Wedding Ideas

Planning a Modern Catholic Wedding

2010-03-31T12:43:00.000-07:00

Planning A Modern Catholic Wedding

by Jason Hennessey,

Pr

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Catholics often place a lot of importance in the marriage of a couple. It is considered as one of the seven sacraments of the Church that should be taken seriously as they represent God’s love to His people. For this reason, most Catholics prefer holding their wedding ceremonies in the church or cathedral as is the tradition. However, in recent times many Catholic couples have looked for other ways of conducting their weddings elsewhere and giving them a different touch while maintaining the significance and image of a traditional Catholic wedding.

Wedding preparations usually start by proposal and engagement, after which the priest should be informed of your intention to marry. He will then organize for you to be enrolled in the Pre-Cana, a special marriage counseling season whose aim is to prepare the couple spiritually, socially and emotionally for matrimony. Traditionally, any partner that is not baptized can get the same service during this session. But recently this has not been followed to the letter and it has become a matter of personal will.

After the Pre-Cana, the couple can then allow themselves enough time to prepare for their big day. The venue of the wedding can be outside the church, probably a place where other Catholic faithful guests can feel comfortable.

The decorations may also take a different route according to the couple’s sense of style. Choice of colors, flowers and other beauty paraphernalia doesn’t have to follow the traditional ways. Innovations have been brought up to spice up the monotonous traditional wedding preparation elements. One is free to experiment on various ideas as long as they do not go against the Catholic spiritual teachings.

Elements of style, culture and heritage have influenced different people’s decisions on how to plan and conduct their weddings. People are now fusing their cultural practices into the wedding routines. This helps in identifying one’s background and customs. It also adds glamour to the ceremony by introducing the beauty of cultural diversity.

The wedding attire has not been speared either. The bride’s gown now includes some elegant cultural decorations, prints and even a different general design of the gown altogether. This has given rise to customized gowns which give the brides an edge above the normal out-of-shop designs. The suits also exude contemporary allure through different alterations and ornamentation.

The bridal party and the groom’s party can also introduce the aspect of culture into the scene by spotting ethnic ornaments and other decorations which help in adding color and style to the ceremony. The whole family can also where there cultural wedding costumes instead of the normal business suits and other official dressing.

Wedding songs have also been influenced by customary practices. The normal hymns sung in the church in English can be done in Spanish, French or any other ethnic language. Some couples have even requested for a full mass in which the body and blood of Christ are given to the congregation. One can even choose to have the whole mass done in local language or even Latin. All this serve to add the beauty of language to the wonderful event.

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Copyright © 2009 Jason Hennessey - All Rights Reserved. Hyperlinked material remains the property of its respective owners.

Author Resource Jason Hennessey is the President of 1WeddingSource, today’s leading wedding social networking planning site. He also founded an online store that host a collection of wedding favors and wedding gifts to make your wedding day an event to be cherished for a lifetime.

Planning a Bridal Luncheon or Tea?

2010-03-26T15:26:00.001-07:00

Your big day is only days away, but it is important to make time for the little things. One of the most important "little" things you can do as a bride is to host a bridal luncheon or tea. A bridal luncheon or tea is traditionally held in the afternoon a day or two before the ceremony.

Occasionally, brides host this intimate gathering the morning of the ceremony in the form of a breakfast tea that is held at the hair salon while all the girls in the wedding party are getting their hair done.

A cocktail party or intimate dinner is also nice, but may not be quite as kid-friendly if you are wanting to include your flower girl(s) or younger bridal attendants. Your bridal luncheon is the ideal time to give your bridal attendants any gifts you may have purchased for them, and it's a nice way to say thank-you for all the hard work and time that those special ladies have given to helping you pull off a truly memorable wedding.

However, you may not even know where to begin, especially if you are overwhelmed with all the other wedding plans you are making, so here are some great tips on where to get started.

1.) Who is invited? Traditionally, all the young ladies involved with your wedding are. This usually includes the bridesmaids, maid of honor, mother of the bride, mother of the groom, and the flower girls, and any other girls you might have in your wedding such as candle lighters, guest book attendants, etc. As a courtesy you might also include the mothers of any young girls in your wedding, as well as your grandmother(s) and the groom's grandmother (s).

2.) What to serve? If you are having a luncheon, you could have it catered to the location of your choice or you could host it at a local restaurant, but see if they have a party room you could reserve for this event. Another neat idea is to host your luncheon at a nearby "tea room". A "tea room" is a restaurant that serves light fair such as soups, salads, and sandwiches, as well as, a variety of coffees and teas. A "tea room" often will offer an intimate, feminine location for your party. If you host your "luncheon" in the morning such as at the saloon while you are all getting your hair done, you can have it catered by a local bakery or you can pick up a variety of muffins and bagels, as well as, thermoses with different flavors of coffee, milk, and juice.

3.) What to give? A lot of bride's fret over what to give the girls in their bridal party. Traditionally gifts are not given to the mothers or the grandmothers, so unless you just want to, don't worry about finding something for them. Including them in your "luncheon" is thanks enough.

As for the young members of your bridal party, you can consider giving them things that are appropriate to their age. If they are really young and you find out they are interested in things like Dora the Explorer, Disney Princesses, Hannah Montana, etc. ~~look for something to give them that reflect their interest in these types of things such as a Barbie doll, books, or other toys of that character.

If you have young ladies in your bridal party that are teens you could consider giving them a gift card to download music or a CD of their favorite artist, or bath and body products.

As for your bridesmaids and maid of honor, you could consider giving them the jewelry you want them to wear on your big day, or maybe give them all gift cards to a local movie theater and restaurant, so they can enjoy a nice dinner and movie to relax after all their hard work. There are just so many great ideas, so don't limit yourself and don't be afraid to get creative.

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Silver is the Right Gift for Many Occasions

2010-02-14T15:22:00.000-08:00

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Gold, platinum, diamonds, and even cubic zircon seem to get the bulk of the attention from jewelry buyers, but one precious metal remains a strong gift idea for just about any occasion. Sterling silver, the most robust of all silvers is a gift that looks great, has enduring value, and can be worn with just about anything.

If you're looking for a special gift to give, you'll want to consider sterling silver jewelry. Let's take a look at various occasions where a silver ring, necklace, earrings, pendant or bracelet makes for an excellent choice amongst a broad selection of gift giving ideas:

Mother's Day - What mother doesn't love jewelry? Necklaces, pendants, earrings, rings, and bracelets can all be fashioned from silver making for an elegant, yet affordable gift for mom. Many young mothers prize silver hope earrings, while silver dangling earrings complement the ears of young and old alike. Silver cuff rings evoke a 1960s era look - in vogue today - while silver chokers and necklaces are additional timeless classics that can be enjoyed for many years to come.

You're Grad - No matter whether someone you love is graduating from middle school, high school, or college, a gift to mark that special event is in order. Shower her with a whimsical sterling silver butterfly pendant or choose a pair of "Back to Nature" shell earrings from Hot Diamonds. Fashioned by leading designers, the cutting-edge Hot Diamonds line is considered to be amongst the trendiest styles of our day, just what your fashion conscious grad would love!

Father's Day - Guys shouldn't be left out when it comes to sterling silver, with many manly gifts available to give to your Dad. Hot Diamonds has an entire silver jewelry line devoted to serving men, including rings, bangles, pendants, and cuff links. Wide, Masculine looking jewelry that allows him to express his ruggedness and individuality.

Birthdays - What should you give your daughter, mother, wife or sister on her birthday? Sterling silver jewelry is a "I can't go wrong with this gift" that she'll treasure for years to come. Mix and match earrings and necklaces or choose a silver pendant that she'll treasure and pass down as a family heirloom. An inscribed silver ring can be a significant gift to help mark an important milestone, including a "Sweet Sixteen" event.

Religious Holidays - Christmas, Hanukkah, and other holidays of religious significance are often marked by the giving of sterling silver jewelry. A pair of silver Hanukkah earrings or a silver ring for Christmas is always a welcome gift, statement making presents keeping with the spirit of these important holidays.

Perhaps the most attractive feature about sterling silvery jewelry for the gift giver is its price - unlike some other metals which continue to rise and fall sharply, silver is stable and will hold its value over the long run, and giving you more choices to consider for that special occasion.

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Throwing a Bridal Shower for the Young and Old ~ Easy Boredom-free Ideas

2010-02-03T04:46:00.000-08:00

Love-Themed Shower Bingo

The truth is that if you’re a woman, there’s a good chance that at one point or another you have been invited to a bridal shower that left you scratching your head or ready to gnaw off your arm just to get out of the room. Remember the dreaded bridal shower game of dressing up one or more of the ladies in the room with a mock wedding dress made from toilet paper?

Or perhaps you are more familiar with the embarrassing questionnaire that the guests were to fill out, only then to have to stand up and read answers to questions you wouldn’t even spell out in the Sunday confessional. Perhaps it is for this reason that bridal showers have become a bit of a bad reputation, and why so many invitees are sending their regrets and a gift certificate. Fortunately there is a movement underfoot to breathe some new life into the borderline dead radition of the bridal shower that has so many women roll their eyes at the thought of actually attending.

The times of embarrassing games and activities are coming to an end and instead new and improved activities ensure that the bride still receives her shower, guests still bring lots of presents to help the new couple start out their life together in style, and games are still being played – but with new twists! Follow these easy tips and you too will be able to throw a bridal shower for a young or more seasoned bride with easy boredom-free ideas!

Decide on a theme and run with it. Just because presents are involved, this should not make everything else about the occasion melt into the background. Instead, you may wish to contact your local jewelry sales lady, candle gal, or make up aficionado and see if their companies offer some kind of party package. Most of them do, and this will go a long way to allow the girls to sample some make up, try on some jewelry, and sniff the soothing smells of sweet candle wax.

You may want to serve some finger foods so that nobody will be stuck in the kitchen, and everyone will be able to participate. Maybe a student masseuse could be hired for a couple of hours to give foot massages or a student cosmetologist for manicures and pedicures. Food should be kept simple if at all possible. Nobody should be in the kitchen cooking, heating up, or assembling, while at the same time a mess for the hostess should be avoided altogether. A good idea is the potluck, or if you have the funds, have some finger foods catered.

Gourmet cheeses and crackers, some wine, canapes, petit fours, crab cakes and grilled vegetable foccacias make for a wonderful spread that is easily put together and does not require much in terms of reheating. Advice is a big part of the party. Especially if the bride is walking down the isle for the first time, many well-meaning ladies have oodles of ideas and tips on how to keep the marriage blissful. Usually a book is sent around to capture those pearls of wisdom, but how about trying a new twist? Instead of putting together a book, why not have each guest write out their advice on a piece of parchment paper and then affix it to a bottle of wine. Both the wine and the advice can then be enjoyed together by the married couple and make for great conversation starters.

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couple will be able to enjoy together. So go ahead and allow yourself to enjoy the celebration of the bridal shower again. Revel in the changes, and allow your ideas to roam free, and no longer feel the obligation to follow in the footsteps of boring old games that are long past their prime. Have fun with the shower and during the shower! The bride will thank you for years to come for the thoughtful afternoon or evening you put together for her.

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Stress Free Honeymoon

2010-01-28T11:58:00.000-08:00

In my opinion, every couple who plans to tie the knot should plan for three things at least: a) the wedding (quite obviously); b) family life (again, a given); and c)... the honeymoon.

Let us explore a bit the relationship of this three. Family life, at least in the Philippines, mostly would require marriage. A good family plan includes this critical ceremony. This is the consummation of sleepless nights, long talks over the phone (or texts), emails, and what-have-you. But if you want to get off on a good... no, GREAT start, there's the honeymoon.

Honeymoon comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes, so to speak. And starting off on the right foot requires that we wade through all the honeymoon packages being offered by different travel agencies, hotels and resorts, and even wedding planners.

What are the things to consider while planning that first magical week with your recently acquired life partner?

1. Know thyself. Two become one so it's really not you alone anymore who gets to decide (unless of course you want to pull a fast one and sweep your sweetie off his/her feet). What is it that characterizes you? What is it that you want? These are some questions you need to settle.

For example, you want to stay close to your roots and have this as a theme to celebrate your love while staying romantic, relaxed, and hopefully reinvigorated after months of preparation for your wedding. You want a destination that you both will enjoy, without spending too much.

2. Once you got #1, decide on the best honeymoon destination. In our example, you want your honeymoon to be here in the Philippines, in one of its grandest beaches-BORACAY. Honeymoon destinations matter a lot as it sets the atmosphere for a romantic getaway. You can say that every day is a honeymoon but really, it can only happen once and you want this to be special.

3. Iron out the details. How many days will it take? Do you have the budget? What are you in for? Honeymoon isn't just hugging and cuddling, you might want to get to know each other a little deeper. Why not go island-hopping, snorkelling, and jet-skiing. After which, you get a relaxing massage or aromatherapy.

4. Take care of the logistics. You can always book yourselves airline tickets, hotel reservations, etc. But why ruin the honeymoon romance with that? Leave it to the expert. Taking care of these things could be as easy as ABC. Just give your travel agency a call or send them an email and they'll take care of this for you.

5. Lastly, the early bird gets the worm. There are certain benefits to doing everything early... or at least these two things. One is to plan early. You do not need honeymoon planning get in the way of the actual wedding planning. You are doing yourself a disservice if the details of these two events get mixed up. Second is to book early. You will be saving serious money by booking your airline tickets and hotel reservations way ahead of time. Also, you may ask your travel agency if they have available promo in your chosen honeymoon destination.

Remember, you need not subject yourself to stressful planning. There are travel agencies that could handle this for you.

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How to Plan the Ultimate Christmas Wedding

2010-01-27T15:42:00.000-08:00

There is nothing more romantic than a Christmas wedding. What a wonderful time of year; the snow (depending on where you live), the decorations, and the soothing soft glow of candles. The holiday season just seems magical and filled with love, hope, and peace.

Here are some ideas you may wish to consider incorporating when planning your wedding.

- Consider having musicians play Christmas carols as your prelude music. Or maybe have a children's caroling choir either singing before the service in the aisles or between the tables at the reception. The children could also hand out the ceremony programs (wrapped in holiday ribbons) as the guests arrive.

- Use lots of red ribbon and Christmas greens with pine cones for a natural touch. Rather than the normal flower arrangements use Poinsettias which are the Christmas flower.

- Nothing says romance more than candles. Plan on adding some for a warm cozy ambiance your guests will enjoy

- For an unique presentation print Christmas song sheets on parchment paper and tie with red velvet ribbons for each guest..

- For a cute idea at your reception leave a small wreath tied with a Christmas ribbon at each place setting.

- Decorate with a Christmas tree in the corner. Have some ornaments printed with your names and wedding date for the tree. If your budget allows, consider having an ornament for each guest to take from the tree as they they leave the reception.

- Why not dress your bridesmaids in black velvet tops and plaid Christmas skirts.

- Add some sparkle to your flower bouquets with silver bells or ornaments.

- For a special touch add gold with red accents to bouquets and any center pieces.

- For a cute centerpiece why not use small pine trees individually decorated with tiny Christmas decorations. Or for the budget minded bride you could wrap different sized "presents" stacked and tied up with Christmas ribbons.

- For a dreamy feeling drape white lights and garland around posts or in front of the cake table, or maybe the head table to give off a warm glow.

- Instead of a bridal bouquet carry a white muff. If you want to add color, pin silk poinsettias on the muff.

- To warm your guests and to make them feel welcome at the reception serve mulled cider and maybe add Christmas cookies to the dessert table.

These are just a few ideas on how to plan a Christmas wedding; with a little imagination the possibilities are endless to make your wedding as unique as you are.

Jasmine MacDonald is the editor of Fun Weddings and Merry Brides which will provide you with daily ideas and tips to help you plan the perfect wedding while staying within your budget.Ashlee can also help you design your very own wedding website to keep your friends and family updated about your wedding plans. Check out a Free Trial offer at Wedding Window Click here

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Karaoke at Your Wedding Reception ~ to Sing or not to Sing ~ That is the Question

2010-01-24T12:51:00.000-08:00

Emerson Karaoke Machine

If you have a wedding coming up, you want it to be memorable. If you are considering adding a karaoke as a package option for your wedding reception because your DJ offers it, you are the type of bride and groom that really want your guests to have fun. Right? It is true. You may want to start of your marriage with something memorable, and karaoke could certainly be a way to do it. However, as Spidey once said, "with karaoke comes great responsibility." (Or something like that.)

First off, if karaoke is your selling point to choosing a DJ, you really need to check out your DJ to see what his actual karaoke background is. He could be a great wedding DJ, but not that cultured in empty orchestra singing performances. Has your disc jockey won best karaoke titles a number of times? Does he (or she) have good gear and current selections as well as the old classics songs that everyone loves?

While it is hard to exactly explain what it is that makes a DJ "The Best" in the eyes of his or her karaoke patrons, it probably has to with a combination of personality and fast pacing.

Personality. It is something your karaoke DJ either has, or doesn't have. There are no lessons for this attribute. You cannot learn this. The only way to really judge this, however is to see them in living color.

Ask to see them playing karaoke music at a public venue. The reason they may also get booked for a lot of weddings and sweet 16 birthday parties is by having potential customers come to public gigs and test them first. If they invite you, do it! You can see them in action, unannounced, uncensored and unknown. Then you can judge for yourself, without watching an edited video of only their best moments.

How do you know, if what you are seeing will translate well for you? They should be funny and fun and keep the party going, but not a spotlight hog themselves. (Some karaoke DJ's are unbooked musicians looking for an outlet to shine. Your wedding is not the place for this.) You don't need them to get on the mic and attempt stand up comedy. Your guests want to hear music, not speeches, but a little bit of quick mic work in the appropriate places after or before a strategic song can be classic. They should mix party DJ success with their karaoke, then they will do a great job at both for your reception.

Timing is everything. No dead air, is important. When it happens - PEOPLE CRINGE! Have you ever been on a dance floor and there is a space between songs? What do the dancers do? They either freeze and stand there like deer in headlights, or go and sit back in their seats. BOTH OF THESE OUTCOMES ARE NOT GOOD! Watch the DJ try their hardest to keep everything moving and leave no room to sleep for the karaoke audience.

Once you have chosen the right DJ who also has karaoke, consider these precautions.

1) SCHEDULED KARAOKE TIME - Not everyone likes karaoke, so limit it to either scheduled performances by a few key players, or open up say the very last hour. If you open it up for the entire reception, it will not be special and will become more annoying than anything else.

2) SET LIMITS - Do not allow multiple songs by one guest. Maybe one or two, but you do not want your wedding reception to become a a karaoke concert staring one or two key players.

