It’s hard to believe we get pulled in so many directions as business owners on a daily basis. This project to that project. Or key project we are currently working on are as follows: making our facebook pages more graphically enhanced, updating our song lyrics pages, creating new song lists and finally designing new wedding websites with multiple themes. These will probably take us about 6 months to complete all.

This is what we’re working on. If you have any suggestions or comments on other updates, please let us know.

Newly Engaged after the Holidays: Start Planning Your Wedding Now

Congratulations on your recent engagement! With the holidays over, you can now focus exclusively on planning your wedding day. You have a long road ahead of you, and a lot of decisions waiting in the ‘nuptial pipeline.’ Don’t let that stress get the best of you though – use these tips specifically geared to newly engaged couples!

Five Simple Steps for Newly Engaged Couples!

Step #1 – The Engagement Party: First off, you should celebrate the fact that you’re newly engaged — enlist the help of some friends to throw an engagement party with your loved ones to announce the good news. This fete doesn’t have to be extravagant and expensive. A small house party can create the same intimate scene. You’ll also receive the good wishes of your loved ones, and perhaps acquire a few willing volunteers to help you through the challenges of planning a wedding.

Step #2 – Setting a Date for the Wedding Day: Next on your agenda should be setting a date for the wedding. Here we are, a brand new year ahead of us. Depending on how elaborate you want the wedding to be determines which date you select. Of course, there are highlights of each season. A spring wedding, though lovely, would likely have to occur the following year if chosen. The downside is that both spring and summer weddings are more expensive than those that occur in the autumn or winter. Weddings that fall on holidays are a good option as well since much of the church or venue you settle on will already be decorated for said holiday. Many couples send out a Save the Date card to inform loved ones of their newly engaged status and remind their friends and family of the impending wedding day. Many online companies now offer easy-to-customize templates that can be printed and shipped to you in just a few days time. You can even make your own Save the Date cards with a little ingenuity and basic computer skills.

Step #3 – The Details: Your next perhaps most important action when newly engaged should be a frank chat with your intended about planning the wedding. Lay out what each person wants in the day, either verbally or on paper. Discuss themes, colors, foods, venues, music, and all the various details that make up a wedding and ceremony. You’ll also need to set a realistic budget if you are paying for part or all of it. Today’s weddings are incredibly expensive if all the bells and whistles are pulled out, so you’ll want to identify well in advance what can realistically be afforded.

Step #4 – Research: Being newly engaged, you may want to do some research of your own. Make a point to attend bridal shows in your area to get an idea of possible vendors while planning your wedding. Oftentimes, the vendors are present to hand out vouchers or special deals for attendants. Just make sure to register ahead of time as bridal events usually fill up quickly. You’ll also want to start choosing your bridesmaids and maid or matron of honor to help alleviate the stress of planning your own wedding. The last thing you want to deal with is flaky bridesmaids, so choose wisely.

Step #5 – The Location & Vendors: Wedding venues — for both the ceremony and reception — get booked fast, so you’ll need to fly into action. If you attended a bridal show, you may have learned about venues in your area, or you’ve done a little research about planning a wedding on your own. Bring along your fiancé to look at each of your favorite venues in person, making sure to ask questions such as:
(1) How many people can the venue accommodate?
(2) Is there a catering service on site?
(3) Are there enough restrooms for all of your guests?
(4) What is the payment schedule and, subsequently, the cancellation policy?
(5) Are the facilities wheelchair accessible?
(6) What is the policy on alcohol?
(7) Is there enough parking for X amount of guests?
(8) Are there any limitations on decorations?

Take a tour with the wedding’s coordinator and think it over. Look at all your options before selecting the right one. You’ll also need to consider other vendors when planning a wedding. Do you want a DJ or a live band? If so, you’ll want to book as soon as possible. Caterers get slammed during the high season (spring and summer months) as well, so make contacting them high on your to-do list.

Planning a Wedding While Savoring the Simple Moments

Just remember, planning your wedding day is what you make of it! Getting everything in order can be stressful, but don’t lose your head. Rely on your bridesmaids, mother, friends, and loved ones to help you tackle one thing at a time. If things do begin to be too much, consider what a professional wedding planner can do for you. Oftentimes, they can negotiate better rates since they know reliable vendors around town.

Above all, have fun being newly engaged, planning your wedding, and getting closer to your special loved one!

About the Author: Cherie Johnson is the founder and owner of Creative Wedding Favors, the premier site for unique anniversary, baby and bridal shower, graduation, quinceañera, and wedding favors. Her wedding ideas have also benefited readers of many websites, including Women Of, Wedding Lenox, and The Wedding Guide. Before establishing Creative Wedding Favors in 2006, she worked as a professional wedding photographer, capturing all the special moments of the nuptials and ceremony. Search for fun, festive favors by visiting www.CreativeWeddingFavors.com.

We are ahead of our schedule here with the best new wedding songs from 2000 through 2009. It was quite interesting and fun listening and choosing the songs for our new list. We selected songs from all categories such as Dance, Rock, and Country to Jazz. All the songs were charted in the past decade.

