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What is more romantic than expressing your love to someone? How about this: demonstrating your love to your bride or groom in your own words in front of all your loved ones on your wedding day! Couples who decide to write their own wedding vows may experience anxiety, writer’s block, or a slight combination of both in the weeks spent preparing their wedding vows. Understandably, considering wedding vows are often the most personal, intimate part of the wedding ceremony. This is your first opportunity in starting your new life together to express your feelings to one another, and to publicly express them before your family and friends as well. Here are some useful guidelines to ease your stress in brainstorming your vows!

To get some opening ideas to catch each other’s attention, the bride and groom can do some research of their own. Citing meaningful poems, movies, songs, and greeting cards, the bride and groom can easily develop an opening line or two, and elaborate on it for the duration of the vows. For example, from the hit movie Titanic, the quote, “You jump, I jump,” can be used as a wonderful attention catcher and opening. Try to use examples significant to your relationship: your first movie together, your first dance together, perhaps the poem or phrase written in the first birthday or anniversary card you gave or received. This strategy will be sure to inspire you while stirring happy memories of your relationship when it was brand new.

On this special wedding day, it is also very important to incorporate “Your Story”; where you met, when you fell in love, what you love about each other, what is the meaning of marriage is to both of you, and what your intentions are for your new life together. Consider asking yourself these questions to construct your vows. Your answers can very well be the foundation of the vows you share with your fiancé at the altar! This exercise can also aide the flow of the speech by linking one idea to the next.

As with any important piece of writing, you should always write a first draft before the copy is finalized and ready to go! A first draft can be a jumble of ideas, similar to a stream of consciousness. There is so much you could say about your husband or wife to be, so a first draft can help you to gather all of those ideas before you begin organizing them and giving your vows an ebb and flow. Another great way to prepare your vows is to practice reading them out loud a few times. If your words aren’t flowing correctly or if you struggle throughout your vows, this is the prime time to edit them and decide what may be more fitting.

One final piece of advice for preparing wedding vows is to always speak from the heart. The bride and groom should be completely honest with each other. It can be intimidating sharing such intimate feelings with your loved ones sitting before you, but you should ever be afraid to express how you feel about your bride or groom. You are each other’s support system from this point forward, and by publicly demonstrating your commitment and investment in him or her, you are showing the world, as well as your fiancé, that you are on their side through all the ups and downs from this point forward. Speak your mind, speak from the heart, and revel in this very special moment. Make every single word count!
 

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You’re finally walking together hand in hand as a married couple. We’ve all watched the classic scene in movies commemorating this moment with white rice thrown around the couple by their guests, but are you craving something outside the norm? Here are some modern twists on this timeless tradition!

Greet your guests outside the ceremony space with pairs of balloons for them to release into the air as you step outside the venue! A versatile design element, these balloons can match your bridal party attire, your reception décor, or perhaps your favorite colors! It’s fun, funky, fresh, and will definitely knock the socks off your guests!

Perfect for evening nuptials, a sparkler exit is the ideal touch for your dream wedding! They are cost effective and super easy to clean up! Not to mention, they look great in pictures! Be sure to have multiple lighters or matches available for guests to light their sparklers before you exit the ceremony space!

For our crafty, D.I.Y. brides, paper planes are a cute send off for you and your hubby! Utilizing and commemorating your love for arts and crafts (and your dexterity!), these paper planes are also a cost effective, easy to clean up exit! This can also be a cute representation of your honeymoon! Consider using different colored papers or perhaps even printed maps to design the paper planes!

If you want your wedding to be a real party, arm your guests with funnels of colored confetti for your grand exit as a married couple! We can’t promise the clean-up will be easy, but this could be a fun pre-wedding D.I.Y. for yourself to distress, or for you and your bridal party for some girl time! Bonus, it’s also cost effective and very customizable! You can shred up excess paper or use hole-punches in all different shapes and sizes to add variety and spunk to your confetti medley!

IF you trust your guests with weighted objects that can be thrown, glow sticks are another perfect idea for a night time wedding exit! Although they may not be as cost effective as some of the previous suggestions, they can serve many purposes such as a favor for your guests and a prop to party with throughout the reception (if they don’t lose them of course!) Besides, don’t they look amazing in pictures?!

We all love the classic wedding couple exit to a cascade of petals, bubbles, and rice, but if you are looking for a key wow factor to set your wedding apart, consider utilizing one of the above suggestions! They are all quick, easy, and unique!

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Cocktail weddings are a big trend for 2013! Add a signature cocktail to your event that shows off your wedding colors!

A Red Cedar Sunset is perfect for a summer wedding! Fun light colors are created using orange juice, grenadine, and champagne.

