Casual Weddings - It's a Choice

Deciding to have a casual wedding is a choice. Many factors can go in to the decision, whether it's money, personal preference, or something else.

I made the conscious choice to have a casual wedding, after having been in the wedding party of my best friends wedding. It was the first wedding I had ever been in, and I was rather surprised that when the guests left the church to head to the reception, that the wedding party had to stay for photographs. So we stayed, and we stayed. We had to stand just so, we had to place fingers just so. You would have thought we were models. Then after we got the photos back, they all looked posed, as which they were. There wasn't a natural, in the moment, photograph in the bunch.

I decided then and there that I wanted natural happenings. No posed photographs. Tying that together with my long ago dream of getting married on my favorite uncle's farm, was a perfect match for having a casual wedding. When I later met my husband to be, he agreed to getting married on my uncle's farm. I knew it was a match made in heaven. People took their own photos, copies were made and shared, and our wedding was a lot more relaxed than my best friend's wedding had been.

My best friend may have loved her wedding. I never asked her. That may have been her preference, and I wouldn't want to take away from that. Everyone is entitled to their own choice. I just wanted to share, so that you know, having a casual wedding can be wonderfully okay.

All the best to you on your wedding.

Cheryl Paton
Visit CherylsArt on Zazzle

Keeping it Casual Weddings - Being legally ready in the U.S.

In addition to states having a minimum age requirement for two people to marry, or parental consent, some states also require either a blood test, a physical, or both.

Also a marriage license is required in most places. In some states there is a waiting period, and others not. Some marriage licenses also have an expiration date, so they can't be gotten too far in advance. To get a marriage license, official documents, such as birth certificates, are required. There is also usually a license fee.

You can check here for marriage license requirements by state. This is a general list and may not be current, it is only for guidance. Do check with the state in which you plan to marry. Also marriage laws can vary between in state marriages and out of state marriages.

If required, the minister, priest, justice of the peace, etc. will need to see the marriage license before they perform the wedding ceremony.

Cheryl Paton
CherylsArt at Zazzle

Keeping It Casual Weddings - Guest Attire

How casual should casual attire be? The best thing is to give an example.

Terms can mean different things to different people. Some terns are specific to a locale and may not be widely known to all of your invited guests.

"What does Southern Casual mean?" I've seen this question posted on wedding forums before. The best thing is to let your guests know. Guests shouldn't have to search the net to find out what a term means.

Casual dressy could mean pressed jeans to some people, and a nice dress and leisure suit to others. Does it matter? Just let your guests know if it does, and give them a range if appropriate, i.e. The reception will be at a park by the beach. Dress comfortable and wear shoes you don't mind getting sand in. Jeans are appropriate.

Another thing that will be helpful is to let guests know the setting for the wedding, and for the reception if it is at a different location. Will the wedding be indoors and the reception outdoors? Will different attire be needed. Usually for casual weddings, I don't think you would want guests to have to change, unless of course you've made it convenient for them to do so. If there is a swim party afterwords, then by all means, the guests will probably want to change and to bring their bathing suits.

The main thing to do is ask yourself some questions as if you were a guest:
What is the setting/location?
What attire will be best for the setting/location?
Is there a place to conveniently change, if needed?

I hope you have found this information helpful, and I invite your additional tips and comments.

Cheryl Paton
CherylsArt at Zazzle

Keeping it Casual Weddings - Catered or Pitch In

I mentioned in one of my earlier posts that we had an outdoor wedding on my Uncle's farm. The other thing that we opted for was for a big picnic afterwards. With the wedding being outside and there being lots of green space, which was also near the house, a picnic was a perfect option for us. Guests could stay and mingle and not have to drive to another location, which was a big plus for everyone, as our wedding was also out of state for us and for most of our guests.

Being a young couple, we didn't even really consider a caterer. Also, since we were into a casual feel, we just wanted a big outdoor family picnic. My mom, sister, aunts, and cousins pitched in the day before, and made a slew of dishes. A special thank you goes out to all of them for getting the supplies, cooking, etc.; bless you. The night before, I actually did the lawn mowing so that the grass was nice and trim.

If you are opting for a caterer, there are many more options now than there were then. Check out different listings, and ask friends and family for referrals. Caterers can do a great job for casual affairs too.

My aunt was able to arrange for tables and seating from a local church. Do plan for seating and a place to put the food.

If the weather is a concern, you can also opt for canopies or tents. My mother was somewhat concerned about what the weather would be, and kept asking me what we were going to do if it rained. I answered, then we'll get married in the rain. However, Mother Nature cooperated with us, and we had a beautiful day.

All in all, your wedding is about what you and your fiancée want, what your budget is, and what kind of options are available to you. May reading about my experience give you the inspiration to have the kind of wedding that you want.

