Friday, September 26, 2008

Unique Wedding Gift

How To Earn A Living At Home Selling Unique Wedding Gifts

If you are a stay at home parent who love weddings, consider setting up a home based business selling unique wedding gifts. No, you do not have to be ultra creative and come up with your own unique wedding gift ideas. You can always borrow the ideas of others and enhance these ideas. To help you get started, here are some tips for you.

Getting Started

Getting started is always the most difficult part when it comes to setting up a business. However, the good news is that once you pass this stage, you can expect your business operations to stabilize and you start earning good profit. To get started, you need to have a plan. You do not need to come up with a comprehensive business plan to start your own unique wedding gift ideas home business. You just need to set your goals and then identify all the tasks that you need to do to reach your goals. To do this, get a piece of paper and draw four columns on your paper. On the first column write your goals, the tasks that you need to perform on the second column, the timeframe that you need to observe on the third column and the resources that you need on the fourth column.

Some of the tasks that should be on top of your priorities are budgeting, funding a steady supply of unique weddings gifts, setting up your marketing system and your financial system. Finding a good source of unique wedding gifts is very important so take your time is doing this task. There are a number of online stores that are offering unique wedding gifts for wholesale prices. Just launch a search online to find some of these companies. Browse through the difference websites and find out what they have to offer. Be sure to pay close attention the price and the terms of payments that these online companies have to offer.

Once you already have a reliable supplier of unique wedding gifts, you can now set up your store. To save money, open an online store instead of the traditional gift shop. Online stores do not require a lot of money to set up and maintain. You do not even need to keep inventories if you sell goods online. This means that even if you only have limited start up capital for your business, you can already get started. However, the draw back here is that it is often more difficult to sell your unique wedding gifts online than offline.

Wedding Gift Registry

How To Set Up Your Wedding Gift Registry

A lot of people do not really know what wedding gifts to buy for their friends and family members. Most people simply buy the first things that come to their minds and more often than not, newly wed couples end up with about a dozen pots and pans of the same sizes and shapes. If you don't want to end up with a lot of things that you cannot hope to use at home, you better set up a wedding gift registry early on and publish your wish list for your friend and family members to see. By publishing your wish list in your wedding gift registry, you will be able to help your friends and family members decide which gifts they should get for you. No, you do not have to be shy about the idea of publishing your wish list in your wedding gift registry. This is the modern era and people nowadays are more practical when it comes to gift giving.

Setting Up Your Wedding Gift Registry

You need to set up your wedding gift registry in the early parts of your wedding preparations. This way, your friends and family members will have more time to view your wedding gift registry and decide which unique weddings gifts they will buy for your wedding. When setting up your wedding gift registry, include a variety of gifts and their price ranges in your list. Make sure that you only include those items that you want and not just anything that you think that well meaning friend and family members would like to buy for you on your wedding. Remember that it is you who is going to use these products and not your friends and family members.

When making your wedding gift registry, register at a number of online stores and post some of their links in your site. This way, your friends and family members will not have a hard time finding the things listed in your registry. Moreover, some online stores give discounts and rebates on sales generated from wedding registries so you may be able to save some money in that area.

Once you have set up your wedding gift registry, do not forget to tell your family members and friends about it. Remember that the web is a huge place so you cannot expect people to find you easily unless you give them your website address. To guide your friend and family members to your wedding gift registry site, send them a link to your site.

Personalized Wedding Gift

Personalized Wedding Gift: How To Find Unique Gifts For Special People

Before you think of some personalized wedding gift for a friend or a family member, it would be a good idea to check the wedding gift registry of that person first. Find what types of things are included in your friend or family member's wish list. Once you know what things your friend or family member want to have for his or her wedding, you can already start scouting for personalized wedding gifts that fall into the same category listed under your friend or family member's wish list.

On the other hand, if your friend or family member does not have a wedding registry, you can still get some ideas as to what your friend or family member would like for his or her wedding but talking to him or her. No, you may not ask him or her outright as to what he or she wants as personalized wedding gift. Asking him or her directly will ruin the element of surprise. Instead of asking him or her directly as to what he or she wants, try to phrase your questions carefully to get some ideas of the things that he or she needs.

Hunting For The Best Personalized Wedding Gifts

Hunting for the best personalized weddings gifts can be quite challenging especially if you friend or family member's wish list is quite short. In cases like this, the best thing to do is to go over the list and pick out some items which you think are on top of your friend or family member's priority and build on that. For instance, if your family member or friend listed in his or her gift registry linens, consider getting your friend or family member some embroider linens bearing the your friend or family member's initials and the initials of his or her partner.

How Much Money Should You Spend On A Personalized Wedding Gift?

In this time of economic crisis, you cannot afford to spend so much money on a personalized wedding gift. Yes, it would be nice to buy your friend or family member some expensive gifts but if you do not have really the money to splurge on these things, you better not push it. Before you spend on a personalized wedding gift, check your bank account first and use only whatever amount of money that you can afford to spend. As much as possible, do not charge the amount of your gift on your credit card.

Wedding Gift Basket

Wedding Gift Baskets: Creative Ways Of Giving Gifts

When it comes to personalized wedding gift, the wedding gift basket has always been an all time favorite. Many people prefer to give gift baskets because they are easy to prepare and they can be customized to suit the taste of the recipient. However, since most people nowadays do not have time to create their own wedding gift baskets, a lot of people find it difficult to find time to make their gift baskets and would prefer to have someone else do the dirty work for them. If you are one of those creative and enterprising people who love to make wedding gift baskets, you should grab this business opportunity and start earning a living the creative way.

Getting Started

There are a few things that you should look into if you want to make wedding gift baskets your source of livelihood. First, you need to come up with a good number of wedding gifts basket ideas and make sample baskets using these ideas. Use these sample baskets in marketing your products and services. No, you do not have to rent a space in a store or mall to display your samples. The best way to advertise your products without spending so much money on rents is to post pictures of your sample wedding gift baskets online. If you can afford it, hire a good photographer to take pictures of your wedding gift baskets and a professional website developer to set up your site. A professional photographer can make your products look even more attractive online. Yes, hiring a professional photographer to take pictures of your products will cost you some money but you will be able to recover the cost of hiring the professional photographer after selling some items. The same is also true if you hire a good website developer.

Pricing is another aspect of the business that you should look into before you offer your wedding gift baskets for sale. You need to know how to set the prices of your products. In doing this, consider all the expenses that you incur in creating the wedding gift basket and then put a mark-up on top of the cost. Try to hit the 20-30% mark-up to make your products more affordable. For instance, if your spend $30 in producing the gift basket, you may sell the gift basket for about $39. This price is net of the cost of freight. You can just add the cost of freight on top of the selling price later on.

Wedding Anniversary Gift

How To Buy A Wedding Anniversary Gift For Your Parents

Not many people stay married for decades nowadays. A lot of people get divorced shortly after getting married for different reasons. If your parents happen to be some of those lucky people who are still married to each other after more than 20 years, you should be very thankful and celebrate each wedding anniversary of your parents with them. To help you celebrate these occasions, you need to give them some memorable wedding anniversary gifts.

Finding The Right Gift

It is not easy to find the perfect gift for the two of the most important people in your life so take you time to find the right wedding anniversary gift for your parents. The availability or the unavailability of money should never stop you from getting your parents some really wonderful wedding anniversary gifts. Remember that wonderful weddings gifts do not have to be expensive. A simply wedding gift basket that is filled with your parents' favorite food is enough to make your parents very happy. You must understand that for most parents, the idea of getting gifts from their children is already a joy in itself so even if you only give them some cheap gifts; they will treasure your gifts.

When searching for the right wedding anniversary gift, think of something that both your parents can enjoy. For instance, if your parents have not been able to travel for a while, you can give can treat them for a vacation trip. You do not have to give them a trip abroad. Just find a nice place in the country where your parents can relax and have fun together. If you cannot afford the cost of the vacation on your own, try asking for contributions from your brothers and sisters. Just tell them that the trip is going to be a wedding anniversary gift from all of you to your parents. Your brothers and sisters will surely love the idea of paying for your parents' vacation.

On the other hand, if you are an only child and you do not have someone to split the cost of the wedding anniversary gift with, you can still save a lot of money on the cost of the trip if you book the trip well in advance. Some travel and tour agencies give out as high as 50% discount of travels that are booked a few months in advance. To find these travel and tour companies that give huge discounts on advance bookings, do some online research. Most travel agencies have their own websites where they advertise their products and services so you can easily find out for yourself which ones are offering the best prices.

Wedding Gift

How To Choose The Right Wedding Gift For Your Best Friend's Wedding

You best friend deserves the best wedding gift that you can afford to give her. Although being there for her all the time and helping her make arrangements for the wedding is already a great gift, it is always nice to get her something that she can use later on. To find the best wedding gift for your best friend, here are some tips for you.

Find Something That Is Close To Her Heart

If you really want to make your best friend extra happy during her wedding day, find her a wedding gift that is close to her heart. No, you do not have to buy her some expensive wedding gifts if you cannot afford it. Remember that you cannot buy some of the most important things in life. For instance, if your best friend has not really been talking to a member of the family and your best friend have been talking for ages about how she would like to have this person over for her wedding but is too afraid to ask in case that person says no, why not ask that person to the weddings? That will surely make your best friend really happy. Just make sure that they meet before the wedding starts. You don't really want to distract the attention of your best friend while she is walking on the aisle.

