It’s a big day for the groom too. Here’s some wedding tips for the groom to help you out…

Don’t be late!

Don’t even think about being late to your wedding. Make sure you and your party arrive on time. As a matter of fact… Be Early! Want to impress your bride? Get there before she does.

Bridal Party Colors

Take special note of the colors that are going to be worn by the bridesmaids. If you can, accent those colors with your boutanier or assessories. Your effort won’t go unnoticed and your bride will think it’s very special.

Bridal Bouquet

It is the responsibility of the groom to pay for the bridal bouquet. Traditionally, the bride tosses the bouquet at the reception to an anxiously awaiting group single ladies in attendance. As was pointed out in our Saving Your Bouquet tip consider purchasing a second bridal bouquet and surprising your new bride with it.

Wedding Speech

The groom will be giving a speech. First and foremost, remember to compliment your bride. You should also praise the bridesmaids and groomsmen. You’ll also want to remember to thank your parents and hers. Want to score some “brownie points”? Compliment your new mother-in-law on how nice she looks and don’t forget your mother too!

Wedding Toasts

There will no doubt be plenty of family and friends toasting you and your lovely bride. Be appreciative and humble. It’s really not appropriate to join in and toast yourself.

Beverage Consumption

Watch your alcohol intake. Getting really drunk at the reception isn’t a good way start off your first day of wedded bliss. Celebrate! It’s a very special day for both you and your bride. Just don’t over do it.

Okay all you brides-to-be. Here’s your chance to add to our wedding tips for grooms. Please let us know what else should added to the list.

In the past it was common to hold the bachelor / bachelorette party the night before the wedding as a celebration of the last night of your old life. But, as these parties become more and more elaborate it may be a better idea to have them the weekend, or several weekends, before the wedding.

This allows you to pick an exotic location for your party and have all the fun you want without the worry of having to wake up the next morning and look perfect for your big day.

Many couples opt for an outdoor wedding to exchange their vows. Whether it be the natural beauty of a national park or forest preserve. The intimate serenity of a park or backyard or even the grand splendor of the ocean with its sprawling sand beaches. Outdoor weddings take quite a bit of extra planning and work. Here are some tips to help you out.

Watch the Weather

Mother Nature will be in attendance at your outdoor wedding. If it’s going to be a hot and sunny day be sure and have plenty of bottled water on hand for your guests. Perhaps hand it out as they arrive. Arranging for some large tents to provide some shade or cover should it rain is a good idea as well as sun screen.

Wedding Program Fans

Hot and humid weather can find you guests fanning themselves with your wedding program trying to keep cool. Have your wedding program printed on a fan. It’s a great way too help keep your guests more comfortable and create an adorable momento of your wedding for them to take home.

What’s Your Backup Plan?

Is rain in the weather forecast? If you haven’t arranged for tents or canopies you need to have a plan B in the event of rain. If you’re having your reception indoors be sure they’re on the ready in the event of rain. Quickly rearranging the tables and chairs can allow you to move your outdoor wedding indoors if need be.

Where’s your Permit?

Many public parks and forest preserves require a permit. Be sure and check with the local government well in advance of wedding to insure that you not only have the needed permits but to make sure the area for your outdoor wedding is available.

Where’s the Sun?

Take into account the time of day and the positioning of the sun. Be sure and set up your wedding theater so that the sun is not going to be shining in the eyes of your guests. They want to be able to see you exchange your vows without having to squint.

Can You Hear me Now?

Especially if there’s going to be a large number of guests in attendance arrange for PA system. While turning around and shouting “I SAID, I DO!” to all of the guests who didn’t hear you may provide a bit of comic relief, renting a good PA system is a better idea.

Bad Hair Day

Nothing like a windy day to turn your hair into a tangled mess. Be sure and tell your hair stylist that you’re having an outdoor wedding so they can help to prevent the wind from turning your perfect hair style into an unsightly mop. It’s also a very good idea to take particularly windy outdoor wedding locations into account when selecting your gown and bridesmaid dresses. Light flowing dresses may provide a few more “candid” photographs than you anticipated on a real windy day.

Stop Bugging Me!

