Wedding Supplies

Spain is known as a passionate, colorful country, rich in culture.  These attributes make the perfect ingredients for creating an amazing wedding. Spanish wedding traditions have long been a staple in Western European culture. Though they have certainly changed over the years, some of them are still practiced and cherished today.

One tradition that has survived the test of time is the presentation of thirteen coins from the groom to the bride.  Before a couple exchanges their vows, the groom gives his bride a wedding present of thirteen coins. The coins, which are usually presented in some type of special bag or box, symbolize the groom’s commitment to his new bride and his vow to support her.  The bride carries the coins, which are then blessed by the priest or minister, during the ceremony. Once they’ve served their purpose, the coins are added to the collection of family keepsakes.

Orange blossoms have long been the flower of choice for Spanish brides. Since the orange tree bears fruit and blossoms at the same time, its flowers represent happiness and fulfillment. Today, brides tend to use a combination of rose garlands and/or white flowers in their wedding ceremonies, but the orange blossom still remains a favorite accent and is often used in bouquets, wreaths and tiaras.

In more modern times, Spanish brides have opted to wear white silk dresses as their bridal gown.  A traditional Spanish bride’s wedding gown, although still made of silk, was quite different.  Both the dress and the lace veil were black.  Also, traditionally the groom would wear a shirt that the bride embroidered for him especially for the ceremony.

The Lasso Ceremony is a time honored tradition that begins during the minister’s prayer right after the bride and groom has said their vows. A rosary is wrapped around the couple to insure the protection of the union.

As with most cultures, the wedding rings are a significant part of the ceremony as well. Although some people may be accustomed to wearing wedding rings on the ring finger of the left hand, Spanish wedding traditions are different. The bride and groom wear wedding rings on the right hand.

A Spanish wedding reception is filled with lively festivities and music. It is typical too see a Mariachi Band or hear a DJ playing Latin or Spanish music.  The Spanish are known for their flashy, colorful dancing. During the reception guests traditionally dance a “sequidillas manchegas” and present the newlyweds with a gift.

The meal served at the reception will often consist of seafood and/or the native dish paella.  Local wines and sangria are also very popular.  Wedding cookies flavored with almond and different spices are a favorite delicacy. The wedding cake is usually filled with a variety of local fruits and almonds.

The bride and groom like to give their guests a variety of different party favors. The men in attendance can expect cigars.  The bride gives out small pins that should be worn upside down by the unmarried women during the festivities. The Spanish tradition believes if the pin is lost during the reception; the lady who loses it will be the next in line to marry.

As you can see, a Spanish wedding is an extremely festive occasion filled with time-honored traditions. Add some of these ideas to your wedding and you’ll be guaranteed a dynamic event filled with sound, color, and a whole lot of love.

How about this for a twist…instead of having a wedding theme based on one ethnic background, why not create a melting pot?  Not only can the couple incorporate their own nationalities into the wedding but many other traditions will keep the event fresh, interesting, and exciting.

Starting from invitations, through favors, and on to the final dance, guests can experience a different country’s tradition throughout the entire event.  Just a few choices from the many options available could be Oriental centerpieces, Greek favors, Egyptian jewelry and old style scrolled British invitations. 

The wedding attire, the ceremony, and the reception are all great places to add that heritage factor.  Each member of the wedding party could be dressed in different outfit, customary to different regions of the world.  The bride a groom could do the same.  The ceremony itself can include many different customs and rituals. 

The reception is an especially perfect spot for a myriad of ethnic “flavors.”  You can have each table labeled as a different country.  For instance, The Jones’ may be sitting at the Africa table, with the Smith’s are sitting at the Brazil table.  You can decorate each table in colors and themes from that particular country, maybe using that country’s flag as the centerpiece.  If you choose to serve a buffet style meal, each station could be a food indigenous to each different county.  Appetizers could be a variety of Indian Tapas, while the main course could consist of favorite Italian dishes, maybe tied up with French desserts.  Another great place to include ancient traditions is on the dance floor.  There are so many great traditional dances along with music to accompany them.  As many of the older, traditional dances, encourage audience participation, this is a great way for couples to interact with their guests.   

Whatever your choice, this is a very easy theme to work with and you will find the possibilities are endless and plentiful.  Most of us want our wedding to be an unforgettable event and having an Around the World theme, will certainly prove to be a one-of-a-kind event for your guests and a most memorable occasion for you both.

