Wedding Day Tips!

5. Thank You cards. In the post wedding day rush, it may escape your mind to send these out. If you want them done in the same style as your invitations, they should be ordered at the same time.

6. Double check details with your photographer. Once you have gone through the business of booking a photographer, ensure that you send them your requirements in writing and get a confirmation slip from them. Again, make sure the details are right.

7. Ensure that the church, register office or hotel don't mind handfuls of confetti being thrown around their entrances. Some might prefer you to use rice or sugar paper. A simple check will avoid any bad feeling.

8. Don't forget your luggage. If you are going straight off on honeymoon then don't forget to pack your luggage properly. This takes thought and effort at the best of times, but when you are also getting married things can be overlooked. Double check those three essentials: passport, money, tickets!

9. Make sure that your hotel or restaurant has a suitable wedding cake stand (if needed) and cake knife available. If not bring your own. After all you wouldn't want to be photographed posing with a steak knife over the cake!

10. Before booking a reception at a hotel or restaurant, try the food for yourself. A nicely laid out menu does not guarantee good food and it's a good excuse for the bride and groom to go out for a few romantic meals before their big day.

11. Parking. Almost as important as the quality of the food at your reception venue is the availability of parking, especially if the reception is held a long distance from the ceremony. Don't forget to check the car parking facilities before you book and make sure that, at the time of your reception, the car park won't be full of cars attending another event.

12. And finally, don't forget to enjoy yourself. If little things go wrong, don't worry - this is your special day so there should be plenty of people around to put things right. Relax, have a good time and enjoy the start to your married life.












Click on these beautiful brides to order Tom Antion's ebooks: Wedding Speeches & Wedding Toasts!

The Maid of Honor/ Sister
SENTIMENTAL 2

Address Audience. Introduce Self.
I remember when my sister was born, and how jealous I felt of her. I remember fighting with her one minute then playing together the next. I remember watching her grow up and go to the prom. And, I will remember watching her get married. Like any big sister I have always felt the need to protect and help Marcia. Each time she does anything or makes any decisions I always ask if she is sure about what she is doing or if she needs my help. And when Marcia told me she was going to marry James she didn't even hesitate when I asked her if she was sure. She just said "Yes, he is the one." I have never heard that much certainty in her voice. So, I know that James and Marcia are going to work together to make their lives as complete and fulfilling as possible. So, Congratulations and I wish you both all the happiness in the world!
Toast/ Good Wishes/Advice

**Excerpt from Tom Antion's Wedding Speeches E-Book

New Wedding Trends

OVERALL FEEL FOR WEDDINGS

Elegance - is set to continue in 2008, very few clients want themed weddings preferring instead to have a simple, opulent and elegant affair. Brides are putting a lot of effort into designer linen for the tables adding an accent colour into the napkins. Rather then chair covers brides are hiring in good quality chairs for the same price. Table centres are candelabras with beautiful flowers.

COLORS

Browns - earthy tones are popular for next year. 2007 has seen an excitement for browns teamed with pink and cream and this is set to continue but brides will be using mint and sky blue in the mix as well. Another element different next year is the materials brides will use, very touchy feely fabrics like leather and suede. Subtly is the key so brides will use them covering vases, on trimmings and throughout stationery.

Nature - blue has always been a colour brides want to use but have been unsure how to use it and as a result combing it with colours that just clash! Next year however the blue being used is more a 'sky' blue teamed with white, this will create a far more natural and tranquil atmosphere. Green will continue its popularity next year with brides using it with pink, yellow and white. Another trend is using a combination of colours together, for example mint green with sage green with emerald - used together they will look amazing.

Crispness - bright white will be used with brides carrying the theme completely through from linen, flowers, stationery and even the DJ lights used on the day.

Orange - I know many Mothers will keel over with shock but, apricot is making a huge comeback. Today's brides are a bit more savvy and know not to use it on bridesmaids dresses which frankly never match anyone's skin tone. This time it will be used in the accessories teamed with darker shades of orange bringing with it a bright, vibrant party atmosphere.

