Featured Wedding Story

Hello Readers!

I'd like to tell you about an upcoming wedding's plans, so you can potentially get some ideas.

Wedding Theme - Rustic

Colors - Sailor Blue

Location - Farm, outdoors, evening

Flowers - Bride's professionally created bouquet will be deep red roses, with bridesmaid and reception tables featuring a variety of wildflowers. The wedding cake will also be adorned with flowers.

Features - Short, outdoor ceremony with reception on the same property. On-location, country-style dinner served to guests. Bride will wear a strapless, oyster-shell top gown and flip-flops. Professionally printed invitations. Rented glassware (to avoid wind-tipping outdoors) and chairs.

Hopefully this information will be helpful in your wedding planning process!

http://www.nwweddingplace.com/

Money In Marriage

Recently engaged? Recently married? Discussing finances is a must! But how? Dr. Taffy Wagner has some answers for you. She recently wrote an article specifically for NWweddingplace.com on the topic of money and marriage. Here is a snippet of the article -

"For all those couples that will become engaged during the holidays and even through February, will pre-marital counseling prepare you for financial issues you will face during marriage? Financial issues are a part of marriage and no couple is immune from these issues. Automobile repairs, student loans, wedding expenses are some of the financial topics you will have to address.
Think about it. How many couples do you know personally that have..." Read complete article...

Thank you to our guest author, Dr. Taffy Wagner of http://www.debtatthealtar.com/
To get more information, please click below:

Valuable information brought to you by www.NWweddingplace.com

Our Green Weddings eBook is Here!

Want to plan an eco-friendly wedding? This Go "Green" - Eco-Wedding Ideas & Tips eBook is a must have! 70, full color photos, lots of specific decor ideas, 19 pages packed full of practical ideas, solutions & more green best practices for anyone wanting to implement green wedding ideas for their event.

No matter if you use just one idea, or make your entire event "green", this eBook will get your creativity flowing! Just $9.95, and immediately available for download.

Click HERE for more info or to order!

Bridal Hairstyles? Name Your Favorite!

Hello readers!

So what's your vote on bridal hairstyles? Up-do? Wear it down? Big curls? Sides up and back down? If you're a bride planning for your upcoming wedding, you'll need to figure all this out. Or maybe you're a bridesmaid and you still need to make the same decision! Unless the bride is deciding that for you...

In my humble opinion, I love to see a good up-do on a bride for her wedding day. It's just something out of the ordinary, and it seems to work well with tiaras, veils and such. However, now that I've put my vote in... the wedding "up-do" has a massive amount of options in itself! A simple bun, a twist, pinned up with curls cascading, etc. Check out this cute up-do photo from a bride friend of mine.

If you're looking for more, visit our "Idea Gallery". We also have several wedding hair articles & tips in our wedding planning section.

Did you know you can "see" yourself with a style online? Do some experimenting here:

Short Engagement Timeframe?

Here I go again...
I have my first planning meeting tomorrow night for a big - BIG - upcoming wedding. We (the planning team) have less than 2 months to plan! Thankfully, the bride already has her dress ordered, which was my very first question once I found out how soon the wedding will be.

So what are the top priorities for a wedding with a really short planning/engagement time frame?
1. Get the Bride's dress ordered ASAP. Bridal gowns are normally custom made, and require approx. 8-10 weeks for creation & delivery. You can get a 'rush' order, but you'll pay extra fees.
2. Get the bridesmaid dresses selected, sized and ordered ASAP. Same as above... it takes a while! Otherwise, choose an off-the-rack style or let your attendants choose their own styles in your chosen color.
3. Venue is always a challenge with short notice, unless you're planning a backyard or beach wedding. Some churches are easier to secure on short notice as well.
4. Secure some of your main wedding vendors quickly, such as photographer, catering, florist, DJ/musicians, & officiant. If you can't find available vendors for your chosen day, go to plan "B". Or should I say, plan "F" for friends :-).
5. Keep yourself very well organized. Use our budget tracker form available for download on this page near the bottom. Keep records of who you've talked to and when, price quotes, their contact info, etc. This will make your life much easier!

I'm all for short engagements, but they do have their potential challenges. Good luck!

http://www.nwweddingplace.com/

What Makes a Great Wedding e-Newsletter?

So brides... and grooms too :-)... what do you like about a good wedding e-zine or e-newsletter?

Do you enjoy the inside scoop on what's happening with wedding trends in your area? Like to hear about special wedding product deals & sales? Are you wanting local wedding vendor information? Are you excited by wedding planning tips and advice? Or is it the simple fact that you NEED the e-newsletter... the fact that you're engaged!!

If any of these things sound good to you, sign up for NWweddingplace's free monthly newsletter. We don't bombard you with weekly e-bombs (as we like to call the over-use of e-zines), but keep you up to date monthly. Our next newsletter comes out in 3 weeks. Get ready!

Planning A Bridal Shower?

Hello friends,
I'm throwing a bridal shower for my friend tomorrow night. Her wedding is in late August.
If you're wondering how far in advance of the wedding should a shower or bachelorette party be planned... That's up to what works best for the bride. In my case, she wanted to keep August free from additional stress so we planned her shower for July instead. Other brides may want the shower or party the weekend before! Just ask...

