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All through history there have been similarities in the wedding traditions and marriage customs of people from all over the world, but each nationality of people seems to have their own little way to go about the union of a man and woman too. The one thing that all wedding ceremonies seem to have in common is the commitment of love and devotion for all time and eternity during a public ceremony.

Everyone at a wedding hopes for a productive and happy union between the wedding couple. Wedding traditions are usually a way of showing signs of this hope for ultimate happiness. Some of these traditions are very interesting.

In the United States a favorite tradition is the best man to auction the garter instead of tossing it. The best man carries a hat around the reception site and the guests put dollar bills in it. Someone acts as auctioneer to count the money, and after a specified time has elapsed, the best man gives the garter to the last person to put money in the hat.

In Sweden, the traditional bride will end up wearing three rings by the end of the wedding ceremony. The first is the engagement ring that she entered the ceremony with. The second, the wedding band, is added to the first. A final band, however, is added as well. This band is known as the ‘motherhood’ band. This is said to indicate the hope that marriage is about more than just love, it is about building a family.

Wedding traditions in the Philippines include the Pandango, a dance which can last for hours. During the Pandango, guests pin money to the bride’s dress to pay for their honeymoon.

A traditional Irish bride may wear a blue wedding dress - believing blue to be a lucky color. English lavender is often mixed with her wedding flower. It is traditional for the bride to braid her hair - as it is considered a sacred way to preserve one’s feminine power and brings luck to the newlywed couple.

In Mexico wedding tradition dictates that a white ribbon or rosary be placed around the necks of the newlywed couple, symbolizing the joining of the two souls.

A wedding tradition in Egypt - just before the marriage vows are spoken - there is a musical wedding march called the Zaffa. There is traditional Egyptian music, belly dancers, drums horns and performers with flaming swords. Many Egyptians believed that the ring finger has the “vein amoris”, the vein of love, which runs straight to the heart.

In ancient civilizations of the Middle East sandals (walking was the main mode of transportation) was exchanged as a sign of good faith whenever a commitment of any kind was made. Today, that tradition has died off in all but weddings where the practice of tying shoes to the bumper of the bridal couple’s honeymoon continues.

There are many wedding traditions around the world which may differ from what you are used to, but if you are about to plan a wedding you may find it interesting to incorporate some of these traditions in your own wedding.

Jeanette Shinn is a wedding professional with over a dozen years experience making wedding dreams come alive. Jeanette is always adding new and exciting wedding ideas and tips at http://www.ExcitingWeddingFavors.com.

Getting married is the best day of your life but it is also probably the most expensive. Often couples will put off getting married because of the costs involved or agree to tie the knot once they have saved enough money to do so.

The dress is considered one of the most important aspects of a wedding however some of the smaller effects can make just as big a statement as the dress its self

Once the wedding vows have been shared and the guests are ready to sit down and have enjoy wonderful food, they will begin to make note of the decorations, admiring the lay out of you wedding table and most importantly the wedding centerpiece.

One of the best ways to save money when deciding on your wedding centrepiece is to have a go at making your own. Keeping it simple and elegant will keep you within your budget and will also look stunning.

It is important that you make a mock one a good few weeks before the wedding day so that you are 100% sure that it looks right and you are happy with it. If you are making your own why not ask your friends and family to help out.

Your wedding centrepiece does not have to be flowers, you can try something unusual but keep in mind the time it takes to make and the time you have to do it, the more complicated the wedding centerpiece the longer it will take to create.

You can make you wedding centerpiece as personal as you like you could even consider providing your guests with the means to actually write down their thoughts and what they loved about the wedding day.

Wedding centerpieces can be extremely costly if you are having them made professionally so make sure you have a look at the resources you have around you and what you could do yourself. If you decide to buy flowers to arrange into a wedding centerpiece then make sure you buy it from a wholesaler to save money.

