Wedding Tips – How to Deal With Kids?

How to Entertain Kids at Your Wedding (by The Wedding Gal’s Snarky Cousin)

Somehow I bet a lot of things take precedence in your wedding-occupied bridal mind over the kids that will be at your wedding.  You’ve got the flowers, the dress, the rings, the bridesmaids, and a thousand other things to think about.  Take my advice, though, Dearest.  Put a little bit of thought into what you’re going to do with the adorable little kiddies that will be running willy-nilly around your reception.

Now, if you’re one of those brides who plans to specify “no kids” at the ceremony, reception, or both, you can stop reading now.  On second thought…maybe read a little further.  See, you have friends and family members who likely have children.  They like to bring their children to weddings, because they get to dress said children up in adorable outfits and take beacoup pictures of them.  If you tell these friends and family member that they cannot bring their precious darlings to your nuptials…well…you can just kiss that gift goodbye.  That’s all I’m saying.

Anywhoo, provided you care more about the toaster and less about the disruption of those adorable little rugrats, you’ll need to figure out something to do to keep them entertained.  Otherwise they run around and start pulling the long dresses over their head, attacking the buffet table, pushing Uncle Morty’s wheelchair around (with Uncle Morty still in it) and they basically wreak all kinds of havoc.

I will tell you now that the absolute biggest favor you can do for yourself is to hire a babysitter for your wedding.  Depending on the size of the wedding and how many kids are coming, maybe hire two babysitters.  Ask your sister-in-law or your Aunt Patty to recommend someone, and just pay them the going rate to hang with the kids and keep them happy during the reception.  If the parents don’t care if the kids are present during the ceremony, go ahead and let the kids play with the babysitter throughout that.  They don’t want to see your ceremony anyway, and it will save the videographer having to edit out “I’m hungry!” or “Jessie just pooped!” from your vows.  Yes folks, I’m speaking from experience.

Make sure the babysitter has lots of games, crayons and coloring books, snacks, and other things to keep the kids occupied.  If your reception is a standard 4-hour reception, you might even think about getting a separate room so that the kids can watch a movie.  Basically, just think about all the stuff you’d wished they’d had at weddings you went to when YOU were a kid and do that.  It doesn’t cost a lot of money, and your guests who are the parents of the kids will appreciate your thoughtful consideration of their little bundles of joy.

photo by tobybarnes

15 Things I Learned from Being a Bridesmaid

Being a bridesmaid is a great honor but for grown-ups, being the bridesmaid, or worse, the maid of honor for one of your best friends can be an experience that you may not want to repeat too often or ever again!

Here are 15 things I learned as a bridesmaid veteran of five weddings:

1. Remember it’s not your day!  The bride is the center of attention and it is her big day so be prepared to cater for her every whim.  After all, as bridesmaid you only have to deal with Little Miss’ tantrums and spats for a few rehearsals and the day of the wedding, after that the poor guy she’s marrying has to deal with her for life;
2. While you may not be the center of attention as far as the wedding is concerned, you can be assured of being the center of attention for lots of guys!  I should know because I met my husband when I was a bridesmaid for the 4^th time but be careful if you are thinking this will be a great way to find a catch because:
3. Never, and I mean NEVER! Let a guy open the door and escort you if he calls you “Sugar”, “Babe” or worse, “Sugarbabe!”;
4. Do not let a bride convince you to wear grapevine as headgear.  Yes you can still find it, on a remote hillside in South Carolina on property owned by a gun toting hillbilly aged 72 and related to Jed Clampett as both his brother and second uncle;
5. Wearing woven grapevine leaves marks, both physical and emotional, which last for up to 6 months, if you have the choice, wear a crown of thorns instead;
6. Glue guns are a great invention for people who want to stick things and are not worried about whether they will explode or not – just remember that glue guns do overheat and will overheat because they are going to get a lot of use and as bridesmaid, you have to pitch in;
7. Brides want everyone to wear matching ear rings so be prepared to get your ears pierced if you haven’t already done so;
8. If you are asked to write a speech, do not retell the time when your “Best Friend”, who is getting married, was violently ill after drinking too much and ended the evening clinging to the toilet, swearing the world was ending and she couldn’t let it go because there was an earthquake (we lived in Ohio at the time);
9. If you are serious about catching the bouquet when the bride throws it, make sure you are wearing an outfit which will hold you in, as falling out of the top of your dress while stretching for the flowers can be very revealing resulting in more guys calling you “Sugar”, “Babe” etc;
10. Do NOT get drunk at the reception!;
11. The old saying, “Always a bridesmaid and never a bride!” is simply not true, I’m happily married to my husband whom I met when serving as a bridesmaid at wedding number 4;
12. Do everything you can to convince the bride that bridesmaid can get out of their dresses and into practical dress as soon as possible for the evening.  If she won’t budge on this, make sure the bridesmaids dresses are comfortable and practical if you have to spend the day in them;
13. The same applies to shoes!
14. Buying gifts for the bride and groom should really be about getting them things they will enjoy – people buy the most boring and unoriginal gifts which cost a fortune but the ones that make an impression are the ones where a lot of thought has gone into them;
15. Being a bridesmaid for five friends I am not interested in repeating the experience unless by new baby girl really wants me to do it for her !

