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How to enjoy your engagement and begin your marriage right

Isn’t your engagement a beautiful experience? The time when you acknowledge your commitment and love to the perfect partner, and when you look forward to being united in marital bliss. Every bride goes through this period where it seems unreal and too good to be true. But, once the reality sinks in, and it is time to plan and prepare for the wedding, it can cease being fun.

Engagement is the transition between being single and getting married, and as with any transition period, it too involves a fair share of stress. Most couples are so caught up with the hectic pace of planning their wedding, that they end up doing nothing else.

Is this the right way to start your marriage? Definitely Not!

Here is how you can enjoy yourself before the wedding, and make your engagement less stressful.

Plan ahead and do it well

Soon after you celebrate your engagement with your dear ones, begin planning the wedding. Fix a wedding date and split up all the tasks that are to be completed before it. Allot reasonable time for each task, and set your calendars to make sure they are done on time. This will allow you to work at a relaxed pace and get the work done without feeling overwhelmed.

Make sure you enjoy everything about the wedding planning

Whether it is shopping for your wedding dress, choosing your wedding cake or fixing the wedding venue, make sure that you are fully involved in the task. A major mistake that most couples make is that they take the tasks too seriously in the beginning and are exhausted by the end. Enjoy every aspect of what you do, and you will find yourself looking forward to the next one on the list.

Take a short break from the wedding

When everything seems to revolve around the wedding, it is time you break loose and take a day or two off. Spend a weekend at a nice destination. Make a decision that you will not discuss anything about the wedding during this short holiday, and it will help you unwind and rejuvenate yourself.

Make time for just the two of you

Don’t forget that you are in love and need to enjoy yourselves as a couple. Continue having dates and plan surprises for your partner, like you did before getting engaged. Find time to talk, discuss and have fun. Plan your honeymoon together, discuss your future and you will find yourself eagerly looking forward to your wedding day.

Enjoy time with family and friends

Relax and unwind with your favorite girlfriends once in a while. Spend time with your parents, and discuss your wedding plans with them. Not only will you receive plenty of suggestions this way, you will also benefit from the relaxed atmosphere.

Have fun watching wedding movies together

Spend your evenings together, watching romantic or fun wedding movies. This will help you and your partner appreciate this time in your life all the more. Pick up “Father of the Bride” or “The Wedding Singer” and enjoy some light comedy, before getting back to the rest of the wedding planning.

Enjoy your engagement, and make the best start to your life together. For all your wedding needs and valuable tips and wedding advice, visit us at Best for Bride.

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Time to take it easy – 3 signs that wedding planning is becoming too stressful

wedding jitters

What starts off as a beautiful, romantic engagement soon ends up as a nightmare of planning, arranging and running around for many brides!

Wedding planning is a huge task, one that takes forever to complete and with numerous details that never seem to conclude. Don’t be surprised if you are a bride who feels the wedding is dictating every moment of your life, ever since the engagement.

Unless you have everything figured out, and can keep your cool despite the responsibilities of wedding planning everything perfectly, wedding plans can burn you out. Here are 3 warning signs to look out for, so you do not overwork yourself over the wedding and forget to enjoy it.

  1. You go to bed and wake up thinking of the different wedding tasks to be completed

This is not the same as when you look forward to the day with excitement. Instead, you find yourself tossing and turning at night worrying about the details, and waking up anxious to begin your wedding related tasks. At this point, wedding planning has become a chore. It is no longer fun, and you will soon just want to get over with it. If you are experiencing this already, it is high time your stopped and took a break. Resume planning and organizing after you catch a well-deserved break.

  1. All your free time is occupied with wedding planning

Too much of a good thing can cause it to become boring. If you find yourself constantly writing notes and wedding lists, rushing from vendor to vendor and always on the phone discussing your wedding, it is time to blow off some steam. Many brides are overwhelmed with the very number of things to take care of, that they end up doing nothing else. If you feel tempted to do another teeny-weeny wedding task whenever you have some free time, curb the feeling. You will handle your responsibilities more productively and efficiently, if you get some breathing space in-betweeen.

If you simply have to do something for your peace of mind, pick something that is fun—like shopping for your rehearsal dinner dress, or preparing your honeymoon itinerary. This will get the task completed, but it won’t feel like work.

