Creative Wedding Venues

These days I feel like couples are trying to out do one another with their weddings. If this couple spent $30,000 on their wedding, we have to spend $40,000. If they got married here, we have to get married somewhere else. It seems like everyone is in competition with each other. To me, yes, you want to have the most beautiful, spectacular, extravagant wedding ever, but it's not about other people. It's about you and your groom/bride-to-be. If you want to get married in a church, a synagogue, on a boat, or in a Wal-Mart, that's up to you. There are tons of ways to make your wedding unique without breaking the bank; one way is to choose a cool venue. I've found 4 awesome places to get married that will definitely leave a lasting impression on your guests.

1. A vineyard

So romantic and picturesque, vineyards are amazing wedding venues. You may even be able to work out a deal on a great vintage wine with the venue. Vineyards provide great photo opportunities, as well as awesome dinner conversation.

2. A Museum

What a fun, creative venue for a wedding. This is actually something that I've considered for my own wedding. Philadelphia has so many great museums, it would be a shame not to consider them. Another advantage of a museum wedding is that you can save on reception decorations, since the the exhibits serve as décor.

(These pictures are from a wedding at the Please Touch Museum here in Philadelphia)

3. At the Park

If you want an outdoor wedding, parks are a great idea. Most permit and location prices are reasonable. One downside: preparing for any type of weather. If you're not prepared for rain, strong winds, or insects, your big day may turn out to be a nightmare.

4. Mansion or Historical Building

This could be a great alternative to a museum. There are tons of historical buildings and mansions around Philadelphia that most people don't know about. A lot of them offer better rental rates than a hotel or ballroom, and most (if not all) of them have stunning features that will make for awesome photo opportunities. Many of them have amazing stories behind them that will make for great dinner conversation.

I'm Getting Married! Buy Me a Shot!

I'm going to a bachelorette party for a good friend of mine tonight, so that's what today's post is about. The Knot has provided a ton of great ideas for props, activities, and games for the big night besides the obligatory "Bachelorette" sash and penis straws. Here are the top 3 quintessential bachelorette party props:

1. The Tiara

A bachelorette party essential. You want everyone to know what to expect when they come across a huge group of girls screaming "She's getting married!"

2. The Dare List

A list of things that the bachelorette has to complete before the end of the night.

3. Male stripper

Enough said.

There really aren't any rules with a bachelorette party, it's really up to the bride. But here are a few things that should be remembered:

-It's not the best idea to have it the night before the wedding. The last thing a bride wants is to be hungover on her wedding day.

-The bachelor and bachelorette parties don't have to be on the same night. However, having them on the same night will leave no time for them to worry about what the other one is doing that night.

-Don't just assume that the bride wants a night of bar-hopping, flirting with strangers, and drinking till she pukes. Make sure she's comfortable with that type of party, or if she would rather have a day at the spa with the girls, or just go to a casual dinner for some girl talk.

-Always make sure the bride or one of the girls at the party calls the groom at the end of the night to let him know that his bride to be is safe and sound, and that he has nothing to worry about.

As long as the bride and the guests have fun, you can't really go wrong!