Grooms Wedding Rings
March 31, 2008
With this ring, or maybe that ring, grooms have more choices than ever before.Once upon a time the plain gold band was the only choice for a man’s wedding ring. While brides-to-be deliberated over filigree, gem stones and other detailing, grooms simply told the jeweler their finger size and went on their way. But times have changed.
Today grooms have a host of options, from intricately detailed to customized creations. Wedding rings come in a variety of styles, metals and finishes to fit the personality of every groom. The trend today is definitely about individual style.
While gold will always be a popular choice, other metals are currently gaining favor. “Many men are stepping outside the box to personalize their wedding band by using alternative metals to express their individuality,” says Marsha Bryant, senior buyer for 18K gold and platinum at ShopNBC. “This season, men’s rings are both functional and fashionable.”
Platinum, a silver-colored precious metal, is a big trend right now. According to the Platinum Guild International, the number of brides and grooms choosing platinum rings has reached 40 percent. A matte finish is hot right now, as it gives a subdued, modern look. While more expensive than gold, it is also more durable, making it a good choice for those who work with their hands.
No longer just a girl’s best friend, many grooms are adding diamonds to their rings. Nothing over the top though of course. These rings give just a bit of sparkle, often in a style that compliments the bride’s ring. Most popular are channel-set or gypsy-set stones that offer a flush mounting and secure fit.
For a personal look, many grooms are adding special details. Custom engraving is a great option for grooms who want a ring unique to them. Rings like the Personalized Message Ring from ShopNBC allow couples to imprint names, dates or a special phrase on the outside of the ring, creating a treasured family heirloom. Some grooms are creating jewelry wardrobes by matching key pieces. “Rings that compliment watchband styles were recently introduced at this season’s international jewelry shows,” says Bryant.
Many grooms unaccustomed to wearing jewelry are discovering the newest ring metal: titanium. This lightweight, durable metal comes in either satin or polished finishes, often with an accent stripe of gold. Titanium rings provide an up-to-date look at an affordable price.
When shopping for a ring, remember to check for marks that indicate you’re getting the metal you pay for. Gold is stamped according to its karat: 14K or 18K. Platinum is marked with PLAT, PT, PT950 or IRIDPLAT. Look for a ring that not only matches your taste, but also your life. Intricate carvings will catch debris, and may not be a good choice for those who engage in messy work. Matte finishes tend to show scratches more quickly. And some people are sensitive to metals and may have skin allergies that make one metal a more desirable choice than another.
Take your time when selecting a ring. Remember, long after the tuxedos have been returned and the limo ride has ended, your wedding ring will be with you each moment to remind you of your lasting commitment.
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Sending Wedding Invitations
March 31, 2008
It really doesn’t matter if you are planning to have a large or a small wedding; you still have to send out invitations. For larger wedding parties, you should buy your invitations at bulk party stores, or wedding warehouses in order to get the best buy for your money.Of course, you can always choose to make your own invitations which is also nice and unique.
Common homemade invitations are often made up of tissue paper over white regular paper, and decorated colored paper. When it comes to wedding invitations, some people even use calligraphy to hand craft their invitations and it adds a nice elegant touch to your invitations.
When you make your invitations by hand, you can address each one individually so that you can add unique invitations to your guests that are addressed specifically to them.
When you hand make your invitations, there are no limits to what you can do to them or what add-ons that you can use. The most popular additions to hand made invitations are:
· Photos of the happy couple
· Artful calligraphy accents
· Paper flowers
· Poems, verse and prose
· Rhinestones and/or sequins
· Gold or silver model car paint for accents
Not everyone has the know how to create hand made specialty invitations, and if you would prefer to buy yours, you can easily find good bargains on them if you go to a wedding warehouse or a party warehouse.
Most places offer discounts when you buy items in bulk and this is great if you are planning to have a larger wedding of 50 or more guests. Invitations do not have to break your bank account, but they do have to be there.
You can also save money on invitations if you personally deliver as many of them as possible rather than sending them through the mail.
You can also hand certain invitations to friends and family members to pass along for you to those who they see more often than you do.
You can also post your wedding date and guest list on your family website if you have one or in the newspaper and only send invitations to those who do not have access to the internet.
