Delegate Your Wedding Plans & Relax

Once you’ve made all your plans, you’ll require more than the two of you to put them into action. Choose wedding vendors that are both creative and reliable and then put your trust in them. Choose friends and family that are responsible and give them tasks to do.

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Make certain that they are aware of what they need to do and how it has to be done. Have one person; it helps to choose someone who can think on his or her feet serve as trouble-shooter on the day of the wedding. This will ensure that you won’t be bothered by questions from numerous people.

Then, after you’ve made sure that everyone is clear of their wedding day duties, kick back and relax a bit. Enjoy your guests and most of all, each other!

Your Financial Future & Wedding Planning

Literally hundreds of decisions need to be made before a wedding day. Some of these decisions are more urgent than others, but they are all important. An often, overlooked area is the decision to evaluate your and your spouse’s financial situation. While marriage is an exciting time in a couple’s life, it also carries responsibility of providing for each other, and in the years to come, for future children. Both of you have likely developed individual philosophies concerning savings, investments, and insurance. As your life changes, your priorities change. A review of each of your financial affairs will develop the foundation for a prosperous future together.

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Insurance is something that everyone requires, but they seldom concern themselves with, until something goes amiss. By then, it is too late. Uninsured items that are lost, stolen or damaged during or after your wedding day can only be replaced if you pay for them. That’s why you cover yourself with an insurance policy.

A qualified agent will help you evaluate all aspects of your finances. You may want to examine personally owned policies for name and beneficiary changes. Your agent will also help you find any gaps or shortfalls in your protection and advise you of any new products that you can benefit from.

An advisor will work with you to ensure your unique financial goals are covered.  They understand what products will be of benefit to you as you enter your new marriage.

Your Wedding Attendants

It is an honour to be chosen as an attendant. The bride and groom put much thought into the choosing. They select persons they trust and love,  persons they want to be near them before, during and  after the vows are spoken.

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Every attendant should approach his or her duties with a sense of responsibility to insure the bride and groom’s wishes are fulfilled. These duties can be perfectly performed only if the attendant is familiar with them beforehand. Knowing what is to be done, and in some instances practicing or rehearsing, will ease tension and allow the obligations to be carried out with a true sense of joy and cheer.

Just what are the major duties of the attendants?  Most wedding consultants agree that the common responsibility of all attendants is to be on time. The other wedding party members should never have to wait for a tardy attendant. Generally, all attendants pay for their own clothing. For the men, tuxedo rental, for the women attendants, it may include everything from the gown to the matching shoes, jewellery, and accessories.

Your Maid/Matron Of Honour & Bridesmaids @ Your Wedding

The maid or matron of honour is usually a sister, best friend or roommate whom the bride considers her closest and dearest acquaintance.

The maid/matron is the bride’s “lady- in- waiting  and attends to almost any details to help the bride. Some brides make two lists of things to be done before, during and after the wedding.  One list stays with the bride, and the other goes to the maid of honour. The maid of honour takes care of anything that the bride may forget.

One of the first responsibilities  of the job is to help plan or coordinate bridal showers. Some other pre-wedding duties may include helping address invitations and visiting florists or caterers.  The maid of honour may accompany the bride on her visits to the bridal shops to try on wedding gowns.

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At the ceremony, the maid of honour precedes whoever walks the bride down the aisle.  She is also an official witness to the wedding by signing the marriage license.

If the wedding reception is a sit-down dinner, she will be seated to the right of the groom. During the reception, she attends to any details to help the bride.

Being asked to participate an attendant in a friend’s wedding celebration is an honour. But it’s one that carries its own set of responsibilities and costs, ones that the bridesmaid should consider carefully, before saying “yes.” First, consider the dollars involved in taking part in a  wedding. Most bridesmaids purchase their own dresses.  Add to that cost, shoes, alterations,  and accessories. But a bridesmaid isn’t finished yet! You’ll most likely be invited to the shower(s), which of course require appropriate gifts, and you might host a shower  of your own for the bride. Then, there’s the wedding gift.

Aside from the costs, the bridesmaids also have the responsibility to support the bride’s choices. You might feel the that silk flowers just don’t compare to the real deal, but it’s not your responsibility to convince the bride to change her mind. Your bridesmaid dress might not be as flattering as you may like or your least favourite colour, but your first responsibility is to be quiet when you don’t agree. It can be difficult to hold your thoughts when their are items that the bride has chosen that you don’t like and have to pay for. Even if you’re asked for your opinion, be tactful and kind to the bride.

If when you have weighed the pros and cons of being a bridesmaid and found it isn’t possible, don’t be afraid to say “no.” Tactfully explain to the bride your reasons why you have to decline. The bride might be able to stretch her wedding budget to include part of your bridesmaid outfit, or she may be able to think of a less costly alternative, such as asking the bridesmaids to make or choose their own dresses. But even if she regretfully accepts your decision, offer to help in other ways. Perhaps, you could serve as her personal “attendant’ on the wedding day, helping her dress and running errands for her. Even though she may be disappointed, the bride will know that you want to do everything you can to make her day unforgettable.

Encore Marriages and Reaffirmations

Not too long ago, encore brides wore a pink suit and wed in the clerk’s office at City Hall. Understandably, since so many weddings across the country are second or subsequent marriages, the rules for “proper” behaviour have realistically eased.

Trevor Booth Photography, Windsor, Ontario, will travel

Trevor Booth Photography, Windsor, Ontario, will travel

The underlying theme this time, whether divorced or widowed, is romantic rather than innocent.

Check first with your clergy for any religious restrictions. You may then find this the perfect opportunity for a home or garden wedding or an intimate church wedding with a larger reception. But if you’ve always dreamed of a  large wedding, go ahead. A Sunday wedding will allow you more choices for reception facilities.

Your wedding dress may be ivory, the new pinks or peaches, or the traditional white. This time you may have a lower cut dress, but forgo the train and replace the veil with a romantic hat or a sophisticated beaded headpiece or a fascinator, made popular by Kate Middleton.

A widow may want to have a male member of the family give her away, while the encore bride may walk by herself, or with the groom. A new popular custom is including your sons and daughters as attendants, or as flower girl and ring bearer, if they are young.

At the reception, there need not be a formal receiving line, and while most of the “fun” traditions remain, the throwing of the bouquet and garter and rice or confetti are usually reserved for first weddings.

Marriage Reaffirmations are also increasing in popularity. Once reserved for 25th or 50th anniversaries, they are now being celebrated as early as the fifth anniversary.

Many couples choose to recreate their wedding day, complete with original dress and attendants, while others opt for a clergy renewing their vows during an Anniversary Party.  Couples are also finding this a great opportunity to redesign their wedding day and enjoy the ensuing celebration.