Meaningful Wedding Gift Ideas

A wedding is one of the most special days planned in a life. Everything must be perfect, thought of and taken care of so that the wedding day turns out as beautiful as a dream.

A normal wedding takes months to properly plan, takes many to be involved and becomes the focus of many family members and friends.

The tradition of a wedding gift to the parents of the bride or groom, the bridal party and other family members and friends taking part in the wedding began as a sign or gesture of thanks.

To show your appreciation or heartfelt thanks, think of a gift idea that expresses your true feelings.

1. A handwritten thank you note sharing a favorite memory or thanking someone for the part they played is always something meaningful.

2. A personalized or customized gift with the wedding date or wedding colors.

3. A special photograph of the bride/groom or a photograph that includes the family member or friend that you are giving the gift to.

Some special gift ideas for the groomsmen are personalized sport equipment (such as baseball bats, putters, baseballs, etc.), personalized leather valets or travel bags.

Gift ideas for women are customized bracelets with your wedding colors, engraved jewelry boxes, or charm bracelets.

More and more people as they get married are also gifting their parents with special gifts of appreciation. Some of the most meaningful gift ideas for parents are poems, jewelry or simply a handwritten note. Each of these items are easily a keepsake gift item that will be treasured for a lifetime.

As you plan your wedding and are ready to finalize those last minute details and gifts, remember to show your appreciation to those loved ones by expressing in words the important part they played in making your wedding a dream come true.

http://www.abernook.com or http://www.moljewelry.com for meaningful, unique and expressive wedding gift ideas.

Common Format Of A Wedding Reception

The following article can be copied but you must keep about the author section.

Common format of a wedding reception:

· Arrival of guests at hall

· Introduction of wedding party

· Introduction of bride and groom

· Blessing

· Meal

· Cake Cutting

· Toasts

· Bride & Groom's First Dance

· Father & Daughter's Dance

· Mother & Groom's Dance

· Special Dances

· Bouquet and Garter Toss

· Dancing and Fun

Arrival of guests at reception site

Typically, a wedding lasts about 15 minutes. However, some guests do arrive early to the reception. Therefore, be sure all reception to-dos are complete by the start time of the wedding. Also, all wedding vendors should be wearing proper attire for early arriving and late staying guests. All tables should be set-up including cake table, entertainment's table, sign-in table, food tables, and tables with chairs for all guests. If you have a seating arrangement, all seating lists should be at the reception with everyone's name with where they are sitting.

Introduction of wedding party

This step is not mandatory, but it is nice for everyone to know who the wedding party is as many have not met before your wedding. Create a "Reception Planning Guide" and give this to your master of ceremonies prior to your wedding. This details, among other things, the order of entrance into the reception site with their names and titles. The order of entrance is as follows: parents of the bride, parents of the groom, ushers with bridesmaids, flower girl and ring bearer, special guests, best man, maid/matron of honor, bride and groom. In addition, review the pronunciations of the wedding party's names with the master of ceremonies.

Introduction of bride and groom

This is always the last of the introductions. Everyone should stand before the bride and groom enter. In addition, a special song can be arranged with the music entertainment and a special announcement made to punctuate a true grand entrance. Also, inform the master of ceremonies how you would like to be introduced: Mr. and Mrs. Smith or John and Jane Doe.

Blessing

This is another step that is not mandatory, but for the religious couples makes a nice setting. If you invite the person who performed the marriage ceremony to the reception, I would recommend having them conduct the blessing. If they are not able to attend, a parent or family friend is a good idea. Lastly, the master of ceremonies could give the meal blessing. Be sure to communicate with whomever is giving the blessing in advance so they are prepared to give a personal touch.

Meal

It's time to eat! Bride and Groom, be sure to stop and take a moment to eat. This may be your only chance in the day. In addition, it is customary for the bride and groom to start the food line. Most guests know to wait until the bride and groom start the food line. So don't be late!

Cake Cutting

This is the traditional bride and groom making the first cut on their wedding cake. Then, the bride feeds half of the piece of cake to the groom and the groom feeds the remaining half to the bride. The cutting of the cake is a ceremony intended to symbolize the caring and sharing for one another. Forks may be used as they make the image very attractive for the photographer. Forks may also minimize the possibility of someone being hurt with the more playful squashing that sometimes happens.

Toasts

The toast is when the bride and groom toast each other then interlock arms and drink. Immediately following, the best man and maid/matron of honor make toasts to the bridal couple. Be prepared for other family and friends to follow with their toasts too.

