Incommendation

Reading this article does not necessarily mean that if you are married then your marriage is sinking. However, if you believe that living under a single roof means you have to compromise with your spouse then your marriage will definitely sink. The word ‘COMPROMISE’ itself carries a negative energy. You have to eliminate this word from your belief to stop your marriage from sinking.

You and your spouse are the pillars that support the single roof under which you live. Both of you have to be equal to stop the roof from tilting. Here, equal does not mean you have to be of equal heights but you have to be equal in carrying out your responsibilities and duties. If one pillar is slightly higher than other then giving half of the difference of pillar heights will make the two pillars equal. This suggests that you should help your spouse in his/her weaknesses so that the roof does not get tilted.

For the roof to remain stable and in its position, the pillars have to be strong. This in turn requires the base of pillars to be very strong. In the same way, the base of your marriage which is nothing but LOVE has to unconditionally true and strong.

Even the real cement concrete pillars require repairs at many times. Similarly, there may creep some tensions in your marriage and then you need to revive your relationship again. It is infact simpler than repairing a physical pillar. There are so many ways for it. Suppose your spouse is angry and in high-tone, simply be quite and listen instead of following the same track as that of your partner. If you are angry with your spouse on his/her bad habits then simply write few of his/her good points.

You change the color of pillars in your house to keep it lively. Similarly, keep doing different funny things with each other to keep your married life as colorful as a rainbow.

But, if the pillars height difference is too much then it is better to replace it with an equal pillar rather than repairing it. In other words, if all the ways of having a happy married life are exhausted then it is better to get divorce and if you like marry someone with whom you feel you can erect up a stable roof.

To sum up, it can be said that only strong and equal pillars will have a stable roof and those under it will feel lively if pillars are colorful. So, for happy married life, love your spouse immensely and unconditionally. Share responsibilities and duties with each other. Keep doing things that you both enjoy. If the roof of your marriage is stable and colorful then those under it i.e. your kids will get a healthy and positive environment for their growth.

Syed Feroz Zainvi has obtained M.Tech. (Comp Sc & Engg) degree from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (INDIA). His areas of interests are distributed computing, computer graphics and Internet Technologies. He also loves to write on Life, Philosophy and Spirituality. Currently, he is involved in Software Project Planning, Development and Management. His other interests include writing for magazines and contributing utility softwares on Magazine’s CDs. He also have flair for teaching computer science with new teaching methodologies.

His web-page URL is http://zainvi.tophonors.com

There are many benefits to having your wedding, renewal of vows, baby naming or other ceremony at home. The obvious ones are that there is no venue hire, you don’t have to work around other bookings, you are not restricted as far as access for setting up, nor hurried to finish up and get out at a set time. In addition, you are on familiar territory, and all your normal domestic facilities are conveniently to hand.

But a ceremony at home can also turn into a chaotic mess, and there can be health and safety issues if you don’t follow a few simple guidelines which will ensure you avoid the pitfalls:

Right Sizing

Before you make a single other decision, you need to work out what the maximum number of people (not just guests) your home can accommodate. And this all comes down to one simple thing – people divided by toilets. The average person goes to the toilet once every three hours. The average toilet to guests ratio that venues work on is that you need one toilet for every 70 people. But that is presuming that toilets visits are spread evenly, which is never the case. Particularly if people have traveled some distance, you could get a queue before the ceremony starts, and then another peak some 2-3 hours later. If there will be children, senior citizens, or pregnant women on your guest list you can expect more frequent comfort stops will be required. In my experience, for a home ceremony, no more than 35 people per toilet is workable.

Regardless of the number of toilets available, however, the maximum number of guests that can be accommodated to ensure a successful ceremony is dictated by the maximum number of people that can be accommodated by the inside room or covered space that you would use in case of bad weather.

Arrival and introduction of guests

If you are planning on making an entrance, delegate someone to meet and greet guests as they arrive. If there are to be a large number of guests, it may be appropriate to delegate this task to several people.

Ensure that someone is delegated to meet and greet your celebrant and that there is a quiet space available so the celebrant can brief participants if there hasn’t been a rehearsal or participants haven’t been able to make the rehearsal.

