Several months ago, I started incorporating wedding planning articles into the marriage blog and from those days we’ve since grown that area of discussion to include dating, engagements, proposals and every facet of wedding planning that we could from the bridal shower to the bachelor party to themes for the wedding to the ceremonies themselves. It’s hard to look back at the past year without wanting to look for the ten best articles to come from that wedding planning area of our library. So without further ado, here are my picks for the ten best wedding planning articles of 2006.
Barefoot & Married – Can you get married in bare feet? How serious are you taking your vows? You can be very serious and getting married doesn’t require wearing shoes. In fact, I’ll let you in on a little secret – at my wedding – my shoes were killing me. I ended up kicking them off sometime after the ceremony during the photos but before we arrived at the reception. My dress was more than long enough to cover up my feet and the blisters I had from the shoes.
Second Marriage Showers – When it comes to wedding planning, we would be remiss if we didn’t discuss the fact that more than 50% of weddings that take place annually usually involve at least one person who was married before. That was certainly true when my husband and I got married. He’d been married previously, although I hadn’t. He doesn’t consider our marriage a ‘second’ marriage – because that would indicate that he plans a third. His words, not mine.
Why do some couples not want a traditional ceremony? – There are many reasons for a bride and groom to skip the traditional wedding in favor of something different. Remember, what makes a wedding important is the personal meaning it holds for the bride and groom. When the couple is not happy with the idea of a traditional wedding, they may eschew it in favor of a ceremony or location that is more in tune with their own personal desires.
What is a Scientology Wedding Ceremony? – Scientology often tops the news because many celebrities follow the tenets of L. Ron Hubbard’s religion. Celebrities make the news and thus Scientology is thrust front and center. Despite the constant appearance in a rash of recent news articles, few do more than speculate, comment or criticize the faith of the Scientologists without actually providing some explanation for what is being commented on.
Bachelor Party Ideas – Getting married soon? Looking for a way to plan a bachelor party that defies the typical pop culture image of drunken revelry and questionable morals? Let’s discuss a few ideas that can make your bachelor party not only memorable, but also unique. The idea of a bachelor party is a celebration of manhood. It’s a rite of passage for lack of a better term. It doesn’t have to be a cliché event nor does it need to be something that goes down in the pages of I don’t know what I did that night.
How Long Should You Wait to Be Engaged? – The whirlwind romance seems so romantic. Love at first sight is a sweet concept, even if it isn’t very practical. We know that it isn’t a good idea to rush into marriage, but what about rushing into engagement? After all, an engagement can be called off if necessary, right? Still, no commitment should be taken lightly. Engagement is a serious promise and one that should be given in depth consideration before being made.
Musical Traditions at Weddings – In the meanwhile, I wanted to spend some time today to talk about the musical traditions that we employ in our marriage and wedding ceremonies. Many of our modern musical traditions have traveled to us via the path of time. So when you are planning your wedding – consider the following musical traditions that can honor the past, the present and serenade your way into your future.
“Budget Weddings” from the Tightwad Gazette -The book The Tightwad Gazette, by Amy Dacyzyn, explains some helpful tips to cutting costs for a wedding. And hey, what a concept! Get married without spending a fortune and getting into big debt! It really can be done. Here are some of my favorite tips: In good weather, have the wedding receptions outside at someone’s home. Having a wedding reception outside also encourages some thrifty alternatives such as paper plates and plastic ware.
Wedding on a Budget: Affordable Invitations – Invitations can become an expensive part of your wedding. However, you can find beautiful invitations at discounted prices if you shop around. Many companies that print wedding invitations price their wares competitively with other shops, but they can still be quite costly. While the invitations and accompanying accessories are lovely, you can find others that are just as attractive for less money.
Wedding Travel Programs – I’m sure you are familiar with the special discounts hotels offer guests traveling to out-of-town weddings. Couples block off a certain number of rooms and their guests typically receive a 10% discount. Now the airlines are taking the concept and “flying” with it. American Airlines claims that they were the first airline to create a wedding fare discount. The company’s “Wedding Event Travel” program attempts to attract wedding guests to fly American to the destination of the celebration.