Wedding themes would usually be picked out by the bride with the consent of the groom in the end. It is customary and only normal that women are more passionate and particular about their wedding themes since they are usually exposed and do the research on how to make such an event in their lives a treasured moment. The color schematics cover the flower arrangements, entourage designs and of course the wedding giveaways that are passed on during the reception proceedings.

It has been a common sight that color themes would usually create the proper ambiance and complement that weddings would usually project. The selection of colors would usually have meanings. These would stem from ancestral and superstitious beliefs that include good luck charms and happy marriages. It would all depend on the level of belief that sides, bride and groom, and their families would normally advice.

Ill-prepared weddings may not have time to go over the necessary preparations, making it something secondary since the main purpose is simply to tie the knot. While implementing colored themes in weddings is not really a requirement, it is a sign of unity and for some who believe in superstitions, a sign of well-preparedness in journeying towards a new life as husband and wife.

But the standard practice in weddings, whether it is big or a small gathering, really follow a certain them to make the occasion unique and different from the standard wedding events that people would get to experience through friends and colleagues. Couples would normally resort to trying to improve or outdo the weddings that they see, mixing ideas and trying to conceptualize something unique for their own wedding to be different and extravagant.

Besides, weddings are usually held once in a lifetime for couples who want to be officially married. Preparations and the like are tedious but after some years, they will always go back to memory lane and look at how exotic and memorable their exchange of vows truly was.

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Resorting to marriage is not immediate for some. It should be something that would be considered after careful deliberation and thinking. For one, moving their foot forward towards marriage is a rather large step considering that changes in lifestyle and manner of living will truly be something that people would have to be open to. Convenience and luxury will surely be different from the usual routine of being single since needing to look out for your partner as well is the added responsibility that comes with holy matrimony.

Planning a wedding is something that would need extensive preparation. It is not purely a case where a man and a woman would change “I Do’s”. If only marriage was that simple then anyone of legal age can easily get married. Outside the usual planning of ceremonies, wedding guests and necessities to make the occasion a memorable one, the bride and groom to be should consider life after giving up their single status.

One two people would tie the knot, there is no turning back. It is assumed that both people are aware of the predicament that they have placed themselves into and unlike ordinary relationships; it is not easy to break off. Starting a family of their own, deciding on how many off springs to have, where to be situated and computing the finances are only some of the issues that will surely be among the normal marital problems to be faced.

Hence, this is why relationships are considered a test of compatibility. The complement of the partnership and planned union should have a strong foundation and resorting to marriage is done by mutual agreement by both parties. Exchanging vows is something sacred and memorable hence man and woman should carefully consider why marriage is serious that what most people think.

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On this special day, set aside your other concerns. Let the day be filled with only happy thoughts. This is not the time for petty quarreling over trivial matters. Rather it is s time to celebrate unity, family and a whole lot of love.

What should you do? For one thing, make sure that you choose carefully and wisely. This is one day where you want to hear nothing but praise. It is impossible to please everyone but if you choose the best of everything, it is possible to please most.

Once in a lifetime is a phrase often used to describe weddings. With that thought in mind, why not go ahead and spend a little more than you normally would to have something that isn’t just good, but great for your wedding. You don’t need to go in debt but just uncurl those tight fists a little bit.

For example, you may have to work with a tight budget but that is no reason not to serve the best possible food at your reception within that budget. No one will expect you to put on a lavish unlimited buffet. You can amaze them with great tasting food that doesn’t break your bank.

Yes you can get married in a t-shirt and jeans. No one will gainsay you if you insist. Just think for a moment though; this is a rare occasion. It is one of those moments were you get to dress up. Your future mate may want to get all dressed up - well at least in designer jeans and a great top at least. You may not want to spend a ton on an outfit that you will only wear once but at least pick out something that really brings out your best features and really makes you look great.

One of the nicest things about weddings is the fact that it gives you a chance to say thank you to everyone. Getting to this moment in time took the help of a lot of people. Your wedding is a chance to let them know how much you value their friendship, love and support. Don’t think gratitude ever goes out of fashion. It is one of the most uplifting things you can do on this day for your guests.

The simple truth is, the divorce rate is higher than ever. Yet with every marriage that takes place, hope is born anew in us that there is a chance to indeed attain happiness and a lifetime relationship. Sometimes you find it in the least expected places and it can come when you aren’t looking for it. That is what makes it even more special. All the more reason that you should celebrate and let others share in your joy. Everyone can stand to have more good news and happiness in their lives; and if it isn’t their turn to walk down the aisle, at least they can share in your good fortune and celebrate with you.

