Planning a “Man Shower” for the Groom-To-Be

Karen Sullen of MyWeddingFavors.com asks: Why should the bride have all the fun?

She proposes an alternative to the bachelor party, the “Man Shower” as a fun way for the groom to be showered with gifts and well wishes.

Planning a “Man Shower” for the Groom-To-Be
By: Karen Sullen

Bridal showers have come a long way, indeed. First there was the traditional shower for women only, then the couple’s shower with a co-ed guest list, and now we welcome the “Man Shower!” It’s the same idea as a bridal shower, but with a manly twist. A great alternative to a bachelor party, groomsmen, family and friends gather to wish the groom well. Rather than a night of partying with scantily-clad women, this men-only event features plenty of manly foods, gifts and games. And why shouldn’t they have their own? Ladies have enjoyed their private showers for years. So if your future husband decides he wants to get in on some shower action, try these themes.

King Of The Grill: A sizzlin’ summer cookout makes a great setting for a “Man Shower.” Hubby-to-be will be king of the grill, and guests can bring everything to outfit a barbeque, including the grill, utensils and more! Giving each guest a personalized bottle of hot sauce is a great way to end the day.

Beach Bum: Plan a day at the beach or a sailing excursion for the groom and his crew. Take in the sights of dolphins just off the shore or go deep-sea fishing. It’s the perfect way for the groom to celebrate sailing into his new life. Guests can fill his “boat” with nautical or beach wedding favors and gifts.

Fore Him: A golf-themed shower is perfect for the golf-enthusiast. If you hold it at the clubhouse of a great golf course, guests can play a “round” after he opens a round of golf-themed gifts, like golf towels, balls and golf ball bottle openers.

Stock The Bar: The bar is open and ready for guests to bring the groom’s favorite wine. Enjoy a private wine-tasting with sumptuous foods for an upscale gathering. From bottle stoppers and glasses to a personalized “old world” bar sign to accent the home, this is a definite twist on giving home furnishings!

No matter which theme you choose, the “Man Shower” is a great way for the groom to celebrate and bond with close family and friends. Beyond the gifts, the memories will last a lifetime!

WedAlert thanks Karen for the great ideas. You can also read more about unique ideas for the grooms by checking out Weekend Adventures-A New Trend in Bachelor Parties

From Your Heart To Their Lips: The Top 10 Food Favors for Weddings

Take the guesswork out of finding the perfect wedding favor! Here are our Top 10 Picks for fabulous edible favors for your wedding or bridal shower.

Choosing the right wedding favor can be a challenge. There a so many choices, it can make your head spin! From placecard holders to pampering items, there seems to be a gift for every occasion and theme. But how do you know which ones your guests will truly enjoy? Choose a gift with good taste! Food gifts remain the most popular gift choice for wedding favors. Take a look at these mouth-watering wedding favors that top our list!

Chocolate
Anything chocolate is #1 with brides and guests alike. Traditional favorites include personalized chocolate bars and squares, but the latest trends also rank themed chocolates (shaped like wedding bells, starfish, cakes, etc.) and even chocolate puzzles high on the list.

Shaped Cookies
The possibilities are endless with these delicious shortbread cookies. Available in a variety of themes, including hearts, cakes, bells and bride-and-groom, these sweet treats can accommodate most wedding themes, from beach to golf.

Mints
Whether in tins, rolls, pillow packs or “matchbooks,” refreshing mints are always a popular choice. They’re kosher and usually don’t tempt anyone to break their diet. Personalizing them with wedding information makes them a favor to savor.

Coffee & Tea
Beverages are among the top 10 because they’re affordable, practical and lend themselves easily to a variety of themes. Not only popular fall-themed favors, coffee and tea are delightful any time of the year for the couple that’s a perfect blend.

Wedding Oreos
Go ahead. Indulge! The decadent enjoyment that comes with these double-dipped Oreos will give your taste buds a treat. Available in white and chocolate wedding themes, they’re a great way to dress up an old favorite.

