Honeymoon by Train

When most people think of travel, they think of cars and planes. We forget about taking a trip by train. Traveling by train is great for people who not only want to get from Point A to Point B, but who also want to enjoy the trip along the way.

There are a variety of things that can make riding a train a pleasant way to travel for your honeymoon. For one thing, neither of you will have to drive. This means no arguments over asking for directions, no backseat driving, no disagreements over when to stop, and therefore, no stress! When you travel together by train, the honeymooners can actually spend time enjoying each other’s company. You can get meals, play cards, or just relax and talk.

Since you are planning a honeymoon, you want to take a few steps to make your train trip as pleasant as possible. Definitely plan to reserve seats in first class or business class. Depending on the train, this can mean that you get your own little private cabin. Much more romantic than being stuffed in with everyone else. For longer journeys, such as cross-country, you will want to have a sleeping cabin (you are on your honeymoon, after all – you can’t spend your wedding night sleeping in seats!).

Since the dining car on many trains isn’t anything special, it would be nice to break up your train trip with some overnight stays in the cities along the way. Call ahead, and book a romantic dinner at the fanciest restaurant in town. Be sure to bring along some nice clothes and jewelry so that you can dress up for the occasion. The bride can bring along the wedding jewelry gifts that her husband gave her when they got married. If the new husband wants to make a very romantic gesture on the honeymoon, he could pick out another piece of jewelry that matches the wedding gifts he gave her. That would make a fabulous surprise on either the first or last night of the honeymoon.

When planning your honeymoon, look for trips that will allow you to relax and take it easy with your new spouse. Taking a honeymoon by train can be a very nice way to travel at a more relaxed pace and to see the country at the same time. All Aboard!

Jilted at the Altar!

It is every bride or groom’s worst nightmare: to be jilted at the altar. Fortunately, it is a very rare occurrence. On the outside chance that it happens to you or someone you love, here is what you need to know…

What is the protocol? The first step is for a family member (usually one related to the party who has backed out) has to make an announcement to the assembled guests that the wedding will not be taking place as planned. After the initial shock dies down, it is up to your families whether or not you want the reception to take place. It is not uncommon in these situations for the guests to be invited to attend the reception, because frankly, at this point it is already paid for, so someone should get to enjoy the party. The bride or groom would generally not be in attendance.

After getting through the wedding day, there will be many more questions to be answered. One of the most immediate concerns will be the honeymoon. If a refund is not an option, the jilted person may choose to take the trip anyway, usually bringing along a close friend for moral support. After the humiliation of being publicly jilted, they may be happy to get out of town for a few days and have some time to collect his or her thoughts.

There are also some practicalities that must be addressed. One of the biggest issues concerns the gifts. In some cases, it is very straightforward. Wedding gifts should be returned to the senders with a brief note thanking them for their good wishes.

Etiquette says that if the woman breaks off the engagement, she is obligated to return the ring, along with any other wedding jewelry gifts. When it is the groom who gets cold feet, the woman is not technically required to return the ring to him. The exception is when the jewelry in question is a family heirloom. In that circumstance, it should absolutely be returned to the family from whence it came.

Breaking off a wedding is not easy under any circumstances. It is certainly even harder to accept when it happens on what is supposed to be one of the happiest days of your life. All that you can really do is console yourself that this marriage wasn’t meant to be, and that the right person will come along one day when you least expect it.

Great Ideas for Wedding Gifts

Choosing the perfect gift is not always simple. You want it to be unique and impressive, while still being affordable. Luckily, there are many great ideas for wedding gifts.

A good place for wedding guests to start is with the couple’s bridal registry. It would be a very rare couple who is not registered somewhere. If you do not know the couple very well, picking something from their registry can be the easiest way to go. Sometimes a group, such as the groom’s coworkers, might decide to chip in together on one larger gift instead of buying smaller gifts individually.

