Friday, April 2, 2010
Weddings in a tuff Economy (Wedding on a Budget)
Psted by Capital Entertainment
From church weddings to garden weddings; from traditional to modern, engaged couples are given a wide range of choices to choose from. While others prefer to have garden weddings, more couples still want to keep the traditional church wedding to actually have the blessing from the priest or the pastor. Others believe that having a garden wedding which is considered the modern one gives more lavish and makes the wedding memorable.
The economic crisis that hits the world nowadays makes it difficult for couples to decide on getting married as well as plan for their dream wedding. The word dream wedding is actually disappearing in the vocabulary of the most average couples nowadays. With the word itself, a dream wedding spells money, which is actually a lot of it and it isn't just possible for most people who have thinner bank accounts. Even those who have money still hesitate on spending more money on their weddings because of the complexity of life nowadays. However, it wouldn't be that nice either if couples sacrifice the kinds of wedding that you want just because you have limited resources or because they are hesitant to spend more.
Achieving the dream wedding that you want to have though is not that difficult as long as you carefully plan for it. The best way to solve this dilemma is to plan for an economic wedding. It sounds very sad since planning for an economic wedding means squeezing your limited budget to have a wedding. Well, if only everybody's pockets are as deep as their love for each other, then planning for an economic wedding is out of the question. Yet, we have to accept that fact that weddings are really expensive.
Making smart decisions on having an economic wedding would surely keep you're the costs under control. It is inevitable to spend more on food especially when you are planning to invite many guests. Thus, cutting the costs on other aspects of the wedding is a smart move. Schedule ahead at a low-cost location. When planning for the wedding, pick the off-peak season. This will also give you ample time to look for a low-cost location such as clubhouse for example or a garden that offers low package deals. This will give you at least 50% discount compared to doing it on the peak season and follow the June bride tradition.
Pick the right decorations. Decorations for the wedding are usually expensive but decorating the place strategically would cut some costs. When you are planning on a garden wedding, decorate only the parts that are visible to the guests. Decorating the whole place is impractical. The flowers to be used have to be chosen carefully too. Choose local and seasoned flowers instead of the imported ones. Settle for a simple gown. Gone are those days when brides wore long veils and fluffy bridal dresses. Choosing a simple gown would not only cut your unnecessary expenses but also show your natural beauty as a bride.
You see. Having an economic but great wedding is not difficult to achieve. Plan well and make smart decisions.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
The order of a wedding reception
After the wedding ceremony comes the reception. We all know what the usual parts of a reception are, but not everyone knows the standard order of the events. To help you plan the perfect wedding, take a look at this guide to the order of events at a wedding reception.
Generally, after the marriage ceremony, the newlyweds will duck off for photographs while the guests mingle at the cocktail hour. The next time that the bride and groom are seen again will be when they make their grand entrance to the wedding reception. This is often done with great fanfare. In some cases, the bride may even choose to change out of the bridal gown and wedding jewelry which she wore for the ceremony into a party dress and more bold wedding jewelry for the reception.
This changeover ensures that when the newlyweds make their entrance, they will really make an impression! The bandleader announces the bride and groom by saying something like, "For the first time ever, please welcome Mr. and Mrs. Michael Jones!" and the guests respond with cheers and applause as the joyous newlyweds enter the room. Often, the couple will choose a meaningful and upbeat song to play during their entrance.
Following the arrival of the bride and groom at the reception, there will be a Champagne toast (if your wedding is on a tight budget, this may be the only time Champagne is served at the reception). Custom says that the first toast is always given by the best man. The maid of honor is next, if she chooses to speak. Then the fathers of the bride and groom follow, along with any other family or friends who wish to propose a toast.
The speeches conclude when the groom or bride (or both) give a brief toast along the lines of how happy they are and how grateful they are to all of their guests for joining them on their special day. It should be noted that the persons being honored in a toast should only raise their glass, not drink from it. This old piece of etiquette can be helpful when there is speech after speech and the bride does not wish to have too much to drink on an empty stomach (the wedding guests of course, have already been chowing down at the cocktail hour, so they don't have this problem).
