Romance Tracker

Wedding photo albums: a professional scrapbook for your pictures

Finding a good wedding photographer is one thing, but finding someone who can take great pictures and then organize them into an even better wedding photo album is another matter entirely.  It’s a sad truth that there are plenty of good wedding photographers out there, but there just aren’t as many who can take the pictures of your most precious moment and arrange them into a really professional wedding photo album that will act as a scrapbook of your wedding pictures to show off for the rest of your life.

Learning to point and shoot pictures of a bride and groom exchanging their wedding vows is relatively easy to do compared to putting together an inexpensive wedding photo album, even with the tons of high-tech picture editing programs out on the market today.  You may be a wedding photographer with an ultra-expensive camera and the best picture editing software out there, but making the jump from being a  good photographer to a great wedding album creator is a long one.

So here’s our advice: when you’re doing research to choose the right wedding photographer, don’t just ask to see his or her best pictures.  Instead, also ask for samples of some of their best wedding photo albums, as well, and see how they put the pictures together and what kind of presentation they create.  Remember, there will potentially be hundreds of pictures taken by your photographer at your wedding, and you need to be sure that he is able to choose the best ones to highlight and that really capture the heart and soul of your wedding day.

In addition, your wedding photographer has to be able to timelessly capture these pictures in a seamless, flowing fashion in your wedding scrapbook.  If the photo album doesn’t portray the wonderful feelings shared by the bride and groom, then it just isn’t worth it.  And even if the wedding photo album is top quality and very well put together, it still isn’t worth it if the photographer charges far too much or doesn’t get them to you in a timely fashion.  Affordability and speed are important factors, too!

So to reiterate, always make sure that one of the criteria you use to judge a photographer is a good sampling of their recent wedding photo albums.  If you don’t check to make sure that you’ll be getting good wedding pictures and a good wedding scrapbook, you may regret it for the rest of your life!

Romantic wedding jewelry: pearls, gold, platinum, silver or diamonds?

Do brides really like diamonds best when it comes to their wedding jewelry?  And do grooms prefer simple gold?  Many times, the cliches are in place because they are generally true, and the same goes for wedding jewelry, rings, necklaces and bands.  In our society, a diamond wedding ring is the jewelry most preferred by brides, and grooms tend toward less expensive silver, gold or platinum, minus the precious stones. 

But does that mean that there is something wrong with you if your tastes are a bit different, and you prefer wedding jewelry that doesn’t go with the norm?  Of course not!  There are plenty examples of successful, fun weddings that featured beautiful brides and handsome grooms who wore wedding jewelry that was unique and far from cliche.  Whether your tastes in wedding jewelry include pearls or rubies or emeralds or other less common materials, you’ll look great if you stay true to your tastes.

We’ve all heard the stories of the husband and wife who have been married for fifty years and whose wedding rings only cost a few dollars because that’s all they could afford.  You see, regardless of what material your wedding jewelry is fashioned from, it’s your love that will make your marriage successful, not the type of jewelry.

Besides, your relationship and tastes are unique in the world, and you should be true to that individuality when you choose your wedding jewelry.  While there is nothing wrong with wanting an old-fashioned or traditional wedding, that doesn’t mean that every single aspect has to fall in line . . . and that includes your wedding jewelry!  Don’t let other people’s opinions decide what your wedding ring or band will look like.  Instead, let your opinion—and the taste of your fiance—decide what the details of your wedding will entail.

An important question to keep in mind if you do want to be unique, however, is whether or not you and your fiance will have the same style of wedding jewelry.  While there’s no problem with having different style wedding rings, most brides and grooms feel that their jewelry should at least be similar.  And it really isn’t difficult to find a woman’s wedding ring and man’s wedding band that are both unique but that share common characteristics.  Just remember top do your research . . . and remain true to your own tastes!

Happy Sweetest Day gifts and date ideas

It’s that time of year again: happy Sweetest Day! And along with Valentine’s Day, there are few days that are more perfectly suited to a site like Romance Tracker. Sweetest Day is not quite as old a tradition as its counterpart in February, but it’s still one of the best times to show your wife, girlfriend, boyfriend or husband how much you love them with special inexpensive romantic gifts or dates. Let’s talk about a few great cheap Sweetest Day gifts and date ideas that you can use to add a little more romance to your relationship and show your sweetheart just how much they mean to you.

One of the themes of Romance Tracker is that you don’t have to spend lots of money to make a truly meaningful romantic gesture, and Sweetest Day is a great example to show how true this is. The greatest romantic presents and dates are the ones that you put thought into, and there are plenty of romantic inspirations out there for this special day. Rather than going straight to the most expensive Sweetest Day gift you can find, why not think about a few options for your sweetheart that are cheaper, but better able to show the deep love and affection you have for them?

