According to numerous surveys the number one thing that married couples have disagreements and arguments about is the “MONEY”. The tension surrounding Money begins long before the marriage ceremony takes place, for instance the cost of a Wedding.
Wedding Costs can rapidly escalate out of control if not planned right. It is extremely important to keep the tensions down and in some cases the wedding “on” to begin planning the wedding by devising a realistic and practical budget. And once the budget is devised and agreed upon its important that both parties stick to the wedding budget.
Planning a Wedding without a budget is a disaster that will land you in bigger and serious financial debt. The wedding budget is not a glamorous thing at all but rather a practical aspect of the whole affair that you will deal with and the key to make it successful is to communicate openly and honestly with each other, which will also set a precedent for your entire married life.
Most women work on the assumption that the groom does not care about the details which is not a true picture of the event. Men do care about how, when and where of the event as it is their big day as well and they have families, friends and relatives to please and impress as well. Newly engaged couples should take the time to tell each other how they envision their Special Day and respect the other person’s wishes and desires and come to a compromise which is another good rule to follow in your married life.
Once the excitement of the engagement is worn off, the bride and the groom to be should make a point of going somewhere and discussing what is important to them as far as the ceremony, the reception and the other frills that go with the Wedding Day and what is absolutely necessary for the Wedding Day and then use this feedback and information from each other to allocate your wedding budget and make your dollar go a long way in an efficient manner.
As soon as you know what is important and absolutely necessary, it is time to crunch the numbers and determine how much money is available now from all combined sources (for example in savings accounts, stocks/bonds, real estate, trust funds etc.). The second step is to determine how much you will have to start committing to savings account from your regular stream of income and how much you can realistically expect others to contribute towards your Wedding Costs. Depending on how far out the actual Wedding date is you may want to consider investing in short time interest bearing options to earn higher rates of interest on your accounts for the money that you already have in your accounts.
As taking into consideration what other people are going to contribute towards the wedding it is very important that you do not have any unrealistic demands and expectations. Accept gracefully what others have to contribute towards the Wedding and try not to be angry or disappointed in the amounts others are contributing. Be mature and understanding in handling the situation. When you know the source of money and how much is being contributed, you will know how much you can realistically spend.
After crunching the numbers and knowing exactly how much is available for spending make a list of all wedding-related expenses and allocate a dollar amount or the percentage you're willing to spend next to each item. This will help when you're actually contracting for these services. Remember that if you exceed your budgeted amount in one category, you'll have to scale back another so your budget will stay balanced.
Considering the importance of Wedding budget it is very important to use proper tools , worksheets and budget software and whatever help is available out there for the couples.
So get down to work and do your research properly and accurately without getting swayed by emotions as it will save you lot of aggravation and disappointment and will go a long way in a smooth and happy event. Good Luck and Happy Wedding Day. For your wedding favors and gift ideas click here.
A Tradition of Giving Wedding Gifts
A long standing tradition at weddings is a gift given by the bride and the groom. A popular say about gifts that its better to give than to receive might not be agreed to by a newly wedded couple who probably received some of the nicest gifts ever on their wedding day..
The purpose of giving Wedding Gifts to wedding guests is to show your appreciation. A specially picked out Gift shows that you put thought and consideration into the gift. Including a personalized note with the gift or personalizing the gift itself to thank the person for whatever role he or she played in the wedding is certainly a nice touch that shows extremely good taste and thoughtfulness. The Wedding Gifts need not be very expensive so as to break your wedding budget but should be well thought out and consider the personal taste and likes and dislikes of the person on the receiving end of the gift. Also the packaging and presentation goes a long way in showing how much you care and appreciate the people in your life.
So who should be at the receiving end of the Gift by the bride and the groom? Members of the wedding party have always topped that list, which includes almost everybody, the best man, maid or matron of honor, bridesmaids, ushers, groomsmen, junior bridesmaids, flower girls and ring bearers.
