Sunday, 27 January 2008
Children and Weddings and the Dangers of the same
and the Danger of the Same
Most of the romantic and ideal wedding scenes we have seen in movies involve cute and huggable children. However, being the jolly, innocent and fun creatures that they are, most often, weddings, at least in the movies, involving children turn out to be hilarious and disastrously funny.
We know that children are always seeking fun and will not stop to entertain themselves during boring hours. Children can not easily cope up and comprehend the fun adults have on weddings. The occasion can be very boring to them.
When children get bored, they usher in trouble to adults. They can roam around, throw cakes at people, fight with other kids or ruin things. These are fun to them, but can be nightmares to adults, especially to brides and grooms during weddings.
Children and invitations
Admit it. The sad reality is that more and more brides, and grooms as well, do not like the idea that children will be coming over to their weddings.
Just the thought of crying children and children messing up with her gown and that of the bride’s maids make several brides throw up. Another sad fact is that some parents are not very sensitive to the issue. They could not think and understand how a bride could dislike cute and loveable kids in her wedding.
Wedding etiquette books and guides have it that the best way to exclude children to the occasion is to mention it in the invitations.
According to most wedding etiquette books, brides and grooms who dislike kids around their weddings can do two things: one, do not mention kids’ names in the invites; and two, spread the word that children are not wanted in the wedding.
The second option can be brutal, but it is nicer than having to control kids’ tantrums and annoying acts during weddings.
Because not all people understand and know wedding etiquettes, it is advisable that at some occasions, the couple should be straight forward to inform the guests before hand that the wedding would involve an ‘adult reception.’
Frankly telling parents-guests that kids will not be welcome in the wedding can also be a viable option. For some, the gesture will not be that polite, but practicality will tell other wise. Every bride and groom wants solemnity for their much- awaited moments. Understand that.
Another tactic to exclude children in wedding invitations is to mention the number of seats reserved for a particular guest. For example, Mr and Mrs Winterburg are reserved only two seats at the reception. That means, that Mr and Mrs Winterburg’s five kids do not have places in the wedding. They should know that.
If the guests still fall clueless and insist on bringing along their children with them, call them before the wedding and explain why children should not be attending the wedding. Educate them a little about wedding etiquettes.
Wedding etiquettes for children’s parents
For parents, if it is not mentioned in the wedding invitation that children are not allowed to attend the wedding, and the couple and hosts did not call to emphasize the idea, then it is safe to assume that you could tag along your children.
However, be informed and bear in mind the simple wedding etiquettes for parents. You would not want to ruin the wedding just because your kid suddenly threw an act or suddenly threw a tantrum.
Assume the position of the bride and the groom. Think of how you would feel if you were on their shoes, and children are creating scenes at your wedding. It would not be pretty and cute, right?
Make the initiative to leave your kids at home, if you can help it, when you attend the wedding. They could play around the house or watch the television or do their stuff at home. They might get bored throughout the wedding ceremony and spoil everything.
For those helplessly take along children with them on weddings, wedding etiquette experts advise you to make the most of the opportunity. In other words, make the occasion a venue or time for teaching the kids of simple and practical wedding etiquettes.
Make the occasion a teachable moment by informing the kid that he or she should behave through out the occasion just like how to adult guests behave.
Visit Denis at
http://totalweddingnews.com/
For more articles on weddings
Thursday, 27 September 2007
Second Wedding, Do It Right This Time...
Tradition and etiquette dictates that second weddings should be simple and casual instead of being formal and extravagant. However, the number of second or encore wedding is sharply growing each year. Such ceremony is designed to celebrate two people who want to embark on a new marriage with different partners.
Etiquette In Announcing Your Engagement
The immediate concern in planning a second wedding is how to announce this to you children. The children should always be the first be notified of your decision to remarry, as this will combine two already-established families. Expect you children to be stressed by your move and they will need a certain amount of time to accept the situation.
The bride and groom’s parents should be the next to be informed and then the respective ex’s. The ex-wife or ex-husband should make an effort to appease the children and reassure them about their roles in the new family.
Engagement rings from the past should not be worn anymore based on second wedding etiquette. All signs of previous relationships should be taken away once planning for the wedding and announcements are made.
A second marriage can be announced informally such as advertising it in the newspaper, making e-mails and phone calls. Under second wedding etiquette, the couple does not have to host an engagement party but a small gathering can be organized where you can make that important announcement.
Who’s Going?
