Archive for February, 2012
Toasting: Best Man Basics
The toasting hour can be a highlight — or dud — of any wedding. The key to a successful toast is your preparedness — remember that old Boy Scout stuff? Read on to learn how to beg, borrow, or steal the gift of gab.
PLANNING
Advance planning is the first step to giving the perfect toast. Write down what you’re going to say. It’s wonderful to improvise, but if the spontaneity bug doesn’t bite as you stare down at a hundred expectant faces, you won’t live it down for years. Reading your toast word-for-word is also a no-no: Use note cards to write an outline or key words that will prompt you with your toast (though you may want to give the happy couple a written copy of the entire toast. More on that later). If you need help organizing your toast, look at “Content” below.
Practice ahead of time. Say your toast out loud a few times to get used to the idea. Practicing will also let you know how long your toast is. Three or four minutes may seem like a lifetime at first, but you’ll be the envy of any Toastmaster after a few run-throughs.
CONTENT
Wondering how to show you really care about your buddy? The exact words are up to you, but you can follow this formula to get started:
1. You can end — or begin — with a quote.
2. Thank the parents of the bride and groom if they paid for the event. If the bride and groom are footing the bill themselves, thank them for inviting everyone to share the big day.
3. Identify yourself and your relationship to the bride and groom.
4. Tell a touching yet humorous story about how the newlyweds first met.
5. Relate an amusing, and maybe even embarrassing, story about your escapades with the groom.
6. End with a message of hope and congratulate the blushing bride and proud groom.
Finally, upon pain of terrible embarrassment, DO NOT:
Tell ex-girlfriend-of-the-groom stories.
Make fun of the bride.
Tell risqué jokes — the groom’s grandmother will probably be there.
Tell “in” jokes that most guests won’t understand.
Ramble on about how you’ll miss the good old days.
Make the groom look like a slacker, loser, drunkard, or druggie.
GIVING THE TOAST
Be prepared. Don’t think you’ll come up with something witty at the last second. You may end up staring like a deer in headlights as the wedding guests squirm in their seats.
Speak slowly. Don’t rush through your speech, and try to speak as clearly as you can.
Speak loudly enough for even Great Uncle Jed to hear you.
Keep it brief: five minutes, tops. If you sense audience restlessness, wrap it up.
Don’t stare at your notes — engage your audience. Look not only at the bride and groom, but at the rest of the audience, too.
Guests expect to be entertained, not instructed, so don’t try to force-feed a life lesson down their throats. Keep it sweet and light.
Stay (relatively) sober. You don’t want to be remembered as the smarmy guy who made off-color jokes about the groom’s mother. One drink of liquid courage may help you with your toast. Five will definitely hinder you.
One last tip: Write out your toast and give it to the bride and groom. They’ll be touched that you cared so much.
It’s that time of year where Arizona Bride Magazine recognizes the best of the best in of wedding vendors in Arizona. We’d love to get your vote this year for Best Wedding Planner!
Click HERE to vote for all of your favorite vendors. Happy Friday!
Many couples today seem to have the same question: “We have been married before, what can we do this time to make it different?” Basically, your options are limitless. Whether you prefer to keep your second wedding 
traditional or go for something completely different, being married before doesn’t mean you have to settle for anything less than the wedding of your dreams.
For some couples, one of the most important elements is incorporating their children into their wedding. They want to start off their lives together sharing with the whole family, and making each child feel special and part of the celebration. Whether your child or children are grown or still small, there is always a place for them in your wedding, either at the ceremony or at the reception. The best thing to do is to first sit down with them and ask how they would like to be part of your day. Listen to their thoughts and suggestions as to what would make them feel most comfortable. You should never try to force a child to do something they are not comfortable with, especially on you wedding day. If the child mentions that they would like to do something, but they don’t know what they want to do, then feel free to suggest ideas that would best work for everyone. There are many different ways the child or children can be incorporated into the wedding, and your professional wedding coordinator can help you with different ideas and suggestions.
As far as the couple themselves, choosing the style of wedding can be as simple or as elaborate as they feel best suits their tastes. Even if you had a big celebration the first time, doesn’t mean you have to skip that type of affair in doing it all over again. Some even choose to make it bigger and better than before. Others, might chose to do something more on the intimate side with just a few family and friends at a private home or venue. Just know whatever you choose, make sure it is right for you and your family.
Many brides inquire about what is appropriate for wedding attire if they have been married before. Again, the choice is limitless. Whether they opt to wear a beautiful traditional gown with full veil and train, or something along the lines of a simpler dress or suit, choose the style that best exemplifies who you are and what you look best in. Just because you wore white before, doesn’t mean you can’t wear it again. But, on the other hand, if you have always liked a particular color, this is the perfect time to choose a dress and style in that color and go for it. It is your day to shine and you can personalize your look, and make it as unique as you are.
