The Best Wedding Gifts

Choosing the perfect gift for the bride and groom is never easy. Here are some simple gift ideas that the blissful couple may enjoy if your not sure what to give them.

1. I know this sounds so cliche, but money is greatly appreciated by all. You can never go wrong with the gift of money. The bride and groom can purchase items they may need or put it away in the bank for a rainy day.

2. Their registry is always a great place to check for items they have registered for and surely need.

3. A gift card is another great gift idea. If your not sure where to get the gift card to, you can always give them a Visa card.

4. A fine wine is a great idea. Pin a note to the bottle telling them not to open in until their first year anniversary.

5. Gift Certificates to restaurants are always nice. After the wedding the couple must get situated. This means they many not have time for making dinner right away.

The Menu

Part of your responsibility in your wedding planning is to create a menu for your guests. This can be tricky considering guests may be allergic to certain foods, or if you have vegetarians, and so on. So here are a few tips on what to choose and why.

*Keep it simple: when you get fancy that's when it may get difficult to please all.

*Stick with simple foods like chicken, pork, beef, and fish.

*Have options and more than one choice. For instance, if you choose fish or seafood as one dish, make the next option simple, like chicken. There aren't many people that won't eat chicken unless they are a vegetarian.

*Have at least two vegetables, a starch, and two meat choices (this will also make the vegetarians happy).

*Buffets are a great idea because the guest controls what they eat and how much. They can have seconds and eat portions that are suitable for them.

*Let the guests know ahead of time what the dinner options are so that they know what to expect. If they aren't thrilled with any of your options at least they can eat before the wedding.

Rehearsal Dinner Themes

Looking for some ideas for your rehearsal dinner? Search no more… here are some great themes you can use any time.

1. Island Theme: Have an easy dinner with island foods and Hawaiian leis for all the guests.

2. BBQ Theme: Have finger foods like chicken and burgers. Guests will love how low key it is and the parents will be happy because of how inexpensive it is.

3. Chinese/Japanese Fusion Theme: Have simple Chinese or Japanese foods or hire a sushi chef to make fresh sushi for your guests.

4. Fish Fry: Going to a local restaurant where the fresh catch is always good. Your wedding party will be happy they can get their hands dirty eating fish and chips.

5. Honeymoon Theme: Give your guests a taste of where your going on your honeymoon. Going some place tropical? Then have tropical food and a casual dress code.

6. Elegant Theme: Maybe you couldn't afford to have an all out elegant wedding. Well then treat your wedding party to a nice dinner at a steak house. It may not be affordable for 100 people, but can be easier on the wallet when there is only a party of 20.

Is There a Happily Ever After?

You look forward to your wedding from the time you are a little girl. You want a great spouse, children, and a happy marriage. Sometimes you may wonder is a great marriage possible? Yes, a “happily ever after” is possible. How? You can start off by taking some classes marriage prep), getting to know your husband or your wife is important, even if you think you know them well. Many churches have marriage prep classes and counseling to ensure you are ready for the long hold. You may think these preparations are a waste of time, but studies show couples who have taken any type of marriage preparation have longer lasting marriages.

These classes teach you about being open and communicating, family origin, what to expect in the first years of marriage, commitment, sexuality, and more. If you are getting married in a church or even if you are being married by the justice of the peace, consider a form of marriage success training. Many churches offer pre cana or another form of marriage and family preparation. It's something to consider and can only strengthen the bond between you and your spouse.

Classic & Elegant Stationary

Stationary plays a huge role throughout your wedding planning. From save the dates and wedding invitations to the ceremony programs, you have choices to make. Why not get ideas from some of the best websites? You can get some ideas scoping through various websites in search for the perfect print, font, and color. Check out my favorite websites…

1. Wedding Paper Divas

2. My Gatsby

3. Fine Stationary

Top Five Gyms

If you want to get in shape for your wedding here is one way to do it. Go to the gym! Now all gyms are offering so many great deals. First month free, coupons, free day care, and all gyms usually offer a free trial (usually 2-3 days). If you join larger gyms they can offer classes for free, as well as advice. Many gyms have pools, classes, weight rooms, cardio, showers, steam rooms, and much more. There is no reason not to join. Here is a list of the top five gyms, in my opinion of course. They have great deals, freebies, or have a great deal of amenities.

