Bubbles courtesy of Beau-coup
Throwing rice as a couple exits their wedding venue is a longstanding and fun tradition.
These days, however, many couples are choosing to forego this custom, either as a result of concerns about harming the birds (although this is rumored to be an urban legend), or because their venue has forbidden it due to the mess it leaves and the potential for guests to slip on the grains.
Butterly Bubbles courtesy of Beau-coup
If you’re thinking about abstaining from the rice-throwing tradition, consider bubbles as an alternative!
Beau-coup offers bubbles in bulk ranging from 25 to 70 cents each. You can go with a classic look, or they have adorable daisy or butterfly options, as well.
Bubbles are a fun, safe, mess-free favor to give your guests, and they’ll add a nice touch wafting through the air as the newlyweds depart.
Add them to your wish list and imagine how much fun you and your guests will have at the end of the ceremony!
Ask any former bride — invitations are one of the most important parts of the big day. Not only do they inform guests when and where the wedding will take place, but wedding invitations make the first impression on your guests and set the tone for your nuptials. Selecting the invitation design and perfecting the many details requires a lot of thought, not to mention the time spent hand-addressing each envelope.
You can have a traditional wedding and still save a little time.
Traditionally, wedding invitations are hand addressed because handwriting makes the invitation more personal. By taking the time to write out guests’ names and addresses, you are demonstrating to your guests that you really want them to be at your celebration. If you don’t want to write them out yourself, you can hire a calligrapher to hand-address the envelopes.
Yet, spending money on calligraphy, which can cost $2 to $5 per invitation, isn’t financially feasible for many brides-to-be. Furthermore, many women are finding they don’t have time to hand-address hundreds of envelopes between other wedding preparations and working a full-time job. As a result, many are deciding to print mailing labels for their wedding invitations to save time and money.
Address labels are not for every wedding. You have to first determine if address labels are appropriate for your invitations. Black tie affair? Probably not. Casual beach wedding? Sure! Just keep in mind that the invitation should correlate with the formality of the event. Here are some etiquette and design suggestions for printing wedding invitation mailing labels:
- Choose a subtle or neutral stock. Sheer or matte materials are most versatile and will complement the envelope; stay away from glossy labels which can be hard to print on. Try to match the paper to an element of the invitation.
- Break from traditional labels. If you’re going to use mailing labels, you may as well dress them up! Consider a using a custom die-cut shape associated with your wedding, such as a sun for a beach wedding or a flower for a garden wedding. Another idea is using wraparound address labels which take care of both the address and the return address labels. These are great for envelopes that open on the side.
- Your font should match your invitation. Script font is popular for mailing labels because it mimics handwriting. Or, you can try out a service that converts your handwriting into your own font, like YourFonts.com. If you do use a script-like font, be sure to use a larger point size to make the information clear. You can also enlarge the first letter of each line of text on the address for extra elegance.
- Never separate a man’s first name from his last. Contrary to what you may think, etiquette dictates that when addressing to a couple, you should always keep the man’s first and last name together. For example, Adrienne and George Damascus. Many make the mistake of starting with the man’s name.
- Gifts are often sent to the return address on the outside envelope. If the bride and groom live in New York, but are getting married in California, it is much easier for the couple to have gifts sent to New York.
- What names should go on the return address label? This is a question many brides-to-be ask because some feel it would be premature or taboo to use their married name. Most often return address labels use [First Name & First Name] or [First Name Last Name & First Name Last Name]. Either is appropriate.
Ultimately, invitations are only a small part of the huge, stressful project of planning a wedding. The above ideas are just suggestions to guide you. At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter if you handwrite or print mailing labels for your invitations. The only thing that matters is that your wedding invitations reflect the most important part of the wedding: you.
By Jessica Wiener of Print360.com
When a woman is in love, she wants to shout it from the rooftops. And when a woman is at a bachelorette party, she wants free drinks.
Kill two birds with one stone, and look adorable doing it.
