Wedding Ideas & Advice

Outside The Box Wedding Programs

2011-03-06T15:25:00.015-06:00

Because Wiregrass Weddings customizes wedding programs to your specifications, your programs can be as unique as you are. Here are some ideas that are "outside the box".

* Plan two wedding programs - one for the adults and one for children. For the children's program include a bride and groom coloring sheet, word find or dot to dot. Provide crayons tied with coordinating ribbon.

* Some brides have shared how they are honoring the old good luck adage "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue".

* If you are having your ceremony in an historical or architecturally significant sight add a guide of the space to your program.

* Some programs include stories or interesting facts of how the couple meet and even got engaged. For example one bride was the third generation to marry on the same month and day. We loved this unique fact and are so glad she included it in her wedding program.

* Tell about any family heirlooms that are being used in the service -- a veil, a brooch, a family Bible, the kneeling bench, etc...

* One of our couple's had a sand ceremony, which is common now instead of a unity candle. What made their sand ceremony unique was that they blended sand from her home state's beaches with sand from his home state's beaches.

* Include weird facts about your wedding party. We've had one that said "Megan Stewart, my friend in chihuahuas" -- whatever that means??? I didn't get it, but I bet it was funny to them. Another one we have done had funny quotes from each attendant. Groomsman Will Stevens says "I wonder if Erin will still let me come over to play xBox with Rick after this ceremony is over?"

The point is, programs can be used to inform, entertain and communicate with your guest. So go ahead, and think "outside the box"!

Wedding Programs for the Reception?

2011-03-05T21:44:00.001-06:00

OK, so here is the couple's situation...they are having a private ceremony with their immediate family only, and want to have wedding programs for their guests at the reception, not the wedding. How would you word this, what would you include?

Here's what I think... Make sure to include the names of the bride and groom and the date -- I look at wedding programs as you would a historical document. Your children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren may stumble across a copy of it when they are filling out the family genealogy information and they need to know your anniversary date! You wouldn't need to include the order of your ceremony, but instead you could list the events of the reception. Probably something along these lines:

* Cocktail Hour (some people have this -- some don't!)

* Introduction of the Family (bride's parents then the groom's parents)

* Introduction of the Wedding Party (I would suggest including their names and possibly a brief description of their relationship to you, or even a sentence or two about each of them, make sure to include the flower girl and ring bearer)

* Presentation of the Couple

* First Dance

* Blessing

* Food Service

* Toast by the Best Man (and possibly others...)

* Mother and Son Dance

* Father and Daughter Dance

* Garter and Bouquet Toss

* Cake Cutting

* Exit

It would also be appropriate to include a special thanks to your family and guests as well as your new "at home" address. A poem or verse would be a nice touch as well.

Pocket Wedding Invitations

2011-03-04T20:51:00.003-06:00

These precious pocket wedding invitations took up the better part of our day today! The dark brown part is a pocket-fold that folds up to fit in an A7 size outer envelope. Single envelopes are used with pocket invitations, rather than the traditional double envelope because the pocket serves as the inner (and to keep down the weight for the postage). There are so many parts to this invitation ensemble that it makes it an incredibly time-consuming project. Four of us worked on these ALL DAY today. We had to print everything and prepare the guest list from the customer. Then, die cut the invitations, response cards and tabs. The pockets already come cut and assembled from our supplier, but we did have to cut down the tan backer sheets. Next was a LOT of gluing -- the backer sheets to the pocket, the invitations to the backer sheets, the tags to each other, then to the flap.... After the invitations were done, we addressed the envelopes for our customer, complete with their guest's mailing address on them. They turned out so nice - can't wait for her to pick them up so we can see her reaction!

2009-11-11T12:42:00.004-06:00

I wrote about poems and quotes a few weeks ago, but I could not let this one slip by without mentioning it. We suggest wedding programs for many reasons. For instance, they unite the congregation with the ceremony, and serve as a great keepsake later on. Wedding programs acknowledge members of the bridal party who guests may not know, and they give structure to the ceremony. But my very favorite thing about wedding programs is that they set the tone for the occasion, and this verse is the perfect example. Why am I here? Love. Yesterday, today, and forever.

Poems and verses are included in the cost of the wedding program. You may follow our suggestions, or submit your own.

Incorporating Images in your Wedding Programs

2009-11-10T14:21:00.009-06:00

Pictures or images help create a wedding program unique to your ceremony. Just like cover designs or dividers, you may submit a photograph or other image to use in your wedding program for no additional charge. Many times couples include pictures of themselves, but incorporating an image can serve other purposes as well. For instance, we provided wedding programs for a ceremony in which both the bride and groom's fathers were deceased. So, the couple decided to include pictures of them with their dads on one page of the program.

In the wedding program pictured here, the couple wanted to highlight the ceremony location which was The Citadel, a historic military institution in South Carolina. They sent us this image, and we sent them these beautiful wedding programs!

The wedding program shown is a "Kate" layout with black satin ribbon.

Wedding Program favorites

2009-11-10T13:15:00.014-06:00

I LOVE these wedding programs! This is my favorite cover design on my favorite layout, and combined with such classic colors and fonts the result is stunning.

The wedding program shown is a "Christina" layout on white linen cardstock with cover design #919 and scarlet satin ribbon.

Color your ceremony

2009-11-03T13:43:00.018-06:00

Wedding programs are a great way to further incorporate your colors into the wedding ceremony. Can't decide which ribbon color to choose? Follow this bride's lead and choose both. All of our wedding programs allow multiple font colors at no additional cost. This wedding program implements both ribbon colors as well by alternating milk chocolate and scarlet satin.

The wedding program shown is a Jackie wedding program on natural linen cardstock with scarlet satin ribbon and milk chocolate satin ribbon.

Would you get married for a monogram?

2009-11-02T14:26:00.010-06:00

I have two cousins who were given no middle name. When they were born, circa 1959, these beautiful baby girls were handed to their smiling parents awaiting the few words which would become their constant companion throughout the rest of their lives. “Well, she’ll marry of course,” I can hear the conversation going. “Why give her a name she’ll only drop?” The idea seems outrageously old-fashioned to me. As foreign a concept as it may seem, however, once I heard this story I immediately called to mind three women in their early twenties whose parents had also made the decision to only bestow two names upon their daughters for the very same reason: why does she need this name if she’ll have her husband’s?

My cousin was very bothered by her lack of a middle initial as a child. Every embroidered jumpsuit or overnight bag served as reminder of what she didn’t have: a husband? No, a monogram. Now, this cousin of mine has been happily married for over twenty years and is the mother of one of my very best friends. I am not, necessarily, questioning her motives. I merely ask the question would you get married for a monogram?

I recently had embroidered two white linen pillowcases that had been my grandmother’s. My mother handed them to me and said, “Here, for your hope chest.” Speaking of a relatively foreign concept, a hope chest was a collection of household items, usually linens, a young woman accrued through her young years as a sort of “start-up package” for her future home. Since this chest was begun well before a husband was known, the pillow cases and bed sheets and such donned her maiden monogram. And, in homage to mothers past, so do mine. That is only possible of course because I have a third name. So, if I didn’t, would I marry to get one? Would you?

