Whether you like to string, light, trim, or deck the halls, the Internet shines with countless decorating Web sites and resources to spark up your holiday spirit. Here are a handful of sites to get you started:

• Holiday decoration slideshow—get great ideas.
• How to decorate for Christmas throughout the house.
• Tips to help keep a poinsettia bright.
• Homemade menorah ideas to make with kids.
• How to care for a Christmas tree.
• Martha Stewart on how to make paper snowflakes.
• How to have an environmentally friendly holiday.
• How to decorate for Kwanzaa.
• Cookie recipes from around the world!
• Decorating holiday cookies.
• Tips for hanging holiday lights on your home.
• Christmas lights webcam—see house with over 15,000 lights.
• Holiday decorating safety tips from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

on your wedding day, you want your groom to behave like a grownup. Well before the big event, he’ll need to be aware of his responsibilities in the areas of budgeting, transportation, parties and wedding day etiquette. If your man is a flannel shirt and Dockers kind of guy, that could be a lot to absorb in a few ashort months. As his concerned bride, you might want to present him with a “groom’s guide,” found at any book store or specialty shop and filled with handy checklists and suggestions.

 

photo by Tammy Byron Photography

Many wedding websites have pages specifically for grooms, such as theknot.com and weddingchannel.com; or have him check out the “guys only” website, 4grooms.com, which offers advice on everything from creative ways to propose, to toasting at the reception. Above all, steer your fiancé away from the website that offers a 1967 Cadillac funeral coach for hire. It suggests, “Grooms, surprise your bride and turn up at the church in a hearse.” Not funny.

Your groom also can pass along responsibilities to his best man. Historically speaking, the best man was chosen for his strength and fighting ability as he assisted the groom in literally capturing his bride! The best man’s “support” also was needed on the wedding day to protect the bride from any rival who might try to carry her away. Thankfully, today this honored role is simply to provide support to the groom and carry out some small but important details. To get your intended started in the right direction, pass along these tips to your groom—and his best man!

Before the Wedding

• The internet’s “The Bride Lady” says a groom’s top priority should be providing the bride and her family with a complete guest list from his family, with accurate spellings of full names and addresses. Be sure, for instance, that Uncle Chuck is listed as “Mr. Charles Smith.” Also request a list of names and addresses from her family of those guests who will be attending the rehearsal dinner.
• Allow plenty of time for things like planning the honeymoon, booking
  transportation for the wedding day and applying for the marriage license. Putting things off only adds to a backlog of responsibilities.
• If a large wedding is planned, the groom should familiarize himself with guests’ names. This could save some embarrassment during the receiving line and reception.
• The groom and his best man should choose their wedding day attire together. They’ll also want to reserve attire for ushers and the ring bearer. Normally, the best man is responsible for seeing that rented formalwear is returned after the wedding.

The Bachelor Party

• Planning this rite of passage is generally the best man’s responsibility. It’s also his responsibility to choose a designated driver—and to make sure the groom doesn’t end up naked and handcuffed, hundreds of miles from home with no money!
• Never plan the bachelor party for the night before the wedding. There’s nothing worse than facing one’s wedding day exhausted and with a king-size hangover.
• Consider a bachelor party with a twist—one local groom we know suggested a weekend canoeing trip. Other alternatives to the usual night out at a strip joint include sea kayaking and a clam bake, a Red Sox game followed by a barbecue, a daredevil day of hang gliding or celebrating at a local Oktoberfest.

The Rehearsal Dinner

• On the day of the rehearsal, the groom should be sure the best man has the officiant’s fee and any other checks for service providers. Instruct him to deliver these the day of the wedding.
• This is the best time to present gifts to the groomsmen. Instead of the usual pen and pencil set, give something unusual like a silver compass for the outdoorsman, golf lessons, or tickets to a hockey game.

The Wedding Day

• The best man is responsible for driving the groom to the ceremony site at least 30 minutes before the ceremony is due to begin. The best man also should make sure the groom is properly attired and looking his absolute best.
• If the wedding party has no ring bearer, the best man holds the bride’s ring in safekeeping, until needed during the ceremony. The best man also should bring the marriage license to the ceremony.
• Don’t try to run any last-minute errands on the wedding day. If something absolutely has to be done, designate a family member for the chore. The groom should never run the risk of being late
  to his own wedding.
• If the groom is nervous, the best man can help him relax with a quick shoulder rub or a witty joke. But do not drink before the wedding. No groom will make points showing up at the altar with alcohol on his breath.

