The Wedding Party

Sunday, March 13th, 2011 from 2pm to 5pm
Masonic Ballroom in Chippewa Falls

Please join us for The Wedding Party 2011 at the historic Masonic Ballroom in downtown Eau Claire, WI. Register to win one of several fabulous door prizes, visit with some of our area’s finest wedding professionals, and savor butler passed hor d’oeuvres by Chef Dave Fischer of  Fischer’s on the Green! Admission is just $10 in advance, $12 at the door.
For more information, please visit Eventful-Occasions.net/TheWeddingParty.html.

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After the perfect gown has been chosen, like any special outfit, it’s time to accessorize! Shopping for accessories can be just as fun as shopping for the gown. The jewelry, shoes, and veil are great ways to show your personality and flair.

Jewelry
Your wedding day jewelry should be comfortable, timeless, and not overdone. It should complement your gown and of course the most important piece of jewelry you’ll be wearing this day – your wedding ring!

Before you shop for jewelry, talk with your mother, grandmother, sister, or close girlfriends to see if you could wear the jewelry worn on their wedding day. Jewelry is a great item to serve as your “something borrowed” and will have even more meaning when previously worn by a loved one.

You may also choose to make your own jewelry! Bead and craft stores carry many beautiful jewels that are elegant and stylish. Making jewelry may be a fun activity to do with your bridesmaids, perhaps as an afternoon activity on the day of your bachelorette party or wedding shower.

Shoes
Shoes are the accessory that can truly show your personality without distracting from your elegant white gown. First, there’s no rule that your shoes need to be white – your shoes can serve as your “something blue” or as a statement to your love for the color red! For the active or comfort-seeking bride, some even opt for tennis shoes (possibly dressed up with lace ribbon or bedazzled with jewels). Choose shoes that you love and can wear again – they just may become your favorite accessory to wear on your anniversary dates!

Veil & Headpiece
For many, the veil is the finishing touch – the piece of the bridal ensemble that makes the woman feel like a bride. Just as there are a number of choices for gowns, there are endless options of veils. Remember that there are many shades of white. When looking for a veil, choose one that is the same shade as your gown. Determine if you would like to remove the veil for the reception. Some opt to wear a headpiece and veil for the ceremony and just the headpiece for the reception.

In addition to a veil, you may choose a headpiece, such as a tiara, bunwrap, headband, or halo. Try on a variety of headpieces with the veil to determine the best look for you. Bring the veil and headpiece with you to your trial run hair appointment so that the stylist can determine how to incorporate it with your desired hairstyle.

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Perhaps you travel frequently for your job. Or, maybe you’re saving up for an extravagant honeymoon that you plan to take in a few months. Or, maybe you just bought a new house and you just want to stay home and enjoy it.

Regardless of your decision to not take a honeymoon in the days following your wedding, consider taking a couple days off after the wedding to enjoy each other and celebrate your new union. You don’t have to go to an exotic island or even another city to do so. Instead, stay home. There’s no rule that travel needs to be involved to enjoy a honeymoon!

Be a Tourist
As a resident of your community, you’ve probably spent most of your time in the area working and running errands. You may not have had the opportunity to enjoy all that your city has to offer. Take your bikes down a local bike trail, canoe down the river or buy tickets to the local dinner theater. For more ideas, visit your local travel center. You may be surprised once see what you’ve been missing.

Your First Date, Relived
Relive your first date. Visit the restaurant – maybe even order the same food. If you went to a movie theater, rent the video. Talk about how you felt on your first date and what memories are most special to you. Or, take it further, and pretend like you’re on your first date again, asking questions that you’d ask someone you just met.

Cook Together
In the commotion of everyday life, you may not have time to frequently make the dinners that you truly enjoy. Filet mignon sometimes takes a back seat to the quick fixin’ boxed macaroni and cheese. Take time to make your favorite meal together. Use your brand new dinnerware and serving dishes that you just received as wedding gifts. Or, make a fabulous breakfast and serve it to your spouse in bed.

PJ Day
Stay in your pajamas all day long. Rent movies and order in food. A day of relaxation and doing nothing may be just what the doctor ordered after a hectic wedding day.

There are no rules for how you should spend your honeymoon. However, if you do stay home, it’s smart to set the following: no housework, no paying bills and no working. Instead, simply make time for each other and relaxation. Do only things you enjoy, and do them together.

