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Laughter & Love Notes: Entertaining Pen and Paper Games for a Memorable Bridal Shower!

One of the traditional rules for a bridal shower is “There shall be games.” You can of course, have a bridal shower without any games, but remember that bridal shower games were introduced with more than one purpose. While all the guests know the bride, they may not know each other, and games are the best way to break the ice. Plus, they make the party fun and exciting as it brings guests of different generations and age-groups together and give them a chance to mingle freely.

1. Do you have it in your purse?

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Things you need: List of items, markers or pencils

Make a list of items that you would normally find in every purse like credit cards, tissues and makeup, and add a number of random items like cookies, toothpicks and band aid, to the list. Please print out a list with all these items and distribute it among the guests. Ask them to strike off all that they have. The winner is the one who has most items.

2. Bridal bingo

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Things you need: Bridal bingo cards, markers or pencils

Add a wedding-related twist to the classic bingo game by providing the guests with bingo cards that has wedding words instead of numbers in the grids. The rest of the rules remain the same: the host calls out the words, and guests strike out those that are on their cards. The first player to complete a horizontal, vertical or diagonal line wins.

3. Petal wishes for the bride

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Things you need: Petal wishes kit from Best for Bride or note papers and writing pad, pens

Make use of our petal wishes kit, and get the guests at the bridal party to write their wishes to the bride. Once they have done it, you can simply snap the petals together to create a beautiful flower bouquet that the bride can treasure forever. Alternatively, you can also provide the guests with mini writing boards and a note to share their thoughts, which you can later put together into a book and gift the bride.

4. Whose lines are these

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Things you need: list of questions, answers to the questions and pens

The hostess compiles a list of things that the bride and groom have said in the past. This is then printed beside two columns which have the bride’s name and groom’s name on them. All the guests are asked to circle who they think said the statements. The hostess then calls out the answers and the guest who gets most answers right wins the prize. This is a game that opens up conversation and can prompt friends and relatives to also share wedding stories and other trivia.

Aside from these sit-down and play games, you can also organize few active ones which will get the guests up and about. Just remember to balance it out, so that everyone attending the party enjoys it. Keep visiting us at Best for Bride for more wedding tips and advice.

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Wedding Traditions from around the world

Weddings are special in every country and community. It is perhaps the one joyous occasion in life, that the entire world deems worthy of celebration. Hence, there are traditional rituals associated with this occasion, that have been followed for ages, and continue to this day. Let us look at some wedding customs from various countries of the world, and understand how each culture solemnizes the union of man and woman.

China

China is a huge country with many ethnic groups. So, the wedding customs vary greatly from one region to another. The traditional style of matchmaking had matchmakers who took the proposal from the groom to the girl’s family. The wedding was fixed only after a fortune teller predicted whether the couple would have a happy life together. Traditional wedding attires of both bride and groom were in red. The bride and her party were expected to cry for days leading up to the wedding, as this symbolized her grief of leaving her home. After the wedding rituals, the guests were treated to a feast, that often had six or nine courses.

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India

Indian weddings involve several rituals and take days to complete. The traditional bridal attire includes heavy jewelry, elaborate hairstyles with flowers and beautiful dresses with plenty of golden embroidery and embellishments. The bride is adorned with turmeric during the Haldi ceremony, and her hands and feet decorated with mehendi (semi-permanent tatoos) a few days before the wedding. The groom’s family arrives in a procession and are welcomed by the bridal party. The couple exchange flower garlands to symbolize their acceptance of each other. In some cultures, the groom ties a necklace called the mangalsutra, around the bride’s neck and this has to be worn by the bride at all times.The couple circle the holy fire, as they vow to love and care for each other.

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Ghana

In Ghana, the wedding ceremony begins with the groom and his family members knocking on the door of the bride’s house and making their wedding proposal. They hand over gifts to the girl’s family, and if these are accepted it means their proposal will be considered. On the day of the wedding, the elders discuss dowry arrangements and then the bride is asked if she agrees to marry the groom. Once she does, the couple exchange rings and prayers are said. The guests are treated to a feast during the reception.

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Arab weddings

In Arabic weddings, the couple exchange rings on their engagement day. A day before the wedding, the bride’s hands and feet are decorated with henna and the groom gives the bride her mehr, or gold. The marriage ceremony or the Nikah begins with the religious representative reciting prayers and telling the group how husbands and wives should honor their relationship and each other. Legal documents are filled out and signed by the groom and the bride’s father, witnesses sign the contract and the marriage is official.

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Mexico

In Mexico, the couple’s Godparents sponsor their wedding. Flamenco-style ruffled dresses are the traditional bridal dress choice. The bride changes her outfit a number of times during the ceremony. The reception buffet includes traditional dishes like spicy rice and beans. The cake is a rich fruit cake, and almond cookies are an essential sweet treat served at the reception.

