Thursday, July 30, 2009
Is It PC to Have an Alcohol Free Reception?
You know, a few decades ago the idea of a wedding reception that didn't feature a champagne supper and at least one relative getting drunk and throwing up in the bushes would have been all but unheard of. Today, however, more brides are opting for family friendly wedding receptions that include not leaving parents scrambling to find baby sitters for their children-or cover their eyes as the drunken karaoke begins! Check out this community board for some great advice about the alcohol free reception and how to deal with guests that disagree.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Where Should You Have the Bachelorette Party?
So, I've got a bachelorette party that I'm hosting in just a few months, and I'm struggling to come up with a place to host it. You'd think it would be easier-after all, offering up suggestions for bachelorette parties is what I do best! For this particular bride, however, I'm waffling over whether I should have the party at home or take her out, and if we do end up going out where we should go.
Instead of going on and on about the million ideas I have for this party, I thought I'd open the floor to all fo my readers. What was the coolest bachelorette party you've ever gone to? Where was it? And what was it that made it unique?
Thanks!
Instead of going on and on about the million ideas I have for this party, I thought I'd open the floor to all fo my readers. What was the coolest bachelorette party you've ever gone to? Where was it? And what was it that made it unique?
Thanks!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
How Long Does It Take to Find a Wedding Dress?
If there's one question that almost every bride asks at some point or another, it's how long it's going to take to find her wedding dress. Let's face it, when you're the bride finding the right dress is probably the most fun, least stressful part of your wedding. It doesn't feel like it at the beginning though!
How long it takes to find a wedding dress is actually entirely up to you. Have you been out looking? How many wedding shops have you looked at? The more looking you do, the better the chances are that you're going to find the right dress quickly.
If you really want to narrow down the amount of time it takes you to find the right wedding dress, have some idea of what you want in the first place. If you have a good idea of what style and cut you want before you go out shopping you're going to be able to quickly narrow down the number of options and help you hone in on just what you're looking for.
Sometimes you're going to look for months, sometimes the right dress is going to just jump out at you. It's all up to chance.
How long it takes to find a wedding dress is actually entirely up to you. Have you been out looking? How many wedding shops have you looked at? The more looking you do, the better the chances are that you're going to find the right dress quickly.
If you really want to narrow down the amount of time it takes you to find the right wedding dress, have some idea of what you want in the first place. If you have a good idea of what style and cut you want before you go out shopping you're going to be able to quickly narrow down the number of options and help you hone in on just what you're looking for.
Sometimes you're going to look for months, sometimes the right dress is going to just jump out at you. It's all up to chance.
The Hen Party vs. The Bachelorette Party
We're all familiar with the concept of a bachelorette party, but have you ever heard of a hen party? Believe it or not, it's the exact same thing. When you hop across the pond to visit Mother England you're going to find women having bachelorette parties, or "hen" parties, all the time! Some of their traditions are very similar to ours, but some are very, very different!
For example, hen parties are generally hosted by one or more members of the wedding party and is strictly a "girls only" event (and you thought you got rid of the "No Boys Allowed" policy when you got out of grade school!). It's very common for the members of the wedding party to split the cost of the hen party so no one is left to shoulder the cost alone.
The biggest difference I've noticed between the UK traditions surrounding a hen party and those in the traditional U.S. bachelorette party is that hen parties are generally held in someone's home and almost always end in humiliating videos you wouldn't want to pop up on YouTube! Whether this is actually a matter of tradition or just pure chance because of who I was at the party with remains undetermined, however! Feel free to offer up your own opinions on the difference between a Bachelorette party in the U.S. and a Hen Party in the UK and Australia!
In the meantime, if you visited this blog post for academic purposes (i.e. you REALLY want to know the difference between a hen party and a bachelorette party and aren't here for idle speculation) check out this book by Deirdre Brennen:
The Hen Party
For example, hen parties are generally hosted by one or more members of the wedding party and is strictly a "girls only" event (and you thought you got rid of the "No Boys Allowed" policy when you got out of grade school!). It's very common for the members of the wedding party to split the cost of the hen party so no one is left to shoulder the cost alone.
