Wedding Invitation

Save on Wedding Invitation Postage

Blogged under Wedding Invitations by william on Tuesday 25 April 2006 at 7:38 pm

There are many ways to reduce wedding costs. While looking for bargains on big ticket items like your wedding rings and bridal gown is one of the most effective methods, don’t forget to keep an eye out for good deals on low-cost items as well.

One such item is stamps. While the cost of one stamp may be insignficant, a couple hundred or more can add up to a fairly large sum.

You can save 80% over the traditional postage meter by opening an acount with Stamps.com.

Stamps.com is a service that allows you to print official United States Postal Service postage directly from your PC and printer. No special hardware is needed. Once your wedding invitations are ready to go, simply hand it to your mail carrier. It’s that easy!

Stamps.com is running an $80 offer. After registration, you will immediately begin with $5 free postage and a free supplies kit valued at $5. Once the trial period is over, you will receive an additional postage coupon valued at $20 and a free digital scale ($50 value).

Visit Stamps.com today and save on your wedding invitations postage.

Wedding Albums

Wedding Record Book

Blogged under Wedding Albums, Wedding Books by william on Friday 17 March 2006 at 10:44 am

The Wedding Dress and Tux Wedding Record Book is an elegant way to preserve the memories of your wedding. There is so much envolved in a wedding. Yet, as time goes by we are prone to forget things. One way to constantly recall the events and retell them to friends and family is to write down all the details. That is exactly what The Wedding Dress and Tux Wedding Record Book is for. It helps you to organize and preserve everything that is important about your wedding. Include your text, photos and other memorabilia to make the record book uniquely yours.

Plan A Luxury Wedding

Plan a Luxury Wedding for Under $10,000

Blogged under Wedding Books, Wedding Planners, Wedding Ceremony by william on Tuesday 25 September 2007 at 8:14 pm

Would you like to have a beautiful wedding but also save tons of money?

Here’s how you can have a gorgeous and luxurious wedding under $10,000!

Wedding will be one of the greatest thrills of your life. Trust me! I’ve recently done it. Imagine that you’ll be the center of attention of the most beautiful event. Not only that everybody at your wedding will envy you and talk about it for years to come.

But unfortunately, planning a wedding can stressful to many brides. It’s the most important day, there are hundreds things to manage and everything has to be in sync.

The good news is that it doesn’t have to be! All you need to do is eliminate the following 3 major wedding obstacles. Once you overcome them, wedding planning will be fun and exciting.

According to Hallmark, going over a budget is the single biggest worry for marrying couples. It’s been estimated that about 80% go over budget. Forgetting something important and boring wedding are the next biggest issues.

I recently came across this book called “Amazing Wedding Planning” and it changed everything for me. It had everything that you need to make your wedding beautiful for under $10,000. I read several other books before but this book had the best information by far.

It comes with wedding managing software which I think is better than the book itself. The software is super easy to use. I don’t know how anyone could get through planning a wedding without it.

Learn how a bride saved over $10,000 on her wedding
using simple tricks that anyone can easily do at Amazing Wedding Planning

Wedding Flowers

Finding the perfect wedding flowers is one of the hardest tasks to accomplish while preparing for a wedding. That's why a great amount of time is set for research, preparation and finalization of the chosen flowers and plants for the bride and groom's special day. Sometimes it's not really an exageration to allot six months before the wedding day to start scouring for the perfect wedding flowers.

Eventhough the true essence of the whole day is the union of two people, the elements and atmosphere that goes along with it would be forever ingrained with the guests and of course, the couple's memories. Each detail and little blunders may not be that much of a big deal, but it sure would help if the key elements are right and the day went off without a hitch.

Choose the perfect wedding florist

Locating the perfect wedding florist is one of the key factors in making sure that all plans and conceptions can happen smoothly. With all the flower shops that is available in the Internet, it is quite a feat to find the perfect florist.

How do you know that you're dealing with a trustworthy and genuinely creative florist? Easy, do your research. With the onslought of flower stores that had taken over the Internet search engines, it's really hard to tell which one provides the best products and services. One of the first things that you can do is pick a few stores and florists that are near your home.

After trimming down the stores, try and do a comparison of their products and services. Try and compare the price range of each stores, look at the sample flower product arrangements and see which ones feel right for you.

It's also quite useful to venture on their guestbook page and see the testimonials and reactions of the customers. Although of course most of the time they would contain glowing reviews, so for your further satisfaction, you can go to flower or flower shop forums and blogs and ask around past customers on their services. By doing this process, you know that whatever store you end up choosing would be the right one for your needs.

Establish a close relationship with your florist

After settling on a florist, try to establish a bond with them. In doing this, you can be assured that your needs and wants would get to them easily and they might just reproduce the wedding flowers of your dreams.

Pick the right flowers

One of the reasons that it is necessary to plan and prepare the wedding flowers in advance, is to make sure that your chosen flowers would be just right in season, or at least ordered in advance for your wedding day. There are quite a few flowers that blooms all year round, some staples like roses and chrysanthemums are likely available for most of the season, but not all of the flowers are capable of growing at the same time.

