A Twist On The Toss!

Tossing the wedding garter is an old time held tradition. It is said that in the days gone past, the bride and groom had to show proof of their wedding consummation. In order for it to be proven, it was common tradition to have people like family and friends come into the room with the couple. The "witnesses" would obtain the garter as "proof" of the consummation. Also having any article of the under garments was considered to be good luck so sometimes things would get out of hand in the newly wed's bedroom as crazed onlookers snatched at clothing to get for good luck. This was not appreciated much by the bride nor many grooms, hence the groom started tossing the garter out so that no one would need to obtain it themselves.

(How barbaric this sounds! glad things have changed since then)

Because of modesty, this tradition has been modified and moved from the bedroom to the reception. Now today we have the traditional garter toss, which is meant to bring good luck to the man who catches it. He is said to be the next one to marry. In some cultures the men stand and wait for the garter to be tossed. Other cultures they actually compete for it. The men may compete for the garter in a foot race or by horse (this is a medieval practice). At least it is better than having the men chase the bride and put her upside down to get the garter off... This is what used to happen! In yet other places, they even auction the garter off. As strange as these twists on the wedding garter tradition may sound, it's all just a tradition. Take it or leave it.

or should I say "Take it or Toss it! "

Here are some great new twists on this old tradtion.

I absolutely love love love the amzing and unique designs by Mia Von Mink. Her Etsy store has eye candy galore.







These are beautiful. Check out her etsy store for other absolutely beautiful and unique designs.

Here are some other gorgeous options found around the internet.







These fantastic garter options will add a super fun and creative touch and will prove to really put a twist on the typical old garter!

Au Revoir for now!

Non Floral Is Not So Bad!

In a effort to find ways to spice up the ho-hum of weddings a wonderful new trend is hitting the wedding airwaves.

Welcome to the world of the non-floral bouquet! Here are some amazing ideas for creating a completely unique bouquet. Remember the possibilities are as endless as your imagination!







These are brooch bouquets made by Fantasy Floral. Check out some of her other work at her website. http://fantasyfloraldesigns.com/

Here are some other non-floral options.

Felt!- from an Etsy shop RibbonNBows Boutique. http://www.etsy.com/listing/22688517/custom-bridal-felt-button-bouquet


How about Paper?



Or Buttons-



How about Feathers, Beads, Toilet Paper, Duck Tape, Silk, Raffia, Canvas, Denim... and the list goes on and on and on. What I love is all the individuality and creativity each one of these new and wonderful ideas bring to weddings and the wedding industry. Keep creating all of you fancy minded people out there! The world and weddings are ready for the next new ideas.

What's your ideas? Have any plans for a non-floral bouquet? Share with us what you plan to use for your wedding or what you've seen used before!

Au Revoir for now!

Perfect Wedding Guide Luncheon

Yesterday I spent the day with fellow wedding vendors networking and learning more about the latest wedding trends. It was a wonderful day!

While it was a very rainy day and we didn't quite get to see it all... the Anderson Center is a beautiful place with a gorgeous outdoor setting. Check them out at
http://andersoncenterevents.org/

Here's some pictures of the beautiful linens provided by Lori with Connie Duglin. http://connieduglinlinen.com/






A great time was had by all!

One of the interesting topics brought up by Harvey from My Personal Gourmet is Vertical Buffets. http://www.mypersonalgourmet.com/ So to google I went...









What a very neat idea and so fun for your guests! I hope I can explore this more in future weddings!

Wedding Freebies and Cheapos on the Web

Everyone loves a good deal. Well you can't do better than completely free!

Check out some of these websites for totally free downloads and templates for your invitations and many other paper needs.

http://www.downloadandprint.com/

http://snippetandink.blogspot.com/search/label/Discounts%20and%20Giveaways

http://www.betsywhite.com/flightsoffancy/index.php/2009/03/diy-download-paper-bag-favor-labels/

http://www.betsywhite.com/flightsoffancy/index.php/2009/06/diy-download-cello-bag-labels/




I DIY has a whole section of freebies and discounts from lots of vendors! Check it out here!

http://www.i-do-it-yourself.com/category/freebies-downloads/

You don't want to miss all these wonderful dowloads and deals! Enjoy!

Hand in Hand Offers Calligraphic Services

Announcement!

Hand in Hand now offers Calligraphy!



Check out our website for other samples and pricing.
www.handinhandbridal.com


Contact us for help with your wedding invitations!
handinhandbridal@sbcglobal.net

WHAT A BIG DAY!!!

Today is the day we launch our brand new website!! It's been a long time in the making and it's beautiful!

CHECK IT OUT!!!! www.handinhandbridal.com

In celebration of our launch we're offering amazing deals and discounts!!!

20% off our Month of Services for brides who book with us in May or June!
Month of Services for only $800!!! Grab this deal up right away!!! It doesn't last long!

Check out our exclusive wedding wire deal.
http://www.weddingwire.com/wedding-deals/hurry-2011-deals-springboro/ab30eb146fdc0176.html

10% off the proposal price if half of your contract is paid upfront at the time of signing.


Dayton, Ohio isn't going to know what hit them!!! Give us a call for your free initial meeting! We look forward to working hand in hand with you.

Education is Key

Today we spent the day at Receptions Banquet Facility in Fairfield, OH taking in a seminar hosted by Perfect Wedding Guide called The Wedding Institute.

Cecilia Rose of Eventurous taught the first session about Raving Fans. You know when you've had an experience so amazing you just can't NOT tell someone about it. Have you been a raving fan? It made me think about one of our anniversary trips to the Weller Haus Bed and Breakfast in KY. We had such a wonderful time that we left there telling everyone they absolutely must go there... we were RAVING FANS. It then made me think too about the clients father I had that after a particularly hard last week before the wedding got up during the reception and thanked me personally in front of all of the guests and made me stand for an applause. I was mortified and hoped that would never happen again... but I had created a raving fan.

She challenged me to work towards creating a customer service experience for my clients that is amazing everytime. This can only be achieved through knowing myself and who my clients are. I'm working towards finding this balance and the poor notebook is going to be on fire from all of my note taking and plans for the future.

The Second session was taught by Gene from LGH Designs and/or Details and Designs in Indianapolis, IN. He was just a fun guy but super knowledgable when it comes to event design. He has been in the business for a long time and has built some wonderful contacts and partnerships. His session was intended to teach us how to maximize profit... but I gleaned something totally different.

He inspired me to look into partnerning with businesses to provide services to clients. I have been interested all along in branching into floral design... but knew I would need a ton more education and was really unsure about stocking and cooling etc. We'll be spending the next little bit looking to form a partnership with a florist where hand in hand can provide the florals through another company. This way my design ideas can come through!

I have much to do to get things where I'd like them to go... but I'll keep plugging. Thanks to Perfect Wedding Guide http://www.perfectweddingguide.com/ Cecilia Rose http://www.eventurous.com/ and Gene from Details and Design www.detailsanddesigns.com
for a great day!