Ceremony Alter Design Inspirations

Ceremony altars come in many different shapes and sizes, textures and styles. When you think of walking down the aisle, what type of altar do you envision? Here are a few altar inspirations to get your creative juices flowing!

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Desert Wedding

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TreeWithWhiteRIbbon

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Photo Credits:
1. Brides.com

2. Inspiring Pretty

3. Thea Rae D Events

4. Intimate Weddings

5. The530Bride

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The 530 Bride's wedding planning services can help you create the wedding of your dreams by helping you craft the details and the atmosphere that will not only set the tone for your event but make a lasting memory for you and your guests.   Learn more on our services page. 

Mmm Monday | Featured Cakes on The 530 Bride

Swooning over some beautiful cakes on this beautiful Mmm Monday on The 530 Bride! Click the images to view the gallery. Wedding Cakes are one of the best parts of a wedding and they never get old, as a wedding planner I love to see all of the trends and personal touches.  From fondant topsy turvy cakes to butter cream ombre designs I could stare at wedding cake masterpieces all day long!

{Click the image to view the gallery}

{Monochromatic Cake Design ~ Angela O'rourke}, {Birch Design - Sublime Cake Design}, {Naked Cake- Monte Verde Inn}, {Metallic Cake Design - Cocoa Cakes}, {"Multiple Cakes" - Flower and Flour}

Growing Pains!

The 530 Bride has a fresh new look, please check out our wedding planning services as well as our recent blog posts.  There are still some finishing touches to be done so please excuse us while we tidy up! 

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TBT | Wedding Throwback Thursday

It's Throwback Thursday on The 530 Bride!

TIMELESS-WEDDING-GOWN

Trends have changed a lot over the years when it comes to wedding gowns and accessories.   Although this look is from 1956, many of the current wedding gowns on the runway have similar elements.  Timeless is always in style!

Grace Kelly, in a gown by MGM costume designer Helen Rose, kneeling at the altar during her wedding at Saint Nicholas Cathedral to Prince Rainier III of Monaco in April 1956.  Image Courtesy of Brides.com

Style Watch ~ Gold

Gold is timeless & can add a hint of upscale glamour to any event.  Gold is not only in, it is taking over!

Style Watch: Gold by venns featuring modern table linens

Pre-Wedding Fashion Ideas

Sure the wedding dress is important, but what should you wear for other pre-wedding fun like your engagement party or bridal shower, bachelorette party or even rehearsal dinner? Here is a few looks that could work for any of these events.

Casual Bride by venns featuring a sleeveless peplum top

Pre-Wedding Attire by venns featuring a silver necklace

The Maxi Dress by venns featuring a pink heart necklace

Elegant Bridal Look

Elegance is timeless.  This look features a 1920's inspired floor length gown with sheer caplet sleeves and mother of the pearl style beading.  Paired with a vintage crystal filigree and pearl hair comb and vintage chandelier earrings.

This is Elegance by venns featuring white home decor

Jon Richard hair comb, $80 / Blue Nile diamond engagement ring / Bridal jewelry / Phase Eight wedding dress, $1,045 / David Tutera leather shoes / White home decor, $120

A New Twist on Bachelorette Parties: Glamour!

Who says that a bachelorette party has to involve going out, these days staying in is much more glamorous!  What if you can not only have a night of bonding with your gal pals, but also give them a wonderful gift of feeling a little pampered?

Have a favorite salon? Ask about booking services for each of you or reserve the salon for after hours.  Most salons will customize a menu of services with special prices for a group, so often you will spend less on each service than you would if each of you were going individually.  

You can be as silly as you want, and have a good time talking about anything and everything other than your wedding!  You can go out for a nice dinner afterwards since you all will be dolled up, and then even go out on the town if you would like.   

Create a theme like Pin-Up for example and have the hair and makeup artists create similar looks for each of you.

pinup

Image Source: LA Bachelorette Party

A few ingredients can make a really fun and memorable night for you and your ladies, not to mention you will have the photographs to look back on (and these are photos that you could show your grandmother without blushing!)

1.  Your closest gal pals or bridal party
2. Hair and Makeup artist (this will cost less than a night out on the town in most cities)
3. Reserve a salon, or hotel room big enough for the slumber party bash
4. Photographer (talk to photographers about their a la carte or portrait packages)
5. Refreshments

Whatever you decide to do for your party, have fun and be safe!

Style Watch: Non Traditional Wedding Gowns

In our love for everything wedding, we keep an eye out for styles and trends that are becoming more popular.  Lately, some wedding gowns are getting some attention for being a unique and down right drool-worthy! Image Via Greylikesweddings.com

Image via Elizabethannedesigns.com

Image via Bajanwed.com

  Tell Us What You Think: [yop_poll id="2"]

The Cost of Being a Bridesmaid

It is always an honor to be asked to be a bridesmaid or maid of honor in a wedding.  Being by the side of your good friend or family member when they stand at the altar on their big day and sharing in the journey to get there is pretty special!  All of that aside, it does come with some expenses.  We found an infographic on the web aimed to breakdown some of those costs:

Image courtesy of Dimespring.com

Couples should try to keep these figures in mind when planning the involvement of their wedding party and make sure to communicate with everyone in their party to ensure that the expenses are not a hardship for anyone.  Being open to cost alternatives makes the experience better for everyone, a $200 bridesmaid dress may not be doable for some so its good to consider choosing a color and material and allowing the bridal party to find a dress that fits their style and their budget.

