The Colonel At Your Service

I've realized that in recent years I've needed a notebook for work, a notebook for my home business, a notebook for my personal billing and I keep these notebooks in various places throughout my home, car and office. How great would it be to have that one, highly constructed, top-notch quality, grade-A notebook for myself and for giving as groomsmen gifts that before now I don't think existed? Who wants to buy five different colored notebooks and planners on January 1st of each year and try to keep everything intact and in order? We all need an ace in the hole, right? That one suit that you know makes you look your best. We want that one cocktail that you can count on to get you toasted yet not make you end up praying to the porcelain god. We all want one love, right? (Except me, of course). Well, we also want the one notebook that we can count on. That one place where the information superhighway of our lives can reside peacefully giving us the comfort of knowing that our important documents are being held and covered in high-quality brown American steer hide that exists in the Colonel Littleton's No. 19 Notebook Find me a notebook that has well designed diagonal pockets, three rings for notebook organization, a business card holder and a fancy schmancy leather strap with a brass snap to keep it all together, and I'll find you a supermodel who cleans, cooks, gives you money and loving when ever you demand it. Well, now that Littleton has delivered this expansive little beauty, I guess I need to go on a supermodel hunt. If I find her, however, I'm keeping her! Give the Colonel a test spin and drop me a comment. I want to know if it's just me or if you think this thing is the coolest thing for yourself and for groomsmen gifts since volume buttons on steering wheels.

Read more

The Best Groomsmen Gifts? Bridesmaids, Amigo

Of all the weddings taking place there is one thing that can be related to each, the lack of attention placed on groomsmen. In most weddings people simply observe how lovely the bride and bridesmaids look, while they chit-chat about how cute the flower girls and ring bearers are when they walk in the wrong direction a few times, oh so cute. So of course the tots and ladies are going to be noticed, that's just how it is. And this works for most guys just fine, being the center of attention isn't what they want. They're there to support you on your big day. They're there for you. Give them your respect and admiration. Time and money have come out of their schedules and checkbooks and you owe it to them to get groomsmen gifts that will capture you're gratitude for that. There are plenty of options, it's just a matter of choosing something that your groomsmen will appreciate. It might be a nice personalized shaving set, or a stylish flask, or maybe just a classy money clip and knife combo, each thank-worthy in its own right. On the other hand your groomsmen may just want the attention, which means you get to play quick matchmaker at the reception for them, hello bridesmaids!

Read more

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.

Read more

The Answer for the Shoe Obsessed

Are you obsessed with your shoes? Are you the non-homosexual Imelda Marcos in your neighborhood? Do you find that twenty-five pairs of shoes are still somehow just not quite enough to get the job done day in and day out and you're considering getting your best friends groomsmen gifts of super-rare Nikes just so they'll understand? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you just might be shoe obsessed. Now, I offer you no real cure for your addiction. I can't come up with any solid reasons for you to "just say no" when you feel the overwhelming need to add a fifteenth pair of Aldo's or Rockports. What I can tell you is that to take care of these hush puppies the right way, you'll need to feed and water them (so to speak) properly. The best way to do this is to make sure you have the proper shoe shine kit to keep your leather beauties in primo condition, and give them as groomsmen gifts, too. If you took an hour and grabbed a dozen of your favorite pair of shoes and utilized the tools in this well thought out shoe care kit while absorbing your favorite show, you'd be amazed at what you would come away with. Basically you'd think you just went shopping and bought a dozen awesome looking new shoes! How do I know this to be fact? Because I'm that closet shoe sicko that I described above, and a few buddies and I received these kits as groomsmen gifts a few months ago. The only difference is that I have about fifty pairs of shoes and I use the kit at least once a month to insure that I roam the streets freely and without a scuff mark to be seen anywhere. With my own wedding coming up, I got these kits as groomsmen gifts for my guys so they could stand up at the altar with me and match my flawless leather shoes. You must also be sure you don't just run out to the drug store and buy some off the shelf shoe polish. You need the whole shebang including an applicator, brushes, polish cloth and a shoehorn. That's right a shoe horn, stop cramming your index finger into the heel of your shoe while you do the toe to heel jiggle to get your shoe on. I know you know what I'm talking about too. Give our shoe care kit a try. If these aren't the best groomsmen gifts you've ever seen, we'll buy all of your old...wait...I've just been told we can't make that offer. Just buy the dang thing, and consider them for your guys for groomsmen gifts, too. From one shoe sicko to another, you'll love it, trust me.

