You are here: Home / Kim's Korner

Wedding Checklist ~ The Candy Buffet

August 22, 2011 By Maureen Chapdelaine Leave a Comment

Today’s yummy post is written by Kim Francis, the author of Kim’s Korner and MOB Group member on Facebook. Thanks Kim!


When my daughter became engaged & we began all of the wedding planning she knew that she wanted to have a candy buffet. Not only did we feel this would serve as a great gift for our guests but a fancy candy buffet would also function as a beautiful decoration at the reception.

We loved the idea of creating a Christmas theme candy buffet and went straight to work creating the buffet of her dreams! The colors she chose for her wedding were red, black & silver. She insisted that all of the candy we purchased had to be in these colors in order to make it to the buffet! We also knew we wanted a variety of containers to not only hold the candy but also be able to showcase the candy. We began purchasing containers everywhere from antique stores, yard sales to dollar stores. When purchasing your containers there is no need to spend a huge amount of money on apothecary jars. They are very fragile & you really do not need the lids. Trust me that is just something that you will worry about being broken!

Another lesson I learned while preparing for the buffet was that all the jars do not need to be exactly alike! The differences in sizes & shapes help to showcase the candy & make it stand out, giving it a “wow” factor. We also found after studying many candy displays that it was important to display your jars at different heights & levels to make it appealing to the eye & more interesting. This can be done by using any item that you choose to hide underneath the candy buffet covering. We used simple wooden boxes that my niece had used at her wedding candy buffet. I have seen books, bricks & even milk crates used for this purpose. It is also important that the jars you choose have openings large enough for the guests to remove the candy from. Make sure that each jar also has scoops or tongs to retrieve the candy.

Another idea to help your candy buffet stand out is to add your own personal touches. We used a simple white tablecloth to cover the tables and then added additional white cloths bunched up to hide the boxes & also to give it some texture. We also added a simple black ribbon to each jar, scoop & tong. Another personal touch we added was in the tags that we placed on each item. With it being a Christmas wedding, we knew we wanted an idea to go along with this theme but for it to remain classy & elegant. I personally wanted it to be cheap! Lol…..After purchasing all of the containers & candy my budget for this project was shot! I was able to purchase soft snowflake ornaments from the dollar tree at 8 for $1. I then printed the name of the candy in a cutesy font on my own home computer & glued the name of the candy to a piece of red cardstock. This gave us a personal tag that was cheap to make!

We also wanted the candy buffet gift bags to be personalized. We bought inexpensive white coffee tin bags & added a creative stamp that my daughter & son in law came up with. We then displayed the bags in 2 silver sleighs that fit our theme perfectly. We spruced up the table by adding red & silver ornaments along with fake snow & clear lights. We also hung 4 or 5 tissue paper snowflakes along with crystal garland that was draped from the ceiling. We then surrounded the buffet with glimmering crystal trees. These gave off enough light but also helped to keep with the magical atmosphere. No matter what season you have a candy buffet, the important thing to remember is to find a way to add your own personal touch!

 

Filed Under: Kim's Korner, wedding planning Tagged With: , ,

Wedding Vows & Marriage

July 30, 2011 By Maureen Chapdelaine Leave a Comment

 Kim Francis is author of Kim’s Korner and member of The MOB Group on Facebook.

Are we spending too much time preparing for the wedding thus forgetting about the marriage?

Many brides work diligently for months to plan the “perfect” wedding. No stone is left unturned!   Dreams are made and preparations are thoroughly organized and arranged. There is even a rehearsal for the big day’s events. Nothing is left to chance; every possible circumstance is envisioned and accounted for.

With over half of all these marriages ending in divorce & only half of those that endure report being truly happy, maybe we need to spend some of our time helping our children focus on how to plan for a lifetime commitment & not to just help them plan for the party of their dreams.

Most engaged couples assume they will never be one of these statistics when they gaze dreamingly into each others eyes. If they are depending on their happy feel-good emotions to carry them into the next 25 or 50 years their odds of having this kind of marriage has only a 1 in 4 chance of surviving. How can we help them to make these marriages work?

With all of the wedding planning & preparations that most couples do before hand it leaves many experts wondering how many couples invest even a fraction of the time they spend in wedding planning on actual marriage planning? How many of these couples set aside a time to make any plans for their marriage at all?

