Stylish September Giveaway: Jewelry from ADORN

September 1st, 2010

Stylish September Newlywed Giveaway - Free jewelry rental from ADORN

Whether you’re a bride-to-be or newlywed woman, diamonds are still a girl’s best friend.  Who hasn’t drooled over celebrities draped in jewels for red carpet events or their fabulous weddings (need I mention Carrie Underwood’s tiara)?  Drool no longer ladies!!  You too can be decked out in diamonds for your big day (be it your wedding, anniversary or a huge soiree)! 

ADORN has partnered with MissNowMrs.com to present our lucky September Giveaway winner with a $200 jewelry rental for free!  ADORN is the equivalent of every budget oriented bride’s fairy godmother.  You can rent diamond earrings, necklaces and bracelets from their website for a fraction of the cost of buying them.

Here’s How It Works:

1. Go shopping and pick out the pieces you love and add them to your “shopping  bag”. Check their availability by entering your event date.

2. Check out using a credit card to order the jewelry for your event date.

3. Look amazing wearing the jewelry on your special occasion

4. Send it back on the first business day after your event using packaging and pre-paid label Adorn provides for you.

Psyched to win our September Giveaway?!  Leave a comment on this, or any of our jewelry posts on Mondays this month and you’ll be automatically entered to win.  Share your big day dreams with us and how ADORN jewelry will complete your look.  The randomly selected contest winner will be announced on September  30th!!  If we don’t hear back from the winner within 2 weeks, we will randomly select a new winner to make sure someone ends up with this great goodie!

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September 1, 2010 - Permalink | Tags: , , ,
Bridal Style, Events & More, Giveaways! | 3 Comments »

The Name Equality Act: California

September 2nd, 2010

California NewlywedsThe Name Equality ActName change is certainly tricky in all 50 states (with each state allocating their own laws on what constitutes a married name change versus a legal name change, etc.), you may be shocked to find out that in California couples can decide to make up a new last name to take after marriage thanks to the Name Change Equality Act*.  While this is not a new law by any means, it’s definitely worthy of talking about!  The state of California allows one or both applicants to elect to change their middle and/or last names by which they wish to be known as after they are officially married.  That means if you are planning to marry in CA and haven’t already applied for your Marriage License, this opportunity applies to you, so now you and your future spouse have a decision to make! Will you take his last name?  Will he take your last name?  Will the two of you have a combination of your two last names?  Decisions, decisions!

What you need to know:  Only at the time of applying for your Marriage License can you elect to make these changes.  Once your name is listed on your Marriage License (however you choose to list it during the application process), that is how it will later appear on your Marriage Certificate (the legal document used as proof of your marriage issued by your state).  You cannot decide to add or amend this information after your Marriage License has been issued without having to obtain a Legal Name Change through your local superior court system; which can be costly, so it is important to put some thought into the name you will list on your Marriage License Application.  After all, this is the name you will ultimately be known as in the future!

Each of you can elect to have one of the following last names:

The current last name of either spouse

The last name of either spouse given at birth

A name combining into a single last name all or a segment of the current last name or the last name of either spouse given at birth

Each of you can elect to have one of the following middle names:

The current last name of either spouse

The last name of either spouse given at birth

A hyphenated version of the current middle name and current last name of the person or spouse

A hyphenated version of the current middle name and the birth last name of the person or spouse

Confused yet?!  Here’s an example:

Woman: Jane Marie Doe

Man: John Robert Smith

They can become Jane Smith Doe (and John Smith Doe), Jane Marie-Doe Smith (and John Robert-Doe Smith), Jane Marie Doesmith (and John Robert Doesmith), etc.

Do you and your spouse share a combination last name?  Was your family supportive of your choice to make up a new last name?  Tell us your story…

*This law currently only applies to couples marrying in California and to all California Marriage Licenses issued on or after January 1, 2009.

