It’s perfectly normal to feel “blue” or a bit let down, even a little depressed following any big event. A party, a holiday, and yes, even your wedding day. With all of the planning, anticipation and excitement involved it’s completely understandable.

Here are a few tips and ideas for you to consider…

- You might try renting an especially funny movie, cuddle up and watch it at home together.

- How about starting a new hobby or reviving an existing one? A new and fun project together.

- Try and make sure you’re getting enough to eat, enough sleep and enough exercise. Being tired or exhausted can leave you feeling down.

- Make a date! That’s right make a date to go out someplace special or visit with family and friends.

- Have a game night. Pick up a fun game and have a few friends over for a game night.

- Change your normal routine up a bit so you don’t get stuck in a rut.

- Try something new together. Ever been on a hot air balloon ride? How about horseback riding?

I hope some of these ideas help you out. And remember, each and every year you’ll have a very special and new milestone to plan for and celebrate. Your anniversary.

Ahhhhh… Christmas. A magical time of year. Friends and family celebrating together. Also the time when people choose to propose to to the one they love.

You have the engagement ring, you’ve summoned up the gumption to actually propose, now what? There are so many ways to turn that Christmas marriage proposal into a an exceptionally magical moment that will last a lifetime.

Create a small “treasure hunt” of several small packages each containing a clue or poem to the whereabouts of your very special gift. Each package leading to the next with the last one leading to you, where on bended knee you ask for their hand in marriage.

More of a hi-tech person? Shoot a video of you proposing to the camera. The whole room will light up and gasp. As your loved one turns to you with that look of surprise, there you are, offereing your gift and asking for their hand.

Please join us in our Marriage Proposal forum for some more ideas.

With winter fast approaching it might be time to consider the perfect winter wedding.

Winter provides the perfect backdrop for smaller, more intimate wedding scenarios. The romance of a glowing fire in a lodge or historic inn can be the perfect backdrop for a romantic wedding shared with a small group of family and friends. Instead of a beach setting you might look into a quiet snow covered mountain setting.

Fall and winter also provide you with some great meal options that aren’t as available in the spring. Winter squash, pumpkin soup and pie, even egg nog and spiced wine become wonderful options for your guests to enjoy. And, wouldn’t a snow globe make a fantastic wedding cake topper?

Wedding Chaos recently surveyed 500 wedding couples and discovered that a staggering 54% would ask for money, or gift cards, as a gift rather than presents. This shift has arisen as many more couples are choosing to live together for a number of years before they eventually tie the knot. As they already live together they are often in a situation where they already have everything they need, and would prefer to ask for money rather than presents, which can be combined to perhaps pay for the honeymoon, or contribute to moving house or simply to save in preparation of starting a family.

Giving the bride and groom money as a wedding present is common practice in countries such as China, Japan and Italy. In Poland, Cyprus, Greece, and the Philippines it involves the bride performing a ceremonial ‘money dance’ whereby guests are encouraged to pin money to either her wedding dress or veil. It seems that giving money as a wedding present, although viewed by some as a faux pas, this is a practice which is very much embraced by others across Europe and Asia.

We’ve had discussions about this in our forums already here and here.

The tradition of the wedding garter toss has evolved over the centuries to the more palatable “event” that it is today. Today’s bride will often wear two garters on the right leg above the knee. At some point during the wedding reception, after the bridal bouquet toss, the bride is seated in a chair with the groom kneeling before her. With all the single men in attendance (and many others!) gathered behind and cheering him on, he removes the first garter from his brides leg (sometimes with his teeth!) and tosses it to the single men who, as tradition says, are the next to be married. Sometimes, the lucky man places the garter on the leg of the lucky lady who caught the bridal bouquet.

What about the second garter? That is removed in private later.

This lively tradition is believed by some to have evolved from the belief that having a piece of the brides clothing was lucky so the guests would begin tearing pieces off the brides wedding dress. Not exactly practical with the cost of wedding dresses today among other things to say the least.

The garter eventually replaced all the ripping and tearing, and at one time, was tossed to the lucky winner of the “garter race”. A race from the church to the bride house. Unfortunately, some of the men in attendance who had a bit too much to drink, tried to remove the brides garter ahead of time so this too changed and has evolved into the tradition that we often see today.

