Legal Requirements to Marry

When a couple becomes engaged, their thoughts naturally turn to the wedding. After all, it is fun and exciting to think about the wedding ceremony, flowers, bridal gowns, fabulous jewelry, and the like. But before you dive into designing wedding cakes and bridal jewelry, take a minute to deal with the practical stuff first. This is an overview of the legal requirements to marry that every bride and groom needs to read.

Perhaps it should go without saying, but in order to be free and clear to marry, both parties must first be completely out of any previous marriages. It sounds obvious, but you hear all the time about couples becoming engaged before the divorce is final, which frankly is unwise for numerous reasons. In many states you will need to bring the divorce decree with you to the county clerk along with your proof of identification when you go to obtain a marriage license.

In order to marry without parental consent, both people must be at least 18 years old in most states. The minimum age limit is set at 19 in Nebraska and 21 in Mississippi. In every state, there are provisions for people to marry with parental consent; the age limit for that is 16 or 17 in most states. A few states do make exceptions for females that are younger if pregnant. Judicial consent is required on top of parental consent in those cases. What about the controversial topic of first cousins marrying? It is permitted in 21 states, allowed under certain circumstances in 6, and forbidden outright in the other states.

The marriage license will need to be obtained in person in the state in which you plan to marry, usually with both people present. Also keep in mind that marriage licenses do generally expire (around 60 days is common, but it can be as little as 30 days or as long as a year), and some states have a brief waiting period before the marriage can be conducted. Each state has its own particular rules, so be sure to check the laws for your state. You may need a blood test (very rare), pre-marital counseling, and there are variations in who is permitted to officiate over a marriage. Remember to bring your i.d. and cash to pay for the license. Once you have your ducks in a row legally, you will be able to get your marriage license and begin the fun of planning your wedding ceremony!

White Wedding Flowers

Certainly there is no wedding flower more popular than the white rose. They are available all year round, in several shapes and sizes, and are just the epitome of bridal elegance. Fluffy white garden roses are magnificent flowing over the edges of tall garden urns at the reception or on the altar. A classic round white rose nosegay is a lovely accent for brides who love traditional white silk bridal gowns worn with sets of pearl bridal jewelry. And sprays of miniature roses are a wonderful addition to bouquets featuring larger blossoms.

Orchids are another favorite bridal flower. These exotic beauties are the height of elegance and sophisticated style. Delicate in appearance, orchids are actually very hardy flowers, making them as versatile as they are stunning. Try a soft and fluttery bouquet of butterfly orchids mixed with ruffly sweetpeas, or go for all out drama with a massive waterfall bouquet of impressive phalaenopsis orchids. Orchids are also extremely popular for submerged flower centerpieces.

If clean and classic is your taste, you will adore a bouquet of white tulips. A large bunch of white tulips handtied with a wide satin ribbon is as simple as a bouquet can get, yet it is also incredibly beautiful. For centerpieces, place large bunches of white tulips in blue and white Chinoiserie patterned vases. They are the perfect addition to a spring time wedding, and will look as good in your wedding photos twenty years from now as they do in person.

There are numerous other white flowers that are wonderful for weddings. Preppy brides will find that bunches of hydrangeas are the perfect accent to their classic white gowns and pearl bridal jewelry sets. Spring brides will adore the old fashioned charm of tiny lily-of-the-valley flowers. And then there are white ranunculus, lisianthius, gardenias, daisies, and much much more. Whatever your style, you will be able to find a white flower that is the perfect decoration for your wedding.

The YouTube Wedding Phenomenon

It seems like for many couples these days the most important consideration when planning a wedding is how to end up as the latest YouTube sensation. Anyone who watched Pam and Jim’s wedding on “The Office” now knows that even the ceremony processional is another chance for the bridal party to do something outrageous and memorable (as Jim said, as soon as he saw the video on YouTube of a bridal party dancing up the aisle to “Forever”, he knew they were in for it!). This is a look at the YouTube wedding phenomenon.

Some of the wedding videos on YouTube get literally millions of hits. Think about that; you could have two million people around the world interested in your wedding. The “JK Wedding Entrance Dance” video that inspired the scene on “The Office” has been viewed by over 28 million people! The bridal party who was in it even ended up on the “Today” show. For many couples, that kind of internet fame is simply too enticing to resist. Apparently everyone wants to be featured in the next hot viral video, and to grab their 15 minutes of fame.