Are you a bridesmaid in a wedding?  Take our poll on the expenses of being in a wedding: [yop_poll id="4"]

Wedding TV Show's You Shouldn't Watch

Okay brides, you get home from work or school and turn on the TV as you flip through the channels you may come across wedding shows like TLC's Four Weddings, Say Yes to The Dress, Bridezilla or even David Tuteras "My Fair Wedding."  While entertaining, these types of shows can hinder your planning process more than help; and here is why:

We TV's Bridezilla - Well this one is obvious, just because you are getting married you do not have an excuse to be ridiculous and treat your friends, family or fiancé badly.

TLC's Say Yes to The Dress - The gowns are beautiful and the brides usually do walk away with the gown of their dreams, but it's the idea of bringing your whole entourage with you to judge or comment on your gown that is a real downer.  I think the bridal consultant would agree that having a maid of honor or other family member like your mother or grooms mother present is special; the only opinion that the bridal consultant wants to hear is yours.  If you feel beautiful and special in a gown, you shouldn't let your 10 friends who came along tear down your choice.

TLC's Four Weddings - Your wedding is not a competition, in real life you will not have a panel of judges with a score card rating each component such as food or atmosphere.  Please don't lose sight of what will make your day special to you and your fiancé because you want to please others and impress them with your wedding.

My Fair Wedding - Built on the premise that bride's can wait until months or even weeks before the wedding to get things in order and someone (David Tutera) will magically come in and save the day.  At this point the brides have usually made purchases and have deposits with vendors, and David comes in and "rescues" their wedding morphing it into a big (admittedly beautiful) production.   (Image courtesy of channelguidemagblog.com)

When you are planning your wedding it is easy to absorb yourself into anything and everything wedding, but you should try to have a healthy balance.  Make sure you spend just as much time doing non-wedding things and most importantly focus on communicating and enjoying your soon to be husband.  The better your relationship before walking down the aisle, the better it will be in years to come.

Lastly, remember your wedding is not a contest or an excuse to behave badly! Hire professional vendors and you will have no problem staying on track and within your budget for your big day.

~Happy Planning~

Wedding Budgets

Image courtesy of AllWeddingSecrets.com While every couple has a different priority list when planning their budget, there is a typical break down when it comes to putting your budget together.  Your wedding coordinator will have more realistic figures based on the area where you plan to get married.  Here are some of the "typical" budget break downs in percent form:

According to TheKnot Here is a basic breakdown of what you can expect to pay:

Reception: 48%-50% Ceremony: 2%-3% Attire: 8%-10% Flowers: 8%-10% Entertainment/Music: 8%-10% Photography/Videography: 10%-12% Stationery: 2%-3% Wedding Rings: 2%-3% Parking/Transportation: 2%-3% Gifts: 2%-3% Miscellaneous: 8%

• To avoid stress, allot about 5% of your budget for a "just-in-case" fund.
• If you're paying for your honeymoon yourselves, remember to budget for that as well.

Looking at this breakdown, it could be very different for a couple with a very small guest list who do not plan on using special transportation or who would like to really splurge on their food and drink vs flowers etc.  In the same token, some guest may want to have a larger budget for photos and videography vs entertainment.  Every couple is different but it is helpful to have a basic outline to go off of.

Happy Planning!

How to Calculate Your Alcohol Budget

When planning your wedding, the first thing you need to determine is your budget.  It may be the least fun part of the whole process but it certainly going to play a huge part in your wedding.  You can read more on how to set your wedding budget here.  So once you have determined your overall budget, you need to select your wedding venue and your wedding vendors.  Doing so will dictate what your needs are.  For instance your venue may have exclusive catering and beverage services meaning you cannot bring in a bartender to serve alcohol that you have purchased elsewhere.

If you do determine that the venue does not have exclusive vendors then first talk with your caterer to see what they offer when it comes to alcoholic beverages and serving.  Some caterers will supply an extra server at an additional cost to you to strictly man your bar, while others do not have insurance coverage or licensing to do so and you will need to hire your own bartender. So after doing your research and you still determine that you will purchase your own alcohol you will want to look into exactly what type of alcohol (beer, wine, cocktails) that you want to serve and how much you should purchase.

Your guest list should be pretty squared away when it comes time to make this purchase so that you are not buying more than you need.  You should also look over your list and think about your guests, are the majority going to want to drink beer vs wine or should you stock up more on hard alcohol for martinis or mixed drinks etc.  Also make sure to consult with your caterer to get their opinion on wine pairing with the food menu you have created (white wine vs red wine with chicken vs steak etc)

Here are a few websites that offer calculators designed to help you determine how many bottles of alcohol to purchase for your event.  You plugin the number of guests and it spits out the estimated break down of how much wine, champagne, beer and or hard alcohol to buy.

