What Is a Trilogy Ring ?
A trilogy ring is an engagement (or anniversary) ring with three stones set in a row across the band, usually a center stone flanked by two slightly smaller ones. Most couples read the three stones as the past, present, and future of their relationship. I’ve helped plenty of couples shop for one, so here’s the […]
What Is a Grand Entrance at a Wedding ?
A grand entrance is the moment you and your new spouse are formally announced into your reception, usually with your wedding party walking in ahead of you. The DJ or emcee says your names, the music comes up, your guests cheer, and the party officially starts. I’ve run this moment at well over a hundred […]
What Is a Promise Ring vs Engagement Ring ?
A promise ring and an engagement ring both say “I’m committed to you” — but they’re not the same promise. An engagement ring marks a formal proposal: you’ve agreed to marry, and a wedding is coming. A promise ring is softer and more open-ended. It signals love, exclusivity, or an intention to marry someday, with […]
What Is an Elopement ?
An elopement is a small, intentional wedding where a couple marries with few or no guests, often just the two of them plus an officiant and a witness or two. The word used to mean a secret, run-off-to-Vegas marriage, but that is not what most couples mean by it today. I have planned more than […]
What Is a Common Law Marriage ?
A common law marriage is a legally valid marriage that a couple creates without a marriage license, a ceremony, or an officiant. In the small group of states that still allow it, you are married if you have the legal capacity to marry, you both agree right now that you are married, and you live […]
What Is the 1st Anniversary Gift ?
The 1st anniversary gift is paper. That’s the traditional symbol for one year of marriage, and the modern version of the list pairs it with clocks. After a decade of helping couples mark their milestones, I’ll tell you the same thing I tell them: the material is just a prompt. What makes a first-anniversary gift […]
What Is the 25th Anniversary Gift ?
If you’re shopping for a 25th wedding anniversary, the answer is refreshingly simple: it’s silver. The quarter-century mark is the silver anniversary, and unlike most years, the traditional gift, the modern gift, and the official color all land on the same thing. Here’s exactly what that means, where the tradition comes from, and the silver […]
What Is a Ring Bearer ?
A ring bearer is the young member of the wedding party who carries the rings down the aisle during the ceremony. The role usually goes to a child between three and eight, though there are no hard rules about who can do it. I’ve planned more than 200 weddings across the Carolinas and the East […]
What Is a Flower Girl ?
A flower girl is a young child — most often a girl between 3 and 8 years old — who walks down the aisle just ahead of the bride during the wedding processional, scattering flower petals along the way. It’s one of the oldest and most recognizable roles in a Western wedding, and also one […]
What Does a Matron of Honor Mean ?
A matron of honor is a married woman who serves as the bride’s chief attendant — the lead of the wedding party. The only thing that sets her apart from a maid of honor is one detail: she’s married. Same honor, same duties, different title. Here’s the full picture I give the brides I work […]