Beach Ceremony....HOT or NOT??

So I know I am going to get some backlash on this one but here is my take on beach ceremonies...


Let's start with...this is F-L-O-R-I-D-A!!!
It rains & pours, is hot and steamy and sometimes very cold and breezy, which changes from day to day and minute to minute. So what will your weather be like on Your BIG Day a year from now?? Not sure...ya me either. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE a good old beach wedding but their are elements that you may not be thinking about. 

www.clearskiesphoto.com

Let me just break it down into my thoughts:


WEATHER:
As I stated earlier, this is Florida and you never know the weather.  So in case of rain do you have a BACKUP PLAN? Most Brides do not, and then it rains. They don't like the fact of reserving a space and being out that $500+ if it does not rain and the wedding does go on the beach. Some hotels will allow you to use one of their rooms as a backup plan if you are using them for the reception and they have the availability but what if they are super busy and book out. Also you may not think about LIGHTING. Most weddings end up with a squinty-eyed Bride & Groom and guests throughout the whole ceremony because...well the sun is shining and bouncing off the sand and water. But if you wait to long or late for your ceremony then your pictures will be of shadow people.


ATTIRE:
What are you and the groom wearing? Are you taking into consideration the heat, humidity or rain? Trust me, your dress gets HOT under there.What about the guests? Most guests will dress formally when invited to a wedding, even a beach wedding. So when 80 year old Grandpa passes out from the heat you will get what I am saying. About 90% of weddings do not start on time so now your guests are waiting OUTSIDE probably 45 minutes or more until you walk down the aisle. Not so fun.


RENTALS:
So while all these guests are standing in the heat maybe you should think about renting chairs for them to sit in. Again going back to 80 year old Grandpa and Grandma...how long can they stand in the heat?? Also take into consideration your decor like candles for example will blow out if they are not in the right kind of containers. Who will be responsible to set out all your decor or chair rentals and pick them up when you are finished?

www.clearskiesphoto.com

CHILDREN:
Ok so imagine you are a 5 year old and can't understand for the life of you why Mom & Dad has brought you to the beach to only allow you to stand there and "look pretty". There will be NO playing in the sand and splashing in the ocean is out of the question. How cruel are your parents....well on a good note at least they are WATCHING their children. Most parents do not know how to parent these days and a missing child at a beach is DISASTER waiting to happen. So keep a close eye on those babies who will potentially be screaming and crying while you walk down that aisle since they want to go play and be a kid!!


PUBLIC BEACH:
I am sure you have been to the beach and said..."OMG what are they wearing". Well be prepared for that guy in yellow speedos with his half naked girlfriend in a thong to be in the background of your photos since this is a public beach. While you think that most people would step out of the background while you are saying "I DO", but NO...NO they don't. They will stand there and watch, right smack in the middle of it. Oh and don't forget about the washed up seaweed, trash on the sand and trash cans everywhere. Now even though this is a public beach you still have to get PERMITS from the city. Yes the city needs to know what you are doing and get paid to be in the know, but think they are blocking off space for you...uummm nnnnooooo.


PARKING:
Since we have established that this is a public location and everyone who comes to Florida wants to go to the beach....where will all your guests be parking?? You say that is not your problem they will find a spot...not cool. Guests could be circling and circling to find parking or park so far away they have to walk a mile. Next option is to park illegally, which I do not advise because the Beach Police are just waiting and wanting to ticket you. Don't move that illegally parked car in a timely fashion and your car gets towed. And going back to your 80 year old Grandparents (yet again, I know) they know have to walk a mile in the heat to get to your wedding only to stand for an hour. Poor Grandma & Grandpa :o(

www.clearskiesphoto.com

PHOTOS:
Well of course I will start off saying make sure your photographer is LICENSED & INSURED but my next thought is how qualified are they to shoot your beach wedding?? Make sure you have seen "BEACH WEDDING PHOTOS" in action and talk to your photographer about locations and timing. A great photographer will lay it all out on the table for you about what to expect and not just accept the job just to get paid.


PLANNER:
Ok so while you are off getting ready who is queuing everything or instructing the guests? Who will let the officiant know you are ready to walk down the sandy aisle, which is actually a pretty far walk? I guess you could just yell...that is acceptable...NOT! A planner is their to keep everything on track and make sure your rentals, decorations, backup plan and schedules are all on track. This should not be a "option" if you have money left over, this is a necessity!! You will thank yourself for that headache & stress relief later!!

