To Give Or Not To Give Wedding Favours: That Is The Question

Posted by Landon Colins. http://BestForBride .com

Wedding favours are those little things that your guests will take home as tokens of your appreciation for their presence during your special day. You can give anything and everything that catches your fancy – ornamental plastic globes with fake snow, whimsical candles, practical wine bottle stoppers, and even cute fridge magnets. Still, the question remains: Do you really have to provide for wedding favors?
Of course, you have to!
If you want a traditional wedding like those of your family and friends, then it follows that you will also provide for the traditional touches of wedding favours. Of course, this is neither a case of the blind following the blind nor of copying everything hook, line and sinker. You have many bridal boutiques to choose from when deciding on your personalized favors, if you must know.
If, however, you are not inclined to traditional weddings, then you can consider the following as valid reasons for giving the go-signal for wedding favours:
- Your guests went to great lengths to attend your wedding ceremony and to participate in your reception festivities. You see them all dressed up in their finery, you knew they traveled from out of state, you received gifts from them and you celebrated the day with them. The least you can do is provide for small tokens of appreciation for all the time and effort they poured into making your wedding meaningful.
- You will be putting a sweet end to your wedding festivities especially when you provide for edible wedding favours like almonds and candies. Your guests will simply love having something to eat while on the way home, kind of like the dessert after the main course.
- You can tie up the theme of the wedding with the appropriate favors. You can look at them as the icing on the cake.
Generally speaking, your favors are your call. Not all of your guests will love your choice of favors but at least, you provided for a good way to say “Thank you for coming to our wedding”. It is a matter of social graces, one that will hold you in good stead with your guests.
No, you don’t have to!
On the other hand, you can also choose not to provide your guests with favors. You might even say that you did your guests the favor when you invited them to your wedding – free food, the chance to party, overflowing drinks, festive ambience and a roomful of single men and women are enough favors.
There is also the matter of wedding favours getting left behind by the guests. You spent a ton on them and a ton is also left over from the wedding reception. In the end, you are left with small things that you just wasted money on because your guests could not have cared less.
Besides, $500 can be spent on other wedding expenses! You can buy fancier gifts for the wedding party; you can have your groom’s tuxedo custom made instead of just rented; you can extend your honeymoon. There are simply plenty of other options to be had from the $500.
With the pros and cons of wedding favours laid out this way, you should be able to make a decision. However, you should keep in mind that while favors are not mandatory, you can generously thank your guests with them. The key is in making them attractive and useful, even edible – chocolates and candies, charitable donations, and mini-wine holders, to name a few. Your guests will recognize just how sweet a couple you are.

Wedding Announcement Etiquette - Etiquette For Wedding

Author: Mary A Jane. http://www.marrycus toms.com


Weddings are full of unexpected challenges. The quaint little chapel you have your eye on may not accommodate your large number of guests. If you are having a destination wedding, the wedding site could be too expensive or too far for some loved ones to attend. Do you invite these individuals anyway but lower your expectations. Not at all. What you do is send a wedding announcement.
So what is a wedding announcement and what is the appropriate wedding announcement etiquette? This is what this article will teach you.
A wedding announcement is mailed the day of or a couple of days after the wedding. This is to be certain that the one receiving the mailing does not believe it is an invitation to your wedding. The wording of the announcement should prevent this error as well. Typically, wedding announcements are sent to family and friends that were not invited to the ceremony for whatever reason. Wedding announcements can be sent to business associates as well. Your business associates may need to be notified of an address or name change. Individuals who are your friends but not close enough to you to receive an invitation to your wedding should be sent an announcement. If you are fortunate enough to have the ability to invite everyone you want to the wedding then there is no need to send wedding announcements.
Who announces it if you do want to send out wedding announcements? Wedding etiquette says there are two ways to do this. If the wedding is hosted by parents of the bride or groom it is most appropriate that they should do the announcing. Even so, it is acceptable if the couple makes the announcements. If you and you mate eloped, this is the case.
If you and your mate eloped, the wedding announcements may include a post wedding reception. However, by sending a wedding announcement, be sure that it is not portrayed as begging for a gift. The announcement in these cases should only be informative.
Wedding etiquette dictates that you should send invitations to your wedding between six and eight weeks prior to your wedding. If you are getting married near a holiday, people are making other plans so it is best to send the invitations eight weeks before the wedding. Two months prior to the wedding you should find out the amount of postage for your wedding invitations that are completely put together. This includes the invitation, inside and outside envelopes and the response card. It is proper etiquette to provide the postage for the response card. Be sure that the RSVP date is two weeks before the wedding, no less. This gives you enough time to provide a last headcount to your wedding providers.
The announcement wording should be in the past tense and it should be clear that the wedding has previously taken place. Similar to invitations, the announcement should state when and where the wedding took place. You may want to include a new address card as well.

