Tickled Pink Brides - Orlando, Florida's Premier Wedding Planner

Go Team! Incorporating School Spirit in Your Wedding

Football season is here!  So in honor of the most wonderful time of the year (or so we think), here are some fun tips on how to incorporate your favorite team in your wedding day! The key to keeping it classy is to not go overboard with the alma mater decor but to add subtle touches in just the right places.  

1. Your wedding day garter

One easy spot to place some festive colors is here! It's a super easy touch for you and the groom!  Go to two different schools?  Wear two garters... one for each!

   

 2. Your wedding cake

Another place to incorporate your school spirit is your wedding cake. You could use this for your main wedding cake (for you die hard fans) or you can let the groom's cake have all the fun.  Check out the most amazing stadium cake below! 

 3. Table Numbers

Name the dinner tables after memorable places in your college town!  You can even add cool black and white photos of the best spots on campus along side the table names.  Small personal touches in the wedding decor will make a big impact and be very special to you and your guests!

Replace the photo here with an awesome photo of the football stadium or your freshman year dorms or your Greek Life sorority and fraternity!

4. Wedding Day Songs

Using songs is a great way to have a quick college moment without the overkill! Maybe you could play your school's fight song as you are introduced or during the processional.  The guests will get a good laugh and it will add a light hearted touch to the wedding!  Insiders tips? Only use this fun moment once during the wedding... it'll make a bigger impact and won't be too much.

 5. Engagement Photos

I'm loving the idea of using your engagement photos to capture your love of your alma mater! Engagement photos can be much less serious than your wedding day photos so it's the perfect time to incorporate this! Another perk is that many college campuses actually have amazing photo spots!

Check out these FSU pictures below. Adorable!

For all you divided houses (we don't want an uproar!), here are some UF engagement photos to balance the score!

Announce Your Wedding Website - Send Save-the-Date eCards

When planning your wedding, it is always a good idea to make your guests aware of your wedding date well ahead of time so they can make the necessary arrangements to be there. I recommend sending out a save-the-date about 6 to 8 months in advance of your wedding, which will help to ensure a good turnout on your big day.

Save-the-dates can come in several forms. You can send out physical cards or magnets or, you can save time and money by sending out save-the-date ecards. For added convenience, you can even include a clickable link directly to your wedding website on your save-the-date ecard so your guests don't have to physically enter your website URL into the browser address field. And, because ecards are electronic, they are also good for the environment!

If you make note of your wedding website address on your physical save-the-date or ecard, you can direct your guests to the site for more information. Doing so will not only make your guests aware of your wedding website and where to go to learn more about your wedding plans, your recommendations and where to go for future updates, but it will also prevent you from having to personally field calls or emails about where to stay, what to do or where you're registered because all of that information will most likely already be available on your wedding website - if you choose to include it.

If at all possible, try to create a cohesive look across each of your wedding elements by coordinating the look of your save-the-date with your wedding colors and/or wedding website design. This will allow you to set the tone for the rest of your wedding from the first introduction.

*Post courtesy of Wedding Window

Goin' To The Chapel!

So many engagements happen during the holidays and New Years celebrations!  Yahoo! (And a big congrats if you're one of the lucky gals!)  Now that we're all back into the swing of things it's time to plan, plan plan!  But where to start?  There are so many aspects to a wedding it can seem overwhelming at first but we are here to help.  Start with the simplest of questions that will really get the ball rolling...

The first question: When do you want to get married?  This may seem easy but the date can change everything.  If you're thinking a fall wedding, is it this fall or are you willing to wait until the next fall?   If possible, give yourself plenty of time to plan but not so much time that you second guess and re-plan the whole the big day.  Your date determines how quickly, or slowly you make decisions on decor, the dress and more!

Fall and Spring floral arrangements...even the colors can change with your date!

The next question is how much are you willing to spend?  This could be one of the hardest and more touchy of the aspects of planning.  A wedding planner can help divide your total wedding budget into perfect proportions by prioritizing what is important to you and keeping you on track.  The insider's tip?  No more than half should go towards the venue (including food and beverage)...

 ...Which leads us to the next question!  Where to have the big day?  Your hometown, his hometown, close to home or destination.  Options really are endless.  Remember that popular dates get snagged up quick (like 11.11.11 or New Years Eve or any holiday weekend), so prioritize accordingly!

A quaint Scottish wedding venue and The Grand Bohemian Orlando...talk about different wedding styles!

Now onto the gown!  Many gowns will take around 6 months to make so be sure to start looking early ladies...though I'm sure I don't have to twist your arm too much to try on wedding gowns!  Your dress can really set the tone for your wedding.  A lace, vintage, slim-fit gown is going to be a totally different feel than an all-beaded ballgown so knowing what you're wearing will help you envision the rest of the event.

As these aspects are marked off the list, things will really start to fall into place!  For the rest of the wedding day details just remember to prioritize those things you love.  Start by listing your top three wedding priorities.  Is wedding photography a priority?  Then make sure to check those out first to make sure you can book your favorite.  Are flowers most important to you?  Then do the same here!  

