Learn How You Can Have Your Fairytale Wedding When Planning a Cheap Wedding

How do you go about planning a cheap wedding? Simple, save your money. That is the gist of it. The wedding industry is a billion dollar a year industry and you can very easily get caught up in the wave of spending a lot of money on your wedding. Planning can be very hard for some and it can put a lot of stress on you. There is no need to get stressed out because this is your dream come true.

When planning a cheap wedding you first off must work with a budget. A budget is critical to the amount of money you spend. Always remember no matter what your budget is, it does not mean you have to spend every last penny allowed. Try to be realistic and smart.

Once you have your budget you can start planning a cheap wedding. These are some of the most important factors that go into your affordable wedding:

Cheap Wedding Dresses
Cheap Wedding Decorations
Cheap Wedding Gifts
Cheap Wedding Favors
Cheap Wedding Reception
Cheap Wedding Flowers
Cheap Wedding Cake
Cheap Wedding Invitations
Cheap Wedding Accessories
And more...

With all the added necessities it is time to start planning a cheap wedding. Take each factor and start doing some research. Not only do you look in your local area but also always look online. You can find many ready to buy packages at CheapWedding101.com. Online there are many businesses all over the US offering great deals on everything needed. You might live in a relatively wealthy area and all shops near you might be rather expensive. So shopping online is a great alternative.

When it comes to a dress you do not have to spend a fortune to find something that is absolutely beautiful. Many designers can charge over $5,000 for a dress, which is way too expensive. You can find a dress that resembles a designer dress for half the price online or a department store. Do not fall into the trap thinking more expensive is better, simple and affordable is much better.

Your wedding reception alone can save you massive amounts of money when planning a cheap wedding. Depending on where you have it you can very easily save money. Do not go for the most upscale venue because you think it is beautiful. Contact as many venues as possible where you can have your wedding and try to negotiate prices. No matter where your reception is, you can still make it look as perfect as you want with a little touch ups.

When planning a cheap wedding you should keep a binder with all the information you gather. Keep everything organized and easy to find. This way you can do a side by side comparison of different gifts, favors, reception areas and check out pricing. This is your wedding and many people will try to chime in and give their thoughts. That is a good thing but just remember it is all about you and your fiancé, not them. So take a deep breath and take always keep your options open. It is time to put more into your marriage and less into your wedding.

How to Organize an Engagement Party

There's no other better way to announce your engagement than having an engagement party! There are several parties before your wedding comes, and one of which is your engagement party. This party is not mandatory, thus you have to decide whether or not you will have one. If yes, how is it going to look like? What kind of party it should be?

Whether you will plan an engagement party or not, both have pros and cons. The cons include allowing you to bond with your relatives and closest friends in a fun way; giving everyone to get to know each other; and of course allowing both of yourselves to party with all the people you love most! On the other hand, an engagement party can also mean making hard decisions and spending savings for payables. Aside from that, you have to allocate a quite long time, at least six months, to prepare for such party.

Traditionally, it is the parents who host the party. But these days, there are no hard rules when planning one. Both you and your partner can host your own engagement party yourselves, or a close friend or other family members. Depending on your budget and and personal taste, your engagement party can be a small simple gathering or as grand as wedding! Or if both of you are fun and energetic type, then you may plan to throw a less formal party for everyone to enjoy. You can have a theme for the party. Basically, that theme reflects both of your personality either as a couple or depending on your individual taste.

Typically, an engagement party includes people who are also invited in the wedding party. You will definitely invite your family and your partner's family so they can get know one another. One ideal way of inviting people is to choose only those who are very close to you and make sure that they will also get invited to your wedding day. It is a bad etiquette that those who are present during your engagement party won't be invited in your wedding. So make sure that there is no one missing on your list. However, you may not invite those who live far, because you will already be asking them to travel for the wedding. This is a way to show them that you are also considering the distance that they have to travel for the party as well as the travel expenses.

When to hold your engagement party? If you want to have a long engagement, basically it can run for a year or so. You can hold it either months before or a year before your wedding day. Some hold their engagement party any time within six months before the big day.

You may register anywhere for the gifts you wish to have in your engagement party. Let the people know about the information by including the registry details on your invitations. Engagement gifts can be anything from household items, apparel to outdoor gifts and etc. Engagement gift registry can be done online. Other party supplies for your engagement, important wedding supplies and wedding gifts for your big day can be ordered online. Today, we can now enjoy shopping for anything we want easily by simply browsing the Internet.

Should You Consider An Aquamarine Engagement Ring?

Although you might initially think that an engagement ring should automatically boast a diamond, the fact is that aquamarine rings actually make a great second choice. They are beautiful and eye catching, but they are also more affordable than diamonds.

A Little Info About Aquamarine

The Moh's Hardness Scale, which rates gemstones, has rated it as high as 8.0, which happens to show that it is more durable than an emerald. Provided that there are no inner or outer blemishes, the stone will resist chips and cracks. That means that an aquamarine engagement ring is going to hold up under pressure, as much as a topaz would.

The great thing about this gemstone is that it is really inexpensive. There are a wide range of beautiful and tasteful designs, including those with both diamonds and aquamarines. You are bound to find one in your price range while at the same time benefiting from the wide array of styles.

Because aquamarine is so wonderful to cut, it ensures that there is a lowered risk of cleaving. It can be cleanly cut into any shape desired, and therefore will fit any ring setting that would otherwise house an emerald or a diamond.

Without a doubt the aquamarine rings are gorgeous. Along with its beauty and durability, it is also just as refractive as an emerald, and only a fraction less so than that of a sapphire. Thanks to their beauty they are the perfect choice as an engagement ring.

An aquamarine ring's value is based upon the quality of the stone itself. It is also based on the way that the stone has been cut, and its color. The actual size or karat of the ring does not feature into the price, however. Those aquamarines that are most prized will have been custom cut, be of a deep shade of blue, and have a high clarity grade. Those that are lighter, with shades of green, are also considered desirable for their beauty, although they are not as highly valued as the former.

Tips For Shopping Online

If you are considering purchasing your jewellery online you should take care to remember a few things. First of all it is always recommended that you do a little window shopping first as this will help you to compare prices in your local stores. Once you have done that, turn your attention to online retailers offering the same item, whether a gold chain or aquamarine rings, or whatever it is you are purchasing, and compare these as well. In so doing you will find the perfect site offering the best price.

Caution should be exercised when buying things online, especially when it comes to jewellery. What you see in the photo might not be what you receive. There are logical reasons for this, namely that you purchased the item without investigating its stats, like size, for instance, or that these were not made available for you. Make sure that all the relevant information is provided, that there is online customer support, and that the site is registered with various bodies, and that you understand their policies when it comes to the cost of shipping, insurance, returns, resizing, etc. Shopping online is a great way to get what you want at a much cheaper price, and all from the comfort of your own home!

Garden Wedding Invitations - A Garden of Ideas

Whether it's a formal affair at the local public gardens or an intimate gathering at your childhood home, a garden wedding will have a special feel for you, your family and friends. Garden wedding invitations are an important part of setting the mood for the day. These wedding invite ideas will inspire you to create an invite as special as your ceremony.

Paint a pretty picture - No, you don't actually have to paint it yourself (although, if you're that talented, go for it!) Rather, use images inspired by nature for your garden-themed invites. For formal affairs, think roses, lilies, or orchids. A swan motif is also a good way to convey the elegance and class of a formal ceremony. If a casual event is more your style, there's no limit to wedding invitation ideas. You might use images of dragonflies, butterflies, or birds. For floral stationery that makes a statement, order invites emblazoned with images of violets, daisies, or hyacinths. Plan autumn wedding invites that incorporate designs with leaves in golden yellows and vibrant reds.

Embellish, embellish, embellish - It's easy to create a nature-like feeling for garden wedding invitations by adding embellishments to the invites. Wedding invitation ideas include adding a belt, which is a decorative tie, around the invite. Consider belts made of a natural material, like raffia, or ribbons with garden-inspired colors, such as soft green or daffodil yellow.

Seal it with a flower - Nothing finishes off outdoor-themed stationery as beautifully as a wrapper. This piece, which is a coordinating band of paper wrapped around the stationery, is a classy touch for any invite. Imagine your guests opening an invitation enclosed by a lush green vellum wrapper. Or perhaps you'd like them to open the envelope to find the invitation wrapper sealed with a small flower. Be aware that you may need to glue the flowers onto the wrapper before mailing, so this might not be the best choice for a time-crunched bride.

Paper or potpourri? - Any bride can send a traditional paper invite, but to impress your guests go the non-traditional route instead. Try one of these chatter-generating wedding stationery ideas:

*Want to send a scent-sational invitation? Online wedding stationery specialists offer message-in-a-bottle invitations filled with floral potpourri. Delivered to guests in a small box, these garden wedding invitations feature an invite rolled up inside a bottle that will smell as good as it looks.

*When it comes to wedding invitation ideas, printing invites on paper embedded with seeds is another winner. Guests will actually plant these unique garden wedding invites in their yard, so they'll have a very special reminder of your ceremony--a reminder that will bloom for years to come.