Wedding Comfort – Why Shouldn’t You Be Comfortable On Your Wedding Day?

Weddings, are, of course, a magical time of joy and beauty.   They are also a time of mind-numbing fear and anxiety – not that the decision could be wrong, but that something could GO wrong.  Will the flowers be right?  Will the flower girl throw a tantrum?  Will the best man get schnockered and talk about that weekend in Thailand with your groom-to-be?  There is an awful lot to think about.

One thing you shouldn’t have to think about is how YOU feel on your special day.  Sure, it is the most important day of your life.  Of course, it is the day you want to look more beautiful than any other day.  The thing is, it’s also a very long day, and you should take certain precautions so that nothing distracts you from being your radiant, beautiful, happy self.   Here are some practical suggestions that other people might be too tactful to share with you.

photo by Inchka

The Shoes.  You shoes should certainly be the shoes of your dreams.  Princess Shoes.  Fairy Princess Shoes.  Shoes that make your feet feel light as air.  Shoes that do not cause permanent toe damage.  Shoes that won’t make you snap at your elderly relatives.  There is a line between comfort and fashion.  We all know that.  Trust me when I tell you that you will enjoy your special day so much more if your feet aren’t killing you.  Just say no to foot torture devices.

photo by Susan_1981

Allow me to mention the subject of your unmentionables.  Of course you want to be pretty from head to toe on your wedding day.   Of course you should wear underwear that makes you feel pretty.  You should not wear underwear that will cause you to dance prematurely up the aisle.  I doubt very seriously that you want a shot of you picking a wedgie in your photo album.  Nor do you want your maid of honor’s duty to include reattaching your stocking to your garter.  Have a test run of your wedding skivvies – if not the actual pieces then very similar or identical – so that you can be sure it will be comfy and stay put during your nuptials.

Follow these words of advice, from me, Wedding Gal’s trusted and beloved Cousin Betty.  I’ve been to too many weddings (and a part of too many weddings) to steer you wrong.

Related articles

• Winter Wedding Wonderland (weddingsetups.com)
• Experimental Womens Shoes (bizarrebytes.com)
• How to find the right dress (southerncelebrations.wordpress.com)

Alternatives to The Wedding Veil

Many brides today are choosing to not wear a wedding veil. Looking at the bridal magazines more and more bride models are shown without veils. Are the styles changing so brides will now go veil-less? Only time will tell. But if you do wish to be without a veil, there are a number of lovely options for the blushing bride.

Fresh flowers are one of the most popular options for the bride without a veil. These brides have fresh flowers created into a custom-made headdress they wear. This is an ideal choice for brides who feel especially close to nature or want to celebrate the seasons. Flowers are also very romantic. You may choose a flower to design your headdress around that your groom first gave you when he was courting you. That expression gives your bridal ensemble much more meaning than choosing a wedding veil. Fresh flowers can be worn any time of year with the assistance of a florist.

Tiaras are another excellent choice for many brides. Who could resist a bit of sparkle on their wedding day? The bride who chooses a tiara often has an elegant or evening themed wedding. Compliment your tiara with some sparkly jewelry if you can – as your tiara will be flattered with the extra shimmer and shine. Many women dream of being a princess or a queen for the day and a tiara makes their dream come true!

Theme weddings often make it possible for a bride to forego a traditional wedding veil. Some brides during the Halloween season have all of their guests dress in costume – right along with the bride and groom. Depending on what type of costumes the bride and groom have chosen, a wedding veil may not be the ideal expression she wants. She can get just as pretty a “bride” look from a wedding bouquet, lovely jewelry or fancy shoes.

