Conservations Before a Marriage: How Do We Handle Money?

While many people believe that it is important to understand how money works, very few ever receive any instruction in its use other than, “Don’t spend it.” Many people are as unfamiliar with the dynamics of money and finance as they are about the dynamics of conflict. Many of us who carry the macho gene in our chromosomes are not about to admit that we don’t understand the dynamics of handling money, and we’re willing to continue to carry this charade into the sunsets of our lives. In regard to those sunsets, the following statistics from the U.S. Department of Commerce:

For every 100 people who start their careers at age 25, the statistics by age 65 are the following:

November 4, 2011 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Wedding

Planning a Wedding: The Wedding Loop

For many families, a wedding is a time to regroup and rediscover the ties that bind. Not only is a wedding a wonderful, life changing event for the couple, it is also a time when family members, scattered about the world, can renew old friendships and make new ones. Since we’ve become a “global community,” it is more important than ever for couples to make sure those who will be sharing in their celebration stay in the “wedding loop.”

Take time with your fiancé to review your guest list. By doing so, you will get a better idea of who will be attending, where they are located and what type of guest services they require. If you have a large number of out-of-town guests, locate various hotels and inns in the general vicinity of your wedding and reception early on. Additionally, think about the modes of transportation that will be available to your guests while they are visiting. Many car rental companies can create customized vehicle packages for you and all your guests. Read the rest of this post »

November 4, 2011 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Wedding Planning

Weddings in Hawaii 101

Weddings in Hawaii are gaining considerable popularity, as more and more bridal couples want to have destination weddings. Having a Hawaiian wedding allows the couple to have a grand holiday with all their close family and friends and then stay on for a romantic honeymoon as well. Here are some tips and things to remember when planning for your wedding in Hawaii. Read the rest of this post »

October 26, 2011 · admin · No Comments
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Wedding Stress Busters

There’s no doubt, these days, that planning a wedding has the potential to become a second full-time job. Someone has to think of everything, from how much money will be spent to who can sit next to whom without arguing. Then there’s the whole food-and-entertainment potpourri to orchestrate, not to mention invitations, flowers, photographs, etc.

Yes, someone has to think about all of these things. But that someone doesn’t always have be you, the overtaxed bride-to-be. We know, part of you wants to control everything – and achieve perfection. But, ironically, the more you try to control everything, the more out-of-control you will feel. Read the rest of this post »

October 24, 2011 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Wedding

A Concise Guide to Customizing Your Wedding Ceremony

This guide has been created to help you make some initial decisions about formalizing your commitment through marriage. It will be especially useful to people who are considering having their marriage ceremony officiated by a minister of the Universal Life Church.

What does the Universal Life Church teach?

The Universal Life Church was conceived as a place where people of all faiths could come together to learn from each other. The doctrine of the Universal Life Church is simply “to do that which is right.” Every member of the church decides for themselves what is right and does not condemn others if their “right” is different. You do not need to renounce any other religious affiliation to participate in a wedding performed by a Universal Life Church minister. After participating in a wedding performed by a minister of the Universal Life Church, no further contact with the church is required. Because of the church’s inherent freedom, a minister of Universal Life may be the ideal officiant for you if you want to customize your wedding or design your own ceremony from scratch. The Universal Life Church directs its ministers to give you complete liberty in designing your wedding ceremony. Read the rest of this post »

October 3, 2011 · admin · No Comments
Tags:  · Posted in: Wedding Ceremony

Wedding Cakes Ideas

There are literally hundreds of wedding cake ideas available to today’s bride and groom. With so much choice it can be hard to pin down your ideas and make a decision.

Do you decide on tiers or just a flat cake? How many people has it to cater for? Do you want fresh flowers or spun sugar flowers? Will the time of year effect your choices? The questions are almost endless. Fortunately with so many wedding cakes available everyone can get a wedding cake to suit their requirements. Read the rest of this post »

August 4, 2011 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Wedding

Wedding Toasts Guide

Most wedding toasts are given by the best man. In many cases, the toast is the final part of his speech, and is used to indicate the end of it. Many couples are also asking special family members or the maid of honor to make a toast as well. This article focuses on wedding toasts that are appropriate for anyone to give to the couple.

As a tradition, wedding toasts are intended to be a manner in which the couple is honored. They are meant to be positive, dignified and sincere. They can be humorous, but should never embarrass the couple or any of the guests. Wedding guests generally cover a wide range of ages, and wedding toasts should be appropriate for all ages. Read the rest of this post »

July 20, 2011 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Wedding

Far Away Weddings

When my wife and I got engaged, we mulled over many possible locations for our wedding. Not one of them was in Toronto, the city we live in. My mother brazenly campaigned for us marry in my hometown of Tulsa, and Jennifer’s family secretly hoped we would have the ceremony in her hometown, Ottawa. We had other ideas entirely. Namely, the romantic notion of getting married in the tiny village of Saint Paul de Vence in the South of France, where we had spent the most romantic weekend of our courtship. Then there were the other favorites – Tuscany, Napa Valley, Big Sur, San Francisco – how could we ever decide? We knew one thing. Wherever we got married, it was going to require planning the event from afar. If you are planning a long distance wedding, read on. Read the rest of this post »

June 25, 2011 · admin · No Comments
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Medieval and Renaissance Weddings – Weddings in High Period Style

Weddings are, by their very nature, special events. Many couples feel the modern ceremony is drab and perfunctory and want to make their wedding more personal by modifying it in some way. These folk seek to make their weddings more personal by blending the ceremony with activities that are of special importance to them. It is common today to see couples choosing contemporary music or writing their own marriage vows.

Some take it a step further; while avid skydiving couples have held weddings in mid-air, scuba enthusiasts have had ceremonies underwater. A growing number of young couples have taken another path. Rather than trying to modernize the wedding ritual, they have chosen to transport the wedding ceremony back to its roots and celebrate their marriage in the same manner as their ancestors. They find that a wedding performed in the Renaissance or Medieval style provides a sense of grandeur, romanticism and pageantry they find missing in the modern world. Read the rest of this post »

June 25, 2011 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Wedding Themes

The Color of Love: Interracial Relationships

In the movie “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner,” actor Sidney Poitier gives a riveting performance as the intense African-American suitor of a lovely Caucasian woman. Her parents do not approve of their interracial relationship and are quick to make their opinions known. That was the 1960s. Now as we look towards the beginning of a new century, our global culture and awareness has grown and the face of love has many different colors. Interracial relationships are no longer defined as a black/white issue; rather the term now defines couples that have different racial or ethnic ties. Read the rest of this post »

June 25, 2011 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Wedding