Rehearsal Dinner Toasts Made Easy

The wedding rehearsal is an exciting event, because it’s usually the night before, or at least very close to, the wedding itself. Rehearsal dinners are less formal than the actual wedding dinner. But often, close family members and friends make rehearsal dinner toasts to the bride and groom. With an appropriate choice of words, good rehearsal dinner toasts can set the right mood for the big day. The guest list is usually the bridal and groom party, plus parents and close relations. It’s an intimate gathering with the people who know the couple the best and are there to celebrate the upcoming wedding and culmination of all of the months of planning for the big day.

The rehearsal dinner toast is for thanking the various people who planned the wedding and those who will be participating in it, and also to wish the couple lots of love and joy as they start their life together. The groom’s parents traditionally are responsible for the financial obligation of the rehearsal dinner, however any other close relative or friend may do the honor. Invitations may be sent two weeks before the wedding; or a simple phone call informing the guests of the time, location, and perhaps formality of dress. Usually they are informal affairs; however a classy restaurant can be a welcome counterpoint to a formal dinner.

The rehearsal dinner is usually held in a private home or a restaurant and is as formal or informal as the host would like. Special instrumental music will make this event even more elegant. Consider hiring a pianist, harpist, or a guitar duo.

The toasts at the rehearsal dinner are given by the host of the event (usually the groom’s father) first. Next would be the bride’s father, then the best man offers a toast to the bride and groom. The bride & groom may also toast at the end of the others. The groom with a toast to his bride and her parents and the bride with a toast to her groom and his family. This is an opportunity for them to thank everybody for support, etc. during the engagement.

Guests are an important part of any event. Any celebration is considered incomplete in the absence of guests and invitees. It is due to the crowd that the party appears lively and fun-filled. The same holds true for a wedding party as well. During a wedding, guests are expected to follow a certain code of conduct, which is generally referred to as wedding etiquette for guests. As wedding is a cause for celebration and also includes religious ceremonies, the guests are expected to exhibit decent behavior.

Only special people are invited to be wedding guests. After all, guest lists are limited to a certain amount of people since the bride and groom, in most cases, have to pay for each and every person attending. Because of this, it’s up to you as a guest to be mindful of the occasion and brush up on the proper etiquette. Failure to do so may not only result in your committing a major faux pas, but may also be insulting to the happy couple.

Don’t bring a date unless your invitation specifically says their name or “+ Guest” Remember that the cost for each person attending a wedding is generally high, so bringing unexpected guests is very impolite. This includes your children or other relatives!

Don’t be late! If a wedding invitation says that the ceremony will begin at 5, be sure to arrive there by 4:45 so as to give yourself time to find a seat and get settled. You wouldn’t want to interrupt the processional.

If you are unable to attend the wedding, it’s still proper etiquette to send a gift. If you are attending, it’s not necessary to bring the gift to the wedding. You can send it ahead if you’d like or even send it afterwards since, technically, a guest has one year to send a gift, Gifts of money or gift certificates are generally given at the reception.  Remember, if a gift is brought to the reception, that means someone has to bring it home. The bride and groom are most likely not going home straight from the reception so it might be better not to inconvenience anyone. Above all, enjoy yourself, and tell the happy couple that you are so pleased for them.

A dream wedding is bound to give a sensational start to your life. Day in and day out, you might have dreamt of getting married in style. So now is the time to make your dream come true.A wedding theme can give your marriage the right kind of elegance and class. Wedding themes are intended to add a charming appeal to the joyous celebrations, planned over a period of time. Wedding themes make the auspicious event more memorable and leaves an impression on the couple and the guests alike.

There can be umpteen of themes which could be chosen for your great day. There is no need to rack your brains for a stupendous theme. Here we are providing you with lots of themes to choose from. You will spoil yourself with choices which could be used for the great day.Getting married on Valentine’s Day and having a heart wedding theme can be fun. Have your invitation cards in the shape of a heart in shades of red and pink. Have of red roses for decorating the venue and also for your bouquet. Fill the place with lots of heart shaped balloons to create the right ambience. Get a heart shaped cake baked for the ceremony. Give a rose as party favors to all your guests.

How about getting married besides a roaring sea with shimmering sand filled with sea shells. Wedding invitations can have pictures of beautiful mermaids, sand art pictures and decorated with sea shells. Sea creature decoration will pep up your theme. Put shell decorated candle stands and flower vases .Have centerpieces in the form of beautiful crystal bowls filled with sands of varied hues. Decorate your wedding cake with oyster shells and pearls. The couture of the bride and the groom can be in shades of sea green,blue etc.

How would you react when your beloved daughter shows up with a diamond ring and a boyfriend? She has come of age, so soon! It seems as if yesterday she was born. Dad had nestled the little one in his arms, changed her nappies, washed her drools and kept awake by her side when she was ill. How fast your little one has transformed into gorgeous young lady? Time just flies away. You must have dreaded the day when you would be giving away your loving daughter to her prince charming. Since the time she was born you might have had the fear that one fine day your little girl will bid adieu and be the part of another male’s life.