Bride & Groom's First Dance

The Bride & Groom's Dance is the first dance between a bride and groom as a married couple. The dance is also commonly known as the "First Dance". The timing of the bride groom dance can vary in the evening based on your preferences. The first dance can be done immediately following the grand entrance with the wedding party circling the dance.

Father & Daughter's Dance

The Father & Daughter's Dance or the Father Bride Dance is the dance between the father(s) of the bride and the bride. Brides, if you have more than one father in your life, one can tap the other on the shoulder in the middle of the dance so you can dance with both of them. If you do not have a father, a common substitute is a father figure or even your brother would make a very nice gesture.

Mother & Groom's Dance

The Mother & Groom's dance is the dance between the mother(s) of the groom and the groom. Grooms, if you have more than one mother in your life, one can tap the other on the shoulder in the middle of the dance so you can dance with both of them. If you do not have a mother, a common substitute is a mother figure or even your sister would make a very nice gesture.

Special Dances

There may be songs in your life that mean dear to your heart. You can ask the music entertainment to play these songs during the night or immediately following the formal dances. An example would be: If someone dear to you passed recently, you may ask the music entertainment to play Angels Among Us by Alabama.

Bouquet and Garter Toss

The traditional tossing of the bouquet is when the bride tosses the bridal bouquet to all single women in attendance. Immediately following the bouquet tossing, a chair is set in the middle of the dance floor. The chair is for the bride to sit and the groom to remove the bride's garter from her leg. The traditional tossing of the garter is when the groom tosses the bride's garter to all the single men in attendance. The people whom catch the garter and bouquet are said to be the next one to marry.

Dancing and Fun

This is what you pay the music entertainment to do...get people to dance and have a good time. Give the music entertainment music examples and limitations of what type of music you want but don't give them a list of 100 songs they need to play.

About The Author: ã Matt Campbell is the owner and webmaster for Weddingmuseum.com. Weddingmuseum.com is a place to plan, book and rate your wedding day. You can email him at matt@weddingmuseum.com or visit WeddingMuseum.com

Wedding Cakes

While it may appear to be a task that requires much thought, there are many things that you must take into consideration when you are looking at wedding cakes.

One of the many focuses of your wedding reception is actually going to be the wedding cake. Of course we all want to a great looking cake that will look absolutely amazing in the many wedding pictures; however, there are other considerations.

Here are a few things you should consider when it comes to your wedding cake; the size of the cake, the design of the cake, and also the flavor. These are not going to be the most difficult decision, because you can look at and taste samples from the bakers. Tasting the cake is going to be an important part of the process, as well as the most delicious.

Choosing the right baker for this most important day of your life is the key to getting the best cake. One of the best ways to find something that you like, other than sampling cakes from every bakery in and around your area, is by thinking back to some of the weddings or parties you have attended. If they had a cake that you absolutely loved then it is probably in your best interest to find out what baker they used.

Another important part of creating the best wedding cake is the wedding cake topper. There are actually many different designs for your cake, and I always tell people to definitely go with the theme of their wedding. I know that most people will do this, but you would be amazed at how many do not. Don't get me wrong this is not a necessity. There are many bride and groom toppers that will fit into any wedding.

Your wedding cake is an important part of your wedding planning, and it is something you will need to take care of months before the big day. Doing so will ensure that everything goes smoothly. Limiting the amount of unexpected surprises will really help you keep your sanity.

Regina Watson is the owner of Elegant Wedding Impressions She sells a variety of wedding favors at affordable prices. Elegant Wedding Favors carries cheap wedding favors and unique wedding favors. At Elegant Wedding Impressions you will be able to find a variety of quality wedding accessories such as guest books, Unity Candles, toasting flutes, wedding decorations, ring pillows, bridesmaid gifts and groomsmen gifts.

Family Style Wedding Receptions

One of the more popular ideas for a wedding reception is to serve the food family style. At this type of party, all of the food is placed on the table in large platters that are passed around, rather than having a waiter serve each guest an individual plate of food. Family style service can be less stuffy than traditional plated dinners, and yet more gracious than a buffet. Here are some ideas on how to arrange for a family style wedding reception that your guests will love.

Family style catering ties in with the trend favoring fewer long reception tables over many small round ones. The idea is that this type of set-up is more relaxed and convivial, allowing for a welcoming and intimate reception. It is almost like everyone just happened to stop by your house for an impromptu gathering over good food and great conversation. Sort of like what happens at the end of that show "Everyday Italian" on the Food Network, where all of Giada de Laurentiis' friends and neighbors show up for a casual yet elegant feast in her backyard.

