Different Countries Have Different Wedding Cultures

Different countries have different wedding costumes and they have various preferences of wedding dresses too. Some people, especially those brides-to-be have great interests in this area, and they really want to know as much as possible. Here we can have a brief and quick look together.

There are many colors of wedding-themed clothing and almost every bride-to-be can choose the one she likes best. However, sometimes the geographic factors can also influence which color brides choose. New couples from Africa prefer blue wedding dresses. African new couples don't wear modern formal dresses all the time during their wedding ceremonies. In the past days, brides choose to wear traditional dresses of their ethnicities and they seldom wear wedding dresses even they hold their weddings in churches. But in recent years, fashion magazines and many fashion TV programs are becoming more and more popular in Africa and the local people start to pay attention to their wedding formal gowns. As a result, more and more African young people choose to wear modern wedding clothes on their big days. Those western new couples usually choose white dresses for brides. But African brides prefer the blue ones. Pink is also very popular here. They also don't wear their wedding clothing all the time during their wedding ceremonies. Mostly, they just wear them for a while at the beginning of the big event. Traditional clothing is still popular now.

In many countries, people like to take wedding photos. But in Europe, people seldom take wedding photos as they believe that doing like this would bring bad luck. They have a traditional belief which says that if the groom sees his bride wearing wedding clothing before the wedding ceremony, then their marriage must be unlucky.

Eastern people like to hang their wedding photos in their rooms or make elegant albums. They also like to invite their relatives or friends to look at their wedding photos when they came to visit. But European people pay less attention to their wedding photos. Of course they can show their photos, but after the honey moon, they would put their photos away and seldom take them out again. They have not as much enthusiasm of their wedding photos as eastern people do.

If we want to talk about the eastern wedding custom, then Japan can be a perfect example. If you can spend a little time in learning the Japanese wedding customs, you will find that Japanese people have fabulous enthusiasm in taking wedding photos. People, no matter they are poor or rich, always like to spend a large amount of money to take their wedding photos.

How do you feel now? Wedding is special because it can be regarded as the symbol of love. Also, it can be the different indicator of different cultures.

Unique Ways in Declaring Your Wedding Vows

As future husband and wife, both of you are so eager to let everyone know that the wedding bells will soon be ringing. And, because you both want people to expect that you are preparing for a unique wedding celebration, you wish to also do a unique way of declaring a wedding vow. But, thinking of how to do this brings you worry. Well, fret not. Below is a list of the unique ways to declare wedding vows. Read on...

1. Gather your family, relatives and friends in a dinner date. Do not give them any idea that they are all invited. Act as if it is just a casual family or friendly dinner. Once they arrived at the restaurant and the crew leads them to the function room, it is only then that they will realize that something big is coming-and what is, they will surely ask. To give them the answer, enter the room together in semi-formal attires with a love song playing in the air. Go to the stage draped with white cloth. As you greet them good evening, take off the white cloth and let them see a tarpaulin written with "We are getting married...and we are excited about it. Are you?" Surely, clapping of hands and yelling of voices will replace the love song on background.

2. Send out half-heart invitations to your family, relatives, and friends through someone who can be relied on. That someone should not reveal your identifications. They may have an idea of what the half-heart is for, but they can never be sure. Indicate in the half-heart invitations the place, date, time, and more importantly, the need to bring the half-heart with them. Do not write anything else that will give them a clue. Once they all arrived in the place, ask the emcee to welcome them and look for the other half of the heart in the crowd. Because they are all your closest family, relatives, and friends, it is not difficult for them to find their "heart partner". Once everyone has found his or her "other half", ask the emcee to call who has invited them. They will surely become surprise as you both say "Our hearts are now one...we are soon getting married!"

3. You both can move away from spending too much on your wedding vows. Instead of having a formal dinner, send out a small, colored bottle with a small note inside: "We are getting married next month...you are invited!" This is something simple, unique, and affordable, right?

Declaring your wedding vows is actually sharing your happiness to your coming preparations for the wedding... and of course, the wedding itself. Some couple may opt not to declare their wedding vows and instead start the wedding preparations. But, that is actually missing the most exciting prelude to the wedding preparations. So, declaring your wedding vows should be a must to both of you. The list of the unique ways of declaring your wedding vows above may only be three, but they will surely thrill your family, relatives, and friends to the fullest.

The Best Decor For Your Wedding Table With Superb and Innovative Ideas

Perhaps the most important occasion in a man's life is the day when he gets wedded. And therefore it is quite natural for anyone that he would take up the greatest possible effort to make his wedding ceremony as perfect as possible. In fact the point is that the wedding ceremony needs lots of preparations and planning. Therefore, for that reason it is essential to take proper care of every single detail if you want to make your wedding occasion the most memorable event. In fact there are several things to consider while making planning for the wedding. Among the several items and preparations needed the wedding accessories plays a very important role. Starting from the bridal dress even the slightest thing of importance should be paid proper attention to in order to get the best for your wedding. But the fact is that it is not always possible for a single person to manage all these alone and thereby help is essential for anyone. Therefore because of these reasons most people these days prefer to seek the help of some professional expert to manage the whole thing efficiently. In fact the experience is a very crucial factor and this is one of the reasons why people prefer to get some professional help.

As stated earlier the wedding accessories and the wedding table decoration plays a very important role for any wedding. In fact the availability of all of the needed accessories is very much important as the lack of any of them may cause a lot of trouble. In fact the point is that if there is any lack of accessories it may cause a lot of trouble and hindrances in the progress of the wedding. Therefore all of these needful things should be ready at hand as any hindrance in the proper progress of the wedding is never desirable.

Then comes the role of the wedding table decoration. The wedding table is the central attraction of any wedding and therefore the decoration should be made accordingly to get the best glamour of the wedding. For best wedding table decoration the choice of the table cloth is the most primary factor. Traditionally the snow white color is the most common choice of the table cloth. But this is not a compulsory factor. One can easily choose any other color for the choice of the table cloth for the table decoration. In fact it is very complementary if you choose the color to coordinate with the room decoration and the wedding party decoration. On the other hand there are many people of the idea that the color of the napkins should match with the color of the table cloth. But this too is not a mandatory factor and you can easily choose the color of your choice. Often dark colored napkins with light colored table cloth can create a great impression. It is always better to think beyond the center of the table to create a unique impression with the decoration of your wedding table. In fact the main point is that you can always be innovative and create your own ideas of wedding table decoration for a better and elegant look.

How to Pack When You're Traveling For Your Destination Wedding

Destination weddings are one of the most romantic and exciting trips to plan and prepare for. Planning a wedding in a remote location offers many benefits, but also demands a little more vigilance from you. Since a destination wedding involves shuffling, transitioning and moving while traveling, packing becomes one of the most important jobs. It's easy to miss out important things at home because of the excitement. Because your mind is swept up in the excitement when you're packing, you may forget little but crucial details. Such mistakes can prove to be very costly. With planning and allowing yourself time, plus a checklist and suggestions from others who have experience with destination weddings, you'll be good to go. As destination wedding planners, we have worked with brides for years. Here we'll share with you suggestions for packing your bags while you travel for your wedding.

It is recommended that you start creating a check list of items to be packed, months in advance from the wedding day. Keep jotting items as you remember them, and while packing, check them against your list. This way your packing will be more organized and fruitful.

One of the first things to keep in mind, and perhaps the most difficult, is weight. With extra charges on luggage and weight limits, be sure to check with your airline in advance so that you don't have costly surprises at the gate if budgeting is a concern. Use bags and suitcases that are lightweight. Bags with wheels on them are quite handy, that allow the bag to be easily pushed, thus saving you a lot of effort. Check out the vacuum-sealed bags from stores like Target and Wal-Mart to pack your clothes tightly and efficiently. You may also want to FedEx or mail a box of clothing or items in advance to your location.

This is quite obvious, but needs to be said anyways; do not forget to bring your wedding dress. We have known women to pack their bags--and then turn around to realize they still need to figure out how to fit in their dress. It is important to keep your dress wrinkle free throughout the duration of your journey. Use the coat closets available in aircraft to hang your dress. Grooms are advised to rent and bring a tuxedo from their hometown, and not risk searching for one at the destination. You may want to ask your wedding planner or local hotel what services or facilities may be located near your destination in case you need care at the last minute. Also, do not forget to pack shoes that go with the tuxedo.

For brides, pack your make up box, and other related appliances if you prefer to do everything yourself. Go with travel-size everything as much as possible. Remember if something is liquid to check your airline's regulations. Most liquid items need to be checked in your luggage, not taken on your carry-on. Ziploc bags are key for keeping cosmetics, lotions, perfumes and other products organized and sealed from spilling into the rest of your things. Also, you can always choose to visit a salon to have your makeup and hair done before your ceremony. This depends a lot on the location of your wedding...but private stylists or salons are often available if you ask your planner or hotel. Toiletry items might be provided by your hotel, so it is better to check with them on phone in advance. Pack your jewelry and wedding rings safely. Pack a sufficient change of clothes for before and after the wedding, including swimsuits if you opted for a beach wedding. Also, for the beach, you should definitely pack sunscreen lotion for protection against sunburns.

Forgetting to bring some important paperwork can be extremely excruciating, therefore pay special attention while packing these. You will need to check with your wedding planner about what the legal requirements of your wedding location are, and bring the appropriate papers with you. Some documents you should definitely bring with you are your birth certificate, your passport, and if applicable, your divorce papers. Put all your papers where they are easily accessible, for example your hand bag. Do not place them in your main luggage.

