Wedding Planning Blog by I Do! Wedding Favors

Have you seen the ring that The Hillsstar Heidi Montag received from her creepy boyfriend Spencer Pratt? Supposedly it is a 5 carat pink diamond surrounded by smaller white diamonds. Well, it turns out that it is a fake, kind of like Spencer’s creepy smile. It is a lavender, lemon amethyst! It has been reported that the ring costs close to $3000. Nothing to sneeze at, but much less than Spencer was boasting!

In the past several years, pink diamonds and yellow diamonds have become increasingly popular as engagement ring settings. While Heidi’s amethyst is certainly not a diamond, there is no denying that it is still a gorgeous ring! So, are traditional white diamonds going to be a thing of the past or is this a passing phase?

It is important to have an engagement ring that you love. It will hopefully sit on your finger for the rest of your life. Should we feel compelled to have a diamond because it is standard or should we feel comfortable choosing an amethyst, ruby, sapphire, or tanzanite? There is no reason to feel insecure or feel that you need to explain why your engagement ring is not a diamond. It is YOUR ring and you should have what you want. If you want the white diamond then get the white diamond. If you want an opal, then get an opal!

What are your feelings on untraditional bling? Is the white diamond the only way to go? Do you prefer a white diamond or another type of stone? Do you look at another woman’s engagement ring, see an amethyst and think it is because her fiancée couldn’t afford a diamond? Tell us your thoughts, especially if you have an unconventional engagement ring!

A lot of couples these days are choosing to write their own wedding vows to express their feelings for one another. This is a wonderful way to tell someone just how much you love them in your own unique way. Every relationship is different and every love is unique. This is what makes writing your own wedding vows so personal.

There is absolutely no pressure to write your own wedding vows unless your future spouse is insisting on it! If you are having a traditional religious ceremony, then you will likely need to use their traditional vows. However, some religions will allow for a couple to add in their own personal vows as well. It can’t hurt to ask!

If you are still stumped and are not having a religious wedding, then there is still hope. There are hundreds of different wedding vows just waiting for you on the Internet. All it takes is a simple search. Additionally, it is a good idea to ask your officiant for recommendations. He has likely performed hundreds of weddings and will have an entire repertoire of wedding vows he has used. Again, vows can be modified and you can add in your own personal feelings.

Don’t be scared! You don’t have to be Shakespeare in order to express your love. Just consider what it is that you love about the other person. Think about the times you have had together. Think about what you want from your future life together. Then start writing!

Are you planning on writing your own vows or did you write your own wedding vows? What did you use for inspiration? Are you happy with the way it turned out? Tell us all about your wedding vows!

For Wedding Vow Sample Ideas Click Here

The rehearsal dinner is usually held following the run through of the wedding ceremony. It is generally hosted by the parents of the groom however it can be hosted by anyone. What is the purpose of the rehearsal dinner?

The rehearsal dinner gives the bride and groom a chance to relax and unwind from all of the wedding planning stress. The groom’s parents host is as a welcoming of the bride into the family. The groom’s parents can invite anyone they choose, however it is usually limited to the immediate family, bridal party, and possibly the out of town guests that have come for the wedding.

The rehearsal dinner is the perfect time for the bride and groom to thank everyone for their love and support. This is also the time when they should present gifts to their parents and bridal party. This intimate setting gives everyone a chance to express themselves since we all know just how hectic the actual wedding reception will be.

Are you planning a rehearsal dinner or helping someone plan your rehearsal dinner? Where is it going to be held? What kind of gifts are you going to be giving to your parents and bridal party? What are you most looking forward to about the rehearsal dinner? If you have recently attended a rehearsal dinner then tell us what you enjoyed most and if something didn’t work out well. We want to know about your plans!

Is it a cliché? Is your future mother-in-law going to drive you crazy? Will she enjoy torturing you endlessly? Well, maybe. There are definitely some women out there that will drive you right to the mental hospital. There are also women that are going to embrace you as part of the family and ask you to call her Mom.

