Wedding Tips – All In The Invite

July 25, 2012

Four Tips For A Destination Wedding Rehearsal Dinner

A rehearsal dinner is an intimate meal for the immediate family members of the bride and groom, and for members of the wedding party. A destination wedding, however, can add a layer of etiquette complexity. While the rehearsal dinner is usually small and relaxing, you may have to settle for a bigger-than-normal dining experience for a destination wedding—to make guests who fly in, possibly from very long distances, feel welcome. Applying etiquette rules to a rehearsal dinner for a destination wedding requires thoughtful consideration of everyone involved.

Tradition

Traditional wedding etiquette makes the groom’s family responsible for planning and paying for the rehearsal dinner. Additionally, traditional wedding etiquette includes only the immediate family and the members of the wedding party. This means that the bride and her family should not add people outside of this group to this special dinner without first consulting the groom’s family. At the same time, the groom’s family should remember that a distant great-aunt of the bride who took the time to come to the wedding probably deserves a seat at the rehearsal dinner.

Geography

Geography plays an important part in rehearsal dinner etiquette for a destination wedding. If the destination is outside of the United States or in Hawaii, the bride and groom should go the extra mile for the guests. So, the groom’s family should consider including extra guests at the rehearsal dinner to make them feel welcome.

Size

Destination weddings tend to be smaller, for the simple reason that fewer people can travel to the location. If the wedding does not have more than 40 or 50 people attending, it might be possible to include everyone in the rehearsal dinner. In fact, for destination weddings, the rehearsal dinner can easily be a relaxing experience, a “night before” party, so that everyone is ready for the wedding the next day. No, the rehearsal dinner may not be traditional, but as the wedding itself is not necessarily traditional, there is no reason not to bend the rules a little.

Considerations

Because destination weddings are more challenging for everyone—from the bride and the groom to the guests that attend—the rules for the rehearsal dinner sometimes change. For instance, the bride and the groom might offer to host the dinner instead of the groom’s parents, as a way to thank everyone for coming to the wedding. At the same time, the bride and the groom should not assume this responsibility without first discussing it with the groom’s family to avoid unintentionally insulting anyone.

Whatever the decision is about the rehearsal dinner, the primary focus should be on relaxation and on making everyone feel welcome. Traveling to a distant location for the wedding is already difficult; add to this challenge that guests might feel awkward not knowing what to do while they wait for the wedding (particularly if the wedding is outside the U.S.), and hospitality is the key. The best decision might be for the groom’s family to arrange a small pre-wedding party or invite every guest to the rehearsal dinner.

July 12, 2012

5 Ways To Look Ten Pounds Thinner On Your Wedding Day

Five tricks for a longer, leaner you — minus the dieting.

I haven’t met a bride yet who doesn’t want to look her absolute best on her wedding day. It’s just so hard to keep to a regular workout routine. Fortunately there’s an article over on the TheKnot that gives a few shortcuts you might want to try out.

Flatter Your Figure

Though alterations will ensure your dress fits, choosing a wedding gown that shows off your best assets (and camouflages your less-than-fab spots) will make sure it flatters. Trying to hide your hips? Go with a romantic empire waist gown or a strapless, full-skirted style. Want to suck it all in? A corseted ball gown is a great option to show off your bust, whittle your waist, and hide hips and thighs. And if you want to show off your curves (or create some), try a mermaid-style gown. A good bet for every body type: an A-line silhouette, which fits at the bust and waist with a skirt that gently flares out from the hips.

Get a Good Support System

Undergarments that fit well are key to a sleek silhouette. To avoid the dreaded bra bulge and create the right amount of cleavage (nothing that will scandalize the grandmas!), get a professional bra fitting to be sure you’re wearing the right size. Then, buy a few bras — check the store’s policy, but you can generally return them with the tags — so you can try them on with your gown and find exactly the right one.

If any part of the lower half of your gown is fitted, invest in some good shapewear. Our favorites are made by Spanx — they’re lightweight, breathable, and come in tons of colors and styles. They’re also available in different materials, so you can find garments that won’t cling to your gown’s fabric but will still nip and tuck you in all the right places.

