Wedding Planning Blog by I Do! Wedding Favors

This is a topic that is not always easy to bring up. It is nice to ask your future in-laws what they would like you to call them, but it is also important to consider what you feel comfortable calling them. No, it is not acceptable to use any four letter words (at least in their presence).

When you marry into the family, will you call your new in-laws Mom and Dad? Does this feel odd? You have your own Mom and Dad already, right? Or perhaps you have lost one or both of your parents and you are excited at the idea of having a Mom and Dad again. But are your future in-laws comfortable being called Mom and Dad? Maybe they insist on it. Will your future mother-in-law be offended if you do not call her Mom. You have likely been calling them by their first names throughout your engagement, so it would seem natural to continue to do so after your marriage.

It is not unheard of for in-laws to expect to be called Mr. or Mrs. (insert last name here). This is very formal and is not common, but there are some people that will expect this from their future son or daughter-in-law. If this is the case then it is likely that there will not be a close relationship!

So, where do you stand with your future in-laws? Have you talked about what you will call them after the wedding? What would you like to call them (remember a PG rating!). Have they expressed any thoughts on what they would like to be called? What about your parents? What will your future spouse call them? Do you have any advice for starting this discussion? Do you have any good stories? Let us know!

Wedding favors are an absolute necessity. These small gifts are a thank you to all of your guests for coming and sharing in your wedding day with you. They are also meant to be a wonderful keepsake that will remind you and your guests of the fantastic time they had at your wedding! But how do you decide what wedding favors to give, especially when there are so many great choices???

The best place to start is your budget. How many guests will be attending your wedding and how much can you afford to spend on wedding favors? Guests do not expect for you to spend a lot of money, but it is also a good idea to not try to be too cheap either. If you look hard, it is easy to find inexpensive wedding favors that are high quality as well!

Is there a theme to your wedding? Is it a destination wedding on a beach or a winter wedding? Are you showcasing special flowers or going with something as simple as a color scheme? Whatever your theme, wedding favors are the perfect time to enhance this theme.

Wedding favors can be as simple or as complex as you choose them to be. Traditional Jordan Almonds wrapped in tulle are still a great idea! These days, they can even be purchased in different colors or wrapped in foils. Edible wedding favors are always a big hit with wedding guests.

Have you already chosen your wedding favors? What have you decided to give to thank your guests? Why did you choose that favor? Do you have any recommendations for other brides that need to decide on their wedding favors? There are so many possible wedding favors to choose from and it is fun to look at all of the possibilities! Tell us all about your thoughts on wedding favors!

So much time and money is spent on a wedding gown and all of the necessary accessories and often the men’s clothing is an afterthought. This shouldn’t be the case since those men need to look just as good as the women they are escorting!

There are so many considerations when it comes to choosing what the men will wear at the wedding. Will they wear a suit or a more formal tuxedo? Will they rent or buy? Will they all dress the same or will they be given freedom to choose? Should the bride have a say in what they wear, even the final say?

The first thing to consider is who will need to be dressed. Obviously, the groom and bridal party will need attire. At my own wedding, we also asked our fathers to rent the same tux. When we went to the rental store, we decided that we would have all of the men wear the same suit. We separated them by choosing different colored vests and ties. Personally, I wanted a uniform look to the men since all of the women in the bridal party were dressing the same. The outcome was just what I wanted.

This did not go as well as I had hoped however. One groomsman misunderstood that he needed to rent the specific tux and instead he bought a black tux and expected it to be ok. Well no, it wasn’t ok.

I took charge of dressing the important men at my wedding. My husband looked amazing and so did the bridal party and our fathers. But my choices are not right for everyone.

What do you think is the proper way to choose the men’s wedding attire? Should the bride intervene? Should the groom be allowed to choose his own clothing (within some guidelines of course)? How did or will you handle this? Brides are all beautiful and the man standing next to her should look just as good!

Who doesn’t live together before they get married? I know one couple that did not live together first and they are divorced because they learned that they couldn’t stand being together so much! But is this a tradition that should resurface? There are definite pros and cons to each.

It has been widely studied that the divorce rate is much higher in couples that live together before marriage than couples that don’t. Why is this? Personally, I don’t know and neither does anyone else! There is something to be said about your new husband carrying you over the threshold into your new home together. It is the true beginning of a new life when you haven’t been doing it every day already.

But what about that one couple I know? They ended in divorce. Isn’t living together a good idea? You get the chance to learn even more about your future spouse while discovering if you are completely compatible. Maybe this is a pessimistic attitude, but not everyone can live on love alone. So, what happens if you get married, move in together and discover that your husband is a slob and expects a wife and a maid, or that he is addicted to late night porn on those pay channels? You would know all of this if you lived together first.

