If you enjoy love crafts and DIY projects, you can have anything you want, no holds barred. Art Deco theme? Create 20s-inspired place cards. Oriental theme?  Make your own fortune cookies–you get the picture.

Unique Gifts

If you are a big fan of wedding favors, look no further; here are some of my favorite favor ideas:

As candy becomes more and more fashionable at weddings, edible party favors have become all the rage. One cute idea is mini candy jars (anything with jars is automatically cute; it’s a rule). You can save baby food jars or spice jars, fill them with candy and personalize them as place cards for your guests!

It’s also very cute to repurpose those little capsules from the prize machines at your local grocery store. Remember those? In addition to being adorable, they’re bound to bring on a wave of nostalgia—I always liked to get the capsules with the tacky bracelets inside. You can decorate them as you please and fill them with candy!

Another fun idea is little plants (like jars, mini-plants are also always adorable). You can give your guests small plants in miniature terracotta pots. This gives them a couple options; they can either keep the plant in the pot or plant it in their garden. Plus, they’ll have a lasting reminder of your wedding.

Origami is always a great option for favors as well—it lends a sense of elegance to everything you do. In one wedding I went to, they gave out lacquered paper cranes that guests could use as ornaments. The names of the bride and groom and the date of the wedding were attached as a tag to the ornament—another fun way of making a lasting memento.

Unique Packaging

It’s also fun to make your own packaging. You can decorate your own name cards, create personalized cocktail napkins, make fancy menus or even create your own favor boxes.

As DIY has become quite vogue over the years, some brides (with the help of an army of bridesmaids, of course) have begun making their own party favor packaging.  For example, I found this great template for wedding favor boxes on Pinterest (a great resource for all the brides-to-be, by the way).

It’s also fun to do monograms—you can make your own monogram seal (with your initials and your spouse’s initials, of course) to print on all of your place settings, favors or both.

There are plenty of creative ways to reuse packaging; you just need to look.

You have a lot of options when it comes to party favors; DIY and otherwise. Do whatever makes you happy and make sure you have enough bridesmaids to help you get the job done!

Photos courtesy of www.yumsugar.com and www.etsy.com.

Marcela De Vivo is a freelance writer in Southern California who writes on everything from health and beauty, to marketing and manufacturing, to gaming and technology. She loves DIY projects and enjoys making crafts with her children.

I couldn’t think of a better way to introduce you to Alanna than to show off her awesome work! She recently had the pleasure of documenting Marcia and Dave’s engagement in Deep Cove, British Columbia.

You can check out more of Stonstill’s work by visiting her website!

TGIF!

Purchasing the groom’s wedding ring can often seem like a non-event, as many couples have the misconception that men’s wedding bands are rather limited in materials and design. Not so – men’s wedding rings are actually quite diverse, and there is no reason why a groom should settle for a “traditional” ring that doesn’t fit his own unique and individual style.

For the groom who likes to be ahead of the curve, here are five great men’s wedding bands that may not be household names yet – but soon will be.

Palladium Rings
For those who want a precious metal wedding band but don’t want to pay platinum prices, palladium rings are a great option. A member of the platinum group metals, palladium is a cousin of sorts to platinum and shares platinum’s naturally lustrous white metal appearance. Comparable in price to 18K gold, most palladium rings are 95% precious metal (compare this to 18K’s 75% purity), making them a worthwhile investment. Palladium has been used as a high quality alloy in jewelry making for hundreds of years, but did not come into its own as a standalone material until World War I, when gold and platinum were reserved for military purposes. Lighter in weight than platinum but also more durable, palladium will no doubt continue its rise as a favored precious metal for wedding bands.

Carbon Fiber Inlay Rings
For men who crave a thoroughly contemporary design, carbon fiber inlay rings offer a distinctly “high tech” look. Carbon fiber inlays are available in a rainbow of colors – from neutral shades like black to boldly hued reds and blues – and often have a subtle geometric pattern. Men’s tungsten wedding bands, cobalt chrome rings, stainless steel wedding bands and titanium rings are most frequently seen with carbon fiber inlays.

