If you wish to have your wedding considered for publication in our Featured Weddings pages, please send us a mail.. If your submission is chosen for publication, we will call you to arrange for up to five photographs of your wedding to be sent to us for inclusion with your submission. Please note, if you intend sending us photographs taken by a professional photographer, you need to obtain their permission if you do not own the copyright of your photographs

We suggest you compose the main components of your submission in a word processor and then copy and paste the text into E-mail box and send it to us. Please spell check your work before submitting it and please do not use CAPITAL LETTERS throughout!

To improve your chances of getting your wedding published, please take you time to ensure that the 'story of your day' is informative and enjoyable to read. If you are not experienced at writing reports, you will probably find it helpful to show your proposed submission to a few friends or colleagues to see what comments they have.

mail: editor@matcco.zzn.com

Tips & Notes: 

Skin Care
You should think about a regular skincare routine in good time before the day to make sure you look your best. This needn't be anything time consuming or involved. Here are our top tips:

	Drink plenty of water during the day (up to eight glasses), to prevent dehydration and to assist in the elimination of toxins from the body, which helps reduce spots.
	Cleanse your skin thoroughly every day, using either a cream, or warm water and mild facial wash. Pat your face dry and avoid pulling the fine skin around your eyes.
	Shave after a shower or bath as this leaves the bristles soft and easier to cut. Never use a razor blade more than five times. A blunt blade will cause irritation.
	After shaving, use a moisturiser, which incorporates a sunscreen with a sun protective factor (SPF) of at least 15. This will also protect your skin from the drying effects of the wind and ultaviolet light from the sun. It is widely believed that the aging of skin can be significantly delayed by the daily use of SPF15 sunscreen.
	During your morning routine, massage your face and neck with your fingertips to stimulate circulation and boost overall skin tone.
	Avoid touching your face too much during the day as this can spread bacteria from your hands. Squeezing blemishes can cause scarring.
	If you smoke, try stopping! Research has shown that smoking destroys collagen, making your skin age more rapidly.

Facial
But for those of you who can't find the time, or perhaps would just enjoy being pampered, a facial may be the answer at your local salon or spa, many of which now cater for men. It is advisable to have it at least one month before the wedding and then again a few days before. Your skin is cleansed and scrubbed to lift any dirt and dead skin cells from your face then it is softened with hot towels or steam. A mask is then applied which will cleanse deep into the opened pores, it is then rinsed off with cold water closing the pores and leaving you with a clean, fresh and glowing complexion. Don't worry if you come out in spots after the first visit, this is just your body getting rid of the unwanted toxins.

Smooth Skin
A thorough wet shave on the morning of the wedding will ensure smooth skin for the entire day. For the best results, start by splashing your face with hot water to open up the pores and make your skin more supple. Then apply the shaving foam to ensure the foam works its way into the pores. Once the foam is applied leave it on for a minute to let it soak in. When shaving, it is important to apply strokes in the direction of hair growth particularly the neck, which is often more sensitive than your face. Begin shaving along your jaw line and cheeks followed by the neck, around the mouth and then the chin. Afterwards, rinse your face with cold water to close the pores and then apply a good moisturising lotion. If you take your time to shave properly you shouldn't cut yourself, but if you do, press cotton wool soaked in cold water onto the cut. The pressure will stop the bleeding and the cold water will help close the cut and stop the bleeding within a minute or two.

Hair Care
If you don't normally pay much attention to your hair then this is the time to start. Firstly think about the style then get a good cut about a month before the wedding day, followed by a trim at least a week before, this will leave enough time for the cut to settle. To get your hair into good condition use a good shampoo - one that suits your hair type - and a moisturising conditioner, which will give it added shine.

On the day, once washed and styled, use a light hairspray or gel- no one will know and your style will stay in place all day. Alternatively, for heads that will be crowned with a hat, use a soft wax to hold your hair style, as it is malleable enough to allow you to just push it back into place afterwards.

How about an eyebrow tidy? If this is something you can't bear to do yourself, a beauty therapist will pluck out any straggling hairs and thin your eyebrows to give them a better shape. Also, don't forget the all too embarrassing nasal and ear hair. Although this is something no one likes to admit to having they are an unfortunate fact of life, and their removal is a must for good grooming. Inexpensive, specially designed hair trimmers are easily available and are simple and relatively painless to use. Have these treatments no more than a few days before the wedding, as they will only need doing again.

