by Lesley Mattos

Every bride has lots of things to think about when she’s planning her wedding, but so many tend to forget about taking care of themselves on the day of their wedding. And it’s important that those small, but mighty, details not escape even the most well prepared bride!

What should be at the TOP of every bride’s list on the day of her wedding is to relax and enjoy it! Whether you’ve been working with a wedding consultant or have done all the planning and preparation on your own, it’s now the big day and you deserve to have at least as much fun as any of your guests.

Here are 5 simple, but practical tips to help pave the way to truly enjoying your wedding day:

1. Making Up is (not) Hard to Do – Create a Wedding Day Make-Up Bag

Two weeks before the wedding, do a complete test of your wedding-day look (make-up, hairdo and shoes) – for as long as you expect to have it together that day so you’ll know if it will “go the distance.” Put together a little make-up bag for touch ups that you can take along with you the day of the wedding to keep you looking your best. And on the big day, have a friend, bridesmaid or family member hang on to it or stash it somewhere handy so you can get to it when you need it. Be sure to use waterproof mascara, and don’t forget to pack the hairspray!

Hint: When purchasing your make-up, see if you can persuade the sales gal at the cosmetic counter into giving you samples of everything you’re buying (they’ve got ‘em, you know they do) They won’t take up much room and it will be more than enough for the day!

2. Wedding Day “Emergency” Kit – Create an Emergency Kit For Those Unexpected Emergencies

Just like the back-up, make-up bag for touch ups (say that three times fast!), consider an “emergency kit” filled with items you may need on your wedding day. Fill a small bag with items such as a travel size sewing kit (you’d be amazed at the magic tricks just one safety pin can perform), clear nail polish (for panty hose/stocking runs), an extra set of panty hose or stockings, throat lozenges and aspirin. Other ideas for the “emergency kit” include tissues, breath mints, tampons, hand cream and band-aids.

Hint: Most of these items can be found in the travel size bins in your local drug store.

3. Food for Thought – Start Your Wedding Day With Healthy & Filling Nourishment

Since most brides don’t get to enjoy the meal served at the reception, you really should consider having something to eat before the wedding, no matter how worried you are about how the dress fits!

While food may be the last thing on your mind on your wedding day, it’s nonetheless important that you start the day with some healthy and filling nourishment. It’s going to be a long (and wonderful) day and you’ll want to have plenty of energy so you can keep dancing and socializing for hours!

Hint #1: Stash a power bar snack in your purse or “emergency kit”

Hint #2: Pre-arrange for there to be something to eat at your honeymoon hotel (believe it or not, most couples are starving after the wedding day festivities and will want to re-fuel before the wedding night festivities!)

4. If the Shoe Fits – Kick Off The Heels & Settle Into a More Comfortable Shoe

You know those stunning, sexy, strappy, ultra-high heels that work perfectly with your wedding gown? They’ll be great for the ceremony and for the formal pictures, but if you’re planning to kick up your heels at the reception, you’ll be better off kicking off the heels and settling into something more comfortable. So get a pretty, more practical pair of shoes that you can change into to keep your dogs from “barking” the entire week after the wedding!

Hint #1: It’s not a bad idea to practice walking in the shoes you’ll be wearing during the ceremony. Take a test run in the shoes AND the wedding gown and get used to both.

Hint #2: Kenneth Cole Reaction makes a snappy little flat, beaded thong that is heavenly comfy, inexpensive and just fancy enough to go with your gown. I’ve got a pair in bronze and black (and they come in white as well) that I carry with me everywhere. Not a bad gift for your bridesmaids either!

5. Point It Out To A “Point Person” – Keep Track of Time With An Itinerary & a Point Person

Whether you’ve worked with a wedding consultant or carefully planned everything yourself, you should have an itinerary for the big day. Make copies, give them to a few good friends and/or close family members, then choose someone to be the “point person” who will make sure things are running smoothly and reasonably on time. You will be able to rest easily knowing at least one of your deputies will keep track of the time while you’re busy greeting those out-of-town guests and brand new in-laws whose names you can’t quite remember!

