Subject
	Q : I have four girls in my wedding one maid of honor one matron of honor and two bridesmaids, the groom has eight in his party two best men, 2 groomsman and four ushers. My question is how should we pair them up.
	A : First decide who will be standing directly next to you, the Matron of Honor or the Maid of Honor? And which of the two best men will be standing directly next to the groom. Once this is decided, these two should be paired together. Then, the two who remain will be paired together. Since you are having more than one Brides Maid and Best Man, you may divide the responsibilities between them. This way, each will feel they have a special place of honor. This leaves two brides maids and two groomsmen. Who do you feel would be most compatible with each other? After all, they will be a couple during the wedding celebration. It would be nice if they enjoyed each other’s company. This leaves four ushers. Typically ushers do not stand up front with your wedding party, unless they are also groomsmen. Their responsibility is to escort guests to their seat, give direction or information, and then after the ceremony, dismiss the guests. They will sit during the ceremony perhaps two towards the front, and two towards the back. This way, if someone needs help or direction, (like finding the powder room) they can direct them and the two that are up front can dismiss guests.
	Q : I come from a very close family; therefore, my Mom thinks much of my family should participate some way in the ceremony. Is she correct and is this normal to do?
	A : Your ceremony should be what you and the groom want it to be. If that means inviting your family to participate in small meaningful ways, that’s fine. IF not, perhaps you can invite family to add their special touch to different aspects of the day, rather than the ceremony. Remember, a wedding is the blending of two families, cultures, traditions and personal taste.
	Q : My dad passed away when I was very young. My mom remarried several years ago, yet I have a really close relationship with my Uncle, who is my dad’s twin brother. My step dad has always encouraged my relationship with my Uncle. Is it OK for my Uncle to walk me down the isle, or is this not proper?
	A : This is certainly proper and understandable. I would suggest sharing your intentions with your step dad before asking your Uncle. You can always include your step dad in another important aspect of your ceremony if you want.
	Q : Our Catholic priest is from the Phillippines and may be misinformed. He wants to have a collection at our son's wedding, our understanding is that this is simply not done. A fee is being charged and the family is also willing to make a donation to the church. Who is correct?
	A : I believe your Priest may be merging Philippine ceremony tradition with ours. In his country, it is customary to receive an offering, in fact, part of the ceremony itself. However, since it doesn’t sound like your son and soon to be daughter-in-law is Filipino, who desires to stay true to his and her Philippine traditional ceremony, it is not appropriate to receive an offering. It is customary to pay fees for use of the church (if required) Your Priest, musicians and others whom you have hired or asked to participate outside your family and close friends, but this is addressed apart from the ceremony.
	Q : What is the proper way to do an announcement for an elopement
	A : It is appropriate to send out elopement announcements within two weeks of your marriage to family and friends. I highly recommend telling parents before you wed. Remember, you don't want to begin your marriage with offended parents and in-laws. This is your family and support group for the rest of your lives, and even if an elopement isn't popular with your family, being gracious and considerate is. An elopement announcement can be formatted to look like a wedding invitation, of course the wording will be different. It can be a store bought announcement, or something you've customized. Its always great if you include a picture of the "newlyweds" in the location you tied the knot. For example, on a beach in the Bahamas. Many couples decide to have a small celebration a month or two after they've wed, so that friends and family can celebrate with you. You can include this in your announcement, or inform family and friends of an upcoming celebration, and tell them an invitation will follow. If you've chosen to elope, don't be offended if you don't receive many gifts, unless you have a reception party later on. With an elopement, etiquette says it's not necessary to send a gift, however, you may receive some.