Just Say Yes

Link to the latest in the series of the man's guide to wedding:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/jul/06/mans-guide-marriage-big-day

some interesting questions such as what to do on the big day prior to the ceremony, and what kind of food. music and first dances people have..........I went to a wedding last year where the first dance was the stone roses, she bangs the drum - not your average first dance song but by the reaction of the bride who had left the choice up to her husband and didn't know what it was going to be until the moment actually arrived it was clearly a great choice that reminded them of a special moment.

latest installment of the guardian's 'man's guide to weddings' which focuses on the role of the father of the bride:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/jun/29/mans-guide-marriage-father-of-the-bride

I have to admit I find FOTB speeches a bit hit or miss - and I've heard one that was particularly cringeworthy.

But in these modern times, the broader questions around whether the FOTB should be expected to pay for the wedding/walk the daughter down the aisle etc are also really interesting. Personally I find the idea of a dad 'giving away' his daughter pretty draconian and it isn't something I would want at my wedding and equally, if I ever get married I anticipate paying for the vast majority of it myself with no help from parents...what do you guys thnk??

Got invited to a December wedding over the weekend - anyone got any tips to pass onto the couple about planning a winter wedding? Do all the photos need to be indoors? does the bride need to think about a shrug/something to keep her shoulders warm etc etc. all help appreciated.............

Whilst trawling the website for something else, I came across this article:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/gallery/2009/jul/06/how-not-to-plan-a-wedding

I'm all for personal style but some of the dresses are officailly CRAZY!!!

I'm wondering what people think might make a good alternative to a traditional wedding cake? After a full on meal do guests really then want cake to take home/eat on the day - and other than the obligatory 'cutting of the cake photo' do the bride and groom actually get to try their cake?

A wedding I went to a while ago decided to not have a traditional cake but a 'cheese cake' - a 'cake' made of 3 wheels of cheese bought over from france that were then served with biscuits in the evening.

I also really like the idea of cupcakes instead of one big cake http://hummingbirdbakery.com/

If you like in London, you should check out the hummingbird - super cute cupcakes which look and taste awesome - my fav is the black bottom cupcake - chocolate, cupcake, and cheesecake all in one, what more does a girl need?

Let me know what other cool alternatives to a traditional wedding cake you've seen or had at your wedding/weddings you've been to.

latest installment of the guardian's 'man's guide to weddings' - this week focusing on the thorny issue of selecting who to be your best man - suspect the same dilemma applies to brides in picking their bridesmaids family or close current friend or oldest friend??? it's another political minefield...........

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/jun/22/mans-guide-marriage-best-man

We have a consultant at work who's in for a few weeks and is in the latter stages of her wedding planning. She mentioned that her and her fiance are having dancing lessons to get through the trauma of their first dance.

I found it really interesting that they were both quite stressed about it - in fact probably more so than any other part of the wedding and enquired if she had any particular concerns. Her response was that all her dancing memories of her and her partner were drunken nights out at late bars and clubs and that the idea of a formal first dance with friends and family watching was quite terrifying, hence the lessons and to add to the pain, they were also still struggling to select an appropriate first dance song as they wanted something they could have an elegant dance to...... despite both being indie punk type music fans.

Anyone got any tips on good first dance songs or how to survive the pressure of a first dance?

I thought this list was interesting: http://www.firstdanceuk.co.uk/top5.htm with the unusual choices probably more fun than the most popular ones.

The most recent of a series of articles on a man's guide to marriage - this weeks subject being the stag do:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/jun/15/mans-guide-marriage-stag-do

what do people think to the idea of a joint hen and stag do? I went to one a couple of years ago and as 'nice' as it was, I don't think either side really got to let their hair down completely with their other half there...........

I'm looking for comments from people who've got married or attended a wedding abroad - how was it different from getting married at home and did it work or did you just wished you'd stayed in cold wet blightly instead of jetting off to an island paradise?

I went to a wedding on a greek island and the vibe was very much - 'we've got complicated family politics so lets just get 10 mates and get hitched abroad' - they then had a big party when they were back in England, so in a way got the best of both worlds.....and I got an amazing tan and the pleasure of seeing one of my oldest friends get married!

opinions? tweet me or leave me a comment - or use old fashioned email.

Just wanted to share this story with you - a friend of mine is going to a wedding this weekend......however, her boyfriend is refusing to go as it clashes with the first england game of the world cup.

Personally, if you're not that fussed about the footie but your other half thinks its more important than life itself I think you should take advantage of some of the football widow offers on at the moment:

http://www.lastminute.com/site/entertainment/healthandbeauty/product_list.html?CATID=114550

Imagine: massage, tranquil music, complete relaxation, and no-one banging on at you about Rooney, JT, Lamps and co........bliss....enjoy!