Egyptian Shell Necklace

Irish Wedding Rings

I’m sure there are more than just Irish Eyes smiling at an Irish wedding.  This series has emphasized how popular it has become for couples to draw on their cultural and ethnic backgrounds and to include them in their weddings.  Ireland is no exception.  The rich Irish heritage offers elements that add color and flavor, making an Irish wedding a truly special event. 

There are a variety of Irish elements that can be easily incorporated into a wedding. One obvious element is to get married on St. Patrick’s Day.  Building your theme around the color green (after Ireland’s nickname Emerald Isle), can be a simple yet elegant choice. Symbolism can even be as basic as decorating the wedding invitations with Celtic knots.  Perhaps the best-known symbol of Ireland is the shamrock.  The color green and shamrock together can be used to design spectacular centerpieces and decorations and can even carry over to the wedding party flowers.  The fragrant Bells of Ireland, may also be used as part of the theme, as they too, are green.  English lavender, an ancient symbol of love, loyalty, devotion and even luck is often mixed with the bride’s wedding flowers to help insure a happy and long-lasting marriage.  Of course, it’s totally at the couple’s discretion what and how many Irish traditions to use.  The options are really endless.

Moving on to the ceremony itself, an old Irish tradition calls for the wedding couple to walk to the church together before exchanging their vows. As they walk down the main street to the church, onlookers throw rice to bless the marriage.  Sometimes they even throw larger items, such as pots and pans. 

Historically an Irish bride wears a blue wedding dress.  In ancient Irish tradition, blue symbolized purity.  Only more recently has the white wedding dress become a symbol of virginity and purity. Another tradition is for the bride to braid her hair for her wedding day. Braided hair is an ancient symbol of feminine power and luck.  A groom, with a comfortable sense of self-confidence, might even consider wearing a kilt and asking his groomsmen to do likewise. Kilts, represent a particular family and bring both culture and very personal family heritage to the event.

Traditionally an Irish bride wears a Claddagh ring as her wedding ring.  This ring has become a very popular symbol of a person’s romantic status and continues to be a fashionable choice for an engagement and or wedding ring, for couples all around the world.  It is a heart held by two hands with the heart topped by a crown.  The heart in the design symbolizes love longed to be shared with one’s true love. The crown symbolizes undying loyalty and the hands symbolize friendship, which is, the foundation of love.  The ring’s motto is: “Let love and friendship reign.” If a woman wears a Claddagh Ring on her right hand with the heart facing outward toward the end of her finger this signifies that she is single and looking for love. If the ring is worn on the right hand with the heart facing inward, toward the woman’s knuckle, it signifies that she is engaged. Finally, if a Claddagh Ring is worn on the left hand it means that the woman is married.   The Claddagh has truly become an everlasting symbol of love and marriage.

Other ethnic wedding traditions focus on the food. At some traditional Irish weddings distinct Irish fare like corned beef and cabbage, Irish soda bread, mead, and dark beer will be served.  Mead is a wine-like drink that is made from honey, water and yeast. It was thought that mead could improve virility in men and fertility in women, and so held a significant place at weddings. It is suggested that the word honeymoon originated from the ingredient in mead (i.e., the honey). Irish history documents a ritual where the groom captures the bride at her home and brings her to the wedding feast, where large quantities of mead are consumed. Once the festivities were over, the groom would “hide” the bride from her family for a period of a “full moon”, in hopes that the bride might then be pregnant so that the marriage could not be challenged. One could say that the custom started with honey (mead) and ended with the moon.

As with most weddings, the cake is a focal point at an Irish wedding. The theme can be kept by decorating cakes with shamrocks and green icing and even an Irish cream filling.  The wedding cake may even be a variation of a fruitcake recipe. 

Finally, it’s time to party and we all know the Irish are famous for a good time.  Music plays a significant role in creating the mood for the reception.  Both old and new favorites are widely available, so whether you have bagpipers, a band or simply a DJ, music with an ethnic flare can truly shape the tone of your event.  “The Irish Wedding Song,” a slow waltz-type song, is a great way to kick off the reception. Starting alone on the dance floor, the bride and groom are then joined by their guests. Popular Irish ballads, such as “Black Velvet Band,” and “When Irish Eyes are Smiling,” are great drinking songs that encourage crowd participation.  

