For little ones (under 2), they are probably better off sitting with their parents and may need a high chair, but for those guests that are 2 and above – try these tips: Plan A Happy Meal – use personalized place settings encouraging each guest to feel at home with embroidered napkins held down with a mini Slinky; or buy stuffed animals or ask close relatives to save their “happy meal” toys and use them instead – grandmas love to help with this, providing a cute and lovable wedding favor.

Try kid friendly serving utensils, shiny plates and fun cups with pens they can write pictures and/or their name on or little wooden picture frames ($1 ea. at Michael’s or the Dollar store) – this is especially fun if you’re having a photo booth because they can put the picture in immediately.

For food – serve kiddie favorites like bite-size burgers, tiny pizzas, cones of fries, mini grilled cheese sandwiches and popcorn shrimp will not only guarantee you good (and busy) eaters, but it will also cut catering costs. Make sure they get served first, since they tend to get a little antsy.

For dessert – set up a decadent, interactive dessert area intended just for little ones. A make-your-own-sundae table, a fresh-fruit pineapple boats or s’mores station or candy bar all work well – as does a mix of many kinds of sweets (rice krispie treats, one-bit cupcakes, pink lemonade or frosted animal crackers).

For the older child that wants to help – give them an easy job at the reception, such as bringing your guest book around to adult tables to ensure everyone has a chance to sign it or passing out party favors as guest depart.

Or to make it super easy – hire a childcare service that specializes in private events, like Creative Childcare Solutions.

(paraphrased from Modern Bride)

By Shellie Bailey-Shah and KATU Web Staff
It’s usually a once-in-a-lifetime event. You’ve got one shot at making your wedding perfect.

Brides – and sometimes grooms – often plan a year in advance.

But even in this feel-good industry, brides-to-be have to be on guard. So we’ve got tips to make sure your walk down the aisle is a smooth one.

When Caryn Bires’ bridesmaids dresses arrived in the wrong color of embroidery, she complained to the bridal shop owner.

“I looked at her and said, ‘You won’t be getting any referrals from me.’ And she said, ‘We don’t need your referrals,” Bires said. “It was a shock when they didn’t care whether I was happy or not.”

Kailyn Marcus was livid when she found out that her $5,000, made-to-order gown was never ordered by her bridal shop.

Only after an in-store showdown did she end up with an altered floor model.

“I know they get away with it because a bridal purchase is a one-time purchase,” she said. “This isn’t something hopefully that you’re doing every year.”

None of it surprises wedding planner Molli Barrs.

She steers brides clear of a handful of bridal shops in the area and offers this tip, no matter where you order:

“Say your wedding is August 15, tell them July 15,” she said. “There’s no reason that they really have to know … That just gives you an extra month of breathing room.

And Barrs shares with us other tricks of the trade, beginning with location.

To get your first choice, avoid July, August and September, which are the busiest months for weddings here.

Instead, focus on January through April, and you may even get a discounted rate.

Next the cake. They taste good now, Barrs said, so definitely take advantage of the fact that people do cake tastings.

As for the food, visit an event to see your potential caterer in action. That goes for the DJ or band too. You want to see how they interact with the crowd and if that matches your personal style.

In terms of flowers, look carefully at the florist’s portfolio and consider seasonal flowers to save money.

When choosing a photographer, Barrs said it’s a question of quality.

“The digital age has come out and all of sudden everyone who can shoot a digital camera says, ‘Oh I’m going to be a photographer,” she said.

Remember: You get what you pay for.

And what’s the biggest thing bridal couples miss? Not paying for a wedding video. Many wish after the fact that they’d hired a videographer.

No matter who you hire, make sure you do the following with each vendor:

Check the business’ history with the state attorney general’s office, the Better Business Bureau and even Citysearch.
Get references for each vendor from recent brides with your same budget.
Look for a vendor who has been in business for awhile.
And only pay the minimum deposit; never pay in full or you’ll lose your leverage
You certainly can plan a wedding without an official wedding planner, but if you’re concerned about customer service, it’s something to consider.

While you, the bride, are not a repeat customer – the wedding planner often is.

from Colin Cowie – Celebrity Wedding Planner.

There are two big trends happening with weddings today; one of them is the destination wedding where we get to take a small group of our family and friends to a wonderful secluded island or destination where we spend wonderful quality time with one another, and the second big trend is getting married barefoot on the beach.

Colin’s client’s ceremony took place on the beach right next to the beautiful crystal blue water. Instead of a straight aisle, they used a serpentine aisle that weaved its way to an arbor. Instead of seating the guests on regular chairs, they seated them on pods or ottomans covered in three shades of different sand colors: dark wet sand, light dry sand, and very light, almost white sand. The aisles were further demarcated with aisle stations that were made out of metal frames and then hot glued with shells. They added moss, Pincushion Proteas, carnations, and intertwined yards of orange silk ribbon.

At the end of the aisle was a beautiful arbor embellished with the same materials, with a magnificent dome on top made out of starfish. Where the starfish intersected, we hung small pearls. The guests were seated just as the sun began to set, creating a glow over the ceremony site. The bridesmaids wore coral-colored dresses and the groomsmen white linen.

Cocktails were served on the beach. Trays of poached jumbo shrimp, chilled lobster, and glasses of chilled bubbly made the rounds. After about 45 minutes, a gospel choir came onto the beach and formed a long conga line. Tiki torches were lit and they sang “Oh Happy Day” from the beach to the party area. When guests got to the top of the steps, they were given a damp towel to dust the sand off their feet and could then change into their evening shoes. They then followed the gospel choir and the bridal party all the way through the grounds of the sumptuous Ocean Club (in the Bahamas), past the pool, and down steps into a beautifully decorated tent set in the garden.

In keeping with the color scheme of all coral and white, the ceiling was swathed first in gorgeous, voluminous white organza, while streamers of coral organza came down from the ceiling and separated at the sides, making beautiful draperies that were pulled back all the way around the perimeter of the tent allowing the indoors to come out, and the outdoors to come in.

The guests were seated at long tables swathed in ivory linen with beautiful coral linen runners down the center of the tables to anchor the tables. Punctuated down the table runners were beautiful arrangements of flowers, all in silk covered boxes. The striped boxes were filled with coral-colored Pincushion Proteas, a taller center box was filled with beautiful blooming single-petal peonies, while lower troughs were packed abundantly with coral-colored carnations. The backs of the bride and groom’s chairs were packed with beautiful peonies and silk streamers.

Dinner included fresh seafood (of course) and the cake was also decorated in the coral theme. After the cake cutting, the guests followed the bride and groom back to the pool where it had magically transformed into a night club, complete with mirror balls, billowing fabric, and a DJ who kept the party going until way into the wee wee hours of the morning.

When guests got back to their hotel rooms, Colin had an emergency hangover kitswaiting, and a note of sweet dreams from the bride and groom.

In 2009 look for YELLOW to be the hot color in weddings! Whether it’s the color of your bridesmaids dresses or just an accent color, yellow will be popping up in weddings all year long.

So what other colors go with such a powerful color? Try different shades of orange, turquoise or pink. Your guests are sure to remember your beautiful color choices for years to come.

Not sold on the whole yellow thing? Try adding a pattern to your wedding. Yes, that’s right, a pattern! Patterns are back and going to be bigger than ever this year!

Polka dots, stripes, or paisleys when it comes to patterns there are tons to choose from. Whether you follow the latest trends or go with your own ideas, always remember to have fun and your wedding will be amazing!

Courtesy of Heather Halstead ~ Sorella Events