I know it sounds silly, but we have already made the decision to get married next year. We are saving money and we decided to announce our engagement in January. Along the way, I found a ring that I really liked. I showed him pictures and he likes it, but he doesn’t know I recently purchased it. Is it possible to give him the ring without being too forward? Should I just return it and wait?
Mar
26
Destination weddings have become a staple over the last decade or so. As popular as they are, they do have some special unique considerations that all couples should keep in mind. This is the newest etiquette for destination weddings.
When you imagine your destination wedding, the first thing that likely springs to mind is the romance of walking down a sandy aisle, all decked out in a tropical style bridal gown and beach wedding jewelry. You and your beloved will exchange your vows while the surf gently crashes in the background, and dance the night away to the sound of steel drums as the sun sets over the ocean. Then you will get to cap off your beach wedding by having a romantic honeymoon, sipping drinks from coconuts each evening, wearing a sundress and pretty jewelry, as you and your new husband linger over long dinners while the sun sets over the ocean.
That is a beautiful vision, isn’t it? It is one shared by most couples who opt for a destination wedding, which certainly helps to explain their popularity. Okay, now let me share with you what most guests think when they are invited to a destination wedding: “Oh my gosh, this is going to cost me a bloody fortune!”. Followed by, “I am going to have to use up most of my vacation time on this wedding!”. If you are lucky, the third thought will be “That sounds very romantic, how nice for Bob and Sally”. This is why one must tread very carefully in the etiquette department when planning a destination wedding. What is the wedding of your dreams is also likely a major hassle for many of your guests.
The main thing to keep in mind when planning a destination wedding is how what you do and say will affect others. For instance, how many times have you heard a bride delightedly remark upon how much money she is saving by having a small destination wedding rather than a big blow-out at home? That is all well and good, except that while she may be saving money, her guests are likely to spend thousands of their own dollars flying to a remote destination and staying at a resort. You would do well to tell your guests that you chose a far-flung location for your wedding because it is so meaningful to you, not because it is cheaper, because it isn’t for them.
A very sticky subject with destination weddings is the guest list. Couples frequently decide to have a tropical wedding because they see it as a way to keep the guest list small. That can be great, but be sure not to mention that in front of anyone who might have expected to be invited if you had a hometown wedding. It can come across as very insulting. There is also the question of inviting family or friends whom you would love to have at your wedding but that you know cannot afford the trip. On the one hand, you may hurt their feelings if you do not invite them, but on the other hand, many people feel that a wedding invitation is an important social obligation, and they will move Heaven and Earth to attend, even if they truly cannot afford the trip.
One possible solution is to invite a very small core of family to join you for the destination wedding and then follow it with a larger reception at home. That way, no one feels left out, nor will they feel obligated to spend more than they can afford on your wedding. This can be a great solution: you get the small romantic beach wedding of your dreams, and those that care about you will still feel like they are a part of the celebration.
Guy writes on many subjects including travel,customs and society. SilverlandJewelry.com. Beach wedding jewelry is perfect for a destination wedding.
Author: Guy Antonelli
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Canada duty tariff
Mar
18
Top Moneysaving Tips to find Cheaper Wedding Dresses
A wedding dress might be something you’ve been thinking about since you were a child, but there’s still no reason why you should have to shell out a fortune for it.
By being canny, you can still have your dream wedding dress without the debt.
The bridal shops in Central London tend to sell designer wedding dresses and therefore come with a designer price tag. By looking out of town to the suburban shops, you’ll be able to see dresses from cheaper designers and have a means of comparison on cost.
Unworn Wedding Dresses in Charity Shops Charity Shops not only get wedding dresses donated to them by generous ex-brides, but they get given unworn wedding dresses too- donated by Designer Bridal shops who’ve used them in their catwalk shows. These are often in mint condition.
Eleven of Oxfam’s stores have specialist Bridal departments: Bracknell, Bradford, Cambridge, Chippenham, Coventry, Eastbourne, Heswall, Leicester, Poole and Southampton (the address and contact details are below). They are as-new top designer dresses that have been used for displays, modelled on catwalks. The Wedding departments in Oxfam shops are not well advertised and their opening times are quite restrictive, but if you are getting married, want a stunning dress and want to save yourself several hundred pounds (£1500 reduced to £200 would be typical) then check it out. The wedding dresses there sell for roughly 30% of what they would in the actual bridal shops – the average price being £250.
