Entries Tagged 'Weddings' ↓

Giving plenty of gifts to a newly betrothed couple has been tradition for many centuries and is the main reason why the wedding gift business has remained profitable despite changing business conditions. A wedding gift is a tangible representation of support and love for the couple to help them start their new life on a positive note.

Wedding etiquette dictates that guests officially invited to the wedding ceremony and reception are required to send a gift, regardless they attend or not. However, those invited but live very far and have not been in close contact with the couple for several years have the option not to follow the tradition.

A guest requested to attend a shower should present a gift but does not have to if he/she cannot attend the event. A close family member of friend will likely send something despite not attending.

Engagement gifts are never compulsory but have started to become a requirement in some parts of the world. A guest who is not sure whether or not to present a gift to an engagement party may consult the hosts for guidance.

Ideal wedding gifts can range from expensive china, gift certificates, camping equipment, gardening tools and household appliances. Choosing a gift should be an enjoyable activity except for those “shopping-challenged”. The gift registry is very helpful in determining what to give the couple. Starting to become popular is the move of couples registering gifts with two or more retail stores, online shops or even brokerage houses and travel agents. Registry information is informally spread to guests and should not be inserted in a wedding invitation.

Putting a gift registry in an invitation is major turnoff for guests, as it will give more focus on the gift and less on the thought of inviting to the wedding. The guest’s should have the choice whether to give a gift. Sometimes the most memorable and sentimental gifts are those carefully picked surprises.

Normally, should be delivered to the bride’s home before the wedding addressed to her. Gifts sent after the wedding should be addressed to the couple’s new home or the house of the bride’s parents. Some cultures require the gift to be brought to the wedding home instead of sending it ahead of the ceremony.

Guests may send the gifts immediately after they receive the invitation. Doing this gift giving practice will spare the couple from worrying about how to transport huge packages coming from the reception site.

Proper etiquette dictates that the couple should immediately write a thank-you note to the sender upon receiving the wedding gift and before the fourth month after the wedding at the most.

FAQ’s on proper wedding etiquette on gift giving

When does the gift should be sent?

The gift for the bride should be given before the wedding or shortly after the couple. If the gift cannot be sent anytime soon, it must be sent before three months after the ceremony. This goes against hearsay that it can be sent even shortly before the first year anniversary of the newlyweds.

Are the gift options limited to those listed in the registry?

No, a registry only serves as a guide for the gift giver. Any wedding gift will as long as it comes from the heart.

Is there an ideal budget for a wedding gift?

The budget is entirely up to the gift giver. One’s love for the bride and groom should serve as the basis on how much a gift should cost.

Is money an appropriate gift?

Money is the traditional gift in some cultures. Giving a gift certificate to their favorite store is a nice option if you are comfortable giving cash.

What if I did not receive a thank you note from the bride and groom?

While it is an awkward thing to do, the best move is by calling the bride and groom and asking if they have received your wedding gift. If the gift came from a store, call your contact salesperson and verify if your purchase was delivered on time and to the right recipients. Become concerned only if the thank you note does not arrive within three months after the wedding.

Wedding favors will help to set the theme and mood of your wedding reception. Before, little tulle bags with candies inside were handed out for wedding favors but there are many choices available today which can make the task of choosing a bit of a chore. They are a great way to show your appreciation and to help your guests remember your special day.

When you are choosing your wedding favors there are many good selections available. You can pick crystal wedding favors, beach theme wedding favors, among many others. You could create personalized place settings for your wedding guests. On each you could include a photo frame with a personalized card in each. Giving each wedding favor a personal touch will show your guests you care about them.

Wedding Favors For The Wedding Party

Don’t forget the people who helped make your wedding such a special day for you. The Maid of Honor, the Bridesmaids, Best Man, Groomsmen and Ushers all gave a lot of there time and love for you both. A nice thank-you to them all would be a lovely, personalized gift. For the best man and groomsmen a personalized watch or desk clock is a nice gift. If money is a little tight a gift certificate would be a fine choice.

For the ladies a gift certificate for a beauty treatment is a nice idea. Or a necklace and earrings with their birthstone is nice as well.

Wedding favors are an interesting, fun, and important aspect of your wedding planning. Some people leave this selection off until late in the preparations, but a little planning ahead of time is a better idea. They are a lovely way to say thak-you to your guests and your wedding party. No matter how much money you spend or even if you make your own wedding favors, the thought and care you put into it is what really matters.

Destination and Hawaiian weddings are beautiful, but it can be hard to hire a Hawaii wedding photographer when you’re hundreds of miles away. For tips and tricks on how to book the perfect photographer for your island or other destination wedding, keep reading.

