A Wedding Invitation Business is Inexpensive and Easy to Do

If you've been thinking of opening a wedding invitation business, let me just say, "Do It!" It's very easy to do and, depending on which way you decide to go with your business, the start up cost can be as little as a few hundred dollars.

There are three types of wedding invitation businesses. The first type, where you work as a manufacturer's representative, is probably the least expensive in terms of start up costs, and also probably the easiest way to get into the business, especially if you've never had your own business before.

In this business model, you simply sell the manufacturer's ready made cards, you act as their representative in your area. They provide you with samples and order forms, and there's usually some type of training or support system in place to help you when you have questions. Although there may be some small investment required to get sample books from the manufacturers, you don't have to invest in any stock or supplies with this method.

If you've never sold wedding invitations before, this is a good way to start. All the work is done for you. The invitations are already printed and packaged, the order forms are already created and the pricing is already set by the manufacturer. All you have to do is sell the invitations and you earn a commission for each sale from the manufacturer. This way, you can concentrate on learning how to run a business, and the ins and outs of selling wedding invitations, without investing any of your own money.

Another option you have is to sell Bespoke. These are invitations that you create yourself from card stock, pretty papers and embellishments like ribbons and pearls and flowers. This type of invitation business requires the largest investment of time and money, usually $1000 to $3000, but also has the largest profits because you can set your own prices. And if you're the artistic type, you're creations can command a very pretty penny. This business model, though, requires that you have more than a basic understanding of business because, since you'll be making the invitations yourself, you'll have to know how to control your costs and how much mark up to include in order to make your business run profitably.

The third type of wedding invitation business, which is the best method in my opinion, is the combined business. In this case, you sell sell pre-made blank wedding invitations and stationery, that you get from a supplier, and you finish it off on your home computer. With this method, you're not working for a manufacturer, you're purchasing the blank invitations from a supplier. The cards are already decorated on the outside, all you have to do is print inserts for the invitations and other assorted cards, and then put the inserts inside the invitations.

Opening a wedding invitation business that concentrates on selling the combined invitations is really the best way to go because you have very little initial investment, only the few blank cards that you want to start off carrying, and you get to set your own prices. While not quite as profitable as selling Bespoke, this method is more profitable than if you were a manufacturer's agent.

Wedding Scrolls Invitations - Invite People Like Royalty to Your Wedding

Scroll cards are the traditional Indian invitation of the kings and queens, also, known as the Farman. These days, the old Indian customs have been revived for Indian marriages, which are grand and exquisite to give the art of invitation a majestic and magnificent look. Wedding scrolls create royal impact and rich textures and are designed with traditional and modern concepts. The roll-open card with vibrant and colorful handmade paper, imported tissue paper, velvet and cloth has exotic detailing and special box packaging features. These invitation cards are the epitome of classic design and are mostly designed in white tissue paper to give it a rich look. The scroll card is encased in an attractive silver case with traditional work on it. The silver case and the scroll are placed in an awesomely-exclusive silver box.

Simply royal and elegant, wedding scrolls use scroll motifs for design along with a classic script font for the bride and groom's names and other details. The main thing that anyone looks for in a perfect wedding invitation is the one that gets attention and the best way to grab people's interest is by handing them over scroll invitations. Such invitation cards are a statement of style, and fashion and create first impression of the royal wedding event. Its roll open card designing on the colorful cloth or paper with a well-coordinated stationary like gold or a silver thread, beads and crystal embellishments creates a royal impact. Mostly, handmade paper, velvet paper and vellum paper are used in making scroll invitations.

Invitation cards are a perfect synthesis of art, aesthetics, design and utility without compromising on the standards of quality and brilliance. Hence using vision, creativity, focus and experience, scroll cards have become one of the most sought-after styles of rendering invitations for the marriages. A scroll invitation thought amazing in looks need exceptional expertise of adding a dash of creativity, with a dollop of emotions and sprinkle of feelings.

Even in the scroll design, one can choose wedding invitations from different types of categories including traditional scroll invitations, framed scrolls, contemporary style scrolls, one round scrolls, theme oriented scrolls and many more. All these types of invitations are considered as the best for wedding invitations and one can use any one very easily. Many and lot of people now a day are rendering out scroll invitations for their weddings. They are not just impressive and modern to get and distribute such type of invitation cards. But they also stand out then the rest of the other styles.

Top Tips for a Springtime Baby Shower

Now that spring is here it's a great time to look at how to throw a beautiful spring baby shower. The grass is growing, the trees are blossoming, daffodils and bluebells fill the parks, woods and garden borders. There is something glorious about spring. It is a time for new beginnings and new life, so what better time to celebrate the impending arrival of a new baby?

Here are our top tips for throwing a springtime baby shower:
- Hold your baby shower outside. The weather has turned warmer and there is an abundance of beautiful flowers, the birds are singing and the luscious smell of fresh grass is in the air. A picnic lunch in the garden or local park or an afternoon tea in a posh hotel's garden grounds makes for a fantastic baby shower to lift everyone's spirits and throw off the winter blues. How about an Alice in Wonderland tea party or a teddy bear's picnic theme?

- Use the seasonal flowers within your theme or colour scheme. If you are expecting a boy - go for beautiful bluebells. If it's a girl how about some small bunches of beautiful pink cherry tree blossom. If the gender is unknown it's the easiest of all as sunny yellow daffodils are everywhere. Also look for elegant tulips and hyacinths in a variety of colours to co-ordinate with your chosen colour scheme. You can use the flowers as displays in vases, as buttonholes for each guest, as prize bouquets for game winners, as individual flowers tied to napkins or as place settings.

- Use trees, bushes and other outdoor plants and structures to help you decorate. You don't need walls or doors to make the venue look good. Coloured bunting looks especially good outside, strung between trees or fences and you can find it in pretty much any colour or pattern you want!

- Go for springtime treats within your food choices. Tiny cucumber sandwiches presented on a tiered cake stand, fresh salmon and buttery new potato & spring onion salad, and bowls of delicious plump strawberries & cream. If the baby shower is over the Easter period you could also include some little chocolate rice krispie nests with chocolate mini eggs on top.

- Tailor the baby shower games to the outdoors - team races such as dolly buggy obstacle racing are always fun and will bring out the school days competitiveness! Games that don't need lots of paper and pencils like baby shower family fortunes can be fun too.

- Springtime is all about new life so bring it into the theme - how about little lambs or hatching chicks? Use it in the tableware, on wrapping paper, in the food, on balloons, as nappy cake toppers, for guest favours and with soft toys or figurines around the buffet table.

An Off Season Wedding, Is It Cheaper?

Weddings are expensive no doubt about it. The parties, the dresses, the flowers, the reception hall, the food, the music, the drinks and the honeymoon all have to be paid for by the couple and their families.

The off season varies by area of the country on each continent. But wherever you are the off season wedding will be big on savings. During peak months when dates are plentiful the vendors of wedding fare do a brisk business and the demand makes the supply more expensive. However the opposite is true of those months when there is a shortage of business. The supply is overstocked and much cheaper. Couples can negotiate for greater bargains during those months.

The most popular months for weddings in most states are "May through October" after that business drops off considerably. Doing your homework before hand and cataloging prices for things you will need during the peak months will help you to negotiate an even greater bargain for yourselves.

January, February and March tend to be the least popular months for a wedding. This is especially true in areas that experience a hard winter. The lessening of the demand makes the prices infinitely lower. This is true for catering, photography, flowers and most other things are cheaper during off seasons. Only at Easter and Valentine's Day will the flowers be more expensive.

Negotiating will be a large part of what you do for an off season wedding most vendors already have adopted some type of discount policies, if they do not you can set a precedent. You may be able to eve get a discount rate on the honeymoon. Booking the honeymoon hotel and travel to destinations that experience an off season can make a big difference in the type of accommodation's you can afford.

What Do You Give the Couple Who Has Everything?

Has anyone every thought of helping them with the wedding itself? How many times have you received a wedding invitation and started thinking about a wedding gift only to realize that both the bride and groom have both lived on their own for years or been married once (or more) before? What do they really need? Possibly help with the wedding... The cost of a wedding can be beyond overwhelming and with less and less parents being able to fit the bill couples are having to work full time, plan the wedding and try to budget for the wedding of their dreams. Why not talk to the bride about registering for wedding products.

In today's world of online shopping that is a very feasible idea!
We have wonderful resources such as personal wedding sites and evite.com or even face book.com. All of these are a wonderful way to put together all of the wedding day wants and needs, with links to different sites where the products can be purchased. For example on our website we offer a registry where brides can choose all of the things that they are hoping for and then during checkout you can choose to ship the items right away and pay the shipping or opt to have it shipped at the same time as all of the other products and we will cover the shipping cost to the brides location. In this case everyone wins.

So, if you are a bride who has everything consider this option and if you know of a bride who has everything discuss this option with them. It can cover everything from wedding dress, to ceremony supplies, to novelty items (such as a photo booth for the guests) and even go as far as donations toward the catering, flowers or cake! The sky's the limit. This is the age of thinking outside the box.

A High Quality Knife Set Will Last a Lifetime

Whether you are an avid cook or just like to prepare a nice meal every once in a while, you need a good, complete kitchen knife set. Buying a good set from the beginning is key, because it will last for a lifetime. Sure, those discount store brands are cheap, but the quality is cheap as well. Investing in quality cutlery will keep you from having to spend more money over time when you have to replace your discount brand.

