Archive for November, 2009

wedding_cake

For your South Bend wedding your wedding cake should be a work of art and taste good. A cake that doesn’t taste good will be a cake that goes to waste. So when planning your South Bend wedding here are ten tips to find the perfect wedding cake!

1 Taste several samples of the baker’s cakes pay special attention to the taste of the frosting and moistness of the cake. The most beautiful cake will go to waste if your guests won’t eat it.
2 See the baker’s selection of wedding cake designs.
3 Discuss with the your cake designer what you want your cake to look like. Images of other cakes you like from magazines or other weddings are always a good way to illustrate what you want design wise. Your cake designer should also be able to give you input on various designs.
4 There are many alternatives to the traditional bride and groom cake toppers, jewelry, fresh fl owers, candy fl owers, mom and dad’s top etc. If you want something less traditional discuss it with your cake designer.
5 Reserve your cake designer/baker at least 6 to 8 months out. Like all other vendors they can only cover so many weddings a day, so don’t loose out on your favorite!
6 Get the price in writing! Included should be delivery, setup, rental fees for display bottoms or pillars and columns. Everytime you make a change be sure to get a new quote!
7 Square wedding cakes are becoming more popular, but not all bakers will do them, make sure yours does if you want one.
8 Popular cake fl avors are vanilla, yellow, chocolate, pink champaigne and strawberry.
9 Check your reception’s facility’s policy on cake cutting, there may be a charge for the staff to cut and serve the cake.
10 We don’t recommend saving the cake top for the fi rst anniversary, even frozen cake quickly looses its fl avor. Find another special time to consume the cake, like first day you move into your house together as husband and wife.