Lesley Mattos, Founder of Adesso Albums helps people all over the world capture the Now in life’s most important moments. Of all the ways to capture your wedding memories, the Adesso Instant Wedding Photo Guest Book is the only guest book alternative that provides an instant memory of your wedding event in both pictures and words. Buy the complete kit today at: http://www.adessoalbums.com/begin-polaroids-p-30.html

Provided By: Relationships

Technorati Tags: wedding planning, planning a wedding, wedding ideas, wedding dressess, wedding gowns, wedding accessories, wedding favors, wedding supplies, wedding gifts, wedding flowers

For more News, Articles, Guides, Tips, Tricks and various Wedding Planning information… visit our site at http://www.wedding-bells-central.com/.

Bookmark to:

by Dave Jones

Attending a wedding as a guest can be a very fun experience. Sharing in the special magic of watching two people devote their lives to each other is touching.

When you are invited to join the happy couple to celebrate their special day you’ll want to pick out a present for them. Many people choose the convenience of a monetary gift or they visit the couple’s gift registry to pick something they’ve asked for.

If you want to make a lasting impression on the bride and groom than consider choosing one of the many personalized wedding gifts that are available. Personalized wedding gifts are a nice reflection of the commitment of the couple and they also make wonderful keepsakes.

There are many different types of personalized wedding gifts that you’ll want to consider. Each has its own unique charm and will appeal to many newlywed couples.

Some of the most touching personalized wedding gifts are those that incorporate the wedding invitation into the gift. This can be done in several ways.

One idea is to have the couple’s wedding invitation framed. You can choose to have some flowers pressed in with the invitation or perhaps a cherished photo of the couple.

Another inventive idea for the wedding invitation is to have its image placed onto a candle. There are specialty shops that can do this with some advance warning. You simply give a copy of the wedding invitation and they will place the text onto a candle.

These types of personalized wedding gifts, that utilize the invitation, will surprise and delight the bride and groom. They’ll be able to have a constant reminder of their first day as man and wife.

Bottles of wine can also be made into personalized wedding gifts. Several vineyards now offer their clientele the option of having a personalized label placed onto a bottle of wine. In the case of using this as a personalized wedding gift you can have a bottle made to celebrate the special day or you can choose to have one that will represent their first anniversary. Either of these two approaches is lovely and the wedding couple will be very appreciative of your thoughtfulness.

Stemware or dinnerware with the couple’s monograms also makes wonderful personalized wedding gifts. They can choose to use them at every special occasion they will celebrate in their new life together.

Personalized wedding gifts are a wonderful way to show the bride and the groom how special they are in your eyes. When it comes to choosing the gifts, consider their likes and dislikes and pick something you know will bring a smile to their faces.

David is a contributing writer at Wedding Gifts, the BEST site for finding information on Personalized Wedding Gifts

Provided By: Family

Technorati Tags: wedding planning, planning a wedding, wedding ideas, wedding dressess, wedding gowns, wedding accessories, wedding favors, wedding supplies, wedding gifts, wedding flowers

For more News, Articles, Guides, Tips, Tricks and various Wedding Planning information… visit our site at http://www.wedding-bells-central.com/.

Bookmark to:

by John Kunkle

There are other differences in wedding customs. In Russia, the bride and groom stay attached to each other the entire time they are at the reception. They literally hold hands the entire time.

My wife got extremely upset with me each time I would get up and leave her alone for a moment at our wedding. One time, I was trying to help some elderly relatives of mine get some food. After once or twice, I gave up and sat next to her.

We did not circulate around and talk with people who came to the wedding, as is the custom in America.

In Russia, each person approaches the wedding table and offers a toast. You must drink a toast with each person who comes to the table. By the end of the reception, you are dead drunk on your feet.

No one came to the table and offered a toast. My wife thought that this was rude of my guests. My guests thought we were rude for not going around to greet everyone personally.

Russians wear the wedding rings on the right hand, as opposed to Americans that wear their weddings rings on the left hand.
When my wife travels to her homeland, she switches her wedding ring from her left hand to her right hand; otherwise ‘everyone will think that I am a widow rather than married.’