Apart from these things, you should have the contact numbers of your doctor, pet- sitter and your bank. Do not forget your hotel reservation slips, and your ATM cards. Take digital photos or scans of your ID, passport and credit cards on both sides; store these images in a safe place and/or on your computer in case of loss or theft. Make sure you take down the number of your credit card company into your address book contacts as well.

We hope everything we mentioned here is helpful to you. Packing may feel overwhelming, but with some suggestions and then organization, you'll dissolve that stress quickly. If you have questions, contact other past brides who have experienced a destination wedding and/or your destination wedding planner. As the common saying goes, "prepare for the worst, expect the best."

Outdoor Locations For Weddings and How to Make Them Successful Events

If you're looking for outdoor locations for weddings, there are a few extra details that you need to keep in mind simply because of unpredictability of Mother Nature. Your celebration can either be the fairytale story of your life or it can turn into a total disaster depending on how well you've prepared. The following tips should be useful when it comes to outdoor locations for weddings and how to plan them.

The Location of the Wedding
Unless you're looking into areas where there is almost a 100% guarantee that you will probably have wonderful, sunny and dry weather conditions on the day of your wedding, outdoor locations for weddings might want to have an alternate area close by where you may effortlessly move the ceremony and festivities inside. It would be very disheartening to make significant plans for a luxurious wedding and have it destroyed by rain or even hail.

To allow for the unpredictable, outdoor wedding venue choices may include canopied eating areas for stopping even the lightest spray from harming the buffet or cake tables. Canopied areas for the DJ and dance floor are also suitable ideas so your DJ keeps the party going even in a downpour.

You also may want to try and set the wedding date for a time of year that's not bug-friendly, otherwise you, your wedding party and all your guests may get a little bit up later in the evening. You can also use Tiki torches or table lamps with citronella candles and have them lit after the sun goes down. This will add a captivating effect while at the same time keeping the little flying pests at bay.

Notify Your Guests of the Outdoor Location of the Wedding
You want to make clear either on the invitation or the RSVP that you are planning your wedding and reception to be outdoors and what the proper attire of the event needs to be. If you're planning your celebration for a hot summer day, you don't want your guests being uncomfortable because they wore clothing more suitable for sitting inside an air-conditioned building. This is especially crucial for guests coming in from out of town who may not be that familiar with the weather in your area.

The Wedding Party
Bridesmaids' dresses and men's tuxes or suits need to be appropriate for the time of year and temperature as well since you want them to be as comfortable as possible also. For instance, don't select bridal gowns with longer sleeves if it's going to be hot and humid. You may want to keep the bridesmaids in shorter length dresses or dresses that don't necessitate they wear pantyhose if they're not going to be comfortable.

For the groomsmen and ushers, you may allow the suit jackets to be optional, suggesting they only wear the vests. They'll look just as classy and sophisticated yet without that hot and suffocating sensation of being stuck in a long-sleeved suit jacket for what could be hours.

The Caterer or Menu
If you're going to contract the services of a caterer, make sure you inform them you're looking into outdoor locations for weddings. They might have guidance for the suitable menu selections for an outdoor celebration. Also, ask for their ideas on menus and locations as they may be able to give you recommendations of other outdoor events they've catered that were successful despite the weather.

For the bar, if you're having one, make certain to keep adequate amounts of water and other non-alcoholic cold drinks readily available to keep your guests refreshed and hydrated, especially if your wedding is going to be in the summer.

Wedding Themes and Decor

Having coordinated many weddings I have learnt that no two brides are the same and no two weddings are alike no matter how similar the setting. The likes and dislikes of the bridal couple are integral in choosing the correct color and decor.

Here are some ideas of what may go and what may not.

Traditional white:

White Table linen, Full-length cloths, white starched napkins, Glassware fine or crystal, quality cutlery styled or silver, fine china all white. Candelabra in silver or tall white cylindrical candles. Flowers - tall, white, Orchids or Gladiolas, carnations, white roses.

Candles and lighting must be used to reflect the glassware to create a pure, clean romantic and warm feel.

Traditional white incorporating color.

Keep the theme above but softly integrate your color of choice. If your favorite color is yellow or gold, choose some yellow gladiolas, use gold rimmed glassware, interchange white and yellow candles, buy white candles and take them to a candle maker for dipping, yellow/ gold at the top or bottom and then white.

Keep the color integration soft and subtle the color must be secondary to the white.

A popular choice with white for brides is green. Green is the color of relaxation, use in the doorways, Arch way if there is one, integrate with plants, put more greenery in with the flowers there are wonderful fillers, leather leaf, million stars etc that can help to achieve this result. Use limes, apples in glass bowls, green flowers (yes they can be found).

If you prefer bolder colors change your theme.

Lets go with the boldest of colors and the most festive of all colors Red. Red is used at weddings in many cultures and is also and exciting color to wear.

The best way to use red at a wedding is in the flowers, as a wedding incorporates the symbol of love then Red Roses would be the most popular choice.

Dark Red Linen, not tomato red, choose Magenta which is a dark purplish red. Tall Glass vases or tall candelabra where the Flowers sit above the guest's heads can be used as a centerpiece. Either an arrangement of tall long stemmed, red roses or a tightly bunched neat arrangement of rose heads. Candles do not use white; the contrast is too stark, if you want to lighten then go with cream or ivory, this too can be interchanged with your linen. I.e. Cream/Ivory linen with Red Rose theme.

Red roses and crackling fire and chocolate are a nice idea for a winter wedding. Turn on the romance, red wines and wholesome hot foods, subtle music and the warmth of familiar faces for a delightful and memorable combination.

Orange is the color of desire and joy; it is fun and upbeat and goes with almost any venue type. Mix it with dark woods, fire for a African feel, combine it with white for a more fun and vibrant feel, integrate oranges with yellows and reds for a combination of feelings, fun, desire and festivity. Use good lighting and candles and lots of flowers.

I have met brides with ideas that include everything from the incredibly simple to the bizarre.
Other ideas for modern decor can include:

White flooring with Perspex tables
Black linen with glass and Crystals
Orchid flowers and white plush furnishings

Whether your theme is country style or Black tie and formal the basis of how to organise your wedding reception is the same.

Five Things To Consider If You're Planning A Christmas Wedding

Are you hoping for a winter wedding? If so, here are five important things to consider before you book.

1. Colours - One of the main things you'll have to think about is the theme of your wedding and the colours you choose. Popular options are red and green, which are traditionally associated with the season; silver and white; and gold and cream.

2. Venue - One of the most important things to consider is where you're going to get married. While the choice of location itself will give you an idea of what weather to expect, you should also look for a venue that will look good in the winter time. You may not get snow, but as some venues only look good with the sunshine, it's worthwhile viewing the venue and getting a feel for how your photographs are going to look.

3. Menu - There's not much better than a hot meal on a cold day, so this is likely to be an important part of the day. You may want to serve traditional Christmas food and drink, like eggnog or hot chocolate, while snowflakes could literally be the icing on the cake.

4. Clothing - While you're going to be indoors for much of the day, you may want to consider adding a removable layer to the clothing garments so you don't look frozen on any outdoor photos you have taken. A stylish throw or coat could allow you to still look glamorous, without feeling too chilly.

5. Flowers - Occasionally more expensive during the winter than at other times of the year, you may have to be creative with your selections. Carrying the Christmas theme through into the flowers could make the day look even more magical.

So, if you're ready to start planning your winter wedding, you need to start thinking about location. If you want to get married in the north west, a Cheshire wedding venue may be just what you need. Why not find one with a luxury spa, so you and your guests can enjoy some indoor treats on the eve of the big day.

Use Gossamer Or Lace to Bind Your Hands in a Handfasting Ceremony at Your Perfect Wedding

The ties that bind hearts together are both sturdy and fragile. These contradictory images offer a wealth of metaphors as you create your handfasting ceremony as a centerpiece for your wedding ceremony. Heavy bindings miss the point. Instead, consider using gossamer or lace, some very fragile substance, yet strong when accumulated, to wrap your hands.  Find a friend to braid and bead the gossamer, use a family heirloom piece of lace if you have that (or go ahead, buy new!). When the ceremony is over you can hang the fabric, or beaded rope in your home as a reminder of the promises you made and the ties that bind your hearts.

It's important to remember that you aren't becoming one, you are two individuals with a great love between you. If you're using an heirloom piece of lace have your celebrant wrap your arms (draping lightly!) with the cobweb of history and beauty. There is so much strength in that fragile piece of cloth because each string is knotted to the next. Love is like that. It twines and twines and binds unlikely pieces of humanity and history together into a piece of beauty. If you use lace, consider using this tablecloth on your table when you entertain at special occasions. Make it the special occasion cloth (because they do require care - but then so do marriages!).

If you're going to use gossamer, ask a friend of yours who crochets and beads (people often do both!) to create a very thin, very long rope with beautiful baubles. If you want the rope to be really meaningful, have a party (long) before the wedding and invite people to crochet stitches and adorn this ribbon of threads, so that everyone you love can take a stitch. As they crochet, and yes, men can crochet, ask them to make a prayer or offer a good wish to bless and sustain the couple. It is small enough that it could be sent around to the out-of-towners. It's best if someone else mentors this project so that you're not running around last minute trying to get it done. But you and your partner ought to put some stitches in! During the wedding ceremony have your celebrant talk about how the things that bring you together are enriched and enhanced and protected by your community's place in your life. Make your wedding vows with your hands entwined. Hang the "rope" over your headboard or on a wall as you enter your house. Or make it a community rope and offer it to be used by each couple getting married. (although my suspicion is, everyone will want their own rope made by their community.)

