Tying The Knot around your Finger

...a few things you don't want to forget!

You are now engaged! Congratulations! This is such an exciting time for you! If you are like me, you are ready to step on the gas and jump into wedding planning mode. But there are few little details you shouldn't forget along the way that many of the planning guides leave out.

-INSURE YOUR RING! Maybe this comes from the fact that there are insurance agents in my family but if your fiance hasn't already, please please please make sure to insure your ring! You are going to want to wear it and show it off which means it is more likely something could happen to it. PLEASE (if you only remember one thing from this entire blog) INSURE YOUR RING!

-One of the next steps is to begin registering. Some family and friends may be interested in purchasing engagement gifts. While registering, make sure to include gift cards too! It's just like cash but you get to pick out what you want! I have found that I put items on my registry as I was walking around the store tagging every item I could see. And when the item arrived at my house, I had no need for it. A gift card will save you that step of returning the item. If you save them until the end, you may find additional items you want to use the gift cards for. Or, if plates or glasses break after you use them, you can always use those gift cards to replace those items.

-As you are looking at your guest list and determining costs based on meals, don't forget there will be a few guests that you will need a meal for that may not be on your guest list. That's right, your vendors will want to be fed too! They are working all night on your special event, the least you can do is give them a meal! Many venues will have a discounted meal that they can serve to your vendors. But don't forget to include this in your budget!

-Picking out invitations is one of my favorite things about weddings. It sets the tone for the entire event for your guests. Why not close it the same way? When you are purchasing invites, order thank you notes that match! In fact, order extra thank you notes, you can use them any time after the wedding! (and if you can get your husband to write half, well that is an extra bonus!)

-When making your budget, don't forget a line for stamps. This expense can prove to be costly so make sure you have added it in. You will need stamps on your Save the Dates, Invites, Response Cards, and Thank You Notes. Also pay special attention to the size and shape of the envelopes you send out. Certain sizes and shapes cost more!

What are some other items that people may forget about because they aren't usually in the guides? Post comments below! xox mrs. p.

The Gift that Keeps on Giving

It's always hard to figure out what to give a couple that is getting married. Some people say you should spend the same amount on a gift that the couple spent on your meal. But you wouldn't want to get an inexpensive gift for your best friend just because they decided to have a low-key wedding. So how do you decide? What are other customary traditions in gift giving?

-The best advice is to stick to the registry. There is a reason the couple took the time and picked items to put on their registry. If you don't want to purchase something off the registry the next best idea is to find something from the same store. That way, the couple can still return the item and get something they really want without a hassle.

-One thing I like to do, is purchase something off the registry and then find other items at the store that aren't on the registry to go with. An example would be, an ice cream scoop off the registry and then a set of ice cream bowls from the same store. Another example would be a coffee pot off the registry and then some fun coffee mugs that go with. This way they can still return but you were able to be a little creative and surprise them.

-Another option is to give cash. In fact, in a lot of cultures it is customary to give cash rather than a gift. But these days it can be tricky to pick an amount. One thing to consider is how close you are to the couple and what your own financial situation is. If you are a close aunt, you may want to give more than if you were just a co-worker. But don't give a gift beyond what you can afford!

-Buying big ticket items is always a hit! However, staying within budget can be difficult. Get a group together and go in on an item. Perhaps the couple needs a large piece of furniture or help in booking their dream honeymoon, going in on a gift with others is a way to make a memorable impact on the couple.

-Think you have a full year to purchase a gift?? Think again! It's a sign of the times! With all the technology to purchase and send gifts there really isn't an excuse to delay a year. These days a gift should be sent within 2 months of the wedding.

What idea's do you have for gifts? What is the craziest gift you received from your wedding? Post comments below! xox mrs. p.

Coat Check!

As it starts to get cold outside, some brides are deep into their planning of their winter wedding. But winter weddings have certain elements that summer weddings don't. For one, you should expect that guests will be wearing coats to your wedding and won't want to carry them around.

The easiest solution is a coat check! Here is an idea I found to incorporate the coat check into your wedding decor!

These coat tags are super easy to make! After purchasing paper and printing the numbers to fit your wedding decor, punch a hole in each card and tie a string through each hole. Having a perforated portion at the bottom will make these tags easy for your guests or coat check attendant to use.

Your venue should be able to supply the hangers and coat rack. These little details are inexpensive and can go a long way. Plus your guests will be happy to have a place to put their coats in the cold months only adding to their overall experience at your wedding!

What are some other details that fall/winter weddings need to have that summer/spring weddings don't? Leave comments below! xox - mrs. p.

Before you go 'Bottom's Up'

Often times we are called upon to make a toast at a loved one’s wedding. At first you may think what an honor followed immediately by, what am I going to say??? Well it’s really easy!

Your audience is made up of the friends and family of the people you are about to toast, so it shouldn’t be hard to get their attention. Don’t make the speech too complicated and don’t go on for too long. The guests didn't come to hear you speak so no need to make it a lecture. With that in mind, they also don’t want to hear you to bash the bride and groom either. Try to keep it short, light and positive!