Well, I am of the opinion that making a marriage work will start LONG before the actual marriage ceremony. While helping our daughters & sons plan we might want to ask, “Do you clearly understand what your expectations, needs, likes, dislikes, and requirements will be in order for your marriage to be successful”? Are you able to communicate these expectations effectively to your significant other in an honest & open way? Are there traits such as jealousy, a controlling personality, negative thinking or even infidelity issues that need to be worked out before walking the aisle? We need to remind them that these are all traits that they will have to live with, day in & day out, year after year!

Most couples just don’t realize that good, skill-based pre-marriage counseling can help to reduce the risk of divorce by up to thirty percent and lead to a significantly happier marriage, according to marriage research. This counseling can also help to reduce the stress of the pre-wedding period. Just a little effort now can make their odds a whole lot better over the long run..

We need to let them know that everyone will inevitably face difficulties & challenges at some point in their marriage, & how they work through the challenges will be the key to how long the marriage will last. This is also a good time while they have so much positive energy in their relationship to sort through their issues. Research shows that there is a window of opportunity during the year before the wedding and the six months or so after when couples get the greatest benefits from marriage preparation. If to much time passes in the marriage, when things get hectic & bills need to be paid, negative habits and relationship patterns may become established and be much harder to resolve the issues.

Young couples today find themselves facing more demands and have fewer supports than ever before. Without the ability to communicate & resolve issues many couples will soon find themselves overwhelmed & consumed with unresolved issues. Trials & tribulations can interfere with their young marriage easier than most couples realize.

While the benefits of premarital education are beginning to become more widely known & accepted, most couples still don’t understand the need to attend a program before beginning their marriage. Research shows that couples who have skill-based marriage preparation are much happier and more successful in the long run.

Here’s a list of seven relationship skills and knowledge areas that research has shown to contribute to the success and endurance of marriage:

Compatibility
Expectations
Personalities and families-of-origin
Communication
Conflict resolution
Intimacy and sexuality
Long-term goals

Make sure that the pre-marriage counseling or prep your son or daughter  chooses will cover all of these areas whether they receive the advice from a religious counselor or a marriage therapist. Today’s marriages need all the help they can get & it is up to us parents to help insure they receive it!  We should do everything we can to ensure that their dreams of a great marriage and a great life are realized.

Filed Under: Kim's Korner Tagged With: , ,

Wedding Planning ~ Children are a Wonderful Delight

July 22, 2011 By Maureen Chapdelaine 1 Comment

Kim Francis is author of Kim’s Korner and member of the Mother of the Bride Group on Facebook.

Children make a delightful addition to any wedding celebration. Everyone loves the charm & sweetness of seeing children participate in a wedding. When including children in the wedding party, it is important to note their enthusiasm and excitement. It often equals, if not exceeds, that of the other attendants. My daughter chose to have a Jr. Bridesmaid, a flower girl, a Jr. Groomsman & a ring bearer at her wedding. Each of these children was delightful & played their roles so well.

Be sure to ask early in you’re planning, giving the child, “the joy of looking forward to the big day” and telling all their friends about the beautiful dress or grown-up suit they get to wear to the wedding.  It is a good idea to make a special day for shopping or fittings with the dress maker, followed by lunch or a trip to the ice cream parlor.

Make your time with them special and memorable.  Be sure to take a camera and share your photos as you have them developed.  Children love to have their pictures taken! The looks on the girl’s faces when they saw my daughter in her gown were priceless.

To make it fun and easy for the children who have been chosen to take part in the wedding be sure to give them the same consideration as adult attendants.  Carefully spell out details of what you expect.  For children who will be in the actual wedding ceremony, a spot of tape on the floor will help them remember where to stand, maybe even with their initials on them.

During the rehearsal, suggest the children practice more than once or twice, allowing them to be sure of what is expected. Practice tossing the flowers & carrying the pillow will help the child to know what is expected & will also make them feel more secure in their roles.

Other ways that you might want to include children in your ceremony would be to allow them to hand out programs, man the guest register or help with pre-wedding decorating. Have them help decorate the kids tables at the reception site or create colorful favors & gift bags.

Always remember no matter what happens on the day or what the child does, it will be considered endearing & darling. Just relax and let the children of the wedding party steal a few moments away from the bride.

 

Filed Under: Kim's Korner Tagged With: , ,

A Day to Remember

April 6, 2011 By Maureen Chapdelaine Leave a Comment

Kim Francis is author of Kim’s Korner and contributor to The MOB Blog.

