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Arranging for live wedding music is just one of about a hundredjobs facing brides and grooms and wedding planners. Between flowers, photos, venues, gowns, parties, rings, video recording, and more, even a modest and tranquil wedding demands a great amount of planning. It can be a stressful time because if even one of these areas falls through the cracks, your big day can end up being a serious letdown.

Here are five hints to employing live wedding music players for your wedding and reception:

1. Be sure you hire a dance band with a verified track record of professionalism. Does the handler return your calls promptly? Does the dance band have a internet site? Business cards? Other promotional materials? Or do you get the feeling you’re talking to a guy practicing in his garage with his buddies? The way the band presents itself as you begin speaking with them is a genuine indicator of how they’ll come out (or not!) on your wedding day.

2. Promptness is key. When you set an appointment to meet personally or on the telephone, it’s like a mini-contract. If the band manager is tardy to meet with you, it’s a discouraging sign that they don’t take their agreements earnestly. If they can’t arrive on time in the planning phase, what other arrangements will they abandon with you on your wedding day? This extends on to you, likewise - being punctual is just one way you can live a life that displays that you respect your promises.

3. Make sure the band is easy-going rather than being a bunch of prima donnas. By now you’ve probably heard a million Bridezilla jokes, even if you’re not hard to please or outrageous. Imagine renting the equivalent in flakiness for your wedding dance band. The last thing you want on your wedding day is to have to wait on your musicians hand and foot, delivering them food and beverage, having the thermostat adjusted for them, or catering to other hard to please demands. The best band for you is one that can take care of itself, one that’s easy to get along with, and one that does all it can to make sure your day is effortless and fun for you.

4. Employ a wedding band that’s fun. Getting hitched is one of the heaviest choices you’ll ever make. It’s important business. The music on your wedding day should be splendid and fun. You don’t want to see your guests oblivious, lethargic, and wishing the day was through. You want them up, dancing, singing, and glad. If you select a live wedding music band well, your selection will do a lot to make your wedding day memorable in a great way. This is the big day you’ve been waiting for, and music is such a large part of it. Make sure you rent a dance band that makes the day idyllic - enjoyable for you and your invitees.

George Pollis is the director and a musician with Reel Ting Steel Drum Band. For a professional, timely, easy-going, gifted, and fun live wedding music band, see Reel Ting at http://www.reelting.com.

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Being selected as best man is an honor that comes with a heavy responsibility - giving a speech. If you’re having trouble coming up with your own words, try adapting one of these free best man speeches to the situation of your friends who are marrying.

In picking from the selection of free best man speeches, keep in mind the happy couple, their friends and their families. Your goal is helping them start their new life on the right foot without you being the center of attention. Giving a speech that people remember for years after the wedding might not be a good thing.

Sample speeches

- Thanks to all of you for coming today and sharing this special occasion with Jane and Tom. Tom and I have been friends for years and I am so happy to see him marry such a wonderful woman. Ever since Tom met Jane, I’ve never seen one without the other. Their love for each other has only grown stronger even during tough times. Thank you, Tom, for being such a good friend. I wish you and Jane the best of everything as you share long and happy lives. Cheers!

- Now it is my great honor and privilege to make the first toast to Arnold and Vanessa as husband and wife. While some people know that Arnold and I went to high school and college together, few are aware that we first met while playing Little League baseball in grade school. Arnold played for the Avondale Americans and I played for their arch rival, the Boonetown Buddies. I was pitching during the final game of the season when Arnold hit a grand slam home run. He ran the bases like a demon and scored the winning run, crushing my ego for years.

While that embarassment was temporary, the positive impression Arnold made on me later as a classmate, teammate, roommate and friend will last forever. Arnold has always been there for me. He is honest, caring, thoughtful and an all round great guy. Heck, if I was a woman, we’d be the ones getting married today!

But seriously, I think he’s made a much better choice in Vanessa. Let us toast them and wish them a long life together filled with love and laughter. May their joys be many and their sadnesses few. Congratulations!

- After 25 years of sibling rivalry, you can see that my brother has finally figured out who the best man really is. I wish James and Jennifer all the best now and forever. As you go through life together, always love each other, respect each other and be there for each other. Remember to say “I’m sorry” when you mess up and never go to bed angry. Separately, you’re both wonderful people, but together you take life to a new level. I love you both. Congratulations!

