Saturday, December 13, 2008
Wedding Bouquet
Have you already chosen the perfect wedding dress for your BIG day? What about your wedding bouquet? A gorgeous wedding bouquet will set the perfect little accent and highlight you as a beautiful bride... Like with all wedding stuff, there are sooo many options to choose from, different flowers, different colors... It should match your overall wedding theme to have the WOW factor.
We have decided to give you some great ideas for YOUR wedding bouquet. The Wedding Channel has created a great website with some really nice pictures. You can become a member for the Wedding Channel for free and take a look at all these beautiful flowers (click here)
Wedding Reception Ideas
You will have to decide on a color, design, theme, guest favors. Choosing the perfect reception design will depend on the location, season and of course your own taste. The team from "the knot" has some really fantastic ideas for wedding receptions, which you can view by clicking here.
After you have decided on a color scheme, you can browse through our Guest Favors on The Bride Side of Life to find the perfectly matching guest favors to make your family & friends feel special on such an important day.
Have fun planning!
Friday, December 12, 2008
Wedding Countdown...
The following list provides you with an overview of the most important details you need to consider during your Wedding Planning:
9 - 12 months before your Wedding
- Announce your engagement
- Arrange a meeting with the parents in-law, so the “new” family can get to know each other
- Set your Wedding Date
- Calculate your finances and decide on a budget
- Choose the location and ceremony: How and where do you want to get married?
- Make a first guest list
- Get Wedding magazines and books and decide on the dress you would like
- Look for matching accessories for your dress (shoes, gloves, veil, etc.)
- Visit the Wedding location and confirm a reservation
- Get offers from: Florist, Photographer, Baker, Catering
6 - 9 months before your Wedding
- Reserve the Church (for Christian Weddings) and speak with the priest
- Complete guest list
- Buy your Wedding Dress and accessories
- Make a time table for the Wedding day
- Book Catering service (optional)
- Book Photographer
- Book DJ / Band
- Choose a florist and discuss your ideas
- Send out “Save the Date” cards
- Look for your PERFECT Honeymoon location
- Apply for a vacation at work
4 - 6 months before your Wedding
- Arrange all your documents for the Wedding Ceremony (passports, health certificates, birth certificates, etc.)
- Book your honeymoon
- Choose a menu for the Wedding Celebration
- Order the Wedding Cake
- Choose the best man and brides maids
- Choose Flower Girls and Ring Bearer (inform their parents)
- Print Invitations
- Decide on a Marriage Contract (optional)
- Make a wish list for the presents
- Choose / Book hotel rooms for the couple and guests (negotiate a good price / consider self-catering apartments for some of the guests)
2 - 4 months before your Wedding
- Try on your Wedding Dress and make final alterations
- Give your hair dresser a picture of your dress and decide on a matching hair style
- Decide on transport (i.e. limousine)
- RELAX with a massage at the Spa
- Choose a suit for the groom
- Buy Wedding Bands and engrave them
- Decide on your Wedding make-up
- Prepare your honeymoon (passports, visas, vaccinations, etc.)
- Send out invitations
- Second and final try on for your Wedding Dress
- Have a facial at your favorite spa to look happy, fresh and relaxed during your Wedding
- Choose and buy guest favors
- Buy presents for best man, maid of honor and brides maids
- Pick up your Wedding rings
- Print place cards and menu cards
2 - 4 weeks before your Wedding
- Inform your Wedding Planner, Location and catering service about the final number of your guests
- Try your perfect hair style at the hair dresser
- Finalize the seating chart
- Walk in your Wedding shoes to avoid painful feet on your wedding day
- Complete the outfit for the groom (suit, tie, shoes, etc.)
- Decide on a final timetable for the wedding and have print-outs ready
- Make a music selection
- Organize the bachelor and bachelorette parties
- Make welcome notes for the guests that arrived from abroad
1 week before your Wedding
- Give your wedding day timetable to all people who are involved (i.e. Best Man, Maid of Honor, Brides Maids, Flower Girls, Ring Bearer)
- Give the seating chart to the hotel / catering service
- Double check all reservations (hotel, honeymoon, catering service, wedding cake, etc.)
- Arrange payments / tips for all services and keep them ready in separate envelopes
- Have a last make-over (facial, manicure, pedicure - don’t try new facial products shortly before the wedding)
- Try on your Wedding dress, lingerie, shoes, veil, gloves to make sure everything fits perfectly
- Write your Wedding Speech (optional)
- Pack your bags for the honeymoon
ON YOUR WEDDING DAY
- Hair style and make-up
- Take a deep breath
- ENJOY
After the Wedding
- Send Thank You notes to your guests
- Inform everyone about your new family name, apply for new passport, driver’s license, etc.
Notes
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Wedding in Dubai
First of all, The Bride Side of Life would like to congratulate you on your engagement. Planning and organizing your dream wedding in Dubai can be a lot of fun with wonderful ideas and wedding locations to choose from...
