Archives: 2008 August

Are you ready to make that big step from single to married with a memorable wedding ceremony on board of one of the many cruise ships currently traversing the blue seas? Ship weddings are far more common than you think and in addition to providing a single venue for the ceremony, reception and perhaps even honeymoon, they also offer a host of other perks that are germane to this kind of venue!

Since cruise liners are well aware of the growing popularity their vessels are enjoying in the wedding business, it is not surprising that many a line is now putting together special packages catering to those intent on saying their vows on the high seas. Some ships will now come equipped with a special wedding chapel while others will have at their disposal highly trained wedding planners who will take on the responsibility of planning a wedding on the ocean from start to finish, including what to do with guests!

Even as many a bride and groom to be appreciate the flexibility associated with marrying on a ship, there are still some things you will want to consider, expense being one. Granted, the convenience of entrusting a third party with all of your wedding related planning - music, flowers, catering, cake, and decorating will be taken out of your hands - you will have to decide on the various options and how they fit into your budget. For example, while some cruise lines have their own officiator for the ceremonies, others require that you bring a minister or other licensed individual on board.

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The number one subject that married couples argue about is money. Is it surprising that this subject also causes the most tension before the marriage? Devising a realistic budget in advance is important because wedding costs can easily spiral out of control. The most important thing once a budget is drawn up and agreed upon, is that both bride and groom stick to their plan.

Yes, making a budget isn’t as fun as other aspects of wedding planning, but it doesn’t have to be that bad. Planning the wedding without a budget however, is almost guaranteed to put a couple in serious debt. How should a couple approach the task? Open two-way communication is a must for planning a wedding, which is excellent practice for the rest of the marriage.

Each person needs to be honest about how they envision the day. Many women assume that men don’t care about the planning but that isn’t really true. It is, after all, a big life-change for the man too, and he has a family of his own to please.

After the excitement of the engagement has died down a bit, it is time to spend some quiet time together to draw up some plans based on what each person desires from the day. In this case, each person needs to listen to the other person as well as talk. A list can then be drawn up of elements that both of parties want (to arrive in a horse-drawn carriage, lobster, renaissance theme, color scheme, etc.) and also what are necessities (photographer and videographer, caterer, flowers, rings, etc…). This will help in developing the final budget.

A theme wedding is quite easy to plan. When using a theme you have a basic idea to go off of, so it is easier to plan out the details, such as food, location and dcor. There are hundreds of theme ideas that can be used for a wedding. Almost anything imaginable can be turned into a theme. One of the typical themes chosen is a seasonal theme. By using the ideas of spring, summer, fall and winter, it can be a snap to plan out a lovely wedding theme.

A Flowery Delight - The Spring Theme

The spring time is all abut birth, newness and, of course, flowers. A spring theme is ideal for a wedding because it brings in the idea of new beginnings and captures everything that both weddings and spring represent. Colors that work best for spring are going to be pastel colors, like pink, blue and yellow. Almost any flower will work because most flowers bloom in the spring. Food is also quite easy because spring is a good time for fresh vegetables like asparagus and carrots. For a twist, the wedding cake can be a carrot cake, to represent one of the vegetable from this season.

In the Heat - The Summer Theme