We have some amazing stationery and invitations on sale in our retail store.  They are going fast, so make sure you get them today!

Here are today’s featured items:

Item #1 is a beautiful blue Ribbon and Charm attachment.  Buying invitations with ribbons is more expensive. Here is a low cost alternative.  Just attach the ribbon to the outside of the invitation for a beautiful embellishment. They also come in blue!

Item #2 is a three-dimensional martini invitation. This fun and creative invitation can also be used as a placecard holder, menu card, or cocktail invitation.

Item #3 is a tropical invitation. This card is perfect for a destination wedding, reception or rehearsal dinner. The invites also come with printed envelopes keeping with the destination theme.

Stay tuned for more sale items to come….

Now that you have valuable knowledge regarding the budget for your wedding, it’s time to work. It is important to remember as you create a budget to have categories to track spending for flowers, food, beverages and other items (Excel is a great tool for this). Below is a percentage break down of spending for the average wedding.

Reception site rental, food and beverage: 37% Photography: 10% Florist: 10% Music: 10% Bride and Groom attire: 10% Wedding Coordinator: 10% Invitations, programs, calligraphy: 5% Misc (clergy, guest favors, attendants gifts, transportation):5% Ceremony site rental: 3%

After looking over this budget hopefully you can see where more money can be spent in one category and where less money can be spent in another. Example: holding the ceremony and reception at the same site will allow you to have a larger budget for invitations.

Credit: New and Blue, Bravo Weddings

Here’s a really cool way to put all of your engagement, wedding and/or honeymoon pictures into one place.  Create your own book!  You have to check out Good Stock Press and Bindery

This is perfect for anniversary gifts, wedding gifts, birthday gifts or just because. You can do this for anything in you life. Maybe you want to do a family history or document your baby’s first year. It is completely customizable and they walk you through the process.  We love this idea!

Do you know what the history of the wedding veil is? 

Which of the following best describes what the veil was used for?

A.  To hide the bride from her groom in an arranged marriage

B.  As a sign of purity and virtue

C.  To ward off evil spirits

D.  All of the Above

Answer: D - According to ehow.com, all of the above

Need information on cake toppers, invitations, bridal party gifts?  Please take a look at newandblue.com.

The trend moving forward for 2010 seems to be a lot of Do-It-Yourself.  This is a great way to save some money and make your special day exactly the way you want.

New and Blue has a lot of fun ways to cut costs and get you the wedding you want.  Check out our DIY invitations, necessities and books.

We have just put some amazing items on sale!  They are going to go fast!

These are delicious smelling coffee candles which are perfect for bridal showers and wedding favors.  

This luxurious bag is ideal for toting cosmetics in a small purse or works well as a jewelry tote.

White wedding cake candle in decorative box.  Perfect for bridal showers and wedding favors, or decorate the wedding cake tables with these great give-aways.

According to Brides Magazine, below is a list of wedding tasks that every groom enjoys.  We think some of these will surprise you so don’t leave your groom out of the planning but rather try not to make him go on the appointment with the florist!

1.  Asking his best friend to be his best man

2.  Designing your wedding website

3.  Working on the play-list

4.  Picking out the appetizers

5.  Creating a wedding micro-brew

6.  Choosing what he’ll wear

7.  Comparing cake flavors

8.  Researching the honeymoon

9.  Figuring out the map/directions cards

10.  Going to the menu tasting

11.  Proofreading invitations, programs, etc.  (Guys like to find mistakes.)

12.  Wielding the scan gun when you register

13.  Getting a day-before massage

14.  Choosing your wedding day ride

15.  Writing his vows (you’d be surprised!)

16.  Attending the bachelor party

17.  Unwrapping presents

18.  Deciding on wines

19.  Organizing pyrotechnics of any type - fireworks, sparklers, etc.

20.  Practicing the first kiss

Taken from the January 2010 issue of Bride Magazine, page 292.

According to Wikipedia, the original role of the bridesmaid was to dress in identical clothing as the bride and groom so that evil spirits couldn’t figure out who the bride and groom were.  It also kept ill-wishers from casting curses on the wedding.  In other traditions, the bride and groom would dress as the wedding party so that they blended in.  There were by tradition, 10 bridesmaids in attendance because Roman Law required that there be 10 witnesses at the wedding.

Gifts were given to the bridesmaids as a way of saying thank you for all they had done for the bride.  Originally the brides family would pay for the travel expenses and clothing requirements.  And in return bridesmaids would be expected to help pay for the parties the bride would want to have before the wedding (ie. wedding shower, bachelorette party).

We see so much information for the bride, but there is also good information out there for the groom-to-be.  Find out what to do for bachelor parties, what the groom’s responsibility is for the honeymoon, what his Groom Duties are and much more.

One of the big decisions in the wedding process is whether you want to change your name to your new husband’s, or keep the one you’ve always had.  It’s a very difficult and personal decision, but if you decide you DO want to make the change, we’ve found msnowmrs.com which can literally walk you through the 3-step process and make the logistical nightmare a dream come true.