Earth to Men from Mars:

Men are great at many things: lifting boxes, killing spiders,
loosening jars. Valentine’s day is your chance to really play
up your romantic side, (you know you have one). If you love
someone, there’s nothing more manly than letting her know
it. And if you really want to put hair on your chest: show her
that you love her.

In even the healthiest relationship, you and she will have
different interests. She loves Formula One racing. You love
daisies. This is all a great thing because if you show off a
little of your feminine side, chances are you will certainly
score–points, that is. She asks you–all the time–to tell
her why you fell in love with her, right? Then she actually
expects you to come out with a brilliant answer on the spot.
Goodness, I feel for you–even Shakespeare couldn’t give
you a sonnet in demand. But don’t worry, this Valentine’s
Day, you’re going to come up with some eloquent gesture of
love that will make her want to leave Venus to come live with
you on Mars. You’re probably saying to yourself, How am I
going to do that? Well, allow me to warm you up to some
outside-the-box ideas.

Look through the photos you’ve gathered throughout your
time together. Find some that speak to you. Don’t worry
about what they say just yet. This is the manly,
hunting-and-gathering part of the gesture. Once you’ve
found the photos you like, put them in the album in no
particular order. Now look at each photo and ask yourself:
How does this picture remind me of why I love her? For
example, if you chose a photo of her making a silly face, it’s
probably because you love the way she makes you laugh.
So write the answer on a Post-it and stick the note on the
photo. Do this for all the photos. In no time at all, you will
create a lasting testament to your love for her. If by chance
she’s a tough cookie to crumble, then plant some daisies
(or her favorite flowers) so they spell out the words “I love
you.” This is a romantic gesture that will last an entire
season and return every year–if you have a green thumb. It
will surprise her as the words start to appear, and it will
surprise you if it actually works.

And yes, in case you’re wondering: it’s ok to make her think
you made up your romantic gestures even if you got the
ideas from an article.

Earth to Women from Venus:

Diamonds aren’t always a girl’s best friend. You’re probably
saying to yourself, What are you talking about? Diamonds
bring a twinkle to your eye, when your significant other
cannot. However, diamonds can’t give you backrubs, kill
spiders, or open jars. It is truly rewarding to be with your
significant other when you both click, are on the same page,
on the same level intellectually, and can make each other
laugh. That’s when he’s your best friend and diamonds
don’t compare. Diamonds are said to be forever, but when
both of you are using your minds, hearts, and uniqueness to
have a romantic future together, that’s what really lasts. So
this Valentine’s Day, you’re going to come up with some
cute and sexy performance of love that will make him want
to leave Mars to come live with you in Venus. You probably
already have some outside-the-box ideas of your own, (you
go girl!). However, if you’re stuck for ideas, please allow me
to warm you up to a few of mine.

Get home well before he does if it’s a workday. Gather all
your lingerie and use them to shape hearts trailing from the
front door, into the bedroom and onto the bed. Leave a note
on the bed that says “Pizza is on its way and cold beer is in
the fridge.” Make sure the pizza is delivered before he gets
home because you’ll need to put on some sexy lingerie and
actually deliver the pizza yourself. Time it so you wait
outside the house and leave him to discover the trail of
lingerie and the note when he returns. He’ll be
disappointed not to find you at home, but that’s when you
ring the doorbell with the pizza in hand, sexy lingerie and all.
You get the idea. Have fun, use your imagination and make
this work however you prefer.

Some of you may feel like this is a little too much work.
Don’t worry, you can simplify the idea. Men are much easier
to please than you think and would be just as happy if you
cut to the chase, skip the opening act and jump to the part
where you show up in sexy lingerie (save the pizza and beer
for later). After all, just think about it: Pizza? Beer? You? in
sexy lingerie? Hockey night in Canada will have to get in
line.

Penny Phang is one of Canada’s nominated Top 40
Under 40 business leaders, recognized for her
commitment to provide strategic business
communication and marketing services with inspiring
enthusiasm, creativity, and innovation. She is also well
known as the Producer for Playboy Special Editions for
Western Canada and Founder of Penny Best Jewelry.
In addition, she serves as one of the Board of Directors
for Global Reach Organization, and continues to write
for her monthly inspirational lifestyle column, Moments
of Inspiration with Penny on http://www.pennyphang.com

Fret no more. Here are the RULES but like all rules, they may be broken or should I say improvised and revised to suit you. I say….whatever makes you and/or your daughter happy!

