Interfaith unions are the new norm. If you’re trying to bring two faiths together in a marriage ceremony, here are some tips to help navigate the pitfalls.
According to a 2015 study by the Pew Research Center (a U.S.-based nonpartisan fact tank), about 39 percent of couples who have married since 2010 have a spouse of another faith or religion. When falling in love, this may not be a big deal, but when it comes to planning a wedding, it can be a nightmare. Interfaith unions are the new normal. If you’re trying to bring two faiths together in a marriage ceremony, here are some tips to help you navigate the pitfalls.
Interfaith Bride and Groom Need to Be on the Same Page
Once you’ve set the date, before you bring in the family, the bride and groom need to talk about the ceremony. Determine what’s important to each of you. This discussion is going to set the stage for future issues. Someday, you may have children and have to decide which religion to celebrate with them.
Working together lets you present your ideas in unison to your parents, who are going to have their own ideas, and you can stand behind the decisions. Your family may have some culture shock, and you’re going to have to be assertive and firm. Decide which traditions of the ceremony and reception you want to include and which ones you can pass on. If there is one aspect of the day that your mom or spouse’s mom just can’t live without, ask for help in working it into your plans. Don’t alienate family, but don’t give in to all their demands. Think about it for a while before saying that it just isn’t you.
Explain the importance of a particular tradition to the family to help them move past the unknown. Give the family time to process information. Just because they are shocked doesn’t mean they won’t support you. It just means they need to understand and remember that you are an adult making a decision for your future.
Finding the Officiant
Finding someone to perform the interfaith ceremony may be the most difficult part of the planning. This is one area where weddings have not kept up with the norm. One of the most common things is to ask the pastor/leader from each tradition to work together to hold the ceremony. Some faiths will not acquiesce to this request. Another option is to hold two different ceremonies.
One option gaining in popularity would be to consider an ordained minister from the Universal Life Church. It could be a family member or friend who is willing to get ordained and perform an interfaith ceremony. It is extremely easy to do and would allow you to find the perfect fit for your wedding.
Just remember, this is your day. Be honest with your officiant. Don’t make promises about raising children in the faith or attending services if you don’t intend to follow through.
Holding the Ceremony
On the day of your wedding, you may want to include information about your ceremony in the program or have the officiant explain. Your guests may not be from your faith, and it helps them embrace your togetherness when they understand the reason behind doing something. Your guests may not know what to expect, but you want them to think that it was the best wedding ever. Give them a chance to appreciate your interfaith bond with your new spouse.
Remember Your Goal
What is it you want your wedding to say? Keep this in mind as you move forward. The goal is to bring two people together for life. This includes welding your religion and faith in a meaningful way. You have the right to choose your own meaningful traditions to remember your wedding. It’s going to take time to choose the elements that make your day special, but it will be worth it in the end. Working together to plan your interfaith ceremony is a way to build skills that will last you far into your marriage.
Get into the habit of making your significant other feel special whenever you have the opportunity by giving small gifts, gestures, and tokens of love.
It is no secret that marriage takes a lot of work. What many people don’t seem to realize is how the seeds need to be planted early in the relationship in order for love to continuously bloom. Flowery metaphors aside, you want to get into the habit of making your significant other feel special whenever you have the opportunity. There are little tokens of affection, gestures, and gifts of love you can work into your interactions with your partner that are sure to keep the fire burning between you throughout your engagement and long into your marriage.
Whether you are currently planning for your wedding or you haven’t begun to discuss the engagement yet, it can be useful to explore different ways to brighten your significant other’s day. Check out these suggestions and see which ideas might help you in your quest.
Daily Routine
Living with your partner before marriage is a great way to put your relationship to the test. Whether you have had dozens of roommates in the past or your significant other is the first person you’ve cohabitated with, the experience can push you to the edge. Of course, once the growing pains have worn off, you will be able to figure out how to work in synchronicity. If you want to make your partner feel special, be sure to take note of his or her daily routine.
Is coffee the first thing your significant other needs upon waking? Help start the day off right by getting up a little bit earlier and making a gift of fresh coffee. Does your partner hate doing laundry? Offer to do it after a long day and watch a scowl turn into a smile. These gestures are small, but they can go a long way to keep a relationship alive. Domestic life tends to be boring and repetitive, so look at ways you can infuse how much you love your partner into these tasks.
Literal Gifts
Relationships are often built around gifts. Culturally speaking, the act of giving a partner a gift has been practiced for countless centuries. These days, some people tend to ask for more than others when it comes to receiving presents. Showering your partner with all sorts of lavish gifts is probably not the best idea, nor is it a financially sensible move for most people to make. Still, little things here and there can go a long way to show you were thinking about your partner.
These gifts can be something like a specific item your significant other has been eyeing or some small surprise you grab at the store on your way home from work. A candy bar might not cost much, but you can definitely turn someone’s day around by showing up with one at the right moment. Presents are common early in a relationship and during birthdays, holidays, and anniversaries. Surprise your partner by giving him a present when he least expects it, and he’s likely to feel loved.
Whisper Words of Wisdom
Finally, words can go a long way. There are going to come times in your relationship when you and your partner are not going to see a lot of each other. Demanding work schedules and obligations can make it so you only get a few hours together a week. When this happens, you want to keep your communication open. Send a text every now and then to check in or share something sweet or funny. Try to avoid only contacting your partner when you need something, and it will do wonders to show how much you care.
Practicing little rituals and exchanging various kinds of gifts with your significant other can help both of you to feel loved and supported throughout your relationship. When you get into these habits early enough, it will be much easier for you to approach married life with confidence.
Marriage is not a new concept. In fact, the idea of two people bringing their assets together and forming a union is a tradition that goes back thousands of years and spans countless cultures. Despite the fact that it is an old tradition, the actual act of marriage is one that has shifted a lot since it first came about. In fact, wedding traditions seem to change on a regular basis these days. If you are planning for a wedding, you might be curious about which wedding fads are the most popular in Canada right now.
By focusing on some of the more popular trends surrounding modern weddings, you will be able to get an idea of what you would like to see for your own special day. Take a moment to explore some of the popular methods. With a bit of time, you will easily be able to see which of the current wedding trends fits your needs the most.
Incorporating Social Media
It is difficult to discuss wedding fads sweeping Canada without acknowledging the internet. Social media has revolutionized the way people all over the world are approaching their weddings. Once upon a time, you would have to wait weeks for film to develop in order to see what you looked like in your wedding outfit. Now, someone with a smartphone can show you how you look with each passing second of the day. This is just one way social media and technology have reshaped the world of matrimony.
One popular move people make these days with social media and weddings is changing their names on sites like Facebook. Traditionally, a wedding between a man and a woman results in the wife taking on the husband’s name. Some couples opt to keep their own names, but the people who decide to change their names often waste no time. Changing your last name on social media is something that many brides do right after the ceremony has ended. Find clever ways to work social media into your wedding to see results that go with the times.
