Wedding Invitations|Cheap Wedding Invitations|Wedding Invitation

The number one thing to keep in mind throughout these first few weeks is that you have spent the past forty days retraining your mind and body - there is no need to go back to where you came from! You have a fresh start! You've probably noticed that as your body has detoxed, your cravings have gone way down - you will begin to feel so refreshed just from eating whole, organic foods in the following weeks ahead. The best way to break an extended fast is to start off with fresh, organic, raw fruits & veggies.

I make a fruit salad that both Jenna and I absolutely love (recipe below). So, on the first day, I made a big batch and put it in an ultra vac to keep for the week. We add a little chopped almond or walnut and sprinkle on some organic granola and we have used it for breakfast and snacks throughout the week. For veggies, we bought all kinds of raw veggies: lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, & carrots and have had this as a small salad for lunch. The sky is the limit - any type of vegetable you like. At dinnertime, we have some frozen organic veggies that we cook in our waterless cookware. For snacks, we have the fruit salad above or 1 slice of whole wheat organic bread with 1 TBSP all natural peanut butter w/ organic wildflower honey - so yummy (I've been eating this before we go work out and it's just what I need for a boost of energy to get me through it!).

It's really important to ease into eating with raw veggies & fruits for the first 4-5 days following your fast because this will act as nature's broom to start opening up your sleepy colon. It's normal to feel like your food is taking a little while to digest - because it is! After about day three off the fast, it will start to even out and you will begin to feel like all of your cranks are turning correctly. On day 6 or 7 after you end your fast, you can began adding a little bit of meat back into our diets by putting a little cooked chicken or fish on you salads. Try to stay away from too much dairy. So many dairy products are processed and you don't want to add that back to your body.

You may feel like eating again is overwhelming. You will begin to feel full after just a few bites, your food will feel enormous in your mouth, and you may feel a little bloated for a few days. This can get frustrating for someone who hasn't had solid food for so long! It's normal to feel this way. I've retrained my mind to take smaller bites and to chew thoroughly so my digestive system doesn't have to work quite so hare. It's exciting to me to get full faster because I know that my stomach has shrunk to a normal size and I am eating healthy portions. In order to keep your metabolism up and running efficiently, it's most beneficial to eat small amounts of food more often than the normal 3 meals per day; a good rule of thumb is 3 small meals and two healthy snacks. Just remember, take small bites, chew extra thoroughly, take very small portions, eat several small meals per day, eat only fresh, whole, organic foods, continue to drink 100 - 120 oz of water per day, and make sure to exercise 4-5 times a week.

I found a great list of healthy eating habits to maintain after my fast on http://www.healthrecipes.com. Take a look at them and keep reading for the Fast Break Menu and Recipes.

1. Do not overeat! Listen to your body. Discover the amount of food that your body needs to live a vibrant, healthy life.

2. Eat slowly and chew your food well. Saliva has enzymes that assist in digestion. The enzymes in saliva can digest up to 80 percent starch, 30 percent protein and 10 percent fat.

3. Be relaxed. Try to unwind when eating.

4. Decide ahead of time what you want to eat and the amount rather than eating from an urge.

5. Make juices during the breaking period. Juice is gentle nourishment to the body. Most fasters continue to include juice in their daily routine for the rest of their lives.

6. Stay focused on eating rather than on unsettling thoughts. Pay attention to the texture, smell and the sensation of eating. Be aware of how it feels in the stomach.

7. Enjoy eating to the max. People are starving and you have the privilege to eat.

8. Work at making healthy food appealing. A banana and pear taste great without preparation but having them sliced into a fancy bowl, sprinkled with chopped dates and chilled in the refrigerator will maintain your enthusiasm for eating healthy.

9. Discern the difference between cravings and hunger. Never feed your emotions by eating from stress, depression or boredom.

10. You will feel satisfied with smaller amounts of food and sluggish and tired when overeating. Rich foods full of fat, salt and processed sugars will cause nausea, headaches and weakness. A handful of fruit will be thoroughly satisfying. Because the digestive system has to work less, there will be boundless energy to spare.

11. Have an exit activity for after eating. Make it something you want to do. It will be easier to move away from the table.

