The Dos and Don’ts of Proper Wedding Etiquette

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Planning a wedding is not a trouble-free task and can sometimes bring out the worst in people. During the planning stage, the bride and groom must try to take note of a few procedures to make guests, family and friends feel welcome, even if traditions are put aside.

As wedding customs continue to change, it gets harder and harder to keep track of what you should do and should not do before, during, and after your wedding day. To help guide you through the maze of rules and regulations, follow these tips, which you can change to your preference:

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Invitations - Your first connection to wedding guests is through invitations, which set the tone for your wedding and should reflect the theme and scope of your affair.

· Write the guest complete names on your wedding invitation. Some couples may opt to send invitations by email. Invite only the people listed to the event.

· Avoid writing “and Guest” on the invitation. Try to find out who your relative or friend will bring to the wedding and include his or her name on the invitation.

· Wedding-invitation wording is a preference. Most couples include their parents’ names on the invitations. However, if a parent is deceased, his or her name should not appear.

· If you know a guest is not in a relationship, do not feel obligated to offer a wedding invitation addressed for “two.” Subsequently, if you only invited one person but he or she adds another guest when sending back the RSVP, call him or her to explain financial or space constraints that prevent you from accommodating the guest.

· Do not mention gift preferences or registries on the invitation or include them in the package. If you have a preference, like monetary gifts or a donation to a charity, spread it through word of mouth before the event.

· Do not use labels on your invitations. Handwrite them, use a nice font and print the envelopes using a computer, or get them done with professional calligraphy.

Financial Responsibility - Finances can turn an engaging wedding plan into an unpleasant matter. By keeping in mind some general guidelines, things will run more efficiently.

· Tradition once stated that the bride’s parents would pay for the wedding. However, times have changed and more couples are opting to pay for the wedding themselves, or the groom’s family chips in.

· Traditionally, the mother of the bride pays for the bridal shower. The bridal attendants may contribute to the shower’s cost or assign jobs, such as purchasing favors or decorating the venue.

· Bridal attendants will split the cost of the bachelorette party, and the groomsmen will do the same with the bachelor party.

· It is usually the responsibility of the groom’s parents to pay for the rehearsal dinner. The spouses or significant others of wedding party members should be invited to dinner as well.       

Here are some other items and who should be financially responsible:

· Rice/birdseed/confetti bags to toss after the ceremony — bride’s family

· If you are following strict traditions, divide flowers between the bride’s family and the groom. However, these days, flowers are included in a “package” and usually whoever is paying for the wedding festivities covers the flowers.

· Marriage license — groom

· Pastor/officiant fee — groom

· Rings — bride and groom

· Bridesmaid dresses/tuxedos — bridal party or groomsmen

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Processional - If you are having a religious wedding, consult your priest, rabbi, deacon, imams, or officiant concerning the customary procedure for entering. Each house of worship may have rules concerning processional order, music, photos, etc. Keep in mind that stepparents or boyfriends/girlfriends of your parents should enter and be seated before your biological family.

Mother of the Groom - Often the mother of the groom does not know her place in wedding planning. She plays an important role and can be as involved as the couple would like. Some of her chief responsibilities include:

· Starting contact between her family and the bride’s family.

· Providing an accurate and timely guest list.

· Organizing and hosting the rehearsal dinner.

· Taking her place beside the bride and mother of the bride in the receiving line to thank guests for attending. Note that the mother of the bride dictates wedding day fashion, and the mother of the groom will wear a gown of similar style and length.

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Tipping - Gratuities are more often than not included in the cost of wedding services. However, if a wedding vendor, server, or other person has gone beyond the call of duty, extra tipping is appropriate. Some people who should receive a tip on the wedding day:

· Coatroom attendant or bridal party attendant.

· Pastor or officiant should receive no less than $100 for his or her services.

· Limousine drivers should receive 15 percent of the bill if a tip has not already been included.

· Organists and musicians at the ceremony should receive at least $50 per person.

· If your reception features a maitre d’ or headwaiter who oversees the staff, expect to tip this person as well.

Thank-you note - For more thoughts on this subject, click here

How to know If You Are Financially Ready to Get Married by Miss Know It All

Miss Know It All

I don’t know if some couples are trying to keep up with the Joneses or if it is instant gratification when it comes to spending money you don’t have on a wedding, especially if you are already in debt.

There seems to a trend where couples are asking parents, relatives, friends, and even strangers to pay for their wedding. Traditionally, depending on the culture, the bride’s parents were responsible for footing the bill. Nowadays, there seems to be a shift in who is actually going to pay for the ceremony. In many cases the bride and groom will pay for their own wedding or the parents of the couple will contribute what they can afford.

You will know right from the start if you can afford to have an elaborate wedding. If you and your partner have disposable income, then go ahead and plan that extravagant affair.

But if you have to do the following to plan your wedding, then you should think long and hard before making that commitment, considering fifty percent of marriages end in divorce:

·       Taking out loans to pay for your wedding.

·       Going on a crowd-funding page and asking strangers to pay for your ceremony.

·       Asking your quests to cover expenses for your reception.

·       Requesting money in lieu of gifts.

·       Refinancing a home or using credit cards.

According to Money Inc., 2019, the average wedding costs $33,931. But this will depend on your budget, the location, the number of guests, and the add-ons you want to include.

Of course, you can plan a nice wedding on a shoe-string budget. Go here to find out how. 

