As the big day approaches, you may wonder what to get your groomsmen as gifts. Groomsmen are a vital part of any wedding, they help make the day unique and memorable, so it is always a good idea to show them your appreciation with a meaningful gift. While there are plenty of traditional gift ideas, sometimes giving something they will appreciate and use is nice while still being personal and unique.
Here are our top picks for practical gifts your groomsmen will use and appreciate. Whether you’re looking for something unique, functional, or affordable, we’ve got you covered.
After months and months of tedious planning, organizing and anticipation, your wedding day is finally here.
“Poof!” Before you even know it, it’s over!
How familiar does this scenario sound? Check with the married women you know. We are sure that the majority of them will agree that their wedding was a haze of activity, and they hardly had time to notice and enjoy the details that they meticulously planned and put together. Let this be a lesson learned. If you are a bride planning your wedding soon, make sure that you enjoy your big day to the fullest, and we have the tips to help you make sure you do. So, let us get started.
1.Be calm and stress-free
Easier said than done, we know! There are many details to get right, timing constraints to meet and so many people involved in your wedding. So, don’t be surprised if you find yourself agonizing on how everything will progress, and if it will be hassle-free. In fact, you may find yourself pondering over this days before your wedding, and trust us it can cause a lot of stress. The last thing you want on your wedding day is to be stressed out and unable to enjoy it due to worry.
The best way to overcome stress is to be organized with your wedding planning from day one. Treat your wedding like a project, with specific details and plans for every task and sub-task. Set aside a diary or calendar to include everything you want about your wedding. Or, if you are tech-savvy bride, turn to the digital domain to plan and organize your wedding tasks. Do everything well ahead of time, so you are prepared for every situation and have every aspect in place well before the wedding day. Make sure you mark your calendar with when to follow up with each vendor, check on the bridesmaids duties and other details. Also, set aside some buffer time to accommodate any last minute changes to plan.
If you have an organized approach to your wedding planning, it will be a lot easier. Nevertheless, don’t forget to add in plenty of time for relaxation exercises, meditation and most importantly, “Me-time” free from any wedding planning, so you can unwind and relax on a regular basis. You can find some really good tips on how to handle wedding planning stress in our articles here and here. Trust us when we ask you to take it seriously, it will go a long way in keeping you sane.
2.Get a wedding planner
A wedding planner may cost you a notable chunk of your wedding budget, but it is money well-spent if you are a bride who is easily overwhelmed with planning and organizing events. Remember that your wedding is a big occasion, the challenges of which you may not be able to fathom. As you are a novice to wedding planning, you may find it eating into your time and energy, and causing stress. Check out all the brides on Wedding Bee complaining about how frustrated the feel about managing every detail of their wedding themselves. Don’t make the same mistake. Delegate at least part of it, if not all the wedding planning to someone who is capable of it. If you cannot afford a full-time planner, at least consider a day-of-planner, so you can breathe easily on the day of your wedding.
A professional wedding planner has experience organizing every detail of a wedding, and can eliminate a lot of confusion that you may otherwise face. Last-minute changes can drive brides nuts, but with a wedding planner, everything can be managed in the nick of time. Following up with vendors, making sure they are where they should be, checking if things are running as per schedule, managing conflicts and giving you valuable wedding advice—yes, we say hire a wedding planner, and you will thank yourself for it!
3.Delegate most of the responsibilities to friends and family
The last thing you want on your wedding day is to keep checking if your bridesmaids are dressed on schedule and at the venue on time, whether the flowers are where they should be, whether the guests arrive at the venue without any hitches, or the caterers are setting up the food as per plan. Unfortunately, brides end up with a tight schedule on their wedding morning, because of managing all these details. They can easily lose track of time and the result is that they fail to enjoy the important moments as they should. Our advice is to delegate each and every one of these tasks to people who can handle it, and stay out of their way. I am certain that you will have many friends and relatives who are eager to help. So, distribute these responsibilities among them. Let your Maid-of-Honor be in charge of the bridesmaids, a family member in charge of the flowers, one of your friends responsible for overseeing the catering team, the groomsmen in charge of coordinating the guests and your parents responsible for things at home.
All you need to make sure is that the person handling the task is reliable and capable of doing the necessary task with gusto. Provide them with explicit instructions of what they are expected to, and just let it go from your list of tasks.
