Celtic Weddings

Celtic wedding are an perfect way of expressing your being a Celt. It is also a way of integrating traditional values, symbols, themes and customs into major events in your life. However, Celtic wedding are hugely popular not only among people with a Celtic heritage, but among other couples who are taken by the ancient Celtic culture.

Celtic wedding have traditional symbolic decorations, often based on the Celtic knot. Welsh, Irish and Scottish families will sometimes marry in ancient buildings like castles or old manors, but that is not the standard. A traditional Celtic wedding is not greatly different from a normal British wedding in a lot of ways.

However, the number of similarities between Celtic wedding ceremony traditions and normal British-style weddings goes a lot further than that. If you want a traditional British style wedding, you will be going unwittingly for a Celtic wedding. But you can beef up the Celtic element of the wedding ritual even further without sinking into silly theatrics.

This is a traditional Celtic poem about when to marry:

Marry when the year is new, Always loving, kind and true.

When February birds do mate, You may wed, nor dread your fate.

If you wed when March winds blow, Joy and sorrow both you’ll know.

Marry in April when you can, Joy for maiden and for man.

Marry in the month of May, You will surely rue the day.

Marry when June roses blow, Over land and sea you’ll go.

They who in July do wed, Must labour always for their bread.

Whoever wed in August be, Many a change are sure to see.

Marry in September’s shine, Your living will be rich and fine.

If in October you do marry, Love will come but riches tarry.

If you wed in bleak November, Only joy will come, remember.

When December’s showers fall fast, Marry and true love will last.

Here are a few other traditions:

Loving Cup: The traditional cup is a two-handled bowl with Celtic designs engraved onto it. The idea of the Loving Cup ceremony is for the bride and groom to share their first drink together as husband and wife and to demonstrate the coming together of their two families.

The Bell of Truce: A bell is blessed and then presented to the bride and groom. The couple is required to ring the bell, while thinking tender thoughts of each other. The bell is then kept at home as a token of the wedding day. If an argument begins, the bell can be rung by either the husband or wife to call a truce. The tinkling sound is intended to remind the couple of their wedding vows and to help them recall happy memories from their wedding day.

Handfasting: Early Celts used to ?tie the knot?. It originates from a pre-Christian custom of literally tying a couple’s wrists together in a form of probationary marriage lasting a year and a day, at the end of which a new agreement was made or the couple parted ways.

Bride’s Bouquet: In Celtic wedding traditions brides carried herbs beneath their veils to symbolize fidelity, and spices to ward off evil spirits.

Ring finger: Ancient Celts thought that there was a vein in the third finger of the left hand that ran directly to the heart, so ring placed on that finger demonstrated a strong love and vow to the other.

Wedding cake: A thin loaf was broken over the bride’s head at the end of the service to indicate fertility. The wheat from which it was made symbolized fertility and the guests enthusiastically picked up the pieces for good luck charms.

It was also common for the Celtic groom to toss a handful of coins into the crowd after the wedding, in the hope that this would bring them good fortune in the years ahead.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with theCeltic Knot wedding ring. If you have an interest in wedding rings too, please go to our website now at White Gold Claddagh Ring

Unique Wedding Rings

The tradition of giving and wearing a wedding ring dates back thousands of years. A wedding ring symbolizes faithfulness and love between two people and are given on the day of a couple joining forces. Before the time that the knowledge of how to work metal became extensively known, people used such things as plants, grass and even hair to ‘tie the knot’, which is what I think a wedding ring stands for.

These days a typical wedding ring might be made from valuable metals such as gold, titanium, platinum or even white gold. Women’s wedding rings often hold a diamond, although sapphires are rapidly becoming more prevalent. Men’s wedding rings are often just a plain band of gold. There are many distinctive styles of wedding rings, but the most popular for men is definitely the plain gold band.

For those who want something a bit more flamboyant, there are plenty of examples on the market. A man might want a more grandiose wedding ring, because it is often the only piece of jewellery that a man wears. Some alternatives to the plain band of gold are the Celtic Knot and the Claddagh gold rings.

It is essential for men’s wedding rings to be made from a robust alloy of gold. Most men do physical labour of one sort or another, even if it is only gardening, so it is a lot to ask of a pure gold wedding ring to last thirty or forty years.

A 14 or 18 carat gold ring will probably do it, but a 22 carat ring would not. It would just wear away because it is too pure and consequently too soft. Platinum or titanium are much harder, although most people prefer gold.

