Wedding Blog

Marriage is a sacred bond between a man and a woman. Saying the ideal words to your spouse to be is an important part of your wedding as your vows are the central focus of the ceremony. Many couples these days are choosing to write their own vows while others are content to choose from traditional vows, successfully used for centuries.

The heart and soul of any wedding ceremony are the vows that two people exchange when they are promising to love, cherish and protect. You want wedding vows that will come from your heart so that the tone of your wedding rings true.

Your wedding vow inspirations can come from the traditional marriage vows, religious pledges or modern romantic inspirations. You and your partner can craft words of love to exchange after your vows or as the vows themselves.

Be sure that you go over the vows when you decide who will officiate at your wedding. Some prefer the old tried and true wedding vows and may need some convincing to allow you to say the words you have written instead.

If you decide you want to write your own vows, you can get ideas and inspiration from many sources. You might want to recite a favorite love poem, you may decide to quote relevant passages from the bible or you may decide to seek inspiration from some of the great love stories of the past. It is perfectly acceptable to express your feelings by pledging your love with words you have crafted yourself.

With vows that have been authored by the happy couple, you can print copies of the vows so that your words will live forever in the minds of all the guests who attended your wedding ceremony. A great wedding gift idea for the guests is to frame the vows and present them as gifts when guests are ready to go home.

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Of course, you want your wedding to be special and unique. The ceremony is a large part of your wedding day, in fact without the pledges and vows it would just be a party. When you use your imagination and creativity with an eye for the small details, you can make your wedding ceremony distinctively about the two of you.

Decorating

Think about the decorations you would like to use at the venue of  the ceremony. If you are to be married in a church, decorate the ends of the pews with ribbons, balloons or fresh flowers. If you are having a wedding at a hall or an outdoor venue, you have endless options when it comes to decorating ideas.

Music

Another way to make your ceremony special is to choose music that reflects yours and your fiancés feelings for each other. You are often presented with typical wedding music options from the ceremony venue, but you are free to choose your own selections. You can choose traditional, contemporary or classical music to be played before and during the wedding ceremony. If your wedding has a theme, you can choose music that ties into that. Having the right music is a vital factor for the ambience of the day.

The Program

You and your fiancé can create a program that will inspire your guests to once again believe in true love. From the type of paper you choose to what is contained between the pages, you can make your wedding program a unique keepsake. You can thank your guests in advance, you can remember a loved one that is no longer with you, or you can honor someone who can’t be there because of prior commitments. You might want a special poem or a meaningful passage to be included as well.

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It’s only when you begin to plan a wedding that you begin to see how expensive getting married can be. There are other cost effective options for the two of you to get married in style and one of those is a destination wedding. Contrary to what you may think, a destination wedding can actually be a cheaper alternative than getting married locally. Moreover, a destination wedding will be something that your guests will always remember.

You can decide on a tropical island, and start planning your destination wedding today.

Should You Engage a Travel Agent?

Though the Internet has made it easier than ever to get great deals to practically anywhere, you might think that you can do the legwork when it comes to finding the right price for both a hotel and airfare for your guests. A travel agent can find you some terrific discounts when you are booking in bulk. For example, if you can guarantee a party of 30 people traveling to your wedding, you can get deep discounts for accommodation as well as airfare. Travel agents have friends in the business and are able to wrangle great deals for their customers.  

Where Should You Go?

Any of the islands of the South Pacific or the Caribbean would make an ideal setting for one of the most special days in your life. You can book packages at hotels that catering to wedding couples and have the perfect details to make your day one that won’t soon be forgotten by the guests or the bride and groom.

A Destination Theme

Planning a destination wedding will be a blast for the two of you. You will want to provide the guests with information packets about where you will be traveling, and you can get creative with many of the details. You might even think about setting up a website dedicated to the wedding where prospective guests might be tempted to say yes when they see the fabulous photos you upload, and the great price you can provide them for a getaway to paradise and celebrate your special day.

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Congratulations! You are engaged to the man of your dreams and you feel like you are floating on cloud nine. Good for you! Enjoy these feelings for as long as you can because before long, you will have to begin the most stressful part of the whole affair - planning your wedding.

Wedding planning can be overwhelming, but if you are newly engaged you may be chomping at the bit to get going. Slow down! Enjoy this period of your life. It won’t last long, and so should be fully embraced while you have the chance. Take time to take umpteen pictures of your engagement ring with you and your intended beaming brightly into the camera. Write down in detail how he proposed, and your exact feelings at that very moment. Talk with each other about what you want to accomplish together in life, before you start thinking about the wedding plans. Tell your friends and hug and kiss each other as you repeat over and over, “We’re engaged!”

