White Gold Engagement Ring Setting: The Best Choice

Posted on 18 November 2008 by admin

In buying an engagement ring, there are a few steps that are going to be involved. If you want to get a white gold engagement ring setting, you will need to choose which setting is going to be best. Here is some information that will help ensure you make the right choice, whether you end up opting for a unique engagement ring setting or any other.

Setting Choices

There are a few white gold engagement ring setting choices that you will want to be aware of. As it is one of the most popular and for good reason, the prong is one of the first that you will want to consider.

The prong will be a great choice as your white gold engagement ring setting, for one because the hooks used here are slender and discreet, and so they are hardly noticeable, and so that the diamond used in the ring will receive an equal amount of light from all directions.

The bezel setting is another great choice for a white gold engagement ring setting. This setting has a metal rim which surrounds the diamond and makes sure that it is kept securely in place. The rim extends slightly above the diamond, which is a very functional feature because it ensures that all the edges are well protected and the diamond will not fall out or get chipped.

Or perhaps you would prefer the pave ring setting, and if you love diamonds then you will really love this setting, because it makes the diamond stand out more than any other setting choice. It is basically a cluster of small diamonds encrusted along the surface of the band, and tiny beads or small prongs are used to secure the diamonds in place.

It is important that you take the look that you are going for to choose the right ring setting. After all, this is the ring that you are going to be using to ask that special lady in your life to marry you, and so of course you are going to want it to be just perfect and make sure that she sees it and says yes.

An attractive engagement ring setting will really make all the difference and can make even the most inexpensive diamond ring look like it is worth a million bucks, so remember how important it is for you to choose the right white gold engagement ring setting.

View more articles at www.engagementrings.jsgenterprises.com.

Should You Send Save the Date Cards to Your Guests?

Posted on 18 November 2008 by admin

You’ve probably heard about Save the Dates since they have become quite popular with brides but you might not know exactly what purpose they serve.  Proper etiquette doesn’t dictate that these advance notices have to be sent but in today’s world it helps your guests in their planning so they can be sure to be with you sharing in the celebration of one of the most important days of your life.

 

People’s lives are getting increasingly busier and more tightly scheduled so that’s where Save the Date announcements come in handy.  With today’s hectic lifestyles, you want to be sure that family and friends keep your wedding date open when planning their calendars.  To ensure this, you can consider sending out Save the Date notices shortly after setting your wedding date, especially if it is several months in the future or lands around a holiday. 

 

Guests who will have to travel to be in attendance will find them especially helpful for giving them plenty of travel preparation time particularly if you are having a destination wedding.

 

It’s easy to be creative when sending out your Save the Dates since there are so many different varieties and designs available.

 

·         Magnets have become a favorite selection and why not since your guests can easily stick them onto their refrigerator as their reminder.  Some magnets have the option of including a photo and some actually show a calendar of your wedding date month with your date circled for easy reference.

 

·         Calendar Sticker Cards are a fun, unique way of asking your guests to mark your wedding date on their schedule.  Your date will appear on the card and also on the attached seal which can be removed and affixed to their calendar on that specific date.  

 

·         Announcement Cards can be as creative or as simple as you like.  They come in varying designs, colors and themes from whimsical to more traditional.  To be creative, select a uniquely shaped save the date card that matches your wedding theme. Shape choices might include a leaf or a shell.

 

All Save the Date designs are printed with your wedding date and names; some even give the option of including the wedding location. Blank mailing envelopes are usually included in the price no matter which design you choose.  Be sure to list at the bottom of your Save the Date the added line “invitation to follow”, so guests won’t assume that this is the actual wedding invitation.  This is also why it’s imperative that everyone who receives your Save the Date will also receive your wedding invitation. 

 

Wedding invitations play an important role in planning your wedding, and in today’s society, Save the Dates are becoming increasingly popular because of your guests’ busy schedules.  You want to do everything you can to make sure family and friends will be able to share in the joy of your wedding day.

Wedding Invitations – Terms You Need to Know

Posted on 18 November 2008 by admin

Everyone is familiar with wedding invitations, but what about all the terms related to them.  Here are explanations of some of the more common ones that you’ll probably encounter while invitation shopping.   

Seal n Send Invitations:  This simple wedding invitation style is also economical for several reasons.  It is a single-folded piece with the response postcard attached to the invitation by a perforation for easy removal.  Being a response postcard, you will save on postage costs.  It folds up into a self-mailer piece eliminating an extra mailing envelope.  Prices for this product normally include seals along with a printed return address on both the back flap and on the perforated response postcard.

