Ways to make the groom feel special

1. Allow the Groom to choose his and his groomsmen's ensemble for the wedding. 2. Let him decide on the songs to be used during the reception. 3. Arrange a small lunch or cocktail prior to the wedding ceremony for the Groom and his party. 4. Plan a couple's shower, so the Groom can be honored as well. 5. Incorporate an activity in the wedding reception that the Groom likes. 6. Share wedding resources with the Groom so he can make informed decisions. 7. Ask the Groom for his suggestions on the menu choices. 8. Have the Groom escort his Mother down the aisle in the wedding processional. 9. Schedule appointments for the Groom to be pampered before the wedding. 10. Prepare a surprise toast or speech for him at the reception! Express your love and appreciation for him in the presence of all your family and friends...that will certainly make him feel SPECIAL! Gift Registries

One of the best parts of your wedding planning is figuring out together what to pick for the best wedding registry ideas. There are tons of options out there these days, so you will need to decide early what to register for your wedding. If you don’t already live together, it’s the first time you can envision how you will decorate and plan for your home together. If you do share a home, this is a fun chance to upgrade those hand-me-down items you’ve had since you were in college. Here at The Knot, we’ve provided you with some tips and suggestions to help you figure out what to register for if you are registering for the first time, and ensure that your registry contains all the latest wedding registry must-haves.

Why Have a Wedding Registry?

Unless you specify that you do not wish for any wedding gifts from friends and family, having a registry allows your guests to pick from a selection of top wedding registry items that you would love in your new home. A registry takes the guesswork out of the task, giving your loved ones confidence that they are purchasing a meaningful gift that you will love. A wedding registry also helps keep tabs on which wedding registry items have already been purchased by another guest, saving you the hassle of having to return that fifth gravy dish from your great aunt once removed in Idaho.

Many stores offer post-wedding discounts that let you purchase the wedding registry must-haves that your guests didn’t purchase from your registry. If you received any cash wedding gifts, this is a great opportunity for you to personally choose items while getting a great discount. In addition, wedding registries from major department stores offer services to help you keep track and remind you to send those very important thank you cards after your wedding. In case you need any more persuasion to register for your wedding, many wedding registries will send you a personal gift for registering with them. So, do your research, and get the most out of your wedding registry in order to start your lives together.

Tips for Registering your Wedding Registry

1. Have Several Price Points. To avoid embarrassing your guests with the price tags of some of your wedding registry must-haves, make sure to have a wide range of price points to select from.

There are many wedding registry ideas at affordable prices, but there are plenty others that allow family members to splurge if they choose to. 2. Involve Your Other Half. Whether you or your soon-to-be hubby is the shopper of the household, make sure to work together to pick out the items that you will both enjoy. Include some of the best wedding registry items for men as well as for women on your list so that you both enjoy a personal touch.

3. Check Out the Return Policies of your Registry Items. Having a registry means that you will be much more likely to receive gifts you love. However, there may be times where you change your mind. Plan ahead to make sure that your registry offers the most seamless exchanges and refunds.

4. Register at Several Stores. Give your guests a few selections to choose from, both online and offline; that way they do not feel restricted and can have some unique wedding registry ideas to choose from.

5. Set-it Up Early. Make sure to do your research and add your wedding registry items to your wedding registry checklist early on so that your guests are not scrambling to find wedding gifts at the last minute.

Finding the Best Registry Gifts

1. Items That Will Last. The best wedding registry items can be cherished for many years to come. At The Knot, we curated our list of top wedding registry items with quality in mind.

2. Items That Suit Your Lifestyle. Give your guests a few unique wedding registry ideas so they can feel they are personalizing your wedding gift. That special touch connects you to your honored guests in a very special way. 3. Items That You Use Every day. Planning what to register for should be as simple as figuring out what you use daily. The best wedding registry items are things that you use every day in the kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom.

