Weddings seem to be the perfect time for gifts – both to give and to receive. Often, the to-be-wed couple is showered with gifts. And, many times, the couple gives presents to the people they love as a way to say thanks for the significant roles those people have played in their lives.
Sometimes, gift giving from either said can be tricky (and we mean gifts other than those that can be found on the registry). The bride may have everything, the groom may want nothing. And, every wedding party member in between has a style and taste all his or her own. So, in light of all this craziness, here are some ideas to get your gift giving ideas flowing.
For the Couple:
Luggage – While some couples register for a nice set of luggage, not everyone does. If you’re looking for a gift for a couple that loves to travel or is about to take a fancy honeymoon, this might just be the perfect idea.
Art – I’m a personal fan, but that’s not the case for everyone. If you have a couple that loves art, or is moving into a new place (or redecorating an old one), a nice piece of expressive art could give them a new focal point for the living room or if nothing else, give them a little reminder as to how much you love them every time they look at it. If you go this route, you may want to check out the couple’s new place before making a purchase, or at least get a good feel for their style.
Hobby Items - Is your couple into hiking? Maybe camping, cooking, or water sports? Giving a present that the couple can enjoy together while spending time together is always a plus.
For the Groom:
Work Items - Is the groom you’re shopping for a workaholic? Or maybe he just loves his job! Work-related items like briefcases or super nice pens are great to give and to receive.
Outdoor or Sports Items – Is your groom a nature nut? Sports nut? If you’re a groomsmen or other guy friend of the groom’s, giving a gift that says “hey, you may be married but we can still chill” is always nice – things like camping equipment, fishing gear, or anything else you and your group of guys enjoy together.
For the Bride:
Work Items – If your bride is into her gig, work-related items might be a great option. A laptop case or briefcase, a nice frame or two for her desk, a nice pen or set of stationary…the list goes on. Office supplies are just too much fun, aren’t they?
Hobby Items – If the bride you’re shopping for is into crafts, get her something related to her favorite (knitting, scrapbooking, sewing, etc). Is she the outdoorsy type? Maybe she would enjoy some new gear. You know her better than we do, so go with what you think she would love the most!
For the Groomsmen:
*See “For the Groom”. The ideas are too-easily applied here.
For the Bridesmaids:
I have to say, these are my favorites. Bridesmaids are so fun to shop for because you can go in just about any direction! (Here, we’ll assume you don’t have a sky’s-the-limit budget.)
Unique Jewelry - Unique or not, jewelry is always the perfect gift. 
The great thing about it when it comes to bridesmaids is that you can get something different for each woman but stick to a specific price range (there are just SO many options available). I recently heard about The Leakey Collection that has some great pieces for a bridesmaid with eclectic taste!
Pampering Gifts – Your ‘maids do a lot for you. Help them take a load off by giving them a little somethin’ somethin’ to help them relax and destress. A massage, mani/pedi, or even a little basket of goodies (filled with things like bath bombs and sea salts, lotions, candles, etc.). Who doesn’t need and want a little pampering now and then?
Donations - If one of your girls is a die-hard WWF supporter or a Greenpeace member, make a donation in her name. Or perhaps she’s crazy about babies or animals. If the organization’s purpose is something she is passionate about, it may mean more to her than a little something she can wear or use.
Share This
Thank you SO MUCH for all of the WONDERFUL proposal stories!! Each one brightened my day and made me smile ( I get to do so many fabulous things )!
Our winner is Brittney, who had a great story to share with us. See her photo and story below. 
“Well… mine is pretty long and it was a total surprise…
My FI’s sister is going to school for Photography and asked us if we wouldn’t mind having a photo shoot with her for her to practice taking “couples” pictures. It was memorial day weekend in Austin, TX – It was HOT, and I mean HOT. We were dripping sweat. She said… “why don’t we go up to this gazebo up here.” I, sweating a lot, went on ahead so we could finish pictures. My FI fell behind a little and said to her “this is when we’re going to do it…”
We get to the gazebo and take a couple of pictures. She says, “why don’t you get down on one knee…” He says, “which one, like this one……. or this one…..” (switching legs back and forth) – Just so I wouldn’t suspect anything – WHICH I DIDN’T. I thought “(in my head) this is a cool idea for her to add to her portfolio for engaged couples.” Little did I know it would be an actual ENGAGEMENT photo. So, even with him down on his knee – I thought of nothing. Then she snaps a few, I STILL don’t know. She says, “wait… (I thought she was gonna fix his shirt or something)… you might need this…” She brings over a box… and I thought “(in my head) oh wow, she went all out, brought props and all” – yea, I know… STILL didn’t know! am I crazy or something Then I looked down and saw the name of the jeweler on top that we went and visited and found the ring we both liked… and THEN I knew! I was blown away and so surprised! I loved it!
He said “Brittney, You know how much I love you, will you spend the rest of your life with me…” I said “mmm hmmm” with me half crying, half smiling and just muttered mmmm hmmm and shook my head up and down. I was a mess.
I actually had to ask him after the proposal was over “ok, so what did you actually say to me when you proposed, cause I don’t remember” hahaha! We laughed!
Best Day!!! ”
Props to Derik for his creative use of photography in his proposal! 
Congrats you two!
Take a look at some of the other beautiful couples that sent in pictures – some mid-proposal, some after. Congrats to all!!
Pearls and Her Man
Mindy and Brian
Ana and Blake
Angelique and Ricardo
Be sure to check back soon for more giveaways!
Share This
About a year ago I remember seeing on TV a bride who wanted her wedding theme to be all about peacocks. Peacock feathers, peacock colors and even real peacock at the reception.
Back then, my reaction was the same as her wedding planner: Huh?!?! Peacock?!?! That sounded just too much!!!
Today, if you look around, peacocks are everywhere…
There are so many ways that you can actually incorporate the peacock theme into your wedding and go over the top!!
It really does look beautiful…
If peacocks are on your mind, here are some inspirations:
Image credits:
1. jennifer dery photography; 2-3. perry hagopian; 4-5. B. Loved Photography; 6.invitesonline.co.nz; 7.tanya tribble
Share This
Here is some great-to-know information from an insurance expert. Read up!
Cake- Check, Reception Hall- Check, Invitations Sent- Check…. you planned the big day perfectly and thought everything through hundreds of times, but did you overlook something that you and your spouse will need the rest of your life ?
Thinking about insurance is never something terribly exciting, at this point you would rather plan for your life with your new partner, your honeymoon, your new home, not something as dull as insurance but it should be one of the first things you should plan for to ensure that you and your spouse are covered from the moment you say ” I Do.” At some point in your life you have likely had to use your insurance it may have been just to get some medicine or for something more serious but you know how helpful having that coverage has been. If there is any incentive outside of that you can take joy in knowing that you will be saving money by having insurance plans together compared to being single.
Health Insurance
One of the biggest areas you can start to save money by pooling your plans is through affordable health insurance. It is very likely that there is a decent discount by either moving to your spouse’s policy or having them come to yours. If you are on an individual medical insurance plan, there is typically a discount to add additional family members. There is a good chance that one of you has a group plan from your workplace, if that is the case, check out what needs to occur in order to get your spouse on the policy and what kind of increase it will cause to the premium. This can be done either by looking at the policy yourself or contacting the insurance company itself or perhaps the HR department at your office. If both of you have a group plan then it becomes necessary to see which will provide the best coverage at the best rate and then drop the other policy. The process of adding another member to a policy is generally pretty straight forward and relatively painless.
If neither of you are insured at this point, it would be a good idea to look into individual health plans.
It should also be noted that if you are a younger couple getting married, and you are still on your parent’s health coverage, you will be dropped by that plan when you are married.
Home Insurance
If you are moving into your spouse’s house (meaning not buying or renting a different house than either of you lived in before), it is important to look at the policy in place for the home. As you will be bringing all of your possessions as well, the value of the goods within the home will be much higher and thus you will need the appropriate level of coverage. Whichever partner is moving needs to make sure that they cancel their current policy at their home or apartment. If they plan to rent out the place they should contact their current company and switch the status to married and see about getting a landlord’s insurance.
Auto Insurance
Insurance companies consider those who are married to be more responsible, meaning more economically stable and mature, and will typically have lower premiums for couples. For a young couple this particularly good news as young men typically have higher premiums as they are considered higher risks. The odds are you both drive and thus both have insurance , a policy together will generally allow for discount auto insurance.
Life Insurance
If at this point you and your partner are without life insurance this is the perfect time to look into it. Policies can be very affordable for a young couple. It may not seem like a good time to get life insurance but in this new phase of your life you will be relying on both of your incomes. Having a life insurance policy in place allows for financial protection if something ever happens to you or your partner and helps to ensure that they are taken care of. There are two types of insurance, term- which means for a period of time, and whole – which means for the whole life, and depending on your age one may be a better choice than another and thus you should look into both as an option and make the appropriate decision.
And Now For the Honeymoon !
Your wedding went off without a hitch and now you can go off to your honeymoon knowing that you have everything sorted out with your coverage. As you are now married, you will be paying less for coverage than if you were still single , per person, as you can get joint policies or family policies that meet your needs and allow for a good discount.
* * * *
This article was written by Barbara Waltz one of the founders of
247QuoteUs.com , an online resource blog and insurance quote comparison guide.
Share This
This post is meant to nudge consumers (hint, hint) to research their wedding vendors a little more than normal to take advantage of some of the positive sides of the tanked economy.
An open letter to the economy:
Although I cannot escape you as you insist on showing-up everywhere I get my information – television, radio, print, magazine – I would like to THANK YOU for giving me five ways to cut wedding vendor costs.
1. VENUES (AKA event locations)
Although some venues will always cost "more" because of location, noteriety, or simple supply and demand, I am happy that you have motivated less-busy venues to give better discounts. I understand that many of these venues may not be advertising these great discounts, but I know that all I have to do to find these venues is make some telephone calls.
2. FLORAL
Out-of-season and imported floral will always be more expensive, but I am pleased that my local florists are giving great deals on certain varieties, with some even discounting their labor and delivery costs.
3. DJ’s
With wedding budgets (and most other types of budgets!) being trimmed-back, I can appreciate that you have prompted even the most popular DJ’s to negotiate their typical $200/per hour (averaged) fees.
4. CATERING
Food costs are high, but the high cost of food has compelled many catering company’s to offer discounts on items such as: chaffing dishes, delivery charges, and set-up fees. These deals are getting so good that I can almost taste the wedding dinner!
5. RENTALS
Oh thank goodness! I rejoice at the new lower prices on chair covers and chair ties…and not the cheap stuff, either. I am on Cloud 9 knowing that I can now save on even premium covers. My local rentals shop has even sent me a coupon for one free delivery. Yippee!
Enjoy the savings!
Alisha Forrester Scott of La Ruche may be contacted at studio@enterlaruche.com.
Share This
If you’re like me, sometimes you need little reminders to help you “keep calm and carry on”. That’s why I adore these!
Try hanging a poster in your home (or home office) if you’re one of those that needs the constant reminder.
How about this fab tote to carry your wedding day essentials in? Love it! If you want the story behind this saying, check out this always trustworthy
wikipedia page.
Share This
RULE #1: SET YOUR BUDGET BEFORE YOU START PLANNING
To all of those that have champagne taste on a Martinelli’s budget, the best thing that you can do is to set your budget FIRST. Who among us hasn’t wanted more than what we can afford? If you put realistic budgetary limits in place before you start planning you will save yourself heartache and frustration.
RULE #2: IF YOU DON’T KNOW HOW TO PLAN AN EVENT and BUDGET, HIRE SOMEONE TO DO IT FOR YOU
There are already many reasons to hire a professional event planning, and being able to throw your event while staying within your means is another excellent one. A good event planner will be able to purchase wholesale, use proven vendors and contacts, use space wisely, AND keep your budget. It is worth it…trust me.
RULE #3: CONSIDER USING WHAT DECOR YOU ALREADY HAVE
Whether out or in a storage closet, often times you can create and build a lovely concept around the decor that you already possess. Re-using your decor can potentially save you hundreds of dollars by utilizing the "small things" that you (and your budget) may have taken for granted or forgotten about all together. These types of often-forgotten decor include:
- candles, candle holders, candle plates, etc.
