Love, Marriage And Money

The f-word. Finances. Combining love and money may be the biggest stumbling block

The f-word. Finances. Combining love and money may be the biggest stumbling block on the path of true love, creating more rifts in relationships than in-laws, drug and alcohol addiction, or infidelity. 

Financial power struggles challenge even the most solid partnership. Unfortunately, money too often equates to control in a relationship. The delicate balance of power between you is dependent on the successful combination of love and money. 

In the majority of relationships today, both members contribute financial resources. Despite the strides women have made toward financial equality on the job, though, men still have greater earning power. In general, with more disposable income, men invest more money and take greater risks than women. Women as a whole are more conservative in their investments because it takes them longer to earn the money. Money attitudes are also influenced by age, family upbringing, religion, and each person’s own unique financial trials and errors. 

Everyone has opened a bank account, paid the rent or mortgage, kept the telephone and electricity turned on. When you make the decision to share your life with someone, though, such mundane issues suddenly become complicated. 

Do you keep separate bank accounts or do you put all the money in one account? How do you split monthly expenses? Do you each pay a portion or do you pay bills out of a joint account? Should you be able to sign on your partner’s bank account? Did one of you bring assets to the relationship that the other uses, such as a car or a home, for which expenses should be shared? 

Financial advice for couples over fifty varies significantly depending on age, economic status and dependents. Every situation is different, but the following is general advice for everyone. 

Many modern couples keep their finances separate, while others opt to pool all their funds. Making the decision on the day-to-day handling of what was formerly “his” and “her” money can be a tough one. 

There are benefits to keeping separate property funds separate and maintaining certain assets in one name only, which we’ll explain in more detail in the next chapter. Keeping other monies separate may create logistical problems, though, along with a diminished sense of common goals for the future. Combining your funds also gives a couple greater borrowing and investment power. 

Determining a financial plan that works might take months; many couples struggle for years before reaching a balance. Defining and discussing your money styles is the first step, setting goals is the second. 

Review your financial picture. Are you both satisfied with your knowledge and control of “your” money and “our” money? Are you both knowledgeable about banking, insurance, investments, credit cards? 

The routine business of a new life together should include the following: 

• Reevaluation of life, health, auto and other insurance coverage
  
• A change of beneficiary on insurance policies and company pension plans
  
• Notification to social security of your marriage to ensure eligibility for your spouse’s benefits and change of W-4 withholding
  
• An assessment of the impact of remarriage on alimony or pension/retirement benefits from a prior marriage
  
• A consultation with an accountant to learn the impact your marital status will have on your federal or state income tax obligations
  
• In a remarriage, be aware that the income of a new spouse may impact eligibility for financial aid of college-age children from a prior marriage. 

You may need to consult your banker, your employer, your insurance agent, your accountant, your attorney or other professionals to accomplish these tasks. 

Your goal in tying the fiscal knot is to protect your spousal rights and save money. Begin your research before the wedding and make sure you follow through.

We just love weddings

Saving On Wedding Music

When it comes to wedding music....

When it comes to wedding music, there are some choices that stand apart from others. During the ceremony, it is getting more popular to avoid the traditional bridal music and use a chosen song of love instead. 

People still are using the traditional bridal song too, but it is just not necessary anymore for those who want to be original or walk down the aisle to a song that best expresses how they feel about their nuptials. 

When it comes to the music for your wedding ceremony and the reception, it is important that you consider your budget above all things. Naturally, you will want to have all of the music that you love available including the music that you want for your first dance. 

Hiring a DJ can be the best way to go, but it is not the only way to go. If you must hire a DJ, there are a few ways that you can save money on it.

Saving on a DJ 

For starters, you can look to hire an amateur DJ who is just starting out. They are eager for the work and will often cut you a good deal. You can find good amateur DJ’s at local school dances and sometimes just by asking local area high school and college kids about DJ’s that they might know. 

Young DJ’s who are just starting out are also using modern technology like portable computers with downloaded music and this means that they can almost always get just about any song that you might want. 

Young DJ’s are also more willing to follow your precise instructions for what you want to hear and will allow you to have full control of what they do. Many amateur DJs will also make you custom CDs if you ask them and you can give them to the bridal party as gifts. 

To get the best prices from the amateurs, you can let them audition to make sure that they can play your wedding song and then you can let them bid their prices. You simply choose the best of them who has the best price. 

