Twitter Tools

For those of you who use Twitter, here is a great article on some useful Twitter tools that don't require your password. I haven't tried them all yet but will be soon. Please be sure to read the comments left after the article, there are some other useful sites mentioned as well.

http://www.twitip.com/11-useful-twitter-tools-that-dont-require-your-password/

Your Wedding Vows

Looking for your wedding vows - those special words that will marry you? Here is an assortment of traditional and non-traditional, religious and secular wedding vows to get you started. If you are getting married in a religious setting, check with your officiant as she/he may have specific words that you cannot deviate from. Otherwise, feel free to add your own embellishments, loving words, funny promises (I promise to always make your favorite apple pie!) and inside jokes.

Here are a few suggestions to get you started from About.com... http://weddings.about.com/cs/bridesandgrooms/a/vowwording.htm

Looking for a Vegan Wedding Cake?

If you've committed to leading a vegan or organic lifestyle, this will be reflected in your wedding, and you'll need a vegan wedding cake.

Vegans do not eat meat of any kind and also do not eat eggs, dairy products, or processed foods containing these or other animal-derived ingredients such as gelatin. Many vegans also refrain from eating foods that are made using animal products that may not contain animal products in the finished process, such as sugar and some wines. There is some debate as to whether certain foods, such as honey, fit into a vegan diet. A vegan diet includes all grains, beans, legumes, vegetables and fruits and the nearly infinite number of foods made by combining them.

Click here for some tips and suggestions on having the perfect vegan wedding cake of your dreams from About.com

Wedding Insurance - Do you Need It?

Saying "I Do" can be stressful enough, but if your caterer goes out of business, you could end up on the phone ordering Chinese takeout for 150 guests. Yikes. People want their wedding day to be perfect, but let's face it, odds are something could go wrong.

If being stuck with the bill for fortune cookies isn’t your cup of tea, here is an idea that takes (and saves) the cake: wedding insurance.

The Bride & The Grooms - Movie by Ohio Filmaker Butch Maier

The Bride & The Grooms is a feature-length romantic comedy about a woman who accidentally gets engaged to four men at the same time.

It's a sweet, silly and smart story about how men and women miscommunicate. The movie is clean and family-friendly. It will premiere in select theaters around the country April 24-26, 2009.

http://www.thebrideandthegrooms.com/about.html

The movie will be shown in the Akron and Cleveland areas at the following theaters:

Highland Theatre
826 W. Market Street, Akron
330-253-0100
Saturday, April 25, 2 p.m.
Premiere event, followed by Q&A with cast and crew!
Also showing at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 25, and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 26!

Cedar Lee Theatre
2163 Lee Road, Clevleand Heights
clevelandcinemas.com
216-321-5411
Sunday, April 26, 4 p.m. One-show-only event, followed by Q&A with cast and crew!

For times and showing across the country, visit http://www.thebrideandthegrooms.com/showtimes.html

In Honor of Earth Day - Green Weddings

In response to the growing global concern over the depletion of our natural resources, we have adjusted our daily habits to protect our environment, and we can do the same on the most important day of our lives by taking our wedding to that next level in eco-consciousness. With such lavish splendor celebrated in one weekend, we can reduce the effect weddings have on our planet and astonishingly, change doesn’t have to be difficult.

Click here for more of this article http://www.todaysbrideonline.com/articles/green_weddings.phtml

Beyond Old, New, Borrowed and Blue: Guide to Green Weddings

Yes, the traditional wedding saying calls for something old and something borrowed--but virtually everything else used or consumed in a wedding is new. But there are ways to make a wedding more eco-friendly, and at the same time, positively chic.

http://www.madisonmagazine.com/article.php?section_id=918&xstate=view_story&story_id=236246

Dress your Flower Girl Comfortably for a Wedding

There is always a direct proportion to the comfort of children in weddings, to the comfort of adult guests. The comfort of little guests in a wedding will affect the comfort of the older guests. This does not always hold true when taken the other way around, so it is wise to carefully plan everything that may affect the disposition of our little girls in weddings.

The flower girl dress is the first concern of parents whenever the little girl is tasked to be a flower girl. Parents usually pay for the flower girl dresses. If the bride and groom does not offer to pay, parents should buy the dress. Coordinate with the bride what will be the design of her dress, and the bridesmaid dresses. The flower girl dress can then be based on the dominant design, or pick one design element and use it also for the flower girl’s dress, either as the main design or an accessory in the flower girl’s dress.

With the main design of the flower girl dress cleared with the bride, here are several factors to consider ensuring your little girl is comfortable and pretty on the wedding day.

Fabric
The fabric of flower girl dresses varies, but it is best to match it to the season. A heavy fabric, such as velvet, is great to use for cooler weddings, and satin/ lighter dresses are better to use during weddings in the warmer months. Inappropriate fabrics may also be itchy, or worse, cause rashes for your little flower girl, so please pick the fabric carefully.

Long sleeves or short? Cap sleeves or sleeveless? Long skirt? Knee-high? Floor length?
Consider the season/weather, the church, the reception venue. Will your flower girl feel cold or too warm? Where will the wedding ceremony be held? Consider if the ceremony and reception will be held indoors or out. A sleeveless flower girl dress can be both comfortable and flexible. Sleeveless flower girl dresses let your little girl move freely. If you think it may get too cold for her, bring a dainty jacket or bolero that is appropriate for the flower girl dress.

What length is appropriate for the flower girl dress? Can my little girl carry herself well and not trip on a floor-length skirt? Smaller girls may find it easier to have the skirt of the flower girl dress above the ankles or knee-length. Bigger girls may carry themselves more confidently and easily with floor-length skirts. Also, consider the “dirt magnet” factor of the skirt if it is too long, especially if the wedding will be held outdoors.