The Ceremony Space

There are three things to consider when deciding where in your home or garden to hold the ceremony

• The Space

  Layout is important – your guests should be close enough to where you and the celebrant will be standing to form an intimate grouping and ensure that everyone hears and sees the ceremony. There needs to be an attractive backdrop, and guests should not be squinting into the sun. Backlit photographs will mean that most of them will show the ceremony participants in silhouette, and the full detail of the ceremony won’t be captured. The layout needs to be in place before the guests arrive.

• Noise

  Houses and gardens can be quite noisy places. Outside ceremonies are subject to all manner of external noise disturbances such as aircraft, animals, lawnmowers etc. If holding your ceremony during the day time, you might consider asking your neighbors to not use their lawnmowers or power tools for the period of the ceremony (allow a little leeway either side). If noise is likely to disturb the ceremony, it may be more appropriate to hold the ceremony indoors, but noise can also be a problem indoors. While you might have become so accustomed to your noisy air conditioner or fridge the video camera is going to pick it all up if the ceremony space is too close to the noise source.

• Weather

  Consider both hot and inclement weather. There should be a suitable space either inside or under cover in case bad weather prevents holding the ceremony outside. Severe sunburn can occur in a very short time, and heat and sun can cause dehydration in children and older guests, particularly at the hottest time of the day so it is best to position everyone in the shade for a daytime ceremony. To guard against dehydration think about making sure everyone has water or other non-alcoholic liquid as they arrive.

Animals and Children

Any domestic animals that could interfere with the ceremony, or become unsettled by the guests, should be shut away or put in the kennels for the day.

Small children can find it difficult to be quiet and listen to the ceremony. If there are to be large numbers of small children attending you may find it useful to delegate someone to take care of them away from the ceremony space. Provision of play leaders or even a jumping castle has been very successful in my experience, but something as simple as a child-friendly video and a ’sitter’ works well too.

Health and Safety

There are some basic safety rules that should be followed:

• Entrances and exits to the property and to the ceremony space should be clear and safe to use.

• Garden ponds and pools are a potential hazard for young children and thus access to them should be made safe.

• Any sort of construction in your garden, whether temporary, such as a hired marquee, or permanent, such as a deck or gazebo, should be well erected, properly secured and safe.

• Outside electrical equipment, for example sound equipment, must be safe. There should be no trailing leads, wires or cables. Leads and cables should be kept well away from walkway areas, and firmly taped down.

Insurance

For your own piece of mind make sure that your domestic insurance policy covers third party liability for visitors.

Jennifer Cram is an accredited General Civil Celebrant based in Brisbane Queensland Australia where she specialises in performing one of a kind Naming Ceremonies as Beautiful as your Baby,Unforgettable Commitment Ceremonies, The Heart Moves on Divorce and End-of-Relationship Ceremonies, and a range of other ceremonies. For more information about her ceremonies visit her website http://www.jennifercram.com and/or her Baby Naming Blog.

Copyright © 2006 Jennifer Cram. You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.

Wedding thank you cards are cards sent by newly married couples to the guests present at the wedding. These cards gained popularity over the last few years and are considered a great advantage for busy newlyweds.

Wedding thank you cards express thanks to the guests who made the occasion an auspicious and memorable one. It is a way of expressing gratitude and sincere wishes to the friends and relatives for attending the wedding as well as for their thoughtful wishes and gifts.

Generally, the cards are smaller in size and are available as pre-printed or blank inside. On the blank ones, the couple can write or print a note of thanks in the blank space. Some people send handmade cards in order to add a personal touch to the thank you being sent. People even send thank you cards with the wedding photo attached to very special persons who might want a copy of it.

Usually, wedding thank you cards are sent within a period of three months after the marriage. Electronic wedding thank you cards are very much in vogue today. These cards save the labor of card hunting in retail outlets, mailing the cards, and all the related hassles. Moreover, speedy delivery is guaranteed. However, as some may strongly feel, electronic cards cannot give that feeling of warmth and proximity assured by printed cards.

