Many brides I have met have been very concerned about the way they will look going down the aisle and standing in front of everyone as the center of attention for those twenty to twenty five minutes of the ceremony. Some obsess about their looks. Many go on diets. In fact there are diet programs posted on wedding sites on the internet and in chapters in wedding books for women who want to lose mega pounds before their wedding. It’s like they believe they will be judged by everyone in attendance and pronounced “ugly.” Or if they don’t look like the model on the cover of a bride’s magazine, their groom and his entire family will get up and leave the wedding.

Whoa! Let’s take an honest look at this and try to put it into perspective.

Your groom fell in love with you just the way you are. In his eyes you are already beautiful and he most likely doesn’t want you to change. In fact he’s probably wondering what all the big fuss is about.
So what, if someone in the group of family or guests has a thought about an imperfection or two? Who really cares? It’s their problem if they’re judging you, not your problem. There is a wonderful saying that should be taken to heart, “What other people think of me is none of my business.” Sitting in judgment of you or anyone else is their business and not yours. Your mother may have been telling you to fix your hair a different way, to stand up straight, to lose a few pounds — that’s what mothers do. But she will be the one who thinks you are the most beautiful and will tell everyone she meets, and show pictures to prove it, how beautiful you were for your wedding.

Your wedding is a joyful celebration of the love between you and your groom. It is not a beauty contest.

The truth is that each bride has this wonderful glow that love gives her — a radiance and a dazzling beauty that make-up, hair dos, and dieting cannot provide. Absolutely, do what you want to do to be beautiful on your special day – go to the spa and the hairdresser. Get a manicure and a pedicure. Do all those things that women do to look their best. But know, with great confidence, that you will be beautiful and your man will never forget how you looked as you walked toward him to become his wife.

Irene Conlan has a masters degree in nursing, a doctoral degree in metaphysics, is a certified hypnotherapist and an ordained minister. She practices holistic hypnotherapy and officiates at weddings in Scottsdale, Az and the Phoenix metropolitan area. Irene can be found at: http://www.thepowerzone.com (Hypnotherapy Downloads) http://www.yourscottsdalewedding.com (Scottsdale Weddings) http://your-scottsdale-wedding.com (Wedding Blog)

Movies like “runaway bride” and the recent news in the media about brides walking away from their pending nuptials has captured our attention in more than one way.
What is behind this “Cold Feet” concept? I am sure the root cause is some psychological reason for both men and women which terrifyies them to take the plunge into holy matrimony. Leaving the Bride or Groom at the alter and undoing months of wedding planning and expense is far more serious than the normal anxiety attacks suffered by an average person.

As many studies and surveys show that contrary to the popular perception of happy bride or Groom to be before the wedding many women and men find this time of transition a very trying and stressful period in their life and some go to the extreme of not going through with the wedding at all. Our Society has experimented with many ways to cope with the fear of commitment, the most popular and now an accepted norm is living together before any kind of serious long term commitment.

The point is if there is more than normal panic attacks involved here then the whole relationship needs to be examined carefully before taking the plunge into marriage(and before the pending Wedding day).

If the both the parties involved sit together and take a look at the practical aspect of the relationship as opposed to emotional then this anxiety and concern can be addressed in a much more constructive way and will save loads of heartache and embarrassment for everybody involved. To have a long lasting and fruitful union in any form it is best to get the little issues out of the way and then the big issues will be resolved in the same manner. The key is communication. If you communicate your fears and concerns beforehand, there will be no body alone at the altar on the Wedding day.

This article is brought to you by courtesy of http://www.weddingfavorsandgiftideas.com, etailer of quality wedding favors, wedding party gifts and ideas, bridesmaid and groomsmen gifts, personalized favors, unique wedding favors and much more for the budget concious bride.

