Tips on Insuring Jewellery

The most easily misplaced, damaged or stolen valuable many individuals own is jewellery. The tragedy of such losses is far greater for people with either no insurance, the wrong type of insurance or insurance inadequate to cover replacement costs.

Many home owners wrongfully assume their homeowner's insurance covers their valuables. Many such policies specifically exclude jewellery and those that include jewellery coverage often exclude damage or accidental loss. Most home owner policies do not have travel clauses and are woefully lacking in the amount of coverage necessary to cover the full replacement cost.

Consider a special rider on homeowner's insurance to cover even items such an inexpensive diamond wedding ring or watch. An item which may have been inexpensive when purchased could have tripled in value so insurance for replacement costs and update the policy every year to keep current with increases in value.

Be aware that homeowners insurance may have a low total amount for jewellery coverage. In the event of thievery or accidental loss all jewellery could be stolen, damaged or lost so a policy is needed which covers replacement costs of every piece of jewellery owned by every member of a family or establishment. Even a special jewellery rider on a homeowner's insurance policy may only cover jewellery stolen from the home if there is evidence of a forced entry. It may not cover accidental loss at all.

Insuring with an agency specializing in jewellery insurance may be the safest way to recoup losses should an expensive piece of jewellery go missing or become damaged. Such insurers cover every type of loss. A jewellery insurance policy covers repair or full replacement cost of every insured piece, regardless of how when or where it was lost or stolen or how much it has increased in value.

Most jewellery insurers allow the insured to choose a reputable jeweller of their choice for repairs or replacement pieces. And, unlike homeowner's insurance policies, jewellery insurers seldom require the insured get estimates for a low bid which might result in a repair or replacement of inferior quality.

Prior to insuring, fine jewellery, cherished antique jewellery, timepieces and all items made of precious metals or set with valuable stones should be appraised by a certified jeweller. High quality jewellery can also be marked inconspicuously for identification purposes.

In addition to an appraisal, which may include a photograph, the jewellery owner should have all insured pieces photographed, both individually and as a group. This type of photography can be done by an amateur photographer equipped with a digital camera with a zoom lens and good lighting. Such photographs and the professional jeweller's appraisals should be securely stored in separate vaults or storage areas.

Getting appraisals, photographing every piece of jewellery and obtaining insurance for jewellery and valuables are not only wise financial decisions; they contribute to the jewellery owner's peace of mind.

Starting a Wedding Photography Business - Photography and Office Equipment

Photography Equipment and Your Home Office

Setting up a wedding photography business entails you have the appropriate gear to get the job done, on location and at home. But it doesn't mean you have to go into debt to get it done. I've seen photographers buy brand new top of the line gear spending over 10 grand only to find that they weren't able to make the business work. I started with 2 Rebel EOS cameras and some moderately priced lenses. In fact you might already have these or better. I'll go over briefly some items you'll need just to get started. I'm not going to cover top of the line items, just the minimums. You can upgrade as you go along. In my business I've moved on to Canon 5d's, Canon L series lenses and the whole shebang, but it didn't happen overnight. While the gear may be similar to other types of photography one major difference is the amount of backup items a wedding photographer has to have.

Backups

The most important lesson that I can't stress enough is to have backups of everything; back up cameras, back up lenses, back up computers, back up images, back up memory cards, back up everything. Because while you may never need any of them, the one time you don't have a backup camera, your shutter will lock up and you will have just cost a bride and groom their images. Even with photographer's insurance at this point you'd be hard pressed to justify the failure to the insurance company, not to mention the bride and groom. I've had memory cards fail, hard drives dropped, cameras lock up, images deleted, and computers crash. Luckily I heeded the advice of wedding photographers before me and had backups in place. So in closing, backup, backup, backup!

Photography Equipment

If I was posting in a forum I'd get flamed for telling you this next bit. When starting off don't go out and buy the top end camera gear. There are three different categories camera gear falls into. Consumer (average joe), pro-sumer (avid hobbyists) and pro (for people who do this for a living). The problem is when you start off in wedding photography you're not doing this for a living yet. You're trying to do this for a living. So live within your means and purchase gear that will work for your price range.

I started with Rebel EOS XT cameras and while I wouldn't want to go back to using them I see nothing wrong with them. Cut your teeth learning on a Rebel EOS and you'll be that much better when you can afford a 5D. When it comes to lenses there are lots of options, but if you're on a budget most Canon lenses won't be on your plate and that's ok. There are other lens makers out there that put out quality products. I'm also only listing a workhorse lens and 1 fixed lens. I'm not going to go into the telephoto lenses because in my opinion they aren't a requirement. I didn't get one for a year until I could afford the Canon 70-200 IS L series lens. I'm also only listing Canon gear but if you're a Nikon fan the go for it. Here is a listing of some essential items, remember double what you see here and backup, backup, backup.

• EOS Rebel XTI or XS without the Kit, the lens in the kit isn't worth the money


• Sigma 24-70mm F 2.8 EX Dg lens, less than half the cost of its Canon counterpart and to be honest I still use it as my workhorse lens. I'd be hard pressed to pay over double for the slight gain in quality that you'd get for the Canon 24-70 L series lens. There is also the Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di LD lens which is close in quality to the Sigma and a bit cheaper. I used it for awhile and now it is my backup lens.


• Canon EF 50mm f/1.8, very inexpensive and great for low lighting. But it is fixed so if you haven't shot with one before remember, there is no zoom, your feet are the zoom.


• 4 GB memory cards, as many as you can afford. Regardless of what some might tell you the brand doesn't matter. I've had the most expensive ones fail and some of the cheapest ones are still going strong, backup often and change your cards often. Don't buy larger than 4 gigs or you'll be tempted to put a lot of the wedding on one card, BAD IDEA.


• Canon 430ex II flash. You could go with a cheaper flash, but to be honest I wouldn't. Lighting at receptions requires at least the power of a 430ex II flash. Your backup can be a Sigma or something similar. Later on upgrade to the 580's.


• Tripod and Monopod. You may not like shooting with these but in low light conditions they can help to limit camera shake and help to sharpen your pictures.


• Camera Bags.


• Backup batteries for you camera and flash (as many as you can afford)

Office Equipment

Your office will need just as many redundant (backup) items as your photography gear. I'm not going to go into specifics about processors and such, because they change too often. Needless to say you'll need a computer that can handle Photoshop or whatever graphics program you are using. I'd say you need a second computer in case yours crashes but if you can't afford that you'll at least need to be able to gain access to another PC if yours dies. You'll need a large amount of hard drive space within the PC/Mac and at a minimum one external hard drive with a large amount of space. If you can't afford an external hard drive then you'll need to back everything up to DVD's.

After every wedding you should backup all your images onto the computer's hard drive and a second external hard drive or DVD set. Then whatever you do don't leave your external drive or DVD's in the same location. I keep mine at a close friend's house. If your house burns down your customers will only care if they get their images or not. There are lots of other things for your office that you can buy for your wedding photography business but this should cover the essentials.

Wedding Invitations and Ideas For Your June Wedding

June is one of the most popular months in which to get married. That being said, you'll want to make your wedding day stand out from all the other June brides. Draw on the colors and accents of the late spring and early summer season for your inspiration. June is full of blooming flowers and colors and surprises to make your day shine.

Your wedding invitations

Spring pastel colors are out for June. Pick bright colors. Even neon - yes, neon - accents can look great with a rich brown for a hip and seasonal look. Bright blue, pink and green can make a great June wedding invitations. June patterns can be as varied as the colors, too. Pick rich and romantic damask for a dreamy wedding invitation or a cheerful dot or stripe pattern for a whimsical accent.

June is also Dad's month. Don't steal the spotlight from Dad as you and your family celebrate Father's Day. Father's day is usually the third Sunday in June. Be sure to make your plans accordingly to give Dad his day.

The month of June

Since June is so popular for weddings and Dad's day making one weekend a bad choice for weddings you'll need to make sure you do your planning in advance. Book your location and vendors in plenty of time - some may even book years in advance. You should also make sure you get your wedding save the date and wedding invitations in the mail in plenty of time. You don't want to miss out on being the first to get on your guests' calendars.

Décor

Most flowers can be 'seasonal flowers' for your June wedding. Some popular choices include Orchids, Roses and even Sunflowers. The key for June is color. Make a bold statement with bright colors and flowers. Another great look for a June wedding is an 'all white' theme. This is such crisp and clean look. Adding just a touch of color with al all-white wedding can really make a grand statement.

Reception menu

June is a great season for many fresh foods. Keep your foods light and tasty and you'll keep your guests satisfied and delighted. Think fresh vegetables, fish and poultry. And don't rule out chilled items as this can be a perfect complement to a June menu. Ask your caterer for the freshest menu suggestions for your wedding. For the bar, make sure you offer plenty of non-alcoholic treats. Sparkling water, punches and juices can be perfect refreshment on a hot June afternoon.

Weather

June will afford you great weather, but you should be mindful of the hot afternoon sun. If your ceremony or reception are outside, you should plan on providing some umbrellas or tenting as an escape from the sun. Ideally, there should be some indoor space for anyone who needs to come in from the elements. Make a note with your wedding invitation about the location of your ceremony so guests will know how to dress.

It's no wonder June is such a popular month for weddings. The colors are beautiful, the weather can be perfect and there are so many seasonal flowers and foods to choose from.

Add your own personal touches to make your June wedding stand out. Just make sure you don't step on Dad's toes on Father's Day and you'll be all set.

Add Unique Silhouettes to Your Wedding Invitations Through Creatively Cut Cardstock

Aside from being one of the most important events of your life, your wedding will also be one of the most awaited celebrations for your family and friends. For this reason, it's essential that you're able to impress them even before the big day by sending out creatively done invitations. Using cardstock with unique silhouettes is one way of doing this.

