If you don’t have time to enroll in a cake decorating for weddings course, or you simply prefer to learn on your own in a private setting you can also find plenty of tips in a number of wedding related books. Martha Stewart wrote a great book that will have you decorating your own wedding cake in no time at all. The book not only features several different wedding cake recipes but gives step by step instructions on how to perfectly decorate your wedding cake. The book runs about $45 dollars brand new at bookstores, but you might also be able to find one you can check out at your local library or even look for a used copy online.

When you begin studying cake decorating for weddings you’ll learn how important it is to have the proper equipment. This will make the difference in the success of your cake. Proper baking equipment is more expensive, but the results are definitely worth it. You can find proper baking equipment at most craft stores, however you might look into purchasing used equipment. This can sometimes save you a bundle.

One of the most important factors in cake decorating is learning how to stabilize the cake so that it can be easily transported and so that it doesn’t fall apart, especially if it is a tiered wedding cake. Pillars are commonly used for this purpose.

The size of the cake you bake for your wedding will depend on the number of people you need to serve. Most cake decorating for wedding books feature a cutting guide as well as a guide to let you know what size cake is needed for specific numbers of guests.

Cake decorating for weddings is not only a great way to save money on your own wedding but it’s also a fun hobby and can create a great second income stream.

Wedding Planning Ideas and Advice from Hectic Bride!

Cake Decorating for Weddings

The best way to make sure you are on top of everything is to create a wedding book.  Although you can buy a wedding planning book, creating your own book will help you start thinking about everything and will allow you to only make the sections that are relevant to your wedding.  Whether you purchase a wedding planning book, or create one yourself, you need to have one!  The book will include everything from ideas of things that you like to your vendor contracts and budget.

If you want to create your own wedding book, get a large binder and divide it into the sections that you need.  The sections should include sections for all of the following that will apply to your wedding, Budget, Reception, Ceremony, Entertainment, Transportation, Rehearsal, Photography, Jewelry, Clothes and Accessories, Decorations, Flowers, Gifts, Invitations, Accommodations, and Honeymoon.  You will also need a miscellaneous section for the other little things that come up.

Once you have divided the sections accordingly, design a simple template that you can print off blanks from, one that will do each category. An easy template for your wedding planning book, for example, would be one that has five columns running down, with lines across every five lines.

From there, you should subdivide each section.  I would recommend the following sections or areas:

The Basics: In this section I would include a description of exactly what you need for your wedding.  For example, in the Flower section I would identify each person that will get a corsage or each area where I want flowers.

Ideas: In this area, I would put in clippings or pictures of things that I’ve seen that I really like from magazines or the Internet, etc.

Budget: Although you have an overall budget section, you should have a budget section for each item where you identify in more detail what things cost.  For example, in the flower section, I would indicate a budget for each of the flower arrangements (ie. Centre Pieces, Corsages, Bridal Bouquet, etc).  If you have a detailed budget and need to cut costs down the road, you can easily identify things that can be cut with minimal impact.

Shopping Around: In this section, I would include your quotes or notes from discussions with all of your vendors.  Having everything in one place will make comparing a bit easier.

The Plan: Once you’ve made a decision, I would use this section to outline the plan.  You should also identify deadlines or items that are outstanding so that you don’t miss anything.  If you do this, it will then be easy to go through each week to check what appointments you have and what needs to be done that week.

Documents: Here I would put in your contract, deposit receipts, etc.

Besides being extremely useful, creating a wedding book can also be a great wedding souvenir!

Wedding Planning Ideas and Advice from Hectic Bride!

The Book – The Best Way to Stay Sane while Planning your Wedding

Professional time costs a lot of money so if you are trying to save money and not hire professionals, be prepared to put in a lot of your own time.  If you are serious, however, your time can be used effectively to create the wedding of your dreams.  You know the kind of wedding that you are looking for, which is a step in the right direction.  From there, you can take a look at your budget and see what will work for your wedding.

The largest expenses will likely be the venues for your ceremony and reception.  As a result, these are extremely important decisions in the planning of your wedding.  One way to reduce some of the costs is to consider having both the wedding and the reception at the same venue.  This will depend on availability, weather conditions, religious beliefs, and other desires.  Many hotels, halls, and inns have ideal locations for your ceremony, but you will need to visit them and consider everything before making a decision.

Another tip is to have your venue provide as many things as possible.  For instance, many venues will provide some decorations, flowers, music services, etc for little to no extra cost.  Having one vendor for as many services as possible will likely be cheaper but will also make your life easier.  Coordinating a wedding with fewer vendors can be much easier and may reduce the risk of miscommunications.  In many cases, your best bet will be a small locally owned and operated venue.  If you know a sweet little place nearby, go in and suggest it to them, they might just be able to provide you with what you are looking for.

