Some wedding planners have a slight tendency to nearly forget that men attend weddings too. In fact, the ratio - let’s remember - is about 50/50. So, when planning for those wedding favors, how about choosing a wedding favor that both sides can love equally?

Today, golf wedding favors fill that role quite nicely. While baseball and football get more press, there’s no doubt that golf is one of the most popular sports around. Golf equipment sells in the billions every year. Major tournaments are broadcast and the audience ratings are great. And, unlike those two other sports, it’s enjoyed equally by both sexes.

That makes golf wedding favors a choice for a gift for your guests that just can’t fail. Luckily for you the golf theme offers dozens of mini-themes to choose from. You can go with golf balls, clubs, cookies shaped like miniature greens, and more.

You can never go wrong with a set of fine golf balls. Easily personalized with the names of the bride and groom, golf ball favors will see a place on the mantle and on the tees of your guests.

Golf-ball themed favors make for another outstanding option. A golf-ball bottle opener can be used at home or on the course. In either place, your guests will be reminded of that special day when they received it.

Placecard holders are the perfect opportunity to exercise a little creativity. They play naturally into your desire to use a hole flag here. They can be ordered in lots of colors to liven up the table. They can easily be personalized with the names of the bride and groom on one side and those of the guests on the other.

Golf bag favors open up still another line of “can’t miss” choices. A miniature golf bag can contain chocolates for the guests. Or, they can house placecard holders, small gifts (such as those golf balls or bottle openers), or a special message you want to convey to each and every guest.

When you watch your golf themed wedding favors disappear from the tables you’ll quickly become convinced that you aren’t the only one with a passion for the game of kings. They can go missing thanks to being eaten, if you opt for some golf bag cookie favors, for instance. Or, they will simply be seen as once-in-a-lifetime keepsakes, such as the keychains with attached miniature golf shoes.

Some of them may reappear later when you visit your guests after returning from the honeymoon. Then you’ll discover that the shot glass favors you chose that resemble miniature golf trophies are actually being used for special occasions.

Whichever favor you favor, if you have a passion for golf share that with your guests. And don’t be surprised if many of them ask you where you bought them.

Today we’ll talk about those little silk flower extras you may want to have at your wedding.              

If you have a flower girl you can create your own wonderful flower girl basket. Once you’ve chosen the perfect basket you will also need a piece of white Styrofoam to glue into the bottom of the basket.

You can just trim the stems so that the flower heads stick up out of the basket to make a nice arrangement. To make it even more special take some of the flower heads and glue or wire them to the outside of the basket.

Hair combs can also be decorated with flowers to put in the bridesmaid’s hair and perhaps even the bride’s hair. You can purchase the hair combs at the same craft store you purchased the flowers from. Then you simple pop off the flower heads that you want to use and glue them to the outside base of the comb. Make sure that the glue is thoroughly dry before you try them in your hair.

Another great look is the floral wreath as a headpiece. This was very popular during the sixties and seventies with large multicolored flowers. Today smaller and calmer flowers are still used for the flower girls hair.

You can even use pearls and different white or crystal fillers to make the bride’s headpiece. No matter what you use, the technique to make them is the same.

I always start with a long stem from one of the silk flowers I purchased and take the flower off leaving just the stem. Then bend it into a circle and hold the two ends together and see how it fits on the head of the person you are making it for.

If it’s too big cut some of the stem off and measure again. If it’s too small cut a section from another stem and tape it into place. Once you’ve got the size right tape the ends together securely.

Take the flowers you will be using for the wreath and cut the stems to an inch or less. Take a piece of floral tape and wrap it once or twice over the flower stem to the base stem, keep adding the flowers and taping until your wreath is nice and as full as you want it.

For the bride’s piece, you can take some veiling material, sew the top end to gather the material and then finally sew it to the back quarter of the wreath.

In addition to the wedding bouquets you’ll also need boutonnieres, corsages, and wrist corsages. In today’s post I’ll show you how to make all of these quickly and easily.

? Boutonnieres

Boutonnieres are generally made with just one medium to large flower or two or three tiny flowers. You can elect to make them with just the main flower or use them with some of the fillers that you’ve used in the bouquets. Keep in mind that boutonnieres are for the men to wear so try to keep away from ribbon as filler on those pieces. A few leaves or/and baby’s breath type filler would work best for the men.

