If you’re a celebrity singer, you insure your voice and if you’re a professional athelete, you insure your body.  If you’re like me and everyone else on this planet, we insure our properties such as our cars and homes, or insure certain events in our lives such as critical illness and traveling abroad.  Nowadays, the trend is insuring your weddings.

I never insured my wedding, but I’ve read that wedding insurance could cost from $100 to $1,000 depending on the type of coverage.  The coverage could be for damage to wedding halls and reception facilities or cancelation due to bad weather such as snowstorms.  I could see protecting yourself from the “day after” the reception if you have intoxicated guests that caused damage to the reception hall.   Some even insure against the possibility of a “change of heart” by either the bride or the groom.

Wow… insurance is smart, and it’s especially good protection for individuals who have a lot at stake in the event.  We always hope for the best but rarely plan for the worst, especially on our wedding day.

Being green is an “in” thing these days.  No wonder, when you have celebrities advocating the issue, it’s hard not to get into the hype.  If you want to contribute to this cause, following are some suggestions.  You can either aim for a completely green wedding (i.e., using recyclable supplies and minimalist decor with lots of green plants) or simply add ”green” favours to give to your guests (such as bamboo plants, which will last a long time and will likely not be thrown out in the trash).

Not only would the green theme be eco-friendly, it could even save you money because you’d be in a “minimalist” mode as opposed to “going all out” !!!    

Seating arrangements at wedding receptions tend to always have couples sit together at tables with other couples.  The arrangements often go like this: elders together, family together, young couples together, and then… singles together.

I’m not sure why there’s this “singles” table rule.  Ok, I understand that when you seat people, you seat them together in accordance with common interests, age, etc.  But, why is there this unspoken rule that singles should sit together?  What if there are no common denominators other than the single status?  Sure, the idea for this is to allow singles to meet, chat with other singles, ”hit it off,” and hopefully become a couple… because that’s what a wedding reception is about right? Celebrating (and even encouraging) ”couple” status.  This singles table rule presupposes that every single person at the table wants to be “coupled.”  But what if that’s not the case?  What if the single person has friends from the couples table and would have preferred spending the night with his/ her friends?  After all, a wedding reception is about having fun, right?

Being put at a singles table could make one feel obliged to befriend, converse, and “hook-up” with persons they may not want to associate with.  This could make one feel awkward and even offended because it ”singles” them out as being “single.”  

Most future brides look at wedding magazines to plan for their wedding day.  Some even look at OK! Magazine or In-Style Magazine to see celebrity weddings such as Eva Longoria/ Tony Parker or Katie Holmes/ Tom Cruise.  Others use ideas from weddings they have attended or go to wedding shows (which tend to give out overwhelming materials and by the end of the show, you forget which photographer or cake decorator you should have remembered).

Well, a popular trend these days for brides to get ideas and plan for their wedding day is to attend “Wedding Tours.”  The tour starts by taking brides and grooms (or their mothers/ friends) in limousines to a wedding venue overlooking a nice scenery (such as the Pacific ocean or a golf course).  They then sample several vendors from the wedding industry, such as tasting certain appetizers or full meals with wedding cake, listening to music, talking to photographers and videographers, seeing floral arrangements, or watching a makeup demonstration.

Given that the “W-Day” will be an event of a lifetime and an event that could put a big dent to a couple’s bank account, wedding tours could be a great way to “taste-test” the waters so you have a sense of the costs (since you have more time to discuss with the vendors).  It could also give you ideas for a theme that you want for the W-Day without being overbombarded with materials which you’d never end up using.  Lastly, it’ll give you a chance to get your fiancé involved in the planning process!

So, he proposed to you and you accepted. What’s next? You must be aware that most men, after they have proposed, take a laid back position and expect the woman to go ahead with the planning.

Now that you have been given “control” over the “W” Day, what should you be thinking next? Well, most women actually don’t start thinking about their wedding the day after they’ve been proposed. If you’re like me, and I like to think that I am not that different from other brides-to-be, I started dreaming about my wedding day long ago (hmm… walking down the aisle with my handsome prince). Well, now that the time has arrived, you are ready to make those dreams come true!

So, what should you consider? Put things in perspective. Here’s how:

• Make a list of what you would like for your wedding (don’t restrain yourself, go all the way).

• If you have attended weddings before, think of what you liked and what you didn’t like.

• Think of what people around you expect for your wedding. Specifically, think of what your fiancé, your parents, and your in-laws would like to see.

Once you have thought about the above, figure a way to make everyone happy. Make sure not to forget yourself along the way though.

Oops, one last thing, there’s also the money issue. As you can see, this is where reality hits! After reading this, you must realize that you need some help. I, therefore, strongly suggest that you come back for more advice. Until then, keep dreaming!

P.S. For those who are already married, feel free to join in the chatter.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net