More Sample Wedding Wishes by Babylon Wedding

Author: Rafi Michael. During marriages, there are wishes passed tothe both the bride and the groom. People use them to bless thecouple to have a long and enduring marriage. Samples of weddingwishes include phrases such as, "a basket of love with a crib ofkisses" http://www.videobab ylon.ca Babylon Wedding Center.


During marriages, there are wishes passed to the both the bride and the groom. People use them to bless the couple to have a long and enduring marriage. Samples of wedding wishes include phrases such as, “a basket of love with a crib of kisses”, “Pocketful dreams with most esteemed wishes”, “A rainbow within the sky and a gold beaming in fin your heart, with grin and tears, this is how your matrimony starts”. Other Samples of wedding wishes include these sayings “ A quiet dwelling to rest and a huge yard for play, work hard so that you may sing to each other at end of the day, be a family that anchors and gives. Be a family with wings to fly, have a love that means never having to say goodbye.” “Affectionate arms embracing you and a boisterous fire that lasts, share your future as well as tribute your past, grow old as one with joy and love. May you be blessed while above the soil and below the heavens”. This is almost like wedding poetry.

Other common nuptials wishes samples sayings include “Have food and raiment, soft pillow for your temple; enjoy a hundred years in paradise. Have food and raiment, a soft pillow for your head and thoughts. May the joy you share now be the foundation of a lifetime of pleasure and accomplishment and fulfillments?” “May your joy be bottomless as the sea and your plight as light as air, have hopes and factual dreams”. “May the memory to day turn out to be dearer with every passing year and never forget things that keep your love glowing, beaming and sweet?”

The tradition of conveying marriage wishes to newly wed couples begun centuries ago and people have continuously included the practice to its present status. People use both wishes of old and new wishes to encourage the newly weds. These wishes also make up an important part of the couple’s reference points in their future endeavors. One source of these sayings is the internet or books sold in the numerous wedding shops located in Canada for instance, in Toronto, Mississauga and Ontario. Examples of recent nuptials wishes include the following sayings; “let the unhappiest date of your future be inferior to the happiest date of your history”. “Have long lives together as you enjoy a life of joy, sharing and commitment”.

Some people have developed funny marriage wishes. They add color and laughter to the wedding ceremony while encouraging the couple to live a committed marriage life. Young couples prefer funny wedding wishes to the wishes commonly used. Funny nuptials wishes characterize modern wedding ceremonies. During the initial experiences in your matrimony, it will be hard to include the last words in any discussion you have. With so many Samples of wedding wishes in the internet and in various books including poetry books, one should not fail to wish a couple well in their marriage. One may present the wishes in wedding card or on C.D. whatever medium used, wedding wishes have great impact on newly wedded couples.

Ideas for Planning a Positive Bridal Shower

Author: Donna Ennis. http://www.topweddi ngsites.com/ wedding-bridal- showers.html


Many people agree that the very first bridal shower, many years ago, helped to bring the end of the dowry system. Friends and family showered a young woman whose father wouldn't give her a dowry with many of the items she and her groom would need to begin a life together.

It evolved into parties held by the bride's closest friend, was all women, and was an afternoon of games, gifts and laughter. Today, it could involve mixed genders and held at all times of day.

However, planning bridal showers should be done with care, as this is a gift giving event celebrating a gift giving event. This is also an optional pre-wedding party. So, these parties are not requested.

Who Hosts? Bridal showers can be hosted by a variety of people, such as a friend, member of the wedding (any gender), and it could be single gender, or co-ed. However, family members should never host, with the exception of a sister if she is also a bridesmaid. It is considered self-serving and as if begging for gifts. Hosts should be close friends of the bride. Friends of the bride's mother are not a good option if the bride doesn't know them.

Note: The Maid of Honor typically hosts this with the help of the other bridesmaids. But, this is a choice. It is not mandatory or part of their duties.

