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How to Choose the Perfect Personalized Wedding Favor for Your Guests

Personalized Wedding Favor

Wedding favors are as ancient a tradition as weddings themselves. As simple as candies or as elaborate as miniature golden carriages filled with rose petals, these token gifts for those who attend a wedding have become a big industry. These gifts, gestures, really, of appreciation to the guests from the marrying couple, are such a small detail, but can make such a large impact on those who receive them. In the past wedding favors were, on the whole, simpler objects, but as our cultures changed, so did all the things that comprise our culture...down to the details of wedding favors. Nowadays, there is an ever-growing range of wedding favors available for couples to give their guests, and it’s not just an American phenomenon: From country to country, wedding favors have become big business.

The concept of wedding favors has long been there in the human civilization and changes have occurred as times changed. The wedding favors in the older times were far simpler but they did have that unique touch to them which made the favor a special thing for the guests who attended the weddings. The wedding favors are a gesture of gratitude towards the guests, friends, and relatives who attend the wedding ceremonies and grace the occasion. Today there is a wide range of wedding favors available for couples to give to their guests and the sheer demand for them has given birth to the wedding favor industry in the world. Although the wedding favors vary from culture to culture, the idea behind it is common across all cultures.

The Tradition of Wedding Favors

The tradition of wedding favors dates at least as far back as the aristocracy of the Europeans in medieval times. These rich Europeans aristocrats lavished their guests with fancy wedding favors called bonbonnieres. Bonbonniere is a French word that means a bauble or a small box with attractive ornamentations on it, and this little box was generally made of porcelain, crystal, or even precious stones. The aristocracy would then place little gifts within these ornate boxes, often sugar cubes or other such confections.

Since sugar was a rare and expensive item in those times it symbolized the status of aristocracy. By giving a gift of sugar to their guests, the message was clear: We are well-off, look at what we can give away. Of course, as sugar become a common household commodity, it lost favor amongst the aristocrats, who then began favoring almonds and other expensive nuts. Later, confetti became popular. It’s interesting to note that modern weddings often make a nod to their aristocratic past by giving sugared almonds as a wedding favor.

If there’s one key difference between past and present wedding favors, it’s one of personalization. The aristocrats’ goal was to impress people with their wealth. The trend among modern couples, however, is the custom creation of gifts that bear the personal touch of the families and the couples. What better way to truly say thank you for thinking of us, than to give out thoughtful, meaningful gifts. It makes all the difference.

Personalized Wedding Favors

The centuries old tradition of the wedding favor has now been transformed into personalized, custom-made wedding favors. Although these personalized favors can be expensive, it’s not done to impress, but simply to show gratitude through personalization. First and foremost, these personalized wedding favors come with the name of the happy couple, often engraved somewhere. The date is also included, along with a short phrase summarizing the love of the couple, and their feelings for the guests. Inevitably, the gifts themselves are structured around a photo of themselves. Interesting to note, too, how many couples include their pets in the photo. A personal touch indeed!

These personalized wedding favors can reflect the wedding themes, for example the beach, or spring, as well as reflect the colors of the wedding itself. Couples can have wedding favors personalized for their beach wedding with products called Adirondack chairs, which feature tealite candles or a personalized heart-shaped bottles decorated with sand and seashells. Couples can also personalize their summer or spring wedding with favors that feature wild daisy flowers or cute flower hearts. Couples can also give edible wedding favors. Tiny bags of coffee or even chocolate bars can be personalized, now, as wedding favors. How about a wine bottle with personalized label? In that vein, glass wedding favors, or customized champagne chutes have also become a mainstay in personalized wedding favors.

Yes, personalizing one’s wedding favors can become an expensive ordeal, but when done right, the gifts can be a treasured memento.

Why Give Wedding Favors to Guests

Although the aristocrats gave wedding favors merely as symbols of their wealth and power, that isn’t to say that wedding favors today still can’t carry with them some symbolism. They do. There is, of course, the inherent symbol of gratitude that all gifts carry. But beyond that, wedding favors such as the giving of five Jordan almonds are symbolic of things like health, wealth, long life, fertility, and happiness which are the most important things in a happy marriage. Giving sugared almonds can be construed as recognizing that in marriage there can be bitterness and sweetness.

