Eight Ways to Keep the Romance Alive in Your Wedding (Planning)

While it may seem silly that anyone planning a wedding would have to work at the romance, even newly engaged couples feel the monotony of day-to-day life. Add in the extra stress that comes-physically and financially-with wedding planning and even the strongest couples could feel the sizzle, well fizzle.

But don’t worry. It is nothing you and your soon-to-be can’t work out.

Here are eight ways to keep the romance alive in your wedding (planning).


1. Enjoy a Romantic No-Wedding-Talk Dinner
One of the biggest things grooms hate about the wedding planning process is, well, the wedding planning process. They love you, but unlike you, they don’t need-or want-to hear the nitty-gritty day in and day out.

Plan a romantic dinner for you and your honey where you vow not to talk about the wedding-at all! In fact, it is even better if you can devote only one day per week where you and your groom get together on wedding details. I did this (mostly) with my husband and it was magical. He actually listened when I brought up the wedding and I didn’t bore him to death with the dirty details.

2. Plan a Mini-Splurge Surprise
Your future husband understands how important this wedding is to you and he is (likely) ok with the back seat he has taken since he popped the question. So, how about showing him that he is still #1 by planning a surprise event that is just up his alley. Whether he is a baseball fan, would enjoy a weekend break or has a favorite restaurant, find something he’ll love-and surprise him with it!

3. Who Doesn’t Love Coupons
Speaking of things he loves … why not print out some sexy coupons at American Greetings, wrap them up and give them to him as a “just because” present.

4. Split Up (But Just for a Day)
They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, so why not take a day-or if you currently live together, a night-apart? You’ll realize how much you miss each other and will have tons to talk about when you reunite.


5. The Way to a Man’s Heart …
is still through his stomach. So, to spice things up, why not recreate one of his favorite childhood dishes, make his (new) favorite meal or bake his favorite dessert? He’ll appreciate the time and effort it took you and be reminded why he asked you to be his Mrs.

6. Sexy Reminders
And I guess we could all use a reminder every now and then. When your fiancé isn’t looking, slip sweet love notes into places he’ll likely find them. I recently took an international trip without my husband. Before I left, I planted eight notes around the house, inside his CD holder, in his jeans, even between the towels. He loved it-and I loved hearing about it each time he found one.

7. Just “Get It”
No one is perfect all of the time and even your “Mr. Perfect” is bound to make a mistake. When he has to work late, forgets to call on time or doesn’t respond how you’d like him to, be understanding. It will ease his tension, keep you in a good mood and help you both foresee your beautiful life together.

8. Turn Off the TV
Even the strongest couples get into the bad habit of turning on the TV when they walk in the door or crashing in front of a good movie before they go to sleep. Instead of having a movie night, why not pop open a bottle of wine and talk … about your day, about what is going on with your friends and families and about your hopes and dreams.

Looking for more ideas? Cosmo recently listed 23 ways to keep your romance live on their website. It’s fun stuff and definitely worth checking out.

Photos courtesy of Mr. Brown and inju

Three Perfect Gifts for Your Almost-Perfect Groom

If you have made it to the gift-buying stage of your wedding planning, you’ve already scoured through piles of notes, gone through check list after check list and revised your budget form more often than you care to admit.

Yet, one seemingly small thing or another always seems to creep up and add itself to your to-do list. That one thing for me was the groom gift.

See … I’m not really into bride-giving-the-groom a wedding present-and for the record … the vice versa. I think this dates back to the days when the bride’s parents footed the bill and the happy couple had little to do with their extra income than splurge on extravagant gifts for each other. But times have changed. With most couples paying, at least in part, for their wedding expenses, this tradition seems like overkill.

It is one more thing you, as a bride, have to do.

It is one more decision you, as a bride, have to make.

It is one more place you, as a bride, have to spend your money.

Yet, people still do it.

If you have your heart set on buying a romantic present for you betrothed, then by all means-please do.

If you are like me and would rather spend that dough on something else, then I suggest you have a heart-to-heart with your fiancé. (Well, if you are really like me, then you are marrying someone from another country who didn’t know about this American tradition, so you’d have to tell him about it, then tell him you’d prefer not to do it.)

But the bottom line is to talk to him, discuss your budget options and either agree to forgo the gift-giving or agree to set a spending limit.

That being said, there are some great groom gifts out there and if you and your honey decide you do want to be gift-givers, then here are three perfect gifts for your almost-perfect groom.

Image by mstephens7 via Flickr

For the Sensitive and Romantic Groom

Custom Photo Book

Sure you will take a load of wedding pictures-and likely pre-wedding, engagement-style pictures-but compile some of your favorite photos from when you first met, your first date or your favorite vacation and create a customized photo book-just for him! At Photoworks.com you can select your choice of sizes, cover, fonts and pages and design a book tailor-made for your main squeeze.

