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What it Costs to Be a Wedding Guest
There tends to be some confusion about what things a guest at a wedding should be expected to pay for, and which things they should not. Especially as couples are trying to trim their wedding budgets, in to many instances, expenses which should be covered by the bride and groom get foisted off onto unsuspecting guests. At the same time, there are certainly wedding guests out there who think that a wedding should be an all-expenses paid vacation, which it is not. To sort out all the confusion, here is a look at what it costs to be a wedding guest, as well as which things should be paid for by the bride and groom
Wedding Attire and Beauty: This one definitely goes to the wedding guests. Certainly it can get expensive to buy the appropriate attire for a wedding, especially if it is black tie, but looking the part is not optional. If you find yourself strapped for cash for something to wear to a wedding, try shopping sales and finding cost-effective alternatives. A stunning pair of Swarovski crystal earrings will look just as fabulous as a pair of diamond earrings, and they won’t break the bank. For the best deal, search online for good prices on all of your accessories like the Swarovski crystal earrings, shoes, and cute handbags. This all goes for the wedding party, too, by the way. Everyone must pay for his or her own wedding wardrobe.
Travel Expenses: A lot of people who have been invited to far flung weddings won’t like to hear it, but the guests are responsible for their own airfare, hotel accommodations, and so on. Can attending a wedding end up costing you thousands of dollars? Yes, it can. And if you cannot or prefer not to spend that much to go to a wedding, the only option is to politely decline. One cannot try to get the bride and groom to pay their way. The couple can make matters easier on their guests by booking blocks of hotel rooms at a group rate at hotels in several price ranges.
Wedding and Shower Gifts: Technically speaking, etiquette says that no one invited to a wedding is obligated to give a gift. Practically speaking, however, you are going to look like a real cheapskate if you attend a wedding and don’t send anything. If you do not attend, you certainly may send something anyway, but a card with your good wishes is sufficient. Guests who care enough about the bride and groom to go to their wedding should also care enough to give them a little something. Note the word “little” – you do not have to buy a pricey gift off the bridal registry if it will strain your finances to do so. A pretty picture frame found on sale or something of that ilk makes a perfectly fine wedding gift and is very affordable. As for the bridal shower, if you go, you definitely have to bring something, and if you do not go, you most definitely do not have to send a gift (unless of course you want to!).
Food and Beverages: At any event to which the wedding guest has been invited by the bride and groom, they should not have to pay for their own food and drinks. The only exception is if the newlyweds extend an open invitation for any stragglers at the reception to join them for an afterparty at a bar or club. But the rehearsal dinner, wedding reception, brunch, and any other wedding weekend festivities should be paid for in full by the hosts. This means that the dreaded cash bar is strictly taboo! It also means that food should be broadly appealing and plentiful. If anyone leaves a wedding hungry, something has gone seriously wrong in the hospitality department.
Hopefully this has cleared up some of the debate about who should pay for what at a wedding. As a corollary, it should be mentioned that wedding registries which ask guests to pay for the bride and groom’s daily expenses, such as their mortgage or student loans (I just recently heard about this one!) are in very poor taste. Guests shell out plenty to attend a wedding, they should not be expected to pay the bride and groom’s bills as well!
Online Wedding Dress Shopping!
Taking the hassle out of finding your perfect and unique wedding dress.
Getting married is no longer a case having only two options, church or court house, as it used to be. These days it is possible to get married just about anywhere you like, so whether you want a fairytale wedding or something a little more unconventional, you can arrange to have your wedding just about anywhere.
You might want to step out of a horse and carriage and step through the doors of an elaborate church in order to say your vows. You may prefer to hire a room at a posh hotel and enjoy a civil ceremony to declare your love and intentions. You might even want to shout out your vows as you leap 200 feet down from a crane as part of a bungee jump ceremony – the possibilities are endless.
Designers and retailers have realized that weddings are not what they used to be, and people like to use their imagination more and do some pretty wild things as part of the ceremony. And because of this, you can now get some stunning wedding dresses and bridal gowns to suit every occasion and type of wedding.
