weblogUpdates.ping Paul R Farmer Wedding Photography http://www.farmerphoto.blogspot.com/ Paul R Farmer Wedding Photography Treasure Island Florida: 2005-11-13

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Wedding Cake Toppers


When deciding on a topper for your wedding cake, try to find something unusual or one of a kind. The kind of wedding you are having, is a guide to the type of wedding cake topper you should select. If you are having a very formal affair, a topper with puppies dressed like a bride and groom, probably wouldn't work.


Avoid buying one of those cheap plastic bride and grooms that you can find in discount department stores, and some bakeries. Your topper should be as special as your cake, and reflect your dreams and taste, not those of the baker.


Use your imagination, there are some really humorous cake toppers available, that you might enjoy. However you may want to think about whether or not it might offend some of the guests on both sides of the family, like grandparents and other older relatives.


There are military, and police cake toppers as well as cartoon characters, teddy bears, animals, sports themed toppers to name just a few, as well as the traditional bride and groom.



Maybe you would like a wedding cake topper to reflect interests that you and the groom share. Do you both love music, dancing, hockey or bowling? You can likely find a topper to recognize that. Did you know, that there are Harley Davidson cake toppers available?


Of course you can get doves, bells, gazebos and hearts to adorn your wedding cake.


Any of these paired with the bride and groom figurine would look wonderful.


Fresh, silk, marzipan or frosting flowers can make a spectacular wedding cake topper, that will have everyone talking about the beautiful cake.


Maybe your Mom and Dad still have their wedding cake topper or perhaps your mother-in-law has her mother' topper. What a special significance either of these toppers would have, if used on your wedding cake.


It is possible to have a cake topper designed to your specific wishes. Marzipan artists can make figurines to resemble the bride and groom, or even a favorite pet. Churches, temples, your home or the car you just bought together, can all be created as a cake topper for your wedding cake. Swavorski Crystal will be offering some truly different but exquisite crystal cake toppers. I cant wait to see those.



If your wedding will have an overtly religious theme, then please choose your cake topper design, with that theme in mind.

About the Author


Would you like to learn more about cakes?
See 1.000+ of wedding cake pictures, read some more cake tips, find cake toppers and other supply at CakeChannel.com
See you there!

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Wedding Traditions Unveiled

Weddings are that special occasion where two people come together to celebrate their love for one another. Yet, was it always this way? How did marriage come to be, and what is the meaning behind some of the many strange traditions observed today?


We assume that marriage has always been a sanctimonious tradition; however marriage was not originally about holy matrimony or true love. The original intent of marriage was to insure a safe environment for the bringing up of children, as well as the acquisition and transfer of property. Indeed it is the rather superficial marriage of convenience which can be viewed as the original meaning of marriage. Eventually marriage became more about love, and less about property. Throughout that time, though, numerous different traditions and superstitions have surfaced. Here are just a few of these.


In Ghana, Africa, location is everything. Women in Ghana are viewed as the life force of the tribe. After all, they were where all the great warriors and chiefs came from. Because of this, Zulu culture referred to women as the great homes. Because of this status, it was considered customary for the husband to be, to move to his brides village.


The Mande people of Africa practice clitoridectomies (female circumcision). During this time, the women are taught how to be good wives. They are also taught a special secret language that is only spoken by married women.



A common African tradition is jumping over the broom. The broom has become a symbol of the sweeping out of the old, to welcome in the new. The part about jumping over is actually of North American origin. It was from the days of slavery, when slaves were not allowed to marry. By jumping over the broom, the couple was solidifying the seriousness of their marriage.


In 1076, in Europe, it was decreed that no man should give away his daughter, or other female relative, without a priestly blessing. Interestingly enough, it wasnt until the 16th century that priests were even required to perform wedding ceremonies. Another interesting medieval tradition: women at the time would pluck their hairlines in order to attain higher foreheads, which were considered more attractive at the time.


Conservative/Orthodox Jews have a neat tradition where the bride walks 3 to 7 times around her husband to be. This is done to signify that she is a protective wall for her husband, and that by stepping inside, their family status has changed. Ah, but what of the breaking of glass? This is done to represent the many, many tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people. It acts as a reminder of those bad times.


