About Marriage Preparation

Art of throwing a party in the marriage would never be the same for each pair anywhere. A party wedding is most memorable and precious moments to share with loved ones who are always present to fill your life. Because understand that marriage is a sacred event that marks the commencement of the holy nan a person's life, wedding planner is able to present and bring convenience to achieve success and add in a party atmosphere cheerful wedding to you.

In preparation for the party 's wedding , of course, very draining attention every bride. Preparation marriage generally takes at least about 8-12 months if everything is done individually. If you do not have time for it, make use of services wedding organizer that typically takes about 6-8 months. Actually, anything that needs to be prepared?

Determining the date of marriage

Basically, all the day was good but there's nothing wrong favorites include the date and month as the date for the wedding. This will allow you to remember and celebrate.

Determining the number of invitations and budget

To determine the budget of the wedding, the first thing to do is determine the number of invitations. The number of invitation may be the most appropriate benchmark for determining the budget and the size of the room for a party. In accordance with international standards, set aside 25-35% of the total budget for catering purposes. The rest you can use for other major purposes, namely the building, entertainment (Music, MC, etc.), documentation, decoration, bridal dress (the bride's wedding dress & suit) and makeup as well as invitations and souvenirs. Also set aside a reserve fund because sometimes you still have some minor purposes which are often forgotten and which do not require a small fee for this.

Determine the venue / location

Find the place in accordance with the party atmosphere of the wedding you want. And also note the distance of the location you have selected. Pick a place not too far from the location of your home and your spouse, where the blessing / marriage contract, and the makeup you use, in order to save time.

And if you've already set a romantic building, but its capacity is not too large, divide the invitation in two different times. For instance hours and 20:00 to 21:00 19:00 to 20:00 for a parent to your friends and couples.

Determine the style and theme party

To achieve the harmony of a party, you need to determine the theme, so you and your partner can determine the kebaya or dress and jacket like that will apply when the party took place. Padukanlah color and decoration of dresses with colors that fit with the character of both of you. Style and this party will usually also be used on meals, souvenirs and invitations.

Perform personal care

When things - important things above are done, now time for you to perform self care from scrubs, herbal baths, facial treatments, and fitness center so when the wedding day may appear prima. Self care is best done by the bride and groom so that they can appear as a party prima wedding was held. Do at least one month before the feast of the wedding.

Good tips about preparation for marriage can be beneficial to you and your spouse. You can also contact the Marketing Department Exist Wedding Planner. Exist Wedding Planner ready to help you and your spouse have a party wedding spectacular.

Divorce

How to get divorce after judicial separation is granted? I had been granted for Judicial separation in July2007. Almost 1year & 9months had passed. How can I proceed for getting divorce now. Is there any provision according to Indian Law that I get the Divorce by Default, as it has been long time after getting the Separation Orders?

Ani says:

What state are you in? I know in Victoria you can apply straight through the family court. There's a fee to pay then you get given a hearing date. If there are no children involved and/or no property to divide then you don't even have to attend the hearing. They'll just send you the paperwork in the mail once it's done. I know as I went through this a couple of years ago.

Renewing vows Kinda second wedding?

Hi ladies,

DH and i are renewing our vows on our 5th annivesary April 16th 2011 as we have had a rocky patch and completed our family as we have 4 children who are now 12 7 5 and 3 after DD i had my tubes tied, im 28 and hubby 29 we are looking for any advice on how anyone had run or been to a renal, we not doing all the formal bits like having a celebrant do the ceromnoy as we still have the vowes and run sheet from our wedding wwe are taking bits from that and having my best friend along side with our children do the servies so to speak.

We will have formal clothing not a wedding dress but a nice long dress have hired a house in coolum qld for a week so we can have a mini honeymoon/family holiday going to have a buffet style dinner with colse family and friends that have been on our roller coaster with us as we found when we got married the 1st time we invited everyone we thought we had to LOL

So any advice tips or thought would be helpful

thanks girls x

Vin says:

Planning ahead of time is the best..Just make sure all your plans will be materialize...Good luck!

Things you would do differently second time around?

Soon I'll be starting to plan my second wedding, and I intend on it being a lot less stress free than the first one. I recall after the first wedding wondering why I stressed so much on the details when the day is over in the blink of an eye! As long as my guests get a good meal, yummy cake and I have a gorgeous dress I don't care about much else I had a big wedding last time and I haven't seen a lot of the guests since the wedding itself in 2004!

This time will be completely different, and I'm telling you girls this so that when I start my planning and I'm posting on here more hopefully you can all keep me in line

Nancy says:

Well, the first thing I'd do differently woud have to be a different groom (unless it was a vow renewal )

I can't really say for myself cos I'm not married yet, and I'd do everything the same if I was going to start planning again, but my friend has been married twice and I was BM both times.

For the first wedding:

The bride and groom were 19 and 20. The BM's picked the dresses and the colour and the wedding theme was planned around the dresses we picked. The ceremony was at the school chapel, the reception at a nice hotel in town. There were about 120 guests, half family, half school friends, some of who were there for the free booze and spent time bagging the groom (who was the one who had invited them) out cos they thought he was a bit of a loser, but weren't going to say no to a wedding invitation. There was also one guest (brides side) who as we were walking out of the chapel said that she and her BF weren't going to the reception because they were going to a Blink 182 (or something similar) concert. It was a fabulous day and a wonderful ceremony and reception, but I think that most of the guests were a bit young and not all there for the right reasons.

