For many women, their initial excitement immediately turns to concern over what to wear to the big event.

Summer weddings offer lots of elegant and affordable fashion options that won’t break the bank or max out your credit cards.

Here are some fashion ideas for an upcoming summertime wedding.

If you follow these, you will be sure to turn some heads and save some money doing it during wedding season.

Summer wedding attire: Decide how formal you want your dress to be.

If the wedding is to be held in the evening, you’ll probably be required to wear more formal attire such as a long dress. Otherwise, unless the invitation specifically mentions formal or white tie, you have the alternative of wearing a shorter dress or skirt. If in doubt, try to get an idea from the bride or from friends how formal the wedding is expected to be. They should be able to tell you a general fashion style that will be acceptable for the event. Usually, summer weddings are a little less formal and the atmosphere is, more or less, fun and light.

Summer wedding attire: Choose a dress style.

For an informal summer wedding, a light, breezy sundress in a pastel shade or a floral print will not only look stylish but will feel good as well. Pair your dress with some open toed sandals in a light color and a simple clutch bag in a light color. You’ll look refreshingly cool and elegant for the event. Another more formal alternative is to pair a long slim skirt with a loose, breezy summer top. Add a fashionable belt and some simple jewelry to complete the look. A strapless dress or halter dress that doesn’t show cleavage in a simple, neutral shade worn with discrete jewelry would also be appropriate for most daytime weddings. Be sure to carry a wrap or shawl if you select a strapless dress or you may get cold at the reception.

Summer wedding attire: Choose a dress color.

Pastel shades of pale pink, peach, or yellow can be flattering for a summer wedding. If you favor neutrals, try wearing shades of light taupe of beige or the newest neutral, light, dove grey. Stay away from white or black. You don’t want to upstage the bride or look like you’re going to a funeral. This is supposed to be a fun, outgoing event. The colors should reflect that fact and suit the occasion perfectly.

Summer wedding attire: Go light on the jewelry.

A summer wedding isn’t the time to pile on the heavy jewelry and earrings that stretch your ear lobes. When wearing light, breezy clothing, keep your jewelry simple. Simple pearl earrings and a simple necklace with a pearl pendant will be flattering without being cumbersome.

Summer wedding attire: Go light on the makeup

A fresh, minimalistic makeup look is more flattering for a summer wedding. Leave off

In days long past, to give newlyweds a good start in their new life together, friends and relatives would perform rites to appease the gods and ward off evil spirits and give gifts to help the young couple to establish a household and wedding ceremonies would include as many “good luck charms” as possible.

While wedding ceremonies and customs have changed much over the centuries and differ between cultures, they all celebrate the bond between the newlywed couple. So, when you are planning your wedding on foreign shores, why not add some of the local customs to your ceremony? It will make your wedding day as unique as the bond between the two of you and provide lasting memories.

Preparing the Way Ahead
Many countries have customs to ensure the wedding day is a lucky one and not marred by discord, bad luck, or evil spirits. In Germany, friends and relatives smash crockery on the young couple’s doorstep on the evening before the wedding to drive away bad luck. For the same reason, church bells are rung at an English wedding when the bride enters the church to walk up the aisle. The bride’s path, or in some countries the marriage bed, is strewn with flower petals to wish the young couple a happy life together. And to give the newlyweds a chance to settle into the married state without a truckload of chores, an Egyptian bride’s family will prepare enough food to last a week.

Continuity
Customs celebrating continuity are part of the marriage ceremony in many countries. In southern Africa, fire is brought from the houses of the bride and groom’s parents to light a fire in the young couple’s house. In Bermuda, it is the custom for the couple to be given a tree sapling along with the wedding cake. The tree is planted where the couple can watch it grow throughout their married life. French couples will drink from the “wedding cup” during their marriage ceremony. These cups are often very elaborate and passed from one generation to the next.
Commitment
The central core of any wedding is the public commitment that the partners are making to each other. Not enough with this, in many countries the bride and groom are “forced” to demonstrate to the wedding guests and the world at large that they are fitted to married life and able to share common tasks. In parts of Africa, couples jump over a broom held across the church door or across the threshold of their new home to indicate that they are ready to keep house together. In Germany, newly married couples have to perform a task such as sawing wood or hanging washing to show that they can work as a team.
The tradition of exchanging and wearing wedding rings, today an accepted form of publicly showing commitment, might be traced back to the ancient Egyptians. A wedding band, with no beginning and no end, signified never-ending love. But rings are not the only items exchanged to show one’s love. In Wales, it was the custom for the groom to carve a wooden spoon, which his betrothed would wear on a chain to show that she was “spoken for.”
Good Luck Charms
Red, the color of love and joy, plays an important part in a Chinese wedding, where brides often wear red wedding dresses and candles, accessories and table decorations are all colored red, while a Japanese bride wore white, long before this became a popular custom in Europe or America. Everyone will have heard the rhyme “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a sixpence in your shoe,” which is traditional in England and America and symbolizes past, future, happiness, fidelity, and prosperity. In a similar vein, a Swedish bride’s parents will give her two coins to wear in each shoe to protect her from a life of poverty.
These are all unique things to think about when planning your wedding. Come up with your own customs and make them yours. You can pass them down to your children.

