WEDDING THINGS

Thinking Of Writing Your Own Ceremony Vows? Read This First.

Writing your own vows won't be easy, but it will be totally worth it when you're up at that altar. Ready to get to work? Just take it one word at a time.

Photo by Justin & Mary

Step 1. Read dozens of vow examples for inspiration.

Start by reading traditional, by-the-book vows -- from your own religion, if you practice a certain faith, and others, as well -- to see what strikes a chord with you. You can incorporate these into the original words you write, or just use them as a jumping-off point for your personalized vows. Once you've found a few you love, consider what it is about the style that draws you to those vows in particular.

Step 2. Agree on format and tone with your fiance.

Decide how you want your vows to come across. Will they be humorous? Poetic and romantic? Go over the logistics too. Will you write them separately or together? Will they be completely different or will you make the same promises to each other, as you would with traditional vows? Some couples do a little of each. Finally, will you share them with each other or keep them a secret until the wedding day?

Step 3. Jot down notes about your relationship.

Take some time to reflect on your fiancé. Think about how you felt when you first met, what made you fall in love and when you knew you wanted to get married. Write it all out. Here are some questions to get you started:

• Why did you decide to get married?
• What hard times have you gone through together?
• What have you supported each other through?
• What challenges do you envision in your future?
• What do you want to accomplish together?
• What makes your relationship tick?
• What did you think when you first saw your fiance?
• When did you realize you were in love?
• What do you most respect about your partner?
• How has your life gotten better since meeting your mate?
• What about them inspires you?
• What do you miss most about them when you're apart?
• What qualities do you most admire in each other?

Step 4. Come up with one or two, or many, promises.

They're called vows for a reason, so the promises are the most important part! A tip: "Include promises that are broad in scope, such as 'I promise to always support you,' as well as very specific to the two of you, like 'I promise to say "I love you" every night before bed,'" says wedding celebrant Christopher Shelley.

Step 5. Write it all out.

Now that you have notes, it's time to establish a structure and write your first draft. Speechwriting expert Robert Lehrman suggests a four-part outline: Affirm your love, praise your partner, offer promises and close with a final vow. Another way to organize it is to start with a short story and then come back to it at the end.

Step 6. Banish clichés.

Now that you have your first draft, it's time to make edits. Borrow from poetry, books, religious and spiritual texts, even from romantic movies, but don't let someone else's words overpower your own. You want your vows to sound like you and relate to your relationship, and that won't happen if every word is borrowed from other sources. And if you find yourself relying on cliché phrases (you know, those sayings that have been used over and over so many times they no longer sound genuine) to get your point across, Shelley suggests coming up with a specific example from your relationship that has a similar message. For example, instead of saying, "Love is blind," you might say, "I think you're just as beautiful today as you are in a T-shirt and jeans."

Step 7. Take out anything too cryptic or embarrassing.

You've invited your family and friends to witness your vows in order to make your bond public, so be sure everyone feels included in the moment. That means putting a limit on inside jokes, deeply personal anecdotes and obscure nicknames or code words. Wedding celebrant and author Maureen Pollinger suggests, "Think about how your vows will sound to you 10 years from now." Have a friend or family member read it over ahead of time for feedback, if you're okay with sharing your vows beforehand.

Step 8. Shorten your vows to one to two minutes, max.

Your vows are important, but that doesn't mean they should drag on. "When someone says something in a very meaningful way, you don't have to say it over and over," Pollinger says. Pick the most important points and make them. If yours are running longer than two minutes, do an edit. Put some of the more personal thoughts in a letter or gift to your fiance on the morning of your wedding and save any guest-related topics for your toasts.

Step 9. Practice out loud (seriously!).

It might sound weird, but this really is the best way to prep. "When you practice, don't just do the same thing over and over. Listen each time – then do it better," Lehrman says. Your vows should be easy to say and sound conversational. As you recite them, listen for any tongue twisters and super-long sentences, then cut them. This is also the time to practice the delivery. "Stand straight, look at your spouse and use your hands expressively – but only use small gestures," Lehrman says.