Stand Up for Yourself

Proper posture can make a big difference in how you look — and don’t worry, it doesn’t mean you have to stand at attention all day long. A couple of simple tips can keep you upright and looking svelte. First, keep your shoulders back. If you find your shoulders slouching forward (totally natural if you’re tired or nervous!), shrug them up toward your ears a couple of times to loosen yourself up and shift your shoulders back.

Second, try to keep your back straight. Again, the secret is in your shoulders — you should feel like there’s a straight line dropping from them to your hips. If one starts to get ahead of the other, shift yourself and realign. Remember, it’s not about standing still all the time — that’s actually more likely to make you slouch! Instead, shift your weight as it feels comfortable to do so, keeping the position of your shoulders and hips in mind from time to time.

Give Your Height a Boost

We’re not going to lie and say they’re comfortable, but wearing heels is one of the simplest ways to appear thinner. Think about it: Say you’re normally five feet, four inches and you weigh 140 pounds. Put on a pair of two-inch heels and suddenly you’re five feet, six inches — but you still weigh 140 pounds! It’s not just about having longer legs; heels instantly trick the eye into reapportioning your weight over a taller frame. Worried about foot fatigue? Skip the spindly stilettos and go for something with more support, like a wedge heel, and don’t push it too high — no more than three inches.

Strike the Right Pose

Your wedding photos are how you’ll remember your wedding day, so ensure you’ll remember that you looked fabulous! Keep your shoulders back, and flatter your jaw line by pushing your chin forward. If you can, keep your body slightly turned — you’ll look slimmer than if you’re facing straight at the camera. The most ideal look is to tilt your shoulders toward the photographer with your hips on an angle, which makes your waist and hips look instantly narrower.

Especially key for brides? Hold your arms slightly away from your body rather than pressing them against your sides. It can be tough (especially if you’ve been holding that bouquet all day!) but it makes a huge difference. While it seems like a lot to keep track of, don’t forget that you can practice! With all of those prewedding parties, you’re going to have your picture taken pretty often — take advantage so that on your wedding day you can give ’em your best shots.

May 25, 2012May 21, 2012

8 Ways To Keep Your Wedding Guests Happy

When you start planning your wedding, you will be consumed with details that might take months to complete. Think about it. You’ve got to make decisions about the ceremony, receptions, rehearsals, attendants, flowers, food, music, your dress, decorations, a honeymoon to plan and wedding guests to accommodate, to name just a few.

Don’t Make Them Travel Too Far

Think about the logistics of your wedding, your reception and the hotel/motel accommodations you’ve arranged for out-of-town guests. Since popular site bookings for weddings tend to fill up early, it would be a good idea to book your wedding site, reception hall and the overnight accommodations for your guests as early as possible in order to get them reasonably close to each other.

Pass on the receiving line

Thank each guest for coming during the reception (table by table or as a toast) and don’t hold up the party by having a receiving line. Trust us, your guests will appreciate not having to wait around after the ceremony.

Plan Your Menu Carefully

Food is another possible mistake at your reception. Your guests will be hungry and hors devours and a supply of cold soft drinks will be welcomed by those who arrive at the ceremony before the bride and groom. If you are serving the traditional reception meal, stick to customary food. You will be serving a meal to many guests with many different tastes and tolerances for food. Your taste for exotic dishes or ethnic selections will not be a hit at your reception with children and those with tender stomachs. Any caterer can help you with your food selection. It might be a good idea to send a request for information about any food allergies to your reception guests along with your invitation.

The Never Ending Speech

While guests appreciate the sentiment of wedding speeches, sometimes they can be too much of a good thing. If you have many people speaking–even if the speeches are good ones–it can become boring for the guests. Harsh? Perhaps. True? Definitely. Keep it as short and sweet as possible and should be refreshing for guests to hear.

Two Strangers and a Wedding

Nobody likes being at a table of strangers. A table where strangers are all seated together will be very uncomfortable for your guests. You should attempt to strike a balance and arrange a mixture of guests where everyone knows a few people at their table. This way everyone will feel comfortable chatting with him or her and have a great time at the reception.