*Using paper featuring hand-pressed flowers is another way to send fabulous invites. The three-dimensional look of this unique stationery is an ideal way to set the stage for your loved ones. While this method can be pricey, it's one of the simplest ideas for floral-inspired ceremonies.

Still not sure what type of garden wedding invitations you want? Spend a few minutes walking around the ceremony site--soon you'll see an animal, a plant, or another feature that sparks your imagination.

Make Your Own Invitation

Why Make your own invitation?

There are pro's and con's to consider if you make your own invitations for weddings and parties. It can be cheaper or it could be more expensive! You may not necessarily save money (but probably will) It all depends on whether you want simple and cheap or the ultimate in style and personalization. This could involve extra cost if you need to buy cutting equipment or even a new printer to produce better quality prints, but the chances are that the printer you have will do just fine. Any additional equipment or card that you buy and don't use may seem to be a waste, but you also need to think whether you will have other projects later to share the cost. I am pretty sure you will once you have had a go and find out how much fun it can be. If you have priced up the factory produced cards even these expenses do not seem so great. On the plus side what you can get is unique and in a style to suit you. You can apply the same techniques to invitations, reply slips and individual greetings cards which people will really appreciate receiving.

Make your own invitation from blanks

There are several different ways to make your own invitations and it depends on just how much you want to do yourself. You can buy the cards ready-made and make them more unique by adding embellishments like ribbons and bows or sequins yourself.

If you want a more personalised wording you could buy the cards as blanks (with a ready printed outer) and add your own words by printing them yourself. This will also allow you to buy the envelopes, and perhaps the reply cards, at the same time.

These are the simplest ways of creating unique invitations and cards but you are still limited by what is available. The best way to ensure that your invitations are unique and personal to you is to create your own invitations from scratch.

Make your own invitation on-line.

If you do not want to dive in and produce a masterpiece from scratch then another way of getting more unique invites and cards is to visit one of the websites which give you a choice of blank cards and allow you to customise the wording or even to upload a photo to use in the design. These are then printed off professionally and delivered to you. Don't forget that you could use this method and then add your own embellishments to further customise the cards.

Many people will keep an invitation as a memento of a special occasion so it is nice to make it something special to reflect the occasion.

Make your own invitation from scratch

Making your own invitations does not even need to be as complicated as above. A simple A5 invitation or card can be made by printing on a heavier weight A4 size card and folding it to produce a 4 page A5 invitation. No cutting needed, just a fold. Buy some A5 envelopes (You can also print part of the design on these if you want) and you have all you need. Once again, embellishments could be added. You can't get much simpler (or cost-effective) than that! Plus if you need more you can just print them. To help design your invitation you can usually download free templates for your word processor from the internet.

In most cases you can save a good slice of the cost and have a lot of fun when you make your own invitation.

Setting Up Your First Home Together

One of the things that a bride and groom need to think about is setting up their first home together. (Even if you live together before the wedding, keep reading - you may find some useful tips.) Not only do you have to find a place to live, but you need to think about what you will need to fill it.

It is pretty rare these days that the bride or groom goes straight from living with their parents to being married. Most people have spent some time living on their own, and therefore will already have some of the things that you need to set up a house. But before deciding that you are all set, take some time to evaluate what you really have. One scratched up old saucepot from your college days does not exactly constitute a well-appointed kitchen!

A good way to get the things that you will need for your first home is through the bridal registry. If you register at a department store or a place like Pottery Barn, not only can you request registry standards like bedding, towels, dishes, and stemware, but you can also register for some of the large items needed to make a beautiful home. No fellas, I am not talking about a flatscreen television! I am referring to items like sofas, chairs, and coffee tables. Now if they are very expensive, you may find that they go unpurchased, but there is always a chance that a few people could get together on one of the larger gifts, or the couple's parents might decide to give them furniture as a wedding gift.

One of the most useful things about a registry is that it forces you to sit down and see what you have and what you need. Even if you do not end up getting everything that you have requested, at least you will have an organized list to use in the future. Some places will also offer you a special discount to purchase any items remaining on the registry after your wedding, so even if you know that none of your guests will be buying you a dining room table, put it on the list anyway. That way, if you decide to buy it yourself after the wedding, you will save some money.

Beyond the basics, you will want to think about the things that will make your first place really feel like a home. Painting the walls is an inexpensive and easy way to add character to a house. If you do not want to commit to a bold color, choose a subtle one like a soft warm gold, or a pale sage green. Neutrals can be safe without being boring.

Then it is on to the personal touches. Of course, you will want several of your wedding photos prominently displayed in your home. From there, the newlyweds can practice the fine art of compromise. For instance, the bride might agree to forgo covering their bed with her favorite dolls and stuffed animals if the groom agrees to put his neon "Bud Light" sign into the yard sale. The key is to strike a balance, and create an environment that is neither too feminine, nor too much like a frat house. That way, both people will feel comfortable there.

The first night that you spend in your new home together is a very big deal. It is worth planning something special for that night. Even if you end up eating a pizza while sitting on the moving boxes, try to make it romantic. Dig out a couple of the champagne flutes that you received as a wedding present (because everyone gets champagne flutes - I think my husband and I received about 24 of them!), and drink a toast to your new home and the start of your new life together. The groom can make the moment extra memorable by surprising his new wife with a gift of jewelry to match her wedding set. Wedding jewelry gifts like another ring to wear with her band, or a bracelet to match her bridal earrings would be a very thoughtful and sweet gesture.

You will always remember your first home together as a married couple. Whether it is a big house in the suburbs or a tiny studio apartment in the city, it will be special because it is yours together. Put the effort into making your home a relaxing oasis that you will both love to return to every night.

Affordable Wedding Invitations Doesn't Mean Cheap

Wedding invitations play a crucial role in the process of planning for the huge wedding event. You have to work on a list of those you will invite and the go through the means of inviting them. However, since the most usual thing to happen would be to invite too many people, the process of coming up with affordable wedding invitations becomes quite impossible.

But it should bring you good news that there are available steps to take in coming up with affordable wedding invitations that look absolutely amazing when you are especially running on a very tight budget. With the advent of advanced technology, your first option could be the electronic wedding invitations.

Before, people only use the concept of e-cards for birthday occasions. But now, it can now also be applied for weddings and any other kind of event. It may somehow sound unconventional and not so personalized for some, but it can definitely help you stick to your budget.

Next option for affordable wedding invitations is to acquire huge discounts from direct manufacturers. With them, you can be assured of not just quality invitations but also invitations that are of lower price.

Another option would be to do it yourself. It can somehow be a tedious task to come up with your own wedding invitation, but it surely wouldn't be such a great hassle if it is just a small wedding. If you want to still save a lot of time, you can pursue buying kits for making affordable invitations.

You can also try to visit the nearest local printing shop in your neighborhood. You will find them more open to giving immense discounts most especially if you are in need of a bulk set of invitations. Or if you have any friends who are into the arts or graphic designing, you can ask them for some help and just ask for an affordable rate.

Once you consider all the options, you can start getting free from all the stress that such expenses can cost you. Stop feeling frustrated with all the expenses coming your way. Weddings can definitely cost a lot but there are lots of ways to shed those pricey numbers down.

If you would spend more time on researching for the options made available for you, then you can start smiling and preparing for your big day instead of sulking over the expenses of your big event.

Very Cheap Wedding Invitations - 5 Ideas To Save You Money

Very cheap wedding invitations can be a way to trim your wedding planning costs. There are a lot of different types of wedding invitations to choose from, many of which that are inexpensive.

The first step in choosing your invitations is to set your budget. Try to be realistic while keeping your expenses low. It may not be realistic to expect to spend only two cents per invitation.

One thing to keep in mind is that there is a difference between cheap and inexpensive. Many weddings can get away with having cheap invitations, but if you are planning on having an elegant affair you may want set the tone with a more expensive invitation.

Here are 5 ideas when selecting very cheap wedding invitations:

Do It Yourself

Creating your invitations yourself is a great way to save a lot of money. For the creative among us, there are many specialty paper stores that carry different types of paper that can be used for invitations. Craft stores are great resources for ribbons and other invitation supplies as well.

Printable invitation kits are a big time saver as well as a money saver. Simply choose your invitation online and print them with your home computer.

Buy On Sale

Buying off season may also help slash your wedding invitation bill. Look for clearance or sale sections on websites as well as in stores. It might take a little extra effort to locate the sales, but it will pay off in the end.

You may also be able to find bargains at websites like EBay. Items like invitation kits can sometimes be snatched up for a fraction of their true price.

Shop Early

Starting early is a great way to find very cheap wedding invitations. If you wait until the last minute you may end up having to choose a more expensive invitation or one that you really don't like.

You will be able to shop around and locate the best deals possible. It also means that your invitations will go out on time giving your guests ample time to respond.

Check Discount Stores

Possibly the most overlooked option, stores like Target and Wal Mart offer good selections of invitation kits. Visit them on sale days for the best prices, but make sure you get there early to get the best selection.

Want to get your invitations for free? Ask for gift cards to these stores as holiday and birthday presents.

Go For The Package Deal

Going with invitation kits gives you a good chance of saving money. Kits typically include invitations, thank you cards and sometimes save the dates.

There are varying types and prices to choose from, so be sure to shop around for one that fits your style and your budget.

