Grooms’ Favorite Wedding Ideas

Everyone knows that weddings are really the bride’s purview. Yet these days, grooms are more involved than ever in the wedding planning process, and many of them are bringing their own ideas into play. Here are some of the favorite ideas that grooms have contributed to their weddings.

If you ask any groom what part of the wedding concerns him the most, he is likely to say the food. One trend that grooms can really get behind is serving comfort food, especially for the cocktail hour. Pigs in blankets on silver platters, sleeves of crispy fresh “pommes frites” (french fries), milkshake shots and mac and cheese cups are all high on the list of things that grooms really love to see on their menu. Serve these foods, and you can bet that your guests will love them as well.

Another idea that grooms really go for is the groom’s cake. These cakes are custom made by specialty bakers in a design that represents an interest of the groom’s. It could be a cake shaped like his dog, or sculpted to look like his favorite car, or even the helmet of his favorite NFL team. The point is that the groom’s cake is one part of the wedding that is all about him, even in the most formal and traditional white wedding. Best of all, the groom’s cake is traditionally chocolate.

Something else that grooms love is to have some sort of activity at the wedding reception, beyond dancing and eating. Casino nights have become a popular form of entertainment at some weddings. It can be done in a very hip sort of way (although not every bride is going to go for this idea, no matter how well it is executed). This can tie in well with groomsmen gifts that have a poker theme. The nice thing about those types of groomsmen gifts is that they are a signal to the groom’s buddies that he still intends to hang with them on poker night after he is married.

The more the groom becomes involved with planning his wedding, the better. It will give him a chance to be a part of the festivities, and it also gives the bride a fresh take on what a wedding should be like. When the bride and groom plan their wedding together, the day will feel even more special to both of them.

Down to the Wire Wedding Planning

No matter how organized you are, there will always be numerous last minute things to be done before your wedding. If you have not been a super-organized planner, well, there will be even more things that need to be checked off of your list in the final weeks before you walk down the aisle. Lest you get to your wedding day with some important loose end left hanging, here is a guide to down-to-the-wire wedding planning.

If you do only one thing from this list, it should be to get your final head count to the wedding caterer on time (the exact deadline will vary by caterer, but it is usually about a week before the wedding date). The last thing that you want is to end up with too few dinners or paying for extra meals that go to waste. At least a week before your head count is due, either the bride her mother, or the maid of honor needs to get on the phone to track down any guests who have not yet responded.

Something else which is not usually done until the final days before the wedding is making the programs and wrapping the wedding favors. If at all possible, save yourself some stress and try to get these two things done at least three weeks before the wedding. You would not believe how many brides stay up late the night before their weddings assembling programs (it invariably takes longer than you expect).

When you are handling the last minute details, don’t forget about planning a bridesmaids’ luncheon. The ladies’ luncheon is usually held two or three days before the wedding, and it is the perfect time to thank all of your attendants for being in your wedding and to give them their bridesmaid gifts. If the bridesmaid gifts are something that you would like them to wear in your wedding, like a piece of jewelry, you might decide to present them to your attendants before the luncheon so that they will know they do not need to buy any special accessories for the wedding.

Finally, in the rush before your wedding, remember that you have to be prepared to leave for a honeymoon. Make sure that your bags are packed, someone is assigned to water the plants and collect the mail, and that your tickets and passports are handy. With all of the details for your wedding in place, you should be able to relax and actually enjoy the day!

Wedding Decorations Inspired by Bridal Gowns

The bridal gown is one of the favorite parts of the wedding for most brides. If you ask brides what they loved most about their weddings (other than the groom!), most will say their wedding dresses and their bridal jewelry sets. Since it is such a special part of the wedding day, it can be really fun to design some wedding decorations that are inspired by the details on your bridal gown. These are some suggestions to get you started.

If you have chosen a bridal gown with special beading, you will surely want to use that as the inspiration for the décor at your wedding. A sweet dresses with seed pearl embellishments worn traditional pearl bridal jewelry sets would lend themselves to one style; if the beading on your gown is done in dazzling Swarovski crystals, you would go another direction entirely for your décor. This is what allows you to really personalize your wedding.

With the sweet gown as your inspiration, think about a white-on-white color scheme featuring lots of tiny pearls. For example, an all white bouquet of peonies and garden roses would look beautiful when tied with a wide white ribbon bow. Trim the edges of the ribbon with a row of tiny stitched pearls. You can even use seed pearls to create subtle monograms on everything from white linen banners to hang on the church doors to a custom chair cover on the bride’s seat at the reception. For the wedding cake, a white buttercream frosting with faux frosting “pearls” would be ideal.

