The Flowers

When picking the flowers for a wedding, it sets the colour scheme for the entire day. Everything will be coordinated with these colours. It is very very rare that a person will pick two colours for flowers and than have completely different colour dresses and decorations. For example, having red and yellow roses when the bride's maids are dress in purples and the entire hall/reception area is decorated in purple and white does not match the ''theme'' and ''colour scheme'', picking purple lilies or tulips or roses even for that matter match the whole wedding and pull it all together. This of course does not matter for the bride because she is usually in white and every colour matches white, adding a ribbon or handle in the theme colour would match it all together,  however matching a weddings colours should always be kept in mind when making wedding bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages and flower arrangements.

When getting married in countries that aren't familiar to at least the bride or groom, the flowers may present a problem. In some counties and/or religions certain flowers are considered bad luck and should be avoided. A little research would be needed to make sure that a bouquet doesn't conflict with such a belief in the country or religion the couple is being married in.

Ordering flowers can be a tricky thing especially if the couple is not local to the town, province/state, or country they decide to get married in. When picking flowers it is important to find a florist to get the flowers from and it is equally as important to make sure that they have the flowers needed to create the bouquets the couple wants. In some countries because of either growing conditions or the seasons, certain flowers may not be available at the time of a couples wedding so looking into such things before hand can save a lot of time and hassle.

Some couples think a great way to save money is to make their own wedding arrangements and bouquets. Unless the bride or groom is very skilled at handling flowers, arranging them and knows how to care for them, it is best left to a professional. In the end if a home made wedding bouquet doesn't turn out well, it could cost the couple twice as much as just letting a florist do the job in the first place.

**If throwing the bouquet is a tradition the bride and groom choose to follow, the bride may want to hold on to her bouquet and throw a fake or a stand in one. The best thing to do is to get a replica of the bride's original bouquet but scaled down so literally she isn't throwing money away. Also bouquet preservation may be something the bride would like to look into to keep her wedding bouquet as a souvenir of her big day, that is also something that should be discussed with the florist.**

Invitations

There is always more to the invitations than just the ''You are invited'' part. Most invitations need the invite, the response card, a directions card. But sometimes the even before the invitations go out, Save the Date cards are needed. And than after everything is said and done, Thank You cards need to follow.

Save the date cards aren't always needed. If the couple is getting married close to all their relatives, save the date cards can be avoided by a simple announcement in the local news paper. Save the date cards are for out of town guests that may need to book flights or take off work, or travel a little ways to get to the wedding. 

There are a lot of places, and websites, that have millions of different invitation designs and colours to match almost any wedding. When picking invitations it's important to think of the colours of a wedding and the theme. However it's important to have invitation that the couple likes, this doesn't always mean it has to match the theme perfectly. (For example, if a couple is having a honey themed wedding or bumble bee wedding, the invitations don't have to have bees on them, they yellow and black in them for the colours of a bee, or black and white, etc.) 

Response cards are only needed if the couple decided to have a meal. The response cards give the couple a round number to give the caterer and the hall for how many seats to set and prepare for. 

Direction cards are also optional. If a couple leaves in a small town where everyone basically knows where to go they won't need directions to the church and/or hall. A good way to save money here would be sending only direction cards to out of town guests in case they need help getting from place to place, but not sending any to local guests. 

Some couples choice to just leave a Thank You note, or card, at the door so their guest can take one as they walk in. This saves some money, but it is also very impersonal. A great idea for Thank You cards is to choose a picture from the wedding photos and send that with a little personal message on the back. It is simple and may be cheaper and easier than a Thank You card, however most invitation set coordinate Thank You cards also. 

Photographers and Videographers

Many couples assume that they can save money but getting an amateur photographer or videographer. The truth is a wedding is the most important day of two people's life together, chancing something like photos to someone who may have no idea what they are doing isn't the best idea. Photographs from the big day are things couples will enjoy for years to come, they will look back on them and hopefully remember their perfect day. Not to mention family and friends will want to see all the pictures and the last thing any couple wants is to be ashamed of how their pictures came out.

If a couple doesn't know of a professional photographer or is worried about how good their photographer is, the best thing to do is to schedule engagement pictures with the same person. This way the couple gets their photos well in advance of their wedding day and can decided if they would like to use the same person for their big day or go with someone else.

