One of the best pieces of news that you can ever receive as a best friend or sister is that you will be the maid of honor at a wedding. You should feel very honored and appreciated to know that you are going to be alongside the bride during the most celebrated day of her whole life.

Being a maid of honor means that you are the chief assistant to the bride from the very start of the wedding preparations until the moment she says “I do”. You have to be with her every step of the way to ensure that the wedding goes according to plan and is exactly how the bride dreams it to be.

You will have to deliver the maid of honor toast, which is a speech that you recite during the wedding reception. Some people worry about doing this, but what you can do is research on the Internet for templates and samples on this subject matter. You can also ask for advice from your family and friends to have a better idea of how these speeches are done.

Before you get started on composing your maid of honor toast, here are some things that you should keep in mind…

- Your speech is meant to honor someone that you care very much for, so it is important to spend a good amount of time making sure that it is absolutely perfect.

- Choose a language tone; if the bride and groom appreciate a comical tone, you can make use of it. If the occasion is formal and reserved, a more serious tone should be expressed.

- Introduce yourself as half of the people attending the wedding reception will probably not know who you are. Keep the information that you give relevant though, by only talking about who you are in relation to the bride and groom.

- Talk about a memorable event or two, such as how the bride and groom met, or the first time that you realized that they were in love.

- Mention some of the bride’s best qualities, and how she has become a happier, fuller person since meeting the groom.

- Thank everyone for coming and for their contributions towards making the day one that will forever be fondly remembered.

- Put an end to your speech by giving out your wedding wish. Say your prayers for the couple; wish them a bountiful life ahead and your hopes for them to have a big blissful family.

The above tips are just a few things that you should remember when writing and giving a good maid of honor toast. If you get lost somewhere, just write and speak from the heart and you are good to go.
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Learn more about writing a maid of honor toast by visiting http://maidofhonortoastblog.org

Second Wedding, Do It Right This Time…

Tradition and etiquette dictates that second weddings should be simple and casual instead of being formal and extravagant. However, the number of second or encore wedding is sharply growing each year. Such ceremony is designed to celebrate two people who want to embark on a new marriage with different partners.

Etiquette In Announcing Your Engagement
The immediate concern in planning a second wedding is how to announce this to you children. The children should always be the first be notified of your decision to remarry, as this will combine two already-established families. Expect you children to be stressed by your move and they will need a certain amount of time to accept the situation.

The bride and groom’s parents should be the next to be informed and then the respective ex’s. The ex-wife or ex-husband should make an effort to appease the children and reassure them about their roles in the new family.

Engagement rings from the past should not be worn anymore based on second wedding etiquette. All signs of previous relationships should be taken away once planning for the wedding and announcements are made.

A second marriage can be announced informally such as advertising it in the newspaper, making e-mails and phone calls. Under second wedding etiquette, the couple does not have to host an engagement party but a small gathering can be organized where you can make that important announcement.

Who’s Going?

Just about anybody can attend your second wedding. However, in observance of second wedding etiquette ex-spouses and former in-laws should not be invited even if you are in speaking terms to avoid awkwardness among the other guests.

The bride and groom should calculate a realistic budget for the wedding. This is a rare chance to again have the wedding of your dreams, it could be elegant, extravagant and intimate.

Vows and Ceremonies

Second wedding are normally made in civil ceremonies but can also be done in a religious ceremony. They are many ways to make the ceremony fell very intimate and special. Writing vows is common among second wedding and there is an abundance of books written about it. The children can be assigned to do an important part of the ceremony in order to foster unity. They can escort you while walking the aisle, read passages from the bible or serve as attendants in the event.

The closest family members and friends of the new couple can walk down the aisle or no one at all.

Are Bridal Showers Needed?
Bridal showers for encore brides are normally but this need to adhere with second etiquette rules.

- Only guests should be invited
- Club, Office and school showers can also be done and can be attende by other not on the official guest list. However, those that attended the bride’s first wedding should not participate.

Wedding Gifts and Registry

Guest should make they register. Some guests will have the uncontrollable urge to give something even if the couple does not want gifts. It’s also acceptable for encore couples to sign in the gift registry.

Wedding Gift Ideas for Second Marriages
Gift certificates—restaurants, spas, stores
DVD player and DVDs
Charity Donatios
Coffee maker, pasta maker, cook books

Wedding Receptions and Parties
The reception of a second wedding may be extravagant or simple depending on the taste of the couple. The bride and gross will be first at the line and followed by their children. The traditional garter and bridal bouquet toss are optional.

Not Necessary In A Second Marriage

Rehearsal Dinner
Attendants
Accompanying the bride down the aisle
Procession

Advisable
- Make a gift registry even if you don’t want gifts.
- The children should have responsibilities in the ceremony.
- Customize and personalize the wedding and reception.

Please Avoid
- Doing the same things in like your first wedding.
- Wearing a similar wedding dress.
- Marry in the exact spot of your first wedding.
- Use old rings from a past marriage.
- Criticizing former spouses

Optional

- Showers
- Engagement Party
- Announcement in the newspaper
- Rehearsal Dinner
- A laving wedding with attendants
- Parents walking down the aisle
- A different color for the wedding dress instead of white

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