Find Something That Your Best Friend Has Always Wanted

Since you know your best friend well, you already have some ideas as to what of things she prefer. The challenge here is to make the things that she likes appear to be extra special. For instance, if your best friend happens to be one of those people who love to collect perfumes, you might want to get her that perfume that she had been planning to buy but never got around it for one reason or another. Never mind of that extra special wedding gift will cost you a small fortune. Remember that you best friend does not get married everyday so she deserves something that is really nice on this special occasions. Besides, if your best friend did not hesitate to splurge on wedding anniversary gift, there is no reason for you not to do the same for her.

Give Her Something That She Can Enjoy With Her New Hubby

You best friend will surely love a wedding gift that she can enjoy with her new hubby. If you have enough money at your disposal, consider paying for their honeymoon. A cruise to the Caribbean for two will do the trick.

Informal Wedding Dress

Having An Informal Wedding

If you are getting married, you are probably already anticipating that big day when you and your fiancé become husband and wife. You will start your journey of marriage with your new spouse.

In today’s world, people are spending tens of thousands of dollars, even hundreds of thousands of dollars, on their wedding day. Instead of focusing on the marriage, couples are focusing on the wedding and finding themselves deep in debt before the marriage even begins.

You may have decided to go against the grain. You realize that a wedding is important to declare your intentions to God and your family and friends, but you do not want to go into extreme debt to do so. Instead, you have decided to have an informal wedding with an informal wedding dress and an informal atmosphere.

Finding The Informal Wedding Dress

Finding an informal wedding dress can be difficult in today’s society. Wedding dresses are ornate, elegant, formal, and just over the top. Few people want to buy an informal wedding dress, so often times there are only a few choices for you to choose from if you do decide to have an informal wedding dress. However, if you think outside of the box you may easily be able to find an informal wedding dress.

Prom season, which is right around spring time, or homecoming season, which is in the fall, are the perfect time for you to find an informal wedding dress for a low price. Go to any major department store, especially the stores in your local mall, and you will find a sea of dresses. While these dresses are low priced, some of them might be more formal than you are looking for. However, despite the dozens of formal prom and homecoming dresses, there are still many informal dresses for you to wear at your wedding. It will be easier for you if you do not want to wear white to find an informal wedding dress in a department store, but there are still often times several white dresses to choose from.

Planning An Informal Wedding

An informal wedding is easy to plan. You can have it in your backyard, or in the yard of any friend. You could even have it at a local beach or town park. Just because you are having an informal wedding doesn’t mean that you will not receive a single wedding gift, so do not worry about that! Enlist family and friends to bring food and drink, and voila, you have an informal wedding with an informal wedding dress to boot!

Wedding Dress Designer

Finding Your Wedding Dress Designer

If you are getting married, you have no doubt already put some time and consideration into what your wedding dress will look like. If you are not on a budget, you are probably looking for a specific type of wedding dress. Because it does not matter how much you spend, perhaps you are looking for a wedding dress designer to make you a one of a kind wedding dress. You do not want an informal wedding dress, and because of this, you are willing to pay top dollar for a wedding dress designer to design your perfect gown. Here are some tips and ideas for finding the perfect wedding dress designer for your big day.

Finding A Designer

Finding a wedding dress designer can be difficult. If you want a high fashion designer, go to one or more of their fashion shows. That way you can see what he or she has coming down the runway and you can possibly get an idea from one of those dresses for your own wedding dress. You can also get to know the designer through the show or through their agent.

It may be cheaper and more cost efficient for you to find a wedding dress designer in your area. That way you will be able to get regular fittings and check up on the work while it is being done. If you choose a high fashion designer, it is possible to simply have a consult and then receive your dress in the mail when it is finished. If you want a more hands on approach, find a wedding dress designer in your area.

Look At Their Work

It is also important to look at your wedding dress designer’s work before choosing that designer. With a high fashion designer, looking at their runway work may not be enough to accurately judge if he or she can create the wedding dress of your dreams. If you choose a high fashion designer, ask to look at their book. You can look at pictures of dresses they have already made and also see how their dresses looked on models and real brides.

If you are choosing a wedding dress designer from your area, that designer should have plenty of pictures of their work for you to peruse through as well. Most local designers take pictures of all of the dresses they create. When looking through those pictures you should be able to see if the designer is capable of doing exactly what you want him or her to do. If there are no pictures that look anything like what you want, perhaps you should think about choosing a different wedding dress designer.

Cheap Wedding Dress

How To Find A Cheap Wedding Dress

If you are getting married, you have probably already paged through countless bridal magazines and looked at many different wedding dresses. Perhaps you had big dreams of a huge wedding, hundreds of guests, exotic food, and a custom made wedding dress from a famous wedding dress designer. But now that you are getting married, you are realizing that this dream simply cannot be a reality. You have made the smart choice not to get into debt by throwing a gigantic affair of a wedding. While this is a great decision, it can seem difficult to find the perfect wedding dress when you are on such a tight budget. Here are some tips for finding a cheap wedding dress that you will absolutely fall in love with.

Tip One: Look Everywhere

When searching for a cheap wedding dress, it is important not to confine your search to wedding dress stores. These stores can charge high prices for wedding dresses that you might find elsewhere for cheap. Look in thrift stores. While many of these dresses may be severely outdated, it is possible that you can purchase the dress for very cheap and have it altered for a relatively small fee. In addition, make sure that you look on some internet auction sites. These sites have people selling things all of the time. You can get a once worn or even brand new wedding dress for very cheap.

If you are looking for a very cheap wedding dress, you can also look in department stores around prom time. There are countless white prom dresses in these department stores in the spring, and you can get a beautiful gown for a very low price. Of course, many of these dresses are not pure white, so you may need to sacrifice that.

Tip Two: Hit The Sales

If you are a brave woman, you may be able to find a cheap wedding dress at a wedding gown sale. Many wedding dress stores have giant blow out sales at various times during the year. There are some stores that are famous for their wedding dress sales and offer discount prices that you absolutely would not believe.

These sales, however, often times get out of hand. They have been parodied on various sitcoms and are shown on the news when they occur. Women come from miles and miles away to get these discounts, so if you want to get a cheap wedding dress from one of these sales, you must show up early and be prepared to duke it out to get your perfect and cheap wedding dress!

Casual Wedding Dress

Choosing A Casual Wedding Dress

Congratulations on your impending nuptials! You will soon be married and embark on a journey of married life with your spouse. This is an exciting time in your life, but perhaps you are not as excited as a different bride might be. You steer away from tradition, or maybe you are shy, or maybe you just want your “big day” to be celebrated with intimate family and friends. If any of these are the case, perhaps you are looking for a more casual wedding dress than most brides choose. With all of the hugely ornate, fancy, and absolutely over the top wedding dresses out there, you may feel lost and confused searching for a casual wedding dress. Here are some tips to help you choose the best casual wedding dress for you and your celebration.

Hold Your Ground!

If you want to have a small, casual wedding, chances are strong that someone will try to deter you from this. When you go wedding dress shopping, make sure that you only have people there with you who understand that you want a casual wedding dress and who are not going to try to change your opinion. If you do this, then it will be easier for you to stand your ground when faced with countless fancy, huge, and extravagant dresses. If you bring people along who do not agree that you should have a casual wedding, then it is highly possible that they will try to sway your opinion and put you in a dress that is anything but a casual wedding dress!

Forget The Price Tag

A casual wedding dress can be several different styles. It can be tea length or floor length, and really it can be made of any material. These different styles and materials are reflected in the price of the wedding dress. Remember, just because it is a casual wedding dress does not mean that it will be or that it has to be a cheap wedding dress. If you are on a budget, you may want to look at the less expensive wedding dresses, but if you are simply having a smaller, more casual wedding because that is what you earnestly want, the price tag should be irrelevant. So make sure that you choose the style and material that you want, and try not to worry about the price tag!

It Is Okay To Change Your Mind

Remember: it is okay to change your mind! If you find a beautiful and fancy dress that you absolutely love, it is okay to choose that dress over a more casual wedding dress. You are the bride—it is okay for you to be dressed ten times better than the rest of the guests! You can still have a casual wedding with a fancy dress!

Beach Wedding Dress

What To Look For In A Beach Wedding Dress

Years ago, the only appropriate place for a wedding was in a church. With the changing times, a popular wedding location is becoming the beach. Couples travel to exotic beaches to hold their nuptials, and others simply go to a local beach for their celebration. What many brides to be are quickly realizing is that a beach wedding almost always requires a casual wedding dress. Here are some tips for choosing your idea beach wedding dress for your special day on the beach.

Look At The Material

The material of your beach wedding dress is very important. At the beach, there is obviously a lot of sand. Because of this, you will want to find a material that is sand friendly. Lace is probably the least sand friendly material that you could have on your beach wedding dress. Sand can get trapped in the lace, and it can be almost impossible to effectively shake it out. Instead, look for a material that is solid without dips and grooves. The material should also be light and wispy to fend off sand. In addition, the beach is also a wet place. Instead of a heavy material that, when wet, takes a long time to dry out, the light weight material is again a better option. These materials dry out much quicker and will not completely saturate with water.