Saving on a band 

Many couples would prefer to use a live band at their wedding and reception. Live bands offer a special tone to the ceremony and it adds some elegance. 

When you want to save money on a band, you can often find great deals when you look to local high school and college bands to get much cheaper prices. You can use the school bands to play music at the ceremony and hire a DJ for the reception. 

You can also look to any friends or family members who play musical instruments to help you out. Just make sure that the band that you do hire knows how to play the song or music that you are hoping to have at your wedding. 

Instruments like guitar, Spanish guitar, saxophone, and piano are always great for weddings and you can often find local musical students who will be willing to play a wedding for small fees. 

Extra Money Saving Tips 

When it comes to the music that you want to hear at your wedding, there are some extra tips that you can use to help and make it just a little bit more affordable. Some of these tips are as follows: 

* Hold auditions with young people who are trying to get some experience and let them come to you. 

* Place an ad in the paper or penny saver that you are looking for wedding bands or DJ’s and let them bid for the jobs. This will have the different players competing for your wedding which will have them all trying to outbid each other for the chance for exposure. Let them audition and tell them that you are taking quotes on fees so that they all know what is going to happen. 

* Use pre-recorded live music tapings at your wedding so that you will get he live music sound but without paying the extra money. 

* Use a stereo at your reception that hosts various different mixed CD’s and plays them all automatically. Many stereos these days will play through dozens of Cd’s in a row so that the music lasts for hours. This can cost you no more than the price of the CD’s. You can also use CDs that you burned yourself from the computer so that you can get all of your favorite music 

* A nice decoration for a reception is to make a collage of pictures of the bride and groom and their families.

The $30 K Wedding Alternative

Thwart wedding bell apprehension when you explore your nuptial options. 

The mayhem of a marital union can evoke enough tension to make the happiest bride say, “I don’t.” A second wedding, overbearing family personalities, cultural differences and financial restrictions are just a few reasons people skirt the mega marriage ceremony. For the woman, who has never envisioned the fairytale wedding, the ill trepidation of walking a mile of aisle can morph those butterflies into caterpillars. 

According to a market report released by the National Association of Certified Wedding Coordinators (NACWC), the average cost for a wedding in America ranges between $20,000 to $25,000. Over the last four years, the cost of tying the knot has increased by 18 percent. As people wait to get married, they are tergiversating the expense. Annually, an approximated 15 percent of newlyweds pass on the wedding circus and forego the City Hall route. 

Prior to actualizing, you do not wish to produce the “event” of the year, (your wedding) there is a 5-letter word that will need nullifying, g-u-i-l-t. Family guilt is one of the most potent forces of resistance to wedding rights of refusal. Unless your family insists on doling the expenditures for the big day and you are 100 percent confident that the stress will be well worth the backlash - resist the temptation. In collaboration with your spouse to-be, consider your other wedding alternatives. 

An Intimate Wedding Union 

Less is more. A low-key wedding can be just as memorable and meaningful as an elaborate wedding event. If your guest list includes a total of 50-75 friends and family members, figure $5,000 to $10,000 for a sit-down dinner. The intimacy of family, close friends melded with an exchange of vows can set the stage for a magical wedding event. 

The ideal location can be simplified if you don’t mind being hitched at home. Beware of losing sight of the budget especially, if finances are an issue. Bringing in additional tables, seating, lighting et al can add up - rapidly. Concerning other reception venues, do not rule out places like your family’s place of worship (church or synagogue), country clubs, or social clubs/lodges. 

Sponsorship 

Sponsorship has its privileges. If you can find local businesses to donate their products and services in return for advertising at your reception, sponsorship may be a consideration. More couples are bartering a bit of promotion along with their nuptials, for complimentary or discounted goods and services. 

Not all vendors will chomp at the bit to sponsor your special day. Certain vendors will appreciate the benefit of branding their company, directly to a target audience. Plan to approach a minimum of 100 vendors. Smaller and newer companies are more apt to participate. The ideal sponsorship situation is a win-win, for all. In example, the media buy for advertising costs 3-4 times the cost of the average sponsorship.

The Perfect String Quartet Repertoire For Your Wedding

A String Quartet can provide music for every stage of your Wedding

Here follows suggestions and tips that will help you determine the ideal programme for your Wedding day. A String Quartet can provide music for every stage of your Wedding. 