We all know that the wedding day is all about the bride & her groom. This is the special day that has been set aside to showcase the love that the two of them have for one another. It is also the day that both families celebrate the coming together of the two & the merging of their families. With this being said would it not be a wonderful idea to showcase the love that brought these two together? Showing appreciation to your family & close friends on your wedding day is both a loving & symbolic touch that will help add uniqueness to your special day.

A great way to display this love for all your guests to see would be a Heritage Table. This table could be displayed someplace at the wedding or even in the area where the reception will be held. This table would consist of pictures of both the bride & groom but also have wedding pictures of both sets of parents, grandparents & anyone else who has been significant in each of the couple’s lives. 

Another great idea for the Heritage Table would be to have both of the mother’s & if possible even the grandmothers wedding dresses or the veils they wore on their special day used as part of this display. A great way to display these items would be to arrange the dresses on a dress holder or even drape the veils across the table. Other items that are significant to the couple & their families such as a keepsake wedding hankie or heirloom jewelry could be placed on & around the table to add decoration.

An idea to honor those that have passed on & are not able to be a part of the special day would be to create a Remembrance Table. This table could hold pictures of the loved ones that are deceased & no longer with us in person. Pictures of the bride & groom with the deceased & any special family heirloom could also be placed on the table.

Another idea to honor those who are only with us in memory & spirit would be to have a favorite recipe of the deceased including at the reception. How touching would it be to see Grandma’s favorite sugar cookies spread across a glass platter or Aunt Sue’s butter toffee bars stacked neatly on a silver tray? The recipe could also be placed on the table inviting all the wedding guests to take home a sample & a copy. What a beautiful way to honor & include the special women who meant so much to their families!

Both of these tables would be a wonderful inclusion to any style of wedding. As your family & friends reminisce; it is also a great way to show who each of you are & where you are from that lead you both to this beautiful day.

Filed Under: Kim's Korner, Personal Touch, wedding planning Tagged With: , ,

Wedding Planning ~ Rent or Own?

March 12, 2011 By Maureen Chapdelaine 1 Comment

Kim Francis is author of Kim’s Korner and contributor to The MOB Blog.

Rent or own? That is the question I asked myself when I was planning for my daughter’s wedding. If you choose a wedding venue that does not supply linens this will be an option that you will also need to consider.

My daughter became engaged a little over a year ago & we found ourselves diving head first into the wedding planning. I knew my job would be fairly easy because she had been planning her wedding since she was 5 or 6 years old & knew exactly what she wanted her day to be like. My job as MOB was to make her dreams come true on the tight budget her father gave us to work with.

After she chose to have the ceremony & also the reception in our hometown church we knew we had to decide what type of table linens & chair covers we wanted to use. She knew she wanted black chair covers & white round table linens but neither of us had any idea what a chunk these would take out of our budget! I immediately went to work on pricing these items and was astounded at the high price to rent for a few hours use! I decided to see what the difference would be to purchase these items outright and was elated to see that I could purchase the items brand new for almost the same price as if I chose to rent them. I would be out slightly more but I had a plan on how I was going to recoup my money, see that my daughter’s fairytale wedding came true & also show my husband how business savvy I was becoming in order to stay within our budget!( Lol….)

I found the table linens & also the black/white damask table runners that she had to have from an online linen company & immediately ordered those. By spending a certain amount & ordering a few more runners than I actually needed I was able to receive a quantity discount & now also qualified for free shipping. I chalked this up as a savings because anytime you rent from a company you can almost rest assured there will be a delivery fee no matter the distance. Now I got my linens with no delivery fee!

With the linens purchased I set my sights on finding the perfect chair covers. I started my search by going to our local Craigslist & found exactly what I needed. A former MOB had grown tired of storing her daughter’s chair covers & was ready to be rid of them for a fraction of what she had just paid a few months before. I was in the car and headed to meet her before I could even hang up the phone! With my purchases now complete, I set to work on my plan to recoup the money.

