Post Wedding Activities

For many couples, the wedding is not over once the reception is. Depending on the location of the wedding and the couple's relationship with their families, often there are other activities that follow the main event.

One of the most obvious is a breakfast the day following the wedding. This is a time for everyone to touch base with each other, check in on how everyone did and perhaps share memories of the night before. This breakfast activity can be as simple or elaborate as you like. Some people like to have this breakfast at a relative's house because that is friendly and familiar and more conducive to everyone hanging out and enjoying themselves. It can be potluck style or catered. You can also meet up at a restaurant.

Many families like to have the bride and groom open presents the day after the wedding. There are many who believe the bride and groom are required to open presents in the presence of family for good luck. In that case, building in the opening of presents is essential. This can be a simple gathering of friends and family or you can turn the present opening into an all-out activity, where each item is opened, demonstrated or displayed and discussed in great detail.

Opening gifts doesn't have to a dry activity. You can add some silly fun. How about starting with the smallest and moving to the largest gifts? Or working in the reverse order? You might even create a game. Everyone has to guess what's in each gift prior to its being opened. (Of course, people can't guess on their on gifts.) Someone can be in charge of keeping a tally and whoever gets the most right, wins a small prize.

The women in the bride's family might want to help her pack up her gown (or send it to the dry cleaners) and preserve her wedding bouquet. This can easily be done at home and the women (particularly those who are crafty) might want to get started on preserving the flowers as well.

In the crafty light, some brides might want to plan a scrapbook party for after the wedding. You won't have photos back from the photographer, but you can scrapbook many other wedding events, such as pre-events like manicures, various parties and the candid photos take by wedding guests the night before. More than being focused on the photos, this activity gives the women a chance to reflect on the events of the wedding, laugh at all the fun ties and journal and preserve memories before some are lost. It will also help the bride feel as if she's partly in control of all those photos before she leaves on her honeymoon and takes yet more photos.

If gifts were opened on this "day after the wedding", crafty groups might want to make thank you cards. Choose a design long before the wedding, perhaps even making a prototype as well. Then have all the supplies on hand and give everyone good ideas about how the cards should be made. Even the men can get on this act, helping to fold the cards, perhaps handling any computer work and even getting their fingers on glue and scissors. Send the bride and groom off with these homemade cards so when they get back from their honeymoon, all they have to do is jot off a quick note.

Some brides and grooms plan activities the day fter the wedding that are designed to help everyone calm down, relax and unwind after what has likely been a busy weekend. In this light, you can plan a picnic at the park and bring along games to play. You might pack a football, a volleyball net or items to play baseball. You might bring along water guns or a dartboard. Whatever it is, the idea here is to have some fun and blow off steam. Make your own rules when playing the games. It really doesn't matter. Today is about relaxing, unwinding and spending some quality time with friends and family before the special weekend is over.

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Wedding Guest Book Activities

Traditional brides don't have to have traditional guest books. Certainly you can purchase a standard guest book and ask your guests to sign it, but there are so many more guest book-like activities that are more unique.

Let's move from the popular to the less well known. One very popular option allows guests to sign a picture of the bride and groom. Simply take a picture of the bride and groom and have it matted in a mat several inches larger than the photo itself. Place a frame around this, but don't include the glass or Plexiglas frame. You'll add this later. Some people prefer to use "bulldog" clips to keep the mat together instead of putting the picture in the frame. The picture can be framed after the wedding.

Most couples choose a nice photo of themselves for this picture/guestbook option, although if there's a formal engagement photo, this is an excellent way to preserve that photo and show it off to friends and family. If photos are taken before the wedding with the bride and groom in their wedding attire, you can certainly use this photo. Many couples opt to either leave the mat empty or they place a temporary picture in the mat and add a wedding picture later.

Be sure to have a nice Sharpie marker handy and place the picture on either a sturdy easel or on a table where guests are sure to see it.

Another option is instead of providing a picture of the bride and groom to sign, the guests are provided with a picture of themselves! Simply provide a Polaroid camera and assign someone the job of taking pictures of the guests as they arrive at the reception. Once the picture is dry, provide a Sharpie and they can sign the picture, make a note to the bride and groom or hand draw a silly picture. It can be whatever the guest wants it to be. This is a unique, and personal, way for guests to "sign in" at the wedding.

Whoever handles the taking of the pictures should also handle putting them in an album of some sort. A scrap booker might provide a special memory book with the Polaroid pictures in it, or the pictures can simply be placed in a nice album and presented later to the bride and groom.

Many guests don't give a great deal of thought to the guest book. They whiz by the guest book table more concerned with getting their cocktail and hitting the dance floor. If this is a concern, provide a "traveling" guest book. Send each guest something either to sign or decorate before the wedding.

In this "traveling" guest book scenario, there are several options. One of the easiest is to send each guest a small piece of paper and ask them to write something meaningful or thoughtful for the bride and groom on it. The pieces of paper are returned prior to the wedding (to ensure a better response, provide a self-addressed stamped envelope with the paper) and can be compiled in some meaningful way for the bride and groom and presented to them on their wedding day.

If the guest list is a creative or particularly close group, there is one other option that is even more meaningful. Again, in a scrapbook fashion, send each guest a piece of paper to sign or decorate. The paper should be the size of a photo album, so it might be a 6 x 6 piece of paper, an 8 x 8 piece of paper, or even 12 x 12, if the guests are up to that larger size.

In a letter that arrives with the paper, the guests are instructed to create a memory page for the bride and groom. They might include photos, quotes, little anecdotal stories, or combine all of these with stickers or embellishments. It's thoughtful, meaningful and personal and it's an excellent way to include guests who might not be able to attend the wedding, but would still like to be a part of it.

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Wedding Cake Activities

Upon arrival at the wedding reception, many guests head for the cake table so they can admire the cake. Some time later, the bride and groom come along for a picture opportunity and the grand cutting of the cake. Then everyone enjoys cake and it's gone. Believe it or not, there are many more activities that can make the wedding cake more about fun and less about tradition.

Of course, watching the bride and groom push cake into each other's mouths is a long-enjoyed tradition, but there are many more fun - and less messy - activities to consider as well.

One new option that's gaining popularity is to have cupcakes instead of a cake. This is a method that is usually more affordable than having a cake and it can be a lot of fun. Cupcakes are decorated in alignment with the wedding theme, just as a cake is, but the cupcakes are instead arranged on tiered cake plates and displayed on a cake table until it's time to eat them. The cupcakes can be simply handed out on plates to each wedding guest.

Now, what's fun about using cupcakes instead of a whole wedding cake is you can save money, certainly, as many reception halls and caterers charge a per slice fee to cut and serve the wedding cake, but you can also build activities into the cupcake presentation. For example, the cupcakes that are for the bride and groom can have a different decoration than the ones for the guests.

As an extra touch, you can have the baker include a special prize in one or several cupcakes. A small charm or tiny toy can be baked into the cupcake. Whoever gets the charm wins a special prize. These prizes can range from a gift basket or gift certificate to a restaurant to a dance with the bride or groom.

Some brides like to use a Southern tradition and have charms baked into the wedding cake. Similar to the idea above for cupcakes, this involves baking small charms or tiny toys (but usually charms) into the cake. Those who get one of the charms are said to have good luck. You might even consider having charm bracelet charms baked into the cake, which are then made into a charm bracelet for the bride.

Not everyone enjoys cake. How about an activity for those who won't be eating cake? They can be required to do the "Macarena" or the chicken dance during the time when everyone else is eating cake. If they manage to do the dance continuously while the other guests enjoy cake, they win a prize. Or they simply get to sit down, as now they are tired!

