Try out some of these suggestions by Christina Laun to give you a boost when you’re feeling sleepy or to prevent tiredness altogether. These are great to consider during around the time you are preparing for your wedding. It will keep you full of energy during your special day.

Basics

Give these basic techniques a try for increased energy throughout the day.

1. Turn on the lights. Your body responds naturally to changes in light, so if it’s unnaturally dark where you’re working or sleeping it may make staying alert a lot harder. Try keeping your blinds open a bit so you’ll wake up naturally in the morning or adding a few extra lights to your workspace to keep you from feeling sleepy throughout the day.
2. Get more sleep at night. Many people try to get by on a lot less sleep than they really need. While each person’s needs will differ, 7-8 hours a night is a good goal, and will help you feel more rested and better able to concentrate on anything throughout the day.
3. Examine your emotions. Stress, depression and other negative emotions can take a heavy toll on your energy levels. Your exhaustion may have a lot to do with how you’re feeling mentally, so take the time to deal with your emotions or get help if you need it.
4. Exercise. While it may seem counterintuitive, exercising can wake you up and give you an energy boost that lasts all day. Make time for even 30 minutes of exercise in your day and start reaping the benefits.
5. Get a physical. There are many illnesses, some serious and some not, that can cause drops in energy and cause you to be chronically sluggish. Take a trip to your doctor if you’re feeling run down on a regular basis to see if you may have a condition like mono, an underactive thyroid, or anemia.
6. Keep a sleep schedule. Our bodies enjoy consistency, so by keeping yourself on a regular sleep schedule you may be able to wake up more easily in the mornings and get to sleep more quickly at night, making you more rested in the long run.
7. Find things to get excited about. Of course you’re going to be exhausted in the morning if all you can think about doing is things you dread. Try to find at least one thing you can get excited about doing each day, even if it’s just making your favorite lunch or meeting with a friend after work.
8. Don’t linger in bed. Hitting the snooze button in the morning may delay the inevitable time when you do have to get up, but it’s not doing you any favors in the long run. Challenge yourself to get up and move around for at least 10 minutes to see if you’re still super tired. Chances are, once you get up you’ll be ready to start your day.
9. Wake up gradually. For some, the transition between sleep and the horrible beep of the alarm clock can create a drowsy and negative day thereafter. If your alarm tends to wake you with a start, try employing a method to wake yourself more gradually like beeps that get progressively louder or your favorite radio station.
10. Don’t focus on the negative. Being a pessimist may actually be making you more tired. Try looking on the positive side of things instead, and you may see a turn around in your energy levels.
11. Try something new. Getting into a rut can make your day seem boring and tedious and drain your energy levels. Change things up, try new things and seek out new experiences to spice up your day a little and keep you alert and awake.
12. Watch your attitude. If you let the bad things that happen during your day get you down, you’re bound to start feeling worn out. Watch your attitude and make sure you’re not letting yourself be overly negative.

Diet

What you choose to put into your body can make a huge difference in how energetic you feel, so check out these tips for ways to give yourself a boost.