Bargain Wedding Dresses found from Private Sellers Another easy way to save money on your wedding dress is to buy from a private seller – these private sellers are typically brides who are seeking to sell their worn dresses, or back up options that they’ve decided against wearing on their big day. Try specialist wedding dress websites such as Share the Dream or more general sites such as Ebay or Gumtree, but don’t hand over any money until you’ve seen the dress, tried it on and inspected it for marks and tears.
Top tips for buying Wedding Dresses at Sample Sales
- It’s best not to visit any sample sales at all until you’ve had a good shop around and are aware of the various options out there. Sample sales are typically non-returnable so only buy a wedding dress there if you’ve already had a good shop around and you know that this dress is “the one”.
- It’s best to take a trustworthy friend along with you to ensure you don’t get caught up in the moment and make a rash purchase. I’ve seen heaps of unworn wedding dress samples for sale on 2nd hand dress sites – don’t become a statistic!
- I’d recommend booking an appointment out of sample sale time so you can try on dresses and get a clear idea of what suits you when the shop is less busy. Then when you go back in sample sale time, you can be much more focussed about which dresses you try on (and it’ll be less traumatic when you have to share a mirror with 5 other brides-to-be). Sometimes wedding dress shops can also enforce a maximum number of dresses that you’re allowed to try on, which can be tricky if you’re not sure what you’re looking for.
- It’s worth shopping around for a tailor to alter your dress as using the alterations service within the dress shop can be pretty pricey, particularly if it’s a designer bridal store.
- You’d be surprised how easier it is to negotiate further discounts during sale time – will they throw in a veil or shoes for free? Will they give you another £50 off if you buy a bridesmaid dress too? It’s never rude to ask for a discount – as long as you do it with a smile on your face!
- Finally, it’s obvious, but before you buy, double check the dress for any stains, marks and tears. Mums & Aunts tend to have an encyclopaedic knowledge of marks that will come out and those that won’t, so it can be helpful to have them on hand to advise whether a mark is a deal-breaker or something that can be removed quite easily. Even if it is the latter, you should still ask for some sort of discount – after all, it’s going to be more difficult for the shop to sell it onto anyone else.
Lucy Elliott is a Wedding crunch expert and founder of The Chief Bridesmaid (http://www.thechiefbridesmaid.co.uk). TheChiefBridesmaid offers free moneysaving advice for Brides looking to get married in the credit crunch.
Author: Lucy Elliott
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Digital Camera Times
Mar
8
Planning a wedding is an expensive affair. The expenses can easily skyrocket if you don’t have a set budget to follow. With all the money you’ll be shelling out, does this mean you should settle for a subpar wedding dress? Our answer: a big, resounding no!
Picking out the perfect wedding dress is one of the most important wedding-related decisions you have to make. Your wedding is a momentous time in your life and your dress should be equally memorable. Since you’re already spending so much, you may feel disheartened and rather inclined to scrimp on your gown to save money.
You may already have your heart set on a gorgeous designer wedding dress, but alas, your budget won’t permit it. Well, there’s a way for you to get a designer wedding dress that fits your budget, and it doesn’t involve robbing a boutique!
Find a Fabulous Designer Wedding Dress for Less
If your heart is set on going designer, then you can get a great designer wedding dress even with modest finances. The following are some tips and ideas to help you find a fabulous designer wedding dress for less.
Tip 1: The number one rule when picking a reasonably priced designer wedding dress is to pick one with a simple design.
Instead of going for a frivolous and unnecessarily extravagant designer wedding dress, opt for a simple and basic wedding dress instead. Remember, the more frills and fabric, the more expensive the gown. A sheath wedding gown or a mermaid wedding dress is more financially advisable than a beaded and ribboned ball gown.
Tip 2: Pick a wedding dress that fits you well and flatters your body shape.
You’re bound to look a thousand times better in a simple designer sheath wedding dress that fits well and flatters your figure, than in a frilly ball gown with a heavily beaded royal train. Remember to choose a dress with an excellent fit and that works well with your body shape to avoid spending hundreds of dollars on alterations.
Tip 3: Keep in mind that less is more.
Instead of picking a designer wedding dress with an incredible amount of embellishments, choose a gown with few embellishments and decorations. The more intricate the gown, the greater your expenses. A minimalist approach to designer wedding dresses ensures that you get a wonderful designer dress with an excellent price tag.
