Becoming One Financially

When we think of marriage, most of us like to be romantic about it. Marriage brings images of engagement rings and a big white triple-layer cake. Nobody wants to talk about money management, prenuptials and other financial matters. 

However, statistics show that the top reason for divorce is disagreeing about money. Don’t get carried away by the sheer romance of getting married. Discuss your financial concerns before you walk down the aisle. 

Prenuptial agreements 
These legally-binding contracts will save you quite a heartache in the event of a divorce. 
But who is ever considering divorce at the time of marriage? It may seem unromantic, and certainly, most of the time it may be unnecessary. However, if you stand to inherit a very large sum of money, if you have a trust fund, or if you own a business, a prenuptial can help you keep what is rightfully yours. 

Set a reasonable wedding budget 
With the average American wedding costing over $19,000, it makes sense to look into some affordable alternatives. Keeping it small and holding the ceremony and reception in a park or other scenic public place are just two examples of ways that you can save a ton. 

Be ready for tax-season 
If both spouses work, by law, they both must be taxed at the same rate as that of the highest income-earning spouse. Married couples will be happy to hear, however that the marriage tax penalty is being phased out over the next few years. 

Merge your money 
Legally, a married couple has joint-ownership of everything. Regardless, a husband and wife will often open a joint bank account to make household expenses easier to track. 

Discussing the financial details of marriage one-step-at-a-time can help ease the both of you into a fruitful and harmonious new life together.

Choosing the Wedding Disc Jockey

Your wedding day is the day when all the details that you've always thought about will come together and planing that day may take more than a year to plan. Having the right disc jockey playing the perfect music and creating the atmosphere can get you surprised bringing family and friend closer than ever before. 

If you understood the importance of a good wedding disc jockey then now comes the though part, finding it. And that takes some looking into and the effort is worth it. Recommended would be not to go the easy way, relying on advertising and other third hand references. Instead, you could ask the banquet manager of some respected banquet facilities in your area for some disc jockey refferals. It's important that you get the best disc jockey you can find, this is not the area to cut the budget. Book the disc jockey for your wedding at least one year in advance to make sure you have the best. 

After making a list of possible disc jockeys you should interview each one and ask your questions before they start selling themselves. Here is a list of questions that you should ask. 

- Ask about the years of experience as a disc jockey; 
- Ask about the type of experience, wedding or clubs; 
- Ask if there are back-up disc jockeys; 
- Ask if the person you are interviewing is the disc jockey that will be at you wedding and if not, ask to meet the actual disc jockey; 
- Disc jockeys range from quiet to "off the wall" so make sure you ask about their interaction with the public; 
- Ask the disc jockey what he'll wear at the wedding, "tuxedoes" should be the answer; 
- Ask about the type of music and about how they plan to please everyone; 
- Ask if they play guests requests and if they keep the requests in good taste and in the atmosphere of the event; 

It is a lot of work but this is very important part of your wedding so make sure you and your fiancee are confident with the wedding disc jockey you'll choose.

Bridal Shower Themes

It is the maid of honor's duty to organize the bridal shower and to ensure that the party is everything the bride expected. The best way to ensure that everyone will have fun is to create a theme around the bridal shower in which everyone can participate in. The following is a list of fun and exciting themes for bridal showers. Choose the one that suits the bride the best: 

1. Lingerie Bridal Shower - The lingerie theme has become more and more popular in recent years. This type of shower is typically for a younger bride who will be comfortable with the risqué nature of a lingerie bridal shower. Each guest, in lieu of bringing a traditional wedding shower gift, will bring a piece of lingerie for the bride. The groom will reap the benefits of a lingerie shower as well. Chances are the gifts will be put to great use on the honeymoon. 

2. Gourmet Bridal Shower - A gourmet bridal shower is perfect for brides who love to cook and sample different kinds of food. Instead of serving traditional snacks like cheese and crackers, ask each guest to bring a gourmet-related dish. Sending out invitations in the shape of foods or hand deliver invitations in an apron to add a little extra pizzazz to your shower. 

3. Around-the-Clock Bridal Shower - This is a relatively new bridal shower theme. It requires each guest to bring a gift that the bride and groom can use at a specific point throughout the day. For example, on one person's invitation it might read 3pm; while on another's it may read 1am. The gifts are distributed clockwise according to the hours each guest is assigned.

4. Room-of-the-House Bridal Shower - Similar to the "around-the-clock" theme listed above; this theme requires each guest to bring a gift in relation to a specific room in the house. One guest might be assigned the kitchen; while another might receive the bedroom. Each guest would have to choose their gift pertaining to the room on the invitation. 

5. Stock the Bar - This theme requires each guest to bring wine, beer, spirits or liquor; which the couple can use to stock their bar at home. You may want to assign each guest a different kind of liquor to ensure that the couple doesn't end up with 10 bottles of tequila! 

The bridal shower theme you choose will have a great impact on the success of your bridal shower. Make sure the theme is suitable for the personality of the bride; otherwise she may be disappointed with the outcome. Also take into consideration the types of gifts the couple could most use. If they already have a stocked bar, a "stock-the-bar" shower won't be a helpful theme. The outcome of this shower may determine whether or not you're ever asked to throw another one. But remember, above all, have fun!

Bridal Feature:Hot trends in table favors

Hot trends in table favors (NC)—Choosing the right gift to show your appreciation for your wedding guests can be a challenging task. You want the gift to be appropriate, meaningful and tasteful. But most of all you want it to reflect your personality and flair. 

One thing is now certain in today's modern day weddings, when it comes to table favors anything goes. Your choices can now range from soap favors, box favors, tulle favors, candle and glass favors. You could choose from personalized boxes containing mints, truffles, potpourri and different fruit. Let's not forget the famed bridal coffee packs and tea bags, or the fortune cookies with special messages enclosed. 

But the latest hot trend in wedding table favors is — printed chocolates. They have gained such popularity because of their versatility as decorative, tasteful and unforgettable personalized gifts. 

Anne-Marie Tremblay, President of Cacao Design, says "our printed fine chocolates have become a very popular choice with couples looking to give a sentimental and unique table favor for their wedding guests." 

