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More and more couples are doing things a little differently for their weddings. Many couples have wedding showers co-ed style instead of the traditional girlie bridal showers and some couples are even having bridesmen and groomsmaids – attendants that stand up for them but break from the tradition of being of the same gender. Things like this may have shocked our grandparents, but these days weddings are becoming more personal and meaningful to the couple versus strictly following “how it’s always been”. So why not be a little different and plan your wedding party gifts together instead of the tradition of the Groomsmen gifts being left up to the Groom and Bridesmaid gifts being left to the Bride? These three great ideas will help get you on your way to choosing the perfect wedding party gifts for your special attendants.

One way of making the wedding party gifts fun and also meaningful is to choose a theme. This can be particularly simple if there is something that all or the majority of you already do together. One Bride and Groom recently chose golf themed gifts that were suitable for all of their attendants because they had all golfed with one another at various times. They chose items such as an 18 hole golf cooler and the fun insulated golf club drink dispenser that sits in your golf bag with your clubs and made it even more special by including gift certificates for a round at the course nearby for the Maid of Honor and the Best Man. Another variation could be to add a gift certificate for the pro shop or for lunch in the clubhouse. By including something they will use and keep as well as something experiential you will really thank them for sharing in your special day.

Another fun idea for the right group of wedding party attendants is Happy Hour and gifts of home barware. This is especially appropriate for the Bride and Groom who love wine and maybe even goes wine tasting with their friends. There are many items like beautiful wine stoppers and bottle opening tools as well as digital Wine Masters that help guide wine lovers in their selections of the perfect wine that can all be great gifts. Include a bottle of your favorite wine or perhaps a special bottle of a wine that you know your friends love, and you have a lovely wedding party gift sure to delight.

For wedding parties when there isn’t necessarily a common connection amongst the attendants apart from all being in your wedding, there is a way to tie it all together and make the wedding party gifts very meaningful. One couple recently chose a unique gift for each individual but the common link was that each gift was able to be engraved in some way. The Bride and Groom then chose a phrase that is inspirational to them and had all the gifts personalized with it along with the date of the wedding. The attendants all knew this was something personal that thought had gone into – whether they received a picture frame with the saying, a money clip or a flask. Each item was chosen with the recipient’s taste in mind, but the common personalization brought it all together with meaning.

Choosing gifts for your wedding party should not be something that adds stress to your planning. These are your special friends and you want them to feel appreciated for sharing your special day, not to mention buying that bridesmaid dress or renting yet another tux! Use these ideas to spur some imagination and creativity to come up with gifts that are not only useful, but are thoughtful and meaningful to the recipient. Combined with a personal note, they are sure to be the gifts that won’t be put away on a shelf and forgotten.

Todd Haness knows all about selecting great wedding party gifts as the head of Groomstop.com, the leading online provider of gifts for the groom, best man, groomsmen, and the rest of the wedding party! GroomStop.com offers personalized engraving on many of their products. www.groomstop.com

Children can make a wonderful addition to any wedding but they also have the potential for livening up the wedding with unexpected antics. It is important to consider the age, maturity level and predictability of the child before deciding to include them in the wedding. If you wish to include children in your wedding as either a ring bearer, a flower girl or by assigning them a task that helps them to feel included, take care to follow these tips to help things run as smooth as possible and to make participating in your wedding a pleasurable experience for the child.

One tip for including children in your wedding is to understand that children under a certain age may not be capable of performing a role in the wedding ceremony and that even if the child is old enough to understand what is required of them; there are no guarantees that they will complete their task on the wedding day. Try to choose a ring bearer and flower girl who are over the age of four and while the adult participants may only need to run through their part once, allow extra time for the child to practice their part several times. If you choose a very young child or a child that is particularly shy you may want to consider having their parent accompany them down the aisle so that they are not overwhelmed on the day of the wedding. Also, be prepared for the child to completely forget what they are supposed to do and don袢t allow their mistakes to put a damper on your wedding day. The odds are that if the child does not perform well, the other guests will simply laugh so feel free to laugh along with them and enjoy the pleasure that comes with including a child in your wedding.

