Shopping for your best friend’s wedding without treading the conventional route. You planned the wedding gift for months, shopped the entire city leaving shop owners perplexed calling you a choosy moron, got the best packaging services to wrap your romantic wedding gift like a hidden treasure, expecting your best friend to jump in ecstasy and hug you like the good old college days.

What happens next?

Your best friend doesn’t want to talk about your wedding gift because it’s the same items given to him by scores of other guests at the auspicious occasion.

Do you want to avoid such disasters?

Then please have a look at our painstakingly compiled list of wedding gifts before reaching your best friend’s wedding with an apparent dull gift in a shiny new package.

The basics of a unique wedding gift are as follows:

• Choose personalized gifts in tune with the tastes and preferences of the cute couple. Noone knows your best friend like you do!

• Unique and creative which would remain special till the next anniversaries.

• Well thought gifts showing that you care for them.

• Filling the missing links in their drawing room, garden or maybe the kitchen. Out of the box, wedding gifts to make your friendship more special.

• Baby gardens

If your friend is a nature lover, then nothing better than a portable garden in open glass holders.

Such mini gardens hardly ask for space and can be comfortably kept on table-top or fixed at the window.

It’s an ideal wedding gift for a couple residing in a small apartment where thinking of free garden space is utopian.

Just like aquariums, these glass chambers are filled with small herbs.

Apart from water and sunlight, these plants require nothing else to survive for long years.

Perhaps this is the most long-lasting wedding gift that your friend might receive.

Even after his 10th anniversary, this plant will remind him of his wedding day.

As a safe practice, these gifts can be sent by courier a day or two before the wedding day, or it might get damaged in

the hara-kiri of the wedding ceremony.

• Cookery books to grab that permanent spot in their kitchen

If your best buddy is an out and out foodie, then we guess excellent cooking books with hundreds of mouth-watering recipes is the way to go.

Every time they pull off a particular dish in the kitchen, the romantic couple will think you in the most gratifying sense.

• Classy artifacts which would embrace their wall for a lifetime

Art lovers would nail their teeth into these pictures printed on a creative photo frame and hang it to their drawing room walls till their 50th anniversary maybe.

So, just order an exclusive painting or some indigenous work of handicraft artistry and see your wedding gift sitting royally in the couple’s drawing room.

• Contemporary Wine carrier to give them company in their lovely evenings

Designer packages for wrapping up the old wine bottle are going to work wonders for the couples famous in social circles as outgoing party lovers.

The wine carrier must look snazzy with romantic wedding quotes engraved on it.

Trust me; they will never throw this into the storeroom for at least 10 years or more.

• Wooden watch case to take care of their special watches

Gifting a classy wooden watch box is ideal for a working couple.

They might not have an appropriate box to keep their chic wrist watches after coming from the office.

If your best friend and his bride are perpetual workaholics, this high-quality wooden package would be a symbol of your genuine affection for years to come.

Gift cards to shop for their newlywed household

Not very emotional, but choose the most practical wedding gift for close friends.

A stranger might feel a bit belittled on such a monetary present with no emotions.

But your close friends will understand your noble thought process and go ahead on a shopping spree.

It’s one of the smartest ways to extend financial support to the couple in setting up their new home. Give them the purchasing power and the freedom to buy whatever they want.

Be their interior designer with an eye candy indoor water fountain.

A newlywed romantic couple is anxious to get the perfect look for their new home. Nowadays a new trend is in fashion. It’s gifting of water fountain or other house decoration articles.

Be their interior design savior by gifting an impressive table fountain or indoor water fountain. Online stores are offering an endless variety of water fountains.

Choose any one of them and pack this special gift for your best friend on his wedding day.

Some of the inexpensive but effective wedding gift ideas are:

• Latest kitchen croquet set for the cooking lovers.

• Glassware to decorate the new home.

• Jewelry box for the bride.

• Name engraved wedding cake with cheese spread.