Her Montreal-based firm is the only manufacturing company in North America to specialize in printed chocolates. Available in white, dark or milk Belgium chocolate the designer, high-quality products can be imprinted with the couples' names, initials, special messages or unique custom designs. A wide choice of colors and wrappings are available to match the custom colour scheme and image you desire. 

A delight to the palate and the eyes these high-quality chocolates become a delicious personalized reminder of a beautiful evening. 

"It was fun to watch the reaction of our guests as they discovered our initials and thank you message on the chocolates," said Marie François, who chose decorative boxes of printed chocolates as table favors for her wedding guests last July. "We received a lot of great comments from our guests who had never seen anything like that before. I really wanted to give something personal and unique." 

Cacao Design's full line of wedding gift products will be on display at the Sheldon Bridal Show taking place on November 28-29 at the Montreal Congress Centre. For more information on printed chocolates and other wedding gift options visit www.cacao-design.com.

Bringing Debts into a Marriage

Are you a credit card junkie? Credit card debt can often be a big, deep, dark secret for someone preparing for marriage. It’s an uncomfortable subject to talk about. Do you bring it up before or after he slips the engagement ring on your finger (or before you slip it onto hers)? Or do you wait until after all the marriage preparations are in place? 

If there are large differences in your assets and liabilities, it may not be such a hot idea to get a joint bank account. Furthermore, you may want to sign a prenuptial agreement just to be clear about what came before your marriage, and what came after. 

How you plan your wedding budget will largely determine how you approach money management as a married couple, in the long term. Wedding costs, by themselves can run up quite a tab. If you are noticing conflicts in the early stages of your joint money management, then get some financial marriage advice or premarital counseling. 

Couple counseling can be just as much a part of a healthy marriage as family or financial planning is. It’s a way of ensuring solid communication skills from the get go; and that’s important when debts and assets are about to be split right down the middle.

Capturing Your Wedding On Video

Today professional videographers have become as natural a part of the wedding as the photographer. Because your wedding day goes by so quickly, recording all of the activities on video will preserve the precious moments for you and your family to enjoy for years to come. 

Unlike photographs, a video camera records sounds, action and more of the overall atmosphere of the event. Rather than focusing on just a few people like photographs, video can easily record a little bit of all of your guests. 

The typical wedding video package costs anywhere between $500 and $1500, depending on the quality of the equipment, the number of hours of coverage, the number of cameras, the amount of editing, and other factors. As always, remember what's most important to you, determine what you can afford, and go from there. 

Recording Your Wedding on a Tight Budget 
If you don't have money in the budget for a professional videographer, you have other options. You could ask a close friend or family member with a video camera to record your wedding. Of course don't expect the same quality and coverage that you would get from a professional videographer. Remember, is an awful lot to ask friend or family member to tape the bulk of the wedding day. So, the best way to ensure that your most precious moments get recorded is to make a list. Pick out only a handful of moments that you definitely want on tape, such as the bride walking down the aisle, exchanging vows and rings during the ceremony, the best man's toast, the bride and groom's first dance, etc. Then anything extra that gets on film is a bonus, but you have the important stuff covered. 

Special Touches for the Video 
A nice touch for your wedding video is to have your videographer or a friend wielding a video camera pull your guests aside throughout the night to record a personal message to the bride and groom. This is something that a friend did for us at our wedding, and it was absolutely wonderful to watch. This is a lovely way to record all of your friends and family who attended your wedding and adds a personal touch to the video. 

Another nice idea for the wedding video is to record a short message from the bride and groom to each other. Arrange for the videographer to meet with the bride and groom separately right before the wedding ceremony. Each can talk to the camera as if they were talking to their soon-to-be other half. These messages truly capture all of the love and emotion of the couple on their wedding day. And they are so much fun to watch after the wedding and many years down the road!

Choosing a Videographer

In , one that would be working on my wedding, I'd be most concerned with one thing, experience. The person behind the camera would have to prove to me that he's not practicing his craft on my special day, that he knows what he's doing and is capable of being creative as well as detail oriented. Many amateur videographers or those that are trying to get into the business start out by working on weddings, and like in most things, you learn from your mistakes. Unfortunately they make mistakes on somebody's wedding day, a day that unlike TV and movies, cannot be recreated. 

But, it is easy to avoid the pitfall of using an inexperienced videographer or one that will do a less than desirable job. Don't hire someone without speaking with him/her first, knowing their background and seeing a sample of their work. It is also advisable to ask others you trust about who did their wedding videography and if it came out the way they wanted. 

Many couples outsource a wedding company that specializes in making wedding videos, and these companies have a list of videographers that they feel comfortable using. Even though a wedding company will use a videographer it doesn't mean that person is going to do a good job on your wedding, it just means they know how to use a camera, which is a good start. Really the most important part of choosing is to make sure you trust the videographer, that you like him. You should talk with him and make sure you get one that is experienced, detail oriented and one that likes what he does. It might cost a little more but at least you'll get something that in the end should make you very happy.

Cheap Wedding Party Gift Ideas

Thanking your wedding party with special gifts is a favored tradition. Depending on the size of your wedding party it can be an expensive one as well. With so much money spent on the wedding ceremony and the reception, this can often be an aspect of the ceremony that you can have a hard time in deciding upon because it can be difficult to find inexpensive, original and thoughtful items that will be good enough to express your appreciation to your wedding party. 

Here are some great and unique gift ideas that are not expensive: 

· Personalized shot glasses 

· Personalized candles 

· Personally engraved items such as ornaments, plaques etc. 

· Personalized musical CD recordings commemorating the ceremony and reception music such as bride and groom’s songs etc. 

· Specially labeled wine bottles commemorating your special day 

· A personalized picture frame of the wedding of the wedding party 

· Make your own wine and give a bottle to each guest 

· Make beaded bracelets with you and your couples initials on them and the date of your wedding 

These are just some ideas, but you get the general thoughts on this matter. Of course, there are literally millions of gift ideas that you could choose from or create with your own hands. 

All you have to do is think about how you would like to say thanks, and what you can afford to do. Here are some other suggestions to help your with your creative ideas. 