Firstly, you should decide on the kind of ceremony you would like to have. Are you planning to get married in a church (Christian couples), in Dubai court and a mosque (Muslim couples), in your own embassy (for a list of embassies in Dubai click here) or just have a blessing ceremony right on one of Dubai’s beautiful beaches?
Depending on your nationality and religion you can choose from different options. It is important to check with your embassy and the mosque / church of your choice to see which documents are required. Not all embassies in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah will organize weddings.
For Muslim couples, you will usually have a formal ceremony in Dubai Court (Telephone No. 00971 4 77 77 334), it is important to call them well in advance to find out which documents they will need, in order to avoid any disappointments on your wedding day. Usually, at least the groom will need a UAE residence visa and you will have to have a medical check-up, which you can make in Al Baraha Hospital in Deira 00971 4 271 00 00 (it takes at least 3 days for the results). In some cases, they may also ask you for a birth certificate (needs to be attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Deira) and a Marital Status Certificate(ask your embassy where to get that).
Now it comes to the FUN part... Finding the perfect wedding location in Dubai - depending on the time of the year, you can choose between an outdoor or indoor wedding. During the Summer months (May – September) we would definitely recommend an indoor wedding, due to Dubai’s melting temperatures. Prices vary in Dubai, depending on the hotel, between 190 dhs – 350 dhs per person for 4 and 5 Star hotels.
One of the most popular hotels for outdoor beach weddings in the Ritz Carlton Dubai. They offer a fantastic and very romantic venue, with beautiful menus and decoration to choose from. You can visit the Ritz Carlton Website to get additional information, by clicking here. Also the Madinat Jumeirah, The Address (next to Burj Dubai) and the Intercontinental Dubai in Festival City are great locations to host your perfect wedding in Dubai.
Most hotels will offer you the option of a wedding cake (for an additional charge). There are plenty of beautiful ideas and designs for wedding cakes. We would like to recommend for you to browse the Internet for some inspiration through www.google.com. Top your wedding cake in style with one of our unique and personalized wedding cake toppers.
Please feel free to download this article to use it as a reference by clicking on the pink arrow next to the title.
We aim to provide you with the best information according to our knowledge, however we cannot take responsibility for variations / changes in the information above.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Dubai Wedding Favors
Make your guests feel special with unique Wedding Favors
You want to celebrate the most important day in your life with the people you love and care about, your families, friends and colleagues. A great way to make them feel special and welcome is to surprise them with beautiful little guest favors that you can use as place cards at the same time. Make your Wedding memorable and unique with these special favors:
Pamper your guest with our personalized lip balm. With a luscious vanilla scent, this soothing lip treatment is the perfect size to drop in your handbag and will soon become a daily part of your beauty routine. Each clear plastic case has a screw-on lid.
Personalize with your choice of 17 designs and 4 color options, along with the text of your choosing, and create a favor that is uniquely yours.
Unique, chic and sleek, this frame looks just like a designer purse -but it’s not just stylish, it’s multi functional. The pink outer frame features a round opening to encircle your place cards or your guests’ photos. The intricate detailing adds to the fun, with white designs on the frame and white polka dots on the black band of color on the opening. The perfect party favor is in the bag!
Your guests will appreciate this lyrical version of a traditional favor. Each frosted glass votive will both reflect the romantic inspiration of your event while complimenting any decor. Votives are crafted in heavy frosted glass with a silver framed “Faith”, “Hope” or “Love”. Candle releases a heavenly rose scent when lit and each votive presents beautifully with a metallic silver ribbon.
Celebrate the happy couple that is “Mint to Be” with these Bride and Groom Slide Mint tins. The slide is sleek! The slide is unique! Illustrated bride on the white mint tin cover holds a deep red rose bouquet. Illustrated Groom is black and formal. The cover of each tin easily slides aside to reveal dozens of tasty, heart-shaped mints. Choose from bride or groom design.
Do You Need a Dubai Wedding Planner?
Having a Wedding Planner to organize one of the most important days in your life is not just popular in Europe - it has reached Dubai and is a great success in the Middle East. Especially if both bride and groom are working full time and you don’t have much spare time on your hands it can be a great support for you not having to worry about your Wedding too much - just sit back and enjoy being engaged!
A Wedding Planner is not just for the high society and stars it can also be the right thing for you…
Just think about that… No need to worry about all the details of your Wedding, trusting someone to arrange everything for you from A to Z - looking extremely relaxed and happy on such a special day! Do not forget, your most important role is to be an absolutely gorgeous bride! Even if you didn’t think so, a Wedding Planner can be well worth it.
Top 5 of having a Wedding Planner
- A Wedding Planner saves time!
Weddings are his / her specialty and they will happily pass on all their knowledge and expertise to you. What seems to be an impossible problem for a young bride to be is an easy task for the professional Wedding Planner. - A Wedding Planner can save money!
Through good connections to all the important contacts in the Wedding industry, your Wedding Planner can negotiate all the best prices for you and knows the going rates. - A Wedding Planner has the contacts you need!
