Wedding Tips

Tips:

• Don't over-use classic wedding songs
• Dress down after wedding, but still look classy. Don't keep your monkey-suit on all night, but don't break out your t-shirt and jeans.
• Seating. Perhaps the Head table is just the bride+groom. Allowing dates to sit with each other.

Unique:

Make your Wedding unique and memorable, with one or two of these ideas:

• Photo Booth
• High-five best man at the Alter.
• Poutine Bar
• Kilts
• Kids Area. Out of earshot from the adults! Idea: Huge-stick-based Bubble Maker.
• Viking Drinking Horns
• Seat Placement Name tags out of Wooden Logs

Speeches etc.:

• Speeches can be fun, but they must be SHORT, and to the point BUT:.
  Do NOT make your guests sit through long speeches or slide shows.
• Ask many people (months before hand) IF they would like to make a Speech BUT:
  make sure you have a trusted 3rd party proofread it and offer helpful advise and positive encouragement.
• Slideshows Can be fun, BUT:
  Place them AROUND the wedding so people can look at them when bored, or while waiting for drinks, or on the Big Screen while waiting for the wedding Party. Consider Digital Signs (Totally Shameless Plug)
• Embarrassing Stories are a happy medium
  Cute and Humanizing: Great.
  Slightly-mean and Embarrassing: Save for Bachelor(ette) Party
• No Inside jokes
• No Run on Stories (Think Grandpa Simpson). Less is more!
• No Drunken-Uncles
• Warn everyone to get drinks before Speeches. Have one person say "Feel free to get a refill during my speech"
• My Speech Notes

Introducing Yourselves:

You (and your future spouse) will be the only ones who know many people at your wedding. So Consider:

• A Classic Photo-board of pics of the Happy couple, and them as Kids, Grade School, Young Adults, etc
• A slideshow of each member of the bridal party. Make it fun:
• Bachelor(ette) Parties are a great way for people to get to know each other BUT:
  Since they are usually one-gender-only, consider a coed event before hand!

Location / Venue:

• Keep the Wedding IN town! Destination weddings are expensive, and many people:
  • May not be able to make it (elderly)
  • May not be able to afford it (young)
  • May not have enough time (Career people)
  • May not want to pack up their kids and truck out 1000lbs of gear to your special day (parents)
  
  That being said, IF your wedding is more than 20 mins from town for most of your guests, strongly consider offering a shuttle to pickup and drop off.
  Mention this option in your RSVP + Invite
• Ask the Venue how expensive drinks will be for your guests! Imagine if your wedding is remembered as "The only with $9 drinks"!
• Have your wedding at a hotel, especially if many of your guests are from out of town.
  Book as a GROUP so that you can have a "Party room" surrounded on all sides by your friends rooms!
• Consider having it Outdoors, such as in a Park. Pro: very-Cheap. Con: Weather risk!

Theme:

Make your Wedding YOUR Wedding!

Not all of these would imply guests dressing up, they would just dictate the decorations, etc.

• Pirates
• Star Wars
• Video Games
• Cats or Dogs
• Board Games
• Game of Thrones
• Halloween
• New York City
• Vegas

Consider Digital Signs

*Cough, I can help you* (Totally Shameless Plug)

Example:

Carl Hale

Groom

Won't shut up about:His shoes

Loves Nachoes

Salome Fisher

Bride

Won't shut up about:Her Hair

Craves Peanut Butter

Chester Wainwright

Best Man

Won't shut up about:His Cars

Sworn to secrecy about the bachelor Party

Eliot Pinzer

Groomsman

Won't shut up about:His Dog

Once Crashed the Grooms Car

Leroy Sullivan

Groomsman

Won't shut up about:His Cat

Highschool Track Star with Groom

Lionel Cohen

Groomsman

Won't shut up about:Beer

Fellow Boy Scout with the Groom

Edlyn Flynn

Maid of Honor

Won't shut up about:Her Dress

Still Recovering from the Bachelorette Party

Farrah Nolan

Bridesmaid

Won't shut up about:Her Ferret

Brides Older Sister

Shirley Ripperton

Bridesmaid

Won't shut up about:Her Cat

Brides Younger Sister

Genevieve Hayden

Bridesmaid

Won't shut up about:Wine

Swim Team

Fitzgerald Keegan

Father of the Groom

Won't shut up about:His Boat

Taught The to Drive

Kirstyn Eberstark

Mother of the Groom

Won't shut up about:Kilting

Changed The Grooms Diapers

Shamus Race

Father of the Bride

Won't shut up about:Computers

Taught The Bride Everything!

