How to Honor a Deceased Loved One at Your Wedding

Question: Five months ago my dad whom I was extremely close to passed away at the young age of 52. I am looking for a very special yet unique idea as to how to honor him at my wedding. Any suggestions would be of great help because I am not sure what to do when one of the most important people that is supposed to be at the wedding is not going to be there. I am 22 years old if that helps with the ideas, and he was my best friend. Oh, and what about the father-daughter dance???  Thanks ~ Erica

NEAnswer:  Its wonderful that you are intending to honor your dad at your wedding in order to make him a part of your day, and to serve as a reminder that his spirit is there with you.

1. For starters, you'll want to mention his name on your wedding invitation (example: Erica, daughter of Mrs.__________and the late Mr.________ ).

2. You might want to include a framed photo of him at the guest sign-in table at the reception to honor him and keep him remembered on the bid day.

3. Mention him in your after-dinner speech (if you intend to make one).

4. Make an "In Memory of" notation in your wedding ceremony program (towards the end) and include a brief one or two line verse about how athough he is no longer here in physical form, his presence remains with you, or something equally appropriate.

5. If he passed away of a particular cause, you might want to make a donation in each of your guests names to support the cause instead of giving away traditional wedding favors. Give each guest a printed piece of paper that says, "In Memory of ______________, a donation has been made to the American Heart Association in your name".

6. A growing trend is to include a photo charm in your bridal bouquet - it's a beautiful way to incorporate your loved one's memory into your special day. If you would like to see my selection of photo charms visit Noteable Expressions.

In regards to the father-daughter dance, keep in mind that not every bride does this at her wedding. Today, there are plenty of brides out there who didn't grow up with fathers in their lives, for one reason or another, so they simply eliminate the daughter-father dance. But if you prefer, if you have someone (older brother, favorite uncle, godfather, etc) who you feel is worthy of stepping into your dad's shoes on his behalf for the dance, you could ask them to do the honors, and just have the MC or DJ make mention of this when it is time for the dance. This again will help keep your dad's memory alive throughout this important day.

Art Deco Bride Wedding Invitation

Predicted to continue as a popular trend is the art deco theme. This design has a gray background with a blue border. To the left side on the invitation there is a hand-drawn graphic representing a bride.

Art Deco Bride Wedding Invitation by NoteableExpressions
Browse Art deco wedding Invitations online at Zazzle.com

The Dos and Don'ts of Reception Cards

I’ve received a fair amount of inquiries lately about reception cards and what purpose they serve as part of your wedding ensemble, thus I thought I’d share my reception card etiquette with my dedicated wedding bloggers.

When planning your wedding, you have two options for your reception – your reception will either be at the same location as your ceremony or at a separate location following the ceremony.  When your reception immediately follows your wedding ceremony at the same location, a simple “reception to follow” or “reception immediately following” at the end of your wedding invitation is appropriate, and you won’t need an enclosure card with additional details.

If your reception and ceremony are at two different locations you will want, (and likely need), a separate reception card, which you can include with your wedding invitation.  It should list “reception to follow” followed by the  time of the reception, (if not immediately following), as well as the name and address of the reception location.  You can even choose to include attire information, parking information or age requirements, (adult reception), at the bottom of the reception card.  The reception card is great because you can keep your wedding invitation about the ceremonial love, vows and commitment you’ll be making, and add any little extra important details to your reception card.  Just be sure that you don’t list wedding registry information on this card.

When you assemble your wedding invitations, your reply set will be placed on top of your wedding invitation, and the reception card on top of that, so that the reception card is immediately noticed by your guests.  You don’t want to put it behind the invitation in case they miss it.  Your guests may want to bring the reception card with them to your ceremony so that they are able to find your reception location easily.  Be sure it is a small card that coordinates with your wedding ensemble.

To shop my Reception Cards visit me!

Art Deco Black White Silver Medallion Wedding Invitation

This beautiful and elegant design, called Art Deco Black White Silver Medallion Wedding, has a black background. There is a pattern of small white diamond shapes. There are three sets of metallic looking stripes and a medallion in the center with a white background.

Art Deco Black White Silver Medallion Wedding Invitation by NoteableExpressions
Check out Art deco wedding Invitations online at zazzle

Perfect Postage for Wedding Invitations

It’s what everyone fears.  You spend $200 on the perfect party invitations, another $75 on having a calligrapher hand-write your envelopes, and then you put the invitations in the envelopes and mail them and then realize later that you haven’t yet had one RSVP.  The next day you receive all your invitations returned to you with hideous markings all over them from the post office for insufficient postage.  Now not only did you waste money on stamps, you now have to re-stamp them, add extra postage and purchase new envelopes, putting you another week behind.  It happens to the best of us!

Make sure your next party mailing isn’t a postage catastrophe by checking the required postage requirements prior to mailing out your invitations.  At Noteable Expressions I do my best to alert customers when an item automatically will require postage, be it due to size, weight or bulk.  There are so many factors that go into postage that you may not think of.  It’s not just the size of the item.  It can be the size, for example, a square envelope, which adds 20 cents to your normal postage fee.  It can be the weight, which adds another 20 cents, or the size, which can start at 80 cents an envelope, plus 20 cents an ounce for weight.  Remember that things like rhinestones, bows or pockets also increase your postage costs due to the “bulk” of the envelope when mailing.  Many of these types of invitations may need to be “hand cancelled” at the post office, which means someone, (or you), hand stamp the envelope for mailing, rather than having the invitation envelope run through a machine, as with a normal bill or mailing envelope.

So how do you avoid a postage disaster?  I always say, if you are concerned or have the slightest feeling that your envelope may be too heavy or too large, go to the post office and have the postman check for you before you mail them – especially if you are sending multiple cards in one envelope, like an invitation with a registry card or a directions card.  Remember that even the slightest thing, like the humidity, can affect the weight of your paper, especially if you have a textured or particularly porous stationery.  When in doubt, add on an extra stamp or two, it may just save you from a return postage mishap.

Stop by to shop my designer postage stamps!

Art Deco Band Wedding Invitation

Predicted to continue as a popular trend is the art deco theme. This design has a gray textured background with a white inset. There is a silver and black band going across the design highlighting your words.

Art Deco Band Wedding Invitation by NoteableExpressions
Browse more Art deco wedding Invitations at Zazzle

Party Invitations vs. E-Vites

It’s the word that makes me cringe when I hear someone suggest it…the dreaded e-vite. Of course I understand the coolness factor of the e-vite, it’s convenient, quick and cost-effective. However, it also can be so impersonal. When did things switch from the hand-made, crafty and creative days over to the quick, need-it-now society that we all (self-admittedly) adore?

A printed party invitation is the perfect way to create a memento for your event, before the party, at the party and after. From the moment your guest opens their party envelope, your printed invitations say a little bit about you, the host, being that you took the time to find the perfect invitation to coordinate with your event. Your invitation will set the scene for your event by reflecting your party theme and being elegantly printed with your party details. Guests will post your invitation on their fridge to save the date and get excited before the party date arrives.

At your party your invitation will come to life with your party theme, and afterwards you can save your party invitation for scrapbooking or framing to commemorate the event. Whether it’s your child’s birthday party invitation, graduation invitation or a wedding invitation, I know that just glancing at your invitation will bring back memories. Something tells me that a printout from your e-vite or facebook party page can’t do that.

Let your next party invitation stand out and grab the attention of your guests…years from now you’ll remember how much fun you had picking out your special invitation, the rave reviews you received from your guests, and how much fun it is to relive your party every time you glance at that party invitation page in your scrapbook.