Green Wedding Tips

There are 2.5 million weddings in the U.S. every year and it’s estimated that next year 1/3 or over 800 thousand couples will incorporate eco-friendly wedding planning into their big day.

With the recent surge in green weddings, vendors of all sorts are jumping into this category. When choosing your green vendors make sure that they have a clear understanding of green practices and are not just toting their products and services as eco-chic as a means of increasing prices.

If you’ve chosen to plan a green wedding, be open to the fact that going green in some categories may increase expenses, but you will also find that in other categories green options are actually less expensive. This give and take (and a savvy wedding planner) will help you to stay within budget. Below are a few tips to making your wedding eco-friendly and socially responsibility. Remember, going green is not an all or nothing option. Even just incorporating a few of the below ideas into your upcoming nuptials will lessen your wedding’s impact on the environment.

Rings
· Purchase rings made of recycled gold.
· Shop estate fairs for antique jewelry or consider a vintage family heirloom that you could adjust and modify as desired.
· Buy diamond alternatives such as lab-created diamonds, wood bands, or even coconut bands.

Location
· Stay local to reduce travel and help support your local economy.
· Look into outdoor options such as gardens, beaches, parks or historic grounds.
· Consider having a daytime affair to take advantage of natural light.
· Look for a venue that will benefit from you having your wedding there such as a museum or art gallery.

Dress
· Buy a used vintage dress from a charity drunk show or consignment shop.
· Borrow a dress from a friend or family member.
· Wear natural fibers like organically grown cotton, silk and hemp and avoid synthetic materials or chemical dyes.
· Find an organic drycleaner.
· Donate dress to a charity after the wedding.

Invitations
· Use recycled paper for all wedding printing needs (ex. invitations, save the dates, programs, etc.).
· Print on tree-free paper from materials such as bamboo, hemp and kenaf.
· Have printers use a non-toxic ink such as a soy-based ink.
· Send electronic invites and save the dates.
· Put additional info like directions or schedules on a wedding website.

Bridesmaids Dresses
· Let your bridesmaids buy something that they can wear again, or better yet, wear something that they already own.

Photographer
· Ask your photographer to use digital film. It is easier to share with guests and doesn’t have harmful chemicals or result in wasted paper.

Catering
· Find a caterer that will use local, organic, seasonal food.
· Select organic beer, wine, and spirits.
· Serve organic, fair-trade coffee.
· Rent cutlery and crockery that is reusable.
· Use recycled paper products or treeless options such as bamboo.
· Choose cotton or natural fiber table cloths and runner that don’t need to be dry-cleaned.
· Discuss recycling and composting with your caterer and reception venue.

Cake
· Have you bakery make your cake from organic, fair-trade ingredients.

Music
· Hire acoustic musicians that don’t need to use a power outlet.

Flowers
· Select a florist that will use locally grown organic flowers.
· Potted plants are a great option as centerpieces and can be rented or purchased and given to guests as gifts to re-plant after the wedding.
· Collect all the flowers from the ceremony and reuse them as reception decorations.
· Donate flowers afterward to a local hospital.

Ambiance
· Purchase candles that don’t contain petroleum such as those made from soy, pure beeswax, or vegetable-oil.
· Select candle holders made of recycled glass
· Decorate with bamboo, which is known to be one of the earth’s most sustainable materials growing up to 2 ft. per day.

Registry
· Set up a green registry by registering for green gifts, experiences (ex. newlywed cooking classes), and/or charities.

Favors
· Buy guests green gifts or donate to a charity in their name.
· Organic chocolates, plant seeds, and tree saplings all make great green gifts.

Transportation
· Hire hybrid vehicles to transport guests during the wedding day.
· Organize carpooling or book vans or buses to decrease emissions from guests wedding day travel.
· A horse and buggy can be a romantic choice for a bride and groom’s “get-a-way” vehicle.
· Explain to guests your choice to have a green wedding and encourage them to purchase carbon credits to help offset the wedding’s carbon footprint.

Getaway
Skip the rice tossing or butterfly releasing and opt for a clean getaway or possible something like birdseed if your location allows it.

