Friday 21 February 2014

Bridal Bouquet - Significance and Meaning

Significance and Meaning

Selecting the perfect blooms for your bouquet might seem to be a question of aesthetics, but there is actually a lot more to flowers than the way they look. The meaning of most flowers dates back to the end of the nineteenth century in England. The reserve of the Victorians prevented them from discussing emotions, so a sort of flower code helped men to tell women how they felt about them.
Before you go ahead and order your wedding flowers, check out the meaning of certain blooms to be sure your bouquet signifies true love and not infidelity or mistrust.
  • Roses
    are by far the most popular flower used in wedding bouquets, corsages, buttonholes and table centres. This is hardly surprising as the rose signifies love, joy and beauty.á Different coloured roses have different meanings with white roses indicating innocence, ivory roses showing fidelity, red roses depicting passion, and dark pink roses expressing the couple's gratitude for having met one another.
  • Calla Lilies
    are currently very fashionable wedding flowers and they signify magnificent beauty. Calla lilies add an element of elegance and sophistication to your wedding, and can be used on their own to create a simple yet striking bouquet or centrepiece.
  • Stephanotis
    is a traditional bridal flower, shaped a little like a trumpet.á Their popularity at weddings becomes clear when their significance is explained; stephanotis is a symbol of marital happiness.
  • Chrysanthemums
    can be combined easily with other flowers as they have no scent and so are perfect for bridal bouquets. The name literally means golden flower, but the chrysanthemum signifies wealth, abundance and truth, which are welcome in any marriage.
  • Orchids
    are a fashionable choice for weddings, partly because of their large price tag and partly because of their striking appearance. However, they are also a good choice because of their meaning, which is love and beauty.
  • Tulips
    are best suited to spring wedding, and come is a huge variety of colours.á They symbolise undying love and passion, which makes them a perfect wedding motif, but they are very fragile and may get easily damaged as part of a bouquet.
Wedding flowers to avoid
There are some flowers that may be beautiful, but have a negative meaning that you might not want to associate with your wedding. In some cases it is just certain colours of one particular flower that have an unfavourable meaning. Of course, if one of these is your favourite flower you may decide to ignore superstition and just choose it anyway.
Try to avoid larkspur, meaning infidelity and lavender, signifying distrust, as these are certainly not emotions you want associated with your wedding.á You might also rule out foxglove and yellow lilies, which mean insincerity and falsehood respectively. A Christmas rose suggests scandal, and a marigold depicts grief, so these are also perhaps best avoided.

If you are having a yellow theme tread carefully as yellow carnations show disdain, yellow chrysanthemums signify slighted love, and yellow roses mean jealousy.á Be equally careful with a red colour scheme as the meaning of a red carnation is 'alas my poor heart,' and red poppies symbolize consolation.
Flowers have different meanings and you may use these to determine what type of flowers you would like.


FlowersMeaning
Apple BlossomBetter things to come
AsterLove and Daintiness
CarnationPure Deep Love
ClematisLove Vine
FreesiaTrust
IrisWisdom and Hope
IvyMarriage
JasmineAmiability
LilyPurity
PoppyImagination
RoseLove
Rose - RedPassionate Love
Rose - WhiteInnocence and Pure Love
Rose - Red & WhiteUnity
TulipPerfect Lover
Tulip - RedDeclaration of Love
Tulip - YellowHopeless Love


Monday 17 February 2014

Wedding Hair - Best tips in one spot



Your wedding may very well be the biggest event in your lifetime. All eyes are on the bride on her big day and the expectation is that you'll look your very best. This means working out in the months before the wedding, scoring the perfect dress and doing something fabulous with your hair.
Getting your hair right can be daunting. Should you wear it up or down? Do you choose the dress first or your hairstyle? Can you do it yourself? What is all this talk on wedding boards about a "hair trial" and how much do they cost? How far in advance are you supposed to book the stylist?
Deep breaths. I've got you covered. In the article below, I'll answer all these questions and more. And by the time you walk down the aisle your hair is going to look fantastic.