Ask for a Phone Interview

If you can’t meet your Hawaii wedding photographer in advance, you should get a phone interview as a bare minimum. Remember, you’ll be spending the bulk of your wedding day with your camera person, so you want someone that meshes with your personal style.

Interviewing a service provider over the phone can be difficult, but try to get a sense for both their personality and photography style. Ask about the equipment used, preferred shots, picture technique and what you can expect for the price.

Review Their Portfolio

Hiring a photographer over a long distance can be difficult, but the Internet lets you browse portfolios and get samples via email in seconds. A good photographer should already have an online portfolio that you can review. If they don’t, then maybe you should look into someone else.

When you review a prospective photographer’s portfolio, look beyond the quality of their web design or flashy gimmicks and get right to the photos. Ask yourself if they tell a compelling story? Do you like the style and feel? Would you hang those photos in your home? Do the people look good or washed out?

Ask for Client Referrals or References in Your Area

Whether you’re hiring a wedding photographer for a destination wedding or a local one, you should always get references from past clients. You want to be able to ask a previous customer how they enjoyed the service, if they’d hire the photographer again and both the photographer’s strengths and weaknesses.

Bring a Photographer From Home

It can be costly, but bringing a wedding photographer with you to your destination wedding ensures that you can meet your photographer in advance, get comfortable with the person and have the photographer you want, not the one you have to choose out of necessity.

When booking a local photographer to travel, you will be expected to pay their travel expenses, including flight, airport transfer, hotel and a modest per diem for food. You’ll also be required to pay for their services on the day of the wedding, which can get fairly expensive when coupled with your other wedding preparations.

Ask Your Venue or Hotel for Advice

Almost every weekend, most venues and hotels on the Hawaiian islands have at least one wedding – that means they see hundreds of local photographers. So, ask them to recommend a Hawaii wedding photographer or see if they’ve worked with your prospective photographer in the past. You’ll get an insider opinion from local wedding experts.

Weddings are a joyous occasion but can get expensive in a hurry. With wedding crafts you can add a personal touch andhold the price down too.

Here are a few suggestions for wedding crafts to add sparkle and creativity to your wedding day.

It is not that challenging to make your own wedding veil. To make this wedding craft, you require a length of bridal illusion in the desired length. You will also need a comb to attach it to your hair and a hat or headpiece to cover the comb. Sew large running stitches about an inch from the end of the illusion and gather it tightly. Next sew the veil to the comb. Finish off with hat or headpiece. Alternately, you can decorate a wide-brimmed straw hat with silk flowers, ribbon, and pearls.

The bouquets and floral arrangements can also be personally crafted. For a simple outdoor wedding, consider wild flowers. They are free and have a wonderful charm all their own. Flowers can be arranged in large clear vases, with a bow tied elegantly around. Local, and in season flowers will also help to keep costs down.

Favors for the guests are especially suitable wedding crafts. Refrigerator magnets are a simple and well-received favor. A really nice suggestion is to make a magnetic picture frame and add a picture of the couple. You could cut a frame out of craft foam in one of the wedding theme colors, arrange over the photo, and glue all onto a cardboard backing. Place self-adhesive magnet tape onto the back of the cardboard. Finally decorate the front of the frame with foil heart stickers and a monogram of the couple’s last name.

Bows for the ends of the pews or rows also make simple wedding crafts. Wide velvet ribbons are really nice for fall and winter weddings, while satin is more suited to spring and summer weddings. Loop some flat lace in with the ribbons. In the center of the completed bow, attach some silk flowers and pearl sprays with a hot glue gun.

Maybe you’d like to try your hand at decorating your own cake. Check the bakery section of the department store for pans and gadgets of all types to help you create a cake to remember. Do remember, though, that it requires a steady hand. Be sure to practice plenty before starting on the real cake.

Getting organized for a wedding can be very costly, but with wedding crafts, you can take some of the sting out. Plan early, however, because it will take a little while to create favors for everyone and all the other little details you will want to take care of. Maybe creating wedding crafts might even relieve some of those wedding stresses. In any event, crafting your own wedding decorations is a way to have a personal, beautiful, and less expensive wedding.

Another way to minimize costs is to ask a family member or a friend to act as you master of ceremonies for the wedding reception. Learn more
wedding emcee
Wedding mc
duties of a wedding mc
These articles are packed with useful tips and advice on the role and duties.

Since 1996, when she founded her world-famous design house, Monique Lhullier has turned into one of the most sought after creators in high-end couture gowns. She specializes in bridal and evening wear and is based out of Los Angeles, CA.

The glittering nightlife of Beverly Hills and Hollywood is the perfect place for Lhullier’s artistic and unique creations. Her use of traditional textiles with untraditional cuts have made her a favorite among actresses and the glitterati. Hot young Hollywood is enamored of her.

