Music evokes emotion. While it’s easy for a DJ to procure music you want to hear, a live band exudes energy and enables you and your guests to experience music. They intensify already intense emotions and ensure that the music is more than just mindless filler. Hearing music come blasting out of speakers as opposed to seeing and hearing people perform a song you love is a huge difference. In short, a live band is what sets the normal weddings that fade away into distant memory apart from the ones that are remembered by more than just the newlyweds. Of course, it may also be that a DJ makes your wedding memorable for all the wrong reasons… There’s nothing worse, in my opinion, than a wedding DJ that sounds more like he belongs at a nightclub than a reception hall.

And there are actually more types of bands out there than you might think. So no excuses about the fact that you’re not having an “upscale” wedding and a jazz band just doesn’t fit your theme. Although that’s what comes to mind when I think live band, remember that you can hire a band for just about any type of music YOU had in mind. Destination wedding in a tropical climate? No problem, hire up a local reggae band. Traditional Jewish wedding? I’ll bet the Rabbi knows someone. Regardless of the type of music or the setting, there’s a solution out there for you. My simple suggestion after all my typical elitism is just that you don’t automatically rule out a live band from the start. Give it a shot. Audition a few potentials. Trust me, the difference is astounding.

- @DistinguishGent

I am proposing to my girlfriend quite soon.  We have discussed marriage and this won’t be a complete surprise, but I have no idea where I should actually propose.  I’m really open to anything – I just don’t know where to start.  Any ideas?
- Geoff, Rhode Island

Geoff,
Great question.  There is so much to take into consideration when planning a proposal.  Surprise? Ask her dad first?  Down on one knee? I would say yes to all these questions.  When it comes to location, I would go nostalgic.  Even as cheesy as that sounds, this is a time to be romantic and cheesy so she will brag about it and remember it forever.  It will also be fun to clue her in this way a bit, without actually saying anything.  Maybe a weekend away where you had your first date? First kiss?  She’ll suspect something, but just enough to wonder.  Another great location is a place she’s always said she’s wanted to go or maybe a nice weekend getaway to her parent’s house in the Hamptons.  If a weekend getaway isn’t possible and the nostalgic angle is out, work with what you have.  Give her a beautiful day locally by going to the park, treating her to meals out, and ending the day with the proposal.  The best thing to remember is make the best out of what you have.  If you can’t afford to travel for the proposal, don’t worry about it.  Make your house a romantic setting! Whatever location you choose, jazz it up.

How did you decide on your proposal location?  Let us know!

- @BirdieBride

If you have a question for our bride, feel free to post a comment with your question or send a tweet to @GetEngaged

Let’s cover the obvious – Vegas weddings cut out a lot of expenses from your wedding, not to mention the headache of planning. Most couples forego the traditional wedding attire and opt for something cool and casual. You are, after all, getting married in the heat of Vegas so pack for light and airy. Also cut out is the expense of a large wedding party and guest list. If you choose to have guests, keep it small as most chapels are a bit smaller and cater to small weddings. In addition to this, wedding chapels are just this – wedding chapels. We will discuss affordable reception options in a later post, but it is not expected that you have a reception following your chapel wedding. Go out and gamble to celebrate instead!

Wedding + Honeymoon = Savings. Another thing you will be saving on is travel. Can’t decide where to honeymoon? You don’t need to, you have all your fun waiting for you in Vegas – even down in your hotel’s casino. Not into gambling? There are thousands of other things to do in Las Vegas besides gambling! What’s great about this scenario is that you can start your honeymoon immediately after your wedding – no travel involved.

All-inclusive. Like so many things in Vegas, there are many wedding packages which roll all your fun and love together into an affordable all-inclusive package. And by all-inclusive I mean at the very least most packages will provide you with transportation from your hotel to the chapel, a chapel, officiant, music, flowers and pictures. This basic package will run you about $300 at most chapels. The best part? You can pre-order them online or wait until the very last minute. It’s Vegas!! The possibilities are endless. These packages range from wedding in the mountains to helicopter nuptials. Don’t know where to start with your planning? Visit our vendor list and search by location to find many options in Las Vegas.