Monograms offer a beautiful option for your wedding program cover design and come for no additional cost. Though they provided inspiration for this blog entry, they do not actually require three names. Stay tuned for next Tuesday’s entry where I discuss those of us who do not intend on changing our names or simply seek a less formal wedding program look.

"Whatever souls are made of, his and mine are the same."

2009-10-29T14:06:00.013-05:00

Today we assembled and shipped these wedding programs for a ceremony in Alabama. When I think of the literary British masterpiece Wuthering Heights, I usually recall scenes of the damp and windy English moor and ghosts in mansion windows. In the time it took to fold, punch, and tie ribbons in these Christinas however, I allowed my mind to wander to the beautiful love story of Catherine and Heathcliff written so eloquently by Emily Bronte.

Including a favorite poem or verse in your wedding program adds a unique touch to your ceremony. The selections we see vary in style and mood as vastly as the personalities of our brides, each special in their own way. I found this particular line heartwarming and hopeful, and I hope the wedding guests reading it are half as delighted as I was!

The program shown is a Christina wedding program with spring moss satin, using Edwardian and Baker Signet fonts in slate ink.

Wiregrass Weddings is on Facebook

2009-10-17T10:23:00.004-05:00

We have finally been bitten by the Facebook bug and have created a page for Wiregrass Weddings. We are having a ton of fun posting things about our line of custom wedding programs, promotions, news bits about accomplishment and new equipment and more. If you are on Facebook, we hope that you will "become a fan" today. The page can be found at http://www.facebook.com/wiregrassweddings.

I posted a link about our new die cut wedding programs and two days later, I got an order for 250 of them -- before I even posted them to the website. We will be launching other new products via the Facebook page, so we hope that you will follow along!

How to Acknowledge Deceased Parent(s) in Your Wedding Program

2009-07-15T10:55:00.002-05:00

In this example, the Father of the Bride is deceased and the Mother of the Bride is remarried. If the mother was deceased instead, you would list her first, above the living father (and step-mother if he was remarried). You can list them under the wedding party section in the following way:

Parents of the Bride
Mr. and Mrs. John William Doe
The Late Mr. Roger Smith

OR

You can just list the living parent in the wedding party and put something under the dedication like this:

Dedication
On this special day in our lives, we lovingly remember Mr. Roger Smith, Father of the Bride.

…or something like this..

The flowers on the altar are placed to the glory of God and in loving memory of Mr. Roger Smith, Father of the Bride.

…or this…
The candle in the narthex burns brightly in loving memory of Mr. Roger Smith, Father of the Bride.

Stand Up for the Bride

2009-04-27T13:25:00.004-05:00

This weekend I officiated at a lovely outdoor wedding in northwest Florida. As the bride and her parents walked to take their place in the processional I suddenly wondered, "Who is going to signal the audience to stand as the bride walks down the aisle?"

Typically, the mother of the bride is in charge of this time honored tradition. When the mother stands, and not until, everyone else follows her lead. Saturday's bride had asked both of her parents to walk her down the aisle. Her mother couldn't signal the audience to stand. She was already standing.

There was a dear family friend and second mother to Saturday's bride sitting up front. I tried to catch her eye as if to say, "Why don't you stand up and then everyone else will too." She didn't get my signal. The crowd remained seated.

Saturday's bride was extremely organized throughout the entire planning of her day. Her wedding invitations went out exactly on time. Her wedding programs were perfect. I am trusting that if she had wanted people to stand, she would have made that plan clear to me and others.

Standing as the bride walks down the aisle is a sign of respect and a way for those present to actively participate in the ceremony.

Suzanah

How to Create a Wedding Invitation List

2009-04-07T13:43:00.003-05:00

Readers, readers, readers. This just in, Google Docs is a lifesaver for the woman on a wedding list mission. If you have participated in a wedding list work day, then you know the tedious process a list creation becomes.

The bride sits down with a variety of people including her fiance, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, grandmother-in-law, and maybe even her mother's sisters. Pain-staking care is taken to ensure every friend, cousin, and 1st grade teacher is included. Then the catering estimate comes and revisions begin! Before long there are at least five re-worked lists on your hard drive. "Did I name the latest one 'Wedding List Final' or 'Wedding List Final Final'," you ask yourself?

Enter Google Docs and the days of pulling out your hair are fewer and father between. First you must create a gmail account if you do not have one. If using Excel, simply upload your file to Google Docs and share with as many recipients as needed. If you do not have Excel, the guest list can be created directly through Google Docs.

Once shared, list recipients are free to make changes from their computers. This eliminates the 337 updated lists and new files. No more wondering if you are working from the most updated list. Once completed, email list to your wedding invitation source for easy uploading.

Thank you Google Docs and Morgan Gunter from celbrationsinmylife(dot)blogspot(dot)com for the tip.

Suzanah

Money Saving Wedding Engagement Photo Tips

2009-03-31T13:33:00.003-05:00

Affordable wedding engagement photos are possible. To save money consider the following suggestions:

Have a friend use her snazzy digital camera to capture you and your beloved in a variety of locations and poses. Once you've chosen your favorite photo setup, negotiate a shorter sitting fee with your photographer. Time is money.
Check craigslist for up and coming photographers ready to give you a deal.
Poll your friends to see if any are in need of a professional headshot for their website or portfolio. Some photographers will offer shared sitting fees or a package deal for multiple clients.
Use your engagement photo as the design for your save the date card.

Suzanah

"Should I Have a Wedding Program?"

2009-03-23T14:55:00.002-05:00

Wedding programs are quickly becoming a treasured keepsake for family and friends. They provide a special touch and useful information for guests. The wedding program is the back stage pass to ceremonies. It gives those present the pertinent behind the scenes information that serves to include guests regardless of their friendship level with the couple.

Consult the Wiregrass Weddings website here, for wedding program sample wording.

The staff does an excellent job of walking clients through the process of program set up. Regardless of your budget, there are beautiful designs from which to choose.

Watch this video for a detailed look at "The Jackie" wedding program. Listen as Laurie explains options for ribbon color and font choices.

How to Choose a First Dance Song

2009-03-19T13:05:00.004-05:00

Depending on the location of your wedding reception, there may be dancing. If so, are you ready for your debut dance as a married couple? There are first dance songs to consider and steps to learn. Some couples love the idea of being the center of attention as an awed crowd watches them waltz. To some this may be spine chilling.

If you are planning a first dance consider the following tips:

Choose a first dance song that fits your favorite dance moves. Are you comfortable with the two-step? Find a two-stepping love song that will bring a smile to the crowd and joy to your heart. Shake things up a bit. It isn't written in stone that your first dance has to be to a slow tune.
Carefully consider the song's wording. Not all love songs mean well.
Practice your moves before the reception. After the song is chosen, grab your partner and rehearse.
Whatever your final song and style choice, move with confidence on the dance floor. Save the sheepish grins and shrugging shoulders for your caterer. Give your guests the show they deserve.

