Plan A Wedding At Its Best

I recently spent an entire evening trying on bridesmaid dresses. I had a great time playing with the girly gowns, but nothing pleased me more than watching the bride try on her choice wedding gowns. We were at the bridal shop for hours, but the time literally flew by. One of the most interesting aspects of the evening was learning about Vera Wang, a prominent wedding gown designer.

I thought that everyone knew who Vera Wang is just because she is so hot in the world of wedding attire today. I was shocked to discover that some people do not know who she is, and this included the lady who works in the bridal store. The bride tried on one gown that was literally breath taking. Once I caught my breath, I said that it looked like a Vera Wang.

“What is a Vera Wang?” my friend asked. The sales person then chimed in that she had never heard of the designer. I could understand my friend’s ignorance. She is only twenty-three and she really never took that much interest in fashion. What I couldn’t understand was how someone could work in the bridal industry and not know one of the most famous gown designers in today’s market.

Once I explained who she is, the sales lady said that their store did not carry her gowns. I went on to explain that none of us could afford a Vera Wang wedding gown unless it was sold second-hand. The simple fact that the bridal store’s sales person did not know about the designer made me lose faith in her recommendations. This may seem a little harsh, but I am no wedding professional and if I know who Vera Wang is, she definitely should.

You would think that someone who works in a certain field would know the famous people associated with that field. I don’t know if I would trust an artist who says, “Who is Van Gogh?” It just seems as if a real artist would be privy to that information. Bridal consultants should make sure that they keep up to speed on the current popular designers like Vera Wang just like an artist should know the masters from the past.

The evening was still enjoyable and we had a memorable time that we will cherish always. By the way, the bride chose the gown that I said looks like a Vera Wang and the sales person agreed that it was the most beautiful of the gowns she wore. I guess in the end it really doesn’t matter if they know who Vera Wang is or not. Her general style stands out on its own.

Tags: Princess Vera Wang, Vera Wang Barbie, Vera Wang Bridal, Vera Wang Dress, Vera Wang Dresses, Vera Wang Gowns, Vera Wang Perfume, Vera Wang Princess, Vera Wang Shoes, Vera Wang Wedding

For most women, one of the most important aspects of her wedding day is the wedding dress. Many women spend months searching for the perfect gown. The main reason is that most women have a very specific design in mind when they picture themselves on their wedding day.

Although there are many breathtaking wedding gown styles produced each year, some women are looking for something more traditional. They may consider purchasing one of the many vintage wedding dresses now being made available.

With the introduction of the online auction sites can an influx of people selling vintage items. Everything from cars to toys are being sold along with a very wide array of vintage wedding dresses. In fact, there are so many different styles available that it can be difficult deciding on one.

Just as you have to consider certain things when purchasing any item of clothing, the same holds true for vintage wedding dresses. If you are purchasing one at a local consignment shop, be certain to try it on first. If you ever have the opportunity to try the dress on, this will guarantee the best fit. However, if that’s not possible, as is the case with purchasing vintage wedding dresses online, you can always have them altered.

Another consideration to keep in mind is whether the dress is soiled. Although this generally won’t be the case in a consignment store, if you are purchasing vintage wedding dresses online, you can’t be certain. Most sellers will showcase an image of the dress and it’s wise to also inquire as the condition of the dress. The difficult with soiling is that on vintage wedding dresses if something has been left to sit, the stain will most likely be permanent.

Also give some thought to shipping costs. Having anything shipped is expensive, considering both the postal costs and the insurance. In the case of vintage wedding dresses you will need to have enough insurance on the package to cover the contents in the even that something does happen before it reaches your home.

Once the big day has passed you’ll need to think about how to preserve the gown. The drycleaners is usually the best choice for having vintage wedding dresses cleaned and preserved. If possible, try and have this done as soon as possible after the wedding day. You want to keep the dress looking beautiful forever so it’s important to leave that to a professional.

You want to look your best on your wedding day, so choose a gown that reflects your body shape as well as your personality. Vintage wedding dresses add an extra touch to your already very special day.

Tags: Bridesmaid Dresses, Bridesmaids Dresses, Cocktail Dresses, Evening Dresses, Formal Dresses, Homecoming Dresses, Prom Dresses, Quinceanera Dresses, Sexy Dresses, Wedding Dresses

Finding just the right wedding anniversary gifts can be difficult sometimes. In fact, remembering that special couple on their special day has been a tradition for centuries. In fact, a long time ago, it was decided that certain gifts should be given as wedding anniversary gifts depending on the length of time a couple had been married.

