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Couples getting married at a destination location often want a wedding invitation to match. Couples getting married in Las Vegas are no different. However, vendors for Las Vegas themed invitations are scarce despite Las Vegas being the wedding capital of the world.

Google reports that the search terms like “Las Vegas Wedding Invitations” and “Las Vegas Wedding Announcements” receives over 2,000 clicks a month. Vendors are still scarce despite this. Wholesale invitation companies have included a couple of Las Vegas themed wedding invitations in their collections, but the Las Vegas wedding invitation choices available are slim compared to the other destination themed invitations online. Beach invitations are one example of a destination themed wedding invitation with a lot of options and invitations. Wedding invitation wholesalers often have an entire collection devoted to the beach. A tropical themed invitation is also easy to find among the destination wedding invitations.

Many brides report searching over three months for their perfect Las Vegas wedding invitation, and many of those brides are forced to give up and go to their local retailer for a common invitation with no theme. Unfortunately, Las Vegas wedding invitation vendors do exist, but many couples getting married in Las Vegas don’t know where to find them. These Las Vegas wedding invitation vendors haven’t been around for very long. In fact, most of the Las Vegas wedding invitation companies have been around for less than a year. This is why they are so hard to find.

Oftentimes, Google uses time as a trustworthy aspect. A site that has been number one for the search term “Las Vegas wedding invitations” for ten years, isn’t going to be replaced by a new Las Vegas wedding invitation vendor within a few months. Thus, the search engine optimization and search engine marketing continue for these Las Vegas wedding invitation companies.

Currently on the top of the search engines like Google, Yahoo and MSN, the top listings for searches like “Las Vegas wedding invitations” and “Las Vegas wedding announcements” go to directory listings for actual brick and mortar shops located in Las Vegas, but have nothing to do with and do not sell Las Vegas themed wedding invitations like many of the couples getting married in Las Vegas are looking for.

Even so, couples getting married in Las Vegas who are looking for Las Vegas themed wedding invitations should not lose hope. Las Vegas wedding invitation Web sites are still chugging along to get number one for the several search terms on the major search engines. They plan on achieving their goal within the next 12 months.

Las Vegas wedding invitations for Las Vegas weddings can be found at www.vegaswedlockinvitations.com .

Renae earned her journalism degree at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Well, you’ve made it through one year of marriage. You never thought you’d ever get there. Now it’s time to get an anniversary gift for your spouse. We’re going to cover some traditional and some not so traditional gift ideas for a first anniversary. Hopefully, you’ll find something here that hits home.

The first anniversary is paper. Everybody knows that. What most people don’t realize is that this anniversary may present more gift ideas than any other anniversary in the lot. Why? Think about it. How many things are made of paper? Heck, there’s paper itself, though I doubt you’d want to give your spouse a ream of Hammermill watermarked as a gift. The point is, paper is very common and because of this, you can come up with some common and uncommon anniversary gift ideas.

Of course, the first thing most people think of is money. Why not? That way your spouse can go out and get whatever he or she wants. But, just because you’re giving your spouse money doesn’t mean it has to be in the form of Washingtons and Lincolns. Why not a check? Maybe a money order. You might even go out and get one of those American Express gift certificates that can be used just about anywhere. They’re all as good as money and can ultimately be used to get anything. Money is still king but it doesn’t have to be in a predictable form.

Of course, you can also go out and get a traditional gift certificate to a store like Fortunoff. If your wife loves jewelry, this may be just the perfect gift. Imagine getting a gift certificate for a generous amount to Fortunoff and being able to get that necklace or bracelet of her dreams. And, if you spring for a large enough one, that diamond ring may not be out of the question either.

Okay, now it’s time to start to think a little outside the box. One thing that is made mostly of paper is a book. While not everybody likes to read, especially when most of the news in the world is bad, if your spouse is a fan of a certain author or style of book, this may be a perfect time to get a collection. Maybe the complete works of Edgar Allen Poe. Maybe the complete works of Stephen King. There are plenty of prolific authors to choose from. You might even spring for a magazine subscription or several.

If you really want to think way outside the box, this is for you guys. Write your wife a poem. Have it engraved in old English style writing on old style writing parchment and then have the poem put inside a frame. The poem will be one where you tell her how much you love her. Trust me, this is something that she would never expect in a million years of marriage.