Reverse Diamond Eternity Rings
Modern men seeking an added dose of luxury for their wedding bands are increasingly turning to diamond rings. Men’s diamond wedding bands are visibly different than women’s engagement rings and wedding bands: instead of focusing on a single large stone, men’s diamond rings usually utilize multiple smaller stones. As with women’s rings, men’s diamond eternity rings are a favorite option, although a more unusual twist on the classic eternity design is also making the rounds. Reverse diamond eternity rings offer diamonds at both edges rather than as a single line down the center, doubling up on both stones and style.

Cobalt Chrome Wedding Bands
Cobalt chrome wedding rings are currently one of the best kept secrets in the jewelry world. Cobalt chrome is not as well known as other popular contemporary materials like titanium and tungsten, though that may very well soon change. Made from a compound of cobalt and chromium, cobalt chrome is a lustrous silvery white metal that has been used heavily in the medical implant industry due to its biocompatibility and hypoallergenic properties. Available at a fraction of the price of white gold, cobalt chrome never needs to be re-plated, and unlike other contemporary materials, it is resizable. Ultra durable, affordable and similar in appearance to platinum, odds are that cobalt chrome will continue to gain more fans.

Black Wedding Bands
Even as recently as five years ago, black wedding bands would have fallen squarely into the “alternative” category. Over the last couple of years, however, men’s black rings have skyrocketed in both popularity and visibility, and are becoming more and more of a mainstream choice. For men who aren’t quite sold on silver or gold tone rings, black rings offer a sophisticated substitute that is still neutral enough for daily wear. Most black wedding bands are made from tungsten, stainless steel, titanium, ceramic or oxidized silver.

Tanya Naouri writes articles on men’s wedding bands and fashion for grooms for JustMensRings.com.

Photo courtesy of Top News.

There are several different ways you can keep yours guests entertained, you could have a stand up comic, a clown, dancers, the works! Most people however opt for the more sensible and widely used musical entertainment for their guests. But it is not as clear cut as that, oh no, you need to consider the different types of musical entertainment. There are effectively three options: A singer, a live band or a disc jockey. If you have the money, or know someone who sings or is in a band you can always ask them to do it for you.

Keep the venue in mind however, don’t go making plans without permission or without asking/checking. Search the singer/band/DJ up before you book them and make sure that they are diverse, you can’t just play one genre of music as your guests will all be different and want to hear music from their own tastes. Think about what you want your first dance song to be too, everyone will be watching so choose wisely. You can go one of two ways: play a slow and romantic song or something fast and full of life that you can choreograph a dance for.

Check if the venue is band friendly (http://www.hitched.com.au/wedding-venues/  , believe it or not for a venue to play any kind of music they need to hold a current and valid music license, no license means no music! Also check that any live band or musician playing has public liability insurance as it is the difference between them paying up and you paying up if there is an accident. On the day live bands should have a sound check of some sort, seems like an obvious thing to point out, but it essential to keeping the music flowing and guests happy.

You need to keep finances in mind too, if you hire a band or DJ you need to both be clear on what the price will be and on how long they will be working for. Do not pay in advance! No sane person should pay any money before the actual event as there is no guarantee they will be any good. If they require a deposit then you should still pay that as it will cover their travel costs for the day and stops you from having to fork out hundreds of pounds for a shoddy service.

So what are the key points?

• Figure out what kind of entertainment you would like for you and your guests.
• Can you afford it? Be aware of your budget and account for all costs that would be involved.
• Check them out – Make sure that they are what you are after and are willing to play.
• Paperwork- Be sure that the venue and entertainers hold the right licences and are insured.
• Be diverse – Don’t be selfish, play whatever your guests want alongside what you are after.
• Do not pay until the day – Do not let them spoil your big day, if they are terrible, do not pay them.

