For any best man to deliver the wedding speeches and raise the wedding toasts is not only a herculean task but a task that comes with a great deal of responsibility! For any one to deliver the wedding speech is not an arduous task, but to ensure that the speech not only keeps the guests present involved and finds connection with the bride and the groom is what makes anyone delivering it a bit too nervous! For great speech delivery, the groom's mate must ensure that the following points are taken care of:

Raise your toast with pride, click here to know about free wedding toasts

Wedding Speech Samples Below is a very simple toast that you can use regardless of how well you know both of the bride and the groom. This is also a great way to make a toast when you really want to wish the couple well but you aren’t too sure what to say! “First, I wanted to say congratulations to Bill and Nancy! I am so happy for the both of you and I know that today is the first day of what will be a very long marriage. I also want to thank the two of you for inviting me and making me a part of your big day. I know that there will be many more celebrations of your love and your marriage in the future!” Below is a more intimate toast that you will find works well for close friends and family and will help you convey a bit more personal emotion. “Congratulations, you two! I know that everyone is saying great things to you, but I had to get up and really express how happy I am for you. I know that both of you have been looking forward to this day for quite awhile, and I have to say that it couldn’t have been more beautiful. I know that you have a lot of great plans for the future and I can’t wait to sit back and watch them unfold for you. Congratulations, Bill and Nancy!” As you can see, you can keep it really simple or you can add a bit more personalization to a toast. Usually a toast is just a few minutes long, so you don’t need o get into long stories or convoluted hopes for the new couple. Instead, keep things short and sweet but be sure to convey your happiness for the new couple. If you don’t know the personalities of both the bride and the groom well, keep humor limited and clean, just so that you are sure you don’t offend anyone.

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Wedding speeches can be very stressful and if you do not like getting up in front of groups, then you will probably be nervous. You can write your speech ahead of time and make sure to rehearse it over and over to help your nerves. Regardless if you follow these tips you will be able to give a great wedding speech.

A wedding might be the first time you have to give a formal speech in front of such a large crowd. Because of this, chances are that you may be nervous. Maybe even terrified! That's okay because most people giving those special speeches probably feel the same way. A big part of public speaking is those little butterflies that you get in your stomach as you wait for your turn to come up. Weddings are just the most common reason (outside of work) to have to do it.

One thing that makes wedding speeches so scary is because the people that are at a wedding all waiting for that one speech that will leave the Bridal Party….speechless. The trick to giving a great speech is learning how to turn that nervous energy into a memorable speech! Here are some things that you will want to remember when it comes to giving a speech.

1. Everyone gets nervous with public speaking. It is not just you. It's one of the scariest things in the world for most people. In fact, some people are more scared of public speaking than they are of dying!

2. You are going to be speaking to a very supportive, close, and interested audience when you are at a wedding. They are anxious to hear what you will say. Those who will be listening to you give your speech are there because they love and respect each other and not because they expect you to give a perfect speech. No matter what happens while you're up there, they'll all be proud of you because you tried.

There are a few things that you should really think about when you're writing your speech that can make it a great deal easier to give. And speeches that are easier to give are generally less scary, easier for your audience to listen to, and more effective as well. Here are some quick ideas to making your speech easier to write.

* Start off with a good hook to draw them in. People will be listening to a lot of speeches at a wedding, and you want yours to stand out. The best way to do that is to begin by saying something that will grap their attention. This can be in the form of a personal story, or a hypothetical scenario that will make people think, or an anecdote about the couple etc. Anything that shows why you care about the couple or why other people should too will make your audience WANT to listen to what you have to say.

* Once you have made them want to listen, you'll want to make it as easy as possible for them to follow your speech throughout. The most effective way to do this, right after your hook is used, is to map out where your speech will go. For example: If you are planning to make your speech a funny one or sentimental.

* After you've mapped out your speech, all you have to do is follow your speech map. However you are hoping to speak about the couple, be sure not to drift from it. My favorite wedding speeches and toasts are those that offer both humor and sentiment.

