Archive for November, 2009

Wedding Vows: Rooted In The Concrete Of Faith

Personal wedding vows are usually written from a root of ones faith. For most couples it is a commitment of body and soul and it means marrying the whole person, past and present, and of course in almost every case, that person’s family as well. Therefore, making the wedding vows reflect a couples deep commitment to each other and the life they will build together is the basis of these promises.

Choosing wedding vows in utmost faith

Many couples prefer to vow to their future life partner in the name of God and church. Many faiths are closely related to or considered to be Christian and each individual branch may have somewhat different wording to their particular vows depending on customs and traditions. The vows may therefore depend on what is common practice in each church and may take on the form of the specific manner in which the church conducts their services.

Jewish wedding vows are commonly given when the rings are exchanged. The focus of the vow is a commitment to be wed to that person by the laws of Moses and Israel.

For Muslims, wedding vows are more of a contract between two families, which state the conditions desired and expected by each family and a commitment to uphold those conditions in the name of Allah.

Buddhist wedding vows give the two people an opportunity to voice their love, dedication, and future hopes for their lives together with respect given to their shared religious beliefs. Their use of meditation and contemplation to make their lives and marriage stronger is an important part of their vows to one another.

Non-denominational vows will hit many of the traditional points of commitment between two people, omitting the direct mention of God or a higher power in any form. People being married by judge or justice of the peace may prefer to use non-denominational vows if religion is unimportant to them. Sometimes two people have come together from completely different faiths and therefore choose this type of vow to eliminate any conflicting areas, where they would then prefer neither religion was the focus of their ceremony.

Wedding vows are a personal choice. The bride and groom can choose traditional vows of their faith, write their own, or allow their religious leader to choose the vows.

A wedding day represents a joining of two people in their choice to become life long partners and so much of this special day reflects who the couples are and what their future together will hold. In addition to this is the promise of love, honor, and appreciation of each other for the rest of their lives.

Wedding vows can sometimes be so impersonal. So much goes into planning the engagement and the wedding and yet so many couples forget that the true meaning, no matter what religious faith you practice, is about your commitment to one another. Wedding vows, whether rooted in faith in religion or rooted in the faith of each other should be written and proclaimed from the heart.

Tyler Reese writes articles, reviews and topical tidbits for weddingplanningbliss.com. To find out more about wedding vows and general wedding planning secrets go to www.weddingplanningbliss.com

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How Can You Deliver An Excellent Wedding Toast?

You should think about what you are going to talk about for the wedding toast if you will take part in a wedding. Since most of us are not professional presenter and it is always good to think about it and practice it first. A great wedding toast can make the guests remember the wedding for years.

Some people will be confused about wedding toast and wedding speech. In fact, the wedding speech is usually delivered by the father of the bride or the groom. On the other hand, anyone who takes part in the wedding may have a chance to deliver a wedding toast. As a matter of fact a wedding toast is usually shorter than a wedding speech.

You need to think about what you are going to say beforehand. You should be very clear what you are talking about and what you are doing. It is also good to practice it in front of a mirror. As mentioned, a wedding toast should not be very long. It will be perfect if it is only a three minutes talk.

In fact, you will need to follow some rules if you would like to follow some wedding etiquette. However, you should discuss with the bride and groom no matter you are going to follow this etiquette or not. Traditionally, the best man will give a wedding toast first. Then the groom will give one to his wife. And lastly it will be the turns of the fathers of the couple. Of course, you should only do that if you would like to follow the tradition. Some other people can also be invited to deliver a wedding toast. For example, the bride can invite her teacher when she was in the high school to deliver a wedding toast.

One of the things you may not know is that many people are trying to deliver a wedding toast without any preparation. However, it is not advisable to deliver it without preparation. You can perform a search on the web for some poems or funny things which can be used to described the couple. An interesting toast will certainly give additional touch to the wedding reception. The bride and groom will certainly thank you if you can deliver a wonderful toast.

Remember to be humorous when you are giving the wedding toast. However, no matter what you are talking about. You should never embarrass the couple. It is their big day after all!

Jerry Leung designs Double Happiness Chinese Wedding Invitations. He runs a website on Lucky Wedding Dates-2008 Chinese. Be sure to check Unique Wedding Favor Ideas.

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How To Write Thoughtful Wedding Vows

For a couple to write their own vows allows for their wedding to be more special, because these are not words that were written for you by someone else to repeat. These are words that come from your heart, promises that you will want each other to understand and respect. So take some time out and be prepared to get in touch with your true feelings. The only problem is where will you begin? This guide will help you through the process while still allowing you to be true to yourself and what you really want to say.

