Divorce is one social ill that has befallen the world today. The holy bible detests divorce. The society itself abhors divorce with passion but still every day that passes by marriages fail. Most marriages today are being patched and if care is not taken divorce will still set in. Divorce is always very common in American and European countries as opposed to some countries in Africa. Divorce has a lot evil trends it leaves behind any time it occurs. In some cases children born to such marriages feel deprived of either motherly care or fatherly care. There are many different causes and reasons for divorce, each of them specific to that particular couple’s marital relationship, their individual experiences and personal problems. In general, all the divorce experienced in the world today is as a result of one of the following:

· Immaturity: These days you see a lot of ladies jumping into marriage because of money at a very tender age. When one life challenge or the other comes, the marriage crashes because the lady jumped into marriage at an unripe age when she virtually knows nothing about marriage and life experiences and challenges.

· Infidelity: This has been one of the major causes of divorce. Most marriages have crashed as a result of this. Either the man found out that his wife is cheating on him or the other way round. Only few people can find out about their spouses infidelity and still go on with the marriage.

· Abandonment: Marriage is a union and a union is always between two people. When one of the couple starts feeling that his or her spouse is abandoning him or her, the notion is that another person is taking his or her attention. If not properly checked at this stage, divorce results.

· Lack of Communication: Communication is very important in a relationship. The man for instance should make sure the wife knows what he is doing at all times, where he is going, what he does, his plans etc, on the other hand the wife should not have any secret. When any of the parties starts feeling that there are some things they don’t know, insecurity sets in and if not checked divorce ensues.

· Physical Abuse: Most men turn their wives into punching bags. This is not good as your wife is supposed to be your best friend. Many women endure this and try to patch up their marriage especially in the African countries, but its not so in most developed countries like America. This is another point that causes over 50% of divorce cases today.

· Drug and Alcohol Abuse: Most marriages today have failed because of alcohol and drug abuse. Many ladies enter into marriages without knowing the men they are getting married to until they are in the marriage. When this later unfolds such marriages collapse.

· Ego Problem: Some women are richer than their husbands. Some are more influential because of their positions in society. Due to this, such women don’t like being under their husbands and the man in the bid to show his ego, as the man of the house will not take it. If this tussle is not managed well, such marriage will collapse.

· Sexual Abuse: Most men turn their wives to sex machine. No respect for the woman and her desires. Some men see sexual intercourse as food and will not want to care about their wives feeling and reaction. This has destroyed a lot of marriages.

· Joblessness: Most marriages have crashed because the man could not perform his duties of taking care of the family due to unemployment. Some ladies cannot stand living with a man who cannot provide for her.

· Lust: What most people today call love at first site is lust. You see a woman the first day, you conclude you love her and before one says jack both of you are at the alter exchanging marriage vows. When the truth unfolds, the marriage crashes and people say they fell out of love. It is lust.

· Cultural and Religious Differences: Most people marry people from diverse cultural backgrounds. There have been several cases where most Africans marry Europeans or American citizens only to find out later that they cannot cope with the cultural or religious differences. For peace to reign they go their separate ways (divorce).

· Crime: Most marriages crash as a result of one partner getting involved in crime. People with very good moral background cannot take it to continue living with a man or woman who is arrested and probably imprisoned for crime.

· Incompatibility: If the man and woman are not compatible, there is every reason that the marriage will not succeed. They may be sexually, physically, spiritually or morally incompatible.

· Family Background: The truth is that family background has a lot of influence on people. If your parents divorced, watch it you need to work on your self, otherwise there is every likelihood that you will also divorce.

· Failed Expectations: This is another major reason why many marriages fail. People enter into marriage with a lot of expectations. If these expectations are not met or cut short, it leads to divorce.

The list of reasons why marriages fail or why couples divorce can go on and on. But a lot of researches and real life experiences dance around these points enumerated above.

With so many different styles of wedding veils to choose from, how do you know which type is right for you? One way to effectively choose a wedding veil style for your wedding day is to look through the plethora of styles that fill the pages of the bridal magazines. Also, consider looks that you love the most. Before you head to the store or start your research, here are some of the basics of wedding veil styles that you will need to know.

What Length Should Your Veil Be?

Wedding veils, just like wedding gowns, come in a variety of lengths. There are three main categories of wedding veil length that brides can choose from, though it is important to remember that a bride may have her wedding veil tailored to meet her specifications and personal style.

Cathedral Length

A cathedral length wedding veil is a floor length veil. This style veil is usually reserved for very formal weddings, usually set in a church. The cathedral veil will usually extend about 6 inches (or more) beyond the train of the wedding dress allowing for a very dramatic look. This wedding veil style works best with semi-cathedral or cathedral length wedding gowns.

Fingertip Length

Measuring in at about thirty-six inches long, the fingertip length wedding veil is a great addition to any full length wedding gown, though it will not work as well with a gown that has a train. The veil will fall right to the bride’s fingertips and is a very elegant look. The fingertip length wedding veil is a popular choice for formal and semi-formal weddings.

