good luck customs for weddings

10  Lucky Wedding Customs

The many customs surrounding matrimony are part of the general  happiness of the event, and they’re all about good luck .

1. June has been a popular month for weddings for the last 2000 years. In
   roman mythology, the goddess Juno was the devoted wife of Jupiter – and June was her month. Weddings held then were in her honour, and she blessed them.

2. Why should a bride carry “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue? The “something old” should be an article which belongs to or belonged to a happily married old woman. Her good fortune would rub off on the “something new” – the bride. The “something borrowed” should be gold, which represents the sun and the source of all life. Finally, the color blue signifies respect and faithfulness – as in “true blue.”

3. Bridesmaids and groomsmen were dressed siimilarly to the bride and groom in order to confuse evil spirits, who could not abide to see two people so happy together. Apparently, the evil spirits of ancient Rome were easily duped.

4. For good luck, a bride should be the first to cut her wedding cake. The groom gets his hand in as a sign that he expects to share in her good fortune. Then all the wedding guests take home a slice to have a little taste of good luck for themselves.

5. Rice is thrown at the bride and groom as a fertility symbol to give them good luck in having children. ( The Romans used to throw nuts and sweets at the bride, and the Saxons would scatter wheat and barley for her to walk upon.)

6. An engagement ring is a diamond because its sparkle has always been believed to be the fire of love. And so long as it would sparkle, love would never cool. The diamond unites passion and constancy.

7. The wedding ring, like the engagement ring has been worn on the fourth finger of the left hand for millennia. It derived from the belief that t here is actually a “love vein” that runs directly from the heart to the finger. A ring prevents the heart’s sentiments from escaping.

8. We say, in slag, that two people “tied the knot.” Once upon a time, a bride and groom really did tie a knot in a cord or ribbon as part of the ceremony. Or she would arrive at the altar with an untied shoe, and he would tie the lace as part of the ceremony. Knots were also tied in the bride’s bouquet as a way to keep the day’s good wishes from escaping.

9 . The term “honeymoon” derives from the Teutonic custom in which the bride and groom drank mead for one month or “moon” ( a lunar cycle is 28 days) after the wedding.

10. A bride is carried over the threshold to her new home in order to keep her from tripping – a terrible omen. Why would she trip? Because of those evil spirits, of course: they might be lurking at the door-way, hoping to trip her up.

If you abide by these customs you will definitely have Good Luck.

March 3, 2013

All the best and Good Luck,

Sheila, Robin, Amy

Wedding Vows

Your wedding is the most personal event you will experience in your lifetime.  Although most weddings are shared with family and friends, the ceremony itself is a confirmation of personal and intimate promises between the bride and groom.  Many couples believe that these moments are far too important to entrust to a pre-packaged ceremony.

However, finding the right words is never easy. If you and your intended decide to write part of your wedding ceremony yourselves, you must shoulder a considerable responsibility.  While no one can tell you what to say, some tips and ideas can get you started.  Personalizing your special day is truly a labor of love that is well worth the effort.

Tip 1:  Start with a traditional ceremony.  Before closeting yourselves in your garrets and tapping your creative juices, meet over lattes in a quiet patisserie and look over a copy of a standard wedding ceremony. Notice the basic components of the program:

• Welcome and introduction by the presiding official
• Confirmation the couple agrees to marry – “I dos”
• Readings
• Confirmation of community support for the union
• Wedding vows
• Ring exchange
• Announcement of marriage – kiss

Discuss your views about the ceremony.  Which parts are most important to you as a couple?  Which parts seem superfluous?  Many couples customize a traditional ceremony to better reflect their values and relationship.

Idea:  Music is a wonderful way to instill personal meaning into the most traditional of ceremonies.  Instead of readings, substitute a song that is significant to both of you.  Instead of the traditional processional – The Wedding March – select music that sets the tone of your ceremony.  Baroque, Classical, Jazz, New Age and Country all make unique stylistic statements.

