Religious Ceremonies-Episcopalianism and Judaism

Episcopalianism

Episcopalianism consider marriage a sacrament, so the marriage ceremony must take place in a church, unless you are able to get an exemption from the local bishop, and the music must be religious in nature. Those weddings are similar to Protestants' weddings in many respects, they tend to hew closer to what you would expect from a Sunday service. Rings are blesses before being handed to the couple. If the couple wishes, the ceremony may include the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, and all baptised Christians may receive communion.

Judaism

First, the couple, rabbi, parents, and designated witness gather in a chamber to sign the ketubah, the Jewish marriage contract. then comes the bedeken, in which the groom veils the bride in order to symbolically ensure her identity; the roots of the ritual come from the biblical story of Jacob, who was tricked by a heavy veil into marrying the wrong woman. The bride and the groom are escorted down the aisle by both of their parents. At the front of the aisle stands the chuppah, a canopy attached to four poles under which the couple is married. The chuppah represents the presence of God and the couple's first home. Toward the end of the ceremony, the bride may circle the groom seven times; this tradition symbolize the centrality of the groom in the family. At the very end the groom stomps on a glass and all the guests shout " Mazel tov". Then the festivities start. 

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Planning Religious Wedding Ceremonies-Buddhism and Eatsern Orthodoxy

Religious Ceremonies

Some religious give you opportunity to personalize the vows, readings, or music but limit your choices to sacred material. Others, let you diverse the ceremony, a nice option for couples struggling to find a religious service that meets interfaith needs.

Buddhism

In Buddhism, marriage is a secular arrangement, so there is no prescribed ceremony or liturgy. This has made those weddings increasingly popular, as it leaves a lot of leeway for the couple to make the ceremony personal to them, as long as it doesn't contradict the spirit of the dharma or the teachings of the Buddha. A priest of Buddhist preceptor usually conducts the ceremony, though in some cultures, the union may be blessed by a monk. You will find that most Buddhist officiants-priests and monks-are flexible as to where the ceremony takes place. But wherever the marriage occurs, incense is typically offered to the Buddha at the beginning of the ceremony, which may be announced by the sounding of a gong. Usually a shrine holds flowers, a candle, incense, an image of the Buddha, and possibly a bowl of fruit. In most ceremonies, you'd hear at least one sutra chant-a means of expressing gratitude to the Buddha.

Eastern Orthodoxy

Those ceremonies overflow with rituals-many of which are represent in threes to represent the Holy Trinity. Marriage is a sacrament, so weddings take place in a church and last about an hour. The bride and groom generally do not recite any vows. The ceremony begins with the exchange of rings, which go back and forth between the couple three times and are actually placed on the ring finger of the right hand. After the priest initial blessing, the couple' hands remain joined for the remainder of the ceremony. The highlight of the ceremony is the crowning, wherein the best man swaps the crowns 3 times between the bride and the groom. As soon as the priest removes the crowns, the couple is married. The bride and groom takes sips of wine from a shared cup as a reminder that they will henceforth share everything, and the priest leads them in walking three times around the altar for their first steps together as a married couple.

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Be a Lucky Bride

Here are some traditions from around the world for bringing luck.

1)Put a sixpence in your shoe.
A tradition with English brides, who tuck a sixpence into their left slipper and the saying "something old" goes like "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpence in her shoe". There are retailers that specialize in sixpence just for that purpose, but many people substitute a U.S. dime, even though they are no longer made of silver. Swedish bride slip a silver coin from their father in their left shoe, and a gold coin from their mother in their right; the coins ensure that the bride will always have money.

2)Carry a horseshoe.
Irish brides believe carrying a horseshoe will bring luck to the marriage. Some wear a horseshoe charm, but you could also attach a horseshoe pin to the cuff of the bouquet. A horseshoe should always be positioned so that it's open on the top-that's how it holds the luck it catches.

3)Wear an eye charm.
At Greek weddings,the bride, her attendants, or guests often wear a mati, a blue glass bead shaped like an eyeball, to ward off evil spirits. It's usually a charm or pin; some brides slip it inside their dress.

4)Carry a lump of sugar.
Greek brides slip a sugar cube into their glove, believing it will bring them a sweet life.

5)Get henna tattoos.
Mehndi is the Hindu word for the intricate henna designs painted on a bride's hands and feet. Henna has been heralded for its magical properties since ancient times and is believed to ward off evil spirits. It's customary for Indian, Pakistani, Persian, North African, and other muslim brides to have a mehndi party a day or two before the wedding.

6)Kiss a chimney sweep.
Easier said, than done but it's considered lucky for the bride to kiss a chimney sweep on her wedding day. It sweeps away evil spirits.

