All Brides Are Beautiful

Many brides I have met have been very concerned about the way they will look going down the aisle and standing in front of everyone as the center of attention for those twenty to twenty five minutes of the ceremony. Some obsess about their looks. Many go on diets. In fact there are diet programs posted on wedding sites on the internet and in chapters in wedding books for women who want to lose mega pounds before their wedding. It’s like they believe they will be judged by everyone in attendance and pronounced “ugly.” Or if they don’t look like the model on the cover of a bride’s magazine, their groom and his entire family will get up and leave the wedding. Whoa! Let’s take an honest look at this and try to put it into perspective. Your groom fell in love with you just the way you are. In his eyes you are already beautiful and he most likely doesn’t want you to change. In fact he’s probably wondering what all the big fuss is about. So what, if someone in the group of family or guests has a thought about an imperfection or two? Who really cares? It’s their problem if they’re judging you, not your problem. There is a wonderful saying that should be taken to heart, “What other people think of me is none of my business.” Sitting in judgment of you or anyone else is their business and not yours. Your mother may have been telling you to fix your hair a different way, to stand up straight, to lose a few pounds -- that’s what mothers do. But she will be the one who thinks you are the most beautiful and will tell everyone she meets, and show pictures to prove it, how beautiful you were for your wedding. Your wedding is a joyful celebration of the love between you and your groom. It is not a beauty contest. The truth is that each bride has this wonderful glow that love gives her -- a radiance and a dazzling beauty that make-up, hair dos, and dieting cannot provide. Absolutely, do what you want to do to be beautiful on your special day – go to the spa and the hairdresser. Get a manicure and a pedicure. Do all those things that women do to look their best. But know, with great confidence, that you will be beautiful and your man will never forget how you looked as you walked toward him to become his wife. By Irene Conlan

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Birthday party

A birthday party is a celebration that occurs to celebrate the birth of the person being honoured. The birthday party is the most celebrated type of party in the world. As of July 2006 there were approximately 6.525 billion people on Earth. If birthdays were perfectly random in their distribution across the year, and if every person were to celebrate theirs at their exact birth time then there would be a birthday celebration every 0.005 seconds. While a child's party is usually at home and consists of soft drinks and sweet food as well as savory, adults' often take place in clubs with a buffet of savory food and alcohol.

In Western culture, birthday parties are often accompanied by colorful decorations. A traditional birthday cake is often served with candles that are to be blown out after a "birthday wish" has been made. This wish is usually kept secret, and represents some desire for the time between the current birthday and the next. While the birthday cake is brought to the table, the song Happy Birthday to You is generally sung. A birthday party may even be an event planned carefully through a special agency or through a party service.

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Planning Weddings is a Team Effort

