Usually, most wedding planners call a rental company a party rental company and that is usually how it is listed in the telephone book or an online directory. Brides and grooms are looking for companies who rent party rental items such as china, tables, linens, tents, or other wedding accessories. Some rental companies have larger ticket items such as dance floor, portable toilets, lighting, or canopies. Whatever couples are looking for with party rentals be sure to use these few tips when renting items from party rental companies:

• Always ask for references and check with the Better Business Bureau before signing any contract with a party rental company.

• Schedule the Party Rentals should be at least two to three months before the wedding.

• Contact should include delivery date, delivery fee, pick up date, service charge, and detail information about overages. If party rental company delivers to outside the area this requires mileage and possibly lodging fees for the driver.

• Contact Information that means name, telephone numbers, cellular phone numbers is critical information on hand for after-hours in case of delivery issues or damage items.

• Try to deal with larger rental companies because it is easier to keep track of items for pick up and deliveries.

• Communicate with your wedding venue coordinators in advance to see if the offer rentals on property and how they want to deal with the coordination of rental delivery and pick up.

• Check with the party rental company about weekends. For example, see if they have Sunday pick up after a Saturday night event and inquire about surcharges or additional fees from the rental company.

For more wedding planning tips, wedding advice, or wedding planning visit www.wicksncandlesticks.com or www.theweddingdiaryonline.com.

Wedding planning is so stressful and if a bride cannot afford hire a wedding planner, the bride is planning her own wedding.  Usually, the bride is very anxious before the big wedding day and she has hundreds of wedding details that need to be completed before hand, such as taking care of family members  or checking the wedding flowers and the tasks are endless!  However, a bride needs to take time for herself by creating some stress free days, so she does not burn herself out before her own wedding.

The bride needs to devote at least two nights a week for a relaxing and stress free evenings and we have come up with some stress free and relaxing activities that the bride will truly enjoy! 

Schedule a Message and Spa Appointment-Nothing says relaxation like a weekly massage to help relax the bride’s entire body.  If a bride cannot afford a message, Homedics has a five-motor full body mat massager with heat for around $50.00 dollars.  Another option is a spa appointment.  Many spa and salons offer a day of luxury by providing therapeutic full body massage, spa pedicure, spa facial, eyebrow arch, haircut and also includes a light lunch.   If a bride cannot afford a spa appointment, many websites offer inexpensive bath salts, face scrubs, and body lotions to create the spa experience at home.  Wonderful and relaxing scents are lavender, sandalwood, and jasmine!

Relax with Yoga-Bride get in tune with your mind, body, and spirit by relaxing with Yoga.  This is a great stress reliever and provides an inner calm and relaxation before the wedding day.  A Bride can also sign up for classes at yoga studios, wellness centers, or purchase yoga home DVD’s on Amazon.

Breathing Techniques-There are many websites on the internet that offer breathing techniques to help a bride learn how to do deep breathing to relax.  There are many free articles on Web MD or You Tube has a variety of breathing exercises. 

Drink Herbal Tea-Find herbal tea at your local store or Better Health Store.  Wonderful and relaxing teas are chamomile which helps calming and peppermint is good for rejuvenating.

Try Acupressure-Acupressure is applied through clothing and this technique requires no needles.  A practitioner uses the thumbs, hands, and elbows, knees and applies firm pressure on pressure points in the body.  Many massage therapists, wellness centers offer acupressure, and there are many wonderful books on acupressure on Amazon. 

Exercise by Walking-Help relieve tension by working out!  Working out helps a bride stay healthy, but provides stress-relief.  Walking is free and a bride can either go walk outside, walk in the mall, or take a walk in a park.

Get Crafty-Some women truly enjoy relaxing by creating a craft and there are many craft projects that a bride can purchase at Michaels or Joann Fabrics.   Good craft ideas would be knitting, crocheting, jewelry making, scrap-booking, or painting. Whatever a bride chooses make sure it is fun and nothing too complicated.

For more wedding tips, wedding advice, or wedding planning visit www.theweddingdiaryonline.com or for wedding candles visit www.wicksncandlesticks.com.

One of my latest bridal T.V. obsessions is TLC's Four Weddings which airs Friday nights at 10/9c. On the show, fours brides get to attend each others wedding to judge it and give scores on the whole experience. They have to rate the food, the dresses, the venues and their overall experience.  The bride with the most points at the end of it all wins a five-star honeymoon. So why do I love this show? Well, besides the fact that it's about four weddings that I get to take ideas from, I also get to hear some honest critic about what these ladies, guests, think about certain parts of a wedding.

My big lesson from last week's episode was that you can't wow your guests with the decor in the ceremony then go low key at the reception. Guests will be expecting to be wowed at the reception as well. That was just one many but I was also reminded of how much guests love a dessert table, and that many are there for you but for the food as well.