In keeping with the dance during cake theme, how about a requirement that in order to get cake, a guest must perform an impromptu dance first? Or there could be trivia questions about the bride and groom or about popular culture. Guests must correctly answer the questions before getting their cake. There could be competitions among tables or individuals for most questions answered correctly.

Many people believe that once the cake is cut, they are free to leave if they wish. Since cake cutting usually comes after the meal and after dancing and other traditional celebration activities, many people take the opportunity to leave the party after the cake is cut and enjoyed.

If the bride and groom want their guests to stay after the cake is eaten, it is worth some extra effort to build some activities into the cake-cutting event so people will stick around longer. This can be as simple as telling people not to leave, or can be more subtle and fun.

For example, each person could receive a slip of paper with his or her cake. These slips of paper could be prepared ahead and provided to the catering company with instructions that one folded strip of paper be placed on each plate with the cake. The paper might give an agenda for the rest of the evening or might ask its recipient to perform a little dance, to head over to give the groom or bride a kiss, or might ask them to take the flower girl out on the dance floor for a spin. The unknown will keep all the guests guessing and provide some entertainment as the instructions are carried out.

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Wedding Favors for Less Than One Dollar

When most people think of wedding favors they do not think it will be a substantial part of the wedding budget. This is largely because the unit price of each wedding favor is often quite low. However, it is important to remember that this price must be multiplied by the number of guests in attendance and this can really add up if there are a large number of guests at the wedding. It can also add up quickly if the unit price is quite high. As example consider wedding favors with unit prices of $2 and $10. If you plan to have 500 guests at your wedding and give each one a $2 favor your budget for wedding favors will be the same as it would be if you plan to have a small wedding of only 100 people and give each of them a favor which costs $10. In both cases you would need to have a budget of $1000 for wedding favors. From this example you can see why it is very important to consider both the unit price as well as the number of guests. Fortunately, whether you are having a large or a small wedding there are many wedding favors available for less than $1 which can help to keep the wedding favor budget low. This article will provide some ideas for wedding favors which typically cost less than $1.

Place card holders are one type of wedding favor which is typically available for less than $1 per place card holder. There are certainly some place card holders which will cost much more than $1 per unit but you are likely to also find many which are priced under $1. Place card holders make great wedding favors because they not only serve a purpose at the wedding but they can also be used as small picture frames by the guests after the wedding.

Tins containing mints are another option for wedding favors which are often priced at under $1 per unit. These tins come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes but the tins which are priced at less than $1 are likely to be quite small. However, there are also a wide variety of designs available. You can purchase ones which feature a tuxedo design or a wedding dress. You can also find tins with wedding bells or flowers on the top.

Another way to find wedding favors for less than $1 per favor is to inquire with the wedding favor distributor about clearance or closeout items. These are often items which have been discontinued or which the distributor is not planning to stock anymore. Many distributors are willing to offer these favors at discounted prices because they do not have many left and are trying to free up space in their warehouse. If these items have been discontinued or the distributor is not willing to order more you may be limited to the number of favors the distributor has in stock. If this quantity is enough to meet your needs, you are certainly in luck but if you need more than is available, it might be a good idea to search for other inexpensive wedding favors unless you know for sure there is another distributor who can sell you additional quantities of the same favor.

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Easy Wedding Favors

While wedding favors may be one of the simplest part of planning a wedding, they can also be the part of the wedding which is often left until the last minute. This can make shopping for wedding favors quite stressful. However, fortunately, there are a number of different options for wedding favors which are very easy to do at the last minute. This is important because it can take a great deal of stress out of realizing the wedding is rapidly approaching and wedding favors have not yet been purchased. This article will provide a few simple ideas for really easy wedding favors.

Using flowers as wedding favors is undoubtedly one of the easiest wedding favors you can give to your guests. There is virtually no preparation involved in this wedding favor and depending on how many guests you have at the wedding you may not have to order the favors well in advance. You might consider giving your guests a single red rose as a favor. This is extremely appropriate because a rose is a symbol of love. It is also very easy because it does not have to be wrapped. You can simply purchase one rose for each guest and have a member of the catering hall staff or a friend or family member place one rose across each place setting after the tables have been set for the wedding. You can also select a flower which is used in your centerpiece and instruct your florist to place one flower at each place setting when they arrange the centerpieces.

Candy can also be an extremely easy wedding favor. There are a number of ways to give candy as wedding favors such as giving each guest a small tin or basket filled with candy. However, there is an even easier way to give candy as a wedding favor and also help you to save money on centerpieces. This can be accomplished by using large bowls filled with different types of candy as the centerpieces on each table. You can then provide each guest with a small bag and a note encouraging them to enjoy the candy in the centerpiece. Your guests will fill up the bags with the candy in the centerpieces making this an extremely easy gift which does not involve wrapping a favor for each guest.

Pictures frames are a very easy wedding favor especially if they are used as place card holders. Pictures frames are often used as wedding favors but must people spend a great deal of time wrapping each favor individually to create a beautiful presentation for the guests. However, this is not the only way to give a gift of picture frames. Wrapping each frame individually can be very time consuming and can create a great deal of additional stress for the bride and the groom if they are struggling to get a lot of last minute things done in the days before the wedding. However, if you use the picture frames to hold the place cards, you do not have to worry about wrapping the favors for your guests. This makes it significantly easier to give a favor of picture frames.

One final idea for a very easy wedding favor is to give each guest a digital photo of themselves at the wedding. You can accomplish by hiring a photographer to take a picture of each couple as they arrive at the wedding reception. You can request that the photographer bring a high speed printer along to print the photos out quickly. This way you can distribute the photos before your guests begin to leave the reception. This is a great idea for a wedding favor because your guests will likely be dressed up and will appreciate the opportunity to pose for a professional photo. You can even ask the photographer if it is possible to put together a quick slideshow presentation which the guests can view after all of the photos have been taken. This way the guests not only get a personal memento of the wedding but they also get the opportunity to see how the photos turned out for all of the other guests as well.

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Seated Wedding Reception Games

Nothing is worse than having a wedding reception filled with seated guests who look tired and maybe a little bit bored. Maybe this wedding doesn't feature a DJ and rockin' music. Or maybe the crowd isn't into that whole dancing thing.

What to do? It's not that hard. There are a myriad of activities you can plan that will not only engage and entertain the guests, but also help them get to know each other and - most importantly - the bride and groom just a little bit better.

Here's one that's fun and might remind you just a little bit of a football game. Make a placard for each guest. On one side, letter "Bride" and on the other, "Groom". Someone, and if you have a DJ it can be him or her, or the best man or maid of honor, asks a series of questions. They might be simple, like "who was born in New York City"? Or they might be more complicated, such as "who, at 6, broke their leg when they were playing with their German shepherd puppy"?

Guests don't yell their answer, but rather show their placard, turning it to the "bride" side of they think the question pertains to the bride or to the "groom" side if it's the opposite. The guests' guesses can be revealing, but even more revealing, are the true answers. It's a great, fun way for everyone to get to know a little more about the bride and groom.

One word of caution about the above activity: Keep ex-boyfriends and ex-girlfriends out of the questions and don't ask anything that might be a little too revealing or too risqué. Remember, grandmothers and grandfathers and young children will likely be present!

If it's too much work to create signs for each person, you can create just two and create two teams - a team of men and a team of women. Grouped together, the teams can work together to decide on the answer and answer as a group. This "men versus women" concept is always popular and sure to be fun for everyone.

