NUPTIALSBringing Bliss and Dreams Together

INVITING YOUR

B LIST

Summer Wedding Colours

VEGAN WEDDINGcAKES

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Managing Editor: Jennifer Groves-Jackson * Graphic Artist: Jason JacksonContact us today! info@nuptialsjamaica.com or marketing@nuptialsjamaica.com

Copyright 2011, Nuptials Jamaica ® All Rights Reserved

Editor’s Corner

This week’s issue high-lights excellent wed-ding colours for the Summer and tips on wedding themes to aid your planning.

Ask our wedding planners today for tips and ideas that you can use to cre-ate your perfect day.

Jennifer

Cove

rBride: Miss Jamela Maitland

Groom: Mr. Chad StephensonLocation: Good Hope Estates, Trelawny

Gown and Tuxedo: The Wedding Planners PlusGroom’s Boutonniere: Tai Flora LUXEPhotographer: Mr. Andre Pottinger

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ContentsToasting 101 .............4 Wedding Reception Etiquette......6HOT Summer Colours...............8-11Themed Weddings...................13NUP HEALTH..............................15 Inviting Your B ‘List’................16

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TOASTING 101

The wedding toast is an important responsibiliy, but one that isn’t as scary as it might seem to those who have never delivered one.

Being asked to be someone’s best man or maid of honour is an honour to be cherished. Often the best friend of the groom or bride, the best man and maid of honour often want to reciprocate the honour of their role with a toast that illustrates just how much they care for the bride or groom.

But once the time comes to sit down and think about their toast, the best man and maid of honour are often in the darl. Giving a wedding toast, after all, is not an everyday event, and for many people it will be a one-time experience,, if they’re even asked at all. Though a certain amount of pressure comes with the responsibility of giving a toast, keeping a few ideas in mind when writing a toast will make the process go

more smoothly.

Thank the quests. Thanking the guests for attending is a good way to break the ice. Be sure to thank the hosts as well. Traditionally, the hosts are the bride’s parents. However, thanks to the escalating costs of weddings, many are now financed by both the bride and groom’s parents, and oftentimes by the bride and groom themselves. Therefore, you can avoid any mis-steps and simply thank the parents of the bride and groom after thanking the guests for joining in the festivities.

Introduce yourself. While the bride and groom certainly know who you are, chances are many o the guests do not. many weddings boast guests lists with more than 100 people, os introduce yourself at the beginning of your toast. When doing so, you can explain your relationship to the bride or groom (i.e., older/younger sibling, college roommate etc.).

Keep things light. While jokes should remain appropriate (every wedding has kids in attendance), keeping the toast jovial is a good way to keep the festive mood of the day going. While it’s importnat to get across how much you cherish being the best man or maid of honour, a jovial approach to doing so will be enjoyed by

all, and your message will still come across to the bride and groom as well.

Add an anecdote. The best man or maid of honour no doubt have many funny anecdotes to tell about the bride or groom. Add a light-hearted anecdote that illustrates your relationship to the bride or groom and how much they mean to you. an older brother, for instance, might tell a tale of the innocent joking around brothers do, while a little sister might spin a funny yarn about how she once used all of her older sister’s makeup.

Just make sure the anecdote is appropriate for everyone in th

audience.

Raise a glass, but do so after the toast, and not before. While everyone knows to raise a glass at the end of the toast, some best men and maids of honour raise one too many many glasses before it’s time to give their toast. Don’t drink too much before it’s time for you to give your toast, or you’ll risk being the talk of the reception for all the wrong reasons.

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What is proper wedding reception etiqu-ette?

What kinds of things are acceptable and what exactly should you avoid doing?

Well the following information should give you a little guidance on wedding reception protocol.

No Kids Allowed!You may not want children to attend your recep-tion to cut down on costs or to ensure that the evening is peaceful and quiet. Whatever your reason for not wanting to have children at your reception you need to watch how you word that information.

You should print on your reception cards that you are having an “Adult Reception” following the ceremony. That should let all your guests know of your intentions.

