Florida Weddings & Wedding Planning Advice

Favors By Serendipity Inc., an online supplier of wedding and party favors as well as gifts and bridal accessories, has two of it’s most successful products being featured in the Spring special issue of Brides Receptions Magazine.

San Clemente, CA (PRWEB) February 26, 2006 — Favors By Serendipity Inc., an online supplier of wedding and party favors as well as gifts and bridal accessories, has two of it’s most successful products being featured in the Spring special issue of Brides Receptions Magazine.

The two products being featured are their Plantable Daisy Seed Pods and their “Perfect Pair” Pear Candle.

In recognition of the uniqueness of this favor, their Plantable Daisy Seed Pods are featured on a full page of the magazine in the “favors” section. These favors come with a personalized tag that has the names of the bride and groom and their wedding date and includes a poem that says: “He loves me, He loves me knot, He loves me, So we tied the knot!”

Their “Perfect Pair” Pear Candle is featured on the following page and is pictured with a bow and a green leaf tag that has the names of the bride & groom and their wedding date and has the caption “A Perfect Pair”.

Favors by Serendipity Inc. has been in the wedding industry since 1997 and has been selling products on the Internet since 1999.

When it comes to weddings, the focus is usually on the bride. Everyone thinks of it as her special day, that event she’s been looking forward to since she was a child and the time when she’ll be the center of attention as she embarks on a new life. But what about the groom? It’s his day too, and one that he should plan just as carefully as the bride. Ideally it will be a once-in-a-lifetime occasion for both bride and groom, so they should share the planning and the enjoyment of that magical day equally!

Future grooms, follow these steps as you prepare for your wedding to make it a truly special occasion:

1. Select the Groomsmen Choosing the groomsmen is an important task and should be done at least a year prior to the wedding. (Plan to have one usher for every fifty guests.) Once you’ve settled on who the groomsmen will be, choose their outfits. Later you will also want to buy gifts for the men in your wedding party. These could include cuff links, a money clip, a flask, or another gift that will commemorate the occasion with a touch of class.

2. Make your Guest List You and your bride will put together separate guest lists, so think about who you want to invite. Be sure to consider family, friends, and co-workers, and consult with close relatives to confirm that you haven’t left anyone out.

3. Reserve the Wedding Location Don’t hesitate to take the initiative in finding possible sites for the ceremony and/or the reception. Your fiancee will appreciate your efforts since this can be an overwhelming, time-consuming task! Discuss with her what your budget and style are and start searching. The sooner you find the right place and reserve, the more likely you are to get the date you want.

4. Plan the Honeymoon Make your bride happy by researching honeymoon destinations and presenting her with some detailed itineraries of possible trips. She’ll know she’s picked a winner if you do your honeymoon homework and come prepared with good travel ideas!

5. Order your Wedding Bands Don’t leave this until the last minute. Go with your bride to pick them out and get fitted so that you have them safe in hand in time for the wedding. Also, leave some time between the time you receive them and the wedding day in case you need a last-minute adjustment. If the jeweler gets the sizing wrong you’ll need time to fix it.

6. Get your Marriage License Depending on where you live this can be a lengthy process that will include blood tests and possibly other medical tests. Begin researching early to determine exactly what is required in your state and how long you should expect the process to take.

So remember, your wedding day isn’t just for her - it’s YOUR special day too! Make it an occasion you’ll always cherish by planning ahead and following these simple steps.

About the Author

Todd Haness heads GroomStop.com, the leading online provider of gifts for the groom, bestman http://www.groomstop.com/bestmanguide.html ), groomsmen ( http://www.groomstop.com/groomsmen.html ), fathers of the wedding party, ushers, and ring bearers. Visit them today at http://www.groomstop.com
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Looking for a great way to say “thank you” to wedding attendants? It’s easy to give gifts that are personal and creative. Here are a few ideas to try…

1. Have a meaningful picture or sentiment imprinted on a mug and fill it their favorite candy treats.

2. Combine a book of their favorite inspirational speaker/ role model with a fancy book mark.Add a personal note telling them how they inspire you!