Don’t hold back: Go glitz! Brides, tell the world you’re in love with a great guy. And tell the world you need a break from the stress of planning a perfect wedding. A tank top with a wedding-themed slogan spelled out in sparkly type is attention-getting and adorable. They’re fun for the whole wedding party! There are shirts for bridesmaids, the maid of honor, even the grandmother of the bride. Grandma likes to sparkle, too!
Pick any color shirt, flower and rhinestone, and choose from an array of slogans.
Ladies, these tank tops are cute. The shape is girly. The material is soft. The shirts come in a vast array of sizes and colors. Pick a font, color and slogan for your sparkly rhinestones. Does it come with a cute little pin-on flower in a color of your choice? Yes! Yes, it does. This shirt says whatever you want it to say, plus “I know how to have fun!”
Also, everybody knows these things are a magnet for champagne on the house.
Not sure about size and style? Advantage Bridal offers tons of tips and advice, including super specific measurement information. If you and your bridesmaids have just had your dresses fitted, you’ll have no trouble ordering a perfect fit.
Get one for your sister and your best friend from college while you’re at it. Look out boys — you’ll be a sparkling army of cute!
The thoughts of a Halloween wedding may bring to mind visions of gloomy, candle-lit reception halls, haunting music, and gothic wedding décor. Today more and more couples are incorporating the essence of Halloween into their reception and bringing along all of the fun that goes with it.
A Halloween party reception has become quite popular, and for good reason. There are so many creative and fun ways to fuse Halloween into your event – whether you choose the traditional “scary” route or not.
Some couples are encouraging their guests to dress up in costume for the event, and are even doing so themselves. Brides are choosing a Morticia Addams style bridal gown, and grooms are opting for an all black tuxedo. Bridesmaids are picking dress colors of black, red, or purple to add to the fun.
Here are a few more ideas to bring the festive elements of Halloween to your wedding reception:
1. Choose tiger lilies or orange, red, and black roses for centerpieces and bouquets. Florists are even able to dye flowers if the color you want is not available.
2. Select pumpkins and gourds for table centerpieces and decorations. Carved pumpkins will instantly add Halloween to your reception. Opt to use hollowed out pumpkins as candle holders and simply add votive candles.
3. Infuse apple and pumpkin into your menu. Choose soups, entrees and beverages which incorporate the flavors of these fruits into the dish.
4. Go bobbing for apples. Adults and children alike will have lots of laughs playing this traditional Halloween game.
Finally, add more fun to the wedding reception. Make each of your guests feel like a kid again with a do it yourself wedding favor. Fill trays with an assortment of favorite sugary treats, and supply your guests with a colorful drawstring pouch. Let them go wild by filling a candy bag and creating their own unique wedding favor. If you want to provide your guests with a keepsake favor, you can always supplement your Halloween wedding theme with traditional fall wedding favors as well.
You may decide to choose all or just a few of these Halloween inspired ideas. One thing will be certain; you and your guests will be guaranteed to have a frighteningly good time!
Your wedding day is coming up! There’s so much work to be done. Thank goodness you have that loyal corps of girlfriends helping you out. They’re making party favors, buying bridesmaid dresses (It’s beautiful! You’ll totes wear that again) and taking your frantic phone calls.
You love these women like family. And you’d do the same for them, and more. So give them a little something. Give them something more creative than a pair of pearl earrings (not that we don’t all lurve pearl earrings); something that lasts longer than a spa day. Give the gift of relaxation.
Take care of mind, body and spirit, and save a little money while you’re at it.
YogaAccessories.com is offering a special deal just for Facebook fans. A Dragonfly Yoga Kit, with a mat, mat bag, six-foot strap and two foam blocks, usually costs $39.99. Go to facebook.com/yogaaccessories and click like, and you can buy the whole kit for just $34.99!
It’s everything a person needs to get started in yoga journey.
Namaste — and best wishes!