Look At The Style

A beach wedding is a casual wedding. Since your guests will be walking in the sand outside, they do not expect it to be a black tie affair. Likewise, you should keep your wedding dress at least semi casual. It can still be floor length with a moderate train, but anything excessively ornate with a large train will just look silly on the beach. Beach wedding photos look great when the bride’s dress is blowing in the wind. If your dress is stiff and rigid, that will not happen. A more casual style is appropriate for a beach wedding dress.

Do Not Forget The Bridesmaids!

The best choice for bridesmaids dresses for beach weddings are tea length dresses. While the bride can still have a floor length gown, that is simply due to tradition. You do not want your bridesmaids to be traipsing through the sand with a sand laden and damp floor length bridesmaid gown. Instead, give them something practical with a cute, whimsical tea length gown. This way both you and your bridesmaids can have a happy day.

Wedding Dress

Choosing The Perfect Wedding Dress

You are getting married! It is every little girl’s dream to have the perfect wedding with the perfect dress. When a little girl dreams of her wedding, the dress is, by far, the most important part (aside from the groom of course!). However, when you get into the wedding dress store, it can be very overwhelming. You have people coming at you from every direction with a different dress to try on. You are assaulted with haters, strapless, spaghetti straps; A line, empire waist, and mermaid. There are a thousand different styles and designs for dresses, let alone wedding dresses. Here are some tips to choosing the wedding dress that is perfect for you.

Fit Your Figure

Your wedding dress needs to be appropriate for your figure. You may have a large chest, and while you may love strapless gowns, that might not be the best choice for you. Instead, try to find something with some support like a halter dress or a dress with cap sleeves. In addition, while some large, poufy, princess gowns look great on store mannequins, it takes a certain body type to effectively pull the dress off. If you have a short waist or are not very tall in general, chances are that this type of dress will completely engulf you and make you look absolutely ridiculous. So even if you absolutely love a dress on the hanger or the store mannequin, remember that you have to find a dress that fits your figure, not a size zero mannequin.

Fit Your Location

Something must be said about dress appropriateness for the location of the wedding and or the reception. If you are having a beach wedding, for example, you should probably find some sort of beach like wedding dress. Instead of a huge dress with a large train, you will probably want something thin and lightweight with a very small train if you are getting married on the beach. You do not want your dress to be covered with sand, and sand can get caught in a train or even in certain materials like lace. Instead, the light weight, wispy materials are easy to shake off and can easily be loosed of any sand that may attempt to attach itself.

Try Two!

A new trend is to get two wedding dresses: one for the ceremony and one for the reception. The ceremony dress can be ornate, glamorous, and formal. Then you can get a more casual and comfortable wedding dress for the reception. This is so that you can have your formal wedding dress, but still be comfortable at your wedding reception.

Cheap Wedding Ring

Who Wants A Cheap Wedding Ring Anyway?

Is there any bride out there that wants a cheap wedding ring? I think not! Cheap could mean different things to different people. In terms of a cheap wedding ring, I am not talking about it having lucky packet status but just bellow affordable. Imagine having a wedding of your dreams, a Vera Wang wedding dress and your soon to be husband surprises you at the alter with some tacky looking cheap wedding ring.

You standing there trying to stop yourself from biting the thing just incase its made out of tin and the ‘diamond’ is plastic. I guess this is the reason why so many men opt for their fiancĂ©s choosing their own wedding rings to eliminate the embarrassment and shame of their wives rejecting them (i.e. the rings not the men… which has happened before)

When it comes to a suitable wedding ring it should be affordable. I see no point in spending over thousands for a ring that is at risk of either falling down a drain or being misplaced, but this is no excuse for buying a cheap wedding ring. A wedding ring could be seen as an asset in most cases especially pawning it after a divorce… I mean what good is a cheap wedding ring then? There should be limits to how much we spend and as long as it does not put us in a huge debt, I guess its ok.

The True Meaning Of A Wedding Ring

The wedding ring is traditionally worn at the base of the forth finger on the left hand. This is because in the old days, this finger was known to have contained the “vein of love” and by wearing the ring on this finger, a married couple symbolized their eternal love for each other. What happen to the wearing a wedding ring? Has wearing one been deduced to a mere announcement of status?

In this day and age we loose the true value, the sentimental value of a wedding ring. It should be to represent the love that we have for our significant other and at the end of the day whether it is made of plastic or tin its value should be reflected in our hearts. Why are we so obsessed with material things today, whether we have a cheap wedding ring or one that is heavier and shinier than the sun itself we must never forget the true meaning of the wedding ring.

Irish Wedding Ring

The History Of The Claddagh - A Significant Irish Wedding Ring

The Claddagh is a traditional Irish wedding ring that originated in the small Irish fishing village of Claddagh. The Claddagh was first produced in the 17th century but the design dates back many more years. This Irish wedding ring has inspired many jewelry designers and its distinctive look is both beautiful and symbolic. Its design resembles two hands holding a crowned heart. This symbolizes love in terms of the heart, friendship in terms of the hands and the crown symbolizes loyalty. The timeless expression that is usually associated with this Irish wedding ring is the saying: “With my hands I give my heart and crown it with my love.”

The Legend Of The Claddagh

There are many legends surrounding this Irish wedding ring including the tale of Margaret Joyce, who had married a Spanish merchant. He later died leaving her a sum of money, which she then used to fund the building of a bridge in Ireland. As a reward, an eagle dropped a Claddagh ring into her lap.

Another story is of a prince that had fallen in love with a common maid and to convince his father that he was seriously in love with her, he had designed a ring, the Claddagh ring and had given it to her. Another legend is that if you are wearing this ring on your right hand and the band breaks, the person you are with is destined to be your true love forever.

But the story that is closer to the truth of the origin of the Claddagh Irish wedding ring is the tale of Richard Joyce, a master goldsmith. Legend has it that it was he who created this ring that has become a big part of Irish heritage. Their early manufacture was made by cuttle-bone mould casting then the cire pirdue or “lost wax” process.

These Irish wedding rings can be worn by both women and men and are available in either gold or silver. They are not just popular amongst brides and grooms of Irish heritage but people of other cultures find the richness of the Claddagh just as alluring. However rich in culture this is also no cheap wedding ring.

Although there are many affordable ones, finding originals dating back centuries might cost a bit more. Many celebrities have popularized wearing these rings and they have been featured on many book covers as well as various artwork paintings. Really, this ring is not only beautiful but carries with it great meaning.

Celtic Wedding Ring

The Celtic Wedding Ring – A Band Of Heritage And Culture

The Celts were a group of tribes that were spread throughout Europe. Amongst them were artisans that specialized in carving a knot and weave pattern as well as crosses amongst others.

These patterns have now inspired many jewelry designers to recreate Celtic wedding rings from centuries back as well as many other Celtic inspired jewelry pieces. Nowadays its not only brides and grooms who are of Celtic heritage that are interested in buying Celtic wedding rings, but also women of other cultures and due to this, these designs are becoming more and more widely available.

I mean, what could be more stylish than an exquisitely handcrafted Irish wedding ring? This is just one example of Celtic jewelry that so beautifully enriched symbolism. While some say that the true meaning of symbols in Celtic culture is uncertain, many people admire its art and jewelry for the spiritual associations and messages that they derive from it. For instance, the circular shape of the ring reflects the endless love and commitment that two people have for each other. While the love knot design clearly embodies the strength of ones love.

Availability Of The Celtic Wedding Rings

Celtic wedding rings are mystical and distinctive. With so many stockist now selling these artistic pieces it is no wonder that Celtic wedding rings have become more and more common amongst brides to be, from the unique love knot design to the Celtic warrior ring, the claddagh wedding rings or the Celtic spiral or spinning wedding ring set. The anam cara, also known as the soul mate wedding ring set is also a popular design.

Celtic wedding rings are often made of gold or white gold, platinum or silver as well as black zirconium and can be worn by both men and women. Choosing the right Celtic wedding rings is not an easy choice for any bride or groom, especially if one is not of Celtic heritage but do admire this art form that has survived many centuries. Finding a piece that has your own personal meaning is important.

Reading about the history of a particular design is quite helpful in developing a kind of connection with a piece. The internet can also be very useful in scouting out what you want or finding a directory of a stockist. Celtic wedding rings are so rich in culture and history that no matter how plain the design might seem its simplicity sometimes is the most beautiful aspect of the ring.

Titanium Wedding Ring

The Titanium Wedding Ring – This Is One For The Men

Titanium: the substance for internal and external applications. (Titanium wedding rings – external use only.) No kidding. Titanium is neutral to the human body and is used in medical applications such as the replacement of bones and even heart valves. Therefore, a titanium wedding ring has the added advantage of its neutrality making it compatible with any skin type; it will not cause irritations or discolouring.

Tough as the substance is, a titanium wedding ring can be beautifully crafted, with (masculine) intricacies as delicate as a Celtic wedding ring.

A Little About Titanium:

Apparently titanium was first known as Menachite, until about two hundred years ago, when it was renamed after the Greek giants, the Titans. Although more difficult to work with than the more commonly used precious metals in jewellery design, titanium and high-grade titanium alloy is an excellent substance for jewellery like watches, body jewellery and men’s wedding rings.

According to an article on TitataniumRings.com (Arnell Workshop inc.), aircraft grade titanium alloys are about three times stronger than stainless steel and about 45% lighter.

They are a lot more durable to wear than gold, silver or platinum. The strength of basic grade titanium is much like platinum, but it’s a lot lighter. However, aircraft grade titanium (commonly used now for rings) is 300% to 800% stronger than the basic grade! (Thanks for that information, TitaniumRings.com.)

