Cheapest Wedding

Recently I had the pleasure of helping a friend organise her sister's wedding. It didn't just have to be cheap it had to be the cheapest wedding ever, they had both just finished university and like most students they were pretty broke.

The date was set and to keep costs down the local registery office was the venue, not the prettiest of places, it was definately built for function rather than looks. Luckily the public park was close and we helped find some great places for the photographs.

The bride to be had some fantastic and unusual ideas for her cheap wedding dress but on one of the many shopping trips fell in love with a beautiful cream summer dress, perfect for the wedding day. Shoes were borrowed from the big sister - very important to have sister's or friends with the same size feet!

Flowers were kept very simple with button holes for the groom and best man and a corsage for the bride.

The venue for the wedding reception was at the big sister's garden - not massive but with standing room only 65 people were fitted in - very good job everyone knew each other!

The wedding breakfast was a buffet, all sourced from the local supermarket, and we made a stunning display with fruit as the centerpiece.

The total cost for the wedding was only a few hundred, but the day was beautiful and simple and all about the happy couple.

Right Caterer for Your Wedding Day

Not many decisions will have a larger impact on your wedding reception than the caterer you select for your festivities, not only pertaining to the food, but also other logistical concerns.

Frequently the caterer manages a lot of the setting up and tearing down of your event. The reception can't start unless the dining area is set up with centerpieces in place, as well as a cake table ready for the delivery of the cake. In order to be sure to get your cleaning deposit returned, you need to make sure the site is cleaned up when your event finishes.

The happiness of your guests depends on the food and service at your wedding. Although a lot of attendees won't pay attention to every detail of your event, they will all have an opinion on what you serve. Since everybody eats the food, it will be really obvious if something isn't the right temperature or if glasses stay empty because there are insufficient servers. Tastes and smells elicit powerful mental images. Your wedding day should include a delicious meal that guests are sure to remember.

Since selecting the proper caterer is essential to having a successful wedding day, it's important to know how to find the right one. It's useful to be certain of the kind of food you'd like, as well as the ambiance you're trying to create so you can let potential caterers know. Doing this, can reduce your list of possible caterers; after all you don't need to get an estimate from a BBQ chef if you want a fine-dining event.

Among the elements to take into consideration when selecting a caterer include:

* How much can you spend?

* Will the event facility you have chosen let you use independent caterers?

* Is there a particular type of meal that you are thinking of? Are there any foods you love or hate?

* Are you interested in having a buffet or family style event, a formal dinner, menu item stations, or a different option?

* Would you prefer the caterer do all of the event planning or just provide the food?

* Would you like a full bar service, personally selected drinks, or a mix of the two?

After you figure out what you want, check out catering sites online, or ask friends and family or other event experts you are working with for suggestions. Try to get your list whittled down to just a few caterers that appear to be suitable and start consulting with them.

Some smart things to ask a prospective caterer:

* What dishes do you specialize in? Will you be able to personalize my menu according to my preferences, or do you only offer pre-made menus? Typically, if a caterer charges more, you get a more personalized service.

* What is the median cost per person for your service? What comes included with this?

* When did you start your business?

* How many wedding receptions has your company been involved with?

* How busy is your company on Saturdays and Sundays?

* What is your ratio of servers to attendees? Is an event manager available for every event?

* What kind of experience does the chef possess? No matter how flattering the salespeople are, it means nothing if the kitchen staff does not have talent.

* Are tastings available before booking, after booking, or at all? While there are some regional differences, a lot of caterers currently assess a fee for tastings, which even if it costs a couple hundred dollars is a good idea.

* Will the chef who was at the tasting be present for my event? If the answer is no, then the tasting wasn't very useful.

* Besides catering, what different services do you provide?

First and foremost, you need to feel at ease and feel good about the caterer you select. After all, your wedding is a once in a lifetime event, you want to enjoy every minute of it.

Wedding Dress For Beach Wedding

The marriage of the coast now became tren just and was desired by many couples.And beach wedding is one of the more popular ones. The reasons why beach weddings are popular are that these can be arranged in a relatively shorted duration, can do with less decorations and is comparatively informal than traditional one.

