The interesting thing about the infographic I’m going to share with you momentarily is that when it comes to weight, women’s earnings increased the more underweight they were, while men’s salaries increase with their girth.  There is also an implicit correlation between the way attractive children are treated at an early age by teachers and parents, and how this sets them up to be more successful later in life.  Even if the so-called “unattractive” child grows up to be more attractive or at least average, chances are that his or her salary will be affected by the way they perceive themselves based on the treatment they received as very young children.  Here is the infographic:

While this is something that should not be taken lightly, you also don’t want to go bankrupt paying for your big day. Most little girls dream of their perfect wedding from a very young age, while most bachelors dread the day when the bill lands on the counter. There has to be a happy medium when it comes to wedding costs.

It’s amazing how much money is spent on a wedding. When you think about how many people get married every day, month, and year it really beings to add up to a significant amount. This infographic shows what the total amount that is spent on weddings every year, I was blown away! When you break it down and see where everything goes it’s really interesting.

I guess that it shouldn’t come to such a surprise that weddings costs are so high considering that if half of the brides are anything like I am, there are some pretty amazing weddings happening every day. In preparation for your big day, take a look at the weddings costs and start calculating!

Where was I to turn when the going got tough and then tougher?  I needed some serious wedding planning help, and I felt completely lost.  Well, like you, I turned to the internet and all of the blogs out there.  If you are planning your wedding then you know how much information there is on the ol’ web.  Some of the blogs out there are absolutely ridiculous too.  Of course, I did end up finding the best advice on some of these blogs.

Picking and choosing the best blog for you and your wedding needs does not have to be a huge chore that will just add to your stress.  Take a look at the infographic below that shows the best wedding blogs as voted by readers in 2011.  People just like you voted to reveal which ones really are worth looking into.

Some will agree, right; while others will say that being a bridesmaid is not an honor at all. When you think about bridesmaids your mind quickly wanders to movies that are centered around bridesmaids. One of my favorite movies about a specific bridesmaid is 27 Dresses. It’s about a woman that believes in love, but it just hasn’t been able to find her and in the mean time all of her friends are entering happy marriages. In the start of the movie she is the maid of honor in two weddings on the same night, so she is trying to toggle back and forth between the two all night so she is there for all of the important wedding events of both of her friends magical day that she spent so much time helping to put together.

As the movie goes on you find that she has been a bridesmaid in 27 weddings. After leaving her day planner in the back of a cab, a writer begins to be interested in writing a story about this woman that still believes in love after so long of not finding it and being in wedding after wedding. In the end the woman finally ends up finding her true love where she least expected it and so did he.

Some movies have happy endings about bridesmaids while others don’t have such a happy ending! Other movies such as Revenge of the Bridesmaids or Bridesmaids appeal more to the comedy spectrum rather than the romantic comedy genre. These movies tell about the horrors of being a bridesmaid or in some cases how you get back at the bride for what she has put you through, those horrible dresses, mood swings, and holding her dress time and time again.

Some people love to see others happy and will proudly take their place as a bridesmaid while others aren’t so willing. Do you want to be a bridesmaid? Or are you the one that is leading the next bridesmaid revolt?

The most important thing to remember about your wedding shoes is that they should reflect your own character.  Why should your style change just because you’re getting married?  Don’t feel pressured into purchasing the latest trend just because it’s all over the style magazines and Dish Network packages style channels at the time.  If you have a classic style and prefer simpler accessories in your every day style, don’t feel like you need to show off a gaudy platform heel like the celebrities are wearing.  If you don’t feel like yourself on your wedding day, you won’t be as happy.

Next, the shoes should be kind of comfortable.  I don’t stress that you should be able to wear them for an entire day because you won’t be doing that on your wedding day.  Once you have your shoes, make sure you wear them in a little bit too.  Of course you don’t want everyone to see you in your special occasion shoes before the big day, so wear them around your own living room for a while each night or dance in front of the mirror for a bit in the bathroom (c’mon who doesn’t do that anyway?!).  But avoid wearing them in the kitchen.  I had a friend who was wearing her wedding shoes in the week before the wedding and she was cooking dinner in the kitchen with her shoes on when she dropped an entire bowl of pasta sauce.  The stain wouldn’t come out of her white satin peep toes and she had to scramble to find another pair in just a couple days.

You may be tempted to simply wear a pair of heels that are the same height as your wedding shoes to get your dress alterations but I wouldn’t recommend it.  When you take a step or sit down in your dress, more of your foot will be showing, meaning more of your special shoes.  Get your shoes before your fitting so you know exactly what the final picture will look like.  If things look a little awkward, you may even decide to have the dress hem lowered to prevent unusual gaps.  And who knows, you may decide that you love your new wedding shoes so much that you want to have the dress shortened to show them off!