Now that your daughter is going to tie the nuptial knot you being the father of the bride have a lot of responsibilities to shoulder. You have to plan and prepare for your sweetheart well in advance. You have to pay a lot of bills. Find out what you should know about wedding planning and budgeting so that you can make wise decisions and make your daughter’s wedding a successful and memorable affair.

Weddings can be elaborate and very expensive or they can be simple and affordable. The decision of family budget should be taken together by the bride, groom and their families. The bride’s family covers most of the expenses but the latest trend is that the bride and the groom themselves bear all the expenses. The expense of the reception is about 50% of the total budget and are borne by the father of the bride.

Walking down the aisle is an important and heart wrenching experience for both the daughter and the father. It is an age old custom and often touching part of the ceremony.Dads are putting their daughter literally and figuratively into the arms of a handsome young man. But it is a wonderful gesture of trust and confidence which you have in your new son in law The reception is the time to meet all your kith and kin, to celebrate with them and congratulate your daughter and her husband on their new adventure together.

Being the father of the bride, it is inevitable to raise a toast to the newly weds.He has mixed feelings on this great day. He is a happy as well as sad as he gives away the apple of his eye to her dream husband. At this moment he is brimming with emotions. His hoary hair and twinkling eyes filled with tears spell it all, his feelings, his emotions and his concern for his little one.Before raising the toast introduce yourself as many guests may not know you. Welcome the groom into the family.Tell him your expectations from him. Give him a piece of advice on his new life.

Share some experiences of your daughter with the guests. Tell her dreams, aspirations and habits to the groom. Reveal some funny incidents to make everyone laugh. A good idea can be to prepare a slide show of photographs and play some videos of your little one right from birth up to this day. Relive those moments of joy and togetherness. It will surely be a different experience for everyone, specially you and your daughter. Keep some tissue handy as you are bound to get emotional.

Tell your son in law what advice you got from your father in law. Bless the couple with kind words .Inject some humor in your wedding speech. Thank all your guests and be grateful to all those people who put in their effort to make your daughter’s wedding a great success.Relax and enjoy .You will meet many new people who are friend of the groom and his family. Stay sober .If you are serving alcohol at the reception, you need not indulge in drinking, or drink in moderation .You are the host and your behavior should be acceptable.

Another custom important for the dad is the father daughter dance. Make the dance a positive and memorable one. If you can dance well then it is not a problem. But if you are not used it, join a dance class to surprise the guests with your swift steps.Once the wedding is over, the father has another challenging task to become a great father in law to his daughter’s new husband and to adapt to his new role in his daughter’s life.
Getting your sweet daughter married can be a challenging task. But if things are properly planned and executed it can become a memorable and cherished affair of your life.

In the humdrum of today’s fast paced world when there is an auspicious occasion like marriage, it calls for a celebration. No marriage is complete without raising a toast to congratulate the newly weds. Raising a toast is an age old custom. The Best man, maid of honor, father of the bride, father of the groom etc raise a toast for the prosperity and well being of the two people who joined in holy matrimony. A wedding reception is the best opportunity to raise a toast.

Wedding toast hold special significance to the person raising the toast and the newly weds. After all it’s the biggest day of their lives. As one is making the toast he understands how special the occasion is.
If you are the Best man at a marriage, it is inevitable for you to raise a wedding toast. You need to prepare a speech well in advance which should reflect your love and concern for the couple. The speech should be nicely worded so as to make an impression on the couple as well as the guests. As the newly weds embark upon a journey together you congratulate and wish them luck for a happy and prosperous married life.

The maid of honor is the closest to the bride. She is the lodestar to the bride. The toast raised by her should have fond words of affection, wisdom and advice for the newly weds.The father of the bride has mixed feelings. When he is giving away his little princess to her dream prince, he is happy as well as sad as he would no longer enjoy the company of his sweet daughter. By raising a toast on her great day he can tell her how much he loves her and how lucky he feels as a father. He can add just the right kind of emotions to make her day more special and cherished for The groom’s father can also raise a toast. Wedding advice is given by the father to his son. He can use his experience when raising a toast to the lovely couple.

Wedding toast for the bride can be made by the groom. Brides always look beautiful. So the groom can raise a toast to the beauty and elegance of his sweetheart.A wedding toast for the groom can also be made. Brides always occupy the centre stage in any marriage. So not to let the groom feel left out, a toast should be raised for him as well. The honors can be done by the best man or any one for that matter.

Now the big question what to speak in raising a toast? You may feel tongue tied when suddenly you are asked to do the ritual .No matter how hard you rack your nerves you will find yourself short of words at the spur of the moment.
It is always advised to prepare a nicely scripted speech for the occasion. You can always add a dash of humor to the speech to broaden the faces of guests with a smile.