This type of party is especially popular with brides who trying to create a casual or rustic elegance for their receptions. You picture the bride in a flowing gown with simple handmade wedding jewelry and loose wavy hair walking around the long tables, chatting effortlessly with her guests as they enjoy her hospitality. In my personal mental picture, the reception is taking place outdoors in a vineyard or a meadow, but certainly family style service works well in indoor locations too. The idea is that the more relaxed feeling will help to get conversation flowing more readily among strangers, and will help all of the guests to feel as though they are part of one big happy family.

Certainly, there are some occasions when family style service might seem out of place. For instance, if you are planning a black tie wedding, with everyone in their most formal attire and special handmade wedding jewelry, the more traditional plated dinner service would be much more appropriate. Family style service also tends to limit your menu options more than a buffet or food stations, so that is another consideration.

The types of food that work best for family style service are generally the ones that most families like to eat together. Italian is a very popular choice. It is easy to get good Italian food, it is not particularly expensive, and almost everyone likes it. Italian cuisine is also a great idea if you will be having some vegetarians at your wedding. It is quite simple to have one platter with a meat-free pasta, and another with meatballs and sausages for those guests who enjoy meat. One tip: when serving Italian food at a wedding reception, stay away from the messiest choices like spaghetti that are most likely to splash and stain.

Comfort food is another fantastic option for a family style wedding reception. Your guests will be delighted to be served classics like homemade mac and cheese, slices of meatloaf, and bowls of yummy veggies. For this menu, you might even want to have wedding pies instead of a formal cake. This would be especially nice for an autumn wedding.

Family style wedding catering has many things to recommend it. The relaxed and friendly atmosphere that it creates will be a wonderful way to celebrate the start of your new life together. When you are looking for a way to unite your friends and families into one big happy group, you might just find that family style service at your reception is the perfect answer.

Laura is interested in wedding planning and wedding trends including jewelry,receptions and gifts. Handmade wedding jewelry is beautiful and special.

Wedding Favors Featuring Lily Pads

Brides and grooms continue to come up with new ideas for wedding favors. Some want elegant silver frames. Some look for redneck wedding favors. And some simply want wedding favors that will go with their theme.

Lily Pad Wedding Favors

Lily pad wedding favors are wonderful for a garden wedding, especially if there is a garden pond where lily pads grow. A lily pad wedding favor can take several different forms. We went looking for the most beautiful lily pad wedding favor ideas we could find. Here are a dozen of our results.

* Floating Lily pad and flower: This 5" lily pad wedding favor is made of polysilk, and really floats. Tiny acrylic water drops give it lasting morning freshness. Its pink and creamy white colors glow above a dark green lily pad. At a bit over $1, this is a cheap, but beautiful lily pad wedding favor.

* Lily pad CD cover: Fill these lovely CD covers with mini CD photo albums of the bride and groom, or with their favorite music, for a welcome lily pad wedding favor.

* Lily pad gourmet cookies: Have a local bakery shape gourmet cookies as lily pads with flowers. Tell the baker your color scheme and ask that the flowers be tinted to match for beautiful lily pad wedding favors.

* Frog soap on silk lily pad leaf: Ponds that are home to water lilies and lily pads are also home to frogs. Place a small silk lily pad at each place and top with a green glycerin soap frog - wearing a crown. Such a lily pad wedding favor says "At last, my prince has come."

* Lily pad with frog soap: This is a different decorative soap gift. The frog and lily pad both are soap. This is not a cheap lily pad wedding favor, but it is quite a conversation piece.

* Floating lily pad candles: Water Lily candles can float in small bowls at each guest's place. You could light these 2.5" lily pad wedding favors, or leave them un-burnt for guests to enjoy at home.

* Chocolate molded frog on lily pad: Lily pad wedding favors can show up in the strangest places. We found these advertised for Harry Potter parties, but the lily pad theme would make these perfect for wedding favors as well.

* Frog On Lily Pad Bouncing Balls: On a less serious note, we found these cute 2" balls. At $0.50 each, they could be combined with another wedding favor to equal a lily pad wedding favor.

* Lily pad keychain: This one requires a little work. Purchase the kind of keychain that has a place to carry a photo. Print small copies of your favorite lily pad photo on cardstock, and slip one into each keychain for a unique lily pad wedding favor. Choose a photo that matches your wedding color scheme so they will look great on your tables. Alternatively, use a "classic show off key ring" for lily pad wedding favors. Have your lily pad graphic custom imprinted on both sides in colors you choose.

