A Creative Life: September 2009

Wedding Dresses - How to Buy Dreamy Wedding Gowns Online

Wedding dresses are literally the icing on the cake on every bride's wedding day.

You can find perfect wedding gowns online, or simply brainstorm which style of wedding dresses to start looking for as you narrow down your search.

First you need to determine which types of wedding dresses are right for you.

Your wedding dress should tell the world exactly who you are. After all, this is YOUR day, and your wedding gown is the key way that you share yourself with your wedding guests — and, of course, your husband-to-be.

By now, you've likely given some thought as to what kind of wedding you would like to have: traditional, informal or a theme wedding, perhaps.

Here are some general guidelines:

In formal weddings, brides generally wear long white/cream-colored wedding dresses and a veil, perhaps a train and, of course, gloves.

In semi-formal weddings, brides generally wear long white/cream-colored wedding dresses, a veil and gloves if desired.

In informal weddings, brides have more flexibility. They can wear wedding gowns of any color — short or long — or even a suit.

What about theme weddings? Here you should decide first on the theme and then on the formality of the wedding you've always wanted to have. Only then is it time to shop for wedding dresses and wedding accessories to determine which ones match your theme!

As you can see, the most important aspect to consider when selecting wedding dresses is your own sense of style.

For specifics on what's appropriate to wear for each type of wedding, I recommend Emily Post's Wedding Etiquette, which devotes an entire chapter to wedding dresses and other fashion dos and don'ts, or Vera Wang on Weddings, in which Wang shares her vast fashion expertise with you as you plan your wedding. Both can be purchased from any major online bookstore and have great tips on buying wedding dresses.

How can you purchase wedding dresses online?

The Internet can be a tremendous help when you're looking for wedding gowns and have a tight wedding budget. And let's face it — most of us do have to keep the bottom line in mind when we plan the most important day of our romantic lives.

After you have given some thought to the type of wedding you want to have, I recommend that you:

Look through bridal magazines and check out your options by flipping through the pages to see which wedding dresses are available in your area.
Go to local bridal stores and try on wedding gowns.
Look online to see what other wedding dresses are available to you. In case you're uncertain about buying wedding gowns from an online vendor, bear in mind that there really are online bridal shops that deliver the same level of service as regular stores.
Compare the in-store price to the Internet dress stores to find out which is the better deal. Many online stores offer you discount wedding dresses because of their vastly reduced overhead costs!
Narrow down your search to a handful of wedding dresses that make your final cut.

When you've gone through all these steps, you're certain to have accessed all the wedding dresses available to you -- and you will very likely save your hard-earned money if you end up finding discount wedding dresses available only from an Internet vendor.

Good luck with your search! Though it might seem daunting at first, if you follow these tips, you'll be well on your way to finding a beautiful range of perfectly elegant wedding dresses.

Persian Wedding Ceremony Traditions

Like most weddings in Toronto, a Persian marriage has two stages that most often happen in a single day. Occasionally there is a period in between them. The first stage is known as 'Aghd', the legal process where the marriage contracts are signed by the bride, the groom and also their guardians. 'Jashn-e Aroosi', is the second stage. It means the wedding reception where the actual feasting and celebrations begin which, traditionally, lasted for three to seven days; unlike Toronto weddings today. There is a room, specially decorated with flowers and 'Sofreh-ye Aghd', a beautiful spread elaborately placed on the floor. The spread faces east, traditionally, where the sun rises. This is so because when the bride and groom sit in front of the 'Sofreh-ye Aghd', they should be facing the 'Light'.

Unlike Toronto ceremonies, tradition demands that 'Aghd' be held at the residence of the parents of the bride. The arrival of the guests, or witnesses, commences the tradition. Close family members of the couple present at the ceremony make the guests comfortable. After the guests take their seats, the groom walks up to the front of the 'Sofreh-ye Aghd', and sits on the right side, which is considered the side of respect according to Zoroastrian culture. He is later joined by the bride who sits on the left.

The 'Sofreh-ye Aghd', the backdrop used on the floor, is passed from mother to daughter or to son occasionally. It is made of luxurious fabric, such as satin, silk and cashmere. On it, the following items are placed: A mirror, 'Aayeneh-ye Bakht', signifying fate and two 'Candelabras' (candles), placed on either side of the mirror. The mirror and candles are considered to be two very important items in the Persian society. They symbolize light and fire. Just like most weddings in Toronto, a bride walks in with her veil on but removes it later in that the first thing the groom sees in the mirror is the reflection of his bride. Also present on the 'Sofreh-ye Aghd', is a tray of spices and herbs which are seven and multi-colored. They are to ward of evil spirits, guard against evil and witchcraft. The seven elements in different colors are: poppy seeds, angelica, nigella seeds, frankincense, salt, black tea and wild rice, each with its own purpose.

