Sweet Memory Creations

What can be both the best and worst part of a bridal shower? It’s not the food or the gifts (how could either of those ever be bad??). It’s the games. Some people love them, others can’t stand them, but bridal shower games are a staple of just about every shower.

So how do you get your guests involved and having fun instead of dreading the games? The answer is to make them fresh and fun, and not too difficult so everyone has a chance to win! We’ve been to quite a few bridal showers, and we’ve collected our favorite games:

Bridal Shower Bingo – Bingo is a fast moving game and it’s popular with just about every age group. Plus, you can have multiple winners and give away several prizes throughout the course of the game! It’s a great last game of the day where you can give out a whole handful of gifts.

Word Scrambles – These are easy to put together using any word processor – just pick phrases related to the bride and groom or the wedding itself, and scramble the letters. The person who finishes the fastest gets a prize!

The Purse Game – Before the shower, write down a list of some common, and not so common, items you’d find in most women’s purses. Each guest will look to see how many of these items they actually have and the person with the most wins!

When you picked out your bridal party, you probably picked your very nearest and dearest girls from each part of your life. Your bridesmaids may have ended up being a diverse group that includes your college bestie, your little sister, and your current best friend at work. If they don’t know each other well, or haven’t met at all, it can be a little awkward the first time they meet. With a little bit of planning on your part, you can help everyone feel more comfortable and start having fun!

It’s helpful to collect and share contact information shortly after you ask all the girls to be in your bridal party. Write up an email and do a short bio for each person, and what their role will be in the wedding. That way, if they need help or have questions, they can reach out to each other as well as you.

Have a casual get together early in the planning process. There will be lots of time for dress fittings, engagement parties and wedding luncheons, so ask the girls for a casual afternoon together well in advance. You could go dress shopping after lunch, or you could not even talk about the wedding at all, and just let everyone get acquainted!

Finally, get them a small matching gift to show your appreciation for all they’ve done for you. A set of personalized cosmetic bags or another gift helps cement the idea that these are your group of ladies and that you’re all in this together! With a little effort from the bride, it’s easy help all your bridesmaids feel comfortable and confident on your wedding day.

You could have these at your wedding for FREE!

We are tickled pink to announce the kick off to our new monthly contest! You read the title of this post right, it says: FREE FAVORS!

We wanted to thank everyone who has taken the time to visit Sweet-Memory-Creations.com and our blog by offering you the chance to win $50 in free favors. Every month, we’ll be offering one winner a $50 Sweet Memory Creations gift certificate that you can use on any of the products from our website!

Head on over to the contest page on our main site and fill out the form to get entered today. It’s easy-peasy! One entry per person, per email address, per household is permitted each month.

But wait, there’s more! If you want TWO entries for the month, just link to us on your website or blog and send us an email at info@sweet-memory-creations.com and we’ll double your chances of winning!

So get on over to the form and fill it out to start winning free favors!

Once you’ve gone through all the excitement of planning your wedding and all the little details that go with it, most brides have to take some time to plan an even more exciting part of the big day – their wardrobe! Choosing your wedding dress can be a wonderful bonding experience for you, your mom and your bridesmaids. But once you’ve found the dress of your dreams, you’re still not quite done. Now it’s time to accessorize!

The most traditional of all bridal headpieces is a long flowing veil. They come in a variety of sizes, varying from just a small headpiece to a cathedral length veil that flows out beyond the bride’s dress. Many brides still choose a traditional veil like these, but more and more brides are branching out into other accessories.

If the veil isn’t your style, why not try a crystal tiara? They can easily be combined with a veil for the ceremony and then worn on their own during the reception. If you want to move around easily during the evening but still want a traditional look, the tiara is an excellent choice!

Many modern brides are trying a new trend – large hair flowers and feather fascinators. These wonderful hair pieces add a fun and fresh look to your wedding ensemble, and look especially great at more casual and summer weddings.

What kind of hair accessory are you considering for your big day? Whatever your taste, there are plenty of options out there for you!

We asked our fantastic Facebook fans for their favorite tips on saving money while wedding planning, and we got some wonderful ideas that we just had to share. First up, one fan suggested the following:

You can plan a wedding with appetizers only. During the cocktail hour of my wedding, everyone was so stuffed from all the appetizers, no one had room for the sit down meal.

We love it! Food and alcohol are two of the biggest culprits when it comes to budgetary problems. Many people solve the issue by cutting down their guest list. The less people you have to feed, the less it costs. It’s effective, but if you’re having a hard time making the cut and you can’t imagine your wedding day without your extended family by your side, this might be an option for you.

Just make sure you bring enough food to feed the whole gang. It helps to provide extra appetizers than you would normally with a sit down dinner, since they are the main event. Have some passed around on trays, and then set up a few stations with snacks for guests to nibble on. If there is constantly something floating around until it’s time to cut your cake, no one will mind that there’s not an entree. Top it off with some yummy cake and a couple of signature drinks, and you’ll have a room full of happy, well fed guests on your hands.

