Some people think that having a theme for a wedding is tacky and juvenile. I’m having one and hopefully my wedding will still come out beautifully. I didn’t think about having a theme at first. But when I started to gather ideas for my wedding, I got so confused and my thoughts and ideas were all over the place. I want too many things and they don’t all go together. So I decided to stick to a theme that fits my venue and location – we’re going nautical.

• Having a theme enables me to narrow down the list of ideas and items I like and will use.
• It makes it easier to figure out all the details and have them all tie together.
• Establishing a theme at the beginning of my wedding planning allows me to focus on certain ideas which in turn gives me more time to focus on finding cheaper ways to implement those ideas.

Here are some tips I picked up:

• Do a theme that represents who you are or what you like.
• Do not go overboard.  Having a theme does not mean every little detail should follow that theme.
• Themes do not have to be all out.  It can be as simple as having a color motif.

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If you’re having a theme, please do share by leaving a comment below.

Pat Catan’s Craft Centers in Pennsylvania and Ohio are holding their annual bridal fair next week!  Find wedding craft ideas for your wedding from bouquets and boutonnieres to favors and reception table ideas.  This event is a must-attend for DIY and budget brides.

Photo from SuperStock

A new bill has been introduced this year to require cellphone cameras to make a sound when taking photos.  The bill will also prohibit the cellphones to have the feature to disable or silence the sound.  The requirement will be considered a consumer product safety standard.

I take photos often with my phone especially when I shop.  I don’t like attracting attention to myself, so sometimes I silence my phone.  The shutter sound also annoys me a little bit.  But if this bill gets passed, I’ll be fine with it.  This bill will hopefully provide more safety and privacy to the public (e.g. from creeps who take photos for their personal satisfaction).  I wonder if Apple will create a new update of the iPhone OS to disable silencing of the shutter sound.

Do you use your phone’s camera?  Do you silence it or do you keep the shutter sound on?  What do you think of the proposed bill?

I’ve been to two of the “How To” Series workshops by Lindsay Landman Events and loved them.  They were very helpful especially to brides who don’t plan to hire their own wedding planner.  Their next “How To” event is on January 31.

Are you overwhelmed by the sheer number of wedding photographers and videographers in New York? Are you wondering how to tell one from the other without calling and meeting each one? Who is right for your wedding and what should you be looking for? Join us for a step-by-step seminar that will take you through the research and selection process for two of the most important vendors you will hire for your wedding day. Learn about film vs. digital, black and white vs. color, flash vs. natural light, candid vs. photojournalistic, discs vs. prints and all the other “buzz words” you are flooded with as you pour over photo and video websites. Also, get tips on negotiating contracts specifically with photographers and videographers to get the best value and to actually walk away with the images you want. This course is well-suited for novice planners as well as brides and grooms. Light refreshments will be served.

Perfect Bound is hosting a contest for free tickets to the event.  Click here to enter.  To get the reduced rate of $30, enter WED03, courtesy of Lucky Me!.

Two wedding events coming up from Paper Source!
Creative Wedding Demos and The Wedding Suite

Complimentary Creative Wedding Demos
February 21, 2009

We invite you to join us for an afternoon of complimentary demos, make-and-takes and inspiration for your big day at any of our stores!

No matter what your style or budget, Paper Source can help you achieve a wedding invitation & stationery suite that reflects your sense of beauty, creativity and personal expression.

Whether you’re looking for classic whites, elegance with a twist, romantic flourishes, or a fresh modern look, we’ve got the materials and inspiration to help you do something creative for your big day!

Bring this Raffle Ticket to our February 21 Wedding Event to be included in the Raffle.

Exclusive Event: The Wedding Suite
March 5, 2009 – 6:30 – 9 PM
$35 per person

Sip sparkling champagne and enjoy chocolate dipped strawberries while you create a full suite of wedding samples — including a select group of letterpress invitations, escort cards, favors and table accents. Registration is required to attend this special event. Seats are limited to 15, so don’t delay.

Sign up with a friend and receive $5 off each seat!

As soon as we started planning our wedding and I asked John what he wanted.  He immediately blurted out “I want to wear shorts.”  What??

I saw the photo below of a wedding taken by Stacey Kane.  And I thought the guys looked pretty dapper.

Then I saw this other photo of the same wedding:

Umm… I don’t think it suits the style of the wedding we’re planning.  We originally wanted a beach wedding and I was thinking of wearing a tea-length wedding dress.  I was then open to him wearing shorts.  But now that we’re not having a beach wedding and I’m wearing a gown, shorts is no longer an option.

Is there anything your fiance wants that you wouldn’t want at the wedding?

Reem Acra Bridal Sample Sale
January 30-31, 2009
Fri 10-8, Sat 9-7:30

Photo by Kristin Spencer

Bridal dresses up to 60% off, starting at $1000

Metropolitan Pavilion
123 West 18th St, 4th floor
New York, NY

There are plenty of ways a bride can find ideas and inspirations for her wedding. And I will not allow myself to spend a cent to do this. The magazines below are just some that I’ve gotten for free. Others I already gave to a friend.

Below are some ways to get ideas for your wedding at no cost:

• Go online! The world wide web is populated with tons of wedding websites where you can get plenty of ideas and inspirations for your wedding. Visit wedding sites, blogs, forums and photo sites. A few of my favorites are Brides.com, Snippet and Ink, Southern Weddings Mag, The Bride’s Cafe, Flickr. Click here for a complete list.
• Attend bridal shows or expos. Besides getting ideas from the event itself, you can also get free wedding magazines. I don’t go to events that I have to pay for. There are a lot of events that are free. If the event is not free, search online for coupons or ticket giveaways. Weddingwire.com has an extensive list of events and promotions. Wedding blogs often host contests and giveaways.
• Ask previous brides for ideas and if they want to get rid of their wedding magazines. Don’t just ask the people you know, join forums too. TheKnot forums has local boards which makes it easy to find brides in your area.
• Sign up at your local online wedding guide if any. I signed up at www.yournewportwedding.com and I received a lot of helpful info including the Newport Wedding Magazine.
• Ask vendors when you meet with them. Vendors sometimes receive complimentary copies of magazines that they can give their current and future clients.
• Browse through magazine racks. All you need is to see an idea or inspiration. You don’t need to take it home and stare at it, do you? If you think you won’t remember, jot it down or take a picture.

Tip: Take a note of where you get your inspirations from. I find myself going back to my sources for more info on those ideas I liked. For example, Brides.com usually has a note for each photo that includes where the materials were obtained and MarthaStewartWeddings.com has instructions on some of their ideas.

If you got the idea online, instead of just saving the photo, favorite the site or use tools like Polyvore.com. Plumeria Bud of BridalBuds has a list of online tools you can use. If you found the idea in an event or publication, take a photo. In addition, if you post the ideas online, you’ll be able to credit your sources.

Where do you get your ideas and inspirations from?

In celebration of its 75th Anniversary, Alfred Angelo is hosting tons of contests.

I have added a new feature to Aylee Bits – Across the Blogosphere.  I will be posting links and small excerpts of blog articles that I find very helpful and hopefully my readers will find them helpful as well.

You will find my first Across the Blogosphere feature two posts down.  You will notice the featured posts are formatted differently.  If you have any blog articles that you want to share, just let me know.  It might get featured here too.