Personalized Humidors - Groomsmen Gifts Homage

Yes, we would like to pay your groomsmen a major homage in support of their nasty tobacco habit. If you're going to smoke, better it be a big, fat, beautiful and expensive stogie than a nasty, awful cigarette, right? Besides, you're not supposed to inhale a cigar anyway. Everyone knows that. Well, habit forming or not, if your groomsmen love to partake in an occasional cigar, the Personalized Cigar Humidor will make a great gift for your all important best guy buds. You've likely seen a plethora of really cool cherry, and fancy wood humidors in your shopping travels, but I highly doubt you'll find gifts like this that are personal, and not just personalized with initials, these groomsmen gifts are personalized with a name, year established and makes it seem like your old pal John Smith has been rolling cigars in his very own cigar factory for years. They'll get a kick out of it, and most importantly they won't have those expensive little brown-rolled burners getting dried up and crusty. Need a little on-the-go action for your guys? Need a drink to go with your smoke? Spend some time clicking around the site and if we don't have the best gifts around for your groomsmen, we'll be a monkey's uncle. And we'll even tape it and post it on YouTube. (Not really though). Technorati Tags: groomsmen gifts, personalized gifts, humidors

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Personal Wedding Leash

That's right, hire a wedding planner. According to Susan Kinzie of The Washington Post, spending on weddings has nearly doubled in the past 15 years rising to an estimated $80-$161 Billion nationally. In the last four years, almost every expense has increased more than 20 percent as people added days of events, gifts for all the guests, elaborate lighting, and all other sorts of extras promoted by magazines, TV shows and the rest of the marital-industrial complex. With figures like that it's not a surprise that more than a third of couples outspend their wedding budget. An industry booming as much as this means a demand for wedding planners who know their peau de soie from their charmeuse and who are able to coordinate timing and details such as flowers, music and hors d'oeuvres is vital. One important thing to do if you decide to hire a wedding planner is continue to research costs on your own. Not every wedding planner for hire is a good one who will be fighting to keep your costs down. Still, having a wedding planner will help get a majority of the work off of your plate which is something that will make you both very happy. So if you decide you need to trim some costs from your wedding, a planner might not be the place to trim. Just something to keep in mind.

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Palin Vs. Biden: What are your Predictions for the VP Debate?

Get the political steak brands ready! Don't miss the Palin vs. Biden debate this Thursday, October 2. If you can watch only one debate, tune in for this one. And don't forget to gather your groomsmen for a rockin' debate party. In most elections, the veep faceoff takes second stage to the presidential debates. Not this time. Remember when Tyson fought Holyfield? Yeah....the VP debate will be bigger than that. Will Palin get a smackdown or surprise us with a sudden burst of wit? Vote below for whatever candidate you think will come out the strongest. We'll remain impartial. If politics put you in a shopping mood, now is the perfect time to search for those groomsmen gifts. Big news: after the dow's dramatic drop, we came out with a bailout package of our own. Check out our groomsmen gifts bailout package and save cash on shipping. Who Will Come Out Stronger in the Vice Presidential Debate? ( polls)

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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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Ok Children, Go Get Married

Honestly now, marriage means that you've grown up at least enough that you're willing to dedicate your life to someone you love. That takes a mature person to really contemplate and consciously make the right decision. What this is boiling down to is that marriage isn't all just fun and games. There is a lot of work and a lot of stress that can make life trying at times and being grown up enough to deal with that and work through it is something very necessary. Now that's not to say that love won't do it, but Halo 3? Apparently this guy proposed on Halo 3. Yea. You can guess what that wedding is going to be like. The groomsmen and bridesmaids will be dressed up as Marines and Covenant Elites. God that's an ugly thought. The only thing the guests will be doing are checking their watches and taking swigs. Really though how else are you supposed to stutter through a ceremony like that. It'll be curious to see what groomsmen gifts the groom gets for them too. They'll all be sure to have Halo 3 already meaning he's going to have to enter the real world and get them a great gift that isn't virtual. Lucky for him there's a place he can do that quick and easy. Tags: groomsmen gifts, groomsmen, gifts, Halo_3, proposal, mature, gift,

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Oiled Balls And Lanes Make For Strikes

Rain and snow are falling now. That's right it's finally winter weather, which means bowling is going to be the prime indoor activity. That means it's time for you and your groomsmen to head out to the lanes and get your frame-fix in. You know, hang out with the guys, enjoy a few drinks, maybe stay for the extreme bowling with all the black lights and some good 80's rock. Whatever the case when it's finally time to leave it's going to be a bummer. The solution? Get a lane at home for all of your groomsmen! If that doesn't seem to work out though there are plenty of other cool gifts that will tickle their bowling fancy. These great pub signs are available in normal and vintage styles and can be personalized with names and dates, making for well-received gifts for your groomsmen. And if you want to make it into a personalized "Team Groomsman" gifts for each guy then you'll need to check out the bowling team design. Whatever the case they won't be as upset having to leave the alley when they know they've still got a little bit of bowling to come home to. Tags: groomsmen gifts, groomsmen, gifts, bowling, alley, pub, signs,

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Off-the-Cuff Groomsmen Gifts: World's Weirdest Cufflinks

