Hometown Wedding

I especially enjoyed today's edition of Bridal Bliss from Essence.com. The couple's wedding was in my hometown of New Orleans, with the ceremony being at one of my all-time favorite venues there - Lawless Memorial Chapel on the campus of Dillard University.

Enjoy!

Hometown Wedding! Bridal Bliss: A Beautiful Bayou Wedding - Essence.com http://bit.ly/areEb1

Take Breaks from Your Planning to Celebrate Why You're Getting Married in the First Place

Happy Sunday bloggers! This article really struck me, and I thought I would share. It offers great suggestions for couples who need to reconnect as well!

Thanks to OurWeddingDay blog for sharing!

http://bit.ly/av9MWx

Latest Installment of Bridal Bliss from Essence.com

Enjoy!

http://www.essence.com/relationships/bridal_bliss/lauren_williams_malik_shareef.php?xid=061610-ENews-Wednesday-BridalBlissWeBelongT-mainstory-imglink

Great Idea on Reception Centerpieces

I just love the idea of cakes serving as centerpieces! Check out this blog article! Thanks to Petals Planning for the great post!

http://petalsplanningco.blogspot.com/2010/05/double-duty-centerpieces.html

Bridal Bliss on Essence.com

I've been following this series of articles on real weddings for a couple of months now, so I thought I'd share with you! Enjoy!

http://bit.ly/bMAmGy

New Articles on EzineArticles.com

Happy Tuesday! I just recently published 2 new articles on EzineArticles.com. Check them out!

http://bit.ly/b9TAYC

Wedding Dessert Options

Not a big fan of wedding cake? I just read this blog that presents some great alternatives! Thanks to Petals Planning for writing a great article!

http://petalsplanningco.blogspot.com/2010/06/have-your-cakeor-ice-cream-or-pieand.html

The First Dance

I ran across this great article about first dances.

http://blogs.discovery.com/say-yes-to-the-dress/2010/05/first-dance.html

What will be (or was) your first dance song? Mine was "The Closer I Get To You" by Roberta Flack and Donnie Hathaway!

How to Word Your Wedding Invitation

Your wedding invitation will set the tone for your special day! Other than a Save-the-Date card or an engagement announcement, your invitation may be the first formal communication regarding your upcoming nuptials your guests will receive. Guests should be able to look at your invite (and whatever inserts are included such as reception cards and response cards) and determine the type and style of wedding you are having.

There are several rules of etiquette that should be followed regarding the structure of your wedding invitation, particularly if you are having a semi-formal or formal wedding. The rules may seem a bit overwhelming, but when you think about them, they kinda make sense! :-)

A wedding invitation has several components. They include:
• Invitation Line (“Mr. and Mrs. John Smith”)
• Request Line (“request the honor of your presence”)
• Relationship Line (“at the marriage of their daughter”)
• Bride’s Name (“Susie Smith”)
• Joining Word (“to”)
• Groom’s Name (“David Jones”)
• Date Line (“on Saturday, the tenth of December”)
• Year Line (“two thousand ten”)
• Time Line (“at two o’clock in the afternoon”)
• Place (“Chapel on the Hill”)
• Address (“Ten Main Street”)
• City and State (“Miami, Florida”)
• Other Information (may include info about the reception)
•
When developing the wording of your invitation, there are a few questions that should be answered:
• Who’s hosting (or paying for) the wedding?
• Are the bride or groom’s parents married? Divorced? Deceased?
• Is the bride, groom, or parents a doctor?
• Is the bride, groom or parents in the military?

You may wonder what these questions have to do with invitation wording! But if you want a timeless and classic invitation, then these factors are important.

For example, if both sets of parents are hosting the wedding, the bride’s parents names should be listed first, following by ‘and’ then the groom’s parents names. Or if one set of parents is divorced and are hosting the wedding, their names should be listed separately, without the ‘and.’
As another example, if the groom is a medical doctor, his name should be preceded by his title (Doctor or Dr.)

The possible scenarios are numerous! The linked articles from WeddingAces provide great information and guidance on handling various situations. http://www.weddingaces.com/2009/05/all-about-invitations-part-two/ and http://www.weddingaces.com/2010/01/wording-dilemma-non-standard-situations/

The wording of your invitation should be carefully considered. Once you’ve come up with a draft (or two), have another set of eyes review it to ensure it makes sense, that all names and words are spelled correctly, and that it reads easily. Your guests should be absolutely clear on what to expect on your wedding day!

HAPPY WRITING!

Why Hire a Wedding Pro?

Just wanted to share a quick story which I believe speaks to the importance of hiring a professional to assist with your wedding day! A recent bride had finally chosen her bridesmaids’ dresses. The boutique warns us that the color was going to be discontinued in a few weeks, so we should order right away. I contacted the bridesmaids by phone and email to give them the details and their deadline for ordering. A few days later, the bride received a call from the boutique saying that color was going to be discontinued in 2 days! She called me in a panic and was almost near tears! After speaking with the boutique, I called each bridesmaid and explained the situation. We worked out a plan so that everyone could order their dresses and meet the new deadline! The bride’s relieved response was, “Thank you! You have the patience of Job!”

So what does this true story tell us about hiring wedding professionals?
1. A wedding professional has ‘been there, done that’ and can calmly work through a difficult situation.
2. A wedding professional always has Plan B ready to go just in case!
3. A wedding professional can function in a difficult situation without the emotion of it hindering what needs to be accomplished.

Wedding professionals have the expertise and knowledge to make your wedding day one that you and your guests will never forget (in a good way!). Check one out today!