Another tip for including children in your wedding is to try to really make it an experience that the child is looking forward to. One way to do this is to ask the child to participate in your wedding a few weeks in advance so that the child has time to really get excited about the idea and has a chance to tell their friends about how they are going to be in a wedding and wear a special outfit. Another way to get the child excited is to take them shopping for their wedding attire instead of choosing an outfit for them without their input. This helps to make the child feel as though their opinions are valued plus it lets them choose an outfit that they like and will look forward to wearing.

Still another tip for including children in your wedding is to have the photographer take any pictures that will include the children early in the photography session. While it is true that many children enjoy having their picture taking, they may grow impatient and irritable if they have to wait a long time to have their photos taken. Additionally, children are not used to standing still for a long time and will probably want to run and play which may result in rips or wrinkles in their wedding attire.

If the parents of the child are not in the wedding party you may want to ask one of the bridesmaids to assume responsibility for the child before the wedding, during the wedding and during the photography session so that the parents do not have to stay nearby and can enjoy the wedding and the cocktail hour. You might want to supply the bridesmaid with a small bag containing snacks and toys that will be useful in keeping the child occupied during times that may seem boring to them.

If you have a number of children in your family and want to include many of them one useful tip is to give each child a specific job. You may not be able to include all of your young friends or relatives as ring bearers or flower girls but you can give them each a task such as handing out wedding programs or bags of birdseed or placing the favors on the table at the reception. The children will feel important and you get to include them without adding length to the ceremony.

When including children in a wedding, it is important to understand that they may not do everything perfectly but you shouldn袢t get upset with them and should instead enjoy the fun that they bring to the wedding with their spirit and enthusiasm. Including children in your wedding can be a lot of fun but there are some precautions that should be taken. Following the tips in this article will help to ensure that the children are excited to participate in your wedding and are well prepared to do so.

Masni Rizal Mansor provide tips and review on weddingdresses, beach wedding dresses and cheap wedding dresses.

Wedding invitation wording has been a dilemma for centuries, but now it is even more complicated for those getting married in Las Vegas.

Many couples getting married in Las Vegas have to deal with many more questions about the wording for their Las Vegas wedding invitations like “How can I invite my loved ones without making them feel obligated to travel?” or “How can I announce our Las Vegas wedding and tell them just to think about us that day?” These Las Vegas wedding invitation questions will be answered today in the lines below.

First, let’s distinguish between a Las Vegas wedding invitation and a Las Vegas wedding announcement. Both can look exactly the same, but it is the wording a couple chooses to print that makes them different. A Las Vegas wedding invitation is just that. It invites loved ones to your wedding or to “think about you.” While a Las Vegas wedding announcement can be used for the Las Vegas wedding elopers after their nuptials have been said, it is also quite practical to send out a Las Vegas wedding announcement to those who are not invited to the wedding, or to those who are invited to a reception before or after the wedding.

Let’s get right down to the nitty gritty of the Las Vegas wedding wording now. Here are some different choices of Las Vegas wedding invitation wording for different situations a couple getting married in Las Vegas might find themselves in.

1. If a couple getting married in Las Vegas only wants a few loved ones to travel, but wants to let even more people know about their wedding, the appropriate Las Vegas wording might be as follows:

The daughter of
Bride’s Parents
Are pleased to announce
the marriage of their daughter
Bride
to
Groom
Son of
Groom’s Parents
We ask to be in your thoughts
As the nuptials are hosted in Las Vegas.
On Date
Time

2. If a couple is having a local reception before or after Las Vegas wedding, the following Las Vegas wording might be appropriate:

Bride
And
Groom
Rolled a lucky seven and are marrying in Las Vegas
On Date
You are invited to attend a local reception held in their honor
On Date
Time
Location

3. For invitations specifically for family meant to travel, wording can be as follows:

Boy met Girl in Las Vegas.
For the rest of the story,
join us on
DATE
at TIME
LOCATION
ADDRESS
Las Vegas, Nevada
when BRIDE
and GROOM
will be pronounced husband and wife

4. For Las Vegas couples who have eloped:

Making their friendship so true
after great times and happiness,
theyve said “I do!”

