What's the Role of the Best Man in a Wedding?

Best man: the title says it all. This isn't reserved for the guy who wrestled a grizzly bear one-handed; it's for someone even more impressive, the man who is going to be responsible for ensuring all the manly tasks of wedding planning are handled. The best man is the go-to guy from the moment he's asked until the couple leaves for their honeymoon, and in that large of a time frame, there's a lot to do. For the modern best man, he has to get on board with wardrobe, plan the bachelor party and rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. During the actual wedding, he'll be keeping hold of the merchandise, escorting his female counterpart and delivering an awesome speech. For a best man, that last part can inspire more fear than taking his own trip down the aisle. But fear not, men. You're called best for a reason, and with a few tips, your speech can reach those same lofty heights.

You may be giving a toast, but don't start the toasting before your speech. If you drink beforehand, your speech might be memorable but for all the wrong reasons. Celebrate your victory afterwards; a best man always practices self-control. The toast is frequently given before dinner or sometimes before cutting the cake. Ask the bride and groom beforehand where they'd like for the toast to fall in the schedule. If it's fairly late in the day, you might want to eat before the event to ensure that you don't have your stomach accompanying you through your speech. The best man is expected to keep the groom company throughout the wedding, so that means you'll be getting there early. 

You may feel nervous about your speech, but it's your duty to keep the groom calm, and you can't do that without being calm yourself. Put aside any worries you may have, and offer calm encouragement if the groom gets any wedding day jitters. If you've reached the day of the wedding, you should have already practiced your speech so much that they've installed it into textbooks for the next generation to cherish. A little nervousness before speaking is fine, but you've done all you can to get to this point and you wouldn’t be speaking if your friends didn't have faith in you. 

The toast should introduce yourself and how you came to be part of the couple's lives. If you knew one person prior to the other, you can begin with a story of how you met your friend and then talk about meeting their partner. Stay away from inside jokes, and keep your speech appropriate. Don't bring up past partners or sketchy events. They might be funny to you, but keep in mind that these are friends and family members, and maybe your friend's mother doesn't need the details about the strip club. Your friend's partner might not need to hear it either, at least not from you. You can use humor in your speech, but it should be tasteful. Use variations in your voice to keep the story exciting without getting too silly. 

You can change your pitch to help the audience identify speakers, but don't mock anyone during this time, especially the bride and groom. The average toast is three to five minutes, but you may be speaking longer if asked. Telling appropriate stories is a good way to fill up part of this time. Use the rest of your time to speak positively about the bride and groom and their relationship. Always end by re-directing attention to the couple, and thank them for their presence in your life and asking you to be part of this day. Finish your speech by wishing the couple happiness, and reaffirm your commitment as well to be a friend to both as they transition into this new part of their lives. But what about your female counterpart? She has her own speech to give as well, but what should she cover in it? Do her duties mirror the best man's? The answers will be provided in the next article

Wedding Toast where to start

When your friend bestows the honor of the wedding toast upon you, it should spark feelings of respect and accomplishment. However, most people feel a deep sense of dread at the notion of getting up in front of a large gathering during a lifetime event and giving the couple their send-off. Public speaking is a common fear, and when you add the fact that this is the event that ties two lives together, it's only natural to be a little scared. A million fears and questions can play out through your mind. Will you forget your speech halfway through? Will your palms start sweating? Will you shake so badly that your words come out in staggered bursts? Will you mumble? How much eye contact is enough? How should you move around? How do you gesture? Should you speak quickly or slowly? Are jokes okay?

How sentimental is too sentimental? How long should this speech even be? (Don’t end up like this: Horrible Wedding Toast) But fear not; the perfect wedding toast is just a few tips away. Before getting into that, what does a wedding toast entail? A wedding toast is given generally before the meal to commemorate the marriage, offer some personal back story and wish the couple well. That means that your speech should cover these three points. It'll be less intimidating to think of the speech in increments rather than worrying about the whole package. Start off by thinking of what you want to talk about. Don't worry about the actual performance yet. Think about what stories you would like to share. This research period will probably take you a few days. 

If you rush this part, you're going to have a weak speech to deliver come wedding day. Instead, give yourself a little time to remember how you all met, anything in their relationship that stands out, any words of wisdom you can impart and your overall sentiment towards the couple. Above all, your words must be genuine. If you fall into trite verse or make the speech impersonal, you're going to leave your friends with a sour taste. Always keep in mind that this is an event that often comes once a lifetime and you don't want to butcher it by not making the right time investment in your speech. Another common worry is looking the part. Chances are that you don't have the creative freedom to wear anything you want. 