As we mentioned shopping for your best friends wedding could be challenging. We hope that we gave you a bit of inspiration and hope you both have a great time enjoying shopping for your best friends wedding. This moment will be unforgettable to the both of you! We hope that you share your great memories with us!

A delightful Inexpensive Anniversary Party Ideas that doesn’t hurt your purse

The anniversary is a grand celebration of unity which binds a relationship, year after year.

It is the next most significant day in the life of a married couple, apart from the wedding ceremony.

Until and unless you want to throw a surprise party, involving other members of the family sets the ball rolling.

Everyone would feel the pride that they contributed to the anniversary.

Let’s brush up on some vital ingredients for the anniversary recipe.

Now, let’s talk about some Inexpensive Anniversary Party Ideas that won’t hurt your purse.

• Strike the right chords with the right anniversary theme.

Anniversaries are like wine, gets better and better with age. Sit down on the weekend, do some brainstorming and come up with a unique theme matching the tastes and preferences of the married couple and guests involved. If the couple is an ardent reader of Shakespeare, an anniversary theme of Romeo and Juliet or Midsummer Night’s Dream will bring you accolades from the guests and even within the family.

Formal parties involving colleagues and business partners ask for an elegant and cohesively designed theme with true colors and minimal pictures on the wall or table. On the other hand, casual anniversaries, involving the family members and close friends only, are better off with off the wall themes like rustic outdoors dinner or southwest inspired fun-filled and frolicking adventure.

• Right on the money with the perfect venue.

Choosing a suitable venue for the anniversary depends more on judgment than on the wallet.

For a small get together, the drawing room hall or garden in the courtyard will suffice.

For a grand ceremony inviting a large number of guests, choosing a prime venue is better.

Most of these party halls offer an umbrella of services like catering, decorations, photography, etc.

Different types of anniversary packages are available for every kind of budget.

An anniversary party can be located at the following venues depending upon the budget, number of guests, weather conditions at the time of anniversary:-

• At home
• Hotel ball room
• Church
• friend/ relative’s house
• restaurant

Saving money without degrading the Wedding unity ceremony

• Invitations can be sent by email or by creating an event on Facebook, thus saving the cost of printed invitation cards and RSVPs.

• A proper invitation includes all the unique details such as the name of the couple, the number of years to be celebrated at the event, date and time of the party along with the full address of the location.

• RSVPs are a must considering the food, drinks and other arrangements at stake for every guest. Undoubtedly, RSVP saves precious dollars wasted on guests who just don’t turn up for the ceremony.

• If the anniversary theme asks for a special dress code, it should be clearly mentioned in the invitation so that they can get a yes or no from the guests well in advance.

• For a small gathering, cooking can be done by you or ask help from family friends is enough to do the job.

• A bigger anniversary party must be handled by professional caterers, who offer different types of packages to suit every purse.

• Food wasted is equal to the loss of money. So keep both vegan and non-vegetarian items including a variety of dishes to satisfy one and all.

Managing the decorations and entertainment bill within your anniversary budget

Whether you’re the host responsible for the party or the couple organizing it themselves, getting the right look for the anniversary decorations makes it to the top of the priority list.

• Personalized touch, including a collection of photos of the couple, has its own magic when it comes to anniversary decorations.

• Elegant, multi-colored scheme which goes well with the right mix of artifacts and decoration pieces add grace to the anniversary theme.

• Simple, time-tested techniques such as candles, paper lanterns, centerpieces, champagne glasses, canvas prints, balloons are budget-friendly ways to decorate the anniversary party.

• Banners with attractive anniversary quotes and old memorable pictures of the couple relive the entire wedding anniversary in front of the guests.

• Book a photographer in advance to take photos of the married couple and other events on the anniversary day. These photos will serve as memory banks for years to come.

