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Learn some wedding planning tips before you say I do!
There’s nothing like the thought of having to say I do that’ll send shivers down your spine. The thought of having to walk down the aisle and see everyone staring at you is enough to put some people off. Most of us want to get married, and we love the thought of being with the person that we love for the rest of our lives. But comfortably getting to that point is not as easy as it used to be. There’s plenty of things that you need to do before saying I do. You need to be so prepared that you think about nothing but the love for your partner during the day. You don’t want to spend the day rushing around making sure everyone is happy and everything is running how it should do. So, we’re going to show you some of the things to say before saying I do, so that you can have the most magical wedding day.
A Well Planned Wedding Leads To A Magical Wedding Day
Bridesmaids & Groomsmen
Your entourage of bridesmaids and groomsmen is either going to be absolutely huge, or you'll have a small party of people following closely behind you. They’re the people who are going to support your decisions throughout, and basically just go with the flow of what you’re doing for the day. But there’s a few things that you’ll have to do to ensure they’re happy with the whole day, and the first is picking what style dress and suit you want them to have. For the females, it’s more about style and colour. An olive green bridesmaid dress might suit one girl, whereas another finds it horrible. So you start to see one big problem before you say I do, and that’s keeping everyone else happy. The best way to do so is letting them have an input into what they’re going to be wearing, and doing all day!
Wedding Favours & The Food
The wedding favours are the little bit of the day that everyone gets to take home with them. They’re called wedding favours, but they’re more like a little gift for everyone who has managed to turn up. There are so many design ideas to look at on the internet, but try and make it personal to you, or perhaps personal to the guest. It depends how much effort you want to put into this, but it is nice for your guests to go home with something great to remember the day by.
The Venue & The Photographer
These two go hand in hand. Once you’ve secured the venue, you need to find out about how many they’ll allow, where cars can pull up, and where the best location is going to be for the photos afterwards. Working closely with the venue and finding everything out from the get go will prevent any dramas. There are always reviews on the internet to guide you towards a good photographer as well! You want someone who is going to be able to capture the magic of the day that you’re having!
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Treat your guests! Make your wedding day memorable by including some of these unique ideas into your wedding ceremony and reception.
Try To Make Your Wedding Unique For You & Your Guests
Everybody wants their wedding day to be special and unique. It's the chance you get for all your friends and family to gather together to celebrate the love you and your partner share, so doing everything you can to make it memorable is crucial.
Even though it is only one day, there is still so much going on. It's a long day that starts early, and from the moment you wake up, it feels like a whirlwind that is hard to pull yourself away from. It's better for the happy couple when they know that everything will go off without a hitch while they get hitched.
Everybody Gathered
The ceremony is about the vows, rings, and final kiss sealing your union. But before that, there are plenty of ideas to make it unique for you and your guests.
Surprise ring bearers are always an excellent addition, whether it's a family pet or someone who you didn't think could make the day. You can also consider unique seating ideas like arranging the guests in a spiral so the bride walks past everybody on the way to her soon-to-be-spouse gives everyone a clear view of what's going on. This is superb for getting the perfect photo that they can share with you once everything is said and done.
Your First Walk
After the announcement that you and your partner are in this forever, your first walk gives your guests the chance to cheer, congratulate, and get their first proper pictures of the happy couple arm in arm. This walk will take place immediately after signing the register. Still, you can also do it when leaving the venue with everyone gathered outside and with the photographer in a special place to get the perfect shot.
Walking back past everyone now as a married couple gives them the chance to congratulate you, give out hugs, kisses, and celebrate your union. Once upon a time, people would throw rice, but considering that's not done anymore, confetti is a fantastic alternative. The pictures you get from this can be flush with color, and who doesn't like popping off confetti no matter the occasion?
The Downtime
There is always downtime during a wedding, and this is typically after the ceremony but before the food comes out. This isn't a bad thing, though, and it gives everyone a chance to relax and talk with the other guests while the wedding party poses for photographs.
You can make sure that everyone enjoys themselves while they wait for their dinner by ensuring the venue has a great social place for them to hang out. Ideally, there are both indoor and outdoor areas to accommodate for the weather and also giving people a place to sit down.