7)Have 1001 cranes.
Cranes, symbol of peace, happiness and longevity, are thought to live 1000 years; at Japanese weddings, the presence of 1001 white paper origami cranes is said to make a wish come true or to wish the couple good luck more than 1000 times. The cranes can be placed at the ceremony or reception.

8)Get sprinkled with sugar.
At Iranian wedding ceremonies, happily married women hold a cloth over the bride and groom, the scrape elaborate sugar cones over them, letting sugar rain down on the cloth for good luck.

Honeymoon Hot Spots

The Caribbean-Punta Cana or Playa Dorado, Dominican Republic; Pal Beach, Aruba; Grand Caymans, Cayman Islands; Grace Bay Beach, Turks and Caicos; Shoal Bay, Anguilla; Gold Coast, Barbados; Negril Jamaica; St. Croix, Nassau, Bahamas; Diamond Beach, Martinique; Luquillo Beach, puerto rico; Tortola, British Virgin islands; Grand Anse Beach, Grenada; St. Jean Beach, St. Barthelemy; Pigeon Point, Tobago; Trunk Bay, St. John;

Mexico-Los Cabos, Baja California,Isla de Cozumel,Cancun,Puerto Vallarta, Ixtapa Guadalajara,Tulum,Maya Riviera

South Pacific-The Marquesas and Tahiti

Europe-Greece, Spain, Ireland, Switzerland,England,France, Italy, Monaco, Germany

United States-Alaska, Hawaii,Grand Canyon National Park, Disneyland, Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket

Savvy Skin Care for your wedding

Look radiant on your big day with glowing, beautiful skin

Washing your make up off evey night keeps pores from clogging.

Washing too often, or with water that's too hot, can strip natural moisture from your skin and dry you out.

Gel-based cleansers do a better job at removing makeup, but cream-based cleansers are more moisturizing for dry skin.

A depp-cleansing facial can work wonders, but leave at least a few days for your skin to recover before your wedding day.

A regular exfoliating routine will help you look the best and glow with happiness on your wedding day.

Gentle scrubs with tiny particles and microdermabrasion are great for removing dead cells from your skins's top layer.

Alpha and beta hydroxy acids and retinoids go one step further, exfoliating as well as helping the production of collagen.

Use toners that act as humectants, which help your mositurizer penetrate your kin. Avoid products that contain alchocol.

For daytime, choose a moisturizer SPF30 to protect your skin form everyday sun damage.

Treat acne on your body with acne fighting body or facial wash. Stress can wreak havoc on your skin.

Picking a location for your Wedding-Hotel, Restaurant, Off-side, Destination?//

Hotel
It's easiest to arrange. One of the biggest advantages of a hotel is that nearly everything you need is already there, from the tables to the dance floor t employees who will staff the wedding. Aside from the catering and the bar you can bring in your own vendors.

Restaurant
Best suited to wedding of 125 or fewer guests, restaurants are often chosen for superb food, a distinctive setting, or a special  ambience-all of which can make for a chic and intimate wedding.

An Off-Site Wedding
A Wedding is considered off-site if the place doesn't have commercial kitchen or stock items like tables, linens, china and flatware. The setting could be anything from an estate, a beach, or a park to an urban loft or cultural center. A home wedding is almost always considered off-site, unless it is such a small event that you don't need to bring in rentals.
Off-site wedding can be gorgeous, but can come at a high price.

Outdoor Wedding
Can be absolutely magical. It won't look like any other wedding and there's no space more sacred than nature. Another bonus:no photographer's trick can match the glow of a sunset.
The rule for outdoor wedding is to have a backup strategy for rain, winds, heat or cold.
Before you commit to an outdoor wedding, consider your personality. Make sure you can handle the uncertainty that comes with an unpredictable location. If you can't stand frizzy hair, last-minute changes, mud stains, you'd probably be happier with more controlled environment.


Home Wedding
A sentimental favourite, the home wedding is personal and intimate. You can choose any day and time you like. But home wedding tend to have hidden costs. You are going to need equipment-tables, chairs, glassware, tent, lightning and so on. The biggest budget bonus is the liquor. Buying your own alcohol is cutting the bar bill in half.

The Destination Wedding
Since destination weddings involve some amount of travel, they also tend to last longer than the average wedding. Festivities might go on for 2-3 days.
Typically, you are essentially taking care of guests from the moment they arrive until they depart. You might be coordinating everything from airport transportation to a welcome party, activities during the day, the wedding itself, reception and a day after brunch. You might find yourself negotiating airline and hotel rates, assembling gift baskets, booking spa appointments and so on.
Full information packets should go 6-8 months before the wedding and you should get the save the date cards even earlier.
While a destination wedding tends to be pricey for the guests, it isn't necessarily super expensive for the host. And if you like to include personal touches, nothing will let you do it better than a destination wedding.