Second wedding:

The bride and groom were 26 and 32. They organised everything as a team (except for her dress). They had even picked out the suits and dresses in the specific colour before they askd us to be part of the bridal party. They were chilled out and relaxed tho, even tho they had things well planned. When they told us they were engaged, we were expecting something a little more low key and casual, but the ceremony (full nuptual mass) was at the Cathedral (where they worshipped) complete with organ, full choir and the bells. It was a beautiful, touching ceremony that was just so them. It was a late afternoon ceremony, so we had some quick photos and then headed off to the reception at a hotel just out of town. There were 80 guess (6 tables of family / fmily friends) and 2 tables of friends. Everyone was there for the right reasons (to celebrate their relationship).

Although more elaborate, the second wedding was more personalised and more them. There was also that feeling of love (rather than lust) in the air the entire time they were around. All of the guests were people they either see regularly (whenever they’re back here) or are family and only don’t see because they live overseas.

All in all, it did surprise me a bit at the start that they had gone with such an elaborate wedding, but even though it was her second (his first) wedding, it was THEIR first wedding and they made it exactly how they wanted. As the planning went on, I kicked myself for my first thoughts because the entire lead up and day were just perfect for them. It’s still one of the most beautiful days that I’ve had a chance to be a part of.

Keith says:

My first wedding was when I was 25 and was in a church with about 80 guests, quite an expensive day but the parents paid for most of it so that was ok. I remember it being a bit stressful for everyone with so much attention to detail and worrying alot about the guests being happy etc.

Second wedding, was much happier and stress free, a smaller wedding which we both wanted, about 30 guests with the ceremony by the river. Just our closest friends and relatives (as opposed to every single person you know) made it much more personal and manageable. And with the children involved it was very special indeed. Cost heaps less - and even had it in a different state! The parents still chipped in too, how cool is that!

So probably wouldn't have changed much at the time, I think I just changed and this is what suited me much better at the time

Keith

My son is giving me away

I am so happy! My 19 year old took my leaving my EXH very very hard and has been very loyal to his father and for the last 3 years the road has been very up and down between my son and I and he does not speak to my FH . However I told him I was getting married next year and his sister (18) is being bridemaids. I asked him if he would like to give me away and he told me to let him think about it after a couple of weeks yesterday he told me he will give me away! Im just so happy this is a HUGE step for him and hopefully a new begining for us! He has also told me he would like to be our music man on the night!!! I cant wait until March now!!!!

Andrea says:

That's fantastic Haze, it's good that he is coming round and wants to be part of your special day.

Nancy says:

I am so happy for you haze. It must have been difficult for you, having your son keep his distance from your new man. I hope this is the beginning of a strong friendship between the two of them.

Lancy says:

That's really fantastic. I am sure even if your son didn't say it directly that he is happy for you. I really can feel the love between the both of you. It's something new, right, being given away by your son and not your dad..

Betty says:

im so happy for you that is fantastic news!

Sounds like you have a smart daughter there too lol good on her

Telling ex you are engaged

Haven't done it and cant seem to. We have a six year old together and of course HE knows...lol...he even wrote about it in his school work book..."on the weekend my mum..." luckily/unluckily? ex doesn't look at this and...lol...besides with the spelling M6 used it is difficult to figure what he wrote...lol! thing is...thought ex's GF would notice large (oooh so beautiful!!!) sparkle on ring finger...seeing as tho she notices most things...but alas no!!! guess it is just a matter of saying it but there never seems to be right time and as we SMS mostly to communicate...can go for weeks without seeing him.

Anita says:

I called mine and told him after all my family knew and before the wider "friend" community found out.

He was really happy for me and glad I called him to let him know. It was just out of courtesy really that I let him know. I felt a little nervous and silly doing it but it was over in a minute and didn't hurt a bit!!

We didn't have kids together though, so you are in a slightly different situation to me.

Just bite the bullet and call him before your little one spills the beans.

Nanda says:

I haven't bothered to tell my ex...he doesn't have a phone and I don't have his address...but he was an abusive $hit so it's not relevant to tell him anything.

But the sooner you do it the sooner it's done and you can get on with enjoying being engaged and planning your wedding

Stella says:

depends on what sort of relationship you guys have i think. My ex husband and i dont talk at all anymore, causes more stress than its worth to be honest. Our daughter told him as she talks a mile a minute about anything. I think maybe if your little boy has it in his homework book than he probably has passed on this info too

I always feel that this stuff is none of his business now anyway, he always manages to stick sarcasim and nastiness to everything anyway. So unless you guys have the sort of relationship that is still really friendly then i wouldn't probably pass on too much personal info anyway.

Shopping For Wedding Attendant Gifts on a Budget

Planning a wedding on a budget is not an easy task, often it feels like you have to give up on your dream wedding to remain on budget. But don’t despair, this is not necessarily the case, with a little planning, preparations and hard work it is possible to create the wedding of your dreams without creating a financial nightmare. When you begin shopping for wedding attendant gifts, visiting bridal websites provides many valuable and inexpensive bridal attendant gift ideas without breaking the bank.

