Cheap Wedding Favors - Five Affordable and Easy Ideas

Most brides and grooms want to give their guests a little something as a thank-you gift, but cheap wedding favors bring to mind something that will just get dumped in the trash. The last thing you want to do is spend your hard-earned money and precious time giving something that will be unappreciated. It is far more important to give your friends and family something they will cherish or use, rather than something you feel is incredibly unique. Here are a few cheap wedding favor ideas that are sure to be a hit, while also having the opportunity to add your own special touch.

1. Indulge their sweet tooth

There is no doubt about it. Candy and other edible wedding favors are the most popular among guests for a very simple reason: they can be consumed. Nothing to accumulate dust on their shelves or to get stuck at the back of a closet. Your cheapest option is to have a candy bar. Buy bulk candy in your color scheme or theme (such as nostalgic candy), put it out on a table in fun containers or different shaped jars, and give your guests glassine envelopes to fill on their way out the door. A candy bar may sound a little common today, but that is because there are so many ways to use it in decorating and everyone always loves it. Just search the term "candy bar images" on the internet and you will get endless beautiful pictures to inspire you.

2. Other incredible edibles

If you do not want to have a candy bar, think about other types of food you can package up in boxes, bags or jars. Homemade granola, themed wedding chocolates, gourmet teas and spices, decorated cookies, or even your own homemade jams are all popular favorites that your guests are guaranteed to love. Get creative by using your own packaging. For example, you can design your own labels and tags, use colorful fabrics, or search out mismatched jars and cups in secondhand stores.

3. Crafty solutions

Do you love crafts or want to give them a try? Homemade soaps or candles are a fun activity to do with your wedding party and make unique favors for guests. There are numerous guides online showing your how make soaps, candles, jewelry, bookmarks, or other crafts. Just make sure you do a trial run before heading out to load up on supplies. You may ultimately find it cheaper to buy the favor once you calculate the cost of all the supplies.

4. A song and a dance

Another increasingly popular gift is a CD wedding favor. The cost of blank CDs is minimal and all you have to do is create a personal playlist of favorites and burn them from your computer. Then purchase or design your own wedding CD labels and place the CDs in a cardboard CD case. Stick on the label, tie with a ribbon, and your guests will have something to listen to when they get home. Just make sure you use music that you own!

5. A charitable solution

Many couples these days would like to give a gift back to the community, especially after spending so much money on a wedding. This idea can be combined with wedding favors by creating little cards that tell each person that a donation has been made in honor of all your guests. Depending on the charity, you can still give a little something to your guests. For example, if you are donating to the American Heart Association, put a few chocolate hearts with your card. For breast cancer awareness, include a little favor bag of pink jelly beans. Environmental charity donations could be combined with packets of seeds. You can even divide it up and donate to a favorite charity of both the bride and the groom separately.

There is absolutely no reason that you need to spend a fortune on wedding favors. Even if you buy them and avoid the time involved in DIY favors, there are many options available.

Travel As a Fundraiser for Schools and Other Non-Profits - Moving Beyond Fundraising Drudgery

Exacerbated by our country's economic problems, non-profits are even more hard pressed to not only sustain their current donor base but to generate new donations. Now is the time to embrace fundraising programs for non-profits that move past selling raffle tickets, seeking direct donations or organizing expensive fundraising events.

The most successful passive fundraising strategies involve creating a program around a product or activity that consumers were going to do, or purchase anyway. And even more effective when supporters do not have to open up their check books (yet again) for a separate or specific donation. E-Scrip is one of the largest passive fundraising programs for schools, utlizing the power of grocery shopping to generate donations. Everyone needs to grocery shop. Isn't it great that a donation is made by such a basic activity, without costing the consumer any additional dollars.

Better yet, passive fundraising programs can generate donations without competing for the donation dollars. Schools can offer E-Scrip AND other fundraising programs. The key is to offer programs that are based on a consumer activity or product they would purchase anyway. Consider then creating a passive fundraising program with travel as the consumer activity or product.

Everyone loves to travel, and many people do still travel even in these challenging times. What if a family's holiday vacation generated a donation to your non-profit? Travel is a fun, and often necessary, product that consumers are likely to purchase anyway. It makes sense then to create a fundraising opportunity from a non-profit's supporter base through travel.

Local travel agents are sometimes willing to work with a school non-profit group to create a small travel program or group cruise to generate revenue back to the non-profit. Cruise lines often offer generous discounts for a group cruise and then donate a free cruise for auction. Larger non-profits may want to look for a company that offers a more comprehensive program that would be able to provide that travel for, and pay a donation from, all types of travel from a member or supporters life such as a hotel stay for a business trip, a family vacation to Hawaii, or going to a conference. To find a program that works for your school's or non-profits needs just Google travel as a fundraiser.

Such a program generates donations simply by attaching the travel as a fundraiser concept to the travel they had to or wanted to take anyway. Travelers could book their travel with other online travel providers but then their non-profit would not receive a donation.

The travel as a fundraiser strategy is a "passive fundraising" program that generates streams of income without exerting the same resources and revenues as an event fundraiser. The travel as a fundraiser concept uses the force of consumerism to create on on-going revenue stream. A new revenue is generated with a minimum of the non-profits' resources, time and energy. The viral nature of this fundraising strategy is compelling. Everybody knows somebody who is travelling, will be travelling, or needs to travel.

What makes this even more powerful is that is that it is not limited just to volunteers or supporters of the non-profits. The companies that the supporters work for can use the tools, local businesses that want to help can use the tools for their travel needs; all of this generating donations back to the non-profits. The travel as a fundraiser concept can (and should) be shared via social media. If a non-profit supporter with 600 Facebook friends shares the program virally, the benefit to the non-profit will be exponentially greater!

Providing supporters, their families and friends, and extended networks a way to "give" as they purchase items that are part of their life, such as a travel, is an incredibly powerful fundraising strategy. Supporters can have a weekend getaway, a romantic vacation, a family holiday or even a honeymoon knowing that they are helping make a difference for your non-profits. Imagine yourself on a summer vacation to Europe (or Hawaii, or the Caribbean). Now envision that donation going back to help support your non-profit. Doesn't that make you smile? When was the last time a fundraiser made you feel this happy?

Top 10 Invitation Mistakes

Digital media has run rampant, with Americans opting to send e-cards, e-vites, and emails over traditional cards, invitations and letters. Snail mail is inconvenient, expensive, and generally unwanted in a world where clicking a button gets immediate results. One major exception to this rule is important events, such as business functions or weddings. Though it may be convenient to put together a quick event on Facebook, digital medium cannot yet reflect the importance and formality expressed by receiving an invitation in the mail. At the same time, first birthdays, pig roasts, and holiday celebrations still have a strong hold in the paper invitation world.

If you are sitting down to compose the invitation wording for your latest event (whether you are printing them yourself or having an online retailer print it for you), you may feel uncertain about what to include and what to avoid. Here is a comprehensive guide to the top 10 mistakes made by invitation novices and experts alike.

1. Information to Include:

   Leaving off information is without doubt the biggest and most consequential mistake. Forgetting to include the date or RSVP information can result in wasted money, time, and paper. So, when you have all of your wording compiled, take a quick look at this checklist to make sure everything you want to be on there is included. Your specific event may not require everything below, or it may even require a bit more.

   • The type of event: Bridal Shower, Birthday, etc. Make sure you say what your guests are attending, even if it seems obvious to you.
     
   
   
   • Person of Honor: Make sure to include the name of the person who the event is for! If it is a business event, you will want to include the name of your business both for informational and marketing purposes. (Last names are optional for informal events, and are extremely uncommon when referring to children's parties unless there is any chance of ambiguity.)
     
   
   
   • Date and Time: There are a must! BOTH should be included without fail. It is best, when giving the date, to list the day as well, so your guests can make an additional connection (ex. Sunday, May 9th). The time should always follow the date.
     
   
   
   • Location and Address: You should always have the location of the event. Whether or not the address is also needed will vary depending on the nature of your event and the guests you are inviting.
     
   
   
   • Hosts: Be sure to give yourself a little credit! You don't need to emphasize your name; in fact, the host name generally appears smaller than the other information. But, it is important that your guests have no doubts on who is throwing the party or event.
     
   
   
   • RSVP Information: This can include a phone number, an email address, a name, and even a date by which a reply is needed.
     
   
   
   • Additional Instructions/Information: Anything additional that your guests absolutely must know should be included. This could be dress style, registry information, warning that the party is a surprise, admittance fees, or any other variety of tidbits specific to the nature of your event. If including directions, those are generally put on a separate insert and not on the invitation itself. However, with the ease of access to address mapping on the internet, directions are rarely needed. One major exception would be for offsite parking.

2. Abbreviations:

   One of the biggest faux pas of invitation wording is using inappropriate abbreviations for the event. The rule of thumb is: The more formal the event, the less abbreviations used. This extends to ALL abbreviations, even ones that are so commonplace you might not even realize you are using them.

   Here are some common abbreviations to avoid in a highly formal invitation (e.g. a wedding):

   • Use in the morning, in the afternoon, and in the evening instead of a.m. and p.m.
     
   
   
   • Write out the name of the state in which your event is located instead of using the two-letter abbreviation (NY becomes New York).
     
   
   
   • Never use slang like through or 'til, and avoid all contractions (don't, it's, won't).
     
   
   
   • Substitute words for symbols whenever possible. Use the word until instead of a dash (-) for the event time. Use at instead of "@."
     