The magic of lace and gossamer is that you could break the ties but that you choose not to. Using work that your community has done makes the ceremony richer and the metaphor stronger. The heirloom table cloth will do the same (and remember antique tablecloths are always SOMEBODY's heirloom!). From then on, whenever you see or use the "rope" you will be reminded of the promises you made. It's a wonderful thing to household articles that are "sacred" to the family and used when there are important (and unimportant) celebrations. Building those memories will build your marriage. Twine the tendrils of your love around one another's hearts and lives.

A Sweet New Trend in Weddings and Parties

Over the last couple of years, candy buffets have become one of the fastest-growing and hottest trends in weddings and parties. It's easy to see why so many wedding couples and party planners are making use of this popular new trend.

Easy to Do!

Candy buffets aren't just easy to set up, they're also fun to set up! They look great anywhere such as an oblong table up against a wall or on a round table in the center of the room.

There's no cooking involved like there is with a dinner buffet. In fact, you can purchase everything already prepared, unless you wish to incorporate homemade candies. It's all basically "open and display"!

Easy to Design!

Match your colors:

The best part of the candy buffet is the color! Candy comes in so many colors and types that it's super easy to match the design and color selection to that of your wedding or party! You can choose an all-one-color design or mix it up with some dimension and texture by using multiple colors. Hard candies come in the most variety of colors and shapes. You can be the Van Gogh of confections!

Browns and chocolates are becoming more and more of a popular wedding color overall. Bridesmaids' dresses and wedding decor is being offered more commonly in browns and chocolate tones. Why not incorporate real chocolate into your candy buffet if you're planning to be part of this popular new trend in wedding color choices? Just be sure if your wedding is outside in the warm weather that you keep your chocolates in a cool place before serving them.

To really make your candy table stand out, select matching table cloths, signs, bunting, or decor kits. You can even purchase matching personalized printed table covers to really put the "wow!" in your candy buffet design. Bunting is now available in DIY (Do It Yourself) kits where you can print them off at home on your own computer. This allows you the opportunity to include photos or your own designs.

Decorative serving dishes and glassware beautifully display your candy choices in a way that's easy to see and easy to access. Keep them for yourself for future use or give them away as favors.

Match your theme:

It's so simple to not only match your wedding or event colors with your candy buffet, but also to match your theme. If your theme is seasonal, consider seasonal candies such as pastel Easter candies in the spring, candy corn in the fall, or peppermints in the winter.

Personalized printed candy and edible favors make not only a great addition to your candy buffet, but are great take home favors for your guests. Include packs of cider or hot cocoa for the fall and winter wedding or event candy buffet. Or enjoy packs of lemonade or frozen drink mixes for the spring and summer candy buffet.

For the non-perishable take home favor, consider cupcake, ice cream cone, sundae and lollipop towel favors. These adorable favors are designed to look like these sweet treats but are actually useful towels and washcloths! They look absolutely darling on a candy buffet but offer your guests something they can take home and use. They also make a sweet keepsake.

Don't forget candy favor boxes and candy favor bags for your guests to fill up on your decorative confections! These "must-haves" complete any candy buffet and come in a variety of designs and colors. You can even have them personalized with your names and date of your event.

There are so many delicious reasons to offer a candy buffet at your wedding or event. It's easy to see why they've become so popular. Enjoy sweet success when you offer this delightful addition to your big day!

Scroll Wedding Invitations Add a Majestic Element to Your Wedding

Are you confused while selecting your wedding card? Wedding invitation cards are available in different styles and designs these days. Scroll wedding cards are the ones that offer a rich and royal look. If you want your wedding invitation to be unique and special then opt for these invitations.

From several centuries, scroll invitations have been a symbol of regal and elegance. This is why people still choose scroll cards to invite guests. Scroll wedding invitations are also known as "Farman" and they represent a classic style of invitation. The latest scroll wedding cards can be customized as per your needs. This means that you can make scroll invitations as Sikh, Muslim or Hindu wedding cards. These cards are meant for people of all religions and communities.

If you have decided to go for scroll invitations then you must keep a few things in mind and then purchase the cards. First of all, you must check the quality of cloth that is used for making the cards. These cards are available in different colors, so you can choose the one that suits your taste and requirements.

Besides the color and cloth, even the thread which is used to wrap the cloth should enhance the overall look of the cards. Various designs can be created on the scroll invitations with the help of laces and beads. These cards are available in various designs and styles.

Different Types of Scroll Wedding Invitations

If you want to get the best scroll wedding cards then you must check the different options available. This includes Indian scroll wedding cards, handmade scroll cards and designer scroll wedding invitations. These cards also vary on the basis of the materials from which they are made. Vellum paper, velvet and handmade paper are commonly used for making scroll invitation cards. Apart from this, you can also have tailor-made scroll cards to make your wedding invitation look unique and special.

Where Can You Get these Invitations

There are various shops that offer different designs and types of wedding invitation cards. If you do not have time to visit each shop then the best option for your would be to purchase them online. To order scroll invitation cards online, you only have to visit the website and select the scroll invitation that you want. Going through different websites and online galleries is the best way to select wedding cards. You can also compare the price quotes before taking the final decision. Choose scroll wedding invitations and make your wedding a grand and memorable event.

Colorful Weddings Are In Style!

White weddings no more? - This year will be the "Year Of Color" according to many wedding resources.
The trend appears to be, that more couples planning weddings are adding pizzazz to the look of their wedding, and reception
with bold, daring colors, patterns, floral arrangements, exotic cakes, and more!

It appears that the desire to wow guests is a major goal of many bride's and grooms. With wedding budgets being tossed out the window, these new high end weddings are quickly becoming a wedding fashion statement.

Weddings don't have to cost a fortune to be beautiful and fashionable. With careful budgeting, prioritizing, and perhaps the help of a consultant, you can have one of these new high fashion weddings. The celebrity wedding is really what these every day couples are striving to compete with. The media bombards us with so and sos wedding, and all the details of how expensive, and elaborate the wedding was. It's no wonder couples feel the need to "keep up with the Jones" so to speak. Don't feel bad if this is you, be proud that you have the opportunity to display your own sense of unique style.

Ways To Create Color For Your Wedding!

1. Use a colorful table runner to jazz up your guest tables (tables perhaps already covered with rented white table cloths).
If you cannot afford a table runner for every guest table, try doing this for every other guest table in a pattern fashion.
This will make sense if done in pattern.

2. Make the most of money saving greenery for part of your centerpieces. Add a dash of bold color with a few brightly colored daisies here and there. A few will go along way. If you cannot afford flowers for every guest table, then consider the every other guest table approach, while still using some greenery alone on the guest tables without flowers.

3. If flowers are not a huge part of your budget, consider the every other table approach mentioned above, or consider purchasing plain clay flower pots at a local store. Next, purchase some brightly colored spray paints (perhaps 2 or 3 different colors) and spray paint the flower pots individually with one of the colors. Perhaps some of them for example with yellow paint, some of them with the bright green paint, and some with orange. When the paint is dry, play with the pots by filling them with different colorful materials to see what you can come up with that will add some pizzazz to your guest tables with the pots as your centerpiece. Things to consider filling these pots with are: unpeeled oranges, lemons, grapefruits, even bananas. This will also turn out to be centerpieces that smell great, and your guests can reach out, grab a piece, peel and eat it!

4. Use wallpaper to add color and pattern. Perhaps you can look at your local wallpaper store, or home decor store, and ask if they have wallpaper borders on clearance. If not, look anyway.
Ways to use wallpaper to add pizzazz! Instead of using a table runner, use a long strip of colorful, patterned wall paper, or a wall paper border to drape across the table cloth covering your guest tables.
What about the isle runner for the wedding ceremony? Who needs white? Use a 3 to 4 ft. wide strip of your favorite wall paper measured to reach the full length of the ceremony isle. This is a great alternative to flower petals that don't stay in place.
Your guests will not forget this one!

5. Chair covers always add a touch of class, and often come in many colors with bowes to accent them.
Check with your local wedding consultant about what is available.

6. Wrap things in colorful cloth ribbon or tule. Ribbon and tule can add a lot of color, they can also hide ugly. If there's something you don't want guests to see, or you just want to jazz it up, then wrap it up!

These are just a few of the many ways to add wonderful, happy color to your special wedding day. The trend this year, is color. So, don't be afraid of bold colors, and patterns. Choose a list of complimentary colors, and stick with them for your theme.

Scottish Wedding Folklore & Traditions

Traditional Scottish Wedding

The origins of the traditional Scottish wedding:

Scotland always seems to do things in it's own way and style - and a Scottish wedding is no exception to the rule. In the 21st century, the Scottish wedding is an intricate blend of ancient highland tradition mixed in with modern, streamlined rites. Present day Scottish wedding traditions have their origins as far back as the 13th century. Back then the medieval Celtic church would proclaim the 'banns of marriage' for three successive Sundays. This practice of announcing a forthcoming marriage lasted for 600 years - until in the latter years of the 20th century it became standard to 'give notice of intent' to a registry office several weeks before the intended event.

Medieval Scottish wedding traditions:

It was normal practice in olden times for an entire village to get involved in the preparations for the 'big day'. People would line the streets to the church to cheer on the happy couple before they took their vows. In pre-reformation times, there is evidence that two Scottish wedding services would frequently take place. One in which the priest would address the party in Scots dialect and lead a ceremony outside the church. Whilst the more formal Latin mass and nuptial ceremony would take place inside.

The exchange of the rings has always been a main feature in Scottish wedding ceremonies from ancient times . A ring has no beginning and no end and as such symbolises the love within a marriage. The kissing of the bride follows on from this exchange of rings, and often leads to a cheer from the body of the kirk.

