Thursday, May 7, 2009

Why A Cruise Ship Wedding Is Fun For Everyone



Why A Cruise Ship Wedding Is Fun For Everyone
By Mary Hanna




A cruise ship wedding can be more fun than a traditional wedding. All cruise lines have different packages and rules for receptions and number of guests. The internet and your travel agent should have all the information about a wedding on a cruise ship for any particular cruise line. Not all the captains are licensed to marry you, but many lines will have a priest or rabbi or some other officiate that may provide these ceremonies. If you considering a cruise ship wedding, plan early so you will not be disappointed. Lots of cruise ships limit the number of ceremonies per cruise. Some of the Cruise Lines that offer cruise ship weddings are discussed below.



Princess Cruises has a wedding chapel where they perform the cruise ship weddings. The Grand Princess and her sister ships all have wedding chapels. Here the Captain is able to perform the ceremony. Wedding options start at $1400.00 per couple with receptions around $70-$80.00 per head. There will be hot and cold hors d oeuvres, drinks and an official marriage certificate, a cake and music. The ships photographer is available and the ships florist can design any arrangements that you have in mind. You can check out their packages on line. Click on the On Board link and then the wedding/special occasions link to get information on weddings on a cruise ship. They even supply you with a phone number for a wedding consultant. The Hearts and Minds Chapel is quite quaint and perfect for a wedding on a cruise ship.



A more upscale option is Crystal Cruise who will perform ceremonies for weddings, vow renewals or anniversaries. Your cruise ship wedding will be performed by the captain or a member of the clergy and includes Champagne, a Portrait, and a cake. They also have a Honeymoon Package with a cake, champagne, a picture and a certificate signed by the captain. I would discuss this one with your agent but of course you could check out their website.



Royal Caribbeans Voyager of the Seas has a wedding chapel and performs cruise ship weddings on the day of embarkation. Their wedding packages start at $800.00. They include flowers for bride and groom, a photo session, champagne and a cake. Go to their website to check out their options.



Carnival Cruises has shore side packages that are all inclusive. There will be a toast with keepsake flutes, a photograph, the wedding cake topper and an engraved announcement. You can also customize any extras for a fee. Talk to your travel agent, or, if you want to do some research on your own, go to the Carnival website.



After your cruise ship wedding take tons of pictures. Especially today with digital cameras, this helps to keep the cost of film and the film development down. Be sure to bring a lot of memory cards. Save stubs from tours you have taken, the invitation to the Captains Table for dinner, any notes you receive from the officers, the brochure that lists the itinerary, the dates of each port of call. You can make many beautiful well documented photo albums that will bring lots of smiles and many fond memories. It is highly recommend building a scrapbook from your trip; you will love it later when you pull it out and relive the experiences. It takes some time but is so worth it to have these pictures after your cruise ship wedding. On our honeymoon aboard the Volendam at the end of the cruise they supplied us with a beautiful menu from each dinner. On one side was the menu and on the other a beautiful scene from Holland.



All ships have a Newlyweds game. Go to it. It is fun and hopefully, you will only be a newlywed once. Participate in all the activities, they are a little bit corny but they do make you laugh. Let everyone know you have just had your cruise ship wedding, people love that. You might even get a few free drinks.



Honeymooning on a ship is a great way to kick back and relax after that year of stressful planning for the cruise ship wedding. It is now time to enjoy you and your spouse and the journey of a lifetime. Take advantage of your time together in a luxurious atmosphere. Have fun, meet new people, make new friends and be yourself, most of these people you will never see again.



Heres to a Bon Voyage, a wonderful cruise ship wedding and great honeymoon.




Mary Hanna has traveled the world by Air and Ship. Visit her websites at: Cruising Tips, Cruise Travel, and Cruise Reviews



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Thursday, April 2, 2009

Essential Advice for Your Wedding Day



Essential Advice for Your Wedding Day
By Keith Kingston




You've been engaged for months, you've made it through planning the
ceremony, the attire, the reception, the honeymoon, and you haven't killed
each other yet. The worst is over. When you wake up on the morning of your
wedding day, your only job is to go along for the ride, enjoy every moment
and make some memories. Read on for essential advice for your wedding day.