Wraps are also quite popular and another choice for the bride who wishes to forego the wedding veil. With a wedding veil the eye is naturally brought down to your neck and shoulders. You have the same “eye appeal” when you choose a beautiful wrap. Many bridal stores like David’s Bridal now carry wedding wraps to compliment wedding dresses. A wrap can be perfect for a Winter wedding in a faux or real fur. Or a silk or linen fabric for the Spring and Summer. You have many options when you choose a wrap.

Stunning wedding jewelry is an ideal choice for the bride that doesn’t wish to wear a veil. There are so many choices when you choose jewelry to compliment your wedding dress. You could wear heirloom jewelry from your grandmother and mother. Or you could wear jewelry ideal for the theme of your wedding. Your new husband may even give you special jewelry to wear for your wedding day. Or you could have jewelry custom designed for this day to celebrate your union.

If you choose not to have a wedding veil, know that there are many options to stay just as lovely a bride as you would like to be. Every bride deserves to express her originality and personal style as she says her vows and dances for the first time with her new husband.

Tiara photo by robleto

Related articles

• Fall Jewelry Made With Swarovski Crystals (frommyexperience.com)
• The perfect jewelry for your perfect wedding look (weddingsetups.com)
• Decorating Wedding Cakes With Pearls (frommyexperience.com)
• Pay attention to bride’s veil (lunazhang.wordpress.com)

What Not To Do The Night Before Your Wedding

Out here in Internetland you’ll find all sorts of advice on how to prepare for your wedding.  What beauty regimen to follow, what rules of conduct are important, and even how to mentally and physically prepare yourself for the big day.  What people don’t want to cover is what NOT to do the night or day before your wedding.  My cousin, Wedding Gal, doesn’t want you to think about such unpleasant things the day before you walk down the aisle.  Aren’t you lucky I hijack her blog every now and again?

Rule #1:  Don’t.  I repeat DO NOT get your eyebrows waxed or attempt to wax your own eyebrows the day before your wedding.  Don’t do it.  I’m serious.

photo by ladybug_3777

Do this, and any other drastic hair removal, a good week before the big day.  If you have a straggler or two, remove them CAREFULLY with tweezers.  If you forget altogether (like I did), for all that is sacred and holy LET YOUR BROWS BE BUSHY.  Do not try to tweeze off a few months worth of eyebrow growth the day before the wedding and DON’T wax or even go to a salon to get waxed.  Trust me, a few stray eyebrow hairs beats the heck out of burned eyelids, bumpy forehead, or, in extreme cases, the loss of a part of your eyebrow.

Same goes for leg waxing, bikini waxing, getting a haircut, changing your hair color, getting a spray tan, getting a facial, exfoliating vigorously, and any type of plastic surgery.  Don’t go all crazy and end up looking like a freakazoid in your wedding pictures.  You’ll thank me for this one day.

Rule #2:  Don’t get plastered.  Don’t get drizzunk.  Don’t get hammered.  Trust me.

photo by chairman moneko

It’s natural to feel nervous about your big day.  A lot of folks calm their nerves with a drink or two.  A drink or two is just fine.  A drink or twelve is not.  Not only does getting drunk the night before your wedding lead to things like drunk dialing, vomiting, bad decisions and hangovers, it also dehydrates your body, making you look all bloated and puffy the next day.  So even if you think you can keep your head about you, think about how your head will look the next day with puffy, bloodshot eyes and bad breath.  Don’t do it.

Rule #3:  Don’t sleep with the best man, your friend from high school, your ex boyfriend, your second cousin (ew!) or anybody you don’t plan to walk down the aisle with the next day.

photo by Pere Nadal

It happens all the time in movies.  It’s the person’s “last night of freedom” and they decide to have a “final hurrah” before the big day.  Notice that in movies it never works out in the favor of the people who are getting married.  There’s a reason for that.  If you’re inclined to do it with somebody else, you shouldn’t be getting married.  No matter how badly you broke Rule #2.  Keep it in your pants until the honeymoon.

There.  Don’t you feel better now that you have some guidelines?  Here are a few more.  Also do not:

• Eat Taco Bell
• Borrow a large sum of money (it’s bad to start a marriage with debt)
• Gamble your honeymoon money away
• Decide to confess all your dirty secrets to your fiance (you should have done that months ago, yo)
• Go do “Amateur Night” at the local strip joint
• Do hallucinogenic drugs
• Kill anybody
• Drag race
• Skydive
• Swim with sharks

Common sense is key in any situation.  If you don’t have any of your own, you can borrow mine.  If you have any doubt about what you should or should not do before your wedding, leave a comment and I’ll answer it.  Hey, I’m a people person!

