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A Circular Wedding Trend

Do you look towards wedding trends in finding a trend that will suit your wedding? Trends come and go, especially within weddings. There are trends within wedding colors, wedding flowers, wedding venues and even how your wedding is setup. One of the trends emerging for wedding ceremonies is a circular wedding setup. Wedding and Party Network has a few tips, ideas and symbolic meanings behind this wedding setup.

First off, why have a wedding where the seating is setup in a circular pattern? There are many great reasons why, just take a look at the reasons below.

  • Circular Wedding Seating
    Breakaway from traditional seating and go with something unique.
  • Ideal for small, intimate weddings.
  • Can symbolize unity and eternity, it may also be a religious or spiritual symbol and even can represent the meaning of your family by having your close family within the inner circle. By having your family that close, they will feel as if they are truly apart of your wedding.
  • It doesn't necessarily have to be a circle, you can even create a unique spiral and again, put those closest to the inner circle and even create a memory timeline down the aisle.
  • It doesn't have to be chairs. If you're having an outdoor wedding, you can use hay bales or even crates. Get creative and make sure the seating goes with the style of your wedding.
  • Everyone gets a view. Instead of having some guests way back in the back trying to catch a glimpse over someone's head,  Setting up a 360 view, means less chairs have to go in the back.

There are many reasons on why to have a circular wedding set-up. Try incorporating this trend into your wedding to create a unique feature for your wedding ceremony.

This post is brought to you by Houston Wedding Coordinators.
Not in Houston, TX? No worries, use Wedding and Party Network's handy wedding planning directory to help you find a wedding coordinator near you!

Circular wedding seating via

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Wedding Vow Renewal Tips

Are you wanting to plan a special vow renewal service to celebrate an anniversary or just because? Are you unsure on where to start on what's to be included in this type of ceremony? It is truly an important occasion, celebrating your years of marriage and just being with one another. Wedding and Party Network has some tips on renewing your vows and how to plan from start to finish. This ceremony will be as special as your first.

Intimate Wedding Ceremony
First off, why renew? Of course, to celebrate your marriage. You may celebrate a 10 year marriage or just want to re-affirm your commitment. Whatever the occasion, it's a great idea to renew your vows.

When planning your wedding, the bride's family normally pays for most of it. So, who pays for your vow renewals. You do. There's really no rules or regulations to follow since it's not a legally binding ceremony. It's a nice gesture if a close friend hosts, however, traditionally you do. Make it what you want. Plan it outdoors, a destination ceremony or host it in your local worship center. This is your special day and it's all about celebrating your love. Plan it simple and make it about celebrating your marriage.

So, what happens during this ceremony? Basically you exchange vows and re-commit your love for one another. Use the same vows or make up your own that displays what you've been through in the past couple years and how you've grown as a couple. Exchange rings. This can be wedding rings that are engraved or simple bands. You can even have your children, close friends, family members or anyone else you may like to do special readings. Don't forget, you can just make the ceremony for just the two of you on a honeymoon you never got to take.

Now, it's time to celebrate. This joyous occasion is great when shared with friends or family members. In fact, plan a whole vacation around it so you can share it with everyone. Have a nice dinner with everyone, dance the night away and even eat wedding cake. Anything goes with this reception! The main key is to just have fun with it and celebrate what this means to you.

This post is brought to you by Orlando Wedding Planners.
Not in Orlando, FL? No worries, use Wedding and Party Network's handy wedding planning directory to help you find a wedding planner near you!

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Inspirational Friday – Entertaining Groomsmen Photos!

Here at Wedding and Party Network we want to give you inspiration for your wedding photos. So, here are some of our favorite "Inner-Child" Groomsmen pictures to do just that. Every groomsmen loves showing off their fun personality in photos, instead of being serious. So, have your wedding photographer capture their inner-playfulness for some great wedding photos.