12. Educate yourself on how to begin a lifestyle of healthy eating. Fasting is a wonderful new beginning, a foundation for a lifelong, healthy diet

The Menu & Shopping List
DAY 1:
Breakfast: ½ Cup Fruit Salad w/ 1 TBSP chopped nuts and 1 TBSP Organic Granola
Snack: 1 Slice Organic WW Bread, 1 TBSP Natural Peanut Butter, 1 TBSP
Organic Honey
Lunch: Small Raw Vegetable Salad
Snack: 1 Cup Live Juice (blackberry, strawberry, raspberry, pomegranate, & grape)
Dinner: ½ Cup Mashed Potatoes, ½ Cup Lima Beans, ½ Cup Broccoli

DAY 2:
Breakfast: ½ Cup Fruit Salad
Snack: 1 Slice Organic Whole Wheat Bread, 1 TBSP Natural Peanut Butter, 1 TBSP Organic Honey
Lunch: Small Raw Vegetable Salad
Snack: 1 Cup Live Juice (apple, carrot, spinach)
Dinner: 1 ½ Cups Veg. Medley: Squash, Broccoli, Carrots, & Onions

DAY 3:
Breakfast: 1 Slice Organic WW Bread, 1 TBSP Natural Peanut Butter, 1 TBSP Organic Honey
Snack: ½ Cup Fruit Salad w/ 1 TBSP chopped nuts and 1 TBSP Organic Granola
Lunch: Small Raw Vegetable Salad w/ Ranch
Snack: 1 Cup Live Juice (blackberry, strawberry, raspberry, pomegranate, & grape)
Dinner: ½ Cup Mashed Cauliflower, ¼ Cup Corn, ¼ Cup Peas

DAY 4:
Breakfast: ½ Cup Fruit Salad w/ 1 TBSP chopped nuts & 1 TBSP Organic Granola
Snack: 1 Slice Organic WW Bread, 1 TBSP Natural Peanut Butter, 1 TBSP Organic
Honey
Lunch: Small Raw Vegetable Salad w/ HM
Snack: 1 Cup Live Juice (apple, carrot, spinach)
Dinner: 1 ½ Cups Veg. Medley: Squash, Broccoli, Carrots, & Onions

DAY 5:
Breakfast: ½ Cup Fruit Salad w/ 1 TBSP chopped nuts & 1 TBSP Organic Granola
½ WW Bagel or 1 Slice WW Organic Toast w/ Peanut Butter & Honey
Snack: ½ Cup Odwalla Superfood & ½ Cup Naked Superfood
Lunch: Medium Salad w/ Chicken
Snack: 1 Cup Live Juice (blackberry, strawberry, raspberry, pomegranate, & grape)
Dinner: BBQ Pork Medallion, ½ Cup Mashed Potatoes, ½ Cup Peas

DAY 6:
Breakfast: 1 Hard Boiled Egg
1 Slice Organic WW toast w/ butter
½ Cup Odwalla Superfood & ½ Cup Naked Superfood
Snack: ½ Cup Fruit Salad w/ 1 TBSP chopped almonds & 1 TBSP Organic Granola
Lunch: Small Turkey Wrap w/ Organic Yogurt Ranch Dressing
1 Serving Chips, ½ Sliced Apple, 1 Serving Baby Carrots
Snack: 1 Cup Live Juice (apple, carrot, spinach)
Dinner: 1 Small Tilapia (make extra for dinner Salad Sat)
½ Cup Orange Almond Basmati Rice, ¼ Cup Lima Beans

DAY 7:
Breakfast: 1 Cup Fruit Salad
½ Organic WW Bagel w/ Peanut Butter & Honey
½ Cup Odwalla Superfood & ½ Cup Naked Superfood
Lunch: Eat Out, Your Choice - Stay Smart!
Dinner: Medium Salad w/ Egg, Tilapia, Sunflower Seeds, & Ranch
1 Cup Live Juice (blackberry, strawberry, raspberry, pomegranate, & grape)

FAST BREAK SHOPPING GUIDE:

For the menu above, here is your shopping list. You can assume that all of the ingredients listed are organic, whole foods.

