Welcoming Out-of-Town Wedding Guests

Any bride knows that guests will often travel far and wide to witness your big day and the fun that goes with it. As the bride, you're also playing hostess to your wedding guests. So, how do you make your out-of-town guests feel welcome?

- Create a wedding website listing all the important information - the day and time you plan to tie the knot, the location of your ceremony and reception, and registry information. When you send out your Save the Dates, include your website with your other wedding information. This will appease all your guests, not just the out-of-towners!

- On your wedding website, create a section specifically for out-of-town guests where you can suggest hotels, restaurants, and even tourist activities around your city. If you've blocked rooms at a particular hotel for your wedding weekend, be sure to include this information as well.

- Create "welcome packets" for those staying in a hotel - you can enlist your bridesmaids to help assemble and distribute them. Some ideas of what to throw in: a pocket-sized city guide, a gift card (think $5/person) to a local coffee shop, a list of your favorite restaurants & the location of each, and perhaps a snack like some homemade chocolate chip cookies. You could throw everything into an adorable bag, like this one!

Wouldn't you love to check into your hotel and receive this cute packet upon arrival? What a great way to let your guests know that you're glad they're a part of your wedding.

- In your wedding program, write a special "thank you note" to all of your guests, making special mention of those who traveled long distances to be there.

The most impactful thing you can do is personally greet your out-of-town guests either at your wedding or reception. After all, they've come to see you, so make sure they do just that!

Make Green a Part of Your Wedding

We're not talking about the color green - although I once attended a green & white wedding that just looked so fresh - we're talking about having a Green mindset! A hot topic for today's bride is how to have an eco-friendly wedding without busting your budget. With that in mind, here are a few easy ways for you to save two kinds of Green!

-Use postcards as RSVP reply cards in your invitations, instead of a card that goes into an envelope. Less paper used and less money spent! And be sure to check out our past blog post on wedding invitations made from recycled materials.

-At your rehearsal dinner and wedding reception, make sure guests can put empty bottles in recyclable containers instead of in the trash.

-Make a statement by honeymooning at a solar powered resort.

-Consider having your wedding and reception at one venue. You won't have to worry about (or pay for) transportation for your wedding party, and think of the carbon emissions saved if your guests aren't driving their cars from one place to another.

Case in point: Last summer I attended the wedding of two college friends at the Metropolis Ballroom in Arlington Heights, IL. It was a gorgeous-beyond-belief wedding, and the transformation of the event space from ceremony to reception was incredible.


{Image Source}

-Flowers are pretty much a given in any wedding, but consider flower-free centerpieces for your reception. We did a blog post on centerpieces a while back that might help you brainstorm. I also love the idea of filling apothecary vases with colorful stones, mirror balls, or even tissue paper (which you can recycle later). And if you have to purchase centerpieces, you can sell them on e-bay or craigslist.

Do you have any other Green wedding ideas we haven't mentioned? Tell us below in the comments!

Would you film your wedding and reception?

Ask any bride and she'll tell you that your wedding day goes by in a blur. Hopefully those little moments that make the day special will always stand out in your mind - seeing your groom for the first time that day, how you felt when you heard "you may kiss the bride," hugging your best friend at your wedding reception.



Filming your wedding day would certainly go a long way in capturing all the moments and details that made your day unique. Case in point: Check out this amazing video from Elysium Productions ~

Erin & TJ's Same Day Edit from St. Regis, Monarch Beach from Elysium Productions on Vimeo.

If it was in my budget, I'd certainly want my wedding day captured on film. Would you?

What to Wear to a Wedding: Decoding Dress Codes

The appropriate outfit to wear to a wedding can be a confusing issue. While many wedding invitations don't specify the attire of their guests, some do. With anything from "cocktail attire" to "black tie optional" penned on the invitation (or implied by the bride), it's sometimes hard to know what the fashion expectations are for a wedding. So, here are some suggestions to make your decision a little easier.

If the invitation says...

Business Attire: Another way to say this is Smart Casual. For men, this would mean slacks and a sport coat with a collared shirt and tie. Suits are fine as well. For women, a sheath dress is ideal, and you could liven it up with some fun accessories. These types of outfits are great for a wedding in the late morning or early afternoon.

Cocktail Attire: For men, a dark suit. For women, a short (think knee, not thigh) but formal dress is appropriate. Basically the same as Semi-Formal Attire, this is for a wedding occurring after 5 PM.
Black Tie: Other forms of this might say Black Tie Optional or Black Tie Invited. If it's optional, this gives men the opportunity to wear tuxedos (or formal suits), while women wear anything from cocktail dresses to evening gowns. If "optional" isn't part of the dress code, it's best to be overdressed rather than undressed in my opinion.
Do you have any dress code questions that we haven't answered? Let us know in the comments!