Every woman looks forward to her wedding day, that wonderful day that every bride dreams of with her perfect dress, gorgeous jewelry, fabulous hair and magical details. But, what about the groom and his groomsmen? Of course they look forward to the special day, the day they can call their special someone 'theirs'.  Let's face it, we all know that the inner-child in most men is hiding inside, aside from focusing on marrying the love of their life. Fun, anxious and ready for adventure are in all of them. Now, we expect them to stand still and act like a grown man on his special day, but all day? No way! There is one way that we can really let their true character shine through, that is, of course, if they promise to behave the rest of the day! This is by letting your groom and his friends make their pictures come alive! Playing up their likes, showing off their hobbies or just being plain old goofy you will make your groom's day that much better!

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Inspirational Friday – A Splendid Sunflower Wedding

This week, Wedding and Party Network's Inspirational Friday is all about sunflowers! An Autumn wedding is the perfect atmosphere for sunflowers. The warm yellows, and big dark centers, thick sturdy stalks, and over-all 'Sunnyness' that brings elegance and charm make it hard to resist!

These fabulous wedding flowers are perfect for your happy fall wedding. An outdoor wedding is ideal, especially one in an open field, garden, or park. The feel of nature is calming, down-to-earth and inspiring. You can use these energetic flowers alone or with other flowers to create eye-popping arrangements. Marigolds, gerbera daisies, roses and hydrangea look gorgeous mixed with sunflowers. Any combination is ideal for your wedding bouquet, wedding ceremony arrangements and definitely your reception centerpieces. The key is to keep the arrangements simple – sunflowers are striking and demand attention, you don't need to do much to make these flowers look great!

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Inspirational Friday – Rainbow Wedding

Every Friday, Wedding and Party Network will be choosing a theme or color and give you inspirational photos. We want to help give you inspiration for your next event, wedding or party. So, take a look and we hope to give you a bit of inspiration when planning your wedding or party. Our inspirational board will give everyone inspiration on rainbow weddings! Who doesn't love a rainbow? Your wedding day is a day to celebrate the bond between you and your spouse. A day to celebrate your new journey together. So, what better way than to include vibrant colors to express your happiness? Between the invitations, food, decor, cake and clothing – you can arrange for a multi-faceted, one-of-a-kind wedding that reflects you and your bright personality.

Here are some great ideas to turn your Fall Wedding into a rainbow of delight.

Meshing together different colors can easily get out of hand, but knowing just the right amount can turn an average wedding into something your guests will never forget! You don't have to use every color in the rainbow, you can choose three or four colors, bright and vibrant colors. Then, just run with it.

Invitations: You will want your wedding invitations to look a little bohemian, with lightly muted, yet vibrant colors. Alternate the color of the writing with the color of the patterns and find a subtle but exciting in-between.

The Dress: You want your wedding dress magical for your perfect day. So, find a beautiful white or off-white dress and accent it with one of the colors from your scheme. A bright scarf around your waist, rainbow feathered hair clips, bright nail polish or beautiful rainbow jewelry will add just the right amount of flair. A bright pair of shoes will look fabulous peeking out from under your dress.

Bridesmaids and Groomsmen: Different color dresses will look great when matching the groomsmen ties or suspenders! Multi-colored sunglasses will add a nice touch for the groomsmen as well.

Flowers: Your flowers will tie everything together, especially when using all the colors from your theme. You can create lavish and vibrant centerpieces and wedding bouquets that will leave everyone with a smile.

Reception: If you are having an indoor reception, you can use different colored lights for the dance floor or have them shining on the walls to create a fun and bright atmosphere.

Menu: When choosing your rainbow menu, use brightly colored foods. Your desert and appetizers can include fresh fruit or a serve yourself candy buffet.

The Cake: If a rainbow cake is too much for you, you can create a beautiful and traditional wedding cake. However, the key will be to dye the inside of the cake with your wedding colors. No one will see the rainbow inside until you cut the first piece.

Music: A great version of Some Where Over The Rainbow will bring everything together.

Butterfly Release: Top it all off with a butterfly release. Release beautiful, bright, and vibrant colored butterflies to represent a new beginning for the happy couple.

Special thank you to nattywoohoo, james p wells, dalboz17, manue_aka_crazeecrafteez, jiggs images, ex.libres, concubine, conner keller, janierry, and jj_judes for their inspiring rainbow photos via Flickr.

