How to Plan a Wedding - Step by Step Guide

Planning a wedding can be a daunting and very stressful task. We highly recommend you take six months to a year to plan your wedding and will outline for you an easy-to-follow schedule.

Twelve months before the Wedding

• Get yourself a binder with paper and dividing tabs.


• Discuss with your fiancé and his/her families, plus your own, to determine a budget.


• Decide on your wedding theme e.g. Christmas, Fall, Snowflakes, Black and White, etc.


• Select a wedding date with your fiancé and families.


• Decide on your wedding attendants.


• Book a ceremony and reception location(s).


• Book your professional wedding photographer, florist, caterer, videographer, and DJ or wedding musicians.

Nine months before the Wedding

• Make an appointment with your officiant. For most religious ceremonies, you may be required to attend pre-wedding counseling. For civil ceremonies, your officiant may require a meeting to discuss your wedding ceremony.


• Wedding gown shopping and first fittings should be looked after at this time.


• Shop for your wedding accessories, wedding veil or head piece, and wedding shoes.


• Begin preparation of the guest list. Be sure to include both sides of the family as guest lists are often a contentious issue. It will take time to decide on long lost cousins, work friends, neighbors, etc.


• Decide on gift registry locations and register.


• Begin your search for your honeymoon location. If you are getting married during a peak holiday season such as Christmas, you may need to book your honeymoon up to nine months in advance.

Six months before the Wedding

• You need to meet with the wedding professionals who will assist you on your special day. The menu should be mapped out with your catering company, a review of requested wedding photos with your photographer, a discussion with your videographer on the amount of footage and locations for videos, and your preference for music with your DJ or wedding musicians.


• Limousines and/or other wedding transportation should be booked. Wedding carriages or winter horse drawn sleighs should be booked and pricing confirmed.


• If you are ordering wedding invitations and/or save the date cards and wedding announcements, you need to decide on a provider. If you are making your own wedding invitations and other wedding stationery, you should choose a wedding invitation kit template package. Announcements should be sent out to those friends and family who you have not included in the ceremony.


• Honeymoon trip should be booked and final budget plans for the honeymoon confirmed.


• Bridesmaids and Flower Girl dresses should be decided upon and ordered.


• Start shopping for wedding rings.

Three months before the Wedding

• Guest list needs to be finalized by you and your fiancé and BOTH families. We can't emphasize enough that you need to have the blessing of all concerned when it comes to the guest list.


• Final decisions and ordering of wedding rings.


• Visit hairstylist for a consultation and have your first wedding day hair run through.


• Make wedding day appointment with hairstylist. Don't forget to include your bridesmaids if they are having their hair professionally styled for your wedding.


• Research and review state requirements for blood tests.


• Research, review and book hotel rooms for out of town guests who may require accommodation.


• Follow up on your wedding gown and confirmation of delivery dates for your gown and those of your attendants.


• Attend your first wedding gown fitting including all accessories and shoes.

Six to eight weeks before the Wedding

• Prepare your wedding invitation kit templates for printing, including the Thank You cards.


• If you have ordered your invites from a commercial business, be sure they are ready for you.


• Address and mail the wedding invitations.


• Shop for and purchase any wedding gifts for your fiancé, attendants, parents and grandparents.


• Attend your final dress fitting including wedding accessories.


• Spend time wearing your wedding shoes so that you are not crippled before the wedding dance starts.


• Test a spray on tan if you plan to tan for your wedding.


• Make final decisions on your wedding hair style and any hair color changes should be made.


• Pick up your wedding rings from your jewelry shop.


• Print out your personalized Thank you cards from your wedding invitation kit templates or purchase generic Thank you cards.


• Send any Thank you cards for wedding or shower gifts received over the past weeks.

10 - 14 Days before the Wedding

• Confirm with your caterer with one final review of the menu.


• Confirm with your officiant the venue and time of ceremony.


• Confirm with your photographer, videographer, DJ and/or wedding band.


• Confirm your honeymoon reservation and any special requests for the wedding night.


• Address any wedding announcements, stamp and set in preparation of mailing on your wedding day.


• Final visit to your hairstylist to review any last minute concerns or changes.

One Week before the Wedding

• Attend any last minute parties or bridal showers in your honor.


• Write any Thank you cards for gifts received at these functions.


• Give the caterer your final number of guests expected to attend.


• Bridesmaids and Flower Girl confirmation of the time they are expected to arrive.


• Purchase travel insurance for the honeymoon if you are leaving the country.


• Purchase travelers checks for the honeymoon holiday.


• Double check to be sure that travelers checks are accepted and easily cashed at your final destination.

Wedding Day Peace of Mind - Priceless!

Starting a Wedding Photography Business

Creating a successful wedding photography business can be more of a challenge than one would think. Just because you can take a picture doesn't mean that starting your own wedding photography business will be smooth sailing. However there are certain building blocks one can take that will assist in creating yourself a successful start to your wedding photography business. First and most important building block is to build an efficient and thorough business/creative plan. This is the foundation and should include your objectives, your mission, and your keys to success.

Your foundation objectives will cover what it takes to produce the same outstanding quality results time after time, and what it will take to become recognized as a top wedding photographer. You mission should describe what you want to achieve and how you are going to do that. Your keys to success should include how you will fulfill your client's expectations and how you will accomplish this. How will you be competitive with your services offered? What kind of profits do you need to become successful competition?

Before you start you're first step is to find your identity. Have you figured it out? Be true to yourself and know your strengths and weaknesses as a photographer. Are you ready to start this financially and technically? Do you know your style and identity, and do you do it well? You should know how to describe your photography and vision. Are you more of a photo journalistic photographer who relies on natural available light and candid moments? Do you pre-plan and pose portraits and incorporate technical lighting skills giving a classic look. Or, do you mix it up with both, showing a full range of capabilities that give you your own modern contemporary style?

If you know what you want your photography and identity to look like but haven't achieved the look yet, maybe you need more work on your photography before you can establish your business.

Take a look at your photography and decide what level of talent you have and what potential you possess. Be critical of your work, but also have others critique your work for you. Learn how to use constructive criticism to improve your photography. If your identity isn't where you want it, ask yourself, what needs to be improved? Do you know your equipment (camera, lighting, etc) well enough? Do you know how to read and meter your exposures? Do you have the right equipment, i.e.: hi resolution digital camera and Photoshop? You need a digital camera to stay up with your competition. It is also of great importance to be proficient in Photoshop and Lightroom and your digital workflow. It is up to you to overcome any weakness with proper education and practice before you take on photographing a wedding.

Photographing a wedding is a big responsibility. Someone has paid a large amount of money and trust in you to document this special and personal day. This is why it is so important to be confident enough to step into any wedding that comes your way and do a solid job photographing it. Having your skills fine-tuned are just part of what it takes to build that foundation of confidence. The other huge part to building confidence is experience.

We all start out somewhere. So once you have your photography skills and workflow down, it is now time to test yourself and your identity. The first step is to know your value. Do you think you're up to shooting a wedding solo for $2000.00? Wait, you don't have any wedding pictures for a portfolio. How are you going to sell yourself as a wedding photographer? Well either you get lucky with someone who trusts and likes your photography regardless that you have never photographed a wedding. Or you decide to build your portfolio through being a second or third shooter for a more established wedding photographer. This is a great way to get exposure and experience in the wedding photography scene. A great way to approach this route is to call all of the local wedding photographers in your area and ask if anyone is in need of a second or third shooter. Once you find some work ask questions and pay close attention to how they run their business and how they photograph weddings. Everyone has a system. How they shoot the wedding ceremony, portraits, reception, etc. Use this position to your advantage and build relationships within the wedding industry. The more you learn, the faster you will be on your way to becoming competition. Remember to save money for when you make your transition out on your own.

Once you have some weddings under your belt your confidence will lead you at the right time to separate and become that competition that you have been working for. When you do choose, it should be all or nothing. Either stay on as a second shooter or take the risk and become competition.

After you have taken the jump into the unknown and exciting world of being your own boss. Your confidence as a photographer has grown and you now possess an identity as a wedding photographer. You can now start your wedding photography business wherever and whenever.

Hopefully you have invested in your own digital camera, backup camera, lenses, computer, Photoshop, etc. Your investment needs to have insurance. You cannot afford to have it stolen or broken; otherwise all your hard work will be for nothing. Also you should have liability insurance to C.Y.A. You can get photographers insurance through PPA.

Before you place yourself as competition in the wedding photography market you should know your competition. They are your best models to help get started. Take notice of what they charge for packages and what they include with their services. Where and how do they advertise? What niche do they fill and where can you fit in as a new business.

To establish your business you need an address. You can choose a PO Box or another mailbox service such as Mail Boxes ETC. I prefer MBE because you can choose a mailbox with a real street address. Not to mention they have many other services. Next get a separate phone number for your business. To legitimately create your business you should either have a Limited Liability Company (LLC) or a sole proprietorship. You can learn about this through an accountant or through websites like legalzoom.

With the rest of the money you saved you will have to determine how much is to be used for marketing and other expenses. Marketing is going to be the most essential thing for your business to get off the ground. Without marketing you don't have a business. Your marketing essentials are: to have your identity, your portfolio, and your line of communication.

