Planning Your Perfect, Hot Summer Wedding on a Budget - Have an Old-Fashioned Picnic in a Park

You'll need a caterer with a sense of humor to pull this off. Of course, you always need a caterer with a sense of humor! After all, you want the food to be surprising and whimsical! So you want someone who can laugh to make it for you! If your friends want to contribute they could easily, but that would take a lot of organization!

But since everything old is new again, why not have your wedding in a park? I grew up in a small town eating picnics from the most casual sandwiches to the most elaborate grills at our wonderful park along the placid river. No matter how hot it was, it was always cooler at the park. This would probably work better for a wedding for under 150 people.

Big Caveat: Unless you've got a really big pavilion, you're going to need a rain space. Sometimes churches will rent their halls out, or schools that aren't used on weekends in the summer. Often you can reserve those places on a contingency plan for just a bit of money.

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  Reserve a spot in the park: Parks may or may not have a rental fee, but the fee is almost always less than other venues. Rent a pavilion or (if you think you can trust the weather) set up a bunch of tables under the trees. Personally, I never like picnic tables, they're just not comfortable and I always get splinters. I'd always rather rent the tables and chairs from a local church, school or other organization. They never charge much and can always use the donation!


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  Set up the drink tables: Do this before the wedding ceremony, because it's going to be hot. Many parks won't allow alcohol, so you'll want the iced tea, lemonade, water and sodas to be really special. You'll want to make sure that you have enough of everything. No matter how hot it is, some people will want coffee.


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  Set up early for recycling and trash. Even if the park has vessels, you're going to want things right there to make everything convenient.


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  Find a shady spot and set up chairs for the wedding ceremony: Say your wedding vows in a beautiful and relaxed setting in front of your friends.


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  Pass hors d'oeuvres: Why not have your hors d'oeuvres be good old-fashioned picnic foods? Pass deviled eggs, small cups of gazpacho and cucumber or tomato sandwiches.


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  Table assignments. This will work best if you assign seating, which seems odd for an informal picnic. But you're going to have things arranged in 8s or 10s, depending upon the table size. So you're going to want a table where people can pick up their table assignments. This isn't always easy, but it's fun to think about getting your friends and families to mingle and come to know one another.


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  Table set-up: You're going to need to have the chairs retrieved from the wedding ceremony site.


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  Picnic Baskets: Set out the correct number of baskets (boxes). You want each box to be a complete picnic for 8 (or 10!). Dishes, cutlery, glasses, tablecloth, serving pieces, food, table decoration and identification. Give people some clue why they're seated together!


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  Food: Serve cold chicken or fish (or both), marinated asparagus, potato salad and a big bowl of summer fruit. Make it simple, fabulous food. Not lots of variety, and not too much. (You may want to have a table with some extras of all things for the tables who run through!)


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  Dessert: Serve a local favorite. Here in Central Pennsylvania, there is only one cake to be had: a chocolate cake with peanut butter icing. Make it a sheet cake. Make it great. People will be thrilled.


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  Staff: You can do something like this with far fewer staff than most weddings because the tables will be setting up their food and serving one another. But you do want people organizing and making sure the liquids are kept up. You want someone to serve the cake. You want someone cleaning up, even if you ask people to help, it's great to have staff to direct everyone!


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  Clean-up: People will love to help you leave the park cleaner than they found it!


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  Linger: if there's time, have a bonfire. Don't forget the makings for s'mores!

This is one of those lovely, easy weddings to have and to organize that people will have a lot of fun at. Make sure you let people know how casual it's going to be. The bride and groom can be as casual or formal as they'd like for the wedding ceremony. It's not that you CAN'T make your wedding vows in shorts, but it's nice to be in dressy shorts. Then go change and get ready for volleyball or your community's lazy summer activity of choice! This doesn't cost a lot of money, but everyone will have a great time. Every summer picnic you have from that day forward will remind you of the one you had on the day you promised to love one another forever. That's a great way to keep a marriage alive!

Bottom Line?: Give your relationship the chance it deserves to succeed wildly, against all odds! After all, you deserve it. Your relationship deserves it! And now I'd like to invite you to sign up to receive 2 free templates for creating the wedding ceremony of your dreams, the wedding vows of your heart and the marriage of a lifetime: http://annkeelerevans.org/weddings/free

The Rev. Ann Keeler Evans - helping you move from "I do" to happily and healthily ever after!

