Are You Financially Ready To Say “I Do”

Getting married is a big step in your life, both relationship wise and financially. Most people, I assume, marry for love – which is a great thing. But what they don’t know is that financial issues are responsible for more divorces than any other factor in a marriage.

So before you say “I Do”, make sure you not only look into whether or not you can afford marriage, also look at how financially compatible both of you are. Here’s how to do that.

The Cost of Marriage

First of all, note that the title says the cost of marriage, not the cost of wedding. Sure, a wedding is a big part of the cost of marriage (which I will talk about too) but it’s certainly not the only cost. Here are some additional costs you need to consider:

1. The opportunity cost. Opportunity cost is defined as the cost of any activity measured in terms of the value of the best alternative that is not chosen. In other words, what are you missing out by getting married, financially speaking?
Some of you may need to spend time cleaning up after your partner (for both genders) so you may not be able to earn as much as you could. Others may need to set aside time to spend with their spouse – and that time must be suitable for both of you. If your spouse were to fall sick, would you be the one to stay home and take care of him/her?

Of course, there is absolutely nothing wrong with these things. But that doesn’t mean you don’t need to know them. There is nothing worse than to jump into a marriage before knowing all the facts.

2. First of all, I am not a tax accountant nor do I play one. Having said that, make sure that you look into the tax implications of marriage. Married couples in the U.S suffer from the Marriage Tax Penalty – that is a married couple pay more in tax than two single individuals who earn the same amount of money would. It doesn’t even matter if you choose to file your tax jointly or separately. That penalty will still be there.

Can you afford that? Many couple are shocked to find out that they have to pay more tax at the end of the financial year just because they are married – and worse part is, they needed the tax returns to pay off their wedding debt

3. Many people just don’t realize how important insurance is – and your potential partner maybe one of them. Sure, you have health insurance, life insurance, home insurance, etc but what happens when it’s your partner that needs help? As a result, couples often have to upgrade to insurance plans that cover two people instead of one, which of course cost almost double what you pay now.

4. Many couples choose to make big purchases under a joint name after a marriage like buying a house – but what many people don’t know is that your spouse’s credit rating will affect your application. If you a stellar record, you maybe able to get a few percentage points lower in interests if you apply alone rather than if you apply together – and that small percentage points can translate to thousands of dollars over a year for big loans like mortgages

The Real Cost of a Wedding

You probably don’t need me to tell you the cost of a wedding. Let’s just say it’s huge. Some surveys found that the average cost of a wedding is a whopping $30,000. Meanwhile, the amount of money people save for rainy days are falling – precipitously.

So where did these people get the money to pay for their weddings? That’s right – debt. And debt comes at a cost and that cost is called interests. At a modest 10% (assuming you’re not paying fees and missing repayments), that’s still $3000 a year. And that doesn’t include paying down the capital.

So the price of the wedding for most people really is not just $30,000. It’s $30,000 plus the interest over the life of that debt.

But what if you don’t take out a loan? What if you paid for your wedding outright? Well, you’ll still need to consider your opportunity cost. If you saved that $30,000 into a high interest savings account, you could be earning significant amount of money risk-free. Invest that in some kind of fund and you may see some nice returns.

Am I saying everyone should not spend a dime on their weddings? Of course not. But I do believe you have to be fully aware of what is really happening.

Financial Compatibility

This is one of the biggest marriage killers out there. And one of the most common issues is in the difference of values. Both of your finacee and you may love frugality but both may not place it in the same level of importance.

For example, you may place frugality at the top of your list. As a result, you’re always budgeting and you prefer to stay at home. Your fiancée, however, may also like frugality, but he places fitness to be more important than money. As a result, he/she may spend more money than you like on supplements and health checks. Imagine these little quarrels drag out for years into your marriage.

Can it survive?

