Mar 28

Second marriages, or even third, are not uncommon these days, in fact four out of ten weddings are now second time around marriages and many brides are now choosing to step outside the traditional ceremony and look for a new and special way to begin their new relationship. After all you now know who you are and what you want and are no longer influenced by parents as you may well have been the first time you tied the knot.

So why consider a destination wedding:-

  • A destination wedding in a romantic tropical location will be something totally different from your previous wedding and well away from ex-wife’s or husbands and locations associated with your past relationship.
  • Destination weddings are generally much more informal and allow you to really let your imagination run wild. Hold the ceremony on a tropical beach with coco palms and the blue ocean as a perfect backdrop or amid the exotic flowers in a garden. Choose your own wedding vows to really personalize the ceremony and set your own theme for the whole event.
  • Most destination wedding venues provide the services of a wedding planner or co-ordinator leaving you free of all the stress associated with planning your special day. You just arrive at your chosen resort with everything arranged for you so you are free to relax and enjoy the company of your guests who have joined you to celebrate the start of your new life.
  • Frequently second weddings tend to be smaller more intimate occasions with a more select guest list of close family and friends. Those who really want to wish you well and do not harbour old or mixed feelings and want to join with you in celebrating the start of your new life and what better than to join you in a perfect tropical setting.
  • Combining your wedding with a honeymoon surrounded by your close family, friends and often your children removes the need to organise someone to look after children while you jet off after the wedding leaving them behind.
  • Where there are children involved, as there frequently are, the relaxed holiday atmosphere of a destination wedding helps to build relationships with the new family members. The children can be involved in the ceremony as ring bearers, flower girls, or ushers ensuring their participation in the beginning of the new family arrangements. Where the children are young most good destination venues will offer child care facilities ensuring you are able to enjoy those intimate moments with your new partner confident that the children are being properly cared for, looked after and entertained.
  • Memories of your wedding day are there forever in the photographs and videos taken during the ceremony and reception by your wedding photographer and by your guests in a destination wedding location offers the most colourful and romantic settings possible for these treasured reminiscences.

Destination weddings were once upon a time only for celebrities, or the rich and famous, but with many countries, such as the Dominican Republic, easing the procedures for marriages for non residents there are now endless possibilities with many private villas and resorts offering destination wedding packages at affordable prices.

If this is your second chance at love and finding happiness for the rest of your life shouldn’t your celebrate in real style. You deserve the best and a destination wedding in a tropical paradise is the perfect way to begin your new life together.

Adrian Head is Marketing and Events Director at Island Villa Weddings located on the north coast of the Dominican Republic. Island Villa Weddings provide full facilities for Destination Weddings at three exclusive and fully staffed villas in Orchid Bay Estates just outside the village of Cabrera. Complete wedding planning packages are offered with total flexibility to enable the couple to personalize their ceremony, reception, and all their stay at the villa resorts as well as organizing the legal requirements for marriage in the Dominican Republic. Further information about Island Villa Weddings can be found at http://www.islandvillaweddings.com

Author: Adrian Head
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Mar 21

I am currently looking for great colleges so after graduating, I can start my own wedding coordination business and become a wedding planner. I was wondering what degree I would need in-order to accomplish this. If you also have any websites with information about wedding planning, please put the link to that website.

Mar 21

So congratulations, you’re ready to start planning that very special day in your life that the memories will last a life time!

Not only can this be the most memorable day in your life, but possibly the most expensive one! Did you know that the average cost of a single wedding is around $27,000 for first time marriages? Average cost of second marriages runs around $12,000!! What does that tell you? Quite possibly that those second timers learned a lot the first time around!!

Regardless of what amount your wedding budget is going to be, the more you can get what you want for your dream wedding for less, the more you’ll have for other things like the honeymoon, or more importantly, purchasing your first home. Sure you can pay $2000 for your wedding gown, or if you’re a shrewd shopper and know where to look, you may be able to get it for $200!!

There’s tons of planning to do, which can be a real challenge! Now, you can go out and hire a wedding planner and probably pay some hefty dollars for their services so you don’t have to stress about every detail (I’ll bet you a dollar to a donut that you will anyway :D ), or you can do your own planning. There’s tons of resources out there on the Internet from free checklists to in-depth videos. Of course, as you and I know, nothing is free! Most, if not all, of the free checklists sites will try and sell you a full blown version of the abbreviated one they will give you free.