Beyond the purely symbolic level, wedding favors often have practicality to them. Whether its a bottle of wine, or a box of candles, these gifts are to be used, not just admired. Though there certainly are wedding favors which are purely decorational. Still, that’s a function, isn’t it? Couples have given beautiful framed pictures of the beach where they had their first date, or a vase from the glass-blower at the county fair where they first met. Wedding favors are ultimately about the memories.

Wedding favors are also a great ice-breaker. Often there are guests at a wedding who know only a few or even just one of the other guests. But a creative wedding favor can open people up, and have guests mingling. Imagine giving, say, five different photos to each person at the wedding. People would then approach one another excitedly, “Let me see the ones you got!” Or how about giving different candied nuts to the guests. People will mingle and share.

Truly the bottom line in wedding favors is to give a thoughtful Thank You to all the guests who took the trouble to attend your wedding. Give a touch of symbolism, a dash of practicality, a touch of personality and love, and your guests will remember your wedding for a lifetime.

Creative Ways to Transform the Bride or Groom's Home into a Dream Reception Venue with a Marquee

Using the Bride or Grooms home as a reception venue with a Marquee

Most couples start to plan their Wedding Day as soon as the Engagement is announced. In most situations, there are two families to consider who may have had little contact with each other before the big announcement, or may indeed have ever met. No wonder most couples find this a daunting task!

Using either the Bride or Groom’s home as a venue for the Reception will be an immediate icebreaker. As soon as your guests arrive at the Reception, there is plenty to talk about, unlike with an impersonal venue. Marquees now come in all shapes and sizes. Most marquee companies offer a free no obligation site survey. This is when they can look at all logistics for your day. From where your guests are going to park, through to which part of the garden is most suitable to site your reception. Incorporating garden features such as ponds, plant borders, statues & small trees will make your marquee unique & personal in a way no other venue can. Also, simple Uplighting using coloured gel overlays can create a striking look outside the marquee to illuminate your favourite trees, bringing your theme together. The internal marquee linings can be contemporary ivory, perhaps with a stunning starlight roof lining to create an intimate atmosphere over the dance floor. Some Brides incorporate their Bridesmaids colours into the marquee using swags & tails over classic ivory and also using coloured table linen for a more interesting look.

For a surprise element to your reception, fake reveal linings can be used to hide an area until it comes into it’s own, for example a band can start to play behind the linings as they drop to reveal the dance floor, always a surprise to your guests and great for signalling that dinner is over and now it’s time to party!

Flowers look exceptional in marquees. The roof height lends itself to dramatic floral displays; flower balls can easily be clamped to poles or suspended from the ridge of the marquee. Most mothers of the Bride and Groom really enjoy participating in this part of the decoration of the marquee.

Catering for your guests outside is always one of the main attractions of the day. There are so many caterers to choose from who specialise in outside catering, from a full hot sit down meal to hog roasts, BBQs, chocolate fountains, vodka luge… Your caterer will prepare and cook for you in either a separate catering tent attached to the main marquee or an integral section of the main marquee. Most marquee companies now produce a Computer Aided Design illustrating the internal layout of tables, dance floor, access points, toilets etc to help both your caterers and other suppliers such as florists and DJ’s.

Power solutions for lighting, caterers, DJs are usually overcome with a silent generator. The power is then distributed around the marquee as and where required. Diesel powered heating is ducted into the marquee from units placed outside and these are normally thermostatically controlled from within the structure

Toilets are sited close to the marquee and where possible in inclement weather within the marquee or attached to the main structure via walkways. Most couples opt for a trailer comprising ladies and gents. Some units even have piped music and DVDs playing, quite the talking point for frequenting guests!

Depending on your chosen location, there are basically two main types of marquee structure used for large gatherings such as weddings:

Traditional Radial Tension Roof Marquees are very beautiful for brides where space is not an issue. They are integral in 20’ sections, with a 22’ high internal poles. These poles give the marquee an impressive feel and are usually decorated by the florist so that they become a feature.

Clearspan Marquees are modular structures, with no guy ropes. They are more versatile than the Traditional Marquees because they can be configured perpendicular to each other to overcome awkward sites and also they may be fixed to hardstanding unlike the Traditional.

Do remember most suppliers are booking up six months to a year in advance for popular summer dates, try not to leave choosing suppliers until the last moment. Planning early relieves stress and allows you to relax and continue to enjoy your Engagement.