If cost is an issue, there are starter sets available that you can add to over time. This can actually be very beneficial, as it gives you time to figure out your cooking style and kitchen needs. This will help you decide which knives are more important for you to have on hand. If you aren't worried about the cost, then buying a complete knife set that includes all the basics is a good idea. You could even include a nice one on your wedding or housewarming registry and hope that some really generous friend or relative buys one for you!

One way to save costs on quality knives is to buy them from websites or bulk stores. These usually offer much lower prices than buying them directly from the manufacturer or high-end kitchen stores.

Before you set out on your search for the perfect set, you'll need to arm yourself with information about how to find the highest quality. The best knife blades are hand forged from high carbon stainless steel. The blade should also have a full tang, which means it should extend all the way through the handle. This keeps the knife from separating from the handle over time.

Know what types of knives you will use most often. The most popular knife that you will probably use most is a chef's knife. These are usually about 8 to 10 inches long. A serrated bread knife is good to have so you can cut breads with hard crusts more easily. A carving knife and fork are also good things to include in your knife set. You may not use them as often as other knives, but you'll be glad you have them on hand when you need to slice a roast, ham, or turkey.

When you set out to buy your knives, look for brands like W羹sthof, Global, and Henckels. These are excellent companies that have high standards when it comes to manufacturing. They will last you a lifetime.

The Future of Wedding Invitations Explored

We are living in times of great change. Almost every sphere of human endeavor is experiencing great changes. From the way we learn, to the way we shop, and onto the way we travel...pretty much everything is changing. And it is from such a background then, that we can venture to explore the future of wedding invitations, that is, the way people invite one another to wedding ceremonies.

But before we can venture to explore the future of wedding-invitations, it may be a good idea to examine where the change that has already taken place has brought wedding invitations to: that is, the current state of wedding invitations. In this regard, it would be worth recalling that once upon a time, there weren't any events that could be called weddings. Human beings, then, were primitive and often shared mates, with the strongest men often ending up getting all the women. Women, then, were simply seen as resources to be fought over. And a woman was typically yours for as long as you had her. The moment she walked away, any other man could take possession of her.

But someone thought we could do better, and introduced the idea of marriage - where a given man could have a given woman for life. Initially, there was no ceremony to mark this. A man would take responsibility for the physical protection and maintenance of a woman and the woman, in return would vow not to take on any other men. The problem with this arrangement was that there tended to be misunderstandings, where a man could undertake to protect and maintain a given woman; but other men, unaware of this arrangement, would continue making passes at her. It therefore became necessary to have a ceremony where a man and a woman could be declared a couple, so that other people who had plans on them (especially on the woman, as women were seen as valuable reproductive resources) could keep off. Thus were weddings born: as ceremonies to mark the initiation of marriage relationships.

In their earliest days, wedding were rudimentary affairs. Invitation was by word of mouth. Sometimes, the invitations weren't even necessary - everyone who happened to be passing that way could just drop in and have a party.

But as the weddings became more and more sophisticated, with the cost of organizing them rising more and more, it became necessary to filter those who could attend and those who couldn't. At this point, migrations had driven people apart too, so that it often became necessary to send them letters inviting them to the weddings.

The wedding-invitation letters were eventually replaced by wedding-invitation cards.

That status quo, with wedding invitation cards being used to invite people to weddings, held for a long time.

Then the Internet came, and suddenly, the wedding invitation card, as a tool for inviting people to a wedding, came under threat from the more convenient E-cards. And it is at this point that we find ourselves, where many wedding invitations are being carried out through E-cards, typically made through the graphics software that is nowadays very easily available. It is also a point where more and more people are using mobile phone wedding invitations, typically through the use of text messages.

Now looking through the crystal balls, it is quite easy to foresee a date, a very near one indeed, when E-card shall completely replace the paper-based wedding invitation cards. This has already happened in some parts of the world, and as the Internet reaches all places and becomes a part of everyday life, this will almost be a certainty. It is not hard to foresee a date when paper-based wedding cards will be completely replaced by E-cards and text invitations to weddings. Some sorts of traditional wedding invitation media, such as that which produces engraved wedding invitations, may (and indeed are likely to) survive this onslaught, but for the most part, traditional wedding invitation media seems to be under a huge threat.

In the somewhat far off future, it is not altogether impossible to foresee a point at which the whole concept of weddings might become irrelevant, as more and more people opt to get married without the hullabaloo of wedding ceremonies. The marriage institution is itself under serious threat, so that one day (thankfully quite far off), there might be no new marriages taking place, for which to make wedding-invitations.

Should You Purchase Wedding Insurance?

How would you cope if a vendor you signed a contract with went out of business? Let's face it, with the current economic crisis, companies are suffering right now. It's not just the big financial companies, its small business too, and the wedding industry is no exception. No industry is recession proof. Sure people are still getting married, but with hard times comes cutbacks, and some wedding vendors are feeling the crunch.

What happens if that seemingly upscale boutique you purchased your gown from, the florist down the street, the limo company or the reception hall declares bankruptcy? The owners don't have to refund any deposits you have made and you may have little recourse to recoup your funds. If you placed your deposits on a credit card, the credit card company may be able to help you get some funds back - but they also may not if the company is bankrupt or has shut down.

Wedding insurance covers so many things which can go wrong with your wedding. It can cover bad weather emergencies, sickness, accidents, postponement, postponement due to military service and cancellations. It can also cover liability for alcohol related accidents during your reception, bodily injury and property damage. And it can also cover loss of deposits from vendors who go out of business.

For around $200 dollars many wedding insurance plans can be purchased. Its a small price for a great peace of mind. Just check with the individual policy to see exactly what you are covered for before signing any contracts.

Wedding PR Myths

Wedding PR, in the form of featured weddings in magazines and blogs, is an attractive notion to most wedding professionals. The idea of having our names in lights with the hope of building our wedding business and increasing sales has become a more popular notion over the last several years. In order to build a strong Wedding PR plan, however, it's imperative to understand the top Wedding PR myths and challenges that you may face along the way.

If I have any amazing wedding, it will get picked up by a blog or magazine.

I've seen this time and time again. A wedding professional will come to me with a wedding for the ages- beautiful bride, memorable details and a great story to accompany it. In a perfect world, wedding blogs and magazines would be clamoring for this opportunity, but the fact is, sometimes it's far more difficult to place than one may realize, especially if aiming for print.

Editorial calendars in the industry vary and you could have a fabulous fall themed wedding this past year that didn't make the cut simply because the next round of magazines were aiming for submissions Spring/Summer 2012. Deadlines come and go very quickly and magazines often are working 6-9 months ahead of time, if not longer. Sure you could wait for the next round of Calls for Submission, but by then, the wedding may be far too old to be considered. This means the window of opportunity to submit to the right publication may be much smaller than you think.

The remedy? Keep track of the editorial calendars of local and national magazines to ensure you don't miss that opportunity to showcase the very best of what you do.

If I have great images, my Wedding PR campaign will be successful.

Real wedding submissions are based in part on fabulous images but what most people don't realize is that there are far more pieces to the puzzle. A beautifully shot wedding is a great start, but if they don't include the fresh inspirational details in which the blogs and magazines want, then the odds of it getting published are greatly diminished.

A good submission will also include all of the details necessary to make life easier on the media- from a list of vendors and the contact information for the bride and groom to a general recap of the day's events and why this particular wedding was so special.

Wedding PR will is a waste at the local level- I want to be BIG.

It's easy for any of us to get the proverbial stars in our eyes when we experience the gratification of a national wedding blog or magazine feature. Look out wedding world, we say, I'm going big time. With this, we may start to put less priority on the blogs and magazine at the local level, simply because they won't get the same traffic and prestige as the "big dogs."

The fact is however, most wedding companies operate at the regional level. Their targeted brides tend to be the ones in their neighborhoods, who shop at their grocery stores and complain about the same expensive car shop down the road. They may certainly be spending their days perusing blogs and magazines from across the US, but they're more than likely following the local media more regularly.

The local blogs and magazines may not give you the starry eyes you may get when you see your name on the national stage, but they are just as important in staying in touch with "your" bride.
Wedding PR has been found to consistently give wedding professionals a competitive edge while also building their brand. By understanding the above myths and how to overcome them, you will be the one with stars in your eyes in no time.

Need A Poem For Wedding Invitations? Here Are Three

If you are looking for a poem for wedding invitations, please feel free to use one of these three poems. You may use them on the front of your wedding invite, on the inside or where ever you would like. I do ask you sign my name as author. I did write each poem. I tried to write them knowing that two people were creating one love but where still two strong people in their own right. I hope you enjoy them.

First poem for wedding Invitations:

A Strong Love

Our love has come together

with two heart it gets better

There will be joy, there will be sorrow,

we will choose to share both with each tomorrow

Each of us walks our own path strong and true

but our goal together is a stronger me and you

As we both enter a new adventurous life

we have decided to become husband and wife

By Mary Redfoot

Second poem for wedding invitations:

I will never walk alone

When the time to find a mate we wondered how

a love so blessed has come to us now

Strange as it may seem

it isn't just a dream

Each of us is strong on our own today

but a new love has grown and will lead our way.

We will not allow our identity to go

it will be a new chance to grow.

There will be days to laugh and days to cry

but standing beside each other we will get by.

