Remember your college days? The good times which you shared with your friends during those long lost yester-years still replay frequently through your head. Remember all of your friends? How they aspired more then anything to have the picture perfect family and a career to die for after graduation. Those were the days weren’t they?

How many friends of yours actually planned out their weddings while in school? Surely there was talk amongst the female student body of what flowers they would want, or even what type of bridal shower and bridal shower favors they would want. After all college days meant that you had little to worry about except your next exam, so surely there was spare time for you and your friends to talk amongst yourselves and even discuss your futures. It is common knowledge that a woman’s favorite flower is often incorporated in some way into her wedding shower favors, so sometimes it pays to listen and pay attention to your classmates daydreams.

The reception is a wonderful, after ceremony affair at which the bride and groom are officially introduced to the guests and are given a fond departure into the world. It is the launching off point of the bride and groom’s life and honeymoon, provided you are taking one immediately after the ritual.

Traditionally, this is paid for by the father or parents of the bride but lately, etiquette has provided that just about anyone can foot the bill. More and more often, the bride and groom have opted to do this. To me, this always made sense. It is after all, the bride’s big day. Paying for and planning the wedding should be her responsibility, that way, if there are specifics that she wants and/or needs, she just included it in their budget.

Another question that usually pops up concerns the bridesmaid’s gowns and who pays for them, but this is a simple question to answer. The bridesmaids pay for their own dresses if it is something that can be worn to other functions. If the bride wants a themed wedding, then she will have to foot the bill. It is that simple and it is that fun.

Do you remember as a small child, watching The Little Mermaid or even Beauty and the Beast? As enchanting as these childhood movies were and still are, they had some familiarities. Everyone knows that the Little Mermaid finds love, and of all places it is not under the sea, just like the main character in Beauty and the Beast.

Both of the main characters in these movies meet their very own personal prince charming. Now you know how the plots play out, they fall into forbidden love of sorts, and get married. Now since there are weddings in these two films, how come we never see any bridal shower favors or wedding shower favors? Were these two strikingly and breathtakingly beautiful princesses deprived of a bridal shower? It seems as though old Walt Disney over looked a couple of things while putting these films together.

The best way to plan your coming wedding is to start with a budget and then stick to that budget no matter what. Start with something reasonable, taking into consideration that food and entertainment are likely to be your biggest costs and plan the rest around that. Do not be afraid to negotiate with the vendors that are vying for your business. While some do not negotiate, some will. It never hurts to try and in fact, they would be surprised if you don’t.

Food is likely to be one of your biggest costs as it will be on a per head basis. The more people you invite, the more it is going to cost. Food and drink, not counting alcoholic beverages for 100 guests at a low fifty dollars per guest will set you back. Then the bar, if you decide to have one will usually cost anywhere from one to three thousand for 100 people is you figure the event to last four hours. More as the headcount goes up or the reception runs over.

In the eastern part of the world, where the Asian countries are located, weddings are also a very significant event, just like in the West. When a wedding in the family has been announced, family, friends and colleagues become very excited. The first thing they do is to congratulate the couple. Next, they go forward and ask if there is any way in which they can help the couple with the wedding plans. Sometimes, a rich aunt or uncle steps forward and offers to pay for the couple’s wedding reception. Though this is not done often, there are times when it has happened.

Asians as a people and race are known to be accommodating. In view of this, wedding plans are made in respect of elders, especially the parents of the bride and groom. It is quite common for the Father of the Bride to pay for the wedding, but as times have changed and society has progressed, the couple to be married usually saves up for their big day and pays their way through the entire occasion.

When proposing to a woman, the customary gift is an engagement ring. Engagement rings can be made from a variety of materials and can come with all sorts of stone insets. While they’re popular all year round, June brings in the highest number of wedding and engagement ring sales compared to the rest of the year.