BRIDE
and
GROOM
were married
on DATE
Las Vegas, Nevada

5. Las Vegas style wording:

Our relationship began there,
A Vegas wedding is a must.
After a loving courtship,
Its each other we love and trust.

BRIDE
and
GROOM
will marry
on DATE
Las Vegas, Nevada

For more Las Vegas style wording go to vegaswedlockinvitations (dot) com

If you haven’t found the perfect Las Vegas wedding style invitation wording, don’t fret. You’ll think of it soon if it doesn’t cross your path. Remember that you can always choose traditional wording with a Las Vegas themed wedding invitation which can be found at vegaswedlockinvitations (dot) com.

In the mean time, good luck and Viva Las Vegas.

Renae C. Judkins earned her journalism degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Those who wish to visit the only Las Vegas wedding invitation company in the world can go to www.vegaswedlockinvitations.com

The aim of marriage counselling should be to help couple move towards a conscious marriage. A definition of this would be a marriage that allows the opportunity for maximum psychological and spiritual growth by becoming conscious of and cooperating with the basic goals of the unconscious mind: to be safe, to be healed and to be whole.

1. The hidden purpose of marriage is to heal childhood wounds.

This involves helping individuals recognize their unresolved childhood issues and how these issues underlie their current behaviour and emotions. This will help people to transcend their surface needs and desires and provide them with great insight into their everyday interactions.

2. Creating a more accurate image of a persons’ partner.

People tend to fuse their lover with their primary caretaker and then project their own negative traits onto their partner. In a conscious marriage these illusions gradually become shattered and one begins to see their partner as they really are; another wounded person struggling to be healed.

3. A person takes responsibility for communicating their needs and desires to their partner.

In an unconscious marriage a person expects their partner to intuitively meet their needs. A conscious marriage involves the understanding that needs require clear communication.

4. Your interactions become more intentional.

A conscious marriage entails behaving in a more constructive manner as opposed to merely reacting without thinking.

5. An individual values their partners’ needs as much as their own.

More energy is devoted to looking after ones’ partner instead of mistakenly assuming that the role of the partner is to look after ones’ every wish and desire.

6. A person embraces their negative traits.

The individual openly acknowledges the fact that they have a dark side to their personality, just like everyone else. By accepting this, a person is less likely to project these negative traits onto their partner, which serves to create a more pleasant environment.

7. New methods are learned to satisfy ones’ basic needs and desires.

When couples are locked in a power struggle, the partners tend to use negative tactics in an attempt to coerce the other to meet their needs. In a conscious marriage this can be transcended and a realization develops that the partner can help one meet their needs but only when more constructive and cooperative tactics are employed.

8. A person will learn to look inwards for the strengths and abilities they are lacking.

Partners are chosen because an individual can see in them all the abilities and strengths that they do not have. This then leads to an illusory sense of wholeness. However, in a conscious marriage a person learns that wholeness results from finding these positive traits within themselves.

9. An awareness develops of the motivation to become loving, whole and at one with the universe.

Everyone has the God-given ability to love unconditionally and experience the unity of nature and the world. However, due to imperfect parenting and social conditioning these qualities are almost all but forgotten. A conscious marriage provides the opportunity to rediscover these qualities and experience ones’ original nature.

10. The fact that creating a conscious marriage is difficult is accepted.

Typically, in an unconscious marriage, a person feels that a successful relationship involves being with the right person. In a conscious marriage, a person comes to the realization that they are with the right partner. Further, an understanding begins to develop that a good marriage requires constant hard work, courage and commitment.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Marriage Councelor

Anger can be extremely destructive in a relationship. It can have equally negative consequences whether it is acted out upon or repressed. A marriage counsellor must seek effective methods to deal with the issue of anger to assist couples in their quest to develop a loving, supportive and long-lasting relationship.

When anger is expressed, it can leave the person on the receiving end feeling traumatized even when there is no physical violence involved. An interesting phenomenon is that the person who demonstrated the rage also feels assaulted. This is due to the workings of the unconscious mind that perceives all actions as directed toward oneself. Therefore, when we inflict pain upon our partners, we also hurt ourselves. It then follows that anger has a definite negative effect on a relationship. Partners simply have a difficult time establishing intimacy because their safety feels threatened.

