A couple of suggestions for Spring Wedding favors from Kate Aspen (left) and Event Blossom (right)

This Section is devoted to giving you some helpful ideas and tips you can use for your wedding or event

I received an e-mail recently which I want to share with you:

MAGNOLIAS By Edna Ellison

I spent the week before my daughter's June wedding running last-minute trips to the caterer, florist, tuxedo shop, and the church about forty miles away. As happy as I was that Patsy was marrying a good Christian young man, I felt laden with responsibilities as I watched my budget dwindle . . So many details, so many bills, and so little time.

My son Jack was away at college, but he said he would be there to walk his younger sister down the aisle, taking the place of his dad who had died a few years before. He teased Patsy, saying he'd wanted to give her away since she was about three years old!

To save money, I gathered blossoms from several friends who had large magnolia trees. Their luscious, creamy-white blooms and slick green leaves would make beautiful arrangements against the rich dark wood inside the church.

After the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding, we banked the podium area and choir loft with magnolias. As we left just before midnight, I felt tired but satisfied this would be the best wedding any bride had ever had! The music, the ceremony, the reception - and especially the flowers - would be remembered for years.

The big day arrived - the busiest day of my life - and while her bridesmaids helped Patsy to dress, her fiancé Tim, walked with me to the sanctuary to do a final check. When we opened the door and felt a rush of hot air, I almost fainted; and then I saw them - all the beautiful white flowers were black. Funeral black. An electrical storm during the night had knocked out the air conditioning system, and on that hot summer day, the flowers had wilted and died.

I panicked, knowing I didn't have time to drive back to our hometown, gather more flowers, and return in time for the wedding.

Tim turned to me. "Edna, can you get more flowers? I'll throw away these dead ones and put fresh flowers in these arrangements."

I mumbled, "Sure," as he be-bopped down the hall to put on his cuff links.

Alone in the large sanctuary, I looked up at the dark wooden beams in the arched ceiling. "Lord," I prayed, "please help me. I don't know anyone in this town. Help me find someone willing to give me flowers - in a hurry!" I scurried out praying for four things: the blessing of white magnolias, courage to find them in an unfamiliar yard, safety from any dog that may bite my leg, and a nice person who would not get out a shotgun when I asked to cut his tree to shreds.

As I left the church, I saw magnolia trees in the distance. I approached a house . . . No dog in sight. I knocked on the door and an older man answered. So far so good . . . No shot gun. When I stated my plea the man beamed, "I'd be happy to!"

He climbed a stepladder and cut large boughs and handed them down to me. Minutes later, as I lifted the last armload into my car trunk, I said, "Sir, you've made the mother of a bride happy today."

"No, Ma'am," he said. "You don't understand what's happening here."

"What?" I asked.

"You see, my wife of sixty-seven years died on Monday. On Tuesday I received friends at the funeral home, and on Wednesday. He paused. I saw tears welling up in his eyes. "On Wednesday I buried her." He looked away. "On Thursday most of my out-of-town relatives went back home, and on Friday - yesterday - my children left.

I nodded.

"This morning," he continued, "I was sitting in my den crying out loud. I miss her so much. For the last sixteen years, as her health got worse, she needed me. But now nobody needs me. This morning I cried, 'Who needs an eighty-six-year-old wore-out man? Nobody! I began to cry louder. 'Nobody needs me!' About that time, you knocked, and said, "Sir, I need you."

I stood with my mouth open.

He asked, "Are you an angel? The way the light shone around your head into my dark living room".

I assured him I was no angel.

He smiled. "Do you know what I was thinking when I handed you those magnolias?"

"No."

"I decided I'm needed. My flowers are needed. Why, I might have a flower ministry! I could give them to everyone! Some caskets at the funeral home have no flowers. People need flowers at times like that and I have lots of them. They're all over the backyard! I can give them to hospitals, churches - all sorts of places. You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to serve the Lord until the day He calls me home!"

I drove back to the church, filled with wonder. On Patsy's wedding day, if anyone had asked me to encourage someone who was hurting, I would have said, "Forget it! It's my only daughter's wedding, for goodness' sake! There is no way I can minister to anyone today."

But God found a way through dead flowers.

"Life is not the way it's supposed to be. It's the way it is. The way you cope with it is what makes the difference."

Blessed are those who give without remembering....and receive without forgetting.

Article 2:

Skin Fitness for a
Glowing Wedding Day Complexion 

Very few wedding planners, wedding reminders, and wedding checklists mention your skin fitness, or any part of your physical well-being for that matter. You may be lucky enough to not need more than a little extra rouge, but for the rest of us we could benefit from everything to spray tan and waxing.

If you do need more than rouge, then this is your wedding day skin fitness checklist:

Starting today: Avoid direct sunlight Protecting your skin from the sun is always important. Aside from the obvious skin cancer and wrinkles, too much sun can give you a weathered (literally) look that is hard to disguise with make-up. Too much sun could give you a sunburn, freckles, and an unwanted shine in your photos.