For example, a gift made of paper should be given for the first anniversary. In modern times, this has been changed to giving the celebrants clocks as wedding anniversary gifts. For the traditional fourth anniversary gift of something made of linen or silk, now we give appliances as gifts. I guess somebody figure out that after four years, that microwave oven given as a wedding gift would need replacing.

Traditional gift giving for the seventh year is something made of wool or even copper. For the 21st century, you should give the happy couple desk sets as their wedding anniversary gifts. Other traditional anniversary gifts include ivory for the 14th year, now replaced by gold jewelry, and wrist watches instead of crystal for the fifteenth year of marriage.

However, if you want to ignore the customs for wedding anniversary gifts and find something different, there are many companies that specialize in these kinds of gifts. For example, some travel agencies are unique in that they arrange trips for couples as either wedding or wedding anniversary gifts. If you give this as a gift, you can be guaranteed that the couple will be treated like royalty to celebrant their special occasion.

Treating your special couple to a fancy night on the town always makes a great gift. However, think about something different. Everyone knows one of those restaurants where you need to make reservations months in advance to get a table. By doing that, you have told the anniversary couple that they have been in your thoughts for some time.

Personalized wedding anniversary gifts are sometimes the best. It does not take a great amount of time and effort to purchase bath towels or bathrobes with names embroidered on them. And all of these anniversary gifts are available through the click of your mouse.

However, personalized gifts do not have to mean matching house slippers. How would they feel if you had poetry written especially for them or an artist painting their picture as a gifts]?

There is an almost unlimited variation of wedding anniversary gifts if you search a little bit and use your imagination.

Tags: Adidas Anniversary, Anniversary Cake, Anniversary Ecards, Anniversary Party, Anniversary Quotes, Anniversary Toasts, Church Anniversary, Golden Anniversary, Haviland Anniversary, Year Anniversary

Our 12th wedding anniversary is coming up in March of this year. I have been racking my brain trying to come up with some good ideas for wedding anniversary gifts that would be suitable for my husband. The best idea I’ve come up with so far is a Global Positioning System. This is something he mentioned a while ago and I figure it would be a good start to the wedding anniversary gifts that I will buy for him.

Some other wedding anniversary gifts ideas that I may also purchase (though some may be saved for next year) include a portable car battery recharger, titanium rings, an IPOD, a portable DVD player and a combination brad nailer/stapler. I prefer to buy personal items when I’m shopping for wedding anniversary gifts for my husband, however, he is extremely particular and I know it’s usually safer to buy him a practical item, if I want to be assured that he will like it.

In the past, some of the wedding anniversary gifts that I have bought him included a combination mP3 player/digital camera. I have also bought him jewelry, clothing, a sony digital camera, a home gym and many more wedding anniversary gifts. He has bought several items for me as well. My wedding anniversary gifts have included a leather vest, jewelry, clothing, books, gift certificates and many more items.

Last year, our wedding anniversary gifts from our family included a huge gift basket with wine, chocolates and candles, as well as, two nights accommodations at a local theme suite hotel. The first night was spent in the Rome room and the second night was in the Japan suite. The hotel was beautiful and it was very nice to get away from the responsibilities of life for a little while. This was one of the nicest wedding anniversary gifts we’ve ever received.

We usually make a big deal about our parents wedding anniversaries. Even though we live a great distance from home, we still make a point to purchase and send wedding anniversary gifts. Last year we made reservations for dinner at a lovely restaurant and paid in advance for a nice evening out for my parents. In the past wedding anniversary gifts that we have purchased for them included a new television, a new VCR, new dishes, wine glasses and many other wedding anniversary gifts.

We celebrated the 10th wedding anniversary of my husband’s sister and her husband quite recently. The entire family got together and took them out for a wonderful dinner where they also received and open a whole pile of wedding anniversary gifts. It’s nice to get together as a family for this type of occasion.

Tags: 25th Anniversary, Anniversary Band, Anniversary Cakes, Anniversary Card, Anniversary Inn, Anniversary Invitations, Anniversary Pins, Anniversary Poem, Anniversary Presents, Cat Anniversary

My husband and I will have been married for twelve years this coming March. Twelve years - I can’t believe we made it! We started out as mere children, with no idea what the future held in store. Now, having matured and grown together, we have two happy, healthy children, a rambling old house, a pile of debt and each other.

Our family has always been big on celebrating wedding anniversaries. As children, we would get so excited about our parents anniversary. We would spend weeks working on the perfect card, buying ingredients and baking a wondrous cake, and gathering up our coins and pennies to buy the most fantastic wedding anniversary present ever!