In Russia, it is the custom that other male guests may ‘capture’ your wife and hold her for ‘ransom.’ The bridegroom must entreat the other guests to help him gather enough money to ransom his bride. The capture and ransom are somewhat tongue in cheek, but are real enough that you won’t get your wife back without paying the ransom.

We tried to have a similar type of event at our wedding, but none of the American guests understood what was going on. After her ‘capture,’ we passed the hat to raise the ransom money, which substituted as a kind of ‘money dance.’

After we passed the hat three times to raise the ransom money, I had to sing for my bride.

My wife’s name is Aksana, and I adapted the Richie Valens’ song, “Oh, Donna” as a song I could sing about my missing girl, Aksana. Okay, it’s a reach, but it worked somewhat. However, the whole thing came off like a skit in ‘Our Gang.’

So much for trying to inject a Russian custom in an American wedding.

Russians usually drink until late in the evening – sometimes until dawn.
The family of the married couple is not supposed to leave until the last guest leaves.

For Russians, a successful wedding is one where everybody must be drunk. Having plenty of food is typical for any Russian function, and a wedding is no exception. If you have enough liquor and food, the reception will be a success.

Drinking was minimal at our wedding. No one needed a liver transplant after the reception, so by Russian standards, it was a failure.

My parents are elderly and wanted to leave before dark so they could drive home.

They can’t see to drive at night anymore. My wife begged them not to leave the reception ‘so early before the other guests left.’

My parents felt they had to leave so they weren’t a danger on the road. My wife felt as though my family ‘abandoned us.’

John has been successfully married to a Belarussian wife for over five years. He has traveled extensively through Russia and other CIS countries. He will tell you why you should consider Russian women, how to meet them, how to bring your special woman home, and how to survive married life.
www.russian-luv.com/emigrating.html

Provided By: Relationships

Technorati Tags: wedding planning, planning a wedding, wedding ideas, wedding dressess, wedding gowns, wedding accessories, wedding favors, wedding supplies, wedding gifts, wedding flowers

For more News, Articles, Guides, Tips, Tricks and various Wedding Planning information… visit our site at http://www.wedding-bells-central.com/.

Bookmark to:

by Donald Saunders

Your wedding will undoubtedly be one of the happiest days of your life and so it is no surprise that you will want to spare no effort in ensuring that every detail is meticulously planned and that your own individual style and personality is reflected in every aspect of the day, from your choice of dress and flowers to the topper on your wedding cake. Why is it then that so many couples fail to give the same degree of attention to their wedding invites?

Your wedding invites are the one piece of correspondence between you and your guests that will set the tone for your special day and yet in many cases sending out the invitations is seen as one of those peripheral tasks to be slotted in when you have a free moment and to be completed as quickly as possible.

To get your special day off to a perfect start take time and care over the choice and preparation of your wedding invites and stamp your own personality and style on your invitations is exactly the same way you do for every other aspect of your planning.

This will start with your choice of invitation cards. Today invitation cards vary widely from the relatively plain and simple to sophisticated letterpress invitations on cotton paper or delicate and fragrant inlaid petal paper invitations, with or without an embossed foil border. Cards can also include simple embossing or hot foil stamping and include your names, monogram or insignia pressed into your wedding stationary to make it quite unique. The stationary and printing style that you select is however just the start of the process.

The next thing to consider is whether or not you wish to include a picture(s) of yourselves on your wedding stationary. What better way can there be to make your invitations truly personal and unique than by including a picture of yourselves, either on the invitation card itself or on the accompanying envelope. Which brings us to the next item.

Having taken care to select and personalize the invitation card itself, don’t forget to take the same care over selecting your envelope or envelopes. As your wedding invites will need to pass through the postal system it will be a good idea to think about using an outer ‘postal’ envelope and an inner ‘decorative’ envelope which might, for example, be decorated to follow the theme of your wedding including ribbons in the colors of your chosen decoration and perhaps dried of silk flowers.