Whatever Irish traditions you choose, mixing the old with the new is sure to add a special twist to your celebration, that guests will talk about for years to come.

wedding accessories to complete your wedding reception

               Many a bride struggles with finding that something special that will separate her wedding day from everyone else’s. Statistics show that in 2008, 2,208,000 people got married. How can you possibly compete with a number like that and expect that your wedding will dramatically different?

                Financially speaking, the bigger the wedding reception, the more it’s going to cost just for the bare necessities. The fancier everything is; from invitations to flowers to the numerous other wedding accessories, the more expensive your wedding will be. Then, of course you’ll need entertainment, a photographer and lots of food. All this adds up quickly and you may still not have anything truly out of the ordinary.

                There are always things you can do to make a memorable wedding reception for your guests. I say your guests because everything about your wedding should be special to you, the bride and groom. Sometimes it’s an out of the ordinary favor. Sometimes it’s a really great band. Maybe you’ll have a champagne fountain, (of course that probably depends on your budget). What about the photography?

                Is there something out of the ordinary that you can do here? People often put a disposable camera on some or all of the guest tables. It’s a great way to get candids of your family and friends because after all, the photographer can’t be everywhere at the same time. Videos of the reception are very common as well and fun for the bride and groom to watch the next day.

While both of these make great memories for the bride and groom, why not do something that your “audience” will love too? A wonderful way to accomplish this is to make a video for the guests to watch sometime during the reception. Make a video comprised of pictures from both the bride and groom’s childhood and through the years until they met. Then incorporate pictures of their courtship up until just before the wedding. Set it to the music of your choice and you’re good to go! Something like this really makes a great impact. For people who only really know the bride or the groom, it’s a good way to introduce the other. It can be entertaining and funny and don’t be surprised if you see some teary-eyed guests. This option is one that definitely sets the tone for a great reception full of good times, fond memories and future blessings.

Capture the spirit of the season you marry in

Winter time weddings usually breed winter themed weddings, including location, (probably indoors), decorations and possibly your selection of a favor. I went to a December wedding once where the couple gave each female guest two ornate glass Christmas ornaments. I suspect they were pricy because they were in boxes from an upscale department store. I certainly understand the relevancy here, but if the majority of your guests don’t celebrate Christmas, (and you are aware of this fact), then I’d suggest something else; something more appropriate for the general public.

Spring weddings tend to lend themselves to a few more options than winter weddings. Depending on the month, you can have a portion or all of wedding reception outdoors. You’ll have a variety of flowers to choose from. You can find lots of wedding supplies geared towards the spring months, including holidays like St. Patrick’s Day. You may also get a better turn out of out of town guests. People are less averse to traveling if in climate weather isn’t an issue.

Daytime or nighttime weddings are both good choices in the summer. I would suggest lighter colors and lighter weight dresses for the bridesmaids. People will get antsy quickly if they have to spend an hour on formal pictures outside in a black gown in the middle of August! If your reception is going to be outside, make sure the tables are under tents or that there is some form of shade. If it’s going to be indoors, make sure the reception hall has air conditioning.

Fall and harvest type themes speak volumes in the fall months. If you’re into the yellows, oranges and browns, then fall is the right season for you. It should be relatively easy to provide an elegant setting or whatever setting you want with the changing of leaf colors. Corn stalks and scarecrows are great if they’re utilized in the proper setting. If your wedding is early enough in the fall season, you may be able to have cocktail hour outside.

No matter what month you pick to marry in, just try to make sure that you are in sync with the season. You can certainly do what you want to do, but if your hearts’ desire is to have a clambake for the food, I’d stick with the summer months. It might seem a little odd to eat steamers and lobster in many places in January. Of course you could always have a destination wedding to the Caribbean or some other exotic place where it’s pretty much always summer.  Ah, but that’s a whole separate topic!

Cut into your new life with a beautiful cake server set

                I imagine that most women, if not all women, fanaticize about their wedding day.

words of wisdom you can treasure long after your wedding day

From an early age, a teenager or younger, we begin to imagine our Prince Charming and living happily ever after. Of course everything is perfect because when we use our imagination, anything is possible. But in reality, we know that there’s always room for error or mishap. Prince Charming may look slightly different than we’d pictured and our chances for a fairy tale marriage are slim. Still we can reach for the moon while proceeding cautiously.