Jordan Almonds
This classic wedding favor still makes the list because of its sweet, crunchy, nutty goodness. They’re also a great do-it-yourself wedding favor. You can purchase them bulk and package them yourselves in a variety of elegant wedding favor boxes. “Wedding gown” favor bags filled with candy make a cute bridal shower favor.

Fortune Cookies
Including a message of appreciation inside the fortune cookie makes this a unique wedding favor. Not just for Asian weddings, they can be used to spread good fortune among your guests.

Mini Cakes
Don’t cut the cake! These personal-sized mini wedding cakes let guests have their cake and eat it too—without standing in line to get it!

Covered Strawberries
These tuxedo strawberries add an unexpected elegance to your wedding. Delicious berries are “dressed” in a tuxedo and wedding gown made of chocolate. These “bride and groom” chocolate covered strawberries are a match made in heaven.

Biscotti
Chocolate-dipped and personalized, these biscotti wedding favors are a crunchy delight. Guests can enjoy them at the reception or with a hot cup of coffee at home. Either way, the uniqueness of this favor is sure to stand out.

By: Karen Sullen
MyWeddingFavors.com

Wedding Invitations – How to be Creative Even on the Outside

Wedding invitations are one of the few pieces of mail that people enjoy receiving. It’s fun to open up that envelope knowing there’s a custom invitation inside. But amidst all of today’s junk mail, how can you make your envelope stand out to get your guests’ attention?

There are actually several ways you can make your mailing envelope as unique as your wedding invitation.

• Shape - With so many wedding invitation designs available today, you could easily select a uniquely shaped style such as square or tea length. The mailing envelope will then reflect that same distinctive size to fit the invitation.
  
  
• Style - Another option is to select a Seal and Send wedding invitation style. This all-in-one invitation is designed to be folded into a self-mailing piece eliminating the need for a mailing envelope. The response card is attached to the invitation so it can be easily detached by your wedding guest along the perforation. This also eliminates the response card return mailing envelope and saves on your postage cost as it only requires a postcard stamp.
  
  
• Color - How about using color for emphasis? Some wedding invitations now come with colored mailing envelopes. In particular, self-mailer invitations often include a colored envelopment. The envelopment holds your invitation card and has a built-in pocket for keeping any extra enclosures. It is then folded up wrapping around all your invitation pieces to become your mailing envelope.
  
  
• Decorative Seals - Adding a seal to your wedding invitation envelope could be that extra touch you’ve been looking for. Even though your envelope is sealed, you can choose to place a special seal on the back so it gives the illusion that the seal is actually holding the flap down. There are many seal design choices, from monograms to first names to specific themes. Their appearance can be clear, white, silver, gold, embossed, etc.
  
  
• Custom Wedding Stamps - There are now websites that offer you the option of creating your own personalized postage stamps using an uploaded photo or choosing from ready-to-use wedding designs. This is a great way to dress up your wedding invitation envelopes to reflect your personal style.
  

You want to be sure your wedding invitation gets the attention of your guests as soon as it arrives in their mail and that it doesn’t get lost in their sea of junk mail and bills. Using any of the above suggestions will surely accomplish this and will start building their excitement even before they see your actual invitation.

Sara Haese
http://www.PrintedCreationsWeddingStore.com
Visitors can also sign up to receive her FREE Wedding Invitation Guide.

Bouquet and Garter Toss: Should We or Shouldn’t We?

Like many traditions, the bouquet and garter toss, are slowly being replaced by more all-inclusive wedding reception activities. In the last five years, wedding professionals have noted a decline in these long-standing traditions and estimate the frequency of bouquet and garter tosses during wedding receptions today to be approximately 50 percent.

Whether you choose to include these traditions or “toss” them is completely up to you. Singling out the singles with bouquet and garter rituals isn’t as relevant today, when many wait longer to marry and some choose to remain single. A Bride and Groom may prefer to spend their party moments visiting with beloved guests and dancing to the music, instead.

Whatever you decide, the a professional DJ can share their experiences and help you plan your party time activities. If you’re still undecided after reading these lists of Pros and Cons, your DJ can suggest updated versions of bouquet and garter toss traditions that will satisfy guests of all generations.