When you delegate these responsibilities to different people well-ahead of time, you will have to be contacted only if there is an unexpected emergency. This will take a huge burden off your neck, and you can relax and find more time to enjoy on your wedding day. Check out this quick thread on delegating tasks at A Practical Wedding website. The brides here made the most of the help offered by their friends and family, and did it in such a fun manner. You may also be able to borrow an idea or two and enjoy the process, the same way.
4.Be prepared for every scenario and don’t let anything spoil your mood
Wedding day disasters do happen, but it doesn’t mean the end of the world. Although you may cringe at the very thought of such an issue, remember that you should prepare for it, and you will later not regret it. A bridal emergency kit is an absolute must-have and will come to your rescue in most cases. Visit this link to find out how to make your own or buy one. This will help you tide over most wedding day dress mishaps.
As for the other snags that may happen, don’t dwell on it too much and mentally prepare yourself to let it go. Don’t lose perspective of the big picture by obsessing over small details that will be insignificant in the long run. Should an unexpected issue crop up at the last minute, just think of the easiest fix for it at the moment, and don’t worry too much about it. Consider that most of the things that go wrong will be noticed only by you, so give it only the importance it deserves.
Still feel like you need some reassurance? Here’s this interesting article on The Bustle, that details 9 things that can go wrong at your wedding. It pretty much covers everything, but we like the practical solutions they have suggested for each of them. Go through it, and you will find nothing that happens on a wedding day, is as severe as it seems at the time.
5.Plan your wedding day morning so you have plenty of time
Your wedding day is a day that you deserve to enjoy. But, finding time for it is crucial. So, limit your activities and schedule only those that are absolutely necessary into your time-line, so you can relax and savor every moment. Wake up early, and start the day on a fresh note. Begin with exercise, meditation or a long soak in the tub. Refreshing yourself in this manner, will uplift your spirits and help you feel confident that you can handle the day ahead.
Dressing for your wedding will take you time, so schedule in more than just the required minimum for every task. If you have already had a hair and makeup trial, you should have a fair idea of how long it will take you to get dressed on the day of your wedding. Our suggestion is to add an extra hour to this time, just to be on the safe side. Get everything you need for your wedding day ready the day before. Also, supply necessary instructions to the wedding party on the day before the wedding, so you needn’t bother with the details on the day itself, and can put this time to better use. This article on the things you need to do the day before your wedding will guide you in this direction.
6.Make sure you have all your meals and are well hydrated
Food and water may be the last thing on your mind in the rush leading up to your wedding. Nevertheless, it plays an important role in ensuring your well-being. With all the nervousness and excitement of the wedding running high, you can quickly feel light-headed and dizzy. When you carry on without eating properly, you may feel hungry and without energy as the day progresses. This can take away all the fun of enjoying your day. So, don’t skip your meals.
The best way to ensure you have your food is to designate time for it in your wedding day schedule, and you won’t have to worry about finding time for it. Plan your wedding day meals in advance, so it is quick and simple, but capable of keeping you energetic and fueled. Meals that are high in protein and complex carbohydrates are the best. It is equally important that you stay hydrated throughout the day. Stick with your regular intake of liquids, so your skin and eyes look fresh and glow.
If you aren’t sure of what you should be having on your wedding day, we recommend that you check out this fantastic article on Byrdie.com. Here, fitness expert Jessica Sepel, provides valuable tips on what to eat on your wedding day. This should cover all your bases.
7.Put aside all tech gadgets and attend only necessary calls
We know how impossible it is to get anywhere without our phones, tablets and other digital devices. Let your wedding day be different. Remember that once you open your social media accounts, or just decide to check your mails, you may become engrossed in it and lose precious time. So, stay away from all electronics on the day of your wedding. You may feel tempted to thank your friends and well-wishers for their wedding day wishes right away, but curb the temptation. It can wait till after the wedding, and they anyway know you are busy and don’t expect you to reply right away.
The same goes for your cell phone. Put it aside, even disconnect it. Or hand it over to someone like your mother or maid-of-honor. On your wedding day, the only calls you should be attending are those from your wedding planner. Anything else can wait, or can go through someone else. If you want to click a few selfies on the day of your wedding, definitely go ahead with it, but after that put your phone away.
Turn off your mobile and all other gadgets before you go to bed the night before your wedding, and you will be surprised at how calm your day is and how much more time you suddenly seem to have.
8.Don’t forget to take it all in
If you want to remember the most important moments of your wedding day, make sure that you spend a minute or two taking it all in. On your wedding day, share a few minutes with your parents and capture that moment in memory. During the ceremony, spend an extra minute just to look around and enjoy the scene. Have a proper look at your bridegroom when he first sees you, and burn it into your memory. Enjoy your wedding photo shoot and live in the moment. Make sure that you have these deep happy moments to recollect later and remember your wedding day by. It will not feel as though it passed too soon, when you do.
