How to plan the perfect hen party

admin | Hen and Stag Parties | August 9, 2011

Hen Party Planning
Having been chosen as the maid of honour or chief bridesmaid for your friend’s wedding, it can be pretty daunting when it comes to one of the main responsibilities: organising the hen party.

Of course, if you’ve never been a maid of honour or chief bridesmaid before, you’ll not know where to start. Well, it’s really all about prior preparation and planning.

And there’s no need for the hen party planning to be a stressful task. Once you know what you need to do, it can be really fun!

Talk to the Bride-to-be
It’s important to talk to the bride-to-be and see what her ideas are. She will have thought about this for a long while; trust me, she’s planned this all many times before and will be sure to have certain things she wants, and certain things she doesn’t.

The following list will be the main areas you will really need to talk through:

Getting the guest list right
You’ll need to know who the bride-to-be wants to invite on her hen weekend, from family members to work colleagues to best friends. Make sure you get all their contact details. To keep everyone in the loop you can either email or phone them, or better yet why not start a Facebook group?

Deciding on a budget
The next steps in deciding where you’ll go and what you get up to will depend on your budget.

The bride-to-be should be able to give you a rough guide as to how much the group can spend, and you could use the invites to tell everyone how much this is. But it’s even better to test the water first. Drop hints, or just go straight in and ask how much they can afford.

Where are you going?
Once you’ve decided upon a budget, you’ll have a good idea of what you can work with and the options available – whether it is a lower budget weekend break in the UK, or a mini-holiday somewhere abroad in the sun.

When are you going?
These days, hen parties are often held a few weeks before the wedding, unlike the tradition of partying the pre-wedding night away. This not only spreads out the fun, but also makes sure everything is back in order in time for the wedding.

It will be tricky finding a date that everyone can make, still don’t stress over this: there will always be those who unfortunately can’t make it. As long as you have given everyone enough notice, you’ve done your bit. Ideally, suggest a few dates.

Decide on the activities
This shouldn’t be too difficult. That said, there’s a widening range of hen party activities to choose from, and again you’ve got to work to get the best outcome for the group. Be inclusive, that’s our advice. And don’t get completely carried away with what the group wants and ignore the bride-to-be! Looking to relax? Then look at pampering and indulgent choices. Looking to get active? Then it’s zorbing, paintballing or go-karting.

Enjoy yourself!
Once you’ve got everything organised the best part is enjoying the weekend. Yes, keep one eye on the schedule, but get stuck in with everyone else and let your hair down, as well!

Redseven organise hen weekends to destinations around the world.

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Rings and Things

admin | Engagement Rings Wedding Rings wedding bands | June 27, 2011

When you are getting married there are a million and one things to think about, engagement ring settings, the guest list, the wedding rings, of course the men’s wedding rings, even the engagement ring setting! So how does one prioritize all of the important and not so important to do’s that come with wedding planning? Follow these simple tips to make your wedding day go off without a hitch, or in this case I suppose with a hitch!

1. Make a list. Making a list is very helpful as it can help you to visualize and retain all of those big and little tasks that need some attention. Place the list somewhere that you pass by every day, such as the refrigerator or next to your bathroom sink
2. Ask for help. There is never a more appropriate time, then when you are planning your wedding, to ask for help. Make sure that you know specifically what you want though, because everybody has an opinion about weddings. If you are not clear than they might choose to go with something they prefer, over what you have in mind.
3. Breathe. Make sure that while planning your wedding you take lots of time to deep breathe and calm yourself down. There will be plenty of busy and seemingly overwhelming situations that arise, but you can handle them. If you are feeling stressed, head outside for some fresh air – it will do wonders for your head.

Good luck and enjoy the big day.

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Wedding Directories – Making Life Easier for the Bride-to-Be!

admin | Wedding Directories | June 15, 2011

Wedding directories simply make life easier on the bride. They help her with step one of planning her wedding, all the way to the honeymoon. But how do these wedding directories do that? It’s pretty simple, really.

Wedding directories gather all the essential information the bride needs to plan a picture perfect wedding, and they put it all in one easy to access place, right on the internet. So, with the click of the mouse, she has everything she needs to put together her dream wedding.

Essentially, wedding directories do the leg work for you. They allow wedding professionals to advertise and write articles and blog posts. These articles and posts cover all aspects of a wedding, and update brides-to-be on the newest trends in weddings and newest styles in things like hair, makeup, shoes and dresses, so a bride is up-to-date when she plans her nuptials.
Wedding directories have a home page that lists all the steps a bride needs to follow in order to plan her wedding—there are links for tux rentals, links for limo rentals, links to area venues, links to photographers, caters and florists, all in her area. Or, you can find wedding directories in your destination wedding area and look for area industry professionals that way. No matter how you look at it, wedding directories save a bride a lot of time and stress!

