The DIY Bride - Planning Your Own Wedding Has Never Been So Easy

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This year women are deciding to cut back on wedding expenses, especially on the small things. In my own wedding I was able to significantly cut expenses by avoiding any services that had "wedding" in front of the name. A "wedding caterer" is no better than a normal caterer. The only difference you will find is the price. Always stick with high quality professionals, but stray away from anyone that specializes in weddings whenever possible because they will raise the price just because they know that they can.

A really great way to cut back on wedding expenses is to do many things yourself rather than paying a wedding planner or wedding service to do them for you. If you're the creative type and love things like scrapbooking, knitting or sewing you will enjoy designing and planning your own wedding while saving lots of money at the same time. Some of the things I did myself for my own wedding were designing, purchasing, and putting together my own centerpieces, buying "like real" flowers and creating my own bouquets ahead of time, designing and printing my own invitations (complete with gold ribbon and matching envelopes), and doing my own hair and makeup (not recommended unless you are confident in your abilities and not very stressed about your wedding).

One thing I enjoyed very much was finding vendors who were just starting out. I really love giving opportunities to small businesses and I was able to find a wonderful caterer and cake maker right in my neighborhood and had exceptional food at a fraction of the cost of a "wedding" vendor. They were full service, delivered the goods and served at my wedding and I received several compliments on the excellent food and service. I was also able to recruit a teacher-friend of mine who had also planned her own wedding to be my wedding coordinator. With the heart of a teacher and the organizational abilities to go with it she was able to lead my bridal party in creating a breathtaking wedding march and Bridal reveal.

Visit sites like YouTube.com and watch tutorial videos to learn more about wedding planning and saving money on your bridal purchases.

The Sad But Momentous Day for the Father of the Bride!

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For the father of the bride, the wedding day is typically a day of mixed emotions. On one hand, there is pride and joy at the fact that his beloved daughter is getting married to someone she loves. At the same time, it is mixed with the sadness that comes with the realization that his daughter has grown up and is no longer daddy's little girl.

One of the most important things that the father of the bride does on the wedding day is to give away the bride. As per custom, once the congregation has been seated, the bride is escorted down the aisle by her father while the groom waits for them at the altar. This tradition is rich with emotional undertones. The father who has looked after his daughter is now symbolically handing over the care of his daughter to the new man in her life.

Of course, there are many who feel that this custom is no longer relevant today when most women have a career and are no longer under the care of their parents and are unlikely to be under the care of their husbands. On the flip side, the sight of the father of the bride escorting his daughter down the aisle to the uplifting notes of "Here comes the Bride" still resonates with many of us and captures the transition into marriage beautifully. Ultimately, whether this custom is included in the ceremony or not must be decided by the father of the bride and the bride herself.

Once the wedding ceremony is over, the father and mother of the bride leave for the reception venue. Since they are the hosts of the reception, it is important that they arrive there ahead of the guests so that they can welcome the guests as they come in. During the reception the father of the bride will be called on by the Best Man to make a speech and propose a toast. Once the reception is over, the father of the bride is expected to stay until the end of the party to help with any final bills or to make last-minute arrangements.

The level of involvement of the father of the bride in the wedding planning and preparation depends on the decision of the bride and groom and their parents. Sometimes the wedding is held in the house of the bride's parents - at such times, it is natural that the father of the bride ends up deeply involved in almost every step of the wedding preparation.

At other times, and especially if the wedding is being held far away from the bride's parental home, the involvement of the father of the bride in the wedding preparations may be minimal. However, keep in mind that most fathers would love to be involved in their daughter's weddings in some way or the other so do ask them for their help whenever it is needed.

Traditionally, the father of the bride also shoulders the cost of the reception. However, this trend is changing, partly due to the fact that both the bride and the groom are earning members and partly because of the rising costs of a reception party. The accepted practice nowadays is for the cost of the wedding and the reception to be jointly borne by the parents of the bride, the parents of the groom and the couple themselves. However, if the father of the bride offers to foot the bill, the gracious thing to do would be to accept the offer.

Whatever you as the couple choose regarding the costs of the whole event, remember the day is for celebration and significant day for the father of the bride. It is a day where he relinquishes his daughter to a another man and where the groom resumes the responsibility of caring for her. The father of the bride will be sad on one side but will know that his daughter will always be daddy's little girl no matter what.

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Father of the Bride Speeches

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One of the most important parts of the wedding reception to the bride is her fathers speech. Other than wishing everyone health and happiness and thanking everyone for attending his daughters wedding, this is the chance for the father to sing his daughters praises and to take a walk down memory lane. With this great honor, you do not want to disappoint your daughter. This article is going to give you some tips for writing father of the brides speeches.

After introducing yourself, one of the first things you should do is to take a walk down memory lane. You could talk talk about your daughters childhood. Examples could be the first time she rode a bike or her senior prom. You could also tell a humorous anecdote about something in relation to her growing up. This is sure to be a crowd pleaser and will touch your daughter's heart.

You should welcome your new son to the family and talk about something dealing with their relationship. You could speak about their first date or when he proposed. This would also be a good time to offer your new son advice about taking care of your little girl.

At the end of your speech, you should offer a toast to your daughter and new son-in-law. This toast will be very special to your daughter, so try to make it special.

This article listed some tips for writing father of the brides speeches. You should try to stay calm and collected on your daughters special day.

Angela Wade is a professional writer who researches and writes on a variety of topics.

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