Category: Wedding Planning

What to Include on Your Wedding Website

A wedding website is a really fun way to keep everyone in the loop about your wedding details. Some brides even use it as a way to collect RSVPs. Choose a site theme that reflects your wedding colors and what type of wedding you’ll have.

Information to Include

-Where you’re registered for bridal shower/wedding gifts
-What kind of attire people should wear to the ceremony. Black tie optional? Casual? Semi-formal?
-Address for ceremony and reception, a map, and directions to each
-Which hotel you’ve blocked rooms at, what name everyone should give when booking, and how much of a discount they’ll receive
-Transportation info. Is there a valet, and if so, is it complimentary? Does it cost anything to park at the venue? Is there a shuttle between hotel and reception? How often does it run, and when is the last run?
-Start times for wedding, cocktail hour, reception, and what time the night will wrap up
-All other pertinent information, such as if your event will be adults only, or if there’s a game near your venue the night of your wedding so guests know to leave early

Fun Extras:

About Us section. Tell everyone how you met and how you fell in love.
Your Engagement Story. Let everyone in on how your fiance proposed and share photos of your surprise and joy!
Photo Album. Share your engagement photos! This is especially great for family members who aren’t on social media.
The Bridal Party. Tell everyone who’s in your bridal party, and who they are to you.
Things to Do in the Area. Out of town guests will appreciate a brief guide of where to go and what to see while they’re in the area!
Honeymoon plans. Share where you’re going and what adventures you hope to have there. (Don’t give the dates you’ll be out of town; you don’t want the world to know when the house will be empty.)
Music Requests. Dedicate an area for comments where people can submit music requests that you can pre-screen.


Spread the word about your wedding website on social media and put the web address on your Save-the-Dates. Sign up and select from free or premium designs for your wedding website here.

How to Choose the Best Wedding Dress For Your Body Type

Just like clothing, bridal gowns are cut in all different ways, and not every style will fit your body type… and there’s nothing wrong with that! We’ve created this guideline to give you a starting point for what wedding dress style fits your body type the best.


A-line: Curvy and athletic figures look great in A-line gowns because they create a stunning hourglass shape.

Ball Gown: Curvy, athletic, and slim bodies all look great in ball gowns, but try to avoid this if you’re petite. Very slim women should avoid huge skirts because it can make your body look disproportionate. Curvy and athletic brides look stunning in a dropped waist.

Column: A column gown is formfitting throughout the entire bodice, making it a great look for tall or short brides with a sleek body.

Empire: An empire gown’s skirt starts just beneath the chest and flows outward. This is a great option for curvy brides, but make sure that the seam hits just under the chest, on the thinnest part of your torso; if it hits too high or too low, it can look like a maternity gown.

Grecian: Flowing fabrics make curvy and athletic brides look absolutely dreamy.

Mermaid: These gowns are great for petite and tall slim brides because they can create womanly curves. Shorter brides should avoid dropped waistlines that give the illusion of shorter legs. Add a belt mid-waist to create extra curves.

Trumpet: Tall and slim and tall and curvy bodies look statuesque in a trumpet gown.


Obviously, you can veer from this list as you please. As long as you feel beautiful in the gown that you wear, that’s all that really matters.

Choosing Wedding Flowers By Season

Flowers In Season

You can save big on your floral decor by choosing blooms that are in season on your wedding date. Here’s a basic guide to follow when choosing wedding flowers by season.

Winter Wedding Flowers in Season

  • Amaryllis
  • Anemone
  • Casa Blanca Lily
  • Daffodil
  • Grape Hyacinth (aka Muscari)
  • Hyacinth
  • Sweet Pea
  • Ranunculus
  • Tulip
  • Wax Flower

Spring Wedding Flowers in Season

  • Amaryllis
  • Anemone
  • Boronia
  • Daffodil
  • Grape Hyacinth (aka Muscari)
  • Hyacinth
  • Lily of the Valley
  • Peony
  • Queen Anne’s Lace
  • Tulip
  • Stock
  • Sweet Pea
  • Wax Flower

Summer Wedding Flowers in Season

  • Alstromeria
  • Dahlia
  • Daisy
  • Delphinium (aka Larkspur)
  • English Lavender
  • Forget-me-not
  • Gardenia
  • Hydrangea
  • Phlox
  • Poppy
  • Queen Anne’s Lace
  • Stock
  • Sunflower
  • Tuberose
  • Zinnia

Fall Wedding Flowers in Season

  • Anemone
  • Cosmos
  • Dahlia
  • Delphinium (aka Larkspur)
  • Hydrangea
  • Iris
  • Juniper
  • Marigold
  • Phlox
  • Sunflower
  • Tuberose

In Season Year Round

  • Alstroemeria (Peruvian Lily)
  • Anthuriums
  • Aster
  • Bourvardia
  • Calla Lily
  • Carnation
  • Chrysanthemum
  • Daisy
  • Dusty Miller
  • Freesia
  • Gerbera Daisy
  • Iris
  • Lily
  • Lisianthus
  • Orchid
  • Rose
  • Stephanotis
  • Veronica

Just because these florals are in season doesn’t necessarily mean they are affordable within your budget. Check with your florist to see if the flowers you’re interested in are feasible, and if not, what flowers they can use to create a similar look. It’s their job to make sure your floral decor looks as you envision it.

