DIY Wedding Invitation Kits Make Customization Easy

One of the easiest ways to save money on your wedding expenses is to use the DIY wedding invitation kits. Apart from saving money and having your own favorite design choice there are several other advantages of using these kits. You can also choose from designs which match your wedding theme. Some of the advantages are given below.

When you use DIY kits you don't have to compromise on the quality of the paper used. These kits make use of high quality paper with various kinds of special embellishments. The cost of each sheet of paper would be around $1-2 which is much less than the ready made ones which cost about $3-4 per piece. For high-end models you will have to spend about $5-10 or so.

You will be able to select from a wide range of printer friendly papers with various backgrounds which range from leaves and petals to metallic designs to lace and floral patterns. You can also get beautiful handmade paper from the DIY wedding invitation kits. They are available in various decorative finishes as well. They make your invitations look gorgeous and sophisticated, just like the ready made ones, and at much cheaper rates.

To customize your personal invitation you can make use of different wording, fonts and designs which stand out and are completely different from the usual ones. You can also add information on various other occasions in a creative way to make the wedding invitation cards more interesting and colorful.

When you make your decision and choose the materials, you can be assured of fast delivery and turnaround. There will be no mistakes because you would have thoroughly read the content and ensured that there are no printing errors at all. So you will not have to waste any time on reprints or misprints. Also, if you have ordered a lesser number and require more, you can quickly get them printed in no time.

While choosing the paper you need to be careful of a couple of things. Remember not to choose cheap and flimsy paper because it can be difficult to print on them. Use good materials and embellishments to add value to the invitations. If you are not familiar with the different qualities of paper used, you can use the help of the salesperson to give you some guidance while choosing the materials. With the advent of consumer level printing technology, it has become very easy to make your own cards using DIY wedding invitation kits. All you need is a little creativity to make your cards more interesting and stand out from others.

Importance of Wedding Invitations in a Wedding

Wedding Invitation is a request for the guest to attend your wedding function. Typically, a wedding invitation is a letter which encompasses the time, venue and other details regarding wedding ceremony. Usually this invitation is sent to the guests before 6 to 8 weeks from the day of wedding function.

These invitations can be printed using different printing technology. Some commonly use printing technology for designing these invitations are lithography, letterpress printing, engraving and thermography. One can also use offset printing or embossing for printing their invitations card. Most recent technology used for printing invitations is using ink jet or laser printer. With these technologies, one can print their invitations at their home also.

Wedding template design trends are not fixed. They are evolving continuously. You need to keep in touch for latest invitation designs. Nowadays, you will find various contemporary invitations in the market from where you can make your choice.

While choosing your wedding cards, you should keep theme of wedding in mind. For beach wedding, one can choose a card with fresh colors and beach photos. In case of traditional church wedding, go for more adornment that reflects official nature of the wedding ceremony. Modern wedding cards are the reflection of all couples personalities rather than traditions.

The invitation is sent with two envelopes. Wedding card is placed in inner envelope. Inner envelope fits into outer envelope. Outer envelope is gummed and used for writing address. Engraved texts are protected using the tissues against the discoloration or spotting. In order to save money, some people do not use inner envelope or they use pocket fold.

You can also search on internet for modern and unique wedding cards. You will find many wedding templates online. Nowadays many web sites also provide custom wedding card templates.

Wordings used in wedding cards should be selected carefully. Though there are no certain rules to follow, one should follow certain etiquette while preparing wedding invitation. This makes your wedding card not only readable but beautiful.

Though mother of bride addresses invitation usually, now days a professional does the work on the half of her. Also friend with beautiful handwriting can also help them out. One can solve using word processing or spreadsheet software to print names on envelops directly from the list of guests.

After writing the names on envelops, you need to post the invitations. Many countries provide the facility of franking love stamps on the envelopes. In US, special love stamp is issued by postal authority to cover invitation and a replay. Cost of love stamps is usually less than regular stamps. Other expenditure includes posting collection of reception card, RSVP response card, site map and accommodation information card.

As wedding is most special event in couples life, everyone wants to make it unique and memorable. Your invitation is the first impression of your wedding theme. It sets the tone of your wedding. Thus wedding invitations play crucial role in making your wedding an unforgettable and exceptional event not only for you but also for the guests.

Cheap Wedding Invitations - A Seal and Send Wedding Invitation Can Be Very Cheap

How cheap can a seal and send wedding invitation be?

If you go to a local print shop and ask if they have some 110# scrap card stock, you may get it super cheap. Sometimes print shops will give you scrap before it goes to the recycle bin. Many times they only charge a few dollars for cutting it to your size.

If you want to have a cheap wedding invitation, try this. Ask you local shop if they have scrap 5 1/2 inches wide. Ask them if it is at least 14 inches long. You can use six inches by fourteen. If you want you can pretty much use any size. I don't recommend less than five and one-half. You need to be at least five inches for mailing reasons.

Now once you have your card stock cut to size, you are ready to print on it. Determine the fold and perf areas. Set it up so that you will not have type on the folds. Print one out and make sure it will work well. Then you can print the rest. It really isn't that difficult to set up. I have used Microsoft Works to do this. It is a $30 program so you don't need expensive software.

Once you have set it up and know that it will work, you can print all the fronts. After the fronts or insides are printed you are ready for the outside. If you are going to address them on your printer you can set it up now or wait. Print all the outsides. If you didn't set up the addressing then do that or wait til you fold them to address by hand.

To make these fold easier you want to score them. This just means putting a crease in them.Before we make the fold lets get a perf on them. A perf is a perforated line that will allow your quests to tear them smoothly. They will mail the postcard back to you. Go to a discount store or craft place. You can even get these at a fabric store. Buy a two dollar tracing wheel.

Make a cardboard dummy the size of your first folded piece. Line it up on the edges to make sure you will get a straight perf. This gives your seal and send wedding invitation a tear apart card. Place the invite on a cutting board and run the tracing wheel on the edge of the cardboard dummy to make your perf.

Now make a new cardboard dummy for your second fold. This will be done using a bone folder tool. These are available at Walmart for four dollars. You may find them at other craft stores too. Then make another crease where the third fold will go. You can follow the same steps.

Now fold it and add a seal. If you have done all of this your biggest expense will be the ink. I advise an Epson printer that uses water proof ink. If you have done a basic invitation with some type and clip art you should be able to do 100 invites for less than twenty-five dollars.

With all the advantages of the print, seal and send wedding invitation, you should love them. They are neat and affordable.

Wedding Insurance Will Give You Peace of Mind

For most couples organising their wedding the question of wedding insurance is an issue. Is it worth it? The answer depends partly on how much your wedding costs. If it is a cheap and cheerful affair, then the insurance premium probably isn't worth it.

These weddings are a minority nowadays. Most wedding costs tens of thousands, whether it's pounds sterling, euros or US dollars, so a wedding insurance policy is probably a good idea. Usually you would aim to cover your major expenses such as the dress, ceremony, reception, catering, flowers, honeymoon etc. Most suppliers will want paying if you have to cancel your wedding. Maybe not the whole bill but certainly their costs up to the point of cancellation.

Of course for many excited bride and grooms the idea of thinking about insurance when planning their wedding is at the bottom of their to do list. You understandably want to concentrate on the exciting and romantic things like the tropical honeymoon, horse drawn carriage and gorgeous dress. However extreme weather and lots of other unforeseen circumstances can intrude on your big day. Insurance can give you some protection against the unexpected but of course doesn't cover everything.

After booking the ceremony, reception, caterers, florists, cake makers, wedding planners etc and of course paying a deposit, you are in a contract. You are committed and there will be a cost if you cancel. Wedding insurance gives you that extra peace of mind. Look for a policy that covers potential problems such as

• One of your service providers, say a caterer or florist goes bankrupt and closes down


• The precious professional photos and videos of your ceremony get lost or damaged


• There is an accident or sudden illness on the day


• Your wedding rings are mislaid or worse stolen


• A clothes related disaster - such as your wedding dress being wrong, stained, damaged or not arriving

If any of these problems occur some extra protection is useful. Of course not every eventuality is covered. If you or your other half gets cold feet, the costs remain yours. Most policies will not cover change of mind.

Like all insurance policies wedding insurance is available from a wife range of companies. Just as with all types of insurance and general financial undertakings you need to shop around and try to get the best deal for your own circumstances. Although it is an extra cost the reduction in worry it buys is well worth it. Planning a wedding is stressful enough with concerns over cancellation costs adding to your already elevated stress levels.

Cheap Wedding Stationery - Money Saving Tips to Help You Reduce the Cost of Your Wedding

Cheap wedding stationery does not have to be cheap looking. There are many way to save money and still have stylish stationery.

1. Don't send reply cards. Instead ask people to email or call you. If you have a wedding website you can ask your guests to reply through your website.


2. Choose simple wedding invitations, perhaps a single sheet of card with your invitation details printed on the front. Avoid over complicated designs or designs with extra embellishments, such as ribbons, embossing or foil printing.


3. Don't send save the date cards unless necessary. Save the date cards are advantageous for guests coming from further afield as they will need to make travel arrangements. Or if your wedding is during a popular holiday season. However, if this doesn't apply to you don't feel that you need to send them.


4. Making your own. If you have a little creative flair then making your own can save you money. However, make sure to weigh up the costs in advance. The cost of paper, card and embellishments can add up. You also have to consider how much time it will take you.


