How much do you love your pet?

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Wedding Planning

If you want perfect wedding you must know why man should not plan a wedding!

Planning Checklist

Mark an "X" when the task is completed!!

	Announce Engagement
	Select Wedding Date
	Hire wedding consultant/coordinator
	Determine type of wedding: location, theme, # of guests, formality, time of day
	Determine budget & how expenses will be shared
	Buy a daytimer to keep track of appointments & events
	Develop a record keeping system for payments
	Create an approximate # guest list
	Decide if you will be inviting children or not
	Select and reserve ceremony site
	Select and book Officiant/Priest/Minister/Rabbi
	Select and book reception location
	Select and order bridal gown
	Determine colour scheme
	If ceremony or reception is at a home, arrange for any home improvements
	Obtain, passports, visas, birth certificates, any documents need for travel and/or marriage licenses

	Select and book caterer, if needed
	Select and book photographer
	Select wedding party
	Give wedding party a list of their responsibilities
	Select and buy attire or bridesmaids & flower girl
	Select and buy attire for mothers of the bride and groom
	Select and book ceremony musicians
	Select and book live band or DJ for reception
	Select and book videography
	Select and book florist
	Register for your wedding gifts (this can be done sooner)

	Schedule fittings for custom made bridesmaids gowns
	Arrange marriage prep-courses, if necessary
	Reserve rental items
	Select and book decorator
	Finalize an A and B list of guests
	Select and order invitations and other wedding stationary
	Set date, time and location for rehearsal dinner
	Select and book honeymoon night suite
	Arrange accommodations for out-of-town guests
	Start planning your honeymoon
	Shop for your wedding gifts to each other
	Shop for your wedding gifts to your wedding party
	Shop for your wedding gifts to your parents
	Buy shoes, lingerie and accessories for the bride
	Buy shoes and accessories for the bridesmaids
	Select and order wedding bands

	Take formal engagement picture
	Select and order wedding cake
	Order party favours/bombonniere
	Select and order decorations
	Purchase honeymoon attire and luggage
	Select and book wedding day transportation
	Start addressing your invitations
	Plan activities for out-of-town guests (optional)
	Go on trials and book wedding day hair and makeup. Bring your headpiece and wear a white shirt
	Obtain marriage license (expires in 3 months)
	Send out your invitations
	Select ceremony readers
	Select ushers to seat your guests
	Select guest book attendant
	Select your MC
	Mail invitations to shower
	Get photography permit, if needed

	Maintain a record of RSVP's and early wedding gifts
	Maintain a record of shower gifts and send thank you's
	Purchase all ceremony and reception accessories: guest book, toasting glasses, garter, ring pillow, etc.
	Select and reserve wedding attire for all gentlemen
	Mail invitations to rehearsal dinner
	Plan bridesmaid luncheon
	Select your something old, new, borrowed, blue

	Finalize all food and beverages for wedding
	Finalize all ceremony details with Officiant
	Finalize all rehearsal arrangements
	Finalize all floral arrangements
	Final fittings for yourself and bridesmaids
	Make a wedding day itinerary
	Give a copy of the itinerary to your wedding party and vendors
	Finalize all details with all your vendors
	Decide order of receiving line and head table setting
	Contact guest that haven't replied
	Pick up wedding rings
	Give photographer a photo checklist
	Visit reception site for floor plan
	Create reception seating plan
	Give musicians a list of your music selection
	Inform attendants when and where to pick up attire
	Determine VIP seating for ceremony seating
	Print out seating cards
	Pick up honeymoon tickets

	Give caterer/reception venue final tally of guests
	Pack of your honeymoon
	Wrap reception flavours/bombonniere
	Arrange mail collection while you are on honeymoon

	Drop all wedding accessories and decor off at ceremony and reception locations
	Make sure you bring all gifts that will be handed out at dinner
	Make sure you have all final payments in envelopes for wedding day
	Pack over night bag for honeymoon suite
	Make sure wedding party has their itinerary
	Make sure gentlemen have black socks
	Go to church for rehearsal
	Review VIP seating with ushers at ceremony location

	Most of the details will be on your wedding day itinerary
	Eat breakfast
	Pack anything remaining on your "To Bring" list in cars
	Make sure Maid of Honour has groom's ring and Best Man has bride's ring
	Make sure you have your marriage license, photo permit and Special Occasions Permit, if needed
	Put your engagement ring on your right hand
	Use your wedding day itinerary to get you through the day on some sort of trouble
	Remember to look around and soak in the views of the day you planned so long and hard for.