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September 2, 2010 - Permalink | Tags: , ,
Name Change After Marriage | No Comments »

Announcing our August Giveaway Winner!

August 31st, 2010

Newlywed Giveaway Winner AnnouncedCongratulations to Courtney!!  You read our newlywed blog, left a comment and now have won over $350 worth of custom thank you notes!  You can look forward to writing to all of your guests on notes featuring your favorite wedding photo of you and your beloved.  Please check your email for the details on how to redeem your fabulous prize from Forever Friends Fine Stationery and Favors, a newlywed’s best source for fine quality personalized printed products, offering stationery for every budget and occasion.

Bummed that you didn’t win our awesome August giveaway? Stay tuned to see what gorgeous giveaway we have in store for our readers in the month of September!

 

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August 31, 2010 - Permalink | Tags: , , ,
Giveaways!, Newlywed Needs | No Comments »

Last Day To Enter Our August Giveaway!

August 30th, 2010

Newlywed August Giveaway Notes ImageToday is the very last day to enter to win $350 worth of custom photo thank you notes! Etiquette encourages one to send out thank you’s within a month of the wedding, and we thought we’d help some lucky newlywed reader by providing the notes. We’re happy to announce that our August Giveaway includes 100 of the fabulous notes shown in this post’s photo, customized with the winner’s wedding photo.

We owe our friend and fellow wedding vendor Beth, of Forever Friends Fine Stationery and Favors, a big thank you for providing this month’s Thank You Note giveaway! She’s your best source for fine quality personalized printed products, offering stationery for every budget and occasion (wedding, baby, greeting cards and graduation—to name a few).

Anxious to win our awesome August giveaway? Leave a comment on this, or any of our thank you note posts TODAY, and you’ll be automatically entered to win. Tell us how many notes you need to write or why you’ve been procrastinating on the project. The randomly selected contest winner will be announced TOMORROW (August 31st)!! If we don’t hear back from the winner within 2 weeks, we will randomly select a new winner to make sure someone ends up with this great goodie!

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August 30, 2010 - Permalink | Tags: , ,
Newlywed Needs | 2 Comments »

Newlywed Grooming

August 27th, 2010

Newlywed Grooming TipsWe’ve all seen them, the completely mismatched couple.  He or she is gorgeous, funny and well dressed, while their partner is frumpy, dumpy and sometimes even downright rude.  While sometimes those mismatched relationships work out, no one wants to be the ugly duckling of their relationship.  So how do you ensure that you’re well matched with your beautiful wife?  Simple upkeep will go a long way to preserving your Prince Charming status.

Hair – Keeping up with monthly haircuts is an easy solution to looking nice.  You can go somewhere fancy like the Men’s Grooming Lounge, where you can get a hair cut, color, highlights, massages and more,  or be economical at the Hair Cuttery.

Nails – A basic rule of thumb is that your nails should never be longer than your partner’s.  You could consider getting your nails done with your wife ( they are called manicures), but if that idea freaks you out, using clippers a few times a week should keep your nails neat. 

Manscaping – We’ll leave the extent to which you impliment this up to you.  Please know that most women truly appreciate some trimming at a minimum and we do shave our underarms, legs, etc as part of our routine upkeep.   AskMen.com has a great article that outlines some of the finer details of manscaping.

Clothes – Wearing clean matching clothes is a married man must.  You’re a grown man, so we’re betting you know the appropriate way to dress yourself.  Be sure to reference our post on married man fashion for some great ideas. 

Manners - Try to keep up the same level of etiquette as when you were dating.  Being married is not an excuse to stop opening doors or start discussing bodily functions at dinner.  If you think your wife would be offended by something, don’t say or do it in front of her.

The fact that you’re reading an article about newlywed grooming speaks volumes about the great guy you are.  Whatever your personal style may be, the point is to make sure you keep up with grooming, even after you’re married.

