What To Pack For Your Honeymoon

Posted on September 1, 2011 by Teri

What To Pack For Your Honeymoon

What to pack for your honeymoon. Hmmm, the big day is coming up and you have to pack for your honeymoon. It MUST be done before the wedding and you NEED to pack the right things for where you are going and for that all important ‘Wedding Night’.

Many people, if not most, are not great packers when going on a vacation, let alone a honeymoon. Some pack way too much so they won’t be without anything they are used to using at home. Others get stressed by packing and do it without a list and arrive at their honeymoon destination with all the wrong outfits or necessities.

When you’re planning your wedding, there are hundreds of details to handle during the months before the actual ceremony. Your honeymoon will seem like it’s an eternity away, but it will be a reality faster than you realize. Traditionally, booking the honeymoon details, like lodging and airplane reservations, has been the groom’s task, but packing for a trip will never be handed off to him. Would you do that?

To make it easier for you, here are some honeymoon packing tips:

What You Absolutely Have To Have:

(Pack these items together in your carryon bag, so you can find them easily.)

Your airline tickets, either physical tickets or confirmation for tickets bought online, are a prime concern and should be an automatic item packed in your purse or carryon bag. Along with your tickets, pack your passport, visas and driver’s licenses. Your credit cards are probably in wallets or your purse, but only take those you are going to use (do not take them all).

In the same place with your airline tickets and passports, pack your hotel confirmations and any theater or event tickets you’ve reserved/purchased. Good advice is to keep your traveler’s checks on your person, with half being carried by each of you.

Make two photocopies of both sides of your credit cards, medical or travel insurance coverage and your prescriptions. Do the same for your driver’s licenses and passports or visas. Keep one copy of all your records on you or in your purse. Leave the other copy in the hotel. It might be a good idea to make a third copy of everything mentioned above to leave with a parent or close friend. If you are out of the country on your honeymoon, loss or theft will make it difficult for you to make replacements so you can continue your trip. A phone call home will get replacements or stop illegal withdrawals on your credit cards.

Make sure your address book has current information for your doctor, any house or animal sitters and a friend or relative who will check on your home while you are gone.

If you carry prescription medicines, pack them in their original bottles.

Don’t forget sunglasses. If you need prescription glasses, have a spare pair made and pack it securely in your carryon bag.

Memories are fleeting, so pack your digital camera with several batteries and a spare memory card, if possible. If you need a charger, pack one made for the country you are visiting. You might want to check about the need for an electrical converter or adapter for your electric razor and laptop, if you are taking it with you.

What To Buy At Home Before You Leave:

Most hotels will have a shop that carries some of these first aid needs, but they might not be the same products you are used to. Buy these in travel sizes before you leave.

Some handy items to have are: insect repellent, anti-itch cream, Aloe Vera, aspirin, antacid, antihistamine, diarrhea and motion sickness medicine, Band-Aids, sunscreen and lip balm. Tampons or pads are something you do not want to forget and, depending on your destination, can be difficult to find if you need them.

A few items you might be advised to buy and pack before you leave could actually be something you would want to buy at your destination. Sun hats, baseball caps and canvas tote bags are often decorated with photos or names of the resort you’re staying at and can be purchased reasonably for souvenirs when you are home. A guidebook might be handy, but your resort will, more than likely, provide you with maps and current tourist information.

What to pack for your honeymoon is essential and these tips will just get you started with your honeymoon packing. Each one of you will have clothing, personal hygiene and beauty products to pack. Make a list and follow it while you are packing.

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It’s Summer! Weddings On The Beach!

Posted on June 22, 2011 by Teri

It’s Summer! Weddings On The Beach!

If you are looking for a non-traditional, exciting wedding, consider a beach wedding in a tropical locale. This is the total package. Your wedding can be just as glamorous and beautiful as any traditional wedding at home, your honeymoon travel has already been accomplished, and your invited guests get to enjoy a vacation after you both say “I do.”

While you probably can just put on some clean cut-offs and flip-flops, hire a minister and have a simple, quick wedding on the beach almost anywhere, that might not be what you want to do with this very special day in your life.
As with any ceremonies, there is always a list of critical details that need to be organized.

In order to limit the stress factor found in most weddings after months of details and hassles that need to be overcome, it might be a good time to hire a wedding planner to make your life easier. Most hotels in popular beach wedding destinations have experienced planners available to help you with your special ceremony.

Sure, a planner costs money, but think about the details you will have to handle from your home at a destination hundreds or thousands of miles away. How will you find reputable local vendors or providers of outdoor wedding services, like renting and setting up tents, portable toilets or equipment to prepare special food or a buffet table?

Even if you could find them yourself, would you be able to afford the cost of constant long-distance phone calls to check details? How would needing to get up in the middle of the night to make phone calls during their business hours stress you? Sleep is not optional. You need it if you want to stay calm, on top of details and look beautiful during the ceremony.

Another good reason for hiring a wedding planner is her ability to handle all the peripheral arrangements that are not so complicated in your hometown.
Some of those details might be greeting your guests at the airport and arranging travel to the hotel you’ve booked, booking babysitters if needed and providing gift bags with sun screen, maps and schedules for your wedding guests.

Your wedding planner might be the reason you have a spectacular wedding that will be remembered for years.

First Things First – International Marriage Licenses

Regardless of your home address or nationality, when you are planning a beach wedding in a tropical locale outside your own country, you will need to pay attention to the requirements for getting married in foreign countries.

Here are the requirements for several very popular international destinations for beach weddings:

Caribbean Islands:

For Jamaica and Turks/Caicos only:

Notarized copies of:

> The bride and groom’s state-issued birth certificates

> Copy of any divorce decree final judgment, if applicable

> Copy of spouse’s marriage and death certificate, if applicable

> Copy of legal adoption papers or legal name change, if applicable

> Affidavit of spinsterhood or bachelorhood

> Copy of legal translation of all documents to English, with original documents in original language, if applicable

> Driver’s license with birth certificate

The Bahamas:

Apply for the marriage certificate at the Registrar General in Nassau, New Providence.