As we are catapulted into the 21st century and envelope ourselves in all its modern comforts, we inadvertently leave behind some pleasurable traditions that would leave one trembling with excitement and anticipation – traditions that are worthy of preservation and cultivation. The art of writing a love letter should be nurtured and perfected when one wants the romance to grow and flower.

The love letter can fire the imagination of the one who is writing it as well as the one who receives it. The pleasure of imagining different ways to write about your love and passion is just part of the joy. Sharing that imagination with your chosen through the written word rounds out the experience.

A love letter need not be pages and pages of gushing mush, either. Think of whatever delightful, decadent, even naughty expressions that would ignite the mind and strike flaming anticipation in the body. Build up your vocabulary to include a variety of words to describe the intimacy or the sensual nocturnal games you could share.

The letter may describe what pleasures await when you next meet or feelings of love and tenderness. Take the time to tailor your letter for the moment. If a bit of romance is the order of the day, start your letter by using adjectives like darling, dear heart, my love. Go on to express tender feelings and how it is for you when you spend intimate moments with your chosen. It’s a marvelous way to set the tone for moments of soft, sweet, loving time together.

Perhaps a more primal experience is what’s called for. Strong words that send the pleasure points strumming with rapture would impart exactly the sort of nightly carnal delights that could be in store. Beginning the letter with words that flatter your chosen would let him know of what sort of naughty fun he can expect.

One scenario could be played out like this: You are leaving your love nest before your mate. You won’t see him until the day is done. Take your lipstick and write on the mirror what luscious delights are in store when you two next meet. An unfettered love letter scented with a fragrance you know him to enjoy, peeking out a pair of lacy undies it and left next to his pillow will have his mind reeling with possibilities.

Exploring this undervalued tool is a sweet way to weave romance, enchantment and desire with your mate. There are no boundaries within the imagination. Set it free and discover the joys of the love letter.

Carol Norda’s specializes in writing about romance and dating as well as other sexually enriching topics not usually found elsewhere. Visit Carol Norda’s website, http://www.temptingkiss.com for more information.

Going to Nottingham for your stag party? Make sure to bring a lifejacket because although this town beats from the heart of the UK you don’t want to be left to drown in a sea of lips and curves – rumour has it the women (renowned for their blistering good looks) outnumber men 5:1 in Nottingham so dive in head first – if you can handle it.

An endless number of pubs line the streets so you won’t go thirsty enjoying your stag nights – and because hunger is never an option, you’ll find a plethora of places to sate your appetite and calm your cravings – whatever they may be. Tons of restaurants are bursting with great food for every taste.

The nightlife could put the best global hot spots to shame sizzling the whole night through without stopping for a breath, a moment or a second thought. Now that I think of it, toss all your thoughts in the toilet and flush them away – at least for stag nights/bachelor party celebrations. Leave your inhibitions at home and you will appreciate all that stag nights in Nottingham have to offer.

Nottingham

Why the scorching clubs and crowds so perfect for stag nights? Swarms of young people inject raw fun and energy into the city of Nottingham, rocking the nightclubs and partying the nights away in good old English fashion.

Nottingham also boasts top-notch live music venues and comedy clubs, and you can find an endless array of activities to liven up your stag nights. Go clay shooting, karting, paintballing, golfing – whatever fires up your masculine impulses and gets you revved up for the big day.

For stag nights that will pick you up, turn you upside down and drag you about town make your way to Nottingham, the legendary town of Robin Hood – grab a horde of your own merry men and you won’t be disappointed.

Visit chillisauce at http://www.chillisauce.co.uk/stag-weekends/nottingham/ to learn more – they are a fully bonded tour operator that will plan the perfect stag nights for you and your friends. You won’t be disappointed so visit them soon to find out more about stag nights in Nottingham.

