Bar mitzvahs and bat mitzvahs are significant coming of age events for young men and young women. These once-in-a-lifetime events should be given the care, respect, and consideration they deserve from all involved. Perhaps you are of a different faith, or maybe you will be attending your first mitzvah. Regardless of your familiarity with this powerful event, take the time to familiarize yourself with these critical etiquette best practices to help the family celebrate this momentous occasion.
You’ve said “yes” to the man of your dreams! You’ve cried, celebrated, and posted photos of the ring to Facebook. Take a deep breath, because now it’s time to plan!
Planning every detail of the biggest day of your life can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to turn your greatest joy into your greatest stress. I’ve been privileged to help hundreds of brides over the past ten years to make their wedding personal and unique, and have learned a special lesson from every special occasion. If you feel like you’re drowning in cake samples, RSVP cards, and place setting options, take a moment to reflect on my list of ten “I Dos” and “Do Knots” for planning the perfect wedding.
DO: Make it Personal
Your wedding day should be a reflection on the special relatio
nship you have with your fiancé. Think about what makes your love unique. Every couple has a story, so make sure your wedding helps to showcase your past, present, and future. Choose colors, a venue, fabrics, materials, and flowers that are meaningful. If you and your fiancé love your life in the city, plan a wedding that reflects your urban chic lifestyle. If you met in the park, consider a color scheme that reminds you of how you met, with lush greens, sky blues, and tan accents reflected in your wedding invitations, flowers, and place settings. If you both dream of living on the coast some day, incorporate nautical design elements into your theme to be reminded of everything the future holds.
Do Knot Just Follow the Trends
Think twice before letting a vendor encourage you to do “what everyone is doing this season.” Unless you feel a connection with the colors, styles, and themes of the moment, remember that trends pass, but your marriage will last forever, and your wedding should reflect the key element in your relationship that makes your love eternal.
Do Incorporate The Ones You Love
Wedding guest lists can expand like taffeta before you know it. Sit down and think about everyone who has been an important part of your life. When you look around the roo
m on your wedding day, you want to see the faces of everyone you and your fiancé love and everyone that has influenced the people you have become. When it comes to choosing a bridal party, ask yourself who you want standing beside you when you take your vows. Who has always stood beside you and who will always stand beside you when life becomes challenging? Those are the people who should be part of your bridal party.
Do Knot Let Others Decide Your Guest List
When planning your guest list try not to be influenced by others. If you can’t remember the last name of your mother’s father’s cousin’s niece twice removed, don’t feel guilty for not extending her a wedding invitation. The same goes for your bridal party. Choose only the people you want to be an intimate part of your special day.
Do Say Individual Thank Yous
You are likely going to form a long list of friends and family who help make your dream wedding a reality. Say a personal thank you in your own words to your parents, soon to be in-laws, 
bridal party members, and guests for helping you to celebrating the start of your new lives. Choose personal and unique gifts for your bridal party members that reflect the theme of your wedding, and that will serve as a permanent reminder of the important role they play in your life. Send thank you cards timely and include a personal message on each one that expresses your gratitude for the role the recipient has played in your life and in your wedding.
Do Knot Forget the Importance of Saying it Out Loud
Don’t take it for granted that your friends and family know how much they mean to you. Telling them in your own words will mean more to both of you, and will give you even more special memories of your wedding day that will last forever.
Do Plan Your Place Settings
Your wedding will be a day that brings people together. Use your place settings as an opportunity to reunite cousins who now live
on other sides of the country, college classmates who haven’t seen one other in years, and even to bring together two sides of your new family. Remember that the one thing that all of your guests have in common is you. That’s all they need to enjoy celebrating with one another.
Do Knot Forget to Enjoy Your Dinner
Do mingle during dinner to thank your guests, but do not miss the opportunity to sample the meal you painstakingly selected! You will have plenty of time to celebrate with your guests out on the dance floor after dinner too.
Do Focus On One Another
With so much to orchestrate on your wedding day, so many people to thank, so many guests, and so much to do, your big day will fly by before you know it. Be sure that once you say, “I do” that you spend the rest of your wedding day with your new husband. Hold hands, pose for photos, mingle together, dance, and celebrate your love.
Do Knot Forget The Day’s True Meaning
Your wedding will last one day, but your marriage will last forever. As you make decisions about flowers, appetizers, RSVP cards, music, and dessert tables, take comfort in knowing that you have already made the most important decision in your lives: you chose each other.
One of the first things brides must decide on when planning their weddings is a color scheme, usually one that fits with the season or time of year when she is getting married. What I’ve noticed after working in the “wedding business” for several years is that PURPLE is often a popular choice when choosing color combinations for a wedding! In fact, when sorting through and organizing my stacks and stacks (and stacks!) of leftover invitation paper recently, I came across SO many shades and variations of the color purple. This gorgeous color needed far more storage space than some others. So… you may be wondering what is so special about PURPLE?