That’s not to say that you should be too cheap on Sweetest Day, or just stop with buying candy or ordering flowers for your lover. Small gifts and romantic cards are great, but make sure there is something special and unique behind everything you do for your sweetheart. Every romantic relationship has unique aspects and moments that can’t be found in any other, and it’s easy to weave that unique flavor of your romance into your special day. Remember: the most romantic Sweetest Day dates aren’t at four-star restaurants that cost an arm and leg, but rather at special places that fit with the uniqueness of your relationship.

Rather than an expensive date at a restaurant, how about taking your sweetheart on a romantic picnic in the park for sweetest day (if the weather is nice enough!). And instead of buying your special someone diamonds or gold, wouldn’t it mean more to them if you put some thought and time into creating something or writing something yourself? Even a small, simple love letter or romantic poem can be a great Sweetest Day gift, and you don’t have to be the best writer in the world to create meaningful poetry!

Just remember that the cost of your present or date has nothing to do with how well it will be received or appreciated by your lover. Sweetest Day is a special event that comes only once a year, and it deserves some special thought and consideration. Start the day off with a bang by making your sweetheart breakfast in bed or giving them another special surprise, and keep the romance going strong all day with little surprises. Then top things off with a wonderful romantic evening at home or in a special place where you can let your sweetheart see that they are the most important thing in your life.

The virtual dating game: can you find love online?

You hear a lot about the dating game, in which men and women play a game with unspoken rules and parameters in order to find the perfect person for them and start a long-term relationship.  Sometimes single people can end up playing the dating game for years before they strike gold, but the idea of a virtual dating game, where singles look for love online instead of playing the same old game in bars and clubs.

While dating can be tedious and uncomfortable, the virtual dating game lets you have more anonymity while you search for love online.  Quite often you are able to get to know about the people you meet online before ever having to meet them face-to-face.  In this way, the dating game is made much easier with modern technology and the Internet.

But is a virtual dating game really the best thing to build a strong and long-lasting romance, or is it the old-fashioned face-to-face dating game that is more conducive to strong relationships? While there’s nothing wrong with using the Internet to try to find your true love, it does make it much more impersonal to play the dating game on the computer rather than in the traditional manner.

Before you make the decision to ditch the traditional dating game at social sites and turn to the Internetm make sure that you are fine with the fact that you’ll be giving up a lot of familiarity with the regular scene and that the web is full of lots of people who aren’t what they seem.  While the online dating game may give you the anonymity you are searching for, you could also end up playing a game in which you don’t know the identities of the other players!

Regardless of whether you decide to play the online dating game or the traditional, up close and personal dating game, just remember to take it all with a grain of salt and, more than anything, have fun!

Love and romance in the Bible: quotes, verses and scriptures

Here on Romance Tracker, we’ve pointed out that love themes are present in almost every form of art, history and literature that humanity has ever produced.  But what about love and romance in the Bible, which many people consider the greatest book ever written?  Is there wisdom about romance and relationships in the quotes and scriptures of the Old Testament and the New Testament?

The most obvious answer that many faithful Christians would present is that the entire reason Jesus Christ died on the cross was for a great and deep love for mankind, and that there is no better example of selfless love in all of human history than in the New Testament of the Bible.  While this may not entail romantic love, we have learned that there are many different types of love and that they are no less powerful than romance, and this is one excellent example of love in the Bible.

But beyond the example of Jesus’s love for mankind and his sacrifice on the cross, there are plenty of examples of romantic love in bible, as well.  So many, in fact, that it would be impossible to name them all in one short article!  The power of romantic love between a man and woman, and God’s approval of faithful marriages and long-term commitments, are present throughout the bible. 

I’m sure all of us can easily think of the earliest example: Adam and Eve!  This was the world’s first romance, and while things didn’t initially turn out too well for them in the bible (they were banished from heaven on Earth in the form of the Garden of Eden), it is arguable that their romance set the stage for love as it would exist throughout the rest of human history.  And after Adam and Eve, there are endless examples of love and romance throughout the rest of the Old Testament and the New Testament.

So, does romance and love exist in the scriptures of the bible?  Of course, and the stories are easily found in its pages.  Love and romance are an important ingredient of every story in human history, and are every bit as present in the greatest book ever written!