Advantages Of The Titanium Wedding Ring

Okay, guys, so you’re not crazy about the idea of having to wear a ring. The titanium wedding ring is tough; very tough. (But not as tough as your wife; so wear it.) There’s no image problem wearing a titanium wedding ring. They can design them to look like a Mag Wheel.

You don’t have to remove it in a bar fight. It’s tough – it won’t take teeth marks. When the honeymoon is over, and your wife screams at you, you can bite on your titanium wedding ring until she’s all talked out. (If she spots you biting on the ring, she’ll think you’re remembering your vows, poor sentimental soul. Might even help.)

Need a temporary clamp or to make a light pulley? A temporary washer? Use your titanium wedding ring! It’s like having a toolbox on your finger!

You don’t have to get married four times to collect a set of four mag wheels for a miniature car – just renew your vows four times. It’ll make her happy and she’ll pay for the mags.

Wedding Ring Diamond

“You May Kiss The Ring” -The Diamond Wedding Ring

It would take a really super-stunning bride to outshine some of the diamond wedding rings I’ve just been perving over! There’s nothing quite like diamonds.

I realize that some people prefer precious stones that have a special significance to them that they would choose over diamonds. There are also those who use heirlooms, to perpetuate a family tradition. I also realize that a substantial diamond wedding ring costs more than many of us could afford. Wedding rings can be absolutely stunning without having a diamond anywhere near them. Or, perhaps your prospective bride is a streamlined athlete to whom every gram is crucial, and she prefers a plain titanium wedding ring.

“Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments. Love is not love that alters when it alteration finds…,” or depends on the price tag of the wedding ring to endure. (Apologies to Billy Shakespeare.).

Right, now that we’ve got the true love bit out of the way, let’s get back to the diamond wedding ring.

You’ve just won the national lottery after the fourth rollover, so money is no object. Or you’ve just been hit by someone who has just won the national lottery and your lawyer tells you that money is no object. You’re free to choose your own diamond wedding ring in any style you desire.

Choosing Your Diamond Wedding Ring Recklessly!

You know all about the four ‘C’s - cut, clarity, colour and carat. So what’ll it be? One big, beautiful stone, surrounded by smaller ones of diminishing sizes and shapes; all the way around the white gold band? Perhaps a blue-white, surrounded by sapphires and small white diamonds? Clusters, patterns, or neat little rows? Twining, sparkling ribbons, or roses, or hearts? Narrow bands with stones that protrude - or wide bands with the stones set in deep?

They’ll all make stunningly beautiful diamond wedding rings. But for me, with money galore, I’ll go for a diamond wedding ring made from just one of those rare, magnificent, coloured diamonds that you only see on web sites or very fancy auctions!

I saw a round, brilliant, intense yellow stone of 2.55 carats, set alone, with a twin band covered in tiny white stones. My favourite diamond wedding ring, without any doubt, is a large (over two carats) intense pink stone, slightly elliptical, surrounded by a single orbit of smaller white diamonds set in a ribbon of yellow gold. The band is white gold, with just a very thin trimming of clear little sparklers along the outer edges.

I’ve chosen my diamond wedding ring! I think I’ll just keep it – can’t afford a bride now.

Wedding Ring Set

Wedding Ring Set: Depiction Of Your Love

Weddings are definitely joyous but exhausting event. Aside from the basics like searching for a venue, the reception, the wedding dress and the like one of the major considerations for the couple is their wedding ring. There are three things that last; faith, hope and love, and the greatest of these is love.

Searching for the perfect diamond ring set can be stressful and strenuous because there are so many things to consider including cost. Most couples prefer a gold wedding ring set because it is large enough to be worn by it self. When searching for a dream wedding ring set, you have first to choose the wedding ring set that suits the taste of both of you.

Diamond Wedding Ring : Because Love Is Forever

The most common setting of any diamond wedding ring is gold which can either be white or yellow gold and comes out with either an 18-carat which is pure gold or 14 karat which is pure gold combined with other metals.

Other common option is platinum because it has remarkable appeal and could last longer. Because of its durability compared to gold, a wedding ring set made of platinum can resist breakage and cracking over time and most of all it doesn’t discolor the skin. Shape of the ring should also be considered but the most popular diamond shape is round or brilliant because they tend to sparkle more than other shapes.

The latest trend and availability of wedding ring set for both man and woman solves the problem fully so that both must get equal attention. The wedding ring set serves to be the perfect match for both. An added advantage of the same wedding ring sets is that the rings can be customized at all the jewelry shops so this makes them more significant and also remove the believe that a woman’s wedding ring is given prior importance than the man’s ring.

Wedding ring sets can be customized by inscriptions easily inscribed on it. The message could be a unique one in a unique style and even the names could be etched in it. Messages chosen can be outstanding and should be able to show the love that they have for one another and that which is to be kept always till the end of their life.

While selecting the wedding ring set, and the shape always make sure that they are the right choice and are extremely rich variety that would change the entire concept of your life. Lastly, although all wedding rings are alluring, do not be lured away. Always check if the guarantee certificate is available. Compare the prices of the wedding ring sets in the same category then only will you know which one is more feasible.

Wedding Ring

Finding The Perfect Wedding Ring

There is so much pressure when it comes to finding that perfect wedding ring? Having to look down at a ring that might or might not be on your hand, indented for the rest of your life. Wondering if you have made the right decision? More often women wonder if they made the right choice on the wedding ring caring less about whether they have made the right choice on the man. Should one go diamonds, platinum, pearl or cubic zirconia? Should one go single or get a wedding ring set? There are just so many options on the market that the list is endless.

Another big question is, how far should one go when it comes to prices? With many wedding rings costing more than a deposit on a car or in some cases more than the wedding itself, it’s hard to say what the limit is when it comes to prices. Considering that it is seen as an asset and can be of value, one should be able to splurge a little bit. But taking it too far will be when you bye a ring that does cost a lot and you are left in a huge debt. Many women use their wedding ring as a reflection of there financial status, the flashier the better.

To be able to show it off and make people envy them or believe that they are well off…I mean, what will people say, what will they think? So finding the perfect ring is very important. Some women on the other hand use their wedding ring as a way to show others that yes, they taken, they found someone, they not alone…ultimately that they were good enough to catch a man. A sort of in-your-face! Here it really does not matter, as long as they have the ring, whether it is perfect or form a lucky packet.


Wedding Ring Doubts

When in doubt on which wedding ring to choose here is some advice? Less is more! Too often women feel that the bigger the better….wrong! If you are going with a thin band its ok to have a big ‘rock’ that stands out but try not to layer it too much by getting a thin band with three other thin bands.

When going with a thick band, try smaller stones. While Platinum is very nice, it can be expensive so to substitute it go for white gold. It looks smart and it compliments any skin tone. Don’t put too much pressure on your wedding ring and remember the true meaning it should symbolize, which is love for your spouse.

Inexpensive Wedding Favor

Inexpensive Wedding Favor Ideas

A wedding is an expensive thing now days. Most people want to have a huge, glamorous celebration in honor of their love. There is nothing wrong with that, but many couples end up beginning their lives in debt. Instead of having fun on their honeymoon and enjoying each other in those early months and years of marriage, couples are struggling to pay for their extravagant weddings, their wedding rings, and a lavish honeymoon. So instead of spending thousands and thousands of dollars on your wedding, try to cut costs wherever possible. The first place you can save money is with inexpensive wedding favors.

Homemade Inexpensive Wedding Favors

Inexpensive wedding favors are easy to make at home. People love baked goods, and wedding guests are no different! You can bake several dozen of you and your fiancĂ©’s favorite cookies. Then either wrap them into tissue paper or tulle. Both tulle and tissue paper are very inexpensive, but they do not necessarily look cheap. You can easily make an inexpensive wedding favor using a baked item and a piece of inexpensive tulle or tissue paper. In fact, these can be extra special if you personalize them by writing the wedding date in icing on the cookies and using tissue paper or tulle that matches your wedding colors.

Store Bought Inexpensive Wedding Favors

If you are not very handy, you can still have inexpensive wedding favors that are purchased at a store. Many online sites offer inexpensive wedding favors like bookmarks and key chains. These favors can very easily be personalized to include your name, your fiancĂ©’s name, and the date of your wedding. Any online wedding site will have inexpensive wedding favors for you to choose from. However, if you have a very large guest list, even the cheap wedding favors can start to add up very quickly.

A Little Bit Of Each

If you want to have some sort of elegance with your inexpensive wedding favor, try mixing a little bit of both worlds. You can bake some cookies, a small cake, or make some homemade candies. Instead of putting them in tissue paper or tulle, you can purchase for a small price some elegant boxes, pyramids, bags, or envelopes to put the wedding favor in. This store bought container will make your wedding favors look much more elegant, and you will still achieve your inexpensive wedding favor.

Mixing and matching is the best way to create the low cost wedding favor that you are looking for. However, if your wedding is not meant to be especially elegant, then sticking with homemade wedding favors is your best bet.

Elegant Wedding Favor

Elegant Wedding Favor Ideas

You are planning your dream wedding. Nothing is too expensive, and price is absolutely no object. After all, this is the only day of your life when everything will be completely about you. This is your wedding, and you want your dreams to come true.

