How to Set Up a Wedding-Day Gift Swap with Your Fiancé

Photo: Clane Gessel Photography
 

Your wedding day can fly by in a blur of joyful and emotional moments, which can make taking a beat to relax with your hubby a challenge. When you're constantly surrounded by well-wishers, there is barely a moment to soak in the celebration let alone exchange wedding gifts. Our etiquette experts weigh in on how to set up a gift swap during the matrimonial madness. 



Make sure to choose a moment when your husband can really savor the gift. Weddings are notoriously frenzied affairs, so try to select a time before the chaos begins to present your guy with his gift. Many couples choose to courier gifts via bridesmaids or groomsmen just before the ceremony, when both parties are dressed and ready for the day. Alternatively, bestowing a gift on your husband after the reception is a perfect way to wind down after a long day of celebration, and allow him to fully appreciate the gesture. If you anticipate exhaustion foiling your gift exchange post-nuptials, set aside a personal moment between the ceremony and reception when you and your husband can take a beat away from the crowd. Not only will you be able to take a breath and focus on your new husband, the act of giving him a gift will be all the more significant considering the vows you made mere moments earlier.

18 Honest Photos That Show What The Wedding Night Is Actually Like

People often have a romanticized notion of what the wedding night is like. Newsflash: It isn't all rose petals, orgasms and fancy champagne.

Recently, we asked our readers to send us a photo that more accurately represents what the night after the wedding was like for them. Some couples chose In-N-Out over pricey room service. Others opted for a peaceful night in their own bed instead of a night at a swanky hotel. And guess what? They still said it was perfect.

 

Courtesy of Gina Toth

 

"On the way back to our hotel, we were starving since we didn't have ANYTHING at our wedding except some cake. Californian tradition, and it was perfect."

 

 

Courtesy of Ashley Dowdy 

 

"My husband took this picture at 3 in the morning when we finally left the after-party at our hotel. This pretty much sums up the last 24 hours." 

 

Courtesy of Julia Greenstein

 

"After partying with friends and family until about 3:30 a.m., we finally made it back up to our room and found this on our mirror from the best man and maid of honor!" 

 

 

Courtesy of Kristen M. Dennis 

 

"Playing around at the Surf and Sand Hotel." 

 

Courtesy of Dr. DeAndrea Matthews 

 

"The only photo from the wedding night. My husband running my bath water." 

 

 

Courtesy of Veronica Rios-Campos and Richie Campos 

 

"We were still so wound up from the evening, but I did not have enough energy to even get out of my wedding dress or take my hair stuff out. We sat and read all the well wishes and sipped on hot cocoa in our new 'Mr. and Mrs.' mugs." 

 

 

 

 Courtesy of Micah and Karen Kronjaeger

 

"After a monsoon washed out roads and a bridge, two-thirds of our friends were not able to make it because it was so flooded. These were the first things out of our pockets: his wallet, phone, pocket knife and my veil with ALL bobby pins and bouquet. And hello mother-in-law on hubby's phone. It's the epitome of our married life."

 

 

Courtesy of Heather McKenzie 

 

"My husband ordering at the drive-thru at Hardee's the night of our wedding. We were starving."

Courtesy of Mercedes Mondragon

 

"We didn't have a fancy wedding, it was in my parents' backyard so we had no bridal suite. After the wedding we slept for the first time in our freshly rented apartment, so there was a lot to do. This collage is a picture of us dancing and later him arranging the living room, me sleeping and our first not-so-fancy breakfast as a married couple. It's not the normal wedding night but we loved it!"

 

 

Courtesy of Dave Cummings

 

"Me rapping LL Cool J's 'Mama Said Knock You Out' after the reception was over. I rapped and her parents still like me." 

 

 

Courtesy of Tara and Al Belmondo

 

"After our wedding reception was over, my feet were killing me! My hubby carried me upstairs to our suite!"

 

 

Christina Iafrate 

 

"We decided to cancel our hotel room next to the hall so we could go home and sleep in our own bed. My husband had a few drinks so I drove home in my giant wedding dress!" 

 

 

Courtesy of Carissa Jensen

 

"My husband and I were married while on safari in Tanzania. Afterwards our guide arranged a campfire beneath the full moon." 

