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Category: Weddings

Don’t Forget The Little Details That Will Make Your Wedding Special!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

There are a lot of things to think about when you’re planning a wedding. In fact, the sheer number of things that you have to think about can often be pretty overwhelming. Because of this, a lot of people, rather understandably, tend to focus on the big picture elements of their wedding. Things like the venue, the guest lists, the dress, and the rings take up huge amounts of space in their minds. However, as important as all of these things are, it’s crucial that you remember that there are more aspects to making your wedding really wonderful than just the big stuff. Here are a few smaller details that you really don’t want to forget about when planning your wedding. 

Photography

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Since your wedding is pretty likely to be one of the most important and special days of your life, it only makes sense that you’re going to want to immortalise it with some beautiful pictures. However, if you want your wedding memories to be as beautiful as the day itself, then you need to hire a really great photographer. Leaving it too late and hiring someone who isn’t very good, or simply relying on friends to take pictures for you, is just going to leave you with pictures that don’t do your perfect day the justice that it deserves.  

Seating arrangements

You’ve probably got a pretty good idea of who it is that you want to invite to your wedding. But one thing that many people forget about is where those people are actually going to sit. The seating arrangements might seem incredibly simple, but the reality is it can make a lot of difference. You don’t want to create a divide among the guests, with one side of the family separated from another, but you also need to be diplomatic about it. Not everyone is going to get along, and if you’ve got a lot of guests, there are going to be people who won’t agree with each other. The last thing you want is your big day getting disrupted by a shouting match on table five!

Decorations

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The venue is one of the most important parts of any wedding, and it is often one of the very first things that people pick out. However, you need to remember that the venue is only half the battle when it comes to creating the perfect wedding atmosphere. You need to think about the decor as well. The decor that you choose will depend heavily on what kind of theme you’re going for. Do you want something homemade? Something Traditional? These kinds of questions are not only important when deciding what style you prefer but also which styles work best with the venue that you’ve chosen.

It can often be pretty tricky to keep track of all of these things, so it’s worth making a very clear plan of everything that you need to deal with well in advance of the big day. Trying to wing it is almost certainly going to leave you feeling pretty stressed out!

It’s Your Wedding Too: Handling The Responsibilities Of The Groom

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

When planning the wedding, contrary to popular belief, it’s a two-way street. As the groom, it’s your responsibility, to make sure the budget is set and stuck to. You’ll be in charge of the photography as is the modern trend to get future husbands more involved. You’ll also be in charge of picking out the attire for your groomsmen, best man, and the immediate family. You’ll also have the pleasure of buying small gifts and writing thank you letters to the guests that came to your wedding. There’s a long list of responsibilities in each of those categories and carrying them out; you’re going to need some help from your family and friends. However, the traditions of the wedding will give you the outline you need to perform these tasks as many men have gone before you. Experience is on your side because wisdom is readily imparted on those who need it for being the best groom they can be.

Image credit – PublicDomainPictures

Photographer

The one who captures the moment is the responsibility of the groom. Look for high-quality work, by searching for the regional wedding photographers rather than local. Because they cover a large area, they’ll have the experience to back them up. Don’t book your best mate who you know does a bit of photography on the side, get somebody who is or has, forged a career out the profession. You need to build a rapport with the wedding photographer you choose, so you can advise them about what kind of lighting you want. Just in case they fall through or take pictures that aren’t up to scratch, you could book a wedding insurance policy that covers photography, such as from www.wedinsure.co.uk. It’s also great to have this kind of safety net if you’re going to be recording video. The lighting and the angles of the pictures are going to set the mood, so make a schedule of when pictures and video will be taken. Don’t leave it too late in the afternoon to take pictures as the natural light will begin to die down.

Image source – vargazs

Your men’s attire

This is your chance to show a little style because it’s your responsibility to pick the attire of your groomsmen and best man. Don’t wear a tuxedo or even a gentry suit, because although both look good, they’re not traditionally worn at weddings. Book yourself into a meeting with a Victorian Era fashion specialist. They will fit you for the proper kind of suit that will have tails to it which aren’t too long but go down to the back of your knees. Most wedding fashion for men has evolved from the Georgian Period, where the coat would hang on the floor, but has since evolved to become more practical. The same with the three-piece suit; your waist coast will be slightly longer than normal. You must choose contrasting colours to those of the bridesmaids and of course the bride herself. Therefore, dark blues and greys, perhaps even silver, would be a surefire way to not compete with their tones.

