“COOL: SAN FRANCISCO & SHAKESPEARE”

You’ve dreamed of your wedding day for what seems a lifetime. Your hope is that the actual day be just as beautiful and perfect as that dream. For many couples, wedding planning can take as much as a year or more to ensure everything is just so. Wouldn’t it be a shame if all that meticulous planning was derailed at the last moment? The answer of course is “yes” and the solution is two short words: wedding insurance.

What is wedding insurance you might ask? This may in fact be the first you’ve heard of it. Of course, there’s auto insurance, home insurance, health insurance, travel insurance – but insurance for a wedding? Indeed, and as with any insurance, the hope is that you won’t need it. However, also like these policies, you’ll be thankful you have it should the need arise.

Couples around the world will tell you that it’s a good thing wedding insurance exists. Whether you need it or not, a wedding insurance policy can be just the calm to a pending storm, the perfect salve to your worries, the mending to make your wedding day whole. Reasons why you may need it are as varied as the coverage available. Whatever your concern, there should be a policy or supplement to cover it. A basic policy should take care of:

• unexpected weather

• the wedding site
• vendors/officiants
• the presence of family and key members
• a sudden illness that changes plans

All of these elements are essential, but in the end out of your control. Thus, having a wedding insurance policy in place helps protect you, should the unfortunate happen and you find yourself in need. For instance:

• The weather on the day is so severe that it changes travel plans. If a key person, such as the bride, groom, or a parent, is unable to make the ceremony, then it’s quite possible with wedding insurance to reschedule or make other arrangements.

• The site of your ceremony and reception closes down before your wedding day. What are you to do? What of the cost already invested? While you may already be covered by the contract signed with the site, if you have wedding insurance, you’ll also be covered times two. It’s this kind of peace of mind that you get in return with any policy. No matter what, you know there will be a way to fix it.

• The vendor or officiant doesn’t show up on time, thus delaying your entire wedding. What if the minister, rabbi, or justice of the peace is unable to make the ceremony? While distressing, if you have wedding insurance, you at least have recourse. The most basic policy should cover such unavoidable postponement.

• And finally, the bride or groom is overcome by an illness or injury. In such cases, the ceremony clearly cannot go on and arrangements will need to be made for another time. If so, then your policy should be able to help you with the cost (minus the deductible).

In addition to this basic coverage, wedding insurance may also be expanded. You can purchase coverage for military service (emergency leave), gifts, and other essentials like the photographer, videographer, and wedding attire.

While no one wants to think of it, what happens if your gown is somehow lost or damaged in relation to the wedding day? With supplemental coverage, you should be covered for repairs and/or replacement. This is especially important if the wedding attire or accessories are rented and must be returned. Similar to the wedding site, it’s possible that there’s coverage already in place (from the store). However, having wedding insurance ensures you’re protected. In short, all things being considered, buying coverage is commonsense.

Weddings today can cost nearly $30,000. In 2005, The Fairchild Bridal Group conducted a survey on American weddings and found that couples spent an average of $26,000-plus on their nuptials. That number has only gone up in subsequent years. If you’re spending that much on a wedding in the hopes that it be perfect, why wouldn’t you spend the extra few hundred dollars to protect it?

Wedding insurance is available today as a result of the misfortune of couples in the past, who only wished such protection existed for them. For you, it does. An average policy will cost between $125 and $500, and when you think of it – it’s really a wonderful deal.

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These days, more and more couples are choosing green weddings over traditional ones. In this respect, “green” is in reference not to the color scheme, but to the way the wedding is planned and carried out. The hope is to be as eco-friendly and earth-responsible as possible.

One of the biggest days of your life often also means leaving a big ecological footprint. To actively try and reduce this impression by any measure is a good step toward being green. You may not be able to achieve eco-friendliness across the board, but a little can mean a lot in the end.

Speaking of which, what’s the cost of green weddings? While “earthy” weddings may have once been associated with dressed-down ceremonies of the ’60s, today they’re much more elaborate. In some cases, going green can mean spending even more than for a traditional ceremony. However, savings are found in other ways, like in the reduced impact of your Big Day on Planet Earth.

