With this ring, I thee wed. The most beautiful words ever spoken. The words that bring a man and woman together in a bond of eternity. This is done by slipping a ring on the brides and grooms fingers by each other. The wedding ring plays a most important role in bringing two hearts together in love for a lifetime.
There is no wonder that wedding rings are chosen with extreme care, because they are for a lifetime. Mens wedding rings are usually made in plain metal and womens wedding rings made with precious stones, like diamonds and other gemstones. These days, of course, even men prefer wearing rings set with precious stones. There are gold wedding rings, white gold wedding rings, platinum wedding rings, and many more.
Wedding rings come in different styles, like the plain ones and ones that are engraved. The wedding rings should match the personality of the bride and groom. There are wedding ring sets available for the couple, that are made with the same metal and set with the same precious stones. This makes it all the more exciting actually. Imagine both of you wearing similarly styled rings. I am sure that gives a nice feeling of being part of each other of being one.
The wedding ring is a symbolism for love that has no end and goes in circles. Did you know that in certain communities, it is considered bad luck to buy the wedding rings along with the engagement rings.
The wedding ring is worn on the ring finger. The hand on which it is worn depends on the tradition of each country. In the Western World, it is worn on the left hand and in some other countries, on the right hand. The reason why it is worn on the ring finger is because in ancient times, the ring finger was considered to be the love finger and that is how this tradition of wearing the ring on this finger came into being.
There is a custom in Europe to engrave the spouses name and wedding date inside the wedding ring. Depending on the culture, it is either the ring bearer, who is usually a small kid bringing the rings on a pillow, or the best man that is in charge of the wedding rings and he presents them at the time they are needed.
If you are making arrangements for your wedding day and buying wedding rings, it would be nice to keep in mind the traditions and meanings of the wedding rings. Although many people are opting not to follow a traditional wedding, it makes it more fun to include some of these traditions and make it a memorable day for you, with memories flashing in front of your eyes for years to come, whenever you look at your wedding rings. Let your wedding ring tell a tale of love.
Wedding Planner Career – Tips On Preparing The Wedding Budget
Once you have gotten a basic idea of what the couple is imagining, you can begin to figure out how much the couple’s dream wedding will cost, and how much money the bride and groom (or their families) are planning to spend.
Obviously, not every couple has unlimited funds to plan their nuptials. A good wedding planner will be able to take the couple’s picture perfect wedding and scale it down to size as necessary to fit their budget. However, the budget will definitely influence many of the couple’s decisions about the wedding. There are two ways to determine the cost of the wedding. The couple’s first option is to set the budget and plan the wedding accordingly. The second option is to plan the couple’s dream wedding and figure out how to fund the affair later.
Factors that will affect the cost of the wedding:
- Date and Time
- Formality
- Number of Guests
- Food
- Flowers, Music, and Photography
- Ceremony and Reception Venues
- Location
You will quickly learn ways to manipulate these factors to cut costs as necessary. The bride and groom must be able to prioritize their wish list. If the couple’s dream wedding is a black-tie affair in June with a catered, sit-down meal for 500 people in an expensive hotel ballroom, the couple better have a lot of cash or be ready to make some compromises. A good budget will take into account every aspect of the wedding. Your role is to help the bride and groom find ways to choose the most important elements and downscale in 30 other ways as necessary.
The black-tie affair in the fancy hotel ballroom could cost significantly less if the couple chooses to have the wedding during an off-season month or day (think a Friday night in April or November) or has a late-evening reception with drinks and dessert. An open bar, designer gown, live music, or elaborate floral arrangements are all expensive options that can be scaled back to cut costs — unless the couple is set on that specific detail. Odds are the bride and groom are not the only ones with big ideas for their big day. Parents and families on both sides will likely have their own idea of what the wedding should entail. If the couple’s parents are footing a large portion of the bill, remind the bride and groom that their parent’s opinions should be taken into consideration.
Is your anniversary here again? Dont know what to buy your better half? Maybe the anniversary gift guide can help. The guide has been updated with a few gift ideas to make your shopping a little easier.
1st Anniversary- The first anniversary is the year of paper. Paper gifts are not as boring as one may think. It can be as simple as a handwritten poem or as lavish as an airline ticket.
2nd Anniversary The second anniversary is cotton. A good cotton gift is clothing. Personalizing it makes it even more special. Nowadays you can personalize just about anything.
