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Monday, 18 August 2008 11:01 |
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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 you"ll 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
wouldn"t 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.
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Thursday, 07 August 2008 05:01 |
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Having worked in the wedding industry in Toronto for over 10
years- I have seen the stress of planning a wedding can take on
the bride- and her family. Whenever there is high emotion and
money involved- stress is sure to follow. There are some
strategies that can help relieve the anxiety involved with
planning your wedding and working within your budget.
Find out first who is paying for what and how much. Keep in mind
that anyone who contributes money will feel entitled to express
their opinion- sometimes loudly! So try and make clear what
expectations are. Your future mother-in-law may want to help
out- but she also might want her second cousins daughter in your
wedding party. If possible try and pay for as much of the
wedding yourself and not rely on anyone else.
Take a realistic look at how much money you have to work with-
avoid going into debt. Most important- Have a budget!
Be honest with your wedding professional- tell then how much you
want to spend and have them help you give you the biggest bang
for your buck. They know their field and what is possible and
affordable. I know from experience that most creative people
want to do their best work for you- and want your wedding
flowers to be spectacular or your wedding dress to suit your
body type. It is a business but most bridal shop owners, wedding
photographers or florists I have met all have pride in their
work- if you are getting a sense that they don"t or feel like
just another dollar sign then move on and find some one else.
Ask their advice- they know their stuff! They have seen hundreds
if not thousands of brides and have a pretty good idea of what
works and what doesn"t. I remember one year when a famous
Kennedy got married- and pictures of his bride were all over
newspapers and magazines of her holding a wedding bouquet of
solid lily of the valley. I had DOZENS of brides walk in wanting
this exact look. This is great if you are getting married in the
3 week window in June when lily of the valley is available. Any
other time it is imported from Holland and packs a staggering
price tag. For a 1/10 th of the money I could have given those
brides stunning wedding flowers.
Take a look at your budget and decide which is important to you.
For some brides it might be the dress; others the wedding
flowers or wedding cake. Maybe you have always dreamed of a live
band at your wedding reception. With a limited budget you will
have to make choices. If you want to have 350 people to your
wedding- you may have to have chicken and not surf and turf for
your guests. Something will have to give. Some good advice- you
will be looking at your wedding photos for the next 50+ years. I
would invest money into anything that shows up in those photos.
Get the best photographer you can afford- do not give this job
to your brother or friend who took a Learning Annex course in
Photoshop. Good hair and makeup. I suggest nothing TOO trendy in
a head piece unless you want to suffer the jibes of your
children... and grand children. Do not skimp on your bridal
bouquet. This will be staring back at you for years in an 8x10
glossy . Your wedding attire- get a lovely dress and something
nice for your groom.
Anything else is really is just icing on the cake. Trust me -
you will regret blowing your money on a custom designed wedding
cake. You will not regret beautiful and professional wedding
photographs. It varies from person to person- but certain things
really don"t matter and some do- I will share my opinions on
this. Your dress, wedding photos, your bridal bouquet, location,
grooms attire MATTER. Bridesmaid dresses , bridesmaid"s flowers
and other wedding flowers, wedding cake, head table flowers,
table centerpieces, food do not! If it"s not in the wedding
photo that will be above your mantle- it probably doesn"t
matter.
Find our how much money you have to work with, who is
responsible for what- make a plan and stick to it. Remember all
weddings are beautiful and all wedding days are perfect- Try not
to let the stress of money ruin the panning process for you.
Best Wishes on your Wedding Day!
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Friday, 01 August 2008 09:01 |
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January 27, 2006 - 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."
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