First of all, we have the Brides breakfast. If you are hiring the services of a String quartet for the whole day, you may be able to arrange for one or two of the players to come along for this early stage of the wedding at reasonable extra cost. A single string instrument, such as the cello, can provide gentle background music with Schubert’s Ave Maria or the solo suites by Bach. It is considered good form to invite the musicians to have a meal with your guests, especially if there is a long interval between wedding stages. 

Next follows the Prelude. This is the stage when your guests arrive at the actual venue where the ceremony will take place. This is often a different venue from where the Brides breakfast and / or Reception takes place. You should allow enough time for the musicians to arrive at the wedding venue before your guests! By this stage, the full quartet (all 4 players) will need to be on site for the main part of the ceremony, so it makes sense to take advantage of their presence and ask them to play for the Prelude as well. The Pachelbel Canon is an ideal piece of music for this purpose. As this stage is probably the longest (with exception of the reception), the quartet will need to have a substantial repertoire of peaceful arrival music in order to avoid repitition. Selections such as the Flower Duet from Delibe’s Lakme and The Swan by Camille Saint-Saens are perennial favourites. A good string quartet will be aware of these requirements, and should be able to assure you that their repertoire is varied, extensive and appropriate. Allow up to 30 minutes for this stage. 

Now comes the big moment of your Wedding day, the Processional (walking down the aisle!) This is when you’ll be very pleased that you hired a String Quartet. The actual music for the infamous ‘Here comes the bride’ is the Bridal Chorus by Richard Wagner. If your prospective ensemble doesn’t know this piece (and it’s proper title), walk away! They most likely will of course. If you have your heart set on something else, you must make sure that the quartet either already has it in their repertoire, or has the resources to acquire it. More obscure musical requests may need to be written specially for quartet. Arrangements of most show tunes etc. should be within the grasp of the quartet musicians themselves. You should however, expect to pay an additional fee for this service. A good arrangement takes time. 

The Signing of the register is the next stage of the Wedding which requires music. The Andante Cantabile by Tchaikovsky or Alexander Borodin’s Quartet no.2 are both very appropriate for this stage of the wedding, as they are relaxing and soothing pieces of music. Bach’s Air on the G string is also wonderfully effective. This allows everyone in the room to have a bit of a breather and will help to release any tension in the room! You should ensure that the quartet you have hired has the entire selection prepared, and not just excerpts, again to avoid endless repetition of ‘the famous bits’.

That’s it, you’ve done it, you’re married! All that’s left for you to do is to walk back down the aisle, the Processional. Unless you have very strong feelings about an alternative piece of music, it is advisable to stick with the Wedding March by Felix Mendelssohn. Everybody expects to hear it, it suits the occasion perfectly and is a fantastic piece of music perfectly matched to the sound of the String Quartet.

It’s party time! The reception follows the processional, and often takes place at a different location from the wedding ceremony. In order to ensure that the musicians arrive before the guests, it is advisable that you allow them to leave the ceremony immediately following the conclusion of the processional. There is a huge amount of very good Quartet repertoire which is suitable for a Wedding reception. It would be possible to satisfy the needs of your reception with the music of Mozart alone! Of course, an experienced quartet should have a balanced repertoire. Even so, It is worth checking that the musicians have certain pieces in their arsenal. Make sure that they have on hand all the well-known baroque and classical masterpieces by Mozart, Haydn and Handel, some light music classics, jazz standards, show tunes and arrangements of other popular songs. You should expect to hear Ein Kleine Nachtmusic (a little night-music) by Mozart, Boccherini’s Minuet and The ragtime music of Scott Joplin to name but a few.

Top 10 Wedding Decoration Budget Tips

When it comes to choosing your wedding decorations

When it comes to choosing your wedding decorations, you must decide on your theme. Once you have done this, you can then make your decisions about the budget that you will have. 

Here are the top 10 tips that you should know in order to lower the cost of your wedding decorations. 

1. Decide on the essential items that you must have first and then worry about the extras. 

2. Hand make the centerpieces yourself using items priced toward your budget. 

3. Using artificial flowers is cheaper than fresh flowers unless you pick them yourself from a field. 

4. Skip the extra wedding favors and focus more attention on decoration detail. 

5. Never go over your budget because you set it up for a reason 

6. For smaller items like candles, candle holders, small laces etc. visit your nearby dollar store. 

7. Never underestimate the elegance of basic decor. Sometimes minimal is best. 

8. Some very versatile items that can make a beautiful decorations include: clay pots, plastic bowls/vases, faux flowers, pearls, balloons, pillar candles, rhinestones, and empty wine bottles. 

