Dress Up Your Table with Napkins

A table napkin takes a table from drab to dressy! Napkins come in several sizes, wonderfully vibrant colors, fabrics, custom designs, monograms, and even table napkins can match the tablecloths. One can create many different napkin folds, such as the pyramid, arrow, bird of paradise, the rose and many more.

Recently, I found this wonderful website named the Napkin Folding Guide, which provides visual instructions for the art of napkin folding. Brides can even get creative and decorate the napkin with ribbon, flowers, or even inserting the menu into a napkin. This is a great resource for all the DIY brides out there, so enjoy reviewing this website and enjoy making those decorative napkins for your wedding tables!

For napkin folding tips, please visit http://www.napkinfoldingguide.com and to order wonderful scented jar candles to add to your table decor, please visit www.wicksncandlesticks.com.

DIY Organza Sachet

Did you know that certain herbs such as lavender, tansy, and wormwood have a moth-repellent property. Just combine these herbs in an organza sachet and place them into closets or drawers for a beautiful fragrance.

These organza sachets are easy to make, inexpensive, and also makes great wedding favor gifts (MS, 2010).

Find the tools and materials at your local Joann Fabrics or Michaels Craft Supply store.


Tools and Materials
Two 4-inch squares of organza
Matching thread
Sewing needle
Pins
Lavender, wormwood, cedar, or patchouli
Rosemary, tansy, cinnamon, or cloves
Pouch
Funnel
Mixing bowl
Pinking shears
Decorative ribbon

Organza Sachet How-To
1. Pin together two 4-inch squares of organza, and sew a tight zigzag stitch around the perimeter, leaving a 1/2-inch seam allowance; keep a 1-inch opening on one side.

2. Mix 2 parts of either lavender, wormwood, cedar, or patchouli with 1 part of either rosemary, tansy, cinnamon, or cloves. Pour the mixture into the pouch with a funnel.

3. Sew the opening closed with a tight zigzag stitch, and trim the edges with pinking shears. Make three or four sachets, and tie them together with a decorative ribbon to present as a gift.

For more great wedding tips, wedding advice, or cost-saving tips for your wedding visit http://www.thebudget-mindedbrideblog.blogspot.com/. For great wedding gifts like gift baskets, candles or favors, visit www.wicksncandlesticks.com.

Wedding Sponsorship

The first thing couples worry about is the wedding fund and all of the important wedding questions that need to be discussed: what is the budget, do we have enough allocated funds, or can we afford this particular wedding vendor? These are all important questions wedding couples need to discuss when creating a wedding event. However, if couples are really planning to make the plunge they should really have a set budget, save money, and obtain a small loan for their wedding.

To my surprise, couples are obtaining free items from wedding vendors, such as, engagement rings, wedding dresses, wedding invitations, wedding cakes, and so much more! Typical letters can be sent to bakeries, florist, DJ's, photographers, jewelers, caterers, or reception halls. Couples may obtain a full sponsorship or receive a wonderful discount. Go figure! Therefore, my advice is if couples are seeking sponsorship, here is an example of how to word a wedding sponsorship letter that may bring wedding couples results:

Dear (Name of Owner),
Over the years, my family and I have been loyal shoppers with your florist shop by purchasing flowers for anniversaries, birthdays, weddings, and congratulatory gifts. We have particularly enjoyed your creativity and unique designs when creating our custom floral arrangements. On June 28, I will be having my own wedding ceremony, it is our desire to have one of the custom floral arrangements you created in the past, which was “Cherished Vows,” and this floral creation was designed for Aunt Linda’s wedding ceremony.

At this time, I would like to ask if you would possibly consider being a sponsor in our wedding. I would be placing the florist information on my tent cards, wedding programs, and additional signage wherever the flowers are located at the wedding venue. If you are interested in providing your services, please contact me at ts @yahoo.com.

Sincerely,
Tom Lourdy & Sharon White

If couples do choose to obtain sponsorships with either receiving a discount or full sponsorship, please be sure to write a hand written thank you for the services that was obtained for your wedding day. Remember that manners go along way!

If more information, please visit our wedding website filled with candle gift baskets, candles, and favors at www.wicksncandlesticks.com

Wedding Seating

When booking the wedding venue, table seating is the most important because the event will be either successful or unsuccessful based on the style of the wedding seating. The one thing couples have to keep in mind is if the guests are comfortable and if there is enough space allotted for the band or DJ, cake table, restrooms, dance floor, entrances/exits, and buffet table. Couples want their wedding guest to be able to social and network within the room, so movement is very important for the wedding couple, but for the wedding guests as well.

Other things to consider with wedding seating is the room size. Important questions to be asked will be, where couples will face the wedding guests and the way guests will enter the wedding venue where it is held. Always try to visit the room or wedding venue so couples will have an idea what will work best for wedding guest, participants, and speakers. Always make sure if there are other rooms booked that the room walls cancel out any noise as well.

The typical room layouts are classroom style, hollow square, theater style, banquet style, conference style and u-shaped style. If possible work with a caterer, banquet department, or even the wedding coordinator at the wedding venue location and discuss how many people can sit comfortably at a table.

The wedding tips I have found beneficial while working at wedding venues:
• Use either use a poster board or use our wedding table software named TabulaRasa

• Keep track of RSVP guest attendance by placing the confirmed guest cards in one stack, and then follow up with other wedding guests who have not confirmed. Make sure couples have enough seats and tables for each guest.

• Table Seating Numbers are most helpful and try to seat people next to each other that have something in common and have similar personality types, it just makes the wedding easier.

• Have wedding guests that are elderly, children, pregnant, or a guest with a disability at the top of the RSVP stack because these guests need priority seating near the front and closest to the bathrooms. Consider close family and friends at the top of the RSVP stack as well.

• If there are many children attending the wedding consider using a children’s table.

If couples do not have a wedding coordinator, be sure to check with a caterer, banquet department, or even the wedding planning at the wedding venue location and discuss how many people can sit comfortably at a table. Be sure to go over the seating chart and layout of the wedding venue multiple times and obtain advice regarding seating arrangements.

If couples do have a wedding coordinator, be sure he/she has the seating chart the day before the wedding, so they can check to be sure venue is properly set-up the day before the wedding.

The last detail and final detail are place cards. Be sure the place cards in alphabetical order, so wedding guests and the wedding coordinator will be able easily find wedding guests names the day of the wedding.

Hopefully, this gives couples some insight on wedding seating and if you have any more questions or want to speak to our wedding expert, email us at weddingexpert@wicksncandlesticks.com. Happy Wedding Planning!