FRESH PRODUCE:
1 head of lettuce
2 Bags of Spinach
1 Large Cucumber
1 Large, Firm Tomato
1 Small, Sweet Onion
1 Large Bag Carrots
4 Red Apples
4 Green Apples
1 Yellow Apple
2 Bananas
2 Pears
3 Large Oranges
2 Lemons
1 Yellow Squash
1 Green Squash
1 Small Yellow Onion
1 Golden Yukon Potato
1 Red Potato
1 Bunch Garlic
1 Bunch Green Onions
1 Small Bag Baby Carrots
3 Containers Blackberries
3 Containers Raspberries
2 Containers Strawberries
1 Bag Red Grapes
4 Pomegranates

FROZEN PRODUCE
1 Bag Corn
1 Bag Peas
1 Bag Baby Broccoli Florets
1 Bag Lima Beans
1 Bag Cauliflower

BAKERY
1 WW Bagel
1 Loaf WW bread
1 Bag Small Tortilla Wraps

MEAT
¼ lb Sandwich Turkey
1 Small Pork Medallion
2 Small Tilapia Fillets
1 Small Chicken Breast

DAIRY
16 oz Unflavored, low fat Yogurt
Butter
½ dozen eggs
1 Small Cream or Skim Milk
8 oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese

MISC
1 Small Bag of Almond Slivers
1 Small Bag Chopped Walnuts
1 Small Bag Sunflower Seeds
1 Box Granola
1 Small Container Honey
2 Ranch Dressing Seasoning Packet
1 Box Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1 Small container BBQ sauce
1 Bag Croutons, any kind

For ease of use, I would do your shopping on a Saturday or Sunday when you have plenty of time to enjoy yourself. When we got our groceries home, we went ahead and prepared everything for the week so that breakfast eating and lunch packing would go quickly all week long. We washed all of the fruit and veggies. We chopped the lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions and ultra vac-ed each separately to keep all week. We shredded the cheese and about 4 carrots on our Master Kut (non-electric food processor) and stored those (you will save a lot of money by buying whole carrots and whole blocks of cheese and preparing them yourself vs buying them already shredded). I also prepared the fruit salad using the Master Kut and with the ultra vac, the fruit doesn't turn mushy and ruin throughout the week. We also prepped all of our fruit for our fresh juices to make all week long like explained in week 4.

The Recipes
Fruit Salad:
1 Red Apple
1 Green Apple
1 Yellow Apple
1 Pears
2 Oranges (Blood Oranges are my favorite)
1 Bananas

Shred the apples and pears on the #3 Cone of your master cut. Dice the bananas very small and mix in. Squeeze the oranges over the salad as the dressing; remove the pulp from the orange rind and mix into the salad. Serve in ½ cup portions with 1 TBSP almond slivers or chopped walnuts & 1 TBSP granola. Could also add 1 TBSP of raisins or dried cranberries to each serving as well.

Raw Veggie Salad:
1 Cup Lettuce, chopped
½ Cup Spinach, chopped
¼ Cup Cucumber, diced
¼ Cup Tomato, diced
1-2 TBSP Red Onion, diced
2 TBSP Shredded Carrot
1 TBSP Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 TBSP Sunflower Seeds
5-10 Croutons
**add any other veggies that you like in small portions**
**after the first 4-5 days, you could add diced chicken, tuna, tilapia, or turkey, egg, and/or turkey bacon**
Yogurt Ranch Dressing:
16 oz Low Fat or Non-Fat, Unflavored Yogurt
2 pkgs Simply Organic Ranch Dressing mix

Mix all ingredients until smooth; use in portions of 1-2 TBSP.

Mashed Potatoes:
1 Golden Yukon Potato, diced
2 TBSP Chicken Stock
2 TBSP Cream
2 TBSP Butter
Minced Garlic (optional)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Scrub and dice the potatoes. Add them to the 1 qt saucepan with the chicken stock. Cover, whistle open, and cook on medium heat. When the whistle sounds, turn the temperature to low and the whistle valve to "V" for vent. Allow to cook for 15 minutes or until soft. Mash with a flat head masher and stir in the cream, butter, garlic (optional), and season with salt and pepper to your tastes. Makes 2-3 servings. (save leftovers for Day 5).