When? It should be scheduled after all engagement parties, after the couple registers, and at least a couple of weeks before the wedding.

Any time of the day is fine, with the afternoon still the most popular time. Typically the time of day is closely tied to the theme of the party. An after-five party would suggest that this will be a cocktail party.

Multiple Parties? There could be multiple parties, but never invite the same person to more than one. They are usually informal, but can sometimes be quite elaborate. It can be held anywhere, a home, restaurant, hotel; you are only restricted by your imagination. It could be a lunch, brunch, barbecue, pool party, cocktail party - co-ed or no. However, having more than two showers hosted for the couple can create an atmosphere of double gift grabbing. So, plan carefully.

Important Note: Do not use any of the gifts until after the wedding.

Who is Invited? Family, friends, and those who are participating in the wedding are invited. The bridal party is expected to attend all parties, but is not expected to give gifts at each one.

Bridal showers are partly used to help involve those closest to the couple in the celebration, to bring the excitement closer to everyone. So it follows that only those invited to the wedding should be invited to the bridal shower. The guest list should not be a repeat of all the female guests invited to the wedding. And, hosts should send the invitations at least two weeks before the shower.

The one exception to the "who is invited rule" is the work shower. These participants don't have to be invited to the wedding. Generally, the bride's associates host a surprise bridal shower directly before the wedding. Refreshments and often a group gift are provided.

Words of Thanks! These thank you notes should be written as soon as possible, by hand and have included a personal note regarding the gift. Guests have bought a bridal shower gift and more than likely will give the couple another gift for their wedding. Weddings can be very expensive for guests. Show your appreciation, please.

A Word of Caution: A disturbing trend has been developing to produce the "mega-bridal shower", some even as large as 60 to 100 guests. Many of these are hosted by the bride's mother, which is a faux pas for obvious reasons.

Bridal showers are meant to be small, intimate gathering of friends and family who want to give the bride gifts and share in the joy of planning the wedding. This party helps the guests feel as if they are a part of the wedding planning process. If you plan this pre-wedding party wisely and use these bridal shower ideas, you'll have a happy bride and happy guests.

Why Give Ideal Wedding Gifts For Groomsmen?

Author: Janet R. http://Mygroomsmengifts.com


To give gifts for groomsmen is not actually mandatory. However, since early weddings considered giving gifts as a part of wedding tradition and its continuation never stop up to now. Another reason why many grooms and brides opt to give gifts is because this idea can make a great way for them to show their appreciation and gratitude for their groomsmen.
To find ideal gifts for groomsmen, you should consider first some factors that are related to your grooms men's interest. It is always best to have some extra ideas regarding their hobbies, past time and of course their over all personalities. The thing is, it is better to decide on what to buy if you do have these ideas. Literally, finding gifts for groomsmen is the responsibility of the groom but in many cases this responsibility is likely to be covered by most brides. For grooms, finding these gifts for their best buds isn't a challenge for they knew what stuff can put smile to their buddy's faces, but for brides a little investigation is needed and it can't hurt after all.
When it comes to choosing gifts for groomsmen, most of us agree that this has something to do with manly items and forgetting something that could give sentimental value for them. Therefore, we need to understand that this is just an initial reaction of our mind. There are great selection for your groomsmen that can make a sentimental gifts so do not put off going shopping for them. In fact, once you begin to look around you'll definitely find many great items that often unnoticed. For instance you may offer cufflinks, barwares, wallet and travel bags. There are even items which you think suitable for their sporty personality such as sporty-themed cufflinks, wrist watches, caps and the more.
Today, several choices for personalized products can make a special wedding gift for groomsmen, ranging from simple items to elegant ones. If the budget is not an issue for you, then why not give classy and elegant items like leather goods or sterling silver accessories. You may consider a Black Leather Flask and Cigar Case Set, a perfect gift with a luxurious touch. This is wrapped in rich, supple leather and can be engraved for more personalize accent.
Also, there are some great office and desk if you happen to have professional groomsmen. Items such as Paper weights, pen and paper sets, desk clocks and picture frames and will definitely works well. Even if they do not have an office for work they can perfectly display these items at home. You can find personalized office and desk accessories which gives more effect to your grooms men's classy taste.
Personalized gifts can't make not only a special present but also a one of a kind thank you gift for your groomsmen. Unique gifts such as personalized cooler bags, engraved pocket knives, personalized beer mugs and beer stein, cigars accessories and the others. Other choices are widely available at online stores, it's up to you to decide on what to buy. Just remember one hint above, that is to know your grooms men's likes!