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August 27, 2010 - Permalink | Tags: ,
For the Fellas | No Comments »

Newlywed in the Kitchen

August 25th, 2010

Newlywed Kitchen ScenariosMarriage brings about the merging of two lives and of course two kitchens. Hopefully you both are fantastic cooks and can alternate who cooks evening dinners. If that’s not the case, you may need to get creative in the kitchen!

Scenario #1: You are used to having a bowl of cereal or yogurt for dinner and your partner is more of a meat a potatoes person.

-Get a crock pot! Nothing makes a meat and potatoes guy happier than coming home to pot roast, lemon herb chicken or even lasagna in the crock pot. The best part? You do the prep work the night before and come home from work to a fabulous meal.

-Having trouble coming up with ideas or recipes? SouthernFood.com has over 1,400 crock pot recipes for you to try out and crockpot355 is a blog written by a woman who used her crock pot every day for a year!

Scenario #2: He’s an organic guy obsessed with freshness and you’re perfectly happy eating frozen dinners every night.

-If you possess some cooking ability, let your husband buy the groceries (organic of course) and then plan some simple weekday meals that will make you both happy.

-Compromise. Let your partner grill some free range chicken while you steam some frozen veggies mix in the microwave. Everybody ends up with a well balanced meal.

Scenario #3: Both of you counted on your former roommates to feed you.

-Sounds like it’s time to tune into the Food Network for some cooking tips, or sign up for a few cooking classes together. You can also check out Rachel Ray’s site for great simple recipes.

-Cooking together can be romantic and completely delicious. Select a recipe, turn on some music, open a bottle of wine and then start cooking! One of you can make the salad or sides while the other focuses on the main dish. You may end up making dinner and making out…and who could ask for more than that?!

-If the last time you cooked the fire department arrived 30 minutes later, you might have to consider a pre-made meal plan. Let’s Dish is a company that lets you select dinners from their monthly menu, prepares them and then all you have to do is pick them up and pop them in your freezer or oven! Another more upscale version to try is Impromptu Gourmet.

Whatever your kitchen scenario might be, there are solutions out there. Be creative and you’ll both end up happy and full! Do you have any kitchen merging stories from your newlywed days? We’d love to hear them, so please leave a comment.

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August 25, 2010 - Permalink | Tags: ,
Newlywed Needs | No Comments »

Insuring Your New Life Together: A Quick Primer

August 19th, 2010

Newlywed Insurance IdeasAs a single woman, it’s likely the idea of an insurance policy of any kind ever crossed your mind. In fact, if it did, you probably considered it another expense you just didn’t want to deal with.  Sure, most single people carry health and auto insurance, but very few purchase life insurance.

Things have suddenly changed for you. Take a moment to think about all the differences marriage brings about: a bigger home, most likely, another vehicle, and eventually children – all of these factors should be considered when planning your future as a couple. Thus, one of the most important things you and your spouse can do is to insure your life together by considering different types of insurance available on the market.  Check out NewlywedFinances.com for more information on newlywed insurance options.

Once you get married you become responsible for another human being and want to protect him or her from the unexpected. Every couple should have a health insurance. That’s just a given. Many employers offer group health insurance that covers you and your spouse, but if it is not the case with your individual employers, both you and your partner should look into purchasing coverage.

Additionally, life insurance is essential, as it protects your family, providing necessary financial resources in the most difficult time. If you thought of putting off the life insurance until later in life when you get older – think again. The younger you are when you purchase life insurance – the lower your premium will be. Keep in mind you’ll be asked to choose between term and whole life insurance plans. Decide which one makes sense in your situation by talking with a reliable insurance agent. Intelliquote.com is a site that lets you compare multiple quotes from life insurance companies to ensure that you get the best rate available.

When it comes to homeowners or renters’ insurance, it is important to consider it when you and your spouse are buying a new house. If you or your partner already had insured property in the past, it would be helpful to contact the same insurance company – its agents will probably offer you a discount on a new policy.