Tip 2: Your official’s welcome is an important moment in the ceremony.  Instead of the same words he or she has used to open hundreds of weddings, why not find a poem or quotation for the official’s opening remarks?  The words should reflect the reasons you have chosen to wed, and the hope, anticipation, and excitement of the occasion. Try the following:

• On Marriage, Khalil Gibran
• Aedh Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven, William Butler Yeats
• For C.W.B, Elizabeth Bishop

Idea: Source material for your personalized ceremony from your own writings, those of a talented friend, favorite song lyrics, and favorite authors/poets. If your wedding has a theme, such as tropical, garden or environmental, use the theme in your search phrases online. Add keywords such as “love,” and “wedding” to find more content ideas for your ceremony.

Tip 3: Your Vows

When personalizing your vows, collaborate as a couple. Brainstorm a list of the most important principles and values you will practice throughout your marriage.  You might include the traditional values of trust, respect and fidelity. You might add “laughter,” or “friendship.”

Some couples prefer to write their individual vows in private and not reveal them until the ceremony.  This creates a nice sense of anticipation and a positive surprise for both bride and groom.  Alternatively, some brides and groom read their personal their missives to each other at a different point in the ceremony, preferring to be in agreement on the vows.

Idea:  Instill your vows with the specifics that affect you as a couple.  For example, rather than just promising to “honor” each other, the bride could vow to honor the groom’s need for time to rehearse with his band, while the groom could vow to honor the bride’s time commitment to her horses.

Tip 4: The Rings

The exchange of rings is one of the more symbolic moments of a wedding ceremony, and many couples choose traditional words to reflect this time-honored practice.  However, others choose personally meaningful words to say instead.  As circular symbols, rings represent promises kept, everlasting love and ongoing commitment.  When writing or selecting words for this part of the ceremony, let those concepts guide you.

Idea: Consider adding extra meaning to the ring ceremony with a unique touch.  Perhaps the official could ring a silver bell before the exchange.  Perhaps a song would be appropriate at this point in the ceremony. You could add a light-hearted note by recruiting a non-traditional ring bearer such as a well-trained beloved dog.

A wedding is the event of a lifetime. By infusing the ceremony with personal creativity, you can make it as lovely and intimate as your love.  Sharing your personal words in front of family and friends is a wonderful way to envelop them in the magic of your very special day.

August 30, 2012
We loved this article and think it should be helpful. It is not easy to express your feeling in words so hope this helps as bit.

Happy Labor Day

Sheila, Robin, Amy

The beauty of a tree is everlasting

Celebrated every April 22, Earth Day is the largest, most celebrated environmental event world-wide.
One billion people in more than 170 countries join in staging events and projects to address local environmental issues.

Environmental challenges abound as our daily actions pollute and degrade the fragile environment that humans and wildlife depend on to survive.

What can we do?

Earth Day provides the opportunity for positive actions and results. First launched as an envirohmental awareness event in the United States in 1970, Earth Day (April 22) is celebrated as the birth of the environmental movement.
In 1990, 200 million people in 141 countries joined in celebrating the first International  Earth Day. In many countries, the global event brought pressure on heads of state to take part in the UN Earth Summit in Rio de Janerio to address issues such as climate change and the world wide loss of species.

We encourage you to take April 22^nd to think about the world around you and how you could help, like recycling, reusing or planting a tree or garden.

Happy Earth Day , go green in 2013!

Sheila, Robin, Amy

Celebrating Earth Day in April has been a tradition Since 1972.

Plant a Memory is Giving tree seeds to all of our customers this month so we can all Plant a Tree for a Greener Tomorrow!

Tree Seed Giveaway for Earth Day

The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, the next best time is now!

Inspire, promote and plant trees for a Greener Tomorrow. By giving Trees as Favors at their Weddings, brides and grooms will set an example and  possibly inspire their guests to adopt a greener consciousness. Together,                       bride and groom, friends and family will be responsible for planting a  forest.

Did you know?