To create such wonderful invitations, you can purchase creatively pre-cut stationery, look for plain cardstock that can be professionally die cut or laser cut, or create your own creative invites using custom wedding invite kits and DIY ideas.

Creatively Cut Cardstock
Many online stationers offer creatively cut cardstock. The bloom cardstock style with four "flower petals" that fold open to reveal the actual invitation is one of the most common designs.

For this cardstock, you can apply different design techniques such as the tone on tone or the ombr矇 effect to make them more interesting. You can also choose one color in different tones for each section or part of the invite. For instance, you can choose dark blue for the envelopes, royal blue for the blooms, and light blue for the invites.

Printing Methods
If you'd like to achieve a more interesting silhouette for your wedding invites, purchase sturdy cardstock and have them die-cut or laser cut. You can create your own design and add a personal touch to achieve a unique silhouette and deviate from the usual rectangular-shaped invites.

By using die-cutting or laser cutting techniques, you can create invites with uncommon geometric outlines such as rounded or zigzagged edges. You can also choose to have unique shapes such as a wedding dress or a tuxedo, a Victorian fan, an old scroll, a heart, and other designs related to your wedding theme.

If you're looking for something more unique and intricately made, you can take inspiration from lace and create intricate cardstock for more romantic-looking invites. On the other hand, if you want to go for a more subtle take on these printing methods, you can use a symbol such as a single flower or a small heart, and use it as a recurring accent in all your wedding stationery.

DIY Ideas
If you are feeling crafty, you can learn different paper-folding techniques and apply them to your invitations. One of the simplest ways to do this is to transform your cardstock into pleats similar to those seen on skirts and dresses. On the other hand, you can also get inspiration from origami techniques and fold cardstock into flowers, wedding dresses, tuxedos, windmills, and other unique designs to add a whimsical touch to your invites.

Through creatively cut cardstock and different design techniques, you can turn your budget wedding invitations into unique and treasured keepsakes that will wow your guests in anticipation for your big day.

Digital Dj'ing - Using a Laptop or PC as part of your Mobile Disco

Many Mobile Discos have made the change from a conventional CD or Vinyl based system to a software based one, usually running on either a full sized pc or a laptop. The fundamentals of both systems are largely the same, and so you shouldn't simply be taken in by reading other DJs horror stories about how their laptop overheated during the first dance at a Wedding or how their full sized PCs power supply exploded halfway through a gig. There are pros and cons of using both systems, but largely whether to use a full size pc or a laptop comes down to personal choice, practicality, budget and space, and you'll often find that DJ's criticising the opposite machine, have never actually used the system that they are criticising!. If possible visit a DJ who already uses a system to that which you intend to use yourself, nothing can sell an idea better than actually seeing it in use!, for the record, I have watched Mobile DJ's use both PC's and Laptops to DJ from, and neither, in my opinion, was more reliable or better than the other, so it should only be personal choice, rather than rumour or scaremongering which makes the decision on that score!.

Is running a Mobile Disco from a PC or Laptop reliable?

Anybody who has ever encountered the windows blue screen of death, or worn out the Ctrl+alt+del keys on their keyboard will possibly dread the thought of using such a system as a platform to their DJ'ing!. In essence, a decent dedicated pc or laptop with a clean install, good quality hard drive and a reasonable amount of memory will out preform most typical home pc set ups which may be running several applications at a time, be infiltrated with virus or spyware traces, and have a hard drive and registry full of corrupt enteries and partly uninstalled files.

The key to running a successful software based DJ system, is to buy a dedicated pc / laptop for the task, and to only run the operating system and DJ Software on there, and never allow it to run other applications or even connect to the internet. This way the installation runs and remains clean and largely error free, will rarely have a corrupt file, and won't get infiltrated or bogged down with several other applications. This advice is given by DJ's who have been using software and PC's for many years, and have found this method of DJ'ing to be just as reliable as conventional DJ'ing from CD's.

The advantages of using a Laptop or Pc to DJ

The advantages of converting your material to music files and using a Pc or Laptop to DJ from are many. The first is the most obvious, gone are the days where you are carrying several heavy boxes of CD's around with you, most DJ's CD collections can easily be converted to MP3 and will fit onto a 80gb - 200gb hard drive!. By converting to Software Dj'ing you also rid yourself of that long search through several hundred CD compilations in order to find that elusive requested track that you just know that you have got somewhere!. With most DJ Software, you can type in part or all of the artistes name or song title and find it within seconds!. It really is possible to find and cue up a request within 5 seconds - something which just can't be done easily or quickly with a CD or vinyl collection.

Other advantages of a software based DJ system, include the possibility to create playlists from frequently used tracks, and you could create playlists from all genres, for example a playlist for background music, one for dance music, one for the 70s and one for the end of the night slowies. Of course you can also group the tracks together and catalog them according to Genre which also makes finding tracks from particular era's easier too. Some DJ Software will also allow you to group tracks together which have a similar BPM - a boon for DJ's who mix.

Which DJ Software should I choose?

There are many different brands and types of DJ Software about, again it comes down to personal preference which type you choose. It is always a very good idea to check out reviews and discussions on DJ Forums and if possible to find a DJ who uses a system based on the software which is of interest to you, so you can actually see it in action, in a disco environment.

Some DJ Software comes with a free trial, which enables you to download and install the software on your system and try it for for free for a time limited period (usually 10 - 30 days). Depending on the cost of the software, there can be differing features. Some Dj Software will simply allow you to cue up and play music using 2 "players", others will have more comprehensive features, such as being able to fade between tracks, alter the pitch and tempo controls in a similar manner to conventional CD and Vinyl turntables, some of the more expensive software will even allow you to mix, or add a USB controller which looks and functions like a twin cd controller!, some Software will even mix the tracks for you!.

Remember that a feature is only worthwhile if you have a use for it!. Carefully consider what features you need, and which will be the ones that you will have any use for. It would be pointless buying a Dj Software package which allows you to mix, if you are a mobile dj who rarely has the requirement to beat mix. Most Software in its basic form, also comes with the option to add and install plug ins which give you additional updates and features, so its worth starting with the basic packages and then adding new features if and when you require them!.

My advice at this stage, if you are new to, or considering Software Dj'ing is to download the free trials of the various software which is available, try them for the time limited period, and then buy the one which suits you, and which is the most comfortable to use.

Some dj software titles which are currently popular and well reviewed by Mobile DJ's include OTSDJ, DSSDJ and PCDJ

What type of PC do I need to run my DJ Software package

When you have decided on a software package, it is then time to consider what pc or laptop to use it on. Contrary to rumour, you don't need the latest brand new pc or laptop to successfully run DJ Software from, and neither do you need a huge CPU processor. Most DJ Software will happily run on a pentium 3 processor with 600mhz speed or higher, many of the newer 1.2ghz+ celerons will also flawlessly run DJ software with no problems and without breaking into a sweat. Try and buy as much memory as you can afford, ideally 512mb of memory or a minimum of 256mb for most applications.

How big should I be :o)

A decent sized hard drive is the next consideration. Remember the bigger the hard drive the more individual tracks that you can fit on there. An average music file ripped at 192kbps is around 5mb in size and so a 100gb hard drive should fit around 20,000 tracks on there. However if you increase the quality of the track in MP3 format, then the file size rises also, so a 320kpbs mp3 could be as large as 11mb in size and so the same 100gb capacity would be reduced to holding only around 9000 tracks. Don't forget to factor in space for your operating software, drivers and DJ software when working out hard drive capacity!. You can of course expand your hard drive capacity by fitting external hard drives to USB ports, and these are also reliable. If possible try and use a system which runs USB2.0 or even firewire since these run at faster data speeds than conventional USB1.1 although many Dj's report no issues with hard drives and soundcards run from older 1.1 systems.

Give me Sound!

Using a good quality soundcard is a must!, many laptops and motherboard based sound chips on full sized pc's rarely do justice to sound quality or are designed with full time high quality audio playback in mind. Consider installing a pci sound card in your pc, or investing in a good quality USB external soundcard if you opt to use a laptop. Most 2 channel soundcards will suffice for DJ'ing in most mobile applications, where the audio is mixed between the players on the laptop and the single output is then fed through a pair of "L" and "R" connectors on the soundcard, and then into the mixer or amplifier.

However, if more creativity is required, or the software is to be used for mixing applications or the use of a crossfader between channels on a conventional mixer is likely to be utilised, then you need to buy a 5 channel soundcard. This allows the soundcard to be set up, in a manner which allows one pair of "L" and "R" outputs to be used for "Player 1" on the soundcard and fed into an individual channel on the mixer, and the same for "Player 2" - this allows each software player to have its own fader on the mixer - just like a conventional twin cd player.

What Quality?

Some Dj Software packages come complete with the means to "Rip" a cd. "Ripping" means placing the original Cd into the PC's CDROM and the process of converting the original music on the CD to MP3 Data, which is then stored on the hard drive as an MP3 File. In the case of OTSDJ, the option is also there to convert to a file called OTS, this is a custom files regonised only by the OTSDJ software, however it sounds just as good as MP3 and is also a slightly smaller file size, meaning that more OTS files can be stored on a hard drive when compared to conventional MP3 files.

If you use a DJ software package which does use conventional MP3 files, then you will need to select the quality at which to "rip". This figure is measured in "Kbps" and often ranges from 32kbps and 320kbps. Lower ranges are not recommended for professional use over a PA system since they can sound dull and even distorted. Ideally for professional use, the DJ should be looking at ripping their CD's to Mp3 files at 192kbps or greater.

192kbps is considered reasonable quality, however 320kbps is near cd quality and may be preferred by some Dj's - however on smaller audio systems the difference may be hard to detect. As the quality is increased, so does the file size, and a 320kbps file may be several mb larger than its 192kbps counterpart, it may also take longer to rip an entire CD at 320kbps than at lower rates.