You may be planning every last detail, from the dress to the rings to the serving utensils. You may already be thinking about wedding favors. You know that you do not want an inexpensive wedding favor. Instead, you want an elegant wedding favor that your guests will appreciate and that will not go into the trash can as soon as they get home. Here are some ideas for elegant wedding favors that will be whimsical and useful for your guests.

Making Elegant Looking Wedding Favors

You may be thinking that you want elegant wedding favors, but you actually are on a budget. You are trying to plan your dream wedding and keep things looking and feeling elegant, but the cost restrictions are starting to really tear apart your ideas for elegant wedding favors.

Do not worry. There are still ways to make your wedding favors elegant while on a budget. You can do homemade candies or baked goods. Instead of putting them in a tulle wedding favor bag, purchase relatively cheap, but elegant, wedding favor boxes. There are also pyramid wedding favor boxes and heart shaped wedding favor boxes. In addition, there are many different wedding favor bags that come in different colors and materials that will make your wedding favors look like elegant wedding favors, even if you made them at home.

Truly Elegant Wedding Favors

If you do not have a budget and are not worried about spending too much money on your wedding favors, think about doing something truly elegant for your guests. Instead of having something edible for a favor, try purchasing picture frames with the word “love” written all over it in different languages. You can also use silver bottle openers for elegant wedding favors, and they will be especially memorable for your guests if you put the date of the wedding on them.

Other elegant wedding favor ideas include silver wine stoppers, glass coasters with a love poem inscribed on them, a silver letter opener with the word “love” engraved on it, elegant key chains, and cute “love beyond measure” spoons (measuring spoons shaped like hearts). There are countless elegant wedding favor ideas out there, and all you have to do is choose the right one for you and your special day!

Wedding Favor Bag

Homemade Ideas For Your Wedding Favor Bags

If you are having a laid back, homey wedding, you may not be looking for an elegant wedding favor idea. Instead, for your wedding favors you want something comfortable and unpretentious. You want something that is cute, edible, and fun. Here are some ideas for some homemade wedding favors to be put into a wedding favor bag.

Oreo Tux And Wedding Gown

This is a very cute idea for something edible and fun to put into a wedding favor bag. You will need to have two Oreos for each guest. First, dip one cookie half way into a white chocolate coating. Wait for the cookies to dry almost all the way and then make a semi circle of silver sprinkles (or any color, really!), to look like a necklace on the edge of the cookie. If you need to, you can make a stencil to guide your semi circle so the cookies are all even. You now have your wedding dress Oreo!

For the tux, dip the cookies in dark chocolate. While they are drying, make a stencil of a pie shaped wedge. After the cookies have dried, use the stencil to paint white chocolate in a pie shaped wedge to represent the top of a tuxedo. After this has dried, use a small paintbrush and dark chocolate to put two small V shapes on the white part that you painted earlier. Next put 2-3 dots for buttons below the V neck.

After drying, put these cookies together in a tulle wedding favor bag or other transparent wedding favor bag. What a unique idea!

Mini Cakes

Mini cakes are perfect to put in an organza or tulle wedding favor bag. All you have to do is bake a normal sheet cake in an 8 inch by 11 inch pan. Use cookie cutters to cut small cakes from the larger cake. You can either cut them in normal squares, or use the cookie cutter for something interesting like a heart. The key to making these able to be put in a wedding favor bag is using fondant icing on them. This is a hard icing that stays perfectly in place. However, some people do not like the taste of it. You can always put regular icing underneath the fondant so that the guest can pull the fondant off and still have yummy icing on his or her cake. Make the cakes extra special by writing the date of the wedding on them!

Unique Wedding Favor

Creating A Unique Wedding Favor

If you are getting married, chances are you have already thought about wedding favors. You may have thought of several different wedding favor ideas, from a wedding favor bag to a simple box of candy per guest. However, if you are having a unique wedding or want to stand out in the sea of weddings during wedding season, why not try giving your guests a unique wedding favor. Read on for some interesting and unique wedding favor ideas for your special day!

Make Your Own Wedding Favors

A truly unique wedding favor idea is to have your guests make their own favors. This may initially sound tacky to you, but it is a trend popping up at even some of the most elegant wedding celebration. What you do is fill several unique and interesting clear vases (you can have them in different colors, just make sure they are not opaque) with a different candy or other treat in each one. Have a vase filled with decorative favor bags (you could even personalize these with your names and the date of the wedding!). Make sure that you have a scoop for each vase so that the guests can fill their bags with whatever they choose! This really is a unique wedding favor idea, and it saves you time and money.

Jewelry Wedding Favors

If you have a pretty large budget for wedding favors, a unique wedding favor idea is to give jewelry to your guests. It doesn’t have to be expensive jewelry, but something nice like a bracelet for the women and a money clip for the men. Doing this, however, will probably cost you quite a bit if you have a large list of wedding guests. Each bracelet will probably cost between five and ten dollars, and a money clip will probably be close to five or ten dollars as well. This is a great unique wedding favor idea if you have a small guest list or have a very large budget.

Other Unique Wedding Favor Ideas

There are many other unique wedding favors. You can give each guest a mini bottle of champagne with a personalized cork. You could also give your guests a tote bag or a candle, depending on how classy your affair is going to be. In addition, you could also give your guests something like a coffee mug with a gourmet coffee package in it. There are countless ideas for unique wedding favors, and any one that you choose will be interesting, refreshing, and unique for your wedding.

Personalized Wedding Favor

Creating Personalized Wedding Favors

If your wedding is all about glitz, glamour, and extravagance, you have probably already begun to give careful thought to the wedding favors for your guests. You want to thank your guests for coming with a special wedding favor, so why not make it a personalized wedding favor? A personalized wedding favor will make your guest truly feel like you value him or her and were truly glad that they came. Here are a few different ways to create personalized wedding favors.

Personalize A Wedding Favor

Almost any wedding favor can be personalized. If you want a personalized wedding favor that stays within the norm of wedding favors, there are a few different ideas you can try. First, you could have baked goods, like cookies or candy, in a personalized trinket box. The box would have you and your spouse’s names on it as well as the date of your wedding. This is good because it will give the guests something to munch on while they wait for dinner or if they do not like the appetizers you are serving. It will also give them something that they can use in the future that will always remind them of your big day.

You could also personalize a shot glass, mugs for the men and fancy cups for the women, magnets, book marks, or stationary. Many brides and grooms have personalized wedding favors though, and many of these personalized wedding favors are cute but not practical.

Personalized For The Guest

If you have a small guest list or an unending budget, think about personalizing the wedding favor to each guest. Instead of having your names and the wedding date on the item, have your guest’s name engraved or painted on the personalized wedding favor. This is great for stationary, mugs and wine glasses, ornaments, or trinket boxes. People love having little things like this with their own names on them. The only difficult part about this is that if you have guests bringing dates, you might not know the date’s name.

Uniquely Personalized Wedding Favor Ideas

A truly unique personalized wedding favor idea is a wedding favor bag. These are great if you have a very large budget for wedding favors. You can put anything in the wedding favor bag. Guests will love a spa gift certificate, a copy of you and your fiancĂ©’s favorite movie, a CD with all of your meaningful songs on it, a gift certificate to your favorite store, and anything else that you can think of.

Wedding Favor Idea

Interesting Wedding Favor Ideas

You probably have every aspect to your wedding already planned. You have your dress, you have chosen your cake, and you know what song will be you and your husband’s first dance. You and your fiancĂ© may have already even made your wedding registry and have your honeymoon booked.

But have you thought about your wedding favors? Have you come up with any wedding favor ideas or decided whether or not to make personalized wedding favors? Wedding favors are some of the last things that people think of when getting married, but they are still important in the overall wedding. You want your guests to feel like you were really glad that they were there, and one way to do that is through putting careful thought and consideration into your wedding favor idea.

Uniquely You

Your wedding favor should represent who you and your fiancé are as a couple. It is always fun to think of unique wedding favor ideas that go well with you as a couple. One very unique wedding favor idea is to make a mixed CD for your guests. Include the songs that you and your fiancé find meaningful. Of course put your first dance song on there, and any other songs that are used in the wedding. This unique wedding favor idea will be a hit among your guests!

Personalize Them

Another great wedding favor idea is to personalize the wedding favors. You can personalize almost anything these days. You could paint your names and the wedding date on an ornament if your wedding is during the holiday season. You could also put your names and the wedding date on a glass, a keychain, or any other trinket. If you are having a very small wedding, a wedding favor idea is to make the gift personalized for your guest. Have their name put on the gift instead of you and your fiancĂ©’s.

Budget Wedding Favor Ideas

It is very possible that you have already maxed out your budget on other essential aspects of the wedding, like food for the reception, the reception hall itself, your dress, or the wedding cake. A wedding really begins to add up, and before you know it you have spent thousands of dollars.

If you are working off of a budget, there are still wedding favor ideas for you. You could bake cookies and wrap them in tissue paper that matches your color scheme. You could also wrap candy in tulle and tie it with some ribbon. These are still good wedding favor ideas, but they will not break the bank!

Wedding Favor

Choosing Wedding Favors

Congratulations, you are getting married! This is one of the most important events of your life. You are planning everything from the music to the wedding dress to the food at the reception. One thing that you may not have taken time to really consider, however, is wedding favors. There are many wedding favor ideas out there and you have many different choices for what to use as a wedding favor.