There’s as much planning and precision that goes into planning a wedding as there is in planning a detailed military operation! What has to be done, when does it have to be done, who is responsible for doing it, who is checking to make sure things are getting done, where is it going to happen, who is going to be there, who is going to be where, what are the costs, what is left in the budgeted account, what is going to be “plan B” if some part falls in the crack, etc……..

Don’t despair – insure you have the best wedding planning tools or best wedding planner, and follow-up on things! If some one in your family or best friend, is experienced in planning and delivery time sensitive projects, ask them to be your quality control person. As I said above, if at all possible, have a Plan B just in case something beyond your control occurs! Say for example, you’re planning to have wedding outdoors, have a back-up location/plan in case in rains that day.

Of course, you’re going to be planning for your shower and reception after the wedding. Your shower will probably be the easiest and less worry for you as I’m sure your family/friends will be taking care of that – but make sure folks are aware of your overall plans/schedule so nothing conflicts! Your reception – again we have the who, what, when, where and how. If you’re on a tight budget, some if not all of the reception can be provided by family and friends. For example, your aunt Mary makes a super cake; your sister Sally loves doing arts and crafts for decorations; or, your cousin Bill is a volunteer fireman and can get the banquet hall at the fire station for a 50 percent discount. If you really want to save money, call “in any and all favors”!

In closing, if you’re on a tight budget or large budget, I’d like to wish you the happiest day of your life on that very special day!

You can call me: JJ, Jacque J Johnson, Jacque, but if you want help planning your wedding, visit me at: http://www.amazingweddingplanning.com

Author: Jacque T
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Mar 18

I’m getting ready for my wedding in six months, and was wondering, has anyone heard of this "first-time bride free-for-all"? It’s a program where your wedding planner provides the invitations, dress, bridesmaid dresses, tuxedos, food, the wedding cake, reception hall, music, all of that stuff, and they provide it all for free since it is your first wedding. My friend told me about it last night, and I have been searching the web all day, and can not find it. Can anyone please direct me on where to go to find this? Your help will be much appreciated.

Mar 15

Picture this. It is your wedding day and your bride enters the church gracefully. It is time for some soulful melody to accompany her entry. But the first chords of the piano and you wake from your dreamy state. The reason is a completely out of tune pianist. Wedding ceremony music can make or break your wedding. It creates the atmosphere and mood that you associate with the most memorable day of your life. So it better be the best.

Since wedding music has such an important role to play, it is important to discuss it with your Charlotte wedding planner. Choosing the correct wedding music in Charlotte for all occasions included in the wedding will make a wedding to remember.

Bridal shower music is one aspect of pre-wedding music that is most of the times not given much importance. What type of music you will play during a bridal shower depends on the theme of the bridal shower. If there is no theme, only socializing is expected then going for soft background music is the best choice. The age of the guests will also be a major deciding factor in deciding on the music. It is always advisable to choose music that will appeal to a wide cross section of guests. If dancing is expected, then choose peppy songs. Try and include the songs which the bride enjoys since it is her special day.

On the day of the wedding, choose wedding ceremony music that is played by a Charlotte wedding musician live or one which is prerecorded depending on the plan that the Charlotte wedding planner has chalked out. The music should be relaxing and intimate. Soft instrumental or jazz music goes well with all moods.

The wedding ceremony music played during the actual wedding ceremony will depend on the location of the wedding. A church wedding is usually highlighted by a choir that sings hymns, accompanied by the church pianist. For outdoor wedding ceremonies, a live music band is good.

Wedding reception entertainment is important as it is an occasion to celebrate. The mood should be livelier. Hence ask the Charlotte wedding musician to play country, jazz, R&B or even rock music depending on your taste and wedding theme.

Choose a wedding musician who has experience playing at wedding ceremonies. If possible listen to their recorded music before making your final decision. Make sure that the musician has a reputation of reaching the venue well before time. Inform him about the theme of the wedding so they can decide on the music and rehearse well in advance.