Wedding thank you cards are one of the most appropriate ways to convey thanks to all those who attended the function including host and hostesses of bridal shower, engagement party, and rehearsal dinner. There are a number of wedding shops that sell these cards, but they can also be ordered online.

Your flower girl is a precious part of the ceremony. Let her know how thrilled you are to have her as part of your wedding party with a gift of flower girl jewelry. She may seem to have an easy job of sprinkling flower petals down the aisle for your walk to the altar. However, chances are she is nervous and is scared that she might mess up. Most importantly, she symbolizes that girl you once were. She is helping you in your celebration of love and marriage. That occasion deserves flower girl jewelry.

Typically, the average age of the flower girl is six to ten years of age. She is a cute little girl who was so excited to be chosen for the honor. Sure, she is happy that you wanted her in the wedding, but she is also bursting with joy because she gets to have her hair done like the grown-ups and wear a pretty dress. And she is taking her duties seriously. What better way to reward her than with some flower girl jewelry?

However, what kind of flower girl jewelry do you get her? A bracelet? Earrings? A necklace or anklet might work too. There are several factors to consider in choosing appropriate flower girl jewelry. The first factor is her dress. What does it look like? Is it a replica of the bridesmaids dresses? Sometimes, that may be the case, but more often than not, it may be the same style, but a different color. Does the dress have a specific neckline? Perhaps a necklace is an appropriate choice of flower girl jewelry.

Another factor in your quest for choosing flower girl jewelry is her age. If she is a little young, perhaps a necklace with a detachable pendant would be an option. That way, once she grows out of the necklace, she can remove the pendant and put it on a longer chain. Does she have a charm bracelet? Buy her a special charm as her flower girl jewelry to commemorate her participation as your flower girl.

Does she have her ears pierced? Another option for flower girl jewelry is earrings. Anklets are fun for little girls too. Perhaps finding a flower girl jewelry gift set to complete her ensemble is appropriate. There are a multitude of options in retail stores and on the internet for flower girl jewelry. However, why not make it extra special and personal by creating it yourself?

Bead stores offer great options in colors and materials. You could choose your own clasps and beads for the flower girl jewelry. Since she is a kid, you would want to buy materials that are resilient against everyday kid activities. Custom design what you want, then start stringing the beads up! If you don’t feel comfortable crafting it yourself, you can usually arrange for an employee at the bead store to do it for you for an additional fee. Still, you can say that you did design the flower girl jewelry yourself!

The presentation of the flower girl jewelry is a part of the gift-giving itself. Buy her a Barbie doll and display her flower girl jewelry on it. Purchase a musical jewelry box and put the flower girl jewelry inside. One fun way is to try your hand at a Build-a-Bear workshop. Bring material from the flower girl dress and have them fashion a miniature version for the bear. Show off the flower girl jewelry on the bear.

The flower girl jewelry you find will be a wonderful keepsake for your flower girl. She will treasure it and probably won’t be able to wait to show it off! Not only will she be able to wear the flower girl jewelry at the wedding, but she will have it to wear for years to come. And she will always remember the special day that she got to sprinkle those flower petals in your path to wedded bliss.

Dave Poon is the owner of Engraved Gift Creations. We take the headache out of selecting gifts for your wedding party, whether they are Groomsmen, Best Men or Bridesmaids. Stop by and see our selection of groomsmen gifts at EngravedGiftCreations.com

The bid day is coming! That’s right, your wedding is approaching. Don’t be nervous, everything will fall into place. We’ve heard it all before: your wedding day is around the corner and you still haven’t found the perfect garter. Take a deep breath and relax. You aren’t the only bride-to-be who has been in this situation. Fortunately, there are other married women out there who’ve sat in your seat before. So lend your eyes to this advice: don’t choose a wedding garter that is store-bought. We mean it! Unleash your creativity and customize your own bride’s garter! Don’t roll your eyes, it’s actually quite simple.

There’s something special to be found when customizing once piece of your wedding attire. No other bride will have a garter like yours. Your wedding garter will be unique in design and can pretty much convey anything you want it to. Whether your garter is elegant, fun, simple, or cute; it should employ your personality. Let your imagination run wild.

