Sophisticated Gifts for Your Wedding Party

Gifts of bridesmaid jewelry are among the most traditional for wedding parties. The wonderful thing about jewelry is that there is a piece of jewelry which will suit the taste of any woman. When you seek bridesmaid jewelry gifts which are sophisticated and stylish, look for pieces made with unique design elements. A pair of keshi pearl drop earrings is a chic gift for the bridesmaid who loves fashion. For your maid of honor, add a necklace with keshi pearls strung on a fine silver chain.

Bridesmaids who adore beautiful things will also enjoy receiving sophisticated gifts of silver. A monogrammed silver compact mirror would be a terrific bridesmaid gift for your friend who likes designer bags. After all, she wouldn’t want to pull a cheap plastic mirror out of her fabulous handbag! For your bridesmaid who likes home decorating, a chic silver picture frame with her initials is an elegant wedding party gift. If you have a friend who is crazy for jewelry, a great gift idea is a small engraved silver jewelry box to hold her most treasured pieces. It is perfectly fine to choose a different personalized silver present for each attendant, as long as they are all of comparable value.

Let’s not forget about the men in the wedding party. Groomsmen deserve sophisticated gifts too! A terrific present for a formal wedding is a pair of monogrammed silver cufflinks that can be worn for the ceremony. Choose oval cufflinks for the men who have the most classic taste and square ones for the guys who like more modern streamlined style. Executive silver gifts are also highly appropriate for a group of groomsmen who are mature and successful professionals. An engraved silver business card holder will make a handsome addition to a man’s briefcase or desk. Pen sets and silver plated USB flash drives are also very sophisticated choices.

Personalized leather gifts are another excellent idea for the groomsman with sophisticated taste. A leather portfolio is a nice choice for a lawyer or any professional who needs to keep a notepad handy. Or how about a monogrammed leather passport cover for your best man, the world traveler? A customized leather and plaid covered flask will add style to a tailgate party for your buddy the college football fan. As with the bridesmaid gifts, groomsmen gifts can be chosen for each individual, or you can select one item that you think the whole group will like.

How to Survive a Bachelor Party

Tip number one is to hold the bachelor party at least a couple of weeks before the wedding day. Why do you think most brides now schedule a rehearsal dinner or welcome party on the wedding eve? It’s to keep the groom and his groomsmen too busy to get into trouble, of course. One couple I know violated this rule, and when the groom stumbled to the altar with bloodshot eyes smelling of the whiskey he and the guys had the night before, the bride very nearly called off the wedding on the spot!

Another important tip for surviving the bachelor party is to be honest with the bride about what is taking place. This is not to say that she wants to hear all the gory details, but if you are doing something that you need to lie about, you have no business doing it in the first place! Besides, sooner or later, she is bound to find out if you went to a strip club instead of to a restaurant. When you are upfront about the general activities which are planned for the bachelor party, the bride will not worry about what you are hiding and why.

Some guys have moved away from the idea that a bachelor party has to be rowdy or debauched. This is especially true for older grooms, who may be less interested in getting their kicks one last time, and who have more sophisticated tastes. There is no rule that the only place to have a bachelor party is a bar or a strip club. Parties in upscale restaurants are very popular these days. Think fine brandy instead of tequila shooters.  While everyone is gathered, the groom might want to give the groomsmen gifts to his attendants.

You know that old saying “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas”? That might well be a good reason to avoid going to Las Vegas for your bachelor weekend!  After all, the point of a bachelor party is to enjoy some “guy time”, not wreck the future of your marriage.

Great Boutonierres for Grooms and Other Guys

The boutonierre is often the only piece of “flair” that the groom and groomsmen get to wear at a wedding. There are many fantastic options for boutonierres which are interesting and unique, which go beyond the standard rose or carnation in the lapel. These are some great boutonierres for groomsmen and other guys.

