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You’re jewish and you just got engaged, so you need to think about getting a ketubah for your wedding. You’ve found one online. Check. It now needs to be personalized, and that’s where it can get unclear! Of course, there’s the basic information that, if you don’t know it already, you’ve got bigger issues–such as the bride and groom’s names, the wedding date, and where it is taking place. But it can get a bit mystifying as you go further to hebrew names, etc.

Below find the 5 must-know suggestions for personalizing your ketubah.

1) Let your rabbi or cantor do it! Well, maybe not actually do the ketubah personalization itself (have you SEEN your officiant’s handwriting?) but your rabbi or cantor should provide the information. Seriously, your ketubah is most likely to be correctly personalized if your rabbi or cantor supplies the information your ketubah artist needs.

2) Transliterate. For any non-jewish parties, don’t just make up a hebrew name. Rather, have your name transliterated–phonetically spelled out in hebrew characters. And if you’re jewish and you have a yiddush name, ask your officiant if you can use that or if he or she will require you to use an equivalent Hebrew name instead (e.g. Rivka instead of Rifka).

3) Include parents but not grandparents. In Hebrew, your name typically reads: “Rachel, daughter of Joshua and Sarah.” Of course, your father, Joshua, is technically “Joshua, son of Samuel and Rivka,” and your mother “Sarah, daughter of Abraham and Talia.” But just stick to your parents. Saying “Rachel, daughter of Joshua, son of Samuel and Rivka, and Sarah, daughter of Abraham and Talia” is just too much. So leave your grandparents out. Some couples simply choose to leave all parents out. And typically just first (and middle, if you like) names are used – no last names.

4) Know the exact time of your ceremony. The Hebrew day runs from sundown to sundown. So you will need to know whether your ceremony takes place before or after sunset to get the proper hebrew date.

5) Details, details for a Conservative or Orthodox ceremony? You will have to provide more details, including the bride’s “status” (whether this is the bride’s first marriage–or more technically, whether she is a virgin–or if she’s been married before and divorced or widowed, and if she’s converted), if the father of the bride and/or groom is a levite or cohain (it probably means “no” if you don’t not know), and if the ketubah artist or calligrapher should complete the ‘regal’ – the straight line in the hebrew letter ‘koof’ – in the hebrew word ‘v’kaninah’ or not. Let’s make it easy – talk to your officiant about these items for personalizing your orthodox ketubah text.

There’s more to know, but if you follow these suggestions and talk to your officiant, your ketubah should be properly completed.

Wedding invitations and wedding speeches are important part of the planning, however they can have different style and type just like western wedding invitations.
Wedding reception invitations are often different from the wedding invitations as such and some of us fail to understand why. Many people may be unhappy with such an arrangement because of the costs that it involves. When the wedding ceremony and the party are held in the same place, there is no need for wedding reception invitations because you can mention the details in the last line of the invitation as such. On the other hand, if the party is held somewhere else, then separate reception invitations are necessary.

The wedding reception invitations are mailed together with the wedding invitations but they are distinct items informing the guests where they are to go for the reception. Moreover, response cards must accompany such items because of the need for confirmation. The importance of such a detail results from the fact that arrangements have to be made at the restaurant or with the catering company.

In special cases, not everybody is invited to the wedding ceremony that is held in private with family members and witnesses alone. Wedding reception invitations are meant to provide all the necessary details. Consequently, you will send more wedding reception invitations than wedding invitations.

Then, it is good to know that the wedding and the reception invitations have to follow the same decorative line although they are designed in a different way. Use common elements for uniformity, but also distinctive patterns to allow a differentiation between the two types of invitations. You can use the same envelope for mailing but with different pockets, and, make sure there is a response card in the reception invitation pocket.

Do not forget the fact that by sending two different kinds of invitations: one for the wedding and another for the reception, you’ll increase the costs. DIY printing solutions and discounted card offers may be possible options for the matter, and you should look deeper into it if you are interested. When you are on a tight budget, the best thing you can do is to choose a middle course of action that gives you the satisfaction of beautiful invite items, without ruining your bank account.