Links on the wedding directories take users to the professionals’ websites and provide all the contact information needed to set up consults or ask questions. Additionally, sometimes you will even find discounts offered by wedding vendors or reviews by other brides.

Another great way that wedding directories make life easier on the bride is through forums. Wedding directories have forums where brides-to-be and industry professionals can chat—they can ask one another questions, get advice, share tips, all things that can make the stress of planning a wedding a little less.

Some wedding directories even have great planning worksheets for budgeting, keeping track of RSVPs and logging gifts.

Basically, wedding directories should be the first place the bride goes to begin planning her wedding. All the information has been gathered for you in one place and the sites are easy to navigate. Wedding directories will help you plan your wedding from A to Z, saving you time, hassle and stress along the way.

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Top 20 Greatest Wedding Ideas of All Time

admin | Wedding Ideas | May 30, 2011

Stuck for wedding ideas? Everyone wants to have a great wedding, and that means coming up with a great theme or coming up with new ideas. However, ideas are often recycled, and that is fine. If you find a great idea there is no harm in changing it up a bit and making it your own. Here is a list of the twenty greatest wedding ideas of all time.

1. First, how about a ‘green’ wedding? Green wedding ideas are all the rage now, and have become very popular over the last decade. These weddings are ecologically sound and environmentally safe. These wedding ideas are for those who like to live a greener lifestyle.
2. Destination weddings are always great wedding ideas. Destination weddings are fun and have been popular some time. These involve choosing an often romantic setting and flying there, and asking your guests to do the same.
3. Another of the greatest wedding ideas of all time is the beach wedding. Beach weddings are romantic and often cheaper and easier to plan.
4. Wedding ideas like a winter wonderland wedding are both beautiful and romantic. Choose to have it indoors, though, to stay warm! Your reception can carry the winter wonderland theme throughout.
5. Other wedding ideas, like creating personalized wedding favors will make a lasting impression upon your guests.
6. Handing out little bottles of bubbles for guests to blow at the bride and groom, rather than throw rice or birdseed is a great wedding idea.
7. Having your wedding on a boat is another of the wonderful, creative wedding ideas for venue.
8. Another of the greatest wedding ideas is being married by a family friend who is ordained. It can help make your day extra special.
9. A really amazing wedding cake is one of the great wedding ideas that will separate your wedding from all others. Do your research and find a design that is just right for you, but different from everyone else’s.
10. Ditch the cake and go for cupcakes! This is another of the unique wedding ideas that can really make your day special.
11. Release butterflies at the end of an outdoor ceremony. The butterflies are in small boxes, handed to each guest, and then released at the end. It adds a beautiful touch.
12. Wedding ideas for guest books include creating a photo guest book, rather than a traditional guest book, so that guests are photographed upon entering. Use a Polaroid for immediate results.
13. Instead of place cards, use custom made ‘tickets’ that match your theme. Have the guests pick them up before entering the reception.
14. Be unique—enter the reception to a theme song of your choosing, and give the members of your wedding party their own theme songs too.
15. Skip the expensive heels if you are getting married on a beach and go with barefoot sandals. They are gorgeous and complement any dress.
16. For centerpieces, consider floating flowers in bowls of water, and even add goldfish!
17. If you are getting married at a church right after another couple, save money by coordinating with the couple who is getting married before you. Split the cost of the decorations at the church.
18. Make your programs special—include information on your wedding party, and have them say something about you as a couple.
19. Rather than have the bridesmaids complain about their dresses, tell them a color and style you are looking for, and let them pick out and purchase their own.
20. And of course, last but not least in the great wedding ideas, use your dog as the ring bearer!

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The Rules of Wedding Addressing Etiquette

admin | Wedding Etiquette | May 26, 2011

There are certain rules that apply when it comes to Wedding Addressing Etiquette. Following the proper etiquette is still very important to many people who savor tradition. When you are planning a wedding it seems like there are a million little details to attend too, which can easily bring stress upon the average human being. Although Wedding Addressing Etiquette may appear to be a very small detail to some; it is a very special part of the wedding process. Therefore, it has to be given proper attention and focus. It must be done using the proper etiquette.

Stationery Etiquette

Don’t be afraid to let your guests know early that the wedding is coming. You can send out cards that will direct them to make note of your wedding date. This way your guests have plenty of time to get prepared and can mark their calendars for the big day. On all stationery that you plan to send out make the effort necessary to place your return address on the envelope flaps.