Some of the most wonderful boutonierres are those which tie in with the theme of the wedding. Let’s say that you were having a nautical wedding, and gave silver sailboat cufflinks as the groomsmen gifts – why not design boutonierres with a nautical theme as well? Tiny little sailboat “picks” can be used as the basis for a nautical lapel decoration. Or simply use a rope knot (tied in a sailor’s knot of course) as the boutonierre. Sometimes the simplest ideas can be the most intriguing.

Boutonierres which have personal meaning to the groom are always a great idea. After all, beyond picking the groomsmen gifts and tasting wedding cakes, many grooms do not get to put their personal imprint on the wedding. So if your groom’s ancestors hail from Scotland, order a lapel decoration created from thistles tied up with a bit of tartan ribbon. Or treat your Tennessee groom to a Vols orange flower, even if your wedding colors are blue and white. It would be a fun surprise, and a terrific way to show your groom that you are really thinking of what is important to him.

Seasonal elements are always nice for boutonierres. A holiday wedding would be a great time to design a lapel accent made from a sprig of holly, a small pine spray, and a red velvet ribbon. A pinecone boutonierre would be an excellent choice for an autumn wedding. Add a cluster of red or orange hypericum berries for a dash of color. For a summer ceremony, create a lapel ornament around a sea shell wired onto a stem. These seasonal accents will make the boutonierres very special.

Bachelor Parties Not Gone Wild

The bachelor party is a very, very old custom, dating back to ancient Sparta. It is also the wedding tradition with the worst reputation, by far! This is a look at bachelor parties not gone wild; in other words, how to have fun without getting into big trouble!

The customary time for the bachelor party was the night before the wedding. It is undoubtedly for this reason that the night before the wedding is now filled up with the rehearsal dinner, which is also a good time to give the groomsmen gifts.  If there is one thing that no bride wants, it is for her groom to stagger to the altar after a late night of partying with his buddies. These days, most bachelor parties are held weeks or even months before the wedding, which is a far more sensible arrangement.

Something else that has changed is what is considered acceptable at a bachelor party. The “one last fling” is definitely not okay with modern women! This is not to say that no guys have parties with “exotic dancers” or go to “gentlemen’s clubs”, to use the popular euphemisms, but any guy worth marrying knows that there is a line that should not be crossed. Secrets are sure to cause a fight with the bride-to-be if discovered, so if your friends are going to take you to a raunchy strip club, be upfront about it. If you are nonchalant about it, the bride will know that her fiance can be trusted, even if she disapproves.

Sporting events are one of the most popular kinds of the new-style bachelor party. For some grooms, nothing would beat a laid-back afternoon at the ballpark drinking beers and eating hot dogs with his best buds. Of course, if the groom has a favorite sport or hobby, such as golf or deep sea fishing, his friends could put together a bachelor party based on that activity. It is sure to be a fun outing that the groom will long remember, and as a bonus, it will not get him into trouble with the bride!

How to Get Your Fiance Interested in the Wedding

If we are honest about, wedding planning has always been the purview of the bride and her mother. These days, many of the old notions of traditional roles for men and women have broken down, and so brides naturally expect that their guys will be as into the wedding as they are. This can be a mistaken assumption, however. Before you get too worked up over your fiance’s lack of interest in the details of planning your wedding, ask yourself if he is generally interested in the types of things which are part of a wedding like flowers, decorations, and fashions. If the answer is not so much, then it should really be no surprise that he is not super helpful when it comes to designing the dream wedding.

Now that we have reasonable expectations, it is time to get that groom interested and motivated! Playing to his areas of interest and expertise will help to get him more involved. As most women have noticed, even the most disinterested groom will find time to show up for the menu sampling and cake tasting appointments! Instead of trying to get his opinion in areas where he may truly have no preference (like the flowers or invitations), get him to help with the parts of the wedding which do appeal to him, like the food and the music.

Giving the groom genuine responsibilities can also help to get him off the couch and helping with plans. Of course, this means relinquishing some of the control over the final product, so before you work too hard to get your fiance to help, be sure that it is worth it to you! After all, why should he put in a lot of effort if you are going to step in and overrule him at the last minute? Let him pick the limo company and the groomsmen gifts, so that he can take ownership of some of the wedding.