Tagging Appropriately
Among the wedding fads that are sweeping Canada and the rest of the world is hashtagging. For years now, hashtags have surfaced across hundreds of platforms to help internet users find trending topics or relevant posts. Creating a customized hashtag for your wedding is a surefire way for you to ensure that all of the pictures from your special day are in a centralized spot. As the person in charge of the wedding, it is your responsibility to make sure that people know what the hashtag for the event is going to be.
There are several ways to inform the guests of the hashtag. Have the exact phrase for the tag printed out and displayed prominently for guests to see when they pick up their seating cards. You also might want to have the DJ or emcee make the announcement once or twice throughout the night. When all of the pictures and posts from an event are under the same tag, you will be able to navigate the memories of your special day without much trouble.
Do It Your Way
No matter how popular the trend might be, it is important to remember that this is your wedding. If you neglect to remember this fact, you could easily be assembling a wedding that does not meet your own specifications. Weigh out each of the trends that you read about and see if it is something that makes sense for your own special day. By taking the time to really discover a plan that pleases your significant other and yourself, you will be well on your way to throwing a wedding that is as modern as it is meaningful.
Finances matter long before the wedding takes place.
The idea of marriage has changed a lot over the centuries. Once upon a time, most couples wed for the sake of their families and futures. When two families would join together as a result of a marital union, it would often bring forth plenty of financial benefits to both sides. In fact, many brides and grooms were sized up by potential partners based solely on how much wealth or property their families possessed. These days, the reasons people marry are different, but there are some similarities when it comes to financial matters.
Getting married means sharing everything with your significant other. This, of course, means finances will often be included. People usually get weird when pressed to talk about money. If you and your significant other have not had a conversation about money and the future, then now is an important time to begin. Without this discussion, you could be in for some upsetting or confusing surprises that add stress to the bonds of marital bliss. Take a moment to look over these tips and see what makes the most sense for your situation.
The Practical Side
When you are marrying someone, you are taking on everything this person embodies or possesses and you are making it a part of your life. The good and the bad come along with this. If your partner has a lot of debt, then you might be taking on this debt with your union. Before you get married, you are going to want to sit down with your partner and begin to discuss financial matters and how you will both be impacted by the wedding.
It might not even matter much to you that your partner is currently in debt. Still, you could want to make a plan to help remove this situation from your lives. Having this talk about money early can help both of you to make plans for the future. Discuss how to get out of debt and what you can both do to create a chunk of savings that will last a good long while. The earlier you have this talk, the less stressful it may wind up being when you enter married life.
Finances After the Wedding
In many cases, a talk about finances is about a lot more than money. You and your significant other might not really have a clear idea of what either of you would like to do for work after marriage. When you both work all the time, it can make it difficult to take the next step in your relationship. Namely, this means finding time to have and raise children. Now is the right time for you to start these conversations. Hopefully by this point the topic of children has come up. If not, now is your chance.
Children are quite a big responsibility to take on. Not only do you need to have the time to raise them, you also need a significant amount of money. During your talk about your future finances, you may want to breach the topic of children. Discuss the best possible paths for making your dreams into a reality. You might discover that it is possible for one of you to work and the other to take care of the family. You’ll never know until you have the talk.
Tomorrow Starts Today
Most people feel weird discussing money. While this is a natural feeling, it also can be problematic to avoid these conversations with your significant other. To truly enjoy married life, it is a good idea to have open conversations about finances early. Beginning this chat with enough time to spare can allow both of you a bit of room to figure out any snags or issues that you might predict along the way.
A Croquembouche can be a unique wedding cake option.
With the number of French contributions to our culture, you probably won’t be surprised to find a croquembouche at a Canadian wedding. However, you might not be familiar with the history, details and preparation behind these fascinating pastry desserts. Whether you’ve adopted a French theme for your festivities or just want a different type of wedding cake for your reception, this delightful tower of goodness might be just right for your crowd.
Origins in 19th Century France
While much of Canada was still under British rule, a young Parisian baker began crafting a pastry creation that would become his enduring legacy. In January 2017, the U.S. media network National Public Radio website published a piece on legendary French chef Marie-Antoine Carême, the famed inventor of the croquembouche. Born to an impoverished family around 1783 or 1784, he was presumably orphaned by social turmoil resulting from the French revolution. Carême began working in a Paris kitchen at the age of eight, and by the time he was 15 years old, he’d landed a position as an apprentice to top-rated pastry chef Sylvain Bailly.
As Carême honed his craft during his late teen years, Bailly regularly displayed Carême’s stunningly elaborate pastries in his bakery shop window. By the late 1700s, this young sensation had fashioned a tower of small, round cream puffs called “choux” festooned with spun sugar. A recipe for this dessert, which he called a croquembouche, was published in his 1815 cookbook “Le Pâtissier royal parisien.” Meanwhile, Carême continued to rise to culinary stardom, designing lavish, beautiful sweets for the likes of Napoleon, Russia’s Czar Alexander I and prince regent George IV of England.
The Croquembouche in the Modern World
While there are many modern variations on this delicious pastry, they still follow the same basic format: a tall mountain of cream puffs covered in spun sugar and other wonderful edibles. You’ll probably have no difficulty finding bakers in any province to supply one for your special day, and it’s an appropriate wedding cake for many types of wedding themes. Wedding Bells Magazine showcased a French vintage matrimonial affair in a 2012 piece on its website, adding that the couple chose a croquembouche to add a delicate grandeur to their festivities.
If you think that such a spectacular wedding cake should get its own entrance and fanfare, you’re absolutely right. In fact, contributor Kim Petyt on The Good Life France blog revealed that a croquembouche is usually not presented until dessert time. With the lights dimmed and celebratory music playing, guests typically begin chanting “Le gateau! Le gateau!” as the star of the hour is brought out to the dining hall while decorated in small, sizzling fireworks. Once the display is over, the staff serves each guest three or four of the sweet, creamy choux to enjoy.
Flavorful Possibilities Abound
In both exterior decorative touches and inner fillings, the croquembouche presents a wide variety of lovely flavors. Traditionally, each choux contains vanilla-bourbon crème in the center. Nevertheless, bakeries offer several popular filling choices which can include favorites such as caramel and chocolate, or less common tastes like rose, pistachio or orange blossom. Besides spun sugar or pastel-tinted icing, a croquembouche wedding cake can be decked out in sugared almonds, chocolate, candied ribbons or even edible flowers.
A Delicious Wedding Cake Idea for Your Nuptial Affair
The croquembouche is a distinctive and delightful wedding cake that offers a complex combination of aesthetics, French culture and flavor. Its name appropriately translates to “crunch in the mouth,” and your guests will enjoy the taste and texture of this now-classic sweet treat. Add to that the customary celebratory fanfare with which it’s presented during your festivities, and your croquembouche will certainly be a memorable part of your wedding day.