Speaking of empty stomachs, after the toasts, it is time for dinner to be served. Once dinner reaches its conclusion, the bride and groom will have the ceremonial cake cutting, and then the cake will be served. This is followed by the bride and groom's first dance. A recent trend has been to move the first dance to the moment when the newlyweds make their grand entrance; in that case, the floor would just open to general dancing at this point. If the bride and groom have their first dance after the cake cutting, it is followed by spotlight dances with their parents and the wedding party.
Towards the end of the wedding reception, the bandleader will announce that the bride is going to toss her bouquet. After that, the couple will either resume dancing, or prepare to make their grand exit. In some regions, it is customary for the newlyweds to change into going away outfits before they make their formal exit, surrounded by cheers and congratulations as they dash off into their waiting limo to head off on their honeymoon.
choosing the right wedding venue.
There are certain things you have to consider before selecting a wedding reception venue for your dream day. Of course you want each and everything to be no less than perfect so here a few simple tips for determining the most appropriate reception venue for wedding.
First of all the location of the reception party should be easily reachable and suitable for all the invited guests. Take into consideration the distance, traveling time, along with accessibility and accommodation services (if required). Your wedding date would also make a lot of difference in choosing a venue. If it is a peak time of the year (such as Christmas) when your wedding will take place then you must book the venue ahead of time (3-4 months back) as in the end, you won't be finding any place available to book as your wedding reception venue.
Also, before selecting your wedding venue, you have to consider the number of guests you will invite. For instance, if you have invited 500 people then the wedding party venue should be having a lot of room or else you invited guests will feel upset and frustrated because no one wants to spend his/her time in a place which is congested. At the same time if the reception venue you choose can hold up to 500 people and you invited only 200 then it would look empty and boring. So, it is advisable here that you must select a party venue considering the number of guests that will be attending your wedding reception.
Weather would be an important factor as well such as a covered venue would be good if your wedding is taking place in winter or if it is summer time then you can go for an uncovered venue since you would want to spend most of the time outdoors with your guests.
If you are planning your wedding out of city or far from your residence then you must make sure the accommodation services ahead of time as well. Apart from accommodation, facilities such as catering, decoration, music and etc must also be considered before selecting wedding reception venue.
So, above mentioned are some simple tips for determining most appropriate wedding reception venue. It is advisable here that you would need to follow all the above mentioned tips in order to select most appropriate wedding reception venue for your wedding because overlooking any aspect will leave you in a mess in the end, which you would not want at all.
The four types of weddings in Baton Rouge Louisiana
For most couples, the very basic of wedding planning is the decision on what type of wedding they shall be having. For the knowledge of everyone, the tradition of wedding is represented in different styles. Four of the most famous types of wedding are civil, military, non-traditional, and religious. I guess most of you have already encountered these types of wedding, but let us try to isolate their differences and concepts.
Civil wedding is often facilitated by a judge, a particular Marriage Commissioner, or a Justice of the Peace. The ceremony is done outside the church. Although couples are given the chance to decide for the venue, most would still prefer to proceed on a courthouse so that the small ceremony can be started, not to mention that it only involves a very minimal amount. You can confirm amount of wedding fees by visiting the website of the county's government. Some people might find civil weddings as impersonal and indirect, they may be were misled by their impression. Civil weddings do not deprive the quality of a wedding that you want. You can still do it by large or in formal gathering. If you do not like a big crowd, then you can also opt for a small group. Venues can either be indoor or outdoor.
A military wedding is given to those people who come from the military. In fact, once you or your fiancée serves the military, you will be qualified for a full military ceremony for your wedding. The event usually happens in a military chapel. The person who comes from the military is prescribed to wear certain attire which comprises dark during winter and white during summer. A formal event of a military ceremony may sometimes require the military officers to bring a sword. There are instances too wherein the couple is assisted on their walk through the exit by forming the arch of swords.
The non-traditional wedding is quiet alike to the civil wedding - the only thing is that it can provide religious overtones for those couple who are a part of a particular non-traditional religion. A qualified individual coming from your organization can take the place of an officiator and will be the one in-charge on your wedding. The wedding ceremony can be comprised of various religious elements.