Planning a Backyard Wedding - An Elegant & Affordable Beginning

A backyard wedding is so much fun and great to plan. You can really be creative when planning your backyard wedding. You need to make sure you are careful when you plan so that you don't run into problems.

If you don't want to plan the backyard wedding yourself, you can always hire a wedding planner. Wedding planners plan backyard weddings all the time so they know what to be careful with and what you need to have so your wedding will be perfect.

If you plan to prepare your backyard wedding yourself, here are some tips you can use.

You will want to be careful of the date you choose when you plan to have a backyard wedding. Rain and wind can cause problems, so you will want to plan your wedding accordingly. Of course, the weather is unpredictable so you will need to make sure you have a back up plan just in case.

The first thing you need to be very clear about when you are planning your backyard wedding is the number of people you invite. You are limited on the space and the number of chairs you can have, so you don't want to invite too many guests and not have enough chairs. The worst thing you can do is have your guests stand during the ceremony.

When you are planning your backyard wedding, you will want to rent a tent so your guests will have shade. In the summer, it can be very hot and the clothes you and your guests will be wearing can make it even hotter. So the tent will help shade them from the sun and get some relief as well.

Decorating is minimal when you have a backyard wedding. You will have chairs for your guests so you won't have pews to decorate. You may not be able to have a candelabra so that will be another expense you won't have. Flowers are another thing you won't have too many of since you will be outside.

The dresses your bridesmaids wear will also need to go with the atmosphere. You may consider spaghetti strap or strapless dresses to help keep them cooler with the warm temps. It's a little more difficult with the men since they will need to wear a tux. You can help by eliminating the vest that goes under the jacket and have them wear short sleeve shirts rather than long sleeve ones.

You will also need to be careful with your cake, drinks, and food for your reception. Most brides who plan backyard weddings plan for the reception at the same location. This will save you money because you won't have the rental expense of a reception hall, but you have to be careful with the food. You don't want it to go bad before your guests get a chance to eat it. You will want to keep it refrigerated for as long as possible.

Planning backyard weddings can be so much fun. They are so beautiful and you have many more options that you may not be able to do in a church. There are things you have to be careful with, but in the long run you will be so happy that you chose to have your wedding outside. Backyard weddings can also save you money because you won't have too much decorating to do, you won't have the cost of renting a hall for the reception, and you won't have the cost of the church. Planning a backyard wedding is the way to go!

Darlyn Burkle of http://www.I-Choose-Us.com, offers resources on how to plan a wedding. The six-month membership program helps brides-to-be organize and plan inexpensive weddings and unforgettable honeymoons. Members receive one new lesson every week for six months.

Hot Do It Yourself Wedding Planning

So you are now engaged and have the ring on your finger. The date is set and all that is left is the enormous task of planning the wedding. If you are on a tight budget and need to save money for your married life ahead then you have an extra difficult task ahead of you. At least you can have some hope knowing that many others have gotten married and had beautiful weddings very inexpensively. However, instead of being able to pay the professionals to do everything for you and merely directing the whole process you will need to get your hands dirty if you want to save the big bucks.

There is a whole area on the internet dedicated to helping you it is called the Do It Yourself wedding also referred to as DIY Wedding. So if you get stuck you can always use your online computer skills and hop over to google or some other popular search engine and type in DIY wedding and then what you are stuck on. For example DIY wedding invitations would help you find great sources of information on making your own wedding invitations.

This article looks at some of the areas that you can try to save money by doing the tasks yourself instead of paying a professional. However there are some things that are better to just pay for so read carefully some of the ideas that you could do on your own and be mindful of your time. The less time you have the more money you will have to spend. So you will want to start working early and get as much done ahead of time as possible.

Do It Yourself Wedding Invitations

Do it yourself wedding invitations are becoming very popular. Wedding invitations can typically run a good deal of money if you have them professionally printed. You can easily do the work yourself ahead of time and there are even a lot of resources that you can buy pre-made parts of the invitations to save some time. So start with a good idea and find the paper and materials you need and get started making your own wedding invitations.