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What a better way to share and honor your heritage than serving ethnic foods at your wedding reception!

Serving international cuisine gives you the opportunity to share your past as you celebrate your future. Plus, most guests will appreciate the chance to try something new. If you each come from different cultural backgrounds, this may be a perfect opportunity to blend your heritages; the main dish may be Italian, while the salad may be Greek. When serving uncommon dishes, provide a menu on the table describing the entrees or have a family member explain each dish to your guests.

Not only can ethnic cuisine make your reception more personalized and unique, it may save some cash, too. Many ethnic foods are less expensive than the typical menu items. For example, Chinese dishes are often less because they contain a larger portion of vegetables than meat.

The entire menu can be ethnic, or just an item or two such as the hors d’oeuvres or dessert. If you are just serving one or two dishes, display the items on a special table decorated in the cultural theme. You may want to let your family know that you are honoring their traditions in advance; they will most certainly be touched. Aunt Mary may even enjoy bringing a dish to share, such as a batch of krumkake (a cone-shaped Norwegian cookie).

Finding a caterer who has experience preparing the particular foods you would like to serve may be easier said than done. Begin the quest for a caterer early in the planning process to ensure that you are able to find someone who can expertly prepare your special meal.

You don’t necessarily need to choose heritage that is your own. There are a number of ethnic foods to choose from: Chinese, Greek, Italian, Mexican, Moroccan, Norwegian and Indian, to name a few. Narrow down your choices; perhaps you went out for Chinese on your first date or maybe Italian is your favorite comfort food. Choose whatever cuisine appeals to you both.

An ethnicity may serve as the underlining theme for the entire event. The invitations, colors, decorations, music and other details may be inspired by this culture. Perhaps the children can even be entertained with a cultural game. No matter how far you take the theme, celebrating your cultural background is an ideal way to celebrate your union with your family and friends.

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For many, the veil is the finishing touch – the piece of the bridal ensemble that makes the woman feel like a bride. Just as there are a number of choices for gowns, there are endless options of veils. To aid in choosing the best veil for you and your gown, follow these tips.

1. Choose your dress first. Then, consider your height, the length of your dress and details of your dress. For example, an elaborate gown usually calls for a simple veil.

2. Choose where you will wear the veil on your head. The veil can be worn on top of the head covering the hair, or toward the back of the head just below an up-do. Where the veil is worn will affect the length of the veil.

3. Remember that there are many shades of white. When looking for a veil, choose one that is the same shade as your gown.

4. Determine if you would like to remove the veil for the reception. Some opt to wear a headpiece and veil for the ceremony and just the headpiece for the reception.

5. In addition to a veil, you may choose a headpiece, such as a tiara, bunwrap, headband or halo. Try on a variety of headpieces with the veil to determine the best look for you.

6. Consider your hairstyle and how the veil can complement it. Bring the veil and headpiece with you to your trial run hair appointment so that the stylist can determine how to incorporate it with your desired hairstyle.

7. Wear the veil and headpiece for an extended period of time before the wedding to ensure that it will be comfortable on the day.

TYPES OF VEILS

Blusher
Often covers the face and hits just above the shoulders

Elbow Length
Extends to the bride’s elbow

Fingertip Length
Extends to the bride’s fingertips

Chapel Length
Extends a foot beyond the back of the dress

Cathedral Length
Exceeds four feet beyond the gown or six inches past the train

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It’s the first step in planning your wedding: setting your wedding budget. You deserve a beautiful wedding, but it should be within your means. A budget allows you to examine each wedding detail and allocate more money to the items that are most important to you.

Follow these steps and you’ll have a budget in no time.

Step One: Prioritize

Set some time aside to talk with your fiancé about what type of wedding you both want. Will it be low key or formal, in a church or on a beach, large or small? Weddings come in all shapes and sizes; it’s up to you to decide what type of wedding suits you both.

Also discuss what parts of the wedding are most important to each of you. Maybe having a limo large enough to fit your wedding party is more important than serving a champagne toast at the reception. Talk about each detail of the wedding and determine what you will splurge on and what you will curtail.

Now is also a good time to talk with your parents to see if they want to contribute funds to the wedding so that you can factor this into your equation.