Cheap Wedding Favors

If you are on a budget or have already spent quite a bit on the wedding and reception, you may be looking for a cheap wedding favor idea. There are several ideas for these favors that will not break the bank. First, you could do something homemade. This includes hand painted ornaments around Christmas time (with your names and the wedding date on it), baked goods wrapped in tissue paper that follows your color scheme, or something along those lines. These favors are certainly cheaper than many other favors out there, but they show an aspect of personalization that other favors may not show.

Extravagant Wedding Favors

If you are not on a budget and are planning a truly spectacular, extravagant wedding, think about giving your guests something extravagant. If money is no object, your wedding favors could be gift baskets for each of the guests. You could put in them things that you and your new spouse love, like a gift certificate to a spa, your favorite chocolates, clothing, jewelry, etc. With an extravagant wedding, you have the option to truly go overboard with your wedding favors. Thank your guests for coming by giving them a goodie bag filled with things that they will enjoy!

Personalized Wedding Favors

Some of the best wedding favors are personalized favors. Some of these can be cheap, like the Christmas tree ornaments stated earlier. Some are not as cheap and include mugs or glasses with your names and the wedding date on them, key chains engraved with your names and the date, and even a mixed CD with all of the songs that have special meaning to you and your new spouse.

Despite all of these favor ideas, remember that you do not need to give your guests a favor for attending. They are attending because they care about you and want to celebrate your big day with you. If your budget prohibits a wedding favor for each guest, try not to worry. No one will notice that there were not any favors at the wedding!

Wedding Cake Recipe

Wedding Cake Recipe Ideas

If you would rather not order your wedding cake and instead do a wedding favor for your guests and show them how much your wedding means to you by making your own wedding cake, you will need to find a great wedding cake recipe.

Italian Wedding Cake

A very popular wedding cake recipe is the Italian Wedding Cake wedding cake recipe. For it you will need ½ cup buttermilk, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, ½ cup shortening, ½ cup margarine, 2 cups white sugar, 5 egg yolks, ¼ tsp almond extract, 2 cups all-purpose flour, 5 egg whites, ½ cup drained crushed pineapple, ½ cup flaked coconut, and 1 cup chopped pecans.

For the icing you will need ¾ cup butter softened, 1 package cream cheese softened, 4 cups confectioners’ sugar, 2 tsp vanilla extract, and 1 cup chopped pecans.

Now to start preparing this wedding cake recipe, you need to preheat the oven to 350ÂşF, and then grease and flour three 8-inch pans. Then you combine the buttermilk, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl, and set aside.

In a large bowl, you want to cream together the shortening, margarine and sugar until light and fluffy, and then beat in the egg yolks one at a time so that you can make sure they are well mixed. Now you want to stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla and almond extract, and beat in the buttermilk mixture alternatively with the flour.

Make sure that you mix only until just incorporated, and then you want to use a separate bowl and add to this the egg whites, beat until they form stiff peaks. The next step is for you to gently fold the egg whites into the batter, stir in pineapple, coconut and 1 cup pecans, and then pour the batter into the prepared pans.

Bake in the over for about a half hour, making sure to keep an eye on it, and you will be able to tell it is done by inserting a toothpick into the center and if it comes out clean you know that it is finished.

To make the frosting you cream together the butter, cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar until blended, and then stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla and 1 cup pecans. If you find that the frosting is too stiff to spread on the cake, you want to stir in milk 1 teaspoon at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.

This wedding cake recipe is very popular, and you are sure to love it. Your guests will certainly be impressed.

Wedding Cake Price

Finding an Average Wedding Cake Price

Budgeting is one of the most difficult aspects of any wedding, and so if you are presently in the process of planning your wedding now, you are going to want to make sure that you get your budgeting done and over with as soon as possible. You can really not work on too many areas of your wedding without taking care of this first, so do it and do it right.

Budgeting is essential if you want to make sure that you get everything you want for your wedding but at a price that you can afford.

Before you agree to pay any amount for a wedding cake, the most important thing for you to go is to find an average wedding cake price. If you have not been married before and probably do not know that much about wedding planning as a result, then you will obviously not know what range of price you should expect your wedding cake to be in, and will probably end up lost.

To save yourself a lot of time and hassle and most importantly money, you will want to find out what the average wedding cake price is for the type of cake that you are looking for.

You can do this quite easily, by browsing around through a couple different stores that are offering the types of cakes that you would like for yourself. See what they each list their different cakes at and whether there are any additional charges needed.

Finding the average wedding cake price should also include additional items, such as cake toppers and decorations. This way you will know almost exactly what amount or at least a rough idea that you should be including in your budget for your wedding cake.

Another Option…

If you want to save yourself from having to pay the high wedding cake price that is usually listed at most wedding cake stores, you can always find a great wedding cake recipe and make the cake yourself. This can definitely seem daunting at first, as wedding cakes are quite grandiose, but

If you would rather avoid the whole wedding cake price thing and make your own cake, there are some great recipes out there that you can follow. A fun idea would be getting your friends and family involved, so they can all pitch in and they can help you create your wedding cake.

Just think of how much fun it would be to have your wedding and know that you helped create the masterpiece cake.

Wedding Cake Idea

Coming up With a Creative Wedding Cake Idea: Tips and Tricks

Coming up with a creative wedding cake idea really does not have to be difficult, but there are a few tips and tricks that you will want to use to your advantage here. This way you know that your wedding is going to go as smoothly as possible. This is your most special day, so of course you want everything to be beautiful.

One of the best things that you can do if you want to come up with a wedding cake idea is browse around on the Internet. If you want a really great wedding cake idea, there are some terrific websites that you can look at, which will offer recipes, decoration tips and ideas, and even valuable advice on where to go to buy a cake.

This is also a great method to use for getting an average wedding cake price, which is important because then you know how much of your wedding budget is going to need to go towards the cake.

Recipes

Now if you maybe want to get super creative with your wedding cake idea and just make the cake on your own, get prepared. Making a wedding cake is certainly not easy, which is why most couples leave it up to a professional to get the job done.

However, it is certainly possible and it will definitely be a nice wedding cake idea because you will know how much of your heart and soul went into making the cake when you are at the wedding, and you can let all the guests know as well.

The Italian wedding cake idea is very popular, which typically includes coconut and pecans, but because many people are not able to eat these sorts of ingredients you will probably want to stick to a more basic recipe. It is probably going to be best for you to stick to a more basic recipe if you have never made a wedding cake before.

You would think that a wedding cake is just like a regular cake only larger, but there is actually much more detail that needs to go into it and the recipes are usually much more extravagant as well. Just make sure that you think you can handle the recipe before starting on it and trying to prepare the cake, and remember to ask for help if you need it.

Getting your friends and family involved would actually be a great idea anyway, because then they can feel as though they did their part to help out with the wedding.

Wedding Cake Design

Coming up With a Wedding Cake Design

Finding a wedding cake design that you love does not have to be hard, but it can certainly be overwhelming as this is your most special day and you have such a multitude of options to choose from. Whether you are looking for a wedding cake design that is traditional or a more contemporary wedding cake idea, there are a few ideas that will help you out here.

Shop Wedding Cake Stores

One of the best things to help yourself come up with a wedding cake design will be for you to shop through some wedding cake stores. This way you will be able to get some more professional ideas and get off on the right foot, because you do not want your cake to look homemade or too basic.

This is your wedding, one of the most important days of your life, and so you are going to want the cake to be just as extravagant and beautiful.

The best idea, when you are coming up with a wedding cake design is to keep it with the theme of your wedding. If you are doing lots of roses on your tables and around the ceremony area for instance, then you may want to think of adding on some rose accessories to the cake. You could even use a rose cake topper, which would really tie in the whole theme here.

Besides coming up with a wedding cake design, there are a few other things that you want to think about here. For one, if you want to save yourself time and hassle, you could just choose from a cake design that is offered by a professional wedding cake company. This way you would not have to struggle, and know that the job would be done well.

You will need to take a bit of time to shop around at a few different cake stores, so that you can have access to the broadest range of cakes and ensure that you are getting the best price as well. After all, something that all brides and grooms can appreciate is saving money, as there are already enough other things in the wedding to have to worry about paying for.

Your wedding day will go just as you have always dreamed, as long as you take a few important steps, and taking care of the cake is one of the most essential things that need to be covered.

Wedding Cake Picture

Don’t Forget to Get a Wedding Cake Picture

Weddings are definitely busy times, and it is easy as the bride or groom to forget certain things. One thing that you definitely want to make sure to do before the wedding is over is get a wedding cake picture. Especially if you are planning on setting up a photo album afterwards of your wedding, you will want a wedding cake picture for sure, so you and others can remember the beautiful wedding cake design.

Generally speaking, you should take a wedding cake picture before the cake has been touched and then there should be pictures of the bride and groom feeding each other a piece of the cake.

However, you can mix it up however you want, the important thing is that you get some sort of a wedding cake picture so that you can remember how much of a part it was to your wedding and how beautiful it was.

Hire a Photographer

If you want to make sure that you do not forget to take a wedding cake picture and just really want to take a lot of the hassle of your wedding off your back, you should hire a professional wedding photographer.

There are some great photographers that you can turn to if this is something that you are interested in, just make sure that you go with a wedding photographer and no other type, because they are specially educated in this area and know just when the right moments are to take a picture.

Try the Michael Francis Company, and they have been in the photography industry for over twenty years now, which goes to show just how much knowledge and experience they have. They have provided their clientele properly over this time, not just satisfactory, providing lasting memories of the most important days of their life.

