Author: Olga Pomeransky

Olga is manager at Best for Bride since 2005. Currently Best for Bride operates 4 bridal stores in Canada (Toronto, Etobicoke, Hamilton and Barrie). Best for Bride sells wedding, bridemaids, mob dresses and more. https://www.bestforbride.com/
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Top 10: Fun & Unique Wedding Gifts

A wedding signifies the fusion and coming together of two wonderful souls. If you’ve been invited to a wedding, it’s critical that your gift does justice to this occasion. The value of a gift comes from the thought put into it, not so much the money invested in it. You could send something really expensive but have it not mean much. That being said, you could send something affordable and touch the newly weds hearts profoundly.
Here are our top ten choices:

1) Wedding Day Contributions
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If you want to think outside the box then don’t pick up a traditional wedding gift. Instead give thought to what exactly the bride & groom may need help with in preparation for the wedding. Weddings are expensive so any help in this area will go a long way.

2) Department Store Gift Certificate
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Many people think about giving cash as a wedding gift. The problem with cash by itself is it’s very impersonal, uncreative, and quiet frankly doesn’t show much effort. If you know what store the bride & groom frequently enjoy shopping at, you can pick up a gift certificate for a reasonable amount.

3) Paid For Vacation Package
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If you’ve ever planned a wedding, been married, or have been close to someone who has then you understand the hassles of doing so. There are literally a million things that need to get done and everyday that goes by you are getting closer to the big day. Treat them to a fun vacation where they can spend time with each other after the wedding is over, they’ll love this one.

4) Set Of Kitchen Utensils
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At every wedding the couple is expecting to receive the typical kitchen utensils such as spoons, forks, glasses, pitches, plates, and other similar items. In fact they will receive multiple presents containing these. What everyone seems to forget is the less obvious items like can openers, knifes, spatulas, ladles, soup ladles, and other similar products.

5) Spa Gift Baskets For Two
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These are the ultimate forms of relaxation, pampering, & rest. Pick up any two of these gift baskets, one for the bride with a feminine touch & one for the groom with a masculine touch. A wedding is stressful event in itself so give them a day of complete relaxation with a pair of spa gift baskets.

6) Personal Hobbies & Interests
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It’s important to only go with a gift relating to a personal hobby or interest if you are already friends with the bride, groom, or both. The last thing you want to do is try to make a guess of what they enjoy doing with their time because chances are it won’t be right. Another tip would be to find someone who is friends with them and ask for suggestions.

7) Monogrammed Pillow Cases & Bed Sheets
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Instead of going with something off the shelf you can add a personal touch to it by customizing the gift. In this case we recommend going with monogrammed pillow cases & bed sheets. They’ll not only need these anyway but really enjoy these when moving into their new home together.

8) Customized Wedding Photo Quilt
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The cool thing about wedding photos are that every time the couple looks at them they’ll think of their wonderful day. Not only that, they’ll remember you for gifting it to them. The best way to organize this present is to get a handful of favorite photos by asking around & having it delivered directly.

9) Personalized Presents
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These days you can personalize just about everything by engraving, monogramming, embroidery, special silk-screening, lamination, or just getting something really unique that appeals to both the bride & groom. Some common items include glassware, photo frames, gift sets, & other high quality usable products.

10) His & Her Bath Set
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These are affordably priced and the quality is super high, at only the $45-$65 range you can buy the best of the best bath sets. When you usually pick out a present it’s either perfect for the bride or perfect for the groom. What’s nice about a his & her bath set is both can enjoy this lovely gift together.

This list was contributed by the good people of TotallyTop10, a great place for funny and interesting top ten lists.

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The Wedding Dress 101 Buying Guide

Shopping for a wedding gown should be a fun, exciting and exhilarating experience for all soon-to-be brides. However, more times than not the experience quickly turns overwhelming. Most women have put much thought into their “dream” dress and have a picture of exactly what they want. The problem is that a wedding dress is a first time purchase knowing what to do and when to do it suddenly becomes daunting. Without experience shopping for any major purchase can become tiresome and with a wedding looming adding to the pressure, fear and anxiety soon panic sets in. Here are some tips to help alleviate the learning curve and eliminate “buyer’s remorse.”