Reception Cards:  If there isn’t enough room on your wedding invitation for listing your reception details, reception cards can be ordered to match your invitations and then be included as a separate insert.  Please keep in mind that this card could possibly add to your mailing cost since postage is based on weight.

Response Cards:  These cards are essential to planning for your dinner/reception since an accurate guest attendance count will be needed for food and seating preparations.  The response card along with its mailing envelope will be inserted with your wedding invitation.  Remember to include a postage stamp on this small envelope which will also come pre-printed with your chosen mailing address so all your guests will have to do is fill it out and mail it back by your requested date. 

Map/Direction Cards:  These direction cards would be included as a convenience for any guests who might not be familiar with the location of the church and/or reception.    

Lined Inner Envelopes:  For a small charge, you can request your inner envelopes have a colored lining to add a special touch to your wedding invitation ensemble.  Color choices will vary depending on the invitation style you choose.

Printed Invitation Envelope Flaps:  This option of having your return address printed on the outside envelope can save you valuable time and ensure that undeliverable wedding invitations are returned to you.  There is a small cost involved but it also gives an address to those who might not be able to attend but still want to send you a card or gift.

Envelope Seals:  These self-adhesive labels add just the right finishing touch.  They are available in many styles and are used on your outer envelope making it look like they are holding the flap down even though it has already been sealed.

Announcements:  For those who won’t be invited to your wedding but you would still like them to know about your marriage, you can mail them an announcement card.  They can be printed on the same paper as your wedding invitation but mailed on your wedding day or immediately after with the wording stating that your wedding has already taken place.

Informal Notes:  These are used separately from your wedding invitations but should be included with your original order since they are usually printed on matching paper and this will save you on shipping costs.  They are personalized with either your names or monogram on the front with the inside being blank for writing your thank you notes.  Any leftovers can be used long after the wedding for other purposes.  Blank mailing envelopes are included with them.

Not all of the above items are necessary to make your wedding invitations complete.   Remember, this is your special day, so it’s your decision as to which ones you would like to include as part of your invitation ensemble.

Choosing The Right Wedding Photographer

Posted on 17 October 2008 by admin

One of the most important choices that you make for your wedding day is choosing the right wedding photographer to document your wedding. Having the right wedding photographer for your wedding day will determine the quality and the creativity of your wedding photographs and ensure that you have a lasting reminder of the day that you and your love became one. Picking the right professional wedding photographer can be a difficult choice, but by keeping a few things in mind you can choose the photographer that is best for your needs.

Professionalism

One of the most important things to look for in a wedding photographer is their professionalism and their ability to get the job done. There are many things that can be used to judge the professionalism of a wedding photographer, including their manner when setting the appointment, whether they are prepared for the job when they arrive, whether they arrive on time consistently, and how they act while they are taking the photographs. If the photographer is unable to act professionally during the job, then you would be better served by hiring a different photographer.

Some of this may be difficult to judge before the wedding so it is important to obtain reviews about the wedding photographer prior to hiring them for the job. The reviews can be obtained from previous clients of the photographer, testimonials that the photographer has available, or community websites that allow consumers to post reviews about the businesses in the area. These reviews will give you a good picture of what other consumers thought about the wedding photographer and can save you from making a bad decision on which photographer to choose.

Experience

When you are trying to choose the best photographer for your wedding, the experience of the photographer is also important. Photographers that have more experience may know more tips and tricks to obtain just the right lighting for the picture, which poses would look best with the bride’s dress, and how to arrange everyone for the group picture so that everyone is showcased in their best light. Although the number of years the photography studio has been in business will give you a good idea of how much experience the wedding photographer has, it never hurts to ask how long they have been in the business.

Price

Another thing that will need to be taken into consideration when choosing which photography studio to give your business to is the price of the wedding photographer. Most people do not want the price of their wedding photographer to cost as much as the honeymoon, but they want to be sure that they are obtaining a professional photographer and not someone that does photography on the side for extra cash. When you budget the amount of money that will be needed to pay for the wedding, be sure to budget enough for the photographer, that you can hire a professional that will do a great job on your wedding photographs.

Choosing the right wedding photographer to document your wedding could be one of the most important choices that you make for your wedding day. Read more no cost articles at http://www.weddingphotogaphy.jsgenterprises.com.

Wedding Traditions around the Globe

Posted on 17 October 2008 by admin

All over the world the wedding is regarded as a solemn occasion. This is a special program at which two willing hearts and minds are made united following some rituals and customs while members of the society stand as witnesses wishing the couple well. The traditions and customs of the wedding vary to a great extent between people residing at various parts of the globe. The particular culture, ethnic group, religion, country and social class to which the bride and the groom respectively belong will determine the peculiar wedding traditions that will be resorted to.