Rule No. 1: Thou Shalt Look Like You, Only Better

On your wedding day you should look like the very best version of yourself.
This means if you are a casual person in your daily life who never wears makeup, your wedding day is not the time to break out your inner Kim Kardashian. Likewise, if you walk around looking like a Kardashian in your daily life, this wedding hair experience is going to be epic for you. Start collecting pictures now.
Here's the deal: You want your groom (or bride!) and your guests to recognize you as you walk down the aisle. Even more importantly, you want to feel comfortable and supremely confident as you walk down that aisle. True beauty, after all, comes from within.
Throughout this process, check in with your gut. Does this feel right? Does this feel like you? And if I can give you a bit of advice learned from generations of brides that have come before you: you can tune out that well-meaning advice that will surely come from friends and family. If you want extensions, get them. If you don't want to grow out your short haircut, don't. If you don't want to wear that moth-eaten veil from your mother's 1978 wedding, don't.
Remember: this day is about you and your partner. This is not about what others want for you. So take that, future mother-in-law  

Picking the Right Hairstyle

Once you make the decision to have a wedding, all of a sudden life can get very, very complicated . The wedding options are endless. So are the wedding hair options. You can pull your hair up in the most amazing loop de loops, or you can wear your hair half up and half down. There are jewels you can wear in your hair or flowers .Maybe you should do a retro 50s thing with a short little Jackie O veil. Or curls spiraling down your back....
Deep breaths.
Before you do anything hair-wise, you should pick your dress. A bride's hair should complement her dress, not compete with it. Your veil is different. If you choose to wear one, you can actually choose a veil based on the hairstyle, or vice versa.
Another good rule of thumb for selecting a hairstyle is to consider your personality and the wedding theme.
As for hair texture, I recommend you don't fight your natural texture. Curly hair looks amazing either down or up. Straight hair can be curled into waves and wound into ornate updos (with the help of pins and hairspray). Wavy hair can be either straightened or curled and is the perfect texture for half-up/half-down styles as well as updos.
A few months before the wedding, start perusing magazines and online hairstyle galleries to pick out some favorites. If you are super organized, you can even pin your favorite styles to keep them in one place and show off your options to your friends. In any case, you'll want a few options to bring along to your hair consultation.
Finally, when selecting styles, think ahead 20 years. When your kids look at your wedding album will they see a classic bride or a dated bride (careful with those cascading tendrils)? You want your wedding day style to be timeless.
Extra tip: Consider if you're going to keep the veil on for the reception or take it off after the wedding ceremony. Most brides take it off, but I've read in many forums that pictures can be really romantic if you wear your veil at the reception.
See photos on wedding hairstyles. 






Sunday 16 February 2014

Be-dazzle With Traditional Beads On Your Wedding Day 

In Nigeria, traditional wedding precedes the white wedding. It is expected that the couples must go traditional with their attire. However, the unique thing about the African culture is that it is dynamic and versatile. As such, for the traditional wedding day there’s a variety of choices to make from depending on your tribe. Also the choice of accessory is dependent on the color of the day.
Using beads as accessories is usually unique for Nigerian women to enhance their beauty and looks especially during engagements, weddings and several occasions. It is a break from the norm which is the everyday silver, gold and bronze accessories. However for  lovers of silver and gold accessories, beads have been modified and fused with these metals to make it stylishly different. I have some fantastic Handmade Coral Bead Jewelry from Zuri Perle to share. Atinuke, is the brain behind the original beaded jewelry collection, they really are lovely. Enjoy.
                                         




Zuri Perle is a sure stop for your unique custom made jewelry, be it simple or complex. Contact them;
Website – www.zuriperle.com
Facebook – www.facebook.com/zuriperle
Email – atinuke@zuriperle.com




Sunday 2 February 2014

The Wedding Budget!

It’s very hard to make the dreaded wedding budget into a fun, ‘sexy’ and exciting topic.
But, let’s face facts, your wedding budget affects all of your wedding choices.
(Except the most important one – who you choose to marry!)
It doesn’t matter if your budget is 2,000,000 or more, you still need to think carefully about how and where you’re spending your money.

Yep, we are awesome like that.

The Wedding Budget

As I mentioned in my last post on planning tips, a key area to consider as you start wedding planning is the budget. How much money can you afford to spend and how much do you want to spend on your wedding? How can you keep track of your expenditure and stop your budget from spiralling out of control?
The answer, as always, comes in the form of organisation!