As the groom, you must get involved more than you might have been taught to believe. It’s your wedding too, and booking the right photographer to take the pictures, will determine if your memories are secured throughout the rest of your lives, in the highest quality. The attire should both reflect your style, but stick to the customs of past centuries of tradition.

 

 

 

 

 

A Wedding Guide For The Groom

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Most weddings seem to be all about the bride, and while this is typically the case in a lot of weddings, the role of the groom should not be underestimated. First of all, you’re one of the key players in the ceremony and were probably the one who popped the question in the first place. When you are the groom in a wedding, it can be a little bit, or indeed, extremely overwhelming, with a hundred things going on

Photo source- Pexels

Get Suited and Booted

Let’s be honest, all eyes are going to be on the bride’s dress during the wedding, but you’ll also want to be looking your best. There will be photos of this day which will be seen by family and friends in years to come. Smelling good, using good skincare products, and having a well cut suit is imperative. When you’re busy planning, however, and need to do 101 other things as well as getting a suit, you’ll want to sort out your wedding outfit as quickly as possible. Make sure you don’t compromise on style or quality and take a look at tailors and suit makers that offer bespoke suits to stand out at your wedding. This is one day that you need to stand out and be stylish and smart. Your suit also needs to convey your individual style, which is why it is worth spending time looking for the suit that you feel comfortable in.

Give The Bride The Morning

It is so important for the bride to have enough time to get ready in peace and quiet, most likely with her bridesmaids and close family, before the wedding takes place. She’ll probably have been stressing out in the lead up to the wedding and will want to sit back and take everything in on the actual day itself. Tradition dictates that the groom and bride shouldn’t see each other on the morning of the wedding, which, tradition aside, is a good thing because it means that the bride can take a breather and enjoy getting ready with her friends and family.

Take the pressure off of your bride to be, and make sure you organise last minute details, for the morning of the wedding. This might mean transporting the cake to the venue, sorting out the layout of the tables and any last minute seating arrangements. But do make sure you have enough time to take a seat and get ready with your groomsmen without rushing!

Don’t Have Your Stag Do The Night Before

Whatever you do, don’t have your stag do the night before! While the night before the wedding was traditionally when people would have their stag do, people are now rejecting this tradition for good reason. Having a wild night right before your wedding can lead to all kinds of disasters, the lesser of which could involve you having a thumping headache the day of your wedding, but could also mean you missing your day entirely! Take this tip, and plan your stag do for the week before and give yourself plenty of time to recover!

 

 

 

Dealing in Destination Weddings

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Destination weddings aren’t for everyone, but if you’re considering one, it could be the right choice for you. There are some very important issues to consider if you do want to have a destination wedding. It’s your wedding day, so you want to make it as magical as possible. But because it’s a destination wedding, it’s likely to last more than a day, and there are a lot of practical things to sort out too. More so than for a wedding at home. You want your wedding to be perfect, and you might have to navigate a foreign country or at least a different city or region than you’re used to. Get your destination wedding right by thinking about these big issues.

Carefully Consider Your Reasons

Whether you’ve already settled on a destination wedding or you’re still mulling it over, you should be clear about your reasons for having a destination wedding. One could be, of course, that you love the beauty of the destination you’re considering. However, you might not even have thought about a destination yet. It could be the fact that you’ll be away from home at all that appeals to you. Some people choose a destination wedding precisely because they want to limit their guest list. It’s a great way to keep numbers down, either by inviting fewer people with the excuse of your budget or discouraging people you don’t really want there from coming (but who you can’t exactly not invite). Maybe you like the idea of combining your wedding and honeymoon, or you want to feel like you’re on vacation with your whole family.

