Wedding Seating

I need seating layout for wedding ceremony. Where do parents, brothers/sisters, grand parents, aunts/uncles and friends sit?

In a Christian wedding, the bride's family and friends are seated on the left side of the church facing the altar. The groom's family and friends will sit on the right side of the church. In a Jewish wedding, this is reversed. Also, all parents remain standing under the Huppah throughout the ceremony.

When bride's parents are divorced, but not remarried, if they are congenial, they might sit together in the left front row at Christian weddings. Otherwise the parent who raised you (and guest or spouse) sits in the left front pew and the other parent (and guest or spouse) sit in the third row on the left side. This is also an individual decision, depending on their relationships and preferences. For groom's parents, simply reverse the seating (using the right side). At Jewish ceremonies, women sit on the left and men on the right.

If one family has many more guests than the other, everyone may sit together without assigned sides of the church. This will even out the seating and fill up the church from the front to back.

Parents of both sides sit in the first or second pew on their respective sides (often times the first pew is left empty in case someone from the bridal party must sit down during the ceremony). Grandparents sit in the next pew on the outside (next to the isle). Siblings can also sit in the grandparents pew. You can reserve additional pews for other honored guests (like family of flower girl and ring bearer, etc.) The reserved pews can be marked with flowers, etc. or the ushers can just seat the guests behind the reserved pews.

Guests who arrive after the bride's mother has been seated should not be seated by the ushers. They may simply slip into an empty pew behind the other seated guests.

Seat Attendants

Do you have a seating chart in EZWeddingPlanner just for attendants, because number of people at those tables vary.

You can use the EZ Wedding Planner seating program to seat anyone, including attendants. You can specify the size and shape of each table as well as the number of people to be seated at each table. You then assign the people to the tables (guests and attendants must be entered in your People list before they will show up in the seating program to be assigned tables). The number of people at each table can vary by table. They can be moved around and reassigned as many times as you like.

Sand Ceremony

Some couples are using a sand ceremony as an alternative to the traditional unity candle ceremony at a wedding. Three nesting glass vases are used. Each side vase is filled with a different color sand, and gently poured simultaneously by the bride and groom to make a lovely blended display in the center vase.

This sand ceremony is also popular with blended families. Children may help the parents pour from their vase, or using some additional mini nesting vases with different colored sand, the children can pour into the larger vase. This is a delightful expression of the unity of the families and works well for any number of children. Colored sand can be found in craft stores or even fish stores and any size/shape of vase may be used.

They are ideal for a beach or outdoor weddings where it is too windy for candles and also a wonderful touch for mixed-racial weddings.

Following the wedding, the outer vases may be used for flowers, while the center vase remains with the unity sand as a lovely display in your home.

Sand Castle Centerpieces

I am looking for sand castles for the centerpiece on tables.

�You might want to try searching (google or others) for sand castles. There are numbers of sites that have sand castle centerpieces.

RSVP Date

Do I have to have an RSVP and if I do, what date should I make it? My wedding is June 8, 2011.

There are many reasons you will want an RSVP from your guests.

The RSVP is used and most often needed to get an accurate count of the number of people coming to your reception. You will have to guarantee a number and you don't want to have to pay for people/food that won't be there. If you are doing food yourself and not hiring a caterer, it's still good to know how many people are coming to know how much food to prepare.

Also, you probably order favors, etc. which will be dependant on the guest count. If you do a seating chart/name tags etc. for the reception, you will need to know who and how many people are coming.

In addition, many brides have A and B lists of people (because of cost or reception room limitations not everyone you may want to invite makes the A list.) Anyway, if you send invitations early enough (about 5-6 weeks before), then when A list people RSVP "no", you can send an invitation to someone on the B list. It's acceptable to mail invitations up to 2 1/2 weeks before the wedding.

Many brides also then contact those who have not RSVP'd by the date given and ask them if they will be attending.

