Free Advice And Guide On Common Wedding Etiquette

by Mary Smith

Common courtesy requires the wedding’s hosts as well as the guests to stick strictly to the wedding etiquette. Proper etiquette will make everything run a little smoother. Here are a few of the most common basics of wedding etiquette.

Basically, wedding etiquette states that all invitations that are sent out must be confirmed by the guests involved whether they are attending the wedding or not. The hosts have the responsibility to contact guests who haven’t replied to be able to know how many will be attending for the sake of preparing and arranging tables.

You have to take into consideration the guests’ marital status when sending out the invitation cards where their partners’ name should be included if the guest is married or engaged. Inviting single guests with a date is a thoughtful gesture, but depends on whether you want to mention bringing a guest or not.

A receiving line is formed to greet the guests individually as they arrive. For smaller functions it is not unusual for the bride and groom to welcome guests themselves. The ushers can be utilized to direct arriving guests to their table and help any who are having difficulty finding their seat.
When it comes to deciding seats for the family and guests of both the bride and groom, usually the etiquette is to put the groom’s family on the right and bride’s on the left. Other than using ushers, providing a table plan will be a good idea to guide guests finding their seats.

Usually the father of the bride will be the first one to deliver the wedding speech followed by the bridegroom. Wedding etiquette requires that the father of the bride will do the honors and welcome everyone to the wedding reception since he is the person responsible for the bill. The groom will need to thank his new father-in-law for the fantastic reception.

Wedding etiquette also dictates when the bridal couple opens then dance floor to the guests but it is tradition for father and daughter to have their customary dance first. The hosts must be aware of things which are traditions and which are wedding etiquette. Unlike wedding etiquette, there are no specific rules for traditions.

About the Author:
If you find this helpful and to learn more about traditional wedding etiquette, do visit Mary Smith at weddingspeechfree.com where she writes more articles including favorite sister wedding poem.

Hot Wedding Hair Extensions

Brides today are super savvy and look for possible pitfalls that could put a damper on their day. One important element that a bride can control with confidence is her hair style. Brides are taking advantage of one of today’s hottest wedding trends by using hair pieces, extensions and clip-ons.

Read Article Here

Other Wedding Hairstyle articles...
http://fashionhairstyles.wordpress.com/2009/04/30/wedding-hair-styles/

http://en.wordpress.com/tag/wedding-hair-styles/

Great Reception Idea!

What are some the options and different forms and presentations available for your function to make it special - different and unique from "everybody else's" and all the other functions in your area and season of year? Why not have a specialty bar?

Various specialty bars include a desert bar, wine bar, vodka bar, margarita bar, martini bar, candy bar and so many more.

Something new this year for the men in your life is a cigar bar! Thank to our friends at Wedding Wire read all about this new trend in wedding receptions!

WeddingWire Blog

A Mother's Day Poem

As I Look Back...

As I look back on my life
I find myself wondering...
Did I remember to thank you
for all that you have done for me?
For all of the times you were by my side
to help me celebrate my successes
and accept my defeats?
Or for teaching me the value of hard work,
good judgement, courage, and honesty?
I wonder if I've ever thanked you
for the simple things...
The laughter, smiles, and quiet times we've shared?
If I have forgotten to express my gratitude
For any of these things,
I am thanking you now...
and I am hoping that you've known all along,
how very much you are loved and appreciated.

Author Unknown

Five Ways To Build A Relationship With Your Future Mother In Law

After years of working on weddings, there is one character that I feel badly for: the mother of the groom.

Most of the attention at weddings, aside from that given to the couple, is placed on the mother and father of the bride. The parents of the groom are largely left out of the planning process and the wedding day seems structured to lavish attention on the bride and her family: her mother helps her to get dressed, her father walks her down the aisle and everyone recognizes the bittersweet nature of the day for the parents of the bride. While the day is just as bittersweet for the parents of the groom, their participation is typically limited to a cameo during the processional.

For my part, I have made it a priority to arrange time prior to the ceremony for the parents of the groom to spend a few quiet moments with the groom. But I've also taken to strongly encouraging brides to forge a relationship with the mother of the groom during the planning process.

Brides, imagine for a moment how your future mother in law must be feeling. She has tirelessly and selflessly worked to ensure that her son was taken care of and has watched him grow into the man that he is today. And now she must give him over to the new lady in his life. Her feelings about your groom are as strong as your mother's feelings about you. This is also a person, like it or not, with whom you will have a lifelong relationship. So why not start the bonding process by allowing her to participate in your wedding planning? Granted, there are experiences that you might want to share exclusively with your mother, but there are several ways to include your mother in law as well.