Following on from the formal church ceremony, a piper or group of pipers would frequently lead the entire group of guests down the streets, often to a relative's house, for a non-stop night of celebration, feasting and enjoyment. Local musicians led by pipers would get the dancing started and tradition has it that the first dance, normally a reel, would involve the newly wed couple. Following on from their efforts, the rest of the guests would then dance all the way into the sma' hours. In this respect, little has changed over 800 years - maybe apart from the dress code and the type of beer on tap.

When the wedding celebrations were over, the married couple would then leave to spend the night in their new home. The ancient tradition of carrying the bride over the doorstep was linked to the superstition that evil spirits inhabit the thresholds of doors. Hence the bride is lifted over the thresholds - and into the wedding bed. In medieval times, a priest would often bless the house and bless the wedding bed at this time. Then for the first time, as man and wife, the newly weds would have some quality time on their own.

Other wedding rituals such as the Highland custom of 'creeling the bridegroom', involved the groom carrying a large creel or basket filled with stones from one end of a village to the other. He continued with this arduous task until such times as his bride to be would come out of her house and kiss him. Only if she did, would his friends allow him to escape from the 'creeling' otherwise he had to continue until he had completed the circuit of the town.

Modern Scottish Wedding Traditions:

In more modern times, a lot of the superstition and rituals have been replaced by more showpiece proceedings. However, many of today's traditions still hark back to the past.

The bagpipes can be used to add atmosphere and grandeur to a wedding. The piper, in full Highland dress, stands at the church door and plays as the guests arrive. Later he leads the couple from the church to the car. The piping traditions continue, the married couple are frequently piped to the top table of honour along with the bridal party. With the cutting of the cake, again a piper is often asked to perform and a dirk, 'sharp highland dagger', is traditionally handed over by the piper to start the 'cutting of the cake'. As the bride slices the first piece of cake, custom dictates that her hand is guided by that of her new husband.

The bride's 'show of presents' originates from the tradition of the 'bridal shower', where local female villagers would gift items that would help a young couple get started successfully in their own home. Nowadays, this often takes place in the home of the mother of the bride and the gifts have a touch more luxury than those in older times.

A bridegroom's stag night, likewise has ancient roots. The young man accompanied by his friends takes to the town and downs a fountain of beverages. One tradition has it that in smaller towns the groom to be would be stripped of his clothes and left in the street outside his home - or worse still tied to a lamp post! The good news is that he wouldn't realise what had happened till the next morning.

The wedding ring, until the late 20th century tended to be for the bride and not the groom. In later decades both bride and groom now wear rings for the most part. The traditional Scottish gold wedding band dates back to the 1500's. This style of ring is still popular as a wedding ring today - as also are Celtic knot work designed engagement and wedding rings.

Traditions in Scotland Before the Wedding Ceremony:

Often before a Scottish bride is married, her mother holds an open house for a traditional "show of presents." Invitations are sent to those who gave wedding gifts to the couple and the wedding gifts are unwrapped and set out for viewing. After the show of presents the bride-to-be is often dressed up and her friends escort her through her town, singing and banging pots and pans, heralding the bride's wedding day. This tradition has evolved into the legendary 'hen night'.

The groom, meanwhile, is taken out for a stag night on one of the evenings preceding the wedding. The Stag Night is meant to be a celebration of the last night of freedom, and a way of reassuring friends that being married doesn't mean that they are shut out of your life. The groom, like the bride, is dressed up and taken around town by his friends and work mates. There is often a great deal of harmless practical joking, of which the poor groom is the main target. When the night winds down, the groom is sometimes stripped of his clothes and covered in soot, treacle and feathers and left overnight tied to a tree or post. In some rural areas an open lorry is hired and the groom is paraded through his local area with much noise and celebration.

Traditional Scottish Wedding Dress:

There is little doubt that traditional Scottish outfits add a touch of class and splendour to the wedding day and its associated ceremonies. The use of highland dress and the kilt, jacket, dirk and sporran in Scottish weddings has continued over the centuries. Whilst the bride's white gown and veil has its roots in more modern times. A Scottish bride will usually wear a traditional white or cream wedding gown. The groom's party and her father may come to the wedding resplendent in full Highland dress in the traditional clan tartan of their clans. She might wear a horseshoe on her arm for good luck, or a pageboy might deliver one to her as she arrives at the ceremony. Bridesmaids may wear whatever the bride has chosen to match her dress and it may include a little tartan accessory. Bouquets may include tartan ribbons or bows.

A gent's highland wedding outfit in its entirety consists of the following:

Bonnie Prince Charlie jacket and waistcoat, kilt, tartan flashes to match kilt, white hose, gillie brogues, kilt pin, sgian dubh, black belt with buckle, formal sporran with chain strap, wing collar shirt, black or coloured bow tie, and a piece of lucky heather on the lapel. He also has the option of wearing a fly plaid, which is anchored under the paulette on the shoulder of the jacket and secured by a large plaid brooch, (Cairngorm).

For the bride 'something old .... something new' -

For the bride a universal custom is the 'something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue' - of course the 'something new' can be the bride's dress! The 'something new' at the wedding can become the 'something old' or 'something borrowed' at the next generation' s weddings. The bride sometimes wears a blue garter (symbolizing love) which plays a part later at the wedding reception. It was also traditional in some areas for the bride to put a small silver coin in her shoe to bring her good luck.

Something old -

A gift from mother to daughter to start her off for married life, and symbolising the passing on a bit of mother's wisdom.

Something new -

A gift symbolising the new start married life represents.

Something borrowed -

The idea here is that something is borrowed from a happily married couple in the hope that a little of their martial bliss will rub off on the newlyweds.

Something blue -

There are two likely sources for this. Roman women used to border their robes with blue as a sign of modesty, love, and fidelity. Also blue is the colour normally associated with Mary the mother of Jesus who is often used to symbolise steadfast love, purity, and sincerity.

After the wedding ceremony, it is traditional for flowers, petals, or pretty paper confetti to be thrown at the departing couple. In some rural areas the couple throw coins to the children who have gathered outside the church to watch. This is called a "scramble". This is the reason children make a bee-line for local weddings. As the couple leave the ceremony the groom dips his hands into his pockets (or sporran), and throws all his loose change out on the ground for the children to scramble for.

Another tradition frequently seen during the evening wedding festivities involves the bride throwing her bridal bouquet, usually white roses, over her left shoulder. Her female non-attached bridesmaids and other single women in the bridal party stand in a line behind her. The girl who catches the thrown flower posy is by tradition going to be the next in the group to get married.

Traditional wedding reception festivities can easily last all night and the newly-wed couple lead off the dancing. Before the evening is finished the bride and groom leave as quietly and secretly as they can and go to a pre -arranged destination for their wedding night - often leaving for the honeymoon the next day.

More Scottish Wedding Ideas:

Give a Scottish brooch (called Luckenbooth) as a token of your love or as a betrothal gift. This is usually made of silver and is engraved with two hearts entwined. Some couples pin this on the blanket of their first-born for good luck.

Weddings and receptions are sometime held at a Scottish castle if there is a suitable one nearby. For something simpler and less expensive, the village hall, an outdoor venue or, for an even more traditional option, the ceremony can be in the house. If money is very tight, try arranging a "Penny Wedding," in which guests are expected to bring their own food and drinks to the church to celebrate after the ceremony is over.

The difference between Scotland and the rest of the U.K. is that, in Scotland, it is the person who is licensed to conduct a marriage service and not the building that is licensed to hold a wedding.

Local Scottish Wedding Traditions:

Wedding customs have changed dramatically over the years. Some parts of weddings seem steeped in tradition whilst you will be glad to hear of some customs which have died out over the years!

In Aberdeenshire even now, the 'blackening' is a ritual performed with great relish. The engaged couple are captured one night by so-called 'friends' and covered with foul substances such as treacle, feathers, soot, etc. They are then paraded around the village and usually the pubs. It takes days to wash clean!

In the eighteenth century, the custom of hand-fasting was observed. A couple would live together for a year and a day, at which time they could decide whether to part or make a lifelong commitment. It was considered more important for the bride to be experienced and fertile than to be a virgin.

Tradition says sew a hair onto the hem of a wedding dress for luck, or let a drop of blood fall onto an inner seam. The bride must never try on a complicated dress in advance of her wedding day. To facilitate this tradition a small section of the hem is left unsewn by the dressmaker until the last moment.

Lastly, the bride, when she leaves home for the last time as a single girl, should step out of the house with her right foot for luck.

Penny Bridal or Silver Bridal:

These festivities, also known as Penny Weddings, were renowned for feasting, drinking, dancing and fighting and were enjoyed by all except the clergy - who disapproved of such raucous behaviour. Gifts were made to the newly-weds towards the cost of the wedding feast and the celebrations started on the eve of the wedding with singing, toasts and the ceremony of 'feet washing', which is described below.

Feet Washing

A tub of water was placed in the best room, in which the bride placed her feet, her female friends then gathered around to help wash them. A wedding ring from a happily married woman was previously placed in the tub and it was believed that whoever found the ring would be the next to get married.

The men folk were outside the door making jokes and attempting to watch through the doorway. The bridegroom was then seized by the women and made to sit at the tub. His legs were none too gently daubed with soot, ashes and cinders - quite a painful procedure as you might guess!

Wedding Procession

The following day, the bridal party made their way to the church with flower petals being thrown in front of the bride. If they encountered a funeral or a pig on the way, it was considered bad luck and they would return home and set out again. The first person they encountered was called the first- foot and would be given a coin and a drink of whisky by the bride. He would then have to accompany the bridal party for one mile before being allowed to continue on his way.