Personalized bottle stopper 

Personalized magnets 

Personalized mini chocolates

Choosing a Wedding Videographer

Where do I start? 
I receive numerous inquiries requesting information. First, I understand that the average person is gathering information to try and make an educated decision that is right for them. I'm sure many people only know what they've read in numerous wedding magazine articles about wedding videography and photography. I've read most of these articles and they range from generic to sheer nonsense- especially those articles with the checklist of important questions to ask a videographer. What one has to understand is that the person writing the article is not an expert on wedding videography. Until they were hired to write an article about wedding videography or photography to fill the spaces between advertisers looking for business, they probably knew little more than anyone else on the subject. So, in short, take what you read as a starting point and go from there. 

The first question many people ask - What is the cost for a wedding video? 
The short answer is, most good videographers will start at around $2,000.00. Unfortunately the wedding industry is full of people with the "get rich quick" attitude that brides are a captive audience. This ranges from the person who went out and bought some video equipment along with some videos and books on how to make money shooting wedding videos to those "wedding companies" who make a lot of money booking scores of budget conscious brides with great prices, "one stop shopping" with photos, video, and a DJ! A significant portion of the wedding industry is marketing to a predictable consumer mentality. They realize a significant number of people will shop only by price, regardless of value, esthetic quality, and long term enjoyment they would have gotten by choosing someone who's life depends on the quality of their work. 

For those who tend to be more discriminate and place a little more value on quality, you will have some decisions to make an you'll be glad you did. The reality is, if you've looked carefully at finding the right photographer, you probably won't be impressed with the plethora of people offering the cheap wedding videos. 

Cost and Value: 
Unfortunately, objectivity and art are not as easy as choosing between Wal-Mart and Kmart to buy a DVD player or some other exact same item. In many cases, your investment to hire a really good videographer is almost intangible when comparing the talent, expertise, and investment in time required to produce a video that's worth watching and in some cases, the costs will be very comparable. One can't begin to compare the end result of the stereotypical wedding video and photo companies cashing in on the "Wedding Industry" and those a truly talented videographers and photographers who love their work and work hard to provide couples with something beyond the ordinary. 

A full time videographer, who's life depends on the quality of their work will be able to provide much more value in the finished video. The budget videographers who book scores of brides at "great prices" absolutely can't afford to invest anywhere near the required amount of editing time and detail to create a video that compares with what I, and other talented videographers will provide. 

Doing anything above the all-too-common, mediocre wedding and event videography requires a real skill, a creative eye, excellent editing capabilities, and talent. You don't study and watch videos to be a talented videographer or photographer. It's like the musician playing a concert in front of a couple hundred people - either you have it or you don't! 

Shooting the video is only the beginning of the process 
Creating a finished product that is cinemagraphic, emotional, romantic, and yet relaxed is an art and consideration should be placed on its long term value. You wouldn't hire a band that can't play. 



Style - the most important question 

As you investigate the more talented videographers it will become evident the the individual personality of the videographer, the quality of their work, and their editing style will be a major part in your decision process. The more talented videographers will have a wider range of style. 

When I create a video for a client, I consider the person, the venue, and their event as a whole as part of my editing style. Each person is different. By working with a more limited number of weddings per year, I can afford to be objective in setting the mode for the video 

Generally, my work is more of a detailed cinematic documentary. Most of the events are "in real time". 

To produce a video that tells a story in real life requires a full time job just in editing. The video must have life and it must provide a full overview of the event. I like to shoot in a relaxed photojournalistic style. 

This allows me ample footage to create a dramatic video with precise detail, and still keep the storyline moving. I also offer "short form" contemporary style videos, that are focused on a more romantic style. Many clients like to have both the documentary style along with the 15 minute romantic highlight video to share with friends. Unfortunately, I see just about everyone now uses "documentary" and "photojournalism" buzz words in their advertising. Hopefully, they aren't just throwing out words people want to hear and really understand the concept! 


Spectacular audio quality 

Audio quality is the most overlooked and often the most noticeable shortcoming in wedding video. Your videographer should be able to provide at least four wireless microphones for any event. Concentrate on listening for more than the vows. Demand to hear examples of readers, instrumentalists, vocalists, and string quartets. Your wedding will be a beautiful experience. Don’t allow on-camera microphones to record your event. Make sure your videographer understands the principles of acquiring good audio for your video. 

Natural, Comfortable, Relaxed 


I like to refer to myself as a photojournalist with a video camera. When you think about it, this is the key to how I get great footage. When we think of the "Life Magazine Photos", we think of drama, good composition, and telling the story as seen through the lens. 

Molesting the Guests 

This also means that I do not "molest guests" at weddings... Frankly, my clients certainly don't want me sticking a bright light and a microphone in their guests' faces and asking them to "say something to the bride and groom", having them to do interviews, or having the bride and groom pretend they are doing "this or that" for the video. Too many people including myself and my wife have "been there, done that" with this type of videographer at a wedding. Frankly there are much better things to do with a video camera and my talent would be wasted chasing people around doing interviews. 

People look their best when they are acting naturally. By staying in the background, yet always there, I tend to go relatively unnoticed, but still get great footage. I am a minimalist when it comes to lighting and attracting attention. Most of my work relies only on ambient room lighting. Many photographers I work with have even commented on my ability to get great candid shots. These are the shots that really make a great video, people in real life, being who they really are. Most people are not actors, everyone looks best when you let them be themselves. 

Good Camera Skills 
This is the key to being a good videographer. To have a good video, you really have to display excellent camera skills and composition. This is the primary key to having a video that is dynamic, exciting, and realistic. My professional background consists of music, photojournalism, industrial photography, and television production. Now well into my second decade specializing in wedding, event, and corporate videography , you can be assured that I come with both the necessary experience and the appropriate background. 

The internet and Bridal Magazines are literally full of new faces doing wedding video every year. However, their ads would make it look like they've been doing wedding videography for years. In case you're wondering, there are numerous images taken directly from tape on this site that are over ten years old! 

Anyone who buys a camera and takes out an ad in a wedding magazine instantly considers themselves a wedding videographer. The same holds true for some photographers and other companies in the wedding industry that buy video equipment and hire weekend people to shoot video. Anyone can pick up a camera and point it and take a video. Unfortunately, the end results often look like it too!. Don’t be fooled by dazzling special effects and computer animation. Many people tout these capabilities in their advertising, but all of the effects usually seen in wedding video are usually just a substitute for good editing and the ability to build a story line. 

