Here at Wedding and Party Network we want to give you inspiration for your wedding photos. So, here are some of our favorite "Inner-Child" Groomsmen pictures to do just that. Every groomsmen loves showing off their fun personality in photos, instead of being serious. So, have your wedding photographer capture their inner-playfulness for some great wedding photos.

Every woman looks forward to her wedding day, that wonderful day that every bride dreams of with her perfect dress, gorgeous jewelry, fabulous hair and magical details. But, what about the groom and his groomsmen? Of course they look forward to the special day, the day they can call their special someone 'theirs'.  Let's face it, we all know that the inner-child in most men is hiding inside, aside from focusing on marrying the love of their life. Fun, anxious and ready for adventure are in all of them. Now, we expect them to stand still and act like a grown man on his special day, but all day? No way! There is one way that we can really let their true character shine through, that is, of course, if they promise to behave the rest of the day! This is by letting your groom and his friends make their pictures come alive! Playing up their likes, showing off their hobbies or just being plain old goofy you will make your groom's day that much better!

Every Friday, Wedding and Party Network will be choosing a theme or color and give you inspirational photos. We want to help give you inspiration for your next event, wedding or party. So, take a look and we hope to give you a bit of inspiration when planning your wedding or party. Our inspirational board will give everyone inspiration on rainbow weddings! Who doesn't love a rainbow? Your wedding day is a day to celebrate the bond between you and your spouse. A day to celebrate your new journey together. So, what better way than to include vibrant colors to express your happiness? Between the invitations, food, decor, cake and clothing – you can arrange for a multi-faceted, one-of-a-kind wedding that reflects you and your bright personality.

Here are some great ideas to turn your Fall Wedding into a rainbow of delight.

Meshing together different colors can easily get out of hand, but knowing just the right amount can turn an average wedding into something your guests will never forget! You don't have to use every color in the rainbow, you can choose three or four colors, bright and vibrant colors. Then, just run with it.

Invitations: You will want your wedding invitations to look a little bohemian, with lightly muted, yet vibrant colors. Alternate the color of the writing with the color of the patterns and find a subtle but exciting in-between.

The Dress: You want your wedding dress magical for your perfect day. So, find a beautiful white or off-white dress and accent it with one of the colors from your scheme. A bright scarf around your waist, rainbow feathered hair clips, bright nail polish or beautiful rainbow jewelry will add just the right amount of flair. A bright pair of shoes will look fabulous peeking out from under your dress.

Bridesmaids and Groomsmen: Different color dresses will look great when matching the groomsmen ties or suspenders! Multi-colored sunglasses will add a nice touch for the groomsmen as well.

Flowers: Your flowers will tie everything together, especially when using all the colors from your theme. You can create lavish and vibrant centerpieces and wedding bouquets that will leave everyone with a smile.

Reception: If you are having an indoor reception, you can use different colored lights for the dance floor or have them shining on the walls to create a fun and bright atmosphere.

Menu: When choosing your rainbow menu, use brightly colored foods. Your desert and appetizers can include fresh fruit or a serve yourself candy buffet.

The Cake: If a rainbow cake is too much for you, you can create a beautiful and traditional wedding cake. However, the key will be to dye the inside of the cake with your wedding colors. No one will see the rainbow inside until you cut the first piece.

Music: A great version of Some Where Over The Rainbow will bring everything together.

Butterfly Release: Top it all off with a butterfly release. Release beautiful, bright, and vibrant colored butterflies to represent a new beginning for the happy couple.

Special thank you to nattywoohoo, james p wells, dalboz17, manue_aka_crazeecrafteez, jiggs images, ex.libres, concubine, conner keller, janierry, and jj_judes for their inspiring rainbow photos via Flickr.

Flowers are an essential part of any wedding. The colors, fragrances and beautiful arrangements play a big role in your wedding. So, when you are choosing your wedding flowers, look beyond the colors and styles. All flowers have meanings that can convey a message without saying a word. This is called the language of flowers that speaks to us all, if we know how to listen. Let's take a look at the meanings behind some of the more popular wedding flowers.

What are your wedding flowers saying?