How to Have Your Dream Wedding

Author: James Brown.now-and-forever.com

I have always thought of weddings as big and grand when I was still a kid. But as I grew up, I realized it really did not matter how grand special the ceremony is as long as you are beside the one you truly love. And that is what I still believed until this very moment. I was able to seize the day that I said my I do's and since that moment, I have been keeping the memory deep in my recesses. It was not grand at all but it was like being torn from a beautiful chapter of life's novel. It was like this and everything that came afterwards. It was exactly the wedding I have been wanting to experience. Now we are off to get yours.

When we say grand wedding day, many people have stereotyped idea that it must be something that is being spent with so much money. My wedding did not match those of celebrities' wedding but it was a dream coming true all the same. The only thing important is both of you have detailed planning and preparation. Choosing dates for the wedding is sometimes the very crucial moment for every couple. Sometimes they wind up being sandwiched between families who wants this and that date depending on each superstitious beliefs. However, you as a couple should be firm deciding when on your own.

There are simply a lot of factors that could affect the outcome of this memorable event. The second thing that follows after choosing the right date would be having the right entourage and the right people to fill it in. It is not just right if you pick participants on a whim. Treat your participants as important pieces of your precious puzzle. If you got the right pieces, it can make a very good resulting picture. Same is true with your wedding, if you got the right people and they know exactly what their roles are in the entourage then you already got good stuffs in there.
The reception ideas and other wedding decoration should take its course properly after having discussed and picked the right participants for the event. It is important that you have chosen a theme for your wedding because this way, it will be so much easier to think of many decorations and reception ideas to go along with the theme. Much to your overwhelming excitement is that you have to face different choices and good ones at that about colors, ribbons and flowers. One thing should be done first, you should have the theme wedding otherwise it will really be difficult for you to start working on things.

Wedding ceremonies indeed are going to be the biggest event that will happen only once in your lifetime. Of course, there will be no wedding without your husband-to-be by your side. It is not the ceremony, how much you spend or how grand the entire wedding is. The most important thing is you are there to attend the event and be there all for love and nothing else.

How Much Wedding Can I Afford?

Author: George Meszaros. http://www.sweet- reflections. com

Did you know that a wedding costs, on average, $28,000? It seems like a lot of money, but it requires a budget. When it comes to planning your wedding, your budget is one of the most important factors. Wedding planning should begin with setting your budget. It is a process that is necessary, but it may not always be fun. It is common that parents don’t pay for your wedding. Nowadays, it is much more likely that you will pay the majority of the costs of your wedding. Lucky couples have their parents foot, at least, some of the expenses, but mature couples should not build on it.

Prior to doing anything else, you should set your wedding budget. It is key to have an understanding how much you can afford. It’s better to make some tough decisions in the beginning of your planning process that to run out of money months before your wedding day. Make sure you have a budget before you begin spending. It is too risky to buy or reserve anything before you have set your budget. Your budget should be based on careful calculations and real numbers not wishes, hopes, and desires. If you estimate, it is likely that you will underestimate.

Be fair in your evaluation. If you are independently wealthy, forget about a budget. You have nothing to worry about, spend as much as you want. If money is tight, just be creative. Having less money is not automatically a negative. As you folks to see if, they can help with some of the bills. Be nice and don’t expect mom or dad to take on a second mortgage to pay for your special day. It’s not worth bankrupting your parents, for a party. If your parents can’t afford to help you, you might need to postpone the wedding or lowering your budget. You can make your own wedding favors to save.

If you are the independent type, it’s best not to ask your parents for financial help. Take an honest assessment of the situation, and set your budget accordingly. Prioritize, if you have to work with a smaller budget. Decide what is most important to you and place them to the top of your list. List the most essential items and scratch the rest. Reduce the number of invitees, reduce the cost of the food, buy a less expensive gown, etc. You have many opportunities to save. Marriage is all about compromises, planning your wedding on a budget should be a good exercise for you and your honey. The most important thing is to have fun. A worksheet should help you in making your final decision about what to include or exclude from your wedding day. Wedding budgets are very important because they enable you to make a decision on the total dollar amount you can afford to spend on your wedding day.