Photo courtesy of dancerconnection.com.

Cosmetic tattooing or permanent makeup is gaining popularity, and more and more women are opting to brave the needle in order to look freshly made-up without all the work that goes with it.

Eyebrows, eyeliner, lip lines, these are all cosmetic tattooing procedures that women are choosing to have done so that they will never have to pick up the pencil again.

But just like a regular tattoo, deciding to get a makeup tattoo is a major decision that involves permanently altering your appearance and should not be taken lightly.

And yet, if you have thought long and hard on the subject and have come to the conclusion that cosmetic tattooing is the right choice for you, be sure to do your research.

Consult a professional

In the hands of a trained professional, makeup tattooing can be a safe procedure, but unfortunately there are many unqualified people out their offering their services as well. When choosing an aesthetician or ‘tattoo artist’ be sure to ask for their credentials and even take a moment to look through some before and after photographs so that you can get a real sense of the work that they do.

It is extremely important that your artist uses sterilized gloves and equipment because an unsterile needle or contaminated tattoo ink can lead to infection and in some cases, even infectious diseases like HIV and hepatitis.

Tattoo removal

As with any tattoo, there is always the chance that you will be unhappy with the final product, and while you can hide a body tattoo with clothing, makeup tattooing will be a lot harder to disguise. Tattoo removal is a grueling and expensive process and in the end, will often result in scarring.

Will you want it forever?

Another big thing to consider is longevity. You may want the makeup tattoo now, but will you still want it in ten years? It is inevitable; our faces will change with time. Wrinkles will appear, our skin tone may change and the makeup tattoos that we once thought looked great, may no longer be flattering.

Temporary makeup

It cannot be denied, temporary makeup can take time to do and for some, even more time to perfect. Some days we are just too lazy to put it on and when we do, it often won’t last the day without the occasional touch up.

But there is one pro to temporary makeup that makes the work worth it, choice.

With so much variety out there, traditional makeup will always be able to provide you with options that makeup tattoos can’t.

Maybe today you want to wear dark liner and tomorrow, simply mascara. Your mood and preferences will change on a daily, weekly and yearly basis and your makeup routine can change along with it.

If you think about it, not many people have the same makeup routine at fifty that they had a nineteen, and if they do, it may be time for some modifications.

Doing your makeup doesn’t have to be a hassle. With a little practice you can freshen up your face in five to ten minutes and be out the door and ready to face the world.  From this perspective, permanently altering your face seems like an incredibly drastic decision to make when the end prize is simply an extra ten minutes.

So do your research, take your time and maybe give temporary makeup another try before you rush to dive under the needle.

The article is a guest post, written by Anita, a professional writer for Higherclick.com, currently writing on behalf of Macys.com.

I’m sure when F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote The Great Gatsby he had no idea he would spark a bridal fashion trend almost 100 years later. Here’s a selection of Gatsby-inspired wedding gowns hitting salons this fall.

Jenny Packham

David’s Bridal

Maggie Sottero

Kenneth Pool

Theia

Reem Acra

TGIF!

Photos courtesy of Wedding Wire.

It’s only a week from your wedding, one of the most important days of your life.  Correction, maybe the most important day of your life.  You’ve shed a few pounds and your gown looks a second skin, but make sure that your own skin looks like a million bucks as well. After all, you’ll be looking at those pictures for years to come.

Whether you’re contending with a full-on acne emergency or just want to make sure you say “I do” with a healthy glow, you’ll thank yourself for taking just a few simple steps to give yourself perfect wedding-day skin.  We all know that a bride-to-be’s schedule tends to get a bit frantic, so we’ve made it simple for you with a seven day guide to treating your skin.

