Happy Thanksgiving from Blessings All Around

CYBER MONDAY SAVINGS

CYBER MONDAY

30% SAVINGS

Planning a wedding, baby blessings, baptism, memorial or funeral service? Take advantage of Blessings All Around's CYBER MONDAY savings

The specifics:
1. Your agreement must be received my 11:59pm, Monday November 26, 2012
2. Your deposit must be received by 7:00pm, Tuesday, November 27, 2012

3. Your ceremony must be performed by November 1, 2013.
4. The 30% discount applied to ceremony, not travel costs (if applicable).

Visit www.BlessingsAllAround.com  for ceremony options.

Black Friday Wedding Savings

BLACK FRIDAY 

50% SAVINGS

Planning a wedding, baby blessings, baptism, memorial or funeral service? Take advantage of Black Friday savings.

The specifics:
1. Your agreement must be received my 11:59pm, Friday November 23, 2012
2. Your deposit must be received by 7:00pm, Saturday, November 24, 2012

3. Your ceremony must be performed by November 1, 2013.
4. The 50% discount applied to ceremony, not travel costs (if applicable).

Visit www.BlessingsAllAround.com  for ceremony options. 

NEW WEDDING TREND: MORNING AFTER AND BOUDOIR PHOTOS

PHOTO CREDIT: MICHELLE JONNE

Looking for a way to add a little more spice to your wedding festivities? Join the growing number of newlyweds who are steaming up their pre and post nuptials with sexy photo shoots. Give him a revealing photo of you nicely framed, and accentuating your positives, or how about showcasing the newlywed glow in a photo shoot set the day after the deal has been sealed.

Morning after and Boudoir photos are quickly becoming the hottest new wedding trend. These photo shoots give the couples a “time out” from all the stressful events of wedding planning, and captures memories not often reflected in the ordinary wedding album.

PHOTO CREDIT: MELISSA SQUIRES

Boudoir photos have been gaining popularity since 2009. The term boudoir means bedroom in French, hence these photos are often taken in ladies bedroom, dressing room or other intimate space. Boudoir photos tend to accentuate your positives and little to no clothing is worn.

Typically given as a pre-marital gift to your future husband, a boudoir photo captures you in an intimate light for his eyes only.

This is a gift that keeps on giving as he can look at it and be reminded just why he married you. Studios that shoot boudoir sessions can be found in every urban city and can run you $150 - $450.

Morning after photos consist of the freshly married couple in sexy, intimate poses together. Michelle Jonne, a New Jersey based photographer came up with the idea and said she was inspired by ad campaigns by Emporio Armani featuring David and Victoria Beckham.

The photos are meant to capture the glow of the early stages of marriage. The shoots are scheduled one day to a couple of weeks after the wedding and can take place in the couple’s home or even the hotel room where the honeymoon took place. Many couples frame the favorite and place it over there bed, others choose to post the pictures on Face Book, or to create a private photo album to be shared between them.

PHOTO CREDIT: MICHELLE JONNE

The average cost for morning after shoot is around $650. It’s still a growing trend and has taken a strong hold on the east coast. However, we are slowly seeing other studios in the west take up these sexy sessions. Any good photographer should be easily able to capture the essence of you and your husband’s love. The key is finding someone that can make you guys comfortable and snap those priceless moments.

There has been a little opposition to the photos on recent blogs, with people accusing couples of being “vain” and seeking attention. Some have even gone so far to label it as porn! I believe like any other photo session, you are seizing a moment in time, that you are documenting the history of your love story.

What do you think, are the racy photos too much? Let us know what you think in the comments section.

Afrocentric Wedding Traditions

From jumping the broom to tasting the elements -- we've got seven great ways to help you add some culture to your big day.

1. Knocking on the Door

Since marriage in African culture is considered the official joining of two families, a large emphasis is placed on getting family permissions and blessings before the wedding. In Ghana, the groom requests permission through the custom of "knocking on the door." Bearing gifts, he visits his potential in-laws accompanied by his own family. If his "knock" is accepted, the families celebrate and wedding planning begins. Or, simply plan an outing (like a brunch or dinner date) to bring both families together before the wedding and begin forming family bonds.

2. Jumping the Broom

This tradition most likely originated with an African ritual in which a broom is used to demonstrate that all past problems have been swept away. During slave days, African-Americans were forbidden to marry and live together, so jumping over a broom was a formal and public declaration of the couple's commitment. Today, it has become very popular for African-American couples to follow suit at the conclusion of their wedding ceremony. The broom, often handmade and beautifully decorated, can be displayed in the couple's home after the wedding. Check with local cultural institutions for broom makers and suppliers.

3. Crossing Sticks

In a lesser-known tradition that also dates back to the slavery era, African-American couples demonstrated their commitment by crossing tall wooden sticks. By crossing the sticks, which represent the power and life force within trees, the couple expresses a wish for a strong and grounded beginning. If you decide to incorporate this tradition, choose large branches from both of your families' homes or from a place meaningful to you as a couple.

4. Libation Ceremony

Many African-American couples incorporate a libation ceremony into their weddings as a way to honor their African ancestors. Holy water, or alcohol, is poured onto the ground in each of the cardinal directions as prayers are recited to the ancestral spirits, and names of those that have recently passed are called out. The libation ceremony can also be used as an opportunity to honor the elders in a family, asking them to pass on their wisdom and guidance.

5. Tying the Knot

In some African tribes, the bride and groom have their wrists tied together with cloth or braided grass to represent their marriage. To symbolize your own unity, have your officiant or a close friend tie your wrists together with a piece of kente cloth or a strand of cowrie shells (symbols of fertility and prosperity), while affirming your commitment.

6. Tasting the Four Elements

In a ritual adapted from a Yoruba tradition, the bride and groom taste four flavors that represent different emotions within a relationship. The four flavors typically used are sour (lemon), bitter (vinegar), hot (cayenne), and sweet (honey). By tasting each of the flavors, the couple symbolically demonstrates that they will be able to get through the hard times in life, and, in the end, enjoy the sweetness of marriage.

7. Kola Nuts

Kola nuts play an important role in African weddings. The nut, which is used for medicinal purposes in Africa, represents the couple's (and their families') willingness to always help heal each other. In Nigeria, the ceremony is not complete until a kola nut is shared between the couple and their parents. Among African Muslims the nut is also a symbol of fertility, and is exchanged with family members during the engagement celebration. Many African-American couples incorporate the sharing of a kola nut into their ceremonies, and then keep the nut in their home afterwards as a reminder to always work at healing any problems they encounter.

-- Robin Beth Schaer

Read more: Ceremony: 7 Afrocentric TraditionsTheKnot.com - http://wedding.theknot.com/wedding-planning/wedding-ceremony/articles/7-afrocentric-wedding-ceremony-traditions.aspx#ixzz21fWvASst