Posts Tagged ‘wedding’

A Celebration of Times Past: Planning a Vintage Wedding

In 1840, the pageantry of the American wedding took off, thanks to England’s Queen Victoria, who quickly captivated onlookers around the world. She had thrown one of the most elaborate weddings the world had ever seen up to that time, and it was only natural for her contemporaries to emulate her. Weddings soon became events for everyone to enjoy and were no longer limited to just the couple and their families. They were extravagant celebrations of love, life, and happiness.

Before Victoria, weddings were simpler affairs. The sweet strains of Lohengrin were soon overpowered by DJs and bands, and beautiful, handmade nose-gays were eclipsed by bursting, colorful bouquets, among other things. For today’s bride, toning down what’s already an over-the-top affair is made appealing with the resurgence of the vintage wedding, a nod to nuptials of the past. Yet, there are multiple avenues to take when considering a vintage wedding theme; fortunately, there are also countless websites and books devoted to the subject.

As with anything, you can take inspiration from the past and carefully intertwine it with modern ambience to create a blend of old and new, or you can host a blowout vintage wedding bash that replicates the past to a T. The choices are endless!

Refining the Vintage Wedding Theme

Dress/Accessories: Finding the perfect dress is the goal of every bride. For those hoping to wear a vintage wedding gown to their ceremony, the search can be somewhat more complicated. If you live in large metropolitan city, there are likely quite a few vintage clothing or consignment stores that you can check out. Online browsing/shopping is always a good alternative, and if you do purchase anything, your local tailor can easily handle most alteration needs.

You can also opt for modern wedding dresses that have vintage vibes, such as mermaid or trumpet styles. Though, of course, when the elegant Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier in 1956, she chose a beautiful, full-skirted gown in ivory. The point here is to stick with flowing, high quality fabrics and classic embellishments that keep with the vintage wedding theme.

As far as shoes, jewelry, and veils, many of these items are also available online, either in their original vintage form or as modern reproductions. Your mother or grandmother may even have some pieces lying around that you can use to round out the vintage wedding theme.

Music: Undoubtedly, there are bands in your area that specialize in old-time hits or, at the very least, jazz standards. Some larger cities might even have mock big bands that can perform at your reception. There are a couple ways you can go about this: consider having the band greet guests on the lawn, in the style of an old garden party, or create a faux bandstand at the front of the reception venue to feature the band in all its glory.

To get guests excited about the wedding theme, before the band comes on, have a victrola or phonograph that you’ve rented or purchased piping music throughout the reception venue. It will set the stage for the coming attractions!

Food: Weddings in the past have traditionally been sit-down dinners, though you don’t have to follow this when planning a vintage wedding. Offerings weren’t nearly as diversified as today, and the usual fare consisted of various meats, salads, and fruits. Occasionally, brides also held pot-lucks, a way to get everyone involved in the festivities.

Selecting your menu can certainly play off these more traditional choices, but you can also mix and match. Pair old favorites with some new choices, and be creative! In terms of the cake, the flavor of choice was always buttercream. Obviously, white cake is still the reigning champ of wedding cakes, but if you decide to go with chocolate, red velvet, or the like, you can have your cake decorated with vintage flair – pearls, beads, feathers, lace, and other trimmings that meld with your wedding theme.

Pictures: As with your music, finding a photographer who specializes in snapping pictures with an ‘old-timey’ feel is not necessarily vital, but a consideration in your search. Certainly, the photographer can take pictures as usual, and revise certain elements when he’s back at his studio. Perhaps you’d like black and white or sepia-toned pictures – that’s doable. Maybe you want a crackled finish – sure. Get to know your photographer and his capabilities! Look at portfolios before hiring anyone, and you’re sure to find a photographer who can carry out your wishes for great ‘vintage’ wedding pictures.

Lighting: The right light is important for any wedding! Regardless of the time of day your reception takes place, the lighting you choose should foster both warmth and invitation. Elaborate chandeliers, candles housed in extravagant candelabras, and other sources of ambient light are ideal for a vintage wedding theme.

Warm up reception tables with centerpieces surrounded by candles, or purchase multiple mini-chandeliers and hang them around the appetizer tables, gift tables, or in the bathrooms. Milk-glass lanterns/lamps were also a popular choice of lighting; they provide a soft glow that’s unequaled.

A New Take on the Classics

A vintage wedding theme allows you and your guests to re-discover the beauty and elegance of the past. However you choose to incorporate these elements into your vintage wedding, just remember — have fun! From birdcage veils and quaint petit-fours to jazz standards and a 1940s getaway vehicle, there are multiple ways to make the ceremony and reception unique to you. Plus, a vintage wedding theme can be a lot of fun for everyone involved! They’re a great way to re-invent the past, learn a little history, and infuse your ceremony and reception with some wonderful, old-fashioned glamour.

NIKE NYLON SPORTSWEAR EVENT 6/30/09 Purple Vintage Space Princess Find out more: www.purplevintagespaceprincess.com *PURPLE POWER* Mammi-Ama Ofori Purple Vintage Space Princess © 2009 Purple Vintage Space Princess

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The struggle for human rights is an ongoing fight well worth fighting. Men often joke about marriage being legalize male slavery, but often the opposite has been reality. Many women have suffered terrible abuses in the name of marriage.

Nowhere is this battle more evident than in our homes. Today, marriages in America face huge threats from society as well as confusion within our homes. The desire for freedom, and the oppression of the weak leave no one untouched.