3rd Anniversary- The third anniversary gift is leather. Wallets and purses are nice leather gifts. There are also tins of leather items that can be personalized as well. (Ex. Personalized leather bracelets or briefcases)
4th Anniversary- Linen is the fourth anniversary gift. Linen gifts include table linens and vacation linen shirts also known as Guayaberas.
5th Anniversary- Wood is fifth anniversary gift. Gift ideas range from gift baskets to furniture.
6th Anniversary- The sixth anniversary is iron. Iron gifts include candleholders and picture frames.
7th Anniversary- Depending on who you ask, the seven year anniversary is either copper or wool. Cooper gifts include vases and bowls. Wool gifts include sweaters and scarves.
8th Anniversary- Bronze is the eighth anniversary gift. Bronze gifts can be anything from a candleholder or vase to a trinket or memorable keepsake being bronzed.
9th Anniversary- Pottery is the ninth anniversary. Sculptures, vases and bowls are the most common of these gifts. A great gift idea would be to enjoy a pottery class together.
10th Anniversary- Tin or Aluminum is the gifts for 10 years of bliss. Jewelry boxes or tin gift containers filled with goodies make great tin/aluminum gifts. Gift basket containers would be a great to incorporate tin or aluminum.
11th Anniversary- Eleven years of marriage equal a gift of Steel. Gifts can be anything from a stainless steel watch or pendant to stainless kitchen appliances.
12th Anniversary- Silk is the twelfth anniversary gift. Silk pajamas and sheets are a wonderful gift. Robes and clothing are also great.
13th Anniversary- The thirteenth anniversary is that of Lace. This anniversary gifts element is more for the ladies. Lace table linens, hankies and nightgowns are wonderful gifts of lace.
14th Anniversary- Ivory is the gift fourteen years of marriage. Imagination is important for this gift giving year. An ivory broche is a worldly gift for your wife and if your husband is open to anything, try an ivory elephant tusk. Not likely huh? How about Ivory soap? At least I tried.
15th Anniversary Fifteen years of wedded bliss earn you Crystal. Swarovski Crystals set in a pendant, watch or other piece of jewelry is a nice idea. For the simple folk, a crystal vase or personalized champagne flutes add that touch of romance.
20th Anniversary- Twentieth Anniversary is the gift of China. That is pretty self explanatory.
25th Anniversary- Twenty five years of marriage is also known as The Silver Anniversary. Silver jewelry or nice jewelry boxes are always safe bets.
30th Anniversary- Pearl is the gift of a thirty year anniversary. Pearls can be given as a necklace or placed in a ring.
35th Anniversary- Coral or Jade is the gifts for this anniversary. You can find coral gifts such as vases, sculptures, trays or games made or coral. Jade gifts are usually jewelry like bracelets and earrings.
40th Anniversary- The fortieth year anniversary gift is Ruby. Like many of the gifts, jewelry is a good gift.
45th Anniversary- Sapphires represent forty years of marriage. Jewelry
50th Anniversary- The Golden Anniversary is among one of the well known. Gold gifts can be anything from jewelry to golden vases, cups, frames, figurines and other trinkets.
55th Anniversary- Emeralds are the gifts of this year. Jewelry is a common gift.
60th Anniversary- Sixty years of being married most certainly deserves Diamonds. What could be better than diamond jewelry?
65th Anniversary- Blue Sapphires are the gifts of this year. Once again jewelry is appropriateits deserved!
70th Anniversary- Platinum gifts are representative of seventy platinum years of marriage. Platinum gifts include jewelry, music boxes, figurines and gift boxes.
75th Anniversary- Once again Diamond is the gift of choice. After seventy five years of marriage, it is most certainly deserving. Best giftJewelry!
80th Anniversary- Oak represents eighty years of marriage. If you have been married eighty years than you marriage is stronger than oak. Nevertheless a fantastic oak gift is Oak Home! If you cant afford it, there are tons of handmade oak gifts such as furniture, wall shelves and many more.
Flowers and gift baskets are great gift ideas for those of the more modern times, no matter which anniversary you are celebrating.
Once all your designs are drawn on paper and perhaps a piece or two has been made by another artist, you may believe it is time for getting started making metal jewelry on your own. In addition to the designs and materials you will need to produce your items, you will also need a few tools and the ability to use them before getting started making metal jewelry.