Telling the Family

Telling the exciting news to your families is often the first thing an engaged couple wants to do. If you can, try and gather the two families together, where you can celebrate and gush to your heart’s content. If you have family that lives out of town, you can set up a time where you and your intended can either phone them together or tell them on an instant messenger. With all the technology that is available today, it may be easier than you think bringing both families together no matter where they live.

Thinks to Think about

Before you begin the actual planning of the wedding, you may want to discuss the size of the wedding, and who will be your attendants. Choosing the best man and the maid of honor can be a hard decision and you and your fiancé should discuss the pros and cons of your choices before either of you ask anyone to be part of your wedding. You are embarking on a wonderful new journey and all the planning involved in making a wedding complete is all part of the fun. Enjoy your engagement before you begin to worry about the wedding.

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If you marry and honeymoon in December you can combine your celebration with all the fun of Christmas – just think how exciting it would be to head up to the north of Finland for romantic sleigh rides through the forests, and snuggling up by log fires. You can even visit Santa Claus.

At this time of year Europe is positively buzzing with vibrant Christmas markets, complete with ample supplies of warm mulled wine. How about enjoying Frankfurt, Munich, Vienna, or Prague at this time of year? Along with the markets, many of the cities lay on carol singers and music to delight the winter shoppers and revellers.

Or if a bit of sunshine is what you need, how about taking off to the Turks and Caicos Islands for some warmth, beaches and sand? Lounging in a top hotel, and enjoying some good food and nightlife will be bliss indeed at this time of year.

Another place providing winter sunshine is the Costa del Sol of Spain – it is a little cooler than the Caribbean, and the ideal place to go at this time of year if you like plenty of sun, but without the searing heat. You can even go on a day trip to Morocco, where you can ride a camel, browse for bargains in the souk, and buy a fabulous carpet for your home that will be a memento of your honeymoon for years to come.

Wherever you choose to go for your honeymoon, you will find that it is just what you need after all the rush of organising the wedding, attending to every last detail, and preparing yourself for your big day. Your honeymoon is the perfect time to unwind, and look forward to your future life together. And your honeymoon is the one holiday you will go on where you are under absolutely no obligation to write postcards!

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October

How about a honeymoon in the Seychelles? Here you can bask in the warmth and luxury of a lush, tropical island, enjoying fine beaches and blue seas.

At this time of year it will not be so hot in Egypt now, making it an ideal time to explore the Pyramids, Luxor and the Valley of the Kings. It doesn’t have to be all sightseeing either, you can spend some time chilling out at the Red Sea.

If you love those beautiful autumnal hues, then how about heading to the east coast of America to see the stunning colours of Boston and New England in autumn, or fall, as they call it on that side of the Pond.

Beautiful fall shades are also to be seen in Kyoto at this time of year – so how about a honeymoon of sushi, tea ceremony and traditional Japanese arts, as well as admiring the yellows, reds and golds of the trees?

November

A perfect place to go in November is the lovely warm Caribbean. How about escaping those winter chills by going to Jamaica? Here you can enjoy wonderful fresh food, jerk chicken and beef, reggae music, and a laidback lifestyle. Sandals even do some holidays especially for couples.

Thailand has a wonderful culture and architecture to discover, as well as a fabulous cuisine, markets full of bargains, breathtaking scenery and perfect beaches.

Or what about Dubai? With its abundance of top hotels, including some five star ones, its sunshine all year round, and absolutely great shopping, this city makes a great honeymoon destination.

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August

August is the height of the holiday season for the northern hemisphere, and there is no shortage of choices for this time of year, when many resorts are at their hottest and liveliest.

If you two newly weds enjoy clubbing and nightlife, then how about a honeymoon on the lively island of Ibiza? San Antonio is the place to be, or, if you prefer a quieter location, along San Antonio Bay there are some lovely hotels.

Good for its nightlife too is the Irish capital of Dublin – round Temple Bar there is an abundance of good pubs, bars and restaurants, where you can sip the world famous Guinness.

Iceland is good at this time of year too, and there are plenty of hot springs to relax in.

August is actually the cooler season in southern hemisphere countries such as South Africa, so why not have a honeymoon in beautiful Capetown, overlooked by Table Mountain? If you enjoy a bit of adventure and like to see animals in their own habitat, you can go on safari, and see lions, wildebeest, and many other wild animals in their natural environment.

September

How about heading to Turkey’s fabulous Mediterranean coast? Enjoy a honeymoon at Calis Beach, or the pretty little village of Kalkan.