Another source of inspiration is the couple’s hobbies and pastimes. If you know that the bride and groom love to travel, a wonderful wedding present would be a good set of luggage, perhaps with their monogram. Gifts do not have to be objects either. If the bride and groom share a passion for a sports team, then tickets to a big game would make a much appreciated gift.

A close family member might prefer to give something personal. One of the most cherished wedding gifts that a bride could receive would be a piece of jewelry from her new mother-in-law. Gifts like wedding jewelry show the recipient how much they mean to you, and are a gracious way to say “Welcome to the family!”.

Sometimes a great wedding gift can be the practical things that you would never think to buy for yourself, but will really be able to use. When I got married, one of my bridesmaids gave me a set of storage bags designed to protect all of my new fine china. It may not have been the most thrilling gift, but it was something that I was grateful to receive.

When looking for just the right gift, keep in mind what you know about the couple. Select a gift that you know will suit their taste, encourage their hobbies, or remind them of good times that you have shared together. If you put your heart into the wedding gift, you can be certain that it will be absolutely perfect.

Setting Up Your First Home Together

It is pretty rare these days that the bride or groom goes straight from living with their parents to being married. Most people have spent some time living on their own, and therefore will already have some of the things that you need to set up a house. But before deciding that you are all set, take some time to evaluate what you really have. One scratched up old saucepot from your college days does not exactly constitute a well-appointed kitchen!

A good way to get the things that you will need for your first home is through the bridal registry. If you register at a department store or a place like Pottery Barn, not only can you request registry standards like bedding, towels, dishes, and stemware, but you can also register for some of the large items needed to make a beautiful home, like sofas, tables, and chairs.

Beyond the basics, you will want to think about the things that will make your first place really feel like a home. Painting the walls is an inexpensive and easy way to add character to a house. If you do not want to commit to a bold color, choose a subtle one like a soft warm gold, or a pale sage green. Neutrals can be safe without being boring.

Then it is on to the personal touches. Of course, you will want several of your wedding photos prominently displayed in your home. From there, the newlyweds can practice the fine art of compromise. The key is to strike a balance, and create an environment that is neither too feminine, nor too much like a frat house.

The first night that you spend in your new home together is a very big deal. It is worth planning something special for that night. Even if you end up eating a pizza while sitting on the moving boxes, try to make it romantic. The groom can make the moment extra memorable by surprising his new wife with a gift of jewelry to match her wedding set.

You will always remember your first home together as a married couple. Whether it is a big house in the suburbs or a tiny studio apartment in the city, it will be special because it is yours together. Put the effort into making your home a relaxing oasis that you will both love to return to every night.

Should You Go to a Bridal Show?

The basic concept of a bridal show is that many of the wedding vendors in a region will get together for an afternoon or a weekend under one roof. This gives brides a chance to meet a lot of different vendors in a short amount of time. Do not think, though, that speaking briefly with someone at a show is a substitute for a formal appointment to evaluate their services. It is more like an opportunity to see who is out there, gather business cards, and make follow up appointments for a later date.

There are certain categories of wedding vendors that you are more likely to meet at bridal shows than others. For instance, many well-established bridal shops will choose not to participate in bridal shows because they figure that most brides already have their gowns by the time they get around to attending shows.

However, there are great reasons to attend the bridal shows. Bridal shows are a great place to find photographers, bakers, limos, entertainment bookers, calligraphers, and others. You will also see small craftspeople showing products that they make. Artisans who create things such as candles, soaps, chocolates and other favors will often gather at bridal shows. You may also find people who make handmade wedding jewelry for gifts (although many brides prefer to search for their wedding jewelry gifts online for a greater variety).

Of course, many brides who attend bridal shows will go just because it is a fun thing to do. That can be reason enough. One word of advice though: unless you have a focused plan, do not expect your fiance to spend a Saturday afternoon wandering through a bridal show. He will be eternally grateful if you take your mother or maid of honor instead!

Should You Buy a Wedding Gown Online?

