Once you have decided to get married, the next possible question is whether to have a wedding religious ceremony or to have a civil ceremony, to exchange the vows and get yourself certified as a married couple.
You can choose to get married in a chapel, a museum, a church, a hotel or an art gallery as per your personal preference. You can even opt for your home, a park, a ranch or even a beach.
In case you are unable to make up your mind, you can ask your friends to refer some good places to get married. Also, take the help of the references from your friends, on who should preside over your wedding. You need to decide whether it is to be a minister, a rabbi, a justice of the peace, a priest or some other official.
In case you and your partner belong to different faiths, you can opt for an interfaith wedding. Now the clergy in both the faiths might not exactly be very liberal about officiating together over your wedding ceremony, although it would be a great idea if they can. In such a case, you can contact some lesser conservative religious officials, who would like to oblige you for the service. Alternatively, you can search the internet to find people who can give you the service.
In case you are not opting for a religious service and want to go ahead with a civil ceremony, you must have a qualified official to do it for you. It can be a mayor, a county clerk, some committee chair or a clerk of a court, magistrate, judge or a civil justice.
Most of the couples go with the set language of the marriage vows. In case you are innovative and want to say your vows in your own words that are different from the clichéd words, you need to talk to your officiant well in time and inform him/her about that. If you are going to have a religious service, you can inform them and take their consent for the same in advance. You must inform them of any special readings and the type of music that is going to be included in your ceremonies.
It would be a good idea to meet and rehearse what you would say at the time of your ceremony. You both need to go over the ceremony with the officiating priests or officials. You can also attend some premarital counseling sessions.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Music at the Wedding
Every couple that gets married loves music to go with the ceremony of exchanging vows and every couple has a different choice. Hence, when you are planning to hire a wedding DJ or a group of musicians to play music while you get into the most precious relationship of your life, you must give special attention to the kind of music they will produce.
Some religious places, churches or other such places where weddings takes place, forbid some particular type of music. While deciding what kind of music should go with your wedding, you must respect the rules and the restrictions that these religious places have imposed. If you do not honor that, you might have to make some awkward changes in your wedding plans.
If you are choosing to play some recorded songs or music, and if the venue of the wedding allows it, ensure that, you play this recorded music in some good music and sound system. Not only would it produce a great effect, but would also feel good to the ears of all present.
You can even opt for a local musician or organist at the place where you are getting married. Almost every church or temple has its own resident musician. Even the choir of the local church can perform at your wedding.
If you intend to play the songs on a music system, and are choosing your own songs, you must pay attention to the selection of the same. You can download music from the internet or go to the local music shop to get your favorite music.
In case you are in touch with a band for your reception music, they can also give you references on who can perform the music best for the wedding ceremony. If you are happy with the band that you have hired for your other parties and ceremonies, you can ask them to play during your wedding ceremony.
After you have decided upon who will play music and what kind of music will go with your wedding ceremony, you should see to it that the sound effects work in your favor. Usually the design of the places that people choose to get married is non-acoustical to work best for playing of music. You can modify the effects by using amplifiers and other devices. In case you have chosen to take the vows outdoors, you will have to take into consideration the outdoors sounds of birds, the buzz of aeroplanes and traffic noises.
Some religious places, churches or other such places where weddings takes place, forbid some particular type of music. While deciding what kind of music should go with your wedding, you must respect the rules and the restrictions that these religious places have imposed. If you do not honor that, you might have to make some awkward changes in your wedding plans.
If you are choosing to play some recorded songs or music, and if the venue of the wedding allows it, ensure that, you play this recorded music in some good music and sound system. Not only would it produce a great effect, but would also feel good to the ears of all present.
You can even opt for a local musician or organist at the place where you are getting married. Almost every church or temple has its own resident musician. Even the choir of the local church can perform at your wedding.
If you intend to play the songs on a music system, and are choosing your own songs, you must pay attention to the selection of the same. You can download music from the internet or go to the local music shop to get your favorite music.
In case you are in touch with a band for your reception music, they can also give you references on who can perform the music best for the wedding ceremony. If you are happy with the band that you have hired for your other parties and ceremonies, you can ask them to play during your wedding ceremony.
