Spotlight on the Asian-Themed Wedding – Weddings
Spotlight on the Asian-Themed Wedding
Blake Kritzberg
Asian-themed weddings are on the rise, and at first this might come as a surprise. After all, nothing could seem further from the Laura Ashley vision we get when thinking of a wedding.
And in fact, thats one of the forces behind the rising popularity of the Asian-themed wedding: how it turns things upside-down. In fact, in a Chinese-style wedding, white is bad its the color of death and red and black are good theyre the colors of luck and prosperity.
You might wonder whether brides that plan Asian-themed weddings are Asian or marrying someone who is. The answer is, sometimes. Surprisingly often, they arent, and the choice is purely aesthetic.
Todays trends break down into two main types of Asian-themed weddings: the Japanese or "Zen" style, which values simplicity and nature, and the more riotous Chinese style, which bristles with bright colors and shiny fabrics.
Although either choice may surprise some older guests, the bride may find her personal values deeply expressed in the Asian-themed wedding. After all, the usual wedding is a certain kind of pageant: the couple pretends to be royalty for a day, and lavishly entertain a large party - seemingly without a care, though they rack up huge debt to do so.
Brides drawn to the Zen-style ceremony often want to avoid the "royalty pageant" and simplify the ceremony ironically, this can result in greater elegance for the price tag. This type of bride might read "voluntary simplicity" books, care about the environment, enjoy an uncluttered house or apartment with a handful of Japanese accents Shoji lanterns and screens, for example and find herself attracted to natural materials. She may feel freed by a simpler wedding gown, and carry an unfussy bouquet of calla lilies. Her centerpieces might be lanterns surrounded by black and white stones. For favors, she might give out fortune cookies placed in take-out boxes and topped off with chopsticks.
Other brides find aspects of tradition stifling, so they mix up their ceremony with Chinese-style zest. This bride might dress her bridesmaids in glowing red or slinky black! Cheongsams, dresses with high collars and slit sides. Shell hand them parasols instead of nosegays, and pass out chopsticks for their hair. Her own gown might be of gorgeous brocade in red, orange or gold. Perhaps shell wrap up the ceremony with a butterfly release and hand out lucky bamboo stalks as wedding favors. This bride doesnt mind charting her own course in social affairs, and she loves the Chinese devotion to parents and children.
In either case, the Asian-themed wedding is a great way to tie your ceremony to your personal values. Perhaps the thought of such a wedding crossed your mind, but you thought you had to be Asian The fact is, Asian traditions and trends have been shaping Americans deeply since the 1960s. Maybe its time to ask yourself this: which type of Asian-themed bride are you
About The Author
Blake Kritzberg is the proprietor of http://www.favorideas.com. Visit the site for easy, elegant, unusual, and affordable wedding favor ideas, wedding favor FAQ, and free wedding screensaver. This article may be freely reprinted so long as this resource box and URL are preserved.
Guide to a Growing Trend: The "Green" or Ecological Wedding – Weddings
Guide to a Growing Trend: The "Green" or Ecological Wedding
Blake Kritzberg
Does it seem like the phrases "ecology" and "wedding" could hardly have less in common
With the average wedding costing well over 15 thousand today, one would think so. And yet, the "green" or ecologically-friendly wedding is gaining momentum across the nation.
The green wedding, like any other wedding style, has its tribal features. By tribal, I mean the signs and signifiers that help tell the guests what the wedding is supposed to mean, and how the couple prefers to appear. From a tribal perspective, a green wedding can be hauntingly romantic, with its outdoor setting, its focus on living plants, and its less-formal gown often made of hemp that brings to mind fairy outings from 400 years ago.
In personal appearance, the ecology bride is often the gamine type. Even on her wedding day, her fresh face forms a contrast with the heavily made-up cover girls of bridal magazines.