Unleash the Fun: Top Engagement Party Games to Play with Your Friends and Family

Engagement Party Games

The engagement party is a time when the families of the couple will get to know one another. In some cases, this might be the first meeting between the two families or groups of friends and any icebreaker activity will be a welcome event.

In that light, whoever plans the engagement party (likely the bride's family, but it can be the engaged couple or anyone else who wants to plan the party) should plan a few games and activities designed to help everyone get to know everyone else.

First up is a trivia game. Create a "Trivial Pursuit" type game with questions about the bride and groom's lives. You might contain the questions to just facts and events relating to both the bride and groom (such as how long did it take her to say "yes" when he asked, where did he propose, where did they meet, etc), or you can include questions pertaining to their lives outside of each other and before they met each other. Not only can this be fun, but also it's an entertaining way for people to get to know each other and the engaged couple better.

One popular icebreaker that's used at corporate functions and company parties can also work really well at engagement parties. Tape a card to each person's back and encourage him or her to work the room, mingle with everyone and particularly try to get to know someone they have never met before. Before moving on to someone else, be sure to make a comment about the person on the card on his or her back. Partiers write an impression of that person, such as "she seems sweet" or "he knows a lot about the weather".

This icebreaker ends when the mingling session is over. The cards are then read one by one and people not only get to know each other better, but enjoy hearing all the comments people made about them. Try to ensure that comments are complimentary or somehow presented in a positive light. Hurtful comments, obviously, are not appropriate.

If this is truly the first time many of the guests have met, then another fun game involving the wearing of cards might be in order. In this game, each guest wears a card on their front that has their name on the front and a number on the back. They don't share with anyone what their number is. Guests mingle and chat and get to know each other over the course of the evening.

Toward the end of the evening, the cards are flipped over and the number side is shown. Everyone gets a piece of paper and writes the numbers on the paper, then tries to correspond the name of someone with their number. This fun game can be hard for people who are bad with names, but it's fun nonetheless.

For an activity that doesn't put people on the spot quite so much, consider letting the already marrieds help out the to-be marrieds. Place two pieces of posterboard on the wall and mark them "advice from women" and "advice from men". Now is the time to offer advice about wedding planning, not about being married. That advice can come later. Encourage guests to offer their own wedding planning advice. The advice from older people at the party could be decidedly different from the younger couples in the group, making for an enlightening group of comments.

The Top 5 Smart Home Devices You Need Right Now

Smart homes have become a popular trend in the world of electronics. With the advancement of technology, it's now possible to control your home appliances using your smartphone or voice commands. If you're looking to upgrade your home with some smart devices, here are the top 5 smart home devices you need right now.

1. Amazon Echo Dot

The Amazon Echo Dot is a voice-controlled smart speaker that can play music, answer questions, and control other smart devices in your home. It's small and compact, making it easy to place in any room of your house. With the Echo Dot, you can control your smart lights, thermostat, and even your TV using just your voice.

2. Philips Hue Smart Bulbs

Philips Hue smart bulbs are an excellent addition to any smart home. These bulbs can be controlled using your smartphone or voice commands and can be set to any color or brightness level. You can also schedule the bulbs to turn on and off at specific times, making it easy to save energy and money on your electric bill.

3. Nest Learning Thermostat

The Nest Learning Thermostat is a smart thermostat that learns your temperature preferences and adjusts accordingly. It can also be controlled using your smartphone, allowing you to change the temperature from anywhere. The Nest Thermostat can also save you money on your energy bill by automatically adjusting the temperature when you're not home.

4. Ring Video Doorbell

The Ring Video Doorbell is a smart doorbell that allows you to see and speak to anyone at your front door using your smartphone. It also has a motion sensor that alerts you when someone is at your door, even if they don't ring the doorbell. The Ring Video Doorbell is an excellent security device for any home.

5. Samsung SmartThings Hub

The Samsung SmartThings Hub is a central hub that connects all your smart devices together. It allows you to control all your devices using one app, making it easy to manage your smart home. The SmartThings Hub also works with a wide range of smart devices, including Philips Hue bulbs, Amazon Echo, and the Nest Thermostat.

In conclusion, these are the top 5 smart home devices you need right now. With these devices, you can control your home appliances using your smartphone or voice commands, making your life more comfortable and convenient. So, what are you waiting for? It's time to upgrade your home with some smart devices.