By far, the most useful wedding planning tool is the Internet.  The Internet can provide you with ideas, tips, and is a great place to shop for your wedding.  Set aside a few hours, don’t answer the door, put on the answering machine, and go to your computer. Consider yourself working because you are about to source some wedding items and save yourself thousands of dollars.  The first place has to be Ebay. Yes, Ebay. Ebay shops sell stunning wedding gowns, tiaras, and jewelry. These shops also have chocolates for favors, favor boxes, or the favors themselves.  Finally, you can purchase many of your wedding decorations including, pew bows, garlands and candles from Ebay sites.

Wedding Planning Ideas and Advice from Hectic Bride!

Wedding Planning Tips That You Must Know

Most have complete packages that often include finding a venue that suits your numbers, dates, and budget, and they can source suppliers for you. Some even offer to mail your invitations and gift lists as part of their wedding planning services.

It’s wise to attend a few, carefully selected, free consultations before you commit to making a choice, ensuring that whoever is going to help plan your wedding will meet all of the expectations you have for your special wedding day. After all, this is one of the most important days of your life. Consulting friends and family is also a good idea, to see if they have any recommendations. Another port of call in your search for the right type of help should be the Internet, where you will discover a range of web sites that offer wedding planning services. Some web sites can recommend a variety of wedding planners and coordinators.

A good starting point is WeddingBells.ca.  This site provide numerous helpful tips, will help you find services in your area, and has a very useful forum where you can talk to other brides in your area.

You may have to pay from $75 to $150 an hour to some wedding consultants, other charge anything from 10% up to 20% above the cost of all vendors, but if you can afford it, hiring wedding planning services will take a tremendous weight from your shoulders, and let’s face it, everyone deserves the best wedding that they can afford.

Wedding Planning Ideas and Advice from Hectic Bride!

Wedding Planning Services – Where Can You Find Them?

When others see that you’ve got good control over all of the elements that make up a successful wedding day you will find that planning your wedding becomes easier. Begin with a good budget planner before any of the other plans are laid down.  The more time you have for planning, the better because you will have more time to look for deals and because often the cheaper but good vendors are booked early.  This will allow you time to save and to search for the best offers.  Allowing for a good amount of time for wedding planning will help to reduce stress, which will help make the whole process a positive experience.

Another way to make sure you enjoy planning your wedding is to find things about the wedding planning that you enjoy.  For example, if you love to do crafts, but hate to organize then do a lot of DIY decorations and favors and spend some money on a professional wedding planner.  By finding things that you enjoy, you can have fun and save money in those areas and spend a little more money to get people to do the things that you don’t enjoy as much.

The most important thing is to keep your eye on the prize!  You are going to get married!  If you take the whole planning thing too seriously, you will get too caught up in the details and lose track of what is most important.  If your soon to be spouse is helping with the planning, make sure to set aside non-wedding related time.  You don’t want everything you talk about to be wedding related, so set aside time for wedding planning and time just to do other things.

Almost every bride will tell you that the whole wedding experience is one of the best times of your life, so have fun and enjoy the whole experience!

Wedding Planning Ideas and Advice from Hectic Bride!

Having Fun with the Planning Process!

First, get organized! Take some time to look around the Internet, talk to some friends, and your family to find out the feel of your wedding.  You can find pictures of almost everything that you want for your wedding, flowers, cake, etc.  I don’t mean that you have to follow the pictures exactly or that you will be able to afford everything that you want, but this will give you a starting point to work from.  Having this kind of feel for the wedding can save you time because when you do have vendor meetings, they will know right from the start the types of things that you may like.

Once you have the feel of your wedding, you should make sure to keep everything in one place and be sure to stay organized.  Whether you use a book, software, or a dry erase board, the important thing is to know where you are at in your planning at all times.

Minimize the running around…use lists! Just like going to the grocery store, the best way to shop for your wedding or meet vendors is with a detailed list.  When going to craft stores, department stores, bridal shops, etc you should bring a list so you know exactly which sections you should be looking in.  It is far too easy to start looking everywhere and start second guessing things you’ve already decided on!  Also, when you go on vendor visits, be prepared.  You should always bring a list of questions with you.  Having a list prepared may reduce you having to visit the vendor again or can help limit the e-mails and phone calls!  Be forewarned, vendors are not only dealing with your wedding so getting in touch with your vendors can be difficult and takes time.

Use the Internet! By far, the best way to save time and money for that matter is to use the Internet.  Before visiting any vendor, use the Internet to talk to people in your area who may already have used this vendor.  There are numerous forums that allow you to get recommendations or opinions on almost every vendor.  So, if someone has had a negative experience you may not want to bother meeting with that vendor.  The only caveat is to make sure that you take what is said with a grain of salt because you may be looking at the review of a total bridezila!