A final tip is to break up wedding stuff with regular couple’s activities. One of the top complaints that many grooms have is how all-consuming wedding planning can become for the bride. Try to give him a break from the planning, and maybe you will get a more enthusiastic participant. And if all else fails, fall back on the old standby and plan the wedding with your mother!

Khaki Suits for Grooms

I love a tuxedo as next as the much person, but it is not the only option for wedding attire for a groom. Unless the wedding is to be very formal, in the spring and summer months, it can be so much more fresh and modern to lighten things up a bit. Enter the khaki suit: appropriate for an elegant daytime wedding yet perfectly in style for the season, it can be an excellent alternative to either a tuxedo or a traditional navy suit. These are some ideas on how to style khaki suits for the groom and his groomsmen.

A spring garden wedding is a wonderful place for a khaki suit. Instead of a basic white shirt, why not have the men in the wedding wear shirts in a pastel color? Pale blue is always handsome, or select a shirt color which coordinates with the wedding colors. Light yellow shirts are very springy and surprisingly neutral. A discreet pattern on the groom’s shirt, such as a tiny gingham check would be a marvelous addition.

A great idea for a tie for a garden wedding would be one with a small floral print, such as a Liberty floral. It would look fresh and springlike with a khaki suit and light colored shirt. If your groom will not go for a floral print, a small print in a motif which appeals to him could be nice, such as a green and white golf design. Keep the rest of the accessories simple, such as a classic pair of silver monogrammed cufflinks (these also make great groomsmen gifts). A cheerful daisy boutonierre would be a great finishing detail.

In the summer, khaki suits are perfect for nautical themed weddings. What could be more crisp and classic than khaki paired with navy and bright white? For a dash of color, mix in subtle accents of lime green or red. Starting with the shirts, pair the khaki suits with either a pure white or an elegant French blue. Embrace the nautical theme with anchor or sailboat cufflinks, which are not only terrific gifts for groomsmen, but also for the groom himself. Select a tie which either has diagonal stripes or a discreet nautical print. Motifs like anchors, ships’ wheels, knots, or whales are just a few appropriate tie motif ideas (check out places like Vineyard Vines for great looking options). With so many ways to wear one, the khaki suit is really the go-to look for spring and summer grooms.

Do You Have to Include Every Wedding Tradition?

Weddings are tradition-laden occasions, of this there can be no doubt. It seems like so many of the customs are included in a wedding merely because they are traditional, long after the original meaning has been lost. To some modern couples, this may not seem like enough of a reason to do things in a certain way. These are some of the wedding customs that can easily be skipped, as well as those not to be missed.

Some parts of the wedding have very strong and clear symbolism, and should definitely be included. The biggest examples would be the exchange of vows and the wedding bands. This does not mean that these have to be handled in any particular way, however. Many couples forgo the traditional vows (especially the “obey” part) and write their own vows. Certainly, you can choose any sort of wedding bands that appeal to you, from the classic plain gold band to one-of-a-kind pieces handcrafted by a local artisan. Most men these days do also receive wedding bands in the ceremony, even if they decide not to wear one on a daily basis due to their work or simply personal preference.

A common complaint about weddings is the enormous expense for just one day. While having an affordable wedding is certainly reasonable, there are some customs that cannot be shed just to trim the budget. One of these is giving bridesmaid and groomsmen gifts. If you choose to have a wedding party, giving bridesmaid and groomsmen gifts to thank them for their participation is mandatory, and is really nothing compared to the expense it costs to be in a wedding (attire, travel, gifts, parties, etc.). however, if the bride and groom both agree, it is acceptable for them to leave out the custom of giving one another a gift on the morning of the wedding.

