DIY Wedding Photo Booth

Wedding photo booths are getting to be so popular right now. I see them at every bridal expo I attend, plus our friends just had one at the last wedding we went to. It's fun to choose props and take silly photos with your date, your friends, and the bride and groom.

But what if you don't have the extra money to rent one? No worries. You can just create a DIY wedding photo booth. Yup, this is possible and actually a lot easier than you would think.

DIY Wedding Photo Booth

Choose a background.
You have a lot of options for this. If your venue has a brick wall, you can just go with that because it's easy (and already done for you).

If you don't have a nice wall at your venue, you can just choose one to dress up. Purchase a large piece of fun fabric for your backdrop and hang it behind where you are going to take photos. For an easier method, you can hang streamers in your wedding colors (we actually did this for a DIY photo booth we made for homecoming my senior year of high school). You can even purchase a personalized photo backdrop, if you want to go the DIY-ish route.

Get props.
You can pick up a photo booth props pack on Amazon for ridiculously cheap. Plus, shop in your own closet. Have any leftover boas from old Halloween costumes? Mardi Gras beads from who knows when? Funny hats from Kentucky Derby parties? Plus, you can go to the dollar store and pick up oversized glasses, wigs, and a bunch of other items. Set these up in a box or on a table close to your camera.

If you're a little more hands on, you can print clip are in various images (mustaches, lips, sayings, etc.) and attach them to wooden dowels from the hardware store (although, honestly, if I was making props, I would just attach them to bamboo skewers).

Set up your camera.
If you have a tripod, you're ahead of the game. If not, you'll want to purchase (or borrow) one. Same thing with a camera. If your only camera is the one on your phone, check out Borrow Lenses. You can actually, as the name implies, borrow camera equipment (cameras, lenses, tripods, backdrops, underwater packages, etc.). That way, if the only time you need a tripod is your wedding, you can rent it.

Have someone figure out where to stand in order to be in the shot and mark the ground there either with a taped "x" or box to stand on.

Super important: Make sure you have a fresh SD card in your camera. The worst thing would be your guests trying to take photos and not being able to because your camera card ran out of room.

If you don't want a digital camera because of the delay in getting the photos to your friends, you can always go with a Polaroid camera. Just be sure to stock up on lots of film.

Man the booth.
Have someone designated to be the photo taker or tell the guests to grab an extra friend to take their photos.

I was trying to figure out a way to have your guests use a wireless Bluetooth remote control but I can only find ones for cell phones, not cameras.

Send the photos to your friends.
After your wedding, be sure to upload your photos to somewhere your guests can access them (like Facebook) or email them to your guests who aren't as social media savvy.

BRIDAL BABBLE: What would you add to your DIY wedding photo booth?

Tips For Choosing Craft Beer For Your Wedding

This Choosing Craft Beer For Your Wedding post is written by Pete. For all his posts, check out this link.

Beer. It's necessary. Some would say that beer, in fact, makes life worth living and without it life would be a pointless waste of time. I would be one of them "some." For goodness sake it's noon on Sunday as I write this and I'm on my second beer.

If I was left to my own devices to determine the laws regarding beer consumption, distribution, and regulation, suffice to say there would in fact be no rules regarding beer consumption, distribution, and regulation. I would implement a "Social Darwinist" system where the rules would be abolished and it would be up to every human to fend for themselves; kill or be killed; drink beer or have your beer drank. But I digress.

Let's be honest: The best part of a wedding (for the guests) is alcohol. How many times have you been trapped in a church, falling asleep, feeling restless, and asking yourself "When is this part gonna be over so I can have a drink and bring da ruckus?" You then gaze all around to notice that the look on almost everyone else's face indicates that they are asking themselves that same question too. 

With the recent explosion of the craft beer movement, the types of beers and flavors you can offer at your wedding are infinitely fresh and exciting. Why limit yourself to having the old boring and flavorless two or three "choices" of beer -- usually the "Trinity Of Terribleness" as I like to call it: Bud Light, Coors Light, and Miller Light?