A backyard wedding can be closer and more intimate than the traditional church wedding.
A backyard wedding can be a great alternative to traditional nuptials in a house of worship or an expensive venue. This is great for couples who want to publicly celebrate their love and long-term commitment while saving money. Arranging such an affair takes some time and careful planning to ensure you don’t miss any of the important details. Before you dive headfirst into pulling together your intimate backyard wedding, consider these important tips.
Decide on Your Backyard Wedding Budget Early
As couples like Leigha and Todd from Ontario frequently prove, it is possible to hold a lovely affair for less. Intimate Weddings profiled the pair in a 2015 featured post, detailing how they planned their 2014 ceremony and reception. They opted to keep the guest list small, with only 24 people in attendance. They also opted for a backyard wedding with home-cooked food for their guests. As Leigha revealed, this allowed them to devote significant portions of their budget to food, flowers, and photography. Overall, the couple spent less than $5,000. Similarly, if you know your own upper limits for what you and your sweetie can set aside for your nuptials, it will enable you to make decisions and prioritise where you spend your money.
Is Your Backyard Ready?
Of course, the backyard or acreage in which you hold your nuptials must be prepared for you, your sweetie, and your guests. HGTV Canada published several tips in an October 2016 article about backyard weddings, recommending that you examine the land and layout of your yard first. The level of the ground is important, as you’ll need to know whether your land is flat or sloping, as well as the approximate number of people it can realistically hold. If you evaluate your yard and then realise it will not hold 100 people comfortably, you have a crucial choice to make: Either invite fewer people or decide on another location for your nuptials.
In addition, you must consider other factors besides the size and layout of your yard while planning. If your location boasts a lot of natural flora and greenery, you could save significantly when it comes to site decorations and flower arrangements. Moreover, you should think about how to accommodate parking for your guests as well as be prepared for any potential noise concerns from your neighbours.
A Wedding at Home Isn’t Always Cheaper
With a backyard wedding, the costs can be as much or as little as you make them. In other words, you can plan anything from a lavish, extravagant affair to a simple yet tasteful celebration. It’s all in the details—or rather, the prices of them. Shop wisely, and get a good idea of what each item will cost before paying any money or signing contracts. You’ll need to factor in extra items that you don’t require for an indoor celebration, like tents, tables, and seating. If you’re aiming for less expensive nuptials, consider these cost-cutting ideas:
Hold a breakfast, brunch, or lunchtime reception.
Choose fresh flowers for only the wedding party and ceremonial focal points.
Wed on an off-peak day or time, avoiding Saturday evenings.
Purchase inexpensive party decorations in bulk.
Design and print your own invitations and programs.
Planning Your Affair Takes Attention to Detail and Forethought
There’s no need to stress over your upcoming nuptials. Nevertheless, making sure that you take the time to plan the details is important to ensuring your backyard wedding happens with as few complications as possible. Thinking of the size of your guest list, your budget, your physical location, and other important factors will aid you in successfully arranging your special day.
People tend to think of a wedding as an end, however is should be viewed as a beginning of a new life with your partner.
Getting hitched to your significant other can be a fantastic move to make. While you may have been dating your partner for several years at this point, it is important for you to keep in mind that your wedding is the start of a completely different chapter of your lives together. Of course, a wedding can also add a ton of stress to your shoulders. You and your significant other are likely to bump heads once or twice throughout the process. How you handle these encounters will set the stage for your future as a married couple.
Since planning for your wedding can bring forth some tense situations, it is helpful to use this process as a way of working through your own relationship issues. If you do not address problems in the relationship before the wedding, then they are only going to get worse as the years go on. Take a look at a couple of these simple ways to use your wedding planning as a form of couples therapy and see how you can strengthen your bond while getting ready for your big day.
After the Wedding: Cohabitation
Times have changed. Once, it was common for a couple to live separate lives until the day where they joined in matrimony. The wedding would mark the first time the bride and groom would sleep in the same bed. Of course, this is a trend that has changed greatly. Nowadays, most couples live together for years before deciding to get married. Whether to live with your partner can be a big thing to consider before you go about the process of planning for your wedding.
Learning how to cohabitate in advance is very important. You do not want to marry someone and discover that he or she is a completely different person at home. Easing yourselves into domestic life together before the wedding can help you to learn about each other in new ways. Have discussions about things like household chores, bills, owning versus renting, and anything else that is important to you about your home. Having these conversations and trying your hand at cohabitation early can help you to see what you are in store for with your partner.
Disagreements Are Good
You and your significant other are going to disagree a lot while planning for your wedding. There are very few instances where a couple comes to agreement on every little detail. While you might feel uncomfortable with disagreeing with your partner, it is very healthy to learn how to handle altercations. Your knee-jerk reaction might be to fight your partner on something as simple as the color palette of the reception, but there are much bigger issues in life that you are going to have to face together.
Learning to disagree early in the relationship can help you to build a strong foundation for your future. The moments that matter are going to be the ones that appear out of the blue and blindside you both. When the time comes to make an important and difficult decision, you want to be sure that you can turn to your partner and work through the problem without it devolving into an argument. Use your wedding planning as a chance to grow better at dealing with disagreements.
Many Years Ahead
A wedding marks a very big day for you and your partner. After you have tied the knot, you will be together for the foreseeable future. If you want your marriage to go well, be sure to get off on the right foot by learning as you go. Use your wedding planning as a way to handle disagreements, and you will discover new ways to work through your problems as a couple.
When planning your honeymoon, it may be more financially sound to stay around your home.
Getting married can be an expensive endeavor. Even a small reception might wind up costing you way more than you anticipated. It might be useful for you to consider ways to cut back on your expenses. The costs don’t stop coming once the wedding has ended. Your honeymoon is also a financial hit. Instead of rushing off to some far-flung corner of the globe for your romantic getaway, it might be more exciting to take a look at what Canada has to offer.
There are some absolutely lovely destinations located across Canada for you and your spouse to explore. No matter what you enjoy doing on your vacations, you can be sure you’ll find something worth your time when you begin your search. To get you started, here are a few wonderful spots to consider for your honeymoon.
By the Bay
Many couples determine their honeymoon destinations based on what they are hoping to get from the trip. For some, the dream honeymoon is one that provides ample time to unwind. You and your new spouse want to spend time alone together. This means you could gain a lot from a trip to Ontario to relax at Georgian Bay. If you enjoy the thought of sitting in a lodge, watching the sunlight sparkle over the lazy waters of the bay, then this might be for you.
