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(ARA) - Weddings are one of life's most celebrated occasions. For brides- and grooms-to-be and their families, an incredible amount of creativity and planning is poured into this all-important day: from the wedding gown to the ceremony, from the invitations and flowers to the wedding cake itself. One of the most-remembered details is what guests are served, so the wedding menu should reflect the couple-to-be's unique style and personality.

Aida Mollenkamp, host of the popular Food Network show "Ask Aida" says, "The food you serve should be like your dress - reflect you and fit you like a glove - so, if you prefer a cupcake tower to a cake, go for it!"

Tips for a memorable wedding menu

* Find your inspiration. Couples should think back on their relationship, and choose a meaningful place or a time that will inspire their food and wine choices.

* Indulge. This is a celebration so forget about calories and choose the food and wine that truly reflects the couple.

* But don't lose yourself. Remember, the wedding day is supposed to reflect who the bride and groom are. If they aren't fans of foie gras and caviar, now is not the time to serve it.

* Personalize. Consider displaying menus at each place setting that describe the couple's food and wine pairings - and include anecdotes for why they were chosen.

* Last all night. It's a marathon to make it from the ceremony to the reception for the bride and groom and their guests. Make sure the food is substantial enough to keep everyone filled, yet light enough that they don't slip into a groggy fog.

* Ah, dessert. It might be your guests' favorite course, and for a wedding, it can truly be a showpiece. Let the dessert reflect the couple's sweet tooth, and remember Riesling is a lovely accompaniment to most wedding desserts.

David Mirassou, sixth-generation of America's oldest winemaking family agrees. "Riesling is a delicious wine pairing option for wedding desserts. It may also help a couple's budget too, because it can be paired with both the first and main courses, as well as dessert."

For more wedding inspiration, as well as video tips, Aida's recipes and David's food and wine pairings, visit Mirassou.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

(ARA) - Wedding season is here and millions of couples are finalizing plans for their big day. But what many couples don't know is that there easy ways are to avoid stress while planning a wedding.

By following these tips, you can focus on all that is special about your wedding and reception, and avoid the headaches that sometimes come along with them.

Turn your dream into reality

Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life, and is most likely one you've spent hours, days or even years dreaming about. When the time finally comes to start planning the big day, you don't want to cut corners or settle for a run-of-the-mill, impersonal event. With the help of the American Rental Association (ARA) and your local rental store, you can be sure your wedding day will be one that will be remembered by all.

Rental opens the doors to options you may have never even considered due to time or budget constraints. A romantic outdoor wedding is possible any time of the year with large tents and elegant canopies, equipped with heating or cooling equipment. Make a statement by skipping the traditional tiered cake and going with something more unique, like an impressive chocolate fountain with brownie or cheesecake bites or an ice cream cart complete with all the fixings. You can even create dramatic scenery on the walls and ceiling of your venue with a variety of accent lighting options.

Don't break the bank

While your wedding day may be the most important day of your life, there is no reason why it has to be the most expensive. You can save money on seating, centerpieces and more by renting. Why buy all your wedding supplies when you are only going to use them once? Why bother paying for their storage and upkeep after the big day is over? Simplify your wedding and your budget by letting the rental store take care of the cleanup, maintenance and storage of all your decorations and supplies.

And forget about running all over town, wasting time, energy and money - make one stop at your local rental store and get everything you need. ARA members, which include more than 7,000 rental businesses and 1,000 manufacturers and suppliers, are located in every state, so you can get all the supplies you need in one stop. To make finding the rental store nearest you even easier, ARA offers RentalHQ.com, the world's largest and most comprehensive rental store locator. Here, people planning their wedding and reception can find the rental store nearest them, read how-to tips and get ideas and inspiration for their event.

Enlist the experts

To make planning your big day even easier, some ARA member rental businesses offer Certified Event Rental Professionals (CERPs). And most offer on-site support, relieving much of the stress associated with planning a wedding. These professionals are ready and willing to share their knowledge and experience with you, from pre-wedding set-up all the way through the day of the event.

Deadlines, budgets, decor - these are all aspects of a wedding that need to be managed and sometimes are better left to the professionals. CERPs know what needs to be organized right away, and what can wait until later. They will think of that one detail that never would have crossed your mind and keep your budget in check.

