The Origin of Jumping Out of the Cake

One of the all-time best gifts to the groom during the bachelor party is the sexy lady jumping out of the cake. Cake is good. A hot stripper is good. The combination of the two is extra-double good. If you've ever wondered who in their right mind thought it was a good idea to unite these two forces of awesomeness to make the greatest of groomsmen gifts, you're in luck! Welcome to GroomStand's exploration of crazy and bizarre wedding traditions with our take on groomsmen origin stories. Animals jumping out of cakes Surprisingly, this story doesn't start out with a nobleman's perverse sexual fantasy of forcing naked women to escape from giant pastries (that came later). Back in the 17th century, bakers and pastry chefs showcased their best work at banquets for kings and noblemen (think of an old school version of Ace of Cakes). One of the ways they used to show off was by concocting awe-inspiring pies filled with living animals. When an unsuspecting patron cut open this pastry, it was common for them to find a flock of flying birds and an army of frogs plotting their escape. Women jumping out of cakes This whole idea of beautiful women jumping-out-of-the-cake-routine didn't actually start until 1895. At a bachelor party for architect Stanford White, a photo of a woman popping out of pie surfaced on the front page of a New York newspaper. This cover story exposed some of the quirky party tricks practiced by the upper echelon of New York's wealthiest. The story then made infamous when the jealous millionaire husband of the beautiful cake jumper later shot Stanford White point blank in the face at a musical in Madison Square Garden. Surprisingly, there is no validity to the notion that women used to jump out of a "real" cake. All the accounts through history seem to talk about women or animals jumping out of pie crusts, and the only cakes strippers are popping out of these days are not very edible. Either way you go about it, when people or pets are jumping out of cakes, it's the sign of a good party. Make sure your party animal friends take a party sign home with them with groomsmen gifts of this personalized pub sign as a moment for memories that will last for years.

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The Bachelor Party Through the Years

The crazy thing about bachelor parties is that we all know it's a rite of passage, but we just make it up as we go along. We know it's a must to gather a bunch of cool dudes, and that the groom is supposed to hand out crazy cool personalized groomsmen gifts, but beyond that, the bachelor party has changed a great deal over time. To explore what guys go through on their last night of freedom, take a trip back in time as GroomStand.com explores another groomsmen origin story. Bachelor Party Origins Bachelor parties are no new thing. This man-ritual dates all the way back to the days of Sparta, where soldiers would gather to celebrate a fellow comrade on the last night before his wedding. As far as we know it, nothing too crazy happened. They ate dinner. They gave a toast. They wished him good luck. This trend was the norm in marriage customs for well over a thousand years... that is until some yuppies from New York were caught with a dancer jumping out of a cake. Turn of the Century Bachelor Once the 20th century hit, everyone seemed to know about Stanford White's bachelor party, with the woman jumping out of the cake. Thanks to this trend setter, the best groomsmen gift you could deliver was a "strip tease" dancer in front of a large group of your closest friends. Post War Bachelor If a man was lucky enough to return from WWII, it was his right to claim a bride and start making babies. One of the problems with the baby-boomer era was the fact that most these new grooms were young, poor and inexperienced. Thanks to the advancements of film and print, bachelor parties evolved to include some adult material. It's true that some upper class guys had enough cash to hook-up with an escort back then, but it wasn't near the norm. Most of these guys just came back from Europe. They were pretty nave, and needed some educating on what takes place the night of the honeymoon. Sex Revolution Bachelor The 1960's brought us birth control and Playboy. There was no such thing a sexual norms, which mean almost anything could fly at a bachelor party. Hookers. Strippers. You name it. In the book Bachelor Party Confidential Prof. Joseph Slade talks about how the sixties was the most graphic jump in the evolution of the bachelor party. It was the sexual revolution, which means people actually had sex. Modern Day Bachelor Party Sure almost 50 years have passed since the sexual revolution. Drugs have come in and out. The idea of shaming or hazing the groom has come into style. But the most significant change over time is the need for the groom to get "it" all out of his system before the big day. Of course, this was without considering that whatever "it" could get back in his system and want to come out in the future. The fantasy of "the craziest night ever" is commercialized, and you can find it at a number of places - most notably being Las Vegas. When you have your bachelor party, do something that you think is awesome, not some night of testing your manhood to beat your other buddy's bachelor party (unless that's your idea of something awesome). Make the night cool, and hook your bros up with personalized brush metal flasks as groomsmen gifts.

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Something old, something new: How traditional will your groomsmen gifts be?

Tradition is a funny thing. Actually it's not that funny, at least in this case. Or maybe you do find it funny. The point being that tradition is a thing of the past and nowadays it is completely open to interpretation and action. Because something was a certain way in the past doesn't mean that it has to be that way now. You don't have to get married in a big church or have everything structured a classical way. You don't have to wear "proper wedding attire." Dress nice obviously, but who says that a big white dress is necessary? Get a light blue dress or some other color. White was supposed to symbolize the purity of the bride and chances are she didn't hold to tradition if you get my meaning. Same goes for the groom and groomsmen, though guys tend to look clean and sharp in something simple, but still be unique. Wear matching ties that are a little crazy. Mix it up. Go crazy with the groomsmen gifts. Just realize that tradition isn't necessary. You live in a different day and age, so do something different. This is even more true for traditions that involve kidnapping the girl you're interested in, those crazy commie russians.. Exactly, be different.

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Origin story of Why the Groom Stands to the Right at the Altar

People have been getting married for over a thousand years, and one of the hard and fast rules of all time is where the bride and groom stand at a wedding. This partly has to do with a majority of the world's population being right-handed, but this GroomStand.com wedding origin story isn't that simple. A Wedding History Lesson Once again, you'll have to look to the Middle Ages to see where this tradition started. After reading about the original groomsmen and the origin of the honeymoon, you should know by now back before we knew the earth was round, we thought it was an awesome idea to trade and sell women with marriage. Every now and then after the groom captured a woman as his bride, her family, or some eager knight in shining armor would come to her rescue before the marriage deed was signed to prevent the woman from becoming the groom's property. Groom to the Right, Bride to the Left When standing at the altar, the bride stood to the left to allow the groom free use of his "sword arm," which is his right hand. If any man made it past the line of groomsmen standing guard at the altar, the groom would hold onto his bride with the left hand and would wield his sword with his right against any oncoming attackers. A wedding should never have to come to this! Remember to choose your groomsmen carefully, and arm them with classic groomsmen gifts like this Stainless Steel Multi-Function Knife and you'll never have to worry about jealous ex-boyfriends trying to take your girl away. Modern Interpretation Nowadays, we try to over look the violent history of this tradition with a sugarcoated explanation stating that when the man and women join hands at the altar, it symbolizes their strength and unity, as well as their combined resources they bring to the marriage. (FYI, at traditional Jewish ceremonies, the bride stands to the right, and the groom to the left.)

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Origin Story of the Monogram

There is something about a personalized gift that gives it a special feeling. It's like declaring to the world, "Only one man can enjoy the sweet nectar of fermented barley from this flask - and that man has his initials etched into the side of the bottle." Donald Trump would call it "high class," but at GroomStand, we call the personalized flask a wonderfully affordable groomsmen gift. Just because monogrammed items aren't typical gifts, doesn't mean they're out of style. Come along for the ride as we discover the history of monogramming and personalizing in this installment of the groomsmen origin stories. The Origin of Personalization and Monogramming Starting around the time man could forge metals, monograms were used as a royal signature on precious goods. The Greeks and Romans were the first to monogram their coins as a way of honoring their rulers. Starting in the Middle Ages, monograms and engravings were used as an artisan's signature, which then changed over time to represent the symbol of a company. As for an individual level, monogramming and personalization played a major role in identifying personal goods like laundry or livestock. Most (which means poor people in those days) placed a personalized stamp on a corner of cloth, and it was only noblemen and the super wealthy that enjoyed any sorts of embroidery. Since our only exposure to monogramming was the "L" on Laverne's sweater, here are some of the rules of personalizing to get you up to speed: The monogram is defined as layering a person's first initial over the top of their second initial to make one symbol. Nowadays, most people include a series of uncombined initials (known as a cipher) in the monogram category. LS For an individual's monogram, it is standard to include a letter from the first and last name. For example: "Luke Skywalker" is "LS". Another example is to use a letter from the first, middle and last name. "George W. Bush" is "GWB" all the capitalized, and all the same size. CHS For a married woman, it is traditional for her to include her maiden name in the monogram. This started because a woman would have a piece of clothing with her first and last initial, and then after marriage, her married surname initial was then included onto the monogram. For example: "Courtney Harrington" before marriage is "CH" and her married name is "Smith". Her new monogram is "CHS" all capitalized, all the same size. CSH Since it's typical that no one has any monogrammed pajamas these days, it's now acceptable for the monogram to show a letter from the first name, the married name, and then the maiden name. For example: "Courtney Smith" with the maiden name "Harrington" will have the monogram "CSH" with the font of the married name larger than the other two. HSM For a married couple, the same rules apply. The monogram for Homer and Marge Simpson are "HSM" with the "S" larger than the two other letters. It's traditional that the men's name goes first, but you can do it in whatever order you'd like. Put that special touch on your groomsmen gifts with a free personalization from GroomStand.com.

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Origin of the Diamond Engagement Ring

Most GroomStand wedding origin stories don't come from cheery backgrounds. Let's face it, the deep roots of marriage are more sexist than Roger Sterling from Mad Men. But when it comes to the engagement ring, guys get the raw end of the deal. The Idea of the Ring The notion of a ring has long preceded the goodwill of a groomsmen gift. We try to vet our sources at GroomStand.com, but even this tid bit of history is hard to swallow. However, the Origin of the Ring is a fun story, so if it's not true, just pretend it's for entertainment purposes. Back in the day, it was common for "prehistoric man" to capture his bride and bound her arms and legs. The legend says that if the woman didn't struggle, her new caveman lover untied her legs and left the remaining cord tied to one of her fingers. Using a Real Ring The use of rings date back to Egypt. Gold was a common currency, and it was traditional for gold coins to be worn down in the middle, forming a ring shape. Placing a gold ring on a woman's hand was a form of payment (since you got to buy and sell women in those days) and signified that the lady was spoken for. The Egyptians and later the Romans, believed that the third finger on the left hand has a special vein that leads directly to the heart. The Whole Diamond Thing Diamonds are the strongest element around. Before the 18th century, diamonds were a rare commodity and exclusively a symbol of the rich. This all changed at the turn of the 19th century when good ole De Beers set up shop in South Africa. As the world found out diamonds aren't really all that rare, De Beers Consolidated Mines Ltd. snatched up the diamond monopoly and set the standards for pricing. If you watched Blood Diamond you're aware of this. Why Diamonds Suck Finding a diamond is a terrible mining process for the environment and the workers, but the pricing of the diamonds is total crap as well. After WWII, the value of diamonds and platinum dropped almost 50%. The folks at De Beers came up with a brilliant plan. Just tell all the returning soldiers that an engagement ring should cost two months' salary. De Beers also came up with the advertising slogan "Diamonds are Forever," making these two marketing tools the gospel of engagement. I don't know about you, but I feel used and abused by the diamond industry. I'm promising marriage. I'm dealing with her parents. I'm hesitantly agreeing to having sex with only one person for the rest of my life. Now I have to shell out my life savings because some guy picked an arbitrary amount of time for me to save for a ring? The bottom line: Diamond engagement rings aren't some ancient tradition. It's just an awesome ad campaign that tricked us all for the last half century. At the very least, when you spend a little less on the ring, you'll have some extra dough for your groomsmen gifts.

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Is Seeing the Bride Before the Wedding Bad Luck?

In today's times, a bride and groom start seeing each other well before marriage plans. You've probably been dating each other for years and maybe even live in the same cramped one-bedroom apartment. As you've read from the previous wedding origin stories like The Role of the Original Groomsmen, you'll know that back in the day women had less rights than a gay couple in Alabama. Besides stealing a wife, the best way to acquire a woman was to buy her, which helps explain part of this GroomStand wedding origin story. The Origin of Why the Groom Can't See the Bride Before the Wedding The root of the tradition revolves around the business transaction of selling a bride. For the father of the bride, the most profitable situation he can make is by selling off his livestock ... I mean daughter... to a wealthy landowner to increase fortune throughout the family. However, the worth of the bride was measured in her attractiveness, which means it was a deal breaker if the bride-to-be has a poor ranking on the crazy/hotness scale. This scale take into account the amount of total hotness divided by total craziness. Professor Barnabus Stinson theorizes that women can only be exponentially as crazy as they are hot, but if the woman ranks too high on the crazy side, or if she just isn't that hot, it's time to bolt. To prevent the groom from heading for the hills, the bride's family kept her out of sight until the wedding day. Unveiling the Veil You'd think that the primary use of the veil would be to cover up the bride's gigantic beak until the last possible second, but its use has popped in and out of popularity since the Greek and Roman times. Since evil spirits were always on the loose, which is the root for most of these crazy traditions anyway, the veil was the equivalent of Peter Vankman with a proton pack. Once people stopped believing that a piece of cloth could stop a ghastly demon, it fell out of fashion until the 18th century when George Washington's niece Nellie used a white lace veil in her wedding, setting the example for the country. Truth be told, there is no "bad luck" with seeing the bride before the wedding - besides, it's unlucky to believe in those silly superstitions anyway. This tradition is still around today because it's a fun and cheap thrill to add onto the already hectic day. If you're thinking about not seeing the bride until you're on the other side of the aisle, do it because you want a bit of adventure, not because you saw every other wedding do this for no good reason.

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Groomsmen Gifts? A Hmong tradition says Bride Prices Instead

You're the groom and you're about to empty your bank account for a wedding with however many guests, gifts, a wedding ring, etc. All adding up to quite a bit, but true love has no price, right? Wrong, if you consider the bride price. What's that you ask? The bride price (aka the dowry) where the groom is expected to pay for his bride based on her "value" as a wife (somewhere between five and ten grand) still is practiced as demonstrated by the Hmong culture. Oh yea love is sweet isn't it. The Hmong aren't the only who practice this tradition though. Dowries and bride prices date back in text as far as King Hammurabi of Mesopotamia and can still be found in other cultures and religions around the world. However some places like India have moved past the monetary marriage atonement where it was considered a social evil and cast down in the early 20th century. In today's world though it all boils down to a matter of opinion and firmness in beliefs and traditions on whether money gets passed around and how much of it. It might be more the opinion of the brides parents, but don't worry, it's a wise investment. Still, some advice for you Hmong grooms, remember to spend wisely, you won't know what lump sum will be leaving your wallet till you're getting married, so careful. The rest of you guys can go to town with the wedding, ring, and groomsmen gifts though, you're up at least $5,000!

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Until Death Do We Part

We’re putting all our talk of best man gifts and groomsmen gifts aside for a bit to bring you some timely tales of wedding disaster. In honor of Halloween, these urban legends about weddings are just for fun – or, are they? Oooooh, a little spooky! If you are planning a Halloween wedding or shower, these would make for some scary, spine-tingling storytelling. Just make sure that your guests have a good, sturdy drink in one of our personalized wine glasses, beer mugs or shot glasses to calm their nerves. Bride-and-Seek: At a wedding reception that was becoming increasingly drunken, the bride, groom and friends decided to play hide-and-seek. When the groom was “it,” he easily found all the participants in the game, except for his wife. The wedding party searched for hours and hours without finding her. Everyone suspected that she had a case of cold feet after saying “I do” and was a runaway bride. The groom went home alone and never heard from her again. Several years later, a cleaning lady was in the attic of the reception venue and opened an old truck. She found the decomposed body of the missing bride, her face frozen in a scream, as she realized she was locked in what would become her coffin. A Dress to Die for: A young bride who didn’t have a lot of money to spend on a wedding dress bought a used gown at a pawn shop. She thought it was a good way to save a few bucks on her wedding expenses. The dress had originally belonged to a deceased woman whose family had her buried in in but later decided they needed the money the dress would bring at a pawn store. So, the woman’s family had her exhumed at had the dress removed. Unaware of these disturbing details, the new owner of the dress couldn’t have been happier with her purchase. That is, until things began to take a turn for the worse at the reception. Still wearing the dress, the bride started to feel light-headed and sick to her stomach – she died on the spot minutes later. As a result of the autopsy and investigation, it was discovered that she had been poisoned by the embalming fluid that had been used on the dead woman. The fluid seeped from the cadaver, onto the dress, and put a quick end to her “until death do we part’ vows. The Fatal Tan: We’ve heard this same story of vanity gone awry for a bride, but never for a groom – until now! A young groom feels he is too pale to look good in his wedding attire and sparkling new cufflinks and later on the honeymoon on a tropical island. To remedy this and impress his bride, he goes to several tanning salons every day for the maximum allotted time at each salon. He kept his tanning addiction a secret, only commenting that he had been spending a lot of time outdoors when asked. On the fifth day of tanning session after tanning session, the groom is found dead in one of the tanning beds. It seems his internal organs were sunburned from the inside. Are you having a Halloween wedding or have you ever been to one? What would be some good ideas for spooky groomsmen gifts or best man gifts? Let us know in the comments below.

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History of the Honeymoon

The post-wedding vacation that we have all come to know as the honeymoon was not always part of wedding tradition. Many sources report that the history of the honeymoon lies somewhere in northern Europe, where for a month’s time after a wedding, the newlyweds would drink a wine beverage called “mead.” Mead is made from fermented honey and this is where historians say that the “honey” portion of honeymoon is derived. The time period (a month) was also referred to in this culture as a “moon,” as typically that was the length of the moon phase cycle. Honeymoons were first related to travel during the bride-by-capture era. Grooms would abduct their brides for a period of one month and take them into hiding. Friends and family were assured of her safe return. However, it was important that no one should find them during this honeymoon period – although, often, the bride’s family would gout out searching. It was the goal of the groom to have her pregnant before the time they were discovered. In the 1500s and through the Victorian era (late 1800s), the honeymoon began to be seen as the romantic holiday that it is today. During the Victorian era, the bride and groom didn’t get to see each other much during the engagement and the honeymoon was the first time to be alone together. This is how they became known as romantic trips away from the hustle and bustle of life. During the end of the 19th century, “bridal tours” became popular and were generally given as a gift to the newlywed’s from the groom’s family. Thanks to this generosity, the newly married pair would travel on a trip that lasted from two weeks to several months. With the rise of the industrial era, more and more middle class newlyweds had the opportunity to go on excursions that were once only reserved for the elite. Upon the arrival of trains, planes and automobiles, newlyweds were able to expand the distance of their honeymoon and head out on more exotic trips. This is truly the start of the honeymoon as we know it today. Today, locations such as Las Vegas, Mexico, Hawaii, Alaska, Disney World in Florida and many Caribbean islands are top honeymoon spots. More than 1.4 million US couples go on honeymoons each year; spending an average of $4,466 (luxury travelers spend nearly $10,000). The average honeymoon lasts 8 days, excluding travel time and is booked an average of 4 months before the wedding date. If you have a honeymoon in your future, GroomStand.com has some great gear that will make travel easier. From personalized luggage tags to make your black bag look different from the next to leather passport covers that keep all your travel documents in order, many of these travel accessories also make purposeful and appreciated groomsmen gifts. Other travel-related groomsmen gifts include toiletry cases and mini-bar to-go kits filled with everything needed to set up a good drink on a trip (you add the liquor!).

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Wedding Stories Behind the Whitehouse