•  That one large tree provides daily oxygen for up to 4 people.
• That one large tree can lower peak summer temperatures around the   tree by 5-9 degrees

Grow Memories one tree at a time: Regards, Sheila, Robin & Amy

Outdoor Weddings Perfect for Tree Theme

 ”Trees” as a Wedding Theme: Six Quick Tips

By Tamatha Campbell

It is often easier to plan a memorable wedding celebration if you choose a theme for the party. For the eco-conscious couple, “trees” make a great theme.

Outdoor Wedding

An outdoor wedding is beautiful, if the weather cooperates. Parks, public gardens, and orchards are all possible venues. Check with local orchard farmers and the local tourist bureau to see what is available nearby.

Wedding Decorations:

 Bringing the Outdoors Inside.

If the weather in your area is not likely to be good, you might want to bring the outdoors inside. Consider using trees in pots instead of flowers for the decorations. These are often available from florists, garden centers, and even grocery stores for reasonable prices. If you choose a local variety, it can really add to the celebration to plant the tree, perhaps at or after the reception, as a symbol of the lifetime commitment of marriage.

Wedding Favors

Tiny seedlings in burlap pouches and seeds accompanied by peat plugs are increasingly popular as wedding favors. They are inexpensive, eco-friendly, and fun. Mini Seed kits are also fun, but these are simply seeds and peat plugs with small accessories.

Wedding Cake with Tree Theme

An experienced cake-decorator can produce many lovely tree-themed wedding cakes. It is a simple matter to form the trunks out of chocolate icing along the sides of the cake, and then to add green leaves. It is also possible to construct a cake topper out of piped chocolate, so that the tree stands up.

Bridal Party Colors

Dark greens such as pine green, forest green, and hunter green make fine bridal party colors. These are colors that look nice on most people. If you use a range of greens, each of your bridesmaids can choose the shade that looks best with her skin tone. White, gold, yellow, silver, and lavender are all lovely accents colors on dark green. 

Costumed Wedding

If you like the idea of a costumed wedding, a Robin Hood theme goes well with the “tree” idea. Your wedding party and guests can have fun making simple (or elaborate!) costumes that fit the popular image of Robin Hood and his Merry Men, instead of hauling out the usual formal or semi-formal attire.

 A “tree” theme can really pull the party together, without taking away from the real reason for the celebration. Why not celebrate your commitment to each other with a theme that shows your commitment to the Earth?

March 27, 2013 – a great article leading up to Earth Day
Sheila,Robin, Amy

grow memories with botanical garden weddings

 Tips for a Botanical Garden Wedding Theme

With the continuing popularity of all things organic and green, choosing a botanical  theme for your wedding is a great choice if you want your special day to be trendy, yet classically beautiful. Getting married at a Botanical Garden is a eco-chic wedding venue that is becoming really ideal for several reasons. It is beautiful with all the flowers and plants for decoation. The photos turn out tremdous with all the colorful flowers and plants and your guests will enjoy the venue as it is unique and fun. Here are some ideas for unique wedding decorations for your bouquets, corsages, centerpieces and beyond.

The first things you must determine are your wedding colors. If you are unsure, think about the season of your wedding. You can have a botanical wedding during the winter or fall, but the seasons evoke different color combinations than a spring wedding. Let the flowers that bloom in your preferred season be your guide. For example: holly or amaryllis for winter, tulips and peonies for spring, roses for summer, and dahlias for autumn.

If you want something a little different for your theme you can go with fresh greenery, like ferns or ivy. There are quite a few flowers that come in green too, such as button mums and lady slipper orchids. It’s fine to experiment with lots of flowers, but try to keep the number of main colors in your scheme down to 3 or fewer so that it is easier to coordinate. Also, keep the location of your wedding in mind when deciding on flowers and colors. Cute, delicate colorsmight not match with a traditional, stately church with dark woodwork, for instance.

Onceyou have your colors and preferred flowers for centerpieces and bouquets inmind, it might be fun to think of creative ways to incorporate your botanicaltheme into the other parts of your wedding.  Find or make invitations and programs emblazoned with images of your flowers. Give favors related to your theme. Seed packets or flower bulbs are unique and memorable examples. The possibilities for your lovely botanical wedding are only limited by your imagination so have some fun with it.

