A Feng Shui Wedding

I was asked by a bride of mine to do a Feng Shui wedding for her. She did not know what it entailed, so I explained to her, as I am going to explain in today's blog.

Feng Shui is also pronounced (Fung Shawy) and meaning wind and water in the Chinese philosophical system that protects people from harm and bad energy. It means harmonizing with your environment. Feng Shui can help you choose the best day for your wedding.

Here are 5 simple tips for a Feng Shui wedding.

• A cream colored gown attracts good luck, lots of bridal shops carry off white or cream/champagne colored gowns that are well suited for a Feng Shui wedding.

• Consider your wedding date ideally, choose a date of the month with the number eight or nine in it or numbers that add up to these. the number eight means love and the number nine means eternity in Chinese tradition. therefore the 18th of the month would be ideal because it adds up to the numbers nine some other dates to consider would be 17th 19th the 28th and 29th.

• Your wedding cake is an especially important element and should not forgotten or overlooked when it comes to Feng Shui. black and white is the perfect balance of yin and yang, but not every bride wants black on her wedding day and that extends to the cake on your wedding day. If there are other methods, there is the Feng Shui number of love so a three tiered wedding cake should be perfect. If you are celebrating your reception outside, you should have a tall cake to celebrate marital growth. If your wedding is inside and the ceilings aren't particularly high, the cake can be shorter. Square cakes stand for a quiet romantic start to a marriage.

• The setup of the reception is very important as well. Round or oval tables are perfect choices and make sure the room is well lit, dark areas hinder the life energy from flowing freely. If you cant shine a light into a dark corner, simply add some Flowers to that area.

• Lets talk about location, normally that is set in stone, if you are having a church wedding for example. No one is going to move the altar to the Northeast corner of the church just because it is the corner for love and marriage. So what do you do? Use color to enhance important areas like this, be sure to place pink flowers in the North east corner. Also to represent the element of fire you can place candles in the Northeast corner to allow the energy to flow in the room by not crowding it in with seating.

Wishing a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year to all my followers, clients and friends. May 2014 be all that you desire for yourself.

Happy Holidays

I am sending to all my friends, followers, past, present and future brides a bountiful Christmas wish. May your day be filled with Blessings. To all the couples taking their vows on Christmas Day, have a touch of frost and may this day be the happiest for you both. Wishing everyone a Prosperous 2014 and enjoy this time of giving. To all much Success, Happiness, Health and Love.

Warm wishes...

Plus Size Brides

Brides come in many different shapes and sizes and we honor all of them. Plus size brides may sometime have difficulties finding the perfect dress, the dress that makes you feel that glow everyone talks about. Don’t despair, here are a few tips to make it easier for you.

Tailored bodices and full skirts. Your skirts can make a big difference in making you look the way you want to. A-line dress looks great, it also gives that tailored look so does dresses with organza lace.

Plus size brides look their best when your gown is couture, it helps to give the look you want. Some brides struggle to make a particular dress fit and in the end it’s not worth it. Try not to stress out yourself trying to find a dress that fits well. Take time to start early, at least 6-9 months prior to your wedding date. This is a time consuming process and should never be rushed. Do research find out which designers have dresses in your size (also note that most wedding gowns are generally sized smaller than regular clothing) it’s a pleasure to take this journey. The final result will be worth it. 

It is always fitting to get measured so you will have tailored gown let me also suggest to have your bust measured for the right size bra.

It’s very important also to get a spanks undergarment, it holds very nicely and contours your shape.

Choose a dress with straps or sleeves Strapless gowns may be trendy, but most plus-size brides should beware of this style, which tends to accentuate and widen shoulders and arms. When selecting sleeves or straps, make sure the material doesn't squeeze or bind your arms, shoulder or back. Avoid sleeves that start puffy and end smooth or fitted, as they have tendency to make arms look bigger. Instead, choose short capped or lacy sleeves.

Don’t be bullied. This is your wedding, your dress and, regardless of your size, you should never have to settle. Salesclerks may try to convince you to select a gown that's less than flattering because it fits and they have it in stock, but you should hold out until you find something you really want. Take a few friends with you to get some honest feedback and opinions.

OK ladies here is the answer to your questions.

What’s the best style to suite my body type?

A high-waisted A-line dress with a low neckline complements curves. You've got curves, so use them! Many plus-size women choose dresses with V-neck or sweetheart necklines.

You would want to look back at your day in pictures and be proud at how beautiful you look be sure to look the part as the princess. You want to look like nothing takes the place of a bride whom is radiant.

Enjoy your wedding embrace the day feel confident of how you look this is the beginning of a new life for you. 

Enter it with confidence. Have a happy marriage.

Preparing for the big day.