They represent a team of photographers who are familiar with a variety of traditions and cultures, and they combine an editorial photojournalistic approach with common sense and love.

As you can see from this, taking a wedding cake picture is very important and something that all brides and grooms should remember to have done for their own wedding. There are also other pictures of your wedding that you will want to make sure to take as well, such as pictures of you and the bridal party, the happy couple together, the mother and father of the bride and groom, and so on.

Wedding Cake Topper

Shopping for a Wedding Cake Topper

A wedding cake topper is something that is put on top of a wedding cake to finish it off. You don’t have to use the standard bride and groom wedding cake topper, and in fact there are many other ideas that you may prefer more, such as a wedding cake picture of you and your partner.

If you are looking for a wedding cake topper, you will want to find a store that offers a lot of variety and of course great prices, so that you know you can find exactly what you need but at an affordable price. Here are a few of the top contenders for companies offering wedding cake topper selections that are affordable, and which you will want to check out for yourself.

My Dream Wedding

Whether you are looking for wedding cake toppers, wedding cakes and accessories, or even information on how to plan your wedding, the My Dream Wedding Company is one well worth going through. They want to make sure that your most special day, your wedding, goes perfectly, and so they are willing to be there every step of the way for you.

They offer various links to different companies so you can find just what you are looking for, and they are always updating their information so you can keep checking back to find out what is new and exciting.

Wedding Favorites

Another company that will be worth checking out, whether you are looking for a funky wedding cake topper or more traditional one, is Wedding Favorites. Their collection of wedding cake toppers helps ensure that you find the perfect topper to sit atop your wedding cake. Each one that they offer has been selected to be an artistic reflection of different styled weddings, so no matter what specific details you are looking for, you are sure to love something here.

It is important that you take your time when choosing a topper for your wedding cake, because this is going to reflect who you and your partner are as people and as a couple. Everyone at your wedding is going to be looking at the cake and are going to see the topper that you chose.

Remember that it is all your personal preference, so even if you want to do something humorous with your cake topper you can, it is all up to you and what you want on your special day here.

Wedding Cake

Where to Buy a Wedding Cake

If you need a wedding cake for your wedding, and of course you are going to want one because this is one of the most important staples to any wedding, then you are going to want to know where you can go to purchase a wedding cake. There are some fantastic companies out there that cater to weddings and where you will be able to go to get the perfect wedding cake of your dreams.

Wedding Fads

This is definitely one of the most popular companies out there today for wedding cakes of all sorts. Whether you want to choose a cake that is ready to go or have one custom made, you can get whatever you need. They also have a variety of cake toppers and accessories that you can choose from to add onto the cake, to add that special touch.

They are a complete boutique of wedding accessories and reception supplies, and you can find not only cakes and wedding cake toppers but as well cake stands, gum paste wedding flowers, silver cake plateaus, custom wedding favors, and much more.

Sweet Celebrations Wedding Cakes

For an extravagant wedding cake, you may want to check out this next company. They offer photo galleries so that you can see all their different wedding cakes firsthand, and read reviews from past customers so you can see what they had to say.

Their cakes are truly incredible, which you will see when you start browsing through the selection yourself, and whether you want something breathtaking or something more casual, whatever you need, you can find it here and for a reasonable price.

They want to make sure that all of their customers are completely satisfied and so they are always willing to take the time to work with you and make sure that you get everything you are looking for.

To finish it all off, you are also going to want to get a beautiful wedding cake topper. This is something that goes on the top of the cake and which is very commonly used for wedding cakes. You may want to put the basic bride and groom which is what we usually see on top of a wedding cake, but there are also many other ideas that you can go with as well.

Flowers, cards, glitter, and lollipops, whatever you would like to put on top of your cake you will probably be able to find.

Cheap Wedding Invitation

Ways To Get Cheap Wedding Invitation

With the cost of weddings increasing each year, setting a budget for the event is a wise choice. Major costs such as the location and ceremony are hard places to cut costs. Possible ways to cut costs rest in the smaller items such as cheaper wedding invitations and a not so elaborate wedding cake. How do you do this?

Being Cheaper Without Going Discount

With many couples considering tighter budgets for their ceremonies, opting for discount invitations isn’t the only way to cheaper cost with wedding invitations.
Make a guest list before ordering invitations to avoid excess invitations
It is no longer required to mail invitations in two envelopes
Use a postcard for RSVP or ask for a telephone reply to save on postage
Regular printing can substitute for engraving if you’re on a budget

Do It Yourself Invitations

Another option for people on a tight budget is the Do It Yourself method of wedding invitations. A cheaper method of invitation can be created without the look of being cheap. You can purchase special touches for wedding invitations at any craft shop such as these:
Faux wax seals
Vellum
Pressed flowers
Smaller metal charms
Chiffon ribbon

Here are some tips if you are making your own wedding invitations:
Graphic designs can be limited to two fonts; use a script for headings and traditional fonts for the body
Use a 10 point or 12 point font type to ensure the invitations can be read
Wording for invitations can be found online if you are not sure how to word your invitations
Proofread everything. Avoiding typographical errors is a main concern when doing your own wedding invitations

If you are limited for both time and budget, another way to assemble cheap wedding invitations is to have nearby friends and family help out with the assembly. Pick up some snacks, put on some party music and have fun with it.

Why Not Email Invites?

You’re having a small and informal wedding, why not send out invitations using email. You have probably thought of looking for e-cards and working with them. While this would be a cheaper wedding invitation, it may not be the best choice. Here’s why:
The email may be placed in the spam folder by the email server
Your email address list could be out of date or not complete
Not everyone checks their email on a consistent basis
The ability to save the wedding invitation as a memento or a scrapbook item is lost with the use of email invitations.
If the email is lost, or discarded by mistake, the information about the time, date and other details is lost
Email invitations are a huge deviation from the normal etiquette for wedding invitations

The internet is a very effective way to help plan and create cheaper wedding invitations for people on a tight budget. The best option for delivering the invitations is still by postal mail delivery.

Wedding Invitation Idea

Ideas For Wedding Invitations

With all the options available today for wedding invitations, you can have lots of control in how much you spend and on what. Options can include the high-end custom designed sets complete with every type of enclosure you might need, down to the cheaper wedding invitations which can be homemade or come in kits. Even with the cheap wedding invitations you can be creative in ideas for wedding invitations when it comes to enclosures, paper stock, printing, colors, and envelopes.

When figuring the budget for your wedding invitation you need ideas as to the impression you are trying to create. Answers to some questions will help like:
Wedding size
Formal or Informal Setting
Modern or Traditional
The Theme
The Season

Size Of The Wedding

A good idea for wedding invitations is to scale them to the size of the wedding. The size of the invitations can make as much a statement as the event itself. If you are having a small ceremony, a smaller hand written can set the tone for an intimate gathering. Calligraphy can also be used. For a bigger extravagant wedding, you might go with a larger grander stationary.

Formal Or Informal

Wedding invitation ideas for formal or informal affairs follow different rules.
Formal – traditional invitations usually are printed in black ink on white or ivory cardstock which matches the bride’s dress. Most formal occasions follow a classic style.
Informal – with informal invitations you can let your creative nature pick the colors and embellishments. Just don’t use informal invitations if planning a black tie affair.

Modern Or Traditional

When coming up with wedding invitation ideas you should consider your personal style. Are you more modern or more traditional?

Contemporary
Using square invitations or rounded corners instead of rectangular
Text lined up on the left side instead of center
Different or mixed fonts
Traditional
Center aligned text
Script font for the front and traditional font for the information
Rectangular envelopes and announcements

The Theme

The wedding theme can be part of the ideas for your wedding invitations. Some simple ideas for this are:
For a beach wedding – pick a seashell motif to print on everything from the announcements to the thank-you notes
Special fonts – these complement the theme in subtle and effective ways
Theme color – whatever the central color of your theme is, use it in your invitations

What Season Is The Wedding In

If you want to use the seasons to plan the wedding invitations, try these ideas:
Use deeper colors for winter and autumn
Use pastels and bright colors for spring and summer weddings

While not all of these wedding invitation ideas can be used by everyone, they should give you a good head start in planning and creation.

Wedding Invitation Kit

Tips On Getting And Using Wedding Invitation Kits

When it comes to planning the wedding, so much of it involves finding ways to include the bride and groom’s personalities and love for each other. Everything from the setting and ceremony to the announcements will be involved in the considerations. The announcements will set the tone for the entire event.
Formal or informal
Destination or religious
Single day or multi-day event

Coming up with your own wedding invitation idea is not only a less expensive option, but also more fun as it gives you the ability to add your own touch to the invitations. Wedding invitation kits allow the most individuality while keeping everything to a uniform look and feel.

Where To Shop

Visiting stores like Wal-Mart, Staples, Target or other retailers will show the variety of blank wedding invitation kits available. These kits are pre-designed sets that come with many of the following:
Announcement and invitation cards
Envelopes
Thank you notes
Response cards

If you can’t find the right design or colors to fit your plans, there are many more online retailers which sell wedding stationary and the accessories to go with it.

Choosing The Wedding Invitation Kit

Choosing a wedding invitation kit needs careful consideration. A design needs to be chosen which reflects the formality of the wedding. For example, gold accents and fancy patterns have a much different feel than would polka dots or a pop-art pink. Taking the time to pick the invitations that fit your theme will help everyone know what to expect.

