It is common courtesy to RSVP, whether you will be attending a wedding or not. There is a purpose to it, as it helps the couple make their wedding plans accordingly. However, a last-minute cancellation not only results in money being wasted and seating arrangements threw off but is plain inconsiderate.
As a guest, if you are not sure that you will attend the wedding, it is polite to inform the couple of this. Mention that you will confirm at a later date, and make sure you do. It isn’t right to expect them to accommodate you at the last minute when they have already planned the final details of the wedding. On the same note, it isn’t right to tell them that you will be attending and then just throwing their plans off.
Many couples prefer not to include children in their wedding reception. It could be the difficult task of keeping them occupied, or the worry that they will cause too much distraction. So, if you have a list that includes these young guests, you are being very considerate.
Having young children attend your party means more planning than before. Nevertheless, many wedding parties involving children have happened without many hiccups, and you can do the same at yours. All you need is to plan some entertainment to keep them engaged throughout the evening; give them great food, and they should enjoy it just as much as the other guests. Here are some ideas to try at your wedding, so the little ones are engaged and have fun.
Plan a play space
You cannot expect children to sit still, and enjoy a serious party like adults do. If you do, they will simply squirm and whine, and spoil the fun of the party. So, plan a separate space for the children, which will be filled with activities to keep them busy. Art-and-craft centers are favorites, where they can entertain themselves. Just make sure that you go with options that aren’t messy, and there is plenty for all of them to indulge in.
Appoint a babysitter and/or hire an entertainer
While most of the parents will manage their tiny tots, at least a few would appreciate the chance to engage in some conversation and enjoy themselves in the other activities at your wedding. This wouldn’t be possible without the help of another responsible adult, who can manage the kids. Consider hiring the services of a babysitter or two, to attend to the children. If there are quite a number of children from different age groups at the wedding, set up an entertainment plan for the kids and hire a professional who can either put up a show or plan games for them. Face painters, clowns, comedian, puppet artists and magicians are always loved.
Plan their menu carefully
If most of the kids are very young, seating them down to a five course meal wouldn’t be a good idea. Rearrange the menu choices and throw in child-friendly food choices, when planning their meal. The service should be such that they will not be forced to wait. Substitute gourmet adult food choices with those that kids love, in their menu. You can also consider sending out a few options, and having parents choose what the set menu. This will eliminate confusion, and they will get what they are most likely to enjoy.
Make arrangements so they can rest and nap
If the guests are really young and your reception is in the evening, they will most likely be tired and sleepy before the evening is over. Take this factor into consideration and make arrangements for them to rest or nap comfortably, should they require it. This will allow their parents to relax and enjoy the evening, without disrupting their child’s schedule.
With a little planning and preparation, you can easily make your wedding party child-friendly. And, don’t forget that kids love gifts. So, choose some awesome party favors. For more wedding tips and advice on planning your lifetime celebration, visit us on Best for Bride.
This is of course, an exaggeration. Nevertheless, we all know that every event, ceremony and celebration is incomplete until it becomes a part of the online world today. Social media has crept into every aspect of our lives, and weddings are not left behind.
And with this factor comes a whole new list of what is right and what is wrong. If you are worried about how much networking is alright so you do not ruin the mood at your wedding, and how to make sure you do not overstep any boundaries, we have help.
Here are the four cardinal rules of social media etiquette for couples, where weddings are concerned. Do not break them, and you will do just fine.
#1 Remember that it is more personal to do things the traditional way
Your friends may not mind receiving your wedding invite via email, or posting their RSVP on your wedding website. But remember that the old-fashioned pen and paper style is more personal. Go for traditional wedding invites and telephone calls where it is necessary. This will be better received.
#2 Be sensible about what you put online for everyone to see
You certainly want to show off your engagement ring, and may feel tempted to tweet or post every update on your wedding plans. Resist the temptation. Remember that not everyone is as excited as you are, and may feel you’ve intruded their space with too much information. Be especially careful about posting negative comments about people or plans, as news travels quickly, even if the person isn’t online. Don’t end up in a fix, where you will regret what you wrote.
#3 If you don’t want people to post your wedding details, mention it explicitly
We can perfectly understand it when you say you do not want people glued to their phones during your ceremony and reception. But, don’t assume that they will do so. If you don’t want to feel disappointed when you see them tapping away at their phones all the time, make sure you tell them so. Consider putting up a humorous board that suggests your wedding is a social-media free zone, if you are dead against it. However, it is better to be understanding and expect them to post occasionally. If you do not want your wedding pictures to go online before you upload them yourself, make sure that your guests are aware of this.
#4 Share your wedding hashtag information
This is the best way to make sure that all your wedding pictures are in one place. By using a hashtag generator, share your wedding hashtag with all the guests at your wedding, and request them to upload the pictures with the tag. To do this you can either add it to your wedding invitation, or put it up on your wedding website. You could also mention it on the welcome board at your venue, for those who may have missed making a note of it.