A growing trend when it comes to weddings in the 21st century involves more intimate ceremonies. In this regard, an increasing number of couples are electing to have wedding ceremonies that include only close friends and family members. Rather than having a large crowd at the nuptials themselves, these individuals are then hosting wedding receptions to which a wider group of people are invited.

In addition, with more and more couples electing to have destination weddings, these newly weds oftentimes are hosting marvelous receptions when they return home. In any event, selecting the most appropriate wedding reception invitations becomes a crucial task.

The right invitations are essentially important if you are trying to plan the perfect wedding. After all, you want your reception invitations to reflect the feel and theme of the party. If it is to be more formal, then your invitations will be able to represent that. If you are shooting for a spring time, fun reception, then your invitation can show that as well. It’s all about presentation, and as such, it should be taken seriously.

The most important factor that you want to keep in mind when considering wedding reception invitations is to make sure that the text on the invitation itself is worded in such a manner so that a person invited to your wonderful reception does not feel as if he or she has been excluded from the wedding ceremony itself. You need to make sure that the language on the wedding reception invitation is warm, engaging – indeed, inviting.
 (Many professional printers have a qualified staff that actually can assist you in coming up with the most appropriate and appealing language to use on your wedding reception invitations.)

If your guests don’t feel like they’re welcome, then your party won’t be nearly as fun. The best wedding receptions are those where everyone gets along and everyone is there in one spirit. The idea of celebrating your big day should be at the forefront. Make sure your invitations put out this vibe from the very beginning.

Of course, you will also want to pay attention to the appearance of the wedding reception invitations themselves. In this regard, you must select a printer that is known for providing quality work. You can plan the most splendid of wedding receptions; however, if your wedding reception invitations do not meet the mark when it comes to attractiveness and quality, you will be sending out the wrong message (quite literally) to your intended guests.

It’s your big day, so there is no reason for anything to be less than perfect. Though there are probably more important things to worry about than the reception invitations, they are the first thing that your guests will see. Long before the flowers, the music, or the dress, your guests will be looking at your invitations. With that in mind, you need to be putting your best foot forward and setting the tone for the rest of the wedding planning to follow.

Naturally, it follows that not all videographer will give you the same quality of work.

Here are some tips to help you select the best wedding videographer that you can.

See some samples
It might seem like an obvious thing, but many people miss the ball on this. You need to see your prospective videographer’s previous work before you hire him or her. This way, you will have at least a working idea of what yours will look like when all is said and done. You will also want to make sure that you see the samples of the person who will actually be shooting your wedding. Since many big companies have more than one person on the job, it’s important to be specific.

Sit down and meet with them
If a photographer won’t sit down and have a meeting with you, then you are better off looking elsewhere. Take the time to meet your photographer and their assistants. If they are good at their job, they will make some suggestions and together, you will work towards an idea of what you are looking for. Don’t let the videographer tell you what you want, though. You should be letting him know what you are looking for and from that, he should be able to help you. Don’t be afraid to ask for questions or advice, either. These people are professionals for a reason, so they are capable of helping you out.

Beware of extra charges
It’s becoming a well known move in the photography game to charge people and make money based upon money that wasn’t stated up front. These extra charges can really add up if you let them. One of the most popular extra charges is the overtime charge, which comes out of your pocket if the event runs for too long. You need to sit down and figure out how much time you are going to be paying for. If it’s your wedding day, then you need not be rushed because of a photographer who is trying to take your money. Come to an agreement about the time and if you can, make the videographer agree to work the entire event regardless of time.