Elbow Length

The elbow length wedding veil is about thirty inches long and is the most popular length today. The elbow length veil works very well with wedding gowns without a train and will fall to the bride’s waist. The veil will accentuate and enhance any detailing at the waist and will also compliment a full skirt. Formal and semi-formal weddings are usually where you would find an elbow length veil.

When choosing a wedding veil length, it is important to think about the detailing and style of your wedding gown. The wedding veil should never take away any attention from the dress. A wedding veil is meant to compliment the overall style. It is also a good idea to think about your body’s proportions when choosing a style of wedding veil.

How Many Tiers Should Your Veil Be?

This question may come as a surprise to many brides, but believe it or not, some veils come in multiple tiers. A tiered wedding veil is one that has more than a single layer of fabric. The categories range from one-tiered wedding veils to four-tiered wedding veils. One- and two-tiered wedding veils are the most popular and are usually all a bride really needs.

One-Tier

A one-tier wedding veil is for the bride who believes in the mantra, “less is more.” A one-tier veil allows the bride to achieve a minimal, simple, chic, less formal look with subtle elegance. The one-tier veil will never have a blusher, which is a shoulder-length layer of veil material that is worn over the face as the bride walks down the aisle. The one-tier wedding veil is an ideal choice for the bride who prefers to wear the veil on the back of the head and showcase her up-do hairstyle.

Two-Tier

The two-tier wedding veil is a good choice for almost any dress, but is especially beautiful with formal or semi-formal wedding gowns because they do have a blusher. A two-tier wedding veil frames the face softly and allows for a full appearance. With a two-tier wedding veil, almost any hairstyle will work. This wedding veil style is ideal for the bride who wants to make a dramatic entrance or maintain a traditional wedding.

What Color Should My Wedding Veil Be?

You may have thought that wedding veils come in only white or ivory, but that is simply not true. There are four main color categories – white, diamond white, ivory, and champagne. If your wedding gown is white or ivory, then the veil chosen should be called the same color as the dress. Diamond white is more of an “off white” that works well with silk gowns and antique white gowns. Champagne veils are often suited for dark ivory wedding gowns.

Daring brides who break the mold with colorful gowns may also have a wedding veil custom-made in just about any color. One rule of thumb to remember is, if your wedding gown and veil are not exact color matches, always make sure the veil is at least a shade lighter than the dress. It is usually a good idea to choose your wedding veil at the same bridal salon where you have purchased your dress.

In today’s world, time is a precious commodity.  Today’s modern bride is most likely juggling a career, an education, as well as a social life.  The last thing that she needs is time consuming wedding invitations!

Designers have taken notice of the fast paced world in which we live in and have created wedding invitations that are tailored to fit into the lives of extremely busy people.  These simple, yet beautiful, wedding invitations come in a variety of colors and styles to fit every wedding theme – and schedule!

Explore Your Wedding Invitation Options

Certain types of wedding invitations offer a simple solution to an already overwhelming schedule.  Between shopping for a dress, securing a caterer, and hiring the right DJ, a bride-to-be can find little time to plan much else.  Before enlisting the help of a wedding planner, explore the different types of cards designed to make your life easier, including fill-in-the-blank wedding invitations and printable wedding invitations.

Printable Wedding Invitations

Printable wedding invitations are a great way to save time and money.  By purchasing an entire DIY set of wedding invitations, which typically include the invitations, overlays, envelopes, RSVP note cards and envelopes, you can easily design your own wedding invitation.  With one click of the print button, your wedding invitations are ready to send out to your guests.

By printing your own wedding invitations, you can easily control the time and process.  There is no need to have elaborate meetings with a printer, where you spend extensive time explaining what you want on the invitation.  Instead, you can easily (and affordably) create your own simple wedding invitations right from your own computer and printer.

Fill-in-the-Blank Wedding Invitations

Fill-in-the-blank invitations offer brides-to-be options.  Not only are there thousands of styles to choose from, but women have more control over the card’s content.  Rather than hire a company to pre-print the card’s information, brides have the option to write it in by hand, which can make the entire wedding invitation more personal.

In addition, having the option to write the details by hand eliminates mistakes and allows for changes in date, time, and location without the hassle of placing a new order.  The wedding invitations can be purchased any time leading up to the wedding day, but are best sent at least one month in advance.  This is primarily to help out-of-town guests to make travel arrangements.

However, fill-in-the-blank wedding invitations are ideal for small, intimate weddings.  In addition, the bride or her bridesmaids should have excellent penmanship to ensure that the wedding invitations look professional and beautiful.

Printed Wedding Invitations

If neither style appeals to you, take advantage of a local printing service.  You can always purchase the cardstock and invitations you want from an online company, which saves you both money and time, and then bring the wedding invitations to your local printer.