Repressed anger can have equally devastating effects as expressed anger. Often, repression can lead to an empty marriage, especially when one’s anger is turned inward and manifests itself as depression. An example of this will serve to illustrate this point. Let’s say that an individual has an older sibling that was very rebellious and hostile during their youth and as a result was constantly being severely punished. The individual associated expressing anger with being punished and therefore repressed anger and hid it from their parents and, later in life, from their spouse.

This same individual ended up playing the role of the “good child” during childhood who never raised a fuss about anything. This served a purpose in childhood, but later in life, this adaptation became very damaging in a marriage. The constant hiding of anger extended itself to the person feeling that they must also suppress their sexuality and other forms of excitement because this heightened activity and energy felt threatening.

The turning inward of anger into depression left the individuals’ partner feeling unsatisfied and searching for fulfillment of desires outside of marriage. A marriage counsellor could do well here to help the repressed individual get in touch with their anger and pain and express it in a meaningful way in a supportive environment.

It is often difficult for people to deal with their hidden anger and pain. For most of us, we learned during childhood that anger is a bad thing and we were punished or criticized for it. We were left with the option to express it and face the consequences or to keep it inside where it wouldn’t do us or anyone else any harm. However, when we chose to dampen our anger, we also chose to dampen our capacity to love because love and anger are two sides of the same coin. They are both related to our life energy or life force. When we feel love our life force flourishes; when we feel rage, we experience our life energy as being cut off or stunted.

Anger is therefore an essential expression of our life energy and when we repress this, we become depressed or live a pale, muted existence. However, we are liable to harm ourselves and others if we act on our anger. Containment is a process that allows us to release our anger without hurting our loved ones. A therapist can assist a person to let loose of anger in small, controlled amounts in a safe environment and help to turn it back to its original, positive life-giving form.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Marriage Councelor

Youve done everything it takes to get your own game together, and youve been a man or woman who deserves what you want for sometime now. In fact, youve found a partner as terrific as you are, and the question has inevitably surfaced: Is it time to “pop the question” around here?

I believe a lot of us really have not spent enough time ruminating upon what it really takes to consider a decision to make marriage plans. And make no mistake, my friends, this is the kind of thought that should go on long before you are ever in the position to actually act upon what you think and / or feel.

Indeed, getting engaged should never be a “knee-jerk” decision. In fact, nothing involving “jerks” of any kind should ever be a consideration.

So whether you are in a serious relationship right now or not, lets consider the top ten signs to look for when considering marriage:

1) You are attracted to each other

First, you absolutely, positively must be sexually attracted to the object of your affection. This is NOT being shallow, as weve discussed previously. Dont you appreciate how I freely endorse making this a priority? Thought so. Feel better now? LOL

2) You actually like each other

Laugh if you will, but Ive seen first-hand how couples justify long-term relationships despite getting on each others nerves big time. I personally dont get it, and if you deserve what you want I surely hope you dont want that.

3) Youve spent enough time together to really know each other

Lets not talk in terms of calendar time here. If a couple is in a long-distance-relationship (LDR) for two years and see each other once a month for two days, they may see each other about as much as a couple who lives two blocks apart and has been joined at the hip since they met a month ago. When you know that youve seen the person at his or her most relaxed (and at his or her worst, for that matter), then and only then are you in a position to speculate regarding what the future really holds.

4) You are on the same page spiritually

Dont underestimate the importance of this. If you believe that God should be at the center of your relationship, it can only be that way if your would-be partner agrees. If this hasnt been talked about yet, make it a priority to do so. Even if you are both agnostic or atheist, for that matter, its still a good idea to discuss your world views and make sure you are in agreement on what your core beliefs are.

5) Your long-term goals are similar

If your futures are taking you in different directions, either someone is going to have to compromise, or your futures dont have each other in them. Period.

6) You know how to play together

Sure, she goes shoe shopping while he watches the NFL. But do you know how to enjoy leisure time together? Were not just talking about sex here? I always thought it would be amazing to find a woman who would want to go BMX racing with me. As it turns out, that wasnt so farfetched. Couples who play together stay together.

