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It has been called the crowning glory of a woman. It can make the difference between looking like a demure maiden or a mischievous nymph. It can even make one look like a throwback to the 60’s.

The preparation for your wedding day look, yes even for your hair, begins as early as six months before the actual date. Much like your gown, quite a bit of thought and planning goes into making your tresses look magazine cover beautiful. Of course, only if you want to take the time; only if you’re not planning to just get your hair pushed into a bun and stuck with pins any which way.

Don’t worry. Getting your hair perfect for the occasion is quite easy. All you need to do is follow a few simple steps:

- Choose a professional hairstylist you can trust. Don’t let yourself get carried away by the name of the salon or how the place looks. You need to find someone whose hands and artistry you trust. Preferably who is more concerned with your looks than how much you will spend in their shop.

- Discuss with your stylist the kind of look you want for your wedding. This includes showing him any sketches of your gown if you’ve chosen one.

- Follow your stylist’s advice. They may recommend treatments and conditioning, as well as some coloring work be done. Trust that they are trying to make your hair look its best and not just make an extra buck. Trust your own judgment after all you chose him!

- Don’t forget to have a trial run. This should be done about a month before your wedding day. That will still give sufficient time should any adjustments or changes be necessary.

Your wedding is your own. And in today’s society, people have been constantly scouring every book for any way to make their wedding as personal and as unique as possible. One way to do this is to whip up your own wedding vows.

Traditionally, couples to be wed do not have much of a say in what goes into many of the words spoken during the wedding ceremony. Today, it is increasingly getting easier to personalize and influence what is said during the ceremony – within reasonable bounds,though.

If you desire to make your wedding vows unique and personal, you are not alone. Many other couples incorporate feelings, and intimate messages into their wedding vows. It has an added effect of making your wedding more touching, dramatic, and memorable.

Talk with the Officiant Ahead of Time
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If you would like to personalize your wedding vows, first notify your Officiant to find out the legalities, guidelines and rules in drafting your own wedding vows. He or she will typically give pointers and examples to help you draw up your own vows.

Furthermore, the Officiant will inform you of the parts of the vow that are expected to be said.

The Topic
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It may include promises, such as “I will swear upon my life to do …” or it may be heartfelt messages for each other, or even hopes for each other plans for the future and such. You may also opt to create a mixture of each to spice up your wedding vows.

Although norms vary from culture to culture, as a general rule, the wedding vow should not take too long to recite. Keep it concise yet meaningful.

Remember, you will have to recite this, and long recitations tend to make the memory suffer.

Make it Official
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After creating a draft of the vows you wish to exchange, it would do well to meet up with the Officiant again and show him a draft of your vows. Although in the end, it is ultimately your decision that is followed, do take heed of the Officiant’s advice, as it is usually sound and has been honed by experience.

Practice
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It is a good idea to practice your vows before the wedding. Although there is no rule against reading vows, a thoroughly practiced, heartfelt rendition of the vow will definitely make a lasting impact on your partner and the people witnessing the ceremony.

As mentioned earlier, avoid overly long vows as they tend to be less remembered and are harder to memorize, not to mention quite inconvenient to others. You may do so, however, if you feel the need is justified.

The Performance
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When reciting your vows during the wedding, always keep calm. People who are tense tend to speak to fast, and since the wedding vow is a very important part of the wedding, you will want to take your time in the spotlight.

Loosen up, so that in case you forget a line or two during the exchange of vows, you will at least be able to bounce back with something from your heart.

If you desire so, you may also keep a written version of you vows with you. You might want to read it surreptitiously though.

Good luck on your wedding, and may the sweet words you utter during the exchange of vows never lose their meaning for rest of your days!

About the author:
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To find more great wedding tips please visit:
http://www.myweddingplans.net
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She seems to fall in love With everyone she meets. Every smile is a victory; She has never known defeat. If you ask me if I love her, I’ll have to say I do. She showed me love I never knew. I am true Only with you. A toast of wine By candlelight, Words remembered, Moments cherished Until the twilight of our lives. A faded rose, A photograph – The music of the evening Still lingers in her laugh. We were in love. She is a restless spirit, Capricious and carefree. Her heart does tend to wander, But she returns to me; And when the journey’s over, And when the day is done, We’ll learn again to live as one. I am true Only with you. Do I believe in the promise of tomorrow? Can I forget the hopeless yesterdays? When I envision you In my arms forever, The shadow of my doubts fades away. No bitter tears, No last embrace – You are the mystery, the beauty and the grace. The moral of this story Is neither old nor new. It’s that life is for the living, And I feel alive with you. So no more hesitation Or insecurity, We’ll live the life that lovers do. I am true Only with you.

http://www.originalpoetry.com/only-with-you

Love is a consuming passion for our own happiness. It is a choice we make to be excited, safe, secure. Love and joy are available when we decide we are important. To decide means to conclude. Not based on any proof or accomplishment and not waiting for some magical moment when someone gives permission. Simply deciding who we are and what we want is important. The decision could be made right now, in this moment. There’s no need to lose ten pounds first or achieve the next goal. We decide when we give ourselves permission to decide.