Shop Early As Possible – The best way to avoid major panic and last minute problems is to give plenty of time. There is a lot that goes into creating a wedding gown, they are usually custom made and require a few alterations for a perfect fit. Begin shopping at least nine months before the big day and try to allow 12 months. If you have less than six months available then go as simple as possible to avoid any major snags.

The Beginning – The start of the process is simple but is very important to the outcome. First, think about your style and how you want to look. Second, understand what the style of the wedding is going to be. Third, determine your budget for the wedding gown and last learn as much of the “lingo” as you can. This will help you walk into a store and get right down to business!

Hit The Shops – Begin checking out some different shops that meet your needs. Ask your best friends if they have any recommendations and browse online for your area. Narrow the list of shops down as much as possible making sure they have the designers you like and styles you want. Make sure when heading out to begin trying on dresses to be wearing all the accessories such as a strapless bra, slip and pantyhose. Any little item can cause a change in the overall look of a gown.

Zone In – Begin to zone in on what you want, eliminate what you do not. Go back to the stores and keep trying on the gowns and narrowing down the choices. Try to go alone one time so that you can really focus on what you desire without any other influence. Take your time and go back ten times if need be, you likely will not be even close to the most neurotic or indecisive bride the store has dealt with.

Six Months – At this point you need to be ordering the wedding gown. Make sure once ordered carefully to review the receipt for any errors and so no mistakes will occur later. Check basic things such as designer name, style number, size or measurements the salon is sending to the manufacturer, date of delivery is most important. After a month passes from placing the order call and confirm the delivery date.

Six Weeks – six weeks before the wedding it is time for the first fitting. Grab your best friend or family member and all the accessories you will be wearing. Try to bring someone you trust and who will be honest. Schedule another fitting a week or two later and make sure there are no problems such as with any hems or that the gown is uncomfortable in anyway. Try to bring your maid of honor, so she is aware of the gown and can help with areas such as complicated straps or bustling.

Three Weeks – This should be about the time you are ready to pick up your wedding dress. Schedule a day and time that you will come to the salon. Scheduling will allow you one last opportunity to try the dress on and assure everything is perfect. This will be the final chance to make any last minute alterations so make sure you try the gown on again!

Shopping for a wedding gown is every young girls’ dream. Once the reality sets in follow these tips, and you will avoid the dream turning into a nightmare. So long as you are prepared, understand what needs to be done and have a scheduled time frame for the process all problems will be eliminated. The only thing that will be left to do is walk down the aisle in confidence and of course take in all the compliments on how beautiful you look in your perfect wedding gown!

Reedstickets.net Broadway Reviews A site which covers Broadway entertainment such as show reviews, news, history and tips for finding tickets.

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Elevate Your Celebration: Exquisite Lingerie Picks for the Wedding Party!

It’s a big enough decision when a bride-to-be is choosing the perfect underwear for her big day, but next on the list are the bride and groom’s nearest and dearest, the wedding party. Bridesmaids will usually attend dress fittings together or at least at the same dress shop, so this is an excellent opportunity to discuss what will be worn under the bridesmaids’ dresses. If the dresses are identical, then the same style of lingerie may be suitable in varying sizes.

Getting the balance right between what looks fantastic, fits comfortably and comes in at a reasonable price is a real challenge. There is so much fantastic wedding day lingerie on the market, and there’s no reason the wedding party can’t wear something as lovely as the bride-to-be.

The design of the bridesmaids’ dresses will almost certainly determine the style of underwear that they should wear. Perfectly matching bridesmaids are not as commonplace as they used to be, and sometimes, colour is the only theme, with all the dresses being different styles but made from the same fabric.