We’ll break down exactly what your different options are for Vegas ceremonies and receptions on a budget, but this will get you started now and you could possibly be married this time tomorrow. Vegas, baby, Vegas! (Swingers – Netflix it immediately).

- @BirdieBride

- @BirdieBride

Just say it…

When you go into a recommended jewelry store knowing exactly what you want…just say it already.  Too many men cloak themselves in a shroud of machismo and actually prolong the buying process.  Good business… great relationships… and authentic living are the result of effective communication. Be an effective communicator with your hired guns and they’ll treat you like the god that you are.

Footnote: Don’t be a hard-ass know-it-all when you present your case.  While you may be well-versed as a result of your Internet travels, you will never know what a diamond professional knows.  (Why would you want to exactly?  Oh that’s right…you don’t want to get “ripped off.”*)

I was a member of an industry think-tank once upon a time… and our leader… a giant in the jewelry biz said, “I make it my business to know my business.  Outside of that…I hire people to do what I am not an expert in.”  That’s not only true…it’s bad-ass.

Tip:

Find someone to be your hired gun when you’re in the diamond market.  Treat them as an employee of yours…because that’s really what they are. They work for YOU… and get paid to “do what you are not an expert in.”  (Be a good boss though. No one likes to work for a jerk.)

What if you’re not the guy I just talked about?

Maybe you’re a little less sure of yourself.  You think you know what you want… but you have some doubts and need a little more hand-holding. There is nothing wrong with that.  Actually you are in for a much smoother ride in my opinion because you don’t need to spend a lot of time defending your position.

The beauty is you have hired guns as well… and they want to make sure you walk away feeling every bit the man you know you are.  Why?  Because they want to be your go-too diamond and jewelry expert for the rest of your life.  The good ones live for it actually… it’s what they do.

Water the Horses.  Feed the Men.  Tonight we ride!

Quit looking at jewelry salespeople as your adversaries and make them part of your posse.  How will you know if they are worthy of your requirements?  I’ll spend more time on this subject in a future post…but off the top of my head I would do the following:

• Ask your buddies where they buy their jewelry.  They’ll tell you far more than any company brochure or flash intro.
• Trust your gut.  It is always your best guide.  (In life and at the diamond counter.)
• Use local Google, Yahoo, and Bing searches.  Many of them will have ratings on jewelers along with customer comments.  Click here to see what this looks like. (It’s for my store.)
• Research jewelers and feedback from their customers on social media channels like WhereToGetEngaged.com and Facebook.
• Tell your potential employees that you want to make sure they’re the right fit for you…and then ask what you want to know in a matter-of-fact way.  If they’re offended or put out by this… well… there’s your answer.

Having a hired gun in the diamond business will pay off in ways you can’t imagine.  It will save you time (which = money) and energy… and it’s pretty cool to have a diamond guy/girl in your back pocket.  That way you can focus on more important things like getting rock hard abs and training for the Backwoods Barbecue and Beer Chugoff!

- @BuyLikeAGuy

John,
Hello!  First, let me put your mind a bit at rest (I hope.)  These concerns are very common for people faced with the toasts at a wedding.  I too hate public speaking.  The thought of doing my maid of honor speech at my friend’s wedding was terrifying.  You are not alone!  I think the majority of people out there hate public speaking. It is not easy.  The good news is that everyone knows this and people are understanding when you’re nervous.  So that’s ok!  The other good news is that obviously your brother really cares about what you have to say and really, this speech is for him and his new bride.  You are right on track already with how your speech should go.  Keep it short! Also, your chances of messing up the speech goes down to about zero when you make yourself some notes.  It is very common for people to do this.  You can even write down the whole speech if you’d like.  Take some tips from the videos you see on YouTube.  There are hundreds of examples there!  It will leave you with some good do’s and don’ts.

Here is your basic rundown of your short speech:

1. Introduce yourself and say how you are related to the groom/bride
2. Thank the groom for asking you to be his best man – even if you are dreading this!
3. Tell a small anecdote about the groom and/or bride and groom OR you can describe their virtues and how great they are for each other.
4. Raise your glass and congratulate them!