It can be hard to keep every detail in order, but that is what we are here for!  We love helping you all on your most important day and can't wait to meet all you fabulous 2011 brides!

 

XOXO - 

The Ladies of Tickled Pink Brides 

 

Free Tickets to The Wedding Salon, Miami Beach

 

Engagement Survey--Volunteers Needed!

Cristina Reitz-Krueger, a researcher in the University of Virginia Department of Psychology, is conducting a web-based study of engaged couples.  She has reached out for help in gathering volunteers for her study and I hope some of our engaged readers will participate!  See below for more information:

Engaged volunteers needed!

I am looking for volunteers for a study of attitudes towards marriage and parenthood among engaged couples.  The study consists of a 25-30 minute online survey. To qualify for the study, you must be 20-35 years old, live in the U.S., and plan to marry or have a commitment ceremony within the next 365 days. You and your romantic partner must not have children, and this must be the first marriage for both of you.

You can:

-Help a doctoral candidate;

-Increase the pool of scientific knowledge;

-Support research on marriage and families; and

-Spend some time thinking about your relationship!

I am working with Dr. Charlotte J. Patterson, a Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia.  This study has been approved by the University of Virginia Institutional Review Board #2009025800.

If you and/or your romantic partner are interested in participating or want further information, please email me at [email protected].  I will send you a link that you can use to access the study.

Thanks!

Cristina Reitz-Krueger

Doctoral Student

University of Virginia

[email protected]

Creative Engagement Portraits

    I LOVE that most wedding photographers now offer engagement portraits in their packages.  It allows the photographer to get to know their clients better and it gives the couple a collection of images that show them in their everyday clothes, living life, being in love.  Apart from all the wedding day glitz and glamour, engagement portraits are a time for couples to show off their own style, interests, and personality.  Here are some recent engagement portraits by Orlando photographers Becka and Nate of Studio Two Twenty Two.

 

Inspired Engagment Photos

    Looking for inspiration for the perfect photo shoot?  Open your favorite store's catalog or website.  Photographer Heather Ahrens of Orlando's HA! Photography photographed this newly-engaged couple using an Anthropologie catalog as inspiration.  The result: Laura and John's engagement photos turned out natural and beautiful, showing them in a laid-back, everyday setting. 

To see the catalog images that inspired this shoot, click here!

Orlando Engagement Portraits by SNS Photography

    The following images were submitted to me by Orlando lifestyle photographer Shannon Smith of SNS Photography.  As soon as I saw these engagement portraits I knew I had to post them because so many readers would love them, too! 

    Newly engaged, young, and in love, Katy and Joey put a cute and quirky spin on their engagement photos to bring out their style and personality.  The images turned out so fabulously romantic and vintage, but still very fresh and modern. Katy wore two vintage dresses, a vintage flower hair piece, brought daisies in a jam jar, and brought along her teal vintage bicycle for a prop. What made this shoot so perfect was the couple's involvement in planning it!  The vision and theme of that romantic, soft, vintage look was all Katy, and God love her for it.

 

 

 

 

 

Proposal Planners: The Next Big Thing

   

    Only very recently did I stumble across this up-and-coming phenomenon known as "Proposal Planners".  Girls, little did you (or I) know that some of your soon-to-be fiances are currently working with hired professionals to assist them in creating the perfect and customized proposal to sweep you off your feet.  After a thorough meeting with the future groom to hear about his girlfriend and what makes their relationships special, a proposal planner creates the most unique and romantic engagement customized to that couple.  The planner works with the groom to plan and implement the big surprise, whether it's a candlelit dinner on the beach or a hot air balloon ride over the city.  Diamond-buying assistance can also be provided.  From what I've found online, this service can cost as little as $250 and into the thousands depending on how outrageous a plan you're looking for.

    To any gentlemen readers:  Whether or not your proposal needs professional help, here are some things to consider.

• Thinking of your girlfriend and her family, is it important that you first receive her parents' blessing?
• Would your girlfriend want an audience for the proposal or would she feel more comfortable if you were alone?
• Consider the jewelry she currently wears and any hints she's given in regards to rings she likes.  Are you confident in a ring choice or should you ask a friend to assist? 
• Should you arrange for a photographer or videographer to document the proposal and her reaction?  If you don't want to hire a professional, ask a potential groomsman.
• Are there any special locations that have significance in your relationship?  It could be the restaurant where you went on your first date, the high school you graduated from together, or the island where you took your first vacation as a couple.  Bringing back those great memories might be a good place to start in choosing the perfect proposal.

iPhone Proposal

    In honor of next week's 3G iPhone release (I am really excited to finally upgrade from my regular old phone), I wanted to share this story I found about a technologically-advanced proposal.  The groom created his own iPhone commercial, complete with the words "Will You Marry Me?" across the phone's screen. He used the phone's features to show photos of himself with his bride-to-be, and clicked on the Safari internet browser to pull up a Tiffany & Co. website with a diamond engagement ring.  I've got to say, this is one creative proposal--she must have been impressed.