Must-Attend NYC Wedding Event

For those of you who have been reading this blog for the past few years you know that my favorite event of the year is New York magazine's Weddings event.  The event is held in conjunction with the launch of the Summer issue (check out my stationery story in the Checklist section!) and features the city's top vendors.

You and your guest -- groom, mom, MOH, definitely bring a buddy -- will enjoy browsing the goods and services of florists, stationers, planners, designers and salons, AND taste delicious menu items from the best caterers and yummy cakes and cupcakes from a variety of talented bakers.

This year's event is being held on Thursday, March 28th at 5pm at the Metropolitan Pavilion on West 18th between 6th and 7th Avenues.

Tickets are $40 each or $60 for a pair.  You can purchase them here.

If my post hasn't convinced you to click and buy a pair, remember you should to bring a buddy, now, visit the weddings.nymag.com site for details on the partners and participants.

See you there!

Should Brides and Grooms Get Veto Power?

My friend/adversary over at A Groom's Diary thinks it's a good idea for couples to veto each other's decisions when it comes to the wedding details and guest list.  I'm sure you can imagine what my thoughts are on the subject.

Check out Round 4 of the Wedding Blogger Battle Royale over at The Man Registry, and don't be afraid to tell Ian that he's wrong...again.

Would You Take Your Fiance Wedding Dress Shopping?

Probably not, but that's the debate in this week's Wedding Blogger Battle Royale over at The Man Registry.

I'm sure you can guess my reasoning...tradition, surprise, photo-op factor, but my esteemed blogger colleague Ian at A Groom's Diary says every guy should join you at the salon, though he has another activity that he'd prefer to enjoy.

Find out what it is and tell Ian why I'm right and he's wrong, again ;) over at the Groom's Advice blog.

Should You Spend Money on Engagement Photos?

I think you should but Ian over at The Groom's Diary isn't so sure.

Read both of our opinions over at The Man Registry.  Ian and I will be debating the top wedding dilemmas over the next six weeks.

Add your comments to the Wedding Blogger Battle Royale and decide who's right and who's etiquette-ly incorrect.

Should You Allow Kids at Your Wedding?

A Groom's Diary blogger, Ian, and I went head to head to answer this very important question.  Find out our thoughts, and choose which one of us is right, at The Man Registry.

The Father-Daughter BAT MITZVAH Dance

For the past few years we've been tracking videos of brides and grooms and even some brides and their dads surprising wedding guests with creative dance routines.  We haven't seen a lot of grooms and moms.  Something to search for. Well, the trend has finally hit the Bat Mitzvah circuit.

And while most of us are many years away from that milestone I thought this video of a 13-year-old girl with her dad was very sweet and glad to know that the wedding world inspired them.  Take a look:

My Fiance and I Have a Child, Can We Include Her Name on the Wedding Invitation?

Yes, and I’m sure she would love being included!

Assuming the two of you are hosting the wedding add her name under yours in the following manner:

John Jones and Jane Smith

together with their daughter Louise 

invite you to…

And since you are including her in the wedding invitation wording, you may also want to bring her with you to help pick out the wedding invitation.  I’m sure she’ll enjoy being part of the process.

You may want to take her to the cake tasting too.

We Got an Engagement from Someone We Didn’t Plan on Inviting to the Wedding. Now Do We Have to Send them an Invitation?

You don’t have to send a wedding invitation to someone just because they sent you an engagement gift. You do however have to send them a thank-you note.

If at some point the gift giver says something that gives you the impression that they’re expecting an invitation you can either ignore their comment or explain that you’ve decided to have a more intimate wedding with your closest family and friends and kept the list extremely short.

I Can’t Afford to Pay for All My Bridesmaids’ Hair & Makeup. How Do I Ensure They Look Their Best?

I would talk to each girl, individually may be best, and find out what she is planning to do regarding hair and makeup. Some of them may go to a salon for their hair but opt to do their own makeup, and some may assume a makeup artist is being hired for everyone to use.

Once you know everyone’s situation figure out how much hair and makeup will cost per person and if it’s too much for each bridesmaid, or maybe just for a few of them, see if you can subsidize some of the costs.  If you can’t, shop around for the best deal.  Maybe there’s a beauty school in the area with some talented students or an assistant to your salon can send you at a fraction of the stylist’s fee.  Or even a groupon deal you can take advantage of.

Another option that I did for a friend’s wedding was to go to the local department store with a few other bridesmaids the morning of the wedding.  We each had scheduled an 11am appointment at our favorite makeup counter and for the cost of one lipstick, which we bought to use for the wedding, got our makeup done for free.  I honestly don’t remember what we did for the hair. I think for my wedding we hired a makeup salesgirl from the local Macy’s to come to the ceremony location and do each girl’s makeup for about $65 each.  For hair, a friend found a local salon that gave the girls a break because there were 8 of them coming in for blowouts at 9am on a Sunday.

Keep your bridesmaids’ budgets in mind -- they’re spending a lot of money on your wedding -- so don’t force them to lay out hundreds more for hair and makeup.  It’s worth it to start researching budget-friendly options months, and not days, before the wedding.

How Do We Prevent Tip Jars on the Bar, at the Coat Check and by the Valet?

Gratuities for all three -- bar tenders, coat check and valet attendants -- should be listed in the venue and/or catering contracts and paid through those bills.  Make it clear to the catering/location manager that you do not want tip jars/bowls/plates displayed since you are covering gratuities.

If you do see them out while your wedding is happening ask, or have someone like a bridesmaid or groomsmen ask, the manager to have it removed immediately.