Category Archives: Ideas

Minimal Assistants


It goes without saying that, as a bride, you likely have a plan (or at least a clear vision) in place regarding most of your wedding day details. Making your ideas come to life may be challenging for many reasons leaving you wishing for sole responsibility over every component. Unfortunately, that is an impossibility as outside help, whether from friends and family or hired professionals, is required. However, every decision including the amount of assistance you want or need and from whom it comes is yours to make.

Remember that the period leading up to your special day is not just exciting for you but for those close to you as well. Many will offer their time, advice and skills to ease your burden and lower your stress level. While usually successful, occasionally their good intentions lead to uncomfortable situations and hurt feelings.

One objective of your wedding is for your guests to enjoy themselves which includes being able to take in everything going on around them. If someone offers to provide their services on the day of for something other than what you want, kindly pointing out some of the special things they would miss is a great way to decline the offer while avoiding being offensive.

Unsolicited offers will not just come for your ceremony and reception but may arise throughout the planning process too. Fortunately, those are easier to handle. During this time, you can include the individual(s) in different yet equally meaningful ways making it seem as if you are not being dismissive. For example, if your mom is determined for you to wear her veil and your heart is set on a birdcage, invite her to help you choose just the right one and offer to sew a piece of the veil inside your gown or to use it as a wrap around your bouquet.

All intentions are good when those who love you offer a lending hand as difficult as that may periodically be to keep in mind. However, it is the one day that all attention is on you and your future husband. Therefore, while always doing so kindly and with consideration, you should not feel guilty for ensuring that what you envisioned is exactly what materializes.

I (Un)expected This

 

Getting engaged is one of the most important days in any woman’s life. However, chances are your engagement will not go as you’ve always dreamed of due to things that have never crossed your mind.

Chances are the proposal won’t happen the way you’ve dreamed of. It might not occur in a fancy location or even close to where you’ve imagined. You may be at home in your pajamas with your hair a complete mess but the moment is all that matters.

There’s no specific time between a proposal and marriage. Enjoy whatever period you opt for in between the two whether it be a month, a year or even longer. Spend time just enjoying the fact that there’s now a difference in your relationship and acknowledge that you will spend your lives together.

While enjoying the time, however, take everything seriously in terms of the future. After all, you have committed to spend the rest of your life with someone and must discuss details such as children, finances, family relationships, holidays etc.

Recently married friends may suddenly feel like experts and dispense advice as quickly as a Pez container does candy. Graciously thank them, consider it but do no more or feel obligated to follow it. After all, every relationship is completely different so what works for one doesn’t work for another.

Your engagement period can be limitless. The importance is that you take the time to ensure you get what you want and deal with issues that may have not have been mentioned but will strengthen the forever bond you are preparing to make.

I’m Your Biggest Fan

The fun begins when planning the smallest details of your wedding as your individuality and personality begin to shine. Consideration should be taken, especially if in the summer or guests are from out-of-town, that the temperature can possibly have an immense impact on overall experience. Therefore, you can not only be fun and clever but provide your invitees with a way to comfort themselves as well. Here are a few ideas….

Fans can be made in any shape or size despite the formality or lack thereof while providing as little or as much information as you want. Use a wooden craft stick and a whimsical silhouette in heavy paper with your names and date on the front and program data on the back, whether the order of the ceremony or members of your party. Add some embellishment with a ribbon or a bell that jingles as you exit the venue. Alternatively, print the details on the front, while providing markers for each guest to write personal messages on the blank back of their fans which can leave for you to read.

Opt for a simple stick (such as bamboo) to which you can attach a personalized packet of your favorite flower seeds. If so, they will both serve to keep the temperature down if an invitee gets warm but also as a unique, creative and fantastic gift for everyone present at your union to take home as a sentiment of the beginning of a new stage in life.

Why not have a panel wedding fan? It is an entertaining option to include infinite material and may be condensed in to the size of an inch.  Card stock with a simple hole punch in the bottom and some ribbon or a brad makes for a cost-effective, informative way to not only provide your names and the wedding date but also directions to the reception, information as to the procession as well as those who are involved in the ceremony.

Most brides don’t have fans as part of their ceremony and those who do don’t give much thought to them. They can serve many purposes, lower your cost and decrease your budget. Therefore, it is something to most definitely give thought to.

Best Kept Hidden Secrets

It goes without saying that every detail of your wedding, from the smallest to the largest, comes with a cost although it may be surprising that the price tag you see or are quoted is not the price you will actually be expected to pay. Many times, fees are added that either aren’t mentioned or that you certainly wouldn’t expect (although later you can be told that you should have). Here are just a few….