So, if you have decided to have your wedding at a beach, you are going to pick up a dress which goes with this theme. The traditional gown and veil won't do. Think about it, you are going to make a mess of your beautiful dress on a beach if it is a long flowing white satin gown with a long train. The dress could end up in a mess. While choosing your dress you will have to make sure that you are very comfortable in it. Since the wedding is on a beach, it should not be long.

You can go for a lightweight material like chiffon, silk, linen or satin. It is best if it is pretty simple. A simple yet elegant wedding dress would add to the romantic setting on the beach. A sarong would make a lovely wedding dress if you can carry it well along with a nice halter top. You can also go for a strapless or spaghetti straps which would look very beautiful on the beach. You can also go a bit different than traditional white dress. There are various themes within beach theme like Hawaiian theme, carnival theme etc. Hawaiian theme would make a very good and colorful choice. Its your choice, have it your way.

Apart from the dress, special considerations should be given to the wedding footwear as well. Nice heels matching with the wedding dress may look good but they would be impractical to wear on a beach. For a beach wedding, brides should opt of either flat sloes or even barefoot. Sand can be pretty hot during summers therefore keep that in mind if you are planning to be barefoot.

All said, the key thing to remember about beach wedding dress is that it should be light, cool and very comfortable. You can keep it simple without compromising elegance and glamor.

Choosing the Right Wedding Stationaries

One of the largest expenses while getting married is the wedding stationary. You can spend a rather large amount of money on your wedding stationary if you have the funds. Many people view the wedding stationary as a highly important part of the wedding process. They see the wedding stationary as your first chance to show the world who you are as a couple. If you feel this way, you will want to spend a little extra time, money and effort on your wedding stationary. If you view them as simply a means to let everyone know about the wedding, there are many ways you can save money.

You will want to purchase your wedding stationary early. Whether you are having invitations printed professionally or you are going to print your own wedding stationary, you want to send out invitations with enough time for people to plan to make it to your nuptials. One very important thing about your wedding is having the people you care about present. If you don’t send out your wedding stationary with enough time, people might make other plans.

Fancy wedding stationary can be very expensive. Because of this, you should determine your overall wedding budget. Then, you should decide exactly what you want to spend on wedding stationary. If you are looking to spend a lot of money, you might be able to afford nicer wedding stationary on thicker and more expensive paper. Professional printers will offer a wide range of options that can suit any needs. If you are looking to save money, you can make your own invitations from wedding stationary. You can save a lot of cash by opting to make your own wedding stationary rather than hire out. If you are planning to have a huge wedding, this can be a big undertaking.

If you are making the wedding stationary yourself, you should make sure you allow plenty of time. Addressing hundreds of envelopes is no small project and you will want to make sure that everyone on the list gets an invite. You don’t want to be rushing at the last minute to finish up your wedding stationary. You also want to give people time to RSVP so you can know exactly how many people are planning to show up. Weddings are expensive and it is certainly undesirable to have a lot of people fail to respond. You can make your own wedding stationary by going to a craft store. They will generally have paper with nice designs that you can put in your own printer. You can dress up your wedding stationary by adding ribbons or confetti.

Another way to save money on wedding stationary is to send out e-vites. An e-vite is an online invitation. You can use sources such as email or networking sites such as Facebook or Myspace to get the word out. This is also a great way to differentiate between who is coming to the reception and who is just invited to the ceremony. You can send e-vites to a large group of people for the wedding ceremony and then send out paper invitations to those invited to the reception. This can save a lot of money and cut back on confusion.

Modern Choice for Men's Wedding Band

Nowadays, men's wedding bands come is a huge variety of designs and materials, many of which you can only find online or at a specialty jeweler. No longer do grooms need to settle with the plain and lackluster designs at their local jeweler.

One trend that has grown dramatically in popularity is the use of titanium for rings. There are literally hundreds of unique designs available online, and if you're lucky enough to have a skilled artisan in your area, locally. Titanium does require special techniques and equipment, which is why your local jeweler is unlike to carry titanium rings. In fact, it's not uncommon for local jewelers to spread the myth that titanium rings cannot be cut off in case of an emergency. (This is 100% false!)

Titanium is a near-perfect material for rings for several reasons. First, it's hypoallergenic, which means it will not react with human skin triggering allergic reactions. It's also non-reactive with most substances; including most acids, cleaning products and sea water. Titanium is also extremely lightweight, a lot lighter than gold and nearly one-fifth as heavy as platinum. Because of these reasons, titanium has gained widespread usage outside of jewelry, including aircraft, submarines, industrial plants and hip and joint replacements.