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Great Deals On Wedding Clothing
March 31, 2008
If you are planning to have a full wedding that includes bridesmaids, and groomsmen etc. it could run you a great deal of money to cover your gown as well as the other women and men’s clothing as well.Bridesmaid’s dresses get more and more costly with every extra woman in the wedding party. When you are deciding how much money you can afford to spend on the wedding clothes, you have to consider the fittings and the flowers or accessories as well.
If you can, you might do better to allow for casual wear for the bridesmaids so that they can wear less expensive dresses or skirts. This is particularly good if you are planning an outdoor or beach wedding.
The less formal the ceremony, the less money that you are required to spend. Perhaps that is why outdoor ceremonies are getting more and more popular these days.
You can also save money on the ladies dresses by purchasing them off season from a bridal store. You can always shop for out of season or discontinued dresses as a means of getting great discounts on gorgeous dresses. If you really want to, you can ask that your bridesmaids forget about the wedding shower gifts in favor of buying their dresses. That is a common compromise that is made these days.
If the cost of the dresses is really going to be a matter of stress for you, just reduce the bridesmaids to just having a maid/matron of honor and a best man only for the groom.
Many couples opt to forego the extras all together and simply do not have anyone standing up with them at all. After all, there is no law that states that you have to have a maid of honor or best man present during the ceremony.
When it comes to the tuxedos for the male participants and the groom, you can often find good deals when renting if you just shop around. It helps is you limit the number of participants if you must in order to reduce costs or if the men involved have their own tuxedos already.
Either way, research and comparison shopping really is the best chance.
You can also choose to rent the ladies gowns as well as the tuxedos. Not everyone wants to spend hundreds of dollars on a dress that they will wear once. Or spend that much money on many dresses that you will never be worn more than once.
Many bridal shops will let you rent a dress rather than buy one. The only difference with rented dresses is that you have to take it as is. They are not custom fitted to you. Other than that, you can save hundreds of dollars doing this.
Wearing your mother or grandmother’s wedding dress is also an option; especially if your are choosing a period theme where the dress was used. For example, if you are wearing your grandmother’s dress and the dress was worn in the 40’s, you can make the 40’s your wedding theme.
If the dress is your mother’s from the 60’s or 70’s, you can do the same thing. It will save you money and provides you with a fun theme.
You can also opt to make your own dress from scratch. Many women are choosing to go with home made pieces because they can get truly original in the make of the dress and the style.
It can be made in any fashion that you like and of any material also. Making your own dress is a good way to save money and it is also guaranteed to make sure that no one else has the same style as you.
When you make it yourself, you are guaranteed a custom fit without paying a custom price.
Finally, you can save bundles on your whole wedding party clothing, including the wedding dress by dressing according to your theme.
For example, if you choose a Hawaiian theme, you can wear island clothes. As part of your theme, you can dress in costumes to make the festivities more fun and as an added bonus; you can make the guests and wedding party dress in costume too.
You can also get a good deal by buying your wedding items at vintage or used stores. Many people bring back their wedding clothing after they have used so that they can recoup some of their money later.
This is a great way to save money for you and the rest of your wedding party. Used clothing items can also be found in bridal shops or tuxedo warehouses because the average person doesn’t wear these items more than once and because of this they will return it to the store that they got it from later.
When you are not afraid of vintage clothing, you can find some truly beautiful designer clothing for great prices. Some of the stores that offer used items will not force you to buy them, but they may request that you pay a bit of an extra fee for dry cleaning etc.
Either way, you will still be saving yourself a great deal of money that you would spend if you bought your items outright.
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Funny Wedding Day Speeches
March 31, 2008
They say that getting married can be one of the most stressful things that anyone can do. However some parts of the day can prove more stressful than others!Making a Wedding Speech can be a very stressful event for those involved. To stand up and make a speech in front of any group can be nerve racking but when you consider that those about to make a Wedding Speech are about to stand up before friends and family then it can bring on a whole new set of nerves!!
Sometimes the person making the Wedding Speech will inject a few good one liners to add an element of fun and delivered well this can be very effective. One important point that goes with humor in a Wedding Speech is practice your delivery, there is no point in being flustered and saying the punchline first!!
Many Wedding Speeches made by the groom will mention his new mother-in-law and may extend thanks for the job done in bringing up her daughter. One groom took this a step further and thanked his father-in-law for giving him two mother-in-laws!!! Generally the grooms speech will be on behalf of himself and his new wife and if he knows what is good for him he will praise her to the hilt!!
