Christmas Gift Ideas for Newly Engaged Couple?

Miss Olivi

A close family member got engaged this year. What are some good Christmas gift ideas? Should I get them a joint gift or separate ones? The wedding is next year (in 2013) so they're going to have bridal showers, etc. and I know they'll get tons of house things and wedding gifts.

I do know that some family members haven't been taking their engagement very seriously (mainly just due to age), so I'd like to get them something that says I'm supportive of their marriage, etc.

Any ideas?

Answer
You could try to get them a wedding planning book/magazine, no one usually buys them for a couple.

I'd say other than that get them a gift voucher at a nice restaurant so they can go out together, make sure to attach a card congratulating them and offering support.

Ideas for my track coach's wedding gift?

Jacob Swer

Hi! My girls team track and cross country coach is getting married very soon. About 8 of the girls who she coaches wanted to get her a gift or make her a gift. But she's moving away too at the end of the school year. What's a good idea for a going away/ congratulations gift? We want her to remember us by it but we don't want it to be all about us if that makes sense. Thanks!

By the way, I'm a girl! I know the account name is Jacob but that's cause I'm on my brothers account.

Answer
I think a giant card and a really, really nice stopwatch would help her remember you all. Or you could get a running-related gift engraved with something like "Roosevelt High School Track 2013. Best wishes, Coach Garvey!" (Her married name if she changes it).

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Christmas Gift Ideas for Newly Engaged Couple?

Miss Olivi

A close family member got engaged this year. What are some good Christmas gift ideas? Should I get them a joint gift or separate ones? The wedding is next year (in 2013) so they're going to have bridal showers, etc. and I know they'll get tons of house things and wedding gifts.

I do know that some family members haven't been taking their engagement very seriously (mainly just due to age), so I'd like to get them something that says I'm supportive of their marriage, etc.

Any ideas?

Answer
You could try to get them a wedding planning book/magazine, no one usually buys them for a couple.

I'd say other than that get them a gift voucher at a nice restaurant so they can go out together, make sure to attach a card congratulating them and offering support.

Ideas for my track coach's wedding gift?

Jacob Swer

Hi! My girls team track and cross country coach is getting married very soon. About 8 of the girls who she coaches wanted to get her a gift or make her a gift. But she's moving away too at the end of the school year. What's a good idea for a going away/ congratulations gift? We want her to remember us by it but we don't want it to be all about us if that makes sense. Thanks!

By the way, I'm a girl! I know the account name is Jacob but that's cause I'm on my brothers account.

Answer
I think a giant card and a really, really nice stopwatch would help her remember you all. Or you could get a running-related gift engraved with something like "Roosevelt High School Track 2013. Best wishes, Coach Garvey!" (Her married name if she changes it).

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Planning for a big wedding in the future, any suggestions?

CallmeVee

Hey everyone, for the record, I am a lesbian and I'd appreciate it if only OPEN MINDED people answer my question.
I'm about to be 24 next month, and my girlfriend is 25. We love each other very much and I've always been the type to plan ahead. I have a ton of reasons on why I do it.
Any how, my girlfriend wants a big wedding and so do I. Today I asked her what kind of ring she'd like, she said a platinum diamond ring. I looked at some online and it made me want to marry her tomorrow. lol Very beautiful. To sum this all up, we're not traditional people, I don't want my dad walking me down the isle, I also don't want our fathers paying for the wedding seeing that it will be two women getting married so it's not like, "So is your dad paying or mine?" and I doubt either of us will be wearing white. The reason I don't want them to pay is because she's going to be MY wife, which means I'm supposed to give her what she wants and give her the wedding she dreams about.
I plan on moving out the state for a higher paying job, just for a little while so I can save up thousands of dollars.
Now she and I have only talked so much about the wedding in the future, but I think of it everyday because I want to get started on saving now! I'm sure I'm gonna buy her a ring that's around 1 to 3 thousand dollars. Just like every woman, we want our wedding to be beautiful. What would be a good price range for a big beautiful wedding?

and FYI, no my girl is not a gold digger, nor is she money hungry. She's a true definition of Independent. She does everything on her own, she does SO-MUCH for everyone and doesn't like for anyone to do anything for her, not even me! So it'd be a blessing to give her the wedding she wants. We're high school sweethearts and I just want her to be happy.
Can you ladies (and gents) please give me some advice? I'd really appreciate it.