There are a variety of different style and theme possibilities for a wedding, some more traditional  than others. A new tradition that has started in wedding etiquette is giving small wedding favors to guests to thank them for attending . While the wedding favor is no longer a novelty , there are ways to breathe new life into it and make it your own.

If you are planning a more tradition wedding, this small token for your friends and family can still be a meaningful one. Giving something like a key chain with a miniature bottle of Choice Crystal Perfume will carry on the elegant tone set by your wedding. Wine themed favors are also an excellent addition to any traditional wedding. Beach themed wine charms or even a simple cheese board and knife set are some classic examples. These more traditional favors are easier to find and may even be easier to pick out as well If your looking for free bridal shower games ask a friend for advice.

However, if you are planning a less traditional wedding, you may want to consider wedding favors that match your unique style . A creative wedding favor can say more about your personality and through it, your guest will cherish the special celebration they were so honored to attend . When looking for discount bridal shower invitations there are many place on the web to look.

Because they are specially custom to each occasion , these unique favors are a great way to say “thank you“ , while at the same time, keeping the focus on your day . To give a lighter note to the celebration, try a favor like bride and groom bottle stoppers or flip flop playing cards. Why not give out miniature travel trolleys with a retractable handle? That’s a gift that might encourage the person who receives it to throw a party themselves .

The simplest way to find both traditional and nontraditional wedding favors is the Internet. With online shopping, the possibility for ideas is endless and you can shop day or night . Whatever style you choose your wedding favor is sure to show your gratitude to your guests for sharing the most special of days with you.

To start your online search, go to bridalshoweretc.com to find a generous selection of wedding favors, traditional and unique. fantastic deals on many products and free shipping is now available }

Since your marriage ceremony will be the highlight of a lifetime, you will want to consider that time spent in planning and details will be well rewarded.  Everything is included, even the wedding reception plans!

If you are getting prepared for planning a reception, here’s a look at how a standard one usually goes.

Wedding receptions generally get underway less than a quarter of an hour after the ceremony, provided that the hall is onsite.  Upon arrival, guests are greeted and directed to their seats.If you have a seating plan, this plan is followed. If not, the guests find their own seats, with whomever they’d like to sit.

Following this, ensure that the parents and other significant guests are seated at the head table.

After just about everyone is seated, you can ask the wedding party to stand in the receiving area.  This should not include the primary sponsors or parents.  Everyone must gather at the exact same moment.The flower girls are the first called, then the ring bearers, then the secondary sponsors, next the groomsmen accompanying the bridesmaids, and finally, the best man, coming with the maid of honor.

Making their grand entrance, the couple is accompanied with confetti, bubbles or other effects.

The parents of the bride and groom should be recognized after the couple has made their entrance. Then suggest that the bride and groom begin the cake cutting ceremony.  Next comes the formal toast with glasses of bubbly, with perhaps a dove release too.The next portion is the maid of honor giving a prayer of thanksgiving. After this comes the meal, in which the guests are called for pictures with the bride and groom.  After this, they go to the buffet table to run things at the table. There are multiple types of autumn wedding cakes.

The wedding singer starts performing once all the guest have ate their meal and are once again seated.    Audio-visual presentations are viewed after this.

Next, the best man offers up a celebratory toast, followed by congratulatory speeches for the couple.  Only a few of these should be allowed, otherwise it will become too busy.Once this is done, the Bride has a dance with her father, and then the groom steps in and enjoys a dance with his new wife.  In case there are additional dances, they may follow.

Two of the more cherished parts of the experience are the bouquet toss and the garter ceremony, which the guests would be disappointed to miss. Dont ignor beach wedding favors or winter wedding favors!

There are many options for this.  Many receptions eschew live performers for a DJ, for example, and many couples have started including a mother-son dance for the groom as well as the bride’s traditional dance with her father.  By just changing things a small amount, you can achieve the middle ground by not boring your guests, but not upsetting them either.

Getting Married? Congratulations! You just set the date for one of the most important days of your life. Remember, wedding planning is a lot of hard work, but if you follow these tips it can also be a fun adventure even though there are  many ‘don’ts’ on the way to ‘I do!’

