Is there a way to choose bridal wedding party attendants and know you made the right decision?

Picking your attendants can be a social minefield.

So how do you choose the right wedding party for you?

Give yourself plenty of time to carefully select the people you’d most like to stand by your side. Remember, Once you’ve asked, there is no backtracking. It causes bad feelings and may put a rift between the two of you.

First determine your wedding’s style, budget and size. A small informal wedding looks silly with a large wedding party.

You do not have to have an equal ratio of attendants. If you have an unequal number,  group them. Four bridesmaids and three groomsmen – have two bridesmaids on each arm of one groomsmen. Another option is to have an usher stand in for the procession or for dancing.

Pick your maid of honor first. She will be your right hand gal as you go forward with your wedding plans. If you are having trouble deciding, have two maids of honor. There are plenty of duties to divide up between them. If one is married, give her the title of matron of honor.

Do not feel obligated to ask someone to be in your bridal wedding party because you were in their wedding. They may have had a larger wedding than you are having. If you are not close to that person because they moved away or you have lost touch over the years is no reason to ask them. Do not feel obligated to keep child pacts either. The other person may feel the same.

Be considerate of friends who may not be able to afford the financial burden of being involved in your bridal wedding  party. Either keep costs down or offer to help out by paying for some of the expenses yourself.

Another way to involve friends is to ask them to help out in other areas of the wedding. These include and are not limited to:

• Readers – have them read a poem or scripture during the ceremony.
• Distributor – have them hand out programs for the service. Packets of whatever is being tossed at the bride and groom after the ceremony.
• Greeter – have them welcome guests at the reception and direct them to the guest book and gift table.
• Toastmaster – have them make a toast at the reception.
• Party Promoter - have them be the first to get things rolling on the dance floor.

When choosing your bridal wedding party, try to think into the future a bit. Will these people be a major part of your life. They may be the ones to ask.

A friend who is in and out of your life may not take the duties involved in wedding planning seriously. They may come up with last minute  excuses why they can not go to prearranged appointments or parties. If your friend falls into the category of being irresponsible, they may not be a good choice. Life happens but weeding out the mostly likely candidates from the start will keep stress levels under control.

The night before the wedding all through the house, was visions of a lace bridal gown and bridesmaids dresses galore. The tuxedos and shoes were all lined at the door, but who could sleep with no room on the floor.

Sometimes the more we try to fall asleep, the wider awake we are. So if thoughts keep you tossing and turning, there are some smart ways to get that much needed sleep.

Create a sleep sanctuary ahead of time.

Find a mattress that offers support and comfort. Choosing a firm mattress is not always best. There are plush models that provide comfort as well. What counts is how your back feels when you lie down. Consider queen size beds over full size. The added room lets you move around more and the more room you have the better you sleep.

Look at the decor of the bedroom. It should be a room you look forward to retiring in. Make sure the room is free of clutter. Just like everyday life, we tend to tense up when there are piles of whatever in sight.

When it comes to color, have the walls painted in warm hues of blush. Stark white walls give off a harsh feeling. Accent the walls with serene art versus heavy metal. You want a calming effect.

Leave all electronics such as televisions, stereos and computers out of bedrooms. These things bring activated energy into the space which is not conducive to sleeping.

Turn off lights. Ideally, bedrooms should be dark and quiet. Researchers suggest a temperature between 60 – 65 degrees with good circulation.

Sometimes the problem is not falling asleep, it is waking up in the middle of the night with your mind on an endless list of things to do. Most people wake up roughly every ninety minutes for a few seconds or more. If you are sleeping soundly and on a regular schedule you may not even realize that you have woken up.

If you are suffering from insomnia, these mini wakings are sometimes enough to jolt you wide awake. That is because you are not getting deep sound sleep to begin with.

One of the best ways to combat insomnia is to deal with the problem before you go to bed. At least eight weeks before the wedding, lock into a wake up time and stick to it. Then go to bed a half hour later than usual the night before the wedding.

Just some food for thought. When the late night munchies attack, make sure you avoid foods that make your insomnia worse. Try to avoid spicy foods. Hot  seasonings act as circulatory stimulants and raise the body temperature making it harder to fall asleep.

When it comes to meat, high protein foods produce glycogen. This causes your brain to be on high alert.

Hold back on caffeine drinks. This should be a no brainer as caffeine is a stimulant that will keep you awake for hours. So save the chocolate, coffee or diet soda for day time hours.

Anything with refined sugar will keep you feeling high most of the night. Avoid doughnuts, candy bars….. as they fuel the adrenal glands.

Keep some of these ideas in mind if you tend to have a hard time falling asleep or waking up in the middle of the night. The night before the wedding is not the time to think about that. It is the weeks leading up to it. After all, the only bags you want showing up the day of your wedding are the ones you’ve packed for the honeymoon

Author, Kevin Hogan, back again with his latest book “The 168 Hour Week” leaves no stone unturned when it comes to providing information that can make profound changes in ones life if they apply themself.

If you are new to Kevin Hogan, you will be inspired by this book and how you too can live life on your own terms.  Kevin’s past books which include:

• The Psychology of Persuasion: How to Persuade Others to Your Way of Thinking 
• Covert Hypnosis: An Operator’s Manual
• Talk Your Way to the Top
• The Science of Influence

are just some of his works of  art he shares with readers.

