Destination weddings have become a hot market, which serves you because of all the resources that are now available to you online. All you have to do is search for the ones that will be helpful to you (which is a very easy task to delegate to an available bridal party member if your schedule is already saturated), and with a click of your mouse, you will be well on your way to your dream wedding.

The best thing about Save the Dates is that they get you on the calendar of those whom you desperately want at your wedding without demanding you to have all your details figured out. Invitations get you on the calendar too, but because you normally have to wait so long to work out all the details of timing, venue, travel accommodations, etc., you might not be the first one to reserve that special date in your families’ and friends’ calendars.

Do you have a weather contingency plan, be it for rain, dust storms, snow, or whatever other weather condition frequents your locale?

Ask your venue what they do in such circumstances. If you don’t like their plan, you should weigh the risk of inclement weather and decide if you want to lock in that venue.

Companies with safe diamond mining are Igloo Diamonds (www.diamonds.ca) and usually Canadian, Australian, or Arctic diamond companies. Another way to navigate the jewelry companies is to look for diamonds that are certified by the Kimberley Process, which is an African process developed specifically with the intent of curtailing African blood-diamond mining

If you want to go for true functionality, you can print your program on the label of a water bottle so your guests don’t get thirsty. It saves the hassle of another item to keep up with while also turning a standard water brand label into something personal.

Or if you are putting blankets on your guests’ chairs as their favors, tie a thick ribbon around it and print your program basics on a card tied to the ribbon.

The Purposed Bride is a perfect companion to your favorite practical wedding-planning guide. From managing your wedding-season relationships and planning the event’s particulars to preparing a life with your fiancé, The Purposed Bride offers a Scriptural principle, Bible-based instruction, a practical activity, and a relevant prayer for each wedding topic. With the help of The Purposed Bride, your wedding will be well on its way to being an intentional, fruitful experience of worship designed in God’s image and in your unique personality.

When you find the one you want to spend forever with, sometimes the major life transitions, the season, the honeymoon, the location, and all other determining factors don’t seem significant enough to delay you from being husband and wife.

In an effort to be eco-friendly and produce less waste, a plated dinner is the best option. The amount of food wasted from a buffet is enormous; most guests tend to indulge in the cocktail hour foods and may not have an appetite for a large buffet dinner.  A plated dinner ensures each guest has an adequate amount of food that is displayed beautifully.

So as you are planning to commit your life to your beloved, remember to consider how you can love them and provide for them even after you are gone. I know it can be a downer to think about death, so definitely choose your timing wisely, but I so strongly encourage you not to shy away from preparing for your death. Planning for how you will be leaving your spouse when you die is an inevitable part of your life-long commitment to him and thus a tangible way that you can demonstrate love.

At our Sunday morning Young Marrieds’ group, I once heard a couple talk about having ten different marriages. At first I gasped, but as they described their marriages, it began to click. They were married to each other ten different times and not technically, but relationally speaking. With each transition into a new life stage…continued here