Cheryl Barker's Blog, page 37

Wedding Photo Ideas Roundup That Star the Groom

[image error]

Mother of the Bride, as you help plan your daughter’s wedding, I imagine you’re spending lots of time focusing on her needs and desires, but don’t forget to give attention to the groom as well. After all, he’s the other half of the main-event couple in the upcoming celebration of a lifetime. Give thought to how you can make him feel special too.

One way to shine a light on the groom is to ask the photographer to make sure he is the star in some of the wedding photos. It’s only natural that t...

Easter Acrostic: From Sorrow to Joy

[image error]

Easter—the holiday that takes us from the depths of sorrow to the heights of joy in the span of only two and a half days.

We remember the Last Supper our Lord had with his disciples and feel the pain of his betrayal. We recall his prayerful agony in the Garden of Gethsemane and then relive the horror of his arrest and crucifixion. We feel the grief his loved ones and followers felt.

But then the joy comes. We remember and rejoice in the fact that death did not win. God raised Jesus from the...

Summer or Fall Wedding Favor Idea: Jars of Honey!

[image error]

Mother of the Bride, are your darling daughter and her sweetheart planning a summer or fall wedding? If so, it’s time to start gathering ideas and making decisions about some of the more minor aspects of the big day. And one of those minor issues is what to provide as wedding favors.

One super sweet idea for summer or fall wedding favors is a gift of honey. Since honey harvest usually takes place in July, August, and September, you might even be able to acquire some newly harvested honey fro...

Getting Ready for a New Challenge or Adventure

[image error]“‘Go through the camp and tell the people, “Get your supplies ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan River and take the land the Lord your God is giving you.”” Joshua 1:11 NCV

The Bible is filled with accounts of ordinary people faced with new challenges or adventures. Men, women, teens, children, senior citizens, rich, poor, educated, uneducated, married, single—you name it and we can find an example of such a person who had to move into unchartered territory, step out of their...

Budget Agreement with the Father of the Bride

[image error]

Mother of the Bride, are you on the same financial wedding-planning page as the Father of the Bride? Budget talk is never fun—in daily life or in wedding planning—but you’ll save yourself and your husband (or ex-husband as the case may be) countless unpleasant exchanges if the two of you are in budget agreement from the earliest stages of your planning.

FOBs may joke that their job in wedding planning is to hand over the checkbook or credit card, but they really do want to have a say in what...

Wedding Photo: Bride and Groom Make Hands-Heart

[image error]

Mother of the Bride, have you started keeping your eyes peeled for wedding day photo ideas? As soon as you heard your little girl was going to become a bride, I bet you started noticing anything and everything wedding-related, photo ideas included. Might as well start a list to share with the bride, right?

The photo above—the bride and groom making a heart out of their hands—is a super sweet shot your darling daughter might want to suggest to their photographer.

This shot not only exudes rom...

7 March Stress Busters

[image error]We’ve made it to March, y’all! Not only does that mean the worst of winter is surely behind us (fingers crossed!), but here on my blog, a new month means it’s time for another installment in my Stress Buster blog series. I hope you’re finding it helpful and also fun as we think of different month-appropriate ways to lighten life’s stresses.

March always promises to be filled with activity, doesn’t it? The coming attractions include March Madness, the coming of spring, Spring Break, and even E...

Prayer Transforms—Prayer Changes Me

[image error]You’ve heard it said that prayer changes things. Well, sometimes.

Sometimes we see God answer our prayers through changed circumstances or hearts, but other times things don’t change. The house goes into foreclosure. The divorce is finalized. The cancer rages on and finally wins the battle. For whatever reason, God, in his infinite—and loving—wisdom has not seen fit to change the thing we’ve brought to him in prayer time and again.

But one thing I’ve found to be true about prayer is that even...

Spring Wedding Cake: Cherry Blossoms

[image error]

Mother of the Bride, is a spring wedding in the works at your house? If so, the wedding may be coming up within the next couple of months or perhaps you’re in the very beginning stages of wedding planning with the date set sometime for next spring. Whatever the case, I’m sure spring colors and spring ideas are springing to mind right and left. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist the pun!)

If one of your daughter’s colors is pink, today’s spring wedding cake idea—cherry blossoms—might be something she’...

Wedding Centerpiece With a Rustic Flair

[image error]

Mother of the Bride, is your sweet girl wanting to add a hint of rustic-yet-elegant to her wedding? It’s certainly possible to feature some rustic touches without going full-on rustic in every aspect of the wedding. It helps that many rustic wedding décor ideas lean closer to the feminine and elegant side than to the down-home country vibe that many couples really love.

One way to add a beautiful rustic touch is with a centerpiece that says rustic and romantic all at once. The centerpiece pi...