Step Two: Put It on Paper

After you’ve done some talking, it’s time pick up a pencil. Putting your budget on paper makes it easier for you to stick to and it clarifies any possible miscommunication between you and your fiancé. Your budget should be made up of at least three columns: one for the description, another for the estimate cost, and a third for the actual cost. (See the sample wedding budget worksheet at the end of this article.) As you plug in your estimated costs, you may need to make adjustments to keep it under your total budget. Give your budget some wiggle room so that if you go over slightly, it won’t break you.

Step Three: Follow Through

The final step is perhaps the most difficult: following through with your set budget. Refer to your budget often. As you purchase items and services for your wedding, check the estimated amount and fill in the actual amount spent.

The task of working together to set and follow a budget for your wedding is a great lesson that you will be able to apply to your lives together. The most financially successful couples communicate about their money and work within a budget.

Sample Wedding Budget Worksheet

Item % Estimate Actual

Ceremony 2% ________ _______

Reception 48% ________ _______

Attire 8% ________ _______

Rings 3% ________ _______

Flowers 8% ________ _______

Entertainment 8% ________ _______

Photography 12% ________ _______

Transportation 2% ________ _______

Stationery 3% ________ _______

Gifts 3% ________ _______

Miscellaneous 3% ________ _______

My Total Budget: _________

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Time to start tweeting! Twitter may just help you plan your wedding.

The premise of Twitter is to answer the simple question of “what are you doing” in 140 characters or less. People of all ages have become involved in this social networking phenomenon. Plus, more and more businesses are beginning to tweet! And they’re tweeting about much more than what they’re doing; many post helpful information that may help you plan your wedding, including:

• Upcoming sales and events

• New products and services

• Twitter-only coupons

• Wedding trends

• Planning tips and ideas

There is so much helpful information out there. If you haven’t already signed up for a Twitter account, join the conversation! You can sign up in a matter of minutes. Then, in addition to following wedding-related businesses, you can also tweet updates about your wedding plans to your friends and family that follow you.

Happy tweeting!

Follow Juliette Wedding Guide on Twitter: www.twitter.com/juliettewedding!

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What once was a necessity is now a tradition: the wedding guestbook.

At one time each guest at the wedding was required to sign the marriage document as a witness of the event. Although laws have since changed, the tradition of the guestbook continues.

Many couples have discovered that there are many alternatives to the traditional book filled with guests’ signatures. Before you shop for a guestbook, consider a not-so-traditional book and you may find that it will hold much more meaning.

Put together a scrapbook filled with photos of the bride, groom, family and friends – a book that will tell the story of your lives before each other and after. Leave open areas throughout the book for the guests to sign.

Choose a book that has special meaning to you. Perhaps this is a coffee book of classic cars, a passion of both the bride and the groom. Have the guests write a message throughout the book.

Have your guestbook attendants take Polaroid photos of each of your guests. The guests can then sign the photo with a special message to the bride and groom. These can be placed in a photo album after the wedding.

Give each guest a quilt square and fabric marker to fill out a message that can later be pieced together into a beautiful, sentimental quilt.

You may choose to purchase a ready-made guestbook with a twist. For example, Guestbook Store (www.guestbookstore.com) offers a guestbook that prompts special messages from guests, with questions such as “how do you know the bride and the groom” and “your specials wishes for us.” Each guest is given an individual sheet to fill out at their leisure.

“A guestbook can be more than a record of those who attended your wedding,” says Ann Sandler of GuestbookStore.com. “We encourage couples to give their guests an opportunity to make the guestbook a keepsake, rather than just a book of signatures.”

Take the opportunity to make a traditional book a timepiece and it will be treasured for years to come.

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“I Just Call You Mine” by Martina McBride is rising to the top of the first dance songs of 2009. Listen to the song and read the lyrics and you’ll see why…

I Just Call You Mine
by Martina McBride

I pinch myself sometimes to make sure I’m not in a dream
That’s how it seems
I close my eyes and breathe in the sweetest moments I’ve ever known
It feels like home

And here I am I want to be your everything
There you are
Turning winter into spring
And everyone who sees you
Always want’s to know you
And everyone who knows you
Always have a smile
You’re standing ovation after years of waiting
For a chance to finally shine
Everyone calls you amazing
Yeah
I just call you mine