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How To Plan An Unforgettable Overnight Reception For Your Wedding

Overnight Wedding Reception Ideas

Some brides these days are turning wedding receptions on their head and creating super long receptions that run through the night and into the morning. If this is you, planning some activities for those long nighttime hours is essential.

Generally, if an all-night reception is planned, it goes something like this: the wedding is held in the early evening and reception follows. By about midnight, many of the guests will have left and the group that is remaining (generally the younger guests, but not always) will continue to dance and party and revel into the early morning hours. At some point, breakfast will be provided and everyone will go home to crash.

Why do you need activities for such a reception? The answer is simple. You want to keep people entertained through the nighttime hours, you want to keep them at the reception and not let them give in to driving home to crash and sleep and you want to provide them with a real party. Let's face it: if they are willing to hang in with you for the duration, they deserve something for their effort.

First, you need to be fairly organized about the activities you plan. Consult with your DJ about these activities and leave it to him or her to keep things on a schedule. Do not plan to cut cake in the middle of the night. That activity should take place during the more traditional evening hours, so those not intending to stay all night can leave. However, if you're determined to keep your guests all night, you could hold one activity back with the hope it will keep guests in the house longer.

Depending on your guest list, you might hold off on the father-daughter dance until after midnight, or you could save a few toasts for the late night hours. In any event, having some other fun events is a great idea.

As guests begin to fade, bring in a piñata, which you can find shaped like a wedding ring, a bridal dress or a champagne flute. Fill it with a variety of goodies. Candy is always popular, but you could also fill it with silly toys found in the carnival section of the party store. Have the DJ play a spirited song and let everyone have a chance at the piñata. Do this on the dance floor and really let people have a swing at it. There should be plenty of room. Once the piñata breaks, everyone can enjoy a taste of sweet candy or can enjoy some silly little carnival game or toy.

People who stay for the duration of the wedding are going to need a rest. Plan a photo presentation or video viewing for this purpose. You could have someone who's familiar with PowerPoint create a photo presentation or have someone put together a video of photos. Do this around 2 or 3 am and have it last a good half hour to 45 minutes. This gives everyone a chance to sit down and relax and also gives the DJ a chance to sit, have a rest and rejuvenate for the next round.

In that same vein of allowing the guests a little relaxation, one activity that some brides employ is a non-activity. If the wedding is outside, you can provide inflatable mattresses and have some torches lit. If guests ant to sit down and relax, they can do so on the mattresses and still be part of the activity while resting. If it's been a long day and someone needs to rest, those reception room chairs don't seem the most comfortable. If the reception is indoors, think about providing large pillows for guests to sit on or create a corner with inflatable mattresses and lots of fabric. This can be a chatting area where people can go to rest but still be part of the fun. They can chat and catch up with other guests and then head back for more partying when they're rejuvenated.

Creative And Fun Wedding Photo Ideas To Capture Memorable Moments

Fun Wedding Photo Ideas

Pictures are an integral part of any wedding. Newlyweds are usually thrilled to get their pictures back from the photographer so they can relive their special day. But there are many special activities you can build into a wedding that involve photos.

One fun idea that many brides employ is to take photos of everyone as they arrive at the wedding, almost like you do at a high school prom or company Christmas party. You can provide a backdrop and couples can pose either for a paid photographer or for whoever happens to pick up the camera. These pictures can be taken with a Polaroid camera for instant fun or with a disposable camera. If you want slightly higher quality photos, go for a digital camera.

This can be an excellent way to keep guests busy and happy until the "official" reception begins with the arrival of the bride and groom.

As an extension of that idea, you can take instant photos and create scrapbook pages or memory book pages with the photos. There can be supplies on hand so guests can create pages on site, or pages can be pre-made and photos simply placed into the prepared spaces. If guests don't want to create pages on site, or the bride doesn't want this particular activity going on, the photos can be saved for later. As a gift for the bride and groom, someone can create memory books with these photos.

If Polaroid cameras are used, another option is to have the people in the photo sign the Polaroid photo and place that in a basket somewhere. The bride and groom will enjoy looking at the photos later.

While it's not a particularly unique idea, many brides like to provide disposable cameras on each table at the reception so guests can capture candid shots of the reception and the table guests. These photos can be added to the newlyweds' wedding album or they can be placed into a separate album showing the wedding from the guests' perspective.