• Baby's Breath: Represents innocence
• Calla Lily: Stands for Magnificent beauty, elegance and charm
• Red Carnations: Represents love. Pink shows gratitude while white conveys talent
• Chrysanthemum: Symbolizes wealth, abundance and truth
• Daffodil: Conveys respect
• Daisy: Represents romance and shared feelings
• Delphinium: Stands for swiftness and lightness
• Freesia: Symbolizes innocence
• Gardenia: Represents purity and joy
• Hydrangea: Conveys understanding
• Iris: Shows a message of faith and wisdom
• Lilac: Stands for royalty, truth and honor
• Lilies: Represent innocence and purity
• Pink Lilies: Show prosperity
• Stargazer Lilies: Convey aspiration
• Lily of the Valley: Symbolizes happiness
• Magnolia: Stands for the love of nature
• Orchids: Show love and beauty
• Peony: Conveys bashfulness
• Roses: The most popular wedding flower, which is the flower of love
• Red Roses: Show Passion and fiery love
• Dark Pink Roses: Represents thankfulness for finding each other
• Ivory Roses: Symbolize fidelity
• Stephanotis: Represents marital happiness
• Stock: Stands for lasting beauty
• Sunflower: Symbolizes adoration and loyalty
• Sweet Pea: Shows pleasure
• Tulips: Represent undying love and passion which is perfect for a wedding

Taking the flower and color meanings into consideration helps personalize every aspect of your wedding. Using special flowers conveying a message in the groom's boutonniere is a sweet gesture from the bride. Bridesmaid's bouquets personalized in the language of flowers can have deep sentiment and meaning towards friendship and family. Centerpieces and reception decor will hold precious memento when you know the deep meaning behind each flower. Using note cards to explain why you chose each flower helps the guests and recipients of the flowers understand the message hidden within. It makes for a fun and sweet way to bring even more sentiment to an already special and unique occasion.

This post is brought to you by Cincinnati Florists.
Not in Cincinnati, OH? No worries, use Wedding and Party Network's handy wedding planning directory to help you find a florist near you!

Weddings, in general, are very traditional. Even the brides who have "non-traditional" weddings incorporate traditions that they might not even be aware of! While planning your wedding have you ever thought, "Why am I wearing this?" or "What does this ring really mean?" Well, here are some fun facts about wedding traditions and why they were incorporated into weddings.

Why are wedding dresses white?

In traditions past, wedding dresses were not white at all! People often believe that wedding dresses have always traditionally been white. Wrong. Blue was often the color of the traditional wedding dress. It's color signified purity.

It wasn't until 1840 when Queen Victoria wed Albert of Saxe clad in a white dress that the color white became popular. If you could afford a white dress that you would only wear once, then you were considered wealthy. That also goes for the amount of material on the dress. The more material, the wealthier you were.

What do wedding rings signify?

As we know, wedding rings are an outward sign of being "taken". The tradition originated in Europe when only the wives wore one. During the 20th century, men started wearing them too.

• The circular shape signifies never-ending love with no beginning and no end.
• It was also a sign of "sale" of the bride from the father to groom.
• Wedding bands are worn on the ring finger because the Romans claimed that there is a vein in the finger that is connected directly to the heart.

Why does the wedding party dress in matching clothes?

In past traditions the wedding party would dress identical to the bride and groom to keep any evil spirits confused at who was the bride and groom.

What does Something Old, Something New signify?

This saying derives from an old English poem. Each piece signifies something special. The old represents the bride's past. The new stands for the bride's future with her husband. The borrowed represents the bond between the bride and her family. While, the blue symbolizes the loved shared between the bride and groom.

Why can't the groom see the bride before the wedding?

This custom comes from when marriages were arranged. Often, the brides were sold to the groom. The wedding would be their first meeting and it was known as bad luck to see each other before the wedding. The bride wasn't even supposed to see herself in the mirror on her wedding day because she might leave part of herself behind.

Why do we toss the bouquet and garter?

The tossing of the garter stemmed from the royal family. To make it official, they wanted to see the garter or stocking from the bride. When others got word of this tradition, they followed and actually got violent. They would steal the garter or stocking from the bride with force. That is when the groom started taking the garter off to protect her.

Tossing of the wedding bouquet follows similar to the garter. The bride tossed the wedding bouquet into a crowd of wedding guests.

The tradition has been that the groomsman that catches the garter will marry next, making him a very lucky man. And the same with bridesmaid who catches the wedding bouquet, she too, would marry next.

Why are flowers incorporated in the wedding?

Traditional wedding bouquets were carried by the bride only. They contained garlic, herbs, grain and fruit blossoms to ward off evil spirits and symbolize prosperity. This custom was replaced with flowers as a sign of fertility, love and happiness.