On the Table
While the day is very much about you and your partner, the guests are still an essential part of the event. Without them, there would be no wedding, and the guests help to make it the success you've always dreamed of.
With this in mind, it's nice to give them a little something to remember the day by. Carved table placements with everyone's name on is a good option, but so many people do this that it becomes almost a cliche. Instead, you can get them more involved in the proceedings once everyone is set down.
A list of photo challenges is a great way to get the guests engaged, and they can post it to Instagram or Facebook using your wedding hashtag. There may not be a prize for the winner, but the activity is still sure to get everybody talking, especially if they don't know each other that well.
Treats for the Guests
While you'll hope that most people can make the ceremony, this isn't possible for everybody, whether it's because of work or just not having enough space for them during the first part of the day. This doesn't mean you don't care for them as much as others; you just have to find a cutoff point.
However, those attending the after-party still have a place in your day. This can be dancing their feet off or drinking you to a drink or two. To say thank you, personalized wedding reception chocolate bars are a fantastic way for them to feel more involved in the day. The wrappers can have the date with your names on as well as their name, giving them something to take home with them after treating themselves to a little munch to get the energy pumping.
The Last Song
You want to end the day memorably, and because of this, the last dance is almost as important as the first. Regardless of you having a wedding DJ, live band, or a Jukebox for everyone to pick their favorite songs, you can finish the day by selecting a last song that will get everybody dancing.
Before the wedding, you can ask your guests to submit requests for what they would like for the final song. Often, you'll find many responses are the same, and you can go with the most popular option to end on. As for the other songs, sprinkle them throughout the rest of the evening so that everyone gets the chance to boogie.
Together Through Life
After the dust settles and you both crash into your hotel room after your big day, it will dawn on you that you have the rest of your lives together. To make every day from now on as special as your wedding day, remember to support and trust each other. Doing this means you'll not run into any problems, and if you do, you can work together to overcome them.
A Day Everyone Will Remember
Whether you want to embrace a traditional wedding or do something out of the box, your wedding will be unique no matter what. But if you're going to put a twist on your most favorite of all days, though, indulging in some of the wholly unique and wholly unique ideas can make it a day that everybody will remember, and it might even give others some great ideas for their big day, too.
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Explore some ideas on how the right decor can make your summer wedding unforgettable.
Beautiful lights can add some sparkle to your wedding when the sun goes down
Summer weddings are so popular that many people find themselves getting ready for wedding season at some point in their lives. With so many summer weddings, making yours memorable might seem like a difficult feat. One thing to focus on might be summer decor, but there are many ideas you can consider to make your summer wedding unforgettable.
Beach Theme
You don't have to be on the beach to have a wedding with a beach theme. Even if your wedding is mostly indoors, you could still create a summer atmosphere. You could do anything from a lounge area with deckchairs to bottles of colored sand decorating your tables or a seashell motif. Think of natural and earthy tones, combining sandy colors with blues and greens.
Set Up Some Evening Lights
The longer days of summer and warmer weather are perfect for partying into the night at your wedding. But when the sun does start to go down, make sure you have plenty of lighting. It's a great opportunity to set up some beautiful lights, from strings of fairy lights to candles and lanterns. Just be careful with any open flames.
Get to Know Summer Flowers
Your choice of flowers can be a big part of your wedding. Choosing seasonal flowers helps you develop a theme, and it's better for the environment too. Get to know your choice of summer flowers by looking at the infographic below, which takes you through some of the most important things that you need to know.
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Explore some suggestions for a themed wedding in this creative post, and see if you can spot a theme you love!
Don't Overcomplicate Your Theme
So, you're planning your wedding, the biggest day of your life. You know you want 'something unique' and 'something special,' but you're not quite sure what that is. Remember, it's your day, and you shouldn't worry about what other people think or what they want. It's your day, and you should have it just how you want it.
Choosing a theme for your wedding can be a tricky task, but once you have decided, then the rest of the planning will stem from your idea and work around it, making all those decisions easy and a load of fun.
