Who pays for the bridal party hotel rooms?

Pic courtesy TripAdvisor.com

I did a little online research to find out exactly who is responsible to pick up the tab for the bridal party's overnight hotel stay.

It turns out there is no set standard for this practice, which is good. It means you have the choice of giving your bridal party a gift in the form of free hotel rooms; or, if you simply can't afford that, you can gently inform them of the price of the rooms so that they can book a room for themselves if they want it.

Of course, another way to inflate this dilemma is to have a large bridal party. It may be much more feasible if you only had a maid of honor and best man, to treat them to some free hotel rooms. But what if your bridal party consists of 20 people? Well, that's just crazy. You'd need some kind of Daddy Warbucks to fund this endeavor, and as indicated by the title NJ Wedding on a Budget, this is not that kind of blog.

So, now that we know you're not obligated to pay for bridal party hotel rooms... how do you politely break this news?

The answer: you include the information with the wedding invitations, and send one to them. If for some reason they might assume they're "exempt" from this because they're bridal party rockstars, you can emphasize the message with an email or a little note.

Your note could say something like, 

We have reserved a block of rooms at X hotel for Dates Y and Z. Book your room by Date X to be sure you receive the wedding discount. Call 1800 XXX XXXX for more information.

Easy peasy.

History of Engagement Rings

Image Courtesy BrilliantEarth.com

A while back I shared with you my Engagement Ring Rant and how, in my personal opinion, ladies expect way too much to be spent on the ring that's meant to be a promise of betrothal, not a hand trophy. I mentioned the way that the DeBeers Diamond Company has shaped our idea that bigger and brighter is better when it comes to love, and how that's shallow and wrong...

Blah blah, me and my famous rants!


Interestingly, Brilliant Earth has posted a comprehensive history of the engagement ring that dates back to ancient Egyptian times. Thought it was worth a read!

Engagement Ring Trends of the Past, Present and Future

The modern engagement ring has a history that dates back to the ancient Egyptians, if not earlier. Here’s a timeline of how the ultimate symbol of love and commitment has evolved from then until now. 

Ancient Past: 

Egyptians have been found buried with metal wire around the third finger of their left hands, which was believed to be directly connected to the heart by a vein. Engagement rings were also used to some degree in ancient Rome. 

Middle Ages: Most historians agree that the first use of a diamond ring to mark an engagement occurred in 1477 when Archduke Maximillian of Austria gave Mary of Burgundy a gold ring with the letter M spelled out in tiny diamonds....

Read the rest at Engagement Ring Trends of the Past

Wedding Day Itinerary Sample

Do you plan to include an itinerary in your wedding invitation package? We did, for a few reasons. Perhaps you will, too. 

• Because our wedding ceremony and reception were going to be held in one location, and we didn't want any confusion about that.
• Because it was a day wedding, and we wanted our guests to know what to expect.
• Because it was a buffet dinner, and we wanted our guests to be aware of the food options.
• Because we chose the Elks Club for our wedding venue, and we wanted our guests to know that "Elks" doesn't mean show up in your jeans and trucker hat! (Yes - I attended a wedding once where we were seated by some fellows in trucker hats. It happens.)
• Because we love our wedding band, and wanted to give them a little shout of appreciation/get people excited about their music.
• Because we wanted our guests to know the options for getting together after the wedding reception ended at 5 pm.

SAMPLE OF OUR WEDDING ITINERARY

(Feel free to borrow some of the wording if it fits your situation!)

NAME/NAME Wedding – Saturday, November 10, 2012

Somerville Elks Club | 375 Union Ave. | Bridgewater, NJ 08807 | (908) 722-3901

           

Dear Family and Friends,

Thank you for joining us in celebration of our marriage! Below please find the NAME/NAME wedding itinerary and other helpful information.

Location: The ceremony and reception will take place at one location – Somerville Elks Club, Bridgewater, NJ. We have included direction cards for your convenience.

Schedule of Events:

11:30 a.m.: Marriage ceremony

12 noon to 1:00: Cocktail hour

1:00 to 5:00: Reception with buffet dinner and dancing

5:00 and after: Possible revelry at the hotel!

Music: We’re thrilled to present The Willie Lynch Band – a local favorite for traditional Irish, rock and roll, and romantic standards. Learn more at http://willielynchband.com.

Dinner Buffet Selections:

Tortellini in truffled leek cream sauce

Chicken Francaise

Grilled flank steak au jus

Salmon with garlic saffron lobster cream

After Party: Please join us at the hotel for post-wedding revelry!

Lodging: We have reserved a block of rooms at the Hyatt House Branchburg for your convenience. Call before Oct. 9 to take advantage of the discounted rate.
HYATT HOUSE BRANCHBURG
3141 Rt. 22 East Branchburg, NJ 08876
phone: 908 704 2191
fax: 908 704 8099
Check-in time: 4 pm
Check out time: 11 am
Breakfast: 7 am to 10 am
Thanks for reading, and we can’t wait to see you on the big day!

NJ Wedding Photographer - Beautiful Work, Affordable Packages

Image copyright Kristina Alyse Photography

I wanted to personally recommend Kristina Alyse Photography to take your wedding day photos. She is amazingly creative, takes brilliant photos, and is totally professional and flexible while offering multiple wedding album packages to satisfy a variety of budgets.

A friend of mine chose Kristina for several of her life milestones - engagement photos, wedding photos, and pictures of her first born son. These are seriously some of the best pictures I've ever laid eyes on - conveying so much emotion ranging from anticipation to contentment to pure joy and innocence, humor, and more. Couple that with Kristina's incredible talent for setting the scene and mood using various clever, colorful and adorable props, and you have a hands-down winner as far as I'm concerned.

I could wax poetic about the beautiful pictures I've seen on Kristina's Facebook page and in my friend's albums... but why struggle trying to describe what you can easily see for yourself.

Visit http://KristinaAlyse.com immediately and book her for your upcoming engagement photo session/wedding day photos! Also check out her various albums on Facebook. I promise they will be the most beautiful pictures anyone ever takes for you and your loved ones, in your entire life - hands down.

Is Same Sex Marriage Legal in NJ?

Photo courtesy John Newsome Photography

The answer is yes - same-sex marriage is legal in NJ, as of October 21, 2013. New Jersey is the 14th state to legally recognize same-sex marriage since a lawsuit that began in 2011 brought about the change in our state.

Prior to the ruling to legalize same-sex marriage, NJ has recognized common law marriage since the year 2007. Many same-sex couples who were married by a religious officiate prior to the ruling are now proudly and joyfully renewing their vows as they become legally recognized as married in the eyes of the state of NJ.

The next obvious question is - where can you get a same-sex marriage ceremony in NJ? 

To start, if you are religious and belong to a particular church, synagogue or mosque, you can ask your priest, rabbi or other religious person-in-charge to marry you before God. This is obviously a personal consideration depending on your current relationship with the religious leader in question, your comfort level, and other factors.

I found a sign-up form on Best Wedding NJ's website where you can fill out the information and be put in touch with someone who is qualified to officiate your same-sex marriage ceremony in NJ.

Their fee is $375 and they will travel to the location of your choosing at no extra charge.

For more information and to sign up via their online form, visit http://www.bestweddingnj.com/same_sex_marriage