One silly game that's always a hit really puts the groom in the spotlight. How well does he know the feel and touch of his new wife? In this game, everyone finds out. You can do this several ways. You can enlist just the wedding party in this game, or as many of the wedding guests that want to participate.

Line each participant up and blindfold the groom. Put the bride somewhere in the mix, and send the groom on a hunt for his bride. The participants can either shake the groom's hand or give him a kiss on the cheek. In some versions, he might feel their hair or their leg. The details are up to you.

Depending on how far you want to take this game, you can add a fun element to it that is sometimes popular. You have the groom feel the leg of each participant. The best man, or other male member of the wedding party, rolls up his pant leg, puts on a garter and has the groom feel that. The groom has to kiss whoever he thinks is his bride, while still blindfolded. Often, he ends up kissing a man.

For an activity that allows the guests to be audience members instead of participants, consider the game of "feed me". In this game, the bride is seated and the groom is (again) blindfolded. He's given a piece of food and then spun around a few times so he's a little bit dizzy. Guided only by the helpful words of his new bride, he has to find her and get the piece of food into her mouth. Be sure to have the wedding party shadowing him so there are no accidents.

Once the groom has fed his new wife, the tables are turned and she is blindfolded and must find him.

A few notes about this activity: when feeding the bride, don't use wedding cake or a piece of bread with dip. In other words, don't use anything too messy. If the groom has a hard time finding her mouth, he might likely smear the food on the bride's face and that is something that won't make a bride - prettily made up just hours before - too happy.

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Wedding Favors for Summer Weddings

The summer is a very popular time for weddings. In fact June is one of the most popular times of the year for couples to get married. The nice weather is one of the primary reasons that many couples opt for this time of year for their wedding. There is less of a chance that weather will affect the plans for the wedding and many couples feel confident planning outdoor weddings for this time of the year. However, other couples simply enjoy the summertime and opt to have their wedding at this time of year for that reason alone. Whatever the reason the couple opts for a summer wedding, they are likely to want to incorporate the idea of summer into the wedding favors they distribute.

Beach themed weddings are very popular in the summertime. The couple may be having the ceremony and reception on the beach or they may simply be incorporating a beach theme into an indoor wedding. In both cases, however, the couple will likely opt to give the guests some type of favor related to the beach. Magnets shaped like sandals are a very popular option for weddings this time of year or for wedding featuring a beach theme.

Another great idea for a favor for a summertime wedding is a candle designed to reflect the season. Candles in the shape of seashells or even votive candles in holders designed to look like sand pails are both great ideas. There are even candles in the shape of dolphins and whales available. These may be more expensive but depending on your budget for wedding favors might be a viable option.

Items such as artificial leis or other flowers can also be appropriate as wedding favors for a summer wedding. If you are planning to have flowers as your centerpieces on the tables you may wish to give each of your guests a single flower like the ones used in your centerpieces as a favor. This is a great idea because when you do this your favors will also serve to enhance the décor at your reception by closely matching the centerpieces. Giving a fresh flower as a favor is appropriate but you might also opt to give an artificial flower. This is because artificial flowers can be kept by your guests as a memento of your wedding while fresh flowers will likely wilt shortly after the wedding. Some of your guests may dry or press the fresh flowers to create a memento but the majority of them will simply discard the flower once it wilts.

Picture frames are also very popular as wedding favors for summertime weddings. This is because picture frames come in so many different styles that the couple is likely to find a picture frame which has a definite summer feel to it. There are picture frames which feature beach scenes, picture frames which are adorned with seashells and a wide variety of other whimsical picture frames which convey the meaning of summertime. Picture frames can not only be found in a wide variety of styles but are also very practical gifts. Many wedding guests enjoy receiving picture frames as wedding favors because they now have a place to store a photo of the new couple. Still other wedding guests enjoy receiving picture frames as wedding favors simply because they always have use for another picture frame and can use this frame to store pictures of friends or family members.

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Kids Wedding Reception Activities

Not all brides and grooms want to exclude children from their wedding. Many are happy to welcome children into their wedding both as members of the wedding party and as guests.

Having children at a wedding, however, poses a myriad of problems. Do you leave the children to their own devices and hope they behave and don't get in the way? Do you provide a room with childcare so they are "present" but not too much under foot? Perhaps the best solution is a simple mix of both, with a smattering of fun built in.

First of all, if children are invited to the wedding, take into consideration the ages of the children. Babies will have to stay with mom and/or dad, for a variety of reasons. So planning to have all the children in another room might not be feasible. But if the children are toddlers up to about age 12, you can provide a separate room for them with childcare and a make a number of activities available to them.

If the children will be in a separate room at the reception, you can provide a coloring table, perhaps a TV with an appropriate movie ready to roll, and some board games. That could probably be enough for the duration of the wedding reception. Be aware of a few things: there should be a ratio of at least 1 adult for every 5 children if the children are toddlers, or 1 adult to every 10 children if the kids are older. Don't expect the kids to take up the activities on their own, but rather tell the childcare provider to get the kids involved in the activities by doing them him or herself.

What if the children will be part of the reception festivities? What activities can be geared specifically to children at the reception? There are plenty of things you can do, really. You can certainly plan a coloring table at the back of the reception hall or room. There, you can provide loads of paper, coloring books, markers and crayons. Paints are not recommended, for obvious reasons, and moms will thank you if you remember to supply the kids with washable markers and crayons only.

The art table can be more than just coloring, however. Buy a huge bag of pipe cleaners. Kids can amuse themselves for long periods of time, making animals, odd figures and the like. Make sure you have at least 20 or more pipe cleaners for each child, however, as children can go through these quickly. Think about "clean" clay, the new products that don't stick to anything and don't leave a trace on furniture. With a few different colors, kids can create a variety of figures, faces or forms.

Many brides like to plan more formally for their small guests. There are several options if this is the route you want to take. One popular option is to have paid entertainment on hand just for the children. This can take place in a separate room or toward the back of the reception room or hall if it's large and the guest list is big. You can hire a clown or a balloon artist. You can have someone braid the children's hair and provide temporary tattoos. If there is a separate room available, you can even hire a children's musician to come and entertain the kids. The options are endless.

If no plans are made for the children, but they arrive at the wedding expecting entertainment, you'll have to make some plans. One option is a "child only" dance, which allows only the children on the dance floor. This is not only cute to watch, and could be entertaining as well, but it will bring a smile to the face of every grandma and grandpa present.

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Wedding Toast Activities

Giving a toast is a responsibility that puts fear in the speaking hearts of most members of a wedding party. While it's not usually something that is particularly long or involved, it's public speaking (which doesn't sit well with many people) and really puts people on the spot.

If you are planning a wedding and know that most members of this wedding party are hams who won't mind the whole "public speaking" thing, then by all means keep the toasts traditional with dad, the best man and others taking their expected turns at the microphone.

But if you're looking for something different, either because you want to save putting people on the spot, or you simply want to do something different and fun, read on.

First, you can certainly take the whole toast thing off the agenda if you wish. There are no rules requiring a toast at any wedding. Weddings should be unique events and reflect the personalities of the bride and groom.

But if you want to do something a little different, there are options. You can go the video route, which asks people to essentially make a toast on camera and then the video is given to the bride and groom later. This isn't a particularly unique idea, but it does solve the issue of not wanting to put people on the spot and still gives everyone a chance to say something special to the bride and groom.