Making the most of your time while planning your wedding will reduce some of the stress and make sure that you still get what you want.  Although I still think it is important to meet face to face with your vendors, you may not need to meet 100 photographers before making a decision.  Instead, you can use other tools to narrow down your list and maybe only meet with the top 3 that fit your criteria.  Believe me, there is enough stress and drama around your wedding day, you don’t need to complicate your life even further!

Wedding Planning Ideas and Advice from Hectic Bride!

Easy Wedding Planning Tips To Save You Time

• What kind of wedding are you having? If you are having a very simple wedding with only a limited number of guests, you may not need a year or more to plan; however, if you are having a 500 person traditional wedding the planning time will be much higher.
• On what day of the week do you want to be married? If you are looking to have a Saturday wedding, you will need to plan in advance, because there are only so many Saturdays in a year. The general rule is that a lot of popular venues book about a year in advance, depending on the area and the season. If you are having a Friday or Sunday wedding, the venues and vendors may not book up as quickly.
• Is there a day that has special meaning to you?  Maybe there is a day that has some special meaning to you.  If there’s a date that will bring special meaning to you, maybe you’d like to make it your wedding day.
• Are you into easy to remember dates?  If you are looking for dates that are unique or easy to remember like July 7, 2007 (ie. 07/07/07) or August 8, 2008 (ie. 08/08/08), you will need to plan even more in advance.  These dates are extremely popular for weddings, especially if the day falls on a Saturday.
• What type of planner are you?  If you are a procrastinator, you may not want to leave too much time for planning because you’ll just end up doing everything in the last week.  If you are a procrastinator, just make sure that all of the big items are set, the smaller things can wait until the end.  If you are someone who gets overwhelmed quickly, you may want to have lots of planning time because with so much to plan it is easy for almost anyone to feel overwhelmed.
• How willing are you to compromise?  If you are willing to compromise on your date, you may have more  booking options or may be able to work things out even with a shorter timeline.
• Is there a season that you have your mind set on?  Have you always wanted a Christmas wedding, or a fall reception, or spring nuptials?  If so, you may need slightly less time to plan than if you are having a wedding in the summer, as this is generally the wedding “high” season.
• Do you have guests coming from out of town?  If there are people coming from out of town that you really want to be there, you may not want to choose days that are very close to important holidays; however, if there is a long weekend that isn’t say a special holiday, it may be a great time for them to take a small trip.  In addition, if there are important people that are say teachers, or work in jobs where it is difficult to book time off, you may want to consider a holiday weekend or a time when they might be more likely to make it.  You will never be able to plan around everyone’s schedule, but having your “very important people” (ie. your wedding party, very close family members, etc) at your wedding may be extremely important to you.

Many people will tell you that one year is generally enough to plan a wedding, but there are a number of factors to consider.  The important thing is to choose a date that you are comfortable with for planning purposes and to find a date that works for you and your future spouse.

Wedding Planning Ideas and Advice from Hectic Bride!

How do you Choose a Wedding Date?

• Remember the purpose: In the last few days, there are so many things that you are doing and finishing, it is easy to get caught up in all of the details and forget what you are actually doing…you are marrying the person of your dreams! In the end, it’s not about whether the napkins are not folded perfectly, or the chair covers are a shade off, it’s about celebrating you and your future spouse! Even though you are busy, find some time to be together, even if it is just meeting for a quick lunch, or taking an hour to do something fun together, it will remind you of what is really important. When you are taking time for each other, there should only be ONE rule…no wedding talk. Finding a way to stay connected during the pre-wedding craziness will help you to relieve some of the stress.
• Make a list: With so much going on, it is way too easy to forget something. Keep a detailed list of what needs to be done. Don’t be depressed at how much there is to do, at least when you have a good list, when someone asks if there is anything they can do to help, you can find something on the list for them to do.
• Spend some time with your peeps: If you have last minute things to do, gather a group of your closest friends or family members for a last minute to-do party. Invite people that you really love to hang a around with. If you are laughing and having fun, you’ll get things done and de-stress at the same time.
• Make some time to be alone: In the last few days, you have people over all the time, and people calling you 24/7. Take some time to just be alone for a few minutes. Even if it means going for a quick jog, a tanning session, or going to the store on your own…just do it. If you have a few minutes alone, you can gather your thoughts and be in a better mood to deal with everything.
• Get some sleep: With so much going on, sleep seems like a luxury but most people do not deal well with stress when they are sleep deprived. Get help with things or delegate tasks if need be, but do not stay up all night. Without sleep, you’ll just be cranky, emotional, and you won’t be looking your best.

It may seem inconceivable right now, but you will get through it, and it is worth all of the work. The most important thing is to enjoy the whole experience because it really does go by fast.

Wedding Planning Ideas and Advice from Hectic Bride!

The Day is Almost Here…How to Stay Sane!