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Valentine's Day around the world

A couple kisses on Kiev's Bridge of Lovers in Ukraine yesterday.

Lovers around the world found ways and means to express their feelings on Valentine's Day - from a heartfelt, verbal expression or a simple SMS 

message to a romantic dinner or an amorous holiday abroad.

In the United States alone, consumers were expected to spend $17 billion on cards, flowers, chocolates and expensive trinkets. And nearly half of Americans were expected to celebrate the day with a special night out. Globarati.com listed 10 hotels ideal for an intimate hideaway. These include Las Ventanas al Paraiso in Los Cabos, Mexico, Mykonos Grand in Mykonos, Greece, Nam Hai in Hoi An, Vietnam and Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire in Hampshire, England.

The Maltese like to pamper themselves on the day with a dinner for two, which can turn out to be quite an expensive fare, while most hotels offer special accommodation rates for couples. Others opt for a less expensive wine bar or the cinema which also offers advantageous rates for couples.

But St Valentine's Day is not only a day for lovers; some adventurous singles try out their luck to find love on the day while others use the day to raise awareness on sensitive issues.

Australians sought love speed-dating in deckchairs on Bondi Beach, while Filipinos sang syrupy ballards. Contrary to its racy reputation, Thailand told police and "student inspectors" to stake out motels, malls and parks to ensure youngsters behaved themselves on the "Day of Love", when polls say many teenagers have sex for the first time.

In China, where homosexuality was listed as a mental illness until 2001, 20 gay and lesbian activists in Beijing marked the day by handing out roses to promote awareness and same-sex marriages.

A day before Valentine's Day, more than 500 Japanese women sailed across the Ashino-ko lake at the foot of Mount Fuji, then trekked through a snow-covered forest to pray for love at the small red Kuzuryu shrine, a famous divine match-making site.

On Valentine's Day, Japanese women give chocolate to men. Men give gifts to women on March 14th called White Day. This tradition started as a marketing tool for chocolate companies in Japan. Japanese women are encouraged to express love to men by giving chocolate and other gifts on February 14th.

 Colorful Valentine’s Day cakes and goodies decorate a window at a pastry shop in Tokyo's Midtown on Thursday.

South Korea put a typically modern spin on the traditional festival, with a mobile phone operator promoting a "Love Detector" service that is supposed to analyse voice patterns to see if a lover is speaking honestly and with affection.

Valentine's Day in the Philippines was celebrated traditionally, with a riot of red and pink roses, heart-shaped cards and syrupy love ballads.

But Manila's Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales warned against "exclusive moments" between unmarried couples.

A male diver moves closer to kiss a female diver as a cupid diver waits in the background during a promotional campaign to entertain visitors at Manila's ocean park a day before Valentine's Day Friday, Feb. 13, 2009 (AP Photo/Pat Roque)

In Bulgaria, lovers can officially ignore Valentine's Day because the day is given over to the celebration of wine and St Trifon The Pruner, although Valentine's Day popularity is quickly growing among the young.Although February 14 is popularly dedicated to St Valentine's, the confusion over its origins led the Catholic Church, in 1969, to drop St Valentine's Day from the Roman calendar of official, worldwide Catholic feasts. Instead, the feast of St Cyril and St Methodius is celebrated on February 14. Valentine's Day was first linked to romance by Chaucer in a 1381 poem, according to some references. The exchange of cards was popularised in England not long after.

Factbox Possible origins of Valentine's Day

• Although there were several Christian martyrs named Valentine,the day probably took its name from a priest who was martyred about AD 270 by the Roman emperor Claudius II Gothicus. According to legend, the priest signed a letter to his jailer's daughter, with whom he had fallen in love, "from your Valentine".

• The day may also have originated in the ancient Roman celebration of the Feast of Lupercalia in honour of Juno, the queen of the Roman gods and goddesses, on February 14. Juno was also the goddess of women and marriage so honouring her was thought to be a fertility rite.

• At the feast held the next day, the women would write love-letters and stick them in a large urn. The men would pick a letter from the urn and, for the next year, pursue the woman who wrote the chosen letter. This custom lasted centuries.

