Registry 101: Charities

Brides.com recently listed the top places to register for your wedding.  Over the next few Sunday's we're going to share the list and a few of our favorites.

Charities

I Do Foundation  

You'll donate up to 8 percent of the value of your wedding gifts to charity when you register with the retail and travel partners affiliated with the I Do Foundation. All gifts must be purchased through a wedding Web site the I Do Foundation will ask you to create. You can also opt to have guests make tax-deductible contributions to the charity of your choice.

Just Give  

Used alone or in addition to traditional gift registries, the site allows you to create a customized Web page that encourages contributions to your favorite charities. Just Give offers more than a million charities to choose from, including national, regional and local organizations. Through the registry, you can also make a donation in honor of your guests and buy charity gift certificates for your wedding party.

Changing the Present 

Register for gifts such as funding an hour of cancer research or providing supplies to children in need. You can do more than select a nonprofit to support; you can choose exactly what you want to accomplish. Create your own registry Web site and select a wish list of gifts from hundreds of nonprofit organizations that will show your family and friends your favorite donation ideas.

from Brides.com

It All Adds Up

US News and World Report published an article earlier this week about the rising costs of attending and participating in a wedding.

"Complaining about the high cost of weddings used to be the father of the bride's job. Now, as nuptials have been transformed from simple family affairs to weekend-long marathons, the invited guests are increasingly feeling pressure to strain their own bank accounts.

Destination weddings, where couples commit to each other far from home, have grown fourfold over the past decade and now make up 16 percent of weddings, according to Condé Nast's Brides.com. The cost of gifts has also ballooned as weddings have become more elaborate and guests feel compelled to spend as extravagantly as their hosts.

But the heftiest burden of all falls on bridesmaids. They play a role that, for all the honor of its implied intimacy to the bride, comes with a price to match. Bridesmaids are often expected to buy a dress, matching shoes, and jewelry, not to mention professionally applied makeup and nail polish on the day itself. And well in advance of the "I do's," they usually serve as host for a bridal shower, bachelorette party, or both. TheKnot.com estimates that, excluding travel, the average cost for each bridesmaid adds up to around $700.

Part of the reason for the growing pressure on wedding guests is that when couples and their families spend thousands to make a day perfect, they want to make sure everyone else is in tip-top shape, as well. "Your bridesmaids are like your backup dancers," says Rebecca Mead, author of One Perfect Day. Adds Katherine Jellison, author of It's Our Day and a professor of history at Ohio University: "It's all part of a larger phenomenon that we have convinced ourselves of—that if we don't spend a lot of money on something, it's meaningless."

To save their own budgets, wedding guests—and participants—may need to scale down their efforts. That may mean declining invitations from anyone other than best friends or relatives. Guests often put pres-sure on themselves to buy the Waterford crystal set or china pattern on the couple's registry, when the bride and groom are expecting their friends to choose the $40 set of martini glasses. They may also need to assign themselves new roles. "If you feel you can't afford to be in the bridal party, be upfront about it right away," suggestsWeddingChannel.com senior editor Christa Vagnozzi.

As for the bride and groom, they can often organize group discounts for hotel rooms and local activities and even hire a stylist for a few hours so each member of the bridal party doesn't need to pay for her own hair and nails, says Michelle Preli, editor-in-chief of Brides.com.

Perhaps one of the biggest favors a bride can do for her attendants is to be realistic. Telling guests that a destination wedding is affordable because it doubles as their annual vacation has become the new bridal fib, replacing the one about bridesmaids being able to rewear their dresses, as Katherine Heigl's character is repeatedly told in the movie 27 Dresses.

So why don't bridesmaids unite and cast off their (matching) chains? "They submit," Mead says, "because they're happy for their friend. And statistically, bridesmaids are going to be brides themselves in a few years," and they'll want the favor returned."

-Kimberly Palmer

image from 27 Dresses

To Band or To DJ - that is the question.

Brides Magazine recently published an article on choosing the music for your reception. It is often a difficult decision between a DJ and a band. Of course there are pros and cons to each option - you just need to decide what the most important elements are for your reception. For either option you want to choose a DJ or a Band that you feel confident in and that is going to do a great job during your reception.