If your guest list includes many outgoing people then consider "pass the microphone". This can work in several ways. You can either be silly with it, or deadly serious. Most people like silly. Say dad takes the microphone first. His last name ends with T (so, let's say dad's last name is Smith). He must find someone whose first name begins with a T (Tom? Tony? Tina? Theresa?) and pass the microphone to that person, who then gives a toast.

This method of giving toasts does put people on the spot (certainly before the fun begins you can warn them so if they are really uncomfortable, they can escape to the restroom or bar) but it can also be a lot of fun. Getting people when they least expect it and then asking them to remember something funny or meaningful about the bride and groom can result in interesting, funny and truthful results.

You might also decide that one person at each table be required to give a toast. Number the tables and at various intervals, have the MC or DJ call a number, which will require guests at that table to decide amongst themselves who will give the toast at that table. Certainly, more than one person can if they like, but there will likely be at least one ham at each table who will enjoy standing up and toasting the newlyweds.

Say you have plenty of public speakers in the group, and finding willing toast participants won't be a problem. But you think the subject matter might be. There's an easy solution to this problem. You can provide open-ended topics for the toast speakers. Say you are providing an "open mike" toast arrangement, where anyone can request the microphone and offer a toast. The DJ, MC or someone else in the wedding party (perhaps the maid of honor or best man) can offer the speaker a surprise topic, which might be pulled from a champagne flute or drawn out of the floral arrangement on the head table. There might be slips of paper to choose, or just one sheet of paper with several ideas.

The speaker might choose to finish this sentence, "I remember when (groom's name here) was a little boy, he always ..." or answer this question, "When was (insert bride's name here) at her silliest? Tell us the story". You might have to give each speaker a minute or two to collect their thoughts, but you're sure to have some interesting stories, some unique anecdotes and some different perspectives on the bride and groom.

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Destination Wedding Activities

As brides get more and more creative in planning their weddings, locations weddings are becoming more and more popular. Although this might result in a smaller guest list, it can also result in some fun opportunities for activities.

Many brides like to have their weddings seaside, so they move the festivities to a beach locale, either on their local coast or somewhere more exotic like Jamaica or the Bahamas. In any event, there are several activities that can be planned around this theme. If the wedding is also a weekend event where guests will be around for more than just the wedding, the bride can plan a sailing excursion. Charter a boat for a day and bring your guests out on the water to relax, rejuvenate, and perhaps enjoy a meal.

If the wedding is in the Caribbean, how about a cooking demonstration? The bride and groom can arrange for the wedding guests to enjoy a complimentary cooking demonstration put on by the hotel or a local cook. Since much of the food the guests eat while visiting for the wedding will be different than what they eat at home, they might enjoy learning how to prepare it for home enjoyment.

Say the wedding is in Hawaii, another popular destination wedding location. Here, you can plan several activities around the location. For example, what about a luau? This could even take the place of a more formal or conventional sit-down rehearsal dinner.

In Hawaii, guests will enjoy a hula lesson. Depending on the age of your guests, be sure there is enough time between the wedding and the lesson for the resting of aching bones, in case there are any.

At the wedding itself, there are many ways to incorporate the location into the ceremony itself. At a beachside reception, you can play "pass the shell", where a large shell is passed around and guests "listen" for some advice from the other world. Once they get a piece of advice (really something they think of themselves) they share it with the bride and groom, either verbally, or it can be written into a book for the couple.

Other pre-wedding activities can include guided tours, shopping excursions and wine tasting activities (if applicable). If you choose to include any of these activities keep in mind that the bride and groom (or their families) are expected to pay for the bulk of them. If you arrange a sailing excursion, for example, you are expected to pick up the tab for the trip. Do not tell people ahead of time that the activity will be x dollars. It's likely that won't sit well with them.

Since one of the great benefits of the destination wedding is that only your closest friends and family will likely surround you, you can plan some meaningful activities that you wouldn't plan if the wedding were a larger event. For example, you might plan a slumber party night with close friends that includes movies, popcorn and drinks in your hotel room, villa or cottage, depending on where the wedding is held.

Of course, if you plan a destination wedding, for some people this might double as their vacation. In that event, you might not want to schedule too many activities but instead let people find their own activities and entertainment both before and after the wedding.

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Naughty Bachelorette Party Games

If you are planning a bachelorette party and want to include some naughty games, the possibilities are endless. The games and activities can just barely stretch into the naughty category or they can be all-out embarrassing dirty games.

Before planning any of these games, make sure the bride is willing to play long with them and is outgoing enough for the "public naughty" games. You don't want to put her on the spot or make her feel uncomfortable. However, if she's game and willing, many of these games are very popular and extremely fun for girls who enjoy a good time.

First up is "Suck for a buck". Buy a plain white T shirt and letter on it with fabric paint, "suck for a $", attach Lifesavers candy to it and have the bride-to-be wear it. When you go out that evening, try to solicit men to suck the lifesavers off the T-shirt. At $1 a man, this is a nice way to pay for a few drinks while you're out as well!

If the bride isn't comfortable with the Lifesaver idea, have her wear a candy necklace or bracelet instead and have the men simply bite off a piece of the candy necklace/bracelet.

How about the game where you ask the guests which of them would like her virginity back? The women who say yes line up and are each given a maraschino cherry in a bowl. They are told they have to eat the cherry without using their hands. Doesn't sound so hard, right? In fact, it gets a little tougher and messier when the host then adds a squirt of whipped cream to each bowl and the women have to find and fish out the cherry all without using their hands.

This activity isn't quite so naughty, but it could be, depending on the bride's expressions. As she opens her gifts, and this is assuming there are gifts at this bachelorette party, someone writes down all her expressions as she opens each gift. So there might be "oohs" and "aaahs" and "how cutes" coming from the bride. Once she is done opening gifts, someone says, "If we were outside (bride's name) hotel room on her wedding night, this is what we'd hear" and you then list the various expressions and comments she made while opening her gifts.

Believe it or not, there are hundreds of products you can buy for steamy bachelorette parties. From fake penises to pin on pictures of hunks on the wall to portable stripper poles, it's all out there. How about a penis piñata? You could make a game out of who gets to hit the piñata. Turn any drinking game into the piñata game. For example, if the guest would normally take a drink, instead they hit the penis piñata. You could fill the piñata with the always- popular candy, but you could also fill it with sex toys, just to add to the spiciness of the game.

If the bachelorette party is going to be held at a bar or somewhere other than home or in a hotel room, there are a myriad of activities you can come up with to entertain the girls. For example, create a series of challenges. One challenge might be to wander up to a man at a bar. If he were munching the bar-supplied nuts, the challenge would be to say, "Mmmmm. I love a man with salty nuts".

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Wedding Favors for a Fall Wedding

While the summer, spring and Christmas time all get a great deal of attention as a popular time of year for weddings, many couples are enchanted by the thought of a fall wedding. The fall is a fabulous time of year when the air is crisp and the leaves are changing colors. This means the weather is likely to be favorable and the changing of the leaves can create a dramatic backdrop for glorious wedding photos. Couples who choose to have their wedding in the fall will be delighted to find that there are a number of excellent options available to them for wedding favors. This article will provide a few ideas for wedding favors which reflect the fall season and are also likely to be enjoyed by your guests.

Coasters are a very simple idea for a wedding favor for a fall wedding. Coasters are available in a wide variety of designs and patterns and couples are likely to find several options suitable for a fall wedding. Whether they select a coaster which is shaped like a leave or a coaster which is square an depicts a fall scene such as a trees with leaves in all shades of red, orange and gold your guests are sure to be delighted by these favors which are not only beautiful but are also very practical.