* Lily pad mint tins: Many places offer to personalize your mint tins. Find one that offers, or will print, tins with lily pads. Add your names and the date for a memorable lily pad wedding favor.

* Lily pad bottle labels: Order small bottles of sparkling cider or water, with labels featuring your favorite water lily and lily pad. Add your names and date to the label for personalized lily pad wedding favors.

* Water Lily simmer snaps: These unique wickless wax "candles" are scented with the fragrance of water lilies. As a lily pad wedding favor, you could give each guest a package of two simmer snaps. Each package has a beautiful lily pad and flower in full color on the front.

When searching for lily pad wedding favors, try a variety of words. Lily pads are part of lotus flowers as well as water lilies. Use both terms in your search. Remove the words "wedding favors" and you may find something unique, as we did with the Harry Potter party chocolates. Add "frog" or other amphibious creatures that might live among lily pads.

©2007, Anna Hart. Anna Hart invites you to read more of her articles about wedding favors at http://www.secretsofweddingfavors.com. Anna has also posted information on that site about unique wedding favors. If you would like to consider cheap gourmet wedding cookies for your lily pad wedding favors, visit Anna now.

Wedding Speeches: A Quick Outline

Wedding speeches are reserved for the most important members of the wedding party and closest family and friends.

If you are one of the ones expected or asked to do a wedding speech, then preparing is a must. Winging it just won't cut it especially when your wedding speech will be on video from now until eternity.

Wedding speeches should not last more than three or four minutes. It reminds me of that famous quote by John F. Kennedy,

"Public speaking is the art of diluting a two-minute idea with a two-hour vocabulary."

It's actually much harder to do a short wedding speech than a long one which reminds me of another quote,

"It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech." --Mark Twain

You have to have an opening and closing. You probably want to throw in a story and at least one piece of humor. And it all has to make sense. Please, please, please don't apologize for how bad you are as soon as you stand up, which reminds me of yet another quote by Kin Hubbard,

"Why doesn't the fellow who says, "I'm no speechmaker," let it go at that instead of giving a demonstration?" hahaha I love that one.

Here's a quick outline for a wedding speech:
Note: each one of the bullet points below could have many variations

· Opening - Could be comments about the lovely affair

· Comments about the bride and groom

· Story about your interactions with the bride, groom or both.

· Humor- Pick something that applies to them and is appropriate

· Closing - Something touching

· Toast - Brief and touching or funny

You'll rarely be the hit of a wedding because of your wedding speech and rightfully so. The bride and groom are the stars. But poor preparation of your wedding speech certainly could make you the laughing stock.

Remember, you are going to perform your wedding speech live, but you'll be on video forever. Take the time to prepare.

Tom Antion is a speech expert and author of Wedding Speeches This immediately downloadable e-book gives complete wedding speech instructions and etiquette along with 200 pieces of wedding speech humor. Article Submitted by That Article Guy

Wedding Ettiquette

Planning a wedding can be very stressful not just for the bride and groom but also for their families as well. In fact in some cases when it comes to planning and arranging a wedding, arguments are likely to ensue at some stage and certainly one of the best ways to avoid such issues is through using the right kind of wedding ettiquette.

Unfortunately the brides parents may have ideas that are different from the grooms parents when it comes to planning a wedding. Plus you may find that the bride ones a wedding that is a little less traditional than her fiance so through using the right wedding ettiquette a couple will help to ensure that they save themselves a lot of heartache before the big day arrives.

One of the first things that needs to be considered when planning any kind of wedding is who is going to be paying for the occasion. Today more and more couples themselves are funding their own wedding. Whereas traditionally it is believed that the brides parents should pay for everything that relates to the wedding whilst the grooms parents pay for the dinner at the rehearsal prior to the wedding taking place. However what both the bride and groom should be doing is sitting down with both sets of parents at the same time and discussing and deciding just how the wedding will be paid for.

When it comes to getting the invitations sent out to the guests traditionally the name of the brides parents will appear on these. However today more and more couples are now choosing to have both sets of parents named on the invitations or choosing to have their invitations worded in such a way that does not offend anyone. In some cases they may choose to omit their parents names from the invitations as they may have been paying for the event themselves.