1. Eat smaller, more frequent meals. Eating meals that are infrequent can cause your blood glucose to spike and crash, leaving you tired and hungry. And digesting huge meals can steal energy you need for other things. Instead, eat smaller meals throughout the day so you can keep your energy level and keep yourself feeling great.
2. Have an apple. Eating fruits can be a great way to get a quick energy boost. Fruits are more easily digestible than many other foods and can give the fuel you need to get going.
3. Drink enough water. Because your body is mostly composed of water, it makes sense that you need to get enough in order to function at your peak. Try to drink the standard 8 glasses a day to keep your brain and body in tip top shape.
4. Try whole grains. Complex carbs like those found in whole grains take longer for your body to break down and can be a good way to keep your energy levels steady all day.
5. Have a healthy snack. Instead of reaching for a sugary snack, eat something healthy instead. It’ll give you more energy for the long haul instead of just a quick boost, and you’ll be healthier overall.
6. Consider herbal supplements. Many people swear by herbs that are purported to improve energy levels. If you’re looking for a natural way to stay awake, try supplements of ginseng, bee pollen, gutu kola, maitake and more.
7. Don’t skip breakfast. Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day, at least in terms of energy. Having a good, well-rounded meal in the morning will help wake you up and keep you fueled for the rest of the day.
8. Take your vitamins. Making sure your body has all the vitamins it needs to function properly is integral to staying energetic. If your diet isn’t providing what you need, consider a multi-vitamin to supplement.
9. Avoid excess sugar. Sugar may be tasty, but it can also cause your energy levels to bottom out after it’s been digested. Avoid eating super sugary foods when you need to be at your peak energy levels.
10. Eat enough alkaline-forming foods. Foods are classified as alkaline or acidic forming based on its affect on your urine ph. Foods that are alkaline like fruits and vegetables are thought to be energy boosters, so try to consume more of these than their acidic counterparts.
11. Cut down on alcohol. Alcohol may appear to make you sleepy, but it can actually ensure that you get a much lower quality of sleep than you would otherwise. Keep it in moderation so it won’t affect your sleep and make you groggy the next day.
12. Make sure you are getting enough protein. Protein is an important part of a balanced diet and not getting enough can leave you feeling wiped out.
13. Grab a handful of nuts. Whether you like almonds, cashews, peanuts or walnuts, nuts can be one of the best sources for a quick energy boost. Or if you don’t have nuts on hand, try peanut butter instead.

At Home

Try these tips at home when you need a jumpstart to your day.

1. Take a short nap. When you’ve got the time at home and you’re feeling run down, why not take a little nap? Short naps can give you the rest you need to be more alert. Just make sure not to sleep for too long or you may end up feeling even more drowsy than you did before the nap.
2. Do some simple chores. If you’re having trouble getting motivated to do a big project because you feel tired, try starting out with a few simple household chores. The activity will help you wake up and feel more up to getting what you need to do done.
3. Wake up your mind. Sometimes it takes awhile to get your mind going in the morning. Try waking up by reading the news or doing a crossword.
4. Meditate and relax. Meditation can be a great and effective way to recharge throughout the day. Set aside a few minutes of your day to relax and let your worries go.
5. Take a walk. Whether you go just around the block or a few miles, taking a walk can help wake you up, clear your thoughts and maybe even improve your mood.
6. Get out of the house. Sunlight can help wake you up and help you stay up, so take a trip outside to catch some rays and get some fresh air.
7. Take a shower. Get your brain and body feeling fresh and awakened by taking a quick shower.
8. Indulge yourself. Giving into your cravings, enjoying a nice long bath, or simply relaxing on your patio can help refresh you and give you the energy to keep going.
9. Call a friend. What better way to wake up than by interacting with those you care most about? Give a friend or a family member a call to see what they’ve been up to.
10. Get acupuncture or a massage. Many forms of acupuncture and massage have been shown to help relieve stress and boost energy overall. If you have the time, why not try it out and see if it gives you the wake up you need?
11. Try aromatherapy. Certain smells like citrus, ginger and peppermint can have an energizing effect and help to boost your alertness. Light a candle or try a perfume infused with these scents to help you feel extra energized.
12. Play with a pet. Spending time with your furry friend can not only be fun, it can also make you feel happier and more energetic. Whether you decide to play in the park with your dog or tempt your cat with a string, make playing with pets a daily part of your energy routine.

At Work

Work can be exhausting, but you don’t have to let it ruin your energy levels. Try these tips instead.