Through the image library that you have created, pick your best images to use for your portfolio, website and all promotional and marketing materials. Your portfolio can be made w/ inkjet prints that you put in an album of choice such as albums provided by Topflight, photoalbumshop, or you can choose to have one printed by Asuka albums, or other online print labs such as Snapfish or Shutterfly. Your image identity is now established, and will grow over time. However you now need your business identity. What will your promotional materials look like? What font will you use? What colors will be incorporated? Will you use a logo? It may be a good idea to find a graphic designer to help you out with this. Once you figure out your business identity and incorporate it with your promotional materials you should create and print them all at once to distribute them all year. Make sure you have the basics like your business cards, postcards, brochure, contract, 8x10's and any other promotional materials you can think of. These materials can be ordered through gotprint.com and vistaprint.com.

After your promotional materials are finished and the portfolio is printed, you are ready to create your website. View other sites to get an idea of what style of site you want and how it will look. Search for someone else to create a website for you if you aren't educated in web development but having a professional do this can get a bit pricey. Some great alternatives are to use Craigslist or look into finding a student at a local college to do it. Make sure you work with your web developer in creating your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for the site. This is most important and is the best way to insure that you can create a web presence that is optimized for search engines. The template DIY websites don't work well for SEO. SEO will concentrate on key wording, alt tags, one-way links, and proper site submissions.

You now have a business ready to start seeing some return. People are ready to see your business and it's your job to reach out and find them. It is your job to know your market and tap it with your presence. I suggest that it is priority to get a creative ad on Craigslist. Why not it's free? Now that you have all of your promotional materials printed out, where are you going to distribute them? Research all local, state, or nationwide wedding industry businesses, and create a directory of them for your advertising. Create your promotional packets with cover letter, brochure, postcards, and a mini portfolio or something that shows your style in more depth. This is a lot of work and may take a while. Get help from friends, family or again posting an ad on Craigslist for some temporary help. After you have mailed everything, follow up with phone calls to let them know who you are. This will help provide a personal connection to your materials and help start future relationships. Building relationships is very important and will help bring work your way through word of mouth. Another great way to build relationships and get your work out is to participate in any bridal shows that come to your area.

Knowing your business and what you offer to your clients and the industry is the most important thing. Just as it is important to know your self-identity as a person, so is it important to know your business identity. When the phone starts ringing people want to see confidence in you and your images. Just remember that images speak louder than words and that the cream always rises to the top.

Good Luck!

Perfume Review - Avalon Juniper Solid Perfume by Pacifica

Thirteen years ago, in the year of 1996, Brook Harvey-Taylor and Billy Taylor agreed to start Pacifica Perfume. Even in those years, the fragrance market was highly competitive so instead of launching fragrances, they created candles blended with beautiful perfume of their own choice. All were made from natural essential oils. Sales were rocketing.

At Fall 2008, Pacifica launched their range of solid perfumes: Tibetan Mountain Temple, Spanish Amber, Mexican Cocoa, Madagascar Spice and the one I reviewed here Avalon Juniper. All are made from organic coconut and soya wax with natural and essential oils. In short, 100% vegan! Its tiny tin - only the size of bottle cap of Hemaviton Skin Nutrient - eases the wearer to toss it to bags. It also suited the theme of the season: eco & airport friendly cosmetics.

To be frank, I never knew what Juniper is apart from a flash of earthy pine scent. Additionally, my knowledge of where Avalon Island is quite low, beside that mythical story of King Arthur's Avalon Island. Thus, when finding the entry at Google.com, it was quite a surprise finding a real Avalon city at Catalina Island, California, along with its native plan junipers California.

IMHO, this Avalon Juniper is not extraordinary. In fact, I could mistaken it easily with traditional rubbing balm. Actually, when we sniffed the smell directly from its tin, a freshness from grapefruit and flowery heliotrope would come out. A dab on the skin would melt the solid wax, leaving a slightly greasy layer scented with cinnamon and green, earthy juniper. In the end, I felt like I was wearing balm oil. Well..

Apart from that, I admitted there were some times I needed a relaxing me-time, gazing outside the window with a cup of tea, unobtrusive scent made for myself and only to a person sitting next to me. Its spiciness brought warmth to the body and later, to the heart.

Avalon Juniper is sold for $9 per piece at Pacifica Perfume. Unfortunately, they have not send to Indonesia... yet. But, perhaps eBay and Amazon might list the items. Oh, I can not wait to buy Mediterranean Fig or Bali Lime Papaya (though, surely I would rather found papaya in Java. In Bali, orange-lime-coconut juice drink will be more suitable).

Wedding Myths & Superstitions

As long as there have been weddings, there have been myths and superstitions to accompany them. Of course, like most things the ideas of myths and superstitions have come from far and wide the world. Some myths are lighthearted and gay, while there are some superstitions that can appear to be quite harsh.

1. Concerning rain on the day of the wedding, some say that many tears will be shed in the marriage, while others are thrilled as the occurrence of rain on a wedding day is considered to bring good luck and blessings to the lucky couple. Some even place a statue of the Virgin Mary in the windowsill to ward away rain and bad luck, while others may hang a rosary from the window or clothes line to insure a rain free wedding day. A rainy wedding day also foretells of many children to be born to the wedding couple.

2. Concerning myths and superstitions of a shoe and the wedding, long ago, the father would pass one shoe of the bride's to the groom to signify him giving his daughter away in marriage. It is also considered good luck for the groom's mother to throw a shoe at the bride as the couple leaves their reception so that the bride and her mother-in-law would forever be the best of friends. It is also considered to be good luck if a house cat eats from the brides shoe the week of her wedding. In addition, the bride must have a penny in her shoe while being married for good luck and wealth.

3. The brides wedding dress has its own myths and superstitions of colors and wearing. Long ago, it was considered good luck to have a piece of the wedding gown, so then the dress was literally ripped to pieces with the bride still in it. No dress was to be more becoming or longer than the brides wedding dress as she should be the center of attention on her wedding day and it brought good luck. It is considered unlucky for a groom to see his bride in her wedding dress as well as for her to try on the wedding dress more than one time after alterations. It is also good luck for the bride to enter the church of her wedding on her right foot, while walking down the aisle after the wedding, it is customary to remove both wedding rings to ensure there is no trouble for the couple should she remove them at a later time. As well, the bride should have all the bridesmaids sign the bottom of her shoe, and the name that has not been walked off is the next female to marry.

4. The wedding ring is considered sacred and should not be lent to others to try on, this is sure to bring back luck and even the possibility of unfaithfulness. If ever the wedding rings are removed by a bride it must be the groom who returns them to her fingers to continue the good luck.

What Dress Code Should I Put on My Wedding Invitations?

I often get asked by brides and grooms about what dress codes they should put on their wedding invitations. Here is quick guide to the main dress codes and what they mean.

Black Tie

A black tie dress code is appropriate for a formal event (and would usually indicate an evening affair), where men wear a tuxedo and women wear a stylish evening gown or cocktail style dress.

White Tie

A white tie dress code is for an ultra formal event. It is more formal than black tie and calls for the most glamorous attire. This might include a ball-gown for ladies, gloves,stole, a clutch or evening bag and glamorous hair and make-up. For the men, it might include an evening tail coat, white shirt, white waistcoat and white bow-tie. Ultra-glam indeed! This is a chance to go all out!

Semi-Formal

A semi-formal dress code calls for well...semi-formal attire as the name suggests. It is somewhere between casual and formal. This dress code would allow men to wear a dark suit, and ladies a cocktail dress (tuxedos and long dresses are not necessary). Sometimes this dress code can be a little ambiguous when written on an invitation, and can be interpreted differently from person to person.

Lounge Suit

The lounge suit dress code indicates an event which is not as formal as some of the other dress codes, yet it is still expected that guests dress stylishly. Men can get away with a coloured business suit and shirt while women can don a cocktail style dress or fitted dress.

Cocktail

A cocktail dress code has typically been interpreted as being a dark suit for men and an elegant dress for ladies-brighter colours would also be suitable here. Currently, shorter knee-length cocktail dresses are quite the trend.

Smart Casual

A Smart casual dress code does not necessarily mean jeans and a t-shirt. For the women, smart casual calls for a pretty dress (cocktail or other), tailored pants or a skirt with a stylish top. For the men- a suit and shirt- which can be both dark or light. A tie is optional at this style of wedding.

Casual

A casual dress code really says that anything goes. Feel free to frock up in a dress (for ladies) or casual shirt and pants for the men. But do be aware that even though the dress code states "Casual", do not forget that you are attending a wedding no less, so do dress casual but appropriately.

5 Fantastic Baby Shower Ideas

When hosting a baby shower, consider what is really important to the new mom. Choose a theme based on her personality. Make the theme apparent in the shower invitations, decorations, games, food and gifts. To prepare, ask the mom-to-be for a guest list about four to six weeks in advance of the baby shower. Following are five fantastic baby shower ideas:

1. 
   Play games. Consider holding a raffle at the baby shower. Organize a nice basket of wine and cheese, coffees, or spa items. Let guests know that the price of a raffle ticket is a small package of diapers or wipes. Encourage guests to enter as often as they would like. By the end of the shower, once lucky guest will win the raffle and will take home the basket and the new mom will be well stocked with diapers and wipes.
   
   


2. 
   Make food. Consider hosting a baby shower at a local meal preparation place. Shower Guests can help the new mom stock her freezer with nutritious homemade meals and even put together a few meals for their own families.
   
   


3. 
   Host a couple's shower. If shower themes and games aren't important to the new mom, consider hosting a couple's party for the mom- and dad-to be. Otherwise known as a Jack and Jill party, a couple's shower can be as casual as a barbecue or a pool party where friends and family spend time together while they celebrate the impending arrival of the baby. Including the new dad in the festivities, along with some seasoned dads to offer humorous advice, will make it a fun night for all. Fun gifts for new dads include a supply of new batteries for the baby monitor, swing and new baby toys.
   