Behind every amazing wedding, there's probably an amazing wedding planner. I found this the case when my wife-to-be and I were putting together our journey to the altar. Now I have to admit that prior to getting hitched, I had never really been the type of person who hired event coordinators or planners even for corporate events. I just didn't believe I needed a specialist to make my life work. Oh yeah, sure, there was a housecleaner every now and then, but I was the type that cut my own grass, changed my own oil, and worked out without the benefit of a personal trainer yelling in my face. However, when I got a sense of the unchartered wedding waters we were getting into, it didn't take much nudging from my fiancé to hire a wedding coordinator--and this, by far, turned out to be the smartest decision of my life... well, besides marrying my wife. The wedding planner, Helena, walked in our door and immediately impressed us with her knowledge of how to coordinate a wedding celebration that would be special and unique to our wants and needs. She explained that a true event planner is like a management consultant. It is her job to deliver a complete wedding concept based on an analysis of the bride and groom--who they are, their ideals, their self-images--so that the nuptial experience reflects the soon-to-be married couple and is a once in a lifetime special occasion. After our preliminary discussions, Helena set up dates and times to meet the potential wedding vendors--the photographer, the cake maker, the deejay, and the caterer. I look back at the experience and realize how much time and effort was saved on our part by not having to search and book the vendors. This is a BIG advantage during a time when things like seating charts, who gets invited, and wedding vows dominate your every minute of the day. The first photographer our wedding planner brought by was late and had forgotten some of his sample portfolios. Easy decision: We pass. The second photographer was on time, had everything in order, and had a collection of black and white altar photos that just oozed wedding day emotion. And just that quick we had found our photographer. The deejay picking was not as easy. The best way to get a feel for these vendors is to actually experience their work. After a couple of weeks of dropping in on other people's special events and weddings, we were a bit ragged. But we persevered and on the third weekend we found a deejay who had a personality beyond the glitz. He was fun to talk to and we immediately felt at ease with his music and his style. (Thanks for hanging in there with us, Helena.) The next notch on the wedding coordinator's vendors-to-pick list was the cake maker. In an afternoon we dropped by Helena's top three picks--a fun, five hours of cakes, icing, and the smell of yummy baked goods. Although every cake creation we looked at was amazing unto itself, the man behind the batter who impressed us was Jean-Paul, an innately endearing full-time chef who walked us through his loft/bakery as if we had just put a down payment on the place. Jean-Paul cleared off a table beside a stack of sugar flower cake toppers that went from floor to ceiling and we began our "perfect wedding cake" search. I was blown away by the creativity that went into wedding cakes these days. Forget the white, round, tiered edifices that you've seen on every TV sitcom. Jean-Paul made unique wedding cakes that looked like busts of the bride and groom, cakes that resembled English castles, and even a cake that looked like a set of designer luggage. This was our man. Beyond the creativity, we felt we had met a kindred spirit. He was a person who cared more about the personal connection than the business deal. In the end, we realized that not only was a wedding planner worth her weight in gold, but her patient guidance helped us find wedding vendors who represented what we wanted in ourselves. We wanted to be clever and sharp and resilient like Helena. We wanted to be organized with a hip edge like our photographer. We wanted to be different and push-the-envelope of weddings a bit like our cake maker, Jean Paul. All in all, our wedding was a wonderful and amazing day. We exchanged vows and committed, with love, to living and sharing our lives with each other. We danced and partied with our friends. We laughed and hugged with our family. And, most of all, there was not one moment that we wished we had done differently. Thanks, Helena. And a tip of the hat to all those wedding planners and event coordinators out there who will help the brides and grooms of tomorrow.