1. Get away from your desk. Hours upon hours of sitting at your desk can start to sap your energy and make you plead for it to be 5 o’clock already. Give yourself a quick pick-me-up by stepping away from your desk for a bit for a trip to the water fountain, a walk around the office or just a short break.
2. Talk to a coworker. Boost your mood and your energy by connecting with your coworkers. Social interaction can help wake you up, especially if you’re doing tedious work, and give you the pep you need to go on.
3. Have a laugh. While the Internet’s plentiful humor sites are prime territory for distraction and procrastination, they can also be a great place to get a morale and energy boost. Laughter will make you feel better mentally and physically and ensure that you don’t end up asleep at your desk.
4. Do desk yoga. Yoga boasts many positions that are designed to improve the energy flow in your body and help you feel more alert. Check out the net for versions of these poses you can even do at work for a quick boost.
5. Listen to your favorite up-tempo songs. If you can listen to music at work, why not put on some tunes that will get your heart pumping and make you want to dance? It’s a surefire way to beat the mid-afternoon slump.
6. Start work with a challenging task. Get your brain in gear by giving it a challenging task first thing. You’ll be more alert and you’ll get the hard stuff out of the way so the rest of your day will be a breeze.
7. Stop slouching. Slumping down at your desk isn’t doing you any favors in the alertness category. Sitting up at your desk, in an ergonomically friendly way, can make you feel more alert and ready to work.
8. Volunteer to help someone. Studies have shown that helping others actually gives the helper a sense of elation and excitement, and at work it can show a lot of initiative while helping you stay awake.
9. Avoid coworkers who sap your energy. Everyone has that one coworker who is so glum, negative or boring that they just suck the energy right out of you. When it’s possible, keep this person away from you to save your energy and maybe your sanity too.
10. Stock your desk with high energy snacks. Don’t make it easier to eat unhealthy food just because you’re at work. Bring nuts, dried fruits and other healthy snacks to work in place of sugary or fatty counterparts from the vending machine.
11. Have a mint. For some people, the smell and taste of mint helps wake them up. Give it a try next time you’re feeling drowsy. Even if you still feel sleepy at least you’ll have fresh breath.
12. Get some sunlight. If it’s possible, try taking a break from your desk to get outside. Getting sunlight and fresh air can help make you feel more awake and maybe even put you in a better mood.
13. Look at your accomplishments. When you’ve got a lot on your plate at work, it can be easy to get overwhelmed and start feeling down on yourself and exhausted. Instead of looking at the bad side of things, try thinking about all the things you have gotten done. It will improve your mood and give you the energy to go on.

Source: This was forwarded to me in an email. If you know the source of this article, please don’t hesitate to send me an email. Thanks.

There are numerous fascinating wedding customs enjoyed in cultures around the world. Many cross-cultural similarities can be seen, as marriage traditions frequently symbolize fertility, good health, good luck or beginning a new life. Here are a few interesting customs:

In Greece, brides might carry a lump of sugar on their wedding day, symbolizing a sweet life, or ivy, representing endless love.

In Norway, friends of a couple plant palm trees on both sides of the front door of the couple’s home as a symbol of fertility.

A South African tradition has the parents of the bride and groom carry fire from their homes to the fireplace in the couple’s home, signaling the beginning of their life together.
It’s considered good luck for Venezuelan newlyweds to sneak away from their wedding reception without saying goodbye.

In Fiji, the groom is expected to give the bride’s father a whale tooth.

Source: http://www.worldweddingtraditions.com/

The engagement period will probably be the most gloriously tranquil time of a couple’s wedding process. You both soon will be faced with decisions, compromises, and debates — some simple, some funny, some tough, but all important.

While it’s important to bask in all the happiness, there are also a few tasks that should be handled pretty quickly. The couple need to set the budget and a timetable for planning the wedding, buy the rings, and announce the engagement.

For those folks that have more budget to play around with, some decide to add a consultant into their budget. This is definitely the way to go if you both don’t have time to plan the wedding or you know you both will argue over every minute detail. Keep in mind that you can opt to choose a wedding consultant that works by the hour. This allows you both to do most of the planning but provides an outsider’s perspective for some of the more difficult decisions.

Please use the following guide to find and record all the details of your consultant before hiring them. >> Click here for the PDF file

Using an hourly consultant

Consultants who work by the hour are an excellent choice if you want to plan everything yourself but wouldn’t mind a little objective feedback once in a while.  For instance, when he wants beef and you want chicken, a consultant might lend some insight into the most popular entree selection, the pros and cons of offering multiple entree choices, and which selection will help you stay on budget.  You might also want to hire a consultant on an hourly basis so you can use his/her list of vendor recommendations, such as florist, reception halls, musicians, and so on.  Then you can do the actual calling, interviewing, and hiring!

Source: http://www.howstuffworks.com

Here are some money saving tips that FB would like to share with you. Use a couple of tips to save a few bucks or use more and save $1000+.

