Quite a few newlyweds choose to get matching wedding bands for their big wedding day. The history of the bride and groom wearing matching wedding bands dates back many years and is still very much alive and well today.
Many couples prefer to design their own matching wedding bands. They may consult with a jewelry design professional who will take their vision and use it to create two rings that Read the rest of this entry »
The wedding ring is a ring that will often be made from precious metals, and it will be worn on the left ring finger. It is also worn on the right ring finger in countries such as Norway or Russia. The purpose of a wedding ring is to represent a marriage. Both spouses will wear rings to show that they are commited to each other. The custom originated in Europe, but has spread to many other countries which are outside of Europe. In some cultures the wedding ring is only one of three rings that will be given when a couple is in the process of getting married. Read the rest of this entry »
Whether you’re looking for a best man toast, a maid of honor toast or any other type of wedding toasts, there are many sample toasts that you can benefit from by using the Internet. You really want to make a difference and be known for your big speech, otherwise it can be a thing you want to forget if it doesn’t work well. It will definitely pay off if you practice ahead of time and get your speech down. It’s kind of like practicing a speech for your class in high school or college when you actually had to stand up in front of peopel and give a speech. Read the rest of this entry »
For most women a wedding dress will be the most important, and often the most expensive, single garment they will ever purchase, and every woman seems to have her own ideas as to what constitutes the perfect wedding dress.
No matter what your taste or budget is, it’s important to shop around as much as possible in order to find that one wedding dress that makes you truly feel like a princess in a fairy tale. Read the rest of this entry »
Renting a good tent is important when planning an outdoor wedding. While tents provide a cozy and personal touch to the whole outdoor wedding décor, they also shield you and your guests from unfavorable weather conditions. Tents are also more flexible than existing facilities because you have more options regarding where and how you want to have your wedding. However, they are more expensive and can cost you around $3,000 to $6,000 without the extras such as lighting, flooring, and the cost of delivery, setup, and removal. Read the rest of this entry »
From the time we are old enough to talk, we are surrounded by weddings. We all grow up imagining our partners and wedding attire, hoping that it will be the perfect event. However, what many of us don’t realize is that it takes months of planning and perfection. After all, there are many other details to worry about, other than wedding dresses and catering. With thousands of options to choose from, it can be extremely difficult to create the perfect wedding. Read the rest of this entry »
The short answer is a resounding YES. Getting married without pre-marriage prep is like starting a business or any important venture without preparing. Half of all marriages end in divorce, and only half of those that endure are truly happy in the long run. Many happy engaged couples assume that they won’t be contributing to these statistics. But, if you just wing it and count on your luck to make your marriage a success, your odds are only one in four. There is another way. Read the rest of this entry »
In the days where a father was unlikely to leave his young daughter alone with a suitor, the couple had to come up with a lot of imaginative communication systems which didn’t require them to actually speak.
There was always the one where he, having stolen from her a flower bud from the bouquet she had carried the night before, would use it as his buttonhole. Looking soulfully at her, he would either press it to his lips or his nose, every time she looked in his direction. Read the rest of this entry »
Like the best man, in times past, there was no such thing as a bridesmaid who was married herself. The whole object of being a bridesmaid was to eventually achieve the status of becoming a bride herself. A girl who was being constantly solicited to be a bridesmaid, without ever negotiating to the next level of being a bride herself, was deemed to be doing something wrong. After all, she was out there, in front of all those eligibles, so why was she missing out in the bridal sweep stakes? Read the rest of this entry »
We’ve all heard the expression: “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.” Where do these traditional wedding phrases come from? Today’s bride pays very little–if any–attention to such phrases. But for the longest time these wedding traditions were embraced by the sentimental and superstitious. Let’s take a look at some of the traditions that may or may not be utilized by today’s bride: Read the rest of this entry »
The search for the perfect wedding dress begins - with a long, honest look at the mirror. What is your body shape? Even though you swear you’ll lose ten pounds before the wedding, you can’t drastically modify what Mother Nature has given you. And why should you? There are so many styles and materials available, there’s bound to be something that will make you look absolutely gorgeous, just the way you are. Read the rest of this entry »
Fastly becoming a popular idea at weddings, sparklers are the hottest addition to reception tables for summer weddings. Not only are they great fun, but they are a real ice-breaker.