3. Give a subscription to a magazine in their field of interest or hobby.

4. Upgrade a basic item found on sale or at a discount retailer by having it monogrammed ( e.g. a comfy robe, towels, tote bag,etc).

5. Giving them their jewelry as the gift? Adorn a sheer drawstring fabric bag with glued flowers, pearls, etc to create a unique presentation & keepsake.

6. Turn a small photo album into a scrap book filled with pictures, sentiments and other memorable items. Leave a few pages that they can fill in with their own pictures of the wedding!

7. Create a “stay-in night” basket with a book or video they’ll love and sweet delights like a fancy hot chocolate imported cookies, etc.

8. Fill a pretty printed box with elegant note cards, stationary, pen, stamps and envelope seals to create a customized correspondence station.

9. Give a gift certificate extra pizzazz by presenting it in a thematic way (e.g. tuck a spa gift certificate in a terry robe, a restaurant gift certificate in a recipe book based on that cuisine,…etc).

10. Give the unexpected…like lingerie with a hand made potpourri bag. Just drop a bit of potpourri ( inside a perforated plastic bag) into a sheer drawstring bag. For an added touch, Hot glue the sheer bag with silk flowers and crystals.

About the Author

Sheryll Fraze is a designer of wardrobe organizers and accessories with over 15 years experience in the fashion field. She is founder of Hot Accent, an apparel care company that offers products to store, care for and travel with fine clothing and accessories.
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Engagement - What Women Really Experience before the Wedding

The flowers, the dress, the caterer, the guest list. Our focus during engagement is obvious - the ever so important details in planning the perfect wedding. Yet if we can manage to tear ourselves away from the 5th revision of the seating chart for just a moment, we realize that engagement is one of the most significant psychological transitions in our lives, packed with an assortment of tangled emotions and conflicting feelings. Inside the newly engaged woman often lie fear, anxiety, sadness and loss. It is these important internal details, so largely ignored by conventional wedding guides and planners, that an engaged woman must face and confront if she ever hopes to arrive at the altar fully prepared to enter into a healthy marriage.

Feelings of loss? There is no other time in your life when you are truly giving up one identity for another. The transition is more complex than simply taking a new last name, a literal change of identity and a decision that brings with it its own set of questions and anxieties. You are also giving up your symbolic identity as a single woman, even a child. Women often worry, “I’m losing my youth,” or, “I won’t be able to relate to my single girlfriends.” A stage in your life, the only stage you have ever experienced, is ending, and many women experience feelings of loss as a chapter closes on their lives.

What if… As one chapter closes, another begins. A chapter of commitment and togetherness. This new stage brings forth feelings of joy and excitement, but fear and uncertainty are also involved. You are entering into a partnership with another human being, causing your future’s happiness to rely so heavily on the actions of another. Needless to say, this realization can expose feelings of fear. What if our marriage doesn’t last? What if he cheats on me? What if I cheat on him? What if the passion fades and we grow apart? What if something terrible happens to him? These questions can penetrate the veneer of even the most outwardly joyous bride.

Am I making a mistake? Popular culture and society seems to conveniently ignore these questions and uncertainties. As engaged women, we hear a barrage of “congratulations!” and “what will your dress look like?” when we announce the big news. Even those closest to us neglect to recognize the importance of more internally probing questions and advice during our engagement. As a result, many women begin to question their readiness for marriage. Any feeling less than euphoric is deemed as indication of making a mistake, as we have been conditioned to believe that anxiety and confusion are a reflection of “not being ready” or choosing the wrong partner. Thus, instead of accepting and discussing these feelings, we distract ourselves with the wedding planning and ignore our internal emotions.

