They're here in time for your autumn affair! I've always looked at summer as the gateway to fall--the price we have to pay to arrive at the most divine time of year. Autumn brides have the advantage of a spectacular setting for their wedding everywhere their guests go. You can argue that spring offers the same scenic delights of its own, and while that may be somewhat true, the operative word is "same." Colorful flowers outdoors and indoors. But only fall provides canopies of trees vibrantly ablaze with dazzling colors, sweeping panoramas of Mother Nature's palette that invite you to take a deep breath of the cool, crisp autumn air before you step inside to see roses, dahlias, lilies and chrysanthemums decorating the day. Face it. It's the autumn leaves that leave you breathless.

It's no wonder that the world's most savvy wedding favor designers make the fall leaf their muse, but it's how the muse inspires them that leads to the most visually stunning, unique wedding favor designs. This year, Kate Aspen takes top honors for creativity, but it's this year's autumn brides that reap the rewards. Here's a peek at what's waiting for you at MyWeddingFavors.com!

Let's talk about "visually stunning" for a moment, because that's what sets Kate Aspen favors apart from the rest of the crowd. The gift presentation of these favors is as impressive as the favor itself. The "Fall in Love" Scented Leaf-Shaped Soaps (left) arrive in the cream and chocolate-colored, leaf-motif gift box tied with a chocolate-brown satin ribbon. Next, the scent of the two soaps inside captures your guests' attention. Wow! And the "Autumn Elegance" Fall-Leaf Favor Box (right) gives you an apple-red or chocolate-brown accent option.

If you have your heart set on a place card holder/photo frame combination, you won't be disappointed. The "Autumn Branches" Bronze-Finish Metal Photo Frame/Place Card Holder just may be the definitive fall wedding favor design of the season. Openwork leaves on branches surround the place card or your favorite "happy couple" photo. Trust me--while your guests are eating their salads, they'll be thinking about the perfect place to display this amazing wedding favor in their home. But they won't have to wonder where the "Lustrous Leaf" Copper-Finish Bottle Stopper might go. Funny though, and this does happen sometimes with Kate Aspen's signature packaging, some guests will love the laser-cut leaf gift box so much, they'll display the stopper without taking it out of the box. We call this phenomenon the "Kate Aspen Effect," and it's been captivating wedding guests across the country. Just thank your guests with one of these favors and watch what happens...

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Sumptuous. Elaborate. Ornate. Excessive. Let's face it--waaaay over the top. Marie Antoinette is the poster child for the Baroque era, and the lavish lifestyle of France's King Louis XVI (Marie's husband, who could well afford such extravagance) and their courtiers exemplifies the Baroque era. If you've seen any paintings or movies (like 2006's Marie Antoinette) that depict the era, you can easily understand why the French revolted. It's pretty revolting. But as a wedding theme, it would be an absolute hoot for the guests. And guess what? A Baroque-themed wedding is a red-hot, growing trend in Europe and other parts of the world! Yes, brides worldwide are squeezing themselves into those boob-busting, hip-enhancing, ostentatious gowns and slapping on a white, powdered wig to walk down the aisle to her white-wigged, tights-and-knickers-wearing groom-to-be. Wouldn't you just love to hear the conversation when the BTB breaks the news to her betrothed that he's going to be wearing kneepants, velvet and ruffles for the big day?

Just imagine what this theme requires--a palatial, French-style setting, elaborately decorated reception tables, a string quartet playing Baroque music, wine flowing like the Seine, a menu that may or may not include pheasant-under-glass and an entire roast pig, and period costuming for the bride, groom and wedding party. By the way, those things that made Marie's hips as wide as the Seine are called panniers. That explains the very wide doors that filled their place in Versailles. Considering what a wedding like this might cost, you'll probably wind up "baroque."