Another idea would be to use candles, not only are they romantic but they will look better and better as the day draws in and the evening entertainment begins. Floating candles are one of the safest as they are surrounded by water. You may need to check where your wedding reception is being held if they will allow this sort of wedding centerpiece.

Fruit and chocolate are also a great idea as they can be admired to begin with then eaten later on so nothing is wasted, it will also keep the children happy!.

Whether you decide to have your wedding centerpiece made for you or you make them yourself, it is a good idea to allow your self plenty of time to play with ideas before decided on the perfect wedding centerpiece.

Vicki Churchill is the owner of http://www.perfectweddingtableideas.com and
http://www.finest-diamond-rings.com

Planning a wedding can be one of the most exhilarating, yet stressful times of a woman’s life. Whether you are going extravagant, or just keeping it simple, there are many details that must be addressed, and often, little time to do them. This time constraint is often the source of many common mistakes made by brides before a wedding. Lack of research is another contributing factor. This, however, is often due to the fact that most brides have never planned a wedding before, so the process can prove a bit daunting. Below are the top ten mistakes commonly made by many brides-to-be, and how to avoid them.

Not sticking to your budget. Often times, couples will set a wedding budget, then make further plans without keeping it in mind. This can be a big mistake. While it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and frenzy of planning a wedding, it is important to follow your budget. Failure to do so can either result in spending more money than what you have, or being disappointed when you can’t pay for something you are set on doing.

Messing up the marriage license. There are a number of rules and regulations surrounding this process that it is easy for couples to make a mistake. Because the bride often plans the wedding, the groom usually takes care of this detail, but it is always something the couple should do together. It is a good idea for the bride-to-be to get involved in this one so both parties know what is needed and when to do it.

Ordering the wedding gown too late. If you have your heart set on a specific gown, you will want to take care of this early on in the planning process. Even if this detail is not as important to you as it is other brides, it is a good idea to have this one taken care of early. Most times, the gown must be altered, sometimes even more than once, so attention should definitely be given to this major detail.

Waiting to book hotel rooms. A common mistake made by many brides is waiting too late to book hotel rooms for wedding guests. This is especially important if you are getting married during a busy time of the year, or would like your guests to stay in a particularly busy hotel. This detail should be taken care of soon after the wedding date is set. It’s much easier to re-book a room in advance than it is to find a room at the last minute.

Inviting too many guests. When choosing a place for the wedding and reception, make sure these sites can accommodate the number of guests you would like to invite. This is crucial because you often take care of this detail well in advance, certainly long before you have received notice of who is and isn’t coming to the wedding.

Indulging in last-minute beauty treatments or crash diets. Getting a facial the day before the wedding can be a bad idea. Instead of rejuvenating your skin, it can actually lead to break-outs, especially if you have never before used the products included in the facial. Because of this, you have no idea what they may or may not do to your skin, so take precautions. The same goes for crash diets. You want your dress to still fit the day of the wedding, and going on a crash diet could result in its being too big.

Failure to understand invitation postage. Many brides are not aware the invitations often require additional postage, therefore, these items are often sent out without it. If this happens, the postal service will return your invitations to you, and you will be responsible for including the proper postage and sending them again. This, of course, can significantly delay the entire process, not to mention add stress to your wedding planning.

Ignoring religious restrictions. Skipping pre-marital classes or failing to wear the appropriate wedding attire can result in your wedding officiate refusing to marry you when the big day arrives. To avoid this, make sure you understand what will be required of you and your husband-to-be prior to the actual wedding. This is especially important if you do not practice the same religion.

Trying it on your own. If you are lucky enough to have been offered help by friends and family members, take it. There are so many details to attend to that it can easily become overwhelming and you may find you will need all the help you can get.

Forgetting to focus on what it all means instead of just the actual event. Yes, the wedding is important, but you should always keep in mind that you are getting married and starting a life together. Brides be good to your grooms and grooms to the same to your brides.