Although it is not mandatory, but it is a nice gesture for the bride and the groom to give gifts to each other. These days both the bride and the groom include each set of parents on the gift giving list. It is also a nice gesture to give a gift to someone who did something special during the occasion for instance someone who did a special reading at the ceremony or to step in for the bride’s father and walk the bride down the aisle. It is good taste to give gifts to acknowledge the contribution these people made and include them in gift giving.
Gifts should be purchased about four weeks prior to the wedding date, which will give you enough time to have them engraved and to create personalization messages etc.
To help the gifts make an even greater impression on the recipient, take special care in packaging the gifts. Use tasteful wrapping paper and embellishments using colors that complement the wedding colors. The best time to give your gifts is during the rehearsal dinner as it is intimate and the people to whom you're giving the gifts are all present at the occasion.
Last but not least need some gift ideas? Well first check your wedding budget to see how much you have allocated to this category. You have more than likely spent quite a bit of your money by this stage, so it is important to take a realistic look at the your remaining budget.
Brides typically give each member of the bridal party a piece of jewelry or a hair accessory that can be worn on the wedding day. Other gift ideas include bud vases, picture frames, bath oils, a collectible item or a gift basket. More ideas on bridesmaid gifts
The men in the wedding party like to receive engraved pens, pocket watches, cigars, business card holders, clocks for their desk, or key chains. For the parents, a professional wedding photo in an engraved frame is perfect or a personalized letter detailing your appreciation. For each other, anything that conveys your love and devotion is ideal. more ideas on mens gifts
The tradition of giving wedding gifts makes the wedding day more special and personal for every couple and it will be alive for as long as there are weddings in one way or another. More Wedding Party Gift Ideas
The purpose of giving Wedding Gifts to wedding guests is to show your appreciation. A specially picked out Gift shows that you put thought and consideration into the gift. Including a personalized note with the gift or personalizing the gift itself to thank the person for whatever role he or she played in the wedding is certainly a nice touch that shows extremely good taste and thoughtfulness. The Wedding Gifts need not be very expensive so as to break your wedding budget but should be well thought out and consider the personal taste and likes and dislikes of the person on the receiving end of the gift. Also the packaging and presentation goes a long way in showing how much you care and appreciate the people in your life.
So who should be at the receiving end of the Gift by the bride and the groom? Members of the wedding party have always topped that list, which includes almost everybody, the best man, maid or matron of honor, bridesmaids, ushers, groomsmen, junior bridesmaids, flower girls and ring bearers.
Although it is not mandatory, but it is a nice gesture for the bride and the groom to give gifts to each other. These days both the bride and the groom include each set of parents on the gift giving list. It is also a nice gesture to give a gift to someone who did something special during the occasion for instance someone who did a special reading at the ceremony or to step in for the bride’s father and walk the bride down the aisle. It is good taste to give gifts to acknowledge the contribution these people made and include them in gift giving.
Gifts should be purchased about four weeks prior to the wedding date, which will give you enough time to have them engraved and to create personalization messages etc.
To help the gifts make an even greater impression on the recipient, take special care in packaging the gifts. Use tasteful wrapping paper and embellishments using colors that complement the wedding colors. The best time to give your gifts is during the rehearsal dinner as it is intimate and the people to whom you're giving the gifts are all present at the occasion.
Last but not least need some gift ideas? Well first check your wedding budget to see how much you have allocated to this category. You have more than likely spent quite a bit of your money by this stage, so it is important to take a realistic look at the your remaining budget.
Brides typically give each member of the bridal party a piece of jewelry or a hair accessory that can be worn on the wedding day. Other gift ideas include bud vases, picture frames, bath oils, a collectible item or a gift basket. More ideas on bridesmaid gifts
The men in the wedding party like to receive engraved pens, pocket watches, cigars, business card holders, clocks for their desk, or key chains. For the parents, a professional wedding photo in an engraved frame is perfect or a personalized letter detailing your appreciation. For each other, anything that conveys your love and devotion is ideal. more ideas on mens gifts
The tradition of giving wedding gifts makes the wedding day more special and personal for every couple and it will be alive for as long as there are weddings in one way or another. More Wedding Party Gift Ideas
Add A Personal Flair With Wedding Favors To Any Wedding
To show an appreciation for their guests, for the time they have taken out of their busy lives to be part of the Wedding, the bride and groom shower their guests with Wedding Favors. These Wedding Gifts or Wedding Favors have been the tradition to thank the wedding guests for their thoughtfulness, their gifts and help in any way given to the couple in making the wedding a special occasion. Read the entire article Here.
