Wedding Invitations|Cheap Wedding Invitations|Wedding Invitation

There are certain legal requirements which any couple must follow in order to get married. It doesn't matter whether you plan to elope or have a big elaborate wedding, everyone must follow the rules.

Anyone getting married in New Zealand must:

• Be at least 16 years of age.


• Have the permission of both parents or guardian if aged under 20 years. (If parental consent is denied then an application can be made to the District Court.)


• Have a marriage licence. This is applied for at the Births, Deaths and Marriages (Department of Internal Affairs) in your local area. The department will need three clear working days to process your application. An application for a Saturday wedding must be filed no later than the Tuesday prior. A marriage licence will cost $120, unless you want to be married in the registry office in which case the fee will be $170, which includes the use of the registry for the ceremony. Your licence is valid for three months from the date of issue.


• Show proof that you are now free to marry again, if you have previously married. When you apply for the licence, the department must sight papers of dissolution.


• State where it is you intend to be married on our application for the licence. If you change your mind, this must be altered by the Registrar's Office.


• Have two witnesses to your wedding who are old enough to understand what they are doing.


• Be aware that marriage is forbidden by law between couples if certain blood or marriage relationships exist.

Provided the law is satisfied, you may have your wedding wherever you like, within reason. For more information about fees and the nearest Registrar of Marriages, contact the Births, Deaths and Marriages department.

The wedding date is set! Already, the excitement is building for your big day. You want awesome wedding pictures. But the challenge feels daunting. You know your family shutterbug Uncle Ned is not who you had in mind. Chances are you have never hired a photographer before. So where do you start? You know you want to interview the candidates, but what do you ask them? Here are 17 great questions to ask photographers before booking.

1. Are you full-time? When did you start shooting full-time?

The truth is most wedding photography operations are very fly by night. The photographers are doing their photography on a part-time basis with negligible photography experience. Do you believe your once-in-a-lifetime event should be on-the-job training for your photographer? I didn't think so. A full-time photographer has already made the considerable life-long investment of their energy, time and money to create a valued and trusted service. Your wedding memories deserve your photographer's 100 percent commitment not a 20 percent commitment.

2. Why do you like to photograph weddings?

This question helps you to gauge who your photographer is as a person and artist. Take stock of the person's passion and energy. Does he/she seem enthusiastic or kind of flat? People who love what they do have a tendency to be very good at what they do and working with them is always more enjoyable and fun.

Also, knowing a little about what makes the person tick is a good way to feel out what kind of a personality "fit" you may share with the photographer. After all, you will be spending an entire day with your photographer, so do what you can to be sure the person you pick will be genuinely excited to be there and pleasant throughout that day.

3. Will you be the actual photographer to shoot our wedding? If not, who?

It's not uncommon for photographers and larger studios to have a network of shooters. If you learn the person you are talking to will not be the shooter then insist you talk to the person who will and also insist you see their personal portfolio.

4. What kind of input can we have on the shots? i.e. subject matter, shotlists and ideas from other wedding shots we liked?

A formals/posed groupings worksheet is sometimes necessary when planning when and how to get that part of your wedding completed and done in time. Lots of communication is key here. When working with a good wedding photographer, it is important when capturing the unique qualities and moments of your wedding to keep it open-ended for your photographer. A good photographer cannot produce every photo you can think of, but he/she can produce photos you never dreamed of.

5. (For self-described photojournalists) How much of your candid-looking work is posing and setting-up of shots or do you get shots as they happen without posing or reenactment?

"Wedding photojournalist" has become a buzzword which has lost its specific meaning with its surge in popularity among photographers. Often, the term "photojournalist" means candid-looking when used by photographers and studios to describe their own work. Often these photographers will set up and reenact a few things during your wedding day but rely heavily upon traditional portraiture for a lot of your photos... there is nothing wrong with this approach if you are comfortable with that. However a true wedding photojournalist has the talent and ability to anticipate, observe and "see" moments as they happen without the need to interfere with the natural flow of your wedding day.

6. Are the digital files available on CD/DVD? If so, are they high resolution?

This is a popular request by couples. The discs can vary widely in price. Also ask if there are any discounts applied to the CD/DVD after a certain time has passed from the wedding. For example, the photographer may offer the discs at half-price two years after the wedding.