Facial:

Four months out A facial a few days before your wedding will-under most circumstances- cause you to break out. You should schedule your first facial four months out, and then have one each month leading up to the wedding. The last facial should take place about a week before your wedding day guaranteeing a hydrated, glowing, and healthy complexion with no surprise break outs.

Six weeks out:

Waxing Most of us need a good wax every six weeks. Like a facial, don't try it for the first time the week before the wedding. You could have a reaction to the products or you could be unhappy with the shape of your eyebrows.

Make-up trials:

Four weeks out If you choose one of the many salons that provide make-up application for bridesmaids and brides, do a trial run four weeks before. This way you can photograph yourself to be sure the style and colors work for you.

Three weeks out:

The spray tan If you choose to tan do it with a spray, not the real thing (see avoiding direct sunlight above). Trying the spray tan a few weeks in advance is good so that you can see what you will look like in photos. Not everyone looks good with a spray tan so you'll need to give yourself plenty of time for the color to fade. If you do like it, then schedule your next session four to five days before your rehearsal dinner, but no closer than that to the big day. The color can and will come off on your clothes in the first 48 hours.

Two weeks out:

Know your products At this point you should not experiment with new skin products. Avoid breakouts or allergic reactions by sticking with the tried and true cosmetics and products.

Get plenty of sleep:

One week out Get at least seven to eight hours of sleep every night. Although it's obvious, this is a critical step in your wedding day skin fitness. The bags under your eyes and the lack of color on your cheeks will make your fatigue obvious.

Author Sara Musfeldt developed SkinFitnessFacts.com to help people achieve fit skin. The website has info on (http://skinfitnessfacts.com/acne-permanent-scars.html) removing acne scars, acne diet tips, (http://skinfitnessfacts.com/rosacea-is-it-acne.html) acne rosacea, and acne laser treatments.

Article 3:

Odd Jewelry:  Not What You Want for Your Wedding

You are engaged and planning for your upcoming wedding. Your dress is bought and you have picked out the perfect veil. Now it is time to add to your look by choosing your bridal jewelry. The jewelry you pick out to wear on your wedding day need not be expensive or flashy. It should reflect your style and personality and should compliment your dress. Here are a few tips for picking out beautiful jewelry for your wedding day.

Tips to Consider:

As you begin searching for your wedding day jewelry, you will need to keep a few things in mind. First of all, what type of look are you going for? If you have a very fancy wedding dress, then simple, understated jewelry will work the best. If you have a very plain dress and you want to liven it up a bit, then you can add larger jewelry to complete the look. When you consider your dress and how it will look on you, then it will be easier for you to find the perfect jewelry.

The next thing you will want to keep in mind is how you will wear your hair. If you wear wearing your hair in an up-do, then earrings that are larger will look stunning with your dress. If you are wearing your hair down, then small studs or hoops will go quite nicely with your wedding dress. Also keep in mind the way you will wear your veil. If you wear jewelry that is to big or gaudy, it will look odd and it will take away from your overall look and become a distraction.

Another thing you'll want to keep in mind is the color of metal that you want to wear. Generally, you will wear either silver or gold, and you should avoid mixing the two on your wedding day. This is especially true for your earrings and your necklace. Many brides choose to wear pearls on their wedding day. These can look absolutely stunning with any wedding dress or hair do.

Staying in your Budget:

Shopping for your jewelry to wear on your wedding day can be quite exciting. The one thing that you will want to do is to make sure that you stay within your budget. You really don't have to buy expensive designer jewelry to wear on your wedding day. The only exception to this is if you plan on handing down your wedding day jewelry to somebody else in the future. In that case, you will want to make sure that you buy good-quality pieces that will withstand a lifetime. If you do not plan on handing down your (http://www.engagement-rings-tips.com/engagement-poems.html) wedding day jewelry, then look at some of the many costume jewelry designers that can provide you with good-quality yet budget friendly jewelry pieces. Look for bridal styles that are specifically designed for the bride-to-be. You might even want to consider taking your dress along or at least pictures of your dress to get a good visual idea of how the jewelry and dress will look together.

Clinton Maxwell regularly creates papers on themes relating to engagement. You might find out more about his (http://www.engagement-rings-tips.com/engagement-poems.html) articles on engagement poem over at http://www.engagement-rings-tips.com .

Article 4:

Dark Chocolate Wedding Favors
Actually Have Health Benefits

When you are thinking of wedding favors, what's the first thing that comes to mind? Truffles in a beautifully decorated box, beautifully wrapped chocolates... No matter what comes to mind, one thing is certain. The wedding guests' blood pressure likely wasn't something you were considering, especially when you are thinking about wedding favors chocolate . Who knew you could even help someone lower his or her blood pressure, especially with something as simple as a wedding party favor? Studies have actually Proven that dark chocolate reduces the risk of high blood pressure, making it a healthy and delightful selection for your wedding favors.