For Dj Software which doesn't have ripping capability, Musicmatch Jukebox may prove to be an alternative for this process,

Are there any disadvantages to being a Digital DJ?

Now the disadvantages!. Obviously the initial cost of buying a PC / Laptop, a good quality soundcard, large hard drive and the Dj Software itself is likely to total far more than buying a conventional CD Player or turntables. It also takes time to "rip" your cd collection to Mp3 and store them on your hard drive. In some jurisdictions it is also illegal to convert original material to MP3 format for digital use without a licence, and this can prove to be expensive, if the Dj is to work on the right side of the law. It is the possible licence requirement that we discuss next.

Do I need a licence to play music from a laptop?

At the time of writing this article, an annual licence is required in Canada and the UK in order to use a PC or laptop to DJ from. In the UK, a further licence and possible royalty payment is also required for the conversion process. Although no fees have yet been advertised (April 2006) these controversial laws are likely to make this form of DJ'ing unattractive when compared to more conventional, and "licence free" alternatives.

Finally, my tips for Software Djing

* Always buy and use a dedicated pc / laptop purely for Dj use, do not be tempted to use the family pc or run other applications on the machine you use to DJ from, and do not allow this machine to connect to the internet. On a pre-used machine, also start from scratch with a format and fresh install of the operating system.

* Use a good quality soundcard, even if you need to upgrade or buy an external USB one

* Always rip the music direct from an original CD at 192kbps quality or higher. 320kbps is advised for higher quality pa systems and is near cd quality. 192kbps is okay for smaller systems used by the Mobile DJ.

* Don't be too concerned about buying the latest top of the range PC to run from. Most Dj Software will happily run from basic P3 600mhz machines, but do check out the minimum requirements on the software authors website.

* Read reviews on the various software packages available. Stick to the features that you will use, since you can always upgrade extras later. Take advantage of the free trials of DJ Software which are available and use the time to find the best software to suit you

* If you choose a full sized PC make sure that it is professionally flightcased - pc's are not designed to be carried around.

* Select a high capacity 100gb - 200gb hard drive from a reputable manufacturer. Where practical and legal always back up your data

* Fit your machine with at least 256mb of memory, and ideally 512mb.

* Check out the legal aspect of converting original music to MP3 and whether a licence is required to operate such a system.

At Home Wedding Businesses - Steps to Starting a Wedding Invitation Business

The wedding invitation business is huge. But how do you start a wedding invitation business?

Here are some steps to take:

• If you don't know about wedding invitations it is a good time to learn as much as you can before you decide if this is the home business that you want to start. There are a lot of invitation sites. Check them out. Look at wedding sites.


• Learn the wedding invitation etiquette. Most brides will ask how to word their invitation. You need to become familiar with this. There are guidelines to follow if the parents are divorces and other situations, knowing the proper wording for wedding invitations can make your future bride more comfortable in using your services.


• Decide what type of invites you will provide. Chances are you can not be all things to everyone. Will you make computer generated invites and do layered invites. How many types will you offer. Get your supplies to start. You can add later but have some to practice with. Get a good relationship started with your local print shop. They may save scrap for you that will save a lot of money. See if they have odd envelopes they will sell you. They don't do much with 75 envelopes in pink but you may have a bride that would love that. You never know.


• Check to see what type of business license you need. You won't be taken serious if you don't have a license. If you call your Chamber of Commerce they can tell you where to get this. The Chamber will be a good contact also. If the fee to join is in your budget it may be a good idea. You can usually get some advertising from them in the process.


• Once you have a business license you will want to get established. Make some nice business cards and start distributing them. If your town has a wedding fair or expo try to get involved in that. A good place to promote might be the local florist. If they will allow put your cards in their shop. Maybe you can offer a commission if they send an order your way. If a restaurant has a place to put cards by all means this is a good place too.


• Determine what your costs are for so many invitations and set your prices so that you will make a good profit. You don't want to sell yourself short here. Setting your prices can be difficult. You should have a good idea what your area can bare. If you have a card shop or something that offers invitations see what the cost is there. You must know what your costs are before knowing what you will charge. Dont forget to add your time to calculate the cost.


• Set up or get someone to set up a website. Make it SEO or search engine friendly. This will increase the traffic to your site. Make sure if you have someone set it up they are familiar with this. If you just want local traffic this might be easier to target for.


• Put together a nice portfolio. If you have samples to look at future brides can determine what they want. Make sure these look good. You should have at least 5 samples. With each invitation include an RSVP the envelope and the reception card. Decide if you will include a map card. With so many GPS's the need for these has decreased but some may want them. Put them all together so each set is a matching page of invitations.


• If you can offer envelope addressing. This is something that brides will love. I make my envelope addressing match the invitation itself. Placing a piece of wedding clip art on the envelope will dress it up. Put these sample in your portfolio also.

I hope this gives you some idea of starting a wedding invitation business at home. It can be fun and profitable.

Catering Trucks

When people hear the word "catering," the first thing that comes to their mind is an individual or a company that provides the food for different occasions such as wedding receptions and parties. However, catering covers a wide range of people who are in the food business, including those that sell food in parks and other public places via a "catering" truck.

Types of catering trucks

There are two types of catering trucks; one of these types is the Mobile Food Preparation Vehicle (MFPV), where food can be prepared as customers order. Usually, these catering trucks offer various types of sandwiches and other food that can easily be prepared. These trucks are usually driven by a driver and are staffed with a cook.

The other type is the Industrial Catering Vehicle (ICV), which are trucks that sell only pre-packaged food. Usually, these trucks are only staffed with a driver given that it is a self-service vehicle. However, some operators of these trucks also provide another person, who can help customers.

Cost and insurance

The usual price of these kinds of trucks range from $50,000 to $100,000 depending on the equipment that are installed on the vehicle. Given the high costs of these trucks, operators and owners of these trucks need to protect their investment through insurance, which are now available from a number of insurance companies.

Permits

Apart from getting insurance, the owners of these trucks also need to meet a number of requirements from different government agencies so that they could operate the truck. One of these government agencies includes the Health Department, who would inspect the truck annually for licensing purposes. This is because these trucks must be able to pass certain health standards so that would be allowed to sell food to the public. Lastly, operators also need to get approval from the Department of Building and Safety, as it is the approving agency for the selling of goods on public streets and sidewalks.

The term caterer is not only limited to individuals who provide food for parties, as the term also covers people and companies who sell and serve food in various places. One of these are the catering trucks that we buy our sandwiches and some of our packaged food. For these caterers, the most important equipment that they have are their trucks, which are government sanctioned mini-restaurants" wherein they can sell their food.

Modern Wedding Invitations - Consider Using the Pocket Fold

When brides are looking for modern wedding invitations, many are considering using the pocket fold style. This style of wedding stationery is sleek, impressive and stylish. There are many different things you can do to ensure that you have modern invitations, from using photos, vivid colors, unique fonts and designs, but the pocket fold may very well be the most modern of the wedding invitations available on the market today.

Even though this type of stationery is beautiful and wonderful in many ways, the price tag is also higher than standard stationery. Just like any other product you buy for your wedding the pricing is varied from store to store across the internet and in local shops. Even with differing prices the majority you will see is in the range of $3 - 5 per invitation. That can quickly add up, especially if you have a large wedding in mind. Of course for some the price is worth it.

If you spend some time looking online you may be able to find cheaper styles available or you could choose to design your own or purchases a DIY kit for your pocket fold wedding invitations. The choice is up to you.

Outside of the price there is really no other deterent for choosing this type of stationery for your big day. This style is not only beautiful but it is practical. Let me explain. The most common invitation used in weddings is the flat invitation. There is certainly nothing wrong with this style, it can also be beautiful and modern as you so desire. The difference comes in the presentation.

When you send out a typical flat invitation the only thing printed on the invitation itself is the wedding details. You still have to add inserts for various things including when and where the reception is, food choices for the reception, RSVP cards, direction cards, Registry Info and more. These inserts have to either go in front or behind the invitation. This means that you do not have the crispest, most streamlined presentation you can have. Using The Pocket Fold Invitations changes everything.

This type of invitation shows beauty and elegance on the outside and the guests unwrap it to reveal the wedding information. Depending upon the style of the stationery itself you can either just have the typical info printed on it or you can also use some of the space on the inside to print other information. Anything you choose not to print on the invitation, all the inserts you have left, go neatly in the pockets on the inside. This creates one stunning masterpiece of wedding stationery, one which you can be proud of. It will certainly be a keepsake you will cherish along with the rest of your wedding mementos.

How to Take Great Portraits

So lets start with window light. Place your subject close to the window to get the most diffused light, You will need to have a net curtain on your window. Or you can use a translucent shower curtain. You will see the light is beautifully diffused & soft on your subject. This is one of my favourite ways to quickly and very easily light up my subject and take the images. You will be pleasantly surprised at the results you achieve using light from a window.

When shooting outdoors in harsh sunlight or the midday sun, never have your subject facing the sun, you must shoot into the sun with either a fill-in flash or use a reflector to throw light back onto your subject. You can also use a diffuser between the sun and your subject. This creates a very soft diffused light and ideal when shooting in the midday sun. This also eliminates the harsh shadows under the eyes and the subject does not need to squint into the sun.

When using your flash, the best way to get the most creative results is to get the flash away from the camera. So instead of placing the flash on the hot-shoe, place it on a light stand and use an umbrella. Now most new cameras like Nikon have the capability to trigger the flash gun remotely. This gives us our directional lighting we are looking for. You will be amazed at the results you get. The flash can be triggered by the built-in pop up flash or by a dedicated trigger which Nikon makes.

Top Tips When Looking For a Wedding Suit

This article will find out what to look for when you are in the process of buying a wedding suit. It is very important to get every detail as near to right as possible as your Wedding Suit will be one of the main components to make your day one to remember.