Interestingly, the Muslim faith doesnt really celebrate weddings. A marriage is strictly an officious occasion. The marriage occurs inside an office, rather than a mosque. The wedding is viewed as a private civil/religious contract. The only real tradition here is that the groom must give his bride a dower to serve as insurance for her future.


Japanese (Shinto) weddings are also small and private affairs, though they are far more elaborate. Both bride and groom sip three times from three separate cups of sake. It is done to guarantee luck and happiness in the marriage.


Chinese brides are given chestnuts and jujubes. This was done with the wish of the bride to conceive a son as soon as possible. Brides wear red dresses to symbolize the color of love and joy. As we shall see further down, Europeans viewed the color red in a completely different light.


Speaking of Europeans, many Eastern orthodox ceremonies featured the placement of wreaths on the heads of both bride and groom. It was done to symbolize their place as king and queen of the heavenly kingdom of Earth.


With such a wide variety of traditions out there, it is interesting to note that two of them are almost universal among human culture: the wedding veil and the wedding ring.


The Veil



Wedding veils saw their origin among the Romans. Ancient Romans believed that women were particularly susceptible to possession by demonic spirits during weddings (perhaps they had a lot of runaway brides back then). The veil was used to confuse these spirits. To further help the bride out, bridesmaids were dressed in clothing similar to the brides. They were to act as decoys for these demons.


When Christianity took over, the veil was changed to represent chastity and modesty. This really took off in Britain during the 1800s. During some Eastern ceremonies, the groom is not allowed to remove his wifes veil until after the ceremony. Jewish faith took the exact opposite approach. In some Jewish ceremonies, the groom first validates that the bride is his intended, before placing the veil over her face.


The Ring


Wedding rings are probably the oldest wedding traditions out there. They can be traced back over four thousand years, to the Egyptians. Ancient Egyptians would make rings out of twisted pieces of plants. The ring was meant to symbolize a love with no end. Egyptians and Romans both placed the ring on the 4th finger of the females left hand. This was done out of the belief that there was a vein on the 4th finger that connected directly to the heart. It was called the vena amoris, or love vein. When Christianity became the dominant religion of Europe, the vena amoris was replaced with a holy seal. Priests would take the wedding ring and touch the first three fingers of the left hand (thumb, index and middle) while reciting: the father, the son and the holy ghost. Upon reaching the 4th finger, the ring was placed on it to seal the marriage.


For a long while the ring went from being a symbol of endless love, to that of ownership. The Romans used it like a branding. It was worn by the husband's wife, to signify his ownership over her. Two thousand years ago, in Asia, this ownership concept was taken to a new level with "puzzle rings." These were rings that were worn by brides as a sign of loyalty. If a bride were to take her puzzle ring off, it would fall to pieces. These pieces could then only be put back together by knowing the solution to the puzzle.


So what of the history of other common wedding traditions?


One interesting tradition is the presence of a flower on the buttonhole of the groom. The flower matches one of the flowers in the brides bouquet. This was a holdover from medieval times, when a knight would wear his ladys colours in order to signify his love for her. I suppose that means that in one small way, chivalry isnt dead.


Then we have the confetti. Prior to being paper, confetti was originally a mix of

rose petals, rice and grain. Before that, it consisted of various sweets which were thrown over the couples as they emerged from the church. It originated in Italy. In fact, confetti is Italian for: candy.



Finally, what history of weddings article would be complete, without a brief rundown of some popular wedding superstitions?


The day that a wedding took place, was considered to be vitally important. As such, a little rhyme was concocted to allow future couples to pick the appropriate days for their marriage.


Monday for wealth

Tuesday for health

Wednesday the best day of all

Thursday for losses

Friday for crosses

Saturday for no luck at all


Then there was the month. Depending on what month one was married in, ones marriage could be glorious or tragic. By far the worst month of all, was May. This was due to the historic pagan belief that May was the start of summer. This was celebrated by the festival of Beltane (commonly called May Day, now). As part of the festival, couples were encouraged to have outdoor orgies to bless the crops and the Earth. Because of this, it was considered a bad month for a newly monogamous couple to marry. The best month of all, for marriage, was June. This was because June was named after the Roman goddess of love: Juno. Interestingly, June is now the second most popular month for marriages. August has recently taken over the top spot for weddings.



