Fun Shower Theme Ideas

Beauty & Pamper Theme
Ask Guests To:
– Come In their robes and slippers
– Focus on relaxation and beauty gifts or think about everyone contributing
toward the spa day and a spa basket for the bride.
– Prepare for lots of girl talk!

What To Serve
– Chocolate covered strawberries or chocolate fountain
– Champagne
– Finger sandwiches

Decorations / Favors
– Relaxing Music playing in the background
– Water Feature
– Send guests home with Pedicure Flip Flops or at home facial kits

Games / Activities
Consider hosting at a near by spa or
Arrange for on site:
– Manicures
– Pedicures
– Facials
– Hand and neck massages

To-Do Shower

Ask Guests To:
– Focus on gifts relating to giving the couple “things to do” in the first year of marriage such as: zoo passes, theater tickets, video rental certificates, even a gym membership.

What To Serve
– Consider concessions stand food like: Popcorn, Nachos, Hot dogs, Soft drinks with straws & lids as well as movie size candy.

Decorations / Favors
– Display posters featuring activities such as the zoo, the gym, the theater etc.
– Mini activity kits including a free movie rental and/or day pass to a local attraction make great favors.

Games / Activities
– Ask each guest to write down their most romantic or fun filled activity shared with their spouse. .

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A Heavenly Honeymoon

Honeymoon.

Image by SBPR via Flickr

Just mention the word and you conjure up images of champagne breakfasts for two, lazy afternoons in the sun, candlelit dinners and passionate nights. Beaches, sunsets and overall romance. Oh yes, definitely romance….

Making arrangements for your romantic escape will be one of the most enjoyable aspects of planning your wedding. You’ll love poring through the travel magazines and brochures, all the while knowing that you’ll soon have the chance to take the trip of a lifetime with the love of your life.

It’s never too early to start planning your honeymoon. Not only will you have time to explore many options, but you’ll also find the best availability and value if you start planning early. Here are a few suggestions to get you started.

All-Inclusive
More than mere accommodations, all-inclusive packages generally include food and lodging, extensive recreational facilities and equipment, ground transportation, plus other amenities and services. Options range from couples-only resorts, which cater specifically to honeymooners, to family resorts.

The average price for all-inclusive packages is $400 per day, but rates can vary significantly between companies and depending on the time of year. The all-inclusive package is perfect for those honeymooners who want to pay one price and forget about everything else while concentrating on each other.

Cruises
Similar to an all-inclusive resort, cruise packages offer many services and amenities for one price. A cruise usually includes airfare, accommodations, meals health club facilities, sports, activities and entertainment. There’s also the added bonus of exotic ports of call. Overall, cruise packages provide good value for the money. For this type of honeymoon excursion you’ll want to select a travel agent that specializes in cruise packages. They will have the most extensive knowledge of what each cruise line offers.

Traveling Abroad
You will most likely need a passport if you’re traveling abroad. Travelers indeed need a passport for Mexico, Canada and almost all Caribbean islands – the only ones that don’t require passports are the US Virgin islands. If you don’t have a passport or it is out of date, apply for a new one at least three months before your wedding, preferably sooner. Ask for a renewal form at your local post office.

For travel in some countries you may need certain vaccinations, so be sure to ask your travel agent about such matters. Typically the process takes six weeks, but allow time for any mishaps or delays. If you are changing your name, you should also account for any discrepancies in the names on different documents by bringing along a copy of the marriage license. This will prevent any snags on entering or returning from a foreign country.

If you should lose your passport during your trip, contact the nearest United States embassy or consulate immediately for instructions. Having a copy of your passport with you will expedite the replacement process if you should lose the real thing.
If you are concerned about the potential safety risks of traveling to a particular country, be sure to do your homework. The U.S. State Department regularly updates its travel-advisory list; you can call 202-647-5225 or visit the department web site at http:travel.state.gov/travel_warnings.html. For information about health conditions abroad, call the hotline for the Centers for Disease Control at 404-332-4559.

Staying Local
Not all newlyweds have the time or money to afford the luxury of an extended honeymoon in a far away place. However, no matter where the destination, confirm your travel and hotel accommodations well in advance, and be sure to double-check your reservation at least one week before your departure. It also doesn’t hurt to call the hotel on the day you’re leaving to confirm your time of arrival. Be sure to mention you were just married, as this often results in a nicer room or even an upgrade to a suite, depending on availability. You might also receive a special gift from the hotel like a bottle of champagne or a fruit basket waiting for you on arrival.

