5 Pointers That Deserve a Place in Your Wedding Checklist

Are you stressed about your big day? Do you feel like you’re short on time?

The wedding season is in full swing this month.

Many of us are busy planning our dream weddings. Wedding planning is really exciting but it can be extremely nerve-wracking.

The key to getting everything done on time is to avoid panicking and focusing on the important task ahead.

It may seem difficult but actually, it’s simpler than you think. Before you get down to the nitty-gritty, here are a few steps to guide you through the process of wedding planning.

These pointers definitely deserve to be a part of your checklist. Let’s start, shall we?

1. Ideas ideas ideas!

First of all, it is very important that you and your beloved partner have similar ideas in mind. Both of you must plan out on what you want for your wedding over a cup of coffee.

This includes numerous details including the overall theme, budget and the type of catering you require.

It’s better to discuss things beforehand instead of fighting on the final day. Remember to do market research and start determining your priorities.

As serious as this may sound, this is actually one of the most interesting parts of wedding planning. The internet is overflowing with ideas on sites such as Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumbler.

Plus don’t forget to make a guest list.

2. Execution

Now on to the next stage, remember we discussed market research?

It’s smart to make a detailed spreadsheet to keep a track of numbers as they might alternate. Plus don’t forget to decide the final number of invites.

Again, the budget must be considered. Hire vendors who book up quickly including photographer, videographer, dancers etc. Its always better to be a bit early. Who knows, you might get a discount!

Again, you should do ample research on their prices and the packages they have to offer.

3. Shopping and splurging

How can a wedding be memorable without a jaw-dropping wedding dress?

Most of us wait our whole lives to dress up as the perfect bride or groom. There’s no harm in admitting that you want to stand out since it’s a life-changing event that you want to cherish forever.

You must start searching for at least six months before your wedding since there’s a lot of cloth to be bought and many alterations to be made. This applies even to a ready-made dress.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a bride or groom, but you have to make sure the fitting is good.

Besides clothes, there are other factors such as beauty salon and spa bookings which must also be considered.

4. Planner to the rescue

Most of us take wedding planners for granted but they can play a major role in helping with a number of issues such as legal contracts and money wastage.

Small decisions can add up to big savings if you hire a good wedding planner.

A planners job is to stay focused and to ensure that everything happens according to what you have envisioned.

Wedding planners already know how to deal with vendors and hence keep things streamlined.

5. Venues

Now coming to the final part, the place where the magic is supposed to happen.

Usually, people choose country clubs, hotels or ballrooms for their weddings. If you want to make your wedding extra special, try to think outside the box. You can even consider large event spaces, barns or restaurants.

In case, there are more than two functions, always choose the location of the venue according to the ease of most of your guests. The best advice is to choose an area that gives a homely feeling.

You can also decide if the event is supposed to be outdoor or indoor but in any case, elegant touches such as fairy lights, chandeliers, and flower arrangements always add to the beauty of the occasion.

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4 Signs to Show Your Business Is Killing Your Relationship

Love is inevitable in life, nothing less – nothing more.

Being a living entity with human emotions, you can’t escape falling for someone at least once in a lifetime. That one person means the whole world to you.

Under the influence of this young love, people usually want to go to any extent to make it work.

The aspirations are high, goals are set, two souls unify and become one.

Does the story end over here? What ye say? It’s an emphatic no – it doesn’t. The point of time that is misconstrued as an end is actually the beginning. With the passage of time, the mutual passion grows old, and other life commitments take over.

Here, one is supposed to create a decent balance between the two contemporary worlds, the love-life and the work-life. You are in absolute charge of both the worlds, you can manage them successfully as long as you keep them apart and detached.

Understand the life of an entrepreneur with sensitivity

Entrepreneurs running their own businesses are loaded with lots of responsibility.

No denying, sometimes it affects their private life too. The merger of these two parts of life is a disaster for sure.

Too much business stress can ruin your relationship and love-life in no time.

It doesn’t take lots to get your relationship destroyed. Tiny steps towards the wrong path set the self-destruct button on.

If few things are not taken care of, they can be a pebble in the shoe. It can be annoyingly uninteresting to deal with a problematic relationship.

Therefore, the dissenting elements should not be given enough room to exist.

Be watchful of these signs:

1. No time means no love, no nothing

The partners of entrepreneurs start being concerned about the lack of time.

Lack of time creates an unmeasurable distance between the two. This distance adds fuel to the fire.

The relationship is all set to meet its end when there’s nothing but silence and distance.