Adopted Scottish Wedding Traditions:

Tying shoes to a car bumper

This tradition represents the symbolism and power of shoes in ancient times. Egyptians would exchange sandals when they exchanged goods, so when the father of the bride gave his daughter to the groom, he would also give the bride's sandals to show that she now belonged to the groom. In Anglo-Saxon times, the groom would tap the heel of the bride's shoe to show his authority over her. In later times, people would throw shoes at the couple. Now folks just tie shoes to the couple's car.

The taking of each other's right hand

The open right hand is a symbol of strength, resource and purpose. The coming together of both right hands is a symbol that both the bride and the groom can depend on each other and the resources that each brings to the marriage.

Tying the knot

This wonderful expression originated from Roman times when the bride wore a girdle that was tied in knots which the groom had the fun of untying. As a side note, this phrase can also refer to the tying of the knot in hand-fasting ceremonies, which were often performed without the benefit of a clergyman.

Wearing of a veil

Originated with arranged marriages. In these, the groom's family informed him that he was to marry, but they very rarely let him see the bride. After all, if the groom didn't like the bride's looks, he might not agree to the marriage. With this in mind, the father of the bride gave the bride away to the groom who then lifted the veil to see his wife of all eternity for the first time.

Wedding cake

Like most rituals handed down through the ages, a wedding wouldn't be complete without fertility symbols, like the wedding cake. Ancient Romans would bake a cake made of wheat or barley and break it over the bride's head as a symbol of her fertility. Over time, it became traditional to stack several cakes on top of one another. The bride and groom would then be charged to kiss over this tower without knocking it over. If they were successful, a lifetime of good fortune was certain for the new couple. Finally, during the reign of King Charles II of England, it became customary for such a cake to be iced with sugar.

Leap year proposals

The right of every woman to propose on 29th February each leap year, goes back many hundreds of years to when the leap year day had no recognition in English law (the day was 'leapt over' and ignored, hence the term 'leap year'). It was considered, therefore, that as the day had no legal status, it was reasonable to assume that traditions also had no status. Consequently, women who were concerned about being 'left on the shelf' took advantage of this anomaly and proposed to the man they wished to marry.

It was also thought that since the leap year day corrected the discrepancy between the calendar year of 365 days and the time taken for the Earth to complete one orbit of the sun (365 days and 6 hours), it was an opportunity for women to correct a tradition that was one-sided and unjust.

For those wishing to take advantage of this ancient tradition, you will have to wait until February 29th 2008!

Throwing confetti

Throwing confetti over newly-weds originated from the ancient pagan rite of showering the happy couple with grain to wish upon them a 'fruitful' union. Pagans believed that the fertility of the seeds would be transferred to the couple on whom they fell. The throwing of rice has the same symbolic meaning.

The word confetti has the same root as the word confectionery in Italian and was used to describe 'sweetmeats' that is, grain and nuts coated in sugar that were thrown over newly-weds for the same pagan reason. In recent years, small pieces of coloured paper have replaced sweetmeats, grain and nuts as an inexpensive substitute, but the use of the word confetti has remained.

Carrying the bride over the threshold

Earlier we looked at the medieval Scottish tradition of carrying the bride over the threshold - to avoid contact with 'evil spirits'. The Romans similarly believed that it was unlucky if the bride tripped on entering the house for the first time. So they arranged for several members of the bridal party to carry her over the threshold. Nowadays the groom is expected to do the job himself.

Grey Horses

All the best bridal carriages used to be pulled by grey horses and it is still considered good luck to see a grey horse on the way to the church.

Lucky horse shoe

Horseshoes have always been lucky. There is a nice story about the devil asking a blacksmith to shoe his single hoof. When the blacksmith recognised his customer he carried out the job as painfully as possible until the devil roared for mercy. He was released on condition that he would never enter a place where a horseshoe was displayed. A horse shoe carried by the bride is considered a symbol of fertility.

Wedding Bells

A peal of bells as the bridal couple leave the church is one of the oldest traditions. Before the days of widespread literacy and newspapers this was how the local people knew a wedding had taken place. The sound of bells was also said to drive away evil spirits.

Lucky Chimney Sweep

Brides still consider it fortunate if they pass a chimney-sweep on the way to the wedding as the old fashioned soot-covered sweep had magical associations with the family and hearth - the heart of the home.

Lastly, Don't look in the mirror!

It is bad luck for the bride to look in the mirror wearing her complete outfit before her wedding day - old beliefs say that part of yourself goes into the reflection and therefore, the bride would not be giving all of herself to her new husband.

Scottish wedding traditions are memorable - and have influenced wedding day rites worldwide.

Plus Size Wedding Dress - Big Girls' Dreams Come True

Where and just how do you look for a plus size wedding gown? All brides really want to wear an attractive bridal gown. Plus women aren't any different. Simply because people are not slender does not mean one should not possess the entire fairytale.

Where there is a bridal shop, there is a wedding dress.

The Bridal Shop

If you want to look through the local bridal store, the best choice would be to call ahead to see whether they do, without a doubt, offer full figured dresses. Oftentimes, they just stop at size 14 or 16 and do not offer larger. Should they have an array of gowns in your size, go on and make a scheduled appointment. If they don't, proceed to another place. Bear in mind, the selection for that plus sized woman is probably not so excellent. If you do not see that which you like, don't give up hope, and for heaven's sake, don't reconcile. You've still got options.

Full figured gowns tend to be feminine as well as gorgeous.

The Clothes in Larger Sizes Store

Many stores focusing on full figured products do offer wedding gowns. Because they also provide clothes for business and each day, the selection of| wedding and evening wear may not be too impressive either. Nevertheless it's worth a glance. You can definitely find the gown you've always dreamt of at one of these simple stores. Because it was designed with the full figured woman in your mind, you've got a pretty good possibility of getting a gown that flatters the body type.

Shopping online tend to be sort of fashion nowadays.

The Online Shop

Undoubtedly, the web is a wonderful source of full figured wedding gowns. An instant Google search will deliver countless internet websites for stores and designers focusing on dresses for that plus sized woman. If you do not find the ideal gown among the other stores, you'll find one on the internet. There's only one problem.

Whenever you buy a gown on the internet, it's not possible to try it on. Wedding gown sizes are unusual, full figured wedding gowns aren't any exception. Usually, they go large, but there're also the ones that carry the small size. If you will be ordering a gown from a web-based shop, you will need to relax and take a few guidelines.

Measuring Up

You can never be too careful when measuring your size!

If you are purchasing your gown from the web or maybe a catalog shopping directory, you will want to take your precise measurements. However some are unavoidable, all brides would like to make as few alterations as possible. Be complete and look at your measurements with those found on the chart on the website. If you are not sure, give a half inch for an inch. You could easily make the gown in; you may not be able to always let the gown out.

All brides need to look her best on her big day. The plus sized woman wants the exact same gorgeousness as well as elegance. Don't be satisfied with any gown simply because it's available in your size. Spend some time. Look into the shops on the internet and in the bricks-and-motar stores. You will definitely look breathtaking!

Wedding Reception Decorating Ideas

A wedding is a fun and joyous time to celebrate the bond of two people. You have been thinking about every detail, how the itinerary would flow. Now it is time to start brainstorming those wedding reception decorating ideas. This can be stressful or fun depending on how much work you put into decorating your wedding reception.

Decorating a Wedding Reception

If you search Google, you will plenty of wedding reception decorating ideas and the best way to get ideas is to see what others are doing. Current fashion trends tend to change every season and a majority of brides keep up to date on what's in and what's out. Also, depending on how many guests you are expecting will determine the extent of decorating a wedding reception. If you have a theme, it can easily be worked into the decorating process. Also because there are so many wedding reception decorations, I recommend starting a budget and sticking with it. There may be some wedding reception table decorations that are perfect, but they just won't work nicely with your budget.

Wedding Reception Decorating Ideas

So, what is a bride to do? Well, themes can work great for keeping the vibe of a planned wedding reception congruent. If you feel up to it, you can hand make decorations or have those in your bridal party help you as well. Remember, to delegate responsibility to these people (they are here to help keep you sane). The only drawback with this solution is that it is very time consuming. For those with busy schedules wedding planners are great for over the top or very simple wedding decorations. There are also inexpensive wedding decorations on the market. This is great for cutting costs and allocating funds towards something else.

It can be as easy as visiting your local craft store and purchasing materials to make the decorations out of. Flowers (real or imitation) can be placed in various sized jars with multicolored stones. Be sure to have this color match the one you chose for the wedding reception and brides dresses. These vases can also be used for stunning centerpieces on the guests tables. At these same stores you will find a variety of table cloths that match your desired color for the wedding reception.

Another neat idea for inexpensive weddings where there will be many younger children is to use white cloth paper for tablecloths. Provide them with pens/pencils/pens, and the younger guests will have an area to write notes and stay busy during the formalities of the reception. One of the most common problems with children at receptions is they need to keep busy or they will become irritated. You can save some of these table cloths as mementos of the big day.

Wedding Reception Themes

Typical themed weddings can also be planned on simple and easy budget. Try keeping with the seasons depending on what time of year your wedding is. For spring use wedding reception decorations that include light flowers and fresh colors. All summer themes think bold larger than life decorations and neutral colors. Sunset colors work great with fall weddings, and winter weddings are best to keep with lighter hues and shades. Example, color combinations such as burgundy and hunter, or wine and sky blue are just a couple of the many color choices for more formal autumn weddings. There are also many red, orange, and yellow flowers to go with this theme such as marigolds, apricot lilies, rust and burgundy hydrangeas. Rose petals are also great to use on tables, on parts of walkways or floating on water.