Short and sweet speeches

Even with the help of these free best man speeches, you may be nervous about speaking in front of a crowd. Maybe picking one of these short and sweet free best man speeches will help you conquer your stage fright because you’ll be done almost as soon as you start.

- Today we celebrate all the good things you have found in each other, a best friend, a lover, a teacher, a playmate and a true partner in life. Cheers!

- If things get tough, remember how happy you were today and see each other always in this warm glow of joy. Best wishes to Tony and Amanda!

- If you can find the humor in whatever happens to you, your lives will be full of joy. Congratulations!

- As you go through life, remember that being together makes it all worthwhile. I wish you the best.

- To love, laughter and a happy ever after!

- May your kitchen always be filled with your favorite food and beverages and your bedroom with the warmth of your embraces.

- May your love and friendship grow every day you are together.

- May your lives overflow with love, health and wealth and may you have the time and wisdom to enjoy them all.

Jean Feingold is a copywriter for Catalogs.com. Catalogs.com is the Internet’s leading source for print and online catalog shopping - and a growing hub of original content and “how to” information at www.catalogs.com.

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Who does not wish to attract love? All of us want to attract the best person to ourselves. Am I right? We all wish that the best specimen of the opposite sex became our mate. Let us quiz, if you can do that and find out how you can do that.

Love quiz- what attracts you? Let me ask you this- what attracts you? That answer will give answer to our first question. A person who looks very smart, a person who looks very handsome/beautiful, a person who shows care and love for us, a person who is very intelligent, a person who is compassionate, a person who is well read, a person who is independent minded, a person who can make others laugh, a person who is not selfish, a person who is not greedy, a person who looks honest - these are some qualities that will attract you. Am I on the right track?

Quiz if you can develop these qualities- all of us want many things in life. The question arises- are we ready to work towards that? Most of us want to continue in our old way and want different results. Let me repeat - almost of us want to continue in the old way but want different results than before. That will never happen. For getting different results than before we have to act differently. Develop the attributes you are looking for in others and you will attract the best from the opposite sex.

The author C.D.Mohatta writes articles, advice and ideas at http://www.yourromanceguide.com/ on topics like love, dating, marriage, relationships, break-ups, etc. He also writes for screen-savers and desktop wallpapers at http://www.screene.com/ on topics like nature, spirituality, motivation, love-romance, holidays, animals, etc. The third site associated with the author is http://www.yourfungames.com/ - it has free flash games which one can play online.

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How to get a spouse’s attention so that he or she will communicate with you is an issue that mystifies many couples. Spouses report trying many techniques, such as trying to talk rationally and logically, watching to see when a spouse is in a good mood, and waiting for a time when the television is off. They also share stories of begging, pleading, threatening, and finally, yelling and screaming.

If you are having problems getting your spouse to talk to you and to share feelings and opinions, here are some additional things you can do to facilitate communication. First, you have to grab your spouse’s attention, which is what these tips are designed to do.

1.When you’re talking to your spouse and start getting overly-emotional, lower your voice instead of raising it. This breaks the pattern of tempers escalating, followed by loud yelling. If your spouse asks what you’re doing, just say that you read that lowering your voice was a way to defuse anger. Maybe your partner will decide to try it, too.

2.Write your spouse a letter or e-mail stating your feelings, requests, or questions. Include how not talking about or resolving the issues is affecting you. For example, you might say, “When you call me horrible names, I feel like I’ve been betrayed. I don’t want anything to lessen my love for you, but I know that if this continues, I won’t feel the same way toward you. Can we please agree not to call each other names (or can we make an appointment with a marriage counselor, etc.)?”

3.Buy a cute, funny, or clever greeting card and include a note asking if you can schedule a time to talk to him when you both will be uninterrupted. Some spouses have an easier time talking to their partner in a restaurant over dinner, so you could suggest making plans for going out for a meal.

Obviously, you wouldn’t want to discuss your most emotional issues in public, but maybe you could use the occasion to handle some relatively routine things. And then agree on a future time to talk about the more sensitive topics.