   


4. 
   Host a shower for the mom. This works particularly well for mothers expecting their second or third child and already has most of the baby items she needs. This type of shower focuses on the mom instead of the baby. Serve a nice lunch and shower the mom-to-be with fancy lotions, a manicure set, gift certificates to restaurants, a new bathrobe, slippers, etc.
   
   


5. 
   Build a library. Create a library for the baby by hosting a book shower. Ask guests to bring their favorite children's book along with a stuffed animal. The new mom will leave with an assortment of classic books, board books and bedtime stories to share with their child.

Peacock Theme Wedding - 10 Ideas to Decorate Your Venue and Have the Right Look

Many couples decide to give their wedding an original look that will make it one of a kind and memorable to all of their guests. An in their task to achieve this many couples decide to host a theme wedding.

While there are as many themes as couples getting hitch each year, one of the most popular themes nowadays is the peacock wedding theme.

The main colors for this theme are truly gorgeous and couples just adore celebrating and giving this theme their own signature. Blues and greens in different shades are usually combined with silver, white and gold.

But also the peacock theme can take a very different look with non traditional peacock colors. Just using the peacock design, more couples decide to use a different palette. Pinks, purples, lavenders, yellow and red are the most popular unconventional colors used for a peacock theme wedding.

And this theme adapts to almost any type of celebration, whether you want to have a vintage or modern look.

Wedding decorations, attire and favors are just some of the areas where you can make the theme come to life.

Here are 10 quick ideas on how to incorporate the theme to your wedding celebration.

1. Use peacock feathers to enhance a simple wedding invitation design. Tie them to the invitation with a silk ribbon or glue them at a corner for a creative look.

2. Wear a peacock inspired shoe. From the painted ones to those that include peacock feathers around your ankle or over the toe area, they are a great item to enhance your bridal look.

3. Have a peacock feather centerpiece. From the simple single long peacock feather in a vase to more elaborated arrangements combining feathers and flowers, you are sure to have a unique centerpiece with this item.

4. Carry a flower bouquet with some peacock feathers included.

5. change into a peacock inspired gown for your reception

6. Use a pair of decorative peacock birds as cake toppers

7. Carry a peacock feather fan instead of the traditional flower bouquet

8. Make a candle arrangement suitable for the theme by adding a peacock feather string at their base.

9. Have your groom wear a peacock feather as an original boutonniere.

10. If your peacock theme wedding happens around Christmas tis the season by creating an original arrangement placing the classic ball ornament in peacock like colors inside a tall glass vase.

Just with attention to detail you can create an spectacular look for your wedding day. Incorporate one or more of these ideas to have the wedding you always dreamt of.

Airport Transportation - What to Ask Your Limousine Company

Getting to the airport on time is crucial if you do not want to miss your flight. In the last decade, security and check-in procedures have gotten more complicated, so you always need to be sure to arrive at the airport plenty early for a flight. So when you are booking airport transportation, what should you ask your limousine company? Booking a private car can often save money, compared to taxis, but can also reduce stress as you know you will get to the airport quickly and usually for a flat rate. Still, what information should you look for before you choose your airport limousine?

Price

How much will the trip cost? This is obviously one of the most important questions you will ask before you book a limo to take you to the airport. While most limousine companies will offer dependable, stylish transportation, but they will not all offer the same price. Nevertheless, if a company quotes a surprisingly low figure, you might want to start asking questions about licensing, insurance, and the quality of the vehicles and service. Generally speaking, the most cost effective transportation will be somewhere in the mid-range of quotes; if you book the cheapest car, you may sacrifice some luxuries, and if you book the most expensive, you may be charged unfairly. Ask for quotes for luggage fees, taxes, and any extras in advance.

Vehicles

In addition to the ultimate price of your trip, you probably want to get some information about the type of vehicles the company offers. Airport transportation through private car companies may come in all shapes and sizes from luxury SUVs to Lincoln Towncars. Do you want a stretch limo, or is a stylish sedan acceptable? When you ask about airport transportation, make sure to get as much information about the type of car you will be getting, as this will often affect the price. You can ask about the make, model, and year of the car, in addition to what services are included with the vehicle.

Insurance and Drivers

Obviously, you want to arrange transport to the airport with a company that offers the proper insurance and licensing. The company should provide qualified drivers with experience in the city you are travelling. If you're really serious about getting high quality limousine service at a reasonable price, ask for reference/recommendations from past customers. At the very least, by speaking to past customers you can gauge the quality of service provided by the driver and the company.

Remember, when you are booking airport transportation, it's always advisable to do some research. A few questions can help to ensure that you get to the airport safely and on time. As a consumer, you have every right to gather as much information as possible about the limousine service and make an educated choice. Most major cities will have many airport transport options and many companies competing for your business.

Make Your Wedding Invitations At Home

If you are planning a wedding, you know it can become expensive. There are so many things to plan and purchase. Inviting guests is a big concern. If you want to make your wedding invitations at home, you can save money. Not only will you save money but you can customize them to meet your needs.

Perhaps you want to have invitations that say Uncle Bill and Aunt Jenny, we request the honour of your presence at your wedding.... You can make each invitation unique to your guest. This will really personalize the event. Make your wedding announcements at home and you can totally make them individual. You can print them on your printer and make it easy and fast.

You don't have to make this a long process. Rubber stamping can become drawn out and expensive. By having your invitation set up and just changing the information as needed you will save time. You can even add kids names if you choose.

The best part about making your own invitations is that you have the ability to customize them in whatever way you like. You can add themes, wedding clip art, even put something unique to your relationship with the guest.

Get some supplies from you local craft store. You can get packages of envelopes with matching card stock. Many office supply stores will have these also. You can set your document settings to match the card stock. It really is easy to learn!

There is no limit to what you can do once you learn how. Learn a good word processing program and set up a basic starting invitation. Customize it for each guest you are inviting and print it out. It really can be fun! You will be printing all kinds of fun stuff for your wedding. Think about the money you will save and still have cool stuff!

Learning to make your own wedding invitations is just the beginning of the fun. Once you have your invitations done, perhaps you can customize the RSVP and reception cards. Add names and information that is unique to the recipient.

To make these even more fun for your guests, address them so that they match. Add some nice wedding clip art and they will be a welcoming piece of mail for your wedding attendants.

Yes, you can make your wedding invitations at home. Learn a good wording processing program, create a data base and you can be on you way to having inexpensive invitations that will be talked about.

The Ways To Beautify Yourself

No one can resist a pretty face and a sexy body. There is something about beauty that appeals to everyone. Many people say that we shouldn't judge a book by its cover, or in this case, a person by her looks. However, it is hard to disagree with another statement that says that it is easier to get to know and like someone, when the exterior is beautiful.

Harsh as this may sound, we are all partial to a pretty face. Although this is very unfair to those who are not born with the right looks, the whole of society operates much in the same way.

It is no surprise therefore that women will do absolutely anything to be considered beautiful within the standards set upon by the rest of the world. This is particularly true when one already wants to find her lifetime partner and get married.

Some of the things that women will do are the following: scout tons of magazines to be fashionably up to date, or even hire a personal stylist; go through the most ridiculous diet regimens to stay slim; religiously exercise to tone bodies; and spend lots of money on hair and make-up.

Other outrageous deeds would involve surgical procedures and treatments that enhance one's assets. This may involve dangerous medical operations to tweak minor details in the face, or take away flab in certain areas of the body. No pain, no gain they say. Beauty is priceless and must be achieved no matter the cost. But sometimes we wonder what true beauty really is. If one is to fall in love with beauty, it should be the kind of beauty that comes from within. Superficial enhancements therefore, are useless if we talk about real love.

Besides, there have been thousands of cases wherein these invasive procedures produce distorted results, such as burning and scarring of skin. Unfortunately, even death may occur from it, leading people to really question themselves if exterior beauty is all we ever search for.

Although it is understandable that we all want to look picture perfect, especially for women on their wedding days, a decadent and elegant bridal gown together with the right internal values can shine through whatever situation. Outside beauty can fade after many years, but a wonderful personality will always stay with you.

With the real reasons of love and companionship, any wedding day is bound to become memorable whether you are walking down the aisle with the World's Most Beautiful Model, or with just your simple partner whom you truly love.

Considerations for Curtains

Curtains

Windows are like the eyes on a house, and gorgeous curtains will set them off beautifully, adding an important element of the d矇cor to every room. Curtains not only frame a window but also offer privacy, warmth and shield the room and furnishings from too much sunlight. Before you even start to decide on a fabric choice, there is much to consider about your curtains first.

Lining

If it is a child's bedroom, you will need to consider using a blackout lining - this makes it much easier to get children to sleep on sunny summer evenings and it may even keep them asleep after 6 am on summer mornings too.

Interlining (which is a fleecy lining sewn between a normal lining and the curtain fabric) will add weight to curtains and make them look heavier and more luxurious. It will also exclude draughts and prevent the fabric becoming faded by the sun.

Headings

French/Pinch Pleat headings are the most popular type of curtain headings, providing a classical and contemporary look, especially if created with a 6 inch buckram. These look best with a simple chunky wooden pole.

The Goblet Pleat heading is more formal and classical than the other headings and more suited to sitting rooms or master bedrooms. They look best with very high windows and full length curtains. The round pleat is normally filled with dacron or wool so it keeps its shape. Elegant swags and tails or valences are also very formal and dramatic.