Fall is known as the harvest season and the cornucopia is often used at Thanksgiving as a symbol of the harvest. In these scenes the cornucopia is often overflowing with fruits and vegetables which are harvested in the fall. However, cornucopias overflowing with candy are a very cute idea for a wedding favor for a fall wedding. Miniature cornucopias can be purchased and filled with candies such as chocolates, hard candies, mints or any other type of candy.

Keeping with the theme of the harvest, couples may wish to give out seed packets as favors at a fall wedding. They may wish to give out packets for flowers, fruits or vegetables which are typically harvested in the fall season. Alternately they may wish to distribute packets for flowers, fruits or vegetable can be planted in the fall. This is a really fun idea which helps to encourage your guests to enjoy the outdoors and appreciate nature more.

Candles which reflect the season can also be a great idea for wedding favors for a fall wedding. These candles can be simple candles which have the colors and scents which are popular in the fall season. This may include candles which are round or square as well as votive candles and taper candles. Colors such as deep reds and oranges are very appropriate. Popular scents for candles in the fall are pumpkin, egg nog and pine. All of these colors and scents are sure to remind the guests of the beautiful fall wedding they attended.

Another great idea for a wedding favor at a fall wedding is a set of soaps which are shaped like leaves. These soaps may come in a wide variety of colors and designs. The couple will likely be able to choose from soaps which are designed to look like leaves such as maple leaves or oak leaves. They can also select leave shaped soaps in a variety of colors such as red and orange.

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Dance Floor Activities

Dancing is an essential component at most wedding receptions. We look forward to the couple's "first dance" and the bride's special dance with her father. It's also a place to get loose and funky, if you're a guest or a member of the wedding party.

But what if the wedding planners decided to add some fun and surprise to the dance floor by adding fun activities there? This doesn't mean a rousing version of the "Bunny Hop", which, while maybe essential, is hardly unique.

There are, however, many fun games and activities you can add to your dance floor activities that are sure to be a hit.

Try a fun game of the "chicken dance". Ok, so that doesn't sound too original. But if most of your guests are just sitting at their tables, watching a few brave couples dancing, or just finishing their meals, you might want to get everyone up and having fun. Try this game.

The DJ announces a number. Everyone looks under his or her chair, where there is a number. Depending on the number of guests at the wedding, there might be only numbers "1" and "2" or more, up to 5.

So, say the DJ announces number "4". Each person checks under their chair to see what their number is. These numbers can be written simply on a piece of masking tape and affixed to the underside of the chairs when the reception is being set up. Each "4" in this scenario will head to the dance floor to do the chicken dance with the other "4s". Not only does this get people out of their chairs and on to the dance floor, they get to know other wedding reception guests they might not otherwise know.

One dance floor activity that's gaining popularity is to bring in a dance teacher for the wedding reception. As a kind of pre-dance activity, the teacher will quickly walk people through their paces on the dance floor, perhaps teaching a bit of the waltz or, for something completely different, a little bit of the tango, before the music officially begins and dancing commences.

Having a dance teacher do a bit of teaching not only livens up the reception right from the start, but it gets people out on the dance floor who might otherwise be too self-conscious normally to get out there and let it all hang out. And practically speaking, it will likely make the wedding guests feel more confident in their skills before the "official" dancing begins.

Another fun activity to get everyone on the dance floor, including even the most reticent, is something you can refer to as the "snowball" dance. This is a good way to jumpstart the dancing at the beginning of the evening.

Here's how the "snowball" dance works. The wedding party, bride and groom included, will head to the dance floor for a fun dance. The music for this dance should be fast, something with a disco beat or a fast song that most people have at least a passing familiarity with. After a bit of wedding party dancing, the music stops. The female members of the wedding party move into the crowd and bring back one male each. The male members of the wedding party do the same, but they bring in female guests. The dancing then begins again. This is repeated until all the guests are dancing. It's truly a snowball effect!

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Wedding Favors Your Guests Will Love

The purpose of wedding favors is to thank your guests for coming to your wedding and ultimately showing their support for your commitment to each other. As a result you should really try to find wedding favors which your guest will love. In some cases this may mean you have to give your guests a wedding favor which may not appeal to you but that you know the majority of your guests will love. However, in most cases the wedding favor you select for your guests will be something you know they will love as well as a favor which you would also love to receive. This article will provide a few wedding favor ideas which are enjoyed by many guests.

Edible wedding favors are one type of favor which the majority of your guests will love. There are a lot of options available for couples who wish to give their guests some type of edible favor. Candy is one of the most popular options available. Many couples like to give their guests a candy bar with a personalize wrapper which includes the names of the bride and the groom as well as the wedding date. Other candies such as mints or hard candies are also very popular. These candies can often be distributed in personalized containers such as tins or glass containers. Cookies are another type of edible wedding favor which is very popular. The cookies can include a photo of the couple or may be a fortune cookie with a quote from a love song or phone inside.

Miniature wedding cakes are another type of edible wedding favor your guests will appreciate. These are not as popular as other types of wedding favors because they can be rather expensive but if they fit within your budget, your guests are sure to be delighted by these favors. These wedding favors can be distributed in small boxes so your guests can take them home easily.

Picture frames are another example of wedding favors that many guests love to receive. Guests like to receive this type of favor because it is a very practical gift. They can use the frame to hold a picture of the couple or for any other purpose they wish. Giving picture frames is also a great idea because they come in such a wide variety that finding a suitable one should be easy. Picture frames can be purchased to reflect the theme of the wedding or can be romantic in nature to reflect the underlying theme of love which prevails at all weddings. Alternately picture frames selected as favors can be rather plain in nature. This helps to ensure the pictures frames will be used by the guests because it makes it more likely that they will work well with the décor in the guests’ homes.

Another example of wedding favors guests love is basically anything which they can use and which will help them to remember the wedding fondly. One way to accomplish this is to provide wedding favors which are not only practical but also closely relate to the theme of the wedding. Wedding favors which incorporate the theme of the wedding are much more likely to trigger the guests to remember the details from the wedding each time they see or use the favor.

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Fun Wedding Photo Ideas

Pictures are an integral part of any wedding. Newlyweds are usually thrilled to get their pictures back from the photographer so they can relive their special day. But there are many special activities you can build into a wedding that involve photos.

One fun idea that many brides employ is to take photos of everyone as they arrive at the wedding, almost like you do at a high school prom or company Christmas party. You can provide a backdrop and couples can pose either for a paid photographer or for whoever happens to pick up the camera. These pictures can be taken with a Polaroid camera for instant fun or with a disposable camera. If you want slightly higher quality photos, go for a digital camera.

This can be an excellent way to keep guests busy and happy until the "official" reception begins with the arrival of the bride and groom.

As an extension of that idea, you can take instant photos and create scrapbook pages or memory book pages with the photos. There can be supplies on hand so guests can create pages on site, or pages can be pre-made and photos simply placed into the prepared spaces. If guests don't want to create pages on site, or the bride doesn't want this particular activity going on, the photos can be saved for later. As a gift for the bride and groom, someone can create memory books with these photos.

If Polaroid cameras are used, another option is to have the people in the photo sign the Polaroid photo and place that in a basket somewhere. The bride and groom will enjoy looking at the photos later.