5. Sending your invites with your Christmas cards. Quite a number of couples choose this option as it reduces postage costs. Doing this also gives you an advantage in getting your wedding invitations out early, allowing plenty of time for your guests to RSVP.


6. Order several items of stationery at the same time. This can save on delivery costs as many wedding stationers have a standard delivery price. And some will offer free delivery if you order over a certain amount. Plus if you are ordering a lot of stationery then you may be able to haggle a discount.


7. Last tip, shop around. Some stationery is supplied by more than one wedding stationer. You may find that discounts of 10, 15 or even 20% are available.

How to Make Your Handmade Wedding Invitations Unique

Handmade wedding invitations are a great way to ensure that the invitations are as unique as the bride-to-be. If you are like most brides, you want your wedding invitations to be memorable and intriguing. By using a few design techniques, dazzling embellishments, and a bit of creativity, your handmade wedding invitations will be gorgeous! To achieve the personalized look that you want, you could try some of these ideas to make your invitations special:

Ravish them with ribbon!
Ribbon can be a fairly inexpensive way to take a plain invitation to new stylistic heights. Handmade wedding invitations can take on so many different looks when ribbon is incorporated. Whether you decide to use a pretty grosgrain ribbon to hold the invitations together or as the opening clasp, or a sparkling sheer ribbon as an accent on the cover, ribbon is sure to give your invitations a stylish look.

Glam them up with glittery things!
Handmade wedding invitations offer you a chance to flex your creative muscle. For a more daring look, use glitzy embellishments like glitter, sequins, and shiny charms. One possible technique for adding radiance to your invitations calls for a glue pen, stencils, and glitter to create specialized text and designs. Using the stencil as a guide, apply the glue to create your design, and then sprinkle with glitter. Sequins are very fun to work with and can make your invitations quite brilliant. Sequins and charms can be added either individually or clustered with wire or string. While you can create some lovely designs, be mindful of the weight that they can add when it comes to mailing out your invitations.

Bedazzle them with beads!
Beads are both tactile and engaging additions to handmade wedding invitations. When used with beading wire, beads can turn your flat invite into a three-dimensional work of art. Beads can also be added to ribbon, and be made to dangle from the invitation. Consider exploring those beautiful little Mother of Pearl beads or for a more ethnic or island feel, use cowry shells.

Your invitations will evoke lots of excitement and set the tone for your big day. They will also be a memento for your guests to admire and enjoy for years to come. When it comes to making handmade wedding invitations, the possibilities are endless and with a little imagination, your wedding invitations will look extraordinary!

Texas Condo Unit Owners Insurance

Texas condo unit owners insurance is available with a variety of choices.

Each state has separate rules and guidelines for insurance products. For most Texas condo insurance policies the national standard called "HO-6" is the starting point. This is a package of coverage's specially designed for condominium unit owners.

Typical standard coverage's include risks such as windstorm (sometimes excluded in costal areas), smoke, fire, explosion, hail, theft, vandalism, discharge or overflow of water, and a few other coverage's.

However all companies Texas condo insurance products are not the same. Here are some suggestions for evaluating this type of policy:

 ·        Many condominiums associations will provide a blanket policy for the basic structure and common areas. So you may not elect to insure the full value of the unit. It is a good idea to insure for at least 30% of the units value, plus your personal property, even if there is an association policy.
·        Most policies will include some personal liability coverage.  There is typically an option to pay a small additional premium for a higher limit. You should get the highest level offered, especially if the unit will be leased to others.
·        Some policies will offer an upgrade to "replacement cost" for an additional premium. I suggest trying to get a policy with this feature (however that is typically not an option if the unit is leased to others).
·        There may be an option to get "loss assessment" coverage. Ask your agent to explain this and I suggest getting at least 10,000 in coverage for this. The extra cost is usually about $1.00 extra per month...a great value!
·        Some policies offer an option for a "floater". This is typically used for an item of jewelry that the policy would not cover. This is a great option to consider for something like an expensive wedding ring.
·        Ask about discounts. This can be for things like non-smoker, alarm system, or certain age groups.
·        I suggest shopping with a trusted brand name with a good financial rating. Deal with an agent that is knowledgeable about this type of policy. And ask your agent for details about the coverage and options available.
·        Even with upgrades the policy should be reasonably priced. You may want to comparison shop with a couple good companies.

Texas residents can call my Houston office for more information at 281-537-2700.

Anna Griffin and Her Brand of Wedding Invitations

Darling of the paper craft industry, graphic designer Anna Griffin comes by her love of art and design naturally, she grew up in a family of artists. It is also not surprising that her love of art brought her to wedding invitations - one of her first jobs out of college was working with famed wedding designer Vera Wang. In 1994, Griffin set out on her own, launching a line of custom designed, hand-crafted wedding invitations that borrow heavily from beautiful traditional botanical prints and Victoriana.

In the years since, the name Anna Griffin has become synonymous with high quality paper crafting designs. Her company released the first line of imprintable wedding invitations for the home crafter, do-it-yourself bride who wanted a hand in making her own invitations without sacrificing a professional quality wedding invitation. Anna Griffin invokes vellum and ribbon, elegant traditional patterns and all the details that make wedding finery, well, fine.

While the Anna Griffin line now encompasses craft papers of all kinds for home scrap-bookers and textile patterns, wedding invitations are still at the foundation of her success. Anna Griffin wedding invitations are among the most beautiful and sought after of all the major design lines.

The Anna Griffin Wedding Album line of wedding invitations is the epitome of the Griffin style. Resplendent in ribbons, decorated with touches of platinum and silver, they are elegant and stylish in a classic and traditional way. The Anna Griffin Celadon Repousse wedding invitations are an example of Griffin's ability to combine modern ideas with traditional patterns and present a wedding invitation that is as timeless as it is modern. The conventional is in the feeling, stately and elegant, but the color, a subtle jade, and the square shape are definitely taken from the modern book of weddings. The sage patterned background panel is set off by the sage ribbon corners that hold the custom created Oyster white printed panel against the delicate floral pattern.

Another traditional, but not conventional, design offered in the Anna Griffin Wedding Album collection is the Platinum Swirls wedding invitation. The invitation consists of four separate layers, in the tradition of the most romantic and elegant of handmade invitations and Victorian cards. The backing layer is a heavyweight ecru with a fine platinum border, in the tradition of wedding invitations throughout the generations. A delicate paper patterned with platinum swirls forms a middle layer between the ecru backing and the elegantly bordered wording panel. Between the swirls and your wording, a satin platinum ribbon lends an additional touch of elegance.

The Anna Griffin Floral Wedding Invitations collection is pure romance personified. These floral-patterned papers are the designs on which Anna Griffin has built her reputation and on which her personal style is based, and they are nowhere more at home than they are in wedding invitations. Floral patterns embellish envelope linings and decorate wedding invitations. Floral prints lend a romantic touch to all of the accessories and elements of wedding stationery, including save the date cards, enclosure cards and thank you cards. As pretty and traditional as the patterns are, though, the wedding invitations bring a modern aesthetic to patterns taken from antique botanical prints.

The modern touch is evident in the styling of the Floral Roses Matchbook Invitation, which includes a printed or printable panel and a floral jacket that can be tied together with an elegant satin ribbon, included with the invitation. The Matchbook style is a delightful nod to modern paper crafters, who routinely fasten papers together with buttons, ribbons and bows. The rose pattern on the matchbook is reminiscent of the most romantic of Victorian prints.

Another delightfully romantic Anna Griffin design combines tradition and modern style with lovely roses in a completely different and unusual wedding invitation. The wedding invitation includes a printed or printable panel on which you can print the wording of your invitation. The heavy ecru paper is embellished with a subtly embossed border that is designed to peek at the sides of the scalloped, rose-patterned vellum wrapper. The entire wrap is tied with a delicate satin ribbon and bow to complete a wedding invitation that evokes the romance of the Victorian era.

One of the most innovative and bold of the Anna Griffin wedding invitation designs, though, is the button pocket invitation style. The Black and White Floral Button Pocket Invitation is part of the Anna Griffin printable wedding invitation collection. Each wedding invitation set includes an ecru invitation panel with a beveled border, a button pocket with a diagonal slash design and matching envelopes. Other printable wedding invitations in the Anna Griffin line include floral vellum side panels, buttons and ribbons.

In a very short time, designer Anna Griffin has made a name for herself as a graphic designer who can combine romance and whimsy, throw in a touch of elegance and create wedding invitations that are unique and memorable.

Precautions While Burning the Candles

Candles are used in almost the entire world for the decorative purposes. In many religions candles are burned as offerings to god as well. Whatever the reason for lighting the candle might be, the fact remains, Its beautify the environment and add special warmth to the surroundings. These placed in beautiful with their little flames fill the surroundings with a mild yellow light are simply a pleasure to eyes. However, there are few things you should bear in mind while burning candles:

• Candles increase the risk of fire hazard. That is why they should be always handled with care. For instance, they should be placed high up enough to not allow children to reach them. Also, those should not be placed near curtains or moving ropes, pieces of cloths or papers.

• Candle holders should always be used to place the candles in. Candle holders not only increase the beauty, they avoid dripping of molten wax on the floor. Candle holders also prevent overheating and staining of the surface beneath them. Candle holders should be chosen based on the kind of candles they would hold. They should not be too narrow for the wide candles.

• It is also crucial to trim the wicks before you burn a candle. Untrimmed wicks can produce a lot of smoke which is unpleasant, smelly and even dangerous.

