You might think the purpose of a wedding show is to appease giddy brides-to-be by engulfing them in a plethora of wedding planning mayhem. Well... you're right. That's exactly what a wedding show is, but that doesn't mean wedding shows are off-limits to dude fun. Take it from me, a guy that actually survived a wedding show - you might just enjoy it.

I'm not saying you need to set up a MAN DATE with a chilled chardonnay in personalized wine glasses just in time for the afternoon fashion show (although, there was some hot talent that was worth eyeing.) Honestly, there's cool stuff to see and do, but you've got to know what you're looking for. Use this step-by-step guide to keep you safe and sane as you enter the bridezilla gauntlet.

How to Survive a Wedding Show

Step 1: Go Sober

The night before, do not slug down two pitchers of beer and some mystery "red drink" as you bitch about the impending death of your manhood - like I did until 2 am.

Step 2: Prepare to Eat!

The best freakin' part of wedding shows are the free samples. We're not even talking Costco ham-on-a-toothpick samples. This is the big leagues. There were hors d'oeuvres as far as the eye can see. Crazy awesome wedding cake around every corner (I had one with orange liquor that tasted like an orange creamsicle.) There was even a guy handing out crab cakes! Bottom line; it was freakin' sweet!

Step 3: Look at Dude Stuff

It's hard to squeeze around the tables of flower girl jewelry and pastel parasols, but the outside booths of the show are where it's at when it comes to guyville wedding action. I ogled at all the getaway cars (one even let me jump inside a classic Rolls-Royce.) Just so you know, those old cars are just that - they're old. They even smell old, which isn't totally a bad thing, but it hugs the line between "vintage leather" and "black mold."

Step 4: Don't Look at Brides-to-be

Turns out most of the women there are in committed relationships - who would have guessed? However, drooling at pretty people wasn't off limits at the fashion show. It was super femmy, but I got off my feet for a while - so in the end there was no harm, no foul.

Step 5: Plan Your Escape Early

While wedding shows are almost enjoyable, but they're not better than drinking and football. This is a gigantic research day, and if you didn't come prepared to book a DJ or reserve a venue, you're just on collecting business cards mode. Give yourself an excuse to get the heck out of there after an hour or two and you'll stay sane while getting something out of this wedding show experience.

As a groom, it is your right - nay, your duty as a newlywed to carry your bride over the threshold. If you ranked the top masculine moments of your life, scooping up your woman and whisking her into your new home will just barely beat out the time you shared cigars and scotch with your bros after presenting them personalized humidors as groomsmen gifts. Carrying your bride over the threshold is your debonair moment of the decade.

As manly as it might seem, when did all this heavy lifting start? It's not like you had treacherous floor boards put in while you were on your honeymoon - or did you?

Just like most of the wedding origin stories, grooms have been practicing this fairytale moment of chivalry for thousands of years, and they don't really know why. Whether it's a fear of ghastly splinters, or just another chance for the groom to show off his brute strength, here's a list of reasons why the groom carries the bride over the threshold.

The Origins of Carrying the Bride Over the Threshold

1. Anglo-Saxon a.k.a. "The Controlling Guy"

Looking back at The Role of the Original Groomsmen, it was common practice in the middle ages to abduct a bride from a neighboring village, force her into marriage against her will, and get her drunk off honey wine for an entire moon cycle. Honey wine + moon cycle = honeymoon, get it? On the upside, these Anglo-Saxons class it up for this threshold tradition. During the festivities of the wedding, the groom would physically carry the bride (sometimes against her will) up to the bridal chamber to rock the casbah while guests stayed to enjoy the party.

2. Roman Misfortune

Ancient times called for roads, sweet robes and crazy superstitions. It was a widely held belief by Romans that if a bride tripped on the entrance to her home, the newlyweds could be plagued with a lifetime of misfortune. As a safe guard, the groom carried the bride across the threshold.

3. Over My Slavic Left Foot

Slavic tradition says that if a bride enters her house with her left foot first it could result in many years of bad luck for the marriage. We get that when the groom carries the bride across the threshold that she won't have the chance to enter the house with her left foot forward, but is there nothing written about if she lands on her left foot first. Where's the superstition bi-laws?

4. The Greek Underworld

Greek superstitions don't make any sense, but they sure are fun to hear about. Back in the day, there was a lot of commotion of evil spirits from the underworld rising up and sealing the fate of young, beautiful brides. With no proton packs in sight, the Greeks turned to the next logical remedy of warding off ghosts: innocent children with flowers. They sprinkled flowers EVERYWHERE! Down the aisle. In the seats. Even on the bed. As a precaution on the house, the groom would carry the bride from the doorway to the bed to ensure her protection from the underworld.

5. Medieval Demure

Not all middle ages nuptials were weddings by kidnapping. The upper class during medieval times deemed it improper for a young woman to be eager to consummate her marriage on the wedding night. To appear unenthusiastic to the groom's marital intentions, it was the groom's job to carry her away.

6. The Viking Chop Block

Nobody likes extramarital spiritual baggage. Especially Vikings. They believed the bride might accidentally bring evil spirits from her old house of origin into her new one. You'd think those hats with the horns coming out of them were scary enough to keep any spirit at bay, but as a special precaution these warriors of Valhalla carried their bride across the threshold as a means of preventing any demon's access to the new home.

you may just have to put your foot down. Because in the end, the wedding cake topper is going to be the only thing (other than ridiculously cool groomsmen gifts) that you will have any control over.

Wedding Cake Toppers Made With You In Mind

The Sports Guy

We all knew it was only a matter of time. You're fiancée is sure to come around and root both for your favorite team and for this dueling sports team cake topper.

This "No More Playing the Field" wedding cake topper is a shout out to you and all your groomsmen, and the glorious days of bachelorhood.

The "I'm Really Into My Mode of Transportation" Guy

Announce yourself as a true outdoors-man forever with this hand-blown glass mountain biker wedding cake topper. On the off chance you met your bride on the trails, the company makes a female version as well.

This little piggy is going to get married! With a rip-roaring Harley hog topper you and your sow-to-be will be in hog heaven.

A crotch rocket? A beach? Your bride? What could bet better than this all-you-can-ask-for wedding cake topper?

The Obscure Hobbies and Passions Guy

Nothing says "Man Wedding" more than a web-slinging superhero covered in blood, cake topper style.

A robot topper is your ticket to a funky, unique, kind of nerdy wedding cake.

We're not sure who Chewy is supposed to be in this Star Wars cake topper scenario, but if you have a thing for Ewoks and Endor, this is the one for you.

You may be really into Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Or you may both me secret agents with the CIA. No one will ever know the truth, even with a secret agent wedding cake topper.

The Funny Guy

You're proud of your shiny dome, and with a bald groom wedding cake topper, there can be no awkward questions: "Why does your topper have hair when you don't?"

Because you're that good. Because you want the world to know it. Your bride can't keep her hands off you in real life or as a cake topper.

This glass caveman cake topper will show everyone who's boss.

A customized bobble-head topper puts you on the same level as Ichiro, Ken Griffy Jr, and Gary Peyton. Maybe even Dwight from The Office. Very manly. Very, very manly.

Every guy has a little of this Bart Simpson wedding cake topper in him, deep down.

You're wedding is guaranteed to be ape-wild if you sport a King Kong topper on your cake. Go for it - just make sure not to squeeze your bride too hard.

Ever thought about making your iPhone your best man? Sure, your freshman roommate might throw a mean bachelor party, but there's no way he's willing to: A) propose for you, B) create and organize your wedding guest list, and C) confirm your honeymoon travel plans - all without ever asking for a groomsmen gift. For the gigabyte-crunching groom in 2010, all you need are these wedding iPhone apps to guide you along every step of planning for your Big Day this summer.

The iPhone Appealing Future of the Proposal

Did you already forget the four C's in diamond shopping? Skip the cut and clarity rant from the jewelery-store clerk with the Go Diamonds iPhone app. Complete with pricing calculator, this iPhone app has enough photo illustrations and diamond factoids to keep Holly Golightly and her croissant glued to that glowing touch screen all day long.

For many geeky grooms out there, grand romantic gestures might not be in their wheelhouse. Fear not my spineless brethren, as we turn to the Proposal Will You Marry Me iPhone app. Grab a hold of your gal pal's iPhone or iPod touch, and for 99 cents you can place a heartstring tugging app that asks "Will you marry me?" with a picture of fireworks and an open ring box. For those of you who enjoy iPhone apps with logical and grammatically correct product names, the iPropose iPhone app shows a picture of a wedding cake with that magical question in the background. As an added bonus, this 99 cent iPhone app has a "Yes" or "No" button for the bride-to-be to enjoy. Luckily, the app designers agreed the third option of "drop dead you prick for not asking me in person" was in bad taste.

Ticky Techy Wedding Planning

Before you order your personalized cufflinks as groomsmen gifts, make sure you don't make a fashion faux pas on your big day. What better place to find the latest trends than the Esquire and GQ iPhone apps. For just $2.99, you can read up on the latest issues and view all of the striking photos. While you might not get the entire issue each month, each magazine offers a monthly iPhone supplement of its magazine for the onetime fee.

After you enjoy the bachelor party with your bros, count down the last remaining moments of singledom down to the second with the Wedding Day iPhone app. It's not a ton of value for a dollar, but after your wedding, the counter remains active so you always know when your anniversary is... once again, down to the second.

Don't know if you've saved enough for the big day? Trust me, you didn't. A great way to count the debt you're soon to accumulate is the Wedding Budget iPhone app. With categorizing and calculating functions, this organization app ties up all your loose ends so you don't forget to tip your affiant.

Creating your wedding guest list can be a real hassle especially if you're under a budget. With the iWedding Deluxe iPhone app, you can calculate how much each guest will cost, as well as their meal choices and seating plans for the reception and rehearsal dinner. If $7.99 is too rich for your blood, try the 99 cent Guest List RSVP iPhone app instead.

After Wedding APP-lanning

There isn't enough time in the day to plan for a wedding and a vacation at the same time. Since you're going to do it anyway, let the GlobeJot iPhone app do the work for you. This trip organizing app keeps track of you fight and hotel reservations so you don't need to dig around in that bulky carry-on pack ever again. Now you can get to the hotel stress free so you can finally get down to business - a nice relaxing nap.

The Contest

The Grand Prize

How to Enter

• Be engaged and stay engaged until at least April 15, 2010.
• Go the Groom of the Year website.
• Answer the five questions about what makes you the best "husband material" out there.
• Upload your picture.
• Do all this before February 5, 2010.

Ten Future Groom New Year's Resolutions for 2010

10. Form an Opinion about Your Future Wedding

9. Schedule One Night a Week to Plan Your Wedding

8. Schedule One Night a Week Free of Wedding Planning

7. Spend More Time with Family

6. Learn Something New

5. Be More Environmentally Conscious

4. Spoof up Your Wardrobe

3. Do Something Nice for Others

2. Have Fun Planning Your Wedding

1. Don't go into Debt Over a Wedding

Happy Holidays!

Kevin Jonas' platinum wedding accessories

The jewelery expert weighs in

Designer Eric Alulis from CliQ Jewelry spent months perfecting Kevin's request. "We recommended Kevin wear platinum because no other metal is capable of showing off the 4 carats of diamonds and fine hand setting work in our pieces," says Alulis.

This isn't the first time Kevin has requested platinum jewelry. He purchased a platinum 3-carat diamond engagement ring from Jacob & Co. for his bride Danielle Deleasa.

Men are fans of platinum jewelry because of its heft and durability. Other leading Hollywood men including Tom Cruise, Lamar Odom, Marc Anthony, Pete Wentz, Donald Trump, and Jeff Gordon wore platinum on their wedding day.

Be sure to peruse PreciousPlatinum for more information on the latest wedding jewelry styles for men and women in a variety of price points.

Blingin' out not the wedding look that's in your book (or in your budget)? Check out all sorts of engraved cufflinks at Groomstand.com to keep you and your groomsmen in style - and in the green.

Why a Christmas Wedding is a Bad Idea:

Bottom Line:

4-Out-of-This-World Groomsman Gifts

Groom Flees During Televised Peruvian Wedding

Deadly Pole Dancing

General Zod Fights Superman on the Parquet

It could be one of the most memorable moments in your life. You pull an engagement ring out of your pocket and ask the love of your life to be your wife. You desperately want her to say yes... and to fall in love with her ring.

But how do you make sure that happens? Guys who have successfully navigated this step in their relationship share some tips.

Use a Fake Ring

"I thought it was brilliant," said Emily Vietti. "I love surprises, but I couldn't imagine wearing something for the rest of my life I didn't love. It was the perfect solution."

Consider Her Taste and Style

Get A Little Help from Her Friends

Shop Together

Do Your Homework

Mason spent almost five months learning about the 4Cs - color, cut, clarity and carat weight - and how that translated to his budget and girlfriend's taste. He used online resources, visited retailers and flipped through fashion magazines to get a sense of what she liked. "I got a great learning experience and another connection to our marriage through a spectacular piece of symbolism I understand inside and out," he said.

You can learn all about diamond engagement rings and the 4 Cs at the Gemological Institute of America, and you'd better bone up! Because after the engagement comes picking groomsmen gifts. We'll be here when you're ready.

Wedding Crashers Syndrome

What to do: If you wedding is a small and intimate affair, you probably won't have to worry - crashers stick to events where they won't stick out as impostors. But if your reception is going to be a well-publicized raucous party with your fiancee's entire college sorority present:

• Put together a guest list and have an intimidating buddy play bouncer.
  
• Have the doors closed and locked after the first hour to prevent party prowlers from sneaking in undetected.
• If you suspect a jealous ex will burst in mid-ceremony, pass out his or her picture to your groomsmen and make them work for those groomsmen gifts! They will be in charge of eliminating the threat (just like in a Bond movie.)

When Invited Guests Go Wild

Hidden Costs That Sneak Up On You

Photographer Overtime Fees Keep in mind your photographer is only being paid for a set amount of hours. If the fun don't stop until the break of dawn,you will be hemorrhaging money as you Chicken Dance the night away.

Rental Transportation Getting 200 folding chairs from point A to point B can ding you up to $500 dollars if transportation costs are not included in rental fees.

Cutting and Corking Fees Bringing in booze and baked goods from an outside company is a good excuse for your wedding venue's staff to charge you for their added troubles, like serving and washing dishes.

Say Scram to Scams

The Hunting Wedding

The Vampire Wedding

The Clown Wedding

The Duct Tape Wedding

The Naked Wedding

The Bagel Wedding

The Medieval Wedding

The Pirate Wedding

The Cartoon Wedding

The Compromise Wedding

The Pint Glass and Tumbler

The Beer Mug and Stein

The Pilsner or Weizen Glass

The Ferdinand Mug

The Can

The Origin and Styling of Cufflinks

What to Watch For When Your Wedding Goes to the Dogs

The Perks of a Pet-Filled Wedding

But now it's Wedding Day. And no matter what styles of facial hair you have experimented with over the years, you've got a big choice to make: to beard or not to beard.

Some Hairy Situations to Avoid on the Big Day

Anything that Requires a Template to Create

All On the Bottom With Nothing On Top

Chin Fringe

Well played. You have the equivalent of a bed-skirt on your face.

Anything Reminiscent of a Cute Animal's Tail

You would have thought that the soul patch would have come and gone with the 2006 Winter Olympics, but nope. It keeps cropping up. Choose to still sport the cottontail look? Start preparing some stock answers: "No, I did not dribble something on my chin at lunch." "No, I did not miss that spot right in the middle when I shaved." "Yes, that is supposed to be there!"

The Two-Toned Look

If you dye your hair, consider that it does not mean your face curtain will transform to match. The equivalent of a girl with her tacky roots showing, a two-toned head is proof that you were not born with golden surfer locks.

So What Are You Left With?

The Origin of the Wedding Dance

The one thing, nay the only thing you have to do is write your vows.

Uh oh.

If she is marrying you for any other reasons than your wily wit with words or your ability to wax poetic at a moment's notice, this may seem a daunting task. Fear not! Following a few helpful guidelines might make the difference between snores from the guests and the future Mrs. You's tears of sentimental joy.

Four Steps To Tear-jerking Wedding Vows

Start now. Right now, if not yesterday. Or the day before. Putting off the vows may be the point of conflict in many a sitcom, but don't count on inspiration striking as you walk down the aisle and then winging it.

This is not a suggestion to start crafting draft upon draft of prose, but start jotting down some points you would like to make. Having a bank of phrases, moments, and memories to drawn from will be crucial as you start constructing your final draft. Hint: "I love you so much" is a good place to start.

Your vows should be unique, personal, and customized to your relationship. It doesn't matter how nice it sounds, if the climax of the speech is the romantic sunset you two shared on a beach, there is nothing stopping her from removing you from the memory and inserting Rick or James or Paolo from two summers ago into the same idyllic setting. Idyllic is not the basis of your marriage. Share the points that you love about her and your relationship that are specifically yours. Beaches are not yours. They belong to every new couple ever. Maybe you can make a promise that in married life you won't come to bed angry. Share an anecdote about the first time you noticed how she held a pencil or cut up her cucumber and then fell in love. By all means avoid When Harry Met Sally as your muse, but ask yourself: "What defines our love?" When you have your answer, you have your vows.

Keep your audience in mind, especially if the wedding consists of any guests beyond two witnesses and a priest dressed as Elvis. Filling your vows with quirky inside jokes might mean a lot to your lady, but this wedding isn't only about the two of you (no matter what anyone may say). You have your whole future to spend just the two of you. Right now you have Grandma Sue in the front row, and you need to make sure that she, as well as your bride, is clear on what is being said. Sprinkle your vows with anecdotes and memories, but make sure they are the types of things Grandma Sue can at least imagine being a part of. There is nothing more alienating (and therefore boring) than not knowing what is going on.

Practice. Practice, practice, practice. Do it once more for good measure. You don't need to memorize what you want to say, but it is worth it that you don't stumble over the words you so painstakingly put together. Better yet, practice in front of one person who is a better writer and public speaker than you - perhaps a poetic groomsman. He will be able to help you think of ways to really wow, be it with comprehensibility, language, or a tricky section of alliteration. Treat him to a fabulous groomsman gift as your way of saying "thanks!"

Your wedding day is supposed to be perfect. When it's supposed to be one of the happiest days of your life, how could you plan for the worst? Sure, forgetting a groomsmen gift for the best man isn't ideal, but what if something catastrophic happens?

A family death? A natural disaster? In the latest episode of Mad Men, you'll find out that there are just some things you can't plan for when it comes to your wedding day. Ever since the second episode of season three, Mad Men fans were waiting in anticipation for the Sterling wedding set for Nov. 23, 1963 - one day after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

While the episode shows the fictional Sterling family at their half-empty wedding reception, this New York Times article shows how some couples found the strength to marry on Nov. 23, 1963.

One bride to marry on the day after this American tragedy was 21 year-old Wanita Handal (now, Wanita Dehney). Mrs. Dehney never thought twice about putting a halt to her big day. When guests arrived for the reception at the Waldorf-Astoria, their spirits were not as bright. Mrs. Dehney says, "We thought it would be awful... I'll tell you, after a few drinks it didn't really matter."

The average couple picks out their wedding date 17 months prior to the wedding. Just about anything can happen when you're planning a celebration a year in advance. Mrs. Dehney's wedding was after one of the worst catastrophes in American history, but everything came out all right. In fact, the Dehney wedding went so late, they had to pay the band extra to finish out the night.

Still, if you'd rather not force your wedding through adverse conditions, there's no reason to worry. Use these precautions to ease stress on your perfect day.

Wedding Day Plan B's

Wedding insurance - it sounds like a scam, but would you go through with your wedding if it happened on 9/11? Wedding insurance protects against sudden cancelations like severe weather or illness, and protects against lost rings or a damaged wedding dress. Wedsafe.com gave a quote of $871.00 for a fictional wedding on Oct. 10, 2010 with liability insurance of $500,000 and cancelation insurance of $175,000.

Plan for rain - no matter what the farmer's almanac says, you need to plan for terrible weather. Don't brush off the weather by thinking "oh, we'll just bring everyone inside." I went to a wedding in the desert last summer and they were sure it wasn't going to rain - It freakin' poured. It rained so much puddles formed in the grass and covered everyone's shoes in mud.

At the very least, designate a group of umbrellas for guests as they dash out of their cars. Keep large sheets of plastic ready at the doorway for muddy shoes. And, always make sure you have an indoor option for all of your events.

Grab the personalized flasks - if there's ever a moment to take a nip off some whiskey, it's when a major event over shadows your big day. Look on the bright side. You're with friends and family, and you're celebrating your love with a future wife. If you can't call off the wedding (or you just don't want to) break out the personalized flasks as groomsmen gifts and make the best of the moment.