A bride who has decided to customize her own garter should immediately measure her thigh. Once she has an accurate measurement, she can start purchasing supplies. First you’ll need the elastic, which will be needed for the garter. The elastic should be 2-3 inches shorter than the measurement of the bride’s thigh. Next you’ll want to start shopping for a fabric. Please note: whatever fabric the bride chooses should be 3 times longer than the elastic. It should also be 4 inches in height.

A word of advice: avoid fabric that may irritate your skin! While lace may look very beautiful, it can certainly drive some women insane! Bear in mind that you’ll be dancing and mingling all night long. The last thing you want to feel is discomfort on your special day. Silks and satins are strongly recommended, as you won’t even know that they’re on your thigh. The goal here is to work with something that you’ll feel comfortable wearing. Ideally, you want a garter that you barely know is there.

Now that you’ve purchased the brides garter items, you can fold the 4″ (in height) material you’ve selected in half. Insert the elastic through the fabric. Stitch the fabric together with a matching color thread. Now that you’ve finished, you can sew trinkets onto the garter like a charm bracelet. Hearts, flowers, a key to the best-man’s apartment (that’s a joke!) — anything light that dangles will do just fine. It makes for excellent presentation. Remember, a brides garter is meant to be fun and quirky. Get creative with your design!

Jen Carter is owner of My Wedding Blog, a free wedding planner. You may publish our articles on your website only if you do not edit the article in any way, and include the above html as a direct link to our site.

The bride glides down the aisle, her white dress gleaming in the muted candle light. The groom and his attendants add contrast with traditional black tuxedos. Bride’s maids and maid-of-honor stand in ballet-length dresses of soft blue. The ring bearer and flower girl giggle as they wiggle beside the adults.

The preceding paragraph contains details full of imagery. Any reader can “see” the bride’s trek down the aisle. However, are the details given the ones readers want? The words add nothing but unneeded padding to a newspaper account. For a story, the information may add needed atmosphere, yet it could be a distraction that stops the flow of the story. The details given wouldn’t help prepare for the wedding. Let’s examine, according to the purpose, what details are needed about a wedding.

First of all newspaper articles need the facts, only the facts, as Sergeant Joe Friday stated in the Dragnet series. The facts concerning a wedding include several things: the names of the bride and groom, names of their parents, their home towns, names of attendants, brief description of gowns, and a few other personal details such as where the couple work or attend college. Imagery, such as would be found in poetry, is avoided.

In a journal or diary entry, any kind of detail wanted can be used lavishly. Imagery, atmosphere, thoughts, feelings, or moods are vital additions to such writings. The writer can pour any and all impressions as well as physical details into words to be recorded.

Stories of other types need only the amount of detail to give readers a mental picture required for the purpose of the plot. A writer should avoid information which would derail the flow of the story. If the reader would skip the exposition, then the details are not needed and are wasted effort. The word-painting of a wedding should be as long as necessary and include enough detail to make the reader “see” the event to the extent required for the story to be complete.

Details should be exact and listed for preparation for the wedding itself. Someone, usually the wedding planner (whether a paid professional, a friend of the bride, or even the bride herself), keeps track of what needs to be done and has been completed. The wedding planner may have one list while the bride has another, a personal one. Keeping track of details before the wedding makes the event smoother.

Therefore specific details have their place, planning for a wedding rather than writing about it. The purpose is what determines the extent of the information used. A “detailed” wedding plan results in a flawless, or nearly flawless, wedding. A too-detailed news release could mean an article not printed. Too much detail can halt the flow of a story.

A retired teacher, Vivian Gilbert Zabel has a portfolio on http://www.writing.com, and she has two books, Hidden Lies and Other Stories and Walking the Earth: Life’s Perspectives in Poetry on Amazon.com. This article has been submitted in affiliation with http://www.Prye.Com/ which is a site for Wedding Invitations.

The ever-changing Bridal trends usually underestimate the importance on the Bride’s budget that only a discount wedding dress may offer. In 2006, the hottest trend is diamond or rhinestone hair accessories, adopted from celebrities wearing diamond tiaras the year before.

