With shopping options from wedding invitations, bridal gowns and tuxedos to wedding favors, to veils and headpieces, to bridal gifts, decorations, jewelry, jewelers, flowers and florists, DJ, DJs and Disc Jockeys, live bands and live music entertainment, invitations, wedding accessories, banquet facilities, ceremony and wedding reception sites, officiants, priests, rabbis, hotels, gift registry, catering, wedding photographers, wedding photography, videographers, rentals, party rentals, gown preservation, cakes, limousines, restaurants, planners and software…. the bride and groom quickly realize that life does not come with a how to book or an instruction manual for weddings!

Shopping:

Finding a perfect wedding gown can be very tiring with so many to choose from.  It’s often good to start with a few magazines and narrow down what you do and don’t like so when you go to a dress store you can give them a better idea of what you are looking for.

Prefences:

This is a very personal moment and it’s your moment so pick what you want.  It’s always good to listen to others when picking a dress because they are trying to help you, but at the end of your perfect day, you are the one with the memories of your wedding and you want to be in the gown that best suits you.

Where to Find Your Perfect Dress:

You can find wedding dresses at many local shops, they rage from bridal shops to discount warehouse, consignment shops and even custom designers.  Before you set off to find the dress know your budget and shop accordingly.  Going to a custom wedding dress maker is sure to find the gown you dream of, but when you cannot find the dress and have to settle for less you probably are always going to wish you had gotten that wedding dress.  You can always work up but it’s hard to work down.

Reputation Matters:

If you are going to have any kind of customizations done be sure to check with others who may have shopped there.  Also you want to look for someon that is an authorized dealer or that carries nationally recognized product lines.  If something doesn’t seem right, don’t risk it.  Your wedding is the dream of a lifetime, having to wear a dress picked at the last moment can really ruin your wedding.  Also be sure to get everything in writing, never assume they said it that they will do it.  Make sure you have deadlines and expectations that will be met.

White Daisies – Daisy’s stand for purity.  They are often found at weddings as they are lovely accompaniments to other flowers you might find an any beautiful floral arrangement.

Gardenias – Signify joy, they give off a wonderful aroma that can fill your wedding venue with the smells of joy.  These are usually available May through late July.  They are often associated with secret love and romance.

Orchids – They signify beauty.  With over 25,000 varieties available in just about any color combination they add a very elegant touch to any wedding.  You may not have them at a local florist for your wedding but they can surely order them with just a short notice.

Carnations – Carnations bloom in June and signify distinction.  They come in a wide variety of colors with the most popular being white, red, yellow and pink.   Many varieties are also marbled with several colors and give off a very subtle scent.

Blue Violets – This delicate little flow signifies constancy.  They are usually found more often in the spring time so are perfect for the spring wedding.  Blue flowers are highly prized so sometimes finding a large number of these can be a challenge, but they are certain to make your wedding memory last a lifetime.

Forget-me-nots – Signify true love.  Tiffany & Co. actually used this color which is a very soft almost robin-egg blue.  They are very popular for winter weddings and are very delicate.  If you are giving out small gifts at a wedding these tie in really well with many Tiffany gifts.

Red Chrysanthemums – Signify sharing which is why they are so popular in weddings.  They are extra lovely if you are having a winter wedding and come in a varieties with red being the most popular of course.  They are a nice alternative to Poinsettia’s around Christmas Time.

Lily of the Valley – These are ideal for spring weddings and signify happiness.  They come in a wide variety of colors and styles and can be a lovely addition to any flower arrangement.  Put on tables at a wedding they make a statement of elegance.

White Lilacs – What more need be said, these signify youthful innocence.  They are very fragrant and can be found almost year round though you may need to plan ahead to get them.  They fill the room with the sent of romance.

So you have found your soul mate and made all of the arrangements for the wedding. You have chosen to have a beautiful summer wedding.  You were able to book the wedding venue, the envy of other brides.  You have a perfect custom wedding cake and a caterer to fullfill all your needs.  You have even gotten the perfect wedding dress.

Now all that you need are guests for your dream wedding.   You have probably decided on the number of guests based on the wedding location, now you need to pick the perfect wedding invitation to start your perfect wedding plan.

It’s time to work on your wedding ivitations

Before you get started you need to know who to invite.  Remember this is YOUR wedding, so invite who you want to invite, you don’t have to let everyone else invite their friends or even family you barely know.  Parents are great at this and invite people from your past, like your old babysetter.  Make sure to talk with them to set the right expectation for wedding invitees up front.

Who is responsible for wedding invitations?

Ideally this should be both the bride and groom but often ends up being the bride and her closest friends.  That’s fine, it just means you get to make all the choices the way you want.

What should be included in wedding invitations

It should include the 5 w’s.  Who, what, where, when and why.  It should list the name of the bride and groom, that they are getting married and the details of the wedding such as wedding location, times etc.

Some wedding invitations include information that the parents of the bride and groom are happy to announce the wedding of their children, but that’s up to you.  Also it’s important to include an RSVP and a return envelope including stamp.  This will encourage people to RSVP vs just showing up so you can plan accordingly.

How to choose wedding invitations

There are many different types of invitations to choose from.  There are store bought invitations, custom made invitations and you can even print them on your computer.  The first step in getting you invitations done for you wedding is to determine what kind of budget you have.  If your wedding bugget is really tight then you will probably want to go with either pre-printed invitations or ones you print yourself.  If you have a larger budget then you have more flexibility in getting custom wedding invitations.  

If you choose to go with cost effective wedding invitations that doesn’t mean they can’t still be elegant and stylish.  Add a ribbon around them or maybe print them on nicer paper to add a little flair.  Also you can add a short hand written message on each card to personalize it.  That will make even a less expensive invitation seem really classy.

If you opt for having them done the options are pretty much endless.  If you can think of it, someone can make it.  I multi layer / texture invitation can really make an impression that people will first have on your soon to be wedding.  Make sure that you price items at multiple places and never settle for the price they first quote you.  This is your wedding but no need to be taken to the cleaners.

Below are a few online sites that offer a variety of wedding invitations, cards and stock.

When should you send our your invitations?

Wedding invitations should be sent out 6-8 weeks before the wedding, this will give your guests plenty of time to plan and return your RSVP’s.  If you are having a wedding where you are expecting guests that have to fly in from other countries it’s probably best to add a couple of weeks to that.