In addition to the expected pliers and cutters, you will need a soldering iron. If you plan to solder nothing but costume jewelry getting started making metal jewelry with the use of an electric soldering iron will work for you, but if your plans include working with silver and gold, then you will need a small torch for what is referred to as hard soldering. Torches usually use oxygen-propane or oxygen-acetylene gas mixtures for fusing the higher temperature solder.
Typically, the lower temperatures, referred to as soft solder, will use a mixture of tin and lead, which has a very low melting temperature. Hard solder will have a mix of silver or gold and lead and have a higher melting temperature, which will not be reached by an electric soldering iron. When you are getting started making metal jewelry decide which type of materials you will be using and buy that type of equipment.
Allergy To Metals May Harm Customers
When you are getting started making metal jewelry you should know that some people are allergic to some metals. The most common allergy is to nickel and while there is no industry-wide standard on metal content, some people will have an intolerance to even the slightest amount of that metal. The base metal used in costume jewelry can be any metal that is not considered to be one of the precious metals, silver, gold or platinum. Usually in metal jewelry the base metal is coated with a thin layer of a precious metal.
Even surgical stainless steel, tolerated by a majority of the population, may contain as much as eight percent nickel so you should make your customers aware of the potential for exposure.
When getting started making metal jewelry you should also learn the terminology associated with the craft. You will need to know the difference between filled and coated as well as plated and you will want instruction on the proper and safe methods of antiquing metal jewelry.
What do you do when the stresses of your marriage start to become a problem? Many couples get mad and argue at one another. This will not do anything except make the problem worse. As a result, here are some ways to deal with your stresses in your marriage.
Talk with your spouse on a daily basis. Communication with one another will prevent any misunderstandings on certain issues. When a problem does come up, discuss your feelings and view points to the other person. Dont assume that the other person knows how you feel.
Do not take anything for granted in your marriage. Small misunderstandings can become bigger problems in the future. Keep a look out for any red flags in your marriage and confront them before they become bigger issues.
Work with one another. Being in a marriage is like being on a team. Each member must do his or her own part. One person cannot do everything. Work with your spouse in maintaining your marriage.
Try to see things in your spouses point of view. This will help you to see where the other person is coming from which will increase your understanding of the situation. Dont assume that you are the one who has all the answers.
Seek the services of a marriage counselor if you cant resolve your problems. There is nothing wrong with seeking help. Maintaining a marriage is very difficult so it is important to get additional advice from an experienced professional. Many people seek the services of a marriage counselor nowadays.
Marriage requires a lot of work, however the most important thing is to talk with one another on a regular basis and to confront problems before they become major obstacles in your marriage. This will help reduce a lot of your stresses in your marriage.
Buying jewelry is something that is liked very much by women all over the world. However, there are quite a few points that have to be remembered while purchasing jewelry. Jewelry is usually made from materials like gold, silver, platinum, glass, and precious gems like pearl, diamond, etc. Again, jewelry is either standard design or custom-made exclusive jewelry. Further, there are various types of ornaments like earrings, nose rings, neckwear, bangles, bracelets, anklewear, rings, etc. Since jewelry is a statement by a woman, it is always better to opt for exclusive jewelry.
Exclusive jewelry should be selected in such a manner that it accentuates the dress and the personality of the woman. The exclusive jewelry should be highly feminine and at the same time be bold, exotic, mysterious, and individualistic. Exclusive jewelry should possess excellent craftsmanship and should also be affordable. Moreover, exclusive jewelry could be either contemporary or represent a period or a culture, like Victorian, Edwardian, Georgian, Belgian, Italian, Asian, Indian, etc.
Gold is the most common jewelry material. For centuries, jewelry lovers and designers had equally preferred the yellow luster and the ease of working of gold into several shapes. Pure gold is normally not used but always mixed with silver or copper to increase the strength of the exclusive jewelry and to make them more durable. Gold is measured in karat. 100% pure gold is termed as 24 carat, while 18 carat is 75% gold and 14 carat is 58% gold. Platinum exclusive jewelry is highly expensive, since it is about thirty-five times rare compared to gold. However, platinum exclusive jewelry does not tarnish or fade.
