Bridal
Tips
Here are some hints that will help
to make your wedding day run more smoothly. If you know of any hints that
are not listed here, please click
here and email them to us.
Hints Ideas
HINTS
IDEAS
Misc
- The bouquet and garter catchers
To add a bit of entertainment to the bouquet and garter
throwing, have the lady who caught the bouquet sit on a chair while the guy who caught the
garter puts in on her leg. This works really well with the right sort of music in the
background.
Another alternative to the garter toss is to blindfold the
groom and have all the single female guests sit with one leg in the air. The groom then
picks a leg and puts the garter on it.
- Kiss for a Charity
At some weddings, the bride and groom kiss only when guests
clap, or tap a glass, or toast. Instead, select a charity and kiss only when a
donation has been made to the charity in a jar supplied by the bridal couple.
Giving Away
If your father plays a musical instrument, have him play as
you enter the church while your mother walks you down the aisle. This includes both
parents in the ceremony.
Flower for Mum
After her father has given the bride away, it is a sweet and
sentimental gesture for the bride to turn and give her mother a flower from the bouquet as
well as a kiss on the cheek.
Doves
As the couple exit the church or complete their vows at a
garden ceremony, doves are released as a symbol of their love.
- Butterflies
Butterflies can also be released at the end of the ceremony
instead of doves.
Decorating
- Table centrepieces
A really neat idea for table centrepieces is to buy tinted
brandy balloons, fill them with flowers and place a candle in the middle. Other ideas for
centrepieces are floating candles or floating flowers in a shallow dish. Remember that
it's illegal for florists to arrange candles in flowers.
- Punchbowl Decorating
To make the punchbowl more festive, freeze a
silk flower into some ice and float it in the punchbowl. You can also freeze the
flower into some punch so as it melts, the punch is not watered down.
- Photographs
Display pictures at the reception of the bride
and groom. Some growing up, others together, others even with their bridal party.
- Balloons Etc
Go to a wholesale party store to purchase large
amounts of balloons, etc.
Memories
- Cameras on Tables
A great idea which is becoming very popular is to supply a
disposable camera on each of the tables at the reception for the guests to take their own
photos. This way you will get all the action that the formal photographer did not. Attach
a little note to each camera so that the guests know what they are for. For some ideas on
what to say, have a look at our camera poems page.
Guest Book Alternatives
Have a photo from your engagement blown up and framed with an
extra wide border around the picture. Guests can write their personal notes on the border
with gold or silver pen.
Have a wedding banner which is placed over the entrance to
the reception. Half way through the reception, pull it down and have all the guests sign
it.
Take polaroids of the guests as they enter. Then place
the polaroid on a page in the book. Have the guests sign around their own
picture. That way, when the bride and groom go back to look at their guestbook, with
each signing they also get to see a picture of the guests - making it more memorable
Frame the invitation with a large mat around it. Have
the guests sign this instead.
Give each guest a piece of material with their invitation and
have them write with a permanent marker or embroider a message. Have these returned
before the wedding to be sewn together. This can then be hung at the reception and
later used as a chair cover or hung at home.
- Wedding Portrait
Use a piece of wedding wrapping paper as the mat for your
portrait.
Dances
- "Snowball Dance"
This is a dance which will probably have to be explained by
the DJ/MC so everyone has the right idea. It starts with just the bridal couple dancing on
the dance floor. After about 20-30 seconds they split up and grab a partner each. They
dance for a while and then split to find new partners. Eventually, all the guest are on
the dance floor.
- Bridal Waltz
For a really personal touch, have your bridal
waltz written by a song writer.
Budgeting
- Wedding Brunch
If you are a little tight on money but still
want a nice reception, instead of dinner, serve brunch.
- Wedding cake
A great idea to save money is to serve the
wedding cake as dessert. You can also have the baker make a second cake and keep it in the
kitchen for cutting up. This way you get get to keep your original.
Breaking With Tradition
- Birdseed
Substituting birdseed for rice is much more
healthy for the birds.
Bubbles
Bubbles are a new alternative to throwing
confetti or rice at the bride and groom as they exit the reception. The bubble concentrate
is specifically made for wedding purposes because they don't have any dyes found in normal
bubbles. This can create a spectacular moment as the couple exit the church.
Wedding Bells
Hand out small bells tied together with ribbon that match the
wedding. These can be rung as the couple leave the church.
Garter Toss
For a bit of entertainment, blindfold the groom. Have
the bride and bridesmaids put their leg out and then have the groom try and choose his
wife's leg for the garter toss.
- Bilingual Vows
Couples are now exchanging their vows in two languages.
If he is French, he speaks his in French while she may speak hers in English.
Guests
- Receiving Line
Instead of a receiving line, when the bride and
groom leave the church at the end of the ceremony, go back inside and let the guests out
row by row, greeting them and thanking for coming as you do so.
Bridal Party
- Flower Boys
If you don't have a little girl to be flower girl but have a
little boy, make him both ring bearer as well as flower boy. Fill a top hat with
petals that he can scatter down the aisle and attach the rings to this. This way he
can perform both duties at once.
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Gifts
For your attendants, give them a t-shirt with a picture of the bride & groom
or a design from their invitation. Wording could be as follows: "I survived the
Smith-Jones wedding" or just the couple's name & wedding date.
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