It may be the bride's day, but the groom should look good for his wedding, too. Although no one is fussing over the guy issues, many men today are not afraid to show emotion (the room might get a little dusty when he gives out his groomsmen gifts).

Whether he's a jeans-and-T-shirts man or a "wouldn't be caught dead sweats" guy, the wedding day is a time to show a more polished side. Jewelry can be a subtle way of making a strong personal statement.

Men's Jewelry Trends

Men are more open to jewelry these days, opting for platinum that offer a masculine look, feel and weight while providing durability, lasting luster. Because platinum jewelry is generally 95% pure, unlike 18k-gold that is only 75% pure, it is hypoallergenic.

In the past few years, jewelry designers step increase their collections for men by giving them more options to express their personalities.

This extensive gent's line from Precious Platinum has a timeless selection of in handsome and masculine finished platinum including tie pins and rings, pendants, and cufflinks. The tie accent is a simple way to make your tie pop with any suit you wear.

When it's time to pick out your groomsmen gifts, don't overlook designer dog tags, cuff bracelets, and belt buckles. Resurfacing a quarter century past its heyday, the ID bracelet is back, but in personalized versions engraved with names, dates or mantras that mean something special to the groom and his buddies.

Add a Touch of a Galaxy Far, Far Way

The Beauty of the Galaxy

Slice Your Tauntaun and Eat Him Too

You don't have to explain it to us, the groomsmen picture was not your idea. You knew enough to supply the personalized beer mugs as groomsmen gifts, but what seemed like a simple shot of five guys with a plastic smile now looks as natural as a Jack-in-the-box taco.

Even though it may seem like your groomsmen got standing lessons from Quasimodo, there's no reason to fret. You can make your vow of brotitude a work of art with GroomStand's blasphemous guide to the perfect dude picture.

The Ten Commandments of Groomsmen Photography

10. Thou Shalt Not Show thy Rage nor Fury

Try to look tough in your wedding pictures and you'll just look like a d-bag who doesn't know how to smile. You're not in the mob. You have no entourage. We're assuming you've never been shot. And there's no reason to strike fear in heart of the bride.

9. Thou Shalt not use thy Overexposure nor thy Fisheye Lens

We'll let it pass for a Christian rock album cover, but there's no arguable reason to look like a 40-foot washed-out giant.

8. Thou Shalt Resist thy Timed Action Pose

Action shots have the potential for greatness. That is, until someone tries to make you and your groomsmen defy gravity. No matter what, your picture will look funky because that one guy doesn't commit to the shot (you know who you are.)

Sometimes the high-flying action poses turn out just fine, which begs the question: how many hours of jumping did it take to get this goofy picture?

7. Thou Shalt Consider thy Bride's Wishes

The bride wants wonderful, iconic pictures of the happiest day of her life. If that means continuing the search for droids at the wedding - may the force be with you!

6. Thou Shalt Know thy Picture is Shot

No matter what crazy pose you want to try (like this seven-headed groomsmonster) - it's not going to turn out if someone keeps asking the groom's father questions.

5. Thou Shalt Present thy Picture to thy Future Child Without Embarrassment

Sure, your affluent suburban friends and you flashing "gang" signs by your Chevy in the woods is all the rage in 2009, but you'll deserve ever ounce of crap your kids can dish out in 20 years. By the way, the peace-sign tilted to the side is not a gang sign. And spelling "blood" with your fingers is overplayed.

4. Thou Shalt not Strike thy Pose

Looking off into the distance may seem like a philosophic artistic expression at the time, but to the rest of the world it looks like the photographer asked you guys to put your hands on your hips and do long division.

3. Thou Shalt not Depend on thy Hat

Unless your friends and you wear matching fedoras everyday (because you're cool like that), lose the rented hat. Otherwise, you'll end up looking like a group of smooth criminals. And trust me, that trend ended four Michael Jackson blog posts ago.

2. Thou Shalt not Punish thy Groomsmen

The "faces down the line" might sound great on paper, but the fifth groomsmen on the left might as well be in no man's land. Even though his face is barely visible, he's still content after a few nips from his groomsmen gift of a personalized flask.

1. Thou Shalt Appear Comfortable

As a groom, the last thing you want is to not put any effort into your groomsmen picture, and still look like a goober. Sit in front of a mirror for an hour and practice your smile (I'm serious). You're going to force a few hundred grins every hour on your wedding day, and you need to know if you look like a dimwit with your teeth showing.

Camera Price vs. Features Balance

• Megapixels - Sure, it's important, but please see my caveats on interpolation below.
• Video Capability - It's not gonna be like your camcorder, but it's nice to have some on-the-fly video functionality and a decent built-in mic for capturing audio. Some even have YouTube-ready formatting!
• Geo-Location - If you're flying to a foreign location for your honeymoon, some cameras have neat GPS tagging options so you can see exactly where you took that snapshot on your remote hike in the Peruvian Andes.
• WiFi & Docking - Want to upload pics directly to Flickr or Photobucket from your camera? It's possible now if you have a solid WiFi connection. And there are wide ranges of docking stations that will make instant printing and transferring pics to your computer really simple.
• Memory Card Slots - If you obsess over snapping every little shot, you're going to need a bigger memory card. Most digital cameras only have a sliver of onboard storage. Good news? 1GB SD cards are dirt cheap these days; around $10-$20 if you know where to look.

Image Interpolation

"...interpolation is the practice of hardware and software manufacturers sampling neighboring pixels to predict or invent additional pixels, adding resolution to an image."

Camera Alternatives & Closing Thoughts

The engagement ring. She's pointed to it a million times. The squareish-cut diamond, with a bunch of diamonds around it (ok, so you weren't listening that well, but you could pick it out of a magazine if your life depended on it). The symbol of your love is just one bank account clearing transaction away - when you realize... you don't know the ring size.

The ring size is the bane of your existence. It's the last thing you want to think about when you're popping the big question, but it's the first thing that can ruin your magical moment. Finding a ring size isn't like finding your best man's shirt size for your groomsmen gifts. Ring sizes don't come up in everyday conversation.

If you'd rather pass on the "let's go ring shopping together" experience, take our advice on ring sizing reconnaissance.

Ring Size: 101 - Size Does Matter

Jewelers don't make this easy. Ring sizes in the United State and Canada are on their own system with quarter and half sizes. What makes it more confusing is that fingers can swell up to a full ring size throughout the day from eating or exercising. When it comes to measuring a ring, anything more specific than a half size is irrelevant.

Finding the Ring Size:

There are five ways to find your gal's ring size without her knowing (but only three will work):

5. Use a Printable Ring Size Chart

This printable ring size chart from Blue Nile is a great piece of marketing, but it's not a tool of the trade. The paper sizer is suspect because... um, IT'S PAPER. Paper is flexible. It moves and takes the shape of your finger. You'll get inaccurate results when you compare it to a medal ring.

4. Tie a String Around Her Finger

A string takes less work (no cutting out paper sizers) but still just as shoddy. The string is more likely to give a tight measurement than a loose one.

3. Steal One of Her Rings

Your mission, should you decide to accept it... Snoop through her jewelry box. Swipe a "ring finger" ring. Slide it in your pocket and dash to the jewelry store. If you or any team member be caught or killed, GroomStand will disavow any knowledge of your actions. Good luck. This message will not self-destruct in five seconds (so don't let her find out).

2. Use Your Own Finger

If you can't make it out the door with her ring, place it on your own finger. It's likely that your hands are wider than hers - take note by marking the spot the ring rests (just so you don't confuse yourself, mark your finger on both sides of the ring).

1. Use Soap

This method sounds asinine, but we're not the only ones recommending this stunt. Smash one of her rings into a bar of soap. The circle impression should be an accurate mold of her ring to take to the jeweler.

Ring Shopping - Before You Buy

Understand the return policy. Always make sure you can get a full refund, or at the very least trade the ring back for store credit. If the future fiancée needs an alteration, find out if those services are included with the purchase.

Have fun with the surprise. Remember this is a story you'll have to share about a million times over the next year.

Perhaps it's euphoric. Remember that wonderful Halloween party where you dressed up as a really hot woman, and for some weird reason every hot chick there was trying to hit on you. With your personalized shot glass, you've never had so much play before or since.

Or perhaps your reaction is to cringe a bit. The shot glass collection reminds you of a poor ass game of quarters and, let's just say it was a long night and the groomsmen gifts are sort of a bribe so your buddies won't talk about it.

The great thing about looking at shot glass collections is that they always make you think or feel of something, be it good or bad. Keep the great memories alive with a Personalized Shot Glasses for giving as groomsmen gifts.

Every time you see the elegant etching, you'll be reminded of that one last crazy weekend in Honolulu sometime back. Hmmm, where was I? Ah well, I'll save that story for another time. Sigh...good times, man...good times.

Why Rent a Wedding Cake, you ask?

How Much Does a Rental Wedding Cake Cost?

The groom, Shawn Kelley, could have selfishly set his own wedding agenda. Reluctantly, Kelly gave up on flowers, a tuxedo and some swanky groomsmen gifts to let his new bride, Lindsay Huetson, follow her heart. "We were spinning around ideas for a casual, fun wedding, and this just popped into my head," says Lindsay.

Since the groom is a Steelers fan after growing up in Pittsburg, the couple has divided loyalties to their NFL teams. After the Bears announced their first home game was against the Steelers, the couple figured it was serendipitous to hold their wedding before the game.

The newlyweds wore jerseys and caps of their favorite players (the Steelers' Troy Polamalu and the Bears' Devin Hester) while walking down the aisle to the "Monday Night Football" theme.

Even Officiate Michelle L. Oxman got into the football spirit with lines like "Will you give up your status as a free agent and make the welfare of this team your highest priority?"

After their reception at the ESPN Zone, the couple ventured down to Soldier Field with the hopes of finding two tickets to the big game. Rain on your wedding day is supposed to be a lucky omen, and by the look of how much it rained on Sunday, there was a good chance this couple was lucky enough to find some empty seats.

In case you were wondering, this was the first wedding reception at the Chicago ESPN Zone. The sales manager, Randy Hajduk, says he'd love to see the trend catch on, but admits most wives might not agree to a football themed wedding.

Deep breath - and relax.

Just follow our lead with this step-by-step groom planning guide by wedding expert and guest blogger Genève McNally from Dreamgroup Productions Inc.

EIGHT-TWELVE MONTHS PRIOR:

• Decide on who's paying for what (e.g., bride's family might pay for the food bill, the bride's attire, and the flowers & décor, while the groom's family may take on the liquor bill, the hosting of the rehearsal dinner, and the wedding day transportation)
• Create a budget and stick with it (if you end up spending more in one area, find another area(s) in which to cut back some costs) - Just be sure to start off with a realistic budget -- expecting 15K to cover wedding costs for 200 people is not practical! Do the math first... take the cost of an average evening of dinner and drinks, times it by the number of guests expected and double that figure to get an average and realistic working budget.
• Assist with selecting your marriage officiant; referrals are a great resource.
• Create your guest list (don't forget to allow for your family's inclusions)
• Choose your groomsmen (and no, you don't HAVE to have the same number of groomsmen as your bride-to-be has bridesmaids, unless she's very adamant about balance... you then may be forced to make some new friends fast)
• Plan the wedding night and honeymoon (not all couples need to travel to Hawaii or Europe to celebrate their union... check out local hideaways and spa retreats)
• Check that passports and travel papers are up-to-date (if applicable)

FOUR-EIGHT MONTHS PRIOR:

• Purchase the wedding rings and arrange for engraving (one couple wrote the first words the groom ever uttered to his bride, "come here often?")
• Select what you will wear by referring to The Groom's Guide to the Tuxedo and arrange for a fitting
• Confirm reservations for the honeymoon
• Arrange a special rate at a local hotel for your out of town guests; they're always appreciative of this gesture

TWO-THREE MONTHS PRIOR:

• Acquire your marriage license
• Make reservations for the rehearsal dinner (if your parents aren't taking care of this)

ONE-TWO MONTHS PRIOR:

• Buy a special gift for your bride on her wedding day (anything from a strand of pearls to a lovely bouquet of long stemmed red roses accompanied by a sweet note is acceptable... hopefully you know what will make her smile)
• Purchase your groomsmen gifts (something like an engraved flask is nice - perhaps golf, dinner, or even spa certificates are also well received )
• Review all vendor contracts and make sure all required payments are made
• Re-Confirm honeymoon and reservation details (once is not enough)

ONE WEEK PRIOR:

• Confirm the time and place of the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner with all your groomsmen and anyone else you think needs to "be in the know"
• Pick up wedding rings -- make sure you check the engraving before leaving the store!
• Pick up your formal wear
• Give the best man marked envelopes with payments that need to be made on the wedding day (e.g.: officiant, musicians, photographer, etc.)
• Pack for the honeymoon

Event Planners in Vancouver, BC. Geneve and her business partner, Sarah Shore, created DreamGroup in the Summer of 2004 and are now considered one of the top planning companies for a Vancouver wedding, executing over 60 Vancouver weddings and special events annually. In her "spare" time Geneve teaches Wedding Planning at Vancouver Community College and also writes for several local publications. She is happily married and the proud mother of two year old son, Harrison Law.

The trend of kissing abstinence is creeping its way into the mainstream ever since the oldest Duggar devirginized his lips during "A Very Duggar Wedding" on TLC's 18 Kids and Counting. There are other stories out there like the engaged abstinence teachers from Chicago "who practice what they preach" or this summer's supposed heart warmer of a twenty-two year old Tennessee girl waiting until the alter for those magical sparks. The theme of monogamous kissing was so strong at this wedding; the groom gave out ChapStick as groomsmen gifts.

Why is there so much value on the first kiss?

The Virgin Lip Movement has the sweet stench of fundamentalism. While not all their followers place kissing and sex in the same boat, the Virgin Lip Movement believes that kissing is a gateway drug to "more intimate activities," says Albert Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

I remember my first kiss being as awkward as my entire battle with puberty. I was about thirteen, and I took my first girlfriend to the movies. When I finally planted one on her, I shoved my tongue; so far down her throat I could play tonsil hockey. It was terrible, but there's something very personal about my first kiss. There is no way I'd want my closest friends and family there as witnesses.

The problem with the Virgin Lip Movement doesn't have anything to do with people kissing or not, but it has everything to do with people comparing kissing to an evil drug. Living in a world where a makeout session is vial and disgusting until someone says the magical words "I do" can really screw with a person's identity. If there's no middle ground on the spectrum between slut and saint, at what point does hand holding become unacceptable? A better question, how does suppressing every natural instinct until one magical day benefit the marriage?

This Duggar kid, the two abstinence teachers and the young girl from Tennessee have another strange similarity: They're giving away their first kiss and losing their virginity all in the same day. Talk about an awkward first kiss; just imagine how awkward the wedding night will be.

Do you think it's worth it to wait for marriage for your first kiss? Answer our poll or comment below!

Etiquette experts advise against taking wedding donations from guests. They compare setting up a PayPal account for wedding registry to charging admission at the door. We at GroomStand know weddings are expensive, but it's not like you have to put your groomsmen gifts on layaway. You just wouldn't mind help paying for the most important, not to mention expensive, day of your life.

Why PayPal Makes Perfect Sense for Wedding Gifts

After a few years in an apartment, you should have enough wine glasses and mixing bowls to fill the cupboards. The two of you are young, bright and likely eco-conscious. There's no reason to create extra waste with unnecessary kitchen replacements. Skip the new spatula, the best wedding gift your guests can give is a debt-free start at a new life together.

GroomStand Tip: While cash is a perfectly acceptable gift for the bride and groom, it does not make a good groomsmen gift.

Take these 5 tips if you plan to get your wedding sponsored or ask guests for a donation.

5 Ways to Request a Wedding Donation

1. We Already Take Cash. Why not a Credit Card?

Cash is the gift of choice for those who know they should bring a wedding gift, but are too lazy to pick one out. The main problem: people don't carry cash anymore. People are glad to make it rain Benjamins on the gift table, but if you don't have an ATM at the altar, you might be out of a gift.

PayPal makes it convenient for the uncreative gift giver. Just set up a wedding blog with a PayPal link. Even if guests forget about the registry list at home, they can make a last minute deposit from their iPhone while at the reception.

2. Give your Guests the Option to Donate

Aunt Mildred is set in her ways. If she doesn't like the idea of transferring funds to your PayPal account, let her choose a traditional gift from your wedding registry.

3. Be Political

Politicians have to sell their grand idea if they want funding. Your wedding is no different. Sure, no one will feel sorry for you when you say you're having trouble paying for your two-week Mediterranean cruise, but your guests will find more satisfaction when they know their money is going towards something practical. Ask them to vote YES on an unforgettable honeymoon.

4. Make it a Communal Experience

If you give people the option of funding your wedding, give them a vote on how the party should go down. Sponsorourwedding.com is another newlywed blog that allows donators a chance to vote for specific wedding details like the best wedding cake design, or which car to use for the getaway ride.

5. Take Over an Event

One couple in Brooklyn, NY took their $100,000 wedding budget down to $20,000 by inviting corporate sponsors. By hosting their wedding at a minor league baseball game, Dave Kerpen and his new wife created an attractive venue for wedding advertisers -- 7,000 people showed. They found sponsors for the rings, dress and flowers in exchange for advertising space around the altar.

Adventure Sports to Spice up the Bachelor Party

1. Skydiving

2. Bungee Jumping

3. Water Sports

4. Mountain Climbing

5. Ski Trip

6. Golf Trip

7. Motor Sports

Whenever wedding etiquette questions pop up in GroomStand's inbox, we think of Emily Post. What fork do I eat with first? How do I write a thank you note? When do I give the groomsmen gifts?

We look to Mrs. Post for all the answers. Why her? Well, she was the first to write a book on the subject. Her suggestions on manners are considered gospel. But what makes her the expert?

Wedding Etiquette as we know It

Emily Post grew up in high society around the turn of the 20^th century. After Mrs. Post divorced her husband, she turned to writing romantic stories of European and American sophistication. Drawing from her finishing school, Mrs. Post ventured through the United States and Europe before WWI as a correspondent, writing articles that appeared in Vanity Fair, Collier's and McCall's.

Her weekly radio program, syndicated newspaper column and authorship of multiple books established "according to Emily Post" as a household phrase. In 1946, Mrs. Post created the Emily Post Institute to research society customs and dispel etiquette experts' advice to media outlets and corporations.

Emily Post is the etiquette expert, but look where she's from. She is distinctly upper class. Not saying it's a bad thing. I wish my wedding could be a high-class soiree. Instead, it will probably be the kind-of wedding where it's perfectly acceptable to eat with your hands.

Dated Emily Post rules like the groom "arranging and paying for lodging for his wedding party" are out of the question for me. I can barely afford groomsmen gifts! Yet, I completely agree that the groom should purchase the marriage license. Is it OK to pick and choose only wedding etiquette rules I want to follow? Many people write into Groomstand with similar dilemmas. They're at a crossroad of etiquette. Blindly follow the Emily Post bible, or throw her rules right out the window.

My advice is to maintain the spirit of Emily Post at your wedding. There is no need to lose sleep over "when it is or isn't OK to use e-mail wedding invitations" or "who to invite to the rehearsal dinner." Etiquette is about considering and respecting all of your guests. When you make a good effort to care for your company, you will enjoy your wedding and so will they.

By the way:

Forks: Use the outer most utensils and work your way toward your plate

Thank you cards: Identify the person by name, thank them for the wedding gift, and include how you will use it.

Groomsmen Gifts: Give personalized flasks, pocket knives or engraved barware anytime between the bachelor party until the beginning of the ceremony.

The Idea of the Ring

The notion of a ring has long preceded the goodwill of a groomsmen gift. We try to vet our sources at GroomStand.com, but even this tid bit of history is hard to swallow. However, the Origin of the Ring is a fun story, so if it's not true, just pretend it's for entertainment purposes.

Back in the day, it was common for "prehistoric man" to capture his bride and bound her arms and legs. The legend says that if the woman didn't struggle, her new caveman lover untied her legs and left the remaining cord tied to one of her fingers.

Using a Real Ring

The use of rings date back to Egypt. Gold was a common currency, and it was traditional for gold coins to be worn down in the middle, forming a ring shape. Placing a gold ring on a woman's hand was a form of payment (since you got to buy and sell women in those days) and signified that the lady was spoken for. The Egyptians and later the Romans, believed that the third finger on the left hand has a special vein that leads directly to the heart.

The Whole Diamond Thing

Diamonds are the strongest element around. Before the 18th century, diamonds were a rare commodity and exclusively a symbol of the rich.

