Use pop-ups - Hey, it’s not just for kids and pre-teens. Pop-ups make a nice statement and a pleasant surprise. Use an ordinary paper-folded pop-up or a wire pop-up that springs into position when the envelope or invitation is opened. Pick an element taken from your shower theme such as a pair of hearts, a church, wedding bells, flowers or a pair of doves for the pop-up.

Here are the ways to create an unforgettable bridal shower invitations.

A sparkling affair - Why not include rhinestones in your bridal shower invitation? Rhinestones shine and sparkle even when used in small quantities. If your invitation has a drawing of a rose in front, glue a rhinestone in the middle or on one of the petals. Rhinestone can also shine inside an illustration of a martini glass or between two hearts.

The scent of things to come - Want to make your bridal shower invitation memorable? Using your favorite cologne or perfume, lightly spray or dab the invitation before sealing it in an envelope. The scent will stay on for several days and will still smell as good even if your guest opened it a few days later.

Go handmade - Handmade bridal invitation cards are a smart and beautiful way to send out invites to a special occasion. Since they are handmade, no two invitations are exactly alike. Plus, you can also customize to include your favorite design elements.

Use natural materials - Go green with your bridal shower invitation and use recycled paper and bio-degradable materials. Use pressed leaves and dried flowers to decorate the invitation. To make a nice-smelling card, use dried fragrant flowers like roses, gardenias and lavender.

Ticket to the shower - Why not make give your bridal shower invitation a different flavor by making it look like a concert or theater ticket? Print the title of your invite on one side and include the details (place, time and dress code) on the other side. When guests come in through the door, assign a ‘ticket taker’ to tear a portion of the invitation and let the guests keep the rest.

Weddings tend to be frightfully expensive. Often couples postpone a wedding because their financial situation does not allow them to go ahead with all that they have planned for their wedding. It is not necessary that all weddings be expensive. A wedding can be made beautiful and memorable yet inexpensive using some imagination. Wedding decorations is an area that offers ample scope for cutting costs.

Planning to get married around the Christmas holiday can be a great idea. Usually, churches and reception halls are already decorated during this season, cutting down on what you need for decorations.

Keep a watch out for the after holiday sales. Decorative products are available for far less after a major holiday. Red hearts are available for great prices after Valentine’s Day; lights are available for a fraction of the cost after Christmas.

While shopping for wedding decorations, avoid the wedding-specific area of the store. The same products are usually available at far cheaper rates in other areas of the store. A string of pearls may cost as much as three or four times the cost of unstrung pearls in the sewing area. All you need to do is to string them together, which does not take much timr or skill.

Buying seasonal flowers is another money saving option. Flowers that are out of season can be horrendously expensive. Brides can request the bridesmaids and other family members to help out with the floral arrangements instead of opting for a professional arranger, in order to save money as well.

Checking with other brides in the area and exploring the feasibility of sharing the decorations is money saving idea.

Making one’s own invitations is also a very good idea; using postcards instead of using the usual reply cards with envelopes could also save money. One can also ask for discounts while buying supplies for a wedding. What people don’t realize most of the time is that everything is really negotiable. Holding the wedding during the lean season can also save money, as the wedding service providers tend to offer discounts during this period.

You’re in love. You’re ga-ga. Let’s face it… you’re both crazy!

Yet you somehow summoned the presence of mind to make a life-changing decision: to get married.

When the chemistry is right between two people, and there seems no other clear path than to tie the knot, the time is ripe for marriage. Amid the general confusion and effusion and delusion, this is probably the only really serious decision you’re capable of at the moment, as a couple. It’s natural, it’s right, it’s obvious. Now all you have to do is back up your vows…with a lifetime of love.

Simple? Not hardly.

Love comes on strong, grabs you both by the lapels and shakes until the rings fall out of your pockets. It’s just the nature of the beast. But that does not diminish the lifetime of dedication and respect two people willingly give each other long after the crazed-in-love period wanes.

Whether you write your vows or repeat the time-honored, “Till death do us part” phrases, just take a moment, before you make your promises, to reflect upon the words you choose to say to each other.

Maybe you gravitate toward Aristotle’s famous quote, “Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.” Maybe you came across Thomas Moore’s idea, “Marriage is an Athenic weaving together of families, of two souls with their individual fates and destinies, of time and eternity–everyday life married to the timeless mysteries of the soul.” Or possibly you both prefer the lighter, albeit somehow more poignant, perspective of Winnie the Pooh: “If there ever comes a day when we can’t be together keep me in your heart, I’ll stay there forever.”

Whatever you decide to promise, mean it with every fiber of your being. The meaning of your wedding depends upon the depths of your sincerity. And your journey together on Planet Earth does too.

Stephen Kreutzer is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides wedding tips on www.your-best-wedding.info

Your wedding is your own. And in today’s society, people have been constantly scouring every book for any way to make their wedding as personal and as unique as possible. One way to do this is to whip up your own wedding vows.

Traditionally, couples to be wed do not have much of a say in what goes into many of the words spoken during the wedding ceremony. Today, it is increasingly getting easier to personalize and influence what is said during the ceremony - within reasonable bounds,though.

If you desire to make your wedding vows unique and personal, you are not alone. Many other couples incorporate feelings, and intimate messages into their wedding vows. It has an added effect of making your wedding more touching, dramatic, and memorable.

Talk with the Officiant Ahead of Time
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If you would like to personalize your wedding vows, first notify your Officiant to find out the legalities, guidelines and rules in drafting your own wedding vows. He or she will typically give pointers and examples to help you draw up your own vows.

Furthermore, the Officiant will inform you of the parts of the vow that are expected to be said.

The Topic
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It may include promises, such as “I will swear upon my life to do …” or it may be heartfelt messages for each other, or even hopes for each other plans for the future and such. You may also opt to create a mixture of each to spice up your wedding vows.

Although norms vary from culture to culture, as a general rule, the wedding vow should not take too long to recite. Keep it concise yet meaningful.

Remember, you will have to recite this, and long recitations tend to make the memory suffer.

Make it Official
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After creating a draft of the vows you wish to exchange, it would do well to meet up with the Officiant again and show him a draft of your vows. Although in the end, it is ultimately your decision that is followed, do take heed of the Officiant’s advice, as it is usually sound and has been honed by experience.

Practice
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It is a good idea to practice your vows before the wedding. Although there is no rule against reading vows, a thoroughly practiced, heartfelt rendition of the vow will definitely make a lasting impact on your partner and the people witnessing the ceremony.

As mentioned earlier, avoid overly long vows as they tend to be less remembered and are harder to memorize, not to mention quite inconvenient to others. You may do so, however, if you feel the need is justified.

The Performance
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When reciting your vows during the wedding, always keep calm. People who are tense tend to speak to fast, and since the wedding vow is a very important part of the wedding, you will want to take your time in the spotlight.

Loosen up, so that in case you forget a line or two during the exchange of vows, you will at least be able to bounce back with something from your heart.

If you desire so, you may also keep a written version of you vows with you. You might want to read it surreptitiously though.

Good luck on your wedding, and may the sweet words you utter during the exchange of vows never lose their meaning for rest of your days!

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