Buck and Doe Register: Final Thoughts

Since we registered nearly a week and a half ago, Bed Bath and Beyond has done a wonderful job keeping up on things. They noticed we added a few things online and deleted a few items, she took the time to call us and ask if we had any questions. I also came home the other day to a nice handwritten thank you card in the mail from them. Although Bed Bath and Beyond was overwhelming, it was completely worth it. Being that they have SO much stuff, we were able to eliminate other places we were considering registering at. I know a lot of people register online and not in store, but I have to say that I am glad we stuck to registering in store. We were able to look at the quality of different items and see what they look like in person. There are items that we added to our registry that if I had only registered online I probably wouldn't have chosen it.

I really enjoyed our relaxed experience at Crate and Barrel. While we were moseying around, we struck up a conversation with a woman and her husband who were there buying a wedding gift for someone else. They have been married for nearly 30 years and they had some great advice for us. They asked us what type of things we were registering for. I told her, but did mention we were having a hard time choosing bedding and blankets.

They both just lightly chuckled with a great big smile and followed that up with "don't worry about it." They made a good point by saying that blankets and bedding will wear out over the years and will need to be replaced. Register for nice dining pieces, toasting flutes, and that sort of thing because they will last forever They told us that they still pull out their toasting flutes every year, and it always reminds them of their wedding.

Now, I am still convinced I don't need nice china. However we did register for nice dinnerware and a beautiful set of toasting flutes. After their kind words and wisdom, I said let's forget about bedding. To be honest, I end up changing up my bed yearly anyhow. From there on out we tried to add items to our registry that we know we will get a lot of use out of.

Might I add that it is important to create your registry your way. They kept giving us these crazy lists of all the things we need to register for. I am sorry, but I don't need candlesticks, crystal frames or 8 sets of pillows. We really tried to keep things realistic for us, and do what we know is best for our home.

Now our registry is complete and that is one more thing I can cross of the to-do list. Yes it took quite a bit of brain power and thought process to register but please do not get me wrong. It. Was. FUN!

When we were finished, I asked Mr. Buck what is the one thing he wants the most off the registry? And out of all of the beautiful things we registered for, the one thing he wants the absolute most is a $6 garlic peel. Looks like someone might be getting one in his stocking from Santa. (See? It's great to register before Christmas.)

What are your thoughts or concerns about registering?

Buck and Doe Register: Part Two

It was a smart move on our end to break for lunch and relax a bit. This gave us time to process the past three hours and create a game plan for our next stop. Everyone told me to register at Crate and Barrel, and I told all of those people...no thank you. I was quite certain that everything was too expensive and there was nothing there that we needed.

In my defense, I had never actually been to a Crate and Barrel. Go on and laugh at me. I know, I know. How can I judge a place I had never been? I don't really have a good answer for you, I just did.

We kept hearing about Crate and Barrel though. We decided what the hay, let's go see what they have. First off, their registry system is fantastic. If you are like us and have a tendency to want to shop alone and do your own thang...then this place is IT. They set us up with a scanning gun (again, super fun) and they left us alone to register. They are there if you need them, but for the most part you pretty much take care of everything yourself.

When you are done all you do is hook up the scanner to one of their registry computer ports...follow the instructions, and you are good to go. The registry computer port is SO fun that it will induce great joy not yet seen during the registry process from your fiance. He wasn't too interesting in the scanning gun or really anything else for that matter...but the registry computer port? Exciting.

Although the majority of what we registered for is at Bed Bath and Beyond, we did register for some fantastic and unique items at Crate and Barrel. Yes, they do have quite a few items that are pricey that I had to ignore (read: incredible furniture that would cost two months salary.) But they also carry quite a few affordable options as well. In fact we registered for our entire dinnerware set at Crate and Barrel.

To top it all off, they gave us a fancy little vase as a thank you gift for registering with them. What a nice touch, Crate and Barrel. Bravo for perfecting the registry process.

Have you ever misjudged a place that turned out to be great? Did you register at Crate and Barrel? If so, did you find this to be a positive experience as well?

Buck and Doe Register: Part One

We had been talking about registering for quite some time now, but the wedding always seemed so far off that we didn't feel it was necessary quite yet. Well now that we are at that six month mark, we decided it was as good a time as ever. So we set out to the first place on our list, Bed Bath and Beyond.