9. Tissue paper roses and flowers give off a beautiful look to any decorating style and they are quick and easy to make. 

10. A word to wise is that your decorations should not even amount to half of the money that is spent on the reception.

How To Hire A Disc Jockey For Your Wedding

Hiring music entertainment

Hiring music entertainment can arguably be the most important booking made for your wedding. Guests remember whether or not they had fun at your wedding. What you pay for is what you get is a good rule of thumb. However, I would like to educate the consumer, future brides and grooms, of how to hire a DJ and things to consider. The following are 9 important factors to consider when hiring a disc jockey BEFORE you sign the contract.

1. Who would be the DJ for your occasion? Many DJ companies are a multi-system operation. Be sure to have in writing of who your DJ will be at your event. I would recommend meeting your DJ before hiring the company at a neutral place, like a restaurant. 

2. How many years experience does your DJ have with your type of function? Anyone can pretend to be a DJ. If you are having a formal event, does your DJ know how to organize a wedding reception or a grand entrance? The DJ should perform the type of show that you want! 

3. Does the DJ get everyone involved dancing or do they just play music? You have to ask yourself if you want a DJ that will get everyone dancing? For example, will the DJ involve guests by playing and conducting motivational dances like the Chicken Dance, Hokey Pokey, Cha Cha Slide or just play music? 

4. Will the DJ be dressed appropriately? Formal means tuxedo or dress. Semi-formal means dress pants, shirt & tie or slacks and blouse. Casual means polo shirt or company shirt. Be sure the DJ is dressed appropriately during set-up and takedown of equipment. Some guests do arrive early and stay late. 

5. What is the DJ’s fee? How much is overtime? Is a tip included in the fee? Will there be an extra charge for lighting-what does the lighting include? How much is travel to your location? Are you ONLY paying for the time the DJ performs? 

6. Does the DJ include a contract? Be sure to have all details of your function in writing. The DJ must know the date, place, and time! You must know each other’s names and phone numbers including the DAY of the occasion. 

7. Is the DJ company professional? This may sound silly, but does the DJ have insurance? Accidents do happen. It’s better to be prepared. Also, is the DJ a member of a national DJ association like ADJA or NAME? If they are, then they care about what they do and are a better chance of being professional. 

8. What kind of equipment does the DJ use? Typically, if a DJ is using a brand of equipment you can buy at your local retail store, then that’s what you will get. Excellent brand names include: JBL, Community, Denon, Gemini, QSC, Crown, etc. Always, and I mean always, ask if the DJ has back-up equipment WITH them for your function. Also, be sure the DJ brings the right amount of sound for the number of guests expected. 

9. What music do you play? How many music selections will the DJ have WITH them? Be sure your DJ takes requests before and during your function. Also, give them a guideline of what you want played. However, this is what the DJ is paid to do. Don’t limit the DJ by saying you want all of one kind of music or a list of 100 songs they must play. The best scenario is to play any type of music that gets people dancing and having fun. By the way, it should be understood the DJ does not play any offensive music.

How to Write Your Own Wedding Vow?

Wedding vow is the belief of you about your wedding and love to your partner

Wedding vow is the belief of you about your wedding and love to your partner. It would be nice if you would write it yourself. Your guests would be impressed. They might have attended a lot of wedding ceremony before and heard the wedding vow many times already. It would make them hard to engage into the ceremony if the vow is just a script which has been used for thousand times before.

The following are some tips if you are planning to write your own wedding vows:

1. Consult before you write
Make sure you can use your own wedding vows before your write. There is no point to spend so much time and effort to write your wedding vow and finally you find that you cannot use it on your wedding day! Therefore you should ask your minister or registrar as detailed as you can. Check if there is anything you need to pay attention to before you really start to write your vow.

2. Be true to yourself
The most touching vow is a vow written from your heart. It is meaningless to make up fake stories. And the truth is that the wedding is for you and your partner but not for pleasing anyone who attends your wedding. Therefore, it is important to share your true feeling in the vow and people would be impressed by your honesty and sincere.

3. Back to the past
You might recall some old memories in the past, someone helped in your love affair, for example. It would help to tight your guests to your wedding. However, you should remember to keep it brief. Otherwise your guests would fall asleep and your wedding would run too long.

4. Do not be too personal
Your wedding vow is certainly personal. However, it should not be too personal otherwise your guests would feel like an outsider and feel very isolated.