Here is a good outline:

1. Introduce yourself and how you know the bride (or groom)
2. Talk about your friend/sibling in a positive light perhaps adding in a short story that shows everyone what kind of relationship you have. (if you have a silly relationship tell a story about a time when you guys were acting silly, if you have been friends since childhood, tell a story about growing up with one another, if you have a relationship that has been both good and bad, stick with the good times!)
3. Talk about the groom and how you know he is a good person too (or bride if you are the best man). Since you are closer with the other person, this section can be very short and no story is needed.
4. Now talk about the bride and groom together and why you think they are a good couple. This part can also be short and just a few adjectives as to why you believe they love one another. It would be wonderful if it could relate back to the story you told about your relationship with the bride.
5. End on a positive note perhaps with a quote. Something about love lasting forever or advice on how to make it work.
6. Don’t forget to raise your glass and ‘toast’ the bride and groom, isn’t that the whole point after all!?!

Using these 6 steps you should have no trouble at all writing your speech! Bottom's up and good luck! xox – mrs. p.

Have your Cake and Eat it too!

Weddings can be expensive but here are few ways that can help you save some money and not cut back on your vision of your big day.

Flowers – Got your eye on large table centerpieces? Use flowers that are local or are in season the same time of year as your wedding. They will be less expensive than flowers that need to be imported.

Reception Venue – Thought you might be saving money by having a backyard wedding? After adding up the costs of renting everything from plates, silverware, glasses, tables and even a tent, it would cost less to go to a venue that already has those items (including a roof!

Wedding Cake – Want to display a large cake in the center of your dancefloor but that doesn't fit your budget? Have your baker design a cake using a faux cake layers! No one will know the difference! In order to feed your guests, you can have sheet cakes in the back to serve.

Photographer – Having a quality photographer can be expensive especially when you start adding in wedding albums. Skip the albums in your package from the photographer and get the prints on a disc instead. You make your own wedding album with lots of different online resources! It will be exactly what you want at a fraction of the cost!

Size of your Invitations – Invitations alone can be significant on the budget but don’t forget that they all need stamps too! Keeping the weight and the size of your invitations into consideration can save you money. Larger invitations need more stamps.

What are some other ideas to help save money? Post your ideas/comments below! xox – mrs. p.

Calling all Bridesmaids to Report for Duty

So you have been asked to be a bridesmaid in a wedding – now what? What does that really mean and what did you just sign up for?

photo by Tonya Malay Photography

First, don't panic! Being asked to be in a wedding is truly a sign of respect and love and should be taken as such. Clearly you are considered to be significant to the couple getting married and it is an honor to stand beside them and support them on this special day. However, there are some expectations that come with this position in the wedding. Every bride is different on what they expect from their bridesmaids but here are some of the basics that will get you through with almost any bride:

-Offer to be a part of pre-wedding festivities and tasks such as offering to go with the bride to find her wedding dress and the bridesmaid dresses. Perhaps you can pitch in to help stuff the wedding invitations or tie bows on the favors. It may not always be glamorous but your bride will remember you were there for her. She will appreciate the help!

-Be prepared to pay for your dress and accessories to wear on the big day. Don’t expect these expenses to be paid for by anyone else but you. Sometimes this can be the largest expense (depending on your brides taste) for a bridesmaid and often the most taxing part of being a bridesmaid. Many brides understand that and will do what they can to keep costs low. Don't forget to break in those shoes beforehand too, that way, you will be prepared for a night of dancing!

-If the Maid of Honor isn’t already planning the shower and bachelorette, offer to help them plan or host these events with the other bridesmaids. This doesn’t have to be a lavish affair but just enough to make the bride feel special and important.

-Spend the day of the wedding with the bride. Whether it’s a bridesmaid luncheon or sitting around getting hair and makeup done, you are expected to spend this time with the bride. She may be a little nervous or anxious today so do what you can to keep her happy and positive. (Don't forget to make sure she has something to eat and drink before the wedding, she has a long day ahead of her and she needs to be feeling well!)

-Be a support system for the Maid of Honor too. Being the Maid of Honor can be stressful and sometimes they will need some help too. If they need a hand holding up the train of the bride's dress or they need someone else to take a turn holding the bouquet, step in there! She will thank you at the end of the night for being the Maid of Honor to the Maid of Honor!

-Help to get the party started! When the music is going and no one else is dancing, help encourage others around the dance floor to jump up and have a good time! This may mean dancing with the other groomsmen during the formal dances in the beginning of the night. If you are having a good time, others will want to join in too!

-When all is said and done remember this isn’t your wedding. You are there for the bride and it doesn’t matter if you are wearing a horrible color dress or your hair is not done right. This day is about the bride so try to be a trooper through it all. Smile as much as possible!

These are just some general expectations. Every bride is different so make sure you know what she expects of you. The good thing is, you won't have to worry about what to wear to the wedding because that is already decided for you!

photo by Ned Jackson Photography

What is the craziest thing a bride ever asked you to do? Send me pictures of your worst bridesmaid dress! Post your comments below! xox – mrs. p.