-Once you have decided to write personal and original vows to each other, find a place where you feel peaceful and can get deep into your thoughts. Think about how you want your life to be with your partner, through all the good times and bad times, disagreements, sickness and even life and in death.

-Seek out advice and wisdom from anyone you feel in sync with their values on the subjects of life, relationships and love. Everyone has experienced something that someone else can learn from. Be sure to check with your religious leader for guidance on what may be allowed if you wish to alter the vows or any tradition.

-You should think to yourself and write down every single thing that is the reason you love your partner. Make a list and narrow down the top four to five things and include them in your vows. Try to pick out things that are unique to them that are not generic traits that could be found in just anybody. Your observation in the finer points that make your partner unique will make it more special.

-Using poetic and romantic language in your vows is something you may wish to try. If you are not a creative writer then you can try looking up some poetry to see if anything speaks to you that you feel reflects how you may honestly feel. If you do find anything, then you can take some of that language and use it as a guide to help you.

-Find a person whom you feel you have respect for their opinion and will be truthful with you about your vows. See if they have any suggestions on what may sound better or be more clear. If it’s too long and or even if they tell you that you should start over.

-Keep it short and sweet, around two paragraphs should be enough as to not over do it.

-Remembering your vows is a suggestion that could really add a magical moment to your ceremony that money can’t buy. To be able to say your feelings and make your promises aloud from the heart looking into your spouse’s eyes and not recite it from a note in your hand is priceless. So practice and memorize them if you can. Bring a cheat sheet if you must, but use only incase of emergency.

-Finally write them down on a special card or paper so that they will always be able to cherish your words in the future.

Sebastian Marders is married and loves writing about a variety of things. To read more related topics, please visit Married Last Name Change, Bridal Shower Name Change Gift, and Last Name Change After Marriage, thank you.

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Wedding Toast – Deliver It the Way People Will Remember It For Long!

Wedding is no doubt a changeover in a man’s / woman’s life. But it can be a memorable one for the couple if they get everything going as per their plans on their Big Day. What if they get to listen to the most interesting wedding toast? They can cherish their wedding day in their memories for long.

What’s a Wedding Toast? It’s a speech delivered at wedding and it can be delivered by the Best Man at wedding, a groomsman, groom’s friends, bridesmaid, Maid of Honor or parents of either bride or groom and anyone who wants to wish the couple. It should be remembered that delivering a wedding toast is an honor in itself and a great privilege.

However, it is not all that easy and simple to stand up in front of 100+ people. You will feel that your tongue is locked! It can be a jittery feeling especially for first-time speakers. But they can still deliver a memorable wedding toast if they do some prior research, write down the speech and practice and rehearse well before the actual date.

The first thing you need to mentally tune yourself is to stand at ease. This will enable you to be your normal self. Once you are your normal being, you can deliver an interesting and mesmerizing wedding toast.

After that you need to jot down the speech and just remember to keep it short and sweet (put yourself in listener’s position). Let the speech start with a small intro as how you are related to the newly wed groom or bride. If you happen to be the Best Man or Maid of Honor, extend thanks to the bride, groom and their respective parents.

If you have been associated with bride or groom or both, narrate a funny anecdote involving them. However, keep a watch on obscenity. Humor stands apart from obscenity; never tell anything that might put the bride/groom. No rivalries at this point. Jot down some good hit jokes with relevance to marriage and neatly space these jokes in between your wedding toast to make the audience spellbound. As a thumb rule never pour boring suggestions on to the bride or the groom.

Try to relive funny incidents that involve the newlyweds and it is going to bring tons of blushes on the bride’s cheeks and it will surely be a treat for everyone to watch her blushes blossoming deep.

It is not a bad idea to read some great one liner or quotes of great people. You can do that to just add an extra element of humor and fun and they will be remembered for quite long. To read a wedding toast humorously, one need to have perfect timing and you will get it with more of practice. Read it in front of a mirror before the wedding day.

At the end of the speech, lift the glass and propose the toast. Convey cheers to the newlywed and the crowd. You may even tune the party mood by saying a funny punch line.

A wedding toast delivered in an informal humor tone will be remembered for a very long time, it is though difficult to deliver such a speech but certainly it is not an impossible one.

Jerry Leung designs Modern Chinese Wedding Invitation with Dragon and Phoenix Art. He runs a website on Wedding Ring Bearer Pillow. Be sure to check Ideas on Chocolate Seashell Wedding Favors.

Article Source: ArticleSpan

How to Write Wedding Vows

The "to do" list of even the simplest marriage celebration is focused on the act of joining a couple to be as one. Many couples become so involved with the large details of the wedding such as when and where it will be and how many guests to invite that the question of how to write wedding vows can be left to the last moment. While there are the traditional vows of marriage in every religion, many couples want their vows to be more personal but at the same time appropriate.

