Green Weddings - How To Have

An Eco-Friendly Wedding

Due to the rising consciousness about the environment, some couples have decided to do their bit for the earth and leave out extravagant waste from their "green weddings". Leonardo DiCaprio's movie has brought "blood diamonds" to the forefront and gold too is not as noble a metal as you might think because it is sometimes mined in inhuman conditions by workers who are exposed to toxic chemical releases in the mines. Planning an eco-friendly wedding is not as difficult as you might think. Here are a few tips on how to have an environmentally compatible wedding.

Invitations - Recycled paper is not that hard to find and if you really want to go all out choose handmade paper. Handmade paper has lovely texture and also can be created with natural embeds. Write on this with calligraphy and natural dyes and you have a beautiful invitation like no other.

Menu - Choose an organic menu or try to get the ingredients from local produce. You will be surprised at how healthy and fresh this menu is.

Wedding Bands - If you leave out gold and diamonds there are many other ways to say it without diamonds. Consider other metals like silver or tin. Instead of diamonds consider having your birthstone for example or choose from many beautiful semi-precious gems. If you can wear something handed down to you in your family that would be a great recycling option.

Wedding Gown - Cotton is a very good option if you are going to marry in the summer months but if you feel that cotton is not as elegant there are many silk, soy, tencel and hemp blends that will give you the right flow and shine. Of course you can choose to recycle a wedding gown your mother or grandmother has preserved.

Wedding Favors - Give back to the earth by giving out seed packets as wedding favors. You can ask your guests to plant them as a symbol of growth and prosperity for you both. If plant or flower seeds don't fit your theme at least make sure your wedding favors are useful or practical. Practical wedding favors will not end up polluting a landfill the week after your wedding.

You can also choose to save electricity by using oil lamps instead of electrical lights. Oil lamps with castor oil can be an apt alternative to electrical lights or use hurricane lanterns and luminaries. If you can plan your wedding outdoors and if the weather permits, you can forego fans and cooling too.

The décor too can be made with recycled material instead of using plastic and metal (the non-recycled variety). Have bamboo furniture and use recycled glass articles to serve the food. You don't need to have any artificial centerpieces either. You can easily have beautiful centerpieces from totally natural materials. You can also ask your guests to forego any gifts that are a hazard to our environment and instead donate to environmental organizations.

In conclusion, create and be the stars at your dream wedding. You will definitely do your part for the earth and be admired for your creativity and courage.

L Hayes is a wedding professional and owner of Wedding Favors Emporium. They carry an extensive line of unique wedding favors. They offer many popular gift ideas such as practical wedding favors, place card holders, and bridesmaid gifts. For more information about flower and garden favors, wedding planning, or wedding reception ideas, visit their website. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=L_Hayes

 

Pre-Wedding Nerves

Pre-wedding nerves are a classic component of some wedding or marriage films in which the bride (to be) is frantically jittery and/or the husband is scared of the life he's losing. In real life, these feelings might mean that the forthcoming relationship is not for you or that you are simply not quite ready yet.

Nervousness tethered to joy and excitement is probably just pre-wedding nerves, but an impending sense of doom, dread, feelings of a big mistake, or bowing to the wishes of others against your common sense and inner feelings, can be something a little more serious. For instance, if your potential spouse has ever gotten violent, has an ongoing drug or alcohol problem, dislikes your friends and family, was recently unfaithful, or doesn't want children (or he/she differs considerably on how to raise them), then you should probably seriously consider a postponement of the wedding. The temporary embarrassment is a trifle compared with years of wishing you weren't in a fixed, legal relationship.

Distinguish these feelings from nervousness about planning the wedding, in-laws, table settings, invitation cards, flower arrangements, etc. Think about whether or not you'll ever be put into a life-altering event with so many millions of details again. How do you and your spouse handle it? Maybe you can grow from it. Consider the wedding set-up to be as much a part of your new relationship as the wedding itself, and use it as an opportunity to bond and grow. Set boundaries on when you'll discuss the wedding and when you won't. Set up one day where both of you just share your true love and forget all about the wedding plans and ceremonies.

