We see a LOT of beautiful wedding cakes in our line of work !  Please vote once using the initials below the cake to tell us which one you think is the best. We are going to send the bride that has the most votes on her cake a gift certificate for $25 to the Showroom of Elegance (jewelry store in Canton, MI). Good luck and thanks for participating. Voting ends on Jan. 5th.

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We just received an email from a customer who rented the photo booth for a winter dance in Ypsilanti, MI.


The dance was amazing! The kids had a great time and the photo booth was a huge success. Your staff were timely, professional and great with the kids. Thanks for all your help.

Happy New Year,

Kimm
 
If you want to book our photo booth for your events give us a call.


 

Looking for cute last minute touches to add to your perfect winter wonderland wedding? Here are five surefire ways to bring some of that warm Christmas spirit into your wedding day.

Have the bride and groom travel by carriage to the reception, complete with a fur throw to keep them warm of course! Just remember that a horse drawn carriage goes much slower than a car, and it will likely be cold out, so plan your ride accordingly.

Decorate the reception with miniature and life-size lit Christmas trees. They will defiantly give off that winter forest feel.


Add an Ice sculpture to your reception decor, this addition is beautiful and will go perfectly with any colors. Some sculptors even light their sculptures with your choice of color to match your theme.

Use a crystal and beaded bouquet for a dramatic frozen flower look. As a bonus, you'll get to keep your your bouquet forever, without preservation.

Greet your guests with warm coffee or hot chocolate as soon as they come in the ceremony or reception site. Don't forget the Marshmallows!

Looking for a beautiful centerpieces for a winter/ Christmas wedding, or even for your table at home? Here are some beautiful arrangements that can easily be made from supplies found at your local craft store.  There is still time!

 Many couples want to have their furry or feathered friend to have a part in their big day. Whether in a formal role, for example, as ring bearers or flower dogs, or simply as honored guests.
The first thing you will need to do is check with your venues to see if animals are even allowed. If so, great! But if not, then you will have to compromise, like have your dog escort your guests to the door of the venue. Or keep your pet on site so they can be a part of your wedding day photos.



If you're allowed to have your pet at your venues, be sure to inform attendants and vendors that your pet will play a role. Also, you will need to discuss any special measures you'd like them to take in case something happens. You will also have to notify your officiant, as some may refuse to preside over a wedding that includes pets.

You will also need to consider hiring a handler for your pet, or have a friend be responsible for the pet during the wedding. You will want to bring your pet to the site before the wedding day so he or she can get acquainted with the space. Also, you should have your pet attend the rehearsal to practice his part if he will be participating in the ceremony. And finally, take the animal to the groomer before the wedding so he'll look his best too. Your pets can play a very cute roll in your wedding, as long as you go to the proper measures.

I just received a video clip from http://jealeephotography.com/ showcasing a wedding that we coordinated this past July for wonderful clients Cindy and Cyrus at Baypointe Golf Club. If you like what you see please contact us so we can help you with your special day  tracie@yourethebride.com / 248-408-4602.



Cindy and Cyrus Wedding

With the royal wedding plans well on their way, the question still remains, 'What dress will Kate wear?'


So brides, here are four dress options that we at You're The Bride could see the future princess wearing, but we need your help. Comment on this post with the number of the gown to cast your vote for the style you think Kate should wear. Happy Voting!

Recently I was interviewed by a student at California State University as she was researching and writing a paper on wedding planning. I found out she received an A. Here is her article if you would like to read it!


Almost every girl dreams of her fairy tale wedding with her prince charming who

will sweep her off her feet and into the sunset. But what many don.t realize is that the

prince has a less-than-perfect bank account, and instead of swimming in a sea of love,

the couple will be drowning in a pile of debt once they arrive home. That is, unless the

lovebirds know how to budget their wedding expenses accordingly!

Between the “Yes” and the “I do” comes one of the hardest trials that a couple

may have to endure – the wedding planning process. Many fear this time because of

the stress, the drama, the arguments, and most of all, the spending. There are many

aspects of a wedding that require heavy expenditures, and one of the biggest problems

that couples face is the issue of a creating a sufficient budget and maintaining a steady

cash flow.

At the beginning of the wedding planning process, couples tend to feel overly

excited about the endless supplies and services that are available to them. This often

causes them to make impulsive purchases on unnecessary things. Then as the day of

the wedding approaches, they find that they do not have enough in their budget to pay

for the things that they truly need or the services that they have already requested.

Sara Ambarian, a wedding consultant and author of the wedding handbook, A

Bride.s Touch, has certainly seen this happen to several of her clients. She says that in

order to prevent this, couples need to prioritize, and even compromise, what it is that

they want most out of their wedding.



“The thing that is most important to you - if it.s your gown, or if it.s a good meal

for your family, or if it.s a certain number of people on the guest list – you work with that

first and try and make everything else fit underneath it,” she said.

Tracie Morris, a certified wedding consultant, also emphasizes the importance of

prioritizing.

“We [have to] evaluate, „Okay, what do you really want to make your wedding the

way you want it to be?.” she said.

When a couple is prioritizing as to where to allocate their spending, there are

many prospects that they need to consider. Following are some of the most important

aspects of a wedding that couples tend to focus on and tips on how to save money on

each.