I use quotes because there is only the illusion of choice. It's really just "Hmm ... which beer-flavored water is the least horrible.?" In 2015, we actually have real choices to choose from thanks to craft beers.

Tips For Choosing Craft Beer For Your Wedding

Affiliate links are included in this post and A Bride On A Budget may make a small commission if you use them.

With this being said, there is a very good chance that some (maybe even many) of your wedding guests are into to this trend and would really appreciate having some exciting beer choices to choose from. Some may even brew themselves, and, with a subtle hint, may brew something yummy for your wedding.

(Lisa's side note: Be sure to ask your venue to see if you are allowed to bring in outside beverages. Some venues will allow this, others absolutely will not. So before your cousin decides to surprise you by brewing a keg for your wedding, make sure you are allowed to bring it into your venue.) 

The problem now is there are almost too many choices and many people don't even know where to start. It's not like liquor where you can just be like: vodka, whiskey, gin, done. With beer there are a vast multitude of styles. And to make things even more confusing, there is an amazing amount of variation within each style.

Speaking in the widest of generalities, in my experience, craft beer drinkers fall into two major categories: hop heads and those who can't stand the flavor of hops.

Hops are a very divisive and polarizing issue, so I think their abundance (or lack thereof) is a good place to lay out a simple plan on how you can choose great craft beers for your wedding. Now bear in mind, by choosing craft beer, you will not be isolating people who actually enjoy the "Trinity Of Terrible" (regardless of what they initially think). You will merely be giving them a high quality option that they will enjoy.

Case in point: I have a friend who is a die-hard fan of Bud Light and pretty much loathed the craft beer movement ... until he tried a Kolsch-style lager, the perfect craft substitute for any of the beers in the "Trinity Of Terrible." It was the perfect segue on the beer list.

You want to cover the major styles, and also keep in mind that when you do decide what beers styles you want, make sure to source them from the most local brewery you can find. This will ensure that you'll be getting the freshest beer possible and have the best beers at your wedding.

When choosing your beers, you can basically envision the process as choosing colors that range from light to dark, the lightest, least hoppy, and easiest to drink is a Kolsch. So there's choice number one. Moving down the scale, I would recommend the following:

Craft Beer For Your Wedding Recommendations

1. Kolsch

2. IPA (for the hop heads – look for a "session IPA")

3. Fruit beer (something sweet)

4. Dark beer (chocolate stouts always go over well)

How To Save On Beer For Your Wedding

Lisa here to chat a little bit about budget. Because, isn't everything really about budget when you're planning a wedding.

Figure out how much beer you need for a wedding

If you're trying to figure out how to save on beer for your wedding, you have to first determine how much beer you need for a wedding.

The general rule of thumb is account for one drink per person per hour. But honestly, I don't think that's quite accurate. For anyone over 50, sure. But in my experience, anyone under 30 is drinking closer to two drinks an hour. At least.

We had a five hour reception and I told everyone if they drank more than five drinks an hour, we won (based on the cost we paid for alcohol) and if they had less than five drinks an hour, the venue won. Our friends far surpassed that and we ended up making out on the cost.

So, my rule to estimate is 1.5 drinks per person for hour. It accounts for the more your friends will drink averaged with the less your grandma will drink. So, if you're having a five hour reception, that's 7.5 drinks per person, so round up or down depending on if you have a lot of younger or older guests.

Shop beer sales

If you're able to bring your own drinks into the venue (or if you're having a backyard wedding), you can stock up on beer when it's on sale to help save money. One of our local grocery stores has beer clearance all the time, and the beer is never expired. I'll pick it up for Pete to have at home, but if we were wedding planning, I would definitely pick it up for that.

Look for beer rebates

When we were in New York, we used to find a ton of beer rebates and we'd get free beer. We live in North Carolina now, which is really particular about this, but my parents live in Florida, which is a little more loose. So this is dependent on where you live.