Ok, so now that I ranted on why I think Beach Ceremonies

may not be the greatest idea let me give you some suggestions:

1. Instead of a Beach Ceremony have your ceremony and reception at a beach front location, like a hotel or restaurant  Then just go out on the beach and take pictures, weather permitting of course. At least this saves you from the "back up plan".


2. If you are having a beach ceremony then have a casual reception too. Let the guests know of their invites to "dress casual" so they will be prepared for the weather if it is hot. If it is cold then don;t worry your guests will come dressed for that.


3. Have refreshments for your guests at the ceremony location. Maybe it is a cooler of bottled water or a drink station with lemonade and tea. If it is cold consider having a hot chocolate station. It is better to have guests who are happy at your wedding rather then dying of heat exhaustion or freezing to death.


4. Chairs are a must! you may say that you are only getting married for 15 minutes but those guests are standing there for an hour. 


5. Think about what the kids could be doing to keep them busy and not fussy. Set up buckets with instructions for a game like Seashell Bingo. Have drawings of seashells they need to collect for your decor at the reception. Make them feel apart of your wedding.


6. Since more then likely you will be having your reception at an actual location consider renting a bus or trolley. Have your guests park at the reception location and bus in your guests. This will help with the parking situation and also timing. Have the bus pick the guests back up and take them back to the reception location.  Your guests will thank you for this!! 


7. If possible have people on crowd control. While you can't block off a public beach you can have people to ask random passerbys to please be courteous and stand out of the way at least for the 15 minutes while you say "I DO". Let's try to save your pictures from those banana hammocks. 


8. Hire an AWESOME photographer (www.clearskiesphoto.com), which you should do regardless. This is not the time to try out the cousin or friend of a friend that just recently got into photography with their "Black Friday Deal" on a camera. You will regret those bad pictures FOREVER. How long is forever...ask your spouse in 20 years when you won't stop b*tching about those crappy photos every time you see them or every anniversary.


9. Hire a professional Wedding Planner or at least a "Big Day Coordinator". They are there to keep the sanity, schedules and fix any situations that occur. They will be your best friend throughout the process BUT do not hire "the best friend"...hire a professional who does this for a living. They know how to deal with all situations imaginable and then some. They can recommend QUALITY VENDORS and will keep all vendors in check and accounted for on all those special moments and keep things running smoothly from one event to another. They are well worth every penny and are probably not as expensive as you may think.

www.clearskiesphoto.com

Photos were taken from a wedding that Tania from Clear Skies Photography and I did at the Casa Marina Hotel and Restaurant in Jacksonville Beach. This was a PERFECT location for the ceremony & reception as well as the accommodations for the Bride & Groom and the guests. This allowed the amazing photos to be shot without the risk of the "what-if weather" that Florida is know for and threatening a beach ceremony. For more information on the Casa Marina visit www.casamarinahotel.com

From Vendor to Vendor: Why you MUST be a LICENSED & INSURED BUSINESS... (NO EXCUSES!)

Everyone who knows me knows that I am a HUGE stickler for businesses being licensed & insured but why??? (Yes I know this will be a never-ending battle, which I am totally prepared to fight on behalf of all businesses.) If you want to and choose to operate as a "business" then I feel you should be doing the right/legal things that other business owners do...like pay taxes for one. If you want to roll with "the BIG Dogs" and put yourself out there then DO IT! Don't try and cut costs by skipping the legalaties that protect YOU and YOUR BUSINESS as well as those clients who are contracting your services. Believe me it is NOT expensive to have and maintain your licenses and insurance...actually running the business will cost some $$$. 

(On a personal note so that you can see it is NOT that expensive: I pay my LLC - $145 every year, my city business license $45 every year and my current business insurance is $45 every month = $730 a year.
** Please Note: This only covers the legal paperwork of owning my business and is in no way the total cost to run my business which is currently upwards of $5,000 a year just to OPERATE it and make ends meet...with NO profit.**)

You are building a business mainly based on your reputation... 

so why would you risk it by NOT being Licensed & Insured?? 

Why are Business Licenses Required?