Get a signed contract
It is absolutely imperative that you get a signed contract that includes all of the things that you are paying for. This contract will be good for both sides and it will make sure that no little charges pop up when you least expect them. Include in this contract the actual name of the videographer who will be shooting your wedding and not just the company who he works for. This way, you will have exactly what you need. This will also help your budgeting and planning by giving you something concrete for your files. All in all, a contract for this type of thing is always a good idea.

A wedding photographer is one of the most important wedding decisions you will make. Your wedding photographer is responsible for capturing your big day forever on film. Your wedding pictures essentially become family heirlooms that you will keep forever, and more than likely pass on to your children. You want your wedding pictures to be the best possible. Here are some tips for getting the best wedding photographer your money can buy:

Start Early

Don´t wait until the last minute to pick out a wedding photographer. The best wedding photographers are booked months in advance, some even as much as a year in advance. Start looking for a photographer for your wedding as soon as possible so you have your pick.

Ask Your Friends

If you have friends who have recently gotten married talk to them about their photographer. If they loved the photographer then you can get a great wedding photographer prospect. If they were dissatisfied with the photos you can find out why and avoid the same issues with your wedding. Find out from your friends what went well with their photo shoot, and what went badly, as well as what they would do if they had it to do over again.

See The Photographers Portfolio

Don´t ever hire a photographer without first seeing some samples of their work. Any reputable photographer should have a portfolio of several different weddings they´ve done in the past, as well as examples of their different package options. Keep in mind that they are showing you their BEST work, so you may get some pictures of lesser quality than the ones you´re looking at. Make sure you are comfortable with the quality of their work.

Know What You Want

Talk with your fiancee about what types of wedding photographs you would like BEFORE you start talking to photographers. Knowing what you want will make it easier to select the perfect photographer for your event. Knowing what types of pictures you would like can also help you select the right photo package for your event. You can also give the photographer a good idea of what you want, so he or she can take the right pictures for you.

Shop Around

Just like with any purchase you want to make an educated decision when you hire a wedding photographer. Check with several different photographers in your area and make sure you are getting the best pictures possible for the best price in the area. Once you sign a contract with a wedding photographer it can be very difficult to back out if you find someone better later on.

Sign A Contract

Once you find the wedding photographer of your dreams make sure you sign a contract and book them for your wedding as soon as possible. If you wait to sign a contract with the wedding photographer another couple may swoop in and book them before you, leaving you to search for a photographer all over again.

There are hundreds of ways to have a less costly wedding, but many involve compromises that can be hard to take. Still a lovely wedding can be had without risking bankruptcy.

 You have to know where to look and know where to cut corners when you are planning a wedding.

Obviously, there are some things that you cannot cut corners with and you shouldn’t. Other things, you might be able to save on.

If you don’t want to marry at the courthouse or have a very small at home affair, you will need to spend time searching and planning to have a beautiful wedding. Two keys to successfully arranging a dream wedding with a reasonable cost are use of the internet and knowledge of what matters most to you. Whether you work from a total sum you are prepared to spend, or work up to the total from your prioritized list, you can have a beautiful wedding and still afford a honeymoon. Here is how:

For the wedding ceremony and for the reception, decide who, where, and what. Imagine the venue, your guests, the season and time of day.

The biggest costs of a traditional American wedding are usually in the six major areas of

• location,
• food and drink,
• music,
• photography / videography,
• flowers 
• dress.

Using the internet to explore alternatives locally for these big ticket items will be very helpful in managing costs. It can also help identify new options and understand the importance of them to the couple. Note, not included in this are engagement ring, rehearsal dinner and honeymoon expenses.

All of these can add up, but that also means that the savings can add up. You don’t have to save a ton on any one aspect of the wedding. If you save a little on a lot of different categories, then you come up with a big number of savings in the end. Try to challenge every dollar you spend on the wedding, wondering if there is any way to get more value for a lower price with each decision you make.

Review your thoughts for who, what and where and search the web to find places and services that match your thinking. You can find lots of wedding sites that advertise their services and offer you advice on making your choices. The more informed you are, the better you will be at making good choices.

Renting sites for the ceremony and reception: consider local parks and similar public venues. Search for the county or state web site for parks and services. Public gardens can be beautiful and many offer halls and large rooms that are perfect for receptions. Rental fees for residents are often low. Having a Friday evening or Sunday wedding can also substantially cut cost, as can choosing a spring or fall ceremony.

All of these things can help you save money. Ultimately, it is your decision, but you should be looking for deals wherever you can.

