Top 25 Wedding Planning Tips from Real Couples
1. Take Your Time
2. Be Present In Each Moment
3. Do A First Look
For more details, go to: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bridal-guide/top-25-weddingplanning-tips_b_2957462.html
Elite Utah Wedding Venues: Escaping Cultural Halls
I have to mention this iconic cultural spot along the Wasatch Front. There are few places in Utah or Salt Lake counties that can match Thanksgiving Point’s wedding spaces for beauty, uniqueness and functionality.
This is one of the most amazing pieces of architecture (French, something you don’t see often in Utah) in the entire Salt Lake Valley. Sequestered just off of Wasatch Boulevard in Sandy, La Caille includes 20 acres of gardens, a gorgeous pavilion and vineyard that provide a landscape you don’t find anywhere else in the Valley.
How much will your wedding costs be
According to a recent national survey of nearly 18,000 brides, the average US wedding cost was $28,427. The study shows that this is the highest level since 2008. Here is the breakdown of each wedding cost:
Wedding Reception Venue – $12,905
Engagement Ring – $5,431
Reception Band – $3,084
Wedding Photography – $2,379
Wedding Ceremony Site – $1,711
Wedding Gown – $1,211
Wedding Flowers and Décor – $1,997
Wedding Videography – $1,619
Wedding Planner – $1,847
Grooms Tuxedo – $230
Rehearsal Dinner – $1,135
Wedding Reception DJ – $988
Wedding Transportation – $708
Wedding Ceremony Musicians – $554
Wedding Cake – $560
Wedding Invitations – $344
Wedding Favors – $221
Wedding Catering – $63/guest
Honeymoon – not included
I am not sure why the numbers DO NOT add up, but you get an idea. Get your own FREE wedding planner and budget planner at: http://www.weddingsoeasy.com/register.php?type=free.
How does this compare to what you are planning on spending for your wedding?? Are you going to spend more or less than the national average? Are you going to spend the same amount of money on each wedding category? Leave a comment and let us know.
Valentine's Day Weddings on a Ferris Wheel
From hundreds of online applications, a few lucky couples were chosen to have their weddings on a 65 foot ferris wheel in Sandy, Utah on Valentine’s Day. The wedding ceremony was performed by Murray Mayor Dan Snarr. Radio station K-Bull 93 and Scheels sponsored the wedding ceremony on a ferris wheel at Scheels on Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013. See more photos at:
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865573221/Circle-of-love-Couples-get-married-on-ferris-wheel-at-Scheels.html
What do you think? Would you participate in this circle of love??
The Costs of Being in a Wedding
Is this in line with your wedding planning? Leave a comment and let us know.
My Wedding Speech
Tom Fletcher is the lead singer/songwriter of Europe's hit band Mcfly. He said he is not any good at speeches, so he decided instead of giving a wedding speech; he would perform a song version. Take a look at "My Wedding Speech". What do you think??
2013-1 Wedding So Easy Book Cover
Also view the online version of Wedding So Easy - Utah's Premier Guide to Wedding Professionals.
Let us know what you think of our new cover!
Fort Gordon Couple Marries Through Skype
Jacqueline Durham spent her wedding day like most brides. From her bedazzled bride outfit, she got ready with her bridesmaids and took plenty of pictures.But, there was also something not on a typical bride to be list: to check her internet connection. Jacqueline would marry her Fort Gordon soldier through Skype while he is still stationed in overseas in Afghanistan.
“He told me about it,” Jacqueline told NBC 26. “And he’s like what do you think about that? Do you want to do that? And I was like, of course. Since we can’t be together, it’d make it special.”
After two years of dating Trey, Jacqueline told us she couldn’t wait any longer.
“He is a really good person,” she described. “Everyone likes him. He’s funny. He’s easy going. He’s very laid back. It takes a lot to make him mad.”
Sunday afternoon, Trey and his army family lined up in Afghanistan while Jacqueline and her family shared the moment from her Hephzibah home.
They recited their vows to each other.
“My love for you cannot be measured,” Jacqueline said to Trey. “You have filled a void in my life that I never knew was missing.”
