While some people prefer a more sedate and traditional wedding to celebrate what they see as a solemn occasion there are others who would rather take a step outside of tradition and do something that will not only take their guests by surprise, but have them talking about your wedding for months or even years to come.

When looking for something unusual to incorporate into your wedding ceremony or reception, it is always a good idea to take into account your venue and the guests you have invited. While you may want to surprise them; charm them even; you don’t want to offend them either, but it is your day, so why not make it a day worth remembering?

Go Tropical

Going tropical for your wedding – and especially for your wedding reception – can be a definite eye-opener. Bringing in tropical plants, parrots and Caribbean flavored music can lend a decidedly sultry approach to any wedding, or make it Hawaiian and let guests (or even the bride and bridesmaids) compete in a Hula dance .

Chinese Sky Lanterns

Bring the traditions of the orient into your wedding by releasing Chinese sky lanterns during your ceremony or reception. Having each couple in attendance release a lantern can lend a dramatic and touching moment to your day.

Choreograph your First Dance

Don’t just stand there and sway to the music – stun your friends with a professionally choreographed first dance that will take their breath away.

Bring in the Mimes

A mime troupe can be a staggeringly original addition to any wedding ceremony or reception, especially for the less traditional couples who have a wicked sense of humor. In a reception setting, mimes can be a great way to get the guests involved in the activities or get them laughing.

Furry Ring Bearers

If you are both dog lovers, why not include your best four-footed friends in your big day? Choose some glitzy collars and attach the rings to them, then have the maid of honor and the best man hold the leash for your furry friends.

Stage a Flash Mob

You’ve seen them on YouTube, the flash mobs that descend on different locations to startle people out of their complacency. Why not arrange for a flash mob to descend on your wedding or wedding reception? In a ceremony setting especially, this would be incredibly effective, with say, a traditional song being played, then taken over by something far more upbeat and celebratory.

The Wedding Piñata

While Piñata’s are usually used at birthday parties, a large piñata can be incorporated into your reception very easily. Fill it with surprises for your guests (such as gift cards, lotto tickets, some silver dollars, lots of candy and even more confetti. Let the bride, groom, best man and maid of honor take turns being blindfolded and taking swings at it until it bursts.

Gifts for your Guests

Having a gift ready for each of your guests as they arrive at your wedding reception can be a very different approach. It doesn’t have to be much; but make sure that it is wrapped uniquely and presented in an usual manner. Making “wedding crackers” instead of Christmas crackers is another way to do this, and will give your guests something to remember you by.

This article was written by Sarah Rigos, founder of the cash registry Starlight Registry.

Getting selected to serve as best man in one of your close friends or relatives wedding is a huge honor. However, you may have found yourself wondering what exactly are the best man responsibilities?

There are of course varying views on this as a result of people who may prefer to follow tradition as opposed to more contemporary responsibilities.

Here are a few responsibilities that are outlined under each of the following categories that everyone can agree on.

Facilitator

The best man among other duties must sometimes act as a facilitator especially with regard to the ring bearer and the ushers. If there is a ring bearer in the ceremony the best man hold on to the ring until the wedding and then makes sure the ring bearer understands their role in the wedding before passing it on prior to the ceremony.

The best man should also make sure all of the ushers are together and ready to go before the ceremony starts to ensure everything goes as planned and there are no unnecessary delays. Also check details such as whether everyone is in place and pretty much anything else that the bride’s mother requests of you. Most importantly it is traditional for the best man to make the first toast at the reception and rehearsal dinner.

Personal Reminder

Part of the best man responsibilities includes acting as a personal reminder to the groom. The groom should make sure the groom has the marriage license with him and the marriage license fee. The best man also wants to remind the groom to give the fee to the Minister after the wedding or collect it from the groom and pay it privately himself. The best man should literally make a checklist for the groom and make sure nothing is left unchecked.