What designs are available for titanium men's wedding bands? It has become increasingly popular to have a titanium ring with an inlay material. For example, Koa wood, a native wood to Hawaii, makes for an excellent inlay material for titanium rings. Other popular wood inlays include Mango, Wenge, Cocobolo, Blood, Black and Ivory woods. These rings are always unique to the wearer due the characteristics of the wood.

Other popular titanium wedding band inlay materials include Opal, Turquoise, Tigers Eye, gemstones and, of course, gold and silver. These rings-all unique-are exquisite in their design and stunning in their appearance. For example, the combination of wood and mineral inlays makes for some titanium rings that are unsurpassed in their beauty.

Unfortunately, you are unlikely to discover all the possibilities at your local jewelry shop. You need to go online and buy from a reputable online store. If the store does not allow you to customize your ring width, profile and size, you should look elsewhere as they are probably just a reseller and do not make the rings they sell.



Source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/men/article_285.shtml

Choose the Best Wedding Gifts

A wedding is one of those important days that you want to remember for the rest of your life. Whenever you get an invitation card to one, you are faced with the dilemma of picking out a gift for the couple. It is one of the hardest decisions that you have to make because you want to get something that is practical and also special.

Most newly-weds end up receiving similar gifts from different friends and family members and this can get quite irritating and they usually end up giving them out. It may seem rude that a couple would exchange the gifts they get, but the reality is that you don’t need more than two blenders for example.

The most common idea that people come up with is the use of registry wedding gifts that lack the personal touch that picking out a gift has. Avoid such plans if you because it may be worse to give a gift that is impersonal than not giving one at all.

Ensure that your gift is exceptional and impressive such that the likelihood of any other person getting the couple the same gift is very low. The moment they open up the gift they should be filled with delight and always remember it. Remember that the couple is now becoming one so give them a gift they can both make use of. The gift should not just be for one of them but for both of them and therefore should symbolize their unity.

Giving a gift that the couple can enjoy together may be difficult and if this is the case then you can get one that represents your relationship with the person who you are closest to either the bride or groom. Such a gift can be one that shows a stage they went through like their childhood. It can be as simple as the pebbles you picked during your play dates on the beach. One of the best gifts can be a picture from the past in a nice picture frame that will let the couple reminisce about the days gone by. It may seem simple but simplicity with a personal touch will work for you anytime you have a wedding to attend and are at a loss about what gift to get.

Try to think about something that the couple would need and in the process of making plans they forget to get it. Helping the couple with the wedding arrangements like taking care of the catering during the wedding can also be a gift to them. This can make things easy for them and they will appreciate the thought.


Source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/relationships/article_1810.shtml

Adventurous Wedding Gifts

The newlyweds will be desperate for a pick me up of some kind once all the predictable wedding gifts have been stashed away in cupboards. An adventurous wedding gift for two can be saved and experienced together at the right time, giving them a new lease of life. For a really adrenalin pumping hair raising experience, a High Speed Ride at Rockingham in a choice of two-seater racing car, wildly exciting American Stock Car or Pick Up Truck will make them feel really alive. With crash helmet safely in place they will be chauffeur driven around the fastest race track in the UK, inches away from walls and zooming around the oval track at top speeds.

If this is a little too extreme for the bride and groom they are bound to enjoy a half day learning to surf, on the best beaches in Newquay, where they will learn safety and surfing skills and techniques before taking to the waves for a thrilling ride. Aqua Sphereing for Two is a wild and exhilarating experience not to be missed. As unusual wedding gifts go, this has to be the most unusual and the togetherness and bonding that this experience creates between the couple will not be lost on them. Inside huge water filled spheres will be the happy, yet perhaps a tad apprehensive couple, who then roll down a hill, still within this object, probably clutching each other while they are cushioned by the softening effect of the water. Screaming is permitted although really not necessary as they will not actually roll down the hill. Rather, they will slide comfortably down the hill, surrounded by 30 litres of aqua, enjoying an immensely fun experience.

