Long Distance Wedding Planning

My niece, Jennifer Nalus, is getting married in January, 2010.  I was so excited when she asked me to help her plan her wedding.  The wedding is in the Philippines and I am in California, so that is a bit of a challenge.  All my wedding vendors are in the US and I am not familiar with wedding vendors in the Philippines.  However, with my talented sister-in-law and my other nieces helping their sister, everything is working fine.  Jenny’s wedding planning is coming together.

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How to Plan A Green Wedding

Many environmentally conscious wedding couples are choosing to have “green” weddings instead of traditional weddings.  Couples are trying to reduce their carbon footprint, protect the Earth, and still have an unforgettable event.  Having a wedding that is beautiful, traditional, and also eco-friendly is a possibility if couples plan ahead and exchange regular options for green options.

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Vintage Victorian Wedding Theme

What comes  to your mind when you hear the words “vintage weddding”? Does it bring images of you wearing your mother or grandmother’s wedding dress?  Or does it conjure images of even more distant past – like the Victorian era?  Either way, you are thinking of “vintage”.  Having a vintage theme in your wedding means celebrating your memorable day in a simulated era of some 20 years or more ago.

My favorite vintage theme is Victorian.  There are so many Victorian wedding traditions that we still practice today.  Remember the rhyme, “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue…”? Yes, thats one of the Victorian traditions that we still practice today.  The “old” must be something that belonged to a happily married woman.  It is believed that the happiness and luck of the owner will transfer to the new bride.  The “new” is the bride’s bridal attire from the gown to the shoes.  The “borrowed” is something precious like gold or diamond jewelry to ensure wealth and fortune in the bride’s future.  The “blue” is a symbol of true  love.

White wedding gowns became popular in the late eighteenth century and it is still the favorite gown color today.  However, if you want a non-white wedding gown, you can choice almost any color except black and red, which during the Victorian era supposed to be symbols of devilry or witchcraft.

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Ethnic Wedding Themes

Recently we posted three ethnic wedding themes – Afro-Centric, Chinese and Greek Ethnic Wedding Themes.  We had such a response that we are featuring four more – Italian, Hindu, Irish and Polish Ethnic Wedding Themes for brides who want to get in touch with theirs or their groom’s cultural background. Learn about the ceremony, traditions, menu and receptions for each of these ethnic weddings. You can click photos to enlarge.

Italian Ethnic Wedding

The Ceremony: For a traditional Italian wedding, the bride will wear a white dress, symbolizing purity, and a veil to keep the groom from seeing her face before the ceremony.  She will not wear any gold until the moment that her wedding ring is placed on her finger.  Most Italian weddings are also held in Catholic ceremonies. The ceremony will therefore be proceeded by a Catholic Mass. Most Italian wedding ceremonies take place in the morning or early afternoon. Following the wedding ceremony, it is customary to release two doves into the air. The best day to get married is Sunday, but weddings during Lent or Advent are often forbidden. [Read more]

Greek Orthodox Wedding

Our cultural wedding for this week is the Greek Orthodox Wedding.  The Greek Orthodox ceremony is very traditional and has not changed much in many years.  It is a very unique event, full of symbolism and tradition.  Watch the video at the end of this depicting a Greek Orthodox Wedding.

Ceremony:
Prior to the ceremony, the guests and groom stand outside the church, awaiting the arrival of the bride.  The groom usually holds a bouquet of flowers to give to his bride.  The ceremony itself takes place in two parts.
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