Save The Date!

Photo: David

Do you need a Save the date card?

Save the Date cards serve several purposes...

- If many of your guests will need to book airfare, hotels and the like, then it is a great gesture on your part to alert them early so that they may watch fares.

-If some very important people to you live very far away or are very busy, then Save the Date cards are a great way to make sure they block off the weekend to spend with you ahead of time.

-It can serve as an engagement announcement (only to those who are invited of course.) 

-It buys you time.  Guests may make all the plans they need while you set about finding the perfect site, time and weekend details.  You can then send formal invitations closer to the event.

 I always felt like 6-8 weeks was not enough notice for people to attend a wedding.  Schedules book up fast and travel plans take much forethought. This way it's not a shock and guests to not have to cancel other plans to be with you.

Photo: Kevin Stuart

Save the Date cards are not...

-"Hey, I'm getting married! Send me a gift!" Do not include your registry or gift requests on any stationary.  It's tacky.

-They are not detailed.  Do not detail out your event on the Save the Date card.  Otherwise your invite can be confusing. "Didn't we already get this invite?" Or it can look like somethings changed and so you had to update guests.

-Save the Date cards are not the last word.  They do not contain enough info to act on.  Plus guests need a reminder 6-8 weeks out.  Papers get lost and people get busy.

Photo: Tree Space Studio

Save The Date cards are...

-A great way to set the tone for your wedding.  They tell guests a bit about your style. (I always advise against doing something very different than you normally would.) Guests will assume that it's your style.  Cowboy plates anyone?

-A great way to get guests excited about your event and talking about plans for the weekend or making a mini vacation out of it.

Photo: William Arthur Fine Stationary

How to...

- Save the Date cards should be durable.  They'll need to be around to remember until your invites arrive.

- They should be creative. Pinterest time!

- Inexpensive is totally fine.  Postcards are awesome because your guests do not have to open them.  It makes them stand out against all the bills in the mail and they can pin them up or post them on their fridge.

-Add a phone number or email so people can contact you with questions or to plan a celebratory get together.

Ideas...

One of our favorite wedding blogs is Wedding Chicks.  

Head over to see some great Save the Date ideas.

We've said it before, we'll say it again... Pinterest!

Have Fun!

Enjoy Your Event!

Just Go With It

Weddings can be a tale of two events, the one you envisioned and the one you have.

I'm not saying it won't be the way you dreamed it would be.

I'm not saying it won't be fantastic.

It just might be a little different in a few ways.

How will you survive?

1. Plan in reality.

2. Enjoy the process and event day.

3. Relax.

"Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% of how you react to it"

Charles Swindoll

Plan

The biggest reason that an event doesn't pan out is due to poor planning.  Either not planning completely or not planning realistically.

If you are overwhelmed...

1- Do less and do it well.

2. Hire help

Is it realistic?

Bounce ideas off friends, read about them and ask your coordinator.

Someone who has done many weddings will be able to tell you if they think it will work, how they've seen it work in the past, possible problems and easy tweaks to make it work awesomely!

Enjoy!

This is easier said than done and is accomplished best by...

-knowing your event is well planned

&

practicing

We live in a fast paced, multitasking do it all world.  

Learn to take time for yourself-

-yoga

-meditation

-reading (no checking your phone!)

-taking a nap

-cook a slow dinner

- go out for drinks and sit in on a quiet patio with your fiance

- be still & be intentional.

Do less, do it better, ask for help and learn... to Enjoy Your Event!

Easy Wedding Flowers

Wedding flowers can be over whelming. You don't know the names and really can't believe you have to spend so much on them.

Here's a few tips for planning those gorgeous buds...

1. Suit Yourself!

If you're Miss America you could put them in your red plastic cup. Just suit your personality. Make it you, not what you think you are supposed to have for your wedding. Anything goes. Get on Pinterest or TheKnot.com and start seeing what you like.

2. Order them from a wholesaler or even CostCo (cue gasp) and tie them up yourself. Better yet have your sister or someone close to you whom you trust do it so that you won't be stressed just days before your wedding.
Did you know that you don't usually need a wholesale license to order flowers from a wholesaler.  They can sell retail to you and you'll still save a bundle.

3. Pick some gorgeous ribbon beforehand to tie your flowers up once you've wired them together.

• Start with a center flower and while adding to your hand vary which flower you add next until your bouquet is big enough.  
• Wire the bouquet tightly and cut the end of the wire off and tuck it in.
• Use garden shears to cut all stems to same length- About 3" below where you'll hold them.
• Tie a pretty and thick ribbon around your bouquet then wrap it around to cover most of the stems.  Leave tendrils out or hot glue end to ribbon.
• leave the bottom of the flowers out and put them in a little water to keep them fresh until the ceremony.  This way the bouquet can be assembled the day before.

4. Relax, they're flowers.  They don't have to be perfect. Just a pretty accessory for you to carry.  Ancient brides carried flowers to mask body odor from their groom since they couldn't bathe often.  This probably isn't the case for you- so it's probably not as serious of an issue.

Enjoy Your Day!