Personal Stylist

It is customary for the best man to help the groom dress for the wedding and suggest suits (approved by the bride of course) during the wedding planning process. The best man should also make sure the men’s boutonnieres are on the correct side at the wedding and that everyone is dressed appropriately.

The best man should be notified of specific details regarding attire so that he can assure that everything is in order. This includes checking basic requirements of course such as belts, shoes, jackets and ties.

Travel Agent

The best man is involved in all of the travel arrangements both to the wedding if necessary and with respect to the honeymoon. The best man makes sure the groom has transportation to the wedding, makes sure the groom has all tickets, money and reservation information, and even helps the groom pack if necessary.

The best man should help with luggage arrangements for both the bride and the groom so that nothing is left behind. The best man should also help arrange transportation for after the wedding and help the bride and groom depart.

Planning a wedding can be time consuming and costly. You may soon find yourself cutting as many corners as possible to try to stay within your budget. Fortunately for you there is free wedding stuff out there you just need to know where to find it.

The information below provides you with some sure fire ways to cut down on costs.

Online invitations

Sites like purpletrail.com and printable-greetings.com allow you to choose from different designs and styles of wedding invitations if you like or you can start with a blank slate. Either way you are able to add your own personal touch by customizing your invitations, including adding pictures, personal messages, backgrounds and more.

You can choose to have the invitations mailed to you, print them out or send them online. You can make online invitations for free at printable greetings but Purple Trail charges if you want them delivered. However, Purple Trail does give you the option to create a personalized website to collect RSVP’s for your wedding free of charge.

Location

Renting a church or ballroom can be expensive, however opting to have your wedding on the beach or outside is completely free. There are plenty of beautiful locations that won’t cost you anything to hold your ceremony. You can do a quick search online to get location ideas and also whether or not there is a fee associated. Choosing a good location is important but if you’re smart it should be arranged outside of your budget.

Coupon Codes

You can find coupon codes to use on all kinds of free wedding stuff by visiting the-wedding-information-site.com. The site has a list of websites that have coupons that can be used on everything from honeymoon travel arrangements to hair stylists. It is in your best interests to take advantage of anything anyone will give you at this point, every little bit will help. You can also order wedding catalogues which usually also include special offers and coupons that can be used towards wedding items.

Contests

It might sound crazy but you should enter every wedding contest out there for a chance to win free wedding stuff. There are all kinds of contests that offer free, wedding cakes, trips, bands, planners you name it. Although this may be a last resort it may end up paying off big for you in the end. Entering contests is something you can do relatively quickly in any event and might even have the best results.

The wedding ceremony is a time when friends, family and all other wedding guests share in the joy of the bride and the groom. One of the main things that wedding guests worry about is what to wear. Dresses for wedding guests come in all sorts of styles making the choice even more difficult.

Wedding Guest Dresses – Do’s and Don’ts

Wedding guests should find out the wedding’s color scheme before they start shopping for dresses. Some unwritten rules that wedding guests are expected to follow include:

• Do not wear white; it makes you seem like you are competing with the bride.
• Do not worry about wearing the same color with the bridesmaids and mothers. It is impossible to coordinate with each and every person in the wedding party.
• Wear something feminine and appropriate; avoid club wear and strapless, see-through dresses.

Popular Styles for Wedding Guest Dresses

The Little Black Dress

The little black dress is one of the most popular wedding guest dresses. Having a single black dress keeps you from having to shop for a dress every time you are invited to a wedding. Besides being sophisticated and elegant, this dress is easy to accessorize.

One Shoulder Dresses

The one shoulder look has remained popular for a very long time. A one shoulder dress can be worn as it is or with a flower appliqué on the strap. Almost all designers have one shoulder dresses in their line-up so finding one shouldn’t be that hard.

Strapless Cocktail Dresses

A sexy strapless cocktail dress is the perfect dress to wear to a formal summer wedding especially when the wedding is “black tie optional”. If you have been to a cocktail party before, you probably have one in your closet. However, if you have to buy one, you could always pick a cocktail dress in one of the wedding colors.

