after a brief hiatus, the wedding babe returns today to take on another reader question. This week, she gives her thoughts on the consequences of hiding bachelor party strippers from your bride-to-be.

Do your bachelor party plans include strippers?

Q -  I want strippers at my bachelor party, but my fiancée hates the idea. Should I hide it from her?

Ah, the age-old bachelor party dilemma. You want to celebrate your final days of singledom with poles and tassels, but your fiancée isn’t having it. What’s a guy to do? Although lying to her may seem like the easiest solution, do yourself a favor and don’t. While some guys might think that what happens at the bachelor party stays at the bachelor party, the truth almost always has a way of getting out eventually — and causing you some serious heartache with your fiancée later on. Trust me, it’s much better to let her in on your plans ahead of time, whatever they may be.

Not sure how to broach the subject? Try having a conversation about your bachelor party with her when you’re both relaxed and in a good mood. (Bringing this up when you’re already arguing = bad idea.) Be honest about what kind of bachelor party you have in mind, even if it means a trip to the strip club, and then listen to her feelings on the subject. Maybe she just needs to hear from you that this is all in good fun and that it won’t in any way affect your feelings for her or your impending nuptials. Even if she still hates the idea and you agree to disagree, you’ve laid your cards on the table.

However, if you lie about it and she finds out later (which is usually inevitable), be prepared to deal with the pre-wedding firestorm. We’ve all heard the horror stories of weddings being called off at the last minute because of this exact situation. Don’t let this happen to you. If you lie about the bachelor party, she may wonder what else you’ll lie about once you’re married. The best policy is to be honest and keep the peace.

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Each week,  The Wedding Babe answers a popular reader question. If you’d like to submit one for consideration, click here.

Do your bachelor party plans involve strippers? Are you going to be telling your fiancée about them? Share your story in the comments section below.

Have you been looking for that one-of-a-kind groomsmen gift that will have everyone turning bobbling their heads? Custom bobblehead dolls from our friends at 1MiniMe.com might be just what you’re looking for. These durable statues are just like the one’s you’ve seen for your favorite baseball or football player –except YOU get to design them.

Custom bobbleheads from 1MiniMe.com

Custom bobbleheads from our friends at 1MiniMe.com give you the power to completely customize a handmade bobblehead figure to match the likeness of the recipient. In other words, you can really emphasize those giant foreheads and noses that make your buddies so unique. There are over 500 different models to start with and you can even select the clothes and figure’s position. So if you can’t match these up to perfection, maybe it’s time to find some new friends. Learn more about how the process works here.

If you think bobbleheads are best reserved for athletes and rock stars, perhaps a custom portrait fits you better. These babies work for your wedding party, but also make excellent thank-you gifts for parents or even a wedding-day gift for the bride. The process starts with a photo of the recipient. From there, the artists at 1PaintMe.com draw the face from scratch (no copy/pasting). The finalized canvas is mounted on a thick wooden wall and arrives to you ready to hang. For added customization, you can even choose to have the recipient’s face drawn onto Superman’s body. Check out popular models here.

Custom portraits from 1PaintMe.com

Express shipping is available for both the bobbleheads and paintings, so don’t fret if you’ve waited until the last minute. Furthermore, customer satisfaction is of the utmost importance, so orders don’t ship until you’re 100% satisfied. And no, they won’t be annoyed if you want to tinker with your designs 100 times before finalizing. What more could you ask for?

To connect further with 1MiniMe, check out them out on Twitter and Facebook and read their blog!

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1minime.com & 1paintme.com are sponsors of the man registry’s groomsadvice blog

What stand-out characteristics would your Best Man’s bobblehead feature? Big nose? Gigantic forehead? Let us know in the comments section below!

in honor of st. patty’s day, we’re kicking today’s link roundup off with a link from hitched magazine on irish-themed date ideas. remember, you aren’t getting kissed today unless you are (or are pretending to be) irish.

10 Ways to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day as a Couple – hitched mag

10 Unique Groomsmen Gifts That Won’t Break the Bank – mywedding.com

Alternative Groom’s Attire Ideas – boho bride

Honoring Gastro-Grooms – the groom says

Behold the First iPad Wedding – offbeat bride

5 Ways to Be Better in Bed – men’s health

How to Speed Plan Your Wedding – the plunge

The Fine Art of the Shower Shave – made man

Three Simple Ways to Use Online Forms in Wedding Planning – formstack

Fun, Affordable Favors For Your Wedding Guests – onewed

By Brian Leahy, Founder of The Groom Says

A boutonniere can’t get no respect!

Boutonnieres get no respect.

Imagine for a moment that you’re a boutonniere. From conception, you and your band of boutonniere brothers are undoubtedly one of the less crucial elements of the wedding. You might say that you’re slightly more significant than the guestbook on the wedding website … but still less important than the stationary hors d’oeuvres at the reception. Despite your potential, the only real purpose you serve is to “look nice but not as nice as the bouquet.” You’re an afterthought. Other groom attire elements have risen to varying levels of stardom (socks, ties, Converse sneakers), but sadly, you lag behind.

