Finding just the right gift for thanking friends and family for being a part of your wedding day can be tough.   Here are a few suggestions for the groomsmen.

Personalized Groomsmen Gifts
Consider giving a personalized groomsmen gift, such as an personalized pocket knife, poker set or monogramed sports bag.

   
       Poker Set                Pocket Knife              Monogram Sport Bag
 

Cuff Links
Consider giving each groomsman a set of cuff links with his initials engraved on them.  They’ll be able to wear them on your wedding day and on future, special occasions.

Groomsmen Golf Gifts
If the guys are planning a day of golf before the wedding, consider getting wedding golf balls for each member of your wedding party.  They come 3 to a set and include 2 balls indicating their role in the wedding and 1 “tuxedo” golf ball.   There are golf balls for the groom, best man, groomsmen, father-of-the groom and father of the bride.

   
  Wedding Golf Balls       Golf Tool Keychain        Golf Towel
 

Bar Gifts
These personalized gifts are great for thanking your groomsmen, plus make a nice touch to an all guys celebration or your rehearsal dinner.

  

Click here for more groomsmen gifts ideas.

A new wedding trend is to have your first dance choreographed.  And for some, the first dance is no longer a waltz but more of a hip hop production.  We are a generation that has grown up watching MTV and the highly stylized dancing that has permeated our living rooms is now taking center stage at our weddings. 

To see what I mean, check out some real wedding video clips on YouTube.  There are some couples who do a surprise first dance where they start off slow and break into a fast freestyle routine, and there are other couples who get their bridal parties and even parents in on the action.  These are choreographed numbers the couples have spent time learning, not just crazy arm waving and hip shaking, and they look great!

Here are a few links Youtube’s most popular weding dance videos:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=XClUAPwE4Z0&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=AjofUm69ocI&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZYhlm9GTAQ0&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=6qd_j98-y-M&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=OPmYbP0F4Zw
http://youtube.com/watch?v=YT6InvLJUzA

A new show that reflects this trend is Rock the Reception on TLC.  They have professional choreographers that work with engaged couples to plan a not-so-traditional first dance.  At the receptions, the dancers end up having a great time and the guests just love it!  If you haven’t seen it, check it out.

Ubisoft recently announced a new edition to their Imagine Series - Imagine Wedding Designer.  The game will allow the player to act as a wedding planner.  They’ll be able to select the bride’s wedding gown, design invitations and plan reception and ceremony details.  Of course they’ll be a few unexpected events thrown in to keep the planner on her toes!

Ubisoft’s Imagine series is a set of popular games designed specifically for girls (ages 6-14),  Other games include Imagine Rock Star, Imagine Teacher, Imagine Fashion Designer, Imagine Figure Skater, Imagine Master Chef and Imagine Babyz.

Imagine Wedding Designer is scheduled to be released in time for the 2008 Holiday season.

The tagline for the movie version of the hit musical “Mamma Mia!” is, “Take a trip down the aisle you’ll never forget,” and knowing the plot, I would say that there really is truth in advertising.  If you don’t know the story, here’s a quick summary to get you up to speed.  Meryl Streep plays Donna, a single mom who owns a hotel on a fictional Greek Island.  Her daughter Sophie, played by Amanda Seyfried, is in the midst of planning her wedding and wants her dad to walk her down the aisle.  One problem, she doesn’t know who her dad is. But Sophie secretly discovers her mom’s diary and finds out she has three possible fathers, Harry played by Colin Firth, Bill played by Stellan Skarsgard, and Sam played by Pierce Brosnan.  She wants to find out who her father is, so without her mom knowing, she invites all three of the men to her wedding. 

Sounds like a recipe for wedding disaster right?  But with ingredients like comedy, romance, and the fun music of ABBA, it seems like “Mamma Mia!” will serve up a big dish of laughs and makes a perfect girl’s night out for brides-to-be and their bridal parties.  So put down the Emily Post Wedding Etiquette guide, take a break from your own wedding planning, take a walk down the aisle with Sophie and go see “Mamma Mia!” on July 18^th. 

Click here to view a trailer of Mamma Mia.

Having a sand cermony during your wedding ceremony is becoming increasingly popular with today’s couples.  They offer a unique alternative to lighting a unity candle and are particularly suited for a beach-themed wedding.  (Candles are near impossible to keep lit during an outdoor wedding - espeically if its on the beach.)

Here are two New Sand Ceremony Sets:

Heart Shaped Sand Ceremony Set - includes 1 large vase, 2 medium vases, 1 small vase, a metal stand and glass stopper.  (Sand must be bought seperately for this kit.)  The glass stopper makes it easy to keep the sand in place for many years to come.

Sand Ceremony Vase Set - this set includes 1 large vase, 2 smaller vases, plus 2 colors of sand.

Click here for more sand ceremony kits.

Hortense B. Hewitt just introduced two new wedding aisle runners - just in time for all those summer weddings.  These aisle runners are decorated in a delicate heart motif and are particularly suited for a heart wedding theme.  The aisle runner is available in either white or ivory.

White Aisle Runner

Ivory Aisle Runner

These aisle runners are made for both indoor and outdoor wedding ceremonies.  You may want to consider using 2-sided tape to help keep the aisle runner in place during the ceremony.  As a pre-caution, the bride and her bridesmaids should “scuff” up the bottom of their shoes to make them less slippery.

Click here for more aisle runner tips.

Not only were the bells of liberty ringing in Philadelphia on July 3^rd but wedding bells were ringing as well.  The city of Philadelphia was the perfect backdrop for an exchange of vows at historic Independence Hall.  But who would get married at Independence Hall on the day before July 4th?  None other than founding father Benjamin Franklin and Betsy Ross of course.  

Now I know you might think this wedding could simply be a PR gimmick to promote the city’s July 4^th Welcome America festivities, but even though Philadelphia’s Mayor Nutter officiated the wedding, the bride, groom and wedding party wore period colonial formalwear and costumes, and the couple rode off in a horse drawn coach, this wedding was a real wedding. 

Ralph Archbold who has portrayed Ben Franklin in Philadelphia since 1973 and his bride, Linda Wilde, who portrays Betsy Ross, showed their love for each other and history with their unique wedding location and date.  It’s fitting that Independence Hall, the birthplace of the US, is the birthplace of their new life together.  Here’s hoping sparks will fly for this special couple for many years to come!

Read the full article on Ben & Betsy’s wedding.