SimplyWeddingStuff.com’s Natural Bamboo Coaster is my pick for Bridal Shower Favor of the Month. Did you know that bamboo is considered a symbol of luck and success because of its strength, resilience and ability to grow quickly? This bit of knowledge made me fall in love with SimplyWeddingStuff.com’s Natural Bamboo Coasters even more.

I think this set of four would be great for environmentally aware brides-to-be to give as bridal shower favors, but make sure to let your ladies know the significance of bamboo as it relates to luck and success. It will make the gift more meaningful.

Couldn’t you just see the Natural Bamboo Coasters being used on the patio during the warm summer months?

And if you’re looking to stretch your dollar even further, you could break up the set of four Natural Bamboo Coasters and incorporate one into each of your place settings – use it as a drink coaster, set a cup cake on top of it or do something spa-like and add a few rocks and a candle on top of the Natural Bamboo Coaster. The possibilities are endless!

Posted by Sara, a Dot-arilla Blogger

If your trying to plan a bachelorette party that will rival any girls gone wild video, STOP! Ask yourself, is this what the bride wants? The bachelorette parties of today are more subtle and laid back. Many east coast bridal parties are opting for a relaxing day at a spa, rather than a night of R-rated fun. A spa night also gives the younger members of the wedding party a chance to take part in the activities. Call a local spa and ask if they have group rates. Purchase a sash for the bride, so that everyone know who she is, and then head out for a night of pampering. No one will miss the crazy antics of a traditional bachelorette party. The girls will be too busy sipping mimosas while somebody massages their feet and manicures their fingernails. A bachelorette party is nothing more than a night out with the girls. Do something that everyone enjoys, and then you can head out for some PG-13 rated fun afterwards.

Posted by Amy, a Dot-arilla Blogger

No doubt about it, guys can be difficult to shop for. And what exactly does your fiancé get for the wedding party guys? You’re going to want to get them something they’ll be able to use that they don’t already have. Hmmmm…it does tend to be a bit of a conundrum.

One suggestion, especially if most of the guys are from out-of-town, is to pay for their tux rentals. True, this can get to be expensive depending on the style of the tux you select and the number of people in the wedding party but you can bet that every last one of them will greatly appreciate this type of generosity.

If that’s a bit too untraditional for your taste, then consider something that would be unique and meaningful to each person. Are some of the guys drinking buddies? Get them a flask, mug or stein. Golf enthusiasts? Give them some high-quality golf balls. True, each of these gifts on their own could be considered a bit generic, so go above and beyond and have your fiancé include a note with each gift reminiscing about or perhaps just referring to a specific memorable time had with each of wedding party guys. They’ll appreciate it.

Posted by Sara, a Dot-arilla Blogger

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from SimplyWeddingStuff.com and Big Dot of Happiness!! Best wishes for a joyous holiday season and prosperous new year!
 

I found it most helpful when planning my wedding to start from the beginning. My first step- finding the perfect spot to get married. I found myself questioning…Do I want to get married in a church? On our parents property? Destination wedding? Is there a special spot that the two of us really like? Finally we decided that our wedding should take place in a cornfield where we spent our first date- which was spent combining. That special field had a perfect view of the fall colors that we had chosen as well. The wedding decorations were simple – hay bales for seating, shepherd hooks, pumpkins and mason jars with flowers. We also painted barn board signs that stated “Bride” and “Groom.” When planning keep in mind that the location is key- Now looking at my photos I find myself looking at the rolling hills not the mason jars that were full of flowers that I worked so diligently on. The location was perfect- not only made for stunning photos, but it meant everything to us that all of our family and friends were able to celebrate with us where it all began.
When I was looking for ideas for my location I used stylemepretty.com. They are full of amazing photos of weddings that have taken place at every location imaginable. They have decorating ideas, do-it-yourself projects, and tons of galleries to browse through. The most noticeable thing about this website is it shows how unique each couples wedding truly was. All the personal details do add that special touch and are worth the stress. I would not change a thing about where we got married- except if I could have changed the weather- it snowed the following day.

- Posted by Yvette, an Expert Expert

Deciding on a budget for your wedding can be the most stressful part of planning for your big day! The most helpful guide I have found for planning my wedding budget was from a Real Simple Weddings magazine I purchased. Real Simple Weddings stated the first step to getting started on your budget is deciding on who’s paying for everything. Traditionally, the bride’s parents paid for everything, but times have changed and the expenses are now being split up between the parents and couple. It is important to determine what will the bride and groom’s parents are contributing and how much you and your fiance will be able to pay. After that is determined write a list of priorities of what you want to spend your budget on, then break out your budget based on your list of priorities. Real Simple Weddings broke out what a typical wedding budget is by percentage and I found this to be helpful on deciding on how much money I need to allocate for certain items on my priority list.

Building Your Budget Guideline:

• Reception (50%)
• Attire (10%)
• Flowers and Decorations (10%)
• Music (10%)
• Photographs and Video (10%)
• Favors and Gifts (3%)
• Ceremony (2%)
• Stationery (2%):
• Wedding Rings (2%):
• Transportation (1%):

To learn more about planning your wedding budget and to utilize Real Simple’s wedding budget worksheet go to http://www.realsimple.com/wedding.

This weekend I decided on my bridesmaid dress. Yeah! Another item to cross off my to-do list. At first I was searching for a bridesmaid dress with flower appliques like my dress has, but didn’t find anything I really liked. So, I decided to go with a simple dress that everyone would feel comfortable in and get a really cute flower for my bridesmaids to put in their hair. My bridal consultant told me that Etsy.com has amazing bridal accessories and I could find some adorable flower headpieces for my bridesmaids on that site. Yesterday I was checking out the site and I absolutely fell in love with it. Not only did I find some flower headpieces, I also found a really cute clutch that matches my dress. Be sure to check out Etsy.com for all your bridal accessories, they have unique products and their prices are reasonable. Pictured below are a handmade clutch and flower applique headpiece from Etsy.com. Happy Shopping! I hope you enjoy the site as much as I did.

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