In most cases very few weddings when the take place will not have some sort of problems, but hopefully by following the write wedding ettiquette rules a couple will ensure that their big day is enjoyed by all that attend. Although we have looked at a couple of wedding etiquette rules that couples need to remember when organizing this very special day there are plenty of sites on the internet which can offer them more practical advice with regard to this particular subject and therefore carry out a little research on the subject of wedding ettiquette will help to ensure that things go as smoothly as possible for all concerned.

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Wedding Program Ideas To Go For

Wedding program ideas can help the bride and groom decide on what style of program fits their needs best. The choices range from simple to elaborate in detail and decoration. Not everyone can be a part of the big day but everyone can take home a souvenir from the special occasion. People close to the couple are paid tribute to as well as a list of the proceedings so that everyone knows exactly what is taking place.

Wedding planning is a careful process originating from the moment a proposal is accepted. Flowers, dresses, tuxedos and music must be decided. At the time the invitations are ordered or made, it is not uncommon to make the wedding program as well. There are many different wedding program ideas floating around. Some may detail every step and speaker at the wedding as detailing the wedding reception schedule.

Common wedding program ideas list out the beginning music when the guests are seated and then progress through the different stages of the wedding. Many couples pay tribute to the family and friends who helped with the wedding. Additional sections of the wedding program could list the musicians as well as any special moments in the ceremony such as lighting the Unity candle, a sand ceremony or hand written vows between the bride and groom.

If you are having a theme wedding such as a medieval wedding ceremony, then it is not uncommon to have a medieval wedding invitation and matching program. A knight and his damsel gracing the covers could be quite romantic. If going back in time a few centuries is not your idea of a fantasy wedding, there are a number of software programs on the market today that can be used at home to create the invitation, program, and thank you cards. These are fairly simple to use and often utilize a template.

Wedding program ideas abound on the Internet. When opting to make your own, and looking for free clip art, be careful of the site. Many websites say that their product is free but in reality they download spyware and adware to your computer. Wedding professionals will not be offended if you decide to create your own invitation and program and may even have great suggestions on websites or software programs to help you with this task.

Time can be a problem when it comes to weddings. There is so much to do, with such little time that it can seem overwhelming. If you find yourself unable to design and print wedding programs yourself, many businesses will print them along with the invitations. These timeless memento's will serve as a reminder of that special day to all those close to you.

Ellen Gentry writes articles about Hawaiian weddings and wedding packages where you can find information about beach weddings in Maui and Maui oceanfront vacation rentals perfect for your honeymoon.

Wedding Gloves

One of the most polished accessories that a bride can wear is a pair of gloves. There was a day that no proper young lady would think of being married without them on her hands. Nowadays, wedding gloves are not only timeless and nostalgic, they can also be cutting edge and very trendy.

Traditionally, a bride wore a pair of gloves based on the sleeve length of her gown, and in fact, this is still the best place to start with choosing your gloves. It is a pretty straightforward formula: the more bare arm the gown exposes, the longer they should be. This can be a nice way to make a strapless or sexier sheath gown more demure during the marriage ceremony. The gloves can then be removed for the reception for a new and different look.

The style of the glove should complement the tone of your bridal ensemble. If you are wearing a classic ballgown with lace applique and pearl bridal jewelry, you would want to choose some made from either cotton or kidskin. For a sweet vintage look, consider little short gloves that are trimmed with a tiny pearl border to match your bridal jewelry. Another possibility is a pair of lace gauntlets created from the same lace as the appliques on your gown.

Another wonderful option for formal weddings is a long pair of silk gloves. If you are wearing a strapless gown, opera length looks especially impressive. Of course, you must consider the length of your arms when choosing your gloves, so more petite brides will want to wear an over-the-elbow length rather than the ultra-long opera length style. Brides who are self-conscious about drawing attention to their upper arms may prefer to wear gloves that come to just under the elbow.

Wedding gloves are not only traditional; they are also very much of-the-moment. At the most recent Oscar de la Renta bridal collection, he showed them in all shapes and sizes with the wedding dresses. There were long ones with slender dresses, short ones with ballgowns, slouchy gloves with ruffled dresses, and even baby blue gloves. Imagine how pretty a pair of pale blue gloves could be as your "something blue".

Another option for making a statement with gloves is to wear a color that has a strong contrast against a white gown, such as black. For the last few years, designers have been showing gowns and accessories with black accents, and this is one way to explore that concept. Embellishments can also be added to a pair of bridal gloves to express your personal style. Some options include crystals, rhinestone buttons, and delicate lace details.