Getting married is a wonderful and exciting time. Many brides move forward in different ways, to best enjoy the days leading up to your wedding and your wedding day itself here are a few tips.

• Soon after getting engaged, create a detailed wedding planning timeline. So you aren't left rushing to get anything done at the last minute.

• Try not to plan your wedding everyday, you will become burnt-out and it will no longer be enjoyable.

• Please, I beg you. Do not talk about your wedding when among co-workers everyday. They will get annoyed hearing about it constantly.

• Pick just three family members or friends to be your wedding committee with whom you discuss your planning details.

• Do not make every hour of every weekend with you fiance center on your wedding. Remember to still take the time to enjoy each other.

Having  specialty cocktails at your reception is a wonderful treat. Try these cocktails for your seasonal wedding.

Winter: Make it warm and inviting, with Bourbon, laced with spiced apple syrup served with apple slices over one extra large ice cube.

Spring: Tap into the season with the flamingo;Grapefruit juice, Gin or Vodka; hibiscus syrup and a drop of ginger and rhubarb syrup.

Summer: A spiked fruit cocktail, try a sage liquor drink with rhubarb syrup, whole blueberries and a lemon peel garnish.

Fall: Bubbles and lemon, bring out the last of the sunshine. Create a Champagne cocktail, with lemon juice, Gin and a dollop of sparkling wine.

The Top Ten Etiquette questions

For your destination wedding, Money matters. We know you don't get married everyday, much less have a destination wedding, therefore etiquette can be a confusing subject. Here are some of our most asked questions and advice on how to handle them.

1. I am having concerns about the extra travel expenses for my attendants. what exactly should I pay for and what should the wedding party be responsible for?

• Since typically destination weddings are on a much smaller scale, you may choose to subsidize (Budget permitting) but it is not required. What you do for one person You should do for all. A few ideas for assisting your bridal party by making your wedding more affordable might be.
• A negotiating discount on airfare and lodging.
• Accommodations if it is in your budget (renting a large beach home for you and all your guests and having the wedding there, might be a good way to tie in the entire event.
• Make affordable choices on dresses and accessories, or give them to you attendants as a gift,
• Ask them not to give you a gift for the wedding and let them know that their presence is their present to you.

2. What is the protocol when tipping vendors at a wedding?

• Tipping is a method for expressing your appreciation for a job well done. When planning your budget it will be important to include gratuities in your calculations.
• Check your contract to see if gratuity is included.
• The host should carry cash on the wedding day for expected tipping.
• If you use a wedding planner, they can be responsible for dispersing tips on the wedding day if not be sure to designate someone to handle this detail for you.
• Guests should not be expected to pay for anything.

The invitations.

3.  When inviting a single friend to our destination wedding do we need to include a guest on the invitation?

• It is not necessary to include guests for singles unless they are engaged, but make every effort to group them with others they know at the reception, to ensure they enjoy the event.

4. My fiancé and I are paying for our destination wedding, how do we word the invitation?

An example for appropriate wording might be:

The honor of your presence is requested at the marriage of 

Miss Lee Cooper & Mister Todd Hill

Saturday, the eleventh of January, two thousand and fourteen 

at 5 in the afternoon.

Beautiful tropical resort, St. Thomas US Virgin Islands

5. How do I actually avoid inviting children to my wedding?

• Depending on where your wedding will take place, you may consider an appropriate “age cut off” based on the location and style of wedding you are having. Make sure to communicate well in advance if you’ll be including children or not. So guests can plan ahead.

6. Giving thanks. Is it appropriate to send an email thank you note?

• NO, even though we live in a world of the World Wide Web, it’s always better to send out hand written notes. Is shows you thought of you guests as special. It’s in such good taste and very ethical to show appreciation.

7. How do I handle if a card is separated from its gift?

• Match your guest list to you attendees and you may find it that way.
• People understand how mix-ups with gifts and gift cards can happen and would be happy to clarify which gift they sent.

8. How long do I have to write a thank you note if someone has given us a gift?

• Thank you notes should be written within a month’s time, but even if that time has passed. Do continue to write them, better late than not at all.

Party protocol.

9. Since we are having a destination wedding should we have other celebrations, bridal shower; bachelor/bachelorette parties?

• Please be mindful of throwing extra celebrations your friends and family might feel a pinch. You know your guests and their life circumstances better that anyone; make sure you recognize the overall financial outlay before adding more events to your roster.

10. I’m not inviting some people to the destination wedding, because we want it to be small and intimate. Should we invite them to the shower?

• You can if you are planning something to include friends and loved ones that will not be attending the actual ceremony.

“It’s not what you do, it’s how you do it” Have a hometown reception and invite them to that.

Bon Voyage