New Wedding Article - Spiritual Reception Toast Wording

Looking for some wedding toast or wedding speech advice? We've got a couple of great articles for you, and one is brand new! Here they are:

Spiritual Toast Wording

So Who Toasts? Article

Here is another great resource for wedding toasting advice and samples:

Here, here!

www.NWweddingplace.com

Wedding Sand Ceremony vs. Unity Candles

For an upcoming wedding, a bride and groom are ordering a sand ceremony set from us instead of using a traditional unity candle set. So what should people know?

• Do either a sand ceremony or a unity candle, but not both.
• A sand ceremony uses a larger vase or container to pour into and hold the sand. The bride & groom each have a small vase with colored sand (each a different color) that they use to pour into the main container. Children can also participate by having their own sand and adding it into the mix.
• Unity candles use two, smaller taper candles which are lit first (one taper for each person). Then, the bride and groom jointly light a larger, center candle that usually is personalized or has a saying imprinted on it.
• Both of these 'ceremonies' signify the blending of, or the joining of two people into one.
• Both of them also make great keepsakes for years to come.

Need to buy a unity candle set or sand ceremony set?

Click on this affiliate site link to shop now

Things to remember:

• Unity candles can be difficult to use during outdoor ceremonies... wind... !!
• Sand ceremonies can be difficult to transport afterward, so make sure your container has a lid of some kind or is very secure in a vehicle!
• Some wedding venues do not allow open flame.
• Don't collect and use wet sand from a beach for your sand ceremony. It is not clean and you may end up with mold!

Enjoy! Visit www.NWweddingplace.com for more wedding planning help & info.

What is a "Yodio Wedding?"

No... not rodeo wedding silly :-). Yodio! We have recently discovered a really cool web tool - excellent for weddings! It's Yodio! Yodio is a Pacific Northwest based company (which we love of course). Click this short Yodio (video) below to see an example of how you could use Yodio to display and share your wedding photos & memories: It's free!

Check out more information at www.NWweddingplace.com/yodio.htm

Thanks! Free is good...

Romantic Engagement Story Contest!

Hello friends! We have an exciting contest starting this Sunday, August 17th. If you haven't seen one before... we are giving away a Star Story Shirt compliments of Starologie. Here's info about them:
Starologie has created a line of customized apparel featuring a snapshot of the stars in the sky at a special time and place in your life. Named the "Star Story" line, every star pattern is hand made with Swarovski crystal and is meant to symbolize the timelessness of your story.

Anyone can enter (between 8/17 and 8/24, 2008). All you'll need to do is complete our entry form, including your own personal, romantic engagement story. We will announce the contest's winner on Monday the 25th.
Good Luck!

http://www.nwweddingplace.com/

Surviving a HOT Summer Wedding!

So you have a summer wedding planned... depending on where you are in the Pacific Northwest, you may get lucky and have a mild, overcast day. If not, you'll either get rain or heat!

Do you have any strategies for beating the heat at your wedding ceremony and reception? Here are a few ideas:

• Choose a light-weight fabric for your gown.
• Have the groom and groomsmen NOT wear a vest under their tuxes.
• Set up your outdoor reception tables in a shady area if possible.
• Select T-length bridesmaid dresses with flip-flops.
• Serve fresh fruit at the reception and plenty of ice water available to hydrate guests.
• Rent a tent or canopy, which is great for any weather issues.
• Have an up-do bridal hairstyle.
• Insist that your bridal party drink lots of water before the ceremony so no one faints at the altar!

Got any of your own tips that you'd like to share? Please, do tell!

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It's Wedding Time in the Pacific Northwest

It's official... wedding season has begun! Traditionally, June through Sept are the 4 busiest wedding months across the country, and especially in the Pacific Northwest. Here, we count on some warmer temps and less rain during that 4 month span. However, for all those hopeful brides and grooms wanting a June outdoor wedding in the Pacific NW, our weather has not been cooperating yet! I guess it could be worse. The rain hasn't been excessive, just cold temperatures for this time of year. In fact, the coldest June on record since 1917...

Honestly, that's how outdoor weddings go though in the NW. No month is completely "safe"! Thinking about which month to have your NW wedding in? We offer an extensive article on our main site called "Choosing Your Wedding Month in the Northwest". Each month has it's quirks, benefits and things to consider.

Do you have any outdoor wedding backup plans you'd like to share with our community? What are your creative "Plan B's"? Let us know!

Spring Weddings in the Pacific Northwest!

Welcome readers,
Today is a typical Spring day in the Northwest - rain, sun, windy gusts every now and then, and about 55 degrees. It's a rare Spring wedding in the Pacific Northwest that can survive rain-free outdoors! Our outdoor wedding season is typically June - Sept, but you still can not count the possibility of rain out. Even the weather reports can be unreliable here! Despite all that... the Pacific Northwest is still a great place to live and a great place to have a wedding.
So are you having a Spring wedding? Indoor or outdoor? Are you planning a summer wedding? Indoor or outdoor?
Give us your feedback, and join in our community discussions. This blog will be used for our community of brides and grooms to share ideas and respond to our posts. Thanks! We look forward to hearing from you :-)