Wedding On A Budget

Gina Brown

Traditionally, the bride's family paid for the costs of a wedding while the groom would incur the expense of the honeymoon. These days it is not uncommon to find many couples paying for their own wedding from their own funds. However, you don't have to spend a fortune or go into debt to have a beautiful wedding. Determine the amount of your budget and stick to it. Keep track of all your expenses and receipts in a folder or binder so that you can stay organized and accurately keep track of where your money is going. Here are some helpful tips to help you stay within your wedding budget.

Wedding Dress
• Avoid overly elaborate dresses because they will be more expensive.
• Choose a floor sample dress and just have it dry cleaned if necessary.
• Look for your dress during prom and homecoming or consider wearing a bridesmaid dress. You can find a beautiful white or cream colored dress during that would be perfect for a wedding at a fraction of the cost of a traditional wedding dress.
• Look at consignment shops and the classified ads. Wedding dresses are generally only worn once so you can get a gently used dress at a huge cost savings.

Reception
• Keep the number of guests down. You and the groom should look at the first draft of the guest list and carefully consider who can be taken off the list.
• Have a cash bar instead of an open bar. Or you can also just provide wine and beer to keep the costs down.
• Hold the ceremony and reception in the same location. You will be able to cut the cost of the location for the ceremony, decorations and transportation to the reception site.

Flowers
• Purchase your flowers wholesale and just pay for the labor of a professional florist to arrange them.
• Arrange the flowers yourself. A bouquet made of all roses with a little eucalyptus filler and tied with ribbon makes a stunning bouquet and you do not need to be a professional to put this together.

Photography
• Find a photographer with reasonable hourly rates and pay only for the time to do your formal poses. You can then designate friends or family to take the candid shots throughout the rest of the reception.
• Put disposable cameras at each table with a note asking guests to take pictures to help you capture memories.

Invitations
• Print your own invitations using your home computer. Visit your local arts and crafts store or search online and purchase a do-it-yourself invitation kit.

Miscellaneous
• Make your own wedding favors. Wrap up jordan almonds or other candies in lace and tie with ribbon pre-printed with your names and wedding date.
• Keep the number of chosen bridesmaids and groomsmen to a minimum or choose not to have them at all. This will keep the rehearsal dinner cost down as well as eliminate the need to buy groomsmen and bridesmaid gifts.



http://www.articlegeek.com/home/marriage_articles/22989-weddingonbudget.htm

Have A Simple, Small, Green Wedding

by Debra Lynn Dadd


A wedding is one of life's major rites of passage. It is certainly something to celebrate! Today, wedding books and magazines promote large weddings so that more and more wedding products can be sold. Wedding expenditures run into many thousands of dollars. And after this major outlay of money, most of what is purchased is never used again.

On the Spring Equinox 2004, my ex-husband (yes, that's right! my ex-husband!) Larry and I remarried. We had been together for almost seventeen years, and had divorced several years ago when our relationship problems seemed impossible to resolve. But we still loved each other, so we figured out what to do to make things better, and are now happier than ever.

In planning our wedding, we wanted to keep it simple, small, and full of meaning. We wanted a ceremony and celebration that would be easy to prepare for and manage. We wanted an intimate occasion, surrounded by our closest friends who would participate with us in the intention of our union. And as we planned our wedding, we used the same guidelines for health and the environment that we practice in our daily home life.

Since most books and articles are about planning big weddings, I want to offer some tips on planning another sort of wedding that can be beautiful and meaningful in it's own way.

* Make it your day. Each wedding can and should be a unique expression of the couple getting married. So create the day just the way you want it, to please the two of you.

* Choose the wedding traditions that are important to you. When it comes right down to it, the essentials of a wedding are the two people to be married, the minister or justice of the peace who performs the ceremony, the ceremony itself, and the guests who witness it. Everything else is decoration and tradition. Learn about wedding traditions and choose to do those that will make your day special.

* Write your own ceremony. The entire reason for having a wedding, really, is the ceremony. The most important aspect of a wedding is not the decorations, but the vows and intentions that are stated in the ceremony and that you give to each other. Research the time-honored patterns to wedding ceremonies and follow this pattern in your own personal way.

* Invite meaningful guests. When you have a small number of guests, you can spend more time with them and really experience their presence. Minimum is just the two of you, the minister, and a witness. Invite family and friends with whom you have real relationships. Eliminate those that might be invited out of social obligation.

* Have your wedding at home, either indoors or in your garden, or in a park. Rather than spending a lot of money on floral arrangements, we put that money into tidying up our back yard and planting perennial flowers that we are still enjoying today.

Looking back on our wedding day, we are very pleased with our simple, small wedding. We were able to relax and enjoy the day and experience the love and support of our best friends. Best of all, we still had energy left for the honeymoon...


http://www.debraslist.com/freecontent/fca_simplewedding.html

The Easy Way to Drop 5 Pounds in One Week!