Honeymoon
· Select a honeymoon that qualifies as sustainable travel such as an eco-tour or an REI Adventure.

Carbon Emissions
· Purchase carbon offset credits for the wedding and honeymoon using wedding specific carbon calculators that are available online.

Wedding Message Boards

You likely have lots of questions as you begin your wedding planning process. You can find comfort in the fact that other brides have faced these same decisions and that in addition to your wedding planner help can be found online from other brides through message boards/forums. The below recommended message boards/forums can be a great resource for you to decide anything from "What shoes: white stilettos or eggshell ballet flats?" to "Can I have more than one maid of honor?". When using message boards, I recommend first searching the topic at-hand to see what has already been posted by other brides. If you don't see relevant content or if what's available doesn't answer your questions go ahead and make a post for other brides to respond to.

TheKnot.com
Brides.com
OneWed.com
TopWeddingQuestions.com
EthicalWeddings.com

Wedding Planning Calendar

With your entourage chosen, you’re ready to move forward with planning Your Big Day! Below is a simple 12 Month Wedding Planning Calendar and a list of more detailed online resources on the topic.

Sample 12 Month Wedding Calendar

12 months – 9 months
Have an engagement party
Start a wedding binder
Determine your budget
Select your bridal party
Build your guest list
Hire a wedding planner
Set your date
Book ceremony & reception sites
Book officiant
Research vendors

8 months – 6 months
Book vendors
Purchase a gown
Book a hotel block
Register for gifts
Set up a wedding website
Choose invitations
Hire calligrapher
Start planning honeymoon
Select bridesmaids dresses
Send Save the Dates
Arrange transportation

5 months – 3 months
Book the venue for rehearsal dinner
Select and order cake
Attend bridal showers
Purchase gown accessories
Begin gown fittings
Schedule hair and makeup & trial appts.
Choose songs
Plan welcome baskets
Finalize food and flowers
Order favors
Talk to guests giving toasts
Plan order of ceremony and reception
Print menu cards and programs
Purchase rings
Send event schedule to vendors

2 months – 1 week before
Meet with vendors to finalize details
Send invites
Attend bachelorette/bachelor parties
Track RSVPs and call guests as needed
Get marriage license
Mail rehearsal dinner invitations
Have last gown fitting
Make final payments wherever possible
Confirm vendors and appointments
Make direction printouts
Assign seating and make seating cards
Purchase gifts for bridesmaids/groomsmen and parents
Write vows/toasts

The Week of the Wedding
Reconfirm arrival times with vendors & provide day of contacts #s
Delegate small wedding day tasks
Set a timeline for the bridal party
Have dress delivered/Pick up dress
Set aside remaining final payments and tips in small envelopes
Book spa treatment and manicure/pedicure
Send final guest count to venues and caterer
Assemble and distribute welcome baskets
Pack for your honeymoon
Relax and enjoy your perfectly planned day!

Resources:
The Knot: Planning Calendar: 12-Month Countdown
Real Simple: Wedding Planning: 16-Month Calendar

Click here to download the Wedding Timeline from Contemporary Bride

Additional Wedding Helpers

In addition to the major players in your wedding party (discussed in my post: Basic Duties of the Bridal Party), there are a few key minor players as well as very important members of your family that have roles in both planning and your Big Day. I’ve included below good articles from The Knot that detail the duties of these participants.

Smaller (and younger) members of the Bridal Party:
Flower Girl: Their Duties in Detail
Ring Bearer: Their Duties in Detail
Pages/Train Bearers: Their Duties in Detail

Parents Duties in Detail:
Mother of the Groom: Your Duties in Detail
Mother of the Bride: Your Duties in Detail
Father of the Bride: Your Duties in Detail

Basic Duties of the Bridal Party

Once you’ve chosen your wedding attendants it’s a good idea to review what you can expect from each of them. Responsibilities of the bridal party will vary by wedding, but common duties are listed below:

Maid of Honor

• Helps the Bride shop for her wedding gown and accessories
• Helps select Bridesmaids dresses and accessories
• Coordinates Bridesmaids and their tasks
• Provides guests with registry info
• Helps with invites, seating cards, decorations, and favors
• Plans a wedding shower
• Plans the bachelorette party
• Attends all pre-wedding parties
• Tracks gifts received and thank you notes written
• Gives a toast at the rehearsal dinner and/or reception
• Helps Bride get ready the day of and look great all day (assists with veil, train, Groom’s ring, attire changes)
• Signs the marriage certificate