Next in the grooms speech he will thank the bridesmaids for performing their duties and it then falls to the best man to reply on behalf of the bridesmaids in his speech. It makes sense for the groom and best man to discuss this part of their speeches before hand.
If you are looking for free wedding speech ideas then look no further.
Here are a few that I have discovered,
I’m told that the best speech makers follow three simple rules. Stand Up. Speak Up. Then, very quickly, Shut Up. I’ll try to stick to that advice.
The brain is a wonderful thing. It never stops functioning from the time you’re born until the moment you stand up to make a speech. - Herbert V Prochnow and Herbert V Prochnow Jnr
The trouble with being the best man at a wedding is that you never get to prove it.
Here’s to our wives and lovers. May they never meet.
The most effective way to remember your wedding anniversary is to forget once.
‘Grow old along with me, The best is yet to be.’ - Robert Burns
Of course the majority of Wedding Speeches, it is assumed will be made by men but that is not always the case. The brides mother is entitled to speak and sometimes even the bride herself will feel a few words are appropriate.
So you have done your research, you have prepared a fantastic free wedding speech and you have practiced in front of the mirror, possibly holding a hair brush and watch by the dog. This is it, you are ready to go! Try not to over do the dutch courage and have a great wedding!!
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Mother-Of-The-Bride Dress
March 31, 2008
So you are getting married. You are so excited infact your whole family is so excited! What do you want as a present? What will your hair be like? Are you really going to wear that color of dress? All questions that may be fired at you during the course of the next few months. But one question can strike fear and trepidation into the strongest of brides. What is your mother going to wear?The mother-of-the-bride outfit is probably the most talked about outfit other than what the bride is wearing. Not even the grooms choice of morning suit, kilt or sneakers and jeans will be talked about as much as what the mother-of-the-bride will be wearing.
Even if bride and mother-of-the-bride have a fantastic relationship outside of wedding planning, when it comes to what your mother is going to wear on your wedding day things can go horribly wrong!
She will have dreamed about this day from the moment you first opened your eyes and stared into hers. She will have planned and re-planned her outfit several times, over each decade that has passed, hopefully moving with the times!
She will have a definite idea of the image she wishes to project and how she wants to look on this wonderous day and hopefully that will coincide with your own ideas.
If you are lucky she will co-ordinate with the rest of the bridal party and your photographs will be a riot of harmonious color. If you fall into the not so lucky category then the photographer may experience difficulty placing her beside someone she doesn’t clash with or horror of horrors the mother-of-the-groom turns up in the same dress!!!
If your parents have divorced and re-married then this situation can actually get worse. You only have one mother and she carries the mother-of-the-bride mantle but people, and its just human nature, will be looking at your fathers second wife’s outfit almost as closely as the mother-of-the-bride’s.
I did hear a story where a bride in this situation suddenly realized that the two women in question had indeed bought the same dress. Approaching her mother tactfully she mentioned that it might be an idea to take back the dress as she would have no other appropriate celebration to wear it to. Her mother smiled and replied that of course she would get another dress for her daughters big day but would be wearing the original dress to the wedding rehearsal dinner!
When is comes down to it the main thing is that everyone is happy and it would be foolish to let a disagreement over a mother-of-the-bride dress get in the way of your wedding. Always remember girls one day you may be the mother-of-the-bride!
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Don’t Have Friends Videotape Your Wedding
March 31, 2008
Your wedding budget is starting to get a little high and you need to cut a few corners to save some cash and so you ask your buddy to get behind the camera. Wrong move. Never let your friend, be it your best friend or even a close family member, run the camera at your wedding. There are a few reasons for this.First off, there is so much more involved in capturing a wedding on video than your friend will think about. Sound, lighting, positioning, framing, storyline, style, each of these broad categories has numerous tiny little elements where if one is off the whole thing doesn’t look or sound right. Normally a friend will wait until the last minute to get equipment and then not know what they need usually showing up with a less than quality camcorder and only a built in microphone. Batteries, tapes, they don’t think about these things. The less they know, the less they will show up with.
Secondly, holding a camcorder and capturing a wedding and reception isn’t like being there enjoying the moment, It’s work and you need to concentrate on what your doing such as how the shot looks, sounds, where you need to be next, iris, focus, and a bunch of other little nuances. That lends very little time to enjoy the wedding and the people involved which is what you want your family and friends to do while they are there.