• Hire a band to play the favorite playlist or call a DJ to let the guests dance throughout the party. Don’t look to hire someone at the last minute or you might not find the best guy to rock the party. Make a collection of favorite anniversary songs and include it in the music playlist.

• Have a pre-anniversary discussion with the other family members or relatives. If anybody wants to sing a beautiful song or give an emotional speech, let them do it because wedding unity ceremony is a golden opportunity to express your feelings for the couple.

Anniversary gifts which are more valuable than a hefty price tag.

• It’s the personal touch or the efforts put in preparing the gift, which wins the hearts of any married couple.

• Brainstorming and discussions with other family members and close friends will do wonders bringing out a plethora of ideas which you never thought of.

• Inexpensive Anniversary Party Ideas which are unique to that little element of surprise will make them feel like the guests of honor. You would love to see your anniversary gift in their cupboard.

Planning an anniversary party is no joke, and getting the mix of fun, entertainment, and adventure within a tight budget is like a tightrope walk. Innovative and practical choices decide the difference between a dull, boring get together and a memorable souvenir. We hope you try some of these cheap budget tips to throw the best anniversary party yet, this year!

This post is not for those who care a damn about any event and find it strange to adjust to any party or get together. A wedding anniversary party embarks upon the unity of a married couple, who stood beside each other throughout the year. Every social get-together demands a certain mannerism which makes the day unique. Let’s discuss a few simple and traditionally proven anniversary etiquettes that apply for any anniversary party.

Invite your guests like kings and queens

• Invitations must be sent out in advance, at least three to four weeks before the event. Guests must get ample time to plan for the event. Guests, who are invited from other places, must be assured that they would be picked up from the railway station or airport. Surprise invitations might be embarrassing as most guests might have planned something else.
• Formal invites are mandatory when you want the party to be the most significant event, including your colleagues, business partners, etc.
• Every detail must be clear and precise. Whether gifts are allowed, or guests without Anniversary gifts stuff.
• Suppose the theme is 60s fashion, guests must be told about that at the invite itself.

Don’t forget the dinner table rules as an anniversary etiquette.

• Traditionally, the eldest son sits beside mother, and eldest daughter sits beside her father. Only close friends or relatives, probably within the family must get a place on the same table.

• Location is the most crucial aspect. If the wedding unity ceremony is to be held outdoors, then arranging enough chairs for all the guests is essential. If the celebration is planned indoors, you can shift furniture and ensure enough space for the guests.
• Ask anyone who has ever hosted an anniversary party, the same holds true for the hosts. Once the time is finalised, all the other arrangements must be in place before the arrival of guests.
• It’s the manners and the punctuality of the guests which matters the most. None of your guests would cherish a lavish wedding ceremony in a rude, mannerless host.

Anniversary speech etiquette, not a boring college lecture. An anniversary speech is like a curtain raiser to the delightful evening. Hosts need to be cautious before preparing the welcome speech for the ceremony.

• Primarily, it should be short and sweet or you might see yawning faces in the crowd.
• Well written and beautifully narrated speech is bound to find a special place in the memory of the guests.
• Dull and boring remarks must be avoided, unless you are singing a lullaby to put your guests to sleep.
• The best approach is to let the married couple share their experiences over the last year. Better to listen about the couple’s experiences, hardships, challenges and make them feel special on the anniversary day.
• Distractions, more often than not, spoil the entire evening. All other work must be put aside to divert all energies towards the event.

Gift with love, not with pride.

Without any doubt, it is important to buy the best gift your purse or wallet can afford, taking care of these little things will make your anniversary gift more special.

• Don’t insist the couple open the gift in front of everybody. Trust me; they may not like it all.

• Let your anniversary gift be a secret until it is opened up by the hosts later in the evening. Don’t spill the beans, even if some other guests intimidate you.

• Your anniversary gift must be an impeccable guess on the couple’s personality and what’s missing in their wish list. Discussing the gift idea with fellow guests is not a bad idea at all. Please don’t follow shortcuts on the internet which goes like this ‘5 best gifts for an anniversary in the world.’ Think about everything starting from their age, finances, no of years in marriage, education, etc.

