Best Man Toasts at a Wedding

You've been asked to be the Best Man, and you've said yes. Then the awful truth hits you - you've got to organise the Bachelor Party/Stag Night/Bucks Party, but far, far worse... you've got to make the Best Man Speech!

Now, even if you've done some public speaking, this is no easy task. You've got to be really nice to everyone, especially the bride, but on top of that, as the Best Man, you're expected to be funny! The problem is, you're not just talking to the guys, but your audience will include all the mothers, fathers, aunts uncles and grandparents too.

Now, I'll leave all the general stuff about public speaking, like controlling nervousness and projecting your voice, for another time. Right now, lets just concentrate on how to be funny without causing too much offence! The main job you need to do is research. Now, if we assume you know the Groom quite well, as I'd hope you do, then your main research tool is your memory. Think of everything that the Groom and you have done together, think of things he might have said over the years, and decide which things can be given a humorous spin. If you can, try to make big events funny, and avoid anything where you really "had to be there" for it to be funny. Let me give you an example.

Years ago, I told my parents that I was getting married. My brother was there at the time, and said that he was probably getting married too. That's not very funny, is it? But when he asked me to be Best Man at his wedding, this is what I put in my speech:

"Michael's never been one for big announcements. I remember when I told our parents that I was getting married. Michael was there, and he said 'So am I, probably'. So when I recently told them that I was going to be a father, I half expected Michael to pop up and say 'So am I, probably'!"

Trust me, that got a good laugh - from everyone except his bride-to-be's parents.

So you see, with a bit of thought, and a bit of planning, you can make your audience laugh without resorting to uncomfortable revelations about the Groom's former love-life - although if you CAN make it funny, go for it!

Please read the longer article about Best Man Toasts at a Wedding or get more tips on organising the Bachelor Party, or giving the Best Man Speech

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Bridal Makeup Do's and Don'ts

So you have found the perfect man, the perfect wedding dress, and the perfect wedding location - you are all set now, right? Well, wrong. To have the perfect wedding, there is still one thing you need: the perfect bridal makeup. After all, if you really want all eyes to be on you on your big day, then you have to look your best. The following are the do's and don'ts of bridal makeup:

Bridal Makeup Tips for Your Face

-Do use moisturizer to keep your skin looking fresh. When choosing a foundation, go for the one that has yellow undertones.

-Do apply bronzing powder to give you that sun-kissed look, especially if your wedding ceremony will be held outdoors and during daytime. Use the bronzing powder on your cheeks, the bridge of your nose, and your forehead. > Bridal Makeup Tips for Your Eyes

- Do not use dark shadows to define your eyebrows. This can give you a formidable look.

- Do apply neutral colors to define your eyes. Likewise, use classic eyeliner colors like black and brown.

- Do make your eyelashes look lush. Use a curler then apply water-proof lengthening mascara.

Bridal Makeup Tips for Your Lips

- Do make your lips ready for that you-may-kiss-the-bride moment by using a lip brush to apply lip color. It is best to use a lip pencil that comes in a complementary color. When defining your lips, make sure you follow your lips' natural line.

- Do not use a lip liner that is darker than your lipstick. This would not look good in the pictures.

- Do not use a lipstick that is too frosted. This can make you look unnaturally pale.

Bridal Makeup Tips for Your Cheeks

- Do remember to put on blush. Pick a blush in warm color like rose or peach. If you have oily skin, choose powder blush. On the other hand, if you have dry skin, then use a cream blush.

Keep these bridal makeup tips in mind to ensure that you look beautiful and radiant during your big day. And to make sure that you get it right, practice putting on your bridal makeup a few days before your wedding day. Likewise, to see how you would look under flash photography, take a couple of pictures of yourself while wearing your bridal makeup. Lastly, do not forget to use water-proof makeup. You would not want your tears of joy to ruin your look, would you?

For more info about how to have the perfect wedding please visit us at http://www.perfectwedding.us

Dimitra Duff is a professional wedding planner and the owner of http://www.perfectwedding.us that provides valuable advice for wedding couples.

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Good Bachelor Party Ideas

So, the man you thought was your best friend has really stitched you up. There you were, out for a quiet drink, taking it easy, relaxing, and then he pops the question. He wants you to be his best man! What can you do? You can hardly say no, but you know that there's a lot more to the job than just getting a few guys drunk and into a few strip joints. Let's run through a few things you can do when organising the Bachelor Party/Stag Night/Bucks Party, to make sure it's a great night out!

The Urban Myth is that every guy who gets married ends his stag night naked, either a) handcuffed to a lamp post, or b) on an express train to somewhere Far, Far Away. In my experience, this is actually very rare, but it is your duty to arrange a few embarrassing moments for the groom.

Now, you might want to hire a stripper, but tread carefully. Do you really know your best friend? Some guys think it's great. Some guys don't. One good idea is to give the Best Man a set of tasks to do. You know, things like: wear his trousers back to front; obtain an item of female underwear; have your photo taken wearing a fast-food employee's silly hat; walk backwards between each bar; run on the spot while ordering the drinks.

The most important thing to think about is the venue for your event. Don't just hope you can leave a bar at 1pm and get into a nightclub - most doormen take a dim view of large, staggering groups of young men trying to get into their club. Play it smart - get there early, and go in in twos and threes. Oh, and if you're in the USA, make sure everyone has their ID!

A lot of people these days organise a stag week-end away somewhere. This can be a great idea, but takes even more planning. Whether your in the US, and heading for Vegas or New Orleans, or you're in the UK and flying off to Amsterdam or Prague, you'll be amazed how hard it is to get a group of five or more guys to arrive at the right place, at the right time, with the right clothes, some cash, and their tickets.

Make sure you take a camera with you. Now, you probably don't want to take your $1000 Digital SLR on this sort of event, but you could always buy a couple of disposable cameras that you can buy in Wal-Mart or online for a few bucks each. You can probably get a whole load of them, and keep some for the wedding itself.

Are you the Best Man? Zander Boon has been Best Man a few times! Do you need some help with Good Bachelor Party Ideas or your Best Man Speech? If so you should visit Best Man's Best Friend

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5 Easy Ways To Save on Your Wedding

1. DJs now-a-days charge from $450-$1000 to play at a wedding for 4-5 hours, do you think that's insane? I do, specially if you have a small budget that you really need to stretch. Instead of a DJ consider using an Ipod on your wedding day, you'll have all your favorite music and you don't have to sit there and change the songs, just program your "wedding day list" and you're done, this will surely save you a few hundred dollars.

2. Instead of a champaign toast use apple cider, or even have the guests toast with whatever they are drinking, guest usually will toss away the Champaign after the toast and all that money is wasted. I'm sure very few will notice the non-champaign toast.

3. I think there are three types of people, those who don't drink, those who drink beer and alcohol and those who drink wine. So why don't you eliminate the hard alcohol and only serve beer and wine, you would probably cover all your guests and save lots of money since hard alcohol could be one of the biggest expense.

4. If you don't have $100.00 (or more) to spend on flower centerpieces try using large hurricane candle holders with color candles and wrap it with your theme color ribbon. You can easily customize it to your liking by adding a rose or flower on the ribbon. The possibilities are endless with a little creativity.

5. Visit your local supermarket bakery and look at their cake designs, you'll be surprise at what you can find, if you don't see anything you like, bring them a picture. They too have very creative bakers and their cakes are less expensive than if you were to get one at a private bakery.

Cristian is a South Florida wedding planner and owns her own company http://www.eventsbycristian.com she's also a wedding consultant for http://www.giasweddingstore.com which sells wedding accessories including guest books, cake toppers, garters and unique and practical favors.

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