Read more

The 7 Geekiest Wedding Cakes You'll Ever See

Geeks might be awkward, game-playing, calculator-watch-wearing, gadget snobs, but their unsung heroes when it comes to weddings. Presenting, the World's Best Geeky Wedding Cakes. These creative confections take the cake for being ultra-geeky, humorous, and chic. It's good to be a geek! 7. Pac Man Cake This Pac Man Wedding Cake is made entirely out of cupcakes formed into the familiar Pac Man screen. But where's Mrs. PacMan? From Cake Head 6. Get Pixelated This geeky bride and groom were inspired by old school graphics. They pixelated everything from their invitations to their groomsmen gifts (journals with a pixel design on the front). This wedding turned out pixel perfect! 5. Death Star Cake We found this Death Star Cake at Gizmodo. It's an amazing replica of the Death Star and thankfully, it doesn't look like a turd. Still, we wonder how many "Luke, I am your father" and "Princess Leia" jokes the bride and groom endured on their wedding day. We're almost positive this groom gave out light sabers as groomsmen gifts! 4. Gamers' Cake Every geek has a four-sided die in his or her pocket for those impromptu games of Dungeons and Dragons. They may not be the coolest couple, but this bride and groom rolled the dice their way. 3. Zelda Cake Topper These Larping Lovebirds pulled off one of the geekiest weddings we've ever seen. And they topped it off with a throw back to the Legend of Zelda! (Photo from Flickr user: Side Show). 2. Puzzling Tetris Cake One question about this Tetris-themed soiree: Did the bride and groom walk down the aisle to the Tetris song? If it's not stuck in your head by now, you probably never played Tetris! 120 points for this cake of puzzle proportions. (Photo from Geek Sugar). 1. Mario Cake Last but certainly not least, the famed Mario Cake. Although we half expect those piranha plants to come alive and snap up the Princess, this geek cake looks almost too good to eat. Almost.

Read more

The 5 Worst Wedding Brawls

What happens when wedded bliss turns into a wedding brawl? 1. Texas Wedding Tussle Galveston, Texas. Last September, Houston Astros pitcher Brandon Backe was arrested during a wedding brawl at a Galveston hotel bar. Backe, a groomsmen ignored the police when they told him to back away from the fight. One officer punched Backe twice in the face and it still didn't bring him down. The bride's father and brother were also arrested. Wedding Tip: If your buddies have been known to engage in good old fashioned Texas tussles, better rethink those engraved baseball bats as groomsmen gifts. 2. Cops Arrest Groomsmen Lowell, MA. Getting arrested for disorderly conduct at a bachelor party? Bad Ass. Fist fights in formal attire? Unbecoming. Police in Lowell, Massachusetts arrested six members of a brawling wedding party. Over a dozen officers subdued the riotous crowd with pepper spray. We bet the groomsmen had trouble returning those blood-stained tuxes. Wedding Tip: Keep your tux clean. Remember, it's a rental and you will be charged extra if your tux comes back shredded. 3. When Jealous Sisters Attack Valparaiso, IN. Ann Bicker could not stand her sister's wedding-day glow. Enraged over not receiving an invite to the nuptials, Bicker crashed the party and attacked the bride. She struck the bride in the head and pulled out clumps of her hair. Bicker should change her last name to "Bitter." Wedding Tip: You not only marry the bride; you marry her family. This groom needs to put a country between him and the Bicker family. 4. Russian Wedding Brawl Somewhere in Russia. We don't know what started this violent Russian wedding brawl. Did this groom give his guys boxing lessons as groomsmen gifts? And how does the one guy's pants get ripped? Wedding Tip: Wedding etiquette says to always spring for the open bar. We agree, but there's one exception. If your family tends to duke it out in the parking lot after they've had one too many, keep them in control with a cash bar. People drink less when they have to pay for it. 5. Garter Toss Gone Wrong We've seen brutal brawls erupt over the bouquet, but we've never seen guys fight this fiercely over the garter. Unlike the other wedding brawls, this "fight" is all in good fun. Obviously, the groomsmen watched a little too much UFC before the wedding. Wedding Tip: If your crowd tends to get combative, ask your venue if they provide security.