Lastly, if something should go wrong it could possibly ruin a friendship. It’s happened many times before and will happen again, a friend wants to be involved with the wedding and only shoots a little bit of footage and not good video because he wants to get that part over with. Or, he forgets the sound, or he forgets to hit record, or he’s out of focus or he just doesn’t know where to be and when, all in all the video recorded isn’t good and most of your wedding is unusable. This will definitely put a strain on any friendship because a wedding video is very important, avoid this potential hazardous situation and hire someone, outsource the videographer, it’s your best bet.
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Plan Your Wedding Favors
March 31, 2008
Wedding favors are small, inexpensive gifts or souvenirs that you present to your guests as a way of saying “thank-you for attending our wedding celebration”. It has become customary to give something in return to your guests that they can keep as a memory of your special day.Favors don’t have to be large or expensive. Some are elegant, some are practical and some are just plain fun. Choose a favor that reflects your wedding theme in some way. Many favor ideas can easily be interchanged with various themes just by substituting a decoration or color on the favor.
Budget For The Cost of Wedding Favors
When planning out your wedding budget, be sure to allot about 3% of your money toward favors. Make sure you know the approximate number of guests that will be attending your reception, then you will be better able to estimate the maximum amount of how much each favor can cost. The fewer guests that you have, the more expensive your favors can be, if you so choose.
When making or buying any favors, keep in mind the color scheme of your wedding and use ribbons, tulle, flowers, etc. decorations that reflect your wedding colors.
Once the favors are completed, attach personalized favor tags that have your names and wedding date printed on them. You can use paper tags or monogrammed ribbons that you either create yourself or purchase from a vendor. Some couples also add a small saying to their tags as well.
Delight Your Guests With Unique and Creative Favors
Wedding party favors are only limited by your imagination, so mix and match, and have fun creating your own unique bridal favors.
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How To Ditch A Wedding
March 31, 2008
John’s cousin, Grace, is getting married in Liverpool, UK and he lives in Glasgow, UK. He does not really want to attend the wedding, weddings and such are just not his idea of a fun Saturday. He has already spent time and attended all the functions and parties over the last month that family and friends have had to congratulate her and he wants this weekend for himself.The big problem is that he has a planned fishing trip with the guys on the same weekend as his cousin’s wedding. He has never missed this fishing trip in the last ten years and he doesn’t want to start now.
He decides to head to the internet and see if he can come up with any good ideas to ditch this wedding and still save face. He begins to look for UK online florists that will deliver flowers from Glasgow, UK to Liverpool, UK.
Wow, there are florist that can deliver some nice flower arraignments and bouquets. There were so many choices from bouquets, plants, gifts sets, and even a way of creating your own unique flowers and style.
There were many wonderful choices to consider such as the Classic Charm Basket which is a nice basket filled with scented Freesia, Alstroemeria, Carnations and Chrysanthemums, Timeless Tradition Wrap which is an elegant display of a mix of Carnations, Chrysanthemums, Alstroemeria and Asiatic Lilies, and the Hot Tropical Hand-tied with a mix of tropical flowers and Sunflowers.
He even searched through the gift sets that he could have delivered from Glasgow, UK to Liverpool, UK and he found some very unique ideas such as the Sunbeam Chocolate Surprise which is created with beautiful summer flowers and delightful Maison Fougère chocolates and the Summer Punch & Bubbly Gift Set which uses summer flowers and Veuve Ricotteau Brut which would be perfect for the bride and groom.
He could even choose and create his own flower arraignments and then add balloons, chocolates, or champagne. Now, to decide what would be best. He wanted to send his cousin something nice that she would enjoy and make missing her wedding smooth over easily.
Her favorite flowers had always been tropical and her honeymoon was planned for Aruba, so he chose the Hot Tropical Hand Tied, but he also chose chocolates and champagne. Ordering the flowers and gifts were a breeze, he placed his order online with the UK floral shop and the flower arraignments and gifts were delivered in plenty of time for Grace to enjoy them before the wedding ceremony.
Grace was happy with the flowers and John was happy on the lake fishing with the guys all because of the online UK florist.
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Wedding Destinations
March 31, 2008
Every bride wants her wedding to be one-of-a-kind. Having a wedding at a fabulous resort is one way to make your event more memorable and it is becoming more and more popular with couples planning a wedding.A wedding is a wonderful celebration that brings family and friends together. These days, however, weddings often require travel for many of the guests because people are spread out across the country. If many guests have long distances to travel to begin with, why not choose an exotic location and turn your wedding into a more memorable event for everyone?