Gloves can be a simple way to add some flair to your wedding ensemble. One other fun thing about them: there is an old custom that the bride should never see herself fully done up on her wedding day. To this end, many brides will leave off one glove until after they take a final peek in the mirror. That is just one more of the wonderful traditions involving wedding gloves.

Laura helps brides with their wedding plans by offering advice on selecting bridesmaids gifts,reception ideas and other aspects of planning a wedding. Pearl bridal jewelry can be classic and timeless or fresh and modern, depending on your style.

Lovely Lavender Wedding Details

Lavender is a lovely and soothing color. It combines well with other colors to create interesting wedding color palettes, and it also stands well on its own. These are some inspiring tips for using lavender details in your wedding.

Lavender is a pale purple with a cool blue undertone, just like the flowering herb of the same name. The fragrance of lavender is known for its soothing quality, and the color is equally relaxing. Who couldn't use something to help them relax at their wedding? Paired with white, lavender is fresh and simple, but you can also create some great effects using it with an accent color. For a spring wedding, add touches of buttercream yellow to your signature hue. Brown gives lavender depth and elegance, and for a crisp wedding palette, navy and lavender look terrific together.

Certainly the first place to use lavender in your wedding is the bouquets and centerpieces. The relaxing aroma of lavender will be heavenly in the bride and bridesmaids' bouquets. Many other flowers work wonderfully with lavender. Romantic sweetpeas and pretty lisyanthus come in wonderful shades of lavender, and there are some unbelievable silvery-lavender roses available. For a rich monochromatic effect, pair lavender with deep velvety purples, or mix in contrasting colors, such as yellow or even red.

The bridesmaid dresses will look beautiful in lavender. It is an easy color to wear, as it is flattering to most skin tones. For a summer afternoon wedding, nothing would be prettier than a lavender organza dress tied with a navy sash. This is a particularly nice look by the water. The bridesmaid jewelry can be handcrafted from pale lavender crystals and classic white pearls. The soft and feminine color combination makes a perfect bridesmaid jewelry gift, as it can easily be paired with everything from a little black dress to denim after the wedding.

A color as pretty as lavender works wonderfully for a wedding cake. If you love an old-fashioned look, choose a lavender buttercream cake with little violets made from sugar. For a more contemporary wedding cake, you can create a bold chocolate brown stripe on a lavender fondant base. A very elegant design would be a bold damask pattern in lavender and navy, perhaps with metallic accents. The fun thing about the wedding cake is that you can really let your creative side take over.

Sprigs and bunches of lavender will cast a dreamy scent over your wedding. Large bunches of lavender can be tied with a wide satin ribbon and hung on the church doors to greet your guests. A small sprig of lavender is a pretty and aromatic accent to tie on the favor boxes or to use as a decoration on the napkins. Unlike some heavier scents, a touch of lavender is fine to use near food, and in fact, is even an ingredient in the classic French seasoning herbs de Provence.

The color lavender will be a lovely addition to your reception décor. If too much purple is a concern, just use touches of your signature hue to add character to your venue. Basic white chair covers can be dressed up with wide lavender sashes. Pretty lavender specialty cocktails make a festive addition to the cocktail hour. And don't forget to have your monogram cast in lavender light onto the dance floor for your first dance!

Lavender is a terrific wedding color. It is not too trendy, it pairs well with more masculine colors, and it looks great at any time of the year. With all of these things to recommend lavender, it is no surprise that it is one of the most versatile wedding colors around.

Laura helps brides with their wedding plans by offering advice on selecting bridesmaids gifts,reception ideas and other aspects of planning a wedding. Treat your bridesmaids to beautiful bridesmaid jewelry that is custom made in your wedding colors.

Addressing Wedding Invitations - Etiquette

Addressing your wedding invitations can seem a little confusing at first. Hopefully this guide will help you easily understand how to address and assemble your wedding invitations.

Addressing Etiquette

The outer envelope should list the name and complete address of the recipient while the inner envelope lists only the names. No abbreviations should be used when addressing wedding invitations, except for Mr., Mrs., Ms., and Jr. State names should be spelled out.

Type of Guests

Married Couple
Outer envelope: Mr. and Mrs. Ted Jones
Inner envelope: Mr. and Mrs. Jones

If you are invited children under 18 to the wedding, the outer envelope should be addressed to the parents only, as indicated above. The inner envelope should list the children's first names (in order from oldest to youngest) on one line below the parent's names, such as:

Mr. and Mrs. Ted Jones Charles, Michael and Samantha

Children over the age of 18 should receive their own invitation, even if they still live with their parents.