Prints

Though prints may be too loud for a fall or winter wedding, they are perfect for summer and spring weddings. However, prints should never be worn to a black or white tie wedding. Pick feminine, subtle prints in chiffon or any shiny fabric. Remember to pick a color that fits the wedding theme and complements your skin tone. Prints should be worn with very minimal accessories.

With these few tips, finding the perfect dress for that wedding should be easy. Once you have one of these dresses, you can wear it to as many weddings as you like.

From our school days to our wedding day, our happiness is what makes them happier.  A wedding is unarguably the happiest day in every couple’s life, and it has always been believed that their parents are the only persons who are probably happier than them.

Parents will do almost anything to be able to help in making even the simplest wedding celebration and marriage ceremony momentous and unforgettable.  Understandably, many couples would wish to show appreciation for their parent’s compassion and care.

Fortunately, there are many fabulous and great parent wedding gifts from bride and groom which would not just bring smiles on their faces, but could also make them feel proud and very much appreciated.

Our middle son just married last weekend, and dad got a watch. Well, he has watches but you know that this one is special. And mom got a locket with a heart shape. You that won’t ever go into a yard sale regardless of its monetary value.

Couples can choose from the following classic, personalized and unique parent gifts from bride and groom:

Classic Gifts

Gifts for moms can include pieces of jewelry (expensive or simple); candlestick holders; crystal wares; or something like authentic Pashmina shawls.

Gifts for dads can include items like pocket watches or golf kits.

Personalized Gifts

Personal jewelry like cufflinks or lockets; holiday decorations or home ornaments with engravings of either the couple’s names or the wedding date is nice.

More ideas: a personalized photo album with stolen shots of the wedding preparations and of the ceremony, itself; another special photo album with photographs of all close family members taken at different gatherings like family picnics, wedding anniversaries and birthday parties to recall happy and joyous past memories; a beautifully-framed and engraved picture of your parents’ own wedding day for them to reminisce their own wedding memories

Unique Gifts

One of the best wedding gifts from bride and groom for parents are round-trip tickets for an overseas holiday, complete with special trappings like hotel accommodations, etc., to a vacation hotspot or to any place which they have always wished to visit.

Not as expensive but definitely would be appreciated by most parents, are well-deserved gift certificates for relaxation, like that of a relaxing spa treatment.  After all of the wedding-related stress, parents, like the newlyweds, would also need to unwind.

Last but not the least, for hi-tech fun and entertainment, techie parents would drool over the latest electronic gadgets like the latest model mobile phone, a laptop or a desktop PC, an iPad or an iPod Touch and the latest HDTV with state-of-the-art home theater system including a Blu-ray and/or DVD player.

Needless to say, couples need not worry, big or small gift, expensive or not, it does not matter, for our parents, it would always be the thought that counts.

A wedding dress is perhaps one of the most expensive things in any wedding. Especially if the bride is very particular to every detail of the gown; from the designer down to the cloth, to the accessories and the add-ons, weddings tend to get too costly all because of the wedding gown alone. However, for a practical bride, a rent a dress wedding gown is enough to make her dream wedding come true.

After all, renting a gown instead of customizing one can save a lot of fortune. If you are walking down the aisle soon and you find it impractical to spend thousands of dollars for a wedding gown that you only wear once in your life, here are some helpful ideas to get you started with your renting a wedding gown.

Place your Orders Earlier

For a wedding gown rental, the first thing you need to do is look for a bridal shop that offers wedding gown rentals. Take your time when scouting for one. Once you have chosen your preferred bridal shop along with the most ideal wedding gown that suits your needs and taste, book your order immediately. Keep in mind that since you are only renting something, alterations may have to be done for it to perfectly fit your body. Ideally, place orders at least six months (or even more) before the big day.

Scrutinize the Gown Before Picking it Up

Renting a bridal gown often includes a signed contract that stipulates the policies of the bridal shop. It is important that you, the bride to be, should carefully check your wedding gown before you pick it up. Do you find damages or traces of dirt? There has to be an agreement between you and the bridal shop for repairs or penalties in case damages are incurred while you’re wearing it, and all those other important stuff.

