Top 6 Wedding Planning Mistakes

Photo Courtesy of: Christine Lim and Ruby Yeo

If you want your wedding planning to go smoothly, these are the top 6 wedding planning mistakes you can't afford to make!

1. Waiting too long to place deposits. You find a great place, but you're worried that something better might pop up. Rather than place a deposit, you decide to wait it out. Finally, you decide after weeks of waiting that you want the venue for your ceremony or your reception. When you whip out your wallet, you discover that someone else has already reserved your date.
   
2. Hiring the cheapest band. Do you and your guests a favor and at the very least listen to a demo first. You might also want to get recommendations if you are not familiar with local bands. Bad music can kill the reception!
   
3. Rushing through the rehearsal. All audio and visual tools should be checked at your rehearsal. Don't just practice walking down the aisle. Make sure you cover all the technical bases too.
   
4. Leaving the dress in closet untouched for months. This is a big one for brides who buy their dresses well in advance of their wedding. Try it on periodically to make sure you're not putting on or losing too much weight. Last minute alterations are pretty much impossible to get right.
   
5. Going over budget. Track your expenses closely, because wedding expenses can add up fast. Going outside your budget can have catastrophic consequences, leaving you with huge debts as you start your lives together.
   
6. Trying to do it all yourself. Even if you can't hire a wedding planner, you should be willing to delegate some of the responsibilities to your friends and family. If you don't as for help you run the risk of forgetting something really important in addition to making yourself crazy from the stress.

Do you have a special tip to share with a bride to be? Share it in the comments!

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Top 10 Wedding Blogs

Weddings are complicated affairs, and so much goes into their planning that we'd be remiss to talk about nothing but Pinwhirls and invitations and cupcake toppers all the time. In that light, we've created a list of our Top 10 Wedding Blogs. We're sure you'll find all kinds inspiration for making your wedding absolutely perfect.

Top 10 Wedding Blogs

1. Green Wedding Shoes: This blog has it all including galleries, DIY ideas, honeymoons, and vendor listings. We think you'll love the really unique features. (Did you see that Super Mario Bros. themed wedding cake? Too cute!)
2. A Practical Wedding: This blog is run by San Franciscan, Meg Keene. Originally a place for her to plan her own wedding, the site grew into something much more. We think you'll enjoy her advice & dilemma sections for sure.
3. Brooklyn Bride: If modern and elegant are what you're after, check out this blog. The tagline is "Planning a modern wedding in a world of pink flowers and poofy dresses." Don't forget to browse the galleries for inspiring ideas.
4. Weddingbee: There is a lot to do on the Weddingbee site. You'll want to read the blogs, browse the galleries, check out the classifieds, and get the low down on vendors by clicking around the vendor review section. Definitely worthy of a bookmark.
5. Junebug Weddings: This wedding blog makes the list because it's so extensive. They cover topics like wedding planning, wedding fashion, wedding ideas and more. Don't forget to view the 'What Junebug Loves' section while you're there.
6. Polka Dot Bride: Stunning photos make this Australian wedding blog worthy of a mention. Don't miss out on the expert interviews and inspiration boards. They promise to be excellent resources for brides.
7. 100 Layer Cake: Even more resources for the DIY bride plus a market place to peruse. It looks like the inspiration section will be live soon, so you might want to bookmark this site for viewing later too.
8. Pink Galoshes: The tagline here is "irreverant hip tips for the slightly naughty bride." We recommend this site for the bride who finds traditional weddings blasée.
9. Weddzilla: This is another great wedding blog with an ideabook and a users forum. From dresses and accessories to wedding photography, they cover everything wedding.
10. Relentless Bride: Read Amy Jean's insightful posts and weddings and life. Browse the popular posts in the sidebar for great wedding content.

That sums it up! If you have found other great wedding resources online, share the links in the comments.

Wedding Anniversary Celebration Ideas

Whether you're planning your parents' 25th or your grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary celebration, we've got party suggestions to help you make your next wedding anniversary extra special!

Planning a 25th or 50th Wedding Anniversary Party


Is the big celebration going to be a surprise? If you so, you want to make sure that your wedding anniversary invitations remind everyone that the party is a secret!

Here are some must-haves for the big event:

• A slide show illustrating the couple's lives together from the day they met to the most recent photos of them with friends and family.
  
  


• Cakes or cupcakes. We love the idea of replicating the original wedding cake in some way, but you could also use more contemporary cupcake toppers to match a specific theme.
  


• Decorate with larger matching Pinwhirls imprinted with the couples' names and anniversary date for an extra special touch.
  


• Hire a band or a DJ to play the couple's favorite songs. Don't forget to find out what special songs should be included. What song was played at their wedding? What song did they first dance to? What song do they call "their" song?
  


• Don't forget to book a photgrapher! Just like the wedding, the anniversary celebration is something you'll want to remember through photos and video.
  


• Ask the couple to share a special moment or favorite memories from their years together. They can share this as a toast, make it part of the slide show, or include it on the party invitations.

What other tips and suggestions do you have for those celebrating milestone anniversaries? Share them with readers in the comments!

Classic Games for Children's Birthday Parties

If you're celebrating your child's birthday with a big party at home, don't forget the games! Birthday cupcakes, cupcake toppers, and party favors are important, but the kids will really love the chance to play together and be active.

Here are some great classic games you might have played at birthday parties when you were growing up.

Musical Chairs

For this game you need one less chair than you have children and a CD player or iPod to start and stop the music. Start with every child moving around the chairs while the music is playing. When the music stops, all the kids should try to find a seat. The child left standing after all the others are seated is eliminated from the game.

For the second round, remove one more chair and repeat the process. Keep doing this until only one child remains. This game is fun on its own, or you could award a small door prize or even a paper crown to the winning child.

Pin the Tail on the Donkey

This is a simple but well-loved favorite. One at a time, each child is blindfolded and given a paper tail. He or she is then spun around a few times before trying to pin the tail in the appropriate spot on the picture of a donkey. The child who comes closest wins.

Fruit Basket Upset

For this game, each child needs to be assigned to a group. Traditionally, fruits like apples, oranges, and bananas have been used—but you could change it up to match your party theme if you want. If the party is all about dinosaurs, you could have a group of triceratops, a group of T-Rexes, and a group of pterodactyls, for example. Assign groups before you start.

Next, form a circle with one less chair than you have children. The child without a seat will stand in the center and call out one of the group names. All of the children in that group must move to a new chair, and the child in the middle will join them in trying to take one of the open seats. The next child left without a seat takes the center spot for a turn at calling out a group.

At any point in the game, a child could call out, "Fruit Basket Upset!" and all of the children my find a new seat. The game ends when all the kids are exhausted!

What fun birthday party games did you play when you were a kid?