From Pixabay

Choose a Destination That’s Convenient and Cool

You might already have the perfect destination in mind. And possibly you’re willing to do what it takes to get married there and have all your essential guests there too. However, you might not have settled on a destination just yet. Perhaps you have a certain type of location in mind, from a beach wedding to a mountain retreat. When you’re thinking about possible locations to get married, think about both the beauty of the place and the convenience of getting married there. You need to consider a range of issues, such as legalities, weather, and how easy it might be to communicate with local vendors and services. And don’t forget about your guests. How easy will it be for them to get there? How affordable?

Think About Your Guests and How to Help Them Be There

If you’ve picked a destination, you can think more about how you’re going to make sure that your most important people can make it to your wedding. You might take a few different views to helping your guests to attend. Perhaps you have a handful of very important guests who you can pay for or help to pay for. Anyone else you invite might be people you would love to have attend, but only if they can afford to at least partially pay for themselves. An invitation to a destination wedding can be a big ask because you are basically asking someone to use their vacation time for your event. But maybe if you have a bit more cash to spend, you might offer to pay for or subsidize some of your guests for travel, accommodation, and other necessities. If you can’t help out in terms of money, you could do things like helping to reserve accommodation and transport.

From Flickr

Look for Local Vendors Who Understand Your Needs

Organizing a destination wedding often means you’ll be dealing with local wedding vendors. While you might have someone to work with at home, you often need to be in touch with people who could be hundreds or even thousands of miles away. Sometimes there might be a language barrier to deal with too, but you can often find someone who speaks your language. If not, you can use an interpreter or translator to make communicating easier.

You need to choose vendors who can meet your needs. One way of doing this is choosing those who specialize in destination weddings. Vittore Buzzi Photographer is based in Italy, offering photography in Venice, Tuscany, and several other destinations. You can easily tell from the website that the photographer has plenty of experience with destination weddings. You can read stories of couples they have worked with before and view their portfolio too.

Don’t Just Turn Up

While it might seem exciting to turn up at your destination just before you’re due to get married, it’s not ideal. If you want to make sure you’re not going to suffer a shock when you arrive, visiting the destination at least once is essential. You might choose to do this to scope out possible locations and venues. Or if you’ve been to the destination before, maybe you’ll go just to take a look at the venue you want to confirm that it’s for you or to get the ball rolling with arrangements. Ideally, being able to visit two or three times is even better. However, that can be tough if it’s expensive to get there.

Plan Carefully for the Right Weather

You might be familiar with the weather at home, but you might not know it so well where you’re going. Some destinations can have extreme conditions, while others can struggle to get ten sunny days a year. It’s important to think about the right time of year for your wedding and other problems adverse weather could bring up. Hot weather can mean having to keep your guests cool and hydrated. Snow might make for a beautiful winter wedding, but be aware of any transport issues it could create. It’s especially important to consider the possibility of any natural disasters, such as hurricanes and, although they’re not exactly weather, earthquakes. You should have a good understanding of local conditions so you can choose the best time and location, as well as prepare for looking after your guests.

Destination weddings can be incredible, but they are a lot of work. If you’re prepared to take on the task, consider the practicalities carefully.

Big Day, Big Crowd: Wedding Plan Tips For Couples With Large Guest Lists

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

As exciting as it, planning your wedding is never easy. However, it can be an even more daunting prospect when you know that the guest list will include vast numbers. With more people attending, it’s only natural to fear that more could go wrong. In truth, though, ensuring that the big day goes ahead without a hitch is no harder for 500 guests than 50. It’s simply a case of making smart decisions.

Here are five simple tips to ensure that the big day surpasses even your wildest expectations.

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Make The Venue A Priority

The perfect wedding venue should be one of the main focus points for any happy couple. However, it arguably takes on an even greater importance when you have many guests attending as the size will be another key factor. There are still plenty of other aspects to consider before making your final decision. Nevertheless, getting the choice of venue provides a platform to build upon. If that doesn’t help make this the happiest day of your life, what will?

Take The Numbers Into Account

If you have a large number of guests turning up, there’s a good chance that you’ll have several people completing key duties too. Brides with big families and friend groups may boast many bridesmaids. The thought of splitting them up ahead of the big arrival just doesn’t sound right. Visit http://www.fl-limousine.com/limo-service-fort-lauderdale to find out about bigger vehicle options. Meanwhile, the groom may want to spread duties across each of the best men so that they all feel valued on the big day.

