If The Ring Fits

Saturday, April 14, 2012

MARRIAGE LICENSE CERTIFICATE

Here is a list of things you must bring with you in order to get a marriage license. Please check within your state since each state is different. Some require blood tests, etc. Here is a pretty common list...

Your soon to be spouse- You must apply in person at the same time.

Proof of residence- Driver's license, lease, utility bill, etc.

2 Forms of Photo ID- Passport, License, etc.

Social Security Card

Certified copy of birth certificate

Location and date of marriage

Officiant's name, address, and phone number

Names for both parents- Including middle names and maiden names

If you don't speak English- A third party to interpret

If under 18- Signed consent from parent or guardian

If previously married- Copy of judgement of divorce, annulment, or death certificate

Note: Call ahead to ask how long a marriage license lasts. It is different in different states. Make sure to plan it so that your wedding is before the expiration date.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

WHO TRADITIONALLY PAYS?

One thing that always confuses me, is who traditionally pays? There are many ways to handle the costs of a wedding. The family might offer a flat amount, which the bride and groom can use how they like. The bride and groom may be paying for the whole thing themselves. The family may offer to pay for a specific part of the wedding. However, the traditional breakdown goes something like this...

Bride's Family

Invitations and announcements (including postage)

Wedding dress and accessories

Bouquets for the bridesmaids and flower girl

Groom's boutonniere

Bridesmaids party or luncheon

Flowers for the ceremony and reception

Rental costs for the ceremony and reception

Photography and videography

Musicians for the wedding and reception

Food, beverages, catering for the reception

Wedding cake

Gifts for the bridesmaids

Accommodations for the bridesmaids

Groom's wedding gift

Groom's wedding ring

Transportation for the wedding party on the wedding day

Groom's Family

Marriage license

Officiant's fee

Rehearsal dinner

Bride's bouquet

Decorations on the "just married" car

Corsages for mothers and boutonnieres for groomsmen

Gifts for groomsmen

Accommodations for groomsmen

Bride's wedding gift

Bride's engagement and wedding rings

Honeymoon

Groom's wedding attire

Saturday, April 7, 2012

UNIQUE PLACES TO GET MARRIED

Don't get me wrong, church weddings are beautiful. However, I've always been one to stand out. There are so many amazing places where you can have a wedding besides churches and special occasion venues. Here is a list of amazing wedding locations that your guests will NEVER forget...

Aquarium

Castle

Library

Museum

Theme Park

Under Water

Yacht

Zoo

Friday, April 6, 2012

YUMMY EDIBLE WEDDING FAVORS

If you have been to a few weddings you probably have a draw full of wedding favors. Items like small picture frames, candles, name card holders, etc. Although these are great ideas for a wedding, and I'm sure the bride and groom put a lot of effort into it, they often become knickknacks to the guests. I personally love the idea of wedding favors that you can use or better... eat.

Chocolate

Chocolate is probably the most used edible favor and for good reason. Who doesn't like chocolate? Be careful not to choose something with common allergies like nuts. Great ideas for favors include packaged truffles, brownie bites, candy covered chocolates, chocolate covered strawberries, etc. Make sure you have some place to refrigerate them. This is not a great favor if you are having a summer wedding or outdoor wedding since they might melt.

Jars

You can fill a jar with anything. Great ideas include honey, jam, jelly, olives, herbs, sea salt, berries, tea, etc. These look so cute and are sure to be used in the kitchen!

Ideas for cookies include professionally iced cookies, fortune cookies (with customized fortunes inside), home made cookies, etc. Butter cookies are the easiest to cut into different shapes because they are pretty sturdy.

Make-Your-Own

This is great for someone doing a DIY wedding or someone on a budget. You can buy things in bulk and split it up into smaller "make-your-own" favors. Great ideas for this include hot chocolate mix, cupcake mix, drink mix, cookie mix, tea, etc.

Candies

Candies have become very popular at weddings lately. You can give out small packets of candy wrapped in fabric or in a box, or you can offer a candy bar. Have an array of candies on display, which match your theme or color. Provide small containers for each guest to fill up, and allow your guests to pick and choose what they want.

Fruit

You can offer fruit as a favor. If you are extremely healthy and into organic items, you can provide a apple, pear, etc. If you have a sweet tooth you can make candy apples, chocolate covered apples, chocolate covered strawberries, etc.