Weddings on average cost over $25,000. This number includes rings, the ceremony, and reception, as well as transportation, gifts, and all-important wedding attire. Green weddings forego much of the decadence historically associated with nuptials. Instead, rather than indulging in all the frills, they tend to be simpler, more personal celebrations: One that will have guests talking still years from now.

Here is a quick look at what makes green weddings so “green”:

1. The size of your guest list is a good place to start. While many of us dream of a big wedding, the truth is, is that more people means a larger ecological footprint left behind. If possible, try and limit the size of your guest list to family and closest friends. You can always send digital photos and announcements post-ceremony to everyone – including those who did not attend.

2. Choose a venue that’s close to everyone. Though this is ideal, if not possible, consider renting a fleet of luxury hybrid cars to provide transportation for all. Carpooling will reduce emissions by a fair amount and transportation is probably the biggest contributor to any carbon footprint. Though destination weddings have become popular in recent years, the ecological and economic cost of such an affair seems far too indulgent. Go green, with personal touches instead.

3. Maintain a green theme throughout your planning process, from invitations to favors. For invites, look at ones made from recycled paper and that use soy ink versus traditional dyes. Note that the chemicals put into the making of a beautiful invitation are quite deceiving. As for the RSVP, simply use a postcard to cut down on paper use or even, request guests to send their answers digitally. Consider venues that are LEED-certified.

4. As for gifts, request that guests actively partake in your green wedding. Point them in the direction of eco-friendly retailers and let them know how important it is to you that you be able to use their gift for years to come. While guests will surely get the message behind your wedding theme once there, it also doesn’t hurt to further educate them as to how your wedding day was a green success.

5. And finally, the wedding attire and rings. This is where you can really stand out with your green choices and feel good about what you wear. Consider the material from which your wedding dress or tuxedo is made from. For example, many “green” brides will only consider vintage gowns, as it falls under the green categories of reuse and repurpose. As for the rings, research where the metal was mined.

The above merely scratches the surface. As you can see, green weddings require a good deal of planning, research, and thoughtfulness. Even more so than traditional weddings, a “green” affair can be a considerable undertaking, as the stream of details and related questions can seem endless. However, in the end, the reward of a successful “Green Day” to kick off your new, sustainable life together – should prove the stuff of dreams.

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Wedding invitation etiquette has changed a bit over time – such as dual envelopes not being a must. But overall, etiquette standards remain. Wording for example, continues to be very specific for church weddings, home weddings, and second marriages. When it comes to wedding invitations, certain etiquette should be followed and in the end, it can actually help make the process easier, answering and eliminating questions.

When choosing wedding invitations, the style of wedding should really dictate what type of card is sent. If a formal affair, then the invitation should properly reflect that – though that doesn’t mean it needs to be the most expensive. If a less formal wedding, then even handmade cards will be fine. This will not only be cost-saving, but also add a personal touch for your family and friends. Color-wise, the invitations often match with the wedding’s own color scheme, such as for the reception. This all ties into wedding preparation, with invitations being one of the very first steps to establishing a wedding’s framework.

As for wedding invitation enclosures, the traditional ones are: a reply card (or postcard), a map or direction card, and a reception card. Traditionally two envelopes have been used for invitations, with the outer envelope serving as a protector so all parts of the invitation would remain pristine. However this is no longer regarded as necessary and a single envelope should be fine. Also, the reception card isn’t necessary today either, as a sentence at the end of an invitation could serve the same purpose: “Reception to follow.” As far as the RSVP card, an enclosed postcard could work. These slight changes in etiquette are a sign of the times, as well as budget savers.

Wording a wedding invitation traditionally comes from the home of the bride and all envelopes should be addressed by hand. This duty is typically done by the mother of the bride and while a printer could create beautiful fonts, it’s a wedding etiquette faux-pas to use it for addresses. To recruit help is acceptable (especially for hundreds of invites) and the maid-of-honor usually does just that.

Invitations should be sent at least eight weeks prior to the wedding date and depending on the size of the guest list, addressing envelopes should begin as soon as possible. At least three months before the wedding if possible. If hiring a calligrapher, orders should be sent four months in advance. RSVP cards should be received two weeks prior to the ceremony and if there are any outstanding replies, the bride or the mother of the bride should make a formal call to finalize the count.

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