How does all of this affect our marriages and homes? Apparently, it has affected thousands of homes as indicated by the over half of first marriages and over two thirds of second marriages ending in divorce.

The Bible teaches a set of dynamic principles to guide husbands and wives in their roles. These have sometimes been distorted or misapplied, however, when properly understood these principles go a long way toward enabling life-long marriages.

Rule one: Man and woman are intended to share life. The creation story states that woman was made from the rib of man. Woman was not made from a foot, a hand, or the head; but from the side. This establishes the principle of equality and mutuality.

Second Concept : Male leadership is vital. The seed of life comes from the husband, but successful marriage demands much much more. The Husband needs to set the pace for the marriage and family. He must show the way of integrity and industry. Still, he needs to lead with compassion, understanding, and consideration for the needs and wants of others even to the point of self sacrifice.

A leader protects those he leads. He avoids putting his family and his marriage at risk. He sacrifices his own desires, needs, or welfare in order to keep his family safe. Threats may come in many forms, but the husband leader remains the steady defender of his home.

Rule C: Providing for the needs of his family is the duty of the husband. With hard works and self sacrifice, the husband is expected to supply the needs of his family. A dedicated wife will assist her husband and encourage him in his effort to meet this responsibility.

Concept four: Woman is made to assist, accompany, and support her husband. Her duty is to give of herself to bless her husband and family. While man is charged with the overarching responsibilities, his wife is charged with standing at his side step by step, supporting, encouraging, and assisting her husband. She gives herself to her husband to meet his needs.

Submission is a nasty word for many wives, however, a wife who gives herself to the dreams and purposes of her marriage enriches her family. This is not so much a matter of subjection or the recipient of oppression, as it is a self sacrificing capacity to bless her marriage. Instead of taking orders from a tyrant, she shares her life willingly with her husband.

When a man dominates or dictates to his wife, he fails as the leader of his home. It is essential that a man listen to his wife. It is vital that he be willing to sacrifice his pride, his self interest, even his own welfare to meet the needs of his wife.

When husband fulfills his role as defined by these Biblical principles, the marriage and family are blessed.

Marriages thrive when wives dedicate themselves to their husbands standing with them and for them.

Do you want a marriage that is blessed? Do you want a marriage full of love and understanding? Do you want freedom from oppression and empowered love? Then check out the resources below.

Read more on weddings and marriage discover the vast resources available at WeddingHow. com where you will find Wedding Vows Samples including examples of traditional, Christian, and Jewish Wedding Vows and much more. Get your copy of the free ebook The Ultimate Wedding Resource Guide and explore the huge store of wedding favors and supplies.

Your event advisor may be your best friend at your special day. Oh, you did not think you needed a event coordinator? Think again.

A special day advisor is the one person responsible for planning, budging, organizing, coordinating, and monitoring every aspect of the event and associated events. It is quite common for a professional special day coordinator to manage bridal showers, pre-event parties, rehearsal, ceremony, reception, and even assisting with honeymoon plans.

Hiring a professional wedding advisor is quite popular today. While it may not be essential and it can be expensive; someone must assume the responsibilities of a event advisor over every aspect of the events. This is vital to insure the success of your wedding.

To plan and hold your special day with a do it yourself approach is doable, but is it best. Certainly, if you are planning a small informal special day, you may get by without problems. However, the bigger your wedding, the more details, challenges, and headaches you will face. You may try to delegate certain tasks to your special day party, friends, or relatives, but these volunteers may or may not be up to the challenges. Here is the bottom line. Someone must do all the planning, organizing, coordinating, and management of all the minute details.

Often smaller weddings can be managed without a professional wedding planner. The minister, bride and groom usually can handle planning and execution of the special day rehearsal and special day ceremony, but the minister seldom gets involved in pre-special day parties and organizing event reception. Often the best man can manage the bachelor party; the maid of honor may handle the bachelorette party and/or bridal shower; and reception. In simple terms, someone must step up to manage the planning, budgeting, organizing, coordinating, and monitoring of each event.

If you are planning a medium to large special day, you really need a professional wedding coordinator. In any case, it is worth remembering that a special day planner does your bidding. Their job is to make sure you desires are fulfilled. You may enlist the advisor to do only a limited set of duties, or you may have them take on supervision of all event.

How do you choose the right special day coordinator? It can be a challenge, but one of the most important considerations is finding out what vendor contacts the event advisor has. Even if you do not use the special day coordinator for all aspects of your event, you may be able to use their contacts.

The special day advisor should be able to advise you on every detail of the planning even if they do not personally manage it for you. An effective event advisor will ask you loads of questions and offer you a wide range of options. Based on your choices, the coordinator can facilitate the whole operation.

Money is always a big consideration. Setting a special day budget is vital. The event planner can save you loads of money by knowing what expenses to anticipate and having the connections to keep control of those expenses. The special day advisor can work with the bride and groom to shape the expenses to meet budget considerations. Cost of flowers, catering, music, and all the other details are best managed by the event coordinator.

The cost of your special day advisor may be established as a set fee for specific services provided or set as a percent of the overall wedding budget. In any case, it is important to remember that your event coordinator works for you, with you, and represents you. Be sure you and your planner are always on the same page.

A result of employing a capable event advisor, you will be able to enjoy your special day free of undue stresses, worries, and anxieties. Your event coordinator may well be your best friend during your event activities.

Pick Up your own free copy of The Wedding How Ezine plus many of other wedding resources including sample Original Wedding Vows and Traditional Wedding Vows from Dr. David Trumble’s Wedding How website. Download his Top Ten Wedding Tips too.