Give Leeway

Ideally, pick up your wedding dress a week before you wedding day. This can give you enough time to make changes of the dress should the need arises. This also makes you decide whether you need additional changes on your wedding gown or not.

Getting married these days is undeniably very expensive. And starting your own family is very costly. So what’s the best way to start saving for your family’s future? Be a practical bride. Go for wedding dress rentals. And you might be surprised of the amount you can save just be having rented wedding dress.

One of the most memorable occasions for families and close friends is a wedding. The event, which starts from the wedding ceremony until the wedding reception, is highly anticipated by many. Essentially, dressing up for the occasion is very important. From the wedding gown, to the entourage dresses, down to the sister of the bride dresses, everybody has to be well dressed for the occasion, even the guests.

Choosing the right attire for the occasion is relatively very easy. Men can easily grab their coat and tie, while women can simply have their cocktail dress. However, the wedding guests can actually get some ideas on what they can wear just by carefully studying the invitation. Although by tradition, weddings should be formal and attires of the guests should coordinate with the formality of the occasion, there are newer wedding trends these days such as destination weddings, theme weddings, or multi cultural weddings.

For the bride, choosing her sister’s dress is one thing she must be wary. But for wedding guests, you can easily come up with your own attire depending on the guest attire description a wedding invitation states. So what are the types of wedding attire a wedding guest must understand?

• First is the casual wedding attire. This is the least restrictive types of a wedding attire category. These types include attires that is in a good, wearable condition. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean putting on a pair of jeans is enough. Instead, men can wear their favorite pair of cargo pants or khakis with a decent shirt, while women can put on a cotton skirt, casual pants and flat shoes.

• Another trend these days are the dressy casual wedding attires. These include a button down shirt with an optional tie and a pair of slacks for men, and a pair of formal pants and nice blouse for women. Dresses and skirts may also be great options. Furthermore, semi formal wedding attire requires the guys to wear interchangeable suits. Women can wear a shorter cocktail dress complete with a handbag and a pair of jewelry, with a nice pair of high heel shoe.

• Finally, black tie or formal attires are for very formal weddings. Men are to wear their favorite tuxedo and women should put on their long gowns, normally floor length. Since most formal affairs are held at night, guests are expected to wear darker colors and accessories.

Similar in choosing sister of the bride dresses, wedding guests should wear the right attire accordingly. Depending on the motif, the theme, and the preference of the bride and groom, guests should take full responsibility on choosing the right attire for the wedding.

Now that you have received the wedding invitation of a good friend and saved the date on your calendar, you begin to look for the perfect wedding present. And then suddenly it hits you: does the couple have any preference on the dresses for wedding guests? If not, then what are you going to wear for the occasion? How do you know you are not overdressed and your attire is just perfect for the occasion? Here are some clues.

• You can easily tell the type of dress you will wear for a wedding just by looking at the wedding invitation. Do the words casually tell you that you’re invited to see the couple get hitched? Perhaps it is just a simple and casual ceremony. Or are the words created and printed in engraved black script written formally? Then the event calls for a black tie. However, there are also some invitations that directly tell you what to wear for the occasion.

• The setting of the wedding is also another consideration. If the wedding is to be held outdoors, avoid wearing anything that can easily get caught in the wind. High-heeled shoes are also big no-no’s for outdoor weddings. For weddings done in hot locations, of course you don’t want to wear suits, do you? Women should also wear dresses that are breezy to avoid discomfort during the ceremony. For indoor ceremonies, on the other hand, the ideal dresses for wedding guests are suits that are slightly tailored and gowns that are quite dressy.

• Daytime weddings normally call for casual attires since the mood and setting is relatively casual. Women can wear cute floral dresses, skirts or sweaters, and complemented with a pair of sling back shoes. Try to avoid dark colors or suits that make you look like you are heading to the office. A beautiful hat that matches the dress can add a distinctive look.