The same holds true for the men. If the wedding is more formal, wear a tux; if it is a more intimate affair, a suit will do. Choose the look that best fits the type of wedding and compliments the bride. No one said you shouldn’t look even better than before!
A professional wedding consultant can be a valuable tool in assisting in choosing, personalizing and implementing the look and style that best compliments you and your wedding. Remember, doing it over again doesn’t mean you can’t do it over again!
For those who choose to dance to the beat of a different drummer, weddings today are as unique and creative as the couples who are marrying. The options are as varied as their personalities. So for those who want to put a spin on tradition, you are only limited by your imagination. So if the traditional just seems downright boring, think about a non-traditional or themed wedding or venue.
Consider the ceremony on a beach and then celebrate with a traditional New England style clambake, or in a barn with a square-dance reception. There are Art Deco or Black and White Weddings, where everything from the invitations to the decorations are in black or white or both.
You can choose a nautical theme, where the wedding takes place on a yacht, boat or beach with signal flags spelling your names, and wearing a straw boater hat instead of a veil. Of course, the guys in blazers, seashell centerpieces and a scrumptious seafood buffet.
For a Mardi Gras wedding, a jazz band is a must, as well as gumbo, spicy jambalaya, crawfish and an oyster bar. Don’t forget those Hurricane drinks, and after the ceremony, toss some of beads and carnival trinkets instead of the traditional birdseed or bubbles. Later in the evening, pass out exotic masks with feathers and glitter to dance the night away.
For a more tropical feel, put on a traditional luau complete with pu pu platters and mai tais drinks. Surround the area with tiki torches, orchids, flowering ginger and palm fronds. Don’t forget the flower leis for the bridal party and/or guests.
The Provencal or Viennese wedding would consist of French bread and cheese, bouillabaisse, red and white wines, dancing to waltzes and ball gowns and white tie. Finish off the evening by serving caviar, elaborate desserts and the much-awaited departure in a horse-drawn carriage.
Besides some of the ideas outlined above, you might consider a seasonal or holiday wedding, a Victorian celebration or even a mystery wedding, where the guests are invited to a party, but aren’t informed it’s a wedding till they are at the ceremony. Then, they are given clues as to how to the find the reception. Also, the groomsmen are wearing trench coats and dark glasses.
Other possible sites to consider when planning something different: A Marina or shipyard, Art Gallery, Museum, Airplane Hanger, College Campus, Pier, Amusement Park, Train Station, School Gymnasium or Classroom, Winery, Indoor Greenhouse, Public Park, Skating Rink, Racetrack, Barn, Warehouse, Department Store (after hours), Office Building Lobby or Atrium, Theatre or Movie Theater.
For other, non-traditional locations and/or venues, always consult your professional wedding coordinator, who besides helping you plan the perfect themed wedding, can help handle and eliminate any extra challenges staging a wedding and/or reception at any out-of-the-ordinary location or venue can present.
It’s been a busy time of year for engagements – between the holidays, New Year’s, and Valentine’s Day, engagements hit a high every year. Now that you’ve said YES, what do you do first in planing your upcoming wedding? The task list can be daunting, so taking it one step at a time is important. Here are a few tips to get you started on your walk down the aisle:
Pick a Date and Venue. If possible, be a little flexible on your wedding date. If you have your heart set on a venue, you have to go with what they have available. If you have a specific date you want to get married on, you’ll need to be open to exploring different venues. The sooner you get your venue and date nailed down, the sooner you can start planning your wedding day.
Choose a Photographer: Photographers can book out up to a year in advance, so this is an important vendor to hire early in the planning process. It’s important that you not only like the photographer’s work and pricing, but that you meet the photographer in person to see what kind of chemistry you and your fiance have with this person. Why is this important? Your wedding photographer will be capturing intimate moments for photos that you will keep for the rest of your life. The more comfortable you feel as a couple with this person, the more natural and beautiful your photos will turn out.
Shop for a Wedding Dress: Wedding dresses can take up to six months to arrive once ordered, so it’s important to give yourself plenty of time for the dress to arrive and for alterations to be done. Take into consideration the time of year you’re getting married, and the venue, in order to help you choose the general look you’re going for.
There is so much more to planning your wedding, but getting started with these three tasks will get you on your way!
The most important thing to remember during this whole process is that your wedding day is a celebration of you as a couple, and about the two of you promising yourselves to each other. If you plan with that in mind, you’re day will be just what you want it to be.