Or how about relaxing on the beaches of the island paradise of Mauritius?

Sri Lanka makes a great honeymoon location with its enticing tropical beaches. If you get too hot, you could try exploring the intriguing town of Kandy up in the hills where the temperature is cooler.

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May

How about Paris in the spring for the ultimate romantic honeymoon? Take in the view from the top of the Eiffel Tower, stroll hand in hand along the Champs-Élysées, enjoy candlelit dinners in intimate restaurants, and, of course, take in a little culture at the Louvre.

Or why not take an all-inclusive honeymoon to Mexico? Explore fascinating Mayan ruins, look at the fabulous works of Frida Kahlo, and nibble on tacos and guacamole while you sip the champagne. And there’s beaches, of course.

June

June is a wonderful month to go to the South of France, before it starts to get seriously hot. How about a romantic honeymoon at the quiet resort of Cap d’Ail? And don’t forget to visit the Jean Cocteau inspired amphitheatre in the woods up above the town. From here you also get a fine view out over the twinkling blue Mediterranean.

Another undeniably romantic spot is the Renaissance city of Florence – you and your loved one can gaze at beautiful sculpture and wonderful churches.

Or you could spend a week or so in Barcelona – strolling down Las Ramblas for romantic evenings out before the crowds of holidaymakers arrive later in the year.

Or how about celebrating the longest day in Stockholm, that beautiful city on the water? And what could be more romantic than a ride in a hot air balloon?

July

How about a relaxing beach honeymoon on a sunny South Pacific island? Islands such as Fiji, the Cook Islands and Tahiti have their dry seasons from May to November, so July is a great month to visit.

If you fancy an adventurous honeymoon, and you love trains, then how about crossing North America on the trans-Canadian railway from Toronto to Vancouver, stopping off to see the sights along the way?

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February

If you are tying the knot in February and want a beach honeymoon, then how about the beautiful atolls of the Maldives? Here you can go swimming and snorkelling in lovely blue waters, and all the cares of organising the wedding will just ebb away in the warm glow of the sunshine, while you spend quality time with your new spouse.

Or what about visiting China to see in the Chinese New Year? Hong Kong is a vibrant city, but if you need a break from town life, you can head up Victoria Peak and walk around the Hikers’ Trail hand in hand, getting some breathtaking views of the city down below.

You could even head for Rio de Janeiro where it is carnival time! What better way to celebrate your marriage than by dancing in the streets!

March

If your wedding is in March, you might consider a honeymoon in Bali – it offers great beaches and nightlife. You and your loved one can even go diving.

Or for flamenco, fiestas, sunshine and good food, Spain offers sunshine holidays that are well within budget.

You could even give some thought to exploring Australia - if city breaks are what you like, how about hopping between Sydney, Melbourne, Cairns and Brisbane? The area has plenty of beaches and good vineyards too.

April

How about heading for the lovely Mediterranean coast of Turkey? One lovely romantic spot is the peaceful fishing village of Kalkan. Or how about beautiful Calis Beach?

If you love cities then why not go to Los Angeles, where you can catch up on shopping on Rodeo Drive, roam around Hollywood, see Beverley Hills, and generally enjoy the Californian good weather.

How about going to Kyoto for the cherry blossom season? What could be more romantic than a picnic under the pink blossomed trees, sipping sake and eating sushi?

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Choosing where to go on honeymoon is yet another detail to think about when planning a wedding, and you really need to choose a location that will provide both of you with fond memories for the years to come. Honeymoons can vary as much as weddings, and some couples are now even going for destination weddings, where they get married on holiday, with the whole thing being done as one package.

However, one important factor that will determine your choice of honeymoon destination will be the time of year that you get married. As previously discussed in this blog, although summer is the traditional time of year for a wedding, nowadays people are also going for snow white and frost lace winter weddings. In fact constraints of work for the happy couple are meaning that people are getting married all year round. So let’s look at some of the top honeymoon destinations month by month.

January

For those of you who love a beach holiday, why not head to a romantic beach in the Philippines? With many islands and beautiful beaches and bays, here you can have a luxurious and relaxing beach holiday in the sun.

For those of you who enjoy a bit of adventure, why not try South Africa? Not only can you laze on lovely beaches, but you can explore Cape Town, take in the magnificent views from the top of Table Mountain, and go on exciting safaris to see animals living in their natural environment.

Or if the city life and winter snowscape is more your scene, why not visit New York where you can enjoy great shopping, and get some exercise and fresh air ice skating at the Rockefeller Centre. In the evenings you have a great choice of international cuisine – there are lovely deli’s, and wonderful Chinese restaurants.

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