If you're the best man or maid of honor, you've no doubt coordinated with the groom or bride and other members of the wedding party. Wardrobe, at least on that level, should not be a concern. Instead, you should be focused on the other details about your appearance. You should be well-groomed, meaning you should have your hair neat and washed, styled if you prefer it that way. Men should either have trimmed facial hair or be clean-shaven. Additionally, you should make sure your hands and nails are clean so that your gestures aren't drawing attention for all the wrong reasons. Make sure your breath isn't offensive and you're wearing a nice spritz of cologne or perfume as well so that you don't offend nearby listeners.

Wedding day jitters are commonly associated with the bride and groom, but when you're speaking, you're going to be feeling those butterflies as well. You don't want to fall apart on stage, so you're going to need to go through some tips prior to help you deliver your speech with confidence and present a relaxed yet professional demeanor. You're going to be nervous, but the wedding party doesn't need to know that. A few pointers will have you cognizant of your body language, how to modulate your voice and how to ensure you aren't stumbling over your words in a cloud of forgetfulness come the big day. Wedding speeches can be incredibly stressful, but you can make things easier on yourself by educating yourself beforehand.

Take some time to read through what others have said about speaking, and make a checklist if you need to. Once you've read through the advice, practice your speech over and over again using those points as highlights. By the time you get to the wedding day, no one will ever know you were worried. Now that you're geared up to give a speech, it's important to know the sequence of the toasts so that you can understand at what point you will be speaking and who you will be speaking to.

The sequence of wedding toast

The wedding toast is usually given first by the best man, then the father, the groom and the bride, and then followed by those who would like to give a toast. Versions may vary, however. Other traditional sequences of wedding toasts also feature the best man as the first one to give the toast, followed by the groom who says a few words to his bride, parents, family and members of the wedding party. Afterwards, the groom is then followed by other people such as family members or friends who also want to give a toast, and then lastly, the father of the bride who thanks everyone for attending the wedding. 

On the other hand, a nontraditional manner of the sequence of wedding toasts starts off with the emcee toasting the bride and groom. This is followed by the groom saying a few words to the guests and his bride, followed by the bride giving a little speech to her parents and in-laws, and finally, the father of the bride thanking everyone who shared this special day with them. You now know just when you might be speaking, but what other roles do you play in this wedding party?

How to Choose Your Wedding Dress: wedding preparatory tips

So the love of your life has proposed to you, you are proudly wearing your gorgeous ring, have penciled in the date and are busy thinking about all things wedding and just maybe at the top of your list is wedding dresses! While finding your perfect dream bridal gown is one of the most exciting, fun and important aspects of planning your wedding with so many styles and beautiful dresses to choose from it can be a bit daunting. Here are few things to consider that may help focus your search and a few tips to make the process less stressful.

Establish Your Budget

No matter what your budget is you will be able to find a beautiful gown you just want to be realistic about what that budget is before you start looking. There is a huge range in the prices of gowns from several thousand and up for a couture gown to a couple hundred plus for a wedding dress off the rack at JCrew or Nordstrom, for example. If you are on a tight budget and want a couture gown you may find what you are looking for in a consignment store or an online reseller site. Keep in mind that regardless of where you find your dress you will want to have it fitted and potentially altered to fit you perfectly as well as possibly have a bustle put in and perhaps even steamed before the wedding day. Having a realistic budget will insure that you go to the right bridal salons and that you don’t fall in love with a dress that you can’t have. 

Determine Your Style

Your wedding dress should reflect your style and personality as well as the wedding location. Whether you are having a beach, barn or private estate wedding your dress should follow your taste and be suited to the occasion. It might be helpful to keep a folder with cut outs from magazines or web searches of your favorite dresses and between your fashion sense and these you should be able to get a feel for your wedding dress style. Don’t let yourself be talked into a dress because someone else close to you loves it, you want to love it and be confident that it is the right dress for you. At the same time, keep an open mind because you just may not like a dress you thought you loved as much after trying it on or you may end up enamored with a gown that you wouldn’t even have considered trying on at all.

 Wear the Dress

It is a good idea to figure out what wedding dress silhouette looks best on you. You want to find a dress that you feel good in, that fits you perfectly and accentuates your most positive features. Here is a description of the main silhouettes paired with various body shapes that look best in them.

A Line

This silhouette forms an “A” shape with a fitted bodice extending to just below the waistline that then gradually flares out while lightly skimming the hips. This is the most common and universally figure-flattering silhouette because it can make you look taller, add feminine curves, hide a heavier bottom half while de-emphasizing a wide waistline. This can be great for a pear-shaped body and can be especially flattering with a heavier fabric. If you are apple shaped choose a dress that cinches in at that smallest point on the waist line and has texture like ruching or lace on the bodice. A V-neck will slender the upper body drawing the eyes vertically. 

