What we love...

These dresses are just wonderful... We love them

It's all on you my dear to look good with your maids 

Be inspired

Arabic Bridal Inspiration

To my Arabic inspired brides...

Something new has crossed my page. That is none other than Nadia House of Beauty and Bridal Boutique

Nadia House of Beauty boutique has various gowns and bridal jewelry for rent and for sale. 


They also have evening dresses, casual clothes, handbags and shoes.

The salon provides all the facility for hair and body care and special bridal packages.

They are located at Ilala Bungoni 4th shop before Crystal Palace Hotel. If you are in Dar es salaam, Tanzania you can also call them on +255 714 332 332

Fix the wedding Puzzle...

My dear friends,

I have realized most brides lately are not sure of what they want for their weddings. We dream so much about the big day, Now that it is around the corner we don't know what to do anymore.

My all time, old school plan is to make a list of what we need to do and what we need for our big day to be the best. The most important items include:

Wedding Color:
I believe by the time you say yes, you had already read the signs before he even popped the question. And in saying that I mean you might have come to terms with a number of colors that you love. The list might be awfully long and needs some narrowing down, but with this list at least you will have a starting point even if it's to go to a planner...

Wedding theme:
I know at least every bride has a fantasy, be it the cartoon she watched as a kid or a recent movie that caught her attention. All is possible in setting theme for your wedding but your major concern should be the location and whether are the two compatible or not. You can always have a variety of ideas that will enable you make decisions...

Location:
So is it going to be an indoor or outdoor event. Decoration details can be determined by the location of your event, meaning either more flower, balloons e.t.c the question will be answered once the location has been named. As you know the florist will need to see the venue for them to determine how much s/he has to put in. The venue also determines the sitting arrangement and table plan, therefore knowing the location can help almost all the necessary details of your big day.
Most importantly, to avoid inconveniences on your day determine the weather condition and you can as well check out the weather forecast for that particular day.

Budget:
How much money have you set for the day. Probably this is something you will have to discuss with your fiancé as for it is common here in Africa that the wedding is for men to take care of. But you might need to know as it is the modern world that we share most of the cost and some couples actually the woman pays for the entire wedding. with the estimated budget on the table you will be able to decide on so many things and this will help you determine whether or not to ask for financial assistance from family and friends.

Guest list:
Well with your estimate budget in place, now you can think of drafting your guest list. In making this list consider how big would you want your wedding to be. There after list down all your family members that are to attend the wedding, coz you wouldn't want to go to the reception only to realise your favourite aunty was not invited. then, you can list down the rest with priority of course

Wish List
Everyone has something that you wishing someone could buy you as a present. Now this is the moment... Make a list of all things that you wish to have them in your home and then distribute it the coming guests. Remember this will enable you to have unique gifts rather than having them repeatedly.

Inspirational Celebrity Wedding

Monica and Shanon Brown Fairytale wedding

Photos of their official wedding:

OMG! Look at that dress... Won't u just feel like a cinderella. She was a true princess

Not all the time the maids should be in something short... these Blue long dresses looked amazing on the ladies. OMG! Did someone say Ciara... Yeah she was one of the maids too

... that is how invitees were arriving to the wedding

Their private wedding photos:

A dress would never go wrong on her, this is just too perfect

 

That was how guests were invited

Their wedding planner, Mindy Weiss, created a blue-themed wedding wonderland at the renovated cathedral Vibiana in downtown Los Angeles. The couple secretly tied the knot in a private ceremony in the fall of  2010, but they decided to hold another "official" wedding in front of family and friends. 

After the ceremony the couple flew to the Caribbean exotic Island of Anguilla in Ludacris' plane. The couple officially got married in July 2011.

With two sons and she still looks gorgeous

Be inspired!!!

Bridal Items we love

I found some beautiful pair of shoes that you'd die for. 

Who said u can't say I do with some sexy shoes...

Stylish invitation cards is what we are looking at right now and this is it. 

Invitation cards with Pearls is what we call classy for Pearl lovers...

Go for it and make your day special

Managing wedding budget

Well I have been thinking so much lately on how I can plan a minimal budget wedding for a client. In my search for ideas i came across this and I thought why not share...

Couples fight more about money than anything else, so why start marriage with debt on your backs?Careful attention to debt management before the wedding will pay off in the early years of your marriage, and help establish lifelong healthy spending habits.

There are so many options for today’s weddings that costs can easily balloon out of control. Consumer credit counseling experts advise following a few key steps for managing debt when planning a wedding:

1. Look carefully at your finances. How much do you have in savings, and how much can you save each month before the wedding? For effective debt management, consider this the total budget amount you can spend on your wedding.
2. Ask each of your parents if they plan to contribute to your wedding, or if there are specific things they may be willing to pay for. Bear in mind that if they contribute financially, parents deserve to have input on how the money is spent.
3. If expenses threaten to expand past your budget, consumer debt counselors advise increasing income rather than taking on debt. Can you find temporary extra work? Are there duplicate household items you can sell in a yard sale or online?
4. If you will be able to pay it in full each month, consider opening a new credit card account just for the wedding that will earn you airline miles, cash back, or other incentives. It’s a good way to accurately track wedding expenses, and can help pay for your honeymoon.

If you need help finding ways to set aside funds, consider meeting with a consumer debt counseling expert. Through a ClearPoint credit counseling session, their personal certified credit counselors focus on helping people maximize their budgeting and debt management skills to build savings and pay off debt.

Once you know the total amount you will spend on the wedding, it’s time to create the budget. Here are some general spending guidelines:

Ceremony (location, fees, licenses)   3%

Reception (location, food, cake, decorations)   48%

Attire (dress, tuxedo)   10%

Rings   3%

Flowers (bouquets, decorations)   8%

Music (ceremony, reception)   8%

Photography (photographer video, prints)   12%

Transportation (shuttles, parking)   2%

Stationary (invitations, guest book, thank you notes)    3%

Gifts (for bridesmaids and groomsmen)   3%

TOTAL            100%

For effective debt management, prioritize by choosing a few “most important” items. You may want to pay a premium for an amazing photographer, but are happy to bargain hunt on the dress. Cross off anything that you don’t need. For example, if both the ceremony and reception are at one location, you might not need transportation.

If the numbers still aren’t working, it can help to have them reviewed by an impartial expert. Consumer debt counselors at a nonprofit credit counseling agency such as ClearPoint Credit Counseling Solutions are experienced in structuring budgets to best manage debt. You may find it possible to have the wedding of your dreams without starting married life in debt.

Source: ClearPoint Credit Counseling Solutions