I love a good wedding and although our wedding seems a distant but romantic memory, we still love talking weddings, so when we were asked to host a guest post about weddings, we jumped at the chance.

The bride of today designs her own wedding. It is not the wedding of her grandparents. She fuses the traditions of weddings past with her idea of the perfect wedding and sets her own wedding etiquette. Most of us do not even know what the traditions stood for. Here are some examples of outdated tradition and why we feel it is time for a change.

Something old, something new

The old English wedding rhyme, “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue” still finds its way into the weddings of today.  

The rhyme was from 1898, and while it is fun to incorporate into our modern-day ceremony, most people do not understand it.  Something old was something handed down in the family to show the bride that they would always be with her. Something new was a symbol of the new life the couple expected to have. Something borrowed meant the bride should find a “good wife” that had a “good marriage” and borrow an item from her to use so she would share in the success of accomplishing the task of being a “good wife”. Finally something blue meant purity.

The bride normally wore blue (not white) in those days as a symbol of her pureness. As you can see, the meaning of the rhyme has gotten away from us over time.  If a bride wants to hold to firm tradition, she can. The final line of the rhyme is “with a sixpence in her shoe”. The sixpence was a British coin worth about six cents that would ensure she would never be poor.  Good luck finding one.

Never wear white, never wear black

Tradition states that you never wear white to a wedding, because that color belongs to the bride. You never wear black, because it is the color for grieving. Neither of these traditions are held tightly today, While wearing a pure white dress is in poor taste, a bridesmaid dress with white in it is acceptable.  Black is the color of elegance and class and is used in many modern-day weddings. Better bridal stores carry black bridesmaids dresses, and mother of the bride dresses. Black is no longer off-limits. It is up to the bride.

Create a registry and stick with it

While some brides do create a traditional wedding registry, many guests do not like to use them. Sometimes guests do not enjoy making purchases from them. The bride may choose items like a $50.00 serving spoon and put it on her registry. But who wants to purchase a spoon as a wedding gift?  Fortunately, today’s bride has better options.

Today’s bride has the options of creating honeymoon registries. She may want funds to go toward the honeymoon, an event at the destination, or even home improvements. The couple sets up their registry at a site like Honeyfund, and your money combines with the gifts of others to make their wishes a reality.

Some couples are already financially settled and they choose to set up free fundraising sites for a family member or friend who is experiencing hardship. Instead of gifts, they could set up a Plumfund account to make it easy for guests to contribute to a worthy cause (which means something to them). The couple is happy. The guests are happy and never feel uncomfortable with the amount they choose to contribute.

Some wedding traditions are here to stay because they make sense. As an example, if you are invited to the wedding, you are expected for the wedding, not just the after-party. It is noticed and it is unacceptable to show up for the reception without attending the ceremony.

If your invitation has only your name, you are not permitted to add a guest. There may be seating issues, food issues, and limits set for friends due to the family members who are attending. Adding a boyfriend or girlfriend is not cool. If there is only seating for 200 and 25 guests brought an uninvited partner, this makes an immediate problem.

We are a people of tradition, merged with technology. We communicate via social media. RSVP is allowed electronically if the bride gets the information. By the way, it is never okay to post unflattering cell phone pictures on social media of the bride or her party.

The wedding of today is fun and romantic. The bride and groom get to make the rules and anything goes as long as it is okay with them.

Author Bio

Wendy Dessler

Wendy is a super-connector with Outreachmama.com who helps businesses find their audience online through outreach, partnerships, and networking. She frequently writes about the latest advancements in digital marketing and focuses her efforts on developing customized blogger outreach plans depending on the industry and competition.

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My girls love to build dens and we all know that children of various age love to play with tents and forts. Children have the most spectacular imaginations and can come up with the most amazing stories and adventures playing in their tent. 

We have had one of the The Monster Factory tents for some years and I was going through some old photos and came across this one of my youngest daughter playing in her VW Tent when she was a toddler. We still have the tent now some 3 or 4 years later which just goes to show how versatile they are .... even if it does get put up in my lounge at times!

The Monster Factory have some fantastic tents for all ages and they have announced that the London Underground Tent has arrived. You can let your little ones take control of their very own underground station with this creative ticket office and tube train. From working in the ticket office to driving the train, let them decide what their next job will be! 

The specifications are fabulous too!