The Perfect Wedding Guide for Toronto Weddings - a wedding directory, wedding services and wedding retailers.
http://www.theperfectweddingguide.com/

It’s the time of the year to be planning your nuptials by the sea. The winter storms are winding down in preparation for the day they give way to those days of glorious sunshine that we all love so much. Fortunately, it perfectly aligns with the traditional wedding seasons making a beach wedding a natural choice. Fortunately the prevalence of beach related materials available means that nearly anyone can put together a beach wedding. This is true even if they have no access to an actual beach at all!

The trick to planning any kind of themed wedding is to narrow your focus. Far too often brides decide they want a beach wedding and that’s where they stop their planning efforts and begin gathering decor items. As a result they pick up anything that;
1. captures their fancy, and
2. reminds them in any way of the ocean.
As a result, pretty soon their budget is spent and they don’t really have anything more than a box full of sea shells, some plastic flower leis, and a few Frisbees.

Instead they should choose an aspect of beach life that stirs their imagination and look for ways to make every item in your wedding lend to your beach theme. For example, if you chose a lighthouse themed wedding, you might want to choose a restaurant on a bluff with lots of windows looking out over the ocean. Or, if you are not able to have the celebration near the ocean, you could play the sounds of waves crashing on the rocks and hold your event at night with a slowly rotating light mounted high above your dance floor to give the illusion that your wedding is being held in a large lighthouse.

Now continue the lighthouse theme. What elements are characteristic of lighthouse scenes? Light? Fog? The sound of waves crashing on the beach? Lighthouses? Raincoats? Umbrellas? Rocks? Ships? Sailboats? The list goes on.

Choose one or two and build your beach theme wedding around them. For example, if you chose the sailboats aspect of a lighthouse theme you could borrow a sail to hang as a tapestry on the wall and perhaps a small dingy or standing in the corner. Then do an internet search for sailboat or lighthouse themed favors to adorn your reception tables and express your gratitude to your wedding guests.

The advantage of such a tact is that if you choose your accessories and favors well, you won’t have to spend as much on decor because those favors and accessories will go a long way to creating your theme.

But don’t stop there! Starting with your dress, consider how every element of your wedding serves or detracts from your theme. For a beach wedding a dress with a long train, for example, might not be the right choice. There are, however, a number of beautiful styles that have been designed with beach weddings in mind, or under the inspiration of mermaids.

Once you found your gown, then you might want to choose barefoot sandals with shells and pearls instead of high heels.

Then it’s on to the wedding cake, flowers, music, and all the other details that we have come to expect in a wedding. Evaluate each element in terms of how it can advance the theme. The days of importing the standard Victorian theme wedding into every setting are over. Trying to do so runs the risk of spending more money than necessary and getting a less memorable wedding.

Instead, the key to building a beach wedding theme (or any theme) is focus on that theme. Don’t worry so much about building a wedding, build the theme. It will be a wedding when the bride and groom are there exchanging vows and celebrating their new life together with their loved ones at their side.

Remember, the beach wedding theme is entirely too broad. But by zeroing in on a specific aspect like sea animals, or surfing, or mariner, you can create a wedding theme that will be remembered for years to come.

Jeanette Shinn is a wedding professional with over a dozen years experience making wedding dreams come alive. Jeanette is always adding new and exciting wedding ideas and tips at http://www.ExcitingWeddingFavors.com.

A wedding is a day that people look forward to as soon as an engagement is announced, the bride especially!. Most brides will begin to organise their wedding as soon as they have got engaged.

The first part of a wedding, and making the wedding official is the wedding invitations. This is something that will represent the couple who are getting married most wedding invitation ideas are to make the invitation original and unique.

Searching the internet for wedding invitation ideas is probably the best place to start. You will find many places that will offer you a huge amount of different wedding invitation ideas. Many online stores will offer you the option of having the cards made by them, or if you need to cut costs you can simply have a look at the designs to give yourself some wedding invitation ideas to make your own.