If you're starting to compile silly fears and worries about married life, write them down and talk to someone, read from a helpful author, or peruse your holy scriptures, whatever religion you pertain to, about husband and wife continuing harmony and behavior. You may have a legitimate worry that your identity will be swallowed up in the other person. In that case, you could both agree on designated times to spend time alone or with friends, i.e., one night a week for instance. It's not uncommon for a partner to feel hurt or rejected by pre-wedding nerves.

It's important to realize that most all couples, even the best ones that have been enthusiastic and happy for long years, went through the pre-wedding nerves. When you get advice from someone, try to seek out happily married couples or even couples that have been together for a long time, marriage or not. Often, their secrets can be the sought-after element that encourages an unbreakable bond and subdues pre-wedding nerves' impact. If you've had negative feelings for a considerable time then it's an idea to stop the wedding all together. Marriage is a journey, and no one can expect it to be smooth all the time.

Eric Hartwell oversees "The World's Best Homepage" intended to be a user-generated resource where YOUR opinion counts. Anybody can contribute and all are welcomed. Visit us to read, comment upon or share opinions on marriage and weddings and visit our associated site articles for free. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eric_Hartwell

Weddings - that special day

Your  Special Wedding

Standing in front of all her loved ones, donning an elegant white gown and a radiant smile, the bride smiles at her groom, tears in her eyes, and says, "I do." The audience feels a rush of excitement, thrilled to be a part of this magic moment. Weddings are magical events.

Over the years, weddings have taken new twists. Veering away from tradition, many couples today choose alternative weddings that will create one-of-a-kind memories to last a lifetime. Numerous resources are available to help couples plan unique weddings, ranging from intimate at-home nuptials to destination ceremonies. Even destination weddings offer a broad range of options.

Today, beach weddings have become very popular. Wedding guests are able to join in the occasion while also enjoying a vacation of their own. Newlyweds stay on to honeymoon at the same spot where they tied the knot. Many resorts offer packages that give couples a more economical wedding option, as well as one that is unique, beautiful, and relaxing.

Other couples choose to plan their weddings in another country, to honor their heritage. A bride with an Irish background, for example, may choose to wed in her ancestors' homeland, complete with traditional bagpipers and Irish dancers. Weddings like this allow the couple to honor tradition while looking ahead to the future and adding a modern twist. Guests and couples alike can indulge in a return to their heritage, learning more about their culture and perhaps digging in to their families' roots.

Some still opt for weddings in Las Vegas. Kitschy as it may be, there is a certain attraction to the little wedding chapels and Elvis impersonators. Certainly these weddings create stories that are worth telling for years to come.

The most important part of any wedding is the vow shared by the bride and groom. Choosing to marry and sharing that moment with loved ones is the most important decision a couple can make. No matter what kind of celebration they choose, or where they decide to tie the knot, weddings are special occasions that are sure to touch the heart of everyone in attendance.


About The Author:

Jeff Lakie is the founder of Wedding Information a website providing information on Weddings

This article is free for republishing
Source: http://www.articlealley.com

5 Awesome Wedding Favors

Couples exchanging vows today want their wedding favors to be as
unique as they are and express something personal about
themselves. Thank your guests for sharing in this very special
time by giving them a token of your appreciation that's
thoughtful and memorable, a true reflection of your most
important day.

Wedding favors don't have to end up costing more than the
honeymoon does. In fact, just the opposite is true because
favors that are simple and elegant, but meaningful, often convey
your message best. And those that are personally made are
increasingly popular and lend an extra special touch to any
wedding by giving your friends and family the perfect souvenir
of your big day.

Whether the sky's the limit as far as price is concerned or you
and your bridesmaids will be crafting every piece by hand to
save a few dollars, here are five ideas for awesome wedding
favors that will leave a lasting impression on your guests and
add to the overall ambiance of your wedding.

