Packing for honeymoon can make you feel excited and antsy at the same time. You are excited because you are going on a romantic vacation with your new spouse, not to mention your wedding is just a few days away (assuming that you’re doing your honeymoon packing ahead). On the other hand, it can also leave you staring anxiously at your suitcase, undecided on what to bring.

Don’t fret. There are people who are naturally good at packing for a trip and there are those who are gifted with zero skills when it comes to organizing their travel stuff. If it happens that you belong to the second category of clueless packers, then you may use this guide to honeymoon packing.

Basically, your honeymoon packing checklist should include the following:

For the groom

• 4-5 t-shirts
• 2-3 pairs of shorts
• 2 pairs of pants
• 2 pairs of shoes
• exchange of underwear

For the bride

• 2-3 skirts or dresses
• 2 pairs of shoes/sandals
• 2-3 swimsuits and a cover up
• 3-4 blouses
• Lingerie

(Plan to mix and match your wardrobe, so you don’t have to carry too much luggage. )

For both:

• Hats
• Sleepwear
• Lightweight sweater
• Personal toiletries
• Small evening bag
• Map/camera

Your travel documents (passport, tickets, etc.) should also be prepared in advance, long before the wedding day, to avoid any hassles.

Technorati Tags: Honeymoon Checklist, honeymoon packing, honeymoon packing checklist, Wedding

After the much-anticipated wedding ceremony, you’d be excited to pack for the first travel you and your spouse are going to have together as a married couple – your honeymoon.

One important factor to consider when packing for your honeymoon is your destination. Are you going for a beach honeymoon? Or are you going to a destination with a cool temperature? To maximize your enjoyment, bring some clothes that are appropriate to the weather condition of your target destination.

If you are preparing a honeymoon packing checklist, consider the following tips:

• Go through the list with your spouse to make sure that all your travel needs are listed.
• Pare down your list to the essentials, including toiletries.
• Avoid doubling up on items that both of you can share, like battery charger for your gadgets.
• Make sure you are bringing with you all travel and booking documents such as passports, tickets, identification cards and credit/debit cards.
• Keep your jewelry to the minimum.

Packing requires strict pre-planning to make sure you are carrying everything that you and your spouse are going to need. It will also keep you from rushing at the last minute, only to find out that you forgot to bring something along the way.

Technorati Tags: honeymoon packing checklist

Going on a honeymoon is exciting and fun for a newlywed couple. But before getting there, serious planning is required. To simplify the process, here are some steps that can help.

• Plan Early
  • As a married couple, your honeymoon is going to be your first trip together so avoid planning for it at the last minute. Planning involves budgeting and scheduling and these can consume a lot of time. Having said that, it is advisable then to plan for the honeymoon right after you start planning for the wedding.

• Pick the Right Place
  • Decide on a destination where both of you would want to go. Choose the one that gives a perfect mix of privacy, affordability and amenities. Remember that this is going to be the place that you will get to know each other intimately, as husband and wife, so make sure that it is interesting and romantic.
• Prepare all the paperwork
  • If you plan to travel out of the country, you know that this requires passports, visas, and other stuff. This may not be the most fun part but it’s a necessary one. Take care of all your travel documents as early as possible to avoid any hassles on the day of your departure.

• Stay Romantic
  • Amidst all the planning and potential hassles, keep the romance alive. Stay cool and do not spoil the mood by getting angry and being rude. And this should also be true on the day of the honeymoon itself. And beyond your married life.

Technorati Tags: Honeymoon, honeymoon planning, how to plan a honeymoon

Planning a destination wedding can be a bothering task. A wedding coordinator takes the stress of coordinating the entire wedding off your hands. Their experience and attention makes the wedding a dream come true. A wedding coordinator coordinates a wedding plan that suits your budget and personal style together with the help of your guidance and direction. Their duty is to provide a unique personalized service and give attention to the wedding details. Their primary interest is to create an amazing wedding experience for the clients, not the biggest profits for them. The wedding coordinators work their best to provide you with the most appropriate resources for the wedding.

A wedding coordinator is not the matter luxury however it is the matter of necessity now a days. Hiring a wedding coordinator saves both time and money by helping for a wedding that is tailored fit to your budget and preference. Since they are the one who deal particularly in this field hence have better idea about managing the resources more judiciously. A wedding coordinator can take advantage of discounts available to the trade. A good wedding coordinator helps you save a lot of money, time and effort almost enough to cover the cost of hiring them.

