25th Wedding Anniversary Party Ideas

25th Wedding Anniversary Party Ideas
By Jen Carter

We know that coming up with 25th anniversary party ideas can be baffling. What type of party do you want to hold? A large party, a small gathering of close friends and associates? We know exactly what you're thinking: Where do I begin? Once you've chosen a location to hold the party, you'll need to call up friends and loved ones. This is important! Let everyone know that you're sending them an invitation. Confirm everyones address. That last thing you want is for your invitations to get returned. Once you've got all the information you need, you're ready to begin shopping for invitations.

Purchasing invitations isn't a difficult task at all. The only decision that you'll really need to make is whether you want your invitations store-bought or customized. What's the difference, you ask? Well, price for starters. Customized invitations can cost a pretty penny. However, they're excellent, as they come with RSVP cards that can be mailed back to you. Despite this, you can always add an RSVP on a store-bought invitation. Sure, they don't look as fancy--but it's just an invitation! As long as the invitation provides ample space for information you should be fine.

Let all your friends and loved-one's know they're going to party hard at your anniversary party. Tell them, wear comfortable shoes, ladies! You're going to dance the night away! Now you have to fulfill your promise to everyone. Hire a fantastic DJ or live band to provide entertainment for your special evening. Watch the dance floor come alive when fun songs and modern music are played.

Don't worry, you're friends will have an excellent time. But this night is all about you and your spouse. Check any worries you may have at the door. Kick your shoes off and mingle with your guests. Make sure that you have plenty of fun games and conversational topics. We're certain that you'll have plenty of harmlessly funny stories to tell after twenty five years of marriage. With that in mind, make a toast to the one you love.

A twenty-fifth anniversary party is also an excellent opportunity to renew your vows. Perhaps you'd like new friends and loved ones to witness the beautiful ceremony. If they couldn't be there the first time around, this party will make for a great opportunity. Saying I do all over again will rekindle all the love you have for one another. You may even feel twenty-five years younger before the night is over! If you're ready to fall in love all over again, you might want to take the plunge. Whatever it is you decide to do at your wedding anniversary party, make it a memorable experience that you'll treasure forever.

Jen Carter is owner of My Wedding Blog, a free wedding planner. You may find the above article in our wedding anniversary section. You may publish our articles on your website only if you do not edit the article in any way, and include the above html as a direct link to our site.

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25th Wedding Anniversary Gifts

25th Wedding Anniversary Gifts
By Ross Bainbridge

25th wedding anniversary gifts are traditionally silver, but you can think creatively when buying a gift and shop for a couple with silver in mind, but not the expense. For example, you can send a dozen roses to a couple celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary with a card that states that silver symbolizes perfection and roses symbolize love.

25th anniversary gifts can be creative and fun. Tickets to a special event enclosed in a sliver envelop are a creative way to give a couple something unique and something they will enjoy. You can also give an engraved sliver platter loaded with fruit or cheeses or a gift certificate for a family portrait with a silver frame included.

If you are a photography buff, you can put together an album with favorite photos taken throughout the years including the wedding, their children, grandchildren, friends, trips, homes, etc. You can also include little quotes from special friends and family members wishing them a happy 25th. Another great idea is to put together a CD with popular songs from the 25 years of the couples marriage. A quilt with family photos silk-screened in each square will be a treasured gift for any couple celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary, as would a poem written in silver ink and framed in silver.

Another popular gift idea is a wish tree. Either purchase a fake tree from a craft store, or glue branches together from your yard. Spray them silver and decorate each limb with ribbons and bows and special little gifts like certificates to restaurants, weekend get-away, family photos, etc.

Anniversaries are special occasions, and a 25th is truly a milestone. Its a great time to show the couple that you know, whether it is family or friends, just how much you care.

Anniversary Gifts provides detailed information on Anniversary Gifts, Wedding Anniversary Gifts, First Wedding Anniversary Gifts, 25Th Wedding Anniversary Gifts and more. Anniversary Gifts is affiliated with Unusual Romantic Gifts.