Immersing yourself in the splendor of nature has a way of revitalizing the spirits. There are tons of exciting activities to take part in during this trip as well. When you’re done with relaxation for a bit, take a boat out on the water and explore some of the islands located throughout the bay. Adventure awaits you when you decide to visit this amazing destination right in Ontario.
Something Different for Your Honeymoon
Those born and raised in Canada are usually well aware of the beauty of the land. This is one of the reasons some couples don’t consider sticking close to home for the honeymoon. If you’ve already been on endless hikes through the woods and seen many of the sights the country has to offer, you may want to think about something a bit different. A trip to Yukon can allow you a totally new experience with a visit to Kluane.
Kluane National Park has a diverse and appealing geography that offers couples a wealth of different activities to explore. You and your partner can hit the trails and see Canada from an entirely new perspective by hiking through a truly remarkable environment. Thrillseekers will have the opportunity to kayak in a rushing river, scale some wild heights and engage with the natural world in a spectacular manner.
City Life
Where you visit in Canada for your honeymoon will have a lot to do with where you currently live. One might find the idea of a trip to Quebec City to be quite appealing. The hustle and bustle of the city might not be the right place for everyone to live but there is a ton of fun to be had during a vacation. You and your partner will be able to take in all of the sights of the city during the day and indulge in some amazing nightlife activities after sunset.
There are many wonderful destinations to explore right in your own backyard. Instead of traveling across the planet for your honeymoon, think about the fun that can be had here in Canada. Explore all of your options and you’re bound to discover an amazing trip.
Many people choose exotic beaches to hold their destination wedding. Generally you will want to pick a place that most, if not all of your attendees will be comfortable and will have fun.
The Destination wedding has been growing steadily in popularity for many years. At first glance, the thought of rushing away from Canada toward an international spot might be an expensive one. In truth, destination weddings are far easier to plan and do not require the same level of financial commitment. To be successful with your wedding, you will need to make sure you go about the process in the right way and consider a few key elements.
Times change and trends change along with it. While weddings have been happening all over the world for quite a bit of time, the ways weddings happen always shift in style and scope. For many years now, the trend for weddings has been to throw a large and somewhat lavish event. Even small-scale weddings can wind up costing a fortune due to the way many couples go about their events. Now, many people are turning away from this trend and opting for something more personal and affordable. Not all couples will benefit from a destination wedding but it can be interesting to learn some of the pros.
Keeping the Destination Wedding Cost Down
A wedding has a habit of being a costly endeavor. You need to rent a venue, find caterers, think about decorations, hire entertainment, bring on a photographer, and that is only the beginning of it. You might be spending frustrating amounts of money on everything from stamps for your invites to the tips you give to the servers at the end of the reception. Instead of dealing with all of that, you can condense all of your expenses in one swoop. A destination wedding limits your options in the best ways possible.
For example, if you decide to go to Costa Rica for your destination wedding, then you might want to stay at a specific resort. This resort probably sees a lot of weddings throughout the course of the year, and it may offer some excellent packages for you and your guests. This means you can find a venue, caterers, entertainment, and hotel rooms in the same place. On top of all of this, you will be surrounded by the lush views and cool breezes of Costa Rica.
Fewer Guests
Something to be mindful of with a destination wedding is that you will need to keep your guest list low. This is a perfect idea for couples who do not have extensive circles of family and friends. Unfortunately, you also need to make sure the people you are inviting are able to afford the trip. Keeping your own costs down for the wedding is one thing, but you will be asking your guests to shell out a lot more money for your event than they would have at home.
Before you start to make all of your plans, sit down with your significant other and come up with a realistic list of who you would like to be present for your wedding. Reach out to these people and speak to them about your idea. If it seems like most people wouldn’t be able to make the journey for your wedding due to financial constraints or scheduling problems, then you should probably consider another option. You could always go away somewhere tropical and inviting for your honeymoon.
A World to See
There are many different reasons to consider a destination wedding. With such a big world out there to see, you and your partner simply might want to start your married life in a new location. Before you get ahead of yourself, be sure to consider the specifics of your event and whether you’re making the right choice for you and the people you care about. In the end, make the decision that will help you and your significant other to have the special day you both desire.
To be a great wedding guest, make sure that you are polite and courteous.
April showers bring May flowers, but for brides, April showers bring June flowers. Summer is a popular time for weddings, so you might start getting invitations from your friends who are getting married. To survive wedding season, be the best wedding guest you can. Here are a few tips to help you:
RSVP by the date requested. Do not put the invitation aside for a few days, because you’ll forget. Don’t make the couple track you down for an answer.
Look at the invitation to see who was invited. Do not invite anyone yourself. If your children aren’t mentioned on the envelope, they are not invited to the wedding. It is customary to invite partners, but if you aren’t married or in a long-term relationship, you may have to go single.
Show up if you RSVP “yes.” Barring an emergency, don’t change plans at the last minute. The caterer will charge the couple for your plate, whether you show up or not.
Do not talk about the wedding with friends who may not have been invited. This means on social media too. You don’t want to come off as boasting or make others feel bad because they were not invited.
Be on time for the ceremony. Better yet, be there 10 to 15 minutes early to get the lay of the land. When you arrive late, you disrupt the flow of the ceremony. If you do arrive late, wait for a break in the action to sneak in.
Dress appropriately. If the invitation says “semi-formal,” don’t wear jeans. For a beach wedding, dress more casually. Don’t wear white.
Put your phone on silent during the ceremony. Let your babysitter know your phone will be off for a half-hour to forty-five minutes and promise to check immediately after.
Don’t take pictures during the ceremony. Respect the wedding photographer.
Ask the couple if you can share pictures on social media before you do.
Send the gift, if you do, to the home of the bride or groom. Don’t make them deal with more stuff at the reception.
During the reception, sit where the bride and groom have placed you. Make conversation with those around you. It’s only for a couple of hours. Your phone will wait.
What About the Rights of a Wedding Guest?
Wedding guests also have rights that come with their invitation:
You can expect to receive an invitation if you received a save-the-date card.
You have the right to decline the invitation if you cannot attend. No explanation needed, just say, “Thank you, I’d love to be there, but I can’t.”
You can ask the couple if you need clarification about your invitation. Maybe you want to make sure you understand the dress code or are confused about the plus one.
You have a right to not send a gift at all. You also have up to a year to send a wedding gift.
If you do send a gift, you have a right to expect a timely thank-you note. You might want to give the couple a few weeks after the wedding to wrap up all their duties, but if you don’t receive a thank-you note within three months, it’s perfectly acceptable to ask if they received your gift.
You should take advantage of the open bar, but don’t overdo it.
Have a Good Time
A wedding is a celebration, and you should have a good time. Thank the host and hostess, typically the bride’s parents, before you leave. Don’t be offended if you don’t get a few minutes with the bride and groom. One of the best things you can do as a wedding guest is to be flexible and gracious, no matter what happens at the ceremony or reception.