Perhaps the least expensive and most appreciated part of a baroque wedding would be the fabulous wedding favors. What guest wouldn't want a memento of an extravaganza like this? Here are a couple that would fit perfectly in your grand banquet hall! The "Enchanted Carriage" Favor Box is sure to resemble the gorgeous carriage that brings you to the ceremony. If you really want to go all out with the Marie Antoinette theme, you'll want to bestow these magnificent "Coronation" Bottle Stoppers on your guests. I must say, the more I think about a Baroque wedding, the better I like it. Your wedding album and video would be spectacular and unbelievably entertaining. And you'd literally have a ball!

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Take note, BTBs! ABC News is reporting a hot new trend--they're called bridal "shapecations." Instead of you and your bridesmaids celebrating the upcoming big day with a night or a weekend of wild abandon, now brides are opting for a stress- and weight-reducing vacation weekend with their best buds at an upscale spa or hotel. The idea is to relax, lose weight, tone up and get a healthy glow on to go under the dress.

Apparently, the hotel industry is embracing the trend and creating bridal packages that offer work-outs, calorie-conscious organic meals and the standard spa stuff, like massages, facials, manicures and pedicures, etc. For the brides and their bridesmaids, it's an opportunity to bond more then they would at a nightclub, because they can converse more comfortably. To encourge all the girls to keep up what they've started at least until W-Day, a number of hotels and spas provide the bridal party with a take-home plan. I don't have to tell you that the packages vary widely in features and price. Expect to pay anywhere from $500 per person at many spas or hotels to a whopping $12,670 for five of you at the Grand Velas Spa Resort in Nuevo Vallara in Mexico. And I'm sure there are a few spots that might cost more. You can always create your own close-to-home exercise and spa weekend for a fraction of the cost.

So let's talk about the very best bridesmaids gifts to hand out when you arrive at your "shapecation." You'll all look sharp and connected in these luxuriant, personalized terrycloth spa robes on the left. It's a bridesmaid gift that will continue to make memories long after your beautification vacation. Another practical gift is "The Weekender" Tote Bag on the right. On your weekend or at home, your party girls will have a stylish, personalized way to transport work-out clothes, toiletries, their favorite mag and more. Personally, I'm all for this new trend. Sounds lovely, whether you're getting married or not!

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Yes, BTB, your bouquet wants to dress up for that long-awaited wedding day, too! There are some fabulous and fun bouquet wraps out there to surround those stems with both flashy and simple elegance. And guess what I learned while checking these out? Bridal bouquets are also called "tussie mussies," which is what they called a small Victorian bridal bouquet. The wrap used to hold the bouquet is sometimes referred to as a tussie mussie, too.

But I digress. A bouquet wrap can be as simple as satin ribbon wrapped around the stems of your tussie mussie (Yeah, I love that name!) and tied with a bow. If you're having your wedding gown hemmed, you might want to save some of the material and have your wrap match your dress.

But the hot trend in bouquet wraps these days is ultra ornate. I found a few beauties on jem-ma.com, and Nisie's Enchanted Florist in California is creating some spectacular wrap designs. We're talking rhinestones and Swarovski crystals that give those stems some serious sparkle! I thought you might want to take a peek at some of the wraps wandering around out there so you can get an idea for your currently bare bouquet bottom.

The TM (and we all know what that stands for by now...) on the left is a contemporary take on the more traditional tussie mussie. It's made of silver and can be engraved with your initials, making it a wonderful keepsake. The wrap on the right is colorful and covered with crystals. I imagine you can get a custom-made TM using crystals that match your wedding decor.

Here are three more wraps, showing the wide variety available.











So there you have it. A small wedding detail that can add sparkle and speak volumes about the woman you are. The right wedding favors can have that same spectacular effect. And you can even find unique wedding favors to match your tussie mussie. The beautiful Victorian-style photo frame/place card holder on the left goes perfectly with the silver tussie mussie, and that satin wrap above has a match in "The Dress" Satin Gown Favor Bag on the right. And one more time--tussie mussie. (I just LOVE that name!)