“I promise to keep a strong family and keep you guys happy and love you forever,” Trey promised Jacqueline.
The two even shared a kiss through the internet.
Trey is expected home early this year.
By: Lauren Walsh | NBC Augusta
Published: January 06, 2013
To see the video, go to: http://www2.nbc26.tv/news/2013/jan/06/fort-gordon-couple-marries-through-skype-ar-5309210/
Utah couple say 'I DO' at 13,000 feet then jump
Published: Thursday, Nov. 1 2012 7:15 p.m. MDT
TOOELE — For Allan and Emily Wood, the high point in their marriage so far might have been the first few seconds.
On Thursday, the Utah couple tied the knot 13,000 feet above the Tooele Valley.
The bride and groom capped off their high-flying wedding by jumping out of the airplane and floating gently to earth.
"I loved it," the grinning bride said after she was safely back on the ground. "I loved the free fall, when you're just falling and the wind's just hitting you and your mouth's all blowing in the wind and it's just awesome."
E-mail: hollenhorst@desnews.com
What do you think? Would you do this for your wedding??
6 Often Overlooked Wedding Details
1) Entertainment for ChildrenIf there will be children at your event, be sure to plan something fun to entertain them. Some excellent ideas are: Coloring books, board games and crafts. If there will be many younger children at your event, set up a nearby room with a DVD player and games and delegate one or two older children to stay and supervise. At mealtime, consider seating little ones with their parents so they’ll behave while eating. Planning ahead so children will not become bored will create peace for you on your wedding day, peace for their parents so they can enjoy themselves AND peace for the kids so they don’t go crazy.
2) Paying vendors the day of the event
3) Comfortable shoes for the reception
Remind everyone in your wedding party to bring comfortable shoes as well. You will be on your feet all day, getting ready, rehearsing and running around like crazy. Once the stressful part is over, relax and really have a great time! You’ll be so thankful you remembered comfortable shoes.
4) Honeymoon Vacation Planning
Make additional copies of all your important documents just in case and leave them with a family member. Put all copies of important travel documents together in one place: passports, airline tickets, hotel reservations, etc.
It’s a good idea to start packing at least a week before your departure. Ask a friend or family member to assist you packing and ask them to be in charge of keeping all your stuff together and ready to go the day of the event. Remember to bring plenty of one-dollar bills for tipping cab drivers, baggage handlers, etc.
There are so many stories about last minute honey-moon snafus. Save yourself the headache by having a friend assist you through the process to help keep you organized. All your luggage should be kept together and packed in a get-away vehicle for you. If you’re planning on drinking also request a designated driver to get your safely to the airport or your preliminary destination.
5) Have a checklist
This seems like a funny thing to have on a list of items “not to forget”… however – DON’T FORGET YOUR CHECKLIST! The day of the event and the week prior you will rely very heavily on your list.
6) Thank You Notes
Keep a list of all the gifts you’ve received and who they were from. If you’re having a large wedding, ask one of your bridesmaids to keep this list for you while you’re opening gifts. Write and send out wedding thank you cards for every gift you receive within a week or two of the event. Your guests will not only be pleased that you’re enjoying the new set of silverware they sent, it will also give them peace-of-mind knowing the gift was not lost in the mail.
Do you know of any other often overlooked wedding details?? What did you forget at your wedding??
Wedding Insurance for Your Peace of Mind
Wedding Insurance is exactly what it sounds like – an insurance policy that covers your wedding and financially protects you against misfortune and mishap. Wedding Insurance policies are relatively inexpensive. For as little as $160, you can protect the investment you've made into this one important day in your life. And, you can receive coverage anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 years before the event. Some examples of coverage include:No Dress: If the bride's wedding gown or the groom's tuxedo is lost or damaged, you can receive compensation to get it repaired or replaced.
Lost Deposits: The program reimburses your deposit if a vendor goes out of business, declares bankruptcy, or fails to show up on your big day.
Lost Rings: You can receive repair or replacement cost if the bride or groom's wedding bands are lost or damaged.