Eyelet Curtains are ideal for a modern contemporary look. One can choose from a variety of different colours for the eyelets. They offer a durable curtain finish. The curtain pole simply travels through the eyelets and the curtain pleats stack back neatly. Lovely in children's bedroom curtains too.

Length of curtains

In my opinion, full length curtains look much more elegant. However, if the radiator is positioned under the window can mean that the heat from the radiator goes up behind the curtain rather than into the room. If it is a large window, the only option then may be to have a shorter curtain (to just below the window sill) that can be drawn and have elegant full length dress curtains framing the window. Shorter curtains (to just below the sill) will look fine in children's bedrooms or a bathroom.

Pooling (or puddling) whereby the curtain is about 18 - 24 inches too long and pools on the floor creates a relaxed yet sophisticated look. However, they are not child-friendly!

Hang loose or Tie them back?

I would always suggest using tiebacks to tie back the curtains. Tiebacks not only give curtains a defined and elegant shape but they can also act as an embellishment to the curtains - think of them as the crowning glory hat and shoes to a lovely wedding outfit! There is a huge choice of colours, shapes and styles to choose from - to suit any fabric or style or curtain.

Some Types of Fabric

Appliqu矇: Fabric on which a pattern in another fabric has been applied with hand stitching. There are some fabulous children's ranges using this effect.

Crewelwork: Indian cotton with an embroidered chain stitch pattern in wool. Gorgeous.

Damask: Damask fabrics are usually silk, linen or cotton and a design woven into them. Tend to be quite large traditional designs so more suitable for formal rooms

Gingham: lightweight checked fabric, usually cotton. Lovely for a country kitchen look.

Linen: Hard-wearing made from spun fibres of flax. A natural material and can crease easily.

Organza: A lightweight, semi-transparent material, usually made from silk or cotton.

Silk: A natural, luxurious fibre produced by the silk worm and found in many different weights and weaves. Silk can fade when exposed to sunlight and so when using silk in curtains they must always be interlined.

Taffeta: A synthetic man made fibre that gives a silk look. It is found in many different weights and weaves but is no comparison to the real thing. It does not drape as well but from a distance can be a good copy.

Velvet: A cotton or silk fabric with a deep, luxurious pile. Ideal for formal rooms.

Voile: A light, semi-transparent fabric with a high yarn count, made from cotton, silk or rayon.

Diesel Watches - Setting New Trends With Designer Watches

Add fuel to your style with Diesel watches. The luxury watch line take you beyond convention, setting new trends. Available in a range of retro and futuristic designs, these watches break the clutter with edgy urban styling. With Diesel watches on your wrist you are a style icon.

Popular men's watches are the analog-DZ1279 or Diesel Stealth. This has an extra wide genuine leather strap and a unique rectangular case. The precise movement is maintained by 3- hand quartz. Available in options of brown or black dial and cuff this water resistant timepiece is sure to get you compliments. If you're looking for something really cool and trendy go for the digital- DZ7123, a digital dial, brown leather strap watch for men. To enhance your style quotient this watch has a unique perforated case design with exposed screws. Its two-tone case is attached to a sturdy leather strap and is water resistant. This watch is perfect if you want to carry the smart and casual look.

Here's another men's leather strap watch DZ1299 that fits your budget, suits your style. This analog watch with futuristic design has synchronized date and time display features, a stainless steel case and a light-colored dial that is enhanced by a stripe, a second hand and an oversized number at the 3-hour mark. The genuine leather strap is designed to fit perfectly to the case. It is available in brown and black colors.

Feeling blue? Pep up your mood with the men's revo lens black rubber strap watch. Casual looking but seriously functional this exclusive watch flaunts a cool black rubber strap holding an eye-catching blue glass dial with day and date window and sleek stainless steel case.

The brand's Ladies collection is also highly acclaimed. The in-demand ones being the silver tonneau dial white leather strap watch- DZ5165. In a stainless steel case it features a clean, numberless dial with silver-tone; perfect quartz movement and a date window are added functionality. A glossy looking white genuine leather strap accentuates the look of this water resistant watch. Oozing with elegance is the Diesel Ladies Gold Plated Brown Leather Strap Watch. In a stunning gold plated case, brown dial with gold plated markers, a handy day and date window it looks great on feminine wrists. Simple but never understated this watch can be your everyday companion.

With Diesel watches, you get 2 years international warranty plus authenticity, originality and quality for free. So arrive fashionably on time, grab a Diesel watch.

Top 10 Indian Wedding Decor Trends

Diagram the d矇cor much in advance keeping in mind the weather, theme, colours and current trends to ensure that it is perfect. While richness does not always mean opulence, the key to a perfect d矇cor can lie in innovation. Explore all options before making the final choice.

The wedding d矇cor must explore the colourful, vast, vibrant and rich culture of boundaries of Indian weddings. It is the one aspect that can make or break the look and feel of that special evening. It is ideal to know what's exactly trending before deciding. But before setting out on this journey, just clear your mind of all fixed ideas. This doesn't mean that you can't set preferences and expectations, but the way forward is to not be rigid.

1. Flower Power

Flowers continue to be the popular choice this season. They genuinely spread cheery vibes all around. While roses are classics, tulips are refreshing, and lilacs breathe elegance. Flowers must be used in tandem with other aspects like the stage d矇cor, theme of the wedding. Different types of flowers including artificial ones can be combined beautifully using ribbons and then be strategically placed. Ask the florist for a mock setup!

2. Lighten Up

Candles and lanterns add the much-needed softness to an otherwise grand affair. It not only lights up the place, but also looks beautiful. Special arrangements are created to fill up empty places.

3. Fab Fabrics

Multi-coloured and different fabrics draped together create a dramatic effect. Just be sure of not using cheap quality fabric that might rip apart damaging the look.

4. Match-much!

The decor of core areas like entrance, stage, seating, photo-opt, lounge areas and the linens is colour-coordinated. This is upped a notch when the bridegroom's outfit matches the colours of the locale.

5. Tent It

Shabby shamianas are history! Tented weddings do not mean cutting down the cost or capacity anymore but widening the chances of customization. Depending on the weather, choose to have a transparent or covered roof, and then the choice of fabrics, crystals and flowers.

6. Stylish Seating

Make sure there is ample seating for your guests, and it is stylish! Be sure to dress up the banquet chairs with nice linen, which is not torn or damaged. Pretty it up with coloured sash, ribbons, flowers or crystals. It can be made more interesting by adding tassels and brooches is a good idea!

7. Colour It

Pastel and soft colours are really in! Using different shades of one colour look very nice. From invitation cards, floral balls to fabrics being used, ensuring that the colour is the same for all can perfect the Indian wedding decor like nothing else.

8. The Central Point

With proper seating plans, centrepieces catch all the attention. Regular floral or crystal ones are the usual choices; but edible options like a fancy chocolate candles or fresh fruits look great too! Innovation genuinely begins where convention ends!

9. Food Layout

Laying out the food, and displaying it well is an art. Make sure that the display of food, ingredients and chef's techniques is superbly creative so it engages the guest more.

10. Sweet Nothings

Vanity vans for guests to refresh or touch-up before entering the venue is really helpful. A grand welcome with sweets, fresh petal shower and other such gestures add the finishing touch to the otherwise perfect setup.

Creative Wedding Invitations

One great idea is to make your wedding invitations rhyme. Rhyming wedding invites not only bring a smile to people's faces but can also help with the slightly awkward wording of informing the guests about your gift list or requesting contributions to the honeymoon (if that is what you are doing). While it is now considered quite acceptable to do this, wording the request in a polite and un-pushy manner can be quite a challenge.

Here's a few verses that can slot into your wedding invitation, or just use as inspiration to compose a rhyme of your own.

The date has been set

And we'd love you to come,

To our wedding in (place name),

A long way for some

All you must do,

Is decide what to wear,

Put on your jewellery,

Perhaps comb your hair

There will be music and food

And people you don't know,

Just please RSVP,

And pray it don't snow!

We've not done a wedding list,

For reasons which we'll explain,

But it will save you hassle,

As shopping can be a pain

We've lived together for quite a while

And already have a kettle and two toasters,

Our kitchen is filled with pots and pans,

Plus dinner plates and coasters

If you really do want to give a gift,

To help us celebrate,

Some money for our honeymoon,

Really would be great

Now please don't think we're cheeky,

Or that this comes from greed,

But we've lived together for quite a while,

And there's really not much we need

But obviously the most important thing,

Is the purpose of this request,

We'd love to see you on our special day,

As one of our wedding guests

Feel free to use the above exactly as is, or add in a few verses of your own. You'll certainly receive compliments from your guests for the originality. You don't even need to make the whole invite rhyme. You could just address the wedding gift list issue through rhyme, and make the rest of the invite normal.

One other nice idea I have recently seen in a wedding invite is, in the RSVP, the couple had asked for you to recommend a song for the playlist for the wedding reception. This gets your guests involved and lets them all feel like they are contributing. Plus, you can guarantee they will be straight up on the dance floor when their song is played!

Online Sikh Wedding Cards

For every Indian, wedding is the event of a lifetime. All Indians look forward to be a part of the marriage functions, rituals and ceremonies. Exclusive, well designed and coordinated wedding cards can work wonders and set the right tone for this auspicious ceremony.