5. Agreements with your partner
You can discuss with your partner about the contents of your wedding vows. If you two decide to write the wedding vows separately, make sure the length of them is about the same or else the shorter vow may gives the guests an impression that it is just a left over part.

6. Be humorous
The wedding vow need not to be too formal. You can always write your wedding vows with a sense of humor. An humorous wedding vow is by no means better than a boring vow. What is important is that you should show your commitment on your wedding and love for your partner.

7. Be brief
Pace is very important. Do not make the wedding vow too long. It is important to keep it brief and more accurate so that your guests can engage into your wedding easily.

8. Practice, Practice and Practice
Practice your wedding vows before your big day! Practice makes perfect. You would find it more enjoyable when you feel confident to read your vows.

9. Safety measures
There is no harm to make safety measures. You can put your wedding vow on a paper in note form. So that even if you forget some lines, you can still refer to the note.

Revise and practice make prefect. Start to write your wedding vows as early as possible so that you will have enough time to rewrite and discuss it with your partner. It would be worth spending some time with the compliment from your guests. It would be one of the things that makes your wedding day more unique and special.

Share the Sweet Moments of Your Wedding

How to Share the Sweet Moments of Your Wedding with Your Friends and Relative?

It must be one of the sweetest moments in your life. You would be getting busy but excited with all the preparations for your dream wedding. There are so many things and moments to remember. “How to document it with ease and share with your friends and relative easily” will be a very important question to ask.

Nowadays, internet technology becomes so advanced, you can make use of it and help you spread your love message around the world. You can share all your emotions from day one till your big day! Do not miss the process leading you to a perfect wedding. It is really a pity if you miss the process since it can be more touching than the results.

First of all, you can register a free email account with a user name signifying your names and wedding date. By doing this, you can use it to communicate with your friends so that they can always recall your wedding day from your email address. It is very sweet to remind your friends about your big day!

An easy way to announce your wedding

An easy way to announce your wedding is a wedding website. It can be a reminder of important information about your wedding day to your friends. If you find that building a web site is too difficult for you, you may start a blog for your wedding. You would find lots of websites provide you with disk space and convenient platforms for you to put every detail online.

It would be nice if you record from the day he proposed to you. It would be interesting to share with your friends and relatives about the proposal. And it would be a very memorable record when you look back in the future.

You might go through lots of arguments and encounter frustrations in the preparation of your perfect wedding. With the blog, you would have a platform where you can release your stress and share your emotions with your friends. In fact you can share the emotions to other brides with the wedding blog. It would be wonderful for brides to discuss online what they encounter and think.

Most likely you will find you need to put so much information on the wedding invitation that there is not enough space. Then you can put this information on your blog or wedding website so that your guests can browse for more detailed information such as map directories and gift list. 

After your wedding ceremony

After your wedding ceremony, you will have thousands of photos which you would like to share with your friends. You can put these photos onto your wedding website and put your wedding site or blog address on your Thank You Card so that your friends and relatives can also enjoy the sweetest moment on your wedding.

Reading your friends’ messages would be the funniest thing to do after you have got married. It can extend the blessing from your wedding day to your marriage life. 

Thanks to the technology, it is so easy to make your wedding memorable and share the happiest moment without distance. LOVE is so essential and you can also allow the whole world to celebrate with you. You would find some messages of blessing from someone you might not know in person. They just surf through the web and find your wedding website. It is amazing, right? Do not wait and start making your own wedding website or blog now!

British Heritage Weddings

As unforgettable as your wedding day is, do you want a unique, historical setting?

Set your wedding in a castle, inn or other historical site in Olde England. Everything can be arranged, from the more common place requisites such as catering, floral arrangements and photography to the more exotic:

Have the princely groom arrive on a white stallion (shining armour or not).

Or perhaps a medieval wedding with the bride and groom presiding over the ensuing banquet where no-one does anything without their permission. And for those errant subjects who go astray: woe to them. For this is the King and Queen's special day - and theirs alone to command.

For these and other historical possibilites, please see the themes section.

While viewing the various venues, themes and services we offer, please bear in mind that they are merely a taste of what is possible. Your wedding will be personally tailored according to your tastes and preferences while we strive to maintain your absolute comfort.

From costumes to catering, genealogy to historic information, venue hire or that touch which turns a special day into a fantastic series of golden moments, look to British Heritage Weddings.

Concept Weddings FAQ Pages

Do you work interstate, nationally and Internationally?

