Give the Best Wedding Toast Ever

Wedding toasts are an enduring tradition and an important part of every wedding reception. In popular culture, films, television shows, and commercial ads have all emphasized the hilarity that ensues when the best man flubs the wedding toast.

In real life, however, no couple wants their wedding to be remembered for a botched wedding toast, so it is important that the best man, and anyone else who is asked to give a toast at the reception, plan their words carefully, well in advance of the reception. Typically, the best man's speech for the wedding toast is the first speech of the wedding reception, and it sets the tone for the rest of the event. Even if the best man has not been asked to give a wedding toast, he should be prepared to do so. The best wedding toasts include several important elements.

Introduction

Wedding guests, especially at a large wedding, may not know the wedding party. First, the best man should begin by getting the crowd's attention, introducing himself, explaining his relationship to the couple, and warning the guests that a wedding toast is coming, so they can fill their glasses and be ready for the toast.

Congratulations to the Happy Couple

Next, the best man should congratulate the couple on their marriage. They have just survived perhaps the most important and momentous event in their lives so far, and they deserve to be congratulated. It is also appropriate at this time for the best man to comment on how beautiful the bride looks, and how she is the "perfect girl" for the groom to marry. If the best man doesn't know the bride well, the wedding toast can also include remarks about how much the best man looks forward to getting to know the bride in the coming months and years.

Personalize the Wedding Toast

The best wedding toasts include a personal touch. The best man should tell a funny story about his experiences with the groom before the bride came along, or an anecdote from the bachelor party. This story should not embarrass the groom in any way, and it should not mention old girlfriends or former marriages. The best man should share a brief reminiscence that is appropriate for all ages – nothing that will cause the couple or their parents or grandparents to cringe.

Go for the Emotion

A wedding is an emotional experience, and the best man should not be afraid to pull out the stops and be more emotional than he ordinarily would be in a speech. Appropriate emotional remarks might include a comment about how the couple inspires him to find his true love, or how he hopes that his marriage will be as happy as theirs.

Whatever the speech, it is vital that the best man write down the wedding toast and rehearse it beforehand. If the toast goes well, when it is over, the bride and groom and their guests will go on to enjoy the rest of the reception.

Plan Your Wedding Songs Carefully

Music played at weddings can come in many different styles, fashions and venues. Because of this, even though you may have a strong preference, make sure you keep other things in mind.

When you choose wedding songs for your wedding ceremony, you need to take into consideration your spouse's likes and dislikes as well. Planning and rehearsing the wedding songs is critical to the success and smooth flow of the ceremony on the D-day.

What Type of Wedding Songs Should You Choose?

As mentioned earlier, the wedding songs should be a job that you do with your spouse not with yourself or even friends or parents. Find out what songs he/she loves and have it on the list of a few dedicated songs that would delight you and your partner.

Besides the especially dedicated songs, you would also need to plan the flow of the songs along with the orchestra. For example when exactly the orchestra, band or DJ should play the song, where the groom dances for the first time with his bride immediately after their marriage, and so on.

The order of the wedding songs, their tempo, whether or not they should be sung with the lyrics or without are just a few of the aspects that need to be ironed out before the wedding ceremony commences. In order to do so, you would need to rehearse with the band, DJ or other choice at least two to three times, just as you would be dancing at the wedding.

Add a Little Spice to Your Wedding

If you would be inclined to add a little spice to the wedding ceremony, have an impromptu singing competition where your guests would have to sing any song that could be dedicated to you separately or as a couple. You could also offer token prizes for the person who dances the most, the best and the most outrageous. It is very much in your hands to make your wedding as much fun-filled as you would have it and wedding songs are a great medium for doing this.

In order to bend it a little, surprise your guests with a different genre of songs well selected to match the wedding environment. You could also call on stage in the middle of the celebrations a famous vocalist, or offer to sing yourself a song you have dedicated to your spouse; or ask your parents to sing their favorite song – if there is any.

Significance of the Wedding Rings

In many countries wedding rings are considered sacred symbols of love and endless devotion. There are many customs that concern wedding rings across the world, each one offering a heart warming symbolism that celebrates love.

A Rose by Any Other Name Would Smell As Sweet

There are different variants of customs regarding wedding rings all over the world – all meaning more or less the same. In most countries, the wedding rings are made of a type of metal, though the favorite and most popular choice is gold, in the form of a flat band.

