Due to time constraints, we are considering selling this blog. If you are interested in buying eWeddingTalk.com, please email us at eweddingtalk@gmail.com with your offer.
Thank you.
In the western tradition, before a man proposes to his woman, there is the underlying rule that he must meet his future father-in-law and ask for permission. The meeting is generally awkward. This is unlike any other meeting between two men. One man is generally so nerve wrecked and the other man oftentimes has no clue as to what the other one is up to. When the words come out, the future father-in-law is either shocked or joyful. If it is the latter, the father-in-law welcomes the to-be-groom into his family, they shake hands, and hug.
So, why is it that the groom has to ask for permission to be welcomed into the bride’s family? Shouldn’t it be the same for the bride also? Shouldn’t the bride-to-be ask for groom’s family’s permission in the name of “equality”?
Perhaps this is a burden the groom must bear to be the “man” of the future household since the bride is the one that must give more up in terms her individual identity.
If you’re a celebrity singer, you insure your voice and if you’re a professional athelete, you insure your body. If you’re like me and everyone else on this planet, we insure our properties such as our cars and homes, or insure certain events in our lives such as critical illness and traveling abroad. Nowadays, the trend is insuring your weddings.
I never insured my wedding, but I’ve read that wedding insurance could cost from $100 to $1,000 depending on the type of coverage. The coverage could be for damage to wedding halls and reception facilities or cancelation due to bad weather such as snowstorms. I could see protecting yourself from the “day after” the reception if you have intoxicated guests that caused damage to the reception hall. Some even insure against the possibility of a “change of heart” by either the bride or the groom.
Wow… insurance is smart, and it’s especially good protection for individuals who have a lot at stake in the event. We always hope for the best but rarely plan for the worst, especially on our wedding day.
Today I came across this unique ”letterpress” boutique shop (Bella Figura) that prints, amongst other things, wedding invitations. The shop is quite unique in that it uses old-fashion printing machines with antique cast-iron presses to add a special old-fashion touch with fine artistic calligraphy. In keeping with the theme of “green” decisions from my earlier entry, the shop is 100% wind-powered and carbon neutral. It also supports the environment by donating 1% of its sales to the “1% for the Planet” cause.
Following are some wedding invitation samples:
The Nantucket design:
The “Printemps” design (btw, “printemps” means “spring” in French):
Special promotion for our readers: If you order their products, you can get a 10% discount by using this reference code: EWTPR1 (valid up to December 31, 2007).
Being green is an “in” thing these days. No wonder, when you have celebrities advocating the issue, it’s hard not to get into the hype. If you want to contribute to this cause, following are some suggestions. You can either aim for a completely green wedding (i.e., using recyclable supplies and minimalist decor with lots of green plants) or simply add ”green” favours to give to your guests (such as bamboo plants, which will last a long time and will likely not be thrown out in the trash).
Not only would the green theme be eco-friendly, it could even save you money because you’d be in a “minimalist” mode as opposed to “going all out” !!!
Actually, if you cannot afford a big rock, you can simply give her your love. That’s enough for many women. But if you’re stuck with one of those that really want something to impress their friends and family members, you may have no choice but to head to the only place in the U.S. where you are allowed to dig up your own diamond. That’s right! Whatever you find is yours, that is, if you can find something.
According to the article referenced below, more than 700 diamonds have been found this year at the Crater of Diamonds park. Actually, I was wrong… That park is not the only place in the U.S. that allows people to find and keep diamonds. It’s the only place in the world!!! That’s the American dream!
Giving gifts can sometimes be a guessing game, especially when you really feel the obligation to give something that the recipient could use and perhaps needs (i.e., you don’t want to give gifts that will end up in the bride’s and groom’s basement). Also, wedding gifts should be things that both the bride and groom can use.
Recently, I came across a potential gift that could be useful for the wedding registry and could be given to both the bride and groom… ultra soft towels. The towels that I’m referring to are called “Micro Cotton.” They absorb water very fast and dry very fast as well. Also, they don’t give off lint the first few weeks when you use them and… the softness lasts. These can come in handy especially after a warm bubble bath.
Seating arrangements at wedding receptions tend to always have couples sit together at tables with other couples. The arrangements often go like this: elders together, family together, young couples together, and then… singles together.
I’m not sure why there’s this “singles” table rule. Ok, I understand that when you seat people, you seat them together in accordance with common interests, age, etc. But, why is there this unspoken rule that singles should sit together? What if there are no common denominators other than the single status? Sure, the idea for this is to allow singles to meet, chat with other singles, ”hit it off,” and hopefully become a couple… because that’s what a wedding reception is about right? Celebrating (and even encouraging) ”couple” status. This singles table rule presupposes that every single person at the table wants to be “coupled.” But what if that’s not the case? What if the single person has friends from the couples table and would have preferred spending the night with his/ her friends? After all, a wedding reception is about having fun, right?
Being put at a singles table could make one feel obliged to befriend, converse, and “hook-up” with persons they may not want to associate with. This could make one feel awkward and even offended because it ”singles” them out as being “single.”
Like everything else in Chinatown, you can really get a bargain. This applies to wedding cakes also. My friend got a two-layer (15″, 17″) round wedding cake for a fraction of the price she could have gotten elsewhere ($250). The cakes come in various fruit flavors and fresh butter cream. Yes, butter cream!! Not bad if you’re on a tight budget, right?
Food at wedding receptions should taste good. This simple concept should never be forgotten. This should hold true for wedding cakes as well.
However, it appears that nowadays, couples go all out choosing a wedding cake that looks extravagant and delicately decorated while forgetting about the real purpose of the cake, which is not decoration but is meant to be eaten. I’ve seen couples spend over $1,500 on a cake, and you kinda wonder what they’re thinking. These cakes would be packed with layers and layers of fine crafted flowers of all sorts and fondant satin icing that makes the cake have a sharp glossy look (and is used presumably to help the cake keep its shape since using butter cream would be too soft and the decorations wouldn’t hold). With the ”fla-fla” on the cake, I can’t image cutting that cake because it just looks… well sooo beautiful (it appears to me that most couples order such expensive cakes mainly to display the “wow” factor so common in today’s culture where each wedding has to surpass previous ones). Not only that, I can’t image eating such cakes because I just don’t like the taste of fondant icing (which is hard icing and which most cakes will be topped with)… because to me, cake icing should be made of soft buttery cream, and not hard candy-like tasting molasse.
Aside from the fact that most couples go for the “look” when they choose a wedding cake, these cakes are often overpriced. I guess it’s because it takes so much time and talent to craft each design on the cake. To me, at the end of the day, you’re going to have to eat the cake because cakes are desserts - and desserts are meant to be eaten. So, if it is made to be eaten, taste should be the overriding factor. Don’t you agree?