Once you and your florist has settled on your chosen flower variants, the next step would be to make sure of their availability. Buying and ordering flowers on an off peak season would cost more as it would be more likely ordered from a different place that would have the particular flower in season.

A great idea is to stick to flowers that are in season, and just arrange them in the way that would make you stand out in your special day.

Flowers To Go is a premiere flower retailer in and around the Washington area. Their services include creating gifts for special occasions, providing decor for events, providing business gifts, wedding bouquet arrangements, providing designs and plants funeral and sympathy, and making lasting memories.

By: Flowers To Go

Wonderful Wedding

So, you’re getting married. Marriage can be a great and wonderful experience, but planning for a wedding is always hectic. Flowers, bridesmaids, music, locations. You’re no doubt going to need help figuring things out and getting things ready. Read on for several tips on how to avoid wedding planning disasters.

Letting others help. Let your friends and family help, but don’t give them too much power or things will start to get ugly. One of the biggest problems is letting everyone else take full control. Arguments will not only arise between you and them, but they’ll also arise amongst themselves. Your mom is going to never agree with your best friend’s taste in invitation colors and your best friend is never going to agree with your cousin about choices for decorations.

Letting others NOT help. More problems will arise if you don’t let your friends and family have enough control, too. Make sure you let others help and make sure you don’t become obsessive over every little detail. You’ll need to give in to certain decisions and stand firm on others. Just be tactful and patient and everything should turn out fine.

Focus on the budget. The average wedding costs roughly $20 thousand nowadays. One of the first things you should do is divide up the most important parts and figure out how much you’re willing to spend on each. That way, when Aunt Martha wants extra lavender ribbons, you can tell her that it’s not in the budget. Remember that a wedding only lasts for a day, but marriage is (hopefully) forever.

Take breaks and make sure to laugh. Having a sense of humor is very important in dealing with stress. It will also help to make all the planning seem fun. Take a night out to watch a movie or go to dinner with your fiancée. If you don’t take breaks, everyone will feel exhausted by the time the wedding comes around.

Focus on marriage, not the wedding. The wedding is an important thing for your friends and family, but marriage is more important. Remember, you’re going to start living with a new person (if you aren’t already) as well as go on a honeymoon. You’re going to want extra money after the big day.

Let the day be great no matter what. Don’t let a sudden thunderstorm cause you to frown. Something will undoubtedly go wrong at your wedding, but unless you’re able to look past the little things, you’ll always remember them. If you trip, forget about it. If the cake falls on the floor, try to laugh. Your wedding isn’t ruined, it just turned into a good story you’ll be able to share with your children someday.

The day will come and go no matter what happens. If you aren’t able to enjoy it, you’ll always looks back and have regrets. Learn to just be accepting and your wedding can turn out to be one of the happiest moments of your life.

Nell Marry Wedding ceremony

By: Ness Marry

Catering Your Wedding

Catering your wedding on the cheap- or at least cheaper than full bore retail is an art in itself. Actually large scale weddings are relatively new on the scene. With smaller family units a wedding so to speak is “instant family”

The average cost an American wedding is now estimated at $ 28,000. Remember that this is the average figure and as such includes small events and elopements on the final calculation. Not included and in addition and on top of the average $ 28,000 wedding costs are the costs and fees for the wedding and engagement rings, the bridal consultant and / or wedding planner. Lastly the essential “honeymoon” vacation is in addition and on top of all of this.

How can one save costs and charges for their wedding without appearing to be too much of a cheapskate? After all your wedding day is said to be “The Most Important Day in Your Life”, to be remembered long after. Especially brides will be scolded if they are brave enough to put the wedding day event in full perspective that “I thought like you and then on that day I realized that it was “My Day in the Sun”. And all of those people were there for me.” “Name of Bride to be – Not a day goes by without me thinking and remembering my wedding day, fondly”. There sure is a lot of less than subtle pressure on both the new bride and groom to be.

What can be done to reduce the costs of the wedding meal and meals?

First of all it all comes down to supply and demand. Many weddings are held in preference in the spring. Caterers are busy during this peak time. If the time of year is not crucial an off peak time wedding can afford better negotiating in dealing with caterers and florists. It is not unlike shopping for a car at the end of the month where the car dealer is more than amenable to make a deal better than otherwise in an effort to meet his production quota. If possible host your wedding in an off peak wedding period.

Next in terms of catering look at the size of your wedding party. If the party is smaller then perhaps the wedding reception and meal can be held in a restaurant.

Restaurants often have “party “or large “meeting rooms:” for this purpose and will more than generously accommodate you for a booking if you ask. It’s found guaranteed business for a restaurant to pay its bills and they will more than gladly book it. If your meal is held offsite another possibility is have the meal catered by restaurant as well.

If the meal is larger often caterers will give discounts (if asked) for larger events.

There costs are less – one event rather than many, less transportation costs than to a number of small events. Economies of scale in terms of purchases of supplies and cooking as well are entailed. If Wal-Mart can lean on their suppliers for volume discounts why can’t you.