And why not ask your Wedding MC to listen to speech. He’ll be able to cover advice on whether it’s too short or too long and whether it’s sets the right tone. The emcee is there to make sure the reception runs smoothly. For many guests the speeches are the highlight so a conscientious MC will be more than happy to help you get your speech right.
Learn more about the role of emcee at the reception
wedding emcee
wedding mc
wedding mc duties

If you're looking honeymoon ideas, perhaps you should consider visiting San Francisco, California. This great city offers a little something for everyone in addition to some very romantic destinations. There have even been songs about how romantic San Francisco is. Tony Bennett left his heart there if memory serves me correctly and who could resist a view of the Golden Gate Bridge when there's a full moon?

San Francisco has been designated one of the most romantic cities in America so don't you think it's time your found out why? It could have something to do with the climate, the beautiful Golden Gate Bridge, the many beaches around that are great for talking long walks at sunset or the many parks in the area where romantic couples can walk together, hike, bike, and simply enjoy being together. In addition to activities such as this, there are other ways in which to enjoy the great outdoors of San Francisco as a couple. You could take a sunset cruise in the San Francisco bay is you want to make a very romantic night of it.

If you want to have a truly romantic experience you could schedule a couples massage at one of the many day spas in the area. This is an experience that neither of you would be likely to forget anytime soon.

Another romantic thing to do while vacationing in San Francisco is to tour the various vineyards in the area. While San Francisco is not literally part of wine country, it is only a stone's throw away from some of the most famous vineyards in America. Check with the wineries you want to visit ahead of time, as some require appointments for tours. Rest assured that visiting the beautiful countryside and enjoying the tasting of various wines will make for quite the romantic outing. Be sure to taste responsibly.

Still need some romantic activities? Try a picnic in Golden Gate Park. After your picnic, perhaps you can rent a rowboat and take a trip around the lake or bicycles. Use your imagination and let your sense of romance rule the day. Walk into a flower shop and buy every daisy in the store (that may be a little dramatic, but you get the picture). The most romantic things that have ever happened in my life, were not planned, they were spur of the moment gestures that touched me far more than any contrived venture ever could.

Take your loved one to the Equinox, which is a revolving restaurant and bar at the top of the Hyatt Regency Hotel. While the dining experience can be expensive, the spectacular view will take some of the sting out of the meal. Besides is there really a price that is too high to pay for romance?

If either of you have the slightest interest in art, San Francisco is full of museums and galleries that should appeal to your artistic nature and provide plenty of topics for discussion. Even if you aren't a fan of traditional art, you may actually surprise yourself by liking the art you find in this diverse city.

Any trip to San Francisco would have to be determined to be a romantic dud if it didn't include a trip to either Fisherman's Wharf, China Town, or Little Italy. These areas provide great food, beautiful and interesting sites, as well as a taste of cultural diversity that is hard to find in this day and age. It would be like traveling to New Orleans and not visiting the French Quarter. I whole-heartedly recommend devoting one entire day of your trip to one of these places if not each of them. Fisherman's Wharf is by far my favorite to visit for the sights and sounds, but both China Town and Little Italy have great things to offer as well. Plus, the food is too good to pass on without at least giving it serious thought.

Romance is a state of mind; it's just much easier to get to that mental place in a city like San Francisco. Take a trip with your beloved and see what all the fuss is about.

Before you finalize your choice of MC for your wedding reception check out these articles
Wedding mc tips
Wedding mc
Wedding emcee

You’re getting married. Congratulations! You’ve revealed the date, did some planning but you have one thing left to do; decide what wedding bands to pick. This is always a process; well, actually, the entire wedding is a process, but this is especially tricky. You’ve waited for this day for your entire life. You want a wedding band that will look fresh and beautiful as the day you bought it. And if you are on the cutting edge of what is occurring in wedding jewelry, you have already discovered tungsten rings.

Tungsten is an extremely hard metal with a very high density and melting point. Because of these factors, tungsten wedding bands are quickly becoming the freshest and most exciting wedding bands to purchase. Due to the strength of this metal, these tungsten rings are just about not possible to scratch with this metal being as hard as steel. Considering that it is four times harder than titanium but has a shine that will last for over half a century, it is the vital sturdy yet very chic item to be used for tungsten rings.