The Most Important Money Saving Tips

• You will save yourself an enormous amount of money if you get married during the off-season months of January, February, March and November.
• Getting married on any other of the week other than Saturday.
• There is no official name for this disease but many brides get it.
  • 1st Symptom – around 3 months before your wedding, you’ll begin to second-guess your decisions.
  • 2nd Symptom – You’ll get scared and think about what you can do to make your wedding better or more unique.
  • 3rd Symptom – Then you’ll ask friends, family, co-workers and anyone that will listen to you, about what they think of your new ideas.
  • 4th Symptom – and most dangerous…you make a few phone calls and start up-grading a few of your packages.
  • The Cure – stick to your original budget. As the wedding draws near, your emotions take over…ignore them.
• Vendors are well aware of the disease. That’s why every contract allows for you to upgrade a package at any time but there are rarely loopholes for downgrading.

• If finances don’t allow you to purchase a designer wedding dress, consider renting. Look at it this way, if you’re the type who wouldn’t even consider wearing your mother’s dress, why do you need one collecting dust in the closet.
• Never mind buying an expensive silk gown. Stick to polyester blends. They’re cheaper, don’t wrinkle as much and are easier to clean.
• The more beading and detail on the gown, the more expensive.
• Most of the big bridal shops have huge sales once a year, usually held at hotels or other big venues.
• To take care of the something old-new-borrowed-blue, look to family and friends for items you can use.
• Go shopping for bridesmaids’ dresses during prom season and after New Years. There’s nothing written in stone that says you have to buy your bridesmaids dresses at a wedding shop, and generally your prices will be a bit cheaper elsewhere.
• Shop for those pretty little wedding shoes in the summer, when white shoes are on the shelves of every shoe and department store, or you’ll have to buy them in a bridal shop and pay their prices. Shop in the afternoon, your feet swell during the day and they’ll also be swollen on your wedding day. FB prime advice … try “Payless”.
• Men’s Tuxedo rentals are pretty much all the same price no matter where you go. The thing to check on is the condition of the suits and accessories.

• Unless you plan on keeping your bouquet on display in your home, don’t bother with a duplicate to toss.
• Instead of tossing your whole bouquet, just pick one flower to throw. We all know what condition the bride’s bouquet is in after 30 women (or more) start clawing at it.
• Silk flowers save you a lot of money and they’re already preserved. The Bride can have fresh flowers, but there really isn’t any need for everyone else to go fresh.
• If you’re using flowers in your centrepieces, decorations or large altar arrangements, go with silk. Would be nice if your guests could actually use the centrepieces that they just won again. You could re-use the decorations and larger arrangements at home, party accents or resell them on the Babbling Brides Board to another FB.

• To decorate the head table and save money buy vases, line them up and place the bouquets in them on the table and place votives in between.
• Before shopping for candles and candleholders anywhere else, be sure to check out a couple of dollar stores.
• Dollar stores and chains like Wal-Mart and Zeller’s also carry many items that can be used to decorate your ceremony or reception locations.
• When decorating the church or reception venue use silk flowers.
• Check with your florist or garden centre to see if you can rent plants, some places do.
• Kill 2 birds with one stone and use your guest favours/bomboniere as your centrepieces. Buy a raised cake plate and display the favours on each table. Your MC can make an announcement explaining.

• To make your invitations more personal and less expensive, do them yourself. There are a number of paper stores and websites availabile where you can find original ideas and ways to make your own invitations.
• Order your invitations over the Internet instead of a printing shop (it’s a little cheaper). Mail order is another possibility.
• Order a plain invitation from a company and decorate it yourself. All you need is a hole-puncher and some ribbon and/or parchment paper.

• Please, go to a DOLLAR STORE first and check out their selection of party favours.
• Some bomboniere stores decorate the gift for free and some don’t, so make sure you ask.
• Instead of buying a trinket that will be tossed into a drawer, make a donation to a charity. This is a new trend that many brides are choosing. Pick a cause that means something to you. Your MC can say something like: “Instead of favours, the couple has decided to make a donation in their name to the Lung Cancer Society. The bride’s grandfather passed 3 years ago from this disease.” Donations always get a round of applause…ever see anyone clap for a candy dish?