Trash the Dress?

One of the most important and exciting parts of planning your wedding is picking out your wedding dress! But what do you do when it starts taking up valuable space in your closet? After the wedding is over and you finish unpacking from the honeymoon, what exactly does one do with their wedding dress?

I, for one, still have my wedding dress hanging in my closet! I can’t yet decide what exactly I want to do with it. Every once in awhile I like to go in there and take a look at my dress. It brings back such wonderful memories of my wedding and I’m not yet ready to part with it (it’s only been 6 months).

Here are some different options for brides to determine what to do with their dress after the big day -

• Hold on to that Dress

Preserving your wedding dress is probably the most common choice among brides. Brides will have their dresses professional cleaned and packaged in a special box that will keep the dress from fading or getting dirty. While this is great option for the sentimental bride, it can also take up valuable space in the closet as the box can be quite large (depending on your style of dress).

• Donate it to Charity

Helping out those who can’t afford a brand new wedding dress is a charitable option for your dress. There are lots of organizations that sell perfectly clean and only slightly used wedding dresses at a discounted price to brides. Think of how great you will feel knowing you have helped to make someone else’s big day as perfect as yours was! (Many organizations will also give you a tax detectable as well)

• Make a little Money

Selling yoour wedding dress is a good option for those brides who might have gone over their budget and want/need to make some of their money back. I would recommend having your dress cleaned first and then try your hand one of the many online selling sites. When setting your price, remember your buyer did not have the same experience of going to a bridal store to find their dress. Even if the dress was used only once, it is still used! They are doing you a favor!

• DIY Crafts

If you know that you won’t use your dress again, cutting up it up to make other items is a great choice. The beautiful white/ivory material would be perfect for a ring bearer pillow or the lining of a yarmulke basket. I have heard of brides that cut the skirt off their dress to make a Christmas Tree skirt. There are lots of great uses for the material that will remind you about your wedding each time you look at them.

• Trash it!

A new trend in wedding photography is a Trash the Dress session. This is a photo session taken after the wedding where the bride will put her dress back on and have a photographer take photos of her trashing her dress. Because the bride feels she will never wear the dress again, this is her opportunity to take all those risky photos she didn’t want to take her on her wedding day as worried about getting her dress dirty. Now that all the stress of the big day is behind her, she can relax and enjoy taking these artistic photos of her in her wedding dress one last time.


photo by Jeremiah Guelzo of Stone Blue Productions

photo by Rachel Kuchar Blue Nalu Photography

• Make it a Work of Art

If you didn’t already know, I am a reality TV junkie and I got this idea from Molly Mesnick from The Bachelor. She thought of her dress as a piece of artwork and wanted to display it as such.



photo from Molly Mesnick - Reality Through My Eyes



What did you do (or plan to do) with your wedding dress after the day? xox - mrs. p.

Second Chances

For those of you who have already gotten married -- if you had a chance to do your entire day over (keeping the same partner, of course!) what would be the one thing you would absolutely NOT change?

For me, this is super easy! I would hands-down pick my invitations every time! They were exactly what I wanted.

My Invitation!
photo by Ned Jackson Photography

When I first started planning my wedding, I would look through magazines and pick out photos of things that caught my attention or inspired me in one way or another. When it was time to meet with the florist or the baker, I would pull out all the images of bouquets or cakes that I had, and bring them to the appointment with me. When it came time to meet with the woman about stationery, I only had one image for invitations. The image I found in a magazine was a small picture of just the corner of an invitation by Monique Lhuillier and I knew I needed to have that invitation! I never flipped through the books or even glanced at any other invite.

Monique Lhuillier Fine Paper Collection

 

Today, I still have my wedding invitation on display as it makes me so happy to look at it. It says a lot about who I am and what type of wedding we had.  I think it is important for your wedding invitations to set the mood for your guests about what they are to expect for your wedding.

Let me know what you would do the exact same if you had the chance? Or, what ideas would you steel from a wedding you attended? xox - mrs. p.

Blogging is the New Black

Hello everyone and welcome to my Blog, The New Mrs. P.! I am a new bride (as of 1.16.11) and an event planner by day. I find that friends and family often come to me looking for advice or my thoughts when it comes to weddings. Whether they are planning their own wedding or attending one as a guest, it has always made me so happy to help and share my feelings! For years, I have been in love with weddings! I enjoy every part of them -- from the dresses to the music and the flowers to the photographers. I often catch myself looking online at wedding photographer’s websites and glancing through magazines for new dress trends.

So I decided to bring all my thoughts, ideas and passion I have for weddings to you all to get inspiration or to just enjoy them like I do! So sit back, relax, and check back often as I will try to post new stuff as I am inspired to do so! If you have questions for me, feel free to post and send me topics you want to know more about! I would also love your feedback as this blogging thing is new to me! Thank you for all your support! xox - mrs. p.

Mr. and Mrs. P. <3
photo by Ned Jackson Photography