Answer
Firstly , from what I read & see the majority of couples getting married these days do pay for their own wedding.( at least in western cultures) So what you are considering is NOT unusual there.
AS to having your father walking you down the aisle- That is entirely your choice as well. Having him ''escort '' you down the aisle does not mean that he has ""to give you away"" during the ceremony.
I have been to weddings where the bride walked alone, with her mother, both parents, child, father & stepfather together or in tandem. with the groom & even with the ex husband :-) . Also I have seen stories where both parties have been escorted down the aisle by their parents.
When each of my nephews got married they included the wording "" Who brings this man to this marriage"" as part of the ceremony as well as "" Who brings this woman"" : notice the words were NOT ** who gives**

You can have a big wedding as in numbers without necessarily spending BIG $$$$. Having said this though you need to be creative, ask for / accept help from family & friends. Someone may be very artistic & would be delighted to make your invitations as a gift to you. Another person make be a great cake maker & thrilled to make your cake.

Think outside the square in regards to your outfits ; look at all sorts , not just ones called wedding dresses etc. I saw a picture of a magnificent citrus green dress recently.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/1209407_10151871310189516_1132350750_n.jpg

What you both need to do is to sit down & work out an affordable budget for you & plan around that.
No -one else can tell you what a beautiful wedding is - as everyone has their own ideas about that.
Before you start sending out invitations to everyone you know - just so you have BIG numbers- stop & think about who is important in your life. Do you interact with ABC on a regular basis? would you ask DEF to your place to dinner? How long is it since you have seen Great Aunt Jo? Have these people been a significant part of your lives in recent years.Only ask the people who you really want to be with you to share your day, regardless of whether that only turns out to be 30 people or if it is 100.

Also consider do you want your celebration to be a relaxed event or something more formal.
How much would you like to actually interact with you guests on the day. The more people you have attending the harder that is to do.
Assume that everyone you invite will attend . Yes there will be some who for whatever reason wont be able to make it . BUT you don't invite 100 people when you can really only afford to cater for 80 & hope that at least 20 will say they cant come.
You may well decide that a relaxed cocktail party type of event will give you more of a chance to mingle than if you had a formal sit down dinner.
Have a look at the following site for some ideas:-

offbeatbride.com

http://offbeatbride.com/2013/09/seattle-burlesque-wedding
http://offbeatbride.com/filed/real-weddings/global
http://offbeatbride.com/2013/08/massachusetts-camp-wedding
http://offbeatbride.com/2013/07/georgia-games-wedding


I have included some links to some specific pages , just for you to see quickly how diverse weddings can be,
Look through the archives section as well.

Keep in mind that your wedding should be a reflection of who you & your partner are - NOT someone else's idea of what a wedding should be.

The things I have said here are what I would say to my own kids - all of whom are now adults.

Also in regards to rings - don't just look at the $$$ for the ring ; look first at styles that your partner likes & something that she is going to be happy wearing. If you find something that she absolutely loves & it is only $500 , then that is what you get. There may be one sitting beside it that is priced at $5000- but she does not like it - so forget that one. The $$$ value is not important .

I hope that I have given you some things to think about & GOOD LUCK with your plans.

Gift Card Wedding Registries?

Kassidy

There's a place online called "Card Avenue" where you can register for special occasions that specializes in gift cards. My fiancee and I have already combined our homes, and we have more than enough dishes, linen, and kitchen gadgets; however we are in need of some home repairs so we thought registering for home improvement gift cards would be a better idea. We will be putting the place to register on our wedding website where guest are asked to RSVP to, and we know not to expect gifts, but for those who would like to get us something this would be the most constructive way. Would this appear tacky, or be bad etiquette?
I do understand I will still get physical gifts, from people who prefer to make their own, or know of something that we would appreciate, however most of our family and friends are from out of town, and a registry gives them options without having to question my parents, or bridal party.