3) SCAN SONG SELECTION - Make sure your DJ runs all the songs by you, if they could be considered questionable. Some songs out there have ridiculous amounts of adult content and just are not right for a wedding. (HINT - if there is cursing, or a song by the 2 Live Crew, beware!)

So that's it. Karaoke can really be a blast, but be careful. If you are, it can really add to the final flavor and make it a great night for everyone!

Helpful Sites ~~

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Article Source http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kenny_Casanova

DJ Kenny Casanova is a successful wedding reception disc jockey out of Albany, NY. He has won countless karaoke titles and has some great tips for your next party or event.

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Tips on Caring for Your Hair to Keep it Healthy & Dandruff-free

2010-01-22T07:39:00.000-08:00

One of the first things you look at when meeting a new person is their hair, along with their face. If the hair is disheveled and not nice and shiny, the first 30 seconds of initial impression might be quite negative. If you are at a job interview!! Meeting new important people!! Or walking down the aisle as a Bride!

That is why caring for your hair is so important to keep it healthy at all times. Even if your face is not particularly attractive, by having a nice, shiny and well kept hair, your personal appearance can be improved greatly.

However not everybody finds it easy to care for their hair because this takes time out of the usual things they are doing. One option is to visit regularly the hair salons so your hair gets the right treatment from a hair specialist. Even if you don't do it regularly, at least every 3 months a good hair treatment by a professional is a must.

Also you need to know what haircuts go well with your face. Don't follow the crowd aimlessly and get a haircut that is fashionable today. If your face is roundish and the latest trend focuses on haircuts suitable for longish faces, you might end up getting something worse than you started out with in the first place. At the professional hair salons a specialist can guide you through the various options that you have so you know which haircuts you can choose from safely.

Another problem that people are regularly dealing with is dandruff. This is quite irritating when you have it and if your dandruff is extensive, it might be difficult to get rid of it. However there are some remedies that you can use in order to minimize and control the dandruff issue. Here are just some of the home remedies that people successfully recommended as having treated their dandruff with.

Massage a mix of one teaspoon of lemon juice with two-three teaspoons of white vinegar in your scalp. Wait about 10 minutes after which you can wash off the mix with a good quality shampoo.

Also you can mix vinegar with regular water at a ratio of 2 teaspoons of vinegar to 5 teaspoons of water. Massage this on your scalp prior to going to bed. The next morning use a good quality shampoo to wash your hair.

Do not aimlessly use any hair dryer to dry your hair. There are good hair dryers and there are those that actually destroy your hair follicles, making your hair prone to breaking, splitting and even getting dandruff.

You need a good hair dryer that uses negative ions and tourmaline to fast dry your hair and leave it healthy, shiny and silky in place. The negative ions in the modern hair dryers break down the moisture into tiny droplets which are easily absorbed by the hair shaft. Using a good hair dryer you will get a shinier, fuller and softer hair, which also gets more manageable, while at the same time preserving the natural oils in your hair to keep your hair healthy and dandruff free.

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2010-01-20T16:23:00.000-08:00

By Jason Hennessey

A honeymoon is one of those vacations that come only once in a lifet9ime. You take time off to be with your love at an undisclosed or disclosed location to have fun. If it goes wrong, you can’t have a better one next time. There are many things that can cause a honeymoon to go wrong and it is very essential to choose wisely. Many couples have been known to have lost travel documents while on honeymoon so be very careful. There many factors to consider as you plan for your honeymoon.

Climatic conditions

Always choose to go to a destination whose climate will be favorable for a honeymoon.

The best weather for a honeymoon is summer when the sun shines all day long. Though the weather rarely changes in some destinations like Hawaii, make sure you are aware of climatic conditions of your preferred honeymoon destination. You don’t want your honeymoon to be spent sheltering yourself from annoying torrential rains. So to ensure that you enjoy as many activities together as you can, research on the climate beforehand.

Vacation time

Choose a honeymoon destination depending on the amount of time you have for the vacation. If you have a period of one week, choose a destination that is nearer to home to avoid wasting precious time when traveling. If you have more than two weeks then you can choose one that is as far as ten hours of travel since you still have more time. Incase you have children, then make sure that you are at an accessible place incase of an emergency. Although you may leave them with responsible adults, some emergencies cannot be ignored.

Language

Choose a honeymoon destination where you will not be restricted in speech. Although English is now a universal language, there are countries whose national language is the major language. This tends to be very difficult when you want to communicate with another person either for directions or you are making purchases. You may choose to hire an interpreter but it would be much easier if you went to a place you can mingle with people freely and be part of them.

By being aware of what others are saying, you will enjoy both the honeymoon and the culture of these people.

Budget

Although you want the honeymoon of your life, make sure that the location you choose fits your budget. Don’t be tempted to choose a destination that is well beyond your reach in terms of money. Take time to research on the cost of average expenditures such as cab fees in your desired destination. This is essential because most honeymoon packages do not include these extra expenses.

Choose a reputable travel agency

Make sure that you book your travel issues with reputable travel agencies. The use of online booking services has seen many people being conned. This is because they choose travel agencies that are not legit. In order to have a blissful honeymoon, choose a reputable travel agency that has all the relevant information on various holiday destination spots.

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Ways to have an Irish Wedding

2010-01-17T13:47:00.000-08:00

By Jackie Duescher

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Honor your Emerald Isle heritage with traditions that are romantic, clever, and a couple that are downright strange. Uncover here how to fill your wedding with all things Irish save the Blarney Stone.

Harvest Knots

According to history, Irish men declared their intentions of marriage by giving their fiancee harvest knots of straw decorated with flowers or bells to wear in their hair or around their neck. Make a harvest knot to wear on your wedding day, or place one in your bouquet to symbolize your Irish heritage.

Ceilidh

The steps of Irish folkdances are called ceilidh. Treat your attendants to an Irish dancing lesson, and then "perform" a jig to traditional Irish music at the reception.

Lace!

A way to incorporate Celtic pride into your wedding attire (besides hand-beading four leaf clovers all over your gown) is to adorn yourself with beautiful Irish lace. Known for its intricate patterns and zenith quality, wear a veil or carry a handkerchief made of this intricate Irish decoration.

Playin' o' the Pipes

Infuse your ceremony with the strains of the Irish pipes. Although bagpipes have Celtic roots, they are traditionally Scottish. For a truly Emerald Isle affair, locate an Irish uillean piper to lead the processional or recessional.

Irish Wedding Feast

The customary wedding feast in Ireland was a potluck hosted at the bride's family's home. Each guest brought traditional Irish dishes such as soda bread, coddle, and stew. Even if you're having a more formal reception, you can still celebrate this Irish tradition by having a "feast" for your bridal shower or rehearsal dinner.

The Wedding Cake

Old custom dictates that the Irish wedding cake (usually a dense fruit cake with white icing) was cut by one of the bride's sisters or bridesmaids. Where would they cut it? Over her head, of course. The bride remained seated while the groomsmen held the cake over her head while her sister or best friend did the honors. Our only concern: this tradition works best and safest when the cake is NOT a four-tiered confectionary concoction. Eeeek!

Noise Makers

A noisy way to ring in your nuptials with the luck o' the Irish is to have a recessional like those in Celtic history: instead of throwing rice upon exiting the church, men would fire rifles or other firearms into the air to signal that a couple is wed. Not your traditional exit (most churches would frown upon guns in the parking lot), if the men use blanks in their guns, and if you are getting married in an area without noise ordinances, then fire away, Irish style.

Giving the Claddagh

Two hands holding a heart underneath a crown is the Irish symbol for "Let Love and Friendship Reign". Share your Irish heritage with your attendants by giving them Celtic-inspired gifts marked with the claddagh. Give your maid of honor a candle gift engraved with the "faith ring", or jewelry made of claddagh. Buy claddagh wedding rings, or wear the Irish symbol around your neck on your wedding day as a reminder of your heritage.

Tokens of Hair

A more unusual Irish tradition is for the man to give the woman he loves a bracelet woven of human hair. Symbolic of acceptance, when the woman wears the circle of hair, she is linking herself to him for life. There's no mention of exactly who's hair it is, however, so if wearing hair jewelry gives you the heevies, see "Harvest Knots" for the same idea, using straw instead.

Lucky Dates

The traditionally superstitious Irish believed that the last day of the year is especially lucky, since the couple would wake up on the first day of their new life on the first day of the new year. Plan your wedding for December 31, the luckiest of Celtic days.

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Inexpensive Honeymoons

2010-01-15T13:16:00.000-08:00

Planning inexpensive honeymoons may only be one option to consider when preparing for a newlyweds special trip of a lifetime. Many couples are getting help with the honeymoon bill in a well planned and unique way.

Let me begin by saying that the number of couples getting married right out of high school have certainly decreased over the years. Women are placing career before marriage, and waiting until they are in their late twenties or early thirties before they marry. As a result of this, couples already have all the items a young couple usually receives for their wedding. So, what do you get the newlyweds that they don't already have?

One alternative that really seems to be catching on is The Honeymoon Bridal Registry. This is where the wedding gift can be the perfect honeymoon for the new couple. And you don't have to worry about being one of the couples planning one of those inexpensive honeymoons. You can find several of these honeymoon registry services online, and the results are usually great! On average $2,500 is gifted to the newlyweds to be used on their honeymoon.

How it works is the wedding couple creates a honeymoon bridal registry with all the special things they would like to do on their honeymoon, or destination wedding. Many suggestions and ideas are given on the site for locations of where to go, and what to do. This gives the wedding couple time to think about their most important trip of their new life together, and how they would like to spend it.

After the couple has registered, they need to let everyone know! They will need to count on the help of their parents, family, bridesmaids and groomsmen to get this word out about making this dream honeymoon happen. A wedding website will be created with the website address printed on the wedding announcements, direction cards, and shower invitations. You would also include a card that explained to the guests how the registry works.

The guests then have the option to put money directly towards the honeymoon trip, or towards any extra special moment the couple desired. Like limouzine service, champaign in their room, a romantic dinner, a special day trip, or any number of other options that could make their honeymoon extra special.

The newlywed couple then can access a detailed report of the list of givers following the wedding to help with the Thank You cards. Giving a gift of money is always nice to receive. But giving something the couple will remember the rest of their lives, the honeymoon of their dreams, is really priceless.

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Wondering How to Plan a Wedding During this Recession Period??

2010-01-12T07:18:00.000-08:00

A wedding is a very special occasion in everyone's life. This one-time divine occasion must be celebrated at its best. Celebrations will be great if you have a great sum of money to spend.

Unfortunately, things have changed a lot these days. In fact many people are finding it very hard to survive the worst economic conditions around the planet. Planning a wedding during this period will be a challenging task to accomplish.

With all the wedding planning magazines and advices from your friends you will feel worried because of the very limited budget that you have. Thankfully there are a few ways which can make your wedding party grand but within your small budget. Let me tell you in the start of the article itself that this article is not going to explain the wedding items that can be avoided and cut short the wedding costs.

This article is all about some of wedding items that will be friendly to your wallet and will be appealing in the gathering. Just keep on reading to discover them.

No Alternative For Cheap Wedding Favors!!

The tradition of giving out wedding favors during the wedding reception has been around us for quite a long period of time. Thankfully these wedding favors come with very cheap price tags that anyone can afford.

However, there are many articles which are spread on the internet who convince you to create wedding favors on your own. They claim to be cheaper than buying the wedding favors. The real fact is that creating wedding favors on your own will cost much more than buying them and they cannot match the quality and beauty of the cheap wedding favors available in the stores. Moreover, if you plan to make wedding favors by yourself, it will eat up much of your precious time. So it is always better to buy cheap wedding favors from the stores. This will save your money and precious time.

Buying Wedding Items In Bulk

You can claim huge discounts in anything when bought in a bulk. Things aren't very different in the case of the wedding items. Plan and calculate the number of people who will be likely to attend the wedding occasion. Once you get the rough figures about the number of people attending the wedding ceremony, you can start purchasing the wedding items as a bulk. With the bad market conditions around, the wedding item suppliers will welcome you with open hands and will warp you with discounts.

Making The Decorations With Old Used Items

Decoration of the wedding venue is a challenging task when it comes to a budget point of view. Remember the fact that the decorating items are just for one day and night. You should make use of the old decorating items available in your for decorating the wedding venue. The old items can be the decorating lights and items that you bought for Christmas and other occasions.

Plan the wedding based on the above mentioned tips and save a great deal of money. Happy married life!

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The author of this article is an expert in wedding planning. With vast experience, she has planned many great weddings within tight budgets. She knows the importance of cheap wedding favors in planning a great wedding. When it comes to the best cheap wedding favors, she recommends http://www.favors-n-gifts.com.

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Wedding Speech for Father of the Bride ~ Emotional Moments for the Father & the Bride

2010-01-10T11:21:00.000-08:00

Wedding speech for father of the bride can be an emotional and sentimental affair. Often, the prospect of delivering a father of the bride wedding speech makes a father nervous and worried.

To turn this nerve wracking experience into a joyous and touching one, just read on the following tips:

Father of the Bride Wedding Speech - tips

Father of the bride speech is one of the most anticipated speeches in a wedding and it is supposed to be sentimental and moving.

However, that does not mean your speech has to be too long and boring.

While composing your speech, listen to your heart, use the experiences of your own life and the normal joys of marriage as your inspiration.

You can include in your speech stories and anecdotes regarding the first meeting of the bride and groom.

You may even recount the story of how you and your wife received your future son in law when you met for the first time.

A father of the bride speech has to be thoughtful, kind, sincere and above all welcoming.

It is best if you can balance the sentimental overflow with humor.

However, do not go overboard, either in case of emotions or in case of humor.

While delivering your speech, you can talk about your first impression of your son in law - the young man who will now take care of your daughter.

You can even include in your speech, a few details of the wedding preparations.

Basically the best speeches are those which are able to convey the joy and delight of a father at the happy occasion of the wedding of his daughter.

Do you want to make your daughter's wedding even more special?

If you want to make her special day even more special, the best way is to honor her with a touching and memorable father of the bride wedding speech.

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The Way to Lose Weight Fast

2010-01-06T17:09:00.000-08:00

Most of the people around the globe want to lose weight fast. The main reason behind it is their obese bodies. They are the ones who are overweight and now realize that their normal lifestyle has been hampered due to overweight. They begin to avoid social situations and they find it difficult to buy clothes because they have to struggle to get the right size of clothing that fits their body. This is their plight. In such a situation they try all types of ways to lose weight fast. There are various methods and techniques to lose weight fast. But the easiest and the powerful technique to lose weight fast are through hypnosis. Self hypnosis tends to interact with the subconscious or unconscious mind. Thus, it basically conditions the mind to alter wrong food pattern habits or wrong attitude towards a certain opinion in life that leads to obesity.

Hypnosis has also helped to reduce and even eliminate free radicals that can cause premature aging of tissue and individual cells. It also helps by decreasing average heart rate and aiming at healthier levels of blood pressure. Hypnosis has also assisted in improving the memory and increasing the ability of self-actualizing. One can get a higher feel of mental rejuvenation and vitality. All this helps in eliminating stress and thus you begin to lose weight fast. A lot of people fall into the category of “obese” or “overweight”. It is mainly due to wrong food habits. Our eating habits should be checked. People try every reasonable approach in order to lose weight fast. They even go to the extent of using potentially harmful weight loss drugs. However, the most simple and safe method to lose weight fast is through hypnosis.

Hypnosis can act as a powerful tool to lose weight fast. Through hypnosis, the patient’s desire to lose weight is reinforced. Thus he actively suppresses appetite and thereby remains a healthy person by eating rightly. At times negative associations are given to dangerous fattening foods. So that the patient will no more feel tempted to eat fattening foods. Our eating habits have been formed by our traditional ways of society. The moment we want to celebrate a happy occasion in our life, we lavishly start eating. This is how we gain weight and then run for ways to lose weight fast.

We can lose weight fast once we know how to tackle our subconscious mind. This is done through hypnosis. Whether we are on a regular diet or exercising and eating regularly we must focus on our mind in order to lose weight. Hypnosis uses the untapped power of our subconscious mind to guide us to the life we dream of. Hypnosis can speak directly to the subconscious and re-construct our state of mind. For example, your mind can be programmed to reinforce the desire to lose weight and remain healthy by eating food in the right manner.

You can lose weight fast through hypnosis and there are no side effects attached to this technique. Irrespective of your background, hypnosis will work for you. In order to lose weight on a permanent basis, you need to change your entire lifestyle rather than depending on certain diet programs that are difficult to maintain. Thus, according to my opinion, the best way to lose weight fast is through hypnosis.

If you have gained some pounds, your wedding gown is a bit tight and there are only a few weeks before your wedding, try this method Hypnosis for quick weight loss!!! Good luck!

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About the Author
Edwin is a freelance writer who writes about health and fitness, often discussing specific items such as lose weight fast

2 Reasons I Say I Do to the Groom, but I Don't to the Fat

2010-01-06T13:36:00.000-08:00

Saying I do is making a commitment. Committing to never give up even when you may not agree. Saying I do is binding yourself in a vow to someone and taking on the responsibility and accountability of doing your best in the relationship.

You should also be loyal to yourself in order to be loyal to the person you're saying I do to. Saying I do doesn't mean that things will always be easy but it does mean that you are committing yourself to the relationship during easy and/or hard times.

Sadly to say, those words are taken quite lightly these days because most people don't want to remain committed when the hard times approaches. They don't realize that when they make it through the hard times together, their relationship is strengthened.

When you are in front of the person who will perform your wedding, you anxiously and nervously wait to say your vow to the one you love. You should say I do to the groom because:

Love

This should be the first and main reason that you say, "I do". However, take the time to learn one another first. It may eliminate some problems in the future and you won't be to upset when you find out that he really does squeeze the toothpaste tube in the opposite place that you do.

Commitment

This is an important reason to say, "I do" to the groom. Remember your vows in months and years to come just to remind yourself of your commitment. When you're committed to yourself first, it is easier to be committed to someone else.

Energy

Just as it takes a commitment to say I do to the groom, it also takes commitment to say I don't to fat. On your wedding day you want to look the best that you possible can. It's not all just about how you look, but it's also about your health. When you have extra fat to deal with, your energy level drops. Excess fat decreases your energy.

Heart Health

Losing fat improves heart health. Losing just 5 to 15 percent of your weight can lower your chances for developing heart disease or having a stroke. Weight loss also improves blood pressure, as well as triglyceride and cholesterol levels.