These spectacular wedding bands and jewelry, although very reasonably priced have become the “it” wedding band of choice for many of the reasons previously mentioned. But as with anything else, there is the real deal and then there are replications.

When you are spending money on tungsten rings, make sure that you ask about the finishing process of the ring. Many makers of these amazing These rings use cobalt as a binder so that the end price of the ring is much cheaper. And ‘cheaper’ is the operative word. What happens with cobalt is that when it combines with the oils on our fingers, which we all have, it oxidizes and spots begin to appear on the band. This is one of the things that happens that gives rings a mottled look and it will happen with tungsten with cobalt tungsten rings as well.

What is the best choice is to obtain a tungsten carbide wedding band. It is hypoallergenic so there will never be a issue with a rash or irritation to your skin and it will not oxidize. If you ask your jeweler if the ring is made with nickel binder alloy, then you will understand that you have the best possible of tungsten rings and they will never scratch and lack any kind of hardness.

Now that you have that settled, enjoy the rest of your wedding planning. Make sure you have a checklist for everything that has to be achieved. And don’t forget the small details like having an emergency bag for the bride which should contain: safety pins, extra panty hose, needle and thread and headache medication! With some luck and effort, your marriage will last as long as your tungsten rings; which is forever.

The best ranked florists typically offers the widest range of services, not to mention flowers. They make it sure that its customers get best quality services such as choice of flowers, quick delivery, free gifts besides best quality flowers and bouquets.

The Top 10 Florists in Virginia Beach:

1. Norfolk Florist & Gifts (This Florists got 91 recommendations!)
(757) 464-1515, Baker Rd - Virginia Beach, VA 23455

2. Flowers Wayne Jones (33)
(757) 428-2901, 329 Laskin Rd - Virginia Beach, VA 23451
www.flowerswaynejones.com

3. Flowers by Kings Incorporated (18)
(757) 497-3247, 5032 Southern Blvd - Virginia Beach, VA 23462

4. Always An Occasion (11)
(757) 499-3064, 4987 Cleveland St - Virginia Beach, VA 23462

5. Great Neck Florist & Gifts LLC At Shomiers (10)
(757) 481-5800, 3209 Virginia Beach Blvd - Virginia Beach, VA 23452
www.greatneckfloristandgifts.com

6. Evelyn Bowen Florist (10)
(757) 481-4019, 1168 First Colonial Rd - Virginia Beach, VA 23454

7. Seashore Florist (10)
(757) 481-6968, 2907 Shore Dr - Virginia Beach, VA 23451

8. Forget Me Not Florist (09)
(757) 431-2300, 3540 Holland Rd - Virginia Beach, VA 23452

9. Walker Florist (09)
(757) 497-1028, 4999 Euclid Rd - Virginia Beach, VA 23462

10. Farm Fresh 911 (08)
(757) 471-5398, 2058 S Independence Blvd - Virginia Beach, VA 23453

(see here for a complete list of Florists in Virginia Beach)

Flowers for every occasion: whether it’s correlated with the occasion for celebrating.

This Top 10 was put together and is arranged by how commonly the florist's information is kept in people’s address directories. The better the florists’ service the more frequently it’s visited and recommended. So, the best service provider gets on top of the list. It's very typically the case that, people keep a florist's information ifthey are satisfied with the provider’s service and wish to engage in repeat business.

Since the flower market has seen tremendous growth and there is a huge demand, it compelled florists to employ skills and expertise to stay ahead. Top class florists provide services such as allowing customers to choose from gifts such as Champaign, wine, chocolates etc. along with their regular orders of bouquets and flowers.

Chateau du Clos Luce is where Da Vinci spent the last 3 years of his life. King Francois I invited Leonardo da Vinci and he gifted Chateau du Clos Luce to Leonardo together with a pension of 700 golden crowns per year.

"A well filled day gives a good sleep. A well filled life gives a peaceful death." After only three years in Amboise, he died on May 2, 1519 and is buried in the Chapelle St. Hubert on the chateau’s grounds.

The castle is open to tourists every day of the year except Christmas Day and New Years Day.

The King encouraged discussion, experimentation and much thought at Clos Luce. In this pretty chateau, he happily continued to paint, sketch, and work as an engineer, architect, and festival organizer for the court. Francois I found great peace in listening to Leonardo.