An excellent way to begin is to imagine what you would like to be able to say at your 10th wedding anniversary; how well have you and your partner communicated during that time, what situations would you likely have faced, what is most important to you in your relationship?

Think about the values and ideals that you and your partner share. For some the spiritual connection is the most important. Religious texts provide eloquent descriptions of the loving rapport, support and trust between a husband and wife. These provide a solid foundation for creating wedding vows that preserve and strengthen a marriage.

Wedding vows can also be used to declare to all of the witnesses present your devotion to each other and the qualities of your partner that evoke your affection. You can state the goal of your marriage, what your dreams are for the future and why you have chosen to journey through life with this special person.

As you go through this process, keep in mind that a vow is a solemn promise and as stated in the standard marriage ceremony text, "not to be entered into lightly." Because love is always tested and sometimes the tests can be so difficult to bear that the vow seems impossible to keep. In some cases, that may be true, but all too often vows are exchanged without fully appreciating what the words really mean.

Composing the words that are important to the two of you can be made much easier by discussing the matter with someone you trust who has been married for several years. They can help you identify the issues that are most important to include as you write your vows and also provide you with realistic insight on the practical side of marriage as well.

If you are both members of a religious organization, turning to the individual who will perform the marriage ceremony will give you another perspective. Some of the issues that concern people who are about to marry are based in the questions of fidelity and child bearing. Many of the expectations of the past, such as the woman staying at home and raising children is not as easy to do today and it’s important to know how your religious beliefs and life’s practicalities can be handled in a marriage. The most important part about how to write wedding vows is to listen to your heart and let your conscience be your guide.

Written by www.weddingfavordiscount.com – Wedding Favors and Bridal Shower Party Favors at Discount prices.

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The Perfect Wedding Day Toast or Speech

So you have been asked to give the toast at your best friends wedding. If you are like 75 percent of the general population, you are afraid to speak in front of crowd. And besides, what do you say? We have a handy guide on how to give a great wedding speech or toast without the anxiety.

What To Do
There are several things you can do to prepare for giving your wedding speech or toast. The key is to prepare beforehand so you can feel calm and in control of the situation.

Before the Speech
Write out your speech. The best way to offer the perfect speech is to write it out verbatim first.

Practice, practice, practice. You do not want to read the speech from a piece of paper so you should have it mostly memorized. The only way to do this is by practicing more than once.

Ask for feedback about your speech. It will give the opportunity to practice in front of a real person and will give you insight into how others will react.

Relax.
Nerves will keep you alert and add energy to your speech. Take some deep breaths before starting and give yourself a mental pep talk. If you have prepared properly, you have nothing to fear.

During the Speech
Speak from your heart. Your wedding speech or toast should share a special memory or elaborate on your relationship with the bride, groom or the couple.

Keep it short and sweet.
Guests expect a short toast not a long play by play of your personal history. Finish with To the bride and groom or use their names. This signals to the audience that they are lift their glasses and then drink.

What Not to Do
Do not think you can wing it and avoid preparing until the last minute. The lack of preparation will show.

Do not steal the spotlight.
The speech is about the happy couple not about you. It is the newlyweds special day. Make sure the speech is about them and their new status as bride and groom.
Do not talk exclusive about only the bride or only the groom. They are a couple now and both need to be mentioned.

Do not make your speech embarrassing.
Remember, both the bride and groom have family, friends and coworkers in the audience. Make sure your speech is PG friendly and acceptable to share in front of Grandma Beatrice and the grooms boss.

Do not drink before you give your speech.
Your speech will lose its power if you are slurring you words.

It is a great honor to be asked to speak at a wedding. You and the happy couple will remember this moment for the rest of your lives. Keep in mind these tips and you will make the reception memorable.

Mary writes articles for an online bridal retailer, Marilyn’s Keepsakes. Marilyn’s Keepsake offers a complete line of wedding accessories, personalized gifts, monogram cake tops, unity candles, guest books, garters and more. Please visit Marilyn’s Keepsakes today.

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Writing Your Own Romantic Wedding Vows

If traditional wedding vows aren’t your thing, and you would rather write something that can express the love that you have for your future spouse, sometimes the task can be daunting. An eternal love, and one worth celebrating is worth the extra work if you want to put it in. Romantic wedding vows are quickly becoming more popular as couples choose different ways from the norm to pledge eternal love before family and friends. If you have a mental block, or just need some ideas to help get you started, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve put some work in and come out with my list of favorite romantic wedding vows.