Unlike Toronto weddings, flat bread, which is specially baked and decorated, can also be found symbolizing happiness and prosperity for the couple thereafter. Decorated eggs in a basket and also decorated almonds, hazelnuts in the shell and walnuts, also in a basket, are present. A number of other various items are placed on the backdrop including a copy of the couples' Holy Book and an assortment of sweets.

As the couple sits together, two guests, females, hold a cloth which is thin and place it on top of their heads and pour hard sugar crystals in it signifying in their relationship, sweetness. The bride and groom are then asked separately if they have accepted one another for future companionship where the bride is asked three times and remains silent for two before answering. Then gifts are given to the couple to bless their future.

Wedding Sand Ceremony Tradition

Your wedding marks the start of your lifetime journey to love and life, which is why a number of traditional union ceremonies are observed during this celebration. Incorporating these practices into your wedding will certainly make it more special and meaningful. However, this does not necessarily mean that you need to squeeze all these practices to your wedding. You only need to choose one. Observing a wedding sand ceremony makes a great choice for does not only involve the new couple but their families as well.

Compared to other unity ceremonies, the unity sand ceremony is a relatively unique idea that makes a great wedding ceremony. It presents a more personalized alternative to the widely observed unity candle ceremony. It is a perfect complement to beach themed wedding, although it may also be observed in the more traditional theme weddings. Observing a wedding sand ceremony may be a first to your family. Hence, it gives you the opportunity to set a new and meaningful family wedding tradition.

In the ceremony, the sand is used to demonstrate the union of the bride and groom. Traditionally, colored sand is used, one color to symbolize the love and affection of the groom and one color for the love and affection of the bride. With that, two separate vials of sand will be prepared. After the exchange of rings, the bride and the groom will come together with their vial of colored sand. Together, they will pour the sand into a colorless vase, symbolizing their unity as husband and wife. The intertwined pattern of the sand created by the color represents their newly formed union. The vases in which the colored sand will be poured symbolize how a marriage can contain all.

One good thing about wedding sand ceremonies is that it can involve the two families, particularly the beloved grandparents. As a sign of giving their blessing to the union, the traditional unity sand ceremony has been modified in a number of ways. In some occasions, the parents of the couple are called on to participate and represent their family with another color of sand. The intertwined sand patterns that they create will then symbolize the couple's as well as their families' newly formed union.

Aside from possibly being one of the highlights of your wedding, the ceremony also gives you a precious keepsake which will remind you of how special your wedding was. It will remind you how deeply overwhelmed and touched you and your partner's family was in your decision to involve them in the ceremony.

Every part of a wedding needs to be carefully planned to facilitate a smooth blending of two families who found new ties. With that, you also need to include your unity sand ceremony essentials to your wedding's shopping list. Traditionally, the ceremony requires a special vase with cover, colored or uncolored sands and two or more sand vials. To make these items double as a welcome accent to your wedding mementos, you may choose to buy intricately painted vases and shaped vials. For your wedding planning's convenience, wedding sand ceremony essentials are now sold in sets.

As the practice of this intimate ceremony becomes more popular, shopping for wedding sand ceremony items and kits is now easier. Wedding websites are now featuring these items. With their comprehensive product listing, comparing the prices and designs of every kit is made easier.

Wedding Accessories - Beach Accessories and Unique Accessories

Wedding Dress by Vera Wang

Unique Bridal Gown Designer, Combines Elegance and Whimsical Designs

Do you know Melissa sweet...???

Melissa Sweet is a premiere wedding dress designer with success in combining whimsical and elegance in every dress created. She was born in Kentucky and found her love for sewing at a very young age. When other girls were playing house or with dolls Melissa was honing her talent stitching clothes under the supervision of your grandmother. During classes she would sketch dress designs and often created her own cloths setting fashion trends at her school!

During the summer Melissa took some summer courses at Parsons School of Design. She then went on to Bauder College in Atlanta and received a bachelor's degree from the university. In 1996 Melissa opened her first boutique with a new mix of elegant and whimsical designs. Sweet's eye for modern designs and vintage glamour set her apart from the competition. This fresh look began to catch on gaining attention from Georgia's 22-28 aged new bride to-bees. As her dresses gain popularity she began selling them to national bridal boutiques across the country.