Harness and Accept your feelings! In reality, these thoughts could not be more normal. In every other major life transition, simultaneous feelings of loss and gain are not only expected, but encouraged. When you graduated high school, when you graduated college, when you moved away from your hometown, when you left your first job for a better opportunity, those around you understood and sympathized with your conflicting emotions. But did those feelings of sadness and loss hinder you from taking that next step and succeeding with flying colors? Of course not. You allowed yourself to address and analyze your thoughts, and then you proceeded with the change. This is exactly what you need to do during your engagement as you prepare for your journey to the altar and marriage. Realize that feelings of sadness and anxiety are normal, allow yourself to feel these feelings, and discuss and analyze them with those around you. Don’t allow your friends and family to focus on the wedding planning process to the exclusion of your internal struggles.

The engagement stage involves more than simply planning a big party. It involves introspection and emotional analysis. It involves open communication with your fiancé, family and friends. It involves acceptance of fear and sadness. Once a bride realizes the complexity of this transition, she can address her emotions and move forward in planning for both a fabulous party and a successful next chapter in her life.

For a complete guide to creating an elegant and memorable wedding celebration, visit www.elegala.com, your ultimate wedding planning resource.

About the Author

Cori Locklin is editor-in-chief for www.elegala.com and Elegala Magazine. Elegala is a new wedding wedding planning resource offering the most comprehensive portfolio of superior wedding reception sites and wedding vendors, with the planning tips to keep brides in the know on today’s planning trends and styles.
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I’m glad you found my article. Sit back and relax and I believe you will learn a thing or two.

A practised and well rehearsed wedding vow, specially when it comes from the heart, sends a certain feeling to one and all who hears it. Vows have been a long time tradition in marriage ceremonies. The pledge of a lifetime oath to each other in spite of difficulties and differences pledge that true devotion really exists. Isn’t that a warm-hearted thought?

Both the groom and bride exchange wedding vows. Commonly, the vows would include a promise of unselfishness, devotion, and unconditional love. If you are in the dark on what to write in your wedding vows, don’t be! You can find one of a kind wedding vow just by a click of your mouse. Surfing the internet for wedding vows proved to be a satisfactory source of ideas and tips that you can readily use on your wedding day. You may require to pay for the service on different sites, but you can scout one for free too.

Free wedding vows do away with the traditional and scripted promise one hears over and over again in everyday marriage ceremonies. The good thing about free wedding vows on the net, separate from the fact that they are free, they give you the independence and flexibility to write what you long for to say from your heart.

Just sitting here and writing this article a quote comes to mind that I would like to share with you - A feeling is an idea with roots. So when writing your wedding vows, write from the heart, let your feelings guide your pen and you can never go wrong. Ok, let’s continue on.

You can adapt the free sample vows you find or if you find the writing exceedingly heart-warming, you can go ahead and use it without revisions.

There are different vows you can select from. Like all things, vows can be customized according to the circumstances that you are in. There can be vows especially written for second marriage couples, couples with children, holy variations or wedding anniversaries.

Here is another qoute that just came to mind - At the touch of love, everyone becomes a poet. Plato

So using poetry as portion of a vow would be nice and it is a common practice as well. Those of Gibran, Keats and Browning are sought-after choices.

You can browse on some internet sites that can even offer a free worksheet layout and questionnaires that you need to fill out for you to easily modify your selected wedding vow. These will serve as your guideline so that you can re-evaluate what you want to say.

Before that big day, preparing your wedding vows is extremely crucial. Writing your vows together is a very extraordinary activity that is highly recommended.

When writing a wedding vow together, set a specified time and place where the two of you can have some privacy. You can jot down your promises on a separate sheet of paper and agree to compare what you’ve written after an hour or so.

Foremost, write a letter professing your love for your companion. Do not hesitate to elaborate what you are feeling. Be creative and be sure to take note of your favorite and important times together, either good or bad.

Some suggestions are the first time that you met, the moment when you ultimately said “yes” or when a worrisome situation happened but still your love for each other prevailed.