The answer here is yes but with reservation. Whereas I appreciate 

that people identify me as their chosen Wedding photographer, and 

see it as extremely complimentary of my work and photographic 

artistry, I have to identify that the cost can sometimes be prohibitive for

many. This is due to the time and cost of travel and other general practical

logistical issues.

That said I welcome all enquiries relating to my availibilty and costs etc. 

I have been known to utilise national commissions with other travel appointments minimising costs to individual clients.

What are the ranges of your Package Prices?  

Why don't you list them on the website?

I have recently changed how I charge for attending and recording a wedding. I now charge on a per hour basis and the packages pertain to securing the images in the number, size and style of your choice.

I often get asked about package prices but the prices that are availible for quoting are really general guidelines and it is very rare for clients to book a standard package preferring to customise quantity and sizes etc for their individual needs.

As a general rule the single print prices are the blocks that make up the final price. The greater number of prints making up a single order reduces substantially the cost of each print so as to make it cost effective.

Concept Images

Photographer based on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland, Australia. 

Here you can view her Beautiful and personal Wedding photography.

Pregnancy and portrait photography from this acclaimed and collected fine art photographer are also shown but are better catered for on her sister sites of....

If Wedding photography is an important consideration for your wedding day, and you want images that will not only record but capture the essence of the occasion in any variety of styles then you have found the perfect photographer.

Many clients now repeatedly come back and update their portfolios, family images. Many that have enjoyed wedding photographic images go on to use Cathy through all of life event recording including Pregnancy, graduation, other family weddings or birthdays etc.

Cathy is a professional fine art photographer that commercially specialises in Pregnancy, Weddings, Portraiture,  and special events as well as her celebrated fine art photography.

Her photographic works have been internationally collected and acclaimed and she is rapidly growing into one of the foremost Australian artists. From her exhibitited works of excquisite art to individual clients images and photos Cathys passion and artisitc ability can clearly be seen.

Many a baby or babies, pregnant mums or families have been photographed by Cathy as her talents as a photographer have often reflected her experience as a midwife.  Her shoots are unhurried and at clients leisure.

Cathy has provided photographic services to local,interstate and international clients alike and welcomes all enquiries as to commissioned works. Cathy has been the choice of celebrities including Pat Rafter and has international newspaper and magazine publications exposure.

Cathy is respectful of cultural sensitivities and culture plays an important part in her capturing some individuals in their leisure and recreation time. Business also benefits from this respectful aspect of her professionalism.

Cathy is also renowned for providing Models with the opportunity to explore their true potential. Models and modelling portfolio work require a professional dedication that is often sorely lacking in other less  commited photographers.

Weddings are both a celebration of joy and the source of incredible stress

We assist couples in this process

Weddings are both a celebration of joy and the source of incredible stress. It is important that you are helped to celebrate the joy and effectively deal with the stresses. We assist couples in this process. 

We are clergy who are able to perform a variety of wedding services in a variety of locations. We are experienced in working with persons of different faith experiences.

We are able to create a wedding that honors tradition while also providing a personal expression of your love and commitment. It is our intention to help you to create a wedding service that will reflect the love and joy in your relationship with words of faith.

We have performed weddings in several locations and are able to create an environment that celebrates your wedding, wherever you may choose to have the service. We also can help you to access some beautiful chapels and sanctuaries.

We do not make you jump through a lot of hoops with religious or moral requirements before we will perform your service.

Grace informs our faith and we want to communicate God's grace in how we plan and perform the wedding service that you help to create. 
Counseling and wedding coordination is available as needed.

Follow links at the bottom to find out more about our staff, locations, services, fees, philosophy and sample services.

Feel free to contact us about your service with preliminary questions. No commitments are necessary at the beginning. You will receive a prompt reply to your questions.

A wedding in Mexico

Mexico is a romantic place to say 'I do.' A wedding in Mexico is sure to be a special memory you'll cherish for a lifetime. All of us at StrayWeddings.com want to help you in the planning process to ensure your wedding is everything you ever dreamed it could be. We've compiled some tips and things to think about when considering a destination wedding in Mexico.

1. Arrive Early

   Many resorts require that you arrive in Mexico at least three full working days prior to your wedding.

2. Weekends & Holidays

   Keep in mind that many resorts will not perform weddings on Sundays, Mexican holidays, or during Easter Week.

3. Blood Tests

   Getting legally married in Mexico involves some legal paper work and blood tests.

