Wedding Shoe Ideas

Wedding Cocktails!!!

For brides on a budget, a signature wedding cocktail can be a great way to go. At your wedding reception, rather than having an open bar, serve your guests beer and wine, champagne for the toast, and then one special cocktail. Make sure it has a fun and flirty name, and consider making a festive sign announcing it for the bar.

Here are a few suggestions for that signature wedding cocktail:

Love is in the Air
2 oz. sloe gin
2 dashes raspberry syrup
2 dashes lemon juice
1 egg white

Put all ingredients in a shaker with ice, shake well, strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Drop a raspberry in the glass for a special touch.


Wedding Belle Cocktail
3/4 oz Dubonnet
3/4 oz Gin
1 Dash of Cherry Brandy
1 Dash of Orange Juice

Shake all ingredients with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and serve.


Sealed with a Kiss
2 oz chocolate liqueur such as Godiva or Crème de Cacao
1.5 oz vodka
Hershey's Kiss

Pour all ingredients into a shaker with ice,shake well, and pour into a chilled cocktail glass. Put a Hershey's Kiss in the bottom for the added love touch.


Hot Romance
1 1/2 oz rum
2 oz cranberry juice
2 oz orange juice

Pour all ingredients into a cocktail glass over ice. Stir and serve with an orange slice.


And, if you already have a favorite cocktail, feel free to rename it with a cute wedding-appropriate name.

If cocktails are not your thing, try a wedding punch. Almost any punch can be a wedding punch, but here are two examples. The first is the luxurious version, the second is more budget-minded. Make sure you have more chilled ingredients standing by in case your guests are thirsty!


Elegant Wedding Punch
Makes 16 cups

1/2 cup Chambord raspberry
1 cup Triple Sec
1 cup Brandy
2 cups pineapple juice
1 liter of ginger ale
2 bottles dry champagne

The night before the wedding, chill the ginger ale and the dry champagne. Combine the Chambord, Triple Sec, brandy and pineapple juice in a bowl, cover, and chill overnight. When ready to serve, combine all ingredients and serve in a pretty bowl with ice cubes.


Traditional Wedding Punch
Makes 20 cups

2 cups vodka
4 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
4 cups unsweetened cranberry juice
64 oz ginger ale
2 cups sugar

Mix all ingredients together and serve in a large punch bowl with plenty of ice. Adjust vodka and sugar to your taste. If you are using sweetened juices, you may choose to forgo the sugar altogether.

Thriller, Beat It Jackets

I wanted these so bad but never got one. Rest in Peace, MJ. RIP MJ T-shirts available at http://zazzle.com/omgisawesome

The King of Pop

Rest in Peace.

Havaianas...Comfortable Style

Honeymoon Tips

1.When?
You can travel anywhere, at any time of the year, and each destination will have something memorable, for sure. But please, don’t’ wait till the last minute to plan this event. Begin your honeymoon planning as soon as you’re done with the ring. Advance planning gives your travel professional the time to put it all together, and you might be able to score an upgrade or two.

2. Where?
You really have to talk with each other about this one. Do you long for the romance of Paris or Tahiti, the history of Rome, the art of Barcelona, the nightlife of London, the seclusion of some remote Caribbean beach, the glitter of Vegas, the charm of New Orleans? Or maybe your hearts’ desire is the Poconos in a rotating, heart-shaped bed. The point is, the decision has to be mutual.

3. Sailing?
Cruises have become very popular for honeymoons. If you both enjoy seeing a lot of sights and want to visit many destinations, a cruise might be a good choice for you. There are cruises out there to fit every style and every budget. If you’re interested in a large ship with lots of activities, take a look at Carnival, Princess or Royal Caribbean cruise lines. If you are looking for a smaller ship with a more intimate, romantic setting, think about Seabourn, Silversea or Windstar (which has four-masted sailing vessels). Prices will range from $75 per person per day to just under $300 per person per day. One caveat: If you decide on a cruise, do not scrimp on the cabin. Go with the most you can afford and never, never, never take an inside cabin.

4. Resort?
Some of the all-inclusive resorts like Sandals, which has properties all over the Caribbean, are built and programmed with romance in mind. Others are a little less all-inclusive in their offerings, but are more unique, private, and exclusive. A lot of today’s honeymooners are opting to split their time between the two kinds of resorts. Yes, it involves packing up and moving midway through the honeymoon, but I recommend it. For example, try the romantic seclusion of Ladera in St. Lucia for, say, three days right after the wedding, followed by four days at Sandals Grande St. Lucian Spa & Beach Resort for some fun and partying with other couples. Pricing for all-inclusive and exclusive resorts is comparable to pricing for similar cruises.

