![](https://www.angelfire.com/md3/laptopbride/images/LaptopBride_Logo.jpg)
[ Home
[ About
Us ] [ Free
Preview ] [ Contact
Us ] [ Newsletter ]
[ Tell
A Friend ]
June 1, 2007
Rehearsal
Dinner Ideas
Don't want the stuffy, formal restaurant rehearsal dinner that
etiquette once demanded? Check out our modern ideas for a rehearsal dinner
that is relaxed, refreshed, and may include buffalo wings.
Sunset Picnic
After you rehearse all the steps, gather the troops and head for a
beautiful park. Spread out blankets, and provide each blanket with a
basket of wine, cheese, fruit, and meat. You can also include your own Personalized Soda
to add a unique twist. Pass around loaves of freshly
baked bread. Tell stories and give toasts under the open sky in a romantic
picnic atmosphere. Need a backpack to carry some of your
wares? Check out the Pretty in Pink - Personalized 4 Place Setting Picnic Backpack,
depending on the size of your rehearsal dinner you may need to buy 2 or 3
picnic backpacks... but you can give them away as attendant gifts.
Backyard Barbeque
Set up picnic tables covered with checkered tablecloths in the
backyard. Roast hotdogs and hamburgers, serve beer out of the bottle. Play
horseshoes, tetherball, or volleyball. Or have a Texas-style open pit and
barbeque; serve spicy chili and cornbread. Encourage everyone to bring
their boots, and do a little two-stepping after dinner. Add a unique
touch when you give Personalized Barbecue Sauce
as a favor.
Beach Party
Even if you don't live by the ocean, you can still have a beach party
for your rehearsal dinner. Set up volleyball nets and have competitions
before dinner; play '60s surf music; serve lobster or steamers or stuffed
crab. Drink ice-cold beer out of frosty mugs and (if you have it) bury
your little brother in the sand. A cute decoration are the Crab Tea Light
Votives.
Fiesta!
Whip up some homemade pico de gallo and chicken burritos for this
all-out South of the Border party. Mix margaritas in blenders. Decorate
tables with colorful red, pink, and orange table covers and ribbons of
serpentine. Best of all, have a piñata ready and waiting to be broken for
the children (or the adults).
Stars of the Show
Create a Hollywood atmosphere for your rehearsal dinner with old-movie
posters and pictures of stars and starlets. Cut out their faces and
replace them with you and your fiancé's. Serve popcorn and giant cokes,
hot dogs and pretzels for movie-house fare. After all the toasts have been
made, invite everyone to stick around for a showing of your favorite film.
Perhaps "Father of the Bride".
(source)
Rehearsal
Dinner Basics
Throw a special party for your attendants and family following these
time-tested traditions for the rehearsal dinner.
After the ceremony rehearsal, the groom's family usually provides a
rehearsal dinner for the bride and groom's family, the attendants, and
out-of-town guests. Here's some tips on how to have a fun dinner the night
before the Big Day.
Where's the Rehearsal Dinner?
This party should in no way overshadow the big day. Have a relaxed
picnic outside, or a casual dinner at a local restaurant. The rehearsal
dinner is only as formal as you want to make it, but considering the money
and time that goes into today's weddings, the more relaxed the atmosphere,
the more energy you'll save for the next day.
Who is the Host?
Although tradition dictates that the groom's family puts together the
rehearsal dinner, the bride's family or a special relative can also be the
host of the dinner.
Who is Invited?3>
Usually, the rehearsal dinner is a low-key, special time for the
bride's and groom's families, the wedding party, and friends and family of
the host. The rehearsal dinner can also include out-of-town guests that
will not get to spend a lot of time with the bride and groom on the
wedding day.
What Happens at the Dinner?
The rehearsal dinner is usually an opportunity for everybody to speak.
Traditionally, the groom's father (if hosting) first offers a toast to the
bride and her family. Next, the best man toasts the bride and groom,
followed by the groom who toasts his bride and her parents. Lastly, the
bride or her maid of honor can toast the groom and his family. This is
also the arena in which to thank attendants and present them with gifts.
