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! 

I think we're long over due for a little Etsy eye-candy!  If you have never visited Etsy before, you should stop by immediately but only if you have a multi-hour block to devote to happily skipping from one stop to the next which will all be filled with delightful handmade and vintage items, THOUSANDS of which could potentially be of use to you in your wedding decor, attire, gifts, accessories, etc!  Don't try and spend ten minutes on there...it won't work.  And if you're thinking, "Yeah, right.  This lady doesn't know what she's talking about.  I can do whatever," then just go ahead and try.  I love a good chance to say, "I told you so."  :)

Okay, so here are some more shops that have been either suggested to me or that I've stumbled upon that make my heart go pitter-patter for various reasons.  I hope they make you smile too!

First off we have Choosing You, a shop devoted to moss covered monograms and other shapes.  How cool would these be on your guest book table or hanging by your altar??

     

  

And now something for the men.  These cufflinks from Pink Top Hat would be such a great gift for the groom or the groomsmen!

     

Check out these darling necklaces from designer Rachel D.  These would look so pretty either with a bridal gown, a rehearsal dinner dress, or even everyday wear...

     

This next shop features the ultimate in bling bridal accessories.  Whether you like Paris Hilton or not, she's been spotted wearing items from Kristen Kuehn Designs. 

     

Even your drinks and favors can be tied up in a neat little package when you stop by Fort and Field's shop where you can find cute little bags, straws, and string!

     

Burlap, I believe, is one of life's most underestimated fabrics.  While great for potato sacks, it can be a wonderful texture to add to your wedding palette, and Funky Shique is just such a shop that can help you do this.  Check these fun things out:

     

And finally, here's a link to a shop that specializes in a current hot trend in wedding decor: blue tinted mason jars.  These old canning jars used to be thrown away but have recently been recognized in value for their potential to be vases, candle holders, aisle markers, etc.  Take a look at what Matt Laura Jones offers:

     

So there you have it!  I hope you've enjoyed this snapshot of what Etsy has to offer all of us wedding related people.  What other finds have you found?  What makes your heart go pitter patter?  And we aren't limited by Etsy; share all of your favorite places to find your wedding do-dads!

In more than a few conversations on the QCWeddings.com forum, I have shared information about one of my favorite websites, Etsy.com. After hearing feedback about how people have had overwhelming good luck on this site, I thought it only fair to share the love with all of our blog readers.

For those of you who have not visited Etsy.com yet, I am so excited for you! I remember the first time that I used the site and discovered all the fantastic opportunities on it! Essentially, Etsy.com is an enormous collection of vendors of all things handmade or vintage who have created stores in which they sell their wares. You can literally find just about anything you can imagine. Vintage yearbook pictures? Felt tooth pillows? All natural dog shampoo? You got it! I'm telling you, folks...think of the oddest item in the world and search for it on Etsy.com. There is someone who sells it or someone who is willing to make it custom for you.

Along with all the "weird" stuff on Etsy.com, you can find anything and everything you would ever need for your wedding. Dresses, candles, decorations, favors, banners, invitations, fans, cake stands, jewelry...I could go on forever. I like to think of it as mecca. Here are just a few items found on Etsy.com that are available for purchase:

Remember that this is a very SMALL sampling of some items I found while looking around. Here are some links in case you're interested in finding out more about the items shown above:

Row 1: Wedding Poster, Wedding Band, Tissue Flower Poms, Lace Garter

Row 2: Dress, Table Runner, Marriage Certificate, Necklace

Row 3: Calligraphy, Veil, Bachelorette Party Invites, Bouquet

Row 4: Bolero, Moss Initial, Wedding Sign, Earrings

Warning! Etsy is addictive! If you do not set a kitchen timer, you will stay on the site for hours and alienate your friends and family and fiance! Have fun!

One can hardly go an hour without thinking of or being reminded of the tragedy and the horrific situation being experienced by most of Haiti's people. Few of us in this country are in a position to solely make a major impact on the situation there, but our individual efforts can definitely make a huge difference. Many opportunities have risen over the last week to make a small financial contribution to the aid efforts, and if you are able to do so, please think about a small (or large) donation.

Many of you have other causes that are near and dear to your hearts as well: animal rescue, disease research, helping at-risk children, the list goes on... The generosity of the human spirit never ceases to inspire and amaze me!

I thought an appropriate wedding related post for today could focus around how your wedding could give back to your community. One option that a wedding couple has is making a donation to a selected cause rather than purchasing favors for their guests. Think about it; the average wedding favor can cost anywhere from $1 to $5 per guest on up. If you have two hundred guests, that's $200-$1000 that could go towards a charitable cause of your choice!

Don't get me wrong; this post is not favor-bashing! I know that there are lots of brides and grooms that are excited to present their guests with specific favors which serve as tokens of thanks for being there on the special day. That too can serve as positive energy in a sometimes-draining world!

But if you are a couple (like us) that hasn't thought of anything in particular to give to your guests, then take a moment to consider a donation in the name of your guests. You could have a sign that indicates your intention to your guests, and they will love that they were part of something amazing!

FYI: One easy way that you can make a $10 donation to the Red Cross relief efforts to Haiti is by texting "HAITI" to 90999. The $10 will show up on your cell phone bill, and your cell phone provider will forward the money to the Red Cross. Every little bit counts...