One of the most wonderful aspects of wedding planning today is the extensive wedding themes that a bride has to choose from when planning the wedding and buying wedding attendant gifts and wedding party favors. For the bride that has already decided upon a theme for her wedding, she need only enter the search words on any wedding site and she will be redirected to the area of the site that focuses specifically on her theme topic.

One of the most inexpensive and yet, fun wedding attendant gift ideas is the thematic name card holders, designed to coordinate your wedding theme. These tiny wedding party gifts can be used at the luncheon to establish the arranged seating for your guests and can then be taken home to use as a picture frame. Be sure to bring your digital camera with you to the bridal party luncheon so that you can have someone take pictures of the bride and groom with each member of the wedding party. Enclose a copy of each wedding attendant’s picture in a small note thanking them for attending the luncheon and for their participation in your upcoming wedding.

A Great Way to Bring Friends Together

If you and your groom are both uninterested in participating in bachelor and bachelorette parties, why not consider a combined “thank-you” event for your wedding attendants? Traditionally held for the bridesmaids as a Bridesmaid Luncheon, this event is a special time that focuses on the love, support and friendship provided by the bridal party during the preparations and organization of the wedding.

Combined bridal party luncheons or wedding attendant luncheons, can be a fun way to introduce the wedding party to one another, create a festive atmosphere as the wedding gets closer and can help to create new friendships before the day of your wedding. This is a wonderful time to deliver the wedding attendant gifts to each member of the bridal party.

For many bridal couples, the idea of bringing their childhood friends, business associates and relatives together as members of their wedding party can seem a bit intimidating as not everyone knows one another; hosting a combined wedding attendant luncheon provides the perfect format for introductions, building of new friendships and a great way to relax together before the wedding date.

It is traditional to host the wedding attendant luncheon within a month of the wedding date. However, if many of your bridal party have to travel a great distance to attend the wedding, it would be best to schedule the luncheon within two or three days of your wedding.

Giving Groomsmen Gifts that Count

The purpose of gifts for groomsmen is to say “thank you” in a tangible way. It’s important to give the kind of groomsman gift that will evoke memories. There will be memories of the wedding day itself, but the gift should also be a call-back to the days before the wedding, maybe even before the engagement.

Groomsmen are typically brothers, best friends, or close relatives. These are people who’ve been with the groom through thick and thin. The gifts don’t have to cost a lot of money, but it’ll be painfully obvious if no thought was put behind them. Men like practical gifts, something that can be used on a day-to-day basis. A few great groomsmen gift ideas include:

• Personalized leather shaving kits
• High-grade personalized pen sets
• Golf bags/equipment
• Leather desk organizer
• Leather wallet
• Money clip
• Briefcase
• Travel kit

There are many choices when giving groomsmen gifts. The important thing is to make sure it’s a gift that counts. When choosing gifts for groomsmen, consider how many times the recipient will look at that gift and think to himself, "I remember when..."

Memories are powerful, and nothing solidifies a friendship like good memories. Bring those memories to life with a unique groomsmen gift idea.

Personalized Wedding Attendant Gifts

Wedding attendant gift ideas can vary from extremely personal to very general; if your wedding party consists of friends and family that you have known for a long time, it would be best to purchase personalized wedding attendant gifts for each person. Wedding attendant gifts do not have to be expensive, for many it is the sentiment of this traditional gift that is important.

Some great ideas for a bridal party get-together could include a miniature golf, paintball game, swimming at a beach or private pool, game night or afternoon, a video arcade... the ideas are endless. The purpose of the bridal party lunch or dinner is to introduce the bridal party to one another, honor your special friends and relax together.

Seasonal Wedding Attendant Gifts

Although spring and summer are the most popular seasons for getting married, fall and winter can be beautiful times to wed as well. If you’ve chosen a fall or winter wedding, try to stick with the theme when choosing wedding party favors and wedding attendant gifts.

For a fall wedding, consider wedding attendant gifts that speak to the season. Crisp, vibrant colors and items that bring to mind a fun, cheery day are great places to start. Consider these wedding party gifts for a fall wedding:

• Fall-themed drink coaster wedding favors
• Autumn candle holder wedding favors
• Leaf-shaped soap
• Fall leaf cookie cutter wedding favors

A winter wedding theme should follow the same guidelines when it comes to giving out wedding party favors. Look for items that capitalize on the winter theme. Consider these great winter wedding attendant gifts:

• Snowman candles
• Snowflake bookmark wedding favors
• Personalized “A Winter Holiday Muffin Mix”
• Snowflake-shaped soap
• Personalized hot chocolate gift packages

Your guests will be thrilled with the gorgeous wedding party favors you’ve chosen based on your seasonal wedding theme.

How To Shop For A Sports Enthusiast

If your wedding party attendants are sports and game enthusiasts, there are many creative ideas available to recognize the special friendships in your life. Shopping for male and female wedding attendant gifts is not always as easy as it might seem, it is often best to highlight several personal hobbies or character traits of each wedding attendant to discover the best gift for each member.