UK Wedding Insurance

The cost of the average UK wedding is now around £17000.00. That's a lot of money as i'm sure you know.

Months and months of meticulous planning culminate in one day, a day designed to be a memory that will live in all those who are present for a long time to come, especially the happy couple.

There are a number of 3rd parties involved in a successful wedding day. Caterers, hair stylists, beauticians, car hire, DJ, hotels and venues, photographers, the list goes on and on.

It's no wonder then, that specialist wedding insurance has arrived on the market.

With so much financial interest in what amounts to no more than 12 hours of wedding, it is entirely natural to want to protect that investment.

It is usually the bride or groom parents that are footing the bill, of course they are hoping for a mishap free special day, but the smart ones make sure that should anything go wrong, they are covered.

Everybody has heard the horror story of the best man losing the rings but to be honest, that's just one of the many problems that can occur.

Imagine if you have hired a marquee and one of your guests trips over a guy rope and breaks a leg, i know this sounds harsh but it does happen. It is you who needs to be insured for public liability in this instance, not the venue.

The photographs might not turn out. That's bad enough, but at least with wedding insurance, the cost of retaking the photographs will be covered.

Caterers may not turn up, a guest may get food poisoning from the wedding buffet.

This all sounds extremely pessimistic i know, but with insurance starting at around £50, you would be mad not to take it out.

Because there is now a specialist wedding insurance out there, you will find that almost everything wedding related you can think of is covered in the policy.

Wedding dresses & rings, marquee damage, public liability, 3rd parties not showing up as promised, unexpected cancellation and much more besides.

The great thing about wedding insurance is, compared to the cost of the wedding itself, it costs peanuts.

I'm sure that the brides parents would be able to sit back and enjoy the wedding more knowing that the 3 year old nephew break dancing on the dance floor, won't bankrupt them should he break dance into the wedding cake, forcing everybody to eat it off the floor.

Hey, it happens!

Sending Wedding Invitations For a Reception After a Destination Wedding

Your destination wedding can be a fantastic and totally unique experience. While you'd like to take all of your friends and family with you, it is just not always possible for everyone to travel and get away for your ceremony and reception. In this instance, it is very common to hold another reception once you have returned home. Keep your wedding invitations for you're the destination few and save them for the reception when you return.

Invitations and announcements
Typically your destination nuptials will be smaller than a traditional at-home affair. Since this may be the case, when planning your at-home reception plan on sending more wedding invitations than announcements. Keep the reception small and light while you're away and have a big bash when you return. This may be the one occasion when you can combine the invitation and the announcement.

In some cases, if the actual ceremony is much earlier than the planned 'at home' reception, an announcement is sent separate from the wedding invitation. In this instance, you'd send an invitation to those who are coming to the destination, an announcement to everyone else and then another wedding reception invitation to those you'd like to have at the 'at home' reception.

Reception
Once you've decided what you're going to do for the reception, you should get those invitations in the mail. And make no mistake - this is not an everyday kind of party. You should treat this party as a real wedding reception, as that is what it is - just without the ceremony. You should have a cake that you and the groom cut, a first dance and even toasts. Take advantage of this opportunity to wear your wedding dress again, this is probably the only time you will get to re-wear your dress.

Elopement
There is no rule that states that you can't have a reception after you've eloped. And there is also no rule that states that you have to have a reception. It's your big day and you can have it your way. If you do decide to have a reception after you've eloped, make sure your reception invitations state "we've eloped." From there you can treat your reception as any other bride would. You can still cut the cake and have the first dance if you wish. Again, this might be the one and only place you can wear your wedding dress again.

Just an announcement
Some couples choose to elope as a way to avoid the expense of the reception. This practice is perfectly acceptable as it is your party and you can do what you'd like. In this instance, make sure you send an announcement to all of your friends and family. And while they may want to celebrate with you, it may have to be done on a smaller scale.

This is your big day and you can make your plans any way you choose. Enjoy your romantic destination ceremony and reception and then come home and enjoy a great reception. And if you decide to elope you've got lots of great options for wedding invitations and announcements.

Wedding Car Decoration

Wedding car decoration is a vital element in marriage celebrations. After exchange of marriage vows, couples are shuttled to the reception after which they whiz off for their honeymoon.

Decorated wedding cars signify marriage and also indicate the groom's love for the bride. Guests are often given permanent liquid markers so that they can convey their well wishes to the married couple.

A colorful, bold sticker announcing nuptials is the best way to show off your marriage status.

Rear End Decorations

No car decoration is complete without the Just Married sign. Use monogram clings on the window surface. Sophisticated clings give a classic statement without causing any damage to the limo.

You can use additional monogram window clings to mark reception, church windows and doors as direction symbol for attendees. Clings can also be used to define the seating areas. Label them as 'Best Man' and 'Mother of the Bride' accordingly. Always opt for customized license plates.

Custom wedding clings can make your feel special on your wedding reception. Remove them before leaving for honeymoon and replace them with a just married tag.

How to Plan Car Decoration

Car decoration is usually handled by wedding contractors and decorators. However, specialized and experienced car decorators are also available and the charges are based on an hourly basis.

If you have ample time, you too can decorate the car. Decoration time may take anywhere from five hours to twenty four hours.

Use special mesh rolls to give an extraordinary look to your car. A simple twist or tuck does the trick. Tie the mesh rolls into various iridescent puffs for a whimsical appearance.

Wedding car decorations are necessary for the couple to begin their married life in style and enjoyment. Good decorations are crucial for the couple to smile on their way to honeymoon.

Leave a Lasting Impression With Unique Wedding Invitations

Break away from tradition and choose a unique wedding invitation that fits your style and unique personality. There are many different beautiful styles with which you can incorporate a touch of elegance with a new twist. Non-traditional styles are perfect for the bride that is planning a wedding that features the latest trends.

Unique wedding invitations can make a statement using a combination of new designs and bold color choices. One of the unique invitations available offers a tri-fold design that opens to reveal all the important details of your big day. Another style offers the latest shape in invitations, the tea length invitation. The tea length invitation is a wonderful choice for a night-time wedding because it combines a new style with a sophisticated look.

If you are looking to go bold, choose an invitation that offers a beautiful bold colors. A bold patterned design will add a pack a punch of personality while still maintaining a level of elegance and sophistication appropriate for any wedding. Rich, deep hues color combinations are perfect for fall and winter weddings.

Leave a lasting impression on your guests with our invitation pocket and pocket mailer invitations. These design help your guests keep all the precious details of your wedding organized by providing storage for the invitations, reception information, and response cards. Because all of these products coordinate, it offers a cohesive look that will show your guests that you have an impeccable eye for even the smallest of details.

Finally, you could choose a wrapped invitation that envelops the invitation itself in beautiful top-quality paper featuring a bold design. Not only does a unique wedding invitation set the stage for your special day, but they are also available at an affordable prices that are sure to fit within your budget. Choose a unique wedding invitation for your special day and leave a lasting impression on all of your guests.

Advantages of Sea Freight Services

Whether an individual is importing or exporting goods from overseas, sea transport will be deemed as the best option for sending and receiving the goods. This mode of transport is suitable to both individuals and companies doing businesses around the world. It does not matter whether the user is an individual or a group of companies, what matters is using the service to deliver consignments to different places. Sea freight services have increasingly gained dominance in the transport sector which poses a threat to other modes of transport like road, railway and air transport. Over the years, consignees have continually opted for sea freight services over other modes of transport due to the following reasons;

First, sea transport is a very safe means of transporting cargo over long distances. Most of the cargo that is transported using sea freight services is normally unaccompanied. This means that there is nobody to take personal charge of that cargo while it is in transit. For one to use this service therefore, it means that he is placing a lot of trust on the sea freight services. Even without the company of the sender, the consignment will be delivered to the right destination. Sea transport has the least of accident cases when compared to the other modes of transport like road. This means that loss of goods or damage to the goods due to accidents is completely minimized.

Sea freight services are also considerably cheaper when compared to other modes of transport. Goods that are sent via this mode of transport are always very heavy and some cannot be sent using other modes of transport due to the exorbitant rates that they will attract. For instance, transporting crude oil is mainly done via sea transport as the commodity is always very heavy. Furthermore, the size of some goods like vehicles and other machinery call for sea freight services. If such goods were to be transported via other means like road, the shipping rates would even exceed the value of the goods being transported.

Sea freight also provides a range of special services to suit the need of its customers. For instance, goods that require considerable low temperatures while in transit are a case in point. Sea freight services will go ahead to provide refrigeration where necessary to ensure that the goods reach their destination while in a sound state. Such commodities are normally perishable and require a special service during shipment.

Furthermore, sea freight services also provide insurance cover for goods that are in transit. Though this service is normally optional, many customers prefer to use it. The insurance cover is normally based on the value of the goods. Goods that have high value will call for high insurance cover. The insurance cover is normally put as an additional fee above the normal freight rates. One has the option of choosing this service or ignoring it altogether. Many consignees prefer it because in the event of an accident which may result in damage of the goods or complete loss, they can be compensated.

Make Your Wedding Invitations - Inexpensive Wedding Invitations Can Look Good And Be Cheap To Make

You have been planning your wedding and now are ready to make your wedding invitations. You don't want to invest a lot of money in them. Where do you start?