 

Diverse wedding traditions of cultures

 

Throwing light on the peculiar customs of wedding ceremonies as observed in various cultures across the globe will reflect the diversity of wedding traditions-

 

  • Traditional marriages in China are characterized by the predominance of the red color- the traditional color of love. While the bridal gown is usually of a brilliant red color various shades of red like scarlet prevail over the various objects associated with the wedding.

 

  • In the marriage ceremonies of some African tribes there is the custom of binding the wrists of the bride and the groom with braided grass ties. This custom signifying the union of the couple is prevalent even today.

 

  • Old Mexican weeding customs that are still followed involves the encircling of the bride and the groom in a loose lasso made of some pretty, soft cord that is twisted into a figure eight symbol or a sign of infinity. 
  • Wedding receptions in the Irish culture substitute the usual white wedding cake with a brandy or bourbon-soaked, spicy fruit cake. This signifies a special celebrative mood.

 

  • Finnish marriages done the old way require the brides to be wearing a crown of gold. This was especially featured in the ‘Dance of the Crowns’ whereby the crown- a gold colored wreath was wrapped around the bride’s head. This beautiful ‘crown’ was also used for crowning some other maiden during the dance.

 

  • Traditional Indian (Hindu) marriages are considered sacraments and are characterized by the exchange of garlands between the bride and the groom and the taking of seven steps together by the couple. The couple also moves around the holy fire together amidst chanting of special incantations while onlookers- friends and relatives shower petals on them.

 

  • Spanish marriages solemnized as per old customs requires the bride to wear a most beautiful headdress made of delicate lace mantillas over the hair with orange blossoms tucked in.

 

  • German marriages make wonderful usage of candles. The bride and the groom both hold decorative candles in their hands and light them up together at the conclusion of the ceremony.

 

Unity of purpose in diverse global wedding traditions

 

There can be observed a unity of purpose in these diverse wedding traditions- that of bringing together the bride and the groom and giving social acceptance to their union through a special, memorable ceremony. In the modern day society there is also the need of the wedding to be recognized by the state. So, meeting of some legal obligations have also become a part of wedding customs around the globe.  

Weddings : Some Odd Traditions

Posted on 07 October 2008 by admin

Some Odd Weddings Traditions

Man and woman being together as one, for the rest of their lives.

Sounds romantic doesn’t it? For the man and the woman to leave their families and to be as one and form a new family. This is the foundation of the marriage tradition. Throughout the millennia, the concept of family and marriage have been so closely knotted together that it is sometimes impossible to separate one from the other.

Marriage is present in every culture in some form. Whatever the culture, legal aspect or how their society recognizes marriage, it is still the union of a man and woman living together in one dwelling.

The traditions surrounding marriage have changed throughout the ages, in all the many diversities of each culture. For each culture, there are different ways of celebrating marriage. But in each culture, there has always been one thing that has remained the same – that in every culture, every tribe, marriage has always been celebrated with the utmost of festivities, of singing, eating, and celebrating.

Along with these festivities, man has also adopted a growing number of traditions, each filled with meaning and believe it or not, they can have shocking origins.

The Wedding Cake Long ago the tradition was for the groom’s family to make a simple cake for the bride as a gift and this has now evolved to the fabulous wedding cakes we use to celebrate with today. These small cakes where called, ’groom’s cakes’ and were put under the brides pillow the evening before the wedding event. The idea behind it was that she would sleep on the cake and dream about the groom and their new life together, and this obviously would crush the cake.

This cake could easily be termed as ’pound cake’ because it would be “pound up” and then they would give pieces to people to crumble and toss at the new couple as a sign of fertility. That is where the today’s custom of tossing rice on the bride and groom originally came from.

Wedding cakes today usually will have several layers to them. The higher the stack, the more glamorous the cake. The decorations on the cake are a fashionable choice of the bride and groom for their guest to enjoy. However, in the past the layers on the wedding cake were used as a symbol of fertility. Couples would stack these cakes to symbolize how many children they wished the couple to have. It was a long tradition that the more stacks in the cake the more children they would have.

Time to Tie the Knot

You’ve heard of ’tying the knot’, that is one that has a very old origin indeed, but it did not necessarily mean being knotted together. During ancient tribal times, the bride would usually be wrapped in a sheep skin with a knot out in front. This was to symbolize virginity. Untying the knot, was the groom’s privilege during the wedding night.