7) You both want to be married

Do both of you really desire marriage? If you feel you are trying to persuade someone out of the single life who still wants to be there then guess what…you are not making valuable use of your time.

The basics in your lives are handled

Are you mentally and physically healthy? Is your self-esteem in good shape? If you carry heavy concerns that consume you, its not time to invite someone else into your world permanently. After all, that would only give your heavy concerns someone else to consume. And thats not part of a balanced relationship.

9) You have no doubt in your mind that your partner is committed to you as you are to him/her

Ah yes…the “trust” factor. Kill all jealousy in order to ready yourself for a committed relationship. And make darn skippy sure thats okay to do. If there are signs your future husband or wife would cheat on you, then forgettaboutit. Really.

10) You have no doubt in your mind that you are committed to your partner as he/she is to you

Turnabout is fair play here. Are you completely sure you are trustworthy? Do you harbor fantasies about cheating on your future spouse? If you are focusing too much on someone else-especially if that “someone else” is potentially available to you, then my suggestion is to get that resolved before feigning “commitment” to someone who would be truly committed to you.

Whether you feel you are ready for marriage or not is okay. One should never feel pressured either way. The framework for a solid marriage with a great long-term prognosis can only be established when both partners truly want to be there…and believe wholeheartedly in both the future and in each other.

After all, isnt that what love is for?

Copyright 2006 X and Y Communications

Want to hear more? Scot McKay is a dating coach in San Antonio, TX and founder of X and Y Communications, a one-stop-shop for dating resources. He is the author of the new book “Deserve What You Want”, and hosts the popular podcast series “X and Y On The Fly”. He may be reached at [email protected] or on the Web at http://www.dating-advice.us/ and http://www.romantic-dinner.com . The podcast series is available free of charge at http://feeds.feedburner.com/xyonthefly .

It must be great. You work on Saturday night for 5 hours and make $1,000 or more. What a life. It has been equated to selling drugs – the lucrative wedding disc jockey business is not what it’s cracked up to be. The reality is – this is far from the easy money that a potential wedding client thinks it is. They are shocked when they first hear the price that professional DJs charge and think that they are being ripped off because “wedding” was in their vocabulary when they called for a quote.

Here are some interesting facts to understand better what the life of a wedding disc jockey really is like:

Clients call at all times of the day – the phone rings from 8am until around 11pm virtually every day. For the most part, you must be available to answer the calls because most people won’t leave a message if you don’t.

Most weekday nights are spent away from home meeting with clients or potential clients.

Most weekends are spent away from friends and family working at your events. Forget the 4th of July picnic and New Years Eve.

Wedding Disc Jockeys are booked a year or two in advance – so that last minute call from your friend asking you to dinner or to a concert is a wasted call. You’re already booked.

Your daughter’s concert that is on a Friday in May – you will most likely miss. Again, you are already booked.

Try standing for 5 hours straight and see how your legs and feet feel.

Did you know one of the most feared things to do is speak in public? As a wedding disc jockey, that is what we do every weekend.

Most people bring a cup of coffee to work – a wedding disc jockey brings over $15,000 worth of equipment and another $20,000 or more in music to most events.

A wedding disc jockey will haul in about 1,000 pounds of equipment into and out of the reception – that means up stairs, across rickety stone paths and through parking garages, through kitchens and in the cold and rain.

A typical wedding lasts for 5 hours. Your wedding disc jockey will arrive an hour early to setup, will be there after guests leave tearing down and typically drives 30 minutes to 60 minutes each way to the event. They have to spend time preparing equipment before they leave the office. They have to unload and put away gear when they return. That adds up to between 8 and 10 hours on the day of the event alone invested in your wedding.

A wedding disc jockey will typically meet you prior to booking (pre-sales meeting) for about an hour. Most disc jockeys will drive to meet their clients. Presales and travel to and from this meeting will add about 2 hours of their time into your event.

When it’s time to discuss details, your disc jockey will again drive to meet you and spend another hour with you going over details, they’ll return to the office, type up this information and send you a copy. They’ll spend a couple hours organizing music, talking on the phone and sending/receiving emails from you over the course of the two months prior to your wedding. You can figure they’ve just invested another 5 hours into preparing for your event.