First, remember that you do want nice invitations. You will send these to your family and friends. They should be neat and clean. If you want a theme perhaps just using some special clip art will do the job.

Decide on your wedding style. WIll it be formal or informal. Do you want a theme wedding? Will you have a big wedding and reception, or a small wedding and larger reception? All of these should be considered when deciding on your invitations.

Now once you have made those decisions you can start planning your invitations. Get a list together. If you put them in a data base you will be able to address your envelopes to match the invitations. This gives a clean look and will be in the same style as your invitations. You will get a good idea of how many cards and envelopes you will need also.

After you have a list, get supplies together. Going to your local craft store can be a good start. They usually have packages of cards and envelopes. You can also call your local print shop. They may have some left over envelopes and you can get card stock cut to size. They will charge for cuts but usually not much.

You can get two sizes of cards and envelopes. Larger for the invites and smaller for the wedding RSVP cards. Get some flat cards cut for reception cards. You want to have at least one set to make and see it is what you want.

You want to make sure you have a nice printer for your invitations. Don't worry about investing a ton of money in a printer. I love my seventy-nine dollar Epson printer. It prints a nice clean image. The ink is smudge proof and waterproof. Definitely a great buy. I have used Epson printers for years because of the ink. You do need to buy Espon ink though. The refillables are not water proof.

Okay, now you need to learn a good word processing program to make your wedding invitations. If you don't know how to use one, don't worry they are easy. I recommend Microsoft Works. It is an affordable program at around forty dollars. I have noticed though that almost everyone I know has this on their computers. I know several who love it over Microsoft Word.

Try to find some wedding clip art and a nice font. Put this all together and you will have a nice clean inexpensive wedding announcements.

Don't give up the idea to make your wedding invitations. It can be cheaper and better.

Easy Fall Decorations - Fun Autumn Projects For the Entire Family

Autumn is just around the corner and now is the time to think about your seasonal decorations. Gather the family together for some autumn fun with these easy fall decorations! These projects will get the entire family involved with the fall festivities.

Harvest Window Box: Break away from standard window box designs of chrysanthemums or pansies. This fall season, why not try something new? Add a layer of straw or dried grass to the planter, making sure that some of it drapes over the front and sides. Gather pumpkins and gourds of various shapes, sizes, and colors; arrange these in your window boxes for a fun fall display. For added family fun, have the kids paint silly faces on the pumpkins! If your children are older, metallic paint in deep autumn shades will add a bit of glitz to the display and get them involved with the project.

Pretty Autumn Porch: Once summer passes, our porches are often left neglected and forgotten. Turn that bare porch into a stage for your fall decorations! The steps to your porch can be flanked with large pumpkins, decorated by the kids as suggested above. Then for added color, purchase a metal wreath frame from a craft store and send the kids out into the yard to gather leaves. Using floral wire and a glue gun, attach the leaves to the frame. You now have a one of a kind wreath that the entire family helped create.

Fun Fall Potpourri: Nothing creates the mood of autumn more than the rich smells of cinnamon and apple in rich cider-like aromas. Fill your home with that delicious aroma while creating lasting memories with your family by creating your own autumn potpourri! Send the kids out into the garden to collect the last flowers of the garden, pine cones, and even thick dried leaves. Coarsely chop these and add them to a glass bowl. Purchase your favorite liquid potpourri oils in autumn scents and toss it throughout the collected garden goods. Cover with plastic and let it cure for a few weeks and your family now has its own signature potpourri blend!

Fall Leaf Collage: It is difficult to fully change your d矇cor with the seasons, but you and your family can create a one-of-a-kind focal point for your family room. Take your children out into the yard and collect leaves, but this time make sure that the leaves are still pliable. Let the gather a lot, this project requires many leaves. Back inside; press these leaves between the pages of a heavy book for about a week until they are flat and smooth. Purchase a large frame from a discount store, the bigger the better! Let the kids help you glue the leaves to an inexpensive sheet of poster board that has been cut to fit the frame. I suggest cutting the stems off the leaves, but my daughter prefers to leave them on, it's a matter of preference. Once the entire board is covered, allow to dry, and spray with dried floral preservative. Place your project in the frame and admire your family's art!

These are just a few fun autumn projects for you and your family. Why not compliment your creations with some trendy fall decorations? Get the entire family involved this season and create memories for years to come!

Exterior Paint Colors - How To Choose?

"Dupioni"; "Faux bois"; "Intaglio"; "Pulmonaria"... Rare tropical diseases? European politicians? Expensive appetizers?

Nope, they're paint colors! If you're thinking of painting the outside of your house you might be wondering whatever happened to red, green, and blue!

Paint Paralysis

The dizzying array of color choices and their associated names are enough to give a homeowner a case of Chromophobia - the fear of colors. How do you decide what color(s) to use when there are so many options?

At $40 a gallon or more for quality exterior latex, you can't afford to make a mistake. And if you don't like the colors, your neighbors probably won't either; colors have public impact - you're not the only one who has to live with them. But a little research and planning can help you get started with the confidence that the final paint job is one that you - and your neighbors - will be pleased with.

Field, Trim, and Accent

An existing house isn't a blank canvas - after all, you're not changing the color of the roof, the brick or stone, and maybe not even the windows (if they're vinyl or aluminum clad). Roofs and masonry walls are large areas of unbroken color and natural starting points for creating a palette.

An exterior paint scheme should be made up of at least three colors: the field - large areas such as walls or roofs; the trim - corner boards, window trim, fascias, rakes, etc.; and accent - specific elements including doors, shutters, and other architectural features.

Field colors make up the majority of what you'll see on the house and will lead you to the choice of trim and accent. Are you trying to make your house look a little more prominent on the street? A lighter field color will make it look larger; a darker color will visually shrink it. "Unattractive" elements - gutters, downspouts, etc., should also be painted the field color to help them "disappear" into the background.

But it's the trim color that can make or break the scheme. Painting the trim the same color as the field can work in some cases, but it can also give the house an "unfinished" or "wedding cake" look. Darker trim - especially around the windows - can cause a "frame" effect, where the windows look like pictures hung on a wall. Keeping the trim lighter than the field is almost always a safe bet.

The accent color is where the excitement is. Once you've chosen an attractive combination of field and trim, make it "pop" with an eye-catching accent color. It's a tool to give life to an otherwise muted color scheme and draws attention to the important features of the house. The front door, shutters, and the windows frames (not the trim) are good places for accent colors. Windows painted with accent and trim colors together can be the most interesting part of the composition.

Choosing a Paint Scheme

The two most important considerations in choosing a color scheme are the architecture of the house and the neighborhood context.

Historic architectural styles, for example, look best in their original color schemes, although these can vary quite a bit. Original Colonial and Colonial Revival homes were often quite colorful on the inside, but less so on the exterior. Often they were painted in a single color for the field and trim, with a second color for an accent. Combined with prominent red brick chimneys and a brick or stone base, the effect is a three-color scheme.

Victorian homes - often referred to as "painted ladies" - sometimes showed off six or more colors of trim and accent. Making that look good today takes the services of a color specialist and a lot of time. But a similar effect can be had with as little as three colors if they're well placed on the house.

The Craftsman style of the early 20th Century sported a darker, earthier color scheme using deep browns, greens, and reds. The current popularity of the style is making more homeowners consider richer color schemes for their homes.

Take cues from the other houses in your area - a house should have its own personality and style, but houses don't look good in "party dress" all the time.

Final Coat

Whether you're comfortable with choosing colors or not, you have several resources that can make the decision much easier. Many paint manufacturers have produced pre-selected color palettes arranged by architectural style or color range that specify compatible field, trim, and accent colors. They're available at paint and building supply stores and most are very well done.

Many paint companies have online paint selection programs that suggest proper color combinations - some even allow you to preview colors on photographs of real houses, or on a digital photo of your own home. Sherwin-Williams.com and Lowes.com both have excellent online tools.

Plan ahead, be bold in your color choices, and use paint company resources. But don't ask for red, green, or blue in the paint store - they won't know what you're talking about!

Photography Information - Baby Photography

The photography information that I have for you today is about a photography niche that I enjoy very much. I am talking about baby photography, the newborn baby photography. This is the type of photography that you have to capture in a short time window. This time window is 10 days, the first ten days of the babies life. After the first 10 days most babies will lose the newborn baby curl.

Since you have to be able to catch these images within this short time frame you need to be aware of a few things that will really help you ensure that the photography session runs smoothly and does not waste precious time. As already said you have to be aware of the 10 day window and make sure that you take advantage of this time because this is the time where the baby will have their little rump in the air and you can almost mold the baby into the got to love them pose. You want to capture that perfect pose, the once in a lifetime pose.

Coordinating with the mother before hand is very important because you need to set up the session for the babies sleepiest time. This will be the easiest time to photograph the child. Of coarse no one could know more about this time of day than the mother and while you are with the mother setting up the shoot, ask the mother to dress the baby in loose clothing. By not having to pull the garment over the babies head you can remove the clothing without disturbing baby to much. Also you want to advise mother how she can help with the posing and the rest of the session.