While it's not a particularly unique idea, many brides like to provide disposable cameras on each table at the reception so guests can capture candid shots of the reception and the table guests. These photos can be added to the newlyweds' wedding album or they can be placed into a separate album showing the wedding from the guests' perspective.

Another fun activity sure to be entertaining is to create a "silent photo guess" area. Here's how this works: before the wedding, someone close to the bride and groom collects pictures of the bride and groom at various stages in life. The photos should depict the bride and groom doing things, not at Christmas or with their first birthday cake. In other words, the photos should include some action, but it shouldn't be obvious in the picture what has taken place or where the person is.

Much like a silent auction, people will come along and look at the photos, then take a silent guess as to what the photos show. They can write their guess on a piece of paper and put it in a numbered basket that corresponds with the number on the photo. Reading these guesses during the reception is entertaining and sure to be amusing. The bride or groom can provide the real answers. This is a particularly fun activity at a relatively small, family wedding where the participants know the bride and groom very well.

If you want to provide an area for guests to have their photos taken but aren't thrilled with the "prom night" idea, how about having a photo corner set up somewhere in the reception hall or facility. Here, the wedding photographer will take candid shots of wedding guests. They might be couples, but could also be entire families, friends having a good time, or the groom being carried on the shoulders of the best man. Whatever the pictures end up being, they provide a fun, "let it all hang out" area for the wedding guests and a surprise for the bride and groom. Since they will likely be busy with all the reception details and having the time of THEIR lives, they might appreciate knowing their guests had a pretty good time too, as evidenced in the photos.

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Wedding Weekend Activities

Weekend weddings are becoming more popular, particularly as families are spread further apart. They usually begin on Friday night, continue with the wedding Saturday and conclude with a post-wedding breakfast on Sunday before everyone returns home.

Planning activities for these weekend-long celebrations doesn't have to be difficult; in fact, it can be quite a bit of fun if you keep everyone's needs in mind. First, consider the wedding. Will this be a formal wedding with a sit-down dinner at its center? If so, you might want to ban a formal rehearsal dinner and replace it instead with an informal barbecue dinner or picnic.

But how will you keep people occupied during the long weekend? There are many activities to consider. Will the wedding be near a lake? How about planning a day at the lake on Saturday, filled with pre-wedding activities like swimming races and beach volleyball.

One popular pre-wedding activity is a scavenger hunt. Prior to the wedding weekend, a list of meaningful items should be drawn up, and guests placed in two teams. The list should include things like "get a brochure from the jewelry store where (groom) bought (bride)'s ring" or "take a picture of the group at the location where the couple got engaged". You will have to tailor the scavenger hunt list to the location of the wedding and the energy of the guests who will be participating.

You can even offer lavish prizes for the team that wins the scavenger hunt, such as gift certificates or gourmet food and wine baskets. It might seem an obvious choice to divide the teams into groups who know or are related to the bride and teams who know or are related to the groom, but it might be a little more fun to mix it up a bit. You can create teams of friends versus family, or men versus women (always a popular choice).

Another activity that's popular during wedding weekends is a competitive sport activity, such as baseball or flag football. Again, add a special twist. Offer prizes for performance (first home run gets a kiss from the bride) or make silly rules, like members of the bridal party have to wear tiaras while running bases or members of the groom's family should always have their shirts on backwards.

It's important that during the wedding weekend, planners keep in mind that the weekend itself might be expensive for some guests, particularly those who had to fly in for the occasion and many of the activities should be free, or inexpensive. If they are more expensive, and planned for the entire group, they should be paid for by either the bride and groom or their families.

But there are plenty of activities that don't have to be expensive, but can provide big bang for the little buck, such as the scavenger hunt suggested above. If the wedding weekend guests will mostly be family, you can schedule a home movie-viewing event, including home movies from both the bride and groom's families. For even more fun, consider an activity where the movies are mixed up and the guests have to guess which family's videos they are watching. This might sound easy, but depending on the contents, it could be hard, particularly if the bride and groom are babies in the photos.

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Bridal Bouquet Activities

When a bride orders her wedding bouquet, it might not seem that any "activities" will come from it other than as a thing for the bride to hold. But the bridal bouquet can be the source of many interesting activities and meaningful gestures.

During there ceremony there are all kinds of possibilities. Certainly you can go traditional and have a flower for both the mother of the bride and mother of the groom. The moms, in particular, love this activity and guests usually appreciate it as well. But what if you turned that traditional gesture on its head and supplied flowers for both the mothers and the fathers?

If the bride supplies flowers to both the men and women, there are a couple of ways to do this. What if dad's flower was enclosed in a verse that he will then get up and read at the ceremony? What if it was a flower to recognize the members of the family who have passed, and it gives dad an opportunity to recognize those family members?

If the bride chooses not to have a unity candle, but wants some gesture like it, she can have her bridal bouquet designed by having several small bouquets put together. At an appropriate time during the ceremony, the bridal bouquet is "broken up" and various people might receive a share, such as the mothers and fathers of the bride and groom.

Now, if the bride wants to hang onto her bridal bouquet during the wedding ceremony, but is willing to have some fun with it at the reception, there are a few options there as well. How about a dance involving the bridal bouquet? This is silly, but fun. The bridal bouquet is on display somewhere near the dance floor and guests must guess a flower that's in the bouquet before they can enter the dance floor. The first few guests might not have a problem as some flowers are obvious, like roses and tulips, but others might give people pause. Of course, this won't work if the bridal bouquet is all roses or some other single and obvious flower but for a traditional mixed bouquet, it can work well.

For a naughty touch, the bride can hide her garter in the bridal bouquet and actually put it on her leg before the groom takes it off. Or she can have a couple of breakaway bouquets that are wrapped in garter belts, so hers doesn't get thrown, but instead the tiny bouquets with garter belts attached are thrown.

When it comes time for the bride to throw her bouquet, there are several options. Some brides choose not to keep their bouquet and simply pluck one flower out of it before chucking the whole thing during the bridal bouquet toss. This is an alternative to having a special bouquet set aside for throwing, and there are others as well.

Are there are a lot of single women coming to the wedding? Maybe one thrown bouquet won't be enough. Many brides these days are opting for something a little more fun. There are a few options, really. One popular option is to have the florist create several small bouquets and then bundle them to look like one bouquet. They are tied lightly with a ribbon. When it comes time for the bouquet toss, the bride unties the ribbon, and throws the "bouquet" which is actually several little bouquets. Several women will catch the bouquet, rather than just one.

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Shopping for Wedding Favors with Your Fiance'

For many couples shopping for wedding favors can be a difficult task especially when they are doing this together. This may sound strange but shopping for wedding favors is actually one activity which may cause a great deal of disagreements during the wedding planning process. It may sound like such a trivial detail but in reality shopping for wedding favors can actually be quite stressful and involved. There are a number of reasons for this. One of the main reasons is the large number of options available. There is such a wide range of wedding favors available that selecting just one can be an incredibly daunting task. Furthermore having two people agree on the same favor out of the many options available can be even more difficult. This article will provide some information on how couples can reduce the stress involved with shopping for wedding favors together.

One of the easiest ways to avoid the stress and arguments which are likely to ensue while shopping for wedding favors with your fiancé is to simply avoid the situation altogether. You and your fiancé can discuss the situation beforehand and if he is not very interested in helping to select the wedding favors he may be more than willing to give you free reign to select the wedding favors. If you have similar tastes he will likely be confident that you will select something great and will be more than happy to allow you to do so. This makes the shopping process incredibly easier because you simply have to choose something you like and will be confident your fiancé will be happy with the favor as well. However, if you want your fiancé to feel included in the shopping process you can do the shopping beforehand and then have him take a look at the favors before you make your purchase just to be sure you both love the favors you have selected.