Beach Theme

A romantic stroll down a white sandy beach with the cool breeze brushing against your face and the orange glow of the sunset behind your back is what we envision for those that are having a beach themed wedding. It is not complete without the necessities that make it a beach wedding. Start off with a “message in a bottle” invitation to casually invite your guest to a beautiful outdoors event. The highlight of the wedding are the guests arriving to see aisles of chairs decorated with garlands of fresh flowers in season and the waves crashing in front of them.Definitely a lei is a must for the couple to be as they stand and exchange their vows. Guests can enjoy the outdoors sea mist as they sit lightly fanning themselves with a sandalwood fan. To end a beautiful occasion, guests can go home with a memory of all this, with wedding favors such as tin pails filled with seashell potpourri or an elegant silver sea shell favor. It is a day that the bride and groom eagerly await for and happily will remember and cherish.

Garden Theme

A traditional quaint garden wedding brings tradition to modern times. If you are having a garden themed wedding, it doesn’t necessary mean it needs to be outdoors. A modern edition of a traditional garden wedding can be substituted with great accessories. Create a floral ambience with fresh flowers in bloom all around the ceremony or reception location. Having plenty of flowers is a must to recreate a garden theme wedding if you want to play to your guests’ senses. Add some twinkling lights across the ceiling for a romantic ambience. Small furry critters are a great accessory to table settings such as butterflies, lady bugs, or bees. Line the walk ways with candles such as luminary tea light bags or have real trees or plants and hang some candles on the branches with hanging votive holders. Guests will happily end the occasion by bringing home some great wedding favors such as a mini pear candle that reads “The Perfect Pair” or a mini handbag filled with pear scented potpourri.

Wine Theme Weddings

Great food, friends, and wine are the ingredients to a great wine theme wedding. If having your wedding at the wine country is not within your budget, a recreation of the exquisite ambience can be done wherever you may be having your wedding. Grapes and more grapes are always a must to create a wine theme atmosphere. Have accessories on the table such as grape vineyard place card holders to seat your guest accordingly for that added special touch. Play off the theme with vibrant colors of deep maroon and gold or light ivory and gold depending on which wines you love, the reds or the whites. Make sure to fully stock your bar with plenty of wines from various parts of the country. Have guests nibble on appetizers to compliment the various wines. Lastly, have special toasting glasses or wine stoppers engraved with your guest’s name so they can always remember your special day.

Copyright Tracy Yang, 2005. All rights reserved.

Reprint Rights: You may use this article as long as you include the author’s copyright and link to the author’s website.

Tracy Yang is the creative director for HansonEllis.com. The place for unique wedding favors and bridal shower gifts for your special event.

Whatever your taste or theme, coffee favors have a variety of styles and flavors to choose from. With some companies even personalizing the packs with the bride & groom’s names and date or special custom message. Increasing in popularity over the last five years, wedding coffee favors are the new traditional wedding favor. If you’re looking for a unique, personalized or highly customizable wedding favor – coffee (or drink) wedding favors should be a wedding favor to consider.

But what if some of your guests’ don’t drink coffee? The same personalization options, designs and themes are available in cappuccino favors , hot chocolate / cocoa favors , cosmopolitan and margarita cocktail mix favors to tea wedding favor designs. There are beach theme, floral designs, fall or winter scenes, plus many other chic styles that usually play on words, such as “The Perfect Blend” Coffee or “A Tea-lightful Couple”.

If handing out just a packet of coffee just doesn’t seem enough, you can couple it with a silver plated coffee scoop, place both in an organza bag, and you have an instant do it yourself wedding favor. Not only will your guests be able to enjoy a delicious gourmet cup of coffee, but they will also have a highly useful coffee scoop to use for the rest of their lives.