Beach Weddings
Beach weddings have become really popular over recent years, with many couples opting to escape to lush, tropical surroundings for their special days, with a selection of close friends and family members gathered around them on the warm, sandy beach, with the lapping waves of the turquoise sea as their background.
The popularity of beach weddings has sparked a rise in the range of beach wedding dresses available for these occasions. If you are going to get married in the hot midday sun on an exotic beach, it is not always practical – or comfortable – to buy a full-on bridal gown with all the trimmings. Having to lug a heavy gown around in that sort of weather and environment would probably result in you fainting! However, understandably, you don’t want to get married in a pair of shorts and a bikini top either!
This is where the range of elegant and highly suitable beach weddings dresses come in. You will find some incredible beach wedding dress styles, which are both classy and practical. You can enjoy wearing something light and cool for the ceremony, and still have the peace of mind that you look every bit the stunning bride. The simple elegance of some of the beach wedding dresses available today creates the perfect look for a hot, steamy, tropical beach wedding.
If you’re planning to jet off to sunnier climates for a beach wedding, you will find a wide range of beach wedding dresses available online. You can choose from a selection of light, airy, yet stunning fabrics, and there are styles available to suit all shapes and sizes. You can also enjoy some really low prices on beach wedding dresses online, so you can get the perfect look for the perfect setting and at the perfect price!
Traditional Weddings
If you are a dedicated follower of tradition as well as a dedicated follower of fashion, you may have decided to enjoy your special day with a church ceremony followed by a classy reception. However, you may want to set the scene with an absolutely stunning dress for your memorable day.
The great news is that you can now get some spectacular designer wedding dresses and bridal gowns for the occasion, and at really affordable prices. Your wedding day is one that you will hopefully never be repeating, so you want to make it something really special – in terms of where you hold it, your guests, and of course what your wear. With a stunning designer wedding dress, you can look proudly back on your photos for years to come, and you can even pass your wedding dress down to future generations.
Designer wedding dresses are no longer reserved for the rich and famous; these days most people can enjoy the luxury of wearing a unique and gorgeous designer bridal gown for their wedding day. You can get these designer wedding dresses in all style, sizes and colours, so whatever type of theme you want for your wedding – from medieval to fairytale – you can help create the perfect look with a classy, designer bridal gown.
Where to Find Discount Bridal Gowns and Wedding Dresses
Whether you decide to go for a romantic traditional wedding or a sizzling beach wedding, you’ll want to ensure that you get the right dress for the occasion and at the right price. Some people search far and wide in order to try and get the perfect dress, traipsing from one shop to another and still finding a very limited choice coupled with high prices. This type of hassle is the last thing you need when you have so many other preparations to worry about.
The Internet is a different matter altogether. You can browse a wealth of fabulous wedding dresses and bridal gowns from the comfort of your own home, and you will have access to outfits from all over the world, so you can be sure of getting plenty of choice as well as a unique and stunning bridal gown. You won’t even have to leave your home to find the wedding dress of your dreams, and once you have found and ordered the one that really catches your eye, you can enjoy fast and convenient home delivery.
You can find some excellent deals on wedding dresses online, and if you are after fabulous styles at affordable prices you will be delighted with the choice of discount bridal gowns available. Whatever you shape, size, taste or budget, these discount wedding dresses will ensure that you can look really amazing on your special day and without breaking the bank!
There are wedding dresses to suit every theme and setting online, so it doesn’t matter where you plan to hold your ceremony and what your planned theme is. You can find the perfect bridal gown to really fit in and set off the theme for the day, and whether you are getting married on a tropical beach or in the local church, you can still look and feel like a million dollars.
The Wedding Garter
Weddings are very auspicious occasions and that is why even thought there are many superstitions attached to the wedding attire, people follow them without questioning them. It is said that in Christian weddings, the bride must wear something borrowed, something blue, something borrowed and something new. This is a very old tradition and must be followed so that the wedded couple is blessed with good luck in their life to come and lead a very happy life together as a married couple. The wedding garter is thus one of the oldest traditions and the use of them is still followed today.