Another way to eliminate a great deal of stress related to shopping with wedding favors with your fiancé is to discuss the budget carefully before you begin shopping. You should have a good idea of how many guests you are expecting as well as how much you can afford to spend on each favor how much you can afford to spend on wedding favors overall. This is very important because it will help to ensure you and your fiancé are both looking at wedding favors which are priced appropriately for your budget. Having this discussion beforehand will be very helpful because if you start looking at wedding favors first you will likely be drawn to more expensive items. However, once you realize these are out of your price range you may be disappointed. This can make selecting a wedding favor more difficult because you will likely compare the other favors to the ones you cannot afford to purchase.

Finally, if you and your fiancé are having a difficult time shopping for wedding favors because you cannot reach an agreement on which favor to select it might be a good idea to seek an outside opinion. One way to do this is to have each of you select a wedding favor and to ask another person to choose between the two final choices. You can either have a sales associate choose between the two or you can bring along a trusted family member or friend who can be objective to help you make the decision. You and your fiancé should agree ahead of time that you are going to accept the decision of the other person.

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Fun Ideas For Unity Candles

If you are planning a wedding and plan to have a unity candle as part of the ceremony, you might want to think outside the box.

Traditionally, the unity candle involves three candles. The bride has one, the groom the other, and their two lighted candles light the third candle. This is done to represent the coming together of the two people to make one unit. In some alternate methods, family members are invited to participate in the unity candle lighting, often the mothers of the bride and groom, or other close members of the family. Each family then lights a candle, and together they light the unity candle to symbolize of the coming together of the families.

Now, there are a few twists you can add to this fairly conventional aspect of a wedding ceremony. You can provide each guest with an unlit candle when they arrive at the ceremony. After the couple lights the unity candle, they can ask the guests to move to the front of the church (or wherever the ceremony is being held) and light their candles with the lighted unity candle. This can take a bit of time and might be best with a smaller guest list. But it is a meaningful way to not only get your guests involved in the ceremony itself, but also symbolize the union of family and friends with the marriage.

If there is a large guest list and it would be a prohibitive waste of time to do a candle lighting involving everyone at the ceremony, some brides and grooms like to bring the unity candle to the reception. Light the candle again and provide each guest with a small votive candle (the candle holder will be on the tables at individual table settings). As guests come into the reception area or hall, they can light their votive and take it to their table to place into the votive holder. This small votive candle can double as a wedding favor, particularly if you decorate or enhance a plain votive candleholder in some way to coordinate with your wedding.

Of course, you can forget having a unity candle at the ceremony altogether. Many brides these days are trying to reduce the length of the ceremony and spend more time planning the reception. In that light, some choose to do away with a unity candle altogether. You can certainly do this, or you can cut it out of the ceremony and make it part of the reception.

To do this, you can use the votive candle option suggested above, or you can simply incorporate the unity candle lighting into the reception activities themselves. For example, you might choose a quiet moment in the reception to have a lighting of the unity candle. It might be during a short prayer prior to the serving of the meal, or right before the cake is cut. In this case, the unity candle can then be used as decoration on the cake table. As the bride and groom cut the cake and pieces are served to guests, the candle can also serve as a reminder of the couple's new bond and that the bond is shared with all the guests as well.

Although having a unity candle at the wedding or reception isn't necessary, it is certainly an option that many brides and grooms opt to include. But it's important to remember that as with so much surrounding wedding planning there are ways to make it unique and interesting and special to the couple getting married.

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Unique Wedding Favors for Each Table

Although it is not very common, some couples may opt to provide unique wedding favors for each table at their wedding. The more standard practice is to give each guest the same favor but if the centerpieces will vary from table to table the couple may want to vary the favors as well. This is a great idea for a couple who cannot settle on one overall theme for the wedding. They may choose to have a different theme for each table and as a result may also prefer to have a different wedding favor for each table. This article will take a look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of offering unique wedding favors for each table at your reception.

One of the most obvious advantages to offering unique favors at each table is it prevents the couple from having to select just one wedding favor. There is a wide variety of wedding favors available and many couples have a great deal of trouble selecting just one favor. This may be because they are not agreeing on which favor would be the most appropriate or because they each have several different favors which they really like and are having difficulty narrowing down their options. For either of these cases, the idea of giving different wedding favors at each table is a great idea.

Another advantage to giving unique wedding favors for each table is that the couple can branch out and either choose several different themes or one overall theme which they vary slightly from table to table. This can make the process of shopping for wedding favors a lot more fun for couples who enjoy doing this. However, couples who feel stressed out by the process of selecting wedding favors would be wise to simply stick to one wedding favor because the process of selecting several different favors can make the planning exponentially more stressful.

One of the major disadvantages of offering unique favors at each table is the couple will not likely be eligible for bulk order discounts. Many wedding favor manufacturers are often willing to offer discounts to couple who are ordering a large number of the same favor to distribute to all of their guests. However, couples who are ordering different favors for each table will likely not qualify for these discounts. Most weddings have approximately 8-12 people at each table. This means the couple will not be ordering many of each favor and will most likely have to pay full price for each one.

Another disadvantage to providing unique wedding favors for each table is it can make setting the tables more complicated. If each table will also have a unique centerpiece and the wedding favors are designed to match the centerpiece, special care must be taken to ensure the correct favors are placed at the correct table. This may be obvious if the favors are unwrapped but if they are wrapped it can be incredibly difficult. Someone familiar with the favors and how they were wrapped should oversee the process of setting the tables to ensure the correct favors are placed at each table.

Another disadvantage to giving unique wedding favors to each table is it may create discontent among the guests. For example some guests may feel as though the favors given to one table are nicer than the ones given to the table at which they are seated. This is not a major concern as most guests will not make these types of comparisons but if the couple is concerned about this possibility they may wish to keep the wedding favors the same for each table.

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Wrapping Wedding Favors

For many couples one of the most tedious aspects of planning a wedding is wrapping the wedding favors. This is especially true if you are planning to have a large wedding reception with many guests in attendance. Wrapping wedding favors for hundreds of guests can be very time consuming. Therefore couples should plan on purchasing their wedding favors well in advance to avoid having to wrap the favors at the last minute. In general you would ideally want your favors to arrive 2-3 weeks before your wedding date to give you plenty of time to get them wrapped without feeling stressed. Orders involving personalization should be ordered even early because these will take significantly longer to arrive. This article will offer a wide range of advice on wrapping wedding favors including advice on how to wrap favors and tips for making wrapping wedding favors a lot more fun.

Our first tip for wrapping wedding favors is to make sure you factor the cost of wrapping the gifts into your overall budget for wedding favors. This is important because it can add a significant amount to the cost of the favors. Most wedding favor distributors can ship the favors to you already wrapped but there is likely to be a costly fee for this service. It is far less expensive for the couple to wrap the gifts themselves. The most common theme for wrapping wedding favors includes wrapping the gifts in white and using ribbons the color of the bridesmaids’ dresses to adorn the wrapped packages. However, some couples opt for white ribbons for a more monochromatic appearance. Whichever way you decide to wrap your favors you should try to estimate of wrapping supplies such as paper, tape and ribbons before you purchase the favors to ensure these costs will not put you over budget. This may influence the wedding favors you select because you may be more inclined to select favors which are smaller because they will require fewer additional resources to wrap.