When you say, "I do" to the groom. Make a commitment to yourself and say, "I don't" to fat. Make a commitment to improve your health and to be the best that you can.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Martha_C._Johnson

1st steps for the Newly Engaged

2010-01-03T13:31:00.001-08:00

The holidays are a prime season for new engagements. If you were one of the lucky ones who has recently become engaged, you are probably wondering where to begin. With the holidays behind us, it is time to hit the ground running. Use this simple guide to the first steps for the newly engaged to get you started.

The very first thing to do is share the news of your engagement with those special people in your life. Notice that I did not say share the word with every person you have ever met. Naturally, you will be very excited and will also want to show off your fabulous new ring (your very first piece of bridal jewelry!), but it pays to be a little careful about when you tell everyone and his brother that you are getting married. Why? Because there will be many people who assume when you tell them you are engaged that they will be invited to your wedding.

It can be a good idea to get a general idea of the size of your guest list so that you can manage expectations graciously. Of course, if you plan to have a huge wedding and invite everyone you know, there is no problem, but if you might want to have a small wedding, it can be a very good idea to casually mention that around the time you announce your engagement. That way, your casual acquaintances will not be surprised later to find out that they are not on the guest list.

Getting a sense of the size and shape of your wedding budget is the next step. You will really need to have some concept of what you can afford to spend before you make decisions about everything from the number of guests to the venue to the bridal gown, veil, and jewelry. Once you have spoken to all the people who might assist with the wedding and worked out a basic budget, you can begin to prioritize between style and size. Some couples prefer to pick an elegant location and then invite as many as they can afford to host in that space, whereas others will opt to invite as many guests as possible and then find a venue that will allow them to afford all of their guests.

Making a detailed guest list is the next big step. You need a firm maximum head count before you can even consider booking a venue for your wedding. Many families will start by making a list of everyone they might possibly wish to invite and then whittling it down to a reasonable size. In other instances, it might work better to set a firm number, say 150 guests, and then allocate a portion of the total to the bride's parents, one to the groom's parents, and the final third to the bride and groom for friends. Just be sure to keep the divisions equal, with no extra weight given to whomever is footing the bill.

With your guest list set, it is time to start visiting wedding venues! This can be a lot of fun; do you want the opulent ballroom, the romantic garden, the classic club, or the eclectic alternative venue? At this point in the planning stages, your options are wide open. Once you select a venue which is available on your desired wedding date and within your budget, you can move onto the other planning stages. The style of your venue will help you to determine everything from centerpieces to the wedding gown and bridal jewelry to the formality of the invitations. Then you will really be able to get into details, and sail into the New Year with your wedding planning well under way!

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Finding the whole process of weddings and all the planning that goes into one fascinating, Laura writes about many of the considerations that brides have to deal with. The friendly staff at http://silverlandjewelry.com/ is looking forward to assisting you find the perfect bridal jewelry for your wedding. As our gift to you, receive complimentary shipping on any jewelry order over $99.

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7 Ways to Save on Wedding Cakes

2009-12-26T16:01:00.000-08:00

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Your wedding cake...the ultimate wedding reception centerpiece. It should be eye-catching and fabulous. (tasty too!) And just like every other aspect of your wedding day - costs can creep skyward. But don't let a tight budget stand between you and the ultimate wedding cake. Size and design are the two main determinants in wedding cake cost. Creative brides can play with these elements to create a confection that is super-fab....and kind to your catering tab. Have your cake (and eat it too) with these budget saving tips:

Cut that Guest List -
As with all cost-per-person aspects of your wedding, narrowing down your guest list will result in significant wedding cake savings. Less mouths to feed = less slices; you get the idea. And any cake cutting fee, typically charged on a per slice bases as well, will also be reduced.

Hip to be Square -
A cake square in shape yields more slices than one that is round with the same dimensions. So go square - and make a deliciously modern statement!

Go Natural -
Hand-constructed gum paste or sugar paste flowers can quickly rack up your wedding cake cost. Substitute these costly adornments with fresh fruits and flowers - an inexpensive option that is equally stunning.

Keep It Simple -
While intricate, over-the-top cakes evoke the ultimate in wedding day opulence, today's shift towards modern minimalism can foray into the world of cake design. The result is always chic - never a budget breaker. Lose the ornate adornments and infinite skyward-stretching tiers, and opt for a clean design with an impeccably smooth surface. Add simple details such as a Swiss dot pattern or wide ribbon around the base. Stick to one flavor, as multiple flavors will increase the bottom line.

One Stop Shopping -
If your wedding reception facility offers an onsite caterer, employ their services for your confection as well, and save on delivery and service fees. You will also ward off chances for a transportation mishap - a headache you surely want to avoid on the big day! Many reception sites offer a wedding cake as part of their package deal, so be sure to inquire when scouting reception sites.

"Dummy Cakes" -
Fancy a towering and dramatic wedding cake but don't want to shell out the extra cash? Instead of paying for extra layers, ask your baker to create faux layers consisting of iced Styrofoam. Trust us - your guests will never be the wiser; it will be our little secret.

Outside the Proverbial Cake Pan -
Of-the-moment brides are breaking with tradition and forgoing the cake all together - presenting instead pies or pastries on tiered platters as the centerpieces of their wedding receptions. Depending on your selection, this can be an uber-chic way to save. Dare we say it, even doughnuts are in vogue - having been spotted at some of the poshest black tie events!

Get even more tips to help you cut wedding cake prices in the complete wedding cakes guide and photo gallery.

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Cori Russell is editor for Elegala.com and Gala Weddings Magazine. Elegala.com is a complete Weddings and Wedding Planning resource with a national directory of wedding venues and services, how-to guides, photo galleries, checklists, and expert advice to walk brides through every step of the wedding planning process. View the complete sitemap to find everything you need to plan your wedding.

Interesting sites ~~ Weddings by Ashlee

Ashlee Bridals

Makeup Mistakes that Brides Make

2009-12-23T05:11:00.001-08:00

Makeup Makeovers: Weddings: Stunning Looks for the Entire Bridal Party

They say that you are never fully dressed without a smile, and how better than to show off that happy smile than with the perfect makeup? That said, the right makeup can enhance, but the wrong makeup can look artificial and just plain bad. These are some of the most common makeup mistakes that brides make, and how to avoid them.

One of the most typical makeup mistakes that brides make is not to wear enough, or any at all. Even the most natural and earthy bride needs a little makeup to look her best on her wedding day. If you are unaccustomed to wearing makeup on a daily basis, work with a makeup artist (either in a salon or at a department store) who understands how to apply makeup with a light touch. A very sheer foundation, sometimes called a tinted moisturizer, topped with a light dusting of sheer powder will give your skin a flawless finish that will photograph beautifully.

Finish off your natural looking wedding makeup with a coat of mascara to bring out your eyes in the pictures and a medium toned lipstick in a satin finish, which is neither too matte nor too glossy. It will be just enough to ensure that you look as beautiful as you feel on your wedding day. When done right, this natural effect will look like you are not even wearing makeup; everyone will chalk up your glowing face to bridal radiance!

Another makeup mistake that brides often make is to wear way too much makeup. An overeager makeup artist or mother talks these poor brides into wearing something akin to stage makeup, which always looks artificial, especially when seen at close range ("Just so you have a face in the pictures, dear"). If the first thing that jumps out is your makeup, it is too much. The goal of wedding makeup is to enhance your features, not to take over your face. I once knew a gorgeous bride who was wearing a custom bridal gown with very delicate hand beading on it. Her mother talked her into wearing a full face of heavy pancake makeup with bright red lipstick and heavy eye makeup, as well as very heavy looking bridal jewelry. What she needed was a soft romantic look with delicate bridal jewelry to bring out the beauty in her face and her gown, but what she got was makeup so overpowering that it was all you saw when looking at her.

Something else that can go wrong with wedding makeup is forgetting to take conditions into account. On a hot day, the wrong foundation can run or get cakey, so keep it as light as possible. An older bride will find that certain types of foundation or eyeshadow will settle into the creases on her face after a few hours, which is never flattering. Too much shimmer or highlighting can make a bride look oily instead of dewy fresh.

The best way to ensure that you avoid these wedding makeup mistakes is to practice, practice, practice. After a few times of wearing your wedding makeup, you will discover what holds up over the course of a long day, and what photographs well or does not. By the time the day of your wedding rolls around, you will know exactly how to wear your makeup to look your absolute best.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Laura_Firenze

Wedding Napkins ~ 7 Important Locations They will be Needed at Your Wedding Reception Hall

2009-12-14T17:28:00.000-08:00

copied from Diamonds-USA.com

Mr. and Mrs. Beverage Napkins (16 count)

Wedding napkins are a useful but often overlooked accessory to any wedding reception. Here are 7 important locations wedding napkins will be needed at your wedding reception hall to add comfort and style to your wedding day.

Location #1: Cocktail or Refreshment Bar - Cocktail napkins are used to place under a beverage to absorb condensation or soak up a minor spill. The bartender will hand each guest a napkin with their beverage. Paper cocktail napkins are available in a wide range of colors to match your theme.

Location #2: Hors Doeuvres Table - Cocktail and luncheon napkins should be placed at the hors doeuvres table with the plates and utensils. Guests will normally pick up one or two napkins with their plate as they approach the hors doeuvres table for appetizers.

Location #3: Buffet Table - Buffet-style dinners are popular wedding reception venues. As with hors devours and appetizers, plates, utensils and napkins are placed at the beginning of the buffet table for guest to pick up as they approach. Luncheon napkins are typically used for buffets as they are larger than a cocktail napkin and smaller than a dinner-sized napkin.

Location #4: Dinner Table - When guests are being served a formal dinner at their table seats, dinner napkins should be placed with the silverware at each place setting. Dinner napkins can be folded with silverware placed on top of the napkins. Dinner napkins can also be wrapped around the silverware and secured with a napkin ring, decorative ribbon, or adhesive bands.

Location #5: Cake Table - The wedding cake table should be stocked with cocktail or luncheon-sized napkins to present with a slice of cake to each guest. Often, the napkins used at the dinner table have been discarded after the main course and guests will need another napkin when enjoying their cake.

Location #6: Dessert Table - Dessert tables can be arranged at the end of a traditional buffet or stationed in a different area of the reception hall. When providing desserts separate from a buffet it is a good idea to provide napkins for the same reason as the cake table. Guests will have used their dinner or luncheon napkins during the main course and will need a fresh napkin for their dessert.

Location #7: Bathrooms and Restrooms - The most overlooked location for adding a personal touch to wedding receptions and parties is the bathrooms or restrooms. While these areas typically have stocked paper towels or air dryers, disposable paper guest towels can be used to add a bit of color to the bathrooms and pamper your guests as well.

Wedding napkins are useful accessories that can add flair and character to your wedding reception. For a more personal touch, you can have your napkins personalized with a monogram or a design and several lines of text celebrating the bride and groom or thanking family and friends for attending your special day. Guests will admire your attention to detail and appreciate your thoughtfulness and careful planning throughout your wedding reception program.

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Do's and Don'ts on Your Search for the Dream Dress

2009-12-09T08:30:00.000-08:00

Do's and Don'ts on Your Search for the Dream Dress
By Karimi Sabah Click to contact me

Petite women often have a hard time finding the perfect-fitting dresses and formalwear. From full length gowns to short cocktail dresses, there's a fine balance between getting the length right and a fit that works on the smaller or shorter frame. Petite women usually have difficulty finding pants and skirts with the same obstacles; either lengths are too long, or the waists are too wide. Slim cuts that don't accommodate for short waists won't help the petite figure, and it's essential that the dress or other formalwear fits perfectly. Hiring a tailor is a great idea, even for bridesmaid dresses or other guests; tailors can hem, sew, nip, and tuck almost any piece to ensure that it fits like it was made for the beautiful bride, bridesmaid, or guest exclusively!

To begin your quest of the ideal wedding dress if you're a petite woman, it's important to take a look at current trends that will enhance, not emphasize, figure flaws. Petite women often have short waists and long legs; as a result, close-fitting bodice styles are ideal as long as they are the right size. Here are some additional tips and guidelines when selecting your wedding dress:

• If you have a larger bust and a small waist, don't pick halter neckline styles. These enhance the upper body area significantly, especially if they're decked out in beads or pearls. Choose light straps or completely strapless dresses for the ideal fit.

• If you have a curvy figure, select a Column style dress that wraps in front. It will draw attention to your best features, and the longer, draping length will add some inches; even without the heels!

• Don't choose a corset + skirt ensemble. These styles tend to cut your figure in half, and most short waists need to be lengthened, not enhanced even further!

• If you like your hips, a great option for you is the bias cut style. This sits naturally at your waistline, and helps to emphasize your curves in just the right places. For a dramatic addition, get this dress with a medium-sized train for a show stopper!

• Choose an A-line cut for the ultimate 'princess' look. As long as you get the right size for the bodice, this dress naturally mushrooms out below your waist giving you a complete fairytale image.

• An empire line dress is ideal for petite figures, since it draws attention upward and makes you look taller. Thin spaghetti straps are ideal for this cut and style, and will flatter those toned arms.

• Pick a scooped neckline to draw attention to the bust area. Many petite women can enhance this area successfully just by selecting the most flattering neckline. If you have a shorter neck, choose a boatneck style to enhance your shoulders and clavicle. If you have a longer neck, pick v-neck or square cut styles that dip.

Some top designers that offer customized styles for petite women include Carmen Marc Valvo, Jessica McClintock, and Marina Couture. It's a good idea to look at a variety of bridal magazines for inspiration and cutting and pasting together your likes and dislikes will help you find your dream dress!

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Weddings: Etiquette and Customs

(CL) - Wedding ceremonies may be civil or religious rites. The civil rite generally implies a simpler event, while the religious rite is governed by more traditional rules.

Precise traditions exist regarding the sharing of expenses. Of course, if Cinderella marries a member of the Rockefeller clan (or vice versa), the Rockefellers will no doubt undertake the higher share (if not the entire share) of expenses.

Bride's family expenses: The brides' family is responsible for paying for the wedding invitations, the bride's trousseau and dress, reception and ceremony expenses, the guest party favors, and the automobile and chauffeur (which does not necessarily need to be an expensive limousine service. he may just be an uncle driving his fancy car). If the wedding ceremony is a religious rite, the bride's family's expenses will also include church flowers and decorations, music, bridesmaid and flower girl dresses, ring bearer suits, and the fee for the minister or officiant of the ceremony.

Groom's family expenses: The groom's family is responsible for paying for the rings, the bride's bouquet, the honeymoon, and the future house furnishings.

Wedding invitations: Wedding invitations should be sent approximately one month before the wedding. The bride and groom, with their respective families, should prepare the guest list. In general, the standard layout is as follows: on the left the bride's parents announce their daughter's wedding, while on the right the groom's parents announce their son's wedding. In addition, envelopes should be handwritten.

If the bride and groom are not that young, they can announce their wedding themselves.

Ceremony: The groom's family sits to the right, and the bride's family to the left. Friends may sit wherever they like. The groom should arrive at least 20 minutes before the ceremony begins, and should await the arrival of his bride next to the officiant (minister, justice of the peace, etc.). The groom's attendants stand to the left, and the bride's attendants stand to the right. The bride arrives accompanied by her father and sits to the groom's right.

What the bride and groom should wear: If the wedding ceremony takes place in a church, tradition demands that the bride be dressed in white and the groom in a classic tight. If the ceremony is not formal, he may wear a dark suit. If the groom is in the military, he may wear his uniform. The bride may choose a romantic, practical, or sophisticated style, but whatever the style, if she does not wear a veil, she must at least have an elegant hairstyle, with flowers or some other sort of special embellishment.

What the guests should wear: Men should ware a dark suit. Women should wear something according to the season, either a fine dress or an elegant tailleur. There are no specific rules regarding guest attire. The best advice is to stay within the bounds of good taste and common sense. Of course, female guests should avoid wearing white in order not to compete with the traditional bride. Hats are allowed, but it is advisable not to overdo jewelry (in other words, you do not want to look like a Christmas tree). In addition, it is best to avoid provocative cleavage, even if the wedding is held in the afternoon.

Reception: A wedding reception celebrated in a country house after a ceremony held in the town's church is charming and romantic, but not always possible. In general, the reception takes place in a hotel reception room or at a restaurant. The reception can also take place at the bride's home if it can accommodate all the guests. Depending on the hour of the reception, breakfast or lunch should be offered. These days, the breakfast-lunch combination-or brunch-is also very trendy. Afternoon and evening weddings are generally more formal and are followed by receptions held at more elegant venues, with a sophisticated menu. Food selection is purely subjective. But regardless of the wedding hour or style, the champagne and the wedding cake should not be left out.

Unforeseen events: It sometimes happens that, after sending out all the invitations, the bride and groom decide not to get married after all or decide to change the date of the ceremony. In either event, if the invitation has been sent only to a few close friends, they may be notified by phone. The mother or a friend can be very helpful with this task. If, however, the guest list is extensive, a note or an e-mail message should be sent immediately. If the wedding is cancelled indefinitely, any gifts already received should be immediately returned to the guests. However, the bride and groom are not obliged to give an explanation for their decision or to justify their actions. People's fantasy will take care of looking for a reason.

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Choosing a Wedding Gown to Flatter Your Figure

Shopping for your wedding dress can start out as one of the most exciting parts of planning a wedding but can quickly turn into one of the most frustrating experiences of your life.

When shopping for your dress keep in mind that different styles can help you create a thinner, heavier, taller or shorter look. Here are some tips to help you choose the perfect dress to flatter you figure.

Short Thin Figure

Look for a shirtwaist or natural waist style dress with a bouffant skirt. This style will make you look taller with a fuller figure.

Your best fabric choices are chiffon, velvet, lace, and schiffli net
Short Heavy Figure

A Princess or A-line style dress will look great on you.

To look taller and thinner you should avoid any clingy knit fabrics.

Your best fabric choice is Chiffon because it creates a floating effect and will camouflage your weight.
Tall Thin Figure

A shirtwaist or a natural waist style dress with a full skirt will look nice on you.

If you want to appear shorter, look for a dress with tiers or flounces.

The best fabrics for you are satin and lace.
Tall Heavy Figure

A Princess or A-line dress is a good choice as it will slim your figure.

Your best fabric choices are satin and lace
Remember you are perfect just the size you are. It's a great idea to order the dress in the size you are now. If you lose a few pounds before your wedding, great! Just remember, it is easier to have a dress taken in than have an inch or two added.

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Author: Jasmine Macdonald is a wedding website designer. You can visit her at http://merrybrides.wordpress.com or read her wedding blog at http://funweddings.blogspot.com. http://windsor.weddingwindow.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jasmine_Macdonald

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What is a Groom's Cake?

