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!

Wedding Reception Ideas

Find unique wedding reception ideas online. Instead of dealing with the same local retailers as everyone else, surf the Internet for the most unusual ideas to make your marriage more memorable.

Only ten years ago, most couples had to shop around endlessly to find the perfect reception ideas. Driving from store to store was tiring, time-consuming and costly because of the travel expenses. Often couples shopped for days before finding the ideal wedding decorations.

Online resources make this more simple, fast and cost-effective. From the comfort of your own home or office, you can surf the Internet to find out what other couples are doing. Participate in online forums to exchange ideas with other couples. Visit dozens of different retailers to find the decorations and accessories you like most. When you find your favorite items, order them online and have them delivered right to your door.

Traditional products work well for all couples and budgets. Hearts, flowers and elegant accents are classic wedding reception ideas for all seasons. A delightful double heart theme shows the joining of two hearts in marriage. Display pure elegance in winter white throughout your reception with a white themed guest book, matching pen and bridal garter. Welcome your guests to their place settings with playful hearts silver place card holders they can take home to remember your special day.

Butterfly wedding  ideas are perfect for a spring garden wedding. After being indoors all winter, couple enjoy having an outdoor spring wedding to celebrate new life and new love. Often couples release live butterflies at spring garden weddings after they exchange their vows. Capture the essence of your butterfly spring garden wedding with delightfully themed decorations. Set up a guest book table and use a butterfly embellished book with a matching pen. Hang butterflies from arches, poles and trees. Welcome your guests to the reception tables with unique topiary photo holder/place card holders. At the reception, these adorable little trees hold place cards. When guests bring them home, the topiaries can be used to display your wedding photo.

Fairytale weddings bring romantic fantasy and loving reality together. Many brides dream of feeling like Cinderella on their wedding day. Wear a beautiful gown with a full skirt. Accent your dress with sparkling earrings and a glittering necklace. Arrive at your wedding reception in a horse-drawn carriage. Use fragrant, classic flowers such as calla lilies or roses in your bouquets and centerpieces. Include a guest book at your reception decorate with embroidery, jewels and a magic slipper like Cinderella’s. Give out small candies and favors in enchanted carriage favor boxes.

Country weddings are a perfect way to bring friends and family of all ages together. Have a hoe down in an oversize barn complete with a square dancing caller and country western band. Fill small barrels with silk flowers to use as centerpieces. Give out cowboys hats to all your guests to get them in the mood. Use the romantic vintage western collection at your reception. With the look of suede featuring gold and crystal horseshoes, your bridal garter and guest book will be dynamic. Hang a horseshoe over the entranceway for a lucky western feeling as soon as your guests arrive.

If you took a gamble on love and hit the jackpot, celebrate your win with Vegas wedding reception ideas. Have your reception at a casino for an authentic feel. Create a casino environment at any venue with toy slot machines and decks of cards at each reception table. Use playing cards as place cards. Give out Vegas themed favors to your guests such as lucky in love translucent playing card bottle stoppers.

With so many celebrities having destination wedding in the Caribbean, many couples are choosing beach wedding ideas. Whether you have your wedding an exotic tropical location, local lake or simply create a beach environment anywhere, nautical nuptials are unforgettable. Create a mood by setting up piles of sand and mini Adirondack chairs with tea lights as centerpieces at each reception table. Use silver sea shell place card holders to welcome your guests to their seats. Place a starfish cake topper atop your wedding cake.

Source: http://snippetandink.blogspot.com/2009/09/love-shoot-stacie-geoff.html

When I first saw these darling photos up on Sloan Photographers’ blog, I was curious – not just because I absolutely love the images, but also because I was pretty sure I’d already seen this couple’s wedding. Sure enough, this isn’t an engagement shoot – it’s a first anniversary shoot! I absolutely love this idea, and think it’s a great way to celebrate your love and marriage.

Thank you to Sloan Photographers for sharing these beautiful, vintage-styled photos with us. And congratulations to Stacie and Geoff on your first year of marriage! Here’s to many more years of happiness to come!

Sometimes we forget that there are those of you out there who haven’t been following along with us from the beginning.  We forget that you might not know about Southern Weddings of the Week (they’re awesome!), about our Wedding Resources section, or even about our print edition (okay, y’all must have been living under a rock if you don’t know about that!).  And sometimes we forget that you might not even know about TWITTER!  But you should know about Twitter, and you should follow us!

Why? Because we talk about all sorts of exciting things.  For instance, we talk about things we like to eat…

…things we learn…

…we talk about exciting places we visit…

…the exciting things we do…

…and the just plain wacky things we do…

Good!  Now that we’ve got you hooked… follow us here, here, here, here, here, and here.  Yes, we know that’s a lot, but we’re all kinds of worth it.  Pinky swear.

RSS source: http://www.swsmag.net/blog/2009/9/18/tweet-tweet.html

When it comes to getting married, a bride pays close attention to every aspect of her appearance.  Time and effort are spent choosing the perfect dress, the right makeup, and the ideal hairstyle.  Staying in line with all of the other preparations, a bride must also have the perfect nails to display on her wedding day.

Family and friends at your wedding will want to see your ring; and there will certainly be some photographs taken of your hands close up.  For this reason, you want to your nails to look as good as they possible can.  Heading to the nail salon in the days before your wedding is one way to make sure that you’ve got perfectly manicured hands, but don’t think you have to follow any certain set of rules when it comes to your wedding day nails.

Beautifully manicured nails with a bit of color can make an elegant impression. Here’s how to choose a color that’s right for your skin tone, regardless of the color of your dress.

Fair skinned brides tend to look best in lighter shades of nail polish to begin with.  Neutral shades of nail polish with pink undertones are ideal for the bride.  If you are fair skinned and want nails that pop for your wedding, you could opt for subtle or vivid.  Subtle could be a French manicure with a strip of silver or gold beneath the white tip.  Vibrant wedding nails for the fair skinned bride could be polished a bold red with blue undertones.

Those with olive toned skin look gorgeous in warm hues of gold and shades of sheer brown or beige.  Painting your nails in polish with gold or gold undertones, your olive skin is sure to be complimented.  You can paint nails red, as long as there are not yellow or green undertones in the color.

Dark skinned brides are the lucky ones when it comes to their wedding day manicure.  Darker skin is complimented by a wide range of nail polish colors, including reds and even shades of purple.  Even against a white or cream colored dress, dark or vibrant nails will stand out beautifully against dark skin.

Now, one hue that is said to look good on all skin types is a shade of apricot or coral.  Opi is one brand of nail polish that is used by professionals in shops across the states, mainly because of the myriad of color options.  If you are interested in trying a shade of coral for your wedding day, check out the selection of Opi colors at your nearest salon or beauty supply store.

Brides who want to stay with a mild look on their hands for their big day can opt for a sheer color or a traditional French manicure, while going a little wild on the toes.  However, keep in mind that if you go bold on the toes, you should either wear the same color on your hands or wear a neutral shade up top.  Two bold colors on your wedding day may be a bit much to stare at.

Chances are, you have had enough experience with nail polish to know what you like and what you don’t.  Go with your gut and you’ll be happy.