1. Arrange to meet her in a beautiful park near some riding stables. Rent a knight's armor from a costume shop or theatrical company and pick it up on the way. Rent a horse at the stables, don the armor, ride up to meet her and offer to be her prince. Present the loose diamond with princely flair on bended knee.
2. Cook and set an elaborate candlelight table (or cater if you are not talented in the kitchen) for a quiet romantic dinner for two at home. Serve her a glass of champagne with the diamond ring in the bottom or ribboned to the stem.
3. Have an artist paint her portrait, adding a box with a loose diamond in her hand before you present it. When you present the portrait, have the ring ready when she asks about it.
4. Bring home an enthusiastic new puppy with a ribbon for a collar. Have the ring in the bow for her to find as she cheerfully greets the cuddly pup.
5. Have a plane sky-write your proposal. Plan it for the day of a family picnic, boat ride or other outing so she is sure to see it. Have your loose diamond ready when she sees your proposal.
6. Hire a magician to entertain just the two of you. Have the magician make the box with the loose diamond mysteriously appear as the surprise ending of the last trick.
7. Memorize a short French poem and recite the poem to her at a French restaurant as you offer the ring. Be sure to know what each word means so you can demonstrate your savoire faire. Have the loose diamond ready in a presentation box.
8. Decorate a Christmas tree with lights and only one ornament -- a ribbon or bow tied around a velvet ring box. Ask her over for a Christmas celebration for just the two or you.
9. For a very traditional approach, ask her father for her hand in marriage. When the approval is given, make plans for the next family gathering and make your proposal to her in private with diamond in hand. When she says yes, stand up and announce your engagement to everyone.
10. Prime a friend with harmless little secrets about the two of you, and have him pose as a psychic when you dial. Be sure to ask the right personal questions to make it look authentic. Have the psychic predict a diamond in her very near future. Then make your proposal on the spot.

Women cannot resist men who propose in poetic fashion. This was the route that British actor John Light to took when he proposed to American actress Neve Campbell. Light dropped to one knee and recited Shakespeare before offering her a ring.

In December 2006, Atlanta Braves outfielder Jeff Francoeur took his surprise wedding proposal a step further when he knelt on one knee in the balcony of Atlanta's historic Fox Theatre and proposed to English teacher Catie McCoy during a production of Beauty and the Beast. Making this proposal even more romantic, Francoer proposed in the exact location where he professed his love to McCoy years earlier.

Country singer Garth Brooks used a similarly public setting when he asked his love Trisha Yearwood to marry him. The event was "Legends in Bronze," when 10 large statues honoring country legends were revealed. As Brooks' statue was revealed, he dropped to one knee and proposed to Yearwood in front of 7,000 cheering fans.

No less romantic, Survivor creator Mark Burnett proposed to actress Roma Downey beneath a moonlit sky on a beach in Zihuatanejo, Mexico. Nick Lachey proposed to Jessica Simpson in similar fashion aboard a yacht off the coast of Hawaii.

Hollywood's famous adore holiday marriage proposals. Seal proposed to sweetheart Heidi Klum two days before Christmas when he surprised her with a custom-built igloo at the top of a 14,000-foot glacier in uncharted terrain in Whistler, British Columbia.

Perhaps Dean McDermott's Christmas Eve proposal to Tori Spelling tops all holiday proposals. At a Christmas tree farm in Toronto, Canada, McDermott had lights hung for a half mile. A horse-drawn carriage led the couple along the lighted path to a table surrounded by decorated Christmas trees where he romantically proposed.

1. Matira Beach, Bora Bora, Tahitian Islands
It's not the soft white sand, the spectacular sunsets or the languid tropical breezes that put Matira Beach on Bora Bora's southern tip at the top of our list of the world's most romantic beaches. It's the calm, warm, crystal-clear water -- the perfect playground for dolphins, ray, vibrant tropical fish and you!
The island of Bora Bora is completely encircled by reefs and smaller islands, creating a shallow, protected lagoon that offers the best swimming and snorkeling around. For a day -- or a year -- of pure, lazy pleasure with your new spouse, Matira Beach is an unbeatable choice.

2. Pink Beach, Harbour Island, Bahamas
No list is complete without the Bahamas famous Pink Beach. Wide, lined with palms, and made up of fine-grained sand in a glorious shell-pink, Pink Beach would be stunning even without the warm and welcoming Caribbean lapping at its edge. Spend a day there, and we bet you decide to come back for your first anniversary -- and maybe your second and third.

3. Promenade des Anglais, Nice, France
Picture a wide promenade lined with stylish boutiques and cafes just steps away from the azure waters of the Mediterranean. Jaunty blue and white umbrellas dot what must be the world's most chic beach -- the Promenade des Anglais on the glamorous French Riviera.
The Promenade des Anglais offers beautiful sand and swimming to rival other top beaches, but with an aura of pampered sophistication that can only be found in France. If you're looking for the romance of pure delight, turn your attention to Nice and the Promenade des Anglais.

4. Green Sand Beach, Hawaii, USA
White-sand beaches aren't common. Pink-sand beaches are downright unusual. But only on the geological wonderland that is the Big Island of Hawaii can you find the rarest of them all -- a beach made of deep green crystals. The sand is formed almost entirely of olivine, a crystal found in the nearby volcano. The beach is tiny and offers wading more than swimming. And considering you have to hike three miles to get there, the Green Sand beach is romance you have to earn. But don't be discouraged. The memory of standing with your new spouse, watching the blue waters of the Pacific pound glowing green sand, will fill your dreams for a lifetime.