The biggest difference I've noticed between the UK traditions surrounding a hen party and those in the traditional U.S. bachelorette party is that hen parties are generally held in someone's home and almost always end in humiliating videos you wouldn't want to pop up on YouTube! Whether this is actually a matter of tradition or just pure chance because of who I was at the party with remains undetermined, however! Feel free to offer up your own opinions on the difference between a Bachelorette party in the U.S. and a Hen Party in the UK and Australia!
In the meantime, if you visited this blog post for academic purposes (i.e. you REALLY want to know the difference between a hen party and a bachelorette party and aren't here for idle speculation) check out this book by Deirdre Brennen:
The Hen Party
Monday, July 20, 2009
Fun Wedding Facts for Bridal Shower Games
One of the best parts of the bridal shower is getting to toss out wedding trivia to your guests and see who's as smart as they think they are and who's going to be wearing a pointy yellow cap at the end of the night! Here are some fun wedding facts from The Knot that will make a great addition to your bridal shower games:
a) According to Greek culture, you should tuck a sugar cube into your glove to sweeten your union.
b) The British believe that a spider found in the wedding dress means good luck. (Might want to think twice before you tie the knot in Salisbury!)
c) Wednesday is considered to be the "best day" to marry across the pond, although Tuesday is for health and Monday is for wealth.
d) Ancient Romans studied pig entrails to decide when the luckiest time to marry would be.
e) Believe it or not, according to the Hindus it's actually good luck when it rains on your wedding day.
f) It's tradition for a Swedish bride puts a silver coin from her father and a gold coin from her mother in each shoe to make sure she and her husband never have to do without.
g) Egyptian women pinch the bride for good luck on her wedding day.
h) The reason you wear your engagement ring and your wedding band on the fourth finger of the left hand because it was once believed there was a vein in that finger that led directly to the heart.
i) Popular wedding bands in Victorian time weren't traditional gold bands. Instead, they preferred snake rings dotted with ruby eyes because the circle was believed to be a symbol of eternity.
j) Smelters in the United States transform seventeen tons of gold into wedding rings every year in the United States.
a) According to Greek culture, you should tuck a sugar cube into your glove to sweeten your union.
b) The British believe that a spider found in the wedding dress means good luck. (Might want to think twice before you tie the knot in Salisbury!)
c) Wednesday is considered to be the "best day" to marry across the pond, although Tuesday is for health and Monday is for wealth.
d) Ancient Romans studied pig entrails to decide when the luckiest time to marry would be.
e) Believe it or not, according to the Hindus it's actually good luck when it rains on your wedding day.
f) It's tradition for a Swedish bride puts a silver coin from her father and a gold coin from her mother in each shoe to make sure she and her husband never have to do without.
g) Egyptian women pinch the bride for good luck on her wedding day.
h) The reason you wear your engagement ring and your wedding band on the fourth finger of the left hand because it was once believed there was a vein in that finger that led directly to the heart.
i) Popular wedding bands in Victorian time weren't traditional gold bands. Instead, they preferred snake rings dotted with ruby eyes because the circle was believed to be a symbol of eternity.
j) Smelters in the United States transform seventeen tons of gold into wedding rings every year in the United States.
The Hen Party vs. The Bachelorette Party
We're all familiar with the concept of a bachelorette party, but have you ever heard of a hen party? Believe it or not, it's the exact same thing. When you hop across the pond to visit Mother England you're going to find women having bachelorette parties, or "hen" parties, all the time! Some of their traditions are very similar to ours, but some are very, very different!
For example, hen parties are generally hosted by one or more members of the wedding party and is strictly a "girls only" event (and you thought you got rid of the "No Boys Allowed" policy when you got out of grade school!). It's very common for the members of the wedding party to split the cost of the hen party so no one is left to shoulder the cost alone.