Unfortunately for lovers in Saudi Arabia, religious police have banned red roses, forcing couples in the conservative Muslim nation to think of new ways to show their love.

Everywhere you look, love is in the air - except in Saudi Arabia. While people around the world celebrate Valentine's Day on Thursday, residents of Saudi Arabia are banned by law from participating. Roses have disappeared from the flower stands, and simply wearing red could get you arrested.

The Saudi religious police, commonly referred to as Muttawa, have enforced a ban on Valentine's Day because of its original connection to Saint Valentine. During the month of February, public items pertaining to love and romance are banned. The color red, festive candy, roses and hearts are prohibited, creating a unique underground Valentine’s scene for those who want to celebrate.

Many Saudi citizens - as well as foreign residents - oppose the government’s ruling and buck the ban. Romance takes on a new twist when spoiling your sweetheart requires dodging the law and dipping into the black market. But that’s what you have to do if you want to spread the love.

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How to Say Happy Valentine's Day

Impress your loved one by saying 'Happy Valentine's Day' in another language! This shows your that you took time to do something special for them, and even more is something more precious than chocolates, hearts, cards, flowers, diamonds, or jewelry! So, here are some various language to learn how to say Happy Valentine's Day!

To say 'Happy Valentine's Day' in Spanish, Feliz día de San Valentín!

Say in French, Joyeuse Saint-Valentin.

Say in Japanese, yukai barentaindee dei. To write it in Japanese - ハッピー バレンタイン

To say in Italian, Buon San Valentino.

To say in Turkish, say Mutlu Sevgililer Günü. As well, try Sevgililer Gününüz kutlu olsun.

Say in brazilian (portuguese), Feliz Dia dos Namorados. They celebrate a "valentine's day" on June 16, but it holds the same meaning.

Say in Indonesian (bahasa), Selamat Hari Kasih Sayang.

Say on Serbian, Srecan dan zaljubljenih!

Say on Croatian, Sretno Valentinovo!

Or on different, weir  way: 

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Happy Valentine's Day

The History of Valentine's Day

Every February, across the country, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday? The history of Valentine's Day — and its patron saint — is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite?

 Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.

One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men — his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.

According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl — who may have been his jailor's daughter — who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It's no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.

While some believe that Valentine's Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine's death or burial — which probably occurred around 270 A.D — others claim that the Christian church may have decided to celebrate Valentine's feast day in the middle of February in an effort to 'christianize' celebrations of the pagan Lupercalia festival. In ancient Rome, February was the official beginning of spring and was considered a time for purification. Houses were ritually cleansed by sweeping them out and then sprinkling salt and a type of wheat called spelt throughout their interiors. Lupercalia, which began at the ides of February, February 15, was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.

To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at the sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would then sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification.

The boys then sliced the goat's hide into strips, dipped them in the sacrificial blood and took to the streets, gently slapping both women and fields of crops with the goathide strips. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed being touched with the hides because it was believed the strips would make them more fertile in the coming year. Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. The city's bachelors would then each choose a name out of the urn and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage. Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine's Day around 498 A.D. The Roman 'lottery' system for romantic pairing was deemed un-Christian and outlawed. Later, during the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds' mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of February — Valentine's Day — should be a day for romance. The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. The greeting, which was written in 1415, is part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England. Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois.

In Great Britain, Valentine's Day began to be popularly celebrated around the seventeenth century. By the middle of the eighteenth century, it was common for friends and lovers in all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes. By the end of the century, printed cards began to replace written letters due to improvements in printing technology. Ready-made cards were an easy way for people to express their emotions in a time when direct expression of one's feelings was discouraged. Cheaper postage rates also contributed to an increase in the popularity of sending Valentine's Day greetings. Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began to sell the first mass-produced valentines in America.

According to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated one billion valentine cards are sent each year, making Valentine's Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year. (An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas.)

Approximately 85 percent of all valentines are purchased by women. In addition to the United States, Valentine's Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia.

Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages (written Valentine's didn't begin to appear until after 1400), and the oldest known Valentine card is on display at the British Museum. The first commercial Valentine's Day greeting cards produced in the U.S. were created in the 1840s by Esther A. Howland. Howland, known as the Mother of the Valentine, made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as "scrap".

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