Have a Moms Luncheon

Soon after your engagement, reach out to your mother in law and ask her to join you for lunch. If you'd like, you can also invite your mom to this meeting as well. This is the opportunity for her to get to know you outside of your relationship with her son. Tell her that you would like for her to be involved in the planning as much as possible. This sets in place a positive foundation on which you can build throughout the planning process.

Keep her in the loop about your plans

Be sure to include your future mother in law in your wedding related emails and/or newsletters and ask for her input on wedding details (i.e., bridesmaid dresses, flowers, vendors, etc.)

Invite her to vendor meetings

As previously stated, there may be moments that you wish to share alone with your mom, most notably your dress fittings, but there are also several places where your future mother in law can assist. Invite her to important meetings such as the tasting with the caterer, the walk through of the venue, and meetings with the florist. During the meetings, make a special effort to ask her what she's thinking about your plans.

Allow her to assist in planning the bridal shower and rehearsal dinner

Of course, you will not be involved in planning your bridal shower, but you should mention your desire to include your mother in law in the planning to your maid of honor or designated planner. Traditionally, the groom's parents are in charge of the rehearsal dinner however, many couples are now taking on this responsibility themselves. If this is the case, be sure to ask for input from your mother in law and definitely give her the chance to have words at the dinner.

Keep in touch after the wedding

After the wedding is over, you should continue building your relationship with your mother in law. Don't limit your interaction with her to times when your husband is involved. Take the initiative to call, visit and hang out with her on a regular basis.

Like any relationship, your relationship with your mother in law will take some work, but it is certainly worth it in the end. A great mother in law can be a good friend, shopping partner and someday, the perfect babysitter!

About the Author:
Tiffany R. Wright is a top wedding planner in the Washington, DC area and owner of Pirouette Events , a premiere wedding planning company in DC/MD/VA.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Five Ways To Build A Relationship With Your Future Mother In Law

Saying 'I do' to simple pre-wedding exercise

From WeddingChannel.com

Your wedding day is fast approaching, and naturally, you want to look your absolute best as you head down the aisle. Before you freak out about what to do with your "trouble areas" and start thinking of all the reasons you hate working out, remember you can do this without a no-nonsense personal trainer or pricey gym membership. It just takes a little discipline, focus and a few smart fitness tricks.

Just walk if you can't run

Read more here...

A Wedding Plan for Men

FOR many bridegrooms, planning a wedding is an exercise filled with dread. For others, tasks like creating guest lists, choosing invitations and arranging the perfect honeymoon are part of the fun.

But bridegrooms on either side of the planning aisle have one thing in common: There are few places where men can go for guidance and advice on how and what to contribute to their big day. Wedding books for bridegrooms, like “The Guy’s Guide to Dating, Getting Hitched and Surviving the First Year of Marriage,” by Michael R. Crider, are scarce, and wedding magazines written for men are nonexistent. Clearly the wedding industry is designed to appeal to women.

For more on this topic, click here... http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/03/fashion/weddings/03FIELD.html?_r=1

What To Do With Your Wedding Bouquet

Weddings are special and your bouquet will undoubtedly mean a lot to you and what you do with it will be remembered for years to come.

With women's growing independence, the tradition of tossing the bouquet into a crowd of single women to determine who will be the next to marry is becoming increasingly "out of favor." But what alternatives are there?

Have it Preserved
By having your flowers preserved you'll have a long-lasting reminder of your happy day. Use it as a decoration -- dried flowers look beautiful in an old-fashioned farmhouse style setting -- or keep it wrapped in acid-free tissue paper in a dark place for future generations to enjoy. Although flower preservation can be done at home, to be certain that you'll get the results you want, wedding bouquets are best handled by a professional.

Give it to the Longest Married Couple
Have the DJ or band at your reception play a song and ask all the couples to take to the dance floor. At the end of the song, have the DJ or a band member ask all of the couples who have been married for less than five years to leave the floor. Play another song and then repeat the process, asking the couples who have been married less than ten years to leave the floor. Now play half a song (some couples may be getting tired by now) and ask those who have been married less than fifteen years to leave the floor. Continue in this way until you have just one couple left.

Give Every Female Guest a Flower from Your Bouquet
Tell them that the flower is a symbol of the luck and happiness that you want to share with them. If you have a lot of women attending you could give them a petal each rather than a whole flower. Unless your bouquet is particularly sumptuous, of course.

Give it to Your Grandmother
Why? Just because you love her. What better reason than to thank her for everything she's done for both you and your mother through the years?

Lay it on a Grave
If there's a special person who couldn’t be with you on your special day, lay the bouquet on his or her grave. What a great way to show you were thinking of them and that they're still very much loved.