The biggest difference I've noticed between the UK traditions surrounding a hen party and those in the traditional U.S. bachelorette party is that hen parties are generally held in someone's home and almost always end in humiliating videos you wouldn't want to pop up on YouTube! Whether this is actually a matter of tradition or just pure chance because of who I was at the party with remains undetermined, however! Feel free to offer up your own opinions on the difference between a Bachelorette party in the U.S. and a Hen Party in the UK and Australia!
In the meantime, if you visited this blog post for academic purposes (i.e. you REALLY want to know the difference between a hen party and a bachelorette party and aren't here for idle speculation) check out this book by Deirdre Brennen:
The Hen Party
For example, hen parties are generally hosted by one or more members of the wedding party and is strictly a "girls only" event (and you thought you got rid of the "No Boys Allowed" policy when you got out of grade school!). It's very common for the members of the wedding party to split the cost of the hen party so no one is left to shoulder the cost alone.
The biggest difference I've noticed between the UK traditions surrounding a hen party and those in the traditional U.S. bachelorette party is that hen parties are generally held in someone's home and almost always end in humiliating videos you wouldn't want to pop up on YouTube! Whether this is actually a matter of tradition or just pure chance because of who I was at the party with remains undetermined, however! Feel free to offer up your own opinions on the difference between a Bachelorette party in the U.S. and a Hen Party in the UK and Australia!
In the meantime, if you visited this blog post for academic purposes (i.e. you REALLY want to know the difference between a hen party and a bachelorette party and aren't here for idle speculation) check out this book by Deirdre Brennen:
The Hen Party
Friday, July 10, 2009
What Kind of Bridesmaids Gifts Should I Get?
With all of the decisions you have to make about your wedding right now finding the right bridesmaids gifts might be so far down the list that it's almost laughable! But finding the right tokens of appreciation for the women who are coming together to make this wedding happen (especially if you've managed to rope your bridemaids into helping out!) is just as important to making this a day to remember as booking the right church or making sure the groom actually gets there on time!
(Actually, statistically speaking, it's the bride that's almost always late to the ceremony-but no one else needs to know about that!)
So what kind of bridesmaids gifts should you get? You have two choices. You can go with the classic elegance of personalized bracelets, jewelry and cosmetic bags that scream "This is for my wedding!" or you can choose something that symbolizes the relationship y'all have shared up until that point. For example, if you met your friends on the basketball court tickets to the season playoffs aren't out of order, and they're no more expensive than many of the jewelry choices you're going to stumble across.
If your budget won't stretch to season tickets and you need to find cheap bridesmaids gifts that aren't going to look incredibly tacky, consider making them yourself. Every woman loves a basket put together from Bath & Bodyworks or your favorite chocolatier and topped off with a $10-20 giftcard, and these can usually be put together for $30-40 apiece. Not to mention the hundreds of little bridesmaids novelties available on the market!
Shopping for your bridesmaids gifts is only as hard as you want to make it.
(Actually, statistically speaking, it's the bride that's almost always late to the ceremony-but no one else needs to know about that!)
So what kind of bridesmaids gifts should you get? You have two choices. You can go with the classic elegance of personalized bracelets, jewelry and cosmetic bags that scream "This is for my wedding!" or you can choose something that symbolizes the relationship y'all have shared up until that point. For example, if you met your friends on the basketball court tickets to the season playoffs aren't out of order, and they're no more expensive than many of the jewelry choices you're going to stumble across.
If your budget won't stretch to season tickets and you need to find cheap bridesmaids gifts that aren't going to look incredibly tacky, consider making them yourself. Every woman loves a basket put together from Bath & Bodyworks or your favorite chocolatier and topped off with a $10-20 giftcard, and these can usually be put together for $30-40 apiece. Not to mention the hundreds of little bridesmaids novelties available on the market!
