Archive for the ‘Wedding’ Category

An interesting article was published this week on the average cost of a wedding in 2008. The Knot Wedding Network surveyed 18,000 couples married in 2008 to gather information on the costs and trends associated with weddings during the year.

The Knot survey noted that the big question now is how the recession will impact 2009 wedding plans. According to a survey completed in March 2009, a majority of brides (60%) indicated that wedding spending will not change, while 40% have reduced their wedding budgets by approximately 16%.

Brides, will the recession impact YOUR wedding plans?

Click the link below to read the full article:

http://tinyurl.com/5qpcfg/3624

Our wedding bells are authentic premium handcrafted sleigh bells with crisp, magical ring tones. They are heirloom-quality bells that will last forever as cherished mementos of your special day.

These premium wedding favors will do more than double duty for you on your big day. Whether it’s ringing in the happiness and joy as you leave your wedding ceremony or adding wedding bells to the reception tables to request a “ring for a kiss” or “ring for a toast”; guests enjoy the fun of wedding bells!

 Here are some other creative ways that brides are using our unique wedding bells:

 Festive Escort Cards – Attach an escort card to each bell’s gift bag and place them on a table at the entrance to your reception.

 Classic Seating Cards - Attach seating arrangement cards to each bell’s gift bag and place them at each place setting on the reception tables.

 Bride and Groom Send Off – When your reception comes to a close and it’s time for your sendoff, imagine running through a gauntlet of bells! Bells are also an excellent choice for send off locations that prohibit the use of items that require clean up.

Wedding bells are a traditional symbol of marriage and are a classic, yet whimsical, addition to your wedding day. Our premium quality wedding bells will last forever and are sure to inspire cherished memories as well as hours of fun on your big day.

Have more ideas on how to use our wedding bells? We’d love to hear from you and add your photos to our online photo gallery. We’re offering one FREE Magical Wedding Bell sample to get your ideas flowing! Please contact us for more information.

Having a “Green Wedding” may seem like the latest fad but in fact it is quickly becoming a necessity.  Global warming is expected to give us some major problems in the next 40 years and weddings can be a big drain on the environment.  But there are some simple things you can do to minimize that impact without taking away from the elegance of your event.  Here are my five favorite ideas to green up your wedding. 

1.  The Invitations – look for post-consumer or recycled paper for your wedding invitations.  Weddings generate a lot of paper…save the dates, invitations, response cards, reception cards, envelopes, etc.  There are many elegant recycled paper and tree-free invitation options out there such as recycled cotton invitations.  Harvesting tree-free fibers does not disrupt natural eco-systems. Also, processing tree-free fibers requires a lot less energy and chemicals than processing wood-based fibers.  One of my favorites sources, Cast Paper Art has some great hand-made recycled cotton invitations. 

 2.  The Rings – You may think, it’s just a ring, and it’s small, what’s the big deal? How much can it hurt the environment? The truth is, large scale mechanized mining used to obtain the gold for that ring can cause destruction to the land and poison the surrounding environment. In many cases mercury and cyanide are used to extract the gold from the rock. There are many options for eco-friendly wedding rings.  One example is greenKarat, a retailer and proponent of eco-friendly gold jewelry.  They provide information about each of their products explaining why it is eco-friendly; you can even track the “ecological footprint” of their product through “Green Assay.”

3.  The Flowers – Beautiful and natural, right?  Not necessarily, many of the beautiful flowers you see are imported from overseas meaning they have quite a “carbon footprint.”  And, unless they are organic, there have been a lot of pesticides used to raise them; in many cases chemical use is unregulated in some foreign countries.  One way to keep it “green” is to use locally grown organic flowers.  You can even try to grow your own flowers for your centerpieces!

4.  The Honeymoon – For most couples this is one of the most extravagant and expensive trips of their lives.  Why not dare to be different?  Try an eco-tourism option!  REI Adventures is one resource that has some great eco-friendly options that allow you to experience the natural beauty of North America and the Caribbean including hiking in the Canadian Rockies, cycling the Blue Ridge Parkway, or hiking, biking and snorkeling in Trinidad and Tobago. REI even offsets 100% of the climate-altering carbon emissions generated by all aspects of your trip by donating to support solar, wind and other renewable energy projects. 

5.  Donate your food and flowers -  Last and definitely the easiest to do is to donate your flowers to a convalescent home and the leftover food from your reception to a homeless shelter or “soup kitchen.”  Spread the joy from your day to those who are less fortunate.  This will be sure to brighten the day for many and also make you feel good too!

Any other creative green wedding ideas out there?

The History of Wedding Bells

Church bells used to ring loud and clear across the countryside in rural areas. It was a way to spread the news of an event that occurred at the church, whether it was announcing a service, funeral, or wedding. Wedding superstition follows the thought that the bells would scare off evil spirits intent on ruining the new couple’s happiness. The bells were thought to bring luck and fortune to the newlyweds.

The church bells would be rung as the couple walked down the aisle together or came out of the church. The wedding bells are often rung today as part of the wedding ceremony, to begin and end the service.

 Wedding Bells Symbolism Today

In the twenty-first century and beyond, wedding traditions like bells have continued to be popular symbols of marriage. Although the superstition of warding off evil spirits has faded, they are still rung as a symbolic way to celebrate the couple’s new life together.

Wedding bell graphics used as ceremony and wedding reception decorations usually depict two bells joined at the top by a bow. This may be a symbolic depiction of the two people, bride and groom, who have been joined together in marriage.

Symbolic Bell Theme

With the history of wedding bells and their meaning of love and a new life, couples often choose to theme their wedding around the symbol. Bell representations can be used throughout the wedding and reception:

• As a graphic on wedding invitations
• On the wedding programs
• As an alternative to pew bows
• Hung from the ceiling at the wedding reception
• As part of the wedding reception centerpiece
• As unique wedding favors, kissing bells, toasting bells & bride and groom sendoff bells.

 The use of wedding bells symbolism is a historical wedding tradition that continues to be popular in modern society. Although the folklore of warding off evil and bad luck has dissipated, the bells continue to symbolize love, joy, and the start of a new life together for couples who get married.