Answer
Sure, it's 2013 - adding that registry address to your wedding website is NO different than putting a link to a Macy's registry there. Personally, I don't like gift cards and would rather have cash, but if I could direct where the gift cards came from, I might appreciate them more. Go for it!

Edit - Oh, I didn't know that the website takes a cut of the $$ - Forget it then - I hate that! Just don't do a registry at all and you'll get cash, which always fits and can always be used.

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Planning for a big wedding in the future, any suggestions?

best wedding gift ideas 2013 image

CallmeVee

Hey everyone, for the record, I am a lesbian and I'd appreciate it if only OPEN MINDED people answer my question.
I'm about to be 24 next month, and my girlfriend is 25. We love each other very much and I've always been the type to plan ahead. I have a ton of reasons on why I do it.
Any how, my girlfriend wants a big wedding and so do I. Today I asked her what kind of ring she'd like, she said a platinum diamond ring. I looked at some online and it made me want to marry her tomorrow. lol Very beautiful. To sum this all up, we're not traditional people, I don't want my dad walking me down the isle, I also don't want our fathers paying for the wedding seeing that it will be two women getting married so it's not like, "So is your dad paying or mine?" and I doubt either of us will be wearing white. The reason I don't want them to pay is because she's going to be MY wife, which means I'm supposed to give her what she wants and give her the wedding she dreams about.
I plan on moving out the state for a higher paying job, just for a little while so I can save up thousands of dollars.
Now she and I have only talked so much about the wedding in the future, but I think of it everyday because I want to get started on saving now! I'm sure I'm gonna buy her a ring that's around 1 to 3 thousand dollars. Just like every woman, we want our wedding to be beautiful. What would be a good price range for a big beautiful wedding?

and FYI, no my girl is not a gold digger, nor is she money hungry. She's a true definition of Independent. She does everything on her own, she does SO-MUCH for everyone and doesn't like for anyone to do anything for her, not even me! So it'd be a blessing to give her the wedding she wants. We're high school sweethearts and I just want her to be happy.
Can you ladies (and gents) please give me some advice? I'd really appreciate it.

Answer
Firstly , from what I read & see the majority of couples getting married these days do pay for their own wedding.( at least in western cultures) So what you are considering is NOT unusual there.
AS to having your father walking you down the aisle- That is entirely your choice as well. Having him ''escort '' you down the aisle does not mean that he has ""to give you away"" during the ceremony.
I have been to weddings where the bride walked alone, with her mother, both parents, child, father & stepfather together or in tandem. with the groom & even with the ex husband :-) . Also I have seen stories where both parties have been escorted down the aisle by their parents.
When each of my nephews got married they included the wording "" Who brings this man to this marriage"" as part of the ceremony as well as "" Who brings this woman"" : notice the words were NOT ** who gives**

You can have a big wedding as in numbers without necessarily spending BIG $$$$. Having said this though you need to be creative, ask for / accept help from family & friends. Someone may be very artistic & would be delighted to make your invitations as a gift to you. Another person make be a great cake maker & thrilled to make your cake.

Think outside the square in regards to your outfits ; look at all sorts , not just ones called wedding dresses etc. I saw a picture of a magnificent citrus green dress recently.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/1209407_10151871310189516_1132350750_n.jpg

What you both need to do is to sit down & work out an affordable budget for you & plan around that.
No -one else can tell you what a beautiful wedding is - as everyone has their own ideas about that.
Before you start sending out invitations to everyone you know - just so you have BIG numbers- stop & think about who is important in your life. Do you interact with ABC on a regular basis? would you ask DEF to your place to dinner? How long is it since you have seen Great Aunt Jo? Have these people been a significant part of your lives in recent years.Only ask the people who you really want to be with you to share your day, regardless of whether that only turns out to be 30 people or if it is 100.