   
   
   • Write out all numbers. If your event is April 23, 2010, write the twenty-third day of April, two thousand and ten or April the twenty-third, two thousand and ten, the former being the most formal option.

   Generally, the only acceptable abbreviations for highly formal invitations are those of titles (Mr., Mrs., Dr., etc.). On less formal invitations, all of the above abbreviations are okay in varying degrees. You may want to consider the message you are sending to your guests before using slang. If your event is a laid-back get-together, it will put your guests in the mood for a relaxing and casual time. If your event is more business casual, you might want to avoid some bits of it.

3. Correct Spelling:

   Another common confusion, especially when looking at dozens of examples, is the appropriate spelling for certain words. With spelling varying between dialects, it can sometimes keep the correct usage up in the air.

   Here are some of the errors I see most often:

   • Honor vs. honour - This one is easier than you think! Honor is the American spelling, and honour is the British and Canadian spelling. Stick with the spelling for the country in which you and your guests live. This is also the case with color and colour and several other words that end in -or or -our.
     
   
   
   • Till vs. 'til - In this case, only one choice is technically correct. Till is a preposition that can be used interchangeably with until and has a nearly identical meaning. It is not an abbreviation of until, but rather its own separate word. Both words have co-existed in English for some time. Oppositely, 'til is an abbreviated form of until, and has become an accepted (albeit slang) part of the English language to some, though many still consider it a spelling error.
     
   
   
   • Its vs. It's - Found incorrectly interchanged on far more than just invitations, these two similar words should not be confused! It's is a contraction generally meaning it is and occasionally meaning it has. For example: It's (It is) three o'clock in the morning!; It's (It has) been discontinued. The appropriate use for its is as the possessive form of the pronoun it. For example: The duck gingerly plucked its feathers.; Please, put the dresser on its side to move it.
     
   
   
   • There, their, and they're - Perhaps the three most confused homonyms in English. There distant refers to a place: over there. Their is a possessive pronoun used most often with they: They threw their caps in the air. They're is a contraction meaning they are: They're (They are) all coming to our party on Saturday. Because these words are all used so commonly, it's easy to confuse them if you don't analyze the meaning: They're over there with their friends.

4. Proper Punctuation:

   Punctuation is always up for debate. Though you may not be writing an article or a brilliant work of fiction, there are still rules that need to be followed for punctuation. When it comes to invitation wording, there can be multiple options for specific situations.

   Some basic guidelines:
   

   
   
   • The elusive period - When it comes to invitation wording you can either include it or exclude it at the end of your sentences. In general, when you have a complete sentence (not just time and place information) it deserves punctuation. However, you may elect to leave ending punctuation off of your entire invitation. They key to success is consistency: either include it or don't.
     
   
   
   • Commas in a date - A date can have as many as three commas in it. These commas go after the day, after the date, and after the year. If you do not include the year, then you do not need to put a comma after the date. However, if you include the year then it must always be followed by a comma. The exception is if the date appears on a line all by itself:
     Saturday, March 27, 2010
     2:00 p.m.
     or
     Saturday, March 27, 2010, at 2:00 p.m.
     
   
   
   • Time markers - The correct form is a.m. and p.m. Always lower case and always with a period after each letter. (The alternative A.M. and P.M. are sometimes accepted.) There should be a space after the number, but not between the letters: 1:00 p.m. or 11:00 a.m. In case there is any confusion, 12:00 a.m. is midnight and 12:00 p.m. is noon. Also, instead of writing 12:00 noon you should always give one or the other as providing both is redundant: at 12:00 p.m. or at noon.
     
   
   
   • RSPV - These letters should always be capitalized and without periods. It is an abbreviation for repondez s'il vous plait meaning please reply in French. Therefore, it is redundant to say Please RSVP as it is the equivalent of saying "Please please reply." Some sources will find R.S.V.P. an acceptable abbreviation as well.
     
   
   
   • Let us (or Let's) - Don't forget to put the apostrophe! Lets is incorrect, though your spell check will not pick up on the mistake as it is a conjugation of the verb "to let" (ex., My mom never lets me eat cookies before dinner.).

5. Asking for Money or Gifts:

   Regardless of the circumstances, mentioning an expected gift in any way is unacceptable. The one exception is when you are hosting a bridal/baby shower. In these situations, saying that a monetary gift is preferred is still considered inappropriate and a major breach of etiquette. Putting aside what is expected by societal norms, it is important to remember how sensitive an issue money is for most people. Although a monetary gift may be the end result, such information can be spread by word of mouth instead of being printed.

6. Typos & Misinformation:

   Check, double check, and triple check your invitation. Look for minor typos and incorrect spelling, particularly in the names. Be sure the day and date are correct. Confirm times and phone numbers. Take your time in looking it over, as minor mistakes can cause bigger issues. (Accidentally typing that your event starts at 4:00 instead of 7:00 could be disastrous!)

7. Too Much Wording:

   Take a look at the size of your invitation. Smaller invitations can house less wording than larger ones, and likewise more decorated invitations should reflect less wording. Keep your invitation short and sweet while still including all the information needed. A line or two of introduction wording is more than sufficient (ex. "Please join us for..."). Long and wordy poems may sound nice when read, but end up jumbled and crowded in print. Also, turning your entire invitation to a large poem is in general a bad idea, as it hampers visual emphasis and comprehension.

8. Misquoting:

   Certain events lend themselves to the inclusion of a small quote on the invitation (i.e., Graduations, First Communions, Weddings). When including the quote, be sure that you have it word for word accurately from the source. Many online quote websites have been copied multiple times from other sources, and minor mistakes have been carried through. If you have the time, try to head to a library or bookstore and copy your quote directly from the original.

9. Matching Formality:

   There are a ton of invitations out there, in every variety of style, theme, and shape. There are layered, die-cut, embellished, slim, and textured options to name a few. With so many options, you will want to be certain that the invitation you have selected is appropriate for your event as well as your budget. For example, it might look ridiculous to have a fun, trendy design for a formal business event (even if the theme fits). Further, no matter how beautiful the sparkling aqua invitations you found at a bargain price are, it is unlikely that the layers and bows would be appropriate for a pool party.

10. Emphasis:

    Visual emphasis is an important part of designing any invitation. The name and event generally want to be given more emphasis (larger size, different font, bolded), while the RSVP and host section should be given less (smaller font, off to the side). Putting extra emphasis in the wrong place can make your guests confused and can leave the wrong impression. A general ordering of importance is as follows:

    • Name of Honoree
      
    
    
    • Event
      
    
    
    • Date & Time
      
    
    
    • Location
      
    
    
    • Hosts
      
    
    
    • RSVP Information
      
    
    
    • Registry/Other Info.

    If you have followed all the points above, your invitation is likely perfect and ready to go. If in doubt, do not hesitate to get the advice of a friend or colleague. In the end, remember that your eyes and ears are your best judge. Take a glance over your paper and try reading the invitation out loud. If there is anything sill amiss, your senses will likely catch it.

Antique Jewelry Insurance

Antique Jewelry or old fashioned jewelry as it is often referred to is jewelry that is of a certain age usually over 70 years old. Antique jewelry is treasured as it has often been handed down through generations holding memories and meaning.

Many people buy jewelry as an investment, this is because like land its value will increase over time so the older the piece of jewelry is the more expensive it will be.

If you are lucky enough to have been handed down or have purchased a piece of antique jewelry whether it is a necklace, ring or broach it is strongly recommended that you insure your treasured piece.

You may assume that your jewelry is covered by your home insurance however this is not always the case, quite often your home insurance will cover you if your piece of antique jewelry is stolen but it may not cover you is the is lost or damaged.

Although you will never be able to replace the sentimental value of a piece of antique jewelry it may easy your mind if you can at least replace the item should it be lost.

It is wise to read you insurance policy very carefully or contact your insurance company to ask if you are covered for this type of event.

If you current insurance policy does not cover you fully for your antique jewelry then you may be able take out additional cover however it important to know and understand the cover you are going to be paying for.

Make sure your policy will cover you for loss and damage and also check if you will still be covered should the loss or damage happens when you are out of the country.

Check that you will be reimburse for the items full replacement cost and will you receive a replacement piece of jewelry or could you opt for a cash settlement.

Quite often your insurance company will ask for an appraisal before they allow you to take out the insurance to cover your antique jewelry. Check if this is something you can arrange yourself or if it is something your insurance company will need to arrange.

Will you have to pay an excess, if you lose or damage you antique jewelry and need to make a claim will you have to pay a sum of money before the claim can go through, how will this effect your existing policy and most important how much is the excess.

If your insurance company does need your antique jewelry appraised then it is advisable that you receive more than one appraisal so that you can compare the estimates and know that you are insuring your item for what it is actually worth, it is quite common to purchase a piece of jewelry one day and get an appraisal the next for a much higher amount. I would recommend that you have an appraisal done regularly and advise your insurance company of any increase / decrease in value.

Current Trends for Wedding Invitation Cards

Wedding invitation cards set the tone and theme for your special day, in addition to providing guests with all basic information. If you are in the process of looking for invitations and are overwhelmed by the thousands of options available, consider some of the top trends. Much like fashion in the present, wedding invitation cards are bold and bright, with a focus on patterns and contrasting colors. Subdued is out, and vibrant is in.

Wedding invitation cards have often focused on pale shades, or on a tinted, solid-colored background. While such cards can still be found, couples are now turning toward more bold and bright styles while sticking with traditional wedding themes. Instead of pale pink or blue, these cards may instead substitute magenta or cobalt blue, having such a shade pop out against a solid-color background. Similarly, patterns used for the background are composed entirely of bright and eye-popping shades.

