Astounding Language

You can also match all the invites for the shower to the wedding reception theme. Unique Bridal shower invitations are available in various different styles. Make sure that you buy something with RSVP cards.

You can get seal and sent invitations that are available as a single piece with an attached postcard for response and you don’t even have to pay for the mailing. If you want to go in for a more formal look then match your invitations to the wedding ceremony theme or a particular color scheme, say pink for bridal showers, with an envelope that has an inner lining. Having a small envelope seal is just what is called sealing the envelope with a kiss. It is a nice gesture and depending on the style of the cards, you can match this seal.

When it comes to the bridal shower cards , you can buy customized printed stationery and get the same card company to personalize the bridal shower invitations or you can get a professional calligrapher to write out the cards in a beautiful hand. Many card companies also offer the services of their in-house calligraphers. In fact, you can add a whimsical touch to the cards by adding a small piece of lace or getting the cards to be delivered in matching paper envelopes that are shaped like girl’s handbags or other women accessories.

Generally it is a good idea to keep the invitations simple and sweetly feminine. You can easily make them yourself with ordinary card making supplies like printable bridal shower invitations , lace, ribbons etc. Or, if you have more people, buy invites.

Taking a cruise for your honeymoon provides an opportunity for you to start your married life in a state of relaxation by exploring the unknown and enjoying all the amenities a cruise has to offer. Cruise lines are building bigger ships every year and with the additional ships, they are vastly expanding their ports of call. There are cruise itineraries for all tastes from Alaska to the Caribbean to Europe, cruise lines have it all.

Cruising presents the comfort of five star luxury accommodations and provides unending excitement, adventure, the opportunity to get to know each other and to make new friends aboard your sea adventure.

A honeymoon cruise package may include:

1. Champagne and Strawberries in your Stateroom upon boarding

2. Canapés or other treat delivered to your cabin on the evening of your choice

3. An exclusive Honeymooner’s party for you and the other newlyweds aboard the ship

4. Honeymoon Photographs

5. Champagne breakfast in bed on the morning of your choice

Destination options are limitless and depend upon your taste - be it the romantic hills, historical monuments, beaches, tropical rain forests, foreign history, the list is endless. All cruise lines offering honeymoon packages have exquisitely appointed suites, gyms, swimming pools, spas, salons, shopping and casinos to pamper the cruiser and energize the mind, body and spirit.

You have the option to take a short weekend honeymoon with a three or four night cruise, or extending it to a long and luxurious getaway aboard a seven, 12 or even 30+ night cruise! If you and your new spouse are the really adventurous types some cruise lines are now offering around the world cruises that last for 3 to fours months.

There’s no need to be concerned that you won’t know what to do or what to bring on a cruise, there are many resources available online and directly with the cruise line to assist you in packing, activities planning and leisure options. And fear not, should you forget to pack an item for your honeymoon, the cruise ship will have shops onboard at which you can purchase anything from basic necessities to luxury items and souvenirs for friends back home.

Considering the option of only having to unpack once, visiting multiple locations, and being able to spend some quality time with your new spouse aboard a self-sufficient floating city, you can’t go wrong planning a cruise for your honeymoon!

Rebecca Sherman is an editor at ModernWeddingPlanner.com
Planning a Wedding? Our Free Wedding Planner and Wedding Planning Guide has sections to track guest information, RSVP’s, budgets, shower and wedding gifts and More! Plus export your data to Excel.

Wedding party favors can include any number of items. Traditionally used as a token of thanks given to the entire retinue of guests at your nuptials, wedding party favors are usually small items given universally to all your guests. But some couples like to give special wedding party favors to those family members and friends specifically in the wedding party. So how do you choose wedding party favors for your more intimate allies?

At a time when your brain is being used to capacity in planning the most important day of your life, wedding party favor ideas can be somewhat thin on the ground. Wedding party favors can be difficult enough to come up with, but what if you would like to thank your special friends and supporters with a more intimate and personal wedding party favor?

The key to remember when choosing wedding party favors is the special bond you share with each individual member of your retinue. Unlike the wedding party favors you will bestow upon your guests in general, the wedding party favor ideas you use to thank your special friends need to be as unique as each one of them.

Any wedding party favor given to a special associate should reflect both the personality of the friend involved, and the nature of the special relationship you share with them. You want them to look upon your wedding party favor in years to come, and have them instantly reminded of your special day, and the bond you share that made them such an important part of your celebrations.

When choosing your wedding party favors for your special circle, you might think, for example, of how you met them. Was there a unique story there that might be represented in a special wedding party favor? Perhaps there is something this friend does for you that no one else can do - ponder the nature of your relationship with this person, and attempt to capture the essence of that relationship in the wedding party favor you choose for them.

In compiling your wedding party favor ideas, the trick is to think of the love you feel for the friend you are selecting a wedding party favor for. Translate this feeling into a physical form, and you will have found the perfect wedding party favor for your loved one.