Invitation Etiquette

Every wedding should have a tone. You can set that tone using Wedding Addressing Etiquette. Your invitation should contain the following information:

• date
• time
• location
• wedding hosts

However, it can set the tone for the wedding as well. Your invitation cards can also include the time and location of the reception. If you wish, the reception can be on a separate card that could also have directions to the event. It is up to you whether or not you mail the reception card in the same envelope as the invitation card since they should be mailed out at the same time. You should send out announcements at least 6 weeks prior to your wedding day.

Although hand written invitations are preferred for their personal touch; it is acceptable to use computer generated ones as well. Planning a wedding is all about the numbers. If you are planning for 100 people; you don’t want 200 to show up. Therefore, it is essential that you make it clear who the wedding invitations are for. You have to take into consideration that parents have children and singles may have a significant other that would be joining them as well.

When addressing never use initials unless it is for a middle name. It is also important to never abbreviate titles or addresses. Of course this does not apply to Mr. and Mrs. and so on. If you are sending invitations to a judge for example; then you would want to address it to The Honorable (first and last name). If you are sending an invitation to someone in the military then you would send it to, for example: Captain (First name and last name). The use of an etiquette chart comes in very handy when invitations are being sent out. It may seem a little petty to allow so much attention to Wedding Addressing Etiquette; but providing good etiquette presents a good reflection on you and your wedding day. The process simply makes the most special day in your life that much more memorable.

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Traditional Marriage Vows Stand the Test of Time

admin | Traditional Marriage Vows | May 25, 2011

Your wedding day is fast approaching and you are being pulled one way and then another in an attempt to prepare for that magical deadline. It seems that you have planned well for everything but then you realize that you have not focused appropriately on the wedding vows. When this happens it is good to know that Traditional Marriage Vows have stood the test of time.

There are very many people who are steadfast in their belief that it is the wedding vows that cement the process of matrimony. Obviously, this places quite a bit of pressure on the words enlisted for your vows. The exchanging of marriage vows may very well be the most intimate moment in the ceremony. All eyes are upon the bride and groom and there is no room for error.

This is where Traditional Marriage Vows come in handy. These vows are used more than any other type and why not?, for they have been successfully utilized for centuries. Marriage vows are meant to express the love and commitment the bride and groom share for one another. It is a time to get the bonding process off on the right foot. A time to express your deepest feelings and emotions about the one you love.

When people think about marriage vows they typically think about two different things. One is the Traditional Marriage Vows that date back to around 1662. These normally begin with “Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here to unite such and such in holy matrimony.” Then there are the vows that are exchanged personally from bride to groom and vice versa. These of course can be personally written and do add more of a personal touch to the ceremony.

However, unfortunately personally written marriage vows can be a little risky. They have to be confined to the rules of the establishment and careful not to offend anyone in the gathering. Sometimes they can be drawn out and delivered without confidence. Traditional Marriage Vows are designed to help you say what is in your heart. They have been proven effective and they take you off the hook to come up with something unique and crowd pleasing.

Traditional Marriage Vows can always be used and you can add a personal touch to them. It is always best to be safe than sorry when it comes to creating magical moments that can serve you well over the journey of life. In this case there is something to be said for tradition.

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20 Fabulous Wedding Ideas

admin | Wedding Ideas | May 23, 2011

A wedding between two people who love each other and want to have a special wedding to unite that love, wants it to be very special. There are women who have been planning their whole wedding from the day they could talk. But what about those that have not a clue how they want their wedding to be. Those that need to find some wedding ideas to push them in the right direction. We are going to share some fabulous wedding ideas for the woman that is at a loss to what she wants.

1. Make your own invitations- This can allow you to be more personal with the wedding invitations. You can make them on the paper or card of your choosing. You can add flowers or pictures that you want. You can even add a personal sentiment.
2. Wedding favors- Another great one of our wedding ideas is to make your own wedding favor for your guests. Of course this is better for a smaller wedding but it is a way to give a personal favor to your guest to thank them for coming and sharing this wonderful day with you.
3. Theme- One of our best wedding ideas is to theme your wedding. There is no law that says you have to have a traditional wedding. Plan your wedding around something that interests you and the groom.
4. Potluck Reception- Instead of hiring caterers have a potluck dinner. Ask all of your guests to bring their favorite dish.
5. Have a outside reception
6. Theme the reception dinner.
7. Have individual cupcakes instead of a wedding cake.
8. Have a themed wedding cake instead of the traditional cake.
9. Have a wedding in your backyard or at a park.
10. Have the wedding someplace that holds a special meaning to you and your groom. Like the place you meant or a ballpark.
11. Have the wedding at a lake and then the guests can swim after.
12. Having a barn wedding is another one of our wedding ideas that can be a lot of fun.
13. A beach wedding is always fun.
14. Have a vineyard wedding if you are in a location where there is one near.
15. Have a winter wedding and them the wedding around it.
16. Have all of your bridesmaids wear white and you wear a color of your choice.
17. Have a themed wedding attire and ask the guests to wear their clothes accordingly to the theme.
18. Wear casual clothes instead of the traditional wedding attire.
19. Have family members or friends that have music talents provide the music.
20. Make your own wedding bouquet to match your theme.

