When you feel your cultural bonds spiritually, then ethnic wedding invitations make a great way of expressing your belonging; it is a way of integration in tradition while preserving customs, themes and symbols specific to major life events. Celtic wedding invitations are used by people with a Scottish, Irish or Welsh tradition, or by those who simply take a great interest in the Celtic culture. Knots and wooden designs make the most common forms of design for Celtic wedding invitations; however, there are many other variations and styles available that one can choose from while still preserving the cultural touch.

Symbolism is at the heart of Celtic wedding invitations, and the patterns are usually presented in an intricate form. Irish and Scottish families will often marry in highland castles which is one more reason to send invitations that illustrate tradition and beliefs at the same time. Hence, use your creativity to invent new designs not only for the Celtic wedding invitations but for the dress details, the table linen and the flower arrangements.

The tradition of the bride's bouquet carrying is a Celtic tradition that few people know about, for example. The herbs in the bouquet were believed to cast away evil spirits and to make the bride look more elegant. Even the way the wedding ring is worn has a Celtic origin because the Celts believed that the third finger of the left hand is directly linked with the heart through the veins. We can go on with the comparison and the number of similarities a lot further than the use of Celtic wedding invitations. There are few other better ways of relating back to tradition, that is a fact.

Graphics achieves most of the aesthetic effect of the Celtic wedding invitations, because of the spiritual dimension it adds to an otherwise plain look. Flowers and animal parts, the couple's initials together with symmetrical knots, swirls and flowing lines: these make the cornerstones of Celtic wedding invitations. Special paper is available in stationaries when you decide to have the invitations made at home, and you can choose some very nice Celtic borders. Planning the Celtic wedding will in fact carry you deeper into Celtic decorations and their symbolism, which will eventually bring a specific unique atmosphere to enjoy on the big day. Congratulations!

I hope this information will give you a big favour, because nowadays finding the right wedding invitation can be a challenge for brides and grooms. And for the brides, why not consider wearing a diamond necklace for your big day? If you are interested, you can visit the special website on necklace white gold diamond which gives useful information about diamond necklace for your fashion and style need, especially for your wedding day.

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Not since Vietnam have so many servicemen and women spent time on active duty overseas in the Middle East, primarily in Iraq and Afghanistan. Just as with every major conflict including WW1 and WW2, there is a boom in service personnel getting hitched and engaged but with deployments now lasting longer and more frequent rotation on the active duty rosters, finding time to tie the knot and deal with relationships is under a great deal of time constraint.

While there has been a surge in troop deployments to conflict zones, there has been a dramatic upsurge in the number of military personnel getting engaged. With extended tours more the norm and the very real combat risks which are attached for most personnel, the urge to cement long-term relationships by engagement and marriage is strong. We are currently experiencing a situation similar to the "baby boom" after the second world war - military personnel returning home after a long time overseas are catching up on family and relationships and this is fueling the high marriage rates seen in all branches of the military.

Just as in virtually every other walk of life, the internet is coming to the rescue with convenient shopping for the sparkly rings and gifts guys traditionally buy the woman of their dreams. Despite the economic downturn, there has been something of a mini-boom for online jewelers. The ease and convenience of shopping online has led to many military personnel buying gifts from online retailers and a large proportion of them are buying rings and keepsakes for obvious reasons.

Shopping online is simple, safe and convenient. Even if you're not able to get to a jeweler you are still probably able to get access to a computer - that is essentially all you need. Most online retailers provide 100% secure shopping and online jewelry outlets have spearheaded safe shopping sites and anti-fraud measures to protect privacy.

Established online retailers have also led the way in providing secure and very fast delivery using major and specialist couriers. This ensures that a military serviceman or woman that is on the other side of the world and need to rely on someone to get items from A to B gets whatever they need whenever - even if time is short. It also goes without saying that the relatively low cost base which internet retailers operate from allows them to provide substantial cost savings directly to the buyer and the heaviest discounting amongst the entire jewelry sector is seen by online retailers.

To summarize, while the rest of the economy is suffering from the effects of the recession, online retailers and especially, online jewelers are benefitting from the upturn in sales from military personnel shipping overseas or returning from active duty. Online jewelry retailers are ideally situated with safe and convenient online shopping websites which provide a very wide choice, the best pricing and absolute security for purchasers, even when they are on the other side of the globe or far from home.

Technorati Tags: engagement, getting engaged, Marriage, military engagement, proposing while serving, Wedding Planning

This wedding took place at the Rimrock Hotel in Banff. (On a side note, the service, food and hotel staff were AMAZING. I can't say enough great things about them.) When we sat down to design this wedding I wanted to keep the guests guessing and the surprises coming all night. So we took each element, the ceremony, the cocktail hour, the dinner and the party and treated it as its own event, and each event was revealed to the guests as the night progressed. This kept the element of surprise to a maximum and it kept them guessing what would happen next.

