Entertaining thoughts of offering a dessert bar at your reception?

Get your guests mixing and mingling with something similar to confectionery heaven like this soda fountain slash ice cream bar idea from Brides.com.

You could have a bar tender serve OR let guests build their own by letting them fill old-fashion fountain ware with ice cream, layering it with caramel or chocolate and finally topping their creations with fun sprinkles, whip cream, cherries… Yum!

So many possibilities and hidden nougats with having a dessert bar.  Your dessert bar can coincide with your wedding theme or simply be a theme in and of itself.

For instance, take this scrumptious image of a smore.  Perfect for a garden wedding.  (You might needs lots of wipes for this bar).

Get your imagination rolling with a few more ideas~

Chocolate Bar: Listen to the oohs and aahs with this bar loaded with a trove of truffles, brownies, candies, fudge, gourmet chocolates…

Fall: I can already smell the nutmeg and cinnamon at this bar with the delights of pumpkin cheesecake, caramel apples, pumpkin pie bars, hot apple cider…

Christmas or winter wedding: Fill it with festive cookies in all kinds of shapes and colors, and hot chocolate with all the trappings, cinnamon sticks…

Ooh, Italiano theme: This is probably my favorite… a biscotti bar equipped with a Barrista too! Imagine your guests chatting, laughing and dunking their sweet Italian cookies into their Espresso.  Fun!

If you’re considering a dessert bar~ THINK SMALL bites.  Delight their senses in little amounts.

We’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas regarding sweet treats at the bar… Leave a comment! We love comments!

Images and additional ideas at Brides.com.
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An optimist and a realist, I firmly believe that you can have the wedding of your dreams, on the budget you have!  There is no reason to break the bank or go into debt just because you’re getting married!

Have a heart-to-heart conversation about your priorities.  Understand  general wedding costs.  Get creative.  If you’re not feeling particularly creative or savvy in a particular area i.e. DIY, finances, reading contracts, then by all means, ask a trusted family member or friend for their help. They love you, they’ll be glad to help!

Budgeting Tips

• Plan for unforeseen expenses.  Save at least an additional 20-25% for: taxes, permits, tips (wait staff: valets, officiant, coat checkers, bathroom attendants…) shipping and handling, parking validations, miscellaneous gifts, rush fees, rentals…
• Determine whether or not you need wedding insurance? (good idea in many cases)
• Minimize reception costs.  Ask about corkage fees, cake cutting fees if you’re bringing in your own alcohol and cake.
• Cupcakes instead of wedding cake OR one or two fake cake tiers…
• Understanding vendor contracts.  Ask about overtime fees.  Don’t assume.  Get it in writing.
• Use flowers that are local and in season.  There is a lot of room to be creative here.
• When booking your honeymoon reservations, consider renting a condo versus a hotel room.  Condos are often less expensive but make sure to get referrals or thoroughly check out what you can expect to receive.
• Look for dresses that aren’t being marketed as wedding dresses.  Shop consignment, or free listing sites like Once Wed for used designer dresses.
• DIY

Some of this will be a snap, some of this will be a little challenging.   Feel free to share any creative budgeting ideas you have found to be helpful!

Happy Monday!

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We set aside Fridays here at Truly Engaging to explore different wedding themes, and to inspire you as you make your plans. Our topic today is green weddings, and we’re discussing how a bride can have the gorgeous wedding of her dreams and, at the same time actually make her contribution to changing the world.

Think natural . . . simple . . . mindful indulgence if you will. The earth-friendly couple creates the wow factor for their wedding with their own brand of extravagance ~ one that goes beyond just one day. Respectful of the planet, they examine highly traditional ways and reinterpret each component to match their commitment to a greener, healthier earth.

A wedding celebration that expresses appreciation for the planet is not necessarily devoid of tradition, though. Imagine wearing a wedding dress passed down through the generations of your family instead of buying a new one. Heirloom rings and other vintage jewelry can often be reworked into a classic style without the expense of buying new. I see a whole lot of very meaningful, time-honored tradition showing up in a green wedding!

Consider locally grown flowers and organic food to support your community. And, donate the leftovers instead of throwing them away.

Enlist the sewing talent of a family member or friend for handmade linens ~ you can use them for years to come.

Minimize how far guests have to travel or utilize eco limos to honor your commitment to a cleaner environment.

And then there’s nature ~ outdoor settings take full advantage of the bounty of nature to decorate the day. A canopy of trees makes for a fabulous site for your ceremony . . . or a natural bend in the landscape to create the aisle you will walk to meet your groom. A wedding done this way is so creative!

You may very well spend less money with the green approach also. Not a DIY sort of person? No worries ~ many wedding planners specialize in environmentally conscious weddings. Most of all, your organic, sustainable wedding reduces your ecological footprint and yes, actually changes the world one beautiful day at a time.

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This is precisely why I love Save the Dates… no rules!  Our brides and grooms are so clever!

Although Nikki and Joey went to high school together, they didn’t start dating until April 2007~ after attending rival colleges.  He… University of Florida and she… Florida State.  And, Nikki and Joey love football!

From August til February, it’s pretty much all about tailgating games, watching games and playing fantasy football games.

So, this fun, football-loving couple decided that the best way to announce their wedding date was through their favorite sport.  MagnetStreet Weddings had the honor of customizing a football schedule to create a one of a kind Save the Date for them.   As a lover of all things fun and practical, I love this idea!

Nikki and Joey sent their closest fans a unique Save the Date, can keep them updated through their wedding website, PLUS these fans have the football schedules for their three fav teams~ all in one place!

Creative. Clever. Practical.  Cool!

Soon after they sent out their custom Save the Date magnet cards, Nikki and Joey were inundated with emails and texts from family and friends who absolutely loved their Save the Date idea.  We at MSW think so too.

I was definitely curious as to how the design came about and asked Nikki about it.  She mentioned that the designer took the ball and ran with the idea for the top half.  (Nikki didn’t say that exactly but the word play is kinda fun.)  In any case, Nikki did say the designer created the top portion of the Save the Date with only a little direction.

I asked Ben, the graphic designer regarding his thoughts about designing the top half.

The Bride and Groom mentioned that they liked certain parts of template A-11576, so I studied the design and created my own version. Personally what I find to be the most successful part of this design is the font, as it coordinates with the grasses and their hair quite well, almost an exact representation. The colors I decided to keep black and white to coordinate with the photo so that it worked as a whole. The Save the Date portion was all in black and white and the sports schedule was all in color, thus giving both portions the same amount of importance. Had I of gone all color the effect would have been quite different…

(Gotta love how designers think) 

We wish you all the best Nikki and Joey!  Congratulations and thank you for sharing your cool Save the Date idea with the world!

Photo of Nikki and Joey : Pennington Photography[poll id="23"]