If your heart is set on having a designer wedding dress with embellishments, then pick a dress with embellishments where people can see them. What’s the use of having expensive beading on your dress if it’s hidden on the hemline instead of showcased on the bodice?
Tip 4: Know when to shop.
Once your man pops that question and you have the engagement ring to prove it, you can start looking for the right designer wedding dress. When designer wedding dress hunting, timing can be everything. The best time to shop for your designer garb is when there’s a sample sale.
If you shop during this time, you’ll find that most bridal boutiques cut the prices of their lovely designer dresses to get rid of excess inventory. Take advantage of this situation, and stop worrying about fashion trends. Believe us when we tell you that your guests won’t know or mind if your wedding dress was from last season.
Tip 5: Know where to shop.
While bridal boutiques allow you to try on their designer wear, you’ll save more money staying at home and buying your designer wedding dress online. There are numerous online dress shops that offer designer wedding dresses at discounted prices. Another advantage of shopping for your designer garment online is that you get to compare prices from different providers.
If you’re making your purchase online, just make sure you get the right dress size. You may want to get your measurements taken in a bridal boutique or by your seamstress to help you figure out your actual size before you place any online orders.
Follow these tips to help you locate the perfect designer wedding dress that won’t drain your bank account. Looking gorgeous has never been so affordable!
All women have been waiting for this memorable day, and to have the grandest wedding you need the best Wedding Tips. To help you with this, please visit fancyweddingattire.com
Author: Dennis Paguio
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Cool mobile gadgets
Mar
6
One of the biggest trends in weddings today is the destination wedding. This means the bride and groom travel to some romantic getaway where vows are exchanged. Depending on the couple, and their wedding budget, a destination wedding may also include flying in close family members and friends, or keeping the wedding open if people want to pay their own way. As you will discover, destination weddings have a number of advantages.
For starters, combining the wedding and honeymoon into one location is a great way of saving money. In addition to the happy couple flying off to their desired destination, family and friends have the chance to enjoy a mini, or extended vacation. Keep in mind, the majority of destination weddings are intimate, including just a few people. In fact, some couples enjoying a destination wedding held on the beach may discover that a number of the guests are unknown, making the event even more memorable.
If you believe a destination wedding sounds like something of interest, the first decision would be whether becoming married in an warm climate or somewhere picturesque, like on a snow-covered mountain. One of the favorite destinations is the beautiful and exotic Caribbean Islands. There, a bride and groom could choose a quaint church wedding or don bathing suits to exchange the “I Do’s” underneath a palm tree swaying gently in the breeze.
For a colder climate, couples could still go with a small, traditional church wedding or dress in skiwear, hit the slopes, and exchange vows at the top of a run. Obviously, your choice of wedding destination depends largely on the time of year you plan to wed, as well as the type of honeymoon you want to experience. However, because you have literally thousands of destinations from which to choose, you could become husband and wife anytime of the year, and on any continent of choice.
Once you have settled on a general area, the fun part of planning begins. Now, since travel would be involved, we recommend you begin planning a minimum of six months in advance. This way, you would have the opportunity to book great flight, hotel, and car deals. One of the best ways to enjoy a destination wedding is by going somewhere off-season. For instance, if you wanted to head to the Ozarks of Missouri, a place that is typically enjoyed during the summer due to the vast lake, this part of the country is also gorgeous in the fall when the leaves are changing. Since the fall is considered off-peak, prices go down!
If you have decided to plan a Caribbean wedding, be sure you factor in travel costs, as well as exchange rates. In addition, trying to plan a wedding in another country could be challenging. Therefore, instead of trying to locate a minister, church, cake maker, photographer, musician, and so on, check the local resorts, which often provide great wedding packages. Typically, a local wedding planner works for the resort, doing the majority, if not all of the legwork for you. With this, you set the date, show up, and simply enjoy the festivities. Another huge advantage of using a wedding planner through a resort is that any language barrier is eliminated.
In summary, destination weddings can be a beautiful start to a lifetime of joy with your future spouse. If planned properly, they can even be stress-free, or close to it! With the many advantages that destination weddings offer, it’s little wonder they have become such a hot trend in weddings today!
L Hayes is a wedding professional and owner of Wedding Favors Emporium. They carry an extensive line of unique wedding favors as well as bridesmaids, groomsmen, and bridal shower gifts. For more information about wedding planning and wedding reception ideas, visit their website at: Wedding Favors Emporium.com
Author: L Hayes
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Canada duty