Invitations are representative of your motif and you want them to appear engaging, charming as well as welcoming. It is very easy to be sold on more decorative invites, heavier cardstock or are simply bulkier. What may not cross your mind is that you have to pay extra postage for each of those, not to mention the costs for RSVP cards and thank you notes all of which quickly add up. The message is the same and may be presented equally creatively in a simpler and more cost effective fashion.

While your dress should be the first (if not only) item to splurge on depending on your budget, it’s important to consider that the listed price is not the amount you are going to veritably spend.  The vast majority of dresses require alterations which are not included in the cost of the gown but your veil, jewelry, undergarments etc. must be accounted for as well. Modifications alone can set you back up to $500 unless you are lucky enough to find a bridal shop where everything is included for a set fee.

Customarily, when you pay for a service, whether a photographer, DJ, coordinator, use of your venue etc., the quoted amount is for a specific period of time. It may take you longer to get ready than expected, causing the wedding to run late and it’s easy to lose track of time during the subsequent celebration. Be aware that, just as with any other profession, additional charges accrue for overtime. Either you need to be exceptionally aware of your schedule or set aside a portion of the budget in anticipation to cover overages.

Although your wedding day is one of the most special in your life and has tremendous meaning to you, at the end of the day, to most vendors, it is a way to make a living and a means to an end. It is important that you don’t spend every penny allocated without being aware of unforeseen expenditures as almost every aspect of your special day will include them.

I’d Rather be Apart from You

Each guest at your wedding realizes their meaning solely based on having been invited (even those who are plus ones). A kind gesture is to take it a step further to both demonstrate your personalities and uniquely individualizes your union from any other.

  1. As each person arrives, have a fresh flower pin or hair clip for women and miniature boutonniere for the men each with a personalized name tag. Doing so shows thoughtfulness and creates a sense of congruency for group photos.
  2. Rather than a rose or sand ceremony, plant the seeds of your favorite flower together during your ceremony. It’s a fantastic recognition of the new journey you are embarking on and will serve as a reminder as you watch it grow and flourish.
  3. Provide a variety of colored pennant flags as your guests enter along with markers so as to write a single word on. It will fill the gap prior to the ceremony beginning but, more importantly, while you typically imagine leaving the venue to flower petals or rice, your married life will begin with waving of personalized and handwritten wishes.
  4. Rather than opting for typical banners, consider making your own. While needing to know the dimensions in order to hang them, the options are limitless in terms of what they could show. You could create collages of images with all of those you invited to make them feel appreciated or solely two of special moments with your fiancé.

When you start to plan your wedding, your mind goes immediately to what you’ve seen on TV, what you grew up dreaming of etc., but there are so many ways you can blend both tradition and personalization in ways that not only make it feel like your special day but also as if a very special day for each of your invitees.

I’d Like to Place an Order


When it comes to your bridal party, you may not give much thought to who stands where although there can easily be insinuations made by those you have chosen to include which can either be flattering or hurtful. It goes without saying that your matron of honor is traditionally your sister (if you have one) or best friend. That should not be offensive to anyone.

However, there are many ways to select an order for the remaining participants and the following are just a few ideas. While it can be potentially construed as hurtful, you can assign positions based on the nature of your relationship. It should not be lost on anyone you ask to stand next to you that they hold a special place in your heart and mean a great deal or else they wouldn’t be there.

One idea is that those who are closest to you (while each one is) stands nearest. That may be based on the number of years you have known them, the nature of your relationship or many other factors. Another option is to create an alignment in congruence with age.

It is completely appropriate to delegate who stands where based upon maturity. If you choose to do so, there will be no hard feelings as it would be difficult to find fault with any bride with that preference. If photos are one of the most important elements to you, a great way to appoint positions is height based in descending order so as to maximize the pleasance of each picture while keeping the focus on you and your husband.

The list goes on in reference as to how to determine who will stand where. It is yet another thing that brides don’t typically think requires any sort of consideration but, in actuality, does. Your decision is your own and is made because of your own personal reasons which are of the utmost importance.

Let’s Take a Shot

The fundamentals of wedding planning are synonymous with stress, a sense of inundation and often even some hair-pulling moments. When all is said and done though, the frustration and angst are forgotten. No matter how overwhelming things may seem, there are a few that should be nothing short of enjoyable, one of which being your engagement photos.

Despite how casual your ceremony may be, some of those in attendance will be guests of guests who have never met you nor have any inclination as to your personality, relationship or sense of humor. As well, even the most relaxed and informal weddings typically include traditions which tend to take away from your individuality.

While the photos of your special day will most likely be more formal than not, the engagement pictures that accompany your invitations don’t have to be so at all. Nonetheless, some consideration should be taken so you don’t look back and either feel regretful or as if your choice was simply cliché.