Share our joy as we say our vows aloud

we want you to be part of our crowd

By Mary Redfoot

Third poem for wedding invitations:

One Love

We will never be one soul

but one love is our goal

Two strong people will come together

and storm almost any weather

One love can mean two people who share

the depth of knowing they both care

Walking hand in hand, side by side

not allowing the other to hide

It takes two people loving and knowing

this is the only way our love keeps growing

be present as we say our vows this day

witness a new beginning our way

By Mary Redfoot

Each poem can be used for personal use on your wedding cards. If you are making your own wedding invitations any one of these will add a special touch. I hope you can find the one that will be perfect for your wedding announcements. If you want to use them for your wedding programs that would be great also. They can be used as poems for bookmarks that you might make for your special day also. Enjoy them. Have a great wedding day!

Wedding Crafts - Homemade Wedding Favors

One great way to add uniqueness to a wedding is to involve homemade wedding crafts. There are several areas of the wedding where you can use your creativity and skill to handcraft things. Probably the most famous to handcraft are the favors. Wedding favors are little gifts for the guests. Giving them away is one way for you to thank your friends and loved ones for attending the most special day of your life.

It is always worth planning in advance about the wedding favors to give out. Your budget, time, and number of guests are the major factors when it comes to your wedding favors. Depending on your available fund, you can buy or make your own souvenirs.

If you wish to handcraft your wedding favors, you have to start working way in advance especially if you are expecting hundreds of guests. A traditional wedding favor that you can easily make is a small favor box that is made up of sweets. Or you may fill it with chocolate or some rose petals. Sweets, petals, and even confetti are available in cheap prices if you cannot make them yourself.

Another wedding favor that you can handcraft is a seed packet wedding favor. Seed packets are now in trend. These are very easy to make yourself and you can get as creative as you want on these favors. You can shop around for special paper that is perfect for this project, such as pressed flower paper or clear glassine envelopes.

If you are opting for more fun favors to make yourself, why not consider wedding crackers? These are such fun to make where your family can get involved in. You may now start saving your toilet roll tubes for this project that will sure to amaze your guests. You can fill your very own crackers with chocolates, candies, seeds, confetti, flower petals or just about anything that you would want to fill in.

Personalized wedding CD's are also a great option to make at home. You can buy blank CD's at a very cheap price. Your personalized CD favors make classic and popular gifts for your guests. Simply compile a collection of your favorite songs or your wedding theme songs, or a combination of both. When choosing songs for your CD favors, choose an appropriate mixture that everyone will enjoy listening. Make your CD wedding favors more personalized by designing the covers with your sweet photo, the date of your wedding, and a romantic quote or poem.

When it comes to unique favors, one great suggestion is to handcraft them. If you don't have time to create them all, you can purchase cheap wedding favors in bulk and then wrap or package them yourself. That way, you can still add your own personal touch on each favor. If your wedding has a theme, make sure that you choice of favor reflects theme you have chosen. Don't forget to prepare something for the kids if the main wedding favors you have prepared don't fit their age. You can provide them bags of goodies, which they would surely appreciate.

Wedding Invitations Explained

Your wedding planner advises "6 weeks before the big day, send out the wedding invitations."

Great, but due to the large variety of options (paper type, color, font, wording, reply options, announcements, partial invitations etc) it can all get rather confusing. So to make things clearer, here's a brief description of the terms commonly associated with wedding invitations.

Seal And Send: These invitations consist of a single piece of card folded and sealed to avoid the need for an envelope. Beneath the invitation there is a perforated return postcard that can use to reply. Prices for send and seal invitations normally include seals and a return address printed on both the outside of the initial invitation and the response card.

Envelope Seals: These seals are purely for decorative purposes. They are made or self-adhesive labels or blobs of wax and are meant to give the impression that they hold the envelope closed (although the envelope is already sealed in the conventional way). If chosen correctly, these seals can add a touch of class and make your wedding invites stand out from the rest of the mail that people receive. Hundreds of different styles are available so you shouldn't have a problem finding the right seal to match your invitations.

Pre-Printed Envelope Flaps: If you want to save time and ensure that any undeliverable invitations are sent back, why not get your return address printed on the outer envelope. It will add a small amount to the cost of your invitations but the benefits outweigh the cost.

Response Cards: If you need to know specific details about your guests' requirements, these cards are invaluable. They are generally included in the envelope with the main invitation and allow your guests to give you more than a simple yes/no response. For example, you could include the option to attend just the reception or the whole day. Or they may also have specific dietary requirements that have to be catered for. All of these answers will help with your preparations. If you want the best response possible, include a stamped return envelop with your return address on it. Then, your guests only have to fill out the card and send it back. Due to the extra weight, these cards may add to the cost of your postage.

Reception Cards: If you need extra space to add details about your reception, or if not all guests will be invited to the reception, these cards can be made to match the style of your invitations and sent with the main invitation. Again, they could add to the overall cost of your postage.

Map Cards: This is another additional insert and as the name suggests, is a map of the wedding location/reception for guests who don't know the area.

Thank You Notes: These can be purchased/designed at the same time at the rest of your invitation set. These notes normally consist of your names on the front and a blank area inside for you to write your message of thanks. Envelopes are either plain or made to match the style of your invitations.

And that's the basis of a typical wedding invitation. But whatever style of invitation you choose, bear one thing in mind. It's your special day, so your decision is final.

Do Your Own Wedding Invitations With DIY Kits

Like every other detail involved in the wedding decision-making process, wedding invitations are a major one. Wedding invitations will be your first impression and will tell your guests what they need to know about your special day. They can reflect the style of wedding, the style of the couple and let your favorite people know where to be and when. Wedding invitations can also be a great opportunity to save some money, get involved and show off some creativity. And although you may want to share many important things with your guests you shouldn't have to share blood, sweat and tears just to make your own invitations. Many websites offer DIY (Do It Yourself) kits that will allows you to save money and paper cuts all while having handmade wedding invitations.

DIY Kits

Do it yourself is so much easier than it once was. You no longer need to be a perfect paper cutter or put in long hours just to make your own custom wedding invites. The kits that are available online allow you to order the perfect mix of colors, paper styles and accessories that you print and assemble. Whether you want a simple one page square invite with all the info printed right one it or you want the tri-fold, layered paper with a bow, anything is possible. You can design the whole thing online and then order the needed parts to obtain the unique wedding invitations you've always dreamed off.

Printing Template

Creating a printing template might be the trickiest part to the DIY invitation and might take a bit of practice and patience. It might take several tries to get just the way you like it but that is just part of the process. You can try all the font types, and colors that you like until you find what you love. Save the template that you have created on your computer and practice printing it again on a sample page. Practice on plain white scrap paper to make sure you have the font, margins, wording and pertinent information correct.

DIY - Doesn't have to be Do It All

Once you've received all the necessary paper and other materials that you have ordered and you have the template just the way you like it, you can start to put your wedding invitations together. This is a great way to get your mom or your best friends involved in your wedding. Make some munchies, get a bottle of wine, call over the girls and put all the pieces together.

Picking out the perfect wedding invitation is just one of thousands of decisions you will have when planning your big day. The perfect wedding invitation doesn't have cost a million bucks to look amazing. With the new DIY kits you can have all the special elements that you've ever wanted and save some time with very little effort. Although finding that one special wedding stationery item might take some time, you can add your personal touch and make it everything you dreamed of without breaking the bank.

4 Ways to Create Your Own Passport Wedding Invitations

Passport wedding invitations are becoming popular these days mainly because there are lots of couples who are opting for destination weddings. If you are planning to have your wedding on a beach, on a garden or in a place that is somewhat far from your own home, you can also consider using these types of invitations. These are not the normal types, thus, for sure your wedding will end up extraordinary.

If you don't know how to make these types, you can hire someone to make them for you. However, hiring someone can cost lots of money, thus you can also consider making them on your own. Don't worry; this article can help you in that matter. Here are 4 ways to create your own passport wedding invitations.

1. Make use of recycled materials. Given that you are in a tight budget, you might want to consider using recycled materials. For sure, you can find these in your own home. You can make use of resources from your own backyard when making your invitations. Say for example, you can make use of dried leaves or flowers as decorations. Of course, with these materials, you will no longer need to buy decorations, thus you will be able to save some cash.

2. Make use of hot designs. Hot designs would refer to designs that are currently in the trend. This means that these designs must be "in" or that they are fashionable. You can search for designs online. For sure, there are lots of trendy designs that are available online. Of course, aside from searching for designs on the net, you can also ask your friends or relatives if they now such designs.

3. Make the cover unique. Passport wedding invitations appear like the passports which are used when boarding a plane. They have front and back covers and you can make your own covers unique by adding you and your partner's picture. Most couples would not consider adding pictures on their covers and thus, most wedding invitations having this layout will appear the same. Make your own invitation stand out from the rest by adding your pictures.

4. Make your wedding invitations simple, yet complete. Even if you are in a tight budget, you should still try your best to make them complete. This only means that you should include all your sponsors and the people who are important to you and your partner. Of course, do not forget to include a page for your message to your partner and his/her message to you.

It is up to you to create your own passport wedding invitations. You can make use of these ways or you can also make use of your own method. Though these appear difficult to make, you don't need to worry about them because for sure, you will enjoy making them. Just let your imagination work, ask the help of your friends or relatives and for sure, you will be able to come up with extraordinary outcomes. Enjoy!

Wedding Insurance and Choices For Wedding Car Hire

It doesn't matter what choice of transport you choose for your wedding, there is a possibility that something could go wrong to spoil the day. While wedding insurance cannot change this fact, it can at least help with the financial side of things. Once you have considered insurance for your wedding you then have to choose what car hire or method of getting to the church on time you want.

