By Emily Tanner

Hen and Stag Nights have traditionally been enjoyed by brides and grooms for many years. It very much signifies an end to the spinster/bachelor lifstyle and the start of a new life together.

These days, couples are generally opting for quieter affairs though there are still those who want to indulge in anything going! Of course, the degree to which this is taken varies considerably from culture to culture, gender to gender and - of course - person to person. Did you know, however, that the kind of event you partake in, speaks volumes about who you are as a person!?

By Jeffrey T

You always hear the saying goes "diamonds are forever", but are all diamonds created equal? The answer to that is an emphatic, 'no'! When shopping for your diamond engagement ring or diamond rings as your ultimate wedding rings, there are four characteristics to notice. These four characteristics will help you determine the quality of each stone, allowing you to make a more discerning decision than, 'Mmm… Pretty…'

First of all, there's the color of the diamond. Diamonds pick up different tones when elements such as nitrogen or boron mix with the carbon when they are formed. The outcome are diamonds with a yellow or blue caste to them. Colorless diamonds are rare, and most expensive.

Next in line is the carat. This is the stone's weight and refers to its size as well. One carat is one-fifth of a gram or 1/142 of an ounce. A carat is divided into 100 points, so a 1/2 carat diamond is 0.5 carats. well, women are good at this, the bigger the better and they will call it the best wedding rings.

Third, check out the cut of the rock. This term refers to the diamond's proportions, symmetry and finish. This is referred to as the polish.

To read on, visit
Wedding Ring Resources

By Evie Lampard

Some time ago, a young lady was complaining that the wedding day is near the corner and she has problems in winter with her over-dried skin. Many people, including me, have terrible skin problems during this season. Why? Because the over-dried skin generates more oil to make a balance, and that's the component that clogs the pores. So it isn't a good idea to over-wash or to be too eager to splatter around astringent containing alcohol. My advice is, if you've never used moisturizer, try it now!

By Sharon Harvey

Weddings are steeped in traditions, rituals and hidden meanings. Many of the trappings of the event are taken for granted but the original reasons for their inclusion were often practical and down to earth. For instance the old boot or shoe tied to the couples car is a throwback to the time when a father would give the slipper he used to beat his daughter to her new husband. Here are some more traditions linked to weddings.

Original meanings

The word ‘wed’ comes from the old English word ‘Weddian’, which means to pledge. Wedding is derived from ‘weddung’ which means the time for a pledge to be made. Combined to two words literally mean in old English ‘the time when a pledge of marriage vows are made’ – or getting married for short.

By Tordis Tverfjell

1. You are with your family and friends. Relax and have fun with the wedding toast speech

2. Come prepared. Never make something up on the spot! Even the very best of speakers write and prepare their speeches and so should you!

3. Write the wedding speech 2-4 weeks prior to the happy wedding event

4. It you are unsure of your writing abilities contact a wedding speech writer. There are lots of willing writers. You can often find their adds in the local papers. Make sure you give the writer some personal elements to add in the speech.

5. If you are one of the parents of the bride/groom you might want to mentions your remembering`s from the birth, childhood events, your son or daughters special sports and hobbies, the feelings for his/her spouse and last your future hopes for the couple and family.

6. Being the Best man it is common to mention events from your friendship and how you became friends with the groom. Your first meeting with the bride would also be interesting to mention. Finally you add some thoughts about the couples future.

7. The bride and groom often start the speech with their first meeting story. Then it is common to thank their parents in laws and all the attending guests. In the end the bride and groom declare their love for one another and add their thoughts and hopes for their future.

8. Rehearse till you know the speech wordings by heart. You probably will not know it by heart at the wedding – nervousness makes strange things to a person…Don’t worry about it as long as the speech floats naturally. The prior rehearsing will help you.

9. According to normal wedding etiquette the father of the bride make the first speech. After him the groom make a wedding speech. The best man sums the whole thing up with the final wedding speech. Other speeches can be but in between.

10. This is the suggested official wedding toast speech list. Still remember that you don’t HAVE to follow it. Do what you find best for your wedding.

The author has been fascinated by weddings and beach weddings for many years.

There are few things as romantic as an outdoor wedding witnessing two happy people unite.

Have a look at her site

http://www.your-florida-beachwedding-guide.com if you too are into romantic
weddings!

By Brenda Frezell

DIY stands for do-it-yourself and it can save you a fortune on your wedding. According to the Association for Wedding Professionals International, the average cost of a wedding in the U.S. is now between $18,000 and $21,000. Unless you have a personal trust fund the size of a hotel heiress, you may want to investigate ideas to trim costs for your wedding.

One of the easiest ways to trim costs is to do some of the work yourself. But I’m not crafty – you may say. Well take heart! These days, craftiness can come in the form of kits sold in most craft stores that will do anything from help you design your own invitations to decorate your own cake. If pre-packaged kits aren’t your thing, you can always check with your family or friends. Everyone knows someone who is crafty. And best of all, you can buy supplies in bulk when they go on sale instead of paying full price for someone else to do them for you.

By Irene Conlan

According to the Washington Post (July 2, 2006) “While clergy still perform most weddings, the ceremonies are straying ever farther from tradition, reflecting a “do-it-yourself” attitude toward religious nuptials”

How true, how true.

When I first started officianting at weddings seven years ago, non-denominational weddings were starting to proliferate. Now they seem to be exploding. Why do you think that is? I have done my best to find information and statistics and all that dull kind of stuff on the internet and I come up with zip to none. But I have my opinions and ideas about why this is happening. I’m going to share them with you and if you don’t like what I say, that’s o.k. It’s just an opinion about a trend.

By Brenda Frezell 

The invitations, the cake, the photographer - the stress of wedding planning can put a girl over the edge. Add to that, the stress of trying to fit into her dream gown, and it may send her off for more chocolate. So what’s a girl to do when she wants to look her best for the big day without losing her sanity? Put first things first and start slow.

It is unrealistic to think a girl can lose 50 pounds in three months just to fit into “the” bridal gown of her dreams. While crash dieting and other unnatural eating options can achieve this goal, it will ultimately take a hefty toll on the bride’s health – not to mention that the weight will simply pile back on as soon as you’ve reached your goal. This approach of setting up unrealistic expectations will only lead the bride to failure. So what is a healthy weight loss goal? About 1 – 2 pounds per week is realistic. Slow weight loss will actually help you in the long run to keep the weight off. Frantically starting a weight loss program right before the wedding is probably not the best idea. Instead, try long-term planning. Maybe six to eight months before the wedding, start to examine your current lifestyle to see how you can make changes.

By Antoinette Boulay

If you have any doubt that fashion dictates everything you wear, carry and use to decorate on your wedding day, just take a look at your parents’ and grandparents’ wedding pictures. See the frill-front shirts on the men? How do you like the mini skirt and knee-high boots your mother wore? Your grandma may have kept her bouquet of silk roses … imagine, not using fresh flowers for such a special occasion. Well, just as with wedding gowns, bridal accessories are fashion items that fade into and out of popularity according to the whims of brides the world over.

By Richard Rspad

Getting married is truly one of the momentous moments in your life unless you are Liz Taylor! Honeymooning in Maine should be the icing on your momentous occasion.

Honeymooning In the State of Maine

Maine's slogan is “Vacationland”, and once you have been there you'll see why. This beautiful New England state offers miles of picturesque shoreline, quaint fishing towns and gorgeous lighthouses. Beautiful in the summer when the beaches are warm and inviting, or in the fall when the trees change color, honeymooning in Maine can be a romantic and unique way to usher in your new life.