2009-12-06T15:49:00.000-08:00

The groom's cake is one of the peculiarities of modern weddings. As a trend, it has really picked up in recent years when the couples are more adventurous and want to try something new. However, the groom's cake is a tradition that dates back to the American south, where it was common to have it at weddings. Like all old things, this is again making a comeback in the modern wedding scene.

So what exactly is a groom's cake?

A groom's cake is simply a second, smaller cake. It can either be designed by the groom himself to bring a little bit of his personality into the wedding, or it can be designed by the bride and meant as a surprise for the groom. The whole idea is to give the groom something to take away from a day that is, well, largely about the bride.

The themes that the groom's cake is built around can range from his personal hobbies, interests, or ambitions. Sometimes, couples like to go really wild with the groom's cake to inject some spice and chutzpah in a day that can be quite sedate and dull.

Thus, if the groom was a college quarterback, a cake with a football themed design would be an appropriate choice. If the groom has a certain fascination with a particular piece of pop culture (say, a particular movie or book), you could have a cake designed around that. How about a groom's cake that shows both the bride and the groom's love for a particular rock bank? We all have to agree that a KISS themed cake would be just too interesting to pass up.

Groom's cakes were an integral part of weddings in the years past. Today, they are used primarily by brides to do a little bit for their husbands-to-be. Because of its size, theme, and flavoring (groom's cakes are usually in dark chocolate or spice), the groom's cake serves as a nice counter-balance to the traditional wedding cake. If you want to add a little bit of extra to your wedding, a groom's cake would be a very fun way of doing something for the groom.

To conclude, the grooms cake is one of the most wonderful wedding trends that has emerged in the past few years. Weddings have too long been dominated by the bride, and for once, the groom actually has a say in the entire wedding ceremony.

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South American Wedding Traditions

2009-12-05T05:30:00.000-08:00

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The main South American communities include the Venezuelan, Argentinean and Chilean communities. The South American wedding traditions are similar though each community has its own interpretation of the cultures. In Toronto, couples celebrate such ceremonies with both the immediate and extended family members, as it is important in the establishment of strong family relationships or ties. They have cultural guidelines that assist in the organizing of the engagement ceremonies and they have their traditional ministers who unite both the groom and bride in holy matrimony.

Before getting married, the priest normally confirms whether the bride and groom have informed their parents. The South American natives value their relations with the priests and this explains why they normally inform them subsequent to informing the parents. They believe that when a priest blesses the couple, they will experience good luck.

Venezuelan Customs

The Venezuelans in Toronto value family life and this is why they have to include every family member in the preparations. The groom has to seek permission from the father-in-law before making a proposal to a woman the groom intends to marry. The couples normally introduce each other to their parents when they are courting as an indication that they intend to marry each other. South American wedding traditions require both families to organize a civil ceremony where they inform all the other family members of their wedding plans.

The civil ceremony normally takes place a fortnight prior to the main ceremony. Subsequent to the civil ceremony and the main service, the invited guests attend a reception at a selected venue. These ceremonies are vital to the Venezuelan community nonetheless, the spiritual service includes more festivity. As the main ceremony is in progression, the families exchange thirteen gold coins as a sign of good fortune and prosperity. They refer to these gold coins as 'arras'. Many Venezuelan couples living in Toronto prefer to follow their wedding tradition. The newlyweds normally sneak from the reception venue as a way of bringing good luck to their marriage.

Argentinean Ethnicity

The exclusion of both the best men and bridesmaids is a common thing in the Argentinean community. The only people allowed to escort the couple are the groom's mother and the bride's father. The South American wedding traditions require the couples to exchange the rings during the engagement ceremony and their customs forbid them from doing so when making vows. Many Argentinean couples reside in Toronto and this is why most of them prefer to have their weddings there.

Chilean Traditions

Chilean couples residing in Toronto can organize a traditional engagement ceremony conducted by a minister who knows the cultures. A Chilean couple is required to exchange rings immediately after the groom makes a proposal. South American wedding traditions require a couple to wear wedding bands around their hands prior to making vows. After they get married, they place each other's ring on the ring finger of the left hand. South American wedding traditions require that the bride dress in a white gown if she is a virgin. If she is not, they should dress in either cream, light yellow, or beige gowns.

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3 Amazing Non Holiday Wedding Winter Themes

2009-12-02T12:57:00.001-08:00

NEW YEAR 2010

As the New Year approaches many brides will be looking for a new wedding theme idea that goes beyond the normal holiday and winter wedding themes. This makes sense as many brides will still want to take advantage of the off season savings of a winter wedding. So how does a bride still come up with an original wedding theme and at the same time still make the best advantages offered by an off-season ceremony? It takes imagination and some research to make it a reality. Here are some great ideas for you the bride in such a predicament can use that will be sure to make your ceremony and reception at this time of year unforgettable and spectacular.
If you are having a January wedding one great idea to have is a New Year's theme. Having your wedding at this time of year is a great choice because you not only are celebrating the beginning of a brand new year but also the beginning of your marriage. This is an apt theme to use and it can add some glitz and sparkle that would be otherwise lacking in a winter themed wedding. For example you decorate the chapel or ceremony location in bright and sparkling material. You want to give the venue a shimmering and wonderful look but not make it look too much like a party. That is what you want your reception to look like. You want it to have a look similar to a lavish New Year Eve Party in New York or some other popular venue.

Another great choice is Valentine's Day. This is the perfect theme for a February wedding. What better theme than one based on the lover's holiday? This is a great advantage to ramp up the romance in your wedding design. You can use the motifs of hearts and red colored flowers and blossoms to give the room an excellent look. You can also look to other famous Valentine's Day images of cupid. For the ceremony, try to blend these in a manner that will provide an elegant and romantic look to your ceremony location. For the reception you will have much more room to let your imagination soar. You can make your reception into one of the all time great Valentine's Day parties with chocolate desserts, menus designed around famous romantic dinners and a great selection of love ballads and songs to serenade your guests.

Another popular theme is the black and white wedding. This is a classy and elegant theme that matches the winter season perfectly in its stark contrasts and sophisticated simplicity. This is the type of wedding that is perfect because it does not have to match any particular holiday and can still be considered to be a great choice for a winter ceremony and reception. The result is something that has old time beauty and an unforgettable look that will leave a great impression on your attendees. To add to glitz to your decorations try incorporating sparking elements such as glitter, sequins, and some crystal.

These are just some of the many themes that you can use for your winter wedding after the holiday season. The important thing is that there are several ideas you can use for you winter wedding that don't have to follow the same boring pattern. You just have to think of themes that best match the season and what you want to do.

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How to get a Loan to Pay for a Wedding

2009-11-29T09:21:00.001-08:00

By John O'Mahony
User-Submitted Article

These days more and more couples are paying for their own wedding, and they are turning to lenders for loans so they can have the wedding day of their dreams.

Step 1 Taking out a loan for your wedding can be good for your marriage. There is no better way to find out about your partner’s spending habits and your compatibility about financial matters.

Step 2 The actual process of taking out a wedding loan is easy – the difficult part is figuring out how much you need and how much you can afford.

Step 3 Loans for weddings usually start around $10,000 and run into the six-figure category.

Step 4 Before you approach a lender, decide together what you want to spend on your big day. The cost of an average wedding in the United States is almost as high as the average annual household income...and rising.

Step 5 Make a list of what you’d like at your ideal wedding and, if the final figure makes either of you uncomfortable, start paring down.

Step 6 One way to get a handle on costs is to list the expenses as necessary, unnecessary but desired, and frivolous extras. You certainly will need a venue, but do you really need to splurge so much on flowers and ribbons.

Step 7 You should also consider what you can afford to pay back each month on your loan before you get one. You don’t want your wedding loan to become a burden for the rest of your lives together, so don’t borrow more than you can repay in 3 years.

Step 8 Make sure what you decide about the scale of the event and what it will cost is a unanimous decision. That way you will avoid any future ill will or resentment. You’re in this for better or worse and you’ll be paying for your loan together.

Step 9 Wedding loans exist in 2 forms-–secured and unsecured. To secure a loan you can use your home, car, or an alternative form of security like stocks and bonds. Unsecured wedding loans require no security.

Step 10 Interest rates are reasonable on wedding loans, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t shop around. Wedding loans do not usually have any fee or pre-payment penalties. Do your research to find the best rates and terms.

Step 11 Compare options like refinancing an existing home loan and other loan options to determine if a wedding loan is the best choice in terms of what you will have to repay.

Step 12 Even if you have bad credit it’s likely you’ll still be able to get a wedding loan. Get your credit report before you apply for the wedding loan so you’ll be able to make a good impression with your lender by alerting him to your situation.

Step 13 Ask friends, family and co-workers for referrals to a good lender, just in case they got good deals in the past. Most likely, however, you will end up shopping for your wedding loan on the Internet.

Step 14 If you choose an online lender you will be required to fill in a few simple forms on the lender’s Web page, giving details about your occupation and income, before the process begins in earnest.

Step 15 Before you formalize the loan you will probably be asked to produce some if not all of the following: Copy of deed to any property; Last 2 years' W-2's, tax returns and current pay stub, or two years' tax returns if self-employed; Proof of income from alimony, child support, lawsuit settlement or other income sources; Copies of your last 3-6 bank statements and a list of all open credit accounts (account numbers, payment amounts, and balances). Make sure you have all of the items in hand before you talk to your lender, as it will shorten the loan approval process.

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Pledge of Personal Property (as Collateral)

Tips & Warnings !!!!
Don’t run up your credit cards to pay for your wedding. Wedding loans offer far better interest rates. If a lender rejects you, ask for reasons why and what you need to do to secure a wedding loan approval on your second try. Sometimes paying down some credit cards can increase your credit score just enough to qualify for your wedding loan. Don’t mortgage your future happiness by spending more than you can afford for what will amount to one day’s fun.The Federal Trade Commission warns against using lenders that encourage you to falsify your application to get the loan

Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T08:14:00.000-08:00

Happy holidays to everyone

"Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more.

If you concentrate on what you don't have

you will never, ever have enough. " Oprah Winfrey

Ashlee, Charlotte or Joanie

http://www.weddingsbyashlee.com/

Winter Wedding Centerpieces

2009-11-24T08:33:00.001-08:00

Winter-Wedding Centerpieces
by http://www.best-wedding-centerpieces.com/

Time for snowflakes, lovely red poinsettias against crispy white, pine cones,
adorable mistletoes, roaring fires, romantic bells, or santas hat… what a great season for getting married! It is so easy to get your imagination going and find absolutely great winter themed wedding centerpieces!

The flowers in season for this occasion are poinsettias, camellias, snowdrops, hyacinth, lisianthus, lilacs, nerines and irises.

Decide on the color and theme for your winter wedding. Red will give you a lively and festive mood, while icy blue will provide that magical wonderland theme. And white, well, what can I say, white is always so elegant and simple! White flowers just work every time!

Flowers and candles also mix really well when creating your winter wedding centerpieces. Just make sure the candles are unscented, as we don’t want them to overtake the lovely scent of the flowers. Add ribbons to the candles and tie them together in pairs.

Sometimes you also want to think about artificial flowers. They go really well in the winter as it is not the usual blossoming time of year. Use lovely frosted glass vases to hold your candles; you can choose to have a variety of colors.

What about confetti shaped as hearts, or stars, all around your wedding centerpieces? They sure add a festive feel to the occasion!

Natural elements are a great addition to your winter theme. Mistletoe, holly, berries and pine cones they all convey that traditional winter feel. Use them in your arrangements; don’t stick just to the traditional flower centerpiece. Berries, pomegranates, ivy, eucalyptus, evergreen…. And the one element you do not get in any other season: snow.

Use fake snow to decorate your centerpieces. The white in the background will help other colors spark to life. Arrange with pine cones and ever green tree. Add candles to the theme. Sprinkle confetti, flower petals or loose individual pine cones. Bells add a brilliant touch to your wedding centerpieces. Tie them together with rich colored ribbons; red or green are perfect for the occasion.

You can go all cozy with a Christmas theme. Have different sized Christmas trees on the tables to make them individual. Have bigger Christmas trees placed in the reception area. That sure will give you that lovely and warm winter feel!

If you have money to spare, another great idea is to have ice sculptures tailor made for your wedding. Have one big one made for the main table, and then ask the sculptor to create smaller ones that would be placed on the individual tables. They sure will impress your guests

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Ashlee Hint ~ Keep your family and friends involved in your wedding plans with your own wedding site at ~ ~~ Wedding Window

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Happy holidays to you all!!

Cuff links take a Spot in Men's Jewelry

2009-11-03T07:54:00.001-08:00

Men's Accessories and Jewelry

David Beckham is one of the stylish men who provide great influence in men's fashion. Rock stars and other athletes as well have been spotted sporting some men's jewelry. Among these are watches, bracelets, and cufflinks.

Such pieces never made them look traditional or fatherly but instead gave them a more modern edge. More and more men are now beginning to transform into fashion forward metrosexual. White metals mixed with diamonds, silver, gold, and rubber are now being used as accents to their outfit.

Cufflinks are now taking a spot in the top men's jewelry staples. Why is this so? It is simply because cufflinks add structure and dimension to their formal or even semi-casual look. Men of today appear to be accepting of the fact that they need such jewelry pieces in order to look not just good but better. You will see modern cufflink designs flaunted on their wrists along with bracelets and necklaces. And because of this trend too that more and more women are giving cufflinks as gifts to the men in their lives.

The most popular choice for men's jewelry is cufflinks made of steel. This is a good choice not just because of its manly structure and look but also because it is durable and scratch-proof. Being stainless and solid looking, it's good for both formal and informal events.

Some men also prefer cufflinks made of tungsten carbide. It somewhat has the same density as platinum and the same characteristic as titanium. It is a hard metal in a slightly darker color; it is also scratch-proof. Titanium is a popular choice too. Perhaps because of its modern and "cool" look, younger men prefer this metal for their jewelry piece. Advanced technology has been applied to this metal thus producing titanium in various colors, including black.

Men indeed are now open to creating a whole new look for the fashion forward age. Their sleek and well-designed choices of jewelry pieces truly make them more manly yet stylish and neat. There aren't any men who wouldn't want to look like Beckham, right?

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How to Make the Special Day ~ Stress Free

2009-10-21T15:52:00.001-07:00

Personalized wedding sites are becoming a "must have" for couples getting married! There is so much information to circulate, regarding the details of the event, maps, suggested accomodations and so much more. A wedding website lists all the important particulars, available 24-7 world -wide Click here ~A free trial at Wedding Window. No computer experience necessary!! Fun and easy!!

The special day is supposed to be the most auspicious day in the life of the bride and the groom. The day also means a lot to the family and friends of the couple. Giving out plenty of invitations means that there will be a lot of guests during the occasion and means that the family should be prepared to cater for all of them and create an atmosphere whereby everyone has a pleasant time and bless the couple wholeheartedly. It can be quite difficult to organize big functions which usually involve hiring a wedding videographer or a videographer, food caterers, planners and decorators. However, there are many tips which families can use to make the special day a truly successful and outstanding one. These tips will also ensure that they do not undergo too much stress during the occasion and have a pleasant time for themselves as well.

Time can be a stressful factor during big occasions and to avoid this stress, it is essential for families to manage time properly. This means that they should avoid doing last minute work such as shopping, decorating, getting the menu ready and making other arrangements. Planning well in advance and proper time management can save families a lot of money as they will get enough time to make good deals and get the best products. It is essential to write down everything that will need to be done. Making a list also includes making a financial plan and estimating the amount of time each task will take.

Finance can be an issue when preparing for the special day. Therefore, it is essential for the family to talk about how much is going to be spent. If the budget is low, families can plan a small occasion where only important members of the family, friends and relatives will be present. They can have the menu in budget and cut down on things like hiring a professional for decoration, planning and photography. Family members can get together and do these tasks themselves which will save them a lot of money.

Furthermore, the families, bride and groom should picture the special day and visualize all the details. They should stay focused and pay attention to all the things they need to do to make the occasion a really happy one. With a mental image, they should be able to decide how they plan the special day to be. Moreover, the family should not start panicking about the event. If they are unable to plan everything on their own, it is best to seek advice from close friends and families, especially those who have already done such a planning before.

It is essential to pay attention to how many guest are invited and how their seating arrangement will be to make them most comfortable. It should be noted that in order to make the special day a success, families need to plan everything beforehand and do not take unwanted stress. They should also be able to enjoy the day while taking care of the guests.

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Planning a Bridal Luncheon or Tea

2009-10-19T03:38:00.000-07:00

Occasionally, bride's host this intimate gathering the morning of the ceremony in the form of a breakfast tea that is held at the hair salon while all the girls in the wedding party are getting their hair done.

A cocktail party or intimate dinner is also nice, but may not be quite as kid-friendly if you are wanting to include your flower girl(s) or younger bridal attendants. Your bridal luncheon is the ideal time to give your bridal attendants any gifts you may have purchased for them, and it's a nice way to say thank-you for all the hard work and time that those special ladies have given to helping you pull off a truly memorable wedding.

However, you may not even know where to begin, especially you are overwhelmed with all the other wedding plans you are making, so here are some great tips on where to get started.

1.) Who is invited? Traditionally, all the young ladies involved with your wedding are. This usually includes the bridesmaids, maid of honor, mother of the bride, mother of the groom, and the flower girls, and any other girls you might have in your wedding such as candle lighters, guest book attendants, etc. As a courtesy you might also include the mothers of any young girls in your wedding, as well as, your grandmother(s) and the groom's grandmother (s).

2.) What to serve? If you are having a luncheon, you could have it catered to the location of your choice or you could host it at a local restaurant, but see if they have a party room you could reserve for this event. Another neat idea is to host your luncheon at a nearby "tea room". A "tea room" is a restaurant that serves light fair such as soups, salads, and sandwiches, as well as, a variety of coffees and teas. A "tea room" often will offer an intimate, feminine location for your party. If you host your "luncheon" in the morning such as at the saloon while you are all getting your hair done, you can have it catered by a local bakery or you can pick up a variety of muffins and bagels, as well as, thermoses with different flavors of coffee, milk, and juice.

3.) What to give? A lot of bride's fret over what to give the girls in their bridal party. Traditionally gifts are not given to the mothers or the grandmothers, so unless you just want to, don't worry about finding something for them. Including them in your "luncheon" is thanks enough. As for the young members of your bridal party, you can consider giving them things that are appropriate to their age. If they are really young and you find out they are interested in things like Dora the Explorer, Disney Princesses, Hannah Montana, etc. You can look for something to give them that reflect their interest in these types of things such as a Barbie doll, books, or other toys of that character. If you have young ladies in your bridal party that are teens you could consider giving them a gift card to download music or a CD of their favorite artist, or bath and body products. As for your bridesmaids and maid of honor, you could consider giving them the jewelry you want them to wear on your big day, or maybe give them all gift cards to a local movie theater and restaurant, so they can enjoy a nice dinner and movie to relax after all their hard work. There are just so many great ideas, so don't limit yourself and don't be afraid to get creative.