Shopping for your bridesmaids gifts is only as hard as you want to make it.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Some Traditional Groomsman Gifts (Just to Get You Started)
Not to toss around stereotypes here, but when you spend your entire day doing wedding favors and wedding accessories and helping brides get ready for their big day you begin to notice a few things. Like the fact that most of the grooms would rather be fishing, cycling, vegging in front of the T.V. or getting a root canal than shopping for their wedding!
As the man of the hour the job of picking out the groomsman gifts falls squarely on you. If you actually like to shop and pick out meaningful presents for your best friends that's not going to be a big deal. If you're the type of groom that believes the Internet exists for a reason (so you don't have to deal with the mall!) and you prefer to do all your shopping in five minutes or less, this could get ugly.
Since buying a keg and calling it a day probably isn't on the table (unless you want your mother in law to skin you alive) here's a look at some of the most popular groomsman gifts on the market.
1) Personalized. Anything. If it has their name on it, and maybe the date of the wedding, it immediately becomes a keepsake and a classy addition to their collection. Personalized Zippos are great for this.
2) Gift certificates. No, it's not tacky. Treating your groomsmen to a tux-free day on the town is always appreciated, so as long as it's not a gift certificate to Bloomingdale's you're probably all right.
3) Pocket watches. Hey, the classics never die!
And if you're still looking for ideas check out what the Art of Manliness has to say about it. We loved their take on "Thinking Outside the Flask"!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Personalized Gifts are the Hottest Bridesmaids Gifts on the Market
When you're gearing up for one of the most important days of your life you want to make sure you remember the people that worked so hard to make it happen. That goes double for the bridesmaids you roped into filling out invitations, standing for countless dress fittings and attaching hundreds of streamers to chairs.
You want your bridesmaids gifts to let them know just how much you appreciate everything they've done. But how can you do that without completely blowing your budget?
The good news in the land of cheap bridesmaids gifts is that personalizing doesn't cost an arm and a leg anymore, and a personalized gift is guaranteed to become an instant keepsake.
Cosmetics bags and bracelets are a favorite, but let your imagination run wild! Remember, this is you celebrating your special day with the women who mean the most to you. Don't let a little thing like not knowing what on earth you're going to buy stop you from making it the most amazing day of your life.
**To add a little extra style to your bridesmaids gifts consider personalizing with the packaging. This WatchDoIt video on gift wrapping was designed for Christmas, but it's got some great tips your bridesmaids will love!**
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Give Great Groomsman Gifts, Even if You Don't Have an Ounce of Creativity
You've got the hard part taken care of. You've already popped the question! Now you're just counting down to the big day. Hold on Romeo! You're not quite done yet! Regardless of who's going to be handling the details of the wedding (and whether or not your mother and future mother-in-law have completely taken things over!) you're still responsible for picking out your groomsman gifts.
And no, buying a keg for the reception doesn't count!
Before you start hyperventilating, relax. The good news is that unlike everything else with your wedding buying your groomsman gifts doesn't have to be any more complicated than you want it to be. And unlike many popular bridesmaid's or bridal shower gifts you don't have to sit around and assemble most of them by hand!
Think of shopping for your groomsman gifts as shopping for their birthday. Just find something they like and go for it!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
New Traditions are Tossing Yesterday's Wedding Favors Out the Window
Do you remember when you used to be able to count on going to a wedding and going home with the bag of rice you forgot to throw and noisemakers that your kids would be using to drive you nuts for months? The times, they are a changin'…and today's wedding favors are cooler than you've ever imagined! If you know a bride looking for a way to jazz up her wedding with some fun and creative wedding favors, give her a helping hand!
New traditions are tossing old fashioned wedding favors out the window, pushing passé noisemakers and outdated door prizes out of the way in favor of more trendy novelties. Come check out what today's brides are talking about and help your friends get some creative ideas for their modern wedding at www.momentsofelegance.com.
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