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Wedding Budget Tips

Bride and groom and other family members may fret and hem and haw over funds spent on a wedding. But there may be a few shortcuts to a more efficient budget. Tradition has previously suggested that all wedding expense be paid by the bride's family, but most couples today either pay for wedding expenses themselves or share the expense with various family members. "It was just too much for my father to carry alone," says Nina Grier, who married a year ago in Southern California. "And since I'm an accomplished person myself, I felt guilty letting him spend his savings on my wedding." Instead, the bride and groom shared wedding and reception expenses but Nina's dad picked up the tab for a small rehearsal dinner at a local restaurant. Wedding costs may vary from $50,000 for a blow-out all-traditional 300-head-plus event to a few hundred dollars for a small, family-only backyard gathering. There is really no limit to the amount of money spent on a wedding depending on the location, entertainment and number of events and number of guests invited. A four-day event that lasts from Thursday through Sunday morning may include a get-to-know-you Thursday evening dinner for guests from out-of-town; a day of golf for guests; rehearsal dinner for the bridal party; spa day for the bride and her bridesmaids; the wedding itself plus the reception and entertainment and Sunday morning brunch for gift-opening and departing guests. The total can easily add up to several tens of thousands of dollars. But there are lots of simple ways to tighten that budget with a few tricks of your own, and a little help from talented friends. *Invitations may be hand-made with some nifty paper from a local gift store printed by your printer and hand-delivered to friends and family members the guest list is small. *Flowers may be picked from a local garden and tied together with some luxurious velvet or satin ribbon for a fresh stem bouquet. *The wedding itself may be held in a friend's backyard or an open field lush with flowering plants or sunflowers. *A beach wedding may need standing-room only (hence no rental chairs or overhead on tents.) *Additional lights or a photographer's additional equipment can be left at home when the event is backlit by a cascading sunset. *Instead of traditional wedding attire, the bride and groom may opt for more casual clothing such as shorts or a simple suit and delicate dress. *Rehearsal dinner may be a potluck where each member of the wedding party provides a favorite dish. *Invitations may reach across the ethers via the internet with a simple rsvp for an outdoor wedding at a local inn or at a state park which requires minimal fees. *A wedding gown (an easy $2500 for designer gown) may be borrowed from a friend's closet or passed from a close relative. A few stitches from a local seamstress or tailor will freshen the gown to your own specifications. *Grooms may ditch a rental tuxedo and opt for a white shirt-only and casual pants if the wedding takes place outdoors or at the beach. *Additional decorations for either a formal reception or a more casual at-home wedding may be made by a talented guest with silk flowers or plucked from a friends' garden. *A trove of candles in various shapes and sizes but in one color (such as cream or peach) can decorate an entire backyard with a romantic and inexpensive theme. *Talented friends with musical instruments may gather as a impromptu band for a close-knit reception. *If your heart is still set on tradition, opt for a day in the middle of the week when restaurants and locales for special events may be more likely to come down on prices. *Choose to have a one-day event with both wedding and dinner wrapped into one, skipping the traditional rehearsal dinner and cocktail hour. *Schedule the actual wedding close to the evening so you can easily slide past a traditional cocktail hour and move guests directly into dinner. *Find a friend with calligraphy talent and ask him or her to create a dinner scroll, which lists each guests' table number and name instead of printing pricey plate names. *Buy champagne and wine in bulk and have it shipped directly to the location of your wedding whether it is at a restaurant or a friend's home. Bulk prices are about 13 percent lower than individual buys. *Encourage an aspiring filmmaker to tape the wedding (with strict instructions) for a personal memory. *Inquire at a local college or journalism school that offers photography courses for an outstanding student who may be hired at a fifth of the cost of traditional fee for a professional photographer. Provide the student with a nominal fee and all film costs. *If you choose to have wedding programs, invent your own format and print at your own expense. Colorful papers and cardstock can be purchased in bulk at a paper or craft store. *Create one small festive-looking wedding cake for cake-cutting purposes, but invest in several sheet cakes for serving your guests. An elaborate cake to serve all your guests can be expensive, while sheet cakes can cut the cost of cake-serving in half. *Instead of hiring limousines for the wedding party, ask favors of your friends with roomy SUV's who can accommodate a group. And above all, be ready to adjust your budget from beginning to final dance. Your wants and desires may change, and cost-cutting measures may add up to fewer expenses.

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Choose Bridal Lingerie that complements Your Wedding Dress

Good taste and common sense is needed when it comes to choosing your Bridal lingerie to complement your wedding dress. As an example, if you are going to wear an informal wedding dress, do not choose a very stuffed corset, and opt for a simpler bustier one instead. Although, there is a wide array of Bridal lingerie, including body-hugging Basques and strapless corsets with stretch spandex panels, your lingerie should be chosen along with your informal bridal gown, and to your wedding dress. Due to the fact that everyone has an opinion, the selection of your Bridal lingerie is a decision as personal as your dreams waiting for the big day to arrive. However, a bridal bustier or satin corset with sheer stay-up stockings, satin spandex gloves or crochet short gloves are nice lingerie settings, independent of your wedding dress. An informal bridal gown, and particularly those tight fitting types, will usually fit best with casual lingerie, including those nipple covers that adhere to your breasts providing minimal cover for your breast for maximum exposure when you want to show your most appealing and sexiest look. There are also micro spandex tights, invisible bras, self-adhesive disposable bras and push up bras with adhesive enhancers that mold to the breasts, pushing up, and providing strapless resembling nudity, another good lingerie option for an informal wedding dress. Brides who prefer a wedding dress, sticking to traditional styles may prefer lingerie such as baby dolls, but making sure they are made of silk or chiffon for a sensuous hugging note, in addition to a satin lace garter with bows. Some bridal shops offer complementary lingerie, including whole sets of bustiers, stockings, garter and gloves. Not only should the wedding dress influence the choice of lingerie, there is something else to keep in mind: your honeymoon destinations. If you are wearing an informal wedding dress during your wedding ceremony and reception in Florida, but you and your groom will take to the North Pole for your honeymoon, you simply will feel uncomfortable and out of context wearing just nipple covers. Besides, an informal wedding dress may be designed as luxurious as a classic attire, so your lingerie in this case should be chosen accordingly. By Natalie Arandat