Check out a Large selection of wedding favors and fun bridal shower favors
Check out a Large selection of wedding favors and fun bridal shower favors
Wedding Planning Time Line Guide
Helpful Wedding Planning Time Line Work Sheet
It is very helpful to work backwards from the “Wedding Day” to plan the wedding. Some of the guidelines for creating the wedding timeline are as follows.
1. Here's what needs to be accomplished during this timeframe. Six to Eight months before your wedding date is the time when you need to make most of your reservations and put down deposits. You've got to get a rough but fairly accurate estimate of the number of guests you'll have because each wedding location can accommodate a certain number of people and you want a location that can comfortably accommodate everyone.
2. Selection and Reservation of locations for wedding ceremony and reception.
Interviewing and reserving your professional talent including musician or DJ, photographer or videographer, florists, caterers, wedding cake baker, wedding official and optionally wedding planner or consultant.
3. Selection and confirmation of wedding party attendants for both bride and groom. Selection of wedding party attire and coordination of fittings, transportation arrangements for bridal party on the big day.
4. Placing of engagement announcement in local newspaper . Three to Four months before your wedding date is the time to make sure everything is in place.
5. Finalization of your guest lists including complete mailing addresses for invitations, ordering of wedding invitations.
6. Selection of honeymoon destination, hotel and airfare reservations, passports and documents.
7. Reconfirmation of bridal party dresses delivery and coordination of menswear rental attire.
8. Planning of wedding shower.
9. Registeration of bridal registries for showers and wedding gifts – if not registering at national chains, remember to register at stores that are local to the families of both bride and groom.
10. Reservation of Hotel suites for bride and groom's wedding night and for out of town wedding guests.
11 Shopping and ordering of Wedding Rings.
12. Living accommodations after your wedding.
These are the general timeline guides for planning your wedding that will help you put everything down on paper so you don’t leave anything out in the process. Wedding Gifts and Resources
It is very helpful to work backwards from the “Wedding Day” to plan the wedding. Some of the guidelines for creating the wedding timeline are as follows.
1. Here's what needs to be accomplished during this timeframe. Six to Eight months before your wedding date is the time when you need to make most of your reservations and put down deposits. You've got to get a rough but fairly accurate estimate of the number of guests you'll have because each wedding location can accommodate a certain number of people and you want a location that can comfortably accommodate everyone.
2. Selection and Reservation of locations for wedding ceremony and reception.
Interviewing and reserving your professional talent including musician or DJ, photographer or videographer, florists, caterers, wedding cake baker, wedding official and optionally wedding planner or consultant.
3. Selection and confirmation of wedding party attendants for both bride and groom. Selection of wedding party attire and coordination of fittings, transportation arrangements for bridal party on the big day.
4. Placing of engagement announcement in local newspaper . Three to Four months before your wedding date is the time to make sure everything is in place.
5. Finalization of your guest lists including complete mailing addresses for invitations, ordering of wedding invitations.
6. Selection of honeymoon destination, hotel and airfare reservations, passports and documents.
7. Reconfirmation of bridal party dresses delivery and coordination of menswear rental attire.
8. Planning of wedding shower.
9. Registeration of bridal registries for showers and wedding gifts – if not registering at national chains, remember to register at stores that are local to the families of both bride and groom.
10. Reservation of Hotel suites for bride and groom's wedding night and for out of town wedding guests.
11 Shopping and ordering of Wedding Rings.
12. Living accommodations after your wedding.
These are the general timeline guides for planning your wedding that will help you put everything down on paper so you don’t leave anything out in the process. Wedding Gifts and Resources
Practical Wedding Planning Guide
The long awaited day has finally arrived. Your partner has extended a marriage proposal and you have accepted with an emphatic 'YES'! Now where do you go from here? The answer to that simple question will make a tremendous difference in how the real 'Wedding Day' plays out.