Dolly and Christopher are two great people who randomly met in New York City, hit it off after the second date, and are now getting married! Congratulations from all of us at Sweet Memory Creations!

Dolly is quite an engaging bride-to-be, and posts about her road to weddingdom on her blog, Dolly’s Getting Married. Planning a wedding isn’t easy, but Dolly stays upbeat throughout her posts, and seems so excited for her wedding day and marriage with Christopher!

Dolly is also the proud owner of JBDCookies, creating absolutely delicious and exquisite looking cooking! The “Pecan Pie Pleasure” cookies are making out mouths water right now!

We wish Dolly and Christopher a beautiful wedding and a wonderful marriage!

With your wedding date fast approaching, you’ve got lists upon lists of things you need to buy or do running through your head. One thing you don’t want to forget are the ‘must haves’ for your wedding ceremony. To put your mind at ease, we’ve put together our list of the most critical accessories for your ceremony:

1. Unity Candles/Sand Ceremony Set – both ceremonies have become a popular tradition at weddings. Most churches don’t provide these to the couple, so you’ll need to go out and buy a unity ceremony set for your big day. Many sets are customizable, so you can add your names and wedding date on them.
2. Programs/Bulletins – If you’re having a religious ceremony, or any kind of custom ceremony, a wedding program is extremely helpful. It’s an opportunity to introduce your wedding party to your guests and introduce them to any traditions they may not be familiar with.
3. Bubbles – Many locations ban the use of throwing rice, birdseed or anything else to avoid the mess and potential hazard. Using wedding bubbles is a great alternative!
4. Tissues – It’s thoughtful to provide a few packs of tissues at the ceremony. You’ll probably have at least one teary-eyed aunt that will appreciate the gesture.
5. A Purse – many brides forget to think about carrying a small clutch on their big day. You won’t be carrying a lot with you, but you will want a small purse for your lipstick, cell phone and some emergency items like tissues, band aids, etc.

Would you share your big day with Santa?

Now that we’re in the middle of the Christmas season, I can’t help but think of how lovely some of the decorations popping up all over would look during a wedding. Take the twinkle lights off the tree and drape them all over the ceremony site, and then use the fake glittery snow on the tables at your reception – so fun!

But – is a Christmas wedding a good idea? It’s probably not for everyone. Before you start putting down deposits for mid-December date, consider the following:

• Inclement weather. Some guests may not be able to travel if you live in a snowy region.
• Holiday travel. Many people may already have plans and won’t be able to take vacation time to attend your wedding, if they need to.
• Anniversaries. Will you be able to, or want to, celebrate every year if there’s only a week between your big day and the 25th?
• Religious restrictions. If you’re getting married at a church, check to see if they’ll even perform a December ceremony. Many won’t!

If none of the above are a concern for you, then a holiday wedding might be the right choice. If you’ve had a Christmas wedding, let us know how it went. We’d love to hear your stories!

Tiny Tree Place Cards

Before it’s time to get down at your reception, people have to get down to the business of eating dinner. When they first enter your reception space, your guests will probably look for some direction on where they should sit. Traditionally, the bride and groom provide place cards that let their guests know what table they are seated at. At very formal weddings, they may have assigned seats at the table, though it is more common for just the table to be assigned.

Seating charts are the cause of many a bride’s sleepless night, but it doesn’t have to be that way! Some brides are embracing the new trend of open seating. It allows friends and family to sit where they want, and takes the burden off of the happy couple. So which method is right for you?

Pros

• Seating charts eliminate confusion. If your guests are expecting a seating chart, they might mill around aimlessly for a while looking for their seat. A sign at the door asking guests to please sit wherever they like can remedy this.

• You also avoid empty tables. Some guests may naturally group together, leaving odd numbered seats empty at tables.

• It lets you organize a fun party. Do you have out of town guests that don’t know anyone? Place them with outgoing guests with similar interests to keep the party hopping!

Cons

• It’s difficult. Yes, it will take time and thought to do this. You’ll probably have more than one draft.

• You can’t make everyone happy. Don’t try. Just do your best to pair up friends and family. Once dinner is over, they can mingle how they please.

• Your family has other plans. Just because you’ve created the perfect seating chart doesn’t mean mom’s going to agree! Compromise and give her one or two tables to put together so she can rest easy knowing all the extended family are covered.

Wedding flowers can really transform a wedding into a magnificent event. Real flowers are always nice, but can quickly droop and detract from your wedding decorations. CFD 27 specializes in beautiful silk wedding flowers, and has the largest selection of designer-quality silk flowers in the Northeast U.S.! With their 3,500 square foot store residing on 121 W 27 St. in New York City, they’re close by for all those New Jersey weddings.

CFD 27 has an impressive Catalog of their many brilliant silk flowers, and they also do custom design work, so we encourage you to visit their website and give them a call! Just imagine how breathtaking your wedding can be with exquisite flowers from CFD 27.

We hope New Jersey brides will head over to visit CFD 27’s NYC store, and work with the very talented floral designers to make their New Jersey wedding absolutely unforgettable.