Pre-printed cards eliminate the need for you to handwrite information, and the beautiful script makes the cards look classy and professional.  The downside to hiring a printer to make the wedding invitations, however, is the inflexibility that they have.  Requiring special time to print the wedding invitations, most companies require all details to be sent to them months in advance.  If wedding plans change, the wedding invitations are no longer useable.

No matter how elaborate a wedding may be, preparing for it doesn’t have to be a painful process.  Using what time you have wisely, planning your dream wedding will be easier than you think.

There are some important details to become familiar with when choosing wedding invitations. If you are shopping for wedding invitations, it is easy to get confused by all the terminology, etiquette and available styles. Other pieces of a wedding invitation such as Save the Date cards, table cards and place cards need to be decided on as well. Both the amount of information and the presentation of the information also need to be nailed down. Considering all of the choices to be made, choosing wedding invitations can be confusing and stressful as well.

Just to make this process a bit easier, take a look at the following checklist of important information you need to know for buying wedding invitations:

How many wedding invitations do you need?

Wedding invitations are expensive, so you certainly do not want to order too many. On the other hand, you do not want to run out and have to re-order, which will end up costing you more money in setup fees and shipping. Before you order your wedding invitations, sit down with your guest list and count up how many invitations you will need to send out. A few guidelines:

- a husband and wife get one invitation

- a couple living together get one invitation

- adult roommates each get their own invitation

- adult children living with parents should each get their own invitation

- children under the age of 18 can be included on their parents invitation

- a couple who don’t live together each get their own invitation

Which pieces of wedding stationery do you need to order?

Wedding invitations have several pieces that can all be bought as one or bought a la carte. In addition, there are other pieces of wedding stationery that you may or may not want to purchase. The most commonly used wedding stationery includes:

- Wedding invitation

- Inner envelope

- Outer envelope

- Response Card and Envelope

- Reception Card if the reception is held somewhere other than the ceremony

- Save the Date cards for out of town guests or those that need a lot of advance notice

- Table Cards are printed with a table number for each table

- Place Cards tell your guests where they are seated

- Programs

- Menu Cards

- Thank You Cards

Obviously, you do not need to order every single one of these, but it is helpful to know what they each are.

Invitation Etiquette – the Words

Contemporary wedding invitations are much freer in terms of the words that are printed on the invitation. If you want to adhere to the most traditional and formal wedding invitation, you can find tutorials and templates online to help you word your invitations properly.

More importantly, though, you will need to supply the wording that you want printed on your invitation when you order them, so you need to know what you are going to have printed on the invitation before you buy them.

When should you order your invitations?

Invitations should be sent out about 6 to 8 weeks before your wedding date to give people time to plan. Your order will typically take about 4 to 6 weeks to arrive so you should order your wedding invitation at least 12 weeks before your wedding so you have time to address them and get them sent out in time.

How much do you plan to spend for your wedding invitations?

Many couples plan to spend about 2% of your wedding budget on their wedding invitations, including postage. It is helpful to have an idea of your price range for wedding invitations before you start looking so that you can choose invitations in your budget range.

Get familiar with the terminology

It’s helpful to know some of the terminology used in printing when you are looking at wedding invitations. This is far from an exhaustive wedding invitation glossary, but it will help you get started.

Border – a design around the edge of the invitation. It may be printed or embossed

Deckle Edge – an irregular edge that looks almost torn like homemade paper

Die-cut – paper that is cut into a distinctive shape or outline

Ecru – an off-white neutral color that is commonly used for formal stationery

Embossing – a printing technique that creates a raised surface

Envelope Liners – inner envelopes or linings for the inside of the outer invitation envelope

Flat Cards or Panel Cards – a single, unfolded card used as an invitation

What are your wedding colors?

If you want to coordinate your wedding invitations with your wedding colors, you will need to know what those colors are. Most traditional and formal wedding invitations don’t include color, but it can be an important consideration for contemporary wedding invitations.

It’s only fitting that designer Vera Wang produces a line of wedding invitations that break the mold with elegance and style. After all, her career as a famous designer was inspired by her unsuccessful search for a wedding dress. Wang, seeking the ideal wedding dress for a sophisticated, adult bride, was dismayed to find that nearly everything she looked at had a “sameness” to it, and that they all seemed to be designed for “younger brides”. It took a few years, but Wang took that disappointment in finding the right wedding dress and turned it into a bridal design company.

Vera Wang’s wedding invitation designs carry through the same bold, elegant and innovative eye that she brought to fashion design. The invitations range from classically elegant to whimsical and buoyant, but they all represent Wang’s unmistakable flair for the striking and the dramatic.

Vera Wang’s Wedding Collection features wedding invitations in several different lines. Each line is distinct and distinctive, although some designs do cross over to carry on a design trend. For instance, the floral and frond designs reappear in several different styles of wedding invitation, presented in note cards and fold-over styles as well as in standard card styles. Borders and pattern prints are repeated in envelope liners and in dual-sided wedding invitations that are exclusive to the Vera Wang collection.

