Archive for December, 2008

Once you accept an engagement it can seem like a huge wind has picked you up and whirled you around! There is so much to do and even more to think about. After the initial giddy excitement of this life altering event has hit you, it is then time to share the happy news with everyone in your life. First, your parents must be told, then the groom’s parents and then it is time to let all other family members and friends know about the upcoming nuptials.

How quickly you need to begin planning your wedding has to do with the date you have chosen. Is it far in the future or is it right around the corner? This is something that the two of you must decide as a couple based on your individual situation.

The shorter the span is between the start of an engagement and the wedding date, the sooner you will have to get yourself in gear in order to make all of the preparations. Engagements can be as short as three months or as long as two to three years. The average in most cases is six months to a year.

Another factor that plays a role in the kind of wedding you plan to have is the size. A posh wedding with lots of frills and a guest list of 200 people will require a great deal more time for planning than will a simpler type of wedding with 30 guests.

Wedding planning is something that needs to be done in a specific order. If you can afford it, you would do well to hire a wedding consultant to help with all of the planning. These professionals are well versed in the smallest details that you might overlook in your haste. If this is not an option for you, then look online for wedding planning duties and a timeline that you can follow. You can consult wedding books and magazines for similar information.

The less time you have for planning the wedding the stricter you have to be with yourself in regards to your timeline. You might want to create a wedding chart to keep yourself in check. Consider all possible scenarios, and do not be too proud to accept help from others who offer their time and services (as well as their encouragement and support!).

In the spirit of the holiday season, Wasabi Media Group is launching the Doubly Good December Contest.  This contest will reward one reader and one writer with a cash prize of 25 dollars each.

In order to qualify for the reader’s prize, all you need to do is have a comment published* for any article posted during the month of December.  Comments will be accepted for this contest through January 7th.  One comment will be chosen randomly, and the author of that comment will receive $25!

So, start reading, and submitting comments.  The more comments you submit, the more likely you are to win.

*In order for a comment to be published, an editor will determine if the comment is relevant to the article and meets WMG’s standards for appropriate language.

**Employees of Wasabi Ventures are not eligible to submit comments for this contest.

Christmas is a lovely time of year to have a wedding. It is common for red and green to be wedding colors for the holiday season, but you can add other colors to the mix as well. Some color combinations that work well include silver and white, silver and light blue, gold and white and also gold and off white (or cream). Some people prefer the deeper, more muted color of burgundy for a Christmas wedding.

You will want to have a beautifully decorated Christmas tree at your reception, but bear in mind that real flowers can be very pricey at this time of the year. You might want to use real or artificial Poinsettias to decorate the tables at the reception hall as this is the standard flower for the Christmas celebration. You also might want to use Christmas ornaments for decorations in place of flowers. Purchase miniature Christmas trees and color coordinate the lights, garland and ornaments with your color theme.

The dress you choose for your Christmas wedding can look the same as a wedding dress for any other season, but remember that it is also the season of cold and snow! Wear a long red cape to give your dress that extra little touch. Another option is to wear a red silk sash around your waist that works well with your dress or wear an elegant red accessory in your hair. You also can choose a dress that has some sequins or beads on the bodice that are reminiscent of snow. Add a faux fur wrap and muff to keep you warm as you leave the church and make your way to the reception hall, and you are all set!

As far as your maid of honor and bridesmaids are concerned, have them dress in your wedding theme colors and opt for floor-length dresses, which are very elegant indeed. Pair the dresses with long wraps, capelets or shrugs and big faux fur muffs. Add a few sparkly accessories, such as earrings and necklaces to their outfits to really bring style to their ensembles.

Send your wedding invitations at least six to 12 weeks before the wedding. To avoid the invitation looking too much like a Christmas card, make it a solid white sheet as opposed to a card that folds in two.

Congratulations to you if you have made the decision to take a second honeymoon. A second honeymoon gives a couple the opportunity to strengthen their love and the unique opportunity to reconnect with one another. It is a time to laugh, play and dream.

As you plan your second honeymoon, bear in mind that this is no ordinary vacation. It is not time for the whole family to enjoy, so let the kids know that they are not invited!

A second honeymoon is about quality time for the two of you. Open your heart to one another, keep an open mind and bring your patience, energy and enthusiasm. If you can book a honeymoon suite complete with a hot tub and champagne, then do so.

Plan a second honeymoon that you both will enjoy. All of the activities you choose should surround bringing the two of you closer together. Decide as a couple where you want to go, what your budget is and how long you wish to be away.

Make your second honeymoon a time to create new memories. There is nothing wrong with talking and reminiscing over old times, but recognize that there are good times ahead. Cherish your time together. Be greedy about your time, and do not let anything intrude upon it. If you want to sleep until noon, do so. If you want to sip wine at 10 a.m., then have fun doing it. If you want to go for pizza or ice cream at 1a.m., then by all means- go for it!

A second honeymoon is a special period of time that is set aside to be cherished. Do not let work or family concerns put a dent in the moments you have together. Clear your mind of everything else except the person you love and adore. Make that person your complete focus.

Just as best laid plans can come undone on other vacations, so can they on a second honeymoon. Whatever you do, do not forget your sense of humor at home! When you are packing the massage oil, your sexiest lingerie and your drop dead heels, make sure you bring with you the ability to laugh at yourself, and each other. You just never know what you might encounter on your trip- whether it be delays, room mix-ups, bags that go missing or a sunburn that you have tried to avoid!

Here we continue our look at the preparations that need to be made when it comes to getting ready to go on a honeymoon.

-If you will be honeymooning outside of the country, make sure that when you purchase foreign currency you remember to get some small bills for things such as snacks, refreshments, tips, taxis, etc. There may be establishments that do not accept large bills, so having smaller bills is preferable.

-Find out at your bank if your ATM card will work in the country you will be going to. If you can use your bank card in the country you will be honeymooning in, then do so, but do not depend on it to the exclusion of other financial means. Issues can crop up using your card that you may not have anticipated. It would not hurt to pay close attention to the systems that your bank makes use of. Some examples of these include Cirrus, Interac and Plus.

-Book an appointment with your doctor before leaving for your honeymoon. If you are currently taking medication then make sure you have enough for the duration of your time away. If you will be traveling internationally, then find out if you need to get any vaccinations.

-Buy yourself a small safe, and place all of your valuables inside it before you leave for your honeymoon. It would be smart to leave your most expensive jewelry at home. You do not want to make yourself a target for any thieves on your honeymoon. Consider leaving your engagement ring at home for safe keeping.

-Make sure your family knows where you will be going for your honeymoon and has flight numbers and times. It would be good to leave an itinerary with them in the event that you need to be reached while you are away.

-If you have a pet(s) find someone who can look after him while you are away or else make arrangements to board your pet.

-Arrange for someone to check in on your home, as well as to bring in your mail and water your plants.

-If you currently have newspapers delivered to your home, then call the company to have it stopped while you are away. (That goes for anything else that you have delivered to your home on a daily or weekly basis as well.)

-Buy a timer for the lights in your home in order that others cannot tell that you are away.