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The Pros and Cons of Having Children in Your Wedding Party

Children, oh how sweet they are… They are energetic and full of fun, outspoken and unpredictable, full of laughter, innocence and great charisma. You just can't beat the spontaneous happiness of youth. Having a child or children in your wedding party sounds like a great idea – they bring charm and a feeling of innocence to the ceremony. Your flower girl and ring bearer mirror the bride and groom and make a delightful addition to the wedding celebration.

Who doesn't love a well-behaved, all dolled up youngster walking down the aisle like a pro?

Little angels... waiting for their moment to shine
Who doesn't love the giggles, ooo's and awes coming from the pews as they sprinkle flower petals and carry the wedding rings to the altar? Let's face it, kids are really cute and quite entertaining!

And who can resist the sweet flower girl as she smiles and shrugs her shoulders before she dumps out the flower petals into a big pile and then kicks them as she screams for her mom? Or once she gets up the altar with tears in her eyes, and starts taking off her itchy dress and too tight hair? How about the ring bearer spinning in circles and sticking out his tongue while he tosses the pillow up and down? Can we say potty? A sudden urge to use the bathroom mid-ceremony will definitely bring on the 'potty dance'. But, hey, we wanted entertainment right?

Here are a few things to consider before sending the little ones down the aisle:

When it comes to a day in the life of a child, tears are as frequent as smiles. So taking that into consideration, you have a 50-50 chance of a meltdown. Tantrums, tears and even fights are quite common among 60% of weddings that include children in their wedding parties. So, there are a few things you should do…

  • If possible, try to use children who are at least 5 years old – the maturity levels between a 4 and 5-year-olds are quite significant.
  • Make sure they get to bed early or take their afternoon nap – they need to be fully rested.
  • Avoid uncomfortable flower girl dresses and suits. Dress the children right before the ceremony begins.
  • Keep the hair styles simple – children often don't have enough patience to sit for longer than a few minutes to get ready.
  • Keep activities or videos on hand for the time they are waiting before the ceremony begins.
  • Keep snacks and drinks readily available.
  • Have a guardian or parent ready to swoop in and remove the child from the ceremony if things start to go bad.
  • Praise the children in the wedding party for their effort and good work.
  • Practice, practice, practice! Make sure that the flower girl and the ring bearer practice their duties for a few days, if not weeks before the rehearsal and ceremony. Doing this will help them feel more comfortable for the big day.

Keeping these tips in mind when planning your wedding – will help from turning your dream wedding into a nightmare.

This post is brought to you by Austin Wedding Photographers.
Not in Austin, TX? No worries, use Wedding and Party Network's handy wedding planning directory to help you find a wedding planner near you!

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All About Wedding Colors

Finding a color scheme for your wedding day can be tricky. The best way to start is by picking two colors that compliment each other and then adding accent colors as you go. However, have you ever wondered what the meaning behind the colors of your wedding might symbolize? You should! Each color represents a specific character trait. You want your wedding colors to show your personality and to inspire and shine.
So, make sure your wedding colors express you!

Of course, you have to consider the place and timing of your wedding when choosing a color palette. You don't want to have bright springy colors at your fall wedding or warm fall colors at your beach wedding! There are a few limits, but for the most part, your imagination and creativity are the only limit you have. Take a look at the meanings behind your wedding colors.

Wedding colors and the meanings behind them

  • Red: Traditionally the color of love and passion.
  • Pink: The color of universal love, romance and acceptance. Pink is delicate and caring.
  • Orange: The color of healing, vitality and sincerity.
  • Brown: Represents simplicity, warmth and comfort.
  • Yellow: A cheerful color that expresses joy and happiness.
  • Green: The color of fertility, harmony and balance.
  • Blue: Represents peace, spirituality and inspiration.
  • Purple: The color of royalty, showing elegance, inspiration and sophistication.
  • Lavender: Expresses grace and elegance.
  • Gold: The symbol of wealth, tradition and optimism.
  • White: The color of perfection, purity, wholeness and kindness.
  • Black: Represents sophistication, boldness and elegance.
  • Silver: Is formal, conservative, glamorous and sophisticated.
  • Ivory: Expresses pleasantness, elegance and sincerity.