• Buying a cake made with different flavoured tiers will save you money as you wouldn’t necessarily require a dessert table.
• To get away with not paying a cake cutting fee at your venue, purchase their sweet table but serve your wedding cake for dessert. This means you’ll have to do your cake cutting as soon as your wedding party does their entrance. The staff will take the cake away and have it cut and plated in time for dessert.
• If you’re having a dessert table, you really don’t need to buy an elaborate wedding cake, try renting.
• Buy a plain wedding cake and decorate it yourself with silk or fresh flowers.

• Try to hire one person or company that does both hair and makeup.
• Only the bride needs a trial.
• You can expect to pay anywhere from $40 to $100 for hair and $30 to $85 for makeup. Know that the more women you have that need these services, the cheaper the cost per person.
• If hair accessories are going to be put in anyone’s hair, make sure you buy them yourself. If you leave this up to the hair stylist it’ll cost more.
• If you have sensitive skin, we suggest that you do not go for a facial the week before your wedding. You don’t want to be all broke out for the big day.
• Please get your nails done and make sure the groom’s hands are also manicured. More than likely you’ll be getting a picture that shows your hands and the wedding bands. People will be constantly asking to see your rings.
• Lastly, try to find a makeup and hair vendor that will do a trial a few months before the wedding. It gives you time to work out any areas you are not happy with and makes the wedding day process much quicker

• Hire a caterer that supplies everything you need, plates, glassware, table cloths, etc.
• Make sure you’re only charged for the services that you need. Some caterers have packages that include decorating and other items. If your venue is decorated already you won’t need the extras. Extras should be deducted from the bill or replaced with something else you want.
• Pick fruits and vegetables that are in season.
• Stick to serving food that everyone is familiar with. Fancy food is expensive.
• Buffets generally cost a good deal less and give your guests the opportunity to get up and mingle with the other guests, and they can pick exactly what they would like to eat.
• Make sure to read your contract and check to see if the gratuity is included. This goes for all services.
• Booking a venue that allows you to buy your own liquor is more work but saves you money.
• Depending on your culture and where you live in Canada, having a cash bar is totally acceptable. This can be a huge money saver.
• Consider only serving wine and domestic beers.
• Liquor (vodka, rum, rye, scotch) plus all the different mixes you’ll need adds to your expenses.
• Liqueurs like Grand Marnier, Sambucca, etc. can put a real strain on the liquor budget.
• Do you really need that Champagne toast?
• Common sense tip – the more guests the more cash you’re going to put out.
• Holding your reception in a hotel has a lot of good points. They usually decorate, have professional services, i.e. DJ, can cater well to large groups, and most likely will include the honeymoon suite, with discounted rooms for out-of-town guests.
• If you’re having a wedding with 75 guests or under, consider having your reception at your favourite restaurant. You will already know the staff and how the food is.
• Order child meals for kids under 11.
• Order a teen meal (same as adults but no liquor) for ages 12 to 17.
• Your reception is the biggest expense. It’s also where you can save the most money if you shop around and plan well!

• Biggest tip – hire a photographer that gives you your negatives, that way you can make as many copies of pictures from your wedding day as you want without having to order them from your photographer.
• If you choose a photographer that does not give you your negatives, always find out how long they keep your negatives on file and if you can obtain them when they are ready to discard them. Most photographers in general don’t keep negatives past a couple of years. If your photographer still won’t give you the negatives after that point without charging you money, I would question the ethics of the vendor.
• $1000.00 for a photographer is a great price but if they charge $40.00 for an 8 X 10, where’s the savings. Don’t just look at the photo packages or wedding day shoot costs, ask how much their enlargements are.
• If a package includes a couple’s album and 2 parent albums, ask how much that same package would cost without any albums. Sometimes it’s worth the savings to buy your own albums elsewhere and sometimes it’s better to take the albums offered by your photographer.
• Unless you’re doing a formal shoot at the bride or groom’s house, you don’t need a photographer there. Your wedding party and family will have their cameras out anyway.
• A great idea and one that many are using now is, putting a disposable camera on every table at the reception. Then you’ll only need to book your photographer for the church, photo location and maybe to take a few detailed shots at the reception venue.
• You don’t need your photographer to stay until 1am. Once the bouquet and garter tosses have taken place, there are no more major events to shoot. Your 1st & last dances look the same on film.