7. What kind of improvements do you make to the files on the CD/DVD?

It is nice to have your pictures in hand to keep safe and make whatever prints you like. Keep in mind all digital images on the disc should be toned, adjusted and worked a little to make an adequate print. You should have some guarantee of the quality of pictures on the disc.

8. Do you have a list of references with contact info?

This is a rarely asked but very effective question. A real live person who has worked with a photographer will give you valuable, objective information.

9. Who do you carry liability insurance with?

Businesses that adhere to professional practices will deliver professional service and results to you. Chances are slim you will ever have to worry about insurance coverage. But accidents can and do happen. Would you let a roofing company put a new roof on your home that did not have liability insurance? How about a mechanic working on your car? I hope not.

10. What is the delivery time for the various products you offer?

It really shouldn't take half a year to receive an album, your proofs or any other products. Try to be timely with any input your photographer requires as far as albums, edits to help this process along.

11. With the albums, how does the design and picture selection process work? Are there any fees for changes we would like prior to the album's production?

You should have some input into important keepsakes of your wedding like an album. Some photographers charge extra for a certain number of changes to the albums they design for you prior to the printing and binding of any album. Make sure such fees are all clearly stated. Beware of time deadlines too, they are necessary to preventing production bottlenecks.

12. When will the proofs be ready? Is there a time limit for the online proofing galleries?

If working with a digital photographer, online proofing (when you first get to see your photos online) should be completed within a couple of weeks of your event. The time period of online availability for those galleries varies among photographers. Some post them for three months, others post for a full year. Check with your photographer.

13. What happens if the photographer is ill? What about back-up equipment?

Any successful, established professional studio should have a network of shooters available for emergency help. You should have a written assurance the substitute photographer will be a competent professional.

14. Should our event last longer than scheduled? Will the photographer stay, are there extra charges?

Most weddings will not exceed a six to eight hour time commitment from your photographer. If you think you will need more time, find out how your photographer handles extra hours.

15. What associations do you belong to?

Another useful way to gauge a photographer's qualifications and professional commitment.

16. Why should we hire you?

Again, this question is similar in spirit to Question 3. Your photographer's answer should communicate some excitement about the privilege to shoot your wedding.

17. May we see your second photographer's entire shoot from a wedding?

Wedding photography studios often promote themselves as two shooter "teams." They are often a husband and wife duo. They are usually not the 2-for-1 benefit they advertise. For the most part they are maybe one decent photographer and a person who is nothing more than a camera holder with with very little qualifications or experience. Have you seen an entire take of both photographers? Insist on seeing the second photographers entire shoot.

Are you in the process of choosing a wedding invitation for your wedding? This can be a tricky process and one that should be thought about carefully. The wedding invitations that you send will be the first impression that people will have of your wedding and you want to have a good first impression.

Time

One of the first and most important considerations for your wedding invitation should be the time that the wedding will take place. If you are having your wedding in the winter or fall your invitations will look very different then spring wedding invitations. Below are some common ideas and tips that will help you make the right decision.

Fall Wedding Invitations

If your wedding will take place in the fall or winter time then you will want to theme your wedding invitations to fit the season. It would not make sense to have an invitation with spring lilies on it for example. For some of the typical fall wedding invitation ideas think about what fall means to you. The weather is getting colder outside and the leaves are all turning beautiful shades of red, browns, and deep yellows and falling from the trees. There might already be snow on the ground and it is the time to start snuggling up next to a warm fire and a very traditional time for lovers and family with the winter holidays on the way. These are the feelings that you will want to portray in your fall or winter wedding invitations.

Colors: browns, greens, gold, or white or even off white

Decoration and motifs: wide burgundy ribbons and bows, fall leaves, pine cones, pine trees, gold leaf, embossing and watermarks

Papers: you will want a paper with some tooth or texture to it. Heavy weight or heavy bond papers work well and give it a wonderful fall feel. Also papers with a deckled or unfinished edge are a nice touch. Burlap can even be used if thought about and used carefully.