Step 10. Make a clean copy for yourself.

The paper you read from should be legible, so even if you're working on it right up until a few moments before your ceremony, use a fresh piece of paper free of cross-outs, arrows and notes. And give some thought to the presentation too, because "it will end up in the photos," says Annie Lee, wedding planner and founder of Daughter of Design. "I suggest a nice note card that matches the wedding colors or a little notebook or pad. You can handwrite it or cut and paste the computer print to fit within that." And it also makes nice keepsake hang in your home later on. Have a backup plan too. Pollinger points out that some couples find themselves too emotional to speak (it happens!), so have your officiant either prompt you by quietly saying the vows first or read the vows on your behalf.

Vows Ceremony Wedding Wedding Advice + Etiquette

7 “Insider Tips” To Reduce Your Average Cost : Nigerian Weddings 101

If anything creates problems in planning a wedding, it is money. To side step problems, you need to do a lot of communicating with your partner and both …

 

If anything creates problems in planning a wedding, it is money.
To side step problems, you need to do a lot of communicating with your partner and both parents. Forget the archaic rule that says certain people have to pay for certain things. The bride’s parents don’t need to get a loan to pay for the wedding, and the groom’s parents are not off the hook either.
Besides, the both of you might be covering a good chunk of the expenses yourselves. The best way to sort it out is to sit down with paper, pen and calculator and figure out what you really want/and can afford.

As an expert, here are ‘insider’ tips to help you avoid those little known financial pitfalls and stick to your naija wedding budget.
1. Cut the Guest list: This will slash your catering costs and save on invitations and even the number of centerpieces to be used on tables
2. Hold your engagement/reception in one day: It will cut down cost by vendors/service providers
3. Have bigger/merge tables so you need fewer table cloths and centerpieces.
4. Use less expensive centerpieces like gels, colored water, long stems and so on. Keep it simple.
5. Use a DJ instead of a Live band who will play good songs for both young/old.
6. Hire a wedding coordinator to handle D-day coordination of event and service providers.
7. Make use of your cousins or relatives as hostesses/ushers to help in coordinating activities for the day

Wedding Makeup Ideas - Bridal Makeup Tips For A Glowing Fresh-Faced Look on your Wedding Day

You want to look your best on your wedding day and the wedding makeup ideas shared in this article will help you achieve exactly that.
There are a few very good reasons to take your wedding makeup look seriously.

• Your wedding is likely going to be best day of your life.


• Take the breath of your groom away when he looks at you as you walk down the aisle to him.


• Look your very best for the camera as those pictures will last a life time

There are a few things that make up your wedding look and they are:

• The wedding dress


• The wedding makeover - Face makeup, nails, head-tie or hairstyle and accessories (headpiece, veil, earrings, necklace).


• The wedding shoes


• The bridal makeup ideas in this article are for your face makeup and manicures. Usually the person who does the makeup does the nails too. And then for your body, mind and spirit. After all beauty they say starts from within.

Wedding Makeup Ideas - Bridal Makeup Tips

For a glowing fresh-faced look on your wedding day you'll need to do more than just sit down on the morning of your wedding day for a makeup artist to work on your face. For the perfect wedding day look do the following.
Start planning early
Start your skin and nail care plan early. Say 6 weeks before the wedding day.
Hire a makeup artist
Decide on who to do your makeup for you. Before you make that decision look at bridal makeup looks photos and start talking to makeup artists whose work impresses you.
If you have a friend or family member that's good with applying wedding makeup and you want to use him or her then make sure he or she will take it seriously. Have him or her do some makeup trials on you before you finally decide.
Decide on a makeup look
Have your makeup trial 1-2 months before the wedding. Go with one or two friends/family members/bridesmaids so that you'll have a second opinion of the look.
When going for your makeup trial, so your makeup artist knows where to start from, go with pictures of makeup looks that appeals to you. You can get that either from magazines or on the Internet. You'll likely find some that speak to you from our bridal makeup looks photos gallery.
Choosing makeup colors
Your wedding makeup colors should compliment your wedding dress and bouquet colors. Same thing for your bridesmaids makeup. It should compliment their dress and bouquet colors.
Choosing a makeup style
Your wedding makeup style should depend on two things:

• Your preference
• The time the wedding will hold

You want your wedding look to really stand out from your everyday makeup look. However you still want to be yourself. How have you always liked your makeup? Loud or mild? And what does your groom think of makeup in general? For example I had an ex who always said to me when I wore makeup that he'll rather I don't wear makeup that he loves my face just as it is. Now if you're marrying someone like that you want to be considerate to his feelings about makeup. That is insist your artist keep your makeup as natural as possible but that still gives you that radiant look.
The time of the wedding is also important to consider. Will it hold in the day time as is often the case with Nigerian weddings or will it hold in the evening?
If it will hold in the day time, then do your makeup trial during the day. Or if it's in the evening do your makeup trial in the evening. It will allow you a better judgment of what look will be best for you.
If you're having you wedding in the morning/afternoon, a lighter more natural look will suit you better. And if it's in the evening then go for a bit dramatic look.
- See more at: http://www.nigerianweddingsguide.com/wedding-makeup-ideas.html#sthash.tJLqyXBa.dpuf

Wedding Makeup Ideas - Bridal Makeup Tips For A Glowing Fresh-Faced Look on your Wedding Day

You want to look your best on your wedding day and the wedding makeup ideas shared in this article will help you achieve exactly that.
There are a few very good reasons to take your wedding makeup look seriously.

• Your wedding is likely going to be best day of your life.


• Take the breath of your groom away when he looks at you as you walk down the aisle to him.


• Look your very best for the camera as those pictures will last a life time

There are a few things that make up your wedding look and they are:

• The wedding dress


• The wedding makeover - Face makeup, nails, head-tie or hairstyle and accessories (headpiece, veil, earrings, necklace).


• The wedding shoes


• The bridal makeup ideas in this article are for your face makeup and manicures. Usually the person who does the makeup does the nails too. And then for your body, mind and spirit. After all beauty they say starts from within.

Wedding Makeup Ideas - Bridal Makeup Tips

For a glowing fresh-faced look on your wedding day you'll need to do more than just sit down on the morning of your wedding day for a makeup artist to work on your face. For the perfect wedding day look do the following.
Start planning early
Start your skin and nail care plan early. Say 6 weeks before the wedding day.
Hire a makeup artist
Decide on who to do your makeup for you. Before you make that decision look at bridal makeup looks photos and start talking to makeup artists whose work impresses you.
If you have a friend or family member that's good with applying wedding makeup and you want to use him or her then make sure he or she will take it seriously. Have him or her do some makeup trials on you before you finally decide.
Decide on a makeup look
Have your makeup trial 1-2 months before the wedding. Go with one or two friends/family members/bridesmaids so that you'll have a second opinion of the look.
When going for your makeup trial, so your makeup artist knows where to start from, go with pictures of makeup looks that appeals to you. You can get that either from magazines or on the Internet. You'll likely find some that speak to you from our bridal makeup looks photos gallery.
Choosing makeup colors
Your wedding makeup colors should compliment your wedding dress and bouquet colors. Same thing for your bridesmaids makeup. It should compliment their dress and bouquet colors.
Choosing a makeup style
Your wedding makeup style should depend on two things:

• Your preference
• The time the wedding will hold

You want your wedding look to really stand out from your everyday makeup look. However you still want to be yourself. How have you always liked your makeup? Loud or mild? And what does your groom think of makeup in general? For example I had an ex who always said to me when I wore makeup that he'll rather I don't wear makeup that he loves my face just as it is. Now if you're marrying someone like that you want to be considerate to his feelings about makeup. That is insist your artist keep your makeup as natural as possible but that still gives you that radiant look.
The time of the wedding is also important to consider. Will it hold in the day time as is often the case with Nigerian weddings or will it hold in the evening?
If it will hold in the day time, then do your makeup trial during the day. Or if it's in the evening do your makeup trial in the evening. It will allow you a better judgment of what look will be best for you.
If you're having you wedding in the morning/afternoon, a lighter more natural look will suit you better. And if it's in the evening then go for a bit dramatic look.
- See more at: http://www.nigerianweddingsguide.com/wedding-makeup-ideas.html#sthash.tJLqyXBa.dpuf