Wedding Table Decorating Ideas

Something overlooked at weddings are the name settings on tables. I recommend keeping all fonts the same and in line with the theme of your wedding. Standard name are done everywhere, try to mix it up and personalize the name settings. Maybe each individual table can have a sub-theme that plays off your wedding decorations. You can incorporate unique candles layouts and this will impress guests. Example satin cloths and greenery make for a romantic setting. While covering the dance floor area with small poles elegantly draped with satin ribbons or garlands of greenery makes for a beautiful scene. Your guests will appreciate the time and energy you put into the small details for the wedding reception area.

This is just a small sample of some of the wedding themes. Others include medieval feasts, ethnic weddings, some of which are absolutely beautiful to behold such as the Japanese and S. Korean style weddings, others are Romeo and Juliet themed weddings or an amazing under the sea themed wedding. Basically any theme that is well thought out can turn out stellar.

Wedding Reception Decorations

As you can see, there is plenty of wedding reception ideas that can be used to keep it average, expensive, or cheap. It is up to you to decide on the trade off between time and money. Basically the more money you spend, the less time it will take to get the desired result and visa versa. You can use help from family, friends, or even hired professionals. Overall, you can keep this fun and get the distinguished look you want. Bottom line, decorating for a wedding reception does not need to be stressful or difficult.

Favorite Beach Wedding Clothes

If you have been invited to a wedding on the beach but you have never attended one before, you may be unclear about how to choose appropriate beach wedding clothes. Most weddings are formal, and if not, they are at least dressy. But this one will be on the beach!

Guys, should you wear a designer silk suit or tropical-print beach shorts? Do you comb your hair neatly or leave it wild and tangled in true surfer fashion? Ladies, should you wear those expensive Prada pumps you save for special occasions - or would a pair of flip-flops do just as well? Normally, a beach ceremony is a more casual affair than a traditional church wedding. Beach attire for a seaside wedding is typically less formal as well.

Some wedding guests are fortunate and receive invitations with hints about what they should wear. If your invitation didn't give you a clue, send the bride and groom a quick email asking for their suggestions before you start planning your beach wedding clothes. They will probably suggest some type of upscale beach attire, but no matter what they recommend, they will appreciate your concern and the indication that you are planning to attend.

If after asking you are still bewildered, here are some guidelines to help:

Men's Wedding Beach Clothing: Forget about wearing black beach wedding clothes. Black is usually reserved for the groom (although this rule isn't quite as strictly followed as the rule that says white is reserved for brides). A white cotton shirt with a button-down collar is usually safe for a less formal ceremony when it is paired with dress slacks.

If wearing a suit would make you more comfortable, light-colored linen slacks with a matching jacket and a casual, striped shirt will provide some laid-back formality and can be the perfect blend of casual and dressy. If your tastes run to the adventuresome or "beachy," select a pair of well-tailored linen, cotton or silk-blend shorts or pants with draw-strings, and pair them with a silk shirt in a tropical print.

Leather sandals are a good choice as footwear for the wedding, although you want to make sure they are open enough to let sand get out. You won't have that problem with leather flip-flops, so they make a nice alternative. You can even go barefoot, depending on the formality of the ceremony and your other clothing. But be careful not to go overboard. You wouldn't want to be barefoot while you are wearing a posh linen suit.

Women's Beach Wedding Attire: You don't want to upstage the bride with your beach wedding clothes, so whatever you decide to wear, don't out-dress her. Formal weddings give you more freedom to wear dressy clothes, but if the ceremony is casual, your best choice is the type of beach attire you might wear to a fancy resort. Cotton or rayon lightweight skirts are perfect if the wedding beach is in the tropics. You will achieve a flawless look if you pair one of these skirts with a cotton or rayon island-style top in bright, primary colors. A well-tailored jersey dress is another ideal option.

As for length, a shorter dress or skirt will be best on the wedding beach. Try to avoid wearing a long dress and high heels, because these can make walking through deep sand almost impossible. Add some chic, subdued "bling" like a bracelet, necklace and earrings with an island or beach theme and you're almost there.

To complete the look, wear sandals or dressy flip-flops with pretty painted toe-nails. If you would rather go barefoot, wear a toe ring, ankle bracelet or barefoot sandals. Foot jewelry works particularly well if it is crafted from coral, shells or other items that show off your beach wedding clothes.

Latest Trends in Wedding Jewellery

Every woman looks her very best on her wedding day. And what adds to her glowing beauty is the wedding jewellery. The changing times, tastes, globalization and extreme economic scenarios, have all influenced the modern bride's choice of jewellery.

A young bride to be and a budding fashion designer says she loves the heavy and stone studded jewellery that my grandmother and mother wore for their weddings. "I wouldn't mind wearing that stuff for my big day as well she added." The modern woman shares the same love and passion for jewellery like the older generations. But, she does not like stashing away her jewellery in a vault. She wants to wear it regularly.

Besides, western clothes are steadily gaining popularity among the younger generation and heavy, chunky don't compliment that kind of clothing. Today's woman wants jewellery that can be worn as a fashion statement, everyday. This change of taste is mainly because more and more women are working these days. So, they have more exposure. And the economic independence they enjoy is probably the reason that they are ready to experiment.

Besides, inter caste marriages are also becoming commonplace. All these factors have influenced a lady's choice of wedding jewellery as well. These days people go beyond the tali, six bangles, two rings and the diamond earring which constituted the traditional wedding jewellery package.

Though there is a demand for diamond jewellery. When it comes to wedding jewels most people still prefer traditional stuff. However the demand for traditional designs made as lightweight jewellery has increased over the years. This is a sentiment that is being echoed by most jewelers across the length and breadth of the country. However, not all of them are willing to attribute this upward surge in the demand for lightweight jewellery to either recession or the sky soaring prices of gold.

They feel that this is because artisans today have the ware with all to create intricate designs that create an illusion of weight without being uncomfortable for the wearer. Though heavy, traditional jewellery is still largely the choice as far as wedding jewellery is concerned, a segment of this market has certainly been taken over by light weight jewellery.

As far as designs are concerned, the younger generation is going in for designs which are a blend of the traditional and the contemporary. An Indian wedding is not a one day affair. So the kind of jewellery chosen also depends on the occasion for which it is being bought.

For instance, for occasions like Mehendi, sangeet or gaye holud(in case of Bengalis) the choice would be simple, gold or diamond jewellery. Whereas for the wedding and reception the choice would be more elaborate- heavy jewellery perhaps. Most jewelers in the city also feel that the kind of wedding jewellery bought also depends on the community to which the respective bride and groom belong.

Earlier the trend was to buy heavy jewellery for weddings or otherwise because gold was looked upon as an investment. It was the "streedhan" that the daughter took with her. Something that she could fall back on for financial support should the need arise.

Today people are more concerned about finding the right accessories for the bridal wear. A thought that is echoed by industry pandits when they say that, the young bride of today is more fashion conscious than her predecessors, so accessorizing her wardrobe is one of her primary concerns.

And this has led to the popularity of use of both precious and semi-precious stones in wedding jewellery. So, for today's bride what matters is jewellery that has struck the perfect balance between the trendy and the traditional. Stuff that is part of her everyday accessories!

Top 10 Do's and Don'ts for a Summer Wedding

Summer weddings have of late become quite common and many people now deliberately plan a summer wedding. It can be fun and enjoyable if planned properly and with some precautions. Summers in several Indian cities can get quite hot and humid with day temperatures rising beyond 45 deg C at its peak.

However, here are 5 things that you should keep in mind for a summer wedding -
1. Outdoor Venue - If you have chosen an outdoor venue like a garden or a farmhouse, make sure there are several pedestal fans and greenery around so that the temperature remains cool.
2. Indoor Venue - If you have decided to book a wedding hall then make sure it is well ventilated and has proper air conditioning since having hundreds of guest in a single hall, how so very big, can make it quite stuffy and suffocating.
3. Size of the venue - Choose a big enough venue so that there is ample moving space and make sure that food is served somewhere away from the stage where the bride and the groom will be seated.
4. Decoration - Choose a floral decoration with lots of roses, marigolds, tuberose, orchids etc. Also make sure the colours used for decoration are not too dark and neither too bright. Soothing colours are preferred during summers. Make sure that the flowers are put up only after sunset and have been freshly purchased. In case they have been bought earlier, keep them wrapped in a moist cloth or ice box to prevent wilting.
5. Water and Drinks - Summers are that time of the year when anyone can get dehydrated quickly. Make sure there is ample water for all your guests in addition to other rehydrating fluids like juices, soft drinks etc.

Here are 5 things you should take special care of while hosting a summer wedding -
1. Clothes - Avoid wearing heavy clothing for a summer wedding, especially when it comes to bride's dress. A heavy 'lehenga' only adds to the discomfort which a hot and humid weather causes. Try finding a wedding dress which is made from fabrics like Chiffon or Georgette or something that's made from cotton. Same goes for the groom, avoid wearing heavy dresses and go for something light and not made out of synthetic fabrics.
2. Jewellery - Just like clothing, even jewellery can be quite a pain in the neck (pun intended) during a summer wedding. Wear something will not cause rashes if you start sweating due to the temperature.
3. Exertion - Avoid exertion during a summer wedding, this goes specially for the bride and the groom who will have to stay awake till late in the night during their wedding day to complete all the rituals and the 'pheras'.
4. Heavy Food - Summers are a time when people usually lose their appetite for heavy and oily foods. However, everyone enjoys lots of snacks and 'chaats', especially something like 'golgappas' or 'paani-puris' and 'dahi-bhalla' (curd based 'chaats'). Also, have ample cold juices, soft drinks etc. to help your guests beat the heat.
5. Wedding Invitations - Make sure you send out invitations well in advance since summers are usually the time when children have their holidays and families plan their vacations. Let people know of your wedding plans as early as possible so that they can plan accordingly and be there to bless the bride and the groom.