Ball Gown

Think about your fairy tale princesses from when you where a little girl, like Cinderella. This silhouette has a dramatic effect with a tight bodice offset by a full skirt that poufs out before it angles down to the floor. This is the most traditional and formal silhouette typically featuring a natural waistline and can be a very figure flattering option for most body shapes. 

Trumpet

Like the outline of the instrument’s trumpet bell, this silhouette follows the contours of your body just past the hips and then begins to flare at about mid thigh. The Mermaid flares dramatically at or below the knee while the Fit and Flare flares right below the hip. These silhouette options are great for a petite or an hour glass figure or for the illusion of creating an hour glass figure. Take advantage of a bridal belt or sash to highlight your natural waist and to personalize your look. 

Empire/Goddess

This silhouette typically features a fitted bodice with a waistline that begins directly below the busts and then either flows to the ground in a soft cascade or angles out like the A Line silhouette. This can be a flattering option for most figures as it elongates the frame while skimming over the lower body, this can also be a very versatile style. 

Sheath

The sheath silhouette hugs the form of the body lightly without a waistline or “skirt.” The form is typically simple with clean lines and lighter fabrics. This is great for petite brides as well as tall and slim figures and can be a versatile option as the details and styles of this silhouette vary greatly. 

Additional Tips and Advice

• Keep in mind that you need to allow enough time for shopping and ordering of your wedding gown. Special order gowns can take months to receive.

Don’t starve yourself before your wedding just to fit into your dress. Order your dress in a comfortable size so that you won’t need to stress out about losing weight. Understand that wedding dress sizes have their own vernacular, if you are a size 8 you are probably a size 10 or even 12 in wedding size and each designer varies.

• Be sure to get your dress with enough time to get it altered. Even a custom dress will need to be expertly tailored to fit you properly.

• Try on enough dresses to make a proper choice. Try on choices even if you aren’t sure about the style because often a dress looks better on you than it does on the hanger.

• Before you go to the bridal salon consider your options and make a list to give to the consultant. This will narrow down your choices before you become overwhelmed.

• Don’t take too many people with you to the bridal salon. Too many opinions can be confusing, especially at first. Make a short-list of bridal gowns and then try them all on again before making your final decision.

• Consider ease of wear, you want to be able to move comfortably in the dress, as well as dance and sit with ease.

• Consider a second wedding gown/cocktail dress for later in the evening that while still bridal is more comfortable and fun.

Cheers,

Courtesy of Party Riders Events

Food safety issues in Events

Food protection

The food stall must be designed and constructed in such a manner so as to prevent the contamination of food. The following measures must therefore be taken:

• Food must be protected from contamination by street dirt, traffic fumes, flies, animals and the general public

• All food stalls must be cleaned and maintained to a very high standard. They must be properly pest-proofed All panels must be tight fitting, leaving no access for rodents or insects

• Food on display must be adequately protected by the provision of sneeze screens

Food storage 

All food shall be prepared in the food stall unit or in designated premises specially registered for that purpose.

In order to prevent the transfer of food poisoning bacteria from raw foods (especially meat and poultry) to cooked or prepared foods, it is very important that they are stored separately.

Do not overload refrigerators or freezers as this prevents cool air circulating. They must be defrosted and cleaned regularly. Where separate storage is not available for raw and cooked foods, the following system must be adopted;

Top shelves: Cooked Meats Prepared Products

Middle shelves: Dairy Produce

Bottom Shelf: Raw meats and fish

 

Temperature control 

The whole area of temperature control is extremely important in preventing the proliferation of food poisoning bacteria.

Refrigeration and storage 

Refrigeration is important since it slows down the multiplication of food poisoning bacteria. Meat and meat products, milk and milk products and all other food and food materials susceptible to rapid temperature of 31^C or less except when heated or cooked for sale as hot food

Hot holding and food storage

Hot food must be kept at a temperature of at least 63oC and hot cabinets and bain-maires must be provided for this purpose. Freezer and Food Storage A deep freezer unit must be provided if products normally cooked from frozen are to be stored in the food stall. The temperature of a deep freezer unit must be kept at a temperature of -18oC or colder.

Temperature measurement and monitoring 

A suitable thermometer must be kept in the food stall and regular temperature checks must be carried out on a daily basis to ensure that correct temperatures are maintained. Precautions should be taken against transferring micro-organisms from raw to cooked foods when taking temperature readings - the probes should be wiped and disinfected using disposable sterile wipes before and after each use.