Love is available when we connect with dreams and flow with empowering thoughts. Love is an inner state of being which develops as we decide it is alright to create an exciting, sensuous and enticing partnership with ourselves. It deepens as we align with desired outcomes and focus attention on what feels good. Excitement builds power. This power is necessary to feel good, to move through obstacles, to successfully manifest dreams. Self-love allows the ability to resist the temptation to give away power the moment it is received. Instead, relish in it, feel its vibration, connect it with personal dreams and desires. Ask for more. Trust yourself with power, for who other than you knows what best to do with this power? Feel good in the power, excited in the imaginings of a great life. So much more power is available once we are ready to believe we matter. Love and joy are feelings we allow into us. We become filled with love and our confidence, joy and radiance illuminates our lives and the lives of others.

Self-Love

Self-love is not so much a feeling as it is an absence of self-doubt and self-disapproval. It is a sense of balance and belonging. Respect, responsibility for self, and feeling good are important values. Self-love means that your well-being matters to yourself unconditionally and in practical terms. The following are some characteristics of self-loving people:

Self-loving people focus on feeling good.

Self-loving people allow themselves to be happy and to share this with others.

Self-loving people tend to treat themselves well.

They see fun and enjoyment as a primary goal most of the time.

They do not remain in mistreatment by others.

They are caring towards others. (Because it feels good to do so).

They put themselves first. (Even those they love are a “close second.”)

They find a thought that feels good, and practice it.

They let themselves succeed.

Basic Principles of Self Love

Who we are is more important than what we are.

We are valuable. Nothing can change that.

What we want always matters.

How to Develop and Nurture Love:

Becoming love involves intention. A declaration to self, to the universe, to earth or to the angels, we want to know what it is to feel unconditionally loved and supported. We want to be alive on earth, but only if it feels good and exciting. An intention that we want to know, in this lifetime, while we are alive in this body, what it means to stand in unconditional love, having enough energy to do the things we love.
The biggest life changing decision any of us could make is a decision to be happy. Once the decision is made, what is the next step? Training ourselves to focus on everything and anything which feels good. For example: Good thoughts, exciting desired outcomes, dreams, happy movies and beautiful surroundings. It may take some effort to pry ourselves away from the stickiness of feeling badly, but joy and love are possible. To feel good we need to focus on feeling good. Below are some examples of how to develop love:

Acknowledge and verbally praise yourself.

Have fun often.

Fill the physical body with relaxation.

Think inspiring thoughts.

Focus on desired outcomes.

Fill life with silence, beautiful music, flowers.

Reward yourself often.

Have confidence in your ability.

Love your body and find new ways to inhabit it.

Listen to, and trust, intuition.

Let yourself succeed.

Nurture yourself by imagining desired outcomes to life’s situations.

Offer yourself affection.

Choose to think thoughts that bring inner peace (rather than worry).

Remember and feel gratitude.

On this day, engage in a love challenge and help yourself understand a deeper loving connection. Zoom way out and see a big picture perspective of your relationship with yourself, your body, your thoughts and dreams. Do you think you behave lovingly toward yourself? Do you focus on happy thoughts, desired outcomes? What is something you could commit to right now, in this moment, to bring yourself greater love?

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Helping people let go of self-destructive thoughts, emotions, and behaviors has been the life work of Dr. Annette Colby. Her fascination with the power of the mind, emotions, spirituality, and physicality has led her to become a leader in the field of personal growth and consciousness. She is a valued counselor, and an inspiring teacher, as well as an independent writer, mentor, and guide. She is a highly sought-after trainer with a unique ability to inform and inspire individuals to open their hearts, love more openly, and pursue their dreams.

Dr. Annette Colby, RD

Nutrition Therapist & Master Energy Therapist

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and see why it’s been called the best e-zine on the net!

http://www.LovingMiracles.com

Miracles@AnnetteColby.com

972.985.8750

“Opening Creative Portals to Success”

At their weddings, most couples offer stylish little gifts called wedding favors to their guests while celebrating their love and unity. A wedding favor is an elegant gesture, expressing the couple’s gratitude to their guest for attending their wedding.