I remember one year, during a time period when our mother was in love with everything wicker and rattan, we found what we considered to be the best gift ever! In a little, whimsical gift shop in town, in the very front window sat a little wicker basket. Inside the basket were five coaster, each with an intricate wicker frame. The centre of each coaster had an asian-inspired water color painting, protected behind glass. My sisters and I were in love! This would indeed be our very best wedding anniversary present we had ever found for our parents! We entered the store, wide-eyed and shyly went to the customer service desk to ask about the price. We found out that the coaster set was only $7.50! That left us with just over $3.00 after tax - plenty to pay for gift wrapping and maybe even a bow!

Years later when things weren’t so happy in our family, I remember a huge argument between our parents. I’m still sad to remember seeing my mother clear one of the coffee table with a swipe of her arm. That was the coffee table that had been home to our little coaster set, that my sisters and I had bought with such love and esteem for our parents marriage.

In the end, our parents stuck together. There were more storms and arguments along the way, but almost every year we managed to pull together some sort of celebration in honor of their years together. Sometimes it would just be a card with best wishes; other years we’d go all out and spring for an anniversary gift. These later gifts cost much more money than the wedding anniversary presents we would select as children, however, the coaster set of many years ago, is still remembered fondly for the love and care behind the gift and the thought that went into it. And when we do visit our parents home, up on a shelf, away from any angry outbursts, sits that little coaster set. It maybe a little bit dusty, and there are a few scratches and broken bits. But, it still holds testament to our parents marriage and the years they’ve spent together.

For our own children and in our own marriage, we too hold wedding anniversary celebrations in high esteem. Our children love to make special cards, we always have a cake and every year we can look forward to a special wedding anniversary gift from our two wonderful kids!

Tags: Anniversary Cards, Anniversary Flower, Anniversary Gift, Anniversary Gifts, Anniversary Ideas, Anniversary Poems, Gift Anniversary, Happy Anniversary, Sputnik Anniversary, Wedding Anniversary

Wedding anniversary presents don’t have to be elaborate, expensive, or painstaking to find and buy. Especially now that we have access to all of the products, services, ideas, and guidelines the internet affords, we can get the most traditional or most unusual of wedding anniversary presents.

For starters, we can consult the traditions list, searching for the wedding anniversary presents that meet the appropriate material criteria:

1st First year: paper
2nd Second year: cotton/straw/calico
3rd Third year: leather
4th Fourth year: fruit/flowers
5th Fifth year: wood
6th Sixth year: candy/iron
7th Seventh year: wool/copper
8th Eighth year: bronze/pottery
9th Ninth year: pottery
10th Tenth year: tin
11th Eleventh year: steel
12th Twelfth year: silk/linen
13th Thirteenth year: lace
14th Fourteenth year: ivory
15th Fifteenth year: crystal
20th Twentieth year: china
25th Twenty-fifth year: silver
30th Thirtieth year: pearl
35th Thirty-fifth year: coral
40th Fortieth year: ruby
45th Forty-fifth year: sapphire
50th Fiftieth year: gold
60th Sixtieth year: diamond

Next, we can consider all of the possibilities that fall within that range if we want to buy a gift already produced and packed—one that is generic, but still thoughtful, that is.

BUYING WEDDING ANNIVERSARY PRESENTS

Given the above list, it is easy to find the gift that is best for the hallmark anniversary. For instance, a silver frame, to include a photo of the anniversary couple, is classic for the 25-year anniversary. Or a money tree is still a great no-brainer for the first year—not only because money is made of paper, but the first year marrieds can likely use that extra money!

So accordingly, here are a few of the many possibilities for wedding anniversary gift ideas:

1st First year: paper – okay, besides money, how about tickets to something?
2nd Second year: cotton/straw/calico – how about “pretend” straw? One company makes a thatch bowl that is actually ceramic but looks like straw.
3rd Third year: leather – faux leather might be better these days, so what about a leather stuffed animal?
4th Fourth year: fruit/flowers – do you really want your inlaws to hate you for sending cases and cases of prickly pears, that arrive every month for a year? How about a lemon tree for the back yard?
5th Fifth year: wood – What culture does the couple identify with? A wooden menorah in December or a pair of decorator dutch shoes filled with potpourri might work nicely.
6th Sixth year: candy/iron – The couples favorite candy, arranged in an iron (or simulated iron) vase?
7th Seventh year: wool/copper – Mittens with the surname initial? A copper engraving by their favorite artist?
8th Eighth year: bronze/pottery – Find the local potter; can he/she craft something special for the anniversary couple?

