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Comenteaza
Nunta in Basarabia
A very interesting movie about the wedding in the Republic of Moldova called "Wedding in Basarabia". Worth watching.
Basics of Romanian Language 1
Hier are some basic words in Romanian which may be of use for you once you decide to visit moldavian wedding
Traditions in Moldova (Part 6 - Winter holydays)
The calendar-based holidays are divided by the four seasons. Winter is designated as the season of rest, gatherings and spiritual expressions. Spring represents the rejuvenation of nature and the beginning of the farming season. It is the season of birth and blooming. Summer is dominated by the busy farming season. Fall is the season of wealth, the harvest and beginning preparations for the long winter ahead.Among all of the religious holidays, Christmas and Easter are the most beloved. The Christmas celebration starts with a six-week fast prior to the holiday. The orthodox fasting pattern excludes from the diet any animal product such as meat, eggs, fish, milk or cheese. The celebration of the Christening of Jesus occurs on January 6--a date commonly considered to be the coldest day of the year.Another important date is December 6, when St. Nicholas brings small gifts to the young children who have polished their shoes and placed them in front of a window in their home. Christmas carols, traditional foods and decorated trees are part of the Christmas traditions. Children start to sing carols during a ceremony in which a white newborn lamb is carried by a child, thus symbolizing religious faith and purity. Three days before Christmas, one may detect a heavy aroma of freshly baked walnut and raisin cakes. Two days prior to the celebration, the main cooking activities begin. Pigs-in-the-blanket and beef salad are two favorite dishes. Christmas Eve is reserved for decorating the tree, to be followed by the Christmas Eve dinner. This dinner is usually celebrated within the family. Christmas carols are sung and Santa is expected to leave presents under the tree; families with small children are likely to receive a visit from Santa in person. Christmas Day is celebrated among friends and family. In Moldova, the Christmas and New Year celebrations become merged, and elements of the Christian faith are blended with hopes for a prosperous New Year. Some of the many traditions or symbols include: the singing of carols as organized by young men or children; the plow; the skin-covered barrel through which a tuft of hair is pulled, thereby imitating a bull's roar; the sheep's skin or the goat dances; the mask plays; the walking of the star; folk theater.Regarding the traditions and symbols listed above, the carol singers arrive during the afternoon of and evening on Christmas Eve. The well-wishers are expected during the afternoon of New Year's Eve--these are groups who extend wishes for a happy life, prosperity and fertility in the coming year. The children, who symbolize purity and hope, usually receive apples, nuts and home-baked bread. The old fertility rite is a poem describing, in a mythical manner, the labors to be performed by the plowman--ranging from seeding to bread making, and including reaping of the harvest.New Year's Eve is one holiday that is celebrated throughout the country. It is an occasion for night-long parties. On this night, the traditional turkey is served. It is believed that no person should spend the night alone, as it is the night when the new year, represented by a baby, is born--and the old year, represented by the tired old man, is replaced. The first day of the new year is celebrated through songs and dances. The songs mostly symbolize the desire for a prosperous new year as characterized by fair weather, good crops, health and happiness. Some of the above traditions also involve the use of masks and costumes. Wheat often appears as a symbol of wealth and prosperity. One particular folk tale suggests that during the New Year's night, the sky opens for an instant. At that moment, God is visible to observers as he oversees all below the heavens.During the long winter nights, young girls and women will gather at a certain house in order to sit together, spin or embroider--as they are known to do with extraordinary talent. In Moldova, however, an important part of the population celebrate the Christmas and the New Year according to the old-style Calendar, therefore one can see a duplication of the holidays, although, Moldovans explain this inevitable luxury of the year as a sign of prosperity.
Moldovan traditions (part 4 - Funeral customs)
In addition to the focus on ceremonies, the popular faith encompasses a belief that for each man, there exists a star and a tree. The falling of the star marks the death of a person. The fir, the tree of life, is placed at the head on the grave of a deceased person. The fir is brought from the forest by a group of young men. They are met at the entrance of the village by a group of women. The women sing a song about the link of the man with the tree of life. The song talks about the grief of the fir as it becomes obliged to dry and to rot near its brother, the deceased person.Another funeral custom is the dawn song, or the Great Song (bocetul). It is sung by a group of appointed old women at the dawn of the two days between a death and a funeral.This song advises the dead person and describes the journey that he or she will make into the land of the dead ancestors. It is a song of a poetic metaphor of the myth of the great transition.Also expressed is a wish for the sun to rise later in the day, so that the family of the deceased have more time to prepare for the ceremonies. The preparation of the funeral consists of greeting the relatives, making the funeral objects, such as the coffin, the vial that will cover the body, the funeral candle and the carriage with bulls, as well as the preparation of the food to be served to relatives and friends during the meal after the funeral. During all of the funeral proceedings, there is a wake organized for the deceased. A body is never left alone, and those present at the wake tell stories about the deceased. A group o old women mourn the body as well.
Moldavian wedding dance
If you are going to attend moldavian weddind, be prepared to dance. To dance the whole night long. To dance even if you can not move anymore.