This all changed at the turn of the 19th century when good ole De Beers set up shop in South Africa. As the world found out diamonds aren't really all that rare, De Beers Consolidated Mines Ltd. snatched up the diamond monopoly and set the standards for pricing. If you watched Blood Diamond you're aware of this.

Why Diamonds Suck

Finding a diamond is a terrible mining process for the environment and the workers, but the pricing of the diamonds is total crap as well.

After WWII, the value of diamonds and platinum dropped almost 50%. The folks at De Beers came up with a brilliant plan. Just tell all the returning soldiers that an engagement ring should cost two months' salary. De Beers also came up with the advertising slogan "Diamonds are Forever," making these two marketing tools the gospel of engagement.

I don't know about you, but I feel used and abused by the diamond industry. I'm promising marriage. I'm dealing with her parents. I'm hesitantly agreeing to having sex with only one person for the rest of my life. Now I have to shell out my life savings because some guy picked an arbitrary amount of time for me to save for a ring?

The bottom line: Diamond engagement rings aren't some ancient tradition. It's just an awesome ad campaign that tricked us all for the last half century. At the very least, when you spend a little less on the ring, you'll have some extra dough for your groomsmen gifts.

One problem: I received this invite on June 26th. The day after Michael Jackson died. Since I couldn't stop 'till I got enough, I made my tribute to the King of Pop... along with every other guest attending the wedding.

Now we've all stopped. We've definitely had enough. And this Thriller of an idea went Bad in a hurry.

Thanks to this wedding's theme of overplayed popsongs, here's a tribute to the top 10 over-played wedding songs.

Top Ten Over-Played Wedding Songs

YMCA by The Village People

Why... are we still doing this? If you want to look like a hairy dope, just start spelling out words with your arms. Fun Village People Factoid: Some of the Village People are actually married. But no woman could tie down our good friend Chewbacca!

Shout by the Isley Brothers

Totally effed out. Compared to anything we hear nowadays, this sounds like half a song. I could care less about all of the crowd interaction. Get down, stand up... do the hookie pookie and turn yourself around - I could care less, and so should you.

Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle

Talk about gag. The song stirs up sob emotions during the father/daughter dance. This cliche snoozefest is the equivalent of the Zamboni song at a hockey game -- it's a terrible song but it corners the market, so it always gets a play. Great for old folks with no taste or the hearing impaired.

Celebration by Kool and the Gang

The best songs allude to how you feel, they don't repeat the action that you should be doing at that very moment. Yes, we're celebrating, but I don't feel the need to shout "celebrate good times, C'MON!" every time I'm happy. That's like singing, "I like food" every time I eat.

Macarena by Los Del Rio

You don't know what they're saying. You don't know why you're sticking your arms out. Who thought this was a good idea?

Friends in Low Places by Garth Brooks

It works as a karaoke song, but I you listen to the lyrics, it's about a estranged-ex-turned-cowboy wedding crasher. Major league bummer when it comes to wedding songs. Groomstand hint: Got friends in low places? Give your buddies groomsmen gifts like tavern signs or beer steins.

Stayin Alive by the BeeGees

A curse is put on John Travolta's right arm. The only reason we still play this song is he makes it so easy to dance to... but it's totally not. We all look like dorks. Fun Saturday night Fever Factoid: The sequel aptly named Staying Alive was directed by Slyvester Stalone. Apparently Travolta's Saturday Night Fever was still burning, which sounds like a God awful STD.

The Electric Slide by various artists

This is the only hope for our rhythmically-challenged friends to get on the dance floor. I don't know what's worse: the people who take this dance routine seriously because they practice every Wednesday night at the ole log cabin tavern, or the unwilling suckers who don't know the steps. Just the thought of line dancing makes me shudder.

Hot, Hot, Hot by Buster Poindexter

Even though Buster was a pseudonym for David Johansen, he looked like a d-bag, and so will you when you're rockin' out to this irritating song. When you start your conga line, play something that doesn't sound like skinning a cat.

Thriller by Michael Jackson

News Flash: It is no longer awesome for groomsmen to do the Thriller Routine. If you don't take it seriously, then you look like a drunken mess. If you do take it seriously, you look like an obsessed weirdo trying to dance to a 20-year-old music video. Give up the dream. This bride and groom should have.

There is something about a personalized gift that gives it a special feeling. It's like declaring to the world, "Only one man can enjoy the sweet nectar of fermented barley from this flask - and that man has his initials etched into the side of the bottle."

Donald Trump would call it "high class," but at GroomStand, we call the personalized flask a wonderfully affordable groomsmen gift. Just because monogrammed items aren't typical gifts, doesn't mean they're out of style.

Come along for the ride as we discover the history of monogramming and personalizing in this installment of the groomsmen origin stories.

The Origin of Personalization and Monogramming

Starting around the time man could forge metals, monograms were used as a royal signature on precious goods. The Greeks and Romans were the first to monogram their coins as a way of honoring their rulers. Starting in the Middle Ages, monograms and engravings were used as an artisan's signature, which then changed over time to represent the symbol of a company.

As for an individual level, monogramming and personalization played a major role in identifying personal goods like laundry or livestock. Most (which means poor people in those days) placed a personalized stamp on a corner of cloth, and it was only noblemen and the super wealthy that enjoyed any sorts of embroidery.

Since our only exposure to monogramming was the "L" on Laverne's sweater, here are some of the rules of personalizing to get you up to speed:

1. The monogram is defined as layering a person's first initial over the top of their second initial to make one symbol. Nowadays, most people include a series of uncombined initials (known as a cipher) in the monogram category.
LS
2. For an individual's monogram, it is standard to include a letter from the first and last name. For example: "Luke Skywalker" is "LS". Another example is to use a letter from the first, middle and last name. "George W. Bush" is "GWB" all the capitalized, and all the same size.
CHS
3. For a married woman, it is traditional for her to include her maiden name in the monogram. This started because a woman would have a piece of clothing with her first and last initial, and then after marriage, her married surname initial was then included onto the monogram. For example: "Courtney Harrington" before marriage is "CH" and her married name is "Smith". Her new monogram is "CHS" all capitalized, all the same size.
CSH
4. Since it's typical that no one has any monogrammed pajamas these days, it's now acceptable for the monogram to show a letter from the first name, the married name, and then the maiden name. For example: "Courtney Smith" with the maiden name "Harrington" will have the monogram "CSH" with the font of the married name larger than the other two.
HSM
5. For a married couple, the same rules apply. The monogram for Homer and Marge Simpson are "HSM" with the "S" larger than the two other letters. It's traditional that the men's name goes first, but you can do it in whatever order you'd like.

Put that special touch on your groomsmen gifts with a free personalization from GroomStand.com.

The crazy thing about bachelor parties is that we all know it's a rite of passage, but we just make it up as we go along. We know it's a must to gather a bunch of cool dudes, and that the groom is supposed to hand out crazy cool personalized groomsmen gifts, but beyond that, the bachelor party has changed a great deal over time. To explore what guys go through on their last night of freedom, take a trip back in time as GroomStand.com explores another groomsmen origin story.

Bachelor Party Origins

Bachelor parties are no new thing. This man-ritual dates all the way back to the days of Sparta, where soldiers would gather to celebrate a fellow comrade on the last night before his wedding. As far as we know it, nothing too crazy happened. They ate dinner. They gave a toast. They wished him good luck.

This trend was the norm in marriage customs for well over a thousand years... that is until some yuppies from New York were caught with a dancer jumping out of a cake.

Turn of the Century Bachelor

Once the 20th century hit, everyone seemed to know about Stanford White's bachelor party, with the woman jumping out of the cake. Thanks to this trendsetter, the best groomsmen gift you could deliver was a "strip tease" dancer in front of a large group of your closest friends.

Post War Bachelor

If a man was lucky enough to return from WWII, it was his right to claim a bride and start making babies. One of the problems with the baby-boomer era was the fact that most these new grooms were young, poor and inexperienced.

Thanks to the advancements of film and print, bachelor parties evolved to include some adult material. It's true that some upper class guys had enough cash to hook-up with an escort back then, but it wasn't near the norm. Most of these guys just came back from Europe. They were pretty naïve, and needed some educating on what takes place the night of the honeymoon.

Sex Revolution Bachelor

The 1960's brought us birth control and Playboy. There was no such thing a sexual norms, which mean almost anything could fly at a bachelor party. Hookers. Strippers. You name it.

In the book Bachelor Party Confidential Prof. Joseph Slade talks about how the sixties was the most graphic jump in the evolution of the bachelor party. It was the sexual revolution, which means people actually had sex.

Modern Day Bachelor Party

Sure almost 50 years have passed since the sexual revolution. Drugs have come in and out. The idea of shaming or hazing the groom has come into style. But the most significant change over time is the need for the groom to get "it" all out of his system before the big day. Of course, this was without considering that whatever "it" could get back in his system and want to come out in the future. The fantasy of "the craziest night ever" is commercialized, and you can find it at a number of places - most notably being Las Vegas.

When you have your bachelor party, do something that you think is awesome, not some night of testing your manhood to beat your other buddy's bachelor party (unless that's your idea of something awesome). Make the night cool, and hook your bros up with personalized brush metal flasks as groomsmen gifts.

Grill kits

Gym bags

Seasonal Gifts

Cigar Humidors

The one resounding tip from Groomstand.com when shopping for groomsmen gifts this summer?

More personalized = More better

Obscene PDA

Signs you're too young to get married

Just Plain Creepy

Footloose

In today's times, a bride and groom start seeing each other well before marriage plans. You've probably been dating each other for years and maybe even live in the same cramped one-bedroom apartment.

As you've read from the previous wedding origin stories like The Role of the Original Groomsmen, you'll know that back in the day women had less rights than a gay couple in Alabama. Besides stealing a wife, the best way to acquire a woman was to buy her, which helps explain part of this GroomStand wedding origin story.

The Origin of Why the Groom Can't See the Bride Before the Wedding

The root of the tradition revolves around the business transaction of selling a bride. For the father of the bride, the most profitable situation he can make is by selling off his livestock ... I mean daughter... to a wealthy landowner to increase fortune throughout the family. However, the worth of the bride was measured in her attractiveness, which means it was a deal breaker if the bride-to-be has a poor ranking on the crazy/hotness scale.

This scale take into account the amount of total hotness divided by total craziness. Professor Barnabus Stinson theorizes that women can only be exponentially as crazy as they are hot, but if the woman ranks too high on the crazy side, or if she just isn't that hot, it's time to bolt.

To prevent the groom from heading for the hills, the bride's family kept her out of sight until the wedding day.

Unveiling the Veil

You'd think that the primary use of the veil would be to cover up the bride's gigantic beak until the last possible second, but its use has popped in and out of popularity since the Greek and Roman times. Since evil spirits were always on the loose, which is the root for most of these crazy traditions anyway, the veil was the equivalent of Peter Vankman with a proton pack. Once people stopped believing that a piece of cloth could stop a ghastly demon, it fell out of fashion until the 18th century when George Washington's niece Nellie used a white lace veil in her wedding, setting the example for the country.

Truth be told, there is no "bad luck" with seeing the bride before the wedding - besides, it's unlucky to believe in those silly superstitions anyway. This tradition is still around today because it's a fun and cheap thrill to add onto the already hectic day. If you're thinking about not seeing the bride until you're on the other side of the aisle, do it because you want a bit of adventure, not because you saw every other wedding do this for no good reason.

100 Worst Groomsmen Gifts

1. Male thongs
2. A wheel of cheese
3. That 20 bucks he already owes you
4. A-B-C gum
5. A reed diffuser (What, you're telling me my house smells?)
6. A bandanna with a banana pattern on it
7. An old bicycle with one pedal
8. The phone number of a romance novel author
9. A dancing sunflower alarm clock
10. A bikini wax job (um...)
11. A "man"icure (There's nothing manly about it)
12. Neon pink tank top with the word "groomsman" on it in rhinestones.
13. A Maltese named Princess that you'll be forced to parade around with for the next 15 years
14. A man purse (a.k.a. murse)
15. Leather chaps
16. A case of tangerine wine coolers.
17. A self-help book that tells you how to lose weight
18. A dusty VHS player
19. Gift Certificate to McDonalds for a free ice-cream cone and Mc Nuggets. (Mc "No Thank You").
20. Tickets to see the Nut Cracker. (The words "Nuts" and "Cracker," don't belong together. And it's only the scariest. ballet. ever)
21. A Celine Dion album
22. Chia Pets
23. Garden gnomes
24. A Jane Fonda workout video
25. Pocket protectors
26. Wine glasses (What happened to beer?)
27. A "Pretty Woman" DVD (The uncut version)
28. Donation made in your name to the local transgender society, complete with your phone number and address on the mailing list. (The future solicitations will never stop and you'll never date again)
29. Dollar Store grab bag (Price tag attached)
30. Ash trays that the groom made at the local pottery painting place. And you don't smoke. But he painted your name on real nice...
31. 6 pack of Bic lighters and a cigar from the irregular bin
32. Beaded bracelet that the bride made in her beginning jewelry class at the community college
33. The extra favor boxes leftover at the end of the reception
34. Sunglasses circa 1993. Neon is not back in and it's not old enough to be retro.
35. Anything that looks like it came from Goodwill. The stench will give it away
36. Stack of Archie and Jughead comics from the line at the grocery store. ('Cause you like to read and all)
37. Pack of Virginia Slims
38. Happy Meal toys. (Even if it is GI Joe, this groomsman gift sucks)
39. Dollar-store-bin undies with his name sewn into them
40. A feral cat
41. Belly button lint
42. A handful of couch Cheetos
43. Arena Football tickets
44. Year supply of car washes (You take the bus)
45. License plate covers that read "Groovy Groomsman Aboard"
46. Sod
47. A soiled wig
48. A monkey paw from that creepy store that sells Voodoo stuff
49. Fortune cookies... sans fortune
50. A restraining order
51. A brochure from Alcoholics Anonymous
52. An army of porcelain dolls so they can stare at you with murderous intent
53. A Christmas ornament. (You're Jewish)
54. Pumpkin-pie-scented lotion
55. A fraying LA Gear Jean jacket, sweat stains and all
56. A mail-order bride to nag you so you're just as miserable as the groom
57. Tickets to a "Tijuana show" along with cash for the surgery you'll need after you gouge your eyes out
58. Scratch off lotto tickets and a case of Bud Light
59. The thigh master (It's just going to spring back and accidentally hit you in the chin. You might as well punch yourself in the face)
60. A XXL tee-shirt, plastered with the groom's wedding pictures. (You're a medium. And you wouldn't walk around wearing a sandwich board of the bride and groom. So don't wear their "we're in love," tee shirt)
61. Cheap cologne that makes you stink like you just took a dip in the Amazon River
62. Carnival goldfish (Am I supposed to feed these things?)
63. Anything Hello Kitty (A great groomsmen gift, if only I was a 12-year-old girl)
64. A possessed Teddy Ruxbin
65. A cassette tape player and old tape of Motley Crew
66. A moose clock that bellows every hour on the hour
67. Sea-monkeys
68. A gift certificate to a tattoo parlor with the hope that the whole wedding party gets matching tattoos. (You're not in the boy band 98 Degrees. Yes, Nick LaShay we remember)
69. A poem or painting the groom created himself. (Sorry buddy, your creative endeavors don't count as groomsmen gifts)
70. Magazine subscriptions (magazines are dead)
71. Remaindered paperback books
72. A used clown lamp with light up eyes (shudder)
73. Bootleg copies of Elvis movies (ones that feature beefy, older Elvis)
74. An airport vomit bag ...filled (No, this isn't a nice keepsake of the Vegas bachelor party)
75. Toe socks
76. Beano
77. Adult diapers. (Unless you know someone who is going on a very long trip. Only then are diapers thoughtful groomsmen gifts)
78. Personalized toilet paper with the bride's face on it (Actually if you hate the bride this makes a great groomsmen gift)
79. Personalized toilet paper with the groom's face on it (Like you really want that ugly mug staring up at you)
80. The What's Your Poo Telling You? book
81. A one-way ticket to Siberia
82. A one-way ticket to Kansas
83. Pink speedos
84. A paperweight shaped like a dumbbell (How clever)
85. A toilet seat with your picture on it
86. Tickets to see "Cats"
87. A ceramic angel
88. A ceramic anything
89. A re-gifted George Foreman grill (Just scrape off the grease)
90. A Jesus nightlight
91. A hand-crafted coupon book with lame coupons for things like a night out with the guys
92. A house plant (It will surely die, leaving you to clean up its remains)
93. A coupon for 15% off your dry cleaning (You wear jeans and tee-shirts)
94. An engraved flask personalized with your uber humiliating childhood nickname (Now everyone knows you were once nicknamed Georgy Porgy)
95. A headstone
96. Man jewelry of any sort (With the exception of cufflinks and gold chains)
97. His old head gear
98. Jumper cables (What are you, my dad?)
99. A car air-freshener that smells like an old fart
100. Nothing

The Groomsmen Gift of Cool Fashion

Who told you that you must absolutely wear a heavy ass, black wool tux to a summer wedding? If you're wedding is during the hottest months of the year, do your groomsmen a favor and choose to rent a tux that is temperature appropriate. Materials like cotton and linen are great because they're breathable, which keeps you cool and it keeps the stink down from your sweaty arm pits.

Since black tuxedo jackets are not normally made from 100% cotton, try to find one with a wool/cotton blend - or any blend for that matter. This will bring down the overall weight of the clothing, which should be physically noticeable when you're trying on jackets at the tux shop.

By the way, whose dorky idea was it to wear the multicolored tuxedo vest? Don't be sucked into technicolor dreamcoat at the tux shop - it's just for teenagers to make an ass of themselves at prom. Loose the extra layer and go with the long necktie or a bow tie for a classic and breathable look.

The other option is to choose a different colored tuxedo. You should be able to find white dinner jackets, gray or khaki colored suits. Remember, the more you veer off from the traditional, the more funky your wedding pictures might look in ten years. That might be a small price to pay when it's so hot that you question if you wet yourself because your legs are dripping with sweat.

When the Heat is Still Unbearable

Beyond finding a summertime tuxedo, there are only a few other precautions you can make to stay cool. You can try adding shade or fans at the altar, but knowing how much planning went into this day, the half-ass attempt to hold an umbrella over the groomsmen might not fly with the bride. Try icing up some personalized flasks and have the groomsmen stick them under their shirts.

After the reception, the heat can be too unbearable to stand. Set your boys up with groomsmen gifts of the Personalized Sit 'N Sip Cooler filled with ice and thrust-quenching beer. Complete with insulated pockets and a bottle opener, this personalized cooler will make you more than an awesome groom... it will make you a lifesaver.

Find all your groomsmen gifts for cool and hot weather on groomstand.com.

Bachelor Party Games

Game #1: "Scavenger Hunt." This is your best shot at some crazy antics, or a fat slap in the face. Here's a list of stuff you should do or acquire throughout the night:

• A woman to do a body shot with
• Find as many condoms as possible
• Serenade a girl you've never met before
• Dance by yourself on the dance floor
• Find some adult products for the honeymoon
• A piece of woman's clothing
• A kiss from a girl with the same name as the fiancé

The winner of the scavenger hunt receives groomsmen gift of a Rubber Grip 13-Function Army Knife for being so crafty.

Game #2: "Photo Contest." Figure out what you want to get the most photos with beforehand. Teams of two or more try to take the most pictures of the following: cougar hunt (women over 40 - or actual cougars) hottest chicks, not so hottest chicks, or most women. The hard and fast rule is that each bachelor must have a drink in his left hand for the photo. If he's caught with the drink in his right, he has to chug what's left. If there is no drink in the picture, he has to buy the next round.

Winner receives the groomsmen gift of a shot glass.

Game #3: "Worst Toast Ever" Everyone in the group needs to write up and deliver the worst possible toast to be delivered at the wedding based on the groom's history. Don't be shy to mention ugly ex-girlfriends, throw-up moments and stupid stuff you'd never want the bride's parents to know about.

Winner receives the groomsmen gift of a personalized pen with "Best-Worst Toast Giver-Ever."

The first groom to find a drink that's old, new, borrowed and blue wins the groomsmen gift of an engraved flask.

For all your groomsmen gift scavenging needs, remember GroomStand.com.

Finding the Ideal Car

If you're a classic guy, you can easily find a limo to take your unimaginative butt around town in style. Most places charge an hourly rate on limos that range anywhere from $50 to $200, and normally require you to sign up for a minimum hourly charge of 2-5 hours. So, if you've always had your eye on rollin' in a stretch Hummer, it's going to cost you around $1000. Get your money's worth by taking your groomsmen around the block a few times before the ceremony, which also gives you the chance to hand out Personalized Brushed Metal Flasks as groomsmen gifts.