Another fun activity sure to be entertaining is to create a "silent photo guess" area. Here's how this works: before the wedding, someone close to the bride and groom collects pictures of the bride and groom at various stages in life. The photos should depict the bride and groom doing things, not at Christmas or with their first birthday cake. In other words, the photos should include some action, but it shouldn't be obvious in the picture what has taken place or where the person is.

Much like a silent auction, people will come along and look at the photos, then take a silent guess as to what the photos show. They can write their guess on a piece of paper and put it in a numbered basket that corresponds with the number on the photo. Reading these guesses during the reception is entertaining and sure to be amusing. The bride or groom can provide the real answers. This is a particularly fun activity at a relatively small, family wedding where the participants know the bride and groom very well.

If you want to provide an area for guests to have their photos taken but aren't thrilled with the "prom night" idea, how about having a photo corner set up somewhere in the reception hall or facility. Here, the wedding photographer will take candid shots of wedding guests. They might be couples, but could also be entire families, friends having a good time, or the groom being carried on the shoulders of the best man. Whatever the pictures end up being, they provide a fun, "let it all hang out" area for the wedding guests and a surprise for the bride and groom. Since they will likely be busy with all the reception details and having the time of THEIR lives, they might appreciate knowing their guests had a pretty good time too, as evidenced in the photos.

How To Create A Take Home Gift For Your Wedding Guests

Your wedding day is truly a day for celebration. One of the most appealing things about a wedding is that you get to share your joy and happiness with the people who matter most to you. For many a bride, months are spent ensuring that every last detail of the big day is taken care of. However many couples look past the idea of giving out favors for weddings.

There is no disputing that weddings cost a pretty penny, or in most cases thousands of pennies. Everything from the dress to the flowers has to be factored into the cost, so small things like favors for weddings are often forgotten about in favor of something more important. However, you must keep in mind that the people attending your wedding want to take something with them to remember your special day by.

You don’t have to spend a small fortune to create a small and memorable item for your guests. Although some couples give out things like small picture frames as favors for weddings, you don’t have to go to that length. Instead you can make something small and elegant that your guests will treasure and that you’ll feel good about giving away since the cost is reasonable.

One idea that has stood the test of time is wedding cake. Most likely you will be serving cake at the wedding, but you can also order another cake that will be wrapped in the wedding colors and given away as favors for weddings. You can even purchase small white favor boxes for this very purpose.

If you are creative and skilled in calligraphy you can certainly note the date and your names on the favor boxes. Perhaps a stark black written note thanking your guests written on the top of the favor boxes will make these favors for weddings truly memorable.

Another relatively inexpensive idea is to create small scrolls on your home computer. These scrolls can then be printed on parchment and hand tied with ribbon that is a color reflective of the wedding party colors. The scrolls can include a thank you from the wedding couple along with an image of their engagement. These make perfect favors for weddings as they are personalized and they allow the guests the opportunity to open the scroll whenever they wish to remember the wedding.

Obviously you don’t have to incur much cost to create a small take home gift for your wedding guests. With some imagination and a little creative crafting you can make favors for weddings that your guests will treasure for years.

Creative And Fun Wedding Reception Games That Your Guests Will Love

Active Wedding Reception Games

We've all been to receptions that are standard - we welcome and celebrate the new married couple, watch them dance, and enjoy cake with them. But creative couples often enjoy coming up with fun games that include the entire guest list.

Including the guests is an excellent way to get people out of their chairs, meeting people they might not otherwise know and feeling like they are truly a part of the celebration, not just observers.

One fun and active game that can be played by all your guests, including grandma as well as the young children, is "want it now".

In this game, you designate a master of ceremonies (if you have a DJ for your wedding reception, this person can serve as the DJ). The MC will have a list of "wants" prepared before the reception. Everyone sits at their tables, and waits to hear the command. The MC says he wants a person with painted toenails. All the women with painted toenails run to the front of the room, toward the MC. Each time a table sends someone to the front first, they get a point.

Points should be tallied during the course of this game and prizes awarded at the end of the game. Be sure to have some obvious "wants", as is the painted toenails, or a man with a mustache or a child with a pink dress. But also include some surprises, like "a man with a brown purse" which will require a man to find a woman at his table with the brown purse and run up to the front of the room with that.