The wedding coordinator  pay their entire attention and guide you in the whole process by supplying you with checklists, planners, useful articles and a list of reliable resources for all your wedding needs. On top of that they do the walking and talking for you. You don’t actually have to visit every possible venue and to meet up with numerous photographers, caterers, musicians and vendors. They attend meetings for you.

A wedding coordinator generally has good fashion awareness. They very well know about the latest style and trends. They are resourceful and imaginative. They are the best professional who can assist you with creative and innovative ideas to make your wedding wonderful and unforgettable.

If the wedding is professionally planned; it helps reducing the most common mistakes. Sometimes we make mistakes like hiring the wrong photographer or not sticking to the budget. However, wedding coordinators helps you prioritize the things and spend accordingly. They would certainly ask you not scrimp on your budget while hiring a photographer as pictures are something which will always be there and the memories related with this big day will be cherished forever through pictures.

Although, sometimes relatives and friends offer a great help, still it is always advisable to leave it to the expert who has broader knowledge and experience in the industry. Besides, the wedding takes place just ones and is remembered for the lifetime. Moreover, being a bride or a groom one does not have the time at the wedding to look after the things hence a wedding coordinator plays a significant role in the right manner and the right order. Once a wedding coordinator is there you can have the peace of mind and the focus on the excitement and joy of this wonderful day. You only need to concentrate on yourself as this is your day and all eyes would be on you. Just stop worrying and hire a wedding coordinator who would take care of all the responsibilities towards your marriage and make it amazingly unforgettable.

Technorati Tags: come, Coordinator, Dream, Making, True, Wedding

It’s amazing how many people are not familiar with inns and bed and breakfasts. They’re great for an anniversary, honeymoon, or getaway weekend, and if you book at the right time of the year, they’re not any more expensive than a fine hotel—maybe even a little less. Understanding what they offer and the pros and cons of choosing them over a traditional hotel room is key to making sure your stay is both delightful and memorable. Though some may think of inns and bed and breakfasts as associated with New England, they are actually located throughout our nation—indeed, throughout the world. (However, if you love New England, Google Cliff Calderwood for a specialist on that part of the nation). B & Bs and Inns are often gorgeous, historic homes full of antiques and unique furnishings. In some parts of the country and internationally the term ‘inn’ is more loosely used in describing a place to rest your head for the night and then move on. These establishments are delightful but they may not be for everybody. Below is sort of a checklist you can use to see if they are for you:

What’s the Difference Between Bed & Breakfasts and Inns?

Let’s start by clearing up any confusion on the differences between the two. It’s not so much in the name as how they advertise themselves. First, there’s rarely any difference in accommodation. The character of a bed and breakfast can be every bit as good as the charm of an inn. The difference is in the prepared meals. A bed and breakfast is just that… expect a bed… and a full, fabulous breakfast. However, you’re on your own for dinner.

On the contrary, inns are set-up to provide dinner as well, although it’s usually an option, and not included in the quoted price. The description will usually be very clear if dinner is offered. But assume it’s just bed and breakfast if nothing is mentioned. In many areas of the world, inns and bed and breakfasts are also called guesthouses. If at all possible, ask to see a picture of the place, or visit their website. A lot can be assumed from a photograph of your potential accommodation.

Are They Right for my Kids…for my Pet?

Many inns and bed and breakfasts don’t accommodate young children or they place an acceptable age range on the kids. Sometimes the age and furnishings of the place are not appropriate for active, mischievous kids. But when an inn says kids are welcome, then you can assume they really mean they’re kid friendly. Now there’s nothing wrong with that (I have three grandkids myself), but don’t expect too a whole lot of peace and solitude. If you’re carting your pet along on your trip, you should also make sure in advance that pets are allowed in the establishment. Nothing can ruin a week planned in various Bed & Breakfasts like learning too late that half of them do not allow pets.

What Kind of Service Should I Expect?

Staying in inns is different than staying at a hotel. A country inn is not like a Ritz-Carlton with staff scurrying here and there to provide numerous services. Often, there is only the wonderful couple who own the Bed & Breakfast. Though they are usually extremely hospitable, they cannot be treated like a maid or baggage carrier. Also, most of these historic homes do not have sound-proof walls. Having a party or playing loud music after 11:00pm won’t be welcome with your host or the other guests. Remember… the innkeeper or host is there to give guests the posh serenity of a private, luxurious stay, but to do that they’ll need your understanding.

