What time of day is best for a wedding? Should you have it in the evening, or early afternoon? It's an important question because it will determine what the bridesmaids dresses, groom's tuxedo and even the groomsmen tuxes will look like. It also can affect what type of theme you want. For example, if you are looking for a luau party atmosphere for the reception, you should schedule the ceremony closer to nightfall so that it's dark and romantic for the party. Also, if you're getting themed gifts for your guests like beach coaster wedding favors, then you want everything to be near evening, too. Some presents, like silver plated wedding favors, though are best appreciated in the bright daylight, so it all depends on what type of feel you want. Just be sure to stick to proper etiquette so that you don't have the groomsmen wearing evening tuxedos for a midday ceremony.

Bridal Bellies

No, I'm not talking about brides that are overweight. I'm talking about women who walk down the aisle while expecting. Apparently, it's becoming a very common thing, especially in Hollywood. A recent survey of bridal shops said that as many as one in six brides are pregnant during their wedding. Some stars on the prego bride list are Jennifer Garner and Amanda Peet. Of course, we all know that Katie Holmes got married after giving birth and Naomi Watts is rumored to tie-the-knot this summer before she starts showing.

Naturally, wedding gown designers have risen to meet this new need and are creating dresses that will fit over the pregnant bellies. Times have certainly changed; women are working through their twenties and getting married more in their thirties with a narrow window of starting a family. Many, therefore, do it all at once.

If you're a bride and groom embracing this new movement, perhaps you could work it into your nuptial theme. You could find a place card holder with baby colors for all your guests to enjoy. You could also look into getting garden wedding favors that symbolize new life and growth.

Losing your wedding gown has got to be on the top of a "worst nightmare" list. One recently married bride in Canmore, Canada had her dress stolen when it was taken in for a cleaning. The dry cleaner had to send it away since it was a special outfit. Apparently, it did return to the store, but has since gone missing. The family is very distressed and is asking anyone in the area with any information to contact the Canmore RCMP. The gown is worth $1,200 and was designed by the newlywed's mother, so it's already a family treasure.

Situations like this simply underscore the need to save money on other areas of the nuptial ceremony. The dress is going to cost a pretty penny, so save yourself money by getting cheap wedding favors. You can get good placecard holders without busting the budget, too.

In Martinsville, Virginia they're serious about gettin' hitched. Rocky and Lisa Nelson got married Saturday at the Church of God in Rideway, but they have a big stumbling block to go over. The bride's house had burned down just hours before.

Most people see bad luck on their big day as having rain during the ceremony or reception, or losing a veil or something. The happy couple saw this near death experience for the groom and his mom as a sign to go through with things. It's true, the future hubby saved his mother from the flames first, of course, and then went in after his tuxedo. Lisa had to laugh at the image of her fiance standing in the street in his boxers, clutching his tux for dear life.
"He is the bravest man I've ever seen in my life," she said.
Fortunately, she had left her wedding gown at the church.

The fire department officials were trying Monday to determine the cause of the fire. This proves how quickly things in life can literally be taken away. Get some inexpensive favors and don't spend too much on this first day of your marriage. Just be thankful that you have each other. Oh, and if you happen to have candle wedding favors or a big unity candle....just be careful around flames, that's all I'm saying.

A surprising trend for engaged couples these days is to get married in a graveyard. Many may find this creepy, but it’s just the ticket for those that are a little different or just have unique needs. Not all cemetery brides and grooms are goth enthusiasts. In fact, one couple in California chose the local boneyard simply because it was a beautiful place and closest to the reception location. However, the groom’s grandparents were reportedly present at the ceremony…even though they were dead. Yes, the couple got married in the same place his family members were buried. A little weird, isn’t it? However, the cemetery manager says that there are as many as four weddings a year held at the site. I bet you could come up with some unique wedding favors for that group. Still, since so many graveyards already come with wonderful floral decorations, one could argue it’s a good place to get hitched. Maybe even garden wedding favors could work with the theme.

We men are usually concerned with things like budget and cost, and for good reason. In the UK, researchers have found that weddings are taking a huge chunk out of people’s wallets. The average guest spends about 340 pounds on every wedding. That’s about $670.00 USD! The US may be a different place, but getting married is something every culture in the world celebrates, so everyone has to be careful not to bust their budget. The bride and groom can help their guests by having a varied gift list with several inexpensive choices. I would suggest the couple also find some inexpensive favors for the reception, so as not to spend too much themselves. It’s true that the day of holy matrimony is a once in a lifetime event, but you don’t want friends and family to have financial problems for your sake. You can illustrate this to them by giving practical wedding favors they can use like salt and pepper shaker.

Remember Jennifer Willbanks, the infamous runaway bride that escaped her planned wedding in Georgia a few years ago? Of course, everyone still remembers her. The Albuquerque police are hoping to capitalize on that and have posted billboard ads with a picture of Officer Trish Hoffman, the one who found her, grabbing a veil from a woman with a wedding gown and running shoes on. They’re hoping it will bring in some new recruits. If you’re planning a bridal shower, you too can have fun taking advantage of the national attention. Guests should get a good laugh out of a funny wedding shower favor like an airplane luggage tag with a message inside that says “don’t let the bride fly away”. You could also give out little personalized coffee kits with a tag that says “for when you’re on the run”. Of course, as a former groom myself, I know that a great fear is our brides will get cold feet, so you could play on this if it’s a co-ed party. One inexpensive wedding favor idea is to give the future husband a keychain with a note that says “don’t let her have the keys”.