Your reception can be elegant, with candlelight and classical music, a hoe-down with country music, a rowdy square-dance. The choice depends on the personalities and lifestyles of the bridal couple.
Whatever your choice, it should be fun and memorable.
Some couples uses specialists to create the entire event and some use them to provide a specific talent.
Getting Help
To get some idea of the services that are available in your community, check out the yellow pages of the phone book, the manager of the hall, hotel or club, musician’s guilds, embassies, cultural or ethnic organizations and friends or acquaintances.
Costs will vary widely according to what you want and your negotiating skills, but expect to pay 50 percent on booking (non refundable) and 50 percent the day of the performance.
Money for Life By Steven B. Smith This is a unique book that many readers will find very worthwhile. Unlike many financial books, it uses a third person fictional narrative to get the point across in the first portion of the book. You’ll be reading about a fictional couple as they attempt to (mis)manage their finances and......
Quick Green Reads For The Weekend Volume Seventy Five. Today I am heading down the hill to see a dermatologist, as right after we arrived here in New Mexico my guy back in California called and told me that a mole I had removed was, in fact, melanoma. He says that it was early enough and shallow enough......
Forex DVD Courses Are Extremely Effective In order to succeed in forex an amateur trader needs to follow these tips: 3 tips for getting started as a beginner to currency trading. Tip One: Choose a trusted agent of commerce that can provide a reliable trading platform. Choosing a forex broker is not an easy thing. Normally......
Decide how formal the wedding will be. Are you wearing a long gown? A veil? Is the service in place of worship? Are you having attendants? What is the venue for the reception? This is your guide in choosing an invitation and it is your guests’ guide in knowing how formal the occasion will be.
Look at a variety of sample invitations and check out the card or paper stock, the colour and the available ink colours. Look at the thickness and size of the various options.
Check out typefaces and layouts.
Consider ribbon ties, wax seals, translucent overlays and other extras.
WORDING
A formal wedding should have formal wording, but formal doesn’t translate to old-fashioned. (The old custom of referring to the bride by her given names but giving the groom the title of “Mister” is not acceptable to very many brides.)
The invitations will start with the name or names of those who are hosting the wedding, followed by the names of the bridal couple. If the couple is hosting their own wedding, the invitation will start with their names.
The invitation will include the time, date and location of the wedding. It will not include RSVP. That goes on a separate response card, which must have a stamp.
TIMING
Order your invitations at least three months before the wedding date. Order more than you think you need because there are always last minute additions (and you want a few for keepsakes). It’s expensive to have to reorder.
Mail your invitations six weeks before the wedding.
COST
The cost will depend on how elaborate the invitation is, the type of paper stock you choose, and how many inserts you need, like double outer envelopes, response cars and their envelopes, tissue covers and reception cards.
Creating an Inviting Home Garden with Landscaping Ideas pt 2 Patios and decks are both more than capable of giving you a really wonderful place where you can host family events, family gatherings and other special types of entertainment. At the same time, it is quite possible for you to add a small patio to a special little garden area......
Religious Stationery For Invitations Baptism, Announcements and Cards In today's world everyone is busy in their own life. Even today religion and spirituality occupy an important place in our lives. We are what our religion makes us and molds us into. Religion determines our vision and attitude towards life. Thus no religious function is celebrated without close friends......
Free Wedding Checklist I got married last year December 6, 2008 to my beautiful wife Janet. Yeah I know, there was no announcement of any sort in this blog. The reason was plain simple, I was too busy. From work to getting ready for the wedding, time to blog was not a convenience......
US unveils plan to make online transactions safer [/caption] WASHINGTON – In the murky world of the Internet, how do you ever really know who you're talking to, who you're buying from or if your bank can actually tell it's you when you log in to pay a bill? Amid growing instances of identity theft, bank account breaches......
Have Something Different For Your Hen Night Something Different For Your Hen Night Image by YoHandy via Flickr by Rebecca Hughes If we look into the history of hen night, it used to be a dinner party for the bride-to-be by her friends, and family, a few days before her wedding. However, this tradition has been transformed......