Stick To Your Timeline

Sticking to your time frame will keep prompt guests happy. Consider hiring a wedding planner. They keep you on track. They live by their calendar, their lists, and their plans. They are super organized and make sure that you are always on track and on schedule with your wedding plans. They are the “mothers” of the wedding world. Don’t write the start time on your wedding invitation as 4:30pm if you really meant the ceremony to start at 5 pm.

I Can’t See Who I’m Sitting With

Table centerpieces are a key element to dressing your room although they can sometimes cause issues for your guests. Choose low floral arrangements or something high with a thin stem so that the main arrangement is above eye level. This will make it easier for everyone on the table to see and talk to each other, helping them feel involved in the conversation.

We have to pay for our drinks?

Having a cash bar, is a big don’t. All ceremony and reception costs should be covered. If the bar is breaking your budget, scale back by limiting what type of alcohol is served. Most guests feel that if they are going to the time and expense of attending your wedding, the least the happy couple can do is make sure they don’t have to peck their way through the Chicken Dance stone cold sober.

April 23, 2012May 3, 2012

{Blunders to Steer Clear Of} Offering to Cover Wedding Related Expenses

We’re back today with a continuation of our series on: Blunders to Steer Clear of After Getting Engaged.

Today we evaluate a mistake that is huge. Staying within your wedding budget is difficult enough. If a bridesmaid agrees to be in your bridal party make sure you don’t assume she understands what her responsibilities are.

This may be her first time participating in a wedding. She may accept your invitation if she is under the impression that you are covering her costs. Creative way to ask your BFF to be in your wedding. (if you have not seen these you need to check them out.) Put your own spin on asking your girlfriends the oh-so important question. Will you Be My Bridesmaid?

Don’t Go There

Don’t offer to pay for something you can’t afford. You may have the very best motives but you have your own budget to consider. Being asked to be a part of the wedding party is an honor. Be clear about your expectations and her level of commitment. Lay out what her responsibilities are as your bridesmaid.

Money talks are a somewhat complicated subject to address. Talk to her and be honest. Let her know she’s one of your top choices but you understand if she has other commitments that make it difficult for her to take part.

While you may not be obligated to pay, you should be considerate of how your decisions will affect your bridal party. At the very least, make their financial obligations clear as soon as possible and try to make choices that don’t place too much burden on them.

April 16, 2012May 3, 2012

{Blunders to Steer Clear Of} Are You Leaving Him Out?

A continuation of our series: Blunders To Steer Clear Of After Getting Engaged

Mistake #3 – Leaving Your Groom Out of the Planning Process

Get Your Groom Involved in the Wedding Planning

The days of solo wedding planning are behind us. Not only are mothers and daughters concerned with the wedding plans but so are many of modern-day grooms. Don’t assume he doesn’t want to help. Get him involved. Don’t leave him out. After all, it’s important for both of you to feel connected to this process.

If you’re one of the fortunate brides whose groom wants to be involved in every decision then consider yourself lucky. Give him his list and treat yourself to a day at the spa.

If you’d like more input then consider these tips.

Let Him Choose

Right at the very start of the planning stages, find out which parts of the planning he wants to be in charge of. This will allow him to choose what interests him (like finding the right DJ over selecting wedding favors).

Narrow Down His Choices

Yes, I’ll say it. Men have short attention spans. Once you’ve narrowed it down give him a short list of options for each stage of the planning process. Get his opinion from these lists. Keep your wedding planning conversations with him brief. An hour of debating lavender and gray or hot pink and teal will have his eyes glazing over.

His Ideas Count

You wanted him involved, so be prepared when he gives you an honest opinion. Let him know his suggestions matter and are important to you. Marriage requires compromise. Be willing to listen and don’t reject his opinions.

Good Negotiator?

Let him take on some of the vendors. Let him choose the ones that appeal to him. He may be interested in finding the right DJ, even setting up wedding day transportation. Ask him to work out the prices with vendors, and see what kinds of “extras” he can manage to get included in your packages.

Honeymoon Planning

Your guy probably already has a plan for your honeymoon. Almost all grooms are eager to have a direct say in this part of the wedding planning. So, make a few suggestions but let him come up with options for that too.

Make it easy for him to participate. In wedding planning, no task is unimportant. Keep things organized in a way both of you can easily make decisions.

You never know, maybe he’ll even blow your socks off by throwing you a few wedding planning tips.