A Toast to the Happy Couple A wedding favor that's grown in
popularity as of late, are personalized wine or champagne
bottles complete with your names and the date of your ceremony.
To save on funds, the bottles could be given to each couple
instead of per person placed in a decorative bag in the colors
of the wedding party's attire.

Let Your Love Grow If your wedding decorations or bouquets
feature a specific flower or a few types of flowers, consider
giving guests nicely decorated seed packets to plant at home.
This way, a part of your wedding lives on and it gives guests a
lovely reminder of your nuptials. You could also place a single
flower in a vase or pot at each place setting as well.

Light Up The Night You can never go wrong with candles, and
presentation, of course, is of the utmost importance. Instead of
simply wrapping a plain candle in a piece of tulle and tying it
with a ribbon, why not put some extra time and thought into the
process to truly personalize the favors? Candles can be used in
conjunction with a variety of other things such as colorful
marbles, sea shells or potpourri, just to name a few.

Picture Perfect Many couples are opting for true personalization
by using photos of themselves in their favors. Pictures can be
put into little frames or used in other creative ways such as
placed inside snow globes for a winter themed wedding, for
example.

Dream Theme Theme weddings are all the rage with specifically
tailored favors to match. Consider the couple getting married in
a public zoo that passed out animal crackers wrapped in colorful
tulle as their favors. Or the bride and groom who married on the
beach and personally collected sand and made decorative candle
holders for their guests.

Whether your wedding is being held in a castle right out of a
fairy tale or a simpler affair in your own backyard, with a
little research and some brainstorming, you can create wedding
favors that are as unique and special as you and your beloved
are.
Author: Gabriel Adams
About the author:
Visit our <a href="http://www.tophatweddings.co.uk">Modern
wedding</a> website with competitive prices on wedding products,
<a
href="http://www.tophatweddings.co.uk/wedding-directory-links-uk/
linkPage.php?pc=Wedding+Favours+and+Accessories&pid=5">wedding
favours</a> available to order online.

Tips for Coping With Marriage Problems

If you're married, you've probably had marriage problems. Don't feel alone, because working out problems is a step that often takes years. It's not the people who don't have problems who have good marriages; it's who learn ways to cope with those problems and beat them. Whether this is done with a marriage counselor or alone as a couple, the people who deal with their issues correctly are the ones who will stay together the longest.

First and foremost, learn how to listen. This is a simple, easy step that seems hard until you actually do it. Listening can be one of the best things for you and your spouse if you're having marriage problems.

Remember that even if you don't agree with a word they're saying, it is how they feel; thus it is valid and important. Learn to use 'I' statements and accept that you may be hurt and even angered by your spouse's words. However, once you've identified problems, you can start to fix them, and you can only do that by listening and talking to each other.

Nip the little problems in the bud and learn how to let things go. If your spouse isn't doing what you want them to do, like a household chore, sit them down and tell them why it's important to you. Don't nag and yell, because this will only make them shut you off and tune you out.

Make sure you take time out for each other at some point during the week. Make it a date night. Take one night, any night, or even day, and spend it doing something nice with your spouse. From a fancy dinner to a day exploring your city to a quiet picnic in the park, find new things to try with your souse to keep it from getting mundane or boring.

Send the kids off to a friend's house and spend a quiet evening at home, even if all you do is order a pizza, talk and watch a movie. This is often taken for granted, but it can become a breath of fresh air in your otherwise busy life and you'll look forward to your sessions together. Make these times solely for enjoyment and leave any problems at the door for another day. Just be with your partner and enjoy their company.

Last but not least, don't be afraid to get help. Creating a solid marriage takes work, and sometimes it helps to have a professional, unbiased ear to relate your problems. This can be a great way to get to the root of deep-set problems and bring them into the open where they can be dealt with.

If you're having marriage problems please visit http://www.marriagemax.com

Author: Kausik Dutta
Article source: http://www.articlealley.com/. Used with author's permission.