Bridesmaids

• Schedule fittings and purchase dresses and accessories chosen by the Bride
• Attend bridal showers (Bridesmaids are not expected to bring gifts to more than one bridal shower)
• Help plan and pay for the Bride’s bachelorette party
• Help the Bride with small tasks (wedding favors, errands, etc.)
• Assist the Bride get ready the day of and tend to her needs throughout the day

Best Man

• Attends pre-wedding parties
• Plans and helps pay for the Groom’s bachelor party
• Provides counsel to the Groom as needed
• Rents or purchases attire chosen by the Groom
• Arranges transportation to the ceremony for himself and the Groom
• Brings the wedding certificate to the ceremony
• Delivers payment envelops to vendors
• Coordinates Groomsmen and Ushers
• Holds the Bride’s wedding ring
• Sings the marriage certificate
• Arranges transportation to the reception for the Bride and Groom
• Makes the first toast at the reception
• Arranges post-ceremony transportation for the Bride and Groom and arranges for bags to be in the vehicle
• Confirms Groom has all honeymoon papers (passports, travelers cheques, itinerary)
• Returns Groom's formal wear after the wedding if it was rented

Groomsmen Duties

• Attend pre-wedding parties
• Attend and help pay for the Groom’s bachelor party
• Rent or purchase wedding attire chosen by the Groom
• Help the Groom prepare the day of and assist him in greeting wedding guests
• Escort guest to their seats and distribute wedding programs at the ceremony (Ushers will assist with seating and programs when also part of the bridal party)
• Light candelabras, as needed
• Check venue for any forgotten items after the ceremony concludes
• Decorate the getaway car, if appropriate

Seating Guidelines for Groomsmen & Ushers:

• Leave first few rows unseated to accommodate family members
• Walk to the left when escorting single females
• Walk to the right when ushering single males
• Walk to the left when escorting the female of a couple. Her date should walk behind following the Groomsman or Usher
• Seat the Brides guests to the left
• Seat the Grooms guest to the right

Great concise resource of all bridal party duties:
Bride&Groom: Get a Grip on Bridal Party Responsibilities! Who Does What?

The Knot articles:
Maid of Honor: Your Duties in Detail
Bridesmaids: Your Duties in Detail
Best Man: Your Duties in Detail
Groomsmen: Their Duties In Detail
Ushers: Their Duties in Detail

How to Choose Your Bridal Party

With your date set and your budget determined you’re ready to begin choosing your bridal party. By selecting members of the bridal party now, you keep close friends and family from wondering what their role in your wedding will be. Start making these decisions by putting together a list of close friends and family that are responsible, reasonable (no need for drama), and fun. Having the right people in your corner will ensure that things run smoothly and that you have a great time along the way and during your Big Day.

Here are some flexible guidelines to get your started:

Size: generally it is advised to have one bridesmaid and one groomsman for every 35 to 50 guests. This is just a guideline. You can certainly have more, less, two MOHs, etc. Just remember that since you’ll have to cover things such as bouquets/boutonnières and attendant gifts you’ll want to keep in mind that more attendants will impact your budget and may simply result more people to please and coordinate. Close friends and family that do not make the list can be involved in the wedding throughout the planning process or with a responsibility the day (ex. Ceremony Ushers).

Invites: the basic rule is that family trumps friends. A sister should be chosen as Maid/Maiden of Honor over a best friend where relevant. A corresponding guideline applies to choosing the Best Man. Bridesmaids and Groomsmen are selected from close friends and sisters/brothers-in-laws. Keep in mind that etiquette does not dictate that you must invite someone to be an attendant just because you were in their wedding. Also remember that in modern weddings today it is not uncommon for a bridesmaid to be a guy or “bridesman” and a groomsman to be a gal or “groomswoman”.