As Melissa Sweet's gowns created more buzz she was able to showcase her designs on the Today Show. Shortly after being on the show she was approached by a representative of Priscilla of Boston who wanted to buy her business. Being a business woman she sold her company to them in 2005 however was recruited to stay on as the director of design, overseeing the classic Pricilla of Boston collection and the Melissa Sweet line. Today the Melissa Sweet collection is sold nationwide at more than ten Pricilla locations as well as department stores such as Saks Fifth Ave. and Neiman Marcus.

So what is new for Melissa Sweet and her fabulous dress designs? Well this season she will be focusing her new line to incorporate more sheer fabrics like silk Garze and organza. When layered together it creates the effect of subtle movement in the flowers when they are in bloom. It is a quite elegant finish to a wedding gown. This silhouette combined with a flowing perfectly white dress radiates pure sophistication.

Great Winter Wedding Cake Ideas

Many couples want to have their wedding in winter-when holiday season is in the air and when the snow and cold weather make everything more romantic. Moreover, this is the time of year when almost all people do not go to work. It is also more fun to go on a honeymoon in winter right after the wedding because almost all countries all over the world are celebrating either Christmas or New Year or both. And in planning a winter wedding, choosing some great winter wedding cake ideas should be at the top of your to-do list.

To help you on this one, here are some cake ideas for your dream winter wedding.

• One great theme for your winter wedding cake is a traditional theme. This theme includes the colors red, green, white, and gold. You can use icings with these colors or cake decorations. Usually, cake decorators use poinsettia or red ribbons design for these winter cakes.

• Another great idea is a rustic or woodsy theme. to achieve this, you need to use designs of natural objects that you usually see outside like pine cones, lanterns grapevines, bird's nests, bird motifs like chickadee, holly leaves, and other natural things usually associated with Christmas. Use these to designs to decorate a white cake base.

• When you think of winter, what immediately comes to mind is Christmas. In decorating your winter wedding cake, think about Christmas symbols or objects such as snowflakes, holly, wreath, mistletoe, poinsettia, reindeer, Christmas bells and candles, stars, pie trees, and a lot more. You can use these to decorate the wedding cake but do not overdo it or your cake will look more like a Christmas cake than a wedding cake. Add a touch or romance like hearts, ribbons, or flowers. Do not use childish Christmas symbols like Santa Claus or candy cane.

• One of the best winter wedding cake ideas is a winter wonderland cake motif. The combination of white, silver, and ice blue shouts winter wonderland. Decorate it with ribbon and flower designs to make it more romantic.

• Use winter characters like penguins, polar bears, reindeer, and birds. Decorate your cake with a pair of these animals. Nothing can be cuter than a pair of these adorable characters on your cake.

• If you a re planning to use a round cake with several layers, you should decorate it with snowballs, snowflakes, or bells. Another popular option is a cake that looks like a stack of gift boxes. Red ribbons are the usual designs of this kind of cake.

• Think about a great and romantic cake topper. You can use a snow globe with a bride and groom inside. This is probably the perfect cake topper for a winter wedding cake.

These are just some of the winter wedding cake ideas that most bakeshops and cake decorators use these days. There are so many other cake ideas out there for a winter wedding. Choose the best one based on your wedding theme and also you and your partner's preference.

Source : http://ezinearticles.com/?Great-Winter-Wedding-Cake-Ideas-For-You-and-Your-Partner&id=2794326

Renewing Wedding Vows

Your first wedding might have been perfect, but then again it may have not gone just the way you would have liked. Perhaps you didn't have enough money to have the splendid wedding you always dreamed you'd have. Or maybe it was the ideal wedding that everyone dreams of having. No matter what your wedding was like the first time around, there is nothing more romantic than reaffirming your love for one another by renewing your wedding vows.

It may be that you are celebrating a milestone anniversary, or it could be you have rediscovered all the things about each other that once made you fall in love. Whatever the reason, renewing your wedding vows can bring new life to your marriage and keep you appreciating the joy and happiness in the years that have come before as well as the ones to follow.

When you renew your wedding vows, you will have a chance to celebrate your love with the children you have created from your joyous union. They can be a part of the special day where you and your beloved review your past and look forward to an even brighter future.

For those who are celebrating a 25th wedding anniversary or longer, you may even have the delight of sharing this occasion with your grandchildren. You can even have the little ones participate by being a ring bearer or flower girl. Imagine your pride and joy at seeing your beautiful family gathered together to join you as you renew your wedding vows.

