Saturday, July 5, 2008

Shower the groom

Men need showers too.. Not the soapy kind, a wedding shower.

Grooms these days are not letting the bride have all the fun. They want in on the action too. They are celebrating their upcoming wedding with a shower just for the guys.

Unlike bridal showers, groom showers are not about cake, gifts and games. An example is a party that included playing football, drinking games and Rock Band, a video game where players perform in virtual bands. At another groom shower, guests ate from old licence plates, participated in a nail pounding contest and were judged on how manly they wrapped their gifts, most of which were tools.

But don't think this is a replacement for the bachelor party. It's just a warm up before that age old tradition.

And what do you bring the groom for gifts? Men are recognizing that showers are a great way to acquire tools and other necessities to maintain a home. Check stores like Lowes and Sears to see if the couple is registered there. Tools, electronics and equipment are all manly gifts.

Another great place to shop for your groom is the themanregistry.com. The website is all ©Carlson Craft The Color Blueabout the guys and not just about weddings.

Don't forget the invitations! Most shower invitations are flowery and girly. Try using a note card or a simple, elegant wedding invitation. You can include any wording you desire. For example, "The Color Blue" wedding invitation or note card from InvitoCards.com.

So grooms, get creative and have a shower just for you!

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Friday, June 13, 2008

Wedding gift etiquette?

So I found this article today on Smartmoney.com about wedding gift etiquette. Let me quote a piece of it:

"WEDDING GIFTS ARE big business — billions of dollars big. According to research firm The Wedding Report, this year alone guests will spend $6.9 billion on wedding gifts.

Each time an invitation arrives in the mail, wedding guests face a common and sometimes frustrating dilemma: What should I buy the bride and groom, and how much should I spend? Depending on the couple, where they live and their culture, giving cash is either considered apropos or gauche. And then there's always the quandary over the registry, especially when the only two options left are a $200 waffle maker and a $5 garlic press. After all, there's a fine line between breaking the bank to buy a generous gift and looking like a cheapskate.

The idea behind a wedding gift, according to etiquette doyenne Peggy Post1, is indeed a noble one: "It is a tangible representation of love and support, a generous offering to help married couples get a head start in their lives together."

It sounds lovely, but for guests who don't know the bride and groom well enough to conjure up such a representation or are on a tight budget, here's a gift etiquette primer to get you through wedding season:

1. How much should I spend on a gift?

The amount you should spend on a gift is one of those gray areas that vary based on the wedding location, your age and your budget. A typical amount, says Betsy Goldberg, features editor at Modern Bride magazine, is $75. If you bring a date, expect to give a present worth double that. Don't be afraid to ask other attendees what they plan to spend to get a better sense of what people within your social circle are giving, she says.

Though the gift amount is somewhat arbitrary, Summer Krecke, deputy editor of WeddingChannel.com, offers a few guidelines based on the guest's relationship to the bride or groom: If it's your co-worker's wedding, you should spend $75 to $100; a relative or friend, $100-$125; and if it's your close friend or close relative, anywhere from $100 to $150 or more is acceptable."

Now, I don't know about you, but I rarely spend that much money on a wedding gift unless it's a really close friend or relative. Most people I know, including myself, spend between $20 - $50 on wedding gifts - especially if they are just an acquaintance. And here are a few tricks to save some money when you buy a wedding gift:

  • Find out what they have on their wedding registry and then go to a discount store like Ross or TJ Maxx to find it at a great price. They are usually 50% - 75% less expensive for the same items, including designer items.
  • Get a gift card to the store where the bride and groom registered. They can use it towards whatever they want after the wedding. Want to give a big gift card? Go in with a group of people.
  • Pool together money with a group of other guests to buy a really nice expensive gift. The bride and groom will appreciate the special item.
Don't feel pressured to overspend. Especially with today's economy, no one expects you to go broke over a wedding gift. And if they do, they probably aren't really your friend...

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Wednesday, June 11, 2008

MTV casting call for brides!

Hey brides and grooms! How would you like your wedding planning documented on a reality show?

