An estimated 50 bridal gowns, bridesmaid dresses and various other wedding accessories have been generously donated to a charity shop in Southport, Merseyside recently.

An unknown benefactor deposited the gowns at the British Red Cross shop, every one meticulously arranged on a mannequin and with prices still fixed on them. The Red Cross has resolved to conduct a wedding exhibition, running from July 5th through until July 12th, with an evening opening on July 10th until 8.00pm in order to sell the items.

The wedding gowns will carry price tags in the region of £100 each and are presented in a choice of styles and UK sizes ranging from 10 up to 16. The majority of the bridesmaids’ dresses are available in children’s sizes and come in an assortment of colours. The bridal accessories on offer include tiaras, veils and a variety of jewellery items.

The Manager of the Charity Store claimed that the donation just came unexpectedly and without any warning. She expressed her extreme gratitude to the anonymous contributor, declaring that the donation would permit the charity to raise many thousands of pounds for the British Red Cross.

Red Cross charity shops are entirely dependent on contributions and donations from the public to elicit funds to in order to assist those at risk or in need across the UK and overseas. DVD’s, clothing, books, unwanted gifts, home wares and even used textiles such as curtains or linen can all be sold for cash which in turn funds the British Red Cross.

A magazine recently ran an article on the fact that boutiques offering designer wedding dresses for sale are forcing brides’ to pay a fee for the opportunity to trying on their expensive gowns. Some retailers are reportedly charging in the region of £50 to try on a single dress,

Given that the average woman will try on several different styles of wedding gown during her visit to a boutique and that the initial fitting can take upwards of one hour, it is hoped that the levy will discourage timewasters, with some women said to be choosing the dress before they have even chosen a husband!

The pretext of these new payments range from ‘appointment charges’ to ‘consultation charges’ dependent on which retailer you visit, with the costs varying from £25 to £50.

The fees are the most recent way in which the designers of wedding gowns have attempted to preserve the exclusivity of their creations. Cameras have also recently been forbidden in up-market boutiques as direct result of the many numbers of brides who take photographs of the exclusive designs in order to have imitations of them make at cheaper prices.

Smart brides craving exclusive attire for their big day but who are wary of spending excessively are visiting designer sample sales where bridal gowns can be found at prices discounted up to 70%.

The increasing number of couples who choose to get married in a foreign country should take into account that wedding insurance can protect valuable and important items such as the wedding dress and wedding gifts, while travel insurance protects the actual journey to the wedding location and the honeymoon destination too.

With one in five British couples now deciding to tie the knot abroad travel and wedding insurance both offer practical and often extensive cover whilst also providing peace of mind.

Research published in a national newspaper recently found that British couples are being lured into being married overseas because it can cost up to 50% less than a wedding in the UK. The research also indicated that wedding insurance provided financial protection against spoiled wedding dresses and cancellations at both ceremonial and reception venues.

Wedding insurance plans can differ greatly with regard to cost, dependent on the level of protection demanded, and can be arranged to cover other items including wedding rings, flowers and even the cake.

Travel cover should take care of as the honeymoon, which typically takes place in the same country as the actual wedding, and insures against flight cancellations, loss or damage of luggage and unforeseen medical fees.

A national newspaper has recently reported that Prince William is planning to propose to his long time girlfriend Kate Middleton this Christmas with Royal Courtiers currently alleged to be considering Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s Cathedral as possible wedding venues.

The revelation comes amid increasing rumours that the announcement of a royal wedding is just round the corner.

26 year old Kate has seen a substantial shift in her position within the Royal family of late. After separating with William for a short time in 2007, she has become engaged in an increasing number of public appointments since their reunion, attending a number of Royal events.

In May she was present at the Windsor Castle wedding ceremony of Prince Williams’ cousin Peter Phillips to his bride Autumn Kelly, even though William was not in the UK for the nuptials.

Insiders anticipate that William will propose to Kate in the near future, with a wedding to be planned for sometime during 2009. The commitment is expected as the Prince achieves a year of various secondments in the armed forces, intended to educate him the inner mechanism of the Military he will one day command.

In these days of increasing socially and environmentally responsible attitudes, a growing number of couples are attempting to ‘Theme It Green’ when planning their nuptials. But just exactly how do you arrange an ‘Organic’ wedding?