The internet is a wonderful resource for ideas about wedding gowns. You can peruse tons of websites, and see what is in style as well as get an idea of what type of dress appeals to you. There is no doubt that this has made brides feel much better informed about their decision, well before they even set foot into their first bridal shop.

It is a big leap, though, from looking at dresses online to buying a gown over the internet. There are sites that claim to offer designer gowns at a discount. Be very wary of these offers. Some of the gowns may come from weddings that have been cancelled, but other times they are used, worn out shop samples, or knock-offs. If you are considering ordering from one of these sites, be very sure that the dress can be returned for a full refund if it does not meet your expectations.

For brides who like the idea of ordering a wedding gown online, a safer choice would be to order from a well-known retailer who also carries special occasion gowns. This way, you will have a much better idea about what you are really getting. Be careful, once again, to read the fine print about returns. Sometimes there is a time limit or a restocking fee involved.

My advice would be to work in person with a bridal shop for your wedding gown, and look for things like your accessories and gifts of wedding jewelry online. There are numerous internet retailers who create great jewelry gifts for your attendants, as well as fabulous pieces for the bride. With accessories, you don’t have to worry about size and fit, so it is much easier to buy something based on a picture.

The internet is a great tool for wedding planning. If you choose to order a gown online, just be sure to do your research first. Every bride deserves to have a great experience with her gown purchase.

How to Balance Planning a Wedding and Having a Life

If you have planned a wedding recently, you have probably noticed that it can be a full time job. There is a reason that many couples spend a year planning their wedding, and it is not just because it is so hard to book a venue for a Saturday in June. But even if you are the type of bride who loves the planning stage, it is still important to balance your wedding and your life.

If you feel like planning your wedding is consuming your life (and I can almost guarantee that your groom thinks it is!), you have to come up with a realistic way to get your life back in balance. For brides who are planning very large or complicated weddings, their best bet is going to be hiring professional help.

You may not want to hire a wedding coordinator, but could you trust your mother or maid of honor to handle a few of the details? A nice way to do it is to let a trusted helper round up the best options, and then the bride will take her pick and make the final choice. That will spare the bride a lot of the preliminary running around, and will give her back a little of her day.

A bride can streamline the planning process through efficient use of her precious time. For instance, instead of hitting four different stores looking for a wedding gift for your groom, jewelry gifts for your mom and bridesmaids, and the perfect tiara for yourself, try to find it all in one place. If you look online, you are sure to find a retailer that carries everything that you have been looking for.

The last tip on balancing your wedding planning and your life is to start as early as possible. Anything that can be done in advance should be. If you space out the wedding planning instead of trying to do a lot of it at the end, you will find the whole process to be infinitely more enjoyable.

Perfect Wedding Jewelry for Your Bride

Gentlemen, now that your wedding day is approaching, it is time to turn your attention to your wedding gift for your bride. Finding just the right thing is not always easy. It needs to be romantic, timeless, and beautiful. The ideal gift also needs to fit her taste and your budget. One gift that never fails to delight is jewelry.

Start by observing what jewelry your fiancee wears on a daily basis. This will give you a good idea of her taste in accessories. For instance, if she wears a pair of pearl studs and a gold signet ring every day, it is safe to say that her style is classic. Some girls simply love anything that sparkles, which will make your job considerably easier.

Most grooms do not see their fiancee’s bridal dress before the wedding, and yet are shopping for wedding jewelry gifts that she can wear on their big day. If this is your situation, you can enlist the help of her maid of honor, who will be familiar with the style of the dress.

Another safe bet is to give her a bracelet. If you choose one that is handcrafted from gorgeous materials like Swarovski crystals and freshwater pearls, you will not go wrong.

The most sentimental gift that you can give your bride for your wedding is jewelry. It is the most romantic of gifts, and it will last her a lifetime. With these tips in mind, you can be sure that when your bride pulls the gift out of the box, she will say, “Oh, it’s just perfect!”.