Bridesmaid

You may have up to 12 bridesmaids (depending on the size and formality of the wedding). The bridesmaids pay for their own gowns, share the responsibility for the shower, contribute to bride's gift from all bridesmaids and attend the rehersal and dinner.

Rehearsal Dinner

The groom's Parents traditionally host the rehearsal dinner, but depending on your situation, you may to host or be involved in the planning of it. To save money, there is no reason why you couldn't host a lunch or rehearsal party in one of your parents' homes, and save on restaurant cost. In fact, a home is quite often intimate and pleasant for a small - to medium size group.

Budget Tip

Saturday night is the most expensive time to hold your reception and the hardest night to find everything you want available. To save money and frustration, consider a Friday or Sunday night, Saturday or Sunday afternoon or a week night. Morning and afternoon weddings also call for lighter fare, so you'll be able to save on the menu as well.

Cake

The wedding cake has always played an important part in the wedding. Ancient Romans broke a cake over the bride's head to symbolize fertility or abundance. Many other cultures dropped wheat, flour or cake on the bride's head, and then ate the crumbs for good luck. The early British baked baskets of dry crackers, and every guest took one home after the wedding. In medieval times, guests brought small cakes and piled them on a table. The bride and groom then attepted to kiss over the cakes. Eventually, a young baker decided to put all the cakes together and cover them with frosting, thus the tiered wedding cake was born.

Disc Jockey

You should call on D.J.s as soon as you know the date of your wedding. This will help make sure you can secure the best there is as some D.J.s are booked up to one (1) year in advance. It is a good idea to make sure the D.J. you hire is a professional. Once you have selected the D.J. he should sit down with you and go over the whole evenings' events. (i.e. first dance, bouquet toss, garter throw, best man toast, etc.) The D.J. is much more than background and dance music. He is the one person with the power (the microphone). He is the one who motivates and moves your guests.

Dress

Traditionally, brides did not wear white wedding gowns. Through the 18th century, most brides just wore their Sunday best to their wedding. Red was a favorite during the Middle Ages in Europe. Other colors were worn for symbolic reasons: blue meant constancy and green meant youth. As years passed, white was worn as a symbol of purity. Today, white merely symbolizes the wedding and is worn by any bride, no matter if it is their second marriage.

Flower Girl

This young lady carries the basket of flowers down the aisle or sprinkles flower petals down the aisle for the bride to walk upon.

Ceremony

A wedding ceremony can be held anywhere from your local church to a park, lake or backyard. You can invite as many guest as you wish as cost is not determined by head count. The type of ceremony -Civil or Religious- will have an impact on the cost. To save money consider having an officiant preform your ceremony at the reception site so you can avoid paying an additional location fee.

Groomsmen

These friends or relatives of the groom walk with the bridesmaids down the aisle. They pay for their own attire rental.

Honeymoon

The first weddings comprised of a groom taking his bride by capture. He would take her somewhere hidden away so her relatives and villagers couldn't find them. There they stayed for one moon phase and drank mead, a wine make from honey, to make them more amorous. Thus, the word "honeymoon" was born. Today, the honeymoon is the time when the couple can get away for awhile.

Kiss

The first kiss a bride and groom share at the close of the ceremony has carried special significance through the centuries. Many cultures believed that the couple exchanged spirits with their breath and part of their souls were exchanged as well.

Maid of Honor/Matron of Honor

Before the wedding, she helps with addressing the invitations and plans the bridal shower. On the big day, the maid or matron of honor helps the bride get ready, adjusts her train and veil during the ceremony, holds the groom's ring and the bride's bouquet, and signs the marriage certificate as a witness.

Wedding Attendants

Groom's attire

Ring

The wedding ring has traditionally been worn on the third finger of the left hand because it was believed that a vein in this finger ran directly to the heart. The third finger of the left hand has become the customary wedding-ring finger for all English-speaking cultures.

Ring Bearer

He carries the ring pillow down the aisle. He can walk with the flower girl or after her.

Tips on Tipping

Most gratuities will be included in the fees, but it is customary to tip some of the following professionals who helped to make your day special. The following is a list for proper tipping protocol:

• Clergy Member -- usually a $10 and up donation.
• Limousine, D.J., Photographer -- 15%
• Waiters, Waitresses -- 15%
• Captains -- 1 to 2%
• Maitre D' -- 15%

Throwing Rice

One of the oldest wedding traditions, the custom of throwing rice, originated with the ancient Hindus and Chinese. In these cultures, rice is the symbol of fruitfulness and prosperity. Tossing it after the ceremony was believed to bestow fertility upon the bride and groom. Eating rice and other grains was throught to guarantee health, wealth and happiness for the newlyweds. Today, rice tossing is being replaced by the more ecologically friendly birdseed tossing, because uncooked rice is damaging to birds who eat it off the church lawn.

Ushers

These gentlemen lead all the guests to their seats and unroll the aisle runner before the processional. You should have one usher for every 50 guests.

Veil

Mystique and romance has surrounded the veil for more than one thousand years. Originally, the veil is thought to have been used to hide the bride from abductors, just as the similar dress of her bridesmaids was meant to do. But a more romantic interpretation evolved later which believed that concealment (as the bride's face beneath a veil) rendered what was hidden more valuable. Another early interpretation of the veil was that it symbolized youth and virginity.