1. Bally Total Fitness: Why are they so cool? Their monthly rate is only $24.99 (no enrollment fee) and if you travel a lot, they offer plans. If you are one side of town and can't make it to your local Bally they charge you $3.00 more and then you can go to any Bally. If you travel state to state a lot, you can get a Nationwide pass for only $29.99 a month. That's not a bad deal if you ask me. They also let you try them free for seven days!

2. Curves: A gym just for women in case your are subconscious or just don't like working out with sweaty men. They offer weight management plans, success tracker (where you can login and keep track of your progress), and advice from trainers. Another great perk, there are many of them all over the U.S.

3. Planet Fitness: Offered in 32 states acorss the nation this gym. They are also one of the most inexpensive gyms out there. There average price is $99 for a year long pass. That is only $8.25 a month. Now you can beat that and there is absolutely no excuse to say you cannot afford the gym. Everyone has $8 a month to spare.

4. Powerhouse Gym: Powerhouse gym has been around for 30 years so you know they are trustworthy and experienced. They offer free trials and have many locations.

5. Gold's Gym: Offers a seven day trial. Gold's Gym also has many locations nationwide. They are working with other companies to offer discounts, such as a 25% discount off diet.com and a discount to AARP members. You can also track your progress using facebook.

Of course you can always join the local YMCA as well. It may become hectic at times because it's a family involved atmosphere, but they have a lot of amenities.

Dance Your Way Thin

Can you imagine dancing your way thin? Sounds too good to be true right? Wrong! Many gyms offer unique and fun classes where dancing is the concentration, a form of cardio. You work every muscle in your body and have fun at the same time.

One very popular class is Zumba. Many gyms offer the class (about an hour long), with loud fun music while your burn a lot of calories. You can burn anywhere from 300-450 calories in a single class alone. If you can't afford the gym, check out their website. Zumba offers DVD's for sale.

Wedding Fit: Yoga

Yoga is a great way to get fit. It's been known to reduce stress, de-fuse anger, reduce headaches, help with posture, and so much more. If you are determined to loose weight and stick with it, Yoga is a great way to help. You can join a gym, most offer several kinds of Yoga classes that usually run about an hour long. However, if you are strapped for cash you can also buy or rent DVD's for beginners as well as advances Yoga users. If you would like to read more about it and learn the postures and moves, visit Women's Fitness. They offer some great advice, suggestions, and articles about Yoga in general.

Romantic Weddings

Romantic weddings have a lot to do with color, setting, and time. What will it take to make “your” wedding romantic? Each person has a different perspective of what romance looks like. Is it candles and subtle lighting? Is it roses and petals? Is it outside on the beach at sunset? Jot down your ideas and collect pictures to offer your vendors. You want to portray your image as clearly as possible. If you are going the romantic route, be sure and have specific lighting in mind. Lighting has a lot to do with the mood. Music will also set the mood for a romantic feel. Brainstorm your idea of the perfect romantic setting. Once you think you know what you'd like to have, sit down with your vendors and give them a detailed image of what you expect.

When I think of romantic, I think outdoors, flowers, yellows and whites, nature-like atmosphere. However, another person may have an entirely different image. Check out a great article listed on The Knot about a romantic affair.

The Color Yellow

The color yellow has become very popular with time. It's light and airy and can be used as the main focus or as an accent. Either way you will not be disappointed. For more ideas on what to do with the color or how you can use it, visit Martha Stewart's Ideas for the Color Yellow. She has everything from runners to seating displays and they are all tasetfully done. The website also offers ideas  for all color palettes so check it out!

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