My wedding dress has been a debacle since the first time I laid eyes on it seven months ago.  The shape of the dress really did not work for my body, so some alterations had to be made.  After the alterations it looked worse.  I was intent on just getting a different dress altogether, but our budget wouldn’t allow for it.  After two more alterations it has slowly become the beautiful gown I envisioned, but of course I have dropped some weight due to stress.  To take some of the pressure off of my shoulders my sister is going to be the one chauffeuring my dress to me and back to alterations if need be.  Now to settle the moving dilemma.

I am so excited to be moving to LA.  I just wish it wasn’t so close to our wedding.  Packing and moving in itself is already a pain, but planning a wedding, packing, and moving that’s torture.  Again, it’s a friend to the rescue!  My Maid of Honor got together a list and quotes of moving companies Los Angeles for me and my hubby-to-be.  She even took the time to ask all of the questions that I had for the companies.

The seating chart has got to be one of the most tedious things of the whole wedding event.  Luckily for me the wedding is not too terribly large and most of the people invited are close friends and family who my mother knows.  She volunteered to take over the seating arrangements for me.

Honestly delegating and splitting up the most stressful situations that come up when planning a wedding is the best thing for any bride to do.  It doesn’t matter if you are having a huge event or a small soiree, let those who care about you help you out.  You will not regret getting rid of some of that stress.

Now, I understand why people would choose to use a wedding planner.  It makes sense for people who absolutely have no time to do absolutely anything for their wedding, and for those who have plenty of money to spend.  Neither of those fit me.  If you are considering hiring a wedding planner, I beg you to think long and hard about your decision.  Also, take a look at the infographic below that compares costs between doing it yourself and hiring someone.  Believe me, you can get all of the things your little heart desires for your wedding without the help of a wedding planner.

Later in Ancient Greece and Rome the wedding veil was used to protect the bride from evil spirits. They believed that theh veil would conceal the brides identity which would confuse the evil spirits. In the times of arranged marriages the father and groom would often be the ones communicating, so the bride wasn’t seen until the wedding day. The veil was used to conceal her identity until after the final “I do”.

The definition of ‘veil’ is to hide, cover, mask, or disguise. The reasoning behind the wedding veil has greatly changed since the times when it was used to warn off the evil-eye, show the man’s acceptance of the woman, or to prevent a run away groom. Today’s brides make their own decision as to wear a veil or not.

There are many different types and styles of wedding veils. Some of them are short and only cover the eyes or face of the bride. These veils are common in more modern weddings. Their are also regular length veils that extend to the shoulders or slightly longer. These veils can come in the type where they cover the face, or they are worn to cover the hair as an accessory.

There are also cathedral veils that are as long or longer than the wedding dress. These are often the option chosen by a bride who wants the wow factor when she is standing at the alter but doesn’t have that in the dress. While some brides follow the tradition of wearing a veil that covers their face as they walk down the isle, many modern brides are choosing to create their own tradition and wear a tiara or head piece instead.

If you are the kind of couple who want to put a spin on the traditional wedding without changing the vows or location, why not do a crazy dance to get your wedding party in place at the alter. This couple has made their wedding memorable for more than just the people that were attending. Their wedding has been featured on the hit tv show The Office, and has been watched by millions on youtube.

I love the creativity and excitement that this young new couple posses. They have a great sense of humor and adventure to allow that to be part of their big day. This is probably one of the most creative wedding entrances to a regular church wedding that has been recorded. This couple inspires me and many others to try new things and not fear steering away from the regular traditional entrance that the guests and wedding party make. Enjoy!

Writing Your Own Vows

Some people prefer to write their own vows, because it’s more personal to them. Writing your own vows is seen in more modern weddings or vowel renewals where they break away from the traditional wedding vows. When you write your own vows you pledge your loyalty and promise many of the same things that you would in traditional vows but it is in your own words. Most couples don’t share their vows with each other until the wedding to have that special effect when they recite them. Other couples choose to write vows for each other and continue the service with the traditional vows.

Wedding Vow Options

Wedding vows are the words that forever bond two people in marriage. Here are some wedding vow options that you can choose from, although there are an infinite amount that you can create by mixing and matching until you have what is just right for you and your spouse.

• “I, (name) take you (name) to me by (husband or wife), to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, from this day froward, until death do us part.”
• “I, (name) take you (name) to be my lawfully wedded (wife or husband), my constant friend, faithful partner, and my love from this day forward. In the presence of God, our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live.”

Some people choose their wedding vows according to their religion, heritage, or just because they like the way that they sound. Wedding vows are a very important part of your wedding so choose the ones that mean the most to you and you will be happy with for the rest of your life… or until you decide to renew them!