Weddings are no longer simple affairs that took place on family farms with all the neighbors pitching in to help. In this day and age the bride and the groom are the ones calling all the shots. Others will try to get involved, but overall, it's the two people getting married who decide what, when and how of a wedding.
With a tremendous amount of work to be done coordinating and planning the big event, it's amazing that weddings go on at all. Considering that both the bride and the groom are likely holding down full-time jobs, who has time to work out all the details? And there are so many of them. Well the big secret is the wedding plan. Having a well-thought out wedding plan that starts with selecting the perfect wedding date and ends with arriving at the most romantic of honeymoon destination is the only way to keep nerves from fraying and budgets from being blown to pieces.
There are tons of tools available to help you plan your wedding. It's up to you to decide which tool will work best for you and then you've got to make sure you use the tool you've selected.
These Wedding planning tools vary in price so before you go spending any unnecessary money, take a step back and think for a moment about the b-word. A 'budget' is crucial because it's what will keep you and your partner (and anyone else funding the festivities) from going into debt. As unflattering as the word is, every wedding needs to begin with a budget. Wedding costs can rapidly spiral out of control because everybody wants the big event to be specially unique and magical.
To determine a wedding budget, start with
1. Who is going to be contributing towards the finances?
2. How much each can afford to contribute towards the finances?
Once you have a total dollar amount to work with, you can then begin to allocate the budget to the different parts of the wedding.
The starting point for a wedding plan is the wedding date. Everybody wants to be a June bride, but with only four week-ends in this month, not everybody can. The wedding date you select will have a significant impact on your budget. A wedding during the busy summer months will cost far more than one that takes place off-season. Not only will the wedding date impact the price for everything from the reception and ceremony hall to the photographer and the transportation but it also impacts availability.
Once the wedding budget and wedding date have been figured out, it is time to get busy. Now a timeline of tasks is needed to accomplish all that needs to be done in the days and months leading up to the wedding day! Wedding Planning Articles
Weddings are no longer simple affairs that took place on family farms with all the neighbors pitching in to help. In this day and age the bride and the groom are the ones calling all the shots. Others will try to get involved, but overall, it's the two people getting married who decide what, when and how of a wedding.
With a tremendous amount of work to be done coordinating and planning the big event, it's amazing that weddings go on at all. Considering that both the bride and the groom are likely holding down full-time jobs, who has time to work out all the details? And there are so many of them. Well the big secret is the wedding plan. Having a well-thought out wedding plan that starts with selecting the perfect wedding date and ends with arriving at the most romantic of honeymoon destination is the only way to keep nerves from fraying and budgets from being blown to pieces.
There are tons of tools available to help you plan your wedding. It's up to you to decide which tool will work best for you and then you've got to make sure you use the tool you've selected.
These Wedding planning tools vary in price so before you go spending any unnecessary money, take a step back and think for a moment about the b-word. A 'budget' is crucial because it's what will keep you and your partner (and anyone else funding the festivities) from going into debt. As unflattering as the word is, every wedding needs to begin with a budget. Wedding costs can rapidly spiral out of control because everybody wants the big event to be specially unique and magical.
To determine a wedding budget, start with
1. Who is going to be contributing towards the finances?
2. How much each can afford to contribute towards the finances?
Once you have a total dollar amount to work with, you can then begin to allocate the budget to the different parts of the wedding.
The starting point for a wedding plan is the wedding date. Everybody wants to be a June bride, but with only four week-ends in this month, not everybody can. The wedding date you select will have a significant impact on your budget. A wedding during the busy summer months will cost far more than one that takes place off-season. Not only will the wedding date impact the price for everything from the reception and ceremony hall to the photographer and the transportation but it also impacts availability.
Once the wedding budget and wedding date have been figured out, it is time to get busy. Now a timeline of tasks is needed to accomplish all that needs to be done in the days and months leading up to the wedding day! Wedding Planning Articles
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