If it is sparkle that made you fall in love with your wedding gown, bring that bling into your wedding design. Go crazy with crystals! Adorn the reception venue with opulent crystal chandeliers, hang teardrop crystals in the centerpieces, and even slip a few twinkling Swarovski crystals onto the ribbons on the wedding favors. As long as all of the crystals you use are top quality, the effect will be elegant and extraordinary, but never tacky. It is a great way to create a unified décor scheme that will tie your whole wedding together beautifully, while highlighting the special features of your wedding gown.

Asymmetrical Bridal Parties

Sometimes choosing the bridal party is easy: the bride and groom each have an equal number of friends or relatives that they would like to invite to be their attendants. But what if the bride wants a different number of attendants than the groom? The good news is that it is perfectly acceptable to have an asymmetrical bridal party. Here is how to handle it graciously.

There is no need to scramble around to find another body to even out the numbers. You should only invite those who you truly wish to have with you. If the bride has three attendants and the groom has five, no one is going to assume that it means she is less popular than he is! Better to have three attendants you really love than five that you barely know.

During the processional, the groomsmen will be standing up at the altar with the groom, so there is no question of how to manage unequal numbers. The music plays, the bridesmaids come gliding down the aisle in their beautiful dresses and bridesmaid jewelry, the bride makes her grand entrance, and everyone heads up to the altar. At this point, the first question of unbalanced sides may arise. If there is only a difference of one or two people, simply have the bridesmaids stand by the bride and the groomsmen by the groom in the usual fashion. If, however, the sides are more disparate in size, you could ask your officiant about having only the maid of honor and best man stand by the bride and groom for the ceremony; the rest of the attendants can be seated in nearby chairs.

Okay, so the ceremony is finished, the groom has kissed the bride, and it is time for the recessional, now what? When there is one more female attendant in the wedding party, the best man can have the honor of escorting two lovely ladies in their fabulous bridesmaid dresses and jewelry back up the aisle. He simply extends an arm to each one. If the gentlemen outnumber the ladies, a nice idea is to let the maid of honor walk up the aisle unescorted, which will simply help to single her out as the bride’s chief honor attendant. Having different numbers of attendants on the bride’s side and the groom’s side is one of those things that can drive a bride crazy, but in truth it is no problem at all.

Hidden Wedding Expenses

Once you have booked all of your vendors and ordered all of your wedding needs, you may think that you know what your total cost will be. Look out, though, because things are not always as clear as you may think. This is a list of the hidden wedding expenses that every bride and groom should watch out for.

Tips and taxes: Read your contracts very carefully. Do they include gratuities and any sales tax, or are those additional? Gratuities are customary for many vendors, including the caterer or venue’s waitstaff, the band, the limo, the coatcheck, and so forth. If you are paying an additional 15-20% beyond the base estimate, that can really add up quickly.

Overtime: When you book your venue, photographer, and band, the contract will be for a set number of hours. Should you go beyond that block of time, the overtime costs are likely to be substantial. This is why it is important to be realistic when scheduling your vendors. If there is any possibility that you might want them for a little longer than their standard contract time, ask to pay a little more and schedule them for longer. It will likely be much less costly than paying overtime charges after the fact.

Rental delivery and set up fees: If you are having a wedding that involves a lot of rentals, read the fine print of your contract. Very often, the price for your tent or tables includes only renting the item, not the labor involved in actually getting them there and in place. Some rental companies charge hundreds of dollars for delivery and set up, so it is important to find out in advance whether or not your rental agency includes these services in their price.

Personalization: So you found the perfect bridesmaid gifts and they are within your budget, great! But wait, the jewelry store wants how much to engrave their initials on those bracelets? Some stores will charge a hefty fee for engraving, so when you are shopping around for personalized bridesmaid gifts, find out the cost of the engraving and factor that into your gift budget. You will often get the best deal from an online retailer.

As they say, forewarned is forearmed. Knowing about potential hidden or unexpected wedding expenses in advance is the best way to help you plan your budget so that you avoid any unpleasant last minute surprises and fees.

Contemporary Wedding Gifts

There was a time not so long ago that every bride planning a wedding registered for the same basic things: china, crystal, silver, and linens. Many modern couples, though, are getting away from those sorts of registry items, finding them to be impractical with their lifestyles. Entertaining has become more relaxed, making the need for a set of fine china and crystal less common. Silver has become so costly that brides who do register for it most often find themselves with an incomplete set. Also, as couples are waiting longer to get married, they may already have a lot of the standard household items that used to be the bread-and-butter of bridal registries, such as sheets, towels, and of course, the ubiquitous toaster.