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Useful Sites~~

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Wedding Hairstyles ~ One of your Major Wedding Decisions

2009-10-09T08:42:00.000-07:00

Your wedding date is coming soon and you are facing the predicament of sorting through a lot of various wedding hairstyles to come across the proper one for you. You will be weighed down with all the creations you will find, and you'll also have to make your mind up whether you would like to have your hair down or up.

Your wedding is an momentous day in your life. A day that you wish to appear your absolute best. There are a lot of considerations when you are searching for wedding hairstyles. Do you want it to remark favorably on your eyes, your dress and your face? Would it turn out to be uncomfortable through the course of the day? Maybe you wish to appear completely different?

These days hairstylists are able to produce the impossible. They're capable designing a large selection of wedding hairstyles and ideas. Using color, extensions, and accessories you truly can be altered.

Even though you might desire to be striking and appear completely unique on your wedding day, it's smart to keep in mind that you are in any case, you. Fairly often brides choose wedding hairstyles that are completely dissimilar to how they would usually wear their hair. When they look back at their wedding album, they have disappointedly thought "that doesn't look like me."

While examining wedding hairstyles, attempt to imagine the day itself. If the occasion is to be held outside, it would be smart to consider wedding hairstyles which entail your hair being upswept. Consequently, if it's windy, or it rains, your hair won't be whipped about and appear unsightly in your wedding photos.

The majority of hairdressers should suggest to you a test in which you may test a diversity of various hairstyles prior to the big day. They can furthermore present you some type of conversation to counsel you of what wedding hairstyles will be appropriate for you. It's usually a useful idea to bring a picture of your wedding dress to any tests you may do. Bring in any accessories such as tiaras, veils, and hairpieces so that the hairdresser may produce a style for you and integrate these trimmings.

Make inquiries for references when searching for an appropriate hairdresser for your special day. Even better, use somebody you've used previously and can be honest and open with. Don't ever accept something that you're not 100% certain about and be sure to ask if there are any price cuts if the mother of the bride and bridesmaids get their hair done at the same time.

While selecting wedding hairstyles, never assume that a particular style won't suit you. The majority of wedding hairstyles will appear completely different on you compared to a magazine photo, so therefore always try out different hairstyles 'til you hit upon the correct one!

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Diana_Larson

Musicians for Your Wedding Reception

2009-10-07T02:59:00.001-07:00

Okay, let's start hunting for a band or disc jockey to provide the music at your reception! Which one do you want?

A disc jockey will save you some money, play a variety of music, original songs played as guests remember them, require a minimal space for their equipment, continuous music, and a skilled announcer.

If you choose to hire a band ask your friends or relatives which ones they liked and enjoyed. If it sounds good to you, try to see a live performance ~ see how loud the music was, how the announcer did when introducing songs or other details. the clothes the members of the band were wearing (If you're having a formal wedding you wouldn't want the band showing up in jeans) and how the bandleader was in introducing songs and other details.

Make an appointment to meet with the band leader. Tell him the type of music you want played ~ pop, jazz, motown, reggae, Polish polkas, songs of the '50s or 60's, Irish ballads ~ just to name a few.

Before booking the band find out if your wedding location has any restrictions.. Some places have laws that music can't be played above certain decibels.

Ask the musicians if they bring their own sound system. If so, be sure to check with the reception site to make sure that the electrical system is compatible with the sound system. If not what has to be done and the cost of providing it. Extra generator available? Price if necessary to use it. Location of electrical outlets.

How long does he play? How many breaks? How many in the band? What is the arrival time and when is the departure?

Is the band available on your wedding date and time?

Also give him a list of any special songs you'd like played. Also any songs you don't want played. Inform the band leader of any special introductions you'd like him to make.

Let the musician know, how and when the wedding party will be announced, when you want the first dance of the bride and groom announced, the dance between father and daughter and dance between mother and son, and when the best man will offer a toast.

Ask the total price and how much is required to book them? Generally a 50% or higher deposit is required at the time of the contract.

Before signing the contract make sure all the details which were discussed are included in the written contract.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ashlee_Williams

Secrets for Marriage Success (Soul Food Astrology)

2009-10-03T15:39:00.000-07:00

Soul Food Astrology

By Natori Moore

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! With all that goes into planning your wedding day – the guest list, the photographer, the tuxedoes and dresses – it may be useful to add one more item to your list. How do your astrological charts compare? Evaluating your fitness for marriage based on your astrological signs can pay dividends for you and your spouse for years to come.

First, evaluate your own fitness for marriage. Do you possess the best or worst traits of your Sun sign?

Sign Dates Best Attributes Worst Attributes
Aries Mar 20 – Apr 20 Courageous, Energetic Selfish, Poor Listener
Taurus Apr 20 – May 20 Steady, Placid Stubborn, Indulgent
Gemini May 20 – Jun 20 Clever, Intelligent Fickle, Restless
Cancer Jun 20 – Jul 20 Good Parent, Nurturing Moody, Childish
Leo Jul 20 – Aug 20 Fun, Big-Hearted Self-Centered, Demanding
Virgo Aug 20 – Sep 20 Hard-Working, Likes to Clean! Critical of Self and Others
Libra Sep 20 – Oct 20 Beautiful, Cooperative Indecisive, Invisible
Scorpio Oct 20 – Nov 20 Devoted, Passionate Secretive, Jealous
Sagittarius Nov 20 – Dec 20 Adventurous, Eager Know-it-All, Lazy
Capricorn Dec 20 – Jan 20 Ambitious, Determined Depressed, Mean
Aquarius Jan 20 – Feb 20 Friendly, Allows Freedom Detached, Cold
Pisces Feb 20 – Mar 20 Compassionate, Caring Escapist, Procrastinating

Once you’re married, you’ll want to continue to bring out the best attributes of your sign. The signs that often do well in marriage are:

Libra – Classic sign of partnership and cooperation, loves companionship
Pisces – Romantic and giving, puts others needs above one’s own
Cancer – Home and family oriented
Taurus – Satisfied with consistency and simple comforts

If you’re not one of the above signs, don’t fret, you can still have a successful marriage. You may simply need to be aware of the things that can get in your way:

Aries – You like your independence
Gemini – Your attentions can be scattered
Leo – The mirror can beat your spouse for best friend status
Virgo – Work, work, work
Scorpio – You’re the brooding, jealous type
Sagittarius – You don’t like boundaries
Capricorn – You’re busy climbing that corporate mountain
Aquarius – That romance stuff is a little too close for comfort

Also, consider your general compatibility with your partner’s sign. There are many ways to do this, and much more depth involved if you want to do it thoroughly, but here’s a simple start. Choose a partner with a Sun sign that falls within the same group as yours, according to the table below.

Group A Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, Aquarius
Group B Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, Pisces

Group A signs generally have a more socially outgoing and experimental temperament, whereas Group B signs have a more reserved and conservational temperament. If your Sun signs fall in different groups, you may have to show extra patience in understanding one another, but you can balance each other out nicely.

There’s another secret to marriage success, and that’s using the timing of Venus (planet of love) and the Moon (domestic happiness) to select a good marriage time and date. The idea behind choosing a wedding date according to the stars is that a marriage occurring under good planetary conditions is like a seed planted in good soil -- it will have the best chance of blossoming well through the years. Though there are no guarantees, much can be done through selecting a good wedding date to minimize problem areas and enhance the probability of a strong and fruitful future.

May you have much joy as you plan your wedding day, and many happy years together!

Fun Sites~

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© 2001 by Natori Moore

5 Ways to Make Your Guests a Meaningful Part of Your Wedding Ceremony

2009-10-02T16:09:00.001-07:00

Getting Your Wedding Guests to Vow to Support Your Marriage
By Nina Callaway, About.com

Wedding ceremony is an important part of your wedding. As this is a most special day of everyone's life, each of us wants wedding ceremony to be unique and memorable. There are different aspects of wedding ceremony that need to address properly to make this event a special one.

When you start planning your wedding ceremony, the first thing to do is decide what type of wedding ceremony you opt for because you have to plan everything according to the theme ~ like wedding decoration, wedding location, food, wedding singers etc. If you are going for traditional wedding ceremony, then you have to follow certain procedures. You should consult with church authority regarding your wedding ceremony. However, if you have an informal or causal wedding ceremony, you are more flexible in deciding procedures. But regarding legal procedures, you are not excused. You need to present documents such as address proof, birth certificate and marriage license.

Next you have to decide location, date and time of wedding ceremony. For traditional or religious marriage you need to book a location in advance specially in wedding season. In non religious wedding ceremony, though you get hall easily but the judges maybe busy. So call them well in advance.

Wedding ceremony is very special day for both bride and groom. On most important day of your life you want to look most attractive and beautiful. You should already get prepared for the wedding dress, make-up and hairstyle of bride etc according to the theme. Book all the things in advance in the marriage season especially.

Finally you need plan for your wedding vows. Wedding ceremony decorations, wedding ceremony songs, wedding ceremony reading, wedding ceremony program are other different elements of wedding ceremony. Reception held after wedding ceremony is most enjoyable.

With proper planning and execution, you can make your wedding ceremony a memorable event which you will remember forthe rest of your life.

Helpful wedding sites~~

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Find the perfect Wedding Invitation at InvitationBox.com

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http://weddingsbyashlee.blogspot.com/
http://bettteswedding.livejournal.com/
http://mysweetheartforever.blogspot.com/

Five ways to Find Cheap Wedding Gowns that Look anything But

2009-09-29T12:07:00.000-07:00

By Cori Russell

Your wedding gown is arguably the most important garment purchase in your lifetime. No other dress comes with more anticipation – and will be more photographed - than this one. But that doesn´t mean you have to spend like royalty to look like a princess on your wedding day. With these smart strategies, you can still walk down the aisle feeling like a million bucks (without having to spend just that).

Something Borrowed
Today, anything retro screams chic. So consider donning your mother´s wedding gown. You´ll not only honor a family legacy, you´ll save a pretty penny too. With vintage lace overlays and crystal embellishments making a comeback, you won´t have to worry about looking dated. With a few simple (and inexpensive) alterations, you can make it your own.

Avoid Added Adornments
Beading, pleating, stitching, embroidering…all of these trimmings add up and are going to cost you extra. Consider a dress that is simply embellished, yet still elegant.

Shop Savvy
Be on the lookout for sample sales, trunk shows, and outlet bargains. Bridal shops are trying to rid their racks of the previous season´s styles to make room for new ones in the late-summer/winter months. Get ready to brave the crowds for super savings.

Don't Name Drop
Sure, designer duds are nice – but if you´re on a budget – you may want to skip the sought-after label. The good news is that you won´t have to sacrifice on style. If you find a look you like from a high-end dress designer, you can almost always find something similar by another name in your price range.

Be Honest
Just because your wedding dress budget doesn´t match your elaborate vision doesn´t mean you have to sacrifice the look you want. Approach this shopping decision with an open mind. When stepping into a bridal boutique, tell them exactly what you can realistically spend, and let them take care of the rest. They are the experts, and you might be surprised to see what they can come up with—the perfect wedding gown exists at every price point.

Think Outside Traditional Tulle and Lace
There´s no written rule that says your wedding day attire has to be an official bridal gown. The look you are going for is often available through another avenue. For instance, many bridesmaids´ dresses come in white or ivory, offering a less expensive, less fussy alternative to the traditional wedding dress.

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Recommended wedding sites ~

http://betteswedding.livejournal.com

http://merrybrides.blogspot.com

http://galaxybridals.blogspot.com

Cori Russell is editor for Elegala.com and Gala Weddings Magazine. Elegala.com is a complete wedding planning resource with a national directory of wedding venues and services, along with articles, expert advice, checklists and photo galleries to lead brides through every step of the planning process.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cori_Russell

Want to Have Low Budget Wedding Reception ~ Here are Some Ideas to Achieve It

2009-09-23T06:11:00.000-07:00

The most expensive part of your wedding would be the reception, and if you lower the cost of your wedding reception, this will allow you to pay less for your entire wedding.

One idea that can make your reception save some cash is the wedding reception location. You can either have it for free or you can pay thousands of dollars for it. How you can have it for free is by having your reception in your own backyard or a friend's backyard - whatever works that can save you money. This will not cost you a cent and you can decorate the place yourself without anyone telling you what you can or can't do.

Also, food can cost you a lot when having a wedding. And if a low budget wedding reception is what you want, you can either choose to call all the catering services and choose the one that will not charge you too much or you can do the coordination yourself and ask your friends and family to help you with the cooking. This will definitely help in cutting down on the costs and if you do your grocery form your local store, you might have a chance of getting a discount.

When choosing for your decorations - you do not necessarily have to have the most expensive ones. You can just get your decorations from a dollar store which will make it cheaper for you.

If you know where to buy and where to look, you will be able to have a low budget wedding reception. When planning to have a low cost wedding, you need not have to be an expert on this; you just need to know where you can shop to find the cheapest deal you can.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bibi_Riyasat

Cleaning Your Diamond ~ Keep the Brillance!!

2009-09-21T08:08:00.001-07:00

Life can be hard on your jewelry, dirt and grime builds up spoils the gleam of your diamonds, even stored away dust and atmospheric particles conspire to make your diamonds dull.

Cleaning your diamonds will restore them to their full, sparkling brilliance, getting rid of the oils, dirt, hand lotion and everything else. Diamonds are made to shine.

Cleaning your diamonds is not hard work and a little effort will keep them shining like new. Think of the windows in your house, they shine when the light can pass through them, it's the same for diamonds. All it requires is a little love on your part.

Using a fine soft brush and some soapy water you can keep the brilliance alive. Make a bowl of warm water and washing up liquid and soak your jewelry for a short time. This will soften the ingrained dirt and make it easier to remove from the tiny crevices.

Whilst the diamonds are submerged use a soft brush to gently clean away any soiling, rub gently in all directions and for rings make sure to clean around the back of the stone if it is an open mount. If the diamonds are to dirty to clean in this way then you can make mixture of ammonia and water 1:1 solution to soak the diamonds for about twenty minutes, this should loosen even the toughest grime.

If you do not like the idea of mixing your own solution many jewelry stores will sell a specialist cleaning solution for your diamonds. If you do purchase such a kit then make sure it is for diamonds and read and adhere to the instructions fully. Follow any safety precautions to the letter and wear rubber gloves to protect your hands.

A twenty first century answer to cleaning your diamonds is to use an ultra sonic cleaning machine. This machine utilises sonic vibrations to literally shake the grime off. These machines work in different ways so always read the instructions.

Now that you have brilliant, dazzling diamonds again keep them clean by carefully rubbing them with a lint free cloth like a spectacles cloth and when you are not wearing them store them in airtight box to keep the dust out.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Scott_Davies

A Wedding isn't just One Day

2009-09-18T07:47:00.000-07:00

A wedding isn't just about one day!

The wedding day is traditionally considered to be all about the bride. It's her day and as the most beautiful person there, she's the focus of all the attention. Everything's supposed to go her way. But the wedding day needn't be the only day that the bride revels in attention and is indulged in a spot of pampering. The weeks and months leading up to the wedding can be very stressful for the bride-to-be. It's recommended that she relax with some health and beauty treatments, which also produce glowing skin and brimming confidence.

There is a wealth of beauty treatments available for a blushing bride to choose from. Some of the most obvious ones include: facials, massages, manicures and pedicures, and some essential waxing. Body exfoliation and wraps are not as common but are well worth it for the extra healthy all-over body glow.

Most of the bigger and slightly more expensive spas offer a variety of body wraps and treatments. These spas can be found online through any web directory. Some of the more exotic wraps include:

Moor Mud Body Wrap The Moor Mud is extremely rare and can only be found in two spa lakes throughout the entire world. Its therapeutic properties are well documented, relaxing tired muscles, purifying skin and providing the body with essential minerals.

Chocolate Mousse Body Wrap As indulgent as it sounds, your body is wrapped in warm chocolate, followed by a tsunami shower and then smoothed in Chocolate Butter Cream. It's not recommended that you stop at any chocolates on the way home.

Detoxifying Seaweed Body Treatment Algae extracts are blended with Irish moss extract and pure essential oils to form a revitalising treatment that deeply penetrates the skin. After the seaweed treatment there is body brushing and a moist heat treatment that'll leave you cleansed and energised, ready to tackle any flower or catering problems.

A routine of facials should be started about six months before the wedding so that if your face should react after a few treatments there is plenty of time to clear it. Time is also needed for circulation to improve and for applications to take effect. Some facials that are recommended before your wedding include:

Hydradermie Plus A galvanic current hydrates your skin at the deepest level, plumping it up and moisturising it.

Hydradermie Lift A combination of manual and machine massages is used to stimulate collagen production. This also stimulates your facial muscles to improve circulation and increase your skin's firmness. Your skin's ability to retain moisture is also increased.

A massage is one of the most effective ways to relax. The days of the basic rub down are over and now you can choose from many types of exotic massages, most of them from Asia and the Sub-Continent.

Hot Stone Massage Water heated basalt or volcanic stones are placed on certain points on the body, depending on where problem areas are, or if overall detailed work is going to be done. The heat of the stones helps to make the massage an effective stress reliever. The hardness of the stones and their weight allows the therapist to concentrate on specific areas, working deeper and harder as needed.

Shiatsu Massage Shiatsu is a finger pressure massage technique that is also known as acupressure. By applying the thumbs, finger and palms to certain points in the body by tapping, squeezing, rubbing and applying pressure, the therapist clears energy blockages and optimises the flow of ki. This results in the release of toxins from the body, reduction in blood pressure, reduction in mental anxiety, and the calming of nervousness.

It's recommended that you go for a massage at least 5-10 days before your wedding so that your body can get rid of all the toxins that the massage released. Things like waxing and manicures and pedicures should be done closer to the wedding, only a day or two before. After which the bride-to-be should be calm, relaxed and the picture of glowing health. The walk down the aisle will be a pleasure as she draws admiring glances from all present, but most importantly, from her adoring groom.