When the major chunk of your time is absorbed handling the business, very little would be left for the person who deserves it more than anyone and anything.

There would be complaints and grudges in the follow-up, whether transported through words or dispatched via silent treatment.

2. Business shouldn’t be the focal point of your talks

Your business should never be the central point of your lengthy conversations.

It’s worrisome if you spend all your time talking about business stuff. Don’t let yourself engrossed in material things even when you’re home.

Make home look like home.

Whereas it is important to familiarize your partner with all the hustle and bustle you go through, it is not mandatory to make it a habit. Once, it becomes a regular action, it can trigger trouble between you both.

Engagement on an emotional level is far more important in a relationship. Domestication is required to keep it going.

Business-related things in no way should be overshadowing the essence of your relationship.

3. Divided attention can cause doubts

Have you ever found yourself lost in another world in the presence of your partner? Have you just nodded your head instead of responding with detail-oriented answers?

It must have happened because of semi attentiveness. What would your partner be thinking about this, ever wondered? This concern needs to be addressed.

Your one-word answers or nods could not have satisfied your partner. This probably left your partner with a serious doubt.

Trust comes first and before anything else.

A relationship cannot survive without trust. However, the burden doesn’t lie on two shoulders. Ideally, there should be four of them carrying equal weight.

Blind trust is no prerogative in a healthy relationship.

It has to be maintained from both the ends. One shouldn’t be expected to hush the apprehensions and doubts without reasoning them.

4. The extensive stress can make you bitter

Entrepreneurs and business owners usually work day in and day out to make success kiss their feet.

Waking till 2 am to work becomes a norm for them. Attending business dinners and social evenings for the repute and constant growth of the business is no exception.

Late sittings in the office and outdoor business gatherings, both can consume an entrepreneur’s time. The hectic routine of a businessman can snatch some positive vibes leaving him with an unhealthy amount of stress.

Remember, stress is always toxic. It can stir up bitterness. This bitterness and absence of empathy can invoke war of words between the entrepreneur and his/her partner.

No matter how hard we try to keep our professional and personal lives disparate and unfamiliar, they’re somewhat interlinked.

Therefore, one can only try to avoid things that kindle relationship stress. No clue, how ugly ‘’relationship stress’’ combined with ‘’work stress’’ would seem.

Hence, business and relationship oughtn’t to be merged. These two are completely different institutions that require equal attention to yours.

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How to Make a Steller Wedding Proposal

Love, better say, true love, is the amalgamation of hearts and synthesis of souls which typically results in a life-long journey spent arm-in-arm. It is the only prestigious bond that can make you forget the entire world.

The spirit to live and die for one another is inexplicably beautiful.

Marriage is that perpetual commitment which assures the everlasting journey of a couple hand-in-hand.

The bounties of marriage are infinite. The blessings are uncountable. Everyone would want to tie the knot to make their partner theirs forever.

The day you tell someone, you want them to complete your world, is the most special day of your life. Its significance is beyond expression.

The moment you ask someone to be the love of your life, it is a defining moment. It’s top-of-the-world kind of feeling which fills you with utter elation and gratification.

Should that day be as good as normal days? Shouldn’t it be an extraordinary 24 hours you would want to remember for the rest of your life?

Memories are precious and a little hard work is taken to recollect them.

A few generous tips to turn your marriage proposal into a souvenir:

1. Choose the ambience with great vigilance

The place you choose for the special occasion should be close to your hearts.

For instance, a restaurant where you had your first date, or a sunset evening near the beach which has an eternal atmosphere, or the place where you first saw each other. Make a point to hire a place with love-in-the-air sort of ambience.

Every second and nanosecond should remind you of togetherness and profoundness. Your heart should be lightened with deep affection and vehemence for each other.

2. Make it super-personal and void of public

No doubt, both of you enjoy hours-long conversation with each other. Even looking into each other’s eyes stop the world around you.

Holding hands while walking a long distance would be your highly-prefered dating idea. The adulation you two have towards each other is comparable to none. 

No third party is obliged to spoil your memorable time. You should be devoting this time to each other only, without having you disturbed by cheerers and admirers.

Make sure there’s no crowds and traffic horns etc around you killing the auspiciousness of this event.

3. Prepare a speech well before the special moment

Whatever you are going to say will be remembered forever by both of you — paying attention to every tiny detail is worth it.

You must be nervous regarding what should be said and what shouldn’t be said.

No offense, the indecisiveness is reasonable to every extent.