• Burning candles should not be brought in physical contact with skin. They should be placed in those holders such that there is no possibility of such contact. It is because the hot and molten wax can cause burns immediately after coming into a contact with skin. If you need to move a burning candle, make sure that it is placed in a good wide holder, which increases the degree of safety.

These are few simple but important precautions to be taken in order to enjoy burning candles. Being a little careful while burning the candles will avoid any chances of accidents while enjoying the beauty of these tiny flames to decorate the entire ambiance.

Wedding Insurance - Preparing Yourself for Unforeseen Change of Plans

Marriages are always good news, and the big day is celebrated with a lot of splendor. Marriage arrangements involve a lot of expenses starting from getting the invitation cards designed to distributing them among friends and families. Additionally there will be other expenses like booking the venue, getting it decorated, food and catering, limousine services, buying jewelry and dresses, flowers and a lot more.

It would be a real disappointment if something where to go wrong after putting in all the efforts, worse still, if the marriage doesn't take place due to some reason. It would be in your best interests to make sure that your wedding is insured against any unforeseen mishaps.

Yes, you heard it right. You can actually have your marriages covered with this. Moreover, it sounds like the most sensible thing to do, as wedding arrangements can be really expensive. It will also give you a peace of mind knowing that you are prepared for any kind of undesirable incidents.

What does wedding insurance cover?

Now, there again will be a lot of variations in wedding insurance coverage plans that are being offered by various providers. For example, some plans might cover the entire wedding expenses, while there might be other plans with deductibles on certain categories. However, it would be in your best interests to make sure that you deal with the right insurance providers.

Few of the things that are covered under the policies of this insurance include:

• If the wedding does not take place on the decided date for reasons like bad weather, accidents or illness, the cost of rescheduling the wedding ceremonies will be reimbursed by the insurance provider.
• If there is any property damage at the marriage venue, they can also be covered under insurance.
• It also cover thefts of valuables like jewelry, dresses, gifts etc.
• If the wedding suppliers or caterers fail to deliver or if they cause any damage to the wedding arrangements, the policies will also help in recovering the deposit payments made to them.

Now that we understand the advantages, the question arises about when we need to purchase them. Under ideal conditions, the best time to go for the marriage insurance would be immediately after planning for the big day. Make sure that you clearly understand all the deductibles that are not covered under the policies.

It would be wise to go for the marriage insurance at your earliest convenience, since some providers might be reluctant to offer you the policies when the wedding dates are really close. Make sure that you conduct thorough research among multiple providers and compare their plans before purchasing the one that's suits you the best. Most of the providers will offer you with free insurance quotes on their websites.

Make Your Wedding Invitations - What Is The Proper Format?

The time is here. You are planning your wedding! You have so much to do. You have to find that perfect gown, decide on the type of wedding and all that other stuff.

Once you have the time, place, and date, you can think about your invitations. If you choose to make your wedding invitations you might need help with the wording.

Learning some proper wedding invitation etiquette can help. First you will need to know who is hosting the wedding. This usually means who is paying the bills. If you, as a couple are you can word the invitation as you like. Usually you will word it as you inviting them to your wedding.

The traditional wedding announcements will have the parents of the bride request the quests company. Many of the more modern weddings are hosted by both or all three. This means the couple can request with both parents names on the invitation. You can learn more when you read about wedding etiquette.

Now, usually you will use a nice script font, in general you will have lines of type that will be centered on your card. The parents names will generally be first.

The brides name is almost always above the grooms. Her name will have first and middle and last if different from her parents. The word and is then one line below this.

The groom's name will be his first and middle. If his parents are not listed below the bride's parents use his last name. If his last name is different you should use it here also.

You will spell out everything on your wedding announcements. This is usually true for formal and informal. It allows for less error. You want the day and date on the invitation. Both will be spelled out.

The wording of the year is up to you. Many will say two thousand eleven. Some say two thousand and eleven and it is even acceptable to say twenty-eleven.

If you have an RSVP you want to put a date on it for response time.The RSVP should be addressed to the bride's parents if both are hosting the wedding. If this is not practical you can change it to another family member or the groom's parents.

A reception card is usually enclosed when the reception is someplace other than where the wedding was held. If the reception is the same place as the wedding corner copy is fine. Today many are using corner copy to save money. It is becoming more acceptable.

This is just part of the information you will need to know if you plan to make your wedding invitations. I hope you find it helpful. Learning proper wedding invitation etiquette will help with wording also.

Wedding Ideas - Tips and Tricks to Help Make Your Wedding Day Perfect

Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life. You have probably been dreaming and thinking about your very own wedding day from adolescence, and now you have found the partner of your dreams and it is all coming true! You want your wedding day to be the most perfect day ever, so we have compiled a few handy hints to think about to make sure your wedding day is exactly what you are dreaming of.

Firstly,

• Make a Folder

Make a folder for all the multitudes of wedding information you will gather. Pick up a concertina style file from any office stationery shop and label the sections according to the different aspects of your wedding. Eg. Make a section for venues, one for invitation samples, one for flowers, one for cakes, one for dresses, one for cars, photographers, bonbonniere ideas etc. etc. Place any quotes, information or clippings you collect from magazines, advertisements, etc into sections for easy reference later on in the planning process. Planning everything early, leaves you less stressed, stops you from becoming a 'bridezilla', and allows you to enjoy the experience of organizing your own wedding.

• Save the Date cards

Sending Save the Date cards early are an excellent way to ensure all your family and friends will be available to attend your wedding day. Send them to all intended guests as soon as you choose a date, even before your have your Invitations and Stationery printed.

• Keep a Wedding diary

By writing everything down including appointments and deadlines in a wedding planner or diary, you will not forget to do anything and not miss any appointments.

Then,

• Wedding Stationery

Include with your Wedding Invitation all the information your guest will need to attend your wedding. Items such as Wishing Well cards, Gift registry information, handy returnable R.S.V.P. cards, accommodation information and directions to the various venues you have chosen for your special day. Using Invitation accessories saves you money and time without having to make a multitude of phone calls to inform guests of important this information. Theme your wedding stationery to match your venue or favourite colour, or flower. Your theme can be used in many aspects of your wedding. From the invitation, to the wedding attire, cake decorations, reception table d矇cor, and post wedding thank you's.

• Guest accommodation

If the wedding is out of town, or you have people coming from a long way to celebrate with you, many guests may need overnight accommodation so when booking accommodations for your self, many hotels or motels will allow you to make a block booking to be confirmed later.

Guests will appreciate the help with these arrangements and the details can be included on a specially printed card that can be included with the wedding invitation

• Some handy Emergency items for the day.

Make sure some one close to the bride (probably Mum or a bridesmaid) has an emergency kit on them with, band aids, paracetemol or head ache medication, a spare inhaler for asthmatics, or spare insulin or special medications that may be required in an emergency by anyone in the bridal party, a needle and thread, scissors, tape, extra button for wedding dress and extra panty hose for bride and bridesmaids. Clear nail polish is great for stopping runs in panty hose. A bottle of water for bride & groom to drink is also a good idea.

Baby Wipes are great for the bride to use, as they are excellent to remove makeup and other marks from your wedding dress without leaving stains. Include a Crochet Hook for the bridesmaids or Groom to help you with your Wedding dress buttons and hooks. Some wedding dresses can be very tricky to get in and out of, with plenty of tiny buttons and hooks, so send a crochet hook along so someone can help you undo the buttons on the wedding dress if required. Wedding shoes can become very uncomfortable very quickly so wear your wedding shoes a few times before the wedding around home, and try to scruff the soles a little so they are not slippery on smooth surfaces, even wear socks so they will stretch a little. Scotch guard shoes so they do not get marks and can be easily cleaned.

• Disposables cameras

Your guests will love disposable cameras placed on the reception tables. They will pick them up, snap away and capture all those unforgettable candid moments of fun and laughter that you will miss when you are busy talking to other guests. Using good quality disposable cameras will even save money on professional photos.

• Signing of a Photo board.

Instead of having a guest book, have a large photo surround board that will surround a large professional photographer photo of the bride and groom for all the guests to sign. It then can be then hung on your wall with all the well wishes from your closest family and friends, making a unique and priceless memento for years to come.

• Weather Watch

Watch the weather forecasts carefully for your wedding day weather. While is it totally out of your control, it could pay to be prepared with large umbrellas and towels in the boot of some of the wedding cars. Check with your Wedding reception venue as to wet weather options for you and your guests arrival and parking. If you have chosen an 'Al Fresco' style wedding reception, you may need to check your options and availabilities in case of a wet day.

• Your Wedding Photos

Your Wedding Photos are going to be a lifetime memory and this is a one-of special event, so you should be careful on your choice of wedding photographer. Make sure you look through photographers portfolios to see the type of work he can do. Make your wishes and choices clear and precise and make sure you have confirmed your costs before you sign any contracts. If the time of year suits, formal photographs taken in a park or beautiful garden or by the ocean can look spectacular, but make sure you have another location in mind if it rains.

Don't forget to ask any loved ones if they would like to purchase some of the formal professional photos as well, as quantity may lower your prices. A popular style recently is to have some photos produced in Black and White, this gives a timeless and classic stylish addition to your Wedding Photo Collection.