However, for a bride with a limited budget such accessories can only be affordable when they can save a bit of extra money. As for an example, investing in a wholesale wedding dress instead of a designer wedding dress, so the right selection of a hairdo and the hair accessory itself will become the shimmering focus point of the attire.

Another trend widely adopted during 2006 is the use of hot colors for the wedding dress. When it comes to an informal wedding dress, the bride can even mix more than two colors in the attire. When we say “hot colors”, we are referring a real intensive ones, including deep orange and chocolate brown.

Although, it may be hard to find these colors available in a wholesale wedding dress, hot colors for brides have been used in Oriental marriage traditions for many centuries including red, the color of the imperial wedding gown worn in Hong Kong and Japan. In our Western Culture, the 2006 hot colors are paired with other pastel colors such pink, cream and blue.

Brides who marry near the end of the year may take advantage of getting a discount wedding dress in hot colors, as the proximity of the new trends will be around the corner. New trends also dictate color in unexpected places, incorporating color into their look using colored crinoline underskirt or wearing shoes with details in contrasting colors.

Metallic embroidery and fabrics in a wedding dress are trendy this year adding embellishment even to an informal wedding dress. This shimmering look resembles the trend of Vogue during 2005, so it may be easier to find a good wholesale wedding dress with such characteristics.

The old tradition of bride’s monograms placed on everything, from underwear to invitations, is over now. 2006 trends remark the importance of creating wedding logos designed by the couple, generally made of any element other than their initials, names, letters or traditional wedding elements.

The disadvantage of this is that you cannot stick a logo on a wholesale wedding dress, contrary to a monogram, that once embroidered to the fabric; it makes the gown resemble a designer wedding dress.

Wedding dress trends as of 2006 includes donating your wedding dress after the ceremony to help hurricane and earthquake victims from all over the world, so brides can also make a difference with a generous charitable attitude.

You have invested a lot of time and energy in your marriage. For some reason, you just can’t seem to make things work. You and your mate aren’t talking to each other like you used to; you have started to sleep separately; or perhaps you or your mate have been unfaithful. There are a million reasons why a married couple might consider divorce, and sometimes it just doesn’t feel like the right thing to do. Sometimes, one or both spouses still have enough feelings for the other to want to prevent a divorce.

There is a reason why judges insist that both people be in agreement on a divorce before they will actually grant one. The process is a very simple one; in that if one spouse doesn’t agree to the divorce, there is always a chance that the marriage could be saved. If you are in a situation where you want to stop your divorce, there are many avenues that you can take that just might help you to save your marriage.

For starters, you can give marital counseling a try. This is not to say that it will definitely work for you and your spouse; however, it may just be the best route for you. When you go to marital counseling you are given the opportunity to voice your grievances about your spouse with an impartial party. Marriage counseling has helped millions of couples to find the reason they married in the first place. It helps many couples to reconnect. It is also a great way to get the tools that you will need in order to maintain that connection throughout your marriage. Of course, this method works best when both spouses are willing to participate fully.

You can also try to save your marriage by taking part in a marital retreat. Many churches and local clubs offer retreats for married to couples who are having problems. These retreats are geared toward helping those couples who are interested in taking part with other couples in group therapy sessions. This is also a great way for the couple to get away from all of the hassles of their daily home life while working on their marriage. When you don’t have pressures like children and work to interrupt you, it makes it much easier for couples to focus on what’s really important.

You should never wait until your marriage is in a shambles before you finally take notice as to how important it is to you. When you do that all you are guaranteed is that you will eventually be faced with this problem. You have to be willing to talk and listen in a marriage. You also have to be willing to let some things slide every now and then. In the end, the only thing that can really keep a marriage together is if both people want it that way. Sometimes, it is just better to cut your losses and move on.

While wedding toasts are very common, it can be difficult to give a great toast if you’ve never done it before. Sure, you see the movies where toasts are spoken as if they are poetry, seemingly with no forethought or effort. You might find it difficult to do this, which is why you should give a toast like the famous.

Be prepared! Even mega stars such as George Clooney who just found out he will be hosting Brad and Angelina’s wedding come prepared. Sure, he is the typical alpha male that seems relaxed and ready for anything, but do not kid yourself into believing that he will be able to host the wedding and give a toast without some planning! There will be plenty of people at Brad and Angelina’s wedding as well as any other upcoming celebrity wedding that will have had some help in writing their toast for the famous couple!

