Category: Marriage – Wedding & Commitment

San Francisco is considered as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, a fact that makes this Golden Gate City a dream destination for weddings.

And while it does carry a reputation for being pricey, there are quite a few budget friendly places where you can have a wedding ceremony without breaking the bank. Even better, there are also many locations that are offered at discounted rates either when it’s not on a Saturday or during the off-seasons. Join me as I take you through some of these. With that said, the only thing you shouldn’t skimp on, are San Francisco wedding photography services. Quality pictures of your wedding should be at least number two in your priority list.

Budget Friendly Wedding Destinations In San Francisco

The Presidio Golf Course & Clubhouse, featuring ocean and bay views is yet another budget-friendly venue you may want to try out. It also features a cathedral ceiling and limestone fireplace and will cost around $500-$5,000 per event.

The Swedenborgian Church is one of the most affordable wedding venues in San Francisco. With a warm wood interior and huge brick fireplace as well as a quiet garden out front, it’s indeed your goto venue if youâre looking for a sense of class but are short on your budget. The venue will cost somewhere from $1,400-$2,200 per event, depending on the size and profile of the wedding ceremony.

Another hidden jewel in San Francisco is The Marines Memorial that comes at a rate of $1,750-$2,250 per event. Here, the entire 10th and 11th floors are dedicated to unique banquet and meeting spaces.

Apart from the ones highlighted above, other budget-friendly venues in San Francisco include the Jewish Community Centre of San Francisco ($185-$4,400 per event), the Fort Mason Center ($1,350-$9,400 per event) and the Hornblower Cruises ($98 per person and up). There is also the Hotel Kabuki ($55/person and up) and the First Unitarian Universalist Church ($700-$1,500 per event).

Please note that the above-mentioned prices are simply approximates and could vary depending on the day of week, whether it is on or off-season, space reserved, guest count, etc.

Some Key Points That Will Enable You Capitalize On Your Wedding Funds In San Francisco

One of the best ways to enthrall your guests is to have a 4 to 5 hour break between the ceremony and reception, during which time they get to explore San Francisco and get ready for the nighttime reception.

To get your guests groove to their favourite tunes, you can ask your friends and family for song suggestions prior to the wedding day and create your own playlists to be played at the reception venue, connecting your iPod/iPhone to the venue’s music system.

Also, instead of a full meal type reception, going for a cocktail reception with 15-20 different small appetizer style foods can be a cost effective alternative that your guests will love. Itâs always good to have enough bartenders because lines at the bar are not too inspiring.

Booking your wedding venue on a weekday is cheaper and can save you money on vendor services like catering and entertainment. Going for an off peak wedding, like planning the wedding during winter is another approach to cut costs.

You might also consider having the ceremony and the reception at the same place. This can save a lot of money on transportation. Having the same vendor offering multiple services can help you get better rates. A friend or a family member with some unique skills might add something special to your big day. So, it’s always helpful to ask if they might be willing to contribute (and they always are).

San Francisco is aptly referred to as The Paris of the West and is definitely a dream destination and a romantic place to get married, not only for the rich and famous but also for everyone who wishes to create a lifetime of wonderful memories to cherish!

It is a tradition and also courteous to go to a wedding with a gift but when the wedding is held in a unique city like San Francisco, you might have to think outside the box. Putting some thought into your gift makes the gift not only unique but special. There are a lot of gift ideas to choose that perfect gift for the newlyweds.

Here are a few gift ideas you can use when attending a wedding in San Francisco.

1. Hire A Second Photographer

The couple will probably have a wedding photographer hired already but you can surprise them big time by having another photographer taking the shots too. Just make sure you know a few things before hiring San Francisco wedding photographers.

The main photographer simply can’t be in more than one place at the same time to take pictures. While the ladies are getting ready upstairs, you don’t have anyone downstairs capturing candids of the guys. While the photographer is taking formal portraits of the wedding party after the ceremony, there is nobody to photograph the guests mingling. While the photo guy gets shots of the bride and her dad coming down the aisle, the first look expression of the groom will be missed. Having a second shooter could have helped in all three of those situations.

2. A cruise

A cruise is a lovely idea for a gift. In San Francisco, a Golden Gate by-cruise is a romantic gift that the couple will remember for a lifetime. This cruise allows them to see top attractions in the SF city from the water in a short amount of time. The ticket to the cruise is also open for one year, with multiple departures in a day, giving them enough time to plan for it.

3. Cooking Class

This is a perfect gift for that couple that loves cooking. San Francisco offers a lot when it comes to tasty cuisines and wine. It would be a great idea to send the couple to a cooking class in Napa. This gift will not only offer the couple a memorable time but also get them to learn something new.

4. Wine Glasses

This idea might sound tacky to most people but not for those who know a thing or two about San Francisco. The city is known as a great wine capital. You can add to this great idea by having the wine glasses engraved. This is a well thought out gift idea that will suit any couple.

