Ideas and Advice

Today’s wedding ‘rules’ pertain more to treatment of guests

DEAR ANN: What are the rules these days? We are getting married, and we are also expecting a baby. I’ll be six months along (showing!

Choice to be a reader is yours; choice of what to read is not

DEAR ANN: My cousin has asked me to do a reading at her wedding. She is Catholic; I am not. In the reading, I have to refer to “Benedict, our pope.

Lesbian weddings can be traditional or contemporary

DEAR ANN: With gay marriage becoming legal in New Hampshire on Jan. 1, how do I know what path to follow for planning my lesbian wedding? DEAR READER: In any new endeavour, couples can draw on old traditions and also look at new contemporary ideas for their planning.

Don’t feel the need to be held hostage by the holidays

DEAR ANN: It is coming to the season when my kids are talking about the holidays and all the bounty that Santa will bring. Times are lean; no doubt Santa is feeling the crunch. I need a new approach while they are still young.

Engaged daughters argue over which wedding will be first

DEAR ANN: My elder daughter, Mopsie, became engaged last year, to Joe, and the couple picked a wedding date in December of next year. My younger daughter, Flopsie, just got engaged last month, to Bob, and she wants to get married sooner than her sister – in June of next year. Mopsie is upset; I think she fears Flopsie’s wedding may eclipse her own.

Free speech, polite conversation two different things

DEAR ANN: Recently, I was at a friend's barbecue party with my boyfriend, and people started talking politics and it got really heated between my BF and one other. I was uncomfortable and want to leave, but he said he had "freedom of speech" and would say what he wanted. Was he rude?

Should bride, groom exchange gifts?

Q: Do my fiance and I have to give each other presents the morning of our wedding? A: This one is completely up to you. Some couples give each other gifts to wear at the wedding, such as a pair of cufflinks for him or earrings for her.

Thought required for parents to give meaningful gift to well-off couple

DEAR ANN: Our son is getting married. He and his fiancee both have accumulated many very nice things. They both do well financially, and so the question is – what to do for a wedding present!

Proper etiquette for introductions

DEAR ANN: I am a newly graduated MD. I’m curious about the proper way to address patients and introduce myself. I notice some do it informally, while others are more proper.

Dieting bride-to-be: Buy gown that fits now

Q: Should I hold off on buying my wedding dress if I'm trying to lose weight? A: No way. Chances are, your body isn't going to change so dramatically that you won't be able to wear a dress you bought months before.

Planning your eco-chic wedding

If you're interested in hosting an eco-friendly wedding, simply start by having the ceremony and reception at the same venue - thus eliminating all that driving for everyone. If you are taking your vows at a religious venue, find a reception venue within a mile or two of the ceremony - or better yet, one you can all walk to. Green weddings are a huge trend, so here are five ideas for hosting a more eco-chic wedding: <b>Go local</b> If your venue allows you to bring your own alcohol, bring locally brewed beers and locally grown wines.

Ushering in streamlined church seating etiquette

<b>DEAR ANN: </b>My husband and I want get to the church early for our niece’s wedding to get an aisle seat. What do we do if an usher tries to seat another guest in our pew once we have been seated? Do we have to move over?

Father of the bride needs to remember it's not about him

<b>DEAR ANN: </b>My fiance and I want to be married in a church of a religion that my father says he will not set foot in, because he said the rector there was unkind to someone he knows years ago. However, my fiance and I really want to be wed there, as we don't have any problems with it, and I want my dad to give me away. What can we do?

What is the best option for the 'best woman' dress code?

DEAR ANN: My fiance wants his sister to be his best woman, i.e., honor attendant.

Economizing your wedding needn't make it less fabulous

<b>DEAR ANN: </b>We had planned to take out a loan for an extra fabulous wedding. . .

Honoring attendants who are expecting

<b>DEAR ANN: </b>We are being married, and my sister is to be matron of honor. She will also be about 8.5 months pregnant at the time of the wedding.

Phrasing a 'civil union' invitation in a warmer way

<b>DEAR ANN: </b>Now that New Hampshire has civil unions, my partner of 17 years and I want to have one, but we feel, that to us, it is a marriage. The phrase "civil union" sounds cold to us, and we don't think it sounds too elegant on an invitation. Can we have invitations that use the word "marriage" or "wedding" instead of the words "civil union"?

Colonial-themed wedding puts bee in mother's bonnet

<b>DEAR ANN:</b> Both my fiance and I are great fans of the 18th-century era, and we decided on a colonial theme for our upcoming wedding - powdered wigs, panniers, minuets, etc. We'd love guests to wear 18th-century attire, but we are not requiring costumes. My mother is unhappy with the whole idea.

A bond that can never be broken

<b>DEAR READERS:</b> Marriage is what grows after the wedding. Marriage is the pairing of loving someone while being in love with that someone. In marriage, the starry eyes, gown, veil and tux meet head-on with the deepening friendship of a partner who is committed to being the best person possible and making a real go of it, to bond forever .

Junior bridesmaid can expect many fun roles

<b>DEAR ANN:</b> My 13-year-old daughter is to be a junior bridesmaid at my younger sister's wedding. What can she expect? <b>DEAR READER: </b>How excited she must be!

Traditionally, bride's side announces engagement

<b>DEAR ANN:</b> Our son has become engaged to a lovely girl. They are living near us, and will probably be married here, although her parents live out of state. Is it proper for us to put an engagement announcement in our local paper?