Orlando Party TV - Orlando, Florida Filipe Costa is proof that the entrepreneurial spirit is still alive despite the lagging economy. Last year Costa founded Orlando Party TV, an online channel highlighting events from around the Central Florida area. In a few short months, Orlando Party TV has covered events such as Open Mike Nights......
Not so long ago, Wednesday weddings were popular in Canada. Shops and businesses were regularly closed on that day or, at the very least, open for only a half day, enabling friends and relatives to attend a mid-week wedding without losing time at work. Ontario was the first province to give up the custom, but it persisted well into the second half of the decade in many regions.
And a Victorian rhyme advises that those who choose Wednesday for their wedding day will have the greatest luck – giving credence to the choice.
In Charlottetown, the future Mrs. Murray got wed on a Wednesday afternoon in 1935 and the groom was back on the job the next day, earning four dollars a day.
Marilyn Burgess of Burlington remembers moving from Ontario to Regina as late as the 1970’s and being surprised at the Wednesday store closures.
Moore leads Huskies back to the Final Four [/caption] By RUSTY MILLER, AP Sports Writer DAYTON, Ohio (AP)—The Connecticut Huskies swear they’re not perfect. Their last 76 opponents might disagree. Maya Moore scored 22 points to lead the Huskies past Florida State 90-50 on Tuesday night, sending the defending champions back to the Final Four and stretching......
Triathlon Training: Distances Goals are exceptional to have, but you should only be setting goals that are truly realistic. If you are setting training goals that are well beyond your capabilities, then you are going to end up getting hurt and failing as a result. With this in mind, keep it in mind......
Budgeting For Your Wedding There is no other way that this can be said: Weddings can be really expensive! Of course, when you think about it, there are different degrees of expensive, and it is important for you to figure out where you and your significant other fit in on this scale. For some......
The Egyptians were the first to wear a ring on the fourth finger of the left hand, believing the vein of love ran from this finger directly to the heart.
The Romans gave a plain iron hoop, symbolizing the cycle of life and eternity. The ring also served as a public pledge that a marriage had been contracted and would be honored.
The ancient Romans thought diamonds were splinters of stars fallen to earth. The ancient Greeks thought diamonds were tears of the gods.
In 1477, the diamond engagement ring made its first apperance, given to Mary of Burgundy by Archduke Maxmillian of Austrailia.
A Canadian chapter in diamond history
From the northern wilds of Canada, there is a new source of light. The Ekati diamond. Only the finest stones from this mine earn the privilege of kepping the Ekati name. These are the only Canadian diamonds to be rated “triple ideal,” certifying them with the world’s top designation.
Diamonds attract oil and grease, such as soap film. Maintain the brilliance with REGULAR CLEANING!
Investing in Diamond Mining and Production with TSX and TSXV-Listed Diamond Stocks When all the attention is on gold investing and the boom in gold prices, you might also want to look elsewhere in the mining markets to expand the resource portion of your portfolio. In this post I'll give you a summary of some of Canada's best diamond stocks - including......
Citi Diamond Preferred Rewards Card Review If your credit card lacks a rewards program or you’re simply in search of a different card, then you might want to see what Citi has on tap. I’ve written a bit about their offerings in this Citi credit cards review, but this time, I’d like to specifically check......
You’re probably more interested than you imagined you would be in the wedding planning process. Perhaps surprisingly, you find yourself checking out bands or DJs, having an opinion about the dinner menu and discovering the tuxedo options.
Be a good listener.
Your bride has, in the past, been more involved and more interested in weddings, so pay attention to her dream. She will have a myriad of preconceived notinos, so take them seriously.
If you think you can improve on some of her thoughts, speak up and make your case, but our guess is that you will increasingly rely on her judgement and past experience. After all, she may have been playing at being a bride since she was a little girl.
Be gently truthful
It’s your wedding too, so have your say without being obsinate. Have a good reason why you don’t like some ideas and offer, for consideration, a number of better solutions.
Do the work.
If you have some strong ideas and convince your bride that you’re on the right track, be prepared to do the work. If you want a jazz band, do the phoning, find out whre they can be heard, get costs, get the hours of music they provide for that cost, find out about their amplifier systems and how long they need to set up. If it’s your idea, it’s your job to make it happen.
