Burning Candles Successfully with Weddingstar
Candlelight is a great mood enhancer. It is probably one of the easiest ways to add instant atmosphere to any room. Available in a huge array of sizes, shapes and wax “types” leads to a few questions on how to best care for your candles. Here are a few tips and tricks that may add to your experience and extend the life of your candles:
1. Burn your pillar candle one hour for every inch of its diameter. This will aid in a more even burn because the candles wax has more time to burn to the outter rim of the candle.
2. Before you light your candle, trim the wick to one-quarter inch. Repeat every time you light the candle. This will ensure a clean, smoke-free burn. Invest in superior quality candles they are virtually smokeless.
3. Candles need oxygen. If you burn a candle in a confined area it may smoke. Consider the size of the room and the location of the candles. Avoid drafty locations.
4. To guard your candles against fading, avoid placing them in direct sunlight.
5. Store your candles in a dry, cool, dark place. 6. Wax candle adapters are the easiest way to hold a taper candle in place and prevent it from tipping over. The soft wax is pliable and sticks to both holder and candle.
Remember:
1. Never leave a burning candle unattended.
2. Keep candles out of the reach of children.
3. Always place your candles on sturdy, non-flammable holders, in sizes appropriate for the candles.
4. Never burn a candle completely. Dispose of it when it burns to within one inch of the base.
5. Remember to remove the labels on your candles.
Weddingstar – Summer Fare with Bellacroft
The hot and sunny days of summer call for a light and tasty menu whether or not your wedding is an outdoor one.
To beat the heat bring on an appetizing chill with chilled summer soups to start your meal off right by serving flavorful favorites such as cucumber gazpacho, vichyssoise, summer berries with crème fraiche, or borscht for a more ethnic flare.
For a main course a number of options avail themselves. Go buffet with fresh salads, fruits and seafoods, finishing the line up off with a chef placed strategically at the end of the line to barbeque steaks or other offerings to your guest’s specifications. A welcome change to the traditional buffet ending of light-warmed chef-carved roast beef.
If looking to serve guests directly from a set menu, while chicken and seafood make for summer fresh alternatives, the number of shellfish allergies in existence make seafood a better offering at a buffet where guests can pick and choose whether or not to partake.
If the wedding is small and laidback, you may want to opt for more casual fare with a menu that mimics standard picnic offerings such as southern fried chicken, sweet potato fries and fresh corn on the cob done in traditional corn roast style complete with large containers of butter for dipping. Add produce equally fresh from the garden or from your local producer such as green beans, fixings for potato and other salads, or fresh seasonal fruit.
Of course nothing says summer like a good old fashioned BBQ. Whether done with steaks, pork ribs, chicken or just plain burgers. If BBQ’ing is a favorite past-time of yours why not share this past-time with friends and family. Just be sure to hire out the task of manning the BBQ to a professional chef so as to ensure that not only do your guests get the finest in quality but that they also equally get a chance to relax and enjoy the day with you.
For a fresh idea to end your meal in a way that can also add a sparkle to your table, choose a cool and colorful lemon sorbet tinted to match your wedding colors. Not only does this offer you a great way to tie in your wedding colors, and continue the task of providing a visually appealing table it also can cleanse your guest’s palates between courses.
To keep in line with the fresh flavors of your menu, when dreaming up new and different ideas for guest favors, look to seasonal fruits. Pears with a play on words tag that reads “the Perfect Pear,” Strawberries in a basket tagged with “A treat as sweet as our love”, or Peaches paired with a package of cream-like topping and tagged with a note that reads “Like Peaches and Cream we are meant to be together.”
These and other fresh sweet treats, not only act as inexpensive favors, they also allow you to carry on with your fresh summer wedding menu with even more fabulous summer fare.
Bellacroft offers Weddingstar favors, gifts, fashion accessories and decorations! Select any items that you desire and you will only pay $5 shipping!
Weddingstar – Creating the Perfect Speech with York & White
Speeches can make or break a wedding reception. Whether guests are left rolling in mirth, bored to tears, or appalled beyond belief is often the result of a well-aimed or mis-fired speech. That is why a number of Best Men, Maid of Honor’s and even Master of Ceremonies are looking to professionals to deliver the necessary words to their doorstep.
All that is needed is a brief questionnaire where the details of the bride and groom’s lives, your friendship/relationship with them and miscellaneous personalized tidbits are given as fodder. The result is a well-written, well-timed, toast or speech that won’t leave guests cringing, but instead make everyone laugh and cry with a few quiet sentimental tears. A speech that will be remembered for years to come as one of the “best they have ever heard.”
Whether you hire a professional or use the tips of a professional, a few things to keep in mind for your speech include keeping it to a short 4-5 minutes in length. Not only will your brevity be appreciated by the bridal couple and their guests, it will also make what you do say that much more impactful if there is little filler surrounding it.
The beginning of a good speech often requires the imparting of a good story, usually with a humorous anecdote or two woven in. Be sure that your humor is something that is appropriate for all ages though, as even a few cringing guests, whether or not the bride and groom are laughing, will ultimately take away from the perfect speech.
