My Own Blog Story

Well, now I can mention that I am a contributing blogger for Perfectweddingguides.com.  It’s a wonderful gig as I get to chit chat about wedding related stuff.

Aside from that, I am also a blogger for Californiawinepad.com and still have my other site UrbanKitchenSurvival.com

Please don’t forget, I am now on my permanent site OneSteptoWedding.com

New and Upcomming for Vendor Information

This only pertains for the website:  www.onesteptowedding.com

Attention All Brides!!!!!  I want to make your time here at One Step to Wedding more enjoyable and entertaining as well.

I have many friends in the wedding industry who are vendors and have plenty of knowledge in their respected fields.  I have invited them to share stories, information, tips, and trends, from their own experience. I respect their work and I’m sure you will also come to agree that their quality and value are quite exceptional.

Please look forward to future blogs and will be placed under the category “Featured Vendors”.

For vendors who are would also like to contribute or have questions, please feel free to contact me on the contact page or email me at: onesteptowedding@gmail.com

Movin’ On Up to My Own Website

It’s been in the process, a fast one at that, to create my website.  Don’t be alarmed, it’s still in the works.  I will have more information, tips, and opportunities.

You may still visit this blog while it’s in process, but you may certainly check out: www.onesteptowedding.com

I hope you enjoy and I am very much open to your thoughts and opinions.

Thank you

The Last Name Game

Remember when you were dating your now your soon-to-be husband and you always doodled “Mrs.______” ? You always wanted to practice signing your new name.  There are now so many options with how to play with your last name once you become a Mrs. Of course, it is a sign of your commitment and honor to your spouse.  But not taking his name doesn’t mean you don’t honor him  less.  The question of taking your spouse’s name comes up on the day you fill out your marriage license.  On it, there’s a box that asks you what you want to change your name to after you get married.

From my experience, I initially did the hyphenated name on my marriage license and chose to keep my maiden name after I got married.  Not that I didn’t like my husband’s last name, but I think that my name is unique because it starts with the letter “Z”.  I decided to keep my name for many reasons; I got my college diploma with that name, less of a hassle to change all legal documents with that name, and you are already known by that name with your collegues and past aquaintences, just in case someone was trying to locate you.

With more and more career-oriented women getting married, many have opted to keep their maiden name.  It’s their identity and they associate that with their accomplishments.  It’s a way of maintaining their professional structure seperate from their personal life.  And like I mentioned, it’s less of a hassle to change legal documents.

But if you wanted to change your name, it’s advised to use your maiden name as your middle name and have your married name as your last name.  This would make the transition on your documents easier, especially if your passport or license hasn’t expired & doesn’t need to be renewed yet.  It states your maiden name and it would be a given that you got married (stated on both your passport and identification card).  The benefits of this tip are you can have both your names and this will save you some cash.

The option of hyphenating your name is almost like changing your last name all together.  You do have to get your legal documents changed right away.  It’s different, not an addition to, like the previous mentioned.  I’m not sure why hyphenated names became so popular, but I think it was a way to keep their name  & to honor their husbands by taking their name.  The downfalls of this besides changing all the legal documents…..people will almost never get your last name right.  They will say one name, leave the other and it’s also a handful to say your last name.  A trend related to this hyphenated name change is for both husband and wife to have both the hyphenated name, so it’s equal.  You do have that option and you must also state that in your marriage license.

If you are dreading changing your name, there are services offered such as Ms. Now Mrs.. It’s easy to use an saves you from a lot of headache.  There are other similar websites out there that can also assist you.  They use a data base that transfers the name at once. But if you want to do all the changing yourself you have to see the following: DMV, Social Security, the US Postal Service, change your passport, the bank, your HR department, life insurance and financial policies, and the list goes on.

Having Wine at your Wedding

If you appreciate good wine, you may want to consider serving wine at your wedding.  You may have wine options at your perspective venue, and you may want to ask your catering or restaurant manager if they can refer a wine expert, vendor, or staff sommelier to work with you.  You might want to request a wine tasting along with your food tasting.  If that’s not available, speak to them about what options are available to you for selecting your wine.