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The date and time of the wedding are two items that should be planned ahead of time. This should be discussed long before you begin hunting for possible venues. It is a lot easier to get a great venue if you have these details clear; though it is understood that you may need to adjust to the availability of the venue or find another place.

What is the best time for your wedding? The answer varies from person to person. It depends on a lot of factors, most of which you must balance for the wedding to meet your needs.

One thing to think about is what time of the day you are at your best. Most people qualify themselves as morning people. Others say they are night owls. It simply means the time that they are truly alive, alert, aware and able to enjoy what is going on around them. It is the best time for them to be getting ready for an occasion as major as their wedding. Think about it. If you are someone who doesn’t feel truly awake until the afternoon, having a morning wedding can make you feel rushed. This usually translates to additional stress you don’t need. It can ruin not just your mood but the way you look. So it really is best to work with your body clock - or condition yourself to wake up earlier than usual and adjust as best you can.

A useful tool for some couples is the biorhythm calendar. The basic theory is that our condition follows a cycle or pattern. Measuring three aspects - your physical, mental, emotional state - the biorhythm calendar can help you to pick a date when you are at your best. This is a day when all the aspects are on the way up or at the peak rather than in the nadir. You and your future spouse can use an online calendar and utilize the results to help you select an optimum day.

Of course, not everyone believes in the biorhythm calendar and that’s ok. You can just choose a day based on your availability, your preferences and the time slots given by the management of the venue you want to use.

Just keep in mind that the best time is the one that allows you to be very relaxed in spite of all the things that you may need to prepare and check on. Do make sure to go with what is most comfortable for you and your future spouse. Don’t let anyone till you that it is necessary to start at unholy hours. You will just find yourself grumpy from lack of sleep, to say the least.

Technorati Tags: biorhythm, venue, night owls, body clock, couples, weddings

What were very memorable about this wedding were the toasts. First the father of the bride stood and thanked everyone for attending the wedding. He said that he was very glad to see his daughter happily married. He talked of the anxiety of being a father of girls, how a dad always prays that his child finds someone who will truly love her and make her happy; and how he feels that indeed she has found it in the groom. He then proceeded to welcome his new son-in-law to the family. He then offered a toast to the happy couple.

Next the father of the groom stood to give his speech. He said that from the first moment that the bride was introduced to them, he hoped that she would become part of their family. They, the groom’s parents, saw in her qualities that they truly hoped for in a daughter and that they felt would make their son truly happy. They were blessed to have their wish fulfilled this day. He proceeded to offer a toast to the bride and groom’s happiness.

Now it was the best man’s turn. A little less serious, he talked of how much his friend changed since meeting the bride. He talked of how they knew that this girl was the one for his friend because his favorite pastimes now took second place to being with her and how responsible he became. He talked of how they complemented each other and how much their love and friendship showed - truly best friends. He offered a toast to love and friendship.

Then it was the groom’s turn. He stood up and said, “Thank you to my bride without whom this wedding would not have taken place”. That cracked most of us up since yes, there would have been no wedding if she had not said yes. Then he went on to explain that he was very lazy and laid back about the whole wedding. She was the one who made most of the decisions. She made sure that he got involved and it was thanks to her wise choices that the wedding went off so smoothly and was so absolutely beautiful, truly one he would cherish.

These are by no means perfect toasts. For sure there have been better made ones. The beauty of them is that they come from the heart and they celebrate the happy couple’s togetherness and goodness. They may not be flowery or poetic but everyone gets exactly what the speakers mean and yes, they do get to know the bride and groom a little better; and yes, they do get to wish them well.

So, what’s the trick to making the best toast? Speak from your heart and speak of the joy and love you see in the happy couple. Raise your glass and smile.

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Your wedding is your moment to take control of your destiny. You are stepping forward and proclaiming to everyone that you do choose your fiance/e to be the person with whom you will spend the rest of your life. Why should anyone else be in control of what your wedding will be like when it is the doorway to your married life, right?

There are only three factors that should temper your choices. These are:

• Your budget
• The preferences of your fiance/e
• The availability of the materials you need for your wedding

The budget is the first item on the limiting factors because it cannot be escaped. The simple truth is that you can only spend what you have. This means not only cash but any line of credit you have. You cannot buy anything without money to pay for it. You can go ahead and order the most expensive dress, reserve the fanciest place and have the most expensive buffet meal set for your wedding but you’d better be prepared to put money down or the reservations will vanish. Worse, your wedding could indeed push through but you’ll be badly in debt.