State of the art equipment 
I come to a job prepared for just about anything. This includes multiple cameras, an extra broadcast lens and 8 professional wireless microphone systems for capturing audio from all sources at both the ceremony and reception. I have the availability to record at least 6 channels of independent audio simultaneously. 

I use the Sony DSR-390L, a completely digital camera shooting on the larger DVCAM digital format. It features three newly designed 1/2 in., 410,000-element Power HAD CCD imaging devices that provide an unbelievable picture quality with an unprecedented lowlight sensitivity of 0.4 lux minimum illumination - in other words, the camera will see in the dark. The major advantages I offer with this latest camera is that in many situations, absolutely no additional lighting other than normal room light is required. The camera sees what we see! This is a significant advantage when trying to maintain a low sense of visibility around guests. 

By processing video signal data at three levels — brightness, hue, and saturation — the TruEye process assists in the reproduction of natural skin tones and basically sees what the human eye sees at any given light level. 

Several fellow videographers in the area are using the Sony DSR-300, a fantastic camera also. It has the larger imaging devices, same audio capabilities and uses the larger DVCAM tape. Basically the only differences are minor and the new cameras will have a slight edge in low light performance. 

Some videographers will use the Sony DSR 250 which is one in a class of stripped down cameras offered by most of the manufacturers geared specifically for the "wedding event market". This camera still offers a significant improvement over the older SVHS video cameras, but it only has small 1/3" imaging devices resulting in much less resolution and poor low light performance when compared to cameras with larger imaging devices. 

The highest majority of typical wedding videographers use the smaller, much less expensive "handycam" style of video cameras. While these cameras do a nice job for their size and relatively low cost, they have very small 1/4" CCD imaging devices, offering relatively poor low light performance and less image quality. Other serious limitations are the lack of a professional lens, the ability to adjust exposures, and limited audio functions. These cameras do have their place. For situations where there is plenty of light, like a garden wedding or daylight situations, the picture is pretty good and their smaller size makes them easier to use over longer periods of time. I keep one in my collection to use when ever I feel that the lighting conditions and shooting situation is just right. 
All editing is done on professional Media-100 systems and over 500 gigabytes of disk storage. This system allows editing at very high data rates for optimum picture quality. Don't let computer editing be confused with the idea of special effects and animations. I do not do the stereotypical wedding video with pictures popping out of hearts and tacky special effects. My work is clean and dramatic. 

Video is mastered to DVD and backups are kept for a limited time on full sized DVCAM digital tape. We can still provide VHS to those clients who require it, but the cost of DVD players today can be well under $100.00 so it makes no sense to use tape. 

Unless you choose wisely, your wedding video could be a haunting disappointment. 
Remember, your videographer will be with you throughout your wedding day! Choose someone you feel confident will interact well with both you and your guests. You will find that your photo album and video will compliment each other. You should arrange to reserve your photographer and videographer as soon as you secure your reception site. Some dates can be in reservation over a year in advance. Seek out the highest quality and hire the best photographer and videographer that you can afford

Choosing the best sites for your wedding and reception

The perfect wedding day has been pictured in your mind and dreams almost your entire lifetime. If you're like most, you may already have a vivid picture of how you want your wedding and reception to look even down to the last detail such as which flowers are going to be included in your flower arrangements and decor. But did your daydreams and imaginings include where you want to the sacred event to take place and where you are going to celebrate your union with family and friends? 

If not, there are a few things to keep in mind when selecting the perfect spot to hold your wedding and reception: budget, amount of guests, theme and type of wedding, and whether or not you want your ceremony and reception at the same location. 

Let's start with the budget first. By keeping in mind your budget throughout the whole decision making process, you can prevent heartache in the end. Suppose you found the perfect dream wedding spot only to learn that you could not possibly afford to hold your wedding there? Likely if you chose to have your ceremony in any other spot it would pale in comparison and be a disappointment when compared with the one you couldn't swing. 

On the other hand, what if you threw caution to the wind and indulged in the more expensive site? In this case, you might become bitter about your wedding day when the bills start to pile up or when you have to forgo your honeymoon to cover the costs. These two scenarios illustrate why it is very important to evaluate the cost before investigating any particular wedding or reception site. If it's over your budget, don't even look at it. 

Your theme and type of wedding are also very important when choosing the perfect spot for your wedding nuptials. If you are having an informal country wedding, it would not make much sense to book an elaborate reception hall. A better choice may be to have an outdoor reception on a farm complete with a bonfire, country band, and wagon rides for the little ones.

If you're just looking for a little inspiration and a list of great wedding sites to investigate, your local chamber of commerce can supply you with sites, historical and modern, that can be rented for functions such as weddings. This may be a great help when you're trying to find a spot for your wedding that is unique and truly reflects your personality. 

Remember, it's your wedding and your dreams. Do not give in to family pressure or be tempted to take the first place that comes along. Do your homework and you will be guaranteed to realize the wedding of your dreams.

Choosing the Perfect Wedding Ring

Traditionally, a wedding band was worn on the ring finger of the left hand because it was believed that the vein in that finger went straight to the heart. A wedding ring is a piece of jewelry which will be worn everyday of your life to signify your love and fidelity to your significant other. That being said, you want to ensure you choose the perfect ring, which can be difficult for someone who is inexperienced in this area. Luckily we can help you through the steps of finding the perfect wedding ring for the special person in your life. 

The first thing to consider is the kind of metal you want for your wedding rings. Most wedding rings are found in yellow gold, white gold or platinum. These forms of metal vary in price and most likely this decision will be quite easy since most women already know what kind of ring they want. 

The next step is choosing the stone for the ring. You will need to decide which kind of stone you want as well as the shape of the stone. Diamonds are still the most popular choice when it comes to stones for wedding rings however colored stones such as emeralds, rubies and sapphires are becoming more and more popular. 

The last step is to find a reputable jeweler who you will be comfortable purchasing such an expensive piece of jewelry from. Perhaps it is best to use a jeweler who one of your friends or family members have already used and would recommend for you because of such great results. 