In the Sikh community, marriage is recognized as an event where two souls merge. And in the prelude to marriage life, it means merging of two families and friend circles. Sikh marriage ceremonies are well known for their spirit of extravagance in terms of food, clothes and dance. A Sikh marriage ceremony lasts for nearly a week celebrating joyous activities like Mehndi, Cocktails, Sangeet Night, and so on. Sikh wedding cards are unique and exquisitely alluring. These are available in a wide range from simple and elegant to flamboyantly styled ones. Some are even tailor made for adding gaiety and splendor to the occasion.

The Sikh wedding cards come in a wide variety of colors, studded with kundans. Some cards contain messages from their holy book, Adi Granth (also known as Guru Granth Sahib). Like normal Indian wedding cards, these also come in varied styles, colors and designs. The customs followed by the Sikhs are more or less similar to those followed by the Hindus. These marriage ceremonies are conducted in a traditional manner, keeping alive the old rituals and culture. For fulfilling the occasion and to end it happily, immense planning and preparations are needed to be done. Planning includes many things like- organizing the occasion, decoration of mandap, making wedding dresses, finalizing the menu list, inviting and taking care of the guests, and so on. Of these things what is of the most importance to a Sikh? Wedding invitations, of course!

The Sikh wedding invitations are not only some messages written on pieces of paper. Each style has attractive color, distinctive feature and unmatched finish. This form of invitation has become a signature of many weddings around the world. The cards are made from art sheet, handmade silk paper and other materials.

Wedding Insurance - Financial Protection for the Biggest Day of Your Life

Like most soon to be married couples, you've probably spent months preparing to insure that your wedding day will go smoothly. However, there are events that can take place on or before your wedding day that are beyond your control. An Event Insurance Policy Plan can cover you for unforeseen events, such as and illness in the wedding party, or an act of nature.

Wedding Cancellation Insurance Plans

Most policies will cover the financial impact of rescheduling a wedding reception if cancellation is caused by the following events:

Cancellation Due To Severe Weather

The cost of rescheduling the wedding because of severe weather will be covered only if a majority of your guests can not attend the wedding.

Absence of Key People in the Wedding

You are covered if people critical to the wedding ceremony or reception can not attend because of injury or illness, or if the officiant does not show up.

Military Leave Withdrawn

You have coverage if the wedding must be cancelled because either the bride or groom is called for mandatory military service.

Other Wedding Insurance Coverage

Also be on the lookout for policies which include coverage for the following wedding specific items:

Wedding Photographs and Videos

If the photographer does not show up, the film is defective, or if the negatives are destroyed or lost, the cost of retaking photos is reimbursed.

Wedding Gift Insurance

The insurance policy should cover the loss or theft of your wedding gifts.

Loss of Wedding Deposits

The policy should also include reimbursement of any outstanding deposits should one of your wedding vendors go out of business prior to the wedding day.

Wedding Jewelry and Attire

If the special attire of one of the attendants is lost or destroyed, or special jewelry is lost or stolen.

Additional Expenses

Blanket coverage for unforeseen, extra expenses incurred to side step the cancellation of your wedding.

Professional Counseling

The Event Insurance Policy should cover the cost of doctor recommended counseling for the bride and groom to deal with the stress of a wedding cancellation.

Timing the Purchase of Wedding Event Insurance

You should buy the insurance as soon as you begin making deposits to wedding vendors. Insurance can generally be purchased as late as two weeks prior to the wedding reception date.

Once you have made deposits to all your vendors (most of which are non-refundable) this type of wedding reception event cancellation insurance can protect your investment by insuring you against unexpected events leading up to your big day.

Nine Inspired Picks For Chic and Cheap Wedding Venues on a Budget

Have a wedding budget that's all soda-pop-and-bread, but you can't stop swooning over a champagne-and-truffles kind of celebration?

Don't fret - you're about to expertly combine "beautiful" and "affordable" in your wedding planning, because you'll discover 8 creative, fun and smart ways to pull off a blockbuster wedding on a tight budget!

1. Choose a wedding location that offers discounted space on a weekday or weeknight and book it for 25% to 50% off, depending on the facilities they offer. These times are typically in low demand, so most vendors, especially in small towns or remote/suburban locations, will readily consider a better wedding venue rental rate.

2. If you're having a religious church or temple ceremony, try and plan it around a festive time of year, such as a major holiday or after someone else's wedding. This way, your place of worship will already be gussied up for the main event, and you'll only need to weave in some wedding trimmings or small wedding accents to complement the existing decor.

3. Opt for romantic, cost-effective and simple touches, if you're planning to wed in a church or similar religious venue, by saving on artificial lighting and air conditioning costs. Plan for a short and intimate ceremony at dusk inside the premises, and get married by candlelight! It's gorgeous and offers great soft lighting for flattering photographs. Plus, it's romantic and easy on the pocket!

4. Call up your favorite restaurant and ask for frequent diner benefits. If you can't rent the full restaurant, you can reserve a private room, or even the back garden if the landscaping is pretty, for hosting the ceremony and maybe a bit of dancing!

5. Check with the local city park authorities whether they issue permits for hosting wedding celebrations. Some have fountains, covered patios or arbors that can be easily transformed into beautiful and cheap wedding venues with a bit of clever outdoor wedding decor, such as paper lanterns, snow spray, reflective wall art and so on.

6. Other great budget wedding venues you can ask about are local theaters and performance halls. Apart from being dramatic and unique, these can provide a historical or contemporary backdrop for planning theme weddings. The Brooklyn Academy of Music is a fantastic wedding venue for local residents who get a discount on the rental rates! Or, if you live in a town boasting one of those retro movie theaters, plan your wedding ceremony here to add some unusual variety-show charm and get married on stage!

7. If you were lucky enough to go to college at one of those campuses full of stately, architecturally-significant period buildings, why not find out about cheap hall rentals? Rates are usually lowered for alumni! Ivy-fringed halls, grand chapels and even some modern educational buildings, like those created out of renovated industrial structures, make for unusual and affordable wedding venues!

8. Need to keep a wide variety of wedding guests amused at your wedding? Why not plan it next to a fairground or amusement park (avoid peak hours for best prices) to ensure your wedding guests are suitably entertained and that affordable refreshments are close at hand, too!

9. For a cool mix of history, local lore and adventure, arrange a nature ramble to the old mill or barn owned by family/friends and host the wedding there. Or book the famous beer brewery in town and prepare to give your wedding guests an 'ale' of a time!!

How To Pick The Perfect Wedding Invitation Templates

Sometimes the hardest part of the process of getting married isn't planning the reception or the wedding. Sometimes it just so happens to be the process of picking out or designing wedding invitation templates. This is because there are so many options out there for people to choose from. It can be really tough to pick one out and to have one that is truly the best one and the right one. However, this article will try to help those who are having troubles with this issue by discussing what to really look for when trying to put together or pick out a greatly designed wedding invitation.

It's important to first realize the correlation that needs to exist between the wedding invitation templates and the envelope that the invitations will be sent out in. It's important to have them mesh well together, so they should be sort of picked out or designed at the same time. It's mainly all about making sure that the colors and any key designs are the same in the invitations as well as over the envelope. Other than that, it should be a pretty easy process to matching them up.

The font being used is a really big part of all wedding invitation templates. This can be one of the hardest decisions, too, because there are many different fonts out there. It's most important to make sure that the font is one that can be easily read because if a font can't be read, it's pretty much worthless. So, try to pick out a font that is stylish and is unique but is also easy to read. If it's not, maybe increasing the size of the font can change that, so keep that in mind.

The last part to picking out or designing wedding invitation templates is figuring out what designs will be included in the invitations. For example, some templates have ribbons, vertical and horizontal bars with designs in them, or just general pictures of a variety of things, such as flowers. This is where it is really up to the bride and the groom to figure out what they want. However, any design should work well with the colors being used in the template and should also mesh well with the font style being used. In the end, it's just important to keep every little detail in mind before making any decision to make sure it all meshes well in the end.

Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Baby Shower Ideas

If the baby shower is near a holiday, take advantage of that and use it for your theme. This will make decorating so much easier since you probably already have plenty of holiday decorations. If after looking through your things you still need more, you can always call up friends and family members and ask them to lend you some of their decorations for the shower too. In this article you will find ideas for 3 different holidays baby showers: Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Easter Baby Shower
Easter is a representation of new life so celebrating the new baby with an Easter theme combines beautifully. A large part of decorating for an Easter shower is having lots of flowers. The typical Easter flower is a white lily but you can also use daffodils and tulips. If your budget is tight then at least have a few white lilies put into vases and spread around the foods tables. Make Easter baskets filled with Easter eggs and rainbow confetti. These can be put on the tables as centerpieces. Use pastel colors as the basis of the decorations. Light yellow, green and pink balloons can hang in the entrance way and behind the cake table. If you have children coming to the shower, create a corner where they can go and paint Easter eggs. Make sure to have long plastic aprons so they don't get their clothes dirty. You can also have them hunt for Easter eggs in the yard. For the favors fill a plastic carrot with jelly beans. Another favor idea is to have lots of chocolate eggs together with cellophane and tie it with a satin bow.

Thanksgiving Baby Shower
Thanksgiving is a time to be grateful for what we have so it will fit in perfectly with the celebration of the new baby. For hand made invitations, use colorful cardboard to cut out the shape that you choose. Some ideas for shapes are turkeys, pilgrims' hats, cornucopias, and pumpkins. A good way to word the invitation would be: "We are so thankful for the newest blessing from above". The best colors to use are orange, brown, beige and accents of green. For a fun game, prepare cards beforehand with thanksgiving terms and play win lose or draw with the guests. It's a lot of fun and the winning team can get turkey candies as treats. For the food, you can have a roasted turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, squash casserole, pumpkin pie, or even pecan tarts.