In most countries tradition dictates that people wear their wedding ring on their left hand, although in a couple of countries such as Germany, Russia and Norway, people wear their wedding ring on the right hand.

Some couples would rather have a unique wedding ring and that is not so hard to accomplish as it might first seem. The simplest way to personalize your ring is to have an inscription like names and a date engraved on it.

Another way, would be to buy a precious stone separately and have the jeweller set it onto the ring for you. The best option though is to find a jeweller you can trust and have him or her make up a pair of identical rings to your own design. I have done that and it is not a lot more expensive than a decent ring.

Wearing matching wedding rings is a notable experience. People notice that your ring is ‘something different’ and many people ask, where you got them from. It all goes to help make that special day unforgettable for ever.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with theCeltic Knot wedding ring. If you have an interest in wedding rings too, please go to our website now at White Gold Claddagh Ring

Going On A Romantic Cruise In Paris

If you are feeling romantic and you want to be alone with your loved one in a romantic place far from petty distractions, why not go to Paris and take a cruise? The cruise ships are gorgeous and offer haute cuisine with fine wines and a wide selection of dishes. Service on board is excellent and if they know that it is a special trip for you, they will go out of their way to make it even more special.

Just by selecting the city of Paris as your venue, you will be conveying the impression of romance, because as everybody knows, Paris has the reputation of being the capital of the world of romance.

So, how do you go about booking one of these cruises? Well, clearly, first of all, you have to be in Paris. This is not a difficulty, if you live in Europe as there are flights and sleeper trains. If you are American, you will have to take the longer-term view and start saving for next year.

Once in your hotel in Paris, you can either ask reception for details or go to one of the many Tourist Information Centres, where everybody speaks English. The cruise line staff will pick you up from your hotel on the appointed day, so that you will not have the hassle of having to find your way through a strange, busy city alone.

Once on board, the pampering begins with your welcoming on board and a free drink to light the fires of romance. You will enjoy four or more hours of this, depending on which cruise you decide on, but they are all wonderfully romantic voyages aboard beautiful cruise liners.

Generally speaking, the cruise will start on the left bank of the river Seine, usually in the vicinity of the Eiffel Tower. Some of these boats are made of a type of perspex, so that your view of the streets and monuments is unimpeded. And of course, all the sights are lit up at night and in quite a stunning fashion too. You will also be able to gaze downwards into the water itself.

As you cruise on this glass boat you will be entertained by some of the finest musicians that Paris can offer you. Solo instrumentalists; quartets; classical music; solo artiste singers or a duet. There are also cruises with more modern music as well, but I don’t find them as romantic as the more traditional stuff. However, you can take all these details into account when you book your romantic cruise in Paris.

You will not only pass by celebrated landmarks, you will also pass very close by them and even underneath them. Famous bridges; Notre Dame; the Louvre, and many more. Not only that, but you will see all these fantastic historical monuments while being pampered by the best hosts that Paris has to offer and drinking fine wines and champagne, seated at the bow of the cruiser in luxury.

Once your romantic cruise and your meal are over, you will be taken to a lavish show on the Champs Elysees, where you will be given a half bottle of champagne on entry. There is no need to worry about driving, so let your hair down and enjoy yourselves.

When you have had a sufficient amount of the high life, you will be transported back to your hotel, in the same manner that you were picked up. However, there are other choices too. You may want to go back to the hotel on a romantic horse and carriage, it will maintain that romantic mood.

Once you get back to your hotel, why not both get in the bath together? Light a few fragrant candles, open another bottle of wine and play some soft music. It will be an evening you will both remember for the rest of your lives, I assure you.

Owen Jones writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with Valentine’s Day Gift Baskets. If you have an interest in romantic gifts, please go over to our website now at Romantic Gifts Ideas. This article, Going On A Romantic Cruise In Paris has free reprint rights.

Marriage Savior: Don’t Allow Your Marriage To Result To Divorce

If your current marriage is on the brink of destruction, then hurry and grab a copy of the Marriage Savior now.

These experts have sat with a lot of couples already and they have related through this book everything they have learned through their experiences as marriage counselors.

Let them show you how to save your marriage in an unconventional way that works. This is better than those conventional methods that don’t work, right?

For example, while a couple is arguing, one of them could declare how much they love the other one. This might not work. You have already been married so it’s already understood that you love your partner, so this words do not mean as important than it was before – especially if it has already been used a lot of times before.