If physical exertion is not their thing, perhaps a scary Ghost Hunting Break for two might have them clinging to one another in fear. This unusual wedding gift is really three presents rolled into one. There is the overnight stay in a beautiful location and quality hotel. In addition, there is the paranormal briefing, including learning to use dowsing equipment and tour around the most paranormally sensitive areas within the building with a psychic. As if that is not enough, there is the sumptuous three course dinner with wine and full English breakfast next day. A debriefing occurs at around 2am, before the couple hit the sack. Sleep is not guaranteed as part of the experience though, as by then they will be scared beyond belief and loving every minute of it.

Another adventurous wedding gift experience for two is the Indoor Skydiving session, taking place in a wind tunnel that is used for racing car aerodynamics testing. With all the right gear on, the couple can enjoy the experience of freefall without the dangers of an outdoor environment. They are bound to love the thrill of this unusual wedding gift as they pretend to be birds learning to fly.

For the more sedate and perhaps older wedding couple, a really fabulous and stylish adventurous wedding gift is a Gourmet Classic Car Day which lets them choose to drive a lovely Alpha Spider or classic Jensen Interceptor and follow a pre-arranged rural route around some of the UK's finest scenery and landscapes. They then stop off for a gourmet lunch in a top quality restaurant before returning back to base. This unusual wedding gift is for those couple who love to pose. So let them pretend that the classic car they are driving is theirs forever. If you can't have your dreams when you are just married, when can you have them?


Source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/relationships/article_1811.shtml

Flower Girl Dress Styles for a Spring Wedding

Spring is just around the bend and flowers are beginning to bloom. Birds are chirping their songs of merriment. No time of year evokes feelings of love and new beginnings quite like springtime, making it a favorite time of year for weddings.

When it comes to dressing your bridal party, many brides like to use the vibrant colors of nature as their guide. While this tactic will help wedding colors take shape, it will not always lead you to the best style. If you could use a little help, here are some beautiful flower girl dress styles for a spring wedding.

Floral Inspiration

Nothing makes us think of spring quite like the image of flowers. Why not make this young member of your bridal party the flower girl in more than one way? Not only can she sprinkle petals, but she can also feature beautiful blooms on her dress.

Consider a satin dress with a floral skirt for your flower girl. The colors of the season are alive on a sleeveless dress that will look at home on any girl. To add the perfect finishing touch, pair it with a simple pair of sandals and a matching headband. For weddings scheduled for earlier in the season, a white or ivory crochet sweater is perfect to fend off the chill.

Spring Colors

For the bride who wants to limit the flowers to her bouquet, a solid color dress is a great way to incorporate color without compromising taste. A tea-length ball gown in satin is a classic option. Wide spaghetti straps work well with the season and all of the hottest color trends are available.

A great accessory for this style of dress is a coordinating sash or bow, especially since the satin is unadorned with any embellishments. The addition of wrist length gloves will help add a bit of glamour. Finish the ensemble with matching sandals and your flower girl will be ready to walk down the aisle in style.

A Hint of Color

Many brides enjoy the beauty of the classic white dress, but still want a hint of the color from their bridesmaid dresses. For the older flower girl, a satin dress with spaghetti straps and a lace-up back may be exactly the look for which the bride has been searching. With wide bands of color at the top and hemline of this floor length A-line gown, it is the perfect compromise between tradition and color.

A floral hair wreath will help remind everyone who the flower girl is, even when she is no longer carrying her basket of flowers. A slight heel for the girl comfortable with the extra height keeps this dress from dragging the ground, potentially as a trip hazard. For the bride not wearing white herself, ivory is also available.

Simple Elegance

If your wedding is a more formal affair where you will be walking down the aisle in true queen for the day fashion, why not let your flower girl dress like a princess? Choose a champagne satin dress with delicate spaghetti straps. The pick-up skirt will keep the hem of this floor length gown off the floor and the intricate embroidery on the bodice will make this dress an elegant choice.

A hazelnut sash gives the eye a perfect place to rest as it attempts to take in all the detail of this gorgeous gown. Top off the look with a tasteful tiara, jeweled sandals and elbow length gloves. Your flower girl will look as though she just stepped off the pages of a fairy tale in time for your wedding.