After you have decided upon who will play music and what kind of music will go with your wedding ceremony, you should see to it that the sound effects work in your favor. Usually the design of the places that people choose to get married is non-acoustical to work best for playing of music. You can modify the effects by using amplifiers and other devices. In case you have chosen to take the vows outdoors, you will have to take into consideration the outdoors sounds of birds, the buzz of aeroplanes and traffic noises.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Bridesmaids on a Budget
If you are not the bride, and are going to act as a bridesmaid for someone else, you need to watch your own expenses of attending someone else’s wedding. While you feel honored and are excited about your friend’s wedding, you might find the expenses bogging you down. You might have to spend on your dress, shoes, hairstyle, manicure and travel to the wedding etc. Also, add bridal shower, girls’ party, gifts for the bride and some miscellaneous expenditure. In an estimate, it is an established fact that a bridesmaid might even spend somewhere close to a thousand dollars before the wedding.
However, it is not very wise to go on spending, if you cannot afford it. The best way to handle such a situation is by talking it out with the bride, whose emotions are already on the high.
Otherwise, you can spend wisely and still be a graceful bridesmaid, if your friend surely wants you in her bridal party.
You can start by saving on your dress. If the bride is open in her approach then she can allow you to wear a regular dress that you are comfortable wearing or one that is available on sale or at an economy price.
However, if the bride insists on a traditional formal gown, you can opt for a designer who does not charge exorbitantly. The trick is in ordering the gown immediately once you make up the mind and the discussions are over. You must avoid last minute rush to avoid spoiling your friend’s wedding. One way to economize on the dress is by preferring it shipped along with the dress of the bride if your designer is the same. You would not only avoid sales tax, but would also cut down shipping costs.
Alterations in a dress cost a lot, so be attentive in giving your accurate body measurements when ordering. The bridal shop seamstress would charge a lot more than a normal shop seamstress.
Shoes to match with the dress are also expensive. Use dyeable shoes that you can use later also. Else, try to get your previous bridesmaid shoes dyed with this dress, if it is possible. If the bride is not very particular about the color of your shoes, you can go for good black shoes. Alternatively, go for a cheaper option available at many stores.
To save on the makeup, let your own makeup and hair styling talents come to the fore and let all the bridesmaids come up with ideas for each other. In case the bride wants a proper hair style and a professionally done look, go hire students from a beauty school, who would be happy to have free subjects to try their hands on different hair styles and would not charge much either.
However, it is not very wise to go on spending, if you cannot afford it. The best way to handle such a situation is by talking it out with the bride, whose emotions are already on the high.
Otherwise, you can spend wisely and still be a graceful bridesmaid, if your friend surely wants you in her bridal party.
You can start by saving on your dress. If the bride is open in her approach then she can allow you to wear a regular dress that you are comfortable wearing or one that is available on sale or at an economy price.
However, if the bride insists on a traditional formal gown, you can opt for a designer who does not charge exorbitantly. The trick is in ordering the gown immediately once you make up the mind and the discussions are over. You must avoid last minute rush to avoid spoiling your friend’s wedding. One way to economize on the dress is by preferring it shipped along with the dress of the bride if your designer is the same. You would not only avoid sales tax, but would also cut down shipping costs.
Alterations in a dress cost a lot, so be attentive in giving your accurate body measurements when ordering. The bridal shop seamstress would charge a lot more than a normal shop seamstress.
Shoes to match with the dress are also expensive. Use dyeable shoes that you can use later also. Else, try to get your previous bridesmaid shoes dyed with this dress, if it is possible. If the bride is not very particular about the color of your shoes, you can go for good black shoes. Alternatively, go for a cheaper option available at many stores.
To save on the makeup, let your own makeup and hair styling talents come to the fore and let all the bridesmaids come up with ideas for each other. In case the bride wants a proper hair style and a professionally done look, go hire students from a beauty school, who would be happy to have free subjects to try their hands on different hair styles and would not charge much either.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
THE MUST TAKE PICTURES IN WEDDING
Weddings are made in heaven, they say. However, you can retain them on earth through good photography, by sealing the memories forever in those albums and video cassettes or compact discs. Therefore, it remains largely up to the photographer to click the right kind of pictures.
