It is such an honor to be asked to be in one of your close friends or family’s wedding. But when the dust has settled and planning the wedding begins, there can be a lot that goes into being a member of the bridal party. There are different expectations for every wedding, as every bridal party is unique, but we have a few general guidelines for both groomsmen and Bridesmaids that may help.

For the groomsmen, there are three main assumptions. These include paying for your tux or suit, paying for and hosting the bachelor party and buying a wedding gift from the registry.

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Being a bridesmaid tends to be a little bit more involved than being a groomsman. The main expectations include many of the same as the groomsmen with paying for your dress, hosting and paying for the bridal shower and buying a wedding gift from the registry. However, there is a new tradition that has become much more popular in the last several years- paying for and hosting the bachelorette party.

Photo Credit: Pinterest

These expectations are general guidelines of what the bridal party can expect to pay for, but every wedding and every couple is different, prices can vary depending on the extravagance of the wedding. Make sure before asking someone to be in the wedding they can take on the financial commitment, no one should feel pressured to pay for more than they can afford.

The most important thing to remember is that the bridal party is there to make the wedding a little easier on the bride and groom and to make the celebration more fun!

See You Soon,

~Paula & Martin Ramirez

Paula and Martin Ramirez are the proprietors of Historic Mankin Mansion, a wedding resort just minutes from Downtown Richmond. They enjoy new restaurant finds, Virginia wines and discovering fun events and activities throughout the area for their guests.

Wedding favors are given out so your guests can take a little piece of your wonderful day with them. What better way to show your exquisite family and friends your appreciation than homemade favors? You and your groom can throw all your love into little homespun goodies creating a more personal gift that guests can thoroughly enjoy.

We here at Historic Mankin Mansion understand designing that perfect handmade favor can be quite challenging. It can be difficult narrowing down a gift to symbolize you as a couple and be useful to your extraordinary guests. But have no fear! Our experts are here to lend an imaginative hand with these fun and thoughtful handmade favors.

Goodies

A very popular handmade favor is something tasty and delectable. The more traditional food favors usually include: jams, cookies, honey and various candies just to name a few. These goodies are always a good idea and very much enjoyed by all, but if you are looking for something a little more adventurous and unique, check out these exciting food favors! Granola, tea packaged in test tubes, bread, pickles. These are so distinctive and delicious; anyone of them is a sure-fire hit!

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Keychain

Many couples enjoy handing out key chains to their family and friends. Key chains are a great favor because they have no expiration date and are extremely useful. Our current favorite is the Lego key chain matched with a touching explanation. Beyond adorable!

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Soap

Why not make something individuals use everyday? Soap is a wonderful handmade favor to give guests. There are endless possibilities for color and scent, so they really can be crafted towards your wedding theme.

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Plants

Who doesn’t love Mother Nature and all her beauty? A potted plant creates a pleasing feeling and really brings light and happiness into ones home. Not to mention, all the love it takes to make something grow, what better way to symbolize your wedding day?

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Buttons

This homemade favor is very interesting and has not been overly done. Buttons are fun, creative and bring happiness to everyone. Simply choose definitions you want share and encase it onto the button. They are very kindhearted and can be extremely informative. Genius!

Photo Credit: Pinterest

No matter what you decide to send your guest off with, we are absolutely positive they will be unique and heartwarming! Good luck and remember to think outside the box. Have fun!

See You Soon,

~Paula & Martin Ramirez

Paula and Martin Ramirez are the proprietors of Historic Mankin Mansion, a wedding resort just minutes from Downtown Richmond. They enjoy new restaurant finds, Virginia wines and discovering fun events and activities throughout the area for their guests.

There are a number of ways to make your wedding unique to you and your fiancé, one of which is having a memorable aisle runner. Traditionally, aisle runners have been done with carpets covered in flower petals but more creative ideas have started to become popular.

As always, Pinterest has provided us with some great ideas to share. If you would like to stay with using flowers you can create extravagant patterns or even monogrammed initials to don the aisle.

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Using words on the aisle can create a story of the couple. You can use a poem or quote from a book that has significance to your relationship. Photos or excerpts from emails or text messages that have been exchanged throughout the relationship are a nice touch as well.

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Using a fabulous fabric can tie the wedding together with the use of a pattern that is seen throughout the event such as chevron or even an ombre color palette.