But, there are cash back apps like Ibotta, which offer cash back on beer and wine all the time. And then there are sites like Beer Money Pro, which list the current (and future) beer rebates. You can break it down by state, which makes it really easy.

BRIDAL BABBLE: What craft beer is your favorite?

21 Wedding Traditions and Superstitions

When I was planning my wedding, I briefly thought about something old (my jewelry), something new (my dress), something borrowed (my garter and my jewelry), and something blue (my borrowed garter). I knew the poem, but didn't know why I really thought I should have those things.

Apparently, it has to do with an old tradition that, among another things, keeps a bride's fertility intact.

Who knew?

There are actually a ton of wedding traditions (like a sixpence in her shoe) and superstitions that I really didn't know anything about. This infographic covers 21 Wedding Traditions and Superstitions (well, it's 21 plus a bonus one at the end). It's a fun read!

Created by GiftBasketsOverseas.com.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Which of these wedding traditions and superstitions would you add to your wedding?

Bohemian Wedding Invitation Ideas

I was on Pinterest the other night, pinning bohemian wedding ideas. A boho wedding would be so much fun. It's all paisleys and pinks and flower crowns and flow-y dresses and soleless sandals. It's very airy and whimsy and float-y -- which is not a real word, according to spell check, but it should be. Float-y is the best way to describe a bohemian wedding (and those devices that keep you afloat in the pool when you're a kid. Flow-y, also not a word says spell check, is my second favorite word for boho weddings. Anyway ... ).

I was inspired to put together a list of eight bohemian wedding invitation ideas. Why eight? Because, like the infinity symbol, it flows around and around forever.

Bohemian Wedding Invitation Ideas

1. Paisley Cyngalese Wedding Invitation
2. Rustic Floral Boho Wedding Invitations
3. Rose Garden Letterpress Wedding Invitations
4. Boheme Wedding Invitations
5. Painted Paisley Party Invitations
6. Elegant Fall Bohemian Autumn Wedding Invitation
7. Boho Bohemian Feather Blue And Green Invitation
8. Bohemian Lace Letterpress Wedding Invitations

If you're planning a boho wedding, be sure to take a look at our bohemian wedding Pinterest board.

Don't forget, if you're still deciding on your wedding invitations, samples can help. Get a free invitation from MagnetStreet plus eight samples from Wedding Paper Divas.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Which of these bohemian wedding invitation ideas is your favorite?

Spooky S'mores Favors

This post is from last year, but I wanted to repost it because Halloween is coming and you have time still to make these s'mores favors.

I love s'mores. They're such a fun campfire treat. It wasn't until I was on Pinterest that I considered them a wedding idea. I found a pin that had a ton of sternos lined up and guests were roasting marshmallows. 

So fun.

But how great would it be to actually make cute s'mores favors. I put together this super fun (and really cheap) DIY for spooky s'mores favors. And if you make it, please, invite me to your wedding.

Spooky S'mores Favors 

I used ghost Peeps for the marshmallow because it's fall and that's so fitting with Halloween around the corner. But you can buy heart-shaped Peeps and make these anytime.

What You'll Need:

• Graham crackers
• Peeps
• Hershey's bar
• Cellophane treat bags
• Black and white baker's twine
• Scissors

What You'll Do:

Crack a graham cracker in half and put it in a cellophane bag.

Crack a Hershey's bar in half and put one half into the bag on top of the crackers.

Place one Peep on top of the chocolate.

Tie it with a piece of twine (clearly, the ghost was hiding from my chipped nail polish).

You're done. 

How cute is he?

So cute that he needed a friend.

BRIDAL BABBLE: If you were making these s'mores favors, what shape of Peeps would you choose?

Need more Halloween wedding favors?
Check out our post: Halloween Wedding Favor Ideas.