The best way to cope with such an uncertainty is to prepare a speech well above par.

You must have felt a million emotions ever since you met your partner. You must have received tens of millions of impulses after falling head over heels for your someone.

Fair enough, if you write it down on a paper after contemplating on all your feelings altogether.

4. Gift a momentous ring to mark the special occasion

The finishing touch should be given by a winsome ring. This is generally considered to be the most important and crucial part of the whole thing.

A gorgeous ring could be the gesture of momentousness and fondness that will give a consummate touch to this episode of love.

Women love diamonds and diamonds eulogize the beauty of a woman.

A diamond ring could be the warmest gesture you could extend towards your girl.

5. A passionate smooch and wine are the must

No wine means no celebration; as simple as that.

After the ‘yes moment’ comes a passionate kiss that’d prolong for 30 secs at least, afterwards, you can enjoy a glass of wine while continuing a slow and romantic conversation.

Although, when two soulmates are together under the sun with love heavy in the air, nothing else is needed to keep the ardour alive.

Wine is just a token of celebration.

The basic agenda should be to stay together and stay happy and have one another’s back, always. The topmost prerogative of two people ready for the big day should be to support each other through thick and thin.

The actual happiness is in wanting to grow old together.

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5 Do’s and Don’ts to Plan out Newlywed’s First Year

Marriage is simply brimming with achievements – and the main year has beyond what you can rely on the two hands.

In the event that you are getting ready to stroll up the passageway or have just barely left all necessary signatures to spend whatever remains of your existence with your other half, despite everything you have a bounty to come.

As any hitched individual will let you know, regardless of whether they have been married for a long time of fifty, there are sure things that occur with each couple in the principal months, long after you’ve overlooked who got you that terrible vase that presently needs to sit in your parlor on the off chance that they come to visit.

The primary year of marriage is staggeringly imperative for your future joy.

It’s known as “the wet bond year,” since it’s when the two individuals from a couple make sense of how to live as accomplices without stalling out, without growing unfortunate propensities that may trap them later.

It’s an opportunity to build up great examples and methods for being as one that should proceed for whatever remains of your marriage.

Always Correspond! For whatever length of time that you both have been open about things and will cooperate through contrasts, you’ll be fine.

It’s an energizing time and shouldn’t be unpleasant.

Here are a few do’s and don’ts to be careful about and have a wonderful one:

The first one and many more to come –

1. Give each other space and togetherness

Make a space where you two really need to fraternize.

You never need your home to feel like an office or an inn that you two are simply going through. Purchase flavorfully scented candles and delicate covers by the sacksful for the formation of a cheerful and comfortable home.

Only one out of every odd day will be impeccable, or even great, and that must be alright. Discussion about the blemishes and the agony focuses. Try not to thrash yourselves.

The familiar aphorism says marriage is a long distance race, not a dash.

Furthermore, some days will feel like a deterrent course where you need to convey your mate up a mountain and through a pit of mud. Fixating on whether you have a solid marriage or whether no doubt about it “right” are incredible approaches to set yourself up for disappointment.

Obviously, you can deal with yourself, yet a pleasant aspect regarding being hitched is that you don’t need to bear life all alone. Give your life partner a chance to deal with you every so often.

2. Be adventurous

Post-wedding blues are absolutely ordinary.

After all the fervor of the wedding, it’s normal to feel a dunk in your state of mind. Yet, how might you keep that fervor in a marriage?

Keep on having undertakings with your life partner.

I’m not simply discussing oddity in the room (in spite of the fact that that would be a decent begin). You can get a similar impact from testing another kind of cooking together or riding the thrill ride at an event congregation.

Keep getting the hang of, developing and attempting new things together.

3. Make your own chemistr

The most vital thing as a lovebird about enduring the (truly hard) the first year of marriage, is that your marriage is in no way like others.

What works for another person may not work for you.

Accept notice of the exhortation and insight of your loved ones and trust — at that point build your very own way.

You’re accountable for your own cheerfully ever after.

4. Be there for each other

You escape the relationship what you put into it.

On the off chance that you disregard him for your telephone/PC consistently, he will figure out how to engage himself without you, and soon you’ll be floating separated.

In the event that you send him to cherish notes or copy messages from time to time, you’ll presumably discover that you are recovering as a couple.

From time to time, accomplish something he cherishes/you don’t without grumbling. On the off chance that he’s a decent man he’ll get on and begin doing likewise. That being stated, don’t get things done for getting something back.

Get things done for him since you adore him.