Personalizing Your Invitations

If you are still not satisfied with the choice of wedding invitation kits available, you can always add a personalized touch to them. This will help set your invitation apart and make the event more unique. Some suggestions for ideas would be:
Vellum
Ribbon
Confetti
Ink stamps
Colored paper

Be Sure To Buy Extra

When planning the invitations, extra wedding kits might be viewed as a waste of money. Having more than needed will allow for unforeseen accidents such as misspellings of a name or printer smudging or jamming.

Wedding invitation kits are an easy and inexpensive way to achieve the personalized touch and effect for your wedding. Once you have the general idea and the kits in hand, all that is needed is your computer, printer, and your imagination to ensure that the tone and feeling of the occasion is properly expressed.

Wedding Invitation Etiquette

Formal And Informal Wedding Invitation Etiquette

There are many things to consider when planning for your wedding day. One of these is the proper methods of carrying out parts of the event such as the service, reception and the list of details required for the wedding. There are proper etiquette standards for everything from attire to manners to announcements. One area often not thought of until needed is wedding invitation etiquette.

The Reason For Wedding Invitation Etiquette

Etiquette for wedding invitations is the proper announcement of your event. Your invitations will be sent to family, friends and other people you want to attend your wedding. There are some basic tips for inviting people.
If you have a large church wedding, inviting guests from both the bride and groom side of friends and family is required
If you invite business associates, they should be invited because of friendship and not business contacts
If you have a smaller house wedding, you can narrow the list down to close friends and family
You should consider the amount of people who can comfortably be allowed in the reception area

The General Rules

Both formal and informal weddings follow a general set of etiquette for wedding invitations.
The invitations must convey the mood of the event; this would be formal, whimsical, intimate or low-key
You must provide information about the proceedings of the event.
Invitations must be sent well in advance to allow for response and planning
Guests invited to the wedding should also be invited to the reception
The language and meaning needs to be clear about the times, locations, attire, directions and any other information concerning the wedding

Wedding invitations today can be sent in many different ways and depends on the formality of the occasion. Etiquette for formal wedding invitations as an example requires paper invitations sent out by regular mail.

Differences In Formal And Informal Etiquette

Both formal and informal styles of wedding invitations have their own etiquette. Formal is the older style for etiquette of wedding invitation. This style is mostly used for planning a large elaborate or church wedding. Smaller family weddings and events with not much planning use the etiquette for informal wedding invitations.

Rules for Formal wedding invitations:
Names of guests are written out in full including the middle name
The use of British English is the more common form
Spell out all words including the time, date and year as well as all street addresses
Spell out all numbers or use Roman numerals
The use of two envelopes is required; one for sending and one for responding
Church weddings “request the honour of your presence”; non-church weddings “request the pleasure of your company”

Rules for Informal wedding invitations:
The use of hand written invitations are acceptable as well as email or telephone invites
A less formal tone and wording is allowed
Use a simple statement of the time, date, place and how to get there as well as who is being married

The wording of the wedding invitations follows the etiquette of either the formal or informal rules, but not both. The wording is used to show the tone and seriousness, or a lack of seriousness, of the wedding.

While formal invitations are the most common; informal invitations have provided more innovation and freedom of expression. In either case, standardized formats are a part of wedding invitation etiquette. Wedding invitation kits can be of great help in regards to this.

Wedding Invitation Wording

Basic Wedding Invitation Wording Rules

You have the wedding day picked out, and the place and time of the wedding. The list of who is invited is finished. All you need to do now is work on the wedding invitations. Etiquette must be applied when creating the wedding invitations. Wording is as important in modern day society as it was for generations past. The wording for wedding invitations can not offend anyone and convey the tone and information needed to create a happy and memorable day for everyone.

The Proper Wording

Etiquette for wedding invitation wording will require advanced knowledge of relationships and associations of the guests you plan to invite. Some guidelines to use would include the following:
Do not send invitations to a person and their partner if the partner is no longer with them
Do not use prefixes such as Mr. and Mrs. for same sex couples
If you are inviting a single person, allow them to bring a date as a “guest”.

The wording “and family” on wedding invitations has fallen out of use because of efforts to limit the amount of unannounced guests showing up.

Formal Spelling And Grammar Rules

The formality of wedding invitation wording with spelling and grammar is a throwback to when more formal uses demanded everything be spelled out in exact detail. Etiquette for wedding invitation wording requires the following rules be applied:
All places, numbers and streets must be spelled out completely. An example would be “third” instead of 3rd; as well as the full spelling of Street or Avenue.
Times, dates and the year are written out completely without using numbers.
If numbers must be used, the rule is to use Roman numerals.
Names must be spelled out completely, including middle names if they are known.

These rules also apply for addressing the envelopes.

When In Doubt, Go Formal

Conveying the tone of the day is sometimes difficult with the many differences between the informal and formal styles of wedding invitation wording. The guidelines for wedding invitation wording are made simpler by using the more formal methods. Using the formal rules will help you create a more uniform message in regards to the information and type of celebration you are having. Your guests will feel that they are more a part of the day; and a more formal tone gives the impression of a more thought out process. The most basic requirement is that when having a formal wedding, the use of formal wedding invitation wording must be used. Double check the invitations before sending them out.

Wedding Invitation

Basic Guide For Proper Wedding Invitations


As you make plans for the wedding day, taking care of every issue and detail will ensure it goes well. When you are preparing the wedding invitations you should consider the use of proper etiquette along with the other essentials. Here are five basic guidelines to ensure proper etiquette for invitations to the wedding.

Send The Invitations In Advance

Wedding invitations can be sent out by email, phone, or regular mail. Proper etiquette requires that all of the guests have enough time to make plans to attend. This becomes essential when the guests are coming from some distance. The general rule here is to send out wedding invitations eight weeks ahead; six weeks is the least amount of time needed for guests to respond.

The Guest List

Slight mistakes need to be caught and avoided when creating the guest list. Wedding invitations need to be checked before sending out to ensure proper wedding invitation wording.
Do not send invitations to Mr. and Mrs. for same sex couples
Do not invite divorced couples without first warning each that the other is invited.
Be aware of any family situations such as recent deaths, nursing home or hospital placements and other unforeseen issues.

Be Sure The Wedding Guests Are Invited To The Reception

This is especially true if you are having the wedding and reception separately or on different days. You will need two guest lists for this issue. The rule of etiquette for this is to send out two separate wedding invitations; with care taken to invite all the guests from the wedding ceremony to the reception so that there is no ill will. The etiquette for the reception is simple, start the list with everyone from the wedding ceremony, then add everyone else to the reception list.

General Rules For RSVP

Making sure that guests can get back to you is one main consideration when preparing wedding invitations.
Enclose an RSVP card with the invitation
Be sure to have a stamp on the RSVP
If using email, allow replies both by email and land address for people not comfortable with email
Allow guests enough time to respond

Be All Formal Or All Informal

If you choose a formal setting for the wedding and reception, the wedding invitations need to follow formal rules. Proper etiquette states that formal procedures are used for more formal events. If having a church wedding, do not send guests an email about the event. If there is a doubt about formal guidelines, do some research online.

If you need more guidance on proper wedding invitation etiquette, you can find much of the information on the internet. Knowing what you want, and how to address it, are the main decisions on if you want to have formal or informal wedding invitations.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Wedding

A Few Unique Wedding Ideas

Planning a wedding is not a simple task. All the elements from the location to the wedding invitations need consideration. But what do you do when you want non-traditional elements to your wedding as many couples are doing today. Here are a few wedding ideas which will add some variety to the occasion.

Story Time

If you are looking for something different for the wedding reception, you can try this alternative to the “clinking glasses” idea. Make an announcement that in order for the couple to kiss the guests have to stand and share a story or memory about either bride or groom or the couple. This provides for much interaction and many memories.

A Twist On Pictures

As a twist to the traditional wedding pictures you can try this idea. Have someone take pictures, with an instant camera, of the guests as they are arriving at the reception. After the day is concluded, do the following:
Sign each photograph
Add the wedding date to the photograph
Write a short word thanks to each guest for attending
Mail the photographs along with the thank-you cards

Making Your Love A Star

If you are looking for a wedding gift for your future spouse, there is no better gift than making your love a star. Actually, for a small fee, you can get a star named after the one you love. Celebrities, dignitaries and others have been doing this for years. When you name a star you get the following to commemorate the event:
A parchment certificate, framed or unframed, with the name of the person whom the star is named for
The dedication date
The coordinates to find the star with a telescope
A booklet of charts and constellations
A larger detailed chart with your star circled in red for identification by future generations

Simply look up information about naming a star on the internet and proceed from there.

Guest Book Variation

If you want a different way for wedding guests to note their attendance other than the traditional guest book, try this idea. Purchase a silver serving tray to place on a table by the door at the reception. The guests will “sign” the tray using an engraving pen or other engraving tool. This variation of the guest book will certainly outlive the traditional method and can be displayed in a china cabinet or on a shelf.

The engraving tool or pen can be found at hardware stores or the hardware section of your local Wal-Mart for a small cost.

An Idea For Catholics

If the bride and groom are of the Catholic faith, there is another interesting idea which can commemorate the wedding. You can have the marriage blessed by the Pope. Simply send a wedding invitation to the Vatican, along with a donation, for a blessing. A papal blessing which can be framed will be sent in return. Your priest can provide you with any information needed on how to do this.