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.

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?

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.

Sending out your wedding invitations can be made even more unique by using your engagement photo on your stamps. The US Post Office has a new program where you can have your own stamps made using your own pictures. And you can use nearly any photo you want!

Take a look here at Stamps.Com to start the order process. You can order these stamps in a little as one sheet of 20 stamps for less than $20!

And don’t forget to make stamps after your wedding to use on your thank you cards.

Everyone wants to register for their wedding day. It makes life easier for your guests that wish to buy you a gift, and it helps the newlyweds guide their guests toward the gifts that they really want. But with so many stores out there, and so many registries to fill out the process can be overwhelming.

MyRegistry.Com has tried to resolve this issue by pooling all possible gift registries in to one spot. Simply sign up for an account and you can add any gift, from any store, to your personal gift registry. And best of all? It’s free.