Unique Thank-You Cards for Your Wedding

Want to give your wedding guests a thank-you card they will cherish for years to come? Try some of these unique thank-you card ideas for your wedding.

Unique thank-you cards can give you just the inspiration you need to present your guests with a thank-you gesture that they will love and cherish for years to come. But if you’re having trouble coming up with ideas, you may be tempted to just purchase stock thank-you cards. Or you may be stressing because you really do want to offer something unique. Not to worry! These unique thank-you card ideas can help you find just what you’re looking for.

Photo Album Thank-You Cards

Photo album thank-you cards are probably the most time-consuming yet unique thank-you cards to put together. To use this idea, ask your guests for photos that they took during your wedding and reception. If you had a destination wedding, you may even be able to collect photos from your actual honeymoon. Once you have the photos, upload them on-line or take them to a photo shop and create a thank-you card template. If you had a small wedding, try to include pictures of all of your guests so that everyone can feel special when they receive their thank-you card. If you had a large wedding, however, you may find it impossible to include all of your guests.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Instead of trying to involve all of your guests in your unique thank-you cards, try taking a picture of you, as a couple, in a special place on your honeymoon holding a thank-you sign. You can have the sign specially made if you like. You may even want to make the photo a little more romantic by kissing in the photograph. Guests are certain to love these unique thank-you cards!

Taking a Different Direction

Another option is to create a thank-you card that is directly on your wedding website. Using e-cards to thank your guests can cut down on the cost of your thank-you cards if you are on a budget, while still giving everyone a way to view your wedding photos, making these the most frugal, unique thank-you cards.

Bridal Party Dos and Don’ts

Are you a bridal party member? Are you a bride looking for some basic bridal party etiquette tips? Here are some basic bridal party dos and don’ts for both the bride and bridal party.

Just as there are dos and don’ts with wedding reception and wedding shower etiquette, there are etiquette rules for members of the bridal party, as well as for the bride and her involvement with the bridal party.

Here are important bridal party dos and don’ts for everyone involved:

 

The Bride

Don’t choose a maid of honor based on history.

No matter how much you feel conflicted over which of your best friends to choose for your maid of honor, don’t choose one over the other based on guilt. Even if you knew one friend longer or were closer to her at one point in time, don’t assume you have to choose someone based on the history you share. Choose a friend or family member who you are currently close to and who will be able to be there for you during the wedding planning process.

Don’t forget to gift each member of the bridal party. 

This is bridal party etiquette 101. It is customary for the bride (and the groom) to gift their bridesmaids and groomsmen with gifts before the wedding.

 

The Bridal Party

Do make arrangements for the bride’s bachelorette party and/or bridal shower.

Traditionally, the maid of honor or the bride’s closest friend or family member will take the initiative to throw the bridal shower and bachelorette party, but if you’re a member of a bridal party and you’re unsure of these plans, ask the best man or maid of honor to find out if you can help plan the occasion.

Don’t miss fittings or rehearsals. 

This might sound obvious, but there’s nothing worse than showing up late or missing your fittings or the wedding rehearsals all together. It’s rude and an inconvenience for the bride, groom, and other parties involved. Be sure to confirm and keep track of your tux or dress fittings, and attend all the necessary dinner rehearsals as promised to keep on the bride and groom’s good graces.

Follow these bridal party dos and don’ts and you’ll get an “A” in wedding etiquette!

Best Favor Ideas for a Casual Wedding

Planning a casual wedding? Having a hard time finding favors that fit your casual style? You’re not alone! Relax, take a deep breath, and check out these perfectly casual favor ideas for your casual wedding. 

If you’re looking for favor ideas for a casual wedding, you are probably a little frustrated. Most weddings today have a touch of formality to them, and many wedding favors have a sense of formality as well. But don’t let this worry you. There are some really great favor ideas for a casual wedding if you know where to look.

Edible Treats

Edible treats are the tastiest favor ideas for a casual wedding. Everything from chocolate covered food items to small candies and cakes can be presented to your guests. Give them a little extra flair with organza packages, favor boxes, or some ribbon, and you have a tasty favor idea that your guests will love.

Photo Frames

For these favor ideas for a casual wedding, you can use regular photo frames or specially made photo frames that serve a dual purpose, like a pencil or paperclip holder. If you’re planning a really small wedding, consider adding a really personal touch, such as a photo of the bride and groom. A personalized “thank you” note or engraving will make your guests feel special as well.

Luggage Tags/Key Chains

Key chains are a great wedding favor idea for casual weddings, and luggage tags are great favor ideas for casual destination weddings. In both instances, your favors can serve as name plates for your guests at the reception, making these favors a great way to cut the cost of your wedding.