I love you, ___. You are my best friend and today I give myself to you in marriage. I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of sorrow. I promise to love you in good times and in bad, when life is easy and when it seems hard. I promise to cherish you, and to always hold you in highest regard. These things I give to you today, and all the days of our life.

_______, I love you. You are my best friend and will be forever. Today I give myself to you in marriage to be your husband/wife. I promise to encourage you, to laugh with you and to comfort you in times of sorrow. I promise to love you in good times and bad. I promise to cherish and respect you. I vow to be faithful and true for as long as we both shall live. Because of you, I laugh, I smile, and I dare to dream again. I look forward to spending the rest of my life with you, caring, loving and being there for you in all life has for us. I will always be the person that you can trust, talk to and the person that will always understand. I will make my home in your heart. These promises I give you today and all of the days of our lives. Our love has given us wings and our journey begins today.

_____, today I become your (husband/wife) and you become my (wife/husband). I will strive to give you the best of myself, while accepting you the way you are. I promise to respect you as a whole person with your own interests and needs, and to realize that those are sometimes different, but no less important than my own. I promise to grow along with you, to be willing to face change as we both change, keeping our relationship alive and exciting. I promise to love you in good times and in bad, with all I have to give and all that I am, in the only way I know how — completely and forever

____, All that I am and all that I have, I offer to you in love and in joy. From this day forward I will love and comfort you, hold you close, and prize you above all others. I will remain faithful and true to you all the days of our lives

There are so many ways to tell your lover what they mean to you, and finding words to say may be difficult. Think of your soon to be husband or wife and the things you love about them, and the words will come. Romantic wedding vows are something they are going to remember forever and carry in their hearts.

This wedding help site will get you off to the right start. Finding great ideas for bridal shower ideas are just one of many articles, tips and tricks to make your wedding perfect.

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Raise a Toast: Wine For Your Wedding

When you are planning your wedding reception, one of the choices that you will need to make is which wines to serve. If you are a wine novice, this can feel like an intimidating project. These are some tips on how to choose the perfect wine for your wedding.

The first rule of thumb is that the wine you select should pair well with both your menu and the general style of your wedding. There are some old guidelines that most people follow, such as serve a white wine with chicken or fish and a red wine with beef or pasta. These tried-and-true ideas may not be novel, but they are always safe, and most couples will decide to stick with them for their receptions.

There are some options beyond serving wine by the glass that you may not know about. If you are having a wedding on a warm summer day, why not offer your guests refreshing wine smoothies? These tasty drinks are made by blending wine with fruit and ice, and make for a unique signature drink that your guests will love. They also have less alcohol in each drink than a signature cocktail made with hard liquor, which can be good if people are really knocking them back on a hot day.

Another fun thing that you can do with wine is make sangria. This is a classic drink that is popular in Spain and Portugal, but it is also great for any summer wedding. Sangria is usually made by combining red wine with fresh fruit like oranges, peaches, and berries, combined with orange juice and sometimes a carbonated soda. The great thing about sangria is that it is nearly impossible to mess up, so it is an easy punch to make yourself. It is a fun idea for everything from a casual backyard wedding with the bride in a simple bridal gown and jewelry to the most elegant afternoon affair at a yacht club. White wine sangria, made with sauvignon blanc is a light and refreshing alternative to the red wine version.

When it comes to choosing the wine to serve with dinner, you will have plenty of great options. The most elegant wines are often thought to come from France, but other delicious wines can also be found from Italy, Australia, and California. For a formal seated dinner, you might splurge a bit on a fabulous French wine like Sancerre (white) or a nice Burgundy (red). These are appropriate choices for an elegant reception in a ballroom, the type where the bride is wearing an elaborate silk gown with ornate bridal jewelry.

Of course, you do not have to spend a fortune to get excellent wine that is very drinkable. Shiraz from Australia is a red wine that can be affordable and also very approachable. For an affordable white wine, you cannot go wrong with Pinot Grigio from Italy. It is widely available for less than $10 a bottle, and is a light and easy crowd pleaser. Chardonnay from the Napa Valley is another good option for an affordable white wine. You can also consider regional fruit wines, such as apple or blueberry wine from New York State. This is especially nice if you can get your wine from a local vineyard.

Choosing wine does not have to be daunting. There are many wonderful and affordable varieties available to brides and grooms. A great way to educate yourself is with a wine tasting course. You and your fiance can relax and enjoy some tasty wines while also planning your wedding; a wine tasting would be a terrific idea for a pre-wedding date night.

Bridget Mora writes numerous articles for Silverland Jewelry about weddings, style, and relationships.See how we can design beautiful custom bridal jewelry especially for you.

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