If you are like most couples who are marrying, you will likely choose a diamond wedding ring. If you are doing so, you may want to keep the four C's in mind while doing so. The four C's are the diamond's color, cut, clarity and carat weight. 

1. Color – Diamonds are available in number of colors and shades including white, yellow, green, blue and pink. The color range starts at D and moves through the alphabet towards Z. The scale moves from white to yellow as it makes its way through the alphabet. 

2. Cut – The cut of the diamond is what gives the diamond personality. Diamonds which are cut well will be bright and sparkly, however diamonds that are cut poorly may end up looking dull and boring. Choosing and making sure the cut is perfect is a crucial step in the overall outcome of your wedding ring. 

3. Clarity – An inclusion in a diamond is an imperfection inside the stone which will greatly affect the overall worth of the ring. The size, color and position of the inclusions in your ring affect the clarity of the diamond. You want to ensure the diamond has good clarity. 

4. Carat Weight – A carat is divided into 100 equal parts (also known as points). Therefore a one carat diamond equals 100 points; half carat equals 50 and so on. When the diamonds are loose (before they are mounted on the ring), the weight is easy to determine, however, after the diamond has been mounted only a gemologist can determine the weight of the diamond(s). 

Take your time when choosing a wedding ring for yourself or for your significant other. A wedding ring is a sign of your everlasting love to one another and is something that will be cherished for the rest of your lives.

Bachelorette Party Ideas

While bachelor parties are a tradition dating back to the 1800s, bachelorette parties have become popular only recently. Bachelorette parties seem to be more about the bride-to-be bonding with women friends than the male tradition of enjoying a final night of freedom before marriage. 

A New Tradition 

Some brides choose a night of frivolity, such as male exotic dancers and lots of alcohol, much like the groom's bachelor party. But the majority of women opt for other activities. The theme of most bachelorette parties is to tease the bride in a fun way, while sharing a memorable evening with her best friends. 

The Nightclub Scene 

This is 1 of the most popular bachelorette activities. Parties often start with dinner at an elegant restaurant, followed by drinks and dancing at popular nightclubs. Hiring a limousine to drive everyone together from destination to destination is a great idea. First, it allows all the women to travel together and party in transit. Second, it adds a touch of class to the evening. And perhaps the best reason is to ensure that everyone arrives safely at their destinations. 

The women in the bachelorette party will often create a veil for the bride to wear on that night. The style of the veil isn't important, so long as it is conspicuous and calls a great deal of attention to the bride. It's also typical for this type of party to send the bride on a scavenger hunt. The other women get together ahead of time to create a list of activities for the bride to accomplish or objects to find. This type of bachelorette party is a great way for the bride to enjoy a night of dinner, dancing, drinks and fun with her best friends. 

Retreat To A Spa 

Spa retreats have become quite popular as bachelorette party ideas. The bride-to-be and her friends get together at a spa to enjoy relaxing massages, facials, manicures, pedicures and other treatments. A steam room, sauna and/or hot tub adds an extra element of relaxation. 

Some spas provide great meals from a selection of healthy dishes. This type of bachelorette party lets the bride relax and connect with her friends while leaving behind the stress of planning a wedding. Many brides get so caught up in the details of wedding planning that they forget to enjoy the wedding. A spa retreat bachelorette party is a great solution. 

Exotic Dance Lessons 

A little more risque, but lots of fun, is exotic dancing lessons. These parties are becoming more common now that pole dancing classes are beginning to spring up in health clubs. For these parties the women gather at a private home or a dance studio, and a professional dancer comes in to teach them the art of exotic dance. This can be a great way for friends to let loose and have fun. 

Night Of Feature Films 

Another unique bachelorette party idea is for the maid of honor to host a movie night. The hostess rents plenty of movies to select from, and stocks up on movie theater style goodies or creates a menu of hors d'oeuvres. This could be the bride's last chance to sit around with her friends watching "chick flicks" for a good long while. This is a fun, safe, and relaxing way for the women to get together to talk and have a good time. 

Female Bonding 

Although a new phenomenon, the bachelorette party is quickly catching on. It does not have the same feel as a bachelor party -- instead of a last night of freedom, it a night to bond with women friends.

5 Tips for Affordable Pre-Wedding Celebrations

Perhaps one of the most popular and best loved wedding traditions is the pre-wedding celebrations like the wedding shower and bachelor parties. Usually these parties are supplied by the mother of the bride or the best man etc. Some couples find that they would rather host their own either out of necessity or desire. 

Really, it does not matter who throws the party because in the end, it should still be affordable. There are ways to make this happen. 

1. Throw a jack and Jill party which combines the bachelor and bachelor party together. If it is hosted at a home, your guests can bring their own alcoholic beverages. 

2. Have your bridal shower at your own home providing home cooked food. 

3. At your bridal shower purchase decorations that can also be used as parting gifts such as personalized candles etc. 

4. Celebrate your wedding at a local pub or tavern. This will give you the benefits of having all of your friends with you and none of the financial responsibility. Basically this night is no different than spending an evening with friends to celebrate a promotion, only the focus is on your wedding instead. Many couples will do this together instead of a bachelor/bachelorette party. 

5. If you or a family member have memberships at a local legion, you can often convince them to let you use their halls for you bridal shower.

50th Anniversary Gift ideas

A 50th anniversary gift commemorates a milestone most married couples wish to reach. What can you possibly give a couple after 50 years of marriage? The most meaningful wedding anniversary gift is one that comes from the heart: to express your love and appreciation towards all that they mean to you, how their staying married through the thick and thin of life has influenced you, to tell about the warm and loving memories you shared with them throughout the years. 

The 50th anniversary is commemorated by gold and the flower is violet. A gift certainly doesn't have to be gold, wrap a gift in gold paper or paper decorated with violets. 