Feed Your Wedding Vendors

We were barely into wedding planning when I was having a conversation with my friend Nicole. I told her I had cuff links for Pete and we had decided to have a band, not a DJ.

"You know you have to feed them, right?" she said.

"Who?" I asked.

It was the beginning of our process. I really didn't know anything about wedding planing, so I didn't know that you are supposed to feed your wedding vendors. Did you know this? If not, let me tell you. Feed your wedding vendors.

The ones who are actually working for your venue -- like your caterers and bartenders -- you don't need to feed them. But your photographer who is with you from 11am to 11pm, you should feed her. Let her put the camera down for a little so she can eat. And heck, she'll probably even take a few photos of her food for your wedding album, so you win.

Your DJ is one mouth to feed while a band can be six. If you can't afford to feed six people, maybe you should lean towards a DJ. Because not feeding your band is really not an option. Imagine a band that has been playing for hours without having any food. They'll get tired, sluggish, and not give the best performance.

If you have a limo driver on call -- one who is sitting in your venue's parking lot in case Aunt Sally needs to go back to the hotel early or if the best man really needs to go to the store and buy some 5 Hour Energy Shots -- you better feed him. Sure, he could pack a PB&J and eat it in the limo while he's sitting there during the reception, but come on. Let's be real here. Serve the guy some dinner.

A general rule of thumb: If this vendor stays at your venue (and doesn't work for the venue) feed them. Don't feed the banquet manager but do feed the videographer. If a vendor just does their thing then leaves your venue (like the florist or church organist), don't feed them.

Yes, this adds a little bit to your budget, but let's be honest. Do you do your best work when you're hangry? No. And neither will your wedding vendors.

Many vendors may state in their contracts that meals are required. If not, tell your vendors you will be feeding them. It will make them happy -- and you'll be doing the right thing. Then, let your venue know how many vendor meals you want. Many venues will give you a discount on them (since your vendors aren't drinking alcohol) but will serve the same meal your guests are getting.

We fed all our vendors, plus had a table set for just them in our ballroom. It was just a nice extra thank you to show how much we appreciated them.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Did you know you have to feed your vendors?

What about tipping?
Find out who you have to tip in our post here.

Everything You Need To Know About Flower Girls

Last week, I wrote a long post about ring bearers. It was a pretty comprehensive list that answered any questions you might have (or haven't even had yet). I told you I'd be back with a post about everything you need to know about flower girls. Lucky for you, I'm back with that post right now.

Just like the ring bearer post, this will answer any question you might have about those cute little kids who will be walking down the aisle before you. I tried to match up the questions with the post about the boys to make this process as simple as possible for you.

Everything You Need To Know About Flower Girls

Do you have to have a flower girl?
You don't. We actually didn't have one. We don't have any young nieces or female godchildren, so we skipped this. It's your wedding. If you want a flower girl, go right ahead and have one. If you don't want one, skip it (and, well, you could probably skip the rest of this post too actually).

Who do you ask?
Just like with a ring bearer, you want to ask a flower girl's parents. Mom and dad will be able to let you know if the little girl will be able to make it down the aisle sans hysterics. If you ask the little girl first, then mom and dad say no, that's a whole different set of hysterics. You, as the adult, can't have that same meltdown if mom and dad say no.

Now, who, exactly, should be your flower girl? A good way to go is to keep it in the family. If you have a niece, female goddaughter, young female cousin, best friend's daughter, your own daughter, those are good places to start. But, it's up to you. If you love your friend's daughter, go ahead and ask her. And if you love your grandma, ask your grandma to be your flower girl.

How old should the flower girl be?
If you read our ring bearer post, my age range for that was birth to about 11. For flower girls, that sort of squeezes in a little. The high range is the same. Once you get to 12, you're more of a junior bridesmaid. But the low range is hard.