- lighting
- linens (or sheets), place mats, napkins, coasters
- silverware or flatware
- art, photos, sculptures…items that you can create interesting centerpieces or stations with
- tables, chairs, and other seating options
RULE #4: IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE AN ALL-NIGHTER
The reality is that the longer your guests stay, the more money it will cost you. To put it bluntly:
- If you are serving alcohol, after 2 drinks per person your costs can sky-rocket to about $11 per person per hour.
- Same goes with food. The longer they are around, the more food they will need to consume.
- Same goes with toilet paper and other household products.
Consider capping the night off near 10 PM, instead of 1 AM. Or, consider holding a lunch instead of a cocktail hour.
RULE #5: THE POT LUCK IS BACK "IN"
By coming-up with another way to spin the name "Potluck" you will be able to excite the interest of your guests’ friendly, competitive cooking sides. How many of us know others that would LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE to show-off their cooking skills? (I do!!!) And, to be honest, who among us doesn’t like the idea of trying several dishes from several different Chefs? (I would!!!)
Call it a food tasting. Call it a communal meal. The potluck is SO "in", again.
RULE #6: HOLD A CHARITY EVENT, WITH 50% OF THE PROCEEDS GOING TO A LOCAL CHARITY
Tough times mean tighter wallets, but many good-natured folks would enjoy combining charity with a great event. Why not charge "x amount" per guest, but with the commitment that half of (or whatever percentage is left after the cost of the event is paid-off) the proceeds will go to "such-and-such" charity?
Pick a worth cause. Pick a worthy occasion. Pick this winner!
Alisha Forrester Scott of La Ruche can be reached by e-mail at: studio@enterlaruche.com.
Share This
A cautionary tale
Wedding #3 of our 2009 spring wedding season was beautiful. A year of planning happily ended on a high note, guests were happy, the couple was happy. However, let’s rewind to four weeks before the wedding.
Of the 225 folks that the couple had invited, only 65-75% were "supposed to" RSVP with a yes – statistically-speaking, that is. Imagine the financial horror – to the tune of nearly $10,000 more than was budgeted for – when…at final count…200 people RSVP’d. Do the quick math…that is a nearly 90% response rate.
I’m not sure if this high response rate is partly due to the economy (and everyone wanting stuff for free), but FAIR WARNING: If you do not have it in your budget to seat and feed all of the folks on your invitations list PLEASE REVISE YOUR INVITATIONS LIST.
To those who may have parents partially or completely funding their wedding – whose parents may also have a large "invitation guest wish list" – give your parents this very important message:
- You are welcome to invite whomever you want – since you are funding the wedding.
- However, if you are to invite all that you wish to invite you will need to contribute "x amount" more money. Otherwise, we are not able to afford the wedding.
Plain and simple
Be honest with yourselves and your budgets or you risk getting bitten by the RSVP Fairy.
Alisha Forrester Scott of La Ruche can be reached for comments or questions at studio@enterlaruche.com.
Share This
Hello hello! Just popping in to remind you of our fabulous Kodak giveaway! Hop on over to the post and enter to win!
Share This
Long gone are the days where only parasols, covered in frilly lace and bows, were dubbed a bridal accessory (thank goodness for that!). BUT! Umbrellas haven’t left the building altogether!
I have seen some SUPER cute wedding photos that incorporate umbrellas, regardless of whether they were needed or not. Here is a sweet example from Bailey Photography –
Here are a few umbrella picks we found and like, for a number of different styles and tastes.
For the mod couple, can’t go wrong with a bubble umbrella! This one is from Umbrella Stand.
How about something simple yet bold? Here is one from Pure Umbrella.
Another mod-ish selection, or one that would be just be fun for some creative pictures. From Umbrellas.com.
I’ve saved the best for last! I love love love these Bella Umbrellas. They could spice up just about any wedding in a number of ways. Tons of colors and styles. Tres chic. To die for! Here is a nice Signature Bella Pagoda.
Another favorite. This one just screams “simply bridal” to me. Do you hear that? This one, like most of the others, could be used for years after the big day. Thanks Umbrella.net!
Share This