Here are some options to ensure you will have a great choice of wine for your event:

• You should ask your catering manager if you can supply of a case(s) of your favorite wine to serve.
• If you don’t like your venue’s wine list, ask your catering or restaurant manager if they have a wine list you can order from, maybe something to your liking.

Here are some things to consider regarding budget for wine:

• You have to be sure about how many bottles you should order.  This is the approximate about a person consumes during the cocktail, dinner, and reception, about five glasses per person.
• A money saving idea is instead of a full bar, just consider serving wine; red, white, & Champagne.

Here are some ideas for wine at your reception:

• If you are hosting your own wedding reception in a backyard, which I think is a great idea, you can create your own bar and also serve your choice of wine.  You can also rent wine glasses when you rent your chinaware as party-rental companies are ready to serve you.
• Consider having a destination wedding at a winery.  You have the setting of grapevines in the background, the wine cellar for unique pictures, and wine all around you and your guests.  It will very memorable and romantic, especially during the sunset.  You also don’t have to worry about choosing your wine because you would have already chosen the winery that makes your wine.

Recommendations for wine:

Wines friendly for your budget; Try having a lighter red wine, such as a Rose, and a Riesling. You want to be able to have wines versatile for most entrees. Also, instead of Champagne, you can opt for a sparkling wine.

Deciding on Your Wedding Registry

The culture of the wedding registry is changing and evolving to the couple’s needs.  There are plenty of options now for the couple to create the registry in the store or online.  Also, the rules of the registry have also changed.

Traditionally, when you create a registry, you pick out chinaware and glassware, among a few gifts, for your formal dining.  There are beautiful patterns and designs of china by favorite designers such as Vera Wang, Kate Spade, and Martha Stewart to name a few.  They still have those service options available for you at department stores such as Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s.

The current trends for registry are continually ever changing to the couples needs.  The couple should start with having a ”Gameplan”.

• Couples should think about for the present and the future.  Think about your needs as it changes when you have a family.
• Couples should have a wide range of products and stores.  This allows for variety and availability for your guests to shop.  Also consider an online store, just in case your guests don’t like to step into a store.
• Couples should think about a price range for the registry. They should be mindful to their guests budgets also, as it might be uncomfortable to come empty handed. This makes it possible for your guests to shop for smaller items if they cannot afford the big-ticket items.

Here are other options for a registry:

• Sign up for a honeymoon registry or have your guests chip in for a honeymoon.
• If you don’t need any items for your house, then consider having your guests donate to a charity of your choice.
• If you need money for home-improvement or materials for building, ask for Home Depot or Lowe’s gift cards.
• Inquire about setting up a registry for cooking classes.
• If you need the money for future goods, but don’t have a house or a design pallet yet, you might want to think about just requesting gift cards for Target, Walmart, or other big stores around you neighborhood.

Tips to Consider When Choosing Your Wedding Cake: About Icing

When you’re ready to choose your cake, and you have a design in mind, you may have to consider the season, especially the summer.  Even if you’re having your reception indoors, the heat can affect the look of your cake. So here are some tips that you can take with you when you choose your cake.

In the summer, choose icing that can withstand heat.  The best choices are Fondant (sugar paste) and Marzipan (almond paste).  They actually do better at room temperature rather than colder refrigerated temperature.  Fondant is easy to decorate and design with.  You can have it in different colors and it’s easy to make bows with (in the cake).  This has been one of the most popular mediums to use presently on wedding cakes.  The downside of fondant is people usually don’t like the taste of it and they usually just move it off the cake when they eat it.  The taste is described as sweet and bitter, well it’s complicated, but you should just try it at least once to know if you like it.  Marzipan, on the otherhand, has most of the functions as fondant, but tastes better.

If taste is an issue with you, then buttercream might be your choice.  The fact is, they will not do well on a hot day.  The icing can melt if you leave it out for a few hours. If you keep it refrigerated until up to one to two hours before the cake cutting, you should be fine.  Your baker should be able to give you advice on how to handle the cake.

