Happy New Year!

Well, as 2006 comes to a close, I sit here and ponder what changes I will make for 2007. I am not one to make New Year Resolution's, as I can hardly keep up with my "to do" lists. But, I will try and improve on some things I think... Such as committing more time to this website, keeping my house clean(er), and eating less Chocolate Peanut Butter ice cream (specifically the Target brand which is to die for!) Okay, so maybe I won't do so good on the last one, but we can always hope!


The new year brings with it a lot of newly engaged people, so we hope to help out with your weddings, even if it is only a little bit. Let us know what you want to hear about in the new year. What are some things that you would like help on as you are planning your wedding? Let us know, we are always open to new ideas. With that being said, Happy New Year! Crystal

Lets put your best face foreward

Over the years I have had such diverse brides. Some girls come thru the door and no lie I do not even recognize them. They have chose to do their own makeup. What a bad decision! In their defense, maybe the light was different in their bathroom, or you know that saying "if a little is good alot is even better". I bet the groom was scared to death when he saw her come down the aisle. Hiring a makeup artist is a great idea, and worth every penny. I just found a website maccosmetics.com that will help you put your best face foreward on your wedding day. You can choose the bridal look that compliments your skin tone, find out what products you need and print out instructions on how to apply them. Take a look, and let me know what you think.

Driving through $%^# to get to a Wedding...

Well, today my family and I are driving through Utah so my husband, Brody, can shoot a wedding at the St. George Temple tomorrow. We thought it would be a fun little getaway to go to Southern Utah for a couple days and get out of the cold Northern part of the state. Boy was I wrong! I saw on the news last night that Cedar City got pounded with snow, but I figured it would be mostly cleared out by now. Well, its still here! I'm a horrible driver in general, so the hubby has been stuck driving most the way because of the snow. Thank goodness for his Verizon Broadband card so I can sit here and make a post as we are driving! Also, thank goodness for the portable DVD player to keep our three-year-old occupied. As we get closer to St. George the snow seems to be lessening and the sun is starting to come out. I am hopeful that our two day trip will turn out to be a decent one, I will keep you all posted! Crystal

Upcoming Bridal Shows

Aaaahhhhhh... As the holidays are coming to a close, it is time to take a big sigh of relief, breathe deep, and get ready to plan your Wedding! I am listing some upcoming Bridal Shows to assist you in your planning, if I have forgotten any, feel free to post a comment.

The Bridal Extravaganza
Grand America Hotel Imperial Ballroom
January 6th, 2007: 11am - 8pm
**Click on the link above for a
FREE Bride's Pass to the show**

Utah Wedding Expo
Show Barn at Thanksgiving Point
January 12th and 13th, 2007
Friday, January 12 3pm-8pm
Saturday, January 13 10am-6pm
**By Pre-Registering, the Bride & Groom can get in FREE**

BRIDAL SHOWCASE
Salt Palace Center
January 12th and 13th, 2007
Friday, January 12: 2 pm to 9 pm
Saturday, January 13: 11 am to 8 pm
*There are discount coupons on the website*
PLEASE NOTE!!! I have a few FREE Passes to this show! If you
would like one, please e-mail me at: Crystal@utahbridalsolution.com
First come, First serve!!

Standard Examiner Bridal Gathering
Union Station - Ogden, Utah
January 19th and 20th, 2007
Friday, January 19th: 4:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Saturday, January 20th: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm


Salt Lake's Premier Wedding Show
Joseph Smith Memorial Building and The Lion House
January 20th, 2007: 10am - 6pm
*This is a free show, register online to speed up the process*

The Bridal Fair
Provo High School on University Ave in Provo
January 20th, 2007: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
**By Pre-Registering, the Bride & Groom can get in FREE**

The Bridal Extravaganza
Tahitian Noni Visitors Center in the Riverwoods at Provo
January 26th and 27th, 2007
Friday, January 26th: 4:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Saturday, January 27th: 10:00 am - 7:00 pm
**Click on the link above for a
FREE Bride's Pass to the show**

Wedding Festival
South Towne Expo Center
January 26th and 27th, 2007
Friday, January 26th: 3:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Saturday, January 27th: 11:00 am - 8:00 pm
*I couldn't find a website for this show,
for more info call: 801.298.2980*

Bridal Faire
Taggart Student Center at Utah State in Logan
January 27, 2007
I couldn't locate show hours, but I have e-mailed them for specifics, I will update the info as I get it.

