The Le an hoi, or betrothal ceremony, occurs before the wedding, when the groom and his family visit the bride and her family with gifts. These gifts include nuts, cake, tea, fruits or other delicacies wrapped in a red cloth that is delivered by unmarried boys or girls. At this ceremony, the parents of the betrothed choose a date for the wedding.

On the wedding day, the groom and his family take gifts wrapped in red papers to the bride’s home. This ritual is similar to the betrothal ceremony, except that on this occasion, married people bring the gifts to the home. Men and women dress in the traditional suits or Ao Dai, and the wedding party is led by the most wealthy and successful members in the group. This act displays wishes for the new couple that they may have a blessed life together.

The groom’s family also goes to the bride’s house and offers the bride’s parents to sips of wine with tiny cups. This toast signifies that the bride’s family accepts the groom’s family into the home, and fireworks are set off to greet the family of the groom. Once the groom’s family is at the bride’s house, they formally introduce themselves and ask permission for their son to be married with the bride. A member of the bride’s family, acting as Master of Ceremony, instructs the parents of the bride to then present their daughter. The wedding dress of the bride is traditional Ao Dai, most often in the color red.

The Le cuoi, or wedding ceremony, is a party to celebrate the couple’s new life together with friends and family. Prayers are said before the wedding by the bride and groom, asking their ancestors for permission to marry. During the ceremony, they also focus on the parents, thanking them for raising and protecting them during their life. The Master of Ceremony advises the new couple about marriage and about life, and then the parents share their experiences and give a blessing to the new couple. After the blessing, the wedding rings are exchanged, and the parents also bestow gifts of gold bracelets, rings or necklaces to the newlyweds.

While this is a traditional Vietnamese wedding ceremony, there are many who elect to have a wedding in a temple or church just as in many Western cultures. Vows and rings are exchanged, although they also incorporate a traditional ceremony at the bride’s home before going to the official wedding ceremony at a church or temple.

When it comes to wedding cakes, brides often choose those that are decorated or accented with bows, ribbons, flowers, and even butterflies. Cakes can be layered, tiered, large or small, but no matter what, they should express the personality and whimsy of the couple being married. Depending on the size of your wedding party, wedding cake designers may be able to offer various designs for you to look at. But what about those of you who want to design a one-of-a-kind extravaganza, including wedding cakes with waterfalls?

Begin your search with local wedding cake bakers and bring them a rough sketch or even a picture of what you would like. Ask to see photographs of cakes that he or she has designed in order to determine whether your wedding cake with waterfalls design is within his or her skill level. Why go with the same traditional wedding cake design that was used by your sister, your aunt, and even your mother years ago? Push the envelope and design a truly unique, riveting wedding cake that offers a multitude of accents, decorations, and toppers.

After all, you’ve designed your wedding ceremony, chosen the wedding gowns and bridesmaids dresses, and scheduled the reception and honeymoon. Now let your creativity run free with fun and whimsical designs when it comes to your wedding cake!  The sky is the limit. You can go simple or elegant, traditional or fantastic. Whether you want butterflies and fairies or traditional bride and groom toppers and roses, your choice in wedding cake design is only limited by your imagination (okay, and sometimes by your budget), but if you really want a wedding cake with a waterfall, do your best to find a wedding cake baker who can give you what you’re looking for at a budget you can afford.

When it comes to wedding ceremony poems, young couples may always rely on old standbys, such as sonnets from Shakespeare, or poems or short versus from such perennial favorites as Keats, Browning, and even Carl Sandburg. Poems, whether written by members of the wedding party, the bride, groom, or even parents, can be original as well as funny, serious, or sentimental. There are no rules when it comes to vows or poems, other than of course, that they be kept tasteful and in line with the occasion.

Many couples these days are choosing to add a little bit of humor to their ceremonies, which may have been frowned upon a few generations ago, but which is perfectly acceptable for the 21st century. The basics to choosing any type of poems or vows these days are that they should express the feelings, hopes, and dreams of the couple involved.