Vera Wang Letterpress Wedding Invitation Collection

This unique collection features bold, fashion-forward prints on oyster paper. The prints include floral and paisley in borders and repeats, and in single, splashy designs along the sides or peeking in from the top corner. You will find bright, pattern-on-pattern lace designs alongside delicate screen prints, delicate screen print floral patterns juxtaposed with bold sunbursts. The colors run the gamut from subtle jade green to bold and bright orange, sparking every piece of the wedding invitation ensemble in different, unexpected ways. A real favorite for the modern, unconventional but very elegant bride: the Vera Lace Letterpress Wedding Invitations which feature a delightfully stylized floral pattern against a delicate lace border and makes use of the unconventional and bold color combination of turquoise and jade.

Vera Wang Retro Verso Wedding Invitation Collection

This collection takes a skipping step to the whimsical side of your nature. The Retro Verso wedding invitation collection features bright, cheerful colors in prints that dance across the page. Each invitation is dual-printed with your invitation wording and a border design on one side and a bright pattern on the reverse of the paper. Retro Verso wedding invitations are unmistakably elegant, but have a playful unconventionality that’s appealing to the modern bride. A favorite wedding invitation style from the Retro Verso Dual Sided wedding invitation collection: the Parasol Dual Sided Wedding Invitation, which features sunshiny bright colors and a pattern reminiscent of your childhood Spirograph. It’s bold, flirty and definitely fun.

Bordered Wedding Invitations from the Vera Wang collection



This collection features bold colors and classic styling for the traditional bride with a strong unconventional streak. Colored borders in different styles frame the center panel on each invitation, but each of the borders has its own unmistakable character. Coupled with boldly patterned envelopes, the wedding invitations are both elegant and strikingly unique, a great deal like Vera Wang’s bridal dress designs. The two main designs in the Vera Wang Borders collection are the Bar Panel Border and the Hand Tinted Border wedding invitations. The Bar Panel borders are elegant and classy, featuring a triple frame in bold colors and an embossed double border around an Oyster white print panel. The invitations are coupled with very stylish envelopes with linings inspired by Wang’s own designs. The Hand Tinted borders are more subtle but no less striking, with borders hand tinted in bold, bright colors. There are no frilly details, just an elegant, classy and bold style statement.

Nearly all of the invitations in the Vera Wang collections include beautiful hand-lined envelopes to match the colors of the wedding invitation. The colored linings of the envelopes for the Retro Verso collection, for instance, echo design elements from the wedding invitations themselves, a sunburst parasol for the Parasol wedding invitation or a single gingko fan with the Ginkgo Retro Verso invitation. The Borders Collection invitations are coupled with envelopes lined in bold floral and geometric prints that coordinate with the double-colored borders.

The Vera Wang wedding invitation collections are bold, inspired by the textile prints and color palette from Vera Wang’s “Ready to Wear” collection. Unconventional and bold, these are wedding invitations designed for the discerning bride with an eye for fashion and style. If you are looking for wedding invitations that match your penchant for modern insouciance, the Wang wedding invitation collection is definitely worth a second look.

Darling of the paper craft industry, graphic designer Anna Griffin comes by her love of art and design naturally, she grew up in a family of artists. It is also not surprising that her love of art brought her to wedding invitations – one of her first jobs out of college was working with famed wedding designer Vera Wang. In 1994, Griffin set out on her own, launching a line of custom designed, hand-crafted wedding invitations that borrow heavily from beautiful traditional botanical prints and Victoriana.

In the years since, the name Anna Griffin has become synonymous with high quality paper crafting designs. Her company released the first line of imprintable wedding invitations for the home crafter, do-it-yourself bride who wanted a hand in making her own invitations without sacrificing a professional quality wedding invitation. Anna Griffin invokes vellum and ribbon, elegant traditional patterns and all the details that make wedding finery, well, fine.

While the Anna Griffin line now encompasses craft papers of all kinds for home scrap-bookers and textile patterns, wedding invitations are still at the foundation of her success. Anna Griffin wedding invitations are among the most beautiful and sought after of all the major design lines.

The Anna Griffin Wedding Album line of wedding invitations is the epitome of the Griffin style. Resplendent in ribbons, decorated with touches of platinum and silver, they are elegant and stylish in a classic and traditional way. The Anna Griffin Celadon Repousse wedding invitations are an example of Griffin’s ability to combine modern ideas with traditional patterns and present a wedding invitation that is as timeless as it is modern. The conventional is in the feeling, stately and elegant, but the color, a subtle jade, and the square shape are definitely taken from the modern book of weddings. The sage patterned background panel is set off by the sage ribbon corners that hold the custom created Oyster white printed panel against the delicate floral pattern.

