Wednesday, December 3, 2008

The perfect bridal shower favor

I LOVE Bath and Body Works Instant Aromatherapy as the perfect bridal shower favor, since you can personalize the theme by color or message to work with your party's decor, and your guests will be thrilled to get such a useful and long-lasting favor. They're also very affordable if you're on a budget.

Grab a few extra to give to the bride (and to her intense Mom) as the wedding day approaches, fulfilling your duty as the World's Best Bridesmaid in giving the gift of comfort and relaxation.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Praise for My Bridal Shower Book


The Ultimate Bridal Shower Idea Book has received a wonderful review on Amazon.com:

The list author says:
"This book is chock full of amazing ideas! What I love about it most is the idea of picking a theme and then really going for it! If you are preparing a shower for someone you love, she will be absolutely thrilled when you follow the guidelines outlined here. A creative, fun, classy offering from one of the most impressive wedding professionals out there! Bravo!"

Thanks for the fabulous review!

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Top 12 Design Ideas for Shower Invitations

Sharing my article from www.Mountaincow.com:

We’ve come a long way from those store-bought, fill-in the blank bridal shower invitations! Now, you can design stylish, personalized invitations with a dash of innovation and a match to the guest of honor’s style. Here are the top design tips and trends to inspire you:
A fabulous fold: Choose from a flat or folded card, tri-fold (two panels open up like French doors to reveal your message inside), scroll, four-page booklet or even an accordion or origami-type fold. A truly unique invitation starts with the very first impression.
Shape up: In addition to traditional rectangle-shaped cards, you can now incorporate the big trend in unique card shape: square, circular, oval, or triangular invitations. It’s easy to form these shapes without hassle – simply print out your invitations on regular card stock and then cut using regular or wavy-edged scissors, or die cuts punches from the scrapbook store.
Color match: You can use the bride’s color palette (such as pink and apple green or chocolate and red) for the shower, or you can move into a different hue to match the theme, style or location of the party you’re planning. For instance, a garden-themed party might inspire a bright yellow card with a cantaloupe orange Gerbera daisy and bright orange print. Your party is an individual, so you don’t need to limit yourselves to the bride’s favorite colors, or go with bridal whites and blush pinks. Brights are all the rage, so consider an eye-catching hue to announce that this party is going to be fun.
Swirls and slants: Choose a fabulous font that conveys the style and formality of your party. The type of print you use conveys a message to the guests – a formal italic might be ideal for a tea party, while a more city-chic font might convey the indulgent tone of your spa pampering themed-party.
Talk in your voice: You’re not bound to traditional invitation wording etiquette, as is expected for formal wedding invitations, so use your own conversational style, an excited tone, even humor. For instance, instead of “You’re invited to a bridal shower for…” you might ‘speak’ to the guests in the tone of “Little black dress….check. Martinis….check. A view of the city skyline…check. We’re all set for Julie’s bridal shower, and we’d love for you to join us!” The wording you use shares an image, plus incorporates the bride’s personal style and tastes into your invitation. Wording can also share dress code, which guests will need to know. “We’ll all be in comfy spa wear and flip-flops for the spa party” tells the guest that a dress, heels and stockings would be out of place.
Use a great graphic: Check out the fun, shower-perfect graphics included in Mountaincow’s PrintingPress software. The most popular images include lipstick, high heeled shoe, martini glass, tulips, music note, and champagne glasses.
For co-ed showers: Since the big trend right now is hosting a shower including both sexes, design the invitation with him in mind as well. Some popular color schemes for this type of party: chocolate brown with tan and red accents, black and white with red or iced blue accents, deep jewel tones like cranberry, hunter green, sapphire blue, or deep purple, or a stylish and cosmopolitan steel gray with silver and teal or red print.
Design stylish inserts: Shower invitations often include registry information or directions on separate cards. (See Mountaincow’s scalloped-edge notecards as the perfect color-coordinated choice.) Include additional inserts for guests’ favorite recipes, best marriage advice or input for any shower games planned.
Share FYIs about the registryIf the couple has signed on to a registry that donates a percentage of purchases to their favorite charity, include that information! You can choose a theme for the gifts if you know the bride and groom particularly want items for their honeymoon or newly renovated kitchen. Guests will be more likely to shop from the couple’s choices.
Include the RSVP: Again, you’re not bound by traditional wedding invitation rules that say a response card is needed, but you can design a response card or postcard as an alternative to printing your name and phone number or e-mail on the card itself. Add an “RSVP by” date if you have special catering or space concerns.
Tie one on: Just as with the new trends in wedding invitations, shower invitations can also be tied with a ribbon or a ‘belt’ made of a fabric length attached by a buckle, charm, or beaded accent. Fashion-forward shower planners use faux fur or city-chic fabric ties, rhinestone fasteners, gemstones, even a single chandelier earring bought inexpensively at a craft fair (or a pair of earrings as a surprise pre-favor before the shower even happens). Dress up your invitation with something unexpected, but bear in mind that anything raised or bulky will require extra postage when mailing.
The outer wrapping: A colorful envelope stands out from a pile of bills and junk mail, so make the envelope something special as well, using a fantastic color that shows your return address done in a kicky, colorful font, and even a fun graphic or words printed on the bottom or back of the envelope. Match a design element from the invitation to this envelope so that the ensemble looks professionally-made.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Your Gift Solution: Giving a Group Gift!

