Rehearsal Dinners: The Next Best Thing
By admin | September 2, 2010
Q: When you think about your wedding, what are you most excited about?
A: That is a tough question! Probably the rehearsal dinner…what is not to like about Bluegrass & BBQ
I recently read this response from a wedding blogger and it really got me thinking about what a special night this truly has become. No longer is the rehearsal dinner considered the red headed stepchild to the big day but an event that many brides enjoy because it’s fun and not as stressful.
Here is another comment from a brides.com forum posted 2 days ago:
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“My best friend is getting married Sept. 25 and her rehearsal dinner is going to be pizza and beer at a local restaurant. I’m more excited about that than I was my cousin’s more formal sit down dinner a few weeks ago”
More to come…
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Wedding Bands: Top 10 things to Remember
By admin | August 23, 2010
Long after your big day has passed, your wedding bands will remain a visible and beautiful reminder of your shared past, your values, and your dreams for the future. Before you select your wedding bands, read these tips on how to find a wedding ring that fits your taste, ethics and price range.
1. Consider your style. Are you classic, artistic, sporty or modern? Going against your personal grain when selecting a ring might make you regret your choice down the road. You’ll also want to be sure that your wedding band matches the style of your engagement ring. If your engagement ring is modern, look for channel-set or bezel-set wedding bands, possibly with a matte finish. If you have a vintage or antique-style ring, milgrain detailing and bead-set or pavé diamond accents will be beautiful stylistic complements.
2. Consider matched sets. For a truly unified visual impact, a wedding band that perfectly matches the style of your engagement ring can’t be beat. Brilliant Earth offers a variety of matched sets. View our engagement settings and accompanying wedding bands for numerous different style options.
3. Consider relevant cultural or family traditions that might influence your wedding band selections. More ornate designs accented by milgrain or engraved details are a staple in some cultures while plain metal bands are the norm in others. In some traditions, the new bride even receives two wedding bands – score!
4. Consider starting your own meaningful tradition. Have your family members recycle jewelry that they no longer wear toward your wedding bands. Your rings will be not only eco-friendly, but will also be a symbol and constant reminder of your loved ones. Contact a Brilliant Earth representative to learn more about assisting guests with recycling their old jewelry for a credit toward your wedding band purchase.
5. Consider keeping metals consistent. If you will be wearing your engagement ring and wedding band on the same finger, it’s important that they be made of the same metal. Platinum, gold and palladium all behave differently over time. Also, more durable metals may cause less durable metals to scratch and wear more quickly.
6. Consider stacking rings and wider bands. If a classic engagement ring isn’t your style, think about wearing multiple bands or one larger stand alone band. Multiple bands can each symbolize different milestones in your lives – engagement, wedding, honeymoon, kids – and can be mixed and matched for varying stylish effects. Selecting a single wider band is another stylish look for those who prefer something a little different from the traditional engagement ring and wedding band combination.
7. Consider engravings. While choosing a beautiful ring for the world to see is important, inscribing it with a deeply personal message makes it a truly enduring symbol of your love. Personal vows, short quotations, or simply the date of your wedding engraved inside your bands will be a private gesture of love and commitment for years to come.
8. Consider whether or not to solder your engagement ring and wedding band together. While it may seem convenient to have the feeling of just one ring on your finger instead of two, once they are fused you will not be able to wear them separately. It may also be worth considering whether or not you will want two rings to pass down to future generations.
9. Consider the durability of your gems. Diamonds and sapphires are the two most popular choices for wedding and engagement rings because they are as durable as they are beautiful. Some precious stones, such as peridot and opal, do not hold up well to wear and tear, and may not be the wisest choice for an item of jewelry designed to last a lifetime and beyond.
10. Consider your budget and your financial future together. When confronted with the many beautiful choices of wedding rings, you might be tempted to exceed your budget. We recommend that you set your budget and stick to it! You’ll want to begin your life together on the right financial foot. Plus, you can also look forward to milestones and special anniversaries for further jewelry purchases down the road.
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Duties of the Best Man
By admin | August 23, 2010
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Mother of the Groom…the RDG Hostess with the Mostess
By admin | August 19, 2010
Back in my wedding planning days, I used to really enjoy meeting the groom’s family and in particular, the groom’s mother, known today as the MOG, mother of the groom.