You’re done.

And you can start breathing again.

Let us know how you got through your wedding toast!

- @BirdieBride

If you have a question for our bride, feel free to post a comment with your question or send a tweet to @GetEngaged

Should you choose to travel to Cancun you will enjoy deluxe accommodations for two at one of Cancun’s most popular resorts. Your luxury room will be steps away from some of the world’s most desired and beautiful beaches. Cancun’s tropical paradise offers you stunning beaches with silky smooth sugar-white sand, lapped by the turquoise & emerald waters of the Caribbean.

If you choose a 5 day Carnival Cruise of a lifetime you have three different itineraries to choose from. Your first choice is Carnival’s Western Caribbean cruise, departing from Miami, that sails to Key West & Cozumel. You can also choose a tropical cruise which departs from Port Canaveral & sails to the Bahamas, visiting popular ports of call such as Freeport & Nassau.

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On your cruise of choice, you will enjoy an all-inclusive vacation. The vacation includes all your food, exciting shipboard functions, restaurants, lounges, swimming pools, casinos and many other activities for you and your family to enjoy.

Don’t miss your chance to win,  join WereToGetEngaged.com today!

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This just in…

Where To Get Engaged, Inc. is proud to announce the addition of “Groups” functionality to the WhereToGetEngaged.com experience.  Users can now create open or closed groups around their favorite topics, vendors, brands, etc…

The group profile consists of information about the group, photos, a discussion wall, members and events.   It’s super quick and easy to create a new group as well as invite existing WhereToGetEngaged.com users and your friends and family that may not know about the site using the invitation module included with groups.  With this module, you can easily import contacts from a variety of e-mail providers and social networks!

Sign up for your free account and create a group in under 3 minutes!

To be eligible to win create your Couples Profile (complete with “Your Story”) and add your top 3 Benchmark Rings to your wish list.

Contest ends on June 1st, 2010.

Terms and Conditions

Check out the DIY kits. There are endless supplies of DIY kits out there.  In your crafty stores, in your chain stores, in your gift stores, and online.  There is an endless supply of them and doing it yourself can really save you money!  Before you consider this option, thoroughly do your research on the product.  And my suggestion is to buy more than you need.  You are bound to mess up on a couple (you’re human) and you don’t’ want to run out prematurely.

See what you can cut out. It’s tempting to load up on the paper when you’re ordering your invitations.  And I understand, you want everything to match.  Adding the menu, directions to the ceremony and reception, link to your wedding website, etc.  Really, the basics that you need are – the invitation page itself, the RSVP card, and the envelope for the RSVP card.

Check for hidden costs. They aren’t hidden when you ask about what each thing will cost you.  Even when you suspect it won’t.  Want a different color ink?  Want your return address printed on the envelope?  Ask about it!  Most likely, anything different than what you are presented as basic will be extra.  That includes a more sturdy paper or adding ribbon.  You don’t be sorry that you asked!

Let’s touch on some things that I don’t think are a good idea (personally).

Evites, emails, facebook invitations are certainly ways to cut out the cost of the paper invitation, but I don’t think we need to go that far.  I may be an old-fashioned gal, but I think that if you are sending out wedding invitations, it must be done through paper.  Keep in mind that this is most people’s first impression of your wedding – and we don’t want to send one that’s tacky.  You can jazz up an evite as much as possible, but it’s still going to come across as tacky. Try to avoid it.

Also, I think we can all agree that putting things inside the invitation that explode out (such as sparklies, sprinkles, confetti-like gems) not only cost you extra money, but it’s also a bit annoying for those opening it and now have a bunch of confetti to vacuum up.  If they are anything like me, it’s already too late because the dog has wolfed down the majority of whatever just fell out of your invitation.  It will likely cut a bit out of your expenses and a bit of annoyance from your guests.

Having trouble getting started? Check out our list of 290 wedding invitation vendors!  Click on “Plan the wedding,” then select the vendor category of invitations and search by state to find one near you!

How did you do your wedding invitations?  Let us know!  Leave a comment or talk to @GetEngaged!

- @BirdieBride