Moldovan wedding traditions (Part 3)
The practice of weddings includes the moments when young people separate from their social groups. Additionally, there is the separation of the bride from her parents which is followed by her joining the bridegroom's family. Lastly, there is the union of the two young people and the integration of the bride into her new family. (Prior to the marriage is the betrothal which is followed by a long process of acceptance towards the prospective couple by the existing group of those who are already married.) The wedding is a performance with well-established rituals. Poetry, song, dance and ceremonial costumes all have a detailed role in the wedding ceremony. This ceremony begins when the spokesman of the bridegroom comes to the bride's home to woo her. During this time, the best men go throughout the village inviting the relative and friends to the wedding. Then, before the closed gates guarded by the bride's relatives, the bridegroom's best man tells a story. It is the story of a young emperor who gathered a great army and went hunting. While hunting, he saw a fairy and sent his warriors to look for her. Following the fairy's trail, they arrive at the bride's house. They have been told that there is a certain flower in the garden. This flower cannot bear fruit because of the unsuitable soil in which it grows. The warriors came to pick the flower and plant it in the young emperor's garden. There, the soil was known to be good and provide the nutrients enabling the flower to bear fruit. The dress and hairdressing of the bride is also important. She wears a ceremonial costume and flowers in her hair. In some parts of Moldova, the bridegroom must pass a test of cleverness. He must solve a series of riddles in order to prove that he is able to be part of the married community. The entrance of the bride into the community of married women is marked by a change of her hair style, and the covering of her head with a scarf. The scarf is a symbol of the married women. This ceremony is also accompanied by a song. Just as for a medieval meal, the wedding meal provides an opportunity for singing, dancing and listening to epic hero songs. Dance forms, especially for the young people, are an essential part of the wedding, as well as the birth ceremonies. One dance, called a "hora" marks the decisive moments of the ceremonial. It is a seal of the marriage contract. The above wedding ceremonials in Moldova last for three days. The final day ends with a "dance of masks."
Shantel DISKO PARTIZANI
Balkan music, suitable for moldovan wedding.Music makes a big part of moldovan wedding traditions.
Customs of Moldova (Part 2 - From death till birth)
Customs of Moldova can be divided generally into: family customs, calendar-based customs and religious customs. They represent a "triptych" marked by the three major life changes: birth, marriage and death.Customarily, death represents the transition from the material life to the spiritual life of one's ancestors. Marriage is considered mainly as the transition from youth to adulthood. Birth signifies the establishment of a new biological life. A birth signifies its own customs, related to the mother and to the baby. During a pregnancy, a prospective mother must observe some interdictions that will protect the baby from supposed evil spirits. The birth itself represents the transition from the unknown to the known world--or from the "blackness" to the "whiteness."The ceremony of the "first bath" is one of the most important Moldovan rituals. Only the women can assist in the bathing of the newborn child, and the oldest woman related to the father of the baby is in charge of the event. Fresh, clean water enriched with flowers, money, honey and milk are thought to purify and join the newborn to the family. The elder woman gives the cleansed baby to the mother with wishes for the child's moral, spiritual and physical integrity. She wishes for the child to marry, to be good-looking and healthy, to be respectful of his or her parents and to be a patient person. She wishes that the child thrives, grows to maturity, becomes hardworking and experiences good luck in life.The second important moment related to birth is the Christening of the child, a ceremony in which the child is named. In the Eastern Orthodox church, the spiritual, or "God-parents" of the child have an important ceremonial function. Usually, the child will be named after the God-father, or after a close family member. Later, the God-parents will play an important role in the wedding ceremony of the child.
Traditions in Moldova (part 1)
Many wedding traditions in the Republic of Moldova are common with those in Romania. The Moldovan folklore developed within the borders of the two great regions of European civilization--the west and the southeast. Over the centuries, the Moldovan people crystallized their own popular culture. This culture expresses the need for communication between man and nature, between man and man, and among different human groups. The customs have also been an instrument in the exchange of goods, services and information. Matrimonial ceremonies exemplify the customs in a specific way. The Romanian practice of faith and spirituality have been in synchrony and in harmony with aspects of popular trades and facets of regional geography. Therefore, Moldovan holidays, while diversified by regional traditions, have common threads running through them. The same unity can be found in the traditions and customs throughout the country. They include Christian and non-Christian holidays, which can ba traced back to a pre-Christian period of history. Since Moldovan is mainly and Eastern Orthodox country, this form of Christianity permeates the spirit of the holidays, with other themes such as the seasons or common trades being blended within religious themes. Two main groups of people appear in the expression of popular customs: those who are living and the ancestors who receded them. Moldova culture carefully preserves the memory of ancestral peoples. The focus of the popular spirituality is found in each village. The trades of the villages were mainly agricultural. Moldovans traditionally were farmers who worked the land, kept vineyards, raised cattle or lived as shepherds. Spring and summer were known as the time to work the land. Autumn represented the harvest and winter was dedicated to the formation of artistic creativity or spiritual growth. Delicate, graceful and sober--the popular art of Moldova was preserved by the village. Village leaders assumed the tasks of guarding the originality, individuality and permanency of artisans' work. The nature of the village was driven to be in strict harmony with the natural environment of the entire country. Today, traveling throughout Moldova and the neigboring Romania, one can be pleasantly surprised when observing the extent to which one village differs from another village in terms of their general outlook. These differences underscore not only the cultural influences of a location, but also the specific details of the land surrounding a village...to be continued in the next post
"A Modern Traditional Wedding"
Autumn is the season for weddings in Moldova, and that season is in full swing. My host brother Sasha recently attended two weddings in one weekend, which is a feat rivaling an Olympic event, requiring about as much strength, endurance and recovery time. 