The total time invested per event will be around 17 – 20 hours when it’s all said and done. That $1,000 for 5 hours is now really $1,000 for 20 hours of time.

A wedding disc jockey will spend about $2,000 or more each year on music updates. They might invest $2,000-$6,000 in equipment, repairs and upgrades each year. They will spend $1,000 – $10,000 in advertising, bridal shows, printing, etc. They will spend $5,000 – $20,000 for office supplies, computers, and business services. They will spend $500 – $1,500 on liability insurance policies. They will spend $2,000 to $5,000 on postage. They will travel to one of the national DJ conventions to keep up to date with the industry and spend around $1,500 doing so. They will have a 800 number, cell phone, fax and voice mail services costing them around $5,000 each year. They will spend $5,000 each year on health insurance. They will spend $5,000 in gas getting back and forth to meetings and events.

A wedding disc jockey will drive 25,000 – 35,000 miles each year between meetings and back and forth to their events. That will be approximately 750 hours away from home each year just in travel time.

The reason that wedding disc jockeys charge the price that they do is simple. It is the cost of doing business. The value that a professional disc jockey brings to your event is priceless. Take away the music and you’re just inviting friends and family to eat and drink. That accounts for about 2 of the typical 5 hour wedding reception. Your professional wedding disc jockey is responsible for coordinating all the details of the flow of the event – from introductions to the cake cutting. They are the middle man between the banquet staff, your photographer and videographer. They are your wedding coordinator. Without proper quality entertainment – guests will leave soon after dinner. If a typical wedding reception costs around $25,000 (or $5,000 per hour!), and your guests leave 2 hours before the end due to poor entertainment – you’ve just wasted $10,000 of your wedding budget. If you’re debating between a cheap $500 DJ and a professional DJ costing $1,500, the decision should be easy. Trying to cut corners on entertainment could cost you $10,000. The additional $1,000 is money well spent when the big picture is in focus. The time and effort a true professional disc jockey puts into your event will be worth every penny.

Rob has been a professional mobile DJ since 1983, performing at hundreds of events each year including weddings, corporate events and school functions.

What? Do the Full Monty in front of your partner? Are you completely nuts? There are some things best left hidden, best left to imagination. While integrity is key in any relationship, be it with a spouse, business colleagues, lover or child, the whole idea of “total transparency”, is a load of rubbish. Do partners act as a little? Should they? Is it dishonest to fake it? Feign surprise or delight in place of boredom and irritation?? Whyever not? Get real. The whole business of being “one hundred per cent true” is baloney.

Even in the best of relationships, there is a small level of hypocrisy and playacting involved. Unlike most people, I see this as essential to the health of the relationship. It’s not insensitivity that drives it, but actual and active sensitivity. Sounds paradoxical? Let me give you an example. Supposing your partner gets home tired and zoned out. Is it “hypocritical” or “sensible”, to greet him/her cheerfully even if what you actually want to say or do is, “Oh, please… snap out of it… I’m tired too…” Actually speaking, the later response would be more “honest”. But it would also be more hurtful.

Relationships are too delicate to decode all that easily. Most couples believe it’s easier to compromise. And they may be right. A little bit of playing dumb charades or “let’s pretend”, does not harm anybody. Nor does it fool anyone. Most mature relationships recognise the positive aspects of a little role playing. There is absolutely nothing wrong in the occasional white lie, the silly fib. To go on a guilt trip over that, is to waste guilt itself!

Too many men think exactly the opposite when it comes to themselves. Being naked in front of your partner (emotionally and physically) is to say, “I trust you completely.” But it does not mean there is no private space left for yourself to retreat into, ever again. At the end of the day, a solid relationship is based on the confidence levels you share with your partner

Michael Douglas is a relationship expert and marriage counseler who is dedicated to help couples save marriage from divorce and he also offers successful marriage tips to solve most common problems in marriage and relationships.