Making your own wedding invitations could save you a lot of money but this is something you will need to plan well in advance as it can be extremely time consuming especially if your wedding invitation ideas are more elaborate.

If you have made the decision to make your own, it is worth asking a friend or family member to share the work load, they do not have to be especially good at craft you could give each friend a small job to do, maybe cutting something or folding the card or making the inserts if you are going to have them.

Take the time to research and look at as many different wedding invitation ideas as you can, you may want your invitations to compliment the overall theme and colour scheme of your wedding, giving the guests a little taste of what is to come.

Once you have spent some time looking at wedding invitation ideas you can then decide if you will have them custom made or if you have decided to make your own.

If your wedding invitations are to be custom made, make sure you know all the costs involved, ask your friends if they can recommend someone so you know your wedding invitations will be made to the highest quality. Ask about money back guarantees should you be unhappy when you receive your invitations.

Always ask for a sample to be made first so you can approve the design, sometimes the wedding invitation ideas we have in our heads do not always look the same on paper.

If you have decided to make your own wedding invitations, search around for places you can buy your materials in bulk as wholesaler usually offer a significant discount.
Plan your time wisely and make sure you have enough materials should you make any mistakes.

It is always worth spending a little extra time and effort when it comes to wedding invitations, many people including the bride and groom will keep a copy of the invitation as a reminder of the special day.

Vicki Churchill is the owner of http://www.perfectweddingtableideas.com a site that specializes in Wedding Centerpieces,Wedding Table, Wedding Decorations, Seating Plans & all your wedding needs.

These brides are loved all around the world. It is said that they bring new beginning and life. How Ukrainians celebrate the brides and the marriage?

Just like everywhere else around the world, marriage in Ukraine is a big event and the brides are surrounded with care and attention. They are dressed in lavish clothes and of course deserve admiration from everyone.

Ukrainian brides usually take the family name of their new husband and according to the tradition they move to live to his house. But before reaching this happy moment, there are many more small rituals during which they introduce the groom to their family and ask for a blessing to get married.

Usually nowadays the decision for marriage is taken between the man and woman who are in love and have already started a relationship. The harmony in the relationship has many signs and here we are not going to explain that if on this stage there are any quarrels or misunderstanding on important issues, the marriage will not survive for long. The key for a long and happy family life is in the agreement to accept the culture of the partner and to agree with the small rituals everyone has.

When is the most appropriate time to ask for her hand? Well, it depends on many factors, but the most important things are just a few:

Feel her love and be sure that your future bride loves you too. You can always understand if someone is just pretending to love you or her feelings are true. Small gestures of affection show more than the big promises and vows. If she is calling you from time to time, impulsively needs to see you or to share a small victory over daily problems, be sure that your girlfriend feels close enough to you and believes in you. If she can trust you, then this is good beginning and a base for a bigger step.

You should have same interests and desires. Family life means to leave partially your previous lifestyle and to focus on someone else apart from you. Both bride and groom should be well aware of the fact that marriage actually means not only a ceremony with a wedding cake but also shared problems, house and later children.

Be sure that you are on the same wavelength. Most Ukrainians love children and want to have babies as soon as they get married. This is partially programmed in their genes. In addition they will be pressed by their family. The old generation in Ukraine believes that if children do not appear soon after the marriage, therefore there is something wrong in the couple. Your bride will be under big stress if she does not fulfill her family will for grand children pretty soon.

Once upon the time, a century or so ago, the girl and the boy were promised to each other by their families. They rarely knew each other before the marriage ceremony and had no other choice but to obey the decision of the older generation.

Today this tradition is dead. Of course the groom should meet the Ukrainian bride family and be introduced to them but be sure that he will have the father’s vote because today parents respect their daughters and her feelings more than the old traditions.

Don’t get scammed. Check out our reviews of all of the top Ukrainian Dating Agencies at http://www.ukrainedatingreview.com/. Looking for a Ukraine Bride or Ukrainian Dating? Visit http://www.ukrainiandatingservice.com/ You will be spoilt for choice.

