Members of the wedding party receive flowers to wear or to hold. Special family members should also be given flowers.

Wedding Party
Maid of Honor – bouquet
Bridesmaids – bouquets
Flower girl – basket of petals (hair ornamentation optional)
Best man – boutonniere
Groomsmen – boutonnieres
Ushers – boutonnieres
Ring bearer – boutonniere

Family
Mother/Stepmother of the bride – corsage
Mother/Stepmother of the groom – corsage
Father/Stepfather of the bride – boutonniere
Father/Stepfather of the groom – boutonniere
Grandmother of the bride – corsage
Grandfather of the bride – boutonniere
Grandmother of the groom – corsage
Grandfather of the groom – boutonniere

Additional
Readers – boutonniere/corsage
Guest book attendant – boutonniere/corsage

Your Wedding Day! It is finally here…

____ Make sure you make it to the ceremony on time
____ Your primary goal today is to get married! Have fun!
____ Take a deep breath, don’t worry, be HAPPY and SMILE!

One Day Before

____ Attend the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. Give gifts to groomsmen.
____ Do something sweet for your bride

One Week To GO!

____ Pick up your rental attire and remind your groomsmen to do the same.
____ Give ushers instructions for seating the guests at the ceremony
____ Put the officiant’s fee in a sealed envelope and give it to the best man to deliver
____ Pack for the honeymoon.
____ Purchase traveler’s check.
____ Get going away clothes ready.
____ Remind the ushers of the rehearsal-dinner details.

Two Weeks Remaining!

____ Pick up your marriage license (you must both be present and they only accept cash)
____ Practice your toast to the bride’s family.
____ Arrange for someone to bring the gifts from the reception to your home.
____ If applicable, arrange for transportation from the reception to the airport.
____ Confirm the honeymoon reservations and pick up tickets
____ Get a haircut.

Two Months Before The Big Day

____ Buy wedding gifts for your bride and groomsmen.
____ Help fiancée with thank you notes.
____ Pick up your wedding rings, make sure they fit properly and check the inscription for accuracy.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day from Weddings & Beyond!!

Three Months Before

____ Finalize the guest list.
____ Order your wedding bands and decide on inscriptions.
____ Check state requirements concerning marriage license
____ Decide on living arrangements and order furnishings.
____ Plan the rehearsal dinner with your parents.
____ Choose and order your and your groomsmen’s attire.

Six Months Before The Wedding

____ Plan and book your honeymoon. Contact a travel agent for help.
____ If traveling abroad, check passports.
____ Arrange to pay for the bride’s bouquet, boutonnieres & corsages for the attendants & mothers.
____ Arrange transportation to the ceremony and reception for the wedding party.
____ Consult your fiancée about, and reserve, a block of hotel rooms for out-of-town guests
____ Reserve a hotel room for your wedding night

Nine Months Before

____ Decide on and arrange meeting with the Officiant to discuss the ceremony.
____ Write out a preliminary guest list. Be sure to get input from your parents.
____ Register at one or several locations with your fiancée.
____ Before selecting a caterer, go to a tasting.
____ Start discussing honeymoon destinations.

The groom will be included in many aspects of the wedding planning. If you are feeling a little lost as to what the exact duties of a groom are, below is a list of things you can do, with or without your bride, to ensure that the wedding goes smoothly. Check back everyday as we countdown:

Twelve Months Before Your Wedding

____ Pick out engagement ring.
____ Select your attendants (at least one usher per 50 guests)
____ Meet with both sets of parents to discuss the budget and style of the wedding.
____ Go with your fiancée and book the reception site. The earlier you pick a spot, the better!
____ Reserve your ceremony location.

Groomsmen are generally the groom’s brothers, cousins, future brother-in-laws, and friends. So you are definitely special to the couple. But you ask what exactly does a groomsman do? Your main duties are to:

- Provide moral support for the groom
- Usher the guests
- Escort the bridesmaids

What you need to pay for:

- Your own wedding attire rental
- Your travel expenses (if out-of-town)
- A wedding gift for the couple
- Bachelor party given by best man and/or groomsmen

Ushering guests:

On the actual wedding day, arrive at the site an hour early. Have someone attach your boutonniere and smile. As an usher you should have a list or have gone over the seating plan with the bride and groom prior to the wedding. This way you will be able to smoothly escort all the guests to their seats.

Escorting bridesmaids:

Once all you ushers have seated the mother of the bride, the wedding is ready to begin. Sometimes the groomsmen escort the bridesmaids down the aisle and other times the groomsmen will enter the church (or other ceremony location) with the best man and groom. After the ceremony, the groomsmen escort the bridesmaids down the aisle following the bride and groom.

Pictures:

Formal pictures of the bridal party are usually taken between the wedding and the reception. Groomsmen must be present for these but all you need to do is smile! Sometimes the bride elects to take the picture before the ceremony so ask if you are not sure and be on time!

The reception:

By the time of the reception, your groomsmen’s duties are basically over. Usually there is a dance for the wedding party and groomsmen are expected to dance with the bridesmaids. You should also probably get one dance with the bride. The rest of the night is your own to enjoy and to celebrate! You may also want to participate in the guarder catch!

The Extras:

Of course, there are all sorts of extra things to register for from video equipment to camping gear. Here are a few ideas.

Down payment on a new house

Money to go toward the honeymoon

Tools

Camera equipment

Computer equipment and electronics

Patio and outdoor gear

Large appliances

Sports or fitness gear

Basically ANYTHING you want!!!

I thought these tips were good even if you are not married yet:

-Treat your spouse like your best friend or most important colleague
-Don’t expect to get more from your spouse than you give of yourself.
-Don’t lose your sense of humor; have fun with your spouse.
-Don’t demean your spouse in public or in private.
-Learn to listen, learn to hear.
-Learn to argue respectfully.
-Look for resolution rather than victory.
-Assess your own mistakes and acknowledge them.
-When you apologize, mean it, and sound like it. Be short on blame and long on forgiveness.
-Be willing to change your opinions and attitudes.
-Look at changes in your life as an opportunity to grow.
-Don’t try to change your spouse; accept your spouse “as is.”

Pound Party:

Ask the guest to bring a pound of some ingredient and their favorite recipe. Like Sugar, Flour, Coffee, Cake Mix. You could also ask the guest to actually bring the recipe made so the hostess wouldn’t have to cook!