5. A wine Tour

What a great way to know about the wine culture and the wine district of San Francisco. This tour gives you the chance to know all about the great wine capital. Buying this tour as a wedding gift for any couple whether residents or tourists will add a great romantic touch to their wedding. We all love to be part of something memorable, this is your chance.

6. Gourmet Coffee

San Francisco is also known for its gourmet coffee. In fact, there are some types of coffee that are only specific to the town. Getting special coffee samples as a wedding gift is indeed a nice gift idea and a well thought out one for any wedding in San Francisco. You can also choose to add some engraved souvenir coffee mugs to go with it. Either way, this gift idea will be loved by whoever you buy it for.

These gift ideas will not only make your gift stand out while attending a wedding in San Francisco but will also create memorable thoughts for the wedded couple. The couple will know you had them and the wedding in mind while picking a gift for them.

Building a great home and future starts with finding your partner in life. Finding the one is certainly no easy task, nor is building a relationship based on love and commitment. That’s why weddings are so important, because they celebrate all this and more. It’s a way of telling everyone that this is who we are, and we’re dedicating the rest of our lives to each other.

People celebrate weddings differently around the world, with each country and region having their own set of traditions. Traditions make every wedding experience unique and memorable. But however different each experience may be, music binds everything together.

Having music at a wedding just makes the whole event even more special than it already is. In Africa, wedding receptions usually include live music, traditional dances, and a lot of gift-giving. The groom usually presents his bride’s family a dowry consisting of shoes, textiles, jewelry and bags. Song and dance act as a cover for negotiations between the groom and his in-laws. Only then will the groom meet his bride, once agreements have been made.

Arab countries have a slightly different approach to weddings. They usually conduct their weddings in expensive hotel ballrooms, with 2 halls booked for the entire event. Since segregation between men and women is heavily observed, festivities and dancing for both parties happen in each hall separately. Live music is played in the gent’s room, while a livestream of events is shown in a big screen in the ladies’ room.

Many young English couples come to Scotland since they can freely marry each other without their parents’ consent, once they’re at the legal age of 16. Wedding ceremonies usually take place in churches or at hilltops, while wedding receptions are held at a separate venue. Once the wedding is over, the newlywed couple then leaves the church to the sound of bagpipes. Scottish weddings involve a lot of dancing. In fact, couples and groups often enjoy a night of Scottish country dancing called ceilidh. The first dance is led by the bride and groom, followed by the bridal party and the guests.

If there’s one thing all these wedding traditions have in common, it’s their love for music and dance. Your choice of music could determine whether your reception is a hit or a miss. For most wedding receptions, selecting music could either be done by hiring a DJ or by hiring a live band. Of the two, hiring a DJ usually involves a more hands-on approach.

Most couples opt for professional DJs since they know how to work with a crowd and keep the reception going. Moreover, a professional DJ can read a crowd’s reaction and determine whether the songs being played are going over well. Guests will be kept wide awake when good, lively music is played, so it’s always handy to have a professional DJ around in a wedding.

A time for engagement means happiness to many people, and this happiness has to emanate from the spouses involved. People make all sorts of promises when they are in love, and many go forth to proving that they really mean what they do, and nothing will stand in their way. But it is always good to understand what these things really mean, especially when it comes to making commitments.

A deeper — and essential, if you want your marriage to last — level of commitment is needed. It’s a commitment to be willing to do whatever it takes to make the marriage work, and that means there are going to be many times when you’re just not going to get your way.

Great — who’s going to argue with commitment, especially when it’s stated so passionately? But then we’ve asked them what they won’t tolerate in their marriage. And, guess what each one says first? (Hint: It has nothing to do with 2 a.m. baby bottle feedings!) Right, it’s infidelity. There’s commitment and then there’s this: “Well, I’m absolutely not going to deal with my spouse getting some on the side!”

All of which means commitment only goes so far, and it seems to reach an ugly, yet not surprisingly predictable end when someone’s schtupping someone he or she’s not supposed to. But if we’re really talking about-honest-to-goodness, down-and-dirty, I’m-committed-to-doing-whatever-it-takes-to-make-this-relationship-work commitment, then shouldn’t a couple that takes commitment seriously be able to work through infidelity — in whatever incarnation it comes to them — and keep their marriage intact? Wouldn’t that be the “better or worse” part of a marriage vow?

Sourced From: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/vicki-larson/what-does-commitment-mean_b_2235361.html

Couples can decide to do their ceremonies in different ways to affirm their coming together in marriage. Commitment ceremonies are some of these events, which can be arranged in celebrating getting into the ‘knot’. These are done either religiously, or secular, they may be complex or just simple events. But most of the time, they are done to publicly affirm marriage by such couples whose marriage cannot be allowed by the law as gays, lesbians and transgender.