Today as I was perusing Facebook, I came across the following event post:

"MTV is casting for the hit show "True Life"
Only this time, the subject is destination weddings!

The producers from MTV have enlisted Destination I Do Magazine's help for casting an upcoming episode of "True Life: I'm having a destination wedding"

Whether you're getting married in a tropical area such as the Caribbean, Mexico, or Hawaii or if you've decided to celebrate in Europe, Asia, Africa or even a domestic seaside location we want to hear from you. Make your wedding even more extraordinary by having MTV document your journey.

If you appear to be between the ages of 18-28, are having a destination wedding in either July or August of this year and have a special story to share, email us and you may be selected to be on the show.

Send your name, wedding location and date, phone number and a photo of you and your betrothed to info@destinationidomag.com for consideration.

Thanks and good luck!"

So, for all of the wedding couples out there that may want to participate, get your entries in soon! And good luck from me too!

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Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Wedding Registry Just for Men

I think it's a genius idea that this company has come up with a men's registry. Instead of trying to recap the article, I thought it best to just repost in its entirety. The link to the original article is at the bottom.

Article from STLToday.com

Combining a wedding registry tailored toward men with a wealth of how-to resources makes TheManRegistry.com a one-stop shop for grooms

The Man Registry, LLC, an online wedding resource provider for grooms has launched the world's first wedding registry and informational resource designed specifically for men - http://www.themanregistry.com. While most grooms have typically been left out of the wedding planning process, TheManRegistry.com is poised to change that. This unique website puts men in the driver's seat, providing couples with the ability to register for gifts that appeal to grooms and help engage them in the wedding process.

The centerpiece of TheManRegistry.com is a specialized gift registry featuring hundreds of gifts tailored toward grooms, including barbeque grills and accessories, bar supplies, tools, sporting equipment, and even items for favorite MLB teams just to name a few. Best of all - all of these items can be purchased directly from the website and shipped directly to the customer. To view our selection of products, click here http://www.themanregistry.com/Products.aspx

"We offer hundreds of products geared specifically toward men," says Christopher Easter, co-founder of The Man Registry, LLC. "With TheManRegistry.com, grooms can register for a wide variety of items that interest them, ranging from bar glasses to power tools."

In addition to the registry, the website also offers a wealth of information, how-to articles, and resources designed to help successfully guide the 1.25 million men who get married each year through every step of the engagement, wedding, and honeymoon planning processes. To view our 'Groom 101' section, click here http://www.themanregistry.com/groom101.aspx

"We understand that grooms have a lot of questions when it comes to weddings, whether it's how to select the perfect engagement ring or give a memorable toast at the reception, and TheManRegistry.com will help them easily navigate the wedding process and have fun at the same time. TheManRegistry.com is truly the ultimate, one-stop resource for grooms," Easter says.


About The Man Registry

Three brothers started TheManRegistry.com in 2007 when they noticed that many of their close friends and family were getting married, but too often only registered for gifts that were strictly geared toward the bride. It was clear that launching a wedding registry tailored specifically with the groom in mind was necessary. As a result, they created TheManRegistry.com as a comprehensive online resource for grooms, which not only allows them to register for gifts that appeal to men, but also offers a breadth of tips and advice to guide them through the wedding planning process.

For more information, contact Christopher Easter at 618-980-3152 or ceaster@themanregistry.com.

http://www.stltoday.com/pr/lifestyle/PR0422080148920

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Monday, April 7, 2008

Fashion for the Groom

Believe it or not, wedding fashion is not just about the bridal gown. Those guys have a lot of choices to make too. Choosing a tuxedo is more than double breasted vs. tailcoat, or what color cummerbund to wear. Men have more fashion choices now than ever before and it makes for a beautiful wedding unique to his style.

Here is a breakdown of some of the choices you make when choosing men's formal wear for your wedding. Hopefully this will help you be a little prepared when you visit your retailer.

Coat Style

Traditionally, there were three types of coats to choose from. There was the morning coat, also known as a cutaway, for weddings scheduled before 4:00 PM. The tuxedo was for "black tie" formal weddings, usually in the evening. And then there was the tailcoat for the most formal, or "white tie" weddings and it was traditionally worn with a white pique shirt, vest and tie. Now, the formal traditions have been lost and people choose almost any style for any time of the day.