Whichever icing you choose for your cake, keep it out of direct sunlight!

Wedding Traditions: Old & New

When we go to weddings and even plan our weddings, we incorporate traditions to the ceremony or during the reception.  Sometimes we don’t even know the meaning of them, but we do it because it’s fun.

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue – The most common thing, we brides keep in mind.  The meaning of the old is to keep your family history, ancestry close to you; remember where you come from.  The meaning of new represents your new beginnings with your new spouse, family, and life.  The meaning of borrowed is supposed to represent the happiness of another’s marriage.  The meaning of blue is supposed to represent loyalty and fidelity.

The Bouquet Toss – This is targeted for the single women at the wedding.  Whomever single lady catches the bouquet, it is said that they will be the next to marry.

The Garter Toss – This is target for the single men at the wedding.  Same concept here.  Whomever single man catches the garter is said to be the next man to marry.

Throwing the rice after wedding – The rice is a symbol to wish the couple with blessings of fertility in they marriage.

The White Dress and Wedding Veil – This represents purity and virginity.  Since the custom started with Queen Victoria, it seems that white is the classic uniform color for brides; first or other marriages.  In present times, ivory and cream is not also being accepted as part of the bridal color.

Unity Sand Ceremony – This is performed during the wedding ceremony.  There are two containers for the wife and for the husband.  Now available to have their own colors.  They each pour the sand in a unity or single container.  This shows their unity and they also can keep the finish container as a decorative keepsake in their home.

Unity Candle Ceremony – This is performed during the wedding ceremony.   There are three candles; one for the wife, one for the husband, and a main candle (which is usually decorated).  They both will take their candles and light the main candle together.

Feeding Eachother Wedding Cake – Both the husband and wife take turns feeding each other a piece of wedding cake. This represents the new union of the husband and wife.  Also shows their responsibility to take care of each other.

Ideas For Your Enagement Photos

Taking your engagement photos. This is the funnest part of the whole wedding process.  For me, it felt like a break from all the chaos of my planning and a chance to have some fun (and also posing) with my future spouse.  You can add the engagement shoot as part of your photography package.  That benefit can either be discounted, included, or even free.  Also, it would have the same feel as your wedding pictures because the same photographer will be taking the them. Sure, we have plenty of pictures with our partner, but it’s the artistic playfulness of the photographer which makes it a beautiful keepsake.

The traditional way of thinking about engagement pictures is: it’s all just posed.  All mostly serious and doesn’t show personality.  Yes, of course you still want those soft and romantic poses for your formal printed material, like your program or the displayed picture during your reception.

So, when the time comes to decide where you want to take your pictures, keep in mind the scenery around the environment and also what time of day you want the pictures taken.  **Remember, the sun rises in the East and sets in the West.

• I can only speak for California because we have the ocean, desert, forest, and mountains…so we can literally pick any scenery.  But think about nature, like the beach or a place where you go hiking. Nature is great and can be very romantic, especially during sunrise or sunset.

• If those locations are not available near you, think about the park.  There’s grass, trees, and maybe a fountain or statue feature.  Even the jungle gym area, with the swings and see-saw, will give you playful and fun pictures. If this suits your personalities, this location is a gem.

• Think about an art museum or a local visual monument.  There are many interesting features that are visually appealing.  You can climb statues or act like you’re part of the scene.  For example, the library in Cerritos, CA has statues of big books that you can pose with.  This would be a great location of you love to read or for the physical and visual aspect of it.

• Have your engagement shoot during a dinner date.  It can be fun feeding each other with finger foods and having pictures of that.  It can also be romantic with the dark ambience with candle lighting or twinkle lights.

• Go to a festival or carnival. You have many opportunities for different styles and many candid moments if you like spontaneity.  You also have interaction with many people.

• Take your engagement pictures while cooking a meal, like breakfast.  This can be creative in your own element, your home.  Take action in daily activities. It’s fun to be domesticated with your partner.