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Winter Wedding in the Country Horse Drawn Carriage and Sleigh Rides

Winter Wedding in the Country, Horse Drawn Carriage and Sleigh Rides
By Ken Bissonette

To get from church to reception, why not have a horse drawn carriage pull up to the church or chapel? Cover up with blankets on the way to your reception or place where you are having your pictures done. You may also want to consider a sleigh if you're wedding is in the country. Hear the bells as you glide through the snow.

A white limo or car decorated in winter wedding colors is another option to consider. You may want to serve hot drinks as your guests enter the reception site. Serve brandy, Irish Cream, de menthe, Cream de cocoa, coffee with Irish Cream or Baileys, or hot apple cider. They can sit or stand by the crackling fire, as they chat and wait for the Bride and Groom.

For entertainment at your reception, think of different things to do. Guests dressed in long coats and tall hats could skate on a nearby rink or pond, while bride and groom have pictures done, or as a part of the reception. Some ideas for your winter reception meal include serving a butternut squash soup with roast beef and horseradish, roast duck or lamb, baby greens and new potatoes.

Have a flaming fig pudding and your wedding cake for dessert. Decorate your wedding cake with icicles and small silver bells, or green ivy and small red berries or roses. At the end of the evening give your guests wedding favors. Give tiny snow globes with a winter theme inside, spiced teas, gingerbread, potpourri, candles, and others.

Complete your winter wedding with a winter honeymoon. Ski in Aspen or the Canadian Rockies. Visit Austria or Switzerland for a true winter holiday.

Ken and Deidre Bissonette are successful authors and publishers of Wedding Information for the Bride and Groom http://www.weddingdresses-gifts-flowers.com

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Why Fuss Over Wedding Centerpieces Simple Ideas

Why Fuss Over Wedding Centerpieces - Simple Ideas
By Daisy May

Dreaming of having the perfect wedding is what every bride and groom wish for and why wouldnt they with all the time and effort they put into the preparations. Wedding plans and what goes on behind the scenes is very time consuming. Things like ordering the wedding bands, gown, and securing the date for the reception hall and chapel can all prove to be an ordeal, but if carefully thought out instead of leaving arrangements like this to the last minute then you can be sure of a smooth road ahead. Sometimes it is the little things that are overlooked that can cause the whole event to go pear shaped and one being is the absence of a centrepiece. Wedding centrepieces are beautiful embellishments that are extremely important. These eye catching pieces of work will add beauty where ever they are placed.

Centrepieces do not have to be the centre of attention on the day but if displayed with perfection in mind then expect surrounding areas to send out volumes of high tone attractiveness especially if the centrepiece is flowers.

Classical yet simple wedding centrepieces intend to evolve round flowers and ornaments. Flowers without doubt are a hot favourite for couples tying the knot because of the way the nature blooms add colour and project a lingering natural fragranced aroma. Check availability on flowers because they are seasonal and therefore your choice may have to be shipped in from another country.

Have an organiser come in early to arrange all flower displays; this will give you time to satisfy your curiosity of how they will look. Remember wrong blossoms can do more harm taking away beauty instead of enhancing it. Other ideal options for a wedding centrepiece are silver candelabras. If you are considering floating candles in a glass bowl then you have a guarantee of a pretty enough sight to take the limelight

Depending on where you marry centrepieces will differ, if the wedding ceremony is to be held in the garden then consider nature for your theme. Miniature birdhouses and flower baskets are fabulous items that can be used.

If after all those months of scrimping and scraping and you find your self still counting the pennies then budget wisely but do not fret. Have fresh fruit, just as sweet smelling as flowers but this way you get the best of both worlds where you have a centre piece juicy enough to eat.

A fabulous site for all wedding essentials is http://www.your-wedding-planning-help.com. If baking your own cake tickles your fancy then educate yourself on what you need to know http://www.allaboutonlineeducation.com.

