<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Riedel</span></p><p class="caption">Decanting your wine can have an impact on aroma and taste.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li>Maximilian Riedel, CEO of glassware company Riedel, believes every wine should be decanted - even Champagne.</li><li>For old wines, this is because sediment settles at the bottom of the bottle.</li><li>For new wines, decanting helps to naturally age the wine.</li><li>It doesn't need to be done hours before - decanting your wine right before you drink it can still make a difference.</li></ul><p>When it comes to wine, what you drink it from can be just as important as what you're drinking.</p><p>From <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-best-glass-to-drink-champagne-from-is-not-a-flute-2018-2?r=US&amp;IR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener">swapping a narrow Champagne flute for a tulip-shaped one</a> to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-wine-glass-to-use-for-sauvignon-blanc-chardonnay-pinot-noir-bordeaux-2018-2?r=US&amp;IR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener">picking the right glass</a> for your Bordeaux, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, and pinot noir, there's plenty to learn about the world of glassware.</p><p>But one thing many people don't realise is that what you do before you drink it is also key to getting the most from your wine.</p><p>Maximilian Riedel, CEO of glassware company Riedel, told Business Insider that he believes every wine should be decanted before you drink it - even Champagne.</p><p>"I am a firm believer that every wine must be decanted," he said. "When I say every wine, I truly mean sparkling and still."</p><p>A family run Austrian company that was established in 1756, Riedel is one of the world's most well-known producers of wine glasses - so Riedel himself knows a thing or two about what's best for your bottle.</p><h2>Decanting started with Champagne</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Antony Jones/Getty</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>He explained that the concept of decanting actually started with Champagne.</p><p>"Champagne is, thanks to the second fermentation through the yeast in the bottle, the ageing process, one of those wines that in the old times had to be decanted to split the wine from the yeast," he said. With modern Champagne, however, it's done with a machine.</p><p>"The yeast over time moves into the neck of the bottle. There it gets, nowadays, frozen, and you remove it, then you refill it with a special liqueur. Every Champagne house does this, but this is a very modern technique to remove the yeast.</p><p>"In the old days, you bought the Champagne, took it home, then you had to gently decant it to keep the yeast in the base of the bottle."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Riedel</span></p><p class="caption">Maximilian Riedel, CEO of glassware company Riedel.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>He said that despite the fact Champagne is "the most ancient thing to do," for most people it seems like something new.</p><p>"Everyone is afraid that if you decant Champagne that you lose the bubbles, but the difference between Prosecco and Champagne, in Champagne the bubble are binded, it's not artificial. The bubbles grew up, they were bred in the bottle of Champagne, through the fermentation. With Prosecco you're just adding CO2."</p><h2>Old wines need to be decanted to get rid of sediment...</h2><p>It's well understood that wine tastes better as it ages. However, Riedel explained that with old wines, over time, sediment settles in the bottom of the bottle, so they need to be decanted.</p><p>"People don't like the feel or taste of sediment," he said.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Riedel</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>...But young wines need to be aged</h2><p>However, he said that nowadays "nobody can afford to drink these old wines, [so] at most restaurants the wines on average are very young.</p><p>"Storing wine for time [also] needs space, and space has become very expensive, especially in the big cities."</p><p>That means people are drinking young wine - and it also needs to be decanted, but for different reasons.</p><p>"Young wine must be decanted because young wine is like a young person - they have yet to settle, they're all over the place. The only way to mature them is through time, the ageing process."</p><h2>You should even decant rosé</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Shutterstock.com</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>"I am the guy who decants Champagne, white wine, red wine, and rosé wine," he said. "When I posted once on social media me decanting rose, I had a lot of questions, a lot of doubters. But people who love rose like I do know that sometimes you still have a lot of the gas that they use to kill germs etc. in wine, that sometimes the sulfate is still notable on the nose, and the only way to really get rid of it and enjoy wine that young is by decanting it."</p><h2>It doesn't need to take hours</h2><p>While he's obviously a proponent of decanting, Riedel added that you don't need to use a decanter if you have time to open a bottle of wine five to eight hours before drinking it.</p><p>"Then you would not need a decanter because there's enough oxygen exchange with the bottle," he said.</p><p>However, if you don't have the time to plan out your day, decanting right before you drink it will still make a difference.