I suggest adding a few text-only pages, of a cherished love letter, favorite poem or the lyrics to “your song” and a personal note about how you feel to be marrying him.

For the Life of the Party Groom

Personalized Lounge Signs

There is no better way to start your life together than with a personalized (with YOUR soon-to-be new last name) sign welcoming your friends to your new home bar. This gift is perfect for the groom who likes to entertain and will be a prominent reminder of your wedding day.

For the Intellectual Groom

Theme-related Bookends

If your future hubby would prefer to get caught up in a good book, then consider giving him a set of bookends for his office or home library. They can be displayed year-round and will be a constant reminder of your wedding day nuptials.

Are you and your fiancé exchanging wedding presents? What are you considering buying for him?

Planning A Wedding Rehearsal Dinner

The wedding rehearsal dinner is a very important element in the wedding planning process. There are two types of rehearsal dinners - the formal and the informal.

Planning the wedding rehearsal dinner can be stressful on top of all the other wedding planning - especially as the dinner is traditionally held the night before the wedding itself.

Originally the wedding rehearsal dinner was a sit-down affair hosted by the groom's parents. However in these changing times "anything goes", so there are more informal wedding rehearsal dinners hosted by friends, bride's relatives, or even the couple themselves. (My friend Bill and his bride Lynn took all of us on a dinner cruise.)

For all wedding rehearsal dinners, however, there are several guidelines that should be followed.
1) The wedding rehearsal dinner guests include the wedding party, the bride and groom's parents and close relatives. Asking out-of-town wedding guests to the rehearsal dinner will give the bride and groom an extra opportunity to welcome and spend time with them. The wedding rehearsal dinner is a great time for all the guests to get to know each other before the wedding reception.

2) Mail invitations (e-invitations, too) ahead of time so that everyone knows about this event. Even though you are going to be really busy with the wedding, you don't want to leave anyone important out of the rehearsal dinner or there could be hurt feelings that reverberate down through the years. (My grandmother didn't speak to her brother-in-law for 20 years because he forgot to invite my uncle to a rehearsal dinner where he was going to be an usher and reader. She took these things very seriously.)

3) Be sure to serve sparkling drinks (champagne and nonalcoholic versions) for some toasts. Unlike the toasts at the wedding where the time is limited, this is a perfect occasion for the best man and maid-of-honor to toast the couple in anticipation of their other toasts the next day.

It is also where the bride and groom can toast their parents to thank them and each other’s parents in appreciation of the joining of their families. Others may join in - and it could be a rollicking good time as stories of the bride and groom are shared.

4) Since the wedding is the next day, (and hopefully the bachelor and bachelorette parties are dim memories) control the consumption of alcohol, whether the party is formal or informal. Start with the champagne toast and surreptitiously switch to nonalcoholic drinks during the evening. Have each guest's wineglass marked with a wineglass tag after the first drink, so that you know that alcohol was served. This way you can switch to the nonalcoholic sparkling wine. Above all you need to make it your goal to get them "to the church on time" – and relatively sober.

Another time, we will go into more detail regarding how to host an all-out formal elegant sit-down wedding rehearsal dinner or an informal bash that is unique and fun!

Who ya gonna call - bridesmaids!

Let's say you have decided where and when you are getting married. That's excellent! Now you need to move on to the next step: the wedding party.

One of the first things you need to do is determine your bridal party attendants. Set the number of bridesmaids and groomsmen (or ushers) you are going to need. You probably have a pretty good idea as to whom you are going to select as Maid/Matron of Honor (MOH) and Best Man, but you need to determine how many other wedding attendants you require as well.

For example, I've been in a semi-formal wedding that had only a MOH. I also was in a wedding where there were two other bridesmaids. This seemed like a good size for a small formal wedding and we were all available in the same town to help with the planning and activities. Other brides choose to have HUGE wedding parties with all their BFFs and female family members and end up having 7 or 8 (or more!) bridesmaids.

For the most part, a well-composed bridal party can assist in many tasks leading up to the wedding. The MOH traditionally plans the bridal shower, and (in my family anyway) is assisted by the other bridesmaids and family members. Bridesmaids and groomsmen can assist in sending out invitations, recording RSVP's, choosing dresses and tuxedos or other attire.

So after you've decided who you want in your wedding, and before you select dresses, you need to consider:

1) How many bridesmaids do you want to have? Are you sure?
2) How many groomsmen to stand with the groom at the ceremony?
a. Also, do you need ushers who will seat the guests and are not part of the ceremony itself?
3) Will your asking a friend to be in the wedding party be a financial burden?
a. Can the friend afford to buy a dress or rent a tux?
b. Will there be excessive travel costs?
c. Can the friend be integral to the events and choices made?

Once you have decided all these factors, go ahead and set the bridal party. Then you can meet with all of them and discuss what you expect for your special day. And who knows? Maybe you will like some of their ideas!