A few tips and guidelines regarding wedding poems:

Try not to sound too cheesy
Do attempt to create poems that are dignified
Remember that the last word of every verse does not have to rhyme with the verse before it!
Keep poems relatively short, preferably those that can be read in under a minute

In addition, it may help to remember that if poems are to be read by children, the language needs to be simple and easy to read. It also helps to remember that the attention span of wedding guests can be rather limited at times, and may depend upon the season as well as the temperature and whether or not the wedding is taking place indoors or outdoors will have a great deal of impact on how patient or attentive your wedding guests will be.

Basically, create the type of wedding ceremony that best fits the personality of both bride and groom, have fun, and most of all, remember that it’s your ceremony, so do what you’d like to do and don’t worry so much about tradition or expectations on your special day.

A wedding cake topper provides the opportunity for the bride and groom to carry the wedding’s themes and colors all the way to the top of the cake. High quality cakes have ornate décor, with cake jewelry or flowers. Often times, a pastry chef will advise placement of a stylish wedding topper as a final touch. Monogram and traditional wedding cake toppers offer the potential of personalization through the use of crystals and a variety of fonts.

Less traditional or comical wedding cake toppers allow the bride and groom to share their personalities and humor with their wedding guests. More of these toppers are being used in weddings of all styles and budgets, since they add a lighthearted feel to the overall ambiance of the wedding reception. Wedding cake topper selections include brides going after grooms, or even toppers that have themes themselves, such as golfing grooms or shopping brides.

Then there are the traditional bride and groom wedding cake toppers. While these are more common, modern cake toppers are now able to design the bride and groom to look like the actual newlyweds. Physical features can be altered, as well as the style of dress - for example beach attire or western wear, if that is the fashion choice of the newlyweds.

No matter what style the wedding cake topper takes, it’s going to be a good choice as long as it represents the bride and groom. Cake toppers are often a representation of the style of the wedding and reception, but they can also be a part of the bride and groom’s personality no matter what style or budget the wedding fits in.

These days, just about anything goes as long as it’s tasteful. Whether you decide to go traditional, dignified or kooky, make sure that you’re happy with the results.

For example, if you are were to attend a wedding in which the groom’s party were dressed up in gold lamé, sequined, and outrageously colorful Elvis costumes complete with wigs and sunglasses, you might say that you have invited to a “ghetto wedding”.  Ghetto parties have become increasingly popular through high schools and colleges around the country. The term ghetto applies to all races and cultures and has no relationship to the traditional definition of the term. To put it simply, ghetto is not where you live; it’s how you live. It personifies and exhibits popular trends and behaviors derived from the hip-hop culture, such as outrageous clothing, makeup, and lots of bling or anything that can be considered over-the-top or ostentatious.

According to the Internet and some Ghetto-Wedding websites, some humorous clues that you’ve been invited to a ghetto wedding include:

One of the members of the party had on sunglasses
There were more than 40 people in the wedding party
The vocalist didn’t know the words to the songs
The groomsmen had his tux leg rolled up
The couple’s first dance was to a song by Puff Daddy or Lil’ Kim

Of course, these are some of the most popular generalizations that serve as amusing indications of exactly what a ghetto wedding may be. Often likened to hillbilly or redneck humor, many couples who decide to throw a ghetto wedding are liberally and literally poking fun at today’s trends and fads as a way to provide an amusing and humorous look at the behaviors of a multitude of cultures.

Mainstream teens, adults, and even seniors now enjoy hip-hop culture trends, and younger generations consider ghetto parties and ghetto weddings a way to publicly engage in outrageous or ostentatious behavior that flaunts the limits of traditional expectations and expected patterns of behavior.

So whether you want to offer Kool-Aid in the reception punch bowl, or wear a Santa Claus wedding down or get married at a car show, couples around the country are breaking away from traditions of generations past and learning how to express themselves with humor and entertainment, even when it comes to exchanging their wedding vows.

When it comes to designing an outline or a schedule for your wedding ceremony, remember that nothing is set in stone. While there are general guidelines, there are no absolute rules that must be followed. Every couple is different. Incorporating your personality, beliefs and cultural background into the ceremony structure is just as important when designing a schedule or outline as the effort taken for reception or honeymoon planning.