If you are going with traditional cars you have plenty of choices. There are limos, a hummer, or maybe you prefer an old fashioned car such as a Bentley with the smell of luxurious polished leather and wooden veneers. Whichever method of transport you have to be aware that they all have engines and tyres and all may suffer mishaps on the way to pick you up or when taking you to church. When choosing a car hire company you may wish to look around and compare and choose one of the reliable companies for your big day, at least they are less likely to go out of business than a smaller and newer company.

When hiring a company ask them if they have a backup plan in the event of something happening to one of the cars on the big day. For instance, if one should blow a tyre, how long would it take to get another car to you, an ethical car hire firm will always have a backup plan in place?

If money is tight and you are planning a budget wedding you might choose to use your own cars. You are able to tie ribbons to the car, put white covers over the seats and add fresh or dried flowers in the car for decoration and these will look just as great as the majority of cars that you might hire. However, if you are using your own cars you still have to have a backup plan in place in case something happens to one of your cars.

If you want to arrive at the church in style then you might choose something a little different such as a horse drawn carriage. There are many specialist hire firms that present you with whatever type of vehicle you wish. Imagine turning up at the church in a horse drawn carriage that resembles something out of a fairy tale. However, as with any other mode of transport you should bear in mind that things may go wrong and have a substitute, even if it is only your dad's car.

If you are taking out wedding insurance, and it provides protection for car hire or transport you need to make sure that your policy covers your mode of transport. The majority will be but it never hurts to make sure.

Wedding Cake Checklist - 25 Things to Ask Your Baker About Your Wedding Cake

Your wedding cake can be ordered from a baker, a caterer, or even your reception location. When ordering your wedding cake some things you should consider are: the price, the workmanship, the quality (of both flavor and design) and the taste. Some reception locations will charge you a fee if you order your cake from an outside baker. This fee is known as a cake-cutting fee. However, ordering from a baker who specializes in wedding cakes will ensure you are getting exactly what you want for your wedding cake.

You will also have to decide on other options such as: size, shape, color, decorations, flavor, filling and frosting. An experienced baker who specializes in wedding cakes will advise you how much cake you will need, what flavors are popular, and which frostings will hold up over the course of your reception. Frostings are very delicate - some do not perform well when exposed to air or heat for long periods of time (whipped cream is an example of this). Ask for photographs of wedding cakes from each baker you are considering, and also ask if you can taste samples of their cakes.

Once you narrow down your choices for a baker here are some questions to ask before making a final decision:

Name and Address of Bakery:

Contact Person and Phone Number:

1. How many years have you been designing and making wedding cakes?


2. What are your specialties?


3. What is your most popular flavor?


4. What is your most popular filling?


5. What frosting would you recommend for our event?


6. Do you have photographs of some recent cakes you have made?


7. Can we sample your wedding cakes?


8. Do you freeze your wedding cakes?


9. How far in advance should I order my cake?


10. (If applicable) Can I order a groom's cake?


11. How much is my desired cake?


12. How much per piece does my desired cake cost?


13. What is your cake pillar fee?


14. What is your cake plate rental fee?


15. Are these fees refundable upon the return of these items?


16. When must these items be returned?


17. Do you offer a specialty box in which we can freeze the top tier?


18. If so, How much does this box cost?


19. When will you deliver the cake?


20. What is your delivery fee?


21. What is your set up fee?


22. What is your payment policy?


23. What is your cancellation policy?


24. Do you offer a money back guarantee if something should happen to the cake?


25. Do you have liability insurance?

Civil Partnership Wedding Invitations - From Choosing a Design to Wording Your Invitations

Civil Partnership wedding invitations are available in a wide variety of styles, themes and colour options. Whether you are looking for a more traditional invite or something completely different you are bound to find something with the wide choice of designs available online.

Designs

Some wedding stationers provide specific invitations for civil ceremonies. But why do the designs have to be any different from traditional wedding invitations? Most invitations on the market are perfectly suitable and the wordings inside the invitation can usually be adapted to suit any type of wedding.

When looking for designs the best variety can be found online. Not all high street retailers provide a large choice, although they probably will have at least a small selection. Some online stationers specialise in "pink" weddings, however, also consider more traditional stationers as they are likely to have many designs that can be adapted to a civil partnership wedding.

Choosing the Right Style

Think carefully about the style of wedding your are having. Do you have a particular theme? Maybe a specific colour scheme? If you are not sure what style of invitation to pick create an inspiration board. Collect images from magazines and websites to create a montage of your favourite flowers, favours, dresses, suits and all things wedding. This will help you decide on the style of civil partnership invitation to choose.

Wording Your Wedding Invitations

You may choose to adapt a more traditional wedding invite wording. For example the traditional way is to have the bride's parents as invitees. This could be changed to;

Mr. and Mrs. Smith along with Mr. and Mrs. Jones
would like to invite you to....

Or

Together with their parents
Sarah Jessica Smith and Louise Andrea Jones
would like to invite you to...

If you are wanting a modern wording you might want to consider;

James Thompson and Mark Simmons
would like to invite you
to join them as they pledge
their life long commitment to each other
at a Civil Partnership Ceremony

Coming Together On A Motorcycle Pictures Wedding Invitations

If you are getting married and he happens to be a motorcycle lover it is likely that he will want motorcycle pictures wedding invitations. If you are not quite as hip on the idea, but want him to have a say in the wedding there is a middle ground. Remember marriage is all about finding a middle ground and learning to share! So don't Hogg all the decisions, no pun intended! Really, there are ways to accomplish a traditional very classy wedding invitation and still bring along his second love!

There are a number of styles of motorcycle pictures wedding invitations that you can choose from. There are invitations with motorcycle photos, sayings and much more. If you choose most printers will work with you to design a customized wedding invitations. If you have a certain picture, poem or saying, just ask, many will help incorporate your style into the invitation. Everything else should be the same with the invitations, just the photos or sayings may change some.

If you want to try your hand at making your own motorcycle pictures wedding invitations, that is a possibility as well. Many of the invitation printers will sell you the paper allowing you to do the rest. With all the home computers, printers and a little creativity, you should be able to design the perfect wedding invitation. You may have a picture that you want to use, a writing or a combination of the two. One great thing about doing theme yourself is that you can decide exactly how to do it without counting on someone else. Many brides and grooms are adding other things to their invitations to dress them up a bit, you could also do this. How about a small piece of leather with your state emblem or other sentimental item, it is really up to you.

If you decide to custom make your motorcycle pictures wedding invitation that is fine, but there are a few things to keep in mind. First make sure that the paper that you purchase is quality paper. It is a good idea to purchase the paper from the printer. It may seem like a good idea to purchase it from a superstore giant, but the quality and print may suffer. If you purchase from the printer they specialize in wedding invitation paper and know what will work best with the type of design you are trying to achieve. The printer can assist you in many ways and choosing the right paper is one of the things that they are trained in.

Wedding Invitations Card Types

Your wedding day is one of the biggest days of your life so you will want everything to be absolutely perfect. When it comes to selecting a wedding invitation you will want something that fits in with your theme and has the look and quality that you want. You may have something in mind such as a colourful butterfly invitation to match your wedding decorations. However have you considered what type of card you would like for your invitation? Here are some examples of the different types of card you are likely to find for wedding invitations.

Hammer Card Wedding Invitation

Hammer card has a texture running through it that looks as though it may have been hit with a hammer to give it an effect of not being smooth. This usually comes in a thickness of around 300gsm for a good quality feel and is a popular choice for wedding cards.

Glossy Card

Glossy Card is a good choice if you are having invitation printed with some high resolution detailed graphics. Image quality will come out best on a glossy surface and give the feel of shiny brochure like presence. With glossy you should also notice a reflection in the card when you move it in light similar to a photograph. This is a good choice to make those sharp images stand out and give your wedding invite the glitzy glamorous feel.

Gloss Lustre

Lustre is similar to the glossy card with a shiny appearance. This card is geared more towards a pigment ink and gives remarkable print quality with a 300gsm thickness and has real photobase card. Enhanced layering technologies gives the cards a vibrant and traditional feel and finish. The UV absorbers and ozone protectors were specifically designed for the lustre product. The main difference between the gloss and the lustre is the way it interacts with the light. The gloss gives a reflection like a photograph when moved in light were as the lustre produces a magical gleaming shimmer giving it the mark of quality and elegance.

Linen Card

The linen card is an excellent choice for a more traditional feel. When you look at a magnified view of the material it has weaving lines to give the card its texture. It has a quality feel and gives the perfect texture for the invitation designs with the old fashioned paper style backgrounds.

Smooth Matt

The smooth card is an obvious choice if you don't want something with a texture or a glossy look. It isn't the best for printing sharp images or high resolution but if you want something more plain looking and non-flashy then this would be a good choice. The texture of the card is smooth and is of a standard thickness.

Felt Card - Cheap Wedding Invitations

The felt card is another good alternative for a textured feel. It isn't too different from the linen card or the hammer card. Running your finger along its surface reveals some slight bumps in the texture to give it that feeling of quality.

Pearlescent

The pearlescent card has a very expensive look and feel with its shimmering surface. This card stands out as unique from the rest and has a glittering kind of surface. Cut from a thick card stock the pearlescent has a high quality feel, look and style. This is the perfect card to make your wedding invtes stand out and give your guests a first class impression.