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Ally is part of the team that manages several personal finance sites in Sydney, Australia, which feature tips on how to save money fast . Before joining the team, she was a Media Planner in McCann Worldgroup Philippines, Inc., with award-winning executions, including the Levi’s 501 “Live Unbuttoned” global campaign.

Table Centerpiece Idea #1 Citrus Vase and Flower Combo

A visually pleasing centerpiece can be as simple a combination of citrus fruits, a clear glass vase and flowers. It is simple to achieve a stunning look. You have the option of using slices of the citrus fruits for your wedding centerpiece or whole citrus fruits as shown in the photo.

Method 1: Sliced Citrus Fruit Wedding Centerpiece

Step One: Cut up slices of citrus fruits. Lemons and orange work well.
Step Two: Place the slices inside the vase. Try to arrange the fruits so that the slices are facing outwards.
Step Three: Place some flowers into the vase fill with water and voila your centerpieces are ready.

Method 2. Whole Citrus Fruit Wedding Centerpiece

Step One: Use a selection of limes and lemons to fill a vase as shown in the photo on right. Experiment with different positions, such as using a yellow base of lemons.

Step Two: Place and arrange flowers into the vase.

step Three: Just add water.

photo source: http://www.hopeinthekitchen.blogspot.com

Consider Your Wedding Guests

When choosing a wedding reception, do spare a thought for your guests too.

Are the facilities adequate? If you have guests with disabilities will they be taken care of? Is there a disabled bathroom available? If the reception or ceremony is on an upper level, is their wheelchair access (this is not always the case)

Is there adequate seating for the elderly who cannot stand for long periods?
If you are inviting kids or parents with young babies, are their parent rooms nearby?

You may not be able to accommodate all your guests requirements, but you need to be aware of them.

Can I invite guests to just my bridal shower and not the wedding?

Discussing wedding planning today with a newly engaged woman, she asked me if It would be considered rude to invite her co-workers to her bridal shower, but not to the actual wedding. Her justification was that she didn’t consider herself close enough to her co-workers to merit an invitation, however she felt obliged somehow that she needed them to still have a small part in the wedding.

Her intentions may have been good, but her co-workers will read into this that they are not good enough for the wedding and are only good enough for a bridal shower that will require them to bring gifts. Needless to say this will create work tension later on. It is considered bad form to invite guests to a bridal party and NOT the wedding and doing this will undoubtedly cause tension.

If you are adamant on having people at your bridal shower and not your wedding ensure that you are tactful. You can state on the invitation that the wedding is very small and limited to just family, however a bridal shower will give you the opportunity to celebrate with friends.

Some may debate that it is your wedding and you can do what you like, and sure there is truth in this, however some brides use this as an excuse to quite simply practise poor manners. You don’t have to invite all your family, friends and co-workers to your wedding, but you must be tactful and fair.

In the case of this newly engaged woman that inspired this post, she has decided to hold a small pre-wedding brunch with her co-workers and some casual friends and limit the wedding to just family and close childhood friends. She will explain to them that coming from a large family the guest list will be taken up by obligatory invitations of aunts, uncles and cousins (about 45 just on her side) and this brunch will be an opportunity for her to celebrate with her co-workers.

Do You Have a Backup Wedding Photo Location?

It’s always a good idea to be prepared and have a plan B when it comes to the location of your official wedding photos. This is especially true if you have planned to have your wedding photos taken in an outdoor venue.

If possible, have a nearby secondary photo location that you could utilise in case for some reason you cannot use your planned location. For example, your wedding photos might have been scheduled to take place in your favourite. The night before your wedding, it may have rained heavily, making the park grounds muddy and unsuitable for wedding photos. Fortunately for you, you have a second venue in mind and can easily have your photos taken in the new location without a problem.

The Plan B venue should ideally be an undercover location, such as inside old buildings with beautiful interior design, verandas, and hotel foyers. Not so long ago, one bride and groom had their wedding photos taken in an IKEA store as their original location was unsuitable!

