An Invitation Assembling Get Together

Weekly Wedding Tip
brought to you by bridalguide.com
"Try to allow at least a month to assemble your invitations and address the envelopes - and consider calling on your bridesmaids to help."

To help you better estimate when to assemble your invitations - the average guideline to follow for sending the invitations is 8 weeks before the wedding and ask for an RSVP date 3 weeks before your wedding. If you don't get to send them out until 6 weeks before the big day, ask for an RSVP date of 2 weeks before the wedding. You'll want to make sure you have enough time to start creating your place cards, making final head counts and seating arrangements, assembling favors, etc. So, if you want to plan a fun day with your bridesmaids to assemble your invitations, you are looking at having a get together around 3 months before the big day.

Invitations shown above are from the new releases at eInvite

Saving Money on Limo Rental Costs

Weekly Wedding Tip
brought to you by bridalguide.com

"To cut down limo rental costs, request a color other than black or white, such as a subtle blue or burgundy."

For my own wedding, my husband and I rented a silver PT Cruiser. Our wedding reception was a bit of a drive from the church ceremony so it was fun to spend time together and talk before meeting our guests for the party. We also didn't feel rushed as can sometimes happen with limo rentals because the car stayed with us at the location and we drove home in it the next day. (our reception was on the grounds of a B&B and we stayed there that first night before meeting family the next day and opening our wedding presents)

What will be your mode of transportation on your wedding day?

Wedding Restroom Baskets

Weekly Wedding Tip
brought to you by bridalguide.com

"Keep a pretty basket filled with useful goodies like safety pins, a sewing kit, aspirin, a hairbrush, hair spray, and extra panty hose in the rest room at your reception."

You might even consider creating 2 restroom baskets - one for the men and one for the ladies. Of course, the men's bathroom basket is much simpler and could include mints and/or gum, spray deodorant, a comb, antacids, dental floss, and a lint brush. Their basket could even be an overturned top hat. For the ladies room, you probably want to get a little prettier and tie a ribbon on it and in addition to the items mentioned above, you might also include tampons and sanitary pads (discretely placed in the back, but still noticeable), mints and/or gum, bobby pins, spray deodorant, hand lotion, clear nail polish, hand sanitizer, antacids, dental floss, Band-aids, a comb, a laundry pen, emery boards, and you might consider bug repellent for outdoor weddings. In addition to the basket, you might want to add a box or 2 of tissues.

For those who choose to purchase a pre-made restroom basket, Gift Basket Classics has a nice one (shown in photo above).

Anybody have any additional ideas? Will you be putting a basket together for your wedding?

Hiring a Wedding Planner

Weekly Wedding Tip
brought to you by bridalguide.com
Above Image Credits: Event Expressions
(Tara and her team specialize in the creation of celebrations that are unique, personalized, and elegant.)

"Though hiring a wedding consultant may seem like an expensive indulgence, a professional who's clued in to the bridal business is better equipped to get you the best prices and deals."

With the wedding planning business rapidly growing, I'm almost certain you would be able to find a planner easily in your area that fits within your budget. Plus, hiring a wedding planner helps take a lot of the pressure and stress off of you, so you can have fun planning your wedding. (and, sometimes you might be able to find an officiant/Justice of the Peace who is also a wedding planner)

Did you hire a wedding planner or do you plan on having one?

Brides and their Mother in Law

Weekly Wedding Tip
brought to you by bridalguide.com
"In developing your new relationship with your mother-in-law-to-be, find interests the two of you share and start building a friendship based on them. Love may come in time, but "like" is more important right now."

I'm going to need your input and advice on this tip as I was never able to meet my mother-in-law. She passed away when my husband was in his early teens, so the only "memories" I have of her are from photos my husband has shown me. In our church programs, we gave tribute to my husband's mom and all our friends and family that could not be with us on our special day.

Do you have any advice for brides that are developing a relationship with their future mother-in-law?

Borrowed Wedding Decorations

Weekly Wedding Tip
brought to you by bridalguide.com
"If you're holding your reception in a hotel or restaurant, ask if they have decorations you could borrow to spruce things up, rather than spending extra for more flowers. They may already be beautifully decorated, especially between Thanksgiving and New Year's."

If you plan to be married in a church, you will probably be able to also take advantage of their decorations if marrying during the winter holiday season. It never hurts to ask because saving a bit of money on decorations will let you have a bit more towards something else you would really like for your wedding.

Is anybody planning to use decorations that are either already on display or ones that the venue has available?

Image Credits:
Left: Renaissance Zurich Hotel's flickr gallery
Right: Eastern Marriott's flickr gallery

Same Flower Type Bouquets

Weekly Wedding Tip
brought to you by bridalguide.com
"Buying all one type of a flower is generally less expensive than getting smaller amounts of a range of blooms, and it can have considerable dramatic impact both in bouquets and in table arrangements."

Is anybody considering this for either their bouquets or table centerpieces? Has anybody already done this for their wedding?