The Reception

• Maybe the most anticipated and dreaded event for the groom is the toast. His toast generally follows one given by the father of the bride. The groom should try to include a word of thanks to the guests for attending and for their gifts, as well as thanks to both sets of parents and his best man. He should compliment his bride and perhaps include a funny story about how they met or when they dated. However, he should never tell a story that could potentially embarrass her.
• The groom’s toast is followed by the best man’s speech, which traditionally is filled with humor, mostly aimed at the groom. The best man should avoid referring to anything the bride does not know about, and he should never refer to past relationships of either the bride or groom, since both could cause hurt feelings. As a nice touch, the best man also could read any congratulatory messages from absent family and friends. The toast should always end with heart-felt congratulations to the happy couple.
• Above all, the groom should relax, enjoy the day and try to spend some time with each and every guest, personally thanking them for coming to the wedding.

Trends 

 

	Trends offers up the latest bridal buzz for the newest, freshest, most fun ways to create your own special wedding look.

NOT YOUR MOTHER'S SHOWER
Remember those boring, cookie-cutter bridal showers where everyone sat around making small talk and the bride was forced to wear a paper-plate hat covered in bows? Well, not anymore! These days, bridal showers are as unique and fun as the brides themselves, with activities as varied as the imagination allows. And today, guys might be just as likely to get in on the fun as the girls!

For your next bridal bash, consider a girls’ weekend away at a pampering spa, where you and your bridesmaids can have a stress-reducing massage, a manicure and a makeup session over a glass of wine. More and more destination and day spas are allowing bridal parties to bring in their own food and drink to share as they take advantage of treatments—some spas even cater these events themselves.

If you and your girlfriends are golfers, you could host a pre-wedding golf invitational. Places like Dunegrass Golf Club in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, cater to those wanting something different for their bridal and bachelor parties—and a golf outing is a wonderful thing to include parents in, as well.

Other unique party venues are craft studios that specialize in areas like scrapbooking or pottery making. Clay Play in Brunswick, Maine, is a fun place to take your friends for a creative session of painting your own pottery—and at the end of the evening, your guests have an attractive memento of the party to take home.

Anna Street Studio in downtown Portsmouth offers a unique alternative to the ho-hum bridal shower. Here, the bride and her guests can come in and design their own custom-made handbags to carry on the wedding day—and beyond. According to owners Carrie and Nick Saunders, the possibilities are endless for having a great party. Nick notes that brides or bridesmaids can reserve the studio after-hours for a girls’ night out, bringing in their own snacks and wine (white only, in case it spills) or having the event catered.

Carrie, who designs her own line of ready-made bags, suggests the bridal party might custom-design one of her “wristlets” to match the bridesmaid dresses. “These are the perfect size to carry a lip gloss, an ID and a few dollars to the wedding,” she said. Guests can choose from 175 fabrics—ranging from silk to corduroy—in lots of great prints, stripes and colors. Ribbon trims in everything from velvet to grosgrain add the crowning touch. And the best part? Guests will have a one-of-a-kind purse to carry for years to come!

GOIN' TO THE DOGS
These days, our dogs are much more than just pets. They’re family members, too! So when it comes time for engaged couples to step up to the altar, more and more of them are bringing along their beloved canine buddies. From Chihuahuas to Dobermans, dogs of all shapes and sizes are sharing in the celebration—sometimes even handsomely attired in a tux or decked out in pearls.

According to Nancy Massett, owner of Pawcassos By The Sea in North Hampton, the doggie dimension to weddings has been getting a lot more attention recently. “People have been doing this for years, but it’s become a lot more visible and acceptable lately,” she noted. “I’ve actually seen dogs have their own little wedding cake. After all, before couples met, their pets were all they had—they were their babies.”

Massett carries a line of fabulous wedding attire for pampered pooches, including bow ties attached to white dress collars ($8-$11), rhinestone tiaras ($30), pearl necklaces ($20), even dog wedding gowns and tuxedos complete with top hats ($20-$35). Most of the outfits are sized for smaller dogs like Yorkies, Pugs and Shih Tzus, but even extra-large Labs and Rotties can wear a bow tie or a flower lei. She recommends bringing in your pet for a fitting, so items can be special ordered if necessary.

Massett also stresses the importance of knowing how your dog will act around strangers. Is he well-behaved around lots of noisy people, especially children? Does she grasp the basics of dog etiquette? Last but not least, make sure you know that the beach, church or reception hall where you will be married allows dogs.

Once all those pesky details are taken care of, you and your pooch can have fun shopping together for the big day!

WHO'S NEXT?
If tossing the bouquet seems old hat to you—or you really want to keep your flowers and have them preserved—try doing what the Greeks do. At traditionally Greek weddings, the bride often will write all the single female guests’ names on the bottom of one of her shoes. At the end of the evening—after the bride has greeted guests, danced and generally walked until her feet are throbbing—the woman whose name is still the most legible is said to be the next one married. So get out those dancing shoes and start something new!