It is harder to test out videographers, so if someone close to the couple has used a certain company or person it is best to ask them to see the video they had done. Reviews and recommendations are great in helping pick out a good videographer, but seeing the work is always the best way to judge.

Pictures and Poses:

Photographs are forever and the best way to remember a couple's big day. They are a big part of the wedding, and are things the couple will show off for years to come. Each individual photographer may have different ideas on what pictures to take but here are some great options and a few of the top 50 must have wedding photos according to Kristen O'Gorman Klein of Bridal Guide.

The Romantic Lift photo by: Rebekah J. Murray Photography

Through Your Wedding Ring  photo by: Aubrey Joy Photography

An Enthusiastic First Kiss photo by: Emily Blake Photography

Holding Your Parents' Wedding Photo photo by: Ana Lui Photography

In Your Own World On A Busy Street photo by: Hoffer Photography

A Romantic Kiss photo by: Photographs By Anjuli

L-O-V-E photo by: Rebecca Fitzpatrick Photography

A Flipped Perspective Of The First Kiss photo by: Daniele Del Castillo

With Your Marriage Licence photo by: Visionyard Photography

Can You Keep A Secret? photo by: True Photography

Saying ''Thanks'' photo by: Stephanie Moe Photography

Frame Within A Frame photo by: Renaissance Studios

Pinky Swear photo by: Amber Engfer Photography

Surrounded By Love photo by: Inspire Photography

Wrapped Up In His Jacket photo by: Megan Small Photography

Stop-Motion photo by: Sugarlens Photography

A Look From Above photo by: AMS Photography

On A Park Bench photo by: Jen Philips

Together Before The Ceremony photo by: Dianne Personett Photography

With Your Shoes On Display photo by: Clear Skies Photography

One or all of these pictures would make beautiful shots to frame and display, to send as Thank You cards, or to give as gifts. Pictures are one of the best treasure a couple receives from their wedding, and amazing pictures help the couple relieve their big day for the years to come. 

Food and the Cake

Food is a very important part of the wedding day, when it is part of the day. Some couples choose not to have a meal and just have a late lunch later. But there are a lot of options when it comes to food. Some couples choose to make it buffet style, some choose a formal sit down dinner, some choose to asks their guests pay, and some choose to hand out tickets so their family can get their meal for free but so that other guests can still join them and pay for their meal. Most times when a couples asks their guests to pay for their meal they should not expect a wedding gift.

When it comes to a cake, the things to think about is flavour and theme. If a couple chooses to have multi-layered cakes, they should choose different flavours. Not everyone likes vanilla, not everyone likes chocolate, it is impossible to please everyone but the odds of having something everyone likes increases with more options. Also just because it is a ''Wedding Cake'' doesn't mean it has to be a cake, cupcakes are very popular options for weddings.
With any cake, cupcake or regular, a very important part is the cake topper! This topper may match the theme or be a traditional bride and groom figure. Either way the couple should be absolutely in love with it. The cake knife and serving set should match the cake topper in some way.

Guest Favours

Guest favours is a special way not only to say thank you to the guests but also to give them a little token of the wedding day.  Usually favours are very small items and inexpensive so the couple can buy them in bulk. When having a meal, guests favours are placed at each guests spot, and than a basket (or container) is set at the door so that uninvited guests can have a thank you token as well. Guest favours are usually given in some sort of holder, a glass mug, a mini jar, a decorative box, etc.

A great website for ideas and to buy guest favours from is http://www.beau-coup.com/, they have a number of different theme related items to match almost any wedding's theme. 

Antigua and Barbuda Wedding #1 - Antigua (Sailboat) Wedding

Being surrounded by water, sailing has been one of the most popular sports in Antigua. Two of the regions most reputable sailing competitions are Antigua Sailing Week and Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta (Antigua). To play off that, a beach wedding centering around a sailboat theme would be a perfect choice for Antigua! 

(English Harbour Antigua Sailing Week - Photo by Ted Martin)

Flowers:
For any water wedding blue or light green is a great colour theme to go by. In this case, I chose blue because it is more closely associated with sailing. I chose a light blue even though sailing is usually a navy but either way a nice rose bouquet would be beautiful for this and most other weddings.