Split The Wedding Into Two

In an ideal world, you’d love to invite everyone for the whole day. Sadly, the costs involved mean that feeding and hosting the entire party could ruin other parts of the day. Split the wedding into two, and only have the key members attend the first part. Other guests can turn up later for the big evening party. This enables everybody to play a part in your big day without reducing the enjoyment. Meanwhile, another trick to remove some of the financial stress is to ask guests to provide help rather than a gift. Whether it’s baking the cake or buying their own outfits, every little helps.

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Create Memories

The big day will fly by regardless of how many people are invited. When there are many guests to consider, though, you might not get to spend that much time with each of them. So, you should provide guests with disposable cameras or a unique guest book as a way to record those magical memories from everyone’s perspective. Meanwhile, photographers like https://cingraham.com/ can capture the big group moments to perfection too. When this combination is in place, you’ll be able to reminisce about that perfect day for many years to come.

Think About The Guests

Keeping everyone happy is easily one of the hardest challenges on the wedding day with big guest lists. Arguably the most important issue to consider for the main guests is dietary needs. Vegan or gluten-free dishes may be essential additions. You should also prepare entertainment for the children as sitting through the speeches can be a little tiresome for young minds. As long as you take the needs of all guests into account, you will be just fine.

 

Choosing A Wedding Venue: What Should You Ask?

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

So, you’ve officially begun planning your wedding, and you couldn’t be more excited to be finally viewing venues. For every couple, finding and booking the perfect venue is at the top of the to-do list, or at least, it should be. It’s vital to pick your wedding venue before anything else as it’s the venue that dictates the time, date, and size of your celebration, as well as the vendors that you are able to use and kinds of photos you can get. While you may have a list of venues that you are dying to see, that doesn’t mean that you know what to look out for and what to ask when you are viewing them. It can be a somewhat daunting process viewing venues and making sure that everything that needs to be asked is asked.

To help make ensuring that you are selecting the perfect venue easier, below is a list of questions that you should ask. (We’ve skipped the basic ones, like how many guests the venue holds, and focused on the things that you are more likely to forget!)

Does the venue suit your theme?

Image credit

This is one to ask yourself, not the venue manager, but it’s still worth taking note of. It’s easy to get so caught up in how beautiful a venue is that you fail to take your theme into account. Obviously, if you are yet to select a theme then this doesn’t matter, but if you have an idea of the type of theme that you would like to incorporate, it’s vital to take that into account. Ask yourself whether the venue can accommodate your theme and whether it will be everything that you hoped it would be.

Are there any rules & regulations regarding the vendors that you can hire?

If the venue allows you to hire your own vendors that’s great, but it’s important to ensure that you have completely free reign over who you hire. Some wedding venues have a list of vendors that their guests need to use to be able to use their venue. So it’s worth finding out about this before booking a venue, as the last thing you want is not to be able to use a vendor that you are keen to incorporate into your big day.

Are there any restrictions in terms of decorations and flowers?

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A lot of people presume that wedding venues have no restrictions in terms of decorations and flowers, but that isn’t always the case. Believe it or not, some wedding venues do have restrictions in place regarding decorations and flowers – some even stipulate what confetti can be used – so it’s best to ask about this beforehand. You want to be able to make your wedding venue your own, and the decorations and flowers are a big part of that.

Is there a wifi connection available?

You may not think that wifi is a deal breaker, but if you are hoping to utilise social media to share your big day, then it is. Today, more and more couples are choosing to incorporate Snapchat wedding filters, personalised Instagram hashtags, and music streaming into their big days, which is why having an internet connection is vital. So, before you book, make sure to ask whether there is free wifi available to you and your guests.

Will there be any other weddings/large parties at the venue on the same day?

Do you want to have to share your wedding venue with another large party? Do you want to have to plan your photos around them? Do you want to have to stress about not making too much noise because of the other party that’s in attendance? If the answer is no to all of the above, then it’s a good idea to find out if it will only be your party at the venue. This is important as you don’t want to share your wedding day with strangers, do you?