Licenses are required for three main purposes:

• To identify your business and make sure you are accountable for your actions
• To protect the public health and safety
• To keep track of your finances for tax purposes

Business License

Business licenses, permits and registrations are a necessary requirement for a business to operate. Business licensing fulfills several functions in our society. As a general rule, business licensing is part of its compliance and accountability to its stakeholders which can include local, country, state and federal government as well as customers and vendors. Depending on the business location, the necessary licensing process can be complicated and costly, fraught with liability exposure for the business owner. On top of that, it may not be easy for the new business to find out about all of the licenses, permits and registrations it needs just to open its door and to keep its door open. The licenses, permits, registrations vary by location of the business including where its product are produced and sold and by the business' industry.

Why Business Licenses are Important

For compliance purposes: business licenses, permits and registrations serve the purpose of advising the licensing authorities that the business is functioning and meeting safety, soundness and tax regulations for the authorities. This is especially important if the business has employees or sells taxable goods and services. This means the business intends to comply with governing laws and regulations and intends to report to the authorities, the information the authorities require for the business to operate. An example is that a business generally needs to procure a federal tax identification number so the Internal Revenue Service can collect taxes on the profits of the business. Failure to do so can have far-reaching civil and criminal penalties for the business and its owners significantly impacting the corporate liability protection for the owners. Another example is that most local governments require a business to procure a business license in order to open their operation. Failure to do so means that the business will not be allowed to operate which also can significantly impact the profits and corporate liability protection for the owners.

• If, for example, a when a restaurant in Colorado Springs opens it needs obtain the necessary licenses and permits from the city, the county, the State of Colorado, and the federal government. The city will probably insist on a basic business license and may be the licensing authority to issue a health permit and a license to sell alcoholic beverages. However, in some states, the state or county authority may be the authority to issue these permits and licenses. The restaurant will need to register with the State of Colorado so it can collect sales tax receipts and withheld payroll taxes. The restaurant will need to register with the Internal Revenue Service so it can also collect different taxes including withheld federal and social security taxes and federal unemployment taxes.
• For accountability purposes: the business licenses, permits, and registrations can assure customers and vendors that it is capable of providing the service or product they are expecting.
  1. For a customer, an example is a patient would be interested in going to a physician licensed to practice medicine. In many cases, not only does a doctor have a personal professional license, but his practice may be part of a medical institution required to obtain a state issued occupational license for the practice.
  2. For a vendor, most local, county, and state governments offer lists of business licenses, permits and registrations. Vendors can obtain these lists and contact the business to sell their product or service, helping the business to succeed.

What Is Business Insurance?

 The term "business insurance" encompasses all the different types of coverage available to protect business owners from losses. Through business insurance, you can cover your property and business vehicles, insure against legal claims against the business such as liability or workers' compensation, and also provide health insurance for your employees, among other things. 

Why Do I Need Business Insurance?

 Even if you don't think your business has enough assets to be sued, or if you believe because your business in incorporated, you're shielded from personal liability through the so-called "corporate veil," you still need business insurance. Why? 

Because absolutely anyone can be sued, judgments can be collected through wage garnishments and bank account seizures, and even corporate veils can be pierced under certain circumstances; indeed, the smaller your business is, the more likely that you can be held personally liable for debts through your personal assets. 

Your business needs business insurance because of the many risks and potential threats to its successful and continued operation; good, tailored business insurance policies can help protect you and your venture as much as possible. 

Even if you have a successful business, disaster could strike at any moment and force you to shut your doors. Companies typically carry insurance to mitigate the risk of unforeseen damage. Although it might seem tempting to cut costs by forgoing insurance, business experts like the Small Business Administration (SBA) highly recommend maintaining a business insurance policy.

Considerations

You need business insurance to cover acts of God and general liability, such as malpractice. A patient, for example, might sue a doctor's practice if the nurse accidentally gives him the wrong medication. If you have a business in a flood zone, a flood could destroy your business property and allow competition to move into your market while you rebuild.

Legal Requirement

States often require certain types of business insurance. If you have employees you must purchase worker's compensation coverage through the state or a commercial provider, according to the SBA. Six states require businesses to carry disability insurance, but companies in states that do not require insurance commonly offer it as a benefit.

Benefits

While property insurance covers the damage to any business, even if you run a home business, it does not reimburse you for lost profits. Business interruption insurance pays you for lost sales until you get your business up and running again after a disaster. If you become disabled or too ill to run your company, disability insurance provides a percentage of your income. Additional insurance for overhead provides for expenses, such as supplies and inventory, needed to run your business while you are disabled.

Expert Insight

You should not rely on liability waivers to protect yourself in case of malpractice or accidents because they usually never cover you completely, according to business attorney Nina Kaufman. In some states, you cannot use waivers at all to protect a business from liability.