There are many different wedding attendant gifts that are ideal for the party enthusiast in your wedding party; handheld sodoku games, engravable domino sets, miniature desktop basketball games and hand-held roulette games, are unique wedding attendant gifts that are both personal and fun for the whole group. It is important to remember that you do not need to give matching gifts to your entire wedding party; shopping for individual gifts that recognize their individual uniqueness is perfectly acceptable. Often, searching online retail wedding outlets will provide many wonderful ideas, enough to match every person in your wedding party, at a price that won’t break your budget.

The obvious convenience of online shopping for your wedding attendants is that it can be done at any time and wedding outlets keep price and quality within a range that every bride can enjoy. Since the bridal online retail market focuses on assisting the bride and groom with simplifying the planning of their wedding, wedding attendant gifts are designed to be cost effective and appropriate for the occasion. Online bridal shops not only are there many different ideas to choose from but the prices range extensively so that you can give quality gifts without sacrificing the overall wedding budget.

Bridal Jewelry Simplified

Nothing borrowed? Nothing new? Don’t worry. Old wedding folklore and superstition can be put aside for your big day. It’s perfectly acceptable to buy inexpensive or semi-precious bridal jewelry and bridal accessories. If saving money and following tradition is important, wear blue fresh water pearls on your wedding day. Fresh water pearls are much cheaper than their cultivated cousins, but look just as elegant.

Pearl bridal jewelry is fairly standard for most traditional weddings, but don’t be afraid to break tradition. It’s your day, and you should wear what suits you the most. Try to match your bridal jewelry to your personality and your dress. If the most jewelry you’ve ever worn is a pair of plain stud earrings, keep your bridal jewelry simple as well.

Your bridesmaids’ jewelry should follow your lead. If you’re wearing simple, understated bridal jewelry, the bridesmaids should have minimal jewelry as well. Sometimes a pair of pearl drop earrings is all you really need to complete the look.

Remember, with bridal jewelry less is often all you need.

Wedding Attendant Gifts For the Car Enthusiast

If your groom has requested that you assist him in purchasing the wedding attendant gifts for his friends, you might find yourself overwhelmed with what to buy. What may seem like an insurmountable task is really quite easy if you closely examine the different hobbies of each of his friends. If a member of your wedding party is a car enthusiast, you might despair over what to get them as a wedding attendant gift. However, with a little creative online shopping, this task is easier than you might think.

Adorable and appropriate cuff links with a five-speed motif area a wonderful accent for the race car enthusiast's wedding tuxedo. Supplement the wedding apparel with a car cleaning kit or a car hazard safety kit and you have created a unique wedding attendant gift especially designed with this special friend in mind. If he is a proud owner of a showroom car, why not include a deluze car cover with which to cover his prized automobile after he has cleaned and polished it.

Another idea is to have a personalized parking sign made for the make and model of the vehicle your friend owns, car enthusiasts are very proud of their prized automobiles and anything that identifies and recognizes it's value in their lives is always appreciated.

Multi-Themed Bridal Party Gifts

Creative people are highly-energized, impulsive, ready to try anything once. Does that sound like you and your fiancé? Formal weddings are highly overrated when you know you can pull off something that your friends and family will be talking about for years to come.

As soon as you let down your guard and open up to the idea of a fun, crazy wedding day, all sorts of options become available. Suddenly, you’re not so constricted on everything being a certain theme or style.

Get married in a public garden, or in your own backyard! Turn the reception into a mish-mash of creative diversity. With this kind of wedding, you’re going to need to buy a variety of unique bridal party gifts. Personalize the best man gifts and be sure to buy the best bridal party gifts you can afford.

For the reception, consider going nuts with the wedding favors. Instead of making the entire room one theme, make each table a different theme. You could have golf related wedding party gifts at one table, and elegant bags of chocolate covered almonds at another.

The best way to figure out what bridal party gifts and wedding gifts you want is to visit American Bridal online. You’ll find a wide range of fun, unique bridal party gifts to choose from.

Why stick with one boring theme when you can have them all? It’s your wedding and you’re in control, so start shopping.

Beach Party

If you are holding a beach themed wedding, keeping the theme universal makes the planning and preparations much easier. When you begin planning the bridesmaid luncheon, why not consider combining the male and female attendants “thank you” party into one competitive and fun event. Planning the wedding attendant luncheon for your entire bridal party can be a great deal of fun and take very little effort as long as you identify your main goal of the event and create an entire afternoon around that activity. Since you are hosting a luncheon, a beach barbecue would be a thematic and fun.

An afternoon activity that would provide lighthearted fun and competitiveness between the two sides of the bridal party could include a “sand castle building” competition at your local beach. This unique and exciting activity would provide a great opportunity for everyone to meet and get to know one another and express their creative side along the way. Additional activities that could be included in the day’s itinerary could include a game of beach volleyball and a bonfire. However, if you intend to build a fire on a public beach it is often a good idea to check with your city council to discover if any special permits are necessary prior to hosting your event.

Taking time to locate beach themed wedding attendant gifts for each member of your wedding party is actually easier than you might think; many online and retail wedding planning outlets have unique and creative wedding party favors to give to your friends and family on this special day.

Flower Girl

Can any one tell me how much (roughly) it costs to hire a flower girl dress and page boy outfit in Brisbane?

