Wedding Layers

My boyfriend and I got engaged; we’re buying the engagement ring together next weekend. It will be a long engagement.

When is it appropriate to tell my close friends about this happy news and let them share in my joy?

My fiance and i have been engaged since October and we haven’t been able to break to news to family. All of our close friends know and we have a date in mind. Were both in college but worried that our parents might think that were too young (both 20)
Any advice?

My fiance and I are planning our wedding along with an engagement party. We are wanting to have a small wedding, close friends and family. However we both know a lot of people in our town and want to invite some to the engagement party but not the wedding. Is that wrong?
I really don’t know why I asked because I already know what I am going to do. I appreciate the input.

Wedding invitations speak volumes about the soon-to-be-wed couple and their families. The invitations also offer a preview of the nuptials and give away the general tone of the wedding. At this point, couples should make a good impression already and these tips can go a long way.

Wedding Invitations with Character

Bridal couples want to make a positive buzz with their wedding invitations. Like the search for the perfect wedding everything, invitations have to be chosen for their visual appeal, creativity, quality, and uniqueness. The choice will depend on the couple’s lifestyle and budget. But the bride makes the major moves when it comes to the conceptualization of the invitations.

If you want the prettiest but functional invitations, take note of the following:

* Decide the budget for the invitations.

* Agree on the number of invitations to be printed or hand-made.

* Decide if you’re getting a combination of wedding and reception invitation or separates.

* Decide the theme of the wedding and subsequently, the invitations to match.

* Consider personal family situations for the proper wordings in the invitations (e.g. divorced parents, single or solo parents, and widows or widowers).

Traditional and Non-Traditional Wedding Invitations

For traditional, informal weddings, and destination weddings, the invitation bears the stamp of the occasion’s theme. Invitations can be costly or affordable and ordered from a catalogue or custom-made.

For a lavish wedding with some 250 guests, the invitations should be the grander sort, but for small weddings where only family members and close friends are invited to the wedding and reception, couples can opt to make their own invitations.

Couples can even send their invitations through the Internet, which the recipient can print and acknowledge through the World Wide Web. But a starry-eyed bride would like to have a keepsake for everything about the wedding, and invitations and wedding stationeries are not exempted.

This sentimentality is understandable because the invitations bear the important wedding information such as names of the couple to be wed, date and venue of the marriage, and the person/s hosting the wedding.

The wedding invitations could be designed according to the following:

* Traditional design of formal script and centered lay-out.

* Horizontal lay-out with the couple’s photo.

* Use of color for emphasis as in color reversals (e.g. blue paper and golden scripts).

* The modern look of bright colors and angled text or contrasting colors.

* Framed invitations.

* Single raised paneled cards.

* Invitations with pressed flowers for effect.

* Scrolled invitations.

* Invitations with wax and seal.

You also have to decide on the kind of paper for the invitations to contribute to the excitement and expectation of the wedding ceremony and celebrations.

Considerations before Ordering Invitations

Couples considering ordering their invitations should have a final list of people to be invited. They would incur more expense for additional invitations. Other precautions when ordering invitations include:

* All names should be properly checked before printing.

* Titles of individuals should be accurate.

* Appropriate wordings.

Appropriate wordings should be selected carefully for different cases – one set or two sets of parents hosting the wedding, the couple spending for the wedding, or one set of parents funding the wedding but would like to include the other set of parents in the invitations. Also, to be carefully worded are titles for divorced and remarried parents.

Wedding invitations should stand out to match stunning wedding dresses and bridesmaid dresses. Visit BestForBrides.com for your bridal finery and wedding needs.

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Ideally, wedding invitations should be mailed out 6-8 weeks before the big day to give guests time to make arrangements to attend and RSVP back to you.

The first step is to get organized. This is where a large tabbed file folder comes in especially handy! Begin by making a list of the people you just can’t stand to get married without them there. This will probably be mostly relatives and close friends. Ask your parents and the groom’s parents to provide you with a list of who they would like to invite. Make sure you have accurate addresses for all your invited guests.

One caution here: don’t think you HAVE to invite everyone you know. If you haven’t talked to your high school tennis partner since graduation, he or she probably doesn’t need to be invited. And don’t get all caught up in possibly offending someone by not inviting them to your wedding.

Often, people get sick of attending weddings for people they barely know or don’t keep in touch with. Unless you talk to them every week at least, chances are pretty good that they won’t give it a second thought when your invitation doesn’t arrive. Remember, you’re trying to save some money on your big day. Extra people means extra expense – cut corners here.

Once you have your guest list, you’ll have an idea of how many invitations you’ll need. Next, you’ll need to pick a design.