Interfaith unions are the new norm. If you’re trying to bring two faiths together in a marriage ceremony, here are some tips to help navigate the pitfalls.
According to a 2015 study by the Pew Research Center (a U.S.-based nonpartisan fact tank), about 39 percent of couples who have married since 2010 have a spouse of another faith or religion. When falling in love, this may not be a big deal, but when it comes to planning a wedding, it can be a nightmare. Interfaith unions are the new normal. If you’re trying to bring two faiths together in a marriage ceremony, here are some tips to help you navigate the pitfalls.
Interfaith Bride and Groom Need to Be on the Same Page
Once you’ve set the date, before you bring in the family, the bride and groom need to talk about the ceremony. Determine what’s important to each of you. This discussion is going to set the stage for future issues. Someday, you may have children and have to decide which religion to celebrate with them.
Working together lets you present your ideas in unison to your parents, who are going to have their own ideas, and you can stand behind the decisions. Your family may have some culture shock, and you’re going to have to be assertive and firm. Decide which traditions of the ceremony and reception you want to include and which ones you can pass on. If there is one aspect of the day that your mom or spouse’s mom just can’t live without, ask for help in working it into your plans. Don’t alienate family, but don’t give in to all their demands. Think about it for a while before saying that it just isn’t you.
Explain the importance of a particular tradition to the family to help them move past the unknown. Give the family time to process information. Just because they are shocked doesn’t mean they won’t support you. It just means they need to understand and remember that you are an adult making a decision for your future.
Finding the Officiant
Finding someone to perform the interfaith ceremony may be the most difficult part of the planning. This is one area where weddings have not kept up with the norm. One of the most common things is to ask the pastor/leader from each tradition to work together to hold the ceremony. Some faiths will not acquiesce to this request. Another option is to hold two different ceremonies.
One option gaining in popularity would be to consider an ordained minister from the Universal Life Church. It could be a family member or friend who is willing to get ordained and perform an interfaith ceremony. It is extremely easy to do and would allow you to find the perfect fit for your wedding.
Just remember, this is your day. Be honest with your officiant. Don’t make promises about raising children in the faith or attending services if you don’t intend to follow through.
Holding the Ceremony
On the day of your wedding, you may want to include information about your ceremony in the program or have the officiant explain. Your guests may not be from your faith, and it helps them embrace your togetherness when they understand the reason behind doing something. Your guests may not know what to expect, but you want them to think that it was the best wedding ever. Give them a chance to appreciate your interfaith bond with your new spouse.
Remember Your Goal
What is it you want your wedding to say? Keep this in mind as you move forward. The goal is to bring two people together for life. This includes welding your religion and faith in a meaningful way. You have the right to choose your own meaningful traditions to remember your wedding. It’s going to take time to choose the elements that make your day special, but it will be worth it in the end. Working together to plan your interfaith ceremony is a way to build skills that will last you far into your marriage.
Get into the habit of making your significant other feel special whenever you have the opportunity by giving small gifts, gestures, and tokens of love.
It is no secret that marriage takes a lot of work. What many people don’t seem to realize is how the seeds need to be planted early in the relationship in order for love to continuously bloom. Flowery metaphors aside, you want to get into the habit of making your significant other feel special whenever you have the opportunity. There are little tokens of affection, gestures, and gifts of love you can work into your interactions with your partner that are sure to keep the fire burning between you throughout your engagement and long into your marriage.
Whether you are currently planning for your wedding or you haven’t begun to discuss the engagement yet, it can be useful to explore different ways to brighten your significant other’s day. Check out these suggestions and see which ideas might help you in your quest.
Daily Routine
Living with your partner before marriage is a great way to put your relationship to the test. Whether you have had dozens of roommates in the past or your significant other is the first person you’ve cohabitated with, the experience can push you to the edge. Of course, once the growing pains have worn off, you will be able to figure out how to work in synchronicity. If you want to make your partner feel special, be sure to take note of his or her daily routine.
Is coffee the first thing your significant other needs upon waking? Help start the day off right by getting up a little bit earlier and making a gift of fresh coffee. Does your partner hate doing laundry? Offer to do it after a long day and watch a scowl turn into a smile. These gestures are small, but they can go a long way to keep a relationship alive. Domestic life tends to be boring and repetitive, so look at ways you can infuse how much you love your partner into these tasks.
Literal Gifts
Relationships are often built around gifts. Culturally speaking, the act of giving a partner a gift has been practiced for countless centuries. These days, some people tend to ask for more than others when it comes to receiving presents. Showering your partner with all sorts of lavish gifts is probably not the best idea, nor is it a financially sensible move for most people to make. Still, little things here and there can go a long way to show you were thinking about your partner.
These gifts can be something like a specific item your significant other has been eyeing or some small surprise you grab at the store on your way home from work. A candy bar might not cost much, but you can definitely turn someone’s day around by showing up with one at the right moment. Presents are common early in a relationship and during birthdays, holidays, and anniversaries. Surprise your partner by giving him a present when he least expects it, and he’s likely to feel loved.
Whisper Words of Wisdom
Finally, words can go a long way. There are going to come times in your relationship when you and your partner are not going to see a lot of each other. Demanding work schedules and obligations can make it so you only get a few hours together a week. When this happens, you want to keep your communication open. Send a text every now and then to check in or share something sweet or funny. Try to avoid only contacting your partner when you need something, and it will do wonders to show how much you care.
Practicing little rituals and exchanging various kinds of gifts with your significant other can help both of you to feel loved and supported throughout your relationship. When you get into these habits early enough, it will be much easier for you to approach married life with confidence.
Marriage is not a new concept. In fact, the idea of two people bringing their assets together and forming a union is a tradition that goes back thousands of years and spans countless cultures. Despite the fact that it is an old tradition, the actual act of marriage is one that has shifted a lot since it first came about. In fact, wedding traditions seem to change on a regular basis these days. If you are planning for a wedding, you might be curious about which wedding fads are the most popular in Canada right now.
By focusing on some of the more popular trends surrounding modern weddings, you will be able to get an idea of what you would like to see for your own special day. Take a moment to explore some of the popular methods. With a bit of time, you will easily be able to see which of the current wedding trends fits your needs the most.
Incorporating Social Media
It is difficult to discuss wedding fads sweeping Canada without acknowledging the internet. Social media has revolutionized the way people all over the world are approaching their weddings. Once upon a time, you would have to wait weeks for film to develop in order to see what you looked like in your wedding outfit. Now, someone with a smartphone can show you how you look with each passing second of the day. This is just one way social media and technology have reshaped the world of matrimony.
One popular move people make these days with social media and weddings is changing their names on sites like Facebook. Traditionally, a wedding between a man and a woman results in the wife taking on the husband’s name. Some couples opt to keep their own names, but the people who decide to change their names often waste no time. Changing your last name on social media is something that many brides do right after the ceremony has ended. Find clever ways to work social media into your wedding to see results that go with the times.