Another fun wedding reception game that includes all your guests is musical chairs using men as the chairs. All the men line up and kneel on one knee. The women begin playing the game of musical chairs, but when the music stops, they must find a knee to sit on. No "chairs" are removed during the version of the game, but instead people are eliminated when either the man falls down when the woman finds his knee or when the woman falls down. Both are out either way, and if both fall down, they are also both out then (as well as perhaps a bit bruised). This is a fun game that often brings on gales of laughter and adds to a relaxed reception atmosphere.

If many guests are traveling a good distance to the wedding or don't know many other guests, it's always fun to include a game that will allow them to now only get to know each other but the bride and groom as well. For this game, you'll need a MC again, which can be a very outgoing member of the wedding party or the DJ. The reception guests are broken into two groups, which can be as simple as having people count off "1, 2, 1, 2" and so on until the entire guest list is either a "1" or a "2". Then the two groups band together for the duration of the game.

The DJ, or MC, offers a series of questions relating to the bride and groom. The teams should work together to answer the questions, then as quickly as possible provide the answer. The bride and groom will confirm if the answer is correct or not. This is an excellent way for otherwise "stranger" guests to get to know one another and have some fun in the process. It's also an excellent way to get to know the bride and groom!

Organizing games at a wedding reception is a great way to get people involved and make them feel they are truly a part of the celebration. It's also a way to fill time, if the wedding planners know this isn't a "dancing" group or if you want to loosen people up for a long night of celebrating. Whether a small or large wedding, reception games work for just about any group.

In addition, don't assume wedding reception guests will be offended or annoyed by these active games. Most people report to wedding planners they truly enjoy being more active and having fun games to play during a wedding reception.

Wedding Centerpiece Activities That Will Make Your Wedding Day A Success

Wedding Centerpiece Activities

The question of who will get to take home the centerpiece can sometimes be a central discussion at reception dinner tables, particularly if the centerpiece is particularly pretty or original.

Making a game of who gets the centerpiece, then, can be an amusing diversion and one many guests will enjoy participating in. Here are some ideas for giving away that reception table centerpiece.

How about a game of 20 questions? Give each guest a piece of paper and a pen or pencil. The MC or DJ asks a series of 20 questions, but first gives the guests the basic background information, that is, that the answer is an animal, place, person or thing. Once that's taken care of, people can shout out questions and the MC or DJ will answer yes or no, and whoever figures out the answer first gets the first centerpiece, and that particular table is done playing. The game is repeated until one person at each table has won the centerpiece.

One of the most popular ways brides give away the table centerpieces is to put a number on the bottom of the centerpiece and give each guest a number. At some point in the evening, a number is called, each guest checks his or her number and whoever has the called number gets the centerpiece. There are many ways to put a twist on this traditional activity.

For example, you might provide each table with a number, but make it a lower number (ie. between 1 and 10) and the DJ or MC could move from table to table and have each guest do something a certain number of times. So, at the first table, for example, the guests might need to do "head, shoulders, knees and toes" six times and whoever does it first gets the centerpiece. Or, at the second table, the guests might be required to sing the alphabet 3 times or sing "twinkle, twinkle, little star" three times and whoever does that first get the centerpiece.

Another fun activity for divvying up the centerpieces is to require guests to produce a certain item. The DJ or MC moves from table to table, announcing what guests at that table will be required to produce in order to get the centerpiece. Maybe it's a Georgia quarter or a mint, or a doctor's appointment card. Whatever it is, the guest at each table who produces the requested item will get the centerpiece.

You can always make it easy and offer the centerpiece to the oldest person at the table, or the one who took the most number of years to finish college. Perhaps you could create an activity where the person who has the strangest talent (as voted on by the tablemates) wins the centerpiece. Then, if possible, that person might show off the talent for the entire reception party.

If you like musical chairs, you can play a game of musical dollar bills in order to give the centerpiece away. Someone takes out a one-dollar bill and music begins playing. Everyone at the table passes the dollar bill around the table and when the music stops, whoever is left holding the bill gets the centerpiece. Or this game can be played a bit more traditionally with the person with the bill being eliminated, and the game continuing until only one person is holding the bill. That person can then be awarded with the centerpiece. Or, for a fun twist, the bill can be passed around and when the music stops, the person holding the bill is told to return it to the person who first supplied it. That is the person who gets the centerpiece.

Some fun, and fairly traditional, ideas include the birthday person getting the centerpiece. At each table, the person who has a birthday closest to the wedding gets the centerpiece. Or if there are married couples at the table, the couple who have been together the longest can get the centerpiece, or the couple who were married most recently. Perhaps the centerpiece should go to the person with the longest hair, or the strangest shoes (again, this would be voted on by tablemates).