• Get referrals: If you know someone who has recently been married, talk to them and see if there are vendors that they would recommend. In addition, ask them what they liked and disliked about their wedding vendors because what may be really important to them may not be quite as essential to you. If you don’t know anyone who’s getting married or has recently gotten married, you can look online. There are plenty of forums with brides discussing the vendors they’ve used. One caveat is to read vendor reviews with caution. Although the reviews can be extremely helpful, you need to understand that some people are almost impossible to please. Also, keep in mind that there are always two sides to every story. The vendor may have done things the way they understood them to be, but the bride may not have communicated things exactly the way she had envisioned them. We’ve all know some “bridezillas” who are extremely tough on their vendors, so keep this in mind.
• Talk to at least 3 vendors before making a decision: Talking to a number of different vendors for each item will help you to choose the right people for you. There are just some vendors that you will connect with and for some reason you’ll just know that you are on the same page with things. Even if the first vendor you talk to seems like the perfect match, I would still recommend seeing some other vendors because you may get some good suggestions, and budget saving ideas. If you are still convinced that the first person was the right one, you’ll gain some confidence in your decision. When talking to vendors communicate what you expect to the best of your abilities. In order to ensure that you are satisfied, you need to make sure that they understand what it is that you are looking for. The more specific you can be, the better. Good communication will also ensure that the quote that they provide you will be as accurate as possible. If you don’t know exactly what it is you want, don’t be afraid to ask for suggestions and work out the details using their experience, you preferences, and the budget. Just make sure that when you are done going through everything that you are both on the same page and that you feel positive about what has been decided.
• Don’t make price the only factor: Although the budget is very important, it should not be the only factor in your decision. When comparing price, however, make sure that you are not comparing apples to oranges. You’ll need to consider everything that is included. Are there extra items or services offered by a vendor? In addition, you need to consider the vendor’s reputation, their willingness to answer your questions, their openness to working with you, and your ability to communicate well with each other.
• Honesty: The best vendors will tell you up front if there is something that cannot do for you, if they don’t think that you would be satisfied with something, of if there is something that they can suggest that might be a better option for you. Personally, I would rather deal with a vendor who is honest and up front with me. What I don’t like are the vendors who promise things and then cannot deliver, or increase the price significantly than originally discussed to deliver on their original promises.
• Think things over: In most cases choosing vendors can be difficult because you are afraid that they will be booked if you don’t make up your mind right away, but take at least some time to think it over. Once you’ve decided on a vendor, you generally need to make some kind of deposit, so changing vendors later on can cost you. In addition, it can be stressful to run around at the last minute to find a new vendor if you need to make a change. Take a little time and be confident about your decision.

When talking to vendors, communicate your expectations clearly, keep an open mind, and you will find the best people for your wedding.

Wedding Planning Ideas and Advice from Hectic Bride!

Finding the Right Vendors

• Monogram or Word Cake Topper: If you are looking to have your initials on the cake, you can buy the letters; however, they can be expensive. Instead, you can go to the local craft store or even the dollar store and find wood letters for less than one dollar. In some cases you can find whole words that are related, love, trust, etc. From there, you spray paint them in whatever color suits your wedding. Make sure you dry them completely and air them out to take away an unpleasant odor. The only other thing that needs to be done is to drill some small wholes in them and stick some skewers in the holes so that they can be inserted into the cake. When your done you’ll have a very cheap cake topper that looks very professional. The one thing to remember is to make sure that the lettering or words that you use will fit on the top tier of your cake.
• Use fresh flowers or flower petals: Fresh flowers can make a great cake topper without a lot of money or effort. You can ask your florist to add this to your list of wedding flower list. You will need to either coordinate with your cake person and florist or get the flowers in advance so that your cake person can decorate with them in advance.
• Chocolate leaves or flowers: Using molded chocolate shapes can be a great way to decorate your cake. Ask your cake person, a lot of them can do this type of work or ask your local chocolate or candy store. Generally, the chocolates are available in a variety of colors and shapes. You may be surprised how inexpensive these can be.
• Personalize with pictures: If you have a nice picture of the two of you, you can easily use it to decorate your cake. For this topper, go to the craft or dollar store and find some swirl sticks. These are generally metallic sticks with swirl at the top to hold paper or pictures. Sometimes the sticks have bases to help them stand on their own. If this is the case, simply cut the base with wire cutters. Then you can insert your favorite photo into the swirl and insert the stick part into your cake.
• Check out online stores, forums, and auctions: Because you don’t generally re-use these items, you can often find used toppers or can find brand new toppers for reasonable prices.

No matter what type of cake topper you choose, talk to your cake person about your choice. Your baker may be able to suggest something or make sure that your idea will compliment the look of your cake. Also, because your guests will be eating the cake, make sure that anything you use is clean and sanitary.

Wedding Planning Ideas and Advice from Hectic Bride!

Cheap Cake Toppers