The Charlotte wedding musician you hire should not only play good music which is suitable for the occasion but also add glitz and glamor to the ceremony. He should be suitably dressed for the occasion. Make sure that he plays music that is not monotonous or overwhelming since the guests wouldn’t be comfortable to dance with it. A good Charlotte wedding musician will be sure to ask you the age bracket within which the guests fall. That way, he can plan what type of music he will play.

Your wedding is once in a life time experience. Ensure that you choose the right kind of musicians and music so that it begins and ends on a soulful note.

Camille is the author of this article on Charlotte wedding musicians.

Find more information about Wedding music Charlotte here.

Author: Camille Camille,
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Mar 14

It is certainly easy to see why Hawaii destination weddings are among the most consistently popular, and why invitations to attend these destination weddings are among the most coveted.

Whether you are planning your own wedding or the wedding of a friend or family member, you could certainly do worse than getting married on the beaches of Hawaii.

Hiring A Wedding Planner Or Consultant

In fact Hawaii destination weddings are so incredibly popular that there are entire companies dedicated to booking these great destination weddings and making them come off without a hitch.

If you are so inclined, you can hire a wedding consultant who specializes in Hawaii destination weddings, and he or she will take care of every detail, from the largest to the minutest.

The wedding planner can take care of booking the hotel or resort, booking the flights, renting the reception hall, catering the food, ordering the wedding cake, ordering the flowers and even sending out the invitations.

Planning Your Hawaii Destination Wedding Yourself

Of course it is not necessary to hire a wedding planner to have a perfect Hawaii destination wedding.

In fact many brides can and do plan their own Hawaii destination weddings, but it is important to remember that there is plenty of work involved in planning such a wedding.

It is by no means impossible to plan your own Hawaii destination weddings but it is important to start planning as early as possible, perhaps as soon as your fiancé has popped the question.

Ask the Important Questions To Ensure That Nothing Is Forgotten On Your Wedding Day

When choosing a proper resort for the wedding, it is important to ask plenty of questions, and to determine if the management of the resort has sufficient experience in planning Hawaii destination weddings.

It is also important to find out what aspects of the wedding they will be taking care of, and which parts will still be your responsibility.

For instance, some resorts will take care of every aspect of the wedding, from the cake and the caterer to the invitations, while others will provide only the setting for the wedding and perhaps the food. When it comes to Hawaii destination weddings, it is vital to determine who is responsible for what, and to plan accordingly.

Shaunta Pleasant is a professional writer and editor on wedding topics. Visit my site to learn more about planning the perfect wedding at http://www.best-wedding-plan.com/hawaii_destination_weddings.html

Author: Shaunta Pleasant
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Mar 13

Is it really necessary to hire a wedding planning consultant? Many people have successfully planned and implemented their weddings on their own, but many of these same people probably would not have done all the planning themselves if they had it to do over again. Planning a wedding is a huge task. We all know that, but most of us do not really know how massive the task is until we are facing the task ourselves. That is where a wedding planning consultant comes in.

Indeed, when a bride first begins to think of wedding planning, the process may seem quite straightforward, but it’s when you really begin to get into the meat of it that you see how many little details there really are. Even a fairly small and intimate wedding can be overwhelming. There is everything from invitations, caterers, and wedding cake design to more complicated issues if you are planning a theme wedding. But an experienced wedding planning consultant is like a conductor at a symphony. They know from experience just what to put where and have proved over the years to have the temperament to be able to juggle all the details without going insane.

Moreover, a wedding planning consultant can help with many aspects of a wedding that you may never have even thought of. They can create the perfect wedding that you have always imagined, and at the same time they know enough about how the wedding industry works to give you suggestions that can help keep the cost at a minimum.

With a theme wedding it may be even more important to hire a consultant because all the rules change. We have all been to dozens of weddings that looked pretty much the same to know what the basic elements are, but planning a themed wedding changes the elements of a wedding and in doing so, changes the questions you have to ask. Without a wedding planner that is experienced in orchestrating themed weddings brides often end up with a traditional Victorian that bears little resemblance to the theme apart from one or two details in the wedding.