Christmas Baby Shower
Christmas is such a wonderful festive time. Having a Christmas baby shower will be as much fun planning as the actual party. The invitations can be any one of these shapes: a garland, a tree, gingerbread, a gift or even a candy cane. For the wording on the invitation you could write something like: "In this magical season let's celebrate the beauty of a new bundle of joy." For the centerpiece of the foods table, have a small Christmas tree with twinkling white lights. You can also put lights on top of the table in between trays of food. As for flowers, poinsettias are the favorite Christmas flower and make great decorations for the tables where the guests will be seated. If your budget is tight you can decorate with gold, red, and green balloons instead of using flowers. For entertainment have the guests play musical chairs to the sound of Christmas music, play Christmas bingo, and Christmas words unscramble.

Civil Ceremony

The Ceremony.

If you want the joining together of two people in marriage to be legal, especially in Ireland, you must have either a civil ceremony in a registry office or a religious ceremony, that is recognised by civil law as a civil contract.

Did you know that in Ireland the only Religious denominations whose marriage ceremonies are recognised by civil law as legally binding are Roman Catholic, Church Of Ireland, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, Society of Friends and Jewish communities. So what if you are a member of a faith whose marriage ceremonies are not legally recognised, that is not a problem as you may still have a religious ceremony in your own church but interestingly you must also have a civil ceremony. Only then will you be considered legally married in Ireland. I can hear you asking does that mean two different wedding outfits - perhaps if that is what you wish.

While I lived in Poland I was invited to a few weddings over there and it was obligatory for the happy couple to have a civil ceremony in a registry office and a religious ceremony in a catholic church if you were catholic. Some couples conducted both on the one day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, while other couples opted for these to take place on two different days. Yet all of the brides wore a different attire to both. They would wear a fashionable outfit to the registry office while reserving the wearing of their wedding dress for the church wedding.

The Civil Ceremony

Whereas we do have new locations to have our civil Ceremony, we would still need the venue agreed and approved by the Registrar and this needs to be complete in advance of the Registration. Marriages by civil ceremony may take place at the Office of a Registrar of Civil Marriages or at the newly agreed venues throughout Ireland. It is from the Registrar, that the Couples who are undergoing a civil ceremony, will be issued with a Marriage Registration Form, which does not necessarily have to be the same registrar who is performing the ceremony. There will be additional fees for civil marriages at venues other than the Registry offices. The Registrar will advise you of what fees are due when you are giving your notification. At one stage to be married in Ireland there were residency issues but as of the 5th November 2007, there are no longer any residency requirements for civil marriages. There is one strict stipulation and that is that the ceremony must be performed in the presence of two witnesses who should be both over 18 years of age, and I do believe that this rule would apply no matter what country you choose to have your civil ceremony.

Can we get married wherever we like?

Yes of course you can, but this needs to be vetted by the Registrar. So if you wish to have a civil ceremony at a venue other than a Registry office, you must contact the Registration Office in the area where the venue is located and apply to have the venue approved for the solemnisation of your civil marriages. This may involve the Registrar making an inspection of the venue. In order that the venue can be inspected in good time for your intended marriage, it is recommended that you make these arrangements well in advance of your notification appointment with the Registrar. The option to marry at a location other than a registry office is currently only available Mondays to Fridays. Being able to get married in a location of your choice is very new but a fantastic idea as this enables your civil ceremony to have your personal touch, which also empowers you to come up with your own wedding vows and love poems or whatever wording you choose. So enjoy your wedding ceremony and make it your own.

Etiquette For Addressing Wedding Invitations

Addressing your wedding invitations is not as simple as putting your guests names and addresses on the envelopes. There is a specific etiquette for addressing wedding invitations. If you are having a formal wedding, there are certain etiquette guidelines to follow when addressing your wedding envelopes.

• Do not use abbreviations.


• Do not use the "&" sign, spell it out.


• Use numbers for the recipients address; do not spell out the numbers.


• Spell out words like "street, drive, avenue, apartment, and state names." If the state name does not fit, then you may abbreviate.

All titles other than Mr. and Mrs. should be completely spelled out. A good example would be Doctor instead of Dr., Reverend instead of Rev. Any type of elected official like the Mayor would be addressed as The Honorable Mayor. If only one of them has a title, use that person's name first.

If a guest is in the military, use appropriate titles like Sergeant or Major before their name.

Examples for military etiquette for addressing wedding invitations:

Outer Envelope:

Major and Mrs. Edwin Williams

352 Martin Drive

Houston, Texas 77678

Inner Envelope:

Major and Mrs. Williams

If they both have the same rank/same last name:

Sergeant Major Edwin and Laura Williams

If they have different ranks/same last name:

Sergeant Major Edwin and Sergeant Laura Williams

Etiquette for addressing wedding invitations uses the person's full name. If you use an inner and outer envelope with your invitations, you may skip the first names on the outer envelope and use full names on the inner envelope without the address. On the inner envelope you may use a more casual tone if you wish.

Example:

Outer Envelope:

Mr. and Mrs. John Smith

123 Casper Road

Houston, Texas 45678

Inner Envelope Formal Tone:

Mr. and Mrs. Smith

Casual Tone:

Megan and John

or

Auntie Meagan and Uncle John

If inviting a married couple with small children, it should read:

Outer Envelope:

Mr. and Mrs. John Smith

123 Casper Road

Houston, Texas 45678

Inner Envelope:

Mr. and Mrs. Smith

Tony, Sandy and Kayla (List by oldest to youngest)

Or

Mr. and Mrs. John Smith and Family

Children over 18 years old.

If they have older children, 18 and over, you can send them two separate invitations or a joint invitation. Write the names in alphabetical order for joint invitations on separate lines.

Chris Smith

Andy Smith

Paula Smith

Married couple's names belong on the same line unless there's no room. Unmarried couple's names go on two separate lines with the name of the person you know on the first. If you know both individuals then the woman's name goes first. They will not each get a separate invitation. If you are inviting a couple that does not live together, then you should send two separate invitations.

Do not use nicknames on invitations. If you have a friend that goes by Joe but you know their full name is Joseph you should use "Joseph" on the invitation. If he is allowed to bring a guest, write out his full name "and guest" or "plus one".

Example:

Mr. Joseph Craig and Guest

Addressing the back flap of your wedding invitation envelopes.

You should always address the back flap of your wedding invitations with your return address just in case the post office needs to return your invitation for any reason. The return address must be that of the person receiving the reply cards. You may either handwrite the address or print it out on the computer. Nowadays, you can purchase clear stickers, print them out with beautiful, elegant font, and stick them on the back flap of the wedding envelopes.

In the end, these are your invitations so any wedding invitation etiquette you see fit to change is completely up to you.

Tip: Mail out your wedding invitations eight weeks before your wedding. Average RSVP from guests should be requested three weeks prior to your wedding date.

Making Cheap Wedding Invitation Kits

You can make cheap wedding invitation kits and have nice invites. What are your options for cheap wedding invitation kits.

1. Use standard business size envelopes. Get something nice that you can match with your invitations. There are so many options with these at your local office supply store. Once you have the envelopes, you can get plain white card stock and have it cut to the size you want. You will want a 4 x 9" for an invitation. Get cards cut for a post card and a reception card. If you buy your card stock at the office supply store, chances are they can cut it to size for you. Usually it is a very small charge for this service. If they cut them you will have all the sizes more uniform than if you cut on a home paper cutter. If you found a nice envelope try to use a soft color that matches to give a different look. You might make a watercolor border on these for an added touch. Use your creativity.


2. Try to get a ream of cardstock that is 8 1/2 x 14 inches. If you have to order it go ahead. Now you can have this cut to 6 x 14 inches. These can be made into the seal and send invitations. Seal and send wedding invitations are wonderful. They are only one sheet of card stock so you eliminate the added envelopes. By adding the perforated postcard you can still add the RSVP so it makes it very adaptable. You will have to perf a postcard on the bottom then two more scores and it will be ready to fold and seal. You will print your invitation on this before doing the perfing and scoring. I do recommend having them cut before you start. You can go to a smaller or larger size.


3. Go to your local craft store or the craft section at your local Walmart. They will have packages of cardstock and envelopes. Get a larger size for your invitations and a smaller size for your RSVP cards and envelopes. Using both of these you can create your own kit. Add the reception information to the invitations. You can add clip art or embellish with your own touches. You might add a poem on the front and your announcement information on the inside. You could add a photo on the front also. This will allow some relatives to see both of you. Sometimes relatives don't know who the couple are at first. This gives them a picture to work with.

I hope that this lets you see that you can make cheap wedding invitation kits that will work perfect to having nice wedding announcement cards.

Honeymoon Gifts and Baskets

An engaged couple that is planning for a wedding may look into registering for gifts. Many couples that don't need a lot of gifts for the home may want to think about honeymoon gift ideas. There are many websites that allow a couple to register for wedding gifts for their honeymoon. The couple can then receive gifts that they know they will need and can use on their trip. Some wedding guests may also want to look into honeymoon gift baskets for the bride and groom.

Wedding guests that are interested in personalizing a great gift for a couple to use on their honeymoon may want to consider gift baskets. A personalized wedding basket that includes many useful features such as champagne flutes or a fondue set can be great for a couple to use in their hotel room after a long day out. A wedding guest who really knows the couple will be able to completely personalize baskets for their honeymoon. The guest may be able to include a compact disc of the couple's favorite music or some of the romantic songs that were played at their wedding.