The first and perhaps most obvious place to begin is the venue. Look for a site that is in a convenient location for the majority of the wedding party, remember that the longer this distance travelled by your guests, the greater the environmental impact will be. If you plan to have your ceremony and reception at two separate venues, ensure that the distance between them is minimal, and if possible arrange a coach or mini bus to cut down the number of vehicles travelling between the two locations.

Many couples are also now opting to create their own personalised wedding invitations, from recycled paper, and as a replacement for name cards for the seating arrangements, some have inscribed names on pebbles or even leaves for a unique impression that also helps to reduce the overall cost to the environment.

For table decorations consider making use of romantic candles and beautifully scented rose petals as an alternative to man made of plastic decorations, which can take an eternity to biodegrade.

When deciding on your floral arrangements, choose seasonal rather than imported flowers. If you a resigned to take the replica route for your table centre pieces use silk arrangements rather than plastic ones, they are more inclined to look realistic and you can offer them to your guests at the end of the reception as mementoes or keepsakes.

When planning your menu insist on locally grown organic foods that are in season and so do not have to be shipped long distance. Choose a caterer that promotes and serves organically grown produce. Aside from being a blessing to the planet, these food choices are a much healthier option for you and your guests.

With in excess of 120,000 marriage licenses issued each year, Las Vegas is the highly acclaimed and much celebrated wedding capital of the world. And if you decide that this vivacious and energetic city is to be the setting for your wedding day, it’s guaranteed to be a day you and your guests won’t ever forget.

What was once classified as no more than a gaudy gambling lair is today one of the most popular US destinations, boasting many luxury hotels, chic restaurants and a vast assortment of romantic chapels in which to say “I do”.

Over the years Las Vegas has played host to many celebrity weddings including
Cindy Crawford and Richard Gere, Billy Bob Thornton and Angelina Jolie, Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow and of course Elvis and Priscilla Presley

Las Vegas provides you with the finest freedom of choice for your nuptials, offering a diverse range of options from an Elvis impersonator managing a 24-7 drive-through chapel or a short uncomplicated civil ceremony to a sumptuous soirée at one of Las Vegas’ leading lush resorts or an elaborate garden service in the grounds of any of the many chapels or hotels in the area. There is certain to be something to suite any preference here, and perhaps more significantly every budget. In fact Vegas presents such an enormous number of uniquely special ways to get married that the difficulty lies in choosing just one of them!

The most straightforward way to get hitched in Vegas is a fleeting civil ceremony completed by a Las Vegas Marriage Commissioner, it takes a mere half an hour and will cost in the region of just $50.

The official Rooney nuptials are now over. Wayne and Coleen did it with panache, with a wedding in the classy Italian Riviera, by means of a budget of £5million, and some 64 guests being flown out in private jets. Entertainment was provided by Westlife and the happy couple sold the exclusive photography rights to a famous glossy magazine for £2.5million.

Unfortunately, the average bride and groom are obliged to settle for something slightly more economical. Be that as it may, the typical price tag of a wedding in the UK is now in excess of £20,000.

Aside the financial strain, psychologists consider that planning your wedding can easily be as traumatic and anxious as moving property or even bereavement. While weddings should to be joyful celebrations that re-unite distant family members, providing precious memories for years to come, this is sadly not always completely apparent on the road to the aisle.

On the pre-wedding stretch you can expect to encounter countless stressful decisions and expenses. Often couples do not appreciate how profound an effect this stress can have on their relationships. One of the most difficult issues during this pre-wedding period can be the difference between its intrinsic stress, on one hand, and the expectation that it should be a time of complete happiness and contentment, on the other. Harboring unrealistic expectations regarding wedding arrangements is very common and can be a great source of anxiety

You should be aware of how much you expect yourself to handle during this time. It can be difficult to acknowledge that you can’t automatically accomplish everything that you might like to during the time you have available, and be accepting of the fact that there are limits to your control in respect of your forthcoming wedding. Bear in mind that any event involving a number of other people is bound to have small imperfections, but what might not go entirely to plan on the day will likely grow to become a much remembered and treasured wedding tale in future years.
 

After a lengthy 5 year engagement England and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney and fiancée Coleen McLoughlin finally tied the knot last Thursday in beautiful Santa Margherita, on the Italian Riviera. This years’ most eagerly anticipated celebrity wedding is reported to have cost in the region of £5 million, although the couple had previously agreed a contract with OK! Magazine, netting them in excess of £2.5 million, making it one of the most lucrative wedding deals ever reached in the UK.