How to Get an Inexpensive Beautiful Wedding Dress?

Wedding is the happiest time in everyone's life. It is the dream and wish for everyone to have a perfect wedding. At that day, bride is the most beautiful woman and bridegroom is the most handsome man in the world. With the increase of international exchange, the western wedding becomes more and more popular in the world. More and more girls choose to wear white wedding dress to have a wedding. The white wedding dress symbolizes purity, loyalty and happiness.

The first white wedding dress in the world is Alexandrina Victoria's. In 1840, Alexandrina Victoria wore the first white wedding dress which was made of beautiful Chinese brocade. It has eighteen meters trailing with a white mantilla. Her astounding dress became a fashion very soon. The traditional dress for British royal family is evening dress with jewel. And they need to wear a fur coat at the outside.

As the fashion changes, it has many other colors, such as ivory tint, pink, silver gray, purple, purplish red and so on. But the white color is still the most popular one. The color is not the most important thing, but the point is that the color should match with bride's complexion.

However, the price of a wedding dress is a little expensive. It is above two hundreds dollars. If the style is very popular among Pop stars, the price will be more expensive. But not everyone can afford the price of an expensive one. Does it mean that you could not purchase a fashion wedding dress in a lower price?

After check information online, I found that many online stores sell different styles in a very lower price. The price of many wedding dress is under two hundreds dollars. As we all know, online shopping is very popular in recent years. Online shopping is easy to get more choices. And the seller can provide a lower price than local stores because they don't need to solid shop and pay for the rent. In that way, the price is cheaper than other local solid shop.

But you may think about the problem of size. If you purchase it online, you can not try the dress on for size. That's right. You can't try it on for size and style. But I'm sure it'll work out somehow. When you purchase a dress online, you need to measure your own size before, including bust, waist, hip and your height. And the online store usually provides a size selection for a dress. But sometime the standard size doesn't fit everyone. For those people, you could contact the seller and tell your specific size. In that way, you could purchase a right clothing online.

But wedding dress is a little complicated because it is different ordinary clothes. When you decide to purchase one online, you should choose an online store which could provide custom making. That's very important because the custom-made wedding dress can fit your very well. But usually the custom-made dress takes a few more days. You should be clear about it before make an order.

The other problem is the style. Different people have different figures. You could not try it on for style. The simplest way is that you could try several wedding dresses on for style at local stores and find out your style. And then you could choose one according to your experience. Thus, you could purchase the most beautiful wedding dress in a very lower price.

How To Prevent Disaster At Your Outdoor Wedding

Lots of couple these days are deciding on outdoor weddings just to get away from the traditional church wedding. One of the big benefits to outdoor weddings is that they are much less expensive and sometimes cost nothing. These events take some special planning to be sure they go off without a hitch while you are getting hitched. For example, if you are being married in a public place you will most likely have to hold the reception in another location. Weather is also a huge concern, if you live in an area prone to hurricanes like Florida you may want to have a backup plan if you are getting married during hurricane season! Here are some guidelines to keep in mind while planning your big day.

The location you choose is the most crucial part on an outdoor wedding and if you are choosing a true outdoor locale like a beach or lake then you need to be sure that you have shelter available in case of rain. Considering that you plan the event months ahead of time there is no way of knowing what the weather will be like on that particular day. So be sure to have your option B ready in case Mother Nature is being uncooperative. You could also opt for a home wedding around a pool; I have attended weddings like this that are very beautiful.

If you are holding the event at a beach or park check with the city or county government to see if they require any kind of permit. Sometimes you only have to get written permission but other times you may have to have a specific permit. Some other things you need to know are whether you can decorate and bring your own tables and chairs, if you can serve food, have music, etc. If your reception will be at the same place and you will be serving alcohol you need to find out if it is allowed. Many parks and beaches do not allow alcohol to be consumed on their grounds. This will prevent any unpleasant situations on your special day, so take the time to plan it properly.

If you are planning to be married outside you can take advantage of natural beauty which will save you some money on floral arrangements and other decorations. Just be sure that if you are using a public location or one run by local government that you have permission to put up any decorations. Most will allow you to decorate but you have to make sure that you take all of it with you when you leave.

Make sure that you let your guests know ahead of time that the event will be held outside so that they can plan accordingly. You don't want people coming thinking they are going to be inside and not be clothed properly or otherwise prepared for the elements.

Be prepared for foul weather if you have your mind set on a place like the beach and be sure that everyone in the wedding party has lightweight clothes that will dry easily if you get wet. You should also abort the idea of a fancy long dress with a train because if it rains it will just get wet and muddy. Be prepared and have a fun special day!

Custom Made Wedding Dresses - Wedding Attire Around the World

Custom made wedding dresses are the traditional wedding attire for much of Western society. But across the globe, there are as many different styles of wedding dress as there are styles of ceremony. Here are a few of the alternatives seen across the world, many of them are derivatives of the formal wear seen in the countries and cultures listed.

Africa

In West Africa the most notable item of wedding clothing isn't the women's custom made wedding dress, but the men's dashiki: a colourful garment that covers the top half of the body. The dashiki is worn as regular clothing, not just wedding wear, but in West Africa it is usual for the groom to wear a white dashiki. In monotheistic religious ceremonies in West Africa, notably Christianity and Islam, white represents purity. In these ceremonies, the bride will usually wear a kaftan or blouse and skirt set that matches the colour of the dashiki.

America

The native American alternatives to custom made wedding dresses are more culturally specific and vary between the different groups. Wedding clothing tends to be hand-woven and decorated in ribbon-work and beads.

Europe

In England, custom made wedding dresses are the order of the day for women, while morning suits are the standard formal dress for men - often finished off with a top hat. For Scottish grooms, the kilt has become fashionable in some circles, although there is a move amongst many young couples to avoid the tackiness associated with the 'national dress'.

The suit for men and dresses, usually white, for women tend to be the preferred wedding clothing for European couples, in line with most of the Western world.

Asia

Asia, with its myriad cultures is a continent with just as many variations on traditional custom made wedding dresses. In Eastern Asia, traditional clothing is the attire of choice for couples getting married. The Japanese kimono is worn by both men and women. The traditional kimonos are made from yards of fabric skilfully folded and tucked to form a voluminous gown.

In China, the cheongsam is favoured for women. It is a figure-hugging dress decorated in intricate patterns. The male version is known as the changshan, a slightly looser garment, but also worn at weddings and other formal occasions.

At many Indian weddings, brides and the other women involved in the ceremony wear brightly coloured saris, decorated with gold accessories and other ornamentation.

Weddings Accessories - Little Things That Complete Your Wedding

How do you imagine your perfect wedding will be? Apart from knowing that you are set to spend the rest of your life with the man you love the most, haven't you spent hours poring over every other detail surrounding the wedding? These wedding accessories indeed lend that special touch to one's wedding by making it more personal and memorable. In all cultures, we find that a wedding ceremony lays special emphasis on certain things such as the clothes, flowers and so on. In fact, nothing seems more important than the clothes and embellishments in which the bride and groom are decked!

However, even the simplest of all dresses require certain accessories in order to look special. Most people opt to buy these accessories before anything else on the list. Today, the market thrives with plenty of choice. You could opt for any kind of embellishments, based on color, design, concept, themes and so on. They can be chosen by matching them with the attires that are to be worn on the day of the wedding. The importance of these embellishments is that they team up with the clothes to give the bride and the groom a complete look. It could be either extravagant or simple and understated, but embellishments are a must.

What Accessories to Choose
The most popular accessories for a bride are the tiara, veil, beautiful shoes and gloves. Some choose to wear gorgeous jewelry while others opt for nothing at all in order to set off the true beauty of the wedding gown. Choose a bouquet that goes with your dress and those that you have chosen for your bridesmaids. The groom could look into fine details such as the tie pin, a cravat, and bowtie, gold or silver cufflinks, proper socks that match with your shoes and so on. If your budget is not limited, you could opt for beautiful accessories for the pageboys and bridesmaids.

Things to Keep in Mind
Firstly, remember that buying these accessories will make your pocket considerably lighter. However, it would be a mistake to assume that they can be afforded only by the elite. For simple things like flowers, or beautiful hairpins and so on- one need not splurge beyond one's budget. Do your bit of research and choose wisely. There are various outlets catering to such needs all over the city, visit any one and ask for their brochure. Choose something that you will be able to afford. You could order designs that are available ex-stock or customize them yourself.

In various countries, gold plays a very important role in the wedding ceremony. Most jewelry presented to the bride on her wedding day is made of gold. You might not like to splurge out such extravagant amounts on your wedding, and hence choose metals like silver or even pearls.

These little details help in making your wedding ceremony beautiful and memorable. You might not be able to wear your wedding dress on any other occasion post your marriage- but you could always use these accessories time and again. Go ahead and make your wedding special!

Wedding Dress Shop - Making Weddings Extra Special For Brides

A wedding dress shop is still the bride's haven. As bridegrooms, we hardly know anything about the workings that go on in such a shop. We are at wit's end knowing what fabric is which and what designs are favorable to our bride. Better if we don't even go with them to a dress shop. If you stay in Wales, may I suggest that you go to a wedding dress shop? With the development of Bridgend as the shopping hub of Wales, many specialty shops have located there and there are many shops to choose from, some of which are specialized in their craftsmanship based on centuries of plying their trade. There may be a store that specializes on wool gloves or tailors that specializes in wool fabrics as wool was a known trading product in the area of Bridgend.