One of the most important things to remember when creating these other pieces is that you want the flowers to always face forward so everyone can see them. You might want to give the flowers a little bend at the top of the stem before you tape the pieces together.

For boutonnieres gather the flowers and fillers if used into one of your hands after you’ve cut the stems to no longer than two inches. You don’t want long stems sticking out of the bottoms of the bouts or the corsages.

If you feel like there’s too much of the stems showing you can add another flower or more filler ‘upside down’ so that the added flower head or filler will cover the stem. If you do that you will tape the stems together in the middle. Otherwise, wrap the florist tape around the stems till they are covered. Wrap the tape so it’s thick enough to hold a pin through it onto the lapel.

? Corsages

Corsages are larger than bouts and are meant for the ladies so feel free to use ribbon or lace as fillers. The amount of flowers used will vary depending on how large the blooms are that you are using. Also, corsages that the mothers of the bride and groom wear should be slightly larger and more fancy than the corsages you may make for aunts, or godmothers for example.

The technique is basically the same as for the bouts, except that you can leave the stems a little larger as the finished pieces will be larger. Placing a couple of flowers upside down is a good idea for the corsage to hide stems and make them look fuller. Just make sure that the flowers are all facing forward by bending the stems and that you wrap the tape around thick enough to secure a pin through it.

Wrist corsages are made the same way that you make the regular ones except that instead of sticking a pin into it, you will attach the corsage to the metal holder in the wrist piece.

You may want to ask the women that will be wearing corsages whether they want pin on or wrist pieces in addition to finding out what colors they’ll be wearing. Another thing I did at my wedding was to make a couple extra white corsages and bouts for anyone I may have forgotten in my flower list.

Weddings are usually designed around a theme. Your gown, your entire ensemble are part of that. Wedding shoes are a good case in point. Sure, you want something elegant, tasteful, and achingly beautiful. But how can you take it to the next level? Ornamented bridal shoes.

Just think of the possibilities. A step-in can have an added strap and buckle that makes the shoe look nice. Now carry it farther to the land of terrific. Add gemstones to the buckle. Terrific, eh?

One of the great things about ornamented bridal shoes is they’re available in every style imaginable. Want some low-heeled pumps, but with a little extra zing? Done. Prefer a high-heeled strappy thing, but looking to combine it with something special? It’s yours.

Colors run the gamut, so you need never fear being unable to match the rest of your outfit. And, if you can’t find exactly what you want, just get a pair of satin dyeable wedding shoes.

A silk rose can easily be just the shade of pink or white that makes your outfit complete. Or, you can go with a deliberate but subtle contrast by having that delicate shade of yellow that reminds you of the first blossoms of Spring.

Gemstones can offer a similar range of colors to match or contrast with your wedding gown. White is no longer the only color for a wedding dress, either. Deep forest green is popular, beige is the new thing, and even a scarlet red has made more than one bride the center of attention. Add some gemstones to the shoes to match by going for faux emeralds, topaz, or rubies.

Sometimes the design itself is an ornament.

Picture a delicate mesh on your bridal shoes that coordinates perfectly with the lace that trims your gown. That small touch can turn a lovely wedding shoe into a spectacular fashion item.

Gold braid is a perfect bridal shoe ornament. It also makes the perfect complement to that lovely necklace you will wear on your special day. From head to toe you’ll be dressed in finery fit for a princess. Isn’t that appropriate, considering that’s just what you’ll be on that singular day?

Whether you want to add a splash of color, a jewel, or just an element of design to make your bridal shoes unique, an ornamented wedding shoe is the way to go.

Most brides to be would wait to pick out their wedding dress until after the official engagement. But, I’ve never been a girl to do things like other people. Billy and I had dated for over a year and we had discussed quite often the fact of getting married.

There was just one issue that needed to be overcome to get the official engagement. Funds were tight for Billy and he wanted to be able to get me a nice engagement ring. So, he needed to save for a little while.

Well, that didn’t stop me from finding my perfect wedding dress. My mother and I went to several bridal stores looking for my dress. We went to four or five wedding shops in town and then a discount store in a town about two hours away. No luck!