It is the bride that wears this garter, and most of the times, it is the garter that is blue in color and can be attached anywhere on the dress or on the bride’s hair or even on her feet in order to be part of tradition. This tradition was started hundreds of years ago and is still continued and is attached anywhere on the bride’s wedding dress or clothing.
However, with time it was found out that it become a little tough for the bride to take it off, and so today, in weddings, it is customary for the groom to take off the garter from the bride’s dress and throw it to all the single men, especially the groomsmen who are still single. Whoever catches it out of them is said to be the next in line for marriage and is blessed with a happy marriage.
Thus, it holds a lot of importance. These wedding garters can be found anywhere, especially in shops and stores that deal with wedding items. There are many types and kinds of wedding garters that can be made and bought. They can also be custom made to match the bride’s dress.
They can be made of different materials like lace, and raffia. Lace garters are quite common for bridal garters. Many a times, even the bridesmaids and the maid of honor can wear the garter as part of their wedding clothes in order to symbolize love and peace for the bride.
Thus, you can even find bridal garter sets in shops or online. Purchasing these garters online will help you access a large number of designs and styles from all over the world and since they can be shipped easily, it is suggested that you look online first if you do not find a good store in your area or region. They can even be gifted or kept as heirlooms and passed on to the bride’s children, and they can wear it on their weddings.
Unique Bridal Shops in Michigan
With today’s economy, Brides have to be more savvy than ever when it comes to budgeting for their wedding. And, unfortunately the financial condition of some businesses has left many brides with limited choices when they go to look for their wedding gowns. Bridal shops are expensive to maintain and lately many have been forced to close their stores because of overhead costs. But, when you combine the online experience with a physical location, like Imlay City, Michigan Brides can have the best of both worlds.
The internet has opened up doors to many brides to be and now Bridal Shops in Michigan can include online boutiques as well. Any wedding dress shop that wants to survive nowadays has to offer both options to women searching for that perfect wedding dress…a physical location and an online presence. This combination allows the bride to try on dresses, but opens the door for more styles that can also be seen online. This also helps the store owner because they can have a larger inventory, but less overhead in the shop itself.
This type of bridal boutique can even offer more if they have Custom Wedding Dress services. In other words, normally a bride-to-be has to order what’s known as a standard size, one that comes from a size chart. Then that guarantees that the gown will surely have to be altered and more fees will apply. But when a wedding dress shop offers a custom dress option, the bride can get her gain made exactly to her measurements. Thus eliminating alterations fees altogether. The only additional fee that may be incurred would be nominal for bustling.
When bridal shops in Michigan, like Leontina Gowns located in the thumb of the lower peninsula, combines a store front with online bridal shopping, the savings is passed right to the bride. Often times, she can get a designer quality wedding dress custom made to her measurements for under $500. Brides can shop in the store or online and get a wedding dress custom made to their exact measurements. This not only saves time, but hundreds in additional alterations fees. That’s one of the biggest pluses to purchasing online.
Bridal Shops in Michigan now more than ever offer brides options that they never had before. Perhaps Imlay City will be the new destination for brides looking to save $1000′s on their wedding dress.
Wedding Gift Giving – FAQ and Answers Too
Over time, our visitors, both Invitees and Marrying Couples, have asked many questions regarding Wedding Gift Giving
This article is formatted as Questions and answers.
A-wedding Day hopes that they will help answer some of your questions. If not, please feel free to Email us your questions.
Please note that
WEDDING GUESTS ASK:
Q. I am invited to a wedding. The invitation arrived and with it a wish list and store registries where the bride and groom entered the items they want to receive.
