Sweet Old-Fashioned Wedding Customs

By Bridget Mora

One of the most charming things about weddings is their link to the past. There are many wedding customs that may seem old-fashioned to modern brides, but that doesn't mean that they are not worth including in your wedding. Take a look at some of these sweet old-fashioned wedding customs, and see if they might be right for you.
There are several traditions involving the bride and groom before the wedding. One was that they should not see each other the night before the wedding, and the other is that the groom should not see the bride in her gown before the wedding. Many couples today do not bother with these customs, perhaps finding them to be inconvenient when the couple already lives together before the wedding. Before you decide not to bother with these traditions, keep in mind the old saying that absence makes the heart grow fonder. Besides, the last night before her wedding is a very sweet time to have your best friend stay with you and help you get ready to be married the next day.
Another custom that many brides do not bother with is the blusher veil. In fact, many brides do not wear any veil at all. You might be surprised, however, at how many grooms picture their bride walking down the aisle towards them with her face covered by a veil. The veil is the part of the ensemble that takes you from a woman in a white dress with lovely handmade wedding jewelry to being a real bride. In some religions, the veil is required, but even when it is not, it can be a lovely part of your wedding.
A very cute wedding custom is having charms baked into the cake. Each little charm represents something happy for the guest who finds it. For example, a horseshoe stands for good luck. A tiny wedding band means that the person who finds it will soon be married. It is a charming homespun tradition that would be wonderful to include in a wedding or a bridal shower. Just be certain to alert your guests so that they do not swallow the charms!
In these days of over the top weddings, few brides consider having more simple weddings. The custom used to be that the bride wore her very best dress (in any color), maybe with a special piece of wedding jewelry that was handcrafted for her mother's wedding, and got married in front of close friends and family. Now, few brides today are looking for such a low-key affair, but it is something to keep in mind as anecdote to the extravagant weddings that we see everyday on tv and in the magazines. A reasonably sized wedding can be just as meaningful as the one with the elephants and fireworks.
Oftentimes, the most special customs of all will come from within our own families. If you are not aware of any particular wedding customs in your own family, talk to your mother and grandmothers about their weddings. It may be that you could carry the same flowers in your bouquet as your grandmother or dance to the same first song as your mother and father did thirty years before you. It is these types of traditions that will make your wedding especially personal.
Many brides become so consumed with having the latest and greatest at their weddings that they make forget about some of the customs from an earlier time. Although they might be old-fashioned, some of those wedding traditions can be very sweet. You may want to include some of the older customs in your own wedding.
Let us know if you need assistance in any area of planning your wedding.Take advantage of Bridget's experience helping clients select jewelry and accessories. Handmade wedding jewelry makes a wonderful family heirloom.

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Ideas For Giving Unusual Wedding Gifts

By Donna Ennis

So you want to get some about-to-be-married friends or family members a nice wedding gift, but you're bored with the usual sort of linens, crystal, china, or kitchen gadgets. A lot of couples nowadays are not really interested in such things, anyway. So what's the secret to giving really great, even unusual wedding gifts? Read on for some clues in the ideas below:
* Artwork - if you know the couple well enough to know their tastes in art or décor, a nice piece of framed art that suits their tastes would likely be much appreciated. (Since taste in art can be highly subjective, however, please do the couple a favor and include a gift receipt just in case you were a little off in what you thought they might like.)
* Furniture - if the soon-to-be newlyweds are young and just leaving home or getting out of school, chances are they have very little furniture. Just like more traditional wedding gifts, furniture comes in a range of prices, so you need not buy the couple a leather sectional couch if your gift budget tends more towards a coffee table. If their taste tends more towards the quirky, you may want to offer to take them on a shopping spree through local second hand stores to help them find something unusual or offbeat.
* Entertainment - many couples these days are paying many if not all of the expenses for their wedding, so their post-wedding entertainment budget may be stretched pretty thin. Give them a break from watching rented DVDs - buy them tickets to see a favorite performer live in concert or to see their favorite athletic team.
* Alternative to Cash - Stocks and bonds make a nice alternative to cash and offer you, the gift giver, a way to personalize your gift by buying shares of stock which interest the couple.
There are, in fact, a lot of unusual wedding gifts you can give that can provide a welcome relief from the mundane. One note of caution, though - be sure the couple will be happy with something unusual! Straying from the safe, pre-approved confines of a department store wedding registry can be risky for the gift giver. Remember that a great gift is a reflection of both the giver and the receiver. While you may not want to "spoil the surprise" you may be doing yourself and the couple a favor by approaching them before the wedding and bouncing ideas off them for what you would like to give. And that's the secret for giving a really great wedding gift (and what is perhaps the greatest gift of all) - thoughtfulness.