There are lots of things that are done at nearly every wedding that are fine to omit from yours. Do you have to have a cake cutting ceremony? No; in fact, you do not even have to have a traditional wedding cake. If the cake cutting moment does not appeal to you, feel free to substitute a dessert bar, cupcakes, or even fresh fruit pies for the grand cake. Although many brides and grooms seem to relish the spotlight, a shy pair of newlyweds may certainly decide to skip the first dance and open the floor up to general dancing immediately. Certainly don’t give a second thought to the traditional bouquet toss if you think it is ditzy, and by all means, skip the tacky garter toss. Your wedding is a special day to celebrate your love, and by all means, make it your own.

Including Humor in a Wedding

Weddings are important occasions and marriage is a serious commitment, this we all know. And yet, there is no reason to say that just because an occasion marks a rite of passage that it has to be overly serious or buttoned-up. To make your wedding as fun as it is joyous, find ways to include humor in your wedding.

There are countless ways in which to bring laughter into your wedding without diminishing the significance of the occasion. It could be an inside joke penned inside the gift card of each of the groomsmen gifts. Or maybe the gift itself could have a nod to humor, such as the groom who gave his friends groomsmen gifts with a poker theme, and a “get out of jail free” card from Monopoly that each attendant could use to “bail” out the groom for a weekly poker night with the guys. These ideas are lighthearted and in the spirit of good clean fun.

The wedding vows are a perfect place to add a touch of humor, as long as it is done in good taste. (Anything that would embarrass someone is out of place at a wedding; remember that it is not a roast!) At one wedding that I attended, the groom got some good chuckles from the guests when he mentioned that he nearly derailed the entire relationship before it got off the ground by calling the young lady in the middle of a Yankee’s playoff game. This got a great response from the crowd, all of whom knew how passionate the bride was about baseball. The groom went on to mention that he ensured that his bride accepted his proposal of marriage by posting it on the Jumbotron at Yankee Stadium (here, clearly, was a man who could learn from his mistakes!).

If you are looking for a great ice breaker at your wedding reception, humor is a great tool. Instead of a standard napkin ring, pin a badge with a funny message to each napkin. Your guests will have fun comparing the messages that they received, which is a terrific conversation starter. Clever save-the-date cards or favors are another terrific vehicle for wedding humor. A few well chosen bits of humor will amuse your guests and bring a lighthearted sparkle to your wedding.

Distinctive Table Names for Receptions

Your table names can be much more than just a way to indicate to each guest where they should sit during dinner. They can also be a chance to reinforce your wedding theme, express one of your passions, or even just amuse your guests. Why let this opportunity go to waste by using boring old table numbers when you can do so much more?

Theme weddings will always lend themselves to interesting names for the dinner tables. Let’s say that you are having a tropical theme wedding. A great idea for marking the tables would be to label each one with the name of a famous tropical paradise. Your guests can dine at Bora Bora, Tahiti, Fiji, and Hawaii. A couple who is throwing a tropical theme wedding and also loves to surf, for instance, could name each table after their favorite place to catch a wave.

Some brides will plan their wedding around their favorite color. A purple wedding could be graced with tables named lavender, aubergine, lilac, plum, and so forth. Or have a pink wedding with tables named after your favorite pink flowers, such as roses, tulips, peonies, and hydrangeas.  The idea of naming reception tables after flowers would also be lovely for a garden wedding.

Tables can be named after famous people, too. How better to evoke the cool elegance of the Rat Pack than by calling your reception tables Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and so on? When using the name of a person, definitely have their picture on the table number display to make it even more interesting. This would be a very hip idea for a wedding theme, and you could bring it to full fruition by including elements in your wedding like Sinatra music, a martini bar, and small silver flasks for the favors (they also make great groomsmen gifts, by the way).

Nature can always provide sweet wedding ideas. If you are the earthy type, how about using table names such as river, rock, branch, and moss? Or get more specific; a bird loving bride and groom could call their tables warbler, finch, cardinal, bluebird, etc. Another great source of inspiration is literature. Not only would it be a nice personal touch to name your reception tables after your favorite books, but it will be a great conversation starter for your guests at dinner.

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.