Given all that, you will need to make the RSVP by date before you need to guarantee a count and with enough time to do the other things (order favors, send more invitations, plan seating, or call them, etc. So, probably around 3 weeks before the wedding is a good date (mid May 2011).

RSVP

I have never RSVP'd to a wedding. The only weddings I have been to have been family. The question is: on the RSVP note what does the "M" stand for and do I write our names on that line?

The M allows the guests to write in Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms, etc. and their names indicating that they will (or will not) attend the wedding. The guests then return the RSVP card to the bride (in the self-addressed, stamped envelope provided by the bride along with the RSVP card). This way the bride can have an accurate count of how many people are coming - which the bride will need for the reception.

Rings

RINGS

There is no substitute for a reliable, reputable jeweler when selecting your rings. His expertise will help you make your selection to ensure that you will be happy and satisfied for years to come.

It is suggested that you and your fianc� decide together on the engagement ring, since you probably have already established preferences as to cut, style, etc. At this time, you may also wish to select your wedding rings.

There are basically three different metals to choose from - gold, platinum, and palladium. Gold is the most used ring metal and is available in a yellow or white color. Pure gold (24K) is too soft for rings. Gold ring settings are usually 14K or 18K alloys of gold and other stronger metals. Platinum is a white metal, which is very expensive. It is the strongest ring metal available and is often used for the prongs which hold the stones in rings of gold. Palladium is similar to platinum in color and strength, but is lighter in weight and costs less.

Of course, the design you choose will depend on your personal preference. A narrow band with a solitaire (single stone) is fitting for a tiny hand, whereas a larger hand can accommodate a cluster of stones. Most jewelers have a wide selection from which to choose, to see what style is best for you, and your budget.

Make the final sale contingent on an appraisal from an appraiser of your choice. Be sure returns are allowed if the appraisal of the ring(s) doesn't meet with your expected standards. Ask the appraiser for a genuine appraisal, as opposed to one for insurance purposes, which may be inflated.

Four basic things to look for when selecting your diamond are color, clarity, cut and carat. The clearer the diamond, the greater its value, however, most diamonds contain yellow or brown traces. Diamonds that are clear (no color) and colorless or of a faint blue are considered to be perfect. Jewelers grade a diamond's color with a letter scale, beginning with a high score of D, which is colorless and going to Z which is yellow. As the stone?s degree of color increases, the value decreases. The degree to which the stone is free from interior or exterior flaws (inner cracks, bubbles and specks) will determine its clarity. Flawless is rated "F1" and "I3" is imperfect. The sparkle of a diamond depends on the cut and design used. Diamond cutting is a precise and delicate process during which nearly half of the rough diamond is lost. The cut is usually considered the most important, because this is what gives a diamond its brilliance. The diamond is cut, with each facet proportional in exact geometric relation to one another, then polished. There are several cuts or designs available?brilliant, marquise, oval, emerald cut, single cut, pear, heart-shaped or baguette. Carats deal with the weight of the diamond. One carat is equivalent to 100 points. A diamond weight of 1/2 carat is 50 points.

Brilliant	Marquise	Oval	Emerald Cut	Single Cut	Pear	Heart Shape	Baquette

An engagement ring does not have to be a diamond. You may wish to choose from some of the other semi-precious stones available. For example, you may want your birthstone, or a ruby, emerald, sapphire, opal, or pearl?just to name a few.

Birthstones and Their Significance

January	Garnet or Hyacinth	Constancy
February	Amethyst	Sincerity
March	Bloodstone or Aquamarine	Courage
April	Diamond	Innocence or enduring love
May	Emerald	Success in love
June	Pearl, Moonstone or Agate	Health and long life
July	Ruby or Onyx	Contentment
August	Sardonyx, Peridot, or Carnelian	Felicity
September	Sapphire	Love
October	Opal or Tourmaline	Hope
November	Topaz	Fidelity
December	Turquoise or Lapis Lazuli	Prosperity

In addition to the traditional birthstones assigned to the months of the year, certain stones also are assigned to the days of the week:

Sunday	Topaz
Monday	Pearl of crystal
Tuesday	Ruby or emerald
Wednesday	Amethyst or loadstone
Thursday	Sapphire or carnelian
Friday	Emerald or cat?s eye
Saturday	Turquoise or diamond

Again, your knowledgeable jeweler will be able to help you make the right decision when selecting your rings so that it will express your personality and be unique for you to enjoy for a lifetime.