Read more

The 411 on the Civil Ceremony

Traditionalists might look down on it, but the civil ceremony isn't the copout version of a wedding. You might think of eager young teens eloping, or the remedy for the couple with the unexpected surprise, but the civil ceremony is a simple and cost effective way to pull off the Big Day. People choose this option to reflect their style, budget or maybe they just come from the church of "don't talk with your mouth full and be nice to people." In any case, here's how to make the best of your civil ceremony. Keep everyone civil at the civil ceremony: The crux of this nontraditional option is that it doesn't have a religious focus. That doesn't mean that it's not spiritual or that God isn't invited, but if you don't want the church and the steeple, you are good to go. As a heads-up for civil ceremonies in the UK, it's unlawful to include any hymns or religious poems in the service. Where as in the United States, you can throw any religion you want into the Cuisinart to get the frothy dose of non-denominational goodness. Another attractive element of civil ceremonies is flexibility. In my personal experience with my sister's wedding at the New York County Courthouse, the ceremony took around 20 minutes, which was less time than it took to wait in line for the marriage license, and the whole ordeal cost less than $200. A civil ceremony doesn't mean that you have to get married in a courthouse. Realistically, you can get married anywhere (and anyway) you want. The best bang for your buck is in public owned land or facilities like: national or county parks, beaches, historical landmarks or anything with really sweet architecture. Take Carrie Bradshaw's wedding in the library for example, it was totally awesome... if she pulled it off. Who can marry you? This depends from state to state, but you'd be surprised how many different jobholders there are that have the legal authority to tie the knot, such as: Chaplain County clerk Judge Justice of the peace Mayor Minister Notary public Pastor Priest Rabbi Superior court clerk Township council member Wedding Tip: Find out if there are any additional logistics or paperwork necessary for the type of officiant you choose. It's also a good idea to help the officiant write out the ceremony. It will be a bummer, if they just go up and wing it on the most important day of your life. Even though civil ceremony is a little unconventional, make sure to recognize the special nature of this occasion by adding some personal touches like engraved cuff links. Give a tip of the hat to all the close friends that help in pulling off a wonderful civil ceremony with some spectacular groomsmen gifts from GroomStand.com.

Read more

Techie Groomsmen Gifts: Where's My Jetpack?