When it comes to wedding ideas you are only limited by your imagination. Take some of the ideas that we have given you and build on them. You are sure to come up with a wedding that no one will forget.

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Wedding Directories Are A Useful Tool For Planning Your Big Day

admin | Wedding Directories | May 21, 2011

He has finally popped the big question. He has asked you to marry him. Of course you said yes! Now it is time to plan the big day. You have all of these visions going through your head of how you want your wedding to be. But you have no idea where to get started. You have no idea where to find all of the things that you will need to get organized from your dress to the caterers. There is a great tool to help you and it is called wedding directories.

Wedding directories are sites that you can go to that will guide you through all of the things that you need to do to plan the wedding of your dreams. On these wedding directories there will be list of all items pertaining to a wedding and reception that can help you make your wedding the special day that you always dreamed it would be.

The best place to find wedding directories is online. All you have to do is go on to whatever search engine that you use and type in “wedding directories” and you will have many sites pop up. Go into the one of your choice and a whole list of items will pop up from beauty and attire to bridesmaids. You can click on one of these and more lists will pop up with either information on that subject. There will be articles on the subject. There can be places where you can see the different options that you have. There will also be links where you can order these items.

For example if you want to look at invitations then hit on invitations. Then a list will come up that will be of all of the different invitations that you have a choice of. Then you click on the ones that you are interested in and it will lead you to other links that will give you more information and even can order then if you find something that you like.

Wedding directories are designed to help a bride find information on every aspect of the wedding, reception, and even the honeymoon. They make it easy to find what you are looking for with just a few pushes of the fingertips instead of spending days on the phone or hours in the car searching the city for what you are looking for. You can be comfortable in your home while planning your wedding.

Planning a wedding can be stressful. So take advantage of wedding directories and take some of the stress away so you can enjoy this special time of your life.

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Wedding Addressing Etiquette – Some Simple Tips

admin | Wedding Etiquette | May 19, 2011

If you are looking to carry out your wedding planning and arrangement correctly it is important to understand that there are rules of wedding addressing etiquette that apply to the way your invitations should be presented. Given that this is a vital part of any wedding plans we thought it might be helpful to provide you with some tips. The etiquette surrounding the addressing of invitations is comprehensive, so we have chosen to talk about the most likely problems that will come about in an average invitation.

Inner and Outer Envelope
You may have chosen not to use an inner envelope and that is very much modern practice, but here we assume that you have adhered to the tradition of inner and outer envelopes. There are distinct differences in wedding addressing etiquette for each. For a married couple the outer envelope should be addressed thus:

Mr and Mrs John Smith.
The inner should simply read:
Mr and Mrs Smith.
This is standard practice and should come naturally.
When one of the couple has an occupational title they will take precedence, regardless of sex. For instance the outer should be addressed:
Dr Julie Morris and Mr John Smith.
The inner will simply omit the Christian names.

Unmarried Friends ‘plus Guest’
This is one of those wedding conundrums that always baffles – how to address an invitation to a single friend who is entitled to bring a guest? The answer is quite simple – you address the outer envelope to the named friend, and the inner with the addition ‘and Guest’.
More complex is the method of addressing same sex couples, an occurrence more common these days. The correct manner for male same sex couples is:
The Messrs. John and David Smith
For female same sex couples it would be:
The Mesdames Julie and Rachel Morris.

Families
The trick to getting the wedding addressing etiquette for a family correct is in remembering who you are inviting! The outer should be addressed as already outlined to the parents; the inner should include – additionally – the names of the children.
If children are not invited then a tricky situation arises. It is customary to leave the names of children off any invitation where they are not invited, and the implication should be apparent to all.

Some extra tips
Do not feel that you need to engage an expensive calligrapher to produce your invitations; the modern computer and printer can easily be used to produce attractive and interesting wedding invitations and it is a perfectly acceptable method.
Finally, keep it simple. The rules of wedding addressing etiquette may be set in stone, but there is no reason why you should not simply use common sense.