Do your research

Asking how much a wedding costs is similar to questioning how long a piece of string is. It really does depend on a number of factors, including the style, location and date of the wedding. Once you’ve established these logistics, you can start looking into the different costs in each area. Disregard the average prices magazines give you and concentrate on researching suppliers in your chosen location to build your own list of prices. By researching these costs you will then have a realistic idea of what you can get for your money.

What’s your wedding going to cost?

Having done your research you will now have some guide prices to work towards and you can start thinking about how much you want to spend. This is when prioritising the most important elements of your wedding becomes crucial, as you may want to allocate more money to certain areas and source them early.
As a rough guide, I would designate 40-50% of your budget for your reception (including the venue, food and drink costs), leaving the rest of your budget to cover everything else. Be aware that just because something’s important to you, it doesn’t necessarily mean you need to spend more on it, so much as it’s something you won’t want to compromise on.

Who’s paying?

Will both you and your fiancé be covering the cost of your wedding? Be realistic, look at your finances and work out how much you can afford. The start of married life is not the time to be getting into debt. Will you need to start saving or do you already have a pot put aside?
Are there any family members who want to help? If so it’s worth talking to them early on to establish what they’re expecting in return: is it a no obligation gift or are they going to want a large say in what the money is being spent on?
It’s always a good idea to use gifted money for a particular area of the wedding (such as the flowers or drinks) and give them some input into that particular element. If you feel it’s going to compromise the kind of wedding you want then consider declining their generosity.

Get Organised

One of the first things I do for my clients is set up a budget spreadsheet where I list everything needed for the wedding, especially the little things like postage for invitations, alteration costs for dresses, accessories and so on, and allocate the estimated spend. I also add a column for the actual spend – you can then compare the two columns and reallocate funds within your budget if necessary to keep to your target.

Give Yourself A Contingency Budget

Inevitably things may end up costing more than you thought or something might come up that you hadn’t budgeted for, so always cost in a contingency budget. Have a figure you’d like to spend and then another figure that if really pushed you could stretch to. General wisdom states that your contingency fund should be 20% of your budget.
Finally, whatever your budget is there will always be areas where, with a little time and some creativity, you can make great savings. We’ll be looking at that in a later post in this series so don’t worry if you’re feeling the financial strain, I might just have some money-saving tips for you!



Saturday 1 February 2014

Wedding Planning Tips On IDS!

Every day on IDS we will feature practical wedding planning tips from some of the wedding industry’s finest.
We are here to help make the whole wedding planning and designing process far more manageable and, dare I say it, fun!
IDS has helped so many couples to plan the wedding of their dreams with her keen eye for style, exceptional organisational skills and all round lovely, friendly manner.
So we’re very happy to have Us share some of our top wedding planning tips here on Impressionz De Spectacular!

 Wedding Planning Tips

When you first start on the road to wedding planning it can feel a little bit of a minefield so in this series of posts I want to share some helpful tips in key areas to make it a little less daunting.
 Getting Started….
You’ve had the proposal, you’ve accepted and now you’re officially engaged, what next? Well, before you start choosing the colour of your confetti there are some big questions you both need to sit down and answer before you get carried away with all the details.

 What kind wedding do you want? 

Have you always imagined having a big white wedding with all the traditional trimmings, or a formal, black tie affair?
Do you see yourselves wanting a good ol’ knees up or a laid back get together?
Think about the kind of feeling or vibe you want for your day. Also consider whether you want a church wedding, a non-religious civil ceremony (which will give you a lot more flexibility in venue choice) or, for complete freedom, to be married by an independent celebrant.
It’s your wedding, don’t be swayed by what you think is the right thing to do; you want it to be a personal reflection of you as a couple.

Who to invite?

Make a provisional guest list as soon as you can, there’s no point looking for venues if you’ve no idea who’s coming.
Split your list into groups, family, friends- school, university, work, and within each group list in importance. Ultimately you want to share your day with people that mean the most to you both so don’t feel like you need to invite everyone you’ve ever met. (Grouping at this stage will also help if you eventually decide to do a seating plan.)
This is also a good time to decide who you want to play key roles such the best man and chief bridesmaid; your bridal party will play an important role not only on the day of the wedding but also in the planning so consider  how supportive they can be when choosing them.