When I was a kid, there was nothing more fun than imagining all the wonders that technology might bring us in the coming years. The future was wide open and jetpacks, hover cars, and robot butlers seemed just around the corner. While it is true that the science of groomsmen gifts has grown exponentially, the other sciences such as robotics have failed to keep up. I mean the Sony Asimov was a robot that could walk up stairs! Stairs, I tell you! Time has passed and we all got older, but none of the wondrous inventions of the not-too-distant-future have yet materialized. Cars still require you to steer them by hand and the best we can do for robot housekeepers is a circular robot vacuum with attention deficit disorder. This all leads to one simple and enduring question: where the heck is my jetpack? The excellent blog Paleo-Future catalogs bits and scraps of the gadget speculation of yesteryear, which promised such tantalizing treats as space hotels, weather control, personal helicopters and highways. Yet here we are heading into 2009 and none of these amazing technological marvels of the future have come to pass (except the highway, I have to give you that one). There is a spot of good news, however, for us gloomy gusses sitting on our non-hover-couches eating chips out of a bag instead of in pill form. LG is set to announce what every kid who ever saw Dick Tracy has been clamoring for since its creation over 60 years ago. The LG-GD910 wrist phone (via BoingBoing Gadgets) is perhaps the closest that science has yet come to fulfilling the childhood dreams of this humble blogger. A combination radio, mp3 player and (at long last) phone, this gadget is just about everything I ever wanted at age 7 and, who am I kidding, all I want now. The phone's official announcement will be at next year's Consumer Electronics Show in January. I plan to be first in line when this thing hits shops. Now about that robot butler...

Read more

Take your Groomsmen Golfing

Groomsmen and Golf Equals a Good Time Is there anything more relaxing, more enjoyable, or more refreshing than 18 holes of golf on a beautiful course? When the weather gets warm, it's once again time to subsist on those amazing greens and beautiful fairways. And why not? That's why planning a golf outing this summer with your groomsmen is the perfect way to get everyone back together again. If golf is your friends' sport of choice, or if you fancy golf a fun hobby, reserving a day on the course for you and your groomsmen prior to the wedding can be the ideal addition to a summer wedding. You'll get to catch up with those friends you haven't seen since college (and likely will not see again until their wedding). What better way to reconnect with your groomsmen than on a beautiful eighteen hole course on an even more beautiful summer day? If you can find a better with which to treat your groomsmen, we'd love to hear it. Not only does a day of golf get you away from the stressful planning and prep-time of a wedding, it puts your golfing groomsmen in great spirits. Just what you want before your big day. Isn't golf great? Use the splendor and appeal of golf to your advantage this summer, and deck your groomsmen out in their very own personalized golf gifts. From our cool gadgets to our personalized putter sets, we've got the ideal groomsmen gifts waiting for you and your golfing buddies.

Read more

Take Back Your Wedding Sale

7 Tell-Tale Signs You Blew Your Wedding Budget Wedding Budget Blunders Your groomsmen gifts were personal handmade keepsake cards tailored to each of your friends.It's the thought that counts, right? And the two dollars in material costs. The closest your bachelor party got to having 'live entertainment' was the banter between your friends and a middle-aged woman named Flo working the Sunset lanes bowling alley.As 'live entertainment' goes, Flo wasn't half bad. She out drank half your friends, and you lost five bucks in a bet. Who knew a 100 pound dame could inhale an entire cigarette in one mind-blowing draw? You refinanced your house - again - to pay for the wedding rings. It seemed like a good idea around this time last year... You hired your second cousin Luigi's 80s hair cover band to play at your wedding because he offered to do it for an invitation. The band received its loudest ovation when Luigi fell off the stage and onto his face in one drunken careening spectacle. Your tux was the same color as the Pink Flamingos that litter the yards of Florida's retirement homes. At least it cost half as much as those useless plastic birds. Your tuxedo has more crimps and ruffles than a tutu dress, and you're sporting so much polyester you begin to feel like an extra on "That 70s Show". Your wedding night is booked for a stay at the nearby Motel Six Your Honeymoon suite at Motel 6 comes complete with heart-shaped bathtub and a free continental breakfast. You wake up late the next morning, so you have to fight off a ten year old for the last warm waffle and a creme-filled do-nut. Your first errand as a married couple, mere hours after being married. Do pawn shops accept gifts from newlyweds? How much cash for all the toasters? Do any of the above scenarios sound familiar? There's more than a slight chance the weddings you know that parallel these encounters went drastically over budget. Luckily, if your wedding budget is getting tight, all you need to do is look at our site-wide Groomstand.com sale for easy ways to save money on your wedding. Not only do we have the gifts for groomsmen that will make shopping a fast and comfortable experience, our site-wide sale means those low prices you've come to expect from us will be even lower in the next few days. Make sure you act fast because this sale is a limited time only offer. If you know your wedding budget is going to be a squeeze heading into the home stretch, make sure it is still a success by keeping those wedding favors and groomsmen gifts under budget.