In the same vein of contrasts, silhouette styles are also popular, placing the outline of a graphic against a solid-color or patterned background. While silhouettes traditionally consist of a black image on a white background, much like a shadow against a solid-colored wall, wedding invitations are taking some liberties. Instead of solid black, the silhouette may be brown. The background, similarly, may be a bold shade or pattern. Silhouette cards come in styles for all themes, such as fall and beach weddings.

A bit of shimmer often turns ordinary cards into extraordinary wedding invitations. Rather than going with subtle silver or a quartz shimmer, however, card styles are taking a bolder approach in this aspect with gold. A hint of gold may highlight an edge of an image or a border, or may pervade the entire background of an invitation card.

Because of the recession, cutting costs and being thrifty overall have been socially acceptable, and weddings are no exception. Going on the same path as bolder and pattern-centric styles, casual wedding invitation cards are gaining in popularity. Costing less and using two sides of a card for all information, these casual styles still get the information across to your guests and allow for more graphic and wording choices.

Stunning Designs of Printable Pocket Wedding Invitations That Fit in Your Budget

Wedding invitations speak a lot about the charm that your wedding will carry. The best feature of printable pocket wedding invitations is that it comprises all your wedding details in a distinct folded card. As the invitations will give your guests the first glimpse of your wedding, captivate their attention with its stunning designs. Make your wedding a day filled with love and laughter with these attractive pocket invitations.

You can use a variety of paper types to print your invites. Silk paper and handmade paper can be interesting options as they have an elegant appearance. Embellish the invitation cards with satin bows or gold ribbons to make them even more alluring. Floral images and a photograph of the couple can add a romantic touch to the invites.

One of the most beneficial things about a print at home P W I is that it allows you to include response cards within them. This eliminates the need to send separate cards for response purposes. The pocket invitations serve as a complete package enclosing all details right from the bridal shower to the wedding program.

Opting for affordable wedding invitations doesn't mean that you have to sacrifice style. Printable pocket wedding invitations are inexpensive yet stylish. Since all the enclosed cards will be printed at home later on, it turns out to be quite a money saver. Moreover, you can customize the inner cards any way that you wish. You can even include hand-written notes for a personal touch.

Pocket invitations have built-in pockets to hold enclosure cards and are available in several sizes. Some styles open up like a greeting card and have an inside pocket to hold enclosure cards. Other styles include self-mailer pockets and enclosure cards with scalloped edges. You can choose jacket styles which open up in different ways to add more creativity to the invitations.

A wedding with a theme can indeed be a magical one. The colors of the outer jackets of the invitations should be chosen such that they mirror the theme of your wedding. Keep in mind the flowers and the decorations that you would be using. Whether you want the enclosure cards to reflect the theme or not can be decided later at the time of printing.

The style of the lettering is an important aspect to be considered. If the background is of a dark shade, try to go in for lighter font colors as this looks more appealing. Adding a monogram with the lettering can make the invitations look chic. The placement of the words can be done on the outside of the jacket folder or on the inner section.

With attractive designs and no harm caused to the budget, it is no wonder that many couples prefer printable pocket wedding invitations for their special day. The pre-made outer jackets can be made to hold the printed wedding details by either gluing them to the inside or simply placing them in the pockets. Fill your wedding day with treasured moments with these pocket wedding invitations.

Why You May Wish to Consider Wedding Insurance For Your Big Day

When you are getting married the last thing you want to do is to put the speck on the big day and many people believe that by taking out wedding insurance they will do just that.

However you may wish to forget about superstition and consider paying a premium for insurance as when you consider how much you may lose if the worst happens you could lose a great deal of money. So what does a policy cover and how may you benefit?

The typical policy may cover the following, however bear in mind that it will depend on the actual provider of the insurance and the benefits of insurance may vary as will the terms and conditions.

• Protection against the vendors letting you down


• Insurance for damage to the wedding dress


• Liability cover


• Protection against the venue letting you down


• Cover for the wedding cake


• Protection for the wedding rings


• Cancellation or postponement of the wedding

As mentioned before the above may or may not be included in your policy or you could have many more benefits in your insurance. Therefore shop around for insurance and compare not only the cost of cover but also what you get for your money.

Why might you need cover for the above? We'll take into account the following scenarios;

You have booked the ideal venue for your romantic wedding, you have always dreamed of such a place and now you have found it your wedding will be perfect. However horror of horrors when you call the venue a few days before the wedding you find that the venue has suffered a fire and your wedding reception has been cancelled. While you might be disappointed, if you have insurance you may at least be protected financially and all you have to do is to find another place quickly. At least you would not have lost out on your deposits or even the total amount.

Imagine your flowers not turning up at your wedding. This may happen if the florist has gone out of business. Your flowers could turn up but they are not what you expected or ordered and the florist refuses to do nothing about it. Your insurance is there to call on and help you out financially.

Your cars may not turn up, they could be late which makes you late and your wedding has to be postponed. Your wedding cake might be dropped on its way to the reception or they company may go out of business before the big day.

Any of the above scenarios could occur if you are unlucky and it would cost you a great deal of money if the vendors will not do anything about it. However if you had searched around and compared UK wedding insurance policies you at least do not have to suffer financial loss along with worry and heartache on your big day. Do not let superstition stop you from spoiling what should be the very best day of your life.

Gold Wedding Theme: The Best Ways to Use Gold As the Theme of Your Wedding

Gold is a majestic and luxurious color that is often used to symbolize wealth. Being able to pull off a gold wedding theme is not always easy. Gold is one of those colors that makes a huge statement, you must have a wedding ceremony and reception that is grand enough to make it worthy of this color. Gold is most often used in big fancy weddings with the reception held in a large ballroom. The color might be too commanding for a simple intimate wedding.

You will find that gold is hard to pair with most other colors. Their best matches include white, ivory, pink and silver. All these lighter colors are the perfect complement to gold, because they do not overpower it. All of these color combinations are great for a wedding, because they convey a sense of elegance and sophistication. A gold wedding theme is nothing if not elegant and sophisticated.

For the bride, gold is a simple color to incorporate into her wedding day look. There are pale gold wedding dresses available as an alternative to the traditional white wedding gown. However if the bride does not wish to break with tradition, she can easily wear some beautiful gold jewelry to go with her dress. Other than jewelry, she can also try gold hair accessories or a golden tiara. To top it all off, a pair of fancy golden sandals would look absolutely divine with her white wedding gown.

A gold wedding theme is appropriate for almost any season. The key to having gold as your wedding theme is to not overdo it. Mix it with just the right amount of white or other complimentary colors. Obviously flowers do not come in gold, however adding a simple gold ribbon to the bridal bouquet or spraying a little gold paint to the edges of the floral arrangement centerpiece will do the trick.

There are plenty of other unique ways to add more gold to the wedding. Gold trim can be applied to the edges of a white wedding cake or it can be sprinkled with edible gold sugar dust. If there is a way to use gold-plated flatware in place of silverware, that's another great option to use. Having your guests dine with golden forks and spoons will make the night extra special.

There is no need spend a lot of money to make your wedding look extravagant with a gold wedding theme. In fact, the color itself makes a lot of things look more expensive than they actually are. For instance, having your wedding invitations printed in gold lettering will make it appear much fancier than if it were printed using any other color. Why not serve your guests wine in gold-rimmed glasses? They give the illusion of wealth of prosperity, but will not cost you any more than having wine served in regular wine glasses. Just remember with gold, you can make it look like you spent a million bucks without actually breaking the budget.

Vinyl Decals Or Window Clings: Which Is Right For Me?

With so many window sign options to choose from, it is sometimes difficult to understand which material is the best fit for your needs. The majority of window signs fall into two categories: decals and clings. Knowing the differences between these materials is the first step in designing your sign and making the right decision with your purchase.

Vinyl Decals

What are they?-Vinyl Decals are heavy-duty stickers. Vinyl is a thin, glossy, weatherproof plastic film that adheres to glass, metal, and plastics. Standard vinyl signs have a full-color solid design on one side and adhesive on the other.

Pros-Vinyl decals are ideal for outdoor use because they are UV-resistant and weatherproof. They are designed to last over long periods of time and can be placed on almost any surface. You can also choose unique options like lettering, shapes, inside glass, and clear vinyl.

Cons-Vinyl decals are designed to be a semi-permanent window sign. They can be difficult to remove, but itis possible. Once they are removed, however, they are not reusable.

When to use them?-If you are looking for long-term business signs, store hours, or outdoor window signs, vinyl decals are the perfect material for you.

Window Clings

What are they?-Window clings are a thin, plastic vinyl film that "clings" to the window using static electricity instead of adhesive. Also known as static cling, they will cling to any glass surface. Using water is generally-recommended for a better installation. Standard window clings have a full-color, solid design and can cling from both sides.

Pros-Window clings can easily be removed, stored, and reused. Both sides of the material cling to glass so they can be placed inside or outside a window or mirror without special printing. They can be printed in any size, from small window stickers to large promotional signs. You can also find unique options like shape die-cutting and clear static clings.

Cons-Static window clings are not weather-resistant because they have no adhesive to secure them to the window. Over time, window clings can begin to lose their cling abilities and may need to be re-installed or even replaced.

When to use them?-Window clings are best for temporary signage (i.e. for promotions and sales). Other great uses for window clings are wedding signs, branding decals, and promotional business stickers.