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WorryFree Flowers For Destination Weddings

Worry-Free Flowers For Destination Weddings
By Andree Lapare

Imagine your wedding taking place on a beautiful beach in Hawaii, or at a ski lodge in Whistler Imagine yourself feeling happy, and glad youve made the decision to fly away to this perfect spot. If you are reading this article, chances are that you ARE planning a destination dream wedding, and that you soon realized that having such a wedding requires even more planning than if you stayed home. It's a worthwhile decision to make, but it requires extra planning and smart thinking to make it less stressful, with few last minute surprises.

Planning is stressful. Making sure that you will have the right bouquet waiting for you can be one source of stress. You dont know if the florist will have all the right flowers on hand to create the arrangement that you had ordered. What if the flowers start wilting half-way through your wedding ceremony because they werent fresh or refrigerated properly? If your wedding is taking place at an out-of-the-way location, getting specific flowers may be very hard to guarantee; unless you were referred to that florist by a happy bride, you really are placing your trust on someone you havent met. Seeing your bouquet on the morning of your wedding could be a disappointment.

Many destination brides are choosing to bring along their bouquets in their luggage.

Thats right! Because of an enormous improvement in high-end, premium silk flowers, they knew that their bouquets would look wonderful, and be perfectly botanically-correct. These bouquets are easy to pack, and still look great when unpacked. By choosing a great designer who works only with top-quality flowers, these women get the bouquet of their dreams, months in advance. One thing less to worry about now, and on their wedding day. Another advantage is that they can use them again for the reception when they get back home.

Its important to choose a designer that will work with you, customizing your arrangements as per your request, to help ensure your wedding will be picture-perfect, and a little bit less stressful. A good designer will work hard to ensure you get what you want, and will guarantee their work.

Andre Lapar is the owner and designer at Mulberry Design, http://www.mulberrydesign.ca, a small rural floral design company in Nova Scotia specializing in sophisticated, premium silk wedding bouquets and arrangements that make brides shine.

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Writing Wedding Vows Ideas That Will Help You Express What You Truly Feel

Writing Wedding Vows - Ideas That Will Help You Express What You Truly Feel
By Jean Bachcroft

More and more, couples are choosing to write their own wedding vows. Although many people believe that this is the best way to truly express their personal beliefs and feelings, often they are unsure about how to begin and what to include. If you would like to write your own wedding vows, here are some tips for writing vows that pledge the love you truly feel.

Inform your clergyman early

If the ceremony will be religious, let the clergyman know about your plans as soon as possible. If there are guide principles you will need to be aware of as you write your vows, the sooner you know what they are the better. This is also a good way to avoid possible conflicts between the beliefs of your house of worship and your own personal beliefs. If there is some disagreement between the two, you may need to adjust your plans or wording, or perhaps look for another clergyman.

Ask yourselves fundamental questions

Once youve taken that first step, begin by asking yourselves questions. These may include: What does marriage mean to us? Why are we marrying? What promises are most meaningful, and which ones are essential that we keep?

You may want to ask what words like love, honor, respect, faithfulness, forgiveness, honesty, fidelity, friendship, and trust mean to each of you. This exercise will help you to clarify your thoughts as well as express your true feelings toward each other, your expectations for the future, and your personal visions of your lives together in the future.

Focus on whats unique

An essential element of personalizing your wedding vows is expressing what is unique about the other person. Think about how you see each other and write down as many of the reasons for loving each other as you can verbalize. If your backgrounds are different, acknowledge this and promise to respect and honor your differences as well as your commitment to building bridges that will strengthen common grounds. If this is not a first marriage for one or both of you, you may want to talk about your faith in love and the bond that marriage creates between two people.

Dont get too personal

Keep in mind that exchanging wedding vows is as serious as it is meaningful. Your goal should not be to make your vows sound cute or amusing. Also, avoid suggestive language or phrasing.

