Blogs

Video Game-Themed Weddings

With Wreck-It Ralph making us feel a little nostalgic for video games — and a little sympathetic toward the most hated villains — we've compiled some of our favorite gaming-themed weddings, from Super Mario Bros. to Rock Band to Halo. 

Nintendo

There are so many fun ways to incorporate Nintendo elements in your wedding, starting with the proposal: Hide the engagement ring inside of this classic question mark box! 

super mario brothers ring box
Photo Credit: Emmadreamstar/Etsy

Nintendo superfans Esther and Ryan enlisted friend Larry Quach to custom-design invitations, favor boxes, and more for their Super Mario Bros. theme wedding:

Wedding Q&A: "How Do We Handle an Uneven Bridal Party?"

Join us every Friday for our Q&A column, where editor-in-chief Diane Forden answers one reader's biggest etiquette question.

uneven bridal party
Photo Credit: William Innes Photography

Q. Our wedding party consists of four bridesmaids and seven groomsmen. What’s the best way to pair them up for the ceremony? Do all of the groomsmen have to walk down the aisle during the processional?

A. Wedding parties like yours, with an uneven number of bridesmaids and groomsmen, are quite common. The good news is you have several options to consider for both the processional and recessional. For the processional, your groomsmen could enter the ceremony first and walk down the aisle in single file, followed by your bridesmaids. Or, the groomsmen could already be in the room, either at their seats or standing in front of the guests with the groom, before your bridesmaids start their processional. For the recessional, pair the first bridesmaid with one groomsman and the next three bridesmaids with two groomsmen each, one on either side.

—Diane Forden

Find a Signature Cocktail That Matches Your Color Scheme

Guest Blogger: Nathaniel Neubauer, owner of Contemporary Catering
Nathaniel’s mom says it best: “When Nathaniel was turning three, I asked him what he wanted for his third birthday. He said, ‘Quiche.’” Ever since, Nathaniel’s love for food has never been far from reach. With his presence, Contemporary Catering quickly became a major contender in the Los Angeles catering industry. From overseeing production to designing a nine-course tasting menu with five-star service, Nathaniel’s dedication to his clients and his company is unparalleled.


Crafting a cocktail that matches your wedding color palette — and tastes incredible — is easier than you might think! We start with fresh herbs and fruit before asking the bride for her inspiration boards and wedding colors. After narrowing down a list of the bride and groom’s favorite spirits, we begin the creation process.

At Contemporary Catering, mixing and matching colors and flavors is one of our specialties. We have found a way to match virtually any color and flavor that anyone could dream up! 

Finding your perfect drink definitely takes a little mixing and matching, but don’t be afraid to experiment. The only way to come up with a memorable cocktail that your guests won’t forget is to be creative (the sampling part doesn’t hurt, either!).

Here, we've come up with five great drinks that are sure to tickle your taste buds:

The Ultimate Star Wars Engagement Ring

When groom-to-be Joe began shopping for Emily's engagement ring, he knew that a run-of-the-mill diamond ring just wouldn't cut it. The couple, who met while working together in a tattoo shop, bonded over their "nerdiness," and Joe set out on a quest to find someone to create a R2-D2-themed engagement ring to match his "fanatical Star Wars enthusiasm."

star wars r2d2 engagement ring

He soon discovered Paul Michael Designs through CustomMade, an online marketplace that connects shoppers with artisans who can turn their dreams into reality. 

star wars r2d2 engagement ring

After months of planning, sketching, and designing, the incredible final product arrived a day before Halloween. Joe decided to propose the following day at work, while they'd be decked out in their Peanuts-themed Halloween costumes — Joe as Charlie Brown and Emily as Lucy.

"I know it would have been better in Star Wars gear," said Joe. "[But] Charlie Brown proposing to Lucy is still kind of a fun thing, too." We agree! Watch their proposal:

Destination Brides: How to Pack Your Wedding Dress

jennifer doncsecz
Jennifer Doncsecz, an expert on planning destination weddings, has been President and Owner of VIP Vacations Inc. since 1992 and has over 25 years of travel agent experience. She regularly appears as a travel expert on Fox Philadelphia's "Good Day" and on PBS Tempo, and she has also appeared on The Travel Channel, CNN, and RCN. Jennifer is a passionate advocate for using a travel agent and has been a speaker at many national travel conventions, including The New York Times Travel Show, and Travel Weekly's conferences. 

destination wedding
Photo Credit: Meg Courtney Photography 

Ever hear the expression, "There are two kinds of luggage....carry-on and lost"? Unfortunately, putting your wedding dress in your checked suitcase and hoping for the best is like playing Russian Roulette. The smarter option is to carry it on with you in a garment bag (either use the one it came in or purchase a heavy-duty bag).

