Finally!  We've broken through the winter/spring rut of groggy days and murky weather to beautiful sunshine and warm temps...REALLY warm temps!  Yesterday, my (non-airconditioned) office thermostat let me know that it was a lovely 87 degrees.  While us summer brides may love the warmth, our guests may have mixed feelings about traveling or sitting outside on a summer day.  And while the day IS in fact for the bride and groom, ya gotta keep those guests happy as well.  Children, pregnant woman, or elderly guests can are more easily affected by extreme temps as well. 

Here are some tips to keep those guests cool and happy...

1) Alert your guests to the fact that your wedding is outside, if that is the case.  Knowing ahead of time that they will be sitting outside in July will give guests a chance to make appropriate outfit choices.

2) Consider portable shelters or air conditioning.  It's amazing how far venue supply rentals have come.  You can rent tents that have misters or even air conditioning units to keep the cool air flowing. 

3) Avoid metal.  Some rental companies offer metal chairs which could burn someone if left out in the sunny weather.  Opt for plastic or wooden chairs if possible.  Heat can easily scorch someone's bare skin or even go through some lighter clothing. 

4) Give out "cool" favors such as sunscreen, blotting papers, handkerchiefs, fans, parasols, or water bottles. 

5) Keep the cool drinks flowing.  Iced beverages taste especially nice on a hot day.

So this is just a start... There are tons of other things that you can do to keep your guests happy!  Remember - happy guests equal great photographs, good groove on the dance floor, and fantastic memories of your wedding day! 

Hear ye, hear ye!  I declare this post in the name of random wedding rants!  I know that brides are supposed to be delicate and demure and that grooms should be gallant and composed, but damnit!  Sometimes planning a wedding can be a little taxing.  This post today is in substitution of a therapy session.  You, dear readers, are my surrogate psychiatrists.  Here we go…

RANT NUMBER 1:  CONVERSATION AUTOPILOT

Do any of you brides and grooms feel that sometimes you’re answering the same questions over and over?  As our wedding has approached, I feel like I am having the same conversation on auto play repeat no matter where I go.  It sounds something like this:

Someone else:  Hey, your wedding is coming up soon isn’t it?

Me:  Yeah, it’s in (fill in appropriate number) weeks.  It’s coming so fast!

Someone else:  So what do you guys have left to plan?

Me:  Oh not much…just little odds and ends.

Someone else:  How exciting!

Me:  Yeah.

Don’t get me wrong, folks!  I’m excited to get married!  I love all things wedding!  I love imagining how the day will look and feel.  And it’s so nice to hear how people are excited for us.  I’m just a lil’ tired and answering the same question over and over tends to become automated.  Surprise me and ask me something unexpected like how does your cleavage look in your wedding dress or have you considered having a petting zoo at the reception?

RANT NUMBER 2:  SUMMER WAS APPROXIMATELY THREE HOURS LONG. 

At the beginning of our engagement, I would have maybe one wedding project a month which would be leisurely addressed, and I could change my mind a million times without feeling the time crunch of my impending nuptials.  Lately, time has become a precious commodity that seems to be dwindling. 

I’ve had a full schedule this summer of projects, contacts, parties, double checking, fittings, tastings, crafting, bartering, shopping, and blogging.  I still have things on my to do list!  Grrr!!

I remember thinking that I was so happy that I would be done with my school in the spring before we got married this fall because that meant that I could easily finish up any wedding projects this summer without rush or crunching. 

It seems to me that I’m the type of person who will find something to occupy her time even if she’s finished all her projects.  This is my own doing, and I need to come to terms that my to-do list will never end. 

RANT NUMBER 3:  PEOPLE ASSUME AN INVITE.

I’ll make this one short and blunt.  People should never ever ever assume that they are invited to someone’s wedding, especially if they are not a close friend or family.  It is just plain rude for someone to approach a bride or groom to be and ask them for an invite or tell them that they hope they’re invited to the wedding.  I cannot tell you how many people (who I think should know better) have blatantly asked if they could come to our wedding.  Who does this???  I know that weddings are exciting and fun, folks, but you really put a bride or a groom in an EXTREMELY AWKWARD spot when this question is posed.  It has some to do with whether or not the bride and groom likes you, but the scope of a guest list is also dictated by many other factors.    

RANT NUMBER 4:  THE “WHAT IF” GAME.