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How to Sell Your Wedding Dress

By Ray Blake

For most people, wearing your wedding dress is a one time thing. After that, it just sits in storage and occasionally you may pull it out to reminisce, but for the most part it will just sit collecting dust and taking up space. Well the great news is that you can sell your wedding dress and enjoy several benefits at the same time.
The first benefit is obvious, you get some extra money that could be used for many different things, after all, we can all use extra money. Then you are freeing up space for other items such as clothing or things you may need to store. Third, you are helping someone else at the same time, who may need a wedding dress but cannot afford a new one.
So, how can you get started selling your wedding dress? The good news is that it is really very easy. Just follow these steps outlined within this article and you will have your wedding dress sold in no time at all.
The first thing you want to do is make sure you take it to the dry cleaners. You want to make sure you get it there as soon as you possibly can. If there are any spills or stains, make sure you tell the dry cleaner so that they can be sure to focus on those stained areas.
Now, you also want to make sure that everything on the dress in intact. This means you want to be sure that all buttons, beads, and trimming are in place. Depending on how you decide to sell it, you want to make sure that your wedding dress is in perfect condition or as close to it as possible. This will help sell your dress easier and faster.
Now you will need to decide how you want to sell your wedding dress. Do you want to put it up online to sell, do you want to use a consignment store, or do you want to place an ad in your local newspaper? This is important for several reasons. You want to research and discover the most appropriate means of selling for you. You also have to consider costs and percentages if you decide to use a consignment shop or some other method where someone else is doing the selling for you.
You do have several choices when it comes to selling online. However, you want to make sure that you make the advertisement appealing, but truthful. If there is a stain, say there is a stain, if there is a slight tear, say so. If you choose this route, make sure you take full length pictures of the gown. You should also take close ups of different details and features to highlight those in more detail. Color photos are always best; make sure that all photographs are clean, crisp, and very clear.
By making sure you follow these steps, you will be insuring that you have the best possible chance of selling your wedding dress and getting the price you are asking for. Make sure that you research all of your options before settling with one, of course, there is nothing wrong with covering your basis and going with several options at the same time, it just increases your chances of getting your wedding dress sold.
Ray Blake is CEO of http://www.sellyourweddingdress.com/, the premier place to buy and sell used wedding dresses. For a complete line of wedding products, please visit http://www.sellyourweddingdress.com/

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Wedding Reception Flower Arrangements

By Karen Lincoln

Wedding reception flower arrangements are creative extensions of your theme and color palette. While the flower arrangements can provide a focal point for your reception or be a simple statement, they are a great opportunity to be creative and original. Gathering some ideas about the style, types of flowers and design can be helpful to consider prior to heading to your floral designer.
What Flower Arrangements
During the planning stages of your floral design, there are several additional arrangements that should be considered. Along with your floral designer, you should consider creating a floral arrangement for the cake table, head table, guest sign in table, seating arrangement card table and potentially the gift table as well as table centerpieces. The design of the reception location may also warrant additional arrangements, such as the entry to the reception area, around the dance floor or along a buffet table.
Flower arrangements originally created for the wedding service can potentially be re-used for the reception. However, you will want to verify ahead of time the expectations of your wedding service locations. Many churches anticipate that the flowers will remain for weekend services so be sure to check ahead of time.
Creative Reception Flower Arrangements
The focus of the floral design for a wedding traditionally revolves around bouquets, boutonnieres and flowers for the wedding site. Wedding reception flower arrangements are a great opportunity to add a personal and customized touch to your reception site by choosing a design that reflects a wedding theme or the personalities of the pride and groom. Wedding reception flower arrangements can set the tone of a reception, adding anything from a romantic ambiance to playful whimsy.
Wedding reception flower arrangements do not necessarily have to be composed of strictly flowers. Floral designers typically have colorful accents for your arrangements such as artificial fruit coated with shimmering glitter or decorative ornaments that coordinate with your color palette. Candles are another option for your flower arrangements.
The use of baskets, vases, bowls and decorative containers are all additional required selections during the floral design process of wedding planning. Floral designers also typically have a wide range of stands and structural components to create wedding reception flower arrangements. It will be important to consider whether you want an arrangement that is raised off the table to allow guests to easily see and speak with each other, one that is low to the table or one that is entirely artistic as well as large enough to be a focal point for the room.
Using Artificial or Real Flowers
These days it is often difficult to tell whether a flower is silk or natural. For brides interested in creating the majority of their arrangements, artificial flowers provide the opportunity to create wedding reception flower arrangements ahead of time. While a very efficient and crafty bride may be able to pull off creating the arrangements with live flowers prior to the event date, it would be far more difficult and consuming during a time that should be spent celebrating.
Wedding reception flower arrangements provide a great opportunity to show some creativity and personality. The ability to set the tone for a reception with unique and beautiful arrangements should not be overlooked during the planning process. Designing unique flower arrangements will create a memorable evening for you as well as your guests.
My name is Karen and I love to help brides-to-be plan for a wedding, check out my site for more ideas for wedding reception.