In order for a wedding to become the fairytale extravaganza that most brides to be dream of, carefully crafted budgets can sometimes spiral out of control. Money is allocated to so many categories: the wedding dress, the bridal bouquet, the hall where the wedding reception will be held, the beautiful wedding decorations and centerpieces that will be used to adorn the tables at the reception hall, the wedding favors for guests . . . the list goes on and the price tag goes up.

Most soon to be married couples are always on the look out for clever ways to save money as they plan to make their wedding day everything they want it to be. Savvy couples know that an excellent way to save money on their wedding spending is to go the route of silk flowers in lieu of fresh flowers for their wedding day.

The popularity of using silk flowers in everything from the bridal bouquet to the flowers at the reception hall continues to grow. One of the biggest appeals of silk flowers for all of a couple´s wedding day floral needs is the fact that silk flowers offer a wonderful way to save a significant amount of money. A bride and groom can get high quality varieties and colors of flowers in wedding arrangements nearly identical to their fresh flower counterparts, without breaking the wedding budget. Silk wedding flowers are a wonderful way to get all of the beauty of fresh floral arrangements at a significant savings.

Another fabulous benefit of using silk flowers for all of a bride and groom´s wedding flower arrangement needs is the control the bride and groom have over all of the wedding bouquets, the church flowers, the centerpieces, etc.

When traditional fresh flowers are used, there is no way to know for certain if the wedding arrangements the florist designs will meet the expectations of the bride and groom. Wedding bouquets and decorations composed of fresh flowers cannot be assembled ahead of time. The bride and groom must hope for the best and wait until the wedding day to see of all of their wedding flowers look as beautiful as they hoped they would. If the flowers arrangements fall short of their expectations, there very little that can be done. Silk flowers can be arranged and rearranged as needed until the wedding flower arrangements meet and even exceed all of the happy couple´s expectations for wedding flowers.

One more great reason that many couples choose silk flowers for their wedding flower needs is the wonderful lasting memory the silk floral arrangements provide. Unlike wedding flower arrangements that use fresh flowers, silk wedding flowers can become lasting keepsakes of the wedding day. The bridal bouquet can later be incorporated into the bride and groom´s home decor and will serve as a happy reminder of their special day. The centerpieces from the reception can be used as thank you gifts to the many people who helped contribute to the wedding day plans and festivities. The beautiful silk arrangements offer staying power just not possible with fresh flowers.

Silk flowers have become a fabulous choice for the bride and groom who want to surround themselves in beauty on their wedding day without going overboard on the price tag of wedding flowers, who want to have peace of mind in the wedding flower arrangements, and who feel better about using wedding flower arrangements that they will never have to throw away.

It seems as if there’s insurance for everything these days, even when it comes to the big day when two people join hearts to become one. The concept of investing in wedding insurance is becoming more commonplace as people choose to celebrate their special day more elaborately and expensively. Should you invest in insurance for a wedding if you’re planning your own wedding? That’s the question that many brides and a lot of grooms are asking themselves these days. Here is some advice on the topic.

Although wedding insurance doesn’t cover everything, there are various plans available which can cover events ranging from wedding presents being stolen to larger financial disasters such as the hotel where the wedding is scheduled declaring bankrupty and closing its doors on your wedding day. Certainly insurance for a wedding could come in handy if one of these unforeseen circumstances occurs. You can also get liability coverage included in wedding insurance in the event that someone is injured in your wedding party. This might seem like a crazy idea, but in this society, it is always best to have your bases covered. Obviously, no one in your family or in your wedding party is going to sue you, but you never know when someone working at the wedding or a distant guest might get a crazy idea.

If you’ve booked your wedding at a particular site, it’s important to determine what level of coverage the site routinely provide to parties holding events at their location. Ask for a complete written statement of what’s covered so you can determine where the gaps in your coverage lie. Also consider how much you’re investing in your wedding. If your wedding is to be small and intimate with a minimal outlay of cash, you probably don’t need the added expense of wedding insurance. If you are having a big time wedding with a lot of added costs, then you should go ahead and invest in it. Though it might seem like an unnecessary fringe cost, it will save you lots of money in the case of an accident.

Once you’ve determined that you need insurance for a wedding, you’ll want to consider the various insurance options available. You can purchase coverage in the event that the wedding is canceled as long as it’s due to unforeseen circumstances. You will want to make sure the wedding policy covers everything you need, but not too much. If you get too much insurance, you are just wasting your money. Your insurance agent should be able to walk you through the process. Beware of extra products that he or she might try to sell to you, though. It’s their job to sell as much insurance as possible, so they will be trying to make a case for lots of different things.