</p><p>"If I now open a fresh bottle of wine and pour it into a glass, and the other one I pour into the decanter then into the glass, you, and everybody else, would notice a difference, in smell and in taste," he said. "After five hours open in the bottle, in the glass, and in the decanter, it tastes the same."</p><p>In busy restaurants, Riedel added that the most simple way to decant is from one bottle to another. "It's very similar," he said.</p><h2>You need to pick the right one</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Riedel</span></p><p class="caption">The "Eve" decanter.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Decanters come in all different shapes and sizes.</p><p>"For me when it stands on its own it's like a piece of art," Riedeil said. "There are very few art pieces you can actually use on a daily basis."</p><p>He said that a small decanter is good for white wines, because it can fit into an ice bucket to keep the temperature.</p><p>Meanwhile, a big decanter like his "Eve" design exists to stretch a young wine.</p><p>"In particular wines that have power in the fruit, high in alcohol, the decanter stretches the wine and naturally matures it," he said. He explained that as the wine flows through the decanter, it "naturally ages, gets rounded, softer, brings forward the primary aroma in the wine."</p><p>He said the more you rotate the wine through the decanter, the more oxygen you're pumping into it - which means you're naturally ageing it.</p><p>Meanwhile, he said a decanter like this might "rip apart" an old wine.</p><p>If you're not sure where to start, Riedel says you can even try a flower vase that has the shape of a decanter "just to try it."</p><p>"If you really fall in love with the concept and believe it makes a different, then you can start investing money," he said. "You can go for affordable to very expensive."</p><p>The lowest-end decanter from Riedel - its machine-made single bottle size - costs £40, while the Eve design will set you back a whopping £495.</p><h2>They're not that hard to wash</h2><p>Riedel - who is a proponent of putting wine glasses in the dishwasher - said there's nothing wrong with your decanter looking used.</p><p>In order to wash it, however, he recommends filling the inside two to three times with warm water, then leaving it overnight to absorb the colour pixels.</p><p>"If you want to try to avoid water stains, use a hairdryer," he added. "It sucks out the humidity."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nikon-small-world-winning-footage-microscopic-world-around-us-2018-9">Award-winning footage of the microscopic world around us</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

This is why you should always decant your wine - Champagne included

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Thomson Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">A health worker empties a makeshift flower vase while searching for mosquito larvae as part of preventive measures against the Zika virus and other mosquito-borne diseases at the cemetery of Carabayllo on the outskirts of Lima</p></div><p></p></div></div>A new report provides the most conclusive evidence to date linking Zika virus to some cases of <a href="Guillain-Barré Syndrome">Guillain-Barré Syndrome</a>, a neurological disorder that causes paralysis that is usually temporary, but in rare cases may be fatal.</p><p>As <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/zikas-role-in-guillain-barr-syndrome-2016-3">STAT reports</a>, the vast majority of GBS patients who developed the disorder during a Zika outbreak in French Polynesia two years ago had previously been infected with the virus.</p><p>What's more, people infected with Zika had a 24 times greater risk of developing GBS, scientists reported in <a href="http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(16)00562-6/abstract">The Lancet</a> medical journal.</p><p>Zika is a mosquito-borne virus that causes flu-like symptoms such as fever, joint pain, rash, or red eyes. Zika infections are mild in most individuals except for pregnant women, where scientists have cited a potential link to birth defects such as <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-microcephaly-2016-2">microcephaly</a>.</p><p>In early February, Colombian officials said that <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/colombia-guillain-barre-syndrom-deaths-2016-2">three people had died</a> after contracting the Zika virus and developing GBS, and <a href="http://www.statnews.com/2016/02/09/guillain-barre-in-zika-patients/">six other deaths</a> were being investigated.</p><p>But scientists didn't have direct evidence linking Zika to GBS until now.</p><h2>What is GBS?</h2><p>Guillain-Barré Syndrome is a disorder caused by the body's immune system attacking the nervous system outside of the brain and spinal cord. GBS usually begins with weakness and tingling in the legs, which can spread to the arms and upper body.</p><p>Most people who develop GBS generally recover well. But in some cases, it can cause almost complete paralysis that can interfere with breathing, blood pressure, or heart rate - which can be fatal.</p><p>GBS can occur in people at any age, and affects both genders equally. But the disorder is rare, affecting only about one person in 100,000, according to the National Institutes of Health.</p><p>The syndrome usually develops several days or weeks after someone experiences a respiratory or gastrointestinal viral infection, but in rare cases, it may be triggered by surgery. There was a small increase in GBS in people who got the swine flu vaccine in 1976, but the <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/vaccine/guillainbarre.htm">CDC says</a> any risk from flu vaccination is likely very small - smaller than the risk from getting the flu itself.