Best Man or should I say, Secret Agent? The best man used to play a different role in the early middle ages. During tribal times, it was the best man’s duty to abduct potential brides from other tribes. He would usually club the tribal lady over the head and then begin to carry her back to his home tribe, sounds like something from a comic strip but it’s true. It was also the best man’s job to ward off the angry relatives of the bride. During these early ages, the best man would have club in hand while his friend, the groom married his newly found bride.

Current Times

Fortunately for us, today’s weddings are far less barbaric in nature and there have been a lot of changes from many of the wedding traditions of old. These traditions are filled with meaning and can only serve to make your wedding day more memorable.

Wedding Vows

Posted on 14 September 2008 by admin

The vows that a couple exchanges with each other are what bring meaning, romance and individuality to the wedding day itself. The style and feel of the wedding you are planning can help determine the way you would like to exchange your vows to one another, but ultimately you want your words to each other to convey your love and uniqueness as a couple. This is your chance to declare your feelings in front of your friends and family, and so writing or choosing vows is one of the most important and meaningful elements of your wedding.

If you are planning a traditional religious ceremony, it may be preferable to you to go with the conventional vows that your religion outlines. Some religions will allow their couples to make changes to the vows while others do not. Because of this, there are couples who will seek out a religion or pastor whose vows emulate their identity as a couple. Whether or not you decide to use religious vows will depend on your beliefs and spirituality as a couple and as a new family.

Another popular option is to actually write or choose a poem, song lyric, or passage that allows you to describe your love and promise to your blushing bride or glowing groom. When you choose this option the most important thing is to make sure that your vows are absolutely genuine, no matter what you are saying. Ask yourself if what you have chosen to say is from the heart. Does it feel natural to say the words? Can you say the words in front of 150 friends and family members?

Another point of reference is to think about your life together as a couple and whether or not what you are planning to say fits your personalities. For instance, some couples are very romantic, in which case a love song or poem might be the perfect choice for vows. Others are more laid back and writing a few sentences about the first time they met or about their future life might be more appropriate choice.

If you are not sure where to start, do a search on the internet to find quotes, poems, and pre-written vows that you can use to work from. You can also try asking a friend or family member to help you, but remember you want your vows to be yours and to be from your loved-filled heart.

About the Author

Christine Beals is a professional writer who provides tips and information on wedding vows for The Savvy Bride.

Dancing On Your Wedding Day

Posted on 14 September 2008 by admin

Dancing is getting popular at weddings. Often, the father of the bride will dance with her and then we have the couple’s first dance. Anyone at the wedding can enjoy themselves fully.

Chicken Dance
Would you like to add some excitement to the dance floor? Some activities are going to extremely popular. Get your guests to let their hair down, and you can try a game of the”chicken dance”. If you love to have some fun and laughter at your party, and want the dance floor to be filled, you may want to try this.

Stick numbers beneath the seats. Get the guests to look under their chairs when the number is announced. Just repeat the numbers at different tables based on your seating plan. You can have ‘1’, ‘2’ or even up to ’10’.

Before the number is announced, the guests would check under their seats to find out the numbers they had been assigned to. Post-it notes and masking tape will be suitable. Everyone with the number called out would be invited to hit the dance floor and do the chicken dance. This is great if you wish to let your guests mingle with other guests, especially if you have many singles at your wedding. It is also good if you have a lot of guests who do not know each other.

Multiplication
Another way to get people onto the dance floor is to get the wedding group to invite guests onto the dance floor. After a short dance, each guest who is already at the dance floor will have to head out to the tables and bring in one more guest, until all the guests are at the dance floor.

Hire A Dance Teacher
Many wedding couples take up dancing lessons so that they can vow the crowd with their slick dance moves. Why not invite the dance teacher to teach simple steps to the crowd? Or if you have a close friend who is great at dancing and willing to help you at your wedding, then ask him or her to do this.

One dance floor activity that’s gaining popularity is to bring in a dance teacher for the wedding reception. As a kind of pre-dance activity, the teacher will quickly walk people through their paces on the dance floor, perhaps teaching a bit of the waltz or, for something completely different, a little bit of the tango, before the music officially begins and dancing commences.

Having a dance teacher do a bit of teaching not only livens up the reception right from the start, but it gets people out on the dance floor who might otherwise be too self-conscious normally to get out there and let it all hang out. And practically speaking, it will likely make the wedding guests feel more confident in their skills before the “official” dancing begins.

These ideas are extremely affordable, so if you are on a tight wedding budget, then you can simply use these ideas to get your guests onto the dance floor instead of hiring expensive bands or performers to liven up the mood.

Powered by WishList Member