If you’re having a December wedding, try The Mistletoe! Vodka, crème de menthe, and peppermint liqueur give this drink its yuletide appeal.

Purple is a popular color for fall and spring, but this drink works for summer too! Mix blueberries, limes, rum, and club soda for a refreshing cocktail.

For more cocktails in every color of the rainbow, as well as their recipes, go to http://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/gorgeous-signature-cocktails-in-every-color-of-the-rainbow
 

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To add a splash of summer fun to your Wedding Cake for your special day, here are some Wedding Cake designs, specifically for the summer season!

This cake represents a summer garden. With yellow Daisies and purple flowers mixed within, gives the feel of a summer, breezy garden scene. The icing ruffles and the purple and yellow borders on each layer adds to the design and the finishing touches of the cake.

 
This cake represents an ice cream orange creamsicle! Walking down the boardwalk and stopping at an ice cream station, or hearing the ice cream man around the corner from your house, this orange designed cake, along with the white and orange flowers, can make you feel as if you are eating a nice ice cream creamsicle on a hot summer day!

 
This Wedding Cake represents lemon ice! Imagine sitting by your poolside, eating a nice cold cup of lemon ice. That is when you know that summer has officially arrived!

 This cake represents the fashion of summer! Dresses, flower skirts, floral shirts, and flip flips; this cake has wonderful mixtures of colors such as pink, orange, yellow, and purple and lime green. These colors can brighten up anyone’s day and wardrobe in a heartbeat!

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Having children at any wedding can be stressful, especially if they’re in the wedding party! In fact, questions about involving children are some of the most frequently asked! But if you want to involve kids in your ceremony or have them at the reception, here are some tips to make the day easier:

1. Bring snacks! It’s almost a guarantee with young children that there will be some minor issue, but tempers are easily calmed with treats! Neat foods, like small bags of dry cereal or lollipops are great for keeping kids happy and distracting them from long waits or uncomfortable clothing.
   
    
2. Expect the unexpected! Kids, especially little ones, can do anything from dumping their flower petals in one spot to sitting down in the middle of the aisle. The best thing to do is to explain to any children, clearly and simply, what their job is before the ceremony and have them practice. And, in the event something does go awry, laugh it off! It will be a funny memory in a few years.
   
    
3. Have a designated adult! Instead of telling your kids to walk down the aisle and stand in a certain spot, tell them to go to an uncle or aunt, preferably someone they know and are comfortable with. The DA can take control if the flower girl starts playing with the bride’s dress or the ring bearer tries to wander off.
   
    
4. Take their pictures first. It’s hard to organize pictures, especially with kids! Take their pictures first so they can play and the adults don’t have to worry about their clothing getting messy.
   
    
5. Have fun! Let the kids run around, take off their shoes, and slide around the dance floor! Make sure you have some kid-friendly food, like chicken fingers and French fries, and have a kids table for them to sit at together. If the wedding is at a hotel, have a babysitter or teenage guest take the kids to watch a movie or do an activity so the adults can have fun without worrying about their children. Children pick up on stress from adults, so let them know everyone is there to have fun and they’ll have fun too!

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20’s style weddings are a big trend this year! Drop necklines, classic hairstyles, and headpieces are all appearing in wedding styles. Give your wedding a Great Gatsby twist!

An empire waist and cap sleeves give this wedding dress a vintage feel. The beading and low neckline keep it modern and elegant.

Two-button suits are perfect for a 20’s style wedding. A classic combed hairdo adds to the timeless appearance.

A headpiece is a unique alternative to a veil! Floral accents and a patterned band are reminiscent of a flapper, but are still appropriate for a wedding.

Simple table décor is best for a 20’s themed wedding. Use white or clear vases and classic flowers, like roses and lily’s, for a dramatic centerpiece. Dark colors are more fitting for a 20’s style wedding!

Having a themed wedding can be fun, but it doesn’t have to be rigid! A 20’s style dress or suit can still work with modern music. It’s your day, so specialize the wedding to your taste!
 

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Mint is a big color for 2013 weddings! There’s many ways to incorporate it into your wedding, from dresses to décor!

Mint bridesmaid dresses are perfect for spring and summer weddings! They also go great with pink, especially peach and lighter tones. Mint bridesmaid dresses with a coordinating pink maid of honor dress look fresh and modern. Match them with a coordinating bouquet of summer flowers!

Mint cakes are also beautiful and unique for weddings! Although the mint color is more creative, white accents have the traditional wedding feel that many brides desire.

Mint tablecloths are also a great way to mix color into your wedding! Pink accents, like napkins or candles, go great against a mint backdrop! Centerpieces with a mix of pink, white, and mint create a romantic décor for your wedding! Add strings of pearls or crystals for a vintage look.