Where did the bouquet and garter toss originate?

In the 14th century, it was customary for the Groom to remove the Bride’s garter and throw it toward the single men in attendance. Legend said that whoever caught the garter would be the next to marry. At the often-rowdy party following the wedding, a few drunk and impatient men would occasionally try to remove the Bride’s garter before the Groom had his opportunity. At those times, we can only hope the Groom intervened and rescued his Bride from the boisterous crowd. In light of this, perhaps seeing who would marry next by having the Bride toss her bridal bouquet toward the single women was less troublesome!

Pros of hosting a bouquet and garter toss

1) It’s Tradition. Some in attendance are waiting for this moment during your reception. The bouquet toss and, to a lesser extent, the garter toss are benchmarks for the older generations. When a tradition is observed, their expectation is fulfilled and a certain comfort level borne of familiarity is reached.

2) Guests get involved. If plenty of singles are at your party, the event generates suspense for your wedding guests. If some of the singles are well-mannered but rowdy friends, you can expect great enjoyment and fun. Hosting the toss in the midst of your dance party is a great way to get singles to meet on the dance floor. All guests want to feel the thrill of the moment, and a great Master of Ceremonies will include married couples in the event, too. Professional DJs draw on their experience and follow simple techniques that engage your guests and elevate the excitement of your reception’s most memorable moments.

3) Great photo and video opportunities are made. You can expect great shots of your friends wearing spontaneous smiles and their Sunday best. The camera will capture their laughter and looks of surprise, embarrassment and goofiness, as they carry out the traditions of the bouquet and garter toss.

4) Bouquet and garter tosses can be fun. If the singles at your reception are in the spirit of the moment, then these rituals that bring people together will be fun and exciting for you and your guests.

Cons of hosting a bouquet and garter toss

1) Many guests may not want to participate. It’s customary for the Bride to help gather the singles in attendance and invite them to get involved in the bouquet and garter toss. If singles are reluctant to participate, but go along to be polite to the Bride, the events won’t be fun for them and may make them uncomfortable, a feeling which is sure to spread among the guests watching them.

2) There’s less party time. If your dance floor is rockin’, why screech the party to a halt? Even small traditions, like the garter and bouquet toss, take a little time to organize. You can expect to spend 10 to 12 minutes gathering the participants, and watching rowdier singles prolong their moments in the spotlight. While others are distracted, guests who aren’t caught up in the moment may take this opportunity to leave.

3) Do you really want a picture of this, anyway? Since the bouquet and garter toss are mostly staged events, we all know what to expect, with certain variations on the old theme.

4) Some guests may act inappropriately. Why take the chance of subjecting your guests to potentially ill-advised and outlandish actions?

Putting a new spin on the bouquet and garter toss

Enjoy an Anniversary Dance. This fun variation on the usual theme is a suspenseful event that invites married couples of all ages to be part of an “elimination” dance that ends with a nice surprise.

All married couples are invited to the dance floor for the first song. Those married less than 6 months are asked to step down for the next dance. Those married less than a year are asked to bow out, followed by those married 3 years, 5 years, and so on, until the last couple on the dance floor is the one that has been married the longest – which is sometimes 50 or 60 years! The Master of Ceremonies steps onto the floor to congratulate them and to ask for their sage advice on behalf of the new Bride and Groom. In return for their words of wisdom, the Bride and Groom offer the older couple the Bride’s bouquet.

It’s Your Party. Do What You Want.

Depending on your guests, the bouquet and garter toss can be a fun event. However, you will find that hardly anyone will miss it if you choose to skip them. It’s totally up to you, it is YOUR wedding reception!

© Copyright 2007. Mike Staff Productions, Inc. All rights reserved.
About the Author
Mike Staff is the owner of Mike Staff Productions (www.mikestaff.com), an award winning Wedding DJ, Entertainment and Videography Company located in metropolitan Detroit, Michigan. Mike is also a well known Detroit radio personality, having spent over 14 years on-the-air at one of Detroit's most popular music stations, 101-FM WRIF.