Additional information and advice on this topic can be found at:
The Knot: Bridesmaids: How to Choose Your Crew
eHow: How to Choose Your Bridal Party
Real Simple: Wedding Planning: Choosing Your Wedding Party
Real Simple: Wedding Party: 10 Common Questions, Answered
Martha Stewart: Choosing Wedding Attendants

Setting the Date

Every year, between 2 million and 3 million couples are married in the U.S. Armed with your wedding theme and budget you’re ready to set the date for your Big Day. Setting the date will help you plan your schedule (i.e. To Do List) and will be needed before you can begin contacting vendors or asking guests to reserve the date. Your wedding theme and budget will be instrumental in helping you determine the time of year, the day of the week, and even the time of day. If your wedding theme is a Casual Beach themed event in the Bahamas complete with a moonlight reception under the stars and a local Caribbean band, you’ll need to choose a warm time of year and avoid hurricane season. If your wedding is a Winter Wonderland theme at Squaw Valley in Lake Tahoe you won’t be interested in the month of July even if it offers discounts.

If you are interested in discounts from your venue and vendors, here are a few key tricks.

1. Determine what the peak months are for weddings in your chosen location, by picking up a local wedding magazine, and consider having the wedding during the off-season. ~70% of all U.S. weddings are held between May & October with June being the most popular month and January to March being the least popular months.

2. Choose a day of the week that is less popular such as Friday or Sunday.

3. Pick a time that is not as common such as the morning or afternoon.

4. Plan a short engagement. Planning your wedding in only a few months is a great way to save money with both your venue and vendors. Wedding sites and vendors will often offer a discounted rate for open slots 4-6 months out rather than leave the date unbooked.

5. Having a destination wedding? Choose the last weekend of the peak season to receive lower rates with only a minimal increase in weather related risks.

If you decide to go with prime time, e.g. Saturday evening in a popular month, don’t expect discounts based on the timing of your event, but don’t worry there are many other opportunities to save $ throughout the wedding planning process.

Create a Fun, Flirty Party Dress to Match Your Style

If you're like me, you look at the articles in Cosmo, Elle, or Self that talk about: What Looks Good On Your Body and you think to yourself... "Okay, that's great, but how do I go about finding a dress for my upcoming occassion -- ex. engagement party, bridal shower, rehearsal dinner -- that meets these guidelines.

Well, seach no more. I recently found an article on Daily Candy recommending the online retailer Studio 28 Couture and I second the recommendation. Their unique design tool allows you to put together a dress that has the perfect neckline/top, skirt, trim, and even colors/patterns to meet your needs. Having a black and white color scheme at your wedding? Select a delicious white and black print that fits your style and doesn't break your budget. At only $200 + tax & shipping, Studio 28 Couture offers a unique, personalized dress at a great price!

Coming soon Studio 28 Couture will be offering bridesmaids dresses too!

Planning Your Wedding Expenses

Once you have your budget set, you and your fiancé can begin determining how to spend it. To start, set priorities for what is most important to each of you (e.g. a live band, luxurious invitations, or maybe a designer gown). Understanding what your top desires are will help you adjust your budget accordingly.

It’s important to track your expenses if you hope to stay on budget. All of the top wedding planning sites provide budget calculators (ranked below by my preference):
The Knot
Brides.com
WeddingWire
The Wedding Channel
eHitched

If you prefer to do a quick calculation without having to register on a site, I recommend these free online options:
OurDreamWedding.com
YourWeddingCompany.com
Evantageous.com

I’ve also developed a simple tool for brides to download and use in Microsoft Excel. I prefer this option because you don’t have to sign in online to make updates. You can easily add items to meet your unique needs and you can track where your costs are trending based on bills that have come in.

Click here to download the Budget Worksheet

Keep in mind that some expenses may go beyond your expectations. Be flexible and willing to make adjustments as needed. If you find you are going over budget, don’t be discouraged. As many as 50% of brides and grooms find this happens. Sit down and determine if you’re able to increase your budget and if not what other categories you can pull funds from.

Setting Your Wedding Budget

As wedding budgets increase, so too has the number of parties contributing. While a bride’s parents once covered all expenses, today the groom’s parents and the bride and groom themselves are also pitching in. A client’s father recently made the following candid statement: “If my daughter were getting married a few years ago I would be volunteering more money." What he meant by his comment was that the bride and her fiancé were at an age where they were well established and successful in their careers and were financially in a position, and thus expected, to contribute to the wedding expenses also.