Guest Bloggers : Call Out to Wedding Vendors

Do you work in the wedding industry? Maybe you’re a wedding florist, a wedding photographer or perhaps you hire out classic cards to brides and grooms for their wedding transport? If you consider yourself a know-it-all in your chosen niche, we want to hear from you! Daily Wedding Blog is putting the call out for guest bloggers to join our writing team.

The Benefits of Guest Blogging
The main benefit of guest blogging is exposure for your wedding. We encourage our guest bloggers to include a few lines about who they are and a link to their business website on their post. Our posts remain online indefinitely, which means that an article you write today, could still be bringing you traffic to your business’s website years from now.

What Should I Blog About?
Blog about what you know and your expertise. What might seem like trivial information to you might be highly useful information for a couple planning their wedding.

Apply Now

How to Choose Your Bridesmaids Wedding Shoes

It is natural to feel a little overwhelmed when it comes to choosing the shoes that your bridesmaids will be wearing to your wedding. You will likely want your bridesmaids input into the shoes which they will wear, but at the same time, you will want the shoes to fit in with your overall image of the bridal party. So what do you do?

You Pick the ShoePicking the shoe yourself that each bridesmaid will wear is the best option if you want a uniformed look. Try to be considerate of your bridesmaid’ financial position before picking out the most expensive shoe.

You Pick the ColourYou will likely know what colour shoes you are looking for, so ask your bridesmaids to pick out shoes in that colour. You can also indicate the style if you wish, for example heels or sandals.

You Pick the StyleYou could just pick the style and let the bridesmaids find shoes that fit these criteria. Be aware that you cold end up with shoes with contrasting colours, which is okay if that is the style you are looking to achieve.

You need to make whichever options you choose clear upfront, so that none of the ladies end up spending a fortune on the wrong shoes. Be clear and concise in what you want and more importantly, what you don’t want.

Plan The Marriage

From the time a couple announces their wedding engagement, it is quite common for them to become focused on their wedding planning, which is only natural as they can be a great deal to do and the excitement is usually overflowing. However, how much time prior to your wedding day have you planned on your marriage?

Many couples usually avoid the ‘marriage’ talk and prefer to go with then flow and just see how their married life unfolds. However setting the foundation for a good marriage before you actually tie the knot is imperative to a happy union.

Open up the lines of communication early on. You need to discuss things such as whether or not kids are on the agenda, whether you intend to continue working once the baby comes along, family, finances, division of household labour, careers and so much more. These things don’t need to be set in stone, but you need to be able to discuss them openly.

Creating Wedding Slideshows with PhotoStage Slideshows

If you have read our post How to Convert your Wedding Photographs into a Slideshow you might remember that we discussed the growing number of couples who are now incorporating their wedding photographs into a slideshow as a fun way to preserve their wedding photographs digitally and an easy way to share their photos with family and friends.

Well over the weekend I had a play with PhotoStage Slideshow and had a fun time making up some mock slideshows. After I got all the novelty effects and transitions out of my system (which I highly recommend doing) I set upon converting 30 images into a slideshow and was impressed to find that it was quite a quick process and I ended up with a pretty elegant creation, if I don’t say so myself!

What actually first appealed to me about PhotoStage slideshow is that there is no steep learning curve. Once installed you’re pretty much ready to start creating your slideshow. This is due the simplicity of the navigation interface, which is broken down into five numbered steps.

1. Add photos video clips and music.
2. Add effects
3. Add transitions.
4. Record Narration
5. Save slideshow

One aspect of PhotoStage that initially had me unimpressed was the lack of titles, or so I thought. I couldn’t fathom how a slideshow/editing software could be missing an integral element of multimedia creation. Turns out though, that PhotoStage does in fact over text overlay, however it is hidden in ‘step 2′ under effects. Whist I can see why they did put it in step 2, I’m guessing to keep all the effects that happen to a clip or image in the one organized space, the video editor in me is wanting to leave titles as a separate final step, just before saving the file, but in reality i’m just being picky!