Wedding planning consultants take care of most all the details for you, from helping you pick out just the right invitations to go along with your chosen theme, to helping you decide what hair style goes best with your gown, and which hair stylist to use. Likewise, an experienced consultant will be able to take care of the details with the pastry chef and florist so that you do not end up with multiple clashing shades of the colors you have chosen for your wedding.

But a wedding planning consultant does more than take care of the details. Along with the size of the ribbons and the color of the icing the planner often serves as a therapist when the bride is overwhelmed, budgeting expert, and mediator when things go wrong. Furthermore, a good, experienced wedding planner is thoroughly versed in the religious practices of a wide variety of belief systems and as such is thoroughly equipped to guide a bride through potentially unfamiliar territory.

If you do decide to take on the job of wedding planning yourself, remember to create a 12 month checklist of all the to dos that you will have to attend to. It’s a big job and in today’s busy world your stress level and therefore the reduced strain on your relationship might make hiring a wedding planning consultant worth the time and money.

Jeanette Shinn is a wedding professional with over a dozen years experience making dreams come alive. Find more helpful wedding planning tips and unique wedding favors options at http://www.ExcitingWeddingFavors.com.

Author: Jeanette Shinn
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Mar 12

Starting a wedding planning business is like starting any other business. You need to have a business plan, secure a location to set up shop, have a website and other means of advertising and it helps to have some certification in wedding planning.

Weddings are a big expense, with the average wedding costing around $20,000. A wedding planner usually gets about 20% of this price. So as you can see, this is a very good paying business to get into. But do you have what it takes to be a good wedding planner?

To be a good wedding planner you must be highly organized and have an eye for detail. You must learn to be tactful and to be a liason between family members who may have trouble agreeing on certain areas of the wedding. You must be a people person to be a good wedding planner, because that is what it is all about. It is your goal to please everyone that is involved in the special day.

You must decide on the services that you will offer and have your attorney draw up contracts for each one. The different types of services that a wedding planner can offer are:

Complete wedding planning services.

This is the complete package. You coordinate the whole wedding after a consultation with the bride and groom. This includes choosing the theme, preparing the budget, making the guest list, and even providing the information needed to obtain a marriage license. The complete wedding planning service provides a stress free day for the bride and groom.

Partial wedding planning service.

This is where the couple plans their own wedding but need assistance in finding the best vendors for services. You will have an initial consultation with the bride and groom. After finding out what kind of wedding they are planning, you supply them with a list of suitable vendors to fit their needs. This list will include caterers, photographers, printers etc.

Rehearsal and wedding day services only.

Some couples want to plan the whole wedding but want help when it comes to the rehearsal and actual wedding day. You will coordinate the rehearsal and dinner. You will confirm with the vendors that everything is in place for the wedding day and oversee the wedding ceremony to make sure everything flows smoothly.

A lot of wedding planners will offer all three services, while some prefer to do just the complete planning package.

There are various wedding planning courses that you can take to obtain a certificate in wedding planning. It is a good idea to take one of these courses and get your certificate before you set up shop. Most people will be very hesitant to pay you good money unless you can produce some type of training or prior experience in wedding planning services.

Becoming a wedding planner is a glamorous and exciting job for the right person. Do your research, get certified, and start your wedding planning business.

For more free information about weddings Jeff suggests http://www.FreeArticles.com where you can read these 50+ free wedding related articles

Author: JD Wilson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Mar 1

The stress of planning a wedding can be way too much to take these days because very often a small wedding is never enough. You want that big beautiful wedding you’ve always dreamed of, so a wedding reception planning service may just very well be the way to go for you.

Here then are 9 Bullet Proof Tips to hiring a wedding reception planning service…

Tip #1: Be sure to hire a qualified and capable wedding planner who understands your needs and expectations…

This may sound obvious but what often happens is the wedding planner or service begins to take over and your plans get thrown out the window. Be careful of this!

One good way that a friend told me to be sure is to tell your spouse to be these plans in detail, this way it will be 2 on 1 and you’ll have less of a chance of a takeover.

With newfound popularity, probably due to the internet and quick money enticements comes a slew of wedding consultants who are new to the business or not qualified to plan a wedding, so…

Tip #2: Choose a wedding planner who has the experience and resources necessary to plan your wedding so that it meets and exceeds all of your expectations. After all, this is YOUR day, the one you’ve been dreaming of for years and years.