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The First Impression…Part 3

Addressing advice
The outer envelope should have a return address included on the back flap, and it’s probably well worth this small extra cost to have this done by the printer, so you don’t have to write the return address on every single invite you send! For the names and addresses of your guests, you can hand-write them, run the envelopes through your printer using a calligraphic font, or for a very beautiful and special touch, hire a calligrapher. One bride-to-be actually framed the envelope with her name and address on it that she received for another friend’s wedding, because the calligraphy was such an incredible and gorgeous work of art. What a visual treat for the guests of that wedding! Ideally, try to avoid labels, even clear ones, because they just don’t convey the sense of “specialness” and elegance that something as special as a wedding deserves.

Photo by wordsandeggs.squarespace.com

The following guidelines provide the traditional “rules” when addressing wedding invites that do help convey that sense of specialness and elegance. Street names, cities and states should be written out completely without any abbreviations. To indicate both parties of a married couple, use both “Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Green.” When addressing an unmarried couple living together, use each of their full names: “Mr. Ronald Green and Miss Angela Thomson.” If every member of a family is invited, write “Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Green and Family.” If only the older children are included, their names are written below the parents’: “Miss Erin Green.” Adult children no longer living with their parents should receive their own invite.
Addressing children this way should let guests know if children are invited or not, but often this is unknown or overlooked by guests. If you’d rather not have children at your wedding, you could also include on the invite “Adult Reception.” And, you may just want to let certain guests know this as well when you talk to them in person.
A final, critical tip
When you’ve fully assembled your invites, take one to the post office, and have them weigh it, assess it and give you a definitive postage due amount. It may weigh more than one ounce, or be an odd size (such as square) that costs extra, and the last thing you want is 100 wedding invites coming back to you marked “insufficient postage!” So make that extra trip to the post office to be absolutely sure, mail them out, and take a deep breath. The wedding is officially underway!

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The First Impression…Part 2

Image by aus_chick via Flickr

Part 2 of our series on wedding invitations…

All the parts
Wedding invitations are typically comprised of several components, each with a different purpose. There is the ceremony card announcing the details of the ceremony with the optional tissue paper to lay on top (an old custom to protect the other enclosures from still-tacky ink), the reception card if applicable with those details, the response card with its stamped, addressed return envelope, the map if provided which also often includes hotel details for out-of-town guests, and the inner and outer envelopes. Some invitations combine these elements, such as including the reception information on the ceremony card, especially if it’s at the same place or immediately following. It’s also possible to simply eliminate some elements (such as the inner envelope or tissue paper covering the ceremony card), particularly for more informal styles.
The invitation wording
Traditionally, whoever is officially hosting (read: paying for) the wedding is listed first on the wedding invitations. Of course, you can work it out however you like with your families. (This is one area where it’s really important to have good communication between all parties!) Some couples today, who are paying for the majority of the expenses themselves, with help from their mixed and blended families, simply say “Mary Bride and John Groom, together with their families, request the honor of your presence at their marriage…”
This is also where it would be very helpful to have an experienced professional to assist! You could also do a search online to find invitation wording samples and discuss the options with your groom and respective families.
Assembling the pieces
The traditional way to put together an invite is as follows: start with the ceremony invitation on the bottom, cover with tissue if desired, put the reception card on top of it, and then put the response card with the unsealed return envelope and the map, if you’re using one, on the very top. Slide all items face up into the inner envelope. Do NOT seal the inner envelope, and slide it into the outer envelope with the addressee’s name facing the back flap so that it will be visible upon opening.

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The First Impression…Part 1

You’ve been planning your dream wedding for months, but for your guests, the invitation is their first glimpse of what’s to come. It provides a clue to the event, and the level of formality, along with some indication of your wedding style: Formal or informal? Modern or traditional? You’ll want an invite that matches… and so, let the search begin!

Where to start
Wedding invitations include so many tiny etiquette details, from how to list the names to how to address the envelopes to how to arrange all the enclosures… and for this reason, it’s ideal to find a qualified local professional to be your “go-to” person for all of these questions – and more. Check online at http://www.premierbride.com to find stationers in your local area, attend local bridal shows or pull out the yellow pages. If you choose to purchase your invitations online, be sure to find a reputable retailer, and if possible, give yourself some extra time just in case there is a problem that would require more shipping time back and forth. You could also “test-drive” the customer service of an online retailer with an email and a phone question, to make sure they are reachable and responsive, to give yourself a little peace of mind.
When to start
Like all wedding responsibilities, the earlier you start, the more time you have to search, thoroughly evaluate options, and handle any problems that arise. It’s helpful to have your ceremony and reception details decided (when and where), and your basic wedding style and colors established. Knowing these things will help you find an invite that truly expresses the beauty and style of your day.
If possible, order the invitations and other wedding stationery six or more months before the wedding to give yourselves plenty of time for reading and correcting proofs, printing, addressing, stuffing and mailing. Mail the invitations six to eight weeks before the wedding. Let any out-of-town guests who would need to arrange flights and/or hotel rooms about the date as soon as you know it, either informally through conversation, or more formally with a save-the-date card mailed as early as possible. This consideration gives them more time and flexibility to make travel arrangements.