**These are just the JANUARY Shows... I will update the February - April shows when it gets a bit closer!

Dont let your car be destroyed

Stuckonyoudecals.com offers the best idea I have seen yet to save your getaway car from being decorated and destroyed.The decals are vinyl, personalized, and the best thing is they are removable. Great idea? Sure beats Oreo cookies all over your windshield.

Utah Weddings Book!

Well, the new Utah Weddings book has come out and we are so excited that we are in it!! This is huge as far as advertising goes. We are on the fourth-ish page in the front (I don't have it right in front of me, so I don't know the exact page number!)
Utah Weddings books are available at tons of vendors as well as at Bridal Shows for FREE. If you have never seen the book, it is full of local vendors and a planner, all in one! If you would like a copy, please feel free to e-mail me and I will be more than happy to send you one: Crystal@utahbridalsolution.com


Also... We are still looking for Brides that want to be part of the Solution, e-mail me if you are interested!

Dress Styles...

Have you ever been talking to another bride and they start talking about an "A-Line" or "Empire" wedding dress, and you have no clue what they are talking about? Well, wonder no more, I have got the answers for you! I used Brides.com as a reference, so if you have more questions, feel free to take a look at their site.

A-Line/Princess: Slim fitting with vertical seams.
Good For: ALL body types.

Ann Taylor
Style no. 144449

Ball Gown: Full skirt with a fitted bodice and waist (Cinderella!)
Good for: Pear shapes, full figures, tall & slim builds.

Allure Couture

Style no. 8394

Empire: Small scooped bodice with high waist line.
Good for: Figures with a thick waist.

Mikaella

Style no. 1131

Mermaid: Fitted to the knee, then flared.
Good for: Tall, slim builds.

Private Label by G

Style no. 751

Sheath: Narrow, hugs the bust, waist, & hips.
Good for: Petite or tall, slim builds.

Tara Keely

Style no. OB2552

Let us know what dress style you are going with...

Send some pictures, we would love to post them!

Anyone for Cake...

The planning is almost coming to an end...I never thought it would all be coming together, but it is. I went to Carrie's Cakes and I LOVED them!! My idea came to life right in front of me. They had so many awesome books to look through and when I found the one I loved, they worked with me to make it all happen. At Carrie's Cakes I felt like they really cared and made my cake dreams really come to life...

Meghan

Hair Styles

Trying to figure out how to do your hair for the your Wedding Day? You might want to check out Hair Comes the Bride for ideas. There are tons of pictures of different bridal and celebrity hair-do's that you can print out and take to your stylist. And, if you live in Southern California, you can schedule them to come and do your hair and makeup on your wedding day. Might be a large fee to get them to come to Utah though :) One bit of advice though... "Practice" your hair style before the actual wedding day, that way you know if you like it, how much time it may take, etc. etc.

Monogram Madness

Monograming has become the rage. everything is monogramed. cake toppers for weddings, towels, clothes, sheets. They have even incorporated initials into wall hangings for your house. So now that we have established the fact that monograming is great, lets talk about what the initials are. I have so many brides that say I want our initials on our napkins but which initials are whose and where is my initials? If you are just using one initial, of coarse it will be your first initial to your new married last name. If you are using a monogram with three initials your first names are on either side of your married last name that is in the middle.

Candle Magic

Now that is traveling light! Its a candle, Its a moisturizer! Its a massage oil! All in one container, can you believe that? Light the candle before you and your new husband get into the hot tub. When you get out, scoop up some of the warm melted candle and use as body lotion. They have a safe low level burn, soy heats just 3 degrees above body temp. The candles are enriched with hemp and vitamin E. Suntouched soy candles would be great bridal shower gifts, or gifts for your bridesmaids. Fun and different. earthlybody.com

Lets talk travel

Be sure all of you honeymooners apply for your passports at least 6 months ahead of your departure. As of January 1 of 2007 you will need them to fly into places such as Mexico, the Carribbean , and Bermuda, which once accepted birth certificates. For info go to Travel.state.gov.

Gift Registry

Registering for wedding gifts is probably the best idea any person has ever come up with. Almost every national chain has put together a gift register. Out of state family and friends can purchase on line or at one of their locations. Most locations will ship, gift cards are also available. Here is a list of some of the local business that offer gift registery.