Suzanah

Wedding Venues

2009-03-18T08:14:00.004-05:00

How clever of the writers of Sarah Jessica Parker's latest movie to choose the New York City Public Library for Carrie Bradshaw's wedding venue. Recently I stopped by to see what all the fuss was about. The library is indeed a fabulous space.

So, where does the average girl get married these days?

1. House of Worship (Church, Temple, or other religious space)

2. Court House

3. A family member's lawn.

4. An exotic destination.

Of course my list is not exhaustive. There are many creative options available for those willing to look. The bride and groom may, for sentimental reasons, feel the need to get married near one of their home towns or close to the location where they first met. Several of my college friends chose to have their ceremonies at our college's chapel.

Before choosing the location it is a good idea to consider who should attend. If it is important to the bride and groom that grandparents and extended family be present, they must keep in mind grandparents aren't always physically able to make a long trip. Extended family members aren't always keen on the expense that a destination wedding requires.

If the couple is looking for an intimate affair with only their closest of friends, small venues and destination weddings can meet their needs with ease.

Almost Wedding Cake

2009-03-16T12:28:00.002-05:00

Friends, New York City is buzzing with spring wedding features. Tis the season.

While in the city on Saturday I used my GPS to find wedding stores and ran across one called the Wedding Cafe. I got very excited about the possibility of purchasing a big fluffy piece of wedding cake. Surely the Wedding Cafe has all things cake and punch, I thought.

Turns out the cafe is actually a wedding resource center and a place for vendors to meet with clients. Wedding Ideas and Advice is its own resource center. So let me take this time to remind you of some of our favorite vendors:

Wiregrass Weddings

and

Programs and Bulletins

Laurie and her divas have recently created a fabulous new line of programs. Delicious.

Affordable Engagement Rings

2009-03-14T08:48:00.007-05:00

One carat, two carat, three carat, more? For the soon to be and newly engaged, where do you find quality yet reasonably priced diamond rings? Recently, a friend of mine found hers at a pawn shop. Her uncle is on the board of the American Association of Pawn Shops and advised her to at peruse the selection in area stores. My friend took the proposed diamond she found to an appraiser to make sure it was what she wanted. The purchase was made and she and her fiance are having the ring reset.

Weddings on a budget can be a thoughtful adventure. Purchasing a vintage engagement ring is not for everyone, but for those who are willing, enjoy the hunt.

Discount Wedding Programs!

2009-02-12T21:59:00.004-06:00

Click on the coupon below to read all the details of our Valentine's Day Sale! We hope that you will take advantage of this GREAT offer to save some money on your custom wedding programs!

The Wiregrass Weddings Divas!

2008-12-01T21:17:00.018-06:00

The wonderful group of women that is behind Wiregrass Weddings went to jail the other day! The Old Coffee County jail in downtown Elba, Alabama served as the backdrop for our meeting with friend and awesome photographer, Mike Moseley of Moseley Photography and Design. Mike took some great pictures of my "divas" and I just wanted to share the pictures of my awesome staff with you all and at the same time, fill you in on the whole wedding program process!

ANNA

This is the only picture that Mike didn't take!!! Anna was sick the day of our photoshoot and this is my attempt to copy Mike's true gift as a "real" photographer!!

Anna writes up all of the orders by creating a folder, a "paper to pull" tag, a "ribbon to cut" tag and adding it to our order tracking worksheet (where we track all of the orders). Then she does the first rough draft of the wedding program.

She is the proud mother to Smoke, the weimaraner, and Bentley, the dauchaund.

LYNDSAY

Next, Lyndsay "tweaks" the wedding program and prints out a copy to be proofed. Lyndsay also stays busy at the end of the process, as she is the one that prints the wedding programs and bills each customer.

Lyndsay enjoys creating new things, so if you have any special requests or projects that you would like to tackle, she's your girl! She's also a "pageant nut", so if you need anything printed for a pageant, call her!

SYLVIA
After the wedding programs are typeset, they go to our resident wedding expert and former English teacher, Sylvia, for proofing. Sylvia is also a pro at operating our ribbon cutter and she cuts all of the ribbon with the hot knife cutter to give it a finished edge.

Sylvia lives right across the street from Wiregrass Weddings with her husband, Jack. She's a champ at remembering each holiday and birthday and is quick to bring a wonderful, homemade cake to celebrate. She is very active in her church (Whitewater Baptist) where she serves as the Vacation Bible School Chairman and a Sunday School Teacher. She is also employeed part time by Moseley Photography and Design.

KERRI (with two r's)

After proofing, Kerri is in charge of making all of the changes to the wedding programs and then sending the first draft to the customer for approval. She makes all of the changes requested by the customer and gets the orders ready to print. Kerri also handles most of the UPS for Wiregrass Weddings.

She is an avid animal lover and has two cats and two dogs and has plans to pursue a nursing degree in the near future.

KERI (with one r)

Once the programs have been printed, Keri and Maria (see below) handle the assembly, with the rest of the crew pitching in as needed. They cut, fold, punch and tie to ensure that each program is just perfect! Then they box, stuff, tape, measure and weigh to make sure that they arrive to each customer safe and sound.

Keri is also employeed part time with UPS and is an active member of her church, First Assembly of God.

MARIA

In addition to her job duties listed above (see Keri with one r), Maria and Keri also help with keeping our paper supplies in stock. They also both help with random projects such as direct mailing and website maintenance.

Maria is married to her husband, Kevin and is mother to Kendallyn and Kaeden. She serves as the youth pastor at the same church, First Assembly of God.

LAURIE

Then there is me, Laurie. I'm in charge of vacuuming up the paper punches all over the floor after a hard day of work. I also pay the bills. Other than that, I just help out where I'm needed.

Right now, we all work out of my home, where I live with my husband of 10 years, Jim and our two kiddos, Brooke and Bradley. We are in the process of completing a new building, which we hope to by occupying in the next couple of months.... I'll update you all on that in the next blog!

'til then...

~Laurie

Beautiful Wedding Invitations

2008-11-11T15:33:00.003-06:00

Milling around the offices of Wiregrass Weddings I stumbled upon this ever so lovely wedding invitation. Designed by WW program associate Lyndsay Elliott, this invitation is one for the scrapbook.

Lately I've been wrapped up in all things wedding programs, but this invitation turned my gaze. I'm thinking about hosting a wedding just so I can have some of these printed!

Suzanah

Thoughtful Hostess Gifts

2008-11-05T17:50:00.004-06:00

A friend of a friend is getting married soon. A shower was held and there were many, many hostesses. Thank you gifts for the tribe of women throwing the party were needed. In place of the typical picture frame, candle, or crystal dish, the bride baked miniature pound cakes. Attached was a printed recipe straight from her future grandmother-in-law's kitchen. Very nice.

Now I love a good picture frame and candles can be nice, but why not save a little money and create something more handmade and personal? My hostess friend thought it was a lovely idea. A yummy treat and nothing new to dust. I consider that a success.

Suzanah

Mother of the Bride Dresses

2008-10-22T14:03:00.004-05:00

Finding the perfect Mother of the Bride dress can be a challenge. Recently, I observed as a friend frantically searched for a dress to wear to her daughter's wedding. It was a morning wedding. The dress needed to have that lovely just below the knee length - not too long and not too short.