Romantic baskets that include gifts such as bubble bath soap, candles or body lotion may also be appreciated by a couple that will have some free time in their hotel room. Flowers or chocolate covered fruit may also be sent to a couple's room when they are on their honeymoon. These added touches from wedding guests could enhance a couple's stay in the hotel and show them that their wedding guests are thinking of them and hoping they have a great time. A wedding guest may also want to consider adding personal touches to professionally assembled gift baskets. Adding a photo of the couple on their wedding day in a nice frame can be a great touch. The couple can then enjoy that photo in the hotel room of their honeymoon and look back at the fond memories of the wedding.

Honeymoon gift ideas can be found online, especially if a couple has registered for their honeymoon gifts. A couple that is registered with an online company for honeymoon gifts can give all wedding guests a link to the registry. It is easy for the guests to contribute to the honeymoon because they are able to make a secure online payment through the company's website. Those wedding guests that cannot think of good honeymoon gift ideas may find it much easier to simply contribute money to the couple's stay and excursions while on their honeymoon.

After a stressful wedding, a couple deserves to have a great time on their honeymoon. Wedding guests that are looking to enhance the couple's stay may want to consider personalizing honeymoon baskets for the couple's hotel stay. Items such as a photo of the couple in a frame, bubble bath soap or champagne flutes are a nice touch to a gift basket for a newlywed couple. Couples may even be registered online for their honeymoon gifts, making it easy for wedding guests to contribute to their stay.

How Many Wedding Invitations Should I Order?

Ordering wedding invitations seems like a no brainer. It seems like it, but it is not. There are just too many unseen pitfalls along the path. It is somewhat like an Indian Jones movie. If you are not aware of the hidden danger you just might accidentally navigate the course successfully, but probably not. That is where a little planning comes in handy - so you can order your wedding invitations with confidence.

For the sake of this article, we will focus on understanding the process with regard to how many wedding invitations an intended couple should order.

The answer might seem clear - order as many invitations as names on their guest list - but it is not quite as apparent as it seems. There are several factors that any couple considering ordering wedding invitations should think through.

The first one affects the couple's budget. Printers who print wedding invitations often have a minimum order requirement or a requirement that the couple order in predetermined multiples of twenty five or fifty. Thus, a wedding party that is only planning on sending out eighty five wedding invitations might be required to order a hundred.

Next, guest lists have a sneaky way of growing at the last minute and couples who discover that they have run out of invitations could find themselves in an embarrassing situation when they discover an important individual they accidentally omitted when they created their guest list.

Likewise, most wedding parties have someone they want to send a wedding invitation to that they know will not be able to attend regardless of whether that individual is in the military and serving overseas or incapacitated by medical limitations.

Finally, a couple that uses unusual invitations like the beach themed wedding invitation in a bottle should plan to have a few extra's for keepsakes, not just for themselves, but for younger family members such as nephews and nieces who will find the romantic invitations irresistible.

The moral? Plan ahead. Know the capacity of your wedding and reception facilities and work out your guest list very carefully before you order your wedding invitations. Likewise, take the time to plan your seating chart in before you place your order. It will help you figure remember people you might otherwise overlook.

After you have gathered all your information, planned your guest list, and designed your seating chart - order enough extra to make sure you are covered regardless of what comes up. Ultimately, it is better to have ordered enough wedding invitations so you have a few left over to keep for use in a scrapbook than to run out prematurely and run the risk of creating hurt feelings.

Get Data of Jeweler Importers and Jeweler Exporters

Indian ethnic jewelry is fast gaining popularity amongst the western and European countries leading to ample business scope for Indian Jewelry exporters. Not just on exports front, Indian jewelry market has enormous scope for imported jewelry as well. International market is filled with Indian jewelry importers, importing western design jewelry for local markets.

Jewelry is considered as one of the most vital component of a woman's desire. Especially in India, jewelry is not just considered as a piece of ornament, but it is rather an auspicious and valuable aspect of ornamenting. Talking about market trends a decade ago, it was very different. Back then, people had different choices. With changing times, preferences of people have also changed. They admire simple and sophisticated designs that are inspired from Western and European styles. Owing to the rising demand of western styles, jewelry importers of the country are importing lots of jewelry from different parts of the world. Now you can easily spot the elegantly styles designs on display window of the local shops. Besides this, you can also buy imported jewelry from various exhibitions held in different parts of the country. These exhibitions are usually conducted during festive and wedding seasons to utilize the need of the hour. As, most of the Indian families prefer to buy jewelry during festivals or for wedding purposes.

On the other hand, due to the effects of globalization, countries have come closer to each other. Despite having territorial boundaries, Indian culture and its ethnicity has traveled places. European people visit India to experience its culture and beauty that has a pristine appeal. In the western countries, Indian ethnic jewelry is in great demands. Indian Jewelry exporters are minting money by exporting good quality products from our country that are specifically styled for purpose of exports. Ornaments manufactured for the purpose of exports are specially designed keeping in mind the likes and preferences of European customers. Indian silver ornaments are exported in bulk quantities every year to countries like Dubai, China, USA, UK, etc. Besides silver, gold ornaments are also popular amongst the foreign buyers.

Putting up an import export data trade is very costly, especially when it comes to ornaments. First of all, it requires a huge investment as the manufacturing cost of jewelry is pretty high. After investing such enormous amount of money in the trade, every trader wants to reap maximum profits from each and every deal. In addition to manufacturing or buying quality products, Jewelry exporters and importers require database records of jewelry exports import to access valuable information. For authentic and genuine information, you can refer to the services of Infodrive India. It provides an exhaustive list of jewelry importers and exporters from all over the world.

Top 10 Must Ask Questions for Your Wedding Photographer

During every consultation with a potential client, the bride opens her wedding organizer and flips to her copy of the ten most important questions to ask a wedding photographer.

No question is a bad question. I'll politely answer any question she asks. But these top-ten-lists printed in wedding magazines don't go far enough. So, take your list of ten questions and add a few more that I've written in this article. They will greatly improve the information you get from photographers.

Do you accept family portrait lists?

Every photographer should accept this list. It's essential to accomplishing the job you've hired him for. Write down the name of every family member to appear in each portrait. Review the list with your photographer, and he'll tell you how much time will be needed to take every picture.

Do you carry liability insurance? Every wedding vendor should have a minimum $1 million liability policy. This insurance covers accidents or damage the photographer may cause while working. You don't want to end up responsible for their damage. Protect yourself.

Will you make changes to the contract?

Many photographers object to changing their contracts for any reason. You don't have to work with them. Never sign an agreement that you're uncomfortable with. I suggest the following list of additions to every photography contact.

1. The photographer you are hiring should be named explicitly as the photographer who will photograph your wedding.

2. The contract should list any prepayment as a deposit. It should not say retainer. In some states, you may have a difficult time being refunded a retainer if the photographer fails to perform the contract.

3. You should provide limitations on things he shouldn't photograph, such as the bride or groom undressed.

4. If you're receiving digital negatives in the package, you'll need the photographer to grant you a copyright license to use the digital files for unlimited personal printing.

5. The contract will have a "Failure to Perform" section. It should state that you are entitled to a full refund of all money paid, including the deposit, should the photographer not photograph your wedding.

How do you provide wedding proofs?

Few photographers provide printed proofs anymore. Every photographer I know posts the photographs in a private web gallery or mails a DVD to the client. I do both. The web gallery accepts print orders from the couple and their wedding guests, and the DVD includes all of the photographs in a printable format.

How long will the wedding photographs be online? Every service is different. They should be online for a minimum of one year.

What file format do you shoot?

Every professional photographer will use the RAW setting, which gives the client the best possible results. This file format captures 4,096 levels of color per channel. The JPEG format, used in every point and shoot camera, captures 256 levels. That's a massive difference in the subtleties of color tone within an object.

RAW has the greatest dynamic range, which means you'll see a lot of detail in the brightest and darkest areas of a photograph.

Does your rate include any photo editing?

Anything is possible when your photographer has great digital editing skills. But don't count on it being free. Editing is a very extensive process that often costs more because of the time that is involved.

As part of the photographer's day-rate, he should include a RAW conversion. This means that the photographer opens each RAW file and adjusts all of the settings to create a nicest printable photograph. It will improve the skin tones, contrast and sharpness of the photographs.

Many clients think the conversions look so wonderful that they can't suggest any other changes. RAW conversions create proofs that blow away proofs made from film.

Your tab will start adding up when you ask the photographer to change things about your appearance. Want a different hair color? I can do it. Want a digital nose job? No problem. It's cheaper than plastic surgery.

You can save money. Ask your photographer to provide free editing with your album order. I do this as part of my regular service. I will make any edit to an album print that the client requests at no additional charge.

Do you provide digital negatives?

Selling the digital negatives is a very contentious issue among professionals. Photographers never gave film negatives to the client without charging a bundle. Since digital files are the same thing as negatives, many photographers charge upwards of $1,000 for them. So, the couple is forced into buying an album or prints if they ever want to hold their photographs.

Younger photographers, including myself, realize that the market has changed. Wedding clients demand that they receive the digital negatives as part of the day-rate package. I agree with them.

I give my clients the digital negatives, and they still spend plenty of money on the new, innovative wedding albums and other products. My clients are happy, and my business prospers.

Do you grant a copyright license to print from the disc?

Why pay for the disc if you're not allowed to use it? Ask to receive a copyright license to use the disc for personal use. Photographers won't sell you the copyrights, but they will grant you the license to print from the disc. You could even choose to make your own album. I always give my wedding clients the license.