Classic Beauty

Few dresses can ever hope to rival the traditional beauty of the white flower girl dress. If timeless class is the look you crave for your wedding then a gown with a split front A-line embroidered skirt is the perfect option. Beaded embroidery on a sleeveless satin bodice ensures sophistication from neckline to floor length hem. In addition, the netting that provides the slight flair of the skirt is made from nylon, making it an itch-free alternative.

Spring Style

While there are as many different styles of flower girl dress as there are bridal gowns, a few style choices are a perfect match for spring weddings. Bare shoulders are in fashion so leave the puffy sleeves in the dress shop. Open toe shoes to show off polished toenails are a must. Of course, do not forget about color because every color is back on the table as nature blooms back into life.



Source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/women/article_2809.shtml

How to Choose the Best Wedding Invitations

Choosing the best wedding invitations means more than just picking top of the line cards and papers. It means choosing wedding invitations that reflect your style and the style of your wedding, as well as choosing wedding invitations that give your guests all the information they need in order to attend your wedding.

It is important to remember that the purpose of your wedding invitations is to give your prospective guests important information. That is why wedding invitations often contain so many parts. A full wedding invitation suite would include everything from Save the Date cards to Thank You cards, preferably all in the same style. One of the things you should consider when deciding on the best invitations for your wedding is whether there are coordinating pieces of stationery for all of your wedding stationery needs.

Of course, there are other factors to consider when choosing wedding invitations for your special event. Here’s how to pick the best wedding invitations to reflect the special style of your wedding day.

Choose wedding invitations that reflect the formality of your wedding

How formal is your wedding? If you are planning a formal wedding, you might want to choose wedding invitations that follow the “rules” of etiquette for wedding invitations. That means engraved wedding invitations in white or cream with black text, but it does not mean that you are confined to invitations that look like every other wedding invitation.

Even if you are choosing formal invitations, there is a surprising variety of styles in embossing, fonts and designs from which to choose. Whether you choose a timeless classic like Ivory Elegance or the more subtle beauty of Refined Grace, your wedding invitations will be a unique reflection of your formal, traditional wedding.

Semiformal and casual weddings open up an entire range of wedding invitations styles from which you can choose, or even design your own wedding invitations entirely. The invitations that you choose can use color, images and even photographs of the bride and groom. You may choose gatefold invitations with a photo of the bride and groom on the cover that open to reveal the printed text of the invitation itself, or pick a brightly accented invitation with matching foil liners for the invitation envelope.

Reflect your chosen colors in your wedding invitations

No matter what colors you have chosen for your wedding, you can find wedding invitations that reflect those colors. You have your choice of standard wedding invitations in cream or white with just a touch of your wedding colors in the form of ribbons or borders, or pick wedding invitations that make fuller use of your chosen colors in background papers, print or overall design. You can find colorful invitations that reflect your wedding colors when you choose a line of wedding invitations designed in house by the same designers that created your wedding dresses and other wedding stationery.

Find wedding invitations that suit the theme of your wedding

Theme weddings have never been more popular than they are now. Many couples choose to be married in a beach or island setting, in a medieval castle or in a garden that pays homage to Mother Nature. If you have decided to build your wedding around a theme, the best wedding invitations for you may be those that fit right into theme. For a beach wedding, you may choose invitations embossed with delicate shells and fronds, while the best wedding invitations for your fabulous Great Gatsby Roaring 20s wedding may feature art deco styling and bright colors.

Pick wedding invitations created by your favorite designers

Many designers of fabulous wedding dresses have opened their design lines to include a full line of bridal designs – not only wedding gowns and bridesmaid dresses, but wedding stationery, invitations and table décor. Let designers help you coordinate your wedding invitations with your wedding style by choosing a line of invitations inspired by your favorite designer.

Pick wedding invitations that are part of the season

If you are having a summer wedding, choose invitations that are light and breezy with lots of floral accents. The winter bride might choose a snowflake theme for her wedding invitations. You can find plenty of wedding invitations that are seasonal, reflecting the mood for both the time of year and traditional holidays when you shop online bridal shops.

Of course, the most important part of finding the best wedding invitations is to find wedding invitations that you love, and that reflect your style as a couple. The very best way to ensure that your wedding invitations are a perfect match for your wedding is to design them yourself. Many wedding designers now offer you the option to create your own wedding invitations right online.


http://www.articlecity.com/articles/relationships/article_1816.shtml