Your best friend from college is getting married. You’re the maid of honor. You’re thinking there is no way you’re going to get her a toaster or blender. Why not make her a bridal shower scrapbook?

Once the invitations are chosen, save one, completely filled out to put at the beginning of the scrapbook. When you send out the invitations, ask each guest to mail you one photo of the bride with the guest, along with a few sentences about how they know the bride, or a special moment they’ve shared with the bride. Another option is to have paper and pens available at the shower and have all of the guests write their thoughts while at the shower. For those guests who can not attend, it’s wonderful to have their photos and thoughts also. Since you want the paper to be acid free and lignin free, consider mailing the paper with the invitations.

Did the bride register at a particular store? Go to the store and take photos of the store, from the outside. If the bride goes with you, take photos of the bride standing outside of the store. If the store has a catalog, take a photo of the store catalog.

If the shower is held in a reception room, take several pictures before your guests arrive. If the shower is held in someone’s home, take photos of the outside of the house. Then take some photos of the decorated room prior to everyone arriving.

Are you serving food? If it’s prepared ahead of time, take photos of the table with all of the food on it. Did guests bring the food? If so, provide them with paper to write down the recipe, which you can then include in the scrapbook you are making.

When the bride begins opening her gifts, try to take one photo of each gift. Jot down who gave her the gift and try to include a photo of the guest on the same page as the gift photo from that person. Make a point of getting at least one photo of each guest in attendance.

If you play any type of games that involve writing, try to use acid free, lignin free paper so that you can include the game sheets in the scrapbook.

If the bride has thank you notes, include a blank thank you note in the scrapbook, so that she’ll have the memory of what notes she used.

Using all of the above suggestions, you can create a very special memory for the bride to be and I guarantee that the bride will appreciate this scrapbook much more than a toaster or blender.

By: Audrey Okaneko

A wedding is a formal occasion, which is replete with several customs and traditions. These customs and traditions have been practiced for generations together and people still follow them with great reverence. One of the most discussed features of the wedding is the bridal costume that has several finer details associated with it. Every aspect of the bridal costume reflects grace, beauty and classic touch. The white wedding gown, the white netted veil and the wedding flowers are all the integral features of a bridal costume. Yet another component that completes the image of a bride is the bridal bouquet that is carried by the bride while approaching the altar. The bridal bouquet has a special significance and selected by the bride herself.

Bridal Bouquet

Flowers have always been associated with human emotions and hence it is not surprising that they are an integral part of a wedding ceremony. Every silk flower or artificial flower stands for a specific attribute like roses stand for love, freesia represent trust while ferns stand for sincerity.
The task of creating a bridal bouquet is eagerly awaited by every bride and a great thought is put into selecting the right flowers for the bouquet. The bridal bouquet also carries a special significance and represents the blossoming of a young maiden. Also after the wedding is solemnized, while leaving the venue the bride throws the bouquet over her back among a group of unmarried girls and whoever catches it is the next to be married. Brides usually select their favorite flowers to incorporate in the bridal bouquet. The most commonly used flowers are roses, orchids, dried lavenders, lilies, geraniums and poinsettias.

Once the flowers have been selected they are clubbed together by adding fresh grapevines, ferns and leaves. These are the most natural elements that complement the flowers in the bouquets. Apart from these, the bouquets are also decorated with silk Flowers, laces, ribbons and silk materials that lend a royal touch to the bouquet. To enhance the bouquet it must be accessorized with these embellishments so that beauty of the flowers is accentuated.

Making the Right Bouquet

It is important that the bride follows a few tips while designing her bouquet in order to get it perfect. She can select the conventional, seasonal flowers or even artificial flowers, which would make her bouquet, look different. Sometimes brides also prefer wild flowers to give an exclusive look to their bouquets. It is also important to ensure that the bouquet matches the gown of the bride and also easy to carry. The bouquet must be compact and well covered so that it does not get damaged during the wedding. The modern trend is dominated by bright colors and exotic flowers like orchids and tropical flowers. The classic bridal bouquets comprise of flowers like roses and carnations usually in light pastel shades like pink, yellow or peach.

There are various types of bouquets available for brides like entire-rose bouquet, multi-colored bouquets and even white bouquets. When brides customize their bouquets, they must keep in mind the color and size of every flower. Brides can also consult a florist to make her bouquet the most beautiful and charming assortment.

By: Tim Haynes

When looking for the perfect gift for a bride, you try to strike a balance between what she wants and what she needs. What makes the job harder is that you have to pick from hundreds of gift ideas from her bridal registry. However, there are some websites that can help you decide by providing information on the top ten things that brides want. Below are some of the most common items mentioned on these websites.

Wedding Gift Ideas

Some of the most famous types of gifts are honeymoon gifts. One good idea is to give the couple a guidebook or a travel book of the place where they will be spending their honeymoon. This gift will help them find their way around and visit spots that they should not miss. Another popular gift choice is lingerie, which will surely make any bride even more beautiful and keep the sparks flying during the wedding night. A popular choice for functional wedding gifts is a set of holiday decorations that can help the future wife make their first Christmas or holiday together more memorable.

Another gift idea is a compilation of the engagement memories of the couple, which may come in the form of an album or a scrapbook. This will help the bride keep the memories of her shower, engagement party, and other events alive. A similar idea is to give the bride a “history” of the groom’s family. A family tree or an album will capture the story and make her know her husband’s family better.

Gift Ideas for Before the Wedding

You may also choose to give the bride an advanced wedding gift that can help her throughout the planning of her wedding. A gift that would be very helpful is a digital camera that can help the bride take pictures of her wedding gown, the shower and other important aspects of the preparation.

Another gift that she would really appreciate is a gift certificate to the spa, where she can unwind from the stress of planning a wedding. Another useful gift that can help her release the stress is a book that will make her laugh. You could also have her new name monogrammed on different items like towels or diaries. Lastly, it is very important to remind the bride that getting married will not change who she is, and giving her gifts that you would have given her if she was not getting married can help her realize and affirm this.

These gift ideas can help you find that elusive bridal gift that the bride will surely appreciate and remember.

By: Richard Romando