By
Lisa Partridge

March 18, 2013
Outdoor Weddings are fantastic opportunities for photography and fun. Give lasting wedding favors like flowers and trees to create growing memories of your wedding day.

Capture the Colors of the Season

Shakespeare wrote: “Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind.” This may be true of the bride and groom, but it is not true of the guests at a wedding. Your wedding colors are often the first thing your guests notice – after you, of course – and they will continue to see your colors throughout the evening. From the first invitation to the clothing, food, decorations, and guest book, your wedding color combination sets the tone for your wedding and gives it a distinct mood.

Most spring wedding color combinations feature lively colors because nature brings forth new life in spring. A spring wedding fittingly celebrates the new life a couple has chosen together.

Pastel Green, Purple, and Gold

This color scheme works especially well for a daytime wedding held outdoors on a spreading green lawn. The soft pastel green featured in this wedding color scheme will complement the color of the grass, and the pastel purple and soft gold colors add interest and imbue the wedding with a gentle springtime feel. The bride wears white while her bridesmaids wear pastel green dresses. The groom wears a dark tuxedo with a pastel green tie and gold pocket square, as do his groomsmen. Tablecloths are alternating colors of green, gold and purple. Serve wine or punch the color of rich gold, and serve yellow cake with purple and gold frosting. The key to this combination is to use pastel colors rather than bright colors, which may look dated.  Done correctly, this wedding color combination makes for a bright and happy mood.

Navy, Dark Green, and White

A navy and dark green wedding color combination conveys class, depth, and brisk confidence. The bride’s white dress looks especially lovely against the navy worn by her bridesmaids. The groom and his groomsmen wear a dark navy suit, elegant green neckties, and pocket squares. Tables are draped with navy tablecloths and contain vases filled with brilliant white roses. The cake and its icing are a brilliant white and are trimmed with navy and dark green frosting. As with the preceding wedding color combination, this wedding pallet looks fantastic at a wedding held on a green lawn. It also makes for a memorable seaside wedding.

White, Off-White, and Yellow

Your guests won’t soon forget this subtly beautiful color combination. White, off white, and yellow make for a dazzling beautiful wedding that will leave guests rubbing their eyes. Make no mistake: this color combination heavily emphasizes pure white and only relies on other colors sparingly. Tablecloths are pure white and contain vases filled with roses of the very same shade. The cake is white and is covered in white icing accented with off-white and yellow trim. The groom and his groomsmen wear white tuxedos with yellow neckties and may wear white top hats if desired. Surrounded by her white clad attendants, the bride looks angelic and seems to radiate purity. Those with a flair for the dramatic might consider renting a white carriage drawn by white horses.

March 7, 2013

Welcome to Wedding Giveaway Central
Wedding Giveaways have picked up momentum and continue to be be extremely popular with brides and all things weddings.
For a company that has it all together in this area we wanted to Introduce you to Weddingvibe.com

 Visit this site for a variety , selection and quantity of free stuff:  Giveaways from Wedding Vibe
They offer a whole bunch of giveaways and deals constantly from their generous vendors. It is totally worth the trip to their site to check giveaways and deals out.

They change weekly , daily so make sure to check in for fabulous savings.

Fabulous Giveaways & Deals EveryDA

Do you want to win some fun items for your wedding? Go to weddingVibe.com and enter some awesome giveaways!  Winners are picked twice a week!

You can win anything from wedding favors, invitations, and even a honeymoon!
There are also some items you may have never even thought of for your wedding- a custom illuminated sign, an adorable wooden wagon for your flower girl, and a unique fingerprint guest book.

It is very easy to register for all these fun and free giveaways. First, go to weddingVibe.com and become a member for free. Once you are a member, you will have access to all of the giveaways and more. You can browse through tons of giveaway items and enter any of the ones you are interested in at the click of a button. It is that easy!
Go to weddingVibe.com right now and enter!

Pinterest.com is the social media site that everybody is talking about. With swelling visitor numbers, despite still being invitation-only, it is already showing that its popularity is well deserved, thanks to its innovative design and style.