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The Question has been popped… Congratulations! Now that the initial shock is beginning to wear off, your families have been informed. It’s time for yourfirst 10 major decisions:
What is the date of the big day? It’s the second question you are going to hear after the big announcement to the family, the fi rst being, “can we seethe ring”. Many factors can impact the decision on a wedding date. The two biggest being the availability of your chosen offi ciant, Rabbi, Priest, Pastor and the location of the ceremony and the second being availability of reception halls, if you are planning a full blown day of wedding festivities. Contact the people and locations that you are planning on and make sure they are free. On a side note, since you are getting married in Michiana, Notre Dame Football will be a factor if you are deciding on a late fall, early winter wedding. On non home game weekends the wedding vendors are booking up a year in advance, so get on the phone. If your wedding is going to have few out of towners having it on a home game day may be to your benefit, since it is an off wedding day you may be able to fi nd some good deals on hall rentals, caterers etc.
Design Your Event. Is it going to be formal or relaxed? Luxury hotel or country club, backyard extravagance or beach barbecue? What is the color theme? It’s time to run out to the local magazine shop and pick up the latest issues of Modern Bride or even this magazine you hold now. Peruse the pictures, get some ideas of what you want and where you are going. So that you can move on to the next decision…
Decide on a budget. Ultimately, dollars, and not dreams, you’ve had since childhood, are the determining factors for what you’ll have at your wedding. The wedding day is going to be a major expense. We’ve heard of weddings being planned for as little as $1500 with celebrity weddings running into the millions. The average in the Michiana area tends to be $10,000 to 20,000.
Choose your attendants. So who do you choose? The people that mean the most to you, those you want to be part of your day: best friends, childhood buddies, siblings, even your dog can have a special part in the ceremony. Keep in mind that those who agree to be part of the wedding party are going to be spending their hard-earned money and time; Be sure to be kind by keeping everyone informed about the plans, and making sure they know how much you appreciate them. To keep people informed an internet blog or website would be a good idea for those who live some distance away, besides the traditional phone call.
Announce your engagement. Call your local and parents newspaper. Many newspapers now post guidelines or a standardized form, on their websitesthese days to submit your announcement. Also fi nd out if there is a fee for publication.
Gather a guest list. As you begin to build your guest list, you’ll need to consider a number of factors. How many guests does the ceremony location hold? How many guests does the reception hall hold. If it is going to be under a tent, how big will the tent need to be and do you have room? Do you want a small and intiment day with just family and close friends or do you want a once in a lifetime party for all of your family and friends. Your budget will be a strong determining factor here since the more people who attend the higher the costs.
Do you or Don’t you need a wedding consultant / planner. If you are planning from out of town a wedding consultant or planner can be invaluable in dealing with the major and little factors or planning a wedding. If you are planning a really extravagant wedding a consultant/planner can be a major help also. This ultimately will let you relax and enjoy the planning of the wedding, while they handle the day to day decisions and instruct your vendors, based on your wants and desires.
Choose your Photographer & Videographer It may not seem like it now, but these two decisions are in the top 10 for your wedding day. The Videographer and Photographer are documenting the day, creating family heirlooms that will be treasured by family and friends, children and yourselves for years to come!
The joy of sitting down with future children and watching yourself walk down the aisle or leafi ng through the photos and see the joy, excitement, wonder in your child’s eyes is a moment you will treasure for ever. So don’t skip! I havetalked with many, many brides after the day who years down the line regretted skimping on these two very important decisions.
The Gown. Every little girl has dreamed about how she is going to look on her wedding day and now is the time to make the decision, which gown is going to glide with you down the aisle. Learn gown lingo before stepping foot in a salon. Learn what trains, necklines, silhouettes, and shades of white will flatter you. The season you are getting married in is going to affect your decision. During the hot summer, choose lightweight fabrics such as chiffon, linen, or organza. Being married during the winter? Brocade, fur, and velvet fabrics will keep you warm. Also look for a gown with a complementing coat to keep out the chill while outside. Satin, silk, tulle, and shantung are always appropriate year round.
Entertainment at the reception. Besides the meal, the entertainment is your thank you to the people who have decided to join you and celebrate this wonderful day. You need to decide is this going to be a sedate dinner party style reception with soft music gently wafting thru the hall or are you going to have a kick up your heals rock and roll party of dancing celebration. Disc Jockey, Band, Quartet or Harpist? Do your research! The entertainment will either make or break the wedding reception.
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rascias_creative_cakesWedding Cakes
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Our favorite store for unique gifts, jewlery and fun clothing for ladies or babies, is having their annual Holiday Open House next weekend! Girly Girl Gifts, everything on sale. Champagne cocktails and snacks and best of all, our favorite photo booth rental company, Fun Zone Photo Booths will be there offering complementary use of the photo booth! This is going to be one cool open house. girly-girl-invite

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South Bend Bridal Show

November 7, 2009

The best and largest bridal show in South Bend and the Michiana area is coming up on January 10, 2010 everyone. So mark those calendars for the Bridal Spectacular!

Full information: Sunday January 10 at the Century Center from 12 to 5. Fashion Shows at 1 and 3:30. Check out their web site, vendors are being added weekly!

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tent_weddingQ. I am planning an outdoor wedding. What kind of arrangements should I make in case of rain? A tent may not be in my budget.

A. Outdoor weddings, in South Bend, can be beautiful, but always have a backup plan in case of inclement weather. High heels and muddy ground does not mix. If a tent isn’t in your budget, find a facility that can offer both indoor and outdoor settings. But be aware this may cost you extra, quite often the facility will book two events, one outdoor and one in if they have the room. I have seen one event on the island at Century Center and one in the Great Hall at the same time. Another idea would be to find a facility with an outdoor pavilion with a permanent roof erected, but in the local market I do not know of any such facilities except the Morris Inn, on the Notre Dame campus, which erects their tent for the summer every year.

An old saying that applies to South Bend and the surrounding area’s weather is “wait 5 minutes and it will change”. Exaggerated yes, but if you are planning to have a wedding outdoors in Michiana we strongly suggest having a tent erected in case of rain. With all the costs involved in a wedding even outdoors, tables, cloths, napkins, centerpieces etc even if your budget is tight, not having the tent could cost you even more money if you suffer a rain out.

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