Wedding Makeup Ideas - Bridal Makeup Tips For A Glowing Fresh-Faced Look on your Wedding Day

You want to look your best on your wedding day and the wedding makeup ideas shared in this article will help you achieve exactly that.
There are a few very good reasons to take your wedding makeup look seriously.

• Your wedding is likely going to be best day of your life.


• Take the breath of your groom away when he looks at you as you walk down the aisle to him.


• Look your very best for the camera as those pictures will last a life time

There are a few things that make up your wedding look and they are:

• The wedding dress


• The wedding makeover - Face makeup, nails, head-tie or hairstyle and accessories (headpiece, veil, earrings, necklace).


• The wedding shoes


• The bridal makeup ideas in this article are for your face makeup and manicures. Usually the person who does the makeup does the nails too. And then for your body, mind and spirit. After all beauty they say starts from within.

Wedding Makeup Ideas - Bridal Makeup Tips

For a glowing fresh-faced look on your wedding day you'll need to do more than just sit down on the morning of your wedding day for a makeup artist to work on your face. For the perfect wedding day look do the following.
Start planning early
Start your skin and nail care plan early. Say 6 weeks before the wedding day.
Hire a makeup artist
Decide on who to do your makeup for you. Before you make that decision look at bridal makeup looks photos and start talking to makeup artists whose work impresses you.
If you have a friend or family member that's good with applying wedding makeup and you want to use him or her then make sure he or she will take it seriously. Have him or her do some makeup trials on you before you finally decide.
Decide on a makeup look
Have your makeup trial 1-2 months before the wedding. Go with one or two friends/family members/bridesmaids so that you'll have a second opinion of the look.
When going for your makeup trial, so your makeup artist knows where to start from, go with pictures of makeup looks that appeals to you. You can get that either from magazines or on the Internet. You'll likely find some that speak to you from our bridal makeup looks photos gallery.
Choosing makeup colors
Your wedding makeup colors should compliment your wedding dress and bouquet colors. Same thing for your bridesmaids makeup. It should compliment their dress and bouquet colors.
Choosing a makeup style
Your wedding makeup style should depend on two things:

• Your preference
• The time the wedding will hold

You want your wedding look to really stand out from your everyday makeup look. However you still want to be yourself. How have you always liked your makeup? Loud or mild? And what does your groom think of makeup in general? For example I had an ex who always said to me when I wore makeup that he'll rather I don't wear makeup that he loves my face just as it is. Now if you're marrying someone like that you want to be considerate to his feelings about makeup. That is insist your artist keep your makeup as natural as possible but that still gives you that radiant look.
The time of the wedding is also important to consider. Will it hold in the day time as is often the case with Nigerian weddings or will it hold in the evening?
If it will hold in the day time, then do your makeup trial during the day. Or if it's in the evening do your makeup trial in the evening. It will allow you a better judgment of what look will be best for you.
If you're having you wedding in the morning/afternoon, a lighter more natural look will suit you better. And if it's in the evening then go for a bit dramatic look.
- See more at: http://www.nigerianweddingsguide.com/wedding-makeup-ideas.html#sthash.tJLqyXBa.dpuf

You'll find many beautiful wedding dress styles when you're shopping for a wedding dress. And you can really get confused, even frustrated, if you don't know what you're looking for. So what wedding dress style should you look for and why?
That question is complicated. And to fully answer it will take a few detailed articles, which is why this article on wedding dress designs is in different parts. This is the first part of the article.
So why does it have to take several articles to answer the question about choosing the perfect dress style for you?
It's because there are different parts that makes a wedding dress and each part has its own style. So you'll not just be choosing a single style for your wedding dress but a combination of styles for the different parts it carries.
When you go for wedding dress shopping and you find one you think you like here's mostly what will be included in the description of the dress:

• Waistline:
• Dress Length:
• Sleeve Style:
• Silhouette (or Style):
• Neckline Style:
• Color:
• Train:
• Color:
• Fabric:
• Beading:
• Train Length:
• Decoration

If you don't know about the elements that make the wedding gown, the different styles each elements has and what each style is about, you can't know if the wedding dress you choose is the best to flatter your body features on your wedding day so you look your very best.
So in this series on wedding dress styles I'll be discussing the different elements of a wedding gown, the common styles available and what styles you should choose to give a flattering look that will leave lasting impression on your guests on your wedding day. To achieve a flattering look we'll have to talk about face and body shapes, neck, shoulder and bone structures.
In the end you'll be well educated and the decision about what wedding gown style to choose will become much easier to make saving you a lot of time and frustration because you will know exactly what you're looking for and why.
Try not to get overwhelmed with all the details provided. Even if it's only one thing you pick from the articles on wedding dress styles, it will still give you an edge over the bride who didn't know any better.

Elements/Parts of a Wedding Dress - Wedding dress anatomy

The different elements of the wedding dress we'll be discussing are:

• Sleeve
• Neckline
• The Bodice
• Waistline
• Silhouette
• Skirt
• Fabric
• Embellishment
• Train
• Veil
• Color

- See more at: http://www.nigerianweddingsguide.com/wedding-dress-styles.html#sthash.foUmuSVM.dpuf

You'll find many beautiful wedding dress styles when you're shopping for a wedding dress. And you can really get confused, even frustrated, if you don't know what you're looking for. So what wedding dress style should you look for and why?
That question is complicated. And to fully answer it will take a few detailed articles, which is why this article on wedding dress designs is in different parts. This is the first part of the article.
So why does it have to take several articles to answer the question about choosing the perfect dress style for you?
It's because there are different parts that makes a wedding dress and each part has its own style. So you'll not just be choosing a single style for your wedding dress but a combination of styles for the different parts it carries.
When you go for wedding dress shopping and you find one you think you like here's mostly what will be included in the description of the dress:

• Waistline:
• Dress Length:
• Sleeve Style:
• Silhouette (or Style):
• Neckline Style:
• Color:
• Train:
• Color:
• Fabric:
• Beading:
• Train Length:
• Decoration

If you don't know about the elements that make the wedding gown, the different styles each elements has and what each style is about, you can't know if the wedding dress you choose is the best to flatter your body features on your wedding day so you look your very best.
So in this series on wedding dress styles I'll be discussing the different elements of a wedding gown, the common styles available and what styles you should choose to give a flattering look that will leave lasting impression on your guests on your wedding day. To achieve a flattering look we'll have to talk about face and body shapes, neck, shoulder and bone structures.
In the end you'll be well educated and the decision about what wedding gown style to choose will become much easier to make saving you a lot of time and frustration because you will know exactly what you're looking for and why.
Try not to get overwhelmed with all the details provided. Even if it's only one thing you pick from the articles on wedding dress styles, it will still give you an edge over the bride who didn't know any better.

Elements/Parts of a Wedding Dress - Wedding dress anatomy

The different elements of the wedding dress we'll be discussing are:

• Sleeve
• Neckline
• The Bodice
• Waistline
• Silhouette
• Skirt
• Fabric
• Embellishment
• Train
• Veil
• Color

- See more at: http://www.nigerianweddingsguide.com/wedding-dress-styles.html#sthash.foUmuSVM.dpuf

You'll find many beautiful wedding dress styles when you're shopping for a wedding dress. And you can really get confused, even frustrated, if you don't know what you're looking for. So what wedding dress style should you look for and why?
That question is complicated. And to fully answer it will take a few detailed articles, which is why this article on wedding dress designs is in different parts. This is the first part of the article.
So why does it have to take several articles to answer the question about choosing the perfect dress style for you?
It's because there are different parts that makes a wedding dress and each part has its own style. So you'll not just be choosing a single style for your wedding dress but a combination of styles for the different parts it carries.
When you go for wedding dress shopping and you find one you think you like here's mostly what will be included in the description of the dress:

• Waistline:
• Dress Length:
• Sleeve Style:
• Silhouette (or Style):
• Neckline Style:
• Color:
• Train:
• Color:
• Fabric:
• Beading:
• Train Length:
• Decoration

If you don't know about the elements that make the wedding gown, the different styles each elements has and what each style is about, you can't know if the wedding dress you choose is the best to flatter your body features on your wedding day so you look your very best.
So in this series on wedding dress styles I'll be discussing the different elements of a wedding gown, the common styles available and what styles you should choose to give a flattering look that will leave lasting impression on your guests on your wedding day. To achieve a flattering look we'll have to talk about face and body shapes, neck, shoulder and bone structures.
In the end you'll be well educated and the decision about what wedding gown style to choose will become much easier to make saving you a lot of time and frustration because you will know exactly what you're looking for and why.
Try not to get overwhelmed with all the details provided. Even if it's only one thing you pick from the articles on wedding dress styles, it will still give you an edge over the bride who didn't know any better.

Elements/Parts of a Wedding Dress - Wedding dress anatomy

The different elements of the wedding dress we'll be discussing are:

• Sleeve
• Neckline
• The Bodice
• Waistline
• Silhouette
• Skirt
• Fabric
• Embellishment
• Train
• Veil
• Color

- See more at: http://www.nigerianweddingsguide.com/wedding-dress-styles.html#sthash.foUmuSVM.dpuf

You'll find many beautiful wedding dress styles when you're shopping for a wedding dress. And you can really get confused, even frustrated, if you don't know what you're looking for. So what wedding dress style should you look for and why?
That question is complicated. And to fully answer it will take a few detailed articles, which is why this article on wedding dress designs is in different parts. This is the first part of the article.
So why does it have to take several articles to answer the question about choosing the perfect dress style for you?
It's because there are different parts that makes a wedding dress and each part has its own style. So you'll not just be choosing a single style for your wedding dress but a combination of styles for the different parts it carries.
When you go for wedding dress shopping and you find one you think you like here's mostly what will be included in the description of the dress:

• Waistline:
• Dress Length:
• Sleeve Style:
• Silhouette (or Style):
• Neckline Style:
• Color:
• Train:
• Color:
• Fabric:
• Beading:
• Train Length:
• Decoration

If you don't know about the elements that make the wedding gown, the different styles each elements has and what each style is about, you can't know if the wedding dress you choose is the best to flatter your body features on your wedding day so you look your very best.
So in this series on wedding dress styles I'll be discussing the different elements of a wedding gown, the common styles available and what styles you should choose to give a flattering look that will leave lasting impression on your guests on your wedding day. To achieve a flattering look we'll have to talk about face and body shapes, neck, shoulder and bone structures.
In the end you'll be well educated and the decision about what wedding gown style to choose will become much easier to make saving you a lot of time and frustration because you will know exactly what you're looking for and why.
Try not to get overwhelmed with all the details provided. Even if it's only one thing you pick from the articles on wedding dress styles, it will still give you an edge over the bride who didn't know any better.

Elements/Parts of a Wedding Dress - Wedding dress anatomy

The different elements of the wedding dress we'll be discussing are:

• Sleeve
• Neckline
• The Bodice
• Waistline
• Silhouette
• Skirt
• Fabric
• Embellishment
• Train
• Veil
• Color

- See more at: http://www.nigerianweddingsguide.com/wedding-dress-styles.html#sthash.foUmuSVM.dpuf

Wedding dress styles series - Types of Wedding Dress Sleeves And How To Choose The Perfect Sleeve For You - See more at: http://www.nigerianweddingsguide.com/wedding-dress-styles.html#sthash.foUmuSVM.dpuf