You will need:

> Photo ID – passport or driver’s license

> Sworn declaration that you are not married.
• If you are a U.S. citizen, you can get this at the US Consul at the American Embassy in Nassau
• Non-U.S. citizens can provide a simple notarized declaration

> There is a residency requirement in The Bahamas. One of you must provide evidence of 24 hours residency in The Bahamas. Your proof needs the date of your arrival clearly visible

> Waiting period is 24 hours

> If you are divorced, you have to show the original final decree or a certified copy

> If you are widowed, you will need the death certificate of your deceased spouse

> $40 in cash

> If you are under the age of 18, you will need parental consent

> No proxy marriages allowed

> Non-resident Catholics, wanting to marry in the Catholic Church, must provide proof of a completed six-week pre-marital course at home

For more information about marriage licenses in The Bahamas, contact:

The Assistant Registrar General of The Bahamas
P.O. Box F-42602
Freeport, Grand Bahamas, Bahamas
Telephone: (242) 352-4934/7
Fax: (242) 352-4060

Antigua & Barbuda

> No waiting period

> License Fee: $240, includes marriage license, marriage officer fees and registration fee

> Valid, legal identification (passport, driver’s license or state-issued identification with birth certificate)

> Proof of divorce (deed poll or name certificate where necessary)

> If your spouse died, original death certificate or certified copies

> Two witnesses present at the ceremony

> If you are under 18, you will need written authorization from your parents

> All original documents must be hand-carried to the islands.

To marry on either island, you are required to pay all the three fees mentioned above at the Ministry of Legal Affairs in the Government complex on Parliament drive. The office is open Mon – Thur, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.

On any tropical island the requirements can change quickly. If you are staying at a resort hotel, they will have knowledgeable staff to help you.
Mexico

If you are not a resident of Mexico, you will need a Tourist Card/Visa and a valid passport. If you are flying in, the airlines will provide you with a tourist card, but you will have to get one in Mexico if you drive. If either of you are under 18, bring parental consent.

Some of the 31 states in Mexico require a certified copy of both of your birth certificates translated into Spanish and confirmed by your own country. If you are bringing originals, have copies to give to the authorities because you will not get them back.

Mexico has a waiting period of two to three days, depending on which state you are in. It would be a good idea to allow an extra day or two to get the paperwork all arranged. There’s no residency requirement, but if you are a foreigner planning on marrying a Mexican citizen, you will need authorization from the National Institute for Migration (Instituto Macianal de Migración)

If you are divorced, you will have to wait a year before applying for a Mexican marriage license and will have to provide a certified copy of your divorce decree. If your spouse is deceased, you will need a certified copy of the death certificate.

Tests:

You will both need to get a Mexican blood test for RPR and HIV and Chest X-rays. Most recommendations suggest getting these tests done in Mexico at least two days before your wedding. The cost of the tests is $125 per person, but that can change at any time.

Additionally, you will need two to four witnesses over the age of 18, with identification. Some Mexican states require that at least two of your witnesses be from your home country.

The marriage fee in Mexico is $200 US. Weddings will not be performed on Sundays.

The state of Coahuuila and Mexico City have civil union laws that give same-sex couples many of the same rights of heterosexual couples.

More information: Mexican Tourism Board Phone: 800-446-3942 or 212-755-7261

Six Popular U.S. Beach Wedding Destinations

You don’t have to fly off to a faraway beach on a tropical island to find the perfect sandy setting and soft breezes. You can find beautiful locations right in the USA, where the travel fees will be cheaper and the requirements for marriages be clearer.

Ogunquit, Maine:

This gorgeous place by the sea was discovered by artists over 100 years ago and they helped to create the town it is today; full of museums, art galleries and hikes in the mountains of Maine. The 1-1/4 mile beach, Marginal Way, is perfect for a beach wedding and a clambake or a banquet of famous Maine lobster and cocktails after the ceremony. You could get married with a background of waves crashing into granite cliffs and tall evergreens rising above the birch trees.

For information on: Ogunquit, Maine

Crane Beach, Massachusetts:

Located near Ipswich, you have 4 miles of white sand on one of the most charming beaches in New England. This beach was once part of a large, early 20th-century summer estate of Richard T. Crane, a successful Chicago industrialist. The Crane Wildlife Refuge and Castle Hill are nearby.

For information on: Crane Beach on the Crane Estate or for Private Functions or The Crane Beach Hotel in Barbados.

Ocracoke Island, North Carolina:

This island is located on the southernmost tip of the famous North Carolina Outer Banks and is perfect for a private, highly romantic wedding. The 16 miles of undeveloped, natural beaches are only accessible by ferry, private boat or small plane. The island is not heavily populated with only 800 residents living there year-round, so your wedding would be as private as you want it to be.

You can get married on windswept beaches, at Ocracoke’s 1823 lighthouse, on a sunset cruise or quietly at a beach cottage.

For information on: Weddings at Ocracoke Island, North Carolina or The Ocracoke Village Website.

Coronado, California:

Romantic beauty is everywhere on this very popular beach located a quick heartbeat from San Diego. Getting there involves a trip over a curving bridge with magnificent views of San Diego and the Pacific Ocean before reaching the island and one of the top wedding destinations in the U.S., the Hotel del Coronado. The sunsets alone are often so spectacular that crowds gather most evenings just to watch the evening’s beauty.

For information on: Coronado, California

Jekyll Island, Georgia:

A wedding wrapped in Southern hospitality and the charms of one of Jekyll Island’s 10 miles of unspoiled beach might just be what you’re looking for. This island is one of Georgia’s barrier islands. The weather is mild and pleasant year-round, which makes it a perfect backdrop for long walks on the beach with your fiance. The tides are famous for scattering beautiful shells in the sand to add to your hand-in-hand walk along ever-changing beaches.

For information on: Jekyll Island, Georgia

Kapalua Bay Beach, Maui, Hawaii:

Situated between two lava points that have shaped the shoreline into a crescent, Kapalua Bay Beach is reputed to be one of the very best beach wedding sites in Hawaii. The tranquil surf and gorgeous sunsets make it a perfect choice for your dream wedding ceremony.

