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Why Titanium Wedding Rings Are A Great Option For Your Big Day
One of the hottest trends in marital rings is the titanium wedding band. There is good reason for the interest in this attractive metal for the purpose of making jewelry but there are even better reasons for choosing a titanium wedding band. The symbolic meaning behind the rings and the natural properties of the metal make the material the perfect choice for newlyweds.
A titanium wedding band has unusual properties not shared by its gold, silver and platinum counterparts. The material is remarkably light but it is quite strong. The combination of lightweight materials and strength is really appealing to many who dislike wearing jewelry. Just about everyone knows someone who hates to wear jewelry of any kind. Purchasing wedding rings for these individuals can pose a great challenge.
My husband always felt annoyed when he wore his father’s gold ring. The item seemed to weigh down on his fingers and he was sensitive to the odd pressure the jewelry pushed on his skin. The irritation was really obvious and he wore the sentimental item briefly and on rare occasions. This made me decide to shop around for an alternative to the traditional gold marriage rings.
The titanium wedding band was the perfect choice for us because its lightweight nature made the ring wearable. My husband doesn’t even realize that he is wearing the ring and this is a real benefit for him. He finds heavy jewelry to be burdensome and distracting especially when he is trying to work. The titanium wedding band is nearly invisible to his sense of touch.
The metal is also very masculine as well. The color to the titanium wedding band is not quite as lustrous and shiny as its gold and silver counterparts. The finished product resembles brushed stainless steel rather than shimmering metal. This is a really attractive feature for a lot of guys who don’t really like to sparkle.
Those who do want some shine might want to consider browsing through some of the different options this metal has to offer. We were really attracted to the black titanium wedding band but the color was just too dark for the ring. However, the polished material is really eye-catching especially in the light.
The black titanium wedding band offers a glass-like finish that resembles a dark mirror. I was so drawn to this particular style that I decided to purchase a black ring for my husband’s other hand. He actually likes to wear this jewelry.
Unique Pre-Wedding Reception Activities to Make Your Wedding Stand Out
Pre Wedding Reception Activities
There are so many little details to worry about when planning a wedding some might get forgotten. One tiny detail that often gets overlooked is how to keep guests entertained before the wedding reception "officially" begins.
There is no requirement that brides entertain their guests at all. After all, they have already attended your wedding ceremony (which was surely engaging and entertaining, right?) and they will soon get music, food and drink. What more could they want? It turns out, a lot. While the bride and groom are off having pictures taken, the guests are left to their own devices, chatting with other guests and wondering when the buffet will open.
In that light, it's worth at least considering some pre-reception options for keeping wedding guests entertained until the reception begins. Here are a few options, some tradition, some not so, but still fun.
First, you can do the traditional thing and provide guests with drinks and perhaps some light snacks. If the wedding is in the summertime, how about providing lemonade and iced tea? Or if it's the winter, coffee and hot tea or even hot cocoa depending on the style of your wedding. Providing a light snack isn't a bad idea, either, and that can be some appetizer-type food or just nuts, especially if the meal will be heavy.
Now, if you want to stray from tradition, there are many options. Some brides opt for entertaining the guests in the truest sense of the word. Clowns, anyone? How about live music?
If you want to venture into the fun and funky, consult the party planning pages of a local children's or parent's magazine. Here, you can find people who will entertain your children at their birthday parties, but many of them will happily take on wedding jobs. You can hire a clown to make balloon animals for the kids (and adults) in attendance, or to juggle a few things. Some clowns are true entertainers and will happily get the crowd involved by fetching items out of women's purses and juggling them.
Other non-traditional options for entertaining your guests include hiring a band to play music beforehand. If you plan to have classical music at your wedding, you can have a band come and play covers of current pop songs, or you can simply have your hired band arrive a bit early to entertain guests waiting for the full reception to begin.
If there are many children at the wedding, it's not too expensive to hire a children's band to sing and entertain the children for a bit. Then if the kids are a bit bored at the reception, they'll still have the memory of the earlier entertainment with them. In addition, while the children are being entertained, the adults can have a chance to chat and they will surely thank the bride for thinking of them in that way.
Some other options for entertaining your restless crowd before the festivities begin are to include them in the reception before it begins. This is a great time to ask people to sign the guest book and write something meaningful, since they will have more time than they would usually have as they file into the reception hall.
If the reception and the wedding ceremony take place in the same location, but the bride and groom are off having pictures taken, it may not seem as if there's this dilemma of how to keep the guests entertained, but there in fact, is.