For a website totally devoted to Wedding Favors visit Peter’s Website The Wedding Favors Guide and find out about Unique Wedding Favors as well as Wedding Favor Ideas and more, including Cheap Wedding Favors and Wedding Shower Favors.

Wedding couples are frustrated. DJs are frustrated. There’s a disconnect here. But what exactly is the problem?

It depends on who you ask. DJs continually wonder why brides and grooms treat the mobile DJ — the type who lugs around his equipment to show up at big events and weddings — as a commodity. In other words, couples price-shop ruthlessly, as if any given DJ were interchangeable with the rest.

Paul Arnett, a Yorkshire DJ and NADJ (National Association of Disc Jockeys) member who organizes the UK’s Mobile DJ Show North event, puts the problem like this: “Well, your average couple spends hours deliberating over the dress. You hand-pick the caterers. You pore over flowers and sweat over the florist. You spend hours choosing just the right venue and church — not to mention the time spent on favors.’

“But then, you go out and hire a DJ because he’s ten dollars cheaper than the next one. Or he’s a friend of your brother’s, or he does Tuesdays at the local bar. You might never even see him work, check out his equipment, or meet with him personally to make sure he’s suitable.”

Most couples handle every other major item in their budget differently. You don’t choose one venue over another because it costs a hundred dollars less. Few brides with a budget to work with buy their cakes from the discount grocery store, even though that cake (slathered in tubs of “BetterCream” frosting) would be much cheaper than one from the designer bakery downtown. Instead, they investigate. They take pictures. They taste-test amaretto fillings and hors d’oeuvres. And eventually, they settle on the vendor who seems poised to deliver the best experience to their guests.

Why Is It So Different With DJs?

Part of the answer is an image problem, says Paul. “People perceive that most mobile DJs will turn up fifteen minutes ahead of time, with a couple of speakers and some cheesy circa-1970’s light screens, and play ‘Agadoo’ all night.” (For we lucky few who haven’t heard it, the 1984 song Agadoo frequently charts as “the worst song of all time.”)

We all feel confident identifying an excellent meal or a sublime dessert. But few of us feel comfortable evaluating DJs in the same way. We know that a good one can “get the party started,” but we’re not sure how to tell a good one from a bad one.

Some people think so poorly of DJs, they prefer to eliminate them entirely, soundtracking the dance portion of the night with iPods or laptops. This isn’t easy — it requires you to rent expensive sound equipment, find someone to mind the iPod, possibly buy insurance, and somehow get around or ignore the technical issues, like the inevitable three second delay between songs you get on an iPod. And yet some people find that preferable to risking the “Agadoo” or “Chicken Dance” scenario on their Big Day.

An iPod might well be better than a bad DJ. But the DJ is a key part of your five-hour reception, and some of them are very good indeed.

When She Was Good, She Was Very Very Good

Perhaps it’s hard for the average bride and groom to grasp the difference between a green DJ with low-end equipment, and a seasoned one who knows how to transform shy and retiring Clark Kents into dance floor superheros.

The first may be nothing more than a glorified CD changer. He may or may not have a firm grasp of the different musical needs that accompany standard reception rituals, like the cake cutting or the father/daughter dance. He may lug in his entry-level Peavy subwoofers and arrange his sound system in ways that ignore your venue’s peculiarities.

The second may have emceed hundreds of weddings. Along the way, he’s developed something subtle but important known as voice and personality — not an imitation of some radio host’s, but his own. He doesn’t practice on your wedding; he brings his skills to it, along with a top-of-the-line sound system, which he’ll arrange differently depending on factors like whether or not your venue is broken up into several chambers (the cocktail lounge and the banquet area, for example).

If he’s a gearhead, he might even offer specialty lighting abilities you might not think of, such as the ability to shine gobos on the dance floor — gobos being customized templates that display things like your wedding monogram. Some DJs even offer giant video screens and live replays of key points in the reception.

But the most important skills a good DJ will bring to your wedding is a honed personality, a formal-friendly image, and an absolute mastery of what gets crowds on their feet.

Okay, so you get it. You understand that not all DJs are alike, and that a good one brings as much your wedding as any premium florist or baker. So how do you find him?

Choose DJs that Take Their Job Seriously

Skip the part-timers — they’re still learning the ropes, and they’ll be practicing on your wedding. Instead, look for full-timers who show their commitment to the profession by belonging to professional DJ associations such as CPDJA, ADJA, & NAME, or NADJ in the UK.

Paul adds, “Ask if they have public liability insurance (in case Grandma trips over a speaker wire) and PAT electrical test certificates (to insure their equipment is safe). This also shows they’re professionals and not cutting corners.”

Meet with them in person, and take a gander at their sound systems. You might not know your Geminis or Peaveys from your Mackies or QSCs, but even a casual glance should tell you whether the DJ or company invests in good equipment. In fact, most will be delighted to run you through their top-of-the-line systems if you give them the slightest excuse.