The tuxedo looks like a business suit coat with a satin lapel and one or two buttons in the front. It is worn open with a cummerbund or vest and bow tie. Most tuxedo stores can tell you if the coat you considering is European or traditionally cut. A European cut tuxedo is tapered inward around the waist, and works better for men who are athletically built with broad shoulders and narrower waists.

A double breasted tuxedo has six buttons on the front with three running down each side. The coat is worn closed and buttoned with a cummerbund and bow tie. This style is great for men who want to hide their waistline.
The tailcoat is short in the front and has "tails" that are longer in the back. This is the most formal style tuxedo and is worn best with a vest and bow tie. Tall, slender men look best in tails.

Tuxedos traditionally come in 3 collar styles. They are peak, shawl and notch. They are exactly as they sound. The peak lapel points upward, the notch has a notch cut out of the side (like a business suit), and the shawl is a rounded collar. The collars are usually satin or trimmed in satin.

Many tuxedo stores offer some contemporary style tuxedos such as a long coat with 4-7 buttons in front. Some have shorter collars, and some are collarless. Also, instead of a bow tie, you can choose an ascPalermo Tuxedo at Tuxedojunction.comot or you can get ties that simply button in front in a short length without the bow.

Color

Tuxedos are not just black or white. Most wedding professionals carry colors like grey, blue, and chocolate brown - a favorite wedding color this year. You can also choose pin stripes or different fabric materials.

A word of advice - try to stay away from 100% polyester tuxedos. Most tuxedos of quality are a cotton/poly or wool/poly blend which is more comfortable for your wedding party.

Tuxedo shirts

Tuxedo shirts also come in three basic styles. There is the wing collar, which has two short pointed ends that are folded down over the bow tie. There is the lay down collar which is like a regular dress shirt collar. And then there is the mandarin collar which is a collar that hugs the neck without any pointed ends. Mandarin collars can be worn with a stud at the neck instead of a bow tie.

Most tuxedo shirts are pleated in the front. A pique (say "Peekay") shirt is not pleated but has pique material in the front section of the shirt. Pique material is textured - think of the texture of golf shirt material.

Tuxedo shirts have two sets of button holes. One set is to button your shirt closed - usually clear or white buttons. The second set is for your studs and cuff links to go through to finish off the look of your tuxedo. Most rentals come with studs and cuff links.

Ties, Cummerbund, Vests

Every tuxedo is completed with tie and cummerbund or vest. Typically a bow tie is used, but there are other styles available such as the ascot or a traditional tie. An ascot is wider than a regular tie.

Cummerbunds and vests come in all sort of colors and patterns. It's best to take samples of your wedding colors when choosing a tuxedo if you want to match them. Cummerbunds are pleated and wrap around the waist. Most rental vests are open in the back and are adjustable around the neck and waist.

Tuxedo Accessories

Yes, men have wedding fashion accessories too. One of my favorites is the pocket square. This is just a square piece of fabric that is folded and tucked into the front pocket of the tuxedo. It's a great way to incorporate your wedding color without overdoing it.

And if you want to go all out, your tuxedo rental store will have scarves, gloves, canes and hats available for the men in your wedding party.

Shoes

Don't forget about shoes! Most men rent shoes with their wedding tuxedo. Most formal shoes are patent leather in a slip-on or string-up style. However, some formal wear stores now supply leather rental shoes in more contemporary styles.

Final tips

Take time when choosing your tuxedos for your wedding. Give yourself at least a few hours to look through the styles and make choices. Compare styles and pricing at different stores.

Make sure all of your men have their measurements into the rental store at least a month before your wedding.

And, if you remember nothing else, please remember this one. Make sure every man in your bridal party tries his tuxedo on before leaving the store with it. Rental stores can make last minute alterations to make sure your entire wedding party looks perfect in their tuxedos.