Tip #3: If you are not comfortable with your wedding planner you are likely to not communicate with them as well as you should

Tip #4: Leaving out details or are not completely honest with your wedding planner will probably result in a series of decisions being made that do not meet your standards or expectations.

This kind of goes with number one. Share these details with your wedding reception planning service and make sure to exude the emotions of what you want and how much you want it.

Tip #5: Review their resume and references…

Carefully check the wedding planners references to shed some light on their abilities. You’ll want to contact each reference that is supplied to you and ask them pertinent questions about the wedding planners attitude, professionalism and punctuality. Basically anything that is important to you

Tip #6: Unless you’re doing someone you know a huge favor, (don’t do it!) you’re taking a huge chance if you opt for a wedding planner with little or no experience.

Yes I know that everyone needs someone to give them a chance, but it’s not going to be you. Let your cousin you hate give that person a chance.

Tip #7: Take time to decide if your wedding reception planning service are going to be full or part-time consultants to you.

If you plan to have an elaborate wedding, consider opting for a full time wedding planner. This is to ensure that the wedding planner has the time to devote to planning your wedding.

Tip #8: Be sure that your wedding reception planner has a contingency plan in case they are unable to assist you in planning your wedding reception.

You don’t want to be left standing naked in the crowd (I almost mean that literally) when your wedding planner doesn’t show up.

Hire a wedding planner who belongs to a reputable company. This frequently affords you the magnificence of having a full staff at your disposal.

Unexpected things are going to happen, therefore you should….

Tip #9: Know how the wedding planner would react in certain situations.

You can do this by presenting him/her with instances that might happen during the wedding reception and asking them how they would deal with it.

You certainly want someone who can make decisions on the go.

So, in a nutshell, your wedding planner will be responsible for the happiness of your guests at your wedding so it is important to choose a qualified candidate. A few things to consider before choosing a wedding planner are how comfortable you feel with them, their past references, the amount of time that they have to devote to your wedding and how they react in a sticky situation.

All of these factors will help to ensure that you choose a qualified wedding reception planning service who can meet all of your needs.

When planning a wedding cost is a huge factor. I want to give you a free email course that could help save you up to $10,000.

Definitely a “Must Read!” If you’re a “bride on a budget” =>Click Here!

Author: Tracy Brittany
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Feb 22

There are several things to consider in seeking an effective design for a business card for a Wedding Planner. First, it is important to remember that business cards are more than just a way to pass on contact information. They have a second function. It introduces you to your potential client and creates that critical first impression. It is also to have an understanding of how your profession relates to a person’s use of a business card. People do not marry or plan weddings on the spur of the moment. A business card that is glanced at and then discarded is not going to be very effective. Like many professional business cards, the wedding planner’s card needs to be saved, so that it can be readily available when the time comes that their services are actually needed.

If you keep these considerations in mind, the design process is given some clear guidelines for making the card effective. Custom Business cards are going to create a much more favorable impression than plain black and white cards. A Wedding Planner should have one of the most impressive cards of any profession. The bride and her family are looking for someone to help make one day as special as it can be and a business card that is unforgettable is going to instill confidence in the client. If you can produce a beautiful, elegant, and impressive card, you should be able to do the same thing for a wedding. It is a chance to show off your good taste and your creativity.

You also do not want the client to glance at the card and toss it away. Size and material can be helpful here. The style known as a folding card is an excellent choice here. It allows much more space. The front of the card can contain more eye catching artwork and color and the inside can give a bit more information on the full range of your services. A card made of more expensive stock, or even plastic, can encourage retention. It is the natural tendency of people to retain more elaborate and expensive things, and this is what you want your card to convey. The ultimate proof of the success of your design choice would be to have the card placed carefully with a stack of bridal magazines in a girl’s hope chest.

Natalie Aranda writes about marketing. There are several things to consider in seeking an effective design for business cards for a Wedding Planner. First, it is important to remember that business cards are more than just a way to pass on contact information. They have a second function. It introduces you to your potential client and creates that critical first impression. It is also to have an understanding of how your profession relates to a persons use of a business card.

Author: Natalie Aranda
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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