Tagging Appropriately
Among the wedding fads that are sweeping Canada and the rest of the world is hashtagging. For years now, hashtags have surfaced across hundreds of platforms to help internet users find trending topics or relevant posts. Creating a customized hashtag for your wedding is a surefire way for you to ensure that all of the pictures from your special day are in a centralized spot. As the person in charge of the wedding, it is your responsibility to make sure that people know what the hashtag for the event is going to be.
There are several ways to inform the guests of the hashtag. Have the exact phrase for the tag printed out and displayed prominently for guests to see when they pick up their seating cards. You also might want to have the DJ or emcee make the announcement once or twice throughout the night. When all of the pictures and posts from an event are under the same tag, you will be able to navigate the memories of your special day without much trouble.
Do It Your Way
No matter how popular the trend might be, it is important to remember that this is your wedding. If you neglect to remember this fact, you could easily be assembling a wedding that does not meet your own specifications. Weigh out each of the trends that you read about and see if it is something that makes sense for your own special day. By taking the time to really discover a plan that pleases your significant other and yourself, you will be well on your way to throwing a wedding that is as modern as it is meaningful.
Finances matter long before the wedding takes place.
The idea of marriage has changed a lot over the centuries. Once upon a time, most couples wed for the sake of their families and futures. When two families would join together as a result of a marital union, it would often bring forth plenty of financial benefits to both sides. In fact, many brides and grooms were sized up by potential partners based solely on how much wealth or property their families possessed. These days, the reasons people marry are different, but there are some similarities when it comes to financial matters.
Getting married means sharing everything with your significant other. This, of course, means finances will often be included. People usually get weird when pressed to talk about money. If you and your significant other have not had a conversation about money and the future, then now is an important time to begin. Without this discussion, you could be in for some upsetting or confusing surprises that add stress to the bonds of marital bliss. Take a moment to look over these tips and see what makes the most sense for your situation.
The Practical Side
When you are marrying someone, you are taking on everything this person embodies or possesses and you are making it a part of your life. The good and the bad come along with this. If your partner has a lot of debt, then you might be taking on this debt with your union. Before you get married, you are going to want to sit down with your partner and begin to discuss financial matters and how you will both be impacted by the wedding.
It might not even matter much to you that your partner is currently in debt. Still, you could want to make a plan to help remove this situation from your lives. Having this talk about money early can help both of you to make plans for the future. Discuss how to get out of debt and what you can both do to create a chunk of savings that will last a good long while. The earlier you have this talk, the less stressful it may wind up being when you enter married life.
Finances After the Wedding
In many cases, a talk about finances is about a lot more than money. You and your significant other might not really have a clear idea of what either of you would like to do for work after marriage. When you both work all the time, it can make it difficult to take the next step in your relationship. Namely, this means finding time to have and raise children. Now is the right time for you to start these conversations. Hopefully by this point the topic of children has come up. If not, now is your chance.
Children are quite a big responsibility to take on. Not only do you need to have the time to raise them, you also need a significant amount of money. During your talk about your future finances, you may want to breach the topic of children. Discuss the best possible paths for making your dreams into a reality. You might discover that it is possible for one of you to work and the other to take care of the family. You’ll never know until you have the talk.
Tomorrow Starts Today
Most people feel weird discussing money. While this is a natural feeling, it also can be problematic to avoid these conversations with your significant other. To truly enjoy married life, it is a good idea to have open conversations about finances early. Beginning this chat with enough time to spare can allow both of you a bit of room to figure out any snags or issues that you might predict along the way.
A Croquembouche can be a unique wedding cake option.
With the number of French contributions to our culture, you probably won’t be surprised to find a croquembouche at a Canadian wedding. However, you might not be familiar with the history, details and preparation behind these fascinating pastry desserts. Whether you’ve adopted a French theme for your festivities or just want a different type of wedding cake for your reception, this delightful tower of goodness might be just right for your crowd.
Origins in 19th Century France
While much of Canada was still under British rule, a young Parisian baker began crafting a pastry creation that would become his enduring legacy. In January 2017, the U.S. media network National Public Radio website published a piece on legendary French chef Marie-Antoine Carême, the famed inventor of the croquembouche. Born to an impoverished family around 1783 or 1784, he was presumably orphaned by social turmoil resulting from the French revolution. Carême began working in a Paris kitchen at the age of eight, and by the time he was 15 years old, he’d landed a position as an apprentice to top-rated pastry chef Sylvain Bailly.
As Carême honed his craft during his late teen years, Bailly regularly displayed Carême’s stunningly elaborate pastries in his bakery shop window. By the late 1700s, this young sensation had fashioned a tower of small, round cream puffs called “choux” festooned with spun sugar. A recipe for this dessert, which he called a croquembouche, was published in his 1815 cookbook “Le Pâtissier royal parisien.” Meanwhile, Carême continued to rise to culinary stardom, designing lavish, beautiful sweets for the likes of Napoleon, Russia’s Czar Alexander I and prince regent George IV of England.
The Croquembouche in the Modern World
While there are many modern variations on this delicious pastry, they still follow the same basic format: a tall mountain of cream puffs covered in spun sugar and other wonderful edibles. You’ll probably have no difficulty finding bakers in any province to supply one for your special day, and it’s an appropriate wedding cake for many types of wedding themes. Wedding Bells Magazine showcased a French vintage matrimonial affair in a 2012 piece on its website, adding that the couple chose a croquembouche to add a delicate grandeur to their festivities.
If you think that such a spectacular wedding cake should get its own entrance and fanfare, you’re absolutely right. In fact, contributor Kim Petyt on The Good Life France blog revealed that a croquembouche is usually not presented until dessert time. With the lights dimmed and celebratory music playing, guests typically begin chanting “Le gateau! Le gateau!” as the star of the hour is brought out to the dining hall while decorated in small, sizzling fireworks. Once the display is over, the staff serves each guest three or four of the sweet, creamy choux to enjoy.
Flavorful Possibilities Abound
In both exterior decorative touches and inner fillings, the croquembouche presents a wide variety of lovely flavors. Traditionally, each choux contains vanilla-bourbon crème in the center. Nevertheless, bakeries offer several popular filling choices which can include favorites such as caramel and chocolate, or less common tastes like rose, pistachio or orange blossom. Besides spun sugar or pastel-tinted icing, a croquembouche wedding cake can be decked out in sugared almonds, chocolate, candied ribbons or even edible flowers.
A Delicious Wedding Cake Idea for Your Nuptial Affair
The croquembouche is a distinctive and delightful wedding cake that offers a complex combination of aesthetics, French culture and flavor. Its name appropriately translates to “crunch in the mouth,” and your guests will enjoy the taste and texture of this now-classic sweet treat. Add to that the customary celebratory fanfare with which it’s presented during your festivities, and your croquembouche will certainly be a memorable part of your wedding day.