I have found an american site where I can purchase a dress for $38-$65 US and a suit for $40-$60 US. Ijust wanted to know if I can hire them cheaper or if I am better off purchasing and then selling on after the wedding.

Tina says:

Im not in brisbane - But in sydney the cheapest I found for page boys suits was $115... I didnt find anywhere the hires flowergirls...

I bought my FG and PB outfits from sosweetboutique.com and they were great! I got a dress, 2 suits including petticoat, stockings, all shoes and shirts and postage for under 350.00..

Britan says:

You could always just go an any chinese clothig store they usually hav them really really heap, my sister found a FG dress for $15.00 to purchase(in sydney), as long as they look cute in it thats all that matters

What type of wedding are you having?

Someone posted the following questions years ago on WC and I thought it would be interesting for all of us to get a collective idea of what people were doing etc. Of course it doesn't always apply to everyone and I am sorry if anyone gets offended but thought it could be fun and interesting to see what each of us does for our wedding . . . of course no wedding is the same as the other and I think it is wonderful that we all interpret weddings by having it our own special way. Just something different and maybe ideas of what other people have thought off that is unique and sweet . . .

Age of you and FH?

Whats your engagement ring look like? Princess cut? Platinum?

State you're marrying in?

Month you're marrying in?

Season you're marrying in?

What time is your ceremony?

What time is your reception?

Colours?

Theme?

Is it formal? casual? semi formal?

Dress code?

Bridal Party? (Flowergirls, best man etc how many?)

No. of Guests?

Ceremony Location? (church, park beach?)

Religious or civil ceremony?

What song are you walking down the aisle to?

Any other special music?

Any special readings?

Special vows?

Are you having bubbles/rose petals?

What else is special about your ceremony?

What do your wedding rings look like? (gold, silver, one diamond etc)

Reception Venue? (hotel ballroom, recpetion centre, home? where?)

What song are you entering the reception too?

Is it a sit down, buffet, cocktail?

Are you having a band? DJ?

Whats your first dance song?

What do your centerpieces look like?

What abotu decorations?

What else is special about your recepetion?

Pre wedding beauty treatments?

What are you wearing (dress, veil etc)? Whats it like?

What about your jewerelly?

Your shoes?

Your hair?

Whats your something old?

Whats your something new?

Whats your something borrowed?

Whats your something blue?

What are your bridesmaids wearing?

What about their jewerelly?

Shoes?

Hair?

What are the guys wearing?

What are your flowergirls/pageboys wearing?

What are they carrying?

Flowers?

Cake?

What do your invites look like?

What other stationary are you having?

Tell us about it?

Whats your transport?

What are your bonfavs?

Are you having a photographer?

WHats their style?

Anything special? (special deals,styles etc etc?)

Are you having a videographer?

Anything special? (deals style etc)

What about your hens night? (what are you doing?)

And his bucks night?

Are you having a gift registry?

Where at?

Where are you staying on your wedding night?

Any pre wedding celebrations? (reception dinners, lunches etc)

Any post wedding celebrations? (brunches etc?)

Honeymoon?

Anything else you want to add?

I think that covers almost everything and more . .....

Seat Chart ideas

This is one thing that has really got me stumped.

I wanted to have a panoramic I took of mine and FH's favourite beach printed across the top of the seating chart with our monogram over the top of that. All will be printed direct onto canvas and displayed on a french provincial easel I bought.

But now I'm not sure if it's going to fit our 'theme' as such or if it will look completely out of place. Our theme is 'Classic Understated Elegance' with a colour scheme of black, white & a hint of cornflour blue. We're having a garden wedding on the lawn of an old historic winery (think majestic queenslander overlooking the valley) and the only 'beachy' thing at the wedding is some white shells used in the base of our centrepieces.

I'm resound to the fact I will have to be flexible and quite possibly change my seating chart because of this, but the problem is I just can't find the RIGHT chart design.

Can all you future and past brides please help my need to have everything insanely ridiculously perfect ?!?!?!

Describe or post photo's of your planned or successfull seating charts please. Thank you!

Cinderella says:

Eeeek. I have no idea about what kind of seating chart I am going to use either! Your beach print could work if you muted the colours in the photo? And by the sounds of the monogram, this will tie in the elegance etc. What colour is your easel? Black or white to go with your theme? Could you just have the table names/numbers and then the names in little black outlined rectangles over a plain white background? With the panoramic at the top (if I'm picturing correctly) I think something simple and understated underneath would be perfect and fit your theme. If you love your photo, then go for it!

Ima says:

I sort of forgot about the seating chart until about a week before! I just bought a photo frame from the reject shop, put a big pic that suited our theme in the middle, and printed photos with a design at the top and wrote the names on with a marker. After, we kept the frame but where the list of names for each table was, we put a photo of that table

Flat/Low Heel Wedding Shoes?

Does anybody know a site/store ANYTHING where i can find either flat or low heeled wedding shoes?? Im 175cm tall and really dont want to be as tall (or taller) then H2B on the day.. I cannot find any nice shoes anywhere! They are all either too casual or thongs! I really didnt picture wearing thongs on our big day..