It is far better to get the best you can, working within the budget you have. You might be surprised at how beautiful a wedding you can have without spending hundreds of thousands. Think of it as preparation for being married. You’ll find that the budget will be in effect from the moment you guys become Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

The second limiting factor is the preference of your future spouse. Man or woman, everyone has thought of what their wedding day will be like. Anyone who says otherwise is in need of some veritaserum. As kids we have all thought of one day having family of our own and that walk down the aisle or the moment you say “I do”. Naturally since it takes two to make a marriage, there are also two people to take into consideration when you plan your wedding and the other person is not your own mother or your future in-laws, just you and your future spouse.

The third limiting factor is the availability of the materials you need for your wedding. This includes anything that is needed from your wedding. This can be the venue for the ceremony, the venue for the reception, oysters for your appetizers, champagne from a particular vineyard and so on and so forth. The availability of these things is outside of your control. You will need to either work with what is available or adjust your plans to a timetable where these materials can now be had.

Technorati Tags: weddings, wedding planning, budget, preferences, choices, contro, decision making

Admittedly, though, it can get a little sappy. It can be really trying when the song selection includes songs like Olivia Newton John’s “Hopelessly Devoted to You” or the classic “The Nearness of You”. Then again, what can you do? It is the way the bride and groom feel and it is their time so you’ll have to grin and bear it and enjoy dancing with your partner.

On the other hand, you might get lucky and the bride and groom might actually have a wider selection of music prepared, some of which might even have a faster beat and allow dancing. They might actually get you singing and swaying, hopping, jiving and boogieing the night away even if the words are actually expressions of love still - yes, not all love songs are ballads.

One way to avoid getting stuck in the silly love song mode is to help the bride and groom create their playlist. Help them find music that does express how they feel but won’t lull the guests to sleep or drown you all in sappy romantic syrup. There are millions of songs available there is sure to be some that meet your standards.

If you love music you know that the arrangements can be changed to spice up an old song. You still keep the tune and melody true but you make the song unique. This is something that the band that the bride and groom hired can do to make these love songs seem less sticky yet still be wonderful songs everyone will enjoy. This will require however that you give the band advance notice so that they can rehearse and prepare for the change in the music.

Generally, though, people don’t mind the silly love songs. It is nice to know that some of us do indeed find love and fall in love. It seems silly only because we know that sometimes it can be like waiting for the sky to fall and none of us like waiting for the nearly impossible. We all know though that when it happens, there is nothing like it and we too become sappy and happily drown ourselves, and everyone around us in the romantic mood created by these love songs.

Some songs that are great choices to have at a wedding:

• I Only Have Eyes For You
• The Gift by Jim Brickman
• That’s All I Ask of You from the Phantom of The Opera
• The Way You Look Tonight
• What A Wonderful World - Louie Armstrong

The rest of the songs will really vary depending on the particular taste of the bride and groom. We can all just hope that it won’t all be silly love songs.

Technorati Tags: love songs, music, wedding music, romance, Paul McCartney and the ings, Jim Brickman

For example, some brides are absolutely determined that they will have the most shapely figure for their wedding. They want to have the tinest possible weight so aside from starving themselves and exercising all the time (this is one step away from anorexia, ladies), some brides decide to get a corset. Yes, you read right - a whale bone corset just like they used in the olden days. On the wedding day, some brides look just like Kiera Knightley, gasping and fainting from being unable to breath properly.

Thank goodness the surprise cakes aren’t so popular anymore. The surprise cakes were the fake cakes with a person hidden inside. These are usually used for birthdays, bachelor parties and the like. Some prankster best men get the grooms in trouble when they deliberately mix up the order dates and the bride and groom get a surprise. It can mean a cold wedding night for the groom.

Whenever anyone objects at a wedding, drama is instantly added. Can you believe that some best men actually hire someone to pretend to object to the wedding - if not pretend to object themselves. They think it’s funny but the joke can backfire in a very big way. It’s a lot funnier if the couple gives threatening glares at their guests like Kathy Griffin and her husband did at their wedding to make sure that none of them try and stop the wedding instead.