How Can the Rehearsal Dinner be
Unique?
We have been to weddings where the bride and groom put on a funny skit
about how they met, or present a video starting from when they were
children through their engagement. These special touches can add a
personal note to the occasion. Also, many times family members or friends
who know the couple well find this a perfect occasion to share stories or
anecdotes.
After the Dinner...
Most families call it an early night since the next day is long and
stressful. If there are a lot of out-of-town friends and family present,
however, the bride and groom might suggest an after-dinner gathering at a
local pub or someone's living room to catch up and share some laughs.
Whether you rush home to get your beauty sleep or stay out all night
partying, just remember that the next day will be the longest day of your
life, so take it easy on yourself!
(source)
And
of Course You Need an Outfit to Stand Out~
Bride and Groom Collection - $ 78.00 This cute collection of bride and groom will help the couple enjoy being bride and groom. They will enjoy sporting these accessory items at pre-wedding parties and on their honeymoon. "bride" and "groom" designs are printed or embroidered.
Still
Looking for a Great Price on a Gown? Check out Fairytale
Endeavors
June 6th, 2007
DO![](https://www.angelfire.com/md3/laptopbride/images/ed_norton.jpg)
Open the car door
Compliment her eyes/hair/clothing
Tip waitress and busboys well
Ask questions
Be interested
Order for her
Be emotional, show heart
Talk about books, culture, global warming
Dress well, iron shirt
Respect her physically
DON’T
Mention hooking up with Charlize Theron
Show off your multiple-personality impression from ‘Primal Fear’
Bring your Oscar to dinner, like last time
Let DeNiro call and give you talking points
Put bread in her water glass and pretend it’s a brain stem
Call the valet “Paco”
Fly her anywhere in a helicopter
Make her talk in an English Accent
Tell her that the ‘first rule of sleeping with Ed Norton’ is ‘you
DON’T TALK ABOUT sleeping with Ed Norton’
Source
Sci-fi
soul mates morph into their fictional alter egos for fun, good causes
The
union of a storm trooper and a Jedi princess? Sacrilege!
Geek love, though, knows no allegiance, be it Rebel or
Imperial.
"She's the best wife ever," said Evan Reynolds. "I feel like
I won the lottery every day with her."
His bride's take is a bit more pragmatic.
"People say we're nerds," said Karen Reynolds. "We are."
The Reynolds's are a love story wrapped in plastic, PVC and the trappings of
science fiction fantasy.
If ever two people were destined to be together, this pair certainly
qualifies based on taste alone.
"It's like fate, a match-made-in-heaven kind of thing," said
friend and fellow costumer Joey MorganCQ. "None of us knew each other
before we found a simple, common connection: We enjoy costuming."
Both Evan and Karen are voracious fans of science fiction entertainment and
have taken their love of the medium and made it a lifestyle.
They spend hours — and countless dollars — replicating the look and
style of their favorite fantasy characters. The hobby, formally called
"costuming," is a meticulously detailed and precise passion.
While many couples' closets are littered with a clutter of T-shirts and
linens, the Reynoldses' have a stylized collection of costumes that appear
to have jumped off the big screen:
A dead-on cloak like Neo's in "The Matrix Reloaded." Princess
Leia's infamous metal bikini from "The Empire Strikes Back." The
collection cost thousands to assemble, with many outfits tailored at a
specialty shop in Canada.
These outfits don't gather dust on hangers. The couple showcase their garb
at movie theaters, fund-raisers and science fiction conventions across the
Southeast.
"We do Toys for Tots every year for the Marine Corps," Evan said.
"Karen and I are big into the multiple sclerosis walk. We walk in full
storm trooper armor for five kilometers, and we'll be doing it again this
year. It's fun and it's a cause Karen is very involved in."
They also visit local children's hospitals, such as Children's Healthcare at
Scottish Rite, dressed as storm troopers to entertain children. Evan, who is
also a magician and performs at local restaurants, visits with fellow magic
folk to entertain patients with his sleight of hand.
