What Is the 10th Anniversary Gift ?
The 10-year anniversary gift is tin or aluminum on the traditional list, and diamond on the modern one. Tin and aluminum stand for a marriage that’s strong but flexible — pliable enough to bend without breaking after a decade. Diamond, the modern pick, stands for something that came through pressure and turned brilliant. In my […]
What Is a Dowry
A dowry is money, property, or goods that a bride’s family gives to the groom or his family at the time of marriage. It is one of the oldest marriage customs on record, and it still shapes weddings in parts of the world today. The couples I work with usually run into the word in […]
Do Men Wear Engagement Rings?
Yes, men wear engagement rings, and more of the grooms I work with are choosing one every year. There is no etiquette rule that reserves the engagement ring for the bride. It has simply been the Western norm for a few generations, and norms are not the same thing as rules. Whether a man wears […]
How Much Does It Cost to Change Your Name?
If you’re changing your name after getting married, the cost is almost always lower than you expect — most of my brides spend somewhere between $0 and $50 in fees they couldn’t avoid. That’s because a married-name change doesn’t require a court order at all: your marriage certificate is the legal proof, and agencies like […]
What to Write in a Bridal Shower Card ?
You’ve got the gift wrapped, the card open in front of you, and now the blank space is staring back. Here’s the good news after planning 200+ weddings: a bridal shower card doesn’t need to be long or clever. It needs to sound like you. Below are 25 messages you can copy, tweak, or use […]
How Much Do Engagement Rings Cost ?
The average engagement ring in the US costs about $4,600 today, according to The Knot’s most recent survey of more than 10,000 married couples. After helping plan over 200 weddings, I can tell you that number surprises people in both directions. Some expected to spend twice as much. Others assumed a “real” ring started at […]
How to Wear Your Wedding and Engagement Ring?
The short version: in the US, both rings are traditionally worn on the fourth finger of the left hand, with the wedding band closest to your heart and the engagement ring stacked above it. That’s the convention. But after standing next to more than 200 couples while they exchanged rings, I can tell you the […]
What Does a Maiden Name Mean ?
A maiden name is the family surname a person carried before marriage, usually the last name they were born with and used until they took a spouse’s name. The term most often describes a woman’s birth surname, though the meaning has widened as more couples rethink the old name-change script. From planning over 200 weddings […]
When to Send Save the Dates ?
Send your save the dates 6 to 8 months before the wedding for a local celebration, and 8 to 12 months out for a destination wedding, a holiday weekend, or any date that means most of your guests will be traveling. That is the short version, and for most of the couples I plan for, […]
What Is a Spouse? Meaning, Origin & Definition
A spouse is your partner in a marriage: your husband or wife, or simply the person you are legally married to, regardless of gender. The word covers either half of a married couple, which is exactly why it stays so useful when “husband” or “wife” feels too narrow or too formal. After helping more than […]