Don’t blow your budget

The first step to planning your wedding is to set a realistic budget and then stick to it. By setting a budget right from the beginning, you can keep spending under control. Knowing your financial limitations enables you to focus only on the providers of services and wedding or reception venues that are within your budget. By not even looking at venues and services that are beyond your resources, means you will be saving time and avoiding disappointment as well.

Don’t let wedding plans consume you

Weddings require a great number of thought and it is easy to get lost in the minutiae of their etiquette, traditions, possible themes and all the other details that need consideration. Some days it will feel like wedding planning is consuming your entire life and at the end of some days you may have very little to show for all the driving, web surfing and telephone calls that you made. This is when the real stress sets in and it is time to take a break from the planning. Take a weekend away – just the two of you – or go out for an evening of dinner and dancing. Whatever you do, just do something that is completely not related to the wedding. This will help relieve the stress and will serve to remind you why you are going to all this effort.

Don’t forget who it is about

This is your wedding and it should reflect your personality as a couple. No one should dictate to you or your future spouse what to do, or how to do it. You may seek advice, ideas and wisdom but in the end, each final decision is for you and your future spouse to make.

Don’t book hotels and flights too late

If you are inviting guests from overseas or just from the next Emirate, make sure to give them enough notice of your impending wedding and ask that they make hotel reservations as soon as possible. This is especially important if your wedding day falls during a busy tourist period or on the day of a big sporting event . Similarly, when planning your honeymoon ensure you have both flights and accommodation booked and confirmed months in advance to avoid disappointment.

Don’t invite too many guests

Ensure that your guest list and your reception site capacity match up numbers-wise. You cannot invite 300 people and assume only 200 will accept, because if you end up with 250 acceptances, you may have to turn 50 guests away at the door. Most reception venues cannot just add 10 more tables and chances are that their insurance or other safety or fire laws limit the maximum number of people allowed in any room at one time. Therefore, analyse your guest-list, assume 80 percent will attend and limit your guest list accordingly.

Don’t be tempted by last-minute treatments or diets
If you think that having a facial the day before your wedding will leave your skin looking radiant on your big day – think again.  Last-minute beauty treatments can lead to breakouts, mistakes or worse, serious infections. Save any radical beauty treatments for at least two weeks before the big day or you could risk wasting all the hours you have invested in making your wedding – as well as your photos – perfect.

For similar reasons, don’t fake your tan too close to your wedding day and if you do, ensure it is a colour you have successfully tried before. In addition – forget about any last minute crash-diets too because after the expense of your gown and its many fittings, you should really want the dress to fit – and not be two sizes too big for you.

Don’t forget the hair-do!

Don’t leave decisions regarding your hair style until the last minute – practice different styles months – not weeks – in advance to see which suits you best, which one lasts the longest etc. To browse many images of wedding updo hairstyles visit the  Hair Updos Image Library where you’ll find the best updo styles images so you can find your perfect style in good time.

Don’t go it alone

It is not a sign of incompetence to ask for help and if you are a bride lucky enough to have been offered help by friends or family members, by all means take it. When people offer to lend a hand like your mum, your best friend or your future mother-in-law, give them a specific task like researching a vendor or addressing invitations. However, it is important to keep in mind that these volunteers are not hired help so be sure that you accept their contributions graciously and thank them profusely.

Don’t exclude your fiancée

As a bride, it is easy to make all the decisions for your wedding, especially if you have dreamed about this day for many years, however try to remember that it is his day too. He may well not care if the centrepieces are lilies or roses, but you might discover that your soon-to-be-husband detests lilac or a couple of the tracks the DJ has picked out.

Don’t be sloppy

Organisation is essential. Even if you are not usually a well organised person, you now need to step up to the plate because there are many details, receipts, notes, forms and contracts that need to be kept in order. Whatever method you use, be it a laptop or a notebook, make sure you keep a note of everything and keep all important documents such as birth certificates etc in a safe place.

Don’t forget what is important.

You are not just planning a wedding; you are preparing to start a whole new life together so start the way you intend to carry on. When coordinating an event that involves so many aspects and individuals there are bound to be pressures and a little stress is inevitable – so remain kind to each other and focused on the goal.

Whether your theme is Medieval or classic, whether you have hired a string quartet or a DJ, whether your vows will be exchanged in a quiet chapel or in the buttery glow of a beach sunset, I hope you will enjoy the journey towards your special day and may you live happily ever after.