Potted Plants

Small starter plants are great favor ideas for casual weddings, but they can serve as green wedding favors as well. To implement this favor idea, make sure you choose a plant that is in season at the time of your wedding. You may also want to add a something small that will indicate the contents to your guests. If potting the plants seems like a little too much, consider giving your guests all the contents they will need to create these great favor ideas for casual weddings right at home.

How to Make Your Wedding Dress Eco-Friendly

Conscious about the environment? Planning an eco-friendly wedding? Not sure how to extend your green wedding ways to your wedding dress? These tips can help.

If you are planning an eco-friendly wedding, you might be interested in learning how you can make your wedding dress eco-friendly, too. But how do you go about it without sacrificing style? Check out these tips and you will find that there are plenty of stylish ways to make your wedding dress “green.”

Buy it “Once-Worn”

Buying your wedding dress used is a great way to make your wedding dress eco-friendly. For most brides, a wedding dress is a one-time outfit. Plenty of brides donate or resell their wedding dress because they just don’t see a point in storing the dress away when someone else can use it.

To ensure that this method of making your wedding dress “green” goes off without a hitch, visit bridal shops and try on dresses. Find the dress you like, get your size, and then search out your wedding dress on-line or through other used outlets. Some bridal shops will even have used wedding dresses to help you make your wedding dress eco-friendly.

It’s All in the Threads

Not into the idea of buying a used dress? Buy a wedding dress made with sustainable fabrics. Organic cotton and hemp-silk are just some of the beautiful fabrics designers are now using to make eco-friendly wedding dresses. These fabrics still provide the same look and style that every bride is looking for, but the fabrics are less damaging on the planet.

Donate Your Wedding Dress

Now that you’ve learned how to make your wedding dress eco-friendly, give another bride the opportunity to make her dress eco-friendly too by donating your wedding dress to a charity. Not only will another bride be able to purchase her dress once-worn, the money from the proceeds will also go towards the organization running the charity. More and more charities are banding together to help brides carry out their eco-friendly missions. What better way is there to make your wedding dress eco-friendly than contributing to a cause you believe in?

Money-Saving Tips for Brides on a Small Budget

Budget-conscious brides need to pay extra attention to wedding details if they want to save money planning a wedding. Here are some money-saving tips for brides on a small budget.

Brides who find themselves on a small budget can benefit from wedding planning money-saving tips for a number of reasons. Not only do money-saving tips help you stay within your budget limits while planning your wedding, but they can also help simplify the entire wedding planning process. For example, combining services or opting for sale items can often give you what you need quicker and more conveniently.

If you’re on a small wedding planning budget and need to watch your spending, then it’s important to focus on the details, because that is where all of your expenses will add up very quickly. Here are some money-saving tips for brides on a small budget:

Buy wedding favors in bulk—This is one tip that really pays attention to the details. Wedding favors are typically seen as extras or tiny details in the grand scheme of things, but their expense can really make a difference in your overall spending. To save some cash and get the favors you need, consider buying your favors in bulk. You get plenty of favors and you end up paying less per favor this way.

Condense with a wedding package—One of the best ways to save money and stick to your modest wedding budget is to condense your larger ceremony and reception venue expenses by condensing with a package deal. Many resorts and venue locations offer affordable package deals that save you money if you use the venue space for both your ceremony and reception, instead of having each part of the event at a separate location. Talk to your wedding planner and on-site coordinators at the venues you’re interested in to discover your options.

Seek alternative dress options—Dress shopping is another area you can save big. Consider bridal dress rentals, which some bridal shops offer, or buying a gown secondhand. You can also buy a gown style that is discontinued and save significantly on your bridal gown expense. This is one of many great money-saving tips for brides on a small budget.

Questions You Should Ask Your Caterer before Hiring Them

With most weddings, catering accounts for the majority of the wedding budget. Make sure you know what you’re paying for and that your reception will go off without a hitch with these important questions to ask your caterer before you hire them. 

Like all of your vendors, there are some very important questions you should ask your caterer. Some of the questions may help you in your hiring decision. Others will help you avoid any last-minute catering mishaps at your wedding. So, whether you are trying to decide which caterer to hire or just trying to make sure your catering services are planned and ready to go, these questions you should ask your caterer will keep you right on track.

The Legal Stuff

Some of the questions you should ask your caterer have to do with the legalities of their business and how they relate to your wedding. If you plan on serving alcohol, you will need to know whether or not the potential caterer has a license to serve alcoholic beverages. If not, you may have to hire separate staff to do so.