If you're the kind of guy that wants to get his own hands behind the wheel, renting a sports car isn't far out of the realm. If you have the cash, there are only a few factors that might get in the way:

1. You need to live near a major city. If you're out in Middle America, it's hard enough to find a descent selection in Volkswagen, much less Ferrari.
2. You're going to be driving. Some of these cars can cost a few hundred thousand dollars. You're going to need enough confidence that you don't dump the clutch as you make your getaway, and you'll have to be sober as the priest. On the other hand, you could pawn the driving job off to someone in your wedding party and call it a last second groomsmen gift.

If you're cool on both those fronts, a rough estimate for renting a newish Ferrari 360 Spider will run you $1100 dollars for a day. Otherwise, if you're ok with driving a cool car that you actually see on the road like a BMW M6 Convertible, or a Mercedes Benz SL, it will run you around $500 for the day.

Decorating the Getaway Car

Normally, it's the job of the groomsmen to smear up the back window with the 'just married' sign. As far as tips and tricks with any car, beware of using shaving cream for this stunt. Shaving cream or gel will be fine on the back window, but it can damage the paint. A better alternative is a bar of soap. You might not be able to see it as well, but you can give it to the ring bear and he won't destroy anything.

Back in the day, it was tradition to tie shoes to the back bumper. The original thought was that leather was thought to ward off evil spirits (that's what I use in my home!) and leather shoes were a logical choice to keep the bride and groom safe. Nowadays, people tie tin cans (or anything that makes noise) to the inside of the trunk. Most of the time rental companies aren't down with you dragging something with their expensive product, so a better alternative might be hooking streamers and balloons to the outside of the car.

1. Booking the honeymoon in your wife's married name. If your wife is taking your surname then you'll probably be ready for her to start using it as soon as possible. Unfortunately, making the arrangements for your wife to have a new passport in her married name immediately after the wedding is very difficult, and in some cases impossible. So don't forget the number one rule of honeymoon planning: book the hotel in her maiden name. 2. Not giving the best man a budget for the bachelor party. Your best man is probably your best friend and naturally wants to give you a really good stag party. Sometimes best men can get carried away in trying to do a good job, and forget about the cost. If you know that your male friends will be happy to fork out, don't worry. But if some of your friends are likely to struggle, or might resent being asked to pay a lot of money, you might need to give your best man a budget per head. That way, everyone's happy. 3. Arranging to pick up your tux the day before the wedding. If you're renting your tux, you'll normally go to the shop well in advance of the big day to be measured. You'll then be asked when you want to pick up the tux. Always, always, go for the earliest possible day. It's very rare to be offered more than a week, and about four days beforehand is usually the earliest offered. Just don't plan to pick up your outfit the day before. Many outfitters keep their stock centrally and if the measurements were not quite right, or you've gained or lost a little weight, you need to leave time to get it changed. 4. Sloppy shoe polishing. Even the laziest grooms will have to polish the shoes he'll wear on the big day. But once you've polished them, grab a piece of white kitchen towel and rub it thoroughly all over your shoes. Are there black polish marks on the kitchen towel? We thought so. Are you glad that shoe polish residue isn't going to come off bottom of your wife's expensive white wedding dress when you're dancing with her later on? We thought so too. 5. Not having a drink to toast with. It's tradition for the groom to toast the bridesmaids in his speech, if he gives one. Giving a speech in front of all your guests can be daunting, but most guys do fine in the end. Just make sure you have a glass of something - anything - before you start. Lots of grooms (and for that matter best men and fathers of the bride too) get to the toast and realize they've got no glass to raise. Check before you start!

Joining last names at marriage is an important step in unifying the family. That's what Josiah Neufeld believed when he decided to take on his wife's last name when he got married. Josiah's essay in The Globe and Mail shows how much he thought about the affect of his name change would have on himself, his family and even his gender.

"I did it because I love Mona - because I wanted her to know that I didn't expect her to become anyone other than herself. It mattered to me that we shared a name, so I reasoned I should be the one to offer mine up. And a combination name like Neufeld-Thiessen would only solve the dilemma temporarily. Eventually a child of ours would bring this unwieldy last name to his or her own marriage - most likely to another hyphenee," says Josiah.

I've always given this situation some thought since I'm a victim of such a crazy last name (it's got w's that sound like v's, and people always emphasize the wrong syllables). Since I also believe that it's important to keep the same name in the family, it might be cool to even the playing fields with a completely neutral and legendary last name.

Have you ever met Mr. and Mrs. Awesome, and their kids Totally and Freakin'?

Let GroomStand know if you'd be willing to change your last name.

Rule #76: No excuses. Play like a champion.

Rule #32: You don't commit to a relative unless you're absolutely sure that they have a pulse.

Rule #16: Have an up to date family tree.

Rule #6: Do not sit in the corner and sulk. It draws attention to yourself in a negative way. Draw attention to yourself, but on your own terms.

Rule #5: You're an idiot.

Rule #1: Never leave a fellow crasher behind.

It's arguable that after all the grief and torment the bride puts everyone through leading up to a wedding, there is no better groomsmen gift than seeing her face being pummeled by a piece of $300 wedding cake. The only thing that's more messy than frosting on your face is the line of logic it takes to explain this GroomStand wedding origin story.

The Wedding Cake Wasn't Always Eaten

The first part of this origin story is one of those things like the diaphragm; it just doesn't make sense anymore. Back in the Roman Empire, certain grains like Wheat or Barley were believed to be a symbol of fertility. Originally, it was common practice to shower the newlyweds with pieces of wheat cake, sometimes it was from above, but mostly it's described as something similar to the tossing of rice as a couple leaves the church. The odd part of the practice is how young unmarried girls were encouraged to pickup and eat the disregarded wheat cake bits to ensure their own betrothals - similar to today's bouquet toss.

Over time, the Roman bakers changed the policy on throwing cake at the couple by creating what we'd now think of as the inspiration to the cupcake. Bakers would prepare a massive batch of the small sweet cakes, and stack them in a pyramid shape as high as possible. It was then believed to be good luck with a dusting of great fertility if the couple could lean over the stack of cakes and kiss without knocking anything over.

That's Cake in Your Face

You can already guess that if you have a short bride, it was nearly impossible to successfully kiss over a mountain of cakes. After frosting was introduced during the reign of King Charles II, it was more than common for the bride and groom to get a face full of cake and frosting on their wedding day.

"It's not awkward, unless we let it be awkward," is not an awesome explanation you want coming out of your groomsmen. We all have good intentions when we say those little quips in an applicative tone, but sometime you can feel like you just slapped someone across the face with a gut wrenching critique.

Disguising insults as praise is an easy inadvertent gaffe, so use this list of wedding backhanded compliments as a groomsmen gift to help your buddies abide by proper etiquette.

Top Ten Backhanded Compliments to the Bride

10. You clean up much better than I expected.
9. That dress does wonders to hide your figure.
8. Wow, I didn't know how great you look in white. I thought you were going to wear a different color.
7. It's amazing that someone from the trailer park could throw a party like this.
6. How on earth did you learn the Macarena so well?
5. Those blackheads aren't that bad, they form the cutest design.
4. Your makeup is wonderful, it really makes your nose look smaller.
3. What I like about your decorating is that it says, "I've got better things to spend my money on."
2. A strapless dress. You must have tons of confidence in your inner beauty
1. It's incredible. You don't look pregnant at all!

Defensive Décor

Does it matter that your friend's only gridiron glory moment was when his high school team was being blown out? No way. Give your buddy the chance to stand shoulder to shoulder with the legends of the game with groomsmen gifts of this Personalized Premium NFL Locker Room Print. This personalized sign will show that he bleeds Seahawk green (or whatever team color he happens to like).

Or, if you have a friend that actually was good back in the day, give him a football sign that will shine proudly in his awards case with the Vintage Personalized Gridiron Pub Sign.

Touchdown Table Toppers

If you want to add a tasteful sports piece to the bar top or coffee table, the Personalized NFL Humidor is a great sports collectible and a wonderful place to keep your victory cigars. Engrave this box with an important date, like your wedding day - or even more important, the day the Giants upset the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.

Pocket Sized Gifts

Incorporate your favorite team into your wedding with some hand held gifts that are sure to last a lifetime. The Personalized NFL Emblem Money Clip is the perfect way to keep track of your cash during the fantasy draft, as well as being a wonderful memento to mark the big day.

You already wear your pride on your sleeve, what's stopping you from showing it off? Give a nod to nostalgia of watching games with your buddies with groomsmen gifts of these Official NFL Cufflinks.

With these fantastic gridiron groomsmen gifts, you'll be able to gear up next season without letting a pesky thing like a wedding to get in the way.

Don't freak out quite yet. No one expects you to make this wedding by dishing out an incredible speech. That said, you sure as heck can 'break' this wedding by delivering up a turd for a speech. Remember to be cool, you had to do something good to be a groomsmen. A good start is avoiding the lure of an open bar and staying off the topic of the bride's unusual feet.

Still, if you'd prefer to go one step above complete bedlam, we've got a few tried and true pointers to keep in mind if you're groomsmen duties include a toast. Follow these tips to avoid some of the most common pitfalls that groomsmen face when they're asked to speak at a wedding.

• Be brief. Everyone loves a speech that gets to the point. If it's too long to memorize, it's okay to put your speech on notecards for reference, but try not to read directly from your notes. It looks tacky. That said, the best groomsmen speeches are outlined in advance. Keep this in mind, and stay curt. If you're audience is dozing off, you've taken too long.
• Even if you're planning to do the rest of your speech ad-lib (not recommended), have a few opening lines memorized before you stand up to speak. This should include a brief introduction of who you are and how you know the bride and groom. Focus on a theme and you'll be able to transition from that to an amusing anecdote and then your main point. Do not hunch over. You're doing it wrong if your posture looks like The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Focus on standing tall, and you'll be better off.

• Do not loosen up with booze. Using alcohol to ease your nerves is a one way ticket to an enormous mistake. Nothing terrifies a bride more than a hammed groomsman with a microphone. Nothing.
• Balance it out. The entire toast can't be about the groom. Even if you barely know the bride, create the illusion you do by talking about how the groom improved by being with such an incredible woman. Don't agree with that last statement? Make something up. Safe topics include his eating habits, the way he dresses, his apartment, or skipping the big playoff game to take care of her when she had the flu.
• Do not go beyond a PG rating. And we mean it. Your speech needs to be cleaner than Mr.Clean's shiny bald dust-free head. Just because the little kids can't spell out profanities doesn't mean the 90-year old grandma in the front row can't either. Don't incite nanny.

• Engage your audience. The best way to do this is by gesturing to the bride and groom whenever you mention them. Try to make eye contact by glancing casually from left to right as you speak. It'll make the crowd feel more included, and they'll be more engaged as a result. Also, be aware of how fast you're speaking. Since you're not Tony Robins, you'll likely be nervous. Nervousness makes us all tend to talk too quickly. Remember this, and focus on slowing down.
• Get personal. As a groomsman, you've got a bundle of great stories to pick from. So find the best ones while avoiding all the caveats mentioned above. Do not mention the groom's ex'. Even if you're trying to draw a nice contrast, it's never a good topic. Just act like the bride is the only girl he's ever known in his meek existence.
• Conclude on a good note. You want to end your speech with something that leaves the crowd happy and smiling. After all, this is a wedding.

Remember, this isn't about you. You're there to honor the bride and groom, so don't try to steal the show with an especially clever or funny speech.

Most importantly, try not to get nervous. If you stay PC, the worst that can happen is a ballroom of temporarily bored guests. They'll still clink their flutes and applaud when you're done. And everyone will return to the cake, the dancing, and the drinking eventually. So calm down, keep it simple, and have fun.

Groomstand.com is your one stop online wedding store for groomsmen gifts. Our competitive prices and fantastic selection make us just the place to look for those gifts that men appreciate.

Robert Redford made a name for himself in Hollywood early on with leading roles in films like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Sting. As he developed as an actor, Redford showed himself to be a skilled director and producer. His was eventually awarded an Oscar for his direction of Ordinary People.

But the real reason we like Robert is his lifelong devotion to political and humanitarian work. Not only does Redford's Sundance Film Festival give a voice to independent filmmakers around the world, his work protecting the environment and his philanthropic endeavors help empower the disenfranchised. At the 74th annual Academy Awards, Redford received a Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of these accomplishments.

Szaggars is 51 years old, twenty years' Redford's junior. Szaggars moved to Sundance, Utah in the 1990s - the same location where Redford's Sundance Institute is based. The two met at the 1996 Sundance Festival, and had been dating for 13 years prior to their marriage in Germany this past weekend.

Groomstand.com wishes Robert and Sibylle only the best in their future as husband and wife. Don't forget to visit Groomstand the next time you're shopping for groomsmen gifts.

What the Bride Goes Through

Did you know that brides take a full day weeks before their wedding to make a "run through" with a professional hair and make-up artist? This goes a little overboard in the guy handbook, but it does make a standard to what you should live up to on the big day.

Finding a Man Spa

Not surprisingly, the market for the male spa is growing. If you live near a city, it's easy to find these male grooming sanctuaries complete with their mahogany floors and overstuffed leather seats. I know what you're saying, you're right - they are expensive. You could likely get the same kind of service at a spa or stylist for a significantly less money, but you'll be trading the ambiance and their ace in the hole "the perfect shave."

The Straight Edge Razor

There is no better "man moment" than when the barber chair is tilt back, the warm towel slides off your face and you feel the warm, rich lather of shaving cream right before your professional shave. It's one of those things you have to do at least once in your life. To find one of these places, try searching for 'professional shave' in your area or another option is to visit The Perfect Shave, which seems to have upscale shave specialty shop in most major cities. Be looking to spend about $50 on a shave and a haircut (they're sure to throw in some extra stuff like a scalp massage and drinks).

If shaving at home is more your thing, you can still share the moment with your best buddies with personalized gifts of this Personalized Mach3 Razor & Badger Brush on Chrome Plated Stand. The act of shaving is a zen-like activity. When you do it yourself, make sure your doing it right by reading the Guide to a Close and Comfortable Shave.

People have been getting married for over a thousand years, and one of the hard and fast rules of all time is where the bride and groom stand at a wedding. This partly has to do with a majority of the world's population being right-handed, but this GroomStand.com wedding origin story isn't that simple.

A Wedding History Lesson

Once again, you'll have to look to the Middle Ages to see where this tradition started. After reading about the original groomsmen and the origin of the honeymoon, you should know by now back before we knew the earth was round, we thought it was an awesome idea to trade and sell women with marriage. Every now and then after the groom captured a woman as his bride, her family, or some eager knight in shining armor would come to her rescue before the marriage deed was signed to prevent the woman from becoming the groom's property.

Groom to the Right, Bride to the Left

When standing at the altar, the bride stood to the left to allow the groom free use of his "sword arm," which is his right hand. If any man made it past the line of groomsmen standing guard at the altar, the groom would hold onto his bride with the left hand and would wield his sword with his right against any oncoming attackers.

A wedding should never have to come to this! Remember to choose your groomsmen carefully, and arm them with classic groomsmen gifts like this Stainless Steel Multi-Function Knife and you'll never have to worry about jealous ex-boyfriends trying to take your girl away.

Modern Interpretation

Nowadays, we try to over look the violent history of this tradition with a sugarcoated explanation stating that when the man and women join hands at the altar, it symbolizes their strength and unity, as well as their combined resources they bring to the marriage. (FYI, at traditional Jewish ceremonies, the bride stands to the right, and the groom to the left.)

Any diamond purchased should come with a GIA grading report, which gives details of the quality of the diamond based on the Four Cs--cut, color, clarity and carat weight. For more information on these topics, visit GIA at www.gia4cs.gia.edu, or call 800-421-7250.

I'm the best man for my buddy's upcoming wedding, and it's time to rent a tux. Since it's already expensive to rent one of these penguin suits for a day, a good way to save some dough is to skip the shoe rental.

Avoiding the cost is awesome, but above all else, I'd like to avoid the funkyness of renting out some other schmuck's shoes. Then again, I'm that guy who brings his own pair of bowling shoes to Saturday night cosmic bowling.

The Problem with Using Your Own Shoes

Opting out of the shoe rental means you'd better have a good pair of shoes at home. In my case, I have a great pair of black patent leather shoes from Kenneth Cole, but they've taken a beating over the years.

I don't want to look like a dope in front of the alter, and neither should you. Here are a few tips from groomstand.com to bring your creased and worn shoes back to tip top shape.

Black Leather Shoes

The most simple and obvious advice would be to polish your shoes. Our Personalized Leather Shoeshine Kit will last a lifetime, and makes for a great zen calming activity when working with most black leathers. If it's a bad scuff and the polish won't take, rub a raw potato over the mark and then apply a regular coat of polish.

But if it's patent leather we're dealing with... that's a whole different story.

Patent Leather Shoes

Patent leather is leather coated with polyurethane. It's shinny and it feels like plastic, which means you have to treat it like plastic.

Some Options for Scuffed Shoes

1. Windex and a paper towel should do the trick on light scuffs.
2. If the scuff is deep, you can either buy some Kiwi patent leather restoring-liquid or bug one of your lady friends for some clear nail polish. If this doesn't do the trick, you're going to be on the road to renting some shoes because the next option is glue and tape.

Tips for Creases in Yours Shoe

You can prevent creasing in the leather by rubbing down your shoes with olive oil, petroleum jelly, or some people even use milk. If they're already cracked, there is no way to fully-restore your shoes, but if you try these methods and store your shoes in a warm place well in-advance of the wedding, you'll greatly improve the condition of your shoes.

Remember, if you're looking for some other cost-cutting ideas for your wedding, GroomStand.com is having a 10% off site wide sale. Find some groomsmen gifts or gifts for and everyone else in your party. As always, give it that special extra touch with a free personalization.

The only problem with these snazzy groomsmen gifts are that when you combine alcohol with a group of dudes, the sum of the outcome is never on the brilliant side. Here are a few helpful tips so your groomsmen can hold onto their flasks beyond the weekend.

Top Ten Worst uses for a Flask

10. Emergency athletic supporter - Find something else that's hard, curved and that can fit around your junk.
9. Travel-sized shampoo carrier - Afterward, your whiskey will forever more have the slight hint of Pantene Pro-v.
8. Mouthwash container in your car - The rumors will really fly when Jim in sales spies you taking a nip every time you leave the company parking lot.
7. A hiking canteen - When you're out of breath and need a drink, scotch might not be the best thing to quench your thirst.

6. An Urn - Although you'd love to honor dear old Uncle Mike for all the times he inappropriately pinched your fiancée's ass.
5. As a nametag - If people use your personalized flask to identify your passed out body... you might drink too much.
4. As a ninja throwing star - Trust me, after a few swigs with your groomsmen it will sound like an awesome idea.
3. As an ice pack for your kid's lunch - At least the school will know that probably won't be your last emergency parent/teacher conference.

2. To hold feminine hygiene products - It's time for a dude intervention if your best man has to carry his girl's tampons in the cigar compartment of his Stainless Steel & Leather Flask with Cigar Holder.

1. As a container for breast milk - Especially if you don't have a baby.

• Bewilderment: Prepare yourself to be utterly confused on how much to spend. It ranges from a couple hundred to a few million. Here's some help, your ring will likely be somewhere in between those two prices.
• Indecisiveness: Staring at all those little shiny hoops will only make your decision harder. Which will mean you'll have to do way more shopping then you'd originally anticipated. Maybe this whole marriage thing just isn't for you after all.
• Financial punishment: Ultimately, when you do decide on a ring, it's going to cost you. So suck it up and get ready to go back into debt.
• Second thoughts: All of the emotional triggers above will accumulate into one simple pervading sensation: Doubt. But don't let that get in your way. After all, it's not like you'll be stuck with this person for the rest of your life.
OK fine, maybe buying a ring isn't as grueling and terrible as we're making it out to be. Nonetheless, shopping for wedding bands can be difficult. Just ask any guy who's had to do it. Buying a ring is expensive, confusing, and downright terrifying. At the very least, take the time to shop for an assortment of rings long in advance and you'll be making your life a whole heck of a lot easier.]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/07/buying_the_engagement_ring.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/07/buying_the_engagement_ring.html Groomsmen Gifts - The Whole Story advice brides engagement rings gifts for grooms guide howto marriage marriage advice wedding costs Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:45:37 -0800

The hands-down, numero uno, best part of a wedding has got to be leaving for the honeymoon. All the planning is finally freaking over, and most importantly, your awesome groomsmen gifts of the Engraved English Tavern Tankard are in the hands of your best men.

Now that it's time for some relaxin', you might start to wonder what the hell moons or honey have to do with during a bride and groom love fest vacation? Well, start watching your step because GroomStand.com is dropping knowledge on our take of all these wacky and zany wedding traditions.