Da Vinci arrived at Amboise over 60 years old with his disciple da Melzi and three paintings, Saint Anne, Saint John the Baptist which he finished at Clos Luce and the Mona Lisa.

It is situated on a quiet back street of Amboise, a town south of the Loire River between Tours and Blois about 2 hours from Paris by train. The village street has troglodyte houses opposite built into the limestone cliff face.

Da Vinci's castle is not large, but it is warm, inviting and personable. You get a sense of his life in the early 16th century as you wander unescorted throughout the sparsely decorated chateau. The chateau is surrounded by a magnificent treed park with a bubbling brook and peaceful pond with paddle boats available to hire. There is a small formal Renaissance garden in the courtyard behind the chateau with perfumed roses and clipped box hedges. It is peaceful, ideal for bird watching, conversation and quiet contemplation.

You can visit his study, salons, kitchen and bedrooms, the chapel and see frescoes painted by his pupils. Renaissance artifacts, tapestries, paintings, and furniture adorn the rooms which have high, timbered ceilings, huge fireplaces and well worn plank flooring.

There is a large four poster canopied bed in Leonardo's bedroom swayed with gold and red fabric. Cherubs are carved into the dark wood on his bed.

It is most likely that the yellow salon bathed in light, functioned as studio space for Leonardo. It is probably here that he finished his painting of John the Baptist.

The kitchen has a huge fire big enough to spit-roast a wild boar whole. In winter Leonardo would have warmed himself beside this fire.

His paintings and drawings are set out in the park of the chateau with giant models of the most spectacular machines he invented with voice-overs of Leonardo da Vinci and his disciple Melzi.

In a corner of the basement is an entrance to the underground passage connecting Chateau Amboise with Clos Luce, giving Francois I a direct link to the Leonardo's home.

Downstairs in the basement, 40 models made by IBM from Leonardo’s drawings are displayed. These military, naval, hydraulic, mechanical, and aeronautical inventions demonstrate his sheer genius. Many of these designs were envisioned centuries before they were first constructed. Devices such as swing bridges, a machine gun, a flying machine and an automobile all show sound principles of design.

We run Chateau du Guerinet a luxury french wedding castle in the Loire Valley near Blois. Our wedding castle is perfect for a fantastic french holiday with family and friends and for touring vineyards, historic chateaux and unwinding. It is also a fairytale castle wedding.

We now rent out our chateau as a romantic venue for a french castle wedding. A fairytale wedding castle in the Loire Valley is a perfect location to get married. A destination castle wedding is becoming very fashionable among celebrities, but you do not need to be a celeb to have your own fairytale wedding in a castle in France.

It is amazing the diversity in quality of wedding speeches and how many speakers panic at the thought of delivering their speeches.

Here are a few pitfalls to avoid, and a few tips to heed, when delivering a wedding toast that will leave other wedding guests impressed.

Prepare for Your Wedding Toast

The first key to an impressive speech is preparation. Decide first whether you will you write it out and read it verbatim, use notes for reference, or just wing it?

Generally speaking, just winging is best left to the naturally gifted speakers and unless you fall into that category unquestionably it is most likely to get you in trouble on the day. If you want to wing it on the day, it is worth making some well-rehearsed mental notes before going into it.

Writing Out a Toast

If you're a great writer, there's nothing wrong with writing out your entire toast. Your ease with language and your ability to string together impressive words won't be lost on your audience provided only if you read your toast with conviction. Just don't get too stuffy like Frasier would. Read it convincingly and pause and remember to breath.

Or alternatively you can elect to just to make some notes to keep you on track as you go - this will allow empathy from the wedding party and your fellow guests, and it gives you the flexibility to make changes on the fly as you see what's working and what's not as you deliver your toast.

Here is a simple but universally effective game plan for delivering a fail safe wedding toast.

No-Fail Toast Game Plan

Start by introducing yourself, and your relationship to the bride or groom. Explain how you came to know them, and how far the three of you go back. Next think funny, but don't be obnoxious. Share a witty story about how you met either the bride or groom, and how their lives became better after they were together.