Snatch sweet lines from songs, books or scriptures that paraphrase your love for your partner. After writing down your letter, get back together and review each other’s writings. Reading the letters can be truly heart-warming. In fact, prepare to share a laugh or even occasional crying. Share your thoughts on the finest part of the letter and from there begin your outline for your vows.

The secret of a good wedding vow is making it a personal pledge to your other half and make sure that the message you convey are made clear and simple. Nothing beats anything that genuinely comes from the heart.

In closing, here is one final qoute I would like to share with you - Coming together is a beginning; Keeping together is progress; Working together is success. Henry Ford

I hope you have gotten some good ideas from this article and that you are able to use them.

About the Author

If you are looking for more information on wedding planning make sure you visit http://www.secrets-to-wedding-planning.info and remember to sign up for the free 5 day Ecourse “How to Save Thousands On Your Wedding”
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1. Get started early — at least six months ahead of time — so you and your guests can get the best deals on flights and hotels. Hotels and airlines may offer special group rates. 2. Send guests a “hold-the-date'’ notice so they can plan ahead, including getting passports if necessary. 3. Research your destination to be sure the time of year you want to marry is a good time weatherwise as well as pricewise. 4. Consider using a professional wedding planner who knows your chosen destination well. This may be a travel agent in your area who specializes in honeymoons and destination weddings or an event planner at the location. Many large hotel and resort chains have on-site wedding coordinators. Get references for satisfied customers.
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It really is as the old saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Off the top of my head there are few instances when this applies more, than pictures for your wedding.

Normally wedding pictures you see are photographs of the scenes from the wedding with most of them focused on the bride and the groom, which is as it should be, of course. But you’re missing the boat and a lot of really great moments if you don’t try to capture as much as you can on the day of your wedding. Then you’ll have tons of pictures to help you recall the way you were feeling that day long into the future.

This is why choosing your wedding photographer should not be a “last minute” type of thing. There is so much that a professional can bring to the table to help ensure your pictures turn out just the way you want them to.

Now there are quite a few things to consider before hiring your wedding photographer. Note that I go into much more detail about wedding photography and provide a 40-point photograhy shot-sheet in my new guide. check out the 5-day wedding savings ecourse for more info about it.

Here is list of some things you need to consider:

1. The Style Of Your Wedding

It’s important to decide first the style of your wedding. Will it be formal, informal, or semi-formal? Whatever style you choose will ultimately determine the kind of wedding photographer you should need.

For example, if you’re planning on a formal wedding, it’s probably best to hire wedding photographers that focus on and have experience in traditional styles, otherwise you may not get what you were expecting.

2. Your Budget

You know I’m all for using every trick in-the-book to save money on wedding planning, but if you’re going to have pictures of your wedding that you want to keep and enjoy for years down the road then you’re likely going to spend a little bit here. Here is why: not all wedding photographers are created equal, and it truly is a “you get what you pay for” deal.

3. Know What You’re Paying For

Before signing a contract with your wedding photographer, be sure you completely understand the details of what you will be getting - you must know the items or services that you’ll be paying for. A little due dilligence here will save tons of headache’s after the fact, cause if your signatures on the contract - you agreed to it!

4. Know Your Rights As A Client

There are instances when wedding photographers are so engrossed with their jobs that they no longer take some suggestions from their clients. Don’t let this happen to you! It’s your wedding, the pictures are for you, make sure you get the final say. Your wedding photographer should only assist you in your decisions.

5. The Photographer’s Complete Profile

You wouldn’t want spoiled videos or pictures, right? So, check the profile and background of the photographer. If just to get some idea on their capabilities and reputation in the industry. In the end wedding pictures can be good, bad, or perfect. It all depends on your wedding photographer, so will you hire the best?

Thanks for your time!
Mark Meyers

About the Author

Mark is the publisher of The Wedding Hub wedding planning resources website. Come and check out his new “Wedding Planning Education Center” today
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Unique Wedding Toast Service Helps Anxious Toast Givers Overcome Fear of Public Speaking. Simplified Ordering System and Multi-order Discounts also Part of New and Improved Web Services.