Enlisting the help of a CERP from your local rental store will not only ease the stress and tension of planning an entire wedding, but it will also ensure that the wedding you always envisioned is the one you will remember for years to come. From the latest trends and themes, to innovative budget saving strategies, CERPs know the ins and outs of planning a wedding.

Don't let the burden of planning your wedding overwhelm you as you approach one of the most memorable days of your life. Make it an enjoyable experience with the help of ARA and your local rental store.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

When Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of former President and Mrs. Bill Clinton, got married this year, the family was tight-lipped about how much they shelled out to celebrate the nuptials. However, nobody in the know placed the estimate at less than $2 million and many expert onlookers pegged the amount as high as $5 million.

While few modern brides have pockets that deep, the average cost for a wedding in America is still between $20,000 and $25,000. For some couples, that's as much as they will make in their first year as newlyweds, especially if they are students on a tight budget. For those that want a nice celebration without breaking the bank, creative couples are breaking the mold. The do-it-yourself wedding is growing in popularity.

Traditionalists might be aghast to hear that a friend or family member is considering such a passe strategy to celebrate their marriage. However, most people have attended a do-it-yourself wedding already and don't even know it. When newlywed Roshelle Brown got married for the second time, both she and her husband were on tight budgets, dealing with bills, separate households and children. Brown, however, has always been creative.

"I just figured: why pay someone to do my invitations when I could do it myself?"

Like Brown, many brides begin the DIY adventure with do-it-yourself invitations. As a cost-saving strategy, it certainly makes sense. According to the Internet comparison portal Cost Helper, commercial wedding invitations can run as much as $9 a pop. Even cheap options available from printing houses can cost around $4. Multiply that by the number of guests - often 100 or more - and it starts to add up. When a bride breaks the mold and goes for do-it-yourself invitations, the numbers quickly dip. By using a kit from a craft store, DIY wedding invitations can be mailed to an entire guest list for about $1.50 each. If a couple is computer-savvy and can design their own wedding invitation on a common graphic program, the cost per invitation can be brought down to about 15 to 25 cents: the price to print a photo at a local photo center.

Hannah Smith was surprised to find that her college graphic class saved her so much money in the wedding planning process. She designed her own wedding invitations using PhotoShop with basic strategies she'd learned in class.

"If someone would have told me the class would help me have a nicer wedding, I probably would have laughed at them," she jokes.

Of course, for very creative couples, the DIY flavor goes well beyond invitations. This is also the realm where most socialites start to twitch. From asking your gifted friends to provide entertainment or photograph the wedding, to potluck receptions, there are dozens of ways that cash-strapped families are tying the knot. Most people hesitate to implement these money-saving wedding techniques, because they can certainly look tacky.

"The key is to make these strategies tasteful and transparent. Do not compromise class for cash," says wedding consultant Lily Spencer.

Weddings are not known for being cheap and it's certainly not possible for all couples to be skilled in all the areas necessary to pull off a budget event. Luckily, most brides find that their families and friends are also on tight budgets, and this can work in their favor. Even if a bride and her significant other don't have what it takes to make their own invitations, they probably have a friend or family member who does.

Instead of expecting the normal toasters and crockpots for wedding gifts, savvy couples are happily taking skills and talents in lieu of traditional wrapped presents. The main caution that most wedding planners give, however, is to carefully screen each offer. The last thing a bride wants is to end up with fuzzy wedding photos or a dress that doesn't fit right. If a potluck reception is attempted, always ask for the guest's best recipe and transfer it to a matched set of serving dishes.

Do-it-yourself weddings can be a huge success, providing a high-class, but low-cost way for couples to begin their life together. While no one will claim that these strategies will ever outshine Chelsea's million-dollar affair, they should certainly cut it for the average couple's celebration.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

It's your wedding day. You've been planning, organizing, booking locations, writing your vows, making guest lists, figuring out seating, coordinating outfits for the bridal party, tasting cake and entrees, and trying not to have a full-blown panic attack. There are literally 5,000 thoughts and emotions running through your body, and you are alternating between smiling uncontrollably and saying silent prayers that everything runs smoothly.