It is very important for a photographer to know what the right pictures to take are, and which ones are a strict “no”, so that the album retains the best of everything and everyone on that big day.
A few pictures before the ceremony involve photos of the bride getting ready. A picture of the bride with her mother and one with her father, separately and one with both of them, would be great. It is also relevant to click the bride with her flower girls and bridesmaid. A shot of the bride leaving the house would be symbolic and very befitting addition in the wedding album.
The ceremony is the most important part of the day. Capture that on camera by starting with a shot of the bride getting out of the car. Then click the groom with his ushers. Take a shot of the groom, when he walks down the aisle or when he is at the altar. A shot of the flower girl while she walks down the aisle and one shot of the ring bearer when he walks down the aisle are good too. A shot of the bride while she walks down the aisle would be great. Capture a poignant moment of the giving away of the bride. A picture of the groom meeting the bride and one with both of them at the altar, along with a panoramic view of the audience would also be great. Click a picture of the musicians as well. In addition, the exchange of rings, the candle lighting, the kiss and the shot of the couple coming up the aisle contribute to memorable shots. A shot of the couple throwing flower petals and one of them in the car is valid too.
Then the shots of invitation card, cake, bouquets are also relevant.
Bride and groom with their respective parents and then with both sets of parents must be captured. The grandparents, if alive, should be in the pictures. The couple’s attendants, their extended family should also be in the pictures.
At the reception, the dances are important- the photographer can capture the couple dancing, the bride with her father, and the groom with his mother. Of course, you cannot ignore the guests or the toast. A few informal shots of the couple talking to guests can be included. Due attention must be given to the cake table, the cake ceremony, the throwing of the bouquet and the couple bidding bye to the guests.
It is very important for a photographer to know what the right pictures to take are, and which ones are a strict “no”, so that the album retains the best of everything and everyone on that big day.
A few pictures before the ceremony involve photos of the bride getting ready. A picture of the bride with her mother and one with her father, separately and one with both of them, would be great. It is also relevant to click the bride with her flower girls and bridesmaid. A shot of the bride leaving the house would be symbolic and very befitting addition in the wedding album.
The ceremony is the most important part of the day. Capture that on camera by starting with a shot of the bride getting out of the car. Then click the groom with his ushers. Take a shot of the groom, when he walks down the aisle or when he is at the altar. A shot of the flower girl while she walks down the aisle and one shot of the ring bearer when he walks down the aisle are good too. A shot of the bride while she walks down the aisle would be great. Capture a poignant moment of the giving away of the bride. A picture of the groom meeting the bride and one with both of them at the altar, along with a panoramic view of the audience would also be great. Click a picture of the musicians as well. In addition, the exchange of rings, the candle lighting, the kiss and the shot of the couple coming up the aisle contribute to memorable shots. A shot of the couple throwing flower petals and one of them in the car is valid too.
Then the shots of invitation card, cake, bouquets are also relevant.
Bride and groom with their respective parents and then with both sets of parents must be captured. The grandparents, if alive, should be in the pictures. The couple’s attendants, their extended family should also be in the pictures.
At the reception, the dances are important- the photographer can capture the couple dancing, the bride with her father, and the groom with his mother. Of course, you cannot ignore the guests or the toast. A few informal shots of the couple talking to guests can be included. Due attention must be given to the cake table, the cake ceremony, the throwing of the bouquet and the couple bidding bye to the guests.
Helpful Tips for the Bridesmaid
Becoming a bridesmaid involves lot of effort. From bridesmaid’s gown to shoes and from head pieces to jewelry, you need to arrange everything. It is obvious that these things involve spending a lot of money. However, if you follow the tips and suggestions below, then you can easily become the perfect bridesmaid. You just need to put a little effort and you will be standing beside your friend on the most important day of her life.
The first thing you need to do is to calculate the total money which you will have to spend. Take into account your budget before making any plans. If you are short of money but you still want to be a bridesmaid, then make things clear to the bride and seek her permission if you are free to make some compromises. For example, instead of buying an expensive gown, you can opt for wearing a black gown which you already possess. But it is very essential to make the things clear to the bride and get her consent.