For information on: Pacific Island Weddings-Kapalua Bay Beach, Maui, Hawaii

Caladesi Island State Park, Florida:

If you are looking for a more rugged, natural wedding setting, this park consisting of six undeveloped barrier islands, might be perfect for your ocean-side ceremony. One aspect to consider is that these islands are very susceptible to threats of floods, fires and many other natural ocean-side disasters, requiring some flexibility and backup planning on your part. It might be good practice for your marriage.

For information on: Caladesi Island State Park

Beach Wedding Attire

For a beach wedding you do not want to copy all the formal attire found at any wedding you’ve attended in the past or dreamed over in bridal magazines. You can be elegant and casual at the same time with a little attention to some of the practicalities involved in a beach wedding.

For The Bride:

In any wedding the major consideration for the bride is her wedding dress and, while a beach wedding might be more casual, it is no exception to this worry.

Your first concern, if you getting married in the sand, is staying cool in the sun, which means avoiding heavy fabrics and hose. Another caution you have to keep in mind is that long bridal gown trains are not practical in sand or sea breezes. Neither are traditional veils, which need to be weighted down, or loose hats, that need to be firmly attached so a sharp breeze doesn’t send your decorated wedding hat out to float on the tide.

Consider selecting a strapless satin sheath or sarong style wedding dress.
Either one will cling to your body, showing off your curves, provide an elegant, casual look and blend in with your island/beach atmosphere. Make sure you have your selection hemmed up some to allow for your feet sinking slightly into the sand when you walk up “the aisle.”

High heels and hose will not work easily for beach weddings. Your heels will sink into the sand and your elegant glide to the altar will be very clumsy and ugly. A good, classy alternative could be dressy sandals. You might want to think about going barefoot, which is perfect for the beach.

For The Groom:

With his bride looking casually elegant, the groom will not want to wear a tux, suit or even a jacket on the beach when he weds the love of his life.

Light, tropical slacks and a casual dress shirt are popular selections for grooms to wear for their beach wedding. Wedding planners often suggest the groom select an outfit that reflects the soft hues of the beach and the ocean, like tan, white, cream or blue. Cotton or linen fabric is preferable and cooler than any other normal fabric you can wear for your beach wedding.

Aloha and Mexican wedding shirts look classy and cool and are often the choice of grooms. Shoes can be sandals or loafers. Going barefoot to match the bride is also an option.
Beach Wedding Invitations
 
Your wedding invitations do not have to be formal if you want to carry out a casual, beach wedding. Your choice of invitations can determine the overall feel and tone of your celebration.

Your invitations can have a beach graphic on them, like a photograph of a beach scene or shells washed up with the tides. Other good photographic choices might be sunsets and sunrises over the ocean or a simple pelican sitting on top of a pier.

You can also use two dolphins in the shape of a heart or with a wedding ring between them for your beach wedding invitations. Everyone should get the message about the theme of your wedding.

A clever way to invite people to your wedding would be a message in a small plastic bottle with a little sand on the bottom. Use light paper with a beach theme or color, write the message and roll it tightly and tie it with a piece of silky ribbon. Before putting the cork on top, run a piece of ribbon attached to the invitation out of the bottle so your guests can get to it without a hammer.

You can buy large seashells, decorate them with gold or silver glitter, and tuck your invitation inside. Some tiny, metallic, colorful stars or shells sprinkled in the larger shells with your invitation would carry out your theme. Check craft and wedding stores for bags of glitter or design cutouts.

Your imagination is your only boundary here. Be creative.

How To Choose Beach Wedding Favors

Seaside weddings are very romantic and usually casual and intimate at the same time. Like any traditional wedding, your favors for your guests need to reflect the mood and decoration of your ceremony, as well as each of your personalities.

Your family and friends will love non-traditional, but related favors that will remind them of your special day for years. Favors are also the way you and your fiancé say thank you to your guests, so make them special.

Your selection will depend a lot on your wedding plans. If you are having a sit-down reception, your favors could double as place cards since they would have the names of your guests already on them. A festive barbecue buffet would be perfect for a more whimsical favor, like wind chimes made out of driftwood and shells.

When you are thinking about wedding favors that complement the beach setting, consider creating your own. You can buy large clam shells, spray them gold and sprinkle some clean white sand in the wet paint to make a perfect holder for whatever you want to put in the shell, like miniature soaps in fish, dolphin or shell shapes.

Another suggestion for the clam shell holders, is foil-wrapped chocolates, a small bag of exotic nuts and a miniature bottle or two of an expensive liquor…a miniature party in a golden shell. Round, short candles that would fit nicely in the half shell are also welcome favors.

If you want larger favors, use colorful plastic beach buckets filled with suntan lotion, a tube of bug repellant, flip-flops and inexpensive sun visors.

Food, of course is always welcome. Your hotel might even offer a service for baking and wrapping small cakes or cookies so your favor treat would be fresh when you use them at your wedding reception.

Let your imagination design your favors for you. If your wedding ceremony is fun and full of the beach colors, sounds and scents, echo those feelings with your favors.

Weddings are all about the union of the bride and groom and often get all tied up with other people’s opinions of what your wedding should be. Some things need to be taken into account, of course, like your budget or your parent’s budget, but the specific details should be between you and your fiance.

If you want a traditional, elegant wedding, go for it. If you want to break tradition and lighten it up some with a park wedding or one on the beach, put on your sunscreen and get married with birds chirping in the trees around you or with the sound of the surf in your ears.

Even the most casual wedding on a beach can be stylish and graceful if you put your creative mind to it. If neither one of you are the traditional type and a ceremony arranged around barefoot guests wearing cutoffs at a beach barbecue is your secret dream, find some fancy cutoffs, get a pedicure and join the fun. Your party favors could be sunscreen, aspirin and hangover remedies. Cameras…don’t forget cameras.

Be creative. All of you will remember your day forever.