A backyard wedding can be closer and more intimate than the traditional church wedding.
A backyard wedding can be a great alternative to traditional nuptials in a house of worship or an expensive venue. This is great for couples who want to publicly celebrate their love and long-term commitment while saving money. Arranging such an affair takes some time and careful planning to ensure you don’t miss any of the important details. Before you dive headfirst into pulling together your intimate backyard wedding, consider these important tips.
Decide on Your Backyard Wedding Budget Early
As couples like Leigha and Todd from Ontario frequently prove, it is possible to hold a lovely affair for less. Intimate Weddings profiled the pair in a 2015 featured post, detailing how they planned their 2014 ceremony and reception. They opted to keep the guest list small, with only 24 people in attendance. They also opted for a backyard wedding with home-cooked food for their guests. As Leigha revealed, this allowed them to devote significant portions of their budget to food, flowers, and photography. Overall, the couple spent less than $5,000. Similarly, if you know your own upper limits for what you and your sweetie can set aside for your nuptials, it will enable you to make decisions and prioritise where you spend your money.
Is Your Backyard Ready?
Of course, the backyard or acreage in which you hold your nuptials must be prepared for you, your sweetie, and your guests. HGTV Canada published several tips in an October 2016 article about backyard weddings, recommending that you examine the land and layout of your yard first. The level of the ground is important, as you’ll need to know whether your land is flat or sloping, as well as the approximate number of people it can realistically hold. If you evaluate your yard and then realise it will not hold 100 people comfortably, you have a crucial choice to make: Either invite fewer people or decide on another location for your nuptials.
In addition, you must consider other factors besides the size and layout of your yard while planning. If your location boasts a lot of natural flora and greenery, you could save significantly when it comes to site decorations and flower arrangements. Moreover, you should think about how to accommodate parking for your guests as well as be prepared for any potential noise concerns from your neighbours.
A Wedding at Home Isn’t Always Cheaper
With a backyard wedding, the costs can be as much or as little as you make them. In other words, you can plan anything from a lavish, extravagant affair to a simple yet tasteful celebration. It’s all in the details—or rather, the prices of them. Shop wisely, and get a good idea of what each item will cost before paying any money or signing contracts. You’ll need to factor in extra items that you don’t require for an indoor celebration, like tents, tables, and seating. If you’re aiming for less expensive nuptials, consider these cost-cutting ideas:
Hold a breakfast, brunch, or lunchtime reception.
Choose fresh flowers for only the wedding party and ceremonial focal points.
Wed on an off-peak day or time, avoiding Saturday evenings.
Purchase inexpensive party decorations in bulk.
Design and print your own invitations and programs.
Planning Your Affair Takes Attention to Detail and Forethought
There’s no need to stress over your upcoming nuptials. Nevertheless, making sure that you take the time to plan the details is important to ensuring your backyard wedding happens with as few complications as possible. Thinking of the size of your guest list, your budget, your physical location, and other important factors will aid you in successfully arranging your special day.
People tend to think of a wedding as an end, however is should be viewed as a beginning of a new life with your partner.
Getting hitched to your significant other can be a fantastic move to make. While you may have been dating your partner for several years at this point, it is important for you to keep in mind that your wedding is the start of a completely different chapter of your lives together. Of course, a wedding can also add a ton of stress to your shoulders. You and your significant other are likely to bump heads once or twice throughout the process. How you handle these encounters will set the stage for your future as a married couple.
Since planning for your wedding can bring forth some tense situations, it is helpful to use this process as a way of working through your own relationship issues. If you do not address problems in the relationship before the wedding, then they are only going to get worse as the years go on. Take a look at a couple of these simple ways to use your wedding planning as a form of couples therapy and see how you can strengthen your bond while getting ready for your big day.
After the Wedding: Cohabitation
Times have changed. Once, it was common for a couple to live separate lives until the day where they joined in matrimony. The wedding would mark the first time the bride and groom would sleep in the same bed. Of course, this is a trend that has changed greatly. Nowadays, most couples live together for years before deciding to get married. Whether to live with your partner can be a big thing to consider before you go about the process of planning for your wedding.
Learning how to cohabitate in advance is very important. You do not want to marry someone and discover that he or she is a completely different person at home. Easing yourselves into domestic life together before the wedding can help you to learn about each other in new ways. Have discussions about things like household chores, bills, owning versus renting, and anything else that is important to you about your home. Having these conversations and trying your hand at cohabitation early can help you to see what you are in store for with your partner.
Disagreements Are Good
You and your significant other are going to disagree a lot while planning for your wedding. There are very few instances where a couple comes to agreement on every little detail. While you might feel uncomfortable with disagreeing with your partner, it is very healthy to learn how to handle altercations. Your knee-jerk reaction might be to fight your partner on something as simple as the color palette of the reception, but there are much bigger issues in life that you are going to have to face together.
Learning to disagree early in the relationship can help you to build a strong foundation for your future. The moments that matter are going to be the ones that appear out of the blue and blindside you both. When the time comes to make an important and difficult decision, you want to be sure that you can turn to your partner and work through the problem without it devolving into an argument. Use your wedding planning as a chance to grow better at dealing with disagreements.
Many Years Ahead
A wedding marks a very big day for you and your partner. After you have tied the knot, you will be together for the foreseeable future. If you want your marriage to go well, be sure to get off on the right foot by learning as you go. Use your wedding planning as a way to handle disagreements, and you will discover new ways to work through your problems as a couple.
When planning your honeymoon, it may be more financially sound to stay around your home.
Getting married can be an expensive endeavor. Even a small reception might wind up costing you way more than you anticipated. It might be useful for you to consider ways to cut back on your expenses. The costs don’t stop coming once the wedding has ended. Your honeymoon is also a financial hit. Instead of rushing off to some far-flung corner of the globe for your romantic getaway, it might be more exciting to take a look at what Canada has to offer.
There are some absolutely lovely destinations located across Canada for you and your spouse to explore. No matter what you enjoy doing on your vacations, you can be sure you’ll find something worth your time when you begin your search. To get you started, here are a few wonderful spots to consider for your honeymoon.
By the Bay
Many couples determine their honeymoon destinations based on what they are hoping to get from the trip. For some, the dream honeymoon is one that provides ample time to unwind. You and your new spouse want to spend time alone together. This means you could gain a lot from a trip to Ontario to relax at Georgian Bay. If you enjoy the thought of sitting in a lodge, watching the sunlight sparkle over the lazy waters of the bay, then this might be for you.
