Tidbits every Bride should know...

8/10/10

Cake Toppers & Dessert Buffets... I'll take one of each, please.

There are so many fun ways to spruce up your wedding cake, but cake toppers unfortunately become an afterthought to many couples. Cake toppers can be your monogram, they can be flowers from the florist, or flowers done by the cake creator, they can be the traditional bride & groom sculpture... there are a lot of beautiful and unique ways to top your cake.

Many brides and grooms are also starting to enjoy the idea of a smaller wedding cake supplemented by other desserts, such as cupcakes. Not only does it make it quicker and easier for guests to get their dessert, but it also adds a fun aesthetic to the wedding. Couples can show off their color theme or personalities with how they display the dessert table. The idea of a "midnight snack" is not new to the wedding world-it is memorable to send your guests off at the end of the night with a little chinese food carton of goodies they have selected themselves. No matter how you offer these yummy treats to your guests, everyone likes to indulge their sweet tooth every now and then!

Here are some awesome websites I have found while surfing around online, plus Brides Magazine suggests some fun ideas, too:

*http://www.etsy.com/shop/lollipopworkshop

*Concarta.etsy.com (paper figurines you can customize hair/skin/dress & tie colors etc)

*PeachandPearl.etsy.com (Tiny flags you can customize to say your name or "Just Married" a very easy DIY project too if you want to save some $$$)

*JustCakeToppers.com Extensive options: Cultural symbols, (Chinese, Celtic), Precious Moments figurines, Gay and Lesbian cake toppers, castles, animals, religious icons, sports... LOTS to choose from!

*BunnyWithAToolBelt.com SO CUTE, you just have to look at her work

*DecoratingStudio.com

*Sculpturedglass.com

*Ranunculusmarket.etsy.com As she says on her site, "Your spot for finding all things paper and floral, all things made of tulle for dancing in"

*ShellScapes.etsy.com Beach-oriented themes

*Origami!

Lastly... One of my favs because my mother is an artist... (if you have a sentimental or personal connection to someone who can do something similar, I would go with them... but if you do not know someone of that nature, check out this site): bluebutterflydesign.etsy.com Robert Indiana's "Love" sculpture, among other options

This is a great resource for information on different types of cake toppers and what materials are used in their construction:

http://www.thatsmytopper.com/category/010232.shtml

6/14/10

Alternate Registry options

What should you do when you and your fiance have pretty much everything you need or want? If you know you are going to inherit your Grandmother's china later in life, and don't want to register for your own china, flatware, stemware etc... here are some fun alternatives that engaged couples don't realize are totally kosher to do nowadays:

*Furniture*

Your wedding guests can contribute a dollar amount or go in on a love-seat together for your wedding gift! Many local furniture retailers allow people to buy gift cards from their store, or they even have the Wedding Registry option. One example is American Furniture Warehouse in the West.

*Honeymoon Registries*

Guests can pay for part of your flight or a morning massage... Here are some great resources:

*Education Registries*

Just like it sounds, you can give your wedding guests the option to help out with something everyone dreads, tuition costs and student loans!

Educationregistry.com

*Cash Registries*

This is a Registry for "wishes not things"

UponourStar

*Charity Registries*

This is a fun option, if you and your fiance really do not want anything at all, you can inform your guests about charities they can donate to in leu of a traditional wedding gift.

My PERSONAL favorite: Heifer International They have the "pay it forward" idea, where you can donate a cow, chicken, or other livestock to families in developing countries. This livestock teaches the underprivileged families how to maintain their livelihoods and continue the charity by giving to another family when a baby cow or chicken is born. Not only does this work towards preventing world hunger and encouraging world peace, it also literally builds communities based on morals and traits people always talk about, but don't usually demonstrate.

JustGive

IDoFoundation

ChangingthePresent