October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Here are a few wedding-related ways to support the cause:

1. Wedding Favors-There are many favor/gift companies that will give a portion of their proceeds to support breast cancer research. The Republic of Tea has created Sip for the Cure, a special collection of Pink Green Teas, while the team at Mars has developed the My M&Ms Promise Blend, both benefitting Susan G. Komen For the Cure.

2. Wedding Registry-Give a Pink Gift! KitchenAid presents Cook for the Cure, a line of cookware to beneift Susan G. Komen For the Cure. Don’t worry, the men will learn to love pink in the kitchen!

3. Bridal Party Gifts-I found these great gift ideas at Coach.com. These would be perfect gifts for your girls! 

Chocolate covered pretzles could, quite possibly, be my favorite indulgence! I included these sweet and salty treats as favors at my own wedding. I was actually hoping that guests would leave them on the tables and I could bring them all back home for me to eat! Unfortunately, my guests seemed to enjoy them just as much as I did.

I recently stumbled upon the Fretzels by Jill website and immediately thought, “Why didn’t I think of that?!” Besides offering a Fretzel of the Month Club (!), this company also creates custom party favors perfect for any occasion. They will create personalized packaging (inlcuding ribbon and tags) to match your wedding colors and/or theme. Yum!

Since we are in the midst of summer wedding season, I thought I’d share some ideas on how to offer your guests a little relief from the summer sun and heat (they will thank you!) and add some fun accessories to your day!

Luna Bazaar has really cute items that would be perfect for spring and summer weddings. They sell parasols, paper lanterns, fans, and other decorative items that add a colorful twist to your garden wedding. I love the parasols and your guests will certainly appreciate the shade!

These items come in so many different colors and styles, so you will definitely find the perfect match to the theme or color scheme of your wedding!

With prices for everything going up these days, many couples are feeling a pinch in their pocketbooks when it comes to wedding planning. Trying to decide where to cut costs can be very difficult. This could be the perfect time to sit down and discuss what is most important to you and how your money can best be spent. Do your guests really need, or want for that matter, a shot glass with your names on it as a wedding favor? Instead, have you thought about a charitable wedding favor?

More and more couples are looking for socially conscious alternatives to the typical wedding-related items. Organizations such as the I Do Foundation (www.idofoundation.org) help couples find a charity that best fits their values and makes it easy to create donation opportunities. As the nation’s first wedding-focused nonprofit, the I Do Foundation offers solutions for couples who want to share these values with their wedding guests and provide them with a wedding favor that will make a lasting impression. I’m sure your friends and family will appreciate your donation in their name.

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Here’s an easy way to customize your wedding with wine that has labels with you on it.  Signature Wine & Beverages offers a selection of wine labels just for weddings.  What an easy an inexpensive way to add a little extra touch to your wedding.  This is also a great idea for couples on a budget as well.