Although these traditions stem from strange customs…They are still fun to blend into your wedding. It's just interesting to know where they came from!

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Your wedding day is a day that you have looked forward to for years.  A day to celebrate and begin your new journey with your mate. Weddings are an occasion that come along with great celebration, family and friends and a large price tag!

That being said, it's not wonder that small, intimate weddings are becoming more popular. Often times, however, it's not only the money that inspires couples to have a private wedding… It takes much less planning, less stress and makes for a memorable family event. Something that you will hold close to your heart forever.

Small weddings are not the most favored, but they are the most cost efficient choice. Expect to have mixed emotions from family and friends when you share the news. They're excited about your special day too. Listen to their opinions, but since you chose to have a small wedding, stick to your guns and explain to them that on a later date you will hold an informal reception to include everyone who isn't invited to the ceremony.

Make a budget. No wedding planner needed! Do some research on the web and around your community for local florists, caterers, and bakeries.

Once you have an attainable budget you can start planning and purchasing your wedding necessities.

Chose your location. Smaller weddings give you more options when it comes to finding a wedding location, look for local halls, churches, wineries, beaches, parks or private gardens. Depending on how small your guest list is, you can hold the ceremony at your home or a family member's home.

Destination weddings are a great option when you have a small guest list too. It costs more. However, you can ask your family to pitch in to help cover the traveling costs instead of gifts. After all, they will be coming along on the trip too!

Invitations. Send out your wedding invitations 4-6 weeks in advance. If you feel bad talking about your wedding to friends who are not invited, it might be a better idea NOT talk about it. Keep it a secret until after the ceremony. You can then invite them to the reception to celebrate!

The Menu. Selecting your menu will be easier with a smaller crowd. You wont have to worry about generalizing the menu, like you would for a larger crowd. Hire a caterer to create your family's favorite foods.

The wedding. Yes it close and personal, but you can still have all the traditions included. Ask your guests to offer a few words at the ceremony or to do the readings if it is a religious ceremony.

Reception. This is a great time to show a slide show or play old family movies. A time to tell family stories. Your reception will be small, private and beautiful.

After your wedding you can wait a few weeks before having your big reception. This celebration is less formal than a typical wedding reception. Send out your invitations a few weeks in advance and plan for a low-key party to include all your friends in the celebration!

A few reminders…

• You can still have the dress of your dreams! Just because your wedding is small doesn't mean you can't have a great dress.
• The wedding flowers don't need to be as lavish as they would be for a larger wedding. But, having flowers in your small wedding will bring an intimate and elegant touch to the ceremony and reception.
• A beautiful way to include your family in the wedding is to give each family member a single flower as they take their seats. When you walk down the aisle to the altar, each flower will become part of your bouquet. This can be done with Hawaiian Leis too, each family member can place one around your neck as you make your way to alter. Or a simple hug to each family member as you enter is a beautiful way to include everyone.

This post is brought to you by Miami Wedding Planners.
Not in Miami, FL No worries, use Wedding and Party Network's handy wedding planning directory to help you find a wedding planner near you!

So, your wedding day is approaching. However, in the midst of your planning you realize that you don't want the typical limousine exit after your reception. Are there other options? Depending on your site and the weather, there are several fun ways you can make an exciting exit from your wedding to the reception, and from the reception it's self!

Rose petals and rice are common traditions to be tossed as the happy couple exits the wedding chapel. However, there are some other great ideas to incorporate into your grand exit.

Some fun ideas to spice things up are:

• Sparklers
• Pom Poms
• Lavender
• Bird Seed
• Bells (to ring – not throw!)
• Butterfly or dove release
• Jazz band along both sides of the walk way – groove your way through

As for your ride:

Your getaway vehicle should show the style and theme of your wedding. Here are some creative ways to make a GRAND exit!

• A vintage bicycle built for two
• Horse and carriage
• Firetrucks or police escort
• A trolley ride for the wedding party
• Helicopter ride (talk about grand!)
• Hot air balloon
• An elephant ride around the corner
• A Harley Davidson built for two
• Horseback
• Ride off on a Sea-Doo (for a beach wedding)

There are so many ways to leave your mark, you just have to imagine and then create! Congratulations on your big day – now go make it as special as you are!

This post is brought to you by Miami Wedding Planners.
Not in Miami, FL No worries, use Wedding and Party Network's handy wedding planning directory to help you find a wedding planner near you!