Both of you have been waiting and planning for a long time in order to make
this day go off without a hitch. Just be aware that things NEVER go as
planned, so expect the unexpected and don't get too worked up about it. It
is the unexpected events that make the best stories for years to come.
Relax, and have a good time. This is your day to celebrate your blissful
union.



For her:



The day of the wedding is often more stressful for the bride than any of the
planning process has been. Start your morning off with a relaxing bubble
bath or a massage at the spa. You deserve to start this hectic day as cool
and relaxed as you possibly can be. Do it alone if you need some private
time (since you will be surrounded by people ogling and vying for your
attention for the remainder of the day), or if you are nervous and need to
chat, invite the bridesmaids along for some pre-wedding pampering.



Have all appointments made ahead of time, and allow plenty of time for
hair-dos, make-up, manicures, etc. Have a close friend who is not part of
the wedding party act as your gopher for the day. If you get a run in your
pantyhose, they'll be on call to run to the store. If your florist is
running late, they are in charge of calling the company. This will keep you
removed from most of the stressful situations, and keep you moving on
schedule. Don't forget to give your friend a gift for helping you through
any wedding day glitches! Arrive at the church with plenty of time to
spare. Remember, you MIGHT tear up a bit, so have plenty of tissues handy
as to not smear that gorgeous make-up.



Spend the last few minutes before the wedding starts with your bridesmaids.
Do some deep breathing if you're nervous, and think about how long you have
been awaiting this precious day.



For him:



It is perfectly normal for the groom to wake up a bit jittery on the morning
of his wedding. The best way to handle the stress of this day is to make
sure you have all your responsibilities completed ahead of time so you can
spend this day in a stress-free zone. Things to double check the preceding
week include travel plans for the honeymoon, transportation from church to
reception and reception to airport, cost of anyone you will be paying on the
actual wedding day (and remember to have plenty of extra cash for tipping-
EVERYONE involved expects to be tipped at least 15%).



Sleep in. Having plenty of rest is important before the hours of
socializing you'll be doing today. When you get up, a long jog or a trip to
the gym is often just what you'll need to work off some of those anxious
feelings. Allow plenty of time to get ready and arrive early at the church.



Spend some time horsing around with your groomsmen. Take some deep
breaths, and wait for your beautiful bride




Keith Kingston is a professional web publisher who offers advice on cheap wedding stationery such as invitations, place cards, thank you cards and order of service booklets



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Friday, March 27, 2009

Wedding Gown: Getting Your Dream Dress at a Price You Can Afford



Wedding Gown: Getting Your Dream Dress at a Price You Can Afford
By Eriani Doyel




Are you shopping for a wedding gown? If you were not aware of the prices beforehand you may have gone into a little bit of sticker shock when you started pricing your wedding gown. If you are like most people you dont spend $500 or more on a dress every day-and spending that much on a dress that you will wear once seems a little extravagant. However, some people are prepared to spend $2,000 or more to get exactly the wedding gown that they want. Whatever your budget is for your wedding gown, you need to shop carefully to make sure that you get not only a good deal, but a dress that will be one of the highlights of your special day.



One of the best places to find an inexpensive wedding dress is online or in a discount bridal shop. They often have sales and clearance events to make room for new inventory or clean out last years models. You may be able to get a wedding gown for as little as $100 at one of the special events that they hold once or twice a year but most dresses will cost at least $500. However, you should also consider the cost of having the wedding gown taken to a tailor or seamstress for alterations, because these are usually necessary when you buy this type of machine sewn mass-produced dress.



If you are willing to pay a minimum of around $2,000, you can have your wedding gown custom made by a seamstress or tailor. They will have at least 2 or 3 fittings with you to make sure that your dress fits properly on the big day. You should make sure that you ask them for references if you are not familiar with their work and feel free to bring in pictures, a pattern, and fabric samples that you would like to consider.



To those for whom money is no object, a designer dress can be had for $6,000 or more. These dresses are one-of-a-kind masterpieces that will fit you perfectly.



No matter the budget, you can find a dress.




Eriani Doyel writes articles for and about Weddings. For more information on choosing a wedding gown visit fleckwedding.com.