Lima Beans:
¼ Cup Chicken Stock
1 TBSP Butter
1 Cup Lima Beans
Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Powder to taste

Add all ingredients to a 1.5 qt saucepan. Cover, whistle open, and cook on medium heat. When the whistle sounds, turn the burner to low and the whistle to "V" for vent. Allow to cook 15 minutes. Makes 2, ½ Cup servings

Vegetable Medley:
½ Yellow Squash
½ Zuchinni
1 Cup Broccoli Florets
1 Cup Baby Carrots
½ Cup Yellow Onions, julienne cut
½ Cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, #1 cone
Garlic Powder, Salt & Pepper to taste

Combine vegetables and seasoning in a 2 qt saucepan, toss to mix well. Cover, whistle open, and cook on medium heat. When the whistle sounds, turn the burner off and close the whistle valve. Allow to stand for 7 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with cheese. Recover and allow to stand for 2-3 minutes longer or until the cheese has melted. Makes 2 Servings.

Mashed Cauliflower:
2 Cups Cauliflower
¼ Cup Cream or Milk
2 TBSP Butter
1 Garlic Pod, minced
Salt & Pepper to taste

Add Cauliflower and minced garlic to the 2 qt saucepan. Cover, whistle open, and cook on medium heat. When the whistle sounds, close the whistle valve and turn the burner off. Allow to stand for 10 minutes. Uncover and add cauliflower, cream, and butter to a food processor. Blend until smooth. Season to your tastes with salt and pepper. Makes 2 - 3 small servings.

BBQ Pork Medallion w/ Smashed Red Potatoes:
1 BBQ Pork Medallion
1 Red Potatoe
2 TBSP BBQ Sauce
1 tsp Butter
1 tsp Cream or Milk
¼ tsp Garlic, minced
1 tsp Green Onion, minced
Paprika, Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat the small skillet on medium heat. Meanwhile, slice the potatoes on the #4 cone of the Master Kut. Add the minced garlic and season with salt, pepper, and paprika. Toss to coat well. Season the pork with salt, pepper and paprika. When the pan is hot, add the meat to sear. Add 1 TBSP BBQ sauce on top and cover, whistle open. When the whistle sounds, flip the meat and add the other TBSP of BBQ sauce. Layer the potatoes on top of the pork and cover, whistle open. When the whistle sounds again, close the whistle valve and turn the burner off. Allow to stand covered for 10-12 minutes. Take off the lid and remove the pork medallion to a plate. Add the cream and butter to the pan and smash the potatoes with a flat head masher. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes one serving.

Turkey Wrap
1 Small Tortilla wrap, any flavor (I love spinach and tomato basil)
¼ lb Deli Turkey
1 Small Slice Cheese, any kind
2 TBSP diced Tomato
4-5 Spinach Leaves
2 TBSP diced Cucumber
1 TBSP diced Banana Peppers or Pickles
1 TBSP Yogurt Ranch

Lay wrap on a flat surface and cover with Ranch. Add the cheese and turkey. Layer on the tomato, spinach, cucumber, and banana peppers. Tuck the sides in toward the middle and roll into a wrap.

Citrus Tilapia with Orange Almond Basmati Rice & Lima Beans
1 Lemon
2 Tilapia Fillets
1 Orange
2 TBSP almond slivers
½ Cup Basmati or Jasmine Rice
1 Cup Chicken Broth
1 TBSP Garlic, minced
1 Cup Lima Beans
¼ Cup Chicken Stock
1 TBSP Butter
Garlic Powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt & pepper to taste

Follow directions above for lima beans. Do NOT turn the burner on yet. Saute the dry rice and almond slivers in a 2 qt saucepan until aromatic on medium heat. Zest the orange into the rice pan and add the garlic and stock. Season with salt and pepper. Cut the orange that youzested in half and squeeze the juice from ½ of the orange over the rice. Stir, cover, and turn to medium heat. Turn the lima beans on to medium heat, whistle open. Meanwhile, slice half of the lemon and the other half of the orange. Add to the bottom of the skillet. Season the fish with garlic powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, & pepper (or Darn Good if you have it) on one side. Place the seasoned side down on top of the citrus slices. Squeeze the other half of the lemon on top of the fish and then season that side the same as the first. Cover, whistle open. When the whistle sounds on the rice and lima beans, turn their burners off and close the whistle valve; turn the burner on medium for the fish. When the fish's whistle sounds, turn the burner to low, and close the whistle valve. Allow to cook for 10 minutes. Makes 2 servings: 1 pc of fish, ½ Cup of Rice, and ½ Cup Lima Beans per serving.