Winter Wedding Tips

Are you planning on getting married this winter? Here are some tips on how to decorate and plan your winter wedding.

Décor that appeals to the senses is important when trying to pulling off a romantic winter wedding. "Choose colors of rich jewel tones such as purple, forest green, and navy. Sapphire blue, ice blue or powder blue, silver and white can be used if you want to steer clear of the traditional Christmas colors", suggests Lynette Gamble, senior coordinator of Affairs of Grandeur. The glow of candlelight will add warmth and ambiance to your ceremony and reception site.

Lynette also suggests to keep floral costs to a minimum, use flowers that are already available during the winter months. Some flower choices are: poinsettias, roses, amaryllis, and lilies. Evergreens are popular choices for decorations while holly branches and other plants with red berries are ideal for use in floral arrangements.

The season that you are getting married can spark some great, creative ideas for wedding centerpieces, says Stephen Badali of the Wedding Ideas Guide, who suggests adding pine cones or holiday items.

Mikki Viereck, WedAlert's resident wedding expert from Ask Mikki advises choosing white flowers (with touches of silver twigs and/or silver netting. Additionally, silver ribbon on the cake, tables, bouquets or chairs would work.

Many reception facilities have cozy fireplaces to add ambiance and warmth for your winter wedding.

Adding an ice sculpture to display during your cocktail hour and/or reception is always a great idea for a winter themed wedding.

Also, you can consider winter foods for your menu. Include hot chocolate with the coffee service, and start with a hot soup appetizer.

As for favors, Lynette Gamble recommends candles of course. "Cinnamon Apple, Pumpkin Pie, and Vanilla are all pleasant scents that remind you of being a kid in your grandmothers' kitchen and they're nice this time of year", says Gamble. "Spiced teas, coffee mugs, snow globes and Christmas ornaments imprinted with the couples name and wedding date will also make great favors."

Good luck with your upcoming wedding. May it truly be a Winter Wonderland.

WedAlert Resources:
How to Create a Romantic Winter Wedding
Ask Mikki
Wedding Centerpieces - Four Tips For Stunning Centerpieces

PhotoStamps perfect for Weddings

PhotoStamps are a perfect way to make your special day even more special.

Use these personalized stamps for wedding invitations, save-the-date cards, thank-you notes, and gifts!

So before you mail out anything to your wedding guests get PhotoStamps first.

Bridezillas is looking for WedAlert Brides

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bridezillas is looking for WedAlert Brides

HACKENSACK, NJ (November 6, 2007)-WedAlert.com, one of the most popular and fastest growing interactive online wedding planning directories on the Internet, today announced that Bridezillas is looking for WedAlert Brides.

Bridezillas, WE TV’s most successful series is back for a 5th Season and is currently seeking brides that are getting married from November 2007 to April 2008.

Bridezillas is looking to WedAlert to find these brides. Therefore, if you are planning a wedding in the next six months, and your wedding plans are getting out of control, and you are doing everything in your power to make sure your wedding is perfect, and you think you have what it takes to be on America's top rated wedding show, then visit http://www.wedalert.com/showcase/Bridezillas to submit your information.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

About WedAlert.com
Established in 1995, with headquarters in Hackensack, NJ, WedAlert.com is one of the most popular and fastest growing interactive online wedding planning directories on the Internet whose mission is to match the local bride and groom with wedding professionals in their geographic area, taking them from the engagement all the way through to the “I do” straight through to the honeymoon. By offering free access to the largest wedding song library on the Internet and other multimedia tools, such as virtual tours and streaming video, WedAlert.com saves couples both valuable time and money involved in planning their wedding. For more information, please visit www.WedAlert.com.


About Bridezillas
Bridezillas has been featured on The View, E Entertainment, Entertainment Tonight, Good Morning America, Dr Phil, as well as many other notable news outlets. The show has become a cultural phenomenon and the word itself “Bridezilla” has become part of our urban dictionary.