Bevmo Party Planner Calculator 

Naturally after you realize how much you will need to buy, your immediate thought is "how do I get the best deal on alcohol?" Hera are some key ways to keep your alcohol budget in check:

1. For wine, take advantage of sales at retailers such as Bevmo & World Market who will often offer a buy one get one sale. 2. Costco offers their Kirkland Signature wines that are not only affordable but also well rated by wine critics. 3. If your venue supplies the alcohol, opt for a limited or no host bar.  You can then set a block of time that you will pay for the guests drinks for example during the cocktail hour. 4.  Opt for a beer and wine only menu 5. Create a signature cocktail menu, this option limits the amount of alcohol you need to buy so that you are only buying the ingredients to make the signature drinks rather than trying to supply a full bar.

Lastly, please make sure to put some thought into how to ensure that your guests drink responsibly and what steps can be taken to get guests home safely should they "over-indulge."  Consider having a shuttle available at the end of the night or have a few business cards for taxi's handy.

~Happy Planning~

Wedding Blues

"Wedding Blues".. is it a real thing?  Apparently so.  What makes couples fall into this spell of depression after their trip down the aisle, and how do you avoid getting the wedding blues you ask?   Our advice is to keep a healthy balance leading up to the wedding so that you don't get consumed by it.  Have regular date nights and make plans with friends and family to do non-wedding related activities.

While not all couples experience these post-wedding blues, it is common among couples that were under a lot of pressure for their big day.  If you are taking on the planning process you might want to reconsider, and look into having in the very least a Day of Coordinator to handle the logistics for you so that both bride and groom get to have an amazing experience.  The last thing you want to do on your wedding day is fold napkins or tie chair sashes on 150 chairs, when you could be spending more time with your ladies and a nice bottle of bubbly getting "beautified!"

Another idea is to have dedicated time after the wedding, even if you aren't going out of town for a honeymoon you can have an at home honeymoon just the two of you.  You can rest your tired feet from all of that dancing you did out on the dance floor, and just relax together as husband and wife.

If you are still in the planning stages for your big day, head over to our vendor directory where you will find local wedding professionals to help with all of your wedding needs.

Free Wedding Printables

We always recommend hiring a professional when it comes to weddings & events so that you can trust that it will be done right the first time.  If you are a bride looking for creative stationary and custom wedding collateral, you definitely need to head over to The Idea Emporium for inspiration.  If you are Maid of Honor trying to be the hostess with the mostess on a budget, these free printables are for you.  Word of advice, printing from home may have its challenges and may not turn out as desired. Try these out ahead of time, so that if you aren't happy with them you will still have time to contact a professional. Photobooth Props - Six Months to Mrs.

Bows and Tags - PrintableWeddings.com

Chevron Invites and Favor Tags - The Tomkat Studio

Printable Bridal Shower Game - ElegantWeddingInvites.com

Just remember, for the best results contact a professional rather than printing from home.

Happy Planning!

Social Media & Your Wedding

As the new iPhone 6 and 6+ is released, we see more and more apps created out of convenience and our need to be constantly connected to the world around us.  We share tidbits of our daily lives, (some share more than others) but when it comes to your wedding you should consider how much you want to put out there.  Documenting your wedding in social media has it's definite pros and cons, according to SocialMediaWeek.org, Social Media has "intensified the pressures for wedding perfection."  Images courtesy of mediashower.com, venuesafari.com

To share or not to share...

The main issue that I come across is when couples have a limited guest list and a friend or family member get upset when they read via Facebook that others were invited, and they weren't.  This can be avoided by only sharing event information via private messages, or by phone or speak with anyone you think may be offended by not getting an invite to explain your limited guest list.

For those who are looking forward to sharing all of their wedding details online, social media can serve as a tool to help you not only post your information but to connect with others who want to share pictures or communicate. Here are a few different ways to use social media.

1.  Create a Wedding Website Access tools like sharing your inspiration details, gather and share photos, post your registry link or event information such as directions or local attractions for out of town guests.  You can create your own free site at TheKnot.com, MyWedding.com, WeddingWire.com or design a premium site at Sittinginatree.co. (Image courtesy of http://designmodo.com/wedding-website/)

2. Hashtags You can create a hashtag for your wedding, and put the information on a sign at your reception notifying guests of how they can post pictures or well wishes.  Dress it up by adding coordinating flowers or décor.  (Images courtesy exclusiveweddingtales.com)

3. YouTube If you have a dance number planned, or funny toast you can share these must watch moments on youtube to share with guests who couldn't attend.

4. Pinterest Pinterest offers a Privacy option for your board allowing you to make the board "secret" or choose to can view/submit pins.  This would allow your bridal party to be in on things without putting it on social media if needed.

At the end of the day, it is completely up to you if you want to keep your wedding information private, or share with the world so make sure to communicate your wishes with your friends and family.

Happy Planning