The couples big day began with a civil ceremony at the stately home of Villa Durazzo (in accordance with Italian law, the bride and groom must participate in both a civil ceremony a separate religious ceremony). For this first service, Coleen was clad in a cream coloured strapless organza style dress with an embellished bodice and cascading skirt. The unique creation was designed by New York based British designer Georgina Chapman’s’ Marchesa label and is said to have cost in the region of £85,000.The blushing bride also wore shoes with heels encrusted in crystals by designer Christian Loubourin. Wayne sported an open necked striped shirt and a casual beige suit from Flannels.

Once this initial event was concluded the bride and groom left for separate locations to enjoy a champagne brunch with the bridesmaids and ushers.

Later that day the religious ceremony took place in the Church of San Giralomo at the 16th century Abbey of La Cervara, in the presence of some 60 friends and family. The church was decorated in neutral colours with an abundance of fresh white flowers and candles in hurricane vases. Coleen carried a simple but elegant bouquet of white tulips, as did the bridesmaids.

Each guest was awarded with a miniature box decorated with a butterfly and encompassing a string of rosary beads. As the couple exchanged white gold and diamond wedding bands, crafted exclusively by New York jewellers Jacob & Co, the pair vowed to love, honour and cherish one another in a romantic ceremony performed by their childhood priest from Norris Green, who had been flown over in one of the five jets which had transported the wedding guests from the UK.

The wedding reception followed in the stunning gardens surrounding the Abbey overlooking the charming town of Portifino, where the newly-weds released a dozen white doves into the evening sky over the Italian Riviera as their close friends and family looked on.

Although a themed wedding is not for all couples,  there is surely no better way to give your nuptials a buzz. Whether it provides an air of adventure, fun or plain old romance, a well selected theme can make for a unforgettable wedding day for those who yearn for something a little out of the ordinary.

Most brides would be less than enthusiastic at the suggestion of a themed wedding and might go as far as to describe the idea as distasteful. But the important thing to consider is that your theme can be as obvious or as understated as you like. This can be as diverse as the difference between a medieval wedding or a particular colour scheme. Either way, a theme can offer the perfect focus for your wedding.

Historical themes are a good choice for couples who wish to conjure up a vision of a legendary romance from long ago. Victorian marriages were celebrated with garden receptions and so this theme would be perfect for a summer wedding

In early Victorian times weddings were required by law to be held in the morning, so the majority of gatherings would be a breakfast held in the garden of the bride’s parents home. You could use ideas such as a basis for planning your own Victorian ceremony.

Hollywood is renowned for creating ice figurines and winter scenes to make any event memorable, a fantasy winter wonderland is the perfect theme for an incredible wedding day.

If glamour and glitz is what draws you, how about Las Vegas style wedding?

Opting for a particular theme can help guide you in your choice of many things from your menu to favours. It can influence your style of invitations and even your choice of wedding attire.

Once you have a mental picture of what you would like your wedding to be like, you can then start to focus on exactly what you’ll need to purchase or put together, and will have a greater awareness of what arrangements will need to be made at the venue.

Along with your wedding dress, your wedding cake will be one of the main focal points of your big day, not to mention being an important photographic opportunity. It is as time-honoured as the bride being late or the best man bungling his speech! wedding ceremonies wouldn’t be the same without the cutting of the cake, but did you realise that there is a particular way in which to cut it?

It is customary for the bride & groom to make the first two cuts together, usually with a ceremonial knife or a wedding cake serving set. Some couples have a serving set with their names and / or venue and date engraved on the knife and cake server.

To begin the bride should place her right hand on the handle of the knife. The groom should put his hand over hers, and together they begin cutting on the bottom tier of the cake with the point of the knife. Two incisions are made to cut a small piece which is then placed on a plate.

Traditionally the bride and groom will then feed it to each other. This will be their first duty as man and wide and is said to signify that they are committed to sharing their lives with one another. It is also believed to symbolise the creation of new family unit and the replacement of the old parent-child union. In antiquated rituals the bride would serve portions of cake to members of the parents of the groom as a symbol of the transfer of her household labour to his family.

During the cutting of the cake the attention of the entire wedding party will be focused on it, so ensure that it is placed in a prominent but secure spot, preferably close to the top table, without obscuring the guests’ view if possible.