Another traditional, but not conventional, design offered in the Anna Griffin Wedding Album collection is the Platinum Swirls wedding invitation. The invitation consists of four separate layers, in the tradition of the most romantic and elegant of handmade invitations and Victorian cards. The backing layer is a heavyweight ecru with a fine platinum border, in the tradition of wedding invitations throughout the generations. A delicate paper patterned with platinum swirls forms a middle layer between the ecru backing and the elegantly bordered wording panel. Between the swirls and your wording, a satin platinum ribbon lends an additional touch of elegance.

The Anna Griffin Floral Wedding Invitations collection is pure romance personified. These floral-patterned papers are the designs on which Anna Griffin has built her reputation and on which her personal style is based, and they are nowhere more at home than they are in wedding invitations. Floral patterns embellish envelope linings and decorate wedding invitations. Floral prints lend a romantic touch to all of the accessories and elements of wedding stationery, including save the date cards, enclosure cards and thank you cards. As pretty and traditional as the patterns are, though, the wedding invitations bring a modern aesthetic to patterns taken from antique botanical prints.

The modern touch is evident in the styling of the Floral Roses Matchbook Invitation, which includes a printed or printable panel and a floral jacket that can be tied together with an elegant satin ribbon, included with the invitation. The Matchbook style is a delightful nod to modern paper crafters, who routinely fasten papers together with buttons, ribbons and bows. The rose pattern on the matchbook is reminiscent of the most romantic of Victorian prints.

Another delightfully romantic Anna Griffin design combines tradition and modern style with lovely roses in a completely different and unusual wedding invitation. The wedding invitation includes a printed or printable panel on which you can print the wording of your invitation. The heavy ecru paper is embellished with a subtly embossed border that is designed to peek at the sides of the scalloped, rose-patterned vellum wrapper. The entire wrap is tied with a delicate satin ribbon and bow to complete a wedding invitation that evokes the romance of the Victorian era.

One of the most innovative and bold of the Anna Griffin wedding invitation designs, though, is the button pocket invitation style. The Black and White Floral Button Pocket Invitation is part of the Anna Griffin printable wedding invitation collection. Each wedding invitation set includes an ecru invitation panel with a beveled border, a button pocket with a diagonal slash design and matching envelopes. Other printable wedding invitations in the Anna Griffin line include floral vellum side panels, buttons and ribbons.

In a very short time, designer Anna Griffin has made a name for herself as a graphic designer who can combine romance and whimsy, throw in a touch of elegance and create wedding invitations that are unique and memorable

Something to keep in mind when you are planning your wedding is that each and every part of your special day should be unique to you as a couple. Everything from the napkins to the songs you choose should have meaning to you and be special for the two of you as you begin your lives together. The same goes for the wedding invitations, which are sent out well before your wonderful day. Your wedding invites should be uniquely your own, and a well-chosen, appropriate invitation will give your guests more than just the date and time. The will also give your guests an overall idea of the two of you as a dating couple, and of what you will be as a married twosome.

There are several main ways that you can get unique wedding invitations, from the very simple changes you can make to the extravagant ideas that will make your invites into something that is truly your own.

Start Simple

First of all, you want to start simple in making your wedding invitations very unique. If you don’t have a lot of time or money, there are small things that you can do to make sure your wedding invitations are as unique as possible. First of all, you need to choose a color and a style for the invitations. There are so many different designs to choose from today that you can create color combinations for the actual invite, the boarder or outline on the invite, and the font that is used for the text. The colors should complement each other, and should reflect colors which will be used in your ceremony. However, they can also be uniquely yours as well. For instance, if you are getting married in the fall, using bright reds and oranges can help your guests get in the mood for a fall wedding, well before fall has actually arrived. The colors are important, as well as the font-type that you are using. For a formal wedding, a more flowing font is good, and a fun and funky font can be used for a more casual type of wedding ceremony.

Get Unique

For out-and-out unique ideas, there are more things you can do than simply choose special colors and fonts. First of all, think about your day and what is special about it. For a winter wedding, there are some things that are associated with winter – such as snowflakes. A wedding invitation which is cut like a snowflake can be special and beautiful, and if you have the time you can even make sure that no two are alike, just like the real thing. Other elements of winter can be added in, like sparkly glitter, to mimic snow and ice. For a fall wedding, you can use the colors of autumn leaves and actually have the invitations be in the shape of autumn leaves. These can be beautiful and unique ideas that are truly your own. Cutting the edges of invitations shaped like leaves, or using real glitter can be ways to have unique wedding invitation ideas that people will talk about for years to come.

Outside The Box

Another option is to go outside the box when you are working on your wedding invitations, and completely move away from the paper invitation and envelop format. For instance, if you are having a small wedding on the beach, you might decide to send glass bottles with the invitation rolled up inside to each of your guests. Some sand in the bottom of the bottle, and a cork stuck in to the top, will make a beautiful and unique wedding invitation for you. If you are both computer buffs, try sending a CD Rom or a DVD with your information printed on it, and also encrypted on the CD. Some people have used found objects for their wedding invitations – because printing the information something like a pair of flip-flops, a wine glass, or another type of ornament, can make a unique and pretty invitation that is also something your guests will be able to treasure forever.