Appropriate Wording for Traditional Wedding Invitations

Writing the content for your wedding invitations is one of the most challenging parts of creating invites, especially for traditional or formal weddings. This can even get more complicated if you have to consider special situations wherein you have to make sure your wording is respectful and appropriate for all parties concerned.

Host line
Traditionally, the bride's parents are the ones who will issue the wedding invitations and whose names will be written in the host line. However, with evolving family structures and financial dynamics, the host line of a wedding invitation is often the trickiest part of wording invites. Here are some guidelines that couples can take note of when wording their invitations:

- Divorced parents. If the bride's parents are divorced but are still hosting the wedding together, you should include both of their names in the wedding invitations. The mother's name (if not remarried, should include her first name, maiden name, and married name) should be the first one to be mentioned, should be followed by the father's name underneath, and should not be separated with "and".

Example:
Mrs. Elizabeth Williams
Mr. Richard Williams
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Hannah Williams

Stepparents. Traditionally, the names of the stepparents are not included in the wedding invitations. However, it is also acceptable to add their names. You should mention the mother (and her husband) first, followed by the father (and his wife) without an "and" in between.

Example:
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Lopez
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Williams
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Hannah Williams

Deceased parent. Although, it is not required to include the name of a deceased parent in a wedding invitation, it is still okay to include their names. In this case, it is best to omit courtesy titles.

Example:
The pleasure of your company is requested
at the marriage of
Hannah Williams
daughter of Richard Williams and the late Elizabeth Williams

Social titles
For a traditional or formal wedding, you need to include social titles or courtesy titles such as Mr. and Mrs. in the invites. If the parents hold courtesy titles aside from Mr. and Mrs., you need to spell these out. Parents with a courtesy title should also be mentioned first. For example, you should choose Doctor Richard Williams and Mrs. Elizabeth Williams or Doctor Elizabeth Williams and Mr. Richard Williams.

Other traditional wording rules
When wording your wedding invitations, you should also indicate the location of the ceremony or reception. You need to decide whether you will invite them to the church ceremony only, the reception only, or to both venues.

Examples:
Place of worship - Request the honor of your presence
Secular location - Request the pleasure of your company
Informal reception only - Invite you to join them at the wedding reception of

5 Smashing Hot Wedding Tips on a Budget

Are you planning for one of the biggest days of your life? Of course you want to spend some money, but what to do when you are on a small budget? You may believe that it is impossible to have your wedding look extravagant without a big bucks budget.

Fortunately there are a lot of great wedding tips on a budget available for you. Here are my 5 most smashing wedding tips for the budget bride and groom.

There are a lot of areas where you can save a great deal of money for your wedding. And do not worry about the appearance of your wedding even if you can not spend that much money. It does not have to look cheap!

My List of 5 Hot Wedding Tips on a Budget

1. The Guest List

Most people want to invite a lot of guests to their big day. All family members, friends an co-workers. What you may not consider is that a big guest list will cost you much more money. Try to filter out the guest list a bit and think of the people that are most important to you, and maybe you can make it a little bit smaller, and cheaper.

2. The Invitation Cards

Pre-made and customized invitation cards can be very costly. A great alternative to buying these, are to do-it-yourself. There are thousands of great templates online which you could use to design your own wedding invitation cards. Many of them are FREE, and others can be purchased for a couple of dollars. When you are done you could print them from your computer or you could just send them electronically by email.

3. The Wedding Dress

The bride's wedding dress could become an expensive story of it's own. There are a lot of possibilities online where you can get really cheap dresses, maybe used only one time or even zero times. eBay is a great place to start looking at, but you could also check out some ads sites.

4. The Decorations

Decorations are very important on a wedding, but it could also be very expensive to buy all the flower arrangements, centerpieces and other stuff from a professional decorator. All of this is totally possible to create yourself, with a little imagination and creativity. Go buy yourself a book about decorations, check out YouTube or just "Google" it.

5. The Alcohol Expenses

If possible, cut down your alcohol expenses to the minimum. This one of the most costly things at the reception party, so cutting these costs could really save your budget. Maybe it's not an option for you to skip alcohol, then you should at least try to serve a limited variety of alcohol.

Tips On Cutting Wedding Costs

The most important thing you must consider when planning a wedding is your budget. With the following cost cutting tips you can have a beautiful wedding without going into debt.

1. Create your own invitations

With a little practice you can create professional looking invitations. Buy high quality blank invitation forms. Make sure to use a typeface that is formal, crisp and easy to read for professional-looking results.

2. Gowns

Save money on your Wedding gown and Bridesmaid dresses by shopping at a bridal discount outlets. If alterations are necessary, take the dresses to a local seamstress. If you need a bridal gown slip, rent it rather than buy it.

3. Limit your attendants to Maid/Matron of Honor and Best Man. You will save money on clothing, gifts, and food costs at the rehearsal dinner.

4. Get married in the morning: afternoon and evening weddings are more expensive.

5. For an indoor wedding consider having your reception at a restaurant. Most charge less than a hotel or country club. Plus restaurants do not charge room fees like many facilities.

6. Consider having your reception at a park or public garden rather than an expensive hall. Most public parks are free or charge a small fee.

7. Cut Reception Food Costs

Limit the number of guests to those you really want there. (Remember caterer's charge per person).

Forego the multi-course dinner in favor of a brunch, luncheon, a dessert reception, or even a cocktail party.

8. Cut Bar Reception Costs

Serve only beer, wine, and soft drinks. Do not offer mixed drinks. By eliminating mixed drinks you may be able to cut your bar bill in half.

Consider offering a full bar for the first hour or two and then switch to a cash bar. Do not have waiters/waitresses serve the guest drinks. If a people have to actually go get their own drinks, they will probably drink less, therefore saving you money.

9. Party Favors

You can save hundreds of dollars by eliminating the party favors. If you absolutely want favors, why not make your own? How about buying bags of Hershey kisses and wrapping a few into a small piece of organza cloth and tying it with a cute ribbon.

Forego the printed napkins and matches to save even more money. Also, do you really need a gold embossed guest book? Probably not! Why not purchase a nice guest book at your local stationery store.

10. Wedding Cake

Wedding cakes can be very expensive. To save money on your cake contact a nearby college that offers cooking classes for referrals. A recent Graduate can make you a gorgeous cake a lot cheaper than a professional baker.

To really save money on your cake you could consider using a display cake (A dummy Styrofoam cake) for the display table. A display cake will look exactly like a real cake and your guests would never know the difference. Since you do not have a real cake your caterer can serve guests slices of sheet cake which costs a fraction of the cost of wedding cake.

11. Music

Hire a DJ rather than a live band. If you want live music, visit the music department at your local college for referrals. There are many talented music students who would gladly play at your wedding.

12. Flowers

Why not make your own bouquet? Buy a pretty bouquet of flowers or pick wild flowers and tie them together with wire. Then wrap the wire with a pretty ribbon. (Hint: Roses are not good flowers for bouquets as they fall apart rather easily).

If you want to purchase a professional bouquet, remember to always use flowers in season to save money.

Rather than purchase expensive boutonnieres for the men, why not pin a single flower to the jacket lapel.

13. Table Displays

You do not need expensive flower table displays for your reception. Why not put pretty flowers in a small vase on each table. All the vases do not have to match. In fact, it can look striking if you use a different vase and flower on each table.

Rather than flowers, decorate each table with candles. Here are some tips:

• Buy some candles and tie ribbons around them then slip a single flower inside the ribbon. Keep the ribbon long and let it cascade down to the table.


• Put a couple of floating candles in a clear glass bowl along with a few fresh flower heads. You can buy a plant like a Chrysanthemum for a couple of dollars and cut the flowers off.


• Votive candles on top of a mirror makes a romantic centerpiece for an evening reception.

14. Photographer Hiring a professional photographer/videographer is very expensive. Consider asking a photographer friend to do the honors (Perhaps as a wedding present).

If you want professional photos, consider hiring a photographer for the formal shots of your ceremony only. Then place disposable cameras on every table. Not only will your guests have fun, but you'll get dozens of photographs as momentos at very little cost

Window Installation - Rough Framing Or Finish Work?

The other day while I was visiting a job site, I watched with amazement as a framer quickly installed the windows into their openings. As I watched the units go in one by one I can honestly say the only installation instruction being followed was the use of a hammer and nails. I couldn't help but think of the many service calls we receive each year and how the vast majority of these calls are the result of improper window installation. The question after seeing this first hand is how do you tell the framer the issues you are concerned with or worse yet tell a builder his warranty is void because someone couldn't follow instructions. This is where I came up with the question, "rough framing or finish work?" Only you have the answer.

The art of installing a window today has in many cases been reduced to throwing the unit into an opening and nailing the unit with roofing nails through the nailing flange. I see this practice all to often and can assure you that the end user will never enjoy the windows true performance ratings when this type of installation occurs. It is my desire to make sure that the individual installing the window is well informed on the installation instructions so the end user is receiving everything I have told them to expect.

In the case I mentioned above, the windows had installation instructions attached directly to the unit. Whether it is Kolbe, Solaris or Andersen windows each have very similar instructions to ensure proper performance. Here are 3 key items I found on the installation sheet.

1. Prepare Rough opening: A level must be utilized, I know this sounds obvious but the framer I witnessed was not using a level. An eyeball line-up approach was being performed to ensure these units were installed correctly. The opening must be plum, square, level and in plane (NOT TWISTED). The individual construction members should not be twisted. It is critical that the sill plate beneath the unit is perfectly level for perfect operation. The opening also needs to be flashed properly.

