Just Engaged?
Did you just get engaged? You're excited, anxious, and ready to plan I'm sure! Here are a few things that can get you jump started on your wedding plans.
- Setting a Date: Determine when you want to get married. Really nothing can be planned or set into stone until you know the date of your wedding.
- Set a Budget: Setting a budget will give you guidelines. Once you know the amount, begin spreading your funds. You can find budget worksheets such as this one from Real Simple to help you know where and how to plan your wedding.
- Choose Your Attendants: This is a good time to tell your friends and family who will be in your wedding.
- Plan Your Guest List: Start jotting the names of friends and family members down. You'll be surprised to see how long the list gets.
- Begin Gown Shopping: Once you know the budget, you can gown shop!
How Should You Propose?
Not quite sure how to pop the question? Let us help! Here are a few ways you can get down on your knee.
1. Decorate a Christmas tree adding only one ornament, the ring.
2. Play scrabble together or another game, spell out “Will You Marry Me?”
3. Create a website, have her go to it and ask for her hand in marriage on the website.
4. Pack a picnic, once you've eaten go on a walk. Have “Will You Marry Me?” spelled in the sand or using rocks.
5. If she wakes up to her radio alarm, have the announcer propose at the exact time you know she will be listening.
6. When she is about to wake up, have the ring sitting on the pillow with a love note.
7. Propose near a birthday. Place a note asking her to marry you in a box, than place that box in another box, as so forth so there is several boxes to open. When she gets to the last box she'll open the note that says, “Will You Marry Me?”
The Perfect Ring
Are you about to pop the question or maybe you are just thinking about it. Here are a few helpful tips when picking out the perfect engagement ring.
–Shape: The shape is one of the most important things to consider when choosing the ring. If you are not sure what rings to choose, look at her other jewelry. That can give you a pretty good idea as to what she likes.
- Round: Popular, simple, can't go wrong. More than 75% of diamonds that are sold are round.
- Emerald: rectangular shaped.
- Asscher: Has many facets, bringing brilliance to the ring.
- Princess: Square shaped, which adds sparkle to the diamond.
- Cushion: Antique-look, has rounded corners.
- Pear: Known as the Jessica Simpson look. Similar to the round cut, but is cut slightly pear-shaped just enough to be different.
- Oval: Again similar to the round cut diamond, but more elegant.
- Marquise: Cut like an oval, but has sharper ends. Can appear larger than it is due to the cut.
Wedding Hair Styles
We found some great websites for your wedding hair needs. Check them out and get inspired!
1. The Knot: over 150 photographs of real wedding hair.
2. Brides.com: Has hundreds of photos of wedding hair styles.
3. The Wedding Channel: has an assortment if ideas for long hair, curly hair, updo's, and more.
Wedding Apparel: Dress Code for Guests
Not sure what to wear to a wedding? Let us help!
Semi-Formal: Men wear a suit and tie, women should wear a cocktail dress or nice skirt. Refrain from wearing white, that is the brides color.
Beach Wedding: Light colored suit for men or dress slacks with a nice collard, button down shirt. Women should wear a nice sundress (more on the formal side).
Casual Wedding: Dress slacks and button down shirt for the men, ladies nice dress slacks, skirt, or dress.
Wedding Gift Rules
Purchasing a gift for the happy couple can be difficult. Here are five rules about gift giving.
1. Purchase from their Registry: They did create their registry for good reason, so why not buy their gift from there?
2. Gift of Money: I don't think the bride and groom will object to receiving cash as a gift.
3. Be Sure to Spend at Least $50: The cost of your dinner alone is probably at least $30. Anything less than $50 would be a bit of an insult.
4. Wrap Your Gift: Most wedding registries have complimentary gift wrap.
5. Have a Card: If you are expecting a thank you card in return, than have a card attached to your gift.
Wedding Shoes 101
When choosing your wedding shoes there may be a few things you would like to keep in mind:
*Height: remember you will be wearing these for several hours.
*Size: It's not a bad idea to get a half size bigger, for comfort reasons.
*Style: Your shoes don't have to be white!
*Reception Shoes: You may want to have slippers or flip-flops for the reception. Sooner or later those heels will hurt your feet.
*Price: Search several websites/stores for your shoes. Some stores may offer a better deal.
Choosing the Right Gown
1. Where and when is your wedding? Outdoor, indoors, beach? This will determine what kind of dress to choose.
2. It would help if you knew your wedding gown terminology. Knowing the kinds of trains, veils, and silhouettes can save you a lot of time.
3. Visit several shops to see the assortment of gowns available.
4. Set a budget prior to searching.
5. It doesn't hurt to begin searching early (no more than one year in advance).
6. When purchasing, be prepared to put about 50% down.
7. If you find a dress on a rack (usually the ones on display) can cut your price significantly. You can have it taken in even if it's a little big. Choosing a dress on the rack also means you can splurge a little because of the price reduction.
Reception Toasting Tips
Toasts are a way to express a few admiring words toward the bride and groom. There is no need for the toast to be lengthy or funny. Simply saying a few sincere words about the bride and groom is enough to capture the moment. Speak from you heart, maybe mention a few memorable times you shared, or a story. Either way, the toast should be preplanned. Make sure you have thought about what you were going to say and shared it with others. If you aren't sure you will remember what you would like to express, then write it down.
Writing Thank You Notes
Here are a few great tips from the leading experts on writing thank you notes.
Tip 1: Begin writing your thank you notes as the gifts arrive. This will save you a lot of time in the long run.
Tip 2: It's best to purchase your thank you notes with your invitations so you have them available, however, your notes do not have to match your invites.
Tip 3: When sitting down to write you thank you notes, first write a list of who you will be sending them to, their address, and what they bought. This can cut your writing time in half.
Tip 4: All thank you notes should be written within three weeks of receiving the gift.
Tip 5: All notes do not have to be written in one sitting. If you set a goal, such as ten a day, you will get through your list much faster.
Tip 6: Don't get stuck writing the notes by yourself, have your spouse do half the stack.
Tip 7: Don't want to fuss with envelopes and sealing? Send a postcard!
Tip 8: If cash was given, you do not have to mention the amount.
Tip 9: All thank you cards should be written by hand.
Tip 10: Not sure how to split the pile? Have your spouse write thank you's to his side of the family and you can take care of your side.
