Bridesmaid Cards

I was recently browsing Pinterest (a month later and I'm still addicted) and came across a wonderful idea.

You select your bridesmaids because they are the ladies who are your closest friends and people you couldn't imagine your life without right? So why not ask them in a creative way to share in one of the biggest days of your life. I mean, they are absolutely worth the extra work (since they will be the ones helping you with extra wedding work)!

A spa day or ladies night is always a fun way to announce that those in the room are your future bridesmaids. But, you could also do something like a handmade card. I absolutely love the card idea. It's inexpensive, personal and doubles as a keepsake for each girl.

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Fittings & The Gift Table

Both of these tips tips are just some advice that past brides have mentioned to me. Things that they wish someone would have told them before the big day.

Bring Honest People to Your Fittings
When you ask people to come with you to pick out a dress, make sure you have some honest people with you. If everyone in attendance is afraid of hurting your feelings/ doesn't have much of an opinion, you might end up with a dress that isn't as breathtaking as you thought. It's no secret that certain dress styles don't flatter certain body types, but you can't see your dress from certain angles and that's what your family and friends are there for. So just be certain that you have an honest crew with you who will make sure the dress looks 100% perfect from head to toe.

Assign a Person to the Gifts
I know you've seen wedding movies. Gifts get stolen. Random people crash weddings. Cards go missing. Ensure that this doesn't happen to you by assigned a person to watch over your gift table. This can be your coordinator or a trusted friend or family member. Their job is simple; look over at the table every now and then to make sure nothing is missing. If you have access to a secure space, you can even have the person empty the card box every now and then and put them away for safe keeping. (After all, it is the cards most people would be after.) The other big thing to make sure that this person takes care of is taking the gifts at the end of the night. If you are staying for the duration of your wedding and are headed home, this isn't too much of a hassle. But if you are making an exit and leaving for your honeymoon, make sure you have a plan as to who is to take the gifts and where they are to go. And only place the gift table near the door as a last resort!

Hopefully you won't have to worry about any of this, as I'm sure your family and friends are wonderful. Just keep in mind that it does happen, and take the steps to prevent it!

First Look Pictures

First Look Pictures: The bride and groom seeing each other/ taking pictures before walking down the isle.

Like most girls, I've spent years thinking about my wedding, how perfect it would be when that day finally came. A big part of my wedding day dreams consisted of the look on my future husband's (a JTT look-alike at the time!) face the first time he caught a glimpse of me standing at the end of the isle. Now, 10 years later, I'm not so sure.

About 3 or 4 months ago I started seriously considering first look pictures, and I think everyone should. Maybe I'll pass up the pictures of him seeing me for the first time at the opposite end of the isle for a more intimate moment. As picturesque as that traditional moment may be, there's something to be said about getting to share it without the crowd, in a space where you can express how happy you are to one another. There's also a billion cute pictures to be taken; the close up looks on each others' faces and holding hands while standing on opposite sides of a door before you have taken a peak. And an added bonus for me is being able to let go of the stress and anxiety of not seeing him until the ceremony. I'm not typically the anxious type, but something about that does it for me.

My advice is to consider the first look pictures. Especially if you are the anxious type. After all, you should look forward to that moment, not be worried about it. (And yes, for all you superstitious ones out there, I think it still counts as not seeing the groom until the wedding!)

Download Apps

Need help staying organized? I'm sure it's no surprise, but there are many apps available for just that- wedding organization. Browse the app store and see which ones could benefit you. The iPhone has an iWedding app that includes everything from time lines and guest counts to check lists and reminders. It's the perfect solution for bride's that use their phones to keep their lives together!

Pick Up Bridal Books

When you are planning a wedding bridal books are everywhere, at the bridal shop, the florist, next to the computers you use to register at stores. They are there for a reason, and many are free, so pick some up! Believe it or not, a lot of them have good advise, as opposed to just being full of advertisements. You can find time lines, checklists, advise columns and stories from past brides. Then there are the obvious ideas and vendors advertisements that you expect to find. Some of my favorites are Perfect Wedding Guide and Wedding411. These might not be available in your specific area, but I'm sure every city has local books.

Hairstyles

Use Blogs for Hairstyle Ideas
If you are like me, when you want a new hairstyle or haircut you go straight to Google Images. When it comes to a hairstyle for your wedding day, don't underestimate blogs. There are a ton of blogs out there solely dedicated to hairstyles and I guarantee you will find a lot more ideas there than the traditional Google search. Find a few blogs you like when you start planning, and save them to your favorites. Then by the time you are ready to lock down a hairstyle, there will have been tons of new blog posts on the blogs you liked.

One of my favorites: http://www.thesmallthingsblog.com/p/hair-style-tutorials.html

This isn't even a blog dedicated to hairstyles, but I've found more things I like on here than in 10 Google searches combined!


Don't Get a New Haircut
Whatever you do, do not get a new haircut right before your wedding. Yes, it could turn out great, but it could also turn out terrible and you could hate it. Be safe and schedule any drastic changes months before the wedding so it can grow out if you don't like the cut.

Matching Linen/ Dress Colors

I've noticed lately that when choosing tablecloths, a lot of brides go for the color of the bridesmaids' dresses. I wouldn't recommend this. Sometimes you can get a perfect match (if you can, go for it!), but most of the times you won't. The bridal boutique's "aqua" is probably just a little different from the linen company's "aqua". So instead of tablecloths that look like they almost match, don't try for the exact shade at all. Go for a lighter/ darker shade all together. Or, even better, have multiple colors incorporated into your wedding. This way you dodge the clashing of the linens and dresses that almost match.

Now of course you want to use your wedding colors on the tables. But, if you insist on using that color that almost matches for linens, make it the napkin color. With a smaller accent, you won't notice as much. You can also incorporate it into the centerpieces, favors, etc.

And again, you might be the lucky one that does find the perfect match. In that case, go for it!

Make Your Rain Plan Known

If you have planned for any portion of your wedding to take place outside, you will need a back up plan. That's the obvious part. Some brides however, don't think to include the rain plan in their invitations. This is crucial, unless you want all 173 guests calling you, your parents, or one of the members of the bridal party when it starts to pour an hour before the ceremony is to take place.

Including the rain plan on your wedding website and having family members spread the word are great ideas too. But, the only way to make sure every guest is in the loop is to include it in the invitation in the first place. Include a simple "rain card" in the envelope (small, much like the RSVP card) that notifies guests of the back-up location.

Napkin Folding

Something simple that can really dress up your table is the napkins. There are tons of different and creative ways to fold dinner napkins. Most venues can do more that one style, but typically don't offer. If you are interested in something simple that they don't know how to do, provide a diagram like the one below. Searching "wedding napkin folding" on YouTube also turns up a ton of video tutorials!

Lemon/ Lime Soda in Centerpieces

Sounds random? Lemon/ lime soda or lemons will actually help your flowers last longer. It's a great idea if you are doing DIY centerpieces and don't want the hassle of doing them the day of or night before. The lemons help water flow in the stems of your flowers and the sugar helps open the buds! You shouldn't have to worry about fungi buildup in the vases in only a day or two, but the acid in the lemons also helps prevent that.