The following post is from @gift_girl’s blog, Girly Wedding.
Very Vintage Engagement Rings. Ever since i can recall I’ve wanted my mother’s engagement ring set. She can attest to me wearing it whenever she wasn’t looking. (Which did result in a few close calls of almost dropping it down the sink) But I won’t tell if you don’t.
Vintage engagement rings are a great choice! They are not only an eco-friendly choice but they are beautiful. But don’t be fooled vintage doesn’t mean inexpensive. Some of these vintage engament rings will run as high and higher as a new ring. Despite this it is hard to replace the craftsmanship and the uniqueness of a vintage ring. Which probably explains their popularity.
I would definetly consider getting a vintage engagement ring. I’ve collected examples of all the reasons why. Vintage engagement rings can come in platinum, 18 kt and 14 kt white gold.
designer engagement ringsThese rings are from Weston Fine Jewelry and they are located in Seattle. If you want to read more on Weston, Ruffled Blog does a post on antique engagement rings.
vintage style engagement rings
These rings are from Doyle and Doyle. My favorite is the one in the middle, or the right, or the left.
edwardian engagement rings
These rings are from Sylvia’s antique jewelry. I love the center one, and ever since the royal wedding there has been a surge in the popularity of saphire rings. That just might be another post.
unique engagement rings
These ones are from Erie Basin and even though I prefer white gold or platinum there is something charming about the gold one on the left.
art deco engagement rings
Dover Jewelry has a beautiful assortment of art deco engagement rings, which are my all time fave.
antique engagement ringsAnd these are from another Seattle gem, Alexandria Rossoff, located right in Pike Place market. Wouldn’t they look perfect with a vintage wedding dress?
I asked my Twitter followers for suggestions on where to find antique engagement rings and above is what they came up with. Thank you Twitter followers.
Anyone else know any good places?
By Marta Segal Block of GigMasters.com
Earth Day may have been in April, but more and more brides and grooms are becoming attracted to the idea of an “eco-friendly” wedding year-round. Unfortunately, marketers are becoming more and more aware of the trend and slapping words like “green,” “eco-friendly,” and “environmentally friendly” on everything from paper plates (as ungreen as you can get) to items that actually are environmentally friendly.
How is a bride supposed to know what “green” means when it comes to a wedding vendor? Well, we can’t speak for every field, but we do have a little insight when it comes to wedding entertainment. If you want to evaluate your wedding entertainment to see how environmentally friendly they are, here are five areas you can assess.
1. Mailings
The more information a band or DJ has online, the less likely it is to need to send you things in the mail! Because GigMasters.com allows entertainers to post videos, pictures and MP3s on their press kits, we greatly reduce the need for entertainers to send out demo CDs. You can view as many bands, dancers, singers, and DJs as you want, all without anyone getting in a car or printing anything on paper (although I guess you might use more electricity because you can’t tear yourself away from all of our great options). If the entertainment that you’re considering doesn’t have press materials or samples online, consider asking them to send you files electronically instead of by mail.
2. Lights
LED lighting runs longer and cooler and uses less power than traditional lighting. You should ask both your venue and your entertainment about their lighting choices.
3. Amps
A high efficiency or switch mode amplifiers are lighter and more efficient than traditional amps. The entire audio system can run off one circuit, which means less electricity is being used.
4. Transportation
Obviously, you’re not going to choose a band based on their transportation. But, you can help the band think about their transportation choices. If each member of the band drives his own car they’re not only taking an environmental toll, they may also be increasing your parking costs. Many bands today are choosing to give up the their rock star ideal by driving mini-vans, with a trailer for equipment hitched to the back.
5. Location
As with all wedding vendors, using someone local will help reduce environmental costs. I’m not saying you should choose the DJ that lives 10 minutes closer to your venue over the one you like better, but finding entertainment that lives in your general area will help you financially and environmentally. This is another way GigMasters.com can help, with over 9,000 entertainment choices, we’re sure to have someone conveniently located!