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Recommended sites: http://www.emeraldspringsspa.com/therapies/body-wraps-exfoliating-treatments.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_massage
http://healing.about.com/cs/holistictherapies/a/shiatsu.htm
http://www.health24.com/natural/Massages/17-671,22629.asp
http://www.celebration.co.za/wedding-articles/categories/Health-and-Beauty/

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From GoArticles.com

10 Great Gifts for Ring Bearers to Show Your Appreciation

2009-09-06T13:13:00.000-07:00

10 Great Gifts for Ring Bearers to Show Your Appreciation
May 26, 2009 by Christol Weber

Buying gifts for ring bearers can be tricky. But if you have an open line of communication with someone who knows the child's likes and dislikes, it will be a lot easier to find personalized wedding gifts for ring bearers . Don't be afraid to ask questions. Keep in mind that gifts should always be age appropriate, and are something that will meet the approval of their primary caregiver. You wouldn't want to insult a 'big boy' with a baby gift, nor would you want to frustrate a younger child with a gift that is beyond their comprehension.

Here are ten great all-around wedding gifts for ring bearers of different ages that I have found.

All-around ring bearer gifts

1. Ring bearer piggy banks, or personalized piggy banks are a great wedding gift for ring bearers. Indulge this important young man with a special gift to keep his money in, and as an added bonus you could put in a few dollars to start him off right.

2. Don't let this young man forget how important he is by buying him a personalized ring bearer jersey.

3. Books are great for all kids, but "10 Cool things about ring bearers" is a nice gift that is sure to make this young man feel special.

4. All kids need things to put their stuff in. Personalized duffle bags are a great ring bearer gift.

5. Stainless steel harmonicas make exciting wedding gifts for boys who are musically inclined.

6. Does your little ring bearer like baseball? Surprise him with a 17" Engraved Rawlings baseball bat.

All of the above gifts can be found at BrideStuff's online store, and are all less than $30.

Check out Advantage Bridal for more of these great personalized ring bearer gifts listed below.

7. A personalized sports alarm clock is sure to get your little ring bearer off to a great start in the morning.

8. All kids need back packs. Personalized back packs are a nice gift because your ring bearer can use it at school and show it off to his friends.

9. Help your ring bearer keep the sun out of his eyes with a personalized base ball cap.

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Additional wedding advice

Weddings by Ashlee , Wedding Window ,
http://betleebridals.blogspot.com

TIP ~ For vendor fees don't forget to factor in sales tax and a gratuity which generally ranges between 16 & 20%. These fees will be increase your costs. Beware!!

In-House Caterer

2009-09-04T09:01:00.001-07:00

In-House Caterers

by Kelli Ziegler

If you're lucky, the reception site will have an in-house caterer that fits your budget, serves great food, and knows how to work with you. All hotels offer such services, as do most country clubs.

There are several advantages to an in-house caterer, the main one being that you don't have to go through the trouble of finding one yourself. The in-house caterer is already familiar with the particulars of the room, which can carry many advantages (for instance, linens and dinnerware that really compliment the overall atmosphere.)

But the in-house picture is not all roses. In-house catering is usually more expensive than independent catering, often charging you for lots of little extras; often things you don't want or need)as part of one all-inclusive package.

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A New Take on Tradition ~ Veils

2009-08-19T16:08:00.000-07:00

A New Take on Tradition - Veils
For those brides who wish to have a traditional wedding but who want to move away from traditional styles, there are many ways to have one without the other, with a creative approach that can turn traditions into new modern versions of themselves. And no where is this better seen than in the tradition of wearing a veil.

While the ethereal traditional look of a veil, may appeal to some brides, often the long, cumbersome and awkwardness of the veil, or the symbolism that is attached to it, may have brides looking for an elegant alternative such as a shorter demi-veil or no veil at all.

One such alternative to the veil is the tiara. Not only a perfect accessory that can make a bride feel like a princess on her special day, a tiara or other piece of hair jewellery can often offer the best of both worlds, by allowing a small less-cumbersome veil to be clipped onto the back of it.

Similar to this idea, is the idea of using strings of crystals or pearls woven throughout the hair, or attached to combs placed strategically. A wonderful yet simple alternative that can add to the overall richness and elegance of the bride's wedding day style.

Rural brides, or those who love to ride, may find their perfect alternative to a veil in the form of a bridal cowboy hat. Available in many different colors, some styles will have flowers or patterns embedded on the hat, or come with a veil attachment that attaches to the hat's band. Not only can this serve as a part of your wedding accessories, but once the veil is removed, it can also be worn long past the wedding day itself.

Other alternatives to bridal veils include large silk or real single bloom flowers, or even feathers strategically pinned into the hair, or the return of the large wide-brimmed hats that can offer protection from the sun for the outdoor bride.

Creating a traditional wedding does not mean you must accept all aspects of those traditions. With a little creativity you can offer a new take on tradition and personalize all of your accessories.

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©2009 Weddingstar Inc.

Wedding Instructions for Makeup and Contact Lenses

2009-07-28T06:42:00.001-07:00

Wedding Instructions for Make-up + Contact Lenses
courtesy of LensShopper

This article discusses the common problem contact lens wearers face when managing their lenses while applying make up. Eye infections and damaged lenses are frequent incidents that could happen on any day, and your wedding day is no exception. Since it is in our interest to keep your wedding day perfect, here are a couple of eye care tips to add to your list.

Assuming you wear contact lenses on a daily basis and will do so on your wedding day, there are some special rules you will have to follow. Just in case the stress and million other things you have to think about clouds your memory, here is a quick reminder.

Do not sleep with your contacts. Unless you are wearing daily disposables, contact lenses need to re-moisturize in special lens solution every day. If you forget to place them in the solution, the contacts will dry up overnight, which means that they could stick to the cornea, and inevitably cause damage to eye.

Do not let anyone else wear your contacts. This may seem a bit unnecessary to stress, but it is actually the most common cause for eye infections.

When removing the contact lenses at night, remember to keep them in the special contact lens container, submerged in the solution. Never use water or any other alternative liquid.

If you have never worn contacts, you should schedule an appointment with an eye doctor, who will give you a prescription. The optician will instruct you thoroughly on how to insert, remove and take care of them. Schedule these appointments well in advance to make sure you will be able to handle them in the right way before the big day. It can take one or two months for your eyes to get used to contacts.

Applying make-up can easily become a cause for eye discomfort. Make sure to insert your contact lenses before applying make up. If someone else is fixing you up, ask them to be careful when applying eye liner and eye shadow. Contact lenses are extremely sensitive and may not only be damaged if cosmetic chemicals enter the eye, they may also cause damage to the eye itself.

Try to avoid any contact between the lens and the make up: close your eyes when applying blusher or other powder products. If the make up sticks to the lenses, they could be damaged or cause irritation. The same rule applies when using hair spray or fragrances. It would not be nice to go to the altar with red eyes.

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Article Author:
If you want to find a local eye care professional or more
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Fabulous Wedding Pictures ~ 9 Things to Think about While the Photographer is Snapping

2009-07-26T06:14:00.001-07:00

Weddings where the bride becomes a celebrity are all the rage right now. Why, be who you are, when you can be someone else~~ right? And why not make the most important promises you're going to make, looking like someone you're not? Eek.

The other day I walked past a photographer and there was a picture of a bride, hands on hip, big ol' bouquet of red roses in her hand, and a look that said "Don't mess with me." Really. Is that how you want to be remembered at your wedding?

Or how about those glazed smiles. Why not be happy, teary, ecstatic, overwhelmed, intense... all the things that you are at a wedding. Forget the shots that detail your cummerbund or your hair ornaments. Get the ones that capture your joy!

Why not do something that is going to help your marriage last? Why not take photos thinking about the things that make your relationship fabulous? Those expressions, whether viewed tomorrow or 20 years from now, are going to keep calling you back to how you felt when you got married.

Talk about your wedding ceremony: If you haven't had it yet, whisper how much you're looking forward to hearing your community's reaction to the things you have to say to one another. Or if your photographs are happening afterwards, talk about how awed you were to hear your community promise to support you. Your happiness will glow.
Tell your beloved what piece of underwear you just removed. The sudden intensity of your sweetie's gaze will be worthy of a couple shots.

Find a particularly powerful statement from your wedding vows and whisper it into your beloved's ear, started by the comment that: I can't believe that I get so happy
Let yourself experience how incredibly happy you are. Say so. Shout it out! And then have your picture taken!

Be amazed at how it feels to have all your friends and family gathered. Think about who isn't there. Let yourself be just the slightest bit teary.
Warn your SweetPea not to get too tired or too drunk because you have a lovely treat for him/her in the room after the reception. Again, watch his eyes sparkle.
Allow yourself to feel just the tiniest bit smug that you are this happy.
Reminisce about what it felt like to stand at the end of the aisle and realize that you were about to make your wedding vows to one another.
Giggle about what went wrong in the ceremony. (something always does.)

Have your photographer take pictures of you having a wonderful time, anticipating and reliving the wedding ceremony and your marriage. That will create the most amazing pictures. And you will treasure them forever. And every time you look at one, you'll remember, that's when you told me about... that's when we laughed about... and you'll deepen your marriage with every viewing. That's a portrait worth having. Your photographer will be stunned at how fabulous your photos are. You? You'll be happily married with the pictures to prove it!

Bottom Line?: Give your relationship the chance it deserves to succeed wildly, against all odds! After all, you deserve it. Your relationship deserves it! There's a lot more info to help you create the wedding ceremony of your dreams, the wedding vows of your heart and the marriage of a lifetime over on my website: http://annkeelerevans.org/

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The Rev. Ann Keeler Evans, The Wedding Priestess - helping you move from "I do" to happily and healthily ever after!

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Wedding Guest Gripes ~ Top 8 Complaints that Irk Wedding Guests

2009-07-21T07:58:00.000-07:00

Chances are, you´ll be the only one to notice if the five-tiered wedding cake tilts slightly to the left or the best man dons his favorite black sneaks, but wedding guests everywhere agree that the following blunders make for a painful wedding experience…

1) Bad Timing - Long pauses between the ceremony and reception are generally a bummer. If you cannot book the ballroom immediately following the ceremony, arrange for cocktails and hors d´oeuvres at an adjacent space.

2) Cash Bars - Sorry, a cash bar is never an acceptable money-saving solution. Swallow that expensive pill by thinking about this: you would never ask guests to pay for a cocktail in your own home; your wedding should be the same.

3) Stranded Dates - Don´t create a painful experience for your attendants´ dates. Speed up the marathon photo sessions and seat dates together with the wedding party at the reception.

4) Stranded Guests - If your wedding reception and ceremony locations are far apart or far from accommodations, you should provide guest transportation. Besides the obvious safety concerns of drinking and driving, your guests should remember what a lovely time they had at your wedding - not what a pain it was to get there.

5) Unaccommodating Accommodations - Failing to provide information for convenient and affordable accommodations for long distance guests never goes over well. Don´t force guests to be their own travel agents, and don´t secure the only room block at a 5 star hotel unless all of your guests have 5 star budgets.

6) Silent or Tardy Dinner Bell - If your four hour reception falls during meal time, understand that your guests will be expecting just that - a meal. And they´ll expect that meal during normal lunch or dinner hours, so don´t wait until 10 pm to serve dinner.

7) Ungracious Hosts - Failing to acknowledge any gift or thoughtful gesture with hand-written, personalized thank you notes is always an etiquette faux pas and never a breech that will go unnoticed. WRITE YOUR THANK YOUS!! Suffering from writer's block? These useful thank you note examples will help you get started.

8) Just Plain Tacky - Ok - let´s get it out - when it comes to money dances, novelty songs (hokey pokey comes to mind), singles dances or cake smashing - most guests are in agreement that they´d just as soon not see it. Of course, there will always be those who find these acts acceptable and those who don´t - but as host/hostess, your job is to make guests feel at ease and comfortable - so best to err on the safe side and refrain from these potential blunders.

Need more etiquette advice? This complete guide to wedding etiquette will answer all of your etiquette questions.

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About the Author
Cori Russell is editor for Elegala.com and Gala Weddings Magazine. Elegala.com is a complete weddings, wedding planning resource with a national directory of wedding venues and services and wedding planning advice. Request wedding vendor quotes from top vendors across the nation.
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Final Planning Tips for your Wedding Day

2009-07-15T15:47:00.001-07:00

by Penny Olsen

Recently, I went to my home town to help my Mother and my Sister with the final planning for my Sister’s wedding. Every member of my family is a "Do-It-Yourselfer", so we had an unbelievable amount of flower arrangements, pew decorations, garlands, candles, silver, you name it, we had to set it up. We were working with a total of four hours to decorate the church, a huge reception hall, a large lobby and two gazebos.

When I arrived at home I felt a little bit overwhelmed with the amount of time that was allotted and the sheer volume of decorating that we had to execute within the tiny window. But we were able to pull it off with time to relax and enjoy the beauty of all of the work that gone into it during the many, many months prior.

The first thing that had to happen was to figure out how many people were able to come and help us to decorate. It really helps, but it is not totally necessary to have a group of people that have an eye for design. Anyone that is willing is completely capable to come and lend a hand.

My mother and I set up all of the arrangements in my parents’ basement, just as they would be set up in each of their locations around the hall and Church. With a digital camera, we snapped a photo of each so that if necessary, we had a visual reference for all of our helpers and our intentions for the finished product. A digital camera and a computer with a color printer are the handiest tools to have at this point. But regular, 4x6 photos are just as helpful, it will just cost a bit more and take a little longer to get them printed.

While everything was arranged in the basement, we numbered each piece with a small piece of masking tape and a number so that the set up on the big day of hustle and bustle always started at one and went from the left to the right.

Then we packed everything for transport in banana boxes that we got from the local grocery store. You may be saying, “Why banana boxes?” They are very strong and also very light, so you can fill them with just about anything and not have to worry about the bottom dropping out. The top of each box was labeled with the exact location of its contents, ie: On top of the piano in the lobby. We then loaded all the boxes in a logical order, with similar decorations grouped together, into a rented box truck.

When we arrived on the morning of decorating, there was crew of 12 waiting for us, so we hopped out of the truck and handed out instruction sheets to each person stating how everything was labeled, what the general layout would be, what to expect once they opened the boxes, and who they could come to if they had any questions at all. From that point, everyone was off and running. It went like clockwork, and everyone let us know that they were very thankful that we were all on the same page. Due to the extra time that we put into organizing before we arrived, we finished early and were able to enjoy all of the work that we had done and got a few photos of the venue that was decorated beautifully, before any of the guests arrived.

The day of the wedding was very relaxing since we didn’t have to go back for last minute touch ups. We could spend the time casually with our family and friends until it was time to get the show on the road that afternoon.

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Disclaimer: This article is for entertainment purposes only.

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The Wedding Etiquette of Giving Cash

2009-07-10T08:25:00.001-07:00

A wedding of an acquiantance is going to be held some time soon. You are now thinking of what gift you should give the newly wed. But do you know that there are gift giving wedding etiquette? Yes, there is such a thing. If you are contemplating on giving cash as a gift, read on first the gift giving cash wedding etiquette before you do such a move.

Gift Giving Cash Wedding Etiquette Fact 1:

If a guest who receive an invitation can't make it to the wedding, they are not obligated to send gifts and much more cash gifts. Wedding etiquette dictates, however, that those who are unable to attend should send a congratulatory card for the groom or for both couples or a simple best wishes note to the bride.

Gift Giving Cash Wedding Etiquette Fact 2:

Cash gifts or any gift items may be sent to the bride or groom's home before the wedding or to the couple's new home one year afterwards. This is a way of guests to lessen the burden to the newlyweds, such as how would they transport heavy gift items. Couple need not worry about renting a truct to transport the gifts to their new home. Also, your cash gift will be a great help to couples within their first year of marriage who are still in the stage of raising their own savings.

Gift Giving Cash Wedding Etiquette Fact 3:

Giving cash gifts are not a violation of wedding etiquette. Couples need cash as a start up money for them. They need to rent a new apartment, bigger than their bachelor pad, if any of them has one, buy toiletries and groceries for the two of them, buy appliances and furniture that the two of them needs. These are just few among the many expenses that a couple would face in the first few months of their marriage which is why gift giving cash is a good idea to do and does not violate any wedding etiquette.

Gift Giving Cash Wedding Etiquette Fact 4:

So how much should you give if you decide to give the couple cash as a gift?

It is a horrible idea that the amount or price of one's wedding gift should equate to what the couples had spent on your dinner at the wedding reception. It is untrue. You can give as much as you want and as less as you want, if your budget is really tight. But in gift giving cash wedding etiquette, a guest's transportation does not count as a cash gift to the couple.

Gift Giving Cash Wedding Etiquette Fact 5:

Also, don't stop yourself from giving cash gifts if the couple has listed their preferred wedding gifts in registry.
Buying gifts from the wedding registry list are optional; you can either give the couple the gift of their choice or don't.

So, the gift giving cash wedding etiquette fact # 5 is that you can give cash gifts eventhough the couples have a wedding registry.

Here are gift giving cash wedding etiquette for couples:

Wedding registries are gaining popularity these days. But there are limitations on how much the bride and groom may direct gift giving. Gift giving cash is a wedding etiquette violation. You should not tell your guests that you prefer cash than gift items or request donations in cash to pay up a mortgage or ask them to give you cash to fund your honeymoon or that gift giving cash is preferred because you will send the money to charity.

Whether you like it or not, don't ask for cash! It will make you look greedy, even if you claim that the money will go to charity. Also, your guests will fell less generous.

Gift giving of cash is an option to guests. They may opt to give cash as a wedding gift but wedding etiquette tells that you should not, ever, ask them for gift giving of cash. You may use the cash gifts in anyway you want.

If the bride and groom receive cash from guests, accept it and say your thanks, write them a thank you note the way you would do after opening a gift item.

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Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

About the Author:
Want to find out about dinner etiquette and wedding gift etiquette? Get tips from the Etiquette Lessons website.

Great Ideas for Wedding Hairstyles to make you look the Perfect Bride

2009-06-30T14:00:00.000-07:00

A wedding is a very special event in everyone's life. Everything has to be perfect, however many brides do not take into consideration that their wedding hairstyle plays a very important part on their overall look. If you are wearing a veil or a headpiece, your hair needs to be as perfect as your gown. Sometimes it can take up to two months to treat and condition your hair.

Hair care usually requires a lot of work. Frequent visits to the hairdresser may be necessary to ensure that your hair is in excellent condition for your wedding. Trimming all of the split ends is just the beginning this not only keeps your hair healthy, it will also help your hair grow faster.

There are different hair types, and using a shampoo that is right for your specific type is critical to keeping your hair healthy and beautiful. It is recommended that you avoid using blow dryers and curling irons, as they tend to over dry your hair and leave it susceptible to breaking and split ends.

When there is no time to let your hair grow, and the damage to your hair is extensive, you may want to consider using a hairpiece. These are easily attached to your hair. Hairpieces are so realistic that no one will tell the difference.

Once your hair is in excellent condition, choosing which hairstyle will be best for your wedding theme. There are several different ways you can style your hair.