Extras such as extra serving personnel and place settings can be reduced or even eliminated. If possible have the food or supplies (such as chairs and tables) picked up by yourself, a friend or agent (who is dependable)... You may well find that by renting a van at weekend rates and hiring a reliable neighbor for the task may save you money instead of having the caterer plus other suppliers all charge you delivery, setup and pickup fees. In addition you will reduce the chance of late fees of late returned items as the deliveries and pick ups are at your control.

Watch out for extra costs that may be “slid in”. You cannot blame the catering companies and hotels if they don’t tell you of cost saving means if it is not in their favor.

After all this is their livelihood. For example the costs of beverages can be quite a major hit in the pocket book of the wedding reception, Inquire as to the liquor laws of your state and the rules of the hotel, You may find that you are able to purchase and serve your own wines and liquor at the reception as long as you satisfy the local liquor and hospitality regulations. This often entails obtaining a permit from the local liquor control or restaurant authorities. These rules vary from locale to locale.

With the correct liquor or wine permit you may be able to purchase your wine or liquor less expensively, Again it all depends on the rules of the hotel, hall or restaurant.

You may be charged the cost of bartenders and serving personnel, you may be charged nothing. Sometimes the procedure is to charge a “corkage fee”. All in all it’s a matter of discussion and negotiation; it all comes down to an evaluation of what is the best overall deal for you.

A wedding is a major milestone and event in most people’s lives. It is also a major purchase in their life. As with any purchase it never hurts to plan ahead and comparison shop. You would plan and shop for a car purchase of $ 28,000. Why not for your wedding?

Vernon A. Cole King Cole Catering Winnipeg Wedding and Weddings www.fortunacooks.com www.kingcolecatering.net

By: King Cole

PLANNING A BEACH WEDDING

PLANNING A BEACH WEDDING

copyright ©2003 Glenna Tooman all rights reserved
Memory Makers Event Planning LLC www.memorable-events.com


Being married on the beach at sunset may be your idea of a wonderfully romantic way to begin your new life together. However, beach weddings present some unique challenges not faced in other locations. Some beaches are public and you can have both a ceremony and a reception there.

Other beaches are privately owned by hotels, restaurants, resorts, and private individuals and you can only use the beach if you are using the services of the owner. You might choose to have only the ceremony on the beach and then adjourn to the hotel or resort for the reception, perhaps on a patio or deck overlooking the beach.

• Before choosing a beach, find out about typical weather patterns in that area at various times of the year. You don't want to schedule your wedding for hurricane season or the height of sand flea season.

• You may need a permit to have your wedding on a public beach, particularly if it is part of a city or state park. Check with the city or county in which the beach is located and apply for any needed permits several weeks or months in advance.

• Visit the location a day or two before the wedding at the same time of day that you will hold your ceremony so that you can see where the sun sets, the direction from which the wind may blow, how level the area is and how damp, and other considerations.

• Be sure to visit your site early on your wedding day, preferably several hours before the wedding. You may find that you need to form a litter patrol before the ceremony to clean up debris. Also plan on doing a litter patrol after your ceremony or reception ends.

• Chairs and sand don't mix. Chairs with conventional legs will slowly sink into the sand (usually from the back). Therefore, your guests will either need to stand during the ceremony or you will need to rent flooring on which to place the chairs.

• The weather can be either an asset or a problem for a beach wedding. It may be a hot day and sunburn could be a problem. It could be windy, which is the norm on most beaches. Or it could be rainy, also a frequent occurrence. Consider renting a canopy (if it isn't too windy) or providing beach umbrellas, at least for elderly guests. Be sure to provide bottled water. Provide sunscreen if guests will be on the beach for long. It can get chilly quickly when the sun goes down, so you may want to provide several throws or light wraps for guests if you will be on the beach after sundown.

• Parking and mobility may be problems. Consider where your guests will have to park and how far they will have to walk. Walking on sand may be difficult for the elderly or those with health or mobility problems. If guests must walk far, consider renting a golf cart to transport them.

• Encourage guests to dress for the location. Ladies will be uncomfortable wearing nylons or shoes with heels. All clothing should be water-resistant, not dry-clean only. Ladies who wear dresses with full skirts may be embarrassed when the wind blows or may spend their time trying to keep their skirts under control. When the sun goes down, it may become uncomfortably cool, so jackets will be appreciated.

• Every wedding needs music, but music at the beach can be a challenge. There may not be access to electricity, so plan on using live music, perhaps a guitar or two, for the ceremony. If you plan to have the reception on the beach, you may need to use live music as well.

• Unity candle ceremonies are difficult to hold outdoors. Candles and wind don't mix, so choose an alternative to the unity candle ceremony or omit it entirely. You might consider having a sand ceremony in which two colors of sand are poured into a center container.

• If you are having the reception at the beach, serving wedding cake may be difficult. Cakes don't withstand heat, wind, or blowing sand. If you plan to serve cake, have it delivered as late as possible and place it in a protected location under a canopy. If you are serving food, be sure that it is protected from heat and bugs. Don't allow food to remain at room temperature for long periods of time, particularly seafood, or your guests could become ill. Provide coolers to pack food in after the meal.

• Bugs are unwelcome guests at most outdoor events. Consider making bug spray available to guests or using citronella candles around your ceremony or reception area. You don't want people to remember your wedding because they were eaten alive by mosquitoes or sand fleas!

