Square wedding cakes have become very popular at the moment. Many contemporary brides are choosing square wedding cakes over the round traditional wedding cakes.  

While wedding cakes come in all different styles, shapes, colours, flavours and designs,they are traditionally are round or square.  A square wedding cake delivers clean lines which are both modern and elegant.  However, these days it is worth remembering that anything is possible.  

Put some thought into the style of square cake you might want. It is perfectly square or does it have the corners rounded or cut off to become more octagonal for example. Take a look on google at the range of cakes available before you talk to a cake supplier. [Click here for a ready made google images search] . Your Wedding Cake is the centre piece of your wedding so it deserves the thinking time.

The Square wedding cake design can be used in very creative ways, to look like gift boxes boxes for example. A more traditional style wedding cakes would have beautiful design and cascading ribbons.

Square cakes have another advantage. On way to save money on the cake is to have the main decorative show cake and a separate simple layer cake out the back to increase the portions without the cost of decorating the cake completely. The square cake makes the substition much less noticable than curved cakes.

It should be remembered that square wedding cakes are much easier to cut and can be give out to wedding guests quicker and will probably serve serve more guests.

Have some fun picking your wedding cake design as it creates a great talking point. Don’t forget that more photographs are taken of the wedding cake than anything else. 

The invitation is the first impression of the type of wedding you have planned. Your invitation may be custom made, sophisticated, eloquent or a do it yourself creation. With all the styles and colors to choose from, it should not be too difficult to find the perfect invitation.

Whether your invitation is traditional or casual, you will need to include a RSVP (response card) and a reception information card. Other items you could put in with the invitation are directions to the church and reception hall. With today’s "blended" families it is increasingly difficult to find the proper wording for the wedding invitation.

Here are some examples of traditional wording for your invitation.

Wording when Hosted by the Brides Family:

Mr. and Mrs. John Snow request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their daughter Nadine Ellen To Eugene Everett Banks on Saturday, the 5th of May two thousand and five at two o’clock St. Paul’s Church Bellingham, Washington

Wording when Hosted by the Grooms Family:

Mr. and Mrs. Gilford James Banks request the honor of your presence at the marriage of Ms. Nadine Ellen Snow to their son Eugene Everett Banks on Saturday, the fifth of May two thousand five at two o’clock St. Paul’s Church Bellingham, Washington

Wording when Hosted by the Bride and Groom:

Ms. Nadine Ellen Snow and Mr. Eugene Everett Banks request the honor of your presence at their marriage on Saturday, the fifth of May two thousand five at two o’clock St. Paul’s Church Bellingham, Washington David runs the following websites that might also be helpful to help you design your wedding invitation. For more information, visit these sites: http://www.WeddingInvitationsInfo.com and http://www.WeddingPlanningInfoCenter.com

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Tip 1: Schedule your wedding "off-season."

Nearly 70% of all weddings take place between May and October of each year. You will probably find yourself able to get better deals on virtually every wedding service if you schedule your wedding in one of the "off season" months. Also avoid late November through New Year’s, when hotels, caterers and bands are likely to be busy with holiday parties.

What is the best time to set your wedding?

I would suggest setting the date for sometime between October and mid November and between January and May (avoiding Valentine’s Day, when the flower prices peak). On setting up your wedding date off-peak, you will find yourself in a fantastic bargaining position and you will be able to get deals with virtually every vendor!

Tip 2: Cut down on your food and drinks bill

The easiest way to cut down on your food and drinks bill is to cut down on your guest list. It may be painful, but the simple truth is that there is no quicker, easier way to control your budget than by limiting the size of the event. Again, your single biggest cost will be reception food and alcohol, so you can reduce that expenditure by paring down the number of mouths. Remember: Single guests who are not in a serious relationship can be invited solo. Also you may invite parents only; and you need not invite anyone who you have not been in contact with in the last five years, even if they invited you to their wedding.

Tip 3: Buy a non-bridal gown

Bridal gowns aren’t the only white dresses in the world. It may be that the perfect wedding dress for you is not found in a bridal salon, but among the women’s evening wear section of a department store (try the sale rack!). Especially during the last several seasons, while elegant, understated gowns have been in style, the line between bridal wear and formalwear has blurred. You might even find that the perfect gown for you is a more-affordable bridesmaid’s style, done in white or ivory.

Tip 4: Negotiate!

When buying anything marked "wedding" it always has a premium attached to it! So please negotiate! I suggest you start at half price and then work upwards.

Tip 5: Have your ceremony and reception in the same location

There will be no need for limos to take you to the second location. Many houses of worship have halls that are equipped to handle wedding receptions at reasonable fees, especially if you are a member. Likewise, if you are having a civil ceremony, many venues have got a hall, where you could hold the reception. By doing that, you will not need to buy arrival drinks, as this is often bought for people while they are waiting for everyone to arrive.

Tip 6: Selecting your photographer

Instead of selecting a wedding photographer, you will be able to make a saving if you choose an amateur photographer who is about to go professional and requires experience. Obviously, make sure you look at his/her prior work before making your selection. Ask friends and family and you may be surprised who they know. Going to photography colleges may be a good starting point. Obviously, you understand that by doing this, you will be taking a slight risk so if you are not prepared to do that, I will suggest you take a wedding photographer, and agree for him to stay for half of the day instead of the full day. This way, you don’t have to spend as much as if he stayed for the whole day!

Tip 7: Share the costs of the Church flowers

If you’re getting married in church, sometimes you can arrange with other couples getting married on the same day to share the cost of decorating the church. Ask the church who normally supplies their flowers - it’s usually someone local who does it for a hobby and may charge only a small fee to do your flowers. Also getting married a day or two after a big religious event usually ensures the church is well decorated.