• Go to a winery. It’s a beautiful scenery and you can get plenty of romantic pictures.

• On a boat or on a bridge.  The thinking is how the picture would relate with water or if you as a couple have a connection with water.  The reflection can add to photography tricks.

• Take pictures with your pets.  They are part of your family and why not include them in your pictures?  Chances are, they might not be able to be at your wedding, so this is one way of keeping them in the process.

Whatever you choose, make it personal, fun and stress free.

Stay-cations as a Great Honeymoon Option

Because we are still hurting a little from the economy and possibly still paying for the wedding, a grand honeymoon may be out of your budget.  Never fear.  There are so many great options to explore.  The whole point of your honeymoon is to spend some time with your hunny and it shouldn’t matter where you go as long as you’re together.

Stay-cations come to mind for mini honeymoons.  It’s affordable and local.  For the most part, you may not need your passport and pay all those overseas taxes.

Of course, my vote is for taking many mini vacations and when you have enough saved up, take a luxurious and grand honeymoon on your anniversary.  (I use the word “honeymoon” when it pertains to taking a vacation with your spouse.  I think you should be able to use the term “honeymoon” all the time, not just after your wedding.  This sets the mood of your romantic vacation.)  Here are some tips of great honeymoon ideas starting from the farthest you can go, for deals, to the most local and hidden gems.

• Visiting our neighboring countries.  You don’t have to go to cross the Atlantic Ocean to enjoy a different culture.  Depending on where you live (East Coast or West Coast, North or South), you are still able to use your passport.  Say you live in New Jersey, you can always cross the border to Canada and visit a specific province.  Another example, if you live in California, as I do, I know there are great deals to visit Mexico by plane or boat.  I guess in the East Coast, the tropical deals would be for Jamaica or even Puerto Rico.

• Fly Domestic or drive to a different state.  Ever think about visiting New York for the first time, visiting New Orleans, or even Seattle?  Maybe you have been always wanting to visit a city or a town for a specific reason or maybe you want to be spontaneous without having to rely on a big budget.  Whether wanting to see the Grand Canyon in Arizona, or the wineries in Napa Valley, CA, you can always think of plenty to do.  Engage yourself in the local activities or tourist attraction.  Maybe look for museums, gardens, a national monument. A great thing to do is to look online first for the local surrounding and restaurants to make an itinerary.  Also look into the city’s tourism website.

• Driving locally.  I say this means only traveling for a few hours or less and maybe staying in your own state.  Since I live in Los Angeles, CA, a stay-cation honeymoon for me would be to drive to Santa Barbara,CA or San Diego, CA.  It’s not too far, but not too close.  If you’re worried that you might feel like you never left for vacation, then I can definitely tell you that even a few hours distance, you already could sense a different environment.

• Within your own town.  Get away by staying in a 5 star hotel or bed & breakfast.  Make it as special and romantic for you.  And just think, if you every need a quick getaway when you’ve already had your family, you can always sneak out for the weekend at that special place where you had your honeymoon.

• This may sound funny, but pull out a map of the united states and with your eyes closed, pin point to somewhere you’ve never been or thought of.  I think that would be for a more adventurous couple.

• For the practical couple, watch the Travel Channel or other travel show.  They always feature a location for its local treasures, like Walt Disney World or Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.  Your honeymoon can be educational too.

• For the food or wine lovers in you, plan a honeymoon based on reviews you’ve heard or maybe follow the seafood trail.  For example, driving up the California Coast to Monterey and Half Moon Bay to try out all the clam chowder and wine.

The lesser known cities may have deals for you, they have plenty of promotions so you can visit them.  Also, the big cities may have other deals to help people spend more money in this economy.  You have a lot of great options and great websites you can use.  My favorite sites are:

• www.kayak.com
• www.costcotravel.com
• www.travelocity.com
• www.hawaiianair.com

In all, you shouldn’t limit yourself because you’re short on your budget.  You’re slight dilemma only brings out your creativity and also fun.  You might realize sites you’ve never thought of visiting or trying new activities also.