 When to marry? 

Is there a time of year that holds a special significance? An anniversary of an important date in your relationship or do you want a summer or winter wedding?
Your wedding budget may have a big effect on when you choose to get married because if you have to save you will need to give yourself long enough to do so. If the budget’s tight you may also want to consider getting married out of season i.e. not in the summer or think about a mid week wedding.
Unless you’re having the most intimate of weddings or are willing to be incredibly flexible with dates you should ideally give yourselves at least a year to plan the wedding.

 Where to marry?

Do you want to marry close to where you both live now? Or perhaps you’ve always imagined returning to where you grew up to marry? You may even want to consider a destination wedding; by making a holiday of it you’ll get to spend a lot more time with your nearest and dearest.

 What’s important to you?

Decide together what aspects of your wedding will have the most importance. Do you both love good restaurants and want the food & drink to be at the top of your list? Maybe you met at a music concert and feel the entertainment is key. Your home is covered in photos of friends and family so you know the photography on the day will be something you want to look back on for years after.
If it helps, make a big list of all the things you think should be at and you want at your wedding then number it by importance to you both and don’t be afraid to cross some things out completely.
By knowing your priorities it will help you decide where you want to spend time and money on when planning your wedding.

What’s your budget?

Another final question you need to consider is how much will it all cost but I’m going to go into a little more detail on this in my next post on ‘The Wedding Budget‘.



Thursday 30 January 2014



How to choose the wedding dress of your dreams

Set The Budget

First things first - set your wedding dress budget. Try not to look at dresses that are out of your price range, unless you plan on going over budget. If you don't, then use top of the range gowns as inspiration for a less expensive design, so you won't have to spend a fortune.
Choose a Style
Flick through magazines to get an idea of the style of dress you're looking for - it could be classic or contemporary, slinky or strapless. Consider your venue and the time of year, as well as what you like.

Book Appointments Early

If you've spotted dresses you like by particular wedding dress designers, book appointments with them or with bridal shops who stock their designs. 

Pick a Partner

Go for your first appointment with an open mind and a helpful friend or your mum. Just take one person with you - any more and the experience can be a little overwhelming and confunsing. 

Be Open-Minded

Try on various styles of dress. You may find that a style you think won't suit you actually looks fabulous!

Don't Rush

Don't be rushed into any decisions. If you think you've found 'the one', you can always go away and think about it before making your mind up. Think things through.

Consider Practicalities and Accessories.

If you want to a wear a veil, for example, try one on with the dress. Equally, put your hair up if you think that's how you'd like to wear it on the day

Trust Your Choice

When you've found the perfect dress, don't try on any more! Arrange your fittings, and start shopping for underwear and shoes   

Think Colour Themes

While you don't have to show your bridesmaids your dress before their own dresses are chosen, make sure their gowns tie in with the theme and colours of your wedding as a whole

Ask for Advice

It's also worth asking the designer or retailer for advice on how you can clean the fabric of your gown in case you have any small spillages on the day! That way you can rest easy in the knowledge that whatever happens, you'll still look cool, calm and amazing.






Sunday 26 January 2014

The Wedding & The Venue

Your wedding day is a very important event in your life. Yet preparing for that day means involving lots of time, energy, and money. The preparation for your wedding will all start by choosing a perfect wedding venue and reception. It is very crucial to decide what type of wedding you want because this is your basis for choosing where to hold your special day. Although this is somewhat a systematic course of action, preparing for your wedding day can also be fun activity too! There are so many well-known wedding venues and receptions all over the world. You can even find one within your city if you just research on them. Beaches, hotels, churches, and gardens are some of these popular wedding places.
To start off, make a full list of all the wedding reception venues that interests you. Once you are done, you can browse the internet and do a brief research about each of those locations. Narrow down your list by discarding those venues that won’t suit your budget or those that are not according to your taste etc. Once you have come up with a final selection, you may want to personally visit the place and take a look around.
That ideal dream wedding of yours is bound to happen soon. Try to picture that special day at a peaceful spring garden, outdoor on a summer beach, or a formal meal at a five-star hotel. Whatever wedding venue you wish to have, you will have just what you’ve been wishing for once you have decided on it. You can choose the kind of design, style, and arrangement that will go with your “dream wedding”.
While you are looking for a prospective wedding reception and wedding venue, start think about theme of the wedding too. This can be the best time to talk and brainstorm ideas with your partner. Choose one that will suit both your tastes. Try to go over the motif, decorations, add-ons, and the menu. Decide whether you want the reception to be held indoors or
 outdoors, casual or formal, and olden or modern theme. The details of your wedding are as
 important as the wedding venues and receptions. Once you start with the preparation, pick first on what motif or theme you would like to use. After that, go on with finding the accessories that will match with the theme. These decorations for the wedding are very useful in bringing an expression of you and your husband-to-be’s personalities as well as establishing a particular mood in your venue. There are many selections of styles, colours, and ornaments, and you can choose from any wedding specialties shops. Make your wedding venues and wedding receptions a one-of-a-kind by putting up lavish ornaments such as laces, ribbons, artificial butterflies, and gemstones. You can also customize these things to match with your theme. Look for venues with the best quality at an affordable price.