Talk about some quirky characteristic that one of them has which completely complements the other. Remember that wedding audiences are generally easy going. They are all friends, and they're probably a little drunk or even a lot drunk.

A good natured approach will get them smiling and if your lucky laughing with almost no effort. But remember whatever you do, the goal is to NOT embarrass the bride and groom in front of everyone they know. Never mention ex-girlfriends or boyfriends, This is a toast, not a roast.

Make the Wedding Toast Emotional

Talk about what an incredible couple they are, how inspiring they are to all those around them, and how the world is a better place with them together. Bring up the beautiful union of families. You can hint about the expectation of incredible kids down the line.

Keep the Toast Positive

If you are in trouble, go for compliments. The poor wedding couple have been through a lot to get to this day, and sometimes it's just nice to hear how much your friends and family dig you. Also be sure to steer clear of these all-too common snares:

Wedding Toast Faux Pas

Boring your guests, insulting your inlaws, and pronouncing your love for your best friend's wife are all pretty much faux pas in the game of life.

Don't drink too much before your toast - a drink to loosen up is okay, but much more than that and you'll be telling old college stories that are best left in college.

Never use an insult of any kind - this is a festival of love, remember? Don't use any corny one-liners, make sure that any humor in your toast comes from genuine emotions.

Don't hog the limelight - this day is about celebrating the wedding couple, not your toast.Staying Cool During the Toast

But if all this sounds totally daunting and you have broken into a sweat just reading this because you are simply terrified of speaking in front of other people, just keep it simple.

Tell the bride and groom how much you care about them, and how much it means that they have included you in their wedding celebration. Wish them all the success in the world, have everyone raise a glass, and give them a big hug.

Easy, peasy. No sweat necessary.

Models and photographers alike are interested in boudoir photography these days. Sensuous images are an important element in any portfolio. Since Playboy first displayed the beauty of Marilyn Monroe on its cover in 1953, men and women have enjoyed looking at sexy bodies tastefully and artistically presented. Queen Victoria finally lost her stranglehold on sensuality in western civilization. Today most adults view sexuality as a normal and accepted part of their lives. We no longer shy away from pictures of human bodies displayed in various art forms. However, the photography industry needs to understand the difference between quality sexy pictures and trash.

Photographers know what pictures they intend to take before the camera gets out of the bag. And they generally know how they intend to use the photos. Photographers intend pornography when they take trashy pictures. Trash isn’t difficult to identify. It’s all skin and no art.

Boudoir photography is an art form. Pictures of scantily clad models that imply nudity can be created with good posing and lighting. Tasteful and artistic images of a beautiful woman in various stages of boudoir attire reflect her poise and dignity. Although sensual photos are revealing, many boudoir photos are not of nudes. They visually suggest, but don’t cross the line between implying and revealing. When the photographer does choose a nude pose, the emphasis is on artistic. The detail of composition creates a quality photo that gives a clue to the highly sensitive nature of this kind of work.

A boudoir is a woman’s bedroom or sitting room. However, photos in this category today are not just bedroom shots. Other rooms in a home or studio, or outdoor shots, become good settings for quality sensuous pictures. The setting is less important than understanding what makes for a good sexy image; the foundation for quality is artistic tastefulness. Neither the photographer nor the model should forget that.

Boudoir photos put the relationship between photographer and model on a new level. She has to trust the photographer’s skill and his/her ethics. And the photographer must not betray that trust. He/she respects trust boundaries and understands it is a required professional competency. A good model does her research ahead of time; she knows the reputation of the photographer before ever meeting him/her. Her self-confidence level is high; it has to be if she is going to expose so much of herself, physically and emotionally, to the camera.

A final word for the average woman in our readership… You don’t have to be a model to love seeing yourself in a soft and sensual portrait. Whether the one holding the camera is a professional photographer or your friend or spouse or significant other, you love seeing your persona captured in a photo. You don’t have to be ‘beautiful’ as described by a beauty magazine. Photographing a woman in her natural state, with the emphasis on soft and sensual, good posing, carefully defined lighting and effective communication between picture-taker and model all results in incredible and tasteful artistic photos she will treasure forever. This information was provided by the experts at Arizona Boudoir Photography dot com.