Unmarried Female
Outer envelope: Miss (or Ms.) Susan Smith
Inner envelope: Miss (or Ms.) Smith (and Guest)

Unmarried Male
Outer envelope: Mr. Thomas Lipton
Inner envelope: Mr. Lipton (and Guest)

The "and Guest" is optional when inviting single friends to your wedding. However if the person is in a serious relationship, it's proper etiquette to allow him/her to bring a guest.

Unmarried couples who live together should receive one invitation, where their names are listed on separate lines in alphabetical order. Unmarried couples who live separately should receive one invitation addressed to the guest who is closest to you on the outer envelope. On the inner envelope, both names should be listed on separate lines in alphabetical order.

Medical Doctor (Married)
Outer envelope: Doctor and Mrs. Larry Thompson
Inner envelope: Doctor and Mrs. Thompson

Medical Doctor (Unmarried)
Outer envelope: Doctor Larry Thompson
Inner envelope: Doctor Thompson (and Guest)

Doctor (PhD, Married)
Outer envelope: Dr. and Mrs. William Fremont
Inner envelope: Dr. and Mrs. Fremont

Doctor (PhD, Unmarried)
Outer envelope: Dr. William Fremont
Inner envelope: Dr. Fremont (and Guest)

Sending Your Wedding Invitations

Order your wedding invitations three to four months prior to your wedding. Order 20% more than your number of guests to allow for errors and additions. Send the wedding invitations six to eight weeks before your wedding date.

Assembling Your Wedding Invitations

Ask your mother or your maid-of-honor to help you assemble the wedding invitations. Lay everything out on a long table in assembly line fashion. If your invitations are single fold and the wording is on the outside of the invitation only, then your enclosures are placed on top of the invitation. If your invitations are multi-fold and/or the wording is inside the fold then enclosures are placed inside the first fold.

Enclosures are placed in the following order from the bottom to the top:

• Tissue paper
• Reception card
• Map
• Response envelope (self-addressed and stamped)
• Response card tucked neatly under the flap of the response envelope

Place the enclosures and the invitation inside the inner envelope with the print side facing the flap.

Do not seal the inner envelope.

Place the inner envelope inside the outer envelope with its flap facing the front of the outer envelope.

Before you begin, count all the parts of the invitations to make sure you are starting with equal amounts. Assemble each invitation as indicated above but do not seal the outer envelopes. Once you are done assembling the invitations, make sure all your counts are even. If they are, you can seal the outer envelopes. If not, you have made a mistake and will need to find which envelope is missing a component.

Learn more about planning your wedding on a budget by reading the Truly Wedding Blog. Join other brides and share your wedding journey in the fastest growing wedding community, Truly Wedding. This and other helpful articles are sponsored by Truly Wedding Favors.

How To Choose Your Wedding Cake

One of my favorite parts about the wedding, is the cake. Over time many things have changed with weddings, but one thing that stays the same, there is always a beautiful cake. The wedding cake is a big part of the wedding, and something 'everyone" remembers. So when deciding on which cake is right for your perfect day, there are many factors to take into consideration.

When is your wedding?

The date and location of your wedding is crucial when choosing the cake. For example if you plan on having your wedding in the summer at a hot location, things like mousse, or even ice cream cake might be out of the question Ask your baker what types of cake are in "season"

How big will the cake be?

Wedding cakes can come in all shapes and sizes. Traditional cakes which have several tiers are normally a great choice, and one your guests will remember. Depending on how many guests you have your options are limitless. Of course the biggest factor in deciding how large your wedding cake should be, is knowing how man guests you will have. The following website gives a great reference on how large your cake should be.

http://www.topweddingsites.com/wedding_cakes.html

What's your flavor?

Depending on the style of the cake, you have many different options. If the cake is multiple tiers, many people are choosing to have several different kinds of cake. Each level can be different, offering something for everyone. With wedding almost anything goes when it comes to the cake.

What kind of Icing?

Traditionally icing has been white or a light cream color. However today, many are matching their icing color with the overall theme of the wedding.. The actually icing can be a simple sugar and flour recipe, or even a rich cream cheese icing. There are many great icing ideas online which are sure to please even the most picky guests.