To start determining your wedding budget, consider how much you and your fiancé would like to spend for the wedding and how much you’re able to contribute. For reference you can view average wedding costs for your zip code at http://www.costofwedding.com/. Now that you have a target in mind, set up meetings with both sets of parents to discuss their ability and willingness to add funds. A detailed resource for traditional wedding etiquette can be found on OneWed.com. This may be a good place to start, adjusting as needed to fit your situation.

In my next post, I will follow-up with advice and resources for how to proceed once your budget is set.

Guest List Management Tools

Following up on my last post Putting Together The Guest List, I wanted to provide some useful online tools to help.

The below are 5 of the best wedding guest list management tools. These tools are available once you set up an account with the site providing the tool. These guest list managers provide a combination of tracking options for your guest lists, invites, rsvps, gifts, and seating assignments, while allowing you to segment guests by importance (ex. A-list guest, B-list guest), affiliation to the bride and groom, wedding role, etc. Many of the options below also allow you to enter guests addresses and contact info and provide an import/export option to ease of use.

I recommend taking a look at these five sites and choosing the guest list manager based on the site you intend to use the most (e.g. it has the things you need and you find those things user friendly). To make your decision check out these sites other offerings such as a Budget Managers, Checklists, Community Boards, and even Free Websites.

Listed in order based on my personal preferences:
The Wedding Channel
The Knot
WeddingWire
eHitched
Brides.com

Putting Together The Guest List

You may already have a rough estimate of your guest list, or at least your “guaranteed invites”, if you had an engagement party. It’s now important to take that a step father and put together a formal list that will allow you to start searching for venues.

To begin planning, find time where you and your fiancé can discuss your wedding day dreams – do they involve a huge shindig or perhaps a small intimate celebration? Start jotting down a list of who your “must-haves” are. It’s important to consider asking your parent and your future in-laws who their “must-haves” are and for their “wish-list”.

Once you have your first-draft you can use this to estimate actual attendance by breaking the guest list out into different subsets such as a). local and b). out of town guests. Set an estimate for each group’s likelihood of attending.

Ex. 300 invites = 200 local guests + 100 out of town guests
Local guests are 90% likely to attend.
Out of town guests (factor in things like age and income) are 60% likely to attend.
Estimated attendance = (200*90%) + (100*60%) = 240 guests

*Note, if you will have strict occupancy limits from either your ceremony or reception location it is best to be conservative (i.e. overestimate) when estimating guests likelihood of attending.

Having found your estimated attendance you can begin to trim the list if needed. Keep in mind as you trim the list that if you cut guests that were less likely to attend you’ll need to update your likelihood of attending estimates and recalculate the above.

Trimming the guest list can be daunting. The bride and groom should partner for this task and start by cutting 1. Names from parents’ “wish-lists”, 2. Friends that neither the bride nor groom have spoken to in a long time, and 3. Distant family that haven’t been seen for years that can be cut without offense. Remember that while it’s not a requirement to include everyone your parents suggest, you should be considerate, especially if they are infusing funds into the wedding. I recommend working closely with them, sharing your dream size and budget limits so that they understand your constraints. Parents often are willing to “pay the difference” for their guests that go beyond your budget.

First daughter, Jenna Bush, recently held her nuptials where she and hubby Henry Hager turned down the option to marry at The White House and instead carefully cut their list down to 200 and opted for an organic, outdoor event at her family’s ranch in Texas.

Jenna and Henry are great inspiration... If they could work with their parents to form a list of 200, you too can put together a guest list the perfect size for your dream wedding!

Non-Conflict Diamonds and Alternatives

Following up on yesterday’s post on choosing a green wedding band, I wanted to provide some information and resources for selecting diamonds for your wedding jewelry.

Conflict diamonds, also known as “blood” diamonds, are rough diamonds used by rebel movements to finance their efforts to overthrown legitimate governments. The trade of “blood” diamonds has caused devastation and destruction in such Central and West African nations as Angola, the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.