Of her designs, one of the best loved is the Scarlet dress. One of the things she is renown for is seeing and comprehending womens’ one of a kind spirits and personalities, and making gowns that show off those spirits while covering them in a beautiful and striking silhouette. The Scarlet dress certainly fits that mold.

Her designs are couture and they sell for couture prices. It follows naturally, hercreations are displayed in some of the most elite and exclusive shoppes around the world. Her creations generally sell for between fifteen hundred dollars and ten thousand dollars. The Scarlet dress sells for around four thousand dollars.

Luckily, however, many people on the internet are selling their lovingly used gowns through many varied means. Some are selling on forums, some are selling on auction sites, and some are selling on classified sites. You can see almost new gowns for a fraction of the cost, and by ensuring that you are shown photos before completing the transaction and that the sellers are trustworthy, you can know of a smooth and safe purchase.

Get the best deals on the Monique Lhullier Scarlet Dress at http://ckbridal.com.

Wedding favors are an amazing way to say “thank you” to your guests for being a special part of your very special day. Normally, cookies, chocolate, almonds wrapped in tulle and home baked goods were the best kind of wedding favor that a guest could receive. Nowadays, unique wedding favors such as candles, teapots, luggage tags, Cinderella slippers are more of what we buy than baked goods and tulle wrapped almonds. Wedding favors have become more stylish and forged a real place as part of every wedding.

If you decide to have a theme wedding then you have to figure out how many you will call for. Some couples give wedding favors to every guest, while others just give one favor per couple. One favor per couple is clearly}evidently more cost effective. Some wedding favors like the “cheers to a great combination wine set”, which you can find by searching for it online, arrives with two wine stoppers in one gift box. This is a very good thought for couples who are dead set on giving out favors to every guest at their wedding.

For most people, when you make a decision to get married you never think of having to choose wedding favors at the beginning. But choosing unique wedding favors can get overpowering. After all, you’re setting up the whole wedding and now you have to choose amongst thousands of wedding favors also? Hang in there. Don’t toss in the towel. Wedding favors can be just as important as everything else you have planned for your wedding. As little as they are, favors are a reflection on the bride and groom and should blend in with your wedding theme.

No matter what your budget or what your wedding idea is, give your wedding favors some thought. Your guests are very extraordinary and they should feel that way. Whether you are having a small private affair or a huge, formal gathering, the wedding favors should be wonderful and make your guests feel like they are the most special people in the world.

Okay so you have your wedding favors set. What about your honeymoon? For some reason the flowers, band, reception hall, gown and yes, the wedding favors are given much consideration. But for many, the honeymoon is an afterthought which is really not the greatest thing to do. Your honeymoon and where you travel is the only action in your whole wedding day that is about your future together. Yes, be cognizant of your wedding favors, but don’t forget that where you travel and your honeymoon destination is just as important if not more important. After all, this vacation will set the tone for your entire marriage!

Nowadays, planning a wedding is getting more difficult, especially for those young couples who just graduated from college with hefty student loans and credit card debt. They also face with a tough job market and ever-increasing living expenses.

Is it worth to spend another $28,000 (the national average) for one day and end up with another wedding debt? I hope all brides and grooms can seriously think about their current financial situation and set a realistic wedding budget before heading to any vendors. If you are creative enough and can think outside of the box, who dare to say you can’t have a prefect wedding for under $10,000 or less? You may be able to find more practical tips at this Wedding Planning blog.

A lot of weddings have themes and what better way to add to your wedding and thank your guests than giving them wedding favors that is themed just like the rest of your wedding. When a lot of contemplation is given to your special wedding favors, your guests end up loving them so much that they keep them for years as aremembrance of how much they enjoyed your wedding.

Whether they are themed or not, wedding favors are an great way to say “thank you” to your guests for being a special part of your very special day. Usually, cookies, chocolate, almonds wrapped in tulle and home baked goods were the best kind of wedding favors that a guest could receive. These days, unique wedding favors such as candles, teapots, luggage tags, Cinderella slippers are more of what we are seeing more than baked goods and tulle wrapped almonds. Wedding favors have become more cosmopolitan and forged a real place as part of every wedding.

So how do you go about making sure that you do what is right regarding these legendary wedding favors? While taking care of the ‘more important’ areas of your wedding, keep a attentive eye out for wedding favors that may be ideal for your special day. They are everywhere; in bridal gown shops, florists and every place that you will visit that has something to do with weddings. Try to multi-task, always keeping your eye out for the most perfect wedding favors to say a big thank you to your guests for sharing in one of the most exciting and extraordinary days of your life. Wedding favors are very significant to your guests. They should be essential to you too.