• Consider renting a portable battery-operated sound system for your ceremony. Those same ocean breezes that refresh your guests can blow music and words in the wrong direction, leaving your guests with nothing to hear but the roar of the waves.

• Take tides into consideration when choosing your ceremony and reception areas. What looks like the perfect location during low tide could be under 3 feet of water at high tide.

• If there are no acceptable restroom facilities near your wedding site, you may need to rent portables. Rental companies recommend 1 unit for every 50 guests.

• If you are renting a public beach for your wedding, a number of restrictions may apply that don't apply at a private beach. Most public beaches are closed overnight to discourage unauthorized camping, so find out when the area closes. Ask if there are restrictions on the number of guests that you can invite. Find out about the location or existence of electrical outlets. Find out if there is a restriction on the time that music can be played and how loudly it can be played. If you are having the reception at the beach, ask if you can have a bonfire and what you should do with trash. Be sure to read the fine print on your contract, and ask plenty of questions.

Having a beach wedding can create lasting memories. By planning ahead and preparing for possible problems, you can have a lovely wedding.

The New Uses For Wedding Coordinators

The New Uses For Wedding Coordinators

I could just use a little help with the wedding

Brides and grooms who are already overwhelmed with the demands of their jobs, family responsibilities, home life, and business travel often start off with this wish to have an objective third party to help with the wedding. Their parents offer to help, and they will, but there can be a lot of family diplomacy and personality clash threats when you're talking about such a momentous occasion, such a large budget, and the fact that the wedding industry is a complicated conglomerate of so many different professionals. Having someone in-the-know who hasn't known you since birth is often the best investment possible. Your wedding coordinator is going to be your sanity-saver and a pro who will bring your wedding dreams to life.

What surprises most wedding couples who look into hiring wedding coordinators is the new trend in multiple, personalized services in the form of different packages you can buy. Some coordinators will just help you find and book your sites, for one flat fee. They know the best locales and the ins and outs of the contract, hidden fees, and the best scenery in town. Some will work on the wedding day itself while you're getting your hair and makeup done in blissful peace, while they worry about late vendors and problems at the reception hall. These were the two big changes in wedding coordinator world - until now.

Now, the trend is to hire a wedding coordinator to help out the others in your wedding party, and also to plan the additional events surrounding your day. Sharon Naylor, author of 1000 Best Secrets For Your Perfect Wedding and a resident wedding expert at PashWeddings.com, says, "It's well worth making room in your budget for a good wedding coordinator, since so much of wedding stress is about all the little things, those contract stipulations, timing, dealing with so many vendors and so many unforeseen questions that you don't know because you're not in the business. Hiring an expert planner means that you can hand off the details and let someone else work on their adrenaline while you're enjoying your wedding morning breakfast and sharing a champagne toast with your parents and bridal party. To know that you can get that for just a few hundred dollars in some cases is a welcome relief and a gift in itself! Peace of mind for you, and a flawless wedding day for all of you due to the work of the wedding coordinator."

Hiring A Coordinator For Others
Since most brides hand off several wedding tasks to their mothers, bridal parties and even the groom, the new trend is for wedding coordinators to offer special 'Mom's Assistance Packages' where they will help Mom order the cake, or plan a pre-wedding party. They also offer 'Maid of Honor Assistance Packages' for that equally time-crunched Maid of Honor or group of bridesmaids who need to plan a gorgeous shower worthy of the bride, or coordinate a dress shopping excursion. And the groom can get his own expert assistant in the planning of everything from the proposal to wedding night and honeymoon surprises. One coordinator in Houston arranged to get the bride's favorite recording artist to come sing at the wedding, as a gift from the groom. These 'concierge' plans are a welcome trend for everyone involved in the wedding plans, and brides say they love being freed from getting a hundred questioning e-mails from their moms and bridesmaids, knowing that the wedding coordinator knows her wishes and will handle the minute details or last-minute problems. The bride, then, is released from so much wedding-planning stress.

Additional Wedding Event Help
The newest trend in wedding coordinator packages goes beyond three tiers of involvement (initial planning, initial planning + ongoing negotiations and package arrangement, the full VIP package) to a longer list of extra event to co-plan. These are:
- Engagement party planning
- Bridal shower planning
- Bachelorette party planning
- Co-ed bachelor's/bachelorette party planning
- Arranging for a co-ed trip in lieu of a rowdy bachelor/bachelorette party
- Arranging travel and lodging for all wedding guests
- Planning destination wedding celebrations and the post-destination wedding celebration with the larger guest list
- Arranging the rehearsal dinner with the parents of the groom
- Planning wedding weekend events, such as culinary tours, singles cocktail parties, events for families with children, adventure sports outings, family vs. family softball tournaments, and more.
- Planning the wedding morning breakfasts at the bride's location and at the groom's location
- Arranging a wedding morning activity for the groom and his men
- Planning the morning-after-the-wedding breakfast or brunch before guests depart
- Planning an after-party for the bride and groom and select guests who will continue on from the reception to another spot for drinks, dancing, and snacks or a late-night meal.
- Handling all of the couple's guests' needs, such as arranging for childcare on-site, assisting with disabled or elderly guests' needs, and keeping party crashers away.
- and more

Brides and grooms say they enjoy their engagement months so much more when they know that their mothers and bridesmaids are 'in good hands,' and that all of their wedding weekend events will be planned with the help of a professional. In the absence of a crushing To-Do list, the couple has more time to enjoy each other, perhaps take a pre-honeymoon for a little romance in an exotic location, and be rested and calm enough to talk about the bigger issues about their future to prepare for the marriage ahead. "Couples who are buying a home or planning to move in to one partner's home have enough to worry about!" says Sharon Naylor. "Without a wedding coordinator doing the legwork on all these additional events, they would lose their minds, and they would fight more. Intimacy and closeness would be non-existent, and the pre-wedding period would be a burden, not a blessing."