Then, we went back to one of the wedding shops in our town and tried on a few more dresses. That was when I found it. Problem was it wasn’t the perfect dress yet! Both my grandmother and mother are expert seamstresses… lucky me!

My grandmother took on the job of redoing the dress. I was able to purchase the dress for $225. It was a dress that was a ‘last year’ design so it was on the discount rack. I always wanted a corset back for my dress, but this one didn’t have that. Plus, it was a little tight. It was a two-piece in ivory.

The skirt fit perfectly, so no altering would have to be done on it. My grandmother ended up adding inches in the back of the top by adding a corset back. It was exactly like I wanted. No one would have a dress like it… ever! Mine was customized just for me. I loved it!

Planning a summer wedding? Where you live, the weather might be scorching hot. Locked inside those wedding shoes you had originally picked out, your feet would be scorching, too.

Cool those toesies with some bridal sandals. But, remember, you don’t have to sacrifice style to get cool comfort. Check out the Alana Touch-Ups. Gorgeous, or what?

There are lots of other choices, dear. Suppose you’ve got a beach-themed wedding in mind. You can go for flip flop bridal shoes and not feel ashamed. Even with this casual style, you can still have silk, satin, or an elegant synthetic that perfectly complements your gown.

White isn’t your only option, either. Sure, white sandals can look good with your burgundy dress. But, good is not good enough. Get a pair of fabulous burgundy sandals that match exactly and you’ll display the perfect combination of shoe and gown. If you can’t find the right ones, just have them dyed!

Maybe you’ve picked a delicate yellow for your gown. No problem. Pick a pair of white-gold sandals to complete the look. A steep slope leading up to a high heel will show off those nice calves you worked so hard to create. And, a wrap-around strap will keep feet secure while providing a touch of style.

And don’t be misled into thinking that sandals come in only one style - thongs. Check out some of these ultra-stylish strappy sandal bridal shoes.

My personal favorites are the Eva Bridal pair. Made with dyeable satin, you can’t go wrong here. Or want to dress a little daring? Try the Shakira Bridal Shoes from Special Occasions with a 4″ stiletto heel and jeweled t-strap.

Want something with a little more support? How about a to-die-for pair of Touch-Ups by Benjamin Walk? Open-toed, dyeable, leather sole. Ooh… The sound you just heard was gratitude for the perfect combination of style and comfort.

Your wedding day is not the time to compromise, especially when it comes to wedding shoes. You did enough of that during the planning stages. Now you get to have everything just the way you want. Go with bridal sandals and demonstrate your commitment to perfection.

There are two kinds of bouquet holders. One is for fresh flowers and one is made for silk flowers. The actual foam that holds the stems for fresh flowers is softer than the other and is colored green. Do not use that one for silks. The silk flower holder is white and the foam is hard like regular Styrofoam.

The reason you don’t want to use the fresh flower holder is that once you’ve stuck the flower stem into the foam you have to leave it there, if you remove it, it will leave a hole and will not grip another flower stem securely. The white silk flower holder is stiffer and more secure and will allow you to remove a stem and place it elsewhere. As an added precaution I usually use a drop of glue on flowers that I move for extra strength.

Decide on what shape you want and you can begin placing flowers on the outside to form that shape. You’ll want to cut the stems to about 3 to 4 inches, remembering that the longer you leave the stems the larger the bouquet will be and the more flowers you’ll have to use to fill it.

If you leave the stems too long just recut a little more off of them. If you find you’ve cut too much take the stem and floral tape and tape it back together. If you need extra security, attach a florist pick to the two separated pieces wrap the wire around it and then put florists tape over it.

When putting the flowers in the holder you don’t have to have them too close together because you’ll most likely be putting filler in between.

For cascade and crescent bouquets you will need to create a trail or two that will hang lower than the rest of the stems. Here’s how to do that easily.

Take a long flower stem and your florist tape, set aside. Choose the other flowers you want on the trail and cut the stems short about two inches or so. Bend the flower heads so they’ll face more forward than down, and wrap a length of the tape around them binding them to the main long stem. Repeat until the trail stem is as full as you want it.

If the main stem for the trail is not as long as you want it use two and attach them to each other using the floral pick and tape as discussed before. Be aware that the more flowers you attach the heavier it will be. The Styrofoam will most likely hold but as an added precaution I always put some glue on the tip that I’m sticking into the foam and around the stem coming from the foam.

