Wedding Tips’ July 2008 Blog Carnival

Welcome to the July 31, 2008 edition of our wedding blog carnival!

Madeleine Begun Kane presents Ring Of Truth (Limerick) posted at Mad Kane’s Humor Blog.

TherapyDoc presents What’s Wrong with Being Angry? posted at Everyone Needs Therapy, saying, “If you’re getting married, you better know something about arguing.”

Sam Carrara presents 10th Wedding Anniversary posted at Sam Carrara’s Marketing Education.

garry presents Chose Barbados For Your Dream Wedding Location! posted at Travelers stories.

Sally Thompson presents Wedding Planning on the Web: 100 Tools and Resources for Brides to Be posted at Nerds Do It Better.

TherapyDoc presents The Art of Validation posted at Everyone Needs Therapy, saying, “If you’re getting married, you may as well learn this.”

Bridal Fashion

Mike Remer presents A Great Weight Reducing Secret | My Path To Fitness Blog posted at My Path To Fitness Blog.

Andrea Pace presents Top 5 Bridal Shoe Bargains From Touch Ups posted at Your Feet Make You Unique, saying, “Bridal Shoes For Women Who Wear Shoes In Sizes 10 and Up.”

Courtney presents
A new view posted at Simply Pretty LIttle Things, saying, “Some food for thought about choosing your dress. Also beautiful and very inspiring gowns. Inspiring enough to plan your entire wedding around.”

Honeymoons. Wedding Favors

Lisa Gerstenberger presents Creative Wedding Favors! posted at SunriseGlassArt, saying, “I’m currently working on coasters as wedding favors and pendants as favors for the bridal party. These make colorful and useful gifts!”

Wedding Cakes

Woman Tribune presents The Worst Wedding Cake Toppers posted at Woman Tribune.

dmh presents Wedding Tips: Buy A Small Cake posted at Daily Money Hack.

Wedding Jewelry

WRE presents Purchasing Wedding Rings posted at Wedding Ring Experts.

Wedding Planning

Allie presents Allie’s Answers » Blog Archive » Tip of the Day - Eco-Friendly Weddings: Invitations posted at Allie’s Answers, saying, “Part one in a 5 part series on planning an eco-friendly wedding.”

Lokendra Rathore presents Marriages May Be Made In Heaven But Are Solemnised In Jaipur posted at Karan’s Guest House.

Amy Hobbs presents Saying ?No? to Wedding Extras posted at My Daily Dollars, saying, “Advice on how to stick to your wedding budget”

Scott Blackburn presents How to Hire a Wedding Photographer posted at Blackburn Imagery, saying, “I just thought I would share one photographer’s experience in selecting a photographer for his wedding. Tips to ensure you get what you want out of a photography for your big day. Thanks, scott”

Home Life Weekly presents Wedding Budget Planner and Calculator Spread Sheet posted at Home Life Weekly, saying, “If you are planning a wedding on a budget? Then this printable wedding budget spread sheet will help you keep a close eye on the costs”

Toni presents What would you change about your wedding? posted at So You’re Getting Married, saying, “Learning from those who’ve gone through the big day!”

Donna Freedman presents My daughter got married without going broke posted at Smart Spending, saying, “Not everyone has $30k to spend…”

Sarah Fuller presents Giving back on your special day posted at Alive with Anticipation.

freefrombroke presents Why You Should Hire A Wedding DJ And Not A Band posted at Wedding DJ Advice, saying, “Some reasons why you are better off hiring a wedding DJ rather than a band.”

Kandice Brooks presents The Details Matter posted at Eventfully Yours, saying, “Eventfully Yours features planning tips for all types of events and is the official blog of Signature Soirees Event Consultants”

marryology.com presents Wedding Flowers, Silk Or Fresh? posted at Amazing Wedding Planning Tips - Marryology.com Wedding Blog.

Wedding Receptions

MyMaria presents Budget Wedding Gifts posted at Financial Tips, saying, “As frugality becomes more mainstream, finding budget wedding gifts is important for many attending weddings this Spring.”

Wedding Traditions

Eva Campbell presents Picture it. Sicily 1928… posted at And another thing….

Toni presents Something old, something new… posted at So You’re Getting Married.

Wedding Trends

NAOMI presents >Diary From England: BRITAIN’S OLDEST NEWLYWEDS TIE THE KNOT posted at Diary From England.

Dezzi Rae presents Handmade Wedding Invitations posted at The Cheap Chic Couple, saying, “If you’re having a green wedding, are on a budget or simply want wedding invitations that are truly unique, consider handmade wedding invites! All you need is the paper that you would normally throw out, dried flowers and leaves and some “sweat equity”!”

That concludes this edition. I invite you to submit your blog article to out next edition!