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Wikimedia Commons/MethoxyRoxy</span></p><p class="caption">A human neuron. </p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>Causes and treatments</h2><p>Experts still don't know what causes GBS. The immune system, which normally fights off infections, starts attacking itself, destroying the fatty layers that surround cells in the peripheral nervous system - the part of the nervous system that excludes the brain and spinal cord.</p><p>When these fatty sheathes are damaged, the nerves cannot send signals efficiently. This means the brain cannot control the muscles very well, nor can it receive as many sensory signals like textures, heat, or pain. The nerves that connect to the hands and feet are longest, so these parts of the body are affected first.</p><p>There is no cure for Guillain-Barré, but there are treatments that can speed a patient's recovery.</p><p>Plasma exchange is a technique where blood is removed from the body, the red and white bloods cells are separated from the fluid or plasma that surrounds them, and the blood cells are returned to the body. In immunoglobulin therapy, doctors inject high doses of proteins into the patient that naturally help the immune system attack foreign invaders.</p><p>The main thing is to keep the patient's body working properly during the recovery, which may include the use of a ventilator, heart monitor, or other equipment.</p><p>Zika virus is primarily transmitted by mosquito bites, but <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/zika-virus-in-the-united-states-transmitted-2016-1">sexual transmission</a> has been reported. It persists for up to a week in the blood, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It's unclear how long it can survive in saliva or semen, though there have been <a href="http://bigstory.ap.org/d96805a3f3b14c339a066c1ded565166">reports of the virus</a> in saliva samples.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-face-of-the-zika-outbreak-2016-2">This is the face of the Zika outbreak</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="1yNTdwMDE6wM_5LcTUrc_WKLRVR8rOZd" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

We have our strongest evidence yet that Zika virus may be linked to a paralyzing disorder called Guillain-Barre Syndrome - here's what that means

<p dir="ltr"><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>D Dipasupil/Getty Images</span></p></div><p></p></div>I won't lie. I love Valentine's Day. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>It's not because I am some hopeless romantic or benevolent lover who finds pleasure in making other people happy. In fact, the day itself can be pretty tedious, and certainly the commercial aspects are rather tacky and vulgar.  </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">But Valentine's Day is a game. And like all things in life, I don't want to lose.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Most women love Valentine's Day, or at least realize that it's something they are supposed to pretend to care about. And it doesn't really matter if it's the result of competitive peer pressure, societal expectations, or maybe even genuine love-if this day is important to them, then it's important to me… that I not lose.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">I'm going to take control, eviscerate her expectations, transcend all of her benchmarks (this ain't her first rodeo), and vanquish any would-be suitors with a ferocity and conviction that makes her believe, with much adoration, that I actually give a damn.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">So… here are some fairly simple, yet definitive and strong words of advice on ensuring a victorious Valentine's Day.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Stay at home on the big night.</span></strong></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Prix fixe menus are bulls--t. If I wanted a complimentary glass of champagne, I'd board my Virgin Atlantic flights 5 minutes earlier.</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #222222;">Besides, her menu won't have any prices on it.  How's she going to know how much she's supposed to… appreciate the evening?</span></li>
</ul>
<p dir="ltr"><em><a href="https://twitter.com/GSElevator/statuses/235838260532871170">#1: The waiter gave her the menu without the prices on it. <br class="kix-line-break" />#2: Now that f--ker owes you a beej.</a></em></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #222222;">Instead, line up a thoughtfully prepared home-cooked meal at your place. Focus on the booze, a meal within your culinary comfort zone, and a classic romantic movie.  </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5em;">Don't bother with "</span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5em;">Out of Africa</span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5em;">." Although it's the manliest chick flick of all time, it'll also put her to sleep, especially if you've done your job and she's a little bit tipsy (drunk).</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5em;">Go for "</span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5em;">Coming to America" </span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5em;">if she's in her 30s, and "</span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5em;">50 First Dates"</span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5em;"> if she's in her 20s, only has two stamps in her passport, and they both say "Cancun."</span></li>