If you truly want to have a magical and memorable wedding, there are always going to be tricks that you can do to make sure that your wedding invitations match the level of memory you would like to have for you wedding in general. The bottom line is that your wedding day should be just as special as you both are as a couple, and just as special as you would like your marriage to be. All of the little parts of this are important in creating a theme. The wedding invitations, while they seem like only a small part of the big event, can set the tone for the entire wedding.

Choosing unique wedding invitations can be a daunting task when it comes to planning your big day. For many couples, wedding invitations are selected before the details of the event itself are finalized. Picking wedding invitations that you love is a great way to start the process of planning a wedding. Beautiful and unique invitations can be the icing on the cake to an already perfect day. The wedding invitation also sets the tone for your day, by offering clues to the kind of wedding your guests will attend; so it is important that you choose a wedding invitation that speaks to your unique style and complements the style of your wedding.

There are thousands of different types of wedding invitations available, from classic and traditional to modern and funky. The choices are wide and far reaching. Choosing that one invitation style that is perfect for the two of you can be a long and intimidating task. You know that you want a unique invitation that begins to tell the tale of the life you are creating as a couple, not an easy task, but it can be done! Finding a unique wedding invitation starts with a conversation.

The decision you and your fiancé have is only one of many when it comes to planning your wedding day. If you have planned a themed wedding, then a unique wedding invitation can be a little easier to come up with. Let your imagination go with the theme of your wedding and do not be afraid to step out of the box. If you are having a Hawaiian themed wedding, you could send out invitations to your guests that have images of luaus and Hawaiian flower leis.

If you and your fiancé would prefer an oriental theme, you can choose to send intricate oriental invitations. If something more offbeat appeals to you both, send an anchor or pirate hat shaped invitation for a pirate themed wedding, or an old-world style invitation on parchment paper that looks like they have been hand written for a very traditionally themed wedding.

Barring a themed wedding, chances are there is something unique about it, perhaps your wedding color. You can bring the colors of your wedding party into your invitations, although you do not want to just send out white and teal green invitations. Choose an interesting designed or textured paper in teal green and off set it with a sheer cover in cream. The best thing to do when using wedding colors for your invitations is to step out of the box and use your imagination.

Perhaps there is a hobby that both of you love to do. You can use this ‘theme’ in your wedding invitations as well. If you both love to fish, you could use fishing line and lures for your invitations, or a hobby of wood-working could provide you with a way to expand your hobby into creating some special invitations. Regardless, if there is a hobby that the two of you share that helps to define you as a couple, don’t be afraid to use it to your advantage and choose the best part of your hobby to direct your unique wedding invitation choices.

There are many choices when it comes to wedding invitations that are pre-made. While you may not want to choose a pre-made pack of wedding invitations, you can mix and match from a variety of sets to create a wedding invitation set that is totally unique to you and your spouse to be. Really love that Vera Wang paper but dig the Anna Griffin envelopes? Well, order them both and put them together. As long as you both like it – there’s nothing wrong with mixing up a few different sets to create your own unique wedding invitations. Remember, this day is all about the two of you and your choices and individuality should ring through the entire event, starting with the invitations.

There are also many options for mix and match wedding invitations. These are often sets of invitations that have many different options available for each of the pieces of your invitation set, from invitation paper to envelopes, fonts and scripts and more. By hand selecting these choices, you can create an individualized look to your invitations that speaks of the two of you as a couple without having identical invites that someone else has.

Being unique in all your wedding choices is what many couples are looking for. Most do not want to have a wedding that is almost the same as the wedding you and your friends attended last summer. Select want a fresh, new look that will be unique to you and be different from everyone else. This is your special day and it should be all about you two as a couple, and you can begin this tradition with unique and individualized wedding invitations. Check out the variety of invitations that are available and start choosing your own personal style.

Which day remains in our memory for as long as we live? What preceded each and every family life? Indeed, you will agree with me, in fact, everybody will agree - it is our own wedding day!

From as young as 12 years old I began to dream about my future family and my wedding day! I tried to get all possible information about wedding tips and ideas. My room was piled up with magazines and books on weddings in different countries, wedding traditions in different cultures and nations. Many years passed since that time. Till now this information helped not only me for my the most important day in my life, but to many of my friends and colleagues - for their wedding day. And today I would love to share my homework on weddings with you. Worth-trying wedding ideas from foreign cultures. Surely, it will make your own wedding very unique and really memorable. And here it follows… An example of unique combination of old and modern traditions we can find in Russian and Ukrainian weddings.