I couldn’t think of a more fitting tribute to Valentine’s Day than one of my favorite love poems by E.E. Cummings. Here’s to a day full of love like this..
i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
not fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you
here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart
i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)
Wedding Cake by Sugar Sugar Cake Studio
As the times change, so does the name, but the details remain the same. Whatever you choose to call it, hosting a dinner on the night before the wedding is still a tradition that never goes out of style. As more and more couples decide to make their wedding more of a “weekend affair” than just one day, the rehearsal or pre-nuptial dinner has gown in size. No longer is it just for the wedding party and close family. Many couples have out-of-town guests and family visiting for their wedding, and they are choosing to include them at the dinner. Because of this, the “normal” size for the party has grown from approximately 10 to 15 people to sometimes over 100. Make sure to check with all the players involved to ensure that no one is accidentally left off the guest list. Usually the bride’s family submits a guest list to the groom’s family.
Many couples choose to send invitations for the rehearsal dinner. It should be less formal than the wedding invitation, but you can do as you please. You can include them with the wedding invitation or send them separately. Some couples chose to invite guests via the telephone or with today’s technology, via e-mail. There are many companies that offer some wonderful informal invitations that can go with your wedding theme or different kinds of invitations to suit your style. Check with you wedding consultant for a list of great ideas.
Customarily, the dinner is hosted and paid for by the Groom’s parents, but depending on the circumstances, it can be hosted by any family member or close friend of the couple. Originally held to make enough noise to scare away evil spirits prior to the wedding, it now represents a time for the couple, immediate family members, attendants, ushers and their spouses, clergyman, and any out-of-town guests to get together for an intimate gathering and celebration. It gives friends and family a time to relax and get to know one another, many meeting for the first time.
Take the opportunity either at the beginning or during the meal to introduce the families. Add a little personal comment or story to the introduction to make them more personable. It’s also a good time to toast the Bride and Groom and thank the bride’s family (who have traditionally shouldered the rest of the wedding cost). If the Bride and Groom are planning to give their attendants gifts, it’s a perfect time and place to present them. Rehearsal Dinners are also a good time to go over any last minute details or instructions before the wedding and to remind everyone about the flow of events on wedding day. Most of all, take time to have fun during the party. Share stories about the Bride and Groom and offer toasts from both families welcoming them and to the guests, thanking them for coming.
Here in Arizona, there are plenty of options to create the Rehearsal Dinner that is appropriate for you. It can range anywhere from a theme type dinner to a traditional dinner at a fine restaurant. What best suits your style and budget is the best way to go. Also, you’ll want to choose a place that is not too far from where the rehearsal was held. A good rule of thumb is usually no further than a 20 to 30 minute drive by car. Whatever you decide to do, make it enjoyable for your guests.
Once you have your location, your wedding consultant can help you choose the flow of events. Everything from what to serve, the entertainment, decorations or any other details to make your event truly a memorable occasion.
I’ve had so much fun sharing the Wedding Traditions series! As a final entry today, we’re going to look at Kisses, Cakes, and Honeymoons. I can just feel the love.
Why does the ceremony end with a kiss?
From the early centuries, a kiss was a legal bond that sealed contracts, and thus, the betrothal. Early Christianity incorporated the betrothal ceremony into the marriage ritual. It was also believed that when a couple kissed, part of each of their souls was left behind in the other when their breath was exchanged. So, occurring at the end of the marriage ceremony, the kiss announces a new status.
Why is there a wedding cake?
The wedding cake has been a part of the marriage celebration since Roman times symbolizing good luck and fertility. A small bun would be broken over the head of the bride at the close of the ceremony, and since wheat was the symbol of fertility, the crumbs would be sought out as good-luck charms. During medieval times, customs required the bride and groom to kiss over a pile of small cakes brought by the wedding guests. Then, in Elizabethan times, bridesmaids baked small, sweet buns with currants, the centerpiece for the wedding feast. It wasn’t until the 17th century that a French baker frosted a stack of buns so they would stand upright, creating the first frosted tiered wedding cake. But, it was the Chinese who originated the custom of serving each guest a slice of the cake to spread good luck.
What is a groom’s cake?
Originally, the groom’s cake was a rich, solid fruitcake topped with marzipan and white icing, but today, it is usually a cake make out of the groom’s favorite flavor. According to custom, it is either served at the reception along with the wedding cake or packed in small boxes for guests to take home – a way to share in the couple’s good fortune and the sweetness of married life. It is believed that a single guest who puts a sliver of the groom’s cake under his or her pillow that night will dream of their future spouse.
Why do newlyweds go on a honeymoon?
In ancient times, when there were marriages by capture, the groom kept his bride in hiding for a month to prevent searching relatives from finding her. The term honeymoon has its origin in early Teuton customs: Couples would drink from a fermented honey drink known as mead, or “metheglin” for 30 days after their wedding or until the moon waned. As an intoxicant, it was believed to have eased sexual inhibitions. Honey is also an ancient symbol of life, health, and fertility; the couple’s “month of sweetness” was a time alone – a month of happiness (and, they hoped, fertility) before taking up the everyday responsibilities of marriage.
There are still many other century old customs and traditions practiced today. Working with a professional wedding consultant will ensure that any customs or traditions you wish to incorporate into your wedding will be.
