Olga is manager at Best for Bride since 2005. Currently Best for Bride operates 4 bridal stores in Canada (Toronto, Etobicoke, Hamilton and Barrie). Best for Bride sells wedding, bridemaids, mob dresses and more. https://www.bestforbride.com/
Invitations aren’t just about picking the perfect paper, colors or designs. Not only do they allow couples to show off their unique style and personalities, but they also provide wedding guests with a small glimpse of the highly anticipated event by giving them details and more. Wedding invitations these days are more creative, colorful and gorgeous, but one thing stays the same – wedding invitation etiquette. Many of the exact same rules from yesteryear still apply – from what information to include or how to address people. Here are some tips to have perfectly personalized and worded wedding invitations.
When you are getting married for the second time it is essential to ensure that you don’t breach etiquette by registering for gifts. This is considered tacky because a first wedding is the time to start a gift registry. By the time you are getting married for a second time you should have all the items one would normally include in any gift registry for a wedding. If you don’t, your guests aren’t likely to care.
In 2015 and beyond the most appropriate gifts for a second wedding are often food related. For example, an edible arrangement or a meat and cheese basket is considered a standard gift to give for a second wedding. Unfortunately these rules of etiquette apply even if it is your significant other’s first wedding.
That being said your guests can buy you something as simple as a bottle of wine itself or as complex as a membership to a wine of the month club. These are appropriate gifts for a second wedding because they are not the household items it is presumed you already own.
Another popular choice in gifts for a second wedding is restaurant gift cards. Since they are so easy to obtain these days out of town guests will even be able to purchase gift cards for restaurants that are not located in their hometown. With a lack of expiration dates on gift cards you will be able to use them whenever it is convenient for you so your guests always know their gift will not be wasted.
The only way proper etiquette allows your guests to purchase kitchen appliances as gifts is if they purchase a specialized appliance that you and your significant other would use and enjoy, such as a pasta, bread or ice cream maker. These appliances are acceptable because they are not the standard appliances everyone has in their kitchen.
Non-traditional gifts given for a second wedding are often more personal gifts than anything you likely got at your first wedding. This is especially true if the majority of the guests at your second wedding were at your first wedding as well.
In lieu of wedding presents, many second time brides simply ask their guests to make a donation to their favorite charity. If you choose to do this it is always a good idea to contact the charity in advance and let them know what you are doing. Then include all the pertinent information in your communication with your invited guests so that they understand them donating to the charity of your choosing is their wedding gift to you.
To give it more sentimental value, choose a charity that you or your significant other has a personal connection to. For example, if either of you has ever had any type of cancer ask your guests to donate money to the American Cancer Association instead of buying you a gift.
Food is becoming an increasingly important part of any wedding reception. Let’s face it, there are people out there who will judge your wedding by the quality of the food you serve, whether they should or not. The good news is that there are so many options when it comes to serving great food to your wedding guests. You are no longer confined by tradition to a sit down, plated meal consisting of gourmet dishes if that is not what you are looking for.
These days farmer’s markets have become a big deal. Many restaurants now work with local farmers markets to get their produce, dairy products and more. You can choose to have your wedding catered by a restaurant that does get their ingredients from farmer’s markets. Not only will this make it more likely the ingredients used in your wedding dishes will be fresh you will also be helping to give back to the community by supporting the agriculture in your area. When you serve farmer’s market meals at your wedding you can capture the mood using wildflowers in mason jars to serve as centerpieces and/or wedding favors and by choosing rustic décor for your reception.
It’s becoming increasingly common these days to turn your wedding reception into a “serve yourself” kind of event. Self-serve stations can be used for the dinner itself or to provide your guests with something of an interactive dessert bar. It’s a great way to give your guests the opportunity to create their own ice cream sundae or banana split. You can even use it to allow guests to prepare their own wedding favors. One way to do this is to offer different types of popcorn or candy that your guests can mix together to take home.
Even wedding cakes are undergoing a makeover for 2015. This trend started in 2014 and will continue into next year’s weddings. Wedding cakes are becoming more detailed as many brides are choosing to take an aspect of their dress, like diamonds or lace and recreate the look and feel of the materials on their cake. You could instead choose to tie your wedding cake in with your invitations or even with the décor you have chosen for your special day.
Wedding refreshments are about more than just food; the drinks you serve your guests are just as important. Sticking to the old standby drinks is yesterday’s news. Today’s brides and grooms are having signature drinks created for themselves. The drinks created just for you and your groom should in some way reflect something about your relationship. For example, if you two met at a coffee shop, have a drink created for your wedding that uses coffee flavored liquor. The possibilities for creating unique drinks are limitless. Some brides are even choosing to have mixed drinks served that are the color of their bridesmaids’ dresses.
For more ideas on how to plan every aspect of your wedding, visit Best For Bride.com.
As the closer your wedding day gets, so do the wedding day jitters. Some girls are so nervous about their big day and everything being perfect that they make themselves break out in hives or some kind of rash! Obviously, this only freaks them out more and intensifies the situation, but it doesn’t have to get that far. It’s totally normal to get nervous before your wedding day, but the important this is not to let your anxiousness interfere with you life, especially on the days leading up to the big day.
According to a survey done by a site called Fearcourse.com, about 71% of brides-to-be will get nervous anticipating their wedding day. That goes up to 92% of brides totally freaking out the day of their wedding or the night before, while 66% said that all that anxiousness really hindered their ability to enjoy the day. Don’t let this happen to you! Here are some tips on how to combat your wedding nerves.
1. Practice breathing techniques
If you’ve been super nervous to the point where you think you might have a panic attack, learn to a few breathing techniques so that you calm yourself down. If you take yoga classes, you most likely already know these breathing techniques and now’s the perfect time to use them. By taking in deep, long breathes, you’ll be able to shake off nerves and calm yourself down so that you don’t get so worked up.
If you’re worried or stressed about something going wrong at your wedding, you’ll probably work yourself up even more. So instead of stressing over something you have no control over, be positive and confident instead. Think positive thoughts about how beautiful you wedding will be and how everything will go exactly as planned an you’ll automatically feel much calmer and at peace. To help you be more confident in your big day, visualize it in your head. Make sure you see yourself happy and calm and you’ll believe that everything will be okay in a matter of moments.
3. Get a massage the day before
To help you calm down even more, book a massage with your bridesmaids the day before and you’ll feel all that tension melt away. It’s also a great bridesmaid gift for your best girls!
4. Go for a walk the morning of your wedding
via Flickr
You’re most likely not going to be able to sleep that night so you’ll probably be up super early anticipating the day ahead. Before everything starts to happen, go for a brisk walk in the morning so that you collect your thoughts and feel at ease. You’ll feel calmer and ready to face the most wonderful day in your life when you get back!
About Best for Bride
We understand how stressful it can be planning a wedding and want to help every bride that enters our shop! Since Best for Bride ia a one-stop bridal shop, you’ll find everything you need for your big day – from bridal gowns to bridesmaid dresses and even florists and invites. Let us help you plan the perfect wedding!
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