Your Wedding: How to Plan and What Does it Mean?

This new series called, Your Wedding: How to Plan and What Does it Mean? will be a series of articles giving you a 'quick reference' to keep handy - what happens first, who is invited to what, and who pays? Follow my blog to have easy access to all of them as they appear.

So, he popped the question and you said, "Yes!" What now?

• Announce Your Engagement
  Engagement season is upon us, and many of you ladies and gents will soon be changing your Facebook statuses from “in a relationship” to “engaged,” thus beginning a whirlwind of parties and planning and wedding wonderfulness.
  
  But first thing first: How do you tell the world that you will be marrying the person of your dreams? Whether it be a digital card, a mailed announcement or a simple social media update, this is a perfect time to show off your personalities and have a little fun - be creative!

• Set Your Budget
  The bulk of many wedding etiquette questions center around financial issues. In past generations, the bride's family paid for the majority of the wedding expenses. The groom's lucky family got off with just the rehearsal dinner, and the groom himself paid for the honeymoon, the bride's rings, and assorted other small expenses.
  
  That was then. Nowadays, with the costs of weddings growing and many couples marrying later when they are more likely to have careers and incomes of their own, more brides and grooms are contributing to, or even picking up entirely, the cost of the wedding. And the parents of many grooms are also contributing more than in the past; a popular option is to have the bride's family, the groom's family, and the couple each contribute one-third.
  
  
  For reference, the following is the traditional breakdown of expenses:
  
  Bride's family pays for:
  
      Engagement party (optional)
      Wedding invitations and other stationery (announcements, thank-you notes, etc.)
      Services of bridal consultant
      Wedding gown and accessories
      Flowers for ceremony and reception sites
      Bouquets for bridesmaids
      Music
      Photography
      Videography
      Ceremony
      Reception
      Bridal party transportation to ceremony
      and reception
      Family's wedding attire
  
  Bride pays for:
  
      The groom's ring
      The bridesmaids' luncheon
      Gifts for the bridesmaids
      Wedding gift for the groom
  
  
  Attendants pay for:
  
      Bachelor and bachelorette parties
      Gifts for the bride and groom
      (can purchase individual gifts or chip in on a group gift)
      Wedding attire and accessories
      Transportation to and from wedding town or city
  
     
  Groom's family pays for:
  
      Engagement party (optional)
      Rehearsal dinner
      Their own wedding attire
  
  Groom pays for:
  
      The bride's rings
      The marriage license
      Officiant's fee
      His formalwear
      Personal flowers: the bride's bouquet, boutonnieres for wedding party, corsages for mothers and grandmothers
      Gifts for the groomsmen
      Wedding gift for the bride
      Gifts for parents
      Honeymoon
      Transportation to the honeymoon

Next time: Guest Lists!

Find Your Wedding Syle: a quiz

Are you Rustic chic or ultra modern? Take this quick quiz and get an idea!

1. Your date night involves:
1. Fireside cuddling
2. A Classic - dinner and a movie
3. Mini golf and sushi
4. A hike and a picnic for two
5. Art gallery and cocktails at your favorite hot spot
2. You must have shoes:
1. Soft and worn cowboy boots
2. Classic black heels
3. Sparkly, bow-dazzled ballerina flats
4. Bohemian sandals
5. Patent leather stilettos with rhinestones
3. Your jewelry box has:
1. Antique brooches that have been passed down
2. Diamond studs and a pearl necklace
3. Huge cocktail rings
4. Lots of gold and rosewood bracelets
5. Modern, geometric shapes and lots of bangles
4. Who do you take your coffee?
1. With cream and sugar
2. Earl Grey in fine china
3. Vanilla latte in a polka dot mug
4. Vintage gold-rimmed cup from a flea market
5. Double espresso in a glass mug
5.  Who is your ultimate style girl crush?
1. Taylor Swift
2. Anne Hathaway
3. Zooey Deschanel
4. Sienna Miller
5. Alexa Chung
6. When you envision your wedding, the colors that come to mind are:
1. Neutrals with a dash of metallic
2. Black and White
3. A mix of bright colors and patterns
4. Mixed greens
5. Bold and monochromatic
7. Favored mani/pedi style:
1. A barely-there shade of pink
2. Classic red
3. Neon
4. French mani/pedi
5. Ombre nails in grey
8. When the weather is chilly, you opt for:
1. A cozy, chunky wool sweater
2. A tailored peacoat
3. A cheeky cape in a bold color
4. A faux fur vest
5. A leather motorcycle jacket
9. What kind of flower girl are you?
1. Olive branches and lavender
2. Fluffy, gorgeous peonies
3. I love the pop of a yellow billy ball
4. A mix of fresh-picked wild-flowers
5. I love all things succulent
10. If you had to pick a favorite romantic movie:
1. Legends of the Fall
2. Casablanca
3. Amelie
4. Mamma Mia
5. Love Actually
11. Imagine your dream home:
1. Ranch-style with wide open fields
2. New England colonial with a white picket fence
3. Vintage warehouse with exposed brick
4. Villa with a courtyard and gardens
5. Big city loft with a Euro kitchen
12. Your ideal sweet treats for wedding-day nibbling:
1. Homemade pies
2. Three tiered vanilla cake with raspberry filling and fondant
3. Doughnuts and macarons
4. A cake with buttercream frosting, topped with fresh flowers
5. Ice-cream sandwiches served from a food truck