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Secret Weddings

Posted on May 29, 2011 by Teri

Secret Weddings

What is are secret weddings and how do you plan one and keep it a secret? Well, many couples are opting out of the traditional formal wedding or a public wedding of any type. Some want to avoid the expense, ritual and hype that surrounds most weddings, whether traditional or not. What many are preferring to do is have a secret wedding, which does not have to be an elopement.

One secret wedding can be a private affair with only a few people invited. After the private wedding, a reception or “announcement party” might be held with other friends and family members present. The party guests will not know anything about the wedding until the just-married couple makes an announcement when they arrive at the reception/party. Everyone can party hearty while celebrating the brand new marriage.

Another way to avoid all the stress and expense of a large wedding is to invite your guests to a party with a specific holiday theme or a large family gathering where the “entertainment” is the surprise wedding ceremony. The celebratory party can be casual and as simple as a backyard barbecue.

Secrets are difficult to keep, particularly with an excited group of your friends and family. Friends will whisper to other friends and in a short time your secret wedding will be common knowledge and complications will start to surface. Family members will start assuming you need help with common traditional practices, like where you are registered for gifts, suggestions for vendors, reception hall reservations and all the other things you are trying to avoid with your secret, simple wedding.

Your secret will be easier to keep if you integrate it into a party, where decorations and a party atmosphere would be expected and probably wouldn’t give your secret away until you were ready to tell your guests or actually get married as part of the party. The one problem you will have to consider is getting your guests to the party on time.

Many people are consistent late arrivals at parties and that could delay your marriage ceremony considerably. A simple solution is to mention the time for a meal to be served or the “arrival” of a special guest, anything that will create enough interest to get them to arrive on time. Some party givers with constantly late arrivals to all events, give them an earlier arrival time so they can still get there late and be on time.

If you want to get married and keep it totally secret that is your right. Nothing says that you have to make your marriage public or celebrate it publicly. If you and your intended are of legal age for marriage in your location, you don’t need to inform anyone about your marriage. Your church or registration office would need to know, of course. Your marriage is also public information and would be recorded somewhere, depending on where you live. Be aware that some churches read the marriage banns for several weeks during Sunday services, which would spoil the secrecy.

Celebrities have become quite adept at hiding their specific wedding details in their quest to marry in peace and quiet without the screaming paparazzi and circling helicopters. Some leak incorrect details sending the media horde off to a beach somewhere or another country entirely, while they get privately married locally in a friend’s house with a few guests.

Your wedding is just exactly that! Your wedding. It’s your choice in how you want to celebrate it. Make your plans and have a great life with the man or woman of your dreams.

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Unusual Marriage Proposals

Posted on April 19, 2011 by Teri

Unusual Marriage Proposals

Unusual marriage proposals are not so unusual anymore. They are becoming a more common than unusual occurrence. Many men want to make their ‘proposal’ as special or unique as they can nowadays. This day is as special to them as it is to the woman.

While most think of having a quiet, on bended knee, proposal, unusual marriage proposals are not that abnormal anymore. Some men make the decision to “pop the question” to their lady love, they often decide to propose in out of the ordinary ways. Here are some examples that were tried:

1. One young man carried out his promise to his deceased brother and actually proposed to his girlfriend at the funeral home, in front of his brother’s open casket. She accepted.

2. Another sent his girlfriend on a treasure hunt with her friends and family. He hired a limo to pick up his girlfriend and a couple of her friends one night. He instructed her to follow clues being handed to her by friends and family waiting at various stops at places that were special to the couple, like where they first met. Her tour ended at a stadium where they had their first date and her boyfriend proposed.

3. In Germany, an amorous young man highlighted his wedding proposal with 50 paper lanterns set aloft and floating above the sleepy town they both lived in. The excitement of the proposal escalated when the police received numerous phone calls about 50 UFOs overhead in the small village. UFOs, police cars zipping around with lights blinking, sirens blaring, excited and nervous people gathering under the floating lanterns to catch a glimpse of aliens from outer space guaranteed that couple would remember that proposal forever. The police reported that she said “Yes.”

These examples are not the only ways to make your marriage proposal truly special. Your creativity can turn simple and common items into something completely unusual that will captivate your true love and elicit that “Yes!”

Boyfriends have been sending their proposals via small airplanes writing the question on the sky with graceful aerobics and smoke for years. Others have proposed on a billboard prominently placed on their girlfriend’s usual route to work every morning.

Scoreboard proposals at sporting events, or banners hanging behind small planes flying over a football game at halftime, have become common events that get a “Yes” and an entire stadium smiling and applauding.

Entrepreneurs, who own hot air balloons, have been marketing and selling special wedding proposals to adventurous young men for several years. For the girlfriend, getting and accepting a proposal, while dangling in a basket below a giant balloon, is definitely one that would not be soon forgotten.

Another idea is to have a small party of close friends or family and have everyone wear a T-shirt with your proposal printed on the front. When the lady in question arrives at the party, she will be surrounded with your proposal and definitely surprised.

Proposing while on exotic adventures, like beach parasailing or skin diving, might be a little over the top, but if your girlfriend has an adventurous spirit, she will be delighted by your proposal.

When parasailing, carry a flag that has your proposal written on it in letters large enough for your girlfriend to read it from her parachute. Expect lots of kisses when you return to the beach. If skin diving is your bliss, go to the site before your girlfriend arrives and plant a small pirate’s chest in an easily seen location. When the two of you swim by, let her open the chest to find your ring inside and a bottle of champagne to open when you surface.

While any proposal is exciting and special, one given in an unusual manner with your special creative touch will be remembered forever especially if you can record it on video. Video has become popular and is very easy now days to record YOUR special question.

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It’s His Wedding Too!

Posted on March 28, 2011 by Teri

It’s His Wedding Too!

