Archive for April, 2009

A wedding is a huge celebration, and with all the months planning of  the fine details and the guest lists, it is a good idea to take some time out and celebrate with a mini-party. Traditional weddings often have a plethora of get-togethers from the engagement party to rehearsal dinner. Find out more about these parties and how to celebrate them (if you want).

Engagement Party- For most parents, finding out that their daughter is engaged is a call for celebration, and thus the engagement party was born. These days, though, the engaged couple can throw their own engagement party. Often these are small get-togethers, but this party can be as big as you’d like. Remember it is wise to only invite the people you plan on inviting to the actual wedding. It also would be a good idea to register for gifts ahead of time, even before the engagement party.

Bridal Shower- This is a party that the bridesmaids plan for the bride. The party usually consists of a meal, games and entertainment, and, of course, gifts. Bridal showers can be traditional, themed, or even coed (invite the groom and his friends). There are generally not a lot of rules when it comes to planning the party, but it would be a good idea to have a bridesmaid keep a record of the gifts received at the shower to make it easier to write thank you notes to the gift givers.

Bachelor/Bachelorette Parties- Like the bridal shower, this party has evolved throughout the decades. What used to be the one last night for a groom to go out and party with his friends, has now evolved to a coed celebration for men and women -party ideas can include almost anything from bowling to even rock-climbing expeditions.

Rehearsal Dinner- This party is traditionally thrown by the groom’s family and is often on the night before the wedding. While it’s usually held as an actual rehearsal for the big day, this party is usually a fancy fete and includes lots of toasts for the bride and groom.

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There are many customs inherent in a traditional Italian wedding. All Italian weddings were held in churches, but none could take place during the period of Lent or Advent. In the same way, there were no Italian weddings held in May because that is the month when the worship of the Virgin Mary always took precedence. August is considered a bad luck month to get married for Italians because it is said to bring misfortune and the prospect of illness. Every other month is considered permissible for an Italian wedding to be held in. In the Italian tradition, the great majority of weddings were held on Sunday because it was viewed as a favorable day for nuptials.

When the happy day arrived, a large bowed ribbon was draped carefully across the top of the doorway of the church. This served to let passersby know that a wedding was about to commence. It is interesting to note that while most Italian brides choose to wear a white wedding dress today, in days past the color green was worn instead as it was symbolic of fertility and, therefore, was believed to bring good fortune to the soon-to-be-wed couple.

When an Italian groom gets married he always has a piece of iron in the pocket of his suit. The iron was believed to ward off the evil eye during the wedding ceremony. If there were any jealousy or envious feelings in the church during the wedding ceremony, then it was believed that this could disrupt his happiness. The iron was supposed to counteract that.

Most modern brides would be very upset at the prospect of their veils getting torn during the wedding ceremony or at the reception. This was not the case for an Italian bride. In fact in the Italian tradition, tearing the bridal veil is considered to bring good luck to the happy couple!

As a traditional Italian wedding comes to a close, the couple was provided a vase or wine glass to break. Once this was done, the broken pieces were then gathered up and counted. It was thought that however many pieces were there represented the anticipated number of years that the couple would be happily married.

In Italy, confetti is viewed as a sign of good fortune for future happiness. That is why guests at an Italian wedding always threw either paper confetti or rice at the newlyweds as they left the church.

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Even if you’re planning the wedding of your dreams, it can still be a stressful situation. You have to deal with a multitude of things that include planning, budgeting, negotiating, and dealing with not-so-nice family members and friends. All of this stress is bad for both you and your fiancé, as it often leads to emotional conflict and the occasional argument. You need to stop and remember why you’re getting married in the first place, and bring back the romance. Here are some fun ways to do just that.

Go Out On A Date- Remember how you first met and you would look forward to those weekly dates? Why stop now? Sure you may have that “special someone”, but going on dates every so often will reignite those special memories and keep both of you from feeling taken for granted.

Take A Day Off- Plan to have a day where you can just forget about the hassles of planning a wedding. Take a day off, and stay home to watch movie. Or just laze around, reminisce, and listen to your favorite songs. The key here is to relax, let loose, and have a little fun.

Weekend Getaway- Spend your weekend in a nearby town or a local city hotel. Think of it as a pre-honeymoon getaway. Indulge in couples spa treatments, and check out the newest trendy restaurant. If there is a time needed for a little R & R, this is it.

Go Solo- It is crucial to take some free time off for yourself, and I’m sure your fiancé wants the same thing every once in a while. What you do is up to you- indulge in your hobby, go to yoga class, or volunteer for a cause that’s important to you.

Plan A Day With Your Friends- As the big day comes closer, your closest pals will want to spend quality time with you (that doesn’t involve wedding talk) before the big day. So plan a small get-together with your friends like a pot luck dinner or cookout.

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As the bride, you are doing everything in your part to make sure that your wedding is perfect, and that includes yourself. After scoring the perfect dress, shoes, jewelry, and hair style, you’re now left to worry about how you will look in the photographs. It is easy to have camera phobia even when you have hired a professional photographer, as it’s easy to end up looking washed out with red eyes. Fear not, here are some fabulous tips to help you look (and feel) your most glamorous on the big day.

Go For Glamour- Perfect makeup is crucial for any bride, especially if your photographer is taking color pictures. If you hardly wear cosmetics, you might want to enlist the help of a makeup artist on your wedding day. Whether you use a makeup artist or choose the do-it-yourself route, you’ll want to practice the perfect makeup look a few weeks in advance to achieve the perfect look.

Smile- This shouldn’t be too hard considering it’s your wedding day. Even if you don’t think you’re photogenic, a smile can improve your appearance and mood. If you would like, try to schedule a teeth whitening appointment at least two months before the day of your wedding. A cheaper alternative would be using an over the counter whitening product, which will whiten your teeth in at least fourteen days.

Relax- Which goes hand in hand with smiling, it’s crucial to relax a little. Don’t tense up, don’t force a smile, as it will show in the pictures, and you will live to regret it. Anxiety will show on your face and posture. You don’t need to stand there and pose either, simply act natural, and enjoy your wedding.

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