1 There is nothing worse than not knowing what you want to get out of giving your speech. Do you want to be funny, thank the caterers or touch the emotions of your guests? That is why before you actually say or write anything you have to work out what you want to achieve first. It helps when it comes down to visualizing what you are going to say.

2 Listeners like to hear a structured speech and the best speeches stick to this rule. You have to have a welcome in a wedding speech; especially acknowledging those who have traveled a long way to be at the wedding. You must also have two or three personal stories to go with it such as how you met your wife for the middle and an end such as thanking and toasting the parents.
Here is an example of the speech structure:
* Greeting/Welcome where you acknowledge special guest
* Personal Story #1 – how you met
* Personal Story #2 – most memorable moment together and why it was memorable
* Something nice about the future of the couple
* Call to action: Toast Bridesmaids etc.

3 Keep your speech short at a wedding, between 5 and 7 minutes. Anything longer and your speech will be too long winded and you will bore your listeners.

4 Keep the content of your speech on a positive note and avoid making any negative comments.

5 Personal stories help you to connect with your audience in a more meaningful way.

6 Keep these personal anecdotes very short and use them to demonstrate a point, but not as the focus of the speech. Try and take people to your special moment in time by describing the place, situation and even what time of day and what the weather was like if you can remember it. This is always good because it lets the audience visualize the moment.

7 People remember the opening in a speech they hear and it is what will decide if you will be heard or ignored. The closing is important because it should reinforce the key message you want the audience to go away with in their head after they have heard the entire speech. Ending with some sort of call to action can be a powerful way to get your audience to act on your message. In the wedding speech the call to action is easy. All that you have to do is ask people to stand, charge their glasses and toast the bridesmaids.

8 You need to be alert if you are going to make a good and lasting speech. Save the alcoholic celebrations until after your speech so that you don’t say or do anything silly.

9 Use index cards with key points if you are planning to make a longer speech. Avoid reading it directly and keep eye contact with your audience as much as possible because it shows that you are being sincere.

10 Practice the speech or at least get some feedback from someone you trust beforehand.
Speeches are very often the highlight of the wedding reception. Generally the speakers will be introduced by the wedding mc. Learn more about this very important role
Wedding mc tips
Wedding master of ceremonies
Duties of a wedding mc

It’s certainly not a subject likely to win you an adoring gaze from your sweetheart across a romantic, candle-lit table.

Making financial plans in the event a marriage ends is difficult for most couples to consider. No one enters into a marriage thinking it’s doomed to failure. Most feel certain that they’ve found their soul mate, and are loathe to discuss a treasured relationship in the cold, detached language of the legal world.

Once nearly the exclusive province of the rich, the high profile, and the powerfull, the public had regarded the prenuptial agreement as a symbol of greed and selfishness.

But attorneys say that quietly, under the radar, prenups have become more and more commonplace. They attribute this to the fact that a higher percentage of marriages these days are not the first go-around for one or both partners — over 40% of marriages today, says the National Center for Health Statistics. About 20% of these marriages reportedly now engage a premarital agreement.

Historians note that first marriages tend to happen at a later age than in years past.

Both these changes mean that partners are more likely to have accumulated assets and belongings they may want to safeguardt. They may also have children from previous relationships that they intend to leave assets to — A prenuptial, sometimes called an antenuptial agreement, can protect one’s desire to provide for those children. One Austin divorce attorney that we spoke to about this mentioned that these are common concerns for her clients.

Unlike very young couples, these “more experienced" spouses have had relationships in their lives that seemed great when they were new, but went sour somewhere down the line. To them, a prenup may simply further define obligations the partners have to each other.

Prenups are also a common way to create a written record of a spouse’s previously held assets. These assets are more easily protected, should their partner have back child support, alimony, taxes, or debt held by creditors that accumulated prior to the marriage. Those who have built up businesses, too, frequently rely on prenuptials to shield rights to an enterprise their spouse had no part in creating.

You can learn more about the potential risks of not having a prenup by watching the Austin divorce seminar.

Currently about 5% of marriages have a prenup in effect. But these kinds of changing conditions in the population are expected to continue to increase the occurrence of such premarital agreements.