Finding the perfect wedding flowers is a huge part of planning a wedding. Flowers are needed for the bride, groom, mothers and certain members of the wedding party as well as for centerpieces that will grace the tables during the wedding reception.

A wedding without flowers is like a root beer float without the vanilla ice cream or cake without the icing, it just isn’t the same.

You want your floral arrangements and adornments to be beautiful and breathtaking to all who view them but there are a few things that you should know before you begin to make your selections.

Consider those who will be attending your wedding and reception. Unfortunately some are allergic to flowers or are fragrant sensitive and could be affected by a strong scented flower. If any of your guests have sensitive noses they will truly thank you for considering this very important detail because it can mean the difference between them enjoying themselves or not during your reception.

Having sneezing fit after sneezing fit or watery itchy eyes isn’t the way you want a guest to remember their time spent, with tissues in hand, at your reception. Ask one who specializes in selling flowers to help you pick out a less fragrant variety.

Next you will want to consider the colors of the flowers that you will choose. You probably will want to get flowers that compliment the bridesmaid’s and groomsmen’s outfits.

When it comes to non wedding party guests that you will need flowers for like mothers and grandmothers you will need to ask them what color dress they will be wearing and purchase flowers that will  compliment their dresses to avoid a clashing of colors.

You will also need to pick out the bridal bouquet which could be comprised of your favorite colors and matched to the flowers that you will wear in your hair. If you have a flower girl you will need flower petals for her to toss from her basket as she walks down the aisle as well as flowers for her headpiece.

Once you know how to select your wedding flowers it makes it a lot simpler to purchase entryway arrangements, centerpiece decorations and all of the other pretty flowers needed to make your wedding and reception florally beautiful.

Many people enjoy attending weddings, seeing the beautiful blushing bride and the handsome groom say their vows of ever lasting love to one another. Most brides want the wedding of their dreams. Realistically as a bride or groom  you should plan your wedding budget in advance to avoid heartache later on.

Weddings get people excited. It’s such a wonderful experience to plan a wedding and many get carried away when figuring out just how much extravagance they can truly afford. They may mistakenly reason that they are only getting married once and aim for the biggest and best wedding they can throw.

If one can afford an extravagant wedding, it usually isn’t an issue when the bill hits big numbers, but when one gets head over heels into debt over a wedding it can be a huge problem. These tips will help you to figure out and stay within your wedding budget.

1. Figure out who is paying for the wedding: Traditionally it is the brides family that pays for the wedding but in this modern day and time anyone can pay for the wedding and it would be considered acceptable.

2. Think responsibly: Don’t contribute more to your wedding than you can really afford. Life lasts a lot longer than the wedding day and honey moon. Consider that there will be bills that need to be paid like rent or mortgage, gas, water, phone and electric.

Nothing is more stressful to newlyweds than starting a life together in debt. Money is one of the main things that many couples fight over.

3. Think realistically: Many simply don’t have the type of incomes to afford over the top extravagant celebrity style weddings like you see in magazines.

Do you really need the same wedding planner your favorite celebrity used? Will your wedding be any less beautiful if you don’t have a $15,000 designer dress on with top designer shoes and expensive jewelry?

4. Total the figures: After you figure how who is paying what, you’ll need to add it all together to find out exactly how much you have to spend on your wedding. This is your wedding budget.

5. Don’t allow yourself to go over your wedding budget. Spending a little here and a little there can really add up and before you know it you could be way over your budget.

6. Shop around: You are not limited to just what is available in your town or city. Let your fingers do the walking over the internet and find many great deals and steals from your caterer and honey moon to wedding accessories and favors.

When you plan your wedding budget in advance it helps you to know up front what type of wedding you can afford. This will help you to say no and keep you on the right track if it is something you absolutely don’t need or can’t afford, while in the midst of a very emotional time. Having a budget doesn’t mean that you can’t have a wonderful enjoyable wedding experience.

Last month, we celebrated mothers.  Now, it’s time to give father’s a day to be showered with love and appreciation.  Nothing expresses appreciation like a cool gift!

But what do you get for the father who has everything?

Consider this an official warning:  Stay away from ties! Stay away socks and boxer shorts!  This year on Father’s Day, dare to do something different.

Create an enjoyable experience.

Instead of forcing the father in your life to dress up and go out for dinner, invite all of his friends over for a poker night.  Whip up some snacks and then when everybody’s got their poker faces on, present him with these awesome glasses and watch his friends drool.

Father’s Day Poker Night

Give each guest a different pilsner glass and fill it to the rim with their favorite beer.

For the trash talker in the room, let him drink from the hand painted “Talking Trash” pilsner glass.

For the golfer, he’ll love this hand painted “19 Holes” pilsner glass.

For the sports fan, try the “Throw Me Another One” pilsner glass.

For the hopeless romantic who loves his wife, “I’ll do the Laundry” pilsner glass will be perfect for him.

Leave the guys to an uninterrupted poker night and it will be the best Father’s Day ever!

Lolita never disappoints.  What better way to celebrate Mother’s Day than with a glass that celebrates mommies everywhere!

Mommy’s Time Out is a beautifully hand painted martini glass that is decorated with all of the things a mommy needs to get a little “me time.”

Imagine a quiet evening on the sofa, with a movie and her favorite martini.  Kick back and give Mommy a time out!  Who needs an expensive restaurant?  Just peel off the recipe at the bottom and enjoy!

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Trophy Wife

Smart husbands who really want to gain some serious brownie points won’t let this glass slip by.  Show your foxy mama what a prize she is with Lolita’s Trophy Wife martini glass.

