TresSugar

Eat Your Heart Out, Andrew Lloyd Webber!

GiggleSugar — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 01:00:00 -0700

You know the scene in My Best Friend's Wedding when the dude pretending to be with Julia Roberts breaks into song while smack in the middle of a speech, and as Hollywood would have it, the whole table joins in? The peeps below made the scene a little less Hollywood and a little more Broadway. They had a fantastic performance, but I wanna know how everyone in attendance at this wedding (even the father of the groom!) had a voice fit for singing. Uh, Twilight Zone much? (Thanks, College Humor!)

Best Wedding Reception Ever

GiggleSugar — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:52:27 -0700

Remember, it's the first day of the rest of your lives together. Drink life to the fullest.

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50 Strangers Throw Couple Surprise Wedding Reception

TresSugar — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 13:15:00 -0700

The improv gurus behind No Pants Subway Rides teamed up this week to throw a surprise wedding reception for a random, unsuspecting couple. Fifty wannabe guests got dressed in their matrimonial attire, and headed down to Manhattan's City Clerk's office.

One couple was selected and led to tents that had been borrowed from a just-finished job fair. The guests (again, all strangers) cheered during the couple's first toast, watched them share their first dance, and boogied down with them for a couple of hours. One stranger gave the best man toast, and the bride and "maid of honor" met for the first time. After the gifts (mostly gift cards), the couple hopped in a pedicab complete with "Just Married" signage and took a ride around New York City.

Would you be happy if this happened to you, or would you have a hard time celebrating your wedding with strangers?

What's More Exciting: The Wedding or the Honeymoon?

TresSugar — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 06:00:00 -0700

The wedding is supposed to be the big day, but for some it's just an excuse to go on a romantic vacation with your new spouse once all the planning and socializing are over.

If you were getting married, what would you look forward to more: celebrating with all your friends and family at the wedding and reception, or escaping it all for some one-on-one honeymoon time?

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Awkward! Toaster Gets Toasted

TresSugar — Mon, 18 May 2009 14:00:00 -0700

Among the many tips given to people who make toasts at wedding receptions - don't be long-winded, include witty anecdotes, mention those you are toasting by name and explain how you know them - it should go without saying that you shouldn't be a drunken fool while giving toasts.

That's just what happened at a wedding I attended, and unfortunately I ended up being embarrassed on behalf of the drunk toaster.

Here's how it went down. I reluctantly agreed to go to a friend's wedding even though her soon-to-be brother-in-law had just dumped me for an older woman. (It's a long story, but she'd set me up with - oh, let's call him Jake - and I kinda fell for him. Shortly after we realized it was never going to work, he began dating someone else.)

I didn't want to see Jake, in part because I was still hurting from the rejection, in part because I didn't want to see her, but there I was, trying to support my friend and keep a low profile.

No dice. Jake, a bigger drama queen than I, had to get stinkin' wasted during the wedding. After he gave a sweet toast, albeit filled with risqué jokes told in slurred speech, he began looking around the room - for me. "Hey, where's X? X should give a toast . . . Hey give a toast, X!" I cringed, blushed and then wanted to hide under the table when I saw what none of us wanted to believe was happening: his new girlfriend proceeded to throw coffee into his lap after he finally sat down.

Oh, sheesh. They began to argue, someone else tried to diffuse the situation, and I ran to the open bar for my own alcoholic beverage.

Have you ever attended a wedding in which the toaster got toasted or said something stupid?

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Awkward! Not Inviting a Friend's Husband to the Wedding

TresSugar — Fri, 29 May 2009 15:00:00 -0700

A friend told me about a majorly awkward wedding situation. She's getting married soon, but one of her good friends has a husband who is trouble with a capital "T." He's belligerent, provocative and just basically socially inept. Since this friend is having a small family gathering, she can't chance having this guy ruin her reception by pissing off her guests or picking fights.