Have you ever wondered how is it possible to have the wedding of your dreams, while staying within your budget? Learn to cut wedding costs.

Beach Wedding Favors and Accessories

Author: Janet R. http://Mybridesmaid sgifts.com

Beach Themed Wedding is one of the most popular wedding options eversince. This is a dream wedding for most engaged couples. Beach weddings are usually held during the summer season where the weather is perfect, the sun shines to its fullest and the breeze of the sea is as cool as the wedding couple who opted for the summer marriage idea. However, preparing for a beach marriage is quite challenging. Although it is still a ceremony of marriage but to prepare for something great and interesting is worth your while. Remember, every planned aspect of your beach wedding can make a big difference to each of your guests, so you want to make sure that it doesn't cause any bad impression at all.
When preparing for a beach marriage, you have to consider it a wise decision to choose nice but practical decorations and accessories for the celebration. A choice of decorations and accessories can make or break your entire party, and of course you want to choose the best. Wedding favors for instance, since your celebration is a beach themed wedding, you want to choose party favors that are suited with your wedding environment. Beach wedding favors are of different choices, from simple to very stylish. Unlike with traditional or formal themes, beach themed weddings are less formal in which the accessories are fun and very stylish. You may consider a "Jewels of the Sea" Felt Favor Bag, a great gift bag not only for your bridesmaids and maid of honor but for all your female guests as well. This ocean-inspired felt favor can hold different little treats like chocolates, mint, candies, cookies and even soap or candle favors. Or perhaps a Sea Shell Gel Candle Favor, a uniquely designed candle gel that contains actual shells and starfish in a blue gel setting – making a sparkling memory of you and your sweetheart at the shore.
Aside from the party favors, as the groom or bride, you want to consider also beach themed gifts for your wedding participants like groomsmen, best man, bridesmaids, maid of honor and the like. For the brides maid's gifts for instance, you want to buy special beach themed gifts to thank your pretty girls who are very supportive all through out your celebration. Wondering what to give? Consider bridesmaid beach bags. There are different selections for beach bags that can make a perfect gift for your wedding girls. One popular choice are personalized tote bags. Consider a Summer Stripes Personalized Beach Bag, a bag fashioned from bold stripes in chocolate brown and mint green and patterned to utilized today's color trend – with your girls' embroidered initials. Or perhaps a Personalized Beachcomber Tote, a perfect bridesmaid's gift to carry for a destination wedding or a beach-themed bachelorette party. This can make a fun in the sun wedding party or family outing for your girls, where they can carry bottled water, sunscreen lotion, towels and flip flops in one stylish tote bag. Then have it personalized with their name or initials that they'll surely adore!
Wedding gifts for bridesmaids like beach bags are perfect! It can also make sassy and stylish bridal shower favors as well as maid of honor gifts ideas.

Ideas for your perfect wedding: marriage customs around the world

Author: Lilia Parker. http://russianwomen .marrymecity. com/russian_ wedding.php

Which day remains in our memory for as long as we live? What preceded each and every family life? Indeed, you will agree with me, in fact, everybody will agree - it is our own wedding day!

From as young as 12 years old I began to dream about my future family and my wedding day!
I tried to get all possible information about wedding tips and ideas. My room was piled up with magazines and books on weddings in different countries, wedding traditions in different cultures and nations. Many years passed since that time. Till now this information helped not only me for my the most important day in my life, but to many of my friends and colleagues - for their wedding day. And today I would love to share my homework on weddings with you. Worth-trying wedding ideas from foreign cultures. Surely, it will make your own wedding very unique and really memorable. And here it follows... Let us take a look at weddings in Russia and Ukraine.

Customs of weddings in Russia

Nowadays, Russian weddings come in a variety of different forms. They can contain elements of a traditional Russian wedding and also hints of a European or American-style wedding. The latter have become more and more popular and modern in recent years. True Russian weddings are unique in the fact that they are always lavishly played out! We say "played out," as a Russian wedding ceremony is usually conducted as though it were a theatre spectacle where there is a script and everyone knows their role.

In times gone by, a form of courtship would have taken place to secure the union of the happy couple. By tradition, the groom's parents would ask the bride's parents for their daughter's hand in marriage for their son. Nowadays, this tradition has become practically extinct and only from time to time will the groom ask the bride's parents for their daughter's hand in marriage or request an approval of their union.