• Go for packages with one camera coverage
• Pick a package with limited editing or none at all.
• If you can’t afford a professional video, ask a friend or 2 that own their own video cameras to shoot the day for you. Putting an unfamiliar camera in someone else’s hands is useless. Professionals know what to shoot and how to shoot it. So, give your friend a list of events that you want footage of and how you want each shot, for the entire day. Example:
  • Pre-Ceremony: Close-up footage for 10-seconds of the different decorations.(altar arrangements, pew bows, wreath outside and unity candle)
  • The guys waiting. Ask the groom what he’s thinking about.
  • The guests arriving (especially immediate family)

• Shop around, there are so many limousine companies out there. Prices do vary.
• There is no rule anywhere that says, “You have to have a stretch limousine.” The smaller the car the cheaper.
• Other than the car and uniformed chauffeur, you really don’t need any other extras.
• You can also save money by renting your vehicles from Budget, Hertz, etc. They all have new model luxury cars, sports cars and SUVs.
• You really don’t need the limousine to take you home after the reception. Late-night pick-ups cost $100.00+
• Before the ceremony, have the limo pick up the bride and her bridesmaids. The groom, groomsmen and parents can take their own vehicles to the church. After the ceremony, the bride and groom can take the limo and the bridesmaids can hop in the groomsmen’s cars.
• You may already know someone that owns a Cadillac or Lincoln, a fancy sports car or for fun a Beetle or an antique car. Give this person a call.
• Some couples need more then one limo. If this is the case for you, compare the cost of 2 to 3 limos vs. the cost of 1 limo bus or Chartered Bus.

• Common sense, the least amount of people providing a service, the cheaper.
  • Ceremony – An organist is cheaper than a string duo, which is cheaper than a trio
  • Reception – A DJ is cheaper than a band
• The least amount of extras the cheaper. Lighting, smoke & bubble machines, other props, costumes, give-aways, fireworks, the list is endless, all cost money. It’s up to you.
• A really expensive package doesn’t mean that your party will last longer or that your non-dancing guests will feel the need to shake their booty for the first time in their life. But a crappy DJ or band will ruin your reception.

Do I really need a Wedding Coordinator or Planner?

Let’s face it, the ONLY service you need to get married is an officiant.

• Most wedding coordinators can save you money because they know…
  • about all the tips mentioned above plus more
  • what to say to and ask your vendors
  • They have connections in the industry.
• You really don’t need a coordinator at your reception once the dance floor is open to your guests. That usually happens between 9-10pm.
• You could hire a wedding consultant to help with the final stages of your wedding; creating a detailed wedding day itinerary, making up a checklist for items at the ceremony & reception locations, and confirming with your vendors. While she won’t be in attendance at your wedding, she has planned the day smoothly on paper. As long as you follow the times closely (not exactly) and do the events in the same order as the itinerary states, you’ll be fine.
• You can appoint a friend or family member to be your honorary coordinator. Give her an itinerary, checklists (ceremony & reception items, photo and music list) and phone numbers for all your vendors. The honorary coordinator should be someone that’s organized, the more obsessive-compulsive the better and not scared to open her mouth when something goes wrong.

Source: http://www.frugalbride.com/frugalhintstips.html

In the course of every individual’s life, he must go through the process of planning his own wedding, and how spectacular the wedding is and entertained the guests are all depends on how much time and effort the bride and groom puts forth into the planning process.

Whether the person is organized and professional is all shown through one’s own wedding. Typically, if a couple is planning to marry, they should start planning the ceremony of their lives one year ahead of time. Especially in a busy city such as Toronto, planning ahead is important since numerous wedding services are constantly in demand. Not only will a couple succeed with good organization skills, good innovative thinking and creativity will also play a large role in creating the perfect Toronto Wedding.