Here are some quotes which can be used while raising a toast.
“May we be invited to tour golden wedding celebrations with joy in our hearts!.”
“Here is to the groom with bride so fair and here is to the bride with groom so rare.”
“Coming together is beginning, keeping together is progress and working together is success”.
So prepare a perfect speech for your loved one and tell her how special they are. Go ahead raise a toast for their new life together. Cheers!

“A Marriage is fixed in heaven but is solemnized on earth”, goes the saying. You are about to hear the wedding bells ring .Plan, prepare, shop, arrange, organize, but don’t forget some etiquettes. Wedding etiquettes can be varied different for different aspects of the celebrations. They are different for people playing different roles. So what role are you playing in the party at hand? So here are some etiquettes to be followed to make the ceremony a cherished affair for all and sundry.

Who pays for what in the occasion?

The bride’s side pays for the groom’s ring, invitation cards, thank you cards/gifts, favors, reception costs, bride’s trousseau, church fees, flowers for church, bridesmaid, and reception, church fee, music for the ceremony, the groom’s gift, transportation for bridal party, gifts for bridesmaids, lodging for them etc.

The groom’s side pays for the bride’s ring, clergy fee, marriage license bride’s bouquet, corsage and boutonnieres, rehearsal dinner, a gift for the bride, Transportation and lodging for groomsmen and their gifts. They also pay for the honeymoon.

Invitation card

The invitation card needs to be sent well in advance. Offer a separate response card along with the invitation card, with a self addressed and stamped envelope that allows your invitee to easily respond. Mention all the information clearly , mention the dress code or theme of the wedding if any. Those invited for the bridal shower should also be invited for the ceremony. If you don’t want children around you can convey this by word of mouth or may write in a humble manner in the card for example, “We would like the two of you to grace the ceremony. “.You can also write, “Adult Reception..”

Your officiant and his better half gets an invitation. Avoid inviting on the phone.

Reception seating plan

The seating plan should be done judiciously. You can have friends seated together. Family can also be seated together but never seat incompatible people together as they may feel odd. After all everyone needs to enjoy on the auspicious occasion.

Wedding etiquettes for Maid of honor bridesmaid, Best man, groomsmen, ushers.

The maid of honor and the best man play a major and responsible role in helping the bride and the groom with the planning, preparations and the ceremony. They also help in the pre wedding events and the engagement ceremony.

The maid of honor carries the groom’s ring while walking down the aisle. She helps the bride in getting dressed up. She will help with the train and the veil. She sees to it that the bride is cool and composed on her fateful day. She caters to all the needs of the bride .She carries a kit handy for any emergency. The kit should have needle and thread, rolls of tissue, make up items and the like.

The best man arranges for the accessories of groomsmen and ushers at the wedding. Thus the maid oh honor, best man, bridesmaid, groomsmen and ushers play a vital role before, during and after the wedding.

Etiquettes for the bride and the groom

Its your great day to enjoy and have fun but you have a bigger role to play, as a host .

Your first duty is your guests. Keep their comfort and happiness in mind. You will be too busy on the wedding day so arrange for some help ahead of time.

Wait until all your guests have arrived. Bride or groom should never overtly ask for presents but can suggest needs if asked. Mind you, you are not supposed to open the gifts in front of the guests.

For the dancing appoint someone to call you and your partner on the dance floor. As you have fun try visiting each table at least once for a quick and loving greeting .Be generous and have snaps clicked with them. This will make them happy and you too.

An indispensable etiquette is to send thank you cards/gifts to your guests who spared their precious time to attend your wedding and bestowed you with exquisite gifts. If possible hand written thank you cards have special importance for guests.

Etiquettes for guests

The easiest job is to be the guest but you too have responsible role to play. Reply to the invitation card .Abide by the theme and dress code. Buy the couple a gift which both the partners can use. It is advisable to give cash gifts for out of town guests as gift transportation can be additional burden on the couple. Don’t wear white to the wedding as that’s the bride’s color for the day. Avoid black either as it is not considered auspicious in some ethnic groups.. It is risqué on your part to bare shoulders during the auspicious ceremony.

Be on time. If you are tardy don’t disturb the ceremony ,find a seat for yourself quickly and quietly or witness the function from a distance.

Don’t expect that the couple knows you. Introduce yourself and greet and congratulate the newly weds with a gift. Offer a few quick words, expressing your happiness and good wishes for a happy union.

Keep restraint on the eating and drinking part too. An open bar is no reason to overindulge. Limit the consumption of spirits to the minimum

Be a good guest. Observe all the etiquettes. Thank the host before leaving and compliment them for hosting a wonderful and joyful party. Tell them it was a pleasure attending their moment of joy and the arrangements were fantastic.

All in all , each and every person in the party needs to follow his or her etiquettes to make the occasion a memorable one for the couple as well as the guests.