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3 Easy Steps to Wedding Guides: The Do It Yourself Wedding Program Guide

This article will help with some the steps for the person that is going to make a "do it yourself wedding program". By following the steps in this article and using it as a guide in creating your own wedding program you will be well on your way to having this task completed and a beautiful wedding program... Typically there are three main parts to the wedding program and it is helpful to plan these out first. You can even compile the information for each section a little at a time to make it easier. Do not get overwhelmed with everything there is to do instead just start working on what you already know. Wedding Program Part 1 Introduction The first section of a traditional wedding program is the introduction. This gives you a chance to give some over view type of information to the guest. Some of the things you will want to include are: • Names of the couple • Wedding date • Time and place of the service. Wedding Programs Part 2 Event or Ceremony Order In this part you can include lots of useful information about the ceremony itself. IF you have special poems, music or other significant parts of the ceremony that you want your guests to know about then this is the place to include them. • Greetings • Poetry • Reading • Exchange of vows • Explanations of special religious rituals (such as the ring ceremony, unity candle ceremony, and pronouncement of marriage) • Titles of the ceremony music to be played (including the names of the musicians, soloists, or readers) Wedding Programs Part 3 Acknowledgement or Wedding Party This is a great place to put in your closing remarks. You will want to be sure to include a thank you note to several people that were in the ceremony/ • Names of the members of the bridal party • Name of the priest or officiate who will perform the ceremony • Memorials, tributes or homage's to someone who has passed away • Thank-you notes and dedications to the parents and to people who gave support to the couple (and to the wedding) • The couple's special message to their wedding guests • Directions to the reception Typically once the wedding program is done it can then be sent of to the printer or you can choose to do it on your own. With most desktop computers today with great printers a person can easily print very large numbers of documents easily. No matter what you choose the wedding program will come out perfect. by Sam Smith

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Smart Wedding Planning - A Quick Guide to Saving Money on Your Wedding Day

It's a fact. The wedding industry is huge, and anything with the word "wedding" attached to it is likely to mean "expensive". So is it feasible to hire a photographer who doesn't necessarily focus on weddings, or a band that wouldn't be found in your local bridal magazine? Absolutely! To get started on this road less traveled, begin by asking recently-wed family, friends or colleagues for any good wedding leads. Perhaps they'll know of a fabulous bakery that was less expensive than all the larger ones in the area. Or an art student who just graduated from college and is looking for work as a calligrapher. Maybe there's a friend of a friend who's an aspiring photographer and would be able to capture fantastic wedding photos for you on your big day. Next, move your research online and check out the local wedding chat boards in your area at TheKnot.com and WeddingChannel.com. Look for posts like "Rave Reviews" and "Highly Recommended" - and be sure to also take note of any vendors that received negative reviews from other brides and grooms. Another excellent free resource is Craigslist.com. Musicians, photographers and other artists post their services regularly here in areas across the country. If you see a post that catches your eye, just send a quick email to the poster to get more information, or submit your own ad describing exactly what you're looking for. Finally, head to Amazon.com or your local book store and buy at least one good wedding planning book. This will be your trusty reference book and will help you know just which questions to ask, so that you can make an informed decision about a particular wedding vendor. For example, knowing the various costs that are typically associated with catering will allow you to ask for only the items you NEED, and avoid paying for anything you don't. In fact, knowing a bit about each type of wedding service vendor - caterers, musicians, DJs, etc. - will actually help save you money no matter which vendors you talk to, "professional" or not. With a little outside the box thinking and basic knowledge about the "biz", you're on your way to pulling together a fantastic wedding day that may just cost you less than you think! By Allison Campbell

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