And, if you're looking for something other than flowers for your tables, why not a fruit bouquet? I love the strawberry bouquet - it would be the most unique table centerpiece for an outdoor summer wedding or bridal shower.

Image Credits:
Tulip Bouquet and Centerpiece: [griff] [griff]'s flickr gallery
Calla Lily Bouquet: Fi20100's flickr gallery
Strawberry Bouquet: sunflower [nami]'s flickr gallery
Sunflower Bouquet: Marta Potoczek's flickr gallery
Rose Bouquet: ProFlowers

A Small Wedding Cake to Save Money

Weekly Wedding Tip
brought to you by bridalguide.com
"Have your cake. and save money too, by ordering a smaller cake for display and for you to cut the first slice. Then supplement that with less ornately decorated sheet cakes of the same flavor and icing, to be cut and served from the kitchen."

I've noticed that having smaller wedding cakes at receptions has become a growing trend for brides who want to cut down on some of their expenses. An added benefit of having the sheet cake is that the slices can be pre-cut and ready to serve as soon as the cutting cake is removed from display. No need for your guests to wait while the display cake is cut.

Another cost saving option is to serve a dessert bar to your guests and offer coffee and tea along with several small wedding cakes and maybe some cupcakes instead of a larger cake or purchasing a sheet cake.

Do you plan to have a smaller wedding cake and then serve your guests slices from a sheet cake?

Image Credits: (all from flickr galleries)
Top Left: Amy Sandoval Photography
Top Right: Kylie Lambert of Le Cupcake
Bottom: Amanda Leamons

Your Photographer and Location Site

Weekly Wedding Tip
brought to you by bridalguide.com
"Ask your photographer to visit your ceremony and reception sites in advance so she's familiar with the space and lighting needs."

I think this is a great tip and maybe your photographer has even been to your location site for a previous wedding. While at the NJ Wedding Salon recently - I was at a photographers booth and a newly engaged couple came up and asked if he was familiar with a particular reception site. He was and even starting suggesting the best places for some great shots. If your photographer has already been there, you might even be able to see some of those photos if they have them in their portfolio. Has your photographer been to your location site for a previous wedding? Or will you be asking them to visit the site to familiarize themselves with the location?

Image Credit: (isn't this one of the cutest ideas for a pic?)
Alter Image Studio (found via their flickr gallery)

Who tackles which wedding chore?

Weekly Wedding Tip
brought to you by bridalguide.com
"Divide and conquer: Whenever possible, divvy up the wedding chores according to your interests and expertise. If your fiance is a gourmet cook, let him take over picking the caterer. If you're a crack negotiator, you take charge of vendor contracts."

For my own wedding nearly 6 years ago, my husband planned and booked our honeymoon. I knew where we were going and he would show me places where we could stay, but he did all the calling and making of reservations. For the wedding itself - I dealt with the florist and for the other vendors, we were both involved.

How is your wedding chore list being tackled?

Above Image Credit:
Karen's flickr gallery from French Kiss Pastries in the Philippines

Weekly Wedding Tip

brought to you by bridalguide.com
Wedding Invitation Postage
"Don't be tempted to economize on invitation postage costs by using bulk-rate. First-class is a must if you don't want your invitations to get held up in the mail or even lost."

The following are great options for your first-class invitation mailings:
1. Love Stamps: The post office just released 3 new love and wedding themed stamps on June 10th.

2. Personalized Stamps: Web sites like Occasion Invasion, White Wedding and Perfect Postage offer wedding stamps where you can choose among pre-made designs or customize designs with your monogram or names to create actual US postage. Other web sites like Photo Stamps and Picture It Postage allow you to create real postage using your own photos or images. I am sure your guests will love receiving your wedding invitation with a personalized stamp.

Image Credits:
Sample Invitation with custom Bride and Groom postage from Photo Stamps, Birds in Love, Celebrate with Us, and Blue Chocolate Flower by Marbia Studios, I Do design by Marie7990, Flip Flop Postage Stamp design by Michelle Mospens (perfect for destination weddings)

Weekly Wedding Tip

brought to you by bridalguide.com
Saving Money on Floral Displays
"Save money on costly floral centerpieces by using your bridesmaids' bouquets to decorate the head table or the cake table."

I think placing your bridesmaids bouquets around the cake table is a great idea. Not only will it add a nice touch to the cake display, but it will keep their bouquets in a safe place while they enjoy the party. If using the bridesmaids' bouquets at the head table, you might consider placing an empty vase with water at each bridesmaid's reception table setting. Not only will the presentation look nice, but it will keep their bouquets looking like they were just picked (especially perfect for outdoor summer receptions). And another option for the bridesmaids' bouquets could be as a colorful display on the buffet table. Will you be using your bridesmaids' bouquets to help decorate your reception location?

Image Credits:
Left: Pampered Bride Weddings
Right: Critsey Rowe Photography

Weekly Wedding Tip

brought to you by bridalguide.com
Wedding Cake Samples
"We know it's a lot to ask, but do be sure to sample the work of at least three cake bakers before you book one. And don't skimp on price - a cheap cake often means inferior ingredients and taste."