IDEAS for MAKING WEDDING ANNIVERSARY PRESENTS

If you go with more personalized, home-crafted items, you may wish to still use the traditional materials but customize the gift (or have it customized if you don’t feel all that artsy):

20th Twentieth year: china – get the signatures of the guest book (signatures of all the guests at the wedding who are now at the anniversary party) by handing them a glass marker (pen that marks on anything and doesn’t erase—like a Sharpie®) and having them sign the china platter you bought.

25th Twenty-fifth year: silver – use silver embroidery thread to embellish one of their favorite materials/clothing items/bedding items.

30th Thirtieth year: pearl – you could buy an Egyptian-made mother of pearl backgammon board, or you could buy the pearl (opalescent paint and cover the pawns of a chess game with it. Neatly, of course.

35th Thirty-fifth year: coral – How about buying a painting of coral reefs (or of anything, really) and gluing to it some lovely coral from the pet fish store or arts and crafts store—making a beautiful 3-D piece?

50th Fiftieth year: gold - There are gold yarns and threads—great for matching gold sweaters, mittens, or throws. What else could you use gold yarn in? How about gold flakes? What could you put the flakes in? On?

You get the idea. Now have fun coming up with more of your own!

Tags: Announcements Index, Business Announcements, College Announcements, Elope Announcements, Glenview Announcements, Lawn Announcements, Memorial Announcements, Newborn Announcements, Public Announcements, Stork Announcements

Wedding announcements differ from wedding invitations in that, while wedding invitations invite people to your ceremony and/or your reception, wedding announcements serve as an announcement of your new status as husband and wife.  Couples often order wedding announcements along with their wedding invitations, though they don’t need to be sent to the same list of people, since those who attended your ceremony or your reception already know you’re married.  Wedding announcements are usually reserved for those who you know well but weren’t able to invite to the ceremony, along with co-workers and acquaintances who you want to know about your wedding and your new statuses as husband and wife.

Wedding announcements are similar to wedding invitations in that there are a number of ways to go about printing them.  One option is to make your own wedding announcements.  Some couples go this route in order to save money, while others want to have complete creative control over their announcements.  The do-it-yourself route isn’t particularly advisable though, since it’s often more expensive than you’d think and since most printers of wedding announcements will allow you to tailor your announcements to fit your needs and your style.

There is a wide range of different printers for wedding announcements, from large mail-order companies to tiny neighborhood printers.  It’s a good idea to shop around quite awhile in advance since many printers, especially small specialty presses, usually book out long in advance.  Sample different papers and designs, even if you’re doing all of your sampling by mail through a distant company.  Don’t purchase wedding announcements until you have a clear idea of what you want your announcements to say and what you want them to look like, since once you’ve finalized the process it’s tough to change anything.  When you get your proofs make sure to proofread them carefully and have them double-checked by someone else, since it’s pretty embarrassing to have a typo or a misspelling on your own announcements.

Search until you find a design that matches both your personal styles and your budget; wedding announcements are often saved for years, and you want yours to be special.  Once you find a design and a printer you like, don’t be afraid to ask questions and make suggestions; often the process is much more flexible that you may think.  Shop around and ask around, and eventually you’ll find wedding announcements that will fit you and your special day perfectly.

Tags: Adoption Announcements, Baptism Announcements, Birthday Nnouncements, Death Announcements, Funeral Announcements, Job Announcements, Marriage Announcements, Moving Announcements, Photo Announcements, Vacancy Announcements

Preparing for a wedding can be overwhelming. There are so many things to remember and so many details to keep track of for the special event. The trouble is that you only have one day to have everything come together perfectly. Making wedding lists is a time-proven strategy for keeping things organized and relatively calm.

Many brides feel as if they are preparing for the Olympics when planning for their special occasions. They spend many hours organizing and thinking and dreaming and rehearsing that they often feel worn out just thinking about the ceremony let alone the reception. Unfortunately, when it comes down to the wedding itself, there is only one shot.

An Olympic athlete prepares for years for one moment. A bride does as well. A good training practice is to create wedding lists to keep things organized. If the tasks on the wedding lists are completed everything should run like a well-oiled machine on the day of the ceremony.

Of course, there are always those unexpected happenings that no one thinks will ever happen but aside from the unexpected, wedding lists can help things run smoothly. This may not keep the bride from being nervous but they will make her a little more relaxed than she would be without the well-organized wedding lists.

Some brides like to take the reigns but it is a good idea to delegate responsibility when it comes to such a big day. Don’t try to do everything yourself. Even if you have wedding lists organized to the finest detail you will be likely to forget something along the way. Divvy up the responsibilities among the attendants and the couple on the wedding lists.

