Wedding Taditions and freebies

20 "MUST TRY" Wedding Day Ideas

Have a Pre-wedding fun-day with your bridal party in order to get acquainted, then if you can decorate or set-up the day before, you can have them help
Add a line for DJ song requests to your R.S.V.P
Make grandma your Flower Girl
For an afternoon wedding serve gourmet breakfast such as omelets & waffles
Use Sparklers for a grand exit
Make your Aisle runner your Love story from your relationship (how you met etc...)
Instead of catering hire food trucks for your wedding.
Special order Mr & Mrs. converse dancing shoes for your reception
Get a self-serve Beer Bar
Rent a Pub-hub and mix drinks prior to your wedding to save money on hiring a bartender.

Instead of wedding favors let people fill up bags of candy of their choice from a candy table
Include an inspirational quote at the entrance to your ceremony.
Leave advice cards such as, what should we name our first child?, at the front or on the tables at your reception.
Instead of every bridesmaid matching your color scheme sometimes a mix of bridesmaid colors can be pretty too.
Decorate the bathroom with funny childhood photos.
Try serving Popsicle's for an outdoor hot venue to keep cool and make the kids happy
Leave crayons at the tables to keep kids busy.
Try serving drinks in a water coolers such as Margaritas.
Have an ice cream bar at your reception.
Instead of a live bouquet try a paper one.

Top Wedding Complaints from guests, and what to do so they don't happen

Think about, and double check your wedding date before you commit. Try to keep in mind any holidays (Christmas etc..) and special occasions (Someones anniversary). Asking guests to give up a tradition, holiday, time with close family, or other big event like the Super Bowl really makes guests angry and could end the night early...

Make sure your invitations are clear and concise when it comes to directions, locations, and bringing an invitee. Then ensure you have a return address with there names of who is or is not going to be there.

Again, consider your venue. Barn weddings are popular, but make sure there are amenities for being at a barn venue. Nobody wants to sit in a hot humid barn with no fan or AC.

Don't forget to thank your guests. Many Brides & Grooms are caught up in all the events, eating etc.. and forget to just stop by each table and say "Thank You"

Too small of a venue with way too many guests. No one likes to feel over crowded or uncomfortable. Before deciding on a venue make sure you take into consideration the size of the venue and how many guests you have.

Thinking of having a cash bar. Your friends and family don't want to pay for drinks at your wedding and that part should be taken care of by the host. You wouldn't expect them to pay if visit your home. However, if you want to save money or can't afford an open bar consider limiting the selection you pay for to beer, wine, and champagne or select mixed drinks.

6 Wedding Traditions Brides Forget

There are so many traditions out there such as sand pouring, candle lighting, and the father passing the hand of his daughters off to the groom. Then there's some really crazy traditions like sawing a log, marking the face with paint, throwing peas, a milk bath, or going door to door collecting gifts in a pillow case.

Don't forget to honor your parents by getting them involved in your wedding. Either through candle lighting or during the ceremony vows just making them feel special is an important tradition many fail to consider.
Cake Cutting... Yes many Brides & Grooms do the cake cutting, but not the proper way. The groom needs to hod the knife with his right hand and the Bride places her hand on his as they cut together. It is the first act besides the First dance that a couple does together. You don't have to get messy doing it just don't smash the cake, be nice..

3. Thanking Guests. Shockingly this tradition has declined and become an informal mic speech just saying thank you. However, going around at your reception and personally thanking each table means the world to your guests.
4. Remembering lost loved ones. This tradition is back on the rise and many couples are starting to consider this as a means to respect and value loved ones that they miss by having a table where no one sits or a quiet moment.
5. Splitting cost of flowers for family and choosing what to buy for the other side of the family. It use to be a tradition for the groom to buy flowers for the bridesmaids and her family, and vice versa for the Bride to buy for the groomsmen.
6. Lastly, Sending guests home with wedding favors. In order to lower costs many Brides & Grooms are now skipping this tradition. Although, many family and friends want a keepsake or expect something for bringing a gift and being a part of your wedding so don't leave this one out.

Bring on the FREE STUFF!

Who doesn't like FREE things? I know what your thinking, nothing in this world is FREE...
However, this is as close to FREE as it gets...

If you sign up with a gift registry through sites like Amazon, Crate & Barrel, Target, & Kohl's, you get anywhere from 15% off to a $50 credit.
You can get a custom wedding site from Wedding Wire or The Knot, and there's also FREE apps to help plan your wedding from the seating chart to organizing your guests, you just need to do a google search to find this apps.
I bet you didn't know you can get FREE "Thank You, & Invitation" cards. If you check out Wedding Chicks .com there are Free templates all you pay for is paper and ink. Beats paying someone else to design them, print, and ship them. In addition check out Vista Print, not very expensive and all you pay for is paper & quantity.
Many Bakeries & Catering companies do offer a FREE tasting for you and your significant other. Who wouldn't want FREE cake, getting hungry just thinking about it..
Lastly, if you have a Bachelor or Bachelorette party, or even if you have an early wedding and decide to go out many bars & people will offer you FREE drinks just for going out to celebrate.

Time to change up some OLD wedding traditions

There's Cake cutting, Garter removal & toss, Giving the bride away, Photography, Who pays for the wedding, and Seeing the bride before the wedding...

1) Do you want to stick to tradition and have a cake at your reception or...
Many couples are opting to have a dessert station or even cupcakes as opposed to the traditional wedding cake.

2) Everyone wants to capture the perfect pic at a family or friends wedding. However, there are 2 tradition breakers going on when it comes to photography..
Many couples are implementing a NO electronics policy, and some are opting to have guests send pics to social media to share, guess it depends on whose getting married and what they want!

3) Traditionally a bride has all her single friends get on the dance floor and throw her bouquet. However, this tradition for some brides is becoming somewhat stagnant and many Brides are choosing to give this bouquet to the couple during the anniversary dance who have been married the longest or to a friend.

4) Weddings can be very expensive! Old traditions such as Brides parents pay for the ceremony, grooms parents pay for the reception and the honeymoon, are pretty much a thing of the past..
Instead couples are opting to sit down and budget for the wedding then see what each family can do to help. If at all else many couples are paying the whole bill, ouch!

5) Many guests like the garter removal and toss. Surprisingly lately, many couples are choosing to pass on this tradition. To each there own I guess...

7) The groom can not see the Bride before the wedding! Yes this is quickly become old hat for couples. Numerous Brides & Grooms are choosing to have a 1st look with photography present for the grooms expression and to catch the moment.

6) Nowadays, many if not all Brides like to look beautiful for there wedding, but not at the cost of being uncomfortable, for the reception that is. Most if not all are either ditching the shoes with heels or bringing an extra pair to change into.

8) Here comes the Bride, all dressed in...what the??? Yes believe it or not the white dress is optional and some Brides are choosing other colors to get married in such as champagne or ivory..