When it comes to more functional aspects, the green wedding
How to Plan Your Wedding and Honeymoon – Weddings
How to Plan Your Wedding and Honeymoon
Sidney Strachan
1. Weddings typically can cost you anywhere around $15,000 or more. The big question is: who foots the bill
The 21st century has heralded a shift in the way these costs are handled. We have moved away from the days when the family of the bride would pay all costs associated with the wedding ceremony . Today it may come down to who can afford it or, who can qualify for the personal loan from the lending institution.
Weddings may, in most cases, be a one time special event deserving of all the pomp and pageantry associated with the memorable day. However, there are ways to cut costs and still maximize the moment. Careful planning and budgeting are key to getting the most out of this experience at a reduced cost.
What should go into a wedding plan When is too much, too much
There are many things which makes a wedding a wedding. The old adage, "Something New, Something used and something blue, is a reliable guide to save.
Knowing what you need and how much it cost compared to your allotted budget for each item is essential. Your check list should include: Bride Gown and accessories, Grooms wedding attire, wedding rings, flowers, wedding cake, wedding site, reception site, photography/video services, limousine, ceremony fees, decorations, licence, honeymoon/travel, music/entertainment services, invitations, wedding consulting fees, beverage/drinks and type of wedding.
Generally, all of these items should be carefully itemized and an actual cost should be obtained from the service providers. Your budget fro each service or product should be include to help guide you and/or your wedding consultants. From this list you can determine things like the size of your guest list, bridal party and reception, cake and amount you can actually allocate to each specific area.
A good example is: if you are purchasing a wedding gown and accessories which can easily run into $1,500 or more and your budget is $600, you can opt to rent a gown and accessory which typically at the high end is around $400.
Knowing where you would like to host your wedding and the type of wedding you want is also very essential. Many people typically choose a traditional wedding religious. These can go into many different cultures i.e. African, Jewish, Islamic, Irish etc. Different types of weddings typically carry varying price tags depending on the culture and how complex the ceremony or extravagant it is.
Honeymoons can be a another costly expense. Honeymoons can extend from that drive to another state to the extended Bahamas vacation or Carribean cruise. Many companies are now incorporating wedding and honeymoon packages in their vacation packages. This has its upside and downside. Marriage laws also vary from country to country.
June typically is noted as the wedding month. So, expect costs to be higher. However travel this and hotel charges during this time of the year to many destinations including the Bahamas may be less expensive.
If you know your budget then it may be beneficial to allow a wedding consulting firm to handle the arrangements. Statistics show that couples are so tired and stressed after the wedding 705 do not have sex on the first night of the honeymoon.
Hiring wedding consultant doesnt mean you lose control of your ceremony. It just saves you the hassle and stress of coordinating and implementing each individual activity and duty.
Your honey moon can be like any other vacation as far as proper planning is concerned. In order to save money, you must know what you want to do Where you want to go What you want to see Consult with travel consultants in the country or area you plan to visit. Research well. Your trip does not have to be robotic or mechanical, but it can be cost effective and well organized.
TIPS
Below are a few cost saving tips for your special day.
Trim your guest list
Reduce the number of attendance in your bridal party and reception
Budget your honeymoon well
Choose the kind of wedding you like but can afford
Research: at least 6 months in advance
Book in advance: try the internet
Stay near home: try a friends remote cottage, town house or timeshare
Shorten your vacation stay
Travel and wed in the off season
Go on a Cruise: They are usually all inclusive
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About The Author
Sidney Strachan is a young entrepreneur. In 1998 he and Rudolph started resource Marketing Services a B2B service oriented company. He has written many articles and is presently about to release a book of poetry entitled On and On. His website is entitled Bahamas Aficionados. It is a site promoting vacations in the Bahamas while providing services for the pleasure or business vacationers. Services include organizing and arranging Bahamian weddings, specialty tours and seminars/conferences, providing business equipment for rental and many other business and vacation oriented services.
rmsbahamas@msn.com