Top Kris Kristofferson love songs for weddings

Singer, songwriter, and actor Kris Kristofferson died in Hawaii on September 28th. He left behind a rich legacy of well-crafted songs that were anything but cookie-cutter. This blog looks at his top love songs for weddings. Kristofferson was a high IQ Rhodes scholar who had a knack for telling great stories in country songs. Many…

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20 minute wedding speeches are a no-no

wedding speech no-no

One of the greatest speeches in American history, the Gettysburg Address (re-enacted in the video above), took but two minutes to deliver. And yet a recent bride writing to an advice columnist mentioned that her future in-laws gave a 20 minute wedding ‘speech,’ a real no-no. Even Martin Luther King’s iconic “I Have a Dream”…

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Is wedding gift-giving in decline?

wedding gift-giving

If you’re a fan of Reddit, you’re accustomed to reading lots of griping. Brides, in particular, like to complain, especially when it comes to the subject of wedding gift-giving. One bride complained that … “I recently had a wedding and had probably 70% of guests not give a gift [or] a card. Is it okay…

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What’s your favorite music genre?

favorite music genre

Every state has a favorite music genre. So does every generation. And so does every couple. What’s yours? Wedding celebrations are defined by their music, and your favorite genre influences the entire theme of your wedding. We ran across an interesting map (above) which shows which music genres are most popular on a state-by-state basis.…

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A wedding toast for an older couple

wedding toast for an older couple

Discussions on how to give a wedding toast typically focus on younger couples in their twenties or early thirties. Young love is especially passionate, often reflected in the toasts themselves. But what about a wedding toast for an older couple? Is there anything different about them? To be clear, passion isn’t strictly the domain of…

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Destination wedding etiquette

destination wedding etiquette

If you’re thinking of a destination wedding, you’re probably wondering what is proper destination wedding etiquette on your end … and on your guests’ end. A father wrote to Miss Manners still seething over his son’s pre-COVID destination wedding. The father paid to wine and dine guests for the rehearsal dinner, and the bride’s parents…

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The band played the wrong song!

band played wrong song

On their 15th wedding anniversary, Eric and Jenny were reminiscing about their wedding day. And do you know what they remembered most? That the band played the wrong song for the first dance! Mistakes happen, but this one was a whopper! First dance songs are practically sacred, because they define a romance. They provide lifelong…

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How to toast someone you don’t like

toast someone you don't like

Most wedding toasts are fairly easy, because you’re toasting someone you like. What happens if you’re put in the position of leading a toast for someone you don’t like? It happens. A dad wrote in to advice columnist, Carolyn Hax, presenting his dilemma: “My son is getting married, and I’m expected to give a toast.…

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A master class in giving a wedding toast

wedding toast master class

Rarely, VERY rarely, do we run across an impeccable best man toast. But we stumbled across this one on YouTube (above), and it’s worth a closer look, as this gentlemen delivers a wedding toast master class. As we’ve written before, the best wedding toast should make your guests laugh and cry. Humor and sentiment are…

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The Great American Songbook

The Great American Songbook

Will singers still be singing Taylor Swift songs fifty to a hundred years from now? Time will tell. Time HAS weighed in on a canon of American songs dubbed “The Great American Songbook.” These are songs that have withstood the test of time. The Great American Songbook Foundation defines these songs like this: The “Great…

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