Check Local Requirements

5 Months Before the Wedding

To make it official, you need to find out the rules for having a legal marriage in your state. This is most certainly a formality, but a rather important one at that. You will be glad later when you take the time to find out what the marriage license requirements are well in advance at this stage of the wedding planning process. Some states have more stringent requirements than others, and some require more time that you might think. So being the organized bride that you are, this is a great time to look into what requirements you have to fulfill.

Some states require that you go as a couple to the city in which you are getting married to apply for it. This will require signatures from both of you and can usually only happen within a week of the wedding itself. As most city offices are only open during regular business hours, this may require both of you to take a bit of time off of work so be sure that you know this and plan accordingly. It’s also important to understand the time constraints which you are working under, because if you need to apply for the license within a month or week of the wedding, this can be a detail that gets lost in the shuffle. Be sure to mark the date on your calendar as to when you will go take care of any necessary paperwork so that it gets incorporated into your busy schedule.

Some states require that you take a HIV test, and this new requirement can require some timing built in. It’s especially important to understand what timing you are dealing with so that you can work within the parameters and ensure that nothing gets delayed. You can visit the city offices in which you are getting married to talk to a clerk first hand, place a call, or visit their website if they have one to be sure you understand each and every requirement. Your marriage license will then need to be picked up and delivered to the Church or synagogue the day of. Be sure not only to build time in to go pick up the marriage license, but also to assign somebody to bring this with them on the big day. You surely won’t want to concern yourself with this detail the day of, so entrust somebody that you can rely on such as the best man.

Maid of Honor? Be Prepared

(ARA) – The role of the maid of honor can turn into a dress rehearsal for the day when it is your turn to be the bride. The bride’s maid of honor typically has a very close personal relationship with the bride and often serves as confidant and advisor on a variety of issues. Preparations can include selecting wedding colors; choosing the bridesmaid dresses, the caterer and flowers;  identifying a location for the wedding and the reception; and hosting a bridal shower.

This position of honor can be loaded with a lot of work and responsibility as well as a lot of fun. Typical maid-of-honor duties often include shopping with the bride, arranging transportation for the bridal party, communicating plans and responsibilities to the bridal party, selecting and sending out wedding invitations, ensuring the bridal party gets to rehearsals on time, helping during the rehearsal dinner and other events and making sure the reception runs smoothly.

“Deciding to marry is a big step and preparing for a wedding is an extremely stressful process,” says Dr. Douglas Whiteside, director of the Argosy University Seattle Psychology Center. “The bride needs reliable and trusted people around her to help make decisions and transact business. Therefore, the role of the maid of honor is critical in helping the bride cope with the demands of planning a wedding and preparing for a new life.”

She also has official duties such as signing the marriage license along with the best man and participating in the first dance with the best man, holding the groom’s ring during the ceremony, holding the bride’s bouquet during the ceremony and toasting the newlyweds during the reception. Then there are the tender tasks of helping to prepare the bride just before her grand march down the aisle by fixing her hair, adjusting the veil and wiping tears to avoid smudging makeup, along with the tedious task of helping to keep track of the wedding gifts and money cards.

Lest we forget, the toughest task for the maid of honor is the unofficial duty of keeping the bride calm, being a sounding board for the bride and offering thoughtful opinions when major decisions are being made. There is also the responsibility of keeping the bride calm the day of the wedding when nerves and anxiety will be at their peak. Screaming at the caterer, banquet hall attendant or church clerk over a forgotten detail can raise the stress level of the bride and those around her prior to the wedding. This can take the mood of this festive occasion in a wrong direction.

Assisting the bride through this delicate and stressful process also means looking out for her emotional well-being. The maid of honor often tells jokes to make the bride laugh and help reduce her stress level, and makes sure the bride eats healthy meals to keep her nourished and balanced. On top of all that, the best maid of honor must be a good listener in order to provide the necessary emotional support the bride needs leading up to and the day of the wedding, as she prepares for the start of her new life.

Courtesy of ARAcontent