Read more

Swiss...More Than Just Cheese

Who says the Swiss were only good at making a uniquely wonderful flavored cheese that smells like feet? Not even normal feet, we're talking bad feet. Put another check mark next to excellent inventions made by the Swiss. Their Swiss Army Money Clip and Knife in vintage red, and yes, this is the vintage Swiss Army red that you've grown accustomed to seeing since you were a little kid, is not only unique and useful, but it would make a heck of a gift for just about any occasion, and it's great for groomsmen gifts. Now while the Swiss Army Knife isn't really great as a weapon, (I once pulled out the blade and was going to practice self defense by stabbing an old mannequin when I was a kid and the blade shut right over my forefinger at first thrust. Ouch!) However, the blade is plenty sharp and useful for a thousand and one things. The mini-scissors are fantastic for cutting just about anything small that you might need at a moments notice. If you realize that you have a cuticle hanging, it's child's play for this little baby. If you're on a hot date and you go to the bathroom to freshen up, you may notice that you are only days away from possessing a unibrow. Again, that growing caterpillar will have little chance against the sophisticated blade construction built by Swiss Army. Let's also not forget about the money clip feature. Nothing screams out, "I'm a cool, modern yet practical tough guy, who doesn't know the meaning of the word androgynous" more that pulling out a wad of hundreds from the money clip of this most unique gift item. Buy these as groomsmen gifts, and get one for your best friend, brother or father, too, and if they don't love it then there is only one logical explanation...they simply have a bolt loose. Fix it with the Swiss Army Knife and drop me a comment here to tell me all about it.

Read more

Stylish Groomsmen Gifts for Metro Men

Move over sports-watching, tee-shirt-clad alpha groomsmen. There's a new guy coming to a city near you. He owns more Dolce sunglasses than your fiancee. He won't leave the house without his murse (man purse). When it comes to accessories, he has the metro-fecta: messenger bag, scarf, and fedora. Groomsmen gifts like barware and steak brands won't do for the cultured, museum-hopping debonair. Metro men prefer fashionable groomsmen gifts that keep pace with the pulsing city lifestyle. Here are a few suggestions from the groomsmen gifts expert. Fashionable Leather Groomsmen Gifts If your buddy has a shoe surplus as most metro men do, give him this personalized leather shoeshine kit. When he steps into a room, everyone will notice. This handsome groomsmen gift keeps him stylish from tip to toe. Bonus beta-male points if he checks out his reflection in his shoes! In general, cultured sophisticates like travel. A soft leather travel wallet makes a fashionable accessory for inside his equally fashionable and plush man bag. He can carry this artisan crafted wallet on his annual trip to the Louvre. It organizes airline tickets and credit cards but maintains that sleek look he loves. Plus, no bulky wallet bulge. You'll never see a metro man with a hair out of place. This personalized shave kit makes his hour-long grooming process a joy. With a brown distressed leather exterior, it's cosmopolitan coupled with the rugged style of the Old West. Wine Accessories You'll notice metro men at art openings, always with a wine glass in hand. If your guys turn their noses up at Merlot, give them a few wine accessories as groomsmen gifts. With this personalized metro wine stopper he can give that unsightly bottle plug a rest and add posh sophistication to his favorite pinot. Also consider giving a personalized wine glass set to each gentleman as groomsmen gifts. Wine glasses grace urban lofts of metro men everywhere. A wine glass set is the go-to gift for today's metro male. Still not sure what to get the stylish urban male? Shop groomsmen gifts for the debonair. GroomStand offers groomsmen gifts for every guy!

Read more