</ul>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Celebrate the extravagant restaurant meal the night before, or the night after. </strong></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #222222;">It's less crowded. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5em;">You won't get price-gouged.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5em;">You get to avoid the 3,000-calorie, 8-course prix fixe meal that turns into the most ironic c--kblock in history three hours later, when she falls asleep too soon.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5em;">And… You can probably expense it.</span></li>
</ul>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Always send flowers to her office. </strong></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #222222;">Under normal circumstances, sending flowers to the office is a terrible idea. It's like a giant neon sign that tells all of her colleagues, "Hey everybody, my Wall Street boyfriend is an a--hole and this is his lazy way of apologizing for something."</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5em;">But on Valentine's Day, chicks are hyper-competitive. Make sure it's either alive, or comes in a decent vase. Nothing is worse than forcing her to awkwardly lug home some thirsty bouquet on an evening when cabs are scarce and she's already in a hurry to get dressed up for you.</span></li>
</ul>
<p dir="ltr"><em><a href="https://twitter.com/GSElevator/statuses/431609869896908801">"On Valentine's Day, I send my wife flowers with a card that says 'Congratulations'."</a></em></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #222222;">Have the flowers delivered before lunchtime, just so you don't have to deal with a barrage of inquisitive (irritating) mid-day calls and texts.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5em;">Send her something she can keep in the office for a few days (or longer) to show it off.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5em;">I'd recommend orchids. That way, she can rub it in her coworkers' faces for months to come, and it'll help ward off that piece-of-s--t, David Lindhagen.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5em;">While you are at it, send the two hottest chicks in your office flowers from the biggest douchebag in the office.  Address them both, "My Rosebud."</span></li>
</ul>
<p><strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">No spa certificates. Period.</span></strong></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #222222;">First of all, that's what poor people do.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5em;">Secondly, it's not-at-all thoughtful.</span></li>
</ul>
<p dir="ltr"><em><a href="https://twitter.com/GSElevator/statuses/169540888257757187">#1: She wrote a poem and gave me a couples spa certificate. <br class="kix-line-break" />#2: Cash equivalent gifts are terribly uncouth... And poems are just gay sentences.</a></em></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Going to the spa shouldn't be treated like some special occasion. She should be making spa visits on a regular basis, mostly for herself, but also for your benefit.</span></li>
</ul>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Forget about jewelry; opt for a romantic vacation.</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #222222;">Don't get me wrong-jewelry is great. But save that for Christmas, birthdays, and for when you really screw up.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5em;">A vacation is a gift that you get to enjoy too.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5em;">And during the trip, she's going to be much more inclined to demonstrate her appreciation… time and time again.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5em;">Instead of just giving her a printed out itinerary and e-ticket, go all out, and present it in something thoughtful like the perfect weekend travel bag </span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5em;">(</span><a href="http://www.valextra.it/Products/Detail.aspx?IdSpecifica=3">Valextra)</a><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5em;">or a sexy leather passport cover </span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5em;">(</span><a href="http://www.aspinaloflondon.com/products/uk-passport-cover-in-smooth-violet">Aspinal of London</a><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5em;">)</span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5em;">.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5em;">Mix it up; things can get tricky on a repeat visit to the same go-to spot. It's unnecessarily stressful when you're with a new girl and you have to constantly pretend it's your first time there.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5em;">I'd recommend The Ocean Club (Bahamas), Jumby Bay (Antigua), La Esperanza (Cabo), Babington House (UK), Hiiragiya (Kyoto), or Nikoi Island (Singapore).</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">If you're reading this on February 14</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">th</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> and have nothing planned… Don't sweat it. Graff is open until 6 p.m.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Finally, always remember, your performance on Valentine's Day will be seen by other women. Use this stage as an opportunity to line up other prospects.</span></p><div class="feed-footer-wrapper"><div class="feed-footer">