Most brides going to a wedding dress shop arrive with a specific dress pattern in mind but are open to suggestions by the dress makers. The brides will from time to time fit on a wedding dress to see if it suits her. If there is a budget, she will have her dress customized, planning on the color, texture, cloth, and special work needed for the dress. She will also choose the theme for the bride's maid and usherettes. A bride will take her time in the shop and often times, most especially when mother's and aunts are involved, they will spend hours talking and chatting and end up not having fully decided on the color, make, style and cloth of the dress. The owners of Bridgend wedding dress shops are all aware of this and are patient and hospitable enough to wait on them. These owners, moreover, become friends with the bride and her entourage and a meeting would normally last the whole afternoon. There are instances when meetings extend to dinner time and a hearty meal is shared by the lot. It is during such times that the final choice and decision of how the dress shall look is done. For these are the times when people are less tense and more at ease with each other, and they somehow come to a clear decision on how the dress should look.

The expertise of wedding dress shop owners is the knowledge of the nature of the client. Many owners get more businesses from referrals by previous clients. Often times, these shops are so personalized that there are many notes seen in the shop of well pleased customers or should I say, friends. By knowing when to be patient, these Bridgend wedding dress shops show the ultimate consideration to these sometimes harassed brides. The owners are there to make that special day of the bride even more special by insuring that the wedding dress is done just right, perhaps exceeding expectations.

How to Make Your Wedding Unique

When you decide to get married, you dream of having the most unique wedding there is. You therefore must embark on learning how to make your wedding unique. To make a wedding unique, you need to look at all the good tips that can guide you. This article will reveal relevant tips that will see you make your wedding as unique as you possibly can. First, you have to know that to make your wedding different; the key is in little detail. Most people often think that they need to have a large amount of cash to make things unique. Money will offer you great choices when it comes to making things unique but, if you are keen enough, you will find little things that will work brilliantly for you. First, you need to consider the kind of invitation you send out to your guests. They should be unique and, instead of dishing out invitations blindly, include a note that will inform your guests some detail about the event. You can also include a note that informs them of something about the occasion that other weddings do not do.

To make a wedding unique, you can include some information about the bridal party for your guests. Have you ever been to a wedding and was yearning for more information about people who are around the couple? Make it learning as well as an eye opening experience for your guests. To make a wedding fully unique, you can make a fuss out of your wedding gown. Invite photographers to make a buzz as they take pictures and have the news spread around. People will actually want to see the kind of dress you have and get to wonder even more. Your dress may not be special at all but since there was a fuss, you will get more notice making your ceremony unique in this regard. If there are prominent people around you, make sure you send them an invitation. This is because such people will make your wedding unique. They do not have to come but, you will have tried as word gets around of the dignitaries that were expected.

To make your wedding unique, you can go an extra mile to personalize the napkins that you use and so on. Include love songs at occasions where people will not expect them. It is good to have different unique ideas working together to achieve the success that you are looking for. Look for ways in which you can twist things to achieve a blend of difference. Without a doubt, you will manage to create something different from the rest. Let others compliment you on how your wedding is like; this is the best way to ensure that you have done something differently. When others emulate you, you will know that no other wedding compares to yours. Remember, when it comes to designs in clothes, you can actually have something unique by consulting your stylist. Have them tailor make clothes that are just unique to your wedding.

Serving Food at Your Wedding Reception

Food is a very common part of any wedding reception and something you do need to think about. What you serve is important because it should be easy to eat and foods that most in attendance will enjoy. You can offer a sit down meal, a buffet style of self serving, and even go with cold cuts and snacks for the occasion.

There is no right or wrong when it comes to serving food at your wedding reception. The cost of it though can be a deciding factor. If you have the money to hire a caterer then the burden of the food preparing, serving, and clean up will be lifted from your shoulders. However, it isn't a necessity if funding for the event is tight. Instead, you can ask friends and family to assist with making the food and serving it. Most will be very happy to help you out with this.

For a more formal wedding reception a sit down meal is often served. This involves sending out choices of meal entrees for people to select from when they return the RSVP. You will need to get an accurate count of how many people will be in attendance so that enough food can be prepared. This is an additional element to planning your wedding that has to be covered. Make sure you are up to the task if you would like this type of dinner option for your wedding reception.

Try to serve foods that people won't ruin their clothing with! This may sound funny but people wear their nice clothing to weddings and they don't want them to be destroyed. Pasta may taste great but those sauces can get onto clothing quickly. Offering ribs with barbeque sauce is another one that you want to avoid.

There are lots of great finger foods that you can serve at a wedding reception. This cuts down on the need for real plates and silverware. Instead you can go with disposable items that your guests can just toss into the trash can when they are done. This is easier to get in place than heavy dishes and the clean up will take less time.

When you are planning the foods to serve at your wedding reception you need to take the location into consideration. Many halls that you can rent feature a kitchen where foods can be prepared and stored. If you have an outdoor event you will need to take additional action to ensure the foods stay warm or cold depending on what you decide to offer.

It can be fun to have decorative foods out there for your guests. For example you can make great looking dishes with fresh fruit and even ice sculptures to help complete the look. If you want to keep it simple then just offer a variety of foods that people will like. Keep the younger people in mind too with some food items that children of all ages seem to enjoy.

What you decide to serve in the way of food for your wedding reception is completely up to you. Keep in mind that your guests are going to want some type of food so you should have a plan of action in this area. You also need to make sure you have more than enough food on hand for all that are in attendance. It can become very stressful if you start to run short on it.

The drinks you serve should also be considered. You want to have a couple of options such as lemonade and iced tea. Make sure that plain water is also offered for your guests that would like it.

Get Yourself in Shape to Wear a Backless Wedding Dress

When you are planning an outdoor summer or beach wedding, one of the best types of wedding dresses to choose would be a backless wedding dress. However, it's one look that is not suitable for everyone. Apart from needing to have a great body with toned back muscles to carry off such a sexy dress, you need to put your attention on another part of your body skin - your back's. First off, you should make sure that your back looks good by doing exercises that tone those muscles. Often, the back is forgotten while the abs are worked out. Three times a week, work out on the rowing machine, do some reverse flies, and some lat pulldowns. It's best not to settle on only one type of exercise but to do a mixture which will help you tone up in a balanced way.

Next, work on the skin. Many people have back acne because the type of clothes they wear catches sweat and dead skin plus doesn't allow the area to breathe. First, treat the skin with salicylic acid wipes and masks that heal acne like a homemade mask of plain yogurt mixed with finely chopped parsley. Commercial masks for acne would work, too. These masks need to be used every day for about a week and then once a week after that. When the acne is healed, have a body scrub that focuses on the back. A light non-comedogenic, oil-in-water moisturizer should be applied afterward, since dry skin encourages acne.

Check on the soaps that you use on your body and clothes. These can irritate the skin and cause acne break-outs. Shower after you work out or sweat, and use a body scrub with salicylic acid on your back. One last point - you may want to get your back waxed about a week before the big day. Now is not the time to show your peach fuzz! Just imagine yourself walking down the aisle and showing off that toned back with truly clear skin. It's a sight no one will forget easily, least of all the groom.

Open for Business - Personalized Wedding Gifts

You don't want to be subjected to wage slavery forever. Chances are if you've been working an eight-to-five job for the longest time, you're ready to bail out and seek your fortune elsewhere. Fortunately, you don't have to look far and wide. With a little time and money and a lot of savvy, you can start your own business making personalized wedding gifts. Not only is it an enterprise that you will surely enjoy, you'll also be raking in the profits in no time.

Why Personalize?

China, toasters, juicers, duvets - these are some of the most common wedding gifts, and frankly, it's getting really tired. These days, people know they can do better, only they don't know how or are too busy to make the extra effort. They need a one-stop shop where they can get cool wedding gifts for the modern newlyweds.

This is where you and your personalized wedding gifts come in. By personalizing, the most ordinary and mundane terry cloth bath towels can be turned into something new and exciting, and you can make it happen. You can take wedding gifts to the next level - to as far as personalized wedding gifts can go.

How to Personalize

There are many ways to create personalized wedding gifts. And lucky for you, if you're not very crafty, you can get other people and even machines to do it for you.

Embroidery is very popular in the realm of personalized wedding gifts. This is often done on gifts based on cloth, such as duvets, towels, bed sets, and even dining napkins. Embroidery machines nowadays have since evolved and are now easily operable with the right software. It's often just a matter of picking a design, setting its dimensions, and positioning the item under a high-speed needle and voila! You'll be spewing personalized wedding gifts by the dozens in record time.

Another popular personalization technique is engraving. Engraving is often used in harder, more solid items made of metal alloys, wood, and some ceramics. Like embroidery, engraving requires a special machine that is also very user friendly. With the right software and the right equipment, you'll have engraved items ready in minutes. It's just a matter of making sure that the materials are compatible with the machine.

Hand painting is popular on ceramics and cloth. These often come out very beautifully and are a very elegant and tasteful choice in personalized wedding gifts. Hand painting, however, requires an artist's touch. Employ an in-house artist for your business or outsource hand painting jobs. Either way, you can produce gorgeous hand painted personalized wedding gifts to satisfy your clientele.

Go Personalized

Indeed, a business in personalized wedding gifts is a very good investment for you. It is still a relatively untouched market that you can take advantage of. You can open a shop in town or work from home and market your personalized wedding gifts online.

It's a profitable enterprise with many rewards. But the best reward of all is knowing that the personalized items you produced are becoming part of a newlywed's life together.