Firstly it's a good idea to work out what your suit will become after the event. By this I mean is it something you plan to use again and again or is it going to be a one off which you then keep as a memento. Maybe you are looking to hire a suit for this single occasion. This will all help in making the final decision and the task will become a whole lot easier.

Next I would recommend some window shopping. This is the best way to see what is currently out there on the market and you will come across a whole range of wedding suits. You will then be able to home in and pick a style that you like. Whilst doing so have a look at the price tags on each suit so you get an idea of the cost. This means when you actually come to purchase your own suit you will have a good idea of the amount you should expect to pay and can judge if the suit is over priced.

The material and its quality are the next area to look at. By now you should know what the suits long term needs are. If you have decided to buy a suit which will be your Wedding Suit, then something you can use time again, then you will probably want a suit with a high quality material. Some thing that will maintain its glamor and style in years to come without looking old. This of course will be reflected in the price and some see it more as an investment. If you suit is a one time outfit that will never be worn again then you might be willing to go for a lesser quality material which will reduce costs. Be aware that this may also decrease the comfort factor at the same time. The benefits are that the suit will look good on the day with out the biggest price tag in the shop.

Now think about colour and theme. Every couples wedding generally has its own colour scheme or theme. You will obviously need to match this so taking along sample colours if possible is not a bad idea, to see if you Wedding Suit matches. If you are going for a suit to use time again then you will be best to find a relatively neutral colour which can then be matched to the wedding colour scheme with the colour of your waist coat. This enables you to use to suit for more formal occasions after the event. On a one time used suit you can be a bit more daring with colour and pattern.

It's generally never a good idea to buy the jacket of one suit with the trousers of another so if you have found a suit that is not 100 percent perfect don't worry. The cloth can be altered in most cases and meet your requirements. The main things are style, colour and sizing as best as possible. Taking the trousers up and altering the jacket are a lot easier than changing the over all style.

Now you should be ready to start trying on a few suits. A good idea is to take some one with you, probably your best man. Try on more rather than less and try on suits that you think will look terrible. Some times you will be pleasantly surprised with their look and feel. Get the best mans opinion and start to narrow down the choices. Look at price, style, colour, pattern and then size. Hopefully you are starting to get somewhere near to your goals.

When you think you have made a decision place the suit back on the peg and walk out the shop. This is the best thing to do. You should tell the shop keeper that you will be back to buy this suit later and ask him to put it by so it doesn't get sold in the meantime. The reason for doing this is because 80% of the time people will buy a suit then see something else more to their liking. So carry on shopping, check out department stores and individual retailers to see if they have the same suit or similar outfits that might be to your taste. Try them on, then compare with the original one you have chosen. If at the end of the day you are still set on buying the first one then this is probably the correct choice for you and you will be safe in the knowledge that you have bought the best Wedding Suit in your budget and to the style, taste and colour you require.

Wedding Insurance Is Your Rational Investment

Investment is the part of your income that you spend in order to generate more income or profit. A profit is a form of income, which can also be earned in the shape of peace of mind and soul. One of many reasons behind making the investment is to get some kind of a security in a monetary term against future mishaps and catastrophes. This is so because no one wants to fulfill his requirements by begging.

The concept of wedding insurance is basically derived from the act of investment. Wedding insurance policy is a kind of investment by which you get an accumulated amount of money to finance your needs along with the profit of the protection of mind.

It is your investment because it returns your money back with a profit in the shape of the serenity of your mind. You start planning your wedding day since your first date. All this planning is worthless if you do not insure your wedding day because uninsured wedding is vulnerable to all kinds of disasters.

Wedding is a big and a beautiful day of your life on which you have to make many intended and accidental expenditures. Though you make a rough estimation of expenditures of the wedding day but most of the time it proved a huge failure. This financial breakdown in the beginning of your marital life can further generate many big and petty issues.

The commencement of any relation defines its cohesion in the future, and you could not expect harmony if you begin your nuptial life with the burden of debt. A debt can accumulate if you do not make prior planning of your wedding day. Think for a while what you will do if you fall short of money right on your wedding occasion. Of course you will borrow from your friends or relatives.

A debt is one of the biggest hitches of all problems that arise when the wedding day passed. This is so because the amount of your daily expenditure has been increased after marriage due to costly gifts and travel. The tension in your relationship starts when you start paying off debt right after wedding by ignoring the wishes of your partner.

So it has proven that one wrong step can ruin your wedding day. On the contrary, a single right decision can give you unlimited advantages. To cut a long story short, it is entirely in your hands whether you want to spoil your relationship in paying back debt or enjoy fully enriched life by getting the best wedding insurance policy.

Bar Mitzvah Invitations - Get Your Guests' Attention

Whether you are looking for a bold statement or an elegant invitation, you will find thousands of different Bar Mitzvah invitations and ideas online. Making a statement with your invites has never been easier than it is with the wide selection that you can find on the internet today. This is a big deal and it deserves more than a standard birthday invitation or boring cheap invite. You need to wow your guests and show how important this event really is by getting the best invitations that you can find. It's easy, affordable, and hassle-free to shop for invitations online.

Making a statement is a lot of fun with Bar Mitzvah invitations. You can choose from many different styles, themes, and designs to get the best impression, no matter what you are going for. There are sophisticated, elegant styles, fun and funky styles, classic religious invitations, and so much more to choose from. Whether you want to be proper and high-class or just want to shout it from the rooftops with loud, fun invitations, you can find exactly what you need. Either way, your guests will be sure to get the message and see just how important this event really is.

Bar Mitzvah invitations set the stage for your event. Whether that is a fun party, a family gathering, or even a formal religious ceremony, you need to make sure that your invitations reflect both the occasion and the child that is celebrating. You should take the time to check out all the options that you have online because it will be easy to find what you need if you take the time to look. When a boy becomes a man, the last thing on his mind is the invitation. However, as the party planner it will be up to you to care about the little details so that everything is perfect.

Someday, he'll look back and appreciate the effort that you put into his Bar Mitzvah invitations. For now, you might be the only one who appreciates the affordable prices and selection of customizable invites that you can find online, but that's okay. You will be able to get the attention of your guests with ease when you find the perfect invitation to let them know that this is a big deal. Just take the time to look and see what is out there so that you can get the perfect invitations for your big celebration.

Setting a Timeline - Critical Dates For Ordering and Mailing Your Wedding Invitations

Couples planning a wedding often become so preoccupied with the bridal entourage, the reception, wedding outfits, music, pastor and honeymoon details until they realise, often too late, that the wedding invitations should be given as much attention as the other decisions. It is not just a question of going to the stationery store and signing a purchase order. A myriad of details go into wedding invitations, so you should allot the necessary time and effort for them to avoid snags and undue stress.

To assist you with your wedding invitations, let these scheduling tips and checklists guide you. The following is a wedding invitation plan that is split into four important stages:

o Deciding the preliminaries
o Ordering
o Preparing
o Mailing

This is only a guide and is based on the assumption that you have six months before your wedding date. There is a considerable degree of flexibility, and a lot depends on your circumstances, and how much time you have before the big day. You and your future spouse, along with family members, may want to help out, relieving you of the pressure of doing this task on your own.

Deciding the Preliminaries

Time frame: Six months before the wedding

1. The first question to settle is: should you order save-the-date cards? Save-the-date cards are useful for weddings that are scheduled during holiday periods when people usually make travel plans. If your wedding falls around Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year, Easter, or during the summer months, you may want to consider sending save-the-date cards six months before the wedding so that you give people enough time to adjust their travel and vacation plans.

2. After you have announced your engagement, sit down with your future spouse, his parents, and your parents, to create a tentative list of people to invite. This tentative list gives you a good idea of how many wedding invitations to order.

3. Create a document that is going to contain these details: date and time of the ceremony, name and address of ceremony's location, name and address of the reception hall, correct spellings of invitees' names and updated addresses. It would be a shame and a waste of money if fifty invitations were "returned to sender" because of an incorrect address. You or a family member should call each invitee to verify civic numbers, street names and zip codes.
Time Frame: Five months before the wedding

1. Review lists and the details in the document, and make any changes if necessary.
2. Finalize invitee list.
3. Divide the invitee list into out-of-town guests and local guests. You may need to send out invitations earlier to out-of-town guests.

Ordering the Wedding Invitations

Time Frame: Four months before the wedding

1. Decide on these details: response cards, wording, map and directions sheet, monograms, motifs, ribbons, font, ink color, seals and envelope liners.
2. Ask three different suppliers for quotes. Then compare them with respect to discount, customer service, delivery, guarantees, efficiency and payment options.
3. Decide if the supplier you have chosen will also do the thank you cards, place cards, menus, personalised napkins, and rehearsal dinner invitations.
4. Ask the supplier for a sample invitation so you can proofread it, making sure that all specifications were followed correctly and then finalize your order. Order 50 extra invitations in case of mistakes and last minute additions to the guest list. You may want to keep a few as souvenirs as well.
5. Take a sample of your wedding invitation to the post office and have it weighed. You may need to set aside a budget for postage. Remember that the fancier and heavier your invitation, the more postage money you are going to spend.

Preparing the Wedding Invitations

Time frame: Three months before the wedding

1. Assemble all invitations and your supplier should deliver them flat and unassembled. unless you request them to put the invitations together for an additional fee). Do not forget to insert the map and directions sheet.
2. Address them. Begin with the out-of-town guests. You can choose a calligraphy artist or you can address them in your own handwriting.
3. Do a final check. Make sure all envelopes contain the RSVP card, map and directions, seals, ribbons and other enclosures.