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Plan Your Honeymoon At The Sandals Resorts

By: Jenna Hunsaker

When you choose to honeymoon at a Sandals resort one of the benefits is that all of your food is included. No need to budget in money for meals, drinks, or snacks, since they all are included in the price that you pay in the beginning.

Once you've married, you can go out and see some of the sights and experience the water-based sports or spend time on land at your favorite golf course.
Remember, it's all included so you can choose whatever sounds good and just schedule a time to enjoy it.

Choosing a Sandals Resort that's perfect for you may include their amenities, food, and amusement options. No matter the location of the resort you choose, it's all without additional cost. See the different resorts, eat at the restaurants, swim in the pools, drink at the bars, and party at the nightclubs. It's all included.

Having flexibility on vacation is a must for a stress-reliever and Sandals Resorts let you choose what you want to do. You can stay in your room, layout by the pool, snorkel with the fish, go wind surfing and you can decide at the last moment for most activities. So the lack of planning in your schedule can reduce your stress and let you just enjoy being on your honeymoon.

Since children aren't allowed at Sandals Resorts, you can rest assured that only adults will be allowed to participate in your activities and swim in your pool. This coupled with many pools that include bars gives you the chance to party and relax to the fullest. Enjoy the retreat at Sandals and focus on your spouse without the noise and distraction of kids on your honeymoon.

Be sure to ask your Sandals specialist for the details about their hurricane weather and what they'll do if a hurricane hits. I believe that you get credited for another trip in the event of a hurricane because they're so certain that you won't be involved in a hurricane at their resorts. This is pretty cool, plus it shows that not many hurricanes happen at the Sandals Resorts.

Don't feel like you have to decide between all the Sandals Resorts and you only get to experience one of them. When you purchase a Sandals package you get access to each of their resorts at no additional charge. Some resorts are too far away to see and others are on other islands so be sure to ask for information on each of them. If you don't mind staying at just one resorts than be sure to choose the right resort for your desired vacation or honeymoon.

There are quite a few different Sandals resorts, and they are located on several different islands. You can find a Sandals all inclusive resort in Jamaica, Antigua, the Bahamas, and even in St. Lucia. No matter which location you choose, you have access to their amazing beaching, and their all inclusive packages, which will make your honeymoon a trip to remember.

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Honeymoon Bliss: Bahamas Holiday

By: Randy Cranbrooke

Imagine spending your honeymoon sipping frosty drinks on a soft, luxurious, white sand beach. The crystal clear waters serve as your invitation to cap off an exciting wedding with a honeymoon in the Bahamas. A Bahamian holiday is an excellent way to spend the beginning of your new life together as a couple enjoying the fun, sun, and each other.

While planning your wedding you should give equal importance to the planning of your honeymoon as well. If you don't, you might have to resort to the traditional holiday and spend more than your budget permits. After the stressful events of the wedding you are likely to feel exhausted, annoyed and tense. A honeymoon should be a relaxing holiday for the two of you when you can leave all the problems behind and focus on your new relationship.

Make sure that you have enough money to take care of your honeymoon, as the honeymoon is as important as the wedding itself. You can also think of other ways to secure your honeymoon in Bahamas by choosing to take a Bahamas holiday trip instead of the traditional gifts such as the household items. In keeping with the trends there are many websites that have come up with a provision of registering for a holiday instead of the usual gifts.