S. I do not plan to attend. Do I need to send a gift?
A. You do not have to, but it is a nice gesture to send a gift whether or not you plan to attend.
Q. Do I have to give an item chosen by the bride and groom?
A. No! While it is nice to help the couple acquire items they have chosen, a unique gift can be just as and even more welcomed.
Q. Do I have to purchase from one of their bridal registries?
A. No. You may shop anywhere, though the bridal registries will inform you of which items have already been purchased.
Q. Can I purchase a gift for the wedding itself rather than for the future?
A. Absolutely! Providing the bride and groom receive it in time for the wedding. In fact it is a good idea because just about any gift used at the wedding will become a cherished keepsake.
Q. What would make a memorable gift for the wedding?
Any item personalized with the bride and groom’s first names and wedding date such as: Toasting Flutes, Cake Servers, Unity Candles, etc…
One, a few or even an entire collection of Wedding Accessories such as: Toasting Flutes, Cake Servers, Unity Candles, Guest Books and matching pens, Garters, Ring Bearer Pillow, hankies, caketops etc… But DO NOT make it a surprise gift. Consult with the bride and groom to assure that they do not have these items yet. If not, find out if they plan a theme wedding and purchase accordingly or better yet, let THEM CHOOSE the items.
Q. Can I shop on line for wedding gifts?
A.Sure! Actually this is the easiest way to engage the bride and groom, near or far, should you need their input in choosing a gift for the wedding.
Shopping online is your most convenient way to acquire unique gifts which may not be available in stores.
Ideas: Personalized wedding gifts, personalized candles, etc… When you shop on line, a click of the mouse or a phone call from your home or office, allows you to purchase, gift wrap, enclose a personalized gift card and ship a gift to directly to the couple.
Q. Should I bring my gift to the wedding site?
A. Preferably not!
Most wedding sites do not provide security. Thus, Gifts can easily be damaged or misplaced or, sad to say taken. The bride and groom are much too busy and excited to worry about gathering up gifts. Thus, some gifts could easily be left behind.
Q. How do I make sure that the bride and groom receive my gift?
A. Send the gift to the Bride’s address, grooms address or the address on the RSVP envelope that came with the wedding invitation.
BRIDES AND GROOMS ASK:
S. We plan to give each other gifts at the wedding. What is the best time to do so?
A. Gift exchange between brides and grooms has become rather popular. The best time for brides and grooms to exchange gifts is at the ceremony, as soon as they are no longer bride and groom. That is immediately following the officiant presenting the new Mr. and Mrs. but after lighting the Unity Candle.
Q. What kinds of gifts will be appropriate?
A. Give each other gifts that are keepsakes. Personalized gifts and jewelry top the list.
S. As a blending family, we plan to acknowledge our kids as part of our union. We would like to give them special gifts at the wedding.
Q. What is the best time to do so?
A. This is a wonderful way to welcome your kids into the new family creatid by your union.
The best time for you to give your kids a gift is at the ceremony immediately following your gift exchange, or immediately after your rings exchange and vows. This is especially appropriate if you plan to include the kids in your vows and, if age appropriate, in lighting the Unity Candle.
Q. What kinds of gifts will be appropriate?
Here a piece of jewelry such as the family unity jewelry (pendants, rings, lapel pins/tie clips etc…) will be a perfect gift.
Q. Are there specific etiquetes regarding giving gifts to our wedding party and family?
S. We need some ideas of gifts of appreciation to our bestman, maid of honor, bridesmaids, ushers, groomsmen, parents grand parents flower girl and ring bearer (boy).
A. Gifts, their cost and whether you should give everyone the same gift is at your discresion. But since you asked, we’ll provide you with some ideas.
IDEAS for GIFTS for WOMEN
Gifts for Maid of Honor, Bridesmaids, mothers, grandmothers
A. The most appropriate gifts will be keepsake mementos.
The mothers and the maid of Honor generally receive gift of greater value than the bridesmaids, but this is not mandatory.
Gifts personalized with either their names, title (mother, maid of honor etc…), or bride and groom’s name and wedding date serve as both thank you and keepsake mementos.
