Centerpieces – an alternative to flowers
If you want a creative spin to your wedding centerpieces, use basic decorating ideas to create a completely different feel.
There are a million sites that will give you ideas on how to decorate a dining table for a party other than just using flowers. Candles give a good ambiance to the room but you can go even further than that without breaking the bank.
Check out discount home design stores. Everyone has those in their local area. Find pieces that you like and that express the “feel” of your reception. For instance, if you are getting married at the coast, look for nautical inspired pieces.
Fruit is a colorful cheap alternative to flowers. Filling different shaped glass vessels with fruits whose colors compliment 
your wedding colors brings a natural feel to your space. Remember, the color doesn’t’ have to be the same as your bridesmaid’s dresses. Maybe your girls are wearing a vibrant pink, use the green of limes to compliment them.
Edible centerpieces are a great idea. I had a friend who had individual wedding cakes as her centerpieces. After she and her husband cut their cake, guests were welcome to dig into their own table cake for as much or as little of a sweet treat as they wanted. At MyBridalDream, we have Our Sister’s Nuts who sell gourmet nuts for any occasion. They will customize favors and centerpieces to go with your wedding that are not only beautiful but delicious treats for your guests.
As always, be creative. There are so many options to make your wedding day your own Bridal Dream.
My Bridal Dream, LLC partners with Wasabi Ventures
Manchester, NH – May 7, 2012: My Bridal Dream, LLC would like to announce their new partnership with Wasabi Ventures.
Co-Founder, Tia Lori Bergeron is excited to announce a new partnership. “We have enjoyed our growth to date and look forward to the launch of Phase II which will fully automate the site for wedding vendors. Our partnership with Wasabi Ventures will expedite this growth through their Advisor Role and Engineering Team.”
My Bridal Dream, LLC based in Manchester, NH has a website that matches brides with wedding vendors based on specific needs and location. The platform exists as a bridal tool to enhance and streamline the wedding planning process. The site is free to brides and affordable annual memberships are available to wedding vendors.
Tom “TK” Kuegler, Managing Partner, stated: “Wasabi Ventures is excited to lend our resources and expertise to MBD. The passion and energy that the founding team brings to the table is exactly what we see in our most successful startup investments.”
The initial site was launched in June 2011. Co-Founder Allison DeCesere stated, “We are really pleased to be partnering with Wasabi Ventures. Their technical expertise is filling a void in My Bridal Dream’s internal structure. We are enhancing our website to better meet the needs of our clients.”
Once in a Lifetime Honeymoon Excursions
Many newlyweds are opting for their honeymoons to be as extravagant as the budget will allow. Gone are the days of a trip to Niagara Falls to celebrate one of the biggest occasions of your life.
My husband and I opted for a trip to Paris and Rome for our honeymoon. It really is a trip that we will possibly only take once and we figured why not do it big. It made the end of our most memorable day go directly into the beginning of our most memorable vacation.
My cousin is getting married in September. She and her fiancé are debating (and asking for guest votes) to see if they should go to Patagonia and Peru, Pac-Northwest, Australia and New Zealand or the Caribbean Islands. They are very outdoorsy so all of these trips would fit right into their lifestyle.
The key to finding your perfect honeymoon is to ask, where have I always wanted to go? Where would I want to visit in this lifetime? What fits our personality? What works within our budget? Once you answer these questions, you can begin planning your Dream Honeymoon to end your Bridal Dream on a really high note!
Tuxes to Suits, making sure your guy looks great on his big day!
So much about wedding planning focuses on the bride and her ladies looking good but the men in our lives want to dress to impress for their big day too. That likely means they are going to need a little help from the women. If you happen to be one of the lucky few guys who can dress himself, please do not write to complain to me, I am speaking in generalities.
Just like the bridesmaids dresses, the men should be dressed to compliment the bride and wedding itself. As with all of your decisions, you are going to have to take the style, season, and location of your wedding into consideration when determining the proper male dress code.
If you are planning a formal affair, nothing looks better than a classic tux. When it comes to more casual 
events, a full suit works well and if you are planning a beach front, barefoot occasion, you can go as low key as khakis or khaki shorts.
The bride is typically the one creating the overall feel for the wedding and most likely the groom doesn’t even know what her dress looks like so it is helpful to get her opinion when choosing which attire will go best to make all of your bridal dreams come true!
Wedding Color Inspiration
Choosing your wedding colors is one of the first things you’ll do when planning. It will decide the mood, what your bridal party will wear and what decorations you will need. That being said, it’s not always an easy choice. I like to look in everyday life for inspiration. When you are walking around the mall, see what color combinations you are drawn to in clothes, pictures and decorations. Search the web for house decorating and see what works with the type of room. If you want a formal wedding, look at pictures of formal home decorations. If you want a club atmosphere, look for pictures of cool clubs and see what they are using to create their appeal.
Be sure to pay attention to your facility colors too. If you have a “blank canvas” facility, than your colors have no 
boundaries. If your function room has maroon carpeting or green walls, you will want to keep that in mind when you are choosing the colors that go with it. Either way, think out of the box. Not every wedding has to be shades of blush and rose. Remember, it’s your wedding, make it your own Bridal Dream come true!
Inclusion – the key to a happy family wedding
So, you’re engaged and now everyone wants to help plan your big day! It can actually be the difference between a happy pre-wedding time and an all out family brawl especially when it comes to the groom’s mother. Many times, this particular position is put on the back burner, not intentionally, but none the less. Most women have dreamed about their wedding from the time they were small and have shared these thoughts and dreams with their own mother and sisters. What you didn’t think of is the “other” woman who is so excited her baby is getting married and wants to participate, after all it’s not just the bride’s day it’s also the groom’s. But she might not be on the same page as you. In some instances, your mother isn’t either. So what’s a good bride to do?