Ultimately, the choice on wedding insurance is up to you. In some cases, you might need it. In others, it’s not important. Make the decision based upon the advice of your wedding planner. Their personal experience will come in handy.

It is easy to envision yourself on sandy shores, listening to the calm lapping of the waves and being kissed by gentle breezes while promising your heart forever to the love of your life.

This dream can most certainly become a reality, but it can also quickly turn into a nightmare if you don´t put some effort into planning your beach wedding properly.

One of the most important things to consider when planning a beach wedding is how the weather will affect the event. It is vital that you consider seasonal weather when choosing a site for your beach wedding. Certain times of year may be especially hot, windy, or stormy on some beaches. Having a morning or evening wedding will take the edge off of steamy weather. You should also be aware of the tide, since high tide may strongly affect certain beaches.

Another part of planning a beach wedding is considering all of the beach rules and regulations. Public beaches will generally have stricter rules than private ones. There may be restrictions on private events, especially concerning blocking off specific areas of the beach, alcoholic beverages and smoking, and the placement of structures such as tents and arches on the beach. There may also be rules concerning when private events such as weddings can take place, meaning you and your guests may be required to leave the beach by a certain time. You´ll want to ask about regulations concerning fires on the beach if you plan on having lanterns or a bonfire at your wedding.

It will be much easier to determine if a site is ideal for your wedding if you actually go to the site at the time when your wedding would take place. This will give you a realistic idea of what the weather and tides may be like, as well as if the beach is crowded at that time of day. You should also survey the level of noise at any particular site. A nearby highway, local wildlife, winds, and waves can cause a significant amount of noise that could interfere with your ceremony.

If your wedding site is quite popular, you might even be able to take in someone else’s wedding at that same location. This is really the most ideal way to go about things. That way, you can see, with your own eyes, a preview of what is likely to take place when you get married there. When you do this, it is important to keep your eyes peeled for all sorts of things.

Be on the lookout for any potential problems that could derail your wedding. In addition, you probably will want to just take in the scene. Is this what you want your beach wedding to look like? Imagine yourself in the shoes of the bride. Is she having the kind of day that you have always dreamed about?

When you answer these question after having seen the wedding in plain sight, you will have a much better idea of your plan and your location than you did in the beginning.

We’ve all seen them. The traditional wedding albums, the conventional poses, the smiles, the confetti, and the happy couple cutting the cake. These people look like they come right out of a story book and they do, because this is how wedding photos have been done for generations. Thousands and thousands of people have been photographed in this way and nobody sees any reason to change it. That is, unless, you are looking for something a little bit different or a little bit more interesting.

While the traditional wedding photographer will no doubt still have his or her place in your own special day, you could also make room in the album for some more unconventional ideas. You could be a trendsetter and have some awesome photos to show for it.

One friend who got married recently made room on each dinner table for a disposable camera, so her guests could take some pictures themselves. One common problem of the sit down meal after the wedding is that the bride and groom don’t have the opportunity to interact with their guests very much. The cameras meant we could get some more unusual pictures, and capture some more memories for the happy couple to keep. When they look back on their wedding, it is one of their favorite things. People were having a good time in celebrating their marriage, and they were actually able to be a part of it, as well.

We also managed to get a few pictures of the bride and groom happily tucking into their meal (both ravenous after the early morning nerves put paid to their appetites, no doubt) - some comical pictures which appealed to their senses of humor and just the kind of photos the professional photographer doesn’t tend to take. That’s not a knock against the professional photographer, it’s just that he has been trained to do things in the traditional way. If you want some a little bit different, then you will have to take matters into your own hands.

Another friend went one step further on her wedding day, and decided not to have a professional photographer at all. Instead she asked all her guests to bring cameras and to take as many pictures as possible throughout the day. As many of the guests had digital cameras, the couple created a photo album online (you can do this with Flickr, Photobucket and My Space, among others), and added everyone who had taken photos to their friends list. This way, they got the most intimate, fun pictures that their friends had to offer.

All in all, it’s about creativity. You can find ways to get the best, coolest photos if you try hard enough. People like to be photographer when they are having a good time. This is one of those facts of life. If you give them the chance to do that at your wedding, you will end up with some cool pictures for your album at the end of the day.