Bed Bath and Beyond
Dillards
Pier 1
JCPenney
Kohls
Meier and Frank
Super Target
Wal-Mart
Sears
Sportsmans Warehouse

One of my brides this year works at a local credit union and opened up a gift account for her and her fiancee. Family and friends can go into her bank and make a deposit into their account for a wedding gift. This does make monetary gift giving easier and safer, but is it rude or very acceptable? Some families do not think including gift register cards in the invitation should be done either. Last year one of my brides set up a layaway at a local store ( I did not even know they still had layaway) for friends and family to make payments towards her items of choice. So what do all of you think? What is rude and what is acceptable, or is it just different for each family?

$$$ Money $$$

So, my husband and I were discussing financials the other day, and how as I am a full-time student, mom and work only part-time, he basically pays for everything (thanks honey!). It got me thinking about banking accounts and what newly married couples are doing... I remember when the hubby and I first started living together (yes, we lived in sin before we got married!) we each had our own bank accounts, and together had a joint account that paid the rent, utlitities, groceries, etc. We slowly evolved to having just a joint account (I guess we decided we liked each other enough to share our money) and that is all we have now. So, what do you and your spouse-to-be plan on doing as far as money goes? Separate accounts? Joint accounts? Are you both going to be responsible for paying any debts either of you have accrued (credit cards, car loans, school loans)? This is something to think about, if you and your fiancee have not discussed this, you may want to think about doing so. I'm interested to know what you are all doing, let us know...

Crystal

Family Medallion

Did you know that over 25% of couples that are married already have children from previous relationships? This family medallion includes your children in your commitment to your new family. Visit their website at family medallion.com. Along with the medallion they also include a written family ceremony for you to follow on your wedding day in addition to your own ceremony.

Tattoo cover up

A couple of months ago I had a bride that had found her wedding gown that she has searched for months. Unfortunately her mother would not allow her to purchase it because it showed her tattoo on her back that her mom hated. Well guess what I found! A tattoo cover kit. It is not just a makeup. It is waterproof , protective, dries quickly and completly. It is flawless and comes in 3 different shades. What a great product. Go to www.cm-beauty.com to see their video on tattoo cover.

Temple Ceremony AND Ring Ceremony???

So, living in Utah, a majority of the couples here are Mormon and get married in the LDS Temple. BUT, what happens if you want to get married in the Temple, but one or both of your parents cannot attend because they are not Temple wo rthy? Well, this is where the "Ring Ceremony" comes in. **My Disclaimer: I am not LDS, so please don't take all of this information to be the true and final fact. Check with your local bishop before you believe anything I say!

A Ring Ceremony is a civil ceremony in which the bride and groom will exchange vows and rings in front of friends and family that were not able to attend the Temple Ceremony. Now, I have seen many of these and they can vary greatly. How the actual Ring Ceremony plays out will depend on the officiate performing the ceremony (Bishop, friend, etc). A lot depends on how the bishop interprets the rules set by the Mormon church. Some Bishops allow bridesmaids and groomsmen to walk down the aisle, some do not. I have seen ring ceremonies where the father walks the Bride down the aisle, and those where the Bride & Groom walk down the aisle together. Also, sometimes wedding music is permitted, other times it is not. Once again, a lot will depend on the officiate you choose.

A few things to remember if you do have a Ring Ceremony:

• You will need separate enclosure cards to invite people to your Temple & Ring Ceremony. Usually everyone that attends your Temple Ceremony will also attend your Ring Ceremony.
  
• Most reception centers have an extra fee for ceremonies, as chairs will need to be set out and music will need to be organized. Do not assume that you can just show up and have a ceremony at your venue.
• Communicate clearly with your Bishop as to his interpretations of right and wrong regarding a Ring Ceremony. You may want your bridesmaids to walk down the aisle, but he may not allow it.

The Ring Ceremony is a good option if you really want to be married in the Temple, but have family members that cannot attend. So, what are you thinking about doing for your wedding? Temple and Ring Ceremony? Or just Temple Ceremony and Reception?

There is such a thing as a safe candle

We are getting ready to remodel the ceremony room here at Tuscany Gardens Reception Center. Doing away with the twinkle lights has been a good decision for us so far, but trying to find something to substitute that is romantic has been hard up until now. Everyone loves candles. A candle lit ceremony has been alot of brides request, but the safety has been a worry. Check out these great candles from Restoration Hardware. They feel like candles, look like candles and even burn like candles, but they are electric lights. These you are looking at come on a string of six, and were made for a mantle or table. They are wired with a dimmer, and are available also as a single or as a hanging light fixture. Go to www.restorationhardware.com. Well I guess our problems are solved. Tell me what you think, do you like them?

Edible fruit and veggies

One of the advantages to owning a reception center is we get to see alot of fun ideas. This company is called Fruit Flowers, and can be found at fruit flowers.com. They are located in Layton and do deliver. They create flower arrangments out of fruit and veggies. You can order the arrangments with or without dip. The sizes come in a very large basket or small enough to serve just one person. What a great way to serve fruit and veggies
at your next party or wedding.