As part of the Russian wedding ceremony, people still enjoy the tradition of ransoming the bride. Before the young couple leave to go to the ZAGS (Registry Office), the groom must go to his future wife's house where he will be greeted by friends of the bride, relatives and guests. They organise various fun games for the groom, like, for example, asking him challenging risque questions, persuading him to carry out certain tasks and demanding a ransom for the bride. The groom must fulfil all the tasks, namely, singing, dancing, reciting poetry, solving riddles and various other challenges. Then, as a ransom, he must give out sweets and money to all those who have arranged the obstacles along the way to him winning his bride (in other words, those who have set the groom challenges to prove that he is worthy of his bride.)

There is an age-old tradition that on the day before the wedding the bride will arrange a hen party and invite all her friends who will support and protect her in her new life. It is now also common for the groom to arrange a stag party; a tradition that has been imported from the West. The groom will say goodbye to his bachelor lifestyle whilst in the company of his friends.

After the registration in the ZAGS or the ceremony in the church, the newlyweds and all their guests go to the reception which is usually held in a restaurant, a banqueting hall or at someone's house. By tradition, the young couple is met by the mother of the groom or all the parents who offer them bread and salt. The young couple must then take turns to eat the bread. The person who eats the largest piece of bread will be the head of the household.

This equal opportunity ritual between the couple has only been observed recently as before it would have always been the male who would stand at the head of the household.It is while everyone is sat around the table that all the guests will pass on their good wishes to the couple, raise toasts and offer presents. By tradition, two toddlers will be put in the centre of the room, one dressed in blue to symbolise a boy and the other dressed in pink to symbolise a girl. The guests will then offer sums of money to whichever toddler they choose. The toddler who receives the most money determines the sex of the married couple's first child.

A fundamental component of the Russian wedding is the cries of "gor'ko" where the newlyweds must stand and kiss for as long as possible. All the guests stand round them and count "1, 2, 3... 15.... 20, etc." The longer the young couple can kiss for, the stronger their union will be. The guests always demand that they kiss for as long as possible. Often, the reception can be a tiring experience for the young couple as they have to entertain their guests by this kissing ritual.

According to European tradition, the wedding ends with the bride throwing her bouquet over her head to all the unmarried girls in the crowd. Whoever catches it will become the next bride. After the ceremony has ended, the young couple goes off to their new house or hotel. At this point, the groom must take the bride in his arms and carry her across the threshold; a ritual that symbolises the strength of their union. As a rule, the young couple then happily journey off into the sunset for their honeymoon.

Ukrainian Weddings

Given their common Slavic roots and culture, it is not surprising that Ukrainian weddings are very similar to Russian weddings. Having said this, there are still some differences.

On the day of the wedding, the groom's first duty is to pick up his bride from her house. Before he meets his loved one he is met by relatives and friends who will demand a ransom for the bride. This is the most special and exciting part of the whole affair. The groom must complete several tasks in order to demonstrate his strength and intellect. If he fails to complete a task, then he must give out money, sweets and drinks to the guests. The result of his efforts is the possession of his loved one. This tradition remains popular to this day. After the groom's challenges, the young couple will go to the ZAGS (Registry Office) and then the church (if they so choose). A celebration of the events usually follows the registration of the marriage.

Nowadays Ukrainian weddings have become more equated to the European style of wedding where the reception is held in a restaurant or banqueting hall.

Despite the loss of some traditions, the guests still present the young couple with a karavai loaf. As a rule, the loaf is baked only by those women whose family life has been very successful as it is said to bring good luck to the young couple in their own family life. On the way to the wedding or directly in front of the building where the wedding feast is held, the groom and bride will release two doves.

One of the distinguishing parts of a Ukrainian wedding is that a giltse (a large wreath which is decorated with flowers and ribbons) is placed on the table next to the karavai loaf. This symbolises maidenly beauty and innocence.

On her head, the Ukrainian bride will wear a wreath with different coloured cascading ribbons. At the end of the festivities, the bride will throw the wreath into a crowd of unmarried girls. The person who catches the wreath will become the next bride. This tradition is very similar to the European tradition where the bride throws her bouquet into the crowd. It has been said that the European tradition of throwing a bouquet into the crowd came from the Ukrainian tradition of throwing wreathes, however, nowadays Ukrainian weddings usually conform to European traditions.