Customs of weddings in Russia

Nowadays, Russian weddings come in a variety of different forms. They can contain elements of a traditional Russian wedding and also hints of a European or American-style wedding. The latter have become more and more popular and modern in recent years. True Russian weddings are unique in the fact that they are always lavishly played out! We say “played out,” as a Russian wedding ceremony is usually conducted as though it were a theatre spectacle where there is a script and everyone knows their role.

In times gone by, a form of courtship would have taken place to secure the union of the happy couple. By tradition, the groom’s parents would ask the bride’s parents for their daughter’s hand in marriage for their son. Nowadays, this tradition has become practically extinct and only from time to time will the groom ask the bride’s parents for their daughter’s hand in marriage or request an approval of their union.

As part of the Russian wedding ceremony, people still enjoy the tradition of ransoming the bride. Before the young couple leave to go to the ZAGS (Registry Office), the groom must go to his future wife’s house where he will be greeted by friends of the bride, relatives and guests. They organise various fun games for the groom, like, for example, asking him challenging risque questions, persuading him to carry out certain tasks and demanding a ransom for the bride. The groom must fulfil all the tasks, namely, singing, dancing, reciting poetry, solving riddles and various other challenges. Then, as a ransom, he must give out sweets and money to all those who have arranged the obstacles along the way to him winning his bride (in other words, those who have set the groom challenges to prove that he is worthy of his bride.)

There is an age-old tradition that on the day before the wedding the bride will arrange a hen party and invite all her friends who will support and protect her in her new life. It is becoming an essential part of new traditions that the groom should organise a separate party for his male-friends; a tradition that has been imported from the West. The groom will say goodbye to his bachelor lifestyle whilst in the company of his friends.

After the registration in the ZAGS or the ceremony in the church, the newlyweds and all their guests go to the reception which is usually held in a restaurant, a banqueting hall or at someone’s house. By tradition, the young couple is met by the mother of the groom or all the parents who offer them bread and salt. The young couple must then take turns to eat the bread. The person who eats the largest piece of bread will be the head of the household. This equal opportunity ritual between the couple has only been observed recently as before it would have always been the male who would stand at the head of the household.

It is while everyone is sat around the table that all the guests will pass on their good wishes to the couple, raise toasts and offer presents. By tradition, two toddlers will be put in the centre of the room, one dressed in blue to symbolise a boy and the other dressed in pink to symbolise a girl. The guests will then offer sums of money to whichever toddler they choose. The toddler who receives the most money determines the sex of the married couple’s first child.

A fundamental component of the Russian wedding is the cries of “gor’ko” where the newlyweds must stand and kiss for as long as possible. All the guests stand round them and count “1, 2, 3… 15…. 20, etc.” The longer the young couple can kiss for, the stronger their union will be. The guests always demand that they kiss for as long as possible. Often, the reception can be a tiring experience for the young couple as they have to entertain their guests by this kissing ritual.

According to European tradition, the wedding ends with the bride throwing her bouquet over her head to all the unmarried girls in the crowd. Whoever catches it will become the next bride. After the ceremony has ended, the young couple goes off to their new house or hotel. At this point, the groom must take the bride in his arms and carry her across the threshold; a local custom that indicates the strength of their marriage. As a rule, the young couple then happily journey off into the sunset for their honeymoon.

Ukrainian Weddings

Given their common Slavic roots and culture, it is not surprising that Ukrainian weddings are very similar to Russian weddings. However, some variations do exist.

On the day of the wedding, the groom’s first duty is to pick up his bride from her house. Before he meets his loved one he is met by relatives and friends who will demand a ransom for the bride. This is the most special and exciting part of the whole affair. The groom must complete several tasks in order to demonstrate his strength and intellect. If he fails to complete a task, then he must give out money, sweets and drinks to the guests. The result of his efforts is the possession of his loved one. This tradition remains popular to this day. After the groom’s challenges, the young couple will go to the ZAGS (Registry Office) and then the church (if they so choose). A celebration of the events usually follows the registration of the marriage.

In today’s world, weddings in Ukraine can be compared with weddings in Europe, where the main ceremony is conducted in prestigious restaurants or big halls.

Despite the loss of some traditions, the guests still present the young couple with a karavai loaf. As a rule, the loaf is baked only by those women whose family life has been very successful as it is said to bring good luck to the young couple in their own family life. The newly-wed couple will free two white doves - usually in front of the building where their wedding proceedings take place.

One of the distinguishing parts of a Ukrainian wedding is that a giltse (a large wreath which is decorated with flowers and ribbons) is placed on the table next to the karavai loaf. This symbolises maidenly beauty and innocence.

On her head, the Ukrainian bride will wear a wreath with different coloured cascading ribbons. At the end of the festivities, the bride will throw the wreath into a crowd of unmarried girls. The person who catches the wreath will become the next bride. This tradition is very similar to the European tradition where the bride throws her bouquet into the crowd. It has been said that the European tradition of throwing a bouquet into the crowd came from the Ukrainian tradition of throwing wreathes, however, nowadays Ukrainian weddings usually conform to European traditions.

