Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Remembering a Loved One at a Wedding - Creative Personalized Keepsakes

Remembering a loved one who has passed away shouldn’t cast a shadow on the day’s happy events. In fact, it’s common today for couples to pay tribute to a deceased family member or close friend during their wedding ceremony.

Some couples who are getting married at a later age may have already lost a parent or a special grandparent.

Other couples may have lost a very close friend who would otherwise have been a part of the bridal party.

There are so many reasons why remembering a loved one who is missing from your wedding day can be difficult, and having a special small memorial at the wedding ceremony may help you feel they’re still with you.

There are a few ways of remembering loved ones at your wedding without the tribute coming off like a memorial service and not a wedding.

Ideas for Remembering a Loved One

Here are some ideas for remembering loved ones, whether they be a favorite relative who is deeply missed, or a close friend who should have attended your wedding but God had other plans.

Place a Flower on an Empty Chair


Different color roses signify different meanings. For example, a pink rose could mean sympathy or grace. Yellow has a “Remember Me” meaning, so yellow would be a nice choice for remembering a loved one.

Or if your loved one had a favorite flower, you could place their favorite flower on an empty chair to signify that person is with you in spirit.



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Remembering a Loved One at a Wedding - Creative Personalized Keepsakes

Alternatives to Alcohol at a Wedding Reception - Creative Personalized Keepsakes


There are many reasons for couples to look for alternatives to alcohol and have a no-alcohol or a “dry” wedding reception.
  • One of the couples may be a recovering alcoholic and they prefer that no one drinks at their wedding.
  • There may be someone close to the couple who is a recovering alcoholic.
  • Maybe a close friend or relative has been hurt or even killed by a drunken driver.

  • The bride and groom simply aren’t drinkers or they frown on drinking for religious reasons.

  • The wedding or reception site doesn’t allow alcohol on the premises.

  • The families don’t want to deal with possibility of someone being hurt or killed following the reception, leaving the couple
    to remember such a tragedy every year on their wedding anniversary.
  • Maybe the wedding budget simply can’t handle the added expense of serving alcohol.
Whatever the reason, it is totally acceptable to host a wedding reception without alcohol and look for other alternatives to alcohol.

One of the most common questions asked by couples when planning an alcoholic-free reception is how to let their guests know. When sending out your invitations, don’t feel obligated to include the fact that alcohol won’t be served.

Your guests will realize, once they arrive at the reception, that alcohol isn’t part of the celebration. This won’t be a big deal for the majority of your guests. Simply have plenty of other beverages to serve before, with and after the meal.

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Alternatives to Alcohol at a Wedding Reception - Creative Personalized Keepsakes

Planning a Wedding on a Small Budget - Creative Personalized Keepsakes



If you’re planning a wedding on a small budget, you might be looking for little ways to save money on your wedding without risking your guests thinking you’re a cheapskate.

7 Popular Tips for Planning a Wedding on a Small Budget.

1. Print your own wedding invitations
Instead of ordering expensive engraved invitations from a ritzy stationery store, print your own using your computer and printer.

Most office supply, stationery or craft stores in your town (and online) have a great selection of paper that can shoot right through your printer.

Beautiful fonts are also available for download online, and many are free or very reasonably priced. Look around online for inspiration and then play with your computer and printer until you achieve the results you’re looking for.


Planning a wedding on a small budget doesn’t mean sacrificing tradition or elegance when it comes to your wedding invitations.

2. Skip the designer bridal shoes
Substitute lacy, delicate, high price tag bridal shoes that you’ll never wear again with white sandals or pumps from the your favorite store’s shoe department.

Shoes that are designated as “wedding shoes” tend to be more expensive, plus no one ever finds a reason to wear them in the future.

When you’re planning a wedding on a small budget, you don’t need $300 or $500 “wedding” shoes. You’re probably going to kick them off at the reception anyway.

3. Go with a DJ instead of a live band
If you’re planning a wedding on a small budget, you can always ditch the live band at your reception and go with a DJ service.