Day Seven

The first step is probably the simplest, but during your week of wedding march madness, it might also be the hardest: creating a beauty regimen, and sticking to it.  With the endless phone calls, last-minute appointments, and general running amok that you’re probably facing, keeping anything like a schedule is a challenge.  However, stealing away just a few regular moments per day will add up to a radiant payoff.

• Be realistic and honest about how much you can do…and how much you need to do.  You may simply need to get stricter about the regular maintenance you do anyway, or target any dryness, oiliness, or blemishes that choose to rear their heads.
• On top of settling on your designated blocks of “you time,” make sure your sleep cycles are ample and regular.  Lack of sleep is one the biggest invitations for those unwanted blemishes, so get regulated with melatonin (not sleeping pills) if you’re finding it hard to wind down.
• Great skin is one of the many benefits of exercise, so do your best to pencil in as much yoga, pilates, or the like as you can.  However, some workouts may negatively affect skin quality, so be careful.  If you truly can’t find time to hit the gym or studio, turn some of your errands into power walks!

Day Six

Once you have your routine settled, it’s time for one more difficult task: relax!  Nothing can bring on dermal chaos faster than stress, so worrying about your skin can be counterproductive.  For today, give yourself a gold star for the great work and focus on less obvious good habits.

• While there is no one “miracle food” for skin care, there are a few usual suspects that can only do you right.  In particular, try to incorporate dark leafy greens (kale, chard, or spinach) and deep orange veggies (squash or sweet potatoes) into your meals:  they are rich in antioxidants, which are great for your skin.

• If home cooking isn’t in the works this week, make sure to pick up some supplements to ensure you get skin-friendly nutrients such as Vitamin C, beta carotene, Omega 3s, and probiotics.

• Some preventive pampering is a great way to stop breakouts, so treat yourself to a steam room, spa, or even mud bath for an hour. Days Five-Three

You’re almost there, so now make sure you don’t grow overzealous with any one line of defense:  too many products can backfire.  In general, you should be rolling back your usage of daily skin products.

• One everyday facial cleanser, a single exfoliant, and just one moisturizer is all you need.

• Washing away dead skin is important, but only exfoliate every other day.

• Stay away from soaps that dry out your skin, especially if you already have a dry or mixed skin-type.

• After a vigorous hot shower, apply moisturizer before the steam clears and you’ve only lightly towel dried.

Day Two

If after all this effort the skin-gods decide to zap you with a blemish, all is not lost.

• Salicylic acid can knock out even nastier attacks with little turnaround, and while it runs the risk of dryness, the old fashioned astringent witch hazel can be surprisingly effective.

• Whatever happens, a tailspin of stress can only make things worse at this point.

Day One

Your wedding day is finally here, so forget about everything else!  Even a doozy of a pimple will not outshine your happiness, so don’t let anything distract you from it!

Marcela De Vivo is a freelance writer from Los Angeles. Her writing covers a variety of topics, but after working for several years with skin care companies, she specializes in health & beauty and loves sharing her knowledge.

Enjoy

Reese’s Chocolate & Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

Makes 20. Recipe & photo courtesy of Love & Olive Oil.

Ingredients:

Cookies:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• pinch salt
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream, or more as needed
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

**Recipe Note: Use a homogenized creamy peanut butter like Reese’s brand. Natural peanut butter tends to separate and won’t work in this situation.

Recipe & photo courtesy of Love & Olive Oil.

The city that never sleeps, Las Vegas unsurprisingly is one of the most popular wedding destinations and has the highest rate of marriage of anywhere in the world. When most people hear the words “wedding” and “Vegas” you think of those chapels that can get you married within 5 minutes, but it’s not always like that as some people travel many miles over just to tie the knot.

As much as it is an expensive plane journey for some, weddings themselves in Vegas are extremely cheap and are easy to come by. They do all sorts of weddings as pretty much anything goes! One of the more popular weddings themes is good old Elvis. Because of its reputation of being the city that never sleeps, it’s gained a reputation for  being open all hours for many attractions including weddings. You could get married at 5am if you really wanted to.