Reasons to book a DJ:
*He's more affordable
*Will play any song you want
*Can work in small spaces without a lot of equipment
*Keeps music going during the entire party with no lull
*Is trained to choreography the reception and make announcements


Reasons to book a band:

*They make a more dramatic presentation, with musicians, vocalists, and all those instruments.
*Have unique personalities
*Their infectious energy can get people on the dance floor
*Guests who don't dance will still enjoy watching the show

image from Arthur Remanjon

Remember!

Remember to assign someone the chore of taking home all of your gifts and wedding items after the wedding.

It should be a large, cleaned out vehicle that will be driven to a safe location. It should not be a vehicle that is staying overnight at a hotel, because there will be gifts inside and that's an invitation for a break-in.

If you will have a large amount of items after the wedding (candles, flowers, containers, etc.) then you may want to assign two vehicles to this task.

Everything must leave the wedding reception location that evening - so it's best to make the process smooth and easy.

image from Picasa

Awesome Labor Day Weekend Wedding

Even a threat of rain couldn't dampen the spirits of Sukanya and Ryan as they prepared for their wedding day at the very cool American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore. Talented photographer Martha FitzSimon gathered the bride and groom and wedding party for lots of pre-ceremony photos as The Sculpture Barn was set-up with a gorgeous mandap created by Aradhana Luthra on a large stage by Bobby Dill of Event Dynamics.

The bride's wedding dresses (she wore two: one for the ceremony and one for the reception!) were stunning in vibrant color and luxurious fabric. Of course it helps when one is as beautiful and petite as this bride, to look fabulous. Her groom, also dressed in traditional Hindu wedding garb was escorted into the ceremony by dohl player Dave Gupta and later the bride and her bridesmaids entered to lovely music by classical guitarist David Greenberg.

Dozens and dozens of colorful silk pillows (made by the bride's mother) were placed throughout the ceremony seats as were lovely ceremony programs, paper fans, and packets of rice to toss at the newly married couple.

The wedding feast to follow was catered jointly by Linwood's Catering and Akbar Restaurant in order to offer guests a combination of both American and Indian cuisine. The dance floor was absolutely crazy and packed as DJ Amer played both traditional Indian and contemporary American songs.

The decor for the wedding was provided by Katie Martin of Elegance and Simplicity (flowers), Table Toppers (linens) and Select Event Rental (china, glassware and serving pieces).

Thankfully the rains didn't come until we were safely in the James Rouse Visionary Center when everyone was having such a good time that they didn't even notice the monsoon outside.

Congratulations Sukanya and Ryan. It was a pleasure to assist you with such a wonderful wedding.

Jennifer + Jan

Jennifer and Jan were married on Sunday in a gorgeous ceremony at the Intercontinental Harbor Court Hotel.  They were married under a chuppah designed by Shelly Baker and then made their way over to the cocktail hour.

Guests stopped to pick up their framed seated cards and enjoyed drinks and conversation while listening to classics on the piano.  The room was accented with photos of Jen and Jan over the years, which provided a personal touch.

The Ballroom was a gorgeous in shade of white with touches of burgundy in the floral, menu cards, and table numbers.

The band Encore kept the guests on the dance floor all night.  During the evening the Adesso guest book received a lot of attention.  The book of Polaroid photos and notes from friends and family will be a real treat for Jennifer and Jan when they come back from their honeymoon.

At the end of the evening guests were sent home with a sweet treat of chocolate covered Oreos and milk. The perfect snack for the drive home.

Congratulations Jennifer and Jan!

Trunk Show!

Betsy Robinson's Bridal Collection is having three fabulous Trunk Shows this month.

September 5, 6, 7:  Monique L'Huillier

September 12, 13, 14:  Badgley Mishka Bridesmaids

September 18, 20, 21:  Romona Keveza and Headpieces by Tori

September 26, 27, 28:  Augusta Jones

A trunk show is a terrific opportunity to see a wider collection of gowns from the designer.  Sometimes the designer is present, but if not then there is a representative that can help you find you gown and make it work for you.  Often times there are purchase incentives at a trunk show.

For more information:  www.RobinsonsBridal.com