Lily says:

Mine might be too casual for what you're after, but they're selling on special at the moment. I wore silver strappy flat shoes. I guess they were kind of like dressy sandals so maybe too casual for you. Suited me though and was good for summer. They have them in gold and black as well, and I think they're selling them out in most Mathers for half the price I paid for them. They are the only shoes I've ever bought which didn't give me blisters! They were Diana Ferrari.... don't know the name of the shoe though

Here's a photo I took when I first bought them. They're not really typical wedding shoes but I was very happy with them and it took me ages to find them. I'm not tall (although only slightly shorter than DH) but I do have wonky ankles and can't walk in heels, and I can really relate to the frustration of not being able to find anything flat.

Wishing well

Hi everyone!

Im wondering if anyone can suggest a smart idea for a minor space problem i seem to be having!

We are travelling 1100kms to Fraser island for our wedding which has 4wd access only. Everyone's car is full full full and now im wanting a wishing well which is quiet bulky and difficult to pack on the back of a 4wd. Any ideas/photos of a smaller, nice option that's easy to transport but still has the same effect?

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Only 106 days to go!

Stevanie says:

I have seen on ebay, you can get either a wishing well treasure chest or an actual box which comes flat packed. I think they are literally just a cardboard box with a slit in the top. Some come decorated in a plush, satin & lace padding, others are plain. I know they arent the traditional wooden wishing well, but both would be alot lighter & take up much less space. They could be decorated with flowers, ribbon etc so they look special. The treasure chest one could also carry things en-route to the destination.

Church appropriate music??

We are getting married in St Patricks Cathedral, Melbourne.

We have been advised that we can only use 'religious' music. I love Pachabel, Canon and am 99% sure we will be using this for the first, walk down the aisle song, but with the other stages of the ceremony in which we have music, I have no idea what else to consider!! Does anyone know of any church appropriate music we could include in our ceremony?? Thanks!!

Lily answer:

We're getting married in a catholic church and we were the same - we have to have catholic or churchy music. But our wedding singer was fantastic, she knows our priest and what he will and won't let thru, and she had hundreds of songs to chose from! So I suggest speaking to your singer/piano player/music person - you'll be suprised.

Technically speaking - it has to be classical music (not piano) just the old english tradition classical music. you'll have no problem with pachabel and canon in d!

Also sneaky hint - when signing the register - it's actually a government legal document not church related - so you can pretty much have whatever songs you want - within reason.

All up we got away with

Walking in: Heaven - Bryan Adams

Signing the register: Can't helping falling in love with you - Elvis, and Everything I do, I do it for you- Bryan Adams

Walking out: A whole new world - Aladdin theme song.

Plus all the normal psalms etc.

Good luck!

Young Brides

I am 20 and will be married once I am 21. I am tired of people telling me I am too young to get married that I should live live first. I have been with my partner for over 3 years, we are 100% happy, we both have the same values & life goals, we are best friends and most of all we love each other. I don't understand why age is such an issue, Stewart will be 24 when we get married and we have both had our share of heartaches etc. Neither of us are into clubbing, excessive drinking or any of the things most people our age are into. One person even said we were immature getting married young and we should enjoy a single life! It doesnt make sense to me.

Is anyone else having the same troubles?

Nani says:

Nope coz I am old! lol

Age doesnt matter..dont worry about what other people think...

People have different life experiences ....age is just a number at the end of the day!

Nanda says:

Sort of having the same troubles...but only for a few people. My FH is a LOT older than me (a lifetime i guess you could say lol) but the people who know us know how well we work together. Who says living life has to be without a husband! I would much rather experience life with someone who respected me and I trusted, rather than randoms or alone...

Most of our parents would have married when they were 20/21 etc. As long as your expectations aren't skewed, or you think things will change, you'll be fine.

PS I just turned 23, have been with FH since I was 19.

Glass candy jars

Hi there,

Does anyone know where I might be able to find glass pedestal candy jars?? I live in Sydney.

Jean says:
Not sure of the size you are chasing but I brought a candy jar ( I think you would class it as pedestal?) from Robin's Kitchens. I am not sure if this shopis in Sydney but it is a rather large chain store. The jar is from the Maxwell & Williams range called the candy jar and I brought mine for $10 on sale. They had heaps of different sizes. If you are looking for smaller sized ones for bonbonniere or something I brought some little jars from Ikea or from a cheap $2 shop.
Maxwell & Williams is a massive brand and alot of places stock it if you don't have Robins Kitchen in Sydney. They are priced really well also.

If you google Maxwell Williams candystore jar you will see some pictures. I tried to post some but I don't really know how! Hope this helps.

Xien says:
We bought some large jars from target, but they were about $40 ea.

How much did your wedding dress cost?

How much did you spend for your wedding dress?

I know it could vary but I am into getting a brand new dress.

One of my friend said she bought her dress for $3000 and said that's cheap for a wedding dress.

My other friend who looked at the prices of wedding dresses at a wedding expo said they were about $1000 so I'm a bit confused.

Tina Says:

Totally depends on the brand and material of the dress. I've seen new dresses ranging from $800 to $5000, and they were just at regular, non-corture stores. Mine is approx $2000.

Noni Says:

Mine was $1250 and that was brand new

Brigita Says:

Mine was $3000 in the store where I tried it on, but I got it from the BigD (China online seller) for under $600.