Many couples choose not to invite children to their wedding. However, there are other couples who not only decide to invite children to their wedding but also look forward to including them in the ceremony.
Let us face it, having children in the ceremony makes it all the more pleasant and exciting. So, if you want your child or other children from your family involved in your wedding, here are some ideas on how you can have them participate.
The wedding look you plan to have should center around the colors you choose for your wedding theme. You do not have to be an artist to create a beautiful wedding color palette, you can find inspiration everywhere and work with it to create the colors that will make your wedding venue what you always envisioned it to be.
If you are planning your wedding in fall, we have the perfect ideas to help you find your wedding colours. The three most important things to consider in order to find a winning combination are
Consider the venue where you are to be married
Please make the most of the season and exploit it to find a winning combination
Consider the style of your wedding and decide on the color combinations.
Let us take a closer look at each of these points.
1.Consider the venue where you are to be married
Your wedding location plays a huge role, as it influences the effect of your color palette. The same color combination works differently in different settings, as the nature of lighting, disbursement of color and other aesthetic elements in the venue contribute to the overall effect. There is no specific order in which you have to work; you can either choose the venue first and then decide on your palette, or first choose your wedding color palette and then look for a suitable location.
Either method has it’s own pros and cons. In the first case, you will have to limit your color choices to those that will work well in the natural ambiance of your chosen venue. If it is a venue with signature décor attached to it or strong colors that stand out, you may have to come up with a combination that will blend in or complement the existing colors on site.
In the second case, you will have certain colors in mind already. In this scenario, you will have to choose a venue where these colors look good. This can limit your options, as not all venues will equally yield to all color palettes. The alternative is to switch to darker or lighter shades of what is on your palette and make a few necessary changes, so it works well in the setting.
2.Make the most of the season and exploit it to come up with a winning combination
Fall is a wonderful time to get married. Not only is it romantic, the weather is just perfect being neither too cold, nor warm. In fact, fall weddings are almost as attractive as spring weddings, if not better. A certain beauty is associated with the natural colors of fall, and it offers enough inspiration to help you plan a spectacular day. Deep, dark hues and rich indulgent colors add a luxurious touch to the natural environment, and these colors can render beautiful combinations at your wedding as well.
The color combinations mainly focus on shades of red, orange and purple with a refreshing mix of greens, yellows, blues and peaches thrown in. These are some of the signature colors we immediately associate with autumn. Weave your wedding color palette around them, and you cannot go wrong.
3.Consider the style of your wedding when you decide the color combinations
We know that some colors work better for certain wedding styles than others. While certain color combinations are inherently elegant and classic, others are joyful and fun. You have to find this balance when planning your colors for a unique wedding style. Here is a quick guide to choosing colors that work well together for different wedding types of weddings.
Fresh and light colors like peach, pale yellow and glassy green look great in outdoor weddings. You can complement them with accent colors like pink or turquoise for a touch of drama. Other fall colors include maroon, gold, ochre, rust, brown and purple.
For indoor weddings in formal settings, consider working with metallics like gold, silver or copper to add sophistication to your classic wedding palette. These metals work best with dark solid colors like navy and red, but you can also try combining them with lighter shades.
White is a simple, but beautiful solution for almost any venue, and especially in those that have bright colors in the walls, décor or carpets. By using white in plenty, you can add pops of your favorite colors into the décor. These won’t clash with the existing ones as white will balance it out.
Dusty colors should be used with caution in autumn weddings. Either mix them in with bright complementary colors or with dark shades. They can otherwise look faded and dull.
Every bride wishes to have a wedding that is unique, and the colors that you incorporate into your wedding palette play a huge role in achieving it. Here are the steps you should follow to find your color palette and fine-tune it, so it is just perfect for your big celebration.
1.Set up a wedding inspiration board
This is the first step towards planning your wedding palette. Refer to our article on creating your wedding inspiration board to find out what you need to get started. Once you have your setup ready, start collecting and pinning pictures that you like, to it. Slowly, you will observe a pattern emerging, and this will help you move on to the next step.