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Wednesday, March 25, 2009

10 Tips to Hiring a Wedding Planner



10 Tips to Hiring a Wedding Planner
By Faith Walker




If you are in the market to hire a wedding consultant, here are ten helpful tips that can guide you through the process of obtaining a profesisonal wedding consultant.




  • 1.Find out exactly what a wedding planner does do your homework.

  • 2.Find the names of the reputable wedding planners in your area.

  • 3.Make a list of things you would like the wedding planner to do. If you want to plan the entire wedding, but you want the planner to direct the ceremony and reception, then you should utilize the service of a wedding planner for Day of services only.

  • 4.Make sure your budget is relative to the type of service you would like. Most wedding planners are willing to work with you for an allotted amount of time if you are unable to purchase a package. Check with him/her to find out if they charge and hourly rate.

  • 5.Find out if your church requires you use their wedding coordinator. Many churches now require that for the protection of the churches property, that brides must use their wedding coordinator. This doesnt mean that coordinator will work at your reception; it means you may have to hire another consultant to do your reception.

  • 6.Check with several bridal associations and see what their members must do to become certified. Find out what classes if any your wedding consultants have taken to become certified or how many years of experience they have had in doing weddings. If they arent that experienced, will they provide you with a discounted rate in exchange for a testimonial.

  • 7.Ask for and check references. It is so important that the wedding planner live up to the expectations of the bride. A good testimonial from a bride is crucial to the consultants business. Check references and find out how the wedding consultant was able to handle stressful situations and how well the wedding guests were treated during the event.

  • 8.Skinny down your list and invite at least three wedding planners for face-to-face interviews. Almost all wedding planners offer free initial consultations so take advantage of this meeting and get to know your potential wedding planner.
  • 9.Ask for a face-to-face interview, dont just price shop. Some wedding planners dont like to give quotes over the phone. You are shopping not only for a service, but a personality. It is crucial to give your business to someone who understands what you are looking for in your vision.

  • 10.Check to see if the wedding planner youve selected is affiliated with any Bridal Planning Association. Not only do you want your planner to be well connected, but you also want her to be in good standing and have a great rapport with any professional associations. Some wedding planners have won awards, and it is nice to be able to see this on a professional website as a sample of their work.



For more information, please visit our website at Plan It For Me! Weddings and Events.




Faith Walker is a Professional Wedding Planner in Atlanta Georgia. Her company, Plan It For Me! Weddings and Events features plans corporate events, parties, reunions, and weddings. The company was founded with the idea to provide brides-to-be with a stress-free alternative to planning their weddings. The motto is Plan It for Me! making the fairytale a reality!



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http://EzineArticles.com/?10-Tips-to-Hiring-a-Wedding-Planner&id=269389




Choosing The Perfect Beach Wedding Favors



Choosing The Perfect Beach Wedding Favors
By Shaunta Pleasant




The popularity of beach weddings has been growing by leaps and bounds over the last couple of years, and the popularity of beach wedding favors has been growing right along with it.



Having a great wedding on the beach can be a lot of fun, and choosing the right wedding favors for that wedding can make a great day even more exciting and fun.



Shop Early To Ensure You Have A Better Selection Of Favors To Choose From



Choosing the perfect beach wedding favors is never easy, but it is important to shop around as early as possible.



The earlier you are able to shop for the wedding favors you need the better off you will be and the better the selection of wedding favors you will have to choose from.



Places To find The Perfect Favors



There are of course plenty of places to shop for the perfect wedding favors for your big beach wedding.



Some of the many places that sell all kinds of wedding favors include specialty party planning stores, department stores, discount retailers, stationary stores, office supply stores and even the internet.



There are many great web sites that sell all kinds of wedding and party favors, and these web sites can be a great way to find the beach wedding favors you need at prices you can afford.



The Many Different Kinds Of Beach Wedding Favors To Choose From



There are many different kinds of wedding favors on the market of course, and it is important to shop for the ones that best suit your own personal taste and style.



There are an increasing number of different styles of beach wedding favor on the market these days, and it is important to look at as many different styles as possible in order to get the very best deal on the very best wedding favors.