Color was also an issue. My friend had studied too many wedding photos where the Mother of the Bride or the Mother of the Groom wore brightly colored dresses that distracted from the overall photo. A softer color was desired. Elegance was a priority.

We spent hours searching the internet for dresses. Dozens of speciality shops were consulted. My friend eventually found her dress in Montgomery, Alabama at Chantilly Boutique. The dress was made by Mon Cheri.

Tips for Finding a Mother of the Bride Dress:

Consult with friends whose daughters have recently married. Where did they find dresses? Visit those stores.
Use the internet to find the style(s) you like.
Print pictures of the dresses to show shop owners so they will know for what you are looking.
Start early.
Get your daughter's approval.
If all else fails, email me. I can help you look.

Happy hunting,

Suzanah

ahandwrittennote@gmail.com

How to Freeze Wedding Cake

2008-10-09T09:46:00.007-05:00

Saving the top layer of the wedding cake, if stored properly, can be a meaningful and delicious part of a couple's anniversary celebration. Wiregrass Weddings' Laurie Chapman had a three-tiered basket weave cake in all white. Like many brides, she saved the top layer for later.

Last week, Laurie's mom called to tell her that she found her wedding cake. Laurie and Jim were married on March 21, 1998! Regardless of how well a cake is packaged, ten years is too long.

WikiHow(dot)com has the following suggestions for freezing wedding cakes:

1. Wrap cake in aluminum foil

2. Place wrapped cake in sealable baggy.

3. Secure wrapped and sealed cake in a metal tin to protect from getting smooshed in the freezer.

It is important to freeze cake as soon as possible, so don't wait until after your honeymoon. Before the reception, decide who will be in charge of packaging the portion of the cake you choose to freeze.

Happy freezing,

Suzanah

Hand Assembly Included

2008-10-06T13:40:00.006-05:00

Thanks Laurie. It is so much fun to be a part of Laurie's productions. The energy in her office is amazing. There is always a phone call to answer and a wedding program to nurture. Laurie understands what it takes to make her brides happy. I've never heard her say that something could not be done. Behind the scenes at Laurie's looks like a talented group of people working diligently to make each client's wedding day special.

Laurie and her team focus a lot of their time and energy on wedding programs. Each program is hand assembled and checked for quality. We live in a day and age when phone calls are outsourced and speaking with an automated computer is the norm. There is no press one for programs, two for invitations, three for operator at Wiregrass Weddings. Clients speak directly to the creators of their one of a kind programs.

If I were a bride in search of programs, it would matter to me that my programs came from a business started by a young mom. It would matter to me that she employs a tribe of talented women who seek to make a difference in their own worlds. It is easy for me to see that around here, it is more than just a program.

Happy Monday.

Oh, Suzanah!

2008-10-02T21:06:00.001-05:00

I'm excited about tomorrow -- my good friend, Suzanah, will be coming over to help me keep up with my blog! She is a gifted writer and will be in charge of putting all of my blog post ideas on the site for you. Just to give you a little background on Suzanah, I would like to give you a brief introduction... Suzanah is an ordained minister. She was ordained in the Baptist church, but currently is serving my local non-denominational church (Covenant Community Church) as the "global minister in residence". Basically, what that means is that she helps us to focus our thoughts, energy, gifts and talents on worldy issues. She has traveled to Africa several times to volunteer at a children's home, but her main day-to-day tasks include heading up a maternal health initiative where 60 birthing attendants in Haiti are given monthly supplies and annual supplies. They are supplied with enough "birthing kits" to attend a total of 600 births per month.

That being said, I'm happy to be welcoming Suzanah to the bunch. She is an inspiration to be around and a great friend as well.

That's your cue, Suzanah -- take it away!

~Laurie

Awesome Wedding Cake Idea

2008-01-30T09:23:00.000-06:00

I saw the neatest idea today and just wanted to share it with you! I found it at www(dot)cakesbycremedelacreme(dot)com. They have a link on their site that says "Table and Individual". What they did was to put a small wedding cake at each table. One that serves 8-12 people. I love this idea because your guests don't have to wait in line for a piece of the cake, and you save money on centerpieces! Plus, it's something totally unique that I've never seen done before.

While looking at wedding cake sites (I don't know how I got onto that this morning), I also stumbled upon these awesome websites:

* Mike's Amazing Cakes - www(dot)mikesamazingcakes(dot)com

* New Ranaissance Cakes - www(dot)newrenaissancecakes(dot)com

Also, I think that the cupcake idea is adorable, especially for a kid's table at the wedding... Here's a site that is devoted only to cupcakes:

* Trophy Cupcakes - www(dot)trophycupcakes(dot)com

And one more idea to satisfy your sweet tooth -- I've had a handful of bride's mention to me that rather than doing a "big basket" full of stuff to leave in the hotel rooms for their out-of-town guests, they are opting for something smaller, cheaper and just as thoughtful... So, here's a great idea -- what about these precious hand decorated wedding cookies? Chrissie Schubert is the daughter of the nationally known "Sister Schubert" (the yummy yeast roll lady). Also, for all of you that are local to the "Wiregrass" they are one of our own, from Andalusia, Alabama. Her website is www(dot)cstreats(dot)com.

Now I'm hungry!

~Laurie

How Many Wedding Programs to Order?

2007-11-07T19:40:00.000-06:00

The "Anna" Wedding Program

"How Many Wedding Programs Should I Order?" This is a question that I'm asked on a daily basis, so I figurred that it's something that people are wanting to know. I normally tell my customers that if they are planning on 250 guests, then they should order around 200 programs. Usually, a couple will get one rather than each person.

If you have program attendants (people handing out programs), you can tell them to only hand out one program per person. But, keep in mind that a lot of women (who have husband's like mine who hate getting dressed up and doing any social), will come to the wedding alone -- so don't cut the number of wedding programs you order in half , or you won't have enough. Also, make sure that you are ordering enough for your wedding party and for keepsakes for yourself.

There is one exception to this -- if you are planning on sitting one wedding program in each seat, then of course, you will need one program for each person that is there. It does look very nice to display your programs this way, but it will cost you more since you will have to order one for each person.

I live in a very small town and they do the strangest thing here -- they don't send wedding invitations locally, but just to out of town guests. Then, they put one invitation in the local newspaper and area church bulletins. This is a great cost-saving thing, but it doesn't help at all when you are planning on a total number of guests! For those of you like that -- my best answer is to ask other brides in your area who have gotten married recently how many guests they had in attendance, so that you will have something to go by...

The Shower Gift that Keeps on Giving!

2007-04-12T09:38:00.000-05:00

I heard the best idea last week and right when I heard it, I said to the person "I should blog about that"! So, here it is: my customer was looking for a pre-printed paper that she could put in with the invitations she was sending out for a baby shower. The invitation stated to return the enclosed card with a note on it for the baby. Here's the neat part -- each guest was assigned a year and the baby will get one card per year until they are as old as the number of guests invited.

I thought that this would be a splendid idea for a bridal shower or couple's shower as well -- they could open one card on each anniversary and receive a wish, blessing, prayer, poem or funny story from a dear friend. Depending on circumstances, it may be from a friend that they have lost contact with, or a person who has passed away. I just think that is the neatest idea.