You guys, you always imagine the scanning gun would be fun...right? I am here to tell you that yes, it is in fact one of the most fun things EVER. You get to walk around and scan anything you want. The problem with that is you can scan anything you want. It is dangerous, and you feel powerful. That is not a joke, it is true.

We really did try and be smart when choosing things that we wanted on our registry. Like usual, they did try and push the china. We had no interest in china, so we left it off. We added some big ticket items like our cooking set and a Keurig coffeemaker, but also added a ton of smaller items like utensils and drinking glasses.

At one point I did start to get frustrated when I would scan something and then realize the price was astronomical. I scanned an accent pillow that turned out to be $60. AN ACCENT PILLOW. Not even a full size pillow, a small little pillow that was $60. Is it stuffed with gold dipped goose feathers? I do not know, but I can only imagine. I quickly deleted things such as that off the registry. While I know people say to add what you want and people can either decide to get it for you or not, I just could not do it. Truth of the matter is, a $60 pillow in my house would probably end up with dog hair on it or get a beer spilled on it. I tried to be realistic in matters such as this.

Bed, Bath and Beyond was smart when they added that little Beyond at the end of their name. They have this and that and everything in between. It is quite overwhelming to say the least. I have always loved this store, but in the past I never went in with the intention of picking out things for my home that most likely will be around for many years to come. They ask you questions such as, "what plates do you envision your family eating off of in the future?" Don't you put that kind of pressure on me Bed, Bath and Beyond...don't you do it!

It was a daunting task and I would be lying if I said it was all ponies and giggles. There was so much to choose from and before I knew it, 3 hours had passed. That is a long time to be anywhere, especially registering. Oh, might I add that we are geniuses to decide to register at the start of the Christmas shopping season. It was scary.

Mr. Buck was a trooper though and thank goodness we pretty much agreed on just about everything we chose. Before we headed over to our next stop, we decided we needed to take a break and have some lunch. We were exhausted, and it was time for us to unwind at On The Border.

It was just what we needed to calm our brains and feet down a bit. A little lunch and a drink and we were on our way to Crate and Barrel.

How was your registering experience? Was it a litlte more stressful than you imagined it would be?

Up next- Buck and Doe Register: Part Two

My Letter To Jack Johnson

Dear Mr. Jack Johnson,

Mr. Buck and I have grown up together listening to your music. It is one of the few music choices that we actually have in common. One of our favorite songs is of course, Better Together. The lyrics are absolutely perfect. You were able to write a beautiful love song while steering clear of being overly mushy. I thank you for that.

Better Together would be perfect for our first dance song. The issue that I am having is that it is much too fast. Either we awkwardly and quickly sway to this song, or we need to have some type of choreographed stint going on. Either way, it is not ideal for us. I have tried searching for different versions that you may have recorded, but this search has proved to be unsuccessful.

I think there is probably others out there who are in the same boat I am in. My plea to you is to record a slower version of this song. That way more bides and grooms can use this song for their first dance.

What do ya say, JJ? I am going to predict that you would sell many copies of this slower version!

Sincerely,

Miss Doe

{Video via You Tube}

Okay seriously, Better Together is a perfect song to use in a wedding. I know many people use it in various areas such as the processional and cake cutting. But gosh darn it, I want it for the first dance. It is so fast though and I am not sure my short little legs can keep up with it.

Does anyone know of a different version of this song? Did you decide to use it anyway and just grooved along with the quick beat?

Videography Success

Remember here when I told you about the horrid experience we had while meeting with a potential videographer? The one who said he didn't really enjoy doing weddings, and he kept calling Mr. Buck by the wrong name? Well, our search for a videographer does have a happy ending. Our photographer was able to refer to use his friend who does videography.

They are a husband and wife team and they run a wonderful little wedding video company called WV Collections. We met them for coffee to go over details and pricing information. They treated us as though they were honored to be a part of our wedding, and asked us inquisitive questions. I wasn't nervous to ask them any questions either because they treated every single one of them importantly. On top of all that, they remembered our names. This was all new territory for us!

Being that videography was not at the top of my list, I needed someone that was reasonable. Someone who would work with us and around our budget. I am happy to say that we were able to book them for 5 hours and they will be doing candid interviews with select family members and bridal party. The best part? They came in under budget. The contract was signed and the deposit was paid. I almost felt like I was stealing from a baby because this all turned out so perfectly. To be completely honest, I was so excited that I started dancing around the house. The following video basically sums up what happened:

{Video via You Tube}

If this last videographer did not work out, I was ready to give up. Video can be expensive and I was not prepared to spend a lot of money on it. I am overjoyed that we will have WV Collections there to document our day.