Let's face it; with things that are all natural, usually darker is better. We've all likely heard sayings like, ' darker the colors of vegetables the better they are for you', or the 'the darker the berry, the sweeter the juice', and others. We can add, 'the darker the chocolate, the lower the blood pressure. The 'good for you' part of dark chocolate is the cocoa. It is the natural cocoa in cocoa beans, which are used to make chocolate. Cocoa helps the body naturally process nitric oxide: a chemical compound that helps the the natural blood flow of the body. Flavonoids, a plant compound that is naturally found in cocoa, also are beneficial in the prevention of clogged arteries. This study was tested by researchers on men and women ages 55-64 with blood pressure that was mild to high. After 14 days of 2 candy bars per day and maintaining a balanced, healthy diet, the ones that had dark chocolate candy bars recorded a substantial drop in blood pressure!

Now guests at your wedding can have a double treat with your wedding party favors: something healthy and sweet without ever having to sacrifice great tastes.

The Following Are A Couple Of Thoughts For Unique Chocolate Wedding Favors To Think About:

Truffles

Truffles work really well with virtually any occasion. A better idea is to give the truffles in favor boxes tied with a satin ribbon. There are many several companies who personalize satin ribbon with your names and the wedding date.

Bring Back the Fondue

Get a little inventive and have your wedding shower at the melting Pot, an authentic fondue restaurant. Make your wedding shower fun and entertaining by having a mini chocolate fondue kit at every table for shower guests to enjoy dipping nuts, crackers, fruits and even candy as they wish. Place a note next to the fondue kit that says: "Keep your heart healthy on us!" And even better, the kit can be a good bridal shower favor idea and can be used later for any fondue dish.

Chocolate Centerpieces

For your centerpieces, get strawberries dipped in chocolate prepared as a groom and bride at every table or the appetizer setting.

Chocolate CDs

Have you ever thought about chocolate CDs? This is the newest trend in elegant wedding favors . It's a CD that's made from chocolate that you can eat. They can also be personalized by having a picture put on the chocolate that also is completely edible. Your guests will be captivated by this special favor.

When you are ordering your chocolates, be sure to keep in mind delivery dates and the time of year it is. In warm months, the majority of manufacturers will need a 3-day delivery time in order to stop chocolates from melting. Be sure the dark chocolate wedding favor provider you choose will use proper packaging in the warmer months and when shipping to warmer areas.

Encourage wedding guests to be heart smart with the new research about the health benefits of dark chocolate. Design some cards or put words on your dark handmade chocolate wedding favors to let them know how good dark chocolate is for them, and that you're giving them something healthy and tasty for their wedding favors!

Article 5:

Let's talk a little bit about food. You like food, right? We all do. The number one question that couples often ask any wedding planner is: "How do we save money on food?"  Here are some ideas which will help:

Determining the time of day you want to host your reception is probably one the biggest things which will help in deciding the kinds of foods to serve. You see the time of day is directly related to the amount of food you have to serve.  So what are the most frequent wedding reception times.

Morning Wedding Ceremony (before 11:00am) -- Continental breakfast or buffet

Midday Wedding (between 11:00am to 1:00pm) -- Luncheon buffet

Afternoon Wedding (between 1:00pm to 4:00pm) -- Hors d'oeuvres buffet or cake and punch only

Early Evening Wedding (4:00pm to 7:00pm) -- Dinner buffet

Evening Wedding (after 7:00pm) -- Hors d'oeuvres buffet or cake and punch only

Now let's look at the top three ways you save money by cutting the cost on booze.

1) BUY LIQUOR WHOLESALE. A wholesaler will offer you a discount of up to 20% on bulk purchases of alcohol. A wholesaler will also allow you to return any bottles of liquor that you have not used. This is a "no brainer" for saving money.

2) SERVE NON-ALCOHOLIC DRINKS. You can save a fortune by only serving non-alcoholic drinks at your wedding reception. Sparkling cider or grape juice are excellent options. If you don't like the idea of a completely dry reception, then just serve wine or champagne.

3) HAVE A COCKTAIL HOUR. Limit the amount of time for alcoholic drinks to one hour. Once the cocktail hour is over, you can then limit drinks to nonalcoholic beverages or wine. I suggest having a host or hostess to pass out the drinks because this helps to prevent waste.

Differences in Shipping of Wedding Favors vs. other items on the site

The shipping for our wedding favors and accessory items is different due to the difference in the products.  Some of them, which may be edible, come directly from our distributors so they can be as fresh as possible.

• You can purchase just 1 of any of our favors (except cookies and personalized items) so you can look at the quality and make a decision before you place a large order, unless otherwise indicated for the specific favor.
• We will ship your orders by UPS generally within 3-4 business days (there may be some exceptions especially with edible or personalized items.)
• You can return anything within 3 months of the order date - no questions asked. (Unless it is an edible item or a personalized item.)
• We don't, unfortunately have a paper catalog because our products change very frequently.  We are always looking for new and unique items to offer and printing a catalog would be too cost prohibitive to keep our prices low.
• Some restrictions apply (see notes on individual items for restrictions.)

Wedding Related Links

WedAlert.com, "Your Wedding Planning Just Got Easier." Listen to hundreds of wedding songs. Find local wedding professionals, articles, and much more. Visit now for your chance to win a free honeymoon.

Go to the Next Wedding Links Page