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Aisle runners are not usually at the top of the list for most couples when planning their ceremony, but we think they can add a special and unique touch for the guests and couple to enjoy.

See You Soon,

~Paula & Martin Ramirez

Paula and Martin Ramirez are the proprietors of Historic Mankin Mansion, a wedding resort just minutes from Downtown Richmond. They enjoy new restaurant finds, Virginia wines and discovering fun events and activities throughout the area for their guests.

We here at the Mansion love seeing the little, but important, details that make our brides’ wedding “theirs.” We are especially thrilled when we can assist with making these visions come to life so we are excited to share that we are now exclusively offering our couples the opportunity to arrive and depart in style!

That’s right – if you’ve booked (or are planning to book!) with Historic Mankin Mansion, you’ll now have the opportunity to rent a luxury vehicle for either your ceremony entrance or your Grand Exit….or both!

Please contact your Mansion wedding planner for more information.

Happy planning!

~Paula & Martin Ramirez

Paula and Martin Ramirez are the proprietors of Historic Mankin Mansion, a wedding resort just minutes from Downtown Richmond. They enjoy new restaurant finds, Virginia wines and discovering fun events and activities throughout the area for their guests.

The wedding ring is where it all began and of course you want to capture that sparkler in a photo. Who wouldn’t?

However, creating that perfect setting can become difficult. It is hard to design scenarios that will effectively showcase your new wedding rings. The photographs must capture your theme as well as your personal taste, so years down the road, you can look back and get the same feeling you did that very day.

With so many options out there, it can be overwhelming to decide. We here at Historic Mankin Mansion just might have a solution. Our experts compiled several ideas that are both unique and memorable.

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Outdoor Wedding: What better backdrop for your wedding than the Fall? Bring those outdoor elements into your wedding ring photos by using nature. The colors really pop and the photo has a simplistic beauty that really is timeless.

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Shoes: Oh we girls really do LOVE our shoes! Bring that love of your new marriage by showcasing your imagination and your beloved shoes. Take your wedding shoes and write out the word Love onto the sole of the shoe, but use your rings for the O. So adorable and distinctive, everyone will be gushing over your wedding ring photo-shoot.

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Candy: What is sweeter than candy? A picture with candy as the backdrop, of course. Candy is so vibrant and unlimited in color, you are sure to find a type that fits with your wedding theme. Plus, looking at your picture will make your mouth water!

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Utensils: Using utensils to bring your wedding rings together for a photograph is so much fun and classy. You can place the utensils anywhere to create your desired theme. The biggest question is who will be the fork and who will be the knife?  Good luck!

Whether you decide to use any of the suggestions above, or come up with your own ideas, we have no doubt your photos will be breathtaking.

See You Soon,

~Paula & Martin Ramirez

Paula and Martin Ramirez are the proprietors of Historic Mankin Mansion, a wedding resort just minutes from Downtown Richmond. They enjoy new restaurant finds, Virginia wines and discovering fun events and activities throughout the area for their guests.

Last Monday, we featured a video from Kuhn’s Photography of Kara and Jared’s wedding and now we want to share a few of our favorites images with you!

Kara and Jared’s color palette was deep purple and the Pantone color of year emerald green. Fun was had by all with a photo booth in the gazebo, featuring a ton of silly props. The guests then danced the night away!

Thank you again to Kuhn’s Photography for sharing these photos with us and to Kara and Jared for allowing us to be a part of their special day!

See you soon,

~Paula & Martin Ramirez

Paula and Martin Ramirez are the proprietors of Historic Mankin Mansion, a wedding resort just minutes from Downtown Richmond. They enjoy new restaurant finds, Virginia wines and discovering fun events and activities throughout the area for their guests.

Some couples are fortunate enough to have a honeymoon given to them by their families, but it doesn’t always work that way. Whether it’s a couple paying for their own wedding with tight funds, or there simply isn’t a lot of left over money in the budget, a honeymoon can sometimes seem out of the question.

Luckily, there are several alternatives to that big grand-scale trip to Fiji. We have found some great ideas to help couples that want to celebrate their new life together with a romantic and fun honeymoon.

Stay in the country

Think camping at Yosemite, visiting the Grand Canyon, skiing at Lake Tahoe, or lounging on the beach at the Outer Banks. As exotic as a European vacation sounds, the United States also has a lot to offer; most of which couples can get to by car. By choosing to drive can be a huge money saver, and even if you do fly, it will still be much cheaper than an international flight.