Next we come to the bridal dress itself. While most brides today marry in white (which symbolizes maidenhood), the tradition is only as old as the 16th century. Prior to that, brides chose whatever colour dress they would like. There was a general rule of thumb though.


Married in White, you have chosen right,

Married in Blue, your love will always be true,

Married in Pearl, you will live in a whirl,

Married in Brown, you will live in a town,

Married in Red, you will wish yourself dead,

Married in Yellow, ashamed of your fellow,

Married in Green, ashamed to be seen,

Married in Pink, your spirit will sink,


Married in Grey, you will go far away,

Married in Black, you will wish yourself back.


Green dresses were viewed as being a sign of promiscuity. This lead to the old saying that a woman has a green gown. This was meant to signify that she was rolling around in grassy fields. Back then, only Irish women were considered okay in a green bridal gown.


Last, but not least, we have the classic wedding rhyme: Something old, something new. It started back in Victorian times, but what does it mean?


Something old: This represents the friends of the couple and the hopes that they will remain friends throughout the marriage. This was traditionally represented by an old garter which would be given to the bride to be, by a happily married woman. It was done in the hope that the happiness would be passed onto the new couple.


Something new: The happy and prosperous future of the newlyweds.


Something borrowed: This is something lent by the brides family. It is often an item that is highly valued, and that the bride must return after the wedding in order to ensure good luck.


Something blue: This is an Israelite tradition. The bride would wear a blue ribbon in her hair to symbolize fidelity.


There is one more part to the rhyme that is often omitted:



And a silver sixpence in your shoe: The placement of money in the brides shoe was done to ensure wealth and prosperity in the lives of the new couple. For some reason or another, this portion of the tradition doesnt appear as popular. Perhaps that is why so many couples run into money problems?


So, when you are consulting the Ms. Manners of wedding etiquette, remember, its mostly just folk lore. Just be sure to bring the ring.


The Iconoclast is a student at the University Of New Mexico and part of the web building team at Gifteteria.com. View Wedding and Shower gifts at http://www.gifteteria.com/WeddingPage.html



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Tuesday, November 15, 2005

Wedding Slide Show Productions

Paul R Farmer Wedding Photography
Wedding slide shows are being shown at almost every wedding across America. Parents are having them made for their children, married couples are having them made for themselves, best men and maid of honors are having them made for the happy couple, and the list goes on. What are some of the reasons people are having these slideshows/video albums/photo montages made? And where exactly do they fit into the wedding ceremony?


Slide shows for weddings can be shown at rehearsal dinners, the reception, or both. Slide shows for rehearsal dinners can be very personal and should also include those in the wedding party as to make the slideshow more entertaining to the audience.


Slide shows for receptions are often shown while the bride and groom are still having their pictures taken. In this way, your guests are being entertained while awaiting the arrival of the new Mr.& Mrs. However, the most popular time to present the slide show is during the meal or immediately following the last person served. In this way your guests are being entertained while dining, and this takes the stress off of having to come up with "small talk" for an extended amount of time. Still others will simply allow the slide show to play in the background with no music, or sound. Just a continuous flow of pictures throughout the evening to give the guests something to look and to help keep the conversation between guests going - pictures have a way of creating conversational topics. This is good to do when there are no creative elements in the slide show presentation - just the fade-in, fade-out photo montage style slide show. But for a more creative slide show presentation you should opt to show the slide show continuously throughout the evening only after having shown the slide show completely through with the sound (when the slide show is finished just turn off the sound and let the show play in a continuous loop. But make sure you tell your slide show creating company that this is what you want to do).


The wedding slide show should consist of photos of both the bride and the groom from the time of birth through the engagement. In addition, when creating the slide show make sure to include photos of the guests when possible. This will most assuredly help keep your audience's interest peaked. Another feature you would most definitely want to include in the slide show is credits. Give credit to mothers, fathers, grandparents, the bridal party, and anyone else who helped to make this the most memorable occasion of your life.


