With the costs of arranging a wedding ever spiraling upwards, it is very easy to spend more than you can afford. The reception, the dress, flowers, limousines and all the other paraphernalia that goes into making the day memorable come at a significant price. A wedding is a very special occasion and one that, you hope, is never repeated, so you really want to push the boat out with the best of everything. Although understandable, if there is not a limitless supply of money, do you really need to start your married life with a huge debt? This is why many couples are opting for a budget wedding, so below there are some ways where you can economise and still have a great wedding day.

One of the items which are never thought of in terms of budgeting, are the costs associated with a hand made wedding dress, which many brides sell anyway, soon after they are married. It is easy to buy a wedding dress that has only been worn once for less than half the price and the beauty of this is that providing you don’t have any accidents, you can probably sell on at almost the same price that you bought it for. Another option available is to hire a dress from one of the many stores that specialise in dress hire.

The largest single cost is that of the wedding reception but even here, savings are possible. You may not believe it but according to statistics, on average 189 guests attend a wedding reception, so when you are planning your budget wedding, this is where most of the savings can be achieved. Don’t invite everyone you know, in particular relatives that you haven’t seen since you were a child or people who are just acquaintances. Where the meal is concerned, why not have a buffet instead of a full, waited on, three or four course blow out. Further reductions can be made in the choice of the wedding reception venue. Instead of a fancy hotel, it could take place in a friend’s house or a local club where money could be saved on both food and drink if you either make them yourself or get friends to help.

Although most professional photographers are employed for the entire day, this isn’t strictly necessary as the majority of guests will be taking photos anyway and would be willing to share them. You could even dispense with the services of a photographer completely providing you have a friend or relative who is a keen photographer and who would be happy to do this for you.

If you have a computer and a reasonable printer, you can save money by designing and printing your own wedding stationery. Your word processing program should be quite adequate or you could find some free templates where you only have to change thee wording. Always print on good quality paper and card even if you are planning a budget wedding as these are items people often use as keepsakes.

Florists and flower arranging can be very expensive, especially when they know it’s for a wedding, so why not buy them direct and arrange them yourself or get a friend to help out. If you have a college or adult education centre nearby, you could check to see if they run flower arrangement classes and ask a couple of students if they would be willing to do yours.

Wedding cakes are another costly item which can easily be made by a talented friend. The traditional three tiered fruit cake is often ignored for a funkier sponge cake which can have many layers and fillings. Another way is to buy three ordinary fruit cakes, then ice them yourself and buy the cake pillars and cake toppers separately.

As a last cost saving measure, ask a friend or relative who has a nice car, if they would be prepared to decorate it and use that instead of a limousine, they will be more than happy to play an important part in your big day. Yours may be an inexpensive wedding but it can still be enjoyed by everyone that attends and they won’t have noticed it was arranged on a very tight budget!

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Sometimes it seems as though surprise parties are impossible these days with Blackberries, email and text messaging all posing as a spoiler. The perfect surprise party is possible though. If you wish to throw a surprise Bridal shower there are a few things to keep in mind and which will help to make it the best surprise shower possible.

Step One

O.K the first thing that you need to do is write up the guest list. You really cannot go any further at this point, before this has been done because you are going to need to find out who is can come, what days are good for every one, and how far they are willing to go.

Write up the guest list not forgetting to include the bride-to-be’s best friends and family members, the number of people that you invite is really up to you and how big a party you think the bride would feel comfortable with.

Choose the Date

The phase in planning the surprise shower is to actually set the date. This can be somewhat tricky, because more than anything you are going to have to make sure that the bride herself is able to make it on that date, but without letting her know what you are up to.

Speaking to the fianc to see if you can gain his assistance in the setting of the day, and if possible try to get a hold of her day planer/date book, without being overly nosy, you can check to see what dates she has free.

Keep Her Busy

For the duration of the planning and preparing stages of the surprise Bridal shower you are going to need to make sure that the soon to be bride is kept blissfully in the dark and busy.