Mailing the Invitations

Time frame: Two months before the wedding

Some people say four to six weeks is ample time, but you should leave at least eight weeks. This allows you to give those who live out-of-town the opportunity to make changes in their personal schedules. This also give you time to sort out the RSVP cards which, unfortunately, some people forget or delay mailing back. You need to tell the caterer how many people are going to be attending. Eight weeks should be a comfortable time frame for ensuring that you have the final and correct number of guests. Some people mail their invitations even as early as 10 weeks before the wedding date.

How To Decorate Your Wedding Gift Table, Bar and Buffet Table

If you are wondering how to decorate your gift table, bar and buffet table, this article will help you get started in planning so that all the important areas at your wedding reception are carefully laid out.

Gift Table Accents

For your gift table, usually, it is located close to the entrance. Many people have an extra table close to the guest registry table or as a continuation of it for the presents to be displayed on. A card holder on this table is a widespread tradition that can take many forms. From birdcages to mailboxes to treasure chests to wells to heart boxes to hot air balloons, many options exist as an area for your guests to deposit their cards to you.

Just make sure that you have someone trustworthy to keep a close eye on the card holder since it will usually contain checks and cash in the cards. Make sure this table is dressed up with a tablecloth and table skirt. Other than that you might also want an embellishment like rose petals or fall leaves but that's all you need on this table.

Bar or Buffet Table

A nice touch that shows how well you have organized your event is to have extra bouquets for areas that are very visible and in a high traffic area. Perfect examples of this are bar bouquets on one or either side of the bar. Also, Buffet Tables are a prime area to showcase a beautiful fresh bouquet. Topiary bouquets are beautiful for this purpose since they are tall enough to attract attention and showcase your focal flowers in style. Bouquets in vases are long lasting, showy and add style and color to a reception. Make a large bouquet for the buffet table and small ones for the bar. If you have a buffet table, you might want to scatter silk rose petals or other embellishment on it to blend it in with your theme. You can do this before the caterer's setup with no problem.

Another idea is to create a higher platform at the center of the table perhaps with a sturdy cardboard or wooden box, cover it with material in your feature color and use this platform as a display area for a fresh floral bouquet. It could be a topiary bouquet or a fresh flower bouquet in a vase or in floral foam. Make sure your platform is very stable though since you would not want it to spill onto the guests as they are helping themselves to food.

If you had large bouquets at the church or ceremony, make sure to make the most of these bouquets and display them at your reception. You can then offer them as a gift to someone who helped you out in planning your wedding.

Wedding Insurance - Should You Get Some?

Things going wrong on your wedding day!

This is not something you want but can and does happen!

To help cope with any issues that may arise, having some cover of wedding insurance can help. Due to recent research, people are spending an average of 瞿21,000 on their wedding day! This makes getting married one of the biggest investments that a couple can make and not one that they will want spoilt.

More people these days are deciding to buy wedding insurance because of the sheer cost of a wedding. You insure your house and car so why not your wedding day?

Shop around on the internet to find the right insurance and get a few quotes before making the final decision.

Don't just opt for the cheapest quote, decide on the main areas of your wedding expenses that you really want to make sure are covered and select the correct level of insurance. Many brokers have different levels to choose from and they may adapt them to your individual needs. Wedding insurance can start as low as 瞿15.99 dependant on what type of cover is required.

The main areas to think about covering are:

1 Wedding clothing
2 Cancellation of wedding or reception.
3 Failure of suppliers.

No one wants to think that the car wont turn up or break down or that the photographer will lose the films but these things do happen to couples and can have a devastating effect on what was supposed to be their most special day so think carefully about getting some degree of insurance for peace of mind.

I wish you the best of luck for your special day.

What Exactly is a Wedding Insurance Plan?

Getting a wedding insurance plan is every couple's personal option, though you need to know what it covers to find out if it might be something you require.

First, a wedding dress plan can easily cover the misfortune of bad weather. If you are planning to get your wedding outdoors and it storms, certainly, your wedding must be postponed and your insurance plan will include rescheduling charges.

Secondly, if it's the day of your wedding and the minister or celebrant who had been designed to marry you doesn't appear. The insurance plan makes it possible to recover the costs of rescheduling and getting a new officiates.

Thirdly, if the groom or bride becomes sick at the time of the wedding, certainly, it'll have to be postponed and also the insurance plan covers this kind of misfortune.

Fourthly, if the suppliers you chosen fail to show up on the big day, for example florists or the photographer, the wedding plan also contains this.

Obviously, you can include many items to your wedding dress plan and overall, it probably is a great plan to possess. Weddings are designed so very carefully, on the other hand no one can predict if the groom occurs break his ankle at the time of the wedding, or if the storm clouds relocate.

Because weddings are so very costly is the reason the insurance plan exists at all, it will help to recover a few of the loss in cases of mishap. Everyone hopes for a smooth wedding, however sometimes issues can happen that are lower than suitable and out of everyone's control.

Finally, if you're planning an extremely large wedding with a lot of vendors and lots of guests, a wedding insurance plan is probably something you shouldn't forget to get.

How to Celebrate Organize Your Home Office Day With These Design Tips

As we "celebrate" Organize Your Home Office Day on March 8th let's quickly review some quick tips on HOW to de-clutter:

***Clutter is the physical manifestation of your emotional baggage-The Clutter Counselor. What are YOU hanging on to & why?***

• The 3 Questions that you must ask of EVERY ITEM in your Home Office is: Do you LOVE it? Do you USE it? Do you NEED it? If it doesn't serve a positive, useful purpose for the function of the room, it doesn't belong in the room!


• If you haven't used an item in 1 year, it needs to go. Donate it, toss it or use in another room...


• If your Home Office is a shared space (i.e. a guest bedroom, a corner in the family room) make sure that there is a dedicated area for you to perform the duties that you need to, to be effective in your work (i.e. a screen, curtains or a "do not disturb" sign for the doorknob).

OK...all of the un-needed, un-used & un-loved stuff is gone, now what? The desk should be re-positioned to the Power Position for maximum support. The Power Position is the diagonal corner from the entryway as you look INTO the room. By placing your desk in this position, it offers you a view of the entire space & all who enter or passby. (This is one of the reasons why working in cubicles is so distracting). Desk should be placed facing IN to the room, rather than facing a wall or window. A solid back should be behind you (i.e. when sitting your back isn't to a window) for "support". If you'd like to utilize some Feng Shui here, place a picture of a mountain behind your desk chair, this will "lend you support" & "protect you" from behind.

***If your desk faces a wall you will, subconsciously, always be "up against a wall" when trying to make decisions and/or trying to implement new ideas. If this is the ONLY way you can position the desk, make sure that there is detailed artwork hanging above the desk. The perils of having your desk face a window, is the distractions & glare that will present itself-especially on nice, sunny days! It's best to position your desk at a 90 degree angle to the window, forming a "T" to minimize this.***

If you're lucky enough to get to paint or you are setting up a new Home Office, try to incorporate your company's logo colors into your color scheme. (I do this in all of my office designs for clients to help with branding the company image/message). And again, looking to Feng Shui, incorporating the color BLUE not only helps to activate the Knowledge Life Area, but also gives your eye a place to "rest" from computer eyestrain. (ex: a BLUE area rug, flowers, chair pillows).

And lastly, when trying to accessorize your Home Office, only bring in items that are inspiring & applicable to a professional office setting-even though you work from home. This is still an office & needs to be treated as such. Any certificates or recognition trophies, awards & the like can all be displayed here (or in the SUCCESS Life Area (center portion of the far wall when standing at the doorway looking in). Want to display pictures of your significant other, friends & children? That's fine, but again, make sure it's work appropriate which means your wedding photo-OK, swimsuit photos of you at the pool bar-No.

General Tips:

• If you don't have a shredder, purchase one. Shred any old, un-needed paperwork, CDs or receipts to a) efficiently dispose of it, b) help stop identity theft.


• A scanner will help reduce paper in your office.


• Clutter can also refer to old files & emails on your computer. Use the 3 Questions for your computer as well.


• If you have books or manuals that you need for reference, or other items that you don't use on a daily basis, utilize the vertical wall space. A 2-3" shelf placed at plate rail height will give you some storage space & will also act as "artwork" in the room. You will still have access to items, but won't be in your work space.


• Only work on 1-3 projects at a time. Any more & you'll become overwhelmed & can procrastinate then on all projects.

Most importantly, when organizing your Home Office, it is vital that you sit & figure out HOW you USE the space. Do you even work at a desk or write on your laptop on a comfy chair? Do you need a lot of flat work space for drawings or just work on a PC or MAC? Set up desk accordingly & make sure you have whatever work tools you need at the ready (i.e. pencils, scissors, stapler) & that supplies (i.e. toner, ink cartridges, paper) where they are needed. This will help you be efficient & more productive!

***Make sure to check out the Bante Design YouTube channel for video minis on Feng Shui for the Office & Feng Shui for Cubicles***

How to Ship Stained Glass

To ship a piece of glass, it needs to be crated. We build a crate around every piece of glass which we ship. It needs to be a custom fit so that the glass can be adequately protected. The following pictures are of us building a crate for a 3' by 5' window. We use the same techniques when crating a smaller window.

By building a custom crate for each piece of glass that you plan to ship, you will have better success shipping glass across country. You will find that by building a crate in the following manner that you will be able to ship small windows using common carriers like UPS or Fedex.

We have the stained glass panel laid out on a different table than the one we're going to build the crate on.

First we lay the 1" thick rigid foam insulation on the table. This comes in pink or blue depending on the brand you buy.

We lay the panel to be shipped on top of the insulation and use a box knife to cut around the panel. We cut right on the edge. We don't want any extra foam hanging beyond the window edge.

Then we slide the cut line of the foam over the edge of the table and push down to break the foam. If it has a membrane holding it together, we run a utility knife along it to cut it off. We use the cut off pieces as a template to cut the second piece of foam the same size as the first.

Then we take a two by four and use it as a pattern to cut four pieces of filler pieces of foam.