If there is a range in age and shape of bridesmaids, it’s an excellent rule to choose dresses that will suit everyone so no one feels uncomfortable on the wedding day. The same goes for underwear in that not everyone is happy with the same things. A lot of women hate underwired bras as they find them unbearably uncomfortable. The advice of your dressmaker is invaluable, and they will usually be able to come up with some professional tips and tricks for all shapes and sizes when it comes to underwear for the wedding party.

Strapless dresses, often worn with a separate shrug, are traditionally famous for the wedding party, so suitable underwear must be chosen. Even if the shrug is not going to be taken off, it’s still wise to pick strapless lingerie in this instance.

Light control shapewear is never off limits, even at a wedding, so if you want to have a faultless, sleek silhouette, it’s the perfect solution. Remember, don’t pick too constricting garments as they will be on all day. Ensure you can eat, drink and dance the night away without fainting.

Basques are a great fun choice for a wedding as they come in such a range of designs that there is something for everyone and every type of dress. They create a lovely smooth shape under most dress styles and are guaranteed to make the wearer feel extra special. Team them up with stockings and suspenders; you can’t go wrong for a fantastic look.

A wedding is a great excuse to go for something unique and perhaps even look at the celebrity designer collections available. The Elle MacPherson underwear range offers an unbeatable selection of fantastic lingerie choices that make you look and feel fabulous – the only problem is not buying the whole collection because everything is so gorgeous.

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If You Can’t Be that Creative with Wedding Favors

If you can be very creative with your wedding dress and wedding motif, you can also get creative wedding favors.

If You Can’t Be that Creative

It takes some spunk to be creative; you take on new ideas and make them into tangible objects. According to Rollo May, American existential psychologist, “creativity is the process of bringing something new into being…” This can be well applied on wedding favors. Admittedly some people have this gift for creativity. Well if you share the same boat, you can borrow these ideas to bail you out of a creativity plateau.

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Capitalize on Your Locality’s Specialties

Look around you. What are tourists buying left and right from your shops? Are they buying delicacies or special sweets only available in your region? If your California region has the best peaches order the fruits and have them preserved. Package these in personalized bottles and you’re ready with your creative wedding favors. This is a special treat for out-of-town guests but local guests will equally love the preserved bottled peaches.

If sweets are not your region’s top tourist drawers, how about having a great carver do miniature caricature carving of you and your groom? This won’t be cheap, but this is fun, and something different in the wedding scene. If you are having 25 guests for your wedding, this idea won’t cost you a fortune. Hire an experienced caricature carver or look for this service online and don’t forget to ask for his portfolio.

How about flowering plants? If you are living in Oregon or Seattle, Washington you must have known about the stunning roses, which are the best in the US for their beauty and scent. Scout around for some potted tiny rose bushes. If this is a great idea for you, start making arrangements with the local nursery and have your potted roses readied months before the wedding. Pots of roses in the bud are romantic and irresistible wedding favors. You can plant this yourself if you love gardening.

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Keeping the Budget Down

If budget is an issue, water down your plans for your wedding favors. Instead of expensive items, go for something practical that won’t ‘bankrupt’ you. If your guests know that you bake a superb chocolate cake and that the groom dishes up great steak, it’s time to share them your secret recipes. Add more family recipes and have these laminated; tied with a satin ribbon, you give the wedding favors flair.

Chocolates, jelly beans, and mint candies are great edibles to give away to your guests. Personalize these with your initials with custom-made molders. Edibles are inexpensive and if you have a hundred or more guests, you can keep the budget down with edibles.

For their wedding favors, some bridal couples ask the caterer to bake a small wedding cake for the sharing-the-cake ceremony and small cupcakes in special boxes for the guests. This is a concession to an age-old tradition of sharing the wedding bread. The tradition was to share the couple’s happiness and good fortune with the guests as a way of thanking them graciously for witnessing the big day and sharing the fun.

Shopping for wedding favors, bridesmaid dress, and the best of the wedding dresses? Visit BestforBride.com today.