If you're not sure on what exactly a wedding theme is, it is an idea or a concept that flows throughout the whole of your big day. It can be simple as your favorite color or as specific as a favorite movie or decade. No matter what you choose to have as your theme, you don't want to overcomplicate it. You want your guests to recognize the theme; you also want them to understand that this theme is personal to you.
Ideas For Themes
Perhaps there's a decade that you love or a time period that means something to you, for example, Ancient Greece is a beautiful theme to have for a wedding; it's romantic, classy, elegant, and straightforward to do. Using plenty of grapes and gold strewn throughout your venue, you could even dress your ushers up like Spartans, and it'll be straightforward to find your perfect wedding dress and bridesmaid dresses to suit this theme.
You could opt for something a little more 'out there' and choose a movie-inspired theme, something like the Great Gatsby could work as not only does it combine one of the most memorable books and films, but it also includes all of the glitz and glamour of the 1920s. Just imagine the over-the-top vintage jewelry, the embellished ball gowns, and all the bling from your decorations.
You could choose for something inspired by TV...and perhaps a little less glamorous? A Game of Thrones themed wedding offers endless possibilities, from your tables, invitations, and any other decorations can be in the theme of the various "houses" of the realm complete with the color scheme and the emblems. The bride, groom, and guests can choose from a variety of leathers, furs, long flowing lace, and Celtic knot hairstyles. Oh – and you can get married in a castle too!
A Harry Potter theme is another easy one and could be a lot of fun too, with red napkins and tall candles defining the dining hall, the table names with the houses, and there's always a place for wands and golden snitches too.
If you are a big fan of something like Star Wars or Harry Potter, then you probably don't need much advice on how to plan a wedding in these themes. When it comes to Star Wars, there are loads of ideas from glow in the dark lightsabers hanging from the ceiling, the imperial march playing as you walk down the aisle, and dancing to the Cantina Song. You could even have the ushers directing your guests to the Dark or Light Side.
If you're more into your books than TV and movies, then a literary wedding could be the one for you. Celebrate your big day with themes from literature's most famous lovers such as Romeo & Juliet or Tristan & Isolde. Instead of the standard table runner, use pages from your favorite books, and ask your guests to come dressed as their favorite literary characters.
Music might be more your thing, if so imagine a gorgeous traditional gown with some cowboy boots, and a denim jacket draped around your shoulders. Play some country music, have everyone up line dancing, and a food truck serving your guests their dinner? If this sounds good venues like Crescent Hill Acres provide the perfect barn backdrop for weddings following this theme.
A festival might be more your cup of tea or even a rock concert, and these themes give you loads of avenues to be creative. Print your tickets, post your lineup, and tell your guests to expect a lot of loud music, dancing, and light show. Add some vintage microphone decorations, a great pyrotechnics show, and swap cutting the cake with lighting a guitar on fire.
If you want your wedding to be an actual event, then go for it! Plan something that your guests will look forward to, something they can interact with and experience something like never before. Let your guests know what's to come and make sure they know that they'll need energy and enthusiasm to appreciate what's in store. Also, it' would be nice to give them suggestions and examples for outfits as well as a basic itinerary for the day so that they know how to pace themselves.
Choosing a theme for your wedding can be a tricky task, but once you have decided, then the rest of the planning will stem from your idea and work around it, making all those decisions easy and a load of fun.
If you're not sure on what exactly a wedding theme is, it is an idea or a concept that flows throughout the whole of your big day. It can be simple as your favorite color or as specific as a favorite movie or decade. No matter what you choose to have as your theme, you don't want to overcomplicate it. You want your guests to recognize the theme; you also want them to understand that this theme is personal to you.
Ideas For Themes
Perhaps there's a decade that you love or a time period that means something to you, for example, Ancient Greece is a beautiful theme to have for a wedding; it's romantic, classy, elegant, and straightforward to do. Using plenty of grapes and gold strewn throughout your venue, you could even dress your ushers up like Spartans, and it'll be straightforward to find your perfect wedding dress and bridesmaid dresses to suit this theme.
You could opt for something a little more 'out there' and choose a movie-inspired theme, something like the Great Gatsby could work as not only does it combine one of the most memorable books and films, but it also includes all of the glitz and glamour of the 1920s. Just imagine the over-the-top vintage jewelry, the embellished ball gowns, and all the bling from your decorations.