The trend in hiring wedding coordinators for their alternative packages, then, is a real life-saver.

Find your perfect wedding coordinators, and assess their newest packages and plans, at www.bridalassn.com, www.ises.com, and www.juneweddings.com.

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About the Author
Sharon Toris is a freelance writer and contributor to the top women's and bridal magazines such as www.PashWeddings.com. She lives in Morristown, New Jersey. © 2007, Blue Grotto Media, Inc.

Destination Weddings / Honeymoons – St Barts

Destination Weddings / Honeymoons – St Barts

Destination Weddings are weddings that take place away from where the bride and groom live. They happen in some of the most exotic and wonderful places in the world. These types of non-traditional weddings provide the bride and groom with dreamy settings, while doubling as an opportunity for guests to experience a place they have never been before.

"Today's couples are more educated, sophisticated, and better traveled than couples of past generations. More affluent than past marrying couples, 27% of these Generation Y couples ( children of the baby boomers and twice the numbers ) will pay for their entire wedding, and they want something different for themselves and their guests; they want to be pampered and taken seriously.

In the year 2006, nine percent of weddings in the United States were destination weddings, which is a 200% increase in the last ten years. Generation Y couples are tired of the "themed" weddings that became so prevalent and overused in the past. They want to experience different cultures and real settings rather than a "staged" wedding."

"Although women are still the primary decision makers of the wedding plans, men are more involved today than couples of the generation that preceded them, 83% of today's couples are employed full time; they work hard (they are paying a mortgage and own one or two automobiles between them). Equally, they want to play hard; realizing that they are together rarely, they want to plan events that will bring them closer. As well, they want to create deep and meaningful memories for the family and friends. Since most couples are not getting married in the areas where they grew up, their time with family and friends is all the more precious and important to them. If they can do this in a unique or even an exotic setting, all the more enticing," Ernst adds.

St Barthelemy, located in the French West Indies, is that exotic setting today's bride is looking for. It is the Monte Carlo of the Caribbean, without the traffic jams but with the added advantage of flawless beaches. Shortened to Saint Barth in French and St Barts in English it is an exclusive eight square mile (21 sq km) embodiment of 24-carat French chic. It attracts millionaires on luxury yachts, movie stars and French expatriates fleeing the European winter. It is a Caribbean island where relaxation and Gallic style under a tropical sun have been refined to perfection.

Few islands worldwide, can match the unique blend of style, nature and history that is St. Barts. This tiny island has significant appeal where 'quality' is most certainly more important than 'quantity'... an island far away from the normality of life, making it the perfect wedding destination.

St. Barts is surrounded with turquoise waters, situated near the northern end of the Lesser Antilles group in the French West Indies. At a distance of 200 kms from the island of Guadeloupe and 25 kms from Saint-Martin. It is a mountainous island whose only flat area is occupied by the airport's runway. As the climate is rather dry, agriculture has never been developed, thus throughout history few slaves had ever been employed. For the most part, St. Bartians are descendants of Breton and Norman fisher folk. Many are of French and Swedish ancestry, the latter evident in their fair skin, blond hair, and blue eyes.

St. Barts' beaches are renowned for being some of the most beautiful and pristine in the world. Many are found in small coves, which have been protected from development by strict environmentally friendly zoning. Unlike many of its neighboring Caribbean islands, it has not been overrun with prefab condos and large chain hotels. There are six 4 star hotels all featuring romance packages for the wedding or honeymoon couple. All are of single story design, some as one building and others as separate single bedroom villas. Four are located on the beach (perfect for reading-of-the-vows ceremony) the other two are high on the hills with magnificent views of the island and setting sun. Each hotel has been uniquely designed, blending into the surrounding terrain. Luxury and elegance is felt in each environment.

St. Barts features some of the best cuisine in the Caribbean. The island has over eighty restaurants featuring culinary styles ranging from classic French to Asian to West Indian.

Many of the restaurants attract gourmet chefs trained in France to oversee their kitchens. These chefs can also be reserved to serve guests in the intimate privacy of their own villa for any special event or treasured evening. Villas on the island offer breath taking views and the perfect setting for your reception, especially with your own private French chef.

Nightlife of St. Barts is diverse as well. Visitors looking for late-night pleasures can listen to live jazz at a café or dance the night away at one of the local discos or after hours clubs.