What's she worried about? Oh, you know . . .chronic drug use, sudden outbursts, and a violent temper. I wouldn't have qualms about 86ing this guy from my wedding, but I imagine that would probably mean the friend wouldn't be able to come. I hear stories like this all the time - having to choose between two friends, one who hates the other one, family members who can't stand each other, and so on.

Have you ever had to face a similar quandary? What advice would you give to this bride-to-be?

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The How-To Lounge: Maid of Honor Responsibilities on the Big Day

DearSugar — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 08:00:00 -0700

While many of the maid of honor’s duties revolve around wedding planning, when it comes to the big day, she still has many final responsibilities awaiting her. Although the most important job is to keep the bride as stress-free as possible, there are many other details that shouldn’t be overlooked. To see some of the most significant maid of honor duties on the wedding day, read more.

Create and bring an emergency kit that includes any potential disaster necessities, from clear nail polish to a miniature sewing kit and everything in between.
Keep a running checklist of all the things that need to be completed before and during the event. You don't want the bride to be running around trying to keep track of everything.
Manage the bridesmaids by making sure that they’re on time and ready to go. Feel free to dole out some of the maid of honor duties to them over the course of the afternoon or evening.
Assist the bride in getting into her dress and veil. Keep an eye on her dress during the ceremony and make sure to fluff and straighten her train if necessary.
Act as a go-between for the bride, the groom, and any of the wedding vendors. Again, the bride has enough to worry about, and she won't be able to interact with anyone outside of the bridal party while she's getting her hair and makeup done.
If possible, check out the reception venue and make sure that everything is as it should be. This is probably what the bride will be most concerned over, and it will be a great relief to know that you’ve seen it.
Along with the best man, sign the marriage license as a witness.
Hang on to the groom’s ring during the ceremony until requested. If you have nowhere else to put it, wear it on your thumb.
Be prepared to toast the couple at the reception unless otherwise decided.
Make sure the bride eats and stays hydrated throughout the occasion.
At the end of the reception, help the bride and groom’s families load up the gifts and any other memorabilia. Do a final walk through the venue to make sure that nothing has been left behind.

While this is no short list of responsibilities, knowing that your best friend has had as perfect a wedding as possible will surely be reward enough!

To see all of our wedding coverage, check out IDoSugar.com.

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The How-To Lounge: Rehearsal Dinner Etiquette

DearSugar — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 08:00:00 -0700

Though often overlooked, the rehearsal dinner is an important part of the wedding-planning process. Not only is it an opportunity to enjoy some much-needed fun, but it’s also a way for the bride and groom to give thanks to the people who’ve put energy, time, and money into their wedding. To check out some advice on making your rehearsal dinner just right for you, read more.

Traditionally, the rehearsal dinner takes place just after the rehearsal ceremony the night before your wedding day and is planned and paid for by the groom’s parents. However, many couples end up throwing the dinner themselves or splitting the cost with both sides of parents.
Typically the bride and groom invite their immediate family as well as the wedding party, but it’s not strange to also invite out-of-town guests or other close friends that you want to enjoy time with the night before the big day.
As with the other wedding events, invitations are customary, though if you’re keeping it very intimate, a phone call or email is equally appropriate.
In celebration of their help, this is the time to pass out presents to the wedding party and any other people that may have played a large role in the planning process.
The rehearsal dinner is often an opportunity for the bride and groom to offer thanks to their family for their support - this is usually done through a short toast by the couple - so take a little time beforehand to decide what you’ll say. Keep in mind that parents and friends will also use this occasion to offer some of their own words as well. Think of this as the time to get goofy, personal, or sappy with your wedding speeches, so save the formality for the reception!
The most important part of the rehearsal dinner is to enjoy time with family before the wedding, so don’t be afraid to go casual if that’s what you need! More and more couples are opting out of fancy restaurants in favor of more down-home affairs, like BBQs in the backyard or family-style dinners at a favorite old-fashioned diner.

Don’t forget that you’ll be getting up early the next morning, so save your energy and make it an early night - you can do the big celebrating at the reception so easy on the champagne!