In this case, you can have servers circulate with appetizer trays or you can do something more elaborate, such as some of the suggestions above. One popular option doesn't involve entertaining the guests at all. Say the wedding is being held at a historic house or mansion. During the lull before the reception, guests can be given a tour of the property. If the wedding and reception are both being held at the couple's new home, a tour of the property might be in order (assuming the guest list is fairly small).
How To Make Your Wedding Memorable With Creative Outdoor Wedding Reception Activities
Outdoor Wedding Reception Activities
If you are having your wedding reception out of doors, that opens the door for many activities that would be hard to pull off indoors. You can plan games and activities based on the outdoor theme and carry that theme indoors if part of the reception is inside as well.
Depending on where the reception will be held, you can plan many activities based on the setting. Whether it is the park or on a farm, there are a myriad of activities you can plan.
Let's start with some basics based on popular wedding locations. One fun game for a winery wedding is a blindfolded wine tasting game. If the bride and groom are wine drinkers, this might not a game the bride and groom should be a part of, but instead guests and wedding party members. Blindfold perhaps a half dozen volunteers and have them do a blind taste test (provide something to clean the palate between sips). The volunteers should guess which wine is the pinot noir, which is the Cabernet, and so on. A bottle of wine is the obvious prize for the winner of this game.
Say you are having a reception at a country club on a golf course. It's possible your theme will include golf elements, so why not include golf in some reception activities or games? You certainly could head to the golf course for a "hole in one" contest, or have a driving contest to see which guest has the best stroke. As a simple, "who gets the centerpiece game", you could have people guess how many golf balls there are in the floral centerpiece (which could decorate a plain large glass vase filled with flowers). Similarly, there could be a large vase or other clear container filled with golf balls at the reception somewhere and guests could guess how many golf balls are in the vase.
A silly game could be made on the dance floor by asking everyone to include their best golf swing into their dancing for one particular song.
Now, if your reception and ceremony are both to be held outdoors and guests will be milling outdoors, think about games or activities that can take place outdoors and still keep to your level of formality or informality. For example, if the reception is being held at a park, perhaps guests might enjoy a "walk down memory lane". Prior to the reception, someone can use potted plants or arbors to create a little private lane, which guests can walk through. Along the path, guests will find pictures of the bride and groom at various stages in their lives. There should be a place for guests to record their thoughts and memories along the way as well.
If your wedding and reception are fairly casual, you can always tell guests ahead of time to prepare for a ball game or some other fun outdoor activity. Women can bring a pair of sneakers. Just imagine the fun photos you'll get out of a rousing game of football or baseball played by women in dresses and sneakers and men in suits and sneakers!
You can provide a challenge activity involving barefoot dancing in the grass or a Frisbee toss in the backyard. Is there a pool in the yard where the reception will be held? Why not have a swimming activity for after the whole of the reception is done?
Why Buying a Used Wedding Dress is a Sustainable Choice
Used Wedding Dresses
If you don’t want to shell out a lot of money for your wedding dress, you are not alone. I saved a lot of money on my dress by buying something that was deeply discounted because it was a year off-season. If you can’t find something you like this way, then you might want to consider looking at used wedding dresses. Before you dismiss the idea, remember that many women do this when they use their mother’s or their grandmother’s wedding dress for their wedding day. I know getting a stranger’s dress is not the same thing, but the principle is the same.
The great thing about used wedding dresses is that they have in most cases only been used once. Most people wear them for their wedding day and they are then cleaned and put away, or sold. Some used wedding dresses are sometimes brand new. Sometimes weddings are cancelled, as we all know, and the bride usually wants to get rid of the dress. This happens not only to get some of her money back, but also to get rid of the memory of the day that never happened.
You can find used wedding dresses everywhere. If you look online, you can find hundreds if not thousands of them from which to choose. Don’t forget to check auction sites like eBay, and classifieds for your area. You have to consider what size you want, and perhaps what style, and this will make your search for used wedding dresses a little easier by helping you weed out what won’t fit or what you don’t like early. If you are looking for a dress for Halloween, you can find them very cheaply in your local thrift store.
One extra expense you may find that you have with used wedding dresses is cleaning. No matter what you do, you want to have the dress cleaned, even if the previous owner claims to have had it done. You will also still have to pay for alterations, but these shouldn’t be too bad. It still beats paying a thousand for a dress you can get for 200. If you are really lucky, you will find a dress that fits perfectly, but this is a rarity. Most bridal stores will do alterations for you if you make an appointment, even if you didn’t get your dress through them. Make sure you call ahead to find out though. If they can’t, they may be able to refer you to someone who can.