5. Work as a team

Although customary a couple obligations appear to be a relic of days gone by, you will end up accepting a job and position inside your marriage soon after the wedding, regardless of whether that be the person who gives the essential family unit pay or the person who oversees things around the house.

For example – paying bills, clothing, cleaning, and so on. Along these lines, it is simple for one of you to always feel like you do everything with almost no assistance.

Try not to’ let this occur! Your mate isn’t a mind pursuer, and on the off chance that you require help, request it. You went into your marriage as a group, and that is actually what you ought to be.

Regardless of anything else, keep in mind that being hitched implies that you currently have somebody to remain close by, through great occasions and awful, for whatever remains of your life.

The primary year of marriage may not generally be simple, but rather it generally ought to be fun and loaded up with chuckling, duty and love.

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5 Books of Wisdom for the Newlyweds

It’s that time of the year when every other person you know is either getting married or is directly related to someone about to get married.

So, if you are tired of coming up with ideas of what to gift the couple, then here is a list of books that you can choose from.

Giving books as a gift is a wonderful thought indeed.

It’s comparatively easier on the pocket than the items generally given as wedding gifts, and they also add a personal touch to your sentiments.

1. The five love languages by Gary Chapman

In this book, Gary Chapman highlights and explains five ways of expressing love and calls them the love languages.

According to him, the five languages (in random order) are –

• Receiving gifts
• Acts of service
• Spending quality time
• Physical touch and words of affirmation

He explains that every person has a primary language and a secondary one.

In order to identify a person’s love language, we must closely observe how the person expresses love when it comes to others. By identifying how the other person expresses love, one can learn to express his/her emotions in the language their partner best understands.

This understanding will make room for improved communication and will allow both partners to recognize and value each other’s emotions.

2. Boundaries in marriage by Dr. Henry Cloud

Whether you like it or not, boundaries and ground rules (spoken or unspoken) are part of every relationship.

And why should they not be?

After all, boundaries do help a lot when it comes to determining which territories are off limits and which aren’t.

Of course, in this book, the author doesn’t talk about tangible fences. This book will take the couple on a journey of deciding clear boundaries in their relationship so that they communicate in better ways and understand which behaviors are and aren’t tolerable.

It will also enable the couple to build trust along the way in a manner that allows them to maintain a level of respect for each other.

3. There’s a spouse in my house by Peter Scott

This book is a humorous guide through the first years of marriage.

The writer, Peter Scott manages to deliver some great pieces of advice in a fun way. It will make the couple laugh out loud at some of the quirks newlyweds face.

This lighthearted book will definitely bring smiles to the faces of whoever reads it.

4. Men are from Mars, women are from Venus by John Gary

You don’t necessarily have to be married for this one.

This masterpiece of a novel will help you get an understanding of the opposite sex whether you’re married or not. It tells the reader about certain differences in the way men and women behave because that’s just how it is.

That is why it builds on the idea that the two genders are essentially from different planets.

It guides the reader about how when the two genders start accepting their differences, they give love a chance to thrive. It also highlights ideas like the need for women to feel motivated when they are cherished and how men feel motivated when they are needed.

This single thought alone goes to show how poles apart the opposite sexes are.

All in all, this book is a great read and will make a lovely gift.

5. Two in the kitchen by Jordan Mackay and Christie Dufault

Well, who said you could only give guidebooks to newlyweds? This is a guidebook as well, but different from the ones mentioned before.

Ever heard the phrase families that eat together, stay together? Now, you have.

This book contains several recipes for different occasions and a few tips from experienced couples. This book will be an interesting gift for the newlyweds and they’ll thank you every time they try a delicious recipe from it.

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4 Ways to Disarm an Argument Without Causing Pain

When it comes to relationships, particularly the romantic kind, we all know by now that good, clear communication is key to avoiding conflict.

Of course, many other factors enter into the equation, including a willingness on both sides to be flexible, vulnerable and compassionate, having a solid base of respect for one another, and feeling connected and safe with each other.

A healthy dose of genuine affection for your partner also goes a long way towards maintaining a state of equanimity.

You’re much less inclined to want to kill one another when you actually like each other.

But inevitably, there will be times when even the most enlightened of couples wind up pushing each other’s buttons.

Tempers flare, heads get hot, and egos are ruffled. Suddenly, what began as a calm and rational discussion or an off-hand comment can become a raging tempest of hurt feelings and angry words.

So, what can we do when our best attempts at avoiding a conflict have failed, if we find ourselves in the midst of a heated argument with someone we love?