Here we have the "foam, glass, foam sandwich," with some of our cut pieces laying on top.

Next we take the long pieces and cut them to the length of the sign and set one on each side of the sign. Then we stand up a two by four along the long edge and mark a cut line a two by four width from the end of the sign.

(We make sure that the other end of the two by four is hanging out a two by four width at the other end when marking) The cut two by four is then cut a saw blade width short so the box will keep the foam tight. We cut a second one for the other side.

Here is the foam "sandwich" with another piece of scrap foam on top of the pile to raise the top of the entire package to the height of the two by four frame. You can also see the two by four side piece ready to be put in place.

Now we use a clamp to pull the two by fours together on each end. We only apply a slight amount of pressure to the clamp. We want the crate to be tight but not so tight we damage the foam and drive it into the stained glass we're protecting.

We cut and attach our connecting two by fours. Then we check that the top of the crate is even with the two by four framework. Then we add a couple of layers of foam blanket to the top so that the lid of the crate will apply a slight amount of pressure when it's in place.

Because we have an inch of foam on the top and bottom and all around the glass inside the crate, it is safe to screw down the plywood top of the crate. We laid the plywood on top of the framework and traced around it and then cut it out.

Next we got some friends to help flip the whole assembly over.

Then we laid the final piece of plywood down and screwed it in place.

When we ship, we find that moving van lines have a good system in place to haul sensitive and delicate items, such as electronics and stained glass. They cost 3 or 4 times more than common carrier, but you get what you pay for.

We took pictures for this article that can be viewed at http://www.betterstainedglass.com/Newsletter/Archives/2005julyhow2ship/july2005how2ship.htm

Cheap Car Insurance For Teenagers - Some Secrets

It is not really that hard to get cheaper auto insurance if you have a good driving record, have been a driver for years, and if you have already proven to insurance companies that you are a safe driver. But when it comes to teenagers, they might have a hard time getting a cheaper one. Obviously, that would be due to their driving experience and in some cases, it may be due to the recklessness of most teenagers when it comes to driving. Instead of getting discounts, teenagers would be charged with a higher premium. But what most do not know is that there are secrets on how car insurance companies set their rates. And with that, even younger drivers can save some cash on their auto insurance.

Reason Why Younger Drivers Pay More

Why do you think younger drivers are being charged more for car insurance? The reason of this is because teenagers are more likely to be involved in any kind of accidents. Higher monthly premiums would be required of them because of the risk.

How To Save On Car Insurance

If you are a teenager who would want to save some cash on auto insurance then you might want to consider adding yourself to your parents' policy. Adding another person to the policy would not really affect the rates of parents because of the fact that they have a lot of driving experience. A teenager would be able to save some cash with this compared to when they got their insurance all on their own. With your policy being included in your parent's that would make most of the companies requires your vehicle to be in your parent's name. But this would be a dilemma for teenagers who would want to own their very own car. And another problem with this is that you would not be able to build your own credit since your name is listed under another person's policy. You would be able to save with this, but in time, you should get your own insurance policy.

Discounts For Students

You should know that there are some companies that would give discounts to students. In collecting quotes and finding the best one, you should inquire if there are any discounts. You would be able to find some companies that specialize in just giving discounts to students. You would also be able to find some companies that would even give discounts to students who have completed specific driving courses. You should consider enrolling yourself in these courses if they are offered in your school. And of course, if you are a student, you should never forget to keep your driving record clean. Companies would still look at your record even though you have no driving history. If you have had bad records, just never forget to be a good driver since doing so would make your rate go down.

Quotes Equals Discounts

Most would suggest that you look and compare for quotes online if you would want some discounts. You would be able to get the cheapest offers if you do compare quotes from different companies.

Being The Maid of Honor Makes Your Friend's Day Memorable!

Have you been chosen as the maid of honor for your friend's upcoming wedding? Are you overwhelmed and nervous at the same time? Don't know what to do? Relax! If you have been chosen as the maid of honor, this means you are really important to your friend. You must have been with her through the best and worst moments in her life. You are someone she trusts and can rely on. Being the maid of honor is a wonderful experience. Way to go! Now, you have to understand what is expected from you. No, there is no need to get goose bumps, just sit comfortably, read this article and throw away anxiety out the window.

Whether you are Nuptial Newbie i.e. becoming maid of honor for the first time or a Wedding Veteran, someone who has been there before, you first need to understand what your friend wants. Since marriage is one of the beautiful things in life, people plan their weddings several months before the actual date. They want everything to be as perfect as shown in movies. With all the excitement about the wedding, there are a lot of mood swings as well. So your friend will not only need your companionship while doing wedding shopping, but she will also require your emotional support. You will be expected to work as her right-hand woman throughout her wedding process.

The maid of honor is in a way in-charge of the whole wedding. Therefore, a lot of coordination is required between bridal attendants. You will have a major role to play. Hey! Don't you want to make your friend's wedding the most memorable day of her life? Now, if you know the bridal attendants already then you have saved yourself a lot of time. However, if bridesmaids have been called from different areas and you do not know one another, then a better idea would be to begin with introductions. Since you are the in-charge, you will have to take the initiative. However, do not act bossy. Write them polite emails or call them up and arrange for a meeting of bridesmaids. Discuss things that your friend loves and how her honor attendants can make the wedding the way she would want it to be. There is a lot to be planned such as bridal showers, rehearsals, settings, food, logistics, flowers, bridesmaid dresses etc. etc. Okay!

It's very challenging to make everyone agree on one point. Tempers can be short and cat fights can take place. Being the maid of honor, you will have to act diplomatically and remain positive throughout the process. You cannot bother your friend with such issues when she has a lot going on in her mind. Keep the stress away and stay comfortable that will keep the sanity alive. You might be asked to carry the bride's bouquet or the groom's ring during the ceremony vows. You cannot act fidgety at that time. Your friend needs your support and seeing you nervous, she might just faint.

Your friend might ask you to help with the budget and guest-list. She might even drag you for wedding dress trials and countless other things. Even if she doesn't drag you, do give her an offer yourself. Show her that you care. Try being there for her when she needs you. Maid of honor, make your friend's day special and memorable!

How to Make Gel Candles For Weddings

Discover how to make gel candles, invite a few friends to an exciting wedding preparation party, and you can scatter beautiful sparkle over your entire wedding! Gel candle making is the only candle making craft that produces such awesome glitter. Give twinkling, small jelly-like luminaries as unique wedding favors. Group shimmering large creations with flowers in centerpieces. The oohs and aahs from guests will tell you why you learned how to make gel candles for your wedding.

You can learn how to make gel candles from the dealer who sells you the wax and special fragrance oils for this interesting candle making craft. Most certified dealers include basic instructions with their supplies. You will use a certified dealer if you are wise, of course. Poor quality wax can be explosive and you certainly do not want to lose your eyebrows before your wedding, do you? That's a no-brainer! What isn't a no-brainer is...

...how to make gel candles for weddings. You will need your brain for that.

Seven Easy Steps

Learn how to make gel candles with these seven easy steps.

1. 
   Clear Glass: Begin with clear glass containers and your candle making craft will sparkle like diamonds. Use any glass, goblet, or vase that is at least two inches in diameter. This will allow room for imbeds. Your choice of glass container should fit with your wedding style: elegant with elegant, capricious with capricious.


2. 
   Add Wicks: Anchorazinc core, tabbed wick in the center of each glass with hot glue. Set the glasses aside so the glue will harden and keep your wicks upright.


3. 
   Melt Wax: Cut the wax into small pieces, and follow manufacturer's instructions on how to make gel candles to bring it to the proper temperature - usually 200 o F.


4. 
   Blend in Dye: Choose candle making craft dye in your wedding colors or a complementary color. Be careful not to add too much dye. You know the rule: you can add more, but you cannot remove it. Pastels are best for weddings, and show off embeds to perfection.


5. 
   Add Fragrance: If you want fragrance, add a sweet scent that matches or complements the flower scents in your wedding. Keep it subtle. Some guests get headaches from over-powering perfumes.


6. 
   Arrange Embeds: Small, non-flammable objects spotlight your knowledge of how to make gel candles for weddings. Dip each object in your hot, melted wax, and then arrange them in the glass containers. Keep embed objects near the sides of the glasses for best visibility. (We talk about embeds in more detail below.)


7. 
   Pour Wax: One secret of this candle making craft is to pour slowly and carefully down the inside of the glass. Tilt the glass a little to one side as you pour to keep your wax clear of bubbles.

Once you know how to make gel candles with those seven simple steps, you and your friends can produce unique, dazzling wedding favors in very little time.

Focus on Embeds

Embeds are the focus in this candle making craft. They let you theme your shimmering lights to any wedding theme. They give you opportunity to be whimsical or romantic, serious or playful.

Those having an exotic beach wedding will want to know how to make gel candles that follow a beach theme. Give your wax a faint blue tint to represent the ocean. Embed clean, dry seashells and elegant, artificial pearls. Create these luminaries in small containers and you will have elegant beach wedding favors.

For a Valentine's Day wedding, dye your wax the palest of pale, soft pinks. Then embed hearts in silver or gold. Scatter small wax roses among the hearts - or sprinkle them with glitter.

Butterflies are a wonderfully romantic wedding theme, and many people want to know how to make gel candles that incorporate butterflies. You can release tiny wax or plastic butterfly embeds among colorful flowers in your containers.

Conclusion

Learn how to make gel candles for weddings, develop the skill, advertise well, and you can turn your candle making craft into a lucrative, profitable business.

Legitimate Divorce Court Records For Legal Proceedings

One of the easiest records to find these days is Virginia Divorce Records that's because of the fact that it's open to all and is not classified. Despite being a great place for families for the past how many years, the state's rate on divorce cases tend to be increasing too. Thus, these files become vital part of legal and historical records in Virginia. Searching for these documents can be best channeled through the Division of Vital Records.