So what is a wedding guest to do when shopping for a gift? First of all, find out if the couple has registered somewhere. Most couples still do establish bridal registries, just not for the traditional items. Modern brides and grooms tend to prefer gifts that fit in with the way that they live their everyday life, so items like flat screen tvs and electronics have become very popular on registries.

Experience gifts are another trend. The honeymoon registry is one example of this. Guests can donate to a general fund, or purchase a particular experience, such as an afternoon of scuba diving or a day at the resort spa. This can be a fun way to help a couple who does not need any more household goods have a truly memorable honeymoon adventure. A word to the wise, though: many older guests are not comfortable a registry that requires a cash donation for a trip or a down payment on a mortgage, so it is smart to create a more traditional registry as well to give those guests options and suggestions.

Personal gifts can be nice too, and close family members of the bride and groom might think about offering to help a young couple with some part of their wedding as their gift. A grandparent might offer to contribute to the flowers. A special aunt might pay for the wedding cake or a set of jewelry for the bride. With this sort of gift, just be sure to get the input of the bride to make sure that it is the exact set of wedding jewelry or the particular cake that she has envisioned.

Traditional wedding gifts are always in good taste, but these days, there are many more options. Whether you decide to shop from a registry or strike out on your own, the parameters for appropriate wedding presents have expanded considerably over recent years. As long as you have the taste and lifestyle of the bride and groom in mind, you are sure to find a wedding gift that they will be delighted to receive.

Displaying Table Numbers at Your Reception

If you are planning to have assigned seating at your wedding reception, you will need a way to indicate the number of each table. There are standard ways to display table numbers, which are fine, but perhaps a bit unoriginal. From the classic to the quirky, these are some ideas for displaying the table numbers at your reception.

If your style is very classic, you can make a small variation on the standard table number provided by the wedding venue. An easy way to make it more special is to use your own number cards. An ivory card stock with the number spelled out in a fancy script would be a nice alternative to the basic black and white card. Swap out the plain card holder for a more ornate version with a gold scroll design, and suddenly your table numbers will go from standard to sublime.

Tall table numbers can be nice because they are easy to read from a distance, but they can also detract from the centerpieces and other table décor. For this reason, many brides prefer a numbering system that is low and unobtrusive. This opens up all sorts of decorative options. Picture frames can be a nice display idea, as well as a fun way to add style to your reception tables. Choose frames that complement another element in your wedding, such as your color scheme or the gems in a set of handcrafted bridal jewelry. A pearl bordered frame would be a classic and elegant tie in to bridal jewelry that is handcrafted with pearls, or select crystal rimmed frames for drama and sparkle.

If you want to keep things really streamlined and simple, a folded over tent card can be just right. To keep it from looking like an afterthought, design a tent card with style. Bold colors, interesting fonts, and layered paper will ensure that your table numbers enhance the overall effect of your tablescape. Another idea is to add an accent to each number tent, such as gluing on a shell or starfish for a beach wedding. There are endless possibilities for ways in which you can make your table numbers into a special accent at your reception instead of just a basic necessity.

Easy Centerpieces for Every Season

Your wedding centerpieces will be one of the most important parts of your wedding décor, so naturally you want them to be fabulous. But fabulous does not have to mean expensive; in fact some of the most beautiful centerpieces are so easy that you can make them yourself. Here are some great ideas for easy wedding centerpieces for every season.

Spring lends itself to all sorts of lovely centerpieces. There are many wonderful fresh flowers that characterize the season of growth and new life. Bulbs, in particular, capture the beauty of the spring. One idea for wedding centerpieces is to create low table arrangements using potted flowering bulbs like mini daffodils or fragrant hyacinths. Gather a collection of shallow and wide painted bowls, such as those with a classic blue and white design. Transfer several of the bulbs and dirt into the bowls, and cover the top with dried Spanish moss. The centerpieces will be so beautiful that your guests will all want to take them home!

Beach themes are popular for summertime weddings, and they lend themselves beautifully to easy and affordable centerpieces. You can create the perfect summer wedding decorations using sand, seashells, and starfish. Fill a clear cylinder about a third full with sand and plant a tall chunky white candle in the sand. Set the vase into a bed of sand on the table, and carefully arrange an assortment of your favorite shells and starfish stacked up against the outside of the cylinder. For a dash of color, layer in bright red faux coral.