There are a lot of different options if you are looking for cheap or discount fall wedding invitations for the fall season. You can easily make the invitations on your computer. Also if you look online you can easily find a ton of suppliers that will make discount wedding invitations. These can be a great way to save money.

Spring Wedding Invitations

Typically spring is a time of new life, bright new colors and blooming flowers! These are all things that you will want to pick up in your spring themed wedding invitations. No matter what you are looking for elegant spring wedding invitations or a more simple or even discount spring wedding invitations you will still want to capitalize on the time of year. Again you will want to think about what spring means to you and your fiancée.

Colors: any shade of pink, light greens, silver, and of course pure white

Decorations and Motifs: flowers like lilies or roses, tulips and daises. Butterflies and birds also work well.

Papers: thick white papers with a heavy bond work well. Also handmade papers with pressed flowers can make a wonderful spring invitation.

Summer Wedding Invitations:

If you are planning on getting married in the summer months then of course you will want a summer wedding invitation. These can be anything in a wide range of possibilities from the fun and whimsical summer invitation to the more formal invitation. IT again really depends on what summer means to you. You might think of fun sunny days spent at the beach or relaxing days spent out in the garden.

Colors: pastel colors in pinks, light blues, pure white and yellows

Decorations: beach items, raffia, tool (fabric), light muslin cloth,

Papers: vellum, light weight or light bond papers, handmade papers with pressed flowers,

A wedding invitation can be a very fun yet important part of the wedding planning. Since it is so important and it will act as the first impression that your guests will have of the wedding and often will become a memory or keepsake item for you it is important to spend some time thinking about the right option for you. You can easily pick up on the theme of your wedding and especially bring in the time of year. A dark velvety red wedding invitation will obviously look out of place for a summer wedding.

It doesn't matter if you are looking for a fall, winter, spring or summer wedding invitation there are a lot of ways that you can find affordable discount wedding invitations and there is always the option to make them yourself. DIY wedding invitations are becoming more popular all the time. So if you are sending out fall wedding invitations, spring invitations or summer invitations you are sure to find a wide variety of colors, decorations, and papers that will work for you. By planning ahead and shopping carefully or even making it yourself you are sure to save big money and have a wonderfully themed wedding invitation.

Very few couples have the luxury of inviting absolutely everybody they can think of to their wedding. So it's time to turn to that guest list the two of you drew up; the number of guests will influence not only how many wedding invitations you have to send out but also your choice of stationery and how much it will cost you.

OK, so you've decided on your definitive guest list. Great! Before discussing the kinds of wedding invitations, announcements and stationery used - as well as their pros and cons - you should be aware of the following:

The average stationery costs per wedding are any where between three and six percent of your total wedding budget. (If having a small or very informal wedding and using hand-written invitations; then you might log in under three percent).

An average stationery order takes 8 weeks to complete but if dealing with a very popular stationer, expect your order to take up to 12 weeks.

Invitations should be ordered a minimum of 4 months prior to your wedding date but for larger weddings, at least 5 to 6 months before.

If marrying close to a major holiday, allow for an additional 2 to 3 weeks for your customized order as the stationer, if popular, will have a heavier workload than usual.

Mail out your wedding invitations 8 weeks before the wedding and no later than 4 weeks prior to the wedding date, to allow your guests sufficient time to respond but also yourselves sufficient time to plan, especially for your caterers who require an accurate as possible head count for the food and drinks. This rule also applies to mailing out your invitations a few weeks earlier if you're marrying close to a major holiday as your guests may very likely have holiday plans; if you're marrying near a major holiday, mail out your invitations 3 weeks earlier than usual, in other words, 12 weeks before your wedding date.

By mailing out your invitations at least 8-12 weeks before your wedding, you'll be able to adjust your guest list as the 'regrets' responses arrive, adding on guests who were originally squeezed off your list.

It may seem obvious to many, but don't forget to mail out wedding invitations to all of your bridal party! You may just assume that they know all the details of your wedding, once they've accepted your offer to be a member of your bridal party, but you shouldn't. You must send each and every member an invitation. By doing this, they also get to have a wonderful keepsake of your wedding and their participation in it.

