Have A Simple, Small, Green Wedding
A wedding is one of life's major rites of passage. It is
certainly something to celebrate! Today, wedding books and
magazines promote large weddings so that more and more
wedding products can be sold. Wedding expenditures run into
many thousands of dollars. And after this major outlay of
money, most of what is purchased is never used again. On the Spring Equinox 2004, my ex-husband (yes, that's
right! my ex-husband!) Larry and I remarried. We had been
together for almost seventeen years, and had divorced
several years ago when our relationship problems seemed
impossible to resolve. But we still loved each other, so we
figured out what to do to make things better, and are now
happier than ever. In planning our wedding, we wanted to keep it simple, small,
and full of meaning. We wanted a ceremony and celebration
that would be easy to prepare for and manage. We wanted an
intimate occasion, surrounded by our closest friends who
would participate with us in the intention of our union. And
as we planned our wedding, we used the same guidelines for
health and the environment that we practice in our daily
home life. Since most books and articles are about planning big
weddings, I want to offer some tips on planning another sort
of wedding that can be beautiful and meaningful in it's own
way. * Make it your day. Each wedding can and should be a unique
expression of the couple getting married. So create the day
just the way you want it, to please the two of you. * Choose the wedding traditions that are important to you.
When it comes right down to it, the essentials of a wedding
are the two people to be married, the minister or justice of
the peace who performs the ceremony, the ceremony itself,
and the guests who witness it. Everything else is decoration
and tradition. Learn about wedding traditions and choose to
do those that will make your day special. * Write your own ceremony. The entire reason for having a
wedding, really, is the ceremony. The most important aspect
of a wedding is not the decorations, but the vows and
intentions that are stated in the ceremony and that you give
to each other. Research the time-honored patterns to
wedding ceremonies and follow this pattern in your own
personal way. * Invite meaningful guests. When you have a small number of
guests, you can spend more time with them and really
experience their presence. Minimum is just the two of you,
the minister, and a witness. Invite family and friends with
whom you have real relationships. Eliminate those that might
be invited out of social obligation. * Have your wedding at home, either indoors or in your
garden, or in a park. Rather than spending a lot of money on
floral arrangements, we put that money into tidying up our
back yard and planting perennial flowers that we are still
enjoying today. Looking back on our wedding day, we are very pleased with
our simple, small wedding. We were able to relax and enjoy
the day and experience the love and support of our best
friends. Best of all, we still had energy left for the
honeymoon... For many more details on planning your simple, small, green
wedding (including choosing flowers, rings, clothing and
reciption, and photos of Debra's wedding), visit
http://www.debraslist.com/wedding, and click on "You are
invited to... My Simple, Small, Green Wedding". Debra is also
available as a consultant to help you plan your wedding. Hailed as "The Queen of Green" by the New York Times,
Debra Lynn Dadd has been a consumer advocate for products
and lifestyle choices that are better for health and the
environment since 1982. Visit her website for 100s of links
to 1000s of nontoxic, natural and earthwise products, and to
sign up for her free email newsletters. http://www.dld123.com
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Your Wedding Invitation?s in the (e)Mail: Pros and Cons of the Virtual Wedding Invitation
From purchasing the garter to choosing the photographer, brides (and grooms!) are online and as the Internet's many advantages have begun to permeate most every aspect of wedding planning, a single question has been popping up more and more: can I use the Internet for my wedding invitations? As a wedding website designer I've answered numerous emails from brides asking if an email announcement to visit their wedding website can not just supplement their wedding invitation but actually replace it. It's an interesting idea, one with the potential to save a great deal of time and money. However, one big question remains. Is it acceptable? Considering the potential benefits, it's certainly a question worth asking, and some compelling arguments can be found on both sides.
First, consider the many purposes of a wedding invitation. Most obvious is the intent that the recipient understands who is invited. Also important is the inclusion of maps and directions, RSVP information, reply cards and essential wedding details. Furthermore, the wedding invitation is an expression of the couple's personal style and can serve as a memento for friends and family to remember the event. Considering all these essential functions, the question, then, is whether the traditional wedding invitation can be replaced by a simple email invitation to visit the couple's site online. Certainly, a creative and informative wedding website can serve the majority of the purposes mentioned. In fact, wedding details might be more specific and useful on a website given the amount of space that can be afforded an entire page devoted to each subject. One can easily give details and links to important wedding locations, schedules, maps, etc. Also, if the bride and groom are able to create their own site or find a designer they like, they can certainly express their own unique style and theme on a wedding website. But what about the empty space in grandma's album just waiting for her granddaughter's wedding invitation? Here is where an online invitation falls short. One solution, however, could be to purchase or make a wedding CD with the website on it. Technologically hip grandparents can treasure this memento like they would a written invitation (even if it doesn't go well in an album).
Still can't decide? Consider some of the pros and cons of the "virtual invitation":
Pros:
*Save money on wedding invitations (certainly the most compelling argument for many). The cost of an online invitation, including one designed by a reasonably priced professional, should be considerably less than sending written invitations for an average sized wedding when factoring in the cost of the printing, postage, and reply cards.
*Save the time of selecting and sending written invitations, especially if you were going to have a wedding website anyway.
*Make things a little easier for those guests who already do a great deal online.
*Receive RSVP responses via email.
*Include links to maps and directions.
*Have wedding details laid out for guests to avoid the bother of answering the same questions over and over.
*Include important links so guests can find the information they need on such things as local attractions, accommodations, and travel (particularly useful for destination weddings).
Cons:
*Compiling all of your guests' current email addresses can be a daunting task.
*Not everyone is online. Unless you know for a fact that you can get your email invitation to everyone who should receive one, this is not a good option. You never want to offend family and friends when planning a wedding.
*Etiquette, etiquette, etiquette. If etiquette is particularly important to you or the people who will be receiving your invitations, this is not the right choice for you.
For those who are thinking the whole "virtual invitation" is too drastic a change I suggest a compromise. Many couples are finding that combining the modern with the traditional is the way to go until all their friends and family have caught on to the Internet. The couple's web address can be included in the traditional invitation so their guests can have two sources for wedding information. Also, written invitations can be sent with instructions to RSVP online thus saving the couple time and money for postage and reply cards (with just a slight bend in tradition).
In the end, whether it's traditional, modern or modern-traditional, what matters most is that the bride and groom have the wedding they desire. The best advice I can give is don't worry too much about tradition and etiquette; rather, spend the time planning the wedding of your dreams and maybe make some traditions of your own along the way.
copyright 2003 Tamara Baker and Celebrate Our Lives Wedding Websites
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