Monday 20 January 2014

Nigerian Wedding : Unique & Creative Traditional Wedding Cakes


What’s a wedding without the cake? The Nigerian traditional wedding cake goes hand in glove with the entire traditional ceremony, with most of the cakes actually depicting what is going on or is about to happen in terms of the ceremonies, symbols, customs and traditions. 
A Lot of couple know how important the Traditional wedding ceremony is for both their parents and relatives. Over the years, it's become more like a tradition to have this special kind of cakes made. This is a unique way of embracing the several Nigerian cultures, depicting our cultural roots by incorporating symbols and traditions into modern day cakes. For example, in Africa cowrie shells serve as a symbol of fertility which makes perfect accents for a necklace, headpieces and hair accessories. Hope these selection of amazing cakes will inspire you for your special day. 










Thursday 9 January 2014

Fans Blast Jude 'Engees' Okoye Over Firearms Pix

Fans are beginning to hold their celebrity idols accountable for every action they take, when it is a mis-step, they come down strong and hard in criticisms; Maheeda, Beverly Osu, and Basket Mouth were some of their latest victims. Now their cross hairs have descended on Jude Engees Okoye eldest brother to the phenomenal P Square twins who posted pictures of firearms on his Instagram page.
Overtaken by a nameless urge, Jude had posted pictures of his pistols and live bullets and was quickly dragged to the social media public court.
“This guy keeps forgetting his real age… When your mates are governors of their state or making global positive impacts you’re here busy showing off your toys like a primary school kid…. What example are you showing to the up and coming? Imagine if all this small boys starts carrying guns around ” wrote a commentator.
*Jude
JUDE       
“Isn’t this the most ridiculous act of 2014? So showing off your guns abi na pistols is a way of telling the world that you have arrived? Sometines, having money isn’t enough, having common s*nse works together with having money to produce a s*nsible being” wrote another.
Only last week, popular comedian Basket Mouth was taken to the cleaners after he made a joke over relationships and rape. He apologized as soon as critiquing comments began to rain.  Maheeda, Beverly Osu and Juliet Ibrahim were also white washed for their semi-nude Christmas cards released online only days to the season last year.
“This guy (Jude) doesn’t know the enormity of what he has just done, hope he’s got a license for them, I doubt, if the police doesn’t come after him then the bad guys would definitely know they have a formidable potential hit…” wrote one last commentator.
Jude Okoye however doesn’t seem to agree and is unperturbed by this turbulence he’s made as the pistols and bullets are still on his Instagram wall.
What do you think of his actions?