To prevent the sale of conflict diamonds, the United Nations mandated an international certification scheme called the Kimberly Process The Kimberly Process regulates certification requirements for its members to ensure diamonds are conflict-free. Luckily, most U.S. retailers participate in the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme or "KPCS" and thus finding your dream diamond that is also conflict-free is relatively easy today. That said, I've still provided some resources and retailers below that may interest today's "green" bride and groom.

To determine whether or not a diamond is conflict-free, The Conflict Free Diamond Council has posted guidelines for consumers on its website. Another useful resource is Amnesty’s Diamond Buyers Guide.

Many non-conflict diamonds today are being mined in Canada. Authenticity and certification that diamonds are non-conflict are provided by CanadaMark (currently the only certification to meet The Conflict Free Diamond Council’s requirements for conflict-free diamonds) and The Government of the Northwest Territories Diamond Certification Program. Both watchdogs have developed monitoring systems for Canadian diamonds throughout the production lifecycle to certify that diamonds are conflict-free.

My favorite retailers providing socially-conscious and eco-friendly fine and customized jewerly are: Leber Jewerler Inc, Brilliant Earth, and Cred Jewellery. If you're looking to buy antique and estate jewerly as an eco-friendly option, try: The Marlene Harris Collection.

For couples interested in non-diamond alternatives, I recommend eco-conscious, handcrafted wood jewelry, lab-produced diamonds, or even rings made from coconut.

Simple, unique, and beautiful wood jewerly can be purchased from: Simply Wood Rings and Touch Wood Rings. Laboratory produced diamond alternatives are sold by: ApolloRings. And beautiful, unique coconut rings are made at: Cocoloco.

Green Wedding Rings

If you’ve decided to "go green" for your big day, a great place to start is with eco-friendly rings.

A highly respected resource for socially and ecologically responsibly sourced jewelry is greenKarat an online retailer that provides "green" certification and offers many unique products and services.

While greenKarat does sell many beautiful designed and customized pieces of green jewerly for cash, it also offers couples the opportunity to recycle gold for store credit or to reuse gold jewelry they already own by having it melted and stones reset. When reusing gold a $250 service charge is associated with each order (*note, not each ring). If enough gold is not received for a reused piece, greenKarat will provide the rest needed at market value.

A refreshingly unique offering is greenKarat's myKarat registry. You can create a registry on their website that invites family and friends to recycle old gold jewelry in your name. The accumulated value of the jewelry recycled earns the bride and groom a credit equal to 80% of the market value of the gold recycled. The store credit can then be used toward the purchase of any greenKarat jewerly. Credit earned beyond the cost of the new rings can be donated toward a charity of the couple’s choosing. greenKarat even offers a voluntary carbon offset contribution (or “tax” as they refer to it) that directly relates to the CO2 emissions from the production of each item purchased. Contributions are donated to Sustainable Travel International, a non-profit organization which meets the Gold Standard guidelines for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.

*Note, if you choose to reuse gold, greenKarat must receive the jewelry 2 months before new the new rings are needed.

Green Weddings

Green wedding are growing in popularity. While some couples express concerns that this choice may increase their budget that does not have to be the case. I’ll be adding posts to The Last Bridesmaid blog that provide resources and ideas for eco-conscious couples who want their wedding to reflect their everyday beliefs in sustainability.

Two of my favorite general resources are:
Portovert: the gateway to greener weddings
and
Great Green Wedding

Both contain useful articles, tips, and tools to help you get started on incorporating GREEN into your wedding.

Wedding Theme & Color Scheme Resources

Following up on yesterday's post, included below are resources to help with choosing a wedding theme and color scheme.

Sites to help with choosing a wedding theme:
http://www.weddingpath.co.uk/wedding-themes-again
http://www.wedthemes.com/

A few great tools for mixing colors:
http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/colors.php
(upload a photo to see what colors compliment)
http://www.sherwin.com/visualizer/ (once the site loads choose to explore colors, next select a scene, choose your favorite colors, and apply them to the selected scene)
http://www.brides.com/weddingstyle/receptions/colorstudio/
(scrool down and select click to spin under Color Studio)
http://wellstyled.com/tools/colorscheme2/index-en.html
(select different variations and different #s of colors by changing from mono to contrast, etc.)