Bridal Shower Themes -- Trendy to Avant-garde

Tired of the old paper-plate-ribbon-bouquet type bridal shower? Looking for new ideas to make your bridal shower a hit? Start with a bridal shower theme! A theme makes the shower planning easy and sets a fun mood for the guest and the bride.

Gone are the bridal shower rules of following proper etiquette and protocol. Today's showers are all about entertaining amusements designed to fit the bride's personality. Anything from a from wild bachelorette soiree to casual coed barbecue is acceptable. What about your bride? Does she like adventurous fun or perhaps she prefers a more formal structured setting. Whatever your brides personality, you'll find unique bridal shower themes in this list of theme suggestions:

Trendy Wedding Showers - Everybody Is Doing It!

Jack and Jill Wedding Showers - The groom and his buddies join the ladies for this one. These parties are casual affairs held in the afternoon as barbecue or in the evenings as a cocktail party. Considerations for both the bride and groom go into planning coed parties. Do they have a favorite team? How about a sports-themed event at a favorite local sports bar. How about a stock-the-bar or stock-the-garage theme in addition to stock-the-pantry -- gifts for her and gifts for him.

Spa Bridal Shower - Treat your bride and party guest to a day of pampering at a local spa. Many spa's accommodate such an event and will be glad to offer suggestions for planning it. If the cost is out-of-reach consider an at-home spa bridal shower. Stacks of white towels, manicure and pedicure supplies and a hired massage therapist will do the trick.

Round the Clock Shower - Each guest is assigned a time of day, such as 7 AM, 12 Noon, 10 PM. Their gift reflects what one would be doing at that time of the day. Perhaps guest assigned 7 AM gives an omelet pan, the 10 PM guest could give pampering bath items or lingerie.

Room of the House Shower - Each guest is assigned a room of the house and chooses a gift that is appropriate for that room.

Honeymoon Shower - This theme centers around the couple's honeymoon destination. Decor, food and gifts reflect the destination such as a luau theme for Hawaiian or tropical destinations; outdoor gear for adventurous outdoorsy ones. Other items may include maps, travel guides or luggage.

Lingerie Shower - Guest give the bride gifts of lingerie, often very sexy lingerie. These events run the gamut from mild to quite racy. In addition to the living room, lingerie showers can be held in a banquet or favorite bar and have been known to include a surprise visit from a dancer of the male persuasion.

Unique Wedding Shower Themes - Memorable Showers as Unique as the Bride!

Mystical Bridal Shower - Hire a fortune teller or palm reader for a metaphysical shower experience. This is usually an actor who sets the stage for fun with off-the-wall predictions about the bride and guests.

High-Tech Shower - For the high tech couple, create a cyberspace-age atmosphere. Use blue light bulbs to mock the techno blue glow of computer monitors. Use floppy disks as coasters and give custom-made mouse pads personalized with a photo of the couple, their names and wedding date as party favors. forget paper invitations via snail mail; email invitations instead! Guests could give gift certificates for high-tech shopping.

Health and Fitness Shower - Is your bride a fitness fanatic? Reserve the rock-climbing wall at a local sport center or take this coed shower to a park or beach. Organize a golf, tennis, volleyball or racquetball tournament. Great for Coed showers too!

Stock the Bar Shower - Forget the pantry, how about stocking the bar. A great idea for couples who frequently host parties.

Wine Tasting Shower - Organize a wine tasting event in honor of the bride. This can be held at a winery or local cafe. Guest could bring wine and bar related gifts.

Stock the Garage - Brides need power tools too! Maybe the happy couple will be buying a fixer-upper or planning a house remodel? Is the bride or groom a car buff? How about car cleaning and maintenance supplies.

Bridal Shower Cruise - If you are lucky enough to live near water, a shower aboard a local cruise or tour vessel is a great setting for a fun event. Even better if the bride or groom is into boating.

Christmas Shower - This is perfect for winter weddings. Guest will bring a Christmas tree ornament or other Christmas related gifts.

Memories Shower - Each guest brings a memento to represent a special or funny experience shared with the bride. Another option for a coed shower is to play videos or display images of the bride and groom as children. Guest can share remembered childhood stories and events.