I fall apart
Just a word from you just somehow seems to fix
Whatever’s wrong
Oh, you reach into the weakest moments
And remind me that I’m strong
You’ve got to know
I’d be a fool not to see you even worse
To forget that you’re more than I deserve

Cause everyone who sees you
Always want’s to know you
And everyone who knows you
Always have a smile
You’re standing ovation after years of waiting
For a chance to finally shine
Everyone calls you amazing
I just call you mine

Nothing makes sense when you’re not here
As if my whole world disappears
Without you what’s the point of it

Cause everyone who sees you
Always want’s to know you
And everyone who knows you
Always have a smile
You’re the dream that I’ve been chasin’ after years of waiting
For a chance to finally shine
Everyone calls you amazing
I just call you mine
Everyone calls you amazing
I just call you mine

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For many, a day without makeup is like a day without clothing – they feel naked without it! For others, makeup is never worn or only worn on special occasions. Your wedding is definitely an occasion to wear makeup, even if just a little.

Skintastic
Before putting on your makeup, start with a polished base. That is, thoroughly cleanse, exfoliate and moisturize your face and neck. By taking these extra steps you makeup will stay longer and look better.

“Good skincare habits should begin months before your wedding day,” says Sandi Borgmeyer, Independent Senior Sales Director for Mary Kay. “Radiant skin is your best accessory.”

Color Me Beautiful
Your wedding day is a day to look your best, not drastically different from your everyday self. Appropriate makeup application will accentuate your best features yet allow your true beauty to shine through. Do not make the mistake of wearing too much makeup; you want people to say “you look beautiful,” not “your makeup looks beautiful.”

Apply makeup you feel comfortable wearing. Color is a way to look slightly different from your everyday self. Purchase coordinating eye shadow, blush and lipstick in colors that are not already in your makeup case. Color on your checks is especially important, says Borgmeyer, since the camera can dull your skin.

There are some colors that you should avoid. Stay clear from bright, trendy colors; instead, stick to classic, neutral shades. According to Borgmeyer, some cosmetics do not fare well with the camera: “Be careful of shimmery eye shadows and lipsticks because shimmer tends to pick up too much light from the camera. Some lipglosses can also look overly shiny in photographs.”

Eye-Mazing
Purchase waterproof cosmetics, especially eye makeup as a few tears of joy may be shed. This will also increase your makeup’s stay-power. If you don’t already own an eyelash curler, buy one and learn how to carefully use it; it will elongate your lashes and open up your eyes.

Don’t forget about your eyebrows. They frame your face. If you plan to have your eyebrows shaped, do so at least a week before the wedding to avoid redness. Add a touch of color to your eyebrows for extra definition.

Stay with Me
To ensure you look your best throughout the day, ask your personal attendant to carry powder or blotting papers and a tube of lipstick or lipgloss for touchups throughout the day. You may want to ask her to let you know when you need a touchup, as this will be the last thing on your mind during pictures and at the reception.

“Use an oil-controlling mattifier under your makeup, especially if you have oily skin. And a concealer under foundation will help your skin look flawless longer,” says Borgmeyer. “Top it off with a light dusting of powder to set your makeup.”

Pro Advice
You may want to consult a professional makeup artist to give you personalized application and color tips prior to your wedding day. If your budget is tight, visit a department store’s cosmetics counter or a professional makeup artist for a makeover. Often, the makeup application will be free; you will just need to pay for the products you want to purchase. Even if you only buy one or two items, or none at all, you will probably learn a few tricks from a professional in the cosmetics industry.

Also consider hiring a professional makeup artist for your wedding day. It’s one more way to pamper yourself and ensure you look your best on a day when all eyes will be on you. Arrange for a trial run a few weeks before the day to make sure you like the professional’s style.

Have fun with makeup. Cosmetics should be used as a tool to help you look your best. It should not be obvious that you are wearing makeup; rather you should have a natural-looking glow and confidence knowing that you truly are a beautiful bride.

It’s in the Bag: Makeup Bag Basics

• Cleanser
• Moisturizer
• Foundation
• Concealer
• Powder
• Blush
• Bronzer
• Eyeshadow Palette
• Waterproof Eyeliner
• Waterproof Mascara
• Eyelash Curler
• Lip Liner
• Lipstick
• Lipgloss
• Blotting Papers
• Makeup Brushes
• Q-Tips
• Makeup Remover

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