Lost in the Moment

As a requirement for class, I have been assigned to write four blogs on a single topic. My original plan was to write on chocolate, my love; however, later that day, my other love, Anthony, decided to pop the question.

I'm engaged.

I immediately found myself thrust into a whirlwind of bridal magazines and planning websites. While I am lost in the photographs, advice and opinions of others, there is only one person I am concerned about, my fiancé, who sits next to me, offering a single responce with a smile, "Whatever you want."

Hopefully you will find my posts informative and enjoyable as you follow me through the joys and stress of wedding planning.

Wedding Planning 101

Google the word “wedding.” What do you find? Words like dresses, venues, cakes, centerpieces, tuxedos, rings, vows, reception and decorations pop up, not to mention advice outside the online world such as books, magazines, parents, cousins and random people in the grocery store who want to tell you how to plan your wedding. The resources are endless.

While these are useful resources for someone who is planning a wedding, it can be extremely overwhelming to the beginner.

As with most anything in life, the best way to keep from being bogged down by the wedding information overload is to stay organized. There are many websites that provide interactive checklists or allow you to create your own including The Knot, Wedding Wire and Martha Stewart Weddings. These lists enable you to keep up with dates, appointments and deadlines, which lessen stress and lead to a more enjoyable engagement.

A second tip on how to keep from drowning in a sea of wedding trivia is to keep all of your information in one place, according to the Bridal Association of America. Once you begin acquiring photographs, receipts, cards and brochures, it is best to file them by category so they are not lost and are easily retrieved when needed.

Finally, the planning of the wedding is often left up to the bride and her friends and family, while the groom sits back and waits for the big day. According to The Knot, “the best way to get things done” is for both the bride and groom to share the work load. This can be done by simply dividing the to-do list in half – each taking what he or she is interested in doing. By doing this, the work load is not only lightened, but the groom becomes involved in the planning experience.

These tips can help you stay afloat in the world of wedding information. Happy Planning!

Wedding on a Budget: Going Cheap Without Looking Cheap

The average cost of a wedding in America now exceeds $20,000, according to Sell More Weddings. This huge price tag put on such a special day can be intimidating and a bit depressing for a newly engaged couple.

When I mentioned this to my fiancé, Anthony, he expressed that guys can feel a bit trapped in this situation. Fifty-eight percent of weddings are paid for by the bride’s family, according to the Bridal Association of America. Because of this, the groom may feel like he doesn’t have an equal say in the planning.

To avoid this, it is important to set your priorities and decide together where you can make cuts.

According to The Knot, there are many ways you may not think of to cut the budget and still have a classy wedding. Some of these ways include:

· e-mail save-the-dates prior to your invitations to let guests know your date early
· use more greenery than flowers
· have a small cake with a larger sheet cake hidden in the kitchen
· use larger tables at the reception so fewer centerpieces and tablecloths are needed

In addition, do-it-yourself decorations, invitations, and food projects are becoming increasingly popular, and there are a multitude of websites dedicated to these projects including Do It Yourself Weddings, DIY Network, DIY Bride, and My DIY Wedding Day.

Just because you are on a budget, does not mean your wedding has to look cheap. Shop around for the best prices. Get an early start and enlist friends and family to do as many homemade projects as you can.

The Wedding Planner

Today, many couples are choosing to hire a wedding planner when they get engaged. According to Wedding Approved, a wedding planner is in charge of the details and organization of a wedding. He or she deals with vendors, reception sites and time lines.

There are many pros and cons to hiring a wedding planner.

The Pros:
The main benefit of hiring a planner is the peace of mind in knowing that you have a professional helping you plan. According to Associated Content, a wedding planner is skilled in giving you the dream wedding you have always wanted because he or she is familiar with all of the resources in your area.

A second benefit is the time saved by hiring a planner, according to Wedding Approved. A planner can lift the planning burden from the couple and allow them time to enjoy themselves.

A third benefit, according to Wedding Approved, is that a wedding planner can get the cheapest rates from vendors.

The Cons:
One disadvantage of hiring a wedding planner is the additional expense. According to Event Planner, a wedding planner generally charges 10-15% of the overall wedding cost.

A second problem, according to WeddingeXpress, is that planners may make decisions that you do not agree with. Since the planner is the professional in the situation, he or she sometimes forces the couple into changing their plans or picking things that they do not want.

A third disadvantage, in my personal opinion, is that planning a wedding is part of the wedding experience as a whole, and hiring a planner ruins that. As I begin to plan, I look forward to making decisions with my fiancé, not a stranger.

The decision to hire a wedding planner or not comes down to the couple and what they feel will be the most comfortable and beneficial for them.

Wedding Registry

Traditionally, during the planning process, an engaged couple begins registering at various stores for wedding gifts. This is a way for friends and family to help the couple furnish their new home. With such a big job, where do you start? There are many tips to help you register for your big day.

A couple should register early, according to Your Wedding Place. By registering at least six months prior to the wedding, plenty of time is allowed for guests to purchase items.

When questioning what to register for, The Knot recommends you register for whatever you want. Of course, there is no sense in registering for things you don’t need. You should pick out things that you will use on a regular basis. Also, include items in every price range to give guests options.