The Ceremony

The ceremony was held in one of the longest rooms I have ever stood in. I mean it must have been a good 65 feet or more. It was funny listening to the bridesmaids comment on how long their aisle walk was. The room had full windows behind the couple with a full view of the mountains. I had the hotel remove the curtains and sheers so the view was totally unobstructed. We also didn't use too much décor in this room because with views like that, you really don't need to. We did add some candles and flower arrangements to the aisle. We brought in a faux fireplace, which we filled with candles (battery operated) we also placed close to 200 additional candles on the fireplace, the window sills and some on the frames. These were all real and gave the room a fantastic glow. It was simple, romantic and classically elegant.

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The Cocktail Hour

The cocktail hour was held in the room between the ceremony and the dinner area. We had to transport the chairs from the ceremony to the dinner and I didn't want to interrupt the cocktail hour while doing so, we also had brought in winter trees that had glass ornaments on them that were the place cards but we didn't want those unveiled until later. We set up pipe and drape curtains as a fake wall to hide the chair movement and we placed the trees behind the drape as well.

Half an hour before dinner, we took down the draping , revealed the trees and asked everyone to find their place cards and please take their seats for dinner. The place cards were attached to the glass ornaments and strung alphabetically.

We also rented a vintage photo booth to put a spin on the guest book tradition. Guests popped into the booth, took the 4 pictures, then they could drop them off in a vase for the couple or keep them, it didn't matter, they were free so you could take as many as you wanted. It was the highlight of the cocktail hour along with the beautiful ice martini luge which had snowflakes etched into it.

The Dinner

We took the dinner space and utilized the dividing walls of the ballroom. In short, we kept one area closed. The guests were seated and dinner and speeches ensued. There was a great window view of the mountains, and the hotel had lit the trees outside as well. So we brought in our own trees (which I built onsite) to bring the outside in.

We also changed up the head table a little so it was easy for the wedding party and the guests to talk to each other. I am so bored with the long head table...another tradition I feel needs to go away, so we made it an open rectangle.

For the lighting we used a purple gel to compliment the wedding color and create a wonderfully romantic atmosphere. The centerpieces also used branches to continue the outside theme and we lit them with miniature LED lights for a wonderful glow at each table.

It's Party Time

When the speeches were completed and dessert had been served, we had the MC announce that the Bride & Groom would now be leaving. With no explanation to the crowd, the Bride & Groom got up and left the room. This really got the room buzzing. There was no DJ or band set up in the dining area, there wasn't even a dance floor.

So what now?

Well, as the wall divider was pulled back, the 13 piece band started up and the couple was already out on the dance floor. Everyone turned to see the ultra lounge we had created and kept hidden until now. It was party time and this was the place to party. The band was set up on the stage, there was an additional bar with tall cocktail tables, a huge dance floor, and across the dance floor was my lounge. We brought in modern, white leather furniture and created a lounge area to relax and chat when the guests weren't dancing. We also had glass top coffee tables and white leather benches to increase the conversation area. This was also lit in the purple hue so it remained in step with the color theme of the wedding.

Simon's Wedding Design Advice

Take your wedding day and break it into mini events. You want your guests to be talking about your wedding for years to come and to compare every other wedding they go to, to yours. You want to keep them guessing and you want them to be surprised. So treat each part of the day as if it were its own event. Weddings can become boring and predictable, I hate those weddings, and I see no reason why you should settle for one of "those" weddings.

Make sure you have a theme that carries throughout the entire day. This can be a color palette or in our case, bringing the outside in as we did by highlighting the outside view, placing winter trees in the cocktail area, and strategically placing trees in the dining area and the lounge. Make sure you have something to tie your mini events together or it can get really messy and the atmosphere and ambiance can get lost...and you don't want that.

I like to keep the guests guessing, don't lay it all out for them. Keep a few tricks up your sleeve to WOW them later in the night. No one likes predictable, I know I hate it. So if you have some details hidden away to be revealed at a later time, it will create a buzz in the room, and have people talking about your wedding for years to come.

By Ciara Daykin

Ciara Daykin is Calgary's premiere Wedding Choreographer. Brides wanting a dazzling, dashing, dream-filled wedding turn to Ciara for all their wedding planning needs.

Ciara is a proud member of the Association of Bridal Consultants.

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Technorati Tags: decor, Marriage, Wedding, wedding atmosphere, Wedding Planning, Wedding Reception, wedding venue

Are you tired of giving the same old fondue sets, personalized towels, and kitchenware to friends and family when someone decides to tie the knot? How about a few ideas for unusual bridal shower gifts that'll really make 'em smile? Here are a few things you might just want to consider the next time someone you know and love is getting married. ...

Spa Finder Gift Certificate

Now this is a bridal shower gift that you can present to the bride-to-be only or make it a double to include her groom. At www.SpaFinder.com, you'll find gift certificates available for everything from facials to body wraps to (of course!) full-body massages. A gift like this can be used by the bride (and/or groom) before, during the honeymoon, or after the wedding.