Tip

Try to purchase all of your business insurance from a single company. Business owner's policies cover the most common types of insurance needed by a business. When starting a business do a risk-management audit to identify potential liabilities and what an accident might cost. Do this risk management analysis every year. Always select with a licensed agent familiar with the risks associated with your type of company.

info obtained from: http://www.companiesinc.com, http://smallbusiness.chron.com, http://www.legalzoom.com

Changing to "Pippi Longstocking"....

I have realized I dislike blogging!!! Looking "Professional All The Time in a Blog" is exhausting I must say, which turned into me not wanting to blog at all. Call it intimidation or nervousness but I tried to come up with those super talented and inspiring posts that I myself read but then I realized...I'm just not there yet. Everyone has to start somewhere so instead of me trying to be the uber talented writer.... I am just going to be ME!

I would rather blog about my everyday adventures kind of like "Pippi Longstocking" and  how it makes me feel and grow as a person and business owner. I HATE stuffy businesses and am in NO WAY like that at all. I am very personable so I am going to start talking or rather writing to my blog like a friend (Dear Diary...just kidding). It may not even be all about business but my ever changing life. I mean did you see my first trial webcam video that I purchased to start doing video blogs and it was not really meant to be a video or at least  published  at all. I just purchased the camera and was playing with it and then well you'll see...just watch. And that is my REAL life.

I am in no way saying or trying be perfect or know everything about weddings and wedding planning. Hey, I don't even know everything about being a Mom but I still do it. So bear with me and read along and don't be afraid to chime in if you feel the need to. I decided to talk about the good, bad and the adventures of a being a Wedding Planner all while holding down the fort. :o)

BTW-
I am going to add a background to the video but this was a trial and done at 12:52am this morning so I really didn't think about the background to much. Plus I really was playing with it more to see how it works but once Kaia interrupted I thought it was too cute not to post. 

All the background "mess" is all my hubby's tools and house fixer upper things that are sitting on my new desk and will be moved to my old desk that currently has my computer on it now. (My old desk is a giant old fashioned roll top so we can store and lock up all the tools) Between the last couple of weeks of weddings and Bridal shows, I have not had time to move my computer over to the new desk and REFUSE to let my hubby do it, he is bound to mess it up somehow!!

Price Gouging Vendors??

What started out as a Facebook Post turned into a mini blog comment.

I am finding my position as a Coordinator constantly defending my fellow vendors on price points, issues of legality and trying to educate New Brides on facts of the trade. So here it goes...

While some Preferred Vendors are willing to provide "Perks" when booking them {example photographer providing an extra print credit to clients}, asking a Vendor to discount their services may not be feasible. Prices are what they are for a reason.


For Example; a florist or baker has to buy flowers/products from a source for $X and has to be compensated for that purchase and their time creating that masterpiece and delivery for your product. 


While I understand that the "ECONOMY" is an issue but it is also a VERY REAL issue for businesses and trying to survive it without going under and starving their children. Please be kind to those vendors because not all of us are out to "price gouge" you just because we hear the word "WEDDING". 


On another note but same subject...
Some vendors provide discounts for weekday or off peak time weddings. I personally do not. In fact I should charge more but I do not. I choose not to pass the $buck$ on to you for that, (at least just yet) because I don't run across too many weekday weddings. "Why charge more" you ask. Well even though it is the same amount of work for me, it actually costs me more  to work (yes I do have to PAY to WORK) a weekday then a weekend because I have to provide a babysitter for my 2 beautiful children and transportation to/from school. You may say that that is my choice for having children and I agree but I have to say it is a fact of my life that I have to deal with.



So the moral of my rant(s) is you shouldn't be that crushed if a vendor does not come down from their prices to discount or meet what you may think is a more suitable price. Would you be comfortable with less pay at your job for the same amount of work?

Do you know that "Day-Of Coordinators" work MORE than just Your BIG Day?

Do you really think I just show up on Your Wedding Day with NO Game plan and say....Let's Go!?!? Uuummmm...NNNOOO!!!

There is the:

•  inquiry email
• creating your quote
• paperwork for your consultation
• driving to and from your consultation
• paper work for your walk-through
•  driving to and from your walk-through
•   hours of Timelines 
• answering your questions through emailing, phone calls and texts
• emailing and talking to your vendors
•  driving to and from your ceremony and or reception
•  Not to mention the 10 hours that I am there on Your BIG Day!