Severe Weather: If severe weather (such as a hurricane) forces you to postpone your wedding, insurance can provide reimbursement for non-recoverable expenses.
Transportation Shutdown: If you have to postpone the wedding because a commercial transportation shutdown prevents the bride, groom, or their parents from getting there, you can receive reimbursement for non-recoverable expenses.
Ruined Photos: If your photographer's film is defective, or negatives are lost or damaged, insurance can help cover the cost to re-take new photos.
Call to Duty: If the bride or groom is unexpectedly called up to active duty, or has her or his military service leave revoked, forcing you to postpone the event, insurance can provide reimbursement for non-recoverable expenses.
Damaged Gifts: You can get repair or replacement costs covered if your wedding gifts are damaged.
Sudden Illness: If the wedding needs to be postponed because sudden illness prevents the bride, groom, or their parents from attending, you can receive reimbursement for non-recoverable expenses.
Venue Requires Insurance: As an additional option to your policy, you can add liability coverage to protect yourself in case a guest is injured or causes damage to property.
Liquor Liability: As an individual liability option to your policy, you can add this coverage to protect yourself against liability arising from alcohol-related occurrences (subject to policy conditions and exclusions).
Additional Expense: If a vendor suddenly becomes unavailable for your event but you can find a last-minute replacement, insurance can reimburse you for the difference in cost.
Not covered: Cold feet and undisclosed circumstances at the time the coverage is taken out. Always read the fine print or have your planner assist you.
If you want more info: http://www.saltlakebride.com/the-buckner-company.htm
Would you consider wedding insurance??
Are Diamonds a Girl's Best Friend?
Do you agree with the results of this?? What wedding jewelry will you wear??
5 couples in same family marry in mega wedding
MESA, Ariz. - If you think planning for a wedding can be stressful, how about five weddings from the same family on the same day?
The Waldie family of Mesa made it happen Friday.
They dubbed this the mega wedding -- three sisters, two brothers and their fiances decided to make it official on the same day.
Siblings Sydney, Brooke, Bradford, Walker, and Emily, the Waldie five, are somewhat of a local sensation with their weddings all falling on the same day.
"It's been three months of running and no sleep," laughs mom Kristen Waldie.
"They think we're crazy or that it's the greatest thing on earth," says dad Douglas Waldie.
This Mormon temple wedding marathon means the entire day is filled with activity. In the morning three couples tied the knot, one after another after another.
"It's better than I ever expected, its amazing to be able to see my siblings to be able to see the ceremony," says bride Sydney Schaub.
"It's actually been more perfect than I could have imagined. We've thought it through now for four months and planned this whole thing and everything has just been amazing so it's been a great day," says Emily Allen, another bride.
The five siblings did not have to share every single moment of this special day inside the temple. They have private sacred sealing ceremonies inside the temple. Once they come outside though, the Waldie mega wedding is on.
A family luncheon in the chapel next door serves as a break before ceremonies four and five finish off the formal portion of this truly unique day.
The evening reception for the new brides and grooms caps off months of frantic preparations, but today these couples are all smiles.
So what's next for the proud parents after this mega wedding success?
"We end up in therapy because now were going to be home, just my wife and myself, and my youngest son Drake, a junior in high school. We're going to be staring at each other saying what are we going to do now!" says Douglas Waldie.
The joint reception is Friday night in Mesa. Mom Kristen Waldie says they are all planning an anniversary trip together next year, and will make it a yearly tradition.
Posted: Aug 10, 2012 5:18 PM MDT
Updated: Aug 10, 2012 6:31 PM MDT
By Dan Spindle, FOX 10 News - bio
Source: http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/story/19251030/2012/08/10/5-couples-in-same-family-marry-on-same-day-in-mormon-mega-wedding
What do you think of this??
A Wedding Wishing Tree for Your Wedding
Wishing Tree Cards are a wonderful alternative or supplement to the traditional guest book. Have a Mobile Wedding Ceremony in Las Vegas
By providing couples with an unforgettable way to tie the knot in Las Vegas, the two reverends have found their calling in "mobile matrimony." From its inception, the Wedding Wagon experience was designed to be simple and affordable while also being innovative.
