Archives for June 2021

Wedding Day Cake-Cutting Tip

June 15, 2021 by 2 Comments

Mother of the Bride, here’s an important cake-cutting tip for wedding day: After the bride and groom have cut the traditional first slice of cake, make sure that both the main cake and the groom’s cake are then cut and made available to the guests at the same time.

It’s a fact of wedding life that almost every wedding guest in the world looks forward to indulging in a piece of cake at the party. If someone wants a piece of the groom’s cake, don’t keep them waiting while the wedding cake is sliced for those who want a piece of the star-of-the-show cake. At most weddings, the guests have already been in waiting mode for the cake-cutting, so the last thing we want to do is keep them waiting longer than necessary.

Make arrangements ahead of time with your caterer for simultaneous cake-cutting. I didn’t realize I should have done this until we ran into a problem at one of our daughters’ weddings.

The on-site caterer for that wedding was busy cutting the main cake herself and had not assigned any of the servers to cut the groom’s cake. When I asked her to have someone start cutting the groom’s cake, she responded in a negative way. As a result, both cakes weren’t available to our guests until later. I’m sure some guests even had to leave before the groom’s cake was cut. On top of that, it was an unhappy wedding day experience for me as I was rebuffed by someone we were paying to serve us.

So learn from my bad experience, MOB, and arrange for simultaneous cake-cutting ahead of time. Your guests will be happy—and you will be happy as everyone joyfully savors the cake of their choice on your daughter’s big day. Now, “let them eat cake!”

*Note: If you and your friends and family are handling the catering by yourselves, be sure to assign helpers to cut both cakes at the same time.

*You might also like to read Three Tips for Working with Your Wedding DJ, Wedding Day Tip: A List for the Photographer, and Day Before Wedding Tip: Preview Flowers.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride check out my Books/My Work page.

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, will come out in early August. Sign-up is FREE and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.) *Temporary problem with Life Notes sign-up. To sign up, just contact me.

*Flickr photo by Lars Plougmann, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: advice, bride, cake, celebrate, dessert, food, learn, Mother of the Bride, preparation, serve, variety, wedding, wisdom Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Serve Acrostic: Midyear Theme Word Refresher

June 15, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Nearly half the year is gone so it’s time to give more thought to my 2021 theme word—serve. The creative exercise of writing acrostics is an excellent way for me to go deeper in my consideration of my theme word each year. This practice helps me think of different aspects of the word.

As I remind myself of and reflect on serve, I pray you are blessed and inspired to serve as well. Also, if you chose a theme word of your own this year, maybe this post will encourage you to do something similar with your word. Whatever your situation, friends, may you be blessed as you read!

See the needs of others, share your time and resources, and set aside selfish desires to be available.

Evaluate what you have to give, enter the lives of others with kindness, and engage those who don’t feel seen or heard.

Refresh others with scripture and encouraging words, remember what ministered to you and do likewise, and resist Satan’s attempts to discourage you from serving.

View everyone as loved by God, vacation where you can also serve, and vow to listen for the Spirit’s nudging.

Expand your vision of ways to reach out, enable others to meet needs as well, and extend love to the poor, the lonely, and the forgotten.

Let’s be alert to ways to serve. God will be pleased, others will be blessed, and so will we!

“. . . serve one another humbly in love.” Galatians 5:13 NIV

*How might God be calling you to serve right now?

*Special Note – As usual, God knows what he’s doing when he guides me to a word for the year. By late January, our daughter was diagnosed with breast cancer so I’ve spent much time helping her and her family. My husband has also had some health challenges. Serve has come to life in ways I never anticipated. Yes, God knows what he’s doing! (p.s. Kelli completed her chemo treatments earlier this month. She still has some tests and procedures in front of her, but she is doing well!)

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, will come out in early August. Sign-up is FREE and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.) *Temporary problem with Life Notes sign-up. To sign up, just contact me.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride check out my Books/My Work page.

*Photo by Anna Earl on Unsplash

Filed Under: Above and Beyond, blessing, challenge, encouragement, focus, help, refresh, serve, word, writing Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Wedding Day Photo: Bouquets in a Bunch

June 1, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Mother of the Bride, I have a wedding day photo idea for you today that’s a real winner. This shot will be super simple for your photographer to set up but provides a colorful and gorgeous reminder of the day. Easy plus amazing. You can’t beat that!

I call this dynamite photo idea bouquets in a bunch. Simply have the bride hold her star-of-the-day bridal bouquet waist-high and then ask the bridesmaids to hold their bouquets all around hers. The effect is stunning as the bridesmaids’ bouquets encircle the bridal bouquet, showing off in glorious fashion not only the colors of the wedding, but the bride’s choice in flowers as well.

Why not suggest this perfect wedding day photo to your daughter, MOB? Then jot it down on the list of photos you’d like the photographer to take on her big day. You’ll be glad you did!

*You might also like to read Cute Idea for the Bride: Shoes to Match the Bouquet.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride check out my Books/My Work page.

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, will come out in early August. Sign-up is FREE and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.) *Temporary problem with Life Notes sign-up. To sign up, just contact me.

*Flickr photo by theinvinciblemom, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: beauty, bride, bridesmaids, color, flowers, memories, Mother of the Bride, photo fun, preparation, wedding Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Renewed Treasure in the Word of God

June 1, 2021 by Leave a Comment

One Christmas several years ago, I made shopping easy for my husband. My Bible at that time was fifteen years old and sporting loose pages in the front and back. It was time to part with it and break in a new one before I started leaving the Word of God trailing behind me—though that’s not such a bad idea, is it?

I searched the internet, found the Bible I wanted, ordered it, and then informed Don that it would be his Christmas gift to me. We both won, right? In reality, though, I was the bigger winner. His satisfaction in getting out of Christmas shopping lasted only a short time. The satisfaction I found in the gift—the Word of God—bloomed each day.

Since I’m an underliner, you can imagine what my old Bible looked like after fifteen years. Getting a new one with no markings felt a little scary. I thought I would miss my notes and underlines and feel rather lost without them. On the contrary, something entirely different happened.

I discovered that each passage seemed fresh, almost new. I felt excited as I read. Verses well-known to me and loved dearly took on an aura of renewed treasure, as if I were reading them for the first time. These words, untouched by my handy pen, became words I considered once more as I underlined yet again.

I pray I will always continue to look at the Word of God with fresh eyes. I pray I will come to it excited about what I may discover, expectant over what the Lord might reveal to me. I pray that the satisfaction I find in the Word of God will continue to bloom within me each day.

Is it time for you to take a fresh look at some familiar passages? I guarantee you will find renewed treasure. And with it will come great satisfaction.

“When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, LORD God Almighty.” Jeremiah 15:16 NIV

*Have you discovered anything new in a familiar passage of scripture recently? I’d love to hear about it!

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, will come out in early August. Sign-up is FREE and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.) *Temporary problem with Life Notes sign-up. To sign up, just contact me.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride check out my Books/My Work page.

*Flickr photo by Savio Sebastian, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: books, change, Gift, joy, new thing, old, opportunity, refresh, surprise, treasure, unplowed ground, Word of God Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,