Wedding Card Collection Ideas

Posted on April 20, 2015 by Mary P Karnes

It is common knowledge that one should consider a house sitter for weddings and funerals especially in the social media age we live in. Not only will all your friends and family know when and where your wedding will be held – but so will anyone who may happen to read your twitter feed, Facebook, etc.

Your home can potentially be vulnerable, but don’t forget your reception site as well. At my daughter’s wedding last summer, we had no ” bouncers” at the door of the reception and anyone could have walked in off the street – think “Wedding Crashers.”

The mother of the groom had the very wise idea to personalize a borrowed decorative bird cage – note the photo below. In the next picture, my daughters, Kathleen and Maggie, (the bride), are standing to either side of the birdcage, (this was stored in our dining room – they just happened to be standing next to it in the photo, it was not a focal point of the picture!). Guests who brought cards for Rob and Maggie were encouraged to insert them into the bird cage by Reception Site Staff.

If there were any shenanigans attempted by an “ubsub” at the reception, I’m sure someone would have noticed them walking off with the birdcage… 🙂

In the fourth photo, you can see gifts to the right, and the now infamous birdcage at the very left edge of the picture.

Not crazy about the birdcage idea? Well, how about a decorated box option? I have included three in this blog for your viewing pleasure… 🙂 the first photo and the two below. All are festive and would be relatively easy to assemble and not be terribly expense. Click on the links below if you’d like more information on assembly.

Image #1 www.twotwentyone.net

Image #2 and #3 Mary P Karnes photos

Image #4 Patty Cloherty photos

Image #5 trendyoutlook.com

Image #6www.waittilyourfathergetshome.com

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Wedding Toasting Glasses

Posted on April 19, 2015 by Mary P Karnes

The all important “toast.” Let’s face it, as long as your dad, best man and maid of honor say a few nice words and don’t embarrass you TOO much, it’s not a wedding event breaker. The Dad’s toast may make the bride cry, though…

But what the bride CAN do, is search for the perfect wedding toasting glasses for her groom and herself. The picture above is of the saucer type champagne glasses that Kenny and I used to toast our wedding (styles have changed!). Our names are engraved on the front of the glasses, our wedding date on the back… No excuses, husband of mine, for forgetting our anniversary. Just go retrieve one of these babies and read!

But are you worried about the toasts? Well, you can gently point your parent, best man, maid of honor, etc., in the right direction by visiting a site such as weddingslovetoknow.com It offers a full list of example toasts from anyone who may possibly think of toasting you. 🙂 Below is an example from their site, and picture of my family when my husband toasted our Maggie and Rob. The next photo, Rob’s brother and sister toasting the couple.

From a Parent

“The father of the bride and father of the groom may also wish to give a toast at the reception, or the fathers and mothers may wish to give one together.

Sample Toast

“Today, I am honored to count Bride/Groom as a member of my family. I have watched Bride/Groom grow from a small baby to making his/her way into the world.

Talk about a couple memories from childhood of the bride or groom.

Of course, I realized that Bride/Groom was no longer a child when she/he met the person seated next to him/her at the table.Bride/Groom came into my son/daughter’s life and has not only loved my child as I did, but helped him/her become the person s/he is today.

Incorporate a few specific traits of the couple’s relationship that stand out.

Your love is obvious to anyone who looks at you. We all have faith renewed in love as we gazed upon you two tonight. Your mother and I/We love you both forever. Congratulations!”

The glasses below are “new” Waterford ” toasting flutes sold in the year 2000 as a tribute to our “New Millennium”. They feature: Happiness, Health, Love, Peace, and Prosperity. Perfect for a wedding toast, I thought. So I bought a pair, and decided that they would be available for my daughters’ weddings as a family tradition, if they so desire. But if they have other ideas, that’s ok too. Weddings are compromises, just like marriages.

Images #1 and #4 Mary P Karnes photos

Images #2 and #3 Patty Cloherty Photos

Slow Motion Wedding Booth

Posted on April 16, 2015 by Mary P Karnes

Have you read, seen, or experienced the new thing making the wedding circuit these days? It’s the “Slow Motion Wedding Booth.” It replaces the “Photo Booth” at weddings and events, which apparently is now passé. Photo booths are awesome! My friend had photo booth hire Coventry come and do a photo booth for her party and she loved it. It’s funny how quickly things change…in just a year, the NEW entertainment “flavor of the month” at weddings is the “Slow Motion Booth.” How does it work? Well, you’re filmed with a few friends in a booth, much like the traditional photo booth, doing regular things – tossing confetti, twirling, etc. Then the camera slows, and all of a sudden, the confetti flutters down in slow motion — cool! A tv monitor is set up outside the booth, and guests can view you in real time. The down side, you don’t get a souvenir to take home, as you do in the old “photo booth”. The bride and groom get a dvd of their guests in the booth, however. If you’re interested in seeing how it works for yourself, click on the photo below from youtube.com KK will have one one of these new fangled things at her reception — I’m pretty excited to see for myself how it works.

Do you need wedding entertainment? I don’t think you necessarily do. But it makes the event more fun, and can break the ice when you throw lots of people together who in the beginning of the evening may not know each other – but may be new friends by the end of the night…

Thanks to Rob and Maggie’s friends in the picture above who are the “Models” from their wedding photo booth. 🙂

The Duties of the Groomsmen

Posted on April 13, 2015 by Mary P Karnes

Yesterday was all about the bridesmaid…so be fair, let’s talk about the groomsmen. Ok…Let’s face it…the men take this whole wedding thing a little less seriously than we women. But if you are tapped to be a groomsman, you DO have responsibilities, and they ARE important. You do not want “Bridezilla” after you… So what are the duties of the groomsmen? Check it out below….directly from the knot.com

“Like the bridesmaids, you’ll have to pay for your wedding gear. Luckily, you can usually rent a tux for quite a bit less than what the bridesmaid dresses will cost. Be sure to get fitted at the specified store with time to spare — you don’t want to walk down the aisle in floods!
Attending all prewedding festivities (engagement party, couple shower, bachelor party, rehearsal dinner). Perks: Free vittles and drinks.

Helping the best man plan the groom’s bachelor party. Perks: Good food, drinks, and perhaps some insights into female anatomy.
You’ll conspire with the best man — and the bridesmaids — to decorate the honeymoon getaway car in style.
Before the ceremony, you may be asked to usher guests to their seats. At traditional Christian ceremonies, guests of the bride’s family sit on the left, and guests of the groom’s family sit on the right. At Jewish ceremonies, it’s the opposite. When a couple arrives, take the woman’s arm and escort her to her seat; her escort will follow you. Always seat the oldest woman first if several guests arrive together. You should arrive at the ceremony site at least 45 minutes early to review special seating requirements

Be prepared to serve as information central and direct guests to restroom facilities and the reception site.
Purchase a wedding present, perhaps with one of the other groomsmen. You’ll have more buying power, and two heads are often better than one when it comes to gift ideas. Sometimes the entire groomsmen gang pitches in for one knock-them-off-their-feet wedding gift.

At the reception, you may be introduced with the bridesmaid you escorted during the recessional. You may also be asked to dance with bridesmaids or single female guests during the evening. Wow, how easy is this?”

Work, yes, but have fun, boys. It’s a good time…

Below, the handsome groomsmen at my own Maggie and Rob’s wedding this past June.