50th anniversary gift ideas for the couple 
• Keepsake personalized anniversary gifts, such as a photo quilt or pillow 
• Monthly or quarterly lo-carb, dietetic or fruit gift baskets 
• Restore their wedding photo and place in a gold frame 
• Have a painting or caricature made out of their wedding photo 
• As they probably don't cook for themselves as much, gift certificates to restaurants would be appreciated 
• A gift of theater or concert subscription tickets. Make them a patron with VIP privileges 
• The children can create a 50th anniversary keepsake journal gift. Ask family and friends to write a paragraph or two to share a memory with their parents. Or ask for a photo with the couple that the children don't have and write a caption about it 
• Instead of a guest book, buy a music box and fill it with messages of love written on gold or handmade paper from family and friends 
• Are they up for a cruise? Take them on a weekend or week long cruise. They probably will enjoy sharing this vacation with others 
• What could help them personally? Can you lease a car for them? Pay for a kitchen or other home renovation? 
• Do they golf? Pay for private lessons or a VIP membership at their favorite club. Buy 2 clubs, have them engraved and then gold plated 
• What hobbies do they enjoy? Give them gift certificates for a spending spree at their favorite craft or hobby store 
• Buy tickets to a favorite event and pay for their lodging and food expenses 
• Do they volunteer or have a favorite charity? Contribute to their favorite organization. Find out if a plaque or some other special mention can be made in their name 

The best 50th anniversary gift for the couple is one that helps them to enjoy life more. Many couples don't even want to receive gifts. Give a gift of your time and help. Make up "Gift of Time" or "Labor of Love" coupons to take them out to their favorite restaurant, make them a home-cooked meal, chauffeur them on a shopping trip, run errands for them, take them to a show or movie, have a local landscaping company take care of their property, have their home repainted. Find out what will make a difference in the quality of their life. 

Your love and attention will be the most appreciated 50th anniversary gift you can give your parents or a couple. Make the time for those you love!

10 Tips to Getting Great Deals on Catering

When it comes to your catering services for your wedding, there are options to make it more affordable. Generally for larger receptions, catering companies will offer discounts on their own. 

Saving money on your food and drink can be very easy, but it really depends on how large your reception party will be and what you are planning to serve. I will explain how you can save some money on the catering for your party. 

1. You can serve basic entrees where the meals are all inclusive and forego the extras like salads, soups and breads and bring these items yourself. 

2. You can choose to go with appetizers instead of full entrees. Many catering companies will offer a variety of appetizers at a special cost. 

3. Skip out on the extra services that many catering companies offer such as place settings or servers. 

4. Avoid going to a professional caterer and opt instead to use a small restaurants catering services instead. 

5. Picking up the food for your reception instead of letting the catering company deliver it can save you a great deal of money. 

6. You can always make the food yourself and experiment with many different tastes or prepare all of your best dishes. 

7. Tips are generally included in catering packages so you do not have to provide extra tips during the reception unless someone goes out of their way and/or far over the duties 

8. Plan your wedding yourself instead of using a wedding planner 

9. Limit your transportation costs by booking the services on off seasons or shopping around for the cheapest costs 

10. The very last thing that you can do is elope! 

These tips can save you a lot of money on catering because when you skip the extras and forego the delivery charges and set up etc. catering companies will give you good prices. 

Of course, you can also opt out of full entrees and serve something altogether different. It can be very easy to get good prices on catering services. Perhaps the best way to do this is to simply limit the guests at your reception that you have to serve. 

By turning your full reception into a private and intimate celebration, you can limit the amount of guests without offending anyone. Unless you can afford to invite all of your co-workers that you get along with, don’t invite any. It is just good etiquette

A Bridal Shower Invitation should be attractive and stylish!

A bridal shower invitations should lay out all of the necessary information, yet still be attractive. One way to do this is to have a picture engraved on the invitation. Ask your engraver to add a small design on the inside of your invitation or wherever you have information about the reception. If, for example, an ice cream social is your theme see if there is an ice cream cone or Sundae dish they can emboss onto the paper without taking away from the main body of the invitation. Remember that subtlety is stylish; you don’t want to come across as overpowering with your theme. It may be difficult sometimes to know who to invite to the bridal shower. As a general rule, the bridal shower hostess or hostesses should invite female family members of both the bride and the groom. She should also invite close female friends of the bride and the bride's family. She may also want to invite some of the bride-to-be's co-workers. She should be sure to consult with the bride when compiling the guest list. Try to organize the people invited so some will set up the bridal shower game, someone else will set up the bridal shower favor, and so on. Not everyone invited to the wedding needs to be invited to the shower. However, those invited to the bridal shower are normally invited to the wedding. 


Information needed on a Bridal Shower Invitation 


The bridal shower invitation should include the name of the bride to be, the date and time of the shower, and the address and phone number of the hostess/hostesses. If you are concerned about the attendance at your bridal shower, consider including on the invitation a deadline date for the RSVP; usually about two weeks prior to the shower date.

Affordable Wedding Jewelry

Finding the right wedding jewelry is an extremely important aspect of the ceremony because the wedding bands in particular will be worn by the bride and groom forever. Wedding bands have gotten to be a great deal more ornate than they used to be. Diamond wedding bands have reached a peak in recent thanks to the celebrities who proudly display theirs. 

Wedding bands have even surpassed the usual gold and are now moving into platinum and titanium bands. It used to be that 10k gold rings were the “in” thing to buy and these days they are looked down upon by most couples who would prefer to buy their gold in 14k or higher. 

Simple diamonds are still a popular buy, but colored diamonds are gaining momentum thanks to J-Lo’s pink princess cut diamond ring with Ben Affleck. Other popular diamond colors are yellow, blue and aquamarine. 

With the ever growing popularity of platinum rings, many couples are looking to shining silver and white gold as a cheaper substitute. White gold has a similar look of platinum, but is a fraction of the price. It is a great alternative. 

In the past, the men’s ring was often of little concern to either as long as the woman’s ring was attractive, but these days, men want a nice ring or diamond studded ring almost as much as the women do. 

Beautiful ring sets can be found from nearly any source. If you can afford it, you can locate good deals on sets at jewelry stores. 

For the most part, the entire wedding ceremony is completely symbolic and that symbolism reaches its peak the moment the rings are exchanged. 

Knowing this, can it really be a wonder that the chosen rings are just as important as the chosen couple? 

You can virtually choose to go with any type of ring from any source. These days even department stores are offering great knock offs to the popular celebrity rings at extreme discounts. 

The popular ring worn by J-Lo; which was a platinum pink diamond ring with a princess cut and accented with two white diamonds on either side can now be purchased at Wal-Mart in a white gold setting with zirconia’s and pink topaz stones. 