Many brides also comment on how fantastic the photographs look whilst guests are enjoying their sparklers! Read the rest of this entry »
I’ve been fortunate just recently in seeing both my daughters get married to good men. The only thing was it raised two issues: does this mean I’ll become a grandfather (heck at 56 I’m too young - grandfathers are old aren’t they?) and I would have to give two wedding speeches!
So here’s my formula for a great wedding speech: Read the rest of this entry »
According to the Washington Post (July 2, 2006) “While clergy still perform most weddings, the ceremonies are straying ever farther from tradition, reflecting a “do-it-yourself” attitude toward religious nuptials”
How true, how true. Read the rest of this entry »
Ah, weddings! If you’ve ever been involved in the planning of one of these blessed events, you know the headaches and frustration they can bring. Invitations have to be sent, travel arrangements made, food chosen, the ceremony rehearsed…and that’s just the tip of the iceberg! All of these necessary plans can leave the bride and groom wondering whether they should order tuxedos, or straightjackets! However, this is simply not the case with two of my close friends, Chris and Carrie. Read the rest of this entry »
Over the past decade or so, unity candles have become a very popular part of traditional wedding ceremonies, and plenty of friends these days approach me to supply them with these candles when their children get married. I used them myself for my eldest daughter’s wedding last year, though my 69-year-old mother rather sniffily said that these new fangled ideas had no business to be in church! Read the rest of this entry »
We all know that when a bride to be has already spent practically twenty years planning her wedding before she even knows who the groom is, the image that she dreams of is how she will look on her wedding day. Every little detail counts and is carefully pondered upon before making the all important wedding decisions. Read the rest of this entry »
Wedding Planning and Event Planning degrees are offered by a variety of schools. Wedding planners are also known as wedding consultants and bridal consultants. Community colleges offer diplomas and associate degrees in applied sciences for wedding and event planners.
Colleges and universities offer bachelor degrees and master degrees in event planning through their business degree programs. Event planning universities and colleges provide students with skills and knowledge in managing staff as well as coordinating and planning events, such as banquets and dances. Read the rest of this entry »
A few weeks ago I went to a bachelor party of one of my old time high school buddies, since almost everyone there came from different backgrounds and economical situations it was very interesting to see the group of young men discussing many different issues, from foreign policy to buying engagement rings.
Yes, that is right, one of the main issues of the bachelor party was the dynamics of purchasing a engagement ring. It all started when one of the guys asked the soon to be married bachelor how did he decide on the engagement ring, and if he did it alone or used anyone to help him choose the ring. Read the rest of this entry »
Whom to invite to a wedding is something of a diplomatic relation job. Some people do it in a workman like manner.
The groom is asked to provide a list of his preferred guests, with their address and phone number. A similar list is worked out by the bride. If parents are actually going to be involved, the parents of the bride and groom will provide another list of their preferred guests. Read the rest of this entry »
Let’s face it – the world just isn’t as big as it used to be. As a testament to the earth’s seemingly shrinking waistline, more and more young men and women are finding true love outside their faith – and making it work. Yet no matter how progressive you and your families may be, the peaceful merging of two religions can prove an ambitious undertaking. Take a deep breath, remind yourself that love is the end goal, and get ready to celebrate a marriage made in heaven, er, make that two heavens. Read the rest of this entry »
The limousine, also called the limo, has come to be associated with luxury, glamour and style. It is used by the government to transport the highest officials of the country. It is used by celebrities riding to red carpet events. It is used by millionaires, business tycoons, rock stars. If you’re important, you arrive in a limousine—and before you’ve even stepped out of the car, you’ve already made a grand entrance. Read the rest of this entry »
One of the most stressful parts of organizing a wedding is to try and coordinate the choice of the mother of the bride dresses with the rest of the outfits being worn. There is nothing worse than having mother of the bride dresses that outshine the bride or clash with others who will be in the official photos. Read the rest of this entry »
Your wedding is a very special day and you of course want everything to be perfect. There are so many things to do it can make your head spin. But, if you allow enough time to really research everything, then you are well on your way.