Every mother is different. Some become so protective of their sons that no woman is ever going to be good enough for their little boy. The most that we can hope for is that our mother-in-law will at least not be completely opposed to the marriage. When a mother opposes a marriage, she can make all of the planning very difficult and full of drama. We all know that there is enough drama when it comes to wedding planning without adding fuel to the fire with a future mother-in-law that stands in the way at every turn.

Shelley and Adam were planning their wedding almost a year in advance so that they could try and plan as stress-free as possible. The church was booked. The reception venue was booked. The invitations were ordered. Then Adam’s mother demanded that the date be changed because it conflicted with her vacation with some of her girlfriends. This was a trip that was planned after the wedding date had been set. Did she do it on purpose? Sure seems like it. Luckily for Shelley, Adam spoke to his mother and would not give in. She whined and moaned and made the wedding planning a nightmare, but in the end the wedding was still beautiful and Adam’s mother went and had a pretty good time.

Where does your future mother-in-law fit in? Is she welcoming or is she causing drama? Will you be calling her Mom once the wedding is over? Perhaps you are already calling her mom. We want to know about your relationship with your future mother-in-law.

Many couples are choosing to forego the traditional nuptials that include a hundred people that they hardly know. Instead, they are choosing a more intimate wedding that also includes a vacation. The bride and groom as well as all of their guests will have the opportunity to enjoy their surroundings for at least a few days before having to return to “normal” life. This is why destination weddings are becoming more popular than ever before.

When most people think about destination weddings, they think about tropical settings and weddings on the beach. This is certainly the most popular in destination weddings, but other couples are choosing destinations that offer different settings and fun things to do. Perhaps skiing is popular with the couple and a destination wedding to Colorado is where they want to get married. Other couples may choose to get married in foreign countries that relate to their heritage. Destination weddings can take place anywhere!

There are a lot of things to consider when planning a destination wedding. The cost is one of the biggest factors. Also, deciding who will be invited might be difficult. Sometimes a very intimate wedding is just not possible without slighting someone important. It is also important to consider whether all of the guests can afford to travel to the destination wedding. Is it right to ask them to pay for their own trip? Consider the costs of a large wedding close to home. A destination wedding may cost much less even when paying for all of your guests to join you.

We want to know all about your destination wedding! Where are you going or where are you thinking of going? Why did you choose that specific destination? Who will you invite and why? Will you be paying for others to attend? Tell us all about it!

Every couple knows that one of the first tasks to accomplish when planning a wedding is to set a budget. This usually means uncomfortable talks with both sets of parents about how much they are or are not willing to contribute as well as figuring out how much the couple can contribute as well. A lot of budgets are determined by what station in life the couple is at. A young couple likely does not have the funds or ability to raise the funds for an extravagant wedding; however, they may have parents that are willing to pay. A couple that is older and more established or a couple where one or both people is getting remarried may be more likely to pay for the wedding themselves. If you bought a wedding planner like most brides, it likely has a section on who traditionally pays for each aspect of the wedding and honeymoon. It would be nice if everyone still followed this today, but in more and more cases, couples are paying for weddings themselves.

The cost of weddings is getting higher and higher. Are we all trying so hard to keep up with the Jones’ that we are enabling wedding vendors to drive up their prices? Look at some facts. Check out a reception site and look at the difference in costs for a wedding and for a different type of party or maybe even a conference. The same thing goes for DJ’s, flowers, and photographers. With the cost of weddings so high, how can we expect our parents to foot the entire bill?

So tell us all about your budget. How have you been able to divide the costs? Has there been controversy or fighting over the money and what you want at your wedding? Do you have any tips on saving money? We want to know all about your budgeting technique and how it is working out or not working out for you!

Planning a wedding can be time consuming and expensive. We hope to offer you a venue where you can research and share your valuable information, articles and wedding planning tips all in one place! Feel free to share your ideas and give advice, vent your frustrations or share photos of your special day.

If you are a writer, you have the opportunity to write your own informative articles that we will post post under our upcoming articles section.

Your fiance, your husband-to-be, your better half, however you refer to him, he will be the man that you will spend the rest of your life with. We want to hear all about him. How did you meet him? Where did you go on your first date? How and when did you know he was the man you wanted to spend the rest of your life with?  Please feel free to share photos, stories and all the romance your chance encounter entails.