Once you get on the plane, gently fold your garment bag in half and place it in the overhead bin. Some people may tell you to hang it in the first class closet, but that's rarely done. Besides, the closet is only four feet high, so you'd have to stuff it in.

Etiquette Q&A: "How Much Do We Need to Tip Our Vendors?"

Join us every Friday for our Q&A column, where editor-in-chief Diane Forden answers one reader's biggest etiquette question.

wedding singerQ. Are there any particular guidelines for tipping wedding professionals? I am not sure whom to tip or how much I will need to give them.

A: Tipping depends somewhat on where you live and, in some cases, is included in your overall fee (especially when dealing with caterers or banquet halls). You should clarify this when you sign your contract. An additional tip of 15 to 20% is generally expected for your maitre d' or banquet manager. Limo drivers also expect to receive a 15% tip, as do many wedding consultants. It is not necessary to tip musicians, florists, bakers or photographers, however, unless they perform an extra-special service. Clergy members are generally given a small "gift" (ask what's typical for your congregation), while civil officiants charge only a flat fee. Other possible people you will need to tip: ceremony assistants (altar boys or girls), organists, powder and coat room attendants and parking valets. Again, many of these gratuities will be included in your overall fee, so be sure to ask.

—Diane Forden

Photo Credit: Susan Baker Photography

Couple Hides Camera in Bouquet—Watch What Happens

One groom discovered a way to watch his wedding day unfold from his bride's point of view!

San Diego photographer Ben Horne petitioned his now-wife Lyubov to hide a GoPro HD Hero 2 video camera (often used by skydivers to record footage) in her bridal bouquet for their June wedding.

It captured unscripted moments, both big and small. Watch the heartwarming video above to see guests react to the bride as she walks down the aisle and the couple taking in their reception space for the first time.

"It really is a very unique viewpoint and something we're going to enjoy looking back on 20 or 30 years from now," said Horne.

Horne's video only had about 18,800 views at the time of publication, but we have a feeling this could be one of the hottest new tech trends for brides.

Interested in giving your own bouquet cam a shot? Horne says he made his bride's bouquet about two weeks before the wedding using "Real Touch Flowers," which are artificial. His wife picked out orchids, roses and greenery.

They took the camera out of its housing and wrapped it in white gaffer tape so that it would be protected. Then, they super-glued a stick onto the back of it. He also glued on petals to disguise the power and record buttons, as well as the camera display.  Check out this video tutorial for more info!

Hurricane Sandy Couldn't Stop This Wedding

Catherine Scrivo and Andrew Baker, from Astoria in Queens, NY, planned on having a simple City Hall wedding on November 2, followed by dinner at a nice restaurant with their immediate families. Then Hurricane Sandy hit the area, and their seemingly-simple wedding suddenly became a lot more complicated.

battery park wedding

At first, the couple considered rescheduling, but travel arrangements had already been made and paid for by their families, both traveling from Buffalo, NY, and finding another time for everyone to come into town seemed nearly impossible. 

A day before their scheduled flight, Andrew's parents found out it had been cancelled. Instead, they packed up the car and made the seven hour drive. Catherine's parents also drove.

The couple and their families had made arrangements to stay at the Conrad Battery Park Hotel, but once Sandy hit, they had to evacuate. They were able to get reservations at the Hilton 57th Street but later had to evacuate that hotel as well, due to a dangerous dangling crane across the street. Luckily, the Conrad hotel reopened shortly after, thanks to a large generator powering the hotel.

The day before the wedding, City Hall was still without power. Unsure whether the marriage bureau would reopen in time for their wedding, they scrambled to find a new officiant and luckily secured Judie L. Guild with 24-hours notice. 

battery park wedding

Pages

Subscribe to RSS - blogs