FAVORS

Picture frames to hold a future wedding picture.

Edible favors --- guests will gladly take them home if there are leftovers!

Candy Buffet (dont forget the scoops and glass containers!) with personalized 'take home' boxes.

A photobooth (RI Photo Booth or Boston Photo Booth)

Beach theme?  Mini sand buckets containing brown sugar (sand) and marbled Belgian chocolate seashells

Make a donation eg, American Cancer Society, ASPCA, Breast Cancer Research, etc.  Make a sign to place near the guestbook that states in lieu of favors, a donation has been made to....... (stating where it went).

Enclose a $1 Scratch-off state lottery ticket in a glassine envelope. For scratching, include a penny minted in the year you are getting married. Seal the flap of the envelope with double-sided tape. On the front of the envelope, affix a label that cleverly reads "Lucky In Love"!

Other clever sayings we've seen:
* Wishing you RICHES from the new Mr. & Mrs.
* We get HALF!
* Hope our luck rubs off on you!
* With a whole LOTTO love!
* MatriMONEY
* Your love means MILLIONS!

WEDDING DAY THOUGHTS TO CONSIDER:

Don't drink too much the night of the rehearsal... it may not treat you well the next morning!

Have a seamstress on call.  One bridesmaid tried her dress on after rehearsal & broke the zipper!

Assign your dad or someone in the bridal party to give your vendors their final payments  (if this is what they require).

Have your caterer or venue manager put some comfy shoes for you underneath your sweatheart table (or head table) for the reception.

Do a short receiving line with just the bride and groom.  You can always visit tables for those that didn't make it through the line.

Do a little extra for your bridesmaids on the weekend of the wedding, (ie, buy everyone breakfast or lunch, or treat them to Starbucks).  They will really appreciate it!

Lock eyes with your husband to be for the entire length of the aisle.  Guys can be highly emotional at this time, too!

Prepare a list of must-take family photos.    One bride didn't get any formal shots with her husband's family except for a large group shot.

Wear Spanx (the power panties!) --- not just for slimming but to make your inner thighs comfortable.  If you're like most red blooded, American women, your thighs love each other and like to touch underneath dresses.  Wearing Spanx will form a comfortable barrier.

Drink CLEAR liquids.  One bride suggested drinking champagne.  It looked elegant in her hand with no evidence of spills!  (And there's nothing worse than a beautiful bride holding a bottle of Bud)

Take quick pictures, bustle up & get to your cocktail hour so you can mingle and eat some of your food!

Spend some quality time with your parents sometime during this very busy day.

Dance the night away!!  It's so tempting to walk around and have all of your favorite people in the world talking your ear off.... remember, they're all there!

Enjoy every second.... soak it up.  There will be moments of anxiety but snap back to reality and remember the purpose of the day.

MISC IDEAS

TABLE CAMERAS:  Often times when disposable cameras are set on each table at the reception, you get only 2 or 3 photos per camera..... such a waste!  Try the digital equivalent of the table camera:  set up an online account (Snapfish, Photobucket, Picasa, etc) so that your guests can upload their personal photos of your wedding!   This allows everyone to share their photos and you can order prints, make enlargements, or order photo gifts.  You'll get a great photo assortment this way, too!

THEME GARTER:   You'll find Red Sox, Patriots, Valentines, Fall leaves, Camouflage, and many more theme garters at justforbride.com !

FILENES "RUNNING OF THE BRIDES":  Don't fight the crowd and wild hysteria.  Wait until around 11 am (or later) to go.  There are still hundreds of dresses available at this time and they're all back on the racks!

DANCING SHOES!  Place a basket of flip flops by the dance floor.

SEATING ARRANGEMENT:  One of the challenges that many couples face is the seating arrangement.  A good friend of ours made this suggestion.  Take paper plates (one plate for each table at the reception) and post-it notes (one post-it note per person).  Put each person's name on a Post-it note and stick them to the paper plates representing the table where they will be seated.  When you need to move someone from one table to another, it's a matter of peel off & stick-on!  No dry erase boards, no pencils, no glue.... and especially, no stress!

 
SPORTS THEME WEDDINGS

Use a football for a 'guestbook'.

Pats fans?  Request that the DJ play "Crazy Train" (Ozzy Osbourne) for your grand entrance into the reception.

 
BEACH WEDDINGS

Getting married on the beach?  Suggest that your bridesmaids go 'barefoot in the sand' with you to prevent shoes from getting wet or dirty!

What about the guys -- tux too formal?  Try a khaki suit.  Many beach grooms also wear a "Cape Cod Tux" - khaki pants, white shirt and a navy blue blazer!

TO ACKNOWLEDGE THOSE WHO HAVE PASSED

Make a dedicated page in the program

Have a special song played

Place your bouquet on their gravesite

Frame a poem with a framed photo beside it, placed near the guestbook

Place a photo inside a locket and attach it to your bouquet