Choosing the best material is all about knowing your needs. If you want something short-term that is easy to remove and can be reused, choose window clings. If you want something low-maintenance that you can stick on your window and never have to worry about again, choose vinyl decals.

Wedding Insurance - Cover Your Wedding Plans

Wedding insurance is as essential to your wedding planning as the dress.  Consider how much you spent on your car, was it less than the sum you are about to invest in your wedding?  Would you even consider not having adequate car insurance?  No?  Then why wouldn't you insure your wedding - when the average cost these days can fall between two and three times the cost of an average family saloon car?

A wedding insurance policy is comparatively cheap for insurance which covers a wide range of different parts of your wedding day.  Cover can be arranged that gives you reassurance about the largest disasters (cancellation) through to some parts that may give minor disruption but not devastating consequences (cars not arriving, for example).

Before deciding on the items that you need insurance cover for, and the value of cover that you will need, it will be worth investigating a couple of other sources of cover that may be available to you.  If you have sufficient limits on your household insurance policy, you may find that items such as the wedding gifts, rings and wedding dress/attire are covered whilst in your home.  A call to the insurance broker should be able to confirm this and/or give you a quote for the extension of cover required to the household insurance.

Items purchased or booked for your wedding and paid by credit card will often carry a level of insurance cover from the credit card provider.  In these cases, a wedding insurance policy may be duplicating cover that you already have.  For example, if the florist went out of business before your wedding day, your credit card supplier would most likely cover the refund of any deposit or payment made by the card.

When you have considered each of the alternative insurance options available to you, if you decide that a more comprehensive wedding insurance policy better serves your needs, start shopping for it as early as possible.  Most wedding insurances offer cover on a fixed scale of fees, providing cover until 24 hours after your wedding date.  The sooner you arrange insurance cover the more reassured you can be about issuing deposit payments to the various suppliers, etc., so make wedding insurance one of the priorities when you're making the planning list of items.

When assessing the level of cover you may need, take into account the various items that come together to make your wedding day:

Wedding Cars / Transport Cover

If the transport fails to show or they go out of business before your wedding day, the wedding insurance will cover a refund of your costs, enabling you to make alternative arrangements without incurring additional costs on the budget.

Wedding Rings Cover

The age-old 'joke' of the best man losing the rings  - it can happen, and it's not funny!  It's also possible for theft or loss of the wedding rings to happen any time up to your marriage service.  Check that the amount specified in the wedding insurance policy is adequate to cover the total value of both the bride and groom's wedding rings.

Wedding Flowers Cover

If the florist goes out of business before the wedding day or doesn't arrive with the floral decorations or buttonholes on the day, although the wedding insurance won't replace these, it should cover the cost that you have outlaid to the florist supplier.  It means that your last minute replacements won't be an additional cost to your special day.

Wedding Dress / Attire Cover

Accidental damage to the wedding dress ranks amongst the highest of claims made against wedding insurance policies.  Imagine the loss and devastation that you would feel if a burst water pipe or fire or other unexpected event was to cause loss or damage to your beautiful gown.  Most wedding insurance policies will cover the wedding dress and the outfits of the main bridal party, but where suits, etc. are to be hired, check who's responsibility it is for insurance, the supplier or the hirer (most will be the responsibility of the hirer, but some suppliers will offer their own additional insurance cover).

Wedding Caterer Cover

If the chosen caterer goes out of business or - even worse - fails to show up at your reception venue on the date, adequate wedding insurance will cover a refund of the large sum that you have paid to them, leaving you to be able to make emergency alternative arrangements without suffering the additional inconvenience of extra costs to your budget.

Wedding Reception Venue Insurance Cover

If a last minute disaster prevented you from using the reception venue that you had booked, fire or flood for example, wedding insurance would cover the last minute alternative that you had been forced to arrange.  If your chosen reception venue were to close or go out of business the wedding insurance policy would reimburse the payments you had make, allowing you to choose a different reception venue location without suffering a financial loss.

Wedding Cake Cover

The extravagant creation of your masterpiece wedding cake will be finished and then transported to the reception venue.  In almost every case this is done by experienced people and it is successful, but disasters can happen!  If your wedding cake isn't delivered, or anything causes it to be damaged, the wedding insurance policy will cover the cost.

Wedding Photographer and Photography Insurance Cover

A lot of things can happen surrounding your plans and wedding day that are totally beyond the couple's control; the photographer not turning up, the photographs not being able to be processed because of technical problems, etc.  Adequate protection from wedding insurance will help alleviate the cost should these difficulties occur.  If your photographs don't turn out, then you have the opportunity to have the bridal party and many of the guests reassembled and have them re-taken, thanks to your wisdom of having your wedding day adequately insured against such mishaps.

Wedding Present Insurance

A good wedding insurance policy will reimburse the cost/value up to a specified sum for damage to, or theft of, wedding presents.  One of the higher number of claims relating to wedding insurance policies is the collapse of tables holding the gifts at the reception, or accidental damage of more delicate presents such as glass or crystal items.

Wedding Guest Liability Cover

Most wedding insurance policies give a level of liability insurance if someone is injured at your wedding.  The level of cover often has an option to increase the amount should you need to do so.  Some of your suppliers (marriage location, reception venue, etc.) will carry their own liability insurance, so it may be prudent to check this out before extending the level of inclusive cover.

Wedding Cancellation Cover

If the bride or groom change their mind or run for the hills, this won't be covered by wedding insurance!  However, if an event beyond your control, such as the death of a close family member or illness in the family (or of the bride or groom), that causes your wedding to be canceled or postponed, then the insurance will cover a refund of your expenditure up to a stated amount.  If extreme weather conditions cause cancellation due to the guests being unable to attend, or the venue being adversely affected, then the wedding insurance will apply.  However, if you are unfortunate enough to have bad weather on the day it is unlikely that the insurance would cover such circumstances (you may wish to try a bookmaker!).

Marquee Cover 

Most wedding insurers offer marquee cover as an optional extra.  Not all weddings will need this and those using a marquee should check with the hire company if an additional level of insurance cover is needed before adding it to the policy.

The months before your wedding day can be quite stressful, while you're trying to get everything organized and perfectly timed.  No one wants to think of things going wrong, but wedding insurance will give you the peace of mind that your deposits and outlay to the various suppliers are insured and will be refunded in the event that anything did go amiss in the period leading to your big day.  Wedding insurance will take away some of the worries that you may have and is a good investment to make.

Free Printable Wedding Invitations - Freebies That Enthrall

When it comes to the final act of announced wedding, there is no way back. There are things to do, people to call. And bear in mind, people tend to get offended if you invite them over by phone. It is a tradition, after all. It means you need a bunch of wedding invitations, depending on how long is your wedding list. A third cousin from the bride's mother side will be tremendously offended if you skip them from your invitation list.

The fact remains: no one actually wants to turn out cheap on the wedding day. You need quite a chunk of your wedding money to spend on those one-time pieces of paper.
Professionals will squeeze you in seconds. Do not do that. Save it for a rainy day and find a way how to get free and printable wedding invitations.

First of all, there is a bunch of Internet sites, which offer a variety of those for reasonable price. They come in different designs, so called 'templates', colors and instructions how to print. You can order them already printed with the desired names, though there will always be a note of threat that a name or two might turn out misspelled.

Rather download a blank template from one of a numerous Internet sites and decide what you will do. Internet turns out to be a great companion and both money and life saver when it comes to wedding invitations. It leaves you choices, which is of great importance.

Not every person in the world is skilled to use graphic based programs for drawing and decorating downloaded blank invitations.

If you are skilled in basic software for creating and designing, do not worry. Mind you, if you should use the simplest of software, beware. Practically everyone nowadays knows the difference between an original and a downloaded card. Use proper printer and colors or hire a professional to provide you original fonts, elegant decorations along the rims and probably additional photos of you two.

The less - the better: this should be the motto if you have decided to use free printable wedding invitations. If you get too creative, it might end up as a mish-mash of kitsch. You do not want that. Go for simplicity and elegance rather than for over-kill.

This is why it is clever to download completely blank free wedding invitations, with only the format adjusted to the envelopes you will use; there is actually very little you can change once you have downloaded card with a template. Your free wedding invitation will remain free, but yet, it will have the original touch you will provide. You may have a nice handwriting - time consuming, but worthwhile. In addition to names, make your free printable wedding invitations more personal: add a spot of favorite scent or have them professionally wrapped into luxury but elegant envelopes.

Wedding Insurance: A Picture Can Say A Thousand Words!

If, like me, you do not like having your photograph taken, then the ordeal at hand whilst having wedding photographs taken will be close to your heart. By their very nature, wedding photographers are fastidious people with a keen eye for detail. They have to be because the photographs can be a great cause of consternation between newly married couples and their wedding photographer.

This is probably because it seems that the moment can not be captured again. It is a once in a lifetime experience, therefore can not be recreated. That having been said, what happens if there is some problem with the photographs themselves?

We have come a long way since the days of the old flash photography where you have to stand for ages with a fixed grin that looks as natural as a well known beef burger! However, even with the advancement of digital photography, there are still pitfalls. In the old days, you had your heart in your mouth as you opened the wedding album, because the slightest thing could turn those lovely blue skies into strange turquoise colours, or the mother in law into an `Umpa Lumpa`!

Nevertheless, digital photography has its problems as well. Bearing in mind that the pictures are stored onto some kind of storage disc or card, it is entirely possible for these to be lost, mixed up or for the information to be corrupted in some way, just in the same way as any digital information can be damaged in storage.