Hopefully this clears the air on how to enjoy social media in moderation, so it doesn’t take over your wedding day. For more valuable wedding tips and advice, keep visiting us on Best for Bride.
Every bride has good intentions when she starts planning her wedding. You envision a beautiful day, surrounded by your family and friends, bridesmaids in beautiful dresses bursting with happiness and taking in all of the gorgeous details. No bride ever anticipates the pressure that can come with planning such an important day, but it’s inevitable. Everybody feels stressed at some point during their daily lives, and adding wedding planning to your already busy life can be overwhelming.
Remember that you set the tone for the wedding day and the months leading up to it. Those around you will feed off of your energy and if you are stressed, they will feel stressed. Starting off on the right track will not only keep your stress to a minimum but the stress of the people around you as well.
So how do you get from engaged to I do without losing your mind? Here are some tips for feeling calm and balanced during the wedding planning process.
Photo Courtesy of http://www.weddingdaystory.com/
Have a Plan
The best way to avoid any stress during wedding planning is to start off with a good plan. You and your fiancé must first decide on the type of wedding you’d like to have. Discuss the options with your parents as their input often comes into play as well. If you don’t have a wedding planner, you will be on your own to create a budget plan and wedding planning timeline for the months leading up to your wedding. These are very important! Make this your first step before moving forward.
Create a Realistic Budget
The budget is the number one cause of arguments and stress during the wedding planning process. You have to discuss the budget with your fiancé and anyone else that will be contributing to the wedding – come up with a number that works for everyone and stick to it. Be honest and don’t purchase anything that is over budget without discussing it with your fiancé. Prices vary from city to city, so you might have to do some research to see what average wedding costs are in your area.
Stay Healthy
Eating well and exercising has been proven to reduce stress. Physical activity creates endorphins and improves your mood, while a balanced diet can provide the necessary vitamins and minerals that help reduce stress levels. As little as thirty minutes of exercise three times a week will make a huge difference. A few easy changes to your diet like drinking more water, eating more fruits and vegetables, and cutting out fast food will give you the natural defenses you need to combat stress.
Find Your Happy Place
This is my favorite and most beneficial tip I can give any bride. We all deal with stress at some point, so you need to find that one thing you can turn to when things get out of control. Whether it’s reading, or getting a massage or pedicure, yoga, or even if it’s just locking yourself in your bedroom to meditate for five minutes – find something that works for you. When things get too stressful, you are prepared and can automatically turn to your happy place. You’ve heard that expression ‘Just sleep on it’. When you come back from your happy place, you might realize the problem wasn’t even that bad after all, or you’ll come back with the mental focus to face the problem head-on and deal with it.
Be Grateful
This will also be a big year for your parents, siblings, close friends, and family. They will be asked to throw bridal showers and engagement parties, purchase bridesmaid dresses, and take some of their time away from their personal lives to help with the planning of your wedding. Be patient and grateful, and make sure to include everyone in the planning process. Often the root of all family issues stems from someone not feeling like they’ve been heard or appreciated. Family dynamics are a part of every wedding, and this can be stressful when everyone has their own ideas and suggestions and insists on providing their opinions. So patience, forgiveness, and a small thank-you note or a loving hug can go a long way in keeping everyone happy during this time.
Know It Won’t Be Perfect
Let go of the idea that everything has to be perfect. Perfection is impossible to achieve and puts far too much pressure on brides. Every bride wants their day to go perfectly, but I can tell you this, your day will NOT be perfect. Little things will happen that you can’t anticipate, plans may not run exactly to schedule, and people will not always behave or react how you would like them to. In the end, your wedding day will be the perfect day FOR YOU. Have some perspective and appreciate all the good things about the day.Move forward knowing that there will be some bumps in the road, and you will feel less stress when you look at it that way instead of trying to pull off the impossible.
Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff
It can be easy to let your emotions take over when things don’t go how you want them to, especially for the most important day of your life. But if the napkins aren’t the exact color you wanted, or your bridesmaid orders the wrong shoes, or some wording gets mixed up on the invitations – remember there are worse things in life that can happen. Be thankful for the opportunity to be planning such a joyous celebration in the first place. Causing unnecessary drama will only create bad energy for your day.
Have Fun
This is supposed to be fun! If wedding planning is starting to feel more like a job, then you really have to take a step back and re-evaluate. Maybe you need some extra help – wedding planners can step in at any stage of the planning process to take over if you are feeling too overwhelmed or stressed out. Talk to your fiancé and your family – don’t be afraid to delegate some of the jobs so that you aren’t doing it all on your own.
Remember, if the bride is happy, everyone is happy. You set the tone and energy for your wedding day and the months of planning. Making an effort to stay calm and stress-free is important to a memorable wedding planning experience. Otherwise, you could become overwhelmed and turn into the dreaded Bridezilla, which no bride (or those close to her) wants.
– Tammy is a wedding planner, author, and the curator of TheWeddingGuru.ca – a wedding blog offering guidance and inspiration for the balanced bride.
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