You would think that getting married in Vegas might be a bit questionable, which is true for last minute marriages and themed weddings, but if you actually have a plan and a venue then you can avoid all the razzle dazzle. It’s a great place for those who want to go big or flamboyant as the city is home to a huge selection of performers and stunning venues that are easy enough to hire out. The best way to go about it would be to have a wedding planner as having a wedding abroad does mean that there are a lot of costs and plans to consider.

You have to bare in mind that if you are going to somewhere like Las Vegas, you need to make sure you bring all the things you need to with you. Failing that, there are many wedding shops that could serve as a safe backup plan. One huge upside to having a wedding abroad is that you can effectively go straight from your wedding to your honeymoon! Saving you on costs greatly and giving you the chance to rest.

Having a themed wedding is a fantastic way to give you a day to remember for the rest of your life, and are seriously fun and easy enough to arrange. There is no limit as to what you can do, given the right amount of funds of course. Whether you are pink and girly, want the minister to be the one and only Elvis Presley or are both in love with the musical styling’s of The Beatles or Rolling Stones, there is most certainly going to be a wedding here for you.

A short check-list: Make sure you have the venue booked and ready to go, get to Vegas a day or two before the wedding itself, familiarize yourself with the surroundings, bare in mind the weight of your luggage, give yourself a budget to stick to, invest in a wedding planner if possible and make sure that family and friends are able to attend as the last thing you want is to be married in front of a bunch of empty seats.

Resource: Weddings Abroad

Photo courtesy of www.ellagagiano.com.

Your wedding ceremony can be very moving for both you and the guests who attend. Friends and family will be able to witness the moment that you become man and wife and it’s always an honour to be invited to a ceremony.

But the most exciting and most bespoke part of your wedding will always be the reception; this is where you can express your love through music, food, colour, and design. A wedding reception is a blank canvas for your creativity and today, more and more couples are choosing unusual or quirky locations for the wedding receptions.

From sandy beaches and historic castles to strange locations such as the zoo or a national space centre, young couples are enjoying the benefits of having something completely unique and different. If you decide to host your wedding breakfast in an unusual location, here are some planning tips which will help you before your big day.

Food and Drink

Traditional reception venues will offer the best facilities to make catering as easy as possible – most venues even have their own catering services and staff on hand to help you. But if you’re designing your own reception, be sure to consider the following:

• Catering service – choose a bespoke provider who can get to grips with your strange venue. (Dewintons are a catering company London who specialise in boutique catering)
• Get the right catering equipment – if your location does not offer this already, you will need to review the cost of hire/purchase of commercial fridges, commercial kitchen units and other kitchen equipment. (You can find out more from Corr Chilled)
• Consider a bar service – if you are not in easy reach of a bar, make sure the glasses are flowing with a waiter service or ensure that there is plenty of table wine to go around.

Weather and Transportation

If getting married in the UK, there’s nothing more important than preparing for the weather. If your wedding is outdoors, you need to make sure there is somewhere people can stay dry from the rain if you should come across adverse weather. Tipis, bell tents or gazebos look fantastic for weddings and they provide a covered way for guests.

Not only should you think about the weather but you also need to consider transportation if your location is hard to reach or find. Get in touch with a local taxi company beforehand to let them know that there will be a wedding party nearby and ask them if they are able to pick up from your venue. You can also book transport for your guests in advance if you are worried about people getting to and from your reception.

Build a Wedding Website

More and more couples are building websites for their wedding day to help guests organise everything they need for the day.

A wedding website can benefit your day in many ways, including:

• Prepare your guests for the exciting wedding venue with photos
• Provide information about transportation, hotels and facilities / amenities nearby
• Offer suggestions of extended weekends in that location and build up excitement for your day
• Guide people on what to wear / what to bring to the day
• Provide clear map and directions for people travelling from far away

Photo found on Tumblr.