Whatever colors you choose, they need to be a representation of you and what you love. The colors of your wedding have a large impact on your wedding. Take your time and widen your imagination. In these times, nothing is off-limits. So, have fun and express yourself!

This post is brought to you by Miami Wedding Planners.
Not in Miami, FL? No worries, use Wedding and Party Network's handy wedding planning directory to help you find a wedding planner near you!

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How to Pull Off A Small, Intimate Wedding Ceremony

Your wedding day is a day that you have looked forward to for years.  A day to celebrate and begin your new journey with your mate. Weddings are an occasion that come along with great celebration, family and friends and a large price tag!

Marriage Bliss
That being said, it's not wonder that small, intimate weddings are becoming more popular. Often times, however, it's not only the money that inspires couples to have a private wedding… It takes much less planning, less stress and makes for a memorable family event. Something that you will hold close to your heart forever.

Small weddings are not the most favored, but they are the most cost efficient choice. Expect to have mixed emotions from family and friends when you share the news. They're excited about your special day too. Listen to their opinions, but since you chose to have a small wedding, stick to your guns and explain to them that on a later date you will hold an informal reception to include everyone who isn't invited to the ceremony.

Step 1

Make a budget. No wedding planner needed! Do some research on the web and around your community for local florists, caterers, and bakeries.

Once you have an attainable budget you can start planning and purchasing your wedding necessities.

Step 2

Chose your location. Smaller weddings give you more options when it comes to finding a wedding location, look for local halls, churches, wineries, beaches, parks or private gardens. Depending on how small your guest list is, you can hold the ceremony at your home or a family member's home.

Destination weddings are a great option when you have a small guest list too. It costs more. However, you can ask your family to pitch in to help cover the traveling costs instead of gifts. After all, they will be coming along on the trip too!

Step 3

Invitations. Send out your wedding invitations 4-6 weeks in advance. If you feel bad talking about your wedding to friends who are not invited, it might be a better idea NOT talk about it. Keep it a secret until after the ceremony. You can then invite them to the reception to celebrate!

Step 4

The Menu. Selecting your menu will be easier with a smaller crowd. You wont have to worry about generalizing the menu, like you would for a larger crowd. Hire a caterer to create your family's favorite foods.

Step 5

The wedding. Yes it close and personal, but you can still have all the traditions included. Ask your guests to offer a few words at the ceremony or to do the readings if it is a religious ceremony.

Step 6

Reception. This is a great time to show a slide show or play old family movies. A time to tell family stories. Your reception will be small, private and beautiful.

Step 7

After your wedding you can wait a few weeks before having your big reception. This celebration is less formal than a typical wedding reception. Send out your invitations a few weeks in advance and plan for a low-key party to include all your friends in the celebration!

Bright and Light Bouquets

A few reminders…

  • You can still have the dress of your dreams! Just because your wedding is small doesn't mean you can't have a great dress.
  • The wedding flowers don't need to be as lavish as they would be for a larger wedding. But, having flowers in your small wedding will bring an intimate and elegant touch to the ceremony and reception.
  • A beautiful way to include your family in the wedding is to give each family member a single flower as they take their seats. When you walk down the aisle to the altar, each flower will become part of your bouquet. This can be done with Hawaiian Leis too, each family member can place one around your neck as you make your way to alter. Or a simple hug to each family member as you enter is a beautiful way to include everyone.

This post is brought to you by Miami Wedding Planners.
Not in Miami, FL No worries, use Wedding and Party Network's handy wedding planning directory to help you find a wedding planner near you!

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Making a Grand Exit

So, your wedding day is approaching. However, in the midst of your planning you realize that you don't want the typical limousine exit after your reception. Are there other options? Depending on your site and the weather, there are several fun ways you can make an exciting exit from your wedding to the reception, and from the reception it's self!

A Grand Exit

Rose petals and rice are common traditions to be tossed as the happy couple exits the wedding chapel. However, there are some other great ideas to incorporate into your grand exit.