For a ring bearer, you can stick a newborn in a tuxedo onesie and have someone carry him down the aisle. But that doesn't exactly work for a flower girl since she's sort of expected to toss petals down the aisle. Three is a really good age for this, but two works too. I was around that age when I was in my aunt's wedding, though, and my mom was so busy that she forgot to feed me so walking down the aisle was nearly impossible and tossing petals was basically out of the question. So kids can have meltdowns. Just ask my aunt.

What does she wear?
Usually, she wears a white dress, similar in style to the bride's dress. They're pretty much in wedding dresses and it is absolutely the most adorable thing ever. Seriously. Seeing a little girl in a mini wedding dress will make your ovaries scream for a daughter.

These can get expensive, so you should offer to help the flower girl's parents out with the cost. And if you can't (because, let's face it, you're paying for a full wedding), go with a department store dress or let the flower girl wear something she may already have (like a communion dress, perhaps).

What does she do?
She walks down the aisle, generally with a cute flower girl basket, and tosses petals. Or doesn't throw petals. You have to pay for those petals, so maybe you'd rather have her carry a cute sign down the aisle instead.

Before you pay for anything, though, tell your church or venue about your plans. See, our priest wouldn't allow us to have a flower girl who tossed petals because there was no one available to clean them up before Saturday night mass.

Should she come to the rehearsal?
Absolutely. Tell her parents what she'll be doing at the wedding (throwing petals, just walking, etc.) and they can practice with her before the wedding. Then, have her go through it at the rehearsal the day before the wedding. That way, she will have it down on your wedding day.

And, just as I suggested with the ring bearer, you might want to ask one of the flower girl's parents to stand at the end of the aisle so she can walk to them after walking down the aisle.

When does she walk?
Right before the bride. So, quick rundown of the aisle walking order: mothers of the bride and groom (with their attendants), bridesmaids, maid of honor, ring bearer, flower girl, bride and her dad.

What should you do to thank her?
Definitely get her a thank you present. Something sparkly, like a cute flower girl bracelet, is always nice. You might also want to grab her a toy too. Maybe an American Doll? They're so popular with little girls.

Should she come to the reception?
She should be invited, but if she attends should be up to her mom and dad. Let them decide if they want to party with or without her.

If they decide she's old enough to come, ask your venue if they can offer a kids meal. Many venues will charge you less for kids, plus will offer something kid-friendly, like chicken fingers.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Are you having flower girls at your wedding?

What about a ring bearer?
Check out our Everything You Need To Know About Ring Bearers post.

Why Does A Guy Drag His Heels On Proposing?

This post is written by Pete. For all his posts, check out this link.

Hey! Shhhh ... wait ... listen ... do you hear that? Kinda sounds like a scratching sound or something ... oh wait! Look! It's the sound of another person dragging their heels. I think it's safe to say that most couples know the story: Two people meet, start hanging out, then start dating, then start living together, then start driving each other insane because one is neat and organized and the other is a slob who scatters every single thing they own all over your common living space, then the old "we've been living together for (insert time here), where is this going?" or at least some permutation of that scenario. Regardless of the specifics, I think it is safe to say that many relationships follow that trajectory, and most, if not all, include one person in the relationship getting antsy about when the other will "pop the big question."

I will fully admit that until recently I was pretty jerky and obtuse when it came to this topic. My thinking was "Ah Christ man, gimmie a break, we're living together, what's the goddamn difference? Seriously, what difference does a round piece of metal and a piece of paper to prove our love make?"

Before you pass judgment and toss me in a cell with the rest of the selfish boys in your mind, let me just tell you that my outlook has changed ... a little. You see, I had to cross over to the other side of life, the married side, in order to be able to look back and examine how I got to where I'm at. And in doing so I've had a number of "Ah ha!" (aka "Oh damn I was a real selfish jackass") moments. Actually, I guarantee I have had dozens of these moments recently that hindsight will reveal very soon.