If you have a pretty good idea what you want your centerpieces to look like and you know how much you’re willing to spend, the it’s time to start scouting for supplies! Unless money is not an issue for you, you’ll need to be getting the best bargains you can find. Don’t expect to get everything during one shopping trip or even the first time you start looking. You’ve spent this long trying to find the perfect partner, don’t rush into buying your centerpieces!

Here are some ways to find great prices for your centerpiece supplies…

- Consider the resources already available to you. Do you know anyone in the floral business that could provide flowers at a discount? Do you have any friends working at the local craft shop who get an employee discount? Do you know a business owner who can get you into wholesale decor stores? I think you get the idea… if you’re looking for something more rustic those old mason jars sitting in your parents root cellar just might come in handy after all!

- Does the hall provide a caterer? If so, ask the caterer if they have any contacts where they normally shop for their catering supplies or if they know where the best prices are. We ended up getting classic glass bowls for $2 each from a shop recommended by our caterer that normally retail for $15, and our guests had no idea.

- Start checking the sale flyers early and collecting those coupons. Sooner or later almost everything goes on sale. If you start watching for sales well before your wedding date you should be able to get at least some of your supplies for less than retail price. Before purchasing anything on sale, make sure to ask about the store’s return policy for discounted items. If you think you might change your mind about your centerpiece idea later you will want to have the option of returning the already purchased merchandise.

- Ask friends where they purchased their centerpieces. Often just-married couples know the best places to get things on sale! They’ve already been through it and have already done the leg-work you’re just starting to do. Save some effort and benefit from their discoveries.

- You might be able to find some good prices online, just remember to check the seller’s return policy in case you don’t like what you get.

- Consider items that are cheaper during a certain time of the year, such as fresh flowers when they’re in season.

Finding the cheapest supplies doesn’t have to take a lot of time, possibly just a few minutes when the weekly sales flyers are delivered. These ideas may sound like a lot of work, but they aren’t. You’ll be in contact with most of the people we’ve suggested anyway, so why not ask a simple question about centerpieces? One final thing to remember is to have fun. Start early and you will save time and money while ending up with the centerpieces you want.

Looking for great wedding reception decoration ideas ? How about some wedding table decoration ideas ? You’ll find lots of decorating ideas at www.decoratefor.com

Inviting children to take part in your celebration can make it even more special. However, the last thing you want to worry about on your wedding day is your little flower girl and ring bearer becoming impatient, restless or fidgety on the day of your wedding. Here are some helpful tips to ensure that the day goes smoothly and without any surprises.


1.As a general rule, when choosing children to take part in your wedding as a flower girl or ring bearer, it is usually best (or at least more predictable) to have children ages four and above. Of course, each child is different and you’ll want to consider their individual personality (very shy vs. outgoing) and maturity level as well. If a child is so nervous about going down the isle, do not push the issue, simply find something else in the wedding for them to do.

One of our staff members had a boy who was terrified to walk down the isle with the pillow, so we simply re-designated him to hand out the wedding programs before the ceremony. He was thrilled and relieved that he did not have to do this task and was very happy that he was still a part of the wedding. Also, an idea for a girl would be to hand out the rice or bubbles for the celebration as the bride and groom leave. These are great ways to involve family children without hurting anyones feelings by not having them as the ring bearer or flower girl. It always makes for great pictures of the bride and groom surrounded by a bunch of children.

2. In the weeks before the wedding day, start talking to your flower girl and ring bearer about the events that will take place before and throughout the wedding day. Get them excited! Explain what they will wear, where they will go, where they will stand and what they will have to do. The better young children can visualize their role in the wedding, the better prepared they will be to cooperate and participate as you would like them to. Children want to please, so make sure that the bride, planner or parents teach the children what is expected of them before the big day.

3. Most importantly, choose outfits for the children that are comfortable. Choose comfortable fabrics – - ones that don’t scratch or irritate the skin. Just know how you feel when you are wearing something you want to tear off! The most important tip that we can give you is buy something that the child LIKES to wear. Do you remember how you were when you were a kid? Involve them in the selection of their wedding attire. If they feel pretty or handsome, it will show in their attitude and behavior. Be sure the children wear comfortable shoes, and if the shoes are new – that they have a chance to “break them in” prior to the wedding day.