So, what could happen if the unthinkable happens and your photographs are lost? Well, if you had wedding insurance, you can claim for the cost of re-staging the wedding photographs, down to the ones involving the wedding cake! Just take a moment to consider the costs involved if your have to undertake this yourself. The costs could be mind-boggling, so you would be well advised to ensure that this is covered by your wedding insurance.

Of course there is the horrible possibility that your photographer does not show up on the day. This could be for a variety of reasons. They may simply have got the date wrong or they may have double booked the appointments. Whilst it is in your interests to ensure that they have all the details from the outset, like the date, time and venue, it is still good practice to send them a reminder nearer to the time just to rule out any confusion over these details. You should be aware that insurers report that photographers not turning up because of incorrect dates, times or even double booking occur with monotonous regularity.

One final aspect of this type of cover should be mentioned. Some policies will pay if the pictures are not of sufficient quality to be acceptable. If this is the case, you should contact the insurer for clarification as to what constitutes poor quality so you will know in advance.

7 Low Budget Wedding Ideas For Couples That Are Tight For Cash

Just because you don't have a lot of money doesn't mean you can't have a nice wedding. You simply need to get a little more creative. This article will give you seven ideas that you can use to help cut down on your costs. No matter how low your budget is these tips will be useful to you.

Idea #1: Cup Cakes Instead Of Cake

You could learn how to make a cake yourself. An even better idea is to skip the cake and go with a cup cake wedding instead. Cup cakes are easier to make then a cake and cheaper to make yourself. There is also allot less waist left over from the cup cakes.

Idea #2: Have A Casual Wedding

A casual wedding is perfect for a couple on a budget. You don't need to buy an expensive dress, you don't need to have a fancy meal, and you don't need to go crazy with allot of the extras. Don't think that casual weddings are boring. They are anything but boring. A casual wedding has a more relaxed and fun atmosphere to it. This puts people in the mood to party and dance.

Idea #3: Ask For A Discount

Allot of couples don't get discounts because they don't ask for them. You may be able to get discount through negotiation. For example, you could buy your wedding gown and bridesmaid dresses in the same place. By doing so you could ask for a discount.

Idea #4: Choose A Low Budget Location

Most venues will require you to decorate them a fair bit for your wedding. However, you could have your wedding at a garden and not need to decorate. Gardens are gorgeous all on their own. Look into finding locations in your area where the location speaks for itself.

Idea #5: Make Your Own Invitations

There is lots of great software on the market that will allow you to make your own invitations cheaply. Another option is to do a search online. I have found places that do nice invitations for as low as $30 for hundred invites.

Idea #6: Make Your Own Flower Arrangements

Buying flowers in season, then using them to make your own arrangements will save you allot of money. Make sure that you keep your arrangement simple.

Idea #7: Have A Simple Meal

Forget the large 5 course meal. You don't need it. Keep it simple and tasty. All people will care about is if the food is any good.

Things Go Wrong - Manage Your Risks to Lessen Their Effect

Risk Management is often overlooked on projects. But it is very important to consider risks before you start any project. You may not be a project manager but everyone is part of a project, even if the project is fixing a broken screen door or cooking a Thanksgiving meal. All jobs involved projects. Do you write reports? Researching, composing, editing, revising, and proofreading are all steps in the project to create the report. Do you work at a retail store and need to do inventory? The process of counting, reporting, and ordering is project. Even the stay-at-home mother who is planning a birthday party for her daughter or the couple planning a wedding is managing a project.

As you probably have experienced, some projects go well, some go bad, and some are never completed. This is because every project has some risk involved. There is some reason in every project, no matter how unlikely, that something will go wrong. For example, if you are writing a report on your computer and the network goes down, you may not be able to meet the deadline. If you are doing inventory and there is a power outage, you won't be able to complete it on that day. If you have reserved a hotel for the wedding reception, and suddenly the hotel goes out of business, you have a big problem. Some of these risks can be anticipated and measures can be put into place so that the event (such as a power outage) will have the least effect possible on your project. This is risk management.

One common factor in most projects is people. Even if the project has only one person on it, there is a possibility that person may leave the project. You need to have a plan on what to do if this occurs. John works with you on an important project. One day his wife calls the office and says he went into the hospital with appendicitis and will be out for at least six weeks. You need to replace him fast. Elena is supposed to do inventory over the weekend but she calls in sick. Jamie comes into the office, tells you she won the lottery, picks up her stuff, and walks out. All of these will affect your project. In order to minimize the effect, at the start of a project you will want to plan for the possibility of a problem.

There are several ways to handle risk. The four main ways are acceptance, avoidance, transference, and mitigation. Acceptance is the realization of the risk and just taking the chance it won't happen. There could be a power outage and you just accept that it may happen (and hope it won't). For the wedding, there is a risk that the florist won't deliver the flowers on time. If this happens, the wedding goes on without flowers.

Avoidance is simple: do what you can to avoid the problem. You can avoid having less than four people to do the inventory by scheduling five people to do it. Of course paying an extra person will affect that budget. If you are worried about non-delivery of fresh flowers, use silk ones. The mother planning the birthday party isn't sure she can handle twelve kids. So she only invites nine. These are all ways to avoid the risk.

Transference is when you transfer some or all of the risk to a third party. The most common form of transference is insurance. If you are planning a carnival but would have to cancel if it rains, you can buy insurance that will pay your expenses if it rains. If you are unsure of the florist for the wedding, hire two florists, each providing half the flowers. That way if one doesn't show up, at least you have flowers from the other one.

Mitigation is what you do so a risk event, should it occur, will have the least impact on the project. If you want to mitigate the risk of less than four people on the inventory project, and don't want to go over budget, you might have someone on call. If one of the people doing the inventory can't make it at the last minute, you can phone the on-call person as a replacement. For a possible power outage, you can have a back-up generator or battery powered lamps and pre-charged laptops available. In the case of losing a team member, you could have someone already trained to take over. You may also be able to pull someone off a less critical project (having made those arrangements when the project began).

How important it is to have a mitigation plan depends on two things: how likely the event will happen and how much effect it will have on the project should it occur. If something has a low likeliness and a low effect (florist delivers the wrong color flowers) you may not bother to prepare for it. But if something has a high chance of occurring and a high impact on the project (70 year old team leader decides to retire), then you want to have a plan in place.

Risk management is creating a list of possible risks, deciding their impact and chance of occurrence, how you plan to handle it (acceptance, avoidance, transference, or mitigation) and how that plan will work (how will you avoid it or how can you mitigate its effect). Here is an example of a risk management plan (most people create it in an Excel spreadsheet or a Word table):

• Risk: Outdoor wedding in June rained out


• Impact: High


• Change of occurrence: Medium


• Way to handle: Mitigation


• Plan: Reserve a room at the community center to use in case of rain

• Risk: Groom backs out


• Impact: Very High


• Change of occurrence: Very Low


• Way to handle: Acceptance


• Plan: Call off the wedding.

By having a risk management plan, you will find that when disaster strikes, you are much better prepared for handling it.

A Variety of Wedding Invitations Templates

Wedding invitations templates are certainly helpful especially for those couple who would want something basic and readily available when it comes to their wedding. People who are not very particular with how the event will transpire would most probably resort to wedding invitations templates so they can save more time, effort and money.

Thanks to the advancement in technology, because now, couples can just log on the internet and they can already search for the perfect wedding invitation sample that will suit their wedding needs, theme and their own taste as well. From there, they can also add personal touches and ideas so they can have an invitation tailor-made for their own wedding.

Wedding invitations templates, aside from being handy is also cost-efficient, thus making it a good option for those couples who are a bit tight on their budget. These websites also provide several choices when it comes to color, design, and theme so people are not confined to limited options. These downloadable templates are also available in varying formats. There are zipped templates in PC Word, PC WordPad, PC Works, Apple Word and MS Office.

Most of these templates can be downloaded free. But if you have chosen a template that is a bit exceptional or one-of-a-kind, then it may come with a price. But don't worry because generally these templates are not as expensive as getting a print shop or an invitations supplier to create and print your wedding invitations.

Decide together with your special someone or with your wedding planner if you have one. Most of these templates already have specific wordings and verses that correlate with the design or the theme. However, you can still make modifications. What is important is that you are able to put your message across. Check the spellings of words and most importantly the names. Double check the date, the venue and other particulars so your guests are properly informed, besides invitations are meant for that purpose.

How to Plan a Fabulous Wedding on a Penny Pincher Budget

It was the big moment you'd been waiting for...he popped the question, you said yes! You've announced the big news to family and friends. You're obsessed with the prismatic lights that reflect off your sparkly new ring. You can barely concentrate as you daydream about the next big moment: the slow, elegant walk you'll make in your gorgeous couture wedding gown, the exchange of vows in front of everyone you know, the elaborate celebration to follow. Then you hear the record scratch as your visions of a celebrity-style wedding are slapped by reality...how are you going to afford all this?

It's certainly no secret that weddings aren't cheap. You could buy a car, a house or even a small plane for the amount that some people spend. Of course it's natural to aspire to throw the biggest, best and trendiest wedding you've ever seen, but let's be real - unless you're fortunate enough to belong to the small percentage of the population for which money isn't an option - you're going to have to have a budget.

One of the first things you should do before you start planning anything is to determine the budget. It's something that needs to be agreed upon by both you and your fianc矇. And as tempting as it may be, you really shouldn't over-extend yourselves. Sit down and figure out what's comfortable, and stick to it. The last thing you'll want is to put you and your spouse-to-be into serious financial debt before you even say "I do" and neither do you want the arguments and stress to take away from this very special time. So how do you manage to put together the wedding of your dreams? You seriously don't have to spend a fortune. With some research, creativity and a good deal of effort you can produce an amazing and memorable event without depleting your 401k.