The host of the occasions will organise fun games, poems and little ditties. Guests usually give the couple useful, practical gifts, which will be helpful to the couple in their married life. Accepting the gifts is no easy matter. The bride and groom must show interest in every gift. They must unwrap the present, study it and then express their gratitude to the guest. The money usually goes to the groom, and other items and flowers go to the bride.

Without any doubt, some wedding traditions are intertwined and interrelated in all cultures. There is always room for improvement in preparation for the moment of your dream - wedding day. Do your own research, share ideas with others, send me your own wedding tips - it will assist us all. Our efforts can make a difference to make wedding ceremonies better, brighter, more exclusive and worthy to be proud of.

How to Select Bridesmaids For Your Wedding

Author: Janet R. Mybridesmaidsgifts.com

Your wedding is one of the grandest events that will happen in your life. You'll need careful preparation to make it successful and memorable not only for you and your beloved, but also for all your wedding attendees. Included in your to-do list is to choose your wedding participants like groomsmen, best man, maid of honor, bridesmaids, flower girl, ring bearer and many more. This task isn't easy as you imagine, many couple find it very challenging for they need to choose individuals that are responsible enough to play their specific role. Choosing bridesmaids for instance is a stressful and head cracking task for some brides. The bride needs to make a smart and proper decision in choosing bridesmaids that are responsible enough to be in-charge of assisting the maid of honor.
Traditionally, bridesmaids can be the bride's sisters, best friends or co-workers. For other well-blessed brides, they already have an idea who are the girls that are ideal to play the role of bridesmaids even before their soon-to be groom proposed, but for others, choosing wedding participants is a huge challenge. One major factor to this problem is the excessive choices of eligible bridesmaids that makes it difficult to narrow down. Or perhaps a shortage of bridesmaids options that is very difficult to find.
If you happen to have wide choices of ideal bridesmaids to choose from, consider making a list and choose the girls that are very close to you – this will also depend upon your desired number of bridesmaids. Choose which ones you've known the longest and have supported you from the start. If you made a list that's too long, then simply remove people that are there just because of obligation. You can remove from your list someone like your odd sister if your aren't comfortable having her as your bridesmaid. This may seem to be impolite, but if you'd like, you can always address the issue properly and directly. However, don't feel guilty by asking someone just because you have to do it. To make your wedding party a success, it should include people whom you'd like to share the happiest moment of your life with.
Before making your bridesmaids ready for your wedding, you need to make it clear with them what obligations they need to do. Think of traditional obligations for bridesmaids, do they need to be involved in detailed wedding preparation? Or just simply being present on your wedding day. If their presence is needed during the pre-wedding preparation then you need to choose bridesmaids like closest friends, sister and other close relatives that can make themselves available during the planning and preparation. Also, consider choosing people that are comfortable with each other while doing group works. No bride would want to end up having bickering bridesmaids during her wedding day.
To end up your wedding party, show your appreciation by giving gifts for bridesmaids. You may consider simple or unique bridesmaids gift such as personalized tote bags, purses, handbags and clutches that they will surely appreciate. You can find different choices for bridesmaids' gifts both at local and online stores. After all, these girls helped you a lot not just physically but also they've supported you emotionally.