Embossed wedding invitations have remained popular for many years. Embossing adds detail to a wedding invitation without becoming overpowering. Printers who specialise in this type of printing will have a range of embossing dies available including several typefaces. You can commission your own design, however, this is more expensive as a new die will need to be created. When commissioning your design be prepared for the printer to suggest changes. Fine lines and details do not come out well with this printing technique so the printer may suggest that you choose a less intricate design.

Another way to personalise your wedding invites without spending extra money is by using your monograms as a motif for your design. As said previously most printers will have embossing letters available therefore new dies will not need to be created. Alternatively you can choose a simple postcard style design and have the entire wedding invitation text embossed onto the card.

If you are on a budget a great idea is to look online for embossed wedding stationery. There are many pre-designed cards that include embossing detail, from simple borders to intricate Celtic patterns.

Embossing can also be combined with hot foil. A sheet of foil is placed between the die and the sheet of card. This technique creates both a foiled and embossed design. Foil comes in many different colours including special effect foil such as holographic. However, most commonly used on wedding invites is gold and silver foil. The foil itself can have a shiny or satin finish to it. Again many online stores supply wedding stationery that takes advantage of both embossing and hot foil.

So do you actually think that gift giving traditions might differ from one country to another or are they pretty much the same? Before we look at it any further, let's have a small test.

o Pupils in Russia usually bring gifts: candies, books, etc. for their teacher on the first day of school, September-1. - Yes/No
o Family members exchange valuable gifts during Christmas celebration. - Yes/No
o It is normal to celebrate your one's birthday both at home and with colleagues in the office. - Yes/No
o When meeting close friends or relatives in the airport or at a railway station, Russians bring flowers. - Yes/No
o Men present gifts to women both at work and at home for the 8th of March, International Women's Day. - Yes/No
o The number of flowers presented to a Russian for a special occasion is inconsequential. - Yes/No

So what is it to present and when is the right time to do so?

8th of March, International Women's Day is very special for any Russian woman. Men are presenting women with gifts of all types; however, flowers are almost always obligatory. As a rule, not a single lady leaves without a gift as men at work organize small gifts for all ladies in the office, dads buy something special for their daughters, husbands for the wives, etc. Having lived in North America for 7 years now, I still anxiously await this day and always look for a surprise from my sweetheart (I'll be sure to have him read this article).

New Years along with Christmas are among the most favorite of holidays, but there is no real tradition to exchange valuable gifts. Children are the ones to receive gifts and there are many services with dressed Ded Moroz - Grandfather Frost, Russian Santa Claus, and his granddaughter Snegurochka - Snow Maiden visiting home on New Year's Eve and congratulating kids.

Recently it became ordinary to give a young couple money in an envelope as a wedding gift. Just keep in mind that when going to a wedding, one needs to think about the gift seriously and make it substantial. The gift registry concept is non-existent in Russia, so talking with newly weds relatives will help to make a more educated decision. Bed linen, silverware sets, dishes, etc. will be some of the appropriate examples for wedding gifts.

As anywhere else, gifts are presented on a birthday, which is often celebrated not only with the family but with colleagues as well. The birthday boy or girl are the ones bringing some teats, wine, appetizers, while others usually collect money and get one substantial gift from the whole group and, as always, flowers!

Russians attitude towards flowers is very special. You might already know that only live flowers can be presented. It is not acceptable to give only one flower, regardless of how beautiful it may be. And always make sure to have an odd number of flowers - usually 3, 5 or 7. Even number of flowers bouquets are taken to funerals only. And don't forget about the color! Russians are a sentimental and symbolic people: white represents innocence while red symbolizes victory. Yellow flowers are not often to be presented due to the color associated with separation and betrayal.

On the very first day of school, September 01, all pupils in Russia bring flowers for their teachers, which has been a long standing tradition. My friend here in the US had a similar question when sending her 7-year old to school: Do they bring flowers to teachers in the US for the first day of school? She decided to stay away from this Russian tradition and would have stood out to the others as someone attempting to gain influence.