The first sign of the custom of exchanging rings began way back where men would hand the woman of his choice a nuptial ring as a sign of his affection. Back then, they did not have the exquisite materials used in the rings we have today, rather they used iron.

Instead of adding precious stones to the rings of that time, it was popular to instead scratch in the initials of the wearer on the inner part of the ring.

Of late, cubic zirconia stones are immensely popular and is becoming the preferred choice of stone. Although “diamonds are a girl’s best friend” as they say, cubic zirconia’s are fast becoming everyone’s favorite as these jewels are so much cheaper than real diamonds.

Ask any girl and she will most likely tell you that she would love to get married in spring. There is certainly some magic and romance about the way in which nature comes to life with a showcase of lovely flowers at this time of year. The delightful spray of color put forth by the beautiful spring blooms does help one to forget about the winter blues and look forward to a new beginning in all our lives.

It is no wonder then that spring is a popular time to tie the knot. To really make the best of a garden wedding, you could start planning in advance by planting bulbs, shrubs and perennials that will match the theme colour of your bridesmaids’ outfits and wedding bouquets. For instance, pink azaleas would complement most pink shades of bridesmaids’ dresses. Purple blooms would also create a great contrast to the white gown and the pastel colours of the bridal entourage.

Have you ever been to an alternative gothic wedding? In many states it is said to be a thing of taboo. In any event, unless you live the lifestyle, or have been exposed to it in life before, you probably are wondering what it is that you should expect. Allow me to elaborate more upon the subject, so that you will have a clearer mental picture of what exactly an alternative Goth wedding is like.

I have two friends that happen to be very near and dear to my heart which live the gothic lifestyle. After their first introduction to one another, it seems as though they were almost inseparable. Next thing we all know, they are engaged to be wed. Now being neither eccentric as they are, not just any style wedding would suffice nor suite their tastes. In fact not just any type of wedding favors would suite them either. My friends went all out of their way to find the perfect unique wedding favors for their “unholy union”, as they so dubbed it.

There is nothing like a wedding to bring family and friends together. When a couple first announces their plans to tie the knot, clearly there will be lots of excitement in the air. Parents, brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles and especially the grandparents see this as a memorable occasion that is to be cherished right through everyone’s lives, more so the couple.

Hence, it is common for these folk to come together and play important roles on the day of the wedding. Bridesmaids, best men, flower girls and page boys have to be chosen in advance. Next, their attire has to be selected and this must be in line with the particular theme for the wedding. Getting everyone together for outfit measurements, practices and rehearsals means asking them to be available and patient until the big day is over.

Often, the couple feels they must thank all who have helped in one way or another by giving them something small. These days, there are wedding favors which serve to reward individuals for their help while reminding them of the wedding day. These little gifts which are often candles, pens or picture frames, can be ordered in bulk and personalized to feature the bride and bridegroom’s names, wedding photograph and date. In this way, this gift will express the couple’s gratitude while enabling the guest to remember the event in a special way.

It is a true fact that not every bride is that clear about what decorations are the right ones to succeed on their wedding reception. Surely if they look for great ideas and think outside the box they will be able to come up with something original that will cater for everybody’s taste. Some brides cannot really afford top of the range wedding centerpieces and others are really lost when it comes to making the right decision. In this situation, it is best to ask professionals or hire a wedding planner as they will know exactly how to tackle that type of situation.

The centerpieces are an important element when it comes to our wedding decoration. They should match your wedding theme and add to the “mood” you want to create. The right wedding centerpiece will delight your guests and be a memorable decorative element on your wedding day.

Maybe you have been giving lots of attention to other elements and accessories like the bridal bouquet and have not really sit down to come up with great wedding centerpiece ideas. Thinking of the right centerpiece is not more difficult than choosing the right bouquet, but there are certain considerations you must take into account. First of all, any floral arrangements must “harmonize” with the rest of your wedding decor. It is imperative that you take into account the size and shape of the tables when designing your centerpieces.