	WEBSITE EMAIL MORE INFO SAVE	Carli Morgan, Photographer (559) 492-8736 Fresno, CA 93727 Life is fun. Catch that fun, bottle it up, stick it in an album. Your wedding day is a story of beginnings and endings. Every detail deserves to be captured for you to relive for the rest of your lives.
	WEBSITE EMAIL MORE INFO SAVE	Riverview Studios (559) 261-0200 6477 N. Maroa, Fresno, CA 93704
	EMAIL SAVE	Bella Cosa Invitation Studio (559) 816-2262 Hanford, CA 93230
	WEBSITE EMAIL SAVE	MonCher Designs (559) 974-4373 7075 N. West Ave @ Herndon, Inside the Premier Bride Wedding Center, 93711
	WEBSITE EMAIL SAVE	LemmonMade (559) 289-8330 Weddings, Events & Custom Invitations, , 93710 Count on Lemmon Made Weddings, Events, and Custom Invitations to bring your dreams of a beautiful, stress-free wedding to life. We supply creative solutions to your wedding and event needs. Whether you need coordination, decorating, custom invitations or anything else related, Lemmon Made will craft it perfectly to fit your event. It’s your day, you should enjoy it!
	WEBSITE EMAIL SAVE	Not Just Paper (559) 222-9292 5080 N. Palm Ave, Fresno, CA 93704 Life’s special occasions deserve special invitations and accessories. Our in-store printing system features a large selection of borders and themes with a quick turnaround. We also feature invitations by Crane’s, William Arthur, and Anna Griffin. Mention our ad in Premier Bride and receive 10% off any custom invitation!

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MVP Weddings Partners with the Premiere Bride Wedding Center Utilizing Art and Technology to Provide New Cinematic Wedding Videography Options in Central California

MVP Weddings, a company that specializes in Cinematic Wedding Videography, is partnering with the Premier Bride Wedding Center and deploying an iPad kiosk to provide new wedding video options to brides. The Wedding Center is an 8,800 square foot one stop wedding planning shop for brides in Fresno, California.

Fresno, CA (PRWEB) January 13, 2012

MVP Weddings, a company that specializes in cinematic wedding videography, is partnering with the Premier Bride Wedding Center to bring additional wedding video options to brides in Central California. The Premier Bride Wedding Center is an 8,800 square foot one stop wedding planning shop where brides can find wedding dresses, flowers, planning services, makeup, DJs, photographers, videographers, and a variety of other services. MVP Weddings has a display in the Wedding Center where brides can obtain free DVDs, chocolate, and wedding video information. They will be able to watch sample wedding videos and check availability for their wedding date via an iPad kiosk that will be installed next week.

The MVP Weddings iPad kiosk will allow brides to see examples of our cinematic wedding videos where we tell the love story of the couple… and make a reservation right there from the Wedding Center showroom.

“We are really excited to be partnering with the Premier Bride Wedding Center,” said Matt Martin, owner of MVP Weddings. “We have been impressed with the high quality, friendliness, and excellent customer service that their staff provides. In accordance with the concept of providing a one stop shop where brides can easily find an abundance of high quality resources, we’re deploying an iPad kiosk at the Wedding Center. The MVP Weddings iPad kiosk will allow brides to see examples of our cinematic wedding videos where we tell the love story of the couple and integrate their story with stunning footage shot with beautiful cinematography of their wedding day. In addition, they will be able to use the kiosk to check and see if we are available for their wedding day and make a reservation right there from the Wedding Center showroom.”

About MVP Weddings

MVP Weddings creates beautiful wedding videos for couples that tell their love story artistically through cinema. The company tells the story of who the couple is, how they fell in love, and the beauty of their relationship. They want couples to be exceedingly pleased with the result.

Matt and Susan Martin, the owners of MVP Weddings, moved to Fresno in 2011 and established MVP Weddings after 8 years of digital video production experience in the San Francisco Bay Area. MVP Weddings provides wedding videography services throughout the Central Valley, Los Angeles, and San Francisco areas. MVP Weddings is available for destination weddings.

About Premier Bride Wedding Center

On the Northwest corner of Herndon and West in Fresno, California, Premier Bride Wedding Center is located in an 8,800 sq. ft. building, fully equipped with a conference room, 16 offices housing multiple wedding professionals, and anchored by a tux shop and bridal salon. The Premier Bride Wedding Center is the first of its kind in the Central Valley. With today’s brides looking for ways to streamline their planning, the Premier Bride Wedding Center is the first stop for local brides.