You could choose for something inspired by TV...and perhaps a little less glamorous? A Game of Thrones themed wedding offers endless possibilities, from your tables, invitations, and any other decorations can be in the theme of the various "houses" of the realm complete with the color scheme and the emblems. The bride, groom, and guests can choose from a variety of leathers, furs, long flowing lace, and Celtic knot hairstyles. Oh – and you can get married in a castle too!
A Harry Potter theme is another easy one and could be a lot of fun too, with red napkins and tall candles defining the dining hall, the table names with the houses, and there's always a place for wands and golden snitches too.
If you are a big fan of something like Star Wars or Harry Potter, then you probably don't need much advice on how to plan a wedding in these themes. When it comes to Star Wars, there are loads of ideas from glow in the dark lightsabers hanging from the ceiling, the imperial march playing as you walk down the aisle, and dancing to the Cantina Song. You could even have the ushers directing your guests to the Dark or Light Side.
If you're more into your books than TV and movies, then a literary wedding could be the one for you. Celebrate your big day with themes from literature's most famous lovers such as Romeo & Juliet or Tristan & Isolde. Instead of the standard table runner, use pages from your favorite books, and ask your guests to come dressed as their favorite literary characters.
Music might be more your thing, if so imagine a gorgeous traditional gown with some cowboy boots, and a denim jacket draped around your shoulders. Play some country music, have everyone up line dancing, and a food truck serving your guests their dinner? If this sounds good venues like Crescent Hill Acres provide the perfect barn backdrop for weddings following this theme.
A festival might be more your cup of tea or even a rock concert, and these themes give you loads of avenues to be creative. Print your tickets, post your lineup, and tell your guests to expect a lot of loud music, dancing, and light show. Add some vintage microphone decorations, a great pyrotechnics show, and swap cutting the cake with lighting a guitar on fire.
If you want your wedding to be an actual event, then go for it! Plan something that your guests will look forward to, something they can interact with and experience something like never before. Let your guests know what's to come and make sure they know that they'll need energy and enthusiasm to appreciate what's in store. Also, it' would be nice to give them suggestions and examples for outfits as well as a basic itinerary for the day so that they know how to pace themselves.
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Learn 5 top tips on how to personalize your wedding in this loving post.
Include Personal Touches In Your Wedding
When it comes to weddings, everyone definitely has their own way of doing things and their own unique style, but the problem is that there really seems to still be a lot of pressure to do things a certain way and adhere to tradition.
Although tradition certainly isn’t a bad thing, when it comes to something as personal as your wedding, it can be easy to go overboard with the traditions and have things that end up feeling stuffy and impersonal, which is really not something you want to have associated with your wedding that you’re going to be looking back on for the rest of your lives.
So, if you’re looking to have a wedding that really reflects your personality and is unique to you and your partner, then in this post we’re going to share with you some of our top tips for how to make your wedding more personal.
Personalize your save-the-date cards:
The concept of the save-the-date card has been around for many years already, and is something that comes before the formal invitation. Basically a save-the-date card is just that - something that informs people of your intention to get married on a certain date and this will even be sent up to one year before your wedding or when you officially lock down the date so that people have plenty of time to plan ahead by doing things like arranging time off from work, etc, unlike in the past when things were just said verbally and then an invitation would arrive a few weeks before the big day.
However, when save-the-date cards first became a thing, they were quite simple and really just aimed to fit one purpose and often they weren’t very personal or individual, but nowadays there are so many options to get creative with these and really tailor them to your personality and to the theme of your wedding.
So, for example, couples who may be getting married abroad may consider having something that resembles and air mail envelope, a baggage tag, or even an airline ticket/boarding pass as their save-the-date.
A couple who come from different countries may consider something like a passport style or even a visa stamp - anything that really reflects them as people and that forms part of their love story.
Another example could be a couple who share a hobby or interest that plays a role in how they met could theme their save-the-date cards to reflect that.
Design your own rings:
Wedding rings have always been a big part of the wedding iteself and since you’re going to be wearing them for a large portion of your life, then it’s important that you pick something you like and that really suits your style and personality.