February 17, 2006 — ThePerfectToast.com (http://www.theperfecttoast.com), the Internet’s original custom wedding toast writing service, today unveiled a new level of personal assistance for its customer through the launch of a first-of-its-kind, one-on-one toast coaching service. This unique service helps anxious toast givers overcome the number one fear for most people – public speaking. In addition, ThePerfectToast.com has revamped its Web site to provide a streamlined ordering system that simplifies the process of ordering a toast, as well as offering multi-order discounts.

“Our customers tend to be busy professionals who recognize the value of having an expert toast writer craft the perfect speech for them, capturing all the right sentiments for the big day,” explained David Pitlik, founder and senior toast writer for ThePerfectToast.com. “ThePerfectToast.com has rescued countless anxious toast givers, helping them deliver truly memorable wedding toasts. We consistently receive resoundingly positive feedback from our customers, so we know that what we provide is meeting a valuable need.”

Over the years, ThePerfectToast.com has distinguished itself as the premier custom toast writing service for discerning toast givers with high expectations but not a lot of time. Most clients have thoughts and ideas about what they’d like to say in their toast, but can’t figure how to capture those sentiments appropriately. These same customers are equally concerned with the delivery of their speech, which is why ThePerfectToast.com has introduced this first-of-its-kind, one-one-one toast coaching service.

“This special service lets nervous toast givers speak directly with a member of our toast writing staff, who will provide them with helpful tips and techniques on how best to deliver their speech,” added Pitlik. “Toast coaching is free with every custom toast order and reflects our ongoing commitment to provide the highest level of personal attention to our customers. Our main goal is to help make each customer look great on that big day in front of their friends, family and loved ones.”

In addition to the new toast coaching service, ThePerfectToast.com has revamped its Web site, offering a simplified toast ordering system, as well as a 15 percent discount when ordering both a rehearsal dinner toast and a wedding toast at the same time. Ordered separately, each custom toast would cost $155.

About ThePerfectToast.com
ThePerfectToast.com is the original online wedding toast writing service, offering custom written speeches for the bride, groom, best man, maid/matron-of-honor, bridesmaid, groomsman, or parents of the happy couple. Our staff of expert toast writers put the perfect humorous, heartfelt, joyous and memorable words into each wedding speech, whether it’s for a rehearsal dinner or the wedding reception.

CatholicBrides.com (http://www.CatholicBrides.com) launched their new website as a premier destination for engaged couples marrying in the Catholic church.

Clicking image below takes you to the site

Conceptualized specifically for the Internet, CatholicBrides.com offers proprietary, user friendly interactive templates containing the full text for any version of a Catholic wedding ceremony. These templates enable engaged couples to create elegant Catholic wedding ceremony programs within the standard format of the Rite of Marriage as dictated by the Roman Catholic Church.Utilizing a combination of interactive templates and unique on-line proofing, the site virtually negates previous requirements for hard copy proofs to be manually faxed to the customer for their approval. By incorporating flash demonstrations and automated print file generation, the entire process maximizes the benefits of operating on the Internet.

To complement their unique wedding program services, CatholicBrides.com is also an information resource for engaged couples marrying in the Catholic church. Topics include their engagement period, planning their Catholic wedding ceremony and general information on the Catholic faith .

“Our attention to detail has won us the approval of the Conference of Catholic Bishops for both Canada and the US. We have secured all the necessary copyright permissions to reproduce in print, the entire Roman Catholic Rite of Marriage. Additionally, our recent agreements with the two largest publishers of Catholic music in North America, has positioned CatholicBrides.com as the only company authorized to produce complete Catholic wedding programs”, said Ray Hladysh, co-founder of CatholicBrides.com.

Designed in a fresh and easily navigated manner, CatholicBrides.com is focused on becoming the wedding portal for the 77 M Catholics in Canada and the US. Spurred by the maturity of the Millennium generation and the growth of the Hispanic Catholic population, the number of recorded Catholic weddings during the next few years are expected to increase steadily from the current figure of 270,000.