He has used, and many have used this strategy a lot of times already, but it doesn’t work anymore, just because those three words don’t mean a lot anymore. They have been used over and over so its meaning just faded and faded.

Now the second couple is also in a heated argument, but they don’t shout at each other. Instead, they sit on it and calmly talk about it. They work on their differences, and accept each other. This couple’s marriage lasted for 50 years.

To have a long life-lasting marriage learn how to accept each others’ flaws. Don’t try to change each other, instead appreciate them for being the way they are. Overcome and deal with problems as soon as possible, and most of all don’t let jealousy get in the way to having a healthy relationship.

Again, if you’re looking for the easy way to solve you’re arguments, as well as the conventional ways, they are not included in Marriage Savior. They don’t work anyway so why bother? Just trust this book and you’ll never be wrong.

Read more of this author’s work regarding products like saving a marriage and Second Chance Romance.

Saving Money In The Sales

Everyone loves to take advantage of the reduced prices during the holiday sales. In fact, the best day to go looking for special offers is the day after the actual holiday is over.

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving and it is the busiest shopping day of the year. You will get huge savings, but you will have to get up early, be ready to queue and jostle.

Another example is jewellery and St Valentine?s Day. Many men buy their wives or girlfriends jewellery during this period as a St Valentine?s Day gift. However, in the weeks after St Valentine?s Day, you can save a minimum of 30% on the very same pieces of jewellery that were on sale a week before. This is a clear indication that we are being hood-winked on these holiday occasions and that we should wait until the actual holiday is over.

OK, it may not be so romantic to wait, but it must be better to be able to get 30% more gold for your money or to give the same present, but be able to go for a meal too. If I were a woman, I know which alternative I would take!

Or, instead of a nice silver or gold ring, you would be able to afford gold instead of silver or white gold instead of yellow. You could get a exquisite Celtic knot or a Claddagh ring instead of a simple band.

Striking Easter clothing is also expensive before Easter. However, why not buy the items you want after Easter and either make use of them next year or use them for parties, special occasions or church? You can save a bundle of money in this way, just by using a little forward planning.

In order to help reduce how much money you spend on Christmas presents, why not try buying them all year long as and when you find something appropriate in the sales? How many times have you come across something in a sale and said to yourself: ‘that would be the perfect present for so-and-so’? It is better to take advantage of these opportunities and keep the items aside for when the right event comes up.

Then there are those post Christmas sales as well. The Boxing Day sales are a great opportunity to pick up items that you can give as gifts later in the year. And why not buy something for yourself too while you are at it? You can save a lot on your favourite perfumes. Buy enough to last you the rest of the year!

You can make your funds go a lot further if you take advantage of the post holiday sales. Rely on serendipity. Buy opportunistically and you will not only save yourself a lot of money, but you will never be stuck for a gift at the last minute either.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with theCeltic Knot wedding ring. If you have an interest in wedding rings too, please go to our website now at White Gold Claddagh Ring

Making The Most of Speed Dating and Blind Dating

Speed dating and blind dating are mostly revealed to be chaotic in TV and movies. From time to time, they are employed as plots for low-life characters committing assault on trusting women. Fortunately, life never plays out like a movie script. Here is a tutorial of what you can expect if you speed date or agree to a blind date.

So You Want to Speed Date?

For good reasons, speed dating has become really convenient in the past several years. Busy professionals, those recently single, or just plain lonely singles tired of the club scene, find this type of dating is an easy way to meet a lot of potential partners in a very short space of time. There is also the advantage of having easy access to other people in the same situation thus leveling the playing field. No one need feel awkward because all are looking to meet and date someone they can relate to.

Opting for a speed date event is also exhilarating because the fear of rejection is almost completely removed. You probably know what it feels like to approach someone at a bar, at work, or some function only to find out they are already seeing someone or they just are not interested in you. Makes you feel rejected even though you did not know they were already in a relationship or they are simply not looking to date anyone at the moment. So, it’s important that you not take it as a rejection of you as a person.

The emotional impact of rejection is minor at speed dating events and is one of the top reasons why speed dating events are so successful. Everyone attending has the same motive – to meet and date a potential partner whether for fun or something more permanent. While there is a level of rejection, it is not as hurtful as a one-on-one attempt to date a specific person. Think of speed dating events as “artificial” dates designed to bring strangers together to see if there are common interests or chemistry that could result in one or more “real” dates. These dating events give you the chance to see if there is some spark before you go further. It avoids pursuing unrealistic expectations.