Need more help? Did you know that GigMasters.com gives away $500 in free wedding entertainment every month? Visit us to learn how you can win.
The Holiday’s have always been a romantic time for any love birds wanting to give the gift of love to each other! The air is crisp, Holiday lights set the mood, and a warm embrace not only warms the body but the soul too! So no wonder so many couples get engaged during these wintery months; tis’ the season!
When considering the engagement ring that will set the tone for the rest of your marriage, take a minute and consider what she wants. There are several ways to find out what ‘you think‘ she would like by asking her friends or family, or even by comparing rings to jewelry she already owns, but the best way is by asking her.
Have her point out the ring she would love to be given! A good way to do this without being so obvious is to take her to a jewelry store while your waiting for the nights events to take place and just browse. When you come across the engagement rings, point out some you think she would like and then ask her if you got it right. She won’t be shy about telling you which one was on her wish list! 
The Bridal Beauty has put together an excellent list of 25 gorgeous engagement rings for under $5000
14k white gold ring with princess-cut solitaire diamond, $499.99 Helzberg
-The Wishpot Team
@wishpotwedding
All of our Wishpot brides out there have to agree that throwing a wedding takes a village. What that also means is that you want to show your gratitude for all the help your friends and family have given by saying thank you. If you want the sentiment to be heartfelt then the best way to do so is with a beautiful gift, and what better than a piece of art. It’s the proverbial gift that keeps on giving; after the moment has passed, artwork is there to remind you of the happy memories and special people whose day they were a part of. So whether you’re just looking for a lovely Christmas gift or a meaningful present for your friends, family or spouse, let us suggest some beautiful art pieces for your wish list.
Looking for a gift for her? Choose one of these feminine prints. Every girl would be happy to have something like this hanging on her wall.
Images courtesy of Art.com
But what about the men? We suggest sticking with more classic prints like these. Bold photographs make a statement that feels very masculine.
Images courtesy of Art.com
Looking for more picks like these? Check out the gift guide from Art.com for him and her.
-Caitlin
This week we want to share our top 10 Etsy wedding invitations. Handmade and DIY weddings are popular now for so many reasons; whether it’s adding a unique flair or giving your day that special touch, nothing sets the tone better than a fabulous wedding invitation. By getting your invites from a handmade site like Etsy you are ensuring that they will be specially made for you and, best of all, make a big impact on your guests. Here are our favorite finds to add to your wedding wish list.
These first few are bold and very high impact. They’re perfect for a less traditional wedding or couples who are trying to inject their nuptials with a sense of fun. Of course, the colors are customizable to match your theme, but invitations like these really give you a sense of some of the more colorful invitation options out there.
Etsy also has lots to offer as far as more traditional and understated wedding invitations go. Other brides may be looking for something more classic, and we think these four are very elegant while still offering a little something special.
Of course, we had to share some of the more interesting finds and these two are especially unique. The first are printed individually on a hand press and feature a fun vintage image. The technique of hand pressing means each invitation is printed individually, making them more like one-of-a-kind art pieces. Second are these incredible invitations printed on red cedar. They are so reminiscent of carving your love’s initials into a tree. Oh, and we’d bet these have a nice cedar smell to them too which is a fun added bonus!
1. Tandem Bicycle Wedding Invitation by ellothere
2. Grandfather Oak Tree Wedding Invitations by vohandmade
3. Rock Poster Wedding Invitation in Blue Green and Brown by aprilink
4. Easton Wedding Invitation by steliedesigns
5. Custom Wedding Invitation by westwillow
6. Carnation Vintage Invitation by myprettyprintables
7. Modern Dots Wedding Invitations in Purple by shineinvitations
8. Tying the Knot Wedding or Shower Invitation by pinkroses1220
9. Wedding Invitation Set - Dancing Theme by luckyduckletterpress
10. First Love Wood Invitation by baumbirdy
-Caitlin