(Light Blue and White Silk Rose Bouquet)

The Dress:
Weddings on the beach are always done because of the beautiful scenery and because of the weather. When it is hot outside a bride doesn't usually want to be in a big, long, heavy dress. She usually wants to be in something more comfortable, shorter and something she can move easily in. Alfred Angelo's Style 2100 is very and the dress looks like it has waves, which would match well with the theme of the whole wedding.

The Shoes:
The best option for beach weddings is always sandals or flip-flops. With an open shoe, the bride doesn't have to worry about getting sand stuck in her shoe and carrying around half the beach all night. Also in the warm weather, sandals would be much more comfortable and a lot easier to kick off.

(White Beach Flip-Flop)

Make up, hair, nails and accessories: 
It is always best to keep make up simple, but for beach weddings (hot, outdoor weddings) it is really key. Make up can always cause problems when it comes in contact with water (sweat, tears) and it will mess up the bride's make up sticking to just a lipstick or lip gloss would be ideal. For this wedding, I chose a short and strapless dress, because of this, having the bride's hair down would look best with a short veil or no veil at all. And to complete her look a beautiful Aquamarine Necklace with Diamond Accents would be perfect for the bride.

The Groom:
A beach wedding is more of a laid back type of wedding and it is common to see the groom (and his men) not wearing suits but more of just a shirt and pants type thing, formal but not too much. Great options for this would be the Cavala Custom Italian Linen Shirt and the Ventura Custom Linen Capri Pants. Both look great and are available in different colours. 

The Invitations:

Any out of town/state/country guests would really appreciated a Save the Date card, especially if the couple really wants certain people there, it gives the guests time to make arrangements like flight plans, house sitters, booking days of work, etc so that they can make it to the wedding. After the Save the Date cards, a formal invitation should be sent to all the guests (even the ones that already got the Save the Date card). A great option for invitations would be the Destination Modern. (It has the double sided invitation and reply card in the set). 

Photographer and Videographer:

A great photographer that comes very highly recommended is Vanessa Hall. She take beautiful pictures and stages perfect scenes and moments with what she has to work with. She also has a beautiful portfolio and a lot of information available at her website. As for a videographer that can be tricky to find in a country that isn't home to the bride or groom or any guest. As stated before asking a friend or family member to do that favour may be best. 

Ceremony:

More than 74% of the population in Antigua and Barbuda are Christian so it would not be hard to find a church or a priest to perform a ceremony, any other religions may be harder to find someone to perform the ceremony and the couple should look into it ahead of time. Of course, any friend or family member that has been ordained can do it also. The couple may choose to have a ring-bearer and a flower girl, in which case a dress for the flower girl to match the bride is need and a tuxedo to match the groom for the ring-bearer will be needed as well (along with a flower basket and ring pillow.) Beautiful rings for a blue wedding like this one would be the Aquamarine CZ Round Channel Set Band and the Men's Sterling Silver Ring with Aquamarine.

Reception:

With the theme of the wedding being the beach, what greater place to have the reception than on the beach (consulting a wedding planner may be needed for this part). Having a wedding on the beach makes it easier to incorporate some traditions that the bride and groom shares, like throwing the bouquet and garter, cutting the cake and stuff like that. Also having a small table set up would be perfect to accommodate a guest book, money box and a basket of small guest favours should anyone just walking along want to join (this may happen in any wedding but especially when having a ceremony on a public beach).

Food:

In Antigua and Barbuda, the national dish is fungie and pepper pot. Fungie is a dish similar to that of Italian Polenta, made mostly with cornmeal. Other local dishes include ducana, seasoned rice, saltfish, fish in a tomato and onion sauce, and lobster. Fruits when in season are every where and at there best so making use of the local varieties would be a very smart and good idea for a wedding dinner. Some other dishes that may be served for dinner could include pork, chicken, lamb or turkey usually with some sort of rice, macaroni pie, and or salads (Antigua and Barbuda Cuisine).  Naturally, the choices would differ depending on who is making the food and what time of year the wedding takes place in. 