Do Some Research

Search your library or even the Internet for some great quotes on weddings to sort of incorporate into your speech. You don’t have to do something overly tacky or sentimental if that is not your personality, but there are some great sentiments that can help you express your thoughts, feelings, and happiness for the new couple. Most famous people have toasts and speeches prepared for them, and when you do some research you are basically using something old or something you’ve found elsewhere to really help you say what you need to say in an elegant way! Unfortunately, most of us do not have script writers on hand to help us write a toast, so the best thing you can do is look up some great toasts that have been used in history.

Use What You Know

If you know that the couple really likes a certain poet, look at some of the poems by the poet, and see if you can’t somehow incorporate a line or a thought of the poet. This is what many famous people do because it shows that they really thought about the couple when planning their toast, instead of just writing something really generic. Using what you know is always the best idea, and if you don’t know much, well then you just have to sort of wing it, but using sayings from history or from famous authors or other celebrities is a great idea. It’s very hard to find actual celebrity wedding toasts that have been used in the past because these things are usually kept private, but look for sayings on love, marriage, and living a happy, healthy life.

Some Ideas

A couple of ideas are written below to help you start thinking in the right direction. Remember that toasts usually are a bit silly, so get in the right frame of mind, and start planning how you will give your celebrity-esque toast! Below are two commonly used toasts that have undoubtedly been used for celebrities past and present.

Idea #1: Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.

Idea #2: Seek a happy marriage with wholeness of heart, but do not expect to reach the Promised Land without going through some wilderness together.

These ideas should give you some idea of what you are aiming for. Remember that even the most practiced celebrity plans for any and all public appearances and speaking, so plan for yours to make sure that your thoughts come out as well thought out as they should be!

Written by James Nardel, expert author at www.EasyWeddingToasts.com. For more information on wedding toasts and wedding speeches and toasting tips visit www.easyweddingtoasts.com

Congratulations on your engagement! Now it’s time to start planning your dream wedding. This can be a very daunting task, but not to worry, there are tons of resources available to help you plan everything from the initial preparations to the wedding itself and even life after the wedding.

The importance of staying organized cannot be overlooked. Planning worksheets, online resources, and a good old fashioned notebook or binder go a long way in keeping the integral details of your wedding neat and in order to avoid any unnecessary panic or worry as your big day approaches.

It is best to determine the wedding budget right from the beginning. There are many costs to consider when planning a wedding, so it is wise to sit down and discuss the financial impact of the celebration before making any definite plans. Deciding how much the bride and groom have to spend and how much assistance, if any, the couple will receive from family will immediately play a key role in determining the wedding budget.

Many wise couples do not wish to go into debt for their wedding. Financial experts advise against unlimited spending, knowing it is better to start a marriage without needless liabilities. It is easy to fall into either one of two traps: expecting more monetary wedding gifts than actually received and under-budgeting for wedding and honeymoon expenses. Keep in mind that this is your one special day, but a beautiful, personalized and meaningful wedding can be planned on any budget. Be sure to be realistic about expenses, realizing that a lower price may mean a lower quality of service, but savvy negotiations can yield opportunities once thought to be out of reach. Careful itemization of each expense will make the wedding budget a success, and securing estimated prices with a contract for each service will help keep you within your budget.

When budgeting, it is essential to determine who will be paying for what. The traditional guideline of financial responsibilities can be used as a starting point, but keep in mind that many couples are financially independent and may wish to pay for the entire event out of their own pockets. And the guideline is just that; a starting place for your perusal. However you end up breaking down the budget and financial responsibilities must work with your own situation and need not follow any ‘rules’. Remember that no matter what financial assistance is offered, the wedding is ultimately the couple’s financial responsibility.

Rebecca Sherman is an editor at ModernWeddingPlanner.com
Planning a Wedding? Our Free Wedding Planner and Wedding Planning Guide has sections to track guest information, RSVP’s, budgets, shower and wedding gifts and More! Plus export your data to Excel.