Unless a bride or groom specifically approaches you and says that they would like to brainstorm possible disaster scenarios and back up plans for their wedding day, don’t play devil’s advocate.  It causes unnecessary drama.  No matter what happens on the wedding day, things will work out.  If someone forgets something or stands in the wrong place, IT WILL BE OKAY.  So stop with the what if, and just let the bride and groom enjoy their time leading up to the wedding.

RANT NUMBER 5:….UM…….

Hmm…I guess I have no more rants right now.  My apologies for this unusually negative post, but I could feel these thoughts banging around in my brain, and I needed a cathartic experience to get them out.  I feel much better.  Thanks for listening as my verbosity ran amuck.  Now it’s your turn.  If you need to scream, scream.  If you need to shout an explicative in the middle of the mall, do it…in Swahili.  If you need to karate chop something, take a rug outside and beat the ever-loving mess out of it.  Then straighten your veil, get your nails did, and slap that smile back on. 

Tell me on the message board what you’d like to rant about today.  It will make me feel better for being so cranky in this post!  J

If you ask a random sample of people, you are going to hear mixed results regarding the necessity of various spa treatments.  Some people will swear by a weekly pedicure and wouldn't think of missing an appointment for a stress reducing massage.  Others will tell you that their money is better spent elsewhere.  Spa services can add up, but since this is your wedding, you may want to consider a little indulgence to make you relaxed and as beautiful as can be on your big day! 

We have many QCA salons and spas that can accommodate your wedding party for spa treatments on the day of and leading up to the wedding.  These are some of the treatments you may want to consider:

Trial Up Do and Up Do - Even if you plan on getting your hair curled by a professional, you are probably going to pay for an "up do".  Many brides fork the fee over though as there is something to be said for beautiful and secure hair on your wedding day.  If you have a veil or a head piece, your up do service should probably include placement and securement so that everything stays put.  I plan on having a very simple style with my hair down, but I am still leaving the work to a professional.  Well before the big day, you should also schedule a trial up do so that you and your stylist can have some time to find the right placement, size of curls, etc for your hair.  Leaving this to the day of could be really stressful especially if you are looking for something specific.  Bring pictures and ideas for inspiration.  Depending on where you go, plan on investing anywhere from $50-200 plus tip on these services.

Photo-ready Make Up - You are on any given day a beautiful person, but in our world of high resolution photography, you will want to make sure that your skin texture and color looks amazing!  The trend right now is to shy away from cream make up products as they can literally melt off of your face causing creases and smudges before you even get to the alter.  The new mineral products and the traditional powder products seem to stay put better for the long haul in extreme weather conditions.  Even if you are getting married in the Arctic Tundra, you never know what your nerves can do to your sweat glands.  A professional in this field should be able to give you great advice and services on products for your skin type and desired look.  Again, you will probably want to schedule a trial make up session so that you can bring inspiration pictures.  For make up services, plan on spending anywhere from $25-100 plus tip.

Mani/Pedis - Next to your gorgeous smile, people will be looking at your hands the most on your wedding day.  Everyone will want to look at your ring, and the photographer will probably take some close ups during the ceremony of anything you do such as signing the marriage certificate, so make sure that you get those cutticles under control and slap on a pretty color with a manicure before your wedding.  Your feet are in for a long day of standing and dancing, plus I just know you have a fabulous pair of shoes to don, so make sure you get a pedicure before your wedding as well.  For that matter, you may want to get one AFTER the wedding day too as your feet will need a little R and R.  In my humble opinion, I think that you should get your mani/pedi taken care of the day BEFORE your wedding day.  This gives your nail color plenty of time to cure so that you don't have smudges.  Make sure you sit under that weird light table (I know you know what I'm talking about...what are those things called anyway??) at the nail salon for plenty of time before you get ready to leave.  And for heaven's sake, take your bridal party with you!  They will also be photographed, and beyond that, having someone to talk to for an hour or two other than the nail artist will be a relief.  No offense nail artist people, I just think us brides will need our gal pals around us for mental support when its this close to the wedding day.  Many spas offer various levels of pedicures and manicures from an "express" service to a "luxury" service.  For a mani/pedi combo, plan on spending anywhere from $40 to $150 plus tip.

