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The Wedding Etiquette of Giving Cash

Posted by Doncrack Friday, July 10, 2009

A wedding of an acquiantance is going to be held some time soon. You are now thinking of what gift you should give the newly wed. But do you know that there are gift giving wedding etiquette? Yes, there is such a thing. If you are contemplating on giving cash as a gift, read on first the gift giving cash wedding etiquette before you do such a move.

Gift Giving Cash Wedding Etiquette Fact 1:

If a guest who receive an invitation can't make it to the wedding, they are not obligated to send gifts and much more cash gifts. Wedding etiquette dictates, however, that those who are unable to attend should send a congratulatory card for the groom or for both couples or a simple best wishes note to the bride.

Gift Giving Cash Wedding Etiquette Fact 2:

Cash gifts or any gift items may be sent to the bride or groom's home before the wedding or to the couple's new home one year afterwards. This is a way of guests to lessen the burden to the newlyweds, such as how would they transport heavy gift items. Couple need not worry about renting a truct to transport the gifts to their new home. Also, your cash gift will be a great help to couples within their first year of marriage who are still in the stage of raising their own savings.

Gift Giving Cash Wedding Etiquette Fact 3:

Giving cash gifts are not a violation of wedding etiquette. Couples need cash as a start up money for them. They need to rent a new apartment, bigger than their bachelor pad, if any of them has one, buy toiletries and groceries for the two of them, buy appliances and furniture that the two of them needs. These are just few among the many expenses that a couple would face in the first few months of their marriage which is why gift giving cash is a good idea to do and does not violate any wedding etiquette.

Gift Giving Cash Wedding Etiquette Fact 4:

So how much should you give if you decide to give the couple cash as a gift?

It is a horrible idea that the amount or price of one's wedding gift should equate to what the couples had spent on your dinner at the wedding reception. It is untrue. You can give as much as you want and as less as you want, if your budget is really tight. But in gift giving cash wedding etiquette, a guest's transportation does not count as a cash gift to the couple.

Gift Giving Cash Wedding Etiquette Fact 5:

Also, don't stop yourself from giving cash gifts if the couple has listed their preferred wedding gifts in registry.

Buying gifts from the wedding registry list are optional; you can either give the couple the gift of their choice or don't.

So, the gift giving cash wedding etiquette fact # 5 is that you can give cash gifts eventhough the couples have a wedding registry.

Here are gift giving cash wedding etiquette for couples:

Wedding registries are gaining popularity these days. But there are limitations on how much the bride and groom may direct gift giving. Gift giving cash is a wedding etiquette violation. You should not tell your guests that you prefer cash than gift items or request donations in cash to pay up a mortgage or ask them to give you cash to fund your honeymoon or that gift giving cash is preferred because you will send the money to charity.

Whether you like it or not, don't ask for cash! It will make you look greedy, even if you claim that the money will go to charity. Also, your guests will fell less generous.

Gift giving of cash is an option to guests. They may opt to give cash as a wedding gift but wedding etiquette tells that you should not, ever, ask them for gift giving of cash. You may use the cash gifts in anyway you want.

If the bride and groom receive cash from guests, accept it and say your thanks, write them a thank you note the way you would do after opening a gift item.

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Questions to Ask your Wedding Florist??

Posted by Doncrack Monday, June 8, 2009

silk

1. Is my date available?

If it is, check to see if a deposit is necessary to hold the date. Also ask if there is any consultation fee. Inquire as to whether you can receive a price proposal before deposit is placed.

2. Do you have actual photographs or samples of your past work?

It's important to see the work of the actual florist, not air brushed photos from a FTD book. There is no better way to see if their style complements your tastes and verify just how skilled they are.

3. Is there a delivery or set-up fee?

Watch out this can be a substantial extra charge. Most florists will charge a delivery and set-up fee especially if you have either complex flower arrangements or a site that is a long distance from their shop. If the charge is high, consider finding a florist closer to the site or cut back on the complicated decorations.

4. Do you offer any silk or dried flower arrangements?

This may be important to you if you want to save your bouquet or want an unusual look for a table centerpiece. Sometimes these two options may be less expensive than fresh flowers, especially for some exotics like orchids. A table centerpiece idea: dried rose topiaries double as an elegant keepsake.

5. How many weddings do you do in a day?

The biggest problem with some florists is that they become over-extended trying to do too many weddings in one day. A florist can probably do two or three events a day if the events are held at different times or the florist has plenty of help. If the florist schedule looks crowded for your wedding date, they may arrive late or deliver the wrong flowers. Be sure to look for someone focused on your wedding not just your checkbook.

6. Are you familiar with my ceremony and reception site locations?

If not, will you visit it with me? It may be a good idea to introduce your florist to the ceremony or reception site if they have never seen it. Ask if there is any charge for this on-site visit.

7. What rental items do you have? How are they priced?

Some things you many want to rent include a candelabrum, aisle standards or urns. The best florists don't over charge on rentals. One way to find out is to compare prices with a local rental store. A common markup for florists is about 10% for their time to coordinate this detail. If you would prefer to rent the items yourself because you can get a better price, be sure you have the time to pick up and return the items.

8. Can I attend one of your weddings during set-up for a look at your designs?

Here is another way to determine how professional and talented your florist is. You will need to visit during set-up and leave before the wedding party arrives. Try not to interrupt the florists or their staff while they work (save your questions for later.) Look for timeliness, freshness of the flowers, and how well the florist and staff work together.