Be sure to practice your speech often and if possible in the venue location, so as to understand the layout of the room, the volume required to reach all corners of it and to familiarize yourself with the P.A. system should you need to use one.
Things you should not do when making a wedding speech include: having a couple of drinks to relax you before it is your time to speak, or make a reference to an embarrassing moment in the lives of any of the bridal party. Too many drinks can hinder your speech and your good judgement, enabling you to slip in that joke you heard in the men’s locker room.
Whether writing the speech yourself or having a professional pen it for you, be sure to try and amalgamate the bride and groom’s overall wedding theme into your speech. If they have a saying or a quote that appears on their invitations, favor cards or other wedding accessories try to blend it into your speech, as a way to tie your speech in to the overall ambiance of the wedding.
Speech writing is never easy. If you lack the skills to do it yourself, seek the help of a seasoned professional to ensure your speech has all the elements of the perfect speech.
Spectacular Tables Take Center Stage
Centerpieces are the bane of many a bride’s existence. Not only in the need to come up with beautiful and unique ideas, but also by way of their expense. That’s why one of the latest trends to hit the wedding scene removes the need to have large centerpieces in favor of more ornate and spectacular table settings.
Instead of investing the bulk of their reception budgets into expensive floral centerpieces many brides are looking to create a decorative impact by instead focusing on their table linens, their silverware, their dinnerware and their glassware.
Forgoing the traditional white linens for the more decorative impact of colored tablecloths with complimentary contrasting napkins to fit your overall wedding theme, may cost you a little more in rental fees but the resulting impact will be more than worth it, and still much less expensive than a large floral centerpiece. The same can be said of your other table elements as well.
While most catering companies offer the standard white issue in dinnerware, a number of rental companies and catering companies are now offering the option of patterned china for use at your wedding. From Royal Albert to Royal Dalton, the colorful patterns that can be found on china or fanciful dinnerware can create an impact greater that a mere centerpiece could ever hope to create. If the expense of such a rental proves to be too much, then look to colorful patterned chargers to create the same look for a fraction of the cost.
The same can be said for your glassware, which can also often times be rented. Instead of plain ordinary standard issue glassware, look to colored glassware such as green, blue or rose colored depression glass to create a stunning impact.
Favors and their presentation can also add to a table’s overall impact and lessen the need for ostentatious centerpieces. If properly bundled and displayed in the center, they can reduce the need for a centerpiece at all.
The centerpiece is said to be the design element that makes a wedding and a budget both pop. To save money and to create a new level of style, look to not just the center but all of the elements that lie there to make your table truly look spectacular.
Butterflies and Wedding – Symbolization
Butterflies are known to represent the human soul. Beautiful and free, these symbols are often the main theme of American Weddings. Like humans, butterflies begin in cocoons and their beauty deepens as they release and emerge. This symbolization is often related to the love of the newlyweds. Spreading butterflies around your ceremony and reception will remind guests of the beauty and love that they are there to witness!
Where did the Christmas Tree originate?
Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center, NY
Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition in the 16th century when devout Christians brought decorated trees into their homes. Some built Christmas pyramids of wood and decorated them with evergreens and candles. The Christmas tree custom gradually became popular in other parts of Europe. In England Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria made Christmas trees fashionable by decorating the first English Christmas tree at Windsor castle with candles and a variety of sweets, fruits and gingerbread in 1841. Of course, soon other wealthy English families followed suit, using all kinds of extravagant items as decorations. Charles Dickens described such a tree as being covered with dolls, miniature furniture, tiny musical instruments, costume jewelry, toy guns and swords, fruit and candy, in the 1850s.
Most of the 19th century Americans found Christmas trees an oddity. The first record of one being on display was in the 1830s by the German settlers of Pennsylvania. They put one on show to raise money for a local church. In 1851 a tree was set up outside of a church. The people of the parish thought it such an outrage and a return to paganism and asked the minister to take it down. By the 1890s Christmas ornaments were arriving from Germany and Christmas tree popularity was on the rise around the U.S. It was noted that Europeans used small trees about four feet in height, while Americans liked their Christmas to reach from floor to ceiling.
The early 20th century saw Americans decorating their trees mainly with homemade ornaments, while the German-American sect continued to use apples, nuts, and marzipan cookies. Popcorn joined in after being dyed bright colors and interlaced with berries and nuts.
Electricity helped introduce Christmas lights making it possible for Christmas trees to glow for days on end. With this, Christmas trees began to appear in town squares across the country. All important buildings, private and public, signaled the beginning of the Christmas holiday with the tree ceremony.
Early Christmas trees had, in place of angels, figures of fairies – the good spirits, though horns and bells were once used to frighten off evil spirits.