Creative And Unique Pre-Wedding Activities To Try
Creative And Unique Pre-Wedding Activities To Try
Pre Wedding Activities
Planning pre-wedding activities is a little something extra that's not required, but certainly fun and entertaining for the guests. If the bride and groom keep in mind the distance some guests have traveled and keep activities relevant to that level of fatigue, they're sure to hit on some winning activities.
As you go about planning activities for the wedding, keep in mind other factors as well. Do many people have children with them? Will you provide childcare or will the children be participants in the activities? If you have several guests who are older, perhaps activities can be tailored in a ay they can participate as well.
Some of the more popular pre-wedding activities include things like a group manicure. All the women in the wedding party or ho are close to the bride (and certainly this could include men if they like manicures and want to hang out with the ladies) head to a nail salon and get their nails done. This can be relaxing for many women and provide a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of the wedding weekend. The men might choose to golf or play a game of tennis while this is going on.
Many brides and grooms choose to provide structured activities for their guests prior to the wedding. If the wedding is on a Saturday night, for example, they might choose to provide a Friday activity, especially if most guests are local to the wedding. You might have a wedding luau. Many times pre-wedding activities center around bachelor and bachelorette parties, but what about a stag party that includes all the members of the brides and grooms families? You could plan some fun (and appropriate) games and head out to a restaurant for a night of fun and games. Be sure to limit the drinking and carousing as this might not sit well with some family members.
Here is a fun activity that can be done right before the wedding. Have someone begin a gift basket. The theme of the basket is "advice for the couple" and could be started by the best man or maid of honor. They take the basket to someone else's house, perhaps an aunt or cousin and leave it on the doorstep. That person adds an item (a book on how to end spousal arguments? Or a CD of romantic music?) and brings the basket to someone else's house. This activity can begin a week or two before the wedding and everyone should know it is coming around.
The basket can also be circulated the weekend of the wedding, but this ill only work if everyone is local and if they know the basket is coming. In this case, it also might be helpful to have someone bring the basket to a house, collect the item and the take the basket to the next location, reducing the need to have each person take the basket to its next location. Once it's full, someone can be in charge of putting the basket items together, wrapping it all up to make it look nice and bringing it to the bride and groom. It can be delivered right to the wedding as a gift in and of itself.
Whatever activities you choose, be sure to keep in mind the needs of your guests and the limitations of those guests. If you want to plan an activity that includes everyone, and you choose golf, but grandpa is in a wheelchair or uses a walker, that might not be the best activity to plan.
Wedding Card Etiquette: Dos and Don'ts To Keep In Mind
Wedding Cards
We all know you have to give a gift when you attend a wedding. Even if you were invited but can’t make it, you still have to give the bride and groom something to wish them well with their new life together. I know, it’s a racket all right, but this is just the way it is and has been for a very long time. Because couples are older now when they marry, and many of them have their own households, gifts are becoming harder and harder to choose. Many people opt to simply give a wedding card with a little something tucked inside.
Most choose a wedding card based on their feelings for the couple. Close friends and family tend to buy romantic or mushy cards, while those who aren’t quite as close often chose things that are more silly or comical in nature. For the most part, as long as the wedding cards you give are from the heart, the happy couple will love and cherish them.
While a lot of people like to put cash in wedding cards, others like to put gift certificates. Cash can go for anything. It can go towards a down payment on a house, to help pay for the honeymoon, or can be just because. If you want to give a gift certificate, make sure it is for something they will love. If you get certificates for gym memberships for people who aren’t into working out, you are going to offend them. Keep their lifestyle and hobbies in mind when choosing gift certificates to include with wedding cards.
If you are the bride, you probably want to save all of your wedding cards. I have done this, and I am glad I did. Even though I have only been married for five years, I have already lost someone near and dear to me since my wedding. The shower and wedding cards she got me for my special day are still in my scrapbook, and these are memories that I cannot replace. Any time I really miss her, which is quite often, I can go back and see the wedding cards and remember what she said to me at that time, and how special she was in my life. Wedding cards are more than memories of your wedding; they may be important memories of those you love and may lose sooner than you think.