Garden Shower - Perfect for a June Bride into gardening (or hopes to be). Hold the event in a garden setting and have the guest bring gardening related gifts. A fun twist is for guest to come wearing a decorated sun shade hat. The best hat design wins a door prize!

By Terri Hunziker of GamesAndLetters.com

Hawaii has been added

The Hawaii Wedding page has been added to WedAlert. So if you are planning a Hawaiian wedding, visit it at http://www.wedalert.com/local_wedding_services/hawaii/.

Why Wedding Colors Aren't Such a Huge Help After All

It was during the holidays, most likely. At the glitzy restaurant, you got your diamond solitaire and the proposal you'd been waiting for, maybe for years (which wasn't, "hey, you wanna get two tickets to the Rangers this weekend?"). Then it was tears, a smattering of applause, crème brulée (hopefully), a frantic call to the parents and the top five BFFs, and then with any luck, you sat back for a good week or three to simply enjoy the moment, before diving head-first into what could be a solid year of wedding planning. You did, didn't you?

After that, it was binder time ... or event planning software time, depending on how addicted you are to your Blackberry. Now it was a simple matter of selecting a generous handful of vendors and checking off a few hundred boxes. But somewhere in all this, you and your fiancé needed to lead the troops, set the flow. Where do most people start? By choosing wedding colors.

The problem is, this is a lousy place to start. There's no question, wedding colors are valuable. Fundamental, even. You can't choose your invitations or even something as minuscule as a bouquet wrap without them. But these days, the average wedding is a very big event. And very big events need a center with far more emotional resonance than colors can offer. And that center is a theme.

Some brides balk at themes. They picture bridesmaids with fairy wings or magic wands, or towering piles of pumpkins and gourds stacked on hay bales. "Not for me," you hear. "My theme is 'a wedding.'"

But a wedding planner won't let you get away with that. And let's listen to her, because she
knows what she's doing. A wedding planner knows that every love story has a theme, including yours.

Let's make the theme-haters feel better by calling it by some other words. Let's try 'mood.' Or get wordy, and say 'a sense of place and time.'

Your wedding is a day-long dramatization of your story as a couple. Think of it as a movie ... goodness knows you'll be spending enough on photography and videography to justify that. So even if you plan to skip the hay bales, your event still needs to have a storyline, a look, a feel, a heart. And that heart depends on you two: your personalities, what brought you together, and your gut feelings about romance.

Arsty couples are basing their receptions on black-and-white movies (for some, a picture of ultimate glamour) or even a painting, like van Gogh's Starry Night. Starry Night evokes a definite mood. And within that mood are all the elements you need to plan an event: even one as big as a wedding. Moulin Rouge's love story is another mood, place and time.

The problem with pink and silver, say, or peach and chartreuse, is that there just isn't enough emotional vibration to move forward. Pink and silver doesn't say much about your hopes and dreams for your new life together, or how you met at the coffee shop, or cheered in the stands together as college sweethearts. It doesn't tell your guests much about you as a couple: how he left a rose on your car seat, or stayed up all night with your sick dog (now the happy ringbearer), or how you both independently came to the conclusion that you simply have to bike across France within the next ten years.

And that's what a reception is for ... to breathe that love story to life in some way that your guests will absorb, and remember.

So think about you two as individuals before you think about colors. The colors are secondary, if that. They're workhorses, and they'll serve you well, but settling on colors before you flesh out a theme is like distributing the trailer before you storyboard the movie. It leads to a lot of frustration and dead ends. And if you don't believe me, visit the color sections on my site where bride after bride is agonizing over what to do next, now that she's picked her colors. The colors give her no clue.

Spend your time on the theme, and let the colors play a supporting role. You'll find that a well-developed theme starts to almost plan the wedding for you. And then, when the day arrives, it tells your guests exactly who you are ... and how you love. And that's what a wedding's for.

This article was provided by Blake Kritzberg at FavorIdeas, a site for wedding favors, theme wedding ideas and sharing bridal finds.