California Weddings

Wedding Store, Bridal Shop

2008-12-28T03:23:00.000-08:00

A funny, original wedding/bridal party dance

2008-12-22T01:27:00.000-08:00

Well, I don't think I would have done this for my California wedding, but I sure do like to see other couples do it. It appears that more and more couples are having special dances choreographed for their first dance and even for their entire bridal party.

Here's one for you to check out:

A last minute idea, and not much practice, but it got alot of laughs :) September 22, 2007

Wedding Planning Etiquette, Common Questions

2008-02-28T16:51:00.000-08:00

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Wedding Planning - Wedding Etiquette
Wedding Etiquette - Your Most Common Wedding Etiquette Dilemmas Solved
by: Cori Locklin - Elegala Magazine

As one of the biggest and most potentially stressful events of your life, getting engaged and subsequently planning a wedding brings with it an onslaught of questions. As times change and weddings evolve, traditional rules of etiquette have followed suit, only adding to the confusion.

To gain perspective, first understand that "etiquette" is above all about treating people with courtesy and making them feel comfortable. When an etiquette question arises, consider the feelings of those who will be affected. To steer you through the fog of questions, I've compiled a quick look at the top five most common wedding etiquette dilemmas: Family Etiquette, Invitation Etiquette, Gift Etiquette, Attire Etiquette and The Cash Bar Issue.

Family Etiquette:

Introducing Your Parents -
If the bride and groom's parents have not met prior to the engagement, tradition dictates that the groom's family calls and introduces themselves to the bride's family and arranges a meeting. If the groom's parents do not make the first introduction, then the bride's parents should. Nowadays, who makes the first call is irrelevant; all that really matters is that the parents meet. If meeting face to face is impossible, a letter or phone call will suffice.

Introducing Divorced Parents -
If the groom's parents are divorced, the parent with the closest relationship to the groom should take the first step in meeting the bride's parents. If both sets are divorced, the parent closest to the groom should first contact the bride's suggested parent. If no one begins the introduction process, the couple should step in and ensure that everyone meets, while refraining from forcing potentially awkward situations.

Your In-Laws -
The groom's parents often feel left out of the planning process. To avoid this, invite your future in-laws into the initial dialogue. You should immediately inform them of your ideas regarding location, date, size and style of the wedding. Take queues on their desired level of involvement and include them accordingly. Let them make offers to pitch in with finances or planning. Above all, keep them informed throughout your engagement.

Invitation Etiquette:

Inviting partners and guests -
If an invited guest is married, engaged or living with a significant other, that partner must be included in the invitation. A single invitation addressed to both individuals should be sent to spouses or couples who live together, while separate invitations should be sent to each member of an engaged or long term couple who don't live together. Inviting single guests with a date is a thoughtful gesture, but one that is not required. If you are inviting a single guest with a date, try to find out the name of your friend's intended date and include that person's name on the invitation. Otherwise, inner envelopes may include "And Guest," indicating that he or she may bring any chosen escort or friend.

Guests Who Ask to Bring a Guest -
Many brides ponder whether or not it's appropriate to invite long distance guests for whom it may be impossible to attend. Use your best judgment. Is this person truly a close friend who would want to attend your celebration? If so, failing to extend an invitation may be insulting. Remember, these days friends and family are often spread all over the country, and people are accustomed to traveling. On the other hand, if you haven't spoken in years, an invitation may look like no more than a request for a gift. In those cases, send a wedding announcement instead, which carries no gift-giving obligation.

Gift-giving Etiquette:

Yes, we all love to receive gifts, and weddings are a perfect occasion for gift-giving. Friends and loved ones customarily honor the commitment of the newly betrothed by showering them with gifts. As the happy couple, just remember to always feel privileged—not entitled. So, let's review a bit of etiquette as it relates to wedding gifts...

1) Never mention gifts (gift choices or gift registry) on the invitation.

2) Publicize your registry information by word of mouth. It's also acceptable to include it on a wedding website or shower invitation (since showers are not typically hosted by the bride or groom)

3) There is no polite way to ask for cash gifts. This can only be done through word of mouth.
4) Honeymoon registries are appropriate.