In adherence to the policy made by the Freedom of Information Act, every member of the state is now entitled to have access to this information. The process is so easy. All you have to do is submit the required form and payment to the authorized government office. You can also do it online through those government websites provided that you're able to gather some relevant details about the involved person to make the process fast and simple. Some of the information that you will be asked to fill in are the couple's full name, exact year of divorce, the state where the divorce occurred, your full name and your e-mail address.

Statistics can prove that the virtue of holding on to one's wedding vows is somehow gone out of the window already. Unfortunately, a lot of marriages from various parts of the world were left unsaved and couples just ended up to getting divorced. As a result, searching for Free Divorce Records is now in to many individuals through the help of the state government or through the Internet. However, although they are available to the public, its access is still under the state jurisdiction.

In the advent of time, the process in which one can obtain this information has changed from the traditional method of going personally to your local government office, or by mail, telephone, and fax, to the much more convenient and fast method of searching through the use of the Internet, which has become the norm of the society now. When you get hold of this record, the standard information that you will get is the individual's marital status, divorce history, their personal particulars, settlement, decree, and the important details on when, where, why, what, and how.

Naturally, divorce cases should be dealt by the involved couple in private only. However, for most cases when everything seems to be hopeless and failure, then the last resort will be to hand the case over to the Courts. When it comes to that point already, the involved individuals must be aware that Divorce Court Records are generally public records. Therefore, any person has the right to view and use them for any reasons.

In wanting to retrieve a divorce court record, it is necessary for you to have a knowledge on where the divorce occurred prior to your search. Otherwise, you will surely have problems along the way since these county courthouses are not linked. But that concern can now be resolved by simply going online. The Internet provides two versions of divorce court records, free and paid. One thing to remember about those free sources is that they are usually scattered and raw and require a lot of work. The better choice, especially for official cases, is to turn to those paid services.

Creative Wording For Wedding Invitations

A future bride does not want stilted language on her invitations. She does not want cryptic language. She does not want slang words on her invitation. The future bride wants a romantic tone to her invitation. She thus needs to use creative wording.

So how can a future bride find creative wording for her wedding invitations? She needs to consult with those who are familiar with romantic and spiritual verse. She might want to begin her search at a public library. She might want to purchase software that is full of creative words.

A librarian might well suggest that the future bride look at some of the poems by Rumi. Rumi was a famous Persian poet. Almost everything he wrote took on a slightly romantic tone. A Rumi poem could guide a future bride in need of creative wording for her wedding invitations.

If a future bride can not get hold of a book with verse by Rumi, she might try looking for a way to view some Persian movies. In fact, my husband has purchased a Persian movie on DVD. It is called The Lizard. I was most impressed by the romantic nature of the poetic verse quoted in that movie.

I also know of one man in our City who collects poetry books. He has some of Rumi's books. I met him while participating in our City's interfaith group. A future bride should not hesitate to examine religious writings, even if she is not having a ceremony that adheres to the specifics of any one religion.

A future bride might want to look at some of the Baha'i writings. The founder of that Faith was born in Persia, the country that is now Iran. Since Rumi is a Persain poet, that prophet and founder was familiar with Rumi's poems. He appreciated the beauty of those poems, and he put elements of Rumi's work in his own writings

A future bride does not need to conduct a time-consuming search on the Internet. There is software that can guide her to just the right group of Baha'i writings. That software is called "Oceans." It can be purchased by contacting a local Baha'i community.

A future bride might want to visit a professor of religion at a college or university. He could suggest sources of Hindu verse that might fit her needs. She could use that verse to develop creative wording for her wedding invitations.

The Benefits Of Wedding Insurance And How It Can Put Your Worries To Rest

Insurance coverage for your wedding day can be the single best investment you make to ensure that you enjoy the occasion. There are several different options that cover risks and unforeseen problems that could ultimately ruin your wedding day. In addition to core coverage there are also Liability plans to protect you and your guests. With some policies starting as low as $160.00, it's almost foolish to not consider coverage.

Some things covered in most core coverage policies include:

1.) Formal Attire- you get repair or replacement if the bride's wedding gown or groom's tuxedo is lost or damaged.

2.) Lost deposits- reimbursement for your deposit if a vendor goes out of business, declares bankruptcy before your wedding, or simply fails to show up.

3.) Lost Rings- You can receive repair or replacement cost it the bride or groom's wedding bands are lost or damaged.

4.) Severe Weather- if a natural disaster forces you to postpone your wedding, they can provide reimbursement for non-recoverable expenses.

5.) Transportation Shutdown- If your wedding is postponed because of commercial transportation shutdown and the bride, groom, or either set of parents are prevented from getting there you receive reimbursement from non-recoverable expenses.

6.) Ruined Photos- If your photographer's film is defective or negatives are lost or damaged your cost to re-take the photos is covered.

7.) Call to Duty- If the bride or groom is called to duty unexpectedly or has his/her military leave revoked, forcing event postponement your non-recoverable expenses are covered.

8.) Damaged gifts - If your wedding gifts are damaged you can get repair or replacement.

9.) Sudden Illness- If the wedding is postponed due to sudden illness where the bride, groom, or their parents are unable to attend; you can get reimbursement for non-recoverable expenses.

10.) Venue Requires Insurance- Liability Insurance, this supplemental portion of your policy covers you in the event that a guest is injured or causes damages to the property.

11.) Additional Expense- If a vendor suddenly becomes unavailable for your event but you can find a last-minute replacement, you are reimbursed for the difference in cost.

With all of these potential calamities covered under your insurance policy you will be able to rest easy. The weeks before your wedding are highly emotional and can be full of stress. Purchasing an insurance policy will put your mind at ease and will help you relax during your wedding and sleep peacefully for weeks before-hand.

Wedding Invitations - RSVP Means Please Respond

Have you ever seen these letters at the bottom of any wedding invitations you've received? Most people see it, but don't really understand what it means. This is why they ignore it and just show up at events bringing the whole family plus the old family friend, Uncle Barney. You remember him; he always came over for afternoon tea. There goes your budget and seating arrangement.

RSVP literally translates to please respond or please reply. It asks your guests to be considerate and let you know if they can make it or not and exactly how many of them there will be. Doing this means you can plan where to seat them. It allows you to ensure that they are at a table with family or friends they may want to chat with. It also means that they can be seated together.

Knowing though that most won't call to confirm, here are some ways that you can find out if the people you want present will be at your nuptials:

- Instead of RSVP write a short request in your language. For example you can say, "Please call Emily (coordinator's name) at (specify the number) and confirm that you will be able to join us for our celebration." It feels more personal than just seeing the letters RSVP followed by a name and number.

- If you don't mind the slight addition to your budget, have reply cards made. If they are already stamped and self addressed it will really be inconsiderate of them not to let you know if they can make it or not.

- Set a date and assign someone (maybe the maid of honor and best man) to call everyone on your guestlist who has not confirmed their attendance. Most actually prefer this since they get instant confirmation and can quickly compile the list.

Personally I'd always recommend going for the personal approach like this, rather than relying on "RSVP" and 'hoping' your guests respond.

Weddings - Give Your Guests a Favour

In the UK, the average overall cost of getting married in 2008 was 瞿22,858 so when you're shopping around for a competitive wedding insurance quote, make sure the full cost of your big day is included in the policy.

Favours are a great way to show your guests how much you care, as they are a little gift left in each person's place setting at the table. When it comes to finding favours that your guests will treasure, the trick is to make them personal. With a moment's thought, you can easily add a personal touch to most presents.

For example, if you decide to give each guest a scented candle, select a scent that connects to your big day. Perhaps the bride will be wearing jasmine perfume, or the guests will be eating a vanilla dessert in which case you can pick your scented candles accordingly. If you can't tie in the aroma in this way, why not light a few of your chosen candles during the ceremony. Then, whenever your guests light their candle, the scent will then remind them of your wedding.

An extremely personal and affordable favour option is a compilation CD. You can put together a collection of songs that mean something to you both as a couple. You could even design a CD cover with a photo of the bride and groom and a few words about why each track is significant to them. As it is unique, a mix CD makes for an enjoyable and enduring gift that your nearest and dearest can take away with them.

One fantastic favour idea is plant-able cards. These are pieces of high quality paper embedded with wildflower seeds. You can print any message you like on the card, a private joke, a meaningful poem, or simply the guest's name, along with the names of the bride and groom, and the date. Returning home, your guests plant their favour in the garden and then, over the coming year, watch it bloom. Wildflowers often seed themselves, so the plants could return year after year providing an ongoing reminder of your marriage.

Wedding insurance can protect you financially from all sorts of mishaps, but policies rarely cover favours. If you invest a great deal in these small mementos, it may be worth bearing this in mind. Whatever favours you decide on in the end, your big day will undoubtedly be a memorable one.

Beyond Wedding Invitations - Stationery For Your Wedding

In addition to the beautiful invitation you've selected, you may want to choose other pieces for your stationery ensemble such as At Home Cards, Table Assignment Cards, Place Cards, and Save-the-Date Cards. You may also want to send wedding announcements to friends and family who could not join you for the big day. Remember to create all these additional elements in the same paper, color, style, and formality level as your invitation, and keep in mind that each plays an important part in your marriage celebration.

At Home Cards

As the name implies, At Home cards are small enclosures that are printed with your new address and the date you will begin residing there. Many couples use the date they plan to return from their honeymoon, but that will vary depending on your situation. An At Home card is also the perfect way to let guests know whether you've chosen to keep your maiden name.

At Home cards are traditionally mailed with wedding announcements, but may be included in the invitation if you prefer. If you send them with your announcements, then using your married names is appropriate, as shown below. However, if you send the cards with the invitation, you may use just your address.