Etiquette states that the groom’s family plans the dinner just after the rehearsal at the ceremony site has concluded. More often than not, it is the MOG who drives the planning for this event that kickstarts the wedding weekend. I saw many a time when the MOG was so excited to plan this event…it was her chance to shine in the limelight with entertaining guests and her role as hostess put a huge smile on her face. If you are in to entertaining and love party planning, the rehearsal dinner is a great way to express your creativity and in honor or your son and future daughter in law..doesn’t get much better than this!
After using the site to determine the location of the rehearsal dinner, please use our site to locate RD invitations, get tips on RD etiquette such as who should be invited, and let your son know about our grooms corner that provides helpful hints on attire, groomsmen gifts, honeymoon, limos and more.
If you are a mother of the groom reading this blog, hopefully you will find our site to be very valuable to you in planning the rehearsal dinner. We know the pressure of putting together an important event such as this and want to assist in any way possible.
Congratulations on your son’s engagement and please remember to contact us at elaine@rehearsaldinnerguide.com should you have questions.
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Italian Juiced up Cocktail that’s soooo…..
By admin | August 7, 2010
The Perfect Summer Cocktail
Straight from Italy…The perfect summer cocktail:
The Bellini:
Fill a Champagne flute one-third of the way with a fresh peach puree; fill the remainder of the glass with Prosecco. You can drop a few raspberries in for added color and flavor.
The Bellini began in Italy, at Harry’s Bar, that venerable Venetian icon that played host to Hemingway and Welles. Since its invention in the 1930s, the drink, along with its spiritual sister, the Mimosa, has become an unbeatable brunch standard. It’s the patron saint of Sunday pancakes, and the finest reason ever to drink before noon.
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Mission of RDG in a Menu
By admin | August 7, 2010
So WHAT exactly does the RehearsalDinnerGuide.com do? What is it’s purpose? Let the menu enlighten you!
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Information Overload in the Information Age
By admin | August 1, 2010
You have an industry (there’s my “i”) such as the wedding industry that has skyrocketed by mass proportions over the past 10 years and combine it with the era of information overload and you have the ingredients for going quickly insane.
So many wedding blogs to read and so many I find interesting that it has proved to be a daunting task to decide which blogs I choose to spend my precious and limited time reading.
A bevy of webinars lately has enlightened me as to how to traverse the blogosphere. Brian Solis, a leader in the social media field and author of “Engage!” said it this way: You want to IDENTIFY INFLUENCERS IN YOUR INDUSTRY and then engage by sharing thoughts, insights, meaningful content that would be of interest to all parties involved. http://www.briansolis.com/2010/01/engage
Time management is of the up most importance these days. I encourage you to take this exciting time in stride, roll with the wave of the social media revolution, and ingest as much as you can when you can.
And as the research tells us, be sure to unwind every so often so that your brain can re-connect to all those thoughts, ideas and experiences. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/25/technology/25brain.html?_r=1&pagewanted=1&ref=technology&adxnnlx
We are truly blessed to have so many influential insights into the dynamics of wedding planning so rather than letting it overwhelm you, we need to embrace it. Amen, that’s my Sunday sermon.
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Hip Hotels Turn up the Heat to Host Rehearsal Dinners
By admin | July 31, 2010
Hosting your rehearsal dinner at a HIP HOTEL is a super cool way to start off your wedding weekend. Hotels are wonderful for rehearsal dinners…many have fine-dining restaurants inside the hotel and/or intimate banquet space.
The big plus for hosting a rehearsal dinner at a hotel is having one’s sleeping room just steps away from the celebration. Many couples feel obligated (and rightly so!) to invite those out of town guests who have traveled to spend the wedding weekend with them. It’s certainly a nice touch to have a room block at the hotel where you host your rehearsal dinner to give guests this option.
Also because hotels reap profits primarily from selling sleeping rooms, you can negotiate your food and beverage price for the dinner more easily should you generate additional sleeping room revenue.
So many hip BOUTIQUE hotels have opened up in major US cities and usually they are located in the heart of the city so guests can be a tourist as well as a wedding guest during their visit.