The first wedding was in Chisinau, the second here in Tvarditsa. He shared some of his photos with me from the Tvarditsa wedding, and I will post them to Flickr. A typical wedding celebration in Moldova can last a good 12 to 14 hours, and has many various components. The legal ceremony is separate from the religious ceremony, and a couple must register with the village Primaria. A small ceremony takes place there when the bride and groom sign the marriage certificate and become legally married (see pictures from Alyona’s wedding in February). The couple may have a religious ceremony, as well, which is by and for the church only (unlike in the U.S., where a service performed by a priest or minister can fulfill the legal requirements as well, as long as the proper forms are filed with the marriage licensing office). Instead of a Maid of Honor and a Best Man, an engaged couple here will ask a married couple to “sponsor” them. The title actually translates to something like godparents, and in many respects these godparents fulfill a similar role as a baby’s godparents at baptism; they promise to guide the couple in their Christian marriage. After the ceremony, a couple will visit a memorial and places flowers at the base. Often they visit a World War II memorial. In Chisinau, it is now popular to visit the centrally-located statue of Stefan cel Mare (Steven the Great), a Romanian warrior king from the Middle Ages. On a typical Autumn weekend, there is a line of wedding parties waiting their turn to place their flowers and have their photos taken at the statue. By Sunday night, it looks like a flower market! You can also hear the wedding parties driving throughout town all weekend, honking their horns. The wedding Sasha attended in Tvarditsa had many of the same components. After the ceremony, the couple walked to the nearby WWII memorial to lay their flowers. Instead of touring the village by car, though, they opted for the more traditional horse-and-buggy, decked out in colorful hand-woven blankets and festive ribbons and balloons. My favorite photo is of the bride sitting in the buggy talking on her cell phone! The real festivities start with the dinner and party. A Moldovan “masa” or celebration meal follows a usually pattern, no matter what the occasion – wedding, birthday, baptism, New Year’s Eve, etc. Long tables are set with so much food there usually isn’t enough room for guests’ plates. Bowls and plates of salads, meat, cold cuts, meat, bread, meat, vegetables, meat and fish will be placed about every two feet, more or less down the center of the table. Bottles of wine, champagne and cognac are intermixed. Sometimes there are serving utensils in the bowls, but more than often not. Guests serve themselves, usually taking a little bit from one or two dishes at a time. Each guest will have a small plate about 6 inches in diameter. These seem to be the only size of plates anyone every uses here for meals. After an hour or two of eating and drinking, if there were serving utensils, no one bothers to use them anymore; they just use their own forks and spoons and sometimes by then they even dispense with the “middleman” of their own plate and eat right out of the serving bowl. Most Americans have a hard time with this at first, but eventually you get used to it. As an aside, a visit to the Tvarditsa museum gave me some insight into this custom. In the museum is an example of an historical Moldovan villager’s kitchen, which included a small round table, about 2 feet or so off the ground, surrounded by small stools. In the center of the table sat a huge ceramic bowl. Even into the mid-20th century, many families ate sitting at one such small table and everyone ate out of the one large bowl. Babushka jokes that it saved a lot of time on dishwashing.