Also consider do you want your celebration to be a relaxed event or something more formal.
How much would you like to actually interact with you guests on the day. The more people you have attending the harder that is to do.
Assume that everyone you invite will attend . Yes there will be some who for whatever reason wont be able to make it . BUT you don't invite 100 people when you can really only afford to cater for 80 & hope that at least 20 will say they cant come.
You may well decide that a relaxed cocktail party type of event will give you more of a chance to mingle than if you had a formal sit down dinner.
Have a look at the following site for some ideas:-

offbeatbride.com

http://offbeatbride.com/2013/09/seattle-burlesque-wedding
http://offbeatbride.com/filed/real-weddings/global
http://offbeatbride.com/2013/08/massachusetts-camp-wedding
http://offbeatbride.com/2013/07/georgia-games-wedding


I have included some links to some specific pages , just for you to see quickly how diverse weddings can be,
Look through the archives section as well.

Keep in mind that your wedding should be a reflection of who you & your partner are - NOT someone else's idea of what a wedding should be.

The things I have said here are what I would say to my own kids - all of whom are now adults.

Also in regards to rings - don't just look at the $$$ for the ring ; look first at styles that your partner likes & something that she is going to be happy wearing. If you find something that she absolutely loves & it is only $500 , then that is what you get. There may be one sitting beside it that is priced at $5000- but she does not like it - so forget that one. The $$$ value is not important .

I hope that I have given you some things to think about & GOOD LUCK with your plans.

1year wedding anniversary in British Columbia?

mom

So my husband and I just got married this past July, and we had a small weekend for ourselves, and we are really wanting to have a really good 1 year anniversary, and were thinking of going to British Columbia since we live in Portland Oregon. The thing is that neither of us know anything about B.C and would love to know some places that are very beautiful, have some fun things to do, and good food.

We love the outdoors, exploring, trying new things, new food, we like the city too, but if you recommend a city, I would love for it to be a city with a glorious view. We're very open people! What should we do? =D We have 10 months to save up!

Thank you!

Answer
First, congratulations. I hope you have many more years of planning anniversaries!

The traditional wedding gift for a 1st year anniversary is "paper", and the modern gift is usually "clocks" according to Hallmark's chart of anniversary gift ideas. Keeping that in mind, I would tend to be the traditionalist and a "paper" idea would be tickets (by plane or by train) to British Columbia, if that's what you are considering.

The area is one of Canada's great natural beauties, whether it's riding a cruise ship or ferry up the coast, taking a train through the Rockies, touring a redwood forest, or relaxing at a hotel in Vancouver and enjoying local cuisine.

From a weather perspective, you won't find it much of a difference in July in southern BC compared to Oregon.

Culture wise, Canadians are typically very friendly, the cities are all very safe, even after dark. Although you can still be a victim of crime if you are not paying attention to your surroundings. Just because Canadians don't have the gun culture that is prevalent in USA does not mean that there are no muggers, pickpockets, con-artists, and angry drunks around. It's just really rare.

I don't know how much you are considering spending on this trip to Canada, but here are a couple of ideas.

1) Consider taking the train to Vancouver. The Amtrak Cascades train leaves Portland daily and passes north through Tacoma, Seattle, Bellingham, and finally across the border into Canada for its final stop in Vancouver, BC. The 2013 pricing shows a round trip ticket will cost you between $150-200 per person. It saves you a long drive, and lets you relax and just enjoy the experience. In Vancouver, the public transit is safe and convenient, so you would not need a car (saves on parking), or you could always rent one if you wanted to head out to the countryside and visit the redwood forest, or take a trip to an Okanagan Valley vineyard.

2) Once in Vancouver (BC), you can book a trip on the Rocky Mountaineer tourist train. It's a bit expensive per person, but takes you through some of Canada's most breathtaking scenery. I hear that there is also now the Coastal Passage train that starts in Seattle and ends in Banff, Alberta.
http://www.rockymountaineer.com/en_CA/routes_and_packages/canadian_rocky/circle_rail_packages

I think you will enjoy your visit, and I hope you choose to join us. In case you do, take a look at the HelloBC website below. It may offer you some ideas as to what you can do up in Canada and in the BC area in general.