A general and very basic outline is provided below. When designing your own wedding ceremony, use the key point guidelines provided and tweak it to your own needs and desires. For example, wedding ceremony outlines and schedules will often be determined by location, season, and time of day of the wedding ceremony. Be willing to experiment and ask “what if” when designing your own wedding ceremony.

The basics of a wedding ceremony outline may include but are not limited to:

Seating the guests
The processional
The wedding march
Initial remarks – prayers, stories, ‘I remember when…’
Giving away the bride
Scriptural readings or singing of songs or hymns
Exchange of wedding vows
Pronouncement
Prayers or songs

Again, this is just a basic guideline and should be adjusted to your own desires. Allow a specific amount of time for each major portion of the ceremony. When it comes to the processional aspects of the ceremony, adequate time needs to be set aside to seat the attendees and then allow time for the grooms, bridesmaids, best man and maid of honor to take their places. Just prior to the wedding march, the bride and her father or stand in will arrive.

When necessary, alter the above basics to suit your situation, location, and theme of your wedding. After all, this is your special day. Adjust it to your personality and make it a day that you will always remember.

Some people are natural speakers, and are able to create and express themselves without any trouble.  Others get tongue-tied at the mere thought of having to say something in a public environment. Try to stay on point, and refrain from any inside jokes, since the rest of the reception guests may have no idea what you’re talking about. In addition, you don’t want to put the bride are groom into a sensitive or embarrassing situation where questions will be asked or curiosity will run rampant for the remainder of the reception. Taking passages out of songs, books or other popular quotes may help you define what you’re trying to say.

There are many websites out there that help speakers write words of congratulations for a multitude of weddings. These software tools help create personalized letters, speeches or other words of congratulations that allow the speaker to fill in the blanks for a well-thought out speech. In the event that a guest was invited but unable to attend, sending words of congratulations for a wedding are also traditionally accepted. Remember that a simple note or letter of congratulations is appreciated and viewed as thoughtful, even if you’re unable to attend the wedding.

Some common things to talk about in a wedding congratulations speech are speaking on the love the bride and groom have for each other, future hopes for the couple, as well as any personal thoughts on the relationship of the two people joined in marriage. Words of congratulations are almost always recorded on the wedding video so it is important to remember to do your best to sound intelligent and thoughtful.

Many guest speakers at wedding receptions often open their comments with the famous phrase or verse that ties into the wedding theme, personality of the bride and groom, or that reference the season. Some wedding congratulations are humorous, while others are somber and traditional. While you do want to take a few moments to convey your heartfelt wishes for the married couple, try to avoid long-winded speeches that start from the moment you met the bride or groom in kindergarten and follow their lives to the present moment.

If desired, make a note card with highlights of points which you would like to mention during a congratulatory speech, try to keep it under three minutes, and try to offer a feeling of spontaneity and sincerity. Remember that words of congratulations are just that, and are not being presented to heads of state (well, not most of the time), but for your friends, family members, and loved ones.

Updos are best for women who have hair that is at least 3 inches long at the bottom and 6 inches long at the top, though creative stylists can work with just about any style of hair. The use of wigs, hair extensions, and accent pieces are often used to help create amazing one-of-a-kind styles that provide that ever elusive “wow factor”.

However, before you decide on that awesome hairstyle for yourself, take several things into consideration. Are you going to be the bride, a member of the bridal party, or merely an attendee to the wedding? If you’re not the bride, be careful that you don’t upstage the bride’s hairstyle when choosing your updo. This is a definite no-no. Secondly, always know what your gown looks like and how it fits on you before you decide on an updo. In most cases, it is suggested that clients wishing a stylist to create an awesome updo also bring pictures of the dress that you will be wearing, and give the stylist information about what you’re trying to achieve.

Take into consideration the condition of your hair. Very thin hair does not hold positions as well as thicker hair, and the same goes for very short or very long hair. In addition, stylists encourage clients wanting a particular updo be able to remain flexible throughout the process. Let’s face it, some photos look fantastic on the model in the magazine, but will not fit your frame, face shape, or dress style. Be willing to remain open to suggestions from the stylist in order to create an updo that will create complements at the wedding, not quiet snickers.