Receiving Line or Not?Many couples don’t want to have a receiving line immediately following the ceremony. That is understandable seeing that it takes up a lot of time to have your guests stand in line, waiting to give you a hug or kiss.

If you decide not to have a receiving line then you need to circulate among your guests at the

reception. This should not be a problem since you are served first and can use the time that your guests are eating and chatting to come by and say hello.

Cash bars are great!Not really. It might seem like a great answer to cutting down your costs but wedding reception etiquette would dictate that you pay for all of your guests’ food and beverages.

If you can’t afford a premium bar then you could eliminate alcohol all together, ask about a less pricey option, or find out if you can bring your own alcohol since it would be cheaper (espe-cially if you can return items that are not used).

Casual Restaurant ReceptionIf you are having a small ceremony and decided to invite guests to pay for their own meals at a restaurant afterwards . . . Don’t!

Whenever you invite someone to a party or meal you should always pay. If you can’t afford feed-ing all of your guests a large meal, then you could have a quick cake reception at your parent’s home or another inexpensive venue.

WEDDING RECEPTION ETIQUETTE

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Now that you’re engaged, a lot of conversations you have will go like this: “You’re engaged! How did he pro-pose? When’s the wedding? What are your colors?”

Your colors are one of the more im-portant aspects of how you plan your whole wedding day. From dresses to flowers, from linens to place cards, the colors you choose will set the tone for the entire event. The minute a guest receives her save-the-date invite to the thank yous sent after the wedding, your colors will set the mood. Choose the right color, and you’ll have a fabu-

lous-looking wedding -- choose some-thing a shade off, and you might have some angry bridesmaids on your hands saying, “I can’t believe she’s making us wear puce!”

No pressure to choose a good color, right? Luckily, summer is an easy sea-son for colors. Pretty much any color looks fantastic at a summer wedding (except maybe puce). On one hand, that’s great; but it can also make your decision even tougher. Let’s take a look at 10 of the freshest color combinations to hit the wedding aisle.

PINK AND GREEN

Don’t let your fiancé think that pink is just a girly color. The great thing about pink and green together is that they can be fun and flirty, sooth-ing or elegantly rich. It all depends on which shades you choose.

A bright pink and lime green combination is perfect for a summer afternoon outdoor affair with a preppy beat. Outdoor weddings can also play up any lush greenery at the venue. Hang pink lanterns from green arches, weave lights on bushes. Work Mother Nature into your design and color scheme.

However, if your wedding reception is in a banquet hall that’s heavy on darker colors, fuchsia and lime might not be your best choice. That’s when a pale pink and forest green combination would look stunning.

PINK AND YELLOW

Pink is many a girl’s favorite color, but sometimes we arch an eyebrow at yellow. Why? A lot of women don’t have the proper skin tone to pull off a yellow dress. That’s where pink comes to the rescue. Outfit your bridesmaids in pale pink, and use yellow as the perfect accent color.

Pink and yellow can be a great combination at the dinner table as well. If you’re renting china, see if you can do pink and yellow place settings. Also try using colored linens -- no one says the tablecloths and napkins have to be white.

Think about using the colors independently, like pink flowers on the place card table and yellow ribbons adorning the bar. They’ll still complement each other.

Summer

Wedding

Colours

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LIGHT GRAY AND PINK

Gray is the new black. It’s even the new brown. Why are designers going gaga for it? It’s one of the most elegant colors around, and it’s putting a modern spin on the classic wedding. Use it for your summer wedding, and you’ll cool down a hot day.

One of the best things about gray is that it’s so versatile. It goes well with just about any color. When you have a popular color like gray, its versatility means your wedding doesn’t have to be cookie cutter. People go to a lot of weddings every year, and the last thing you want them to do is go to their fifth gray wedding of the season.

Pale pink and light gray is one of the best color combinations out there, because it looks really elegant and can go two ways. Gray

can be the main color, with pink as an accent, or vice versa. Think of gray bridesmaid dresses with pink sashes, or pink dresses with gray sashes. Gray stationery with soft pink lettering -- or you can choose the reverse. Use silver vases with soft pink roses as your centerpiec-es. Let your imagination go wild!