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1year wedding anniversary in British Columbia?

best wedding gift ideas 2013 image

mom

So my husband and I just got married this past July, and we had a small weekend for ourselves, and we are really wanting to have a really good 1 year anniversary, and were thinking of going to British Columbia since we live in Portland Oregon. The thing is that neither of us know anything about B.C and would love to know some places that are very beautiful, have some fun things to do, and good food.

We love the outdoors, exploring, trying new things, new food, we like the city too, but if you recommend a city, I would love for it to be a city with a glorious view. We're very open people! What should we do? =D We have 10 months to save up!

Thank you!

Answer
First, congratulations. I hope you have many more years of planning anniversaries!

The traditional wedding gift for a 1st year anniversary is "paper", and the modern gift is usually "clocks" according to Hallmark's chart of anniversary gift ideas. Keeping that in mind, I would tend to be the traditionalist and a "paper" idea would be tickets (by plane or by train) to British Columbia, if that's what you are considering.

The area is one of Canada's great natural beauties, whether it's riding a cruise ship or ferry up the coast, taking a train through the Rockies, touring a redwood forest, or relaxing at a hotel in Vancouver and enjoying local cuisine.

From a weather perspective, you won't find it much of a difference in July in southern BC compared to Oregon.

Culture wise, Canadians are typically very friendly, the cities are all very safe, even after dark. Although you can still be a victim of crime if you are not paying attention to your surroundings. Just because Canadians don't have the gun culture that is prevalent in USA does not mean that there are no muggers, pickpockets, con-artists, and angry drunks around. It's just really rare.

I don't know how much you are considering spending on this trip to Canada, but here are a couple of ideas.

1) Consider taking the train to Vancouver. The Amtrak Cascades train leaves Portland daily and passes north through Tacoma, Seattle, Bellingham, and finally across the border into Canada for its final stop in Vancouver, BC. The 2013 pricing shows a round trip ticket will cost you between $150-200 per person. It saves you a long drive, and lets you relax and just enjoy the experience. In Vancouver, the public transit is safe and convenient, so you would not need a car (saves on parking), or you could always rent one if you wanted to head out to the countryside and visit the redwood forest, or take a trip to an Okanagan Valley vineyard.

2) Once in Vancouver (BC), you can book a trip on the Rocky Mountaineer tourist train. It's a bit expensive per person, but takes you through some of Canada's most breathtaking scenery. I hear that there is also now the Coastal Passage train that starts in Seattle and ends in Banff, Alberta.
http://www.rockymountaineer.com/en_CA/routes_and_packages/canadian_rocky/circle_rail_packages

I think you will enjoy your visit, and I hope you choose to join us. In case you do, take a look at the HelloBC website below. It may offer you some ideas as to what you can do up in Canada and in the BC area in general.

What's a good present for an engagement party in NYC?

oIiIo

We will be at a very nice italian restaurant where the place is realistically fit for having weddings. There is no registry and I'm invited with a guest. The grooms cousin (I know his family as well) just had an engagement party this weekend and it looked like a wedding itself. This is my good friend who's marrying into a fairly well off Italian family. Not sure if I should give money to cover my bf and I plates like a wedding. She told me nothing for the house, that she'll worry about that for the shower and really idk! Money? Wine? Nice picture frames? What to do? I want it to be special and/ or practical. Anything that's too much of a household item is really for the shower. I either would
Like to do money or something personal. I feel engagement party is sentimental stuff. I've seen people often give money, picture frames, Swarovski crystal items. What would u do? This is a very good friend from childhood.. About 16-17 yrs we've been friends now.