Most of the popular wedding videos on YouTube are centered around a surprise (and almost all of the hot videos involve dancing, usually done by people with no special talent in that area). What makes them so fun is the gotcha! moment. As in, the doors to the church open, the bridal party is poised to march down the aisle, and surprise! they do a wacky choreographed dance instead of the expected dignified procession to “The Wedding March”.

Brides and grooms are definitely a big part of the YouTube phenomenon. The first dance used to be a moment when brides in their fine gowns and elegant bridal jewelry sets took a sedate spin around the dance floor with their beaming new husbands to “Unforgettable” or a Frank Sinatra song. These days, it seems like the surprise is when the bride and groom dance to the classic song all the way through. The guests are perched on the edge of their seats waiting for demure brides in their bridal gowns and sets of pearl jewelry to kick off their white shoes and start shaking it to “Crank That” or “Baby Got Back”.

Everyone is getting in on the act. From outrageous father and daughter first dances to entire bridal parties recreating the video to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”, wacky choreographed dances are fast becoming a mainstay at otherwise formal and traditional weddings. Personally, I think that there is a trade-off; what you gain in laughs and internet celebrity, you lose in dignity and classic good taste. However, each bride and groom has the right to have the wedding that they want, and if what they choose is to try to get their reception to be a big hit on YouTube, they will certainly have plenty of company!

Hot Trends in Wedding Photography

Like any other aspect of a wedding, the photography follows trends and fresh ideas. The stiff group portraits that were the standard in wedding photography for generations have become the exception rather than the norm. For inspiration for your own wedding, check out these hot trends in wedding photography.

Informal candids are definitely the most popular variety of wedding photos. They are intended less to be a visual record of who was at the wedding, and more as a fluid overview of some of the high points of the day. They should capture the mood and spirit of the wedding by giving the viewer glimpses into the little moments that make the day special.

The bride might want her photographer to be there when she is getting into her bridal gown and wedding jewelry to get a snapshot of her dress going over her head or her sister struggling to pin on her veil. A good candid photographer will have an eye for the other memorable parts of a wedding, from capturing a meaningful glance exchanged by the bride and groom to the look of pure joy on the face of a flower girl on the dance floor.

Wedding photography taken in unusual places is one of the hottest rising trends in weddings. Many of these pictures are taken as engagement photos before the wedding, but they are nothing like the posed studio shots your parents had taken when they announced their betrothal. Urban backgrounds are particularly popular, ranging from black and white photos set against a towering city skyline to gritty scenes in front of graffitied brick walls.

For couples who do not live in a city, popular backgrounds include seasides, natural locations, and even places like carnivals and zoos. These settings are also gaining popularity for day-of-wedding photography; the contrast between the wild setting and the bride in her exquisite bridal gown, veil, and wedding jewelry makes for an interesting juxtaposition which gives the pictures an edgy quality. With all of the amazing technology at our fingertips, wedding photography is a field that is only going to continue evolving in new and fascinating directions.

Secret Wedding Ceremonies

Fans of “The Office” got to watch Pam and Jim have two marriage ceremonies: the “official” one for family and friends, which was preceded by a secret one for just the two of them. Secret wedding ceremonies are not just for television characters; this is something that people actually do in real life. This is what you should know about secret wedding ceremonies, from the why to the when to the how.

Let’s start with the reason why an engaged couple might decide to have a secret wedding ceremony. The most common one is for the same reasons why Pam and Jim had their private vows on “The Office”: you feel as though the wedding day is becoming all about everyone else. So many couples get roped into having the wedding of someone else’s dreams that it increasingly feels like the real reason for the entire day gets lost in the hoopla. Having a private ceremony with just the two of you can be a way to recapture the idea that the whole point of having a wedding is to celebrate the love of the bride and groom as they pledge to spend their lives together.

When having a private exchange of vows, there are several key things to keep in mind. The most important one is that if you truly intend to keep it a secret and let everyone assume that they are watching you tie the knot at the big wedding, the secret must be held very closely. The reality is that “the bride and groom are already married” is way too big a secret for anyone to keep, so your best bet is to share the news with no one. Imagine how offended your immediate family would be to learn that you got married without telling them or inviting them.