Is There a Check-in or Check-out Time?

You can pretty much count on your hosts going out of their way to greet you when you check-in. Usually when you reserve you’ll be told when their normal check-in and check-out times are. But most can accommodate your arrival and departure outside those hours. However it is important to let them know if you’ll be late arriving so they can arrange for you to gain entrance to the house (yes, the doors are locked after a certain hour), and to your room. It’s one thing to show up at midnight at your hotel (they’re staffed round the clock) but it is a very different matter to show up after 11:00pm at a bed and breakfast, and expect your host to climb out of bed and greet you with a wide-awake smile. After all, they’re going to be up with the dawn in the morning making you a breakfast you will never forget.

Are Prices at all Negotiable?

Unlike typical hotels, the room rate for inns is sometimes negotiable. As we’ve said the main difference is that, unlike a hotel, the person on the other end of the phone is usually the inn or B & B owner. They can make the decision without passing the buck. All you have to do is ask in a nice way. Just remember the innkeeper may only have a few rooms to begin with anyway, and if their inn is almost full, then don’t be offended if they aren’t motivated to offer you a price reduction. On the other hand, one room of a five-room inn without a paying guest reduces a host’s profit by 25%. So it’s always worth asking whether they’re open to a discount!

How Much Can I Save?

Most inns don’t have too much trouble booking their weekends or their popular season weeks or months in advance. For example, in New England the fall foliage season makes rooms a premium, and most are booked far in advance. But outside these constraints filling the rooms at an inn during the week, particularly off-season, is much more difficult. You’ll get the best deals for bed and breakfasts traveling mid-week and out of season. Now contrast this with hotels that have the opposite problem. Since they cater to the mid-week business traveler, they cannot get people in rooms for weekends.

Other Things to Keep in Mind Here’s a few extra tips once you’ve decided an inn or bed and breakfast is the right choice for you… Be sure to get detailed directions to the inn because many are converted homes, blend in with the surroundings, and don’t have neon advertising signs like hotels. When you call, make sure you understand the cancellation polices as they are usually much more restrictive than hotels. And don’t forget your host is familiar with the area and can point you to attractions and restaurants not found on any tour guide or map.

My wife and I love staying in inns. They’ve a lot going for them. Inns are usually very affordable, offer tons more variety than a bland hotel room, and are a great way to meet fellow travelers or vacationers.

Technorati Tags: Better, hotel, What's

In Part 1 we said,

1 – Find out what you need to do

2 – What’s your budget?

That wasn’t too hard, was it? Now let’s continue…

3 Build yourself a team.

What makes the whole wedding process so expensive is that you’re paying for man-power even more than the products they supply. Labour is usually more expensive than products. So if you can build yourself a team, you would have saved yourself at least 25% of the total cost of the whole wedding planning from start to glorious finish.

I remember my husband’s cousin who took up the burden of her wedding from start to finish. She even did the catering herself. What a mistake. After the wedding, she was too ill to enjoy the honeymoon. That’s an extreme example. But some of us do too much by ourselves when planning our wedding till we’re too stressed out to actually enjoy it.

So build a team of people who will help you achieve the wedding of your dreams.

Here is how:

List out what needs to be done

Download a wedding planner checklist to find out what needs to be done

Name your team members

Now think about this carefully. Do you have any friends or family who will be willing to help you? Who are your bridesmaids and groomsmen/ushers going to be? By the very definition of their names, they’re meant to serve you during the wedding. Most people don’t utilise them to their full potential. In most cases, they’re only used on the wedding day. That’s a poor utilisation of the human resources available to you.

Write down the names of the women and the name of the men in separate columns.

This is because women and men usually have different kinds of skills and contacts and you want to utilise people according to their strengths. Assign to each their responsibilities according to their strengths and availability. The key is dependability. Don’t rely on someone to do something that you can’t depend on or, who isn’t available. But don’t assign responsibilities yet. Our wedding team builder is useful free resources to enable you do this in conjunction with the step below.

You could save yourself the service costs of waiters, waitresses, and coat-takers if you could recruit some of the more responsible of your relatives to perform these roles on your wedding. This could save you up to £10 per worker per hour. 6 of your young cousins could save you about £300 for 5 hours.