Once you make up your mind on going to the Bahamas for your honeymoon, you will find various destinations, resorts, hotels, and vacation options to choose from. You can explore these options on the World Wide Web or consult your local travel agent to find the best vacation for you and is within your budget. Planning your wedding and honeymoon together can reduce the pressures and stresses of wedding planning to a great extent.

Many couples choose to take advantage of all inclusive resorts for their Bahamian holiday. These resorts are excellent ways to enjoy all aspects of the fun and sun of the islands while on a thrifty budget. All inclusive resorts include food and activity costs with the tradition room fees. Couples especially love these all inclusive resorts since they do not have to worry with keeping up the costs of food and sticking to their pre set budgets.

Another popular way to enjoy the Bahamas on your honeymoon on a tight budget is to take a cruise. Many luxury cruise companies offer various destinations in the Bahamas and other islands in the Caribbean. Gone are the days when cruises were considered to be just for old people looking for sun! These days you see more young people on cruises, especially, honeymooners and vibrant couples that enjoy exciting nightlife and exquisite cuisine.

The Bahamas are also the favorite location for destination weddings. The breathtaking beauty of these destinations provides a romantic aura to the ceremony. If you plan a destination wedding you can include your loved ones in your holiday plans. And, if there are children, you have more reasons to think of the Bahamas as kids have great fun on the white sand in warm weather.

The wildlife exotica, the marvelous sand beaches, the warmth of the sun and ample activities to choose from - this is the stuff that a trip to Bahamas is made up of. The exotica that this place is home to are reason enough to make it your honeymoon destination.

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Romantic Honeymoon Destinations For a Lifetime of Memories

By: Andrew B

There isn't a person in this world who does not wish to have a romantic honeymoon. This only makes sense since a honeymoon is considered to be the ultimate romantic vacation when newlyweds get to spend there first real time alone together. The problem becomes which destination is the most romantic for the task at hand? The answer will depend on the couple and which location appeals most to them. Many will already know where they want to go, but for those who are still undecided here are some ideas to make your first real vacation together truly romantic.

The first though that crosses most peoples minds is someplace tropical. Moonlit walks on the beach, days spent relaxing in the warm ocean breezes with drinks on hand, candlelight dinners with the gentle sounds of breaking waves in the background, and a whole world of romance at every turn. Tropical honeymoons are hard to beat.

The first tropical place most people consider is Hawaii. You can choose to island hop or just spend your time on one island, enjoying the warm blue ocean waters along miles of beach. The Hawaiian people go out of their way to make each and every honeymoon one to remember.

For a more exotic romantic honeymoon the islands of the South Pacific such as Fiji or Bora Bora take the romantic experience to a whole other level. These islands will truly make you and your spouse feel like you have these beautiful locations all to yourselves. They are in an out of the way corner of the Pacific Ocean that will make a honeymoon a truly relaxing and wonderful experience.

For those who want to save some money but still want to experience a tropical honeymoon then Mexico is the place to go. For those who want to get away from the crowds of Cancun and Acapulco the Mayan Riviera is the place to go. With a multitude of all inclusive resorts the Riviera is a great way to enjoy tropical beaches without breaking the bank.

For a more home grown honeymoon there are plenty of romantic places right here in the United States. The advantage of this is obvious; no need for passports and everyone speaks the language.

If the lure of the big city with lots of glitz and glamour is your thing then Las Vegas and New York offer plenty of both. Las Vegas offers year round entertainment opportunities seldom found in other locations. Gambling, an array of different shows that will fit the entertainment needs of just about everyone, and a multitude of large hotels to choose from it is hard to go wrong with a honeymoon in the desert.

New York City offers a wealth of entertainment opportunities as well with Broadway shows and the always exciting Times Square. There is also the opportunity to eat at some of the most famous and romantic restaurants in the world along with world class hotels that are sure to make any honeymoon truly romantic.

For those who are looking for a culturally historic honeymoon then a trip to the old country, Europe, fits the bill. England, France, Spain, Italy all have romantic overtones and surrounding oneself in the history and culture of these countries can make for a truly romantic adventure. There is a language barrier but this can work to the newlyweds favor, giving them a sense of being alone in a strange and exotic land.

Finding a romantic honeymoon destination is easy, the hard part is deciding which destination to choose because any of these choices will leave you with romantic memories that will last you and your spouse a lifetime.

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