The right wedding favors can make an already exciting and memorable day even more exciting and memorable, so it pays to consider this important purchase very carefully.




Shaunta Pleasant is a professional writer and editor on wedding topics. Visit my site to learn more about planning the perfect wedding at http://www.best-wedding-plan.com/beachweddingtheme.html



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http://EzineArticles.com/?Choosing-The-Perfect-Beach-Wedding-Favors&id=212185




Monday, March 23, 2009

Wedding Invitation Verses: Rhyme Your Way to Love



Wedding Invitation Verses: Rhyme Your Way to Love
By Rebecca Foster




Wedding invitations require a lot of thinking in order to be perfect for your ceremony. Why? Because to achieve perfection, your invitations must really represent your marriage. They must speak for you and not about you or about the reception or the ceremony or anything...



Although I always recommend my clients not to use wordings from other wedding invitations, some wedding invitation verses can be modified for your convenience. Below I will list a few verses I like that you may use or modify to include it in your wedding invitations.



In the spirit of the season



We have found the perfect reason



To gather our friends and family



To celebrate all in harmony...



Our wedding day,



A new life has a start



We'll share with each other



One love, one dream,



One heart...



The adventure has begun



to share all the days of our lives



As we shall become one



as the moment arrives...



The weather outside may be frightful



but the wedding inside will be delightful...



What begun only as fun



Has become true love



We want our friends and family to get a hold of



Ourselves as we become one...



It is a good idea to begin your wedding invitations with these kinds of verses because it gives your cards more personality. Instead of starting out your invitation with your name's or something like that, start them with a quick rhyme to lighten up your guests; use creative wording for wedding invitations.



The verses listed above are somewhat generic and might not suit your invitation. That is why you must think of something that combines with you, your partner and the wedding theme. Aside from you invitation wording, including a picture is also a good idea, but you have to be careful it doesn't look too cheesy. I recommend you to go to a professional and ask him o her to take your pictures.




Rebecca Foster is an expert in wedding invitations. Come and get the finest and most creative tips for your best wedding invitations.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=RebeccaFoster
http://EzineArticles.com/?Wedding-Invitation-Verses:-Rhyme-Your-Way-to-Love&id=284120




Sunday, March 22, 2009

Selecting Finding And Making Autumn Wedding Favors



Selecting, Finding And Making Autumn Wedding Favors
By Shaunta Pleasant




Planning a fall wedding is always a great deal of fun, and one of the best things is that there are so many different kinds of autumn wedding favors available to make the celebration even more special.



The sheer number of autumn wedding favors is one of the best things about planning an autumn wedding, whether you make your own autumn wedding favors or purchase them ready made.



Consider The Overall Theme Of The Wedding



No matter which approach you take it is important to start planning early. It is also important to consider the overall theme of the wedding when selecting the right autumn wedding favors.



It is important, for instance, to choose formal autumn wedding favors for a more formal wedding, while selecting instead more casual autumn wedding favors for a more casual wedding celebration.



Make Your Own Autumn Wedding Favors



One of the things that many wedding planners choose to do is to make their own autumn wedding favors.



Making your own autumn wedding favors is not as difficult as you may think, and the good news is that there are plenty of instructions and plans for such autumn wedding favors readily available at craft stores and on the internet.



Turning This Into A Fun Project



Making these autumn wedding favors can be a great deal of fun and a wonderful project that the entire family can work on together.



Getting everyone together to make their favorite autumn wedding favors can be a lot of fun, and it is a good idea to gather everyone together for this fun project.



Places To Purchase Autumn Wedding Favors



If making your own autumn wedding favors is not in the picture, there are certainly plenty of different places to purchase such wedding favors.



From department stores and party planning warehouses to the internet, there are certainly plenty of places to purchase autumn wedding favors. No matter where you plan to purchase those autumn wedding favors, however, it is important to start shopping for those autumn wedding favors as early as possible.



After all, there are lots of things to do when it comes to planning a wedding, and it is important to allow plenty of time for the choosing and purchase of the perfect autumn wedding favors.




Shaunta Pleasant is a professional writer and editor on wedding topics. Visit my site to learn more about planning the perfect wedding at http://www.best-wedding-plan.com/autumnweddingfavors.html



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