Although the dinner table is different these days, some cultural norms have continued, and it is perfectly acceptable to stick your spoon into the salad, and no will mind if you double-dip! Of course, at parties the drink flows. Here in Tvarditsa, it is more common to drink a glass of wine relatively slowly, maybe in 3 or 4 swigs, but I’m told in other parts of Moldova it’s more common to drink an 8-oz glass in one shot for a toast. They don’t drink out of stemmed goblets, but instead, in what I think is a rather economical brainstorm, most beverages are drunk out of a standard style and size of glassware.Cognac and other hard liquors (which are often all generically called “vodka”) are drunk by the 50- or 100-gram shot, though, even here in Tvarditsa. After the eating and drinking comes the dancing. I like PCV Peter Myer’s observation: “I must say that it’s nice to dance in a country where everyone’s white and there aren’t any really good dancers.” Almost all dances involve a variation on a theme – stand in a circle, hold hands with your neighbors at about shoulder level, and follow a basic step dancing in a circle. The more skilled dancers can do this pretty damn fast and fancy, but the average Joe (or Iosef) opts for the simpler version. The free-form dancing is a blast to watch, and I always find myself thinking “You go, white boy!” I will never forget the New Year’s Eve party at the Primaria, with the short, pudgy Primar pumping his arms and shuffling his feet. Sadly, I am such a bad dancer, I am not able to master even the simplest dances here. The eating, drinking and dancing will continue long past the wee hours. Sasha came home from the wedding at 4:00 am, and I suspect he probably was one of the first to leave because he had to catch the 6:00 am bus to get back to Chisinau and go to work (poor guy!). A Moldovan wedding not only takes a toll on your sleep, it takes a chunk out of your wallet. Sasha spent 1/6 of his monthly salary on the two weddings. A basket will be passed numerous times during the party to collect money for the newlyweds, and that’s a contribution in addition to the gift you bought them. It can all really add up. In fact, when Sasha was invited to another wedding the next weekend, he decided to pass. You really can have too much of a good thing!http://www.pcmoldovann.com/archives/2005/09/14/a-modern-traditional-wedding/trackback/
The first wedding was in Chisinau, the second here in Tvarditsa. He shared some of his photos with me from the Tvarditsa wedding, and I will post them to Flickr. A typical wedding celebration in Moldova can last a good 12 to 14 hours, and has many various components. The legal ceremony is separate from the religious ceremony, and a couple must register with the village Primaria. A small ceremony takes place there when the bride and groom sign the marriage certificate and become legally married (see pictures from Alyona’s wedding in February). The couple may have a religious ceremony, as well, which is by and for the church only (unlike in the U.S., where a service performed by a priest or minister can fulfill the legal requirements as well, as long as the proper forms are filed with the marriage licensing office). Instead of a Maid of Honor and a Best Man, an engaged couple here will ask a married couple to “sponsor” them. The title actually translates to something like godparents, and in many respects these godparents fulfill a similar role as a baby’s godparents at baptism; they promise to guide the couple in their Christian marriage. After the ceremony, a couple will visit a memorial and places flowers at the base. Often they visit a World War II memorial. In Chisinau, it is now popular to visit the centrally-located statue of Stefan cel Mare (Steven the Great), a Romanian warrior king from the Middle Ages. On a typical Autumn weekend, there is a line of wedding parties waiting their turn to place their flowers and have their photos taken at the statue. By Sunday night, it looks like a flower market! You can also hear the wedding parties driving throughout town all weekend, honking their horns. The wedding Sasha attended in Tvarditsa had many of the same components. After the ceremony, the couple walked to the nearby WWII memorial to lay their flowers. Instead of touring the village by car, though, they opted for the more traditional horse-and-buggy, decked out in colorful hand-woven blankets and festive ribbons and balloons. My favorite photo is of the bride sitting in the buggy talking on her cell phone! The real festivities start with the dinner and party. A Moldovan “masa” or celebration meal follows a usually pattern, no matter what the occasion – wedding, birthday, baptism, New Year’s Eve, etc. Long tables are set with so much food there usually isn’t enough room for guests’ plates. Bowls and plates of salads, meat, cold cuts, meat, bread, meat, vegetables, meat and fish will be placed about every two feet, more or less down the center of the table. Bottles of wine, champagne and cognac are intermixed. Sometimes there are serving utensils in the bowls, but more than often not. Guests serve themselves, usually taking a little bit from one or two dishes at a time. Each guest will have a small plate about 6 inches in diameter. These seem to be the only size of plates anyone every uses here for meals. After an hour or two of eating and drinking, if there were serving utensils, no one bothers to use them anymore; they just use their own forks and spoons and sometimes by then they even dispense with the “middleman” of their own plate and eat right out of the serving bowl. Most Americans have a hard time with this at first, but eventually you get used to it. As an aside, a visit to the Tvarditsa museum gave me some insight into this custom. In the museum is an example of an historical Moldovan villager’s kitchen, which included a small round table, about 2 feet or so off the ground, surrounded by small stools. In the center of the table sat a huge ceramic bowl. Even into the mid-20th century, many families ate sitting at one such small table and everyone ate out of the one large bowl. Babushka jokes that it saved a lot of time on dishwashing.