St. Barts is also a duty-free port, rated as one of the premier shopping destinations in the Caribbean. The capital Gustavia is the principal shopping area of the island. There are boutiques and emporiums for the most sophisticated shoppers, featuring luxury brands such as Cartier, Hermes, Dior to name a few. The island hosts numerous health and beauty clinics and fitness centers catering to the island's upscale clientele.

It is important to realize that planning a wedding in a foreign country still has the usual concerns and worries of any home based event; there is the additional stress that something could go wrong in a different location. Aside from making travel reservations for the group, a couple needs to consider local legal issues. For instance, marriage in St Barts is not a legal ceremony, rather it is viewed as a spiritual ceremony. For this reason and others, travelers planning to marry in any foreign country should give serious consideration to hiring a local, home based Wedding Consultant for guidance and advice as well as an on-site Wedding Consultant at the particular destination. .The on-site Consultant will insure that the hosts of the event have all the required documentation, that every detail is planned long before arrival and that only the most competent, professional and expert wedding vendors with proper contracts will provide their services . These on-site Consultants can also provide any needed assistance if the couple chooses to bring along some of their own vendors (e.g. the photographer, floral designer, videographer, etc.). They will check that each client and guest is properly retrieved at the airport, that they are provided with the planned-for-accommodations, and that they are well rested from travel before beginning the schedule of any local tours and sightseeing prepared for in advance. Moreover, the on-site consultant can also suggest local customs that will make the wedding truly unique, one that family and friends alike will talk about for a very long time.

Any special event wedding, honeymoon or other special event that takes place on St. Barts is special and memorable simply due to the Island's own enchanted ambiance and unique hospitality. The St. Barts experience is all the more enhanced when it is under the direction of a competent Consultant and Director, at home and on the Island. A Consultant or Director who leaves nothing to chance, who sees to it that not only is the St. Barts experience itself magical, but also one that will be treasured forever in the hearts and memories of the travelers. The staff of a Consultant takes the added steps of communicating with the client and/or their home-based Consultant before arrival on St. Barts so that every detail is discussed and decisions are determined and firmed up in writing. From the moment the client and guests set foot on St. Barts, they enter into a well-scripted, stress-free atmosphere in which they will be completely at ease and confident that all the planning will play out like as closely as possible to their dreams.

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About the Author

John Day, President of Premium IV on St Barts (the destination wedding / honeymoon management company for the island)

The Wedding Seating Chart

The Wedding Seating Chart

Do I need a Seating Chart?
If you have a small, informal reception, you may not feel you need a plan. However for larger numbers, or a sit down meal, both you and your guests may benefit from a seating chart. Guests are saved from a mad panic of trying to find a seat at a table with their friends/family and you can place people where they'll be happiest! The wedding meal may last for 2-3 hours and is a significant part of the day. If your guests are sitting with people they get along with, it will make a big difference to their overall enjoyment of the day.

There are a number of options for the seating plan:
• No plan at all – best for stand up buffets or small and informal events.
• Assign guests to tables – you allocate guests to tables but the choice of seat is theirs.
• Assign guests to seats – you specify the seats at which each guest will sit.

If you remember only one thing…
Do what you think would make you and your guests most comfortable.

The Head Table Dilemma
While the traditional head table (Bride and Groom seated at a long table flanked by the wedding party) is still favored by most, alternatives are often being used. The traditional layout is as follows:

There are alternative arrangements – such as including parents/godparents or clergy at the table. Or you might want to include partners of the bridal party. Alternatively, you may want to avoid the top table altogether and have a romantic table for two.

Top Tips for Other Tables
1. Seating tables with just one family group will let them relax, but won't do much to encourage mingling. However, a table where no one knows anyone else might be a bit daunting for most people! Try and arrange a mix on each table – so everyone knows a few people. By thinking about guests' ages and interests you can make sure that each table is likely to get on and have fun!

2. Where to sit singles can also create a dilemma. On one hand you might want to try out a little matchmaking, but on the other, this could be rather uncomfortable and awkward for your guests (it might be very obvious too!). Certainly avoid a ‘singles' table but generally do whatever you feel is best for your guests.

3. If you are using round tables, the general etiquette is to seat males and females alternately around the table. If you are using long tables, seat couples opposite one another and then alternate male/females along the table.

4. The tables closest to the Bride and Groom should be reserved for the closest friends and family.

5. Give each table a name or number. Table names could be themed - for example people, objects or places that are relevant to you as a couple. Names also remove the perceived hierarchy of tables. You should create a name card for each table (your venue may do this for you) so that guests can easily find their table.

6. If you are assigning guests to specific seats you should create name place cards. These could also show menu choices (if you are offering them) or indicate vegetarians. The waiting staff will really appreciate this and it will allow them to give a more seamless service. You should also give a paper copy of your plan to the venue so that they can see where people are seated.

Creating the Chart
Start arranging your seating plan early. You can start doing this before all your RSVPs have come in as most of your close friends and family will probably be definitely attending, even if they haven't formally replied yet.

To begin creating your arrangement, get a general idea from your venue how tables will be arranged in the room, determine whether you'll be using round or long tables or a mixture of both, and work out how many people you can sit at each table.