For my own wedding, this is something that I did not do and as a result, we did not get the cake we expected. Although, I'm not quite sure we would have been able to find 3 cake bakers near our wedding reception site. We were married in a church, but had our reception on the grounds of a B&B a little over an hour away. There was only 1 caterer that worked nearby and he told us he worked with a bakery that would create our cake based on our design requests. If I could do it over again, never would I have just said "ok". I would have insisted on meeting with the baker myself to discuss our cake options. The design of the cake was basic and did match the picture I supplied, and it did taste good - but there was NO raspberry filling as we had been promised. I was so disappointed when the cake arrived in front of me and didn't see a stripe of reddish-pink down the middle. Knowing what I know now, I would definitely have called around to more bakeries to sample their cakes. Even if the baker is out of your area, many will provide delivery options to your reception site. I can honestly say that sampling a cake is a MUST!

Image Credits:
Top Left: mikeying88's flickr photo gallery
Top Right: from Hankins flickr photo gallery
Bottom Left and Right: Martha Stewart

Weekly Wedding Tip

brought to you by bridalguide.com
Deciding on a Wedding Gown
"Even if the first gown you try on screams "you," make yourself model a few more styles before deciding. If possible, sleep on it before you commit."

For my own wedding I was convinced I had to find a dress that would allow me to wear a bra with it. I had never worn a strapless before and didn't quite understand how the world of undergarments for a formal event worked. Thank goodness the dress consultant I was working with made me try on a wedding gown with spaghetti straps. She said they would simply sew cups into the dress . . . who knew it could be so easy? As soon as I tried on that dress I knew it was ”the one”.

Personally, I recommend trying on a few styles that you may not have even considered - you never know - you might just find your dream wedding dress unexpectedly. How did you find your dress? Did you try on many styles at one shop or visit a few places? Did you sleep on it and then make your decision? I'd love to hear about your wedding gown shopping experiences.

At the bridalguide.com's wedding dress gallery you can browse by designer to find the wedding dress of your dreams.

Wedding Dresses as shown (left to right)
Mori Lee from PerfectBridal.com
Chiffon Empire Dress from David's Bridal
Watters And Watters from PerfectBridal.com

Weekly Wedding Tip

brought to you by bridalguide.com
Wedding Travel Guides
"Welcome out-of-town guests with a customized travel guide full of your recommendations for restaurants, shops, museums, nightlife, and places to pass the time between wedding events. A laser-printed listing, mailed ahead or left in their hotel room, is perfect."

Here's a great idea if don't want to create a travel guide yourself - Beau-coup now offers blackbook city guides that are exclusive to their site. These guides are pocket sized and include detailed maps and carefully researched information on the best restaurants, cafes and nightlife. These guide books are perfect for welcome baskets and at Beau-coup, you can personalize your guidebook with your names and wedding date on the cover. Currently, there are 6 titles to select from: New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Chicago, Miami and the their popular Jet Set Guide which covers New York, Paris and Los Angeles. You can choose your font and the placement of your text to make your own special edition.

Of course, your options are unlimited if you choose to create and print your own travel guide for your wedding guests. I love handmade guides that are tied together with ribbon like the samples shown above. Adding a scalloped edge to the guide pages will add an elegant finishing touch. Will you be providing your wedding guests with a customized travel guide? I'd love to hear your ideas.

Handmade programs and guides as pictured:
Left: from clared23's flickr gallery
Right: from Lana Stewart's flickr gallery

Weekly Wedding Tip

brought to you by bridalguide.com
Toss Bouquets
"Unless you don't mind sacrificing your beautiful bridal bouquet, you'll want to order a second one for tossing. Ask your florist to arrange a smaller bouquet, perhaps using inexpensive flowers, so you don't have to part with the original."

For my own wedding, my husband and I decided to forgo both the traditional bouquet and garter toss. But, I can definitely understand why you'd want a toss bouquet so you can keep your own bouquet as a momento of the special day. Will you be having a toss bouquet created for your wedding reception? You might even be able to find a florist that offers a complimentary toss bouquet as part of their wedding floral package.

Another twist to the bouquet toss that I think is so clever, would be to create multiple bouquets (maybe 5) for a "fortune bouquet toss". You could either have mini versions of your own bouquet or a breakaway bouquet. Each bouquet would include a tag with a fortune on it - this way you could invite all the female guests out to participate, not just the single ones.

A few other options for a toss bouquet:
- make a mini bouquet with silk flowers so the catcher can have a keepsake
- you might want to do something just for the kids and toss a stuffed animal
Do you have any other ideas?

To preserve your own bridal bouquet - you might consider either Florage or Heller and Reid.

Please look for a new wedding tip each week, courtesy of bridalguide.com. These tips will now be a regular feature of the blog.

Above Bridal Bouquets with corresponding Toss Bouquets from ProFlowers