What I think makes PURPLE such a perfect color for weddings is that it is so versatile, meaning you can pair it with just about ANY other color. Even if PURPLE is not your favorite color, put it next to your favorite color and you will have a great combination! Just browse Pinterest to see what I mean… check out how PURPLE can be used with all of these other colors to make a fabulous palate for your wedding! Click on any photo to see more ideas of how to use these awesome color combinations!
As you can see, PURPLE looks amazing with so many different colors and shades!!! You can’t go wrong with this color choice. No matter the month, season, or style of your wedding, purple is sure to work in some way. If you want to talk more about colors for your wedding invitations or wedding day stationery, hit me up! I LOVE this stuff! Here are some invitations we have designed using PURPLE! Maybe one will inspire you to use PURPLE in a new way for your own wedding or upcoming celebration!
I was honored when Emily, of Emily Photography, asked for my help as she was planning a “Welcome Home” party for their recently adopted daughter, Lyla. I was beyond happy for this amazing family! I just have to share a glimpse into their story…
I met Emily back in 2013 at a wedding that we were both working and we hit it off right away! I learned a bit about her that evening … how she had two adorable and spunky boys at home, but a piece of her heart was overseas. Emily and her husband were in the process of adopting Lyla from Africa. They knew it would be a long and difficult journey, but had no idea of the emotional roller coaster that was in store for them over the next 2 years.
Emily and I stayed in touch, and every time I saw or spoke with her, I hoped for good news on the adoption front! I was excited with her when gains were made, and when Emily went to meet and visit with Lyla for the first time. But, I shed tears on her behalf when I heard of delays and the roadblocks they faced in trying to bring their daughter home. I stood in awe of Emily and her family as they worked through each hardship and sacrificed so much of their time, energy, and resources to do whatever they could to bring this sweet girl home to her forever family.
That’s why, over TWO YEARS later, I was SO THRILLED to learn that Lyla was finally HOME! This was certainly something to CELEBRATE!
So a princess-themed celebration was planned! Emily chose some of her favorite colors, pink and gold, and asked for my help with glittery invitations and a table full of gorgeous goodies for the party! I had so much fun with this custom invitation design, and choosing sweet treats for all of the guests to take home as favors. I loved seeing pictures from this event, especially Lyla’s incredible SMILE! She is where she belongs and you can see it all over her face!
All photos by Emily Photography of course!
I am over-the-moon excited for this special family, especially Emily, whose heart is whole again! (And is NOW bursting with love and joy as they look forward to welcoming another baby boy into their family very soon!) I LOVED working with them for this special event, and I look forward to watching their family grow in numbers and LOVE for one another.
We can’t believe 2013 has come and gone so quickly! Thanks to SO many wonderful clients, ‘RSVP to me‘ had an amazing year. To celebrate the last few hours of 2013, we’re taking a look back and highlighting some of our favorite moments. Sit back, relax, and countdown with us before the clock strikes midnight!
If you’ve been invited to a wedding or special event, opening a beautifully addressed envelope to unveil a perfect invitation is an exciting part of the “wedding planning process”. As an invitee, you look forward to revealing the design, theme, and colors, as well as where the day’s events will take place. Invitations are one of the most important details of your wedding day as they not only set the tone for the event, but give your guests a glimpse of what to expect. Remember, this is your ONE and ONLY chance to make an everlasting first impression, so it’s important to make it count. To some couples, the thought of ordering invitations may seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be! Before you rush into choosing a mediocre style, or even overlook the necessity of sending invitations that get your guests just as excited to celebrate, we’re sharing FIVE tips that will help alleviate the stress and headaches of the wedding invitation process.
You finally selected and committed to your wedding invitations, and while you can certainly cross this task off your wedding to-do list, you’re not out of the clear just yet! Although you ordered the most important piece of paperie, there’s additional stationery products you need to purchase for your wedding day. Not sure what additional paper items you might need? Here’s the 411 on what wedding day stationery you should keep on your radar. Talk to your invitation designer about creating a wedding day suite to ensure all of your wedding day stationery essentials coordinates with your theme, color scheme, and of course wedding invitations.
Ceremony Programs provide usefully information that your guests will appreciate. Most often programs are made in a booklet form, however, couple’s have been showing a creative side by requesting fans. (etc.) Be sure to include information pertaining to the wedding ceremony such as the names of those in the bridal party, order of events, and titles of the readings. Some couple’s also like to include a note of appreciation for family and friends being a part of their lives.
Escort Cards direct guests to the table at which they will be seated at during the reception.
Reception tables are appropriately marked by Table Numbers or Table Cards. You can mark your tables with numbers, phrases, locations that may have special meaning, or songs. This can be an ice breaker for guests who may not know others at the table.
Menu Cards inform guests what they will be eating during the reception, including the choices for the main entree.
Thank your guests for being a part of your special day and incorporate custom Favor Tags onto your wedding favors. You can include any saying like “Love is Sweet” or the couple’s names and wedding date.
Don’t forget to thank your guests for not only their generous gifts but for being a part of your special day with custom Thank You Cards.
Whether you’re hosting a black tie affair or a relaxed soiree, your stationery is an important part of your event. Wedding day stationery that’s consistent will tie your event together and leave a lasting impression on your guests.
(all photos by Anna Hurt Photography)