Having this set up before the actual session will make the session go a lot smoother and smooth is what you want. Remember that the baby can pick up on any stress or tension and you do not want the little one getting upset and cranky. If this was to happen you may have to cancel the shoot for the time being and cut your loses.

There are a few basic things that you can do to ensure that you have a great session. One of these things is as easy as making sure that the room is warm for the baby. The temperature of the room is recommended to be around 75 degrees. Baby is not use to running around in the buff and a cold baby is not a happy baby.

One more bit of photography information about the baby photography niche is that the baby, his or herself can produce a great photograph. You really do not need more than the baby and a blanket and maybe a blue or pink ribbon.

An Off Season Wedding, Is It Cheaper?

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

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

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

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

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

Top Styles of Wedding Invitations

There are so many styles of wedding invitations available that it can be difficult to narrow down your choices. The invitation will be a keepsake. One day your children will enjoy looking at, so you want it to accurately express you and your fiancé's personality and style.

Knowing the top styles of wedding invitations and how they are used can help you to make your choice. Wedding invitations are available in classic, contemporary, religious and seasonal designs among others. The decision between these styles comes down to personal preference and how each design will go with the theme of your wedding. If, for example, you are getting married in the church you grew up in, wearing your grandmother's wedding gown, you may not want to go with a contemporary invitation. Likewise, an autumn wedding, outside, under a canopy of changing leaves probably calls for a seasonal invitation.

Choosing the paper

The most popular types of paper for invitations may surprise you. For a more casual look consider cotton or linen paper. Each of these papers have their own unique look and feel, If you are unfamiliar with the different types of paper, consider visiting your local bridal shop to look at and touch each type of paper before you make up your mind. For a green, eco-friendly wedding, great looking wedding invitations can be made from recycled paper, not sacrificing any elegance or class.

If your wedding is formal, linen paper is still a good choice. Other types of paper that work well in a formal wedding are parchment, vellum, textured paper and paper with a deckle-edge. Of course, if your wedding is extremely formal, or, if you just have a taste for something different, there are many varieties of handmade and hand-painted paper available that are beautiful and unique.

Choosing the ink

Again, the color of ink that you choose for your invitations is often dictated by the formality of the wedding. The popular choices for casual weddings are black and gray, or one of your wedding colors. For more formal occasions, choosing one of your wedding colors is acceptable, or you may wish to choose a metallic ink, such as copper, gold or silver. The look of a metallic ink, backed by black ink is another popular and attractive choice.

Choosing the font

If you plan to put together do-it-yourself wedding invitations, most kits have several fonts to choose from. While traditional printing methods limit the number of fonts, current technology offers many options for personalizing wedding invitations. Some popular font styles are Antique Roman, Finehand and Rookscript, but the choices here really are endless.

Popular additions

Your invitation choice will affect many parts of your wedding. All of the paper material that will be used at your wedding can be ordered to match your invitations. The list of items that will be included with your invitation adds up quickly. In the envelope with your invitation, you will include a response card and envelope. The envelope is traditionally printed with the bride's address, and includes a stamp, to make responding as simple as possible. You may also want to include a reception card in the invitation envelope. This card will give the details to the reception, and use the same card stock, font and colors as the invitation. If you have guests arriving from out of town, you may also choose to enclose a direction card, providing directions to the ceremony location, and an accommodation card. This is a card for those who will need overnight lodging. It includes information about local choices in hotels, or, if you have secured a special rate at a specific hotel, information on how they should make their reservations.

There are other cards that you will use at your wedding. While these are not included in the invitation, they can also be made to coordinate. A save the date card is a card that goes out early, before the invitation, telling others that an invitation is forthcoming. They are especially useful if you are getting married at a busy time of the year. Thank you cards are an important part of the wedding, and they, too, can be ordered to coordinate with your invitations.

Cards that many people choose to use at their reception include table cards, place cards, escort cards and menu cards. All of these are not necessary, but they add a nice touch. Table cards are used to identify each table and go nicely with escort cards. Escort cards are displayed at the entrance to the reception. Each person finds their escort card, which tells them where they will be seated. The table cards make identifying that location easier. Place cards identify where each person will sit, and menu cards, as the name implies, let your guests know what is on the menu.

Wedding Insurance Claims - Never Work With Children Or Animals

It has often been said that you should never aim to work with children or animals, and almost certainly most wedding insurance companies would suggest quite strongly that when planning your wedding, both children and animals should be kept at a considerable distance.

Sadly not everyone listens to their wedding insurance company's helpful little suggestions, and in the following five examples it is quite clear that children and animals can very easily be a liability. All of these examples of wedding insurance claims are completely genuine, as well as being completely horrifying.

Our first example involves a very romantic couple who decided that as they stepped out of the church a flock of doves would be released. What could be more romantic than pure white doves taking wing as the couple take their first steps towards a life together?

Unfortunately, one of the doves decided, for reasons best known to itself, to hurl headlong towards the limousine. Unfortunately the dove didn't live to see the rest of the wedding, and the limousine company decided to sue the couple for the damage done to the paintwork.

Sadly our second example involves the same couple, because several of the remaining doves decided that the excitement of the occasion was simply too much, and contributed their own little messages on several guests below.

This involved cleaning bills and cleaning expenses for hired suits and dresses, and in both of these two examples the wedding insurance company were necessary in order to cover what could potentially have been two very expensive costs.

The third wedding insurance claim example that demonstrates that you should never work with children or animals involves another animal, in this case, a horse. The Bride had visions of arriving at the church in a romantic horse drawn carriage.

Unfortunately the horse decided to make a break for freedom, and hurtled past the church, on down the main high street, and halfway across town. Quite apart from the fright which the Bride and her entourage experienced, the entire event delayed the wedding considerably, and there was quite a bit of damage to several of the cars parked outside the church.

But it isn't just animals that are to blame, because children can be just as unpredictable. There was of course the case of the Bridesmaid who decided, just before the wedding, to open a can of coke. You can probably see where this is going, with a Bridesmaid dressed up in a pretty dress, standing next to the Bride, with a can of highly volatile, very compressed drink.

Of course, the drink went everywhere, and although a great deal of mopping was attempted, all of the dresses had to be professionally cleaned afterwards, at additional expense. Fortunately the wedding insurance company picked up the bill, but it is unlikely that the child in question picked up a can of coke anytime soon after that.

Our fifth and final example, to be completely fair, involves a boy. Specifically, a Pageboy, who was given the tremendously exciting task of walking behind the Bride up the aisle.

Perhaps someone should have pointed out to the Pageboy that it was necessary to walk quite that close to the Bride. As he stepped on to the back of the dress, the Bride's head was yanked backwards, she lost her balance, and fell down. The dress was torn, the vale was torn, and the Bride's composure was completely shattered.

So if you're looking to plan your wedding, make sure that you avoid children and animals, but if you absolutely must include one or both of the two risks, make sure you have a sympathetic and very generous wedding insurance company backing you up.

Raymond Weil Freelancer Review

Raymond Weil Freelancer is a simple yet elegant model with ever-free soul. Brand-new Freelancer men and women watches perfectly interpret the watch-making spirits of Raymond Weil and fully reveal the efforts made for continuing brand essence. Modern men and women pursuit independence and freedom, making Freelancer a classic and permanent collecting series.

The men's Freelancer does not have any redundant adornment and looks quite simple and concise. The see-through window attracts all attention and sends the beats of the movement to your heart.

Freelancer has another men's model: Freelancer Big-Date which is available in either black or white dial. On the white dial model, your may admire the charm of the automatic mechanical movement through the sapphire crystal glass. On the while dial model, a big date-of-week window appears at 12 o'clock while the date window is located at 6 o'clock, indicating yesterday, today and tomorrow.

The women's Freelancer subtly combines aesthetic and watch-making technology. It has classic mother-of-pearl dial which sports a exquisite window at 1 o'clock, revealing the soul of the watch - automatic mechanical movement. Nice-cutting diamonds server as the hour makers, adding a kind of elegant temperament.

Freelancer series are equipped with stainless steel case, safety folding buckle, screw-down case back, screw-in watch crown and sapphire crystal glass. Watch crown and buckle are engraved with Raymond Weil trademark. Freelancer series are water resistant to a depth of 100 meters and are presented on polished stainless steel bracelets which brings unparalleled comfort on wrist.

Simple, classic and fashionable, Freelancer deserves your keeping.

Wedding Invitations - Choosing the Right Envelopes

Wedding invitations don't start or end simply with the actual invitation. A properly prepared wedding invitation has many key elements to it including card stock, ink color, formality, and last but not least, two envelopes. Choosing the right envelopes to suit your invitations is very important and should not be overlooked.

The wedding invitation envelopes are going to be the absolute first thing prospective guests see when they receive your wedding invitations in the mail. For that reason, there are a few things you should be made aware of and consider before choosing your envelopes. First, you should choose envelopes that are tasteful and possibly reflect the color or theme of the wedding. Since many envelopes come in all kinds of shapes, sizes, and designs, it's important to consider the invitation as a whole as well, not simply trying to isolate each aspect and designing it piece by piece.