“As a Catholic corporation, we understand that engaged couples planning a Catholic wedding ceremony have special needs,” continued Ray Hladysh. “Our wedding programs and published articles address their requirements for information that is both relevant to their upcoming marriage and their faith. As we grow, so will the services and products that we offer.”

Visit www.CatholicBrides.com and start creating your Catholic Wedding Program.

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One of the more popular films of 2005 was the comedy hit “The Wedding Crashers”.It related the antics of two bachelors who crashed weddingsin the hope of meeting eligible women.

Jewish tradition also deals with the issue of unexpected wedding guests, but of a highly different nature.

A brief look at the three types of visitors who might “crash” a Jewish wedding provides wonderful insight into the law and lore of Jewish values, as well as a profound understanding of the Jewish wedding itself.

The three unexpected “crashers” include departed souls, the Creator, and the poor and needy.

While conventional texts of Jewish law make almost no mention of after life, according to the Zohar, the classic work of Jewish mysticism, souls of departed ancestors may be present at the wedding.

It writes: “Even though his (the groom’s) father and mother have departed from this world, they participate in every ’simcha’(joyous occasion). The Holy One, Blessed Be He,goes to the Garden of Eden and takes the groom’s father and mother, who are partners with the Creator (in giving birth to the groom) and brings them along with Him to the simcha. And all of them are present but the people are unaware.”

Other opinions go so far as to say that even the grandparents and great grandparents are present as well.

What’s so remarkable about this passage is not only that the souls of the departed participate in the wedding, but the Creator, Himself, takes them by the hand, so to speak, and personally escorts them to the wedding. And, as if this were not enough, the Creator too is a guest at every wedding!

Being the skeptic and rationalist that I am , I never placed much faith in this idea until the birth of my youngest son, eleven years ago.

Several months before he was born my mother passed away.

When we conducted his “brit milah”(circumcision) eight days after his birth, as is traditionally done, I had the strangest feeling that my deceased mother was amongst the celebrants.

I can’t explain it, but I felt her presence near.I never experienced that feeling prior to this event,nor have I since. But I’m convinced, on that special morning she was with us.

The third type of Jewish wedding crashers I’ve become accustomed to see are more prevalent in Israel than in America. These are those whom the Kabbalah refers to as society’s “broken vessels”. The poor, the hungry, and the homeless.

At my own wedding, twenty six years ago in New York, the planning of seating arrangements was a major undertaking. Taking care to make sure that each guest was seated with the right people, required considerable thought and sensitivity. Every table and chair was carefully accounted for.

In Israel, where I’ve lived for the last twenty five years, weddings are much more informal.

Usually there is not reserved seating. Guests tend to sit wherever they feel comfortable.It is not uncommon at Israeli weddings for a number of uninvited guests to also attend. These include the indigent and the less fortunate members of society.

Jewish law is very explicit in it’s demands that the wedding feast is not complete unless such guests are present and seated. The groom himself must take special care to personally attend to these guests and show them honor and appreciation. He must do his utmost to make them feel welcome. In reward for such behavior the bride and groom are assured a life of happiness and blessing.

So the next time you attend a simcha, look for the Jewish wedding crashers.These are the departed souls, the Creator, and the poor and needy.

And if you, like I, initially have difficulty finding them, rest assured that when you witness the hungry and homeless leaving the wedding hall, their handbags filled with rolls and overflowing with food… you’ll know for certain that the first two “crashers” are also present.

And you will understand why the Creator, who takes particular pleasure seeing His needy children fed and cared for (especially by the bride and groom, on this, their wedding night)personally escorts the souls of the proud, departed parents, to witness their precious children’s wedding.

About the Author

Mordechai Welt lives in Jerusalem and markets handcrafted Israeli jewelry and wedding rings. Unique styling, exceptional quality, at affordable prices. Free shipping on all orders. Visit his website: www.Isreali-Jewelry.com
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