As far as creating memories of a wedding is concerned, wedding favors have to be as important as the artistic invitations and thank-you notes. It is a pity that sometimes, rather than the couple’s choosing the wedding favors, this significant component is left in someone else’s hands. Although wedding favors can be thought of as minute details in a wedding, they are what will be left in the families’ and friends’ possessions as mementos of the happy day for a long time to come.

From the various weddings I attended, I kept an I.D. button, several key chains, a bunch of silk daisies, candles, a bud vase, a tiny photo frame, a bottle opener, a wooden treasure chest box with its candy eaten, a demitasse spoon after I used the small package of espresso coffee that came with it, small sachets of dried flowers, and glass coasters with the names of bride and groom embossed on them. In addition to these treasures that could remain, the couples gave me a lot of chocolate candy, cookies, and even cupcakes. The truth is, I don’t remember what I ate, but when I look at each souvenir, I remember the source.

Giving wedding favors probably started a long time ago when the bride and the groom wanted the people who witnessed their wedding carry an extra proof of it with them also. Wedding favors, to this day, serve the same purpose as proofs of a union as well as being keepsakes.

The favors you want to offer to your guests have to represent you as a couple while promising longevity in some way. For my son and daughter-in-law, since their wedding theme was the beach and the dolphins, their wedding favors reflected their theme. After five years of their marriage, our families and friends still keep their dolphin shaped candles, tiny plates with dolphins on them that once had held chocolate candy, and the small china statuettes of two dolphins leaping.

If you decide to give edible wedding favors, it is a good idea to have the favors in reusable and stylish containers, so the guests can still keep the containers as reminders of your special day. If you want your guests enjoy your wedding favors as long as they can, make sure that at least some part of the favor serves a purpose or is usable in some way. Otherwise, it may be left on a shelf to later make an appearance at a garage sale or in a Goodwill store.

Although there are no set rules for giving wedding favors, the presentation of the favors has to be taken into account. Their packaging style and colors have to complement your décor of the reception, since they will most likely be set on the tables with the centerpieces. If your budget allows it, personalizing the items is a great idea, since most items like plates, pencils, pens, ornaments, and notepads can be stamped with your initials and your wedding date.

If you can afford it, stylish and expensive favors are as important as the other components of a wedding. If you are on a budget, however, even homemade favors can look pleasing to the eye and become keepsakes for many years to come. What counts, after all, is the thought behind them and the expression of your gratitude to your guests.

Weddings can be planned perfectly in a way that is stress free.

If you are reading this, it may be that you or a friend is about to get married. Before planning out a wedding in earnestness, try consulting a wedding website first. Wedding websites understand that planning a wedding can be one of the most stressful if not daunting tasks to most couples.

These sites aim to reduce your worries at planning and helping out with a perfect wedding that suits a taste, a theme or a lifestyle. The web can be a big help at giving ideas and relieving couples with too much work instead of enjoying the days that lead to the wedding. There are also software that can be used in organizing weddings, printouts and invitations.

Good wedding websites should offer the following:

Help you plan out the best possible arrangement for a specific budget. Wedding websites help you to organize your wedding program, including the seating arrangements for the guests who replied to your invitation.

Wedding websites can help you pick out settings for your wedding.

Offer restaurant lists, banquet halls, caterers that are in your locality and enable you to compare prices against features and services offered.

Wedding websites can manage your wedding gifts so you know where they came from, and keeps track of the thank you notes you have sent.

Wedding websites help you manage your guest list. It also keeps a record of the replies made by your guests to your invitation.

They can also design your page that you send to your guests, relatives and friends. It can contain your pictures, the ceremony, reception and other details of the engagement that you want to share.

Wedding websites can enable your guests to send back messages in your guest book. This will add excitement to your wedding day when you hand the printout back to your guests.

You can keep track of the RSVP’s through your wedding website.

E-postcards can be sent to your friends that would inform them of your website. The E-postcards can be linked to your webpage that tells your invites the login name and password.

Many wedding websites can lead you to wedding planners who have been training to handle these kinds of events. With these planners come a variety of options to make your wedding a memorable occasion even when you are on a budget.

Some of the things that could be organized for you are the location, the motif, wedding cruises, music, bands and reception.

They can also help you to pick out the attire, where to get it and how. There are often bridal gowns that are used once that are in auction. Good wedding websites can lead you to many bargains.

There are just so many benefits that a couple about to be married can have when consulting first using wedding websites. For one, engaged couples especially the younger ones, will have a good chance of not making mistakes and to learn from those who have already made them.

One of the best purpose of the wedding websites is to have a more organized event that is made possible by the experience of those that are behind these websites.

When getting married try consulting a wedding websites first. You can have a perfectly organized wedding.