Presenting slide shows at the reception is a wonderful way to display your relationship to all your family and friends. It will be especially meaningful to your out-of-town guests because it will help them get to know the new love of your life, how you met, and the joy you bring each other.



Once you've selected the photographs for your slide show, contact a professional slide show creating company, such as Sands of Time Multimedia Creations. Professional slide show companies are experts at creating the best slide show for your special occasion, and have all the equipment necessary to create a professional quality DVD or VHS. But don't make the mistake of putting this off until the last minute. Creating professional slide shows takes time, and so does the mail. So get started gathering up your photographs and video clips as soon as possible, and call your slideshow creating company for hints and ideas to help you create the best slide show possible to help make your occasion an event they'll all be talking about for years to come. And don't forget to order copies to give to the parents, grandparents, and other close family members and friends. They'll be glad you did!



About the Author

Sandra Clukey has years of experience and an intense passion for turning still pictures into beautiful, sentimental video albums for people everywhere and is the lead slideshow creator for Sands of Time Multimedia Creations. http://sandsoftimemultimediacreations.com/ You can view some of her samples here: http://sandsoftimemultimediacreations.com/index-1.html

Monday, November 14, 2005

How To Look Great On Your Wedding Day

Looking great on your wedding day means being radiant,
relaxed, and ready to start a brand new existence with the
person whom you've chosen to spend your life with. Your
hair, nails, makeup, dress - and how you look in that dress
- are all part of becoming the bride you want to be on that
special day. Since pictures taken on that day remain part of
your life forever, it's important to look and feel your
best.

Your dress is one of the most important items in your
wedding plans, so make sure you take enough time to choose
one that suits you - not your best friend, not your
bridesmaids, and not your mother. For the day of your
wedding, you'll want a dress in which you can stand, walk
and dance in without worrying about "wardrobe malfunctions"
or causing you discomfort. Allow necessary time if you
decide on having the dress made, but even if bought "off
the rack," you'll need to factor in time for tailoring and
any adjustments.

You don't want to overpower your dress and headpiece with
a flamboyant hair style or color that overwhelms everything
else. Keep it simple and classic, and remember to practice
the look you want at home or with your stylist before the
wedding day.

Have your nails professionally manicured the day before
the wedding. This is one thing you don't want to do far in
advance. Reduce the chances of a broken nail, chipped
polish, or if using applied nails, one coming off, by
having your manicure as late as possible. If you are not
inclined toward colored polishes or long fingernails, make
sure they are neatly trimmed, filed, polished, and buffed.
Your hands will be a focus of attention when showing off
that new wedding ring and for photos!

Makeup is the last thing you'll need to worry over, and
that comes on the big day, itself. Don't try to transform
yourself into a different person with dramatic eye makeup
or garish lipstick. Make the real you look better!

Use a slightly heavier hand than with your usual daytime
makeup so your photos won't have you appearing washed-out
looking, but don't overdo it. And if your wedding is at
night, with more subtle lighting, apply makeup as though
you were going to a club or restaurant at night - a little
heavier than daytime, but not much! Avoid deep red lipstick
as well as too-pale pink. Frosted eyeshadows or lipsticks
are definite no-nos.

Buy fresh mascara to avoid clumping. Also, if you have
sensitive skin, this is NOT the time to try a new brand.
The last thing you want to do is head for the altar with
blotches or zits thanks to an allergic reaction.

The night before your wedding is not the time for partying
so get eight hours of restful sleep. If you're having a
rehearsal dinner, or a bachelorette bash, make sure that it
ends early. Drink moderately or, better yet, not at all.
Bloodshot eyes and a banging hangover will not make for a
fun wedding.

Don't gourge yourself the night before because we all know
that there are strange forces at work which will try to
make your wedding gown just a wee bit snug in the morning.
To overcome excitement and nerves, try taking a long walk -
it can help with pre-nuptial jitters. A relaxing bath with
soothing background music, a cup of herbal tea, and you
should be ready to doze off with images of a happy future
marriage in your dreams.

With these tips, you're sure to have the perfect wedding
day. May this day be the beginning of a lifetime of joy
and happiness!

by Melanie Mendelson (c)2005

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Melanie Mendelson will help you lose weight fast for your
wedding. Visit her website http://www.DietForBrides.com


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