• Your Flowers

Your wedding flowers have probably cost you a lot of money. They will be beautiful and should last quite well if they have been supplied from a reputable florist. It is a shame to leave them behind just for the cleaners to throw out! Organise family members or friends to take them home after the reception, or if you will be staying around have them taken back to your own home. If you would like to keep your bouquet, but still would like to throw one, have a small replica made especially for the bouquet throw at the reception. While they are still fresh, take some blooms from your bouquet and dry them and have them framed or press them, laminate them to make a bookmark etc. for a lovely memento to cherish.

• Your Wedding Gown

Your Wedding Gown is no doubt is the most special memento of your wedding day, so you may want to keep it for any number of reasons, to give to a daughter or grand daughter, or just to see if you can still fit into it on your 10th Wedding anniversary! You should have your dress professionally cleaned first to remove perfumes, perspiration, wine etc that can leave yellow stains with time. You should store it in either a good quality tightly closing cardboard box or in a dress bag for hanging. For the box use only acid-free white tissue to line the box and layer between each fold of your dress, use crumpled tissue in the bodice and sleeves and finish with a layer of tissue and tightly close the lid to keep out dust and insects.

For a garment bag, make a tissue cover, or make one with a white linen sheet to put the dress in first, then put the dress within the garment bag so that there is tissue or sheet between the fabric and the garment bag. You can buy specialty boxes and bags from wedding suppliers and bridal shops for storage of wedding gowns. Store in a dark, dry cool place with a moisture collector satchel nearby.

Of course, I have only touched on some of the aspects of anyone's wedding day, and everyone's day will be different, so you should consider all aspects of your day, think about anything that may go wrong on the day, and try to minimise beforehand any impact a hiccup may cause. Be prepared for anything is a great moto to have.

And finally

• The Honeymoon.

Well, what can be said about this? Just leave a number with a close family member for emergencies only, and make that perfectly clear, and well, HAVE FUN!

Wedding Insurance - The Forgotten Coverage

When planning the day you always dreamed of there are many things that are not in your control. In this day and this economy it's wise to spend a little money to protect yourself from the many unforeseen and uncontrollable circumstances that can ruin your wedding day.

While a wedding can run into the tens of thousands of dollars, it makes sense, for as little as $160, to insure your special day from all unseen situations. Would you buy a car or home for that amount of money and not insure them?

Below are just a few situations that would justify insurance of this kind:

- If you are planning a wedding located in another state or tropical setting you can purchase insurance for severe weather such as hurricanes, tornadoes etc.

- If there is a commercial transportation shutdown which prevents the bride, groom or their parents from getting their planned destination.

- If the bride or groom is in the military or National Guard and is called up to active duty forcing the postponement of the wedding.

For situations such as those listed above, and others, the bride or groom or their parents would receive reimbursement for, what might have been, non - recoverable expenses.

There is also the option for liquor liability which will give you protection from the many problems that may arise from someone who has had too much to drink.

Remember, although there are many things that are under your control, you can never foresee what tomorrow may bring. For more information call your licensed independent insurance agent to see how you can protect yourself and the day that you always dreamed.

Wedding Insurance - All Dressed Up And Nowhere To Go!

We are looking at some of the more common claims that are made under wedding insurance in this series of articles. We have already looked at cancellation and we have looked at the small army of suppliers in general. But we are now going to take a closer look at the more overt aspect of weddings. We are going to consider the consequences that can arise if something goes wrong with the wedding attire.

We have already mentioned the wedding dress and how it is the focal point of any wedding, but you would be surprised how many times it gets damaged before the event, or has to be altered in some unforeseen way. The most common event is that it gets damaged somehow. This is not a strange as it may at first appear. Because of the need for modern weddings to proceed like clockwork and the sheer costs involved in organizing them, people want to be sure that everything goes correctly without any hitches or hiccups. One way to ameliorate the chances of a mistake is to have a practice. Now you would think that people would just do this wearing their ordinary everyday clothes, but some couples want to see what they look like in their respective attire. It seems the days of `seeing the wedding dress being unlucky` have gone out of the window!

However, one of the consequences of these rehearsals is that sometimes the wedding dress can get damaged. If it is close to the day, it can be expensive getting it fixed in time.

There have even been cases of wedding dresses and even other wedding attire being stolen before wedding, leaving the participants little time to get replacements.

Whilst it may seem unlikely, with today's period of financial uncertainty, you always have to be prepared for the fact that sometimes a supplier will go out of business. This may involve the people who have made, or are making your wedding dress. You may have already paid for it up front, so to speak, or you may just have paid a deposit. Whichever way you have paid out, you will want to ensure that if the unthinkable happens, you have some recourse to recompense.

This is especially so with wedding dresses. Conservative estimates suggest that wedding dresses are averaging up to 瞿1000 these days and people are often require to deposit at least 10% of that amount to the supplier before they will event start to make your dress. With figures like that being bandied about, it really does make sense to ensue that you have at least the basic wedding insurance cover in force before you start laying out money to suppliers.

It should not be forgotten that the groom, bridesmaid and sometimes the best man will also have wedding attire especially for the wedding, so you will need to make sure that is covered for its full value as well.

Wedding Insurance - What Is Wedding Insurance and Do I Need It?

What wedding insurance is, is just what it sounds like-a policy that will protect you from any type of misfortune or mishap that may occur. More brides and grooms are purchasing a wedding insurance policy and they are fairly inexpensive to buy. A policy can cost anywhere from $100 to $500 and can give you or the person paying for the wedding and reception peace of mind should any emergency situation arise.

Is Having Wedding Insurance a Good Idea?

Whether you choose to purchase a wedding insurance policy or not is a very personal decision. This will impact your budget, but it will protect you financially against any type of unforeseen disasters or accidents that may happen. A wedding is a costly venture, averaging about $25,000 or more in the United States. If you bought a new car for that amount of money, you wouldn't think of purchasing one without an insurance policy to protect your financial investment.

What Types of Wedding Insurance Policies are There?

Not everyone has such a big and expensive wedding, others choose a smaller, more intimate affair. You can certainly forgo purchasing an expensive wedding insurance policy and opt for a less expensive policy that will cover a smaller event or you can buy insurance for specific risks such as losing luggage if you are traveling to a destination wedding.

What Will the Policy Typically Cover?

Weather may be the reason your event had to be postponed. Your policy will cover the costs of rescheduling if weather, such as a flood, hurricane or blizzard interferes with your wedding day. If you or your spouse was to become ill or get injured and your wedding needed to be postponed because of that, your policy should cover that situation too. Sometimes the minister or the officiate of the wedding will fail to show up, and often wedding insurance policies will help to recoup any losses that may have incurred because of this happening.

There are other riders you can buy for your special circumstances such as if the bride or groom are in the military and they are called to active service. You can also add a rider for the cost of any damages to your wedding dress or the groom's tuxedo including protection against one of the companies going out of business.

Deciding if wedding insurance is for you is something you and your intended need to discuss before making plans for your wedding day. It can make the difference between a bride who is relaxed and protected and one who is constantly worrying about things going wrong.

Puerto Rico's Pork Highway Is Still Here - For Now

The first thing you should know about Puerto Rico's pork highway is that it almost doesn't exist at all. This is hard to believe after seeing both Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern salivate so much they needed to rehydrate intravenously, but it's true.

It's no problem to find fast-food chains anywhere in San Juan. In Old San Juan, you can indeed find very nice restaurants, but they're all Italian or Sushi or fusion cuisine... Finding local, authentic food though - that was something we weren't able to do for many days.

The coffee of Puerto Rico is supposed to be something of legend. It's so good, say the guide books, that it's almost impossible to buy off the island because the locals drink it all. Well in San Juan, we couldn't get Puerto Rican coffee - not because it was all taken, but because no one knew what they were serving.

Luckily for us, the answer lay with our trusty wheels. If you're going to find real Puerto Rican food, you're going to have to get away from the cities and head for the mountainous interior. This is where you'll find your Puerto Rican Foodie destination: the porcine nirvana - La Ruta del Lechon, aka the Pork Highway.

Basically, if you want authentic, genuine Puerto Rican food, you're going to have to get out of San Juan and go look for it. It's hidden back in the mountains and jungles and it can be hard to find, but it's there. Happily the pork trail that is La Ruta de Lechon is much easier to find than most other local cuisine.

Head towards the town of Guavate. This is the town that highway 184 leads to, but it isn't your destination - you're just going towards it. No, you read correctly, the town isn't your destination - Highway 184 is and its cadre of lechoneras is.

As soon as you turn off of Hwy 52 to 184, you'll find lechoneras all along the road serving the most delicious spit-roasted pork you've ever come across. If there is a pig on a metal tube in the window, chances are good you've found a lechonera.

Now that you've arrived at your destination, you just have to order up some pork. Tell them at the counter how many pounds you'd like, and they'll get you a wide assortment of different parts of the pig to enjoy. After that, just get a tall, cold refreshment, and enjoy.

Three Dimensional Wedding Invitations - A Glass Bottle

A woman wrote a message of "I Love You" on a piece of paper and put it in a glass bottle, she threw the bottle to the sea, hoping that her another half can get the bottle. A man, who lived far away from the woman, picked the bottle and saw the message. Then he started to find this woman and finally they met and married.

Of course a couple will still get a piece of printed material, which is the piece of paper with the wedding details. Yet the bottle, which is the container of the piece of paper, forms the centerpiece of the wedding invitation.

An interesting application of this idea of glass bottle is linked with a beach wedding. If a couple is going to have a beach wedding, they can take the sand from the beach where they are going to have the wedding ceremony. They can put the sand, with some shells into the bottle and send the wedding invitation out. This renders a symbolic meaning that the sand or the beach is part of the witnesses for their love, and their wedding.