Cupcakes
Cupcakes placed in small boxes are a great snack "to go." However, these don't last as long. You might use cupcakes instead of a wedding cake. Packaging them makes it easy to pass out and easy to travel with.

Bottles

Bottle up your favorite things. Great ideas include hot sauce, barbecue sauce, chocolate sauce, maple syrup, champagne, olive oil, etc. You can choose this to match your theme, the time of year, or your color story.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

ORIGINS OF WEDDING TRADITIONS

Wedding Rings

This tradition started in ancient Egypt. The round shape of a ring symbolized eternal love. It is worn on the forth finger of the left hand because they believed that there is a blood vessel that goes directly to the heart.

Bouquet

The bouquet has held many different meanings, most of which depend on what was in the bouquet. Orange blossoms were carried by Saracen brides for fertility. Some carried a mix of herbs and flowers to ward off evil spirits. Bouquets of dill were carried for fertility and eaten after the ceremony to encourage lust.

Bridesmaids

In ancient times, bridesmaids were used to keep the bride safe against evil spirits. They acted as decoys for the spirits by dressing like the bride and were there to confuse the spirits or help deter them to leave the bride be.

Father Giving the Bride Away

The tradition of the father walking the bride down the aisle is meant to show that the father endorses the choice of husbands and is giving his daughter away as a pure bride.

Kissing the Bride

A kiss used to symbolize a legal bond. The kiss at the end of the ceremony was meant to seal the deal on the marriage.

Wedding Cake

In Roman times a cake was made out of wheat for the wedding. It was broken over the brides head for fertility. The guests would eat a piece for good luck, and women would often put a piece under their pillow when sleeping in hopes of finding their own husband.

Throwing Rice

Rice throwing began in the middle ages. Wheat and rice were thrown to symbolize fertility for the couple.

Information from the Times Community Newspapers

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

WEDDING PLAYLIST

Here is a list of popular songs to be used at the reception...

AC/DC- Shook Me All Night Long
Adams Bryan- Everything I do
Animals- House of the Rising Sun
Anne Murray- Could I Have this Dance
Aretha Franklin- Respect
Atlantic Starr- Always
B.T.O.- Takin' Care of Business
B-52's- Love Shack
Beatles- I Saw Her Standing There
Beatles- Twist and Shout
Bent Fabric- Alley Cat
Bette Midler- Wind Beneath My Wings
Bill Haley & Comets- Rock Around the Clock
Billy Idol- Mony Mony
Billy Joel- Just the Way You Are
Bob Darin- Mack the Knife
Brooks and Dunn- Boot Scootin Boogie
Carrie Underwood- Inside Your Heaven
C&C Music Co. Gunna Make You Sweat
C.C.R./Ike & Tina Turner- Proud Mary
Celine Dion- Beauty and the Beast
Champs- Tequila
Chic- Le Freak
Christina Aguilera- Ain't No Other Man
Chubby Checker- The Twist
Chubby Checker- Limbo
Clarence Carter- Strokin'
Commodores- Brick House
Contours- Do You Love Me
Coolio- Gangsta Paradise
Culture Beast- Mr. Vain
Dean Martin- Ain't That a Kick in the Head
Def Leppard- Pour Some Sugar On Me
Diamonds- Stroll
Dionne Warwick- That's What Friends Are For
Elton John- Can You Feel The Love Tonight
Elvis Presley- Jailhouse Rock
Emeralds/Others- The Chicken Dance
Eric Clapton- Tears in Heaven
Eric Clapton- Wonderful Tonight
Escape Club- Wild Wild West
Etta James- At Last
Fine Young Canibals- Drives Me Crazy
Four Tops- I Can't Help Myself
Frank Sinatra- New York, New York
Frank Sinatra- Love and Marriage
Frank Sinatra- The Way You Look Tonight
Frank Sinatra & Dean Martin- That's Amore
Garth Brooks- I've Got Friends in Low Places
George Thorogood- Move It On Over
Glenn Miller- In The Mood
Grand Funk Railroad- Some Kind of Wonderful
Humperdinck Englebert- The Last Waltz
Irish Rovers- Wasn't That A Party
Jagged Edge- Let's Get Married
Jennifer Lopez- Let's Get Loud
Jennifer Wames- I've Had The Time Of My Life
Jerry Lee Lewis- Great Balls of Fire
Jim Croce- Bad, Bad Leroy Brown
Jive Bunny- Swing the Mood
Joe Cocker- You Are So Beautiful
John Denvers- Take Me Home Country Roads
Judds- Momma, He's Crazy
Justin Timberlake- Sexy Back
K.D. Lang/ R. Orbison- Crying
Kenny Loggins- Footloose
Kingmens- Louie Louie
Kiss- Beth
Kool & The Gang- Celebration
Led Zeppelin- Stairway to Heaven
Little Eva/ K. Minogue- Locomotion
Londonbeat- I've Been Thinking About You
Los Del Mar- Macarana
Louis Armstrong- Dream a Little Dream of Me
Louis Armstrong- What A Wonderful World
Luther Vandross- Here and Now
Madonna- Into The Groove
Madonna- Vogue
Marvin Gaye- Heard It Through The Grapevine
Meatloaf- I Do Anything For You
Miami Sound Machine- Conga
Michael Jackson- Black and White
Michael Jackson- Rock With You
Mick Ryder- Devil With the Blue Dress
Natalie & Nat King Cole- Unforgettable
Nick Lowe- I Knew The Bride
Osborne Brothers- Rocky Top
Patsy Kline- Crazy
Percy Sledge- When A Man Loves A Women
Platters- With This Ring
Pointer Sisters- Jump
Prince- 1999
Queen- Too Much Love Will Kill You
Randy Newman- You've Got a Friend in Me
Rascal Flatts- Fast Cars and Freedom
Red Necks- Cotton Eye Joe
Rick James- Superfreak
Righteous Bro.- You've Lost That Loving...
Righteous Bro- Unchained Melody
Robert Palmer- Addicted to Love
Rocky Horror Picture Show- Time Warp
Rolling Stones- Satisfaction
Roy Orbison- Pretty Woman
Sam The Sham- Wooly Bully
Seger Bob- Old Time Rock and Roll
Sister Sledge- We Are Family
Spin Doctors- Two Princess
Surfaris- Wipe-Out
Temptations- My Girl
Three Dog Night- Joy To The World
UB40- Red Red Wine
Valens/Los Lobos- La Bamba
Van Morrison- Brown Eyed Girl
Village People- Y.M.C.A.
Wild Cherry- Play That Funky Music
Willie Nelson- Always On My Mind