If a bridesmaid does not have much money to spend, then cost cutting can be done by patronizing the less expensive manufacturers like Alfred Angelo and Bari Jay. Matching the shoes with the gown is very important for the bridesmaid. It can be done by dyeing an old pair of shoes so you don’t have to buy a new pair. If you are wearing a dark gown, black shoes can easily go with it. Do not waste money on buying expensive things. You can also buy the shoes from low-priced stores and Wal-Mart. Bargaining can also help you get the right price.
You need to be innovative and show your presence of mind. A bridesmaid need not waste money on hiring a hairstyle professional. Implement your ideas and bridesmaids can help each other and do their own hairstyles. Another option can be by approaching owners of beauty schools and ask if their students can give the service at nominal prices.
One should not be hesitant to become a bridesmaid. Instead you should offer your services at once. This will not only give happiness to you but also to the bride. A bridesmaid is very special to the bride. So you should put in all the efforts to dress up very well. The look of the bridesmaid should be according to the look of the bride. Just explore your ideas and follow the above tips to become the perfect bridesmaid.
The first thing you need to do is to calculate the total money which you will have to spend. Take into account your budget before making any plans. If you are short of money but you still want to be a bridesmaid, then make things clear to the bride and seek her permission if you are free to make some compromises. For example, instead of buying an expensive gown, you can opt for wearing a black gown which you already possess. But it is very essential to make the things clear to the bride and get her consent.
If a bridesmaid does not have much money to spend, then cost cutting can be done by patronizing the less expensive manufacturers like Alfred Angelo and Bari Jay. Matching the shoes with the gown is very important for the bridesmaid. It can be done by dyeing an old pair of shoes so you don’t have to buy a new pair. If you are wearing a dark gown, black shoes can easily go with it. Do not waste money on buying expensive things. You can also buy the shoes from low-priced stores and Wal-Mart. Bargaining can also help you get the right price.
You need to be innovative and show your presence of mind. A bridesmaid need not waste money on hiring a hairstyle professional. Implement your ideas and bridesmaids can help each other and do their own hairstyles. Another option can be by approaching owners of beauty schools and ask if their students can give the service at nominal prices.
One should not be hesitant to become a bridesmaid. Instead you should offer your services at once. This will not only give happiness to you but also to the bride. A bridesmaid is very special to the bride. So you should put in all the efforts to dress up very well. The look of the bridesmaid should be according to the look of the bride. Just explore your ideas and follow the above tips to become the perfect bridesmaid.
Monday, January 18, 2010
How to Shop for Wedding Dresses?
Wedding is the most important occasion in anyone’s life and it needs a lot of attention for the preparation of the final day. There are a lot of preparations for the wedding day and among these the most important one is regarding the supplies of the bride. The most important requirement of the bride is the selection of the wedding dress. As every bride wants to look gorgeous on her wedding day, the first thing for which she starts shopping is the wedding dress. Every bride wants to choose a wedding dress which suits her personality. There are hundreds of wedding dresses stores which offer different designs with different prices. The price normally depends upon the fabric and the design of the wedding dress. The most important thing while buying a wedding dress is the fit of the dress on your body and personality.
Since the market is full of thousands of wedding dresses, the first difficulty is the selection of dress among all available options. For this you can explore the internet and the good fashion magazines. The good thing about online shopping is the availability of catalogs according to which it gets easy to choose the dress. Also if you have budget constraint, you can look for a cheap wedding dress as well. If you have decided to buy a wedding dress online, then you must check the other related details as well to avoid any future problem.
Before you buy a dress from a local wedding store or online, you must be clear about the style and design of the dress. If you will be specific about the style, it will make your shopping easy; otherwise you will just waste your time among thousands of styles.
One of the most important things while buying your dress is the coordination of your design with the wedding theme. If the theme is traditional, then you must wear a formal dress. If the wedding theme is beach, then you should wear a wedding dress which is less formal. So you must select the dress according to the theme of your wedding.