Speed dating also teaches us that there are many likely mates and not just one perfect catch for each of us. Mate matching companies make millions by selling the idea that they can help you meet that one ideal person for you. The world is a big place after all. Likes and dislikes vary from person to person as do physical appearance but to say there is only one perfect match for each of us is ridiculous. This is simply not true at all.

This fact should give you hope. The more people you meet, the greater chance of finding several people with whom you can have a meaningful relationship, even marriage.

The size of the speed dating event will determine how many possible matches you are exposed to. You might only be able to sit with a potential partner for as little as 3 minutes. If you attend a small event you might get as much as 10 minutes with each person Some will click with you but you will not click with them, some will leave you cold while they will think you are a hot prospect. There is no formula to follow and no guarantee of success going in. You may have to attend more than one speed date event before you find someone that is a match for a real date.

If you walk away without a dating match, don’t get down on yourself and don’t feel rejected. Remember that many others have the same experience. It’s a numbers game really. Keep at it until you succeed. It beats being rejected by someone in your current sphere of life whom you might see every day.

Blind Dating With Your Eyes Open!

Having a friend or relative fix you up with a blind date has been around since we carried clubs and ate our meat raw. Well, maybe not that long, but at least since we became civilized. And, of course, most of us can remember a disaster when we were paired with someone that our well-meaning friend or relative thought was perfect for us. As if they know what we want. Well, most of the time they simply do not know what we are looking for in a mate. That goes for the blind date they fix us up with, as well. It often is a bad experience for both parties.

So, how do you make a blind date into a positive experience?

The first thing is to go into the date with no foolish expectations of landing your soul mate. A blind date should only be entered into on the idea of two people taking time to know one another. It’s not like speed dating because you have a whole lot more time to do it.

Remove romance or second base scoring out of your mind. In fact, lighten the experience right away by talking with your date about the whole experience of being paired by other people who do not have a clue about each of you. Laugh about it. Remove the jitters by establishing the fact that you just want to get to know your date and have a good time.

Keep all conversation general in nature. If your date wants to talk about personal issues, just listen without judgment or advice unless asked. Don’t get into their past relationships or discuss yours, either, even if they bring it up. Try to steer the conversation in another direction.

You were fixed-up because you seemed to have a lot in common or that your personalities are a match. This may or may not be true at all so be aware of this as you move through the date. Above all, avoid trying to be someone you are not, someone you will always have to be from that point forward if you intend to continue dating this person. It’s a trap that is easy to fall into especially if you are lonely. Stand or fall on who you really are. You’ll be glad you did in the long run.

Want more dating tips? Visit: Best Dating Tips-here.

What To Do And What Not To Do On A Date

Unless you’re probably 13 or younger, chances are you’ve been on a date or two and know the feeling of being unsure of what to say or do. As much as we would like to deny it, there are some unwritten dating ‘rules’ that everyone should follow…which will make everyone, male and female, much more comfortable and content with a date.

Let us first discuss the things you have to do when on a date. First impressions last, and this is an absolute truth when it comes to dating. Try to look your best and be punctual. Nobody wants to go out with somebody who looks like he/she just woke up. To go the other way, flatter and compliment your date on the way they look and the things they wear. Most people (at least not including the slobs briefly mentioned above) make it a point to look as good as possible, so don’t let those efforts go to waste.

Remember to have fun. Show interest in your date while being interesting yourself. Make sure to tell someone if you are not interested in dating them again. It is a downright nasty act to get the other person’s hopes up by not saying anything.

Date anybody you wish as long as you are attracted to him/her, regardless of your friends’ advice and good intentions. Fret not if a date isn’t a success.

Initiate the action when dating. This is the real world, so don’t expect a Fairy Godmother to instantly give you a date. Dating requires positive action so go out there and meet people, as many people as you can. Practice your chat and flirting on shop workers, bar attendants, anywhere and everywhere. It’s fun to be nice and it’s sexy too – being nice is the new black, so to say. Find common companionship, like other single friends of yours who are also interested in dating new people. Ever notice how Carrie Bradshaw and her gang in Sex and the City are always there for each other when it comes to affairs of the heart? Negative friends who don’t condone the dating scene or don’t understand it will only help lower your own expectations and make you feel negative.