Ideas: Personalized candles, frames or photo albums to later add your wedding pictures to, jewelry, some part of their wedding attire, toasting flutes or mugs, jewelry boxes, key chains, clocks, make-up kits, crystal or silver vases, crystal bowls, collectibles etc…
Pampering gifts Ideas:bath oils, gift baskets, candles, a day at a spa etc…
IDEAS for GIFTS FOR MEN
Gifts for Best Man, Groomsmen/Ushers, fathers, grandfathers
A. Here too the most appropriate gifts will be keepsake mementos.
The fathers and the best man generally receive gifts of greater value than the Groomsmen/Ushers, but this is not mandatory.
Ideas: Personalized candles, frames or photo albums to later add your wedding pictures to, beer mugs or pilsners, toasting flutes, drinks shakers, can cooler koozies, money clips, travel cases, wood jewelry boxes, unique items reflecting their individual interests, bar sets, desk clocks, business card holders, key chains, pocket watches, Swiss Army products, high quality pens/pen sets.
IDEAS for GIFTS FOR PARENTS and GRANDPARENTS
A. Wedding mementos including a special album, picture frames and video/cd of your wedding are most appreciated by parents. They will display them and re-live your happy day every time they look at your wedding pictures.
IDEAS for GIFTS FOR FLOWERGIRL(S)/RING BEARER(S)
Ideas: Here your gift such as a coloring book set, or books about being a flower girl or ring bearer may will depend on the age of the child. However, long lasting gifts can be given to a child of any age. Ideas: Jewlry, jewelry box, silver bank, a framed photo of him/her with you on your wedding day, something relating to the child’s interest, a stuffed animal etc…
IDEAS for GIFTS FOR GUESTS
S. It has become customary to gift your wedding guests with wedding favors to thank them for helping you celebrate your big day.
Actually, favors should be multi-purpose.
ideas: Insert place cards in Small frames, Insert place cards in silver holders, order personalized pens and have each guest keep the pen after signing your guest book, place a dessert (Candy, nuts, cake, etc..) in a keepsake container, etc… Assign one of your attendants to announce that these are Thank you souvineers from the bride and groom.
S. We plan to give our guests memento thank you gifts.
Q. Should we also send them Thank-You notes?
A. Absolutely! Each guests gave you a gift personally. Most guests put thought into what to get and purchased, wrapped and delivered it to you on or before your wedding.
You must acknowledge their efforts individually with a Thank-You note.
S. We have a large wedding party. By the time we add both sets of parents, grandparents and a few other relatives, we come up with more than 10 men and more than 10 women. We are on a budget. Giving each a large gift is prohibitive but we do not want to give “cheapy” gifts.
Q. Can you help?
A. We hope so! You must consider your budget when choosing your gifts but you do not necessarily have to pass up gifts you like. Always remember that a little creativity and thoughtfulness can go a long way. If you are creative you can put together gifts from the heart. Write or draw someting special and place it in a frame. find small items that will be appreciated by a sports enthusiast, stamp collectors, a gardening buffs, etc… and make little gift baskets. Your thoughtfullness will be appreciated by the recipients.
Otherwise, choose two gifts – one for the men and one for women – and buy them in bulk. Many retailers will give you a price break based on quantity – IF YOU ASK THEM TO.
This will help keep your costs down and save you time too.
If you shop on-line Email a note to the online vendors asking if they can give you a break for buying X number of the same item. They may not offer it but some may consider doing so when requested. We at A-wedding Day do.
S. Be aware that because of the way internet shopping carts are set up, the discount will not show up on your online confirmation. The vendor will have to deduct the discount when charging your credit card and will need to email you the amount actually charged. It should reflect your cost after the price reduction.
Q. When is the best time to present our thank you gifts to our parents, grandparents and wedding attendants?
A. You may do so at the rehearsal dinner because of the intimate setting with your family and closest friends. Or, you may choose to present each in a private setting where you can express your gratitude to each participant individually.
