How to Plan for a Wedding
February 21, 2009
Planning for a wedding is not an easy task. It could be an extremely stressful, and trying time, especially as the big day approaches. When couples worry about coordinating all of the details of the wedding, just to make sure everything goes according to plan.
Probably, one of the most important details of the wedding that a couple has to decide on is the actual date of the wedding. This is usually the detail that is taken care of first. Factors in choosing a date include: the availability of the venue where the wedding will take place. Availability of friends and family on the assigned date.
Some venues where weddings are held offer discounts on days when traditionally, weddings are not held. Also, the time the wedding takes place also become a factor in the expense. For example, mornings, and afternoon receptions are somewhat more cheaper that receptions held at nighttime.
It is also advisable to set a budget, even before a couple start to make plans. This way they’d be able to organize the details according to the budget they could afford.
Once you’ve done this, you can now choose a venue for the wedding. Some places offer discounts, depending on the time of year. Just after the holidays, would be a good time to hold a wedding, if you are considering the cost. This time is not considered a ‘peak time’, therefore the price tend to be less expensive.
For couples who are about to get married, it is important to talk about the size of wedding they both have in mind. The dream wedding of one person might not be that of the other. So it is necessary for couples to discuss details regarding the arrangement of the wedding, such as: the location of the venue/reception, the number of people who get invited to the wedding reception, and the choice of entertainment.
It is important to reach an agreement pertaining to the guest list and the entourage. Whether you want to keep the wedding an intimate affair, in which case the bride and groom will just invite their family and friends; or maybe, they’d want to make this affair, into the wedding of the century. In which case, the bride and groom get to invite the whole neighborhood, long lost relatives, high school buddies, etc., in addition to their friends and family. When making the guest list, consider the space capacity of your chosen venue.
Hire a professional to capture this momentous occasion. Sure you friends can take good pictures, and most of them own a camcorder. But for this special occasion, you would want something special, lasting, and visually presentable. So you’d have something to remember this occasion by. This way you could also share them with your friends and family.
Don’t forget the cake! It’s best to have a tasting first, before settling on a cake. Invite your family and friends, for the cake tasting. This way, this task becomes fun for everyone!
Order wedding invitations. If you want to get creative, you can always print your own invites. This way, you can customize them, and add a more personal touch to the invitation.
Don’t forget to start looking for a wedding gown months before the wedding. This way, the bride has plenty of time to make a selection. Also, the groom should make arrangement to rent or buy a tuxedo, preferably in advance also. Just in case you encounter some trouble with the fitting, you’d have some time to make other arrangements.
Couples who don’t have enough time on their hands, or just find the preparations that go into planning a wedding too overwhelming, can always just hire a wedding planner! This way, everything gets organized and coordinated for them.
The Value of Wedding Invitation Wording
November 13, 2008
Art, in general, is the appreciation of beauty. It implies order and harmony of parts in a given whole.
Human life does not imply merely physical survival. It is a vocation towards the refinement of the spirit. Hence, the demands of daily life include and derive meaning from the cultivation of those traits that truly reflect mans innate dignity. In this context, ethics is considered an art. However, there are art forms that are different from those that are considered as ethical
For this reason, certain actions of man must be in proportionate to the ethical standards as dictated by mans innate dignity. One of which is how we should use words in different functions.
Take fore example the wordings in a wedding invitation. Careful use of words and establishing them correctly is very crucial in wedding invitations. This is because wedding invitation are the first-hand symbol of the wonderful celebration that is about to take place.
Any misused, abused, or unethical choice of words may result to misunderstandings or misinterpretations between and among the guests.
Generally, wedding invitation wording should be clearly established to avoid confusions and misconception. There are instances were words may have several meanings depending on how it is used in a sentence.
Moreover, the wordings must accurately define the details of the wedding like the date, the exact time, and the place where the wedding ceremony will take place. These things should be clearly stated because there are cases wherein most guests directly assume that once they are invited, it means that they are asked to attend to the wedding ceremony and the reception.
However, there are some weddings that the couple would usually invite people just for the reception. In this case, the couple has decided to make the wedding very private and that they only want their immediate relatives present during the ceremony. The guests are asked to attend on the reception already.
Hence, to avoid confusion and delusion, it is best to carefully state in the invitation the purpose of the invitation.