Moral of the story? If you are looking for a good vendor, make sure to check with your other booked vendors and see if they have any referrals. They work in the wedding business, so often times they can give a fantastic recommendation.

Were you able to obtain useful referrals from any of your vendors?

Ain't Nothin' But A Hoochie Mama

I consider my mom to be a stylish lady. Her hair always looks great (seriously, everywhere we go she gets compliments, it's turned into a ridiculous joke), her makeup is always nicely done, and she always is wearing cute clothes.

 

So the search for the Mother of the Bride dress should be super easy, right? Wrong.

I am going to venture out to say that the search for my dress was much easier than the search for her dress. Seriously, and it has nothing to do with my mom being overly picky or anything. It is the simple matter of the options for MOB dresses are not great. They are either matronly looking or a hoochie mama dress. It seems as though the options are either something that Betty White would wear or Sofia Vergara.

{Image via NY Post}

{Image via Modern Family Cast}

Love both ladies and they are both gorgeous, but my mom isn't really down with either of those styles. Where are all those in between dresses? The mom's that want to look great and in style but also want to keep the goodies in the jar, if you know what I mean.

It seems our best bet so far has been Nordstrom. She has tried on everything....and when I say everything, I truly mean that. Some were just so-so and some were downright awful. Right now her current pick is this dress:

{Image via Nordstrom}

It looks beautiful on her and the color brings out her stunning blue eyes. The only drawback is that the material is satin, and she isn't so keen on satin because it tends to be clingy. Her preference would be chiffon or something similar that moves and breathes easier. While this dress isn't ruled out, the search is still on for the right dress.

Does anyone else agree with me that the options for our mom's are lame? There really should be some better options out there for those "in between" mom's. 

Has your mom found her dress yet? Was the search difficult or did you find a great dress right away?

Table Numbers DIY

I was all over the place when it came to table numbers. I never knew that I even cared about table numbers until I started stalking all of Etsy and Pinterest. Then suddenly, I have a deep concern for a perfect set of table numbers. Gosh darn you Etsy and Pinterest.

I was not even about to consider shelling out over $100 for a set of table numbers though, no sirree. A few weeks back I was constantly emailing my mom photos of table numbers that I liked, then whining about how much they cost. I finally proclaimed I was going to DIY, I didn't even care if they turned out bad. I simply refused to spend so much money on nice table numbers when I could do them myself.

Little did I know it was going to take me weeks to perfect this project. I tried every method, style, color, shape and size that I could get my hands on. Now, I could show you all my trials and errors...but really, it's a boring story. The fact of the matter is that it didn't work. I am just going to show you what DID work, because that's all that really matters here.

I decided that I wanted to do a picture frame/3D type table number. Something that will be easy to see, but also easy on the eyes. There was no way I was going to spend a ton of money though on picture frames that I was going to end up painting. That's why I went to the $1 store and bought frames in an excess amount.

If I had my choice, I would have preferred pretty white wooden frames. That would have made it much easier to paint instead of this dark metal junk. My options were limited though considering I was at the $1 store and was able to buy 12 frames for $12! (Yup, i'm obviously a math whiz.) 

This means the first thing I needed to do was spray paint them white.When you prep these frames for painting, the white spray paint does not need to be perfect. Basically you just need spray them to lighten up the dark color, and create a flat finish. Make sure before spraying to take out the insert and glass. All you want is just the frame part.

Make sure to let it dry a few hours outside, and you can go inside and get started on painting the wood numbers. I bought a ton of these wood numbers on sale at Michaels for .68 cents each.

The paint that I used for this project was just basic acrylic paint found at any craft store. I also bought a primer to mix in with the paint to make it stick nicely to the wood surface.

I used a small paint brush for the numbers because it was easier to get into all of the nooks and crannies.

For this type of project, a lot of people choose to use fabric in the frame. Instead I decided to use burlap. You need to cut out a square just a little larger than the inside of the frame and big enough so that it can be doubled. If you don't double it then you can see the cardboard through the holes in the burlap.

Then you need to fold it in half and glue it together. If you don't glue it together then the fabric will bunch pretty badly once it is in the frame. Next you will want to glue it straight onto the cardboard frame insert. There will be some overlay so you will want to trim that off.