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Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Wedding gifts that you will actually use

When I look back on my wedding and the gifts I received, I remember thinking "What am I going to do with this stuff?". Part of it was poor registry on my part, but our guests were all trying to give us that unique gift that no one else would think to purchase.

It's not that I didn't appreciate their thoughtfulness, and I thanked everyone whole-heartedly, but we really needed some stuff we could use! After all, we were just college students before we were married so neither one of us owned "home stuff". I really wanted that toaster!

So here are some gifts I recommend that newlyweds, especially ones right out of college, can use:

Dishes, glasses, and place settings – most of us as tend to have mismatched dishes and place settings when we are single. Give the newlyweds a nice new set of dishes.

Towels – bath towels and kitchen towels are both great gifts. Find out what colors they prefer so you can match their décor.

Kitchen gadgets – Get those cool kitchen gadgets that make cooking easy. My favorites – the garlic press from Pampered Chef, a salad spinner, and a nice set of knives. Also great gifts are cookware such as a nice set of pots and pans, a waffle iron or an electric wok.

Cook book – most of us eat out a lot when we are single so a new cook book can help them break in those new kitchen gadgets they might be getting.

Sheet sets – an extra set of sheets is always handy, but one of those items you tend to put off buying.

Serving platters – one of my favorite wedding gifts was a nice, ceramic salad bowl. I use it every time we have guests over for dinner.

Throw – a nice soft throw is great to cuddle up on the couch with.

Shop vac – OK, this may only make sense if they own a house, but they are sure nice to have.

Do you have any suggestions for wedding gifts? If so feel free to post your comments.

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Friday, February 1, 2008

Engagement Photo Basics

7 Eyewitness News
in partnership with theknot.com

Why take engagement photos? (Besides just to document what a good looking couple you are.) Submit a shot to your local paper with your engagement announcement, use them creatively in your wedding day decor, or give framed prints as gifts to your families. Need an ultrapractical reason to schedule an engagement photo shoot? It's a great opportunity to test-drive your wedding photographer. Read on for the basics to help you make the most of your premarital mug shots.

Make it Snappy

The best time to snap your paired-up pics depends on how and when you plan to use them. Here's a rundown of photo scheduling options -- choose whatever works for you:

Day one/two: Take a picture of yourselves to commemorate the moment you get engaged -- you'll already be wearing a photogenically (and naturally) happy smile!

First month: Schedule a photo shoot early in your engagement if you plan to submit a formal engagement announcement with a photo to your local paper. (Check your paper's guidelines for specific pose or print quality requirements, which are often listed on the newspaper's website.)

When you set the wedding date: Have a photo taken for your wedding website or save-the-date -- many couples incorporate photos of themselves into the design. If this trend appeals to you and you're planning to send guests an early heads-up, have photos taken eight to ten months before the wedding, in time to print and send save-the-dates no later than six months before the wedding.

Six to eight months before: You can also take engagement pictures once you've booked your wedding photographer or when you're narrowing down your final choices (which should occur when your planning countdown hits the eight-months-prior mark).

Three months before: If you plan to submit a shot with your newspaper wedding announcement, check their guidelines for specifics and schedule a picture-taking session at least three months before the wedding. Larger newspapers ask to receive wedding submissions up to six weeks before the event, and you'll want to factor in four to six weeks before that deadline to see your proofs and make prints.

Two months before: Trying out wedding day looks? Schedule hair and makeup trial appointments the same day as your engagement photo session to capture a preview of your wedding day fabulousness on film (you could do the salon in the morning and the photo studio in the afternoon). Factor in some in-between time for damage control, on the off chance that the salon results aren't as great as you hoped.

Up to one month before: Planning to feature your smiling faces on the wedding program, the favors, or plastered on the hot air balloon in which you'll be leaving the reception? Schedule pictures in plenty of time to see proofs, select your favorites, and get everything you need printed up.

To see entire article visit http://ww2.7online.com/Global/story.asp?S=7795682.

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Thursday, January 31, 2008

Who Knows the Bride and Groom?

Here's some fun party games you can use at a Bridal Shower, Engagement Party and even a Rehearsal Dinner to test your wedding party and guests…

Who Knows the Bride and Groom?