1. Confer with your daughter. She will come up with a color scheme for her wedding.

2. Ask her whether she wants the color of your dress to complement her wedding color/colors or almost match it. Examples of complementary colors to a red color theme is burgundy, wine, claret red, dark pink, and purple. As for a “match”, it would certainly be difficult to have an exact match of the colors, as your dress will be of a different manufacturer, style, fabric, and dye. So, do not stress over this.

3. You, as the mother of the bride, will decide on a color or colors, after consulting your daughter. Suggest to her to be flexible on the choice of colorsperhaps two or three choices would be great. Mother of the bride dresses are not made like bridesmaid dresses, the latter being preordered and tailored months ahead of time for the occasion. Shopping for a mother of the bride dress can be a headache and nightmare rolled into one, especially for the plus size woman or if you live in a rural city.

4. Do not forget to involve the mother of the groom. After you have an idea of what color you would or should be wearing, inform her. She will definitely appreciate that as she will be in a panic mode as well, going through the same motions as you will soon be, looking for that perfect “mother’s” dress.

5. Shop as soon as you can. Finding YOUR dress is important too. Understand that you are shopping for a specific style that you like and look great in, a specific color, and then a specific size. Then, you will need to allow sufficient time for professional tailoring of the dress, to get it to fit just right! Also, what about the accessories like shoes and jewelry? You will be surprised how many ladies come to my online store www.audreysmotherofthebride.com hoping to find their dress within a WEEK of the wedding!

6. Shop bridal or department stores first. You can get a first hand look at the styles out there and the type and quality of fabrics. Do not ignore online formal wear stores. Visiting an online store is easy and stress free as they are sources of good ideas of what you would like to wear on that special day.

7. Take care of yourself in these nerve-wrecking times of preparation. Remember, you need to look good as well, although it is your daughter’s wedding.

8. Now, sit back and relax. You have found your most perfect mother of the bride dress and have a few more weeks to spare. Give yourself a big pat on the back!

Audrey Cheong is the owner of an online bridal store specializing in Mother of the Bride and Groom Dresses and other formal special occasion gowns. Visit her store www.audreysmotherofthebride.com for great selections and prices! Email her at help@audreysmotherofthebride.com.

The key is to start organizing and planning earlier than later.

You first need to create a system to keep all the details in one place. You may choose to use a binder with a tab for each category you will be using. Examples of categories are: Bakery, Ceremony, Catering, Florist, Music, Reception, Photography, Transportation. An accordion file is another choice, using the same category tabs. You will be able to see each category at a glance.

Whichever system you choose, use it to keep track of all receipts, pictures, brochures, business cards etc. that is related to each category.

Once you have your system in place, you can then do some research. There are many wedding planning books out in the market, even online websites (like this one). Visit your local bookstore or library to pick up a book to help your with the entire planning process.

Find a “wedding timetable” layout. This timetable will include a list of to-do’s for the entire months/year before the big day. Some of the first things on this timeline may be: Consulting with fiancé and parents to decide budget and financial support. Another may be deciding the number of guests to invite to your big day (always dependant on budget $$ available), deciding what type of wedding – formal or informal or even interviewing wedding coordinators. This timetable is a basic guideline. You can recreate on your computer to fit your wedding and time line.

Once you have an idea of all the details involved in planning a wedding and all the dedicated time you will have to spend, you can start recruiting help from family and friends. Delegate tasks to help you check off all the to-do’s on your list and by the time you know it, it’s wedding day.

Maggie Puertas is founder and owner of Wedding Dreamz. Offering full service wedding coordination & consulting services for brides in Northern California, SF Bay Area. We dedicate ourselves to providing a personal touch combined with detailed organization and individual attention to plan, design and coordination to fit your personalities, style, vision & budget.
Visit us today at http://www.weddingdreamz.net and request your complimentary consultation.

For some couples, it’s easy – they know just when they want to tie the knot. For others, it’s less clear. After all, you have a lot of options. Even more than you might think, since it’s really not necessary to get married on a Saturday. Friday and Sunday afternoons are good choices too, and less expensive.

So if you’re looking at the calendar ahead and seeing a hundred alternatives, all about equally attractive, here’s how to narrow them down.

Must-have venues

No matter how flexible you are, there’s bound to be things you won’t compromise on. Maybe it’s a particular church, temple and officiant for your ceremony. Maybe it’s a special venue for your reception. And there are certain indispensable guests, like your parents.