By this point the frame should be dry and you can paint it with whatever color you like. In my case, I used a sage green color. I mixed one part primer with one part acrylic paint and did two coats. Considering I am super impatient, I decided to whip out my blow dryer in hopes it might speed up the drying process. It worked like a charm! Seriously, it dried in about two minutes.

Although might I suggest removing the frame from the plastic drop cloth? I have no idea why I thought it was okay to blow dry plastic. My warped bridal brain resulted in melted plastic on my table. But hey, the frame dried quickly and that's all I really cared about. I'll be picking dried plastic off my table for the new few months, but whatever.

Now we all know that no project is complete with out a little glitter. I introduce to you the greatest thing since sliced bread. 

I just about shed a joyful tear when I discovered this stuff. I have tried other glitter products and NOTHING compares to this. It sprays pure glitter evenly and there is no glue involved. Just finish it off with a little clear sealer and you are good to go! (Just for reference, they do have many other colors. Diamond Dust is pure glitter and doesn't cover the color of your project.)

My advice when spraying Glitter Blast is to make sure and shake the can very well for at least two minutes, and spray many thin coats. It will dry funny if you only do one heavy coat.  Also make sure to not spray the sealant until the glitter blast is completely dry.

Once everything is dry, gather up your pieces and start gluing them together.

Here is the finished product in all of its glittery-burlap goodness!

Now all I have to do is make a ton more of these. That's okay though because I was able to make them exactly how I wanted, and for an affordable price.

What do you think of my table number project? How do you plan on numbering your tables?

Military Brides

No, I am not a military bride. Yes, I am a proud American. Yes, I do support our troops. Yes, like many others I want to help, but don't always know how. In honor of Veterans day today, I bring to you an incredible cause for military brides.

As some of you may have noticed, yesterday I listed my veil for sale under the classifieds section. I started thinking that maybe I would donate instead. But where?

I happened to glance down at my calendar and saw this:



Hmmm, Veterans Day is tomorrow. Now wouldn't it be great if there was some type of organization dedicated to brides in the military or brides who are marrying a military man? I decided to do a quick Google search to see what I could find. Sure enough, I came across a website called Brides Across America.

Brides Across America is an organization that recognizes the need for our Country to do more to support our troops and their loved ones. Many bridal salons across America have been donating dresses to this foundation. Brides Across America also accepts donations of used dresses, veils, and accessories.

{Image via Brides Across America}

They hold events all across the Country where military brides can come in and take their pick from many brand new and pre-loved items.  Brides whose fiance is deployed or has been deployed within the last 5 years, or who have been deployed themselves, qualify to attend these events.

How have I not heard about this before? I started to do more research, and was completely blown away by this foundation. I know there are many of us out there who have a wedding item that we no longer need, yet we don't know what to do with it. Whether it is a dress, veil, tiara or jewelry. If you are interested in donating, I urge you to consider Brides Across America. They will take clean gowns up to 4 years old as well as any other accessory that is in good condition. Follow this link for shipping instructions and how to donate.

This is such an incredible way to help their wedding dreams come true, and a small way for us to say thank you for the sacrifices that they make every single day.

For our military Hive members, make sure to check them out and see how they might be able to help you find your perfect dress!

Were you just as surprised as I was to find there is such an outstanding organization for military brides?

Do You Feel Like A Bride?

This past weekend I did what any bride does on lazy days...get caught up on wedding shows, duh. You know the lineup: Say Yes To The Dress, Platinum Weddings, Four Weddings, My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding..and my new personal favorite, Brides of Beverly Hills.



These shows vary far and wide in its content. However, I started to notice a common theme. I kept hearing the same phrase over and over in each show.

"It makes me feel like a bride."



Whether they were trying on their dress, veil, shoes, picking out flowers, cake tasting. Everyone was doing something different when they would proclaim, it made them feel like a bride.

I can't say I have had a moment like that yet. I have a tendency to over think and analyze everything and my brain is constantly running a million miles a minute. I haven't really stopped and said yes, I feel like a bride right now. Don't get me wrong, I love every single moment of this planning process. I just haven't had that pivotal bridal feeling moment. I imagine I will be one of those who won't feel that way until my actual wedding day. 

Hive, I want to know from every person reading this right now...what makes YOU feel like a bride?

Has it not happened for you yet? 

If you are already married, when did you first recognize it?

Did it not happen until your actual wedding day?

Was it something small or big when you first felt like a bride?

