Tipping Point - Gratuity Advice for Grooms

The time-honored tradition of tipping can often raise a lot of questions and debates. Although tipping service providers is typically regarded as a distinctively American practice, the act was actually an Old World tradition starting back in the 1700s (or even earlier) where tavern workers were given ñdrink moneyî by patrons so that they may also have a tankard of beer at nightÍs end. Tipping in America did not actually take hold until after the Civil War when opinions about gifting to ñinferiorsî were less controversial. Today it seems everyone has an opinion about how large or little of a gratuity to leave. While it is widely accepted that 15 to 20% is the norm when tipping the waiter or waitress at a sit-down restaurant, it seems that the specific percentage left on a tip isnÍt necessarily correlated to the serverÍs performance. Research has shown that customers tip more out of a fear of social disapproval than for actual good service. As a customer in the wedding industry, you are in a position to be tipping all sorts of service providers. At least for the sake of your wallet, letÍs just hope itÍs a limited, once-in-a-lifetime experience. Budget ahead for tipping on your wedding services, that way youÍre not surprised that you spent up to 20% or more than expected. IÍve compiled a list of suggestions on how much to tip when settling the bill. Remember, for many service providers, the tip is often considered by his or her employer as part of overall compensation _ even though it is really just the ñpotentialî for compensation. If you know what youÍre getting into and tip wisely, yet fairly, youÍll certainly have enough cash left over for awesome groomsmen gifts and best man gifts. Barber and Manscaper: Even if youÍre a low-maintenance guy, you may be getting a few extra services for your wedding day. The expected tip at the end of your appointment is 15 _ 25 percent, depending on the quality of service. Wedding Delivery and Set-up Staff: Tip $5 to $10 per person for those workers who are delivering important items to the location of your wedding. This can include delivery persons for the wedding cake, flowers, chair and table rental, etc. Wedding Ceremony Officiant: Make a significant donation to your church or synagogue if your officiant is part of that organization. That money will be considered a donation to the church and not a tip to the person. Nondenominational officiants, not related to a church, do not require a donation because you are being charged for their time _ however a $50 t $100 tip is common. Wedding Ceremony and/or Reception Musicians: If you think your musicians did a great job during your wedding, tip them about $20 _ 25 dollars per person in addition to their set fees. Also, if you have hired a DJ to play tunes all night, he will also be pleased with a tip for good service. Usually this will be more than for the ceremony site; heÍll be working more hours. Wedding Photographer/Videographer: Although it is not required, many couples tip their wedding photographer (and assistants) as a thank you and, perhaps, way to ensure the photos turn out great. Wedding Reception Staff: Employees who are working your wedding event, such as the banquet manager, servers, bartenders and such, will require tips, so pull out your money clip. However, look at your contract with the facility to see if the gratuity is already included and, if not, tip 15 to 20 percent on the total bill. Limo Driver: Standard tips are 10 to 15% of the fair, go up to 20% if the driver helps with extra, heavy or unwieldy bags. Tattoo Artists: If you head straight to the tattoo shop to get a ñMr. & Mrs.î tat, tip least 10% to 20% of the bill, depending on the difficulty and amount of work performed.

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Big Bucks for Big Name Bands at Wedding

About this time last year, I read about a groom who thought he was hiring a music superstar to perform at his wedding and ended up falling prey to a scam. Apparently Brian Valentine, a hot shot executive at Amazon, thought he had booked Tom Petty, the artist behind songs like “Refugee” and “Free Fallin,” to rock out at his wedding reception. The performance was going to be a gift to his fiancée, a major fan of the band that rose to fame in the 1980s. After finding a website that books these types of music transactions, the groom negotiated a price of $330,000 for the performance and wired over half of the funds as a down payment. When the details started to get fuzzy and bogus emails started showing up, the groom contacted Petty’s management company directly only to find out that he had been defrauded. In the end, the FBI was involved and the bad guys were busted – and, if you can believe it, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers showed up as a surprise anyway to play at the wedding reception! Happily ever after ending! So, have you ever thought about hiring a famous band for your wedding reception? It would be a dream come true to have the latest chart-topping artist or a long-time favorite perform for you and your guests. It would be a personal concert without any of the hassles of waiting in line, sitting back too far from the stage or dealing with smoky venues and other nuisances. However, you’re going to need a big wallet and plenty of advance notice! There are many things to consider and it's actually pretty unlikely you'll get a "famous" band to play at your party, even paying their customary fee. Unless you are a celebrity yourself. For example, Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day played at Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg’s wedding and Usher played at Michael Jordan’s no-expense-sparred wedding a few months ago. When hiring a big-name band, you’ll be responsible for all of the “riders” in the contract. This includes thousands of dollars for a "hospitality" rider – those rock stars need their flask full of whisky, energy drinks and finger foods. Lighting, sound equipment, stagehands, first class travel and professional drivers to haul them to and fro are also factored into the fee – as is, lodging (and we don’t think a La Quinta is going to cut it). After surfing around the web, I started to understand just how expensive it would be to hire a hit making band. Cheap Trick goes for about $75,000 while the Foo Fighters are estimated to be in the $400,000 plus range. If this isn’t famous enough for you, Metallica can be had for an estimated $1 million show. Plus expenses. Plus production. Have an endless money clip? The Rolling Stones goes for $2 million minimum. Not only would hiring a famous band be an awesome surprise for your bride (as long as she likes the music), a thrill for the guests, and a gift for the groomsmen and yourself! Hire the band you and your buddies loved to listen to in the glory days! Too bad the original Van Halen wouldn’t get back together for my wedding. Of course, you’ll want pass out great wedding favors (and groomsmen gifts) if having a “concert” at your wedding reception. Our sterling-silver guitar picks make awesome best man gifts and groomsmen gifts and can be personalized to your exact specifications. Another idea for cool groomsmen gifts are personalized beer mugs to commemorate the occasion. Unlike big public venues, your cozy concert can serve up drinks in glass beer mugs – really the only way to drink beer! So, if you had all the money in the world, who would you hire to play at your wedding reception? Let us know in the comments below.

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Pros and Cons of Eloping

Have you ever thought about running away in the middle of the night, with only a small suitcase and your beautiful bride in tow? Not having an over-the-top wedding does sound like the perfect gift for the groom! TodayÍs culture has been drifting toward huge mega-weddings, with months and months (if not well over a year) of planning, hundreds of guests in attendance and thousands and thousands of dollars spent. ItÍs enough to make a guy guzzle an entire engraved flask! If you feel overwhelmed by the expectations of a modern big wedding, eloping is still a viable option. However, youÍll want to weigh the pros and cons of eloping as well as familiarize yourself with the destinations requirements for marriage before you hit the road to tie the knot. Pros: Save money: The average cost of a traditional wedding is upwards of $28,000 dollars and many weddings cost exponentially more. Really there is no limit to the amount of money you can spend on getting married. There are quite a few alternatives to consider that will save you big bucks that range from just getting married down at the Justice of the Peace for the just the cost of a marriage license and witness to flying off to a resort destination that can offer a wedding package for a fraction of the price youÍd spend at home on a big wedding. Plus, there are always the drive-thru chapels in Las Vegas. Save Time and Headaches: Traditional weddings can take a year or more to plan; venues have to be secured, photographers booked, entertainment and caterers interviewed. Elopements donÍt need all of these ñextrasî and can be arranged in a matter of days. For busy couples that can't afford to put in the manpower for a big wedding, an elopement can save the day while saving their sanity. Avoid Awkward Situations: Eloping works especially well for a second marriage because many awkward situations can be avoided. Problems like inviting ex-spouses, blending families who may not be supportive and other sensitive issues (like should we accept wedding gifts) can be sidestepped with a private elopement. Later, after the fact, a post-wedding reception can always be held if you change your mind about including family. Cons: Excluding Family: No matter how diplomatic you try to be, there will probably be backlash from family and friends who what to be involved in your Big Day. While these folks may not approve of an elopement, it is best to explain your reasons for doing so rather than just dashing off and leaving them in the dark. Wedding Regret: While other friends may be looking fondly over their wedding albums on landmark anniversaries, youÍll not have the same sort of traditional memories filled with dozens of bridesmaids and groomsmen. You certainly donÍt need the formal wedding mementos to have a long and happy marriage, just communicate with each other before you elope to makes sure neither one of you is feeling pressured to ñrun awayî and ditch the big wedding experience. Feeling Rushed: The flipside to spending multiple months planning a conventional ceremony, throwing together an elopement can make you feel rushed. What will you wear (guys, we suggest dressing up with engraved cufflinks), where will you find an officiant, how will you manage to slip away from work. Even with an elopement, there are still many details that can make you feel frenzied if youÍre trying to pull it off the union in a jiffy.

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Mind-boggling, Budget-busting Wedding Records

There is something about human nature that makes us want to “one-up” each other. From SAT scores and the square-footage of homes to the numbers of push-ups and zeros on our paychecks, people – especially guys – like to compare and compete. For goodness sakes, this is how the Guinness Book of World Records came into existence; man needed a way to record random accomplishments and set the bar higher and higher for the next guy to bust his butt achieving. Well, you will be happy (or horrified) that the details of your wedding are not immune to this drive to climb to the top of the heap and get noticed for being bigger, better, more expensive or some other sensational superlative. Here are some record book wedding achievements that will make your jaw drop and your bank account shudder. You may want to keep your bridezilla away from this list! Imagine what the crumbs cost? The most expensive wedding cake was created by a bakery aptly named Cake. The eight tiers of buttercream and spongy goodness will bring grown men to tears; the cost is a whopping $52,700,000 dollars thanks to the 4,000 real diamond embellishments. The typical cost for a wedding cake, as reported by The Knot, is just $540. So you do the math? Would you rather have one consumable cake and life in a trailer park or an “average” cake with an additional $52,999,460 for the fabulous mansion of your dreams. Either way, you need to get yourself a “rich-looking” leather wallet and several more for groomsmen gifts. A single slice would suffice! Now, most men we know would be more interested in the size of the wedding cake rather than the actual design. Who cares if it is encrusted with diamonds, edible gold, intricately basket-woven frosting and delicate candy flowers. Just how big is that bad boy? The world record for the largest wedding cake is held by the chefs at Mohegan Sun Hotel and Casino in Connecticut. It weighs in at 15,032 pounds and could feed a literal army. Until death do you part. Marriage is a lifelong commitment, a pact to stay together for better or worse as long as you both shall live. In some unfortunate situations, spouses die an untimely death rendering the marriage shorter than expected. In other situations (that some men might also describe as unfortunate), the spouse just keeps on ticking as in the case of Herbert and Zemura Fisher who were married for an amazing 86 years, 9 months and 16 days! They must have married very young. On the other hand, if you get married older, you probably won’t be married as long -barring unforeseen medical breakthroughs. The oldest combined age of a couple on their wedding day goes to a 95 year-old bride named Lillian Hartley and a 98 year-old groom named Allan Marks. This puts their combined age at nearly 194 years! Their progeny will be basketball stars. The tallest married couple on record goes to Anna Hanen Swan (measuring in at 7 foot 5.5 inches) and Martin Van Buren Bats (7 foot 2.5 inches) for a combined height of 14 foot 8 inches. We heard a rumor that the groom hates it when she wears heels because it makes him feel “so short.” Okay, we made that part up. And by the way, check out our basketball inspired groomsmen gifts. So, are you feeling the need yet to make your claim for fame when it comes to getting married? First look at your obvious physical attributes. If the two of you have 12 toes AND mismatched eyes (one blue and one brown), you may have something to lead with. Second, look at your bank account and decide if you can afford the most expensive pair of engraved cufflinks, a super-ultra-luxury bachelor party or even outrageous groomsmen gifts. Or third, assess your talents to see if you have an aptitude, skill or the stamina to get you into the record books. For example, do you think you could juggle your way through the whole ceremony and reception? Or, how about literally making a 100-meter dash down the aisle in less than 9 seconds? Let us know your prospects for making wedding history in the comments below.

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Man-centric Spending Strategy for a Wedding

The average wedding budget in 2011, according to a recent survey conducted by The Knot, costs a whopping $27,021 _ and this excludes the honeymoon. Do you know how many beers this would buy? According to our calculations, you could buy 18,000 cases of Budweiser¬ (at $15 dollars a pop) which equates to 43,300 cans of icy, cold goodness. If you consider 55 years to be the maximum beer-drinking lifespan of a man (from age 21 to age 76), that comes out to be 785 beers a year _ or a little more than two beers a day! Would you rather have an ñaverageî wedding or be guaranteed two beers a day until you kick the bucket? Gee, thatÍs not a hard decision for us guys, but trying selling that on the bride. Here are some other interesting wedding budget comparisons that may make you want to evaluate how you are spending your hard-earned money. Wedding Planner: Sure, a wedding planner may help reduce a little stress in setting up the perfect soiree, but at an average cost of $1,753 per wedding, is it really all that necessary to strive for perfection? After all, we think itÍs some of the little unanticipated events that pop up that make the wedding even more memorable. We say, make some computer spreadsheets for the bride to check her way through and then use the extra savings on some really cool groomsmen gifts. Fine cigar humidors or top-grain leather wallets will really make a great impression when given as groomsmen gifts to those friends who would never, ever notice the fact that some wedding planner had matched the exact shade of the periwinkle flowers in the reception centerpieces to the color of the brideÍs eyes. Reception Band: Plan on spending an average of $3,122 to hire a band to entertain your guests. Even just a DJ to play songs comes in at $923. Why not just make an awesome playlist and hook it up to the speaker system and save enough money to put a down payment on that Harley youÍve been eyeballing. If the bride says no, you can at least hang onto the ñwhat could have beenî memory with a personalized sign for your man cave _ we love this man cave sign with a biker bar design. Reception Venue: Where you party down after the ceremony is probably the most expensive line item in the wedding budget, coming in at a heart-palpitating $12,116 for the average wedding in 2011. Of course, food and drinks are included, but this is still big bucks if you consider that the average wedding has 141 guests. This comes out to be about $86 bucks per guest. I guess thatÍs not as bad as the total sounded, but when you consider you can get a McWedding in Hong Kong for $400 for 100 guests, it makes you think that maybe pizza delivery or a few buckets of chicken might be the better way to go. Another idea that is totally on trend right now is to hire food trucks to come out and serve at your wedding, a much more cost-effective way to serve guests. Hey, food is food right? If you save even half of the 12 grand, you could be looking at a really nice vacation to celebrate your first anniversary. So, are you planning to have a no-expenses sparred wedding or are you planning a more frugal festivity? Either way, you never want to forget to be generous with the friends who have supported you through the process, namely the best man, groomsmen and ushers. Check out our large selection of groomsmen gifts that will fit any budget and may be personalized for that one-of-a-kind gesture money canÍt buy.* Budweiser is a trademark of In-Bev.

Read more

Mind-boggling, Budget-busting Wedding Records

There is something about human nature that makes us want to “one-up” each other. From SAT scores and the square-footage of homes to the numbers of push-ups and zeros on our paychecks, people – especially guys – like to compare and compete. For goodness sakes, this is how the Guinness Book of World Records came into existence; man needed a way to record random accomplishments and set the bar higher and higher for the next guy to bust his butt achieving. Well, you will be happy (or horrified) that the details of your wedding are not immune to this drive to climb to the top of the heap and get noticed for being bigger, better, more expensive or some other sensational superlative. Here are some record book wedding achievements that will make your jaw drop and your bank account shudder. You may want to keep your bridezilla away from this list! Imagine what the crumbs cost? The most expensive wedding cake was created by a bakery aptly named Cake. The eight tiers of buttercream and spongy goodness will bring grown men to tears; the cost is a whopping $52,700,000 dollars thanks to the 4,000 real diamond embellishments. The typical cost for a wedding cake, as reported by The Knot, is just $540. So you do the math? Would you rather have one consumable cake and life in a trailer park or an “average” cake with an additional $52,999,460 for the fabulous mansion of your dreams. Either way, you need to get yourself a “rich-looking” leather wallet and several more for groomsmen gifts. A single slice would suffice! Now, most men we know would be more interested in the size of the wedding cake rather than the actual design. Who cares if it is encrusted with diamonds, edible gold, intricately basket-woven frosting and delicate candy flowers. Just how big is that bad boy? The world record for the largest wedding cake is held by the chefs at Mohegan Sun Hotel and Casino in Connecticut. It weighs in at 15,032 pounds and could feed a literal army. Until death do you part. Marriage is a lifelong commitment, a pact to stay together for better or worse as long as you both shall live. In some unfortunate situations, spouses die an untimely death rendering the marriage shorter than expected. In other situations (that some men might also describe as unfortunate), the spouse just keeps on ticking as in the case of Herbert and Zemura Fisher who were married for an amazing 86 years, 9 months and 16 days! They must have married very young. On the other hand, if you get married older, you probably won’t be married as long -barring unforeseen medical breakthroughs. The oldest combined age of a couple on their wedding day goes to a 95 year-old bride named Lillian Hartley and a 98 year-old groom named Allan Marks. This puts their combined age at nearly 194 years! Their progeny will be basketball stars. The tallest married couple on record goes to Anna Hanen Swan (measuring in at 7 foot 5.5 inches) and Martin Van Buren Bats (7 foot 2.5 inches) for a combined height of 14 foot 8 inches. We heard a rumor that the groom hates it when she wears heels because it makes him feel “so short.” Okay, we made that part up. And by the way, check out our basketball inspired groomsmen gifts. So, are you feeling the need yet to make your claim for fame when it comes to getting married? First look at your obvious physical attributes. If the two of you have 12 toes AND mismatched eyes (one blue and one brown), you may have something to lead with. Second, look at your bank account and decide if you can afford the most expensive pair of engraved cufflinks, a super-ultra-luxury bachelor party or even outrageous groomsmen gifts. Or third, assess your talents to see if you have an aptitude, skill or the stamina to get you into the record books. For example, do you think you could juggle your way through the whole ceremony and reception? Or, how about literally making a 100-meter dash down the aisle in less than 9 seconds? Let us know your prospects for making wedding history in the comments below.

Read more

Man-centric Spending Strategy for a Wedding

The average wedding budget in 2011, according to a recent survey conducted by The Knot, costs a whopping $27,021 _ and this excludes the honeymoon. Do you know how many beers this would buy? According to our calculations, you could buy 18,000 cases of Budweiser¬ (at $15 dollars a pop) which equates to 43,300 cans of icy, cold goodness. If you consider 55 years to be the maximum beer-drinking lifespan of a man (from age 21 to age 76), that comes out to be 785 beers a year _ or a little more than two beers a day! Would you rather have an ñaverageî wedding or be guaranteed two beers a day until you kick the bucket? Gee, thatÍs not a hard decision for us guys, but trying selling that on the bride. Here are some other interesting wedding budget comparisons that may make you want to evaluate how you are spending your hard-earned money.   Wedding Planner: Sure, a wedding planner may help reduce a little stress in setting up the perfect soiree, but at an average cost of $1,753 per wedding, is it really all that necessary to strive for perfection? After all, we think itÍs some of the little unanticipated events that pop up that make the wedding even more memorable. We say, make some computer spreadsheets for the bride to check her way through and then use the extra savings on some really cool groomsmen gifts. Fine cigar humidors or top-grain leather wallets will really make a great impression when given as groomsmen gifts to those friends who would never, ever notice the fact that some wedding planner had matched the exact shade of the periwinkle flowers in the reception centerpieces to the color of the brideÍs eyes.   Reception Band: Plan on spending an average of $3,122 to hire a band to entertain your guests. Even just a DJ to play songs comes in at $923. Why not just make an awesome playlist and hook it up to the speaker system and save enough money to put a down payment on that Harley youÍve been eyeballing. If the bride says no, you can at least hang onto the ñwhat could have beenî memory with a personalized sign for your man cave _ we love this man cave sign with a biker bar design.   Reception Venue: Where you party down after the ceremony is probably the most expensive line item in the wedding budget, coming in at a heart-palpitating $12,116 for the average wedding in 2011. Of course, food and drinks are included, but this is still big bucks if you consider that the average wedding has 141 guests. This comes out to be about $86 bucks per guest. I guess thatÍs not as bad as the total sounded, but when you consider you can get a McWedding in Hong Kong for $400 for 100 guests, it makes you think that maybe pizza delivery or a few buckets of chicken might be the better way to go. Another idea that is totally on trend right now is to hire food trucks to come out and serve at your wedding, a much more cost-effective way to serve guests. Hey, food is food right? If you save even half of the 12 grand, you could be looking at a really nice vacation to celebrate your first anniversary.   So, are you planning to have a no-expenses sparred wedding or are you planning a more frugal festivity? Either way, you never want to forget to be generous with the friends who have supported you through the process, namely the best man, groomsmen and ushers. Check out our large selection of groomsmen gifts that will fit any budget and may be personalized for that one-of-a-kind gesture money canÍt buy. * Budweiser is a trademark of In-Bev.

Read more

Staycation' Honeymoons for Frugal Grooms

With the outrageous price of gas and air travel recently, Groomstand.com the leader in groomsmen gifts, is finding that budget-minded men are opting to sell the ‘staycation’ honeymoon to their brides-to-be. If you can’t afford to foot the bill for some amazing beach holiday or European tour, there is no reason to skip the honeymoon – every new couple needs to bonding time to get marriage off on the right foot!Instead, take a week or two off officially and visit your own hometown as if you were a tourist. If staying at home, don’t answer the phone or take emails, this is a special time with your new bride. Even better, try to book an inexpensive bed and breakfast or swap homes with a friend who lives in a hip and happening part of the city – like downtown, in the mountains or on the water. Considerate friends should be happy to oblige!Since you’ll be saving thousands of dollars, go ahead and splurge on at least one meal at the fanciest place around. The rest of your agenda can be arranged just as if you were far away from home, seeing the local tourist attractions (you know, the ones you’ve taken for granted and never actually visited), shopping in quaint local shops and enjoying any outdoor activities your area may offer. Also, check out some new bars and restaurants; don’t just hang out in your favorite haunts. Also, you don’t need to be out and about every day, stay at home one day and lounge, watch movies and cook a gourmet dinner together – all without the stress and worry of having to get regular stuff done.Traditionally, it is the man’s job to plan for the honeymoon -- a low-stress staycation honeymoon practically plans itself! To get the bride on board, tell her you are booking spa treatments as part of the experience. Plus, some great travel gifts would be in order too, even though you’re staying in town. If you’re looking for gifts for the bride from the groom, she’d love a tote bag personalized with her new initials or a cute cosmetic case to carry her girl gear in. As a matter of fact, more manly versions, such as a personalized duffel bag or toiletry bag,are must-haves for you and to give as groomsmen gift ideas.

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Groom Gives Future Bride Winning Lottery Ticket

Now this is a great gift from the groom to the bride - a winning lottery ticket. If you want to know how marriage changes your life and want a really unusual answer, just ask Missouri couple Robert Russell and Tracie Rogers. For an early wedding gift, Russell presented his betrothed with your standard scratch off card. However, the only thing that wasn't standard about this $10 lottery ticket was that it was a winner - a big $250,000 winner. Think how your heart would start pitter-pattering and your cheeks would become flushed at the sight of a quarter million dollars - it would be just like love! The couple could really use the money as he's been laid off from a welding job and she is unemployed as well. The bride and groom, who've been together for 12 years, plan to keep their wedding simple and use the windfall to help pay off the mortgage on a house so that the marriage can start off without the stress of debt. Why not treat your bride-to-be with a couple lottery tickets in honor of your big wedding day, it's not a sure bet by any means, but just some good,light-natured fun. If you win, imagine the awesome honeymoon you could plan or the wild reception you could throw. And, if you lose (which is the likely scenario), you've only tossed a few dollars down the drain. Even the buddies standing at your side would be thrilled to receive lottery tickets as part of their groomsmen gifts - especially if they are the winning ones!

Read more

Staycation' Honeymoons for Frugal Grooms

With the outrageous price of gas and air travel recently, Groomstand.com the leader in groomsmen gifts, is finding that budget-minded men are opting to sell the ‘staycation’ honeymoon to their brides-to-be. If you can’t afford to foot the bill for some amazing beach holiday or European tour, there is no reason to skip the honeymoon – every new couple needs to bonding time to get marriage off on the right foot!Instead, take a week or two off officially and visit your own hometown as if you were a tourist. If staying at home, don’t answer the phone or take emails, this is a special time with your new bride. Even better, try to book an inexpensive bed and breakfast or swap homes with a friend who lives in a hip and happening part of the city – like downtown, in the mountains or on the water. Considerate friends should be happy to oblige!Since you’ll be saving thousands of dollars, go ahead and splurge on at least one meal at the fanciest place around. The rest of your agenda can be arranged just as if you were far away from home, seeing the local tourist attractions (you know, the ones you’ve taken for granted and never actually visited), shopping in quaint local shops and enjoying any outdoor activities your area may offer. Also, check out some new bars and restaurants; don’t just hang out in your favorite haunts. Also, you don’t need to be out and about every day, stay at home one day and lounge, watch movies and cook a gourmet dinner together – all without the stress and worry of having to get regular stuff done.Traditionally, it is the man’s job to plan for the honeymoon -- a low-stress staycation honeymoon practically plans itself! To get the bride on board, tell her you are booking spa treatments as part of the experience. Plus, some great travel gifts would be in order too, even though you’re staying in town. If you’re looking for gifts for the bride from the groom, she’d love a tote bag personalized with her new initials or a cute cosmetic case to carry her girl gear in. As a matter of fact, more manly versions, such as a personalized duffel bag or toiletry bag,are must-haves for you and to give as groomsmen gift ideas.

Read more

Groom Gives Future Bride Winning Lottery Ticket

Now this is a great gift from the groom to the bride - a winning lottery ticket. If you want to know how marriage changes your life and want a really unusual answer, just ask Missouri couple Robert Russell and Tracie Rogers. For an early wedding gift, Russell presented his betrothed with your standard scratch off card. However, the only thing that wasn't standard about this $10 lottery ticket was that it was a winner - a big $250,000 winner. Think how your heart would start pitter-pattering and your cheeks would become flushed at the sight of a quarter million dollars - it would be just like love! The couple could really use the money as he's been laid off from a welding job and she is unemployed as well. The bride and groom, who've been together for 12 years, plan to keep their wedding simple and use the windfall to help pay off the mortgage on a house so that the marriage can start off without the stress of debt. Why not treat your bride-to-be with a couple lottery tickets in honor of your big wedding day, it's not a sure bet by any means, but just some good,light-natured fun. If you win, imagine the awesome honeymoon you could plan or the wild reception you could throw. And, if you lose (which is the likely scenario), you've only tossed a few dollars down the drain. Even the buddies standing at your side would be thrilled to receive lottery tickets as part of their groomsmen gifts - especially if they are the winning ones!

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181 Things To Do Before You Get Married

Are you having enough trouble just remembering to get your groomsmen gifts? Well it turns out that before you make it to the altar, you have a much longer list of things to accomplish than just that. We asked everyone from single guys to married women for their advice on what to do before you get married, and compiled an exhaustive list of everything that needs to happen before you tie the knot. Get ready, guys! Before you start checking off this list, shop for personalized groomsmen gifts at https://branddepot.com/collections/groomstand Get your finances in order Have a bachelor party Buy new underwear Go to Las Vegas Buy a house Travel to Europe Get a prenup See her without makeup Take a good long look at why you are getting married and be able to know why Make sure you're financially ready- SAVE, SAVE, SAVE Throw away all traces of past relationships Get premarital counseling. Reassure friends that they will remain important and spend time with them Pick at least one planning task and be involved and enthusiastic Make sure you have a decent job. Make sure you have a place for both of you to live that will be big enough. If you haven't already, a guy might want to get going to a strip club out of his system in case the wife doesn't approve. If you're sexually a bit curious, visit a gay bar to check out those feelings before taking the plunge. Do something really, really nice for the future mother-in-law. Call it "insurance." Get in shape Plan and pay for an adventurous honeymoon Get plastered and then sleep as late as you want. Fart whenever and where ever you want without being jabbed in the rib cage. Have as much sex as possible, before the wedding band cuts off circulation. Lock out all the channels on the cable service that do not have sports on them. 1 more night out with the guys. Get a hooker Get rid of all your porn Order and pay for all the tuxes Discuss money with your spouse Get a marriage license Decide where you will live Plan a wedding Get a gift registry Insure the wedding rings. Find a location for the ceremony and the reception. Do a cake tasting. Make sure she's the one Relax! Get acquainted with your bride's parents and friends Tell her all the truth about your past relationships and your health /if you have any health problems. Go on a road trip Clean out the basement. Get rid of all old girlfriend pictures. Buy all new underwear. Evaluate life plans and goals/future plans Go away for a weekend by yourself for your last real alone time. Define the chores and who does what Seriously diet. Pick out your tux Make a list of people to send announcements to so you aren't hitting your head or apologizing to those you forgot after the wedding Call your mom. Send out invitations Order alcohol for reception Get horribly drunk on your stag night. Rethink if you really want to get married Have your hotel reservation done for the wedding night Decide what type of birth control you are going to use before the wedding night Pick a best man. Go over health insurance information, legal papers and will. Buy a wedding ring Choose a best man Pay off as much credit card debt and student loans as possible. Become well liked by her family and friends. Hang out with your boys Talk about kids. Talk about future finances. Talk about family Go diving Go Skydiving Go SCUBA diving Have a wild time out on the town without your spouse to be. Begin pulling away from the friends you tend to spend most of your time with because you will need the additional time with your new spouse for a healthy solid marriage. Start thinking like a married person. Singles can be very self-centered because they are used to living by themselves, eating by themselves, choosing what they want to watch on TV, and when they want to go to bed. Marriage means you will need to take into consideration the other person's wants, desires and needs. So you might as well start practicing early. Rehearse proposal Clean the diamond Cook dinner for the future in-laws. Do something ridiculous like skydive or bungee jump. 79. Have sex with 50 other girls Find the one woman in your life that meant the most to you before you started dating your future wife, and make sure you're not still in love or have any "special feelings" Find out if your fiancee has any debt that you may be inheriting by marrying her. Find out if she is on any medication for a mental illness or has ever been hospitalized for a mental disorder. Listen to everyone if they are all saying you should not marry this woman even if you have already sent out invitations and made other financial commitments. Go on a camping trip with your prospective bride, one without electricity or water, and in a location where cell phones don't work, then see how well you get along. Revisit all of the sports you like to personally do, or watch and see if she minds you playing or watching them. Write a list with her about pros and cons of marriage and see how you two match up. Enjoy your life... Figure out what your fiance wants to do before that time and help her. Meet with the officiant Have a fling Buy a special wedding day gift for your new spouse Purchase a tux; you'll love owning one and the rentals are universally awful and ill-fitting. Establish whether and when you will have children. Hang out with your single friends. Remember to ask permission from the in-laws if you didn't do it before. Find a caterer Prepare your vows. Go on a week long bender Buy a motorbike Discuss future career, education, and moving plans Get life insurance Make sure you're going to live in another town as the in-laws Tell all the other girls you're seeing it's over...at least for some time Make all your ex-girlfriends jealous Kill your soon-to-be mother-in-law Experience a threesome Travel to Australian Outback Buy your dream item (ie: a Hummer) Tell your families and friends that you got engaged Dating Kissing Flirt with others Have sex with another woman. Travel somewhere without the future wife. Discuss religion of kids w/ future spouse, if relevant Discuss who will be paying for wedding, if relevant Make sure that ALL of your previous relationships have closure so that none of your former girlfriends come back to haunt you later. Make sure that you're okay being with this same woman for the rest of your life...even when she begins looking like her mom! Open an account in a Cayman Island bank and stash a good percentage of your net worth there (and continue to do so even after your married). Watch as much football as you can...you know you ain't going to once she owns "half" the remote. Do all those activities your future partner loathes, in excess Be a slovenly selfish pig in your own home, because it will never be acceptable to be so gross ever again! Start a joint checking account Experience any sexual fantasies you may have Return ring and be forced to buy the "right" ring. Listen to everything she tells you about the wedding arrangements, else, no wedding. Have a one on one talk with her parents. Make sure you're sexually compatible before dedicating the rest of your life to her. Prepare a speech... don't wing it. Agree that you will be combining your finances when you are married - the number one cause of divorce in North America is money fights and money problems. Don't get caught up in how expensive and extravagant your wedding has to be - smaller weddings are much easier and often less stressful! Identify any relationship problems before you get married - remember, you have to live with this person for many years to come! Sure, counseling may help, but it's better if you really have a healthy relationship. Get the haircut you always wanted. Take a crash course on how to do house cleaning. Inform your buddies not to prank call your phone number while drunk in the early morning anymore. Select your groomsmen. See at least one more naked woman (see nothing else). Give her your list of wedding invitees immediately and don't add or subtract from it - ever. Talk to married friends about their experiences - find out what to expect in marriage. Keep focused on each other so that you keep your sanity Go to financial counseling together Set a monthly budget Live together to try it out Buy your groomsmen gifts Have a relationship fail and learn why Start a savings account Embark on a difficult project together Listen for problem signs (ie. friends saying that she's not right, family, etc) Visit New York City Snowboard the Alps Play all the video games you own again, because you won't get to again. Make sure your rings fit each other BEFORE going to the altar Pay off the ring. Think once Think twice Think thrice Buy yourself something that's as expensive as that damn engagement ring was. It'll be your last chance! Change your cell phone number so ex-girlfriends don't call you. Visit far off relatives and personally invite them to the wedding. Go by yourself to the movies. Dance with a stranger. Hire a wedding planner. Go out on dates--it's important during this stressful time! Play golf. Buy a large supply of condoms Pick out which of your things you're willing to get rid of and which you've got to keep. It's a partnership, you won't get to keep everything she hates, but if you're smart, you don't have to get rid of all of it. Make peace with an old girlfriend Practice taking care of a baby for a day Make sure you have your own place... NO ROOMMATES!! Move out of your parent's house. Save $1500 for a rainy day. Find out how the other person deals with having a bad day. Get a lap dance Keep your bride sane during the wedding planning. These things make people nuts, be a rock. Book flowers to be delivered for the day of the wedding to your bride to be Clean up your wardrobe and your life to make place for her Approve the cake for the wedding Spend an entire day on the couch in your pajamas. Call an ex-girlfriend - to remind you of all of your faults, so you can improve on them. Come to the realization that no matter how much you improve - it is never enough. Prepare papers for divorce.

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