Do It Yourself Centerpieces

Centerpieces for the wedding reception can easily be done on your own without professional help and save a good deal of money. This really depends on how elaborate your plans are. Having simple but elegant centerpieces will save you a lot of heartache, time and money. Something like beautiful glass bowls filled with water and floating candles can look wonderful and take very little time.

Do It Yourself Guestbook

Want to save money on your guestbook? Why not try putting out a photo album that you have decorated along with a Polaroid camera. Guest can take pictures of themselves and then write on the back of the picture and add the picture and message to your photo album. This will create a lasting memory and can be a lot of fun for guests also.

Do It Yourself Seating Charts, Name Tags and Organization

Why not use the computer or if you can even try your hand at some calligraphy and write out things like name tags, seating charts and even wedding programs. These can all be done pretty easily on your own or even with friends before the wedding. All of those little things can really add up and cost a lot so by making the tings yourself ahead of time you can save a great deal of money.

Hare are a few last suggestions to help speed you along the way to a complete Do It Yourself Wedding. Things are always easier and a lot more fun when done in groups of friends. So if you can have friends come over to your house a few times and help assemble wedding favors, a guestbook or decorate a seating chart. This can be a fun time to bond together and share great stories. Time is the most crucial component in a do it yourself wedding. Make sure you really plan your tasks ahead of time so you are not stuck last minute trying to put everything together.

Free 5 day Wedding Planning email course [http://www.planbestwedding.com/guide.html] Check it out now before the offer is gone! Learn more aboutDIY Wedding ideas, invitations centerpieces, program, flowers and more.

Planning Your Perfect Wedding - Create a Peace Tree For a Perfect Holiday Wedding Rehearsal Dinner

The Christian gospels talk about hosts of angels during this season, who sang, "Peace on Earth! And goodwill toward all." If you've chosen a holiday wedding, you might want to take this as your wedding theme. (trust me, the Pirates of the Caribbean is so over!) The world truly doesn't need anything more than Peace.

If Peace is a passion of yours, one lovely thing you could do with your community is to create a Peace Tree as part of your wedding rehearsal dinner. It would have to be a more casual dinner, because the diners would need to be dressed to go outside in the cold. High heels and hose are out! But sometimes a relaxed and casual dinner is an amazing antidote to the stress of the wedding planning. And it can also give you a great opportunity to really talk to friends. So have your venue serve up a big pot of stew or fondue and hang out with the people you haven't seen for too long and meet the ones you've never met.

Preparation: You can do this at the rehearsal dinner, but it might have greater impact if before the dinner, you asked the people coming to the rehearsal dinner to make 5 wishes for peace in their world. (You could send them 5 blank cards with their invitation.) Explain that in your lives as individuals and in your marriage that you are committed to peacemaking. Because your marriage and their presence at your wedding ceremony and reception are changing your life so dramatically, you wanted to change the world in a small but purposeful way.

Props:

• An outdoor tree in a somewhat public place (find out if you need a permit!)


• Biodegradable twine precut to tie wishes to trees


• A punch (to be used inside with warm fingers) to create holes for ties


• Wishes written on paper


• Candles for each person so you can pass the light when tree is tied & holders


• Matches!


• Step stool? (It might be a good idea if the bride and groom were not the ones climbing on the step stool. This is not the time for broken legs!)

Options:

• Thermoses of hot drinks


• Bonfire


• Song Leader?

Bundle up, go outside together and tie on the peace wishes. Dedicate the tree to Peace. Light the candles. People may want to talk or sing or share a wish for Peace.

Then pour back inside and eat something fabulous and warm up. Wander off to bed to get ready to make your wedding vows tomorrow, in which you might just want to dedicate yourselves and your marriage toward Peace. Then in your marriage, find ways to be a peacemaker in your lives and in the world at large. The dedication to something larger will give your marriage meaning and keep it growing. The dedication toward peace in your home and your hearts will keep you finding new ways to be in healthy relationship together. That's gotta help in your quest for a lifelong marriage!

Bottom Line?: Give your relationship the chance it deserves to succeed wildly, against all odds! After all, you deserve it. Your relationship deserves it! And now I'd like to invite you to sign up to receive 2 free templates for creating the wedding ceremony of your dreams, the wedding vows of your heart and the marriage of a lifetime: http://annkeelerevans.org/weddings/free

The Rev. Ann Keeler Evans - helping you move from "I do" to happily and healthily ever after!