                When it comes time to actually plan and execute your dream wedding, you have nothing short of high expectations from anyone and everyone involved. If it starts to fall apart, don’t you fall apart. Drama can be imminent during the planning stage, just by virtue of the number of people that might be involved. But you cannot just call off the wedding and write it off as a bad experience. You must combat the drama with a positive and calm can-do attitude. Even if it means taking a step back to reassess something or someone, make your decisions for the right reason and then stand behind them. Even the most well planned wedding receptions can have a minor flaw or two.

                Against all odds for a perfect wedding is the first thing that comes to my mind when I recall a friends’ wedding. She was so excited to be marrying the man of her dreams, (and he was pretty close to Prince Charming all right!) She ironed out all the details early on with the intention of avoiding last minute stress as much as possible. Things were going great, for a while.

One of her bridesmaids lived in another state. Money was an issue for this woman, so my friend offered to pay for her dress and plane ticket to lessen her expenses, thus allowing her to be in the wedding party. A couple of months before the wedding, they got into an argument over something so trivial that my friend didn’t even consider it a true argument. The other woman saw it as something completely different and decided not to be in the wedding. In fact, she decided not even to come to the wedding. But here’s the kicker; she didn’t bother to tell my friend any of this! As time went on and she wasn’t returning phone calls, (no email back then), my friend took the hint. It was much too late to find a replacement bridesmaid, so she resigned to the fact that there would be an uneven wedding party. This was ultimately resolved by having one of the bridesmaids walk down the aisle with two ushers. She wasn’t thrilled about this, but it was better than asking for a stand in at the last minute, (when clearly the woman would know she was not the first round draft pick!)

                Okay, minor glitch, no big deal, right? Then comes the bachelorette party. Everyone’s having a great time until one of the bridesmaids goes MIA! She was with the group dancing one minute and gone the next. Everyone was drunk and went back to the hired van to pass out. This left only the bride to sober up and find her missing friend. She had a police officer helping her and the chauffeur of the van waited patiently for 2 hours. Finally, my friend gave up her search after retracing all their steps and decided to get everyone else home before anything else bad happened. Needless to say, she was upset and frightened for  the safety of her friend. She ended up paying the overage for the van and the additional tip out of her own pocket. She called the woman’s house a few hours later to find that she’d made it home safely. Somehow she felt it necessary to blame the bride for her disappearing act and proceeded to treat her very poorly for the remainder of the engagement. The bride had to track her down at work two days before the wedding because she had no idea where she was supposed to be and when. She was just plain mean to my friend on the phone. She showed up late for the rehearsal and at dinner she dismissed the bride’s attempt to resolve and rectify the misunderstanding by saying “now’s not the time. You should focus on your wedding and we’ll discuss this later.”  The next day, she showed up late to get her hair done and barely spoke to anyone. She may as well have not even been there. During the reception she got into a fight with her boyfriend and guess who consoled her while she cried in the lady’s room? Yup, the bride! My friend thought at least that would break the ice to get their friendship back on track. But as the star of the show, she couldn’t spend all night in the bathroom, so she rejoined the party with the idea they would make up later that night. But at some point after dinner, the woman left the reception without so much as a goodbye to anyone; including the bride and groom! They’ve never spoken since.

                While the bride-to-be was dealing with all this drama, she tried to focus on the positive. The day the bridesmaids dresses came in, my friend rushed down there only to find that the maid of honor’s dress was a completely different color…the wrong color! They bridal shop said they would send it back but could not guarantee that the replacement would make it with only three weeks until the wedding. She thought she better not risk it, so she kept the dress. Fortunately, it was a color that did not clash with the chosen color. Since it was the maid of honor, she figured she could play it like it was intentionally different. The dress also had to be taken it because from the time the dresses were ordered, the maid of honor had lost a significant amount of weight. The dress was literally about five sizes too big!

                Great, another tragedy averted she thought. It should’ve been smooth sailing from there, but of course it wasn’t! She soon found out that her grandfather could not attend her wedding because he was very ill with cancer. He was too weak to make the trip. This made her very sad, but of course he was there with her in spirit! In addition to this and to her bridesmaid that was completing ignoring and avoiding her, she had another wrench thrown into the works. Her otherwise very healthy Prince Charming came down with pneumonia a couple of weeks before the wedding! He was sick as a dog and was just barely recovered by the big day! Oh, and did I mention that his mother basically abandoned her family a couple of years earlier and he didn’t even want to invite her to the wedding? Well the bride, being “politically correct”, said she had to be invited and that he needed to put his feelings for his mother aside for the sake of a peaceful wedding. She came, they danced, and she too left the reception at some point without saying goodbye! What a kick in the pants!