However, it’s not as easy as you might think to choose a wedding ring because there are simply so many options out there to choose from, so one way around this is to get your own rings designed and made especially for your wedding.
There are many places where you can go to have a women’s and mens ring just for you designed the way you really want it and that truly captures who you are as people, both individually and as a couple.
Have a theme that means something to you both:
Again, the theme of your wedding is often quite difficult to choose because it’s something that there are a lot of options for, and if you’re like most people then you probably both have a varied degree of interests among you both, so it’s really not something that’s going to come incredibly easily - especially not when you start looking online for inspiration and find yourself nearly drooling over everything you see there.
That being said, if you want to have a wedding that’s more personal to you and your partner, then you could consider this in your theme and go with something that’s personal to you as a couple and that really highlights your relationship and your love story.
It could be a theme to do with travel if that’s how you met, it could be a shared interest or hobby or it could be around a certain song or movie - really anything that matters to you both, so a good idea is to sit down together and look at your relationship and see where you could possibly find some theme ideas to really make your wedding more personal to you both.
Make your own favors and centerpieces:
Although these will ultimately be part of your theme and decor, if you’re really looking for some additional personal touches, then instead of going with some standard floral centerpieces or the usual favors, then you can get creative and make your own to match the overall theme of the wedding and to really highlight your personalities and your relationship.
You could even do things like mixed favors, so you could have different ones for men and women - or different ones created by each of you and then lay them all on the tables for guests.
Combine tradition with your personality:
As mentioned at the start of this post, a lot of weddings really take the tradition thing a bit far which can cause the essence and personality of the couple to become a bit lost, and whilst having some tradition can definitely be nice, it’s a good idea to combine your personality in there, too.
So, for example, some couples will do things like instead of having a slow, romantic song for their first dance, they’ll create a dance together as a sort of show for their guests, there could be the bride giving a speech which isn’t traditionally done at weddings, or there have even been weddings where the couple have hired a flash mob and surprised their guests with this.
It’s not about trying to stand out and be funny for the sake of it, but it’s about truly injecting your personality into the wedding and having it showing who you are, and of course it’s also about having fun.
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Read 7 creative tips to preserve your wedding day memories in unique and thoughtful ways.
There are lots of ways to preserve your wedding day memories
Your wedding day is supposed to be the best day of your life. However, as magical as it may be, there’s no escaping the fact that it’s over in just a few hours. That being said, the memories of the amazing time you had can, thankfully, last forever. From photographs to replica cakes, there are lots of ways to preserve your wedding day memories. Your big day may only happen once, but with these seven creative tips, you can relive the wonderful time you had again and again.
1. Keep A Planning Journal
Planning a wedding is a major task, which is why most brides keep all of their ideas and research in one place, like a planning journal. Rather than throw this away once your big day is over, you should add to it and keep it as a lovely memento. You can use it to write about your proposal, keep fabric samples for your dress, and even draft your vows. Any sort of journal will do for this task, but you may want to decorate yours or spring for something a little fancier.
2. Take Some Beautiful Snaps
When it comes to wedding mementos, photographs are the option most couples first thing of. After all, a picture can tell a thousand words. That being said, not all wedding photos are on the same level. If you want to enjoy looking at yours for years to come, then ensure you shop around for someone with lots of experience, like Rachel Howden Photography. To see your wedding from other perspectives, you may also want to give your guests some disposable cameras.
3. Get It On Video
Although wedding pictures are crucial, it’s just as important that you have a videographer on hand. This will allow you to relive your wedding vows, your first dance, and view must-see candid moments of your guests. Unless you capture your big day on video, you’ll miss out on this opportunity and only see a small fraction of what went on during the biggest day of your life. Just like with photographers, you should ensure you find a videographer with skills and experience.
4. Stash The Wine Bottles
Wine, Prosecco, and champagne are classic beverages almost every couple offers at their wedding. Rather than throwing away all of your empty bottles, you should keep one or two for later. After being cleaned, these can then be used to store petals from your bouquet, confetti from your ceremony, or even well-wishes from your guests. You could also keep a few full bottles to drink together at your wedding anniversary celebrations.