These are just a few ideas. If you really put your mind to it, considering how many things are made out of paper, you can easily come up with an anniversary gift idea that will more than surprise your significant other.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Anniversary Gifts

Some of your wedding guests may be traveling great distances to get to your wedding. Some may even be flying to get to your wedding. Should you serve them the same type of meal that they got on the plane or should you serve them something better? I have included a menu below which is presented as an alternative to the usual wedding menu of baked chicken or broiled fish, vegetable, and roll.

This menu was served at a great price. Our caterer is exceptional. He has experience in some of the best restaurants in Washington, DC. Because of this, he likes to prepare more complicated meals than the usual wedding menu. He worked with my future wife to prepare this menu. I am hoping that you will find some great ideas from it. For example, we are having cupcakes presented on a tiered fashion that looks like a wedding cake instead of the wedding cake. Why? Our wedding is outdoors. We have many children in attendance. Finally, we wanted to end the meal in a less formal manner.

Enjoy the menu.

Hot and Cold Hors d Oeuvres

Croque Monsieur Black forest Ham and Gruyere Cheese Baked finger Sandwiches

Smoked Salmon in Pastry cup with Cream cheese and capers

Cilantro Shrimp on Skewers

Crab meat spoons-drizzled with marry rose and mango, pear, peach, honey and sake salsa served in Chinese spoons

Creamed Roquefort and toasted walnuts on crostini

Petite Quiche Prosciutto and Florentine

BUFFET DISPLAY

SALADS

Harvest Salad

Poached Pears atop red baby mixed green, Belgium endive drizzled with honey mustard vinaigrette and sprinkled with walnuts and dried cranberries

Salad Louisette Wedges of Iceberg Lettuce and Radicchio topped with Gorgonzola Cheese Crumbles, crispy Bacon and Julienne of Red Peppers in French dressing

Dalmatino Caesar Salad Topped with freshly grated Parmesan and Garlic Croutons with home made dressing

COOKING CORNER

Display of Scottish smoked Salmon Served with the traditional Condiments

Grilled Chicken Marinated with Garlic, Olive Oil and fresh Thyme served with a Madeira Mushroom Sauce

Marinated Grilled Flank Steak Creamy horseradish sauce and Dijon Mustard

Roasted Leg of Lamb With Rosemary Au Jus

Pasta Station

Penne Pasta With your choice of toppings Meatless marinara, Bolognese or Basil Pesto made to order

VEGETABLES AND SIDES

Saffron flavored Rice Pilaf

Marinated Medley of Grilled Vegetables

Crisp Asparagus, Fresh baby Carrots, Yellow and green Squash, Italian Eggplant, Grilled baby Artichokes, Portabella Mushrooms and Roasted Red Bliss Potatoes topped with a Roasted Pepper Confetti

String Beans Almandine French Green beans sautè(c)ed with Shaved Almonds

Assorted Breads, Rolls and Butter

CAKE: Cup Cakes (chocolate cup cakes made with dark chocolate white icing and slightly yellowish tinting each decorated separately)

Assortment of Home made Brownies, Lemon Squares and Chocolate chip cookies

Will be presented on separate table in a shape of wedding cake with floral decoration.

BAR SET UP

Beer

Non-Alcoholic Lemonade and Iced Tea

Cabernet Sauvignon

Chardonnay

Champagne for toast

Copyright 2006 Andrew Horan

The menu prepared for the wedding of Andrew Horan (http://www.myhoranwedding.com) prepared by Vinko Marinkovic (http://www.dalmatinocatering.com)

Psychologists use the term “imago”, Latin for “image”, to refer to the unconscious image that people develop from birth of their ideal mate or significant other. A dictionary definition of “imago” includes the following meanings: the representation of a person or a thing, a copy, a likeness and a mental picture. Essentially, it is a composite picture of the individuals who influenced a person the most during childhood.

People rely on their imago in their search for an ideal mate, someone who both resembles their primary caretakers and compensates for the repressed parts of themselves. This can be ones’ parents, one or two siblings, a close relative, or a babysitter. The important thing is that a persons’ brain records everything about them – the way they responded to ones’ cries, the sound of their voice, their emotions, their moods, the way they moved, the way they laughed or got angry, everything. In addition to these impressions, the brain also recorded every significant interaction with them. This data was merely stored in the brain and not interpreted, very much like downloading files onto a hard drive.