A huge factor in whether or not you can stick to your budget is the size of your guest list. Your mother may insist that you invite every single great aunt, uncle and second cousin, but really, it's all about inviting the people you're closest to. Having a head count of 300 guests is not only going to be extremely expensive, but you'll find you spend the entire night trying to make rounds to every single table and it won't allow time for you to enjoy yourself. Most likely you'd rather be out on the dance floor with your friends versus engaging in polite conversation with your dad's Aunt Gladys whom you haven't seen since you were twelve. You may worry that you're hurting feelings by not inviting everyone you know, but in the long run you'll be happy that you kept your numbers down.

One of the most important decisions you'll make is where you're going to host this shindig. The venue will determine the personality of your wedding. If you're aiming for sophistication, the rod and gun club won't do. The rental may be super cheap, but even if you spend a fortune fluffing it up with d矇cor you're not going to gain the elegance you were trying to achieve. On the other hand, if your style is more laid back and casual there's no need to sink your budget on a Cinderella-like castle. A great way to keep costs down is to find an all-in-one location, where you can have both the ceremony and the reception. There are more options than you may realize, and a diamond in the ruff could be right down the street from you. Consider a winery or vineyard, farm or ranch, university facility, community center, theater or performance hall, a bed and breakfast or lodge, or an historic building. If you're able to find a venue which offers a lot of warmth and charm, you have a great canvas to reflect your wedding's personality. Dress it up for elegance, or keep it casual by allowing the building's character to speak for itself. And by choosing a location not accustomed to hosting weddings you might be able to snag a pretty sweet deal on the rental. There may be more work involved, and the setup and tear down may be your responsibility, but it will be worth it, and more likely than not you'll have plenty of loved ones eager to pitch in.

Speaking of loved ones, don't be afraid to use their talents. Do you have someone in the family or a friend who is a photographer, a baker, a hair or makeup stylist, florist, musician or artist? Enlisting the people you know to help out in their given specialties is a great way to save some cash. Often they'll offer their services at a deep discount, or better yet - free! You'd be surprised how many will tell you to consider their help as your wedding gift and they'll feel quite honored that you asked them to have a part in your special day.

Food and drink can be another big expense. Don't feel you have to serve your guests fillet and seafood. In fact, no one said you're obligated to offer beef, chicken and fish. Neither do you need to give your guests a served meal. Buffet dinners are fine, not only are they usually less expensive than a seated meal they give your guests more to choose from. Shop caterers to find the best deal and don't be afraid to negotiate! And don't rule out grocery stores and restaurants, many of them cater too. If you're planning to have an open bar, it's not necessary to offer a full array of top shelf liquor. You'll eat up a lot of your budget by doing so. Keep it to wine and beer. If you feel the need to have something else, consider a signature drink, such as margaritas, something fun and fruity, or your favorite concoction.

Flowers and centerpieces are other elements which can become costly. Here's where you can evoke your creativity to produce something really cool. Your centerpieces don't have to be towering four foot vases with flowers and ivy spilling out of them. Consider using a few glass cylinder vases and bowls filled with water and floating candles, bamboo, or twigs. Pillar candles of varying heights can be set on mirrors and decorated with ribbon or velum to match your colors (just be sure to find out your venue's policy on candles, they may need to be contained in glass). If you have your heart set on using flowers, talk with your florist to find an inexpensive bloom and be sure to use something that's in season at the time of your wedding (same goes for the bouquets). Another great way to save money is to incorporate the guest favors as the centerpieces. Mini lanterns, small potted plants or votives are a cool way to fill up the table and everyone can take one home at the end of the night. The options are aplenty! Do some research, be prepared to do the work yourself (have a centerpiece making night with your bridesmaids!) and get those creative juices flowing - you can produce something truly unique, fabulous and expensive-looking for a really sweet price if you're willing to put forth the effort.

Many brides and grooms these days are opting to not have a band or DJ and are instead dancing to tunes from their iPods. You can rent the stereo equipment or find someone you know who has it. Ask a friend or family member to announce the wedding party and other parts of the reception such as the cake cutting and bouquet toss. Plus you'll hear the music you really want, no more Electric Slide or Hokey Pokey - unless of course it's your grandmother's signature dance, in that case you may have to concede!

You can save quite a bit of money by making your own invitations. There are a ton of resources on the internet, or you can find some great DIY kits at your local craft store. You can also make your own place cards and table numbers. Anything that would need to be done by a printing company can be done at home with a computer and printer - it just takes some creativity, time and patience. If you know someone who is an artist or graphic designer you can ask them to help you create something really special, and your guests will think you paid to have your invitations custom designed!

Of course one of the most important things (in the bride's opinion) that you'll be spending money on is the wedding gown. You've probably had a vision in mind since you were a little girl. It's your day to look more stunning than ever, all eyes will be upon you and naturally you want to be amazing. Unfortunately, wedding dresses aren't cheap, and even though it's something you're going to wear only once for a few hours it's natural to want to give yourself enough room in the budget to get what you want. Don't expect to get something couture or a Vera Wang if you're limited to a few hundred dollars, but you can certainly still find something that looks great on you. Luckily there are bridal shops such as David's where you can find a decently priced gown, and they have a ton of options. Also, be on the lookout for discontinued styles which you can get at a discount. If you find a dress that you know is "the one" and the sticker price sends you into shock, don't be afraid to search the internet for it. A lot of people sell their gowns on eBay, Craigslist or at consignment shops, and you just might get lucky. Even if it's not the right size you can have it altered, which most likely you'll need to do regardless. (Remember to allow some spending room for the alterations, having your dress fit to flatter your body will make you feel your best.) When it comes to accessories, don't set yourself on needing new jewelry. Chances are your mom, grandmother or future mother-in-law will have something they'd be absolutely honored to have you wear.

If feasible, leave room in your budget to allow for a honeymoon, even if it means you need to cut corners in places you'd rather not. Many couples put off a honeymoon because they'd rather spend their funds on the big day. They tell themselves they'll take a trip later, or on their one year anniversary, but most of them never do. There's a reason for a honeymoon. It gives the newlyweds a chance to unwind from all of the pre-wedding chaos and time to celebrate their new life together. Anyone who's been married will tell you the wedding day itself goes by in the blink of an eye. Once it's all said and done, after the adrenaline rush is over, you'll be so happy to have something else to look forward to. Even if you take just a few days to spend time at a local bed and breakfast, give yourselves a honeymoon, you won't regret it!

Regardless of whether you're spending $5,000 or $50,000 you can put together an amazing event with the proper planning, research, determination and a good attitude. Have fun with the process, don't let the fact that you have budget get you down, consider it a challenge! Use the internet. (It's a wonder how anyone planned a wedding prior to it!) You have so many resources at your fingertips. You'll find page after page of wedding guides, tips and advice. Blogs, Twitter and Facebook are great places to share ideas with other brides and also give you a platform to share stories and vent your planning frustrations with others who are going through the same thing. You can find awesome deals on favors, wedding party gifts, cake toppers, toasting flutes and cake servers by searching the web. The internet is a bride's best friend, so take advantage of it...and remember that while you're typing away it's perfectly normal to be distracted by that new sparkly thing sitting on your ring finger!

Wedding Insurance Advice - Don't Try To Juggle With Spaghetti

A question asked by a lot of couples planning on getting married is whether they really need wedding insurance or whether their existing insurance policies such as home insurance, travel insurance, health insurance and even the insurance offered by credit card companies is enough to cover all of the essential aspects of the wedding itself.

Certainly with the average wedding in the UK now costing around 瞿20,000 couples are often looking for any possible way in which they can save at least a little bit of their budget. Certainly at first glance it would seem reasonable to suppose that if you have a half-dozen or so insurance policies elsewhere that you might be able to save a few pounds on your wedding by not taking out a wedding insurance policy.

In a few cases this can actually work, but the statistical proof is that the overwhelming majority of people getting married in the UK desperately need proper wedding insurance. The difficulty is that whilst you may have half a dozen policies covering a whole range of other aspects, most of them will not cover the most likely problems that you could encounter leading up to a wedding.

For example you may consider that having bought the wedding rings on your credit card you will be covered by your credit card provider's insurance policy. You may, quite justifiably, assume that if your wedding rings get lost or stolen that your credit card company will reimburse you. Sadly in many cases this is not the case, and many such common insurance policies have enough loopholes to ensure that events such as weddings are not covered.

If you're having your wedding abroad then clearly you want to have travel insurance, but again it's important not to assume that this will also cover the majority or the whole of the wedding itself. If on the night before your wedding you go down with the dreaded lurgy then your health insurance make cover your medical expenses, but the fact that your 瞿20,000 wedding needs to be cancelled will not be considered.

With all of the different insurance policies you have you may feel that you have plenty of strings to your bow, but the problem is what you are trying to catch is spaghetti, and all too often this slips in between the strings. Instead what you really need is a proper wedding insurance policy to ensure everything is covered. Think of it a little like a colander for straining the spaghetti.

When you consider that wedding insurance starts from under 瞿20 the decision not to take out a wedding insurance policy is really a false economy. At no other time in your life will you risk 瞿20,000 on the gamble that one particular event on one particular day will go according to plan. Since the day is so special, and so expensive, then irrespective of what other policies and protection you may have in place it simply isn't worth the risk of letting your wedding spaghetti slip through your fingers.