5. Cost?
This is not a time to pinch pennies. If you are planning on having children, this might be your last vacation alone together for the next 18 years! Make it count. Your travel professional will ask you about your budget. Be honest! Your agent will make it work. But you should know that it is not unusual for honeymooners to blow their budget by about 10 percent (“Hey, we only get married once, right?”), so plan for a bit of a cushion.

6. Insurance?
Buy travel insurance. You never know what will happen, and because the honeymoon is likely to be a big financial and emotional investment, you want to be covered on this trip. Some policies now have options for cancellation for any reason — which could include cold feet. (But that’s not you!)

Beach Wedding Tips

1. Get Help

The services of a wedding planner can be invaluable when it comes to your beach wedding. If you can, try to earmark part of your budget (about 10 percent of the total) for a planner. She can shoulder the burden of researching, auditioning, and securing local vendors -- and this last tool is especially valuable if you require services specific to a destination wedding or an outdoor wedding, like tents, special food prep stations, or even portable toilets. A planner is also the behind-the-scene queen (or king) that can create gift bags for guests, greet everyone at the airport, keep people busy with fun activities, vet special requests (babysitters, dry cleaners, etc.), and get everyone where they need to be on time.

2. Schedule a Test Drive

Remember, unlike a wedding in a hotel ballroom or restaurant, guests are dependent on you once they reach the destination. Make sure you have adequate signage on the beach to direct guests to the ceremony spot and that the beach itself is navigable (no rickety boardwalks). If the beach has limited parking, consider providing a shuttle service from a central location.

3. Take a Trip

If you've decided to tackle planning on your own, be sure to scout out beaches after you've finalized your guest count. You'll need to know if there's a limit to how many people you can bring on the beach and how certain spots might affect your set-up. You'll also want to decide whether you want to have your reception directly on the beach. If so, you'll need to make catering arrangements and find a rental company that can provide you with all the necessary equipment.

4. Vendor Checkups

Clue guests in to your wedding's sandy locale when you send your save-the-dates so they know to dress appropriately.

To be sure your vendors have sufficient experience with beach weddings, ask for a portfolio of pictures and at least three references. Be sure the references are people for whom the vendor did an event similar to yours -- a recommendation from a couple that had 10 guests doesn't help if you're inviting 100. Also ask for the names of other vendors who worked those events and use them as further references regarding the company in question.

5. Be Gracious

A good way to make nice with the local vendors is to send handwritten thank-you notes when you book their services. (Remember that they can literally make or break your wedding, and a little goes a long way toward getting them on your side.) During the event itself, it's wise to have plenty of small bills on hand for palm-greasing, especially for the delivery people who will be setting up your site to turn it into a wedding wonderland.

6. Forewarn Your Friends and Family

Clue guests in to your wedding's sandy locale when you send your save-the-dates so they know to dress appropriately (no stilettos!).

7. Get a Grip

Don't be upset if some of your closest friends or relatives don't attend. Some, like your great Uncle Fred, may not be able to traverse a rocky beach or sit in the sun for an extended amount of time. And while your wedding is, in a sense, a mini-vacation for you, it may not be the one they want to take!

8. Mind Mother Nature

Don't forget to consider the climate when choosing your dress. You'll be swimming in sweat if you pair your fairy-tale satin ball gown with the beach's intense rays. Go for lighter fabrics and silhouettes, and be sure to slather on the sunscreen or you'll risk some serious burn.

9. Be a Zen Bride

Don't keep a constant eye on the time. Remember that you can't control the environment (really, you can't) and you may need to wait for the tides to recede or for the beach to empty a bit before you can start the ceremony. Keep an open mind -- and remember that minor mishaps can sometimes make for the best memories (really, they can).

10. Pack Right

Whatever you want to have with you for the ceremony (vase, candles, etc.), you have to lug along to the destination (or ship it there ahead of time). Once there, make sure you can actually cart everything onto the beach with ease.