Arranging the chart can take a long time and might involve numerous revisions. Many people cut up pieces of paper for each guest and table and use these to try out different layouts. Thankfully, over the last few years software (web-based, for download or even Excel spreadsheets) has become available to make the task simpler. It can save you not only hours of your time but also reduce the stress in the lead up to the big day by simplifying last minute changes.

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About the Author
Adam Leyton of Top Table Planner
copyright ©May 2007

Hot Trends for Cool Winter Weddings

Hot Trends for Cool Winter Weddings

These days, it seem like more and more brides get married during spring and summer months. But if you're a bride who has chosen to tie the knot during winter time, there are cool new ideas to bring the season into your nuptials. Toss aside the pale color palettes and spring blooms, because winter weddings have a style that's all their own. Read on and use any one of these ideas and add some magic to your winter wedding.

Start with a Theme
Winter weddings are best when a theme is incorporated into the festivities. Winter white, silver and gold, blue Christmas, an evergreen or a snowflake theme are some great places to start. Lush velvety fabrics and rich shades of color are also very fitting for winter weddings. If the wedding takes place during the holidays, don't be afraid to add traditional touches like candy canes, stars or ornaments into the mix.

Go with Greenery
Instead of only using traditional wedding flowers for your winter wedding, add some wintery touches with greenery. Natural additions like pinecones and greenery like holly leaves or evergreens give seasonal flair to ordinary bouquets and centerpieces. If you use pinecones, keep in mind that they can be painted nearly any color and sprayed with glitter or faux snow. You can also mix greenery with flowers for a unique and textured look. Soft white roses flocked with fir tree boughs makes a beautiful seasonal centerpiece.

Dress for the Occasion
When you have a wedding during the winter season, your wedding attire should be influenced by the time of year. Bring rich colors or pale metallics into your palette with bridesmaids gowns in deep purple, tuxedo vests of sparkling gold or festive red accents on your wedding gown. If you prefer to wear all white, bring in rich shades with accessories like jewelry with colored gemstones or colored stitching on a veil.

Add the Season into your Ceremony
Getting married during the winter also means that you can add touches to your wedding ceremony to reflect the season. Research songs and readings that fit the time of year. If you're writing wedding vows for your ceremony, you can add words and phrases that fit with the season. For holiday weddings, don't be shy about using a few favorite Christmas songs or poems for your ceremony.

Serve Seasonal Food
During the winter, people generally want to eat things that make them feel warm and comfortable. Bring these feelings into your wedding reception by using comfort foods and warm hors d'ouevres. Mini macaroni and cheeses, chicken pot pies and french onion soup are a good start. Instead of classic cocktails, mix up the drinks and serve peppermint martinis and hot chocolate with liquor. If you're getting married around the holidays, serve home cooked traditions with a twist like turkey with chestnut stuffing and sweet potato souffles.

Now that you have some fresh ideas, your winter wedding will be nothing short of spectacular. The more you bring the season into your ceremony, the more special it will be. Have fun with your planning and stay warm!

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About the Author
Elizabeth Reuth offers inventive wedding planning ideas online for brides and grooms. Browse topics like how to buy discount engagement rings, choosing a florist, deciding on your wedding music and much more.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elizabeth_Reuth

Wedding Planning Stress Coaching

by 2007 Modern Bride Trendsetters!

NEW: FREE ADVICE BEFORE SIGNING UP FOR COACHING

Weddings are the most complex event—logistically and interpersonally—that most of us plan in our entire lives. Does any of this sound familiar?

• money is promised and then taken back or given with "strings" attached
• a mother who tries to get her way on everything
• divorced parents who put you in the middle
• a bridesmaid who acts like it’s her wedding
• a groom who doesn’t follow through
• a wedding list that no one can agree on

The advice in bridal land is simplistic at best "It's your day, do what you want." Honestly if it were all about you, then why would anyone be stressed out planning a wedding? They would simply steamroll over their loved ones, show up and have a wonderful wedding. But we all know it isn't that simple. Afterall, the very people stressing you out are the ones you love and want to be part of your big day.

Why is there so much bad advice out there? Wedding professionals are amazing at what they do - wedding coordinators, florists, bakers, dj's. But they aren't necessarily trained in individual counseling, let alone marriage and family counseling. Weddings are an extremely intense environment for families and engaged couples. So many competing notions of etiquette, wedding roles and money come crashing together for the day two families come together to watch a new family be created.

The immediate problems you are facing are in fact part of a larger system. The more perspective you can gain in what is going on the more you will be able to resolve current and future stressors that will come up.

Our coaches are all marriage and family therapy counselors in training. They can help you navigate the complex relationships for the cost of just a few wedding magazines and wedding planners. You don't need to be filled with stress for the next 9 months of your engagement when there is help now.

Engagement is the beginning of your marriage and the path can be rough. We look forward to working with you, your spouse-to be, parents, bridal party, or anyone else important in your life. We guarentee we can help or your money back.