BLUE AND WHITE

You’ve seen those buildings in the Greek islands, right? The white buildings with the blue roofs? Try that look for your summer wedding. Nothing says summer like the beach, and the color of the Mediter-ranean is perfect for a summertime wedding. Using a tropical shade of blue will give your wedding a calm, relaxed feeling, and pairing it with a crisp white can capture that cool, beachy feel.

Let’s also mention that Pantone, the company that writes the book on color, has named turquoise as the 2010 color of the year, so you should be able to find great ways to use blue everywhere. It doesn’t hurt that most people look good in blue, so your bridal party will be happy to wear almost any shade of this color.

White can keep the blue from going overboard. Use white flowers, and add blue ribbons for bridal bouquets, boutonnieres and flowers along the aisle. Look for blue vases to use as centerpieces on stark white tablecloths. Having your wedding outside? Create cozy, romantic cabanas with couches adorned with blue and white pillows, all covered with gauzy white fabric. String up white lights everywhere for a twilit touch.

YELLOW AND BLUE

If you tell some bridesmaids that yellow and blue are your wedding colors, they might say, “If you think we’re wearing yellow dresses, you’re crazy!” Really, though, yellow and blue are an ideal combination, especially in the summer sun.

Here, it’s really important to think about the way you combine colors, and using one color as the main shade for your wed-ding, with an accent color complementing it, can change your wedding from “blah” to “wow.”

YELLOW AND BLUE...cont’d

The yellow/blue combo is one of these “wow” combos. Blue dresses with yellow accents or flowers re-ally make the blue pop. Yellow roses with blue ribbons along the aisle will complement the attire. This one’s pretty interchangeable -- just take into account your bridesmaids. Not everyone looks good in yellow, and if your bridesmaids won’t, don’t force them to buy a yellow dress.

RED, WHITE AND BLACK

Black and white is a classic wedding color combo, because it’ll never go out of style. Add some red accents, and you’ll keep your wedding from being boring.

What’s black and white and red all over? Not your wedding. Don’t feel like you have to make every accessory in your wedding black, white and red. Use the red as pops of color here and there. May-be put a red accent on your cake. Use red ribbons to make invitations stand out, or use them to hang

flower arrangements from the ceiling or walls in a reception area.

You can also try red as an accent in your aisle runner. Some companies produce customized runners to match your colors. It’s a great way to include that particular accent. Put it where guests will least expect it, and they’ll remember your wedding for a long time.

CORAL AND GRAY

Want a beachy wedding but blue isn’t your thing? Try coral and gray. You’ll bring the beauty of a tropical coral reef to your wedding. As we’ve mentioned, gray is one the hottest colors today, and one great color to pair with it is a bright shade like coral. These two colors work beautifully together -- coral brightens up the entire party, but the gray won’t let you go overboard into a coral extravaganza.

Think about coral dresses with a gray sash, or have grey dresses with coral sashes and coral necklaces. If you’re dressing the men in gray suits, a coral boutonniere will liven them up. You could even play up the theme with coral centerpieces. Just don’t let your guests bring their scuba gear.

Coral also gives you an opportunity to make your color part of the entire wedding theme. Love the ocean? Opt for coral, and not only can you make a beautiful statement with color, but you can incor-porate a cause as well. Instead of wedding favors, make a donation to a coral reef conservancy.

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ORANGE AND YELLOW

You’ll be walking on sunshine as you go down the aisle, so why not choose bright colors that are as radiant as you are? Orange and yellow are fabulous colors for a summer wedding. They’re bright and cheerful, and they won’t fade out in the summer sun.

One of the fun parts about orange and yellow is that you can do really unusual things to set your wedding apart. When life hands you lemons, make a table arrangement. Using citrus fruit as a centerpiece will not only have your guests talking, it’s another way to add a favor. Let your guests take home the fruit when the party’s over!