Tip 8: Honeymoon

Ask for "honeymoon vouchers" on your wedding list - some travel firms now offer these. This way, people will be contributing to your honeymoon costs.

Tip 9: Hire the groom’s attire

No need to buy the attire, you can rent the groom’s attire between £60 and £90. If you decide to buy it, it would cost you about £200 or more, which the groom will probably not wear again.

Tip 10: Use a venue that doesn’t charge a hiring fee

For example, you could choose your local pub or favourite restaurant. This will save you on the hiring fee, and the cost per head would be cheaper than in a hotel. To find out more, visit http://www.yourweddingforless.co.uk

About the Author

Lillian organised her own wedding on a budget of 5000 pounds. She spent 6 months prior to her wedding researching vendors, comparing products and prices; meeting with photographers; hotel managers; and many more wedding vendors to understand how she could save on each wedding item. She realised that it is possible to have a fantastic wedding without breaking the bank and decided to share her tips with others.

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The church ceremony

If you are having a church wedding, it would be best if you would speak to your minister about the music you want played. The minister can then advise you on the equipment available and the quality of the players. You can also ask the minister to allow one of your friends or someone else you recommend to playing the pieces you want played. Do not constrict yourself to the competency of the church organist. The church ceremony should include four different sections in your music for the prelude, the processional, the signing of the register and the recessional. Prelude should consist of music that sets the mood to be joyous and positive in anticipation of the ceremony. The Processional would be played on arrival of the bride and the music should lend grace and regality to the occasion of the bride’s journey to the groom waiting at the altar. Signing of the Register can have traditional or modern pieces playing and you could have yours or your bride’s favorite pieces playing. Celebratory, joyful and triumphant music sets the background for the recessional. You could use some hymns during the service, depending upon your tastes. In case you are getting married in the registrar’s office or at any other approved premises, you need to get an approval from the registrar to play non-religious music. While discussing the ceremony, it is best to discuss the music with the registrar to get their approval for the music you want played.

Reception

At your reception you are free to play any music you want to. You could consider using a live band or a DJ for the purpose. Choose your music according to the age of the group of guest you have invited and still create a party ambience right for dancing. Tradition has it that the bride and groom have the first dance on the reception evening, normally a waltz. However, with ball room dancing skills not being widespread, it may be best to dance to a favorite romantic number. During the song, tradition has it that the groom dances with his new mother-in-law and then with his mother, while the bride dances with her new father-in-law and then with her father. In comes the best man with the bridesmaids as first change to finish the first dance whereupon the guests are free to join the fun. Irrespective of which first dance song you choose, try and keep the mood at the romantic best. Many couples prefer live music at their wedding because they believe that it makes a difference to the ambience as well as render the natural quality to the music being played. Live music can be a full orchestra, a group of musicians or even a soloist. Selecting live music can also be beneficial to your budget. You could select a group and the number of musicians according to your budget. Much less expensive would be to have recorded music or a DJ at your wedding reception. The advantage of having a DJ is that the music will never be interrupted. Make sure the DJ is experienced in playing at wedding receptions.

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About the author:

Craig Thornburrow is an Author and Business Owner - Get More Wedding Information at www.theworldsbestwedding.com

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Deciding on your wedding photography is crucial and it is very important to exercise some wisdom in doing so.

The first pointer is not to allow any of your friends or relatives to take up the responsibility for taking the photos. Although they mean to help, it is advisable to appoint a professional photographer to do the job. If a friend does something wrong, you will not only lose out on the most important remembrances of your life but may break a friendship.

Photographic styles

Photographic styles have developed greatly over the previous few decades.

Traditional photography that included family photographs, group photographs, photographs depicting signing the register, cutting the cake etc. have given way to modern styles that see more individual or couple shots, memorable shots etc. Many photographers also offer photographs that are at par with your family albums, exactly the way your father or your grand father’s marriages were shot with all the works Black and White and sepia.

Reportage style involves a sort of photo journalism style that runs like a story. You could look at these photographs and rebuild the whole wedding. Although reportage is a little hard to master, it has evolved in recent years. Very few photographers can do justice to this style of photography. Good reportage style of photography involves composition, emotion and a skill for good storytelling. They are the corner stone of becoming a good reportage style photographer.

Always arrange to see photographers at their studios so that you can assess their work. Ask them for complete sets of weddings shot. This will help you decide whether the quality of photography is consistent through out the event or not. See the expressions on the faces of the photographs. Do they look natural, if so, the photographer has a knack of putting their clients at ease.

Make sure the samples you are seeing are the photographs shot by the photographer who would be covering your wedding.

Assess at least three photographers by visiting them before you make your decision. Always make sure you know the itinerary of the photographer on your wedding day. Select a photographer who does only one wedding a day, that way, he will be fresh and at his creative best.

Ask if the photographer is a member of any clubs or organisations. Memberships with organizations like BIPP (British Institute of Professional Photography) or MPA (Master Photographers Association) indicates that the photographer is a qualified professional who has reached a certificated standard.

The photographer should also keep abreast touch with the latest trends in photography. Make sure that the photographer carries backup equipment in case of failure on the site.

Cost of Photography

The quality of Photography you will get is directly proportional to your budget. However, a budget between £500 and £1000 should get you a good quality album full of photographs. If you are not keen on a budget, you should look for a photographer above the £1500 threshold for a photographer who can get you artistic quality wedding photographs.

Booking

Book your photographer as soon as you fix your dates for wedding and reception. Good photographers are generally booked for 12 to 24 months.

Looking for recommendation across your friends or relative network has greater chances of landing you on a good photographer.

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