SAVINGS – circa £300 ($550)

4 Assign responsibilities

Call a bridesmaid and groomsmen/ushers meeting before you do this. Be gracious and grateful. Remember that they’re doing you a favour. Most people only use their bridesmaids and groomsmen on the wedding day. That’s a waste of labour. Let them know that you want them to help you with various aspects of the wedding apart from the actual day. You need to have this meeting before assigning responsibilities. This is because you shouldn’t assign a task to anyone whom you haven’t first spoken to and found out if they’re willing or able to do what you would want them to do. Also when you assign responsibilities, make sure that you give each person a date by which it should be completed.

Tell each person what they need to do

Discuss with each person what that responsibility entails and what they should look out for. Use our suppliers’ checklist to help your team make decisions that you can trust. Make sure they shop around and discuss your budget with them.

Set yourself reminders in your calendar for when you or your spouse-to-be should get updates from your team

5 Reduce the MOST expensive cost – Food and drinks!

The most expensive cost for weddings is the food and drinks. A typical estimate for a big wedding comes up to about £5000 ($9000). Most caterers charge by head and most venues will not allow you to bring an outside caterer or your own drinks. If you could reduce the cost of food and drinks, you can potentially save yourself 100s or even 1000s of ££££s.

So how do you achieve this?

Pick the right venue.

Do you want your food and drinks supplied by the venue, or do you want to provide your own catering? Most venues would want to supply at least the drinks.

But getting a venue that will let supply your own catering could save you a lot. Think about it. This is because they may typically charge you £40 per guest not including alcoholic beverage. But you can get a good deal from the caterer at £20 per head reducing your catering cost by £2000 for a 100-strong guest list.

The next thing to do is list all your guests including children

Since a typical wedding lunch may cost from £20, you need to know how many people you’re expecting. Will they have a separate menu for kids in order to reduce costs, or will you ask guests not to come with children?

If you can have the menu reduced by half for the kids, you would save about £10.00 for each child. If you have 20 kids present, that’s a saving of £200. But, if you’re venue insists on providing the catering, then you need to do some negotiating.

Buy your own drinks

For a guest list of 100 people, each drink may cost £2.50. They would each have at least 3 drinks. Many of them would make on average 5 trips to the bar. (I’m being conservative in my estimation here – people go crazy over free drinks!) If they each had one glass of champagne at £8 per head, that would add another £800 to your bill. This could bring your bar tab up to £2050.

How much would it cost you to buy your own drinks from your local supermarket or an online drinks supplier? At your local supplier, 60 cartons of juice will cost a measly £50, while a case of Bollinger champagne would cost less than £300, even if you get 2 cases for £100 guests, that’s still about £200 less than what the bar tab will cost you for low-range house champagne.

This could save you up to £1400 if you choose to serve only juice and champagne.

However, if they do allow you to bring in your own drinks, they may charge you a corkage for every alcoholic bottle opened. In that case, find out what it is and negotiate the price with them.

TOTAL SAVINGS (if you can supply your own food and drinks) – over £3150 ($5670)

Technorati Tags: $10000, Costs, Could, over, Part, Reduce, Secrets, Wedding, £6000

The great thing about living in America is that it has the most romantic destinations for a wedding ceremony. Although it will all vary on the requirements of the state, however, the country has all the access to the finest location to create a simple or even the most luxurious wedding. Couples can go out of the traditional practice: being married in the church, in front of the priest and a typical receptions in hotels. In addition, they can do this without disrupting the essence of having a wedding. In fact, sometimes it can even be better because you can make it more spiritual and solemn by having a getaway.

One of the most typical wedding destinations is Arizona. The Grand Canyon State is the perfect venue for a getaway. It is very known for its wonderful landforms and state parks that is the main reason for the influx of tourist. In addition, these same places are the reason why people get married in this state. But wait, there is more: should you not feel the essence of getting married here, take these 10 reasons why you should be married here:

Since this place is filled with scenic spots, you can have the best wedding photography in Arizona. Your pre-wedding photos and post-wedding ones will be divine.

This state requires no residency. This means anyone could get married in here just as long as they have a marriage license and that they have wedding arrangements in the area.

It is easy to get a marriage license. You do not have to wait for a long time. All you have to do is to ensure that you and your partner apply for it while complying with the requisites of marriage. Of course, do not forget paying the fee.

You can have all possible weddings in this area but the essence of coming here is getting a chance to be married in a unique way. You can enjoy an outdoor, hot-air balloon, native and all sorts of wedding that is done mostly outdoors.