Answer
People on here will tell you that an engagement party is not a gift giving event, but clearly in your area (as well as mine), it is. I wouldn't dream of going to an event empty-handed in any case. I would buy a gift, I wouldn't give cash. I would save the cash for the wedding gift. Here are some ideas:

http://www.swarovski.com/Web_US/en/5004489/product/Christmas_Ornament,_Annual_Edition_2013.html

https://www.etsy.com/listing/121989997/custom-house-painting-from-photo-oil?ref=sr_gallery_5&ga_search_query=house+painting+from+photo&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=all&ga_facet=house+painting+from+photo

or something like this from the place they met/live:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/156067028/bright-shotgunsnew-orleans-mixed-media?ref=sr_gallery_7&ga_search_query=new+orleans&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_min=75&ga_max=100&ga_page=2&ga_search_type=all&ga_facet=new+orleans

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Planning for a big wedding in the future, any suggestions?

best wedding gift ideas 2013 image

CallmeVee

Hey everyone, for the record, I am a lesbian and I'd appreciate it if only OPEN MINDED people answer my question.
I'm about to be 24 next month, and my girlfriend is 25. We love each other very much and I've always been the type to plan ahead. I have a ton of reasons on why I do it.
Any how, my girlfriend wants a big wedding and so do I. Today I asked her what kind of ring she'd like, she said a platinum diamond ring. I looked at some online and it made me want to marry her tomorrow. lol Very beautiful. To sum this all up, we're not traditional people, I don't want my dad walking me down the isle, I also don't want our fathers paying for the wedding seeing that it will be two women getting married so it's not like, "So is your dad paying or mine?" and I doubt either of us will be wearing white. The reason I don't want them to pay is because she's going to be MY wife, which means I'm supposed to give her what she wants and give her the wedding she dreams about.
I plan on moving out the state for a higher paying job, just for a little while so I can save up thousands of dollars.
Now she and I have only talked so much about the wedding in the future, but I think of it everyday because I want to get started on saving now! I'm sure I'm gonna buy her a ring that's around 1 to 3 thousand dollars. Just like every woman, we want our wedding to be beautiful. What would be a good price range for a big beautiful wedding?

and FYI, no my girl is not a gold digger, nor is she money hungry. She's a true definition of Independent. She does everything on her own, she does SO-MUCH for everyone and doesn't like for anyone to do anything for her, not even me! So it'd be a blessing to give her the wedding she wants. We're high school sweethearts and I just want her to be happy.
Can you ladies (and gents) please give me some advice? I'd really appreciate it.

Answer
Firstly , from what I read & see the majority of couples getting married these days do pay for their own wedding.( at least in western cultures) So what you are considering is NOT unusual there.
AS to having your father walking you down the aisle- That is entirely your choice as well. Having him ''escort '' you down the aisle does not mean that he has ""to give you away"" during the ceremony.
I have been to weddings where the bride walked alone, with her mother, both parents, child, father & stepfather together or in tandem. with the groom & even with the ex husband :-) . Also I have seen stories where both parties have been escorted down the aisle by their parents.
When each of my nephews got married they included the wording "" Who brings this man to this marriage"" as part of the ceremony as well as "" Who brings this woman"" : notice the words were NOT ** who gives**

You can have a big wedding as in numbers without necessarily spending BIG $$$$. Having said this though you need to be creative, ask for / accept help from family & friends. Someone may be very artistic & would be delighted to make your invitations as a gift to you. Another person make be a great cake maker & thrilled to make your cake.

Think outside the square in regards to your outfits ; look at all sorts , not just ones called wedding dresses etc. I saw a picture of a magnificent citrus green dress recently.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/1209407_10151871310189516_1132350750_n.jpg

What you both need to do is to sit down & work out an affordable budget for you & plan around that.
No -one else can tell you what a beautiful wedding is - as everyone has their own ideas about that.
Before you start sending out invitations to everyone you know - just so you have BIG numbers- stop & think about who is important in your life. Do you interact with ABC on a regular basis? would you ask DEF to your place to dinner? How long is it since you have seen Great Aunt Jo? Have these people been a significant part of your lives in recent years.Only ask the people who you really want to be with you to share your day, regardless of whether that only turns out to be 30 people or if it is 100.

