http://www.target.com/Isaac-Mizrahi-Target-Faille-Trapunto/dp/B000YA29M8/sr=1-3/qid=1236803958/ref=sr_1_3/185-0616575-3587155?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=0&index=target&rh=k%3Awedding%20dress&page=1

If you are serving a buffet style dinner at your reception, be sure to keep these  six things in mind.

1. Try to have a server at your buffet table to cut your ham or turkey etc for your guests and to keep an eye on things, making sure that guests are doing nothing more with the food than taking their share and walking back to their table. You can have a friend fill on your weddinf day or pay someone to do it for $40 bucks for the day.

2. The food does not have to be gourmet, just delicious. So whatever you decide to serve at your reception, make sure it's something that will be satisfying to all your guest. Not too spicy or not too bland.

3. Try not to serve food that has to be refrigerated to keep fresh such as potato salad which could go back very quickly. We don't want guest running to the bathroom or leaving sick from the reception.

4. If a friend or family member offer to cook the food for your reception, make sure they are cooking recipes that they are familiar with and that you've tasted them cook before. There's no harm in asking them to prepare a dinner for you and your fiance one night so that you can be sure that you are comfortable having their food served at your reception.

5. Try and choose a menu that will give you the most for your hard earned dollars. A 30 lbs frozen Butterball turkey from Walmart is about $25 and so is a whole 30lbs ham. You can find a roast at a decent price especially if you shop at a Sams Club or a Cosco. There you can find a lot of food in bulk like lettuce, tomato, carrots to make a salad and much more. You'd be surprise that with a 30lbs ham, 30lbs turkey, large roast, 100 rolls, huge salad, 10 lbs of red potatoes and 5lbs of cooked Basmati rice that you could serve 100 people easily for under $500 bucks.

6. My most important tip is to please try and keep food warm in a warming tray  that's not from the dollar store. Remember we have to keep that platinum style through-out the wedding, so  you can rent food warmers from your local party rental like the one below for about $20 each or less depending on the size you choose.

I found a fabulous selection of wedding invitations and saw the one above at www.theamericanwedding.com and just fell in love with it, especially since it matches my colors of black and white with red accents. It's $85 for 100 but I am going to order the free catalog they are offering ,then take my time browsing it before I purchase this set, since I am so tempted to do so sometime in the near future.

I am encouraging you all to check out the site and order the catalog. The link to the order form for the catalog is: http://www.theamericanwedding.com/catalog.asp, but be sure to check out their great and beautiful selection of invitations before ordering it.

Best Occasion Sweetheart Pen and Holder $9.99

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10402178

I love this idea of having a candy buffet bar mainly because I have a major sweet tooth. The one pictured above is an easy one to replicate using the different colored candies and hershey's kisses to match your wedding.

You can find everything you need to create this piece at this link at save-on-crafts.com . If you look closely at the photo, the candy are in vases, not the fancier candy jars which cost more. So below I give you some examples of the size and height of vases you can use to give you a great looking candy table.

Instead of the hershey kisses on the table though, use acrylic ice crystals, since we are always going for that wow factor. You can find them in many different colors HERE including yellow, brown and many more.





The vases are at this link:

I am featuring them from the tallest to shortest.

Set of 3 Clear Glass  Jars (10-3/8" - 8" - 7-1/2" tall) - $19.99



These jars come in a set of three:  10-3/8",  8"  and  7-1/2". You can always just get two or three sets of these to use for your Candy Bar Table.

Clear Glass Cylinder Vase 10" tall - $6.89




9 " Vase: $5.99




Set of 3 Cube Glass Vases (6" 7" and 8") - $11.99



This one comes in a set of three 8, 7,, and 6 inches. You can always just get two or three sets of these too.

Glass Mini Apothecary Jar with Lid 5" tall - $3.99




Glass Mini Apothecary Jar with Lid 4-1/4" tall - $2.99



Of course it is important not to forget the favor boxes and the serving spoons or scoops for the guests. You can find some online on Amazon.com!

Who would have thought that blue and red would look so gorgeous together. Even with a smaller centerpiece of red roses, this room would still be just as gorgeous. So keep that in mind as you think of your wedding day, that is more about the presentation, the look, than the amount of money that's spent acheiving it.

With that said, here is how to create that centerpiece!

Watch the vidoe below and just do the same thing but bigger.



100 Stems of Red Roses for $99.99

Velvet Bloom Roses-Burgundy-168 pk : $34.99

You can actually use the velvet roses which are a cheaper alternative to the real ones. They don't look like plastic, they are velvet with "detailed veins and natural variations, giving them a realistic look."


24" Clear Tower Vases-12pc - $99



Use


Oasis Flora Foal for arrangements - 12 for $1.60 each



Add a floralyte to each vase to add a "wow factor" or platinum  touch!


$2.20 each $10 for $22.00

A green theme with a hint of purple perfect for an out-door Summer wedding ceremony and reception!

Wedding Dress Idea




Strapless Satin Bridesmaids Dresses: $64.99




For the wow effect (optional of course, but does add that little extra sparkle):

Put some green crystals in the vase and a put the purple submersible floralytes in the center of the crystals.

Note: You could do this to any center-piece to add a little "wow effect."

400 Mini Ice-Emerald Green -  $9.99

and

Box of 10 Submersible Floralytes - $22.99










This is just an idea of what you can do with linens for a green wedding theme. However, since white is always cheaper, you can rent some white table linens instead, that's if it is not included with your venue since most do have at least white. Then you can also rent some chair sashes which you can find HERE at Weddinlinens.com in a solid cotton for $1.00 rental. Of course they do have satin ones there as well, so it all depends on what your budget will allow.