Another customer of mine did a similar thing for her mother's 90th birthday party. They did not want for people to bring gifts, but they knew how much their mother enjoyed receiving cards from friends. So, they provided 4" x 6" cards to each guest to write their favorite memory on and put them together in a photo album that was presented to her at the event.

Ornament Shower or Holiday Shower Theme

2007-01-04T08:52:00.000-06:00

Since the holidays just past, I was reminded of one of my favorite shower themes: The Holiday Shower. This could be done at any time of year. Here is how it works - your guests are issued an invitation that has some really cute wording. Something like this:

Each and every holiday is special for different reasons
Let's shower Angie with gifts to celebrate the seasons

Please join us for a
Holiday Shower
in honor of
Angie Willis
Sunday, March 17, 2008
2:00 - 3:30 p.m.
Amy Cox's Home
129 Woodland Cove Drive
Monticello, Florida

Please bring a gift for __________.

(Fill in the blank with different holidays that the honoree recognizes -- Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Fourth of July, etc).

If you really want to go the extra mile, you could go to a stationery shop that has a good selection of invitations and pick out a couple of each holiday and coordinate the paper you use with the holiday they have been assigned.

Another idea is the ornament shower. This shower has been incresingly popular in my little town of Elba, Alabama in the past couple of years and is always held in November or December. Since we do live in a tiny town, one of the local shopkeepers will decorate a tree with selections that the bride picked out to decorate "her" tree. The invitation reads something like this:

Please join us for a
Christmas Ornament Shower
in honor of
Miss Meredith Lowery
on Sunday, November 21, 2010
at the home of Amy Cox
129 Woodland Cove Drive
Monticello, Florida

~ Hostesses ~
Christina Hopkins, Pamela Smith, Susan Miller,
Valerie Moorehead and Lynn Robbins

~ Registry ~
The Lowery-Jones Tree is on display at the Strawberry Patch.

How to Word a Traditional Wedding Invitation

2007-01-02T18:58:00.000-06:00

Invitations and announcements are usually issued by the parents of the bride, or the surviving parent. If the bride is without parents, invitations may be issued by the closest relative. The accepted order of kinship is as follows:
1. Elder brother
2. Elder sister
3. Both grandparents or surviving grandparent
4. Uncle and aunt
5. Guardian
6. Bride and Groom issue invitations themselves
7. Groom's family

Generally, the parents of the groom are not mentioned unless they are splitting the expense of the wedding.

If the bride's father and mother are issuing the invitations, the conventional form is:

Mr. and Mrs. Larry Dean Cliett
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Laurie Anne
to
Mr. James Walter Chapman, Jr.
on Saturday, the twenty-first of March
Two thousand and ten
at six o'clock in the evening
Fellowship Presbyterian Church
Tallahassee, Florida

If the father or mother is deceased and the surviving parent issues the invitation:

Mrs. (or Mr.) Larry Dean Cliett
requests the honour of your presence
at the marriage of her (his) daughter
Laurie Anne
to
Mr. James Walter Chapman, Jr.
on Saturday, the twenty-first of March
Two thousand and ten
at six o'clock in the evening
Fellowship Presbyterian Church
Tallahassee, Florida

If the father or mother is deceased and the surviving parent has remarried, the remarried mother would use her present husband's name, but the remarried father would use the conventional form:

Mrs. David Lee Carson
requests the honour of your presence
at the marriage of her daughter
Laurie Anne Cliett
(etc...)

If the bride's parents are deceased and the invitation is issued by an older, unmarried sister or brother:

Mr. Thomas Allen Harper
requests the honour of your presence
at the marriage of his sister
(etc...)

If the bride's parents are deceased and the invitation is issued by an older married brother or sister:

Mr. and Mrs. Robert David Thornton
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of his sister
(etc...)

If the bride and groom issue their own invitations, the conventional wording would be:

Miss Laurie Anne Cliett
and
Mr. James Walter Chapman, Jr.
request the honour of your presence
at their marriage
(etc...)

The proper way to word an invitation when the bride's parents are divorced is to list the names of the bride's parents at the top of the invitation. Her mother's name is on the first line and her father's name is on the line beneath it. The lines are not separated by "and". If the bride's mother has not remarried, she uses "Mrs." followed by her first name, maiden name, and married name.

Mrs. Sally Jones Harper

A divorced father who issues the invitation uses the conventional form:

Mr. Matthew Ellis Harper

If the groom's family issues the invitations:

Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Allen Lee
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of
Miss Anne Haley Harper
to their son
Mr. Michael Samuel Lee
(etc...)

Love Poems, Quote and Bible Verses...

2006-12-12T17:10:00.000-06:00

Brides will often ask me for a poem, quote or Bible verse that would be appropriate for them to use on their invitations or programs. So, I thought that I'd post my list here, for all the world to enjoy! I have compiled this list from a variety of sources including wedding books, the internet, the Bible, and from some things that brides have given to me to use. Enjoy!

~Laurie

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two Loves
By Father Abram J. Ryan

Two loves came up a long, wide aisle,
And knelt at a low, white gate;
One—tender and true, with a shyest smile,
One—strong, true and elate.

Two lips spoke in a firm true way,
And two lips answered soft and low;
In one true hand such a little hand lay
Fluttering, frail as a flake of snow.
One stately head bent humble there,
Stilled were the throbbings of human love;
One head drooped down like a lily fair,

Two prayers went, wing to wing, above.
God blest them both in the holy place,
Long brief moment till the rite was done;
On the human love fell a heavenly grace,
Making two hearts forever one.

Between two lengthening rows of smiles,
One sweetly shy, one proud, elate,
Two loves passed down the long wide aisle
Will they ever forget the low white gate?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

No speed of wind or water rushing by
But you have speed far greater. You can climb
Back up a stream of radiance to the sky,
And back through history up the stream of time.
And you were given this swiftness, not for haste,
Not chiefly that you may go where you will,
But in the rush of everything to waste,
That you may have the power of standing still-
Off any still or moving thing you say.
Two such as you with such a master speed
Cannot be parted nor be swept away
From one another once you are agreed
That life is only life forevermore
Together wing to wing and oar to oar.

-Robert Frost-

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Love is like an eternal flame,
once it is lit,
it will continue to burn for all time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Love bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things,
endures all things.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A life of sharing, caring
A love of endless giving together.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two souls with but a single thought,
two hearts that beat as one.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There is only one happiness in life,
to love and be loved.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I love you not only for what you are,
but for what I am when I am with you

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A new day
A new life
Together

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two lives, two hearts
Joined together in friendship
United forever in
Love

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You are:
The smile on my face
The beat in my heart
The light of my day
The dark of my night

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You are:
The dreams I dream
The passion I possess
The soul I adore
The one I love

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You bring into my life
a sense of oneness,
shared by two.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I think of my love for you,
it can only be compared to the
greatest feelings of love in the world
And that is God’s Love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Dove of Love has touched my Heart
Sprinkling purity each day that I start
Faith, Hope and Love is the way I shall be
Forever yours eternally

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You are my best friend and soul mate
May the Love that we have for each other
Last forever in our hearts and soul.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My love I do give to you,
more than words can explain.
That's why I thank the Lord for you,
each and everyday!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For on this day and every day after,
I plan to fill your heart with love and laughter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just for you
I give my heart
For years to come
'Til death do us part

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My gift to you is my love
Given from deep within my heart
It is the best I have to offer
And it's yours until this earth we depart

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In all my life
I have never known
someone like you who
makes me feel so complete
in everyway.....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two lives, two hearts
Joined together in Love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Whoever lives in love
Lives in God…
I John 4:16

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This day I will marry my best friend,
The one I laugh with,
Live for, dream with and
Love

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Love knows no limit to its endurance
no end to its trust,
Love still stands
when all else has fallen.