Your Personal Wedding Invitations

When planning your wedding, leave sufficient time to consider the invitations. The look of them, the wording of them, the intent behind their presentation--all send a message to the recipients and set the tone for the wedding itself.

Traditional wording for your wedding invitations would be something like this:

Mr. & Mrs. John White

Request the honor of your presence

To witness the bonding together

Of their daughter Evelyn Linda White

And

Mr. Michael Warren Jessop

Son of Mr. And Mrs. Winston Jessop

This would, of course, be followed by the particulars.

A less formal approach might read something like this:

Evelyn Linda White

And

Michael Warren Jessop

Invite you to witness

Their vows of love

On their wedding day.

(And so on...)

There is nothing inherently right or wrong about a formal versus a casual approach to your wedding invitations. That decision simply depends on the scale of the event.

There are situations when it would be appropriate to include the invitation to the wedding reception with the wedding invitation. At other times, it would be more prudent to create a separate invitation for both events.

A separate invitation to the reception only might look like this:

Evelyn Linda White

And

Mr. Michael Warren Jessop

Request the pleasure of your company

At their wedding reception,

Sunday, the tenth of June

3:00 P.M.

St. Andrew's Church

3268 Sixth Avenue

Black tie requested

RSVP

888 376-9882

Note: E-mail RSVPs are still not acceptable unless the event is informal. Also, there is rarely, if ever, a time when it would be appropriate to invite a guest to your wedding but not to your reception.

A fairly new accessory to the wedding and reception invitations is the "reply card." This is simply a separate card included inside the invitation, with lines to be filled out. Etiquette requires you to provide a stamp on the reply card's envelope.

The rules are not as important, however, as your intention. If you put a little conscious energy into every phase of your wedding, including your invitations, you will manifest a clear and ringing expression of your love and commitment, and a beautiful memory for a lifetime.

Cheap Wedding Invitations - Professional Results At The Fraction Of The Cost

Limited budget should not hurt your wedding preparations and the ceremony itself. Before you get yourself walking to the altar and exchanging your vows with your one true love, your wedding invitations are the first step that formally and surely announces your wedding to your guests. Though this is an important detail in your wedding preparation, you do not want to give a big chunk of your budget for these simple things. You can always have cheap wedding invitations but no one will know it because you can still make them elegant.

What you just need to put in mind is to make the invitation personal. One of the many ways to do it is to use your own desktop computer and colored printer. This way, you can personalize your own wedding invitation. You can type your message personally for your individual guests. The color that you use should also match the color of your motif. The design should also be suitable for your theme if you have chosen any. There are free wedding invitations templates available in the Internet that you can use as patterns.

Using your personal computer is best when you only have few people on your guest list. The good thing is you can have your own design and can customize it according to your taste without worrying about the printing press not getting you instructions. Definitely, buying your own materials like specialty papers, some scrapbooking items, envelopes, and printer ink is much cheaper than using print shop service. Offset printing sometimes have minimum amount by the hundreds before they can give you discount.

There are a lot of ways to produce elegant but cheap wedding invitations. Though there are some details that you should not omit and always keep in mind. First is to be sure that the names of your principal and secondary sponsors are correct especially the way you address them. Second, make sure that the date and venue of your wedding are also correct and placed in an area where your invited guest could easily see them. Other details include the color of the paper against the color of the ink. Be sure that your chosen colors are contrasting enough so the texts could easily be read. Also the fonts should match the theme that you have chosen.

The objective is to make your wedding invitations more personal and unique. Your guests will feel that they play important part of your special day, not knowing that your personalized and elegant invitation was made at the fraction of the cost.

Design My Own Engagement Ring

The engagement ring is often one of the most important aspects of the whole engagement process. Many people will spend a large proportion of their wages to buy a ring from a jeweler's window. Although the engagement rings may be specially picked it is not unique, and so many people will think that they want to design my own engagement ring.

Many people now will go to their local jewelers and say that they want to design my own engagement ring. It is a service that many are now happy to provide. The process involves choosing the ring setting for the engagement ring, what metal it is to be made from, be it gold, white gold or platinum, and the set of the diamond. There are a choice of two main sorts of settings, be it grain set or channel set.

The diamonds are also an important consideration when it comes to deciding to design my own engagement ring. There are of course many considerations about the diamond. There is the price of the stone, the quality, cut and size, and the assurance that it is not a blood diamond. Even when someone comes up with a design it is important that the ring is still certified. This process of course tends to be longer than picking a ring off of the shelf, but can be well worth the wait. Remember though that a bespoke ring is going to cost more than a standard ring, and is a matter for each individual as to whether this cost is worth the result.

It is though not just the local jewelers that are providing the service that allows couple to design my own engagement ring. Many websites offers a program that allows you to design a virtual ring long before you even think of stepping into a jeweler shop. Whether the ring is unique or whether it is a copy of someone's favorite celebrity then it is a great thing to mess around with.

It is of course not just the engagement ring that can be designed by the prospective wearer. It is the same process that extends into the wedding ring market as well. So you could always decide on a unique engagement ring followed up by a unique wedding ring as well.

If you are going to design my own engagement ring then you are assured of getting a ring that is unique and unlike anything else others are wearing.

Informal Wedding Reception Invitation Wording - What to Say

Your best friend has asked for your hand in marriage and you now find it is time to start preparing for your wedding invitations by selecting the most excellent informal wedding reception invitation wording. Many couples find it hard to select the best wording when they are faced with so many choices. However, it is actually quite easy when you follow these straightforward rules.

When you are trying to create the best informal wedding reception invitation wording, the first thing you need to keep in mind is to have fun. The wedding reception invitation wording should reflect how you both live your lives. If you as a couple spend a lot of time near the beach, you can create a beach invitation with the words vanishing into the sunset.

The second thing you need to keep in mind is to keep the basic ground rules in place. As long as you include these basic ground rules, you can feel free to be as imaginative as you want with your invitation. These ground rules include mentioning the married couple to be full names, mentioning where the reception will transpire, mentioning when the reception will transpire, and mentioning the time the reception will transpire.

The third item to take into account is what to say for the rest of the informal wedding reception invitation wording. With your essential ground rules firmly in place, this opens it up for you to be as artistic as you want with the rest of the invitation. You can place anything at the top including your favorite song verse, your favorite poem, or your own creatively written words. Just bear in mind no matter what you say that it needs to go along with your wedding theme.

Being consistent through your entire wedding is important and is also the fourth factor you need to consider. If your wedding is informal, then you need to make sure that your entire invitation is also informal. This means writing the numbers for dates instead of spelling the number out. It also means reducing the titles in the names to Mr. and Mrs. Lastly you need to shorten any street names such as Ave.

The fifth thing you need to bear in mind is to make sure you keep the entire invitation on a personal level. This includes making sure your wedding reception invitation wording is written more in a more relaxed style and not in a formal manner. So any formal words such as cordially invite would need to removed.

The sixth point you need to make sure is included within your invitation should address how you wish your special guests to dress. Their comfort should be considered if you are having a casual wedding. The last thing you would want is for your special guests to leave early due to feeling out of place because everyone is dressed casually while they are dressed in a tuxedo and fancy dress. This is very easy to refer to in your invitation. All you have to do is to include how your casual event will take place such as in you will be having a casual beach party or backyard barbeque.

Setting up what the wedding reception invitation wording should say is very simple when you follow the ground rules mentioned above. The most vital piece of information to consider is for you to remember to have fun creating the wedding invitations. The first part of the invitation should have your favorite song or poem verse or perhaps you can write a verse of your own. The next part should contain the main parts that are in any invitation which are the wedding couples full names, and the items that answer the questions when, where, and time. After all of this, you should include a single line that explains how casually dressed your guests should arrive. By following these courses of action, you can guarantee that your informal wedding reception invitation wording will come out just the way you want.

Is Marriage Just a Form of Insurance Fraud?

We are told that we need INSURANCE.

Often, INSURANCE is a good idea - especially if you are heavily invested in something like a house or a car or a watch or a bag.

It is wise to be prepared for the worst, although you may hope for the best.

There is one INSURANCE policy that is a SCAM - marriage.

Marriage is not a good INSURANCE policy - it is a SCAM.

- Marriage does not ensure a lifelong love or commitment.
- Marriage does not ensure wise and respectful parental behavior.
- Marriage does not always ensure financial stability for both partners.
- Marriage does not ensure a balanced and loving home for your children.
- Marriage does not ensure your validation in the eyes of society - especially if it ends in divorce.
- Marriage is an INSURANCE SCAM sold by religions, governments and parents...

If you will not breed with him because he won't marry you, don't breed with him just because he will marry you.

If you will not live with him unless he marries you, don't think that marriage will make living with him any better.

If you will not trust her until you are married, do not think that marriage will make things any better for you... or for her.

If you think that marriage will lock him in or lock her down, then you are about to fall for an INSURANCE SCAM.

If there was any love, trust or belief in marriage, there would be no need for marriage in the first place.

- Relationships are hard work. Everyday - marriage does not change that.
- Relationships are riddled with complacency - marriage does not change that.
- Relationships are often endured out of fear - marriage does not change that.
- Relationships often come to an end - marriage does not change that.

If you are considering breeding with your partner, take marriage out of the equation - would you still breed with them? If not, then don't ever think that marriage will change how they will be as a parent... Do not fall for the INSURANCE SCAM of marriage.

If you are considering moving in with your partner, take marriage out of the equation - do you see it working even if you are not married? If not, don't ever think that co-habitation will get easier with marriage... Do not fall for the INSURANCE SCAM of marriage.