It's true, you know. Most brides-to-be leave their wedding favor decision until the very end of the wedding planning process, because they see it as a non-essential part of their event. Au contrere, madamoiselles! If you start shopping for wedding favors at the beginning of your wedding plans, those favors can lead you to fabulous wedding themes--ideas you'll want to build your entire wedding weekend around!

Here's what I mean. You're checking out MyWeddingFavors.com, and you come across the sophisticated, elegant "Timeless Traditions" Black-and-White Place Card Holder/Photo Coaster, and it hits you that you want a stunning black-and-white themed wedding.

When you click the L-O-V-E Chrome Letter Opener in the Pillow Box Packaging that features stamps on the front and a love letter on the back, you run with the concept of having a "famous love letters" theme, incorporating love letters from famous people throughout history in your invitations, the rehearsal dinner, your reception decor and more. You might even use parts of actual love letters you wrote to each other in your vows!

And my personal favorite--the Getaway Car Favor Box. Its classic design reminds me of the great celebrity romances of the mid-20th century--Gable and Lombard, Bogey and Bacall, Tracy and Hepburn, not to mention those unforgettable fictional romances like Romeo and Juliet and Scarlett and Rhett. And then there's the greatest romance of all--yours! Your World's Greatest Romances theme would bring the past, the present and the future together at your wedding. Your "save the date" card might have Scarlett and Rhett on it, and your invitation could have a photo of the two of you in the exact same pose. These famous couples sould be part of your place cards and your table cards. And your reception hall walls might be filled with images of all these couples, surrounding you and your guests with unending love.

I hope I've made the case for doing a wedding favor search at the start of your planning, to spark your creativity with the favor of fantastic theme ideas!

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I was just reading some love letters written by famous people of the past, and I recalled some of the heartwarming love letters I received from my husband while we were dating. Yes, I saved them, as most women do. And it just occurred to me that a love letter-themed wedding would be an extraordinarily romantic event. Before I go into the details, here's a letter Samuel Clemens (better known as Mark Twain) wrote to his future wife Olivia:

"May 12, 1869

Out of the depths of my happy heart wells a great tide of love and prayer for this priceless treasure that is confided to my life-long keeping.
You cannot see its intangible waves as they flow towards you, darling, but in these lines you will hear, as it were, the distant beating of the surf."

Moving and heartfelt, this is just one of dozens of love letters you can find online, written by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Robert Browning, Winston Churchill, Ronald Reagan, Mozart, Lewis Carroll, Voltaire and Shakespeare.
With all these enchanting love letters as your resources, here what you can do:

--Because love letters require a stamp, choose one or two of these beautiful wedding stamps I just found at everafterstamps.com, a new, online custom stamp company. Use them for all your correspondence--save the date, invitations, thank-you notes.

--Pick out a short, favorite love letter from the letters you find online and incorporate it into your invitation design. Don't forget to include the name of the author and to whom the letter was sent.

--If you're writing your own vows, you can include a meaningful sentence or paragraph from one of the letters. Or you might even want to read parts of love letters you wrote to each other.

--At the reception, make the table cards a love letter by different famous people. Using card stock, put a photo of the person and the love letter in the the table card stand. For the placecards, use the face of the famous person to indicate at which table your guest will be sitting. You might also want to recreate some of the love letters in a script font on a computer, have them greatly enlarged, have them elaborately framed and place them on the walls throughout the reception hall.

--Choose a wedding favor that fits the theme. The L-O-V-E Chrome Letter Opener is both fitting and practical. The packaging is perfect--a "stamp" and a postmark with pink accents sit at opposite ends of the display window, while an entire love letter written on the box provides even more sentiment.

Your guests will not only find the love letters fascinating, they'll know they've been to one of the most unique and romantic weddings ever created.