1 Corinthians 13:7-8

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I love you not only for what you are,
but for what I am when I am with you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I love you today
As I have from the start,
And I'll love you forever
With all of my heart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I do believe that God above,
Created you for me to love.
He chose you from all the rest,
Because he knew I would love you the best.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You are the one
who makes me whole.
You've captured my heart
and touched my soul.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You are the one
that stepped out of my dreams,
gave me new hope and
showed me what love means.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You alone are my reason to live
for the compassion you show
and the care that you give.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You came into my life
and made me complete.
Each time I see you
my heart skips a beat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You are the one
God sent from above
The angel I needed
For whom I do love

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All I ever wanted was to be part of your heart,
And for us to be together, to never be apart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

No one else in the world can even compare,
You're perfect and so is this love that we share.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We have so much more than I ever thought we would,
I love you more than I ever thought I could.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I promise to give you all I have to give,
I'll do anything for you as long as I live.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In your eyes I see our present,
our future and past.
By the way you look at me,
I know we will last.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope that one day
you'll come to realize,
how perfect you are
when seen through my eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I asked God for a flower, he gave me a bouquet
I asked God for a minute, he gave me a day
I asked God for true love, he gave me that too
I asked for an angel and he gave me you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Forever is what I want with you
For the search is at an end
Our hearts have found each other
As lovers, as soul mates, as friends.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our lives entwined to be as one,
Upon this journey we’ve just begun.
Where you and I will find no less,
Than eternal love and happiness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Meaning of Love
Love is patient, Love is kind.
It does not envy, It does not boast,
It is not proud, It is not rude,
It is not self-seeking,
It is not easily angered,
It keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil
But rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts,
Always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Across the years
I will walk with you,
in deep green forests
on shores of sand.
And when our time
on earth is through,
in heaven too,
you will have my hand.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two souls fused by commitment,
Two names written in the stars above,
Two lives intertwined by God,
Two hearts joined by the purest of love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As You Marry
On this your wedding day
May angels smile upon you
For a single heart now beats
Where once there had been two
The Lord has brought you to this day
Through all of life's confusions
To come full circle all the way
To bless your wedded union
May your days be filled with laughter
And your nights be filled with peace
As you grow old together
Sharing happiness and ease
For a man shall be a woman's heart
And a woman be a man's
Til the oceans cease to flow
And deserts lose their sands
"This is my beloved, and this is my friend."

Song of Solomon 5:16

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"God has poured out his love into our hearts."

Romans 5:5 (NIV)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Only through Christ will we find true oneness in marriage, the kind He created for us from the beginning."

1 Corinthians 13:8 (NIV)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Love is patient and kind, always trusts. Love never fails."

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"If we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us."

I John 4:12 (NIV)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Love yesterday, today and forever."

Jeremiah 31:3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"The two will become one."

Ephesians 5:31 (NIV)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So they are no longer two, but one.
Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

Matthew 19:6 (NIV)

Selecting your perfect invitation and saving money along the way!

2006-10-27T19:16:00.000-05:00

I've been selling wedding invitations for over seven years now and I can honestly say that I love what I do. I enjoy meeting wonderful young ladies and help them plan for the single most important day of their life. Finding the perfect wedding invitation is critical as it is the first impression your guests will have of what type of wedding they will be attending. Sure, the wedding dress is super-important, as is the wedding cake, and the wedding music, but your guests can't take them home and hang them on their refrigerator for weeks!

So, how do you find your perfect wedding invitation? The first thing that I ask a bride when I sit down with her is if she already has something in mind for what she is wanting. Some brides will already have their mind made up, so my job is made really easy.

For those that are less decisive, I then ask them what type of wedding they are planning - what their wedding dress is like, where will the ceremony be held, what time is the wedding, what are the plans for the reception, what is her budget like... This allows me to find out her style and her financial situation -- is she traditional or trendy, plain or fancy, upscale or casual? From there I can pretty well figure out which invitation will fit her perfectly.

For the traditional bride on a budget: I usually suggest something simple with black ink. The price to change the ink color is very minimal, so don't let those of you who are budget-minded worry about that. However, black ink is the traditional standard. That being said, there are several other colors that will still give off the "formal" feel that aren't black. You can also dress up your invitation by adding an inital or design to the top.

Usually, I start brides off in the thermography section of my wedding invitation books. Thermography is a finishing technique applied after printing that raises the ink and gives the effect of engraved printing. It looks like a genuine engraved invitation, but without the extra expense. The only visual difference between the two is that if you turn them over and look on the back side, you will see a dent on the genuine engraved invitations (a "bruise") that will not be visable on an invitation printed in thermography. In the engraving process, they actually make a metal plate that is pressed into the paper to raise the letters.

Now, for those brides that are traditional and money is no object, then I have no problem selling them genuine engraved if that is what they want! I just feel like I'm ripping off people when I sell them, because it just doesn't make sense to me to spend all that money. But, I also understand when they tell me that they can't settle for anything less than the best, so I'll let them have it!

My husband likes to pick on me and tell me that I'm too honest to be in business. What he means, is that I will tell a bride when she's getting ripped off, even if it means that I'm going to make less money. I have always given 25% off the book prices from the national wedding companies that I represent (Carlson Craft, National Engraving, Regency Thermographers, McPherson's, and NuArt). I feel like I am helping out my customers by saving them a wad of cash and in-turn I get more business because they recommend me to their friends. It's worked for me for over seven years now, so I guess I'll stick with that philosophy!

Then, there are the brides that are more trendy and want something that will make a statement and won't be forgotten easily. For them, I usually start by finding out what colors or theme they will be using with on their big day. If their wedding day is in December, I may recommend a holiday-inspired invitation. If the ceremony is to be held on the beach, a simple invitation with a nautical feel may be the ticket. If they are doing everything red -- they are in luck! There are some exquiste invitations in red these days -- red ink, red paper, a red border, red ribbons...so trendy and so cute!

There are those brides that are into the "fru-fru" invitations (myself included). These brides may be drawn to the invitations that are matched with a vellum overlay or adorned with a coordinating bow. There are tons of precious invitations that fall into this category, but beware -- they more "stuff", the more money!