One further thing that you should think about at this point is whether or not you would like to have a personal website for your wedding and, if so, you should include details of the website on your wedding invites. A website can be a super addition to your wedding allowing you to include photographs and stories about you and your fiancé, as well as providing the facility for your guests to reply to their invitation online and to see details of the wedding venue, including travel and accommodation details, gift registry information and a great deal more.

As the first point of contact with your guests your wedding invites and an extremely important part of your wedding planning and taking time and care over the preparation of your invitations will help tremendously in smoothing the path to your wedding day.

For more information about wedding invites please visit Talking Weddings today.
Provided By: Relationships

Technorati Tags: wedding planning, planning a wedding, wedding ideas, wedding dressess, wedding gowns, wedding accessories, wedding favors, wedding supplies, wedding gifts, wedding flowers

For more News, Articles, Guides, Tips, Tricks and various Wedding Planning information… visit our site at http://www.wedding-bells-central.com/.

Bookmark to:

by Ribbon Anggel

Copyright © Ribbon Angel

Not sure what to give your guests as a wedding favor? Don’t fret because there are tons of fabulous ideas below that will show your guests just how much you appreciate their attendance and value their support on your big day.

Before you begin shopping for wedding favors, you need to set a budget for yourself so you know what you can afford. Also decide if you are giving the same wedding favor to everyone or if males and females will each receive a different gift.

For a classic wedding favor that everyone will love, try opting for a favor box. You can put a variety of things in a favor box, including chocolates, peppermints, small gifts and more. Men and women both enjoy getting these as a wedding favor and they look great on the tables too! Wedding favor boxes can come in a variety of shapes, from a square to a pyramid and can even be decorated seasonally.

His and her golf ball sets work well as a wedding favor because it’s a unique and useful gift. Champagne flutes- whether personalized or not- will always be a hit with your wedding guests and they will think of you when they use them every occasion thereafter.

Candles are a universal wedding favor that both women and men are sure to love. The great thing about candle wedding favors is that you have many options to choose from. From delicate tealight sets and monogrammed candles to seasonal candles and daisy candles- you’ll be sure to find one that goes right along with the theme of your wedding.

Men love to receive monogrammed cigars as a wedding favor and women will be delighted with monogrammed cosmetic bags. More great wedding favor ideas for women include monogrammed purse sachets and rose soap petals.

Luggage tags and personalized bud vases make fantastic wedding favor gifts that all guests will appreciate and be able to take home and use. If your wedding is going to have a tropical, marine or beach theme, opt for a gift such as coconut bath powder, Irish clamshells with scented seashells, starfish coasters, beach ball bath fizzies or wildflower seed kits.

If you’d like your wedding favors to go along with the season the wedding is being held during, choose a wedding favor that matches. Christmas tree and snowflake soaps are adorable during the winter, spiced pear bath salts and fall mulling spices work great in the fall, daisy seeds are great in the spring and beach ball bath fizzies are perfect in the summer.

To find out the latest range of wedding favors and accessories, check out http://www.ribbonangel.com/. Enjoy a whole new online shopping experience at http://www.ribbonangel.com/

Provided By: Relationships

Technorati Tags: wedding planning, planning a wedding, wedding ideas, wedding dressess, wedding gowns, wedding accessories, wedding favors, wedding supplies, wedding gifts, wedding flowers

For more News, Articles, Guides, Tips, Tricks and various Wedding Planning information… visit our site at http://www.wedding-bells-central.com/.

Bookmark to:

by Morgan Hamilton

Giving a speech is probably the most daunting task that the best man has to do at a wedding reception. Today even the maid or matron of honor is being asked to do the same thing on the wedding reception. The problem with wedding speeches is that most people really don’t know what to say. Of course, there are a few who are gifted at writing and delivering a speech. However, many people can suffer through a speech and have no idea about what they should say or do.

Some people can freeze in the middle of wedding speeches out of pure fright. There can be a lot of pressure to give the perfect speech. We are all afraid that the wedding speeches that we deliver may be memorable for all the wrong reasons. Some people like to use humor, but this can be very tricky.

Talking about the couples first date might be funny, but Grandma won’t like it if it involves drinking and public nudity. It can be tough to think of interesting things that will interest everyone. Speakers can often feel the pressure before they even stand up and open their mouths.