Cheryl Paton
Browse wedding for wedding invitations and more, by CherylsArt at Zazzle.com.

Keeping it Casual Weddings - Your First Place

You may think that thinking ahead to your first place might be jumping ahead a bit. However, where you are going to live, is another one of those big important things to plan. So some things to keep in mind:

Budget: Consider food expenses, utilities - whether you pay out of pocket or if they're included in the rent, condo fees, etc. I've read that one should plan on no more than 30% of their gross monthly income going towards their house payment/rent. That being said, it's best to get out the pen and paper and write down all your expenses to make sure you've got the 30% to spare and how much that is.

Also to consider, will you be buying or renting your first place? If you'll be renting or buying a condo, certain utility fees may be included in the rent. However, if they're not included, you will need to check with the individual utility companies and set up the appropriate accounts, and make arrangements for said services to be turned on by your move in date or before.

Generally, the companies you'll need to contact are water, gas, electric, phone, and cable. Additional companies you may need to contact are garbage and fire service.

So just make a checklist, and check them off as you take care of them. Having everything on and working for you will make your beginning go so much smoother.

All the best to you.

Cheryl Paton

Keeping it Casual Weddings, Begins with Honoring Yourself

Ever since I was a little girl, I had imagined getting married on my Uncle's farm. I loved how I felt when I was there, and I loved the big expansiveness of the land and the sky.

Many years later, I was the Maid of Honor in my best friend's wedding. She had a very nice church wedding, and had a photographer. I was very surprised to find out that the wedding pictures were taken after the wedding. While others were heading to the reception, the wedding party waited and posed. I can see why they did it that way, but I knew I wanted my wedding to be different. I wanted my wedding photos to be natural and in the moment.

I attended another church wedding; that one lasted almost two hours. Whoa, it was longer than a Sunday morning sermon. Note to self; my wedding is going to be short and sweet.

I also saw that some bibles had the word obey in them as part of the wedding vows. What kind of language was that! Marriage is a partnership; it's not about obeying. At least not to me. My vows shall say, Love, Honor, and Cherish.

And that is how it played out. My husband and I had an outdoor wedding on my Uncle's farm. The ceremony was short and sweet. Our vows included the words Love, Honor, and Cherish. (I had the minister look up the text in his bible, when we were planning our wedding.) And family and friends brought their cameras and took impromptu photos. Between them, we had a good selection to choose from that felt very natural. My intended was also in agreement, other than he joked about wearing shorts.

So as you can see, I observed, and I learned, and I imagined. I formed my opinions, my desires, and wants. And that's where honoring yourself comes in.

What kind of wedding do you want? Are you and your fiance on the same page? If not, that's where communication comes in. Best to start with now. You both count.

Here's to a great wedding and a great marriage.

Cheryl Paton

Browse wedding wedding designs by CherylsArt at Zazzle.com.

Keeping it Casual Weddings, Involve the Groom

So much of the reading material about weddings is geared towards the bride. So I was pleasantly surprised when I came across the book, Groomology: What Every (Smart) Groom Needs to Know Before the Wedding. Both males and females have given positive reviews about this book. It not only talks about the groom's traditional duties, it also gives guidelines for becoming involved. When two people are starting out together, it's helpful to learn and practice making decisions together, especially the bigger ones.

This book is written from a buddy perspective. It explains why the modern day groom is more involved now, than his forefathers were. What I like best, is that it encourages communication from the start. Forgo the bridal magazines, ask your intended questions. That's the place to start, for whatever type of wedding you're going to have, the best place to start is communication with one another.

All the best.

Cheryl Paton

Browse wedding invitations by CherylsArt at Zazzle.com.

Keeping it Casual Weddings, Introduction Post

I had been making lots of designs for wedding invitations, save the dates, wedding stamps, and such, and wanted some extra inspiration. I purchased a couple of bridal magazines to see what the latest color trends were. They were very helpful in that respect, and I will more than likely be making some new designs and color combinations for your perusal.

I also noticed that a lot of the ads in the magazines were for very extravagant wedding gowns. I know there are people who really like the extravagant wedding, but I also know, there are people who, like me, also like a simpler wedding; consisting of family taken photos, comfortable and/or no shoes, and minimal head wear.

If this sounds like you, then I invite you to become a fan. I'll be posting tips that I learned about having a more casual wedding. My husband and I enjoyed a casual outdoor wedding ourselves.

I'll also be posting tips on that first apartment and adjusting to married life too. Many times, when it's the first time for something, one doesn't think of everything, so hopefully I'll share some knowledge, from my experience, that will help your wedding and early married life go more smoothly, and I'll keep it G-rated as well.

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Cheryl Paton

View wedding invitations and more by CherylsArt at Zazzle.com.