If you have any doubts at all about the person you love, if you have trust issues, behavior issues, or even age issues, take marriage out of the equation - don't ever think that marriage will suddenly make them better, don't ever expect them to change because of marriage... Do not fall for the INSURANCE SCAM of marriage.

- Relationships only survive if both parties work constantly to make it successful:

If you work hard at your relationship you do not need marriage...

Marriage does not clear up the problems - it sometimes hides them for a while, but they will re-surface.

- Relationships require communication, trust, love and belief:

If you communicate your love clearly you do not need marriage to prove it...

Marriage is based on doubt, fear and insecurity - if these were not a part of the marriage equation, then you would not need the marriage.

- Relationships are built because each partner is an equal:

If you maintain equality then you retain the respect and individuality that leads to a successful love...

Marriage is based on each person having specific roles.

- Relationships require each partner to maintain their individuality in case the relationship ends:

If you refuse marriage as an option, you allow yourself truth and freedom...

Marriage is based on the illusion that things will never change, and that's why divorce is so prevalent.

- Relationships allow each partner to be financially independent.

If you think marriage will be financially beneficial, think about the cost of a divorce...

Marriage relies on financial dependency that leads to a loss of respect within the marriage and financial meltdown during the divorce.

- When a relationship ends it is up to each partner to survive alone.

If you think a divorce is fair to each partner, realize that the financially dependent one will always be worse off and the financially successful one will always be ticked off...

When a marriage ends, each partner tries to survive by screwing over the other one.

- When a relationship ends, each partner survives by moving on and by relying on no-one but themselves.

If you think marriage provides an INSURANCE policy, you are wrong - relationships force you to be aware, whilst marriage allows you to be off your game until it is all too late...

Do not be suckered into the illusion of the INSURANCE SCAM that prevails in society.

Stand up for yourself. Be confident in yourself. Then, you will have the best relationships.

Be an individual who has a sense of self-achievement and a lifetime of great relationships.

The INSURANCE SCAM of marriage is designed to make you weak, to make lawyers rich, to make governments less accountable and to make life more complicated.

Build your own life with someone without the need for a fear-based institution.

Guy Blews

The Right Start - Six Feng Shui Tips For Your Wedding

Feng Shui has many definitions, and my simplest descriptors are:

o The process of maximizing our experience of an environment

o An environment that feels safe and secure.

There are several environments: Mind, body, home, work, relationships, mode of transportation, and so on. When it comes to the mind, body, and relationships - there's input and output; in other words, positive thoughts and actions attract positive reactions. When it comes to love, being in love, and having others share our experience of it, Feng Shui is definitely a tool for your toolbox.

There are many types of Feng Shui. What most people think of when discussing marriage is the "love" or "marriage" area. That's Western (Black Sect) Feng Shui. Some of what we'll cover below applies to Western Feng Shui, and some of it does not.

We're focusing on classic Feng Shui, which goes beyond a love or marriage area. In this approach, all areas affect love and marriage. As an example, the NW of a church, reception hall, or your home affects the head male. The SW affects the head female. North affects communication, South affects the heart, and so on. Because all areas affect love, and if you are blending a family, certain directions (and the energies there) affect children.

Classic Feng Shui works holistically and is more thorough. If any area is out of balance, love and/or marriage can be undermined. If there's separation or divorce energy, it needs to be managed. If there's affair energy, that also needs to be managed.

People have asked me for years how to maximize their engagements, weddings, honeymoons, and homes. This article provides a few useful ideas. The top six tips are listed here. There's more detail provided later.

1. Preplanning
As you'll read below, there are several considerations during your preplanning phase. Timing (date selection) is the number one tip as it has a ripple effect. Events that start on a good energy day are more inclined to stand the test of time.

2. The Wedding Party
Honor people's personal energies and make the experience a win/win for everyone.

3. The Wedding Experience
Communication equals satisfaction. Create a plan; enroll others to help, then work the plan.

4. The Honeymoon
Select a location that supports both of you (based on tip number two). When you do this, pleasure and relaxation are enhanced.

5. Your Home
A Feng Shui consultation of your home is a gift that keeps on giving. The analysis produces an action plan which then can be addressed with your gift registry (remedies that may be needed). Ask for the right start to support your relationship, health, and success in life.

6. Gratitude
Similar to Feng Shui, life is a journey not a destination. You're starting a life together. Remember to close each day by reflecting on what you're grateful for. Even when there's a breakdown, it leads to a breakthrough.

For preplanning, keep these additional tips in mind:

o It is said that anything worth doing is worth doing well. Regarding a date analysis, some people advise just on "wedding" dates. Some advise based on your Western-astrology birth date. Here again, our analysis is more complex and thorough. We consider dozens of factors so you can schedule with confidence (engagement, applying for your marriage license, travel dates for guests, when to have the wedding, time to start the ceremony, when to sign contracts, when to make deposits on services, when to have the reception, travel dates for the honeymoon, moving dates, etc.).

o Your ring's design can be influenced with Feng Shui. One example is if you are an earth person and your partner is fire; earth is yellow, tan, brown, and square; fire is red, pink, purple, and triangle. You might select a ring with a square diamond in the center and triangle diamonds (or red gems) on the side.

o An eco-friendly approach could be rings with recycled or labor-free metals or gems. It's always a good idea to have your rings cleansed before wearing them. Cleansing (or clearing) jewelry goes beyond freeing them of dirt. It's a process of ridding them of energies. A ring that someone else tried on or wore has their energy. If the stone cutter (or person who sized the ring) was upset, that energy is in the ring.

o Ensure the location of the engagement party has good energy. If it doesn't, there's usually something that can be done.

o Location-site analyses for the wedding ceremony and reception hall are very important. Even when there's strong negative energy, there's typically a simple solution (and temporary since you don't own the site). Keep in mind that good Feng Shui should be felt not seen. There should not be obvious trinkets or statues around.

o Consider having the ceremony and reception at eco-friendly sites (earth and animal friendly). Use eco-friendly materials and decorations. At one wedding, instead of throwing rice we used grass and flower seeds. At another wedding instead of purchasing flowers, guests brought flowers to match the color scheme. Their originality was amazing (added to guests' forethought and fun) and some were even home grown.

o Establish and follow a budget. Avoid shock and remorse that can diminish the afterglow. Local vendors are an eco-friendly approach because they not only cost less, it's better for the environment.

o Regarding photography, go digital. Upload the pictures to a website where people can purchase the ones that mean the most to them. It makes a difference when people are buying it themselves (versus an open pocket book). You can always choose to 'gift' them a picture or two.

o Explore an organic menu with your caterer. Again, that usually means locally-grown food which helps local farmers.

o The cake, like your rings, can be Feng Shui'd according to you and your partner's energies.

Let's explore the wedding party in more detail:

o The bride and groom each have their own energy based on birth date, time of birth, and location of birth. We want to honor your energies in everything we do (invitations, wedding colors, wedding attire, site selections, standing positions during the ceremony, food choices, gifts, music, seating selections, location of honeymoon, and we already mentioned rings and the cake).

o The bride and groom's energy also determines their compatibility. Sometimes we choose partners with similar likes, and sometimes we choose partners that require more work. It doesn't mean it won't work, it just requires more work. Feng Shui helps to smooth rough edges. In one case, dates were particularly challenging. Their elements were opposite so what was good for her wasn't good for him. The scope of the analysis (because of the complexity) required a search for each day over a two-year span, and then only produced five dates to work with. It was well worth the research!

o Also, when it comes to communication -- strengths and weaknesses are identified. Then we can choose to acknowledge strengths and develop our weaknesses. This is key component for a long-term relationship.

o The bride and groom's energy determine their individual sleeping directions. If they are opposite, a compromise process begins. Their energy also relates to their choice of home and whether they are undermined or supported.

o The bride and/or groom's attire is a factor. An eco-friendly approach might be a pre-owned or inherited garment. In this case, a cleansing is in order.

o The wedding-party's attire is another consideration. If (based on their individual energies) most of the party is fire (as an example), we may want to downplay the color red.

o When it comes to gifts for the wedding party, you can select gifts that compliment their personal energy; or you can simplify it even more ... give them environmental donations (trees planted in their name, stars named after them, etc.).

Regarding the wedding experience:

o A wedding or reception location that has an excess of electro-magnetic frequencies (EMF) or geopathic stress can agitate people. Tempers flaring or people seeking excess during your special day are not pleasant experiences. Minimize these effects to be present to the joy and harmony this day reflects.

o If you plan to have an outside reception, flow and set up can be enhanced.

On the topic of the honeymoon, you know by now that timing, location, fun and relaxation are a dynamite combination. In one case, we helped a couple overt a typhoon!

As was mentioned, your home can undermine your relationship, health, and success; or improve them. Instead of items that go on a shelf for use once in a while, your gifts could manifest a better future. Now that's a great gift!

If, at this point, you're thinking there's too much to deal with ... Feng Shui actually simplifies the process. It is our job to figure out details and present you with a plan of action. We hear, time and time again, this saved clients time, effort, and money. Do it right the first time and everyone benefits.

In conclusion, let's refer back to the above Feng Shui definitions. You've set the stage for you and your partner, the wedding party, and your guests to maximize the experience ... things flow more smoothly. There are fewer financial or emotional surprises to react to, fewer delays or cancellations, fewer conflicts in general. Actions are more purposeful (efficient and effective) which translates to less stress and more enjoyment. After all, that's why you're sharing your wedding in the first place.