They have the most affordable wedding packages and yet you are guaranteed to have an unforgettable experience. On this special day, you and your partner will not be deprived of experiencing what marriage ceremony is all about despite experiencing it in a unique way.

This state has the best people to do your wedding photography in Arizona. These people are experienced in capturing the best images in outdoor settings. You will have the photos that you can get by months or years from your wedding.

The places that you will be married are also the perfect places for your honeymoon. It may be known for the Grand Canyons but you can go to places like Sedona, Tucson or Phoenix. You will get a chance to explore nature at its best, making it the perfect ambiance for your honeymoon.

If you do not want to stay in Arizona for a honeymoon, then you can go to Las Vegas that is very close to this state. You can enjoy the dancing, partying, food and entertainment that this city is capable of providing to its tourist.

Summary

Get married in Arizona. It is the perfect place to be as it has all the services that you need in order to be wed. Remember, it is the Grand Canyon State but it has more to offer than these famous tourist spot.

Technorati Tags: Arizona, Locations., married, Reasons, should, Wedding

There is no way you are going to survive wedding planning with your sanity intact if you refuse to use a wedding check list. There are just too many things that need to be addressed for you to merely remember & keep track of them all. Trying to do so will not only cause a ton of hassles, it probably even end up costing you a whole lot of money too.

Wedding Check List for 3 Months Before

- Start searching for the appropriate flowers for your wedding. Make sure you purchase flowers that are in season rather than those out of season if you wish to save money.

- Once the right flowers have been found for your wedding, place an order.

- Talk with your partner about honeymoon destinations. Once decided on, plan out and book the honeymoon trip.

- Choose the attire for the groom, best-man, as well as for the usher.

- Learn about the requirements for a wedding license in your state.

- Congratulate yourself, as you’ve just completed the 3-month wedding check list.

Ways to Save With the 3 Month Wedding Check List

1. When it comes to the wedding flowers, try to save in any way you can. Professionally arranged flowers can be insanely expensive, so consider arranging them yourself or with the help of a friend. Another way to save is by using flowering potted plants and NOT cut flowers.

2. Look for discount honeymoon packages and check online travel websites. If you plan on having your wedding during wedding season (late spring & early summer months), the trip will be more expensive than if you had waited until the fall/winter months. However, no matter what time of the year it is, there are always ways to save.

3. Rather than buying the tuxedo for the groom, rent it instead. It’s far cheaper and more economical considering it’ll probably never be worn again.

With this 3 month wedding check list and the three easy ways you can save, you should have a much easier time planning and organizing your wedding.

Technorati Tags: before, Check, List, Months, Wedding

Professional Wedding Planning – If planning your wedding has you feeling overwhelmed and/or confused, The Whole Nine Yards Wedding Planners can help you for a Key West Destination Wedding.

The Whole Nine Yards primary mission is designed to make every part of planning your Key West wedding faster, easier, and most of all less stressful – all the way from planning your budget to leaving on your honeymoon.

With so many complicated details to manage, you need something that does more than just store information. You need someone to help you stay in control, so that your Key West wedding turns out the way you imagine it, within your budget, and without a lot of stress in the process.

With The Whole Nine Yards Wedding Planners, you will see just how easy your Key West wedding planning can be!

INVITATIONSGet the numbers you need beyond the question of how many people you are sending invitations to. What you really want to know is how many people are going to show up.You will want to know how many of Mahi-Mahi vs. Stuffed Chicken you are going to need to pay for.With our planning services, we give you the numbers you really want.

YOUR WEDDING CHECKLIST We give you a wedding check list that is specifically customized for you.We have the most thorough database of tasks available (over 700 tasks). But what good is a huge list of task on a wedding check list if they do not apply to your situation?

Instead of burying you in useless work, we will build a customized wedding check list for you, based on your religious preferences (if any) and the specific events you are planning.

We can even scale the wedding check list of tasks to fit your time frame, whether that is 12 months or 8 weeks.

WEDDING AND RECEPTION SEATING Seating that is not musical chairs – Our seating organizer shows you your tables – rectangular or round, with the right placement of chairs. It lets you place your guests in the chairs you would like them to have.

A good wedding planner can even generate your place cards and table cards for your seating, and creating text that is formally perfect.

WEDDING ETIQUETTE We have already done the homework on the etiquette rules for a wedding. When it comes to invitation envelopes, most people want to follow the rules of etiquette, but who can figure them out?