I am somebody who does not believe in marriage. How many marriages end in divorce? Too many! This is one of the reasons why I do not personally believe in getting married. The latest reports on the long term success of marriage confirmed that one in two marriages end in divorce and that the majority of these divorces are granted within the first ten years of married life. Well that’s a good stat isn’t it? Makes you want to walk up the isle next week doesn’t it? At the end of the day I like to keep things in a sense of reality, the reality is that the majority of marriages fail.

As you will no doubt tell as you read through this article I am in no way involved in the “marriage industry”; I am actually involved in stuttering therapy, I also work on a project offering a professional DVD replication service as well as a one that offers cheap calls.

In September of last year I was invited to attend a wedding of a good friend of mine. The day arrived and I drove my family to the hotel where the ceremony was going to take place. Boy was it a lavish affair! There were violinists playing as you entered the venue and the whole event was, in my opinion, far too over done. The “happy couple” must have spent a small fortune and I know for a fact that they did not receive any “outside help” from either set of parents.

In November, only two months after the wedding, the groom was made redundant from a company where he had worked for the last nine years. He is not the most skilled or educated of people and may well struggle to find employment in the near future (he is currently still out of work).

He has told me that the wedding has put him into debt in rather a big way but that it would have been OK if he had not have lost of job. Well we are in a credit crunch; we are in a recession; that is what happens I’m afraid.

It is time to get our heads out of the clouds and into the real world. Getting yourself in debt just so that your girlfriend can be a princess for the day is madness, this is 2009 and times are quite tough out there “in the real world”.

The wedding industry is a multimillion dollar industry and just when you think that they can’t get any more money out of brides, a new trend pops up that is quickly sweeping receptions all over America. The new trend of wedding cake toppers is almost a must for any bride at her reception. In the past, options for cake toppers were extremely limited. The choices were two figurines or flowers of your choice. As the years went by, someone got smarter and customized the figurines. You were able to have your figurines have the same hair color as the couple. Now, there is no limit to what you can have on top of your wedding cake. There is a cake topper for everyone.

A Google search on the topic of cake toppers can be mind-blowing as there are thousands of difference websites with staggering selections. There is a site for the Harley Davidson minded couple that has two figurines on any number of Harley models. If you and your husband-to-be are sports fans, there are many sites that have sports-themed cake toppers. Through this particular site, you can order your couples in different team jerseys or in any type of sporting gear. Some of the selections you can order are football, soccer, golf, fishing, baseball, and even rugby.

See also: wedding cake toppers

Another specialty site that was very popular was the armed services figurines. These are becoming more popular with so many men and women in the armed services now. You can honor your husband’s or your own military service by choosing a cake topper in a formal uniform. There were many comments on this site from customers that purchased their cake toppers for their wedding and had gotten so many great comments on their cake.

Finally, there were also sites that offered more whimsical and humorous wedding cake topper. For the whimsical side, they offered Mickey and Minnie mouse cake toppers and even a bride and groom PEZ dispenser cake topper. The more funny ones were figurines of the bride dragging the groom up to the alter and even the bride pinching the groom’s behind. At last, brides all over the world can really make their cake as special and unique as they are for their special day that they’ve been dreaming about for years.

Brides are under a tremendous amount of pressure these days to keep a tight reign on their budgets.  They’re cutting down on their photographic packages, catered food, and wedding favors among others.  But there’s also another strategy they can use to save money – finding wedding freebies.

Many wedding companies offer free items to promote their company, products and/or services. By doing some research on the web (for example, searching for the keywords “free wedding stuff” or “wedding freebies”) brides can find valuable products as well as samples and coupons.  Some examples of what can be found out there are: free wedding planners, wedding planning software, wedding webpages, magazines, catalogues, e-books, free wedding invitation templates, beauty care products, and a whole lot more.