{Special thanks to Polyvore for helping me create the looks you see here.}

Shoes for Your Big Day

Deciding what shoes to wear to an event can be a dilemma for any woman, but even more so for a bride. Here are some shoe suggestions, so you can be stylish from head to toe on your wedding day.

Flats:
If you're a lot taller than your groom, or if you want to change into more comfortable dancing shoes, I think these are great options. The blue shoe would be great as your "something blue"! And the silver ballet flat would be perfect for a night of dancing. I was a guest of a wedding where the bride gifted her maids silver shoes similar to these to wear at the reception, so no one would be barefoot on the dancefloor (a big no-no, in my opinion!). What a great idea!

Bridal Heels:

If you want to wear shoes that are neutral but still "bridal," check out these styles. If you look in the right places, it's easy to find an elegant shoe with a fun detail that won't break the bank.

Haute Couture:
Maybe shoes are your big splurge for your wedding ensemble? Check out these stunners:

Wearing designer shoes like these, from Jimmy Choo or Christian Louboutin, would be amazing (at least for me)! As the glowing bride, you'll already be the envy of everyone in the room...why not make it official?

Of course, there are a ton of shoe options I haven't explored... kitten heels, super-strappy shoes, colorful pumps... But I'll have to save that for another blog post.

Wedding Etiquette: Your Questions, Answered

Planning your wedding is exciting, but it's not without its challenges. Here are a few common wedding planning questions along with a suggested answer. Feel free to comment with your own perspective!

Q: "Should I invite my co-workers to my wedding?"

A: Only invite your co-workers to your wedding if you consider them to be very good friends. Just like the rest of your guest list, think about whose presence will add to the significance of your wedding day. Send your wedding invitations to your co-workers' home addresses as opposed to hand delivering them. And of course, minimize wedding-related talk at the office.

Q: "Our guest list is out of control. How do my fiancé and I decide who to invite and who to cut?"

A: Make an A-list and a B-list. A's are family and your closest friends. B's are everyone else - high school & college friends, parents' friends, etc. Send out your A-list invites early to gauge the RSVP rate. Cut the B-list down by asking yourself questions like, When did you last speak to that person? Would having that person at your wedding make or break your experience? Also, don't feel obligated to put "and guest" on your single friends' invitations, especially if they know others at the wedding.

Q: "Is it ok to call people if I haven't received their RSVP response card?"

A: Of course! Don't assume that someone you took the time to invite isn't coming if you haven't received their card. After all, their response card could be hidden in a stack of old mail. Better safe than sorry, right?

Q: "Wedding finances are so complicated! Who is supposed to pay for what?"

A: The short answer is that you have to figure out what works best for you and your fiancé - and your families. Check out this article from mywedding.com that pretty much explains it all.

Q: "My fiancé and I are having a small wedding. How can I be sure not to offend my non-invited friends?"

A: Simply explain that that the nature of your wedding makes it impossible to invite absolutely everyone in your lives. While you can't help it if a friend's feelings get hurt, hopefully they'll look at it from your position, and will understand.

Do you have any unanswered questions about wedding etiquette? Did you navigate through a sticky situation, and want to share your experience? Let us know in the comments!

Wedding Registry Wish List

Forgive me if I sound materialistic, but one thing I can't wait to do when I get married is register for gifts! And this is not only because I love shopping. My friends and their husbands-to-be have an absolute blast selecting their registries -running around stores being goofy and romantic, while they pick out the things that will make up their new lives together. I look forward to doing the same one day.

That being said, here's my wedding registry wish list. Enjoy!

1. A Kitchen Aid, in a fun color like this one. It's going to sit on your kitchen counter anyway, so why not let it stand out?

2. Crisp, comfy sheets with some character. These are from Anthropologie and they're just begging me to curl up in them with a good book.

3. Dyson Ball Vacuum. I'd actually enjoy vacuuming if I had one of these!

4. Table lamps with some character. This Crate and Barrel lamp has a great mid-century/modern vibe.

5. Romantic bedding with a designer touch. Found this at dwellstudio. I love it because it's got a very classic look, and I think it would appeal to both men and women.

6. I don't know if couples register for china any more, but I hope so because I love this patten from Vera Wang for Wedgwood.

7. Every wine connoisseur needs a sensible wine storage unit. This one is from Pottery Barn.

8. A great way to get your latte expenses under control: make them at home! This espresso maker from Cuisinart would be a great addition to a lazy Saturday morning.

And if you're wondering, yes I realize that some items on my "wish list" are hundreds of dollars... but that's what wish lists are for! What's on yours?