We can do this for you, whether you are inviting Judges and Ambassadors or just plain “Mr and Mrs.” (Or the subtle variations of “Mrs.” you might be surprised to find out about!

YOUR ELECTRONIC ADDRESS BOOK We can read your address book too if you have and address book (Eudora, Palm Desktop, Microsoft Outlook, or Outlook Express) or a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. We can read these directly into our software as long as you supply it on disk or via an E-mail attachment.Even if your address book uses abbreviations, we can put the formal version on your invitation envelopes (“One Hundred Main Street Southeast, Apartment Seventeen”). Formal perfection.

COMPARE APPLES TO ORANGES Helping you compare apples to oranges when you start to compare from all those wedding vendors, you will notice that they like to look different – so different in fact that is is very hard to compare their estimates.

We will help you organize the information so that you can compare vendors at a glance as we bring along our trusty laptop computer to enter all the information on vendor appointments and then let the “Computer Do The Talking”.

YOUR WEDDING BUDGET Getting help to create a budget that helps you get what you want.A good budget system does more than track your spending; it helps you figure out how to spend your money to get what you want.

With our service, you can play, “what if” scenarios and see what combination of services gets you what you want, within the amount of money you have to spend within your budget.

YOUR OWN WEDDING WEBSITE The Whole Nine Yards is probably the only service in the Florida Keys that offer clients their own wedding web site.

The wedding web site includes, but is not limited to: Date of Engagement; Date, time and location of Bridal Shower; Date, time and location of Bachelor Party; Date, time and location of Wedding Rehearsal (if applicable); Date, time and location of Wedding and Reception; Updated Wedding Invitation List; Engagement photos of bride and groom; On-Line Bridal Gift Registry automatically updated; Name of Officiant/Minister/Notary/Priest/Rabbi for ceremony; Name of DJ/Musicians for both Wedding and Reception; Menu Selections; Information if a child care service is being provided on-site or at one of the accommodations; Name of the Florist doing the Floral arrangements; Name of Salon where Bride and her Bridesmaids will be getting their hair done; Name of Tuxedo/Formal Wear Rental store; Name of Wedding Photographer; Name of Wedding Videographer (if applicable); Name of Transportation Service.

YOUR WEDDING PLANNER’S RESPONSIBILITIES The Wedding Planner has many responsibilities to insure that your wedding goes off without a hitch.

Many people say that they will plan their own wedding, but do they realize just how much is involved in doing this as well as the amount of stress they will encounter in the process.

The responsibilities of a Wedding Planner relieve the stress off of the wedding party and make sure that the day of the wedding is the most memorable instead of the most stressful.

To give you an idea of what is responsibilities are placed on the Wedding Planner and Coordinator, these are just a short sampling of the responsibilities of a Professional Wedding Planner – Determine and help maintain the parameters of the overall wedding budget; Setting and attending appointments with vendors, such as Ceremony and Reception Site Selection, Caterer / Restaurants (If necessary), Bridal Salon dress selections, Florist, Decor or Production Company, Entertainment (Band or DJ), Musicians for ceremony, Professional Wedding Photographer, Professional Videographer, Cake Decorator / Pastry Chef, Officiant, Calligrapher and Limo / Transportation for the Wedding Day.

We need to review all contracts for completeness or omissions; Provide constant communication with all of the contracted vendors they select; Provide assistance with Invitations, Favors and Accessories if needed; provide assistance with Save-The-Date cards/letters (if used); Provide assistance with organizing the rehearsal dinner.

If the reception is going to be at a restaurant, it is suggested to use the same location to insure quality). Provide assistance with Accommodations for out of town guests; handle shipping and receiving when the bride and groom need to ship items for the wedding; orchestrate and direct their Rehearsal and Ceremony, working side by side with the vendors and officiant.

Not every part of our service is a virtuoso demonstration of our business competence (like we use for the envelope text and etiquette rules) or statistical analysis (like we use for projecting your attendance). After all, if you’re writing thank-you notes, all you really need is a list of who gave you what, so we can check off which gifts you’ve sent “thank-you’s” for … and that’s exactly what we give you. For every area of your wedding planning where we think that we can help you (not just give you busy work), we provide you with the service you need to get the job done, as quickly and simple as possible as Key West is such a unique place.

Bob Cohen – Marketing Director

The Whole Nine Yards Wedding Planning Service

Having been a Professional Wedding Photographer for 20 years as well as having worked in the Hospitality Industry in the Key West area has given Bob Cohen the edge over most planners in the area.