It’s his wedding too! Sometimes an entire year goes by while the bride and her family are busy planning every detail of the wedding. Those details include:

> Finding the perfect dress and getting it fitted
> Picking the bridesmaid’s dresses and getting them fitted
> Booking the church and the reception hall, minister and musicians
> Contacting vendors for food, flowers, the cake, liquor, catering
> Lodging for out-of-town guests and transportation to the festivities
> Invitations, programs, favors, gifts
> Booking the music for the reception

And that’s just the short list and doesn’t include anything specific for the groom. With the intensity and stress getting stronger and more distracting as the bride’s planning goes along, it would be easy for the groom to feel left out of the planning.

Granted, some men don’t have a clue about wedding planning and believe that all they have to do is show up sober in a tux with the ring and the best man.

Commonly, newly engaged brides-to-be spend hours with bridal magazines, on any or all of the multitude of wedding/bride websites and blogs and planning with their girlfriends and co-workers. Weekends can easily be taken up shopping with the girlfriends or her mother. Every detail will be agonized over every day.

What is the groom’s part in this wedding planning marathon? Most of his friends might not be married and those who are married probably were in the same position you are in now. Not much help there.

Read on for some suggestions and insights into what is happening to the woman you love that, all-of-a-sudden, has become Bridezilla. You both will survive.

What’s Happening To The Woman You Love

You’ve fallen in love and popped the question. Now your fiance seems to be a person you’ve never met before and there’s little time in her schedule to spend quality time together. You might be thinking that you proposed to the wrong woman.

Your fiance might be smiling one minute and crying the next. The first thing you have to keep in mind is that she is under tremendous stress and it is not likely to lift until after the reception. Those surprising personality changes are temporary and very common with new brides-to-be.

Besides an endless list of things that need to be scheduled and completed constantly, your fiancé is learning new processes and techniques that might have baffled her before you proposed, like budgeting and scheduling. She is also worrying about how she will look at the ceremony. There isn’t a woman alive who doesn’t worry about her weight, hairdo and makeup beyond all male comprehension. Pending weddings blow that concern up to cataclysmic proportions.

While you might rent a tuxedo that fits, get a new pair of shoes and a good haircut, she intends on looking like an angel when she walks down the aisle.
She will worry about every bite she puts in her mouth and every pore on her face. There’s not much you can do about it. Stay out of her way on this subject.

What you can do, however, is be caring and supporting. Listen to her endless updates on the wedding plans and offer your help when you think you can take some weight off her shoulders. Remind her of your strengths, but don’t push it.

It might seem that the entire wedding is all wrapped up with your bride-to-be. Even the normal events are “bridal” in nature, like “bridal shower” and “bridal party.” You might be feeling left out of the planning and not part of the wedding at all.

There are several things you can do to become a real part of the long process involved in planning your wedding. Yes, it is your wedding, too!

Take An Active Role In Your Wedding

Believe it or not, many grooms are taking on some of the wedding planning and making their fiancé’s life easier. When you first start planning the wedding together, settle on the date and then talk about creating a plan of action that both of you can share. Take responsibility for the details you can shoulder and keep her updated on your progress and stay current with hers.

You might want to consider asking both of the fathers for advice or simple suggestions, like for possible honeymoon destinations. They often feel left out of the wedding while their wives and your intended spend hours on the phone, planning and shopping. Asking them for stories about their own honeymoons and how to avoid any travel problems they had, would bring them into the planning and do a lot to blend the two families.

It’s never too early to start the bonding process with both fathers and you are the common denominator.

In order to become a useful partner in your own wedding, take some of the tasks off your fiancé’s “To Do” list. It would be a good idea to start that when the two of you are doing the initial planning of your wedding. This would be a good time to talk about sharing the wedding expenses, if that is what you both want to do.

There are, however, several “man tasks” that you can take care of.

For one thing, you can take care of the paperwork required for marriages. Depending on your location, those legal details might include blood tests that need to be scheduled with your family doctor. You can apply for the wedding license.

It wouldn’t hurt to change your personal details, like medical insurance policies, auto insurance, property deeds, bank accounts, credit cards and wills. Take your bride-to-be out to dinner and discuss these personal details and decide together what to do. She will probably have some of her own, like a bank account, credit cards or property, etc. Make sure each of you knows about any debts that need to be paid off during your marriage. Don’t let private debts be a surprise.

If your honeymoon is planned for an international destination, make sure both passports are up to date. Get the applications filled out and sent off with the fees, if you need new ones. Arrange time for the necessary photos.

When both of you select your honeymoon destination, be responsible for all the details:

> Booking the resort or hotel as early as possible, before you get too involved with the rest of the wedding details. Weddings are happening all over the world every day of the week. Exotic locales and popular destinations will often be booked a year ahead. Once booked, check the surroundings for activities you might want to join, like deep sea fishing or golfing at the local course. Some resorts have special tours to local sights or festivals. Check for discounts because you are a guest at the hotel. Book them ahead, if possible.

> If you need to travel by air to your honeymoon destination, make the reservation as early as you can. Check those online reservation sites, like Expedia, Orbits, Travelocity, etc, for discounts. Even if you book early, some of them will send you an email notice with a lower price when the airlines drop the price in effect when you booked. You will get a refund if the price drops before you leave.

> Don’t forget your transportation to and from the airport on both ends of your honeymoon. The trip to the airport after the reception is usually provided by the best man, but make sure he can do it before assuming anything.

> Make sure one or both of you have a good digital camera and several charged batteries or a battery charger, if needed. International destinations will probably need a specific charger for converting their electricity to match your electronics. Your honeymoon is a once in a lifetime trip and your photos will be something you both will enjoy often. It only takes a few minutes to make a photo record of your honeymoon.

When your fiancé is sending invitations to the wedding and the reception, she will know how many of the guests might be in other states or far enough away from the wedding city that lodging and transportation might need to be scheduled.

Get a list from her as soon as she gets the acceptance notices and start checking out local hotels and motels. Tour them before booking and make sure you see a room before making reservations. Many hotels and motels will offer discount rates for wedding guests. Ask.

You might want to ensure that a good restaurant is nearby and make note of any activities the guests might want to visit, like a movie theater or some
activities for kids: arcades, miniature golf, for example.