Some fun ideas to spice things up are:

  • Sparklers
  • Pom Poms
  • Lavender
  • Bird Seed
  • Bells (to ring – not throw!)
  • Butterfly or dove release
  • Jazz band along both sides of the walk way – groove your way through

As for your ride:

Your getaway vehicle should show the style and theme of your wedding. Here are some creative ways to make a GRAND exit!

  • A vintage bicycle built for two
  • Horse and carriage
  • Firetrucks or police escort
  • A trolley ride for the wedding party
  • Helicopter ride (talk about grand!)
  • Hot air balloon
  • An elephant ride around the corner
  • A Harley Davidson built for two
  • Horseback
  • Ride off on a Sea-Doo (for a beach wedding)

There are so many ways to leave your mark, you just have to imagine and then create! Congratulations on your big day – now go make it as special as you are!

This post is brought to you by Miami Wedding Planners.
Not in Miami, FL No worries, use Wedding and Party Network's handy wedding planning directory to help you find a wedding planner near you!

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A Cultural Affair – Tips on Planning a Culturally Mixed Wedding

If you are planning a mixed cultural wedding there are several things you need to consider. Embrace both cultures to create a beautiful and unique wedding.

A Beautiful Ceremony
Most wedding traditions are based on religion, culture, heritage, and race. When you are cutting and pasting together a wedding, you need to decide which traditions mean the most to you and your fiancé as well, as your families.

Your family's opinions and vision of your wedding might create obstacles, especially if they are the ones paying for it! Creating a wedding that respects both family's religions and cultures can be done and be absolutely beautiful.

The first thing you need to do, before even thinking about the revenue, date or theme, is sit down and talk with you fiancé about which traditions are the most important to you. Being open with each other about what you want included and what can be left out will make things a lot easier.

The next step is to sit down with both of your families, preferably at separate times. Ask them for advice and let them know that you want to respect and honor the family traditions, but need to make this ceremony a fusion of both.

Although every couple is different and you want your wedding to be unique, you also want your wedding to show your personality and your heritage. Here are a few tips to help you along the way.

One of the most common solutions for a mixed wedding is to have two separate ceremonies. However, when finances wont allow for two ceremonies, you need to be creative and find a way to mesh both cultures into one ceremony.

  • Invitations: Send out two sets of invitations. One in each language so that no one feels left out.
  • Location: If your religions clash, consider holding the ceremony in a non-religious venue. A park, a hall, a ballroom, a country or garden club are great options.
  • Programs: Two sets of programs, in the same style and theme but one in each language. You can even personalize them with a small note to your family in your native language on near the bottom.
  • Music: Alternate music throughout the ceremony from each culture. Sticking with instrumentals will make the transition from song to song smooth.
  • Readings: Alternate the readings from one language to the next. You don't want to do every reading in both languages because it will make your ceremony too long.
  • Vows: Recite vows in your native language, so that both set of parents and families understand completely.
  • Reception: Take care when arranging the seating, making sure that everyone is sitting with someone they can communicate with. (You don't want your Aunt Evelyn sitting at a table of non-English speaking guests).
  • Decor: Your set up should show both cultures. Including flowers, lighting and even positioning of the tables. Creating centerpieces with flowers and candles that represent both your heritages will make your families feel at home.

Give opportunity for everyone to mesh and mingle. The dance floor is the perfect opportunity for this! Again, you will want to alternate music from each culture to keep your guests happy and involved.

  • Menu: Finding the perfect food for everyone is a difficult task. However, you can arrange your buffets to have two separate stations catering to both cultures. Or if you are using a menu, have options designed around both cultures. Find a caterer in your area to help you design the perfect pallet for your reception.

Remember, your wedding is about you and your spouse. It is the beginning of a new and happy adventure that will take you places you have never been. Make sure to merge your style, character and personality as well as your spouse's! With a little planning and creativity your wedding will be beautiful, unique and respectful to both of your heritages.

This post is brought to you by Miami Wedding Planners.
Not in Miami, FL? No worries, use Wedding and Party Network's handy wedding planning directory to help you find wedding planners near you!

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