If you are planning a mixed cultural wedding there are several things you need to consider. Embrace both cultures to create a beautiful and unique wedding.

Most wedding traditions are based on religion, culture, heritage, and race. When you are cutting and pasting together a wedding, you need to decide which traditions mean the most to you and your fiancé as well, as your families.

Your family's opinions and vision of your wedding might create obstacles, especially if they are the ones paying for it! Creating a wedding that respects both family's religions and cultures can be done and be absolutely beautiful.

The first thing you need to do, before even thinking about the revenue, date or theme, is sit down and talk with you fiancé about which traditions are the most important to you. Being open with each other about what you want included and what can be left out will make things a lot easier.

The next step is to sit down with both of your families, preferably at separate times. Ask them for advice and let them know that you want to respect and honor the family traditions, but need to make this ceremony a fusion of both.

Although every couple is different and you want your wedding to be unique, you also want your wedding to show your personality and your heritage. Here are a few tips to help you along the way.

One of the most common solutions for a mixed wedding is to have two separate ceremonies. However, when finances wont allow for two ceremonies, you need to be creative and find a way to mesh both cultures into one ceremony.

• Invitations: Send out two sets of invitations. One in each language so that no one feels left out.
• Location: If your religions clash, consider holding the ceremony in a non-religious venue. A park, a hall, a ballroom, a country or garden club are great options.
• Programs: Two sets of programs, in the same style and theme but one in each language. You can even personalize them with a small note to your family in your native language on near the bottom.
• Music: Alternate music throughout the ceremony from each culture. Sticking with instrumentals will make the transition from song to song smooth.
• Readings: Alternate the readings from one language to the next. You don't want to do every reading in both languages because it will make your ceremony too long.
• Vows: Recite vows in your native language, so that both set of parents and families understand completely.
• Reception: Take care when arranging the seating, making sure that everyone is sitting with someone they can communicate with. (You don't want your Aunt Evelyn sitting at a table of non-English speaking guests).
• Decor: Your set up should show both cultures. Including flowers, lighting and even positioning of the tables. Creating centerpieces with flowers and candles that represent both your heritages will make your families feel at home.

Give opportunity for everyone to mesh and mingle. The dance floor is the perfect opportunity for this! Again, you will want to alternate music from each culture to keep your guests happy and involved.

• Menu: Finding the perfect food for everyone is a difficult task. However, you can arrange your buffets to have two separate stations catering to both cultures. Or if you are using a menu, have options designed around both cultures. Find a caterer in your area to help you design the perfect pallet for your reception.

Remember, your wedding is about you and your spouse. It is the beginning of a new and happy adventure that will take you places you have never been. Make sure to merge your style, character and personality as well as your spouse's! With a little planning and creativity your wedding will be beautiful, unique and respectful to both of your heritages.

This post is brought to you by Miami Wedding Planners.
Not in Miami, FL? No worries, use Wedding and Party Network's handy wedding planning directory to help you find wedding planners near you!

Something Borrowed, Something Blue…

Yes, we all know the tradition, even if you are not having a traditional wedding, this is a fun one to keep!

The saying itself derives from an old English poem. The old representing the bride's past, the new representing the bride's new journey with her husband, the borrowed representing the bond between the bride and her family and the blue symbolizes the love between the bride and groom.

Here are some creative ideas..

The Old

• Your grandmother's veil
• Antique lace around the stem of your wedding bouquet
• A locket with your grandparents picture inside
• A family rosary
• Your grandfather's handkerchief
• Your grandfathers Military tags around the stem of your bouquet

The New

• A new lingerie set under your wedding dress
• A sparkling piece of jewelry
• Your bouquet
• A penny or coin minted the year of your wedding (hide it in your shoe!)
• Your fabulous wedding dress can pass as the "new" too!
• All new makeup! How fun!

The Borrowed

• A family Heirloom (necklace, ring or charm hung from your bouquet)
• Your mother's necklace or bracelet
• A piece of your friend's jewelry that you have had your eye on
• Your sister's or best friends shoes from her wedding
• Your mother's perfume

The Blue

• Garnish your garter with blue lace
• Sky blue toe nail polish
• A sapphire hair pin
• Blue earrings
• Blue flowers in your bouquet
• Go all out with beautiful blue silk shoes

Chose what suits and reflects your personality. Have fun and get creative – the only limit is your imagination!

This post is brought to you by Miami Wedding Planners.
Not in Miami, FL? No worries, use Wedding and Party Network's handy wedding planning directory to help you find wedding planners near you!