Although the dinner table is different these days, some cultural norms have continued, and it is perfectly acceptable to stick your spoon into the salad, and no will mind if you double-dip! Of course, at parties the drink flows. Here in Tvarditsa, it is more common to drink a glass of wine relatively slowly, maybe in 3 or 4 swigs, but I’m told in other parts of Moldova it’s more common to drink an 8-oz glass in one shot for a toast. They don’t drink out of stemmed goblets, but instead, in what I think is a rather economical brainstorm, most beverages are drunk out of a standard style and size of glassware.Cognac and other hard liquors (which are often all generically called “vodka”) are drunk by the 50- or 100-gram shot, though, even here in Tvarditsa. After the eating and drinking comes the dancing. I like PCV Peter Myer’s observation: “I must say that it’s nice to dance in a country where everyone’s white and there aren’t any really good dancers.” Almost all dances involve a variation on a theme – stand in a circle, hold hands with your neighbors at about shoulder level, and follow a basic step dancing in a circle. The more skilled dancers can do this pretty damn fast and fancy, but the average Joe (or Iosef) opts for the simpler version. The free-form dancing is a blast to watch, and I always find myself thinking “You go, white boy!” I will never forget the New Year’s Eve party at the Primaria, with the short, pudgy Primar pumping his arms and shuffling his feet. Sadly, I am such a bad dancer, I am not able to master even the simplest dances here. The eating, drinking and dancing will continue long past the wee hours. Sasha came home from the wedding at 4:00 am, and I suspect he probably was one of the first to leave because he had to catch the 6:00 am bus to get back to Chisinau and go to work (poor guy!). A Moldovan wedding not only takes a toll on your sleep, it takes a chunk out of your wallet. Sasha spent 1/6 of his monthly salary on the two weddings. A basket will be passed numerous times during the party to collect money for the newlyweds, and that’s a contribution in addition to the gift you bought them. It can all really add up. In fact, when Sasha was invited to another wedding the next weekend, he decided to pass. You really can have too much of a good thing!http://www.pcmoldovann.com/archives/2005/09/14/a-modern-traditional-wedding/trackback/
How to Choose a Wedding Photographer
Follow these wedding photographer tips and go over them before your wedding day. But before the big day, you're probably wondering how to choose a wedding photographer? Are there certain things you should look for? This article will cover some of the important subject that you should touch on when interviewing with several wedding photographers.Follow these wedding photographer tips and go over them before your wedding day. But before the big day, you are probably wondering how to choose a wedding photographer? Are there certain things you should look for? This article will cover some of the important subject that you should touch on when interviewing with several wedding photographers. How to Choose a Wedding Photographer To ensure good-quality pictures, it is best to employ a professional photographer. When you are selecting a photographer, study their portfolio; ask if the same person who shot the pictures you are examining will be the one to shoot your wedding; and ask about any package plans he or she offers. The cost of the different packages is controlled by adjusting the quality and sizes of prints, the size of the album, and any extra services. These vary from one photographer to another, so be sure you understand exactly what is being offered. When you have decided on a photographer, discuss any restrictions to be observed during the ceremony, concerning such details as flashbulbs and the photographers being at the altar or otherwise visible to guests.When planning your formal bridal portrait one to two months in advance, have your hair styled and makeup applied the same as it will be on your wedding day. More and more couples are having their formal pictures taken - including the bridal portrait - at the ceremony site before the service. It is a tradition, but one based on superstition, that prevents the bride and groom from seeing each other on their wedding day before the ceremony. By having your portrait taken on your wedding day - you avoid having to transport your gown to a studio and back, running the rish of soiling it. - you will have your own wedding bouquet in the picture. - you will be photographed at your best - a glowing bride. To take pictures before the wedding, you, your groom, your attendants, and families will need to be at the ceremony site approximately three hours before the wedding, allowing thirty to forty-five minutes to dress, up to two hours for photographs, and thirty to forty-five minutes to prepare for the arrival of the wedding guests. By taking all the formal pictures before the wedding, the groom will not have that special moment of first seeing you as you come down the aisle. Therefore, arrange a time for the two of you to be alone immediately before having your pictures taken. This could also be a special time spent with both sets of parents or with your maid of honor and best man. Be creative with this time - the sharing of special music, poetry, scripture, or prayer.If you want to wait until the ceremony for the groom to see you, then schedule only the taking of the separate formals and individual family pictures just prior to the ceremony time. Out of consideration for your guestsHealth Fitness Articles, set a time limit for finishing the formal pictures after the ceremony. You may want to designate a close friend of family member to assist the photographer at the reception by identifying other special people to be photographed. Be aware that viewing your proofs can be an emotion - packed time. Undoubtedly you will need to eliminate some great pictures to maintain your budget.Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com author: Robert Reno
Wedding Invitations 101: Ideas for the Budget-Minded Bride