These rings normally have no design, stone or embellishment on it. These wedding rings are shaped in this way for a reason – the flat band that looks like a continuous circle symbolizes the eternal love the couple vows to give one another.

In some countries the name of the spouse is engraved on the inside of the ring with a tiny inscription. This would once again symbolic of the fact that the name of the spouse is forever inscribed in one another's heart.

Wedding rings are usually worn on the fourth finger of the left hand – this is because it is believed that there is a vein that connects it directly to the heart and hence when the ring is worn here it stays closest to the heart. In other countries it is worn on the right hand symbolizing its importance – from the custom that had the most important guest to be seated on the right side of the host.

In most countries in Europe the wedding rings once made can never be individually modified as this would mean that the couple would separate. In case any change is required, both the rings would be melted and remade. Under this premise, it is considered extreme bad luck to lose your wedding ring under any circumstance. In case one of the spouses does lose his/ her wedding ring, two more need to be made at the earliest and worn in unison. The odd one in the pair (the ring that was not lost) should never be worn again.

These traditions are such that their meaning and symbolisms have become ageless. This shows that no matter how modern you are, no matter where you live, no matter the country from where you originate, no matter how rich or poor you are - when you speak of love, the language in universal.

What Usually Happens In Wedding Receptions

After the wedding ceremony in your place of worship, the bridal party and the guests usually convene to a reception. Wedding receptions are usually included in most weddings although some couples go directly to their honeymoon after the church or place of worship. Some wedding receptions happen in time for brunch while others are for lunch and dinner. The most common are dinner receptions which take a lot more time than lunch receptions.

Introduction

Usually, in wedding receptions, the newlyweds are introduced for the first time as a married couple. After the introduction, dinner sometimes follows but in some wedding receptions, the cutting of the cake comes first. This is to give enough time for the waiters to cut the cake and serve it for dessert.

After Dinner

Dinner is usually the first thing to be done after the introduction. Towards the end of dinner, the best man may begin his speech or celebratory toast. If either of the bride or groom wishes to speak and thank some people for the wedding, this is the time to do it. In most wedding receptions, the cutting of the cake comes after dinner followed by feeding each other some cake and drinking of some wine or champagne. The bouquet toss may also occur during this time as well as the garter toss.

In some wedding receptions, depending on the culture, some other ceremonies might happen at his time. After dinner and before the dancing begins is the best time to do any other traditions you might have.

Dancing

The dance is usually started by the bride and groom and other will follow suit. Initiating a money dance can be beneficial for the couple. A money dance is where whosoever wants to dance with the couple is obliged to pin any amount of money on their clothes. This can add to the couple's nest egg since many relatives might like to help them or just dance with them in order to greet them personally. Some wedding receptions might also have a traditional group dance or a presentation.

Some wedding receptions have a live band which the couple has hired to better enjoy the dancing. A DJ is also another option when considering dancing after the reception. When the dancing starts, most wedding receptions turn into a big party for the bride and groom. This can last until the wee hours of the morning, which is why dinner wedding receptions take longer.

How Do You Choose Wedding Hairstyles That Complement You Best?

Your wedding day is the day you have dreamed about ever since you were a little girl. It is of course expected that you would be worried about the arrangements of the wedding, fearing that proper planning and organization might not fight the famous Murphy's Laws that are known around weddings.

Relax - Everything Is Under Control

Since you are thinking of Murphy's Law, there are other 'laws' of the Universe that work pretty well. For example when there is chaos around you, things tend to fall right into place. So do not worry much about the overall picture, take care of each of the details that make that big picture of your wedding, and everything will be alright. Basically, even it isn’t perfect it will still be the most wonderful day in you and your partner’s life.

What You Need to Keep In Mind When You Choose Wedding Hairstyles

Basically, there are three major factors that should influence your decision on the wedding hairstyles you choose for the wedding. One being your overall look, others would be the type of dress you would wear, the wedding theme you want to incorporate, the dress cut and décolletage, the location of your wedding and your comfort – not necessarily in this order.

Overall Look

There are so many wedding hairstyles available that you could easily find one that would project the exact image you want to have for the wedding day. In order to get the right look, you would need to meet with a hairstylist and show them your dress along with letting them know about the theme of your wedding. The more information you provide to the hairstylist, the better they can help you get the look you’re looking for.