Delegating responsibility may leave some brides a little uneasy but it is way better than trying to take on every detail your self. Brides, grooms and attendants are not the only ones who should have wedding lists. It is a good idea to make wedding lists for close relatives who can pull things together in a pinch.

For example, I naturally expected that my great aunt would say the prayer at my reception but I forgot to ask her ahead of time. Fortunately, my disc jockey had one of my wedding lists of things that needed to be addressed. He took a moment to ask my great aunt to say the prayer. She was happy to do so. I would have never been able to reach her under the circumstances. Having the wedding lists was a great way to keep things running smoothly.

Tags: Jewish Wedding, Wedding Candy, Wedding Catalogs, Wedding Coordinator, Wedding Dance, Wedding Daze, Wedding Food, Wedding Magazines, Wedding Poetry, Wedding Rentals

Everyone knows someone who has been married or has been a member of a wedding party. Weddings have not really changed too much over the centuries. Basic rules and decorum still stand the test of time during the ceremony and reception. People basically know their roles and responsibility during this rite of passage.

However, wedding money remains one topic that seems to be a little confusing for most couples and families. Basically, it comes down to the question, who pays for what? One would think that sources of wedding money are common knowledge, but I recently was put to the test, and failed miserably.

First of all, I was shocked that most of the expenses seem to fall on the bride’s family. This side of the party has to come up with wedding money for a number of things. They pay for the reception hall, the caterer and the entertainment for the reception festivities. Not only do they provide wedding money for the food and entertainment, but for the decorations, too.

Parents of the bride also pay for the church or location of the nuptials. I was really surprised by this because I just assumed that the bride and groom would be responsible for this. I was equally surprised that the parents of the bride come up with wedding money for invitations as well.

It seems as if the parents of the groom have to come up with a lot less wedding money for the occasion. They pay for the rehearsal dinner and for liquor served at the reception, if any. I was surprised that this was the only things on the list of responsibilities for this side of the party.

However, this does make some sense if we look at the history of wedding money in general. Years and years ago, the bride’s family would offer a dowry to go with their daughter. Perhaps the division of duties among the families reflects that basic concept.

I continued down through the rest of the list and was struck by the groom’s responsibilities. I think that we can let his parents slide on some of the wedding money. The groom may need a loan from them after all is said and done. The bride was not responsible for any wedding money whatsoever.

After reading about wedding money in the etiquette book, I began to think how lucky my husband and I were that we simply financed the whole thing ourselves.

Tags: Wedding Borders, Wedding Gloves, Wedding Hats, Wedding Hearts, Wedding Invites, Wedding Outfits, Wedding Shops, Wedding Showers, Wedding Videos, Wedding Wishes

If you’re getting married, some people will tell you that you’re going to have to hire a wedding planner.  True, a wedding planner can take a lot of stress away by handling all of the little details of your special day, but they’re expensive and, if you’re not paying attention, the wedding will be more a product of his or her imagination than yours.

On the other hand, if you handle the planning yourself, you’re going to need some way to keep track of everything.  That’s where wedding planner books can come to your rescue.  A good book will outline everything you need to take care of when planning your wedding, from getting the first visions of how things should look to buying flowers to all of the final touches that may have slipped your mind.

Most wedding planner books will start out by giving you a number of ideas for overall themes or visions for your wedding.  Do you want to have a beach theme?  What about a new-year’s celebration?  A garden wedding on a spring day?  A classic church ceremony?  Once you have an idea in your head of what you want your wedding to look like you can start the actual planning of the day.

One of the first things you should do is set a budget, which most wedding planner books do a great job of helping out with.  Most will give you a budget sheet with a suggested breakdown of the costs, suggesting percentages of the total budget to be spent on flowers, your photographer, the groom’s dinner, etc.  Of course, to plan out how the budget should be allocated you need to figure out how much you can afford to spend for the wedding, as weddings can cost from $1,000 to $100,000.  How much you decide to spend is completely up to you, though it will have an effect on how many guests you can invite and where you spend your money.

Once you have a budget, your wedding planner book should walk you through the process of finding locations for a ceremony and a reception, picking out a dress, picking out flowers, finding a photographer, and putting together all of the rest of the components of your wedding.  Though a wedding planner book may not be quite as comprehensive as an actual wedding planner, a good book will walk you through the whole process and make sure you don’t forget anything along the way.

Tags: Outdoor Wedding, Wedding Balloons, Wedding Poem, Wedding Ribbon, Wedding Sayings, Wedding Suits, Wedding Table, Wedding Tents, Wedding Tuxedos