The diamond is worn as the engagement ring prior to the wedding. Before the ceremony, this ring can be taken off or worn on the right hand, so you have a free left finger for the wedding ring exchange during the ceremony. Or, if you leave the diamond on for the ceremony, reverse them later. After the wedding, the wedding band is worn closest to your heart and the diamond engagement ring on the outside, closest to your fingertip (on the left hand). They may be soldered together after the wedding, but some brides prefer to keep them separate, in case one or the other needs work in the future. Some rings that come as sets clasp together with a small hook and hole (or other method), so they do not need to be permanently connected.

Some brides prefer to only wear one wedding band and not have a separate engagement ring. This is purely your choice. You can certainly be engaged without a ring. Or, if the single ring contains diamonds, you can wear it as an engagement ring and then take it off and use it again during the ring giving in the ceremony.

Care of Rings

Now that you have made the big decision, you will certainly want to take care of this precious treasure. First of all, be sure your ring is insured?either under your parents? insurance policy, or your renter?s/homeowner?s insurance policy?in case of theft or loss. Below are some tips to keep your jewelry brilliant and sparkling for years to come:

1. Remove rings when doing housework; bleaches and cleansers can pit or discolor mountings.
2. Diamonds can scratch things, so wrap them separately in tissue paper when travelling. At home, store rings in a ring holder.
3. Remove rings during sports activities or heavy work to lessen the chance of losing.
4. Keep your hands and nails well manicured because everyone will want to see that beautiful diamond!
5. Have your jeweler check your stone and mounting at least once a year.
6. Clean your ring at least once a month:

• Use liquid detergent and warm water, then brush gently (use small brush). Put rings, earrings, etc. in a wire tea strainer to protect them while rinsing under warm running water. Dry with a soft cloth.

• Or use equal amounts of cold water and household ammonia. Soak for 30 minutes. Lift out, tap off liquid around the mounting, dip again and drain on paper towel to air-dry.

• Or you may choose to use a commercial jewelry cleaner.

How to Wear Rings

We bought a bridal set as my rings. How do you wear it. The diamond as engagement ring? The additional band is worn on the outside or inside of the ring? Do you solder them together before or after the wedding?

�The diamond is worn as the engagement ring prior to the wedding. Before the ceremony, this ring can be taken off or worn on the right hand, so you have a free left finger for the wedding ring exchange during the ceremony. Or, if you leave the diamond on for the ceremony, reverse them later. After the wedding, the wedding band is worn closest to your heart and the diamond engagement ring on the outside, closest to your fingertip (on the left hand). They may be soldered together after the wedding, but some brides prefer to keep them separate, in case one or the other needs work in the future. Some rings that come as sets clasp together with a small hook and hole (or other method), so they do not need to be permanently connected.

Some brides prefer to only wear one wedding band and not have a separate engagement ring. This is purely your choice. You can certainly be engaged without a ring. Or, if the single ring contains diamonds, you can wear it as an engagement ring and then take it off and use it again during the ring giving in the ceremony.

Ring Cost

How much should the average engagement ring cost?

�Engagement rings can be any size, shape, gem, and price. If you want a traditional diamond ring, check with local jewelers, etc. for choices. There are 4 Cs - cut, color, clarity and carat. Most jewelers will recommend spending about two months' salary for a diamond engagement ring. But, some very beautiful rings can be had for much less (depending on the salary). You could spend anywhere from several hundred to many thousands of dollars. This depends purely on your choice and budget. There's no need to go broke on one of the first items in your wedding planning.

In EZ Wedding Planner, there is an extensive discussion on engagement rings. This can be found in Plan/Great Ideas/Rings.