Planning Pad

I have a weakness for Nat King Cole. I’m not afraid to admit it.  That’s why It’s Heavenly (or, more fully, You Love Me And It’s Heavenly) first caught my eye.

Since its inception, IH has evolved from a bride blog to a warm, friendly example of lifestreaming – full of photos and random anecdotes that really make you feel like you know the blogger, Carlene.  As of her latest post, Carlene and her beau have been married for a year already.

When you hear that the Trump family is throwing a soiree, you can bet that it’ll be an event that you just can’t miss. In the case of Ivanka and her hubby Jared, it was their nuptials that caught the world’s attention. This lavish, fairytale wedding was held on Sunday – and people are still talking! Here’s some of the key details:

1. The bride wore a Vera Wang gown inspired by Grace Kelly’s wedding dress – so chic!

2. Guests at the private ceremony included TV personality and family friend Regis Philbin, who sang at the reception.

3. The cake, oh the cake. This confectionery creation was 70 inches with about 13 layers wringed in flowers. Lisianthus, roses, peonies, Lily of the Valley, and baby’s breath in pink, ivory, white, cream, and flush tones added a stunning finish to this delicious and creative cake.

4. The guest list was 500 – no wonder the cake was huge!

5. The reception was held a beautiful white tent at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J. and was planned by celebrity event designer Preston Bailey. On the menu: lamb and fish.

6. All the guests agree – there were classic details and white roses everywhere. A truly elegant occasion.

7. Donald Trump and wife Melania’s three-year-old son Barron was also part of the ceremony as the ringbearer.

Planning a wedding on a budget?  Well, we obviously know the best place for you to shop for wedding favors, but you should also check out Relentless Bride, one of our fave wedding blogs.  AmyJean is planning a California wedding on a budget, and you can benefit from her to-dos, no-to-dos and DIY projects that she’s learning as she goes.

The site is so good, in fact, that it won Best Real Bride Blog in WeddingChannel.com’s Bridal Blog Awards.

Right now, the wedding is only four months away, and a lot of the details are starting to get finalized.  Even if you aren’t looking for wedding planning tips, it’s exciting to follow along with!

Not to say that Amanda from SWOONOVERIT (formerly The Blissful Bride) doesn’t have some killer content on her wedding-centric blog.  Chock full of inspirations, stunning displays of creativity (both in wedding planning and in general) and some heartwarming and humorous slice of life stuff, but the site is really a treat for typography and design nerds.  From its striking logo to its great use of white space (something that is shockingly rare in blogs these days) and colorful photos, everything about the site is instantly and visually charming.  You’ll want to read it every day just to look at it.  And why wouldn’t it be? Amanda is a professional calligrapher, so she knows clean design.

Halloween is almost here and PlanningPad.com is wondering, “Are there any readers out there who have attended or hosted a Halloween wedding?” While many brides choose to avoid this ghoulish date, some couples celebrate in the fun and festivities by choosing to hold their ceremony and reception in a haunted house or other spooky venue on Halloween. Great for couples that love the holiday or share the same interests in the scary things associated with it, Halloween weddings can be a fun way for you to share your love with your guests. Think you’re up for the challenge? Here’s a few tips for hosting the Halloween Wedding of your dreams…or should we say, nightmares?

1. Think haunted house when it comes time to decorate your reception venue and splurge on really unique, dark table linens in luxurious fabrics and really focus in on the lighting and decorations. Go for colored or dim lights accented by tons of elegant candelabras and furnish your space with spooky cobwebs, bubbling cauldrons, fake skulls, bats, or other creepy accent pieces. Not sure if you’re ready for scary? Fall leaves and dried fall florals are always a great choice.

2. Pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere! Make sure you celebrate this Halloween favorite by choosing to decorate your tables with carved or decorated pumpkins.

3. On your menu, choose favorite flavors of fall, like apple, nut, and pumpkin. Then, as a special touch, rename your menu items so that they have creepy names, like Eye of Newt Soup or Scary Scallops.

4. Require costumes for your guests! This is a great way to have everyone get into the spirit.

5. Include Halloween themed music into your play list, like “The Monster Mash,” “Thriller,” or “Bewitched.”

Sailboat_Tealight_Holders

Most people have their wedding on solid land, but you could always choose to do something different, perhaps a nautical wedding. While you could focus on having a beach-themed wedding with sea shell decorations on your cake, for example, you could also choose to tie the knot on a boat.

If you live near the water or if you want to plan on traveling to such a destination for your ceremony, check into boat rental availability in the area. Or maybe you already know someone who owns a boat and would allow you to use it for your wedding. You could choose to take the boat out into the water or keep it docked while you exchange vows. Some couples have even opted to take their boat to a more private island where they hold the ceremony then hold the reception on the boat.