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Ahh…a wedding invitation arrives. You are excited for the happy couple and looking forward to sharing their big day. Your anticipation rises as you R.S.V.P., make travel arrangements, select your outfit, etc. Then you think about the gift - oh, God, THE GIFT!

You can view their registries either in person or online. There you will see what gifts have already been purchased. Then, you can buy the newlyweds-to-be a set of knives, some towels, a blender…how boring!

Let’s be daring - let’s think out of the box (yes, pun intended). There are a myriad of wonderful, yet unique ideas for wedding gift giving. You really want to give the couple something different; something that won’t be duplicated.

Most couples these days have not lived under their parents’ roofs in years. They have lived on their own - set up their own households. Therefore, now when two people come together to be married, they already have the things that comprised the typical gifts of yesteryear. Let’s face it, it is harder to find the perfect gift for the bride and groom of today - but don’t despair, it can be done.

When purchasing a gift for the bridal couple, think about their likes, hobbies and lifestyles. The perfect gift should thoughtful, useful and one that will be remembered.

There are a myriad of great and unique gift ideas. Here are just a few:

Honeymoon Gifts:

· Contact the resort where the couple will be honeymooning and arrange for an excursion such as parasailing, scuba diving, etc., that each would enjoy doing together. At the wedding you can give them a card telling them what awaits.

· Arrange for a spa day (or just a massage) for the couple at their honeymoon resort.

· Make plans to have an extravagant arrangement of fresh flowers or a gourmet goodie basket to be delivered to their honeymoon suite.

Hobby-Oriented Gifts:

· If the bride and groom are both movie buffs, a subscription to a movie service, such as Netflix, would be great for those upcoming romantic evenings in their new home.

· Does the couple share a passion for a certain sports team? Buy 2 tickets to a game of their favorite team.
· Give a subscription to a magazine that would be of interest to the bride and one to the groom.

Goodies:

· If wine is their thing, give them a membership to a wine of the month club.

· A dessert of the month club could help celebrate each month of wedded bliss during their first year of marriage.

· Give them a gift certificate to their favorite extra-special restaurant to be used on their six-month anniversary.

These are just a few ideas for unique and thoughtful gifts, but the list is endless. Just keep in mind what the couple enjoys and you can’t go wrong!

Please send along either/or a favorite wedding gift you have given or received!

Submitted by: Deborah Armstrong

After the whirlwind of wedding planning and the joy and excitement of the big day comes the honeymoon! Ah…a time for you and your new husband to relax and recuperate! Believe me, you’ll need it! My husband and I were married last June, and after the 22 months it took for us to save for and plan our wedding day, the week we spent in Aruba for our honeymoon was much needed and not nearly long enough! Deciding where to go is only the first step when it comes to planning a perfect honeymoon. Here are some other things to keep in mind:

1. Check to see if you’ll need a passport. The rules have recently changed. Now anyone traveling to the Caribbean or Canada will need a passport. If you’ll need one, apply as soon as possible to avoid rush fees and insure you get it in time. You’ll can download an application from the U.S. State Department website. Fill it out, get two passport photos taken and go to your local post office for processing. The State Department site will also allow you to track your application and tell you when you can expect your passport to arrive

.2. Do your homework. Check out sites like TripAdvisor to get the lowdown on the hotel you’ll be staying at. TA users provide detailed and brutally honest reviews of hotels and resorts. Find out before you go to avoid any unpleasant surprises.

3. Check the latest travel advisories. Aside from providing passport applications and information, the State Department also provides travel advisories. These advisories warn travelers of areas to avoid. For example, travel to Venezuela is not advised due to strong anti-American sentiment and widespread crime. For example:

Violence Along The U.S.-Mexico Border
————————————-

Violent criminal activity fueled by a war between criminal organizations struggling for control of the lucrative narcotics trade continues along the U.S.-Mexico border. Attacks are aimed primarily at members of drug trafficking organizations, Mexican police forces, criminal justice officials, and journalists. However, foreign visitors and residents, including Americans, have been among the victims of homicides and kidnappings in the border region. In its effort to combat violence, the government of Mexico has deployed military troops in various parts of the country. U.S. citizens are urged to cooperate with official checkpoints when traveling on Mexican highways.

4. See your doctor. If you’re headed to an exotic location or prone to motion sickness or traveler’s diarrhea, check with your doctor for any immunizations you may need, such as those for malaria. Your doctor can also provide you with prescriptions for antibiotics (a lifesaver if you’re prone to UTI’s-they call it Honeymoon Cystitis for a reason!), and meds to soothe motion sickness and Montezuma’s Revenge. While you’re at it be sure to get such essentials such as birth control pills refilled as well.

5. Check with the TSA. Airport security measures are always being updated. If you’re flying to your honeymoon, check with the TSA website to make sure you’re up to date on their requirements.

6. Relax! Above all, relax and enjoy this time in your life. You’re sure to make unforgettable memories no matter where you go!