And dont confuse personal feelings with private affairs. Topics having to do with money, conception and child-rearing, politics, or in-laws should not be included in wedding vows to be overheard by your guests.

Incorporating traditional pledges

Although much of what you will write will be unique to your relationship and therefore highly personalized, you may want to include meaning parts from traditional vows that are a part of your culture.

While most of the wording is their own, many couples continue to incorporate the familiar love, comfort, honor (though usually leaving out the obey part) wording into their vows.

Rehearse before your wedding day

Since this is a special occasion, you should give it all of the time and attention it deserves. Practice reading aloud what the two of you have written. This is the true test that what appears on paper is what you really intended to say, in the way you intended to say it. Rehearsing will also allow you to determine how long exchanging your vows will take and whether adjustments are needed. If the wording sounds awkward or if it is difficult to read, change it.

Dont rely solely on your memory

A case of nerves can strike unexpectedly, and at the most inopportune time, so make sure your precious words are written down. Once you are satisfied that your wedding vows express exactly what you wanted to say to each other, it is time to finalize your draft. The final copy, preferably two or three, should be printed using a fairly large font size, which will make it easier to read.

It is a good idea to give a copy to the clergyman, at least several days before the ceremony is to take place. If a severe case of nerves does strike, it may be he who will need to read your vows.

Personalize the whole ceremony

Aim to keep the time it takes to exchange your vows between one and three minutes. To extend the feeling of a ceremony that is a celebration of your unique love, have a family member or good friend offer a carefully selected prayer or reading as part of the ceremony. You can also choose music that is both appropriate for the occasion and especially meaningful to the two of you.

About the Author

Jean Bachcroft is a former public relations director, the founder of Bachcroft and Aloha Labels, and the publisher and editor-in-chief of Town and Country Shopping Bargains Magazine. For designer wedding, holiday, and year-round mailing and return address labels, visit Bachcroft Mailing and Return Address Labels and Aloha Return Address Labels.

For bargains and bargain shopping articles, visit Town and Country Shopping Bargains.

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Prepare for Your Marriage Not Just the Wedding

Prepare for Your Marriage, Not Just the Wedding
By Susanne Alexander

With literally hundreds of details to remember in preparing for a wedding, you might forget a very important step: marriage preparation, a research-proven step that contributes to lasting marriages. When we are madly in love and dreaming of special dresses and wedding music, it can be easy to think that marriage will be a perpetual honeymoon, filled with constant happy moments, romantic days and nights, and light-hearted fun. Actually, your marriage can be great and filled with joyful timeswith some preparation, key skills, and realistic expectations. Marriage education and preparation workshops, counseling/coaching, and books can be a great pre-marriage present from your family too!

Here are some options to consider:

- Engage in great in-depth discussions, using books that provide questions for couples to ask one another; such as, 365 Questions for Couples, The Hard Questions, or Marriage Can Be ForeverPreparation Counts! These kinds of discussions strengthen your friendship and ensure youre compatible. Important keys areas to discuss thoroughly before marriage include money, children, religion, family relationships, and more. If youre having difficulty with the discussions, you might consider asking a married couple to mentor you and assist you with the process.

- Know the character strengths that are important to you in a partner, and ensure your partner has them, so you are confident your marriage will be on a firm foundation. Character qualities that are vital in marriage include truthfulness, trustworthiness, faithfulness, courtesy, respect, helpfulness, and more. For more information on this topic, see Pure Gold: Encouraging Character Qualities in Marriage (Second Edition), (ISBN: 0-9726893-5-4)

- Assess your relationship/couple strengths and growth areas with the assistance of a trained counselor or relationship coach so that you know what skills you may need to continue developing as a couple.

- Learn vital communication skills that will have you avoid conflict and fighting with one another and reach effective agreements instead. A great resource for books, videos, and workshops is The Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP) (www.prepinc.com).