4. Items That Add a Personal Touch. Unique wedding registry ideas include monogrammed items and personalized gifts.

Wedding Gift Registries 1. Wayfair 2. Bed bath and beyond 3. Home goods 4. Target 5. Bloomingdales 6. Zola 7. Amazon 8. The Knot Shop 9. Ikea 10. The Home Depot

Bridal Emergency Tool Kit

Health

 Antacid  Antihistamine, cold remedy  Any prescription medications  Aspirin, Tylenol, or Advil  Band Aids  Hard candy or flavored cough drops  Pepto-Bismol or other antacid/ upset stomach aid  Smelling salts  Tampons, pads  Sunscreen (if outdoors)

Beauty/Grooming

 Dusting powder for before pictures are taken  Hair spray, brush, barrettes and/or bobby pins  Hand lotion, handy-wipes  Kleenex  Makeup  Perfume  Nail polish and remover  Small hand towel  Toothbrush and toothpaste

Attire

 "Throwaway" garter  Clear nail polish for runs in hose  Earring backs  Emergency buttons  Flat shoes or ballet slippers (if necessary)  Iron  Pantyhose (extras for emergencies)  Safety pins  Masking tape (last minute ripped hems)  Small sewing kit, including thread matching entire party's attire

Miscellaneous

 Copies of directions to reception  Phones numbers of all service personnel  Small flashlight  Cell phone  Something to drink (bottled water, juice, other favorite beverage)  Straws (avoid lipstick smudge)  Cake knife

A8 Bi-Cultural Wedding Design

This wedding is being held for a bi-racial, bi-cultural, millennial couple. Chris is the

Groom, he is a Caucasian French-American and the Bride, Lia, is a black Jamaican woman. The couple met in Brooklyn, New York where they explored and solidified their love for each other.

Chris proposed at a mutual friend’s yatch party while docked at the Statue of Liberty on New

Year’s Day, January 2019 at 12:01am. The wedding is set to be held at Chris’ childhood country home in France. The décor and design will pay homage to Chris’ culture while the food, music and most of the appreciation tokens will reflect Lia’s Jamaican heritage. The atmosphere will include family members from Jamaica and France enjoying the celebration while getting to know each other and learn the respective cultures. The wedding planner will use the A8 Formula to illustrate the event. The Bride and

Groom’s attire will be fitting for their personality, venue selection and day-of weather conditions. The couple will sport a modern, yet slightly vintage and chic look. The Bride and

Groom’s accessories will complement their attire and accentuate the entire look. The couple will wear minimum jewelry but the select pieces will no-doubt be a show stopper. The theme of the wedding will reflect the Bride and Groom’s culture and personality with signature styles such as the Bride’s favorite color, purple/lavender, being the focal theme and a slight inclusion of the

New York City life with small décor such as yellow cab, Statue of Liberty ornaments with one of three photo booths being “Brooklyn-Nets” themed. The other two photo booths will be Eiffel

Tower themed and Jamaican Sunset Themed. The menu will consist mainly of traditional

Jamaican meals such as Jamaican pepper shrimp cocktail, Jamaican escovitch fish and bammy,

Jamaican oxtail and steamed vegetables and Jamaican Jerk Chicken and rice and peas being served from a live Jerk Chicken Grill. The drink options will vary between choices such as

Jamaican Rum punch and Jamaican Rum cream and an assorted list of French Wines.

Guests will enjoy traditional Jamaican folk dance performance and a traditional French music performance. The DJ will play from a curated playlist consisting of Dancehall, Reggae,

90s R&B Hits and French party music. Guests will leave with numerous tokens of appreciation from French desserts to Jamaican Red Label Win samples. The Cake will be in the shape of the

Eiffel Tower but the flavor will be that of Jamaican black cake. A secondary buttercream map of

Jamaica cake will be available for those who would prefer something less traditional.

ATTIRE

ACCESSORIES

ANTICIPATION

ARRIVAL

ATMOSPHERE-AMUSEMENT-APPETITE-APPRECITION