Vows

This is the part where the couple declares their intent to be a committed or married couple. As in any kind of wedding, they will make promises about what that commitment means. They may promise to love in sickness and in health, in richness and poverty, till death do they part. Alternatively they may write their own vows.

Readings/Music

A religious commitment ceremony will likely incorporate hymns and scripture readings that focus on love.

Exchange of Rings

The couple exchanges rings, and says a few words about what these rings mean. It may be

With this ring, I thee wed

I give you this ring as an expression of my love and commitment to you

I’m honored to give you this ring as a symbol of the promises I’ve made to you today, and a proclamation to the world of the love I have for you.

Pronouncement of Marriage

The officiant announces to the guests or congregation that the couple is now married (joined/united/wed – whatever word you prefer to say) and invites the couple to kiss. Some couples may not be used to kissing in public and thus may only have a very small kiss, or forgo this part altogether. Others will relish the moment to have the opportunity to kiss each other in front of their loved ones, proclaiming their love, and pride in having that love.

Sourced From: http://weddings.about.com/cs/gayandlesbian/a/commitmentcerem.htm

Planning a wedding can be one of the most daunting rites in life as a couple. You have to run up and down, getting this and that in place, appointments and arrangements….there is always so much to be done. There are, however, some simple things that should definitely not be excluded from a wedding planning list.

Tell Your Parents

You should tell your parents of your impending nuptials before anyone else. (Unless of course, you are estranged.) Both of you should be present and ideally you will tell them in person – they’ll have a chance to see your happiness up close, look at the ring, and start talking about the wedding.

Purchase a Journal If You Don’t Already Have One

This will be a time of ten thousand moments you won’t want to forget, as well as some frustrating times that you’ll need to vent about, and not necessarily to your partner. The journal you keep while planning your wedding will not only help you through this time, but it will be something you cherish for the rest of your life.

Announce Your Engagement

Tell everyone the good news! There are many ways of doing this, and no way is more correct or better than another.

Set the Date

One of the most important decisions you will make as you plan your wedding. Not only will it be the first question everyone will ask you, but you’d be surprised how difficult it will be to make any progress on planning your wedding without knowing the date.

Sourced From: http://weddings.about.com/cs/bridesandgrooms/a/firststeps.htm

In addition to bride and groom outfits on the wedding day, lots of importance must be given to the dresses of the brides and grooms mother. Cabotine dresses have offered an ethereal collection for this purpose. Fashionable flair can be managed with perfect precision with these dresses. Apart from wedding, these dresses can be worn on other social events easily. It can be considered perfect attire for the renewal of vows or second wedding.

Behind the creation of Cabotine dresses, creative mind of designer called Gema Nicolas has been observed. Due to her ability to listen and read womens nature, she has managed to present exquisite designs. Through jackets, feminine figures are justified admirably. In this way, women with different sizes have been flattered with these dresses. From the periphery of collection, it is possible to acquire dresses for mother of the bride and groom, special occasions and accessories.

> Why should You Choose Cabotine Dresses

From bold to pale colours are offered with these dresses. Vibrant colours like cobalt blue, purple and fuchsia pink are considered as the best for mother of the bride or groom. These dresses are considered as bra friendly due to the placement of sleeves at the perfect location. Through a cover in the arm, it is possible to retain the elegant look of the dress without adding too much glamour. Along with the Cabotine dresses, diverse range of jackets can be bought. Jackets can easily range from frock coat, long one and bolero. Floaty jacket from the 2015 collection of Cabotine can certainly attract your attention. It can be considered as the perfect accompaniment to the floaty dresses. For a wedding in the summer, floaty dress can be chosen for an excellent effect. Innovation can be added to the event through these excellent choices.

> Cabotine Dresses are perfect for all sizes

Exquisite fit is offered with a Cabotine dress. It is especially great to accentuate the hip area. By wearing these dresses, you can become the star of a wedding. For a special occasion such as wedding, it presents an excellent option. Short dresses can be worn with great style in wedding by the mother of the groom or bride. Silhouette can be complimented with the pencil fit and sweet neckline. It is especially great for the godmothers.

In addition to the bride and groom, mothers are also considered as the star of the wedding. By observing daughter on the aisle, dreams of a mother can be fulfilled. Therefore, it is quite natural to dress for the occasion aptly. Magic of the night can be extended a little further with the Cabotine dress. In traditional cuts and style, garments are offered with hint edginess. Unique style of the mother can be reflected in due course.

One of the main features is sophisticated elegance. Detail work is observed with each piece of garment. Elegance can be showcased through the full collection in our Catherines of Partick store based in Glasgow, UK. Through use of laces, beauty of the dresses has been enhanced further. Level of comfort can be increased in due course.