5. Create A Cake Replica
After spending so much on something so beautiful, most new couples decide to keep a tier of their wedding cake and freeze it for later. The only issue with this is that so many things could go wrong. Your cake just might not taste the same after being frozen, or freezer problems could leave it ruined. For this reason, you may want to eat the entire thing sooner rather than later. To keep the memory of it alive, you can take pictures of it and hire an artist to create a clay replica.
Consider altering your wedding dress so you can wear it again
6. Makeover Your Wedding Dress
Wedding gowns are garments that are typically only worn once. Instead of leaving your dress to gather dust in a closet, you should consider giving it a makeover. You could turn it into a skirt, for example, or even alter it to create a shorter, more casual dress. This will allow you to wear your gown whenever you feel like it. If you can’t bear the thought of this, then you could take some lace from your gown and use it to create jewelry. This way, your dress can always be with you.
7. Press The Bridal Bouquet
With flowers as beautiful as the ones in your wedding bouquet, it can seem a shame only to enjoy them for one day. Thankfully, you don’t have to. As long as you keep your flowers close to you, or order another bouquet to toss to the ladies, you can preserve them for later. There are lots of ways to do this, but one of the most popular is pressing them. This is a traditional and simple way to preserve your flowers, which you can then frame and display in your home.
Your wedding may only last for one day, but, with these sentimental and creative tips, you can create keepsakes that you can enjoy for a lifetime.
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Planning A Wedding Can Be Easier Using These Tips. Read More in this contributed post.
The chances are that you’ve spent the best part of your adult life imagining what your wedding would be like, and so when it comes to planning your big day, naturally you want to ensure that it’s the most incredible day ever. Of course, the problem is that knowing how to go about planning the most incredible day of your life isn’t always an easy task - is it? There’s a lot that you need to consider, which is where things can get a little complicated.
However, that being said, there’s no need to panic. If you are smart about how you go about it, you can plan the most incredible day. Want to know what it takes to do that - then have a read of the tips and ideas below.
However, that being said, there’s no need to panic. If you are smart about how you go about it, you can plan the most incredible day. Want to know what it takes to do that - then have a read of the tips and ideas below.
Save What Inspires You To Help You Plan Your Wedding Day
Get inspired
The first step to take is to spend some time getting inspired. If you are going to plan the most incredible day, then you need to take some time to get inspired. The key to having a magical day that no one will ever forget is having the right inspiration. This can also help to remove some of the stress and worry that comes with wedding planning, which is why it’s worthwhile taking the time to get inspired. When it comes to seeking inspiration, one of the best sources to gain that inspiration from is Pinterest, as there are plenty of ideas available on there. Take the time to have a browse of the different wedding boards and make you own to save any ideas that you love to it.
Put a plan of action in place
If you don’t fancy working with a wedding planner, then you need to ensure that you have a carefully thought out plan of action in place for the entirety of your wedding, including the lead up to it. You need to ensure that you know exactly what needs to happen when and what needs to be done to ensure that everything happens on time. You need to think about everything from choosing your wedding outfits to how you will capture the day, such as by hiring a wedding photographer or videographer like Perfect Moment. You need to do all of your booking far in advance, from the venue to the band, to ensure that you don’t end up not being able to have the wedding that you’ve dreamed of.
Get help
The key to organizing a wedding with minimal stress is getting a little help. While you may not want professional help, you may want to get help from the wedding party. If you ask the bridesmaids or groomsmen to help, they will most probably be happy to do so, after all, getting more involved is what being in the wedding party is all about.
There you have it, a few useful tips for planning the most amazing wedding without any of the stress that normally comes with it. Yes, planning a wedding tends to be stressful, but the fact is that if you are smart about how you go about it, you can make the process far simpler and easier, with the key being organization.
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Have you ever thought about designing your own engagement ring? Learn how by reading this contributed post.