There are nearly an endless amount of choices when it comes to wedding invitations and their envelope counterparts. Most invitations are square or rectangular but one of the styles that are becoming very popular is known as a pochette. A pochette has a square shape and folding tabs on each side. These tabs fold in to create the envelope. Since there are so many colors to choose from as well, consider matching the envelope to the bouquet color of your wedding. Another idea is to pick a color that reflects the time or the theme of the wedding. For instance, if your wedding were going to take place on Valentine's Day, you may consider choosing a red or pink envelope for your invitations. If you are going for traditional appeal, consider an envelope made of parchment paper. Parchment often features a deckled look around the edges which is something that resembles a torn edge. It helps your invitation appear to be handmade.

When addressing your wedding invitations, etiquette almost demands that they are hand addressed. While printed address labels are becoming popular as well as having printing companies print them on the envelopes for you, those who are perfectionists about proper etiquette will say that hand addressing them will always be the best thing to do. Most envelopes are part of a package deal put together by printers but many offer upgrades to the package as well. You may feel that you'd like some form of lining in your envelopes for instance. Most printers are willing to work with you to create the perfect package but be forewarned that changes usually equate to additional charges.

Choosing Your Cheap Wedding Stationery

Books have been written about choosing your wedding stationery. There are so many different styles, paper stocks, ink colors, lettering styles and sizes of cards and envelopes to choose from that it can leave the bride-to-be flummoxed. But it needn't be that way.

Take Time

When the decision to have a wedding has been made the person responsible for the stationery, be it the bride, the bride and groom, or the bride's mother, should consult a professional who has experience in wedding invitations. This can be a wedding planner, a bridal shop, a stationery or jewellery store, or another reliable source.

The stationery should be chosen when the date of the ceremony is decided on and the guest list is complete. The wedding party that finds itself short because they remembered to invite a few more distant cousins at the last minute will no doubt be charged extra by the stationer. The stationery should be chosen from three to six months before the ceremony, so the wedding party can have time to proofread it and address the envelopes.

Simple or Elaborate?

Invitations can be as simple or elaborate as the bridal party wants and can afford. Stationery can be square, round, rectangular, decorated with lace and bows, laser cut, and even decorated with tiny gemstones. Its colors can be coordinated with the bridesmaid's gowns, or created around a theme such as a beach wedding or ethnic wedding.

Simple invitations can be handwritten if the wedding is going to be small or informal. But a large and formal wedding needs formal stationery. The traditional formal invitation has a fold on the left side, with letters written in black ink. The stationery is printed on heavy cream, ivory colored or ecru paper, and the invitation is sent in a sturdy double envelope. The type is engraved or set in a process called thermography. In engraving, the paper is pressed on an etched metal plate and the letters are in bas relief, which is elegant and feels good to the touch. However, engraving is expensive. In the less expensive thermography, ink and powder are fused together to create an effect like engraving. Most people can't tell the difference.

Other procedures for printing the stationery are laser printing, which is for informal weddings, stationery printed out on a home computer, or calligraphy. Calligraphy is quite elegant and can be done on computer or by hand. A calligrapher makes a master of the wedding invitation, which is then replicated through engraving or thermography.

The Paper

Formal invitations have an outer envelope, an inner envelope and tissue paper. A cheap wedding invitation, printed on good, heavy card stock, is inserted fold side down in the unsealed inner envelope along with a response card, reception card, ceremony card and perhaps even directions to the venue. Then, the inside envelope is place in the larger outside envelope. The bride might also want to order thank you notes and change of address cards. After all this, she can turn her attention to the many, many other things that will make her big day memorable.

Ideas for Wedding Postcard Invitations

Planning a wedding can be an incredibly difficult, expensive and time-consuming thing to do. Getting all of the details right is one of the hardest parts of it all. One part of that planning includes putting together invitations. To save money, consider using wedding postcard invitations instead of full invitations. They are less expensive and easy to create! You can still customize them as you would the typical invitations and they make you stand out from everyone else.

Vintage

If you love all things retro, incorporate that into your wedding postcard invitations. One idea is to go with a vintage typeset style of invitation. That is what was used at print shops in earlier eras. It creates a retro, unique look that is memorable and striking.

Another idea is to use a black and white damask pattern on wedding postcard invitations with touches of blue and silver. This is evocative of old Hollywood glamour. It's also simple and quite elegant.

Collage

An option for a casual wedding postcard invitation is to do a photo collage. This can be of you together as a couple, such as engagement pictures of you together. Use three to five photos, depending on the size. Along with the photos, have your name and or wedding date in text, in decorative white or lavender text.

City Landmark

If you live in a city that you love, or are getting married in a certain city, consider using a landmark on the front of your wedding invitation postcard. For example, if you are from Seattle, consider adding a picture the Space Needle on the front of the invitations. If you are getting married in San Francisco, use a stunning of the golden gate bridge on the front of the wedding postcard invitations

Seasonal

Add a seasonal touch to your wedding invitation postcards. For those having a winter wonderland style of wedding, add a scene of snowflakes and silver on the front. If you are having a summer wedding, put a gorgeous beach scene on the front of the invitation. Another idea is to put a photograph of a large starfish on the front.

The text part on the other side of the wedding postcard invitations can include anything that you want. Include information such as the venue location, your names, and the date and time of course. You will have less space to work with than if you used a traditional invitation. Just be concise and make sure to get down the most important details first.

Planning Your Party - What If it Rains?

Part of the challenge of planning a party dealing with the 'what ifs.'

And probably the number one concern that most people have when planning an event is bad weather. Bad weather can gum up the works in a number of ways.

If the event is in the winter, a harsh storm can make driving treacherous or impossible. I recall a blizzard several years ago that was severe enough for governmental authorities to shut the highways to all but emergency vehicles.

If your event is in the winter months, it behooves you to raise the issue of inclement weather to your vendors. Each vendor will have its own policy on policy on cancellation. In some cases you may lose your deposit. Some vendors such as caterers have to incur up-front out-of-pocket costs to serve you and they cannot be expected to absorb them.

Some vendors will apply your deposit to your new date.

If your event is an expensive one such as a wedding, consider wedding insurance. It is designed for such occurrences (but not for couples who get cold feet).

In some scenarios, a rain or snow date will work well.

The downside is that outside vendors and venues have to keep themselves open for two dates instead of one. Some may not be able to accommodate that or there may be additional charges. Also few guests are likely to commit to two dates upfront.

In warmer months, people living in hurricane prone areas have to deal with that threat. The same scenario applies as a blizzard in more northerly climes.

But rain can disrupt outdoor events any time of year. Roads can be flooded out in heavy rain and that can delay your vendors and your guests.

It is delightful to be outdoors during the spring and summer. But ill-timed rain can gum up the works if you have not planned for its possibility.

The easiest and least expensive way to handle that contingency is to have an easily accessible, nearby sheltered area. That could be a nearby building, a pavilion or a tent. Then the 'show' just goes on rain or shine.

Most hotels and catering facilities are set up for both indoor and outdoor scenarios. Many public parks have pavilions that you can reserve or rent at little or no cost.

And if the event is at home, just keep some rooms cleared in case the party has to make a quick dash indoors.

When to Choose Classic Wedding Invitations, and When Not To

There are many types of wedding invitations to choose from when planning a wedding. Before making your decision, consider the type of wedding that you are having. This can dictate whether a classic style invitation is right for you or if you should use another style. There are several situations where classic wedding invitations are used. The most common is for a wedding that is taking place in a church or another type of formal ceremony.

Classic wedding invitations look like they are quite old fashioned. Most of the time, they come on one sheet of paper, without any folds. They are often in an envelope with a sheet of tissue paper, and usually have one or two colors. The background is usually white or off white, and the color of the printing is a dark color. There is usually a boarder, and the wedding invitation has important information about the wedding on the inside. This information consists of who is getting married and the time and place where the ceremony is being held. Classic wedding invitations are usually all the same general size, and they have a very formal and traditional tone to them. However, the colors and borders can be customized. It is also possible to customize the text on the invitation to make it your own.

When to Go Classic

There are several situations where a classic wedding invitation is the best choice. If you are very religious, and the biggest factor in your wedding is going to be the traditional, religious aspect of it, you may enjoy having the classic wedding invitation more than you would enjoy having a different, more contemporary wedding invitation. If you are inviting many people who have very traditional values, and you want to make the traditional values into what is most important in your wedding, you may also prefer to choose the traditional and classic wedding invitation.

You want to make sure that your wedding follows this traditional theme after your choice of invitations. This is important because it can help you make sure that you are on track for a formal celebration right from the start. Often the more classic and traditional wedding invitations are the best way to show right from the start that you are planning a traditional and formal wedding. If you are not planning a traditional wedding, it is still possible to use this formal invitation. Although it may not match the exact theme of your wedding, the invitations are very simplistic and you are sure to find one that works well.

When to Choose another Option

Even though there are plenty of reasons that you might want to choose classic wedding invitations, there are also some times where that style is not the best choice. If your wedding is very informal, a classic wedding invitation just is not going to match the theme or setting of your wedding.

Many times, traditional afternoon weddings, followed by evening dinners and receptions do well with the classic wedding invitation. However, weddings that are in the morning, with afternoon receptions, or weddings that are in the early evening with late night receptions are ceremonies that might benefit from a different type of wedding invitation. You have to use your best judgment and ask yourself if a traditional wedding invitation is really the best style for your ceremony.