In this article I want to address hair. It is important to get it right because it can make or break the entire look you are trying to achieve. Read the rest of this entry »
What do you think the newest wedding favors are? There are tons of great ideas out there and lots of hot products for wedding favors. In fact there are so many different wedding favor products that it can quickly become overwhelming for the uninitiated. Everyone claims that they have the newest wedding favors and hot items but is it true? Below you will find some of the hottest trends and newest ideas in wedding favors. Yet this will not point the hottest wedding favor this year because that is somewhat a matter of opinion it will instead give you some things that are becoming popular and are new ideas for wedding favors. Read the rest of this entry »
So many couples are finding the cost of their wedding so extortionate that they are having to make cutbacks in vital areas and it’s usually the honeymoon that suffers. Read the rest of this entry »
Some future grooms say early on, “Just tell me when to show up and what to wear and leave me alone” and he leaves the work of the wedding to the bride. This is not as typical now as it was in past years. More and more men are getting involved in and enjoying the process of planning their wedding. Some men still think that it is a “girl thing” and not a “guy thing.” Give me a break! A wedding is a “couple thing” and should have equal participation of both the bride and groom.
Approaching your wedding as a twosome can give you the best results in less time. It is also a fairly good predictor of how the marriage will be. It answers many questions that will be important to the marriage, questions such as:
Who makes the decisions? Are they joint decisions or does one of you always have to have his or her way? Is one of you always right? (This implies that the other is always wrong). Does one of you usually have to agree just to get beyond the impasse and get on with it? Is one of you “The Boss” and the other the “Bossed?” Does that work for you?
Are your management styles compatible? Does one of you micro-manage and one of you use a broad brush approach and does that work for you? Sometimes this is highly effective because the broad brusher generates the creative ideas and the micro-manager can work out the details. It takes both. On the other hand a broad brusher can drive the micro-manager crazy and vice versa.
Are you willing to yield to the expertise of the other? Can you divide up the workload evenly and not second guess each other, but trust that it will be done correctly and on time? What do you do when you have a huge disagreement? Do you have a plan to work things out, to negotiate until you find a common ground of agreement? Does one of you hold a grudge if the decision doesn’t always go your way?
How do you handle money? Is one of you “tight-fisted” with money and the other an impulse spender? Can you agree on an amount you can spend independently without consulting the other? What happens if one of you doesn’t abide by the agreed upon amount? How do you resolve the issue?
Do you have similar likes and dislikes? Do you find that you almost always pick the same thing, even though you aren’t together at the time? Do you, for example, generally like the same colors, music, style? If not, do you know and appreciate what the other one likes? Is it o.k. to like different things? If not, does one of you always have to capitulate or do you find ways to work out who gives in now and who gives in later?
If, as you get closer to the wedding date, you find that you are at each others throats and are playing the “blame game” or the “poor me, the martyr” scenario, it’s time to stop and take a good hard look at your relationship. Marriage is made up of multitudinous compromises by each of you. It requires give and take, yes and no, me and you in equal proportions. If the problem is a matter of exhaustion or the “jitters” that’s one thing. But if you simply cannot work together, take some time to think it over, even if it means postponing the wedding. Some pre-nuptial counseling may be of help before you proceed.
Let’s face it, not many of us have the kind of skills or experience to write truly poetic wedding vows. Or do we? Here’s the truth: Even if you don’t know Dylan Thomas from Bob Dylan, and you’re pretty sure T.S. Elliot was that guy who wrote the words to Andrew Lloyd Weber’s “Cats,” all is not lost! In fact, there are ways to learn to write the words you want. With four simple steps, you can take what you feel in your heart and make it come out as sweetly as any Shakespearian sonnet. Read the rest of this entry »
Brides have always worn white, right? Not so. In ancient times brides wore bright colored wedding dresses to signify their joy. White for western brides didn’t become fashionable until Queen Victoria wore it at her wedding to signify her status. White dresses never did signify purity until the Christian churches put that label on them. So feel free to add a little color to your wedding outfit. Read the rest of this entry »
Did your wonderful husband-to-be recently “pop the question” and now you are wondering what on earth you have gotten yourself into with trying to plan a wedding? Don’t panic! I was there once and I remember the first few weeks of having no idea what to do or where to start. Our wedding date was only five months away and I was completely clueless as to what type of ceremony I wanted, what colors I liked, who would officiate, where the wedding would take place, and on and on the endless unknowns went. There seemed to be an enormous amount of details to figure out, and time was running out. Read the rest of this entry »
A dear friend gave me this writing. Written by Christine Smith whom I have not met (but would love to), it has significant meaning for today’s coucples. I have included it in its entirety and would like to give the author, Christine Smith, all the credit and my gratitude.
THE HOLY RELATIONSHIP
Consider how your relationships are going. Are some on shaky ground, while others seem, at least for the moment, to be on a somewhat firmer foundation? There is a way for all of your relationships to be on solid ground at all times. It’s called the Holy relationship. Read the rest of this entry »