So today, let's examine the issue through the eyes of people on both sides and find out why some people drag their heels when it comes to popping the question to the one they love. First the "guy's" side. Notice the word guy's is in quotes. I do this because I will use this word from here on in as a pejorative term that refers to the traditional style of thinking women apply to men. Being cognizant of the fact that a marriage can exist between members of the same sex, in my experience there is always one person in a same-sex relationship who will assume the role of the "guy," so the following discourse uses the word guy's as a way of thinking, and does not refer to one's gender. I know of many women who think like a "guy," and many men who do not and instead are programmed to think in a more "womanly" manner.

Now, for those of you who haven't noticed, a man's mind is quite simple. Something is or it is not. It operates in accordance with a linear stimulus/response protocol that exists in a world that is black and white. Evolutionarily speaking, this is an asset -- but when it comes to more complicated decisions this line of thinking can be problematic. Decisions are made based on whether or not the issue in question is pleasurable or not. The end. Some call it selfish; I call it efficient. With that being said, when one applies this to the concept of marriage, a guy views marriage as something that is an unnecessary step. This is proven when such lines as "We live together, and that's the same thing as being married" are muttered. And in a way, guys are right. The highest form of dedication and commitment is to take the large step of two people sharing the same living space. Why spend thousands upon thousands of dollars buying rings and planning and conducting an elaborate and potentially stressfully planning a ceremony just to prove what we already know?

Now for the women's side. Now for those of you who haven't noticed, a woman's mind is far more convoluted. It consists of mazes that have no ending, exists in three dimensions, and is cast in a wide array of colors, some of which science has not even named yet. Connections are made between events that have occurred and statements made by others that may or may not be real. A woman's thinking can at times appear to give them a sort of sixth "sense" that can read things into a situation that may or may not exist. For a woman, marriage is something much greater and profound than just sharing a living space. From what I can gather from my research on these strange, confusing, and mysterious creatures, marriage appears to be more of a "divine promise" or something. The "ultimate proof" that you love them, despite the fact that many marriages end in divorce, hence making those a colossal waste of money.

A guy will many times hear the words: Where this is going? The "this" in that elusive and confounding statement refers to the relationship as it exists in an unmarried state. It is uttered when a woman feels as if the relationship in its unmarried state has gone on for longer than she is comfortable with and feels that the "next step" (aka marriage) needs to be taken. This amount of time varies from woman to woman, but rest assured that most guys will hear these words at some point. It is as this point that an invisible clock begins ticking and the guy now has a finite amount of time to initiate the marriage process by purchasing a ring and surprising his significant other with some sort of creative proposal. "This," to a woman is the first step towards proving that you love her. Never mind the fact that you live together, share each other's hard earned money, pay for your living expenses together, have probably taken expensive trips together, and put up with each other's strange and sometimes downright disgusting living habits. To her, it's buying a ring that beings to prove your eternal dedication.

I dunno about you, but as far as my understanding can lead me to believe, it appears as if dragging one's heels is a natural and completely understandable outcome of a situation like this. An arrangement like this (where each person has such differing views) puts undue pressure on a guy. When he is pressured, he cannot think clearly and make good, objective decisions. I believe that once he can truly think for himself and come to a personal understanding on what marriage means, his heel dragging will stop.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Do you have any advice for women who are waiting for a proposal?

Everything You Need To Know About Ring Bearers

Ring bearers and flower girls are so adorable. It's so cute to see little kids all dressed up on your wedding day. And there are such fantastic photos of the bride and groom and the ring bearer and flower girls that you can't have without them. But there are a few key things you need to keep in mind when you have these little people in your wedding party. We have a whole post about flower girls soon, but for now, this one is going to focus on everything you need to know about ring bearers.

Everything You Need To Know About Ring Bearers

Do you have to have a ring bearer?
Nope. If you don't want one or have no one to ask, you don't have to have one. It's like any part of your wedding. It's your wedding so you can do what you want. The only real things you have to have are someone to marry and someone ordained to perform the ceremony.