The Cake:

For a tropical beach wedding, the cake has to be something that is not too rich but also fruity and sweet. Though there is a lot of bad thoughts associated with fruit cake, a tropical Antigua fruit cake may just be perfect for this wedding. For the cake: combine 19 counces of Cream Cheese (at room temperature makes it easier to work with) 3 Eggs, 1/4 cup of Sugar, 1 TSP of Vanilla, 1/2 - 3/4 a cup of crushed or pureed Mangos, Black Pineapple, and Sweetsop (depending on which flavours are in enjoyed more and if one flavour is preferred to stand out over the others. These fruits are all native to Antigua however regular apples, microwaved with sugar and cinnamon could replace the sweetsop and regular pineapples can replace the black pineapples.) The buttercream or fondant has a few options, it can either also be cream cheese to match the bases of the cake, it can be coconut flavoured to add to the tropical theme or it can just be plain vanilla to compliment the slight notes in the cake. To top this cake off a cute little lighthouse figure would be a unique topper or a standard couple on the beach would be beautiful as well. 

(Sailing Cake)

Guest Favours:

Sticking with the sailing theme a good idea for the favours is to go with something simple and useful. For the regular guests, a nice anchor book mark for the women and an anchor bottle opener (or vice versa) would be a nice gift that they can use on a regular bases. For the people in the wedding party, the parents, and close friends or family, a nice gift would be personalized coolers or multi-tool Swiss-army knives. 

            

Centerpieces:

A miniature sailboat centerpiece would be a great match for this wedding and the theme. However, they are not always easy to find, they can get expensive and boats aren't always the most glamorous things either. A beautiful alternative would be light house candle holders. They are beautiful, they match the theme and the can help illuminate the table. Nice additions to the table would be blue and white sailboat tealight holders, and sailboat place card holders. 

Thank You Cards:

Thank You cards don't always have to match the invitations. In this case any water themed themed or blue Thank You card would work well. Some couples choose to send a picture from their wedding with a personalized note or a post card showing where they honeymooned.

(Sailboat Thank You Card)

Things To Do:

Antigua and Barbuda are known for their beaches so naturally most things to do are water and beach related but there are some amazing options and sights to see and be apart of. Take a short boat ride to private Prickly Pear Island from St. John's for a half day of fun in the sun - snorkeling, strolling or just lying under a beach umbrella. Enjoy complimentary rum punch and other refreshments from the open bar, as well as tasty snacks and a home-cooked Caribbean lunch, while you take in the tranquil surroundings. Take a helicopter tour, it offers a variety of truly amazing panoramic delights, priceless memories and photographic opportunities for both around the island tour and the Montserrat Volcano tour. Visit Nelson's Dockyard, set aside as 30sq km of national park, the historical dockyard dates from 1745, and is Antigua's most popular attraction. Abandoned in 1899, it languished until the 1950s when its resurrection and restoration began.Today the handsome buildings have been converted into inns, shops, a market, restaurants an art center and a nautical museum. A number of tours visit Nelson's Dockyard, like the Round Island Tour, and the Antigua Shore Excursion (Things to do in Antigua and Barbuda).

Take a city sightseeing tour shore excursion in Antigua. The tour visits a local vegetable market and spends time in the capital city of St. John's, where tourists can shop until they drop for souvenirs at Heritage Quay, home to designer and locally made wares all duty-free. Visit Betty's Hope, it is one of Antigua's first sugar plantations, built by Christopher Codrington in 1674, it was named in honour od his daughter Betty. Ruins of two stone windmills and a distillery remain on the site, along with a small visitors center. One windmill has been restored, and the caretaker offers informative tours peppered with historical insights. Or why not take the Island Safari 4x4 Discovery Tour. It visits some of the most beautiful landmarks in Antigua including Devil's Bridge and Betty's Hope Sugar Plantation.Spend a night at Shirley Heights Lookout. Celebrate the most dramatic sunset in Antigua with a night of music and relaxation. Enjoy a night under the moonlight while dancing to the sounds of steel band music and taking in the beautiful views from atop the lookout. Shirley Heights, named after the former governor Sir Thomas Shirley, overlooks the English Harbor and Galleon Beach and is the best spot to get a bird's-eye view of the island. Go snorkeling, many cruises are available for snorkeling like the Cades Reef Snorkel Cruise that highlights the Cades Reef, or the Snorkeling Island Adventure that includes kayaking and sightseeing in the Caribbean Sea, or snorkel in the protected bay on Bird Island (Things to do in Antigua and Barbuda).