We mentioned a few weeks ago that the groom was responsible for paying for the bride’s bouquet. But the groom’s duties don’t end there. Along with the bridal bouquet the groom should purchase the mother’s and grandmother’s corsages and the boutonnieres for the groomsmen.

The groom’s responsibilities don’t end there. Other fees the groom pays for are the rehearsal dinner, the minister, and the honeymoon.

Public speaking is a fear of many. You’ve been honored by being chosen as the best man and now it’s your turn to honor the bride and groom with a wedding toast. It’s really not that hard and here are a few pointers and tips to help you out…

A good way to get started is by writing down a few things that you know about the bride and groom. How you know them both and your relationship to them. Brother, school chum, best friend etc. How you would characterize them. How did they find each other and how they have changed since then? Perhaps a funny or amusing story about them. Now that you have some of your thoughts written down, it’s time to weave them into your own personal toast to them and their new life.

The first thing you should do is introduce yourself. Not everyone in attendance may know you. Speak clearly and thank whoever is hosting the wedding. At a traditional wedding this is usually the parents of the bride but if it’s not simply thank everyone in attendance for taking part in the celebration.

Remember your thoughts that you wrote down earlier? Here’s where you can put them to good use.

You can start off by telling everyone a funny story about them. Keep in mind, it should be a funny story and not one that will potentially embarrass or humiliate them. DO NOT bring up ex-girlfriends or ex-boyfriends.

Talk about how they met or how you found out about them meeting each other. Try and talk about each of them equally even if you happen to know one or the other better or longer. If you’re married, don’t be afraid to share your thoughts or advice on being married. Describe how you’ve seen them grow and change since they met each other. Don’t carry, on, and on, and on but do go into some detail. Keep it short and sweet.

Finally, it’s time to invite everyone in attendance to raise their glasses and join you in toasting the bride and groom’s new life together. Wish them all the best and tell them you’re looking forward to getting together and celebrating their Golden Anniversary.

Remember, be genuine and sincere and that’s exactly how you’ll come across to everyone.

Getting married in Las Vegas can a great experience, so here are 5 things to remember when planning your Las Vegas wedding..

1. Vegas is known for quickie weddings. But you still have a few legal requirements that need to be addressed before you take that walk down the isle with Elvis presiding over your ceremony. You will need to get a marriage license from the Marriage License Bureau at the County Courthouse at 200 S. 3rd Street. For more details see the county clerk’s webpage about getting married in Las Vegas
2. A Valentine’s Day wedding in Las Vegas may be a dream come true. But remember that it is also the busiest wedding day of the year. Reception sites tend to be booked solid, waits at the chapel can be hours, and the stress of waiting may make it anything but perfect.
3. Rent your wedding dress? Why not? With a spur of the moment decision to get married in Vegas shopping for that perfect wedding dress may not be possible. There are plenty of places where you can rent a wedding gown for your ceremony. This makes even more sense if you are going for a theme wedding at one of the many theme chapels.
4. Las Vegas is hot! Really. During the summer Las Vegas can be one of the hottest places in the United States. Plan your day appropriately when getting married in the summer in Vegas. Wear a sleeveless gown and don’t plan on an ice cream wedding cake.
5. Budget your time and plan to be rushed. Most wedding chapels will have several wedding services every day. So don’t plan to hang around getting pictures, chatting with friends, and drinking in the moment. Be ready to say I do, get a few quick photos and head out to your party.

Getting married in Las Vegas can be a lot of fun, but a little planning can really make your day perfect.

Are you familiar with the marriage license requirements for the state where you are getting married?

We’ve put together a list of the basic marriage license requirements for each state in our education section. Although we have tried to make this list as accurate as possible, laws and requirements change so please do not take the list as legal advice. Always check with your particular state and please let us know of any changes so that we can look into the matter and update the list if neccessary.

The hot and humid weather during the summer months can make it less comfortable for your guests at your wedding. How many times have you looked around the church or outdoor wedding venue and seen the guests fanning themselves with the wedding program?

An adorable way to help keep them more comfortable and create a momento from your wedding is to have your wedding program printed on a fan. This is a great idea especially if you’re planning an outdoor wedding. If you’re planning an outdoor wedding be sure and visit Outdoor Wedding Tips for even more ideas.