Who do you ask?
Don't just blurt out to a young kid that he is going to be your ring bearer. You need to consult with his mom and dad first. They know their kid well enough to figure out if he will make it down the aisle without a meltdown. If the parents say no, then it's a no.

But who, specifically, should be your ring bearer? There's no real rule on this, but this is a way to include more family members into the bridal party. So if you or your fiance have a nephew, go with him. Or maybe your favorite cousin has a young son. Or maybe you have a young cousin. Or a godson. Really, there are a lot of possibilities. Weddings are about bringing families together and getting them involved, so you can use your ring bearer to add more family to your wedding party.

How old should the ring bearer be?
There's a age window of when kids are considered to be ring bearer age. Birth to about 11 fits into the ring bearer bracket. At 12, you fall into a junior groomsman age. This, of course, is just a rough guide. I mean, if you want to ask your grandpa to be your ring bearer, that's totally cool. Go right ahead. But for the most part, you'll probably stick with anyone younger than 12.

But the window between one and two can be really hard. If you pick an infant, you can always ask his parent to carry him down the aisle in a tuxedo onesie. That's cute. But around one, there's a change the boy won't make it down the aisle on his own. And at two, there's a chance he will throw a fit the morning of and not even attempt to go down the aisle. Once you get to three, kids are a little more agreeable so it's a little easier.

What does he wear?
It's a little crazy to ask your ring bearer's parents to rent him a tuxedo to match the groomsmen. Instead, let his parents know what color the groomsmen are wearing. Chances are, they'll feel much better abut picking up a pair of matching pants (that the kid can wear until he outgrows them, then can pass them on as hand me downs) instead of renting a pair for a few hours.

If you have something special with the tuxedos (like, with us, Pete was wearing a bow tie and all his groomsmen were wearing long ties), let the ring bearer's parents know. That way, he won't come dressed in a bow tie and throw off your plans.

What does he do?
This one was a shock to me. I thought the ring bearer carried the rings down the aisle on the ring bearer pillow. Nope. When we met with our priest, he told us that the ring bearer may trip (or just be playing with the pillow), the rings fall off, and now there's a break in the wedding to search for rings. If you tie the rings onto the pillow to avoid them from potentially rolling down the aisle, now the priest (or officiant) has to try to hold a book to conduct the ceremonies, then channel his inner boy scout to undo whatever knot you tied to keep the rings on the pillow.

Instead, tie a pair of fake rings onto the pillow and if they fall, they wedding continues without a hiccup.

Should he come to the rehearsal?
Absolutely. You should ask his parents to explain to him what he will be doing at your wedding, and it will be nice for him to have a run through at the rehearsal. That way, he will be familiar with the aisle he is walking down.

Also, you might want to ask one of his parents to stand at the end of the aisle (if he is younger) so you can tell your ring bearer to walk right to them.

Our ring bearer pillow that Pete's sister sewed herself because she is amazing.

When does he walk?
Before the flower girls and after the maid of honor. So, quick rundown of the aisle walking order: mothers of the bride and groom (with their attendants), bridesmaids, maid of honor, ring bearer, flower girl, bride and her dad.

What should you do to thank him?
You will have to get your ring bearer a thank you present, but a little boy doesn't want cufflinks. I made ours a personalized frame on CafePress, then picked up a toy (we actually got the Battroborg Arena, which was a huge hit with our ring bearer and his brother).

Should he come to the reception?
That's really up to his parents. I know it's your wedding, but that's not your decision to make. If you are having a ring bearer in your bridal party, you should invite him to the reception. If his parents think he is too young (or if they would rather not bring him), let them decide that.

If he does come to the reception, be sure to talk to your venue about offering a kids meal. Many venues will charge you a lesser price for kids and won't charge for alcohol, so be sure to let your venue know.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Are you having ring bearers at your wedding?

Need a Ring Bearer Gift Idea?

Top 10 Ring Bearer Gift Ideas