4. Religious Weddings Are Not Legal in Mexico

   Only Civil marriages are legal in Mexico. Many resorts offer religious or traditional weddings, but these are ceremonial only. To avoid legal issues, some couples choose to be legally married in their home country and hold a ceremony in Mexico. These ceremonies are often referred to as Renewal of Vows and many resorts offer packages for these types of ceremonial weddings.

5. Seasons

   Consider the time of year for your wedding. Hotel rates vary substantially between the high and low tourist seasons. We also advise that you avoid hurricane season, which usually peaks between August and October.

6. Separate Resorts

   Some couples choose to stay at a separate resort from their guests. This option gives the newlyweds more privacy during their honeymoon, and also allows them to stay at a more expensive resort while giving their guests a more economical option. These weddings often involve additional costs. Many all-inclusive resorts require outside guests to purchase a day and/or night pass to attend the wedding, which ranges from approximately US$50-100 per person.

7. Privacy

   Some resorts offer more privacy for ceremonies than others. If it is important to you and your fiancé that your wedding be a private event and not a tourist attraction for other guests, consider the size of the resort and be sure to ask the resort about the privacy of their ceremony and reception sites.

8. Add a Personal Touch

   Consider bringing decorations and wedding favors from home to add a personal touch to your ceremony and reception. Don't forget to check with your airline to find out if they have any restrictions for what is allowed on the airplane, and your Mexican consulate to find out restrictions on what is allowed into Mexico.

9. Group Discounts

   If you're traveling as a group, you will most likely qualify for a group discount. Whether you're booking your accommodations directly with a resort, or booking through a tour operator, most offer a discount for groups that book at least 10-15 rooms.
   All about blogging here

10. Be Flexible

    A destination wedding comes with some unpredictability and you will have to let go of the need to control everything. As a guest in Mexico, your trip will be more enjoyable if you show respect for its customs and culture, and courtesy to the people. No matter how much planning you do, there will always be an element of the unexpected. If you can bring yourself to focus on planning the things that are of utmost importance and let go of the rest, you are sure to have a wonderful Mexican experience. Above all else, remember to HAVE FUN!

Documentary & Cinematic Coverage

Our company is proud to be Accredited by the Australian Video Producers Association (AVPA - Special Event), and are widely respected as Professional Melbourne Wedding Video Producers. 

At Sauvignon Media, we offer affordable and flexible Wedding Video Packages that are rich in content, and stylish in presentation.

Our aim is to capture your day & portray the events with class & elegance. We incorporate our knowledge of cinematic effects and contemporary editing styles, to ensure that your Wedding Day is something you would love to relive over and over again. 

For our team, your Wedding DVD is greater than a record of your day........ It is a Living Memory!!!

Our Difference 

Blu Ray - Pure HDV Viewing 
Producing the next-generation of optical disc format, we are now able to master your full length wedding DVD onto Blu Ray. If you've ever seen high-definition (HD) video on a HDTV, then you will know just how incredibly sharp the picture is and how vivid the colors are. 

Camera Coverage - Our company is one of the few in Melbourne, who provide you the service of 2 camera people. As our aim is to provide the best coverage possible, we maximise the time spent during the bridal preparation, by having one camera person with the bride & another with the groom (conditions apply). For all our packages, we use two cameras through the ceremony & parts of the reception, & this ensure that we are able to capture all the important elements of the day, as well as many more that you have missed. 

Documentary & Cinematic Coverage

DOCUMENTARY style is more like a nicely edited version of the raw footage, combining all of the elements of the day, edited together with an emphasis on including as much good content as possible. The documentary style aims to make the video represent the actual day as closely as possible and isn't as concerned with effects or music.

CINEMATIC videos employ slow motion, moving camera (sweeping) shots, and probably other effects like black and white, maybe film look with a major emphasis on timing the camera edits to music.

Our style of videojournalism is documentary bookmarked by cinematic openings and closings. We aim to reflect your Wedding Day with beautifully crafted work that portrays the elements of your day both in a documentary and cinematic way.

Wedding Day Edits

Wedding Day Edits allow you and your guests to relive moments of your day, on your day. This is a very emotional presentation for everyone. Your guests are introduced to your life as a child & moments with your new partner. To complete the mood, your Reception is filled with the joy of hearing your committment on this special day. It truly is an experience to experience. 

Our Services to You 

APRA Licensed - We are APRA Licensed so this allows us to include your choices of licensed music. 