Venue

. Venues often have packaged deals for couples who want to host both the

ceremony and the reception at the same location. This gives the venue the

chance to cater for both. The guests will also appreciate not having to go through

the hassle of transportation and parking.

. Many venues also have special discounted prices for weddings held during off-

seasons or on a Friday or Sunday when there is not a lot of business.

Guest List

. Keeping the guest list limited to a small group of people will save money on the

amount of food needed to be catered, the number of invitations having to be sent



out, the number of party favors given, and so on. It will also allow the couple to

book a smaller, cheaper venue, if desired.

Attire

. There is a new trend for brides who want a fancy wedding dress without breaking

the bank. Many are beginning to consider preowned dresses from online stores

such as www.preownedweddingdresses.com. Josie Daga, the founder of the

company, stated in an interview that, “Six years ago, buying a preowned dress

wasn.t an option, but today it very much is. And brides smartly realize that they

can get the dress they really want – for 50% off of the retail! It is smart, it.s eco-

friendly, and it saves money.”

. More grooms and brides are starting to have their dresses sewn and their

tuxedos tailored by friends or family who are good with handiwork. This not only

saves them money on store-bought outfits, but it also gives them a one-of-a-kind

attire.

Decorations

. One type of decorations that Ambarian strongly recommends for brides to look

into is silk flowers. These are artificial flowers (not necessarily made of silk) that

can be found at local arts and crafts stores such as Wal-Mart or Michaels. When

creatively crafted, these flowers become beautiful ornaments that may be used

as bouquets or centerpieces. They are also much cheaper and longer lasting

than real flowers.

Cake



. A secret that both Ambarian and Morris shared during interviews was having a

small wedding cake for display, and supplementing it with a larger sheet cake

with the same flavor to cut and serve. “Maybe we can get away with not spending

as much on an elaborate cake,” said Morris. “That.s a good way to shave off

some money if you just ordered those sheet cakes, and no one would know

otherwise.”

Photography

. One of the biggest aspects of a wedding is the photography, and couples tend to

spend a lot of money on it to ensure the best quality for their memories.

However, it also takes out a huge chunk in their budget to hire professional

photographers or videographers. It is debatable whether couples should ask

friends or family members with good cameras to take pictures for them, but it is

certainly a cheaper alternative. There is also the creative option of giving guests

disposable digital cameras as party favors to use during the wedding and then

requesting that they send the photos afterward.

In today.s media, television shows and movies often feature extravagant

weddings at lavish locations worth a million bucks, but in reality, many couples cannot

afford such venues. However, it doesn.t take a million bucks to feel a million bucks.

More people are finding out that their dream wedding is still affordable, and although

love does cost a thing or two, couples may now proudly declare, “For richer, not poorer!”


Jennifer M. Vu

Green Campus Program - Public Relations Coordinator

Human Services Student Association - Event Planner

California State University, Fullerton

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Ring designers and brides have given these styles their attention.

Modern Styles- Some of the most popular modern styles are those that have a center diamond surrounded by a ring of smaller gems. These rings are showstoppers and give the illusion of a larger center stone.

Solitaire- These rings are characterized by a single diamond on a rather simple band. These rings have grown in popularity lately and are beautifully simple.

Please leave us a comment as we would love to know what your favorite style is!



Vintage Styles- Heirloom styles, though rich in history, are definitely not a tired idea. Think intricate settings with metal and diamond detailing. And one of the best things is this type of ring will never go out of style.

Unique Styles- A big trend right now is twisted ring bands. This unique touch gives your ring dimension that captures the light perfectly, and constantly.

Colored Stones- If you consider yourself to have an untraditional style, colored stone engagement rings are a good way to showcase that. Ant there is every color under the sun, like pink diamonds to other gemstones like sapphires, rubies, emeralds, and amethyst. ~ Becca

The last-minute surprise one couple will never forget.
Jeff and Natalie Daniels were supposed to be married at 10 a.m. on August 16, 2008, in an outdoor ceremony at Lake Eola in Orlando, Florida. The bride was 45 minutes late but, unfortunately, Tropical Storm Fay arrived right on time with wind-swept rain that quickly soaked guests, drove the bride into her car, and sent the preacher scurrying into a nearby Panera Bread.

“We didn’t have a backup plan,” recalls Jeff. “I was so soaked, the dye from my tuxedo went right through my shirt. But then the reverend called and said it’s nice and dry in Panera, and the manager was willing to let us get married in there. I thought this is going to be one of the strangest weddings ever….”

The Reverend Glynn Ferguson and the Panera staff took charge, handing out towels and moving tables. A cloth was draped over a trashcan, and the couple’s Unity Candle was set on top. Meanwhile, the groom and his party were sequestered in the men’s room while guests formed a canopy of umbrellas so the bride could get from her car to the bakery-cafe.

“Once everyone was in position, I gave the staff the nod, they turned up the classical music, the bride and her father walked down the aisle, and I married them,” says Reverend Ferguson. “Everyone clapped, customers included. It was one of the most unusual weddings I’ve ever done, but it was warm, inviting, classy, and it sure smelled wonderful.”

“Natalie and I plan on going back to that Panera for our anniversary and giving the staff a photo of us taken in front of the store that day,” says Jeff. “Whenever we tell people this story, they can’t believe it. But it was very special, and we’ll never forget it.”

Publish Date: September 8, 2010 via mypanera.com