Sisterhood of the Traveling Dress

This past weekend I checked a huge to do off the list. We headed over to Alfred Angelo to finally pick out some bridesmaid dresses. I had a very strict guideline for my girls:

Pick whatever dress you want.

Okay, so not strict at all. The only general consensus was that they would of course have their dress ordered in the same color and material. Other than that though, they had free reign. So what do they end up doing? They all choose the same exact dress. Of course.

Like most bridesmaids, mine come in various and beautiful shapes, sizes and age. What was most important to me is for them to feel comfortable and happy. Which is why I told them to pick whatever dress made them feel that way.

We all decided early on that chiffon would be the material of choice because it breathes well. Plus, chiffon allows you to consume all the food, cake, and wine that you want while still hiding a full belly. When we got to Alfred Angelo we told our fantastic consultant to pull all the mid length chiffon dresses that they have. They of course have samples of only certain colors, but whatever style you choose they will order it in your specified color. Here is a little sampling of some of the dresses. Although many, many more were tried on...some aren't quite suitable to post on the Internet. (read: sample doesn't fit right =  body parts falling out.)

Things did start to get a bit goofy though. Enter what we call the "Stevie Nicks" dress because of all the extra free flowing material. My sister decided to put on a little show for us. She looks like a river dancer.



The maroon dress then started to make its round on each girl. The shape of the dress was extremely flattering on every single girl. Here are two examples:

Everything about this dress seemed perfect. The chiffon is lovely and the sweetheart neckline is incredibly feminine. So while I did give them the option to choose their own dress, they unanimously decided that they would all wear the same dress.

The final decision is:

The dresses will arrive at some point in January, and I can't wait to see what the dress looks like in the right color of sage green. It really is the sisterhood of the traveling dress considering the dress looked beautiful and flattered every girl.

I think I might have the easiest bridesmaids in the history of mankind. My mom and (future) mother in law were also there to help us make some decisions. We had such a fun day filled with laughter. It makes me feel so blessed to be surrounded by such incredible ladies.



Did you let your bridesmaids choose their own dress? If so, did anyone have a similar experience to mine where they ended up choosing the same dress?

Who Else Can We Ask Not To Eat?

I know I sent my save the dates out ages ago, but I never did talk about the dreaded guest list. I say dreaded because I think you all can commiserate with me on this one.

When we sat down to get started on the guest list, I was so excited. I didn't think it would take longer than an hour or so to get some names together of everyone we know. Honestly, I pictured it wham bam thank ya ma'am. What a naive little bride that I was. Apparently guest lists aren't always that easy.

Remember the invitations scene from Father of the Bride? I think we all can relate to feeling this way when the reality sets in that weddings are expensive and you know way too many people.

{Video via You Tube}

Invite coworkers? Friends you haven't seen in forever? Long lost relatives? Invite kids? ACK!

The process of putting together the final guest list took us nearly a month. We finally had to put on a hard outer shell and make some decisions. It was probably one of the most daunting, frustrating and difficult tasks we have had to accomplish so far in wedding planning.

In a perfect world, who wouldn't like to invite everybody? Unfortunately that is not realistic, which makes guest lists zero fun.

The pain is over though, and we have conquered the guest list. A guest list where EVERYONE can eat!

Now It's My Turn

Like I said in my last post, we really didn't have a set timeline of when we would purchase our wedding bands. I had somewhat assumed we would do that sometime early next year. Honestly though, who am I kidding. That's not how I roll, I like to get things done with plenty of time to spare. It only made sense that I would get my wedding band when Mr. Buck did.

I promised myself though that I would not buy a wedding band just to buy a wedding band. I needed to find one that was perfect, and if I didn't then I would wait. Seriously though, who doesn't walk into a store filled with diamonds and not find something that they like?

I tried on everything within our price range. The cheaper ones all the way up to the ones that pushed our price limit. I surprised myself though that I actually did not like the look of the bigger ones next to my engagement ring. Just because it is bigger doesn't always mean it is better, right?

Then I was introduced to the contour band, and at first I said no that isn't going to work. A contour with a 3 stone ring? That isn't going to look right. Well, I was wrong. I absolutely love the way the contour rounds out my ring and seems to finish it off. There are all different styles of contour bands, but this one happens to have just a slight curve.

It doesn't overtake my engagement ring, instead it accents it which is exactly what I wanted. What was even better was that we came in well under our budget. 