Now let's look at what can be presented as a gift. Remember a Russian saying "The gift is small, but love is all" meaning that it is not about the value of the gift, but about love, attention, time spent for finding the right gift. Presenting a gift we often say: "I know that you like this particular chocolate/wine/perfume so I decided to get it..." or "I notice how flattering this color is for you, so..." Each gift to a Russian is symbolic and should have some meaning. If you pay attention and continue to think about the person for whom you are buying it, it'll be perfect whether big or small. Love, attention and warmth from your heart will be the most cherished memory about any gift. Hmmm, perhaps we are all more similar than I first thought...

Short wedding dresses are becoming more and more popular among modern day brides. There are many reasons for this, but the main ones include the fact that there are now so many couples choosing to have destination or outdoor weddings. Many of the locations that are chosen as a wedding venue are just not appropriate for a traditional long dress. If you are planning to have a spring or summer wedding in the great outdoors such as a beach, resort or garden, your top priority is to be comfortable.

There are also brides who choose to wear short wedding dresses, because they feel it is more trendy and stylish. Some feel that the long white wedding gown is a little too traditional and opt for the shorter dress to look different. This type of wedding dress is also ideal for a bride with a petite figure. Wearing a short dress will elongate her legs and give the illusion that she is taller than she actually is. Another added bonus for getting a shorter dress is that it will probably cost a lot less due to the fact that less fabric is used in making the dress. So budget conscious brides might want to consider going with a short dress on her big day.

Short wedding dresses can come in a variety of styles and colors. If you prefer to stick with the traditional white color, there are many fun and flirty styles to choose from. Try a one shoulder, a halter or a bohemian style dress. Couple that with some nice jewelry or other accessories and you will have the perfect wedding day look for an outdoor wedding. If you want to be a little more daring with the color, try something nice and vibrant to match the environment you are in. The length of a short dress can also vary greatly, they range from tea length to above the knee. Just remember that anything too short might be a little inappropriate for a wedding.

The types of fabric that are used to make short wedding dresses are typically very soft and lightweight. Such fabrics are great for short dresses, because they flow so nicely and allow you to move gracefully in them. Look for dresses in chiffon, damask, silk or charmeuse. Some of them are even transparent and can be layered to create a fuller skirt. Remember that the best kind of short wedding dress is one that you feel comfortable in and that allows you to move around freely, this is especially important for places like the beach.

Not only will your wedding dress be great for a casual informal wedding, you can probably wear it again on a regular basis. The short wedding dress can be extremely practical. It's such a shame that most brides spend thousands of dollars on a wedding dress that they only get to wear once. Why not make the most out of your wedding dress and put some mileage on it.

Maine is an excellent place for you to choose to get married in. It has a number of backdrops that are the most dramatic in all of New England, making it most ideal for your nuptials. There are tons of different hotels and inns scattered all over Maine that specialise in hosting weddings. The majority of these locations are in the southern region, in Ogunquit and Kennebunk, and these are some of the best places that you'd ever want to get married in, but it does come with its own set of disadvantages. One of the most obvious disadvantages to getting married at one of these resorts is the price.

There are many people that get married in Maine and spend a great deal of time trying to find the ideal location that is within their budget limitations. The vast majority of event centers and upscale resorts in Maine (and everywhere else in America) charge a great deal of money for their catering and facility charge. The majority of us will find that it's simply outside of our budgets.

Now, is it possible for you to get married in Maine, without having to spend all your life's savings? I'm not referring to a shotgun wedding at your local courthouse. I'm talking about a wedding situated outside that takes advantage of the beauty and rugged coastline of Maine. You will find some of the most beautiful views in Acadia National Park, and for $50 you can purchase a wedding permit. You can also opt to get married at the gazebo in Fore Allen Park for a fee of $40 for the wedding permit. There are so many parks scattered all over Maine that are capable of providing the perfect setting for your wedding without you having to spend everything you have.

For brides who are on a budget, here are ten cheap wedding ideas for you! It is possible to have a wonderful, memorable, nice wedding for cheap! You just need to get creative! Think outside the box!

Ten Cheap Wedding Ideas for you:

1. Cut your guest list! The more guests you have, the more you'll have to spend on food, drinks, invites, favors, etc.

2. Have a unique wedding theme - think picnic wedding, luau, movie theater wedding, roller derby wedding, etc. A unique wedding theme may give you ideas for a unique wedding location, food, etc. which may also be cheaper.

3. Spend less on your dress! There's a big difference between eight hundred dollars and one hundred dollars. Cheap wedding dresses can really cut your budget! And, you only do wear it once!

