ChaChaGirls

What are you doing this weekend?

With 40,000 weddings each weekend, chances are you might be attending one, or even be the bride!

As the holiday season closes, more than 26 percent of marriage proposals occur from Thanksgiving – New Years according to a survey group from Modern Bride magazine. Maybe the grooms have a chance to meet the parents and ask “permission” to propose, or just being around family enhances their desire to get their own ball rolling. If you just got engaged, that is ChaCha fabulous, and now the fun begins!

As someone who was married when Pluto was still a planet, some things have changed and other traditional elements remain. The dress, photographer, band or DJ, invitations and flowers are the standard expensive costs. All the other accessories have increased ten-fold in choices. On average, US couples spend $19,581 for their wedding. However, the majority of couples spend between $14,686 and $24,476. This does not include cost for a honeymoon or engagement ring. Check out www.costsofwedding.com which as an amazing chart to help you think of everything you need.

Back in my day (you know when cell phones were the size of a 2 liter Coke bottle), having your name and wedding date imprinted on mint packs and almonds wrapped in tulle were the big party favors. Nowadays, the choices are endless. Just when I thought matches were not used anymore, they are featured by Martha Stewart’s wedding website as the cutest save the date invite with the phrase “See the Sparks Fly” and the date. In fact, there were so many choices of creative accessories to promote your wedding event, my head was spinning and I am thankful that I didn’t have to decide, or I might have had to elope!

If you have a themed wedding such a beach site or a winter wonderland, your favors may coordinate such as personalized lip balm or lotion. Nowadays, there are even eco-friendly wedding favors with biodegradable wedding confetti from www.beau-coup.com. I am a sucker for the wedding favor bag that you receive when you check into the hotel. I love seeing what the bride (and I guess to be politically correct the groom too) chose. From the wedding favors website, you can have personalized water bottles, decks of cards, stemless wine glasses, and even “meant to bee” personalized honey jars. The Wedding Favors company has a variety of choices in difference price points to meet all bride’s budgets for your shower and wedding. Visit them at www.weddingfavors.com.

It is Cha Cha mind-blowing looking at all the party favors and accessories for the future Mr. and Mrs. wedding couple of 2011. First for the honeymoon, start your morning off with a thirty dollar gift set from the Rosemary Company that has a “Wake Up and Smell the Coffee” set with bride and groom coffee mugs, Mr. and Mrs. Tote bag, and other morning accessories. For forty dollars, they have a “Batch of Romance” kitchen set with a newlywed cookbook, Mr. and Mrs. aprons, melt my heart ice cube tray, and a heart whisk.

Another Cha-Cha creative centerpiece for a less formal wedding can be using balloons and candy. The candy warehouse website has a variety of candy by color and theme. You can have each table with a different color and then coordinate the place-cards by color. Or, stick to the same color for a classy uniformed look but use different types of candy in glass bowls and old apothecary jars with lids.

If you think you have the cutest wedding favor or save the date idea, let me know and you can win the best bridesmaid wedding favor of all, a ChaCha ring in a color of your choice!
Contact Suzanne at s@chachabella.com