Statistics show that the majority of Pinterest’s users are female, and 97% of those who ‘like’ the site on Facebook are women. Whether this will even out over time remains to be seen, but for the time being the proliferation of the imagery of arts and crafts, recipes, and expensive shoes on the site are, rightly or wrongly, fulfilling many stereotypes about women’s interests and concerns.

When Pinterest users spot an image they like on a website, they can share it with their followers on their Pinterest page. This is known as “pinning” an image. Others who see that pin can then ‘like’, comment upon, or “repin” the image, i.e. share it on their own page. Pins are organized on customized “boards”, so that the images are themed.

Its focus on the visual has made Pinterest a central hub of beautiful imagery. Whether it is virtual shopping lists, dream home photography or close-up shots of homemade food, Pinterest members are making the most of the medium to provide themselves with pictorial representations of how they wish their life to be.

One way in which people are taking advantage of Pinterest’s features is to brainstorm ideas for their wedding. Boards for wedding planning, bridesmaids’ dresses, wedding cakes, bridal paraphernalia, jewelry and flowers are pinned and repinned with gay abandon, providing shared ideas about the vital details which combine to make a bride’s day perfect. These visual storyboards show trends and hopes, where women take inspiration from celebrities and fashion designers and work out how to translate them to their own big day.

Wedding boards on Pinterest are also proving helpful for individual women to show whoever will be decorating their cake, arranging their flowers, or making their dress exactly what they want. Lauren Skow, talking on Geekwire, explains,

・When my planner asked for my ideas on d馗or or floral bouquets, I was able to send her my pins for quick reference.・

The popularity of planning nuptials on Pinterest means that there is no shortage of ideas on the site. Even if none of your friends are planning their own wedding, a quick search reveals thousands of pins from other people on the subject.

When you start to refine your tastes, it is easy to delete pins if you have changed your mind about your color scheme, or if something that appealed to you at the start of the process no longer has a place. Friends and family who also use Pinterest can give you feedback on your ideas, and it is even possible to create shared boards, where multiple people have permission to post. You could start a board where all your bridesmaids can pin their favorite pictures, and another for you and your Maid of Honor to plan the bachelorette party activities.

Plant a Memory Boards are filled with wedding favor ideas as well as a bit of parties we like. Visit us on Pinterest and enjoy the ride.

Spring time Love

There is a magic about Spring, Plant a Memory’s Creations offers a chance to take advantage of the Springtime glory with a garden theme to complement your wedding. Favors with a touch of “green” allows your guests to bring home the spark of your wedding day and grow memories with these enchanting flowers.

Including the option to customize each individual packet with the wedding couple’s first names and wedding date at no extra cost, Plant a Memory collection of original artist rendered, selection of  20 different seeds that will soon bloom into a magnificent garden of flowers. From  red roses to extravagant gerber daisies, we offer a large assortment of extraordinary wildflower seeds to choose from. As a symbol of true love, these divine seed packets make the perfect wedding favor for your guests to take home.

With affordable seed packet favors starting at only $0.99 each, your wedding guests can take home with them a fond memory of love and happiness through these packets.

A best seller and a must-have for every wedding guest, these personalized seed packet favors are as fitting to every wedding theme as they are beautiful. Each unique and generously sized packet contains your choice of flower, herb or tree seeds of love and legend, and guests will reminisce on your wedding day as they watch the seeds bloom elegantly year after year. The collection of  plant-able wedding favors are also wonderful – plant the paper and it will GROW – blooming into a culminating display of colors, guests can sprinkle these seeds anywhere and watch as they sprout into impeccable blooming flowers.

Written graciously across the back cover of each packet is a Thank you message, “Plant these seeds to create a garden of lasting memories.” With easy-to-read growing instructions on the inside cover, wedding guests of all ages will be able to appreciate and enjoy these seed packets.

Visit our Site for Ideas for Your Spring Wedding Favors:
Visit our Facebook page for FREE Shipping Code.
February 8, 2013
The Tree Beggings Team.

Sheila, Robin & Amy

Plant a Memory for a Greener Tomorrow!