In addition, if you are having a destination wedding, you probably do not want to go with the classic wedding invitation. A destination wedding is a great time to explore different possibilities when it comes to choosing this type of event , so you want to be sure that you are leaving your options open for the type of wedding invitation that you want to send out. A destination wedding in another location such as the beach, or a different country, may call for a more creative wedding invitation rather than a classic wedding invitation. In this case, you may want something that is the color of the ocean or a landmark of the country where the wedding is taking place. These are just a few informal ceremony ideas where a traditional themed wedding invitation would not work as well.

No matter what, you are going to have a decision to make. You want to take into consideration the overall theme or idea behind your wedding. You also want to think about the time of day, the type of wedding you are having, and the level of formality that your wedding is going to have. All of these factors are very important because they help you to show how important your special day is, and they help you to choose the wedding invitation that is going to mean the most to you. Your wedding invitation should be something that you really love and enjoy.

The Groom's Right-Hand Men: Duties of the Best Man and the Ushers

No one's expecting the groom to get through his big day single-handed. In a vital supporting role are the best man and all the ushers. But what exactly are their duties?

There are no lie-ins on your wedding day. This is the most important appointment of your life. Make sure you're up bright and early with a very bushy tail indeed.

A lot of grooms spend the evening before their marriage with their best man and ushers. They may even stay over, just to be sure their groom doesn't accidentally oversleep.

Sometimes the bride's family will host a pre-nuptial dinner, with everyone (bride, groom, parents, close family, best man and chief bridesmaid) all spending the evening together. It's a good opportunity for everyone to run through the final plans and wedding day duties.

On the morning of the wedding, it's the best man's responsibility to get him and his groom to the venue on time. The groom's bound to be nervous - possibly shaking like a leaf. 'Bestie' is his right-hand man. He must keep him calm, allay any last-minute nerves, and ensure his wedding suit is all present and correct. The one object he mustn't forget about is the ring.

Transport
Wedding venues are never simple to get to. Be they churches in remote rural villages, big city registry offices or Caribbean beaches, there's always a convoluted journey involved. Wise grooms will calculate the journey time and then triple it; just to be safe.

Plan to arrive at the venue at least an hour and a half before all the other guests. You'll have time to iron out any last minute problems and then enjoy a pre-marital drink with the ushers.

This has become something of a wedding tradition within recent years. Groom, best man and ushers all meet up at a pub near the wedding venue and celebrate the groom's final moments as a single man. Besides, you can hardly be expected to get hitched on an empty stomach, can you?

Ushers' duties
The pre-marital drink is also a chance to run through all the ushers' duties:
You'll need at least two ushers to take care of car parking at the wedding venue.
Two ushers should stand at the entrance to the wedding venue, handing out the orders of service and meeting the guests.

The remaining ushers should be inside the venue, directing or escorting guests to their seats. They'll ensure the seats at the front are reserved for family, bridesmaids and close friends. As a general rule, the bride's family and guests are on the left and the groom's are on the right. At most weddings, since the bride's father is the host, the bride will invite many more guests than the groom. As the venue starts to fill up you will normally find the right-hand side (the groom's side) is emptier than the left. Since a lot of guests will be friends of both bride and groom, the ushers can keep things balanced by seating them on the groom's side.

At very formal weddings ushers may be expected to escort single female guests to their seats. Unless the guest is elderly, this may however appear overly chivalrous.

One usher should have the job of giving you and your best man the signal just before the bride arrives at the venue door.

One usher should remain at the back of the venue, near the door, in case there are any late arrivals.

One usher should remain behind after the service to check for any lost property.

During the ceremony
Groom and best man will wait at the front of the wedding venue, near the altar or registry office desk. They don't need to stand for the entire time. Once all the guests have arrived at the venue, they can take the weight off their feet - just as long as one of the ushers tells them when the bride is approaching so that they're standing before she enters the venue.

The ring
Of all the wedding nightmare scenarios, the one most commonly featured on films and TV programmes is the lost ring. The last thing you want the best man to be doing is scrabbling around in his pockets looking for it. Guests will start giggling and you'll start panicking. So make sure he keeps it in a jewellery box in his pocket.

Signing the registry
To make the marriage legal, the bride and groom have to sign the register. At a registry office this is done in front of all the guests. At a church it's done at the very front, behind the altar, or in a separate room to the side. Two witnesses will have to sign, too - normally a parent from each family.

Post-nuptials
At the end of the ceremony, the entire wedding party will march out of the venue, led of course by the newly-weds. The best man is sometimes required to escort the chief bridesmaid. Once outside, the photographer will need to take some photos. The best man should help gather together all the relatives and ushers.

Off to the reception
The journey between the wedding venue and the reception is bound to be convoluted. Guests may have to negotiate winding country lanes or busy city streets. That's why it's crucial that best man and ushers help direct them all.

While one usher remains behind at the wedding venue, in case there are any stragglers, the others can post themselves at key junctions along the route to the reception. Standing by the road in their suits and with their button-holes, they'll make effective human signposts.

A couple of ushers should also help the guests park their cars once they get to the reception. By this stage the Champagne will be flowing, so everyone will want to be out of their vehicles as soon as possible.

How to Plan an Outdoor Baby Shower Party

During the beautiful days of Autumn, it's so fun to be outside when you can. So, if you are planning a baby shower, why not go ahead and decide to have the shower outside. This way everyone can enjoy the outdoors and it's a lot easier for you to clean up too. To help you plan it all out, here are some great tips and ideas to help you plan an outdoor baby shower party that will thrill the mom-to-be and all your other guests.

Choosing a Location

First of all, you need to choose a location for the baby shower. Ensure you choose a location that will have plenty of room for all the guests you plan on having. It's also a good idea to ensure you have an alternate plan if the weather ends up being less than perfect. Often the easiest place to have these showers is in someone's backyard, so you don't have to move food too far from home.

Great Food Ideas

Speaking of food, you want to have tasty food at the baby shower as well. Considering the baby shower themes you intend to use may help you come up with some food ideas. It's a good idea to go with picnic style foods for an outdoor shower. You want foods that are easy to take outside. Consider cool salads, sandwiches, fresh fruits, or you may even want to grill out for the party.

Fun Outdoor Baby Shower Games

Games are half the fun at a baby shower, and when you have the shower outdoors, you can really have a great time with all the games you choose. Consider having a treasure hunt, playing some easy sports related games, and maybe even do some outdoor baby bingo games. Try to limit games that involve paper, since the wind may blow it away.

How Many Guests Should You Invite?

You are going to need to figure out how many guests to invite as well. A lot of this can depend on the room you have outdoors, especially if you are doing this in a back yard. You need to have plenty of room for all the guests you invite to the baby shower. Ensure you invite guests that are important to the mother-to-be. This may include her mom, sisters, other family members, and her good friends. Remember, this is all about the new mom.

Outdoor Decorations

Decorating for the outdoor baby shower party can be a bit tricky. You need to make sure you use decorations that aren't going to blow away easily. When you are choosing the decorations, consider the baby shower themes that you are using, which can help inspire the decorations to use. Consider nice banners that you can tie up so they won't blow away. Decorations that can be driven into the ground are great too. Even the dishes and paper products you choose to use can be decorative.

Party Favors for Guest

Having baby shower favors for the guests that attend is a great idea. Since you are doing the baby shower outdoors, consider going with favors that go along with this idea and with your baby shower themes. Mini tubes of sunscreen or lip gloss with sunscreen make great party favors. If you live in a hot area though, avoid any favors like candles that may get melted in the sun. You don't want the guest's favors to turn into a mess in the heat.

Great Gift Ideas

Wondering what gift ideas are appropriate for the mom at an outdoor baby shower party? Really all the traditional gifts are just perfect for the shower. After all, mom is going to need all those traditional baby items for her new baby. Of course since the party is outdoors, you can get creative with the way you present the gifts to go along with the outdoor theme. Consider putting gift items in a little wagon or instead of a gift table, have a nice plastic pool (without water of course) where all the gifts can be placed until it's time to open them.

Inviting the Guys - Should You Do It?

Since you are going with an outdoor baby shower party, you may be wondering if you should invite the guys. Well, this is perfectly acceptable today, but make sure that the mom-to-be is comfortable with this arrangement before you decide to do it. If you do have the guys, consider turning the event into a nice barbecue that everyone can enjoy. You can even have some separate games for the guys to keep them entertained or set up the TV inside so they can watch their favorite sport. Probably an activity they'd prefer anyway. 

Whatever the season, having a party outdoors can be fun for the guest and easy for the host. Outdoor baby showers provide a way that offers a quick way to clean up, it ensures there is room for everyone, and allows the guest to relax and have fun!

Unique Handmade Wedding Invitation Ideas Using Pictures

Unique handmade wedding invitations ideas are almost limitless if you stop and use your creative side. The number one thing that will make yours truly unique is you and your future spouse. By placing something about you in the invitations, you will immediately differentiate them from any others your guests have received before.

An easy way to achieve this is by adding one, or even a few of your favorite pictures to your handmade wedding invitations. These can be just about anything. It can be a picture you took from a vacation you took together, one that you took while out with friends and a special moment was captured, you can use one of your engagement photos if you had these taken, or you can even make a small collage of many of these pictures.