Flying insects can really dampen the fun. Keep several citronella candles or torches lit and perhaps a bug zapper to help keep the beasts at bay. Fruit bees can really be pesky annoyances if you’re serving food outdoors. Try placing several small containers half filled with a sweet fruit juice or sugary soda with a few drops of liquid dish soap added well away from the food and tables. This will not only attract them but trap them in the liquid.

I think it’s safe to say two of the busiest people at a wedding reception are the bride and groom. Each of them trying to meet and greet their friends and family in attendance as well as trying to relax a bit and enjoy the meal being served at their reception. Instead of seating them at a head table or a “Sweetheart Table” for the meal, here’s something to consider…

Add a place setting for the bride and groom at a few of the tables at the reception. A place setting for both, at a different table for each course being served at the reception meal. Your family and friends will really enjoy being an intimate part of your celebration and this is a great way to do it!

The bride and groom will get to relax and enjoy their meal and by having a different course at a different table are able to visit with their more of their guests at the same time.

It’s common to have seating assignments at many wedding receptions. But instead of having name cards printed up for everyone, have someone from the wedding party start collecting wedding photos from your guests that can be placed in nice, inexpensive picture frames. Then use those pictures to mark the assigned seats.

The pictures will make for great conversatiojn pieces and the pictures frames can be small wedding gifts for your guests.

Those of us that have been married for a while understand that it is never too early to start scoring bonus points with the wife. So why not start on your wedding day?

A great way to start surprising your new bride is to have a special delivery of flowers sent to her while she is getting ready for the big event. Be sure to include a small card with special thoughts just for her.

Another thing to consider is smashing the wedding cake in to her face. It may have been funny when you watched your friend do it to his new wife, but trust me, she wasn’t thrilled, and neither will your new wife be.

Nobody likes to wear dull or dirty jewelry and this is especially true on your wedding day. For all of you brides-to-be, who don’t want dull and listless looking jewelry to spoil your pictures, especially those close up shots, here’s what to do…

Contact your local jeweler and arrange to have your engagement ring, wedding band, and any other jewelry you plan to wear on your wedding day, professionally polished and cleaned about a week or so before the wedding. Once all of your bridal jewelry has been expertly cleaned and polished (here’s the hard part) don’t wear it! That’s right, safely store it until your wedding day and make your bridal jewelry the very last thing you put on. Your jewelry will look just as radiant and beautiful as you do on your wedding day.

A good wedding photographer or videographer is not inexpensive. Be sure and plan ahead so that you can be sure you allow enough in you wedding budget to cover the cost.

If you’re on a tight budget, here’s a couple of tips to consider…

Consider hiring a photography student from a local University. They may not have the experience of having shot many weddings but their fresh and artistic eye can capture some wonderful moments. Be sure and discuss the details of exactly what you want so you get the particular pictures you’re most interested in.

Disposable cameras today take really nice pictures. Why not place a disposable camera on each table of at your reception. You’ll get a lot of candid shots and some of the best wedding memories can be captured by your guests simply having fun and participating on your big day.

Special thanks to our forum member Vertigo for sharing these ideas in the Bridal Forum. Be sure and join us there with your ideas and comments.

Ok, this one isn’t so much of a tip as an announcement.

The cool folks over at Cheap Chic Weddings are having their annual Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Contest. To enter all you need to do is make a wedding dress out of toilet paper and snap a picture or video and send it in. You don’t need to be getting married, or even a lady to enter and maybe even win $500.00.

Check it out, have fun, and if you enter, drop back by here and share your pictures with us as well.

Just about every bride out there wants to save her bouquet, but the tradition of tossing the bouquet and the fact that most flowers simply don’t survive very long, it can be a real challenge.

The first thing that you can do to save your bouquet for all time is to have your bouquet made from silk flowers. While this is a perfectly acceptable solution, you just don’t get the smell of fresh cut flowers as you walk down the isle. For those of you looking to have real flowers in your bouquet there is a solution for you as well.

Freeze dried flowers. You can have your bouquet freeze dried in most towns. Freeze drying removes the moisture from the flowers allowing them to last for years to come. The only problem with freeze drying is that it needs to be done as soon as possible after the wedding and it can also take white roses and give them an ivory hue.

Finally, the bouquet toss. Why not use a stunt double bouquet? Have a second bouquet made that closely resembles your wedding bouquet, or even an identical bouquet, that you can feel glad to toss to the single ladies at your wedding.