The Bridal Dress: For Better Or For Worse

Author: Sarrah Beaumont. BestForBride.com

Women become fairytale princesses during their wedding. They are dressed in expensive fabrics, damask, silk, velvet, satin, and cloth creatively spun with silver and gold thread or beaded with crystals and semi-precious stones. The bridal dress becomes a feast for the eyes, and rightfully so.
The Early Bridal Dress
The early wedding dress was not white. The early brides wore their best dress, something they could wear again and again. In those days, only royalty and the very rich wore the beautiful bridal dress replete with jewelry from the family vaults. The purpose was to impress the groom's family with the bride's wealth and connections.
When Queen Victoria of England married her first cousin Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, her wedding dress changed the way women looked at wedding dresses. The Queen's bridal dress started it all. Women began adorning themselves with veils and started to wear long gowns.
The moneyed class wore expensive dresses cut out from the best cloths and designed by famous European couturiers. Today, the best wedding gowns reflect the custom-made elegance of old world fashion and modern sleek lines. Fortunately, for today's brides, wedding dress can be rented or bought on sale off the rack.
European Couture and Glamour
Paris and Milan are the strongholds of European fashion. Their influence on fashion has extended from casual chic to wedding day finery. The exquisite designs from European couturiers make the creamiest of silks and the finest of tulles the most-sought after gowns worldwide.
Local designers have successfully wedded European class with present-day glamour and classic lines with flamboyant tastes. As such, there is always a wedding dress for every taste.
Choosing the Bridal Gown
Consider the following before you pick out your wedding gown:
* Type of wedding (formal, semi-formal, and informal)* Design and cut to flatter the figure* Accessories* Budget
There is no hard and fast rule that the bride should shoulder the cost of the bridal dress. If you are splitting the expense, discuss the details and possible issues surrounding the choice of wedding theme and bridal gown. You might decide to spend less on the gown so you can splurge on a honeymoon.
But it is important to start choosing a wedding gown the moment you are officially engaged. The budget for the wedding gown should be determined as early as this point, and choosing the gown to fit into your wedding theme becomes a quest.
Designs and prices have to be compared before you can settle on the best deal. Other considerations are pricing for custom-made gowns, alterations or modifications, and discounts if the bridesmaids' dresses and veils, crinolines, and jewelry are ordered from the same shop.
Choosing the Bridesmaids' Dresses
Like your bridal gown, the selection of the dresses for your bridesmaids should be made early on to accommodate alterations and modifications. It is, however, strongly advised that bridesmaids should not wear identical gowns, though they can wear the same color for their bridesmaids' frocks.
Since the bridesmaids are your friends, always ask their opinions about the gowns you're going to get for them and let them make the final selection. If they want something beyond your budget, they can offer pay for the excess. Like your bridal dress, your bridesmaids' dresses will always be remembered, for better or for worse.

Personalized Wedding Supplies and Accessories For Any Type of Wedding Theme

Author: Janet R. Jnet is an author for a variety of lifestyleissues and topics including weddings. If you're looking forfavors that will match your wedding theme, visit the websitehttp://Americanbrid al.com and browse their collection.

Weddings come in different themes, it could be formal or non-formal. Whatever your wedding theme may be, still you have to make meticulous preparations in all aspects of your wedding. From wardrobe and favors to wedding supplies and accessories, you have to consider choosing what fits your marriage theme. For formal weddings, bizarre party favors and accessories can be out of place while elegant and sophisticated items are too much for non-formal weddings. A choice of decors and accessories can make a big difference to your celebration, therefore you don't want to be messed up with inappropriate items which you mistakenly pick.
Today's trend of wedding accessories, one popular option are personalized wedding supplies and favors like cake stopper, invitation, place card holder and favors like coaster, picture frames and albums, favor boxes and the like. Whether you have a beach themed or traditional wedding, personalized gifts and favors are always best to thank your participants and attendees.
For your participants who play a very important role like bridesmaids, maid of honor, groomsmen, best man, flower girls, ring bearer and others are always given a thank you gift. Many brides and grooms today opt for personalized gifts for their participants because these gifts do not only possess beauty but also they convey special thoughts and sentiments from the couple. What makes personalized gifts special? These are simple items that are made customized and made special by adding some personal touch, like engraving or embroidering receiver's name or initials on the items, or perhaps a personal message to show deep gratitude and sentiment.
You may consider giving an Engravable Suzie Heart Bracelet that can make an adorable personalized gift for your bridesmaids and maid of honor. This is a sterling silver heart bracelet which can be personalized by engraving your girl's name on it. It's also a great gift for ladies during your bridal shower party. Or perhaps a Elegant Engravable Round Compact with soft tones of pink and ivory with dazzling accents of crystals and beads. The back portion of this compact mirror can be engraved with your girls' name or initials, or it could either be a personal message from the wedded couple.
For male participants like groomsmen and the best man, you may consider a Personalized Round Silver Cufflinks that can make a perfect gift to accentuate the formal wedding outfit of your gentlemen. These cufflinks can polish a white or classic black tie tuxedo and can be worn either by the groom, best man or groomsmen, made personalized by engraving each pair of cufflinks with their initials. Or you may try a Personalized Sports Duffle Bag that your gentlemen can carry on the way to the gym. This is an excellent best man or groomsmen gift for active athletes in your wedding party.
For wedding souvenirs, you could also give memorable wedding favors like personalized photo gifts, personalized edible favors, place card holders, candles, favor boxes and the like. These wedding supplies can be purchased at your local bridal stores or online bridal shops where different personalized choices await you!