A few couples have chosen a balloon as their getaway vehicle. It can be great floating “under a twilight canopy” as the song “Up, Up and Away” goes. But it can be a hassle and potentially embarrassing for the bride to clamber into the basket in her wedding gown. Either prepare a getaway outfit or choose an easier vehicle to get in and out of.

Some couples opt to have all sorts of games at their weddings where the guests have to do some funny looking stuff just to entertain the happy couple and their guests. It sometimes feels like the court jesters never really went out of fashion watching some of the antics they go through like having to eat a banana as fast as they can or showing the newlyweds how a proper kiss should be done - some couples go way overboard here.

The long and short of it is, crazy antics can seem cute and sometimes they are funny but they aren’t always right for your wedding. Try to think whether it is worth it and something you’ll be glad you did when you look back at your wedding. If you say it is, just make sure that you have all bases covered and have your recovery plans in place just in case the joke goes wrong.

Technorati Tags: weddings, practical jokes, crazy antics, funny, humor, best man, stag party, bachelor party, surprise cake

Marriage is a major commitment. It is a life changing decision. It is one man and one woman saying to each other that they choose to be exclusive partners for the rest of their lives, no matter what happens.

Unfortunately this is not always the case. Sometimes, a couple goes into the marriage just mouthing their vows. They act the part for everyone to see. They seem so sincere, so devoted to their spouse to be. The sad part is that given the first opportunity they will hop into bed with someone else. Thus the cycle of infidelity is begun.

Sometimes a couple agrees to have an open marriage. They agree that they are married but they are free to have flings or relationships on the side. How in the world a marriage can be open when by definition a marriage is exclusive is beyond this writer. Many have found that in the long run, it really is a recipe for divorce. Our territorial nature just can’t take the thought of sharing our spouse - with a few exceptions of course.

It seems like many people just don’t get it anymore. The very principle of marriage is committing to monogamy. This means having only this one person as one’s mate for life. Mind boggling as it is for some, it is what makes a marriage special. Marriage isn’t just built on the emotion called love; it is built on a foundation of trust. This trust is based on a base of mutual respect and understanding.

This trust is fragile. It is rather like jar. Break it and the contents spill out. Even if you could super glue it back together, the cracks would still remain. It would never be the same. The relationship, like the jar, would not be as strong, though many still give it a second chance; sometimes more.

Before you get married, it is best that you are both clear on this aspect of the relationship. There is no going back from this one for most couples. This literally breaks the relationship and the marriage. It is best to go into marriage with the ability to say, “I choose you to be my one and only partner for the rest of my life” and truly mean it. Once you say it, live up to the promise. This is a no-compromise item for most women, men, so be very sure that you really mean it when you say “you are the only one”.

Don’t hesitate to postpone the wedding if you think that your spouse to be cannot be faithful to you. You will save yourself a lot of heartache - and money - this way.

Technorati Tags: wedding, values, relationship, monogamy, open marriage, trust, respect

Unless the bride and groom signs up for a registry, the guests are in the dark. You can ask the couple what they need but that does mean that you may end up having to give a gift that cost more than you planned.

So what are the best possible gifts?

The number one answer: money. Money is the most versatile kind of gift anyone can give the bride and groom. Some people feel that it is an impersonal gift but really, it can be one of the most thoughtful gifts. We all know that the bride and groom are spending a lot of money on their wedding. A gift of cash (or even a cheque) can help them recover their expenses. They can use it on their honeymoon or they can use it to buy any appliances or furniture that they don’t have in their new home yet. The bottom line is that they can use it to buy what they need.

Keep in mind that it is considered a no-no for the bride and groom to ask money so be discreet in how you give it. The Chinese have a nice way of handling it. They have beautiful red envelopes that you can put your gift in that look so elegant.

Sometimes it doesn’t feel right to give the gift in cash even when you know that the bride and groom need it. Rather than give them the cash, why not have a chat with your bride and groom and figure out where they want to go. You can then pay for their hotel room, for example. That will be one less expense for them and it is still a place of their choosing.

There are a hundred places where you can get gift certificates for them to use. Some of the best places to eat or stay in use this system because they know that their guests love their restaurant or resort so much that they will want to give their family and friends the chance to experience these places for themselves. So if you know a place perfect for the happy couple, don’t be shy and get them gift certificates so that they can enjoy the place.

If the place that you’d like to send the bride and groom to doesn’t have gift certificates, you can always create your own. Most establishments will allow you to prepay or charge the reservation to your card. You can just specify the details on the certificate you create for the happy couple. It will then feel more personal than just handing over cash.

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