Wedding bands still look better in a plain band style, but some people might prefer to accent the bands with diamonds. Whatever your taste is, you can pretty much find the right bands for you and your spouse to be anywhere. 

All you really need to do is decide what look you want; what style that you want; and how much money you can afford to pay and then go on your search. 

In order to get the best overall deals, you should comparison shop online. If you do it soon enough, you can have the bands ready way before the ceremony.

Affordable Wedding Reception Centerpieces

When it comes to decorating your reception tables, the centerpieces for each table play a major role in setting the tone and style of your wedding. They will be one of the major focal point for your guests while they are eating their meal, and spectacular or unique centerpieces can add an element of sophistication or surprise to your event. 

The most established kind of centerpiece is flowers and it is the most expected. There are literally hundreds of floral centerpiece designs, from tall lilies to tightly packed roses. 

You should really shop around and check out different wedding supply shops and online specialists to see the different possibilities, and look at the varying prices. You must also remember that you will need a centerpiece for every table, so it could get expensive if you are planning to invite a large guest list. 

For a cheaper option, buy the flowers yourself from a wholesaler, and produce simple displays such as six tulips in a glass vase. You could also use the bridesmaids’ bouquets as centerpieces to really get the best value out of them. 

Believe it or not, this happens all the time. Instead of fresh cut flowers, consider using potted plants as centerpieces. You can decorate terracotta pots and pick plants that flower in co-coordinating colors to your scheme. 

These centerpieces will last long after the day has finished, and provide a lovely gift for those you would like to give them to. 

Popular alternatives to floral centerpieces include candles and fruit. Candles are a wonderful way of creating an air of romance and enchantment for your wedding, and look particularly effective if your venue is dimly lit. However, if you plan to hold your reception in the afternoon, with plenty of natural daylight, candles may not produce the appropriate dramatic effect. 

You could purchase candelabras for each table for an elegant look, or consider the less formal appearance of floating candles in a large glass bowl. 

You must ensure that any holders or bowls you use are heat-resistant, and also check with your venue for any restrictions they may have on the use of naked flames. 

Fruit is a nice and decorative choice, and can also be eaten later in the evening! Other edible choices include candy, chocolate lollipops or Hershey’s Kisses. Use your imagination to display whatever treats you choose in an exciting way, using glitter, streamers or balloons. 

You can be as original as you like when it comes to your centerpieces, and you could choose something really personal such as hand-written poems or family photographs in ornate picture frames. 

If you are having a themed wedding, create a unique centerpiece that reflects the wedding motif. A wonderful centerpiece for an oriental themed wedding is a bonsai tree, or large origami creations. Anything that matches your theme is best

A Financial “To Do” List for Engaged Couples

Engagement can be a hectic and overwhelming time for all parties involved. However, by setting a wedding budget and by creating a long-term money-management plan, you can ensure that you will start off on the right foot. Follow these steps for a good marriage preparation: 

1. Prepare to merge finances 
Discuss your spending and saving habits, your debts and assets and your respective salaries. Be sure that you have a realistic idea of how marriage will affect you both as a couple and as individuals. 

2. Plan your wedding 
Make a realistic assessment of how much you can spend. While the average wedding cost is $15,000, with careful planning you may be able to go lower than that and create memories that will last forever. 

3. Decide on whether to have a prenuptial agreement 
Prenuptial agreements aren’t always necessary. However, if there is a considerable difference in your net assets, it would be foolish not to have one drafted by a lawyer and signed by the necessary parties. 

4. Merge your money 
In the eyes of the law (and creditors), a married couple is a single financial unit. This holds true, even for those couples who decide to open joint bank accounts. 

5. Go over your taxes 
A good accountant may help out in this area. Generally speaking, dual-income families get penalized by tax laws. Evaluate your tax situation and decide if it is worth it for both of you to work.

A lasting marriage - some useful tips.

My parents gave me this advice about marriage. They have been married since the 1960s and are still happily married to each other. 

In marriage, when an argument is about to blow up, remember that takes 2 hands to clap. When one party is angry, the other should be understanding and not argue back. The calmer party should try to listen the cry, the hurt behind the upset. 

Marriage is a life long journey together. Not simply a boat you get on together and get off when it does not work out. Check out www.wedding-ideas.net/Tips-for-a-lasting-marriage.htm for the full article. 

Look at the old couples who are still together after so many decades. Their love has matured from a passionate lust to a deep, lasting love. How did they do it? 

Every relationship has its ups and downs. You have to work at your marriage. 

As you go through life together, you are bound to irritate one another. Nothing is so smooth as the movies might want you to believe. Little things that never bothered you initially might start getting on your nerves. That is normal. Your spouse is not perfect. Neither are you. 

Marriage is about love. Love is about acceptance. Forgiveness. A love that is deeper than a rush of passionate lust. Tolerance. Of adapting to one another. 

All humans are tempted. Temptation is everywhere. Succumbing to temptation and having an affair could mean the end of a marriage, or at very least endangering it greatly. Always remember your spouse. Consciously stay faithful to protect your marriage.

A lasting memory

Many couples decide that they would like to have their wedding day captured on video but many have fears that it will be too obtrusive. Providing that they take care to select the right video company, they will find that their fears were completely unfounded and that they didn’t notice their videographer at all. 

A professional videographer will be unobtrusive and will fit in with you and your guests – they won’t try to take-over your day. 

Levels in videographers vary considerably; it is therefore essential that you request to see a show-reel of their work. This will give a good indication of the picture and sound quality, technical ability, editing and filming styles. However, make sure that the show-reel is the work of the videographer who will be filming your wedding. It is also a good idea to see letters of thanks/reference from previous customers, this will show you how they fitted in with the wedding party and guests. 

Check if the videographer is a member of a registered trade association like the IOV (Institute of Videography) or the APV (Association of Professional Videomakers). Most trade associations request the member to pass an assessment, and they are only certified if they have reached the required standard in both filming and editing. 

Good videographers are sought after. It is therefore advisable to book early (about one year in advance) to ensure that you get the videographer you want. To avoid any confusion, always get written confirmation of your booking confirming the date and time of your wedding. 

A good wedding video will provide you with a treasured memory of your special day to be watched by generations to come.