Remember that any insurance policy obtained prior to marriage should be modified, reflecting your new status as a family. Do not forget to indicate the name change or address change; add your spouse to the policy and change the name of the beneficiary on your life insurance, if applicable.  Once all this is done, take a deep breath and relax…you’ve now got it all covered!

Have you considered getting more/new insurance now that you’re a newlywed?  We’d love to hear your experiences and what you thought was the most valuable thing to insure, so please leave us a comment.

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August 19, 2010 - Permalink | Tags: ,
Newlywed Needs | No Comments »

Brides Against Breast Cancer: Newlyweds Show Support

August 17th, 2010

Newlywed donates gown to Brides Against Breast CancerBrides Against Breast Cancer currently serves as the primary fundraising branch of the Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation through the amazing Nationwide Tour of Gowns sales!   This charity wedding gown tour goes “on the road” to approximately 50 cities per year to give local brides-to-be, the opportunity to find their dream gown, while making wishes come true for stage IV breast cancer patients. How awesome is that?! To date, the Foundation has received thousands of wedding gowns for this Nationwide Tour event!

Here’s how it works—the Foundation resurrects gowns 2006 or newer, donated by manufacturers, designers and individuals, giving them new life as a bride’s “dream gown”. The dresses are offered at 35-75% below retail price, and the proceeds from the sales of these treasured possessions help grant wishes and offer memory-making events for the women and men who are losing their battle with breast cancer. Now, obviously, your wedding dress isn’t something that you would get rid of after you’re finished wearing it, and preserving it in a box may be a hard justification for some, but having the option to donate your dress to another bride while helping to create a memorable event for her is definitely worth considering, and gives you the satisfaction knowing that you have made a decision to not only help someone else, but to help fulfill their dream wedding day!

There are many ways in which you can contribute to this amazing foundation, whether it’s through a donation, or volunteering at local events and promotions, or becoming a sponsor. Check out the Foundations’ tour calendar where you may sign up as a volunteer, and brides may register/buy tickets or see how you can help grant a wish at: MakingMemories.org.

Another fundraising event is called the Pink Envelope Project. Whether you are hosting a party or event, or whether you are the bride-to-be herself check out: pinkenvelopeproject.org to see how you can contribute!

The Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to support, educate and increase awareness of breast cancer. Their Mission Statement reads, “To provide an opportunity for metastatic breast cancer patients’ dream or wish to be fulfilled by providing a special time of ‘Making Memories’ together with their families, a chance that might not have become a reality without the assistance of the Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation.” 

MissNowMrs.com is a proud national sponsor and donates 5% of all proceeds to the Making Memories Foundation. There are so many ways in which you can show support to the foundation and the men and women suffering from breast cancer, find out more today at MakingMemories.org

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August 17, 2010 - Permalink | Tags: , , ,
Bridal Style, Events & More, Newlywed Needs | No Comments »

Last Chance to Win Our Custom Thank You Note Giveaway!

August 16th, 2010

Newlywed Custom Notes Giveaway As we mentioned in our earlier thank you note post, there are many ways to show your appreciation to your guests and thank them for their generosity on your special day.  By now you’re probably sick of hearing about proper etiquette and rules on how to: (go ahead fill-in the blank) be the best bride, to act, to address your envelopes, etc.  That being said, we’ve decided to compile a short list on what we’ve found to be the best practices in composing Thank You Notes (not to tell you what to do, but rather to provide you with some guidance)!

Best Practices:

Address envelopes and write out Thank You notes to people as soon as they send you a gift.  Some guests send gifts prior to the wedding; which allows you to get a head start on this seemingly endless task.

Have a realistic plan of attack (i.e. complete 25 notes per day until they are finished) rather than attempting to write them all in one sitting. This way you will be sure to write from the heart, in your neatest handwriting; which your guests will surely appreciate.  After all, what good is a Thank You note if they can’t read what you wrote?