Lucinda Saxon

Mother of the Bride

Won't shut up about:Kittens

Changed The Grooms Diapers

Officiant:

• Officiant (priest, Justice of the Peace, etc) can often stress out bride and Groom.
  They are on a schedule, you may be one of THREE weddings they have to do today!
  Talk to them long and hard before hard, way before your wedding to and ask them for a list of EVERY last thing they need from you.
  Have this list done a month before the wedding!
• 3 Options: A) Hire Officiant. B) Hire Officiant to supervise a friend. C) Get legally married before/afterwards at city hall, then married by friend
• For a personal touch, Consider asking a Friend to Officiate. A Justice of the peace can sit in the audience and legalize the ceremony conducted by anyone, assuming certain rules are followed.
• When do you want them to Show up?
• Where do you want to have the wedding, specifically, where to stand, etc.

Stress-free Perfect, Inexpensive Wedding :

Way too often, couples break up long before they have paid off their wedding. But irregardless, why not skip starting your new life in debt with these simply tips!

• Take wedding pictures somewhere unique.
• TV / Video Introductions of each Guest
• Food: BBQ Chicken, Steak, etc. Salads. Prepared by friends (see below)
• Mass purchase of alcohol. Don't pay per drink.
• Reception and Ceremony at SAME location / all day
• Don't ask your BridesMaids/ Groomsmen to pay more than $300. ($75 Dress; ).
• Bosco Ring-bearer. Teach him to walk, and stop
• Go into Safety Mode the Month / Week before the big day. No Sports, etc.
• Cake: IceCream? Cupcakes?
• Order your dress online. Very Early! And have a trust local seamstress make small alterations.

Friends

I always wondered why people HIRE strangers to do simple things at their weddings. I would suggest asking for friends to help you (for NO MORE than an hour / each)

I'm only one man, but I could easily do 3/4 of these things on my OWN. I would gladly get a Ministers License ($100) and Class 4 Drivers License ($300)

Tasks Include

• Friend Drives Limo
• Two Friends take pictures
• Pre-loaded iPod for Music
• Friend as Justice of the Peace

Thing to Decide / Plan:

• 1st Dance
• Bad Weather Plan
• Bartender
• Cake
• Caterer / Food
• Centerpieces
• Dress
• Flower Girl
• Flowers
• Gift Registry
• Guestbook
• Guest List
• Hair + Makeup
• Honeymoon
• Invitiations
• Jewelry
• Menu
• Music List
• Newspaper Listing
• Officiant
• Photographer
• Place Cards
• Programs
• Ring Bearer
• Save the Date Cards
• Seating Chart
• Speeches
• Suits
• Theme
• Toast
• Transportation
• Ushers
• Venue
• Vows

Pics not to Miss:

• Alter
• Flower Girl
• First Dance
• Bouquet Toss
• Best Men
• Bridal Party
• Head Table
• Brides Family
• Grooms Family
• Pet
• Group Picture
• Garter
• Holding a Thank You Sign
• Cake
• Toast
• Speeches

Toit Nuptials:

Pics:

Videos:

Inspiration :

The Wedding Singer

Links:

• Wedding Video
• Adoptable Dogs!

One Bachelor's Opinion of Why 65% of Marriages Fail:

• Not living your life before getting married. (Your youth is for partying etc.)
• Having kids too early
• Not waiting to see how the person changes
• Getting Married to Please your parents
• Not seeing lack of Intimacy as a massive warning sign
• "Just tell me when to show up" : Massive Red Flag
• Ease of finding new people/cheating (online)
• Leave a day after the wedding to decompress. Visit out of towners. Put in Invite.

Picking a Mate

I'm at the age where many/most/half of the weddings I've been to have already divorced. There seems to be a pattern of things to avoid:

Good Qualities:

• Open and Honest Communication
• Common AND separate activities AND friends
• Healthy Sex Life**Examples**.
  People try to downplay the importance of this, but almost the ONLY thing you are committing to is exclusive access to their genitals.If you aren't completely satisfied, trouble is brewing...

Marriage Pro+Con:

I want to get married. But after seeing half the weddings I've been to end in divorce, I want to make sure to choose the right person, and test the relationship thoroughly (3 to 5 year engagement)

Potential Partner Quiz:

Spend 15 mins doing this quiz, and save yourself from a costly+painful divorce.