Wedding Planning is a vital part of any wedding and is something that should not be left to an amateur nor someone that has a stake in the wedding, especially in Key West.

http://www.keywestweddingplanners.com/html/bride_inquiries.html

Technorati Tags: Nine, Part, Planners, Wedding, Whole, Yards

Your best buddy has selected you to be his best man. What an honor! Now, what the heck does everyone expect you to do?

Here’s a top 20 list of what the best man is traditionally supposed to do:

1. Assist the groom in selecting tuxedos for the guys in the wedding party. The bride probably has something in mind, so check with her and what the wedding colors are so that you can coordinate the tuxedos to match. Plus, you’ll save time. She’ll probably hand you a page she ripped out of a bridal magazine. If for instance, rose is a major color in the wedding, the cumber bunds and accessories can pick up this hue.

2. Pick up the groom’s tuxedo and accessories before the wedding. Make sure the other groomsmen have their act together in picking up their own attire.

3. The best man is in charge of making sure all the guys get to where they are supposed to be (main events would be the rehearsal dinner and the wedding obviously).

4. Hang out with the groom as he gets ready for the wedding (on the wedding day). Carry smart items such as breath mints, a fully charged cell phone, aspirin, a comb, deodorant, and anything that might come in handy on a wedding day emergency.

5. Make sure that the groom and groomsmen get to the church or ceremony location on time. If a limo hasn’t been rented to take wedding party members to the wedding ceremony location, it is up to the best man to figure out how all the guys are supposed to get to their appointed destination. Make sure you have a full tank of gas in your car.

6. Make sure all groomsmen have their boutonnieres securely pinned to their tuxedo lapels. Make sure the groomsmen look presentable for pictures. Carry a small comb in your pocket in case some of the guys need a touchup.

7. If there are printed materials such as bulletins or programs for the church or wedding location, make sure to pass these out to the usher so the guests all get a copy. Save a couple copies for the bride and groom – they will be too busy to think of this!

8. The best man usually is the groomsman that walks down the aisle with the maid or matron of honor.

9. The best man usually holds onto the bride’s ring until the groom needs to place it on her finger. If a ring bearer will carry the ring down the aisle, the best man will make sure the little guy doesn’t loose it.

10. The best man usually is a witness to the wedding and signs the formal wedding license.

11. At the wedding reception, the best man assists the maid of honor in rounding up the wedding party to take pictures.

12. The best man typically will sit, along with the rest of the wedding party, at the head table with the bride and groom. Try not to chew with your mouth open and be sure to use your napkin! All eyes will be turned towards the head table so remember that.

13. Socialize with guests and keep an eye open for anyone that might need help during the reception.

14. The best man gives toasts to the bride and groom at the reception. Keep it short and sweet. Wish them the best of luck. Praise both the bride and groom as being lovely people and meant for each other. Do not tell any sordid stories that might embarrass the bride or groom. Sure, people would laugh but don’t risk it. The bride will never forgive you!

15. The best man gathers up the single men at the reception when it is time for the tossing of the garter. This may take some effort as guys aren’t vying for the garter like the single girls will fight for that bouquet toss.

16. If the bride and groom are leaving directly after the reception to start their honeymoon, the best man sees them off. Assist the groom in getting luggage into the car and doublechecking that the groom has his wallet, credit cards, cell phone, passport (if applicable) and tickets.

17. After the wedding, the best man usually makes sure to return any rented tuxedos and accessories.

18. It is an honor to be chosen as the best man. With this honor comes some monetary expenses: lodging, travel costs, rental of a tuxedo, price of dinners, cigars or special beverages for a “guy moment” if he feels the need.

19. The best man typically organizes the bachelor party. Do not have this the night before the wedding. The groom might be hung over, late to the wedding and take terrible pictures! Be sensible and make sure to do the bachelor party sometime during the last month before the wedding. The farther away from the wedding day, the better!

20. Don’t forget to buy the bride and groom a wedding present! After all, the groom is springing for groomsmen gifts for you and the other groomsmen.

This list is meant to be a guideline. The best advice I can give you is to communicate with the bride and groom as to the plans for the “big day.” Be as helpful as you can. Since you care that your buddy has a nice wedding day, you will naturally know what to do when the moment arises. Be sure to go thru a “dry run” of the events of the wedding day so that you can make yourself a list as to what to do when.

Technorati Tags: best, Checklist, Critical, Duties, Groomsman, This