Your wedding invitations are the first glimpse your guests will have of your wedding, but if you're not careful, they can they can quickly cut into your budget. Luckily there are many options available that convey your sense of style and set the tone for your wedding - and are also very affordable.INVITATIONSYour invitations reflect the tone of your wedding, whether it's black tie or casual chic. More formal weddings may require more formal invitations, which are traditionally white or ecru and engraved with black or charcoal ink. A square of tissue paper is also inserted to protect the type. While classic and understated, the cost of these invitations can quickly add up to the purchase price of a small car, but with slightly better gas mileage. What's a budget-minded bride to do?More and more couples are veering from standard invitations and choosing papers in unusual sizes and colors, incorporating interesting textures and using graphics, motifs and monograms. Many couples are also doing away with the traditional unsealed inner envelope, which not only reduces costs, but also reduces waste. And besides, how many of your guests are going to remember how many components were included in their invitation? (Hint: if you DO have guests who will notice, seat them all together so they can drive each other crazy)Another option is to purchase materials to create your own invitations. Thanks to the popularity of scrapbooking and paper stores, it's never been easier to create unique and memorable wedding invitations. Do you and your guy have a favorite color, song, vacation destination or hobby? Don't be afraid to incorporate it into your invitations. Your guests would rather see a heartfelt invitation than have to discard the tissue paper that protects a random printer's work. (Not that there's anything wrong with using a printer. But hey...the cost of those little sheets really adds up!)At this point, you might be saying, “But traditional IS my style! How can I afford it?” Put those fears to rest, girl! Make some “test” invitations on plain paper, playing with font size and type, then purchase blank cards and matching envelopes (which are available at scrapbooking and hobby stores and mass retailers nationwide) to print the real deal. No matter what kind of invitation you choose, be sure to mail them 8-10 weeks prior to your wedding so your guests have time to plan...and to shop for a really awesome gift!WAIT...THERE'S MORERemember when you were a little girl and you dreamed about your perfect wedding, right down to the invitations? Why didn't anyone tell us about the reply cards? Or the reception cards? Why are there so many cards? Response CardsResponse cards are usually sent with your invitations and include a self-addressed stamped envelope. These are used to help determine how many people will be attending and usually include menu options for your guests to choose from. But I'm going to tell you a secret: you can create your own reply cards. Just purchase small cards with matching envelopes, print them yourself and then insert them into the invitations when you are addressing them. Best of all, you can do this whether you're making your own invitations or having them professionally printed.Reception CardsReception cards are included inside wedding invitations to let guests know when and where the post-wedding festivities will begin. Traditionally, this is a small card that asks guests to join the newlyweds and their families for a celebratory reception, and gives the date, place, and time. But remember the “Response Cards” secret I revealed above? It works here, too! Print them yourself or even (gasp) print the reception information inside the invitation itself. It will give your guests one less thing to keep track of and save you lots of money.AND EVEN MORE...Believe it or not, there are still other paper-related items to think about.Wedding ProgramsSure, wedding programs provide useful information and make charming mementos, but there's no need to break the bank. While some couples choose to do a booklet type program, budget-minded couples are using simple card stock with a vellum overlay, tied together with a ribbon that matches your color scheme. Others are simply printing them at home (or a friend's home) on unique paper that plays up the wedding colors or motif. After all, how many people (besides your closest friends and family) are going to keep it as a memento? They'd rather you use the money you saved on programs to help with your honeymoon expenses, make a car payment or buy a lottery ticket. Menu CardsThe idea behind menu cards is that no one likes to sit down to a meal when they have no idea what they're about to be served (think school cafeterias). However, this can easily be combined with the Reply Card (see above). And of course if the meal is buffet-style, menu cards are not really necessary, since there is usually something to please everyone. If you do feel that menu cards are necessary, it's simple to print them yourself...just pick up some good old card stock. If there's a good story behind why you chose a certain dish (you're serving New York Style cheesecake because you met in New York or hot dogs because you met at a ball game), including this story adds a unique element to your menu cards. One thing that may be very helpful to all involved (you, the caterer, the bartender and your guests) is to create a drink card or two. If you're limiting the open bar to a certain amount or type of drink, a drink card is the perfect place to spell that out. Just get an easel or frame so the card can be posted at the bar.Place CardsAre you having a buffet-type meal at your reception? If so, skip this section, since place cards are not necessary. For the rest of you, place cards are tent-shaped cards that are placed at each place setting to show people where they should sit. You can easily print them from your home computer, but why not make the place cards for your reception a little unique? Make your wedding favors do double-duty by attaching a name tag to each one and using them as place cards. If you're making your own favors, it only adds one simple step, but saves you money in the long run. You can also use stones with hand-painted names or tie name tags around wrapped silverware. Use your imagination! Place cards don't necessarily have to be one more job for the printer. Thank You CardsOk, brides. You all know what these are, and there's really no need to have them printed. Simple thank you cards are readily available almost anywhere, and as a bonus, most of them even say “thank you.” Your handwritten message inside is what's important, so invest most of your time there. As a reminder, these should be sent out no later than one month after your honeymoon. If you receive gifts prior to the wedding, those thank you cards should be sent out immediately.Save the Date CardsWhat? No really...I didn't know what these were. Here's the scoop: save the date cards are sent to guests pretty much the second after the groom pops the question, so that guests can plan ahead. If you send out your announcements 8-10 weeks prior to your wedding, there is probably no need for save the date cards. However, if you have friends or relatives who will be traveling great distances (especially from other countries), a little heads-up would be nice. However, this can be done by greeting card, letter or phone call. That should be sufficient to “save the date.” If you do feel that you need to send save the date cards, you can easily make them yourself.IN A NUTSHELLCreating your own invitations and other stationery items can save you lots of money, freeing up your wedding budget for other things. Just keep a couple of things in mind: • If you are printing pieces yourself, try to use a consistent or complementary font on all of the pieces you create.• Before addressing invitations, be sure to have complete addresses available. This will help reduce the number of mistakes made during the addressing process. (The less mistakes you make, the fewer invitations you have to use. This saves money!)• You don't have to do it all yourself. Your family and friends will be more than willing to help create, print and assemble your invitations and other items. After all, isn't that what you keep them around for? With a little imagination and a lot of determination, your budget-friendly wedding invitations will be just as beautiful as big-budget invitations , but at a fraction of the cost. Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com Author: Heather
