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If you're going to have kids at your wedding and reception, you may want to plan some activities to keep the little ones happy. While you don't necessarily have to plan around kids, it is nice for them to feel included in some way. One way to include and entertain them is to consider a few kid-friendly songs at your reception.

Some formal weddings don't lend themselves very well to a kid-friendly reception, but who's to say yours can't? There's no rule that says you can't have a formal wedding and a much more relaxed reception. It's really up to you and your groom. Do you want ballroom dancing, or do you just want everyone out on the floor having a good time?

If you want the latter, think about throwing some of these songs into your dance mix:

• The Soulja Boy song (Superman)
• Cha Cha Slide
• Macarena
• The chicken dance
• YMCA
• Conga
• Hokey Pokey

Okay, so some of them may seem a little, well, hokey but you'll be surprised how many of your guests will get out on the dance floor during these numbers. And even though some of them may make someone's don't list, it doesn't mean that you have to exclude them. It's your wedding. So what would you like to do?

Image: Tomoyoshi (creative commons)

Wednesday Wedding Wrap-up is a weekly roundup of highlights from the past week, covering wedding blogs and websites, reality TV, even particularly hot scoop right here at AisleDash. Think we missed something? Leave your favorite highlight in the comments!

Did you miss out on something exciting before you got hitched? Manolo for the Brides discusses the importance (or lack of importance, as the case may be) of the "Do THIS before you get married" lists.

Decidedly Uncomplicated puts together a welcome bag ... and they come out to $37 each! Find out what she kept and what she nixed.

Weddingbee's Miss Tiramisu has chosen a wedding song, but not until she and her Mr. went through a long and arduous process of elimination, including dissecting the lyrics of every possible contender. However, they made a great choice, and her reasons for choosing or not choosing a song might just help you out.

The 1920s are making a roaring comeback in wedding themes. And to help make your 1920s-themed wedding planning go a bit easier, our experts here at Aisledash have tracked down the best-of-the-best so you don't have to. Take a look at the fabulous things we found:

We're talking about Roaring 20's-themed weddings this week, and we definitely can't cover this topic without mentioning the music of the era. There aren't too many bands left over from that period today, but if you want live 20's-era music at your reception, you'll be glad to know that Vaudevillian-style rock is enjoying a revival, and The Wiyos are leading the way.

From Brooklyn, New York, The Wiyos bill themselves as a Vaudevillian ragtime blues, hillbilly swing and old time country music act. Their shows are not just a musical act, but a complete performance -- both the band and their audiences have a blast. They play old standards as well as original new music, and they do weddings! They've got an arsenal of songs about being in love and gettin' it on -- early 20th century style -- that will fit perfectly with the mood of your Roaring 20's wedding.

To sample the Wiyos' performances, check out some YouTube videos posted here, or better yet, catch a live show. For booking information, contact Charisma Artist Agency. Who doesn't want a washboard band at their wedding?

You're thinking of a 1920's wedding? You'll want 1920's music, of course -- and how about some 20's dancing, too? And what is the quintessential 1920s dance? The Charleston, of course!

Here we have some pretty talented university students showing us how this energetic dance is done:


If that all looks a little too athletic for you, let alone Great-Aunt Agnes, here is a clip showing the steps in a more sedate version, complete with step-by-step Charleston instructions.

But remember: Aunt Agnes could well recall seeing her older cousins do this dance a time or two in her youth. Let the toe-tapping strains of the Charleston waft around the dance floor, and she might just have a surprise or two for you!

Wedding expos, fairs, or showcases can be great way to gather ideas for your special day. If you're not sure about your flowers, caterer, or photographer a bridal fair is the perfect place to see several vendors at once. Even if you don't find your perfect vendors, you can gather ideas and get a feel for the going price for services.

If you're planning a themed wedding - whether it's something like a Tiffany wedding or a pink and brown theme - you can look for ways to incorporate your ideas into the ceremony and reception. And many times you can look at invitations and pictures of cakes, or talk to a DJ. There are lots of options and each showcase is different.

When there's an expo coming to your area, think about going. It's a good fishing expedition. In fact, we'll be attending one next week just to bring you the scoop about what's going on in wedding trends. So what would you like to know about attending a bridal fair? Let us know if you have questions about how to make the most of your time at an expo, or what you should look at while you're there.

Photo by mylifestory under Creative Commons.

Not YOU, of course! We know that your love is true and will last a lifetime! But there are those couples who, for one reason or another, decide that marriage is not the right decision after all. And then one of you will be left with the ring.

What to do? What you will not do is toss the thing off the nearest cliff in a fit of rage. While it might seem therapeutic in the moment, odds are good that in a few weeks you may come to regret that decision. You could have the ring re-sized for a different finger, or put into a different setting which doesn't scream "ENGAGEMENT" quite so obviously.

Or you could go to I Do, Now I Don't and auction it off. You'll be rid of a painful reminder, and, if you're the former bride-to-be, you'll be a few dollars richer. If you're the former groom-to-be, you won't likely recoup the entire purchase price, but even if your heart is broken, at least your bank account will be a little happier.

As you may have already read, Colin Montgomerie is getting married this month in a lavish ceremony on the banks of Loch Lomond. Several famous faces will be in attendance, such as Hugh Grant and Prince Andrew.

Additionally, Robbie Williams will be there to sing. He'll make a his live comeback at the wedding, performing a special gig for his friend Monty. The two have been pals since they met in a celebrity golf tournament in 2005.