Wedding favors frequently are left until the end when there is not much of a budget left. I would not suggest doing that because that will interpret onto your guest’s table. After all, unique wedding favors are a very special thank you given to your guests for coming and spending their time and giving a gift to start you off in your [spin\marriage|wedding|union[/spin]. Not many people understand that, but buying wedding favors is probably one of the most important purchases that you will make for your special day.

Along with making certain that you have the correct wedding favors on your special day, you do not want to forget to have insurance for you and your spouse. Everyone is concerned with their flowers, band, food and yes, their wedding favors and seem to forget about “life” details. Most people go on a honeymoon right after the wedding. More than any other time in your life, beginning as a newly married couple, you need insurance in many areas of your life. So when you are bickering over wedding favors, just don’t forget that after your wedding day is passed, you need some assuredness which can come in the form of many different kinds of insurance.

Pictures are an integral part of any wedding. Newlyweds are usually thrilled to get their pictures back from the photographer so they can relive their special day. But there are many special activities you can build into a wedding that involve photos.

One fun idea that many brides employ is to take photos of everyone as they arrive at the wedding, almost like you do at a high school prom or company Christmas party. You can provide a backdrop and couples can pose either for a paid photographer or for whoever happens to pick up the camera. These pictures can be taken with a Polaroid camera for instant fun or with a disposable camera. If you want slightly higher quality photos, go for a digital camera.

Fun Wedding Photo Ideas
This can be an excellent way to keep guests busy and happy until the “official” reception begins with the arrival of the bride and groom.

As an extension of that idea, you can take instant photos and create scrapbook pages or memory book pages with the photos. There can be supplies on hand so guests can create pages on site, or pages can be pre-made and photos simply placed into the prepared spaces. If guests don’t want to create pages on site, or the bride doesn’t want this particular activity going on, the photos can be saved for later. As a gift for the bride and groom, someone can create memory books with these photos.

If Polaroid cameras are used, another option is to have the people in the photo sign the Polaroid photo and place that in a basket somewhere. The bride and groom will enjoy looking at the photos later.

Wedding Ideas
While it’s not a particularly unique idea, many brides like to provide disposable cameras on each table at the reception so guests can capture candid shots of the reception and the table guests. These photos can be added to the newlyweds’ wedding album or they can be placed into a separate album showing the wedding from the guests’ perspective.

Another fun activity sure to be entertaining is to create a “silent photo guess” area. Here’s how this works: before the wedding, someone close to the bride and groom collects pictures of the bride and groom at various stages in life. The photos should depict the bride and groom doing things, not at Christmas or with their first birthday cake. In other words, the photos should include some action, but it shouldn’t be obvious in the picture what has taken place or where the person is.

Wedding Resources
Much like a silent auction, people will come along and look at the photos, then take a silent guess as to what the photos show. They can write their guess on a piece of paper and put it in a numbered basket that corresponds with the number on the photo. Reading these guesses during the reception is entertaining and sure to be amusing. The bride or groom can provide the real answers. This is a particularly fun activity at a relatively small, family wedding where the participants know the bride and groom very well.

Even the smallest wedding is filled with a number of tasks that need to be performed in a timely manner. Keeping track of the list of “to do” items, along with when they need to be done, can be a headache. To solve this, a good wedding plan software package can be a great asset. From invitations to the wedding reception schedule, a good program can eliminate some of the confusion.

planning a wedding on a budget
The key function wedding plan software must do is keep a running time table of the tasks that must be performed in order of importance and key steps of how to plan a small wedding. After the initial software package is uploaded to your computer, then begins the task of filling in details. The most important detail is the precise wedding date and time of ceremony. The rest is important but the date is what determines how tight the schedule must be adhered to.

The steps to planning a wedding is a function the software is designed to do. There will be some tasks the software makes assumptions on. One of which is the wedding invitations. Most software assumes that the invitations will be ordered.

Wedding plan software makes these assumptions based on statistics taken by the software designer. A vast majority of couples order their invitations. If you are hand making the invitations, you must plan on extra time. Add this function into the timetable so it can remind you of when to mail the invitations out.

planning reception wedding
Wedding plan software can function in a variety of ways. It is a list of everything including reception planning wedding to be done and in what reasonable timetable. Many software programs offer tips on how to plan a wedding online as well as make suggestions on when to mail out invitations and book services such as the caterer, florist and the church or wedding site. Some software programs found online can also show a virtual wedding dressed in the colors and clothing you have chosen.

Wedding professionals have software programs that they utilize to keep track of “to do” items and when certain key thing must be done. From the moment the proposal is made and the date is set, the clock is ticking. For those who do not want the added expense of a wedding planner, wedding plan software is the way to minimize the stress from trying to keep everything organized.