It would be better to have knowledge of the precious and semi precious gems and stones before buying exclusive jewelry. Amber is formed normally from fossilized sticky resin that comes from ancient pine trees. Emerald is obtained mineral deposits and is a green gemstone. Jade is available in two types, Jadeite and Nephrite. Jade is one the hardest of gems and could be carved into various forms and sizes. Nephrite is normally green, while Jadeite is available in red, blue, green and black. Lapis Lazuli is normally blue, but sometimes could have green or violet tints. The blueness comes from the sulphur that is present in the stone. Onyx is mostly black. Pears are either from freshwater pearl oysters or cultured. Nearly 95% of available pears are of the cultured type.
Women should also know the maintenance of exclusive jewelry to avoid it getting dirty. Generally, the oils from our skin and other beauty products like lotions that are applied on the skin tarnish exclusive jewelry. However, you could use warm water containing a little dishwashing liquid to clean most of the exclusive jewelry. Soaking for a considerable time in hot soap solution is also a good practice before cleaning with hand or using a fine brush. Finally, the exclusive jewelry should be rinsed in cold water and dried with a soft cloth. However, pearl and coral should not be soaked. Jewelry of various types should be kept in separate boxes designed specially for each item.
What You Need To Know About Taxes If Youre Getting Married
It may not be high on the list of wedding planning activities, but there are a few simple steps that can help keep tax issues from interrupting your newly wedded bliss. If you recently married, check out your new tax situation. You might save money or even prevent the problem of a missing refund check.
The first things to handle are changes of name and address. Later, as tax season approaches, consider whether or not you’ll itemize deductions, which tax return form is right for you and what filing status you’ll use.
No one should delay the cake cutting or honeymoon because of taxes. But here are some helpful hints for later:
Use Your Correct Name
You must provide correct names and identification numbers to claim personal exemptions on your tax return. If you changed your name upon marrying, let the Social Security Administration know and update your Social Security card so the number matches your new name. Use Form SS-5, Application for a Social Security Card.
Change of Address
If you or your spouse has a new address, notify the U.S. Postal Service so that it will be able to forward any tax refunds or IRS correspondence. The Postal Service will also pass your new address on to IRS for updating. You may also notify to notify the IRS directly by filing Form 8822.
Refund Checks
Each year, the Postal Service returns thousands of tax refund checks as undeliverable, usually because the addressee has moved. Notifying both the Postal Service and the IRS of an address change in a timely manner can help ensure the proper delivery of any refund checks. To check the status of a tax refund, go to the IRS web site and use the “Wheres My Refund?” service.
Changing Filing Status
Your marital status on December 31 determines whether you are considered married for that year. Married persons may file their federal income tax return either jointly or separately in any given year. Choosing the right filing status may save you money.
A joint return (Married Filing Jointly) allows spouses to combine their income and to deduct combined deductions and expenses on a single tax return. Both spouses must sign the return and both are held responsible for the contents.
With separate returns (Married Filing Separately), each spouse signs, files and is responsible for his or her own tax return. Each is taxed on his or her own income, and can take only his or her individual deductions and credits. If one spouse itemizes deductions, the other must also.
Which filing status should you select? It depends entirely on your specific situation. You should consider sitting down with a tax professional to make a determination.
Things You Should Know When You Are Making Button Jewelry
When you are making button jewelry, there are so many different things that you can take into consideration. One of the most important things that you want to think about when you are making button jewelry is that of how you want to make each piece personalized and unique, and so you really want to take some time beforehand so that you can come up with some really great ideas.
Getting Started On Making Button Jewelry
In order to get started on making button jewelry, the first thing that you are going to have to do is get all of your supplies together. This means picking out the threads and buttons that you are going to want to use, of which you can get at any of your local craft stores.
If you cannot find the specific materials that you are looking for, then you should know that you can go to other places besides around your local area, and for instance you can shop on the Internet, so that you can browse through stores across the world without even leaving the comfort of your own home.
Once you have found and purchased all of the materials that you want and you are ready to being making button jewelry, then the next thing that you are going to have to do is select the pattern that you want to follow first.
This can either be a pattern that you created yourself or one that you found in a jewelry making book or on a website for instance, regardless of where you found it, you just have to make sure that you have it set out properly with all of your supplies, and now you are finally ready to get started and begin having some real fun.
Remember to enjoy yourself while you are doing it, and improvise along the way, especially if your plans are not particularly set in stone. After all, creativity is incredibly important with something like this, especially if you are planning on using these jewelry pieces for business purposes, because you will want to give your customers a lot of variety to choose from.