5) Do not use any gifts until after a wedding.

6) All gifts, even shower gifts, must be returned if the wedding is cancelled or annulled before living together as a married couple.

7) Gift giving for vow renewal, reaffirmation ceremonies or encore weddings is not mandatory, but is a nice gesture.

8) There is no special formula for determining the appropriate amount a guest should spend on a gift. The idea that each gift should cost as much as one plate at the reception is an impractical misconception.

Attire Etiquette:
While rules for modern wedding attire have evolved with the times, there are still traditional standards for fabrics, lengths and styles. Here are some guidelines:

The formality of your bridesmaids' dresses should match that of your wedding dress. Although traditionally the dresses were the same length as the wedding gown, the rise in popularity of tea- and knee-length bridesmaids' dresses has relaxed that rule. As long as the fabric and overall style matches the formality of your floor-length gown, shorter bridesmaids' dresses are perfectly acceptable.

For evening weddings, guests should dress for a nice dinner or event - which includes suits (or black tie) for men and dresses or skirts in sophisticated colors and fabrics for women. Lengths can vary according to the style of the event and location. Female guests may now wear black, but never white. by: Cori Locklin - Elegala Magazine

Locations, Photographers, Wedding Cakes, Wedding Dresses

2008-02-19T00:02:00.000-08:00

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Destination Weddings, Wedding Locations

2008-02-16T19:41:00.000-08:00

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Destination Weddings For Those Who Hunger For The Exotic

by: Sharon Vaz

You've decided that you want a destination wedding, preferably a beach wedding, but most importantly you want to go somewhere exotic where the sea breezes cool the warm afternoon and stir the palm trees. You've got it all pictured in your mind you just don't know where to go for your destination wedding.

You've decided you want your destination wedding to be somewhere exotic like the Caribbean with its golden beaches and azure sea and sky, or Hawaii with its fabulous beaches and lush tropical flowers, or Florida with its cosmopolitan cities and world famous theme parks and its beautiful beaches. Let's take a closer look at these destination wedding locations.

Do All Roads Lead to Caribbean Destination Wedding Resorts?

We'll start our tour with the Islands of the Bahamas. There are 700 of them stretching for 500 miles to the east of Florida and Cuba. They have some of the clearest sea water in the world which makes for truly spectacular snorkeling and beach weddings. They also have a whole division of the Tourism Ministry devoted to Destination Weddings. So if you have a beach wedding idea, give them a ring during office hours and they will be happy to help you.

On the other side of the Caribbean in Mexico is Cancun, another spectacular Caribbean Beach Wedding setting. Its unique attractions are Mayan archaeological sites along with beautiful white beaches and some of the best diving sites in the Caribbean. Many hotels and resorts have destination wedding packages that include the beach wedding free. This bonus is available at many Caribbean resorts.

Back to the eastern side of the Caribbean you come across the PuertoRico wedding destination. With so many connections with the USA, this is one of the most popular destination wedding resort islands. Another spectacular tropical wedding destination, Puerto Rico has more than its fair share of fabulous beaches and fantastic scenery. It also has waterfalls and other places of scenic beauty in its interior. A truly idyllic island for your outdoor wedding.

How About A Hawaii Destination Wedding?

Hawaii, the Friendly Islands, stunning island after island. Oahu, Maui, The Big Island, all different but all clad with their rich volcanic vegetation and surrounded by cliffs and fabulous beaches. The whole archipelago cries out love and romance. Home of the hula dancers and the lei of scented frangipani flowers. Where else in the USA could a more romantic Hawaii beach wedding be held?

Then there are literally hundreds of other choices if you don't want the beach for your destination wedding. Just imagine an idyllic waterfall surrounded by exotic tropical flowers or a beautiful chapel for a more traditional wedding. Heaven awaits the bride and groom in the Hawaiian Isles.

Finally Florida For A Fabulous Destination Wedding.