Come up with as many questions about the bride and groom and/or their upcoming wedding you can think of. Write about 10-15 questions on a piece of paper and photocopy enough for all the guests. Have them answer the questions for 3-5 minutes. Sit the bride (and/or groom) in the middle of the room and read the questions. Have them answer and award a prize to the guest who gets the most right.

Who Am I?

Prepare index cards with names of famous people written on them. When the guests arrive, attach a card to each guest’s back so that the guest cannot see the name, but everyone else can. Each guest must ask the other guests for clues to their identity. To prevent guests from cheating by reading it in a mirror, cover the card with a 2nd index card. First person to identify themselves correctly wins.

Does the bride know you? ©Carlson Craft Memory Card

Here is a great Bridal Shower game to take the Bride down memory lane. Pass out an index card that says “Guess who I am? My favorite memory of the bride-to-be” to all of the guests. Have them write down their favorite memory but don’t sign their names. The bride takes one card at a time and tries to identify who it is from.

Visit www.InvitoCards.com for Memory Cards

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Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Wedding Trends

In a recent article from the Liverpool Daily Post, Emma Johnson reported the top wedding trends of today. Here's a breakdown of what she discussed:

Dresses - Strapless in traditional fabrics are big this year, with beautifully beaded bodices. And although ivory and cream are most popular, wedding dresses are also being done in darker colors like cappuccino.

Flowers - Chocolate, mocha and cream are also popular colors in flowers, although red (the traditional color of love) is still popular.

Hair - Big updos with a soft look are popular. It's best to choose a hairdo that incorporates your headdress and veil (which are getting longer this year).

Wedding rings - Men are choosing rings with diamonds as "bling" is in style. White gold, titanium and platinum are more popular than yellow gold. The nice thing about titanium is that it doesn't scratch and therefore can be a better choice for a plain band.

To read this article in its entirety, visit www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk

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Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Shower's are not just for the bride anymore...

So, as I was sitting her uploading the new Bridal Shower collection to InvitoCards.com, I thought it would be nice to post a series of ideas for bridal shower themes. For my first shower post, I thought it would be best to mention a Couple’s Shower.

In the original tradition of the Bridal Shower, it was a special celebration between the bride and her friends. Lingerie, bath crystals and other personal items were presented to the bride as the shower gifts were just for her.

A Couple’s Shower allows the groom to participate in this age-old tradition with a new twist. It’s a celebration that both the bride and groom attend. Couples are invited to the shower, and the gifts are for the bride and groom to enjoy – lingerie is still a perfect gift!

Here are some ideas to make the perfect Couple’s Shower:

Activities – Ask each guest to share advice for keeping a marriage exciting. Use the first letters of the bride and groom’s names to begin each statement. Consider playing a game with teams like Scene-It (men vs. women, or couples vs. couples)

Menu ideas – Have an interactive menu such as create your own pizza, submarine sandwich, or a taco bar.

Gift ideas – Bring gifts the couple can use together, such as his and hers matching bathrobes, outdoor games, or books.

Decorations – Find old movie posters or prints of famous couples-in-love throughout history and display them at the party.

Favors – Take pictures of each couple at the shower, and provide them with the print and photo frame.

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Saturday, January 19, 2008

Underwater Brides

Have you ever considered taking your wedding photos underwater? Yes, I did say underwater.

Well, brides and grooms to be, if you want to see something truly unique and beautiful, check out the wedding photography by Kevin Beasley. Visit http://www.kevinbeasley.com/ to see his breathtaking work - and yes he takes traditional photographs as well.


photogragh ©Kevin Beasley

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Tuesday, January 15, 2008

New and Improved Wedding Dance

Today’s wedding couples are no longer content with the traditional wedding dance. Nope, now we have choreographed dances to entertain everyone who attends their wedding. And why not? It gives us all something unique to remember. You may not remember the color of the ribbons or what the bridesmaid dresses looked like, but you’ll remember that dance!

Here are a couple of my recent favorites:

"Brian and Katie’s Evolution of Wedding Dance"




and a couple who have been named as the “Best Wedding Dance Ever”


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