Having said that, what appealed to me most about PhotoStage is how speedy it was to create a wedding slideshow. Considering the sheer amount of photographs some couples will undoubtedly end up with (were talking hundreds thanks to digital cameras) the time it takes to create slideshows is a big factor, especially if you decide to make several variations.

To be honest, I am puzzled why this software is called PhotoStage Slideshow. As whilst it can produce top notch slideshow, it can also be used as a basic home video editing software. Therefore I feel the title lets down the software a little, as you don’t get the full grasp of that functionality until you start using it. It is a nice little surprise though.

How to Convert your Wedding Photographs into a Slideshow I touched upon including a slideshow with your wedding thank-you card. The great thing I’ve noticed about PhotoStage is that you’re offered quite a few choices for saving your slideshow beyond just the basic dvd. You can also output your project for devices such as mobile phones(including iphones) or you could output the slideshow directly to Facebook and You Tube from the software itself. This could be a very handy feature for some.

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Find out more about PhotoStage Slideshow.

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How to Convert your Wedding Photographs into a Slideshow

So you’ve just had your wedding and created some wonderful memories with family and friends sharing your special day with you, topped off by a romantic honeymoon. Now what? Well I’m guessing those memories have resulted in a large amount of photos to sift through and some choices need to be made how to preserve and share these memories.

Traditionally couples would frame one or two photo and the best of the rest would end up in an album, or alternatively the photographer would present the bride and groom with an album with the official photographs. These days, whilst couples still incorporate the framed photos and albums, many are also taking advantage of the digital platform and creating their own wedding slideshows easily from their own home.

Why Would I Convert my Wedding Photographs into a slideshow?
Anyone who has ever owned a digital camera will know how easy it is for pictures to accumulate. As well your official photographer’s wedding photos, you will have a legion of family and friends who will want to share photos with you from your wedding that they have taken themselves.

When these images are just kept on your hardrive or burned to a dvd as storage, it can be easy to be overwhelmed by them, which is why preserving them in a slideshow format can be a fun way organize and share your wedding memories.


What do I Need to create my own Wedding Slideshow at Home?
Step 1: Preparation: Your wedding photos in a digital format.
The first thing you will need to create your slideshow is your wedding photos in digital format. Most couples will already have access to this. If you only have hard copies of your images you will either need access to a scanner, or you will need to head to a print/photo processing store to convert them onto a dvd for you. You will also need any other media handy that you want to incorporate into your slideshow such as videos and music.

Step 2: Creation: Slideshow Software
The next step is to find software that caters to slideshow making. We like using PhotoStage Slideshow as although it has advanced capabilities and can incorporate videos, audio and images, the interface is easy to navigate and you can be up and running within minutes of installation.

Try to maintain some structure with your slideshow as this will help it to flow smoothly. Work out an introduction, middle and end. The introduction could be photographs of the bridal party arriving at the wedding followed by ceremony shots. This could lead into images of the wedding reception and end on photographs of the bride and groom leaving the venue.

Remember, when creating a slideshow, the background music is just as important as the images that you have chosen to include. Try to incorporate songs with meaning, such as the song played as you had your first wedding dance song, on your first date, or another song with sentimental meaning.

Step 3: Share:
Now that you have created your wedding slideshow you of course want to share it with family and friends. I like the idea of including a slideshow on a dvd along with your thank-you cards. You could also create several different variations of slideshows to send to different groups of people.

To thank your bridesmaids for their taking a special role in your wedding, you could create a ‘bridesmaid slideshow’ of images that highlight the important wedding ‘bridesmaid’ milestones that they shared with you leading up to the wedding, as well as images from the day itself.

Wedding slideshows are a fun way to preserve and share memories. The potential slideshow variations are endless limited just by your imagination!

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Find out more about PhotoStage Slideshow.

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