In a comment to this informative article on wedding colors, Katie, a graphic designer, posted this great recommendation: "If you’re handy in Photoshop, take some pictures of your wedding venue, open them in Photoshop and use the eye dropper tool to pull a color scheme that will surely match your location. Or pull one color you really like from the photo and use the color scheme generator" by wellstyled.com (link provided above) "to see what others would go with it."

Don't like tools, this site displays lots of different color combinations for you:
http://www.prye.com/view/wedding_colors.html

Choosing a Wedding Theme

Choosing a wedding theme is one of the most important decisions you’ll make for the big day. It is important to choose a theme that fits the styles and personalities of you and your fiancé. I recommend giving yourselves a relaxing afternoon to daydream about the wedding jotting down ideas as they come to you. Things to consider include: colors, settings (e.g. indoor, outdoor, church, garden), your favorite things, shared activities, whether formal or more casual would be preferred… and so on. You may also want to browse common themes online to use a starting place for your own ideas. Once you have collected your thoughts you may find that a theme is literally jumping out at you. If not, spend a few moments discussing each idea in more depth and unless a theme starts forming, put the task aside. You can revisit it later over the next few days/weeks before making a decision.

Why have a theme? Having a theme provides huge advantages even if it's only a choosen color scheme (e.g. chocolate & fuschia) or a directional statement that serves to describe the event such as: "Simple Elegance". For any sized wedding, a theme – whether specific or general – will be a blessing in helping you to make decisions between the many options available for each aspect of your wedding. A theme will also provide a special harmony to the event for both you and your guests while helping guests prepare for the event. You will likely find that the theme may continue to develop as plans for your wedding day start to form. The theme may become more focused, expand, or even take a different direction. Be open to these natural changes.

What does a theme add? Your theme will be a reflection of you and your fiancé that adds to what you will share with your guests throughout the wedding process and during your big day!

Having an Engagement Party

Engagement parties are a fun way to announce your engagement and share your excitement with family and friends. The parties are traditionally held by the bride’s parents, but today the rules are very flexible allowing for family, friends, or even the bride and groom themselves to host the event.

Engagement parties can be as formal or casual as desired. Extravagant dinner affairs, simple cocktail parties, or backyard summer barbeques are just a few of the common themes.

When planning your engagement party, you’ll need to have a general idea of who will be invited to the wedding. It is deemed very poor etiquette to invite anyone to the party that will not be invited to the wedding. For this reason, it’s best to invite only close family and friends.

To make the event timely, schedule the party one to three months after the engagement. In general, you are shooting for at least six months before the wedding, so if you have a short engagement, you may want to consider skipping this event or making it smaller and more casual.

Having an engagement party will inevitably get guests thinking about gifts. While etiquette does not necessitate that gifts be given at this event, you’ll want to make sure you have registered for a few items just in case. Provide your registry information to your parents to distribute when it is requested. Because all guests will not bring gifts, it’s recommended that you not make this a central part of the party. Instead, put these gifts aside to open later and make sure to send thank you notes!

Why Hire a Wedding Planner?

Wedding Planners have become have become increasingly instrumental to planning the perfect wedding. Service offerings range from Full Planning to Day of Coordination.

While brides often want to be involved in all aspects of planning their wedding, many are finding it difficult to coordinate all the details. Shorter engagements, full-time jobs, elaborate design ideas, and busy social schedules are prompting couples to hire experienced professional assistance. Wedding Planners are trained to arrange and organize every minute detail while overseeing the orchestration of it all!

The average wedding today takes more than two hundred and fifty hours to plan. Hiring a Wedding Planner early on will alleviate stress from the bride and groom – to be, allowing them to fully enjoy their engagement.

Wedding Planners have the ability to help a couple save money and stay within their budget. Repeat business and vendor relationships provide Coordinators with negotiating power and discounts not available to individuals scheduling a one-time event.

Avoid costly mistakes, relax, and allow a Wedding Planner do the legwork, provide you with personalized, unique options, and coordination that will turn your dreams into reality!