Immersing yourself in the splendor of nature has a way of revitalizing the spirits. There are tons of exciting activities to take part in during this trip as well. When you’re done with relaxation for a bit, take a boat out on the water and explore some of the islands located throughout the bay. Adventure awaits you when you decide to visit this amazing destination right in Ontario.
Something Different for Your Honeymoon
Those born and raised in Canada are usually well aware of the beauty of the land. This is one of the reasons some couples don’t consider sticking close to home for the honeymoon. If you’ve already been on endless hikes through the woods and seen many of the sights the country has to offer, you may want to think about something a bit different. A trip to Yukon can allow you a totally new experience with a visit to Kluane.
Kluane National Park has a diverse and appealing geography that offers couples a wealth of different activities to explore. You and your partner can hit the trails and see Canada from an entirely new perspective by hiking through a truly remarkable environment. Thrillseekers will have the opportunity to kayak in a rushing river, scale some wild heights and engage with the natural world in a spectacular manner.
City Life
Where you visit in Canada for your honeymoon will have a lot to do with where you currently live. One might find the idea of a trip to Quebec City to be quite appealing. The hustle and bustle of the city might not be the right place for everyone to live but there is a ton of fun to be had during a vacation. You and your partner will be able to take in all of the sights of the city during the day and indulge in some amazing nightlife activities after sunset.
There are many wonderful destinations to explore right in your own backyard. Instead of traveling across the planet for your honeymoon, think about the fun that can be had here in Canada. Explore all of your options and you’re bound to discover an amazing trip.
Many people choose exotic beaches to hold their destination wedding. Generally you will want to pick a place that most, if not all of your attendees will be comfortable and will have fun.
The Destination wedding has been growing steadily in popularity for many years. At first glance, the thought of rushing away from Canada toward an international spot might be an expensive one. In truth, destination weddings are far easier to plan and do not require the same level of financial commitment. To be successful with your wedding, you will need to make sure you go about the process in the right way and consider a few key elements.
Times change and trends change along with it. While weddings have been happening all over the world for quite a bit of time, the ways weddings happen always shift in style and scope. For many years now, the trend for weddings has been to throw a large and somewhat lavish event. Even small-scale weddings can wind up costing a fortune due to the way many couples go about their events. Now, many people are turning away from this trend and opting for something more personal and affordable. Not all couples will benefit from a destination wedding but it can be interesting to learn some of the pros.
Keeping the Destination Wedding Cost Down
A wedding has a habit of being a costly endeavor. You need to rent a venue, find caterers, think about decorations, hire entertainment, bring on a photographer, and that is only the beginning of it. You might be spending frustrating amounts of money on everything from stamps for your invites to the tips you give to the servers at the end of the reception. Instead of dealing with all of that, you can condense all of your expenses in one swoop. A destination wedding limits your options in the best ways possible.
For example, if you decide to go to Costa Rica for your destination wedding, then you might want to stay at a specific resort. This resort probably sees a lot of weddings throughout the course of the year, and it may offer some excellent packages for you and your guests. This means you can find a venue, caterers, entertainment, and hotel rooms in the same place. On top of all of this, you will be surrounded by the lush views and cool breezes of Costa Rica.
Fewer Guests
Something to be mindful of with a destination wedding is that you will need to keep your guest list low. This is a perfect idea for couples who do not have extensive circles of family and friends. Unfortunately, you also need to make sure the people you are inviting are able to afford the trip. Keeping your own costs down for the wedding is one thing, but you will be asking your guests to shell out a lot more money for your event than they would have at home.
Before you start to make all of your plans, sit down with your significant other and come up with a realistic list of who you would like to be present for your wedding. Reach out to these people and speak to them about your idea. If it seems like most people wouldn’t be able to make the journey for your wedding due to financial constraints or scheduling problems, then you should probably consider another option. You could always go away somewhere tropical and inviting for your honeymoon.
A World to See
There are many different reasons to consider a destination wedding. With such a big world out there to see, you and your partner simply might want to start your married life in a new location. Before you get ahead of yourself, be sure to consider the specifics of your event and whether you’re making the right choice for you and the people you care about. In the end, make the decision that will help you and your significant other to have the special day you both desire.
To be a great wedding guest, make sure that you are polite and courteous.
April showers bring May flowers, but for brides, April showers bring June flowers. Summer is a popular time for weddings, so you might start getting invitations from your friends who are getting married. To survive wedding season, be the best wedding guest you can. Here are a few tips to help you:
RSVP by the date requested. Do not put the invitation aside for a few days, because you’ll forget. Don’t make the couple track you down for an answer.
Look at the invitation to see who was invited. Do not invite anyone yourself. If your children aren’t mentioned on the envelope, they are not invited to the wedding. It is customary to invite partners, but if you aren’t married or in a long-term relationship, you may have to go single.
Show up if you RSVP “yes.” Barring an emergency, don’t change plans at the last minute. The caterer will charge the couple for your plate, whether you show up or not.
Do not talk about the wedding with friends who may not have been invited. This means on social media too. You don’t want to come off as boasting or make others feel bad because they were not invited.
Be on time for the ceremony. Better yet, be there 10 to 15 minutes early to get the lay of the land. When you arrive late, you disrupt the flow of the ceremony. If you do arrive late, wait for a break in the action to sneak in.
Dress appropriately. If the invitation says “semi-formal,” don’t wear jeans. For a beach wedding, dress more casually. Don’t wear white.
Put your phone on silent during the ceremony. Let your babysitter know your phone will be off for a half-hour to forty-five minutes and promise to check immediately after.
Don’t take pictures during the ceremony. Respect the wedding photographer.
Ask the couple if you can share pictures on social media before you do.
Send the gift, if you do, to the home of the bride or groom. Don’t make them deal with more stuff at the reception.
During the reception, sit where the bride and groom have placed you. Make conversation with those around you. It’s only for a couple of hours. Your phone will wait.
What About the Rights of a Wedding Guest?
Wedding guests also have rights that come with their invitation:
You can expect to receive an invitation if you received a save-the-date card.
You have the right to decline the invitation if you cannot attend. No explanation needed, just say, “Thank you, I’d love to be there, but I can’t.”
You can ask the couple if you need clarification about your invitation. Maybe you want to make sure you understand the dress code or are confused about the plus one.
You have a right to not send a gift at all. You also have up to a year to send a wedding gift.
If you do send a gift, you have a right to expect a timely thank-you note. You might want to give the couple a few weeks after the wedding to wrap up all their duties, but if you don’t receive a thank-you note within three months, it’s perfectly acceptable to ask if they received your gift.
You should take advantage of the open bar, but don’t overdo it.
Have a Good Time
A wedding is a celebration, and you should have a good time. Thank the host and hostess, typically the bride’s parents, before you leave. Don’t be offended if you don’t get a few minutes with the bride and groom. One of the best things you can do as a wedding guest is to be flexible and gracious, no matter what happens at the ceremony or reception.