2. Sealant Caulking: Regardless of perimeter sealing technique, the following steps are required: on clad units, when the nailing fin is required you must apply a 3/16" bead of sealant along the head and sides in the valley created by the frame and nailing fin, making sure the corner pads are properly sealed to the frame.

3. Shims: This is something I see very little of these days. It became apparent there was a problem a few years ago while helping out our installed insulation department. I had the task of stuffing insulation around windows. The biggest thing I noticed was that there were no shims in any of the window openings. This was not just one home this was every home we insulated. Why is this a problem? For starters most double-hung units require shims between the side jamb and the rough opening at the check-rail. Without these shims the manufacture can void the warranty. A set of instructions I pulled from a vinyl window recently read as follows. Shims should be placed so as to assure that movements of the building are not transferred to the window. As you can probably guess, no shims, no warranty.

These are just a few of the possible pit-falls of installing windows. If you currently have few callbacks or issues with your windows working properly then you are fortunate to have the right individual installing your windows. If however callbacks are a regular occurrence for you or your supplier, perhaps its time to check into how they are being installed.

How to Have an Elegant But Cheap Wedding

Everybody wants his big day to be special and memorable. The average wedding nowadays costs between 20.000 and 30.000 Dollars - but in times of credit crunch not everybody can afford to spend this kind of money. Being on a tight budget doesn´t mean you have can´t have a stylish wedding - here are some tips on how to organize an elegant but cheap wedding.

Set up a Budget

A crucial step for the organisation of a cheap wedding is making a plan. Without a plan costs add up and you will run out of money really fast. So you will have to sit down and talk things through. Determine what is important for the two of you and at which points it might be possible to compromise. You want the dress of your dreams? Then you might have to save money on the reception. Your fiancé has his heart set on live music? Cut down on the guest list perhaps. You get the idea - get your priorities clear.

In a second step determine how much money you will be able to spend and then divide it between the different points on your list. Use a checklist in order not to forget anything. This way you´ll stay on top of everything and avoid ugly surprises.

Setting the Date

By choosing the date of your wedding wisely, you can save a huge amount of money. Go for the off season, avoid the typical wedding season (spring) and days like Valentines day, "pretty" dates like the 10 of October 2010... Wedding venues tend to charge a hefty surcharge for these days. If you decide to get married on a friday you might be able to get an even bigger discount, just make sure to ask for it! Make sure people know you are looking for a good price and ask for their advice. Nowadays being on a tight budget is a very common thing and nothing to be ashamed off!

Hands on: Do it yourself

You want an elegant wedding for a cheap price? Then start working! If you do it yourself, you won't have to pay anybody for it! While some things are better done by professionals (like the photos for example) there are lots of things that you can do yourself. Do the first step and skip the wedding planner - this will save you a huge amount of money! Browse the web and look through bridal magazines and books (visit your local library and see what they have on weddings) to get inspired. Take note of everything you like and then think about how you can copy it. A classical do-it-yourself project when it comes to weddings is the decoration of the reception and the wedding favors. For an elegant wedding make sure you chose your wedding colours wisely and then coordinate the different elements around these colours.

Shop smart

You could just go to one of the established wedding shops (there are plenty on the web) and get everything you need there - this is the easy, but also the expensive way. If you want to save money, here are some ideas:

Buy flowers that are in season rather then going for what you've seen on that glossy bridal magazine. Try to copy the style you like with similar colours. You might just buy a few of the expensive variety and complement it with a cheaper flower - this way you get a similar effect for less money. Instead of visiting your local florist, buy your flowers at a farmers market, or online at a wholesale seller - very often they offer wedding packages, that are really good value.

Visit your local dollar store (or shop online) and see if you can get items like candles, decorative pebbles, flower vases, bowls, artificial plants etc. here. Borrow items like potted plants or decorative statues from friends and use whatever you have at home.

These are just a few ideas on how to have an elegant wedding for cheap money.

Calling Off The Wedding - How To Survive A Broken Engagement

It's sadly ironic that during a time intended to prepare for lifelong commitment, it's the relationship with your fiancé that often suffers neglect. In our culture of naively blissful engagements culminated by blowout gala weddings, the idea of halting the engagement fast train and disembarking from the euphoria is absurd. Caught up in exponential to-do lists of wedding planning, couples will head to the altar amidst serious misgivings and uncertainty - anything to avoid the hideously ugly and seemingly permanent blemish of a broken engagement.

In reality, the act of being engaged doesn't necessarily guarantee a happily ever after. If a pre-nuptial couple faces indisputable evidence that their relationship isn't working, calling off the wedding is sometimes the healthier alternative to saying "I do" with reservations. Unfortunately, these couples often have no where to turn for advice and counsel; there's no arsenal of planning tips and checklists to prepare them for the emotional roller coaster that is about to ensue.

So what should you do when you find yourself in the middle of a wedding that almost was? Try to envision not a broken engagement, but rather a broken marriage - complete with lawyers, custody battles and alimony payments. If you can realize that a broken engagement is far superior to a broken marriage, you will have accomplished the first step in calling of the wedding - which is emotional acceptance of the decision. Only then can you successfully tackle the necessary steps to get your life back on track.

Talk with Your Fiance, then Take the Next Steps Together

Regardless of who broke the engagement, the conversation with your (former) fiancé will be intensely emotional and most likely uncomfortable. You're either the bad guy, feeling a combination of guilt, uncertainty and relief. Or you're the jilted one - feeling a combination of sorrow, embarrassment, maybe even deceit. Even if the decision was mutual, you both may feel guilt and shame when faced with notifying your families and friends.

Although painful, the soul searching conversation is essential to the healing process. If breaking the engagement wasn't mutual, talking it out to at least understand the other's feelings will help you both take the next steps.

Keep in mind, however, that deciding not to marry usually ends the relationship. Reversing from engagement back to dating just doesn't work. After you have handled the details of canceling the wedding together, both of you should mentally prepare to get through this as individuals.

Notify Family and Closest Friends, Including the Bridal Party

After you and your fiancé arrive at an agreement, or at least an understanding, you need to notify your immediate family and closest friends. Both sides will probably be surprised, especially if you've managed to conceal your ambivalence. Regardless of the circumstances that caused the broken engagement, try not to allow either side dwell on anger or blame. Remind them - and yourself - that he should only marry someone who really wants to marry him, and you should only marry someone who really wants to marry you. Your families and friends need to allow you to get on with your lives.

Contact Your Vendors

As soon as possible, contact all vendors to cancel arrangements and recoup any deposits. This task may prove overwhelming during this time of emotional turmoil; if the situation is too raw, a family member or close friend can make these arrangements.

Whether or not you can recover your deposits depends on the contract terms and how close to the wedding date you cancel. Most contracts have a refund policy, so you should be able to get back a percentage of your deposit if you cancel by a certain date.

Unfortunately wedding insurance will not help here, as these policies typically "cover everything but a change of heart." Other costs you probably won't recover are your wedding dress and honeymoon deposits. Both are usually backed by tight non-refundable cancellation policies.

Like a Band-Aid - Notify the Rest

Soon after you've spoken with your fiancé, your families and closest friends, you will need to personally inform each guest that you've canceled the wedding. You are under no obligation to explain the reason behind the cancellation; simply letting them know is enough.

If invitations have not been sent:

Send a handwritten note to each guest explaining your decision. If any gifts (shower, engagement or wedding) have already arrived, you should return the gift and thanks along with the note.

To simply the process, you can send printed cards worded similarly to invitations:

Example:

Mr. and Mrs. John Doe

announce that the marriage of

their daughter

Jane Marie

to

Tom Smith

will not take place

We appreciate your support during this difficult time for our family

If invitations have already been sent:

Guests need to know immediately so they can make necessary arrangements. There won't be time to send a written note; therefore, someone will need to call every guest to explain. If the bride and groom find they cannot face this task, family or close friends can do the job. The bride and groom may want to send a personal note after the fact, especially if gifts have already arrived. Again, any gifts should be returned along with a thank you note.

The Ring Dilemma

So just who gets to keep the engagement ring? If the ring was a gift, most etiquette resources suggest that the woman should at least offer to return it, especially if she ended the engagement. If the man called it off, she could opt to keep the ring, although she may rather return it to avoid a painful reminder of a failed engagement.

If the ring is a family heirloom, however, the couple should return it to the family it came from, regardless of who called off the wedding.

If the couple bought and paid for the ring together, they will need to decide what to do with it together, as they would with any other significant joint purchases.

If you and your fiancé cannot arrive at an amicable agreement, you will need to consult with a local attorney for the legal specifics in your state.

Getting on with Your Life

Getting over a broken engagement only begins with the official cancellation. Once you've tended to the messy details, the real healing process begins. An emotional journey lies ahead, and to get through it you'll need the support of your friends and family. Those who have been your supporters from the moment you made the announcement are still there for you. Don't be afraid to lean on them.

As you begin to pick up the pieces, short-term anxieties may threaten to overwhelm: Money may be tight due to all the wedding expenses and your new status as a single woman; you may have to find a new place to live; you may worry that you'll never meet anyone else. Try to remember that you're going through this for the sake of your long term well-being.

Fast forward your mind to one year from now... You're getting ready for a night out with your girlfriends when your mind reflects on the first month after you called off your wedding. Your memory may be foggy, but your resolve that it was for the best will be clear. You'll reflect on your personal growth during this ordeal. You may even be thankful for a new relationship that was allowed to flourish due to the end of one that never would. You'll have stared down an imposing obstacle and triumphed. You'll have learned more about yourself and what you can survive than you would ever imagine.