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Can a Cheap Wedding Set Be Good Quality?

The question “do wedding bands have to match?” is a common one, but the truth is that there’s no one way for a couple to choose their wedding bands. If corresponding wedding rings do appeal to you, however, there are a lot of options for achieving the look.

The most basic approach to matching wedding rings is choosing two rings or a set that are actually identical in color, width, shape, metal, and so forth. However, if the couple’s hands or ring sizes are drastically different, the same ring can look perfect on one but strange and disproportionate on the other.

Alternately, and more commonly seen, is the practice of pairing wedding bands with some key traits in common such as metal type or design, but presenting differently scaled widths and other slight variations for each.

Another draw of matching wedding rings is that they are often available for sale as sets, which can bring down the price. Tungsten carbide matching wedding rings are an especially great deal, as the same bulk discount generally applies to these already affordable rings. Choosing a tungsten set is the best way to get a high-quality cheap wedding set.

In addition to the basic advice provided here regarding the etiquette of wedding band choices– i.e. they should at least match in some key identifying way such as the metal type, color, or shape-other practices include that of each member of the couple paying for the other’s ring, and for the respective rings to be given to the best man and maid of honor for safe keeping until the rings are exchanged during the ceremony.

Picking out your wedding bands together and finding common ground in styles that match in some way to complement both of you can be a lot of fun when approached with an open mind and creative attitude. This is a great chance to get some practice in making important decisions later, which will, of course, be a big part of your upcoming married life.

“Do wedding bands have to match?” That just depends on what’s best for you & yours. Whether you are searching for a high-ticket platinum set or a top quality yet cheap wedding set, Rings Tungsten has what you’re looking for!. Check here for free reprint license: Can a Cheap Wedding Set Be Good Quality?.

Online Dating Site – Your Modern Way to Date and Socialize

Are you the shy, silent type? Do you find it hard to talk to the opposite sex and consequently stutter and stumble when you ask them out? If you said yes to the two questions above, then why not use the services of a dating site?

Thousands of dating sites around the world provide the perfect avenue for people to find local and international romantic or sexual relationships.

A person’s gender, age, religion, education, status and physical appearance are just some of the factors shown in the dating site that can help you select your partner.

Signing up as a member is the only prerequisite to enjoying the services of these websites. To register, all one needs to do is to give their personal details and contact information.

With varying membership fees, more services are also offered which specifically enables a person to better present himself or herself to interested parties. An example of this added service is video chat.

Because of all these services, these websites do not only assist people in searching for potential dates. Occasionally, marriages can even occur between interested people. And, with the consent of the parties involved, a bride or groom may also be ordered through these sites.

As exciting as online dating can be, one must be careful with fraud and deception over the Internet. This can be either in the form of payments or in the form of misrepresentation of one’s self.

Online dating is just like finding someone in the real world. With a little bit of luck and the right attitude, the perfect date could just be waiting for you at the click of the button.

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Mail-Order Brides Evolved Into Our Current Online Dating

History has shown that one of the most distinctive social aspects of the human race is the need to love and be loved. In fact, in western times, men were notorious for ordering mail-order-brides through the pony express. No matter how slow and how unpredictable the results would be, men were willing to gamble their future just to take a chance at love.

Good thing the Internet arrived. The Internet has transformed the field of dating to a whole new level. With all kinds of communication channels available, potential couples can test out their common interests and dislikes (and even their looks) before making a decision to take it further.

When the concept of mail-order brides started, many quickly signed up to in hopes of getting the bride of their dreams. Unfortunately for some, things did not end up as expected.

Not all mail-order bride matches ended successfully, however. Great hand-writing was not tantamount to great beauty and the romance quickly turned sour once the bride arrived.

So, unfortunately, not everyone would end up happy with who they ended up with. There were probably a few, no doubt, that were really good matches but with the lack of communication channels, it was more likely that people got whom they did not wish for.

Thankfully, current dating sites provide services such as chatting, email, and even webcam facilities which allow people to get to know each other before taking a step further into the ‘relationship’.

Online daters don’t have to struggle to sign-up for a match. They can actually select from a large pool of potential dates. They can read, hear, and see who they might end up with. They have a choice.

To date, there are numerous online dating sites available. For a fee, you can become a member and explore the world of online dating. Or if you don’t want to pay, there are also free websites which only require you to invest in a minimal fee once you want to upgrade to premium membership.

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