Party Planning Magazine (from New Zealand) recently published an article titled Tips for a Party Tent Wedding and I wanted to share the article with you. (my own wedding was held under a tent on the grounds of a B&B). PS - for those just tuning in, I celebrated my 6 year wedding anniversary this past Sunday. On Monday I decided to do my wedding all over, digitally of course :) and showcased a sunflower wedding inspiration board. Anybody else having their wedding under a tent?

Above images courtesy of Brides

I've received an email from Kellyann regarding destination weddings in Las Vegas that contained an amazing statistic. According to her email, "destination weddings are more popular than ever with getaway ceremonies up 400 percent in the last two years alone". Wow!

The email was about the resorts of MGM Mirage offering the opportunity for brides and grooms to tie the knot in 4 distinctly unforgettable ways. The press release follows (which one is your style?):

Number 1: Those with a courageous spirit can exchange vows underneath the shark tunnel inside Mandalay Bay's Shark Reef Aquarium as sharks and other dangerous predators float by. The Shark Reef Ceremony, priced at $1,175.00, features 45 minutes inside the aquarium complete with a private pianist, photographer, bride's petite bouquet, groom's boutonniere, bridal garter, personalized wedding album, custom wedding certificate holder and a bottle of champagne. Designed like an ancient temple slowly sinking into the ocean, Shark Reef Aquarium is 95,574 square feet and holds 1.6 million gallons of water, featuring 16 different species of sharks and more than 2,000 animals. With a maximum of 10 guests, Shark Reef is perfect for those couples with a small but intimate and memorable ceremony in mind. For reservations, contact the wedding chapel at Mandalay Bay at 877-632-7701 or weddings@mandalaybay.com.

Number 2: The hotel that introduced the concept of the destination resort to Las Vegas invites guests to wed amidst its lush tropical beauty. The new wedding packages of The Mirage - "Simply Elegant," "Exotic Delights" and "The Sophisticate" - offer romantic ceremonies in a stunning poolside location or within a private indoor venue. Priced at $1,900, $1,950 and $2,100 respectively, packages offer brides three distinct styles of spectacular floral arrangements. An officiant, bouquet for the bride and boutonnière for the groom also are included. The talented chefs of The Mirage also are available to create delectable menus and wedding cakes for the perfect reception bash. For reservations, contact Chantay Sandoval in The Mirage Banquet Services Department at 800-939-9389 or via e-mail at csandoval@mirage.com.

Number 3: The "Wedding a la Carte" Menu at Treasure Island offers couples a budget-friendly way to personalize their ceremony. Starting at just $200 for a 15-minute union complete with a non-denominational minister and traditional music, the "Wedding a la Carte" menu features a variety of options to create a customizable experience. Couples looking for a traditional wedding with keepsakes, bridal bouquet and a DVD of the ceremony will be just as satisfied as those seeking a more luxurious package with his and her robes, a bottle of bubbly and a suite in which to celebrate. For reservations, contact The Wedding Chapels at Treasure Island at 888-818-0999.

Number 4: At Mandalay Bay, engaged couples are invited to say "I do" in the luxurious Villas Soleil of Mandalay Bay Beach. The "Sun Villa" Package features a 15-minute ceremony and full use of the indulgent cabana for the rest of the day including a $200 food and beverage credit. Additional amenities include Coconut Crème Pedicures at Spa Mandalay for the happy couple, a large bouquet for the bride, a boutonnière for the groom, one night in a honeymoon suite and a DVD of the ceremony. Couples also receive twelve 4x6 photographs presented in a beautiful album as well as two 8x10 and six 5x7 images. Priced at $4,350, the Sun Villa Package is available Sunday through Thursday only. Guests are limited to a maximum of 25 attendees. Each must be 21 years of age or older. For reservations, contact the wedding chapel at Mandalay Bay at 877-632-7701 or weddings@mandalaybay.com.

PS - please look for the weekly BridalGuide.com tip to return next week.

The other day I received a press release from comedienne and CEO of Bride's Night Out®, Pamela Yager. Pamela is considered the "Lucille Ball of bachelorette party planning". According to Pamela, "one of the foremost trends for this season is 8/8/08 weddings". I thought you would enjoy reading this, so below is an excerpt from the press release:

Bachelorette Party Planning Maven Reveals Why 8/8/08 is so Hot
"The number eight is highly favored in many spiritual and cultural traditions," says Yager. "For example, the Chinese pronunciation of 'eight' sounds similar to the word for 'prosperity' In the Chinese culture, the more eights involved in a couple's life, the better chance for luck and wealth. In Russia, 8/8/08 date is so highly prized that it is called the 'Millionaire Mark' day and one bride told me that people would pay a bribe to secure it for their wedding."

Some other reasons why eight (8) is such an auspicious number include:
• Eight (8) is a multiple of four (4). Four (4) equal sides create a square. A square represents the ultimate shape of balance and stability.
• Eight (8) is the symbol for "infinity". This is connected to the spiritual concept of "forever," which of course is the great hope for every new marriage.
• Just like the circular shape of a wedding ring (which has no beginning and no end), the two loops of the figure eight (8) when joined together represent the connection between a higher power and a human being.