Hand Care
Signing the register, exchanging rings and lots of handshaking puts your hands on full display throughout the day so they really need to be paid some attention to. For a simple home treatment simply push back the cuticles with a towel after every wash and apply hand cream whenever you remember. However, for those of you that have rough hands or untidy nails a proper manicure might be the answer: nails are cleaned and filed and then both hands are exfoliated, deep cleansed if necessary, and moisturised, leaving them smooth and soft.

The Full Works
All of the mentioned beauty treatments are available at salons and spas and are specifically tailored to men. Why not make a whole day of it and include a body massage in your pampering, which will relax you and help reduce stress as the big day draws near.

Wedding Day Countdown:

6 Months Before the Wedding

Choose the wedding date, time, and place. Discuss with your fiancé the kind of wedding you want to have. Then decide on the budget and the handling of the expenses.

Useful Tips:

Take your pick from these  reception styles:
Cocktails - a bubbly, warm party

Dinner (sit-down) - a traditional evening event Dinner (buffet) – a relaxed, but not necessarily informal affair

Tea -a light-hearted, elegant afternoon affair

Dessert Reception - an intimate late-night event

Useful Tips:

Don't forget to complete these basic church requirements. 
- baptismal and confirmation certificates
- marriage license
- canonical interview
- wedding banns
- permit from the bride's parish
- list of names and addresses of principal sponsors
- name, position, official residence and civil license number of officiating priest

4 Months Before the Wedding

Contact photographers and videographers, musicians for the ceremony and reception and florist for the bride's bouquet, flowers for the bridal entourage, including the mothers of the couple and flower arrangements for the church and reception venue.

Useful Tip:

Ask your florist to make 2 bridal bouquets, one to walk down the aisle with and the other to toss during the reception.

Call several make-up artists and book them for trial make-up sessions.

Useful Tip:

After each trial make-up session, have your photo taken to see how you will actually look in pictures. 

3 Months Before the Wedding

Useful Tip:

You will need the following to obtain

 a marriage license:
- birth certificate
- residence certificate
- family planning certificate
- parental consent if below age 25

Arrange for the canonical interview. The purpose is for the priest or minister to brief you on your duties and responsibilities as husband and wife.

Buy wedding rings and have them engraved. 

Order arrhaes.

Order your wedding cake. Discuss pull-out fortune ribbons or tokens.

Order give-aways, gifts for entourage and guest book.

2 Months Before the Wedding

Confirm appointment with your chosen 

make-up artist. 

Arrange final fittings for your bridesmaids. Make sure all accessories such as headpiece, garter, cord, veil and pillow have been ordered. Verify delivery date.

Useful Tip:

Consider two ways of addressing your invitations:
Hand calligraphy - more proper

 and formal but pricier.
Computer printed - more convenient and cheaper but less formal.

Arrange accommodations for out-of-town relatives and friends. 

Complete honeymoon plans.

Get name-change forms for social security, driver's license, credit cards and bank accounts.

Arrange a place for everyone to dress before the ceremony.

Arrange transportation for the bridal party, priest, and gifts.

1 Month Before the Wedding

Fit your wedding dress.

Useful Tip:

When you and your entourage are fitting, wear the same kind of underwear and shoes you will be wearing on the big day to avoid long hems and ugly underwear sightings.

Have final dress fittings for your attendants.

Sign up and select gifts for your bridal registry.

Confirm all appointments and arrangements with reception venue and church representatives, florist, musicians, caterer, photographer/videographer, cake maker and bridal car supplier.

2 WEEKS Before the Wedding

Check guest list. Contact guests who have not responded to your invitation yet.

Confirm head count with venue or caterer.

Remind the groom to get a haircut.

Useful Tip:

Don't forget to include the musicians, photographer/videographer and coordinators in your head count.

1 WEEK Before the Wedding

Start packing for your honeymoon. Be sure to confirm reservations. 

Hold final meetings to check details with church and reception venue representatives, photographer/videographer, musicians, florist, caterer, cake maker.

If playing taped music, record selection.

Get your hair trimmed.

Assign responsibilities to close friends who will help you during the wedding. Decide who will be on the receiving line during the reception and who will supervise the signing of the guest book, distribution of favors, etc. Wedding coordinators normally handle all these so you can relax if you hired one.

1 DAY  Before the Wedding

Pack all bridal accessories.

Prepare pins, sewing kits, extra hose and other emergency items.

Double-check the reception layout.

Relax! When you're done with all the wedding preparations, give yourself a break. You have to look fresh and beautiful on your wedding day. Don't fret. All your efforts will pay off in the wedding of your dreams.

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