Bienvenue! Welcome! Bienvenido!

When your out-of-town guests arrive to their hotel for the big wedding weekend, a nice bag of goodies can really make an impression. Some will travel long journeys so to have a tangible "thank you" greeting them when they arrive is a great gesture.

For a generic welcome bag, consider the following: water bottles, candy, snacks, local treats, directions to the ceremony and reception, brochures of local museums or activities, transportation information, local food and restaurant guides and, don't forget, a nice note from the couple! This is where chains like Sam's and Costco can come in handy!

The welcome bag can even go beyond being a nice gesture...it can set the tone of the wedding weekend with your out-of-town guests. Introduce them to your eco-friendly theme by adding organic or local treats in a reusable shopping bag. Show them you are excited about your color scheme by choosing items only in varying shades of those colors. Let your creative juices flow!

 Check out these photos of how other couples welcomed their guests:

source

Martha Stewart Weddings

The Knot

Bliss Weddings Market

The Art of Thanking

I adore paper and the etiquette of written correspondence. Although I love the digital age we live in, I wish we were a society that still appreciated a well-crafted, hand-written note! Fortunately, the wedding scene still encourages the hand-written thank you card tradition! Yet another reason I love weddings!

Etiquette dictates that you have approximately two weeks after receiving the gift to send your thank you card. I personally agree with this tradition for your pre-wedding parties but think you have a little more time after the big day. Try to get your wedding thank-you cards out before you hit your three-month anniversary.

When writing your thank-you notes, remember to mention what you are thanking them for and how you intend to use it. This can help you get started if you have writer's block! We absolutely adore the silver fleur de lis tray and cannot wait to serve Chris' homemade bread on it at our next dinner party! I also like to close with a nice sentence or two about how much the recipient means to me and how much I appreciate them. Emily Post reminds us to be sincere and to use expressions that come naturally, writing as though you are conversing with the recipient.

Again, I love paper so I adore personalized and fun stationery! These are some fun ones that I found:

Petite de Lis Papiere

Captured Moments by Amy Leigh's Etsy Shop

Itsy Bitsy Paper's Etsy Shop

Tickled Pink Papiere's Etsy Shop

Silhouette Blue's Etsy Shop

Everyday Grace's Etsy Shop

Don't these beautiful colors and designs just make you want to sit down and write everyone you know a little note!

Beating the Heat!

In the South, we are blessed with gorgeous plantations filled with colorful and bright landscaping that truly scream "PLEASE GET MARRIED HERE!" So we do...in the blazing Spring and Summer months! Heaven forbid we choose a home football game for our nuptials! Southern girls know better! =)


To help you and your guests beat the heat, here are just a few ideas:

1. Ceremony programs that multi-task!

images from Peak-A-Boo Designs

2. Keep coffee filters in your emergency bag!

Trust me...these bad boys serve as excellent blotters and they keep your make up perfect!

3. Have a water station for your guests near the ceremony!

4. Choose a shaded location, like near a gorgeous tree!

image from LSU Rural Life Museum

5. Keep the ceremony short and sweet!

Your guests will appreciate it, your groomsmen will appreciate it and you will appreciate it!

Click, Click, BUY!

I do a TON of online shopping so that remained the case when it came to my wedding. It is convenient and you can "shop around" a little easier to make sure you get the best price.

But with the good, comes the bad! Shopping online takes a little of the fun out of shopping for your big day, but mainly, shopping online can be a little deceiving. The "small print" is always smaller, colors vary based on computers and shipping can sometimes cost an arm and a leg!

If saving time and a little cash wins out in the long run, here are some suggestions:

• Always Google coupon codes for your purchase. I've been very successful with this! You never know what you will find...free shipping, 15% off...every little bit helps!
• Read other customer reviews...both the good and the bad! This can really save you from making a bad decision!
• Stay away from making the "big" purchases online. If you are going to be devastated if it is a little off from what you were expecting, think twice about an online purchase.
• Review the return policy! Please review the return policy!

The hidden cost of postage...

don't let it sneak up on you!!

When you are picking your invitations and reply cards, don't forget to think about postage! If your invitation has a lot of enclosures or is an odd size, chances are you will have to add extra stamps. Make sure, before you start the mailing process, to take one of your final invitations to the post office to have it weighed. This way you know exactly what your cost will be and you won't have to worry about all your invitations making their way back to your house!

A great way to cut this cost just a bit is to use reply postcards instead of the traditional reply cards with envelopes. Postcard postage is roughly $0.16 less than average postage...plus you are saving a bit on printing!

Have a blissful day!

Think about the weather

When planning your outdoor ceremony, consider Mother Nature!

I just coordinated a wedding for a bride who was determined to get married outside. Problem was it was 28 degrees outside and her guests were NOT happy with her! If you are determined to get married outside, think about avoiding the extremely cold months and the extremely hot months...your guests will thank you!

My grandmother always told me that it was good luck if it rained on your wedding day. Well, good luck aside...have a rain plan! Don't stress yourself out the day-of because you see rain clouds and have no idea what to do. Plan in advance and your day will be (some-what) stress free!

Save a little (or a lot) on your catering bill!

Although everyone on your guest list should be thanking their lucky stars that they were invited to your wedding, truth is not everyone will plan on attending. Even those that RSVP'd with good intentions, might not actually show up. Their loss...remember you are FABULOUS!
Unfortunately, if you confirm 200 guests with the caterer and only 150 guests attend...you will not be reimbursed for those missing 50 guests. I know the saying goes "better be safe than sorry" but if your caterer is charging $30-$40 per person, you might be out a ton of cash!
If you are not requesting RSVPs, I suggest your confirm 75-80% of the guest count with the caterer. If you are accepting RSVPs, I suggest you only confirm 90% of those as well. Here is the deal, things happen that will keep your guests away...illness, traffic, laziness...don't pay the price!
Talk with you caterer about this beforehand. Let them know that it might be possible that more guests arrive and you are more than ready to write them a check for those afterwards. Trust me, you would rather pay for guests you know where there and enjoyed themselves then pay for guests that enjoyed a night at home instead!