If you got engaged while having a picnic date, consider recreating that moment with the news written on a napkin. Maybe you’re avid hikers and can include a shot on a trail with your backpacks on. If there is something (anything) that everyone associates with your fiancé and yourself, depicting that is an option if you’d rather not share something unforeseen.

However, notifications written on a sandy beach, dates spelled out in scrabble tiles, snapshots wearing a t-shirt that says “I’m marrying him” and so on should probably be avoided.

Your wedding does not consist of a single day but the entire length of time beginning the day you get engaged and the planning starts. Each moment and aspect, no matter how mundane or irritating they may feel, should give your guests a glimpse into who you are and set you apart from every other bride.

My Site is Set on You

Likely, your initial thought when choosing who to celebrate your marriage with is to include everyone who has ever meant anything to you in your life. Then reality sets in, you realize your fiancé has a guest list as well and that, as the number goes up, so do your expenses, forcing you to reallocate your budget.

There are many reasons for selecting a venue among those being a place with sentimental value, somewhere you just happened upon and had a feeling about or a location which may not be your first choice but will accommodate the numbers of guests you have invited.

While every person you do invite most likely hopes to attend, not everyone will be able to. Some may immediately let you know via your RSVP cards but others cannot predict unforeseen circumstances and cannot inform you until much closer to the date.

One thing to consider is the number of guests coming from out-of-town. If they are family or very close to you, the likeliness of attendance is much higher than if they are friends from college for example. Typically, when averaging the two, approximately 55% of those coming from different locations will actually be present.

Local invitees are much more prone to commemorate your day with you so expect relatively 90% of those to attend. However, something may occur which keeps them from attending as well.

Therefore, your site should be chosen not by the capacity it is able to accommodate according to the number of invitations you send out (given it is not significantly less) but rather by what feels right and seems to be the ideal location. After all, if your heart is set on one particular place, modifications can always be made so as to execute what you’ve dreamed of.

Getting Equals Giving

Your wedding day is one for which you spend countless time planning and focusing on every tiny aspect. It is also an occasion when others give presents as well as of themselves to ensure everything turns out exactly as you imagine it will. What may not cross your mind is that it is a wonderful opportunity to give back to others.

Consider donating your flowers to a nursing home, hospital or other charitable organization as you won’t use them again and they will certainly brighten the day of many who would be far beyond appreciative of the gesture.

Most likely, you will put your dress in the closet and perhaps take it out occasionally as a remembrance of the commitment and love shared with your spouse but will never be worn again. There are countless women who cannot afford a dress. What a wonderful gift it would be to endow yours to a place dedicated to helping those who are forced to scrimp, save, delay their special day or never have it occur due to not being able to have either the dress of their dreams or one at all.

Pay it forward by giving time in the same way that your family and others who did for you to ones that don’t have individuals in their lives to do the same with planning, organizing, decorating, etc.

The most beautiful way to start off your life with your soul mate is by knowing that you have given of yourself so someone else has the same opportunity to do so with theirs.

A MEmento to YOU

 

For the most part, brides and grooms exchange gifts (through third parties) on their wedding day both as a way to calm one another’s nerves and to remind each other of the excitement and preparedness for the moments, days and years to come. It is the meaning which is important and not the opulence or cost but it serves as a lasting reminder of the commitment made. While many brides choose gifts such as cuff links or watches, it’s fun to think outside of the box and give something one of a kind.

Go to a paint-your-own-pottery location and spend time creating something unique which would be representative of a memorable moment in your relationship. You can guarantee that, while it may not look perfect (unless you are an artist), it will be significant and the thought, time and energy invested are what make it sentimental. It could be anything from a bowl for him to eat cereal or soup out of to a monkey that reminds you of a date at the zoo. Most places have countless options to choose from.

Find a small box (perhaps with a personalized charm) and fill it with small one-sentence reasons why you are so excited for your future. Many can fit into the container and it’s a gift that he will be able to keep, open in the future, randomly select one and be reminded of your love for him.

Gift him with tickets to see his favorite team play with some of his friends. That way, he can relax and remember that, while marriage is complete devotion to one another, neither of you has to lose your individuality in the process.

Personalize a key chain. It doesn’t have to be ornate or flashy. Engrave your wedding date, a special message or something as simple as a heart. It’s just another way to provide a daily reminder of what your relationship and marriage mean to you.

No matter what you choose, it will be a representation of your union and the meaning behind the decision to spend your life together. Whether you’ve been married a day, a month, a year or twenty, it’s always nice to have a keepsake of the love, happiness and devotion you feel.