By Gail Vince, executive summarized by Andromeda

wedding-planning

At long last he has said those magic words ‘will you marry me’. You are now engaged. The wedding date has been set. What now?

Here are a few tips to help you organize and plan your wedding to ensure nothing is forgotten or left behind.

You have been to the local newsagent and bought the latest bridal magazine. There are pages and pages of photos of beautiful wedding dresses, rings, shoes and accessories and it is full of ads on what to buy and where to buy it. There is some information on what the requirements are at a wedding but not enough for you to really get started.

Start planning your special day now, get organized instead of rushing, and have the wedding of your dreams.

Careful planning will enable you to truly enjoy every moment of your Wedding Day. Arrangements for a large conventional wedding should ideally commence between 8 – 12 months prior to the wedding date. In saying this, weddings have been planned in as little as 6 weeks and have been very successful. By using a wedding timetable (this is a list of to do’s) you can follow a list of time frames to complete tasks, 12, 6, 3 and 2 months before, 6 weeks before, 2 weeks before and 1 week before the big day.

Don’t forget delegation! Family and friends love to help for special occasions so use them. Bounce ideas off them, get their opinion, you don’t have to act on their advice however more ideas are better than none to be able to make an informed decision.

wedding-research

Research and systems

When doing your research you will collect large amounts of; information, photos, samples, receipts and business cards, therefore you will need to create a system to keep all your wedding details in the one place.

It may be a ring binder with tabs for each category, or an expansion file where you are able to quickly locate information. Some of the categories may include; Wedding Dress, Men’s Attire, Bridesmaid Dresses, Catering, Reception, Photography, Florist, Wedding Vehicles, Music, etc.

You could also create a scrapbook and cut images from magazines, print them off websites, insert photo’s you may have taken or photo’s from other peoples weddings. With a scrapbook you will be able to see how items work together to help you coordinate the theme of your wedding. Hints and tips can be noted, for example, place a disposable camera on each table (these are the shots you wouldn’t normally get) and place your guests name on both sides of their name card so other guests know who is sitting at the table.

Keep a list of the most important aspects of your wedding; the venue, the entertainment and your wedding dress. When you feel you are getting bogged down with all irrelevant details, refer back to what are the most important aspects of your special day.
Budget

Set a budget and stick to it! Weddings can be beautiful and fashionable without costing a fortune. By carefully budgeting, prioritizing and the assistance from family and friends you can have a wedding that is as good as any of the celebrity weddings at a third of the cost.

You may wish to open a bank account specifically for wedding expenses. This way you can keep track of all your expenses. Choose an account which offers a high interest rate on balances to get the best from your account and you may then be able to include those items that you thought you couldn’t afford from the interest.

Guest List

Start by writing down all the people you know. Then start a separate list from the people on the first list who are important to you, the people who you really want to share your special day. Then continue to fine tune your list until you are at a number which is within your budget. Remember, for every name you add to your list the more money you will have to spend or you will have to do without in other areas of your planning.

The Latest Wedding Trends

color-wedding-dress

Color! Color! Color! White is out, color is in!

Champagne, ivory, platinum or pink are some of the color replacing the traditional white wedding dress. By using color for the wedding dress this creates endless exciting possibilities as far as the rest of the decor goes. Colorful linen, napkins, tablecloths and chair covers, can be used to enhance the overall theme of your wedding.

Checkout my other guide on Wedding Reception.

By Miame Y Master, executive summarized by Andromeda.

titanium-wedding-band

Once you have said yes to your partner’s proposal, its time now to plan the wedding. There is so much to think about – the venue, invitation list, photographer and dresses. One essential part of the wedding that will last as a symbol of each others love and a reminder of that day for ever is the wedding bands. There are a wide range of women’s wedding bands that you can choose from. In this article, I will take you through the various metals, stones and styles of women’s wedding bands that you can find at your local jeweler and online.

Before you start looking for women’s wedding rings, you need to think about what type of ring will suit you. Your complexion and fashion sense will have a strong influence on which ring will look good on your hand. The shape of your hand and fingers will also be a factor. Women with short and thick fingers will need slender bands. In contrast, women with longer fingers can wear thicker rings. The best way to work out whether a ring will suit you is to wear it on your hand in front of a full length mirror.

The color of the metal is an important factor in whether the ring

titanium-women-wedding-band

will match your look and skin tone. There are also functional considerations like durability. The most popular rings are gold and white gold. This is followed closely by silver. Titanium is growing in popularity due to how durable it is. While it may seem strange, wooden wedding rings are also in fashion. Just be careful however, as while a wooden ring is popular today it is choice that you will need to wear for the rest of your life.

The most popular stone that goes with a wedding band is a diamond. You can find all sorts of rings with different diamond sets. Other popular stones include emeralds, rubies and sapphires. Some of the very best women’s wedding bands include a mixture of these colored stones.

The style is also essential. Antique wedding rings have always been popular for their timeless style and sense of romantic history. A unique style of band is the braided rings. With these bands, the metal is made to look like it has been braided. Tri color wedding bands have three colors in the band itself and can look bright and attractive.

wedding-bands

In summary, choosing the right women’s wedding band requires you to consider the metal, style and stone settings. Now, get out there and find yourself that special ring that will be part of your romantic wedding day and future.

Checkout my other guide on Wedding Accessories.

By Frank Luca, executive summarized by Andromeda

cheap-wedding-bands

Often the couples mainly focus on buying great looking engagement rings and do not pay much attention to the wedding bands. But that is not the correct way to celebrate the wedding that also is going to be one of the cherished moments of your life. But what are the basic tips that you must be following while making the shopping?

Well, first of all, know that is the band is a simple metal ring that is needed to complete the wedding ceremony. But the simplicity of the metal does not mean that you should buy it just for the sake of the ceremony. In fact, you should be as serious and concerned in purchasing the metal ring as you were at the time of shopping for the engagement ring that you so profoundly presented to your bride.

So, the very first thing to ensure is that the wedding bands must match with the engagement ring that your bride is wearing. The ring and the band should match in metal, color, engravings and all other possible features. Usually, it is the engagement ring that the couples first purchase. So, take the ring to the jeweler’s shop and ask the jeweler to show a metal band that matches with it. It would be even better if you visit the same jeweler from whom you bought the ring. He may be having a matching ring for the wedding. Or, simply ask any other jeweler to make a new one for the occasion.

wedding-bands

There is no set rule about the metal of the band. It is entirely a personal choice. You can opt for all-yellow gold band for more intricate designs. Gold is a traditional metal and you can pick up it in 14k, 18k and 24k. Or you have also the option of combining white and yellow gold or yellow gold with platinum for a more vibrant appearance of the rings.

Your hand shape also plays a role in selecting of matching wedding bands. Consider what type of the ring will look better on your hands. For example, a too narrow band may not be suitable on a hand that is wide and has larger bones.

If your hands are wide and heavy, pick up a band that has round edges so that the pressure of it is not much on the flesh of the finger. If your fingers are slender, opt for a diagonal design of the band that will give the illusion of greater width.

Any jewelery shop is full of varieties of the rings. Do not settle for wedding bands in haste. Instead, go for an extensive comparison. Sometimes, physical jewelry shops do not allow the customers to compare much due to different reason. If that is the case with you as well, then search the internet.

The online retail jewelers not only have greater varieties of wedding bands, but their prices too are competitive and lower than physical shops. Have more aspects of the jewelery in mind before purchasing it.

Checkout my other guide on Wedding Dress.