The host of the occasions will organise fun games, poems and little ditties. Guests usually give the couple useful, practical gifts, which will be helpful to the couple in their married life. Accepting the gifts is no easy matter. The bride and groom must show interest in every gift. They must unwrap the present, study it and then express their gratitude to the guest. The money usually goes to the groom, and other items and flowers go to the bride.

Without any doubt, some wedding traditions are intertwined and interrelated in all cultures. There is always room for improvement in preparation for the moment of your dream - wedding day. Do your own research, share ideas with others, send me your own wedding tips - it will assist us all. Our efforts can make a difference to make wedding ceremonies better, brighter, more exclusive and worthy to be proud of.

This year the hottest wedding invitations styles take their cue from the world around us. Colors both bold and subtle, patterns that make an immediate impression and styles that combine tradition and innovation in a unique, contemporary look are all great styles. Your wedding invitations will set the tone for the wedding of your dreams when you choose from a variety of can’t miss wedding invitation styles taken from today’s hottest designers. Take a look at what the top designers are offering for your 2009 wedding invitation needs.

Vera Wang



Bold prints and delicate, subtle patterns combine in designer Vera Wang’s wedding invitation lines. Wang mixes contemporary and traditional in a style that is unabashedly joyful, un-self-consciously playful and inimitably modern. In the Vera Wang Retro Verso line, Wang turns tradition on its head to print on both sides of the invitation, pairing bold prints with delicate patterns to create wedding invitations that are memorable and unique.



Vera Wang Retro Verso Dual Sided Gingko Wedding Invitations are simplicity embodied. One side features a bold imprint of the lovely fan-shaped gingko biloba leaf in reverse print, while the invitation appears on the other side, framed by a delicate spray of gingko leaves traced along the border. Lovely for the modern bride who still wants to offer a nod to tradition. It’s an especially apt choice for an Oriental themed wedding.





Vera Wang’s William Arthur Black and Pink Paisley Letterpress Wedding Invitations are delightfully retro with a modern punch of color. Black and pink play against each other in a paisley-inspired flower print in bold black detailed with pretty-as-pink touches. The hand-lined pink envelope completes the ensemble that is both whimsical and very Art Deco at the same time.



Anna Griffin



The Retro Verso and Letterpress wedding invitation lines from Vera Wang are absolute can’t miss wedding invitation choices for today’s modern bride. Designer Anna Griffin focuses on the traditional, playing with touches of ribbon, satin embossing and layered panels to create a feeling of opulence and timeless elegance.



Anna Griffin Celadon Repousse Wedding Invitations: Anna Griffin offers a subtle and elegant square invitation bordered with a pale green botanical print. The ivory center panel features an embossed border and is bound with satin ribbon at all four corners. The invitation is a statement of timeless elegance without being caught in the lock-step of engraved tradition. Pretty, subtle and definitely bridal, this is an ideal invitation choice for any formal wedding.





Anna Griffin Platinum Toile Wedding Invitations: Beautiful invitations that save you money, is there anything better? The Platinum Toile Wedding Invitations from the Anna Griffin line is only available blank. Each invitation consists of a platinum-bordered ivory card that can be printed with your invitation wording, a vellum gatefold sleeve to wrap around it and a matching bow to create a truly romantic wedding invitation. Make a romantic statement with your wedding invitation or announcement by choosing this or one of Anna Griffin’s other floral printed lines of wedding invitations.



Custom Mix ‘n’ Match Wedding Invitations



Are you looking for wedding invitations that are completely and totally your own? Custom Mix ‘n’ Match Wedding Invitations fit the bill. You can choose your print colors, choose the color of your envelope linings and even choose the style of your enclosures. In fact, there are so many custom options that your wedding invitations are bound to be completely one of a kind.

Custom Mix ‘n’ Match 7 x 7 Pocket Fold Invitations



Classic elegance and contemporary styling combine in this unusual wedding invitation style. You have a choice of 90 different color papers, including a range of metallic colors from pearl white to lapis blue. Customizations available for the Mix ‘n’ Match wedding invitations include the color of the liner paper, color of the backing paper and color of the invitation panel. The pocket fold is contemporary and sleekly elegant, ideal for today’s bride with a sense of timeless style.

Reagan 3-Layer Wedding Invitations



Who said the only thing that comes in layers is the wedding cake? The Reagan 3-Layer Wedding invitation is part of the Custom Mix ‘n’ Match wedding invitation collection. The three layer panel invitation can be customized in literally hundreds of ink and paper colors, making your wedding invitations truly one-of-a kind creations. Choose two different backing colors, one panel color and ink color, customize with your chosen type style and pick out an envelope to accent or contrast with your invitations.

Your wedding is your day, a day when your personal style should hold sway. Invite your guests to your wedding in style, your own personal style, with a wedding invitation that catches the attention of your guests from the start.