The religious wedding is perhaps the most known type of wedding. The wedding ceremony is applicable for two people who have the same values and faith. For some couple who has different faith, some other option can be granted.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Ten Baton Rouge Wedding Favors
There are so many things to do when you are getting married. It can be overwhelming to even the most organized of brides. You have to set the date, secure where the wedding and the reception will be held, get your dress, pick the members of your parties, interview the photographer, caterer, and reception entertainment, and this is just the beginning to the almost endless list of responsibilities when planning your wedding. One part of your big day that a lot of brides sadly overlook, or wait till the last minute to think about, is the wedding guest favors and the wedding party favors. It is important that you show your thanks to each guest for coming and each member of your party for playing a role in your special day. Let us look at 10 great ideas for favors, 5 for your guests and 5 for the members of your party
You will first want to decide how you will give out your favors to your guests; will they be unisex with each person getting 1, will you have different gifts for men and women, or will you give family favors. Here are 5 great ideas for favors. If you want to give each person the same gift, you will want something that both men and women will like; you could go with a nice metal bookmarker, these can be inexpensive, yet nice and can include your name and wedding date. Candles are another favor that works well for men and women; try picking a scent or color that matches your wedding theme. If you would like to give different favors to men and women you will want to make sure you have plenty of each of hand so that either sex doesn't end up with a favor for the opposite. Men will really like a bottle stopper for their fine wines and liquors. Woman will fall in love with miniature manicure sets. Lastly, if you would rather give a slightly larger favor, one per family, then I would suggest giving your guests a really nice set of glass or crystal coasters.
When you think about giving favors to your wedding party you want to make them a lot more personalized than the favors you give to the guests. Often it is really smart to give each person a different gift to suit his or her own personality. Here are 5 favors that your wedding party will thank you for. Let us start with the ladies; one of the best ideas I've come across, and one I used for my wedding, is to give each lady a piece of jewelry that she can wear during the wedding. Could be a pretty bracelet, earrings, or a necklace. You just want to make sure you buy them something nice, not a piece that will turn them green. Pearls are a great option for this. What about a monogrammed cosmetic or toiletry bag? What lady in your party wouldn't love her own special cosmetic or toiletry bag. Lastly for the ladies, a gift certificate to a local spa or salon would be a very nice way to say thanks. For the men I would highly recommend cufflinks, possibly something they can wear for the wedding. A gift that most men will love is monogrammed beer glasses.
It is important to remember that no matter how small or large your budget is you need to give a favor in thanks to all who attend your wedding. Putting time into picking out favors that will be liked by the guests shows that you really care about them and are truly happy they came to help you celebrate your new life.
Father of the bride wedding speeches
Maybe it's all that is stated above and more.
During the wedding, the bride's father is in a complex position, where he has mixed feelings of love, happiness and sadness because he finally realizes that his little child is going to have a life of her own with the person she loves. He has to give his daughter away to another man.
Father of the bride speeches are a formality but they are a great way for the father to accept that his lovely bud has now blossomed into a flower and it is time to give her away. It is also the best time to welcome the new man. It isn't that easy to express your feelings in limited words, so just let your heart guide you. Father of the bride speeches should be memorable, humorous, witty and sincere. Whatever you write in your father of the bride speech won't be found anywhere, for it is exclusive.
Father of the bride speeches are usually touching, heartfelt and warm. Walking down the aisle with your daughter can be the proudest but a very heart rending moment for a father. He has to accept the fact that he has been sweetly nudged by his daughter to obtain the second position for the most important man in her life.
However you have to prepare a speech and show her how happy you are for her. All father of the bride speeches are serious with a pinch of humor. When it comes to giving that wonderful father of the bride speeches, you should be very careful not to embarrass anyone, especially your daughter. It is fine to talk about her young age, her growing up years, and such sweet moments like a family outing, or her first step, teaching her to ride a bike etc. Try and keep the stories short and sweet.
Another aspect that should not be ignored in the father of the bride speeches is the topic about your son in law. Everyone loves a little humor and stories; this is normally expected in the father of the bride speeches. Be sure to compliment the groom and welcome him and his family to your own and even let him know how he makes your daughter happy.
You should write the father of the bride speech well in advance, and even get a second opinion on the format. Practice is very important; if you are the nervous types it will help you gain confidence. Speak clearly so that everyone can hear and appreciate your speech. Father of the bride speeches are elite, make it your best.