Without making it too obvious that you are trying to get her out of the way, you should have her occupied with other tasks while you and the other girls are busy working away to make sure that her bridal shower is just right.

Keep Everyone Quiet

Bridal showers can be very exciting, especially a Surprise Bridal shower, but making sure that everyone keeps quite is the trickiest part of pulling it off.

The more people each person tells about the surprise party the greater the risk of a leak becomes and the chances that the guest of honour finding out about the surprise increase, so making sure that all of the guests are tight lipped and keep it on a need to know basis.

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No modern wedding would be the same if it wasn’t for the wedding favors as they are often the main subject of conversation after the venue and brides dress. A bad choice of favors is probably worse than no favors at all. Luckily, there are a wide range of companies with a comprehensive set of ideas that will help you pick the right gift to match your wedding. To help you to decide, you will find below some of the more popular and unusual ideas to make your wedding day perfect.

If you really cannot decide, you can always choose the easy wedding favor option of flowers, which can also decorate the reception at the same time. The big plus with this option is the ease and speed with which flowers can be organized. Red roses always look attractive and of course they don’t have to be wrapped like many other flowers. Placing the rose on the wedding reception table where the guest are seated is a nice touch and doesn’t need to be done until the last minute.

Although sweets may, at first, be seen as an easy wedding favor, it is immensely popular with almost three out of every four weddings using them. They are often placed in specially designed boxes which come in a variety of shapes and colours. Some people now use a much more convenient way to present sweets to their guests, by using large bowls filled with different types of confectionery as the centrepiece on each table. All you need to do after this is arrange for each wedding guest to have a small box where they can place their sweets. This could be called a self service gift because all you have to do is supply the sweets and an appropriate receptacle to place it in.

An alternative to using confectionery, is a picture frame which can double up as a place holder, just for the occasion. Although presentation is everything, there are ways around wrapping wedding favors and picture frames are an ideal example of how you can avoid this task. Almost all receptions have place names at the tables for the guests so this is an ideal way to present the frame without the need to spend time and more money on wrapping paper which, let’s face it, will only be discarded.

Drinks coasters can be a useful wedding favour as they can always be a great way of remembering your special day. They come in so many different styles and materials that there must be one that is just right for you. Some can double as a photo frame which make them even more attractive.

In the current thinking about global warming and carbon footprints, you may wish to opt for something eco-friendly. How about cards that are impregnated with flower seeds that can be planted after wedding? You will have a yearly reminder of the happy day when the flowers bloom. You can even get vegetable seeds for your hungrier friends.

The idea of a bottle stopper as a wedding favor, may seem a little off the wall. However, they do come in a broad range of styles and can be a practical gift, especially as people are monitoring their alcohol consumption nowadays.

Finally, an easy, if somewhat more expensive wedding favor, is to arrange for a professional photographer to attend the wedding reception and take a photo of every couple as they arrive looking their best. It is a simple matter of bringing a printer along so the images can be printed off during the reception and are ready when the guests start to leave. It may be possible to arrange to have the photos shown as a slide show so that everybody gets to see each as they arrived at the reception.

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When two people fall in love, the next level is usually to get engage. It is a sign of commitment, at least in the beginning for some people. When the love is so deep you’d like to spend the rest of your life together or in some cases, at least try to. The thought of leaving apart is unbearable.

Vein of Love

The tradition of wearing engagement rings was believed to come from the Romans. The third finger which is said to have a vein that leads to the heart hence it is called vena amoris (vein of love), that is why the ring is often worn on the left hand.

Choose The Right Store To Find The Right Ring

Of course we understand that everyone has their own traditions and beliefs when it comes to the symbolism of the engagement ring. However, they forget that engagement rings are also investments which should be given lots of thoughts before purchasing. The problem arises because they are so engrossed in the air of “amore” .