A Winter Wedding

A Wedding in winter what a thought! As I write this article its just turning to fall and the wind is howling and the rain is battering. Not weather you would even consider weddingy! 

Dont think of howling winds though, imagine snow covered mountain peaks rising majestically from fir tree covered foot hills! Close your eyes and breathe in the crisp, pine scented air. That is what a winter wedding is all about! 

With the ski lodge in the distance with its welcoming real log fire, the winter sun sparkling off the crisp white snow and the sky as blue as can be you can be assured of a day of fairytale proportions. 

When it come to your color scheme think red and green. Not Santa suit and holly leaves but rich burgundy or plum and a forest green that the pine trees would be proud of. Think fur hats and mufflers with black boots and long coats. Think traditional and old fashioned. 

If you decide that traditional you are not, there are still options for a winter wedding. For a winter wedding of cosmic proportions think silvery blue and brilliant white, think glam and glitz, think modern and funky. 

Whatever your choice I have to admit the draw of a winter wedding is strong. Should a snow storm occur at a most in-opportune moment then a fire side wedding ceremony must be one of the most romantic. 

If the evening weather suits why not set out a bonfire and take your wedding outside, at least for part of the time. There can develop a great sense of camaraderie around a campfire, a la any camping trip you have ever been on! A sing song may even be called for! 

There are many choices to be made on the run up to your wedding day and the choice of time of year is just one of them. Each season has its own attractions to offer and winter is no different. If you decide on a winter wedding enjoy and have fun, bring out the seasons special qualities and it wont let you down.

Are Wedding Decorations waiting in Your future?

If there are wedding bells in your future, then surely there are wedding decorations as well. Or, maybe you are looking for Easter decorations, baby shower decorations, or even prom decorations? For some good ideas on any party decorations, just check online! 

When you are planning a party, no matter how big or small you will want to use decorations to make the atmosphere what you want it to be. Table decorations are one thing most parties have. You may wish to cover your tables with brightly colored table clothes with a fresh flower centerpiece. Or maybe you are crafty and wish to make personalized place-mats for your guests. Whatever you choose, the decoration will make the party a blast! 

But, not all of us are crafty and need some extra help in this area. You can take a trip to your local craft store where you will find aisles and aisles of ideas. But, more then likely, you will still need some idea of what you can do yourself. Another option is to check out the online retailers and their vast amount of options. If you need help finding what you are looking for online, try searching for it using a major search engine. 

Decorations will make your party a hit. Walking into a balloon filled room with decorated tables and chairs, streamers, and festive colored banners will set the mood for your party! So, liven up your wedding decorations by visiting a local craft store, doing some design work yourself, or even just browse the online aisles and make it a great party!

A Wedding Shower Invitation should be attractive and stylish!

Wedding shower invitations should lay out all of the necessary information, yet still be attractive. One way to do this is to have a picture engraved on the invitation. Ask your engraver to add a small design on the inside of your invitation or wherever you have information about the reception. If, for example, an ice cream social is your theme see if there is an ice cream cone or Sundae dish they can emboss onto the paper without taking away from the main body of the invitation. Remember that subtlety is stylish; you don’t want to come across as overpowering with your theme. It may be difficult sometimes to know who to invite to the wedding shower. As a general rule, the wedding shower hostess or hostesses should invite all family members of both the bride and the groom. She should also invite close friends of the bride and the bride's family. She may also want to invite some of the bride-to-be's co-workers. She should be sure to consult with the bride when compiling the guest list. Try to organize the people invited so some will set up the wedding shower game, someone else will set up the wedding shower favor, and so on. 


What do I put on a wedding Shower Invitation? 


The wedding shower invitation should include the name of the bride to be, the date and time of the shower, and the address and phone number of the hostess/hostesses. If you are concerned about the attendance at your wedding shower, consider including on the invitation a deadline date for the RSVP. (This is usually about two weeks prior to the shower date.) It may be difficult to make up a wedding shower invitation without prior experience. Because of this, it may be a good idea to have the same person who did your bridal shower invitation to also do your wedding shower invitation.

3 Ways to Cut Cost on Wedding Flowers

With all the things you’ll have to worry about paying for when it comes to your wedding, you won’t want to have to spend a lot of cash for slightly smaller things, like accents, decorations, and flower arrangements. Since most brides do want to have flowers at their weddings, and would prefer to purchase them at a reasonable price, here are some ways to save on wedding flowers that you may want to try: 

Buy synthetic flowers. 

Synthetic flowers may cost a little more when you buy them in bulk because of the material, but they could save you money because they last as long as you need them to. Many people have fresh flower bouquets for the bride, bridesmaids, and flower girls, and these tend to whither rather quickly, especially if the ceremony is indoors. So, you may end up buying more flowers than you actually need in order to keep the flowers looking good for pictures after the ceremony. You can also find colors or types of flowers that may not be in bloom at the time you are having the wedding if you buy synthetic flowers. This way, you’ll have more freedom to create the look you want for your ceremony. If you want to decorate the reception with flowers as well, synthetic flowers may be a good idea, so that you can maintain the look of the room for as long as you need to. And, since most brides want to keep their bouquets, buying synthetic flowers is definitely a good idea. 


Plan your bouquet size. 

Many brides end up spending more than they wanted to on a bouquet because they didn’t count the amount of flowers that would be in the arrangement, or select flowers that will look good with not-so-expensive accents. Make sure you know just how big you want your bouquet to be, as well as what type of flowers you want to include. And, carrying a single flower down the aisle is wonderful look for a bride as well. You can use a lily, daisy, or even a rose with lace or pearl accents as your bouquet, and add a unique touch to the ceremony. Small bunches of flowers can also be beautiful, proving that, as with most other things, less can definitely be more. If you want to get fresh flowers for your bouquet, selecting flowers that are in season will also help you to save money, since a florist may have to specially order out-of-season flowers, which can increase the bouquet price significantly. 



Plan ahead. 

Even though flowers for the wedding may seem like a small thing, don’t wait until the last minute to make sure that you have the flowers you want for your wedding. You may have to spend more money to find flowers you want the closer you get to the ceremony, so make sure that you have decided whether or not you’ll purchase flowers from a local florist or order synthetic flowers.