Overcoming Loneliness: How To Never Be Lonely Again

True loneliness is without a doubt one of the most heart wrenching and painful experiences that can happen to an individual, and all of us have felt lonely at one point in our lives.  While there is a minority that might enjoy only having the company of themselves, for most people real contentment goes hand-in-hand with human companionship.  And while being lonely might not affect you as immediately as going without food or shelter, long-term loneliness can have a severely debilitating affect on anyone’s life.

While Romance Tracker deals mainly with issues of romance and romantic love, in this post we’re going to focus not on romantic loneliness, but rather on a general absence of human interaction.  There are a couple reasons for this: first, fulfilling companionship doesn’t always have to be of the romantic type to satisfy a person.  Secondly, we believe that if you truly eradicate loneliness from your life, and focus on being a happier and more content person who interacts with many people, that your chances of finding true love become much higher.

Although your long term goal might be to forge many friendships and relationships with a large variety of people, like any undertaking you should approach overcoming loneliness one step at a time.  Making close friends will come with time, but in order to find people who have more in common with you, you need to make the decision to go to them. 

What are your favorite hobbies, passions, interests and talents?  No matter how quirky or strange, there is guaranteed to be an organization, group or gathering place that caters to people with those same interests.  Far too many people doom themselves to being lonely by convincing themselves that no one else could possibly be interested in the same things they are.  This is a huge mistake, and a quick check on your favorite Internet search engine will show you that there are countless groups of people out there looking to make contact with someone just like you.

In the end, the secret to never being lonely again is by seeking out intellectual and moral support and companionship.  These people will not find you if you don’t take the first step and innitiate contact, and they will most likely be very happy to welcome you into their ranks.  If you want to truly overcome loneliness, take the first step by researching groups in your area that are dedicated to the things you are interested in.

And a bit later down the road, after you’ve made some close personal and professional friends who are interested in the same things you are, overcoming your romantic loneliness will naturally come next.  When you surround yourself with people who are cut from the same cloth as you, it’s inevitable that you will eventually meet that special someone who will complete your life and give you the best remedy to loneliness that there is.

So what are you waiting for?  Stop dooming yourself to being lonely and make the decision to find other people out there who would love to get to know you.  The longer you wait, the more unnecessary pain you’re causing yourself in the end.

This post is an entry into ProBlogger’s Killer Titles Group Writing Project.  Go check it out if you get a chance!

Wedding etiquette: proper manners for gifts, invitations and receptions

Everyone loves a wedding, but ever since the very first bride and groom walked down the aisle, guests have always been careful to follow proper wedding etiquette and use the right manners when giving gifts, receiving invitations and attending wedding ceremonies and receptions.

Wedding etiquette is still a very important part of the marriage day, even in a society that has become less prim and proper. Luckily, however, the proper wedding etiquette is easy to learn, and manners aren’t very tough to remember to use. If you plan on attending a wedding soon, don’t panic when you get that invitation; wedding etiquette is mainly common sense, and you’ll have no problem fitting in at the ceremony or the wedding reception.

First, when it comes to receiving your invitation, proper wedding etiquette requires that you RSVP to let the bride and groom know that you plan on attending. If you don’t, they could end up reserving too few seats, and it’s just good manners to let someone know you’re coming to their wedding if they’ve invited you!

As for proper wedding etiquette for gift giving, you don’t need to empty your bank account to purchase a proper wedding gift and still have good manners. Never give something cheap and shoddy, but giving an inexpensive, tasteful gift that both the bride and groom will enjoy is certainly well within proper wedding etiquette.

At the wedding reception, be sure not to drink too much alcohol or say anything rude or unfriendly to the other guests. Following wedding etiquette doesn’t mean you can’t let loose and have some fun, though, as long as you use good manners and don’t offend anyone else at the reception.

Wedding etiquette is pretty simple: just use the golden rule, don’t do or say anything that your wouldn’t want at your wedding, and watch your manners. Above all, have fun, since that’s what weddings are all about!

The groom’s guide to finding the perfect men’s wedding bands

Okay grooms, let’s talk about the man’s side of the big wedding day and focus on finding an affordable wedding ring (or wedding band, as it’s called for guys).  Generally the bride is much more concerned with her wedding ring than the groom is about his wedding band, but it’s still a good idea to devote some attention to it so you can find something that is both cheap and that you like.  After all, you’ll be wearing your wedding band for the rest of your life hopefully!

The good news is of course that most grooms really aren’t concerned with purchasing elaborate, expensive wedding bands.  Instead, most men prefer simple gold, silver or sterling wedding rings with no elaborate stuff on it.  Men consider these types of rings to be less showy and more manly, and I am certainly in that camp.  Although there are wedding bands for grooms that include diamonds and other fancy decorations, not many men opt for this type of jewelry.