 

Bridesmaid Duties the Day of the Wedding

Along with the many responsibilities prior to the wedding, there are a bevy of tasks that bridesmaids should take care of on the actual day the bride says “I do.” The bride is going to be stressing, so make sure you keep everything smooth sailing for her by adhering to these bridesmaid duties the day of the wedding:

Get your hair and makeup done by the professional of the bride’s choosing. Don’t try to cut costs by doing it yourself or having someone else do it unless the bride wants you to do so. You may get lucky and have a bride that pays for it for you, but the payment responsibility is on bridesmaids for this.

Make sure the bride eats. Grab food for her because she won’t want to eat and won’t have time to get it for herself. Be sure to also eat something yourself!

Stay sober until the reception. It’s okay to have a glass of champagne to celebrate, but save the heavy drinks until the party. You’ll need to be ready in case the bride needs assistance with something, and you’ve still got to make it through the ceremony and photos.

Help the bride into her gown. The mother of the bride and Maid of Honor may have this covered, but most bodices need several hands on deck to get the zipper up.

Offer to help the bride go to the bathroom. Carrying all of that fabric makes it very difficult to use the restroom, so offer to assist her if she needs it.

Smile as you’re walking down the aisle. Some people get nervous when they’re walking down and it shows on their faces. Be sure to show how excited you are for the wedding- the guests and the photographer will be watching.

Stand up with the bridal party at the altar. Your feet aren’t going to like it very much, so be sure to break your shoes in beforehand and use foot relief inserts.

Be a good sport for the photos. Sometimes it might feel like you’re doing something stupid, but take one for the team and do it with a smile. Most of the time when you’re doing something that seems silly or awkward, it actually makes for a great photograph.

Get on the dance floor. The bridesmaids’ main job at the reception is to keep the party going and get people dancing. No one wants to go out to an empty dance floor, so the bridesmaids should be the first people out there.

Give a gift. Yes, you’ve done a lot for your friend and spent a ton of money already, but you still have to give a gift. They’ll return all the favors when it’s your turn at the altar.

Be on time. Try to get everywhere you’re supposed to be a few minutes early. It’ll take a load off of the bride’s mind.

Maid of Honor Duties on the Day of the Wedding

As the ringleader of the bridesmaids, the Maid of Honor duties for the day of the wedding include all of the above, plus:

Be the main point of contact. Your phone should be on and by your side until it’s time to walk down the aisle. If there’s an issue with any of the vendors or deliveries, they should be contacting you and you can relay information to the bride.

Sign the marriage certificate. The bride may sign the marriage certificate before or after the ceremony, and after she signs, you’ll sign as a witness.

Fluff the bride’s train before walking down the aisle. You’ll be the last bridesmaid in line before the bride walks down the aisle, so make sure her train is laying flat and straight behind her before stepping out.

Hold the bride’s bouquet and the groom’s ring during the ceremony. The bride will be joining hands with her groom, so she’ll need to hand off her flowers. The best place to keep the ring is on your thumb until the bride needs it.

Bustle the bride’s dress after the ceremony. You’ll want to go with the bride to her final fitting so the seamstress can show you exactly how to bustle the train and you can practice doing it ahead of time.

Give a toast at the reception. This is not something you should wing; you can go heartwarming or funny, but either way it should be thoughtful and personal.

Bring a little something extra to the day. Little things like bringing the bride a card talking about how excited you are or bringing champagne and orange juice for mimosas will show her how much you love her and support her as she takes the plunge.

Wedding Thank You Cards FAQ

Wedding Thank You Cards and Bridal Shower Thank You Cards FAQ

Your guests have not only celebrated your big day with you, but they’ve also (hopefully) given a gift. No matter how small the gesture, a thank you card is a must. It’s tough to get started with the thank you cards, but once you get rolling, keep going every day until you’re done.

Q: Where do I get nice thank you cards?
A: Wedding Paper Divas, Minted, and Exclusively Weddings all have great options for thank you cards. You can even personalize some of them with one of your wedding photos.

Q: How long do I have to send them out?
A: You technically have up until one year after the wedding to get them out, but you really should have them sent within six months before people start to think you aren’t sending one at all. I recommend getting started on them as soon as you’re back and settled from your honeymoon. If you’re sending a bridal shower thank you card, you’ll  need to make sure the card is going to be received before the wedding takes place.

Q: How much do I have to write?
A: This will depend entirely on how close you are and what role they played in your wedding (for example, your MOH thank you should be much longer than a distant relative.) You should write a minimum of a few sentences, and there really is no max: if someone really helped you out and you want to write a thank you letter, go for it! It will be so appreciated.

Q: How do I keep track of who gave us what?
A: Your Maid of Honor should keep a list of what you get/who got it for you at your shower. As you’re opening wedding gifts and cards, keep a list the same as your MOH did at your shower. As you finish writing someone’s thank you card, cross their name off the list.

Q: Who writes the thank you cards?
A: For bridal shower thank you cards, the bride writes them. For wedding thank you cards…this one is completely up to you and your new spouse. The way my husband and I did it: If it was his guest, he wrote it; if it was my guest, I wrote it; and if it was a guest for both of us, I wrote it, because I enjoy writing more than he does… and my handwriting is much better. 🙂

Q: What do I write in the cards?
A: It can be tough to find the right words, especially if you’ve been writing them for a while. If they came to the wedding or shower, thank them for coming, and if they couldn’t come, say sorry they couldn’t make it and that they were missed. Always reference the gift they gave and express lots of gratitude. If you remember a special moment from the event that included them, reference it! Always end it with an additional thank you and that you hope to see/speak to them soon. If you’re totally tapped out on what to say, try giving it to your significant other to write.

No matter what you end up saying, just remember that your guests shared in a special day between you and your spouse, and that will be a memory that you will all treasure for years to come.