References and Portfolios

Having a catering business doesn’t necessarily mean professionalism or high quality. Take the time to check your caterer’s references. Ask them if they have a portfolio of some previously catered events. Look over their portfolio and ask them a lot of questions about the event featured so that you can get an idea as to whether or not the caterer in question can handle your wedding day needs.

Billing

Your catering bill can account for almost half of your total wedding budget, so billing questions should be on the prioritized list of questions you should ask your caterer. Some billing questions you might want to ask include:

Do you require a deposit? How much is it and when is it due?

When is the balance due? How much will it be?

Are there any cancellation fees?

How much is the cost per head? Are gratuities and taxes included?

Are tables, linens, barware, glassware, and other serving items included? How much are they if they cost extra?

Is there a cake cutting fee?

Can you offer a large-volume discount on beverage purchases?

 

Remember that these budget questions you should ask your caterer are meant to help you keep your budget under control and on track.

Tips for Resolving Your Guest List Dilemmas

Arguing over the guest list? Afraid of offending someone? Can’t afford all the guests you want to invite to your wedding? Too many guests for your venue? These tips will help you handle a myriad of guest list dilemmas. 

Resolving your guest list dilemmas can be pretty overwhelming. Plenty of arguments have sprouted from this early wedding planning element. Couples have a hard time agreeing on who should go and who shouldn’t. Both the bride and groom struggle with the process of narrowing down their guest lists to fit the wedding budget and venue accommodations. Worries of offending people by not inviting them start to surface. Yes, the guest list dilemma is one of the most difficult aspects of wedding planning, but there are some tips that can make resolving your guest list dilemmas just a little easier.

Start with Your Dream List

The first step to resolving your guest list dilemmas is to start with your dream list. Bride and groom should make their own lists for this phase. Don’t worry about your venue accommodations. Don’t worry about your budget. Just make a list of every single person you would like to see at your wedding.

Trimming the Fat

The next step in resolving your wedding guest list dilemmas will be a little more difficult because it’s time to come back down to earth. Start by singling out the very most important people on your list – the people that your wedding wouldn’t be complete without. This is your A-list. Set this list of people aside. Now, start to look at the other guests on your list. Consider why they are important. Have you talked to them in the last six months? Do you talk to them regularly? If not, consider removing them from your list. Now look at who is remaining and write this list out. These are your B-list guests.

Bringing it Together

Bride and groom now need to take their A-list guests and combine them. How many guests do the two of you have between each other? Will your budget and venue accommodate all of them? If so, then you have completed your first round of guests. Send out wedding invitations to these guests early and obtain an RSVP from all attending guests. If you have room for more later, then great! Then it’s time to invite those on the B-list. If not, know that the people most important to you will be in attendance and you have successfully completed the task of resolving your guest list dilemmas.

 

Looking for bridal shower favors. Check out this post!

What are the First Steps in the Wedding Planning Process?

All of the steps in the wedding planning process cannot be summed up in a few short sentences, and not every step is cut and dry. However, the process begins with a few standard tasks. Here are the very first steps in the wedding planning process and how to go about them.

The first steps in the wedding planning process are pretty straightforward, but they are also the most crucial. Regardless of how large or small your occasion is going to be, you’ll need to have these first steps taken care of before you move on to the other essential planning tasks. You’ll find that once you have these initial steps taken care of that all of the other details will fall into place and will be easier to plan as you go.

These are the first and most important steps in the wedding planning process:

Set Your Budget—This is crucial right from the start. Discuss finances with your soon-to-be spouse and determine how much you can and are willing to spend. Also discuss whether or not any family members will be helping with the expenses.

Hire a Planner—Although this is an optional step, it’s highly recommended no matter how small your occasion will be. If you want to save money, passing on a wedding planner is not the way to do it. A wedding planner can be invaluable when it comes to putting together your occasion.

Choose a Style and Theme—Decide how formal or informal you’d like your wedding to be and then decide on a style. Pick the color schemes and the theme you’d like to use. This will set you up to choose your cake, decor, floral arrangements, and more.

Choose a Date and a Season—Sit down with your calendar and decide on a date according to the season you’d like to marry in. Remember to take the weather and holidays into account when deciding on a season.

Book Your Locations and Vendors—Your wedding planner will really help you with this step, but you can shop around for ceremony and reception locations and vendors on your own before you even hire a planner if you wish. Choose a location that can accommodate the number of guests you’d like to have and one that complements the style and formality of your elegant wedding.