Dress smart, be the perfect guest

Instead of dressing up like a big shot from the Wall Street, dress according to the event, location, weather and last but not the least according to the couple’s liking, if possible.

• Flashy and awkward dressing sense is a 100% guarantee that people will laugh on your back. Even straightforward camaraderie can take place.

• Don’t go against the dress code and look like an odd man out. In case you cannot get along with it, graciously apologize to the hosts. No point in getting into an argument.

• Worn out clothes, a terrible one-liner on t-shirts, formal office suits might irritate your hosts.

Score well and impress your hosts at the dinner table

If you really wish to be in the good books of the married couple, please heed to these simple tips.

• Be a good listener and let the couple do most of the talking.

• Don’t start lecturing on your married life and anniversaries.

• Precisely framed short but intelligent questions will make you a sought-after guest for the next anniversary.

• Informal tone, soft-spoken speech always brings a good name for the speaker; why not light up the evening with your sense of humor and nasty remarks.

Last but not the least, leave the party sweetly and softly. Sometimes people mark themselves as a ‘loudspeaker’ at every other ceremony. Don’t forget to have a small chat with the married couple. Tell them what was good about the anniversary and take leave with a heart-warming hug or handshake.

A phone call or an email on the following day is garnishing your host would cherish on his salad.

Here you have it with our top 6 List of Anniversary Etiquette. Comment on some of your own Anniversary Etiquette and share it with us here!

Failing to plan an anniversary is planning a failed anniversary! 

Being the host, the entire responsibility of the anniversary party falls on you.

After the wedding, the anniversary is the most important day in a couple’s life.

So, you have to avoid the most common anniversary disasters to avoid on your wedding anniversary. Let’s check out what are they.

Last minute goof ups when hosts are not ready, but guests are already in

• Food prepared for the guests might get spoiled or get wasted due to any unforeseen situation. The hosts must always guard the food to prevent any mishap. Having a backup arrangement with the nearby restaurant might save the party.

• If anniversary gifts are not allowed, it must be clearly stated.

• Even a slight mistake in location, time, date or any other minute detail is going to play spoilsport.

• As a golden rule, proofread your invitation, again and again, to get everything sorted out. In case wrong invites have gone to the guests, call them up immediately, apologize and inform them about the changes or errors in the invitation.

• A misprinted invitation card or miscommunicated verbal invite is more than enough to make laughing stock of the anniversary and put you down in front of close friends or relatives.

• An extremely busy host who just doesn’t have time for attending his guests.

The entire anniversary becomes a joke when the married couple is missing or sitting in a room when the guests are waiting outside to have a glimpse of their unity and bonding.  It’s terrible when the guests are everywhere, and the hosts are not to be seen. As we say, Missing In Action!

Emergencies knocking at your door on the eve of your wedding anniversary party

You have left everything in pending state until the last day. We guess you are a firm believer in procrastination.

• The decors are undone, the food arrangements aren’t ready, hiring a band for music, oh shit! You are bound to forget something or the other.

• Just one awkward situation has to turn up to take the winds out of your anniversary sails. You end with so much to do, and guests have already arrived. How embarrassing!

To avoid such scenes some smart steps like these need to be taken.

• Buy the food and drinks in advance
• Take out the clothes and send them to the laundry
• plan the songs play list weeks before the anniversary
• Decorate the hall or garden at least a day before the party.
• Rehearse your anniversary speech to avoid stupid talk when you have been asked to grace the occasion with your words.

A friend in need is a friend indeed. Keep your best buddies prepared to help you in the preparations in case of an emergency.

When the food looks so good, but gives your guests the runs! It ain’t a good look honey!