Maybe you'll have some ideas of you own or perhaps your friends could make suggestions. What's important is that you do whatever feels right for you. Who knows, maybe you'll be starting a whole new family tradition.

Elegant Bridal Gowns: What to Look For

This year, the watchword in wedding gowns is "elegance". Pure, drop-dead, delicious elegance. Whether the look is contemporary, traditional or high couture, the overall feel on the wedding runways is unmistakable, it’s a return to la Belle Epoch, a world of chic elegance and graceful, dramatic silhouettes. Here’s what to be on the lookout for if you’re shopping for a wedding gown in the Spring/Summer 2009 season.

Asymmetrical Lines
Asymmetry is definitely in this season, but that doesn’t mean that the look is lopsided. The elegance is in the details and the execution. One of the most elegantly asymmetrical dresses for Spring 2009 is Priscilla of Boston’s Style 1408, a stunning one-shoulder ball gown that features a draped bodice and asymmetrical waistline to balance the asymmetrical neckline. The effect is just as lovely from the back as it is from the front with the drop waist echoing the diagonal of the one-shouldered bodice.

Silhouettes
The most prominent silhouette in this season’s range of elegant wedding gowns is the "fit-to-flare", a cut that is flattering for most figures. The dress is cut to fit the torso, and then flares below the hip into a wide swirl. The most exaggerated fit-to-flare cut is the trumpet flare, which starts slim and swirls into a ground-sweeping flare at the floor. Another very flattering silhouette for your big day is the A-line dress, a classic wedding gown shape that fits closely at the bodice, and then flares out softly to the hem. Perhaps the most elegant wedding gown for a formal, traditional wedding though, is the ball gown, which combines a fitted bodice with a bell-like skirt. The Platinum Collection makes great use of the ball gown to create elegant couture looks in unusual and unexpected fabrics and styles.

Necklines
Sweetheart bodices, once considered the ultimate in elegance for fairy tale weddings, now have a lot of competition. Some of the most elegant contemporary wedding gown styles feature strapless bodices, often fanned or pleated. Many of the popular wedding gown styles feature sweetheart necklines modified to work with a strapless design. One shoulder asymmetrical designs are another elegant option for the contemporary bride, especially if the asymmetrical look is balanced by fullness at the hem or a contrasting asymmetry at the waist.

Pleated Bodices
Fan-pleated bodices are another wedding gown feature that you will see walking down the runway at the most elegant designer Spring shows. Strapless, fan-pleated bodices aren’t right for everyone, but they’re an eye-catching accent for the bride who isn’t overly endowed. Not all pleating is fanned, however. Some of the prettiest and most elegant designs feature ruched bodices and horizontal bands of pleating across the bodice, or vertically pleated satin and taffeta.

Hem Treatments
Hems are also getting the pleated treatment, along with flounces and tiers of lace. Some of the most elegant hem treatments include trumpet flares edged with lace or flounced with ruched netting. From the Vineyard Collection, the Ivy wedding dress model is the ultimate in simple elegance, a fitted sheath dress of silk and organza that features bands of satin detailing at the bodice and the hem.

Materials
The materials used to make a wedding gown are one of the major factors in determining the cut and the drape of the dress. The most elegant styles are those that move and flow with your body. Fabulous fabrics for wedding dresses include silk in its many variations, including shantung and charmeuse. Other materials that are traditionally used in elegant wedding gown design include organza, satin and tulle, but one of the most elegant designs of this season is a simple fit-to-flare gown made in chiffon and lace. The Holly, from the Vineyard Collection, features spaghetti straps, lace over chiffon and a flared skirt with insets of net that create an elegant sweep.

Lace
One of the most used laces in wedding gown design is Alencon lace, sometimes called the Queen of Lace. This embroidered lace is handmade, and highly prized for the fine needlework of the cording that makes up the designs. Alencon lace is often embellished with beading and metallic thread. Other lace that may be used in elegant wedding designs include Battenburg lace and Venetian lace. Handmade Belgian lace, sometimes called Princess lace, may also be used in net overlays or for wedding veils.

Important Things to Remember
Elegance is often in the eye of the beholder, but there are a few key things to remember when choosing the right wedding gown for you.

1. Simplicity is often more elegant than fussy details.


2. Quality of materials and workmanship is essential. Choose the finest materials and workmanship that you can afford.


3. Elegance is a matter of fit. Be sure to have your gown fitted properly to you so that you feel confident and beautiful in it. Even the simplest gown is elegant when it’s carried off with confidence.
   

Stephanie Larkin is a freelance writer who writes about designer fashion, often focusing on a specific kind of dress such as elegant bridal gowns.