Activities For Your Wedding Buffet That Your Guests Will Love

Buffet Table Activities

Most wedding receptions include a buffet-style meal where everyone stands in an enormous line waiting while those at the food table decide if they want Italian or Ranch dressing on their salad.

There has to be a more unusual way to get people to their food, and a faster one at that, right? There are several fun options you can employ to feed your guests quickly and with a minimum of groans of hunger.

Here are some fun options.

One of the most popular is the number system. Each table is assigned a number and the MC or DJ calls numbers at various intervals. The people at that numbered table then find the buffet and begin their feast. You can place the numbers in a variety of locations. For the most utilitarian version, just place the number in the flower arrangement on the table.

Some brides don't like this look of numbered table as if at a convention. In that case, you can put the numbers under the flower arrangements, or under the chairs. If you have place cards at the tables, you can write a small number somewhere on the card so people know which table they're sitting at. For a fun variation, you can have the florist play around with the table floral arrangements. If the arrangements are going to have a dozen flowers, you could have the florist add one extra flower to table "one", two extra flowers for table "two" and so on and make the guests figure out which number table they are based on how many extra flowers they have in their arrangement.

The flower method could be cost-prohibitive, of course, if you have a large guest list and many tables.

Now, if the number system doesn't thrill you or make you think "unique", there are other options. Each table can have a color and the DJ simply calls out the color name. Depending, again, on how many tables you have at your reception, you could coordinate the tablecloths with the color of the table. So you might have white, pink, lavender, beige, and yellow tablecloths, and the guests sitting at that table simply move to the buffet table when the color of their tablecloth is called.

Another popular option for moving people easily to the buffet table involves having a little fun with your guests. You provide each table with a buzzer, either a bell like you might find at a store, or a small silver bell. Just something they can buzz or ring. The DJ or MC asks a trivia question, or a question about the bride and groom. The tables buzz in with their answers. The guests at the table with the first correct buzzed answer move to the buffet table. You repeat the process until everyone is finally on their way to getting some grub.

The trivia method is an especially fun way to help guests to get to know one another, as they might have to work together to come up with an answer. If your guests are hungry, you're sure to hear muffled groans and sighs of exasperation. But even with the small complaints, this is always a crowd pleaser because it's fun and gets everyone involved.

Now, this next option is fun but can engender a bit of jealousy sometimes. When people get their place card, whether it's placed on the table, or they pick it up when they look at the seating chart, you can put a number on it. But not everyone at the same table will have the same number. If you have 100 guests, for example, you might choose to have 10 people at the buffet table at a time. So each person would be assigned a number 1 through 10.

In the same scenario as above, the DJ or MC will call a number and those numbers will head for the buffet table. There are sure to be more than one person from each table heading for the buffet table, but the guests at each table won't get their food at the same time.

This staggered feeding can be fun or a nuisance, depending. It solves the problem of half the room being finished with their meal while waiting for the "later" table to finish theirs before the festivities start, but it can also mean that one or two guests might be long done with their food (or wanting to head back for seconds) when others at the table haven't even eaten yet.

Bridal Shower Games That Are Guaranted To Entertain Your Wedding Guests

Bridal Shower Games

If you're hosting a bridal shower, there are literally hundreds of games to choose from. Some are silly, some are serious, but all are about having some fun with the bride before she's married. Here's a sampling.

One fun game really puts the bride on the spot with regard to her knowledge of her husband-to-be's life. Prior to the party, have someone ask the groom a series of questions, such as where he was born, what his favorite food is, things like that. Then at the bridal shower, put the bride on the spot by asking her the answers to the questions. See how many she can get right (hopefully at least half!). If she does well, give the girl a prize; she deserves one.

One all-time favorite game is toilet paper wedding dresses. This game involves separating the guests into teams consisting of at least 2 people and no more than 5. Give each team a roll or toilet paper (or 2) and have them fashion a wedding dress out of the toilet paper. One of the team members will volunteer as the model. Provide them with a "dress up trunk" filled with jewelry and shoes. They must make the dress out of the toilet paper, but they can accessorize with the provided jewelry, shoes, gloves and hats. Place a time limit on this (5 minutes is adequate) and have the bride vote on the best dress. Be sure to provide prizes for the winning team!