Try your best to adhere to the “rule” of getting Thank You notes out in a timely manner:

  • within 2 weeks of receiving a gift (if received prior to the wedding)
  • within a month after you return from your honeymoon (for gifts received at the wedding)

Be as specific as possible when thanking your guest for gifts (with the exception of monetary gifts—there’s no need to say thank you for the $250).

Are you clueless as to what to write?  Try using our samples as a guide to get you started or at least point you in the right direction!

Thank You Samples:

For a Monetary Gift: Thank you so much for your generous monetary gift!  We are planning to use it when we buy our new house.  Again, we thank you for your thoughtful gift and for sharing our special day with us.  Love, Jane and Bill

For a Gift (whether from your registry or not):  Thank you so much for the martini glasses, we now have everything we need for our next cocktail party!  We hope to enjoy them with you when you visit us.  Again, we thank you for thinking of us and for being a part of our most special time.  Love, Jane and Bill

Anxious to win 100 of the custom photo thank you notes shown in this post’s picture? Click here for the contest details and leave a comment on this, or any of our thank you note posts on Mondays this month and you’ll be automatically entered to win.  The randomly selected contest winner will be announced on August 31st!!  If we don’t hear back from the winner within 2 weeks, we will randomly select a new winner to make sure someone ends up with this great goodie!

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August 16, 2010 - Permalink | Tags: , ,
Newlywed Needs | 4 Comments »

New Wife, New Life: New Wardrobe?

August 13th, 2010

Immature Shirts On Married MenThe saying goes, “Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover;” but we know that unfortunately it can be hard not to! I was recently hanging clean laundry up in our walk-in closet, when I realized that some of my husband’s clothes looked seriously faded and old.  I thought to myself, “He is in desperate need of new shirts!”  I bet if you took a look at what you’re wearing right now or thought about what you enjoy wearing, you too could find a good excuse for some new attire.  It’s a fact, men do not like to go shopping like women do; which is fine, but there comes a time when you NEED to purchase yourself some new stuff—and I’m not referring to electronics or the latest video game (nice try though)!  After work or on the weekends, you have your go-to outfits of t-shirts and jeans or maybe a pair of sweat pants or mesh shorts that you choose to wear as often as possible.  Chances are that you have a specific dress code required for work, whether it’s a suit and tie or uniform of some sort; which means that the last thing you want is a “uniform” or “dress code” for your home life.  That’s not what I’m alluding to here at all, so no need to worry!  I am, however; suggesting that it might be time to donate some of your go-to t-shirts such as:  your FBI (Female Body Inspector) t-shirt, your I heart Atari t-shirt and your VANS sneakers to a teenage boy in need of your old wardrobe. While these items are a token of your youth, they don’t exactly spell-out mature, sophisticated, married man.

If you can’t imagine getting rid of your favorite childhood t-shirts [that somehow miraculously still fit you], then perhaps you should limit how often you wear them (i.e. wear them only to bed, to the gym,  or better yet, put them away for when you have a son someday).  Your wife loves you and has vowed to love you “til death do you part,” so she’ll no doubt still love you in your Superman t-shirt and jeans—but do her a favor and put on a nice button down shirt, polo or sweater when her family or friends stop by—she’ll greatly appreciate your effort! And if you don’t, you may find that your favorite t-shirt has mysteriously disappeared.  Gentlemen, please do your ladies a favor and get shopping!   Check out your local Outlets for bargain prices on your favorite brands.  Women LOVE shopping, so I’m sure your wife will have no problem being your Personal Shopper—just say the word and fork over the credit card!

What is/was your favorite piece of clothing to wear (i.e. t-shirt, sweatshirt, etc.)?  What does/did it say and why is/was it your favorite?  Share your stories of Batman Boxers or Thunder Cats sweatshirts that your wife had no choice, but to hide from you!  Please leave your comments below and enjoy a laugh with us!

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August 13, 2010 - Permalink | Tags: , ,
For the Fellas | 1 Comment »

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