For the bride that is only concerned with saving money, there are many beautiful invitations for you too!!! Nothing upsets me more than the fact that Wal-Mart sells do-it-yourself invitations. To all of those who have gone that route: TAKE THEM BACK BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE! They cost MORE than some of the high quality invitations printed in thermography (raised lettering) that you can get from a professional printer. They make you think that since they are from Wal-Mart and you have to do them yourself you are getting a good deal. What they don't want you to know is that they usually don't include double envelopes (which is standard on most any invitation from any of the national companies) and that they are only selling you 25 or 50 at a time. If you need 50 invitations or less, then that is the only case in which I can make sense of buying your invitations from Wal-Mart! Ask for the "Tempo" book at any Carlson Craft retailer -- it's full of beautiful invitations and has outstanding prices.

When trying to save money here are some tips:
* Don't order an envelope liner (no one will notice, I promise!)
* Stay away from invitations that have bows, vellum or the "pearlized" stuff on them -- they are beautiful, but they cost more.
* Include your reception information at the bottom of your invitation rather than buying a separate reception card.

Whatever your budget and style, you are bound to find something to fit the occassion. Just keep in mind that with this single piece of paper you are setting the tone for your entire day, so make sure that it is appropriate to your situation. Happy shopping and let me know if I can help you in any way!

The Wedding Day Emergency Kit

2006-10-26T09:42:00.000-05:00

You have spent weeks, months and (for some brides) years planning for your big day. It may be small, but something is bound to go wrong, no matter how much forethought you put into every detail. So, we have come up with a list of things to include in an "emergency kit" that you can put together before the big day and then assign someone to keep up with throughout the event for you. This will virtually guarantee you a stree-free day where you will be left to enjoy the experience instead of worrying about any problems that may arise!

Putting together these items for a bride and presenting it to her at a shower is a WONDERFUL idea too!! This would make a great gift from a group of hostesses to provide to the bride. You could go the extra step and put it in a great basket, a toolbox, a sewing basket, or a monogrammed bag that she can use forever -- whatever it is, make sure that it will holdup and withstand multiple handlers and a very busy day! You could also do "his" and "hers" kits.

MAKE SURE THAT YOU AND YOUR BRIDAL PARTY LOOK YOUR BEST!
* Static-cling spray
* Sewing kit, safety pins, scissors
* No-sew fusing (so you can iron a hem back together if it falls out)
* Extra pairs of pantyhose for the girls and socks that match the men's suits (some of them are bound to show up in blue socks and a black suit)!
* Spot/Stain remover
* Two bottles of nail polish -- one for your nails and one for your pantyhose!
* Nail clippers, file, tweesers
* Makeup: lipstick, foundation, powder, blush, mascara, eye shadow, whatever else you use...
* Lotion
* Deodorant
* Hairbrush, comb, hairspray, curlers or curling iron, hair dryer, bobbypins
* Iron
* Extra backs for your earrings
* Extra Glasses, contact lens solution, lens
* Eyedrops that will reduce redness
* Kleenex or handkerchief
* Cotton Balls, Q-tips, Brushes and whatnot to apply makeup with
* Baby wipes or moist towelettes
* Golf Umbrella -- in case of rain -- you will be able to keep most of your dress dry with one of these as opposed to a regular umbrella.
* Straws -- for drinking without ruining your makeup!
* Lint Brush
* Shoe Polish

MAKE SURE YOU'LL FEEL YOUR BEST
* Tylenol and Advil (some people can't take one or the other...)
* Antacids
* Gas Relief Pills
* Allergy Medication
* Cold Medicine (NON-Drowsy for sure)
* Throat Lozenges/Cough Drops
* Ace Bandages
* BandAids
* Perscription Medicines (for yourself!)
* Feminine Hygiene products: pads and/or tampons
* Toothpaste, Toothbrush, Mouth Waste, Floss, Mints, Toothpicks
* Mirror (if there isn't a bathroom nearby, or one in the dressing area)

MAKE SURE EVERYTHING RUNS SMOOTHLY
* Bring an extra copy of the scriptures, poems, readings and songs that are going to be used in the ceremony
* Pen, Paper or Notepad, Tape, Stapler, Scissors
* Fully-charged cell phone (make sure it's turned OFF during the ceremony if it will be close enough to be heard).
* A lamintated list of all of your wedding day service providers and their phone number(s).
* A laminated list of your entire weddding party and their phone number(s).
* Clock or Watch

EXTRA STUFF YOU MAY WANT TO HAVE
* Snacks
* Bottled water
* Camera (for those priceless candid shots)
* Double sided tape, Masking Tape, Duct Tape, Medical Tape
* Antibacterial Solution
* Sunscreen
* Matches/Lighter
* Loose Change (for vending machines, parking meters, etc.)
* Glue gun and glue sticks; super glue

How do I create a proper Monogram?

2006-10-18T09:09:00.000-05:00

Marriage Monogram
The proper way to create a personalized monogram for the married couple is as follows:

* Wife's First Name Initial on the left
* Last Name Initial in the middle
* Husband's First Name Initial on the right

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Personal Monogram
The proper way to create a personalized monogram for an individual is as follows.

* First Name Initial on the left
* Last Name Initial in the middle
* Middle Name Initial on the right

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Block Letter Monogram
The proper way to create a block letter monogram (or a monogram where all of the letters are the same height) for an individual is as follows.

* First Name Initial on the left
* Middle Name Initial in the middle
* Last Name Initial on the right

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two Letter Monogram
The proper way to create a two letter monogram for an individual is as follows.

* First Name Initial on the left
* Last Name Initial on the right

Your Wedding Guest Lists

2006-09-05T22:26:00.000-05:00

So, it's time to start compiling the guest list for your showers, parties and the wedding itself. I will admit, this is one of the hardest parts of getting married, but I'm here to try to help make the process a little easier. There are a million ways to go about doing this, but I thought I would offer a few suggetions from my experience to help make things easier on you.

First of all, you need to get organized. I recommend using Microsoft Excel to accomplish this. When I'm typing in a list for a bride, I start with these column headers:

For the name, I type in these column headers:
* In cell A1: "Titles" (Mr. and Mrs. -- Doctor and Mrs. -- Miss -- etc... )
* In cell B1: "First Name" (his name only if it's a couple)
* In cell C1: "Last Name" (if there is a salutation, I enter it here as well -- for example 'Chapman, junior')

Ok, at this point, you may wonder why I don't combine these all into one field. I separate it out this way because Excel has a "autofill" feature that will complete your entry for you based on what you entered in the field above, so instead of typing "Mr. and Mrs." 500 times, you type it once and accept the default all of the other times. Also, I usually type in "Mr. and Mrs." once and then copy that all the way down and just change the ones that are different.

During this step, it's importat to remember to spell out certain titles, such as: Doctor, Reverend, The Honorable, etc..... I'll address the proper etiquette for all of this in the future.

I separate the first name and the last name into two columns so that I can use Excel's sort feature to arrange the entries alphabetically by last name, so that it's easier to see if there are any duplicates in the list, and to make it easier to find an entry.

For cells D1 I enter the "Address" and for cell E1, I enter the "City, State, Zip" (you may need to also include an "Apartment" or "Second Line" column.