In August, one of our staff members attended a wedding in Florida (hottest month) and the child was dressed in tights and a long sleeved dress. The bride had chosen it because she too had long sleeves on her dress. However, what she failed to realize is that her dress had the removable jacket (for the ceremony) and was strapless for the reception and the childs DID NOT. The child was wanting to get undressed before she went down the isle and ended up being taken home to change right after the ceremony. This is the last thing that you want. Think about what you choose for them!

4. Purchase some wedding books- – there are some wonderful books that not only inform flower girls and ring bearers of their role in the wedding, but also welcome and celebrate them as a very special part of the bridal party.

5. Invite all of your children involved and their parents to the rehearsal. Let the children practice walking down the aisle several times so that they will feel more comfortable of their role on the “big day”. If the parents or the bride or groom are able to practice with the child before the rehearsal, the more the better. Remember, the night of the rehearsal there are a lot of things going on and the children may need extra practice ahead of time.

6. If you are not having your children stand with the wedding party during the ceremony and want them to sit with their parents, make sure that the children know exactly where their parents will be seated. Depending on the length and style of the ceremony, you may want the children to go and sit with their parents. Additionally, make sure that the parents know when to send them back up to walk out with the wedding party.

7. The parents of the flower girl and ring bearer should be invited to the rehearsal dinner. However, many rehearsal dinners can go as late as 10:00 pm or even later. Therefore, it is recommended that the children not attend the dinner, especially if it is the night before the wedding. Think, think, think! Do you want a grumpy child the next morning who didn’t get enough sleep? Its not fair to the child nor the event. Talk with the parents to see if a babysitter could be arranged ahead of time.

8. You may not feel as though it your place to intrude, but find a way to ask the parents of your flower girl and ring bearer to make sure their children are well rested before the wedding. A good night’s sleep the night before, or even a nap the day of, can help little ones get through the day.

No Sugar Before The Ceremony. Anyone who has been around a child on sugar knows that this is worth not repeating. No matter how much you may be tempted NO SUGAR BEFORE THE CEREMONY. Make sure that the child has had a good breakfast and take some snacks, we all know how long weddings can run.

9. Assign a bridesmaid to each child in the wedding party. Have each of your helpers keep a goody bag handy. Fill it with nutritious treats (dry cereal, crackers, carrot sticks), crayons and paper, a bottle of water and small travel games. These kid supplies will come in handy while traveling from the church to the reception, while waiting for photographs to be taken, or during the reception itself.

10. Take your pictures with the flower girl and ring bearer as early in the day as possible –preferably before the ceremony, if you can. There is less chance that their outfits could get dirty, torn, or wrinkled… you know how kids are! We’ve seen some Kool-Aid stained children go down the isle because children were left unattended. Try to take their clothes to the site and put them on there so they stay fresh. Your child will appreciate that they only have to be dressed up as little time as possible.

11. Be sure to express your heartfelt appreciation to the children in your bridal party. Photographs make a cherished gift for flower girls and ring bearers of all ages. They will enjoy reflecting on pictures of themselves and remembering the special role they played in your wedding. Remind them when you see them as how they made your wedding day special. Kids at this age remember these things for the rest of their lives, so make it a good memory!

12. Kids are unpredictable! All the practice and preparation in the world does not mean that they will perform their role “flawlessly”. Don’t expect perfection. Remember, if it doesn’t go just as planned, it will make for entertaining clips in your wedding video. The most important thing to remember is that they are human, and just because they don’t do things perfectly, doesn’t mean its the end of the world.

At our company owners wedding, she had asked her flower girl not to just “drop” the flowers down the church isle, but rather to “scatter” them all over. Well… when she came down the isle, she “threw” the flowers up in the air and all the way down the isle! There were flowers everywhere- on the isle, in the pews, and all on the guests! What seemed like a disaster turned out to be one of the most memorable highlights of the day. And it didn’t hurt to break the ice and put a smile on everyone’s face!

Sally Hudson is a designer having a blend of French, British and US taste. She designs and sells blended design collection of Flower Girl Dress on his online store at http://www.flowergirldressforless.com