There are many things that you have to consider before going into any engagement ring stores and you as the guy should be well prepared. Usually a guy, or a couple will just go into any well known engagement ring stores without knowing that choosing the right ring does not only entail the prettiest design.

The Importance of Budget

Whether shopping alone or with you fiance, before going into any engagement ring stores make sure that you have set a budget. Sales people are sometimes cunning. They make you believe that the cost of the ring speaks for the amount of your love. Don’t be fooled! You Know how much you can afford.

Do Your Research

Always do your homework before hand, now you may think this is easy, but it’s not that simple at all, but don’t lose heart just yet. Be prepared because when you go into any engagement ring stores, you will be barraged with a lot of precious metals as your ring’s setting. There are too many to choose from: You can either choose gold, titanium, rose gold, platinum, and white gold or a combination of precious metals. So take your time, at the end of the day the design that you choose must suits your beloved’s taste. Is it raditional, understated, modern, or intricate?

Choose The Deal Breaker

Everyone knows that the deal breaker is always the stone. The most popular choice is of course the Diamond; after all it is a girl’s best friend. Unfortunately, fake diamonds are existing in the market so you have to be careful. When going into an engagement ring stores, be armed with the knowledge that when you pick a diamond you have to know the “Four C’s” Carat weight, Clarity, Cut, and Color.

So you have decided to get a diamond ring, but do you know that engagement ring stores always offer you diamonds that have already been preset? Why is it better to a setting and a diamond separately? This is because at times if not all the time you can examine closely a diamond better when it has not been set.

Surprising your girlfriend is romantic, but don’t forget to take take a friend and make sure the two of you have read up on the fine points of choosing the right diamond. Of course it’s better to have second opinion. I will suggest going to a good and reputable engagement ring stores though they can be a little pricey, you may be assured of the quality. However, don’t forget to ask for ask for a certification on the originality of the ring.

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For those of you who do not know, a wedding is a legal ceremony that commences a union between two people; the attitude of western populations towards marriage has undergone many changes recently. Whatever the background and history to marriage, it is still a legal union between two people; a legal document called a marriage license must be signed before the law recognizes a couple is married. The names bridegroom and bride extend around the world; they are then referred to by the title husband and wife, once they are married.

Religious Wedding Ceremonies

Other wedding traditions vary according to the religion, race, ethnic group and even class the couple may belong too. Although it may seem like the world has turned away from the Christian religion generally, it has not stopped the popularity of a Church ceremony. The traditional white wedding as we know it is really only a service that is popular in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland and some other Commonwealth countries.

Double Ceremonies

A rare type of marriage is where two separate couples decide to marry at the same time; ceremonies such as this are usually instigated by siblings who like the idea of a simultaneous marriage.

Weddings in a Foreign Country

Destination weddings are becoming more popular and many couples decide to have their wedding and honeymoon in the same place; it doesn’t matter exactly where you travel to, whether it is in Egypt or just to Las Vegas it will still be considered a destination wedding.

Activity Weddings

Two day or weekend weddings are a great way to extend the ceremony and festivities as an increasing number of people are finding out. Special activities, such as spa treatments and golf tournaments, are scheduled into the itinerary for guests’ enjoyment throughout the weekend. Accommodation for these is normally arranged at the place where the service is going to take place and where the other events are also being held.

Online Marriages

Still in the early stages of evolution is the internet wedding where the couple is married online; there are even guides for information on how to go about an internet ceremony with information on people that can carry it out for you. Marriages that are broadcast live online are also referred to as online weddings.

City Hall Services

A civil wedding is a ceremony presided over by a local civil authority, such as an elected or appointed judge, justice of the peace or the mayor of a locality. These ceremonies do not normally make any reference to God as they are a legal ceremony only. These services often take place in city halls, courthouses and other designated areas of town. The weddings discussed here are primarily based around Christian beliefs but each religion and culture has their own traditions in this area.

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