Cake Table Decor: Bride’s and Bridesmaids Bouquets

Mother of the Bride, have you and your darling daughter discussed décor for the cake tables yet? Remember, you will have two tables or areas to decorate—the main cake table and the table for the groom’s cake as well. Yes, the cakes will be decorative in themselves, but something more is really needed to add color and beauty to the white tablecloths you’ll more than likely use.

One smart and gorgeous solution is to use the bride’s and the bridesmaids’ bouquets to add beautiful accents to the cake tables. Since you already have money invested in the bouquets, why not use them beyond the ceremony?

Not only will the bouquets already be stunning, they will provide coordinating color, already be paid for, and will require no extra work. Just tell the bridesmaids ahead of time where they are to place their bouquets as soon as they arrive at the reception. Or have someone else assigned to gather the bouquets as soon as the post ceremony photos are taken so she can get them to the reception site asap.

MOB, this is one of those times you can kill two birds with one stone. Take advantage of it and move on to the next item on your to-do list. After all, you’ll probably be adding to that list as fast as you check things off, right?!

*You might also like to read Cake Table Tip for Weddings: Display Engagement PhotoTable Décor Finishing Touch: Fresh Rose Petals, and Wedding Table Décor: Add Pizzazz with Confetti.

0307*Top photo by Flowers Photography; bottom photo by Chris Humphrey

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride and also my Wedding Inspiration cards, check out my Books/My Work page.

*The new issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, came out earlier this month. It’s not too late to receive it. Sign-up is free! Temporary problem with Life Notes sign-up. To sign up, just contact me.

Wedding Invitations: Proofread Again and Again

Mother of the Bride, I have some very important advice for you today: Be sure to proofread the copy for the wedding invitation very carefully before sending it off to the printer. And after you’ve proofread it once, proof it again—and again. Oh, and did I mention proofreading it? You get the idea, right?

As you might have guessed, my oldest daughter and I experienced a proofreading fail while planning her wedding. Talk about a sinking feeling when we discovered the mistake—yes, on the actual invitations.

We had both proofread the invitation copy before sending it to the printer, but we still missed seeing a misspelling. Since our eyes were familiar with the name, they evidently sailed right past it as we read the copy. We failed to look the copy over very slowly and very carefully. And yes, it cost us. Lesson learned.

So, MOB, learn from our mistake and proofread like crazy. Both you and the bride proofread the invitation multiple times and then ask someone else to proofread it too. Believe me, being a stickler for details this time will save you valuable dollars and an extra helping of stress. Here’s to no invitation mistakes as you plan for your daughter’s big day!

*You might also like to read A Keepsake Photo of the Wedding Invitation.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride and also my Wedding Inspiration cards, check out my Books/My Work page.

*The new issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, came out last week. It’s not too late to receive it. Sign-up is free! Temporary problem with Life Notes sign-up. To sign up, just contact me.

*Flickr photo by Jase LamCreative Commons License

Wedding Planning Advice: Give Yourself the Gift of Easy

Mother of the Bride, if you’re like I was while in wedding planning mode, you’re all about saving a dollar or two (or ten!) every chance you get, right? Your mental calculator runs non-stop, causing you to continually feel the pressure of mounting expenses. You begin to look for every way you can to save a little money. But you know what? Sometimes it’s not worth it.

My first time around the MOB block, I decided we should forgo the pre-cut tulle circles we wanted to use for making the favors—little bags of chocolate candies tied with pretty ribbon. In an attempt to save some dollars, I decided we could cut our own circles of tulle.

Big mistake. At a time when both the bride and I had more to do than we had time, we had to push ourselves even more. Yes, believe it or not, the tulle circle-cutting fairies did not show up at nighttime to cut the circles for us.

My decision to cut costs ended up costing us in other ways—in time, in stress, and in weariness. The dollars saved were definitely not worth it.

Learn from my mistake, dear MOB. Carefully weigh all the costs before making more work for yourself or the bride. Sometimes the best thing you can do is give yourself the gift of easy.

*You might also like to read A Simple Wedding Expense TipMothers of the Bride Need Prayer, and Gather Photos Early for Wedding Day Slide Show.

*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 November. Sign-up is FREE. *Temporary problem with Life Notes sign-up. To sign up, just contact me.

*Flickr photo by FutUnBeidlCreative Commons License

Sugar Roses Still Gorgeous on Wedding Cakes

Mother of the Bride, if your bride-to-be wants roses as décor on her wedding cake, be sure she considers sugar roses as well as fresh ones.

Fresh roses adorn many wedding cakes today, but rest assured that handmade sugar roses can look just as gorgeous. Take a look at the examples above and below. Such exquisite detail!

The key lies in finding a cake baker/designer who excels in an impeccable finished product. Be sure to ask to see photos of her other cakes before making a decision about fresh vs. handmade sugar roses. It’s also a good idea to ask other MOBs and brides who have used her services how pleased they were with their own wedding cakes.

If your daughter doesn’t have a strong preference for one type of rose over the other, ask your baker/designer if sugar roses will be more or less expensive to do than fresh ones. You might as well take advantage of a possible opportunity to save a little money if the prices for each will be different, right?

Fresh or sugar—both can be beautiful. But above all, MOB, enjoy indulging in that fabulous cake on wedding day!

*You might also like to read Wedding Cake Idea: Beautiful Brooch Accents! and Wedding Cake Idea: The Drape Effect.

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*For info about my book Mother of the Bride and also my Wedding Inspiration cards, 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 May. Sign-up is FREE! *Temporary problem with Life Notes sign-up. To sign up, just contact me.

*Flickr photos by Whipped BakeshopCreative Commons License

Old West, Flyer-Inspired Wedding Stationery

Well, Ma of the Bride, is your little bride-to-be cookin’ up some rootin’, tootin’ fun for the day she’s gettin’ hitched? If so, why not add to the Old West rustic fun with some invitations that match the style of the wedding?

Typography style stationery that looks like flyers from the Old West will be the perfect addition to an Old West/cowboy/rustic themed wedding. Regional or era-appropriate wording like “Y’all come” or “gettin’ hitched” can add to the overall fun, too, on everything from save-the-dates to invitations to the RSVP cards. The happy couple can get as down-home as they’d like or reign it in a bit, whatever suits their particular personalities and styles.

The typography style flyer-invitation might be something that the bride or groom or another family member or friend could design fairly easily, too. Saving money is always a plus, isn’t it, MOB, not to mention the personal touch that will always be remembered.

So Ma, if your sweet gal is cozyin’ up to the idea of an Old West, cowboy, or rustic-themed wedding, show her this idea and see if it tickles her down-home fancy. Ya’ll have fun now!

*If you’d like to see some other western invitation ideas, check out the Western Wedding Invitation page on Zazzle. You might also like to read Rustic Wedding Idea: Boot Bouquets.

*The new issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, comes out today. It’s not too late to receive it. Sign-up is free! Temporary problem with Life Notes sign-up. To sign up, just contact me.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride and also my Wedding Inspiration cards, check out my Books/My Work page.

*Flickr photo by Sarah Parrott, Creative Commons License