4.When you give your spouse a card or note asking if you can schedule a time to talk, include his or her favorite candy bar or a package of chewing gumsome small item that shows you pay attention to what your partner likes. With a candy bar, you might attach a note that says, “To my sweet Sweetiecould you please let me know when we can schedule a time to talk? Thanks so much. Enjoy the candy!”

5.Make a written list of your questions and include a “yes” and “no” box next to the question. Also include boxes that say “Undecided” and “Need More Details.” Be as specific as you can. For example, you might make a list of possible activities and places to go on a “date night” and ask your partner to respond. In that case, you would put a category of “Other suggestions” at the bottom so your spouse could include additional ideas. Or you could make a list of possible times during the week that the two of you could reserve for private talks. Another idea is to make a list of things you think are important to resolve, and see if your spouse agrees or disagrees.

6.Look for something to “trade” with your spouse, such as offering to take the kids to a movie so your spouse can have friends over or enjoy some private time to relax. In return, negotiate for an uninterrupted time to discuss pertinent relationship issuesmaybe a relative can keep the children or they can spend a weekend afternoon with friends. Or you might offer to do a certain chore that your partner detests doing in exchange for some “talk time,” which your spouse may equate with being slowly tortured. Make a creative trade-off.

7.Just because you think the tips won’t work, don’t prematurely discount them. I have worked with numerous clients in marriage counseling who have tried these tips or variations of them, and the results have often been amazing. Spouses who don’t normally express feelings verbally sometimes respond in writing, much to the astonishment of their partners. In other cases, spouses who receive letters have initiated conversations about how the letter has opened their eyes to things they didn’t realize before.

Use these seven tips to jumpstart your thinking about different ways to open communication channels with your spouse. And if one attempt falls flat, try another. That’s what all successful researchers doand they don’t hide behind the words, ‘It’ll never work.” Experiment with an open mind and you may be surprised at the results.

Nancy J. Wasson, Ph.D., is co-author of Keep Your Marriage: What to Do When Your Spouse Says “I don’t love you anymore!” This is available as an e-book at http://www.KeepYourMarriage.com ,where you can also sign up for the free Keep Your Marriage Internet Magazine to get weekly ideas and support to help you improve your marriage. Nancy can be contacted at Nancy@KeepYourMarriage.com.

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When you look back on your wedding in the years to come, your photographs will be all you have to remember your special day. While photography can be expensive, understanding that it will be the most valuable gift you can give yourself and your family will help to rationalize the expense. Getting the best photographs possible can be accomplished easily, and the following steps will assure you of quality photos of your wedding day.

First, you should always hire a professional photographer. A professional will provide you with better service than an amateur or friend might. He or she will get to your wedding on time, be able to instruct your guests and organize them for pictures much more efficiently. The more experience your photographer has, the better.


Another reason to use a professional is the overall quality of the pictures. Most use their own labs to produce pictures, and adhere to high standards of print quality.

Finding a quality professional photographer can take a little bit of time. You should research websites and study the photos from these sites. You should also talk with the photographer, preferably in person, to get a feel for him or her and to see if you are on the same page as to what you want. Once you find someone you like, you can discuss the specifics of what it is you want for your wedding. It is also a good idea to see samples of complete wedding s that you photographer has taken, as several samples from different weddings do not really demonstrate fully what the photographer will present to you.

When you are ready to finalize your choice, be very careful to get everything in writing, even the name of the photographer you have chosen. It is not uncommon for the larger companies to sub contract their work to less experienced photographers, and you will want to be sure that you get the person you are wanting to work with. You also want to be sure that you are speaking and working with an actual photographer and not a salesperson. Sometimes this is not made clear, and confusion and frustration on your wedding day can result.

If you are limited by budgetary concerns, there are always ways that you can compromise and still have quality photos of your wedding. You can opt for a professional to take posed portraits, and give each table a disposable camera for more fun, relaxed shots. This will cut down on the amount of time your professional photographer will take, and also cut the cost of his or her bill. Try to remember that you will have to pay for quality, and if you cut too much from your photography budget you may regret it for years to come.

Author: Barbara King

Owner: Tips For Budget Weddings You’ll find plenty of ideas to stretch your wedding budget.

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