Allow for extra wedding invitations as keepsakes for yourselves, your parents and possibly some of your immediate family members.

Unless you're having a really small wedding with just a few dozen people in attendance, you'll probably assigned seating at some part of your wedding planning process. Assigned seating can seem too formal, and might not lead to spontaneous mingling. An open seating arrangement does seem more care free and allows guests to just grab a chair at whichever table they like. Unfortunately, open seating comes with a whole set of problems, and you're better off having an assigned seating arrangement.

This is one part of the wedding on which you will disagree the most with your parents. Parents tend to have their favored and honored guests who they would like to have at their table. This can send all your seating plans out of the window making seating plans a night mare. There's a way to get around this. Have assigned seating for the bridal party, the groom's party and for honored guests like the elderly guests at the reception. This also works out to the advantage of those who might find it hard to scramble for a seat at the reception like older guests. For the rest of the guests, keep seating open.

If the though of an open seating arrangement, and people scrambling for a place makes you uncomfortable, it's probably best to go in for a full on assigned seating plan. This will take some amount of planning. Make sure you have a chair and table arrangement plan and make several copies of it. Now it's easier to chalk in the names of people who will be assigned to specific tables. Write down the name of each guest and leave them on a table at the entrance, so guests can pick one up as they enter the reception.

The couple usually sits at a special table for the bridal party. The bride and groom typically are at the center of a long table, the bride on the right of the groom and the maid of honor to the left. The other members of the bridal party including the ushers and the bridesmaids occupy the rest of the table. It's perfectly acceptable however, to sit with your parents. Some couples actually prefer a separate table for the two of them, and that's fine too.

In Australia a Justice of the Peace is a volunteer, a member of the community who plays a vital role in the administration of justice and who receives no remuneration for that.

A JP can witness signatures on statutory declarations, certify that copies of documents are a true and accurate copy of the original, can issue summonses and police search warrants. A JP is one of the short list of categories of people who can witness a bride and groom's signatures on the Notice of Intended Marriage, the document which, in Australia, a couple is required to lodge with their marriage celebrant (wedding officiant) or clergy person a minimum of a clear month before the wedding can take place. This document serves the same purpose as the marriage license required in many other countries.

All marriage celebrants and clergy authorised to perform marriages (not all clergy are licensed to perform marriages) can also witness your signatures on the Notice. Generally speaking an Australian JP will be asked to witness the signatures where the couple is making arrangements for a destination wedding at a distance and it is therefore not possible or convenient to meet with their chosen celebrant for this purpose.

What a JP can't do, is perform the actual marriage ceremony.

There are a number of reasons for this.

• History and tradition - marriage ceremonies historically have been performed only be people authorised under the Marriage Act, including clergy, marriage officers attached to each Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages, and, since 1973, Civil Marriage Celebrants appointed by the Australian Attorney General


• In Australia marriage falls under the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth because the Marriage Act is a Federal Act. Justices of the Peace, however, are appointed by each State.

Your civil marriage celebrant can witness statutory declarations relating to your marriage, and, indeed is required to witness the Declarations required to be made on the back of the official marriage certificate in which you declare that you are free to marry.

Law mandates you not to drive a vehicle without insurance, because you can encounter so many unpredictable situations, which even a watchful and attentive driver can hardly foresee. The very purpose of car insurance is to plan for situations that crop up suddenly.

If you carry out due diligence on the Internet, selecting car insurance can become a much less complicated matter than you ever expected, and give you a deep insight as to how you could affect considerable insurance policy premiums at cheaper rates. During your search, you will most certainly come across the ideal insurance company with affordable prices and a wide enough arrays of offers for diverse insurance packages that will spoil you for choice. The unlikely possibility of your car suffering a damage or theft overnight after you take the insurance is a rare occurrence, but you must provide for all such inconveniences by taking a correct policy at the right time.

Even a very good driver having unblemished driving credentials, feels safer and more confident if he or she has a sound car insurance backing them.

Additionally, the Internet today provides any information you want about vehicle insurance with a single click of your mouse, as most of the insurance companies have a strong and visible presence on the net, with details of all their insurance options, their terms and conditions including prices. While an online calculator will help you to calculate the quantum of premium, you can get an exact quote from the insurance company's website if you sign up with them.