An anniversary dinner which your guests can’t eat is yet another anniversary disaster to avoid

• Keeping plenty of nonvegetarian items on the menu when the majority of your guests are vegans.
• Not taking care of their ailments or food allergies at the time of deciding the menu. Isn’t it pathetic that a diabetes patient goes starving after the anniversary, just because you forgot to keep some sugar free items?
• Trying to put up a surprise dinner menu without asking for suggestions from the guests at the time of invitation. Personalised dinner arrangements will inevitably transform your anniversary from just okay to fantastic.
• When it comes to catering for an anniversary, delicacy and diversity go hand in hand.  Different age groups, diverse food choices, the variety of health conditions might call for all types of dishes to satisfy every family.

Count your guests before they miss the anniversary party

A grand anniversary ceremony becomes lifeless when most of the guests just don’t turn up at the judgment day.

• RSVPs are absolutely indispensable in modern-day invitations. A timely yes or no from your guests saves food, time and energy. RSVPs don’t guarantee the presence of guests but increase their chances of arrival.

• Uninvited guests simply don’t fit in a pre-planned anniversary. Check with your invites about the number of people coming along with them for the ceremony. Keep a backup plan for 10 to 15 extra guests and plan accordingly.

• Mature and assertive ‘no’ is the only respite in case trouble-making menace enters the anniversary scene. Better to avoid these guests politely than putting up a fight in front of other guests.

Keep a close eye on the drunkards, fighters and controversy lovers

Everything is going on joyfully, peacefully without any fuss. What do you are? An out of control guest has transformed the hall into a wrestling arena. Read a few quick fixes to keep these menace machines at bay.

• Ask one of your friends, relatives or servants to keep an eye on those consuming gallons of wine, as if all the liquor is going to Mars after the anniversary.

• Be prompt and alert enough to intervene when a heated argument is grabbing eyeballs. That one little argument might make a mess of your dream anniversary.

• One of your guests might lose common sense and start playing the fool. Don’t just sit and enjoy or your anniversary would turn out to be his day of glory. Every guest would remember that one special character till the next anniversary date.

It’s an entirely different ball game when you arrange the anniversary outdoors. The most significant enemies of an outdoor ceremony are the weather and distractions in the neighborhood. Make arrangements for foul weather, keep checking weather updates, have a chat with the people in the neighborhood, etc.

Once you have applied these basics before the anniversary, disasters would fail for sure, not your anniversary. We hope you enjoyed our post on Anniversary Disasters to avoid, please leave us a comment or tips if you have any to add. And we will add it here!

The first anniversary ideas and celebrating it after being cheated on for the first time.

It is said that, “the first year is the hardest” in marriage. And for some it could be right, but for other’s we’re lucky enough to go through the first year together smooth sailing.

They say that the first year of marriage is the hardest. For some that may be true, and for others that may be a little tougher to do.

I have been married twice now. The first marriage, my first husband was in the military. I had heard of stories of what could happen overseas with men in the military (no offense to others however). Little did I know for the longest time, my spouse was doing the most right here at home.

I would wake up to nights where my first spouse would leave late at night. We were young getting married, and it was a lot of emotional stress. I changed completely as a person, I never smiled anymore. I was always crying.

We were together for two years, before marrying, then separating after 6 months, and divorcing at month 11. Let’s just say that I was LUCKY to have been saved from an evil human being. We surely didn’t celebrate a first year of marriage at all together.

The beauty about getting beat down is, once you’re at your lowest point of life. There’s nowhere to go but UP! And that’s exactly what happened.

And then 5 years later, I married the man I was definitely meant to be with.

You know how I knew?!

I knew because after we had met through a mutual friend from work, which was a great start! At the time, I was career oriented. I was working at a sales company, I had passed by my husband a few times at work but never got the feeling to advance with him in a more personal setting. It also just wasn’t my style.

That was until he left the company three months after seeing him. I worked for a company that had each individual sign a document for no fraternization with other employees, and doing so would be a cause for termination. I thank my husband for saving me from that misguided career sham.