1. Do you like the sound of your Ppartner's Voice?
2. Have you been married Before?
3. What debt / assets do you have?
4. Where will you live?
5. Do you plan to have kids? If Yes:
   1. Is there anything you would like to do or accomplish before marrying them?
   2. How to Discipline/Punishment your kids?
   3. What School would they go to?
   4. Who will work to support the family?
   5. What do you teach your Kids about Santa, Tooth fairy, etc.?
   6. What do you teach your kids about Religion?
   7. Would you Circumcise a boy?
   8. Would you Christin them?
   9. Will you share Finances? How?
   10. Baby Names?
   11. Raise them Vegetarian? Diet?
   12. God Parents?
   13. Genetic Problems?
   14. Do Twins Run in your family?
   15. Will you Adopt a Child?
   16. How would our relationship be affected if for medical reasons we could not have children?
   17. Who comes first, your spouse or your children?
   18. Who will change the diapers?
   19. Who will heat the bottles?
   20. Who will prepare the meals?
   21. Who will do the housework?
   22. Who will bathe the child?
   23. Who will get up in the middle of the night?
   24. Who will take the child to the doctor?
   25. Who will have you each spent 48 hours alone with a child under 2?
   26. How would you react if our son or daughter told us they were gay?
6. Do you get along with ALL their Friends?
7. Do you get along with ALL their Family?
8. Have you ever cheated on a previous Partner? Yes-Why?
9. What is your definition of cheating?
10. What Medications are you on?
11. Health History
12. Who is the first person you call when:
    1. You have a Problem?
    2. You Need to talk?
    3. You need a Night out?
    4. You have Great News
13. When you argue with your partner, how do you come to a conclusion:
    1. One Party Caves to Preasure
    2. One Party is worn down
    3. One Party gets Emotional
    4. One Party brings up unrelated points
    5. You come to a Mutual Agreement constructively
    6. We Rarely Do
14. Do you daydream about your partner?
15. How often can your partner change your mind?
16. How does your partner respond to new information that may conflict with a previously held belief?
17. What Activities can you share together?
18. What Activities can you do without your partner?
19. Who is a mutual friend who can resolve and major disputes?
20. If we eliminated physical attraction from our relationship, what would be left?
21. If I put on weight, will it affect our sexual relationship? How?
22. Could any feelings of affection/romance be revived if you met a previous boyfriend/girlfriend after you have committed to me?
23. Is there anything in your past I should be aware of?
24. What did you dislike the most about your previous partners?
25. What would your past boyfriends/girlfriends list as your most negative characteristics,?
26. Do you keep letters and memorabilia from past relationships?
27. Have you ever been involved in any criminal activities? What were they?
28. Did any partner, friend or family memeber abuse you in any way- sexually, emotionally, or physically?
29. Were you ever been violent in past relationships?
30. Do you trust your partner with money?
31. May your Partner open your mail or TXTs?
32. Will you spend as much time with your friends as you did before you were married?
33. Will you continue to have the same activities / sports as you did before you were married?
34. Is there anything about marriage that frightens you?
35. Would you career ever require you to move from your City?
36. How long would you like to wait before having children?
37. Does your partner Nag you?
38. Do you like the way your partner dresses/smells
39. What did you admire about the way your mother and father treated each other?
40. What is the best way for me to communicate difficult feelings about you so that you are not offended?
41. Do you both intend to keep full-time jobs until retirement?
42. What do you fear?
43. What are your views on pornography?
44. How do you feel about having guns in our home?
45. How do you feel about illegal drugs in our home?
46. When you are in a bad mood, how should I deal with it?
A Test
Another Test

Relationship Red Flags:

• Getting Married for the Wrong Reasons.**Examples**.
  • To Compete with an Ex.
  • Because you are Getting Older.
  • To Please your Family
  • Biological Clock Ticking (Babies)
  • Fear of Dying Alone.
• Your Fiancée has few local friends.
• Spending Too much time together.
• Obsessive Hobbies. **Examples**.
  Video Games, Sports Rituals, Drinking/Drugs, etc.
  Something your mate will quickly grow to recent
• You can't trust each other to go out drinking.
• Short Engagements (What is your rush).
• Either / both of you work too much.
• Your in-laws dislike you.
• You haven't clearly/thoroughly discussed plans to have kids.

The Risks:

Choose your mate correctly, or else:

• High school sweethearts who never dated anyone else
• Submitting to Parent's pressure.
• Immigration / Health Benefits Reasons.
• Pregnancy trap
• Break up a decade later wondering where their youth went.
• Then Fight it out with lawyers.

Personal Notes:

• Be sure to thank mom for getting me here.
• Remember Dad's Bottle of Scotch