The two met, appropriately, while working — in costume — at the
Netherworld Haunted House in Norcross two years ago. He was outfitted as a
storm trooper, she as Trinity from "The Matrix."
They saw something kindred beneath the masks and layers of latex. "She
figured out I was a nerd pretty early on," he joked.
The moment of kismet didn't explode into passion immediately. Evan helped
Karen build her storm trooper armor before they began dating, a unique form
of foreplay if ever there was one.
"He just charmed me right off the bat," she said. "We were
both working the line at Netherworld, and we just clicked. I knew by the end
of the night I was going to be in love with him."
At the opening of "The Matrix Revolutions" at the Regal Mall of
Georgia 20 in Buford last December, the pair dressed as uncanny versions of
the film's lead characters — Neo and Trinity — greeting patrons at the
entrance of the theater with the style and demeanor of celebrity
impersonators.
Their fee? Zero. They spent 12 hours at the theater mingling with
opening-day crowds just for the experience.
"They're trying to get people in, and we like showing off what we
worked on," she said. "Plus, we got to see the movie three
times."
This is, obviously, a love rarer than an original Han Solo action figure in
mint packaging, so the two decided to make it formal — with their own
splash of style.
On Karen's birthday last July, Evan proposed with a lollipop ring. Karen
later picked out the engagement band she wanted, but the candy ring proved
to be a relatively conservative gesture compared with the wedding.
Last Halloween (of course), the two wed at Karen's mother's home in
Dunwoody. Karen wore a Trinity costume with white vinyl blended into the
skirt. Evan was outfitted as Vash the Stampede from the manga cartoon "Trigun,"
complete with silver frosted hair.
A friend dressed as Darth Vader gave the bride away. A magician officiated
at the ceremony. The groom's cake: a frosted image of R2-D2.
"Neither one of us wanted a fancy wedding," Karen said. "We
wanted something we would like and our friends would like."
The ceremony won't be forgotten any time soon.
"Everybody was in a wonderful mood, and everything was sci-fi
themed," said Paul Sponaugle, a well-known local magician who served as
Evan's best man. "It's kind of hard to describe. It was freaky. If
you're into sci-fi and fantasy, it was the wedding of the year. I can't
imagine a crazier, funnier, better wedding to be at. We had a bleeding
pumpkin made of cheesecake and raspberry."
Among the costumed guests: an Alex from "A Clockwork Orange," a
male guest dressed like Marilyn Monroe and a Capt. Jack Sparrow from
"Pirates of the Caribbean."
Following the blessed event, it was back to reality, of sorts. Evan works as
a senior programmer for an Internet security company. Karen is the manager
of a Starbucks Coffee in Dunwoody.
But costuming absorbs their free time.
Karen's workspace in their home is devoted to sci-fi trappings, especially
those of Trinity. There are statues, costumes and replicas of the sunglasses
the character wore in the film. Her husband even purchased her the rare and
pricey cellphone model the character wielded in the "Matrix"
films.
"I'm more passionate about her than any character," Karen said.
"She's strong, intelligent, faithful and brave."
But it takes more than "The Matrix" to make this matrimony click.
The two are members of the 501st Storm Trooper Legion, a group of "Star
Wars" devotees who outfit themselves as storm troopers to meet,
socialize and help a needy cause.
Yet even those who relish fantasy eventually need to settle down. Earlier
this month, the Reynoldses purchased their first home, a 2,500-square-foot
nest in Canton. Karen has a sewing room where she can craft her costumes.
Evan has his own library and a garage where he can store the hardware
involved in his hobby.
Evan also is a member of the R2 Builders, an Internet group devoted to
designing and constructing replicas of R2-D2. His R2 unit will be removed
from storage and placed in the couple's new living room this weekend.
One thing's for certain: Their kids will never catch flak about their toys.
"I definitely need more Legos, so we need to have kids just so I can
justify the toys," Evan said. "I'm not joking."
Source
LaptopBride.com
© 2004 | CannedTanChic.com © 2005 All Rights Reserved
P.O.
Box 333, Savage, MD 20763-0333
|