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Postpone

If a couple decides to get married during ‘wedding season,’ which is during some of the peak vacation times, flight and hotel prices could potentially be sky high. An easy solution is to wait the summer out until after Labor Day when prices drop drastically. This way, couples get that high class resort experience, but at a price that won’t break the bank.

On-line auctions/deals

With popular websites like Groupon and LivingSocial, where discounts are always 50 percent or more, it makes affording your honeymoon a lot easier. There are new deals for trips everyday at great prices, you just have to make sure you buy them in time because deals close within a week.

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Just remember, a honeymoon is where you make it, not where you book it. The point is to celebrate your new marriage with the one you love, so don’t stress too much and have fun with it.

See You Soon,

~Paula & Martin Ramirez

Paula and Martin Ramirez are the proprietors of Historic Mankin Mansion, a wedding resort just minutes from Downtown Richmond. They enjoy new restaurant finds, Virginia wines and discovering fun events and activities throughout the area for their guests.

Kara and Jared’s wedding was recently at the Mansion and the wonderful Kuhn’s Photography captured all of the festivities. Check out the video below to see all of the fun from the Big Day!

Thank you to Kuhn’s Photography for sharing this video with us.

See You Soon,

~Paula & Martin Ramirez

Paula and Martin Ramirez are the proprietors of Historic Mankin Mansion, a wedding resort just minutes from Downtown Richmond. They enjoy new restaurant finds, Virginia wines and discovering fun events and activities throughout the area for their guests.

We were just ecstatic when we saw the June issue of Virginia Living Magazine on newsstands because one of our lovely couples’ wedding was featured! Lisa and James’ wedding was captured by the wonderful David Abel Photography and you can check out all of the photos on page 49.

Our sincerest thanks to Virginia Living Magazine for this wonderful opportunity, as well as to David for sharing his fabulous images. Pick up your copy today to see the full feature!

See You Soon,

~Paula & Martin Ramirez

Paula and Martin Ramirez are the proprietors of Historic Mankin Mansion, a wedding resort just minutes from Downtown Richmond. They enjoy new restaurant finds, Virginia wines and discovering fun events and activities throughout the area for their guests

We LOVE shoes!! Sandals, flats, boots, stilettos. Your wedding shoes will be one of the most important pair you ever wear, so it is time to get flashy and show them off.

Brides showcase their personality through their shoes. Are you conservative? Are you country? Are you against uncomfortable, flashy shoes and opt for bare feet with jewelry? The wedding dress is difficult, but what will be peaking out from underneath that beautiful white dress. With so many options how do you choose?

Have no fear, our experts at Historic Mankin Mansion have searched high and low for options to try and aid your search of the flawless shoe. But prepare yourself because these shoes are dangerously beautiful.

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Bling: Us girls love our shiny things, so why should that change when it comes to fancy footwear? Bejeweled shoes are a great accent to a wedding dress because they add that perfect punch of color. The fact that they are just beyond gorgeous is a bonus.

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Colors: Bright colors are everywhere! Color is always wonderful and can generate quite a presence. We adore the way a bold color stands out from a white wedding gown. Also, it is very easy to pair your wedding color palette with your shoes.

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Boots: A big trend is outdoors wedding and if you have ever attempted to walk through grass wearing heels, you know it is quite a challenge. Just because you are in a fancy, white dress does not mean you can’t breakaway from tradition and express your personality with bold boots. Plus, you won’t have to worry about falling down in your stunning white gown.

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Sandals: A great way to celebrate a fun beach wedding, is to wear sandals. Sandals can be very simple or extremely decorated and wild. A good advantage of sandal is the comfort level associated with them. After standing for a while taking pictures, greeting guest, it’s nice to be comfortable in your fancy shoes.

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Jewelry: Who says you have to wear shoes at all? Sparkling jewelry made for your feet can make a great impression. This would be perfect for a beach or garden wedding. This option is not common and is a good way to make you standout from other brides.

With all those glorious shoes floating around out there, we know that it is difficult to choose just one pair. But we have no doubt that whichever style you decide to go with, you will be glowing on your special day!

See You Soon,

~Paula & Martin Ramirez

Paula and Martin Ramirez are the proprietors of Historic Mankin Mansion, a wedding resort just minutes from Downtown Richmond. They enjoy new restaurant finds, Virginia wines and discovering fun events and activities throughout the area for their guests.