On the other hand, wedding invitation wordings may also vary depending on certain circumstances that the couple has no control of. An example is the concept of who paid for the wedding.
In this instance, it is best to choose words that would pay respect to the party whom the recognition is due but should also be made in conformity with the ethical standards, in which the feelings of the other party should be considered also.
For example, if in case that the brides parents are the ones who had paid for the wedding, then, the wordings on the wedding invitation should state that it is the brides parent s who are requesting for the presence of the guests.
Alternatively, the setting of the wedding should also be considered when establishing the wedding invitation wording.
If the wedding is informal and will only take place in a home, then it is best to replace the usual words being used in formal invitations to a more casual tone but still with respect.
Boiled down, any kind of wordings will do when making wedding invitations a long as the words are in conformity to the ethical standards set by the society and as patterned on the innate dignity of man.
Best of all, the details of the wedding should be clearly stated, otherwise, the wedding invitation will definitely lose its main purpose.
Wedding Programs: What To Look For
November 12, 2008
A wedding ceremony marks the beginning of a marriage, and a couple’s life together. Wedding ceremonies may be a civil or religious rite that can take place anywhere - at a church, in the gardens, at the beach, or at the city hall. Modern-day weddings can now also take place in the Internet (what is known as “Online Wedding).
From the bride’s march down the aisle to the wedding reception, there are a number of wedding traditions and aspects that make a wedding ceremony special. It is important that the couple ‘include’ their guests and the people around them in the celebration by guiding and informing them of what is happening at any given time. This is made possible by wedding ceremony programs.
A wedding program (also called church programs, ceremony programs, or “The Order of Woship”) is a personalized guidebook for the guests in a wedding. Essentially similar to that of a program at a theater play, wedding programs serve the following purposes:
They serve as a record of the wedding ceremony, providing guests with the order and details of the events that will happen in the ceremony.
-They help guests understand what is happening, making them feel included.
-They introduce and honor the bridal party, the sponsors, and the other people who are participating in the ceremony.
-They serve as a beautiful and sentimental souvenir for everyone, which can be included in the couple’s scrapbook.
While a wedding program is not a strict requirement to have, but it certainly adds a unique and personal touch to any wedding ceremony. A wedding program can also be essential in the following cases:
-A wedding that is inter-cultural and no one understands the ceremony.
-A wedding with a number of guests from another faith or culture.
-A wedding so large that guests may not know the bridal party.
-A wedding that is particularly long and time-consuming.
-A wedding that involves so many people that the couple would like to thank and pay tribute to.
A wedding program is generally broken down into 3 sections, with the additional detailed information listed below:
1. Introduction
-Names of the couple
-Wedding date
-Time and place of the service.
2. Event or Ceremony Order
-Greetings
-Poetry
-Reading
-Exchange of vows
-Explanations of special religiuos rituals (such as the ring ceremony, unity candle ceremony, and pronouncement of marriage)
-Titles of the ceremony music to be played (including the names of the musicians, soloists, or readers)
3. Acknowledgement or Wedding Party
-Names of the members of the bridal party
-Name of the priest or officiant who will perform the ceremony
-Memorials, tributes or homages to someone who has passed away
-Thank-you notes and dedications to the parents and to people who gave support to the couple (and to the wedding)
-The couple’s special message to their wedding guests
-Directions to the reception
Wedding programs are usually ordered from the same printer who does the wedding invitations. Other couples, however, opt to do their wedding programs on their own - it gives a couple a chance to be more flexible and creative while saving money.
Wedding programs are one of the little details that make such a big day extra special. Ordered ready-made or done personally, a wedding program can be made unique by the expressive feelings of love and joy that it conveys.
Great tips on Wedding Invitations
November 2, 2008
One of the most important things whenever somebody wants to get married is to have a complete line-up of the couples guests. Along with this preparation is the creation of wedding invitations that should reflect your earnest desire to invite those you want to be present on your very special day.
For so many years now, it has long been a part of the tradition that wedding invitations should be distributed so that the people will know that they are invited. It also makes them feeling special because of the fact that the couple had included them as their guests.
Today, wedding invitations need not be the usual unfussy cards that our ancestors had long been using. The concept of the modern wedding invitations lies on the premise that they are a part of the wedding and any neglected details of the invitation would reflect how haphazard the wedding plans were made.
So, for people who wish to know some useful tips regarding wedding invitations, here are some of pointers that you may use.