- Assess the activities you do together leading up to the wedding and choose to participate in ones that will strengthen your friendship and assist you to know one another well. Great choices include performing community service, spending time with friends and family members, practicing spiritual activities, or working on a project together.

- Develop a list together of your shared commitments for your marriage. You can include whatever practices are most important to you in sustaining your marriage, such as weekly dates, praying with one another, enjoying time with children, continuing your education, treating one another with courtesy and love, deciding how you will settle disagreements, and so on.

- Prepare a list of your assets and debts, and create a post-wedding budget for your lives together. Agree on how you will handle your money during your marriage. Money can be a key area for marital conflict, and you may prevent some of it with advance planning.

So, heres what there is to rememberyou are preparing for a wonderful wedding day, an event that marks your transition into marriage, something you want to last a lifetime. Preparing for the marriage is a great investment of time in your future.

Websites, such as http://www.lifeinnovations.com or http://www.foccusinc.com, can direct you to research-based, professional services.

Copyright 2006 Susanne M. Alexander

Susanne M. Alexander is a relationship coach and marriage educator, as well as author of Can We Dance? Learning the Steps for a Fulfilling Relationship and Pure Gold: Encouraging Character Qualities in Marriage. She is president of Marriage Transformation LLC (http://www.marriagetransformation.com).

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2006 Wedding Dress Trends

2006 Wedding Dress Trends
By Natalie Aranda

The ever-changing Bridal trends usually underestimate the importance on the Bride's budget that only a discount wedding dress may offer. In 2006, the hottest trend is diamond or rhinestone hair accessories, adopted from celebrities wearing diamond tiaras the year before.

However, for a bride with a limited budget such accessories can only be affordable when they can save a bit of extra money. As for an example, investing in a wholesale wedding dress instead of a designer wedding dress, so the right selection of a hairdo and the hair accessory itself will become the shimmering focus point of the attire.

Another trend widely adopted during 2006 is the use of hot colors for the wedding dress. When it comes to an informal wedding dress, the bride can even mix more than two colors in the attire. When we say hot colors, we are referring a real intensive ones, including deep orange and chocolate brown.

Although, it may be hard to find these colors available in a wholesale wedding dress, hot colors for brides have been used in Oriental marriage traditions for many centuries including red, the color of the imperial wedding gown worn in Hong Kong and Japan. In our Western Culture, the 2006 hot colors are paired with other pastel colors such pink, cream and blue.

Brides who marry near the end of the year may take advantage of getting a discount wedding dress in hot colors, as the proximity of the new trends will be around the corner. New trends also dictate color in unexpected places, incorporating color into their look using colored crinoline underskirt or wearing shoes with details in contrasting colors.

Metallic embroidery and fabrics in a wedding dress are trendy this year adding embellishment even to an informal wedding dress. This shimmering look resembles the trend of Vogue during 2005, so it may be easier to find a good wholesale wedding dress with such characteristics.

The old tradition of bride's monograms placed on everything, from underwear to invitations, is over now. 2006 trends remark the importance of creating wedding logos designed by the couple, generally made of any element other than their initials, names, letters or traditional wedding elements.

The disadvantage of this is that you cannot stick a logo on a wholesale wedding dress, contrary to a monogram, that once embroidered to the fabric; it makes the gown resemble a designer wedding dress.

Wedding dress trends as of 2006 includes donating your wedding dress after the ceremony to help hurricane and earthquake victims from all over the world, so brides can also make a difference with a generous charitable attitude.

Natalie Aranda writes on family and relationship. Brides who marry near the end of the year may take advantage of getting a discount wedding gown in hot colors, as the proximity of the new trends will be around the corner. New trends also dictate color in unexpected places, incorporating color into their look using colored crinoline underskirt or wearing shoes with details in contrasting colors. Another trend widely adopted during 2006 is the use of hot colors for the wedding dress. When it comes to an informal wedding dress, the bride can even mix more than two colors in the attire.

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