I called the church where the wedding was to take place & asked to speak to who was in charge of all the ladies activities. I then set out to tell her what a fine new fellowship room they had & how perfect it was going to be for our daughter’s wedding. The colors would be so perfect & the size made it a great location for us as our guests would not have to travel to another location for the reception. I then told her our only drawback was that it would have been so helpful if they had chair covers for the chairs & round floor length tablecloths. I said it seems that would be a great investment for them to make with all the beautiful weddings taking place there and all of the ladies activities that were hosted there as well. In closing I mentioned that I had gone ahead & purchased all of these items and if they knew of anyone else at church who might be interested in them, I would love to sell them once the wedding was over. I left it at that and within minutes my phone was ringing. The church had decided to purchase them from me to have for their use!!! Yipppeee Skipppeeee! I had gotten all the items my daughter wanted for her wedding for free!!!! I agreed to sell them for the exact price I had paid! The best part was I didn’t even have to pack them up or clean them in the deal!! (Lol…)

Believe me, it pays to shop around & think out your strategy! I found Craigslist to be a great place to purchase all kinds of slightly used wedding items. Instead of paying a fortune for chair sashes I bought a ton of wide white tulle & cut this into 1 yard long strips. We then tied these around each chair in a simple knot! Waaalaaaaa, a beautiful chair sash that could be cut & tied in less than a minute each. We had so many compliments on how beautiful our chairs looked. I spent $50 on tulle that covered 300 chairs. The cheapest sash I could find was over $2 each! Our savings alone on the sashes was over $500! I have declared myself a Ms. Cheap MOB! Where there is a will……There is a way!!  Happy planning fellow MOB readers!!

Filed Under: Kim's Korner, Mother of the Bride, wedding planning Tagged With: , ,

Wedding Planning ~ Not all Wedding Videos are the same!

March 4, 2011 By Maureen Chapdelaine 2 Comments

Not all wedding videos will look the same! Believe me; I learned this lesson the hard way. I could hardly wait to see my daughter’s wedding video & was bursting at the seams with excitement when I hurriedly popped it into the DVD. My tears began to flow but not from being overjoyed at seeing the video. My excitement had turned to complete & utter shock. Instead of seeing the cinematic video I had dreamed of for weeks, I rather found myself watching just a simple homemade wedding video that was set to music.

Looking back I have no one to blame but myself. This is the one area that I feel I scrimped on concerning my daughter’s wedding. While planning my daughter’s wedding I was approached by a family friend who claimed to do cinematic wedding videos. I should have known by the cheaper price that this could not be the type of video I was looking for. I asked a few simple questions & way too hastily took him up on his offer.

Oh, I thought I had asked all the right questions to ensure that I was going to get the video I dreamed of but looking back I see that I failed miserably in this area. I have always heard if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is!

The questions I should have first asked were if I could speak to a few of his former customers. Word of mouth is always the best advertisement if a person is happy with their services or could also prove to be a word of warning if a customer were to be unhappy.

Another question I find myself wishing I had asked was to see a few of his wedding videos. This would also have shown me exactly what I would be investing in & what I would be receiving.

Other questions I should have asked if I had first done my homework would be will the video be filmed in high definition and wide screen? Will it be filmed in a cinematic style?

If you feel the video is important and if your goal is to have a professional cinematic video that captures all the beauty and emotion of the day then it is your job to ask questions so that you will know upfront what you will be getting. Another way to see what you will be getting is by visiting the videographer’s website. There you will find samples of their work & also testimonials from their customers.

Anyone can pick up a camera but remember this is a once in a lifetime event and it should be captured as such. Choosing a videographer is an extremely important decision and an investment in your daughter’s life that you both will want to share for many years to come. I would like to offer a few tips on choosing the right videographer for your needs so that you will not make the same mistake that I did. Before signing a contract make sure that you do your homework & know exactly what you will be getting!!

Kim’s Helpful Tips When Choosing a Videographer:

Experience & Knowledge: Your wedding day is a once in lifetime day & should be treated as such. You don’t want to hand the responsibility of capturing one of the most important days of your life to an amateur. Make sure they have lots of WEDDING experience & not some “fly by night videographer.”

View the Videographer’s Demo: It is so important to know    your videographer’s ability before hiring him or her.

  • Does the DVD’s layout suit your wants?
  • Do you like how the videographer edited the video?
  • Are there any apparent mistakes?
  • Does the audio/music sound clear?

Style: Each Videographer will have his or her own unique style.     Make sure that their style also suits your style & wants. Make sure to think about this as you are watching the sample DVD.

Equipment: Does the videographer use professional equipment or his own personal consumer equipment? Make sure to remember that you are hiring a professional and that their equipment should also be professional. Do a little research on what type of equipment your videographer will be using.

  • Cameras
  • Wireless Microphones
  •  Tripods
  • Fluid Head or Plastic

    ?
     Kim Francis is author of Kim’s Korner and contributor to The MOB Blog.
Filed Under: Kim's Korner, Wedding Photographer, wedding planning Tagged With: , , ,

What’s New on The MOB Blog?