Easy to personalize with the names of the recipient(s), these gift certificates come in all sorts of denominations ranging from $50 to $1,000 in $25 increments. These are accepted at more than 3,500 spas around the world, but make sure there's one in the soon-to-be-married couple's neighborhood before you shell out the bucks! And while you're at the site, check out their candles, Harry & David assorted chocolate truffles, and other goodies created to pamper. You might want to buy a few things for yourself!

Custom-Created Oil Painting

You can give a bridal shower gift that will be cherished forever by having a custom oil painting done of the couple from a photograph. At www.WeddingShowerGifts.com, trained artists render remarkable likenesses in oil on real canvas for amazingly reasonable prices. Send them a picture of the bride and groom, and they'll send you back a rolled canvas (no framing offered) of the subjects in your choice of prices and sizes: 8"x10", 12"x16", 16"x20", or 20"x24" priced from $90 to $470 plus shipping. From the time you send the photograph to them sending it back to you as a real oil painting only takes from between 15 and 20 days. The site also offers this service as a gift certificate.

Lottery Tickets

Now many people might frown on this as a bridal shower gift, but you'd be surprised at how happy the sight of them makes a prospective bride (or groom!). And if they win, well... You can bet they'll forever be grateful to you for having been so thoughtful as to give them the chance to win big bucks in the state lottery! Buy them in a bunch - 20 or more - to make enjoying them that much more exciting. Put them in a small box, wrap elegantly, and then present it with aplomb. You just never know! You might be party to making someone a millionaire!

For Some Fun and Entertaining Bridal Shower Games - Click Here!

These are just a few ideas to get you thinking outside of the box - the bridal shower gift box, that is - and on your way to giving a gift that's not only unusual, but always welcomed. So give it some thought! You're sure to come up with some great ideas on your own.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/marriage-articles/how-to-find-unusual-bridal-shower-gifts-87146.html

Author: Lynn Doxley

About the Author:
Visit Aragia.com for bridal shower favor tips.

Technorati Tags: bridal shower gifts, Bridesmaids, Marriage, Wedding Ideas, wedding jewelry, Wedding Planning

The father of the bride wedding speech is the most waited for speech in any wedding occasion. After all, it him who have the privilege of spending more time with the daughter and hence he is more likely to know the joys and pains of loosing of wedding her off. Most wedding parties know only this too well, and therefore awaits that speech with batted breath. Ideally, the father of the bride wedding speech should be in a conversationally tone, much more like a wedding ceremony speech made off head.

As the first person to speak, and assuming that he is the one who is catering for the wedding costs, the father of the bride wedding speech should incorporate a welcoming message to the guests. At this point the brides father can acknowledge people present in the wedding like the grooms parents, specific family members and other invited guests. The second section in the short wedding speech should be geared at thanking everyone present for attending the wedding of the daughter. Remember that the father of the bride wedding speech should make every one present to feel appreciated for sparing time for the wedding.

Professionally Written And Inspirational Wedding Speeches And Toasts - Click Here!

Further, the father of the bride wedding speech should give people in attendance a glimpse of the daughter's life. Here, he can tell the whole life story about the brides childhood days, her special features and contribution to their family and all the good things that the daughter is worth. Because the wedding is a joyous occasion, the wedding ceremony speech should be written in a lighthearted manner. The father of the bride wedding speech should also include details of the man marrying the daughter. This not only consoles the daughter in knowing that the father actually took time to know her husband, but also serves to let the groom know that the bride's family appreciates him. At this point, the father can make special references to the wedding vows.

Wedding Speeches and Wedding Toasts Made Simple!

The final section in the father of the bride wedding speech should comprise him proposing a toast for the wedding couple. To make this memorable, the speech can incorporate love quotes. Ideally, the father of the bride wedding speech should take 3-5 minutes. This will make time for other short wedding speeches. An example of a wedding speech is:

"Ladies and gentlemen, as the father of the bride I have the pleasure to welcome you to my daughters wedding. Thank you all for making time to come. Who would have thought that my little girl would mature so fast, and that within 30 years I would still want to hang around her and enjoy watching seeing her discovering her way in life? To bad, that she has discovered a man who is getting her away from me. Naturally as the dad, I want to have her around forever, but XX, I know you are happy with YY now, and that makes me even happier. I want the couple to know that I'm still working to make my marriage better so you should do the same, never at one time give up on each other, your mother not giving up on me and me not giving up on her is what has made our marriage last this far. They told me not to give a lengthy wedding ceremony speech, so I beg to leave it at that. Finally, I propose this toast for my beautiful daughter and her husband."

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/marriage-articles/father-of-the-bride-wedding-speech-tips-with-example-587514.html

Author: Rafi Michael

About the Author:
Wedding Tips Wedding Photography & Video Productions Toronto we specialize in individually tailored Wedding Photography, Videos and DVD's, offering an experienced, highly professional and affordable service. for more info vist: http://www.videobabylon.ca/view-all-wedding-tips.html

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