In these days when being practical is required, it would be nice to get a pretty, neutral dress that may also be worn as a special occasion dress. Get something that can be worn during birthdays, attending other weddings, etc. It may also be used as a communion dress or church dress.

Embellishments and accessories
Flower girls are just too cute in their beautiful dresses it is easy to go overboard with other accessories and embellishments. If you are thinking of attaching a pretty flower/s or sash to her dress, please do sew it on rather than use safety pins. Ever notice how safety pins have the uncanny ability to open by itself only during the most formal occasions? Safety pins get itchy on the skin and may make your pretty flower girl fidget. Your little girl may get the safety pin open as she moves around, and injure herself, so sew on embellishments instead.

Test the length of sashes. Nothing too long, please. Your pretty flower girl may trip down the aisle if a foot gets entangled on a long sash.

Ask your little girl if she’d like to wear gloves, but keep in mind that these may get uncomfortable the longer it is worn. The flower girl’s grip is also hampered with gloves, so consider carefully if these should be used. Or your little flower girl may remove these for some time and worn again later.

Shoes and footwear
It is always healthy for little girls (and “bigger adult” girls, actually) to wear flat shoes. Cute mary janes, or pretty slippers can both be appropriate and comfortable flower girl shoes. If your little girl is wearing new shoes with her formal dress, let her walk around the house days before the wedding so the new shoes will settle on her feet. Let her also wear the stockings or formal socks she will wear at the wedding to let her grow comfortable with her new footwear.

For good measure, bring along comfortable but pretty footwear on the wedding day itself so that your child may use these as back-up shoes just in case she has a hard time on her feet further along the wedding.

Makeup
Little girls love to be primped and pampered as well with hair and makeup during a wedding. Let her wear make up if you think it okay. Just keep it light to make sure it enhances your little girl’s natural beauty, not hide it.

Last minute tips Try out the dress a day or two before . Let her wear it an hour or two, practice. Tell her what good behavior is expected of her for being the flower girl during the wedding. On the wedding day itself, it may be a good idea to make her up and fix her hair first in comfortable button-down clothes. Dress her up the last minute so that the flower girl dress does not get crumpled or dirty while waiting for the wedding to start.

Affirming our little girls
At each step of the wedding, affirm your pretty flower girl that she is doing a good job and that you are proud of her. If you like, reward her with a keepsake, such as a bracelet or necklace. However, it is always a parents’ affirmation that will mold her character, long after the wedding has finished and the flower girl dress has been outgrown.

Flower Girl Dresses that are beautiful and won't break your wallet.

Plantable Seed Cards: Here's a Small Favor That Hits it Big With Guests

Plantable favors made a splash when they started. But now they're growing ever more popular as eco-awareness and weddings have started to stroll hand-in-hand.

The Green Revolution's led to a bevy of bride-pleasing "green" favors. But plantable seed favors, crafted from recycled paper and embedded with easy-grow wildflower seeds, lead the pack for several great reasons.

1) They're Portable and Fuss-Free. Brides wanting to gift their guests with "something green" have turned to favors ranging from bamboo stalks and tulip bulbs to tree seedlings in a box. Thoughtful as they are, these items require some care and skill from both gifter and guest. On the other hand, plantable wedding favors can just rest in a drawer until showtime.

2) They're the Fairest of Them All. Plantable favors come in an awesome array of shapes and colors, themes and styles. Why? Because the more brides want plantable favors, the more variety and styles designers are able to give them. With beta versions, your choices were pretty much cream-colored paper cut into hearts or flowers, but now plantable favors come in highly personal designs that suit every kind of weddings, from the rustic and earthy to the sleek and modern. Plus, they come at a super-affordable price point -- so much so that you can tuck them into save-the-dates or invites, and get your guests in the blooming mood a little early!

3) They're Foolproof in the Garden. Black thumbs rejoice! Is your touch so deadly that you've killed even spider plants or cacti? Not to worry -- even you can find bliss with today's plantable favors. For one, the directions are simplicity itself: place in soil, water, and forget (that's the part we're all good at). Then, enjoy the surprise. People are curious to see what comes up, but by the time it does, we've all moved on to car repairs or bottle feeding dramas. Then voila! Unexpected flowers!

But, let's go straight to the tough question: do people really plant these? You bet they do. One sweet aunt and perpetual gardener told us she has a special plot reserved just for plantable favors received at weddings. Could there be a more romantic corner in any garden?

Truth be told, Queen Victoria started a similar trend with ivy, back in the day. Thanks to her, it was all the rage to tuck a sprig into your bouquet, which you could plant at home after the wedding. Then, when she came of age, your daughter could use a clipping from that very same ivy in her bouquet, and plant it again. Pretty romantic, these floral traditions, no?

As brides strive to "green up" their weddings every way possible, plantable favors are one of the simplest, most charming ways to meet those goals. And while plantable favors run the gamut from bamboo to baby trees, it's the seed paper favors that are easiest to store, plant and care for (as lovely as the idea is, not many people have room in their yards for an unexpected tree)!

What's more, seed favors can double as placecards or save-the-date inserts, and offer by far the most style options -- ones that will fit your own wedding like a garden glove. So celebrate the spring and summer months ahead with the perfect guest gift: plantable seed favors!

Watch your wedding plans flower with all the help at FavorIdeas, a site for wedding favors and good-natured bridal advice. New for spring: Please be Seeded plantable favors and place cards in five irresistible new designs: Fall Leaf, Starfish, Butterfly Lotus, Blooming Hearts and Cherry Blossom! You might also like our Pink Ribbon plantable favors, designed to honor the courage of someone you love.