Many people have difficulty believing that their brain has recorded so much information, especially from such as early age. Most individuals have little or no memory of anything that happened to them before the age of five or six, even very traumatic events. However, studies have shown that we have vast amounts of data stored and hidden in our brains. Neurosurgeons discovered this while performing brain surgery on patients under local anesthesia. When parts of their brain were stimulated with weak electrical currents, the patients were suddenly able to recall hundreds of long-forgotten episodes from childhood in vivid detail.

Not all of these episodes are recorded with the same intensity though. The most vivid impressions seem to be the ones we formed of our caretakers early in life. And of all the interactions we had with these people, the ones that were most deeply etched in our subconscious were the ones that were the most wounding because these encounters seemed to threaten our very existence. Over time the pieces of information about our caretakers merged to form a single image and were stored under one heading: the person responsible our survival.

People have strong tendencies to be romantically attracted to another person based on how well that person matches the imago. The brain analyzes a persons’ traits and compares that with the rich data bank of information and if there is a strong correlation, there is a resultant attraction. We unconsciously compare everyone we meet to our imago and when there is a close match, we feel a sudden surge of interest.

As is typical with the unconscious mind, we have no real awareness of this imago matching process. The only way we can usually catch a glimpse of our imago is in dreams. In dreams, we have a tendency to merge people together. Thus, you may have a dream in which your spouse suddenly metamorphosed into one of your parents or during a dream your spouse and a parent played such similar roles that they became virtually indistinguishable.

However, performing certain exercises under the guidance of a qualified therapist can help to reveal the characteristics of a persons’ imago. By comparing the dominant character traits of ones’ spouse with those of ones’ primary caretakers, a person can readily observe the correlation that the unconscious mind draws between them. The imago is very much like a silhouette with few distinguishing physical characteristics but with the combined character traits of all of ones’ primary caretakers.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Marriage Councelor

While some people can afford large, opulent weddings, others have to stick to smaller events that are on a tighter budget. If you’re the latter, don’t worry-there are a plethora of resources online geared towards helping you throw a beautiful but inexpensive wedding.

Buying cheap wedding supplies is probably one of the most important elements to think about when you’re planning your wedding. First, figure out a budget. Without a budget, you’ll get lost and open yourself up to numerous problems.

Set a realistic budget and stick to it; this alone will help you immensely in planning your wedding. Get the help of friends and relatives, especially those adept at doing online research. There are some great deals to be had if you look in the right places.

One of those places is in the clearance section of online stores like americanbridal.com. There are often excellent deals on wedding favors, decorations, invitations, and more. Another thing to look for is coupons or special deals, especially around holidays. Often, merchants will list coupons on their site to get you to buy; this works to your advantage because you’re there to buy something anyways.

Another thing to think about is buying in bulk. This is the most cost effective way to buy things, especially wedding favors and similar decorations. If you want to do something personal, keep in mind that some stores offer personalization free with certain items, and others charge it as an extra service.

If the store is good, they’ll have a section for you to browse by price, so you can find items in or near your price range. Examples of cheap wedding supplies under five dollars include candle sets, bud vases and card holders, candy, cookies, and other edibles, bride and groom miniature photo album favors, coaster sets, soaps, mini album, ‘love’ rocks, bottle stoppers, satin edged ribbon, and a bottle opener favor with free personalized tags.

For fewer than ten dollars, you can get all of the above, including items like themed place card holders, luggage tag favors, miniature cutlery, elegant, simple and decorated picture frames, and much more.

Cheap wedding supplies under twenty dollars (jewelry is clearance) include items like a set of twelve packets of flower seeds, often offered in a heart, rectangle or other shape, an engraveable martini shaker, photo albums, cake and knife set, earrings, necklaces, flower girl tiaras, beaded clutches, gloves, a twelve set of decorated aluminum containers, perfume bottles, jewelry boxes, incense, money clips, purses, items sold by the dozen, and more.

Thus, there really is something for every budget, and there are numerous choices of excellent, cheap wedding supplies and favors. There are also excellent bulk options available that often save you a good amount. Stick to your budget, do the research, and find the best deal; you’ll have the wedding of your dreams at a price you can afford.

Whether you are having a large or small wedding you will find what you need at AmericanBridal.com. It is an online resource for great wedding deals and ideas. Shop 24 hours 7 days a week and check out their vast selection of wedding supplies.

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.

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