Massage Services - It's a few days before your wedding.  You've answered a serices of a thousand questions and planned tripple back up plans for every worst-case scenario imaginable, and now you need a time out where no one can find you.  There is only one occasion in the entire world this can happen - at a massage appointment.  Leave your phone in your car, request that the masseuse play some soothing music, shut your eyes and your mouth for an hour, and let the stress get worked out of you.  There are all kinds of massage services from a traditional rub down to a full on ass-whooping massage.  You can also have yourself wrapped up and/or smeared with any number of soothing materials like mud, salts, honey (kidding), etc.  Some places offer express massages all the way up to 90 minute massages.  For an hour massage, plan on spending anywhere from $45-150 plus tip.  Add more if you want the honey or other add ons.  :)

Facials - Before I go any further please note this advice - DO NOT GET YOUR FIRST FACIAL EVER DURING THE WEEK BEFORE YOUR WEDDING.  You need to have the service and the product tested on you when you would have plenty of time to heal should your face react badly.  You do not want to leave this to chance and end up with swollen, red skin on your wedding day.  Now if you're thinking that facials sound horrifying, please realize that I am describing extreme cases here, but do yourself a favor, and schedule maybe a series of facials leading up to your wedding over a few months period so that your esthitician can give you sound advice on your current skin condition and best products/practices.  Facials can do wonders like extracting black heads, exfolating, deep moisturizing, blemish treatment, sinus relief, etc.  You want that "glow" that everyone keeps raving about?  Facials, baby.  Plan on spending $40-100 plus tip for one facial treatment, depending on the services you need...

So where can we go to get all this done?  There are plenty of amazing places in the QCA that you can visit to have any of these services done.  You'll probably want to check out the John Taylor salon and day spa that is located in the new Jumers Casino in Rock Island.  With a luxurous and relaxing atmosphere, you can have ALL of these services scheduled for you.  You will work with extremely talented professionals who know how to make you look and feel your most beautiful!  You can check out their website to see a list of their services, and give them a buzz at 309-756-4696 to schedule your appointment.

Things to consider:

• Don't forget to leave a tip for your salon/spa services.  Generally speaking, ettitquette tells us to leave somewhere between 15 and 20% of your total bill (before any discount) for your tip. 
• Schedule your appointments for hair/makeup/etc. well in advance of your wedding.  Many places can book you six months or more in advance, and you will probably not be the only bridal party trying to get in for hair and make up on that weekend.  Think ahead so you can get in to your prefered salon/spa without hassle.
• Look for inspiration photos for skin/hair/make up before going to your appointments.  The person working with you should be a great listener and a skilled artist who can pull off a look close to what you want within reason.
• Don't over book yourself on your actual wedding day.  You can spread your beauty appointments out so that you aren't stressed out rushing around to get everything done on that day.  That would give you the opposite effect of the relaxation that these appointments are supposed to bring!

So where have you ladies and gents all gone before for these sorts of spa treatments?  Where is your favorite place?  Share on the message board!!

You plan, and you plan, and you plan. Then you plan a little more. Even if you are the most organized person in the world, at some point along your wedding planning journey, something out of your control will happen. When this does, you have two options:

Option A: First you can whine and complain and tell everyone that you meet that life is just not fair. You could follow this up by adopting a sense of paranoia that everyone is out to get you and make you feel stupid for caring too much about the little things. The last step in this option would be to sit for a few hours in front of the TV and watch some Bridezillas episodes until you realize how silly you are being, thus resorting to Option B (see below).

Option B: Don't worry! With this option, you can also whine and complain, but you must limit this to a specified amount of time. (You may just want to write "the bad thoughts" in your diary that you keep under your mattress.) Next, take a deep breath, and realize that no matter what your wedding is going to be an amazing day even if all of your plans fall apart. You've still got the bride. You've still got the groom. You've still got the love.

I'll admit it. I went through option A and B this week, and I've lived to tell (type) the tale. We found out this week that our beloved event coordinator at our wedding location had resigned unexpectedly. This is a person who we have grown to really like because she was absolutely dependable, organized, smart, and supportive. Poof. She's gone. (This is when I resorted to Option A.) Once I awoke from my panicked stupor, my fiance reminded me that everything was going to be fine. As it turns out, the big boss at our reception site gave us a call to personally assure us that everything was going to be handled as it should be. He even had us come out to the site this morning to go over all the details. About a minute into the conversation, I knew that my fiance was right, and I relaxed and went back to the normal demure bride who resonates with Option B.

I know that other things for our wedding will turn out differently than expected, and hopefully the next time they do, I can bypass Option A and go straight into Option B.

What about you all? What major or minor catastrophe has happened while you have been planning your wedding? How did you handle it? Are you a mostly Option A or Option B person?