What about hosting a welcome party either the night before or after the rehearsal dinner atop the hotel in an uber cool rooftop lounge? Many offer breathtaking views of the city’s skyline at night, awesome ambiance and decor and the ability to order from a more casual menu. Your favorite bar can be a convertible too! Sounds appealing??? You betcha!
In Atlanta for example, Hotel Palomar (a Kimpton Hotel) located in midtown has a chic restaurant, Pacci Ristorante, in it’s lobby and a rooftop lounge, AltoRex, for entertaining with a magnificent view of the city at night. Rooftop lounges are the new poolside. http://www.hotelpalomar-atlantamidtown.com.
Bring a bottle of wine to any Kimpton Hotel restaurant through Labor Day and there is no corkage fee…now that’s a sweet deal!
Are you eco-conscious? Consider a hotel that is “Green” or LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified.
Nothing like having a one-stop shop to cater to many of your wedding needs from lodging to entertaining..that’s why we like hotels as a great place to host a rehearsal dinner.
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Gourmet Chef-Driven Restaurants Great for Rehearsal Dinners
By admin | July 31, 2010
The obvious would be to have the subject about the GROOM since I’m now on the letter g, but who wants to do the obvious, right?
I’d rather digress on a big point of this website: Restaurants are GREAT for Rehearsal Dinners.
Why? Because of the obvious, you have a roof over your head that providesgourmet food, a private dining space, and no need to rent everything for your placesettings/table decor. Most restaurants with private dining have an in-house event planner who will work with you on all the details from menu selection, budget, bar and room setup.
If the bride and groom are “foodies”, than selecting a favorite restaurant that is “chef-driven” where you may know the owner and staff is a good idea. My favorite is incorporating something personal about the couple or the groom. This could be a rehearsal dinner that celebrates his or her ethnic background. We all know how fun Greek dining can be (had to get by “g” in!) and for entertainment, you can’t beat exotic belly dancers…Upa!
Many are now serving the groom’s cake at rehearsal dinners since they are so overshadowed by the wedding cake on the wedding day too. I’m sure if you are spending a pretty penny per head that your restaurant won’t “growl” at you bringing in dessert from the outside.
The most important thing to remember is to give guests a great night out that is not too stuffy, full of fun, and goes off without a hitch since it kickstarts your wedding weekend.
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Frozen Treats at a Wedding, What’s your Favorite? (“f”)
By admin | July 19, 2010
It’s Frickin’ hot outside and nothing tastes better right now than a Frozen treat..and the latest trend is the “ice pop” or as I grew up in ATL, we call it popsicle.
Weddings are also Featuring this trend by serving these up at more inFormal weddings or those with an old-Fashioned theme. Wedding Cake Pops and Wedding Pie Pops are fast becoming a new dessert trend at wedding celebrations..brides and grooms can offer this as as wedding Favor in addition to the traditional Frosted wedding cake…doesn’t have to be an ice pop to be a “pop”.
A Frozen Gin and Grapefruit Ice Pop
Takes me back to the days when something as simple as a cherry snow-cone served in a paper cup or a Frozen slurpie from the 7-11 store could replace a Frown with a smile.
Remember that great song by Michael Frank’s “Popsicle Toes”? Ok, it’s pretty Funny that now that I am Forty-something, I didn’t Forget how I used to luv Michael Frank!
Here he is in ATL singing it at the Civic Center back in 2008:
And eco-Friendly..the brand Popsicle has announced for every tweet of #SlowtheMelt on twitter from now until August 15th, $1 will be donated to Fund global climate change research.
Ever had a “coke-Float”, that was my Favorite Fourth-grade, after school home-made treat.
Frankly, I am a Fan of Fudgesicles or Nutty Buddies over the popsicles unless it’s really Fruity-tooty, sounds Fabulous to me! The King of Pops offers handcrafted popsicles from a mobile cart in ATL and the flavors are Fantastic: Banana Pudding, Blueberry Lemongrass, Orange Basil and my favorite, Watermelon Mojito.
It’s frying outside so go treat yourself to an ICE Pop and cool off!
hmm…hmmm “Popsicle toes, I always Froze”….
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