Also consider do you want your celebration to be a relaxed event or something more formal.
How much would you like to actually interact with you guests on the day. The more people you have attending the harder that is to do.
Assume that everyone you invite will attend . Yes there will be some who for whatever reason wont be able to make it . BUT you don't invite 100 people when you can really only afford to cater for 80 & hope that at least 20 will say they cant come.
You may well decide that a relaxed cocktail party type of event will give you more of a chance to mingle than if you had a formal sit down dinner.
Have a look at the following site for some ideas:-

offbeatbride.com

http://offbeatbride.com/2013/09/seattle-burlesque-wedding
http://offbeatbride.com/filed/real-weddings/global
http://offbeatbride.com/2013/08/massachusetts-camp-wedding
http://offbeatbride.com/2013/07/georgia-games-wedding


I have included some links to some specific pages , just for you to see quickly how diverse weddings can be,
Look through the archives section as well.

Keep in mind that your wedding should be a reflection of who you & your partner are - NOT someone else's idea of what a wedding should be.

The things I have said here are what I would say to my own kids - all of whom are now adults.

Also in regards to rings - don't just look at the $$$ for the ring ; look first at styles that your partner likes & something that she is going to be happy wearing. If you find something that she absolutely loves & it is only $500 , then that is what you get. There may be one sitting beside it that is priced at $5000- but she does not like it - so forget that one. The $$$ value is not important .

I hope that I have given you some things to think about & GOOD LUCK with your plans.

1year wedding anniversary in British Columbia?

mom

So my husband and I just got married this past July, and we had a small weekend for ourselves, and we are really wanting to have a really good 1 year anniversary, and were thinking of going to British Columbia since we live in Portland Oregon. The thing is that neither of us know anything about B.C and would love to know some places that are very beautiful, have some fun things to do, and good food.

We love the outdoors, exploring, trying new things, new food, we like the city too, but if you recommend a city, I would love for it to be a city with a glorious view. We're very open people! What should we do? =D We have 10 months to save up!

Thank you!

Answer
First, congratulations. I hope you have many more years of planning anniversaries!

The traditional wedding gift for a 1st year anniversary is "paper", and the modern gift is usually "clocks" according to Hallmark's chart of anniversary gift ideas. Keeping that in mind, I would tend to be the traditionalist and a "paper" idea would be tickets (by plane or by train) to British Columbia, if that's what you are considering.

The area is one of Canada's great natural beauties, whether it's riding a cruise ship or ferry up the coast, taking a train through the Rockies, touring a redwood forest, or relaxing at a hotel in Vancouver and enjoying local cuisine.

From a weather perspective, you won't find it much of a difference in July in southern BC compared to Oregon.

Culture wise, Canadians are typically very friendly, the cities are all very safe, even after dark. Although you can still be a victim of crime if you are not paying attention to your surroundings. Just because Canadians don't have the gun culture that is prevalent in USA does not mean that there are no muggers, pickpockets, con-artists, and angry drunks around. It's just really rare.

I don't know how much you are considering spending on this trip to Canada, but here are a couple of ideas.

1) Consider taking the train to Vancouver. The Amtrak Cascades train leaves Portland daily and passes north through Tacoma, Seattle, Bellingham, and finally across the border into Canada for its final stop in Vancouver, BC. The 2013 pricing shows a round trip ticket will cost you between $150-200 per person. It saves you a long drive, and lets you relax and just enjoy the experience. In Vancouver, the public transit is safe and convenient, so you would not need a car (saves on parking), or you could always rent one if you wanted to head out to the countryside and visit the redwood forest, or take a trip to an Okanagan Valley vineyard.

2) Once in Vancouver (BC), you can book a trip on the Rocky Mountaineer tourist train. It's a bit expensive per person, but takes you through some of Canada's most breathtaking scenery. I hear that there is also now the Coastal Passage train that starts in Seattle and ends in Banff, Alberta.
http://www.rockymountaineer.com/en_CA/routes_and_packages/canadian_rocky/circle_rail_packages

I think you will enjoy your visit, and I hope you choose to join us. In case you do, take a look at the HelloBC website below. It may offer you some ideas as to what you can do up in Canada and in the BC area in general.

