Tips for writing your own vows

With so many couples wanting to make their weddings unique and meaningful, the trend to write your own vows has become even more popular. Here are some tricks and tips to make the process a little bit easier.

Check first. Make sure your officiant knows you want to write your own vows. He or she will want to review them as well beforehand. Also, make sure your officiant has a copy of them during the ceremony. It’s a good back-up in case you lose your copy!

Plan ahead. Do not attempt to write your vows the night before. You want time to make sure they are exactly what you want to say. There are some great templates and idea generators online to help you get started.

Are you working together? Or do you want each of your vows to be a surprise? Make sure you have a trusted friend read both sets of vows if you’re planning a surprise. They’ll help make sure the vows are similar in tone and length.

Practice out loud. This is public speaking, after all. You’ll want to make sure you don’t stumble over any words and that you’ll feel comfortable saying them out loud.

It’s okay to read from notes. You’ll be excited and nervous enough. Trying to memorize a speech will just make it worse. It doesn’t make the words any less heartfelt to read them from an index card, so keep those cards handy in a bouquet, in a pocket, or with a trusted member of the wedding party.

Planning a Christmas engagement?

Are you planning to ask that special someone the big question this Christmas? Looking for a way to make it extraordinary? There are so many ways, from the simple to the elaborate, to pop the question this holiday season.

A very sparkly ornament on the tree: You can add a special ornament on the tree, or slip the ring in the toe of that stocking hung by the chimney with care. Either let your sweetheart find it, or guide them to find it. Then, it’s all up to you.

The last gift: After all the other gifts have been opened, “discover” a “forgotten” gift behind the tree. Hand it over with a surprised look on your face.

Gifts within gifts: Wrap the ring in a small box. Wrap that box in a slightly bigger box, and so on. Once your beloved gets to the smallest box, you get to ask that big question!

Get help: Have a friend dress up as Santa, who can deliver the ring in a special box, or plan ahead with a Santa at a store or special event. This one takes a lot more planning, especially if you need to get a costume!

No matter how you decide to pop the question, a holiday proposal will remain a fond memory for you both through the years.

Planning a winter or Christmas wedding?

Here in New England, Christmas and wintertime can be beautiful settings for a wedding. But there are some pros and cons to planning a wedding as the days get colder.

Decorating is easy. Most venues will be decorated for the holidays anyway, with things like lights and wreaths. Instead of spending a fortune on fresh flowers, you can work with your florist and save money using greenery and pine cones for things like centerpieces.

You might get stuck with a green-and-red theme. Sure, the venue is decorated, but the overwhelming color scheme is green and red. You certainly can pick other winter-friendly themes in your décor that will coordinate nicely. Use silver, gold or blue as your accent color, and it will give an overall winter look.

It’s a festive time of year. Every couple getting married wants the world to be as happy as they are. Holiday-centered weddings take those warm-and-fuzzy feelings and add them to your wedding happiness.

Weather can be unpredictable. Around here, that could mean, snow, ice, wind, rain, or all of the above! But every couple deals with unpredictability, whether it’s a heat wave in June or a snowstorm in January. Make your plans, then make your backup plans. Then, make your backup-backup plans.

It can be hard for families to travel. If you’re having relatives and friends come into town from all over, it may be more difficult for them to drop their holiday traditions to go to your wedding. If you’ve got your heart set on a holiday wedding, you may have to accept that there will be people who simply can’t make it. Know that it’s not a reflection of how they feel about you, it’s just a very busy season for some people.