You could twist it into a bun or pin it back. If you are not sure which style will fit into your wedding theme, do some research. Wedding hairstyle you can choose from include romantic, elegant, modern or formal. It would benefit you to research as much as possible before finally settling on you chosen wedding hairstyle.

There are hundreds of wedding magazines and books to look through to find the exact style you want. The Internet holds a wealth of information, and wedding styles are no exception.

When you have found the perfect wedding hairstyle, you can bring a picture to your hairdresser. If the style is right for your hair type, then your stylist will fix your hair.

When you have decided on a wedding hairstyle, you do not want to wait till your wedding day to see how it will look. Having your hairstylist fix your hair in the chosen style will assist you in your decision to keep it or change it to another style. This will also show you if your hairstylist has the necessary skills.

It is crucial to make sure that you give your stylist plenty of notice on the date of your wedding day. There are many things that can go wrong, and often do. It is recommended that you schedule your hair appointment early enough in the morning so that you can finish all the last minute details.

Summary:

Your wedding hairstyle is an important part of your wedding. Your veil or hairpiece will draw as much attention as your gown. Doing some research will reveal that it is not a simple decision, but rather a complex one because it will complete your wedding ensemble.

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About the Author:
Brooke Hayles
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Building your Perfect Wedding Ceremony ~ Including History of Marriage

2009-06-21T14:32:00.000-07:00

What is marriage? Why have you decided to commit your lives to one another in this way? What's the institution of marriage got to do with who you are and what you are doing? Answering these questions is a way to focus your guests attention on the role of marriage and the purpose of this wedding ceremony.

The second major building block of my 10 Steps to Building Your Perfect Wedding is the Invocation. In the Invocation, the first thing you want to talk about is ~

History: You are not the first people to stand hand and hand with your beloved before your community. Yours is not the first community to gather to witness. Your wedding is one in the long tail of history. As you stand today, so shall others stand tomorrow. Let's look at the questions this important segment might answer.

What is marriage? Marriage is the social institution that has created families in which we raise children and care for one another. No matter what certain pundits say, its purpose and its practice are continually evolving. Traditional marriage is a fairly meaningless term. But by proclaiming your allegiance to the notion of a lifelong relationship, you call on the strength of earlier marriages to support yours and you announce your intention to add your successful marriage to the ranks that have gone before.

What is the role of public ritual in successful marriage? Marriages that are rooted in their community do better than marriages without that support. In addition, saying things, out loud, before your community, helps clarify those things in your mind. So you become more engaged in keeping your wedding vows if you've declared them before your community.

What is the promise of Love in marriage? Love makes the impossible, possible. We are better people, in better relationships, with better dreams when we love. And commitments made and kept in love yield the most important and outrageous advances. Take the opportunity to remind people of the commitments that they have in love and claim that for yourself.

There is amazing strength in history's sweep. Even if your marriage does not look just like everyone else's (hint: no one marriage looks like everyone else's), you want to tap into the power of history, the strength of your community and the overwhelming transformative power of Love.
If you believe in marriage equality, this is a good place to state that belief: saying that you believe in the importance of the free access to legal marriage for all people.

In the midst of your wedding ceremony, before you make your wedding vows, proudly claim your place as people seeking your community's support as you declare your promises to live together in love. And then move forward into a happy and healthy marriage.

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Bottom Line?: Give your relationship the chance it deserves to succeed wildly, against all odds! After all, you deserve it. Your relationship deserves it! And now I'd like to invite you to sign up to receive 2 free templates for creating the wedding ceremony of your dreams, the wedding vows of your heart and the marriage of a lifetime: http://annkeelerevans.org/weddings/free

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The Rev. Ann Keeler Evans - helping you move from "I do" to happily and healthily ever after!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ann_Keeler_Evans

Middle-aged Brides ~ 3 Huge Advantages you have over Youth when Planning your Perfect Wedding

2009-06-11T04:43:00.001-07:00

Congratulations! You've found Love and Love has found you and you're ready to settle down and live happily and healthily ever after. You're excited to plan your wedding, but find the whole bridal mania a little daunting and not quite your style. That's great! Because here's the secret: You don't have to do it the way everyone else does. You can do it exactly the way you want to do it. Many of those things that matter to the minors, don't matter to you. You need a good ceremony and wedding vows: after all, you want your friends and families to support the blue print that you are creating from which you will build your marriage. Some of the rest of it. It's up to you.

What do you have that they don't have?

You know what matters. You're getting married to the person you love. You know how easy it is for love to slip away, so you're going to do it differently than you've ever conducted relationship. You know what matters at the wedding. You know what your skills are. You're pretty clear about your foibles to. So you build to your strengths!

You've had major life events and you know who has stuck with you through all those things. You know with whom you've share the best laughs, the most down-to-earth conversations and the most inspiring talks. You're at the point where you've chosen family as well as inherited it. And you're loving sharing those people with your soon-to-be spouse.

You know what your style is. You're not going to open a magazine and say, "oh, I must have that thing," because you know it's not going to suit you. You know how much you want to spend and how to stick with that. You've managed budgets for a long time and usually the money you spend will be your own, so that makes a wedding budget easier. That brings a lot of clarity to wedding planning.

You've done your homework in life, you've had heartbreaks and real successes. And now you've got a partner to celebrate those things with. You understand you don't have to become someone else before your wedding day because your partner chose to marry you! So relax, look fabulous, craft wedding vows that make sense to the two of you, create a wedding ceremony that celebrates your love and your community, throw a wedding reception your friends will recognize, and then live happily and healthily ever after in marriage. Sweet.

Bottom Line?: Give your relationship the chance it deserves to succeed wildly, against all odds! After all, you deserve it. Your relationship deserves it! And now I'd like to invite you to sign up to receive 2 free templates for creating the wedding ceremony of your dreams, the wedding vows of your heart and the marriage of a lifetime:

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Questions to Ask your Wedding Florist??

2009-06-08T14:39:00.000-07:00

silk

1. Is my date available?

If it is, check to see if a deposit is necessary to hold the date. Also ask if there is any consultation fee. Inquire as to whether you can receive a price proposal before deposit is placed.

2. Do you have actual photographs or samples of your past work?

It's important to see the work of the actual florist, not air brushed photos from a FTD book. There is no better way to see if their style complements your tastes and verify just how skilled they are.

3. Is there a delivery or set-up fee?

Watch out this can be a substantial extra charge. Most florists will charge a delivery and set-up fee especially if you have either complex flower arrangements or a site that is a long distance from their shop. If the charge is high, consider finding a florist closer to the site or cut back on the complicated decorations.

4. Do you offer any silk or dried flower arrangements?

This may be important to you if you want to save your bouquet or want an unusual look for a table centerpiece. Sometimes these two options may be less expensive than fresh flowers, especially for some exotics like orchids. A table centerpiece idea: dried rose topiaries double as an elegant keepsake.

5. How many weddings do you do in a day?

The biggest problem with some florists is that they become over-extended trying to do too many weddings in one day. A florist can probably do two or three events a day if the events are held at different times or the florist has plenty of help. If the florist schedule looks crowded for your wedding date, they may arrive late or deliver the wrong flowers. Be sure to look for someone focused on your wedding not just your checkbook.

6. Are you familiar with my ceremony and reception site locations?

If not, will you visit it with me? It may be a good idea to introduce your florist to the ceremony or reception site if they have never seen it. Ask if there is any charge for this on-site visit.

7. What rental items do you have? How are they priced?

Some things you many want to rent include a candelabrum, aisle standards or urns. The best florists don't over charge on rentals. One way to find out is to compare prices with a local rental store. A common markup for florists is about 10% for their time to coordinate this detail. If you would prefer to rent the items yourself because you can get a better price, be sure you have the time to pick up and return the items.

8. Can I attend one of your weddings during set-up for a look at your designs?

Here is another way to determine how professional and talented your florist is. You will need to visit during set-up and leave before the wedding party arrives. Try not to interrupt the florists or their staff while they work (save your questions for later.) Look for timeliness, freshness of the flowers, and how well the florist and staff work together.

9. What time will you be at my ceremony and reception sites to set up my wedding?

Confirm this time constantly throughout your planning. Many florists set up weddings a couple of hours in advance. If this is the case with your wedding, make sure the temperature at your site will not be too hot for the flowers.

10. Will you merely drop off my flowers or stay through the ceremony?

The degree of service here differs dramatically from florist to florist. Some just drop off the flowers for the ceremony and leave, while others will stay to pin on corsages, make sure nothing is missing etc. There will be an extra fee of generally $50-75 for this service; however this could be a worthwhile investment.
11. What happens if the flowers I pick are not available for my wedding?

How will you determine what flowers to substitute?

12. What is the policy if I want to add extra items such as another table centerpiece or boutonniere at the last minute?

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Great wedding hints at Weddings By Ashlee

About the author: Jasmine MacDonald is the editor of Fun Weddings and Merry Brides which will provide you with daily ideas and tips to help you plan the perfect wedding while staying within your budget. http://www.funweddings.com/

http://ashleeweddings.blog.com http://betteswedding.livejournal.com

How to Choose the Perfect Wedding Cake for Your Wedding

2009-06-03T07:26:00.001-07:00

Early American Pattern Glass Cake Stands & Serving Pieces

A wedding cake is the center of attention at any wedding reception. It can also reflect the personalities of the couple and any themes they have incorporated into the wedding. The Traditional fruit wedding cake is supposed to represent fertility and the cutting of the cake symbolises the first act of the couples working together in a caring, sharing way.

If you are a good enough cook, then you can bake the cake yourself but lesser mortals will have to buy a cake from a cake shop, bakers, or department store. However, before buying a cake, there are some basic factors that you will have to consider.

Style

What style do you want? Traditional, elegant or fun? What type of cake would best fit in with your wedding theme? If you are having a traditional wedding, then does it really make sense to have esoteric cake?

Also, make sure the company you are using can provide the cake you want. Before commissioning the cake, always have at look at their portfolio to assure yourself that they are up to the job. It may also give you some good ideas for the type of cake you want.

Flavour

Traditional flavours are Coconut, vanilla, Chocolate, Madeira, or Lemon. However, nowadays, Rum, Grand Marnier, or Kahlua are also very popular. Whichever you fancy, you should always have a tasting session of the different types of flavours before making up your mind.

Consistency

You also have to consider cake consistency. If the cake is using tiers and columns, then a sponge may collapse under the weight. However, the good, old, fruit cake will take a fair bit of weight. Of course, you can get stands, which will support any type of cake tiers.

Longevity

The traditional type of cake for weddings is a heavily iced, tiered, fruit cake. The advantage of a fruit cake (with say, rum) is that if it stored properly, it will last for years. This is useful to remember if you intend to follow the tradition of keeping the top tier for your first wedding anniversary or first child's christening.

Size

The size of the cake is determined by the amount of guests you have at the wedding reception. The baker will be able to assist you when it comes to calculating this. However, keep in mind that you may also need to include the people who cannot attend the wedding when calculating numbers.

Transporting To The Venue

Many brides do not think about this until nearer the wedding day. When choosing your cake make sure it can be safely delivered to the reception venue. If the cake is very delicate then you might be better paying a little more and having the cake delivered by the shop or caterer. That puts the onus on them to deliver it in one piece. After all, they are the professionals and are used to delivering cakes all the time.

Only use the back of Uncle Fred's car if your are confident that it will survive the journey!

Cost

It is not the cake that is expensive - it is the detail that goes into the cake that cost the real money. The more detail you have, the more expensive the cake will be. So, keep things simple, if you are on a tight budget. Alternatively, if money is no object, then the sky is the limit!

Obviously, you should always get a detailed quote before buying a cake. Also, look out for hidden extras like delivery charges.

Whatever style of wedding cake you buy or make - have a lovely wedding!

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Michael Breck is a professional Magician and runs an Entertainment Agency in Scotland called The Magic Agency. He has been entertaining at weddings and booking entertainment for weddings for over twenty years. For more ideas about wedding entertainment go to Entertainment For Weddings or Magician For Weddings.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Breck

Wedding Cake Toppers ~ A Guide

2009-06-01T14:25:00.000-07:00

Long long time ago, there was a princess. Or, to be exact, a baker's daughter who was going to be married, but wanted to see the symbol of her love and a perfect piece of art that would add to the wedding and make all other baker's daughters green-eyed.

The father thought and though and thought and finally came up with the idea. He made up to small figurines of a bride and groom and put them on the top of a wedding cake. Daughter was furious, but everyone else liked the idea. And that's how these special cake toppers for weddings were invented.

Nobody can really tell if it is a fiction or a story (which indicates that it is fiction, after all), but the fact is that the wedding cake toppers have been one of traditional symbols of married couples. The fact they were placed above the cake let everyone to see how the bride and groom look like (or want to look like, if you remember Shrek, you know what I'm talking about) and remind everyone that these two people are the most important that day.

Wedding cake toppers can be made in a wide variety of designs and styles - the couples are now able to choose the topper they think would fit the best in their vision of their future marriage.

While wedding cake toppers might be an excellent idea, you can still spoil it by not following the tips below:

1. Do not buy wedding cake toppers made of plastics, especially the cheap ones.

The point is that the wedding cake topper simply has to be as exceptional as you can get, maybe even more than your wedding cake. That's why the mass-produced toppers just won't do the trick. Handmade ones usually cost more than you think is reasonable, but they will change your wedding cake into something wonderful that will make your wedding a truly wonderful event.

2. Be creative.

It is a good idea to prepare the wedding along with the wedding cake and cake toppers as all personalized, not mass-produced items. The point is that this will add a lot to the romance and glamour imbued in the wedding itself.

Do not feel constrained with all the traditional ideas of how the cake toppers should look like. There are many new designs available and don't forget that you might also have your own ideas. Don't be afraid, just use them!

3. Parents´ wedding cake topper

Here's something for those who want to creative, but lack the budget: use your parents cake topper... of course if only it is still available. As toppers are often stored as souvenirs, there is a good chance that at least one of them is still somewhere near.

Keep in mind that wedding cake toppers are not just another add on to a cake, but a real emblem representing the love between husband and wife.

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Honeymoon Hot Tips

2009-05-23T16:07:00.001-07:00

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Honeymoon Hot Tips
A Honeymoon is more than a holiday.
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One
Shop around for the best Honeymoon packages, which often include an upgraded room, champagne and flowers on arrival, gifts and even a free candlelit dinner. To be eligible you usually have to produce your marriage certificate, so make sure it is packed safely inside your hand luggage.

Two
Be demanding of your travel agent. Spell out your ideal honeymoon package and see if they can come up with a trip to match your dreams. If they don't seem very imaginative try somewhere else.

ThreeFour
Don't be fooled by glossy brochure-speak, pictures are often of the best rooms. Even a double bed is not guaranteed unless you outline your requirements beforehand, preferably in writing.

Five
Just because this is a honeymoon, don't imagine you have to spend every waking minute together - it would be too much for even the most love-struck couple! If your fiance fancies playing a game of golf or two, arrange it. A few hours apart will make your time together even more fun.

Six
Many of the 'couples-only' resorts in the Caribbean are all-inclusive, which means everything from food and drink to watersports are paid for in the one price. These can be a good value but, if you're not the active type and don't want to use all the sporting facilities, they can be expensive. It may be worth considering a half board package and then paying for your own romantic extras.

Seven
The Caribbean is the number one hot spot for honeymooners but it is expensive, especially during high season. Watch out for special deals during their low season, our summer months. The weather can be unpredictable but the savings are worth it and honeymooners are more likely to be upgraded, when the resorts are not so busy.

Eight
Ask one another how important the traditional honeymoon extras are~ like a four-poster bed. You don't want to skimp on your room but you could be spending the additional money on more worthwhile extras like wonderful food or interesting day trips.

NineTry to pick a hotel in a romantic setting; overlooking a lake, on a deserted stretch of beach, on a wooded hillside or near some famous landmarks. If the setting is right, moonlight walks will take on a whole new meaning.

Ten
Everyone loves a honeymoon couple. Don't be shy especially when making reservations with your travel agent, in hotels, restaurants and on airplanes, you should be pleasantly surprised by the special treatment you receive. A glass of champagne, a room upgrade, a candle-lit dinner, a free gift or just extra special service.

Worthy Splurges

It wouldn't be a Honeymoon without an indulgence or two,
How about?? A room with a view. Imagine laying in your bed or your bath looking at a stunning beach, city sights or simply the stars.

A spectacular ride in a hot-air balloon, helicopter, boat or horse-drawn carriage - holding hands the whole time, of course

A glass of Champagne whenever and wherever possible.

Candlelight, ask your hotel to put candles into your bedroom and bathroom

His 'n' Hers massage

A special memento, like a copy of the menu from your first meal together as man and wife, signed by the Chef, bathrobes or slippers bearing the hotel logo to remind you of the trip every time you wear them.

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Sprinkle some Magic with Fairy Tale Wedding Favors

2009-05-16T07:41:00.000-07:00

Booking a castle to hold your wedding may be a trifle cumbersome but sand castle tea lights will do just fine as fairy tale wedding favors. Your guests will be touched by the romance of the evening with these favors even if your dinner venue is a hotel.

Choosing a theme for the wedding party is a creative trend. Fairy tale love needs fairy tale wedding themes. All balls have guests arriving in their carriages. Why not gift 'enchanted carriage' boxes for guests to take home too. You can fill these boxes with almonds, chocolates or other goodies. Adding some intricate scroll work won't cost you much either.

Speaking of carriages, undoubtedly the Cinderella theme is the most popular. Match the theme with special Cinderella carriage design curio showpieces. Intricately crafted of durable white resin embellished with brilliant rhinestones, carved flowers and silver painted accents, these carriages do not vanish when the clock strikes twelve!

For $2 a piece, your fairy tale wedding favors can be a little more in keeping with the times. How about keepsake antique getaway cars flashing the 'in Luv' license plates? Your guests will feel like royalty with these fairy tale wedding favors.

You may have decided to individually greet your guests by giving them a fairy tale wedding favor. Again, in the Cinderella theme, you have elegant wedding shoe candle favors moulded in white wax. It looks awesome with intricate filigree work. No guest will fail to display these candle slippers in their living room for years afterwards. Cinderella wedding favors come as carriage candles too.

Handing out favors sometimes takes up too much time from what you would rather spend chatting with people or taking care of other things on the agenda. Placecard holders, in such cases, make for apt favors. In keeping with your fairy tale wedding theme, choose favors that double up as place cards holders. There is a whole range of these from silver tea pots, silver chair boxes to heart-shaped glass coasters and silver photo frames.