Here are 4 things to try when all attempts at prevention have failed:

Pause. Breath. Relax. This may seem obvious, but it’s amazing how quickly our executive functioning can become completely inaccessible to us when we are caught up in the heat of an argument.

When tempers flare, we enter that fight or flight state of high arousal (not the fun kind), our faces get red, our hearts race, we feel agitated and edgy, and we completely lose that sense of centred calm.

Feelings of empathy and rational thoughts and decisions are less available to us in this state, and we often say and do things we regret once we’ve returned to our senses.

When you feel yourself becoming agitated in this way, try to pause and take a few deep breaths.

Count to 10. If possible, go for a walk or find some other way to relax your nervous system and regain your composure before continuing.

1. Maintain gentle physical contact

Initiating and maintaining a gentle point of contact, such as resting your hand on your partner’s arm or leg, or moving close enough to have each other’s knees touching, can go a long way towards diffusing anger and tension.

Maintain eye contact as much as possible, and try not to allow so much space to come between the two of you that touch is impossible.

What you’ll find is that it is much more difficult to get mean and ugly when you and your partner are effectively holding hands.

Touch reminds both of you that there is a real, feeling person in front of you, not an enemy.

It’s the equivalent comparison of yelling at someone from within the bubble of your car with the windows rolled up, to standing face to face with the nice little old lady who was driving erratically and pissing you off.

Suddenly, you don’t feel quite the same urge to launch a stream of profanity at her, do you?

Tip: if you can come to an agreement with your partner (when you are not arguing) to make an effort at always maintaining physical touch when you disagree, this technique can be even more effective.

2. Agree with your partner

Yep, just agree with whatever it is they are accusing you of, or complaining about, or criticizing you for.

Sound too easy? Well, it isn’t.

Simple yes, but definitely not easy.

When we are attacked or criticized, our fragile egos take ccentrestage, and pride rears its ugly head.

It hurts.

Even when we know there is truth to another’s accusation or assessment of us (in fact, particularly when this is the case), we go on the defensive, vehemently denying any responsibility.

We may even go a step further by lashing out with a counter-attack, all in an effort to avoid that horribly uncomfortable sensation of admitting fault.

By simply agreeing with your partner, you disarm them, effectively taking the wind out of their sails. And agreeing, even to some small degree, places you and your partner back on the same team. You don’t have to agree wholeheartedly with whatever your partner accuses you of for this to work.

Let’s say they have called you out on being grumpy and sullen in the morning. Whether or not this is entirely true, try saying something along the lines of “You’re right. I can be a miserable turd when I first wake up.”

If the accusation feels completely unjust, you might try “I can see that something about my behavior in the mornings is really upsetting you. Let’s talk about what we could do differently.”

You’ll be amazed to feel the complete and utter shift in the energy, and the sudden willingness in your partner to share some part of the responsibility.

3. Express how you feel

I know this one is a little cheesy and overdone, but it works. There’s a reason it’s so popular in all those enlightened rrelationshipsand self-help books.

Using language that starts with expressing how you feel can disrupt an argument by eliciting empathy in the other person, thereby diffusing their anger.

If you express how a situation or comment or behavior genuinely makes you feel, you bypass the ‘he said/she said’ part of the explanation and skip straight to the important, underlying issues.

Fights and arguments are rarely about who didn’t do the dishes or who said what in a nasty tone over dinner.

They originate from hurt feelings, and from pain.

When our feelings are hurt, when we are fearful of judgement and rejection, especially from those we love the most, we tend to lash out to avoid having to deal with such unpleasant and uncomfortable sensations.

When one person in the argument is brave enough to be vulnerable in expressing the emotions they feel beneath the anger and frustration, without accusing the other of being the cause, they are bypassing the inflammatory language of blame, and the unprovable and shifting facts of ‘what happened’, and getting straight to the heart of things.

4. Insert laugh track here

Now this one can be a little tricky.

You really have to know your partner, and be able to judge the appropriate timing and style of humor to use.

But the disarming effects of a little wellplaced playfulness or a good self-deprecating joke can be instantaneous.

Be careful not to use humor to disguise a hidden agenda or criticism. You also want to avoid sarcasm. It’s always best to use humor that pokes gentle fun at yourself, or that makes use of an inside joke that only the two of you would get.

The idea here is to remind the other person that you’re on the same side. If you’re lucky enough to get a smile or laugh out of your partner as a result of your efforts, you’ll likely find the tension greatly diffused.

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