While you’re there, take a look at their promotional photos and videos. Are they wearing tuxes? Do they look sharp? Does their sound stage sport garish self-promoting signs, or do they keep things discreet?

Turn on Your X-Ray Vision

Everyone has what it takes to pick a great DJ. You simply have to meet with them in person, and absorb what they have to offer.

Paul says, “Talk to them — their personality should shine through. While you’re there, ask them what special qualities they can bring to their wedding. Ask how they’re prepared to work with you to make your day extraordinary.”

The DJ should be happy to meet you, seem interested in the specifics of your venue, and ask questions. “Any DJ who seems phased or reluctant by any of this — they’re not the one. If your DJ seems bored, or gives you the sense you’ll be just another date on their calendar, they’re also not the one.”

A Coda for the Couple

It’s true with the cake, it’s true with the steak tartar, and it’s true for your DJ — the final word is quality, not price. As Paul puts it, “When you look back on your wedding reception in years to come, do you want to remember what a fantastic time everyone had? Or do you want to say, ‘Well, at least we saved some money on the DJ?’”

Good DJs see themselves as part of the larger picture. They expect to work closely with your coordinator, photographer and videographer, and to custom-fit their setup to your venue. So hire a good DJ — one who can help you tailor the night’s entertainment to your individual wedding.

“And see what they can offer to make your wedding function unique,” adds Paul.

About the Author

Blake Kritzberg is editor at “FavorIdeas.com.” Stop by for unique wedding favors and ideas for your Vegas theme wedding. This article also appears in our Wedding Music section.

Do you ever wonder when to find best friend gifts and restore or recharge your chumminess? Chums are not always best friends and as much as you show them that they matter, every now and then it really helps to give a best friend
gift to your intended just to proclaim, “You are worth a more effort.”

Do you ever need to have your batteries “renewed”, or you may need a jolt to your self-worth. You might be facing a very scary situation–like turning another year younger with a BIG zero behind the number–and need a steady and solid presence.

How about having a strong shoulders to pour out your stress to and get feedback, but only if it is required. On a more enjoyable note, you may want to take a spontaneous trip to the unknown with intelligent conversation, watching the birds and catching up on the day. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to find–and then hold on to–that special person, the one that fits these requirements, plus much more!

If you had your second cup of coffee, we’re talking about best friends! It is all so important to identify and cherish one of the greatest unique gifts on our planet–best friends! They are truly rare and can save you literally hundreds of dollars in hair replacements from being pulled out. Once identified, this person can serve as “counselor” on everything from children, spouses, religion and social topics.

Now, it is also important to realize that these best friends are a trusty parachute and resource, and not to be taken for naught. You have a responsibility to preserve them.

Make sure to value not only their efforts, but also their firm standpoint when you ask for their opinion. Treat your best friends like the worthy endeavor they are, and guarantee their safety. After all, it’s difficult enough to find and keep good friends–much less best friends.

Finding a great best friend gift is always a good idea. Best friends are fantastic to confide with during a life-stressor. Just a text message away your best friend is an awesome resource to call upon. It is like they say, “A best friend does not get you out of the slammer, they are sitting on the bench in the cell next to you.” Click Here for all your “unique best friend gifts”.

A party is not a party without a gate crasher; uninvited guests
seem to appear more at weddings than that of other celebrated
events. You will know of a Wedding Crashers presence by his/her
supping of your beer and the filling of their belly with wedding
cake. Wedding crashers have the audacity to join in with your
celebrations uninvited, the mere cheek of it but you have to
give it to them for having the guts to attend the party without
an invitation.

How you tackle the wedding crasher is up to you but heaven
forbid should he/she be the size of the hulk then approach with
care. Wedding crashers are cunning when providing you with an
explanation as to who they are, expect the answer to be
something like, don’t you recognize me its Joe, Joe Bloggs
cousin of and so and so. The bride and groom is easily side
tracked in believing the wedding crasher due to the fact that
mum/dad did have relations that they had never met. A good way
for the wedding crasher to gain entry to the reception is to
soften the happy couple up with a gift; you will find this
usually does the trick. Most wedding crashers excuse for
attending the party is to say they are a member of staff where
they pose as a waiter or florist tending to all flowers needs
where the wedding reception is held. If the reception is in the
married couples garden then forget it.

What is the best time for you to wedding crash well that is easy
late into the evening when the party is in full swing. Why you
ask, well all gathered at the venue will have had their fair
dosage of champagne which will hamper their vision where they
dont get to see you or on the other hand the alcohol affects may
differ where they have a double vision sighting. So we now have
two wedding crashers (the terrible twins).

Security may be provided for your venue if your chosen
establishment offers this service but in case they do not then
be sure to handle people especially those without an invitation
with caution. If your wedding crasher is causing you concern
then call the police and have them removed from the premises by
the boys in blue.

Why do wedding crashers crash well the reason being is they are
fully aware of the effort you put in behind the preparation of
your reception and therefore know this is going to be the best
bash to crash on that night.