Here are some more ideas for coffee and drink wedding favors:

• Coffee Mugs: They can be imprinted with a picture, graphic, your names & date, or they can be a simple design. A bag of coffee can be placed inside and the whole package wrapped in organza, tulle, or cellophane.
• Bags of Gourmet Coffee or Gourmet Cappuccino – Bags of gourmet of flavored coffee can be imprinted with the happy couple’s details and wrapped in decorative packaging.
• Coffee & Cookies: Pair a packet of coffee with a couple of cookies for a delicious edible wedding favor treat.
• Coffee & Chocolates: There are not many coffee drinkers who would turn down an elegant chocolate or truffle to enjoy alongside their coffee. Add a few high quality chocolates, truffles, chocolate covered stir sticks, chocolate covered almonds or chocolate covered coffee beans for an irresistible coffee wedding favor treat!
• Coffee & Accessories: Couple a packet of coffee with some of the unique accessories available on the wedding favor market today. For a romantic touch, you can add a heart shaped coffee scoop. For a more traditional feel, add a round coffee scoop. Or to give the gift of relaxation while your guests enjoy their gourmet coffee, you can add a java scented coffee cup candle!
• Coffee & Coasters: Another popular trend in wedding favors is coaster favors. Coffee favors pair beautifully with coasters. Simply warp the coasters with the coffee for an upscale wedding favor idea.
• Drink Gift Sets: If you want to give your guests a bit more of variety, you can combine coffee, tea, cappuccino and a hot chocolate favor together in a mug, bag, or box. Add a scoop, candy, chocolate, or a coffee accessory for even more fun!
• A “Drink” Wedding Favor Gift Table: If you’re not sure who likes what, you can create a wedding favor gift table by the exit doors. Take a few decorative boxes, and stack a different type of drink in each box (coffee, cappuccino, tea, cocktail mixes, hot cocoa) . You could also include favor accessories (scoops, stir sticks, marshmallows in decorative bags, chocolates, cookies in decorative bags, etc…) and have guests help themselves before they leave. A bit more expensive idea and there is always a chance you may have a greedy guest or two who takes more than one of each.

The Diamond Lights package boasts a bottle of champagne, Mandalay Bay champagne flutes, deluxe fruit basket, a bouquet each for the bride and maid of honor, a boutonniere each for the groom and best man, a bridal garter, complete photographic coverage of the wedding party and immediate family, a wedding album containing 24 4×6 photographs, a personalized leather album containing 12 8×10 photographs, 12 5×7 photographs, a DVD recording, a unity candle and service and a custom holder for the wedding certificate.

The Platinum Skies package includes the above bouquets and boutonnieres, bridal garter, bottle of champagne with Mandalay Bay champagne flutes and custom holder for the wedding certificate. It also contains a video recording of the ceremony, a pianist and the minister’s fee. The wedding album contains 24 4×6 photographs and another ten 5×7 photographs is included in this Mandalay Bay wedding package.

The Opal Shores package is very similar to the Platinum Skies package but it doesn’t include the maid of honour’s bouquet or the best man’s boutonniere. The photography for this package consists of a wedding album containing 20 4×6 photographs and six 5×7 photographs.

The Crystal Waters package comprises a small bouquet for the bride, boutonniere for the groom, bridal garter, bottle of champagne, custom holder for the wedding certificate, pianist and minister’s fee. The photography consists of a wedding album with 20 4×6 photographs.

Whichever wedding package you choose, you’re sure to have a day to remember. Viva Las Vegas!

Want To Plan A Mandalay Bay Wedding?
For more information on Mandalay Bay wedding packages, visit Susan Jones’ exciting Mandalay Bay wedding package site today!

Traditionally, you’ll be doing the two step. Basically that means pick a song that you can sway and take two steps to as you stand on the floor. This can be really sweet but really… you can do that any old time. Come on guys, shake your tail feathers!

If you have the least ability to dance and you’re willing to have some fun, learn to dance one very special number. Hire a choreographer if you need one. Show off your ability to dance.

If you’ve only danced modern dances, you’ll find that ballroom dances are truly a blending of the skills of two people. You need to work with your partners strengths and catch the rhythm together. It may take a lot of practice so that you move and look beautiful together. After all, dancing should be beautiful to watch as well as execute.

