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The true cost of a wedding

Posted on: September 17th, 2010 by Sine Treanor No Comments

Whether you are planning a traditional Irish wedding in the states or a destination wedding in a medieval castle on the outskirts of Dublin, you desire a sound and smart way to estimate costs. You want a technique that is simple, practical, proven, and systematic. This essay obviously can’t go into great detail about how to optimize everything, but it can hopefully get you started thinking in a more creative way to figure out how to afford your dream wedding without compromising the finances of your soon-to-be new happy home.

Let’s get to the nuts and bolts. What are the major wedding costs? What can you expect to pay for them? And how can you get these costs down?

Reception — According to expert estimates, the average reception costs approximately 35-40% of your budget. This includes drink service, rental for the venue, wedding cake, and food service. To get reception costs down, go simpler. Offer a cash bar. Spare the hors d’oeuvres and multi-course meals. Have a friend or family member host the wedding at his or her yard.

Photos and flowers — Corsages, bouquets for the bride and bridesmaids, money for the videographer and photographer and so forth cost 15% of the average wedding budget. To get costs down, have your wedding in a place with lots of natural flowers and foliage so you don’t have to pay for greenery. Get a friend or relative with a video camera and/or camera to film the affair for you as a gift (in place of a gift off the registry).

Engagement ring — A ring can comprise a huge part of your wedding budget. According to the Bridal Association of America, the average engagement ring costs over $4400! To get costs down, shop around, search for deals online, and look for a ring that boasts originality and personality as opposed to “pure bling.” Don’t feel pressure to keep up with the Joneses.

Ceremony — This accounts for around 5-10% of the average wedding budget and consists of paying the officiant and hosting the rehearsal dinner. Save money by cutting the rehearsal dinner. Or encourage a friend or relative to pay for the dinner as a wedding gift.

Other costs — Flowers, favors and gifts, attire, and, of course, the honeymoon can also add up. All told, the Bridal Association of America estimates that the average wedding costs nearly $40,000! Your wedding budget may be a lot cheaper (or more expensive) depending on how you budget, where you have your wedding, and how strategic you are about shopping for discounts.

Take time to plan out your wedding budget (actually do one!). See where your money’s going to make better decisions about how to get the most “bang for your buck” — that is, to get the wedding of your dreams without throwing away your nest egg.

Steven Forsyth – Celtic Rings Ltd

Preparing Wedding Speeches

Posted on: September 8th, 2010 by Sine Treanor No Comments

Preparing a wedding speech can be a nervy, uncomfortable, and headache-inducing assignment, even if you know and love the bride and groom with all your heart. Here are some quick guidelines to help you make this “job” less of a chore and more of a delight.

#1 — Prepare WELL in advance.

Do not leave your wedding speech for the last-minute. That is a recipe for panic and stress — just when the bride and groom need you most. Set a deadline to finish the speech — typed or written out — one week prior to the affair.

#2 — Don’t get hung up on memorization.

No one cares if you read from a piece of paper or not. Just be sure the speech is good and that you’ve practiced it several times — ideally with someone else listening and critiquing you who knows the bride and groom.

#3 — Get your facts straight and keep it clean.

No one wants to be humiliated at their own wedding or hear you spin yarns about them. Be empathetic. Be real. Imagine how you’d feel if someone gave the speech at your wedding.

#4 — Be interesting. Say something unusual about the couple.

Aim to stay away from the old bromides about how much these people “mean to you,” even if they mean a lot. Sure, throw some sappy stuff in there. But work hard to personalize the speech. Add humor. Add emotion as opposed to platitudes. Paint a picture for the wedding guests to give them deeper insight into the couple’s unique and special love.

#5 — Get specific and use stories.

This goes along with the above point. Human beings communicate best through storytelling. Make your speech delightful by weaving it around a story from the couple’s past that perfectly illustrates the theme you want to talk about. The details of our lives and loves matter. And people love hearing juicy tidbits — as long as they’re clean and don’t embarrass (at least not too much!)

Steven Forsyth – Celtic Wedding Rings

Religious Celtic Jewelry

Posted on: March 9th, 2010 by Sine Treanor No Comments

The Famous Celtic Cross
For many people, Celtic wedding rings and Celtic engagement rings hold dual meaning. They not only symbolize abiding love and devotion, but they are also a token of religious devotion as well. Christianity is prevalent in the Celtic culture, and a commitment to God and spouse often go hand in hand in Celtic jewelry themes.

The Celtic Cross is one of the most recognizable designs in Celtic jewelry, particularly in pendants. St. Patrick created this hybrid symbol using the Christian simple cross, combined with round sun (or “halo”) symbolism native to the pre-Christian Druids of the time. St. Patrick believed that this combined emblem would help bridge the religious gap between the two cultures and bring the Druids closer to Celtic Christian beliefs. Today, the Celtic Cross is an eternal reminder of love and sacrifice and is featured prominently in historical documents and on churches.

The Symbol of the Evangelists is a design used on Celtic jewelry as well as manuscripts and in architecture. It features four winged creatures that represent the prophets of the biblical gospels in the New Testament. The creatures include: a Man (St. Matthew), a Lion (St. Mark), a Calf (St. Luke) and an Eagle (St. John). St. Gregory wrote in the 4th Century that these four symbols represented the very stages of Christ’s life: he was born a man, sacrificed as a calf in death, became a lion in his resurrection and ascended to heaven as an eagle. The Symbol of the Evangelists is often displayed near or with the Celtic Cross.

Always in tune with nature, Celtic religious jewelry often features knots and interlace designs that represent many timeless ideals. Knots and interlace are essentially never ending patterns, so they can denote undying love, marital commitment, familial bond, God’s love and many other extraordinary themes. The sacred geometry of interlace patterns is the ultimate symbol of the interconnectedness of all things, the circle of life and the idea of eternal existence. Celtic artisans began using these designs around the beginning of Christian influence somewhere around 450 AD, but evidence of knots, spirals and similar patterns can be found throughout Europe as early as 2,000 BC.

Steven Forsyth – Celtic Rings Ltd

Archive for the ‘Celtic Wedding Articles’ Category

The true cost of a wedding

Preparing Wedding Speeches

Religious Celtic Jewelry

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