Make it fun.
This should be a time of joy, fun, expectations and excitement. Don’t let the decision-making become onerous. Settle each category and then move on. Don’t keep revisiting your decisions or the planning will be a chore instead of a joy.
Planning a Phased Retirement I don't have any statistics to cite but my belief is that more baby boomers are thinking about a phased retirement. There seem to be fewer folks who can financially or emotionally adjust to going from full-time employment to no employment in a single leap. I am in that category.......
The Best Of Both Worlds Marine aquarists have to make a decision before the planning of an aquarium system even begins - is it to be a fish only aquarium or a reef aquarium. For the most part the desire is for a captive reef. Choosing a captive reef system is entirely understandable. What could......
3 Reasons Why You Need Multiple Streams of Income One of the hottest concepts right now is the premise of creating multiple streams of income. While everyone wouldn’t mind making a little extra cash, there are even more benefits that can be reaped from having more than one source of income. Let’s go over just a few of them.......
A survey showed that one in five brides was embarrassed by the speech of the best man. So a word to the wise: humor that is indiscreet, embarrasses the couple in front of their guests and parents, or involves the use of coarse language is inappropriate. And it makes the best man, himself, look like a jerk!
For a few minutes, the best man is centre stage - and some men are nervous, but others can’t resist tying to be Jerry Seinfeld, and its almost always an embarrassment.
The job is to be sincere, fit the mood of the occasion,and tell a personal story or two about moments the best man has shared with the groom.
Fun Guy, poor best man
Sometimes a groom’s best friend is great fun and knows how to have a good time, but is a disaster as a best man.
He can’t be relied on to look after all the duties that accompany the honour, and his obligations get handed on to other people.
The best man is always the groom’s choice (never the bride’s choice, no matter how uncomfortable she is with the selection), but teh groom would do well to go over the variety of choices for which his friend will be accountable before he makes a final decision.
Kiss and Tell: Elaine Lowe on Her Hero by Elaine Lowe, guest blogger My husband is my own personal hero. On the inside of his wedding ring, I engraved, "My Hero", and that was long before I was ever a romance writer. He is the master of making me smile and blush, my sounding board, the fixer of......
Why Religion is Not That Important For Me! Religion is probably one of the most powerful aspects of our daily life. It brings courage, belief, trust, peace, hope, unity and togetherness to all humane being, society and even to the nations. It makes people happy, respecting each others and be in harmony. It inspires people to imagine and......
The Paranormal Hero: Angels and Why We Love Them by Madelyn Ford, guest blogger and author of My Avenging Angel Think of Michael casting Lucifer from Heaven, strong, powerful, and protective. The consummate bad-boy with wings and a huge sword, kicking ass and taking names. What girl wouldn’t swoon with that guarding her? But unlike real life, this......
My husband comes from a “touchy feely” family. I come from a long line of ice cubes.
Jeff taught me the value of human contact. He often hugs me and whispers sweet nothings into my ear.
Reciprocating and responding to those warm fuzzies have been a challenge for me, but I’m working on it and the results have been wonderful.
We give each other back rubs and foot rubs. We take showers together. We hold hands when we take walks.
shared interests
If your mate love sports and you’re into classical music and art, it may not come naturally to appreciate a game of hockey or football. But for the rewards of learning about each others interests can be great.
Recently I watched the Master’s golf tournament with my husband. It would not have been my first choice for a Saturday activity, but it made his day, that I joined him.
Kathy and Jeff Coopers children are grown and gone. One would think that the pizzazz in the Cooper’s marriage would have diminished over the years, yet they seem like newlyweds.
Every morning Jeff and Kathy set out together on their morning jog and they love camping. They’ve learned to enjoy each other’s interests.
The bottom line: Shared interests help bind a relationship together.
Dare to Dream and share the thought
failures and triumphs
Romantic couples share their triumphs and fears.