Watch your wife’s eyes brighten when she discovers that this martini glass isn’t the only thing on a pedestal.

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Lolita Diva

Is the mommy in your life a royal diva?  Then this glass is for her!  Celebrate your queen with this hand painted martini glass is accentuated with a sizzling purple evening gown.   With this glass your diva can sashay and have a night on the town without ever leaving the living room!

These are just a few awesomely hand painted works of art that are sure to get the Mother’s Day celebration started right.

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So what will your New Year’s Resolution be for 2011?

a. Lose weight again
b. Stop smoking again
c. Stop gossiping
d. Stop serving martinis in boring old glasses

Yes, I believe D is your best choice – it’s easiest to maintain.  You won’t have to worry about going back on this resolution, especially since Lolita has added another limited edition Martini glass to the New Year’s collection.

You will only find these kinds of beauties this time of year.  And once they’re gone, that’s it, you’ll have to wait until next year for this kind of glass.

There are people who haven’t missed a glass – every New Year, they pull these glasses out and celebrate with style. They give each of their guests a glass from a different year, then they take turns sharing a recap of what life was like that year, all before making that 12 o’clock toast.

Don’t worry if you’ve missed out on past editions. Resolve to start a new tradition this year – get started with Lolita’s New Year 2011 Martini Glass. Get it now before supplies run out.

Lolita and Asta glasses are not for the meek, the mediocre, or the monotonous.  There’s just too much concentrated pizazz for the average.

No, these glasses are for the trendsetter – for those who want to make a statement; for those who want to set the bar high when it comes to hosting the most memorable social gatherings in town.

After all, anybody can invite some people over for drinks, but only the bold and fearless will do it in style. They understand the difference between pouring a drink and creating an experience.

It’s about the experience.

These martini glasses are for hosts who want their guest post to experience New York,  Cleveland and Indianapolis -  even enjoy an out-of-this world experience with Neptune – all without ever leaving the room.

It’s about expression.

These are indeed, glasses with attitude – guests can have a drink with Carmen or Flora – or they can take it to the next level even pretend they are Carmen and Flora, for that matter.  Why not escape and be someone else for the night?

These glasses are not just a creative way to help your guests keep up with their drinks.  No, they are not your average drink holder.  Instead, they are classy, fun and bold works of art.

Cleveland-tini Rocks!

Lolita’s Cleveland-inspired martini glass brings this awesome city to you.  No airfare or bags required, just fill this glass and party your way to the Home of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Fun Facts about Cleveland:

• In 1879, Cleveland became the first city to be lighted by electricity.  Cleveland also had the first traffic light in 1914.
• Cleveland is spelled differently than its founder’s name Moses Cleaveland.  In 1832, the editor of the Cleaveland Gazette  newspaper dropped the first “a” to fit the title on one line.  The new spelling caught on.  (http://www.thingstodo.com/states/OH/facts.htm)

If you’re ever in Cleveland, check out some of these Martini Bars:

806 Martini & Wine Bar
806 Literary Road, Cleveland, OH 44113-4439

2020 Martini Lounge & Cafe
2020 Center Street Cleveland, Ohio 44113

Fairmount Martini & Wine Bar
2448 Fairmount Boulevard, Cleveland, OH 44106-3131

Clifton Martini & Wine Bar
10427 Clifton Boulevard, Cleveland, OH 44102

Kevin’s Martini Bar
2035 East 4th Street, Cleveland, Ohio 44115

My friend and her beau are finally getting ready to tie the knot. They’ve registered and scanned every item they could get their hands on – but I’m skipping all of those items. I’ll let everyone else purchase those boring items such as his & hers monogramed towels, comforters and sheet sets – they can have at it!

I want to give my friend a gift that she can enjoy on her wedding day (and night) and then display for years to come as a reminder of her beautiful day.

Towels and sheets will get tossed eventually, but this beautiful Asta Hawaiian Bridge and Groom Wedding Champagne Set will be around for years to come.

She and her husband will share their first toast together as husband and wife with these hand painted and etched champagne glasses. I can just picture her standing there in her beautiful dress (that I helped pick out by the way) holding up my gift for a toast that she will remember for the rest of her life.

Yes, I’ve found the perfect gift for the perfect couple. The search is over. Cheers!

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You might also like these other Wedding Champagne Glasses by Lolita (click to enlarge)

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Wedding season is on its way. Brides everywhere are preparing for their big day. The culmination of months worth of planning are winding down, and you still don’t know what gift to give your bridesmaids.

They’ve been great, they gave you the best bachelorette party a bride-to-be could ask for and you want to give them something special in return.  But not just anything, something unique, and something they’ll cherish for years to come.

They are not your average, ordinary bunch. These ladies are divas with attitudes. You want to give them something with style.

So what could you do?

Purse Party by Lolita

Give each member of your wedding party a Purse Party, by Lolita. This gorgeous hand painted martini set will take their breath away. Finally, your Maid of Honor will be just as speechless as you were during your bridal shower.

Choose a different one for each of your bridesmaids. Even the ones who don’t drink martinis can appreciate the beauty of these hand-painted sets. They are works of art that they can display proudly to remind them of this very special time you’ve all shared together.

For that flirty friend get her the “Flirt Purse Party”

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For the shopaholic get her the “Shopaholic, too Purse Party”
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For the diva, get her “Almost Famous Purse Party”

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For the shoe addict, get her the “Stiletto Purse Party”

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For the single lady, get her the “Who Needs a Man Purse Party”

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This will be a thank you gift they’ll never forget.