With an eight-year history in the Central Valley, Premier Bride was founded as a local magazine. After publishing the magazine for several years, the owners, Tracy Barnes and Kristy Montgomery, in 2006 began producing a bridal show: Premier Bride Showplace. The success of the magazine and the bridal show helped launch the idea of the Premier Bride Wedding Center.

With this ring…

Besides the exquisite beauty of wedding rings, there is a lot to know about metals, diamonds, and the care involved when choosing yours. This “Ring Primer” will help you understand all the basics.

Know your metals
14-karat gold is classic, popular, durable enough for daily wear, and can be polished easily. White gold is made mixing pure gold with other white metals such as silver, palladium or zinc, and can be a less expensive alternative to platinum. Extremely popular in the last decade or so, platinum is a very white, heavy (which many people like that substantial feel), and durable metal. A “sister” metal to platinum, palladium is a naturally white metal (whiter than white gold), and like platinum, it is strong, non-tarnishing and hypoallergenic. It’s also less expensive than platinum, making it a good metal to consider if you like the white metal look. Titanium and tungsten carbide have become popular for men’s wedding bands, and both of these metals are extremely durable, 100% hypoallergenic and relatively inexpensive.

Know your diamond
When shopping for a diamond, you will quickly be introduced to the “Four Cs” – cut, color, clarity and carat. All four features can make a dramatic impact on the quality, and therefore price, of a diamond.
Cut. Cut really refers to the proportions of a diamond and it’s facets, as opposed to its shape, which includes round, oval, pear, marquise, emerald, square, heart and triangle. Regardless of its shape, a diamond gets its brilliancy from the cutting, and maximizing the reflection of light.

Color. The best color is no color at all, because it reflects the most light. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) ranks diamonds on a standard 23-grade scale from D, a perfectly colorless stone, through Z, a light yellow stone.
Clarity. The number, color, nature, size and position of natural marks, called inclusions, contained in the gem, define clarity. Excellent clarity means light can pass unimpeded through the stone and increases its value. The GIA judges clarity based on a standard 11-point scale from “Flawless” through “Imperfect 3.”
Carat. Diamonds are weighed in carats, which may also be expressed as “points,” where one carat equals 100 points. A diamond of 50 points, for example, equals ½ carat.

Diamond Clarity Scale

FL & IF:                Flawless and internally flawless (inclusions not visible under 10x magnification)

VVS1 & VVS2:     Very, very slight inclusions (extremely difficult to see under 10x)

VS1 & VS2:           Very slight inclusions (difficult to see under 10x)

SI1 & SI2:             Small inclusions (noticeable under 10x)

I1, I2 & I3:            Imperfect (flaws visible to the unaided eye)

 

Premier Bride Showplace This Weekend!

This weekend you can find everything you need for a wedding in one place. Premier Bride is holding their annual bridal show this weekend in downtown Fresno.

The Premier Bride Showplace runs from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m at the New Exhibit Hall at the Fresno Convention and Entertainment Center. The popular bridal fashion shows will be held at 11:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $10.00 (CASH ONLY) at the door.

Brides-to-be can get everything they need to plan their entire wedding at the Premier Bride Showplace, from wedding rings to bridesmaids dresses to honeymoon deals.

Bridal fashion shows at 11:30 am & 2:00 pm

Premier Bride Showplace is a proud partner with the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and you can make a difference! In addition to a percentage of our booth and table sales, we will donate $1.00 for every bride in attendance. As the Valley’s largest bridal show, we look forward to working together with out brides who attend to make the donation a good one!

Premier Bride Showplace Tips

You may find that the more time you can save in planning your wedding, the better. Our bridal show can be the one stop shopping experience you need to plan your entire wedding, especially if you go prepared. Here are a few tips on how to get the most out of Premier Bride Showplace:

• Plan In Advance – Make a list of what you will need most and what your budget will allow for each item and service. Be sure to leave some room for the unexpected – you never know when you may see something you’ll want to have that you never thought of.
• Be Ready To Make Decisions – Bring the major decision-makers to Premier Bride Showplace with you. If you are the major decision-maker, bring someone with you that you can bounce ideas off of. Be ready to book your favorite vendors there at the show. Some exhibitors may even offer day-of-show booking discounts.
• Dress For The Occasion – Remember to wear comfortable shoes. Need we explain more on this one?
• Fashion Forward – Bring a notepad with you to jot down any dresses or tuxes you like during the fashion show. It will be much easier for you to remember which Bridal Salon featured the gowns you like. You’ll also want to be able to take notes when attending the seminars.
• Above all, have fun! Bridal shows may be useful and informative, but they’re also a blast. You’ll have a great time with your family and friends – planning your perfect day!

 

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