Your efforts in making a comparative chart of the insurance companies and their competitive offers is not an exercise in futility, as it will help you to save precious cash outflow. Excellent 24x7 customer support systems back most of the reputed insurance companies, and they will willingly cooperate with your enquiries even after their office hours. Their support matches your convenience, and provides you with exceptional features and irresistible prices.

A smart review of the testimonials of the insurance companies on their sites, will give you a fair picture of their proficiency of service and past customer reaction. It is of primary importance to ensure that these insurers have in place online facilities for payment, renewal and for updating revised information.

A conscientious car driver will spare no efforts to locate innovative tools to identify the ideal car insurance company that is a pleasure to deal with, and continuously offers options to reduce the insurance premiums.

Computer printed labels are a time-saver, but they make the first impression of your formal wedding invitation appear impersonal. If a calligrapher is not in the budget, you can gather handwriting samples from your friends and offer them a fun incentive to assist addressing the envelopes.

Courtesy titles such as Mrs. and Dr. should be the only place you see punctuation on a wedding invitation. The basic rule of etiquette when addressing professional guests places the most impressive title first on the invitation regardless of gender. Simply using Mr. and Mrs. can be confusing enough and is acceptable unless it's a formal wedding. If the doctor is your dear Uncle Hank, don't worry about addressing the professional title.

Capital letters should only be used on a wedding invitation for proper names and at the end of a sentence. Try to fight the urge to use a capital letter at the beginning of each line to emphasis the poetry and love expressed in the wording.

When seconds are rapidly ticking away on the wedding planning clock, a number seems almost insignificant. But writing numbers out is a way to stop for a moment and honor your very special wedding day.

The date should be spelled out and followed by the day - Saturday, the second of August. If you choose to include the year, spell it out as well as the time. 3:00pm is written as 3 o'clock in the afternoon.

Although traditional wedding invitation etiquette suggests everything be written out, the United States Post Office encourages the use of numbers and state abbreviations for proper delivery.

Everyone wants their wedding to be special, memorable, beautiful, and fun! You want to have something that's going to keep your friends and family talking about your wedding for years to come.

What's one of the best ways to make your special day stand out in everyone's memory? Beautiful personalized decor! From the moment your guests arrive, there's a festive air of romance with a personal touch.

Matching themed aisle runners, table runners, dance floor decals, banners, photo booth backdrops, (and don't forget wedding window clings for the getaway car!) do much more to make your wedding stand out than just the traditional paper products alone.

And it's so convenient to pick a theme, select your color, and have a range of truly unique trends in wedding decor available to choose from. It takes a lot of the legwork out of running around and matching everything to make sure it looks "just right" for your big day.

Popular trends now are hearts, damask, monogram, and seasonal themes. Couples are breaking out of the traditional "June Wedding" mold and expanding throughout the seasons. Wedding decor and accessory manufacturers are now offering a wider range of seasonal colors and designs to accommodate the non-conventional autumn and winter couples.

What's also great about these matching decor lines is that you can have everything from your ceremony, to the reception, right though to the big send off with your theme. It's so easy to set the tone for the whole experience for you and your guests when you begin the event with your own personalized aisle runner being pulled out just for your monumental walk down the aisle! You can have your aisle runner donned with your choice of designs, themes, and colors. Best of all your names and even the date can be printed right on it!

Then at the reception, imagine walking right into a fairy tale when your entire theme is transported right where all the fun happens. From the moment your guests walk in to the reception hall or banquet room, they'll know they'e at the party of the year! Who can resist having their photo taken in front of your gorgeous personalized photo booth backdrop?

And what better way to make your first dance with your new "better half" even more special than when you're twirling over the hottest trend in event decor, the personalized dance floor decal? This is sure to get everyone out of their seat to dance the night away. Who can resist doing the "Chicken Dance" when you're making it so festive and inviting?

Your first toast, cake cutting, speeches, and first meal are all the more momentous when your wedding party table is complete with a personalized table runner facing your guests.