 

 

Courtesy of Karen and David 

 

"After the wedding when we came back to our house. He carried me across the threshold." 

 

 

Courtesy of Kaelyn Row

 

"My husband took a bubble bath in our hotel room solo! I didn't want to mess up my hair for brunch the next day." 

 

 

Courtesy of Sara Stanford 

 

"We never dress up and I think we were pretty smitten with not only each other, but ourselves! After we finally put our phones down, we got into jammies and watched 'Seinfeld' in Spanish and fell asleep by midnight. It was perfect." 

 

 

Courtesy of Elizabeth Colvin

 

"My husband and I spent the rest of the day and night celebrating our daughter's first birthday after we surprised everyone and got married at the backyard party!" 

 

 

Nicole Ruffo 

 

"Tired after a long day."

 

 

 

Courtesy of Colleen Temple

 

"Right when we got back to our room. Partied out!"

36.......

Happy Birthday to.... ME! 

15 Things Every Bride Thinks the Night Before Her Wedding

Photo: Getty Images
 

No matter if your wedding-planning philosophy is to keep calm and carry on or to spend every post-work minute perfecting your seating chart, the morning of your wedding is a frenetic and exhilarating time for even the most zen brides. When a bride's mind is racing before her nuptials, here are fifteen thoughts to emerge from the mayhem.

1. “Did I remember to pay the caterer?”

2. “I hope my fiancé loves my dress as much as I do. What if he doesn't?”

3. “I wonder what would happen if I tripped walking down the aisle.”

4. “I must not trip walking down the aisle.”

5. “What do I say when the officiant asks me to repeat after him?”

6. “Where are my vows? What did I write in my vows?”

7. “Tomorrow is the most important day of my life thus far. I sure hope it lives up to expectations.”

8. “I wonder if my fiancé has a case of cold feet. On second thought, I wonder if I have cold feet.”

9. “I'm making a lifelong commitment for the first time today. And I thought signing the lease on my first car was a big deal.”

10. “Someday, I bet my husband and I will laugh about how nervous we were to walk down the aisle.”

11. “I hope I don't tear up. Did I remember to use waterproof mascara?”

12. “I can't wait to see the finalized reception space. Is it too early to sneak a peek?”

13. “Diving into that wedding cake after months of shunning sweets will be heaven.”

14. “I wonder if my fiancé will cry when he first sees me at the end of the aisle.”

15. “I can't believe I get to marry my best friend tomorrow.”

10 Completely Brilliant Wedding Hacks You Definitely Need to Know

If you're hoping for a stress-free wedding (who isn't?!), you'll need a well-stocked emergency kit by your side...and a few hacks up your sleeve! Here are 10 super-smart wedding hacks that will help you get down the aisle in one piece.

 

1. Planning to tie the knot in a park or on the beach? Stock up on veil weights NOW. If you're having an outdoor wedding (or at least planning to take some photos outside), attach little weights to your veil to keep it from blowing around in the wind.

 

From Hair Comes the Bride; Veil from Nordstrom via Lover.ly

 

2. Use Jetaport to make booking hotel rooms for your guests a cinch. If you're trying to find the best group accommodations, we've made it way easier to book hotel rooms for your guests. It's fast and completely free!

 

 

Photo by Erin Johnson on Inspired By This via Lover.ly

 

3. Get a 2-3 tier cake for display/cutting and then serve guests from a sheet cake that's hidden in the kitchen. This will allow you to have a beautiful cake without going way over budget.

 

 

Photo by Lisa Hessel Photography on Every Last Detail via Lover.ly

 

4. Set up a separate email address to use for all wedding correspondence. Being organized is the key to any successful wedding. Bonus: you and your partner can use it for shared bills after you're married. It's a win-win, really.

 

 

Photo by Lover.ly

 

5. Ask the post office to "hand cancel" your invitations. This means that instead of running your invites through a machine, they'll use a special ink stamp to mark your invitation and then sort it by hand. That reduces the risk of damaging those pretty envelopes you painstakingly picked out.