9. What time will you be at my ceremony and reception sites to set up my wedding?

Confirm this time constantly throughout your planning. Many florists set up weddings a couple of hours in advance. If this is the case with your wedding, make sure the temperature at your site will not be too hot for the flowers.

10. Will you merely drop off my flowers or stay through the ceremony?

The degree of service here differs dramatically from florist to florist. Some just drop off the flowers for the ceremony and leave, while others will stay to pin on corsages, make sure nothing is missing etc. There will be an extra fee of generally $50-75 for this service; however this could be a worthwhile investment.

11. What happens if the flowers I pick are not available for my wedding?

How will you determine what flowers to substitute?

12. What is the policy if I want to add extra items such as another table centerpiece or boutonniere at the last minute?

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About the author: Jasmine MacDonald is the editor of Fun Weddings and Merry Brides which will provide you with daily ideas and tips to help you plan the perfect wedding while staying within your budget. http://www.funweddings.com/

http://ashleeweddings.blog.com http://betteswedding.livejournal.com

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How to Handle the Hidden Financial Stress in a Wedding

Posted by Doncrack Monday, November 3, 2008

Weddings have become extremely expensive events, the average one costs $25,000.00. When there is that much money involved, misunderstandings, disagreements and disappointments become much more common. And, these misunderstandings can happen between the families being joined leading to angry and hurt feelings that can last months, years and sometimes a lifetime. To prevent a financial and emotional meltdown before your wedding even happens, follow these suggestions.

1. Be Realistic: From the beginning, decide on the amount of money that can be spent on your wedding and related events and who is financially responsible for what. What are brides' family responsible for and can they cover it? What are the grooms' family responsible for and can they cover it? What do the bride and groom want to contribute? Once you have an overall amount, you can begin to decide what your priorities are. So, if you want a large wedding on a very limited budget, you may have to make creative decisions around venue and catering. One couple decided to have a large wedding at their home and instead of an expensive venue. They rented a tent and chairs. The money they saved then allowed them to spend more on a caterer. Another couple decided on simple candle centerpieces for the reception tables instead of flower arrangements which allowed them to spend more money on a band.

2. Plan, plan, plan: Planning an event of this magnitude requires months, sometimes more than a year. Start early and take a team approach. Break the events down into lists and decide who is responsible for what--there are many wedding planning books available that are very helpful with this. The more time you allow and the more organized you are with your lists, the less stress and confusion will occur. And even in the most planned weddings, the unexpected happens. One brides' parents went to check out an outdoor bluff overlooking the ocean that they had rented from a small, coastal city only to find the bluff had been turned into a construction site two days before the wedding. After many hysterical phone calls and frantic moving, the site was returned to its original state except for the addition of two outhouses sitting in the middle. So both families got together and decorated the outhouses with hardhats and wedding veils the night before the wedding and then went to the rehearsal dinner much more connected then they ordinarily would have been.

3. Research: Find out what is available in your area for wedding venues, caterers, reception venues etc. and then compare and contrast. Use the internet to find less expensive or unique touches for your wedding. If you are one of lucky few whose dreams and budgets match, congratulations--this will be a fun and relatively painless process. However, if you are more in the majority of couples where your dreams may be larger than your budget, take heart--diligent research can allow you to have your dream wedding on your budget in most cases. Finding creative ways to fulfill your dreams is part of the fun. For example, one couple wanted to make a statement with their invitations. It was a winter wedding and they wanted something vibrant. They found a beautiful, red pocket folder kit online that allowed them to print their own invitation. By doing this, they achieved the fun but elegant look they wanted for 50% less than they would have paid for a printed invitation.

4. Communicate the good, the bad, and the ugly: As the months pass, good communication skills are crucial. When communicating anything to anyone, start first with connection and a gentle lead in: "Hi Marge, how are you? Yeah, I'm tired too. Listen, we have a challenge--the wedding venue burnt down last night. I know, I'm in shock but deep breathing a lot. I think we need an emergency meeting over here tonight to brain storm what we can do."; "Hi, Bill how are you? I'm a little in shock right now, Cindy just presented me with the caterers' revised estimate and it's 70% higher than we budgeted for. I'm wondering if we can get together with you and your wife and revisit the wedding budget."
Try and avoid blame, shame, denial or despair. Stick to the big goal, a wedding that is a joyful, beautiful, and affordable, celebration of love.

5. Acknowledge:Everyone involved in the wedding needs to be acknowledged either privately, publicly or both by the bride and groom. Remembering and planning this will save you from dealing with hurt or angry feelings after the wedding. Weddings are very emotional affairs and everyone can be more sensitive then they would be under normal circumstances. The key to this is to not take anything for granted and to be very expressive of your gratitude. Publicly and privately thank both sets of parents; thank your wedding party with personal gifts; personally thank Aunt Mary for coming all this way for the wedding, etc. And of course, follow up with Thank You cards. You can't over thank so err on the generous side.

Follow these suggestions and celebrate your wedding in a way that brings everyone together during the event and encourages these new relationships to flourish long after the wedding is over.

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For beautiful and affordable DYI Invitation kits visit http://www.weddingbellinvitations.com and stop by my All Things Wedding Blog for reviews of products, interviews and relationship tips. Kathleen Ball is a marriage counselor and Wedding Officiant. This aricle may be freely reprinted or distributed in its entirety in any Ezine, newletter, blog, or website. The author's name, bio and website links must remain intact and be included with every reproduction.

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