To see all of our wedding coverage, check out IDoSugar.com.

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You Asked: Can I Ask to Bring a Date to Their Wedding?

DearSugar — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 06:00:00 -0700

Dear Sugar,

I need some advice on the correct and most gracious protocol on asking about a plus-one to a wedding. I am a bridesmaid in one of my dear friend's wedding. It's a destination wedding so I would love to bring my boyfriend as my date, however it's a very intimate wedding (family and close friends only), with a large reception to follow afterwards, back here at home. While the engaged couple has met my boyfriend, he travels often and hasn't had a chance to get particularly close to them (though they get along very well).

I absolutely understand that this is my friend's day and I will go along with whatever she prefers, even if that means that I go solo, but do you think it's even worth asking her if I'm allowed a plus-one date or should I assume that it's out of the question? I love my friend and I don't want to create any awkwardness or have her feel like she must say yes, but it would mean so much to me to have my boyfriend there with me for the long weekend. - He Wasn't Invited Ingrid

To see DearSugar's answer read more

Dear He Wasn't Invited Ingrid,

This is a toughie! It sounds as though you haven't been dating your boyfriend long so since they don't know him well, it's possible that they really do want to keep their wedding as intimate as possible, but the only way you'll know for sure is by asking.

Since you say you'll be fine if she says no, I'd preface your conversation by saying just that. Be as honest as possible, let her know that you understand that they want to keep their guest list to a minimum, but if there was space for just one more, you'd love to have your boyfriend come help celebrate their special day. I'm sure she'll understand your desire to have him there, but as we all know, weddings are expensive and they take a lot of time and energy to plan, so if adding one more will cause too much trouble, try not to be disappointed if her answer is in fact no. And remember, if he can't attend the actual ceremony, he will be able to celebrate with everyone at the reception back home!

To see all of our wedding coverage, check out IDoSugar.com.

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The How-To Lounge: Reception Speech and Toast Etiquette

DearSugar — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 08:00:00 -0700

While the toasts at a rehearsal dinner are casual, the wedding reception usually has its own set of more formal speeches. Having planned speeches at your wedding is in no way mandatory, but if you don’t account for them, they’re likely to happen anyway, so before the big day, it’s best to sit down for a few minutes to plan them out. To check out my tips on reception speech etiquette, read more

It’s a good idea to check in with your parents, maid of honor, and best man to see who would like to make a toast versus those who’d rather not. Usually at least one parent from either side will give a thank you toast to the guests and some words for the future. However, often parents like to propose a toast together, so talk with them to decide what works for your wedding.
Once you know who’ll be speaking, decide the lineup. Usually the best man will begin the process and the bride and groom will end it, but the order is truly discretionary.
The bride and groom should set aside an appropriate time for speeches - typically they take place just after everyone has been seated for dinner and all of the drinks have been poured, but it’s fairly common to have them after the cake has been cut as well.
It’s important that everyone speaking takes some time before the big day to prepare. This doesn’t need to be typed out and printed, but it’s smart to at least have an idea of what you're going to say.
Perhaps most important is to keep it short! I’d recommend no more than three to five minutes per person. Obviously, if you’re only having a toast or two, they can be longer, but watch out because speeches really can add up. Guests will get antsy if they go on too long, and really, who wants to waste the reception toasting when you could be dancing?
For the family and attendants: Don’t try too hard to make it extra funny, cute, or sentimental. You really don’t need a shtick to make a good toast. While it’s typical to include a small anecdote, make sure your stories don't get too personal. It’s best to keep things general so all the guests can appreciate what you’re saying.
For the bride and groom: Make sure to thank your guests for coming and being part of your important day. And don't forget to take a few seconds to acknowledge the people who put in the most time and effort.

While many people end up winging their speeches and toasts, I don’t recommend it. Just a touch of foresight can still leave room for some spontaneous words without the worry!

To see all of our wedding coverage, check out IDoSugar.com.

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