Luckily for you, putting just these three things together is bound to reduce your choices. Once you call on the church/temple, ceremony venue or reception hall, you’ll probably find many dates already filled, especially if you call less than nine months in advance. Good. That makes things easier!

Must-have ambiance

But maybe you don’t have a must-have venue. Maybe you just have an image in your mind of the perfect wedding. Maybe it involves falling snow, ermine mantles, a horse-drawn carriage, and a crackling fireplace. Maybe it involves stacks of shiny apples, heaped pumpkins, a scattering of leaves and the scent of cranberry-apple cider. Or delicate pastels, gossamer pashminas for the bridesmaids, and a dove release. In this case your time of year is set: all that’s needed it to work out the logistics of venue, local climate and the availability of your most important guests.

Must-have flowers

Some people know exactly what floral arrangements they want at their wedding. Flowers are such an enormous part of the wedding budget, if particular ones are important to you, you might want to arrange your date around them. Unless you’re an heiress, for example, you’ll want to avoid buying roses for your Valentine’s Day wedding. On the other hand, December and January are great months to buy calla lilies. To study flower availability charts, Google for “flower availability by month.”

Must-have honeymoons

If you have your heart set on a certain destination, you’ll probably find the honeymoon helps set the date for you. Chances are, some dates are good for travel but others involve the risk of hurricanes or lengthy rains.

Limited budget

For now, winter is the slow wedding season. So it’s often (though not always) true that you can get a break on expenses by having your ceremony during the holidays. Brides often find that by marrying near Christmas, they benefit from already-decorated churches and don’t need to add much themselves. Plus, if they shop the year before, they can stock up on decorations at incredibly discounted post-holiday sales. The trick is to avoid competing with office parties for reception venues and limousines (New Year’s Eve is particularly competitive).

Another factor to consider, besides the possibility of dismal weather, is how many guests are due from out-of-town. Flying in for a holiday wedding can strain any family’s Christmas budget, plus airlines often charge extra during the season.

If you need to keep expenses in check but want to avoid winter, make sure you steer clear of proms, graduation, “parents’ day” at colleges, major sporting events and other local events.

“Life” dates

You might find your own life gives more guidance than you think. Are you a teacher, with set vacation times? Are you graduating from college or ending an internship? Are many of your relations students, available only during the holidays or the summer? If you’re working, is your vacation time limited to a certain time of year? If many guests are flying in, will Labor Day weekend or Memorial Day weekend give them time to get acclimated and enjoy your big day? If none of these apply, is there a date that has special significance to you as a couple, such as the date you first met or first dated?

“Auspicious” dates

Many people find little extra jolt of comfort in picking auspicious days for their wedding. In India and China, this is standard practice. But even in the West, people often find it reassuring to pick numbers or dates with personal meaning. A Chinese custom is to select a date with as many even numbers as possible (such as 2-18-2006). The Irish believed that New Year’s Eve is luckiest for weddings. The Romans (and consequently, modern westerners) favored the month of June. For Victorians, it was lucky to marry on the groom’s birthday.

Blake Kritzberg is editor at “FavorIdeas.com.” Stop by for wedding favor ideas, Save-the-Date eCards, free wedding screensaver, free wedding templates and Bridezilla’s weekly adventures at:
http://www.favorideas.com

==Planning Your Wedding And Getting Things Done==

As anyone who has planned a wedding can tell you, there are many different things that must be done.

From the wedding dress and bridesmaid gowns to the flowers and the wedding invitations, there are many elements that must be taken care of when planning the perfect ceremony. It is all too easy for little things like the winter wedding favors to get lost in the planning process.

==Take The Overall Theme Into account When Choosing Your Winter Favors==

It is important, however, not to lose sight of the value of the wedding favors you choose. After all, long after the wedding ceremony is over, the winter wedding favors you choose will help your family members, friends and other wedding guests remember the beautiful day.

Giving your guests wedding favors that you can be proud of and that they will cherish is often a difficult task, but it is important to shop around, and to take the overall theme of the wedding into account when choosing those winter wedding favors.

For instance, a formal and elegant wedding will demand different wedding favors than a casual backyard ceremony. It is important that the wedding favors you choose fit in well with the look and feel of your wedding.

If your wedding has an overall theme, it is important to tailor the winter wedding favors you choose to fit with that theme. For instance, if you choose a garden theme for your wedding, you may want to use a gardening kit, complete with your favorite flower seeds, as a unique and tasteful wedding favor.