1. Use a reply card with your wedding invitation.
In reality, the main reason of creating and giving out wedding invitations is to approximately determine the number of guests that will attend on your wedding day. Hence, it would be better for if you place a reply card along with the invitation card. In this way, you will get to know the estimated number of guests that you will be expecting.
2. Specify on the wedding invitation what type of occasion you will use.
In most cases, weddings are formal events. However, there are instances wherein the couples prefer informal celebration. So, it is best to specify exactly what type of celebration will be imposed.
Moreover, it is also important to specify the dress code so that the guests will know if they need to comply or not as far as clothing is concerned.
3. For smaller wedding, it is best to have the wedding invitations personalized.
In cases where the wedding celebration entails only quite a few numbers of guests, it would be better to make your own wedding invitation.
Usually, wedding invitations are more expensive and requires the least number of orders. So, if you would not be ordering a lot, then, it would be better to make your own wedding invitation.
4. For a more innovative look, choose the colors you will use with your wedding invitation.
White will always be the color of the wedding and will never go out of style. However, because of the continuous change that technology is bringing us, it is best to try some bright colors that will reflect your personality or your partner.
The key point is not to use one color but a conglomeration of all the bright colors you can use.
5. Choose a design that will best reflect your taste or your partners personality.
Before, wedding invitations come in the traditional rectangular adorned with laces and flowers. It has been deemed as good design for so many years now but the fact remains the same: it is dull and lifeless.
What you need to present them is the beauty of life that you and your partner had agreed to cherish forever. Hence, it is strongly recommended to come up with a modern designs embedded with pure beauty.
Boiled down, wedding invitations are not just mere invitations that you usually have in your other occasions like birthday party or victory party. Wedding invitations are ways of inviting somebody whom you want to be a part of your wonderful moment with your partner.
As they say, wedding invitations are not just papers, they are the breath of the couples desire to tell the whole world how much they love each other, and they want their guests to witness that.
First Impressions Lasts Choose Your Wedding Invitations Properly
October 21, 2008
How to choose your wedding invitation:
1. Set a budget and be creative. As well as there are beautiful expanssive invitations, there are also inexpenssive but equally beautiful ones in the market. You just got to be creative and know where to look.
2. Decide on a theme and color motif for your wedding. Your invitation should suggest the theme or the color motif of your wedding.
3. Do your guest list so that you will know how many invitations to order.
4. Select a style that reflects your personality as well as it should give an idea of the wedding that you are planning.
5. Begin as early as eight months before the wedding. This means that you will have plenty of time paying attention to perfect the wording, and should something goes wrong, you will have ample time to revise it and make sure that it is the way you want it before sending them out.
6. Before you order your invitations, make sure that all of your wedding details such as the date, time and place of the ceremony and reception are already confirmed.
7. Asking help from professionals on the look and style of your invitation will help you pull your ideas together for a more beautiful outcome.
8. With regards to the proper wording and etiquette, a professional should be consulted to make sure that everything in the invitation is properly placed.
9. Order more invitations than the amount that you really need. This will give you a few extras in case you miss anyone out.
10. When giving the shop your wording, it is best that you give it to them typewritten, so they can clearly read it.
11. Do it with style. Be creative and try to combine materials to achieve your own personal touch.
Invitation Etiquette
1. When the ceremony and the reception will be held at different locations, you can enclose a reception card along with your invitation. The reception card should also be provided with an envelope and contain specific information about the reception.
2. Do not address envelopes as Mr. and Mrs. William Cooper and Family. This is not proper. The names of children under eighteen years old should be included in the invitation, while children over eighteen should be sent their own invitation.
3. You can use casual names such as Uncle Henry and Aunt Beth or Grandma to relatives that are close to you, in addressing the inner envelope as this will show how much you mean to them, even if you are planning a formal event.
4. Mail your invitation six to eight weeks before your wedding date. If however, your wedding date is set on a holiday season or you are inviting a lot of guests that are from out of State, you should mail the invitations sooner to give them ample time to plan and make hotel reservations and organize their schedule.
5. Position the word black tie in the lower right hand corner of the invitation if you are planning for a formal wedding so that your guests can dress accordingly.
Donts when placing invitation wordings:
1. Dont use nicknames. Always use the first, middle, and last name. Some people do not want their middle names included in the invitation; dont use initials, simply do not include their middle names.