Teana Says:

If I'd bought mine from the store, it would've been $2,495, but I got a similar one from a factory in China for about $350 including a matching shawl.

The dresses that I was considering ranged in price from $1,800 - $2,600, but I didn't look in the couture stores. My SIL almost bought a $6,500 dress. It was stunning, but too formal for her wedding. She ended up with a lovely $2,000 Maggie Sottero.

Invite wording, No children

Invite wording, No children

Question:

Hi ladies,

Just wondering how I can word it on the second page of the invite to make it absolutely clear that no children are welcome?

We have spoken to most of our friends directly and they are ok with it, but there are some others that have kids like cousins and stuff that we havent really had a chance to.

The other thing is that we have a one year old, and he of course will be coming. Do you think we need to address this or is it so obvious that as its our wedding its ok that we have our son there?

We are also having a ceremony on the sand, so I was going to say something like,"As the ceremony is on sand, we encourage you to kick of yours shoes and join us by the waves. Ushers will be available to secure shoes for you" or something like that?

Thanks for the advice and help

Lean says:

With regards to informing guests of the no children arrangement, it's very poor etiquette to actually write something like this on the invitation itself. The proper way is to only include the names of those actually invited on the invitation, and if any of your guests aren't sure, or return an RSVP with their kids names on it, then you need to speak to them personally about it.

As for the sand ceremony, you could either include information about this on a separate card with the invitation, or through word of mouth.

Betty says:

I personally dont think its too bad to include it on the invite or maybe on an insert card for just the people with kids - that way no one is embarassed and there are no misunderstandings. Speaking from experience with my sis wedding people will write their childs name on the RSVP or call you to beg they can come if you do not state it somewhere. Their reasoning will be 'maybe they forgot to write their names' or something like that and it may get really awkward when they call you up.

I cant tell you exactly how to word it, but i can tell you how not to word it: we received an invite recently that stated at the bottom "no children under 12" and that was it Its almost as if they were trying to be offensive!

And re your son - of course he can be there, after all your babysitter options will probably all be there anyhow!

Noah says:

I remember someone somewhere had a little extra card that had a fun poem on it, pretty much saying 'look we know parents dont get to go out very often so our wedding is your opportunity to let your hair down and relax'.

I agree it can be a little harsh, but some people say the same thing about putting wishing well or wedding registry info in an invite aswell...

Here is something I found while googling

Step 1

Write the events at the wedding that will not be children friendly before writing out the no children policy. For example, you can write, "Because alcohol will be served and the wedding reception will run late into the night..." This will demonstrate that you are thinking about the best interest of the children and the enjoyment of your adult guests.

Step 2

Write that the equipment and furniture at the wedding are expensive and that you will not be responsible for anything the children may damage.

Step 3

Check with the reception site to see if they offer day care services for children. If you are willing to have this as an option, your guests can bring their children but not let them be a part of the reception. You can write this information in the invitation if you find this as an acceptable alternative.

Step 4

Make it explicitly clear that this is an adult-only wedding at some point in the invitation. If you are too passive in your message then you run the risk of guests bringing their children because they did not understand the invitation.

Step 5

Never write "children are excluded." This is too negative of a statement. A better way to write this is to say, "this is an adult event."

Tips & Warnings

• Your best option when you are writing an invitation that excludes children is to be as short as possible. It is almost guaranteed that your family members with children will contact you to either verify or complain about the rule. At this point, you can enumerate all the reasons for not allowing children, such as adult language being used, uncensored lyrics in the music, expensive dinners and alcohol being served.
• Be polite at all times. You want your family members to know that excluding children has nothing to do with not wanting them there (even though this may be true), but for safety reasons and for increasing the overall enjoyment of the adults that will be there.
• This is not a guarantee that your family members will not be frustrated or angry with you if you exclude children from your wedding. If you exclude children, you will more than likely make one or more of your relatives angry.
• If you are not polite about this circumstance, the plan will be more likely to fail.

Gifts for parents

Gifts for parents

Question:

Whats everyone getting for their parents, if anything? Our dads are getting cufflinks each and for the mums I dont know. We are also getting them another gift later on to say thanks but I just wanted to give them a little something each for the day.

Any thoughts???

Enrica says:

Mine are getting a Hot Springs Day Spa Voucher and Mum will also be given a personalised hankie and Step Dad Bride's Father Cufflinks

Nisa says:

We're giving our mums pearl & silver brooches to wear on the day and our dad's are getting cufflinks. Then we are giving the parents a photo album each with pictures of me and FH's engagement shoot and some wedding day photos as well.

Wedding songs - Help!

Wedding songs - Help!

Question:

Many questions regarding wedding songs!

I have songs for cutting the cake, signing the papers etc but i cant seem to find those prefect songs for walking down the aisle and also our first dance... I have had many suggestions from family and friends but nothing seems to fit right, im wanting a song people recognize and can relate too, something special but not too sad or lovey, just nice.

I asked my fiance and he still thought people walked down the aisle to "here comes the bride" oh my...

Thanks for any suggestions!