10 Best Ways to Cut Costs

1)Trim the guest list. Your cost per head is your biggest expense.
2)Choose a great site to save on decorations.
3)Skip the off-site location and go with a reception site that comes with tables, chairs, flatware, and staff.
4)Start the wedding earlier in the day. Breakfast, lunch cost less than dinner, and earlier in the day, people drink less, lowering your liquor cost.
5)Limit the alcoholic offering to beer and wine and a signature cocktail.
6)Make your wedding on Sunday or a weekday. Vendors lower their fees for days that are less in demand.
7)Eliminate the champagne toast.
8)Instead of a band hire a DJ or use iPod
9)Opt for inexpensive printing method on your wedding invitations
10)Skip favors. Write a personal note instead.

Engagement Party II-Toast and After Party

After most of the guests have arrived at the engagement party, it' time for the father of the bride to make a toast. Either wine or champagne can be poured for the toast.

When the person giving the toast asks everyone to raise their glasses, don't raise yours. You are also not suppose to drink to yourself after the toast, but today, many couples clink their glasses and take a sip.
After the toast the bride and groom should briefly address the gathering to thank the person who gave the toast, the host of the party, and the friends and family members who came out to celebrate their party event. If both sets of parents haven't been introduced to everyone, it's time to make the introduction.

After the Party you have to send a note and a gift to the host. If a parent hosted the party, you don't have to send a gift. Flowers make a wonderful gesture for any occasion. Candles, chocolates, soaps, picture frames, wines also make fine gifts.

The Engagement Party I

The first public celebration of your new status is the engagement party. There's no obligation to have one, but it's a lovely way for both families to know one another. Cocktails at parents' home, dinner in a restaurant, a Sunday Brunch, would all fit the bill.
Traditionally, the parents of the bride gave the engagement party. The cornerstone of the event would be the moment when the bride's father stood up to announce the happy news and propose a toast to the couple.
There are no rules about when to hold the party, but usually it takes place at least 2 months after the engagement and no later than six before the wedding.
The gold of your engagement party is to get the 2 sides mixing and mingling. The better people get to know one another, the easier all of your prewedding events and the wedding will be.
Activities during the party are a way to bring people together. If you are having a backyard barbecue, set up croquet and volleyball. Consider having a quiz about the bride and the groom, and have prizes for the highest scores for each side. If you opt for a small dinner at a restaurant go around the table and have all the guests introduce themselves, or say a little something about each person yourselves.

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Excerise and Nutrition for your Wedding

Celebrate this special time in your life by getting into shape and feeling great.

• Look for brightly coloured fruits and vegetables, which are rich in heart-healthy antioxidants.
• Protein keeps you fuller longer, so start your day with eggs, yoghurt.
• Dark green vegetables like broccoli, green beans are packed with vitamins, high in fibre and low in calories, so you will stay satisfied longer.
• Get quick energy from powerful carbohydrates in whole grains, wild rice, whole wheat and oatmeal.
• If you live in northern area and don't see much sun take vitamin D.
• Calcium is important for bone strength, eat dairy products, dark leafy greens, beans.
• Woman of childbearing age benefit from getting foliate in her diets. Consider supplements.
• Salmon, walnuts and flaxseed are fantastic sources of Omega-3-fatty acids, which are essential for good health.
• Yoga will strengthen your body as well as calm your mind during this busy time. Use exercise as a stress reliever if your schedule begins to feel overwhelming. Think about the areas of your body that your wedding dress is going to accentuate and target your strength training so you will be excited to show them off.
• Take small stretching and movement breaks throughout your workday to maintain good circulation, posture, and strength and ward off fatigue.
• Stay active together. Biking, roller-blading and hiking are great activities to do as a pair. Encourage each other to get enough sleep. Being well rested supports physical and emotional health in a big way.

Something Old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and silver

Bring a little magic to your big day with these traditional good luck charms that many of today's brides still use. 

Something Old signifies a connection to the past, including our family values and family history. You may want to wear a piece of heirloom jewellery or your mother's wedding veil as a sign of this bond, or you may choose to incorporate into your ceremony a favourite photo, childhood story, a song that has sentimental value to you and your family members. 

Something New indicates hope and an optimistic look at the road ahead. This can be represented by any new item you purchase or be a gesture of what you hope for the future. 

Something Borrowed denotes the respect you have for others who have been role models in your life. Choose something of significance from someone who exemplifies that traits of a good partner and let a little of their wisdom rub off on you. 

Something blue is a sign of fidelity and true love. For many years before the white wedding dress came into vogue, brides were married in blue as a symbol of their purity.

Altenative Wedding Locations

Boats, wineries, museums and other uncommon locations are perfect for one-of a kind events

Think outside the box when it comes to finding a truly unique location for your ceremony or reception. Any place that appeals to you that can comfortably accommodate your guests can be considered. For maximum impact with minimal stress, be sure your locations has hosted wedding before.