Why would this be of interest on a site about ”Every Thing Bridal” you might ask? Good question. Let me explain.

After I read the book, I thought about all the couples that come to this site looking for information about wedding tips and ideas.

How can they get the wedding they want no matter what their budget is or where they live? It all boils down to a timeline. Knowing what you want is step one.

In Kevin Hogan’s book he helps you set up a time plan system for your life. Not just one day.

How cool would that be?

What would it be worth to live the life you truely want?

If you have read any of Kevin’s other books, you know the value and research that goes into each one. If you have never heard of him, you are in for a treat. A must read so you can live life on your terms and have it all.

You can read reviews and check it out for your self at Amazon

I did my first Bridal-Threads Video. It still needs alot of spice and editing, but you will get the message.

 I’d like to share one idea with you about freeing up some closet space. So if you have a closet full of clothes with nothing to wear, this video might get you inspired. 

If this video got you thinking, consider recycling your clothes like the bridal-threads video. Don’t let your closet have all the fun.

Before you set up a  registery for your wedding, lets look at the basics.

The best first step would be to take inventory of what you already both have. Next, you can jump on line or browse through magazines to see what is available.

Online just google bridal or wedding registry. The search will floor you. As far as magazines, any bridal magazine will have suggested places to register and plenty of ideas and pictures to wet the appetite.

Another place is store registries. Make a few stops at some of your favorite places to shop and browse their inventory. Depending on how involved your fiance wants to get, you may want to make these initial trips alone. With hectic schedules, you can gather information and share it with him later.

What kind of entertaining do you both enjoy?

What are your favorite colors?

What are your interests?

Do you have a hobby?

Thinking about some of these questions before you register will ensure gifts you will both enjoy receiving. I also gives your guests options and ideas of the items you are interested in.

Today the door is wide open when it comes to choosing what can be on your registry. After the two of you discuss your interest, make an appointment with a registry consultant. Try to schedule this on a week day evening to avoid crowds. By meeting with a consultant, they are able to help you coordinate color patterns and tailor the size of your list to the number of guests invited to your wedding.

In today’s world, technology makes registering a little fun. With the use of scan guns, you zap the items bar code (guys love this hands on approach) and that item is added to your list. Everything is computerized. Guests will have the list within minutes to do there shopping. Remember to choose items in several price ranges – from a $25.00 car kit to a $250.00 place setting. Some family guests or bridal parties pool together for a group gift.

Another great thing about this is the fact most stores have online sites. Ordering a gift for your wedding couldn’t be easier. In this fast paced world, a guest can order a gift over their noon lunch break or later at night after checking their email.

Gifts can be sent ahead of time for guests with prior obligations and unable to attend the wedding. And there are others organized enough to purchase a gift in advance to avoid last minute shopping when the list has less to choose from.  

OK, now for the basics. These are items you may want to consider. They are the essentials when first setting up house.

Tableware:

• 8 – 12 place settings in your chosen pattern (formal patterns usually have a dinner plate, salad/dessert plate, bread & butter plate, cup & saucer) Other additional pieces to consider are a soup/cereal  bowl, platters, gravy boat and sugar bowl and creamer. You can also register for a casual set which has four pieces. To avoid duplicates register at one store. If you don’t have much space, limit the number of setting. You can always add to the set later.

Flatware:

• Order the same quantity as you did for place settings. This includes a Dinner fork, Dinner knife, salad/dessert fork and tea dessert spoon. If you choose a formal and casual set, you can opt for a set in sterling silver and stainless steel.

Glassware:

• Again, register for the same quantity of glasses as you did for dinnerware. It maybe a good idea to have an extra set for hosting parties or family gatherings. The most used pieces are the goblet, ice beverage glass, wine glasses and or champagne flutes. Extra sets of plain old fashion glasses are a good idea too.

Cookware:

• Cookware can be registered for in sets or individula pieces. Some of the main pieces include a 10″ frying pan, griddle pan, tow and three quart sauce pans, six quart stockpot and roating pan. When choosing your cookware remember that quality is best. The better the cookware the better your heat distribution will be making for some good cooking.

Kitchen Basics:

• Some of the small kitchen appliances you might want to consider are a Blender, Electric can opener, Coffee maker, Hand Mixer, Microwave, Toaster and Food  processor. For your cutlery, it is nice to have a 8″ chef knife, Utility knife, Paring knife, Shears, Bread knife, 8 – 12 Steak knives and a Knife block to store them.

Linens:

• It is a good thing to register for at least three sets of sheets and pillow cases. Other accessories might include a Comforter, Bed skirt, extra Pillows and blankets. For the bath, register for at least three sets of towels which include the hand, face and bath towels. Think about a shower curtain, bath mats or rugs and guest towels.

Once you register, stay organized. Save mailing labels on packages. They are proof of purchases. You may need them in case of returns or exchanges. Keep track of your list and who sent what in your wedding planner. It makes sending out Thank-Yous much easier.

It seems like a daunting list to set up house doesn’t it? Keeping some of the basics in mind before registering your wedding, will save you time and  money. Once the wedding planning is over and you start your new life together, there will be plenty of other things to do besides shop for the basics.