The origin of the honeymoon

Apparently, a ton of these wedding stories started off with the groom or groomsmen capturing some poor chick from the next town over (to catch up on these origin stories see the Role of the Original Groomsmen). The word honeymoon has roots to the Norse word "hjunottsmanathr".

Ok, so I don't know how to pronounce that word, but what I do know is that after the bride was captured, the groomsmen would force the groom and bride (most of the time against her will) to stay in hiding until the bride's family stopped looking for her. In the easiest sense, the word means "hiding".

Where does the honey and the moon come in?



Another Scandinavian honeymoon tradition says that the bride and groom should slug down this honey wine called mead everyday for an entire month (aka a moon cycle). This mead stuff is sweet and strong, which made it the beverage of choice for Vikings to go three-sheets to the wind. The idea was that mead has unexplainable attributes that increase fertility, but you can imagine after a month of being drunk and horny off this stuff, your little lady is bound to have a bun in the oven.

Have some fun with your buddies after your wedding by presenting them personalized wine glasses and share a bottle of mead. If you don't end up pillaging a village, you'll help your friends get one step closer to going on their own honeymoon.

]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/07/the_origin_of_the_honeymoon.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/07/the_origin_of_the_honeymoon.html Groomsmen Gifts - The Whole Story Groomsmen Origin Stories groomsmen gifts Honeymoon Origin of the Honeymoon vikings Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:01:21 -0800
1. When you're trapped in that Las Vegas bathroom because an enraged bear stands poised outside your door, you'll be glad at least one of you is armed with more than a robe and your hotel's miniature shampoo bottle arrangement.
2. All guys secretly think they're MacGyver. And MacGyver always had a pocket knife.

3. Your groomsmen already have flasks from college.
4. Getting them engraved pocket knives shows that you care about their safety.
5. Getting them engraved lock-back pocket knives shows that you care about your safety.

6. You don't have to go to Switzerland to get it personalized.
7. That pocket knife your groomsmen got in the Cub Scouts is still covered in grape jelly and is so dull it couldn't cut through a ballpark frank.
8. Mr. T pities the foo' who doesn't have one.

9. They'll need something to cut the string when tying all those tin cans to the back of your car.
10. Boys like knives. Guys like knives. Men like knives. Knives are forever.
11. Crocodile Dundee had a knife. But get them one that won't get them arrested for carrying it around on the subway.

12. Groomsmen knives are great for emergency tracheotomies at the reception.
13. Because keychains are lame.
14. Their Leatherman tool was confiscated by airport security on their way to the wedding.
15. They'll stop using their car keys, teeth or any other sharp object conveniently available when they want to jimmy open whatever it is they're trying to jimmy open.
16. A personalized pocket knife can be used as a form of identification in Atlantic City.
17. The GI Joe movie is coming out this summer. A real American Hero always carries a pocket knife. Go Joe!
18. And duh, if you lose it- people know who it belongs to. This also applies if someone tries to steal it!
]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/07/18_reasons_why_every_groomsmen.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/07/18_reasons_why_every_groomsmen.html Groomsmen Gifts - The Whole Story crocodile dundee gifts for the groom groomsmen knife mcgyver mr.t personalized pocket knife Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:35:36 -0800

GroomStand knows that you care what you look like on your wedding day. The last think you want to do is look like a jackass in a cream-colored ruffled shirt. Come on, your wedding is the most photographed day of your life.

Looking your best with everyone else

Isn't it ironic then, that you make such a fuss about looking your best for your wedding even though you end up wearing the same tuxedo as your groomsmen? Maybe you can pawn this off as one of your groomsmen gifts, and give your buddies a chance to stand at the altar and share in your good looks. But the reality is, your buddies are dressing up just like you because someone told you that's what you're supposed to do.

Welcome to another round of Groomsmen origin stories, where we at GroomStand.com give you our take on some of the bizarre and unexplained wedding traditions.

Why do groomsmen dress like the groom?

This origin story feeds off the story of the original groomsmen. Back in the Dark Ages, when a wedding party triumphantly returned from capturing a bride from a neighboring village, it was common practice for that scorned village to cast a curse on the new bride and groom. When it came to the wedding day, men and women in the wedding party would dress identical to the bride and groom so they could confuse those pesky evil demons sent from other village.

It's never explained if anyone reasoned that the other people in the wedding party should have an equal opportunity of being cursed, but the logic seemed to work and it gave an outstanding cop out excuse if the couple wasn't compatible. Many different cultures have borrowed and manipulated this tradition to make it what we practice today.



So you're at the altar, make sure you thank your ghostbusting groomsmen by presenting these Gunmetal Rectangular Engravable Cufflinks as stylish groomsmen gifts to ensure your wedding party matches to the slightest detail.

]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/07/the_origin_of_why_groomsmen_dr.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/07/the_origin_of_why_groomsmen_dr.html Groomsmen Gifts - The Whole Story Groomsmen Origin Stories cufflinks Ghostbusters Groomsmen Gifts Groomsmen Origin Stories Tuxedo Wedding Origin Stories Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:56:53 -0800
Nothing beats watching the 2009 Tour De France and enjoying the pastoral French countryside. Not only is it stunning scenery, but the weather is perfect and for the first time since 2005 Lance is back on the bike. Once again, Lance is on track to yet another victorious Paris finish.

Make sure you're ready to toast Lance's record breaking eighth Tour De France victory with these elegant Personalized Drinking Glasses. These popular drinking glasses are sure to be a hit at your 2009 Tour De France Party! For a limited time only, these attractice drinking glasses are 20% off. BUY NOW, only $34.00 USD $27.20 USD. Or buy six or more sets for an additional 10% off at just $24.48 each! ]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/07/celebrate_lances_return_with_p.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/07/celebrate_lances_return_with_p.html Groomsmen Sports gifts for groom lance armstrong tour de france Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:56:15 -0800 While Murray fights to become the first British male to qualify for the finals at Wimbledon in over 70 years, be sure to show your support for the game you and your groomsmen love by gifting these handsome pub signs.

If they follow the game on and off the court, the Racquet Club Pub Sign will be a cherished groomsmen gift that'll fit your summer wedding perfectly.
For another spin on the tennis-themed groomsmen gift, consider this Vintage Racquet Pub Sign. Both of these elegant items are sure to be gift favorites for your groomsmen this summer. Not only will they put these vintage signs up as wall decorations for their home or office, but each time they gaze up at their sign they'll remember your wedding day.

Whether you'll be attending Centre Court this week in person or just plan to watch the action from the comfort of your own home, Groomstand.com has the gifts for groomsmen that guys really want.

Shopping for bridesmaid gifts this summer and don't have a clue what to buy? Take a look at our ongoing sale at Weddingstand.com. Not only do we have the bridesmaids gifts that women adore, our prices make shopping for wedding favors easy on the wallet. For a unique yet beautiful bridesmaid gift idea for the summer wedding, gift the Personalized Wide Cuff Bracelet. Just remember, these sale items are discounted for a limited time only, so get them while you still can.

]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/07/wimbledon_wedding_themed_gifts.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/07/wimbledon_wedding_themed_gifts.html Groomsmen Gifts - The Whole Story gifts for the groom grand slam groomsmen gifts personalized pub sign racquet club pub sign racquet club sign tennis wimbledon Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:22:15 -0800

One of the all-time best gifts to the groom during the bachelor party is the sexy lady jumping out of the cake. Cake is good. A hot stripper is good. The combination of the two is extra-double good. If you've ever wondered who in their right mind thought it was a good idea to unite these two forces of awesomeness to make the greatest of groomsmen gifts, you're in luck! Welcome to GroomStand's exploration of crazy and bizarre wedding traditions with our take on groomsmen origin stories.

Animals jumping out of cakes

Surprisingly, this story doesn't start out with a nobleman's perverse sexual fantasy of forcing naked women to escape from giant pastries (that came later). Back in the 17th century, bakers and pastry chefs showcased their best work at banquets for kings and noblemen (think of an old school version of Ace of Cakes). One of the ways they used to show off was by concocting awe-inspiring pies filled with living animals. When an unsuspecting patron cut open this pastry, it was common for them to find a flock of flying birds and an army of frogs plotting their escape.

Women jumping out of cakes

This whole idea of beautiful women jumping-out-of-the-cake-routine didn't actually start until 1895. At a bachelor party for architect Stanford White, a photo of a woman popping out of pie surfaced on the front page of a New York newspaper. This cover story exposed some of the quirky party tricks practiced by the upper echelon of New York's wealthiest. The story then made infamous when the jealous millionaire husband of the beautiful cake jumper later shot Stanford White point blank in the face at a musical in Madison Square Garden.



Surprisingly, there is no validity to the notion that women used to jump out of a "real" cake. All the accounts through history seem to talk about women or animals jumping out of pie crusts, and the only cakes strippers are popping out of these days are not very edible. Either way you go about it, when people or pets are jumping out of cakes, it's the sign of a good party. Make sure your party animal friends take a party sign home with them with groomsmen gifts of this personalized pub sign as a moment for memories that will last for years.

]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/07/the_origin_of_jumping_out_of_t.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/07/the_origin_of_jumping_out_of_t.html Groomsmen Origin Stories bachelor party Groomsmen origin stories personalized pub signs Stripper Women jumping out of the cake Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:27:19 -0800 There is no better way to honor the memory of Michael Jackson than making a half-ass drunken attempt to copy his dance moves at your wedding. The moon walk, the leg kick, or even the crotch grab sound easy on paper, but when people try it on the dance floor, they're bad... they're bad, you know it! As the Smooth Criminals we are at GroomStand.com, we scoured the internet on an extensive 15 minute search of the best and worst Michael Jackson themed dance videos for your enjoyment.

Because It's a Thriller - To See Your Friends Dance Like This

Thriller is the go to group wedding dance. Here's a co-ed group that obviously went the extra mile with some dance lessons, and it totally shows!





These groomsmen made a good effort. Even though most of the background dancers already have the dance qualities of the undead, it seems the choreography starts to suffer after a few nips off the old personalized flask (which makes great groomsmen gifts if you're not springing for the dance lessons).





At least those guys put in some extra time on the parquet. If you don't put in the practice time, you'll end up looking like a group of drunken former cheerleaders (which isn't a bad thing at a wedding if you look the part).



The Michael Jackson Montage

It takes some extra dedication to pull off a montage of MJ's hits from the 80's (we'd all like to pretend the Michael Jackson of the 90's never happened). These moves take a ton of coordination, a half-way sober mind and enough practice that says you Don't Stop Till You Get Enough.





The problem with some of these choreographed dances is that the dancers might take it a step too far. Based on the look of these groomsmen, someone needs to remind them that they don't have a dance contract on the line.

Even if the dance moves from your groomsmen make you think they should look at the Man in the Mirror, reward their effort with awesome groomsmen gifts from GroomStand.com. ]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/michael_jackson_wedding_dance.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/michael_jackson_wedding_dance.html Groomtube Man in the Mirror michael jackson personalized flask Smooth Criminal Thriller Wedding Dance Wedding Dance Video Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:37:30 -0800

It's that time of year again. Wimbledon - tennis' oldest major tournament. Will it be Roger Federer surpassing Pete Sampras in total major championships? Or will the fan favorite Scott In Andy Murray take the trophy? If the guys you know can't wait to get out on the courts each summer, he's surely following the action from Wimbledon this year.

Whether he'll be attending the UK tournament or will just be watching the matches from home this year, gift your groom or groomsmen something they'll really enjoy with the Personalized Nappa Deluxe Toiletry Bag.

Not only will this classic and handsome toiletry bag have him traveling in style, it's just the groomsmen gift for guys who appreciate the finer things in life.

Made with fine top grain cowhide, the Nappa Toiletry Bag is just the groomsmen gift for the guys attending your wedding.

And now is a great time to purchase the Personalized Nappa Toiletry Bag, BUY NOW for just $93.00 $74.40. This sale is one day only.

]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/gifts_for_the_tennis_groomsmen.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/gifts_for_the_tennis_groomsmen.html Groomsmen Gifts - The Whole Story england gifts for the groom groomsmen gifts guy gifts tennis toiletry bag travel uk Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:41:09 -0800 Nowadays, groomsmen are a set piece to the modern day wedding. Not only do they represent the unbreakable bonds of friendship and family that made the groom who he is today, they also act as an unpaid workforce that busts their butts so the wedding can go off without a hitch. We all know that groomsmen work hard to deserve their groomsmen gifts, but their role in the wedding day has gotten a lot easier over time. Take a trip back in time as Groomstand.com examines some incredible and bizarre groomsmen origin stories.

Where did Groomsmen come from?



So we all know that once upon a time, weddings really didn't have anything to do with two people falling in love. When we look at the Dark Ages (for all you non-history buffs, I'm talking about the Middle Ages in Europe when there wasn't a whole lot of learnin' going on), the groom would assemble a search party made up of his family and friends when there wasn't a suitable bride in the groom's village. Remember when you and the boys would go on the prowl for chicks back in the day? Well, this takes it to a whole new level as the groom's party literally went on the hunt for a bride by capturing a woman from a nearby community. It would when be up to the groomsmen to fight off the bride's family and make a clear path for the groom and his newly acquired prize to make their escape.



Before you go into battle with your boys, make sure you set them up with groomsmen gifts of this Engraved Luxe Cocktail Shaker. These great gifts for men make a wonderful way of saying thanks for always having your back.

]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/the_role_of_the_original_groom_1.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/the_role_of_the_original_groom_1.html Groomsmen Origin Stories Dark Ages Engraved Luxe Cocktail Shaker Groomsmen Gifts Groomsmen Origin Stories Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:23:35 -0800 So, you've decided to turn your Girlfriend into The Lady in My LIfe and you want to Come Together with those Smooth Criminal college buddies for one last Carousel?

If you're like us, you Wanna be Startin' Somethin' on the night of your bachelor party. Whatever Happens, make sure you and your friends party until the Break of Dawn like the Heartbreakers that you know you are.

With the Last Night of Freedom tee, you and your groomsmen can party to Billie Jean, Man in the Mirror and all the other great Michael Jackson dance tunes. It's a recipe that is sure to make your bachelor party a Thriller that you and your groomsmen will remember for the ages.



Today only, you can have your very own last night of freedom t-shirt, now just $15.00 $12.00.

Buy 6 or more and get an additional 10% off!

Hurry - BUY NOW, supplies are RUNNING OUT!

]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/make_it_a_dance_party_worthy_o.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/make_it_a_dance_party_worthy_o.html Groomsmen Gifts - The Whole Story gifts for the groom groomsmen gifts last night of freedom t-shirt michael jackson t-shirt Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:34:40 -0800 The big news from this morning is the soon-to-be finalized trade pairing the seven foot Shaquille O'Neal with Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs and Phoenix Suns have agreed to exchange the Sun's big man for Cleveland center Ben Wallace and second round guard Sasha Pavlovic. The league still must approve the deal, but if it is finalized it is the first indications that the 2009 NBA season will be a whole lot different come game time this November.

Shaquille O'Neal isn't one to shy away from the lime light. Not only does the big center have an active following on twitter, he's been known to make waves with his media statements over the years.



Depressed that Shaq is clearing out of Phoenix? Drown your sorrows with this Personalized Shot Glass. Today only, you can have your very own personalized shot glass, now just $11.00 $8.80. Buy 6 or more and get an additional 10% off! Hurry - BUY NOW. ]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/the_big_news_from_this.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/the_big_news_from_this.html Groomsmen Gifts - The Whole Story cake design groom gifts groomsmen gifts personalized shot glass sale site-wide sale Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:39:25 -0800 If your groomsmen dig Tranformers, they'll love these groomsmen gifts:

Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen - the Michael Bay action-packed sequel - opens in theaters nationwide today. If the summer blockbuster list is the last thing on your mind this wedding season, consider these ideas to transform those lackluster groomsmen gifts into something you know they'll cherish and use for years.

Personalized Lock Back Knife


• Lock-Back Knives are just the handy pocket tool your friends have been looking for. Slim enough to keep by your side at all times, this lock-back knife is sturdy and so useful that he'll never want to part with this retractable piece of art. And not only is the Personalized Lock-Back Knife a gift he'll appreciate, at under 15 dollars, this piece of merchandise won't mean you'll break the bank on your summer wedding groomsmen gifts.

Personalized 13-Function Army Knife


• The 13-Function Army Knife is the handyman life-saver. And since all us guys have a little handymen in us in spirit, this useful Army Knife will be warmly welcomed if you present it to your groomsmen as a groomsmen gift. Another transforming groomsmen gift that is sure to convert your friends into more productive mates. Now there's something you both can appreciate!

Personalized Yukon Lock Back Knife


• The rich wood grain and elegant silver fittings allows this Yukon knife to satisfy both the outdoorsy groomsmen, and the classy elegant groomsman. If your friends dress for success on those more formal of occasions, but also don't mind getting their hands dirty on those weekend camping trips, this Personalized Yukon Lock-Back Knife is just the groomsmen gift you're looking for.
]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/transform_those_groomsmen_gift.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/transform_those_groomsmen_gift.html Groomsmen Gifts - The Whole Story 13-function knife gift ideas groomsmen gifts knife knives lockback knives yukon knife Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:32:31 -0800 The traditional best man earns his groomsmen gifts by wearing many hats at a wedding. He's on point to keep track of the other groomsmen and ushers, he plans the bachelor party that didn't ruin the wedding (which is just semantics because the bride will never find out what happened anyway), and it's his job to toast the newlyweds at the reception. However, the ideal best man is the guy the groom turns to when he needs to get out of a pinch. With GroomStand's advice on how to prepare the wedding day emergency kit, any best man is on his way to becoming the hero on the big day.

Wedding Day Emergency Kit Accessories:

Place the following items in a bag:


1. Roll of clear strapping tape - This is great for reinforcing clothing accessories that need to lie flat (e.g. a crooked bow tie). Just so you know, supermodels will bust this neat little trick out when they don't want their breasts popping out of a revealing shirt. Since the isle is just like strutting down the runway, do what the pros do. Clear tape is also a go to resource for preparing hems, or tying down the groom when he has cold feet.

2. Small pair of scissors or pocket knife - Where would MacGyver be without this tool? You're probably won't have to defuse a bomb, or battle random 80's terrorist groups who could easily be foiled by a single vigilante. Instead, you're more likely to be faced with the daunting task of cutting a loose thread hanging from a button. The Personalized Rubber Grip 13-Function Army Knife should be the one to do the trick.

3. A mini stapler - For the unlikely event that you rip the butt seam down the middle of your tuxedo pants, stapling the seam back together is a quick temporary fix. As a word to the wise, the only thing that looks worse than torn pants are pants that were fixed in a panic with exposed staples on the outside. If this emergency happens, make sure you take the time to remove the pants and fix the seam on the inside.

4. A black permanent marker - This is a last resort when something is spilled on a tuxedo and it leaves a mark. If you have enough time and you're dealing with a rented tux, forgo the marker for a wet washcloth.

5. Collapsible cup and aspirin - Have a pain pill, headache medicine or good old tension reliever ready at all times. The collapsible cup is a smart tool if the only source of water is the sink or drinking fountain.

6. Flask - The tension reliever when water just won't do. This Personalized Stainless Steel Leather Flask also makes great groomsmen gifts for relaxing with you friends on the big day.

7. Snack food - This day has been a long time coming, and built up nerves can really tear at an empty stomach. If you guys all eat breakfast together, make sure you still make time to have a banana, a sports drink or take it back to the good old days with a tasty pack of gushers. The best man and groom are going to need something in their gut if they take my original advice of sucking on their flask in the early afternoon.
8. Baby wipes or laundry pen - Just in case you drop a juicy fruit snack on your white tuxedo shirt, a laundry pen or baby wipe won't have you looking like a fool for the rest of the day. Baby wipes are also ideal when someone needs to wash their hands or a last second remedy to shine the shoes before walking down the isle.

9. Cash- If you don't have the tool for the job, money can always buy you that tool. Stuff a twenty and a few ones in the bag just in case you need to tip someone or buy something on the fly.

10. Wedding CD - As a sentimental favorite, keep a copy of the CD for the bride and groom's first dance. If there is one CD the DJ might forget, you know it's going to end up being this one. Also, don't think you have your bases covered just because you have a copy of the song on your iphone. That bad boy is useless unless you can hook it up to the sound system. Just make a hard copy on CD.
]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/the_top_ten_wedding_day_emerge.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/the_top_ten_wedding_day_emerge.html The Groom Room best man groomsmen gifts MacGyver Wedding Day Emergency Kit Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:03:11 -0800 Add your own delicious spin to a wedding tradition The groom's cake is a longstanding wedding tradition dating back to the 17th century. In the last 300 or so years, the tradition has been tailored to suit nearly every region and culture.