Your Engagement Ring Represents The Unique Bond Between You And Your Partner
Deciding to get married is one of the most wonderful, exciting things that can happen in someone's life. And right at the start of it all is that one special thing: the ring. That outward sign to the world that you're ready to tie the knot! And, let's face it, it has to be perfect. No-one wants to walk around with a ring that they hate on their finger, do they? The other thing is that you don't want it to be just any ring. This is one of the biggest things that you'll ever do; you want it to be unique and individual. Your engagement ring should be something that represents the unique bond between you and your partner. So a lot of people have taken to designing their own ring. If the bespoke approach appeals to you, then here are some tips on designing your very own engagement ring.
Pick your stone
Now, the traditional approach would tell you that diamond engagement rings are always the best option. And, let's be honest, it's a classic for a reason! If that's the direction you want to go, then you can find diamonds in all sorts of shapes and sizes to suit your personal taste. If you're interested in something a little different, or your budget doesn't quite stretch to diamonds, then there are lots of other options available. You could choose your birthstone or even a ring that combined yours and your partner's. If you wanted to you could decorate the main stone with smaller diamonds, just to get that traditional quality in there without breaking the bank. The great thing about designing your own ring is that you have the freedom to base it around whatever you like, or at least whatever your budget will allow!
Setting
Once you've got your rock all picked out, you've got to decide how it is that you're going to set it. Think about your lifestyle. Are you an active, outdoorsy type? Then a lower setting might be better. But if you prefer to really show off your style and you want everyone to see it, then why not go for a really high profile setting! Again, the choice is completely up to you! This might seem like an extremely small touch and one that you really don't need to think too much about. But this is probably going to be a ring that you're going to be wearing, along with your wedding band, for the rest of your life. You want to make sure that everything about it exactly right for you, your tastes, and your lifestyle.
Choose the band
A lot of people focus so heavily on the jewel that they forget about the ring itself. You a have few choices here, but the most common are gold and platinum. Think about your personal style as well as the jewel you've chosen. If you prefer warm shades then gold might be best, but if your style and the jewel go better with cooler hues then platinum is probably your best bet. Of course, style isn't the only thing that you should consider. You also have things like the weight and strength of the band as well. Sure, gold or silver are incredibly traditional but they can also be rather soft and delicate. If you want something a little more weighty and strong then why not consider palladium instead? Again, these might seem like incredibly inconsequential changes but the truth is that crafting the perfect engagement ring is always going to come down to the little details and how you're able to make them work to achieve what you really want out of them.
Consider Your Budget When Purchasing An Engagement Ring
Consider your budget
This might not be the thing that you really want to think about, but budget is always going to factor into the kind of ring that you're going to have when the day of the proposal arrives. Whether your partner is taking care of the cost of the ring or you're doing something a little more modern and splitting the cost between you, you need to make sure that you're working within your means. After all, as wonderful as it is to promise yourself to your partner, the last thing you want is to one or both of you to end up bankrupt for the sake of a ring. Sure, this might mean that there are some compromises that you might have to make, but you can almost certainly still find something really wonderful, even if you end up having cut a few corners here and there.
What about two rings?
Now, if you're a real stickler for tradition when it comes to your engagement and your wedding, you might want to look away now since this bit suggests something really rather unusual and different that more and more people are doing these days. Instead of a single engagement ring, why not get two, one for each of you? After all, as wonderful as it is to get to wear that all-important ring, your partner might feel like they're missing out on it as well. Not only that but it lets you take on the role of the one proposing as well as the one being proposed to! Again, this really isn't going to be for everyone but if you're interested in doing something a bit different that puts the two of you on equal footing then it's certainly something that's worth considering at least.
You might be thinking, "wait! Why am I the one doing this?" Well, why not! It's the Twenty-first century, after all; there's nothing wrong with having a hand in designing your own engagement ring! There's something wonderful about going through this process along with your partner to make sure that it's perfect. Sure, you might want to leave the planning of the proposal to them so you don't spoil the surprise for yourself, but being able to communicate with each other and plan these kinds of things is going to be great practice not only for your wedding but for your marriage as well!
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Are you engaged? Be inspired and plan an extraordinary destination wedding after you read this post!
