Wedding-Decoration.org

Church organists everywhere are gritting their teeth as they prepare to pound out "Sunrise, Sunset" and "Evergreen" somewhere around two million times this wedding season. About 2.5 million couples tie the knot each year, and many don't know where to start when it comes to choosing the music for their big day.

For the ceremony, do they choose classical or pop? Organist or ensemble? Soloist or choir? Vocals or instrumentals? For the reception, do they opt for a band or a disc jockey? Popular music or tried-and-true favorites?

In degree of difficulty, choosing wedding music is somewhere between picking flowers and designing a cake. Some people may have a particular type of sound in mind when they are first planning their wedding march music. It's just unfamiliar territory for most people.

It depends on the length of your step, the way you want to walk, the vision you have of yourself as you come down the aisle and the number of people who will be with you. You then choose the music to correspond to that vision.

Music is one of the most important parts of both the wedding and reception. Music helps create the atmosphere. Special songs will make the wedding uniquely your own. Keep in mind the type of guests attending, the budget you have to work with, and any restrictions of the church or reception site.

Here are some tips and guidelines for your wedding regarding music selection

Prelude to the Ceremony: These should be quiet, contemplative pieces that start about a half hour before the ceremony. Some suggestions are: "Theme from 'Chariots of Fire,' " Vangelis; "Largo," the New World Symphony, Dvorak; "The Wedding Song," Peter, Paul and Mary.

Ceremony Processional: This should be an instrumental with a good regular beat to walk to. Once the attendants have reached their positions, the music changes for the bride's entrance. Suggestions: "Trumpet Voluntary," Clarke; "Wedding March," Mozart; "Bridal Chorus," Wagner.

During the Ceremony: These selections should have an air of sacredness to them, mindful of the gravity of the occasion. Suggestions: "Ave Maria," Schubert; "Joy of Man's Desiring," Bach; "The Lord's Prayer," Malotte.

Recessional: This should be upbeat with a quick tempo. Suggestions: "Wedding March," Mendelssohn; "Trumpet Tune," Purcell; "Ode to Joy," Beethoven.

Be creative and have something beautiful, appropriate, and unusual, but don't try to make a band perform unusual music that they don't know how to do. Make sure to audition them first. It's very important not to take them sight unseen and sound unheard.

Finally, go hear the group, band or soloist perform before signing any contracts. Also, be sure to go over song choices with them before the wedding, making a list of what you want them to play or not to play. You must hear them do something, see the way they dress, hear the way they play and know that they will do what you would like them to do.

Most brides are able to recite the four C's of diamonds -- cut, carat, color, and clarity. But the real importance in selecting engagement and wedding rings is finding a style of jewelry that you will be proud to wear for the rest of your life. The conventional rules of the solid gold wedding band and solitaire engagement ring may still hold true for some, but the standards in wedding jewelry are changing. Consider these modern trends in selecting your perfect ring set:

No longer do the engagement ring and wedding ring have to match.
In fact, many brides are wearing their rings on different hands. The wedding band is still worn on the left hand, but the engagement ring is now commonly found on the ring finger of the right hand. This is an excellent option for brides who love multiple cuts or styles -- no reason to choose just one!

Explore the option of colored stones such as diamonds or sapphires.
Diamonds come in most colors of the spectrum (pink, blue, brown, yellow, green, black and more). Likewise, sapphires are available in numerous hues from blue to yellow to pink. Whether you are seeking a pale or intensely colored stone, your local jeweler can provide a myriad of options. Like colorless or traditional diamonds, these options vary in grade and cost. Typically, those with the fewest inclusions and the most saturated color are the most expensive.

Mix and match shapes for an upscale modern look.
Upscale jewelers are incorporating round brilliants with princess cuts or pears with baguette cuts. Many jewelers are featuring other similar combinations that are just as beautiful as they are contemporary. These bold geometric designs are winning brides' affections in both small and large scale settings.

Combine rough cut diamonds with traditional diamonds for a dramatic contrast.
Rough cut diamonds have a rich brown hue that suits yellow and rose gold settings extremely well. Many custom designed rings feature rough cut diamonds to showcase their organic and artisan crafted appearance. Peruse designs by Diamond in the Rough (available at Neiman Marcus), Todd Reed, or consult your favorite custom jeweler.

Seek out conflict-free diamonds.
Conflict diamonds are mined in war-like conditions that cause suffering to workers as well as entire geographic areas. Selecting jewelers who champion the Kimberley Process and encourage the jewelry industry to operate ethically and humanely.

By staying abreast of the trends in the wedding ring market, you are sure to visit your local jeweler with a knowledgeable base of information. Trust your own intuition and sense of style to find just the right ring set for your nuptials. By staying true to your own personal style, your inner sparkle will be just as bright as the rings on your fingers!