This is just some things that have to do with YOU... there is still a lot more I could go into that occurs behind the scenes of running a business!

So when I get asked could I go DOWN IN PRICE....???

My answer would be… “Do you want me to go DOWN IN SERVICE??”

Need some useless information??

77 Interesting Facts About . . Weddings

·        In the United States, there is no law or religious dictate that says the bride must take the groom’s last name. However, approximately 70% of Americans agree that a bride should change her last name. ·        The Fijians believe that the god Nangganangga, who watches over married couples, will not let a bachelor enter Fijian paradise and will turn him to ash if he dies before he is married. ·        The Penan nomads who live on the island Borneo (southwest of the Philippines) maintain that women do not have a soul until their wedding day. ·        In States where no blood tests or physical exams are required, failing to tell your prospective spouse that you have a venereal disease or a physical impairment (such as impotence or infertility) can void the marriage. ·        Early Roman brides carried a bunch of herbs, such as garlic and rosemary, under their veils to symbolize fidelity and fertility and to ward off evil. These herbs served as a precursor to the modern bridal bouquet. ·        The phrase “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpence in her shoe” symbolizes continuity, optimism for the future, borrowed happiness, fidelity, and wealth or good luck, respectively. ·        Because white is the color of mourning in Eastern cultures, white wedding dresses are uncommon. ·        Las Vegas is the top wedding destination with over 100,000 weddings a year, followed by Hawaii at 25,000 weddings a year. ·        Wedding rings are often placed on the third finger of the left hand because ancient Egyptians believed the vein in that hand (which the Romans called the “vein of love”) ran directly to the heart. ·        The bride’s veil traditionally symbolized her youth and virginity. Veils also hid the bride from jealous spirits or the Evil Eye. In the past, veils could be red, blue or yellow (the color of Hymen, the Greek god of marriage). The modern white veil became popular during the Victorian era as a symbol of purity and modesty. A white veil also connoted that a bride was wealthy enough to wear white. ·        In many cultures, the groom historically often kidnapped the bride, and the groom’s friends would help him, leading to the modern-day groomsmen. At the alter, the groom always stood on the bride’s right side so his right hand—or his sword hand—would be free to fight/defend a jealous rival. ·        Flower girls traditionally threw flower petals in the bride’s path to lead her to a sweet, plentiful future. ·        Nearly all cultures have showered the wedding couple with symbolic food. For example, the French throw wheat, Sicilians throw wheat bread and salt, and the English throw pieces of cake. Early Romans or Greeks threw nuts, dates, and seed-bearing plants. Bulgarians have thrown figs. ·        Throwing rice at weddings symbolizes fertility, prosperity, and bounty. In some countries, the bride might even carry or wear sheaves of grain. However, many modern churches and wedding locations discourage rice throwing because rice can be fatal for birds who eat it. ·        Guests in ancient times would tear off part of the bride’s gown as tokens of good luck, leading to the tradition of the bride throwing both her garter and her bouquet. ·        A wedding cake is traditionally a symbol of good luck and fertility and has been a part of wedding celebrations since Roman times, when a small bun, symbolizing fertility, was broken above the bride’s head at the close of the ceremony. During the Middle Ages, custom required the bride and groom to kiss over small cakes. ·        The phrase “tying the knot” initially came from an ancient Babylonian custom in which threads from the clothes of both the bride and bridegroom were tied in a knot to symbolize the couple’s union. Literally tying some type of ceremonial knot at a wedding ceremony can be found across cultures. ·        In some African ceremonies, it was a sentiment of well wishing to greet the new bride with the words: “May you bear 12 children with him.” ·        A bride is traditionally carried over the threshold either to symbolize her reluctance to leave her father’s home or because evil spirits hovered over the threshold of a house—so she was lifted over the entrance to protect her from the spirits. ·        Pope Innocent III (1160/1-1216) declared that a waiting period should be observed between betrothal and marriage, which led to separate engagement and wedding rings. The first recorded account of a diamond engagement ring was in 1477 when King Maximilian I of Germany (1459-1519) proposed to Mary of Burgundy (1457-1482) and offered her a diamond to seal his vow. ·        During Biblical times, shoes were seen as a badge of authority because they lifted a person off the ground, differentiating them from barefoot slaves and serfs. They were used to seal a bargain and fathers would give his son-in-law a pair on the wedding day as symbol of transferring authority. ·        In Great Britain, it was considered good luck for the bride to kiss a