Here’s a big tip when it comes to choosing a wedding band: many times, the ring that you find and one jewelry store is for sale at much lower prices at another store in same mall or shopping center.  Definitely don’t buy the first men’s wedding band that you find, because I guarantee you can find that same ring much cheaper elsewhere.  Plan on spending at least a few days researching local stores and even online options for purchasing your wedding band.

There is another option that some men don’t mind and that has no shame at all, and that is to go to a local pawn shop or look at local ads in the paper for used or secondhand wedding bands.  Most grooms would rather buy a brand new wedding ring, but keep in mind that you can save hundreds of dollars on your wedding band if you buy it secondhand.  No one but you will know that someone else wore your wedding band, and it will look just as good on a groom’s finger!

So grooms, remember the rules for finding the perfect men’s wedding bands: don’t buy the first one you see, be careful with your money, and keep an open mind when it comes to buy a wedding ring second hand.  And if you do want to spend lots of money on a brand new elaborate ring, that’s your prerogative! 

The perfect unique wording for your cheap romantic wedding invitations

While I don’t think you should put a lot of importance on your wedding invitations, and that other aspects are far more vital to a successful wedding, there are plenty of brides and grooms who think that writing perfect unique wording on their invitations will help set the stage for success.  The good news is that if you’re interested in buying cheap wedding invitations and inserting your own unique wording, it’s really not that hard to do.

There’s nothing wrong with spending some serious money on wedding invitations if you have the funds to do it, and plenty of people fork over hundreds of dollars on expensive, elaborate invitations.  That’s fine, but for most of us, who just don’t have huge wedding budgets, it’s smarter to buy cheaper wedding invitations and think up the woding that will be inside ourselves.

Of course, I don’t mean you should write the wording inside your blank wedding invitations with a ballpoint pen! Instead, once you’ve decided what to write in them, go to a cheaper, local printer to print the wording for you.  This will often save you hundreds of dollars on your wedding invitations and let youdevote more resources to other aspects of your special marriage day.

As to the words that you put in the wedding invitations, it really has a lot to do with your own personal tastes and the tastes of your friends and family.  There is nothing wrong with making your invitations a bit unique and fun, but sticking with traditional and brief words is probably a safer bet.  Make your wedding invitations tasteful, don’t include too much information, and don’t forget to include an RSVP to get an idea of how many people to expect at the ceremony itself and the wedding reception afterwards.

In summary, there’s no shame in using some bargain shopping when it comes to finding your wedding invitations and going to a local printer with a pre-written wording.  The money you save can be shuffled to other areas of your wedding, and the guests will be grateful that you were economical in your wedding shopping!

Are wedding line dances really appropriate for receptions?

The wedding vows have been exchanged, and now it’s really time to party and celebrate at the reception with your wedding guests . . . but even though you have the perfect wedding DJ and the music is ready, are line dances the right kind of moves you want your attendees to bust on the dance floor?  Is your wedding reception better suited for line dances, or for a more traditional kind of dancing and music?  Well, it all depends on the tastes of the family and friends who attended your wedding!

Many families are fun-loving and enjoy trying new dances and music, and a wedding line dance might be perfect for them at the reception.  If your family and group of friends are the type who enjoy wedding line dances, you’ll know right away.  And you shouldn’t forget one other important fact: that a good, fun line dance could be a great way to get more shy guests to come out of their shells and have a genuinely good time at your wedding reception.

When the drinks start flowing and your guests get more relaxed, even the more reserved people on your invitation list may surprise you by taking part in a fun wedding line dance.  Heck, even Grandpa might cut a rug if the feeling is right!  Try not to be too pushy with your guests if you do decide to have a wedding line dance, however, and if someone wants to sit out, let them watch.  They may change their minds and decide to take part in the wedding line dance after all!

There’s also absolutely nothing wrong with deciding not to have anything to do with wedding line dances, and instead focus on more traditional wedding music and dances at your reception.  As I said, you know the tastes of your family and wedding guests, and if you suspect that a wedding line dance would be inappropriate or make them uncomfortable, then it is probably a good idea to steer clear of it and stick with traditional, tasteful music.

So, what if the groom’s family likes wedding line dances but the bride’s family likes traditional wedding music?  The answer is simple: have a little bit of both!  One of the purposes of a wedding reception is for the two families to get to know each other, and sharing in each other’s favorite dances and music is a great way to become friendly.  Make each family feel comfortable by playing some of their favorite music, but make sure you jump right in when it’s time to do the wedding line dance!