 If you have:
Mostly 1s - you are a chic rustic bride
Mostly 2s - Classic
Mostly 3s - Whimsical
Mostly 4s - Al fresco
Mostly 5s - Thoroughly modern

Your Wedding: How to Plan and What Does it Mean?

Fall Color Damask Wedding Invitation

This fun design is called Fall Color Damask Wedding. The background is a soft cream color. At the top there is a celery green stripe and at the bottom a mulberry red and celery colored damask pattern. On the front in the center there is a medallion for your names or some more information. Perfect for a fall wedding. This set has invitations, save the date cards, response cards, thank you cards, table number tent cards, envelope seals, wine labels, binders, and return address labels available. Use the envelope seal stickers for any of your DIY gifts - these are available in both large and small sizes!

Fall Color Damask Wedding Invitation by NoteableExpressions
Look at more Wedding Invitations at zazzle

 

5" x 7" Invitation

Make custom invitations and announcements for every special occasion! Add photos and text to both sides of this flat card for free.

• 5" x 7" (portrait) or 7" x 5" (landscape). Additional sizes available.
• High quality, full-color, full-bleed printing on both sides.
• 20 unique paper types and colors.
• Standard white envelope included.
• Premium Envelopments pocket folds, colored envelopes, and envelope liners available.
• Postage rate for this size invitation (up to 1 oz.) is $0.46.
• Printed in California.

Basic

A crisp professional paper with a smooth matte finish designed for vibrant full-color printing. 110lb cover-weight. 50% recycled content (10% post-consumer and 40% pre-consumer waste).

And Now You Know...Wedding Truths from the Brides

When it comes to working with brides there are some universal truths. Many brides quickly start feeling over-whelmed -- usually from information overload -- leaving her feeling confused.

That confusion often starts with the dress itself. Many brides don't know how to dress for their body type. Always try on a variety of styles, everything from a billowing ball gown to a slinky mermaid - even if it is just to rule out a particular style.

A bride is often confident about what she thinks she wants. No one throws a wedding every year and so they have no idea how much letterpress printing, out-of-season flowers, or decorating professionals actually cost. Educate yourself before you plan your budget. That way you won't have any nasty surprises and can choose what you really want to splurge on.

Brides really do want to get their grooms involved in the planning process but usually don't know how. One way is to start by finding out what he really enjoys. For some it may be the music, and for some it may be the food. Focus on that first, compromise when needed and then move on.

Everyone wants to feel special on their wedding day but make sure that you don't go too far. Just because you love the scene from Fantasia where the hippo danced on point in a tu-tu doesn't mean that your bridal party wants to re-enact it. Unique - yes. Absurd? Stay away.

Fall Breezes Wedding Invitation

This beautiful design is perfect for setting a romantic feel for your fall wedding. On the front is a beautiful rich gold brown background with a lighter ribbon of color on the right side with leaves falling. Your customizable text goes in the center. Matching Save the Date cards, Response cards, Table Number tent cards, Thank You cards, Envelope Seals, and Wine Labels.

Fall Breezes Invitation by NoteableExpressions
Check out Fall wedding Invitations online at zazzle

5" x 7" Invitation

Make custom invitations and announcements for every special occasion! Add photos and text to both sides of this flat card for free.

• 5" x 7" (portrait) or 7" x 5" (landscape). Additional sizes available.
• High quality, full-color, full-bleed printing on both sides.
• 20 unique paper types and colors.
• Standard white envelope included.
• Premium Envelopments pocket folds, colored envelopes, and envelope liners available.
• Postage rate for this size invitation (up to 1 oz.) is $0.46.
• Printed in California.

Basic

A crisp professional paper with a smooth matte finish designed for vibrant full-color printing. 110lb cover-weight. 50% recycled content (10% post-consumer and 40% pre-consumer waste).

 

Wedding Tips: Partners, Fiances, and Boyfriends - Who to invite?

Partners, boyfriends, fiances...who gets an invitation?

So you are trying to manage your guest list and wondering if you can leave out Mary's boyfriend. After all you don't know him very well. Is it rude or just good wedding business? The rule of thumb is to invite the partner of anyone who is married, engaged, living with someone, or in a relationship of six months or more.