chimney sweep on her wedding day. He supposedly had special powers, and when he cleans the chimney, he also sweeps away evil spirits. ·        A morganatic marriage is a union of a person of royal blood with one of inferior rank. Such a marriage is called a “left-hand marriage” because at the wedding ceremony, the husband holds the bride’s hand with his right hand with his left hand. Though these marriages are recognized by the church, the father cannot confer on their children his rank or property. ·        In Afghanistan, a man who wanted to marry a woman would cut off a lock of her hair or throw a sheet over her and proclaim her his bride. ·        The Ozark people located in central America believed placing the dried tongue of a turtle dove in a loved one’s house would persuade him or her to marry. ·        Bedouin girls will often begin to sew their wedding dresses when they turn nine years old and so that they will finish their gown before they marry at the age of fourteen or fifteen. ·        All over the world, there is a long tradition of mock battles to keep the groom away from the bride on their wedding day. For example, in Thailand, a groom often will find the entrance of the bride’s house roped off until he offers money to get through. In some nomadic tribes in Central Asia, a groom and his party would pursue his bride on horseback—as she was riding away carrying a newly slaughtered lamb. ·        Puritans banned wedding rings because they thought they were “frivolous” jewelry or relics of Popery. ·        In many countries, a yellow wedding dress has traditionally been seen as a sign of a wife’s intention to cheat on her husband or of jealousy. ·        Much like the modern tradition of feeding wedding cake to one’s spouse, in ancient Rome, couples pledged their unity by sharing food. Today a Japanese bride and groom drink sake together, Jewish couples drink from the same cup of consecrated wine, and Muslim couples eat from the same piece of candy. ·        Greek brides believed that tucking a lump of sugar into the wedding gown would bring sweetness throughout married life. ·        To ensure fertility, the Irish would take a hen that was about to lay an egg and tie it to the wedding bed. ·        Because ducks mate for life, a Korean groom will ask a happily married friend to make him two small wooden ducks for his new household. ·        Oriental wedding dresses often display embroidered cranes, which are symbols of life-long fidelity. At Japanese weddings, the presence of 1001 white paper origami cranes is considered good luck. ·        In Egypt, women will pinch the bride to bring good luck to those who pinched her. ·        In India, it is considered a form of protection and luck to be symbolically married to a tree. ·        In present-day Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Pakistan, a girl who loses her virginity before marriage may be punished or murdered along with her lover by the males of her own family. ·        Some tribes in central Asia held that a bride’s hymen should be broken not by her husband, but by her maternal grandfather. If he was not willing or alive, a cousin from her mother’s side was responsible to perform the task. ·        Eskimos would bring their brides to a priest for divine unflowering. ·        In Europe during the Middle Ages, the lord of the manor had a legal right to spend the first night with any non-noble bride on his land (“le droit du seigneur” or “right of the lord”). ·        An average wedding in the United States has 175 guests. ·        After a Jewish wedding, the groom stomps on a glass which is wrapped in a cloth while people clap and shout congratulations (“Mazel tov!”). The broken glass symbolizes the frailty of human happiness or perhaps the destruction of the Israelite temple in A.D. 70. Some Jewish husbands argue that it means they will have the authority in the house or that shattered glass symbolizes the easing of sexual penetration on the first night of marriage. ·        In Jewish weddings, if the bride is the last marriageable daughter in her family, her mother is crowned with a wreath of leaves (a krenzel) and family and friends dance around her. ·        In Siberia, it is believed that it is a sin to remain single and that the soul of a bachelor becomes a dzheretinnik (heretic) that remains on the earth to scare the living. ·        In Ethiopia, women from certain tribes place plates in their lower lip in order to entice a rich groom. The larger the protruding lip, the more a groom will pay. ·        In many societies, families save money to cover wedding expenses the same way Americans save money to cover a child’s college education. Many parents start saving money as soon as a daughter is born. ·        In many Muslim countries and parts of Greece, the groom is expected to show the virginal blood on the sheets the morning after the wedding. The couple’s family is waiting outside to ensure the bride was a virgin and the husband was virile. ·        Some scholars claim the word “honeymoon” comes from the Teutonic custom when newlyweds would hide out and drink hydromel (a fermented honey and water mixture) for 30 days until the moon waned. ·        Green is typically not worn at Scottish weddings because it is the color of fairies and an omen of revenge. It is