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For more information on weddings, or to buy your wedding dress or accessories, visit us at Best for Bride.

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Wedding Dress Styles for every Bride

Every bride wants to look beautiful on their wedding day. The main way that she is able to do this is by choosing the perfect wedding gown to fit her personality and style. However, there are so many different designs to choose from that it can be difficult for the bride to find her perfect gown. When you are in this situation, you should start by choosing the style that is the most beautiful to your.

Trumpet Wedding Dress

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This is a beautiful gown that works best for girls with an hour glass or rectangle shape. If you are a girl who is fit but curvy, this dress will look beautiful on you.

Princess Wedding Dress

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With this gown, women who are top heavy, or have the pear, hour glass or rectangle shape will be perfect for the design. It can also help to hide tummy bulges as well.

Empire Wedding Dresses

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This dress has a high waist line and is great for women with an inverted triangle, apple, pear or hour glass shape. It is very flattering and is also great for slim brides with small busts as well as for pregnant brides. It is an extremely comfortable shape to wear and many brides have chosen this design.

Column Wedding Dresses

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These dresses are form fitting and tend to hug the body. For women who are not as confident about their bodies, this may not be the best option for them to choose. It works great for brides who are slim and have balanced figures.

Ball Gown

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The ball gown dress is usually referred to as the fairy-tale wedding gown. This is the dress that you would expect to see Cinderella wearing. They are very dramatic dresses that flare out from the waist line. They usually come with a fitted bodice and work great for women with a pear shape, the hour glass shape, inverted triangle, rectangle or even apple shapes.

Making the Decision

When you are choosing your wedding gown, it is best to choose a style that you will feel comfortable with. Take into consideration your body shape and try on a few dresses in each style. Once you have found the style dress that you love the most, you can focus on the dresses that are available in that style range.

Whether you are planning an over the top wedding with glamourous dresses or something a little more budget friendly, you will be able to find dresses in each style that will fit well with your budget. Make sure that you take your time and find the dress that will make you feel the most beautiful. With the nerves that you will be experiencing on your big day, the last thing that you need is a dress that will make you feel uncomfortable.

Don’t forget to visit Best for Bride to find the wedding gown of your dreams. The store offers options for every bride, every budget and every preferred wedding gown style.

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Are Wedding Programs Necessary?

Wedding programs provide a list of the parts of the ceremony and details such as the members of the bridal party. In a small, casual wedding, the wedding program may seem unnecessary. Perhaps, it is. It’s not right or wrong to have a wedding program. The choice is up to the bride and groom. Wedding programs can be helpful if the ceremony is long or the audience may not know all the members of the bridal party. Some couples include a thank you to the vendors. Are wedding programs necessary?

If the wedding is a large, formal wedding in which everyone in attendance doesn’t know the members of the bridal party, the wedding programs are an initial introduction. The guests may appreciate being able to follow along with a program for a lengthy ceremony. If there are several participants in the wedding ceremony such as a soloist, organist, or other individuals, including their names in the programs is proper wedding etiquette. You wouldn’t want any of the people who help make your wedding special to end up feeling slighted or ignored. Also, guests may want to know who the people are who are participating. It helps create ties that help everyone feel included.

A traditional program lists the components of the ceremony such as the music, vows, unity ceremony, etc. The program does not need to be detailed. Some people take a lighthearted approach to the program and list the events as: “We get married. Everyone parties.”

Wedding ceremony programs can be a beautiful touch to a wedding. Even if you don’t feel like a wedding program is absolutely necessary for your wedding, you may want to look at different types of wedding programs before deciding whether or not to have one. Etsy, the website specializing in handcrafted goods, sells some gorgeous handmade wedding programs. There is a wide variety of styles of wedding programs that can be purchased through Best for Bride.

If you know you want programs, you may want to ask about them when ordering your invitations. The programs do not need to be coordinated with your wedding invitations, but you may like that consistency. The program can be true to your theme. If you browse the wedding programs sold through Best for Bride, you can see that programs can be any style from rustic to classical. Brides and grooms who are having destination weddings or a wedding at a historical location may want to add some details about the location in the wedding programs.

Humorous programs are popular for couples who love to laugh and share the joy of the moment. The programs might include a comic about marriage or joke about the couple. One couple put the line: “So you’re about to sit through a wedding” on the front page of their wedding programs.

Some couples include nice little stories in the wedding programs such as how they met or how he proposed. A favorite program or dedications to deceased relatives might be included. If you are on a tight budget, you may want to consult with the printer to find out how much the printing costs per page before deciding how much to add to the program.

For more wedding tips to help create the perfect wedding, please visit the Best for Bride blog. We have some helpful advice for choosing a wedding gown, selecting invitations, and many other wedding planning decisions.