If you choose a beach theme for your wedding, you will want to choose wedding favors that fit well with a day at the beach. And of course a winter wedding will mean choosing winter wedding favors.

Shaunta Pleasant is a professional writer and editor on wedding planning topics. Visit my site to learn more about planning the perfect wedding at http://www.best-wedding-plan.com/winter_wedding_favors.html

Most bridal gowns, bridesmaids’ gowns and gowns for the mother of the bride are ordered well in advance in order to have ample time for fittings and alterations. In-store alteration departments can custom fit any of the merchandise sold. Bridal shops allow couples to buy and hire decorations for the reception, the wedding ceremony and post wedding dances and parties. Wedding car decorations can also be arranged according to individual preference.

For the wedding ceremony, bridal stores can provide frosted candleholders and elegant aisle runners. These can be hired or purchased. Souvenirs and brochures for the garden Bible wedding program can also be arranged. For receptions, one can order wedding luminaries, place cards and personalized napkins.

An important wedding function is the cake-cutting ceremony. This can be made memorable by ordering classic dessert plates, contemporary cake tops and figurines. Organizing wedding dinners and meals involve arranging sterling or polished serving sets. Wedding weekend hospitality can be expressed by gifting personalized hampers.

Apart from concentrating on items that facilitate the wedding process, these stores owe their loyalty to the bride herself. Tiaras, headbands, purses to hold wedding rings, pins, combs, veils, shoes, gloves, outerwear, jewelry, handbags, lingerie and essentials can all be purchased from the store.

The Bull was most important and Constantine never actually converted away from his worship of Mithras the Bull. In fact Christmas Day is a celebration of Mithras worship taken by Constantine into his new means of manipulating an Empire. It was a great and truly inspired design. When this new Roman Empire fell or grew as the Holy Roman Empire the elites could share the booty of war with even fewer cronies. There certainly is a lot of ‘Bull’ since the days when the Druids used the white Bull in their Mistletoe ceremony.

How can any normal person be expected to wade through all this ‘bull’ when our media and educational systems as well as the holidays we celebrate since childhood, continue to program our collective culture and laws? How can arranged marriage in any form be considered legal? I especially find Hinduism and Islamic practices including the sale of women to men, since Hammurabi (Sargon’s progeny) first decreed a woman was the property of her father until sold to her husband. A friend of mine recently told me a girl he attends university with is ‘betrothed’ to a man whose dowry requirement is $45,000 that she will never get until he is dead. That could be a very cheap prostitute indeed when you consider the effect of inflation. I do not know if the money is guaranteed in a real manner either. It revolts me so much that I don’t even care to find out. I guess that many people who read some of my articles also feel revolted and they choose not to look further into what truth I lay before them.

Author of many books available at Lulu and World-Mysteries.com.

But don’t fall for the wrong conclusions here, maybe you are thinking that these beautiful ladies are easy to catch and will be just your unconditional slaves. No, that’s not how things work with a russian bride. They are strong and willing women that are considering to marry a foreign man because they can’t find a decent and loving partner at home that will correspond to their feelings. Yes you read right, they are looking for a loving man that will rise a family with them, not just a green card.

Stories about scammers and other terror news have been too widely abused and distributed without considering the real situation and taking a few cases of abuses as a rule for all the others. But in reality there have been, and there will always be a bunch of wonderful stories about couples that met through the internet and are now living together and building strong families.

Again, russian women are not looking for good looks, jerks or millionaires aboard. Just a decent and working man that can provide for a family and in whom they can trust. And no, a genuine, marriage interested lady will not be chasing after a green card neither. For most of them it is all about love and the imperative cultural need all Russian women have for a husband. You may be surprised to learn that a woman in Russia that is over 23 and has not been married yet is considered a woman left to be single. No matter how beautiful she may look.

So, there you have your opportunity. If you are willing to give respect and love to your lady then you can realistically think about marrying a hot russian bride and grow a strong family.

If you are looking for the most genuine and up to date information about Russian Brides I would recommend you to visit:

http://www.askingplanet.com/RBride

Let Elena guide you through the whole process of finding your Russian soulmate.

Your low budget wedding remedy? Find a reception location
that’s free or low cost.

A free location may include, your home, or a friend or family
member’s home. A low cost option might include the Church
reception hall, the local fire department’s reception room, and
club hall rentals. Most will have a kitchen area for preparing
and serving food.