Of all the ballroom dances, the waltz is the favorite for weddings. It is fun and easy to learn. It is also easy to dance in a wedding gown. Classic music choices include the Blue Danube Waltz or the Skater’s Waltz. If you want to use more modern music, adaptations have been made of quite a number of songs as well, which may include your favorite love song. Moon River and The Way You Look Tonight are just two of the songs used as alternatives.

The foxtrot is another well loved dance for weddings. Couples can move slowly to the strains of Someone to Watch Over Me or more quickly to Cheek to Cheek. This is a more lively dance than the waltz but still has that romantic feel to it.

Of course if you really dance well together, don’t be shy about it! Why not go for the drama of a tango and heat up the floor. Make it absolutely scorching!

Whichever dance you choose, have fun! Allow yourselves to be Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in your very own dance. Practice hard and don’t forget to keep the dresses in mind. Get the party started the right way… with you having a blast!

When sizing maternity bridal gowns, make your sizing selection based on your Pre-Pregnancy Size. Dresses and gowns are cut to flatter your pregnancy shape but your “size” remains the same. We also recommmend that you “size up” if you are between sizes. Your wedding may also include children (yours or your fiance’s), and you may want to select a color theme that will correspond to your childrens attire.

White stretch lace maternity bridal gowns with a silky white liner are a perfect fit for your growing body. Fully lined dresses with support under the bust accentuate your shape. You may want to choose from designer styles like Italian, Empire, Renaissance, or Titanic gowns, which are absolutly perfect for moms-to-be! Most pregnancy bodices and gowns are designed to be durable, breathable and most importantly, comfortable.

Wedding Dresses for Maternity Brides

It would be different if they did something productive, but all they do is sit around watching TV, playing video games, and listening to music. None of them have wives or serious girlfriends, except my husband so I know they talk about other women, too.

We’ve only been married a year, and I already feel like we’re slipping into an old married couple relationship. A lot of fussing–and not much good communication. I’m afraid we won’t make it past year two. What can I do to make him want to spend more time with me?

J. N.

A. It is important that you and your husband spend a good amount of time together, especially as you guys are still learning what marriage is all about. But breaking up the boys club could be disastrous to your marriage. So I would not recommend telling your husband to cut his friends off completely, unless they are encouraging him to be unfaithful to you or contributing to addictive behaviors.

I know it can be annoying if your husband seems like he’d rather spend time with his buddies instead of you, but you’ll need to give him some rope. Whatever you do, don’t nag him about his time with his friends and let it be a constant source of bickering. Be clear that you want to spend more time with him, but let your actions be positive.

Here are three positive actions you can take:

1. Encourage the boys to meet in your house. Make his friends feel welcome in your home, make snacks (if you like to cook), and give them room to do their thing.

2. Suggest regular dates with your husband. Fill his social calendar at least once or twice a week with a planned activity that you two can share together. These dates don’t have to be expensive or overly involved. They can be as simple as a walk in the park or coffee at you local coffee shop. You can initiate until he feels the need to do more of the planning.

3. Another solution would be to set his friends up. I know that it’s a little sneaky and risky, but it can work. If they’re just two or three of them, have monthly mixers (or get-togethers) in your home with them and some of your single girlfriends. Who knows, they may hit it off, thereby freeing up some of your husband’s time.

A combination of these three suggestions, will probably work best. They’ll broaden your social life and deepen your relationship with each other. I hope these ideas have been helpful. I’m wishing you all the best in your marriage!

Keishia Lee-Louis is the Editor and Publisher of http://www.Married4Good.com Her work has appeared on iVillage.com, BibleResourceCenter.com, and in numerous other printed publications.

Currently, she lives with her husband, daughter and son in the metro Atlanta area. She is writing a book on marriage and relationships, which will be published Spring 2006.

If you’d like to see more of her work, visit http://married4good.blogspot.com