Why Is It Only Special People Have Special Weddings

Weddings are notably known to be one of the happiest day`s in a person life and yet everyone cries at them. The mind boggles? Could it be about losing a son or daughter, or could it be that others know what lays ahead if the couple that are about to marry get it wrong when organizing their wedding list, leaving them with a huge amount of debt. Wedding list arrangements should be carefully planned well in advance to save any heartache at a later date, like when setting up a home and having to put on hold the sound of tiny feet that pitter patter in the night because of financial difficulties. This is not the way to start married life, what it can be is the start of divorce proceedings if not careful with the pennies. 

Weddings planned on a budget are just as special as the wedding that is not. The only difference is that one costs more than the other. An organized wedding list or rota prioritizing your wedding in stages will prove to be a stress free task. We are all aware that two heads are better than one, so why not have a friend or member of the family sit down with you and write a wedding list too. Then compare each others notes. You will be surprised how some wedding essentials are easily overlooked. Remember to itemize all wedding ideas onto a master copy list. Once the list has been finalized with all what is needed for your wedding, call up your friend once again for some advice on how they think you can save money on the more costly items, like the venue hall, wedding cars, reception etc. Cost effective can be effective if done carefully, especially when it comes down to shopping for the bridal bouquet or wedding cake.

 Homemade cakes are just as tasty and delicious as the ones baked in a bakers, and flowers don't lose freshness because you created the bouquet with your own hand. Other ways of saving the pennies is to have family members help with the catering, instead of a sit down lavish meal settle for the running buffet, don`t you just lavish the thought. Wedding invitations can be designed to match the theme of your wedding by you. With a home computer you can create some of the loveliest wedding invitations. This will save you a considerable amount of money, and make the invites that extra special.The options are endless for the future bride and groom to even out their bank balance to cover the cost of their wedding.

Get Organized For Your Wedding

Planning a wedding is a major undertaking. Unless you are a professional party planner, chances are that you have never attempted to pull together an event on such a large scale. Add to this all of the emotions, family drama, and budget issues that crop up during the process, and you may wonder how you are ever going to manage. The best way to get through the wedding planning process without losing your mind is to get really organized right from the start. There are lots of tools available to brides these days. When I got married (back in the stone ages), I did everything on paper. Even if you are totally wired, you may find it helpful to get one of the wedding planning workbooks as a good starting point. There are many different types available, from basic to specialized (for different religions, budgets, second time brides,and so on). Some of the planning workbooks are very beautiful, but do not choose one that is so fancy you will not want to write in it. Today's brides will use all sorts of electronic devices to aid in their planning. There are great websites that will walk you through the stages of wedding planning step by step. The most useful ones will give you a timeline for each thing that you need to do. In other words, it will say things like, "12 months or more: set your date, book your venue and caterer", or "6 months ahead: be sure that you have ordered your bridal gown. Start shopping for things like bridesmaid jewelry gifts." Of course, it is always fine to have something done earlier than the suggested time. So if you found the perfect bridesmaid jewelry gifts or bridal gown, but your wedding is still a year out, go ahead and get them. The less you have to do as the wedding draws closer, the better off you will be. There are also computer programs that can help a bride to get organized. The wedding budget is one of the biggest challenges for most families, so having it all logged in a money management program could prove to be very useful. You might also consider scanning copies of your vendor contracts into your computer for quick reference. Another great tool is a spreadsheet to manage your guest list. Enter all of the names and addresses alphabetically into the program. Color code it so that you can tell at a glance who has accepted your invitation, who has declined, and who has not yet responded. This will make your life infinitely easier when it comes time to provide a headcount to the caterer. Also set up a column to let you track gifts as they arrive and to note when a thank you card was sent. It is a great way to be sure that you are keeping up with your notes. If you are doing a lot of research for your wedding online, set up a free account with one of the social bookmarking sites to save your links. Instead of trying to remember where you saw that perfect pair of bridal shoes or that terrific cake design, you can store all of the information in one spot. The best part is that you can organize all your links into categories with tags, to keep everything right at your fingertips. It will also make it quick and easy to send links of the things that you like to your mother or maid of honor for her opinion.

Why Not Make Yours An Ethical Or Green Wedding

Make your wedding a special day - for you and the planet. To help, we have put together a list of suggestions and pointers towards your ethical big day, from the ceremony and catering, to an eco-friendly honeymoon. Ethical Weddings can include using: o A venue operated on environmentally friendly principles or supporting a charity or community project o A caterer using organic and local produce o A dressmaker or designer using organic, hemp or recycled fabrics o A florist working with organic or fairtrade flowers o An environmentally friendly means of transport such as horse and cart o Stationery designed on recycled or hand crafted paper o Wedding rings that use recycled gold or fairtrade silver or by buying diamonds that are conflict free see Kimberley Process o Not accepting traditional household wedding gifts such as toasters but accepting donations to charity on your behalf o Using biodegradable confetti Im now going to expand on a few of the points above: Wedding Lists The first casualty is the traditional wedding list, a monument to conspicuous consumption featuring dinner services and crystal to be replaced at fashionable weddings by charity lists, with tree plantations and donated cows for communities in the developing world. If you are green fingered, how about plants, trees or garden vouchers. Wedding Stationery Use recycled paper for wedding stationery, or try Recycled Paper. To save paper, you could design a website, and send a postcard to guests referring them to it. Wedding photos can be easier to share if you go digital too. The Dress Another option is to hire the gown and other wedding outfits instead of buying it and then putting in the warbrobe just to pull it out for the occasional look! Drink Buy organic or fairtrade wine for your guests and enjoy the revelry while nature and communities benefit. Order wine, spirits, champagne, beer and soft drinks from an independent online organic retailer while avoiding the supermarkets that make millions in profits. Food Support local, seasonal and organic food production - and ask your caterer to do the same. Avoid disposable plates and make sure empties end up in the recycling bin. Ask your cake-maker or local baker to use local and organic ingredients where possible. Transport Find a venue as close to home as possible to cut down on transport. Horse drawn carriages are not only good at seaside resorts but also on your wedding day. If you dont have the ceremony and reception at the same venue, encourage guests to share rides to the reception or provide a coach or bus. Honeymoon Think about romantic destinations you can visit that are as close to home as possible to reduce the number of road and air miles. If you decide to go longhaul, then find an eco friendly or ethical hotel to stay in.

Wedding Planning 101

Getting engaged is one of the most exciting things of your life. The thrill of the upcoming wedding may become overshadowed, though, by the stress of wedding planning. So be smart, and start out right so that as you move closer to your wedding day, your stress will be minimal. One of the best things you can do for yourself in the beginning is to get a wedding planner. Now, this could mean two things. 

Either one is good; both together are great. First, a wedding planner refers to a person who takes charge of all the details of your wedding, organizing the wedding suppliers, tastings, fittings, venues, and wedding day events. This person will work with you to find the most appropriate and beautiful wedding décor and details available on the budget that you set. 

But a wedding planner can also refer to a notebook or folder that you keep to hold all of your wedding planning notes, ideas, images, and appointments. You can buy these books anywhere, both online and in local bookstores or bridal shops. Look around before you buy one you like because there are so many that you are bound to find one that has everything you are looking for. You want a notebook that offers some organizational suggestions, has room for notes and service provider business cards or contact information, has folders for any clippings you want to keep, and any extras that you want. If you can afford the wedding planner of the human variety, do so. This is a great way to avoid the stress and strain of the mundane details of planning, while still getting the say so over all final decisions.