GLO - CAF Awards: D’Banj, P-Square, Lagbaja to thrill at Glo CAF awards


Tonight’s GLO CAF Awards in Lagos promises to be a bumper entertainment show as top African music stars like D’ banj, Lagbaja and P-Square, are to thrill fans and guests  who will grace the high-profile event at the Expo Centre of the Eko Hotels on the Island.
Organisers said yesterday that these celebrated acts will set the tone for the mother of all shows that essentially celebrates African football stars who shone in the football sphere in the year just gone by.
Prominent on the list is the masked artiste from Nigeria, Lagbaja, who is expected to keep the night alive with his Afro-Calypso genre of music, a product of various influences ranging from traditional yoruba music to Jazz. The masked one is expected to enliven the hall with his scintillating dance steps and rhythmic saxophone.
P-Square, the identical twin brothers will also entertain the crowd at the event. P-square ´s music is Afro centric; combining western and African rhythms in creating a marvelous blend of R&B, Hip Hop and Dancehall songs.
Their songs cut across various age genders and geographical boundaries, making them one of the most popular and sought after artistes in Africa. Since the release of the Get Squared and Game Over album, they have performed in several major concerts all around the world. Also billed to perform at the event is singing sensation and Glo Ambassador in Benin Republic, Zeynab who, as usual will thrill the audience with her unique style.
South African singer, Lira who set the benchmark with her 2006 album, Feel Good – and with her late 2008 release, Soul in Mind will also thrill the audience. In the last two years, Lira has grown in stature most especially as a songwriter and intuitive performer, turning the young girl who showed the first glimpses of her gift more than five years ago into a woman with a world class talent.
Also billed to perform is D’ banj, the Nigerian singer, songwriter, harmonica master and a charismatic stage performer with boundless energy. D’Banj is moving from height to greater height everyday and has been glorified as the poster boy of Nigerian Music. The beginning of his achievement recognition came when he won Most Promising Male Artiste at the KORA AWARDS, He also performed at the final of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa and has since release a single, “on of the World” from that  breathtaking performance.


Wednesday 8 January 2014

HOW TO TREAT YOUR MAN ; the best ways

No woman will want to stay with a man that isn’t good enough for them. Many women want the perfect man, someone who will shower them with gifts, love them, care for them, support them in times of need and make them laugh when they feel like crying. What many women do not know, however, is that many men want the same things in a woman. In any form of relationship, your goal should be to treat your man as you would want to be treated. However, there are a few specific tricks to the trade.





How to Treat Your Man; The Best Ways

No woman will want to stay with a man that isn’t good enough for them. Many women want the perfect man, someone who will shower them with gifts, love them, care for them, support them in times of need and make them laugh when they feel like crying. What many women do not know, however, is that many men want the same things in a woman. In any form of relationship, your goal should be to treat your man as you would want to be treated. However, there are a few specific tricks to the trade.
                                                               1)You need to be selfless.

how to treat your man

To be selfless never mean you wouldn’t think of yourself. Being truly selfless means you know when it’s not a good idea to pick a fight. You know when to be helpful and when to back off. You know the time when your man needs to stay alone, and you know when he needs a lap to rest his head on. Every man will want to have time with his friends without you. This is not a reflection of how cool or delightful he thinks you are. And, even though this stage may not show itself until the relationship is firmly established, it’s important for both women and men to have time without each other. This is where the selflessness will come into play. Let your man go and he’ll come back even happier, that you had the maturity and confidence to let him go.

2)You got to be generous.

Nobody likes a partner who consistently puts themselves first. It is essential to remember that you must place your boyfriend before yourself whenever you can in order for him to do the same. Now, if you notice that you are putting him before you all the time and he never puts you first, it’s time to move on. A one-sided relationship foster is never a good thing. You will be dependent on his approval, which you will never get, and he will be dependent on you mothering him. However, if each of you learn to generously give of your time and efforts, you will go far in the relationship.

3)You need to have self-respect.

There is a popular saying that respect is reciprocal. If you respect yourself, it will be a lot easier for you to respect your man and vice versa. It is true that men like the chase and the mystery of a woman who is independent. However, no man likes a woman who lacks self-respect and does shameless things to command attention. Be sure you conduct yourself appropriately in social situations so that your man will be proud to be with you and know that you respect him. It is of the utmost importance to remember that you are a reflection of him to some extent. People will judge him based on the type of woman you are, whether you like it or not.

4)Try a little tenderness.

Kindness is something that isn’t often meted out these days. Showing kindness means you intuitively know when your man needs your help or you could make his life a little easier by doing something for him. If you discover one of these moments, don’t over analyze what he’ll think if you help out, just help him. If you fear that he might think you’re controlling, then offer the help first to see if he’ll take you up. If nothing else, he’ll be glad you asked.
I hope this information will help you to have a lasting love and relationship life.
If you have any comment drop it in the form provided below