Location of Your Wedding

Are you planning to have your wedding outdoors or indoors? Outdoor weddings might require simpler and ruffle proof wedding hairstyles lest the wind might blow harder than expected and destroy your coiffure. The outdoors might also mean high humidity which is once again an aspect that would endanger elaborate wedding hairstyles. You could use fancy and sophisticated wedding hairstyles only if the wedding would take place in a controlled indoor atmosphere.

Comfort

You need to keep in mind that this is going to be a day where you will be the center of attention. That means you would need to dance with everyone, pose with everyone, speak with everyone and so on. If your hairstyle is too tight, it would work into a massive headache within no time and destroy the enjoyment of the day for you. Alternatively, if the hairstyle is too simple, it would make you feel you lack the elegance and poise that the ceremony demands. Hence, you need to choose a hairstyle that would not only look smashing on you, but also be as comfortable as possible.

Three Factors That Guarantee the Best Possible Wedding Gown

A wedding gown is probably the most expensive item (excluding jewelry) that you would find at any wedding ceremony. Since this would be as expensive as it is important to the bride, it is critical to have the best there is for the money you are willing to pay.

When you want to choose the perfect wedding gown, you need to keep in mind the following three factors: the type of your wedding (formal, traditional, court, informal, etc); the location of the wedding, and your comfort.

The Type of Wedding and the Influence It Has On the Wedding Gown You Choose

In cases where you prefer a traditional marriage, your wedding gown would need to be traditional too - white, long with a lovely veil drawn upon your face, and so on. A traditional wedding would mean that you need to choose one from among the many formal wedding gowns available. On the other hand a non-traditional wedding would mean you could choose anything as your wedding dress. In this case you could wear mini wedding gowns, unusual wedding gowns, or anything that you would like to make an impression with.

The next influencing factor is the location of the wedding. If it is formal and the ceremony would be held inside a church or chapel; once again the best choice would point towards traditional wear. If the location the other hand is in a banquet hall or hotel or in an open space where you and your guests would be free from any strings, you could wear anything from the latest collection of wedding gowns so you could project a drop-dead gorgeous and contemporary look.

The third factor and a very important one is your own comfort. The value of the wedding gowns you could choose depends on how comfortable you would feel when you would wear them. Comfort is indeed one of the most critical factors of the gown. It is great to look good on your wedding day. However, if it is not comfortable, no matter how beautiful you would look in the gown you would not last the wedding reception (lunch or evening) party and that is an immense shame because the wedding is your special day which should not be compromised at any cost.

What Else Make the Wedding Gowns Attractive?

You need to know what type of cut would flatter your body, what color, what length and so on. For this purpose, you would need to have a number of sessions with the tailor so he/ she would understand what you want out of the dress and the fit should perfect. Do no leave anything to chance – after all a wedding day is supposed to come once in a lifetime.

Good and Bad Wedding Favors

When you are planning your wedding reception nearly everything you use and give out will be a part of your personality as a couple and that is the way it should be. However you also need to remember that as much as it is your day you did invite friends and family to share that day with you so while it is nice to put personal touches in your own wedding you may want to try and make it a little universal so that you are not alienating anyone.

If you want something that is heavy on the personality, like a Star Wars themed wedding or something, then only invite people that would appreciate that. It is guaranteed that if you try and make your old Uncle Lou dress up as a storm trooper just to be in your wedding that you will hear about it probably for the rest of your life. So just remember that if you are inviting a lot of people then you should try and include a lot of people in the trappings of the ceremony.

One place you need to do this delicate balance is in the wedding favors. When it comes to wedding favors there are two very different ways you can go. You can get wedding favors that look very nice, match the wedding color scheme, and do not really display any of your personality at all but are beautiful keepsakes of the day.

Or you can create wedding favors that are very much your personality and contain elements that are important to you. Either is fine; you just need to make sure you don't go overboard. With wedding favors that are picked out of a book many people will go with the standard candy in a glass bowl wedding favors with a personalized card or tag on them. Then there is the other side of wedding favors.

Stay Away From the Dark Side

Your wedding is as important to your parents as it is to you and probably many of your friends and family as well. When you create personalized wedding favors it is a wonderful idea to include maybe an important picture or something like that so that people will have that piece of you to remember forever. I remember one couple including a photo of the bride's grandfather who died the week before the wedding and it was a wonderful way to do the wedding favors. Personalized is nice but try and keep elements universal as well.

Do not use personal and inside jokes when creating wedding favors. There are some things that seem funny or even great ideas at first but if someone brings them up to you five years later you may regret it. Show a little restraint at your wedding and you will do just fine.