Of course, a private marriage ceremony is a monumental occasion, even when you plan to follow it with a large public wedding. It will likely be low-key, but you should still make the effort to make the event special. The bride should wear a pretty dress along with some delicate handcrafted bridal jewelry. The dress worn to the secret vow exchange will likely be much less formal than the main wedding gown, perhaps simply a lovely day dress in your favorite color. Certainly the bride should have a bouquet, and it would be nice to hold your ceremony in a location that is beautiful and meaningful to you, whether that is overlooking a gorgeous lake or right in your own living room.

“The Office” Wedding Wrap Up

Do you love “The Office”? Then the special hour long episode about Pam and Jim’s wedding was a long awaited treat, wasn’t it? Here is “The Office” wedding wrap up, including ideas that an engaged couple can use for inspiration for their own real life wedding.

Just like with any wedding, the most important question is what did the bride wear. In “The Office” wedding episode, Pam wore a very pretty simple white chiffon gown with an empire waist and spaghetti straps. The empire waist on her gown (which falls just under the bustline) was designed to hide her baby bump, of course, but it is a style that would be flattering on many brides, pregnant or not. The waistline of Pam’s gown was decorated with a sweet white floral beaded trim which was just the right amount of adornment for a bride with simple tastes. Pam’s pearl bridal jewelry was lovely with her chiffon gown.

Being “The Office”, the wedding could not be without its silly and surprising moments. When Pam was upset because she tore her veil shortly before the wedding ceremony, Jim cheered her up by cutting off half of his tie. The part that most viewers will remember is the YouTube inspired dance down the aisle that Jim and Pam’s attendants sprung on them as a surprise (hopefully this will not inspire any bridesmaids or groomsmen watching from home to try this!).

A wrap up of the wedding on “The Office” would not be complete without a mention of the crazy things done by Pam and Jim’s co-workers, especially Michael and Dwight. From Michael promising Pam’s grandmother that they would name their baby after her to him slipping into the mother of the bride’s hotel room at the end of the night, he was up to his usual tricks.  With a wedding this memorable, it should be interesting to see what life as newlyweds looks like for Pam and Jim.

Including Humor in a Wedding

Weddings are important occasions and marriage is a serious commitment, this we all know. And yet, there is no reason to say that just because an occasion marks a rite of passage that it has to be overly serious or buttoned-up. To make your wedding as fun as it is joyous, find ways to include humor in your wedding.

There are countless ways in which to bring laughter into your wedding without diminishing the significance of the occasion. It could be an inside joke penned inside the gift card of each of the groomsmen gifts. Or maybe the gift itself could have a nod to humor, such as the groom who gave his friends groomsmen gifts with a poker theme, and a “get out of jail free” card from Monopoly that each attendant could use to “bail” out the groom for a weekly poker night with the guys. These ideas are lighthearted and in the spirit of good clean fun.

The wedding vows are a perfect place to add a touch of humor, as long as it is done in good taste. (Anything that would embarrass someone is out of place at a wedding; remember that it is not a roast!) At one wedding that I attended, the groom got some good chuckles from the guests when he mentioned that he nearly derailed the entire relationship before it got off the ground by calling the young lady in the middle of a Yankee’s playoff game. This got a great response from the crowd, all of whom knew how passionate the bride was about baseball. The groom went on to mention that he ensured that his bride accepted his proposal of marriage by posting it on the Jumbotron at Yankee Stadium (here, clearly, was a man who could learn from his mistakes!).

If you are looking for a great ice breaker at your wedding reception, humor is a great tool. Instead of a standard napkin ring, pin a badge with a funny message to each napkin. Your guests will have fun comparing the messages that they received, which is a terrific conversation starter. Clever save-the-date cards or favors are another terrific vehicle for wedding humor. A few well chosen bits of humor will amuse your guests and bring a lighthearted sparkle to your wedding.

Fantastic Wedding Reception Ceiling Decorations

Who doesn’t want their wedding reception to be fabulous all the way from the ceiling to the floor? Once overlooked, these days suspended decorations are becoming a mainstay of wedding décor. Read on for inspiration for fantastic wedding reception ceiling decorations!