First, make sure everyone has a role. Remember these people are so happy for you, all they want is something to do to help you and to feel like a bigger part of your wedding. So, if someone’s asking, put them to work. You will end up appreciating it in the long run. It’s amazing how much there is to do.
Second, think about the individual person and their strengths. Maybe your mother has a green thumb, put her in charge of searching for different flowers in your colors. Your future mother-in-law used to be an interior decorator, ask her to decorate the ceremony area. Your sister has an eye for style; have her help pick out the wedding party attire. Having everyone utilize their skills will ensure they are helping instead of just getting in the way.
Third, make sure you give direction, after all, this is your (and your fiancés day). These people want to help but likely don’t want to mess it up. So, make sure you share some ideas, even pictures with them, in order to keep in line with your vision.
Having a team of women who love you and want to make this the best day of your life is a blessing and will only help to make your Bridal Dreams come true!
My Bridal Dream, LLC selected as finalist for Manchester Mayor’s Small Business Award
We are so excited that My Bridal Dream, LLC has been selected as a finalist in the Manchester, NH Mayor’s Small Business Award in the Innovative Category.
The Mayor’s Small Business Award sponsored by Comcast Business Class has been created to honor and recognize small businesses within Manchester in three separate categories: Growth, Innovation and Community Service. Award winners will be announced at the Mayor’s Small Business Awards Breakfast on Friday, May 25th.
If you are interested in this event, check out more information on their page, Mayor’s Small Business Awards.
We are so pleased to have been selected as a finalist and look forward to the breakfast celebration.
Congratulations to all of the other finalists including our good friends at Wasabi Media Group.
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Friday, May 25th, 7:30 – 9:00 a.m. |
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| 7:30AM | Registration Opens & Breakfast is served |
| 8:00AM | Opening Remarks by Mayor Ted Gatsas |
| 8:15AM | Keynote Speakers: Congressman Frank Guinta & Senator Jeanne Shaheen (Invited) |
| 8:40AM | Awards Ceremony |
How far is too far to travel for a wedding?
Many engaged couples are struggling with location, location, location. I have a friend who’s getting married at the end of this summer and she posed an interesting question to me. “Is it rude to ask your guests to travel an hour away to have the ceremony and then an hour back for the reception?” Turns out they live in a small city but wanted to get married on the ocean which is about an hour from home.
So, I pondered the idea. I guess my first instinct was to say, it depends. And in my mind, it depends on a handful of factors. First, how many of them are traveling to get to your home town reception in the first place. It’s not a thrilling idea for most guests to already be driving a couple of hours and then to add a 2 hour round trip to get from the ceremony to the reception. Second, when is your wedding? If you are getting married on a Friday evening, making your guests not only leave work early or even take the day off but then having them drive the extra 2 hours, seems a bit much. Third, is there a really good reason for the location distance? Are you getting married close to your elderly grandmother so she can attend?
While I am all for brides and grooms making their day exactly as they want it, you really should give some general consideration to your friends and family who are undoubtedly shelling out some money to attend your wedding.
The only thing I can say is, if you plan to go ahead with the big travel plans, count on some of your guests not making it. If that’s ok with you, than go ahead and make your Bridal Dream come true.
Mood Inspiring Flowers
Our friends at Lady Slipper Creations have done it again, thanks to Galassia Flowers. They always show us the newest trends in flowers. This one is particularly great because it incorporates flowers, a wedding staple, with lighting, which takes your reception to the next level. This is a complete reception WOW!
“#50 Imagine a wedding being held at dusk, on a beach… or maybe in a dimly lit ballroom…. what would add real atmosphere??? What if your flowers looked like “a gallaxy of stars” or “glistening jewels”!! Those are discriptions being used by a company who developed illuminating flowers! There are lots and lots of options available for lighting for your wedding day but florescent flowers – that is new!!! Once again, make sure you select a florist that is current and up to date on new products that are available in the industry!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Photo courtesy of Galassia Flowers! Isn’t it beautiful!!!!”
Vendor Contracts – Always be Safe
It’s tough to think of the “bad” side of weddings but they can be there if you don’t pay attention. Insurance and contracts are a good idea for any bride. I remember that overwhelming happiness you feel and all of these vendors want to help and make your day perfect but the truth is they are business people. It is their job to make you feel that way.
Your job is to protect yourself. Make sure you have a contract or at least a written confirmation, in some cases, with every single vendor. The wording should clearly say what they will do and what you will do. I would also be cautious with anyone who wants all of their money up front. A down payment is not an unusual request; however, you should not pay for everything until you have received ALL of your services or products.
Two of the biggest vendors that this applies to are videographers and photographers. Their job is not done until after your wedding is over. So, making sure that they don’t hold all the cards is in your best interest. I have heard for many brides that say it took forever to get their pictures or video. If you pay them everything before you get the final product, they have no real incentive to get your job done. This is also where a contract comes in very handy. Make sure it lists out a timeline of arrival so you have that as back-up too. Now please don’t send me a bunch of e-mails defending bridal vendors. There are many, many out there that are fantastic and will do everything right. These are just tips for the rare occasion where you might run into trouble.
Taking some small steps to protect yourself will ensure your bridal dream doesn’t turn into a bridal nightmare.
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