  1. You no longer feel the excitement, like you did when you got engaged

The wedding dress shopping was fun and exciting, so was picking the invitation and choosing the cake. But, many brides find their excitement to handle wedding tasks waning as time passes. The reason is that they have been over-exerting themselves, that the magic is gone. The solution is to forget the wedding for a bit, and instead focus on being happily engaged. Have a fantastic date night with your groom, or go on a weekend together. Discuss the remaining wedding arrangements, and consider what can be changed to make it more exciting. Reignite the joy of getting married, and you will once again find it interesting to plan your wedding.

Make sure you relax and tackle every wedding task without stressing over it. This will allow you to enjoy the experience and look forward to a memorable wedding day.

For more wedding tips and advice, visit us at Best for Bride.

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5 Unconventional Honeymoon Ideas and Destinations

Do you find that the allure of Hawaii or an all-inclusive beach vacation just isn’t what you are interested in doing for your honeymoon? We feel you. Honeymoons are not “one size fits all”! That’s why we’ve compiled a list of five unconventional honeymoon ideas and destinations.

Road Tripping

Pack your car and head out on the open road! Whether you have a destination in mind or not, it’s not how you get there, but the journey you have. Some road trippers like to map things out and find places like B&Bs or national parks to stay, and others like to throw their maps away and let the open road take them wherever it wants.

Explore Your Wild Side

Nothing says ‘exotic’ like a trip to South Africa or Kenya where you can go on safari and see majestic and beautiful animals in their native habitats instead of behind bars at a zoo. From luxury safari lodges to accommodations with thatched roofs, there will always be something exciting to see or do if you take your honeymoon on safari.

Honeymoon Fit for a King and Queen

Explore the multitude of castles offered in England, Ireland and Scotland that have been turned into luxurious getaways for couples looking to do something a little different. If that’s not quite your cup of tea, plan a honeymoon that includes visiting historic castles in various locations across the country; travel by train (very affordable) to allow yourselves more time to focus on one another and the scenery.

Cozy Up in an Ice Hotel

You’ll want to stay snuggled close in these accommodations that can be found seasonally in Quebec, Canada, Norway, Finland, Romania and Sweden, owners of the worlds largest ice hotel. With many different activities and classes available at the hotel, you’ll never be bored (but you may be a little chilly sometimes)!

Giving Back Honeymoon

If you’ve ever wanted to help your fellow man, consider taking a ‘giving back honeymoon’ and work with an organization to visit a part of the world in need. Many charities are more than happy to help you arrange a giving back trip, and you’ll feel better having known that you were able to provide for someone who otherwise would have gone without.

Thinking about your honeymoon when you haven’t finished planning your wedding yet? Head to Best for Bride to see the latest in bridal couture, accessories and more!

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When You’d Rather Have Cash

money

Some engaged couples move in together long before they are married and have everything they need, not having to rely on bridal shower and wedding gifts to furnish their homes with a brand new toaster or the newest in entertainment. But many couples, however, struggle with the topic of how to ask for cash from their guests instead of gifts – here are some tips.

First off, it is perfectly acceptable for engaged couples to accept cash gifts if they are not the ones asking for it. Traditional wedding etiquette admonishes asking for cash, but if a wedding guest asks the engaged couple what they’d like, the best way is to tell them that you are thinking of saving for something special, such as an upcoming honeymoon.

Don’t just forgo the wedding registry – there’s always an option to include what you’d like as a gift without going to a department store and scanning towels and linens for people who want to buy you something or give you more than “just cash”. Some people believe that giving a physical gift is tradition at a wedding, so expect that you may get a new shower curtain or something decorative, but there are also sites that allow you to ask for items such as gift cards or cash towards a big purchase or a honeymoon.

One such site is called Tendr where guests can pick cards to send with their well wishes and cash, and they can even use all major credit cards. It doesn’t cost you anything to receive funds and it only costs them 2.7% and $1 for every transaction; likely cheaper than buying a card at a store. The site also tracks all of your gifts received so that you can thank the people who sent them.

Have your gift registry all sorted out? Stop by Best for Bride to start shopping for your wedding and bridesmaid dresses, accessories and more!