Sunday, March 18, 2012

THE FIRST DANCE

The first dance can be romantic, creative, or hilarious depending on the couple. Many couples take dance lessons, which I highly recommend. What kind of dance will define you as a couple? Here are some video links to see what kind of dance you want.

Waltz
The Waltz is a very romantic dance. This is also the most traditional of wedding dances. It always reminds me of the dance in Beauty and the Beasts. This is great for traditional couples, hopeless romantics, and people who are not supper coordinated. It's fairly easy to learn and is a very basic dance.

Tango
The Tango is a intense and sexier song. It can make a fantastic first dance for a couple who wants to show off their moves on the dance floor. I don't recommend this dance to people without coordination (unless you plan on taking a few lessons) as it is a very precise dance. This is a great dance for a serious, sexy, or aggressive couple.

S urprise
This one is my personal favorite. It's taken from a show called Rock the Reception. Basically the bride and groom learn an unorthodox choreographed dance for the reception. This dance gets rudely interrupted by the waitstaff who happens to be part of the show. If you are ready to surprise your guests and be extremely silly, then this is perfect.

Hip Hop
Doing a dance like hip hop is really fun. I love this couple because they start with a traditional dance, which I'm sure made mom and dad happy, and then they went into their own dance. It's also great that they included the kids. Hip hop is a great choice for fun, silly, and upbeat couples who know how to have a good time. This is also great for making people laugh.

Swing
Swing is great for an upbeat, fun, and adventurous couple. This dance is fast moving and requires a bit of practice but is totally worth it. This is great for couples who have some time to practice, can remember steps, and who know how to have fun.

Foxtrot
The foxtrot is a great alternative to the waltz. It's easy to learn and great for beginners. It involves making long fluid movements across the dance floor. This is great for traditional couples, beginning dancers, and those who want a timeless first dance.

Country Line Dance
For all the country lovers out there, why not do a first dance line dance. These are repetitive steps that are fairly easy to learn. This is great for weddings in the country or that have a country theme. This is an original way to have your first dance remembered.

Salsa
For those who have all the time in the world to practice, or just happen to be professional dancers, then salsa is a great choice. This sultry dance will impress all of your guests. This is not good for beginners or those who are not flexible, but if you can pull this off then I'm sure your guests will remember it forever.