The Top Wedding Rehearsal Dinner Games That Will Make Your Night Unforgettable
Wedding Rehearsal Dinner Games
Wedding rehearsal dinners are a time to relax, calm down and enjoy a quiet evening before the big event the next day. But adding some fun and games into the rehearsal dinner isn't such a bad idea. It's a great way to help everyone let off some steam, calm down and enjoy each other.
If you're planning a sit-down formal dinner, fun games and activities can still be on the menu. In fact, if a formal dinner is part of the plans, having some interesting activities on the agenda is not only a good idea, but also an excellent one. There's been a lot of planning, and a lot of stress and the wedding party and close friends and family will welcome the opportunity to have a little fun.
The success or failure of any games or activities largely depends not just on the planning but your venue. If you're having a sit-down dinner in a restaurant, try to get a private room. Then a myriad of fun activities can be planned, such as "pin the veil on the bride", in which blindfolded guests spin around a few times, then try to pin the veil on a picture of the bride. Silly, yes, but also fun.
One fun activity sure to help everyone blow off some steam is charades. Whoever is up will act out a scene from the bride or groom's life, so it might be when graduating from college, or getting a huge promotion at work. The "it" person might choose to act out when the bride tripped and fell at another person's wedding or when the groom saved a dog from getting hit by a car. This is a little twist on charades that helps people get to know the bride and groom better, and adds intimacy to what is already an intimate event.
If the wedding rehearsal dinner is a bit less formal and held in someone's home, there are many more activities that can take place. For example, how about a night of playing board games? Who needs formal food? You can have that the next day at the formal wedding. At this rehearsal dinner party, the games are center stage.
Bring in some sandwiches and tell everyone to wear their comfortable clothes and settle in for a night of board games. You can set up games on different tables, divide people into groups of 4 or 5 and have everyone rotate tables at designated times. You can even instruct game players that when they move to another table, the game stays out the way it is. So, for example, dad might begin playing Monopoly where the bride was and he's stuck with only a little money in the bank and no houses on Boardwalk.
So, let's say the bride and groom are big into sports. If the wedding is to be held in the summer and the days are long, how about a game of touch football or baseball? You can play bride's family against groom's family, men against women, or for a twist, the bride plays with the groom's family and the groom with the bride's family. Any combination works. The idea here is to have some fun, relax and enjoy each other's company.
Other outdoor activities can include anything that is physical and might help people blow off steam. Has the bride been more a "bridezilla" than anything? How about a game of tag where she's it? Or you can create two bridesmaid's dress-up trunks. Go to a thrift store, fill the trunks with old prom dresses and large-size shoes, and costume jewelry. Divide the guests into two different teams and have someone sit with a timer. The team who dresses one of the men (ideally, the groom and best man or perhaps the two dads) first wins. Be sure to have a camera at the rehearsal dinner/event, because this is one activity you'll want to have pictures of!
How To Give A Heartfelt Wedding Speech That Everyone Will Remember
How To Give A Heartfelt Wedding Speech That Everyone Will Remember
Wedding Speeches
One of the most daunting tasks for the best man might be what he has to do at the wedding reception. Tradition dictates that the best man has to give a speech, and today, more and more brides are asking their maid or matron of honor to do the same thing. The thing about these wedding speeches is that no one every really knows what to say. Some people are naturally gifted and writing and delivering a great speech, but most people suffer through it, and have no idea what they should do or say.
I have twice now seen people freeze in the middle of wedding speeches out of pure fright. Perhaps there is a lot of pressure to give the perfect speech, and everyone fears their wedding speeches may be memorable for all the wrong reasons. Some people like to use humor, but this can be very tricky. Talking about the couples first date might be funny, but Grandma won’t like it if it involves drinking and public nudity. It’s hard to think of things that may interest everyone and the speakers often feel the pressure of this before they even stand up and open their mouth.
If you have to give a speech soon, you will be glad to know that help is out there. You can find good wedding speeches online that you can customize to the bride and groom. This may help you relax a little, because at least you know at the very least it was a good speech when you started. If you are having trouble personalizing the speech, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Just make sure you pick something appropriate for everyone.
If you want to write your own wedding speeches, make sure you take some time to think it through, and run it by a few people before the big day. Try to stay away from saying anything you wouldn’t want anyone to say about you in front of all of your family and most of your close friends. You can use humor; just make sure you aren’t going to make Aunt Jane pass out. Remember to keep it simple. Great wedding speeches don’t have to be long and detailed; they simply have to come from the heart. If you write something that comes directly from your heart and your love of the couple, you really won’t have anything to worry about.