 

Summer is the time for weddings. Wonderful colors, flowers and the weather are just some of the things that makes this the ideal season for weddings. There are plenty of great reasons to plan your wedding for the summer.  However, along with everything else, there are downfalls. So, Wedding And Party Network is here to help with all your summer wedding planning needs. From the do's and don't's to tips and ideas, we've got all the wedding tips for a beautiful summer wedding.

A Few Tips

Summer Wedding Ideas

Along with summer comes the heat. You may be planning an early summer wedding, mid or late. However, you can never depend on the weather. It switches up daily and sometimes hourly, so you must be ready for the heat. Are you planning an outside wedding for the summer? Well, you may enjoy soaking up that vitamin c, but some guests may not or can't.

Therefore, you must offer something cool and relaxing for your guests to retreat to. A place where they will be able to relax and retreat from the hot sun. Prepare a beautiful white tent that provides shade, maybe even portable fans or air conditioning, that features tubs of ice-cold water and beverages. A possible fun feature that may fit your wedding theme, is featuring a fun lemonade stand or ice cream stand. How fun would that be! Plus, it would give a refreshing retreat from the weather.

Here are a few more tips for a summer wedding.

• Don't forget the save-the-dates since summer is the ideal time for vacations.
• Do serve a lighter meal for your wedding reception. Stay in season with salads, seasonal food & meats, fresh farm product & frozen cocktails.
• Don't forget sun and bug protection since it's the season for these two items to be in full force.
• Do dress cooler for the weather. Silks, linens, shorter wedding & bridesmaid dresses and breathable materials will help keep you, the groom and your bridal party refreshed.
• Don't time your wedding to begin at the hottest part of the day, start your wedding later in the evening.

Summer Wedding Ideas

When planning your wedding, you should always sit down and figure out what type of wedding theme you'd like. With summer, you can go with a beach wedding theme, garden theme or a formal affair outside.

Next, think about your wedding flowers. You have so many varieties of flowers that are in season, it won't hurt to go with lots of flowers. Stick with bright and colorful flowers such as, gerbera daisies, yellow calla lilies, orchids, peonies or sunflowers. Stay with what's in season since there are a variety of beautiful flowers in season.

Don't forget about the wedding favors. Especially if you've planned an outdoor wedding and your guests have braved the heat. Send your guests home with potted flowers, fun floral seeds, flip-flops, sand dollars, seashells or fruit that's in season. Always keep in mind the theme of your wedding and what's in season. If you do this, you'll be sending your guests home with a lovely wedding favor they'll enjoy.

The main thing you want to keep in mind when planning your summer wedding is the heat. Summer is a great time to have your wedding, however, the heat is unpredictable. So, keep in mind these wedding tips and your wedding will be a dream come true.

Choosing your wedding dress is one of the most important part of planning a beautiful wedding. Bridal Elegance carries the most gorgeous, designer wedding dresses and accessories.

If Bridal Elegance does not have the dress you are looking for, they are dedicated to doing everything they can to find the right dress for you. Wedding dresses aren't the only formal wear you will find. They have a variety of gorgeous bridesmaid dresses, sweet flower girl dresses and  men's tuxedos needed to complete the elegant look of your wedding party. Choose from a variety of styles such as traditional ball gown dresses, simple wedding dresses, vintage wedding dresses, and more. If you are looking for more modern wedding dresses, they carry the latest styles and trends and even colored wedding dresses.

Don't forget about the accessories! Your wedding day attire is not complete without the veil, shoes, and accessories. Choose from beaded and pearl tiara's, traditional veil's and more.

Bridal Elegance offers impeccable service and attention every time you visit their shop. They strive to make sure you feel comfortable ensuring that you will find the dress you cannot live without on your special day. In addition, they offer the best prices on their wedding dresses, formal attire, and tuxedo's. Tuxedo rentals start out at $59; you will not find that kind of quality at that price any where else!

Not planning a wedding, but need a formal dress for  prom or a black tie event? Bridal Elegance also offers a wide selection of dresses for you. For nearly 20 years, they have been dedicated to finding and carrying the most well known designer brands and all of the new trends in prom and formal dresses.

You will not be disappointed with the service or selection when you shop at Bridal Elegance in Tulsa Oklahoma. You can preview a few common styles on their website, but their bridal shop inTulsa is where you will find all of the unique wedding dresses and trendy formal attire.