Need a good bridal shower theme idea? How about a luau, beach or Hawaiian theme? If the bride & groom are heading somewhere tropical for their honeymoon, this is a GREAT shower theme idea. And easy to find ideas & decor as well! Check back in the next few days for a great list of food ideas for a beach themed shower and pictures of our party!

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!

Sign up now for our monthly e-newsletter, with great Northwest wedding tips, advice, vendor information, DIY project ideas, and more!

Finding a Local NW Wedding Business

Do you live in Washington, Oregon or Idaho? Are you planning a wedding? NWweddingplace.com is just where you need to spend some planning time on the web. We have vendor listings in 20 major wedding categories (from venues to formalwear, photography, pre-marriage counselors & more) for all cities in those 3 Pacific Northwest states.

Here's how it works: go to our "Locate Vendors" page. Select your state, enter your city name (or a nearby city), select a category from the drop-down box, and press "Search!". Your search results will post automatically, giving you your vendor options in that city and category.

If you are a NW wedding-related business owner, search for your listing. Please contact us if you do not find yourself! We'd love to add you. Your assistance helps us bring comprehensive NW wedding information to our community.

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!

Considering a Holiday Wedding?

Are you planning a wedding? Have you considered a date that's on or near a major holiday or 3-day weekend? There are some benefits, and also potential drawbacks to having a holiday wedding. Holidays and 3-day weekends can effect honeymoons, guest availability, wedding business/vendor schedules, and other less thought about aspects in either positive or negative ways.

Here are some basic things to consider:

• You'll need to give guests more advanced notice for holiday weddings
• Some vendors are busier near holidays, depending on the holiday and the vendor type. For example, florists are VERY busy around Memorial Day. Caterers and bakeries are swamped during Thanksgiving. DJ's are booked for New Year's Eve. Venues are rented for 4th of July celebrations, etc.
  Honeymoons, lodging and flights can potentially be more expensive during holiday weeks.
• Every year your anniversary will fall on or near a holiday (could be a + or --, depending on the holiday!)
• For traveling guests and honeymoon purposes, holidays give you extra days off from work
• Holidays offer fun wedding themes automatically, if desired
• Traffic can either be better or worse on holidays (depending on the holiday)
• Verify with vendors that they are indeed working that day if it's a major holiday, i.e. Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc.
• Holidays and holiday weekends are just fun!

Does anyone have comments about their upcoming holiday wedding plans? Or comments from those who've had a wedding on or near a holiday? We'd love to hear from you...

Brides - Is Planning Your Wedding Making You Crazy?

Everyone knows that planning a wedding takes lots of time and money, but not everyone realizes the toll it also takes on sanity! So many brides that I know hardly have time to sit back and enjoy the process. Even up to the very moment they're walking down the aisle, they're still coordinating something. For my own wedding, I can remember the feeling of frustration while decorating. No one was doing it 'right', although I hadn't clearly told anyone what 'right' was...

Are you apprehensive about trusting someone else with tasks? Sure, that means a loss of "control" over that particular aspect, but it may just be worth it. Do you have to care about every miniscule detail? Maybe you do. Are you becoming 'bridezilla'? Maybe you are. Do you want your wedding to be great? Of course you do. Are you wondering how to make it all happen without developing an ulcer? Here are just a couple thoughts:

• Hire a wedding planner/wedding consultant
• Delegate tasks to trustworthy friends, family and bridal party members
• Get a planning and budget checklist to keep yourself on track (budget checklist available on our home page, bottom right corner: www.NWweddingplace.com)
• Take extra time off work before your wedding if you can
• Keep things as simple as possible
• Purposefully plan to enjoy the process and especially your wedding day

If you're a bride-to-be, a newly wed or have thoughts you'd like to share, we'd love to hear your comments on this topic! For more great wedding tips, love & marriage advice, Pacific Northwest information, and more, visit www.NWweddingplace.com today!
Be blessed...

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 :-)

Pacific Northwest Wedding Scene - Here We Are!

Greetings Readers!
Welcome to NWweddingplace.com's official BLOG. Since this is our first post, we'd like to explain a bit about NWweddingplace. As you can see above, we serve brides and grooms in Washington, Oregon and Idaho with our advice, articles, local vendor search service, DIY project ideas, free engagement & wedding announcement pages, shop online section, wedding photo Idea Gallery, free e-newsletter, gift ideas and links, event schedule, and more! Not only do we comprehensively offer help to plan weddings, but we feel that also planning for marriage is vitally important (and often missed). Our Love & Marriage Advice section gives excellent tips and relationship thoughts to keep you moving in the right direction.
To view more about our purpose and mission, location and more, please visit our "About Us" page.

Come back often to check out our BLOG! Please feel free to comment and offer feedback about our topics and ideas. We will be using our BLOG as a place for community collaboration and idea sharing. Thanks for reading! We look forward to serving our community of brides and local wedding businesses.
Krista Dunk, Founder & CEO