Since your names are not included, the wording on this page is appropriate for an At Home card sent with a wedding invitation. However, many couples still choose to include their names on the At Home card in case the invitation is later misplaced or discarded, so the receiver will be sure to know whose address appears on the card. Either wording is acceptable.

Table Assignment Cards

Table assignment cards direct your reception guests to their assigned tables for dining. These cards are usually placed on a table near the door of the reception site, easily visible when guests first arrive and in alphabetical order. Many brides who opt not to assign specific seats will still assign guests to specific tables. You might have family tables, tables of college friends, or a table for your co-workers.

Place Cards

Place cards are used to actually assign seating once guests arrive at their assigned table. These cards can be plain, paneled, or designed more decoratively in keeping with the style of your wedding. If you feel that assigned seating will make your guests uncomfortable, you can choose to skip it altogether.

Save-The-Date Cards

If you are planning a destination wedding, an entire wedding weekend at a resort, or a celebration that will fall during a holiday, it's wise to send save-the-date cards at least three months in advance. These cards should complement your invitations in style, color, and formality level and may include the phrase "invitation to follow." It's best to send them to all your guests, not just out-of-towners. That way no one will be confused about who received the early notice and who did not.

Wedding Announcements

Mailed the day of your wedding or the morning after, wedding announcements proclaim your good news to family and friends who were not invited to the wedding. Announcements are especially important if you have a small ceremony or a destination wedding with a limited guest list. They are also an ideal way to inform professional colleagues of your newlywed status. It's wise to include the year, even if you did not do so on your invitations, since they will be received after the wedding.

The proper wording for a wedding announcement is similar to that of a traditional invitation, and your wedding announcements should follow the same format as your wedding invitations. They may, however, be smaller in size. The announcements should be addressed using the same etiquette guidelines as for your invitations.

It is also perfectly acceptable to include the groom's parents' names on the announcement:

Wedding Announcement Issued by the Bride and Groom

In the case of an older couple or a second wedding, the bride and groom may want to issue the wedding announcements themselves. The following wording is appropriate.

Wedding Programs

If you choose to create a wedding program for your celebration, there are no strict rules regarding it. Although you will want your program to be similar in style to your other wedding stationery, you can be more creative by also including a favorite poem or Scripture, or even a sketch of your ceremony site.

The main function of a wedding program is to help your wedding guests follow the ceremony, especially if you plan to have many guests who are of a different faith. The programs should be handed to guests as they arrive, either by an usher or a young attendant.

The title page will include your full names and the date, along with the location or city if you prefer. The following pages should identify the wedding party and other ceremony participants by name, explain the order of service, and provide your guests with the words to any special congregational readings or prayers. You should include descriptions of any unique traditions that you plan to incorporate, such as the lighting of a unity candle or the Jewish tradition of crushing a glass at the end of the ceremony.

At the end of the program many couples offer a special word of thanks to both sets of parents. This is also the time and place to include special dedications, such as the singing of a favorite hymn in honor of a deceased loved one or a floral arrangement in honor of someone special.

How to Become a Photographer - Five Tips to Get Started

Maybe you have a digital camera, enjoy taking photos and want to become a photographer. Or you don't have a camera but are seriously thinking of buying one and to make money with photography.

Becoming a photographer is possible. Unless you want to make a living as a photojournalist, you don't need formal education. You can learn as you go and become skilled at digital photography.

A good digital camera will be your best friend. If you want to take quality photos, you will need a digital camera that has a resolution of at least 5 mega pixels. With this resolution it's easier to post process your photos and they can be printed out at a decent size. Also a five mega pixel resolution is what you'll need in order for your photos to be accepted on microstock photography sites if you want to sell your photos online.

Once you've gained more experience and have clearer ideas of the types of photos you want to take, you can make the investment to a higher-end digital SLR camera and a fast lens.

Take as many pictures as you can. At the beginning, you'll want to take as different kinds of photos as possible. In the process you'll learn to master your camera. You'll experience all sorts of settings under different lighting, expositions.

At the same time, you will make selections of your photos to build up a portfolio so you can show to your prospective customers. Some of the most popular themes include landscapes, portraits, wedding, pets photography to name few. As an example to build up your portfolio in landscape photography you might want to take pictures of sceneries that are typical to your town, city. If you are invited to a wedding you can practice taking photos of the wedding and ask for feedback from the groom and bride. For portraits, you can start by taking photos of friends, colleagues, family members.

Specialization. This is up to you and it also depends on the market. If you want to take photos and sell them online, then you would not necessarily want to specialize. The reason being to be successful at selling photos online you'll need to take photos that sell. You can read more on this in the article I've written for EzineArticles called "Selling Photos Online - Foundation of Your Success at Selling Your Photos Online". You can find the link to that article on my Bio page.

On the other hand, if a specific segment of the market is not saturated and it's a theme that interests you then you might want to specialize in that theme. As an example if you enjoy taking photos of pets and your market research indicates there are opportunities in this niche then you will invest and work to become the best pets photographer in your area.

Look for freelance jobs. The majority of photographers are self employed. To be successful they need to work on the art of photography as well as the art of marketing. Freelance jobs in photography are great to get work. There is a variety of freelance jobs. It could be taking photos as a field photographer for an insurance company or being an assistant photographer to an established wedding photographer in your city. There are websites where you can go to look for freelance assignments. You can also take photos of cars for people who are looking to sell their cars on eBay Motors.

Keep learning as you go. Photography evolves. As a photographer you will keep learning all the time so you can stay ahead of the game. Read websites, magazines, buy e-books to learn techniques and tricks. Attend seminars on your areas of photography to keep your skills up to date. Visit manufacturer websites to download the latest firmware for your camera.

Learning how to become a photographer comes at ease for those who have a passion for this art. You'll find photography is a very appealing field because each photo you take is unique.

Lesser Known Fact About EPF (India)

Unlike government employees, private sector employees are not offered the benefits of pension that serves various financial purposes in their retirement age. The EPF scheme is intended to help employees from both non-pensionable and private sectors to save a fraction of their salaries every month. It is used in an event when that employee is temporarily or no longer fit to work or after the retirement. About 95% of people understands, and assume that they are well aware of the working pattern. However; there are many facts about EPF to which lot of people are not aware of.

So, let it take it from here:

Nominee Allowed Under Your EPF
Most of the people do not know that nomination facility is offered by EPF. EPF provides a nomination facility to each of its individuals. The nominee made under EPF is contacted during the demise of the EPF holder to hand over the amount. It just requires following a simple and basic procedure of filling out a "FORM 2". This form is filled to change or update the nominee information. To know more about it, you can contact your finance department or visit your nearest bank or post-office. With no nominee showing on paper, it can create quite an issue when claiming the amount.

You Are Eligible To Receive Pension in EPF
People scarcely know that EPF has 2 categories i.e. EPS and EPF. The EPF works as your provided fund and EPS works as a pensioner. What 12% you give goes to EPF, and out of the 12% that your employer provides, 8.33 % goes to EPS and the remaining portion goes to your EPF. The part of this certain percentage that your employer contributes builds your pension under EPF. However; there are certain rules that apply only if:

• An individual is legally responsible for the pension and has completed 58 years of age.


• An individual is legally responsible for the pension if he/she has accomplished 10 years of the service with the same organization.


• The maximum amount of pension per month should not be exceeding Rs. 3,250 per month.


• Upon the demise of an individual, the family or nominee is entitled to receive the pension.

You Can Volunteer More Than The Statutory Limit to EPF
There is no compulsion to invest certain amount in your EPF. You can invest more than 12%; this facility is called VPF (Volunteer provident fund). However; this provision is for your own betterment, which means your employer doesn't have to match the scale. For them it is no more contributing than 12%. By investing more percentage of your basic salary will reap you high returns on interest.

No Interest On Your EPF Pension
There is no such provision made by EPF to get interest on your pension. However; at the time of withdrawal you are eligible to receive both EPS and EPF. If you are misunderstanding the same and counting on it, then it is recommended to read the fine prints.

EPF Doesn't Offer 100% Money Withdrawal
If you are dreaming some big chunk of money to get when you withdraw from your EPF, then it is suggested that you soon face the reality. In EPF, there is mentioning of "TABLE D" which suggests how much you will receive upon withdrawal. This table represents slab for each year of your service in context to proportion of wages at exit. Going through this table will let you know the intended amount that you will receive upon withdrawal.

No Compulsion To Have EPF
Yes!! You heard quite true, there is no compulsion to join or leave EPF. It is an open option to opt out of EPF, however there will be no savings gathered at the time of retirement or emergencies unless invested somewhere else. If you do not want to participate in EPF, then from the day of your joining, you need to tell your finance department about the same. There is a small "FORM 11" filing procedure which act as a written consent telling about you are no more interested in EPF.

No Withdrawing EPF Upon Job Change
There is no withdrawing facility, but only transfers are possible when an individual changes his/her job. An individual is allowed to withdraw the EPF money only when he/she isn't working at the time of withdrawals. Legally an individual can only withdraw money after its service period crosses 10 years.

EPF Offers Life Insurance
This is another factor, that people are not aware of EPF providing life insurance. However the cost of the scheme i.e. Employee Deposit Linked Insurance (EDLI) is borne by your employer. But the coverage amount is almost Rs. 6,500, usually employers opts out of this insurance scheme by providing other life insurance benefits to their employees. The sad part about this scheme is the life cover option is not that satisfying. People from small towns or working in small scale industries may prefer to have it.

Pre-mature Withdrawals Allowed
As you know a pre-mature withdrawal is not allowed if you are still employed. However; in rare occasions EPF allows withdrawal such as Illness, Higher education, Wedding, Re-paying house loans, and House Construction.

EPT tells us the significance of daily savings which will act as a strong financial pillar. This small sum saved during your employment period makes a huge difference in the retirement years. This amount can be utilized by the individual which will help his/her life without being monetarily reliant on anyone.