It needn't all be about princes and princesses though. Get more peppy with a blushing gingerbread bride or groom and possibly more realistic with these gingerbread candle favors. You can add personalized tags to the set of gingerbread couple in acetate boxes. Heart and star stage inserts tied bound with satin ribbons in chocolate color add to their charm.

Other great fairy tale wedding favors can be made with silver bells, bottle stoppers, bookmarks, silver hearts etc. Keep the flavor of the evening alive in the hearts of your guests long after the event with carefully chosen fairy tale wedding favors. Your guests are sure to keep praying for everlasting love for you every time they look at the favors you have so lovingly given them.

If you are looking for Fairy Tale Wedding Favors or Cinderella Wedding Favors, visit e-weddingfavors who by far I have found has the best prices and the biggest selection of fairy tale wedding favors & cinderella wedding favors plus shipping is free.

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Why you don't Need Three Readings in your Non-religious Civil Wedding Ceremony

2009-05-15T14:21:00.000-07:00

In removing religious content and references from the marriage ceremony civil celebrants and non-denominational wedding officiants have converted religious practices, such as incorporating three readings and blessing of wedding rings, into their secular equivalents without necessarily questioning that they should be included at all.

The reason there are three readings in the religious marriage ceremony is because a Christian religious marriage ceremony is defined as a service of worship and all services of worship include a reading from the Old Testament, New Testament and the Epistles. Each has a particular liturgical importance and religious significance because they are from different parts of the scriptures that Christians regard to be holy.

Remove that significance and it is hard to justify the necessity for including three poems, three extracts from works of poetical prose, or a mix of these. And it definitely is not necessary to have them read one after another so that they create a sort of intermission in the ceremony.

That is not to say that readings do not have a role in a marriage ceremony. They can perform three very important functions:

1.Having a reader come up from among the guests to read a poem or piece of prose is a visual opportunity to emphasise the connection between the couple and the community of friends that supports them.
2.A reading can provide a concise commentary on some aspect of the relationship or of marriage in a way that taps into both an emotional and intellectual wellspring of meaning
3.A reading can add light and color to the ceremony by taking the focus off the officiant/celebrant.

But a reading can also be used as padding that adds little.

The good news is that when the rigid three-readings-in-here structure is removed you are free to include what you want read wherever in the ceremony it will have the greatest impact and contribute to the flow of the ceremony rather than impeding it.

Question the practice, choose your reading(s) if any mindfully, include it in the ceremony where it best fits, and relax and enjoy an amazing wedding ceremony that speaks to the heart of everyone there.

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Great wedding ideas at Betlee Bridals

span style="font-size:85%;">Jennifer Cram is a Marriage Celebrant authorised by the Australian Government to perform marriages throughout Australia.

She is based in Brisbane Queensland Australia where she specialises in creating and performing one of a kind weddings, commitments and other ceremonies.

For more information http://www.jennifercram.com.au Copyright © 2008. All rights reserved.

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Prepare for Your Walk Down the Aisle

2009-05-13T07:52:00.000-07:00

One moment of your wedding where everyone will look at you is when you walk down the aisle. The people are waiting to see the beautiful bride, as for you want to be the center of attention on your wedding. A wedding dress could fetch you some attention but if you want to look stunningly gorgeous then it is your diet and fitness that you need to work on.

Wedding preparations are very confusing and irritating at times, especially when you have put on weight and are worried about fitting in the dresses that you chose. If you are thinking about losing quick weight but fear that you have lost time, think again. If you do a little bit of research you will see that there is a lot of help around, you can even lose weight and couple of ounces at the very last minutes before your wedding. So stop wondering and act fast before you run out of time.

You can go for diet pills that help you reduce weight, at the same time they provide with vital nutrients. So this means that you need not worry about your body needs. These pills will work simultaneously providing your body with all its needs. You can further help yourself by doing some physical exercises that will help reduce quick weight and unwanted body flesh.

If you commit yourself at getting the perfect body shape you want before the wedding than nothing can stop you. If you are determined and focused on your goals you can reduce a lot of fat and to your amazement will find that you can fit in the clothes you always wished about.

You will be surprised to see that every soul is looking at you when you walk down the aisle. As for your husband, he will be amazed to see you look so stunning and gorgeous.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Barak_Vayman

Wedding Reception Centerpieces

2009-04-30T15:34:00.000-07:00

If you are planning your wedding you must not forget about the importance of a beautiful and stylish wedding reception. You can always pay someone to do it for you, that is ok but what if the colors and arrangements will not suit your needs? Take some time with your husband -to -be and choose your own wedding reception centerpieces which will inspire you guests and show them what colors you like and what type of person your are inside.

When we talk about centerpieces this are mostly the decorations you put on tables for your guests where they usually eat. Let them have a wonderful meal with beautiful table around them which will not make them boring. The most common used centerpieces are flowers and candles which I think you should definitely use, but be careful on how you use them, which ones and how many of them, this are the most important steps you must be careful when placing your wedding reception centerpieces on tables.

Here are some tips to help you arrange your centerpieces:

size of the table - don't use too many centerpieces on a small table. Make it look simple and beautiful by adding maybe one or two flowers with candles on a table for four persons.
don't use just flowers and candles - why? Because there are so many different centerpieces which you can buy. From different ice sculptures and castle centerpieces which are really beautiful.
be careful on height - don't use too high centerpieces like candles. Use small ones; as a matter of fact you can use floating candles also!
don't use only centerpieces - use also different decorations like photos of the couple.
You have so many options when making your reception look perfect and wedding reception centerpieces are the main factor to help you out so be careful and take some time to arrange all that. Good luck!

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A Do-It-Yourself Planner

2009-04-29T14:57:00.001-07:00

A do-it-yourself wedding planner. By: Dhirendra

It can be tempting to avoid the whole wedding planning fiasco by hiring a professional, but these individuals do not come cheaply, so taking charge yourself can be an excellent way to save a great deal of cash. Wedding planning is an art and a lot harder than it looks, so don’t underestimate the time and effort that you will need to put into even the most basic of weddings.

Wedding Planning – The Basics

The basics of wedding planning is to be organized and thorough; it is well worth having at least one extra person to help you with the arrangements, two heads are most certainly better than one when it comes to wedding planning.

A great way to start is to make a list of the dates and items that simply cannot change, for example the venue or the key guests. This is fundamental, as all other aspects can be altered and planned around the key items.

Secondly, when it comes to wedding planning, it is important to decide on the ‘feel’ that you want for your wedding. For example, do you want your wedding to have a relaxed or informal theme? Is there a common hobby or activity that you can draw on as an underlying idea for your wedding? For instance, do the bride and groom both love dogs or do they both enjoy water sports? A very simple lead can be just enough to get you started!

Wedding Planning – Behave Like a Professional

Wedding planning professionals are generally individuals, who are full of ideas, are organized and can get the most out of providers. While a professional may have many ideas at their fingertips you will have to look around and think carefully about what you are hoping to achieve. Why not get ideas by asking friends and relatives, what they have seen in recent weddings that worked particularly well (or indeed did not work at all), so that you can take the best ideas and ditch the worst!

Stay organized. Keep accurate records of everything that you see and do. Go overboard with your records as, at some point, you are almost certainly going to be in the position of not being able to remember where you saw that special item!

When it comes to wedding planning, communication is key. Make sure that all providers are fully aware of what you expect, when you expect it and what you expect to pay. Get everything in writing and ensure that you tell everyone if there is any change (no matter how small it may appear).

Be professional, be realistic and keep the suppliers informed; believe me it will really help to ensure that everything runs smoothly.

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http://weddingsbyashlee.blog.com

Etiquette for Brides

2009-04-23T06:14:00.001-07:00

Whether we admit it or not ~ Wedding Etiquette is still an important issue to many of us. Don't you hear yourself complaining about some weddings that you have attended? Maybe you have heard some friends who have attended a wedding ceremony and later learned that he or she was not invited to the wedding reception.

Although it is acceptable and is within the Wedding Etiquette standard to invite some guests only at the wedding reception and some only at the wedding reception, the guests should be informed of this fact before hand. These instances want us to shout: Learn some manners!

For brides out there who are getting married next year, it will be for your own good if you would buy Emily Post's book on Wedding Etiquette. It will teach you the Wedding Etiquette basics and Wedding Etiquette blunders. Knowing what violates and follows Wedding Etiquette will help you go through your big day, hassle and stress free.

-- Basic Wedding Etiquette for Brides

On what to wear.

Modern Wedding Etiquette allows brides to wear any design that she wants, in any color. Brides are not anymore limited to wearing ultra white wedding dress with sleeves. They may wear a tube, halter or spaghetti strapped wedding dress in creme, beige or pastel colors.

But for the sake of Wedding Etiquette, she should also consider her cultural background and her church's dress requirement. If your church requires you to wear a shawl over a tube wedding dress, then you must do so.

If the minister or priest thinks that your red wedding dress is inappropriate for the church and ask you to replace your $10,000 designer wedding dress for a white wedding dress, then you should take it off and buy a white ready-to-wear wedding gown at Macy's.

On who to invite.

It is a basic Wedding Etiquette for a bride to talk to her groom on who should be invited . Remember that two of you who will get married, not only you. It will be a violation of Wedding Etiquette if you will invite persons your groom doesn't want to see, such as your old flame or his old boss that he had an argument even though you are on speaking terms with his old boss. It is not just about Wedding Etiquette, it is in fact about the issue of respect.

If it is your second marriage, you should not invite your ex-spouse or your ex-parents-in-law. Even if you are in good terms with your ex, Wedding Etiquette dictates that you should not invite them. This is to avoid unnessary confrontations or wedding drama. Your guest will also feel uncomfortable around your ex.

But there is an exception to this Wedding Etiquette. If your children of your ex-spouse has requested the presence of their father, then you should talk about it with your groom. If he agrees, then invite your ex to your wedding. But there is an alternative to this, however.

You can invite your guest for a dinner at your home after your wedding or honeymoon. This private dinner is more quiet and will save you the trouble of explaining to your father and mother and other close guests why your ex-husband is at your wedding.

On gift giving and registry.

It is a big Wedding Etiquette no-no to ask for cash gifts from your guests. Although it is a reality that newlyweds need cash as startup money since they need to rent a bigger place or buy new appliances that the two of them need,

you don't want to look like a greedy bride for asking for some cash.

Let them decide what to give. If they have decided to give you cash, then say your thanks. But don't ever ask them to fund a mortgage or fund a charity that you will establish as a wedding gift.

Registry card is acceptable although modern Wedding Etiquette objects to insertion of the registry card in the invitation. Wedding Etiquette specialists say that brides should put up an online registry card and inform your guests through your invitation that you have an online registry and they may want to look it up in case they would decide to buy you gifts from your registry.

Emily Post's Etiquette, 17th Edition - Click Here

Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com/

About the Author:
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Planning Your Hot, Summer Wedding on a Budget ~ Non-alcoholic Drinks

2009-04-15T17:45:00.000-07:00

By Ann Keeler Evans

Summer is hot. Alcoholic drinks are great to serve, but alcohol makes you warmer, however refreshing the additives might be. So serve alcohol, but consider ways to serve the additives on the side and offer something fun and wonderfully cooling. And here's the deal: alcohol costs more to serve than hand-pressed lemonade! And even frozen lemonade can be dressed up and transformed into a cooling beverage. Save yourself some money and let your imagination go wild (and refreshing!)

In my childhood, there wasn't a big picnic that was complete without a washtub full of lemonade cooled with a block of ice. I'm not sure the tin washtubs were the best thing to drink from, but I can see them in my mind and they spell summer with a big S!

When it's hot, you want something refreshing to drink. Non-alcoholic drinks fill the bill. Lemonade isn't the only option (don't forget sumacade!) - and it doesn't need to be plain lemonade. Go on line and find some recipes:

Lemonade - Try one with basil and cayenne.

Limeades - Add to the tastes with mint and ginger.

Fruit/Vegetable combos - I make a cucumber, mint and lime mixture that we pour in a 10 gallon water jug, fill it up with ice and water, and haul to the local summer blues festival. On that day, I'm a very popular person! Other people swear by celery. Try it with orange.

Fresh fruit juice combos - Offer pitchers of Juices and Flat and Bubbly water and even some syrups. Put together a pile of fresh garnishes and put an inventive drink master behind the bar. If people want to wander over to the alcohol table after that to top their drink off with champagne, rum or vodka, they can. In Pennsylvania, you might find some people adding it to micro-brew lagers.
Fresh fruit juice punch - Where I come from, they call it Presbyterian Punch, it involves good juices, ginger ale or club soda and sherbet. Make your sherbet homemade with some of nature's bounty.

Switchell - Just checking, never had it, it's local to the area, I think it's made with molasses, cider vinegar, water and brown sugar. I'd probably make it with bubbly water for the wedding!

Gourmet sodas - the fruit sodas and ginger beers are great.

Ice cream sodas or floats - Use fresh fruits, gourmet sodas and gourmet or homemade ice creams. (fruits are more cooling than chocolate) Or get ice cream from your local small soft-serve place. Here in Central PA soft ice cream stands are ubiquitous. Add soft black raspberry ice cream to your grapefruit soda. Yum!

You can make these drinks more fun by making them relevant. Talk about enjoying the bounty of the summer during the wedding ceremony. Build a drink to share during the ceremony that combines the juicy goodness of the season. (Practice this beforehand, will you? You want to get proportions right and have a good drink to sip together!)

Promise one another to always explore seasonal bounties and gifts in life as well as marriage. And then find a drink you both like, based on what you shared at the wedding, drink it throughout your wedding (nothing like adding fruit juice to your champagne!), and then celebrate life throughout your marriage with a cool, refreshing drink filled will goodness, love and memories.

Bottom Line?: Give your relationship the chance it deserves to succeed wildly, against all odds! After all, you deserve it. Your relationship deserves it! And now I'd like to invite you to sign up to receive 2 free templates for creating the wedding ceremony of your dreams, the wedding vows of your heart and the marriage of a lifetime: http://annkeelerevans.org/weddings/free

With baseball in full swing, what better time to obtain a Go Card USA: Top Attractions & Tours for 1 Low Price! Boston, San Fran, Chicago, San Diego, Seattle, LA, NYC, Florida and Hawaii. Some include admissions to a major league game besides a park tour. Wow! What a deal!!

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Favorite Wedding Sites ~ http://betteswedding.livejournal.com

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The Rev. Ann Keeler Evans - helping you move from "I do" to happily and healthily ever after!

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3 Things Every Soon-To-Be Bride Should Avoid Doing

2009-04-13T09:18:00.000-07:00

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The months leading up to your wedding day quickly turn into weeks. The weeks turn into days and before you know it, your wedding is right around the corner. That's when the planning shifts into high gear and the stress begins to take its toll. Along the way, there are plenty of opportunities to reduce your stress and the frustration of those around you (including your fiance!). Below, we'll share 3 mistakes that you should take care to avoid.

#1 - Not Enlisting Your Friends
Build your own wedding website!! Reduce stress level by making everything available on line.
Guests can RSVP on line, Provide information for guests from out-of-town, Makes details and maps accessible 24/7 all over the world, Share big events with friends who couldn't make it and many other reasons. Very easy ~ lots of fun!! Why not sign up for a free trial at ~~~ Being Copied #2 - Obsessing Over

You're excited about your dress and show pictures of it to one of your engaged friends. Before you know it, she's planning to wear the same dress at her wedding - weeks before your own! Whether it's your gown, favors, flowers, or another feature of your big day, being copied can raise anyone's temper.

Before picking up the phone and giving your friend a piece of your mind, think about ways in which you can add a personal touch to your own plans. For example, she may have copied your idea for your gown, but are there ways to spruce yours up? Also, you can limit the damage by keeping your lips sealed until your wedding day.

#3 - Trying To Drop Pounds Quickly

Maybe you're a few pounds over your ideal weight. So, in a fit of optimism and determination, you decide to buy a wedding dress that will fit your body perfectly... as long as you drop 15 pounds. Even though you may be able to shed enough weight to fit into your gown, is it worth the effort? First, rapid weight loss make you feel tired and irritable. Second, it's not entirely healthy to drop the pounds so quickly.

Purchase a dress that looks great on your current body. Ideally, your trips to the gym should focus on staying toned and trim. If you drop a few pounds in the process, your Wedding Dress
can be easily altered.

The planning that takes place before your big day will be physically and emotionally demanding. Take care not to create more stress for yourself than necessary. Ask your friends for help, don't worry about being copied, and forget about Crash Diet . Not only will you feel more relaxed, but so will everyone around you!!

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http://betteswedding.livejournal.com/

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Wedding Ideas with Flea Market Accessories

2009-04-10T15:03:00.000-07:00

You won't believe what you can find and how much money you will save with just a few trips to a flea market or garage sales.

If you want a special décor accessory, glassware, or tableware you will be amazed at what you can find and create to make an elegant theme.

Chabic Chic, Western, Beach and Victorian theme, many styles to choose from. Look for antique or traditional bird's cages that you will be able to paint or add accessories for a fantastic table centerpiece.

For a Beach theme, check for those nautical items always available in flea markets or garage sales.

Western accessories, saddles, horseshoes and maybe western cups are affordable items and can be special and unique.

Pottery, vases, and other accessories filled with flowers provide unlimited ideas to create a unique table setting that you will treasure and your guest fall in love with.

Glassware in different colors, shapes, and sizes can be mixed together to create elegant and simple centerpieces. Finding different shapes of old jam jars that can be easy decorated. Decorate with charming beads, for an excellent, unique candle holder.

For a bridal shower, tea cups can make great gifts for your guests on this memorable day. Make candles with mini tea cups and light the way of your entrance wedding day.

Ideas are unlimited at the flea market; try to search for special chandeliers, lanterns, toppers, tables, chairs or other unique and unforgettable items.

Another great idea is to look on the internet flea market, were they re -selling wedding items at very affordable prices.

Check in your area for local flea markets, garage sales, and auctions or maybe in your grandmother's, or friend's attics and try to save on your wedding by using second hand items.

Remember that even in difficult economic times you can buy affordable items and save on the cost of your wedding by using things that are available close to you.

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Good Things from Tag Sales and Flea Markets

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U .S. Flea Market Directory, 3rd Edition; A Guide to the Best Flea Markets in all 50 States

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This week baseball kicked off another season!! What better time to attend a baseball game and possibly have a park tour besides? All are included with a

Check out these deals at various cities in the United States!!

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www.weddingsbyashlee.com, http://betteswedding.livejournal.com

http://weddingsbyashlee.weddingwindow.com

Nellys Reynolds is the author and Owner Of Joyfullcelebrations.com. Check for great ideas, wedding favors, centerpieces, cake toppers and more.

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