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Like most women, I can sew an unraveling seam, replace a button and do some very basic sewing tasks when necessary. I even had my Mom's old sewing machine for a few years, but it really just made seam-sewing faster. I never attempted anything more complex and eventually sold the machine in a garage sale. My mom used to do a lot of sewing, and of all the things I learned from her, that wasn't one of them. Now I wish I had. This is for all you brides-to-be who CAN sew or have a close relative or friend who can sew. You can have a gorgeous, designer wedding gown at a fraction of the cost simply by making it yourself. Here are a few tips for stitching together the gown of your dreams:

--Honestly assess your sewing skills or the skills of the person you've asked to sew your gown. You should at least have experience sewing seams, fitting garments to your size and shape and adding closures like zippers and buttons. Remember--you and that gown are going to be the center of attention for several hours.

--Start early. Don't procrastinate! Give yourself plenty of tiime to work on your gown slowly and only when you're in the mood. This should be a happy experience and a labor of love, not a stress-filled chore.

--Get help. There may be others you know may be willing to sew a sleeve or a section of the dress for you.

--Determine the style you want. Sleeves? Strapless? Sheath or A-line? Long train? Beaded and embroidered? You should have a good idea of the dress style that flatters you most.

--Pick a pattern. All prominent pattern companies--Simplicity, McCall's, Vogue, Butterick--have wedding dress patterns. Shop online or flip through the catalogs at a fabric store. If you're interested in vintage or period dresses, an online search should yield several possibilities. Choose a pattern that meets your skill level.

--Fabric. Big skirts, heavily gathered ballroom gowns and long trains require more fabric than a sheath, and bridal gown fabric can be expensive. Choose a pattern and fabric that work within your budget. You'll need to consider color (white, ivory, champagne,) thickness (does it need a lining?), price and additional notions (lace, trims, buttons, beading, crystals, zippers, etc.) The pattern should provide suggestions and information on what fabrics and notions will work best.

--Test the pattern. Get some cheap cotton or muslin and make the gown before you cut into the expensive fabric. The extra time and money this takes will be well worth it to make sure the pattern and the style work for you.

And by the way, there are bridal shower favors and wedding favors that can call attention to your dress, start the conversation and have all your family and friends impressed and amazed at the beautiful wedding gown your created yourself! "The Dress" Satin Gown Favor Bag is a lovely way to start the buzz at your bridal shower--just let your bridal shower host know about them! And at your reception, the Wedding Gown Candle in the Designer "Window Shop" Gift Box will have everyone's head "bobbin" in agreement that you are a talented, creative and financially prudent woman, and he's lucky to have found you!

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I have a bone to pick with Glamour magazine and their recent wedding survey. Actually, my bone picking is directed toward some misguided, anonymous wedding planner who suggested that brides "Don't blow your budget on things that people won't remember or care about, like wedding party favors, which no one really remembers afterward."

IS SHE KIDDING? How long does she or he really think guests remember what flowers graced the altar, or what was said at the ceremony, or what color your limos were, or whether your gown was strapless or a sheath, or what your centerpieces looked like or whether your ice sculpture was a heart or a swan? Give me a break! But if you pick the right wedding favors, your guests will remember your day every time they use them.

Want some examples? I got the airplane luggage tag you see in the upper-left corner at my cousin's wedding in Maine. I put it on my weekender suitcase, and everytime I take a trip and see that tag, I remember what a great time I had at her wedding, but I couldn't tell you what her flowers looked like. My brother and sister-in-law attended a wedding where the wedding favors were the gorgeous, silver "The Perfect Pair" Salt & Pepper Shakers. She keeps them on her kitchen table, so every breakfast and lunch brings back memories of their friend's daughter's wedding. And there are some fantastic, chrome bottle stopper wedding favors everyone uses when they get them home. When they pop them into a wine bottle, they'll remember where they got them. And when their guests ask them where they got the cool bottle stopper, they'll tell them about your wedding--and I guarantee you they're not going to remember the flowers or the limos or any of the other details, but they'll always have your "thank you" gift to remind them of your wedding.

If I ever had a wedding planner tell me to get rid of the wedding favors, I'd be getting rid of that wedding planner, who clearly isn't familiar with the amazing wedding favors available--and at affordable prices. A bride on a budget doesn't have to give up anything if she knows where to look!

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