With so many wedding expenses, it’s easy to forget about tipping your wedding vendors on the big day. While it isn’t necessary to tip all of your vendors, some will definitely appreciate — and expect — it. A wedding planner, if you’re using one, best man or family member typically handles doling out gratuities.

First, make sure to check your contracts. Oftentimes, gratuity may already be included for some services, such as your caterer’s wait staff or limousine driver. But if not, tipping is a nice gesture, especially for those vendors who exceed your expectations or do an outstanding job. At the bare minimum, thank you-notes are always appreciated.

Remember, every couple is different and some can tip more than others. Here’s a quick cheat sheet based on averages we calculated after talking to grooms, brides and vendors:

Ceremony Musicians – if you’ve hired an orchestra, band or vocalists for the ceremony, $15-$20 per musician is customary. (Note that you don’t need to tip the solo organist at the church.)

DJs or Bands – $20-$25 for musicians/individual band members; $25-$50 for DJs.

Officiant – while it isn’t necessary to tip your officiant, a separate donation to the religious institution is a standard gesture.

Wedding Planners, Photographers, Videographers – tipping isn’t necessary for vendors who own their own businesses. But for those who go above and beyond, we highly recommend a 10% tip. If your budget doesn’t allow for that, providing professional photographs displaying the vendor’s handiwork is a solid gesture.

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Grooms and brides: do your vendor contracts have tips built in? Have you and your fiance talked about vendor gratuity? Let us know in the comments section below.  Vendors: we’d love to hear your thoughts on the topic as well.

Planning a wedding isn’t easy. This doesn’t bode well for a lot of grooms who would rather be kicking back and watching college football than researching and planning a wedding. One of the largest time consumers on the groom’s side of wedding planning is the honeymoon. From finding a location to budgeting to planning activities, it can become quite tedious. That’s why we’ve prepared a list of five “no-brainers” – some basic thoughts to keep in mind while planning a honeymoon that can decrease stress… and increase your extra time to spend chillaxing in your man-cave.

Check out the rest of the post  over at OneWed.

Does the word “mother-in-law” send shivers down your spine?

Do you feel like she’s a snake in the grass waiting to catch you slipping up?

If you answered yes to the questions above, don’t worry; it’s very common for grooms to fear the mother of the bride. These fears probably revolve around the assumption that since you’re “stealing” her daughter away, mom is going to be out to get you. The truth is that she’s not “out to get you,” but rather she’s watching closely to make sure that you’re going to be a great husband and treat her daughter the way she deserves to be treated…

For the rest of the post, visit our blogging partners over at MyWedding.com.

$1 can buy you many things you wouldn't think it would. But is that a good thing? Click to find out.

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The Best Simpsons Sports Cameos – total pro sports

Horror Film Fails – heavy

8 Dirty Innuendos in Children’s Cartoons – asylum

The Best Pornos in Mainstream Films – screen junkies

9 WTF Ice Cream Incidents – ranker

101 Hot Redheads – coed magazine

19 Uncanny Celebrity Lookalikes – smosh

Batman Robs Taco Bell – ego tv

Are you recently married?

Do you live in or around NYC?

Do you want a free second honeymoon?

By answering yes to any of these questions, you’ve been cast in an upcoming episode of ‘The Newlywed Game.’ Congrats!

OK, it’s actually not quite that easy… but we are working with the producers from the show to find interested couples. Here’s the scoop straight from them:

We’re seeking outgoing couples for “THE NEWLYWED GAME”, your honeymoon isn’t over yet…! Now is your chance to audition as a couple and possibly win prizes including a second Honeymoon! We are looking for couples of all ages, shapes, and sizes who live in or around the NYC area who have outgoing personalities!

Couples are being interviewed now. If you want to be considered, please e-mail castingnewlyweds@gmail.com and include a recent photo, phone number, e-mail address, wedding date, and city/state. Once the producers receive your e-mail, they’ll send you a detailed application.

Cheers!