You have your choice of most any location and can use the sliding door on a sidewalk or the back doors for a more elegant ceremony. You can reserve a date or if the need is urgent call or text for immediate service between the hours of 12pm and 9pm.
What do you think?? Would you consider this for your wedding ceremony??
3 Generations wear the same Wedding Dress
A creamy white wedding gown of silk and handmade lace that was worn first by her grandmother in 1960, then by her mother in 1983 was worn by Katy Elder.
This Oklahoma bride certainly had “something old” and “something borrowed” on her June 30, 2012 wedding day.
“I always knew that I wanted to wear this dress,” Elder said. “I love the style. It’s not like what everybody else is wearing. And the meaning behind it means much more than anything else.”
What do you think?? Would you wear your Mothers or Grandmothers wedding dress??
Read more and see images at:
http://newsok.com/oklahoma-bride-is-third-generation-to-wear-same-gown/article/3692740#ixzz211vL3Kux
So You're Getting Married
I’ll admit it: On my wedding day, the legal and financial consequences of marriage were the last thing on my mind. Seemingly larger concerns such as catering, flowers, guests and honeymoon arrangements relegated any other thoughts to the deep background.
Although this mindset is representative of the vast majority of couples entering into marriage, the success or failure of most marriages hinges on each couple’s ability to deal with issues such as financial assets, communication, conflict, parenting and so forth. Marriage is a contract that carries significant legal and financial consequences. Consider the following issues and discuss any concerns with your future spouse before tying the knot.
Legal Requirements
Each state maintains its own marriage requirements. These include marriage licenses, blood tests, residency requirements and more. Make sure you and your future spouse have fulfilled all marriage requirements in your state prior to your wedding day.
Marriage, Money and Property
Marriage is a legal contract, meaning your property and finances will merge with those of your spouse to a certain extent. Familiarize yourself with state law definitions of marital property, and understand how to keep certain assets as separate property (if you wish to do so).
Taking on joint debt.
Because marriage involves combining two separate lives, many expenses such as housing, furniture, appliances, vehicles, and so forth, arise. In the event your marriage doesn’t last, you may be obligated to pay off debts that your spouse incurs during the marriage. Therefore, always consider the amount of debt you and your spouse can afford to repay, based on the earning potential of your respective occupations. This includes calculating any preexisting debts incurred by you or your spouse that may affect your ability to repay joint debts.
Budgeting.
Does your future spouse pay bills on time? Have you discussed living on a budget? It makes sense to have this discussion before you’re married to decrease expectation disparities that could lead to conflicts.
Premarital Agreements.
If either you or your future spouse has significant financial assets, a prenuptial (or premarital) agreement can help define your property and financial rights, including what will happen if the marriage ends. If you are considering entering into a premarital agreement, you should consult an attorney to understand the legal requirements for the agreement to be considered valid and enforceable.
Other Considerations
Keeping Records.
It’s important to keep records of all your financial affairs during marriage including insurance policies, marriage certificates, birth certificates, stock/bond certificates, tax returns, significant receipts and important contracts.
Changing Beneficiaries.
Once you’re married, one of the first things you should do is make appropriate beneficiary changes to any preexisting legal documents, such as insurance policies and stock/bond certificates. Additionally, if either you or your spouse has a preexisting will or other estate planning documents, you should consult your attorney to make appropriate changes.
Taxes and Benefits.
You and your future spouse should also inform your employer of your new legal status so that appropriate changes may be made for insurance benefits and federal income tax withholdings.
Name Changes.
If you are adopting your spouse’s surname, be sure to update your driver’s license and Social Security card to reflect the new surname.
Marriage is a big commitment. Taking time to consider these legal and financial issues prior to the big day can alleviate conflicts and help you on your way to a long and happy marriage.
Please note: This article is offered for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal advice or as pertaining to specific factual situations. Consult with an attorney concerning your own needs and circumstances and to obtain any legal advice with respect to the topics discussed in the article.
