Ceremonies are activities designated and identified as a way to commemorate a special occasion. Your special day is a ceremony that should be an extension of you, your rituals, your cultural beliefs and values. Celebrate the things that you hold true. Traditional activities hold so much meaning and history that it is interesting and fun to share with your guest.

The Indian bride
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbHj3-xqRYs , after a ceremonial cleansing, is painted with mehndi or henna patterns on her hands and feet(normally done at traditional Indian and Arabic weddings). Any woman who is a guest of the bride, family or friend is invited to get her hands and feet painted as well. After the ceremony, the brothers of the groom toss flower petals to ward off evil from the Newlyweds.

African Americans couples
http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=11613009
practice the tradition of jumping a broom to symbolize the happy couple's union and new beginnings (provide guest w/ the historical reason why the broom is jumped) as a part of their traditional ceremony. Jumping the broom is an activity that was done out of necessity (during the time of enslaved Africans) and today is done as a matter of respect for the history and memory of those enslaved Africans in spite of the struggle.

The Jewish tradition is one that holds a lot of richness which is often translated into wedding ceremonies. The wedding ceremony usually takes place under a chuppah, or wedding canopy. This tradition began in the Middle Ages when a couple would wed outdoors so that the marriage could be blessed with as many children as there are stars in the heavens.
Cultures even have ceremonial activities that pay homage to loved ones who have passed but are important to the bride,groom, and the family as a whole.
To see two cultures come together in love is beautiful and something to behold http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=417Hs1wT3d8 .
So, please feel free to incorporate your traditions into your ceremony...You will be happy you did, your other half will feel like they had an opportunity to share something special with you, and your family and friends will remember it for a life time.

Since we have established that this day is for the Bride and the guest, we can not forget that there would be no bride or guest without a Groom! The days of grooms not being involved is over for a number of reasons: 1. They want to contribute and have ideas too, 2. They have dreams about their special day too, 3. it is socially acceptable for them to do so and still keep their Manhood in tact. With that being said it is wise to talk about what will be done by whom. This is a great way to see how you guys work as a team (a force). Identify things to be done and by whom. The groom at the very least:

I. Select the Groomsmen
a. Choose their outfits
b. Buy gifts for the men in your wedding party
II. Make your Guest List...groom and bride will put together separate guest lists (before coming together and finalizing the list)
III. Reserve the Wedding Location Don’t hesitate to take the initiative in finding possible sites for the ceremony and/or the reception. (AGREE before the final decision is made)
IV. Plan the Honeymoon Make the bride happy by researching honeymoon destinations
V. Order the Wedding Bands.
VI. Pick the Groom's Cake
This list was provided by http://www.articlegold.com/Article/A-Groom-s-Guide-to-Wedding-Planning/189. For more information please visit their site.

And there is so much more that he can do. Even if you have a wedding planner there are tones of things left for the both of you to do together and separately to make this the day that you TWO want and will enjoy!

While Going Green is the new responsible thing in cars, the environment, and life styles. Weddings are not exempt and can Go Green too! Going Green is beyond buzz words or a trend it is a way to be responsible about what you do, use, and the affects on the earth. A green wedding is not as far fetched as you may think. The bride's dress can be made from organic materials (silk) or bought vintage and ultimately donated, the flowers can be organic, the invitations can be printed on recycled paper, guest can respond via e-mail, even the drinks served at the reception can be Green. This can be an opportunity to make a signature drink, have fun, and make a positive contribution to the world.

Weddings are a reflection of the times so making sure that your wedding planner is aware of the trends as well as the traditions is wise. Orange is the New-Black or must have color. According to The Knot any hue of orange will due; on the cake, on the dresses, and even the flowers. Since Cocktail Hour has made a strong comeback (Retro) it only makes sense having a Cocktail Hour at your wedding. Another cool thing and surely a crowd favorite is a Decadent Dessert Buffet full of chocolate and pastries! Toasts today are not just reserved for well wishes any more. The new things is to have a Farewell Toast as the couple leaves for their Honeymoon. Again your wedding planner should be able to review the new trends with the you to make your day is special while keep the traditional ones. Enjoy and Cheers!

While it is all about the Bride and Groom the guest count too. According to the Wedding Statistics and Market Research for the Wedding Industry the average wedding guest spends (on an average) $500 for your day. This cost includes but not limited to wedding attire(head to toe), transportation (to town and while in town), gifts, meals, hotel/lodging, and other activities. Given this investment it is wise to make sure their needs are meet too. Oh, the $500 price tag does not include the airfare. It is estimated 168 guest attend the average American wedding and 40% of those guest now fly to the wedding and more than 60% of which entail at least two days’ worth of events. These facts mean that your guest are very important and need to be factored in. In the end, the Bride and Groom will be happy to know that their most cherished guest were indeed taken care of too. Of course the couple first! A coordinator can organized maps, hotel bookings, identify local eateries, and entertainment to make your guest's stay comfortable.

Why a Wedding Planner?

The reality is parties and celebrations (small to large) can be expensive, especially ones that require vendors (individual or under a group), coordination, and experts. However, a Wedding Planner can secure a vendor at a discount that the public is not privy to ultimately saving the couple money. Wedding Planners have access to other industry professionals that may not be known to you or willing to meet your schedule (professional courtesy). From personal experience and research the planning of a wedding can take 200 to 400 (an average) hours to plan and twice as many hours in stress (your time is valuable and added stress is not needed). Finding a date on its face may sound easy but add availability of a venue, availability of vendors, best time of day and a litany of other details can be left up to a Wedding Planner. A planner may save you money on the date alone. Since you are a one time customer (hopefully not repeat business) you are often not given the perks a planner may get due to volume. So, hiring a Wedding Planner could be in your best interest.

Think Big and Act Wise

I was a self proclaimed "Do It Myselfer" when it came to planning and organizing my wedding. Even though I thoroughly enjoyed the process; I realized weddings take more than a dream. Weddings take organization, top notch negotiating skills, time (in abundance, multiplied by a gazillion, running over, and just a little bit more), financial management, not to mention a massive team of helpers who are just as committed as you are to your big day. I have linked a number of useful tools to help you in the process of pulling everything together and plan appropriately. It is important to avoid some of the pitfalls of planning a wedding which includes budgeting. Since 43% of couples say they spent more on their wedding than they had planned and 89% of family and friends helped to plan the wedding without a wedding planner; it maybe more advantageous to hire someone who knows the the industry and can garner discounts to keep prices down. A planner can make sure you are fully using the tools provided at this sight and get everything you can for your money. This site has a calendar, a wedding checklist, an expense breakdown, a budget form, and much more.

http://www.wedalert.com/content/planning/