How long do you archive the client's files?

Digital image files are huge. They quickly fill hard drives, and some photographers won't spend the money to save years of photographs. The photographer should tell you how long he archives the files before deleting them.

Do you print on exclusively on real photography paper?

If you know nothing about photography and want a high-quality, life-long lasting print, then ask your photographer to print on Fuji or Kodak digital papers with a Lustre finish

These two brands of paper look identical. The brand you receive will depend on the professional lab where your photographer orders his prints. They will last for your lifetime. That's much longer than your parent's wedding prints, which have probably faded in their album already.

The Lustre finish has a fine sheen. It's not glossy, nor is it matte. The colors really pop, and it resists fingerprints and water droplets. If you ever spill water on a print, drain it off and air dry. Don't dab or wipe it, and you might save the print.

What is included in the album rate?

The price should include a fixed number of pages and photographs. The photographer should edit the photographs to your satisfaction.

If you're receiving a coffee table book with a unique layout, you should request final approval before printing.

Don't allow fake photo paper in an album. Albums with rigid pages most likely have real photography paper. If the album has flexible pages, then it's probably a fake photo paper. This is nothing more than coated cardboard designed to imitate the real thing. It will fail in your lifetime. I've seen interior folds fade within a few months.

Many coffee table books, however, use real photo paper. Make sure the photographer knows what he is selling you.

Copyright Rich Dutchman 2010

Article may be reprinted in its entirety with proper crediting to the author.

Car Insurance and Misfuelling

It's surprisingly easy to fill your car with the wrong fuel - which is why some insurance companies provide optional misfuelling insurance as part of standard car insurance. We've all done it: perhaps you're thinking about work, or talking to your passenger; you reach over for the petrol pump, pull the trigger and begin to fill up your car. You happen to look down at the pump in your hand and horror strikes - it's the wrong pump! With good car insurance, however, you should be able to fix the problem relatively easily.

Your car insurance will usually pay for:

* Draining and flushing the fuel tank on site using a specialist roadside vehicle. This is especially useful as once you have realised you've filled the car with the wrong fuel, you should not move it any more.
* Recovery of the vehicle, the driver and up to 6 passengers to the nearest repairer
* Replenishing the fuel tank with 10 litres of the correct fuel.

You may be allowed to make a claim up to 瞿500 in any period of insurance; however you will be responsible for any extra costs.

Some insurance companies such as John Lewis even have a 24-hour Misfuelling Insurance Emergency Helpline. This is very helpful, as you will be put in touch with a professional who will tell you exactly what to do, depending on your situation. When you call the helpline, you should have your insurance policy number, vehicle registration number, exact location and contact details to hand. Your support line will then tell you what to do next.

There will usually be some exclusions to misfuelling insurance. For example, you will not be covered for misfuelling that happens outside the UK, for misfuelling commercial vehicles, or where your vehicle has been modified outside of the manufacturer's specifications. There are other exclusions, so it's worth checking your insurance policy to find out exactly what will be covered.

How to Choose Indian Wedding Invitations

If you're going to be hosting an Indian wedding in the near future, your first concern is to choose appropriate Indian wedding invitations. But, this is a tricky job. After all, Indian wedding invitations are rich and luxurious and emanate pomp, splendor and luxury. But you want to send out invitations that look stunning without busting your budget. So, how what's the secret?

Here are a few tips to help you choose Indian wedding invitations:

Budget: The first thing to do is to set your budget. It is possible to find Indian wedding invitations that suit all kinds of budget. So, whether you want expensive or affordable, there's something for everyone.

Colors: Typically, Indian wedding invitations are colorful and spectacular - with lots of reds, gold, saffron and green in them. These vibrant colors symbolize the love, passion and energy that characterize the wedding. Therefore, if you want a traditional wedding invite, it is only natural to select one of the more traditional colors.

Designs: Designs play an important part in Indian wedding invitations. Through the use of delicate patterns and motifs, wedding invites are made to look highly decorative and traditional too. Typically, most wedding cards use traditional motifs and designs. Sometimes, religious motifs dominate. Therefore, it is necessary to decide beforehand whether the card is to be religious, traditional or modern.

Decorations: In addition to the use of rich colors and patterns, Indian Marriage invitations also make use of fake stones, golden threads, mirrors and other materials to add to the glitz and beauty of the card. In fact, if you have sufficient spending money, it is possible to buy Indian wedding invitations that can steal your breath away! However, additional weight could be a problem if the cards have to be sent by mail.

Deity: Typically, Indian wedding invitations have the picture of a deity. This is done for two purposes: first, to give a sense of identity to invitees and second, to invoke the blessings of the deity. The most common deity is the 'Ganesha', who is the God of good fortune.

Size and print: It is important to take care of the factors such as size of the card, print area and so on. A small wedding ceremony with too much information is undesirable.

Font: It is important to choose the color and type of font used in the invites. Highly ornate fonts may look attractive and traditional but they may not be so readable. It is important to choose a font that looks good and is easily readable. Contrast in colors between the face of the card and the print is an excellent idea as this has an immense impact on the beauty and readability of the card.

Stationary: Finally, it is important to choose high quality stationary as this is the most important characteristic of a great looking wedding card. Since wedding cards are generally put in an envelope, it is necessary to choose envelopes that match the card in color, design and print.

Which Window Tint Color Should I Buy?

If you want window tint for your car, then you have probably already thought about the color you want as well, right? If you don't have the color that you want already picked out, then that would be a good thing to do right now. Most people assume that all colors are going to look good, however, this is not what happens. Just think, how is a red car going to look with bright pink window tint? This will look rather funny.

You must understand that any tint that you get will change the look of your car and blank tint will work no matter what color your car is but it won't add much more style to it. That is the reason more people are using colored tint in order to give their car the look they desire. There are more colors that you can get but make sure you read this article to understand what will work and what won't. Trust me, there are more colors than just plain black that will work for you and your car.

Tint Colors To Choose From

Black - If you want to tint your car windows, then there is no way you can go wrong with using regular black film. Also, being that black matches with almost everything, you won't have any issues getting it to look right. This will make your car look a lot better but if you are looking for something that will give your car a different style, then this might not do that.

Silver - Silver tint is another color that you might want to consider. What you will like about silver is that it gives your car a slightly different look but not one that is really different from black. There are a lot of colors out there and after black, silver is the best color that you can go with as it matches with anything.

Blue - Are you looking for a color that is different and makes your car stand out from the others? If that is what you want, then you can't go wrong with a good looking blue tint. What many people like about the color blue is that it looks good with black cars, white cars, silver cars and blue cars as well.

Red - Red is very similar to blue, however, it matches better with a red car. Adding a touch of red will get your windows to look really good, so make sure you check out this tint. Trust me, you won't regret using red tint in order to add a little bit of style to your windows.

These are some of the most popular colors, so choose between one of these colors and you will be just fine.

Of Groomsman Gifts, Bridesmaid Gifts and Wedding Gifts

In your wedding, you give gifts and you receive gifts. Always remember these wise words of Seneca, an ancient Roman Stoic philosopher:

"We should give as we would receive, cheerfully, quickly, and without hesitation;

for there is no grace in a benefit that sticks to the fingers."

How to Choose Gifts for Groomsmen

Your choice of groomsman gifts depends on many factors. However, these gifts should be the sole domain of the groom since in no way should your "blushing bride signature" be found on the items.

However, you can assist your groom in choosing his groomsmen gifts. Here are some tips to be helpful instead of intrusive:

* If you are also friends with the groomsmen, you can help the groom decide on the best groomsman gifts to reflect both his personality and those of the groomsmen. Just suggest based on what you think is best but never cross the line of actually insisting otherwise.

* You can direct your groom to stores and online sites where he can source out possible ideas for his groomsman gifts. Often, your man will need just a little push in the right direction and then you should trust him to make the right decisions. After all, he did make the right decision to marry you, didn't he?

* If he appears to be going beyond the budget, you can gently remind him that there are imaginative ways to express his appreciation even on a tight budget. You can consider your gentle persuasion as practice negotiation for marriage!

How to Choose Bridesmaid Gifts

Unlike the gifts for groomsmen, you have full control over the bridesmaid gifts. Here are some useful tips in this area:

* You should opt for useful items that can be used during the wedding ceremony and after it. For example, you can opt for jewelry and accessories to accent the bridesmaids' dresses. Or you can give everyday items like scarves, purses, vanity cases, make-up kits, and perfumes.

* You should consider the personality of the bridesmaid. It is not necessary that every bridesmaid have the same engraved item; you can give varying items of the same amount to reflect the unique personalities of the bridesmaids. Consider how you felt when you were a bridesmaid receiving an item the bride knew you could not care less about.

Wedding Gifts

Unfortunately, you really do not have much control on the wedding gifts you will receive. Although you can enroll in a wedding registry, your guests still have the final say on the gifts they will present you with. However, you do have control over the theft of your wedding gifts. You can prevent these by:

* Having all your gifts sent directly to your house or to your parents' house. This is the accepted way anyway so you will not have much trouble in this area.

* Foregoing a gift table. Sometimes, cash gifts are presented during the reception. You can table-hop to get these gifts instead of putting them on a gift table.

* Asking gate crashers to leave. Only movies romanticize wedding crashers but reality does bite (and steal).

* Buying a wedding insurance. Your stolen wedding gifts will be covered by insurance as long as the theft is reported right away.

And do not forget to send the appropriate thank-you notes!