Another fun game that's always a hit is making the bride get dressed while blindfolded. Tell the bride she is to pretend she's on her honeymoon and the power has gone off. She must prepare for her wedding night in complete darkness. Provide her with a suitcase filled with items and then blindfold her. She must get dressed in a certain period of time (2 minutes is adequate) while completely blindfolded and with no help from the guests. Include some silly items like oversized sunglasses, garden gloves or a flannel nightgown just to make it fun. This is a photo opportunity, so be sure someone is waiting to record the end result!

Another fun game puts the shower guests more on the sport than the bride. In this game, everyone puts their purses in the center of the room. Create a list of items commonly found in a purse and assign a point value and create a list of less common items and give them a higher point value. So you might give lipstick 2 points, a tampon 3 points, and sunglasses 5 points. But a granola bar could be 10 points and a staple remover, 15 points. Then go through the purses awarding points and give the person with the highest number of points (and therefore, the most items and probably highest number of unusual items) a prize.

Before the shower, create bingo cards for this shower bingo game. In the squares, put pictures of items you think the bride will receive at the shower. So, boxes might include things like lingerie, towels and the like. As the bride opens gifts, have people mark off that item on their bingo card. If nobody gets a "bingo" give a prize to the person who marked off the most number of items.

This next game is a derivation of a popular game that's often played at bachelorette parties and involves a stripper. This is the clean version. About 30 minutes into the party, have the bride leave the room and pass out pieces of paper. Have everyone write on the paper everything they can remember about the bride's outfit, hair, etc. How many rings is she wearing? What color is her blouse? Is she wearing open or closed toed shoes? Once everyone is done recording their observations, the bride comes back into the room and a prize is awarded to the person with the best observation skills.

How Use Your Bridal Bouquet For Activities And Games During Your Wedding

Bridal Bouquet Activities

When a bride orders her wedding bouquet, it might not seem that any "activities" will come from it other than as a thing for the bride to hold. But the bridal bouquet can be the source of many interesting activities and meaningful gestures.

During there ceremony there are all kinds of possibilities. Certainly you can go traditional and have a flower for both the mother of the bride and mother of the groom. The moms, in particular, love this activity and guests usually appreciate it as well. But what if you turned that traditional gesture on its head and supplied flowers for both the mothers and the fathers?

If the bride supplies flowers to both the men and women, there are a couple of ways to do this. What if dad's flower was enclosed in a verse that he will then get up and read at the ceremony? What if it was a flower to recognize the members of the family who have passed, and it gives dad an opportunity to recognize those family members?

If the bride chooses not to have a unity candle, but wants some gesture like it, she can have her bridal bouquet designed by having several small bouquets put together. At an appropriate time during the ceremony, the bridal bouquet is "broken up" and various people might receive a share, such as the mothers and fathers of the bride and groom.

Now, if the bride wants to hang onto her bridal bouquet during the wedding ceremony, but is willing to have some fun with it at the reception, there are a few options there as well. How about a dance involving the bridal bouquet? This is silly, but fun. The bridal bouquet is on display somewhere near the dance floor and guests must guess a flower that's in the bouquet before they can enter the dance floor. The first few guests might not have a problem as some flowers are obvious, like roses and tulips, but others might give people pause. Of course, this won't work if the bridal bouquet is all roses or some other single and obvious flower but for a traditional mixed bouquet, it can work well.

For a naughty touch, the bride can hide her garter in the bridal bouquet and actually put it on her leg before the groom takes it off. Or she can have a couple of breakaway bouquets that are wrapped in garter belts, so hers doesn't get thrown, but instead the tiny bouquets with garter belts attached are thrown.

When it comes time for the bride to throw her bouquet, there are several options. Some brides choose not to keep their bouquet and simply pluck one flower out of it before chucking the whole thing during the bridal bouquet toss. This is an alternative to having a special bouquet set aside for throwing, and there are others as well.

Are there are a lot of single women coming to the wedding? Maybe one thrown bouquet won't be enough. Many brides these days are opting for something a little more fun. There are a few options, really. One popular option is to have the florist create several small bouquets and then bundle them to look like one bouquet. They are tied lightly with a ribbon. When it comes time for the bouquet toss, the bride unties the ribbon, and throws the "bouquet" which is actually several little bouquets. Several women will catch the bouquet, rather than just one.

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