Wireless Lapel Microphones - We use discrete wireless lapel microphones to capture all the special words of commitment that has brought you to this moment.

Personalised Production - We include personalised DVD Covers, Disk Embossing and Menu Templates.

Personalised Appointments - To ensure that we produce something that you will cherish, we listen to you at each appointment, and correspond with you to confirm that all aspects of your day are covered and verified.

Song Suggestions for weddings

I have gathered for you a list of popular song choices for some of the special wedding dances.  Remember, these are only suggestions, you can choose any song you would like.  If you would like additional suggestions, please contact me.

First Dance

A Kiss To Build A Dream On	Louis Armstrong
Always	Atlantic Star
Amazed	Lonestar
As Time Goes By	Jimmy Durante
Beautiful In My Eyes	Joshua Kadison
Because You Loved Me	Celine Dion
Can You Feel The Love Tonight	Elton John
Can't Help Falling In Love	Elvis Presley
Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You	Frankie Valli
Could I Have This Dance	Anne Murray
Don't Know Much	Linda Rondstadt/Aaron Neville
Endless Love	Richie/Ross or Vandross/Carey
Everything I Do	Bryan Adams
For The First Time	Kenny Loggins
Forever	Kenny Loggins
Forever And Ever Amen	Randy Travis
From This Moment On	Shania Twain/Brian White
Groovy Kind of Love	Phil Collins
Have I Told You Lately	Van Morrison or Rod Stewart
Here And Now	Luther Vandross
How Do I Live	LeAnn Rimes
I Believe In You And Me	Whitney Houston
I Could Not Ask For More	Edwin McCain
I Cross My Heart	George Strait
I Do (Cherish You)	Mark Wills or 98 Degrees
I Knew I Loved You	Savage Garden
I Only Have Eyes For You	The Flamingos
I Swear	J.M. Montgomery or All 4 One
I'll Be	Edwin McCain
In This Life	Colin Raye
It Had To Be You	Harry Connick, Jr.
Just The Way You Are	Billy Joel
Keeper Of The Stars	Tracy Byrd
Love Of A Lifetime	Firehouse
Love Of My Life	Sammy Kershaw
Power Of Love	Celine Dion
Shameless	Garth Brooks
Soul Provider	Michael Bolton
The Earth The Sun The Rain	Color Me Badd
The One	Elton John
The Way You Look Tonight	Various
Time In A Bottle	Jime Croce
To Make You Feel My Love	Garth Brooks
True Companion	Marc Cohn
Truly Madly Deeply	Savage Garden
Unforgettable	Nat King Cole/Natalie Cole
Valentine	Martina McBride/Jim Brickman
When A Man Love A Woman	Percy Sledge or Michael Bolton
When I Fall In Love	Nat King Cole or Celine Dion/Clive Grifin
When I Said I Do	Clint Black
When You Say Nothing At All	Allison Krauss
Wonderful Tonight	Eric Clapton
You  Are So Beautiful	Joe Cocker
You And I	Eddie Rabbitt/Crystal Gayle
You Had Me From Hello	Kenny Chesney
Your Love Amazes Me	John Berry
You're Still The One	Shania Twain

Father/Daughter

Butterfly Kisses	Bob Carlisle
Daddy's Hands	Holly Dunn
Father's Eyes	Amy Grant
Have I Told You Lately	Van Morrison or Rod Stewart
Hero	Mariah Carey
House on Pooh Corner	Kenny Loggins
I Believe In You	Don Williams
If There Hadn't Been You	Billy Dean
My Girl	Temptations
Through the Years	Kenny Rogers
Time In A Bottle	Jim Croce
Unforgettable	Nat King Cole/Natalie Cole
Wind Beneath My Wings	Bette Midler or Gary Morris

Mother/Son

A Groovy Kind Of Love	Phil Collins
A Song For Mama	Boyz II Men
Have I Told You Lately	Van Morrison/Rod Stewart
If There Hadn't Been You	Billy Dean
Imagine	John Lennon
In My Life	The Beatles
One Moment In Time	Whitney Houston
That's What Love Is For	Amy Grant
The Power Of Love	Celine Dion
Through The Years	Kenny Rogers
What A Wonderful World	Louis Armstrong
Wind Beneath My Wings	Bette Midler or Gary Morris
You Don't Count The Cost	Billy Dean
You Light Up My Life	Debbie Boone or LeAnn Rimes