He / She will have all the necessary contacts you need for your Wedding to be a success… the most beautiful location, the best photographer, where to find the most delicious wedding cake and the most dependable catering service. Wedding Planner usually have great ideas on how to make your special day truly unique and memorable. - A Wedding Planner keeps the stress away from you!
Looking relaxed and fresh during your Wedding after a year of stressful planning can be difficult for a young couple. A Wedding Planner can take all this stress away from you. Your Wedding Planner will coordinate all people involved in your Wedding, from the catering service to the baker. - A Wedding Planner can bridge every distance!
Especially if you are planning a Wedding abroad in a country you are not familiar with, he / she can be of great help to you. Your Wedding Planner will know all the local suppliers and locations and will plan your Wedding according to your dreams.
Don’t forget…
After you have decided to work with a certain company, be it a Wedding Planner, bakery, catering service or photographer, don’t forget to always write down all the details of what you have decided and make sure both sides have a copy. Make sure to send a confirmation email once you have decided on something, this way you will legally be on “the safe side” in case your supplier cancels at the last moment.
In case you have a formal contract, make sure all important details are mentioned in it. This includes for example:
- Name and contact information of both sides
- Contract date (when you sign the contract)
- Location
- Wedding Date
The contract should clearly state all the services / products you have bought / ordered. It is also important to list all prices and when the payments are due. Also mention delivery dates and reasons why the contract can be canceled.
Making Your Guest List
A Wedding is not just a special day in the couple’s life, it is also a great experience for the new parents in-law, family and friends. It is a great day to have all the people who are special in your life, people you care about together in one celebration. To have the “perfect” guests to celebrate this day of happiness with you is important - it is important to have a good guest list.
The couple can face some challenges bringing two new families, different friends and colleagues together. It is also important that you don’t forget to stay within your budget when making the list, since the number of guests determines to a great deal the costs of the celebration. The number of guests is also important to know in order to decide on the menu, shall it be a set dinner or a buffet?
If you make your guest list according to your budget, you will have a fixed number of people you can invite. It is a very simple equation: less guests = less money.
Top 10 Points to consider:
- Sit down together and write a first draft of your guest list (it is advisable to split it for the bride and the groom)
- Set your priorities: who do you definitely want to have with you during your Wedding?
- Decide who you would like to be your brides maids / best man
- Complete your guest list
- Look for accommodation for your guests either in hotels or self-catering apartments (depending on your budget)
- Check with your guests if they need transport (i.e. from the airport)
- Send out your “save-the-date” cards, followed by your invitations
- Plan your guest favors for the Wedding day (have a look at the link “Favors” on our website to get inspired)
- Think if you want to arrange little welcome packages for close family members
- Plan your seating chart
If you have a long guest list and don’t want to miss anyone during your Wedding, its a great idea to make the guest list first and than plan your budget around your guests and make the celebration accordingly.
Top 5 Questions to ask yourself:
- Do we want a small Wedding with close friends or a BIG celebration?
- What is our budget?
- Where do we want to celebrate / how many people can our location accommodate?
- Shall our Single friends bring an additional guest?
- Are our parents (in-law) inviting their own friends?
Make sure that only one of you is in charge of the guest list. It is important that only one person can add or remove people from the guest list to not loose the overview and control of the list.
You can find many great ideas for your wedding decoration on www.TheBrideSideofLife.com
Dubai's Brides to Be
I guess every girl dreams of her Wedding Dress and its one of the first things on our list once the engagement has been announced… But what about this absolutely amazing time in your life that is crowded with shopping, planning and excitement - your engagement!
Let the world know how happy you are and that you are the NEW Bride to Be. With our new bridal fashion you will make this time in your life just as memorable as it can be. T-Shirts, handbags, caps, underwear and the new Mr. & Mrs. accessories will make a bride’s dreams come true.
Have a look at our new collection…
You are getting married so it is officially time to let the world know who is in charge. This cotton interlock full-zip hoody is super soft and comfortable. Wear it up to the wedding and of course the day of! Available in white or black with robin egg blue or pink embroidery outlined in plenty of crystals. Available with or without matching capri pants. Capri pants made of same superfine cotton interlock with drawcord elastic waist.
NEW! “The Big Day” hoody now available online. Wear it to your bridal appointments, hair salon, dress fittings, and all around town. Don’t forget the day of the wedding! This cotton interlock full-zip hoody is super soft and comfortable. Available in robin egg blue, white, or black with your color choice of embroidery outlined in plenty of crystals. Matching crop pants available. Crop pants made of same superfine cotton interlock with drawcord elastic waist.
NEW 100% cotton boyfriend tank is available in pink, white, and black with your choice of newlywed, bride to be, or the mrs. “newlywed” and “the mrs.” come in light rose crystals outlined in clear and “bride to be” comes in light blue crystals outlined in clear.
Edwardian Script Hot Shorts. Available in black, white, pink, or blue with your choice of Bride, Bridesmaid, Maid of Honor, Newlywed, and Bachelorette in clear crystals.
For a complete list of all our products please visit TheBrideSideofLife Website.