Looking back 50 years ago when lives were simpler, weddings actually only consisted of a cake and some punch. However, in the last 20 years, these occasions have become extravagant and elaborate that simply a cake and a punch would not be enough.

Needless to say, weddings have become very expensive. But this does not make it okay for you to deplete your life savings for this one-time event. There are various ways a bride and groom can do to cut down the expenses, one of which is to ask the family to contribute for the wedding.

Asking your family to contribute to your wedding should not be too difficult especially if you are close to them and if they are comfortable in the money department. But just to make sure that everything goes smoothly when you do, here are some tips on how to ask your family for contribution for your wedding day.

Right Timing

Timing is everything when it comes to making requests such as financial assistance. It is imperative that you find the perfect moment to bring this topic up. See to it that your parents are in a happy mood, there are no signs of distress within the family, and the atmosphere is relaxed and at ease. For example, it would not be a good idea to mention this during a situation where your mom and dad are having some arguments about the household bills. Even if they would want to help you, the current situation might make them say no.

Perfect Place

In addition to the timing, it is also a must that you bring your family to a quiet and relaxed place where you could talk. You can take them out for a dinner in a peaceful and lovely restaurant or invite them to a picnic in a park near your home. Do not attempt to discuss the matter in the house with the kids around unless there is a place there where you can sit and talk peacefully.

Appropriate Words

The right words can also make a big difference. You should be able to express your request in the nicest way possible. Never sound as if you are making a demand. After all, it is you who are asking for their help. It is also not advisable to use guilt-trip strategies wherein you would bring up all the good things you did for them in the past.

Appreciation and Gratitude

If your family does say yes to your request, be sure to show your appreciation and gratitude. No matter what amount of money they give you, be happy that they are willing to help you in any way they can. Never force them to offer beyond what they can afford.

Surely, your family would be more than happy to help you with your wedding. However, it is possible that they may not be willing or capable to extend financial assistance. If this is the case, do not be mad. Instead, show them other ways by which they can help. Remember, there are many other ways they can show their support and it is not just through financial means. They can help organize the reception, design invitations, create wedding favors, and so on. The possibilities are endless!

This article was submitted by Jennifer C. Mills, a wedding planner and expert author from TheBridalCoach.ca and Articles4Brides.ca.

Grooms treasure wedding events but not as much as brides do. For brides, this is the event of their lifetime, the event that they have been dreaming of since they were nothing but little flower girls pretending to be blushing brides.

This is probably the reason why brides end up doing many funny things before, during, and even after the wedding. They want the event to be perfect and flawless to the point where they wind up doing funny, crazy, and strange things that would make them and their husbands holler in laughter a few years later.

Here are the top funny things that brides do.

1. The bride cries over the smallest things
It is understandable that the bride becomes sensitive during the whole period of wedding preparation, and more sensitive during the event itself. However, it can really be quite funny when some brides cry over the smallest things that are not even touching to begin with. Like when a bride sobs upon seeing a white flower because it reminds her of her wedding gown or how a bride spills tears upon hearing a song that is not even a romantic one just because it merely mentioned the word, “wedding.”

2. The bride does weird things because she is nervous
During the wedding event, you will find some brides extremely nervous and anxious. Some brides do weird hand gestures while talking to guests. Some tell weird jokes that are not funny at all. Some talk about strange stories that nobody wants to hear. All of these odd antics unconsciously happen because a bride wants to pacify the anxiety boiling inside her.

3. The bride turns into a bridezilla
Have you ever seen an obsessive woman in a white gown bossing around her bridesmaids, insulting family and relatives, and going ballistic with the florist or the wedding planner? You surely vowed never to become this kind of bride but when you are on the shoes of the bride and you feel the tension going around you, there is still that possibility of turning into a bridezilla.

While being a bridezilla is not really funny to most people especially to those that become the target of the bride’s wrath, it still belongs to this list because several years after the event, you can really laugh about how monstrous you have become during the wedding. Of course, it is best to avoid becoming one as much as possible.

4. The bride becomes too intoxicated with alcohol
It is normal to see brides drinking before the wedding event or during the reception to calm their nerves. However, this usually backfires when the bride winds up doing embarrassing things because of intoxication like dropping the bouquet, tripping over the gown, or falling off the stairs.

5. The bride eats too much chocolate cake
Some brides tend to eat too much when their nervous and when it is time to smile for the photograph, it would seem like a tooth is missing on your usually perfect row of white pearls.

6. The bride comes up with strange ideas for the wedding
In the desire to come up with a unique and memorable event, a bride sometimes ends up including strange ideas for the wedding like wearing a huge hat that is more funny than elegant or making the groomsmen wear electric blue suits that make them look like aliens from outer space.

If you are going to be a bride anytime soon, it would be a good idea to keep these things in mind so you have an idea of the things that you should stay away from. This can help you avoid doing things that you would regret.

You might want to choose a selection of handmade greeting cards and write all of your invitations by hand – this is usually best suited for small weddings – after all, you don’t really have the time or the stamina to hand write 300 invitations!

Keep in mind you should choose themed wedding invitations that are in keeping with your wedding theme. For example, if you send a very formal wedding invitation and you are having a beachfront wedding where everyone is to come barefoot, these two are highly conflicting and the formal invite will give guests the wrong message. Your invitations most definitely will give your wedding guests a clue about your wedding theme, whether it will be casual or formal and provide basic information on how to dress for the occasion.

No matter what theme you have chosen for your wedding day, you can find (or custom make) the perfect complimentary theme wedding invitations. From beach and seaside weddings, to Asian and butterfly theme weddings, just use your imagination to find the perfect collection of wedding invitations and accompanying stationary.

As the final piece de resistance, use monogram stickers or custom ordered wedding seals for your stationary. A good tip is to include an extra seal or sticker for your guest to ’save the date’ on their calendar.

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This article was submitted by Jennifer C. Mills, a wedding planner and expert author from TheBridalCoach.ca and Articles4Brides.ca.