I was a little intimidated by all the paperwork surrounding my marriage. To ease the worry, I ordered a Name Change Kit. Turns out, I didn’t even need all of its guidance, but it definitely helped.

The most important document to take care of was the marriage license. I made sure I was sure of the marriage requirements in my state and county before the wedding date even got close.

Brian and his best man took care of requesting and obtaining the marriage license, and we ordered a few official copies to aid us in making other paperwork changes.

I needed various copies to fax everywhere: my employer, my college, my bank, … I also needed to have my Social Security card changed. I needed to change my last name on all utility and credit card bills, and most of those places want to see your marriage license before they let you change anything.

A few months after the wedding, I was finally all caught up. I still haven’t changed my passport, but I decided to skip that for now because it was the only change that wasn’t free!

I would highly recommend making a list of all the important places that have you listed as single or with your old last name. Even if you aren’t taking your husband’s last name, you will still need to acknowledge that you are now married.

And if you’re living in a new place, you will need to change your address with virtually everyone. That’s where a list certainly comes in handy. That way you are less likely to miss something!

It took a long time to be officially known by everyone as Mrs. Hilton, and even longer before I remembered to call myself Mrs. Hilton. But at least it will keep me married – I’m not jumping through all those name change hoops again!

Weddingspeech4u - Maid of Honor Wedding Speeches is part of a series of 6 wedding speeches ebooks with each ebook focusing on a member of the bridal party. Weddingspeech4u - Maid of Honor Wedding Speeches is a 123 page PDF ebook with examples and instructions on how to write and deliver a great Maid of Honor wedding speech. The ebook is divided into 11 parts. See here an overview of each part…

Introduction

Part 1 explains about the new trend of Maid of Honor wedding speeches. It tells you when the speech should be given and when it used to be given. The author goes on to explain what the speech should consist of and talks about how it’s normal to be nervous about giving the speech and writing it.

Maid of Honor’s Responsibilities

Part 2 is about the Maid of Honor’s responsibilities. This part starts with the problem of choosing the Maid of Honor when you might have more than one sister or friend that you are very close to. It then covers the duties of the Maid of Honor and breaks it up into lists for … before the wedding, the day of the wedding, the ceremony, the reception, and after the wedding day. To end this part a list of emotional responsibilities is given as well as a list of items that make up an emergency kit - things that the bride might forget to bring or do, that the Maid of Honor can supply.

Wedding Speeches and Toasts

A number of people make a speech on the wedding day. Therefore, it is a good idea to have an idea about the order in which to make the speeches. Part 3 mainly includes general information and covers the traditional order and times of speeches and toasts.

Writing the Speech

Part 4 is all about how to start the process of writing the actual speech. It’s broken down into many smaller sections including knowing your audience, researching the facts, and organizing your thoughts. It further explains brainstorming and then getting all of it on paper. Finally the author explains how to try to evoke reaction from the wedding guests listening to the speech.

Each of the individual steps is broken down into great detail so you will know exactly how to carry out each step. The speech itself is broken down into three basic parts… the opening, the body, and the closing, and you’re told what needs to go into each section.

Once the speech is written the author tells you how to further improve the speech. This part ends with some instructions on proper English usage and construction and grammar.

Writer’s Block

Part 5 covers writer’s block and explains the different ways that one might become blocked. It also gives you many different options to overcome writer’s block, including how to get back your inspiration and motivation, so that you can resume writing a great speech.

Professional Writers

Part 6 is all about hiring a professional writer. This part talks about the reasons why one should hire a professional writer, how to find qualified writers, how to select the best writer, pricing, contract and what to expect.

Delivering The Speech

Part 7 covers several lists of ways and methods for the delivery of the speech. Things such as voice control, body language, posture, facial expressions, eye contact, and body and hand gestures are all covered. Part 8 consists of another list of top ten tips to help with overcoming nervousness before and during the delivery of the speech.

Sample Maid of Honor Wedding Speeches

For most people this will maybe be the best part and the reason for buying this ebook. To help get those creative juices flowing, part 9 provides you with 22 Maid of Honor wedding speeches. You can use these speeches as is after changing names and personal stories or use as an outline for writing your own speech.