FAVORS WITH PANACHE
Every guest loves taking home a little remembrance of the big day—a few fancy chocolates in an elegant box, a piece of wedding cake or some cute bauble handmade by the bride and her attendants. But if you really want to wow your guests, try thinking outside the box.

One Seacoast bride carried her pastel color theme through to her favors. She set up a candy station with pretty little personalized bags for guests to fill. Half-a-dozen types of pastel candies promised the celebrants sweet reminders of her wedding day long after it was over.

We also heard about an outdoor summer wedding where they set up camping chairs (you know, the canvas ones that fold up and come with their own bag) for all the guests to use during the ceremony. Tied to each chair was a card telling guests that the chair was theirs to keep. After the nuptials, everyone giggled as they folded up their own chairs and took them away! The really clever part? The bride saved the cost of renting chairs, and no one had to break down the seating afterward—plus everyone got a great, useful gift!

If you’re looking for a favor with real taste, consider a bottle of specially created wine sporting a custom-made label with a favorite photo, a personal message or just your names and wedding date. Vintner’s Cellar Winery in Portsmouth has an unusual approach to such a presentation; they offer the chance for the bride and groom—or the entire wedding party!—to come in for a tasting session and then actually create the wine they love best themselves.

Owners Gail and Mike Locke will help guide the wine-making process along every step of the way, from adding flavors such as oak or dried berries to the juice to corking and labeling the bottled wine after fermentation. “For wedding wines, we say to allow 45 days from start to finish,” commented Gail. “Then we might suggest they include ‘Drink after such-and-such a date’ on the label—although white wines are great when they’re young.”

Vintner’s offers a split-size bottle that is ideal as a unique wedding favor, serving a full two glasses. For members of the wedding party, Gail suggests presenting a full-size bottle. A personal message, such as “Thank you for sharing in our special day,” can be included on the label, along with a photo of the wedding couple or a beautiful, scenic location. You could even set aside a few bottles for the toasting, giving even more meaning to the well wishes!

FOR THE BOYS
Guys will be guys, and your guy probably couldn’t care less what color flowers you’ll be carrying or what flavor the filling is in your wedding cake. But if you really want to grab his attention on your wedding day, treat him to something special—just for him and his buddies.

Thoughtful brides everywhere are showing their husbands-to-be just how much they care by springing great surprises on them at the reception—that favorite song he always cranks up on the car stereo, a special cake decorated in the colors and motif of his favorite sports team, a hand-picked selection of whiskeys for all the guys to swill while talking sports and even a cigar bar set up with a variety of smokes (for outdoor use, of course).

Dawn Tully of Tully’s Beer & Wine in Wells, Maine, suggests treating the groom and his friends to a high-end selection of cigars from some of the better names such as Cohiba, Monte Cristo and Ashton. “Unless you’re a heavy cigar smoker, I’d say one per person would be enough,” she noted. “I’d be sure to have an attractive, wooden tabletop humidor to present the cigars in, plus some clippers, lighters or matches, and plenty of ashtrays. And even though they’re smoking outside, I’d be sure to keep them downwind of the other guests—cigars are so stinky!”

Tully said she can happily offer suggestions for cigars in a wide price range; expensive ones will run anywhere from $8 to $15 each. “This would definitely be a nice treat for the guys with a glass of whiskey or a cognac,” she added.

FIT TO A "T"
In this world of mass-produced everything, it’s nice to have a wedding look that is entirely your own—a one-of-a-kind wedding dress for you or a handsomely cut suit that is custom tailored to your groom. Enter the growing business of custom design, a personalized service which guarantees you a distinct look and the best possible fit in a wedding gown (or suit) made just for you.

Amy Curtis Wedding Dress Couture is doing a booming business in translating a bride’s personality into an original handmade dress for her big day. “The magic of wedding couture lies in three things,” said Amy, “the design, the material and the handwork. Your dress begins with your imagination and ends with this beautiful expression of who you are.”

Brides are able to choose from the finest fabrics—silks, satins and more—and can even collaborate with Amy on the design. Then her couture cutting and sewing skills come into play as she creates a luxurious dress that fits perfectly and feels just right from a personality standpoint as well.

Guys don’t have to be left out of the custom picture, either. Mr. Carl’s Custom Tailoring can create a beautifully hand-tailored suit or tuxedo for your groom, along with a custom shirt that fits like a glove. “Guys should also have the chance to wear something that will be special to them on their wedding day,” said owner Rheinhold Holton. “And every time they wear that suit, they’ll remember they were married in it.”

Custom tailoring is perfect for the hard-to-fit man or the groom who has a specific look in mind and hasn’t been able to find what he wants in ready-made. According to Rheinholt, Mr. Carl’s can duplicate almost any look from a magazine—right down to the color of the pinstripe!

by PAT CHAUDOIN