There you have it, a guide to the questions that you should ask when viewing any wedding venue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I Do: Important Wedding Dos and Don’ts

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Image Source 

Planning your special day? Whilst a wedding shouldn’t have to come with rules, there are a few important dos and don’ts that could be worth considering to help your wedding go smoothly.

Do make a checklist

There’s nothing worse than getting to the wedding day and realising you forgot something. A checklist can help you to keep on track of organising your wedding. Make a list of everyone you wish to invite. Then make a list of everyone you need to hire. Will there be live music? Do you need a photographer? On top of this list out all other expenses such as venue, dress, rings etc. You may be able to save the stress by hiring a wedding planner.

Do have a budget

It’s easy to let costs spiral out of control in pursuit of the perfect wedding. Have a tight budget and keep to it to avoid overspending. This will allow you to negotiate prices and shop around more effectively. If you’re taking out a loan, make sure that it’s a loan that the two of you can comfortably afford to pay back – you don’t want to be resenting your wedding afterwards.

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Don’t drink too much too early

You’re likely to drink a lot on your wedding day, but be careful of drinking too much early on. You want to remember the day after all. People will buy you drinks throughout the night but don’t feel you have to drink them all. Be careful of having drinks before the ceremony to calm the nerves and go easy during the toasts.

Don’t be afraid to put a time limit on speeches

Talking of toasts, nobody wants the speeches to drag on. If you’ve got the type of family that will all want to contribute, don’t be afraid to put a time limit on this section of the day. Speeches that trail on for hours will eat into your party time. You may have guests that you haven’t invited to the meal, but who you’ve invited to the reception party and you don’t want them to be waiting around for you to finish your meal.

 

You Said Yes But You Don’t Like The Ring: What Next?

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

You’ve dreamt of this moment since you were a small girl: your engagement. The love of your life getting down on one knee, and asking you to spend the rest of your lives together. And it’s a beautiful moment, one that you’ll treasure forever. But what happens if you don’t like the ring? It’s a tough one. You don’t want to offend your beloved, as he or she has put a lot of effort into choosing it for you. But if you really don’t like it, how can you be expected to wear it for the next seven or eight decades?

Well, here’s your guide to coping with a ring you don’t want to wear.

Try being honest

Image by https://www.flickr.com/photos/jdickert/2372131488/

You probably feel awful about having to say that you don’t like the ring, but it’s better to be honest than to pretend you love it. You’re going to have to show it off to lots of people, and you don’t want to lie or look fake. However, this doesn’t apply if your partner has proposed with an antique family heirloom – in this case, you might just have to put up with it, and love it for the fact it’s been in your soon-to-be family’s history for centuries.

Approach the subject when you’re both relaxed and happy. You know your partner well enough to know how well he’ll take it, so choose your time and and place carefully. It’s a good idea to write down what you want to say first, so you don’t end up stumbling over your words later on.

Give valid reasons

Image credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/manikrathee/8523125189/

Not liking how big the diamond is, or wanting a different precious stone isn’t good enough. It’s time to explain the real reason behind not wanting to wear it. Perhaps the stone sticks out, and you’re worried about catching it and breaking it? Or what about the ethical reasons. You might have wanted a stone that’s guaranteed not to be a blood diamond. Some brands, like Brilliant Earth, promise that they sell ethical rocks, but it’s worth reading this Brilliant Earth review before buying. Giving well justified reasons should be enough to help change your partner’s mind. They won’t mind practical reasons – but if you’re being a snob about how expensive it is, it might be time to reconsider your priorities.

Change how you wear 

Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/atkinson000/5287129852/

If you don’t want to tell your partner that you don’t like it, but you don’t want to wear it because of practical reasons, why not try hanging it on a chain and wearing it around your neck? That way you can still show off your ring, but you don’t need to worry about the rocks snapping off or it slipping off. Some people have different shaped fingers, and it might be that the ring design is just always going to be slightly too big or too small. If this is the case, then wearing it on a chain during your day to day business is a safe way to ensure that you don’t lose it. Then, when you’re at home or going out, you can put it back on.

 

Legit Ways To Make Your Wedding The Most Magical Day

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Weddings are important, they are a symbol of two lives and two families joining together. That is why they should be as magical as possible. But if your wedding is on the horizon, you may be wondering about how you can achieve this. Keep reading to find out.