Dean Shainin offers a fabulous website for all wedding essentials at http://weddings.deans-knowledgebase.com Visit and get your free resources, plans and guides for planning that perfect wedding.

Get free online wedding ideas from his: Wedding Website

Wedding Toasts are the best way to express fond memories and the finest wishes you have for the newly wed couple who you adore. Marriage is a beautiful bond between two people. Your wedding toast should capture everything you’ve ever wanted to say about these two special people. Whether your toast is humorous, endearing, or a combination of the two–all eyes will be on you during your toast. Make it as effective as possible. If you must, prepare a list of wonderful things that you’d like to share. What’s a funny story that involves the groom or bride? Perhaps you’ve shared an experience with them that has made you laugh over the years. If it’s appropriate to share, by all means share it. By appropriate, of course, we mean something that is non-offensive to the couples and/or their families.

Let everyone see how wonderful this couple is together. Everyone will enjoy sharing a good laugh with the newly weds. It’s not necessary to read from the list you may have created, use it as a guideline to express your feelings. When you’re ready, clank your dinnerware against your glass and stand to make a toast. If you skip something on your list, don’t worry–go with the flow.

Your toast doesn’t have to be long. However, you don’t want to cut it too short. Try to capture everything you want to say within five minutes of time. Recall your list and work it into a monologue. If you have a long history with the bride and groom, go back into the past. Who were they as children? What were they like as teenagers? How did they meet and develop into the couple they are now? What part did you play in all of this, if any? These are all great background details to include in your wedding toast. And of course, you’ll want to wish them the best of luck for many years to come.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a friend or relative of the bride or groom, we’re sure that you have stories to tell. Stand up and tell them. This may be your only opportunity to express your love and gratitude to the new couple in front of all your family and friends. Although newly weds tend to get embarrassed during these stories and anecdotes, they hold them dear to their heart–because they know that they came from a special place.

Jen Carter is owner of My Wedding Blog, a free wedding planning guide. You may publish our articles on your website only if you do not edit the article in any way, and include all direct html links in this article.

When we got married over nineteen years ago, my husband and I wanted to make our wedding as special and unique as we were as a couple. We not only wanted it to be a day that we would remember always, but one that our guests would also talk about for years. So we put a lot of time, thought, and energy into everything about our big day, including pre-wedding and post-wedding activities. (Well to be honest, I did most of the work, but he was a good sport, and like it or not, he had input on all of our decisions!)

One of the first things we did (after we booked the church, minister, reception hall, and photographer) was to decide on wedding invitations. We went to a local print shop to look at their “scrapbooks” of possible invitations. But nothing there grabbed me so we went to another print shop, and another. I began to get very discouraged, and worried. How would we ever find just the right invitation?

While the invitations we saw in the scrapbooks were fine, I knew they’d already been chosen by hundreds of couples before us. And they just didn’t suit us as a couple. They were traditional and somewhat boring – something I didn’t think we were! What we wanted was something that would truly be one of a kind, and reflect our personalities and commitment as a couple.

Just when I’d about given up hope, my mother told us about a friend who designed her own note cards and did graphic design. My mother wrote the copy for the note cards, and wondered if maybe her friend would be interested in doing our invitations. Mom arranged for us to meet with her about doing our invitations – though her friend had never done wedding invitations before, she was interested in trying.

We met with her about nine months before our wedding to talk about what we wanted. We knew we wanted the invitations to match the colors of our wedding (lavender and silver) and we wanted to write our own wording on them. We also wanted a unique design on the front (our invitations folded in half) so she created several designs for us to choose from. We also were given several choices of fonts, types of paper, envelopes, and response cards.

Our next visit with her included several choices of invitations that she had “mocked up” after talking to us about what we wanted. We were thrilled with all of them, and actually had a difficult time choosing which one we liked best, which was a wonderful position to be in! In the end we both gravitated toward one invitation – fortunately it was the same one that we both loved best. And she then got to work on ordering them mass produced – invitations, envelopes, response cards, more envelopes. She even did the invitation for our wedding shower, which matched the overall theme of the wedding invitations.

She made about a dozen extra invitation sets for us as a keepsake, which I keep in a box in my cedar chest to this day. I keep one set in our wedding album, and I like to take it out occasionally to look at, usually after I’ve received a “run of the mill” invitation in the mail to someone else’s wedding so I can compare them. And every time I look at them I smile, and wonderful memories are called to mind.

All these years later, it’s much easier to have wedding invitations designed specially for you, as there are many more professionals who are in business to create them. It may take some time, effort, and extra expense, but I’ve never regretted having invitations personally made for my wedding. It’s definitely worth considering!