Sisca says:

What about (and you can say if you don't like it) What a Wonderful World by Loui Armstrong?? It's nice, not too OTT or lovey dovey and people can relate to it

Nanda says:

For our first dance we're having "You and Me" by Lifehouse. For walking down the aisle, I was thinking something instrumental. Not sure on that either!

Jonet says:

Sorry failed to mention our choices. We are having:

BM's walking down the aisle: Training Robin Hood Prince of Theives - a section out of this from James Horner (Harp/Pan Flute)

Me walking down the aisle: Pachabel Canon - Harp

First dance: Someone Like You - Van Morrison

Rikki says:

We are having our first dance to "I Swear" by John Michael Montgomery. There has been many versions made, this is a country version. It is nice, the words are lovely and it isnt too soppy, FH biggest request .

I am thinking of an instrumental piece for walking down the aisle.

Other alternatives we thought for the Bridal waltz were:

My Best Friend – Tim McGraw

You had me from hello – Kenny Chesney

Heaven – DJ Sammy

Amazed – Lonestar

Bungie says:

We had somewhere over the rainbow by israel kamakawiwo'ole for walking down the aisle burn your name by powderfinger for recessional you and me by lifehouse for first dance

it took us ages to pick our music, i think it was one of the hardest parts because we wanted the perfect music for us - i think it was a few days out when we finally made our choices.

Kate Hudsons dress in Bride Wars!

If a genie granted me a wish to repeat any day it would certainly be our wedding. Even though I no longer subscribe to Martha Stewart Weddings or Real Weddings, I still enjoy flipping through the magazines from time to time or browsing through slideshows of the latest gowns. Costume designer Karen Patch worked closely with Vera Wang to design two Vera Wang custom wedding gowns for Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway in Bride Wars. Kate’s dress was in fact based on a gown from Vera Wang’s 2009 collection but with a few changes including, “different fabric and more layers of bobbinette. It was so big she could barely fit going down the aisle.” (Read the interview here)

Anne Hathaway’s dress was supposed to be passed down from her mother, so there had to be a sense of nostalgia in the design. There is speculation over on Wedding Bells Blog that Anne’s dress was based on a gown from Vera Wang’s fall 2005 collection. Of the two designs, I prefer Anne’s more subdued and form fitting version.

And since I am a hopeless romantic, I could not help but drift into la la land as I saw these editorial photographs on Vera Wang’s site. Just beautiful…

What was the very FIRST THING you bought for your wedding?!?

What was the very FIRST THING you bought for your wedding?!?

Question:
Hey girls..

I thought it would be interesting to see what the VERY FIRST significant wedding purchase was for us all. Whether it was 2 yrs or 2 months before the big day, what was the first thing you purchased that got you excited & made you realise "I'm planning a wedding now!"

Mine was my shoes... the first thing I saw & loved right from the start!!

What about everyone else?!?!

Nina says:
A dress about 1 week after we got engaged. I ended up changing my mind and using it for my 2nd wedding in Vegas.

Nancy says:
I bought my garter ...weird as we probably won't even do the traditional garter toss anyway..........

Omney says:
Deposit for our photographer. I knew before I got engaged that I HAD to have this photographer, and because he's so popular I wanted to book him ASAP!

Although, technically the first thing I bought for our wedding was my shoes, but that was before we got engaged! I saw my shoes in ZU and knew they were the perfect wedding shoes. Luckily, FH proposed a few months later!

Nolan says:
I'm another random purchaser!! The first thing I bought were party poppers, the ones that are made up to look like they're in a champagne bottle IYKWIM.

The first item that was purchased that really brought it home though was the venue. When this was decided I had a minor freak out. Better to have my freak out now than just before the wedding!!

How did you ask your Bridesmaids to be Bridesmaids??

How did you ask your Bridesmaids to be Bridesmaids??

Question:
Hi WC Ladies (and Gents if there is any on here),

I have already asked the girls if they would be my bridesmaids, but should i do it more formally. I think i could have asked them in a much nicer way. So i was thinking of mabey doing something special and giving them all a little gift and a card? (but i dont know what to give or what to say in a card?) What do you reckon? Has anyone else done this? I have been a bridesmaid 5 times, and i cant remember how i was asked for any of them, so it must not have been very memorable...

Give me your thoughts and ideas...

PS. There is 5 of them so it needs to be reasonably cheap....

Miner says:
I took 2 of them out to dinner and asked them and my MOH i sent her a big bunch of flowers to my work with a card that said

"Thank you so much for being my best friend, would you please be my maid of honor?" and then met up with her for lunch

Brian says:
Ask???? no i didn't ask them - i rang them and told the to get ready they were bridesmaids in 3 years time I do kinda wish i had've done something nice but i was too excited and had no idea what people usually do.

I think a nice card is an awesome idea

Andre says:
I gave each a card that i made on the comp and got printed professionally.
the first i told about the engagement straight away said- "im a bridesmaid right" lol

i had planned to pay for everything cos i thought thats how its done. but when i reviewed the budget i wasnt gong to be able to afford it. I sent them emails (as its the only way to talk to them all at once, and then its in writing so they can refer back to it) explaining that due to budget they would need to buy their dresses (which they had already picked out), and they can organise their own shoes. they were happy with this. i think they all expected to have to pay for everything, so were fine.