Related articles

• Wedding Pictures Part 2 (justrestingup.wordpress.com)
• Vanity Smurf No More (weddingbee.com)
• Summer Lovin’, having a blast! (mylittleflowershop.wordpress.com)

Creative Wedding Favors

The wedding favours were little figurines that were boxed as matching pairs. Chad found an amusing way of playing with these little bubble bottoms; using them to head butt each other. We found 2 minutes of pleasure in this.

To a new bride and groom, wedding guests are special. Each guest has been painstakingly selected based on love, friendship, family dynamics and ‘other reasons’ that maybe only the marrying couple is aware of. For the invited guests, a memento or two can be a nice reminder of that special day.

Matchbook covers, candies, as well as other traditional items have been offered in the past; and brides often spend hours and hours poring over magazines and then selecting large quantities of these trinkets…usually out of exasperation, and then quickly start placing orders without a moment’s hesitation. Why? Well…because it is expected of them. Many of the items, although cute…can be quite useless; and many end up in boxes and junk drawers. Over the last few years, the selections have changed considerably, and there are quite a number of different types of wedding favors to choose from these days.

For example: Wine stoppers, small digital clocks, personalized golf balls, miniature manicure sets, sewing kits, coasters, and book marks can be wonderful alternatives to candy and salt shakers. These items can be selected based on budget, and then personalized and packaged in ways that fit in beautifully with the wedding’s theme and personalities of the bride and groom.

Many of these gifts, although high-tech, can be surprisingly inexpensive. Mercifully, items of more practical use can now be given to the honored guests. Please keep in mind: Wedding favors are usually different than bridal shower favors, in that they are less “frou-frou”, and have a much broader guest appeal. This ultimately requires that a wedding couple recognize the difference between them; and make their selections accordingly. And so, if enough thought is given to choosing of your special wedding favors; your guests can be both…grateful , as well as delighted!

Photo by Sifu Renka

Related articles

• Weddings Sweet as Candy (weddingsetups.com)
• 5 Cool Bridal Wedding Registries Couples Will Love (verybestsites.com)
• Wedding Favors for Foodies (friendseat.com)

“I Do” or Don’t Wear a Wedding Veil

Wedding veils are a hot topic these days. Brides of your mother’s time can remember the moment when their groom would lift their veil to reveal their face for the first time as a married woman to have that kiss as man and wife. Some contemporary brides are choosing to say “I don’t” when it comes to a wedding veil. Others are adding wedding veils to their bridal ensemble to look more beautiful than ever.

Brides who wear wedding veils can count on them for a dramatic look. This is one of the biggest arguments bride-to-be’s make when it comes to staying contemporary and selecting a wedding veil. These brides will say their wedding veil is a true showstopper look and going without it makes their bridal ensemble look “incomplete.”

But brides who choose to go without a veil can often get a stunning look with other accessories. A rhinestone or gemstone tiara for example, glitters and shines and is an ideal accent. A headdress created from fresh flowers is a beautiful look that doesn’t have to be limited to Spring or Summer weddings. Talk to your florist about creating a lovely Winter or Fall themed bridal headdress. Wraps such as faux or real fur are another attention grabber at a wedding that can make guests completely forget you are veil-less.

For many contemporary brides the choice to wear a veil is not simply about fashion – it is a traditional choice. These brides remember being little girls playing “bride” with their pillowcases and looking at Mommy’s picture in her wedding dress with her lovely veil. The veil to them means “bride” in every sense of the word. To not have a veil would be missing out on something very special. This bride puts on her wedding veil with her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother in her heart on her wedding day.

But other brides don’t like some of the old wedding traditions and want to be seen as a completely contemporary bride. They see wearing a wedding veil as putting themselves in a traditional mold they long to break out of. This contemporary bride may not even wear a classic white wedding dress or have a unique wedding bouquet of wildflowers or other flowers not usually seen. The contemporary bride of today has many more choices than her mother or grandmother. She chooses to exercise these choices in every way – especially when it comes to her wedding veil.

Many know that the wedding veil traditionally covers the bride’s face. This custom comes from the times when many couples did not actually meet until their wedding day. As hard or unusual as this may seem to so many of us, these weddings happened all the time. Some wonder if the wedding veil was meant to mask the bride – it was more meant to reveal her face to her husband as a new bride at that very moment – just to his eyes.

Whether you choose to keep the wedding veil or to go veil-less, know that you will be a beautiful bride on your wedding day!

Photo by aprillynn77