"My bachelorette party clients carefully choose the date of their nuptials," says the saucy auburn coiffed Yager. "I personally chose 7/7/07 for my own wedding and threw seven (7) pre-wedding events. For 8/8/08 couples, Yager suggests the following party planning ideas to accentuate the fortuitousness of the date:

• Produce a bachelorette party with eight (8) distinct elements (i.e. games, toasts)
• Throw eight (8) co-ed pre-wedding parties for the bride and/or groom
• Schedule the bachelorette party for 8:08 p.m.
• The hottest (and best socializing) table shape happens to be an octagon for eight (8)
• Appoint eight (8) wedding attendants
• Set eight (8) diamonds in the wedding rings
• Set eight (8) crystals in your bachelorette party and bridal veils
• Arrange eight (8) featured flowers in each bouquet
• Ask eight (8) special wedding guest to make toasts
• Dance to an eight (8) piece band
• Give favors including eight pieces of chocolate and an 8/8/08 lottery ticket

Beverly Hills bride-to-be and classical pianist, Elena Ganjoula, chose the 8/8/08 wedding date based on the strong cultural significance of the date in her native Russia, "The number eight represents stability, prosperity, wealth and success in love and finances. As a musician, the symbology extends to the fact that the 4:4 tempo is the march, which is a happy, uplifting melody." Ironically enough, Ganjoula and her husband-to-be live at an '808' address. Coincidentally, Pamela Yager lives at a '717' address.

Priscilla Flores, another Los Angeles bride-to-be, serendipitously chose the date when the venue she wished for had the 8/8/08 date suddenly become available. "It was only later we discovered that the 8/8/08 date is fabled to bring my marriage eternal happiness because of the luck surrounding the number eight!"

The "Sex in the City of Hen Parties," Bride's Night Out® (www.bridesnightout.com) is the nation's first and only bachelorette party planning service of its kind and was founded by stand-up comedienne, Pamela Yager. The national network of pre-nuptial festivities is uniquely led by improvisational comedy-trained "Party Guides" at venues, homes, and destinations throughout the U.S. Bride's Night Out® features a lucrative consultant career program for anyone wishing to become a bachelorette party planner, and wedding industry professionals can add BNO to their list of products and services for added income. Most of all, a rockin' good time is offered for the 2.4 million brides that are headed to the altar every year.

Image Credits (left to right): always13 flickr gallery, Documents and Designs, AmmarQ8.com's flickr gallery, songchilde's flickr gallery

Ideas and Inspirations | Photos and Galleries
Color Palette: Indigo and White

The following inspiration board I've put together would be perfect for a summer wedding - particularly a seaside affair.
Image Credits and Shopping Resources:
Blue Sailboat Tea Light Holders from Beau-coup, candy table display from Brides.com, Letterpress Wedding Invitation from Wedding Paper Divas, Onda de Mar Mini-Comb from Pavoreal's etsy shop, Blueberry Hill Cupcakes with recipe from epicurious.com, Coastal Wedding Cake from Brides.com, Dress from Chadwicks on Brides.com, Tate Jeweled Shoe with steel diamante heel from Dikuza, Floral Bouquet from Brides.com

Ideas and Inspirations | Photos and Galleries
Color Palette: Black and White (or Cream)
Motif: Damask
Today I decided to put together a black and white inspiration board with a damask theme - I've kept the board to just black and white as you can easily add any color to be the accent. But, be careful to not overdue the damask - not everything has to have the damask pattern on it. For example, I wouldn't pair the damask dinnerware set on top of the damask table runner. If using the dishes, I would have the table runner be a solid of the chosen accent color. If you use a solid color table runner, the Damask Table Cards from The White Aisle would look wonderful on each table. (thank you to Teresa of The Homestead blog for the table setting photo)

The Black Damask Wedding Invitation Set from Social Circles is absolutely beautiful and the bow matches the one that's on the back of the Blue by Enzoani wedding dress (image courtesy of Brides.com) If you are looking for a wedding invitation that pairs well with the damask theme, but doesn't have the pattern, you might want to consider the Falling Petals Wedding Invitations from Wedding Paper Divas. The Damask Wedding Ring Bearer Pillow from Chubby Monkey pairs well with both the invitation and wedding dress. At the Chubby Monkey shop, you can also find Mint Matchbook Style Party Favors in Damask (not shown).

For your bridesmaids, the Victorian Damask Acrylic Heart Necklace from Heatherly Designs would be a wonderful gift and one they could wear the day of the wedding with their Kimba Travel Dress from White House Market.

The Damask 16 piece Dinnerware Set from Target is a perfect registry item or, if the budget allows and the bridal shower is kept to a small number of guests, why not purchase this dinnerware to serve food in at the shower? Then, the bride can keep the dishes for use after the wedding. For a truly amazing damask bridal shower in black, white and green, please check out Jennifer Skog's blog - she's a talented photographer in Northern California and the bridal shower shown was her very own.

For favors, I selected to show the Simple Sophistication Favor Kit from My Wedding Favors to show that it doesn't have to have the damask pattern on it to fit in with the overall theme. This favor box is elegant and features a monogrammed circle seal with gold dot border.

Is anybody having black and white wedding? A damask wedding? Has any photographer or wedding planner worked with a bride and groom on a wedding with this particular theme or colors? Please email me at brenda{at}bestweddingsites{dot}com to have your wedding featured here.

And lastly, here are a few additional items I found that I just didn't have room to fit in the inspiration board:
Black and white pattern cake from Pink Cake Box
Personalized Mint Tin from My Wedding Favors
Damask Mint Tins from Wedding Things