
    Remember that thank you notes aren't for gifts alone.  Be sure to send thank you notes to your bridal party and any other person who helped you with your wedding day. Your wedding vendors appreciate thank you notes, too ... especially if you have someone who really goes above an beyond for you!

    For a great selection of affordable wedding thank you notes, check out our Carlson Craft dealer site! You can personalize and design your thank you notes (and your invitations) online ... it's great!

    ~ The WhereBridesGo.comTeam
     

    Where brides go®  ... for what brides love!

    For more ideas, wedding favors and accessories, check out WhereBridesGo.com!



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