You may already know that action movie star Matt Damon, of Bourne Identity and Ocean’s Eleven fame, has been married for seven years. But, Damon and his wife of seven years, Luciana, renewed their wedding vows in the middle of April this year. For their original wedding in 2005, the two planned to marry in Miami during the winter holidays in 2005. But, after the event was leaked to the media (that’s a terrible gift for the groom and bride), the couple worried that a frenzy of helicopters and meddling paparazzi would ruin the day, so instead they ran off to city hall in NYC.

Your wedding day is fast approaching and we know you want to put your best foot forward in every sense of the phrase. Today, there are quite a few choices when it comes to picking the right shoes for the groom and groomsmen. Color and comfort of course are key, but another important consideration is the formality of your wedding. Converse sneakers or cowboy boots may be a statement of fashion (and function) at casual weddings, but more traditional affairs usually require a dressier shoe. Below, check out the different types of shoes that may work with your tuxedo, dark suit or event sports coat.

Do you have buddies whose idea of a good time is waking up before dawn to get a prime fishing spot? Or maybe the early bird who catches the worm . . . er, fish, is you. If you and your friends love to fish, you are not alone. Thousands and thousands of men fish for fun and sport across our beautiful country’s numerous lakes, rivers and oceans. Most men like to fish with a reel and rod or fly fishing, although some brave guys will get out there and go “noodling.” If you’ve never seen this crazy sport, noodling requires the fisherman to pull out bottom-dwelling fish from the holes that they hide in underwater with his bare hands. Big game fishing for marlin, shark and other large fish is also a popular pastime with outdoorsmen types.

Current research suggests a person’s level of happiness is related to whether or whether not that person is married. The Office of National Statistics in the UK polled 165,000 British people about their overall satisfaction with life and anxiety levels. What they discovered is that being married is 20 times more important to happiness levels than salary and 13 times more important than being a home owner. If you think about it, getting married could be the best gift you could ever give yourself – this wedding gift keeps on giving!

Getting married in Las Vegas is a great option for couples looking to get hitched quickly but without the dull ambiance of a hometown justice of the peace. For folks who don’t want a lot of fuss and family, a Vegas wedding is one of the best wedding presents ever! There is no waiting period or blood test required to get a marriage license in Nevada which means that long-time lovebirds or even those who have just recently met can be married quicker than you can say “What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas.”

Getting married and building a life with another person has a lot of challenges that require compromise. Not only do you have to set up a physical home address and decide where to put all the wedding gifts, but finding the right city to plant roots in can be one of the biggest negotiations couples face. Some newlyweds have been living across the country from each other before getting married and are looking for a neutral home base. Other couples are looking for the best city for their up-and-coming careers or desire the most affordable city in which to start a family. In their annual list of the 10 best cities for newlyweds, Rent.com rattles off locations for you to fall in love with. These prime picks were selected for a number of criteria including rental availability, number of married couples, number of children under six, mean annual income and cost of living.

In our last blog post, we reported about the unusual law in India requiring a groom to provide proof to the state that he will be providing his future with toilet accommodations. This seemingly odd demand (which actually has public sanitation and safety implications) had us wondering about other strange-but-true wedding requirements across the world.

In India, getting married comes with a price. Oh, yes, I’m sure your saying, “getting married always comes with a price – an engagement ring, a big mortgage or even just putting up with a nagging wife.” Well, that may be how it is in the US, but in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, that price in the cost of a toilet. Yes, a toilet.

When furnishing a home bar with serving pieces and implements, the obvious and more conventional choices come to mind. Nice weighty beer mugs able to hold a full pint of brew, shot glasses to get the party started (or keep it going) and even a serviceable flask ready to top off for an outing. All of these have traditionally been (and really still are) great gifts for groomsmen.

Are you too busy to attend your own wedding? Perhaps you have a business meeting at corporate headquarters, are enjoying a vacation and don’t want to come back or, more likely, been deployed overseas with the military. Well, never fear, for if you live in California, Colorado, Texas or Montana you can get married “by proxy.” In a marriage by proxy, either the bride or the groom does not appear in person for the wedding ceremony. During the solemnization of the marriage, another person stands in for the absent party, acting on a power of attorney. And, in certain counties of Montana, both the bride AND the groom do not have to be physically present to get married – this is called a “double proxy” marriage. One of the most famous unions created by double proxy was that of Emperor Napoleon and Archduchess Marie Louise in 1810.

If you want to look sharp in your tuxedo, you need to make sure it fits perfectly. Even the most expensive formal wear can look sub-par if it doesn’t fall just so over the wear’s physique. Without a doubt, fit is the most important factor in a tux regardless of if you are renting or having one custom-made. Remember to give yourself enough lead time when securing your tux, keeping into mind that tuxedos take time to alter – it can’t just be done while you stand there and wait. Make sure all the groomsmen know about this too! Also, if you can afford to, it is a very nice gesture to pick up the rent tab on the groomsmen tuxedos – in addition to their groomsmen gifts. Share the following fit tips and every one in your wedding party will look good and feel good on the big day.

Now that I have caught the attention of beer-loving grooms everywhere, let me elaborate. I’m talking about the Michelada, the Mexican beer cocktail that is made with beer, tomato juice, spices, sauces and such. A good way to describe it is as a Bloody Mary made with beer instead of vodka. And, if you failed high school Spanish and are stumbling over the pronunciation, just say “mee-che-LAH-dah.”