Remember if you are buying your wedding dress online; do not forget to take a trial to check the fitting and suitability of the dress. You can also compare the prices both online and in the local shops. This will help you to buy a dress within your budget.
Since the market is full of thousands of wedding dresses, the first difficulty is the selection of dress among all available options. For this you can explore the internet and the good fashion magazines. The good thing about online shopping is the availability of catalogs according to which it gets easy to choose the dress. Also if you have budget constraint, you can look for a cheap wedding dress as well. If you have decided to buy a wedding dress online, then you must check the other related details as well to avoid any future problem.
Before you buy a dress from a local wedding store or online, you must be clear about the style and design of the dress. If you will be specific about the style, it will make your shopping easy; otherwise you will just waste your time among thousands of styles.
One of the most important things while buying your dress is the coordination of your design with the wedding theme. If the theme is traditional, then you must wear a formal dress. If the wedding theme is beach, then you should wear a wedding dress which is less formal. So you must select the dress according to the theme of your wedding.
Remember if you are buying your wedding dress online; do not forget to take a trial to check the fitting and suitability of the dress. You can also compare the prices both online and in the local shops. This will help you to buy a dress within your budget.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
How to Hem a Wedding Dress?
Hem is very important to give a perfect finishing touch to any bridal dress whether you are going to sew your dress by yourself or you are going to make some alterations in the already made dress. Hem can be sewed either with the help of machine or by hand stitching. Hand stitching is preferred over the machine stitching as it will help to hide the stitches and maintain the flow of dress smoothly. The first important thing to start hemming is to get the right length of the dress and you can ask some one to help you in taking the right length.
Procedure:
Before you start making hem of dress, make sure that you have all the necessary equipment for the stitching. Now follow these steps:
1. First thing you must do is to put on your wedding dress with shoes which you will wear on the special day and now stand in front of the mirror.
2. Now take the right length of the dress and cut it short for the exact length if it is required. Leave almost 2 inches to hem the dress. Take the length which is comfortable for you.
3. Ask your helping person to mark the length with pins and measure the extra fabric.
4. Now you can take off the dress and cut the extra fabric marked by your helper. You must make sure that you have cut it off evenly.
5. Now you need to fold the edge of the fabric almost half inch inside and press it to make it flat. But use the heat of iron according to the type of fabric.
6. Now again fold the edge almost half inch according to your choice of hem and place the pin to hold the fold.
7. Put on the dress again to check the length and ask your helper to place the pin to make it wider or narrow according to requirement.
8. Repeat the process of ironing the hem and make it flat.
9. If dress has line, then take the edge of lining to fold and press.
10. Now you must stitch the top edge from the fold and stitch it in a way to avoid showing any stitches. For the lined dress, you can stitch the outside edge of hem to the lining of hem to avoid hiding any display of stitches.
So these are few easy steps through which you can give a great finishing touch to your wedding dress to make it a perfect fit for you.
Procedure:
Before you start making hem of dress, make sure that you have all the necessary equipment for the stitching. Now follow these steps:
1. First thing you must do is to put on your wedding dress with shoes which you will wear on the special day and now stand in front of the mirror.
2. Now take the right length of the dress and cut it short for the exact length if it is required. Leave almost 2 inches to hem the dress. Take the length which is comfortable for you.
3. Ask your helping person to mark the length with pins and measure the extra fabric.
4. Now you can take off the dress and cut the extra fabric marked by your helper. You must make sure that you have cut it off evenly.
5. Now you need to fold the edge of the fabric almost half inch inside and press it to make it flat. But use the heat of iron according to the type of fabric.
6. Now again fold the edge almost half inch according to your choice of hem and place the pin to hold the fold.
7. Put on the dress again to check the length and ask your helper to place the pin to make it wider or narrow according to requirement.
8. Repeat the process of ironing the hem and make it flat.
9. If dress has line, then take the edge of lining to fold and press.
10. Now you must stitch the top edge from the fold and stitch it in a way to avoid showing any stitches. For the lined dress, you can stitch the outside edge of hem to the lining of hem to avoid hiding any display of stitches.
So these are few easy steps through which you can give a great finishing touch to your wedding dress to make it a perfect fit for you.
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