Also remember that doing your research is very important for something like this, so that you can find out about the different tips and tricks that you can use along the way.
If youve gotten through the wedding planning and the wedding day without a hitch (no pun intended), then youre already on your way to a successful marriage. Marriage takes commitment, compromise, and patienceall of the things that you have needed to plan a beautiful wedding.
And once you are married, it’s time to have fun. But being married doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with your friends too. Keeping up with your mates is important, it may not happen as much as it used to, but you should always try and make time for them; whether it’s having a game of foxy bingo together or going out for a drink. Alternatively, meeting up with other couples is a good way for you both to socialise with friends.
Here are a few final words:
Have fun
When it all comes down to it, your wedding is supposed to be a celebration of you as a couple. Forget about what the cake looks like; if its off balance, take pictures from a different angle. If the deejay is playing horrible music or the band is off key, who cares?
Dance like a fool with your nieces and nephews. Dance with your mom or your dad. Let loose a little and stop worrying about what your hair looks like. Have some fun.
Just be with and enjoy your new spouse, family, and friendsthis is a party for your new life together, not a test of your wedding planning skills.
Something always goes wrong at a wedding, so just ride with it and deal with it the best that you can. If it cant be fixedmost times no one will notice.
Eat a little
One of the things that couples forget on their wedding day is to have something to eat. Of course, this means that they will have to take some time for them selves to sit down and relaxand why not? Take just fifteen minutes to have a little something to nibble on. Youll have even more energy to dance until dawn and more cushioning in your stomach for any fun beverages that you may consume.
Talk to your family
This may be one of the few times that your entire family is together for a happy occasion. Take the time to walk around and talk to everyone. Thank them for coming and ask them about themselves. They probably have wedding stories that they can share with you as well.
Treasure this time you have together.
Smile
After all of the stress and the commotion, you are finally at the point where you can relax a little. Smile for the camera, smile for your friends, smile because youre happy. Just smile. Theres no need to hold back anything for the sake of being proper or solemn. Solemn is for funerals. This is your time to rejoice in being married.
Congratulations!
The latest rage sweeping the country is to have jewelry made from different types of beads in assorted sizes, colors and textures. The more beaded jewelry the better as you can change the appearance of your outfits to be more dress-up or causal.
You can purchase beaded jewelry from local stores or you can make your own by using craft beads. Local craft shops such as Michaels, AC Moore and others offer a wide selection, superb quality and low prices for the beads they sell. Whether you are a novice or experienced working with beads, you will find the beads, findings, wires, threads, tools and everything else you need to create stunning jewelry and decor pieces for your home.
Craft beads can be plastic pony beads, fabric beads, paper beads, pearl, glass, to Swarovski crystals and everything in between. Stores that carry beads usually carry a wide selection of literally thousands of different types and sizes of beads.
Some of the more popular types of craft beads include Bead Heaven, Elegance Collections, Crystal Innovations, Better Beads, Elite Better Beads, Fancy Finery, Westrim, Blue Moon and Bead Gallery assortments. There is also a wide selection of Bead and Jewelry Making Kits that are perfect for people just starting to work with craft beads. These kits provide everything you need along with detailed instructions to get help you start and complete your project.
As with any craft, you will need to purchase the proper tools and equipment. These can be purchased individually or in sets. If you are not sure you want to invest this much money on a craft that you are not sure you will want to continue doing, you may want to take a special training class offered at your local craft store. They will have tools available for you to use and if you decide to continue working with craft beads, you can then purchase the extra supplies needed for your new hobby.
Your craft store will also be able to provide you with great ideas on bead projects. Whether you take their in-store classes, work independently with a prearranged kit, or if you buy a book, the ideas for your own craft bead jewelry will be unlimited. You can make sets that include your necklace, bracelet, earrings, and pin and each set will be uniquely yours, which is a one-of-a-kind jewelry set.
You may think that you do not have the talent to create your own jewelry or home dcor items using craft beads, but you will never know unless you try. Sign up for a class and start out small. As your skills develop, you can advance to more complicated projects.
Before you know it, you will be an expert at making your own jewelry using craft beads and your friends and family will be asking you where you bought your jewelry. And, who knows, you may want to start your own home business making jewelry for other people to purchase. The opportunities are endless and you are only limited by your own imagination when it comes to using craft beads.