Here are some resources to find free wedding stuff.  Just copy and paste the following web addresses into the web browser:

SuperWeddings.com: http://www.superweddings.com/freestuff.html

KillerFreebies.com: http://www.killerfreebies.com/wedding.shtml

Freebies4ya.com: http://www.freebies4ya.com/freebies/love.asp

About.com: http://freebies.about.com/od/weddingfreebies/Wedding_Freebies.htm

Free wedding webpage at theKnot.com: http://weddings.theknot.com/pwp/pwp_offers.aspx?offers=1&target=

As can be seen there is no shortage of resources for brides to find and discover great free products.  With a little bit of effort, brides can save a ton of money.  And they’ll be surprised to see quality items for free.  As an example of what can be found out there, take a look at the following:

PashWeddings.com offers its readers a variety of free wedding invitation templates.  These templates come in suites, meaning for each design brides not only get a template for their wedding invitation, but also for their rsvp card, save the date card, reception card, placecards, table card, wedding party card, program covers and menu.  This enables brides to neatly tie in all their wedding stationery with one elemental design.  There are many designs to choose from so brides are sure to find one that suits their style and their personality.

PashWeddings.com also offers readers its popular and, of course, free wedding planner that can be downloaded in a .pdf format.  That makes it easy for the bride to print out the planner and use the worksheets as she interviews various wedding vendors, such as disc jockeys, florists, photographers, caterers, coordinators, etc.  Included in the planner is: a vendor contact list, ceremony program worksheet, wedding budget worksheet, wedding scheduler, questions to ask vendors, a list of photographic poses, emergency kit list, and a whole lot more.  In it’s entirety, the planner is just shy of 90 pages of great information that’ll help those planning the wedding remain organized, focused, and confident that their wedding will be all that they ever dreamed it would be. (AJG070609)

If you are looking for unique and affordable, seal and send wedding invitations may be your choice. Economical, earth-friendly, convenient and time-saving are some of the benefits of this all-in-one design. What more can you ask for in a wedding invitation design.

Here are some attributes of seal and send wedding invitations:

• All ensemble items can be included in one simple invitation piece.
• Pre-marked folding lines make it easy to fold seal n send invitations into their own self-mailing pieces and then they are fastened by seals eliminating mailing envelopes. This saves time by not having to stuff and address both inner and outer envelopes.
• The response card is attached at the bottom of the invite with a perforation for easy removal and return by guests. Since it is postcard size, no return envelope is needed and the return postage you affix is at the postcard rate which is cheaper than regular first class.
• Pricing typically includes both the return address printed on the outside when mailing the invitations and the return mailing address for the response postcards.

There are many beautiful designs of seal and send wedding invitations from classic to contemporary. There is now even a wider style that has a smaller sized reception card attached at the bottom by perforations along with the response postcard.

The seal and send style can also be your choice for other events for which you will need to collect RSVPs to have accurate seating and food arrangements. This design could be used for rehearsal dinners, post-wedding receptions, or anniversary celebrations as well as wedding invitations.

Being true to their name, seal n send invitations are all-in-one invites that are easy to fold, seal and send to your wedding guests.

If you are looking for unique and affordable, seal and send wedding invitations may be your choice. Economical, earth-friendly, convenient and time-saving are some of the benefits of this all-in-one design. What more can you ask for in a wedding invitation design.

Here are some attributes of seal and send wedding invitations:

• All ensemble items can be included in one simple invitation piece.
• The seal n send invitations easily fold up into their own self-mailing pieces using pre-marked folding lines and are then fastened by clear or decorative seals eliminating the need for mailing envelopes. This saves time by not having to stuff and address both inner and outer envelopes.
• The response card is attached at the bottom of the invite with a perforation for easy removal and return by guests. Being a postcard, no return envelope is required and the return postage is at the postcard rate which is less than regular first class.
• Pricing typically includes both the return address printed on the outside when mailing the invitations and the return mailing address for the response postcards.

There are many beautiful designs of seal and send wedding invitations from classic to contemporary. There is even a style now that is larger in width so it not only has the response postcard attached at the bottom but also a smaller sized reception card that can also be removed by guests if they so choose.

The seal and send style can also be your choice for other events for which you will need to collect RSVPs to have accurate seating and food arrangements. This design could be used for rehearsal dinners, post-wedding receptions, or anniversary celebrations as well as wedding invitations.

Being true to their name, seal n send invitations are all-in-one invites that are easy to fold, seal and send to your wedding guests.