No matter how much planning you put into this day, though, none of it will be accurately remembered without pictures. That is why, despite the fact that every part of your ceremony and reception is equally significant, hiring the right wedding photographer is one of the most important decisions you'll make.

Professional photography as a whole is an exciting and demanding profession requiring great adaptability, but wedding photographers in particular must be able to conform to their client's exact needs. Each couple wants something different out of their wedding photographs, and it's up to the photographer to capture the important moments just how the bride and groom want.

Photography is a fast-paced profession with little room for error, because often photographers have only seconds at a time to capture their shots. Wedding photographers are responsible for taking organized group photos of the wedding party, but they are also hired to take candid pre-ceremony and post-ceremony shots.

Accurately capturing the moments that take place on someone's wedding day is clearly the most important task on a wedding photographer's agenda. However, in addition to organizing and capturing the pictures themselves, wedding photographers must also:

* Have in-depth meetings with the bride and groom to understand exactly what kind of pictures they want taken, which moments need to be captured, what's most important to them, etc.

* Research the venues that will be used for the ceremony and reception to get ideas for picture opportunities.

* Set up and take down the appropriate lighting and photography equipment at each venue.

* Prepare for both indoor and outdoor shots, and have a backup plan in case bad weather prevents outdoor shots from being taken.

* Produce collections of prints in the format that was decided upon.

Wedding photographers have a great deal of responsibility on their shoulders, but they also get the opportunity to capture important moments on some of the happiest days of people's lives. It's a demanding profession requiring patience, flexibility, creativity and precision, and at the end of the day it's a position that can bring a great deal of joy to many people.

Information in this article was provided by Brooks Institute. Contact Brooks Institute today if you're interested in developing marketable knowledge and career-relevant skills with an industry-current degree program. (Brooks Institute does not guarantee employment or salary.)

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Is your wedding day really all about you? In some ways it is, but in others, it's very much about other people too. While the ceremony is certainly about you and your fiance, the reception is about your guests - something that becomes apparent as you plan your event. After the vows have been said and the rice thrown, you want to make sure that your guests have a wonderful time at the reception.

Consider how much effort you put into pleasing your guests. You take on the delicate task of creating seating assignments so that no one will end up feeling left out or awkward. You design table settings and decorations to give them a beautiful setting. You give them dining options that allow them to choose what meal they'll like best.

What you're really saying, in doing all this for your guests, is "thank you for being a part of our day." It's important to make your guests feel special because they've often traveled long distances, bought gifts and made changes to their schedules to be there to celebrate with you. And when your guests are having a great time, it will make your day even more joyful.

Luckily, adding guest-friendly touches to your reception is easy and doesn't have to add too much extra expense to your budget. Here are some ideas for making your guests feel like they're an important part of your wedding.

* You can get your guests involved from the very beginning. On your RSVP cards, have the printer add a space where guests can make a song request. Not only will this make for a diverse playlist, it'll get your guests excited and out on the dance floor when their song is played.

* Set out a wedding guest book and ask everyone to sign it. Decorate the table it's placed on with childhood photos, or wedding pictures of your parents and grandparents, for a nostalgic touch. You could also ask your guests to write their marriage advice in the guest book, giving them the opportunity to share fun anecdotes from their lives with you.

* Do everything you can to greet and personally thank every one of your guests. Receiving lines are one classic way to do this, but if you take photos after your ceremony, you may need to take time during the cocktail hour or meal to make the rounds.

* At your reception, give every guest a favor. Whether you set boxes of truffles at each place setting or display packets of Jordan almonds in a decorative basket, give a little something back. While it might seem like a lot of items to buy, it's easier than ever to find discount wedding favors on sites like AnnsBridalBargains.com. You can get favor boxes and bags customized to match your theme, and personalize the items by adding your monogram and wedding date.

Organizing a wedding is no small feat, so it's smart to cut down on the number of vendors you buy from. Seek out websites like AnnsBridalBargains.com that allow you to buy items like favors, wedding napkins and guest books and offer free personalization with your purchase. It'll save time and money, in addition to streamlining your planning process.

Courtesy of ARAcontent