With all the money you're spending on your dress, shoes, travel, lodging, the bridal shower and hair and makeup, the idea of getting a terrific gift for the bride's shower or for the couple's wedding gift is probably making you shake right now. You want to get them something terrific, but wow, you're spending a lot!

Your best solution? Band together as a group and give a Group Gift. Everyone chips in a moderate amount of money, and you all give a fantastic, big-ticket item from the registry, such as a bakeware set, a cappuccino maker, a luggage set, those fabulous Egyptian cotton sheets, etc. Check out my article for more information!

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Let's get started with contest #1


As a bridesmaid, you're going to have a few responsibilities...and one of these might be proposing a toast at a shower, at the rehearsal dinner, or at the wedding.


Public speaking can be nerve-wracking! And what are you going to say? How long should your toast be, and should you open with a joke? What about a great quote? You'll find all of your most-needed information and hundreds of quotes and toast-starters in my book Your Special Wedding Toasts.


Win your copy by coming over to my website http://www.sharonnaylor.net/ and sending me an e-mail with World's Best Bridesmaid Contest in the subject line. No need to share your address with me yet...I NEVER sell contact info, anyway, so your details will be safe with me when you DO win! Just write to say hi, ask a question, share a story...I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

Monday, October 20, 2008

Welcome to World's Best Bridesmaid!


Hello! Sharon Naylor here -- I'm the author of over 35 wedding books, and a few of those are books specifically for you, the excited bridesmaid-to-be looking forward to being the World's Best Bridesmaid.
If you've been a bridesmaid before, you know the drill. You've been through the process of buying a dress that you might or might not love. You've hosted a bridal shower. You've walked down the aisle escorted by a mouth-breathing, moron groomsman. Great news for you! I have all-new information on being a bridesmaid...new resources, new ways to save you money, new inspiration for bridal showers, new details on planning from a distance. Details on organic wedding supplies and dresses, socially-responsible party planning and products, the best new jewelry, and...yes, shoes.
If you're a newbie, you'll get all the same information, plus the basics on what you need to do to be a fabulous bridesmaid. And diplomacy advice for dealing with Mean Girl bridesmaids in your circle, bossy brides, and others.
In the coming days, weeks and months, you'll get the chance to WIN free copies of my books -- either for you or as gifts for the bride and groom -- and you'll also get the chance to win fun things from many of my contacts in the wedding and beauty industries.
Visit my website http://www.sharonnaylor.net/ to see more about my books, and write me directly with any questions you might have. I'll post the best questions (using your first name only, or a fake name if you prefer) here.
You're here on Day 1...come on over to my site to meet me, and then get ready to get all the inside answers and secrets that other bridesmaids just don't have.