• UV Protection
• Fire Retardent
• Waterproof
• Durable lightweight construction
• Officially licensed London Underground product

We are therefore really excited to share the chance for you to win your very own London Underground Play Tent and all you need to do is enter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

Terms & Conditions

The Prize: The Monster Factory London Underground Play Tent
The winners will be chosen at random by the random winner generator on Rafflecopter and notified within 7 working days by email
By entering this competition, you understand that your details may be retained for future mailings. You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time.
There is no monetary equivalent.
Little Lilypad Co take no /responsibility for loss or damage in the despatch of prizes
If the prize is unclaimed within 7 days we reserve the right to redraw the winner.
End Date 13/05/2017 at 12am

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I have been trying really hard to be more frugal but to be honest it doesn't come easily. I love shopping and that isn't solely for my shoe habit but I also love to buy for my girls and am always searching to find the "perfect" present for friends.

I see so many fabulous money saving blogs online, such as Mums Savvy Savings and every week I get reminded that there are things that I can do to make life a little less costly. So in an attempt to monitor my spending habits, I am joining in the Five Fabulously Frugal Things linky again this week. 

1. Making a phone call really can save you money! My husbands car insurance came through and we were checking it against the current policy and despite 9 years no claims, we were disappointed to learn that it had increased. So after making a few phone calls to get some other quotes, we went back to our existing insurer and they matched the best price which was actually a saving on last years policy!

2. My Taste Card still continues to make us savings as a familiy and not only can we save 40% on cinema tickets but we save on the drinks and popcorn too! You can imagine that we are suddenly visiting the cinema a little more so not entirely sure this is saving me money in the long run!

3. We visited our local water park at the weekend. It costs £4.50 to enter the park and you can be there until it closes at dusk. We took a picnic and popped into the supermarket on the way to get a reduced loaf of bread to feed the ducks. So for the grand total of £5.00 and some things from the fridge we had a fabulous day out in the sunshine. 

4. Encouraging the children to save! I save for the girls but I have been trying to get them to take ownership of their own money more and more. This seems to be helping them to understand and realise how much they want something. They both want hamsters at the moment and we have a chart on the wall with how much money is needed to buy the hamsters and cage. You wouldn't believe the offers I have had for doing chores in exchange for pennies for the pot. 

5. We have enjoyed PJ days at home, it is amazing how much money you DON'T spend when you just stay in the house and enjoy being at home. 

How about you?

Have you been money savvy this week? Do you have any words of wisdom or useful tips?

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Quality time with grandparents is important for families. Both children and grandparents benefit in numerous ways from spending time together. I read an article last week about how grandparents spending time with their grandchildren are apparently less likely to develop Dementia And Alzheimer’s. (!!)

As a grandparent, life is less hectic so here are some ideas to enhance your quality time with fun activities that help you stay connected. 

Bake Something Sweet

If you enjoy baking, you can share your love of this pastime with your grandkids and also teach them some important cooking and baking skills. Even toddlers can help in the baking process by pouring dry ingredients in a bowl and helping to mix batter. Think about the types of desserts your grandchildren enjoy and be sure to keep the ingredients on hand for the next time they come for a visit.

Colouring

Colouring is a quiet and relaxing activity that appeals to kids as well as adults. With the mandala coloring app, you can color a veritable masterpiece with your grandkids. To learn more about this easy-to-use app, just click the link. Coloring is a perfect pastime for grandparents and kids because it doesn't require 100% mental focus; families can still enjoy interesting conversations while creating their work of art.

Read

A great way to enjoy quality time is to read together. Take your grandchildren to the local library or your favorite bookstore to stock up on picture books or paperbacks. You can read a novel together or you can read to the kids if they prefer. Reading builds skills that kids need to perform well in school so it's definitely a great way to spend a morning or afternoon.

Memory Lane

Pull out all of your old pictures to acquaint your grandkids with your past and relatives they may not have met. Photographs can lead to fun storytelling and help kids get to know you better. As a special project, consider helping your grandchildren make a family tree that they can display in their bedroom.

Visit an Orchard

From strawberry picking to apple harvesting, local farmstands and orchards often feature opportunities for people to pick their own produce. You and your grandchildren can enjoy some fun in the sunshine while picking out yummies to bring home. With so many youngsters spending time with their video games, it's important to give them balance by ensuring that they stay connected to Mother Nature too.

Play Games

From cards to dominoes, non-electronic games might be a refreshing change for kids and certainly provide plenty of fun for grandparents too. Board games that grandparents played as kids are still exciting for kids today. Break out the Monopoly or Risk board and spend an afternoon gaming with a bowl of popcorn or chips to share.

Keep these activities in mind for when your grandkids come for a visit. They certainly don't require much money but they can provide your family with priceless quality time. With all the fun you'll have, don't be surprised when the kids beg to come again soon!

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