At the very end of the whole gala, have your nearest and dearest send you off as you leave for your honeymoon in a car decked out with personalized wedding window clings on your getaway car!

And what's better than having all of these cool extras? The fact that they're MATCHING! Everyone will be sure to notice your "wedding wonderland" and will be talking about it for years to come!

Like a growing number of the world's population I hold to the belief that protection of the environment is of the utmost importance; and that the new role for our political leaders is to work with each other to solve the pressing problems of climate change, impending food and water shortages, and the on-going pollution of the planet. It is becoming more and more obvious to more and more people that the ideological clash between left and right, conservative and liberal, radical and moderate is only of secondary importance to green issues.

Quite simply put, without a world there is no politics, injustice or capitalism. Think of that recent movie 'The Road.' Once eco-armageddon hits all of society and its mores collapse. Humans degenerate into cannibals.

I expect that I'm largely preaching to the converted but I needed to state my position so I can introduce my topic. I want to discuss how buying 'green' is another consumer trend that big business and internet marketers are exploiting to make money and to do this they are not performing due diligence. Namely, they are not really interested in checking to see if a 'green' product is really environmentally friendly.

My first example is the light bulb. We all realize that the incandescent bulb is not the best. It takes valuable resources to make and has a life expectancy of only a year or so. On top of that they use a lot of electricity compared to LED lights. Indeed LED lights are the way forward. They can be easily connected to solar panels via batteries, they last a long time and they are cheap to produce. The only problem is that LED lights often don't give out enough light. At this point enters the villain, the CFL or Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb. CFLs last 7 times as long as standard incandescent light bulbs, they give off a fuller spectrum of light and they can save you $30 over the life time of a single bulb.

It's energy saving and therefore fewer fossil fuels were burnt to produce the electricity to power the bulb. That is true, but it is NOT an environmentally friendly product because CFLs contain mercury. Perhaps this problem could be offset by strict laws to dispose of the product. This seems unlikely in Cuba and Venezuela who are implementing a complete change to CFLs. Mercury is a poison that nature cannot easily neutralize. It becomes more concentrated as it goes up the food chain, until it reaches critical mass and causes disease and death. Mercury was number three on the 1997 list of hazardous substances as outlined by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. In America one-in-six children born every year have been exposed to mercury levels so high that they are potentially at risk for learning disabilities, motor skills impairment and short-term memory loss. Don't contribute to the mercury that is poisoning our soil and poisoning the sea food that we eat. In short don't use CFLs unless you are 100% sure that it will be safely disposed of once it is broken. Throwing it in a landfill is not good enough.

My second example is bamboo fabric. This is a cunning deception because bamboo is a brilliant resource that if properly harnessed can do a lot of good for the environment. Bamboo reaches maturity in 4 to 5 years compared to hardwoods that take 40 to 50 years to mature. Bamboo is water resistant. It is 16% harder than maple. Bamboo has a 'kun' substance that naturally fights off pests and pathogens so it can be easily grown organically. Bamboo can be used to make furniture and build houses.

Bamboo shots are a good source of nutrition. Bamboo is used in traditional Chinese and Indian medicine. An example of bamboo being used to make a great green product is the Totally Bamboo Congo Parquet End Grain Cutting Board. This cutting board is made from bamboo that is not used as a habitat or food of the Giant Panda. No formaldehyde glue is used in making the cutting board and Totally Bamboo has a fair trade program to make sure the farmers are paid a fair price for the bamboo they harvest.

However, all that is made of bamboo is not necessarily good for the environment. You can make fabric from bamboo in an environmentally safe and sustainable way but it is labor intensive. Instead most fashion designers use bamboo fabric that is made through a process called 'hydrolysis alkalization' that 'cooks' the bamboo in strong chemical solvents to produce a fabric. This process uses sodium hydroxide and carbon disulfide. Both these chemicals are linked to serious health problems. So be careful when you are buying bamboo clothing - it might turn out to be as bad for the environment as conventional cotton or synthetic materials such as rayon.

I hope I have demonstrated with these two examples how we as consumers should not let down our guards just because we are told something is green or energy saving. Sometimes we are being mislead. Marketers know how to play on our sympathies to get us to buy their products.