Every relationship is different and every couple is going to have a different experience together. That is what makes relationships so wonderful! It is about finding someone that you can be completely comfortable with and someone that you can love and live with for the rest of your life. Traditionally, the bride and groom were not allowed to live together prior to marriage. Some people still believe in this, especially those people that are also saving their virginity. But then must you also believe in “’til death do us part?” and stay in a marriage even if you discover that you are completely incompatible when it comes to living together?

What do you think? Are you already living with your fiancée? Are you planning on waiting until after the wedding to move in together? Why have you chosen this particular path? How do you feel about other couples that choose to live together or choose to wait? We want to know!

Many brides do not know that it is expected to give the bridal party gifts to thank them for their support throughout the wedding planning process. That is until they start searching the Internet and reading wedding planning books and find that bridal party gifts are a necessity. So, what should you give to your bridal party to thank them for all of their love and support?

It is important to remember that your bridal party is likely spending a lot of money on your wedding. They purchase their own clothing and accessories. They throw you bridal showers and bachelor/bachelorette parties, and they also give you gifts! Also add in the money spent if they need to travel in order to be part of your wedding. This all adds up. Even though weddings are expensive, your bridal party gifts are not the time to try and save some money.

Some couples choose to pay for the clothing that the bridal party needs to wear to the wedding. Those bridesmaid dresses and tuxedos are not cheap! Other couples choose to give their bridal party accessories that can be worn on the wedding day and on other occasions as well. This may be jewelry for the women and cuff links and a tie clip for the men.

Of course, the bridal party gifts do not need to be wedding related at all. It is nice to find something that the members of your bridal party will truly cherish. After all, you do know them well so you should know what they would like. The best man at my wedding was a smoker and a waiter, so when I saw this beautiful silver lighter and money clip, I knew it was perfect for him. I had them engraved and he loved them! He also graciously thanked me even though I later discovered that he had given up smoking! Still, it was a thoughtful gift.

How do you feel about bridal party gifts? What do you think is an acceptable amount to spend per person? Have you chosen your gifts already? Do you have any fabulous ideas to share with us? Tell us all about your bridal party gifts and why you chose them!

Everyone seems to have a very strong feeling one way or the other when it comes to the open bar versus the cash bar. The bride and groom can either pay for their guests’ drinks or have the guests pay for the drinks themselves.
Many people feel that it is wrong to invite people to a party and then expect them to pay for their own drinks. Others find it perfectly acceptable since the cost of drinks can become a huge burden for the couple to pull from their budget. So how does a couple decide between an open bar and a cash bar for their wedding?
There are the two extremes. The couple can offer a full open bar. The reception venue may add up the drinks as they are ordered or may set a specific price per person to be paid in advance. The other extreme is offering a cash only bar. Guests will need to pay for all of their own drinks regardless of what it is they are ordering. Another option is to offer an open bar during cocktail hour and dinner and a cash bar afterwards.
There is a compromise that the couple may find appealing. This is to offer a limited selection of drinks at no cost to the guest. This generally includes soft drinks, wine, and beer. If a guest wants hard liquor then they would pay for it themselves.
The debate between the cash bar and the open bar can often be divided by where the couple lives. In many places it is expected that there will be a cash bar while in other places a cash bar is highly frowned upon. It is up to the bride and groom and whoever is paying for the wedding to decide which option is best for them.
Where do you stand in the cash bar versus open bar debate? Should a couple foot the entire bill for their guests’ drinks? Is one of these more acceptable where you live? How will you handle this when the choice must be made? Or perhaps you have been to a wedding recently and you have strong feelings about their choice of a cash bar or open bar. Tell us about it and help other couples make their decision!

I will be honest. Registering for gifts was the best part of wedding planning! My future husband and I were able to go to some of our favorite stores and choose some necessary items and some frivolous items and some items that we could never afford ourselves! Taking that little scanner gun and running around the store like a little kid at Christmas is one of the most fun things I have ever done. The only problem is deciding who gets to hold the gun!

There is a definite set of etiquette rules when it comes to registering for gifts. They are quite easy to follow, but first you need to know them!

First, it is acceptable to register at more than one store. It is preferable actually. Different guests will prefer shopping in different stores. Plus, some stores are specialty stores that will be your go-to for all kitchen necessities or all of your china/silver/crystal needs and wants. Giving guests a choice allows them to go somewhere convenient. Additionally, it is good to choose stores that have online shopping available. This is good for those people that cannot attend the wedding but want to send a gift or a guest that wants to give a gift but does not want to carry it to the wedding. Proper registry etiquette dictates that two to three stores is best. More than that offers too much choice and can make you seem greedy.