A map of the simplest route from the hotel/motel to the wedding and then to the reception would be very handy for those who will drive to the festivities. For those who are flying in, or taking another form of public transportation to get to your town, arrange for transportation to their lodging. If necessary, provide phone numbers for local cab companies and bus schedules.

Be a good host and anticipate everything you can think of. Ask both parents for their experiences and take their advice. It will save you a lot of grief at the last minute.

Perhaps you could find a good band or disk jockey for the reception. Choose the music together with your fiancé.

Another important aspect is arranging transportation to carry your bride to the wedding and both of you to the reception. Most cities have several limousine companies, so interview each one to get the best price and service. The one you select will need accurate directions to and from both the ceremony and the reception. Set reasonable schedules and give the limousine company a copy so they will be on time. Do not forget to allow time for the official photos at the church.

A couple of weeks before your wedding, select appropriate gifts for your groomsmen, ushers and your best man. Let your budget and knowledge of each one’s interests guide you.

You also need a special wedding gift for your fiancé. Make it very romantic so she will know how much you love her and are anticipating your marriage. You might consider how much pressure she is under for maybe as long as a year. Occasional sweet gifts would show her how much you appreciate her planning and hard work for your big event. When your bride-to-be is tense and stressed for months, a little “sugar” would go a long way to relax her.

There are two personal wedding details that are your responsibility:

> You have to set up fittings for your tuxedo rental or purchase. You are also responsible for getting your groomsmen fitted, too. When selecting tuxedos, it is important to check with your fiancé to determine her wedding colors. Consider black tuxedos or a colored variation to match the bride and bridesmaids. Do not forget to coordinate ties, vests, cummerbunds and shoes.
Make arrangements with one of your groomsmen to have the tuxedos returned to the rental shop after the wedding.

> Both of you select your wedding rings together and determine your sizes at the jewelers. If you want special engraving, tell the jeweler at that time. When they are ready, pick them up and make sure the best man keeps them secure until the wedding.

One of your traditional wedding responsibilities is ordering and paying for the corsages for the mothers, grandmothers, aunts and, in some families, close friends. You are responsible for the bride’s flowers and the corsage she will wear after you two change clothes and leave on your honeymoon.

Work together with your fiancé and both sets of parents on the rehearsal dinner. Make sure you have the marriage license with you. Give it to the minister, or whoever is marrying you, so you can be sure it is filled out correctly. It will be signed and returned to you after the ceremony.

Go over the procedures and wedding day duties with your attendants during the rehearsal, including clearing special seating arrangements with your ushers. You will be responsible for paying the minister.

After the wedding, you have a couple of responsibilities during the reception.
If the bride has planned a receiving line, you will stand with her and introduce your family’s guests to her and her parents.

Later, you will dance the first dance with your new bride. If you can’t dance, take a few lessons before the wedding and find some time to practice with your fiancé. Later, you will be expected to dance with your mother and, most likely, her mother.

During the reception, spend time with both sets of parents. Remember that both you and your fiancé are leaving their homes and starting a life together. They will be happy for your joy and a little sad for their immediate loss of their old relationship with their son or daughter.

Traditionally, the best man makes a toast to you both and, at times other members of the wedding party might make one, too. Respond to each one.

Taking responsibility for all these details will give your fiancé a needed helping hand and put you back in your own wedding ceremony.

After The Honeymoon

When you and your bride return from the honeymoon, another aspect of your life together is just starting. To start with, the two of you will no longer be the center of attention like you were before the wedding. The mechanics of building a home and a family together will be entirely different from the rollercoaster ride you’ve been on for many months.

Now that your concerns are jobs, household responsibilities, broken appliances and bugs in your lawn, the honeymoon stage can be over in a heartbeat. Normally, this stage of your relationship could last 6 months.

But, when it inevitably ends, you will be experiencing real changes as a couple. Common ones could be pressure from your own families to spend weekends and holidays with them, disregarding your own needs to spend quality time with each other. Your friends might think each one of you will be available for the activities and social times you spent with them before you got married.

If you commonly spent every Saturday and Sunday on the golf course with your buddies, expect domestic fireworks if you believe you can continue that practice. Your bride might have her friends calling and expecting her to continue their weekend practice of shopping, visiting garage sales and having lunch. While there’s nothing wrong with keeping separate friendships, they have to accommodate your new life and not the other way around.

Childbirth will change everything in your life. You will have a job during the day and another one with your baby during the night and on weekends. Your wife will be making severe changes in her life, including the hormonal changes from carrying the baby for nine months. You will be expected to take on some of the baby’s needs when you are home. Your wife will need a good night’s sleep pretty regularly. Her household chores and taking care of the baby’s needs will be constant and extremely tiring.

Learn how to take care of your child and give your wife an occasional day off out of the house. Remember that you are at work and away from dirty diapers and newborn earaches every working day. An occasional small present or surprise treat for no reason at all will soothe tempers and bring you closer together.

Most couples come into a marriage with unspoken expectations formed by their family experiences that they’ve observed or participated in their entire life. They have both conscious and unconscious expectations that are a mix
of what they expect from each other and themselves. It is common for both people to have mental pictures of what the other member of the marriage should be. The terms “husband” and “wife” are powerful emotional images that can color the way each one of you interact with each other when those stresses and disagreements inevitably pop up.

Whatever the problem or disagreement, do not make it worse by not listening or being willing to calmly discuss the problem and possible solutions. Do not set your mind on winning every argument. You are not in competition with your spouse and there’s better ways of settling spats without full-scare warfare. Sometimes you will have to just agree to disagree and get on with your wedded life.

If you haven’t lived together before your wedding, your transition will be more intense. Good advice is to compromise and express love to each other at all times. If both of you focus on the positive aspects of living together and show respect for each other, you can build a happy wedded life.

A common argument after the honeymoon is about money. Decide before you get married about whether or not you will combine your bank accounts into one and what you will do with your separate checks if both of you have jobs. Small things like who buys and pays for the groceries, or who pays the utilities can become big problems if you both have not settled on a sound financial plan of action before you get married.