The wedding day is a special day in the lives of all women where you fret over the perfect dress, make up and hair style for the occasion. Here are some pointers that have to be kept in mind while choosing the perfect hairstyle for the special occasion.

Most brides make the mistake of loosing their personal identity when making hair and fashion choices for the wedding day. The most important thing to remember is to make sure you like what you choose for the wedding day. The first thing you have to do is discuss your wedding hairstyle with your stylist, perhaps some months prior to the big day. This is because some brides may need to grow their hair or to work towards a new hair color to achieve their perfect wedding hair style. However, just because most of the bridal magazines picture brides with flowing tresses, it doesn’t mean you have to emulate this. If you have short hair, you needn’t grow your hair for the wedding if you are not up to it. Remember, the bride with a flair for the dramatic with a strong personality carries off pretty much anything.

The most important thing to remember when choosing your wedding hair style is the line, density and texture of your gown. Make the dress match the line of the hair. For example, a bunch of curls piled on top of the head complements a long and slim gown. And if you are wearing a flowing tulle gown, then flowing hair with soft curls is just right. After choosing the right wedding hairs style, try the hairstyle out well in advance to the wedding day. Perhaps the hairstyle will not look as good as you had imagined; you’ll then be glad you had found out this before the big day! Then try walking around with this hairstyle for several hours to make sure it’s comfortable as you wouldn’t want to have hair pins hurting you and ruining your wedding day!

To quote Miguel de Cervantes, “Marriage, which makes two one, is a life-long struggle to discover which is that one.” Thinking on these lines, there needs to be a custom that would boost the relationship between the newlywed couple and helps them to understand the newly formed relationship. The custom of announcing wedding vows is such a custom aimed at strengthening the bond between the couple. Moreover, these vows are mostly made in a church or a religious place.

A wedding vow is affiance or a promise. Both the bride and the groom announce their wedding vows during the wedding ceremony. A wedding may be civil, religious or both. The wedding vows vary according to the situation. Wedding vows are usually formal or rigid in nature in a religious wedding. In civil weddings, individual imagination is allowed and the language can be informal.

Regardless of the kind of wedding, there are some underlying values contained in the wedding vows. Traits like faith, sharing, caring, and permanence are some of the predominant ones in wedding vows. The couple vow to be moral supporters and good friends, not to mention life-partners.

Wedding vows are an inseparable part of the wedding ceremony. To honor this, the tradition of the bride and the groom spelling out wedding vows is sacred because it acts as a reassurance of the special bond between them. Human values are emphasized through this. Generally, whether it be the bride or the groom, some vows are common, like promise to be faithful, equal-minded in successes and failures, foster love forever, etc.

Marriage is a lifelong relationship and hence its foundation needs to be strong so that the couple is able to face the challenges in life. A marriage can be successful only if there is perfect understanding and harmony between the couple. Wedding vows play a major role to attain this end.

Wedding is experienced by lovers only once in a lifetime. Not even the economic times could prevent you from having your dream day. Should you have a tight budget, you could always have a simple wedding ceremony. You may spend the occasion with close friends and your immediate family. This is the best thing you could consider when planning a wedding during this very tough financial crisis. You may have prepared for this day for all your life and you want it to bring you good memories as much as possible. Remember, however that you still need to plan for a family ahead.

Budget-friendly wedding ceremony tips

There are different ways by which you could save on cost for your wedding day. Don't ever think you will sacrifice the results of the occasion. You should be practical about it, so to speak. Here are some tips which could help you out.

• Bridal accessories. The bride is dressed-up more than the groom is. However, you do not need to buy completely new bridal accessories. Your mother or future mother-in-law may have something stored away in their jewelry boxes which you could be used for this occasion. This item may serve as a family heirloom for your wedding ceremony.

• Wedding reception. A wedding function accounts for more than 50% of your budget. To accommodate your budget, you can reduce the number of guests. If catering cost is higher than ordering from a restaurant, you could go for the latter. Consider the drinks as well. You may opt for white rather than red wine. Use champagne for ceremonial toasts and distribute beer for the rest of the affair.

• Personalized gifts. You do not have to give wedding favors to your guests in an expensive package. It is better if you would just give small tokens just to let them know that their presence is appreciated. After all, your guests will be happy to be part of your special event. You should remember, a good friend will never count on the value of the gift you will give them.

These are the most important things you should think of when planning for a wedding during these tough economic times. Making your day special does not rely on how luxurious the activities are, how festive the food is, how outpouring the drinks could be or how expensive your dress and accessories are. It is more of making the wedding ceremony remembered for a lifetime.