Now, I know you are wondering if I choose to separate out the name, why would I combine City, State and Zip all together? It's so that I can use the autofill feature again... This works especially well if most of your guests are from small towns where each town has one zip code. If you are from a big city, you would probably be better off separating out "City, State" and "Zip". What I mean is that if you type "El" it will pop up "Elba, Alabama 36323" assuming you have already entered that previously and don't have anything else that starts with "El".

If it's a big list, I usually have to add an "Apartment" field and/or a "Second Line" field. For the second line field, I type in either and apartment #, or another guests name -- roommates, children, etc...

The last headers you need to enter are for F1 "Inner 1" and for F2 "Inner 2", etc...

This is where I put what I want to print on the inner envelope. For example:

Inner 1 would read: "Mr. and Mrs. Chapman" and
Inner 2 would read: "Brooke and Bradley"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once you have your headers in place, you need to think of who you want to invite... The best way to do this is to go through all of the different areas of your life: family, work, church, clubs and organizations, high school, college, etc... If you are worried about omitting someone accidently, it may be helpful to ask a recently married friend or relative for a copy of their list so that it will help jog your memory. Additionally, if your phone book isn't too thick, it's not a bad idea to flip though it to make sure you've gotten everyone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once you have everyone, you need to think about how you are going to gather addresses. I use www.switchboard.com to gather addresses. It's not 100% perfect, but it gets most of the addresses correct. There are other online phone books, such as www.whitepages.com that are helpful. Occassionaly, I will need a zip code that I'm having trouble verifing, and I use zip4.usps.com/zip4/welcome.jsp. This is also a helpful site if you are wanting to include the entire "zip + four".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You can add fields for what different people are being invited to. I usually label these what they are: "brunch", "shower", "rehearsal dinner", "wedding", etc..., then I change all of the fields below the 1st row to the font "wingdings" and use the "L" on the keyboard to mark the cells that are to be marked with a dot. This is really useful when you use Excel's sort feature, where you can sort by whichever event and get a list of only those people that are invited to that event.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hope this helps you to get organized for your big day! Feel free to email me with any questions.

More Basket Shower Theme Ideas

2006-07-23T17:30:00.000-05:00

I thought of some more great themes for a basket shower. See my previous post for the initial list. Here are the new ones:

* Grilling Out: tools for the grill, mitts, secret family recipes, spices and marinades, grilling-specific cookbook

* Wine & Cheese: wine, cheese, barware....

* Kitchen Linens: washrags, dishrags, sponges, etc.

* Chips & Salsa: chips, salsa, dips, recipes, a great chip & dip dish set.

* Power Outage: batteries, flashlights, candles, matches, gas lanterns, weather radio, etc.

* Entertainment: movie tickets, board games, deck of cards, puzzles...

* Spring Cleaning: Use a mop bucket for your basket, mop, broom, floor cleaning solution, wood cleaner, window cleaner, etc.

* Rubbermaid: all kinds of containers in a big rubber container

* Drinks: Pitchers, drink mixes, glasses, cups, disposible cups

* Kitchen Gadgets: spatulas, big spoons, tongs, etc...

Wedding Basket Shower Ideas

2006-07-19T22:25:00.000-05:00

I had a customer come in today wanting some invitations for a "Basket Shower" that she is hosting for a bride that is a friend of hers. I thought that this sounded like a lot of fun and got on the internet trying to help her find some ideas for different themes for her "Basket Shower". We came up with a cute invitation with a bunch of different baskets at the bottom (see the picture). In case you don't know, a basket shower is where each of the guests brings a basket filled with gifts that go along with their assigned theme.

I came across the following article:

_______________________________________

Wedding Basket Shower
By Dionna Sanchez
I love unique ideas. If you have a friend who is getting married and don't want to do the normal run-of-the-mill bridal shower, here is a superb idea. Throw your friend a "basket shower." Each guest will bring a basket of goodies that has a theme to go along with it. It will help the new bride get well-stocked on supplies as well as fun items. Here are a few themes to get you thinking. Be creative and have a blast discovering all the themes ladies come up with!
*Home Organization Basket - notepads, calendar, organizer, folders, clock, phone...
*Honeymoon/Romance Basket - negligee, perfume, lotion, Throw Blanket, hot chocolate or sparkling cider with 2 mugs or glasses, picnic basket....
*Gourmet/Kitchen Basket - pasta, fancy dressings, crystal pitcher, apron, hot pads, ice cream maker....
*Gardening Basket - seeds, flower pot, water can, gardening gloves, garden tools, lawnchairs....
*Mrs. Fix-It Basket - small tool case, scissors, sewing basket, hammer....
*Homemaking Basket - laundry basket, pillows, blankets, dustbuster, air freshener....
*Memory Maker Basket - photo albums, picture frames, guest book, journals....
Find many more unique and fun ideas at Emphasis On Moms
http://www.EmphasisOnMoms.com/

_______________________________________

After racking my brain for some more good basket themes, I came up with the following list. Some of these are take-offs from the ones mentioned above.

* Beach Bum Basket -- use a small ice chest for your "basket", fill with towels, sunscreen, some drinks, a float...

* Holiday Baskets -- assign baskets that have a holiday as a theme. For instance a Christmas Basket could be filled with ornaments for their tree, or an Easter Basket where the basket itself could be the gift

* Pampered Pet Basket -- if the couple has a beloved critter, a pampered pet basket would be ideal! Fill a large dog bowl with a collar, doggie treats, some balls, doggie shampoo, etc...

* Honey-do Basket -- fill a toolbox with screwdrivers, a hammer, pliers, nails, screws, picture hangers, etc...

* Sugar-n-Spice Basket -- fill a basket with all kinds of spices and seasonings

* Medicine Cabinet Basket -- fill a large rubber container with first aid type items: band-aids, Tylenol, Advil, bandages, tape, Pepto Bismol, etc...

* Sewing Basket -- find a really cute sewing basket and fill it with thread, buttons, a pin cushion, pins, tape measure, patches, and some craft-related magazines for inspiration.

* Laundry Basket -- fill a hamper with laundry essentials including detergent, dryer sheets, stain remover, bleach (be careful with this one!!), sizing/starch, an iron...

* Junk Drawer/Bill Payment/Home Office/Organization Basket -- fill with office supplies including this such as pens, pencils, stamps, tape, scissors, hole puncher, stapler, hi-lighters, folders, calendar, calculator...

* 'Let There Be Light' Basket -- fill with lightbulbs of varying sizes (flood, indoor, etc.), some small lamps, and a couple of trendy lamp shades.

* Day at the Spa Basket -- sure to be every brides favorite! Fill with bubble bath, lotions, loofa, exfoliant scrubs, masks, fingernail maintenance kit, certificate for a manicure, pedicure, or massage...

* Romance Basket -- dinner gift certificate, massage oils & accessories, book of "romance coupons", champagne or sparkling cider, toasting flutes, etc...

* Movie Night Basket -- personalized popcorn bowl, movie tickets, salt, microwavable popcorn, etc.

* Bakery Basket -- common ingredients used in baking (flour, oil, sugar), baking pans, non-stick cooking spray, timer, etc.

Have fun with this and e-mail me your ideas: lauriechapman@charter.net