Their mate should be the one person with whom they can talk about their inadequacies, their fears, their disappointments. This also should be the person with whom you can’t wait to share their victories
Go out to dinner, just the two of you, to celebrate a victory at work. Scribble a note of encouragement on the home message board when your mate is facing a tough day. Share a prayer to uplift a sagging spirit.
dream together
Jeff and I have longed to own a Victorian home but our finances have never permitted it. So instead of the real thing we settled for an enormous Victorian doll house, one that Jeff painstakingly assembled. It remains a shared symbol of our romantic dream.
An older friend of mine said,”Roger tells me his dreams about growing old together, and sitting on a porch in rocking chairs, with children, and grandchildren running around.”It’s a romantic and comforting picture.
Small acts of kindness and compassionate gestures all work together to keep the sparks flying.
The chase isn’t over after you say “I Do” It’s just the beginning.
55+ and Baby Boomer Housing and Relocation Trends The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and MetLife Mature Market Institute (MMI) just released a report on their joint study of housing and relocation trends for the 55+ age group, i.e., baby boomers. The results are quite interesting. The MMI report analyzes the communities where boomer and older households......
Choosing a Spot to Hunt Continued from part 1... The more that you know and understand about the preferences and the behavior characteristics of the animal that you are hunting, the easier it is going to be for you to choose the proper hunting spot. The ideal hunting spot is going to be one that......
Improve Your Life - An Interview with Leo From Zen Habits. One of my favorite bloggers, Leo from Zen Habits, agreed to my request for a quick interview with a resounding yes! You see, Leo is one positive guy, his posts are always spot on, inspiring and informative. Zen Habits is a place you want to visit to learn about motivation,......
A waiter ushered an elderly couple to a booth in a restaurant. The woman moved over so her husband could sit beside her and view the television screen on the opposite wall. But rather than take the seat she offered, he winked at her and plopped down across from her.
I’d rather look at you. he said. His wife’s face glowed as she returned his smile. The brief exchange revealed volumes about their relationship. They knew how to keep the romance alive.
Marriage doesn’t mean the chase is over. It should be just the beginning.
Movies, television and books help shape an often unrealistic and idealic view of love, resulting in couples having difficulty reconciling their notion of romance with reality. When Cinderella and Prince Charming married, did they realize what lay ahead of them? What happened when they woke up the morning after with breath that could knock over an elephant?
Working the charm
Before my wife and I were married we were nauseatingly romantic, writing syrupy notes, holding hands, using pet names. But when we said I do we assumed we know longer needed to impress each other. Slowly we dropped are guard.
The positive result: we became more genuine with each other and let our true colours show.
The negative result: we knew each other so well there weren’t many surprises.
Romance was on life support. We needed to get back to the chase. A few more years of marriage and this comfort turned to dull routine.
Power of praise
No jewellery can replace the value of verbally building up our lover.
For years, my friend Lin’s critical spirit focused negatively on her husband and family. When Lin realized her behavior was destructive, she learned to operate under the WYSTTYB principle( Would You Say That Yo Your Boss?)
Lin now makes it a habit to never say anything to her husband that she wouldn’t say to her boss, neighbour, colleague or religious leader. Her radically different attitude has changed her marriage relationship.
Self improvement
Self improvement is one way to show your partner you care. Something as simple as changing a hairstyle or wearing a great new outfit can be a real self-esteem booster, and such efforts can delight your spouse.
Physical affection
Fan the flames through touching. The human touch, whether stroking, or hugging, relays a warmth that can’t be duplicated with just words.
Story To Tell Saturday: Note Trail In Pictures Happy Saturday Everyone!!! These week's Story To Tell Saturday comes from Mommy Moment . It is just such a sweet story! And they say romance is dead...to that this husband laughs! Just by reading this you can tell how much he loves his wife and daughters. (men..take notes! You can learn a......
Works For Me Wednesday: Weekly Meal Plans It's Works for Me Wednesday over at We Are THAT Family and I am bringing to the table the idea of Meal Plans! Ok I know it's not a novel idea, but it's one that has really been working for me and I wanted to share it! The idea......
Six Warning Signs of a Marriage Going South Communication breakdown is an indicator that a marriage on its way to divorce. It does not surprise me that more often than not, one partner in a relationship is caught off guard by the delivery of divorce papers. Here are seven sure-fire signs of your marriage going sour: 1. Do......
