When living in two different cities
Chats on MSN helped the time fly.

Then one day, young Matt had a vision
Of Meg as his beautiful bride.

He ordered a diamond from Ebay
And asked her to stay by his side.

Oh yes, I will marry my Matty,
Meg cried as she emailed her news.

Then an Internet search for a venue
With great food, lodging, and views.

A wedding dress had to be ordered.
She couldn’t find one in town.

But Ebay had just what Meg wanted;
A simple, yet elegant gown.

Matt wanted unique invitations
Not the usual wedding fare,

So with Photoshop and an image
They were made with loving care.

Our Meg, meanwhile, was busy
On her keyboard every day.

She started a blog to share the news
With her family far away.

With photos placed on CafePress
The family now can choose

To see their happy couple
On a calendar to use.

Emails and chats for days on end
Arranging each detail

From flowers to food to housing
Technology did not fail.

A cottage for the family
Would be the place to stay,

To get ready for the wedding
And enjoy the special day.

What better way to search online
Than Craigs List for a place,

The perfect spot is posted there
With the right amount of space.

Now thanks to their computers,
Wedding plans are almost done.

I’ll go online and book my flight
So I can join the fun.

Carol Bremner is a computer loving member of the gray generation. Her websites, http://www.creativehomecomputing.com and http://www.motivatedtolearn.com promote computer literacy in the home for the over 50 crowd.

When ordering butterflies, you want to make sure that they come from a reputable butterfly farmer. You do not want to try to save money and order “grow your own” butterfly kits. There are many things that can go wrong and you don’t want to be disappointed on your wedding day.

The butterflies can either be released individually or as a mass release. You may want to consider the event to decide what type of release to do. You can order enough butterflies to hand out to all of the guests, you can just have the wedding party do a release, or the bride and groom can do a mass release. When doing a mass release, three to four dozen make a nice release. You can do more or even less, depending on the impression that you would like to make.

The individual release envelopes are a triangular shaped envelope. Different farmers offer different options. Some use origami envelopes; others use a card stock type. Some will offer to have names and dates written on the envelopes free of charge and others will charge a small fee.

The mass release box comes in many different sizes, shapes and decorations. You can opt to make your own or buy one from where you purchase your butterflies. They can range from a plain basket with netting wrapped around it, that you make yourself, to the more extravagant box decorated in satin and flowers. You can talk this over with whomever you purchase your butterflies from. They will be able to advise you on the best effect that you would like to achieve.

You do have to remember that the butterflies can not be released in the rain or in temperatures below 65 degrees, depending on the type of butterfly that you purchase. In the event of rain, you can use a hanging cage that you can place your butterflies in and hang them at your reception. Where you purchase your butterflies will be able to help you out with what would be the best thing to do and ideas on what to do.

As you can see, you have many options and ideas that you can do with a butterfly release. They will add that unique and elegant touch to your wedding, but beware, they just might steal the show. www.wishuponabutterfly.com

Proud member of the International Butterfly Breeders Association.

Jodi Hopper is the owner and operator of Wish Upon A Butterfly. Jodi Hopper raises butterflies for release at weddings, parties, anniversaries, and other types of events. Jodi specializes in raising Monarchs, but does carry other types of butterflies for release. The butterfly farm is open for tours in the summer. She carries a line of terrariums for butterfly displays.

First off, know the lingo. Wedding cake prices are calculated by serving. Most cakes are priced from $1.50-$6.00 per person it serves. Do the math before you fall in love and avoid sticker shock.

Here’s what goes into a wedding cake, and how it affects the cost.

Size Matters

The bigger the cake, the higher the price. We’re not talking just diameter here. Six tiers of sugary perfection are great. But you better be willing to pay extra for it.

A three tiered cake is standard. Anything more involves more work for the baker. Baking. Frosting. Assembling. Keeping a tall cake upright is a trick.

The baker will pass that price on to you.

Now you know why sheet cakes are so cheep. If your budget is tight, buy a small wedding cake. Make up the difference with sheet cakes.

What’s In The Mix

The most basic building block in cake-ology is the cake itself. And the type of wedding cake you choose can drastically affect its price.

The most basic cake is a sponge cake. Think chocolate, vanilla, carrot. They’re safe. Crowd pleasers. And the least expensive.

Cheesecakes are at the other end of the spectrum. In price, not flavor. They’re absolutely decadent cakes. And time intensive to make. You’ll be lucky to find a cheesecake at $6 a serving. Most of them are quite a bit more.

It’s impossible to name every type of wedding cake out there. We haven’t even touched pound cake, whose price is somewhere between a sponge and cheesecake.

But here’s a rule of thumb:
The more time intensive a cake is to make, the steeper the price.

And here’s a rule for the other thumb:
The more “stuff” in your cake (liquers, fruit, nuts), the higher the price.

Beauty That’s Skin Deep

Ah icing. You either love it or you hate it. Your choice of frosting will have to reflect your personal tastes, and your budget.

Buttercream
This is your basic birthday cake frosting.

Pro: It holds up well. It’s easy to use. That makes it inexpensive.

Con: You can’t get the perfectly smooth look so popular these days.

Cream Cheese
This is the traditional frosting for a carrot cake.

Pro: The price is about the same as Buttercream. It tastes great.

Con: You can’t have intricate designs. But if you use live flowers on your cake that doesn’t matter.

Fondant
Think of this as sugar play dough. It’s used in ultra-hip wedding cakes.

Pro: A good cake designer can do almost anything with it. It pleats. It folds. It does everything but cut the cake for you.

Con: It’s expensive. And the least tasty of the frostings.

It’s Hip to be Square

Square cakes are very cool. But they’ll cost you.

A square cake requires a special pan. This you knew. They’re also harder to frost. The edges have to be built up. And look even.

And as you know by now, more work means more money.

So there you have it. The basic parts of your wedding cake. And how they affect price. What you spend on your cake is a personal decision. Armed with this information, sally forth into the wedding cake world and get the most for your money.

It’s your day. You deserve it.

Amy Lee Johnson is a freelance writer that often contributes to Wedding Vows 4U – a site that offers information on such topics as writing wedding vows and selecting wedding cakes.