Do you have your heart set on throwing a Renaissance-themed wedding? Go for it. You will have to put a little more effort into the planning, but once you see your guests oohing and aahing over the charming wedding dresses, the ornate headpieces, and the whimsical props, you will feel the hard work is all worth it.

Look the Part

As may be expected, the bridal gown should go the whole nine yards Renaissance-style. You may have to try a bazillion of wedding dresses to find one that could remotely pass for a Renaissance gown. But remember, if worse comes to worst and you find nothing that fits, you can always grab any of those pristine white, lacy wedding dresses most bridal shops carry and simply dump a bouquet of flowers on your head.

Don’t forget to throw in some herbs in your floral crown (and I mean some, not your entire kitchen’s stock of herbs). And while you’re at it, toss in some twigs, too. The pointing is not to make your head look like something a bird would nest on. The point is to lend authenticity to what would have otherwise been plain wedding dresses that every bride would wear.

Ideally, though, Renaissance-themed wedding dresses should be made of velvet or silk, with silver or golden embroidery. Don’t forget to braid your hair or curl it. As for the groom, make sure his costume complements yours. Laced vests and tunics are only some of your options; there are more, but you will both be better off bringing him with you to the bridal shop so he can pick out what he would be most comfortable wearing.

Venue, Venue, Venue

Of course, all the silk and velvet wedding dresses in the world would count for naught without the perfect ambiance. If you can’t have your wedding in a stone castle, a Tudor-styled hotel, or any place with Gothic-looking stones and stained glasses (read: cathedral), your nearest bet is a vineyard or a garden. You can rent a machine to create well-timed fogs; and you can festoon the walls, chairs, or the wedding arch with ivy.

Don’t forget to put red, orange, and yellow flowers in wicker mini-baskets. Use wooden candle holders and white or dark red candles, too. The colors will complement wedding dresses (not just the bride’s) superbly while the baskets, flowers, and candles will give the place a rustic look.

Invitations, Favors, and the Menu

Now, on to the nitty-gritty. Keep the invitations simple. Use beige or ivory parchment paper, calligraphic font, and hot wax seals. As for the wedding favors, you can give away a goblet placeholder set or a flute or photo frame with pewter finish.

The menu is even easier. Incorporate typical game like venison, goose, or quail to a meal line-up that includes vegetables like asparagus, carrots, and lettuce, cheese, strawberries, nuts, custards and tarts. Ale, wine, beer, and fruit juices will complement your food choice perfectly!

And if you still have room in your budget for more interesting additions, you may want to add a minstrel or two, or a traveling juggler or court jester who will perform during the cocktail hour.

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It’s going to be October again before you know it and you’re going to be searching around at the last minute for a cool Halloween costume, and yet again you’re too late! So instead of something cool you get to dress up as a ghost… again. Do yourself a favor for once, shop early! Shop 6 months in advance so your friends can stop making fun of you for wearing a sheet for the fourth year in a row! If your looking for a fun yet interesting Halloween costume why don’t you try a China Girl, Crouching Tiger or some sort of another Kung Fu Master!

You can find lots of sites online that offer Chinese Halloween costumes, or you could even go to a Chinese or Oriental store online that sells clothes and buy some stuff from them. Personally id rather do this because it seems more realistic. Just think while your buddy is wearing a plastic mask and a rubber hook you could be wearing a Black Kung Fu Suit or Ba Gua Kung Fu Matching Set, seriously go take a look at these because they are awesome and completely realistic! If you’re a girl you could be a China Girl, a Chinese Princess or a Master of Chinese Arts as well! Don’t let the guys take all the glory!

These costumes really don’t cost much more than the ones you would buy in a Halloween store, so why not?!? The only other item you would need is the “Kung Fu” shoes if you wanted to look really authentic and they have those on KarateDepot for $10! You really can’t beat that now can you?!? Here are some of the other items you can buy on these sites for Halloween costumes:

For Women:

Jackets – Silk, Satin, Embroidered, Thai Silk Coat, Cashmere

Pants – Silk, Kung Fu, Satin

Skirts – Floral skirt, “Happiness” skirt, Silk

Vests – Peony Embroidered, Flying butterfly, Dragon, Phoenix

For Men:

Jackets – Chinese Black Leather Jacket, Dragon, Kung Fu jacket, Traditional Longevity Jacket

Kung Fu Suits – Black Kung Fu, White Kung Fu, Silk, Dragon, Chinese Calligraphy Suits

Gowns – Black Cashmere, Khaki, Red Dragon

Pants – White Kung Fu, Black Kung Fu, Silk, Cotton

Other – Kimono, Yukata

Robes – Silk, Cotton

As you can see there’s tons of different items you could choose from! All you have to have is a little creativity and a little determination to find these sites! Have fun!