4. Do a lottery (with a worthwhile prize) and have friends and family help chip in for your wedding - $10 per ticket does add up!

5. For cheap wedding favors, instead of traditional favors, donate the money to charity and use it as a tax write off.

6. Instead of bouquets use a single flower for the bride and the bridesmaids. It's much cheaper than a floral arrangement!

7. Don't want to spend a fortune on a cake? How about a desert table instead? Have friends and family help you bake!

8. Can't afford a photographer or videographer? Have friends and family take photos and videos!

9. Think different for the catering - BBQ, finger foods, pizza, grilled cheese, desert reception, cocktail reception, etc.

10. Supply your own alcohol - if you're not locked into a bar package, you can get deals on the drinks by supplying them yourselves!

And, a bonus tip: Think outside the box for cheap wedding invitations: print or make your own, do a postcard, really get the use out of your wedding website, do a digital invitation, a video invitation. Just get creative!

A hot wedding trend this year is planning events that are eco-friendly, also known as "green". With many more environmentally friendly products available to consumers now, many couples are choosing to honor the earth by having wedding events that are less wasteful; more about giving something back to the earth.

Being environmentally conscious is a lifestyle choice and it's starting with their wedding day. If you and your future spouse care more about the environment and less about having a frilly, wasteful wedding, why not consider going green for your own wedding with these fantastic new eco-friendly wedding favor ideas?

Flowers in bloom. One of the greatest gifts an environmentally conscious couple can give to their wedding guests is seeds that can be planted in the earth to renew life. There are lots of wonderful eco-friendly wedding favors that incorporate this idea, such as wedding favor flower packets, wild flower seed packets and flower pots. One cute way to use these as favors are to set terra cotta flower pots on tables with some biodegradable foam and moss in the base, mount the seed packets onto bamboo sticks and make an "arrangement" with them in the pot.

Guests can then take them home and plant the flowers in their own gardens, in the park or in window planters to enjoy them as they bloom. The couple can even use this idea as part of their wedding celebration - instead of lighting a unity candle, they can place two seed packets into one pot and then convey that as the seeds germinate and grow, so too does their love grow and become something even more beautiful.

Go natural. There are many lovely natural products that can be used for wedding décor and favors at your green wedding event. Some lovely ideas include place card holders made out of bamboo shoots or sea shells. These items can be placed on tables for guests to enjoy during the wedding and reception, then later on, for displaying wedding photos, recycled paper wedding announcements and other little treasures from your wedding day. Be sure to donate any items to the recycling or resale stores after your wedding so that others can reuse them.

Biodegradable is better. The green products that are available today include many products that are totally biodegradable - such as paper products, beeswax and soy candles, and wedding décor made with 100% recycled material. It's easy to find just the right items that will not pollute the environment when you toss them or if they accidentally end up on the ground. Some wonderful biodegradable items include burlap wedding favor coasters and butterfly seed baskets. Just think lots of natural fibers and you will find many excellent wedding favors that won't harm the environment once the party ends.

Forget the AC - use fans. What better way to reduce electricity waste by eliminating air conditioning at your green wedding? If you think ahead, you can plan your wedding on a nice warm spring or autumn day, but if it does happen to get a little warmer than usual, one excellent eco-friendly wedding favor idea for guests are foldable fans made out of sandalwood or silk. These fans can even be personalized if you like and used later on for other events as they fit neatly inside pockets and purses. Your guests will feel like they're in an old fashioned wedding when you present them with fans like this as it adds a nice touch of charm for your green wedding day.

The eco-friendly wedding is a thoughtful way for you to remind others that it's very important to take care of the earth so that we can all enjoy the fresh air, blue skies and all that nature provides for us to be happy.

The wedding invitations are a very important aspect of the wedding. They are an important decision that should be made by both bride and groom when they plan out the wedding. The wedding invitations are many times the first contact you will have between the guests and the bride and the groom. That makes if very important that you ensure all items are included.

One of the first considerations will naturally be the invitations themselves. They should include what day your wedding will be held, the date and time, and the location. The names of the happy couple also need to be on there. You should state if you are having a reception after the ceremony and where it will be held as well. You wedding invitations ought to also match your wedding tone and color scheme. That way your guest will be fully informed of what they can expect when they arrive and if it is going to be a formal or informal affair.