2.Choose one or two favorite colors
Take a look around you. Your wardrobe, favorite décor items and your inspiration board will help you choose one or two main colors to focus on. To make this easier, from your inspiration board, first eliminate those that you are not sure about. Next, pull out your favorite combinations so you can zero in on the common colors that you seem to be attracted to. Choose your favorite one or two bold colors from this list. Alternately, you may already have a color, flower or décor item that you must have. Then go with this as the starting point for your wedding color palette. The next step is to find the complementary colors that will set the mood for your wedding.
3.Choose complementary colors
Once you know the bold colors that you will use in your wedding palette, the next step is to find the complementing colors that will create the mood you want for your wedding. Refer to the color wheel for help. Two basic rules to find the best complementary colors are
Choose from colors that are neighbors to your chosen main colors. These will help create an elegant combination, that is best suited for formal and classic styles
Choose from colors that are directly opposite to the main colors your choose. These brighten up the main color in your palette, and should be your go-to choice for casual and fun styles.
You can experiment with light and dark shades of your chosen colors to find a combination that you love. Also add neutrals to balance it out appropriately. Consider adding a single metallic shade into your palette, if you want more sophistication or bling. Since each choice can drastically alter the ambiance, make sure to choose between gold, silver, copper or colored metallics with due care.
3.Decide where which color will be incorporated
This is a very detailed process. You will have to determine how your décor settings will be, the colors the bouquets should contain, how your table settings will feature your chosen colors and how your wedding party will reflect your color selection. Remember that you do not have to put in too much of the bold color for an impact. Sometimes, you can achieve more effect by adding pops of it as an accent color in your décor. Here are some factors to consider in this regard.
Bridesmaids dresses: If your bold color is an unusual shade, like berry or peach, that won’t flatter the skin tone of your bridesmaids, consider using the mix ‘n’ match trend when choosing their dresses. Read more about it here and here. Otherwise choose their dresses in the neutral colors in your palette and weave in the bold colors through accessories and flowers.
Wedding party: It is necessary to bring the looks of the bridesmaids and the groomsmen together and there are several ways to go about it. Make sure that the main colors of your palette are included in the right mix, without simply adding it in bulk. You could choose ties with a pattern that includes the main colors, but with taste. Or the boutonniere could have flowers in the main colors, while the rest of the outfit is simple.
Bouquets: If the main colors in your palette aren’t easily available in flowers, choose a neutral colored bouquet instead, and bring the color in through accessories like the ribbon. This is better than choosing the closest match, which can offset the intended effect entirely.
Decor: Be careful with how much color you add and where. Too many bold colors can tire the eyes, and your guests may feel the arrangement is too cluttered. So, balance out your décor with plenty of neutrals, and use your bold colors in small and properly balanced quantities. Add complementary colors when it is a huge display, so they are more effective.
Food: Keep the food colors simple, and rely on colorful stationery instead. While colorful desserts and few bright dishes may be appealing, too much of it may look unappetizing and artificial. Instead, add the color into the setting using colorful stationery for food labels and in centerpieces and napkins, to make it interesting.
Cake: Colorful cakes may look interesting. Nevertheless, not everyone finds it very palatable. The better option is to choose a design that has the right balance of the colors added through accessories like ribbons, flowers and other cake toppers. Autumn wedding cakes look best when decorated with berries, deep flowers and silky ribbons and soft glitter.
4.Tweak the details till you are satisfied
Be calm and composed, and approach the process of getting your colors right, one step at a time. It can become overwhelming, but dividing it into separate projects and handling only one aspect at a time is tricky. While inspiration boards are helpful, don’t depend on it for everything. Add your own touches to what you find, and work with what you have. You always have scope for enhancements, so add improvements and changes, so you have something new.
A very important thing to remember is that there is nothing called perfection. It is your satisfaction that matters. When you like what you see, stop and mentally note that you have done this right. This will allow you to relax and enjoy what you have, instead of wishing for something better. Get the opinions of your friends and family, or enlist their help with getting certain aspects right. Nevertheless, don’t lose track of the big picture. Recognize when it is time to stop obsessing with your color palette and focus on the other important things about your wedding.
Now that you are armed with all that you need to know about planning your color palette for your fall wedding, you are all set to begin. We suggest that you take a look at this color guide on Magnetstreet for some winning color combinations that work beautifully in autumn. They have done a wonderful job of sorting out each palette according to the mood the combination creates. So, whether you want a tangy vibe or a poetic wedding combination, you have the starting point to build your palette. You can also visit Wedding Paper Divas here for some more color combinations that scream autumn!
To find bridesmaids’ dresses and choose invitations, décor or cakes in any of these color palettes, visit us online at Best for Bride. Use our wedding services to make your dream wedding colours come to life.
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