In areas like Seattle, San Diego, and Sarasota, tour boats companies abound, and it's easy to rent an entire boat or deck of a ship for your event and have the captain marry you while you are at it. From dinner and dancing on a cruise ship to an intimate ceremony on a quaint old steamer, there is no better way to treat your guests to a stunning view while familiarizing them with their surroundings.

For artistic flair, look to museums, art galleries, lofts, and other urban places that offer event spaces for rent. Choose a place that you love to visit, like a history museum that features modern or antique collections that you adore.Many museums have beautiful lightning, gorgeous décor, and plenty of parking. 

Show off your regions of the country by choosing an architectural or local landmark for your venue. Get married overlooking the Grand Canyon, Golden Gate Park, or the spot your city is best known for. Choose a picturesque winery to add real local flavor.

At locations from the snowcapped mountains of Switzerland to the sun-soaked beaches of French Polynesia, more and more couples are choosing to have destination weddings. By getting married in the same place that you are going for your honeymoon you offer guests an opportunity for an unforgettable vacation.

Casual Locations

Homes, gardens, Beaches and Country Barns are natural location for easy, elegant celebrations

Choosing to host a semi-formal or casual affairs allows you to create a playful, romantic ambiance at more formal events and it gives you far more options for showing off your personal style.

If you, your parents, or other family members own a home with a stunning view, beautiful backyard, or special setting that can accommodate your guest list, what better place could there be to celebrate? Getting ready in your childhood bedroom or saying your vows under your favourite oak tree is an intimate way to bring back memories and create many new ones.

Throughout the seasons, gorgeous garden spaces are available for rent, from the manicured lawns and flower beds frequently found at privately owned estates, to the more natural environs of city parks. With Mother Nature doing the decoration, every backdrop is sure to be picture perfect.

Nothing is s relaxing as a beach wedding. With sand between your toes and wind in your hair, you and your guests will be treated to the sound of the waves and the sun sparkling on the water. If you a boater, surfer, scuba diver, the beach is a natural place for you to tie the knot. Destination beach wedding s are all the rage these days, and resorts that specialize in beach ceremony abound.

In regions where agriculture is an important element of community life, it's easy to find ranches and farms that have been converted to event spaces.If this uniquely romantic option appeals to you, consider going all out. Get a horse-drawn carriage to take you to your ceremony, follow it up with a delicious barbecue, and complete it with a bluegrass trio or country and western band.

Classic Wedding Locations

Ballrooms, historic buildings, and private clubs are ideal places for formal receptions

For a reception venue that complements your classic style, look to hotels, private clubs, and sites of historic significance. The chandeliers, terraces, graceful stairways, and ornate decorations that frequently adorn these locations provide the ideal design elements for sophisticated events.

You will find that many leading hotels offer beautiful ballrooms and dining halls designed specially for formal events, complete with professional staff and an on-site wedding coordinator to help with every detail of your planning. Many hotel packages are all inclusive, meaning they provide your caterer, bartender, wait staff,wedding cake, floral arrangements and an array of tableware and décor items. This kind of complete service can be a blessing if you are too busy for vendor meetings and you are pleased with professionals the location provides. With amenities like valet parking , coat check and concierge assistance, you can expect your guests to feel well taken care of.

Other elegant event sites include castles, mansions, and historic building. After all, what could be more ideal for a fairy-tale wedding than a real castle or more appropriate for a vintage-inspired reception than a manor house with antique décor?

Writing Wedding Thank You Card

The most important point of thank you card etiquette is that notes must be written handy. Your goal is to make your notes sounds warm and personal. All it takes is 4-5 sentences:

• thank the guest for the gift
• describe how will you use it. If you are not sure, put your imagination to work. Avoid all-purpose phrases like “thanks for the great gift. It's sure to come in handy...”
• state how lovely it was or will be to see them at the wedding. If they were unable to attend but still sent you a gift, express how sorry you were that they weren't able to attend. If they did attend, add a personal observation-a compliment about how they looked, how they danced
• make reference to a future visit or get-together
• If you don't like the gift talk about how happy were you to see them at the wedding and talk less about the gift
• Just as the thank you notes should be handwritten the envelopes should be addresses by hand. The envelope is the first thing the recipient will see.

Thank you notes DONTS

• that you received duplicates of the gift
• that you are exchanging the gift
• that the gift fell short of your expectations
• any mention of money even a monetary gift

General Thank you note

Dear Teresa and David,

I was so touched that you were able to fly in from Boston for our wedding. I so enjoyed having a chance to catch up with you, and Bob was delighted to finally meet you. The silver place setting was such a thoughtful and generous gift-we will be appreciating it at holiday meals for many years to come. I do hope we will be able to spend one of those holidays together soon.

It was great to see you at the wedding, and thanks you again for the wonderful gift.

Love,