It had felt as though, the manager was just recruiting college students to believe that selling products door to door would be their way to becoming a millionaire consultant.

The more each person sold for that office, the manager would get a huge percentage back.

In all honesty it felt like a mother manager with children fighting for her love and attention through sales.

And in no way, shape, or form is this to belittle those in sales or anything like that.

It just wasn’t my cup of tea after I had realized the kind of person I was working for, she just wasn’t someone I believed in.

The First Encounter: 

I was invited over to a house party with a coworker, my husband now working at another company. Our very first game we played the night we were officially introduced was beer pong. He was sober, and just such an easy going and friendly person to talk to. After drinks that night my attraction to him grew immensely.

The next night we separated and went to a birthday party and met up. We hung out for a bit and decided to hang out the very next day.

Tru-TV’s Impractical Jokers was our show on the couch for our first date.

The First Date

April 18th: On this day the we decided to both hang out sober, he picked me up from my house at the time. And we sat on the couch for hours just talking and talking and talking. We also watched “Impractical Jokers.” It felt like I met my best friend forever. It was very romantic to just sit there with a friend on the couch. We had a sleepover that night. And next thing I knew, tomorrow was here.

I received a text message about hanging out again. And on that day, I moved in lol. We had talked about getting married days after meeting each other. And what do ya know? We married a year and 10 days to the day we met on April 28th, the following year.

It was blissful!

Let’s just be honest I broke all the rules on our first date. We sat around on a couch all night. 😉

Our first anniversary together! 

For our first anniversary, I woke up to a super duper Mr. Clean home, it was spotless. My husband then asked me to get dressed and got a sitter for the baby, and took us out to dinner together. My husband really isn’t the romance type, but he sure did bring his A-game for our first year.

When your first marriage is nothing but insecurity, lies, and games. It makes the second marriage all the more better to enjoy. You’re just in heaven and nothing can go wrong.

A few tips to celebrating the 1st year together:

Be grateful for each other: Celebrating the 1st anniversary with your second husband after being cheated on is a landmark for the both of you. You proved to yourself that you can love again, and love hard. First and foremost after being cheated on, being grateful to each other is a great reminder that you. Just love and relish in the fact that you are with someone new and it’s a hell of a lot better than the first. I would just tell him as much as you can how grateful you are to be with him.

Do something Simple: Okay so obviously we went out to our favorite restaurant together for our anniversary (I mean I did just push out a newborn 6 weeks prior, so you know full well my body was still healing from being stretched open in ways I’d never experienced). Even if your favorite restaurant is part of the fast food chain. Enjoy food together. “The Way to A Man’s Heart is Through his Stomach” says some.
[table id=13 responsive=scroll column_widths=”16%|62%|22%” /] Buy some new lingerie and dance for your man: Give him an unforgettable show. You can always spice things up with, things like whips, and straps. Lol only if you’re both into that sort of thing or wanting to experiment. You don’t absolutely have to, but it’s ALWAYS fun to get freaky in the bedroom.

Create A Wish Jar: I absolutely love to write letters and sticky notes about how much I love my husband. I leave it in random areas of our house, in his lunch box, and even in places like the bathroom when he gets up to get ready for work.

Throughout the year prior, I watched him every day and wrote one good thing about him that I saw in that day. I wrote it down on a piece of paper then dated it, and put it into a home made jar. Now everyday, he comes home for lunch. He pulls a piece out to read. And absolutely loves it!

Make A World Map: Buy a Map this year and together with tacks you can both chose places you’d like to travel to and make a goal to remove a tack each anniversary year.

Just remember that when celebrating your first year anniversary together after being cheated on. Don’t relive the past. You’re stronger than ever being put through the pain during your first marriage. Don’t take it out on your second marriage. Make new memories together, and don’t compare him to your last. And you’ll have way more happier anniversaries together throughout the years to celebrate.