In Poland, Christmas trees used to be decked with angels, peacocks and other birds as well as many, many stars. In Sweden, trees are decorated with brightly painted wooden ornaments and straw figures of animals and children. In Denmark, tiny Danish flags along with mobiles of bells stars, snowflakes and hearts are hung on Christmas trees. Japanese Christians prefer tiny fans and paper lanterns. Lithuanians cover their trees with straw bird cages, stars, and geometric shapes. The straw sends a wish for good crops in the coming year. Czechoslovakian trees display ornaments made from painted egg shells.
The Importance of Wedding Gown Preservation
When a bride-to-be picks out her wedding gown, she envisions her daughter wanting to wear this dress to her own wedding years down the road. For future generations to enjoy your gown or even just to keep as a reminder of your special day, you should have the gown preserved to avoid yellowing of the material. Wedding Gown Preservation Company has specialized in wedding gown cleaning, restoration and preservation for almost 100 years and their service comes with a 100% guarantee for 20 years against caramelized sugar stains or yellowing of the gown.
The process is inexpensive and very easy. There are several methods used for cleaning. Each gown is evaluated upon its arrival and the best cleaning process for that particular gown is used. All of the processes gentle and environmentally safe. 95% of stains can usually be removed including tar, grease, blood, food, mud, grass, perspiration, and wine. Your gown is then fitted on an acid-free bust form and packed in an acid-neutral preservation chest. Please note shoulder pads and bust pads must be removed as they could cause damage to the gown over time. They will be wrapped in tissue paper and packed underneath your gown. Your gown will arrive to you packed in the display box shown above.
Weddingstar Personalized Memorial Pillar Candle
Weddings are one of the most emotionally charged occasions in anyone’s lifetime. Recognizing that deceased loved ones will be unable to share in this momentous event often contributes additional sentiments that are bittersweet.
The intent of memorializing loved ones is to create a touching demonstration of the infinite bond that remains with these special family members or friends. Couples wishing to formally acknowledge those individuals that remain present their hearts have a range of accessories and ceremonies to choose from.
The lighting of a candle has been used for generations as a way to memorialize. Today, Personalized Memorial Pillar Candles are available for use at weddings. These can include the names of deceased individuals along with the date of the wedding. This candle can be lit prior to or during the wedding ceremony. If desired, consult your Officiate to assist with the selection of a thoughtful verse to be used to accompany the lighting process.
Choosing a Wedding Planner
- Weddingstar “Love Link” Stylized Heart Cake Topper
Some brides insist on planning every detail of their wedding while others need a little help and advice. Wedding Planners can save you valuable time, money and stress by helping you create the wedding you’ve always dreamed of, on time and on budget. They are well versed in the art of negotiating with caterers, venues and florists.
Before you choose your wedding planner there are a number of factors to review. Take the same care and diligence you would put into choosing any other important wedding accessories, into choosing your planner.
First, do some investigative work. Ask around to learn of other’s experiences, visit local trade wedding shows, and extend your search into cyberspace. Joining a local wedding online forum is one of the best ways to find out about the goings on in your community and to learn of the reputation of any particular planner.
Once you have created a shortlist of potential planners, meet with them face-to-face to interview and get to know them better. One of the easiest ways to do so is by asking the important questions. While references are important it is an unlikely event that a planner will put forth the name of anyone that experienced dissatisfaction. Instead do a little sleuthing on your own. Check your local better business bureau to see if any complaints have been lodged against them, check to see if they have any formal credentials, and ask to see a list of events they have previously been hired to cover. A well-rounded planner will have covered more than just weddings.
Another list you should ask for is one of duties they expect to fulfil. Go through this list carefully, adding any areas you feel would be best tailored to you and deleting those you feel unnecessary. By having them provide the list rather than drawing one up yourself, you may be surprised at areas they may include, that in your own inexperience, you would never have dreamed necessary.
While some brides will choose to hire the services of their wedding planner to take care of their entire event from engagement to gift opening, others will prefer, as a cost saving measure, to hire their planner for a particular portion such as the reception. When assessing the cost of a wedding planner a number of different fee schedules can be applied. Some planners set one-time basic fees based on the number of guests invited, some base their fee as 15% of the wedding budget, while still others use an hourly rate. Whichever method they choose, make sure you get all of the details in writing, outlining clearly the expectations of both sides, including financial remuneration.
A Wedding Planner is a great asset to a wedding. You may have the dream and the vision, but it is their experience that will turn that dream into a reality.
Let’s talk about lighting for your wedding day…
Lighting is a huge underlying element in setting the atmosphere for your wedding. When well planned, it will make every component of your wedding look even more stunning. The way a location is illuminated can take the identical site from standard to picturesque. Combine transparent mediums with non-traditional lighting for rich looking, lighted centerpieces. Use miniature Weddingstar Water Activated Diamond Lights to create a sparkling base for floral arrangements. For a more traditional and warm focal point, arrange varied sizes of square or round pillar candles and embellish the bases with foliage of your choice. Blend transparent tulle with wedding light garland around your head table to create a dreamy feeling.
Visit York & White for other decorating ideas to make your special day perfect.
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