If one of you is the one who normally stops at the grocery on the way home from work and buys the groceries from a personal and separate account, you need a better plan. Many decide on one account with blended incomes and all the expenses come out of the one account. It avoids feelings of being taken advantage of and arguments over money, which is one of the major causes of divorce.

When you return from your honeymoon and blend your formerly separate lives into one, common sense and a willingness to openly discuss any problems without anger will dissolve quiet hurts and bring both of you to new understandings and much closer together.

Remember ladies, it’s his wedding too. Let him help. Give him something to do.

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His And Hers Wedding Bands

Posted on March 18, 2011 by Teri

His And Hers Wedding Bands

His and hers wedding bands, when it comes time to choose, can be something of a challenge for couples. It has become a popular practice to wear matching wedding rings these days. Many brides and grooms decide to choose their bands as sets so that they compliment each other and in a lot of cases the brides engagement ring is also part of that set. You can choose either the two ring set or the three ring set.

It is a tradition that is perhaps thousands of years old and which has roots in many different and diverse cultures. A large number of newlyweds choose to have matching wedding bands which to present each other with at their wedding ceremony. The custom of having matching wedding bands is about as ancient as the idea of a wedding itself, and continues to this day in many parts of the world.

Many couples will purchase their matching wedding bands from a retail jewelry store. The selection will vary from retailer to retailer depending on where you shop. Generally speaking there will be a wide array of choices available limited only by the amount of money that one is willing to spend. The bands of choice can be anything from simple gold bands to elaborate designs encrusted with jewels. Most local retailers will have a good selection of matching wedding bands, shop around to get the best price.

If a couple decide to have matching wedding bands they may choose to design it themselves and have it custom made. This added touch will make the matching wedding bands as unique as their relation ship is. The soon to be married couple may contact and consult with an expert jeweler who does jewelry design. The designer will take their ideas and thoughts on the design of the rings and create a work of art to reflect the couples individual personality.

When a couple goes through the effort to hire an expert designer it is important to them that the finished rings reflect their desires and personality. In this situation the rings may not end up being exactly matching wedding bands. Generally even in matching wedding bands the men’s ring is usually wider than the woman’s. Often the brides ring may become more elaborate, with the addition of stones to the design.

It is possible that the design could include precious, or semi-precious stones, potentially anything from emeralds to zirconium, but most popular is the diamond. In the diamond selection alone there can be endless variation alone. There is also the choice of what metal to have the matching wedding bands made from. Choices include the popular gold, available in white and yellow, to platinum and silver.

Another way couples can purchase their matching wedding bands is from an online jewelry seller. It is important to check the reputation of the store before you make any purchases from any on line retailer. Be careful to minimize the risk of identity theft. Buying from an online jeweler can save you money. The online jewelers don’t have the overhead of a physical store and can sell for lower prices often. They may also provide a wider selection of matching wedding bands in one location.

Keep in mind whatever you decide you deserve to get the type of his and her wedding bands you want that will make a statement to last a lifetime. It’s your wedding, you and your groom get to choose what you want.

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US Virgin Islands Destination Wedding

Posted on March 11, 2011 by Teri

US Virgin Islands Destination Wedding

A US Virgin Island destination wedding is a great idea if you want to have your wedding in the islands. If you are looking to escape a winter wedding but you want the sun and sand then a simple romantic adventurous wedding getaway in the Virgin Islands will capture your heart! With the ocean breezes, radiating sunsets, delicate waves, sun-warmed sand and you, standing beside the man you want to build a life with. Ahhh paradise!

Getting married is another phase of every man and woman’s lives. Every tiny detail must be carefully planned out. With the help of a wedding planner, you will be spared from the tedious planning; they will certainly take care of all the arrangements of your wedding. Not to mention that they can make your wedding day perfect. All you have to do is coordinate with the wedding planners on the details of your dream wedding. There are plenty of wedding packages in the hotels of the US Virgin Islands that cater to your wedding needs.

A Virgin Islands destination wedding and honeymoon would be a perfect choice for a bride and groom who want to make their big day a memorable experience. The US Virgin Islands, with St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas all provide wedding services, from wedding planners to the wedding reception. If you want a ceremony at sunset on the beach, or in an outdoor gazebo, or in a lovely chapel, or right at the Territorial Court, simple or luxurious, the choice is yours to make.

It is best to start planning your wedding at least two months ahead of time and even longer if you plan to have plenty of guests. To have a US Virgin Islands destination wedding, you have to request an application for marriage license from the Territorial Court of the US Virgin Islands. If the completed and notarized application is received through mail by the island courts, you will then be given an eight- day awaiting period. No blood test is required if you want to get married in the US Virgin Islands. If either party is divorced, a certified true copy of the divorce decree stamped with a seal to be filed along with the application for the examination by the court prior to issuance of the license. It is also required to have a certified documents proving widowed status if you are a widower. For couples below 18 years old, an affidavit with both parents’ signatures is required. If you are not a US citizen a passport or VISA is needed.

In the US Virgin Islands destination wedding, it is important to indicate whether your marriage will be performed by a Judge in the Court or by a clergy member. For weddings performed by the Court, an appointment must be arranged.

It’s not very hard to have a US Virgin Islands destination wedding, is it? Just imagine you and your better half-to-be getting married in a place where beauty is all you can see.

Like many places in the Caribbean the Virgin Islands has long been a wedding destination location for good reasons. The first is because there are few beaches in the world which rival that of those found here.

The beaches in the US Virgin Islands offer the best in romantic settings for those wanting to get married here. There is nothing which can compare to the saying you vows with the sounds of the ocean waves lapping in the background, the sweet oceans breezes that will flow by you and the man you love. This is one of the most perfect ways for any couple to say their ‘I Do’ to each other and to begin their lives together as a couple.