Another idea of glass bottle invitation is about the details of the lives of the couple. The couple can plan the wedding invitation a year before they send the wedding invitation. They can start to collect glass bottles a year before. They take the bottle after finishing a glass of red wine, or a bottle of milk everyday. After a year they will get 365 bottles.

These 365 bottles will become the container of the wedding invitation. This will be something very touching to both the couple and the guest. The bottles are not only containers of the wedding invitation but also containers of the memories and lives of the couple. The guest will be deeply impressed when they know the story of unique bottle he or she receives.

Although the idea of glass bottle is very interesting, it is not without problems. The problems are actually practical problems. A glass bottle will be quite heavy in weight when comparing with a wedding invitation card. The cost of mailing will be a lot higher than normal. This can be a smaller problem in places such as Hong Kong since couples can give the invitation to their guest by hand. This is because Hong Kong is a very small place.

Another problem is about the nature of glass. No one will question that a glass bottle is quite easy to be broken. It will be a pity if the bottle is broken when they are shipped to the guests. Both the couple and the guests will fell pity if this happens. Extra care has to be taken when the couple packs the glass bottle wedding invitation. They may need to get a lot of air bag to protect the bottles.

In order to ease the problem of broken bottles, some companies provide plastic bottles instead of glass bottles. A plastic bottle is a lot lighter than a glass bottle and it is not easy to be broken. However, there is always a trade-off between quality and convenience. The "texture" of getting a glass bottle is totally different from a plastic bottle, when the guest picks the bottle with their hands. The question of using plastic or glass bottle is left to the couple themselves.

Wedgwood Chinese Flowers Or Lenox McKinley: How to Choose a China Pattern

If you're getting married soon, you might want to start thinking about your china pattern. In addition to the millions of other things you have to do, it might seem a little trivial to worry about which china pattern you should select, but it's actually an important tradition for many brides-to-be. In order to help you and the groom choose the best china pattern, below is a guide to help you. Just keep in mind that fine china is a bit expensive and something that you probably won't purchase often, so when selecting a pattern, choose something that is timeless. Keep in mind your interior decor style while you're out choosing a pattern, so it coordinates well.

Tip 1: Your shopping should include the groom as well. Although his interest may not be as high as yours, you can still get his input on patterns and designs. Take notes on what you liked and what you didn't like.

Tip 2: Agree on a price range for your fine china. If you're not including on your registry, you will have to budget for it. Even if it's on your registry, it's not guaranteed that you'll get all of the pieces; guests might be turned off by their high price. Setting a budget and sticking to it is helpful when shopping for fine china.

Tip 3: Before you select your pattern you should think realistically about how you're going to use it. Is it going to be reserved for special occasions only or are you going to use it daily? If you're going to opt for daily use, you should be careful to choose china that has minimal or no metallic edging. China patterns like the Lenox McKinley or the Lenox Charleston aren't ideal if you're going to be using them heavily. They have beautiful, but delicate metallic detailing in nearly all aspects of the pattern. Instead a pattern like the Wedgwood Chinese Flowers could be ideal.

Tip 4: When in the store, try and visualize the china on your dining room table, or with food on it. Do you like what you're visualizing? Does it coordinate with the rest of your decor? Is its design classic or more modern and trendy? Will it stand the test of time or go out of style in a few years? These are all questions you should ask yourself when selecting the china of your dreams.

Tip 5: It also wouldn't hurt to register for a pattern that you know will be available in the store for years to come. If a plate break 10 or 20 years after your wedding, it's much easier to just go back to the store to find a replacement, than to hunt around for some obscure/out-of-commission pattern.

Tip 6: When placing items on your registry, give your guests the choice of gifts in different price ranges. Register for additional china pieces like gravy boats and sugar bowls, as well as complete five-piece place settings.

Wedding Invitations and Planning For Your Wedding With Over 300 Guests

Planning a wedding can be a big job. Planning a wedding for hundreds of guests can be a monumental task that will require diligence and planning. Start off with a great wedding invitation and you and your hundreds of guests will be off to a great start.

Money
As you start to make your list there are a few things you'll need to take into account for a large group. The first of which is money. Having a wedding reception for hundreds of guests can get expensive you'll need hundreds of wedding invitations, hundreds of hotel rooms and a ceremony and reception location to hold hundreds of guests. Weddings can be expensive and the cost only goes up as you add guests. If you discover that you can't host this many guests pare down and move some of your guests to your wedding announcement list.

Accommodations
A large group is going to need lots of rooms. Pick a hotel that can accommodate your entire out-of-town guest list. Or pick a couple of hotels and give your guests the option of staying at either one. Keep in mind that you may have to arrange for transportation to and from the ceremony and reception. And if you end up using many hotels, which can be many, details to manage. Whichever route you choose, make sure to include detailed information about accommodations and transportation with your wedding invitation.

Logistics
A group of hundreds is going to require some planning. First of all make sure your ceremony and reception sites can handle this many guests. You should also make yourself familiar with parking in the area. Local and out of town guests may have cars and a group of 300 guest could be around 150 cars. Ask yourself if there is ample parking at both places. If not, plan on offering a shuttle service or valet parking. And make sure you include these details in your wedding invitation.

Timing
When arranging your timeline keep in mind that moving hundreds of people it will take time. It will take extra time for your guests to be seated at your ceremony. It will take extra time to get your guests from the ceremony to the reception. It will take extra time to get your guests seated for dinner at your wedding reception. Provide your guests with detailed timing information included with your wedding information. Once you give your guests the timeline - add 15 or 30 minutes here and there just for your own piece of mind. Unless you want to be running late all day, plan in some extra time to get your large group of guests from one place to another.

Get some help
This is so much to plan you should consider getting some help. You'll have all of your friends around, guests in from out of town, wedding details, planning, etc. Hire some one to help you manage these details. This will ease your mind and help you enjoy this time with your friends and family.

A big wedding can be a fairy tale, but it will take some planning. Get organized and don't' be afraid to get some help from a professional. Start with a wedding invitation packed with useful information and you'll have a fantasy and hassle-free wedding day.

Why You Should Get Jewelry Gifted to You Evaluated?

You have just been gifted your grandmother's wedding sets or your in-laws have decided to buy wedding ring sets for you and your spouse. Besides the fact that you can rejoice about being gifted with valuable jewelry, it would be a good idea to actually get the jewelry evaluated to know the exact value of the jewelry. Read on further to know why you should do this.

To know the present day market value

If you have been given jewellery that was lying at your grandmother's place or in your mother's jewelry box for years, you should find out the present day market value of the jewelry. You can ask for the services of a professional jewelry appraiser who will assess your jewelry and give you the exact value of the jewelry you possess.

For the purposes of jewelry insurance

If you think you are going to include jewelry as part of your home insurance cover, it wouldn't be a very wise thing to do. Most people are not aware that home insurance policy cover providers only agree to reimburse about $1000 on your jewelry if it is lost in fire or theft. And this reimbursement doesn't come in too easily as well. The right thing to do would be to get your jewelry including the heirloom wedding sets assessed for their present day market value. This will help you when you apply for jewelry insurance coverage.

Traveling with jewelry

If you are about to travel from one city or place where you were gifted the jewelry to another city or place where your home is located or where you intend to go with the jewelry, you will need the requisite papers to prove that the jewelry rightfully belongs to you. Hence, getting an evaluation from the jeweler can also help in avoiding legal hassles later on.

Jewelry as an investment

If you are the kind of person who thinks that every piece of jewelry you own is in reality an investment that you can convert to cash or something of higher value in the future, you must surely get your jewelry appraised so that you are always updated about your financial position in terms of the jewelry you own.

While you may not want to hurt the sentiments of the person who gifted the jewelry to you by asking about the value of the jewelry, you may get a jewellery appraisal done after the jewelry comes into your possession completely. After all, asking a family elder about how much the wedding ring sets are worth wouldn't be the right thing to do.

How to Design Handcrafted Embroidered Wedding Invitations

Making handcrafted wedding invitations affords you the ability to personalize your wedding invitations more than simply buying retail kits or having a printer do them from stock designs. One way to accomplish this is to design and make handcrafted embroidered wedding invitations, creating special personalized invitations that you just can't find anywhere else.

You don't need a lot of expensive tools to create your invitations either, but if you're inviting a lot of people and therefore have a lot of invitations to design and create, or you're simply new to embroidery, you'll want to keep the designs simple and obviously you'll also want to start early enough so that you don't feel rushed.

You can visit craft stores like Jo-Ann Fabric, A.C. Moore or Michael's or even the craft departments of department stores for the items you'll need. For hole-punching and embroidery needles, purchase items that will work well with paper crafts, not fabric. You don't want to tear your paper as you're working with it because the tools are too large or bulky, or meant for working with fabric or plastic.

The first thing you'll need are some blank greeting card stock or an easier way is to create simple flat invitations by cutting an 8.5" x 11" piece of card stock either in half or into four sections for smaller sized invitations. And the rest of the supplies you'll need are:

• Small hole punch-you can pick up special hole punches at most craft stores.

• Embroidery needles & threads

• Double stick tape, glue stick or glue dots

• Decorative paper for the backing of the invitations

Finding Designs for your invitations is as easy as cutting out or tracing designs from other sources of printed material. Choose simple designs if you're new to embroidery or have a lot of invitations, or more intricate designs if you're an embroidery pro or have a lot of invitations to make.