No matter how you choose to have your nautical wedding you can incorporate symbols and themes into the decorations. Your invitations, for example, can feature images of boats or ocean waves. You can use boat-shaped place card holders at the reception and then allow your guests to keep them as wedding favors.

As far as your reception menu, seafood is an obvious choice. Crab cakes make a delicious appetizer for the reception, particularly if you serve them with some tasty and unique sauces. Having great food and some delicious beverages make the nautical wedding even more memorable.

One of the big decisions couples have to make when they are planning a wedding reception is whether or not to have an open or a cash bar. Of course, some couples choose to avoid the issue altogether by not having a bar at all. Instead, they may serve champagne when it comes time to make toasts but, otherwise, guests have no access to alcohol at all.

However, the majority of receptions do include some alcohol. The difference between an open and a cash bar is who covers the costs. With the latter, your guests are going to pay for their own alcoholic beverages. With the former, you’ll be footing the bill.

An obvious drawback of the open bar is that you may have a hard time planning for your expenses. You also need to make sure the bartender is not overcharging you. If he or she has to open one bottle of vodka for a drink, for example, you could be charged for that whole bottle.

Another idea is to have a combination open and cash bar. That means you might serve beer or wine for free but charge for mixed drinks.

Regardless of which decision you make, you need to include this information on the invitation so guests will know what to expect. Guests may not bring much money with them to the event if they don’t expect to pay for drinks.

Keep in mind that not all guests are going to be happy with any decision you make. Some people will be upset if you charge for alcohol; others will be perturbed if you serve alcohol at all. This decision needs to be made by you as a couple based on your preferences and your budget.

One of the most fun (and frustrating) parts of planning your wedding is deciding on your color palette! Some brides make it seem so effortless, but don’t get frustrated when you hear them describe the mocha and petal pink palette they’ve always dreamed of. Even the most design-impaired bride can create a palette that pops using these handy tips:

• Pick a core color and vary your shades. Using a variety of blues will add more depth to your décor than a solid navy scheme. It’s also much easier than trying to match the perfect shade of peach that you found at David’s Bridal across all your vendors.

• Choose neighboring colors that won’t clash. Orange, saffron and a muted rust color will complement each other perfectly! Just look for shades that sit next to each other on the wheel.

• If you want to shake things up, pick colors that sit opposite each other on the wheel. We’ve seen some elegant weddings recently that paired bright poppy red with a soft aqua, or even hot pink with a soft meadow green. The key to this is to choose muted shades of your colors that will keep you looking like the fashionista we know you are, and not a Rainbow Brite wannabe!

• Pair your favorite color with a neutral shade like black, white, cream or tan. All of these classic colors look great at weddings, and pairing a single shade with them creates an elegant look.

At the end of the day, this is your wedding so choose colors that both you and your partner love. Take some time to practice pairing different shades together and you’ll have your perfect wedding colors in no time!

On last night’s episode of NBC’s “The Office”, characters Jim Halpert and Pam Beesly finally tied the knot after five years of will they or won’t they courtship. As fans rejoiced, laughed, and even cried, we were on the edge of our seats to see what the adorable couple would do to keep Michael at bay while still having a dream wedding.

Thankfully, the entire episode – and the big event – went off without a hitch. The office staff made the trek up to Niagra Falls for the ceremony which was held privately on the Maid of the Mist before the acutal big to-do in a chapel. From lunacy at the rehearsal dinner to laugh out loud moments like Creed’s noodles and Meredith’s dancing, the episode was a must-see, especially for couples looking to release some of that wedding planning stress. Just think, you could always have Michael be your best man

For those couples worried about their pictures on their wedding day, there are a few tips to consider to make sure each and every photo captures memories you can share for a lifetime. Beyond having a list of questions prepared for your wedding photographer, below are some suggestions you should also consider to get the best out of your wedding snapshots.

1. Try and relax and have fun on your wedding day. A great and cheerful attitude will shine through and turn into beautiful photos.

2. Consult with your wedding photographer about the season your wedding day is in and the times of the day that shed the best light for photos.

3. Communicate your wishes of requested poses and specific snapshots before your wedding day to assure you are both on the same page.

4. Don’t go overboard on your hair and makeup. You want to look as natural as possible in your photos and even schedule a trial run at the salon before your big day.

Even though you’ll want everything perfect on your wedding day, don’t get overwhelmed. The ultimate goal is to capture the best possible pictures and enjoy this time of celebration!