Decorations

Decorating a cake is only limited by your imagination. Some couples design the cake around the décor or theme of the wedding. While others give the cake a unique look, with crazy and outrageous decorations which define who they are. Most Depend on what you need, bakers decorate cakes with the look of lace, embroidery appliqué or elegant drapes or swag.

Your wedding cake should be as individual as you. The worst thing you can do when choosing a cake is just "settling." Shop around a bit, decided on the cake, style and decorations, and find a baker who is willing to accommodate you. Many couples even order their cakes as much as 6 months ahead of time to insure they get what they want.

The Wedding Forum is the perfect place to talk with other brides, share tips and get some ideas or advice reguarding your big day. Or check out Ron's Article Blog [http://ronswerdfiger.blogspot.com] for more great reading.

African American Wedding Invitations

An individual can purchase African American wedding invitations quickly and without much effort.
This style of wedding is a unique experience. An individual may want a completely traditional
African American wedding.

However, the invitations a person can find may not suit their needs. There are various resources
a person can find to accomplish their goals and aspirations. An African American wedding invitation
can be different colors, shapes or styles. There various are types to chose from and the bride
will have a fabulous time doing so.

Personalized invitations are the best way to go. This will show the guests that they are wanted
and needed for this special occasion. There are various designs to choose from. A person can
purchase chocolate colors on white backgrounds. Red roses are a prominent color to choose.

There are invitations that are folded elegantly and slip right into the envelopes. A person can
locate invitations that have a fabulous display of a bride and groom in their traditional African
African wardrobe with fabulous trim and a beautiful font.

A couple could purchase gorgeous design of browns, whites and tan colors. Wedding invitations
can be bought that has different symbols of love and the eternal flame shining upon them.
The can be dark colors or bright and vibrant as well. The skies the limit on what a person
can accomplish.

An individual can personalize these invitations as much or as little as they choose. there are
various styles of African American wedding invitations to choose from An individual can find
anything they are seeking through helpful internet resources.

Learn how to save on your wedding cost for more tips on wedding visit www.WeddingCostAverage.com [http://www.WeddingCostAverage.com] today!

© 2007 Samuel Abdullah - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Wedding Cake Topper Choosing Guide

Sometimes planning a wedding is like starting a big project. You need to take care of everything and every detail from reception to ceremony. The to-do lists would be quite long. Usually the main aspects include selecting wedding venue and flowers, songs, DJ, and Photographer, wedding dress and bridal party attire, the food and cake, wedding invitations and favors...But do you ever notice which is at the end of to-do list? In most cases, it is wedding cake topper which seems not very important however it do can add a special touch to your wedding.

Many couples don't realize the importance of wedding toppers. Now let me explain why cake tops are so significant. Definitely you will take lots of photos in your wedding. They will be a great memory several years after the ceremony. Just imagine a little bit, 20 years after your ceremony, one day you and your spouse are enjoying those photos reviewing the perfect day of your life, suddenly you find out the wedding toppers is so tacky to be the background of your photos. Would it be a great regret? Now do you still think wedding toppers are insignificant? After you understand the importance, how to choose the right toppers?

Nowadays newlyweds are no longer bounded by the customs and traditions; they needn't suffer from outdated small, plastic figurines to adorn the tops of their cakes. More and more different styles wedding cake tops release, brides and grooms have more choice to choose the right toppers.

Firstly pay attention to the size of cake, particularly the top tier or wherever you plan on displaying the topper. You don't want to encounter the embarrassing thing that the topper doesn't fit your cake well, right?

Take a look around those existing products in the market, get a general idea about your topper then think over the style you love. Do you have some special hobbies or unique interests you could involve into your wedding? For example, if you a huge hockey fan, why not have the figurines wearing the jersey of your favorite team? Or, maybe you love your pets very much, why not incorporate them via the form of cake toppers?

If you are planning a theme wedding which will take place at certain location, you might want to have a topper to match. For beach wedding, having sand-feeling and shell topper would be a great idea. For winter wedding, you might need a cake topper to reflect this season's features such as snowflakes or snowman.

Not only the style of toppers you should pay attention to, but also you should know the material. Here are some common materials you can find at market.

• Clay cake toppers


• Porcelain wedding toppers


• Crystals cake toppers


• Floral wedding toppers


• Fabric cake topper

No matter what kind of wedding cake topper you ultimately decide on, keep in mind that you must match it to the whole wedding and cake. It would be the perfect finishing touch of your big day.

For more wedding cake toppers information, please visit the website. Browse their bride and groom figurine collection, find personalized wedding cake toppers ideas to make your wedding extra special!