You can look through bridal magazines for wedding design ideas or look through home and garden magazines for seasonal ideas to use as designs. You can even download or print out designs from the Internet.

Once you have your designs printed and your tools together, follow these step-by-step instructions for creating your embroidered wedding invitations:

1. Double-stick tape or glue the design cut-out or print-out onto the blank greeting card.

2. Punch holes on the card following the design layout for where you'll be stitching.

3. Just like connecting the dots or painting by number, simply stitch from one hole to the next. You can use different stitches or a variety of colored threads depending on your design.

4. Knot the end of the threads on reverse side of the card and tape them to the back.

5. After you've finished embroidering your design, glue or double-stick a decorative paper or even solid color paper to the back of the embroidered card to cover the knotted threads.

You've now created your own special embroidered wedding invitations that your guests will love and appreciate. And they'll make beautiful keepsakes for your wedding scrapbook too!

Be Your Own Wedding Coordinator and Design Your Own Wedding Invitations

When you think of weddings, you begin to conjure up an image of a blushing bride with a long white gown surrounded by candles, flowers and of course, a dashing groom. While the picture of a perfect wedding brings joy to all, the reality of weddings is a dollars and cents sink whole. Weddings cost money and are one of the biggest, most bustling businesses in the United States. You could spend a small or large fortune on your wedding from selecting flowers to purchasing the perfect dress.

Securing videographers and photographers, caterers, musicians and a variety of other vendors to perform services on your special day could set you back the cost of a down payment on a house. Save yourself and your new groom a little money and design your own wedding invitations. With the help of online catalogs or a visit to a craft store, you could save the cost of hiring a professional printer and still create a beautiful, memorable wedding invitation to send to your guests.

Planning a wedding is an exercise in spending money. Every vendor gets a check to provide a product or a service. First, the bride and groom select a location to hold their wedding reception. They have to secure a venue to hold the wedding ceremony which often entails a donation if it is a church or temple and a fee if it is at a hotel or public location. After selecting a photographer and a videographer, each vendor is offered a percentage of the total cost of the service to ensure their attendance on your wedding date.

Next, the bride and groom and other members of the wedding party and close family members need to select dresses and tuxedos to wear on the special day. Another expensive purchase involves selecting flowers to adorn the wedding venue and the reception hall as well as for the bride, bridesmaids and flower girls.

Since wedding planning is so expensive, you can work to ease the budget by doing some things yourself. Instead of hiring a wedding coordinator, do the planning and organizing yourself. If you don't feel like you have the time or ability to manage the wedding planning process, enlist a favorite family member like an aunt or cousin or recruit a close friend who isn't part of the wedding party to help with selections and to do items. Design your own wedding invitations and print them on your home computer to save costs at the expensive, professional printers.

Plan to address them yourself and save the added cost of hiring a calligrapher to address your envelopes. Instead of spending extra money on purchasing wedding favors and printed napkins and matchbooks, make a donation to your favorite charity or an organization that reflects your values and interests and share the donation information with your guests. If you are looking to cut costs, you could even recruit a family friend or talented relative to video tape your nuptials and reception or take photographs to save an enormous amount of wedding costs.

Having a classic, memorable wedding doesn't have to break the budget. There are some wedding expenses that you just can't avoid. Since most brides have to buy a wedding dress and pay for a venue for their wedding and reception, some costs are fixed. When possible, doing wedding projects yourself can save you gobs of money. When considering how to shave the budget, think about whether your guests will know you did the work or outsourced it to a professional.

While putting together flowers might be difficult, your guests may never know you worked to design your own wedding invitations and printed them yourself. Take the money you save on wedding expenditures and put that towards building a future with your new spouse.

Have You Ever Thought of Paying For Wedding Insurance?

This might be one of the strangest ideas to you. The truth about today's wedding activities make the idea of opting for wedding insurance one of the requirements in most wedding plans. Remember that this might not be one of your plans, but situations may compel you to do just that. For example, you may be forced to do so because it is a requirement of a wedding organizer. Remember that such people will always want to be covered in case of any termination of the wedding. The idea of getting a wedding insurance is good because most of the arrangements will be done to meet your particular needs.

Wedding Termination Insurance

This is type of insurance scheme often prescribed by most wedding organizers. This is because they have always faced the difficulties associated with the cancellation or postponement of wedding events and will want to prevent any of such happenings from recurring in the future. Remember that there are so many explanations for termination or postponement of weddings.

One peculiarity about such types of insurance is that there is also a hybrid form of wedding insurance known as change of heart insurance. Remember that this scheme provides for coverage only if the change of heart was something not of their making. For example, the father of the bride may seek out coverage if his son in-law expresses a change of heart. But he will not be covered if his daughter does not turn up.

So many explanations can bring about the cancellation of a wedding plan. For example, the weather condition may cause a change. This is something natural in which nothing can be done to make it happen. Some other features to be considered will include either the poor health or passing away of some of the essential members of either family. If any expenditure had been entered into, a wedding insurance will thus cover such expenditure. When taking out such an insurance policy, you should make sure that you are provided cover on any unforeseeable hazard, even a simple disappointment by the caterer.

Wedding Liability Insurance

This is one and the same thing like taking out an insurance policy to cover any damage that may happen on the wedding day. In most cases, some wedding venues will require you to put in a caution of about $ 1 million ahead of using that premises. Remember that you are not the first to pay that amount. Most of these venues are cognizant of the fact that the events that always accompany some wedding activities always come along with unpleasant situations. It is also common for these venues to already receive some form of cover. You should make sure you verify this. However, even with cover from the insurer, you may still be required to give a caution fee to mitigate any damage that might happen on the wedding day.

When organizing a wedding, remember that it is good to take out any or both insurance covers even if this is not a prerequisite. Remember that there are always unforeseen events that might cause a cancellation of the wedding. Without taking cover, the losses that you may incur may be ten times higher than what you would have used to pay for insurance cover.

Save-The-Date Cards - Please Reserve This Date

Save-The-Date Cards, like wedding invitations, announce the date of an upcoming event. Unlike wedding invitations, they're less elegant, pricey, and beautiful. They are purely functional items that can take the form of cards, magnets, post-it notes, or other mediums that are common to reminders. Most often, they take the form of cards. These cards are sent several months in advance of the wedding invitations. They go out prior so that people can reserve the date ahead of time and keep it clear. This is especially important with weddings because sometimes the date can be during a vacation time for one of the guests. Getting a save the date card with the time several months ahead of the date can prepare the guest to alter or change his plans. Weddings are that important that they need two kinds of invitations - one to clear the schedule and another to announce the specifics of the event. Some people prefer them to take the form refrigerator magnets because they're easier to keep track of.

There is some vague or broad rules and etiquette when it comes to Save-The-Date Cards. Most of it is hooey though because most people hardly ever receive them. It's up to you how you want to present them to your guests. You know your friends best.

Even though these fabulous cards started out with weddings, eventually individuals, businesses, and organizations adapted them to announce their formal events from birthday parties to grand openings to special parades and so on. It is an old wives tale that you can't put these up in the home where they originated from. It's apparently a strange custom that many people follow, even though there's no sound reasoning behind it.

Save-The-Date Cards often feature clocks, calendars, or circled dates to help re-enforce the concept, the singular bold idea, of a certain date. These cards are short on frills and abundant on information. Sometimes, a photograph of the couple is present, but some people consider this tacky or out of place. It's usually just a date and the title of the event. It's considered poor taste to not send one because it makes it seem like you don't care that much about your guests' time. Of course, you should care a lot about your guests' time. Friends and relatives will feel especially miffed if they don't get some kind of heads up about the event vis-a-vis a Save-The-Date Card.

Black and Gold Printable Wedding Invitations, A Stunning Combination

Black, the color of sophistication and style. Gold the color of wealth, prosperity and wisdom. Put them together and you have a powerful combination to begin your married life. But why printable wedding invitations? Read on for how using printable black and gold wedding invitations perfectly symbolizes using your wealth wisely with sophistication and style.

1. Why Printable Wedding Invitations: If you are the least bit computer literate and have a decent printer, you owe it to yourself to check out printable wedding invitations. The savings are enormous and the freedom you have to create and change the text of your invitations is boundless. Plus, you can find unusual designs, better quality paper, and mix and match options that let you customize your invitations without the high cost of custom designers. To find online companies simply Google the following key words: printable wedding invitations; printable wedding invitations kits; DIY wedding invitation kits and let the fun begin.

2. Beautiful Black and Gold Combinations: There are many ways to use black and gold in invitations. For example, you can choose a pocket folder style invitation where you have a black pocket folder with a gold insert in the center. You can use cream or ecru for your invitation color and then fasten it together with gold or cream ribbons. You can create a layered style invitation with a black backer card, cream invitation card and gold accent ribbon. Many people also use "gold" ink, you have to be very careful here as it can be hard to read--use a metallic ink and get some good advice from a local printer. There are also many single panel invitation cards with gold borders or gold embellishments; combine them with black ink and black and gold ribbons for a glamorous, unique style that can fit any budget wisely.

3. Unusual Black and Gold Embellishments: Thebeauty of using invitation kits is that you can customize and embellish them yourself. You can choose to use a black translucent envelope or put a gold liner in your envelope. You can choose gold envelope seals to secure your invitations or black tassels. You can also use gold inserts in your black pocket folder or a black ribbon on your gold invitation. Let your imagination and your local hobby store be your guide.