DJs today are pretty high-tech and can get just about any song you want played.
Plus, most DJs act as an emcee during your reception too and will help keep the guests on the dance floor.

4. Scale down from elaborately ornate wedding cakes
Don’t sink your money into a monstrous wedding cake. Order a smaller, fabulous version of a traditional wedding cake and supplement it with sheet cake made to match the color and flavor of the cake and icing.

Keep the sheet cake hidden in the kitchen and have it cut, put on plates, and brought out to the dining room so no one will ever notice. You’ll still have a pretty wedding cake for the cake ceremony and photos.

Another way to save big on your cake is to place an order from Sam’s Club or even your local grocery store’s bakery section without mentioning the fact that it’s for a wedding.
(They tend to jack the price up for a wedding, while a simple cake in the same flavors will be reasonably priced.)

Some of the most elegant cakes are the simplest. And when you’re planning a wedding on a small budget, less is actually more!

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Planning a Wedding on a Small Budget - Creative Personalized Keepsakes

Wedding Anniversary Party Ideas - Creative Personalized Keepsakes


Are you planning a milestone anniversary for yourself or your parents? Here are some wedding anniversary party ideas from invitations through favors that will help you put together a memorable party for you and your guests.

Anniversary Party Themes
Themes are actually pretty easy to come up with. You can create the party around a first date or the music that was popular when the couple got married.

Anniversary party themes can also be based on the couples’ favorite colors or activities too.
Just think about what you or the anniversary couple really enjoys doing, where they went on their honeymoon or the theme of their wedding and you’ll come up with the perfect theme for the party.

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Wedding Anniversary Party Ideas - Creative Personalized Keepsakes

Mason Jar Gifts for Holidays and Every Day - Creative Personalized Keepsakes

Mason jar gifts, or what some people call “gifts in a jar,” are anything you can imagine being made with a mason jar. And we’re not just talking Christmas either. You can use mason jar gifts for any of these and more!

They really are a hot trend right now for anything from cookie mixes in jars to wedding centerpieces.

So this article is going to look at a couple of different things you can either make yourself, which is the least expensive way to do them, or that you look online for on sites like Etsy or eBay.



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Mason Jar Gifts for Holidays and Every Day - Creative Personalized Keepsakes

Anniversary Favors for Parties or Celebrations - Creative Personalized Keepsakes


If you’re planning an anniversary party or even just a small gathering, like a dinner party, you’re not obligated to give anniversary favors to your guests.

But giving a small token favor is a nice way to tell your friends and family that you love them and appreciate them sharing this celebration with you.

Depending on the anniversary year, parties can be planned as big occasions, particularly for couples who have reached milestone anniversaries like the 10th or 25th.

For 50th anniversaries, many times the couples’ children plan and host a large party, inviting friends, family and neighbors to join in the fun.

No matter what size or type of party you’re planning, from a small, intimate dinner party to a gala celebration, the ideas below for your anniversary favors can fit just about any budget.


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Anniversary Favors for Parties or Celebrations - Creative Personalized Keepsakes

Wedding Trends for 2014 - Creative Personalized Keepsakes



2014 wedding trends seem to be heading toward the light and comfy as opposed to the traditional “stuffed-shirt” and formal affairs of decades ago when our parents and grandparents got married.

Couples seem to be looking for less restrictions and “store-bought,” and leaning more toward “do-it-yourself.” And not always to save money, but more to express their own personalities and make it a day to really remember, rather than getting all uptight about what could go wrong.

Now we’re going to take a walk through the top searched-for wedding trends for 2014, starting with cakes through receptions and a look at what’s trending for the summer of 2014 too.

Some of these wedding trends actually started a couple of years ago, and seem to be continuing on through this year too. And as fun as it all seems to be, it would be nice if these trends actually became the “norm” for future generations.

Read more... Wedding Trends for 2014 - Creative Personalized Keepsakes