Step right up for the world's weirdest cufflinks! Stonehenge Cufflinks We get why everyone loves Stonehenge. But part of the Stonehenge mystery is its massiveness and it loses that when zapped down to cufflink size. When you show people your sleeves, you'll have to explain your cufflinks. "Look it's Stonehenge," and the person ultimately answers, "oh...I guess I could see it." Who wants to do that all night? A groomsman gift gone wrong. (Cufflinks found at Squidoo. Antler Cufflinks We like antlers just as much as the next guy. But not enough to sport them on the sleeves. Set these antler cufflinks free! They're unsightly, look uncomfortable, and remind us of Bambi. Can you say Redneck Wedding? If you can't, these will. (Antler cufflinks from Coto Luxe.) PacMan Cufflinks PacMan has the irresistible cuteness some appreciate in a cufflink. But these cufflinks make a childish statement and give the impression that instead of going on dates, you spent every night of your ephemeral teenage years in the arcade, hunched over games. Not sexy. Not suave. But if you want everyone to know you were once a PacMan-playing, pimple-faced geek, go for it. (Pac-Man Cufflinks found at Geek Alerts). Bull and Bear Cufflinks It's a brutal economy. What a wonderful time to get $6,700 bull-and-bear cufflinks with freaky diamond eyes! Let's wait until there's harmony in the market before we bring these two stubborn animals together. (Bull and Bear Cufflinks from Elite Choice). Cell Phone Cufflinks Are we past the whole obsession with the cell phone? It's not even the latest technology. Now you can wear miniature cell-phone cufflinks. Seriously lame. These cufflinks are better suited for chatty teenage girls than men. (Cell Phone Cufflinks from Geek Alerts. Tire Cufflinks Cufflinks should make you feel like the Great Gatsby not the Michelin Man. Tire cufflinks should only be worn by men who work as a mechanic, or watch NASCAR religiously. Casual cufflinks won't go over well with the bride. Unless your wedding reception includes the words "Pitt Stop." (Tire Cufflinks from Etsy) Pair of Pigs Cufflinks Homer J. Simpson owns the weirdest cufflinks ever! Who could forget his pair of pigs? These bride and groom pig cufflinks will be in your nightmares tonight. Is that blood next to the groom pig's mouth? And is it just us, or does it look like someone tried to roast these pigs? Shudder. (Pig Cufflinks from iCraft.ca). You're in luck. GroomStand has a wide selection of handsome engraved cufflinks. When you give these cufflinks as groomsmen gifts, you don't have to worry about your Best Man and his pin-up girl cufflinks. Shop GroomStand.com for groomsmen gifts and everything else you'll need on the Big Day!

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O.W.A. - Organizational Wedding Assistance

In getting ready and planning his wedding, what more could a groom need than this: My Wedding Hero. A first-of-its-kind Internet-based software program that acts as a comprehensive wedding planning tool, this guy will keep your plans running along smooth and organized. It obviously wont help a groom get the courage to confront his mother-in-law or restrain himself later on in his bachelor party, but what can? What My Wedding Hero does allow is for the groom to create a list of To-Do wedding items by date and the person responsible for the task (if you don't know yet this includes getting fitted for a tux, booking honeymoon travel, planning the rehearsal dinner, showing up at the bachelor party, buying the groomsmen gifts and getting ready for the big day). The online software allows the groom to tag similar items to create a group and send email reminders to himself, his bride-to-be, and anyone in the wedding party or on the guest list. Now it does cost $25 a month to use (after its free 5-day trial), but keeping stress free and well organized for 25 bucks sounds a lot better than struggling to manage everything and saving a couple bucks. Check it out though and see if it's something in your ballpark.

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Number One Wiidding Gift

A nice little article from joystiq gave us an update on the most requested newlywed gift at amazon.com, and we think they'd work as gifts for your groomsmen too if you want your buddies to love you forever. Their wedding registry shows that it is no other than Nintendo's Wii gaming console. It's probably because of the Wii sports games that anyone of any age can enjoy, not to mention the fun a little competition brings to any relationship. There are plenty of other games that the groom and groomsmen can enjoy now, or will soon, in addition to the games the ladies will be wanting to play (i.e. Metroid, Resident Evil, Medal of Honor). The one downside is that it's out of stock on amazon.com, but you can always go for Amazon's number two: a pyrex 10-piece food storage set! Instead you might just want to try someplace else for newlywed gifts, but of course you never know when that tupperware might come in handy. Perhaps it'll be when you only have time to be eating leftovers during your few-and-far-between breaks from the Wii. Tags: groomsmen_gifts, groomsmen, gifts, groom, newlywed, Wii,

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Norm!!!!!

You remember Cheers, that great old fashioned pub/bar in Boston, where each time Norm would walk in, everybody would stop and yell, "Norm!" Who wouldn't love to have a bar where everybody knows your name? Well we aren't telling you we can get you that bar, but we can definitely set you and your groomsmen up with some groomsmen gifts that can turn your home bar into that neighborhood pub in downtown Boston. First, make sure you've got a great pub sign. These amazing replicas of the English Pub signs of yester-year come in fourteen designs and can be personalized to give your sign that extra special touch! No old fashioned pub/bar is complete without coasters. I mean what if your groomsmen are like Norm and like to sit around your bar and nurse their beers for hours. All that condensation on your bar...no way! Use these amazing coasters with many designs to match the pub signs, check them out. Oh, by the way they can be personalized just like the pub signs. Okay, you've got the sign, the coasters, what's left...what do you think? Well I'm sure you thought it was the beers, but actually you still need something to serve the beers in. After all you want to be somewhat civilized. We've got just the thing, well we have lots of things on the site to serve your beers in, but only one that continues to with the old fashioned pub/bar theme. Our Personalized Ale House Steins are what you would call the real deal in traditional barware and they'll be a big hit as groomsmen gifts. They are solid...this is no wimpy beer mug. When you lift this sucker up, you'll know you've reached manhood! They come in 12 bold designs, again to match the whole pub sign and coaster thing you've got going on. So drop down a few coasters and serve up the beers in these handsome steins.

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