It will happen, really it will.

Wood Craft Supplies for Craftsman in Your House

Wood crafting nowadays is a far cry from the wood shop program we took during high school. I feel every young man has most likely built a bird house or some sort of shelf during his high school job. You may even so assemble all these things from scratch, on the contrary, if carpentry is not your strong suit, you can still take pleasure in wood crafts. Wood crafting supplies propose a broad range of unfinished wooden craft objects within all shapes and sizes. They can be painted, stenciled, or embellished with metal hoops, leather and fabric. Present are as well all types of neat wooden shapes that can be applied with craft glue.

You don't require for you to try finding a miter box to generate a customized picture frame. Acquire an unfinished frame and give it a coat of paint and add a quantity of gold leaf. Wooden plaques are one more item you can do with, and they appear within all sizes and shapes. You can decoupage your wedding ceremony invitations or birth pronouncement for an enduring memento or gift. My husband and I received an unfinished wooden plaque, tainted it, cut back a Plexiglas cover and lay a win picture of our friend's horse on it as a Christmas gift. He loved it. The image was on display right away, a much better gift than a photo to be caught in an album.

Unfinished wooden birdhouses are a remarkable means to build one of a kind house for the birds in your backyard. Paint them to match your outdoor accessories or your house. My cousin painted small versions as centerpieces for a garden wedding, and they are lovely. People had to draw names to see who acquired to get one home. This was a lasting memento of a special day.

If you gaze around your local home stores, you can find wooden medallions and even gingerbread trim to utilize on furniture or to improve as architectural details within your residence. The wooden trim items and medallions are quickly useful to unfinished furniture to provide it a customized look and can be painted or tainted. You can adjust the appearance of basic furniture by the addition of decorative wood trim.

You might be skilled with a jigsaw, and if you are, you can produce your own wood craft items, custom trim, and birdhouses. However, if you're similar to me and probably to cut off a finger in the course of action, do yourself a support and have certain ready made wood craft supplies. No one will be the wiser once it has been painted or blemished, and you get to receive credit for the perfect product.

Rapunzel Theme Party for Girls - A Fairy Tale Come True

Rapunzel Theme Invitation Cards:

Invitation cards can be in the form of a tower with a small cut-out for the window on the front page. Decorate the front of the card with two yellow braids made from wool or crochet cotton and dried herbs. Another idea is to make your card from paper that can be planted afterward. It will really suit the Rapunzel theme so well.

Decorations and Welcome Activities:

A tower will be one of the main features of a Rapunzel theme party. You can make one from a large, sturdy cardboard box - (ask at your local furniture shop for the type that new fridges and cookers are packed in). Using a craft knife, cut out a window on the upper part of the box; paint the box (using brown and yellow or grey and black paint) to resemble bricks.

Make two braids from thick yellow wool or yellow stockings and attach them to the inside of the "window sill". Decorate the sides of the cardboard box with lots of ivy or branches to give the illusion of thorn bushes growing against the tower walls.

Make a wig with long braids from yellow wool for every girl that will attend the party and make cardboard crowns for the boys.

Place a small table or chair inside the tower and let the birthday child hide inside on the day of the party. When the party guests arrive, they have to call "Rapunzel, Rapunzel let down your long hair", whereupon the birthday child will appear in the window, let the attached braids fall down and then hand out the wigs and crowns to her party guests. The guests will then be led to the party table where they will enjoy some witches' froth while they are waiting for Rapunzel to appear after the prince has saved her.

Table Decorations:

Choose green, yellow and lilac colours for the table decorations - (green for the forest and herbs in the garden, yellow for Rapunzel's hair and lilac for the rampion flowers). Decorate the table with herbs or other leaves and twigs. If you have lavender or any other purple/lilac flowers blooming in your garden, add this too.

Use stiff cardboard to make towers, paint and decorate as desired, then fill with candy or crisps and place them among the leaves and flowers on the table.

Rapunzel Birthday Cake:

The birthday cake can be in the form of a castle or you can make a faux cake by using empty cereal boxes to shape a castle. Cover the whole structure with aluminium foil, spread a layer of icing all over. Press biscuits and candy all over to cover the structure until the desired effect is achieved.

Other party snacks can consist of dainty sandwiches with coloured and flavoured butters; add some sturdier food like cheesy polony and egg pies for the lads.

Rapunzel Party Games:

If you have a sturdy wall in your garden, ask your husband or another adult to attach a few rope ladders to the top edge or just make a few knots in thick rope and attach firmly to tree branches.

The party guests can also play hide and seek and adapt the call of the enchantress and the prince ("Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair") to suit their names. The child that is out, must then go into the cardboard box tower and let down his or her hair - (the braids that were attached to the window sill).

Rapunzel Party Activities:

Keep the party guests busy with some craft activities that can also double up as party favours. The story of Rapunzel happened as a result of the rampion herb that her mother craved during her pregnancy, so crafts that center round gardening or nature will be suitable for this party. The kids can make mini gardens or terrariums, leaf prints or seed pictures that they can take home after the party.

As a last treat, let the children watch the "Barbie as Rapunzel" movie or read them the Rapunzel story written by the Brothers Grimm and published in 1812. Children love fairy tale stories and with a little imagination you can easily turn your child's birthday party into his or her own fairy tale.

Great Examples of Best Man Speech Jokes and One-Liners to Make Your Speech Funny and Entertaining

Best man speech jokes are used to make a best man speech more funny and entertaining to the wedding guests. Not all of us has a wicked sense of humor, but keeping a few tips in mind can help you to prepare and deliver a stunning and entertaining speech. Normally it is expected of the best man to be funny and hilarious and roast the groom. The golden rule of any best man speech is to have the perfect mixture of humor and sentiment. It is up to you to make sure you deliver a memorable speech and keep the guests entertained. Lets have a look at some Do's and Don'ts of Best Man Speech Jokes.

Do's Of Best Man Speech Jokes

- Keep your jokes short, catchy, funny and to-the-point
- Practice your jokes beforehand on some friends
- Vary your voice when telling jokes and use different facial expressions
- Build up to the punchline of your jokes steadily and slowly
- Deliver your jokes at the right moment - Critical!!

Don't of Best Man Speech Jokes

- Don't litter your speech with jokes
- Don't use any rude or crude jokes in your speech
- Don't use any jokes relating to sex. religion or politics
- Don't tell any embarrassing jokes or stories about the couple
- Don't use old, rehashed and cliched jokes

Great Best Man Speech One-Liners

It is usually best to start your speech with a funny and punchy one-liner. This will act as a great ice-breaker and set the mood for the rest of your speech. One liners are perfect, because they are short and to the point. Make sure the one-liners you use flow easily and naturally into your speech. Tie your one-liners to the groom or couple and put your personal touch to it. Here is a few examples of one liners you can use in your speech:

• "Before marriage a man will lie awake all night thinking about something you said; after marriage he'll fall asleep before you finish saying it." - Helen Roland
  


• "In order to be happy with a man, you must understand him a lot and love him a little; To be happy with a woman, you must love her a lot and not try to understand her at all."

Use Some Funny Best Man Speech Jokes

When using jokes in your speech be careful and make sure they don't embarrass or offend anyone. Keep your jokes clean, classy and in good taste. The groom is probably your best friend and should remain so even after your speech. Pick jokes related to the wedding and make sure your deliver them with a bang! Here is some funny best man speech jokes you can use in your speech:

• Marrying a man is like something you've been admiring for a long time in a shop window. You may love it when you get home, but it doesn"t always go with everything in the house." - Jean Kerr


• Marriage resembles a pair of shears, so joined that they cannot be separated, often moving in opposite directions, yet always punishing anyone who comes between them. - Sydney Smith

When you deliver your best man jokes put a smile on your face and humor in your voice. Give the guests some time to enjoy your joke before moving on with your speech. Best man speech jokes and one-liners are the perfect way to include some humor in your speech to make if funny and entertaining.

Irish Themed Wedding Invitations

Some happy couples choose an Irish Wedding Traditional theme either because the bride or groom are Irish. Their family originally came from the Emerald Green Isle.

They may decide they would like to choose an Irish wedding. Either because of the long standing tradition with the Celts. Their interest in folklore dating back to medieval times. The reasons don't matter. Just enjoy your special day.

The wedding day gives the bride and groom a chance to show their family and friends. What a true Irish wedding can be like even including the horse drawn carriage.

After the date has been set. All the arrangements have been organised. Brides thoughts then turn to choosing Irish wedding invitations. The invites are normally sent our around 8 weeks before your wedding date.

You could try including a poem in native Gaelic language of Ireland. Include an English translation for your wedding guests.

You can choose from a number of designs to make your own do it your self wedding invitations.
An inexpensive option would be to have a green card. Paste the Irish wedding invitation wording onto the card. leave a green border around all four edges. The invitation could be in cream or white with a Shamrock in the centre at the top of the invite.

You could choose to a long single card. Again on the front of the invitation could be in green. You can glue a white ribbon ribbon across the centre with the words saying Irish Wedding Invite.
On the reverse of the card you can then state your invitation wording.

Another cheap wedding invite to make. If you choose a single long white rectangular single card with silver writing. Then place a drawing of a claddagh ring at the top of your invite.

Please remember and buy your envelopes at the time as buying your cards. This means you will be able to make your own wedding invitations and send them off your guests for a fraction of the cost of preordering from a stationers.