With all of the talk today of global warming and environmental impact the question looms: “How do we create a ‘green’ wedding? How do we put together a ceremony and celebration that will linger in our memories but leave little to no impact on the environment?

The answer, whether we like it or not, is simplicity. Create a simple wedding with your own personal touch to make your wedding memorable rather than trying to out stage last year’s big wedding productions - besides for potential protection to the environment, a simple ‘green’ wedding can save you lots of money!

Now there is no way to cover every possible situation but consider these possible scenario’s as inspiration for your green wedding:

Urban Setting for Your Green Wedding:

Plan a period themed wedding from your own city’s history. For example, 19th century wedding theme. Design your dress based around the theme - not a problem, wedding dresses are special order anyway - and remember, you don’t have to choose to emulate the rich of that period, just something representative or suggestive of the period. Choose a local hall with lots of windows within walking distance of your borough or neighborhood to hold your ceremony and reception and ask your guests to walk or take public transportation to and from the celebration. Schedule the event for midday or early afternoon so you can use as much natural lighting as possible. Hire local musicians to provide background music that might have been played in that time period. Use live plants for decor instead of cut flowers. And arrive and depart from your wedding via horse drawn carriage or on foot.

Suburban Setting for Your Green Wedding:

Find a garden setting, such as your own backyard, that you and your personal community can cultivate to create a memorable setting for your wedding and a garden setting that you and your friends and neighbors can enjoy for years to come. Put your effort and resources into creating this garden oasis full of live plants and natural beauty instead of worrying about all the normal trappings of a wedding ceremony. Choose to have a tea reception with the finger food that fits whatever theme you have decided upon.

Rural Setting for Your Green Wedding:

If you live in a small town, chances are good there’s an old chapel sitting in a weed strewn field somewhere around town. These old treasures are a great opportunity for you to build your green wedding and help the community as well. The idea is to rent the use of the grounds for a daylight wedding (perhaps you want to theme your celebration around the styles of your town’s founding fathers) and either in preparation for the ceremony pull your wedding party together to landscape the grounds in advance (see above) or to simply make the planting of trees and bushes a part of your celebration. Ask your guests to bring a live plant in lieu of a gift and make planting them a part of the fun!

In such a setting an ideal way to begin the festivities is by having your groom on horseback (or at least a horse drawn carriage) lead your guests in a procession through town toward your ceremony. Afterwards, with the new plants all in the ground enjoy the warmth of a summer evening to celebrate around a bond fire with local music with your friends and family.

Notice that none of the above suggestions involved going out and renting the biggest and the best facility available. None were held in fancy hotels. Rather they were all focused on improving your own community - the part of the world you can positively impact. You can have a cake if you want, or do without it. Likewise, photography is entirely optional depending on your own convictions about the impact of the use of the computer and printer or film processing lab.

Yes, a green wedding celebration might not be as elegant or sparkling clean as the wedding celebrations we have come to be familiar with, but with a little bit of effort it can save you money and really do something to improve the life of the community you are in.

Of course, your green wedding theme should extend to your wedding favors as well. Plantable Wildflower Favors are an obvious choice. Imagine seeing patches of wild flowers all over your community as a direct result of your wedding and the favors you expressed your gratitude with. Other choices might be hand painted ceramic pots, or even “magic” beans (bean seeds that when planted will sprout with the word ‘love’ imprinted on the sprout - these are great favors for the children), or any number of soap favors might be appropriate as well.

Your options are really only limited by your imagination. Look around for ideas for ways to celebrate your new marriage. They don’t have to be traditional, but they do have to reflect you and your values. That is what you will look back on with fondness when you think about your green wedding.

Jeanette Shinn is a wedding professional with over a dozen years experience making wedding dreams come alive. Jeanette is always adding new and exciting wedding ideas and tips at http://www.ExcitingWeddingFavors.com.