                The good news is that my friend managed to still be a happy bride and everything else fell into its respective place. She’s down two so-called friends, but happily married for 14 years. Have you figured out yet that my friend is actually me? True story!

Have a favor that's a real show stopper

The great thing about a wedding and wedding reception is that every last “piece of the puzzle” is hand- picked by you, right down to the very last detail. Your wedding day and all that transpires during it is a reflection of you and your spouse. There aren’t a lot of things in life that can mimic that. So when you’re deciding what type of cake you’ll have and what will be served for dinner, don’t overlook the more trivial items that can really set your wedding apart. Your wedding favor is an opportunity to spotlight your personality. And choosing a favor should be fun. It shouldn’t be a daunting task on the mile long checklist.  

                I’ve been to a number of weddings and I’ve seen all sorts of favors; everything from assorted alcohol nips, (definitely appropriate for that wedding and that couple), to candles to scratch tickets. When you think about it, what really sticks with people about a wedding reception? You’ll remember the food if it was really good, (or really bad), and you’ll probably recall, through pictures and memory, how beautiful, (hopefully), the bride looked. But what else stands out in your mind? I’ve found that I remember what the wedding favor was, but only at weddings where it appeared to have some significance or bearing on the couple. By this I mean that anyone can put a votive candle in a holder and guests are happy to receive a practical take home souvenir from the occasion. But it takes thought and perhaps some creativity to come up the really great favors. The point of the scratch tickets was so that this couple’s guests could be as “lucky” as they were that day. Lucky in love and lucky in money. (Perhaps to be able to pay off the reception!) Another great idea was a donation made by the bride and groom on behalf of each guest to a charitable organization. The specific organization was picked because a loved one, unable to attend the wedding, was battling a particular disease. The couple wanted to show their love and affection for this person by somehow including him/her in the celebration.

                My wedding favor was silly, rather than serious. Nevertheless, it was a direct reflection of me and my relationship with my husband. One week after we started dating, there was an “incident” involving the candy M&M’s. I won’t bore you with the details, but let’s just say that this bizarre incident played a part in defining our relationship. It was significant enough to be part of our wedding day 2 ½ years later. Our wedding favor was a brandy snifter filled with M&M’s and tied up with pretty netting and a ribbon. I came up with this idea because the candy was significant to me, (and really, who doesn’t like M&M’s!) and I wanted to give people something they could utilize as well. A brandy snifter seemed to be a good fit because once the candy was gone, the glass could be used to drink brandy, (or whatever your choice of beverage), or made into a home for a small plant or flower petals. I know that a lot of our guests ate the M&M’s during the reception and thanked me for the special treat. And those who know the true meaning of this particular favor thought it was just perfect! I always think of that incident when I eat M&M’s. I still love M&M’s and eat way too many of them once I get my hands on some!

Let the unity candle light the way to your marriage

The internet has really opened up a lot of creative options for today’s wedding planner.  The traditional wedding has been adapted in many forms thanks to the ideas and ease of research on the internet.  Take the lighting of the unity candle, for example.  There was a time when this tradition was automatically part of the ceremony.  Lighting these three candles, in the presence of the guests at the ceremony, symbolizes the unity of the couple from individuals, into one.

In today’s world, this tradition still goes on, in many different formats.  For a more formal unity candle lighting, with a slight twist, you may want to involve the parents or families of the couple.  This would not only symbolize the union of the wedding couple but also the joining of the two families.  If you’d like to involve your guests, you can provide an unlit candle to each guest as they arrive.  After the couple lights the unity candle, they can have the guests come forward to light their candles off of the newly lit unity candle.  This involves the guests in your ceremony and represents their support of the marriage.  Doing this can be time consuming, not to mention a little dangerous.  It may be something to consider with a smaller guest list or toward the end of the ceremony as guests are leaving.  The candles can also serve as a keepsake for the guests.

 Another less traditional idea is to incorporate the unity candle lighting into the reception.  This would be a great way to tie in centerpieces and or favors.  Upon arriving at the reception, the couple could light the unity candle, then go around to each table and light a pre-set votive centerpiece.  It’s a great ice breaker, a way to say hello to your guests, a way to incorporate a special tradition and an easy centerpiece idea.   Although this tradition is not new nor is it necessary, there are certainly ways to make it a unique and special part of your wedding day.