Wedding invitations need to include additional information for guests who are coming in from out of town and will have to make some travel arrangements to come to your wedding. A bride and a groom should take the initiative to book some rooms at one of the local hotels. More than likely you can find a hotel that will offer you a discount. Then you need to include this information in with your wedding invitations in order for your guests to know they can get the low rates and book their trips in advance.

It is crucial that you also include reply cards in your envelopes. This can be as crucial as the invitations themselves. These are the cards that will hold the spaces that your guests can use to sign their names and let you know if they will be attending or not. This helps you to determine the size of your party and how much cake and food you will need. You should have the courtesy of sending self-addressed stamped envelopes for your guests to return to you. These reply cards will be a vital part of your wedding planning and your invitations.

Choosing your wedding invitations can be a lot of fun for both bride and groom. This is the time when many couples really begin to feel their connection and the reality that they're having a wedding begins to set in. It can truly be exciting!

In this Free Blog Factory review I examine the importance of running a correctly setup blog and whether or not Free Blog Factory is the right way to go for you. With now over 400,000,000 blogs indexed by Google and that number is growing by the second. In case you are wondering, yes there are supposed to be that many zeros and commas.

When people think about starting an online home based business, they realize no matter the venue, it all starts with a blog. The truth however, is that most people will fail. In fact most people will never get past the basic setup of their blog and creating a few posts that do not get seen by anyone other than the creator.

So why exactly are so many people and even large companies going to blogs instead of the traditional website which dominated the Internet for so long?

I'm about to reveal the answer to that question and so much more.

There is no question blogs are here to stay and are quickly replacing websites with even older mainstream companies. The reason why is simple, blogs are easy on the eyes, do not require any programming, and can be completely customized while at the same time be universally similar in terms of general layout so your readers and customers can easily navigate and find what they are looking for.

Another great aspect to blogs is that they work in unison with web 2.0 places such as Twitter and Facebook. This can dramatically increase your traffic and ability to connect with your audience.

If you are considering opening up shop online or even just trying to find a better way to connect with your customers, you need to have a fully customized blog with all the bells and whistles.

This is where Free Blog Factory really comes into play as they do everything for you with your blog and for free. In addition you will be fully optimized for search engine optimization. This is important because in order to make money you need traffic and the best traffic comes organically from the search engines.

You will want to have your blog customized to represent you, Blog Factory gives you over 15 custom templates to chose from and you can customize them even further as you go along. All you have to do is point and click. They have over 3 hours of social media training videos too so if you want to attract highly targeted visitors from say Facebook, they will show you how to do that.

What it really boils down to is you being up and running with a completely unique blog that looks great, represents you and allows you to focus on developing your business rather than dealing with the headache of making sure everything was setup correctly on your blog.

If this question arises in your mind that you are legally married or not and you want to check your marital status then you must listen to this and check ways to authenticate this. Following are the methods through which you can check that you are legally married or not. First of all you can review your marriage certificate and read your and your partner name which is mentioned on your certificate. And after that you can check the legal appearance of your marriage through internet.

There are many websites which provides you the facility of online check that you are legally married or not. You just have to enter your name and date of marriage on this website and the result is in front of you. You have to enter the right name of you and your partner otherwise you get wrong information that's why I suggested you to review you marriage certificate before using this service online. You can enjoy this service free of cost if you have web facility in your home.

You can also check the legal proof of you marriage through some paid websites. These websites are especially designed to perform this kind of task. These sites contain the data base of marriages which are legally registered. You just have to create an account on these sites to check that you marriage is legally registered or not. These sites normally charges some bucks to provide you the facility of checking the legal record of your marriage. After creating an account on these sites you just have to enter the name of you and your partner and date of your marriage. Within few minutes these kinds of websites gives you the whole result about your marriage like place of marriage, legal appearance of your marriage, exact time of your marriage and many more.

If these two methods do not satisfy your demands then you can for other procedures. There are many rear chances of non-satisfaction; people usually get desired information with all relevant authentications. Another way to check out if you are legally married or not is through visiting the office of marriage registrar. Because in registrar office, all records of marriages are maintained. You just have to tell the date of your marriage and the officer can provide you all the record of your marriage. He will also take some money as a fee for providing this service.