Another tip for wrapping wedding favors is to not avoid this project until the night before the wedding. In the opening paragraph we stressed the importance of ordering your wedding favors early to avoid having to wrap them at the last minute. This is incredibly important because wrapping wedding favors can be very time consuming. If you leave it until the last minute you may find yourself staying up all night to try to get all of the favors wrapped and unfortunately may run out of time and not be able to wrap them all. We cannot urge you enough to purchase your favors ahead of time and wrap them as soon as they arrive. This way you can simply set them aside and will not have to worry about them again until it is time to get them to the reception location so they can be placed at each place setting.

Wrapping wedding favors is definitely not a fun project. It can be very time consuming and can also be incredibly tedious. One way to make the project easier is to enlist the help of friends or family members to help you. If you get together a group of 3-4 of your friends you will find the task of wrapping the wedding favors is accomplished in much less time than it would take you to wrap them yourself. You will also have a great deal more fun because you will be spending time with your friends as you wrap the wedding favors.

Our last tip for wrapping wedding favors is to keep the wrapping very simple. You may have ideas about complex wrapping techniques and elaborate ribbons but this can make the task of wrapping the wedding favors take considerably longer than it has to take. Plus it can make storing the wedding favors very difficult. If you spend a great deal of time tying elaborate ribbons it would not make sense to stack the wrapped favors in a box where the ribbons will become crushed. You would have to find a space big enough to lay each favor out flat. This can be very difficult and even if you are able to do it, it will likely cause some inconvenience. Therefore we recommend simpler methods of wrapping and decorating your wedding favors.

MONA REFAAT - the Cairo wedding planning specialist
You can trust Mona Refaat to simplify your planning and make your wedding day in Cairo everything you have ever imagined
        

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Wedding-Planner in Cairo 

Contact:
Mona Refaat Call me under: 0020/ 122/ 3305695
 

Wedding Rehearsal Dinner Games

Wedding rehearsal dinners are a time to relax, calm down and enjoy a quiet evening before the big event the next day. But adding some fun and games into the rehearsal dinner isn't such a bad idea. It's a great way to help everyone let off some steam, calm down and enjoy each other.

If you're planning a sit-down formal dinner, fun games and activities can still be on the menu. In fact, if a formal dinner is part of the plans, having some interesting activities on the agenda is not only a good idea, but also an excellent one. There's been a lot of planning, and a lot of stress and the wedding party and close friends and family will welcome the opportunity to have a little fun.

The success or failure of any games or activities largely depends not just on the planning but your venue. If you're having a sit-down dinner in a restaurant, try to get a private room. Then a myriad of fun activities can be planned, such as "pin the veil on the bride", in which blindfolded guests spin around a few times, then try to pin the veil on a picture of the bride. Silly, yes, but also fun.

One fun activity sure to help everyone blow off some steam is charades. Whoever is up will act out a scene from the bride or groom's life, so it might be when graduating from college, or getting a huge promotion at work. The "it" person might choose to act out when the bride tripped and fell at another person's wedding or when the groom saved a dog from getting hit by a car. This is a little twist on charades that helps people get to know the bride and groom better, and adds intimacy to what is already an intimate event.

If the wedding rehearsal dinner is a bit less formal and held in someone's home, there are many more activities that can take place. For example, how about a night of playing board games? Who needs formal food? You can have that the next day at the formal wedding. At this rehearsal dinner party, the games are center stage.

Bring in some sandwiches and tell everyone to wear their comfortable clothes and settle in for a night of board games. You can set up games on different tables, divide people into groups of 4 or 5 and have everyone rotate tables at designated times. You can even instruct game players that when they move to another table, the game stays out the way it is. So, for example, dad might begin playing Monopoly where the bride was and he's stuck with only a little money in the bank and no houses on Boardwalk.

So, let's say the bride and groom are big into sports. If the wedding is to be held in the summer and the days are long, how about a game of touch football or baseball? You can play bride's family against groom's family, men against women, or for a twist, the bride plays with the groom's family and the groom with the bride's family. Any combination works. The idea here is to have some fun, relax and enjoy each other's company.

Other outdoor activities can include anything that is physical and might help people blow off steam. Has the bride been more a "bridezilla" than anything? How about a game of tag where she's it? Or you can create two bridesmaid's dress-up trunks. Go to a thrift store, fill the trunks with old prom dresses and large-size shoes, and costume jewelry. Divide the guests into two different teams and have someone sit with a timer. The team who dresses one of the men (ideally, the groom and best man or perhaps the two dads) first wins. Be sure to have a camera at the rehearsal dinner/event, because this is one activity you'll want to have pictures of!

MONA REFAAT - the Cairo wedding planning specialist
You can trust Mona Refaat to simplify your planning and make your wedding day in Cairo everything you have ever imagined
        

Your professional 
Wedding-Planner in Cairo 

Contact:
Mona Refaat Call me under: 0020/ 122/ 3305695

Pre Wedding Activities

Planning pre-wedding activities is a little something extra that's not required, but certainly fun and entertaining for the guests. If the bride and groom keep in mind the distance some guests have traveled and keep activities relevant to that level of fatigue, they're sure to hit on some winning activities.

As you go about planning activities for the wedding, keep in mind other factors as well. Do many people have children with them? Will you provide childcare or will the children be participants in the activities? If you have several guests who are older, perhaps activities can be tailored in a ay they can participate as well.

Some of the more popular pre-wedding activities include things like a group manicure. All the women in the wedding party or ho are close to the bride (and certainly this could include men if they like manicures and want to hang out with the ladies) head to a nail salon and get their nails done. This can be relaxing for many women and provide a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of the wedding weekend. The men might choose to golf or play a game of tennis while this is going on.

Many brides and grooms choose to provide structured activities for their guests prior to the wedding. If the wedding is on a Saturday night, for example, they might choose to provide a Friday activity, especially if most guests are local to the wedding. You might have a wedding luau. Many times pre-wedding activities center around bachelor and bachelorette parties, but what about a stag party that includes all the members of the brides and grooms families? You could plan some fun (and appropriate) games and head out to a restaurant for a night of fun and games. Be sure to limit the drinking and carousing as this might not sit well with some family members.

Here is a fun activity that can be done right before the wedding. Have someone begin a gift basket. The theme of the basket is "advice for the couple" and could be started by the best man or maid of honor. They take the basket to someone else's house, perhaps an aunt or cousin and leave it on the doorstep. That person adds an item (a book on how to end spousal arguments? Or a CD of romantic music?) and brings the basket to someone else's house. This activity can begin a week or two before the wedding and everyone should know it is coming around.

The basket can also be circulated the weekend of the wedding, but this ill only work if everyone is local and if they know the basket is coming. In this case, it also might be helpful to have someone bring the basket to a house, collect the item and the take the basket to the next location, reducing the need to have each person take the basket to its next location. Once it's full, someone can be in charge of putting the basket items together, wrapping it all up to make it look nice and bringing it to the bride and groom. It can be delivered right to the wedding as a gift in and of itself.

Whatever activities you choose, be sure to keep in mind the needs of your guests and the limitations of those guests. If you want to plan an activity that includes everyone, and you choose golf, but grandpa is in a wheelchair or uses a walker, that might not be the best activity to plan.

MONA REFAAT - the Cairo wedding planning specialist
You can trust Mona Refaat to simplify your planning and make your wedding day in Cairo everything you have ever imagined
        

Your professional 
Wedding-Planner in Cairo 

Contact:
Mona Refaat Call me under: 0020/ 122/ 3305695