February 25, 2011 By Maureen Chapdelaine Leave a Comment

I am excited to be writing today to tell you about a new addition to The MOB Blog; MOB Bloggers!

Three amazing Mothers of the Bride are now writing their own blog, right here on The MOB Blog.

Beth Carnevale, a current Mother of the Bride will be telling her story in Our Big Fat Italian Greek Wedding.  With two engaged daughters, Beth will need to be organized and focused. She is! Enjoy following Beth’s story as she shares her wisdom and planning tips, beginning with her wonderful introductory post, Our Big Fat Italian Greek Wedding.

Cynthia Keeley and Kim Francis have been members of The MOB on Facebook since day one.  They support and interact with new Mothers of the Bride almost daily.  Cynthia and Kim are frequent contributors to The MOB Blog.

Kim will be featured in her blog, Kim’s Korner.  Kim’s story will have that precious southern flair, detailing southern tradition and style.  Kim is the mother of a son and two daughters, and has experienced both sides of the aisle as a MOB and MOG.

Cynthia has two married daughters, and will bring more of a northern panache to her wedding stories in Cyn’s Spin.   Cynthia loves to seek out the newest trends in wedding planning and has a charming wit that you don’t want to miss.

Welcome and enjoy following the MOB Bloggers!

Filed Under: Cyn's Spin, Kim's Korner, Our Big Fat Italian Greek Wedding Tagged With: , ,

Wedding Planning ~ The Candy Buffet

February 4, 2011 By Maureen Chapdelaine 1 Comment

Today’s yummy post is written by MOB Blog author Kim Francis.  Thanks Kim!

When my daughter became engaged & we began all of the wedding planning she knew that she wanted to have a candy buffet. Not only did we feel this would serve as a great gift for our guests but a fancy candy buffet would also function as a beautiful decoration at the reception.

We loved the idea of creating a Christmas theme candy buffet and went straight to work creating the buffet of her dreams! The colors she chose for her wedding were red, black & silver. She insisted that all of the candy we purchased had to be in these colors in order to make it to the buffet! We also knew we wanted a variety of containers to not only hold the candy but also be able to showcase the candy. We began purchasing containers everywhere from antique stores, yard sales to dollar stores. When purchasing your containers there is no need to spend a huge amount of money on apothecary jars. They are very fragile & you really do not need the lids. Trust me that is just something that you will worry about being broken!

Another lesson I learned while preparing for the buffet was that all the jars do not need to be exactly alike! The differences in sizes & shapes help to showcase the candy & make it stand out, giving it a “wow” factor. We also found after studying many candy displays that it was important to display your jars at different heights & levels to make it appealing to the eye & more interesting. This can be done by using any item that you choose to hide underneath the candy buffet covering. We used simple wooden boxes that my niece had used at her wedding candy buffet. I have seen books, bricks & even milk crates used for this purpose. It is also important that the jars you choose have openings large enough for the guests to remove the candy from. Make sure that each jar also has scoops or tongs to retrieve the candy.

Another idea to help your candy buffet stand out is to add your own personal touches. We used a simple white tablecloth to cover the tables and then added additional white cloths bunched up to hide the boxes & also to give it some texture. We also added a simple black ribbon to each jar, scoop & tong. Another personal touch we added was in the tags that we placed on each item. With it being a Christmas wedding, we knew we wanted an idea to go along with this theme but for it to remain classy & elegant. I personally wanted it to be cheap! Lol…..After purchasing all of the containers & candy my budget for this project was shot! I was able to purchase soft snowflake ornaments from the dollar tree at 8 for $1. I then printed the name of the candy in a cutesy font on my own home computer & glued the name of the candy to a piece of red cardstock. This gave us a personal tag that was cheap to make!

We also wanted the candy buffet gift bags to be personalized. We bought inexpensive white coffee tin bags & added a creative stamp that my daughter & son in law came up with. We then displayed the bags in 2 silver sleighs that fit our theme perfectly. We spruced up the table by adding red & silver ornaments along with fake snow & clear lights. We also hung 4 or 5 tissue paper snowflakes along with crystal garland that was draped from the ceiling. We then surrounded the buffet with glimmering crystal trees. These gave off enough light but also helped to keep with the magical atmosphere. No matter what season you have a candy buffet, the important thing to remember is to find a way to add your own personal touch!

Filed Under: Kim's Korner, Wedding Favors, wedding planning Tagged With: , ,