Don't get me wrong, you might be tempted to make some revisions to your own wedding after hearing what some of the brides say but you'll also get some wonderful ideas.

So watch it tonight...get inspired and let me know what you think!!

There are only fourteen (14) wedding dresses for sale right now at ABCFashions.net that's priced under $300 but I'm telling you that they are worth taking a peek at. Among them you will see ball gowns, mermaid gowns, A-line gowns and even gowns perfect for a beach ceremony in the small collection. Plus, while you are there you can also shop for bridesmaid dresses, shoes, flower girl gowns and much more.

This is what they had to say about themselves...

 "We have high quality and fashionable wedding dresses for under $300! All of our wedding dresses are under $850 and many include a matching shawl/bolero jacket with a handbag. Don't rent a tuxedo...Buy a tuxedo for $130! FREE Ground Shipping on Orders Over $100! Shop at ABC Fashion for the best selection of Prom Dresses, Wedding Dresses, Quinceanera/Sweet 16 Dresses, Men's Tuxedos & Suits at discounted prices. FREE Ground Shipping on Orders Over $100! Visit us today!"

So there you have it... visit them today.

The flower girl role is so important in a wedding for a young lady and this role will be one that she will remember for a lifetime because after
all, it is her time to be a little princess and shine in the wedding
ceremony.

The typical age for a flower girl is approximately 3 years and 8 years of age, so be prepared that the flower girl will be nervous in her ceremony role. It is the bride’s job to make the flower girl comfortable in her role, so be sure to connect with the parents and find out what makes the flower girl smile or happy so this can be a stress-free process. If the flower girl feels overwhelmed during the wedding rehearsal, brides do have the option to pair up the flower girl with another flower girl to give her reassurance and confidence! One of the bridesmaids could also help her by walking down the aisle with her to make her feel comfortable, but remember children are not perfect, so flexibility is a key to make the wedding successful.

Brides should also take some time aside to have a spa pampering day with the flower girl and her mother. Schedule an appointment for an updo, make
up, and nails. Afterwards schedule a lunch at her favorite place or a
nice restaurant where she will feel important. She will feel like the
princess she is and this might help the flower girl by connecting with
the brides so they are best buddies. Other ways brides can connect with
their flower girls in the wedding process is to catalog shop, select
flowers or choose the flower girl dress and shoes.

After the spa and during the luncheon, the bride can talk to the flower girl (if
she is old enough) and discuss her responsibilities and checklist.
Brides get creative and find a template or create a document in Word
that is just made for the flower girl duties. Here are the highlights
for the flower girl duties:

• Bridal Shower: Flower girls attend the bridal shower
• Wedding Ceremony: Flower girl attends the wedding ceremony rehearsal
• Wedding Ceremony: Flower girl walks in front of the bride at the wedding ceremony
• Wedding Ceremony: Flower girl duties would consist of scattering rose petals along the bridal
bath, wrapped candies, or confetti (optional items to carry include
pomanders bouquet or kissing ball).
• Wedding Ceremony: Flower girl is photographed with the wedding party.
• Wedding Ceremony: Flower girl dances with ring bearer.

Brides, be sure to thank the flower girl with an appreciation gift to acknowledge her wedding role in the
wedding ceremony. Typical gifts would include any personalized item
such as a jewelry box, bracelet, or scrapbook. This gift should be a
memorable gift and a gift from the heart, so the flower girl will
reflect fondly upon, as she gets older in life.

Image Provide By:
Vico 23, Stylist Penny Irish
Charlotte, Michigan

I am in love with the plum purple wedding on my head but and I've been trying to find table linens to match my theme but only managed to find purple at an affordable price. I don't mind renting purple linens, however, all the venues that I'm interested in offer white linens and napkins for free as part of the rental package. So now, to save money,  I am thinking of backing away from my current pick, plum and aqua, which I do love and moving back to my original ones which are black and white.

It certainly wasn't hard finding inspiration for this color palette and I am loving the use of red as an accent color just as much as I did before. I will keep you posted but until enjoy these black and white reception photos that I find so beautiful.

Tonight I found some really great invitations on Etsy (have you heard of Etsy, it's like eBay with all handmade stuff....there are some really cool thins for sale there, very artsy.)  I couldn't believe the price! 

I am having a peacock themes wedding and doing most everything myself to stay within my very low 5,000 budget and I couldn't find affordable invitations anywhere.  Check out the woman's shop where I found them:

www.capturedmomentsbyamy.etsy.com

Here is a direct link to the invites I am getting:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28221628



Aren't they vibrant and wonderful?  She had a ton of designs to choose from and does custom work at no additional cost.  It was under $150 for the following:

100 6 x 9 Wedding Invitations
100 5.5 x 4 RSVP cards
200 Envelopes
200 Return address labels

I hope this helps someone else!

Yes, these dresses are all under $300 and you can find them all HERE at GroupUSA.com!