Last I week I stumbled upon a site called Fritts Rosenow, a company specializing in bespoke boutonnieres, and I thought — Now here’s a glimmer of hope. Fritts’ custom-made collection spans several styles and themes (nautical, vintage, bachelor pad) and even includes an impressive wall-mounted deer head. Per their “About” page, Fritts believes that grooms should express themselves through their boutonnieres.

Amen.

But can’t we go further, men? In the spirit of homemade crafts and handmade gifts, let’s invest some time and design some boutonnieres on our own. Even TheKnot.com, in a DIY Wedding Flowers how-to article, suggests that we leave the “tough stuff” to the professionals but perhaps tackle the groom’s boutonniere at home.

(Ouch.)

Well, we’ve taken that advice, Knotties, and then we took it even further. And then we took it too far. And further still. We ended up giving boutonnieres WAY too much respect and a giant, unattractive ego.

Introducing, the RESPECTFULLY EGO-CENTRIC BOUTONNIERE COLLECTION, by The Groom Says. Shipping not included.

Toiletry Groom
A darling bouquet of toothbrush, cuticle scissor and razor, complemented by a cluster of chic Q-tips and a touch of Kleenex. It is fastened with a fine, mint-flavored dental floss and accented with an elegant white ribbon crafted from Charmin toilet paper.

Executive Groom
Nothing says “I’m a big deal” like a half-used roll of Scotch tape drooping delicately from the blazer that you wore to work earlier that day. Also available in double-sided and duct.

Techno Groom
An exquisite spray of both L and R ear buds. Sleek off-white cords may dangle or tuck discreetly into a chest pocket.

Pastel Groom
An array of bright yellow Craspedia (with elegant green stems), adorned with mini gladiolus bulbs and tied with an unobtrusive lavender string. Remove with lukewarm water.

Vintage Groom
A touch of the olden days — a crisp, timeless $2 bill that lets your guests know precisely who paid for their steak or chicken. Recipient of the Strip Club Boutonniere of the Year Award.

Gimme S’more Groom
On the “fun” side — a slightly toasted marshmallow, sandwiched between two pieces of Godiva chocolate, sandwiched further between two graham crackers, and all tethered to a branch of hand-whittled mahogany. Also available in bouquet.

All photos © Joanna Wilson Photography

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Brian Leahy is founder of The Groom Says — a safe haven for grooms who need a hand with wedding planning and brides who need a hand with their grooms. Check out the blog for some laughs and inspiration, and be sure to follow The Groom Says on Twitter.

Before you purchase platinum jewelery, study up on the best ways to buy

By Celebrity Stylist, Michael O’Connor

By early adulthood everyone should realize the realities of retail. According to Wikipedia: “Retail consists of the sale of goods or merchandise from a fixed location,…for direct consumption by the purchaser.” Retail stores are “for-profit” businesses that purchase products at one price, then, sell them to the consumer at a higher price that yields them a profit. This involves adding a markup amount (or percentage) to the retailer’s cost.”  By the nature of retail, each store carries an inventory of products that is in their best interest to sell to consumers in order to make profit and remain in business. This became resoundingly clear to me on a recent shopping trip when I attempted to buy jewelry as a gift for my sister.

Left - Simon G: Platinum and diamond band by Simon G. Jewelry, $1,870, Right - Whiteflash: Platinum and diamond heart pendant by Whiteflash.com, $710

When marking a special occasion with jewelry, it’s only natural to want to buy “the best”. Nobody approaches this quest wishing to buy “what’s adequate”. I wanted a quality piece to reflect the importance of our relationship, something that could be worn for a lifetime and something precious that provided long-term value.  I did homework on sites like PreciousPlatinum.com and decided on platinum and diamond stud earrings. It was only when I went to my local jewelry store to purchase them that I learned when shopping for platinum there are many myths and misconceptions.

First, I found that if the jewelry store didn’t carry platinum in his inventory he was very anxious that I didn’t go elsewhere to get it. The sales associate made a number of claims to justify platinum’s absence, such as, “Platinum is too expensive” and “it’s too soft”.  Having done research, I was able to reply that I had already seen platinum pieces from approximately $1,000. I asked the sales associate why most of the world’s most important gems were set into platinum. Gems like that wouldn’t be put into soft settings that didn’t hold them securely forever. The associate told me that because white gold was plated with rhodium that the diamond would sparkle just the same as platinum. Again, I knew that white gold was in fact, yellow gold, made to look white my mixing the natural yellow metal with whiter ones to disguise the color. It is then plated with rhodium in order to make it look whiter. So he was partially right, except for the fact that he wasn’t telling me that over time and regular wear, the rhodium would wear off, exposing the less white color underneath. I told him that I knew that platinum was a naturally white metal that didn’t need to be plated – ever- in order to enhance its whiteness. It was then that the associate tried to reason with me. He asked, “Why get platinum when you can get the same look with gold?” My answer was simple and direct. “Because I want this gift to be worn and cherished for a lifetime, something she can wear everyday and only the best is good enough.” The question really is, why wouldn’t I want platinum?

Stuller: Platinum and diamond stud earrings by Stuller, $810

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platinum guild international is a sponsor of the man registry’s groomsadvice blog