(Shirley Heights)

Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda (Spanish for "ancient" and "bearded") is a twin-island nation lying between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It consists of two major inhabited islands, Antigua and Barbuda, and a number of smaller islands (including Great Bird, Green, Guinea, Long, Maiden and York Islands and further south, the island of Redonda). The permanent population numbers approximately 81,800 (at the 2011 Census) and the capital and largest port and city is St. John's, on Antigua. Separated by a few nautical miles, Antigua and Barbuda are in the middle of the Leeward Islands, part of the Lesser Antilles, roughly at 17 degrees north of the Equator. The country is nicknamed "Land of 365 Beaches" due to the many beaches surrounding the islands. Its governance, language, and culture have all been strongly influenced by the British Empire, of which the country was formerly a part (Antigua and Barbuda).

There are 365 beaches on Antigua, one for each day of the year. The great majority rest inside the calm, protected waters of the island's Caribbean side. All are open to the public, and so the challenge posed to a visitor is not how to gain access to the best of them but simply how to locate the beach that suits one's taste. Exploring on your own is the best way to do this, although it is wise to bring a companion along to particularly isolated locations. Antiguans are understandably reluctant to divulge their own favorites, so here are a number of good starters. Be sure to acquire specific directions before you go.

The Beaches:

Northwest Coast:
Dickenson Bay and Runaway Bay, located along the island's developed northwestern coast, are the place to go for those who want the fully-loaded resort beach experience. The beaches most convenient to St. John's are Fort James, a locally-popular public beach, and Deep Bay. Galley Bay attracts surfers during the winter months and a joggers during the evening. The series of four crescent beaches at Hawksbill are also highly regarded, one of which is nudist.

Southwest and South Coast:
The beaches of the hilly southwest corner of Antigua are generally less developed than those around St. John's further north. On the road that winds along this coast are Fryes Bay, Darkwood Beach, and the beaches around Johnsons Point. Rendezvous Bay and especially Doigs Beach, both located on the central southern coast at Rendezvous Bay, are especially quiet beaches worth the rough travel necessary to reach them. Pigeon Point, near English Harbour Town, is a convenient balm after a day at Nelson's Dockyard.

East Coast:
On the southeast corner of the island is Half Moon Bay, now a National Park and a good choice for a family outing. Long Bay, on the easternmost point of the island, is another good choice for families, as it is completely protected by its reef.

On Barbuda:

Barbuda's smooth coastline is edged with long pink and white sand beaches protected by barrier reefs. In fact, the pristine pink beaches of the southwestern shore stretch as far as ten miles without interruption. The beaches of the island's eastern shore, facing the Atlantic, are somewhat rougher, although they are outstanding for beachcombing.

With Antigua and Barbuda being the land of beaches, it is obvious that any themed wedding should focus around the beach and the water. One interesting fact about Barbuda is that it is known for it's Pink Sand Beaches, so for one Antigua and Barbuda I will plan two weddings, both focused on the beach and the water. The wedding in Antigua will be focused on the beauty of the sand and seashells, and the wedding in Barbuda will be focused on the pink sand beaches.

Getting Married in Antigua and Barbuda:

There is no waiting period or residency requirement necessary for marrying in Antigua.
Arrive in Antigua, Visit the Ministry of Justice located at Parliament Drive with your valid passports,complete the application and pay applicable fees.
 Confirm a date and time for the ceremony with a Marriage Officer, and...
Get Married
 (Both parties must be over 15, if under 18, written authorization from your parents or guardians is required. It is important that all documents presented are original or certified original by the issuing departments or offices. Ensure that all documents are in your legal name, and provide affidavits in cases where you are known by another name. Your marriage must also be solemnized or celebrated in the presence of two or more witnesses, apart from the Marriage Officer.) (Getting Married in Antigua and Barbuda)

(Flag of Antigua and Barbuda)