Sometimes you will even find a local restaurant that
specializes in low budget wedding receptions. These will likely
offer a package for the reception which may include dinner and
limited beverage with the rental of restaurant space or banquet
rooms. Check hotels in your area for banquet rooms as well. Some
may rent the banquet room alone and/or offer reception packages
as an option.

Leave no stone unturned in your search! You may happen upon a
gem of a deal that will save you alot of money. Ask around. Get
recommendations from friends and family. Do a local search on
the internet. We have several plantations in our area who offer
wedding reception packages. These are elegant locations and are
usually competatively priced; Including options for the low
budget wedding.

Make a list or chart to record all your findings. Record not
only price but services available, and packages available. Then
you can compare where you will get the most for your money.

For instance, you may be able to rent a space for a really
cheap rate and hire outside catering for the dinner. But, if
you find a location that costs more but will offer you a
package that includes the catering, it may be the better deal
in the long run.

The one big exception to this scenario is if you opt for a
potluck reception. Many guests may be pleased, if not relieved,
to be given the choice to bring a reception dish in place of a
wedding gift. You will find that low budget reception packages
usually come with a low budget menu as well. If you choose this
option, you will save greatly on catering expenses. I am certain
your guests will be more pleased with the menu selections. This
would be your best low budget wedding option and will save the
most money.

The Potluck Reception

Don’t be shy to pursue this potluck reception idea. It is truly
the traditional way to celebrate. And, it is truly the number
one low budget wedding option.

Today’s weddings are so commercialized. You will learn that
caterers offer very limited menus to very limited budgets!
Guests will likely be very pleased and welcome the idea of a
potluck reception.

The potluck reception goes well with any wedding theme. If you
are shy about approaching this option you can simply call it an
“Old Time Traditional Wedding Celebration” The potluck dinner
will suit this theme quite naturally and no-one will even
question it!

You may even want to pick an “Old Time” theme for your
decorating and favors. This will further incorporate the idea
of an old time tradition theme. Perhaps a 50’s theme or a 20’s
theme. These are both popular old time themes.

Simply slip an added note with the invite, or on the invite, to
give guests this option. For example the note might read…

~Our reception will be an “Old Time Traditional Celebration”
with a potluck dinner. ____ Please check here if you would like
to bring a dish for the reception in place of a wedding gift.
Call with dish suggestions please.

Have them call to get or offer suggestions on a dish so you
have control over the menu. No one is obligated to
particitpate, but I’m sure you will be surprised at how many
guests will opt for this.

You and your guest will be equally surprised at the great
variety and quality of the dishes provided. Guests will want to
bring only their best recipes to a grand occasion such as a
wedding reception!

Cheryl Johnson is a mother of four helping
herself and others become and remain debt free. Publisher of
Simple Debt Free Living at http://www.simpledebtfreeliving.com – A self-help plan, ideas, and resources for household
budget planning, debt elimination, and frugal living tips. Money saving tips for groceries, clothing, monthly bills, medical expenses, home and car buying, weddings, gifts, and much more.

If you’re going to get your car fixed you’d usually ask your friends who they use or if they could recommend someone. I for one wouldn’t trust a mechanic with my car especially if I its worth a fair bit. You should have this type of attitude when it comes to selecting a good marriage counsellor. If you have an inexperienced mechanic you’ll end up paying through your nose because of the wrong things they’ll recommend.

You should be cautious of marriage therapists because some are inexperience and can often damage your relationship. If you really need to see a marriage counsellor then here are a few things you should find out before going for your first session.

What training do they have in dealing with marriage counselling? Some marriage therapists are not been trained in dealing with marriages and can often cause more harm than good.

How much experience does the therapist have with marriage counselling? You’ll want to find a counsellor who deals with marriage issues often. Someone with more contact with married couples will have more experience and knowledge when it comes to dealing with your problem. This is one of the most important things you can find out so make sure you do.

How successful is the counsellor in helping couples with their issues and helping them stay in their marriage? Most therapists won’t have stats to show you but they’ll try their best to answer your question. If the therapist tells you that they’ll do their best to listen to you both until you can find a stepping stone again than this is a therapist who will be there for you and your marriage.

When searching for the right marriage counselling you’ll need to make sure you get some decent answers from them when you talk to them. If they sound like they just want to solve your problem then they won’t be listening to both of you. A counsellor should be there to listen and help assist you with your problem without causing any damage to your marriage. I sincerely hope you find the best possible marriage counsellor and stay happily married.