One of the hottest trends in wedding décor over the last few years has been chandeliers. Your venue does not have them? No problem! You can rent them for the day, and they come in a huge variety of styles. There are classic opulent crystal chandeliers, which are actually very popular for sprucing up tented weddings. Then there are feminine floral chandeliers, such as you might find in an ultra-girly boudoir. And for the bride who likes the unique quality of handcrafted bridal jewelry, there are handcrafted chandeliers in every material from beads to bark. They would be ideal for everything from a rustic barn wedding to a quirky loft affair.

Large graphic elements are a great design element for a modern style wedding. Suspend huge silver balls from the ceiling at different heights for a striking effect that will wow your guests. For a pop art effect, go for large spheres in bold colors like red, lime green, and bright orange. They would look fantastic if you keep the rest of the décor sleek and minimalist, done mostly in stark white.

Ceiling decorations can also be very sweet and romantic. Paper parasols look lovely when suspended from a ceiling en masse. You can either choose one color, or use an array of different shades. The parasols would be an excellent device to camouflage an unattractive ceiling in a tent, or an acoustic tile ceiling in a reception hall. This would also be a nice detail for an Asian inspired wedding.

There are many other ideas for reception ceiling décor, ranging from the ultra-elegant strands of crystals to the so-tacky-it’s-cool mirrored disco ball. It is all a question of finding the ceiling décor that will give your reception that extra bit of oomph. You will find that decorating your reception venue from the top down will truly make your wedding look breathtaking.

Follow Us On Twitter

Hello everyone! Silverland Jewelry & Gifts has recently created a twitter page! Our Twitter name is “Silverlandjewel.” We already have over 600 followers and are growing strong! Come follow us on twitter and follow our tweets. Stay on top of all the bridal and jewelry news. You can find us on twitter by going to the following link:
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Silverland Jewelry & Gifts is having a twitter contest every month! We are giving away FREE wedding jewelry to one lucky person who follows us on twitter and retweets this exact message:

“@Silverlandjewel is giving away FREE Jewelry! Want to win FREE Wedding Jewelry? Then click here to find out how http://ow.ly/nKAE ”

Good luck to all our contest participants! And continue to follow our tweets in case we have any other special contests besides the FREE Jewelry giveaway each month.

Best Wishes!

Preppy Bridesmaid Dresses

If you are a bride who loves the classics, then you will have fun planning a wedding with preppy details. From the bouquets to the attire, everything should proclaim your personal style. These are some ideas for the most perfect preppy bridesmaid dresses.

A favorite of preppy brides everywhere are the whimsical designs of Lilly Pulitzer. Always cheerful and bright, Lilly dresses are ideal for less formal bridesmaid dresses. Best of all, your friends will have plenty of chances to wear them after the wedding, since they are not specifically bridesmaid dresses. Lilly’s strapless dresses tend to be the most popular for weddings, as they are a bit dressier than the classic shifts. Slip on a set of pearl bridesmaid jewelry and a cute pair of sandals, and your ‘maids will be picture perfect. A bonus is that you can coordinate the rest of the wedding party with the bridesmaids; there are dresses in matching fabrics for little flower girls and even Lilly print neckties for the men in the bridal party.

If your wedding is a bit dressier, you may prefer to choose bridesmaid dresses that are not so boldly patterned. The first color that springs to mind for preppy bridesmaid dresses is pink, perhaps with a lime green accent. A strapless dress that hits just below the knee would look wonderful in a pink silk shantung (in any season) or silk organza (spring and summer only). Add to the appeal with a cheerful sash at the waist in lime green, or perhaps a silk patterned Vineyard Vines waist sash for a little more flair. White pearls would be timeless and pretty, or you could have custom sets of bridesmaid jewelry created from pretty pink Swarovski pearls. A tin cup necklace style would be perfect for the simplicity of this type of bridesmaid dress.

Most preppy brides and grooms love the water. If your wedding is going to be held at a yacht club or oceanside, think about navy blue bridesmaid dresses. The crisp combination of navy blue and white always looks fresh for a nautical wedding. Navy faille dresses would be marvelous, especially accented with a bit of white piping around the neckline and at the waist. Strapless is always nice, but another neckline that would work very well is a slightly squared scoopneck. The dresses can be long or shorter, depending on the time of day and the formality of your event. The options are really limitless; it is all a matter of selecting the dresses that best suit your bridesmaids and your wedding style.