Movie Production Insurance, Film Permits, and Location Agreements Are Friends of a Producer

A practical truth I have learned with smaller budget indie projects is it works better for a movie producer to not have to depend on a lot different locations. This cuts down on time consuming company moves of actors, crew, and equipment from location to location. Breaking down film gear and setting up at each new location burns through film budget money and can cause filming problems that hurt scheduling.

To help get the most production pop out of a film budget and schedule is by searching for one or two key locations that can support as many scenes as the shooting script will allow for. The best way I can put it is that you want to be able "shoot the hell out of a filming location." When breaking down your shooting schedule make notes on how many different sets one location can possibly be used for. In some cases one area can be shot from various angles giving the illusion it is an entirely new setting.

This allows the director and director of photography to shoot some great stuff because the actors and crew are ready on set without rushing off to a new location. Plus equipment does not have to be constantly broke down, packed, and unpacked at another filming spot. All the creative weapons are right there ready for a movie producer to pull the trigger on making entertaining cinema that will find an audience through meaningful movie distribution.

Another time and money saver is to look for filming locations that are close together in order to cut travel time down for each planned company move. This is common sense, but even good old common sense deserves repeating from time to time. Scheduling a successful movie shoot requires solid logistics on how to get actors, crew, and film gear where they need to be as easily as possible.

Always have film location agreements prepared for location owners to sign. Templates for location agreements can be downloaded online through different filmmaking sites. This agreement grants you permission to film your movie on an owner's property. Many indie filmmakers do not bother with film location agreements, production insurance, or film permits. They are shooting a "run and gun" project, which is cool, because in reality it rarely becomes an issue that comes back to bite an indie produced project in the ass. Not to say that it has not caused problems for more than one independent "run and gun" produced movie at some stage.

I personally take enough gambles and risks in my life as it is, so I always cover my ass with film production insurance to make sure that actors and crew are covered against accidents on set. It also covers property damage to locations and is needed to secure film permits to avoid being shut down at a filming location. It is a part of the entertainment business where every indie movie producer at the crossroads will determine their movie's fate.

Shooting locations can get pushed down on the priorities list of an independent movie producer, but it is tougher to secure places you can shoot a film at than you might expect. Renting space on movie sound stages or private residences can get costly for indie budget films. There is an added expense of buying a film production insurance policy to protect actors, crew, and the project as a whole. If you did not plan on buying a movie production insurance policy your best bet is to find locations through friends and family where your word is your bond. They never ask if you have production insurance or film permits like with sound stage facilities. That is what is good about family and friend support of an indie movie.

Maximizing the least amount of locations to shoot scenes will give you more peace of mind and freedom to get truly creative. Actors, crew, and producers can spend less time dealing with company moves, and spend more time working on location to get a movie done with gusto. Film production insurance is extremely affordable for indie projects. Contacting companies to get quotes online is a breeze. Every state and major city has a film commission office you can visit online or in person to get a film permit. Smaller places usually issue permits at city hall. Once you have proof of insurance you will be issued a permit that will keep law enforcement from shutting down your movie shoot and issuing a fine. This is writer and filmmaker Sid Kali typing fade to black.

Buying Unique Hindu Wedding Cards

There isn't probably any occasion in the world that is more extravagant than a traditional Hindu wedding. A ceremony that lasts for days, for which the preparations may be on for a month - any Indian marriage is a very elaborate event. From colorful Hindu wedding cards and Indian wedding invitations, to the hundreds of rituals followed; the entire ceremony is a detailed affair. People spend thousands of rupees in a marriage only on marriage cards; and the expenditure of the whole event could be in crores!

The Indian marriage industry is worth the most in the world. The value of the industry is well over 10,000 crores annually, with 10 million marriages happening each year. That means that the average Indian marriage costs well over 20 lakh rupees! Considering the average middle class family earns about 2 to 3 lakhs a year, they spend most of their life savings on such a wedding. Invitations to such ceremonies cost about 5% of the entire budget; hence, it is understandable that marriage cards and the invitation process are a very important and sentimental part of the matrimony.

Marriage cards are being made from various materials today, from the papyrus-like reed paper to synthetic polyester. In fact, some celebrities and affluent families even have gold on their wedding invitations! It is all about the grandeur expressed. Marriage is a sacred social insignia of identity and esteem, not only for the couple, but also for both the families. Hindu wedding cards are the best way a family shows its pride, because Indian wedding invitations are formal affairs where marriage cards are vital.

But people have newer demands for their marriage cards. Handmade paper is one of latest demands for Indian wedding invitations. Hindu wedding card makers are looking for more ethnic material like silk and 'zari' (metal woven cloth). Even wood engraved and hand carved tablets are being used to bring back the ancient traditional form of Hindu wedding cards used during the time of kings and princes! In this competitive scenario of various kinds of special and attractive Indian wedding invitations, more companies are stepping in to the market. Only a few, however, make unique quality products - most are simply marriage card printers making generic bulk designs.

Regal Cards have been in business since 1939, making some of the most grand and celebrated Indian wedding invitations. In fact, they are the preferred choices of families looking to commission Hindu wedding cards or any kind of marriage cards like RSVP, mixed communities, religious, ethnic, or neo-modern. You can now also order online on their website displaying their collections.

What Are the Costs of Throwing a Wedding?

What does it cost to get married these days? You've got some savings, and it's all up to the two of you to find a way to make this wedding happen. Can you do it on two thousand dollars? On five thousand? Here is the average cost of a wedding this year and the categories you need to consider when planning for wedding costs.

The average wedding costs twenty-seven thousand dollars, according to the Bridal Association of America. This includes the cost of rings, catering, photographer, wedding planner, flowers, church, and the reception venue. Every wedding has its own individual needs, but here are some baselines for wedding costs.

Wedding bands can range from less than one hundred dollars for thin silver, yellow gold, or inherited wedding bands to more than two thousand dollars for larger platinum and diamond-studded bands.

A wedding photographer can cost less than one thousand dollars or more than ten thousand dollars. When planning for a photographer, make sure to ask what they include in their package. Does it include the prints? How many? Does it include an album? Or will you be getting a disc of digital photos?

The average wedding cake costs $543, according to the Bridal Association of America. For sheet and tiered cakes, the cost per slice can range from $1.50 per slice to more than ten dollars a slice. Make sure to ask your baker or caterer about extra costs. Often extras like fondant icing are not covered, and delivery and cutting fees may be extra as well.

A wedding dress can cost anywhere from less than two hundred dollars to five thousand dollars or more. The average dress costs $1505, according to the Bridal Association of America. Keep costs down by borrowing or inheriting a dress or by shopping discount outlets.

According to the Bridal Association of America, wedding flowers cost $698, on average. The church or wedding site can cost between one hundred dollars and three thousand dollars for about three to five hours of time. Make sure to ask if the officiant's fee is included in your quote.

Parents can expect to pay between ten and two-hundred fifty dollars per person at a rehearsal dinner. Catering for the wedding can have widely varying costs. For a do-it-yourself catering job or a small restaurant, costs can be less than twenty dollars a person. For appetizers only, you can expect to pay between thirty and seventy dollars a person. For a sit-down dinner with appetizers and drinks, you can pay anywhere between $125-350 per person. Drinks, cake, food service, flatware, and gratuity may or may not be included in this total. Make sure to ask your caterer what is provided with their package.

Expect to pay between fifty dollars and ten thousand dollars for a reception venue. Some restaurants and alternative venues like bowling alleys require only a fifty dollar room rental fee. Expensive hotels can charge between twenty five hundred and ten thousand dollars for a hall rental. Ask about extra charges for insurance and security guards.

Don't let these numbers scare you. It is possible to have a gorgeous, memorable wedding on any budget. Use your imagination, do your research, and the wedding of your dreams is within reach.

Funky Wedding Invitations - Create a Modern and Unusual Feel to Your Wedding

Funky wedding invitations, what do we mean by this? Well, it is a hard one to describe. If someone says they want traditional wedding invites then you can probably guess what they want. But funky? What is "funky" to one person won't be to another. However, what I can say it that the invites will probably a bit different and modern. The design will probably feature an unusual theme and colour scheme. Here are some suggestions I have for funky wedding invitations.

Leopard Print - A very unusual one, but surprisingly this has been mentioned a few times when I have spoken to brides. This type of design is for couples with a strong sense of design. Couples who are confident and who aren't scared of what other people will think. Leopard print creates a rock 'n' roll feel to your wedding and can be combined with many colours to create a strong wedding theme.

Stripes - Multi-coloured stripes invoke a playful and fun feel to your wedding. Stripes can make a bold statement and can be changed to match any colour scheme.

Unusual Colour Combinations - Even in this modern world when it comes to weddings, most of us are still fairly traditional. However, you do come across some wedding stationery that uses bold and unusual colour schemes. Examples are

• Deep Purple and Soft Yellow


• Mint Green and Cherry Red


• Bright Orange and Hot Pink

Damask - Damask themed wedding invitations take advantage of bold classical patterns to create striking designs. They often use powerful colour combinations such as Black, White and Red.

Vector Patterns/Illustrations - Many modern wedding stationers utilise vector graphic programs to create bold shapes and patterns. These designs are then printed on modern digital presses. These designs can often be fully personalised from colour choices to font styles. This is because they don't use older printing techniques that require plates. The design which is on screen can be sent straight to print without any fuss. Many designs are available and the colour choices are endless.