Green can have a much different meaning than just the color of your wedding invitations. A hot topic these days in wedding planning is ‘going green’. When it comes to your wedding invitations, you will be happy to know there are a number of easy ways to be more environmentally conscience, some of which may even save you some money.

The biggest way is having your invitations printed on recycled paper stock. Designs on recycled papers have come a long way in giving you some gorgeous choices.

Reducing the amount of paper used in the printing of your invitation ensemble is another simple way to be ‘green’ with your wedding invitations. Suggested ways to save on paper include:

• Select an invitation style that comes with only one envelope for mailing thus eliminating the familiar inner envelope. An example of this style is a self-mailer invitation where the envelopment wraps around all of your pieces and seals up to become the actual mailing envelope. An additional benefit of using only one envelope is that you will save on your handwriting time. This style may require extra postage depending on its overall size.
• Choose a smaller sized single-panel invitation card instead of a larger folded or layered style.
• Use a response postcard to eliminate the need for a return mailing envelope and to save on postage.
• Include your reception information on your invitation to avoid including a separate reception card (having less weight in the envelope may even save you from affixing extra postage). If space allows, your dinner and reception details can be added on as extra lines aligned with the rest of your verse printing, or some invitation styles allow the option of a corner copy – 3-4 lines that appear in the bottom left or right corner usually in a smaller sized font. There may be a small extra charge for corner copy which is not recommended for narrow or tea length styles.
• Pick a seal n send wedding invitation style that gets mailed to guests without an envelope. This economical all-in-one design folds up and seals into its own self-mailing piece. This style also has a response postcard attached for easy removal and mailing back by your guests.
• Set up a personal wedding website to give your guests easy access to online maps, directions, area hotels, gift registry information, etc., instead of printing extra invitation insert pieces.

Today it is easier than ever to make earth-friendly choices when selecting your wedding invitations without sacrificing quality and style. Every little bit helps when it comes to saving our planet and some of your choices might even save you some ‘green’ (money) in the process.

Tags: invitations, wedding, wedding invitations, wedding planning

There is no other day like your wedding day and it can be over so quickly but by having photographs means you can treasure each moment of it forever. The beauty of digital wedding photography is the speed at which you can see and distribute the images, around the world if required.

Most wedding photographers have assistants so they can create a wedding album that will be memorable but if you want to take pictures of a friend’s wedding, who will help you?Fortunately for wedding photographers they can use an assistant to help them get the right shots but if you’re a friend taking pictures, then how do you take good shots of the day?If you want to take photographs of your friend’s or relations wedding then you will have to do it on your own because you won’t have an assistant like the professionals have. This article highlights a few basic techniques and styles for anyone who wants to capture a friend or family members wedding using a digital camera.

If you only remember one piece of information from this article, remember to make sure that the photographs have a nice background as it is one of the first things you’ll notice when you look at them. Portrait images (those that show just head and shoulders) can be very effective especially if the background is hardly in the shot.

If some of the guests are wearing glasses, they can be asked to stand with their heads a little down or sideways to avoid the glare effect from spectacles that normally appears when a flash is used. Although some interesting effects can be achieved when you take a picture of a subject with the light behind them this may not be the right occasion to experiment so make sure the light is behind you when you take your shot.

Natural, wedding photos always look better than staged ones but difficult to capture when you are too close so a powerful zoom lens is a great advantage. To avoid missing what will probably be great shots, don’t put your camera down because with digital wedding photography you can guarantee the moment you do, something worthwhile will take place.

Digital cameras rely on two things, memory and power and the last thing you want when you take your shots is to run out of memory or for the batteries to die on you. For 6 mega pixel cameras and up, the absolute bare minimum should be a 1 gigabyte card, preferably 2 gigabytes and always use the highest resolution your camera can manage if the images are to be printed.

The reason you need to set the cameras resolution to the maximum is because the colors will be richer and if you want to enlarge the photos, it won’t be a problem. Once you have the images it is only a matter of printing out the ones you want and saving all of them on a CD for a permanent storage or presentation.

Capturing beautiful digital wedding photography shots will depend on how much you enjoy taking pictures and whether or not the couple mean anything to you.

For more information about Wedding Photography and other Wedding topics please visit http://www.allabout-weddings.info/. You will find what you are looking for.

Tags: wedding, wedding album, wedding photography, wedding pictures

Although wedding favors may not be the highlight of the wedding, they are a detail which requires some thought and planning. Ideas for treats are generally plentiful so there are bound to be enough to suit your budget and taste. This is a part of the arrangements, like the guest list and seating arrangement that will often cause unnecessary stress when there doesn’t have to be any.

Flowers are always a favorite easy wedding favor and also so simple to arrange and then set up on the day. Fortunately, as far as the bride and groom are concerned, apart from choosing which flowers to have, there is little for them to do.

Many people who choose flowers decide on a single red rose for each guest as a symbol of their love. You can simply purchase one for each guest and have a member of the catering staff, a friend or family member place one rose across each place setting after the tables have been set for the wedding reception.

More and more people decide an easy wedding favor to give their guests is candy in a presentation tin or box. I like the idea that a number of receptions have started to use where the costly centerpiece is done away with completely. This just needs a large quantity of various candies placed in a large bowl on the middle of the table.

You can then provide each wedding guest with a small bag and a note encouraging them to enjoy the candy in the centerpiece. Your guests will fill up the presentation containers with the candy in the centerpieces making this an extremely convenient gift which does not involve any wrapping.