Just about anybody can attend your second wedding. However, in observance of second wedding etiquette ex-spouses and former in-laws should not be invited even if you are in speaking terms to avoid awkwardness among the other guests.
The bride and groom should calculate a realistic budget for the wedding. This is a rare chance to again have the wedding of your dreams, it could be elegant, extravagant and intimate.
Vows and Ceremonies
Second wedding are normally made in civil ceremonies but can also be done in a religious ceremony. They are many ways to make the ceremony fell very intimate and special. Writing vows is common among second wedding and there is an abundance of books written about it. The children can be assigned to do an important part of the ceremony in order to foster unity. They can escort you while walking the aisle, read passages from the bible or serve as attendants in the event.
The closest family members and friends of the new couple can walk down the aisle or no one at all.
Are Bridal Showers Needed?
Bridal showers for encore brides are normally but this need to adhere with second etiquette rules.
- Only guests should be invited
- Club, Office and school showers can also be done and can be attende by other not on the official guest list. However, those that attended the bride’s first wedding should not participate.
Wedding Gifts and Registry
Guest should make they register. Some guests will have the uncontrollable urge to give something even if the couple does not want gifts. It’s also acceptable for encore couples to sign in the gift registry.
Wedding Gift Ideas for Second Marriages
Gift certificates—restaurants, spas, stores
DVD player and DVDs
Charity Donations
Denis Kermode has collected a large number of article for both new and second timers, the site is free to join and contains just about everything you need to know,so visit us at : - http://totalweddingnews.com/
Monday, 3 September 2007
Wedding Speeches
Denis Kermode has a number of websites from golfing, meditation and Rehab, to Tarotcard readings and Everything Weddings : - http://totalweddingnews.com drop by and read some of the hundreds of wedding articles, from Invites to Honeymoons. Well worth you dropping by.
Saturday, 18 August 2007
American Wedding Practices
American Wedding
Practices
Living in the US makes one feel free - free to do anything, free to live, free to love, free from traditions. While this is true, there are still many practices done during wedding that renders this memorable event with a distinct American touch. Here are some:
Starting from the engagement, Americans can think of unique ways to personalize their wedding. As there really isn't any engagement tradition, the more unique the marriage proposal is done, the better.
For most wedding preparations, the engaged couple visits their parents to inform them of their recent engagement.
At times, the engaged couple hosts an engagement party. The engagement party costs less than a wedding reception since most of the time, the menu will only include cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. Therefore, if the couple is on a tight budget, they can just invite more guests to the engagement party if they plan to limit the number of guests during the wedding.
Most wedding preparations have a bridal shower given by the maid of honor and the bridesmaids. The groom may also have a bachelor party the night before the wedding but he has to be careful not to drink too much.
Wedding invitations should include response cards to quickly inform the couple whether the person has accepted or declined the invitation. The wedding invitations should also be sent within four to six weeks before the event.
Usually, there is a rehearsal dinner in which the wedding party and guests came from far places to be present at the wedding attend. It was practiced that the groom's parents pay for this dinner.
A bridal luncheon may be hosted for the bride's attendants during the wedding day. However, time constraints may not permit this to be part of the schedule for the wedding day. Likewise, the groom may also host a groom's dinner for his groomsmen.
Interestingly, even if the couple is not very religious, they still prefer a religious ceremony. However, this may pose a problem since in America people of different faiths and religious backgrounds get married.
Even if there are few people who believe in bad luck, some couples still make sure that the groom does not see his bride until she starts waking on the aisle.
It is still practiced that the groom and his groomsmen enter the church through a side door. The bride will then walk down the aisle with her father. In some cases when both her father and stepfather brought up the bride, she may ask them both to escort her.
During a formal reception, there is usually a bridal table where the couple and the attendants sit. Also, food and drinks should be served as the guests appear at the reception.
Before, gift giving used to depend on what the guest will feel useful for the couple. Now, it is better to register for gifts so the guests will know what to bring that the couple will need.
Upon receiving an engagement or wedding gift, it is better to send a thank you note apart from saying "thank you" to the giver. This should be sent within two weeks upon receipt of the gift. Make a personalized thank you note, instead of using an impersonal generic thank you note.
These are just some American practices during weddings. Whether one chooses to this or prefers to have a very different wedding, what's more important is that American's still believe in the wedding vow, "For better or worse, 'til death do us part."
Saturday, 19 May 2007
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 |
Sunday, 1 April 2007
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 |
Wednesday, 28 February 2007
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
Source: http://www.articlealley.com