You will be glad to know that you can find help if you have to give a speech soon. There are many good wedding speeches online that can be customized to suit the bride and groom. This may help you relax a little, because you will know at the very least it was a good speech when you started. Don’t hesitate to ask for help if you are having trouble personalizing the speech. Remember to pick something appropriate for everyone.

Take some time to think it through, and run it by a few people before the big day if you want to write your own wedding speeches. Avoid saying anything you wouldn’t want anyone to say about you in front of all of your family and friends. It’s alright to use humor if you are sure you aren’t going to make Aunt Mary pass out.

Try to keep it simple. Great wedding speeches don’t have to be long and detailed; they simply have to come from the heart. You don’t have anything to worry about if you write something that comes directly from your heart and your love of the couple.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning Wedding Speeches. Visit our site for more helpful information about Wedding Speeches and other similar topics.
Provided By: Writing and Speaking

Technorati Tags: wedding planning, planning a wedding, wedding ideas, wedding dressess, wedding gowns, wedding accessories, wedding favors, wedding supplies, wedding gifts, wedding flowers

For more News, Articles, Guides, Tips, Tricks and various Wedding Planning information… visit our site at http://www.wedding-bells-central.com/.

Bookmark to:

by John Kunkle

There are also misunderstandings about monetary terms between Russians and Americans:

For example, you go into the jewelry store and your Russian fiancé picks out a ring. You tell her that it is expensive. You mean that it is overpriced, or that it is more than you can afford.

She thinks you mean that that you cannot afford to buy her a ring and that she is not going to get a wedding ring. Russians think in black and white, not shades of gray.

She starts to cry and you cannot understand why. After you calm her down, you laboriously explain to her what your budget is for a ring. She still thinks you are a miser, but you make the purchase.

This may be the end of it or it may not.

Some Russians Have Kitschy Taste. I know one acquaintance that has purchased a wedding ring for his wife five times because he keeps imposing a budget on his wife.

He went to Fast Eddie’s Discount Wedding Rings first. His fiancé buys the biggest, gaudiest ring she can find for the money, but she doesn’t like it because she keeps comparing it to my wife’s wedding ring.

His fiancé buys the biggest diamond even though it is of poor quality. My wife has excellent taste. I explained to my wife when buying a wedding ring about diamond quality. I told her about quality versus size.

She picked a beautifully designed ring and a stone that was good quality and a reasonable size for the money. It was a little more than I wanted to pay, but it made my wife happy.

Her friend has somewhat kitschy taste. Big and gaudy is better in her mind. Yet when she keeps comparing it to my wife’s ring, she is unhappy.

She keeps pressing her husband to trade up. Eventually, she will get the ring she always wanted. But it will end up costing more in the long run than if he had just bought the right ring in the first place.

Do not buy a wedding or engagement ring in Russia. The choice is much better in western countries. Russians don’t have a tradition of engagement rings so she isn’t expecting one.

Wedding rings in Russia are simple gold bands. They do not have diamond wedding rings as a rule.

Buy her a wedding ring when she gets to America. Let her help pick it out so she is happy with it. Work within your budget, but…

Don’t go cheap because she will see what other women are wearing as soon as she finds her way around.

The general feeling that Russians have about westerners is that they are cheap. This is because they are always talking about money. Don’t reinforce her pre-conceived notions by being cheap.

When Russians hear a foreigner complaining about expenses all the time, they think he is greedy.

John has been married to a Russian women for over five years. He has travelled the path from finding her, to traveling to Russia, to bring his wife to America, and adjusting to married life. He will show you step by step how to do this yourself.
www.russian-luv.com/rings.html

Provided By: Relationships

Technorati Tags: wedding planning, planning a wedding, wedding ideas, wedding dressess, wedding gowns, wedding accessories, wedding favors, wedding supplies, wedding gifts, wedding flowers

For more News, Articles, Guides, Tips, Tricks and various Wedding Planning information… visit our site at http://www.wedding-bells-central.com/.

Bookmark to: