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What To Do: You DonÍt Want Kids at your Wedding
Allow kids to come to your wedding, or not. That is a sensitive topic for many grooms and brides planning the most special day of their lives. It’s your wedding and your party, you have the right to have it play out anyway you see fit – even if that playing is in a kid-free zone. Think of it as a wedding present to yourself. While many children can be quite well-behaved, it seems that at a wedding all bets are off. Often this is because the pint-sized partiers actually do have a reason to fuss, if you think about it. They are constrained in uncomfortable and fussy clothing, they are up way past their bedtimes (missing naps, too) and they are not being served the chicken nuggets and peanut butter they are accustomed to munching on. But, if you have pressure from the bride or friends and siblings who all want to bring their kids, don’t worry, there are tactful ways to say “no” and also creative alternatives to allow a few rugrats in. Drop the hint in the invitation. If you do not want children to attend your reception, specifically indicate that on the included RSVP card. Spell it out in plain English so that your guests aren’t confused – this is no time for detail-sparing diplomacy. The RSVP card could read something like this, “Two seats are reserved in your honor” instead of the traditional “_____ guests will be attending.” Yikes, the later implies that an infinite number of people could come! Also, instead of addressing the envelope to “The Smith Family,” specifically use the Mr. and Mrs. salutations without any reference to a “family.” Write the message and addresses with one of our favorite groomsmen gifts, a fancy silver pen that adds significance to every message. Drop the hint in person: When speaking to your friends, family and guests; reiterate the plans you and your bride have for a “fancy adult evening.” Of course, if pushed, you could say that children are welcomed at the ceremony, but the reception is adult-only. Blame it on the venue, appear apologetic! Typically, if parents are going to get a babysitter for the reception, they will hire that sitter to come early for the ceremony too. It’s just convenience. Exceptions: Of course, there will be exceptions. Even if people have been clobbered over the head with the “kid-free” communication, they still may bring their children. Plus, some of your guests have to travel from afar, and of course will have their progeny in tow. We know you’re not going to turn them away at the door, so have a contingency plan in place. Teenagers that you’ve invited to the wedding can be paid a nominal fee to watch the youngsters in an adjoining room. A room where the rascals will be free to run around, create mayhem and eat animal crackers and raisins to their hearts’ delight. This is where the flower girl and ring bearer can hang out after they’ve finished their respective jobs, posed for photographs, and charmed everyone with their cuteness. Don’t forget to treat these two little wedding helpers with ring bearer and flower gifts as a show of your appreciation and affection. Also, prepare wedding favors for the children in the babysitting room that will keep them productively busy. Good choices are crayons, activity books, personalized yo-yos, small toys, a pocket knife and whatnot. Err; perhaps the bride will be better suited to execute this task. So, as you can see, there is some tact involved with children and the wedding reception. I mean, it’s pretty callous to turn away a nursing newborn, but at the same time, you don’t want to hear screaming in the background of your wedding video. Plus, it can be expensive to have a lot of children in a wedding, often the “per-head” cost is the same as an adult and we all know that the tykes aren’t going to appreciate the harp player and caviar bar. But, on the other hand, relax. Weddings are family affairs and there are always children in some branch of the family tree. You may have once been that obnoxious brat that screamed out in the middle of the vows that “I want candy!” Oh wait, that was me. So, do you have any suggestions for our readers on how to handle this “childish” situation? If so, let us know in the comments below.
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How To Get Rid Of Bachelor Party Hangover
No one likes a hangover; however, they’re often part of the morning or all-day after experience when drinking too much. Sufferers can expect a headache, nausea, sensitivity to light and noise, general malaise, gastro-intestinal troubles and thirst. Even when trying to “be good” and pacing drinks throughout the night, many guys find that they’ve overindulged at a bachelor party. This can put a damper on the next day’s events and that can be a real disaster, especially if it’s the wedding day. If you or your buddies find yourself in this woozy predicament, read on to find out some remedies that can help you recover – that is unless you’ve woken up to a Mike Tyson-inspired face tattoo, and there’s no quick solution to that! Hydrate: Drinking too much alcohol makes a guy dehydrated; you’ll end up with a parched mouth and dry skin in the morning. Speed up your recovery by drinking a glass of water before you go to sleep (or pass out) and then another as soon as waking. Keep sipping on water or electrolyte drinks to help bring body fluids back into balance. Get the guys off to the right foot by giving them hydrating groomsmen gifts, such as a personalized water canteen. Eat: After a drinking binge, your stomach may not be in the mood for food, to put it mildly! But a well-balanced meal will get you back to normal; but make sure that it’s quality food such as whole grains, lean protein and fruits and vegetables. Greasy foods may sound good, but they’ll just make you sicker in the end. Remember to wash down the meal with lots of liquids for rehydration. Supplements: Before you hit the sack or as soon as you wake up, take in a multi-vitamin to regain the right level of vitamins and minerals that may have been leached from your body during the wild bachelor party rumpus. The supplements coupled with water and enough sleep will heal your body in time for big event. Give the guys a handsome leather toiletry kit for groomsmen gifts, they can stash away their hangover vitamins inside. Cold Shower Shock: If all else fails, step into the shower and turn it on full-blast to cold water. The shock to your system may just jolt you back into the living. Why do you think they throw cold buckets of water on people in the movies?! Although the results may not be the total cure, it may just be invigorating enough to keep you on your feet for any important duties you have for the day.
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Weddings and Office Politics Tips for the Groom
Most guys would prefer not to invite the boss and random co-workers to his wedding. While a few guys from the salt mine might actually have become close friends, the majority of the cubicles and hallways are populated with people you’d rather not see when the whistle finally blows. Sure, Dave from the Graphic Design department is really cool, but Howard from Accounting is as far from hip and happening as one could get. So, what’s a guy to do? You could try not inviting co-workers and just sneaking off to a destination wedding in order to avoid the awkward inter-office politics. However, this plan has the potential to backfire, and usually does. Remember the episode of The Office where Pam Beasley and Jim Halpert announced to co-workers they were just having a small destination wedding? But of course, the completely inept and oblivious-to-dropped-hints branch manager, Michael Scott, solved the dilemma. Without permission from the bride and groom, the boss simply gave the entire staff two full days off and had everyone drive up to Niagara Falls for the big day. So, how do you handle inviting or not inviting the office to your wedding? Feel free to tell us your ideas in the comments below. One option is to invite those in your department, or if the department is large, just your circle of colleagues that you work with on a day-to-day basis. This also includes your immediate boss. You can’t invite the department and not the boss. Another option is to just invite that small handful of employees that you’ve really connected with; the guys that you hang out with after hours. However, in order to prevent hurt feelings, make sure that wedding invitations are not distributed at the office, but sent directly to home addresses. If you are planning to have men from the office serve as your groomsmen, more power to you. Either you work in a family-owned business where your boss is a brother or you’ve really bonded with these guys over the trials and tribulations inherent to your workplace. Don’t forget to give these men groomsmen gifts as a gesture of your thanks and appreciation. https://branddepot.com/collections/groomstand has a wide selection of groomsmen gifts that will appeal to co-workers such as business card cases that can be personalized with their initials. Other great gifts for groomsmen that hail from the office include engraved flasks (for impromptu 5 o’clock happy hours) or fine leather goods such as leather portfolio for taking notes (or doodling) at all those Monday-morning marathon meetings. If the guys are sporty, there are plenty of other groomsmen gift options that will score big! Our personalized putter will be a hit with your best man, he can close the door to his office and brush up on his skills in order to finally beat you the next time you hit the links. Don’t forget your new father-in-law; he would love to have one of these personalized golf gifts that can be personalized with all sorts of text, such as a name and date, favorite verse or other special sentiment. Now, taking another point of view, if you are a wedding guest from the workplace, you’ll need to bring a thoughtful gift for the groom. You can’t show up empty-handed and expect to chow down on the buffet and drain the open bar. You’ll need to arrive with an appropriate gift that represents your level of familiarity with the groom. If you are buddy-buddy, you’ll probably know exactly what wedding gift to bring. But, if the groom is more of a friendly acquaintance (and you just got invited by default), a useful executive gift he could use in the office is a great choice. So, how are YOU going to handle either inviting or not inviting offices acquaintances to your wedding?
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Wearable Trends for the Marrying Man and Groomsmen
The great thing about getting married in 2012 is that there are so many great trends to incorporate into your big day. No longer is the “perfect wedding” based on some cookie cutter ideal; instead, some of the most memorable weddings are those that show a little personal flair. Here are some great trends for wedding attire worn and accessories by the groom and other men in the wedding that will create a meaningful moment updated for today. Alternative ties: No longer are the groom and his groomsmen expected to wear a black or white bow tie. Longer neck ties, in an array of colors, have become a modern touch with a tuxedo – add a tie clip. For gentlemen wearing suits or sports coasts, fun ties with colorful collegiate stripes or polka dots make a fun touch to the wedding day attire that can be easily coordinated with the colors of the bridesmaid dresses. Unexpected boutonnières: For a unique touch, have the groomsmen wear boutonnières that each feature a different flower featured in the bridal bouquet. Or, have the same flower, but in different colors. Another, interesting choice would be to pin a simple green leaf or fern frond on the lapel for an eco-aware touch. Or, have them wear “medals of honor” pinned to the lapel on striped grosgrain ribbon. Groomsmen gifts to wear: Give your guys groomsmen gifts they can wear on your big day and beyond. Of course, engraved cufflinks have always been a popular choice in best man gifts and are becoming increasingly in vogue to wear out on the town or to work. Giving colorful socks – think stripes or argyles – is a quirky choice in wearable groomsmen gifts. Just imagine how fun the wedding photos will be when, on cue, your ushers and groomsmen lift up their pant legs to show a pop of personality.
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Groom's Guide To Meeting the In-Laws
As the groom, meeting your in-laws is inevitable, except in rare cases. Now wipe out all preconceived notions you may have about the sometimes awkward introductions from the hysterical movie, "Meet the Parents". While it might feel otherwise, the parents of the bride arenÍt looking to make a laundry list of your faults; they just want to make sure that the husband of their precious daughter is decent, down-to-earth and an all-around good guy _ and most importantly, to know that you love her and will take care of her forever. The most important thing to remember before the meeting is to just be yourself _ donÍt try act like the mate you think they want for their daughter, show them who you really are. Remember these tips for your ñare you good enough for my baby girlî interview, and youÍre sure to pass: Research: Ask the bride about her parentÍs hobbies and interests, knowing if dad likes to fish or mom loves to travel will help you fill the void if any awkward silences come up. Bonus points for knowing how long theyÍve been married, how they met and other fun family details _ you can always ask these questions later as a way to create a bonding conversation. On the flip side, if you know ahead of time what the parentÍs dislike, you can avoid these touchy topics. And, for the most part, stay away from religion, politics and ex relationships until you know her mom and dad very well. Grooming: When you show up to meet her folks, make sure youÍve combed your hair and cleaned up your cuticles! Plus, brush your teeth, parents donÍt want to be greeting with a rush of bad breath or see a piece of lettuce hanging between your teeth. A good shave will work wonders, check out our personalized shaving sets to get the advantage. Manners: Remember the manners your mom tried to teach you when you were still living at home? Use please and thank you regularly and call her parents ñsirî or ñmamî until they invite you to do otherwise. Show acts of chivalry, this will work wonders with impressing her folks _ pull out the chair of your finance and future mother in law; open doors for them, complement them and you will go far in the family! Bear gifts: It is considered proper etiquette to bring a small gift for your host and this definitely applies to visiting with the future in-laws. A bottle of wine, flowers potted houseplant always make a nice gesture as long as one of them doesnÍt have a drinking problem or allergies. If youÍd like to give something with a personalized touch, at Groomstand.com you can find much more than gifts for groomsmen. Our many great gifts can be engraved with a name, date or special message. From personalized wine accessories and engraved glassware, you canÍt go wrong with these little ñbribesî of acceptance into the family!
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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.
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Wedding Toast Advice for the Groom, Best Man and Groomsmen
No matter how much you try and avoid the situation, giving a toast is pretty much a given if you are involved in some significant way in a wedding. Whether groom, best man, father of the groom or some other special guest, toasting opportunities abound at wedding events. From the engagement party and wedding showers to bachelor parties, rehearsal dinners and, of course, the wedding reception, guests will be waiting with anticipation for your words of humor, wisdom, and love that ends with a lifted champagne glass. To ensure the best impression, learn how to gab effortlessly in front of a crowd with these simple tips. Planning: Even if you consider yourself an extroverted, natural-born talker, it is still imperative to put pen to paper and write out, at a minimum, an outline of your talking points. If you do plan to write out the entire speech, remember not to read it directly from the paper – the audience will feel disconnected. When planning out what to say, aim for about 4 through 6 minutes of content, which has been proven to be the optimal length for the audience’s attention span. Writing: There are many styles of toasts; some are knee-slappers that are intended to be a good-natured “roast” of the honoree. Before you try this type of speech, you need to know the honoree very well, have a feel for the audience, and know that this won’t turn into an embarrassing situation. Other toasts are very sentimental and can be real tear-jerkers, as can be expected at an event as momentous an emotional as a wedding – heartfelt toasts are great, just don’t make it a downer. Most toasts given by men at a wedding event include introductions, acknowledgements of thanks, anecdotes and stories, quotes or readings and advice. Delivering: When the time comes to deliver your toast, remember to speak clearly, slowly and loudly enough the back of the room can hear you. If you need notecards to keep you on point, remember not to read entirely from them – glance around the room and try to make eye contact with the bride, groom and other guests. Do not give a toast if you are inebriated, both your slurred words and impromptu comments may embarrass you the next day. After the toast, it is a thoughtful gesture to provide the honoree with a copy of the speech that they can keep forever. If you are worried about coming up with a wedding toast on your own, ThePerfectToast.com can help you develop a custom speech that will capture your feelings with the perfect words. A toast-writing service can really make your moment in the spotlight and huge success – with so much less stress on you!
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How to Keep a Groom From Vomiting at the Altar
What’s the worst that could happen at your wedding? As the groom, you could bumble through your vows, maybe forget to put gas in the getaway car, or realize that an uninvited ex-girlfriend was brought as someone’s date. But, what if you vomited at the wedding; right there kneeling at the altar alongside your bride, with the entire congregation looking on? Ah, fun times. That exact thing happened to the turning-green groom in this video and probably thousands of other grooms out there have had near miss situations. This is no way to start off a lifetime of happiness, so read on to find out how to keep from puking your guts out at the wedding ceremony. Don’t get wasted the night before. You’ve heard it before, but we’re saying it again. Don’t have the bachelor party the night before the wedding, it’s just asking for trouble. It gives you no recovery time to bounce back from too many drinks . . . or have that tattoo laser-blasted off your head. If the logistics of having your party posse come in from out of town necessitates a night-before shindig, then you’ll need to pace yourself on the drinking. Avoid consuming hard liquor shots and mixed drinks (remember the saying, liquor’s quicker) and drink a full mug of water in between each alcoholic beverage. As a reminder to everyone, get the guys personalized beer mugs (filled with water, natch) as their hydrating groomsmen gifts. Cure your hangover quickly and thoroughly. If you do wake up with the dreaded hangover, hopefully you don’t have a morning ceremony to rush of to. If the event is in the late afternoon or evening, you’ll have some time to work on bouncing back from your queasiness, dehydration and pounding headache. First, you’ll want to keep drinking water, preferably even an electrolyte drink, throughout the day to get your body back in balance. Keep water by your side at all times in a refillable container, like our personalized water canteen. By the way, these vessels make excellent groomsmen gifts with hangover prevention in mind. Next, take a shower to wash off the debauchery and jump-start your day; use cold water if that’s what it’s going to take to liven you up. A shave wouldn’t hurt either. Next, eat something healthy, not that greasy hamburger and fries that you crave. A fatty diet will churn up your gut for a potential disaster. Finally, if the nausea continues try an herbal remedy. Peppermint and ginger are both known to combat queasiness. Make tea with one of these natural helpers or at least suck on a hard candy until your stomach is feeling better. Get over your nerves. Doctors back the fact that excitement and anxiety can make a person puke, even though it’s usually just little kids who vomit with this type of anxious anticipation. However, getting married is probably one of the biggest life changes a guy faces in his life to date, and that can make you revert to unexpected behaviors. To calm a stomach that is flip-flopping and freaking out due to anxiety, there are a few tricks to try out. Engage in a little exercise like light jogging or a brisk walk. Exercise releases endorphins, those feel-good neurotransmitters that will help regulate hormones and reduce adrenaline to control anxiety. Deep breathing is another method that can help reduce any stress that may be causing your discomfort. Take slow, controlled breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth; by the end of 10 breaths you should be feeling better. Finally, eating something light and healthy will keep your stomach digesting properly and feeling up par on your wedding day. The worst thing you can do is skip a meal because you are nervous, this will only worsen the way you feel. Are you getting anxious about your wedding? What are you doing to stay calm? Let us know in the comments below.
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Rehearsal Dinner Behavior_ Groom Edition
Out of all the elements that go into wedding planning, most seem to fall under the purview of the bride. Admit it, do you really want to make the decisions on what the “colors” should be or if raspberry filling is just “too sweet” for the cake? However, there is one significant part of the festivities leading up to the wedding that the groom is responsible, other than getting the tuxes and groomsmen gifts, for and that is the rehearsal dinner. Traditionally, the rehearsal dinner is held the night before the wedding and is paid for by the groom’s parents. It’s a great way to break the ice between the families of the bride and groom who may have never met before. To make sure that the whole event goes off without a hitch (and the bride is still talking to you in the morning), follow these tips to ensure success. Behave: Because you may be making plenty of first-impressions at the rehearsal dinner, make sure that you are on your best behavior. This means, no cursing, bawdy stories, wandering eyes or disrespectful behavior in any way – remember to tell any groomsmen you have invited to follow the same rules. If you’ve purchased engraved flasks to give them as gifts for the groomsmen, don’t fill them up with the hard stuff! Introductions: During the course of the event, make sure that you have enough background information on guests (on your side) that you might not actually know too well, like thrice-removed cousins, far-away aunts and uncles, and friends of your parents that you aren’t acquainted with. Make sure everyone at the dinner gets, at a minimum, a handshake or hug and short conversation. Consider your job for the night as host with the most and chief introduction maker. Bride: With all the stresses of the dinner, making sure everyone is happy and such; don’t forget to make sure your bride is happy too! While you may both be busy, going in different directions to keep guests busy, it is essential to check in with each other a couple times throughout the night to get status updates. And, before you leave, remember to steal a kiss – it may be the last time you see the bride until the wedding aisle. Gifts: Many grooms find the rehearsal dinner an appropriate time to present groomsmen gifts. Typically these key players in your wedding party have been invited to the event, and it’s a more formal way to stand up and say, “Hey, thanks for being a great friend” than just tossing a groomsmen gifts at them after the fact. If you’re stuck as what to get the guys, Groomstand.com has a wide array of personalized gifts for groomsmen that will show your heartfelt sentiments.
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Freak Out Your Bride With These Wacky Wedding Ideas
If you’re recently engaged, the bride may have already started the hand-on-hip, saccharine-coated, finger-waving accusation, “You need to be more involved in the wedding planning, honey.” But, honestly, these details can be a little too fussy and detail-oriented for most of us guys. We have a brilliant way for you to get out of the chore without being booted out of the door. Suggest some of the craziest, wackiest ideas for a wedding that you’ve ever heard of and she’ll quickly stop insisting you help out. It’s genius, and all you’ll have to do in the end is pick out the tuxedos and groomsmen gifts. Get married naked. Nothing wrong with hanging out in your birthday suits, actually it’s quite enjoyable in the privacy of your own bedroom. So why not take this notion for nudity one step further and get married sans clothing! One free-spirited couple did such a thing, getting hitched wearing nothing but wedding rings, a “painted on” dress, and a strategically placed bridal bouquet. Take the plunge, literally. If you consider yourselves a couple into extreme sports, exchanging your wedding vows is just so boring at a chapel or the county court house. Start off this new stage in life by jumping off a bridge, bungee-jumping your way to a lifetime of bliss. After doing just that, one pair of newlyweds in the UK wowed guests with a sit-down breakfast that had everyone strapped down into chairs while floating on a platform hung 160 feet in the air. Get a gazillion groomsmen. Show the bride that you’re into this wedding thing by organizing a super-sized squadron of wedding attendants. We’re not sure what the Guinness World Record is for the most groomsmen in a single wedding, but we know that it’s 110 gals for bridesmaids. Yes, you’ll have to buy a lot of groomsmen gifts, but isn’t it worth it to bring together all of the friends you’ve had in your entire lifetime. Say “I do” to a side of fries with your bride. Fast-food loving couples have been getting hitched in their favorite burger, taco and chicken joints for years, but it seems to be getting more popular – maybe it’s the terrible economy, or just an artery-clogging attraction. In Hong Kong, McDonald’s actually markets a “McWedding” service where for about $400 US you get a package that includes the ceremony, reception, wedding cake and catering for 100 guests. I’m lovin’ it . . . but not sure if your bride will be! Exchange homemade wedding rings. Save the planet and a buck in the process by skipping the big diamond engagement ring and gold wedding bands. My brother actually made a pair of wedding rings, one for himself and one for his new wife, from a quarter. So, in the end, he was just out 50 cents and a little elbow grease. Do you think your bride to be would go for a homemade quarter wedding ring, why not find out? In the comments below, let us know the most unusual wedding ideas you’ve heard. Would your bride be on-board, or totally say “no way”!
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News to Like - Zuckerberg Gets Hitched
Status update: Married. That’s the message Mark Zuckerberg sent out hours after marrying his girlfriend of eight years. Zuckerberg, the 28 year-old who took Facebook public at $104 billion a couple weeks ago, tied the knot with Priscilla Chan, a recent medical school graduate, in a surprise ceremony that to place in the backyard of their Palo Alto home. The approximate 100 guests, who initially thought they were invited to celebrate Pricilla’s graduation, were treated to a beautiful but low-key ceremony and reception. Mexican food and sushi were served from favorite restaurants and the splurge of the night was that Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day provided musical entertainment. We don’t know if there was a best man or other wedding attendants, but who cares – the couple’s dog, Beast, walked the bride down the aisle! So what does one get a filthy-stinking-rich guy as a gift for the groom? That’s no easy feat, since Zuckerberg can buy anything he darn well pleases himself. So since it would be impossible to impress this type with a new tech gadget or trendy gear, the best route to go is to present a gift for the groom that is personalized with heartfelt sentiments. This way, the groom gift will be one-of-a-kind and unique to the recipient . . . and that’s something you can’t put a price on. For millionaire and billionaire types (as well as all of us lowly thousandaire folks), we suggest personalized pen and writing gifts sets so that he can keep writing out those money making ideas. While it is low-tech to actually put real pen to paper, it does have a dashing, old-school charm that is becoming popular again with even the most ga-ga over cutting-edge gadgets. Another good choice in groom gifts (and even groomsmen gifts) is a personalized shaving set. Every guy, no matter how loaded, needs to take care of his whiskers at least a couple times a week if not daily. Just the sight of one of our shaving sets sitting on the countertop will remind even the busiest man to slow down and enjoy the process of gentlemanly grooming.
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Tips for Making Surprise Groom Dance a Video Hit
If I had a dollar for every viral video IÍve watched, IÍd be able to retire and do something worthwhile with my life. Seems like every bride and groom are trying to make it big by putting out a funny video based on the proposal, walk down the wedding aisle or at the reception. Recently I stumbled upon this reception video where the groom planned a surprise dance for the bride. Set to an eclectic mix of songs declaring his love like ñBaby, Babyî by Justin Bieber and Motown classic ñAinÍt No Mountain High Enough,î the video is just so fun and crazy, I couldnÍt resist. So after watching it through to the hokey end (it is actually pretty entertaining), I decided to give you the top tips for making sure any stunt you pull like this dance is a video success. Drinks for everyone! No matter how good a dancer you are, the production will be much more entertaining if the bar is open and everyone is feeling good. Plus, youÍll be a little more loosened up for your big dance floor debut if youÍve snuck a few sips out of a groomsmen flask. Set up the bride with a glass of champagne in an engraved toasting flute to make sure sheÍs on board and ready to boogie. Get a good song. Make sure the song is ones your audience will be familiar with, reflects your personality, and shares your feelings for the bride. We thought the song mix the groom had in this video was brilliant because it combined current songs with old-time golden oldies; guests of all generations will be tapping their toes. Enlist the groomsmen. DonÍt be a one-man act. Of course, youÍll be the star attraction (as any groom should be during his moment in the spotlight), but enlist the help of your groomsmen to be the backup dancers. Whether they are awesome dancers or donÍt have that gene, theyÍll provide support, comic relief, and share in the laughs. If your buddies are reluctant, do whatever you have to get them in on the gig. Promise them some of the best groomsmen gifts ever, like a personalized golf putter or a first-class cigar humidor. You are what you wear. You and the groomsmen are going to be dressed to the nines (hint, give the guys engraved cufflinks as groomsmen gifts), but consider adding extra props like sunglasses, crazy wigs, or wild socks that will be seen with every high kick. At some point in any good surprise groom dance, a PG strip tease gets the audience riled up and the bride blushing. At least slip out of your tuxedo jacket, spin it around your head, and toss it over to the bride. Add stunts and tricks. We have every confidence your dance moves will be enviable, but ensure the performance gets a standing ovation by adding stunts and tricks. If you can break dance, walk on your hands, leapfrog over the best manÍs back or some other doozy, add it in to the routine! Practice, practice, practice. At least a month before the wedding start memorizing and practicing the routine at least one time per week. If anything, itÍs a good reason to invite the guys over to the man cave for a few last hurrahs before bachelorhood ends. If some of the guys are out of town, dial in on Skype and get the dance party started. Post it on Youtube.com. Assuming the surprise groom dance was a success, post it on youtube.com and keep your fingers crossed it goes viral. DonÍt worry about any snafus that happen during the execution of your routine; those funny mishaps will make the video even funnier. So, in the comments below, let us know if you are planning and special surprise dance for the bride at your wedding reception. Or, share the link to one of the funniest wedding videos youÍve surfed across on the internet.
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