The groom's cake was originally a darker fruit style dessert served without icing. Over time, the cake evolved into individually wrapped sweet treats that wedding guests would receive as wedding favors. There's even some folklore associated with the groom's cake. In the southern US, single women are believed to dream up images of their future husbands if they place a piece of the coveted cake under their pillow the night of the wedding.



Nowadays, the groom's cake can be whatever you want it to be! With so many cake styles to decide on, a groom's cake can be a traditional - and distinctive - addition to your summer wedding.

Pick a groom's cake that suits your personality, or design something totally off the wall. We've compiled a site list below of some great groomsmen cake designers for some added inspiration.

These wedding cake sites offer great cake design ideas if you decide to add a groom's cake to your wedding.

Finding, creating and ordering a tailor-made cake that suits your personality just right was never so easy!

• Pink Cake Box
• Confetti Cakes
• Groom's Cakes
• Charm City Cakes
]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/finally_a_cake_for_the_groom.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/finally_a_cake_for_the_groom.html The Groom Room cake design groom cake groomsmen cake unique cake wedding cake Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:05:59 -0800

Not everyone has a rehearsal dinner before the wedding, but there are few reasons to skip it. Normally, the rehearsal dinner is an informal gathering the night before the big day. It gives an opportunity for the wedding party to mingle in a low key setting, and also serves as the podium for the bride and groom to thank everyone involved with the wedding planning. Here are some tips from GroomStand so you make the most of the opportunity.

Who plans the wedding rehearsal?

If you're going the traditional route, the parents of the groom normally pick up the bill for this shindig. To take it a step further, the mother of the groom is the person on point to plan the party. If her taste doesn't match with yours, or especially the brides, it's OK. Most people know that the bride and groom have enough going on, and since this is normally an informal event, the only thing people will be worried about is having a good time. Sit down with Mother to let her know what you'd like the day to be like, and make sure to give your mother a gift of love for all her hard work with a Personalized Heart Compact Mirror.

Since practice makes perfect, most people use the rehearsal as an opportunity to make a run-through of the wedding (think of Jr. High school play dress rehearsal). To keep a lighter mood, it's not uncommon for wedding parties to plan a theme around the day.

Awesome wedding rehearsal ideas:

1. BBQ Hoedown - Have some knee slappin' fun in the backyard with a barbecue and fiddle music. This is a super-de-duper informal approach, and if money is tight, there is always an option to make it a potluck. Since you're all outside, this is a great chance to pull out your groomsmen gifts of the Personalized Chrome Plated Flask w/ cigar holder and light up a stogy with your best buds.

2. Bowling party - Skip the party setup by throwing a strike at the local bowling lane. Rent a party room, and if they don't sell their own food, cater it with whatever you like. If you're still trying to keep it swanky, some bowling alleys like Lucky Strikes have a dress code to maintain a posh and upscale atmosphere. To the winner of the first annual whatever-your-last-name-is tournament, hand out a personalized bowling pub sign with your name on it.
3. Rock out with roller skates - Renting out a skating rink isn't that expensive. Just like a bowling alley, they have the same party facilities and should be pretty relaxed about bringing in catered food. Although this is probably the coolest idea on the list, double-check your guest list to make sure everyone is able body enough to skate around with a disco ball shining in their eyes.

4. Casino Night - Find out how lucky you are with a casino themed party. While this might take some extra room, setting up tables for poker, craps or bingo will allow your wedding party to mingle with each other at their own pace. To set the mood for the night, send your wedding party personalized poker playing cards as invitations to your wedding rehearsal.

5. Wine tasting - Class up your back yard with an outdoor wine tasting. As a way to save money, have your guests bring one bottle of a wine of their choice to the party. This will give you the best chance of providing a wide variety of colors and flavors. Have your groomsmen see our posting on How to Pop the Cork, and set them up with a Personalized Wine Accessory Gift Set as great groomsmen gifts for helping the wedding party open their bottles.

No matter what kind of wedding rehearsal you choose, a well planned one can be just as memorable as the wedding without breaking the bank. Have a great time, and keep that party rolling into the next day.

]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/the_wedding_rehearsal_dinner_a.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/the_wedding_rehearsal_dinner_a.html The Groom Room barbecue bowling party casino night roller skate Wedding Rehearsal Wedding Rehearsal Dinner wine tasting Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:54:07 -0800 Carl Spackler, better known as Bill Murray, just may have been spotted roaming around the 2009 US Open this morning at Bethpage Black. Was he looking for a tenacious gopher perhaps? Or just checking out Lucas Glover and David Duval's performances on the green? Either way, Bill Murray and a golf course is a recipe for mischief, be it blowing up the course entirely in 1980 or beaning a woman on the head with a golf ball as she stands in her front yard, just this last April. The US Open Golf Standings may be complete as of this morning, but a Bill Murray golf course sighting is not an out of place in one. In fact, you might even catch him at the hot dog stand with Michael J. Fox, handing out compliment after compliment, "I've never seen anyone hit it so well but miss it so completely." That doesn't mean you should miss out on the fun Bill's having! Bring a piece of the course to you (or to your groomsmen) and remind them that everyday is a day to work on their drive. Today only, Our Vintage Personalized Longdrive Pub Sign is 20% off! $46.00 $36.80 Buy 6 or more and get an additional 10% off! Hurry - BUY NOW - and tell them Carl sent you. Images sourced from NJ.com and Photobucket]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/is_that_carl_spackler.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/is_that_carl_spackler.html Groomsmen Sports 2009 us open bethpage black bill murray caddyshack groomsman gifts groomsmen gifts us open us open golf Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:44:56 -0800

Strippers and bachelor parties go together like two peas in a pod. But for those of us new to the bachelor party scene, it's a little tough to find out how to acquire some adult entertainment. While a stripper can take the top of the list of groomsmen gifts, you have to be careful when you're finding one.

Talking to adult entertainment companies

Strippers, or people who supply strippers, are sometime not the most reputable folk. Think about it. People don't like to take off their clothes for cash because they like to be social. Put some effort into finding a good company. Here are some tips:

1. Call around. If you want to work with a professional business (and since you're bringing a stripping stranger into your home, it might be a good idea) most of these companies are found in the phone book or online.
2. Some companies may have a policy that you have to book the entertainer over the phone during your initial call. This is an empty threat. It also means these guys can be super shady.
3. Get the deal in writing. If you plan on working with a company, make sure there is a written contract sent to you by email or fax. This is also a great place to get a good estimate of what the "show" will consist of before hand.
4. Find out what your stripper looks like. You won't get anything like our old naked guy at the top of the page, but sometimes these companies send a lower-than-expected product to your doorstep. You can either: pay the fee and send her packin' - or - bust out your groomsmen gifts of Personalized Brush Metal Flasks, and drink that unnecessary armpit hair away.
5. Check ahead of time if photographing or filming is above the board. Most of the time it's not. The last thing you need is an angry, half-naked stripper... or way worse, her big mean bodyguard taking the camera away.

Another great bachelor party tip

Bachelor Party Confidential recommends to put your best man on point for the party. It's his job to keep your groomsmen in line. It's cool to have fun, but if all hell breaks loose, the stripper will bail at a moments notice. Otherwise, have a good time and enjoy your last moments of bachelorhood.

]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/find_a_stripper_for_your_bache.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/find_a_stripper_for_your_bache.html Groomsmen Gifts - The Whole Story The Groom Room adult entertainment bachelor party Bachelor Party Confidential find a stripper Stripper Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:24:03 -0800 Console yourself with a personalized putter

The US Open kicks off today, and you know what that means. Tiger and the rest of the worlds best in golf will be squaring off once again at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale. With TV coverage of the Open on ESPN and NBC, make sure you don't miss a second.

Make sure you put your best club forward when you head out on the greens this summer with the Personalized Black Zinc Alloy Putter. This professionally handcrafted putter is designed in the St. Andrews Tradition with a hickory shaft and sturdy black alloy head. Available for those groomsmen gifts on your list, this putter can even be personalized with up to 85 characters for a signature touch. Also available for you lefties.

It's on sale today, and only today, at 30% off.

$72.00 $50.40 Buy it now, or wait 'til next year. ]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/celebrate_the_2009_us_open_in.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/celebrate_the_2009_us_open_in.html Groomsmen Sports 2009 US Open Gifts for the groom Golf Groomstand groomstand sale Personalized Putter US Open US Open TV Schedule Thu, 18 Jun 2009 10:05:37 -0800 Sometimes you want to go where everyone knows your name. Bars can be a cool place to hang out and see the lads, but sometimes it's just too much of a hassle. There's no sound for the game on TV, the service sucks, and you pay four times the price for beer that you can drink at home. For your groomsmen get-togethers, bring the atmosphere of your favorite tavern to their place with fantastic home bar accessories as groomsmen gifts.

The Personalized Pub Sign

Every bar has a name, even if it's just the guy's name that owns the house. Celebrate your buddy's favorite team, drink, or just show off his name proudly with these perfect gifts for men. The Personalized Pub Sign is an actual piece of art, making these groomsmen gifts an awesome upgrade for those dingy posters in the hall.

Pour yourself a drink



Drinking with your buds is always a fun time, but it's not the easiest to remember. Since alcohol has that mind numbing affect on us, an unforgettable groomsmen gift is an Engraved English Tavern Tankard. This cup has a pretty unique surface and appearance. Plus, you'll feel like a freakin' king when you bash these cups together before slamming them down the hatch.

If shots are more your game, the personalized NFL Shot glass is a perfect gift for any man. Even though you might feel like a pro, take your time with these shots, or you'll end up like Vikings kicker Gary Anderson. He had a perfect season kicking extra points and field goals through the 1998 regular season, but with when it came down to the big kick to get in the super bowl - he shanked it. Your next shot should be for ole Gary.

Light up a stogy

A great finish to the night is a tasty cigar. Look at Share a Cigar with Your Groomsmen for the proper method of cutting and enjoying a stogy with your groomsmen.

]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/fantastic_home_bar_accessories.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/fantastic_home_bar_accessories.html Groomsmen Gifts - The Whole Story Groomsmen Sports The Groom Room Bar Accessories Gary Anderson Home Bar Pub Sign Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:02:51 -0800

7 Tell-Tale Signs You Blew Your Wedding Budget

Wedding Budget Blunders


1. Your groomsmen gifts were personal handmade keepsake cards tailored to each of your friends.
• It's the thought that counts, right? And the two dollars in material costs.

2. The closest your bachelor party got to having 'live entertainment' was the banter between your friends and a middle-aged woman named Flo working the Sunset lanes bowling alley.
• As 'live entertainment' goes, Flo wasn't half bad. She out drank half your friends, and you lost five bucks in a bet. Who knew a 100 pound dame could inhale an entire cigarette in one mind-blowing draw?

3. You refinanced your house - again - to pay for the wedding rings.
• It seemed like a good idea around this time last year...





4. You hired your second cousin Luigi's 80s hair cover band to play at your wedding because he offered to do it for an invitation.
• The band received its loudest ovation when Luigi fell off the stage and onto his face in one drunken careening spectacle.

5. Your tux was the same color as the Pink Flamingos that litter the yards of Florida's retirement homes. At least it cost half as much as those useless plastic birds.
• Your tuxedo has more crimps and ruffles than a tutu dress, and you're sporting so much polyester you begin to feel like an extra on "That 70s Show".

6. Your wedding night is booked for a stay at the nearby Motel Six
• Your Honeymoon suite at Motel 6 comes complete with heart-shaped bathtub and a free continental breakfast. You wake up late the next morning, so you have to fight off a ten year old for the last warm waffle and a creme-filled do-nut.

7. Your first errand as a married couple, mere hours after being married. Do pawn shops accept gifts from newlyweds?
• How much cash for all the toasters?

Do any of the above scenarios sound familiar? There's more than a slight chance the weddings you know that parallel these encounters went drastically over budget.

Luckily, if your wedding budget is getting tight, all you need to do is look at our site-wide Groomstand.com sale for easy ways to save money on your wedding. Not only do we have the gifts for groomsmen that will make shopping a fast and comfortable experience, our site-wide sale means those low prices you've come to expect from us will be even lower in the next few days. Make sure you act fast because this sale is a limited time only offer.

If you know your wedding budget is going to be a squeeze heading into the home stretch, make sure it is still a success by keeping those wedding favors and groomsmen gifts under budget.

]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/take_back_your_wedding_sale.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/take_back_your_wedding_sale.html Groomsmen Gifts - The Whole Story bachelor party gifts for the groom groomsmen gifts groomstand sale limited time only sale wedding on a budget Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:19:43 -0800

Bachelor party checklist: Super hot stripper - check. Personalized flasks as groomsmen gifts for all your best buds - check. Official last night of booze-fueled debauchery as a single man - check. The bachelor party is going to be off the hook, but no one wants to pay the price for it the following day. At GroomStand, we want to keep the good times with your groomsmen good, so here are some level-headed tips to party hard and recover by wedding day.

What is a hangover?

Before you go out and get nuts, it's best to understand what's going on when you slug down drinks. Hangovers are not fully understood, but what we do know is that alcohol depletes vitamins and water from your body, which makes you dehydrated. Alcohol is also a mild diuretic - meaning it makes you pee a lot more than normal. As the body absorbs the alcohol, the stomach is irritated and the liver processes the alcohol from ethanol to methanol and acetaldehyde... which ends up being a toxin.

The Hangover Cure

It's recommended that you drink one glass of water in between each drink of alcohol. Since your bladder might explode under these conditions, replacing those vitamins and water is the name of the game. Sports drinks or children's dehydration remedies are chocked full of B12 and other vitamins, which makes them great sources to turn to during and after your big night of drinking.

If you have some great groomsmen, they'll get you up in the morning for some light exercising. When you move around, it helps your body remove all the toxic chemicals faster than lying down. Hand out some Personalized Louisville Slugger® Major League Baseball Team Logo Bats as groomsmen gifts so you can smack a few dingers at the local ball field.

Not all hangovers are this easy, and as awesome as your bachelor party is, you may need some other options.

Other hangover options

Every culture and background has their own idea of what helps a hangover, here are a few unproven, but helpful hints:

• Latin, Spanish and some Asian cultures turn to spicy foods. The idea is that with all the spices, your heart rate increases and you sweat out all the toxins just like you would if you were working out. The only downside is that the spicy foods might disrupt an already upset stomach.
• Many European cultures believe it's a good idea to consume greasy or fatty foods before and after a night of drinking. These dense foods tend to absorb alcohol much better than compared to drinking on an empty stomach.
• If you're feeling super ill, you can try a table spoon of honey in a glass of water, which is known to relieve nausea and the shakes associated with hangovers. As for medications, opioids like hydrocodone, codeine and oxycodone can provide pain relief. The mix of some of these medications with alcohol can be toxic, so make sure to only take these after you've stopped drinking. Talk to your Physician before attempting a extreme hangover remedy. Never take Tylenol after an all-night drinking binge. You do want to make it to your wedding, don't you?

Fruitless remedies

Some people turn to more alcohol in the morning, aka "Hair of the dog." Drinking more normally makes matters worse. If you plan on going this route, drinks like the Bloody Mary combine the spices and vitamins mentioned above for a well-rounded hangover wake up.

Fructose and glucose (sugar), artichoke or any dietary supplement have no scientific confirmation of preventing any signs of a hangover.

Wedding Tip:

Designate one of the groomsmen or the best man as the party planner. Make sure he has all the details together regarding transportation and hangover cures, and reward his efforts with great personalized groomsmen gifts to remember your legendary night. Preventing your groomsmen from getting sick is far better than dragging a fallen soldier around all night long.

]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/bachelor_party_hangover_cures.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/bachelor_party_hangover_cures.html Groomsmen Gifts - The Whole Story The Groom Room bachelor party hair of the dog Hangover Hangover cures the Hangover Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:16:45 -0800 Wedding Hair Wig Out ]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/_worst_groom_ever_-.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/_worst_groom_ever_-.html Groomtube brides wedding hair styles hilarious wedding videos wedding hair Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:02:22 -0800 Groomsmen and Golf Equals a Good Time

Is there anything more relaxing, more enjoyable, or more refreshing than 18 holes of golf on a beautiful course? When the weather gets warm, it's once again time to subsist on those amazing greens and beautiful fairways. And why not? That's why planning a golf outing this summer with your groomsmen is the perfect way to get everyone back together again.

If golf is your friends' sport of choice, or if you fancy golf a fun hobby, reserving a day on the course for you and your groomsmen prior to the wedding can be the ideal addition to a summer wedding.

You'll get to catch up with those friends you haven't seen since college (and likely will not see again until their wedding). What better way to reconnect with your groomsmen than on a beautiful eighteen hole course on an even more beautiful summer day? If you can find a better with which to treat your groomsmen, we'd love to hear it.

Not only does a day of golf get you away from the stressful planning and prep-time of a wedding, it puts your golfing groomsmen in great spirits. Just what you want before your big day.



Isn't golf great? Use the splendor and appeal of golf to your advantage this summer, and deck your groomsmen out in their very own personalized golf gifts. From our cool gadgets to our personalized putter sets, we've got the ideal groomsmen gifts waiting for you and your golfing buddies.

]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/take_your_groomsmen_golfing.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/take_your_groomsmen_golfing.html Groomsmen Gifts - The Whole Story gifts for the groom groomsmen gifts Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:49:00 -0800

It's the big day, and you'd like to celebrate with your best chaps. If you're a frequent reader of the Groomblog for ideas on great groomsman gifts, you know by now that there is high praise for the Stainless Steel & Leather Flask with Cigar Holder. As one of our most popular items, this flask combines the great flavors of Cognac and tobacco in a sleek and stylish presentation. There is no better way to enjoy time with your groomsman - that is if you don't know how to properly light a cigar. Look no further, as we present the GroomStand guide to enjoying a cigar.

The perfect cigar cut

Almost all premium cigars have a closed head that require cutting before enjoying. This is a precise process, and since this is a premium cigar, it's advised not to be a jackass and bite off one end to prove your manhood.

The Goal:

Cut away enough rapper for a good, while still maintaining the structural integrity of the cigar.




Lighting a cigar

Firing up a cigar takes far more time and skill than a cigarette or a candle. Think of lighting a marshmallow. Hold it near the flame and rotate so the complete tip has access to the heat source. Make sure you do not hold your cigar directly in the flame, over lighting will decrease the quality of your tasty treat. Relighting the cigar after it is distinguished should not hurt the taste or quality. The Personalized Zippo and the Personalized Vertigo Cigar Torch Lighter both are proven to prevent the flame from blowing out in the wind, making them smart groomsmen gifts.




The first taste

Some aficionados prefer to make the first puff of the cigar outward to avoid nasty flavors like sulfur on matches or the taste of funky gas in lighters. Make sure you enjoy your cigar with puffs. Deep breaths of smoke in your lungs might cause you to cough, or if you're an infrequent smoker it might make you sick. And finally, preserve your stogies in one of our refined personalized cigar humidors.

]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/share_a_cigar_with_your_grooms.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/share_a_cigar_with_your_grooms.html Groomtube Cigar cigar aficionado cigar cutting cigar humidors cigar lighting Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:59:51 -0800 GroomStand's Poker Party Collection

If it's a foregone conclusion that your bachelor party will involve a serious game of poker, present your groomsmen gifts with pieces consistent with those unforgettable party plans.

Below is a collection we put together from some of our great groomsmen gifts available at Groomstand.com. If this collection doesn't fit your group of guys, don't forget to browse the many other product offerings we carry, including these popular groomsmen gift options.

Engraved Luxe Cocktail Shaker



What kind of bachelor party would it be without an Engraved Luxe Cocktail Shaker ? This gift for your groomsmen is the prefect piece to present to the martini drinkers in your cadre of friends. With built-in ice strainer, the drinks will pour smooth all night on your bachelor party if you present this brilliant Cocktail Shaker before your wedding.

Ridged Single Cigar Holder

The Ridged Single Cigar Holder will complement your poker themed bachelor party. They'll also be a welcome addition to all those other poker nights you and your friends are sure to enjoy. We bet none of your groomsmen own these elegant silver-plated fifty gauge styled cigar tubes. Not only will they keep your stogies fresh and safe stowed away on poker nights, but they'll add an aesthetic touch to those special evening get-a-ways devoted to cigars, cards and spirits.

Premiere Leather Professional Poker Set



And the grand finale of our collection: a gift for you, the groom! Why not treat yourself to this fine Professional Poker Set? Made with fine leather and authentically styled, this set will be the envy of your friends. The 11.5 gram casino grade clay chips will complete that ambiance of the gentleman's poker night. Complete with five elegant dice and two authentic decks of cards, it's no surprise that buying this set will ensure you're the host to poker night every week.

Shopping for groomsmen this summer? Look no further then Groomstand.com's wide selection of wedding party gifts. We've got stuff tailored for all the distinct interests of men and grooms.