Did you know that James Buchanan, the 15th president of the United States, was a lifelong bachelor. I guess that got him off the hood for finding the perfect best man gifts and groomsmen gifts! All the other presidents were married at some point in their lives, although a number were actually widowers while they were in the White House. I have always though it was interesting to learn more about these love stories and am letting you in on the scoop between the three latest couple’s to rule the free world. Michelle and Barack Obama: She was working at a law firm as an advisor to a summer associate from Harvard Law; his name was Barack Obama. While Barack discovered he didn’t have a passion for corporate law, he did find that he was falling in love with Michelle. Other associates at the firm could tell that the two were smitten as they would spend long hours in the office in rapt discussion. On their first date in 1989, they both felt that they clicked immediately – although it was three years later until they said their “I do’s.” Of their vows, Michelle has said, “Barack didn’t pledge riches, only a life that would be interesting. On that promise he delivered.” This year the presidential pair celebrated their 21st wedding anniversary. Hillary and Bill Clinton: The two both attended the same Civil Liberties class at Yale Law School, but they didn’t actually speak until bumping into each other at the library later that year. Apparently Hillary, age 27 at the time, made the first move and struck up a conversation with Bill, then aged 29. Rumor has it that Bill was so flustered that he forgot his name! The two started dating, even going on a European vacation together. But, every time Bill proposed, Hillary turned him down. One day, she admired a house for sale in an off-the-cuff way. Without her knowing, Bill bought the house, asked her to marry again and this time she said “yes.” The wedding was small and informal, only 15 guests and she wore an off-the-rack dress. However, they did have a large reception in the backyard with several hundred of their friends and family. Despite always being in the news about some salacious scandal or another, the ex-President and Secretary of State have been married for 38 years. No word on if Clinton was a cigar aficionado back then. Laura and George W. Bush: George and Laura met at a back yard barbeque at the home of mutual friends, obviously hit it off, and were engaged 2 1/2 months later. The two were married just weeks after the engagement in a small ceremony in a Midland church where Laura was baptized. The story goes that George took Laura to a miniature golf course on their first date. I think they should get one of our popular groomsmen gifts, a personalized golf putter, as a sentimental reminder of the day. Both Laura and George were 31 when they tied the knot and have been married now for almost 37 years. So, imagine you were invited to one of these weddings, what would you have brought as a wedding gift? Better yet, if you were serving as an usher or groomsman in the wedding of a man who would one day become president, what would you expect to get as groomsmen gifts? Let us know in the comments below.

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Wedding toasts - a nightmare moment or a great moment

The big day is coming and you have to get your wedding toast ready? So far, you are on the right track. This is something that can go wrong easily so initial research and a responsible attitude is important. But what else is there? What should you say? Should you make that joke you just thought about? Let's get you ready for the mother of all wedding toasts. Wedding toasts are memorable. Is the one that you make going to be good? Stua / Flickr / CC BY-NC Why Should You Give a Toast? Simply put - it is going to be the best present you give to the newlyweds. This is your time to step it up and deliver a great speech to congratulate two people making the most important decision in their lives. The speech will represent the bride and groom at the reception - the classy part of the wedding. Keep that in mind and stay away from risky behavior and jokes that may be perceived as inappropriate. Wedding Toasts - The Key to a Good Reception Colmjude / Flickr / CC BY If there’s one thing that gets remembered from receptions it is the toast. People expect to hear something genuine about the newlyweds. So make it personal. Splitting the speech in three parts makes sense - start with the past. Introduce yourself briefly and talk about how the couple have changed since they met. This could be the right moment to include a joke. Keep it clean, though - you don’t know half the guests. Ryan G. Smith / Flickr / CC BY Cover their life as it is currently and if you think you can pull it off - leave some space for improvisation and talk about the wedding. Top it all up with your wishes for the future and you’ve got yourself a decent speech. And do yourself a favor - don’t write a speech about yourself. Tell a story that connects to the audience, avoiding cliches. Have all your speech written down and get familiar with it rather than going through the unnecessary hassle of memorizing it. Practice the whole thing in front of a friend who knows the couple. You will get some valuable feedback and grow confident in yourself. People will look at you with renewed affection and respect if you manage to deliver a good wedding toast. What Not To Say… and Do OhioState / Flickr / CC BY-NC-SA First and foremost, make sure you are in a fit condition to do the job.This means staying clear of alcohol. Wedding toasts are not easy to pull off so you want to be the best version of yourself. Double check that you're looking sharp, don't underestimate the details - sport some engraved cufflinks if you wish as you will be the center of attention for 3-4 important minutes. Make sure you are not telling an endless story. Or a story about exes for that matter. Even if there are no hard feelings, this will only bring unnecessary awkwardness. Speaking of awkward moments, making a mistake might be one. If this happens, don’t sweat over it too much, just move on. Nobody is expecting you to be perfect. Nevertheless, approach everything about the toast with great caution. Be considerate when thinking about compliments as well; it’s not just jokes that can do harm. Avoid anything that could be misconstrued. It’s inevitable to ask for help when writing your speech and often times people turn to the internet for this. Despite some interesting options like personalized wedding toast services, a great danger lurks. The danger of a noticeably plagiarized, very impersonal toast is real and yet easy to avoid. Remember to pay tribute to the couple's personal qualities and keep rash comments to a bare minimum.

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