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WINTER 2011

Published as a supplement to the Whidbey News-Times and South Whidbey Record.

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Your � ancée will wear her en-gagement ring every day for the rest of her life, so choosing the perfect ring is crucial.

How do you know if you are buying the right ring? Follow these simple tips from the experts at Jewelry Information Center, a non-pro� t trade association that has of-fered consumers information about � ne jewelry for over 60 years. cont’d

a beautifulC E L E B R AT E

With a little help from these local vendors, caterers and venues...

wedding day

A Wonderful Wedding for a Bride on a Budget(NewsUSA) - Between the thrilling proposal and the

pre-wedding whirlwind– setting the date, � nding the perfect wedding dress, planning the honeymoon– wed-dings should feel joyous and romantic.

But a� er the wedding, couples should enjoy their newly wedded bliss– not panic about digging themselves out of debt.

According to the Association for Wedding Profes-sionals International, the average wedding costs between $18,000 and $21,000.

In these di� cult economic times, couples might need to minimize the cost of their wedding. But brides on bud-gets do not need to whittle their guest list from 200 to 10.

Here are some a� ordable– and tasteful– measures couples can take to stay within their budget.

What eats up wedding cash? Wedding receptions usu-ally account for half of a wedding’s cost. Dinner and drinks add up, especially if couples pay for a full or open bar.

To save money on the bubbly, couples should nix the mixed drinks. Soon-to-be-marrieds can serve champagne during the toast, then o� er beer and wine for the rest of the evening. Give clumsier guests white wine, not red, and the evening should progress with fewer mishaps at a lower cost.

For dinner, couples should think outside the catering-company box. Local restaurants might make better deals. Classy catering can come from unexpected places.

A� er the reception, photography and videography are the second largest budget-breakers. Couples can hire a photographer and videographer for the ceremony, then leave reception photographs to friends, family and digital cameras.

To avoid the cost of a live band, brides and grooms can opt for MP3 playlists, customized CDs and speaker rentals over pricey bands.

Finally, hiring a wedding coordinator can save time, manage stress and get better deals.

So, here’s a toast to tweaking old traditions to make a dream wedding � nancially attainable– and to save enough money to be able to enjoy a long, relaxing honeymoon.

WITH THIS RING

Source: Tresa Erickson, MultiAd Marketing

sterling silver or white gold, then she is a cool-metal person, making a white gold, platinum or palladium ring an ideal choice. If she has more yellow metals, then she is a warm-metal woman, so stick to yellow gold or rose gold.

she probably doesn’t want a very classic engagement ring.

that you can’t obtain without sounding suspicious.

will walk you through the process.

For more information on � ne jewelry and engagement ring trends or to � nd a reputable jeweler near you, visit Jewelry Information Center at www.jic.org.

WITH THIS RING, FROM PG 14

Tastes tend to change considerably over the years, and nowhere is this more apparent than in wedding planning. Trends come and go, and what was once fashionable is no longer. Take � owers, for instance. Many brides today are opting for fewer, but more daring � oral designs in their weddings.

When it comes to wedding � owers, brides have a number of choices. Roses remain popular, as do gerbera daisies and tulips. Tropical � owers are also hot.

One of the biggest changes in wed-ding � oral design is color. Lighter, more muted shades are now being replaced with brighter, bolder hues. Brides today are not afraid of mixing reds and yellows, oranges and purples, and greens and blues.

Along with stronger colors, many wedding � oral designs feature herbs, fruits,

help create interest and add dimension.To create even more drama and

interest, many brides are varying the contents of their centerpieces. Gone are the identical baskets of � owers on each table.

In their place are various kinds of � owers in various sized containers. You might � nd a large wicker basket of tulips on one table and a slender crystal vase of lilies on another

As for the bouquets, brides are going for a simpler, sleeker look, with many choosing hand-tied or posy bouquets. Small, compact, tasteful bouquets with exquisite � owers and gorgeous accents are ideal. Flowers may be embellished with beads, crystals, faux jewels, feathers or

strung on wires over petals, threaded onto thin strands of glass within petals or le� to dangle. Ribbon has also made a comeback, but instead of being used in bows, it may be wrapped around the � ower stems.

For brides that choose not to wear a

use � owers from their bouquet in their hair, attaching them with pins or securing them to barrettes or a headband.

daring with the � owers for their wedding. Bold is in!

� e � avor and style of the Wedding Cake is usually completely di� erent at every wed-ding attended, and for good reason.� e cake should re� ect the Bride and Groom’s personal style and theme of their special day. It should also be their favorite � avors! Many couples even choose a main wedding cake to please the majority of guests, and a second “Groom’s Cake” with his favorites in mind.

A dessert table is another popular option for the wedding meal. � e couple can o� er their favorite selections of cheesecake, � u� , mousse,

tri� e, pudding and other sweets. Displayed on varied levels of pedestal plates, the desserts create an unexpected, attrac-tive presentation. Covering the table with coordinating fabric and inter-spersing small bowls of mints, candies and nuts complete the festive look.

Having a small cake on each table allows guests to serve themselves. � ese cakes, which can double as centerpieces, can be simply decorated eight-inch layer cakes or they can be thematically decorated-purses, hearts, ships, dresses, baseballs, etc. to re� ect the couple’s unique interests. � e originality of the creations will be a topic of conversa-tion long a� er the wedding day.

Either way, the traditional cutting ceremony and feed-ing of that � rst bite to each other is a moment remem-bered by all.

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Owned by Upper Skagit Indian Tribe