Honeymoon Planning: What Should You Pack?

After every wedding comes the honeymoon. Where will you be going? Is your groom keeping it a surprise?

Now the groom does normally take care of all arrangements for this part of the celebration. Due to them wanting to give you a happy surprise they may want to keep your destination a secret but he does normally leave you a clue or two. Has he said something like, don't forget your skis?

You will need to pack your bags in preparation for your honeymoon before the wedding. 2 days to a week before should give you enough time. You'll need to prepare an overnight bag for your wedding night too - the one with the special lingerie.

Try to get your fiance to give you some idea of what to pack. You don't need to know the location of your vacation. You just need to ask him something like, "Should I pack for somewhere hot or somewhere cold?" If he answers we're going somewhere romantic, ask him another question (though that question can actually be a clue if you know what he finds romantic).

If you really can't guess, pack a little bit of everything. Have a few dresses for dressy affairs, and some comfy clothes for sight seeing (just in case). Make sure that everything can mix and match so that you can have endless variety without having to carry a gigantic bag.

Don't forget your swimsuit, toiletries, sunblock and a pair of shades. You'll never go wrong bringing a jacket in case the nights get cool. Of course no honeymoon is complete without lovely lingerie for the bride.

Most importantly, pack your camera! You're taking a once in a lifetime trip. Get your memories in print. It's a wonderful way to make sure the memories don't fade.

Lesley-Ann Graham runs WeddingTrix.com - a valuable wedding planning resource with articles, tips and advice to help you plan your perfect wedding. Visit Lesley-Ann's wedding blog for more free wedding planning help and advice.

Renaissance Wedding Theme - Wedding Planning

Picture a beautiful outdoor wedding, tables laced with white cloths with a deep wine colored carpet leading the way between rows of seats. A small archway at the end with the groom awaiting his bride, though not in the normal tux you'd picture him to be in. It seems like you've stepped back in time, the groom wearing something straight out of the Renaissance years.

The guests are mixed together in modern and Renaissance clothing, those who wish to keep their normal gowns are perfectly welcome to while if others want to trade theirs in for a gown dating back hundreds of years (or at least the style) they are given clothing. The bride is no where to be seen until the music starts to play, a beautiful white gown that exposes her shoulders and drags slightly behind her. Around her bust is a silver corset laced with a splash of gold for elegance, and in her hair are real flowers- whites and yellows. Her jewelry is stunning, a beautiful bridal jewelry set with a floral vine pearl necklace and matching earrings, giving her just the slightest twist of the modern world.

All the bridesmaids are colored in gowns the same classic style as the bride, though instead of white of course they're a deep wine color, the dress tightens to a small corset up top. Around their waists are silver and wine colored rope, and in their hair matching flowers to the bride. Each of them wearing a different, but nearly matching necklace and earring set of vine necklace and earrings. For those who have stepped into this wedding without knowing, they feel like they are set back in time in a beautiful European garden somewhere hidden from view. The groomsmen are dressed in the old fashion tux but don't compare to the groom, who looks like a King.

The vows are spoken, and our groom and bride share a romantic kiss. Everyone is silent for a mere moment before the cheering starts- the party has officially started now. The whole marriage party move from one end of the park to another, where the bride and groom have planned to have their reception. Tables are covered in white cloth with gold trim; lively flowers are the center pieces, chairs covered in gold with white bows. The music starts, upbeat for the bride and groom, and guests to dance to. The food is being served true to the food a wedding party would have back in the Renaissance era. The meal is fit for King Henry VIII, the music for any festive party in these years.

At the end of the night, everyone in this wedding party will feel like they never wanted this to end. A Carriage and Crown Design Candle Holder the perfect little favor to give away. After all, this is the Queen and Kings day, what not better to give for everyone to remember? The music still plays until there are officially no more guests, the bride and groom whisked away into their carriage to enjoy their wedding night.

Denise Sanger is the owner of BuyWeddingFavorsOnline.com which has a diverse catalog of Wedding Party Favors and Wedding Decorations along with a library of party planning resources. We are located in Sunny North Florida.