For a formal, sophisticated wedding using black and gold is a gorgeous combination. From a classic cream invitation with gold borders and black ink to a black pocket folder with a gold insert and gold ribbons, your choices are many. Choose wisely, preserving you wealth while still displaying your style and sophistication.

Five Advantages To Homemade Wedding Invitations

If a wedding is in your near future, you need invitations. Have you considered homemade wedding invitations. There can be many advantages to making your own wedding announcements.

Here are five reasons that homemade wedding invitations can be a great solution.

1. You can set everything up and wait til you are sure of everything before you print them. Because you won't have to wait for them to come you can be more prepared.


2. You can see what the font will look like. If you want to see most wedding invitations ahead they charge a fee to send a proof. This way you can print out your invitation and see if it is what you like. You can change your mind and print out another to see. You might not have to print it just look at the screen. This can be a great advantage.


3. You can print on demand. If you forgot Aunt Millie you can quickly print another set of invitations and get them out asap. We always have someone that slips through or that you didn't realize you forgot. This is handy because you won't have to order 25 extra to make sure you get those three or four you forgot.


4. You decide on what to put on them. You can add ribbon, charms, puff paint, die cuts or what ever you want. You can even experiment to decide what looks good. It really can be fun. You also have the advantage of changing some. You might want different wording on five or six of them. You can easily do this with homemade wedding announcements.


5. You can custom address the envelopes to match your wedding announcements. By doing all the other stuff you can easily custom address your wedding envelopes to match everything else. This gives a professional, elegant look.

By making your own homemade wedding cards, you have control. If a theme wedding is being planned, add accents to start that theme.

With so many scrapbook items out there you can really have fun. There are die cuts for almost everything. You just use the punch to make a nice cut out. Hearts, borders, stars are all easy to find. You may even do a fun edge with special roll cutters. Even special scissors can add a border.

You have so many options out there that making your own homemade wedding invitations doesn't limit you. Your choices are endless. Go to a craft store and see what is available. Learn a good word processing program and you are on your way to making your own wedding announcements!

Wedding Insurance - The Question You Should Never Ask Your Wedding Insurance Company

Never, ever ask wedding insurance companies what sort of things they cover. Not unless you're sitting down, have a strong drink and a tough constitution. The fact is that virtually everything can go wrong, and statistically, it usually does.

Across the country there are around a quarter of a million weddings each year, and at around 瞿20,000 each that's about five billion pounds in weddings every single year! If you stacked that up in pound coins it would be 1,780 times taller than Everest - that's a lot of money to gamble, and that's why we have wedding insurance firms to help when things go wrong - which they will.

For example, Sheila and Dave had a beautiful wedding planned, and on the morning of the special day were delighted to see the sun shining. They'd made it - what could go wrong now?

Sheila and her bridesmaids were all waiting excitedly for the hair and makeup people to arrive. Having spent over 瞿1,000 on hair and makeup the Bride and her girls were hoping to look their very best for the photographs.

As the time ticked by, and no one arrived they began getting worried, and the Bride started turning into a cross between a headless chicken and Godzilla. It turned out that the hair and makeup vendors had got the wrong address, but refused to return the deposit.

Then there's the case of the wedding photographer last year who went bankrupt. The week before the wedding he telephoned the Bride to explain that he had had to declare himself bankrupt, and would not be attending the wedding, and that he would not be able to return the 瞿2,000 deposit.

But sometimes it isn't the service providers which cause the problem - sometimes it can be the guests, as demonstrated during the wedding of Sue and Gareth. All had gone well, and the sun had shone throughout. They were very pleased, because the pictures would look superb.

However, at some point during the reception the photographer's bag was stolen. Inside the bag was quite a lot of camera equipment, but that wasn't all - it also contained several rolls of film and video footage from the wedding. Fortunately the wedding insurance form covered the cost of replacing the equipment, and restaging the photographs at a later date.

Then again, neither the service providers nor the guests can be blamed. Sometimes it's the Bride herself who has to take the fall - literally.

June had enjoyed the time of her life, and the Caribbean band were fantastic. She had enjoyed the bar facilities and was now shaking her stuff on the dance floor with total abandon. The combination of alcohol, emotions, a shiny dance floor and high heels was not a good one, and she ended up falling straight through a bongo.

No really, don't laugh it was a very serious matter. The bongos in question cost 瞿400 - even more than the Bride's bar tab. Fortunately her wedding insurance policy included liability cover, although the bongo was bonged-out for the rest of the day.

But don't let these tales put you off. Statistically some weddings do go according to plan, but to be on the safe side, it's usually best to take out wedding insurance, and don't dance too close to the bongos after a few G&Ts.

Gifts for Baby Shower Game Winners

As you plan your baby shower, you need to consider what to buy for prizes for the games you will play. When you buy gifts for baby shower games, you need to know how many games you play, how many winners you will have and whether you want every guest to win something. All of these factors will dictate what you will buy and how many you will need.

What better way to reward your guests than to give them something to snack on. If you purchase customized fortune cookies, you can give them to everyone, whether they win or lose. Because you can customize the message inside, you can also use the fortune cookies as a game themselves. You can purchase a few with the term "winner" printed inside and the others can have cute ways of telling people they haven't won. The guests crack them open and find out if they won.

If you want to provide bigger gifts for baby shower games, you can buy many of the same things you can give away as favors. For instance, you can buy an assortment of picture frames, candles and other trinkets. Wrap each item up separately in matching paper and place them on one table. When your guests win, they can then pick one of the gifts from the table. Make sure you have enough to go around for all of the winners, keeping in mind that some games may have more than one winner. Otherwise, you will need a tie-breaker process in place.

You can also purchase something to give to those who lose the game. An inexpensive option to give to those who don't win is a small package of bath confetti. You can buy these packages of bath confetti imprinted with a cute saying about the fact that not everyone can win, but you wanted to thank them for playing the game. This ensures that everyone gets something to take home.

Buying gifts for baby shower games involves planning ahead so you know how many to get. You can provide your guests with a tasty treat as a reward or even use them to play a game. If you want something a little nicer for the winners, buy an assortment of some of the nicer shower favors to give to the winners. It is also nice to provide something, even if it is a small something, to all of your guests so no one goes home empty handed.

Unique Wedding Ceremony Ideas - Sure to Make Memories

There is no better way to have your wedding remembered for years to come than to incorporate unique ideas into your wedding ceremony. Although your family may expect you to follow certain traditions, you can still find a way to mix in several unique ceremony ideas. Here are five great unique ceremony ideas that are sure to make memories of your wedding last a lifetime.

• Have a 'pre-reception' before your wedding begins. This is a fantastic way to allow your guests to get acquainted and break the ice before the actual ceremony begins.


• Have your ceremony by candlelight. This is will easiest in a smaller venue, but can work in any building. Have your bridesmaids and groomsmen walk down the aisle in pairs, each carrying candles that they will place in candle holders near where the two of you will exchange vows. Take it a step further by passing out candles to your guests to hold during the ceremony. Remember to close the window shades or have your ceremony scheduled near dusk.


• Use large, blown-up pictures to display your happiest times together. Any pictures will work, as long as they feature you and your future spouse smiling together. You may also want to feature pictures that include the two of you with close family and friends.


• Allow both sets of parents to say a few words about the two of you before your vows are exchanged. Although this usually happens at the reception toast, it will be a special experience for your parents to speak about you prior to the vows and you can save the wedding toast for siblings, other relatives or close friends. You may even want to allow both sets of parents to stand with both of you during the ceremony, in place of bridesmaids or groomsmen.


• Set up the guest chairs in single, half-circle rows around where you will exchange vows. Situate the first row, reserved for parents and siblings, just a few feet from where you and your soon-to-be spouse will be standing. This will only work n a venue that has individual seating, so that you can move the chairs around.

These ideas can be helpful when you are trying to plan a ceremony that is truly different than what your friends and family is used to. They can also make your wedding an even more special occasion, by making your guests feel like part of the ceremony, rather than just spectators.

Down Payment Assistance Loan for First Time Home Buyers in NY

The State of New York Mortgage Agency, more commonly known as SONYMA, is a public authority that was established in the year 1970 in an effort to provide reasonable and convenient home-ownership opportunities to low and moderate income New Yorkers, particularly to first time home buyers.

Since that time, SONYMA has been successfully offering mortgage programs as well as mortgage credit certificates that will assist first time home buyers in the act of buying a house in the State of New York.

In accordance with this, The State of New York Mortgage Agency has been running the Down Payment Assistance Loan Programme (DPAL) whereby it proposes to help first time home buyers overcome the reversals caused by down payments and closing costs.

Frankly, 2 of the major hurdles that an individual faces when purchasing a home are the down payment and closing costs. Down payments, as defined in the SONYMA glossary, is the "part of the purchase price of a property that the consumer pays in notes and doesn't finance with a mortgage."

On the other hand, the closing cost, is understood to be the"Expenses (above and beyond the cost of the property) suffered by consumers and sellers in transferring ownership of a property. Closing costs normally include, but aren't restricted to, fees charged by banks, solicitor costs, taxes, insurance fees (e.g. Flood insurance, jeopardy insurance, PMI), escrow charges, title insurance costs and survey costs."

The Down Payment Assistance Loan Program wants to aid first time home buyers in the midst of securing their down payment and closing costs through the purchase of a second mortgage plan which can on occasion be used simultaneously with any available SONYMA first time house buyer programme.