You can make it as elaborate or as simple as you please. You can renew your vows in a tropical paradise, or you can exchange your promises right in your own home or backyard. You can make it a large gathering or a more intimate get-together. However you choose to celebrate your union will not be a day you won't soon forget nor will your guests. Whatever venue you choose to renew your vows will be a place of love and romance.

Love is great the first time around, but think of how much deeper your love for each other has grown in the years you have shared. All of the sorrows and triumphs that making a life together brings only intensifies the respect and love you have for one another. Don't hesitate to make plans to renew your vows. It may be the most romantic day you and your true love share.

New wedding dress with elegant style

Wedding Floral Arrangements

All the seasons in a year whether it is spring, summer, autumn and winter, flowers and marriage go hand in hand. Flowers are great for any occasion especially for a wedding it plays a great role. Wedding day is one of the biggest days in your life. Whether the wedding is planned for a small and simple gathering or an elegant and extravagant show, flowers are a must in every wedding.

Recommendations from friends, relatives and associates are usually a good place to start with. Additional information can be found in the yellow pages. There are many sites which offer beautiful wedding ideas to add a special touch to this moment in your life.

Price, quality and service are the three main factors which should be kept in mind when selecting a florist. Also, refer to the recent client reference or letters of recommendations. If a summer wedding, ensure they have refrigerated delivery vehicles. These are the tiny details but it is very important to know and then enter into a contract for the florist.

For a Christian marriage, these floral arrangements are needed for the wedding bouquets, wedding altar arrangements, church, wedding table and so on and so forth. For a bride who wants it all white, the scented white lilies are gracefully arranged in a holder and accented with white lilacs and it becomes a beautiful white wedding bouquet. For the altar, if they want, full white beautiful floral arrangements can be made with white gladioli, or white Fuji mums, or white carnations. A beautiful white basket filled with Bridal white roses can be given to the flower girls. If the people are interested in colorful theme or pastel themes they can go for colorful roses, croton leaves with cut oranges and lemons and limes in a classical transparent flower pot for wedding floral arrangements.

South Asian weddings are full of rituals. Fresh flowers like roses, marigold and gerberas enhance the overall appearance of the traditional and ethnic look. For fall weddings go for the rich, bright and earthly colors like red, burgundy, amber, yellow and rust.

For summer weddings, go for light and pastel shades like pink, sky blue and for winter weddings go for the evergreen effect, white and sparkling silver. The entrance could be made grand with floral arrangements either with fresh flowers or with petals of other flowers and a floor flower carpet can be made.

Wedding floral arrangements carry a great significance in a marriage of any religion. A wedding without flowers is incomplete. Flowers depict various virtues and also give you that heavenly feel. So, order your wedding floral arrangements after the theme and shades have been selected.

Having A Wedding In The Bahamas

Are you thinking about doing something different for your wedding? Almost everyone has the though cross their mind when planning a wedding. Why not have it in a resort country where you can kill 2 birds with one stone. Have a wedding at the same place of your honeymoon?

Bahamas style wedding and below we have given you info on how things work and what applies:

There are many type of wedding styles you can enjoy in the Bahamas, however, the best ahs to be "The Beach Style" Wedding

A beach style wedding includes bathing suits, bikinis, towels, water, sand, pina coladas and all those good things that go into the regular beach getaway only applied to your Bahamas style wedding brought to you by Babylon Productions Wedding Centre. Go ahead and encourage your friends and family to do what it is you want to do. If they are supportive, they will go along with you wishes and bath in the sun and sand while taking in a beautiful occasion, what could be better than this?

Of course there are some legal requirements when getting married in the Bahamas. Firstly, you will need to register for a marriage license you have been in the country for a period of 24 hours. That will run you back about $100 USD and it is good for 90 days, just in case something were needed for you. And this is very important, both the bride and groom are required to go to get the marriage licence recognized nationally by the government of the Bahamas.

There are some required documents from both parties: you both require a driver's license, you both will need to show your passports, in case this is a second marriage, you will then need to show a divorce decree, unfortunately if you are widowed and re-marrying, then you will need to display a death certificate of your deceased spouse. Finally, you need to show your plane ticket, upon proof of arrival and if you are under the age of 18, make sure you get parental consent; no one under the age of 18 will be allowed to get married in the Bahamas.

If you are planning on getting married in the Bahamas, get ready to indulge in the fine cuisine of this great resort country. Bahamian cuisine includes curried goat, rock lobster, fried plantains, conch fritters and grouper fingers. When it comes to the wedding cake however, get ready to get punched with a West-Indian rum cake.

A Creative Life