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Plan a Destination Wedding – Get Married in Jamaica

Posted on March 2, 2011 by Teri

Plan a Destination Wedding – Get Married in Jamaica

Do you have a wedding coming up why not plan a destination wedding? Are you sick of trying to plan a wedding and fighting for overbooked halls and churches and caterers? Plan a destination wedding. Wouldn’t you rather get married on the white sands of Jamaica surrounded by a turquoise ocean and your most beloved family friends? If so, you should plan a destination wedding in Jamaica.

Destination weddings are very trendy right now. Destination weddings might seem decadent but really they are very practical. The bride and groom can honeymoon without having to go anywhere and all the wedding guests get a nice vacation in addition to being able to see a loved one get married.

When you plan a destination wedding you don’t have to worry over what hall to choose and what church to hold the service at or anything like that either. Most of the time when you book a destination wedding all the arrangements are handled at the hotel and the event is held at the hotel or on the beach. Some resorts even have private beaches that are perfect for weddings. Think of how great it would be to just be able to relax and be excited about your wedding and let the hotel staff handle all the arrangements.

Often when you book a destination wedding there is a wedding planner assigned to help you that can tell you about different packages that the hotel offers. Many wedding packages are all inclusive so you don’t need to worry about silverware, linens, glasses, food, the bar, entertainment or anything else. You can just relax and enjoy the beautiful tropical sunshine.

Jamaica is the perfect location for a destination wedding. It’s warm and tropical and beautiful and yet it’s close and accessible too so that travel isn’t a huge hassle for friends and family who want to attend the wedding. There are several resorts in the larger tourist towns that cater to brides who are planning weddings but any hotel or resort will have staff on hand to help you plan a wedding. Plus you can usually get a substantial discount from a hotel or resort when you book rooms for all your family and friends and have your wedding and honeymoon at that resort.

Since the bride and groom are expected to pay for the accommodations and expenses of the entire bridal party and often the guests as well that discount from the hotels can really help out your bottom line. But a destination wedding isn’t as expensive as you might think; it’s really very close to the price of a traditional wedding in most cases even with the expense of paying for the accommodations of your family and friends. For the price of a traditional wedding you can have a lovely destination wedding and vacation combined in Jamaica.

Just picture what it would be like to be exchanging vows with your partner at sunset on a white Jamaican beach with all your loved ones there to wish you well. Wouldn’t that be a wonderful way to start your new life together? A destination wedding can be the perfect setting for the bride and groom as well as for guests. What a perfect way to celebrate your wedding with everyone you love.

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Weddings In Jamaica – The Legal Formalities

Posted on February 10, 2011 by Teri

Weddings In Jamaica – The Legal Formalities

Thinking about holding your wedding in Jamaica? There are many reasons why getting married abroad is popular, and when it comes to getting married in Jamaica, one of the main reasons is the location! What could be more romantic than being married on a beautiful beach, or in an air conditional hotel reception room overlooking the ocean?

At one time this was no more than a fleeting dream many brides-to-be would have as they stressed their way through the seemingly endless decisions associated with a traditional wedding at home. These days, more and more couples are opting for a Jamaican wedding in paradise where the emphasis is on them and not the “details”. But how legal is it?

If your intention of going to Jamaica is to get married, then there are some things you need to make sure that you have in order beforehand.

First of all, you must be over the age of 18. If one or both of you are under 18 then written parental consent must be supplied for whoever is underage.

Both the bride and groom must also supply a birth certificate which shows their nationality, and father’s name.

If either the bride or the groom (or both) has been married before then additional paperwork that proves they are now free to remarry must be shown, such as a death certificate, or a certificate of divorce.

There are other restrictions as regards place, and time of marriages but the legal paperwork is pretty much straightforward. If you are staying at a hotel, it would be advisable to put your arrangements in the hands of their wedding planner. They will ensure that all the formalities are completed, that you obtain your license on time, and can be married when you want. They can also advise on such things as venue, and if necessary even secure you the services of a photographer or someone to video the marriage.

As long as you comply with all the local necessities, and obtain your license, you can find yourself married in less than 48 hours! Remember, if you get married in Jamaica, you’re legally married! Any marriage which is valid and legal in the jurisdiction where the marriage was performed is legal and valid in other countries/jurisdictions. Also most countries consider bigamous/polygamous marriages and homosexual/same sex marriages as invalid, they are not recognized.

Remember to do your research and find out what you need in order to have your marriage outside the country you live in. Also remember to check, just in case, to see if you are still legally married in the country you live in. Laws do change so always check to make sure what your legal status is if you are planning a wedding in Jamaica.

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Wedding Shower Favors

Posted on February 2, 2011 by Teri

Wedding Shower Favors
Helping You Celebrate That Last Night of Freedom!

Wedding shower favors should be chosen carefully – they represent the bride’s last chance to have some fun! Unlike wedding day favors, which may have to embrace a whole range of guests, from grandparents to your sister’s kids, wedding shower favors are just for the girls! And after a long period of dedicated planning and proffering support, don’t your shower guests deserve all the fun of frivolous wedding shower favors?

And let’s not forget the bride – wedding shower party favors should reflect her last foray into single female life! Wedding shower favors should be chosen to reflect the loves of the bride – after all, with all the hard work her new husband is going to require, who knows when she’ll get the relive the fun represented by her wedding shower favors!

So who chooses the wedding shower party favors? Just like the planning of the shower itself, there are no hard and fast rules. Just as wedding traditions are adapting to fit the wide range of couples getting married today, wedding shower favors are available to suit the interests of any bride.

Regardless of who is planning the occasion, the wedding shower party favors should embody the theme of the shower itself, and this will depend on the personality of the bride. A good bridesmaid will know exactly what her bride needs! Whether she is a serious type, or a dedicated partygoer, there are wedding shower favors available to suit every type of shower.

Whether you are bride or bridesmaid, remember that the shower is hopefully a one off occasion – so use your wedding shower favors to make it as memorable as possible! These are also the items that will remind your closest girlfriends of celebrating their last big night of singledom with you, so consider choosing wedding shower favors that can double up as keepsakes. Hopefully, your wedding shower favors will help you have a night to remember!

Wedding shower favors work well when they follow your shower theme.

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