In the fall, there are countless ideas for easy diy wedding reception displays. One of the most charming is to hollow out mini pumpkins, eggplants, and gourds to use as centerpiece vessels instead of standard vases. Cluster three or more of these mini vases on each table and fill with mums, berries, and other seasonal flowers.

Winter brides will also have some fantastic options for easy to assemble centerpieces. One of the simplest is to fill a large footed glass hurricane lantern with round Christmas ornaments. Spread some evergreen boughs around the base of the lantern and light the room with tiny white votive candles. If you are the sort of bride who loves the sparkle of crystal bridal jewelry for a Winter Wonderland theme wedding, you can incorporate that feeling into your handcrafted centerpieces. Make your own table displays by planting silver painted branches into a pretty vessel. Drape crystal and pearl strands across the branches to coordinate with your bridal jewelry. As a finishing touch, place battery powered LED lights into the base of the centerpiece to cast dramatic uplighting on the branches and make the crystals really dance and sparkle. Gorgeous!

Successfully Combining Patterns in Wedding Decor

Pattern can be a wonderful design element to use in your wedding décor. It can add so much character and personality to a wedding that it should definitely be considered as one of the most important parts of your design scheme. You can take your wedding décor to the next level by learning how to successfully combine patterns for even greater impact.

The key to pairing patterns is to choose ones that complement each other. Most importantly, they should have the same vibe. In other words, if your primary print is a Victorian inspired dusty floral, a bold mod circle design just would not make any sense with it. On the other hand, mix your Victorian floral with a rich tartan and you will have a design scheme worthy of an English country home. As for the mod circles, a wavy stripe print would be the ideal companion.

Beyond matching the basic genre of your prints, you should also take into consideration elements such as color and scale. Two disparate designs can become an intriguing combination if they share the same color palette. Even patterns that more easily combine will benefit from having at least one color in common as a unifying element. For example, if you were having an elegant beach wedding, you could combine a classic blue and white seashell print with a nautical blue, white, and yellow stripe for a lovely effect.

Once you have selected your patterns, it is time to start mixing them. If your wedding is not overly formal, a terrific look is to use two prints on the bridesmaid dresses. A strapless toile dress can be made extra special with the addition of a bias cut stripe stitched on to the hems. When your bridesmaid dresses are fairly busy, stick with simple jewelry like a nice pearl strand. Pearl bridesmaid jewelry makes a wonderful wedding gift from the bride, and it will not compete with a patterned dress. Once you get the hang of it, combining patterns can be really fun, and it is a great way to personalize your wedding.

Wedding Splurges You Won’t Regret

Everyone knows that weddings are expensive, and for most brides it is not possible to get everything that they would like to have. However, just as there are some things that it is worth trying to save money on, there are other times when a little splurge is definitely warranted. These are some of the wedding splurges that you won’t regret.

The number one splurge that you won’t regret is your wedding gown. Sure, there are some affordable options out there. And yes, you only wear the dress for one day. However, it happens to be one of the most special days of your life, and certainly the one occasion for which you want to look and feel your absolute best. The perfect wedding dress, the one of your dreams, will truly make you feel like a different person when you put it on. If you find a gown that makes your heart sing, buy it. You will never regret it.

Number two on the list would have to be investing in an outstanding wedding photographer. If you ask frugal brides for one thing that they should have spent more on, chances are it will be the photographer. Hiring a student or letting your uncle be in charge of recording your most precious memories is a decision that you will regret from the first moment that you see your wedding photos, and every time that you look at your wedding album for the rest of your life. It is definitely worth it to invest in a top notch photographer who will take the kind of artistic photos that you will enjoy forever.

Another splurge-worthy wedding item is the bridal jewelry.  In the long run, buying a cheap ring just doesn’t pay. On the other hand, you do not need to invest a fortune into your wedding necklace and earring set. You can have beautiful bridal jewelry custom made from freshwater pearls and Swarovski crystals that will not hurt your budget. Custom bridal jewelry can look like a splurge, but actually be an area where you save.

Those are the universal splurges, and then there are those that will depend more on the individual preferences of the bride and groom. If you and your families absolutely love to dance, then a great band might be your best splurge. I once attended a big Irish wedding where the splurge was on two bars instead of one.  Really, your best wedding splurge will be on the one (or two!) things that will mean the most to you. If there is something that will make your day a true dream come true, then go ahead and indulge, just this once.