• For men, light-colored suits are ideal, like seersucker or linen. A dress shirt with some time, paired with a dress pant is acceptable however; add it up with some blazer if possible. Furthermore,  if the invitation tells you to wear something formal go for black suits and avoid tuxedos as the latter is not fit for any event that happens before six in the evening.

When invited for a wedding, make sure you take time to find out the right wedding guests dresses fit for the occasion. There are a lot of choices you can choose from so picking one is always easy as long as you know what you are looking for.

A wedding ceremony is rightfully deemed as a solemn and sentimental occasion, however, the newlyweds have the option of making the ensuing wedding reception be a pleasant contradiction, thus, be talked about by guests for years to come.  Before the usual wedding reception activities  -or traditions like plate  or glass-tapping, tossing of the bouquet, removal of garter, eating of cake, etc. – the reception may simply start with fun-filled wedding reception table games that would definitely get guests into a spirit of good fun.

When selecting games, the age and health of the guests and some family traditions, among other important things, should be taken into consideration.  With these in mind, you may want to consider some of the following wedding table games:

Wedding Couple Trivia

This is an imaginative, albeit revealing way to pass the time while waiting for the meal to be served.  Have cards with questions about the newlyweds written down ahead of time.   It can be questions that are fun and serious, and should not be blatantly racy.   Intimate personal questions may still be accepted, as long as they are considered safe and harmless for children and minors to hear.

Musical Chairs

The DJ or band plays a popular tune, and when the music suddenly stops, guest must then try to find a seat.  So that one person at each table will be out after each round, each table should be short of one chair.  The lone person left at each table is considered to be the winner.

Roll the Dice

Here is a twist or a variation on the old favorite of fork-tapping against glasses to see the newlyweds kiss.  At each table, require guests to pair off, regardless if they male/female, male/male or female/female pairings. Between music and food courses, each couple must roll a dice once.  If they roll an even number, the newlyweds would kiss.  If they roll an odd number, the rollers, must kiss.  This will be hilarious if the rollers are not male/female pairings.

Scavenger Hunt

This game requires for a volunteer per table. Ahead of time, have a few items hidden in various places within the hall. The table volunteers would rush to immediately find an item which the DJ or master of ceremonies would call out for. The players may be forced to seek under tables or rush past each other to find certain items. The winner is the table volunteer who finds the most items.

Find more wedding game ideas on Amazon:

The Newly Wed Game-Deluxe Edition

100+ Wedding Games: Fun & Laughs for Bachelorette Parties, Showers & Receptions (100+ series)

25 Wedding Games And Activities

Traditionally the bride’s family covers the expenses of the wedding, but with the changing times, this tradition seems to be changing.

Traditional Wedding Setup Scenario

The bride’s family pays for:

• Reception costs
• Ceremony costs
• The bride’s wedding dress
• Favors
• Photography
• Accommodation and Travel expenses of relatives
• Invitations

The groom’s family pays for:

• The rehearsal dinner
• Their own attire and travel expenses
• A wedding gift

The bride pays for:

• The groom’s wedding ring
• A wedding present for the groom
• Gifts for her attendants

The groom pays for:

• The wedding license
• The Bride’s engagement & wedding ring
• The honeymoon
• Bride’s Bouquet
• A wedding gift for the bride
• Corsages for mothers and grandmothers
• Boutonnières for the men

In case the bride and groom are financially independent and do not want to take help from their parents, they can bear all the wedding expenses. Smart couples choose to work on a pre defined budget and cut costs wherever possible. For example, using creative wedding confetti ideas and making their own decorations are examples of smart practices couples are adopting.

There is another option of splitting the budget three ways i.e. the bride’s family, the groom’s family and the couple pay for one third of the wedding expenses each so that no one gets burdened by the wedding costs.

Manage your wedding costs in any of the three ways mentioned above to have the perfect wedding you have always wanted.