Spencer Topham is an associate with the law firm of Callister Nebeker and McCullough in Salt Lake City. His practice focuses on municipal, real property, business, banking, employment and social media law. Visit him at www.cnmlaw.com.
From Zions Bank's Community Magazine • March / April 2012 • Page 72
https://www.zionsbank.com/in-our-community/flipbook/2012/flipbook-MarApr/Zions0312/index.html
Triathlon first then wedding
A love story: Triathlon first, then wedding marks couple's lifelong race together
By Julian Reyes, Deseret News - jreyes@desnews.com
Published: Saturday, June 9 2012 8:07 p.m. MDT
HIGHLAND - For a bride on her wedding day the morning is usually reserved for personal wedding preparations, getting hair beautifully coiffed and perfect makeup in place in anticipation of that trip to the altar.
But for Shannon Beasley, 35, Saturday morning began well before 6 a.m. as she joined her fiance, Colby Louis Beal, 25, for stretching and warm-up in anticipation of the open water swim, bike leg and finishing run. Makeup was replaced by beads of sweat as the pair took part in the 4th annual Daybreak Triathlon.
"It's crazy, it is definitely crazy, it may have been a bad idea," said Beasley a few days before the triathlon and wedding ceremony.
Together with close friends and family from the wedding party, the couple embarked on a 750 meter sprint swim, the 23.5K bike race and the 5K finish to the triathlon, all before the planned ceremony in the American Fork Amphitheater Saturday.
They're not pros. This was the pair's first-ever triathlon.
So why marry the two big events?
The whole thing began with a bet started by the groom's older brother, Jesse, back when Colby and Shannon were just dating. The brothers wanted to get in shape. Friends joined in and the triathlon became the focus of the training.
The key was the bet: Loser buys sushi for everyone, Colby Beal said.
While the brothers were training for the competition, the happy couple became the happy engaged couple.
"I figured he was going to bail out (of the triathlon) because of the wedding," said the groom's older brother.
But the soon-to-be bride didn't want to interfere with the race. In fact, when the bet was struck she was of a mind to take part: "I heard about the bet and I thought it was a great idea, but at the time we were just dating," she said. "I didn't want to jump in (to the triathlon) and invite myself in to the party."
The brothers didn't mind and she was soon signed up and training.
"When we were looking at weekends — which weekend would work to get married— it kind of was the day (the day of the triathlon) that made the most sense," Beasley said. "So, we were talking about axing the triathlon," she said.
Beal's friends certainly expected that. Of course he would nix the triathlon in favor of the bigger event, thus losing the bet and be stuck footing the bill for sushi for the remaining competitors.
Not so fast.
"Why not do both," the bride recalled. "We can fit both in in one day."
Beasley, the bride, trained for two months and had run a marathon in the past.
As for the groom?
"I don't like running and I am not a good swimmer and I don’t even own a bike," he said. "So, I don’t know why I decided to do it."
The morning arrived and bride and groom showed up in traditional garb, sort of:
He wore a black tuxedo T-shirt with black running shorts. Beasley sported a white shirt and a white running skirt bedazzled with stones, and a veil that blew freely behind her as she and her soon-to-be husband crossed the finish line together.
"We weren't planning on staying together the whole time," Beasley said, "but he actually stayed back with me and finished the race with me instead of competing with the guys he was going to compete with, and win the bet."
The bride said she wasn't willing to sacrifice her wedding day for the sake of a good time.
"I am not concerned with my time and trying to get a good time that I am willing to sacrifice my body," she said.
Both finished the race injury free and ready to move on to the main event.
"It was a great way to start off the day. It was also a good diversion," Beasley said. "We didn't have a whole lot of stress for the actual wedding because we were focused on this this morning," she said Saturday afternoon.
The couple met over three years ago, but did not start seriously dating until after Christmas 2011. She was a widow with children and he a bit younger. And by Valentines Day they were a couple with engagement soon to follow.
"I knew that I wanted to marry her, I just didn’t know how to ask," Colby Beal said.
He recruited Beasley's three children, who one day held up signs with a simple message: "Marry Colby" it said, with Beasley's 3-year-old daughter holding an exclamation point.
