Tipping is often considered yet another wedding expense, but for those who don’t have experience, it can be blindsiding. To be prepared, have cash for your wedding or designate someone to keep your cash handy for you. If your service personnel are very helpful and do a good job, it is appropriate to tip. (If your baker delivers the wrong cake or your caterer forgets to set up, it is a whole different matter!) Be sure to read all of your contracts, however, as some of them have tips built into their fees.

Hairdresser/Makeup: 15-20% of your total bill, like a regular visit.

Servers: 15-20% of the food cost provided that their tip is not included in your contract.

DJ or Musicians: Although they don’t usually expect a tip, if they did a great job, tip up to %15 percent.

Anyone who does an exceptional job, from going out of their way to make a delivery a success to putting in extra effort on your fittings, a small tip is always appreciated.

Do you have a flair for the dramatic? Do you love style and sophisticated looks? If you love the idea of a bridal headpiece that differs from the traditional veil, this bridal hat from Wedding Bedazzle may be for you.

You may have the most perfect wedding site in teh world, but if your site could possibly become inhospitable for any reason, from rain to a bee invasion, you need to plan for a backup. Even in the heat of summer, surprise rainstorms or other outdoor disasters can wreak havoc on your plans, and if you haven’t planned for an alternative, you are in for trouble.

It is a smart move, whenever you have an outdoor wedding, to plan a second site to relocate the wedding in case of an emergency. One great plan is to book your reception site for an extra hour or two, which will allow you time to set it up for the wedding ceremony itself. You already know it is big enough for all of your guests, and even if it is not your first choice for the ceremony, you also already know you love it.

Another option for an alternative wedding site is to talk to your clergy. The officiant might be allowed to offer you the use of the church with which they are affiliated, and the price may be less than someone off the street trying to rent the same space. At the very least, it is something to consider when you make this important choice.

As a bride, there are lots of things you can control about your wedding day. You can control the venue, you can control what you wear, you can control what kinds of flowers there are, and if you’re lucky, you can even control what color socks your groom wears.

There are, however, some things that brides can’t or shouldn’t control. Although it can be tempting to try to orchestrate every detail, it is not acceptable to demand, for example, that your guests only dress in certain colors to best match the decor. Requesting that bridesmaids wear a certain kind of jewelry (“silver dangly earrings”, perhaps) might be okay, but if you want them in pearls and not all of them own pearls, it is unacceptable to demand that they purchase them just for your event.

It can be frustrating when you want your maids to all wear their hair a certain way if one of them unexpectedly cuts hers, but unless you have already told them and she did it to spite you, try to remember that your maids, like you, are just trying to look their best on your big day. Planning every detail is not just a huge source of stress, it is bound to fail.

Getting married is a commitment for forever, but we all know that marriages end and for most people, that end is symbolically as simple as the removal of the wedding band. Tattooed wedding bands are truly forever, so think twice and then think again before you decide on tattooed wedding rings or any symbolic marriage tattoo.

Wedding tattoos can be great for people who work with their hands with machinery or who might otherwise find that rings get in the way of their daily lives. It is a fantastic way to express commitment, and you will be able to choose a design or look that fits you perfectly.

Candle lighting is flattering and romantic, and it can be the perfect way to light your wedding, whether you are going to have an indoor or outdoor wedding. If you want to get married outdoors, your candles will have to be enclosed in some sort of shelter like the lanterns in this gorgeous photo by Tim Boehm Photography.

Pearls are arguably the best wedding accessory out there. Whether you are looking at a plain string, a twisted rope, pearls in a setting, or some other variation, the inner glow and luster of pearls only serve to make the bride shine more brightly. They make a wonderful keepsake and can be worn in many situations as well. From white to gray to pink, the various colors of pearl will give you enough options to find the perfect match for your wedding day.

The sindoor (the red line drawn at the bride’s hair’s parting), is a Hindu tradition. Married women wear the sindoor to indicate their status, whereas unmarried or widowed women do not.

If you are interested in Hindu culture or tradition for your wedding, you may have already considered the sindoor, or perhaps have considered wearing a bindi, which has become a purely decorative mark

If you are interested in a non-traditional ceremony, consider a handfasting. A handfasting is a ceremony involving the bonding of two individuals for a lifetime through the metaphor of tying their hands together ceremonially. While this is usually considered a neo-pagan ceremony, it is not exclusively pagan and is a beautiful and touching ceremony. Although some people use handfasting for a traditional year and a day ceremony, it can also be used as a part of a more traditional and/or legal wedding ceremony.

To get an idea of how to write a handfasting, search the internet for “handfasting rite”. There are as many ceremonies out there to choose from as any bride could hope for. Adapt one for  your own needs, or write your own based on what you see.

Want a wedding favor that your guests have never seen before? Hire a caricaturist. Caricaturists can do quick portraits of your guests in black and white, that will be a great way to remember your wedding.

Your caricaturist will need a place to set up, and from there will be able to draw your guests by ones and twos for the evening. Have him draw a portrait of yourself and your intended to check the artists skills, style, and speed before you hire them for the full job (many of them will do this for free, but be prepared to payif necessary).

The portrait here is by Caricature King.