considered unlucky to even eat green vegetables at a wedding. ·        The busiest wedding days in the United States, in order of popularity, are Saturday afternoon, Saturday morning, Friday evening, and Sunday afternoon. A late afternoon or early evening wedding is generally more expensive than an earlier wedding. ·        In the U.S., Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company offers wedding insurance, which can cover any retaking of photographs, wedding attire or wedding gift replacements, and public liability. ·        More than 40% of couples now plan their weddings together, and three out of four grooms help select items for their wedding gift registries. ·        Seventy-five percent of engaged couples in the United States pay for some or all of their own wedding. ·        In Mediterranean countries, Jordan almonds are given to guests at a wedding to represent the bitter and the sweet sides of marriage. ·        The top 10 “First Dance” songs in the U.S. include “The Way You Look Tonight,” “Just the Way You Are,” “Come Away with Me,” Unforgettable,” “Wonderful Tonight,” “From This Moment On,” “This I Promise You,” “Thank You For Loving Me,” “Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” and “All I Ask of You.” ·        The superstition that the bridegroom must not see his bride before the wedding stems from the days when marriages were arranged and the groom might never have seen the bride. There was the chance that if he saw her, he might bolt. Other sources say that to see the bride in her dress is peering into the future, which can bring bad luck. ·        In Tibet, polyandry, or a woman with more than one husband, is not uncommon. For example, a herdsman will share his wife with his brothers and half-brothers. ·        Queen Victoria’s wedding cake was three yards wide and weighed 300 pounds. ·        Queen Elizabeth II had 12 wedding cakes. The one she cut at her wedding was nine feet tall and weighed 500 pounds. ·        In America, T.V. soap opera weddings attract more viewers than a presidential address. ·        Wedding bells are an important symbol of a wedding. Traditionally, it was believed that demons were scared off by loud sounds, so following a wedding ceremony, anything that could make noise was used to create a diversion. ·        In several countries, including Germany and Greece, the bride attempts to cover her new husband’s foot while dancing in order to establish dominance. ·        A double wedding is traditionally considered bad luck because it’s too much happiness for evil demons to overlook. ·        In Bali, a bride holds a cloth in front of the groom, who strikes it through with a dagger, in a display of obvious symbolism. ·        A wedding between two American slaves could not include the words “until death do us part” because plantation masters had the power to part husband and wives. Because slaves were not allowed to have a Christian ceremony, they invented their own ceremonies that often included the bride and groom jumping over a broom, the broom being the symbol of home in certain parts of Africa. ·        During a Javanese wedding celebration, the couple takes three rolled-up betel leaves each and throws them at one another for good luck. ·        The bachelor or stag party supposedly started in fifth-century Sparta where military compatriots would feast and toast one another on the eve of a wedding, like warriors going to battle. ·        “Matrimony” is from the Latin matrimonium, from matrem (“mother”) + monium(“action, state, condition”). ·        Before the 1500s, couples in Europe were free to marry themselves. It wasn’t until 1564 when the Council of Trent declared marriage was a sacrament that weddings became the province of priests and churches. ·        Over 74% of first-time brides receive a diamond engagement ring, with the diamond (first discovered in India over 2,000 years ago) symbolizing pure and eternal love. The Greeks thought diamonds (adamas) were tears of the gods, and the Romans thoughtdiamas or diamonds were splinters from heavenly stars. ·        In the United States, June is the most popular month for weddings, followed by August. ·        Nearly $72 billion is spent on weddings every year in the United States. ·        Before the church declared marriage a sacrament, couples often sought sacred places in nature to wed, such as a hilltop or cliff, where the earth supposedly meets heaven. ·        In England, before literacy rates were high, invitations to weddings were shouted out by “bidders,” who were old men hired to announce the details of the wedding. ·        “Three times a bridesmaid, never a bride” dates to about the sixteenth century. It was believed that if young maiden who had been a bridesmaid three times was unable to catch the eye of unmarried males, then she never would. But, if she served seven times as a bridesmaid, the spell was broken and the woman was thought to be a sure bet for marriage. ·        Because eyebrows are considered intensely alluring in the Orient, historically the bride’s eyebrows were shaved entirely, rendering her powerless to attract a man. ·        The Old English word for the wedding cereomony was bridelope, which literally met “bridal run.” The word “wed” derives from the Proto-IndoEuropean base wadh, meaning to pledge or redeem.