First and foremost, before a couple decides the details of their wedding, they must decide on a specific date and setting. As soon as the time and location has been chosen, it would be wise to reserve the location immediately to avoid possible conflicts with others who are planning their wedding in Toronto. There are hundreds to thousands of beautiful wedding reception facilities and banquet halls in Toronto, and choosing the right one may take some time. As soon as the time and location is set, it would be a good idea to draw up a guest list, which actually takes an unbelievably a long time to do.

After the couple has selected their Toronto wedding location and date, they can start looking for numerous assets and services for their wedding. Choosing the bride’s wedding dress nine to twelve months before the wedding allows the bride ample time to select the perfect dress for her special night. It will also give her time to request modifications or changes if needed. Allow a few months time to carefully select the perfect decorations, chair covers, and lien. It would also be wise to spend more time in deciding the right wedding photographers in Toronto, since there are thousands of them to choose from. Choosing the right photographer is essential and possibly one of the most important parts of a Toronto wedding because these photos will be the memory pieces of the beautiful moments during the wedding.

Another crucial aspect that should be planned at least nine months before the Toronto wedding is selecting the wedding cake. The wedding cake is like a monument representing the couple in the wedding. The creativity and design of the wedding cake allows the couple to stand out during their wedding. Not only will an elegant and large wedding cake bring praises from guests, it will also instill pride within the couple, as having one of the most unique wedding cakes in Toronto.

In about half year’s time, the to-be-married couple should start creating their menu and reserve their caterers in Toronto if they have not done so. Food is also another important aspect in a wedding and is a way to show the elegance and grandeurs of the Toronto wedding. The type of food should match the decorations and central theme of the wedding. If the reception facility is a Chinese restaurant, then the food and decorations should be of an Oriental theme. Choosing the right caterer is important to deliver the best and most delicious food to impress guests.

Three months before the wedding, most of the planning such as decorations, live music and entertainment should be completed. It would also be a good time to reserve limousines or other modes of transportation to the wedding. The traditional arrival for the marrying couple is through riding Toronto wedding limousines, but one can be creative and choose something else such as motorcycles, old-fashioned vehicles or even helicopters. Be brave and try something new! Not only will a creative mode of transportation to a wedding impress guests upon arrival, it will also be fun and an enjoyable experience for the bride and groom.

With two months to one month before the grand wedding, everything should be all well planned out. The marrying couple should be in their final stages of planning. Booking make-up, hairdressers, and beauty salons should be done during this time. Also, buying gifts and favors should also be started since they are a big hassle if left to the last week before the wedding. Everything should be finalized and almost ready. Vows and speeches should be already drafted and ready to go.

If planned efficiently, the final weeks before a wedding should not be too extremely stressful. If caterers and other services have not been confirmed, it would be a wise idea to give them a call. Also give a call to all guests as a reminder of the grand Toronto wedding. Basically, the last few weeks before the wedding should be all about confirmations and making sure everything will go smoothly as planned on that special day. Have several rehearsal dinners to make sure everything will go perfectly smooth. This time would also be a good time for bachelor and bachelorette parties and close bonding with future in-laws and friends.

The amount of stress before and wedding and the grandeur impressions from guests all depends on how much time and organization the bride and groom decides to put forth. If one if dedicated and organized, the process of this commonly-deemed tedious task in planning a wedding will go as smoothly as slicing butter. With great planning and organization, the bride and groom will be able to sit down for a cup of coffee even before the day of their Toronto wedding.

Setting a budget for the ceremony and wedding reception is somewhat easy — you have what you have and that’s that. Sticking to the budget is where things get tough. For now, the engaged couple needs to sit down with both sets of parents to discuss how much money they have, how much money they need, and who will be footing the bill for what part of the wedding.

Click here to print a sample worksheet for footing the bill.

It’s going to be difficult at times, but try to plan a wedding within your means. Before you begin, determine a priority list for the ceremony and the reception. Ask yourselves a silent question: Is what we are spending on this item really worth it to both of us? After all, needing five years to pay off the reception is not the way to go, especially since most newlyweds have a long list of wanna-haves, such as a first home and/or new furniture.

Click here for a sample worksheet to determine priority lists.