Location, Location, Location…
Choosing the right place for your wedding should be first on your “to do” list. This day should be perfect from start to finish - that is why finding the right place should be first on your ‘to do’ list. The place where you and your fiancee will exchange vows will set the mood for your whole wedding celebration. Whether you choose to have your first kiss as a married couple on the beach, or dancing in a ballroom like Cinderella, there are many beautiful locations throughout the world to choose for a destination wedding.
One of the drawbacks of a destination wedding is the expense of flights and the added expense of accommodations that guests would need to pay for. Keep in mind that a lot of your guests may decide not to attend based on these factors. If you have problems with a guest list that is getting out of control, a destination wedding may be the answer to your problems.
Helpful Tip - send invitations early so that your guests will have enough time to make travel plans
Start planning early and book ahead. If you book six months ahead you get better rates on hotels and flights. American Airlines has a special wedding desk (1-800-545-8193) and can offer a special rate if you book for ten guests or more at the same time.
Helpful Tip - Keep in mind that there can be hidden costs such as hotel taxes and/or exchange rates if you are getting married in a foreign country.
According to one recent survey of brides, more than 20% of couples planning a wedding are choosing a destination wedding. One reason the destination wedding has become so popular is that combining your wedding and honeymoon can save money. Destination weddings may also cost less per guest than having your wedding stateside in an elegant ballroom. Finally, be sure to ask about complete wedding packages which are offered by many of the big resorts and cruise lines.
If possible, hire a wedding coordinator at your location (check references) and visit if possible beforehand. Sandals Resorts, for example, have offered a test-drive your honeymoon package from time to time that allows couples to fly in for a weekend and “try them out.” If a couple decides to book a honeymoon or wedding and honeymoon package, the cost of the weekend trip is applied to their honeymoon. Of course, specials like these are subject to change and may not always be available, but its worth looking into.
Before you go be sure to check on local marriage license laws and any paperwork you will need to bring - visa, birth certificate etc. If you are getting married outside on the beach, have a back-up plan if the weather is not cooperating. If you plan to marry in the Caribbean you may want to avoid hurricane season.
Most brides choose an informal style wedding dress for destination weddings because they are easier to pack and wear. Many designers are offering bridal gowns made from light, easy to wear fabric like chiffon and silk crepe that are perfect for an island wedding. Ask your local bridal salon for additional ideas and on how to pack your gown for travel. Many of the resorts may have ironing services or they may be able to recommend a pressing service. If traveling to Europe, ask for a local tailor shop.
The Groom’s Attire
For the groom, a popular option is the all-ivory or all-white tuxedo. Some of today’s hottest tuxedo styles are designed in non-traditional styles and shades.
Whatever location you choose for your wedding, remember to take time to enjoy the day!
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Wedding Disc Jockey
March 31, 2008
Your wedding day is the day when all the details that you’ve always thought about will come together and planing that day may take more than a year to plan. Having the right disc jockey playing the perfect music and creating the atmosphere can get you surprised bringing family and friend closer than ever before.If you understood the importance of a good wedding disc jockey then now comes the though part, finding it. And that takes some looking into and the effort is worth it. Recommended would be not to go the easy way, relying on advertising and other third hand references. Instead, you could ask the banquet manager of some respected banquet facilities in your area for some disc jockey referrals. It’s important that you get the best disc jockey you can find, this is not the area to cut the budget. Book the disc jockey for your wedding at least one year in advance to make sure you have the best.
After making a list of possible disc jockeys you should interview each one and ask your questions before they start selling themselves. Here is a list of questions that you should ask.
- Ask about the years of experience as a disc jockey;
- Ask about the type of experience, wedding or clubs;
- Ask if there are back-up disc jockeys;
- Ask if the person you are interviewing is the disc jockey that will be at you wedding and if not, ask to meet the actual disc jockey;
- Disc jockeys range from quiet to “off the wall” so make sure you ask about their interaction with the public;
- Ask the disc jockey what he’ll wear at the wedding, “tuxedos” should be the answer;
- Ask about the type of music and about how they plan to please everyone;
- Ask if they play guests requests and if they keep the requests in good taste and in the atmosphere of the event;
It is a lot of work but this is very important part of your wedding so make sure you and your fiancee are confident with the wedding disc jockey you’ll choose.
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