When sitting for a wedding updo, be very willing and vocal throughout the styling process. If you decide that you don’t particularly care for the look early on in the process, ask the stylist to stop and perhaps try something else. There is nothing worse than attending a wedding with a hairstyle that you don’t like, any more than you would care to attend a wedding in a dress that doesn’t suit you. So speak up!

When considering a wedding updo, take into consideration your own hair type and texture, its length, and how well it generally holds curls. Explain your hair type to the stylist so that she or he may help you determine the best updo for your situation. Remember, this is not a simple process, but takes time, thought and patience. However, by following the guidelines provided above, you’ll be sure to achieve that wow factor.

Most wedding ceremonies are takeoffs from what is generally considered a “traditional” service, which includes but is not limited to:

Statement of purpose (wedding a couple)
An opening prayer or statement
Charge to the couple
Declaration of consent
Presentation of the bride
Exchanging vows
Exchanging rings
Wedding pronouncement
Wedding prayers and blessings
Presentation of married couple to congregation

In most cases, nearly every other type of wedding ceremony in English speaking countries follows this type of format. Couples often opt to rearrange or alter these basics to include romantic readings such as poems or lyrics of favorite songs of the bride and groom to spiritual readings included within the body of the traditional service. Music is often a large part of the wedding ceremony and can include traditional bridal march music or favorite pieces of music of the bride and groom to match with the theme and style of the wedding.

Today, the traditional exchange of vows by the couple are producing more wedding ceremonies in which the couple has a major say in the vows that will be exchanged, and stray away from the more traditional “obedience” vows of the past. Wedding vows and statements are often discussed at length by the bride and groom and can be long or short, solemn, serious or amusing, depending upon wishes, personalities, and beliefs of the couple.

The type of ceremony is also determined by the needs, desires, and background and beliefs of the couple involved. Here are just a few types of wedding ceremonies practiced in the English-speaking world:

Anglican ceremony –traditional ceremony format
Civil ceremony -a small, non-religious ceremony often presided over by a judge
Commitment ceremonies - these are often used in place of a wedding and are also called union ceremonies
Religious ceremonies - these may include those belonging to different ethnic groups, and beliefs
Renewal of vows - renewing wedding vows

In the early years of the 21st century, more couples are opting for casual weddings than ever before, not only in the manner of dress, but in structure. Civil ceremonies are becoming increasingly popular, and even those who opt for religious and traditional ceremonies are including modern and up-to-date aspects such as decoration, dress, and creation of their own statements and vows.

The best way to determine which type of wedding ceremony might be best for you is to take a look at the different types of wedding ceremonies, or sample wedding ceremonies of family members, friends, or acquaintances to determine your own needs and desires. Every wedding ceremony can be customized and individualized to meet the needs of the bride and groom, so the sky’s the limit.

A very important item to check before booking the church is whether or not they allow decorations. Not all churches do, so finding that out well before the wedding is vital to enjoying a memorable day. If the wedding is scheduled around a holiday, the church may already have decorations to coincide with it, so be sure to ask about décor during the time frame of the wedding. Researching the venue before decorating also helps planners decide where to place flower arrangements or just to get an overview of how things will fit during the ceremony.

Some of the most common decorations for a church wedding are flowers and candles. Flowers can be bought individually to save money, and then arranged before the wedding and put around the church. Flowers are also diverse, so they match with virtually any color scheme or theme of wedding ceremony. Candles are also cost efficient, and add an elegant and romantic ambiance to the church during a ceremony.

Bows or ribbon can be added to the pews, which also look graceful, with flowers added throughout if desired. If bows are not the style a bride or groom is looking for, adding small flower arrangements look just as nice.

Church weddings are elegant and traditional, but may be hard to decorate in some instances. Be sure to ask those in charge about important information such as standard church décor during the wedding time frame, as well as what is allowed for outside parties to bring in for decoration.

The style and size of the church also has a lot to do with what type of decorations should be used. In some cases, small floral arrangements may be dwarfed or overwhelmed by the sheer size of a church, so always take that into consideration when planning as well. Don’t be afraid to go beyond flowers and bows to decorate the church. Stay tasteful and respectful of the premises, but bring some personality into play whenever possible.