With orange and yellow, you can also interchange how they’re used. Try alternating orange and yellow in seat cov-

Different Shades of the same COLOUR

You don’t always need a color combo to make a beautiful wedding. If you have one favorite color, go for it. But there’s color, and then there’s overkill. In order to keep your wed-ding from being a spectacle of one color, pick a base color, and then accent it with shades of that color. This works par-ticularly well with blues and greens. You can take a basic blue, and then play with sky blue, royal blue and even navy to create interesting accents.

Check out paint Web sites to see how shades of color work together -- just think of your wedding as one big palette.

NEUTRAL COLOURS

What happens when your perfect ceremony site and re-ception hall don’t match? If the church has dark colors and your reception hall is decked out in pastels, you don’t have to pick one or the other to match. Choose neutrals! They go with everything, and they’ll ensure that neither venue’s décor will stand out in your guests’ minds.

Neutrals are also great for playing with textures. If you don’t want color to be the focus, use brocades or inter-esting fabrics to help bring some nuance to the table. Adorn an ivory brocade tablecloth with a square vase of white roses. Or you can put a complex flower like an orchid with a simple ecru, or beige, silk tablecloth.

Use white lights or candles to make everything shiny. Even the texture of your invitations, place cards and thank yous can make neutrals interesting. Another great reason for neutrals? They’ll always be in style.

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Themed

WeddingsSimply put a wedding theme is a particular style choice for your big day that will reflect in your décor, invitation, dress, music, etc. Wedding themes can either be a particular subject such as chocolate, football or butterflies or it can be a combination of colours such as rainbow or black and white. Whichever you choose; a wedding theme will create a unique style and mood for your celebrations.

When choosing a theme there are many do’s and don’ts.

DO choose a theme that is close to your heart

DO consider all invited guests

DO give people notice if you want them to come in a special dress, and provide ideas of what they could wear and where to source it.

DON’T use a theme that may date very quickly

DON’T serve a menu that is too unusual, especially if there are elderly guests and children

DON’T forget that a themed wedding could add significantly to your wedding budget and to your guests’ expenses. Try and find ways to make your theme inexpensive and easy to comply with.

If you would like to try a theme, here are some ideas…Winter wonderland wedding: Twinkling fairy lights, a velvet-cloaked bride, and white blooms tied with silver ribbon – a winter wedding can have a drama and appeal all of its own.

Seaside-themed wedding: The Sea holds a unique fascination for many people. Shells, sand and pebbles can all be used for good effect in table centerpieces and other decorations, while sticks of personalized seaside rocks make fantastic favors!

Fairy tale: If you manage to persuade your groom against a football theme, you could always opt for a fairy tale theme and convince him it is your day to feel like a princess after all! You could have prince and princess caricatures on your invites, fairy cakes instead of a big wedding cake, candle lights or fairy lights at the reception venue and you could sprinkle pretty table confetti to add extra magic.

Black and white: For sheer elegance, nothing beats black and white. You could get sophisticated table accessories, stunning gift boxes and chic monochrome decorations to create your theme.

You could also give black and white chocolate dice as favors! Bring even more fun to the table with black and white party poppers and black and white ribbon favor boxes, then for a sophisticated and elegant look, use a black felt table runner on a white table cloth and sprinkle silver and black mini metallic dots over the table for extra glamour. You could even extend the theme by asking your guests to wear black tie!

Happy planning!

Jennifer Groves-Jackson

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Dental warning #3: Sores that won’t go away

Sign of: Oral cancer

Many people bite the insides of their mouth as a nervous habit. Others sometimes bite the gum accidentally, creating a sore. But when an open sore in the mouth doesn’t go away within a week or two, it always warrants showing to a dentist or doctor. “We all injure our oral tissues, but if an area persists in being white or red rather than the normal healthy pink, this needs to be evalu-ated to rule out oral cancer,” says Susan Hyde, an associate professor of clinical dentistry at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Dentistry.

More than 21,000 men and 9,000 women a year are diagnosed with oral cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute. Most are over age 60. Oral cancer has a survival rate of only 35 per-cent, Iacopino says, but this is mainly because cases are often detected too late. Smokers are six times more likely to develop oral cancer, but one in four oral cancers develop in non-smok-ers.