]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/make_those_gifts_match_the_par.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/make_those_gifts_match_the_par.html Groomsmen Gifts - The Whole Story poker poker night poker parties Tue, 09 Jun 2009 10:25:24 -0800 What makes your wedding day special? Think about it. What was going through your mind when you thought me + cute girl = awesome wedding? (Trust me on this one; it's still a good idea... I'm going a different direction). Hopefully, you came to the conclusion that your wedding is a day to celebrate your commitment to the one you love.

But sometimes it's not all celebration. Sometimes you get bogged down with all of these antiquated wedding traditions. It's as if we are spoon fed all our lives the idea of what a wedding should be - which is a valid point of view. While weddings are a set of century old traditions, our values and priorities change over time. We don't want to stomp all over wedding traditions; we just want you to think about what's most important for your special day.

Father giving away the bride

The best example of antiquated wedding traditions is the father giving away the bride. Obviously, this tradition started before women had rights. Then Boom! Women's suffrage hit (which doesn't sound like a good thing, but totally was), and now women are not just property traded from the father to the groom.

Here are some options for your own traditions:

1. No one gives away the bride.

   If she's in her early twenties, she's probably been doing her own thing for a while. Plus, no one gives away the groom. Now it's even.

2. Give a nod to both parents.

   It's true that this tradition recognizes the passing of the bride into a family of her own, so why not acknowledge both parents for making the bride into who she is today.

3. Bride and groom walk the aisle together.

   Maybe you're hell bent on the bride walking with someone. Since many couples live together way before marriage anyway, walking down the aisle together can symbolize the new family bond.

Paying for the wedding

Mommy wow, you're a big kid now. If you're big enough to get married, you should be big enough to pay for the wedding, groomsmen gifts, venue, tux and all. This is a great rule to live by because when you're paying for it, you call the shots. If the parents or in-laws want to pitch in, by all means, let them. Be forewarned, the more they spend means the more they get to vote with their dollar. Make sure you make clear boundaries so no one oversteps your special day.

Wedding food

If you're going to hold a day-long party, you should have some food. However, food shouldn't have to break the bank. Maybe your favorite dates with the fiancée were at the local Mexican joint. No one will criticize you for serving your favorite food at the reception (although you should keep presentation in mind when it comes to the enchilada). If you're not cake people, go with pie instead (see Drop the Wedding Cake and Try Something New).

>Invitations

Sending out wedding invites is a big hassle. With all of its tissue paper, tassels and RSVP compartments, there is a good possibility that the only thing you understand is the price. This is weary territory for the frugal. If the hand-crafted wedding invitations are a must, figure out who is most likely to save your invites for years to come. Otherwise, know your audience, and try online Evites as a free invitation option for your age-appropriate friends. Your groomsmen will not be heartbroken. They might even thank you when they can pull up the details whenever they want on their iphone.

Choosing the best man

Dude, you can do what you want when it comes to this category (see Can Fido be Your Best Man?) If you don't want to single out one buddy over another, say they're both best men. In fact, the best tradition you should stick with is grabbing great groomsman gifts from GroomStand.com. Your groomsmen are planning a sweet bachelor party and they're shelling out some dough to rent a tux, the least you can do is set them up with a stainless steel flask with cigar holder for all their trouble.

Remember, wedding traditions are a right of passage, but that doesn't mean they're set in stone. Some people believe it's good for the bride to rip her dress and get a pin prick by a bridesmaid. I guess sometimes it's bad luck to believe in silly superstitions. Make your wedding day special by borrowing or invent traditions as you see fit.

]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/wedding_traditions_you_can_lea.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/wedding_traditions_you_can_lea.html The Groom Room antiquated wedding traditions Father giving away the bride Wedding Traditions Mon, 08 Jun 2009 11:16:05 -0800 groomsmen gifts for wine aficionados. Get a wine opener for yourself or give away personalized wine stewards as gifts for the groomsmen. Even if your groomsmen don't drink wine, they could use that "certain something" wine drinkers embody. ]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/how_to_pop_the_cork.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/how_to_pop_the_cork.html Groomtube how to open a wine bottle how to pop the cork Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:54:04 -0800 A Personalized Kind Of Friend

While Terminator Salvation heats up box offices this summer, Personalized Lock-Back Knife is staying cool in his sleek and sexy chrome cover.



But this is no surprise. Personalized Lock-Back Knife - or just "Lock-Back" for short, is one cool cat. Even if orange and magenta are the vogue colors this summer, Lock-Back won't be worried about his silver coveralls. A chill tamale like Lock-Back doesn't sweat that sort of stuff.

Lock-Back is the friend you wish you had. A guy who fixes everything in your house because he likes to help. Lock-Back doesn't just personify Mr. Fix-It, he defines it. Lock-Back Knife would never act without your best interests in mind. He'd never steal your Volkswagen and smash it into a highway pile on. He doesn't have the appendages for such a deed. And even if he did have arms, Lock-Back Knife would never think of doing something so reckless. Lock-Back is way too sharp for such idiocy - and far too personalized.

In fact, Lock-Back doesn't think much at all, he just 'is', like an enlightened Zen Master or a Yogi Berra joke.

Make a friend of Lock-Back this summer. He's a great Groomsmen Gift. As for Lock-Back, he won't mind being given away. In fact, he'll be flattered.

You'll be happy you made friends with Lock-Back at the annual camping trip, or when you need a hand with the day-to-day issues that come up around the house. You'll be amazed at how handy Lock-Back is to have around.

However you cut it, a Personalized Lock-Back Knife is the perfect summertime companion.

]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/lock-back_knife_1.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/lock-back_knife_1.html Groomsmen Gifts - The Whole Story Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:34:19 -0800 You and the fiancée have every little detail in order. The colors are picked, the cake is made, the tuxedo is ready to go, and you handed out the groomsmen gifts. Yet, one of the let downs of "the big day" is that it's only one day. You make all these wonderful plans. Have a few laughs. Poof! It's all over. Now you're stuck with a ton of one-time use wedding goods (unless you're getting married again sometime soon, but that's a different problem). GroomStand is on the scene to give you a heads-up on how to make an efficient and effective battle plan for the day following your wedding.

Wedding Keepsakes

Make a list of all the stuff you (or the future ms.) want to keep. Traditionally, this list includes:

• Toasting Flutes
• Top layer of the cake
• Unopened liquor
• Wedding favors
• Guest book

If you're being whisked away to the honeymoon directly after the reception, it's a good idea to designate one of the groomsman to collect the items. Make sure to give that groomsman a special groomsmen gifts to show your appreciation for all the extra effort.

The Wedding Dress

When it comes to the dress, your bride is going to have a few options. Preserving the wedding dress takes some time and effort, but it is the symbol of the wedding day that she can hold onto for the rest of her life. Another trendier option is to donate the dress. This green alternative allows the dress to have new life in another wedding, and since these programs are ran by charitable organizations, your donation is tax-deductible. Look to Brides Against Breast Cancer for more information. Also, be sure to spread the word to the bridesmaids and groomsman. Those extra tuxedos and dresses are widely accepted at high schools as formal wear for low-income students.

All Your Other Stuff

Get some return on your investment. You know there is a market for all of your white napkins and tablecloths because you bought it in the first place. Instead of throwing all that stuff out, there are many wedding minded Craigslist type forums to unload all of your unwanted goods.

As for food, seek out a local food rescue program. Food banks are also an option, but you might not have as much luck because most wedding food is perishable, and food banks tend to only deal with non-perishable food (e.g. canned food). To locate your local food rescue program, visit Feeding America. If you're real savvy, set up an arrangement between the food rescue program and your caterer before the wedding to avoid any of the mess.

Flowers are always beautiful, and no one cares if they've been used. Great donation spots for your flower arraignments and centerpieces are hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living centers. Visit www.nursinghomesinfo.com or www.assistedlivinginfo.com for more information.

Your wedding vows are forever, but your wedding materials are a one-time thing. Take the effort to plan your wedding recycling program, and you will feel great about reducing waste, and you might create an opportunity to earn some of your money back. GroomStand Hint: If your groomsmen have a ton of stuff they don't use, give them tickets to a game or event as groomsmen gifts to reduce their impact. ]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/after_wedding_battle_plan.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/after_wedding_battle_plan.html The Groom Room green wedding Wedding dress wedding flowers Wedding food wedding recycling Wed, 03 Jun 2009 11:11:30 -0800 A Great Gift for the Groom. If Only You Could Afford It!

Wax Nostalgia with the Ferris Bueller House

Who doesn't remember Ferris Bueller's Day Off? The movie is a classic, and even if its 1986 release was before your time, it still conjures memories when life was filled with the whimsy and exuberance of high school.



The famous house that serves as the home to Ferris Bueller's best friend Cameron, is officially on the market. Located in the Highland Park suburb of Chicago, the structure is modern and unique, not to mention pricey. The house is on the market for $2.3 million. A four bedroom and 5,300 square foot building, the price for the famous home is a steal relative to similar homes a year ago.

If you've got the cash to shell out, why not go with a Ferris Bueller themed wedding this summer? Do everything they do in the movie for your last night as a single man - go to a baseball game, a fancy dinner, and hang out at the beach, quoting lines from the movie.

Picking up the estate crammed full of 80's film lore will bring you back to the days when your biggest worry was what to wear each morning.

Okay, okay, we know. Two and a half million for your wedding locale is relatively unaffordable. Still, it's always fun to dream. And while you're dreaming this summer, why not dream about a great film like Ferris Bueller's Day Off?

Of course, when reality sinks in and you need to find elegant groomsmen gifts fast, head on over and peruse the fantastic selection of groomsmen gifts at Groomstand.com. We've got groomsmen gifts for your wild Bueller type and groomsmen gifts for more sedative, contemplative Cameron types. Personalize your groomsmen gifts with your bud's high-school nickname.

Spoiler Alert! Cameron's house plays host to the crucial conflict in the movie. If you haven't seen Ferris Bueller's Day Off, we highly recommend you skip the clip below and pick up this movie at your local video store.

Here we get a first introduction to the infamous Ferrari so crucial to the movie's plot. Believe it or not, this is the same house that is up for sale now!

]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/ferris_bueller_house_could_be.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/ferris_bueller_house_could_be.html Groomtube Ferris Bueller groomsmen groomsmen gifts wedding Tue, 02 Jun 2009 12:03:11 -0800 He's man's best friend, but is it OK for a dog to be your best man? Remember, this furry little friend is your roommate, dinning companion and nature exploring partner. He's always listening, and only interrupts when it's time to pee.

Maybe you've had your dog forever, or he was the first addition between you and the fiancée. Either way, he's a big part of the family, and GroomStand.com is here to help your pooch get in the wedding, with dog-friendly groomsmen gifts and few helpful tips.



Including your dog in the Wedding

So, the bride-to-be gave the OK. Now, consider how the dog will react to your wedding. Good questions to ask are: Will my dog attack or freak out any of the guests? Will the accommodations allow my dog to enter their building? Can my dog actually get through the wedding without drooling, biting or leaving his mark on anything wedding related?





Special helper to the dog

Since you'll be doing other things... like getting married and groomsmen gift shopping, you'll need to arrange a special helper to the dog. This can be a personal friend or a professional, but it's going to take a lot of time and practice to make sure the dog is comfortable in his role. This helper will be responsible for anticipating potential hazards like plants or loose objects, scouting out close and discreet bathroom spots, or he might have to stand in if your dog isn't cooperating at the moment.

Since this will take some effort and skill to make your best man look good, make sure you show your appreciation for your best buddy's helper with a well set of engraved cufflinks or other groomsmen gifts.

Wedding venue + dog = ?

Find out if your location is cool with a dog in the ceremony. It is common for churches or temples to put the kabosh on the four-legged friends, which means you'll have to be creative. One option is to have an outdoor activity, like a group picture before entering the building. You can also have a ceremonial wedding party walk that makes your dog the center of attention for one wedding activity.

Grooming the groomsman

Make sure you send your dog to your local pet groomer before the wedding. It's a good idea to keep the dog's wedding attire to a minimum, and easy to wear. A simple collar and bow tie will go a long way.

If your doggie is a good boy, make sure he has a steak with his name on it with GroomSTand monogrammed steak brand. ]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/can_a_dog_be_your_best_man.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/06/can_a_dog_be_your_best_man.html The Groom Room Dog as best man dog wedding engraved cufflinks monogrammed steak brand wedding dog Mon, 01 Jun 2009 11:15:49 -0800 A Great Spin on Traditional Groomsmen Gifts

For a neat spin on your wedding this spring or summer, check out these custom wedding bobbleheads.

In partnership with Whoopass Enterprises, GroomStand's now featuring a different kind of wedding gift: Custom bobbleheads. Great as groomsmen gifts, these bobbleheads also make kitschy keepsakes to commemorate your wedding day.

Whatever your tastes or interests, we've got the bobblehead to match it!



Mr. and Ms. Just Married Bobblehead

For a fun spin on tradition, commemorate your wedding day with cute customized bride and groom bobbleheads. A perfect finishing touch to the perfect wedding, especially for newlyweds with a sense of humor. Mr and Ms Just Married Bobblehead will garner a sure reaction from guests to your home. Plus, it's the perfect addition to a mantelpiece full of family photos.



Mr. Businessman Bobblehead

Do your executive groomsmen enjoy a good laugh? If they do, they'll love our dapper bobblehead as groomsmen gifts. What's cuter that this miniature figurine? His suit says all business, but his bobbley head says the rest! Your executive groomsmen can add this to their assortment of desk items as a nod to your wedding day.







Mr. Super Fan Bobblehead

For the baseball fan in us all comes the Super Fan Bobblehead. Mr. Super Fan makes for a sporty groomsmen gift for your baseball-loving buddies. The Super Fan Bobblehead is fun for sports fans of shapes, sizes and forms. Mr. Super Fan also makes a great bride-to-groom gift if your husband-to-be is a zealous sports fan.





Mr. In the Army Now Bobblehead

Finally, perfect patriotic groomsmen gifts for guys in the military, Mr. In the Army Now. Any guy who appreciates the good Ol' U.S.A. will adore this groomsman gift. Show your groomsmen that you appreciate their service to the country (and to your wedding) while catering to their lighter side with this funny and fitting Army Bobblehead. This little guy is ready for whatever the world has to dish out!

Check out other gifts for the groom or bargain-friendly groomsmen gifts, available at GroomStand.com.

]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/05/introducing_wedding_bobblehead.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/05/introducing_wedding_bobblehead.html Groomsmen Gifts - The Whole Story bobblehead custom bobbleheads gifts for the groom groomsmen gifts Thu, 28 May 2009 13:11:24 -0800 There's going to be a ton of people busting their butt to make your wedding day a success. You know you've got to appreciate the hard work of your groomsman with awesome groomsmen gifts from GroomStand.com, but what about the little guy? That is just a metaphor, he doesn't have to be little or a guy for that matter. However, there will be children on your wedding day you'll need to remember. Here are some quick, easy and inexpensive gifts for the ringbearer and flower girl so you can recognize everyone (not just the groomsmen) at your wedding.

Wedding Gifts for the Ring Bearer



We can start with the real little guy of the wedding, the ring bearer. The job of the ring bearer is a little antiquated because traditionally you give the rings to the best man. The Wikipedia article on the ring bearer says that you should give him fake rings sewn onto a satin pillow, and I guess if you know what's good for you, it's not the best idea to give the kid a chance to lose the real rings. In any case, the ring bearer looks cute roaming down the isle. Set him up with a Rawlings Min Baseball Bat or a Personalized Steel Harmonica for adding the great Kodak moment to your big day. By the way, the harmonica adds an extra special treat for the ring bearer's parents on the car ride home. And it also makes a fun groomsmen gift!

Wedding Gifts for The Flower Girl



As for miss cutie-patootie flower girl, this wedding will go down as a big-time childhood memory. She might be too young to understand that when everyone's eyes seem to be on her, they are actually looking past the bow on her head to the beautiful bride. It's like going on stage right before the Beatles... but hey, someone's got to be the opening act. Make sure the little girl glows as she walks down the isle by giving her a Personalized Heart Necklace, or you can be her big hero by giving her the Personalized Crystal Petals Flower Girl Set.

Wedding Tip:

The best way to make your wedding a success is to make sure everyone involved feels like it's their special day too. Don't just thank your all-important groomsmen with groomsmen gifts - pamper your littlest party members with presents and don't forget a gift for the bride.

]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/05/groomstand_gifts_for_the_littl.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/05/groomstand_gifts_for_the_littl.html Groomsmen Gifts - The Whole Story Flower Girl Flower Girl gifts Personalized Crystal Petals Flower Girl Set Personalized Heart Necklace Personalized Steel Harmonica Rawlings Min Baseball Bat Ring Bearer Ring Bearer gifts Thu, 28 May 2009 10:44:45 -0800 These Gifts for Groomsmen Ensure Your Wedding Day Goes According to Plan

I'm sure you've seen the Taco Bell commercial where all the Groomsmen show up on their good friend's wedding day with beet-red faces. It's every bride-to-be's nightmare that the guys attending her wedding will somehow ruin her big day.

We know, it has made for great comedies and commercials of late. But just because popular culture capitalized on unprepared groomsmen doesn't mean you won't be in the doghouse on your honeymoon if your friends show up in lackluster form on the day of your wedding.

To keep your Groomsmen in good order, peruse these vital groomsmen gifts. These gifts will tidy up the grimiest groomsman, and organize your most disorganized friends.


1. Personalized Two Tone Cuff Links

   It's no joke guys. Women love men in uniform. That's why for your wedding day, deck your groomsmen out in matching cufflinks. These cufflinks can be customized with your guys' names, so they'll serve double duty as excellent groomsmen gifts your friends will enjoy on other formal occasions.

   
2. Personalized Sports Watch with Compass

   Are your friends notorious for being tardy? If they are, equip them with this elegant Sports Watch and Compass. Your financee won't mind when they're fiddling with these fine hand watches, and it will ensure your friends won't be late (or get lost) for any of the fun-filled festivities your bride has planned for your wedding.

   
3. Stayclip Stay Organized:

   For the untidy groomsmen, these Cupronickel StayClip Stay Organized Collar Stays will keep those feisty tuxedo collars on the straight and narrow. The collar of a tuxedo can be a difficult - yet vital - aspect of the wedding attire. Your bride-to-be won't be able to find anything wrong with your friends' tuxedos if you get these Stayclip Collar Organizer as groomsmen gifts.

   
4. iPod holster with Belt Loop

   Do your friends go nuts for the newest and coolest gadgets? Then it's probably no surprise that your fiancee complains about how often your friends check those brand new blackberries and iPhones for the latest baseball scores and sports highlights. Make sure that your groomsmen keep all those gadgets tucked away in style with this iPod Holster and belt. It may not solve the blackberry issue, but at least it will ensure all those iPods are left inside your friends' pockets when you're exchanging vows.

   
5. Personalized Grillmaster Apron:

   Is the grill the central plane of existence for your male wedding attendees? If it is, then they're probably not the cleanest guys. Don't let your friends show up on your wedding day with clothing covered in steak and grease stains by gifting this handy grillmaster apron set beforehand. With generous pocket sizes to hold all those sloppy sauce covered utensils, the Grillmaster Plus apron is the perfect gift to keep your them stain-free on your Big Day.

If your wedding day is fast approaching, look no further than Groomstand's assortment of groomsmen gifts. We've got the items guys look for. And don't forget to check out all our great on-sale groomsmen gifts if you're planning your wedding on a budget this spring or summer.

]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/05/5_groomsmen_gifts_to_keep_your.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/05/5_groomsmen_gifts_to_keep_your.html Groomsmen Gifts - The Whole Story groom groomsmen gift ideas Groomsmen Gifts groomsmen gifts sale Wed, 27 May 2009 09:17:31 -0800 Scotch, scotch, scotch... I love scotch. But, we all know you can't just bust out a bottle of scotch anytime you want to do your Anchorman impression. That is why we turn to the shiny, indestructible and timeless symbol of sippin' booze in public, the flask.


These time-honored groomsmen gifts found at GroomStand.com are fantastic mementos to remember great times and wonderful friends, but do you know the origin of this pocket-sized mini-bar? Leave it to GroomStand to inject some knowledge in your melon as we journey through the history of the flask.

Way Back in the Day

The first accounts of the flask in history are during the Middle Ages, where it was common to gut pieces of fruit to transfer alcohol. In the 18th century, it was regular for women boarding docked British Warships to smuggle gin in improvised pigs' bladders sown into their overcoats. Obviously, this did not last, or else you'd be looking for the GroomStand tuxedo black pig bladder, complete with lapel straw and personalized stitching.

