Usually, getting married on a romantic beach in the Dominican Republic is a dream come true, but not for this couple. Mike Goodhall and Heidi Loader loved their ceremony. It was quiet and beautiful, something to be remembered and treasured forever. It was a more dry issue of paperwork that is causing all the problems.

They hired a travel agent named Thomas Cook to take care of the legalities and to send their marriage certificate back to England. Apparently, he misspelled Mike’s last name as “Goodhael” rather than Goodhall. It’s been four months now and the newlyweds are still not legally joined. None of their calls have been returned, either. The agency of course points the finger at the Dominican government, saying they are waiting on officials to send back the corrected form, but the agency is also not willing to reimburse any of the money lost by their mistake.

This is another sad example that proves how important it is to investigate and research about the people you hire for your wedding. Everyone from the photographer to the caterer needs to have more than  a few good references from people you know. Check online to see if there are any complaints or lawsuits filed against the business or person your considering. Also try the Better Business Bureau. Even when shopping for the reception favors, look before you leap. If you’re also going to have exotic locale nuptials, you can get travel wedding favors without worry by shopping the high ranking favor websites in the search engines. You can even get themed favors for a beach wedding at the right stores.

It used to be that weddings were all about a bride and groom sharing their love with all the family and friends. However, a recent survey revealed that there’s a new, expensive trend among engaged couples. I call it the Show Off Syndrome. Everyone wants their wedding to be the fanciest and best that their guests have ever been to, so therefore the matrimonial celebrations need to be the most expensive.

The average cost of getting married today has sky rocketed to just under $39,000! A survey also showed that only 26%, a mere 1 in 4, are hoping that their big day shows everyone how much they love each other. All other couples want their day of holy matrimony to blow the socks off of every guest.

In today’s society, often times a person’s personal worth is measured by how much they have, and this has now transferred to couples as they prepare their walk down the aisle. Even if you and your spouse are one of those couples who care more about glamour than romance, you can have a memorable ceremony without spending too much. One way to save big money on locations and transportation is to have the wedding and reception right next to each other. There are many churches and other locales that are willing to work with couples on this.

You can also save money by shopping for discounts on flowers, decorations and favors. An inexpensive wedding favor is easy to find if you know where to look. Try shopping online wedding stores to find special deals. Even if you’re looking for a themed item, like travel wedding favors, you can still get a good price. This is helpful if the wedding is in an exotic location or in a different country since traveling expenses are going to be high enough.

Most betrothed couples would love to get married in a romantic or exotic location. Eva Longoria of “Desperate Housewives” and her basketball player groom-to-be, Tony Parker, are no exception. This summer (reportedly on July 7th) the two will wed in an ancient castle just north of Paris, the romantic capitol of the world. Reportedly, it’s going to  be a traditional Mexican wedding, with all  the flare and celebration. Watch out France!

Any bride or groom can throw a themed ceremony anywhere in the world without busting the budget. There are many romantic locales that are perfect for a ceremony or reception. You can play up the travel motif with some travel destination wedding favors and gifts for your guests. For example, one present any person would love is a candle wedding favor.

The wedding gown of Queen Elizabeth II will go on display this summer. It was 60 years ago exactly that she married Prince Philip, and the clothes of all the wedding party will be exhibited together for the first time since the nuptials in 1947. It is said the the dress, even with its age, still looks amazing with its 10,000 seed pearls and 13 feet long bridal train.

Even though your wedding may not be remembered the world over, you can still make it memorable for all your guests. The easiest way to do this is by giving great gifts that will last a lifetime. One example is coaster wedding favors. They can be kept and even used as keepsakes forever. Siver plated wedding favors will also last forever and make beautiful gifts.

Exercising is usually painful,  and that makes is very difficult to commit, even when it’s for your wedding. Brides are known for busting their backsides to look great in their wedding gown, but what about the grooms? We want to look sexy too! Who wants a big gut underneath the tuxedo? Not me! Of course, I didn’t really exercise very hard before my big day. There was just too many other things to plan and prepare for, not least of which was being a husband for the rest of my life. Still, looking back I would have liked to have a toned body to match my smokin’ hot bride. Many of our honeymoon photos have been lost, and part of me is okay with that because I would like to someday redo the whole trip. Here are a few tips I can pass on to my fellow grooms for getting in shape before tying the knot.

Get your groomsemen to do it with you. Make them earn those groomsmen wedding gifts! My best man lived a distance away from me, but if he lived nearby, we always enjoyed working out together. It’s much easier to have support with you. If that can’t work, your fiancee would probably find it sweet that you want to exercise with her so you can look good for her special day.  

One of the keys to having a successful exericise program is to streamline all the other wedding planning. This will reduce stress for the groom and bride. Get a notebook with all the notes and receipts for wedding items, like flowers, location reservations, limo reservations, etc. You should also go for the cheaper route whenever you can. Even though the father of the bride is supposed to cover most of the cost, it still makes things easier. One of the easiest ways to do this is by finding affordable decorations and inexpensive wedding favors. You can even get themed gifts, like love wedding favors without spending too much money.

The actress Kirsten Dunst, known so well for her role in the Spider Man movies, is already envisioning her dream wedding to the Razorlight rock musician Johnny Borrell. There are no wedding bells planned for any time soon, but Dunst has said that her ideas for the perfect ceremony have changed. As a little girl, she wanted a big wedding; what little girl doesn’t? Now, though, she revealed that a nice, small gathering of family a friends to witness their nuptials on a beach on a remote island would be perfect.

Many people, like Dunst, change their minds over time about having the traditional large gathering. Tying the knot has taken on many different forms, and couples all over the world have embraced that over the past century. In fact, many also dream of traveling to an exotic locale to get married, and there are even travel destination wedding favors made just for those kinds of receptions. There are plenty of sources of inforamtion for weddings out there, including many a wedding blog. The best news is that it doesn’t have to cost a bundle, even to have a celebrity style wedding. For the after party, there are many inexpensive wedding favors on the market.