Wedding Planning: A Complete Guide On Wedding Invitation Cards
A wedding invitaion or a card is a simple letter asking the recipient to attend the wedding. These invitations are generally mailed out six to eight weeks before the finalised wedding date. So once you are engaged and the dates are planned for the various occassions, the next big step that follows is to decide upon the wedding invitations.Everything has to be the perfect, including your wedding cards. They are important part in setting your mood right for your special day.From invitations that are handcrafted to the formal ones, cards with raised letters on it or the one having engraved styles, there are numerous beautiful wedding invitations available to match the style and theme of your wedding. From the traditional to the contemporary, there are wedding cards to compliment the taste of everyone.Choosing the right wedding invitation for your guests is not an easy task and can get a run for your money. So if you do not want to work harder on making a choice on that and want to make it simple, you can go for the ready to use wedding invitation that are available in the card stores that are local to you. But this is not the only option. Your wedding cards can be designed to coordinate your wedding theme. So if you are planning to have a vintage-style wedding, you can definitely have an invitation, suiting the mood of the whole celebration.And if you are bored of seeing those traditionally made cards. Do not worry. There are options for you to give you that funky and modern look that you always desired. Under this category of wedding invitations, you can create your own art by putting the favorite photographs of you and your beloved. This gives a more personal touch to the whole celebration. And if you really want to put some good efforts, you can even purchase some blank cards and then decorate them yourself.There are many wedding invitations that come with matching envelopes to give them a complete and impeccable look. Invitation cards also include thank you notes. This is necessary to give the wedding card a personal touch.You can sometimes find calligraphy on the wedding invitations. But this is not just the option. There are also other types of printing that can be beautifully displayed on them. Thermography, engraving, letterpress printing and also sometimes blind embossing. Generally double envelopes are used to mail them. The inner envelope has a lining of a matching color to the card and is not gummed. On the other hand, the outer envelope is used as a sealer.There are numerous parts of a wedding invitation. Beside the invite, you may also find an ensemble of various cards, that are for the different occasions to be held on different days. Adding a location map or a direction card is also common.Now once the layout of your wedding card is prepared , the last thing that follows is to decide upon their numbers. And the date and the mode of their dispatch.Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com . author : Kanishkm http://www.articlesfactory.com/author/Kanishkm.html
Wedding step by step - Introduction
For Christians wedding is a key moment for family creation. The wedding ceremony is considered the union which people who love each other conclude before God. Wedding in church is not obligatory by the law, but, despite it, many newly-married couples observes the given ceremony out of respect for traditions of the ancestors and to the belief. First of all, it is necessary to co-ordinate a place and time of fulfilment of sacrament of wedding in church. Now in many temples there is a preliminary record at which it is underlined not only day, but also wedding time. Usually also will get married more correctly before going to celebrate wedding at restaurant, but it is necessary to give the marriage certficate, without it you will not marry.
Planning The Wedding
One planning the Wedding you have to bear in mind the following:THE WEDDING DRESSWhen should you start looking for your dream outfit?' When you visitany bridal store the wedding dresses you try on are samples. Once youhave chosen a style, then the shop will take your measurements, orderone gown especially for you, and then arrange a schedule of fittings.Beware! Ordering and fitting can take up to 3-4 months, so you need toplan well in advance, look for a dress early and allow time for finaladjustments to your gown when it arrives.THE WEDDING FLOWERSWhen it comes to floral arrangements at your wedding, there are norules. However, many brides opt for a bridal bouquet at the veryleast, together with matching flowers for the bridesmaids. See our"Florists Section" for your local florist.IN CHURCHYou an chose floral decorations for pews, stands and pillars in thechurch, as well as for the entrance. Remember that you will need toask for permission, and check whether there are any areas that youcan't decorate.At the reception you can continue any theme, and the colors from thechurch, with table decorations and flower arrangements around thedining area. This theming can even extend to the cake, with a garlandof fresh flowers.If you are arranging a floral decoration in a hired venue, once againyou will need to speak to the owner or manager to obtain permissionand to check any specific requirements.Some florists are specialists in providing wedding arrangements, andwill have plenty of seasonal ideas to match the time of year and yourchosen colour scheme.When you first meet your florist it is a good idea to take along apicture of your dress and the attendants' outfits, a sample of thedress material, and, if you can, a sample of the stationery. Thesewill convey the style of the wedding, and will help the florist toselect appropriate flowers. Plan to see your florists two or threemonths prior to your wedding to discuss what you requre. Even if youintend to make up the arrangements yourself, the floristwill have some helpful advice on