Prohibition and the Hip Flask

The flasks that we know today were popularized in the later 18th century, and are called hip flasks because of their contoured curve engineered to discreetly hug the hip. This was an important feature as the widespread use of the flask became popularized in the 1920's when prohibition made alcohol illegal in the US. It was thought that removing alcohol was good for society and heavily backed by Henry Ford, who was concerned about the influence alcohol had on the workforce. Prohibition was also backed because of the war movement at the time, since most of the beer companies were owned by German-Americans



Today, hip flasks are classic and tasteful groomsmen gifts. Most hip flasks are made from stainless steel, like this classic Textured Flask. Others have a chrome finish, like the Personalized Chrome Plated Flask with Cigar Holder, or some have a leather cover like the Personalized Black Leather Flask. Make your hip flask a perfect gift from GroomStand by engraving the recipient's initials with our free personalization!

]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/05/freakin_fabulously_fun_flask_f.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/05/freakin_fabulously_fun_flask_f.html Groomsmen Gifts - The Whole Story The Groom Room Anchorman flasks Henry Ford Hip Flask Prohibition Ron Burgundy Tue, 26 May 2009 14:01:40 -0800 Forget everything you think you know about groomsmen. They don't have to wear a black-and-white James Bond-style penguin suit. They don't have to be your brothers. They don't even have to be men!. That's right, these days you can pick your sister, your cousin, or your girl best friend from grade school.

From groomsmen ...er...groomswoman gifts to bachelor party planning, here are four must-follow rules for female attendants:

Thou Shall Not Make the Bride Jealous

.

Even if your bride and your ex-girlfriend are best buds (in what world?), or you dated your ex 10 years ago, you cannot ask her to stand up on your side as a groomswoman. When your "best woman" starts weeping at the ceremony, people will wonder if those tears are falling because she's still in love with you. Stick to your sister, cousin, or longtime, non-threatening friend (non-threatening means not as pretty as the bride).

Thou Shall Not Make the Groomswoman Wear a Tux

She's just one of the guys, but she doesn't have to look like one of the guys. A simple black dress will differentiate her from the bridesmaids and she'll still blend with your boys.

Thou Shall Not Give her Gendered Groomsmen Gifts

This is the hard part of adding a groomswoman into your gang: you have to find her a groomsman gift. You probably shouldn't give all your attendants old-fashioned shaving kits as groomsmen gifts -- unless your groomswoman is part of a traveling freak show. Personalized poker sets and flasks make great groomsmen gifts and groomswomen gifts. Still can't find anything? Peruse bridesmaid gifts for girly gifts she'll love.

Thou Shall Not Make her Plan your Bachelor Party

Even if she's your best woman, don't let her plan your bachelor party. Hiring the talent or adorning the hotel suite with blow-up dolls might make her uncomfortable - especially if she's your relative. Talk to her about all the best man duties before she signs on. Assure her that you delegated bachelor party planning to one of the guys, but that she's in charge of everything else. Groomswomen are automatically invited to bachelor parties, so don't leave her out.

The only rule when it comes to your wedding party is to invite your supporters - those people who are happy you're tying the knot. Nowadays, you can have a dog, your grandpa, or your goldfish - it doesn't matter. Just make sure you thank all your attendants with well-appointed groomsmen gifts or groomswoman gifts!

]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/05/how_to_pick_your_groomswoman.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/05/how_to_pick_your_groomswoman.html Groomsmen Gifts - The Whole Story female attendants gifts for female attendants groomswoman groomswomen wedding party Tue, 26 May 2009 12:17:45 -0800 Traditionalists might look down on it, but the civil ceremony isn't the copout version of a wedding. You might think of eager young teens eloping, or the remedy for the couple with the unexpected surprise, but the civil ceremony is a simple and cost effective way to pull off the Big Day.

People choose this option to reflect their style, budget or maybe they just come from the church of "don't talk with your mouth full and be nice to people." In any case, here's how to make the best of your civil ceremony.

Keep everyone civil at the civil ceremony:

The crux of this nontraditional option is that it doesn't have a religious focus. That doesn't mean that it's not spiritual or that God isn't invited, but if you don't want the church and the steeple, you are good to go.

As a heads-up for civil ceremonies in the UK, it's unlawful to include any hymns or religious poems in the service. Where as in the United States, you can throw any religion you want into the Cuisinart to get the frothy dose of non-denominational goodness.



Another attractive element of civil ceremonies is flexibility. In my personal experience with my sister's wedding at the New York County Courthouse, the ceremony took around 20 minutes, which was less time than it took to wait in line for the marriage license, and the whole ordeal cost less than $200.

A civil ceremony doesn't mean that you have to get married in a courthouse. Realistically, you can get married anywhere (and anyway) you want. The best bang for your buck is in public owned land or facilities like: national or county parks, beaches, historical landmarks or anything with really sweet architecture. Take Carrie Bradshaw's wedding in the library for example, it was totally awesome... if she pulled it off.

Who can marry you?

This depends from state to state, but you'd be surprised how many different jobholders there are that have the legal authority to tie the knot, such as:

• Chaplain
• County clerk
• Judge
• Justice of the peace
• Mayor
• Minister
• Notary public
• Pastor
• Priest
• Rabbi
• Superior court clerk
• Township council member

Wedding Tip: Find out if there are any additional logistics or paperwork necessary for the type of officiant you choose. It's also a good idea to help the officiant write out the ceremony. It will be a bummer, if they just go up and wing it on the most important day of your life.

Even though civil ceremony is a little unconventional, make sure to recognize the special nature of this occasion by adding some personal touches like engraved cuff links. Give a tip of the hat to all the close friends that help in pulling off a wonderful civil ceremony with some spectacular groomsmen gifts from GroomStand.com.

]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/05/the_411_on_the_civil_ceremony.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/05/the_411_on_the_civil_ceremony.html The Groom Room Carrie Bradshaw Civil Ceremony Civil Service cufflinks Cuisinart New York County Courthouse Sex and the City Thu, 21 May 2009 11:45:03 -0800 Keep your Groomsmen Gifts In-Line with your Wedding Theme

The wedding season has officially commenced! If you and your soon-to-be spouse are scheduling a wedding date for this spring or summer, it means you - the bridegroom - have been given one primary responsibility: choosing the groomsmen gifts.

Gifts for your groomsmen are an important piece to your wedding. Presenting a gift that adequately embodies your friends' tastes can mean the difference between excited groomsmen or disinterested guys, busy checking fantasy baseball scores on their iPhones and Blackberries.

When shopping, make sure you discuss the theme of your wedding with your partner. The last thing you want to do is gift cufflinks if you're planning an informal ceremony and celebration.

Finding a good balance between your friends' personalities and the theme of your wedding isn't the simplest undertaking. That's why we're offering up some great groomsmen gift ideas to match their personalities without forcing you to veer too far from the central tone of the wedding itself.

Groomsmen Gifts for Globe Trotters



If the groomsmen at your wedding will be coming from all corners of the world, our Personalized Men's Micro Fiber Toiletry Bag is the perfect complement to their long journey. Made of high quality micro fiber, these bags can be personalized with the initials of each of your groomsmen for a classy touch. These travel bags are also excellent groomsmen gifts if your ceremony takes place at a far-off location. Either way, this elegant toiletry bag will be a welcome treat as a groomsmen gift for your male attendees.



Groomsmen Gifts for Your Swanky Soiree

Does your girlfriend have her heart set on a formal wedding ceremony and celebration? If she does, and the groomsmen attending your wedding haven't seen a razor since the turn of the millennium, ensure they primp adequately for the occasion by bestowing the Eleven Piece Leather Manicure Set. This set can also serve as a great traveling accessory for your globe-trotting groomsmen.



Attendant Gifts Get Sentimental

Is your wedding going to be a trip down memory lane? If you intend on showering your wedding attendants with pictures and personal memorabilia, consider this attractive Personalized Cherry Keepsake Box as gifts for your groomsmen. Not only will your groomsmen find these attractive keepsake containers immediately appealing, the boxes will allow you to gift all those pictures and sentimental tidbits in one tidy and tasteful presentation.

Still searching for perfect groomsmen gifts for the men you're inviting to your spring wedding? Check out other gifts for groomsmen available at GroomStand.com. ]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/05/stay_classy_with_gifts_for_gro.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/05/stay_classy_with_gifts_for_gro.html Groomsmen Gifts - The Whole Story advice for grooms june weddings summer weddings Wed, 20 May 2009 14:41:30 -0800 Pre-ceremony checklist:

1) Put on the tuxedo. This should be one of the most memorable and photographed times in your life, make sure you see the GroomStand Groom's Guide to the Tuxedo to make sure you look your best. Also, keep in mind that the dressing room is not a place for drastic grooming for the groom. Bleaching, buzzing, waxing or cutting is reserved no closer than a week out from the wedding.

2) After your groomsmen give you the thumbs-up on looking awesome, this is the best chance to present your groomsman gifts for a job well done.



In these fleeting moments of bachelorhood, make the most of it by reciting a heartfelt speech about how the personalized rubber grip 13-function army knife represents your strong, dependable and everlasting friendship.



On the other hand, you can use the opportunity to analyze last night's game while you break out some personalized Louisville Slugger baseball bats. Do your own personal demo on how you think Ichiro slices at balls as if he's a samurai.




Wedding Tip:

Anyway you present your groomsmen gifts, make sure you have fun without going overboard. The last thing you want to do is turn your ceremony pregame warm-up into a tailgate party.

]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/05/ceremony_pregame_warm-up.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/05/ceremony_pregame_warm-up.html Groomsmen Sports The Groom Room Ichiro knives Louisville sluggers pre-wedding ceremony Tuxedo wedding planning Tue, 19 May 2009 10:42:29 -0800 These Stylish Barware Options Make Dazzling Groomsmen Gifts for Drinkers

Is your wedding day approaching and you still don't have a clue what you're going to give as groomsmen gifts? Not to worry, because these stylish and customizable glassware pieces are sure to please heavy drinkers.

20 oz. Grand Pilsner Glass



Do your groomsmen enjoy those lighter suds? If they do, then this Grand Pilsner Glass is the ideal groomsmen gift. Whether they're aspiring to have the ultimate home bar set or if they just enjoy a good pilsner style lager every now and then, this Grand Pilsner Glass makes perfect groomsmen gifts.

Personalized MLB Beer Stein



Baseball season is in full swing. That's why if the guys attending your wedding appreciate a nice frosty beer when they watch their favorite team compete, consider gifting this elegant Personalized Major League Baseball Beer Stein. You can have each stein customized with your groomsmen's favorite team. You can't go wrong with these groomsmen gifts, assuming you customize with the right team!

Personalized Sports Mug



What if baseball and pilsners aren't your groomsman's idea of a good time? Not to worry, because we've got just the alternative. This Personalized Sports Mug will be a thankful gift for those groomsmen who don't care for light beers or baseball. This Sports Mug's classy style, and large 25 ounce holding size, will satisfy both the chic executive groomsman and the younger drinking groomsman. Whoever you're gifting for, this Personalized Sports Mug is sure to be a homerun as groomsmen gifts.

Looking for more glassware gift options? Look no further by checking out our large selection of engraved glassware and barware. We're sure to have something that will fit your groomsmen just right.

If your boys aren't drinkers, check out our other groomsmen gifts at GroomStand.com.

]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/05/glassware_to_dazzle_any_grooms.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/05/glassware_to_dazzle_any_grooms.html Groomsmen Gifts - The Whole Story bars drinks engraved barware and glassware groomsmen gifts sports mugs Mon, 18 May 2009 14:12:24 -0800 When you're on the move so much that you can't stop for a wedding or to find those groomsmen gifts, leave it to GroomStand to keep the wedding in motion.

Wedding on the Wings


















Last summer, a British couple strapped themselves to the roof of two different biplanes to recite (or yell) their vows to each other over 1,000 ft off the ground. See the Wing Walk Wedding.

Wedding tip: You'd risk everything for the love of your life, but you don't have to prove it on your wedding day.




The Love Boat



Ah... the sea breeze in your hair, the blueish-greenish water... and the all-you-can-eat buffet. A cruise ship is a constant party on board, and you've got a built in honeymoon. The only downside? Your wedding party will be on your honeymoon too.

Wedding tip: Your groomsmen are going to be working overtime to make sure you and the Mrs. have enough alone time. Keep them busy with groomsmen gifts like personalized flasks or poker sets and be sure to thank them for keeping your nosy family at bay.




Love is a Roller Coaster

If you think your wedding has its share of ups and downs, try a roller coaster. Most theme parks will be more than glad to throw this thrill-seeking ceremony. Have you officiant in the front car and prepare to shout "I do" right before the roller coaster free fall.

Wedding tip: Make sure you know you and your bride-to-be can handle the thrill ride. The last thing you want to worry about is hurling all over your rented tux.

Steamin' Toward Marriage

Clarkedale, AZ, brides and grooms take in the romantic country side as they glide along the rails on a journey to the Grand Canyon. This steam-powered locomotive makes a special stop over a 150 foot bridge, allowing couples to exchange vows while basking in the natural beauty of the area.

Wedding tip: People have been riding on trains for over a hundred years. Celebrate the occasion with classic groomsmen gifts! Break out the cheery wood humidor, have a cigar with the boys and relax at the reception.

Ready? Get movin' on those groomsmen gifts, available at GroomStand.com ]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/05/awesome_mobile_weddings.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/05/awesome_mobile_weddings.html Groomtube airplane wedding humidors personalized flask roller coaster wedding train wedding Wedding Thu, 14 May 2009 14:52:10 -0800 You can Rent or you can Buy

Either way, picking out a tuxedo is tricky. If you're like most guys, donning formal wear is not part of everyday life. Why is a tuxedo different? What color does it need to be? Will I look like a penguin? What groomsmen gifts can I get so my buddies don't look like they just rolled off the couch? These are all important questions to ask. Prepare to watch your step because GroomStand is dropping some straight tux tips.

What is a Tuxedo?

The tux is used for semi-formal to formal events. Sometimes it's called black tie, and in Britain, it's called a dinner jacket. If you want to pull off the look of 007, the tux will need these elements:


• A dinner jacket with silk facings (that means the lapel is shinny)
• Trousers with silk braids matching the lapels
• A white dress shirt with a stiff cotton or pleated front
• Engraved cufflinks (silver square or silver oval are a classic touch)
• A black silk bow tie
• Black dress socks
• Black shoes, either patent or high polish leather
• Black cummerbund or low-cut waist coat (this isn't a make or break rule)

Jacket Tips

Since a black jacket shows hues of green under artificial light, the only other acceptable dinner jacket color is midnight blue. Don't pull a Father of the Bride moment; if everyone is wearing black and you wear blue, you will stand out. Otherwise, guys can rock the white dinner jacket in warm climates during the summer months.

Stylin' Groomsmen Gifts

As for your groomsman, they need to make a good impression too. Sometimes you only look as good as the friends around you. If they follow this advice and they're dressed to the nines, make sure you've got their back with stylin' groomsmen gifts like personalized money clips or flasks to go with their tux.

The rules of a tuxedo are a little ridged, but it's for good reason. If the groom wears a tux, it is to look good, but not better than the bride. This is her big day, and she gets all the attention. So when all eyes are on her, keep these tips in mind so you look your best when her eyes are on you.

]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/05/the_grooms_guide_to_the_tuxedo.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/05/the_grooms_guide_to_the_tuxedo.html The Groom Room 007 Black Tie cufflinks Father of the Bride flasks money clips Tux Tuxedo Wed, 13 May 2009 11:54:59 -0800 5/31/09! Free ground shipping on orders over $150 still applies and our quantity discount can save you 10% when you purchase 6 or more of the same item. This is one sale you don't want to miss. Buy your groomsmen gifts today before the sale goes away! ]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/05/good_news_groomsmen_gifts_sale.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/05/good_news_groomsmen_gifts_sale.html Groomsmen Gifts - The Whole Story budget groomsmen gifts groomsmen gifts sale Tue, 12 May 2009 11:15:25 -0800 What happens when wedded bliss turns into a wedding brawl?



1. Texas Wedding Tussle

Galveston, Texas. Last September, Houston Astros pitcher Brandon Backe was arrested during a wedding brawl at a Galveston hotel bar. Backe, a groomsmen ignored the police when they told him to back away from the fight. One officer punched Backe twice in the face and it still didn't bring him down. The bride's father and brother were also arrested. Wedding Tip: If your buddies have been known to engage in good old fashioned Texas tussles, better rethink those engraved baseball bats as groomsmen gifts.

2. Cops Arrest Groomsmen

Lowell, MA. Getting arrested for disorderly conduct at a bachelor party? Bad Ass. Fist fights in formal attire? Unbecoming. Police in Lowell, Massachusetts arrested six members of a brawling wedding party. Over a dozen officers subdued the riotous crowd with pepper spray. We bet the groomsmen had trouble returning those blood-stained tuxes. Wedding Tip: Keep your tux clean. Remember, it's a rental and you will be charged extra if your tux comes back shredded.

3. When Jealous Sisters Attack

Valparaiso, IN. Ann Bicker could not stand her sister's wedding-day glow. Enraged over not receiving an invite to the nuptials, Bicker crashed the party and attacked the bride. She struck the bride in the head and pulled out clumps of her hair. Bicker should change her last name to "Bitter." Wedding Tip: You not only marry the bride; you marry her family. This groom needs to put a country between him and the Bicker family.

4. Russian Wedding Brawl

Somewhere in Russia. We don't know what started this violent Russian wedding brawl. Did this groom give his guys boxing lessons as groomsmen gifts? And how does the one guy's pants get ripped? Wedding Tip: Wedding etiquette says to always spring for the open bar. We agree, but there's one exception. If your family tends to duke it out in the parking lot after they've had one too many, keep them in control with a cash bar. People drink less when they have to pay for it.

5. Garter Toss Gone Wrong

We've seen brutal brawls erupt over the bouquet, but we've never seen guys fight this fiercely over the garter. Unlike the other wedding brawls, this "fight" is all in good fun. Obviously, the groomsmen watched a little too much UFC before the wedding.

Wedding Tip: If your crowd tends to get combative, ask your venue if they provide security.
]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/05/worst_wedding_fights.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/05/worst_wedding_fights.html Groomtube brandon backe fighting reception brawls wedding fights wedding party Mon, 11 May 2009 09:31:48 -0800 Shrek Wedding Cake from Madamn Flick. See another weird Shrek Wedding at the Daily Mail. ]]> http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/05/wordless_wednesday_fairy_tales.html http://www.groomstand.com/gsblog/2009/05/wordless_wednesday_fairy_tales.html The Groom Room shrek wedding cake the daily mail weird weddings wordless wednesday Wed, 06 May 2009 11:45:00 -0800 While wedding season is soon upon us, the NBA season is in full swing. The second round of the NBA Playoffs begins this week. LeBron James was just named the MVP of the league. James is the youngest player ever to win the award. He'll be awarded the most valuable player trophy today. Meanwhile, Kobe Bryant of the LA Lakers has an incredible team that appears destined to go to the NBA finals and face off against the streaking Cavaliers.

We know how difficult it can to be to decide on the perfect groomsmen gifts. Simplify the process with basketball-related best man gifts, groomsmen gifts or great father of the bride gifts. If the guys in your wedding appreciate the NBA, basketball-themed gifts are the ideal complement to your summer wedding.

This year's finals match-up is sure to a spectacular one, so translate all that playoff drama into your groomsmen gifts for a thank you that the men in your wedding will cherish for years to come.

Engraved NBA Cufflinks



Keep your groomsman gifts classy and sporty at the same time with these attractive cufflinks. These NBA Cufflinks can be personalized with your friend's favorite basketball team. It's the best man gift that will put your stylish friend back in the game - even if he's not going gray quite yet.

Personalized Vintage Basketball Tavern Signs



Is your wedding coming up and you still have no clue what to get for groomsmen gifts? Look no further than this appealing Personalized Vintage Basketball Tavern Sign. It's the perfect groomsmen gift for your bachelor groomsmen whose billiards or poker rooms are in desperate need of adequate decoration.

Personalized Party Tub Cooler



Make sure your groomsmen stay chill with this Party Tub Cooler. It makes a great gift for those guys attending your wedding who are too lazy to get up and grab a cold one from the fridge. Now, when you're watching the playoffs with your friends, you'll never be the one to grab the beers because this cooler will be right by your groomsmen or best man's side!

Personalized Sedona Bonded Leather Professional Poker Set



The NBA isn't for every guy. If your best man is the lone man out when it comes to the excitement and intrigue of basketball, give Sedona Bonded Leather Pro Poker Set. He'll marvel at the beautiful leather case, the 150 deluxe 11.5 gram poker chips, and the five casino quality dice. It will giving you valuable time to watch those big playoff game mo