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Virtual Book Tour - Kiss My Lips by Stella Eromonsere-Ajanaku

Title: Kiss My Lips

Author: +Stella Eromonsere-Ajanaku 

Series: Holiday Series, #2

Genre: Romance/Contemporary/Multicultural/Interracial

ISBN: 978-1502776549 (Paperback)

Publication Date: Wednesday 29th October 2014

Cover Artist: Love Bites And Silk

Kiss My Lips (Holiday Series Book 2) is a sequel to

Stolen Valentine Kiss (Holiday Series Book 1).

 Add to Goodreads

Blurb

Will one kiss seal their love? Accepting Logan’s marriage proposal was the most exciting event of Lorna’s life. But deciding in what country to marry her fiancé proved to be more than a tearful ordeal. When Lorna’s dad announced unexpected news, the wedding wheels spun in a different direction. With other family members stirring conflict, would there be a wedding? Or would their shared kiss deepen their desire?

The doorbell sounded.

Lorna lifted her teary face out of her aunt's arms. "Who else are you expecting this morning? You’ve got more surprises in store for me, Auntie?"

Instead of answering the question, her aunt glanced at her brother.

"Please get the door, Kanu. I'll quickly get changed. Make my guest welcome, will you?"

Lorna looked from the woman rushing off to her father, who was striding towards the front door. She plucked out a handful of tissue from her bag, wiped off streaks of wet mascara and sat on the black leather bar stool by the kitchen island. She poured herself a glass of mango juice and was sipping the drink when her father came back with Logan in tow.

The glass slipped out of her right fingers but she rescued it with her left hand. Her stomach muscles contracted. Her feet rushed ahead and she threw herself into Logan's outstretched arms.

He scented of warm balsam. She inhaled as her head rested on the hard plane of his chest wall. Pure joy leaked out of her heart, flooding her entire body. The arms holding her were all taut muscle and strength. She wrapped her arms round his black silk shirt and burst into tears.

"Maybe I should leave you two," her father excused, walking in the direction of the second guest bedroom through the hallway.

Logan guided his fiancée to the pale green, moriko leaf upholstered sofa. He sat down and pulled her to sit across his thighs.

Lorna sobbed.

Logan let her cry. From time to time, he wiped her face.

Through her tears, she saw a tiny trickle of moisture drop down one lane on his cheek. "Are you crying, Logan?" she asked, not quite sure he understood her pain. She wiped one finger over the wetness and then, she saw another small tear, drop out of his right eye.

With her face only inches from his, Lorna kissed his half-parted lips. The kiss was raw and hungry as her tongue dived into his mouth, demanding and taking. Her nipples stiffened in her body-hugging top and she pressed her breasts into his torso.

Logan's arms crashed around her shoulders and the chiseled wall of his chest teased her nipples taut. Wild fire raged as his tongue dipped into her mouth, taking control and sending flickers of burning heat through her thighs.

"Your dad and aunt are here, sweetheart. Do you want me to show them how much you mean to me?" Logan's sensible words brought her back to her aunt's living room. She leaned her head on his forehead.

"When I saw the tear drop from your eye, fireworks exploded in my chest. You cried with me, Logan," she said in awe.

 "Did I?" Logan shrugged, running one finger across her lips. "Love is a strange emotion, Lorna. Your pain is my pain and your joy is mine."

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Smashwords

Stella’s a fun loving mother of two, married to her very own gorgeous alpha male who satisfies her romantic appetite.

Writing romance novels is now her full time passion. In 2010, Stella created Flirty & Feisty Romance Novels laced with the right cocktail of blazing passion, intrigue & toe-curling romance set in fascinating Africa, enticing Europe and America. There are seven contemporary romance novels in the basket; Loitering Shadows, Stormy Defense, Beyond the Lady, The Gardener’s Ice Maiden, Sparkling Dawn, Husband to Rent, Stolen Valentine Kiss (Holiday Series #1).

My first historical romance is on my writing desk at the moment. In my leisure, I go swimming, reads romance novels, go to the Cinema and watch TV.

Flirty & Feisty Romance wishes you an amazing holiday season.

Our promise...is to deliver an intensely emotional experience you'll never forget.

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Luxury Yacht SOLARIS Receives Best Wedding Venue Award

SunQuest Cruises’ SOLARIS luxury yacht was voted the 2013 Best Wedding Venue by readers of Northwest Florida’s Emerald Coast Magazine. This is the third consecutive year to receive this prestigious honor.

With the experience of hosting hundreds of weddings, it’s all hands on deck on the SOLARIS with professional staff efficiently handling every detail for the bride-to-be, from planning through implementation. At no additional cost, SunQuest Cruises provides an event planner, to work with the bride, or with the bride’s event planner; a food and beverage director; on-board chefs and servers. The ship’s Captain can officiate the ceremony to marry the bride and groom on the sky deck overlooking the beautiful Choctawhatchee Bay during a scenic cruise.

Docked in the picturesque Baytowne Marina at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, the SOLARIS is an impressive 125 foot, 3-deck, 5,200 square foot luxury yacht in operation since 2004. Presenting rich mahogany interior features, a full service bar, private bridal suite, sweeping views and friendly staff, a wedding experience aboard the SOLARIS is the ultimate experience for the bride and groom, as well as their family and guests. SunQuest Cruises offers a variety of rehearsal dinner, wedding ceremony and reception options that can accommodate any budget with up to 150 guests.

SunQuest Cruises offers public dinner dance cruises year round, is available by reservation to host special events, weddings, private parties, receptions and corporate events. For further information, visit www.SunQuestCruises.com, their Facebook page, or call (850) 650-2519.

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