Consider Travelling To Another Place To Have Your Wedding
Congratulations on your engagement! We are sure that now you are officially engaged, you are about to start planning your wedding. It doesn’t matter what type of wedding you want to have, you might be thinking about traveling abroad to have your ceremony. If this is the case, then it is a good thing that you have come across this page because we are going to talk about some extraordinary places for you to have your wedding. Hopefully, some of these will inspire you to look across the seas for your own wedding. Let’s take a look at some ideas.
France
Have you ever thought about having your wedding in Paris? The City of Love is a beautiful and romantic place for you to celebrate your wedding if you can manage this. There are lots of places and picturesque settings where you could enjoy your big day around Paris. If you go online, you will find a whole list of stunning destinations with gorgeous views that anyone would be lucky to see on their wedding day.
Paris is not the only place that you can go for a beautiful wedding in France. You can go to Normandy where there are a variety of wedding venues on offer, or you could head over to Loire Valley. There really is a whole range of places to choose from in this wonderful country.
Italy
Whether you think of Venice or Rome when we say Italy, you are sure to find a beautiful location to host your wedding. Italy is a very popular destination when it comes to people deciding where to have their wedding, and this is for a good reason. There are so many beautiful fields, buildings and backdrops to choose from here, it hard to see why everyone doesn’t have their wedding here.
One of the things that you can do here is head to the Amalfi Coast for your wedding. This stunning location provides exceptional views and would be the perfect backdrop for any wedding. Don’t forget to hire your Amalfi coast photographer though, you aren’t going to want to miss a single second, and if you have the photos, you don’t have to.
Florida
A Disney Wedding Is the Ultimate For Any Disney Fan
For Disney fanatics, you might want to consider heading over to Disney World. Their wedding pavilion rivals any other destination that you could think of if Disney is something that you are in love with. Imagine getting married in their beautiful Pavillion and then heading straight into the Magic Kingdom to celebrate your wedding day. For a true Disney fan, it really isn’t going to get any better than this.
Disney offers a wedding package for those of you who are interested in something like this. If you go on their website, you will find more details about this including price and availability.
We hope that our list of extraordinary places to have your wedding has inspired you to have your wedding abroad. It can be quite tough to manage sometimes, but the beautiful location is worth every second.
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Money saving tips to help you plan your dream wedding while sticking to your budget are explored in this contributed post.
Plan Your Wedding Budget To Avoid Overspending
Let's face it, when it comes to getting married, there is so much that goes on in order to make the day a perfect one - one from your dreams and fantasies. Now to ensure the day lives up to those expectations, there is a lot that needs to be done which all adds up financially until you're left with an overall price that means no holidays for at least three years. It's painful to think about the costs, and yet that's what planning a wedding consists of, and a lot of people overlook it because it is only one day. Having said that though, there's no reason to go overboard if you really don't have to. That doesn't mean necessarily missing out on things, it's just delving a little deeper to get the best prices.
Here are some ideas to get you thinking.
The budget
First of all, you absolutely need to make a budget so you know what you have to work with. Traditionally it's known for the Father to pay, but it doesn't always work out this way anymore - people have become a lot more independent which is great, although it may change the overall budget. The tip to keeping within the budget - it only looking at things within your price range. For example, when looking for a dress, or a tux, the worst thing you can do is go in and find 'the one', only to realise it's over double your price limit. This is both soul destroying and exasperating, so don't put yourself in this kind of situation to begin with.
A friend
If you have a good friend or family member that you trust with your life, then assign them a job that you would normally pay someone to do. Like a wedding planner. These are pretty pricey services, and are also rather unnecessary if you have other helping hands available. Of course, don't give a job to someone that you know will be incapable otherwise it may all end in tears. But if you have a budding photographer that loves to snap, then add them to your photography team. You could even get them stuck in to a wedding photography workshop so they know exactly how to ace it.
A discount
Always be on the lookout for discounts. One of your best friends throughout your wedding planning, will be the internet. You can find anything there, and there are even comparison sites that will compare prices on things like venues, flower arrangements, and even catering. So never settle if you're unhappy, there is always a second cheaper option. Keep your eye out for sales that happen during certain months if you book them for a specific time too. And be sure to ask your circle of people about any recommendations they have, as you may just get some money knocked off because of the referral.
So as you can see, sticking to a budget doesn't affect the day as much as you may have imagined.