If you prefer not to give your guests more to eat then another option is a small picture frame and if you like, it can be used on the day as placeholders. This is a good idea but wrapping this type of wedding favor can put many people off especially when there are a large number of guests. Almost all receptions have place names at the tables for the guests so this is an ideal way to present the frame without the need to spend time and more money on wrapping paper which will only be discarded.

An easy wedding favor that might appeal is to have the photographer take a digital picture of each guest and then present it to them at the wedding reception as they arrive. If he brings along a printer you can distribute the photos before your guests begin to leave the reception. If you are really stuck for a wedding favor idea, why not ask the photographer to take a picture of people as they arrive, to be presented later at the reception. It would also be nice if the photographer could bring along a digital projector so all the photos he had taken of the guests could then be shown on a screen during the reception meal.

For a lot more about weddings and everything to do with weddings checkout http://www.allabout-weddings.info/. You will find everything you need.

Tags: wedding, wedding favors, wedding gifts

etting married is a huge commitment and guys consider it as the biggest step they would ever take in their lives because they are saying goodbye to their bachelorhood. As the groom-to-be, you need to select some few trusted male friends or family members to become your groomsmen. These special guys would help you with your wedding details and they would stand beside you to give you support on the altar. In exchange for their lasting friendship, it is customary for you to give gifts to your groomsmen.

The exceptional gifts that you would choose should show the strength of friendship that you share with your groomsmen. These gifts are incredibly important because they would not only signify that you are starting a fresh life as a married guy, but these presents are also your way of saying thank you to your friends who have been with you throughout your bachelor days.

An engraved stainless steel lock back knife makes a wonderful groomsmen gift. A good knife such as an multi tool pliers would make your groomsmen remember you every single time they use your gift. And you can be sure that they would frequently make use of an engraved stainless steel lock back knife.

Even if your groomsman does not love having outdoor adventures, an engraved stainless steel lock back knife would still be an ideal gift. Because of its size, it would not take up a lot of space in your friends’ pockets and they would be able to carry it anywhere. An engraved stainless steel lock back knife is such very convenient tool to have around. Whether your groomsmen need to open a package or if they need to cut a juicy steak, a high-quality engraved stainless steel lock back knife that has a sharp edge will definitely help them.

Your adventure-loving groomsman would really like it if you would give him an engraved stainless steel lock back knife. This versatile knife is really handy and it could even be used to filet a fish that your friend has caught. It is also best if you would have your groomsman’s name or initials engraved instead of your wedding details.

As a tip, you should order your engraved stainless steel lock back knife online since there are plenty of internet gift companies that offer the engraving for free and these companies would be able to send the items out to you fairly quickly. If this is your first time to buy online, you have to keep an eye for hidden costs when you order your engraved stainless steel lock back knife because there are service taxes and postal charges included.

When choosing an engraved stainless steel lock back knife for your cool groomsmen gifts that you believe will be used regularly, select a quality steel blade as well as a well-crafted handle. This will ensure that your gift of engraved stainless steel lock back knife would be enjoyed by your groomsmen for the years to come.

Tags: bridal jewelry, bridesmaid gifts, groomsmen gifts, wedding favors, wedding gifts

Beach Wedding Ideas

Dependent upon the weather, a beach wedding idea can be a unique and memorable occasion that has flair and casualness yet retains the romantic aspect of the freedom of being able to get away to the beach and do as you please.

This is a brilliant chance to have a wedding that people will never forget, without the expense that is associated with all the more traditional wedding ideas.
Of course there are many potential pitfalls with this idea but this alone should not be reason enough to put you off. Just make sure that you have done your homework.

There are of course always solutions to these problems and most of them are relatively cheap.

If you are living in an area where there are beautiful beaches within a reasonable distance from yourself, your friends and your family then it is well worth considering the idea of a beach wedding because the beach in itself will add beauty to the occasion.

Like any other wedding idea, good planning and preparation will make all the difference on the day and even though a beach wedding is a very casual affair there is still a great deal of planning and preparation to go into it if it is to work the way you want it to.

There are many other ideas that can be combined to add further effect to your wedding. Think about how you would like to arrive at your beach wedding, by boat perhaps or maybe even on a beach buggy. You can further personalize the occasion by your choice of music, clothing, food etc. In essence there are many, many ways for you to have a beach wedding. The only limitations are your budget and how far away from the traditional style wedding you are willing to stray.

Tags: wedding ideas, weddings

Arrive at your wedding in style.

There are many ideas for traveling to your wedding so why not try something different, after all it is your day.

Here are some wedding ideas worth considering.

Be a little bit daring and make a grand appearance and you don’t have to stick by the traditional rules of the bride and groom arriving separately either.

It does not have to be a limousine or a horse and buggy, how about a Harley Davidson motorbike.

Don’t be burdened by old rules that say you can’t do this or that — do what you like and love every moment of it.

It should be a day of total fun and relaxation from the time that you wake up in the morning to the time that you leave the reception to enjoy your honeymoon together and onwards for the rest of your life.

Consider any forms of transport that you or your partner might be passionate about and see if there is anyone who might be able to help out with bringing your wedding ideas to reality.

There are many people with hot rods, Ferraris and various other types of vehicles who would charge a fee to drive you to your wedding in their vehicle.  

There are unique vehicle rental companies also where you can choose a special vehicle for your transport but there is often quite a substantial fee involved and it might even be cheaper turning up in a helicopter however you need to take into consideration getting your hair and dress blown around when getting out of the helicopter.  

For the really adventurous how about parachuting in, now wouldn’t that be a jaw dropping wedding idea.

If you can afford it there really is nothing to prevent you from making a spectacular grand entrance.

Tags: wedding ideas, weddings