Do you have a big event coming up? Maybe you're a bride to be, or perhaps you're heading off to a vacation at the beach. You want your body to look it's very best, but you're carrying around a few extra pounds. Don't despair -- there are ways to shed that unwanted weight quickly, easily and safely!
Leek Soup Technique

One technique that's often used by French women is leek soup. Simply simmer a large pot of leeks in water until they're soft. Eat this for three days. You can also have vegetables, fruits, and water or herbal tea. After three days of eating primarily leek soup, then you can start adding healthy, low calorie fare to your meals like lean protein such as fish or skinless chicken. You'll find that after a week of eating like this, you're at least five pounds lighter!
Juice Diets

Many people wanting to lose weight quickly try fasts or juice diets. If you'd like to do this for yourself, it's important to do it right. A juice diet can help your body detox and shed excess weight quickly, but it should not be followed for longer than a few days. Choose juices that don't contain sugar, and that feature a blend of healthy fruits and vegetables. For three days, drink nothing but water and your juices. After three days, introduce light, low-calorie foods in small portions back to your diet.
Cardio

While you're dieting, it's crucial to jumpstart your metabolism with cardiovascular exercise. Be sure to get at least 30 minutes of cardio at least three times a week. This will ensure that you're burning calories and staying strong.
Tips to Increase Your Weightloss Success

Regardless of what kind of diet you choose, there are some things that can help increase your success. Along with regular exercise, be sure to drink plenty of healthy liquids like water and herbal tea. Try adding lemon to your water for an added Vitamin C boost.

Be sure you stay away from sugar, processed foods, red meat, dairy, and empty carbs like white breads. Your regular diet should consist of primarily vegetables and fruits. For carbs, eat only whole grain, nuts and seeds. If you must eat meat, stick to lowfat choices like fish, chicken, or lean red meat in small doses. Dairy is important for healthy bones, but during your diet you should avoid it. If you must have dairy products, stick to low or no fat.

By finding a diet plan that's right for you and choosing wisely when it comes to food, you can drop five pounds in as little as a week and be ready to fit into that little bikini or gorgeous gown!

by:dotcomwomen.com

Tips for Dining Out When on a Diet

Eating out has become more of a necessity than a luxury, with busy Moms juggling their work with household chores. But the variety of choices available when choosing to dine out make your carefully followed diet routine fall apart in no time. But that need not be the case always. Dining out does not necessarily mean eating unhealthy. Some smart choices will make dining out a wonderful affair without ruining your diet.
Eat at Healthy Dining Restaurants

A variety of eating places have now classified themselves under recognized Healthy Dining programs. Canada's 'Eat Smart' is one such program which recognizes top restaurants for providing healthier menus. These restaurants include a lot of vegetables and fruits in their menus along with low fat cooking options for most items listed on their menu. Many other restaurants will also oblige to a 'low fat' cooking request to please their customers.
Avoid 'Cream-Based' Foods

This applies to soups and sauces. 'Cream of' soups are richer soups with more fat and calories. Lighter soups will be filling as well as healthier. When ordering Pastas, opt for tomato or mushroom based sauces rather than creamy sauces. Tomatoes and Mushrooms will also add to your Veggie count!
Order Meals Planned Around Vegetables, Not Meat

Rather than ordering meat with a vegetable side dish, order a meal featuring vegetables in the main course. Pasta, Noodles, Salads, Stir-Fried Vegetables, Veggie Pizza, Fruit and vegetable based soups, Tacos etc. are good choices. Alternatively, order at least one vegetable dish, a serving of fresh fruits or a glass of juice with your meal.
Choose Your Breads Carefully

Go for plain bread and rolls instead of butter and cheese smeared slices. Make your meal healthier by choosing fibre rich breads such as whole wheat or tortillas etc. Choose soft textured vegetables and main course to go with plain breads so you don't feel the need to add butter or other fat.
Reduce the Fat in Your Order

Opting for Lean meat, grilled fish, chicken wings, baked potato etc. instead of the regular fried chicken, fish fillet, French fries etc. will considerably reduce the amount of calories in your meal. Go for sub sandwiches, pizzas, wraps etc. to make the foods more filling. When ordering salad, order dressings and sour cream on the side so you can control the amount yourself. Look for items that are baked, grilled, steamed, poached, broiled or sautéed. Go for mustard as opposed to mayonnaise or other sauces.
Control the Portions

Restaurant portions are way too much than what you would normally eat at home. Let your body guide you to stop when you are full. You can order the rest of the meal to be taken home as a parcel. Sharing your meals will save you a lot many calories as well as dollars.
Watch What You Drink

It is easy to lose count of the soda cans you empty when discussing matters over a meal at a restaurant table. But that can cost you a lot many extra pounds so make it a point to limit your soda. Choosing alcohol-free drinks can help reduce calories considerably. Tea without sugar or even green tea is a great option to accompany your meals. And whatever happened to good old water. Why not choose plain water to rinse your palette between courses without putting on any calories.

by:dotcomwomen.com