Sitemap Wedding Stress Coaching ©2007

Finding a Cheap Wedding Dress

Your dream is to walk down the aisle looking gorgeous wearing the perfect wedding dress. Whether it's a long or short, formal or informal, it must be special. It must be YOU. And it must be CHEAP because you are on a tight budget.
Shopping for the perfect inexpensive dress is a time-consuming process. So start early, at least eight to 12 months ahead of time. Your dress will be on display during the ceremony and reception, set the tone for your wedding, and be immortalized by the photographer. It has to be cheap, but it has to look stunning. How do you buy the dress of your dreams when you're on a budget? You will be amazed at the possibilities. Here are some suggestions:
1. Be prepared to compromise. You will no doubt fall in love with a gown far more expensive than you can afford. Take the opportunity to discover what features you love. What is it about the dress that makes you look wonderful in it? The high collar? Plunging back? The bell skirt? Note those features and look at cheaper dresses in similar designs.
2. Try on dresses with someone who knows you and your style and has a good eye for fashion. Her mission is to help you choose a style that showcases your best features while steering you away from the expensive gowns.
3. There are often outstanding bargains in regular bridal shops. Some stores in our city carry a selection for $100 or less. Always ask about discounted gowns when you are in a dress shop.
4. As popularity of destination weddings increases, so has the selection of cheap ivory and white dresses in department stores. Look in the dress sections of department stores like Dillards, Macy's, or Nordstrom for clearance or sale-priced dresses. Even full-price formals are cheaper than many wedding dresses.
5. Look in upscale consignment stores. The better shops carefully screen incoming dresses for tears, stains, and other signs of wear and have like new inventory. They also tend to carry more brand name dresses and gowns than less discriminating stores. Some cities even have bridal consignments. Check the online yellow pages for options near you (www.yellowpages.com).
6. Cheap wedding dresses in like-new condition are plentiful on eBay. There were over 5,000 bridal gowns listed as of this writing.
7. Free is wonderful relief on a budget. Make your wedding dress the "something borrowed" in your wedding and ask a friend or relative if you can wear hers. (There can be a lot of emotions attached to a dress, so consider carefully before asking to wear someone's dress. They may be flattered, or offended.)
8. There are several outlet chains that carry designer dresses at cheap prices. Find Bridal Mart, Cinderella Bridal, JC Penny Outlets and other bridal outlet locations through www.outletbound.com.
9. Samples are another source of cheap designer wedding dresses. With a bit of online research you can find original designer gowns 50% or more off retail. Search Google for "designer wedding gown samples" (without quotes), or something similar, and you will find many deeply discounted wedding dresses.
By researching and carefully choosing a cheap wedding dress, you can walk down the aisle in style without breaking the bank!
About the Author
Bobette Kyle-Wagner is publisher at http://www.myonlineweddinghelp.com/, a Website helping engaged couples get the most use from Internet wedding resources. The site includes online wedding tips, original articles, and tutorials.Read more cheap wedding dress shopping tips at: http://www.MyOnlineWeddingHelp.com/cheap-dress
Wed Oct 31st, 2007, by Bobette Kyle-Wagner

Romantic Wedding

The Professional wedding videography is a combination of many things, bringing together a total wedding videography package that is comprised of:

Professional Equipment
Videographic Talent and Ability
Exceptional and Detailed Editing
Quality Production and Printing
How many studios boast $4000 video cameras, but you have seen that it sits on a tripod the whole time like your uncle or family friend would shoot it? How often have you seen editing that makes the video look like a student project, devoid of any feeling or movement? Have you ever seen a wedding video with a photocopied cover? Professional wedding videography should be more than this. That is why, as a wedding videographer, I have strived to provide a quality production and avoid these common, commercialized business practices.

Holy Wedding

A wedding is a ceremony that celebrates the beginning of a marriage or civil union. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. In some countries, cultures and religions, the actual act of marriage begins during the wedding ceremony. In others, the legal act of marriage occurs at the time of signing a marriage license or other legal document, and the wedding is then an opportunity to perform a traditional ceremony and celebrate with friends and family. A woman taking part in the ceremony is called a bride, a man called a bridegroom, after the ceremony they become a wife and a husband, respectively.
A double wedding is a single ceremony where two affianced couples rendezvous for two separate weddings. Typically, a fiancé with a sibling might plan a double wedding with that sibling.
A destination wedding is any wedding in which the engaged couple and/or a majority of their guests travel to attend the ceremony. Whether this happens for an intimate beach ceremony in the Caribbean, extravagant nuptials in Las Vegas or for a simple ceremony in someone's back yard, chances are it qualifies as a destination wedding.

List of Wedding Dress

From designer wedding dresses to gowns for plus size and petite figures, we have the largest wedding dress search available anywhere! View as many as you like, save your favorites to your online scrapbook, and find out which bridal salons near you carry what you're looking for.

The Fantasy Honeymoon

Le Blanc Spa Resort in Cancun, Mexico wants to start your marriage off right - with a luxurious fantasy honeymoon! Le Blanc is offering one lucky couple the chance to indulge in carefree luxury at their all-incredible, all-inclusive, adult-only resort. The winner will receive: Three nights at Le Blanc Spa Resort for two people, Fruit platter, Flower arrangement, Bottle of sparkling wine.
A selection of petit fours Keepsake "Honeymooners" embroidered bathrobes.
Beach bag Don't miss your chance to begin your honeymoon with all the refreshing beauty and stylish elegance that Le Blanc has to offer!