11. Call on a Courier

Don't forget to plan for potential wedding presents. If you've got a ton of wedding gifts to take home, bring an extra duffle bag to pack them in. Ask someone you trust to keep a close eye on them throughout the day, and keep track of how many you have. Figure this out before the wedding so you'll have a plan of action if you need it.

12. Welcome Your Guests

Be sure to place an amenities basket at the entrance to your spot on the beach that is full of essentials for the day outdoors (suntan lotion, bug spray, etc.) and goodies that will remind them of the setting -- embroidered beach blankets with your names and wedding date, shawls for the ladies, or pretty parasols in your wedding colors, for example.

Never Give Up! Never!

Colonel Sanders had the construction of a new road put him out of business in 1967. He went to over 1,000 places trying to sell his chicken recipe before he found a buyer interested in his 11 herbs and spices. Seven years later, at the age of 75, Colonel Sanders sold his fried chicken company for a finger-lickin' $15 million!

Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor for lack of ideas. Disney also went bankrupt several times before he built Disneyland.

Bridesmaids Dresses

Another Reality Split

Jon and Kate Gosselin announced on their TLC reality show "Jon & Kate Plus 8" tonight that they are separating, undone by the strain of ever-present camera crews ... the ones that aren't playing their bills, at least.

"I don't hate Kate," Jon Gosselin says, "but ... you know, I have to do what's best for me and my kids."

"I'm not very fond of the idea personally," Kate Gosselin says, "but I know it's necessary because my goal is peace for the kids." The kids will remain in their Wernersville, Pa., home, and Kate and Jon Gosselin will stay with the kids when it's their turn.

Plea Deal in Chris Brown Case

He'll spend 180 days doing community labor (8 hours a day -- 1440 hours total) -- which is, in effect, hard labor. He'll do his service in Virginia which is where Brown lives. A Virginia law enforcement officer told us Brown will be picking up trash, pulling weeds and washing fire trucks.

He gets 5 years probation for FELONY assault -- he pled guilty. He'll get supervised probation. He'll have to come back to court every three months.

He must enroll in a domestic violence counseling program.

This is interesting ... the judge said if Brown and Rihanna are at the same public events, the 50-yard stay away turns into 10 yards. The stay away order lasts 5 years.

The judge said she wanted to make sure that Chris Brown "was treated as any other person who comes through this court."

If Brown violates probation, he could get up to 4 years in prison.

Rihanna is in the courthouse but never entered the courtroom.

So Brown is now a convicted felon and loses the following rights: To own a gun, to sit on a jury, subject to search and seizure without a search warrant and he now has limitations on travel.

When Brown left the courtroom ... Rihanna walked in the courtroom. The judge explained the deal to her.

Flower Girl Dresses

Kelis

Hear this! Kelis is claiming to be broke and is petitioning the courts to force Nas to pay her child and spousal support and pony up $20,000 for expensive strollers and cribs.

According to TMZ:

Kelis claims estranged hubby Nas has left her high and dry … not offering her a penny in the wake of her impending birth … and she says she’s broke — “I have run out of money.”

Kelis filed legal papers claiming Nas isn’t paying her support, pre-natal expenses — nothing, even though she claims he is filthy rich.

Kelis is asking the judge to order Nas to pay spousal support, child support, all pregnancy-related expenses, and one-half of all medical expenses after the child is born. She also wants $3,500 for the baby nurse after the child’s birth, and $20,000 for strollers, cribs and other baby supplies.

Kelis says, “My survival is based on [Nas'] will at this time. If he does not want to pay for an expense, it does not get paid.” The couple was married in 2003. The baby is due this month.

Kelis says she’s entitled to maintain the lifestyle to which she became accustomed during their marriage — they have five homes, fly first class, go to fancy restaurants, and on and on. Most interesting — “There were many expensive pieces [of jewelry] such as a princess-cut diamond tennis bracelet that was recently appraised for $190,000. My engagement ring is an approximately nine-carat cushion-cut diamond solitaire. I have numerous watches…such as Cartier, Rolex, Frank Muller and Chopard.”

Her lawyer, disso-queen Laura Wasser, says in a separate declaration she’s asked Nas to ante up some $$$ for Kelis and the unborn baby but he hasn’t responded.


So, she has a $190,000 tennis bracelet, but still considers herself broke? Kelis, we love you, but girl, get a grip and get a job or continue to put people on blast.

Wedding Gowns

Not your typical...

Wedding movie but it was very funny!

Flower Ideas