Now, we just have to ask -- is the face above the face of a man you would want to give the microphone to at your wedding? In front of Prince Andrew and 400 guests? We're just wondering ...

You want your reception to be filled with the perfect music. From the first dance to your favorite classic tunes, you want your guests to be unable to resist the lure of the dance floor. One way to ensure that every guest is cutting loose is to provide the perfect wedding playlist. This means, of course, that you'll have to spend the time it takes surfing through your musical library. But here's an idea to shave some time off this time-consuming task: ask the father of the bride and the mother of the groom to select the music for their respective first dances (father-daughter and mother-son). This will allow you to immediately draw two lines through songs you have to pick out. If you're feeling even riskier, give your respective parents your DJ or band's e-mail address and let the song selection be a surprise until the moment the music cues up at your reception. This will afford you the energy to focus on how many times you should have Journey played and it will also provide a memorable and sweet moment between you and yours.

A bride recently learned the hard way that she'd forgotten to ask her musicians an important question: What happens if a vendor has a personal emergency and has to cancel on short notice? When some of the band members had a family emergency, they had to cancel less than 24 hours before they were to play at her reception, and her whole wedding party was left scrambling to book someone else on the day of the ceremony.

You have a contract to protect you from vendors backing out on you, or at the very least protect your investment in them, but some things are simply beyond your control. Would you force your DJ to hold up his end of the contract if he was seriously injured in a car accident the day before your wedding? Good luck with that. Vendors are people with lives of their own, and while their career depends on upholding contracts, that contract can't prevent an emergency situation.

So when you're interviewing potential wedding vendors, be sure to ask them what happens if they can't make it. Do they have a backup on call that they can send in? What should you do if there is no one to fill in? Discuss contingency plans with all of your vendors so that even if there's a problem, your wedding can go on just as you dreamed it would.

Do you have a song that's just perfect for your wedding? You both love it, it's perfect for your relationship, and you want to include it in your big day -- but you can't dance to it. It's not slow enough for your first dance and it doesn't have enough of a beat to play during the dancing part of your reception... so what do you do? Here are some ideas:

• Play the song as you walk down the aisle - You don't have to stick to the traditional wedding march, you know.
  
• Have a friend or friends perform the song during your ceremony - If you have friends who are talented musicians, you can honor them by including them in your wedding this way.
  
• Play a piece of the song during your first kiss - Granted, this only takes a minute, but you can cue up a CD to a part of the song that you'd like to play for this special moment.
  
• Play the song as people are being seated for the ceremony - You won't be there to hear it, but you already know the song anyway. This is about sharing it with your guests.
  
• Use it as your recessional - Play the song as you leave the altar with your new spouse.
  
• Play the song as you are cutting your cake - Read about this in Ilona's recent post.
  

As you can see, you can put almost any part of your wedding to music, and it doesn't have to be dancing music. If there's a song that's special to you, you can find a way to fit it in.

As you're deciding on the budget for your wedding, you will probably break your expenses into categories, allocating a certain amount to each part of the big day. But there's one piece of your budget that you are likely to forget, and when it comes time to pay up, you'll find yourself way over budget if you've left this out of your planning.

I'm talking about tips. The standard gratuities will be different depending on the vendors. According to Peggy Post, you should ask the vendors about gratuity before signing any contracts. Expect to tip the caterers about 15-20% of the total bill, and the bartenders generally get 10-15% of the bar tab. These will be the biggest tips, but also plan to tip any musicians, djs, valets, coat check attendants, your hairstylist, manicurist, your limo driver, and drivers who deliver things like flowers and cake to your wedding. Vendors who own their own businesses like photographers, florists, bakers, and wedding planners are generally not tipped.

It would be bad if you forgot to include gratuities in your budgeting, but it would be worse if you forgot to tip altogether.

My daughter has chosen the song she wants sung at her wedding. Given that she's only 14 and hasn't really had a boyfriend yet, we have lots of time to decide for sure. But for now, having just seen Juno, this is her pick:






Not such a bad sentiment, for a wedding.

Every couple has "their" song, but you know it's probably shared by hundreds of other romantic couples. If you want a song that is yours and yours only, you need one that's never been heard before. You need one, in short, that's been written just for the two of you.

If that's beyond your singing-in-the-shower musical capabilities, you can still have your very own song. Turns out there are songwriters for hire, who will compose a song on request. (For a fee, of course. Talent deserves reward!) Some require only email contact; others prefer a conversation.

Commission your very own song, and maybe you can even walk down the aisle to it! Perhaps you'd rather use it for the first dance at the reception. I can see an anniversary dance to "your" song becoming a tradition that will last down through many years.

If you're the type of bride that dreads the bachelor party, that stereotypically sleazy celebration of a man's last night of "freedom," you need not worry anymore - the bachelor party is changing. Thanks to today's older, richer and more experienced bachelors the blurry boozefests of the past are being replaced with elaborate destination vacations more conducive to male bonding than to cramming a lifetime of ... well ... experience in one night.

Sounds good, right?

Don't get me wrong - the evenings of strippers and booze are not entirely disappearing (we're talking about men here) - but a trip to a strip club is rarely the main event at these parties. Instead, male bonding happens while friends golf, go deep-sea fishing or skiing together and why shouldn't it? With time and money at a premium most people see these events as mini-vacations and some grooms are even hiring event planners - effectively putting as much effort into their parties as the brides tend to put into the wedding.