which flowers to order.THE PHOTOGRAPHERUnless you intend to have your newlywed bride and groom photographstaken after the wedding day, you only get one chance to get it right,so be very careful when you choose your photographer. Quality shouldbe the priority. A quailified professional photographer will be ableto show you the style and quality of their work beforehand. Ask to seesamples from a previous wedding presented in an album.A good photographer's work will tell the story of the wedding day, andwill be much more than a series of photographs. Be careful becauseprice dose't always reflect quality!You may have already seen the work of a photographer you would like touse. Otherwise you can look in the Yellow pages. But do look for theletters LBIPP, ABIPP, or FBIPP after the photographer's name to makesure that they are professionally qualified.One of the advantages of the FBIPP is that they also hold regionalseminars for their members, which means that they will probably beup-to-date on the latest styles and techniques.Qualified photographers tend to specialise, and it therefore makessense to choose someone who specialises in weddings. A localphotogapher will know the venue, and should know where to get the bestshots. Ideally you need to visit the church or location with thephotographer to discuss what you would like. If the weather is goingto make difference to your photography then decide on youralternatives. Good photographers are likely to get booked up early, sotry to allow six months for planning.WEDDING TRANSPORTWhen you are looking around for wedding transport it will soon becomeapparent that you can choose between an enormous variety of vintageand modern four-wheeled and two-wheeled vehicles or, alternatively,four hooves!When you are looking for aternatives, don't simply rely on aphotograph, as scale and colour can be misinterpreted.Take the trouble to go and look at the vehicle, and consider theobvious:Will you be able to get in and our easily, and without too muchembarrassment. If your dress is quite full, will you fit incomfortably or will guests only be able to see a mass of materialbunched up against the window. Does it look like the owner or companykeep it clean and polished, or will they arrive with dirty seatsshowing signs of the previous wedding !The colour of the car you choose is very important. How will it lookin photographs !Unless you are getting married in pure white, a white car can make acream or ivory dress look dirty in photographs.Depending on the service offered, ribbon and flowers may be providedas standard, but ask anyway - especially if you want specific colours.Owners of vintage cars and carriages will probably want to use theirown silk flowers, as fresh ones can stain and mark the interior. It isworth considering your options in case there is an unavoidable problemwith the vehicle. It may break down for instance! Does the companyhave other cars that could be used as an alternative.If your wedding is on a Saturday then there is a good chance that youwill need to book up to a year in advance in order to secure the carthat you want. When you have booked the vehicle make a date to meetthem again two to three weeks, before the big day to ensure they havethe correct times, addresses and route.Powered by http://www.referat.ro
So You Want to Marry a Moldovan...
There are plenty of marriage sites on the Moldovan web, and their numbers are growing rapidly as more and more young (and some not so young) women - a majority of them young, but already divorced and perhaps with a young child - are eager to find a way out of Moldova (and a nice foreign man at the same time). Information on those sites can be found elsewhere on the web--perhaps you've even come from one of them, and have made an acquaintance there. Or perhaps you're a Peace Corps Volunteer who just happened to fall in love while in Moldova. Or, who knows, perhaps you met a Moldovan who was in the U.S. on an exchange program and had to return home, but the feelings are still strong. My advice is the same: if you're serious about getting married, it will easier in the long run to get married in Moldova. First, the bride and groom must register at a ZAGS (Civil Status Office where people go for the actual wedding ceremony) in the city where the Moldovan is registered as a citizen of Moldova. Unfortunately, in recent years a "marriage tax" has been instituted for any foreign citizen who wishes to marry a Moldovan. For Romanians and citizens of CIS countries, a smaller tax exists, but for Americans the tax is doubled. Friends of mine who recently married told me that the tax for Americans marrying in Chisinau is $900, while the tax in a small town in Moldova might be around $80-$90. I have no idea what accounts for the difference, and changes in such laws are arbitrary and unfortunately subject to inflation if the American is judged to be wealthy. You must go to the ZAGS office in the city where the Moldovan is registered to live. If this means Chisinau, you may want to look into the possibility of having the Moldovan change his registration from Chisinau to another small town or village where relatives may live. As a result, the tax will almost certainly be lower. The American also will need 2 documents showing that a) s/he has never been married or is now divorced, and that b) s/he has no criminal record. Such documents may be difficult or impossible to obtain in America, especially the first, since there exists no office that issues such a document anywhere in the U.S. However, the U.S. Consular Department in the Embassy in Chisinau can issue a document with a pretty seal attesting to the fact that "According to the power vested in the vice consul of the United States of America, I hereby attest to the fact that __________ stood before me and made the following statement: '__________ is not divorced and has never been married.'" In other words, a completely laughable bogus document. Yet such a paper is widely accepted at every ZAGS in Moldova. Each English-language document will cost you $55, thank you very much. You then have to have your own translation done into Romanian. Since I've used this system for numerous such silly documents that have actually succeeded in satisfying Moldovan bureaucracy, I have a template for the Romanian translation. Simply translate the text of the statement the document says you made, and insert it into the middle of the translation. (Don't translate the documents into Russian, as they must be in Romanian. You may or may not then need to go to a translation bureau to get the translations certified and stamped, depending upon the experience of the people in the ZAGS office. In Chisinau, consider it necessary to get your translations certified; in other towns, you may not need to.)http://old.ournet.md/~marriage/
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