Register for gifts in a wide range of prices. You cannot expect that every guest will be able to afford a place setting of your china pattern. Definitely register for your china, but don’t forget about including smaller items such as everyday glassware and silverware. These gifts are much less expensive but you still need them!

Updating your registry is a must! You will need to check your registry to see what people have bought. This is to ensure that there are still options available to guests. If everyone purchases the less expensive gifts, then you will need to choose some more gifts in that lower price range. If you do not initially register for enough gifts and your registry ends up empty, then it will be necessary to register for more gifts. This is a courtesy to all of your wedding guests.

Register early! There are many occasions that an engaged couple will receive guests. The engagement party, bridal shower, bachelor/bachelorette party, and wedding are all occasions when gifts will be given. It is best to give guests an idea of what to give rather than make them guess.

Have you registered yet? How did you choose which stores to register at? Have you been following these registry etiquette guidelines? Tell us all about your registering experience!

It has long been considered that a man should spend at least two to three months of his salary on an engagement ring for his beloved. Obviously, the job that the man has will have a significant impact on the size and quality of the engagement ring. But is this guideline still viable? Do we expect more?

If your man is a stock broker than you will likely get a very nice engagement ring. If your man works as a cashier at a fast food restaurant, you may have to set your sights lower. But as women, we all want that engagement ring of our dreams. That dream is different for each one of us. Some women want large diamonds while others want small diamonds. Some women don’t want a diamond at all and prefer a ruby or an amethyst. Some women want gold while others want platinum. All of these preferences affect the cost of the engagement ring.

So, is it unreasonable for a woman to expect her blue collar man to buy her a large diamond in a platinum setting? Should he have to go into debt in order to give the ring of her dreams? Can he afford to give up two to three months of his salary? How far are we allowed to ask our men to go for us in order to get the engagement ring of our dreams?

How do you feel about the monetary guidelines set forth for engagement rings? Do you think that men should go all out in order to buy the biggest and best engagement ring possible? Or do you think that men should be more practical about their spending? How have you and your fiancée handled this? Do you have any advice for other future brides? We want to hear all about your ideas and opinions!

Eva Longoria was just married in a castle in France where all of her “closest” friends and family were in attendance. Tom and Katie reportedly spent millions on their nuptials. And now, it appears that Salma Hayek is planning three separate weddings. One will be held in Mexico, another in Paris, and the third in LA. It appears that the guest list will be the same for each wedding and could include about 300 people!

Seeing these stars get married makes the average wedding look like peanuts even when A LOT of money has been spent. To the average couple, a $30,000 wedding is a lot of money. To these celebrities, $30,000 will barely pay for the wedding gown alone. Is their wedding about their love and commitment to one another or to show the world just how much money they have to burn? Is it becoming a competition?

There are definitely varying opinions on celebrity weddings. Some people (like me) consider them to be outrageous. Why spend so much money on one day? There are people all over the world that could use that money for food, health care, housing, medicine, and even clean water to drink! How is it that they can be so selfish? Then there are other people (like me) that enjoy seeing these weddings. It is fun to take a peek into what it must be like to live like a millionaire. While most of their marriages will end in divorce, their wedding will still have been a fairy tale. That fairy tale is what we average people can only aspire to ever be part of. So as you can see, my opinions are quite conflicted.

How do you feel about the most recent celebrity weddings? Do you think that these couples should be spending such an obscene amount of money simply because they can? Do you think that they deserve their fairy tale because they can afford it? Do you think it is getting ridiculous? Give us your opinion. Whether you are spending $5,000 or $500,000 on your wedding, we want to know how you feel about celebrity weddings!

The term bridezilla has been around for a long time, but has recently become even more popular with reality television shows that show real bridezillas in action! Every woman wants her wedding day to be perfect and it should be! But what happens to some women during wedding planning that turns them into a bridezilla?

A bridezilla has demands that seem outrageous. Every heard of a bride that made all of her bridal party dye their hair the same color? It happens. Brides can become so crazed about their idea of what the perfect wedding looks like that she will lose sight of what the wedding is really about.

A bridezilla feels that everyone should be working with her to accomplish all of her demands. If you are not doing everything in your power to help her, then you are against her and you will feel her wrath! A bridezilla becomes so out of control that she becomes scary, like a lioness protecting her cub. She will lash out at any threat to her perfect wedding.

Women need to always maintain the proper perspective when it comes to wedding planning. A wedding is about celebrating your love. It is not about what food is served, flowers being arranged perfectly, or the bridal party all having the same hair. Every wedding will have its problems. There is no way around it. The caterer will be running late. The band will play the wrong song. The best man will drink too much and give an awful speech. There is no telling. But we must keep bridezilla contained or risk losing our friendships and alienating our families!

Do you know a bridezilla? Are YOU a bridezilla? Tell us some of your best bridezilla moments whether it was you or someone else!