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Wedding Etiquette for the Best Man, Groomsmen, and Ushers

admin | Wedding Etiquette | May 18, 2011

Undoubtedly, the groom will want to choose a few good men-often his brothers, college buddies, and best friends-to carry out all of the responsibilities traditionally assigned to the guys. Once your fiancé has picked his team, he’ll have to give them a few pointers on just what their roles and responsibilities are, so here’s the lowdown.

A Friend in Deed

Let’s start with the best man (the head groomsman) since his role is so crucial. The best man is an all-purpose kind of guy-friend, organizer, coach, confidant-with a lot of responsibilities.

In general, he must make sure that the wedding goes off without a hitch.
When the groom feels stressed, he is ready with encouragement and a good sense of humor. Traditionally, it is the best man who is in charge of organizing the bachelor party and making all travel arrangements for the bride and groom. He makes sure the groom and other groomsmen get fitted for and pick up their formalwear. He is also expected to supervise the other groomsmen and ushers, serve as an official witness to the vows, safeguards the ring and marriage license just before the wedding, and pay the clergyman’s fee (which the groom quietly slips to him before the ceremony).

After the ceremony, he makes sure the wedding party lines up properly for the “wedding parade” through town, if one is planned. At the reception, he serves as the master of ceremonies, proposes the first toast, and remains on hand to ensure that all subsequent speeches are both short and sweet. His final duty is to return all the rented tuxes.

INCIDENTAL-In case it should happen that several notable people would like to offer a toast, here is the order of the speakers: best man, groom’s dad, bride’s dad, groom, bride, maid of honor, groom’s mom, bride’s mom, other friends and relatives.

And a Few Good Men

Of course, the other groomsmen or ushers are also important members of the wedding party. The are, in effect, the couples hospitality committee. Although groomsmen often do double-duty-serving as ushers before and after the ceremony-in may cases, at large weddings, for example, there are two sets of men: groomsmen and ushers. (The general rule is one usher for every 50 guests.) In these instances, it is the ushers who seat the guests, and it is they who make the first impression on guests as they arrive.

Ushers greet the guests and escort them on the proper side of the church. As tradition would have it, when a female guest arrives (whether she is alone or not), one of the ushers should step forward, extend his right arm, and escort her to her seat, followed by her spouse or date. (I am in favor of the more modern sentiment which suggests that this approach is incompatible with the whole concept of marriage and that the husband should not be relegated to trailing behind this temporary pair.)

Before walking toward the pews, the usher should ask which side of the church she would like to be seated on, the bride’s or groom’s. Generally, the right side of the church is reserved for the guests of the groom. Her relatives and friends are usually escorted to the right.

In a Jewish ceremony, this seating arrangement is reversed. And if one side appears to be filling up and the other side has noticeably few occupants, then this rule should be abandoned for the sake of appearances.

Incidentally, in keeping with the spirit of the occasion, ushers should not escort guests to their seats in total silence, as if this were a solemn affair.

This is a time for a few casual and friendly, yet dignified and quiet remarks.

Pews are filled from front to back, leaving the first several reserved for family members and close friends of the bride and groom. Just minutes before the ceremony is scheduled to begin, two of the ushers should escort the groom’s mother and then the bride’s mother to their seats. After the ceremony, they escort these ladies down the aisle.

It is the groomsmen who should be available to assist the bride’s mother with any last minute details. Just before the bride makes her entrance, they should unroll the aisle runner. Another important duty of these men of chivalry is to arrange for transportation of the bridesmaids to the wedding site.

After the ceremony, as everyone heads off to the reception, it is their responsibility to ensure that no one is left behind. And, because they are largely responsible for making sure that a good time is had by all, they are expected to introduce guests to each other.

Modern day armor

What the groomsmen wear is largely determined by the formality or informality of the ceremony, and to a lesser extent by considerations such as location and time of day.

These days, most grooms, groomsmen and ushers rent their formalwear. The groom and his men should order their tuxes at least three months before the wedding. If possible, they should select a local shop, just in case last minute alterations are needed.

The groom and his men usually wear the same attire. To set himself apart, the groom may select a different colored tie, vest, pocket square, or boutonniere.

Sometimes the groom will present a memorable gift, such as cufflinks, studs or, if he can afford to splurge, monogrammed shirts, to be worn by these men of honor at the wedding. Given all that they are expected to do, the groom should indeed go out of his way to show his appreciation, even in advance, for a job well done.

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