Miami is the most exotic city in the United States but also has some of the most beautiful beaches of any city anywhere. And there are lots of alternative outdoor wedding locations including yachts and launches. Another destination wedding location is Key West an idyllic tropical island at the end of a 100 mile chain of islands and keys off the southern Florida coast. And there are many other cities like Tampa, Fort Lauderdale and the Theme Parks of Orlando. A virtual cornucopia of Florida destination wedding locations.

The Unity Sand Ceremony For Your Destination Wedding

While we are talking about tropical wedding destinations and beach wedding ceremonies, it is an ideal time to mention the great outdoor alternative to the unity candle ceremony, the unity sand ceremony. At your beach wedding, you can even scoop up the sand at your feet to use in the ceremony and as a permanent souvenir of the glorious beach where you took your vows.

The Unity Sand Ceremony is a ceremony a couple of minutes long during which the bride and groom each pour colorful sand into a unity vase. This symbolizes their two separate lives coming together, being joined and continuing on as one married couple. It is a simple and beautiful ceremony. Other family members particularly children of the couple are also able to join in the ceremony with miniature versions of the unity vase.

The Unity Sand Ceremony has also become increasingly popular with couples who are venturing into second marriages and are looking for a meaningful ceremony for blended families where the children of the bride and groom can also participate.

About The Author
Sharon Vaz is founder of unitysandceremony.net, an authority site dedicated to helping brides plan an unforgettable Unity Sand Ceremony.

Wedding Photographers and pricing

2008-02-16T18:29:00.000-08:00

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Are Expensive Wedding Photographers Really Worth The Money?

by: Jesse Chatham

It’s your wedding. And out of the myriad decisions you will make in planning one of the biggest and most important days of your life, hiring the right photographer may very well be the most important. After all, the wedding cake will be eaten, the flowers will eventually wilt and the wedding reception will be over when it is time for you and your betrothed to head home and prepare for the honeymoon. After all is said and done, it will be the images of your day that will help you to always remember all of the emotion, laughter, tears and sacredness of that day. The scary thing is, what if your wedding photos are, well, less than satisfactory?

Let’s be honest. Weddings are expensive, sometimes even ridiculously expensive. There’s the dress, the tux, the flowers, the cake, the rings, the venue, the food, the alcohol, the officiant, the DJ or musicians. And don’t forget the honeymoon. It all adds up very quickly. And if you’re like many couples, the financial burden of planning a dream wedding can take its toll on your finances. Even if you’re fortunate enough to have parents paying for most or all of your wedding, it’s still a hefty sum of money to hand over for even the most financially-endowed of parents. And this is when a couple can become very vulnerable to a certain idea that can have a lasting impact on the wedding. That idea being: “What if we hire an affordable photographer?” Affordable. Sounds good on paper but let’s dissect this a bit.

What is an “affordable” wedding photographer?

An “affordable” wedding photographer is usually a photographer who is just entering the industry and often has little to no experience shooting weddings professionally. They often price their services well below the market average in hopes of building up a portfolio. While this practice is certainly common and can turn out well for both the photographer and the clients, there are a few things to consider before hiring your affordable wedding photographer.

1. How long has the wedding photographer been in business? This is very important.

2. How many weddings has he or she photographed?

3. Why are their prices so low? Do you get what you pay for? In most cases YES.

4. What is the quality of their work in comparison with a photographer who is two to three times more expensive? (Be sure to be honest with yourself here. You may want to believe that their work is comparable but more often than not, that is simply not the case).

5. What do you, as the client, expect out of your wedding photographer and can the “affordable” photographer really actualize your photography visions?

A case for the more expensive wedding photographer.

In the case of wedding photography, do you really want to entrust a lifetime of memories to a photographer you found on craigslist.org or on an Internet search for “affordable wedding photographer”? Do these low priced photographers really have what it takes to ensure that your wedding images are truly exceptional? Hopefully, you only get married once. Similarly, the decision you make in regards to who you entrust with capturing your wedding day is only made once. You may save a couple of grand by opting for a more affordable photographer than your first option, but you may very well regret that decision in the future.

It’s your wedding. It happens only once. Be sure that the professional wedding photographer you hire is up to the job.

About The Author
Jesse Chatham recommends that you visit photographik.org for more information on finding a wedding photographer.