The key feature about the Down Payment Assistance Loan Program is that it has a 0% IR, requires no regular payment, and the maybe the best part is, the loan will be forgiven or eradicated if the borrower selects to remain in their SONYMA-financed home after 10 years of procuring the loan.

The DPAL programme outlines that it cannot release funds that surpasses the quantity of the down payment and/or closing costs tht is linked with the chosen mortgage loan exchange of the borrower.

In order to take advantage of the DPAL program, borrowers must still make a 1% contribution out of the value of the property so as to exhibit the borrower is still capable of paying back the mortgages and has enough income that would cover the home loan payments in the long run.

If you want to read some more about the Down Payment Assistance Loan Program, you can take a look at the program's official web site.

Buy Engagement Ring Insurance to Protect Your Investment

If you followed the convention of spending two months salary on the diamond engagement ring with which you proposed to your girlfriend, who is now you wife, we are talking about some serious money. So wouldn't you want to protect that investment in case your wife losses the ring or damage it from wearing it every day?

As with any kind of insurance, the right engagement ring insurance makes financial sense. Insurance give you some protection for your monetary investment and gives you peace of mind in case the engagement ring is lost or stolen. While you may not be able to replace the sentimental value connected with the ring, at least you'll be able to get a replacement ring without too much of a financial burden.

Most homeowner's and renter's policies come with jewelry coverage as part of the over-all policy. The limit for the coverage is usually low, typically in the range of $1,000 to $5,000, after the policy deductible is met. If you have fine jewelry such an expensive diamond engagement ring that is worth more that the limit of the coverage, you need to pay an additional premium to buy additional coverage for the ring.

The problem with jewelry coverage under a homeowner's or renter's policies is that most likely the policy does not cover damage or loss to the engagement ring outside the home and only provide cover if the loss happens inside the covered property due to fires or theft.

If you want an insurance policy that covers a loss or damage away from home, you need to purchase a stand alone policy through a company that specializes in jewelry insurance. Many of the major home and auto insurers also offer jewelry insurance policies. Knowledgeable jewelers should be able to give you names of insurance companies that offer that kind of policy, if they don't sell the policy themselves.

Some jewelers, as a service to their customers and to make some additional money, sell stand alone jewelry policies that are underwritten by insurance companies. Just be sure to do some comparison shopping to make sure you are not being over charged for the policy.

The best jewelry insurance policy is a replacement type policy that would replace your loss or damaged ring with a ring of like kind, at the current value. For example, if you own and insure a diamond engagement ring from Tiffany and the ring is loss, the policy will replace the right with a similar ring from Tiffany and not from Kay jewelers, for example.

The most common and least expensive type of policy is the actual value policy, which replace the cash value of your ring, minus any depreciation. This type of policy is similar to an auto insurance policy, where in the event of a total loss; the insurance company would pay the current value of the auto, minus any depreciation.

When shopping for a engagement ring insurance that fits your needs, be sure you know the type of coverage you are getting so you don't get a big surprise if you ever have to file a claim and only then discover that the coverage is not what you thought it was.

Premiums vary depending on the type of policy, the policy limit, the deducible, and where you live. As with other types of insurance, shopping around will get you the best deal. But in general, engagement ring insurance is relatively inexpensive compared to the price of replacing a valuable diamond engagement ring, and the peace of mind of being able to wear your ring without constantly worrying about losing it far outweighs the cost of the insurance.

How to Price Your Window Cleaning Service

Probably one of the greatest mysteries for the new self-employed window cleaner is knowing what to charge for your window cleaning services. First you must remember that you are becoming a business and as such, your earnings go towards the cost of running a business as well as putting food on your kitchen table and a roof over your head. Now I've made mention on the home page about window cleaners earning $50/hr and up but you may be wondering how one prices actual jobs so that you can earn this kind of money from them.

Target Earning Goal

I usually tell beginners to set an earning goal of around 50$/hr for their first few months (up to a year) in the biz. If a new window cleaner can achieve this consistently, then they are well on their way to earning $60-$70/hr by their second year. Here's why. Even after you've calculated what to charge per window/job in order for you to achieve the return of $50/hr, you will be earning this as an unskilled window cleaner. That's right, until you've been cleaning windows for a while; technically you're still unskilled. But after you've acquired the skills to clean windows more professionally and quickly, your hourly return rate will increase.

I tell a story on my window cleaning tutorial DVD of when I first started out window cleaning and priced out a job where I ended up only making around $35/hr. The following year I returned to do a repeat clean at the same bid price but because of the improvements in my technique, my earnings on that job increased to $70/hr. Simply because I was now cleaning more windows per hour.

How To Price (bid) Jobs

After studying price ranges (for residential) across the North American market, I have determined that window cleaning companies charge anywhere from $4 per basic window in/out on the low end to $8 per window on the high end. Storm windows are usually priced much higher because of the amount of work, not just in cleaning them but also the time it takes to take them apart and re-assemble them. French panes (small cut ups) are often charged at $1 in/out to $1.50 in/out for each individual pane. The two things that will determine what you charge is how your per window price meets your earning goal and also what your market will bare.

Pricing commercial work is slightly different. Usually a per window price will be lower than residential work. Reasons for this include such things as level of competition in your, simpler window styles (usually), more frequent visits (sometimes by contract of weekly/monthly/quarterly etc.) In many cases you may be ask just to clean the outside glass only. Pricing of anywhere between $1 per pane side to $2 per pane side is quite common for ground level commercial glass but may need to be increased depending on other variables. (see below)

If you are looking at going after storefront work, it is often a good idea to set a minimum per service stop because some stores may only have a few pieces of glass. If you're aiming at getting many small stores in one area location, you may want to set your min per stop at around $15 and test the waters for going up from there. The one main characteristic in doing storefront work is that although you may make a smaller amount per stop, you plan to make it up in volume (number of stops per day). Some window cleaners prefer this type of work because a store front window cleaning route of weekly/bi-weekly/monthly accounts means consistent earnings throughout the year, even in the cold winter months.

Variables In Pricing

All the pricing guide info offered above is taking into consideration that the window cleaning jobs are pretty straight forward. But there are always going to be variables that may affect what you end up charging per job such as how dirty the glass is, what is the access to the glass like, do you need to use ladders or extension poles, any obstacles to make cleaning difficult, any stains or hard water spots to remove? etc.. In time you will even come across glass that is so corroded due to neglect that the only option is replacement. Just remember, whatever extra work you face on the job, make sure you charge for it.

Is Your Pricing Too Low/High?

A window cleaner who had been in the business for many years once told me that you should aim for landing around 70% of your bids. If you consistently win more bids than that then your prices are probably too low. Likewise, if you consistently land fewer bids than 70% then your prices may be too high. I would say this is very true when it comes to residential jobs and larger commercial jobs. The only time one should ignore this rule is when bidding storefront. Storefront is the most competitive area in window cleaning and many small businesses are price shoppers so be prepared to hear a lot of "no's" while canvassing for clients. Homeowners can be price shoppers too but don't feel bad if you lower your price to land some jobs in the early stages of your business. You gotta eat right? Plus, you can chalk everything up to experience in the long run.

Last Words

Don't be afraid to network with other local window cleaning companies. The good ones won't be afraid to share information with you and will encourage a healthy marketplace for everyone. But stay clear of those competitors that offer rock bottom prices. They may appear to be constantly busy but what's the point if they're not profitable, right?

Wedding Wishes You Can Give The Newlyweds And Share With The Guests

You are invited to the wedding of a friend very dear to you and the couple asked you to give you wedding wish in front of other guests. Do you have anything in mind where you can start your message for the newly-wed couple?

Sometimes, people have a lot to say but they are unorganized. While organizing your thoughts, there are wedding wishes said by some famous people that you can start with. Of course, do not end with the who said what but give whatever is in your heart that are not copied from anyone else. The following compiled wedding wishes are just here to help you jump start your wonderful thoughts and somehow take away the butterflies in your stomach while you begin standing in front of other people.

The most precious possession that ever comes to a man in this world is a woman's heart.

J. G. Holland

Life is to be fortified by many friendships. To love, and to be loved, is the greatest happiness of existence.

Sydney Smith

A marriage...makes of two fractional lives a whole; it gives to two purposeless lives a work, and doubles the strength of each to perform it; it gives to two questioning natures a reason for living,
and something to live for; it will give a new gladness to the sunshine, a new fragrance to the flowers, a new beauty to the earth, and a new mystery to life.

Mark Twain

You can always tell them your congratulations but do not be so plain by saying: happy wedding and enjoy life together. Give flavor to your wishes; and this is where predesigned wedding wishes from poems comes in.

But what if you do not know one wedding wish to quote from a famous personality? What if you got into an impromptu speech? What will you say? When you have got into such situation, you can compose your thoughts while you are walking to the stage or while they are preparing the microphone for you.

You can start by telling the guests how dear to you the couple is or how have you come to know each other. Tell a memorable event that the couple treasure with you. Though, do not tell every detail as they may not want to hear you telling those stories in public. After your introduction, instead of just telling that may their plans come true, offer that the opportunity of your continuous friendship and being always at their side when they need you. It could be one of the most touching message they may hear.

So when they ask you to speak your wedding wishes, put some flavor into it and do not always copy-paste what others have already been telling. Quote people you know, tell them some experiences that you share with the couple and assure them of your everlasting friendship and/or guidance if you are a parent or sponsor. You wedding wishes should always touch the heart of the couple.