 

 

Photo by Laura Ann Miller Photography on Every Last Detail via Lover.ly

 

6. Number the back of all your RSVP cards. Put a tiny number on the back of each card and then number your guest list accordingly. If guests don't write their name on the cards (or their writing is illegible), you'll still be able to figure out whose it is!

 

 

Photo by Michelle March on Glamour & Grace via Lover.ly

 

7. Have your bra sewn into your dress. You'll have a lot to think about on your wedding day, so make sure your strapless bra isn't one of them. If you have your seamstress sew your bra of choice into your gown, you won't have to worry about your it peeking out at inopportune moments.

 

 

Photo by Catherine Mead Photography on Bridal Musings via Lover.ly

 

8. If you spill red wine on your dress, dump a pile of table salt on the stain right away. The salt will help draw out a good amount of the wine right away, and you can have the remaining stain professionally treated later.

 

 

Photo by Lisa Mallory Photography on Heart Love Weddings via Lover.ly

 

9. If you want to wear stilettos for your outdoor wedding, slip on heel protectors. Walking down the aisle without tripping is hard enough, so make your life easier with these little guys. They increase the surface of the base of the heel, so you won't sink into the grass.

 

 

From Solemates

 

10. Freeze the top tier of your cake uncovered for about 20 minutes before wrapping it in foil. If you're planning on eating your cake on your first anniversary, make sure you can actually enjoy it! This trick will prevent any icing from sticking to the foil when you wrap it and stick it in the freezer.

 

 

Photo by Erich McVey on Wedding Chicks via Lover.ly

10 Traditional Touches to Work Into Your Wedding

There's nothing quite like a classic wedding. From the timeless details to traditional touches, these are the ceremonies that are as stunning today as they will be twenty years from now. So if you're a bride-to-be with a passion for the perennial, here are a few of our favorite elements that will make your wedding truly one for the ages.

 

A long veil: There's nothing so quintessentially bridal as the cathedral veil.

 

Photo by Erin Rene Photography on Southern Weddings via Lover.ly

 

A beautiful bouquet: We love the look of a classic bouquet, with its stunning florals, sweet colors, and sophisticated shape.

 

Photo by Sylvie Gil Photography on Magnolia Rouge via Lover.ly

 

A gorgeous gown: Pink dresses may be on point right now, but a formal, floor-length dress in white has staying power like nothing else. When you look back on your wedding photos in thirty or forty year, you won't regret rocking a more traditional dress.

 

Photo by Jamie Delaine on Rustic Wedding Chic via Lover.ly

 

A fatherly send-off: While the reasoning behind your father "giving you away" may be a bit antiquated, the notion is quite sweet. After your emotional walk down the aisle with dear ol' dad, ask him to say something nice to your partner, shake his hand, and then give you a kiss before heading back to his seat. The photo op is reason enough to embrace this tradition!

 

Photo by Reichman Photography on The Lovely Find via Lover.ly

 

Bridesmaids in black: A black and white color palette will definitely stand the test of time, so have your ladies rock some black dresses for a classy touch.

 

Photo by Meg Baisden Photography on Every Last Detail via Lover.ly

 

Fabulous flower girls and rad ring bearers: Kids can really enhance your ceremony, so bring on the little ladies and gentlemen!

 

Photo by Kristen Weaver Photography on Style Unveiled via Lover.ly

 

Have some aisle style: From the aisle runner to the subtle yet totally stunning floral details, make a traditional statement with your aisle decor.

 

Photo by Simply Bloom on The Brides Cafe via Lover.ly

 

Timeless tablescapes: A pretty table gets us every time. Metallic accents and pretty petals are sure to get your guests talking for all the right reasons.

 

Photo by Aaron Delesie on Inspired By This via Lover.ly

 

A classic cake: The most timeless pieces make a statement without too much fuss, so keep your cake simple and sophisticated. Understated white detailing will definitely do the trick.

 

Photo by Cory McCune Photography on Wedding Chicks via Lover.ly

 

Getaway in Style: A vintage car (complete with cans and a "just married" sign) is the perfect way to ride off into the night as newlyweds.

 

Photo by Katie Stoops Photography on Inspired By This via Lover.ly

 

Keep it traditional with more ideas for a classic wedding on Lover.ly!