If possible, you should allow guests to have the option of buying gift cards instead of gifts, according to Money Smart Life. By doing this, it gives engaged couple the ability to buy whatever items are still needed after all of the gifts are received.

According to Money Smart Life, register at a store chain that is local and available for all of your wedding guests. JC Penney, Dillard’s, Sears, Macy’s and Kohl’s are among some of the top places to register, according to Brides.com.

As you begin receiving items, according to The Knot, it is important to update your registries to keep from receiving duplicate items.

Remember, keeping your registry practical is the safest way to go. The point of registering is to help you create a solid foundation with all of the necessities.

Stock Your Dorm Game Show Offers UC Students Chance to Win Free Stuff

The University of the Cumberlands Campus Activities Board offers students the chance to win free prizes at the monthly Stock Your Dorm Game Show in Gatliff Chapel. Many prizes have already been given away including a flat screen television, digital camera, storage containers and food, according to Jody Howard, CAB member.

Students have opportunities to win various prizes at Stock Your Dorm.

“For the first one, we bought sheets, towels, storage containers, cleaning supplies...anything they might need to get their room set up for the upcoming school year. This time, we went with food baskets. We also try to give away one big prize at the end of the show. Both times it's been a flat screen TV,” said Lisa Bartram, Student Activities Director.

Students can participate by placing their name in a drawing when they enter the door.

Throughout the show, names are drawn and individuals are called up on stage to participate.

Stock Your Dorm games are compiled from various game shows. Some are individual games similar to “The Price is Right,” and others involve teamwork, explained Sarah Kamalian, CAB member.

“For the most part, we do trivia type games,” said Grant Doepel, CAB Chair, “We have some ideas for upcoming episodes of Stock Your Dorm that are top secret…I promise they will be fun.”

Everyone has an equal chance to play and there are many chances to win each night, Howard said.

"The entire time I was praying to God to not let my name get called, but sure enough when it came to the biggest prize my name was [called] and I won,” said senior and television winner Josh King.

According to Doepel, the goal for Stock Your Dorm was to provide a big monthly event for UC students. It proved to be a success at the first episode during Welcome Week when “we were pleasantly surprised to have a crowd around 300 students and even faculty! It's amazing how many people show up when you can win free prizes,” Doepel said.

Future episodes of Stock Your Dorm are planned for Oct. 20 and Nov. 10 at 8 p.m.

CAB is a student organization that brings in free food or entertainment to the UC campus every Tuesday night, said Howard.

According to Bartram, the Student Activity Fee included in tuition funds CAB and other student activities. For more information on Stock Your Dorm Game Show or CAB, visit the CAB office in the Mid-BCC or email lisa.bartram@ucumberlands.edu.

New School Year Brings New Changes to Baptist Campus Ministries

Baptist Campus Ministries is on a mission with new nights and a new name at the University of the Cumberlands. This mission is to “help Christians become change agents for the church campus community through leadership development, discipleship, evangelism and missions,” said Dean Whitaker, Campus Minister. BCM works to accomplish this mission each week through three primary ways: worship time on campus, small group ministry and service.

Worship is a time for students to join together through speaking, song and fellowship to praise and learn about God. It was once called Ignite, but now goes under the new name, Fuse, and meets on Thursdays at 8 p.m. in the Gatliff Chapel. Fuse is also a great place to start getting involved in BCM.

“I went by myself and many people introduced themselves to me,” said junior transfer student Katelyn Glass.

The goal of small group ministry is to meet on a personal level and grow through Bible study and prayer said Whitaker. These small groups, called Life Groups, meet on Mondays at 8 p.m. at two locations: the old sanctuary at Main Street Baptist Church and the youth room at First Baptist Church. Freshmen Fire is a small group exclusively for freshmen that meets on Mondays at 8 p.m. in the Angel-Dale House.

“I am forming relationships with people and feeling so much love on this campus in ways that I can’t find in a classroom or at the cafeteria,” said sophomore and Life Group leader Alli Burton, “There are so many deep conversations and so much realness in the people, and it’s just a huge part of my life.”

BCM provides a multitude of service opportunities. Appalachian Ministries is a weekly ministry for children and Mountain Outreach is a construction ministry that builds and repairs homes in the community. Other opportunities include mission projects during school breaks, revival teams, and discipleship teams who organize weekend youth retreats explained Magan Atwood, Director of Appalachian Ministries.

One student, junior Tommie Thompson, described her Spring Break 2009 mission trip, “John 13:35 says ‘Love one another.’ On the Baltimore trip I learned to serve others and love, and that is what BCM is all about, loving others so that it glorifies our Heavenly Father.”

“I don’t wanna join another organization – I just want Jesus,” the BCM homepage states. What makes BCM more than just another organization is the effort the members put forth to “grow as disciples by making more disciples through authentic relationships,” said Forrest Coleman, BCM President. According to Whitaker, the best thing that has happened through BCM so far is the real decisions that are being made to follow Christ.

BCM has many events planned for the 2009/2010 school year including:

• Engage for International Students – Oct. 30-Nov. 1
  
• Freshman Only Mission Trip – Winter Break
• Mexico Mission Trip – January

According to Coleman, the best way to get involved is to “come to Fuse and meet people.” For further information call Campus Ministries at extension 4343 or email dean.whitaker@ucumberlands.edu.