So now one race is done and another begins.
"It just feels right this time around. We have both dated a ton of people and every single time you say I should love them for this reason or that reason, I should be more into this because everything I want is there," Beasley said.
"With dating Colby there's tons of reasons why it shouldn't be right, but it just feels good and that is very reassuring and the fact that I have zero desire to keep looking is a huge reassurance as well."
The couple plan soon to move to Las Vegas, where Beal will begin medical studies at Touro University Nevada. But first there's a meal to pay for, for crossing that finish line together with his bride, instead of ahead of his brother and the others.
"Now he has to buy sushi," Beasley said. "But that's OK, it was worth it."
Contributing: Jeff Finley - For additional images go to:
Tornado doesnt stop Kansas couples wedding day
By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH, Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — In the plains of central Kansas, tornadoes are so unremarkable that guests barely flinched as a barrel-racing bride wed her bull-riding groom with a twister dropping from the sky just miles away.
But for people living outside Tornado Alley, Caleb and Candra Pence's wedding last Saturday is generating the kind of buzz usually reserved for celebrity nuptials. The video of the service has gone viral, garnering more than 20,000 views on YouTube and a flurry of media coverage.
"It is amazing how fast it has taken off," said the groom's uncle, Lee Pence, who shot the video.
After Saturday's outdoor service on the groom's family farm near the small south-central Kansas town of Harper, the couple posed for photos with the twister visible behind them. The pictures capture them smiling serenely — the 21-year-old bride in a white gown and the 22-year-old groom in a cowboy hat and jeans.
About eight to 10 miles away, the twister was damaging a farm and wind turbines. The National Weather Service has classified it as an EF-3 storm, packing winds of 138 to 167 miles per hour.
"I don't know how on earth I will ever top this," said wedding photographer Cate Eighmey, who said she posed the pair for dramatic shots of the newlyweds and the twister behind them. Eighmey's photo shows what appears to be a second funnel dropping down from the cloud.
The couple has spent their honeymoon in Wyoming fielding media calls. Reached on his cellphone by The Associated Press, Caleb Pence recalled seeing the wall cloud forming as the service was about to begin. But with tornadoes a routine occurrence, the storm was the least of his worries.
"I had my mind on marrying my now wife," said Caleb Pence.
His bride, a native of northeast Nebraska who had never seen a tornado before, was much less at ease. He said that when he told her what was happening, she responded, "I don't want to hear it right now.'"
Some of the guests who filled the 250 folding chairs checked weather reports on their cellphones. But otherwise, the 20-minute service — complete with a solo singing performance — wasn't altered.
Afterward, the couple, who met at a rodeo, made a dramatic horseback ride to the metal farm building that had been transformed into the reception site. They scarcely got inside when the skies opened up and poured down rain. The party didn't end until after midnight.
"I don't know how we did it," Caleb Pence said. "It boggles my mind how perfect it worked."
Copyright © 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
The Locking of Hearts in Paris
By Roland Lepore
For the Deseret News
On a recent visit to Paris I noticed something somewhat unusual I had never seen, or at least not to the extent I witnessed this time.
Bridges I had crossed multiple times before were now covered with padlocks as a representation of a couple’s love for each other. I later learned that this new phenomenon has been spreading all over Europe. Newlyweds will select a certain spot that is meaningful to them and their relationship and will “lock up” their hearts using these “love locks” as a symbol of what they hope to live — an eternal love.
You will see all over town padlocks engraved with names and initials hanging from both sides of bridges. As it appears, they close the lock and together throw the key in the water right below them. This seals their eternal love. The ritual also symbolizes that their hearts will never be separated and no rival will ever be able to find the key to the heart of their beloved, since the key has disappeared in the water. In this manner, they have found a way to bind together what they hope will remain eternal.
For complete article go to:
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/print/865553489/The-locking-of-hearts-in-Paris-France.html
Roland Lepore is the founder ofwww.lessaintsdesderniersjours.com. He just moved to Lyon, France, with his family after living in Utah for the past 10 years.
I like this idea. What do you think??