2. Dont make abbreviations. Only Mr., Mrs., or Dr. can be abbreviated. All other titles should be written completely.
3. Dont abbreviate dates, addresses and time.
4. Dont write the word and as &.
Invitation assembly:
1. Place the invitation inside the large envelope along with its protective tissue and make certain that the invitation is facing you.
2. Place in the reception invitation on top of the invitation, also facing you.
3. Position the response card in, and leaning within the flap of the response envelope, which is facing down.
4. The last to go in are the directions or map which guides the guests.
5. When addressing the outer envelope, it is best that you use calligraphy.
6. For added touch, choose a postage stamp that well compliments the general appearance of your invitation.
7. If possible, bring your invitations to the post office and ask that they be hand cancelled, to avoid unattractive marks or scratches that a machine cancelling can cause.
Wedding Crashers: Guests from the Uninvited World
May 21, 2008
In every occasion, there is an invitation. In every invitation, there is an invited guest. However, for every party, there is bound to be a party crasher.
Take for example in wedding celebrations. For so many years now, there are people who come to the event without even an invitation or the mere fact that they were invited. These are known as the wedding crashers.
Wedding crashers are unexpected guests primarily because they were not invited in the first place. But because they think that love is in the air and they are not invited, they cannot help but attend the party.
So, for people who wish to know how to become a wedding crasher, here are some tips that you can use.
1. Try to become a long-lost cousin or somebody who is within the family.
In most wedding celebrations, the family is always included. In fact, most of the wedding invitations tend to be some sort of family reunions because the family members get together once again.
And because there are tons of relatives present in the celebration, the bride or the groom will not notice, who you are or where did you come from. So, it would be better to pretend as a long lost relative.
Best of all, you could extend the drama if you have a beautifully gift-wrapped package with you. Who could resist somebody who was known as Uncle Clemences long lost son and now he has come back (with your personality, of course).
2. Try being a staff member of the wedding caterer or wedding coordinator.
In order to be able to crash into a wedding, you could always pretend to be a staff member of something.
In a wedding, there are lots of people being hired in the planning and preparation. So, one way of crashing into the scene is to pretend that you are a staff member of the catering company or the flower arrangements.
It is just a matter of drama and actions. After all, you would want to eat a very nice meal, right?
3. If somebody asks you who you are, you could always say you are a friend of somebody who is also at the party.
Pick the name of your choice. You can always find someone elses name when you are being asked why you are at the party or who is with you right now.
This is a safe tactic if you do not feel like choosing whose side of the couple will you take in order to introduce yourself. Besides, with this strategy, you can be pretty sure that with over a hundred or 200 guests in the party, who would dare verify that the name you have chosen really exists.
4. Dress to kill.
The best part of being a wedding crasher is to dress up a little bit in order to suit the occasion. Even if it means that you were dressed to kill, it would be better to dress appropriately in order to fit in the event.
After all, wedding crashing is not all about free food and wines. It can also be one way of finding the love of your life.
5. Timing is an essence.
One of the most important things one should remember when crashing into the party is to show up really late. This is because by the time you have arrived, everybody has started drinking, socializing, and getting so much into the details of the wedding that their defenses become relatively low.
So, when you arrived at the wedding, no one will surely notice your arrival, so, you can easily slip in and join the party.
Indeed, wedding crashers can be very unethical people to love with. But then again, some of these people are also worth your time and money because of the company that they can give to your other guests.
After all, for wedding crashers, life is, indeed, worth partying out that is why it is a great idea to attend to a party or wedding even if you are not invited.
Tips in selecting discount wedding invitations
December 7, 2007
Choosing a wedding invitation is very important because it will give your guests a first impression or glimpse of what your actual wedding will be like. A wedding invitation must, first and foremost, reflect your wedding theme and motif. Wedding invitations also often serves the purpose of being delightful keepsakes.
However, the right wedding invitation need not cost an arm and a leg. It is not wise to spend a fortune that can be used somewhere else. The range of kinds and styles of discount wedding invitation is vast. Choosing a particular one can be very confusing. There are discount wedding invitations and if you follow the guidelines below you will definitely never go wrong in choosing one. The key is to be prudent and not letting yourself get carried away. You can even save more money if you follow these guidelines.