For anyone who hasn't thought of trying out a contour band or is on the fence about it, you really should give it a try. You might like the way it fits snug next to your engagement ring.

As Ferris Bueller would say, "if you have the means, I highly reccomend picking one up."

Will This Ring Shatter?

A few weeks ago Mr. Buck and I were at Shane Co getting my engagement ring cleaned and inspected. Since we were there, we decided to go ahead and try on some wedding bands. We didn't have an exact timeline of when we were going to purchase wedding bands. We figured when we found ones we liked, we would buy them.

Mr. Buck does not wear any type of jewelry...not even a watch. The salesman told him that he doesn't like to wear jewelry either, only a watch and his wedding band. Mr. Buck proceeded to tell him that the only jewelry he wears is his sunglasses. Sorry Mr. Buck, sunglasses don't count as jewelry! This means that we needed to find a wedding band for him that was comfortable and not flashy.

His first question to the salesman was "what ring is lowest on the conductivity rating?"

Yeah, he definitely threw this poor salesman a curve ball. He did not have an answer to him, but he said he would go find out. While he was doing the investigating I looked at Mr. Buck like, really? Why does that matter? (Honestly, I did not even know what conductivity rating meant.) Being that Mr. Buck is a smarty pants, he had already thought this all out.

You see, Mr. Buck and his dad enjoy restoring classic cars. Currently Mr. Buck is in the process of restoring an old Dodge Challenger. His concern was that if he is around any type of sparks or flames that his ring would shatter. Apparently some metals have a higher rating for being conductive to heat, whereas other metals are less conductive. Who knew!

The salesmen came back after talking to his boss and learned that gold is among the highest on the conductivity rating and titanium is among the lowest. Which meant that would limit us to looking at titanium rings. Titanium is great because it is nearly indestructible, the only problem is that it cannot be re sized.

We tried on a few different options and some were just a little too flashy for him or not very comfortable. He also is a size 9.5 and most of the rings they had were either 9, 10 or 11. The nice salesman quietly went in the back and came out with a ring that they were getting read to discontinue. He was hoping it might fit our specifications.

This ring turned out to be positively perfect in every single way. It was titanium, in his size, not flashy, and he said it is very comfortable. We decided to go ahead and buy this ring since it seemed as though it all fell into place perfectly.

Next up, the quest for MY wedding band! Oh come on, you didn't think I was going to let him have all the fun did you? 



Have you heard of the conductivity rating in rings? Did that dictate which type of ring your fiance would choose?

Ooo Take The Money And Run

Every wedding I have ever been to, there has been a money dance. For those of you who aren't aware of what this is, basically your guests slip you some cash in order to dance with you until the next person comes along. While the idea is great because the couple can use the cash on their honeymoon, I have always secretly balked at this idea.

At the last wedding we were at, Mr. Buck and I completely forgot about the money dance. Neither of us had any cash on us. We only had our ATM cards, which of course did us no good. We awkwardly stood around while others were lining up to dance with the bride. Quite frankly, we felt really bad that we forgot to grab cash. (In our defense though, we did bring a pretty sweet gift.)

I made a bold proclamation to Mr. Buck that there will be NO money dance at our wedding. I had good reasoning to back this up too. People already will be taking time to come to our wedding, possibly with a gift, and I do not want them to feel like they need to give us money to dance with me. I assumed Mr. Buck was on the same page as me...but apparently not. He completely disagreed with me and said that our guests will want to participate in the money dance.

Why do I feel like I am being pimped out by my fiance? I suggested that he do the money dance and people can pay to dance with him. His only response was nope, it doesn't work that way.

All joking aside, I can see where he is coming from. It's tradition, everybody does it.  We have been the buyer in many money dance situations, now it's our turn to have fun. The flip side of that is I don't want people to feel awkward or feel like they have to participate. I also don't want to look, dare I say it...tacky.

I started to do some research to figure out the history of the money dance. From what I have found, this tradition started in Poland and has made its way around the globe. In most countries, guests pin money to the brides gown.

{Image via The Not Blog}

There will be zero pinning of any sharp object on my gown. In America though, most brides wear a purse of some sort for people to put money in.

A spin on this tradition is also called the dime dance. You can have a bowl near the dance floor full of dimes. If your guests want to dance with you they can grab a dime and put it in your purse. If they would like, they can also add some of their own money to that. This seems like it could make things less awkward.

So I need all of your wonderful Hive feedback. What do you think about the money dance? Will you have a money dance at your wedding?