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how far in advance should you register for wedding gifts?

best wedding gift ideas 2013 image

brandi o

are wedding i June 2nd 2013 we are making the invites by hand next week and hopefully sending them out within a few weeks after that (a lot of out of town guests). do you know if we would just be able to register now? or should we waite

Answer
I have to agree with the others here... your invitations do not need to go out for another ten months or so, no matter how many out of town guests you have. Think about it- would you want to RSVP to something happening in a year? So, so, so much could happen in that time- it's a really bad idea, not to mention kind of rude to expect your guests to plan that far in advance. At the very, very, very earliest, send them 10 weeks in advance, but 6-8 is even more ideal.
That being said, save the dates are not totally necessary if you don't have the budget for them, although they are nice since you do have people traveling. Really, that's up to you though. Just please wait on those invites.
As far as registering, most places recommend doing so around a year in advance, although I believe that's too far ahead of time, as nobody will probably be buying gifts that early. I think the soonest you should probably do it is around 6 months before the wedding. That way, when it comes time for people to start buying things, the items will actually still be available. If you register now, there's a chance nothing will still be in the store by the time the wedding rolls around. If you feel you must start your registry early, just keep up on it and make sure everything doesn't go out of stock.

Some of my wedding invitations went out wrong, do I have to resend?

Liz

The actual wedding invitation was fine, but some of the response cards went out with the wrong Reply By date. Some say April 15, 2013, which is correct. However, some say to respond by July 20, 2012. I have no idea how this happened - I made the invitations myself and I'm pretty sure I put them all in the prniter at the same time. Anyway, my fiance thinks we have to send out new cards? There's no way for me to know who got the good ones and who got the bad ones. Do I have to contact every guest? The date is obviously wrong, so maybe it doesn't matter?

Answer
First let me point out the unwisdom of providing any deadline at all. It will only encourage people to dawdle. If a host is asked for a deadline for responses, the reply is "Why, as soon as possible! We're naturally anxious to know who will be attending. Will you know by next week?"

Your solution here is to ditch the little cards. Keep in mind that good manners requires us to acknowledge invitations within 48 hours, and to ASK if we may have some time to respond. "Gordon, thank you for inviting us to your son's wedding. May we have until the end of March to let you know?" The "thank you" part is acknowledgment, is letting you know the invitation was received. The "until the end of March" part is asking for time to respond, time to let hosts know who will be attending.

About 2 weeks after you send invitations, put your helpers to work calling everyone who has not yet acknowledged the invitation. "I'm calling on behalf the hosts for the Oscar Munoz - Alice McNulty wedding. They are wondering whether the invitation sent to your address may have been lost in the mail."

The moment it is established that the invitation was indeed received, your helpers ask "When might the hosts expect your response? Will you know by next week?" Your helpers continue to call each week (or more often) until those invited DO have a response.

Your helpers should be prepared to say things like "There is a misunderstanding. The invitation is for Marge and Homer Simpson, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. The guest list doesn't include Ned or Milhouse."

These phones calls are the time to deal with the details that didn't belong on your elegant invitations. If people forget to ask, your helpers prompt them. "You're probably wondering how dressed up to get. The hosts are hoping that the gentlemen will wear jackets and ties and that the ladies ..." Ditto for driving directions, what kind of food and drink to expect, reminders to arrive promptly, and so on.

During these conversations, your helpers ask people to please disregard the response cards, as there was a printing error. Do not provide details concerning what the error was. TMI leads to trouble --- consider that if you hadn't provided a deadline, then you wouldn't be in this pickle.

Your helpers shouldn't bring this up, but many people will ask "What sort of gift might the couple appreciate?" The reply should mention something you both like, where you are registered, and that contributions to the honeymoon fund are welcome. That first part -- "they collect antique dental instruments" -- is needed for people who prefer to choose a gift rather than give cash or give from the registry.

Do not be deluded into copying The Wedding Industry model of Bride As Passive Ninny Waiting Helplessly By Mailbox For Cards That Never Arrive. That is a TRICK to deprive hosts of an accurate headcount, so that the caterer will be told "You'd better have 12 extra dinners prepared just in case, since we don't really know who will come." Forget that horse manure and REMIND people that their prompt response is expected.

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