Actually, have magic at the wedding

One way to ensure that your wedding is as magical as possible is to have some stage magic at the reception. This a very popular entertainment to have at weddings as it can keep the guest from getting bored in the down times.

You could choose a table magical that goes from group to group, getting them involved and amazing them with their tricks. Or for larger scale weddings why not hire someone to do a full magic show for the kids?

Employ some special effects

Although If stage magic isn’t your thing, you can still inject a little sparkle into the day’s proceedings in other ways. One way to do this is to have a butterfly release instead of confetti at the service.

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This is when each guest is presented with a box containing a butterfly, which they all release together for a dazzling display.

Fireworks are another popular way of making wedding days magical. These can be set up by professional pyrotechnicians, and then set off once it gets dark. Imagine how much your guests and your partner will enjoy a vibrant display like this to celebrate your union.

Get the right venue

Obviously, your wedding day isn’t going to be magical if you don’t get the right wedding venue. You need to pick one that suits your theme, that seats all of your guests, and that you can decorate perfectly.

Remember to visit several different venues before you make your financial decision though. As this is not a choice, you want to make on the fly.

Also, you should have a list of question to hand to ask the venue staff. Such as what is included in the price? What catering facilities the venue has? Whether they can provide accommodation for the bride and groom, and what time the celebration has to stop by?

Make everyone feel special

Also, don’t forget that sometimes it’s the little things that can be the most magical. For example, things that allow everyone to get involved in the day like dancing, guest books, and photos can definitely help to keep the atmosphere going.

Keep you dress a secret

With everyone having access to social media, it’s all too easy for a picture of your dress or other details of your wedding day to leak back to your guests and your groom. But it’s really the surprise that helps the big reveal on the day to be magical.

That is why it’s best to steer clear of sending a picture to anyone and keep your outfit under wraps as best you can. Then you will get that magical feeling when you arrive looking your very best in front of all of your friends and family.

 

 

On The Other Side: Gift Ideas For Wedding Guests

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

A wedding is an exciting time. Even as a guest, you get to enjoy the greatest day of a couple’s lives. And, this is a special thing indeed. Of course, a lot of people struggle with weddings. Knowing what to wear and how to act is hard enough. But, on top of this, you have to think of a suitable gift for the happy couple. In most cases, people will put out a list of things they would like. It doesn’t always hurt to stray from this list, especially if you can think of something they may have missed. To help you out with this, this post will be going through some of the different situations newlyweds could be in, and how you can find a gift to match. So, now, you just have to get out there and find the best example.

When getting married, people often make other key life choices. And, for the majority of people, becoming parents follows soon after getting married. In this sort of situation, people have a lot of new things they have to buy. And, you can help them out by taking some of the load. Prams, cribs, clothing, and toys are all very expensive together. But, buying one or two options could be enough to make a real difference. When doing this, it can be best to gender neutral items. This will avoid any complications if they baby turns out to be different to your expectations.

For some, having kids may still be in the future. But, there could still be a big change coming in their life. Often, people will move in together soon after they get married. Like having a child, moving to a new house comes with a time of great spending. So, helping them out with this could also be a great idea. Kitchen items are some of the best options to go for. These won’t be chosen for their looks. But, rather, you will choose them for their functions. This will avoid clashing with the styles they choose for themselves. A microwave or nice plate set could be perfect.

Some won’t have anything big on their horizon. Instead, they may have already moved in with one another and started their family. And, in this case, you will need to think of something else. Most people like to eat. Food is a traditional gift amongst many cultures. But, to get something like this right, you have to be prepared to do some research. Finding out which foods someone likes the most will take talking to their other friends and relatives. For example, talking to someone’s brother may help you to learn that they love cheese. In this case, you could look at some luxury cheese hampers for them. This sort of gift is quick and easy but will appear to be incredibly thoughtful. This is the sort of gift which can always be used. Everyone has a little something they love.

Choosing a gift for a newly married couple can be hard. But, with the right time and energy, you can find the perfect option for your friends. A lot of people simply buy something from the list. But, this is unimaginative and bland. Instead, you should be going for something which they will remember.

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