The key is to choose pictures that stand out to you while you are reviewing them, something that captured the essence of you two as a couple and radiates out of the picture itself. By choosing a picture that stands out to you and brings back fond memories, you will give your guests a window in to your life together through the use of your unique handmade wedding invitations.

To run with this idea you just need to take a few simple steps. The first is reviewing your pictures and choosing what you will use. Once you've chosen your picture, or pictures if you've decided to make a small collage, you need the stationary that you will add them to. For this you can either go to your local stationary store, or you can search through the many options available for photo invitations online. Either way, just make sure you get stationary that is specific to adding pictures.

If you are deciding to make your invitations at home, you will be using your home computer for the text part. Just search through the options available right on your computer for text fonts and styles to make it look nice. There are a lot of options available for this on your computer so this should be easy by testing a few versions on scratch paper.

Now you just need to put it all together. For this step you can either visit your local craft store and get the supplies you will need to complete your project, or you can use one of the many do it yourself kits available online. These kits come with all the supplies you need to complete your unique handmade wedding invitations, including the stationary. Make sure you download a template typically available with the kit to make printing easy and you will see great results with your finished invites, especially when you add your unique pictures to them.

3 New Trends for Boarding Pass Wedding Invitations

Are you planning to have your wedding on a beach? If so, how do you plan to send out your invitations? What type of invitations will you use? As you can see, there are lots of wedding invitations that are currently available. These come in many different styles, in many different themes and in many different sizes. Among the choices that you may have are boarding pass wedding invitations.

These are a great way to attract your guests to come to your wedding, regardless of the place. They are very easy to make and they are economical as well. They don't have the same size as the normal ones, so even if you will hire someone to make them, you will not be able to spend lots of money.

Okay, if you are planning to make use of such, what are your choices? Read on as this will discuss 3 new trends for boarding pass wedding invitations.

DIY Wedding Invitations

As been said earlier, these are easy to make, thus, you can make them on your own. You can make use of your own creativity and make your own design or if not, you can also search for designs online. Aside from designs, you can also search for ways to make these things. There are DIY sites that will provide a step-by-step guide on how to make these things.

Making these will be a fun way of expressing your creativity. Of course, to make things easier, you can ask for ideas and suggestions from your friends and families.

Special Wedding Invitations

Want to make your wedding very special? If so, then you should make use of special boarding pass wedding invitations? So, how can you make these special? There are many ways to make them special and here are some:

• Add your picture when you are still young
• Make the wordings simple
• Make use of extraordinary decorations just like recycled things and the like
• You can have the wordings handwritten
• Have the design unique
• Have the shape one-of-a-kind
• The color of one invitation must be different from the color of another one
• Make them colorful by using different colors

Disney-themed Wedding Invitations

Have you ever watched Disney movies? These are movies for kids, but of course, anybody can watch them. Why don't you make them as your theme? Doing so will surely make your invitations extraordinary.

Most couples would choose romantic themes, however, why don't you separate yourself apart from the rest? Why not make use of a theme that is not so common for adults? Why not make use of a child theme? Well, there is no issue about using a child theme. The truth is, you can feel younger if you will use such theme.

These are the 3 new trends for boarding pass wedding invitations. Choose one that will suit your budget, needs and personality. For sure, your guests will be surprised by your creativity. Enjoy your wedding!

Planning a Small Wedding Reception

Want to have a rather cozy and small wedding reception? If you want your wedding day to be more intimate, a small wedding reception really works well. This is also a perfect option for those who have a quite tight budget. When planning, it will be a big help to get yourself creative and innovative in making possible arrangements within your budget limit.

Planning a small wedding reception involves several tasks such as creating a guest list, choosing a venue, decorating the venue, finding a DJ, selecting songs, hiring a caterer, choosing a wedding cake, and finding the right favors. For a quite limited budget of yours, splurging money is not an option but being wise in making decisions would really make a good sense in making a wedding reception on a budget looks lavish.

Wondering how to organize a small wedding reception? Here are some ideas that can tick you along as you move ahead.

Finding the reception venue...

One of the most important aspects would be to decide the perfect venue. A practical option to help you save money is to plan your wedding during an off season. Find and book the venue in an off season, but make sure that it can accommodate your guests well. A clubhouse, garden, or a residential home can make an ideal place to hold a small wedding reception.

Decorating the venue...

Once you've chosen a venue, the next thing you need to do is to choose a theme which will be your guide in decorating the venue. You will also decide on the colors that best fit the theme of your wedding. From table and chair arrangements to wall and ceiling details need to be looked into. Flower arrangements are also important as they can easily embellish the whole place. Fresh flowers can be a bit expensive, so what you will do is to purchase lots of silk flowers instead of fresh ones. Insert the silks into the fresh flowers to make arrangements without spending too much. Depending on your budget, you may also add other decorative accessories such as streamers, banners, balloons, candles, table sprinkles, etc.

Planning for delightful menu...

The menu will depend on the time of the day that the wedding reception will be held. No worries because there are some suggestions that can help you save a sum on the food and drinks for example, you can make your own menu at home, instead of hiring a caterer. This may involve some of your family member and friends to help you cook and prepare the dishes. Your homemade menu will be served in a buffet-type so you won't be needing waiters to serve your guests.

Music and DJ...

It is important to entertain the guests and keep the party alive, that is why you need to have music and DJ for that. For a small wedding reception, you don't have to hire a professional DJ or band. Instead, you can have a friend who knows a bit on entertaining people or you can hire a school band that will likely cost cheaper or even for free!

Other important details you have to keep in mind for your small wedding reception are your wedding favors, table linens and chair covers, wedding centerpieces, wedding flutes and serve, cake toppers, and wedding napkins.

My Boyfriend Said He Would Propose On My Birthday But Now He's Changed His Mind - Why?

I sometimes hear from women who are very disappointed because they had hoped that they would be engaged by now and they are not. Often, their boyfriend has led them to believe that a commitment was imminent, but that has not turned out to be the case.

I heard from a woman who said: "we've been dating for about fourteen months and things have gone wonderfully. We are very in love. My birthday is coming up in two weeks. For the last couple of months, we have talked about getting engaged and me getting a ring on my birthday. He had even asked me which type I favored and we've had long conversations about it. We've even talked about what kind of wedding we wanted and started throwing out times of the year when we might want a wedding. He told his parents and I told mine. Every one seemed very excited. I even bought a few bride's magazines and started talking to my boyfriend about who we might want in our wedding. A couple of days ago, I was at the mall and I went by a jewelry store window. I saw the most perfect ring that was in our price range. So I took a photo of it with my phone because I wanted to show it my boyfriend so he could get it for my birthday. However, when I showed it to him, his face fell. He was obviously very upset. I asked him what was wrong and assured him that it was in our price range but I said if he would rather pick out the ring on his own, that was fine too. He looked at me and said it wasn't really about the ring but that he wasn't proposing on my birthday. He said that he just isn't ready yet, although he assured me that he would eventually want to marry me. Now I'm so confused as to what went wrong. We haven't fought. There doesn't seem to be any new issues. Everything was going along like normal and then, out of the blue, he just changes his mind. Why would he do that? And what can or should I do about it?"

There are actually many reasons that a man might change his mind about a proposal or commitment. And many of these reasons don't have anything to do with your relationship or even his feelings for you, which I'll discuss below.

All Of The Planning And Excitement Over the Engagement May Be Making Him Feel Pressured And Therefore Reluctant: This situation is not uncommon. Many men see you buying the bride's magazines and planning the wedding that he thought was very far down the road. And now, suddenly it looks as if you are planning it in the very near future. Suddenly, he realizes that the future may be much closer than he thought and this can lead him to feel a little uncomfortable. Some men consider approaching their girlfriends about his concerns, but he sees your excitement and he doesn't want to disappoint you so he says nothing until things build so much that he just decides to delay things until he can get control over the situation.

This doesn't mean that he no longer loves you as much as he always has. It's just that he might feel as if the proposal and the commitment has become more of a focus than what should matter the most - and that is your love and your relationship. I've heard many men say that they feel as if the ring or the engagement was more important to their girlfriends than the relationship. And this can become a problem because he can begin to wonder if he's been manipulated.

How To Handle It When He Wants To Postpone The Commitment Or Engagement: Many women in this situation want to know how to change his mind. They want that ring on schedule. It was understandable that this particular woman wanted to find a way for him to go right down to that mall and get that ring in time for her birthday. And, there was nothing wrong with her feeling this way. But, if she placed her focus here, it may well appear to her boyfriend that the ring was more important to her than his concerns. As difficult as it may to turn your focus away from your timeline and from the ring, that's what you should do. Because by doing so, you can ensure that you eventually do get the ring. But if you handle this incorrectly, you run the risk of never getting it at all.

The best thing to do is to show compassion and concern. You want to make it clear that your main concern is not for the ring, but for him. You want to make it clear that his happiness and his comfort is your main concern. You want to make it clear that he and your relationship are the most important variables to you - even more important than your birthday, or the engagement, or the ring.

I know that this is a difficult strategy. But do you know the good news? This makes it likely that you will get the ring eventually and when you do, he will willingly give it to you because he knows that the relationship is as important to you as the ring.