Best 00s songs list was created with wedding values in mind. We tried to omit the obvious songs that would offend guests. However, we want to keep the songs that would get guests on the dance floor.

It was brought to our attention this week by a wonderful bride-to-be that there are some songs on our do not play list on other song lists for weddings. This is a great point that we will consider this week and make necessary changes. For example, My Heart Will Go On is on the best 90s songs and American Pie is on the best rock songs list.

We would like the make the point that not every bride knows the true meaning of songs they are requesting for their wedding. Many songs are very popular and many people like them. If brides like a particular song and it makes them feel good, then why not play it at your wedding? It’s YOUR wedding!

We are just trying to get the word out about certain songs. The song I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor is a fantastic party song to get people dancing. It’s up to you if you want a song played at your wedding reception that represents a woman who will survive after a breakup. Not really wedding themed but then again it’s your choice. Another example is American Pie by Don McLean. The reason it’s on our do not play list is because the song is more that eight minutes long. This is a long time if no one is on the dance floor. However, there are weddings I was a DJ at and the song created a singing frenzy on the dance floor with the bridal party as they loved the song.

The Macarena by Los Del Rio is on our do not play list for the simple reason of being well overplayed. This is not to say you should not have it at you wedding if you love the song and know you and all your friends will line dance to it. We are just sending a friendly reminder that the Macarena is played at the majority of weddings and many people have grown to hate it.

In conclusion, it’s your wedding. Play the songs you love, give the music entertainer the songs you don’t want played, and leave the rest up to them. It’s the music entertainer’s job to get people dancing!

Are You a Groom-to-Be? What You Should Know When Preparing For your Big Day

Your wedding day is one of the most important and memorable days of your life. When planning your proposal to your soon-to-be wife, you no doubt will have thought long and hard about how exactly you should execute it in a way which will not only be memorable to the both of you in the future, but also so that it will remain a surprise to her (unless of course she’s been hinting for an engagement!).The same thought and planning must also go into your wedding day as to your wife; this is likely to be all more important than the engagement was. Planning a wedding can take a very long time with many different factors to consider. Regardless of whether you are looking to plan every aspect of your wedding day together or allow your partner to plan the wedding of her dreams, it is a good idea to be aware of what goes into planning a wedding.

One of the key things which should be taken into account before you plan any aspect of your wedding is your finances. Weddings are known for being expensive, so planning out an initial budget before hand is always a good idea. Some couples may find that either set of parents will offer to pay for parts of your overall costs, which is also something to remember when planning the different elements of your wedding. Once you are aware of your financial situation, you can begin with the important planning and details of the wedding. For some, the perfect location can make or break their wedding. Some may have already thought long and hard about a dream location, but it is important to ensure that you visit each potential location with each other to ensure both are happy with the end choice. Depending on the location of your wedding, also think about where you plan to spend your first night as man and wife, and if you are looking to book rooms to spend the night in, think about whether you will be booking for any of your guests also. Once you have decided on the scene for your wedding, book a date which will not only give you enough time to plan the rest of the day, but also so that your guests are well informed of the date they need to save. ‘Save the date’ invitations are a great way to not only announce your wedding celebration, but also to provide your guests with a formal invitation. Invitations can potentially take up a substantial amount of your budget depending on the style and design you are looking for, but this can also help you think of an initial theme for your wedding as a whole. Many women look to having a color theme throughout their wedding whether it be the color of the bridesmaids dresses, lapels on the men and even down to the ways in which the tables at the reception are decorated-all of which adds cost. If your partner is looking to theme your wedding, this may also carry through to your invitations. Before ordering any invitation, ensure you have decided on your guest list as to not risk ordering too many or too little; this will also help you determine who would require a room to be booked for the big day.

Next, you should think about the menu which will be provided at the reception. Depending on the budget you have will heavily determine what you can afford in terms of food, but you may have already discussed this with your partner. Traditionally, guests will be provided with a delicious, traditional meal, but as times have evolved, many couples opt for buffet style food which not only lowers the costs, but also gives the guests more variety as they may not enjoy a set meal. The final part of your big day will be the reception. This is a very important part of the day, as this is the time for everyone to enjoy the day together in a less formal manner, whilst also having some fun in the process. Think about what kind of entertainment you wish to have which not only your guests will enjoy, but you and your new wife also. You may enquire about hiring a DJ, or karaoke facilities or even something a little out of the norm. Your entertainment can sometimes take up a large chunk of your budget, so ensure that the choice you make is one you are completely sure about. Once you have made your decision, enquire about what your first song of the night will be. To many in your family, this will be a great moment as you and your wife take to the dance floor for your first dance. This is a decision you should make together as something which is a little cheesy may make you feel embarrassed as your guests watch you.

A good way to keep track of every aspect of your planning is to keep a check list so you can keep tabs on what you’ve planned, any ideas you’re deciding on, and also the totals of what you’ve spent so far. Typically, a wedding is seen about being all about the bride, but remember, it is your big day too. By putting your input into certain aspects of the wedding, it will not only help make things go smoother, but will ensure you enjoy your day as much as she does.

About the Author: Matt Campbell is the owner of WeddingMuseum.com.  WeddingMuseum.com offers online wedding planning and wedding website museum.