Choose wedding invitation style well. As mentioned earlier, your primary consideration in choosing a wedding invitation style is the theme and motif of your wedding. Is your wedding grad or simple? Will your wedding be light or formal? Other than that, it all depends on personal taste and budget. But whatever your taste or budget range is, you will definitely be able to find a good wedding invitation. If you want, you can even buy some cards and design your own invitation by buying a printing kit which is offered by some wedding service providers.
Determine the kind of wedding youll have. Your type of wedding invitation will largely depend on whether you will have a traditional or modern wedding. Traditional weddings would require a more formal invitation. On the other hand, a modern wedding will call for a more modern kind of wedding invitation. Traditional wedding invitations would only contain texts. It wouldnt contain any graphics. Traditional wedding invitations are usually upright and folded with the words engraved on the right side. Cards used in traditional wedding invitations are usually white or cream and the letterings are in silver and black. If you are having a themes wedding then choose a wedding invitation that is appropriate for your chosen theme. For example, you can have a sixteenth century scrolled parchment wedding invitation if the theme of your wedding is Tudor.
Choosing a supplier. Wedding invitations can be obtained by mail order, printer, stationers and stationery designers or you can buy online. Choose a supplier hat provides value added services and features so you will get real value for your money. Some suppliers will help you right the wording in your wedding invitation. Some will even help you with wedding etiquette rules and would help you if you are confused about all the etiquette rules involved in sending out wedding invitations. It would also be nice if the supplier has trained and experienced wedding etiquette and social correctness experts. Choose a supplier that offers personalized service so you can be sure that you are not getting run of the mill wedding invitation.
A good discount wedding invitation supplier will also respond to your inquiries and requests promptly either through email or by phone. But your privacy must always be requested so make sure that any personal information you provide to them is used for the sole purpose of processing your order. Your order must be transmitted across a secure server, so your billing information is kept private.
American Wedding Practices
November 24, 2007
Living in the US makes one feel free - free to do anything, free to live, free to love, free from traditions. While this is true, there are still many practices done during wedding that renders this memorable event with a distinct American touch. Here are some:
Starting from the engagement, Americans can think of unique ways to personalize their wedding. As there really isn’t any engagement tradition, the more unique the marriage proposal is done, the better.
For most wedding preparations, the engaged couple visits their parents to inform them of their recent engagement.
At times, the engaged couple hosts an engagement party. The engagement party costs less than a wedding reception since most of the time, the menu will only include cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Therefore, if the couple is on a tight budget, they can just invite more guests to the engagement party if they plan to limit the number of guests during the wedding.
Most wedding preparations have a bridal shower given by the maid of honor and the bridesmaids. The groom may also have a bachelor party the night before the wedding but he has to be careful not to drink too much.
Wedding invitations should include response cards to quickly inform the couple whether the person has accepted or declined the invitation. The wedding invitations should also be sent within four to six weeks before the event.
Usually, there is a rehearsal dinner in which the wedding party and guests came from far places to be present at the wedding attend. It was practiced that the groom’s parents pay for this dinner.
A bridal luncheon may be hosted for the bride’s attendants during the wedding day. However, time constraints may not permit this to be part of the schedule for the wedding day. Likewise, the groom may also host a groom’s dinner for his groomsmen.
Interestingly, even if the couple is not very religious, they still prefer a religious ceremony. However, this may pose a problem since in America people of different faiths and religious backgrounds get married.
Even if there are few people who believe in bad luck, some couples still make sure that the groom does not see his bride until she starts waking on the aisle.
It is still practiced that the groom and his groomsmen enter the church through a side door. The bride will then walk down the aisle with her father. In some cases when both her father and stepfather brought up the bride, she may ask them both to escort her.
During a formal reception, there is usually a bridal table where the couple and the attendants sit. Also, food and drinks should be served as the guests appear at the reception.
Before, gift giving used to depend on what the guest will feel useful for the couple. Now, it is better to register for gifts so the guests will know what to bring that the couple will need.
Upon receiving an engagement or wedding gift, it is better to send a thank you note apart from saying “thank you” to the giver. This should be sent within two weeks upon receipt of the gift. Make a personalized thank you note, instead of using an impersonal generic thank you note.
These are just some American practices during weddings. Whether one chooses to this or prefers to have a very different wedding, what’s more important is that American’s still believe in the wedding vow, “For better or worse, ’til death do us part.”