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The Unofficial Goldman Sachs Guide To Surviving Valentine's Day

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://media.ashleymadison.com/posts/5419">media.ashleymadison.com</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Weddings can induce some crazy behavior.</p>
<p>Emotions are high, families are thrown together, and everyone must conform to a tight schedule, n<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">ot to mention the shenanigans that ensue when there's an open bar involved.</span></p>
<p>Sarah Pease, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/wedding-proposal-tips-2013-12">a well-known New York City proposal planner</a>, has been planning weddings since 2008 with her company <a href="http://www.brillianteventplanning.com/">Brilliant Event Planning</a><span style="text-decoration: underline;">.</span> She's seen everything from the "bridezilla" stressing about every detail to guests showing up in white <span>- a major faux pas</span>.</p>
<p>Pease shared a list of 10 ultimate wedding guest "don'ts" with Business Insider.  </p>
<p><strong>Don't deviate from a schedule: </strong>"It's not a very sexy idea, but planning can really impact your day and the happiness of everyone there," Pease said. "If you've got to be at the church by 6 p.m., the bride has to leave the hotel by 4:30 because it will take her a half-hour to get into her dress. The hair and make-up people need to know that everyone has to be done by 4:45 so they can help the bride get into her dress. And so on."</p>
<p>"If you're helping or attending, stick to the timeline so the bride only has to worry about her schedule."<span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p><strong>Don't wing a wedding speech: </strong>"People who say they're just going to wing it crash and burn every time," she said. "You wouldn't show up to a half-marathon without training, so don't show up to the wedding without a prepared speech."</p>
<p>"And keep it short," Pease added. "A five-minute speech is long. Hit three general ideas. Don't ramble. In my experience, you'll get on a tangent and then start talking about something uncomfortable."</p>
<p><strong>Don't wear anything resembling white if you're not the bride:</strong> "The bride should be the only person wearing white," Pease said. "There's always at least one person, man or woman, who shows up to the wedding as a guest wearing white or a color too close to white."</p>
<p><strong>Don't stiff the bartender: </strong>"You should still tip the bartender even at an open bar because they're making your drink right there," she said. "It's a nice service and they're there for a long time."</p>
<p><strong>Don't get drunk:</strong> "This is really up to each person, but there's this idea of 'wedding drunk' that I find useful," she said. "Basically, don't become a hassle for the bride and groom."</p>
<p><strong>Don't complain about the food: </strong>Wedding food is notoriously bad, but Pease advises sucking it up. "The rule of thumb is, ask yourself will this upset the bride and groom. If the answer is yes, you shouldn't do it."</p>
<p>"You could have a Michelin chef cooking for everyone and some people would still complain," she said. "Just focus on what's good about the wedding, like getting to celebrate with friends and family." </p>
<p><strong>Don't monopolize the bride and groom: </strong>"Cocktail hour is a great time to spend two minutes with the couple," Pease said. "Don't track them down and try to spend 30 minutes catching up. If they did that with all 200 of their guests, they'd run out of time."</p>
<p>"The best thing to do is say a quick congratulations," she said. "You can always schedule a phone call or lunch with the bride or groom for later."</p>
<p><strong>Don't get too aggressive with the bouquet toss: </strong>"You've either got a wedding full of single girls or possibly some divorcees," Pease said, "but either way emotions can run high if you think about it as a literal sign for who's getting married next. I like when there's an alliance to flip it to a girl who really wants it."</p>
<p>"If guys want to get in on the action, by all means go for it," she added. "Just be gentle. Don't tackle anyone. It's not a contact sport."</p>
<p><strong>Don't buy a gift the couple didn't put on their registry:</strong> "Going off registry is always a contentious subject," Pease said. "Some people think an off-registry gift is more personal or heartfelt. But honest to God, people really just want the stuff on their registry. That's why they picked it."</p>
<p>"But if you do choose to go off registry, cash is a better option than an alternate gift," she told us. "I prefer cash gifts where the giver says, 'Here's x-number of dollars for a helicopter ride in Hawaii, close to where you're honeymooning,' or 'Here's something to put toward your new mortgage.' Something like that to give the money a purpose."  </p>
<p><strong>Don't steal souvenirs from the wedding decorations: </strong>"Always check with the venue before you grab anything," Pease advised. "Don't ask the bride and groom, but you can ask a waiter or a wedding planner."</p>
<p>"Sometimes, depending on something like an agreement with a florist, you can take the whole centerpiece," she said. "Other times, the vases are rentals or the flowers are being donated to a local hospital the next morning. It's always best to check."</p>

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