What else to look for: Suspicious oral ulcers tend to be raised sores and often have red or white (or red and white) borders. They may lurk under-neath the tongue, where they’re hard to see. Bleeding and numbness are other signs, but sometimes the only sign is a sore that doesn’t seem to go away. A biopsy usually follows a vi-sual check.

Dental warning #4: Gums growing over teeth

Sign of: Medication problems

If you notice your gum literally growing over your tooth, and you’re taking a medication for heart

disease or seizures or you take drugs to suppress your immune system (such as before a trans-plant), it’s well worth mentioning this curious de-velopment to your prescribing doctor.“A swelling of the gums to where it grows over the teeth is a sign the dosage or the medica-tion need to be adjusted,” the ADA’s Anthony Iacopino says. Certain drugs can stimulate the growth of gum tissue. This can make it hard to brush and floss, inviting tooth decay and peri-odontal disease.

What else to look for: The overgrowth can cause an uncomfortable sensation. In extreme cases, the entire tooth can be covered.

Dental warning #5: Dry mouth

Sign of: Sjogren’s syndrome, diabetes

Many things can cause dry mouth, from dehy-dration and allergies to smoking and new medi-cations. (In fact, hundreds of drugs list dry mouth as a side effect, including those to treat depres-sion and incontinence, muscle relaxants, anti-anxiety agents, and antihistamines.) But a lack of sufficient saliva is also an early warning of two autoimmune diseases unrelated to medicine use: Sjogren’s syndrome and diabetes.In Sjogren’s, the white blood cells of the body attack their moisture-producing glands, for un-known reasons. Four million Americans have Sjogren’s, 90 percent of them women. Twenty-four million people in the U.S. have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, a metabolic disease caused by high blood sugar.

Yahoo Health

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NUP HEALTH

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Inviting Your “B

List”The Right Way to HandleSecondary Invitations

Contrary to whatever a certain red-haired comedian tells you, secondary, or “B-List,” wedding invitations don’t carry a nega-tive connotation. Just the oppo-site: Since it’s usually impossible to invite everyone to your big day, B-Lists serve a very impor-tant purpose, as well as creating new guest opportunities.

Why you need a B List?Remember, everyone you initial-ly invite to your wedding will not be able to attend. Don’t take this personally: Some loved ones will have prior engagements, for others it will be difficult to travel, and last-minute emergencies

can crop up. If you’ve prepared a celebration for 100 guests, ap-proximately 80 should arrive.

Instead of letting all that food and fun go to waste, prepare a B-List of guests. They fill up the ex-tra space, and, more important, they’re the people you would have loved to invite if you knew you had enough room.

The B-List usually consists of older friends, office-mates (only rule here; invite everyone from the office or just the boss), and any-one else who’s not in the same priority category as Mom and Dad. The first round of wedding invites are usually sent around two months’ prior to your big day, and the second round about a month prior, but after guests have RSVP’d “No” or not at all.

How to invite your B List?Before you send out B-List invita-tions, make sure to double check that invitees who have not re-sponded are not coming. Some people will forget to RSVP by the required date, and some might think you’re such good friends it’s not necessary. There’s noth-ing wrong with calling up your

college room-mate and saying “I haven’t heard from you yet; just wanted to check if you still plan on attending.”

Once you’ve got a clear handle on how many more guests you can invite, send out the new in-vitations. Many people think the B-List should only contain people who live near you, so you are not inconveniencing a loved one by making him spend a fortune on a last-minute plane ticket and/or hotel reservation. This decision is entirely up to you.

What to say?Also, don’t play dumb and pre-tend you a.) simply forgot to mail their invite, or b.) haven’t gotten around to sending out invitations until the last minute. Good friends know that not everyone can be a guest at your wedding, and they will understand. If you wish, you can even follow up a B-List invitation with a call telling them that you have more room than you initially expected. It’s not advisable, however, to skip the invite altogether and just phone or (worse) e-mail. Formality is al-ways the smart way to go.

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