Wedding invitations shouldn’t be a big expense for you. Yes, when it’s delivered all pretty in its customized envelope and small tissue square inside, it can make an impression – for about a minute! Most people read it once, note the date, take out the RSVP card and throw the invite away. So why spend a lot on them? Remember, we’re trying to save money here!

The obvious thing to do with your invites is to create them yourself on your personal computer using FREE or inexpensive digital stationery. You can use Microsoft Word, OpenOffice or just about any desk top publisher (DTP) to create beautiful custom invitations that are ALL about you!

There are also inexpensive programs and websites out there specifically made for creating stationery, invitations and greeting cards. The best part about buying programs like this is being able to use it again after the wedding is over! These types of programs and websites have saved me time and again when I need to print out a special occasion letter or card (Birthday, Anniversary, Graduation) at the last minute when I’ve lost track of the month or date!

Just do a search on the web for “free-stationery.com” or “free-photo-greeting-cards” and you’ll find an assortment of sites and software.

When creating your own invitations and stationery, you can easily buy heavy card stock at most any office supply or discount store. I would also propose that you consider some pre-designed FREE stationery which is also available all over the Internet.

I don’t recommend pre-printed stationery if you are really trying to save money. You know, the kind you see in the stores in packs of 50 or 100 pages. There just aren’t as many stationery designs to choose from and most of the really nice ones are almost as expensive as those you would have custom printed for your wedding. The digital stationery has taken over and have 1000s more designs to choose from for a real-you kind of feeling.

Most inkjet printers today, especially the best ones with individual color ink tanks, can print on heavy card stock or card template paper at less than 5 cents a page.

Don’t have a good printer or just not really hyped up on using up all your printer’s ink on your wedding invitations? Not a problem… Take your invitations or stationery to a specialized copy shop or office supply store. They can usually copy onto whatever paper you want (heavy card stock, pre-printed, etc.) and in color if you choose and your budget allows.

It’s still a lot less expensive than having custom wedding invitations made.

If you are really on a budget and one of the crafty and artistic types, you could also print out simple text of your invitation then use rubber stamps or embossing powder to decorate them. Keep in mind, though, the number of invitations you’ll need to embellish. If you’re looking at a few hundred, you could be up late nights just decorating all of them!

The traditional practice for wedding invitations is to put the invitation inside an envelope and then place that envelope inside another envelope. The budget conscious say: Why bother? One envelope is plenty and you’ll only need one stamp to mail if you use just the one.

If you’re doing your own invitations, check with some small local print or card shops for leftover envelopes they might have. You can buy these at hugely discounted prices. You may even get them free just to get them out of their store room. Don’t get freaked out if you have several different sizes or styles. How many people are going to compare wedding invitation envelope sizes before, during or even after the wedding? It will be our little secret

If you need to have RSVP’s, consider putting it on a small postal size card. That way you eliminate an envelope and it adds to the convenience for your guests. All they have to do is fill it out and drop it in the mailbox. Of course, you’ll have to provide the stamp for this card.

Consider also printing reception information directly on the invitation itself. For an RSVP, provide a phone number and/or e-mail address for guests to respond to. Not only will this save you on postage, you’ll have all the information right there for your guests to refer to before the big day instead of them having to save a separate reception card.

You can use labels to print out addresses on your computer. We would suggest getting the clear labels as it just looks better. The most prominent label maker is Avery. Their website offers free templates to print out your labels, so you may want to check that out before struggling with a software program.

OpenOffice Suite (free from OpenOffice.org) and MS Word both come with most standard Avery templates built in. Just use the envelope page menus and you are all set.

If you don’t like the impersonal nature of address labels, by all means, address the envelopes personally by hand. You can get information about calligraphy online or just use your best handwriting!

Just remember, computers don’t have to be impersonal either. There are hundreds of calligraphy and hand writing fonts out there. A little searching on the web and you can even have your own handwriting made into a custom font.

Some brides don’t want the hassle of do-it-yourself invitations. We happened to have a friend who sold wedding invitations as a side business at an incredible cheap rate and she offered up a discounted rate as a wedding gift. We ended up with 300 invitations for just $60. Not everyone can be that lucky, however. Search for “home business online greeting cards” for the most savings and best service.

Finally, when it comes to wedding invitations, one of your largest expenses is going to be the postage. You really have no control over that unless you’re the Postmaster General and even then, I doubt it helps! You may want to hand deliver some invitations to save on postage. Especially to those that you see every day at work and in your neighborhood. I know I would prefer to have the bride or groom personally hand me their invitation. It tells me I’m special to them and I know it’s saving them the cost of a stamp!

Wes Waddell owns and operates multiple digital scrapbook membership sites, including: Free-Stationery.com – Free Stationery digital downloads, training and information! and FREEScrapbookTraining.com – Free Photo Greeting Card and FREE Photo Calendar Templates. Wonderful Free stationery and scrapbook resources to get you started and save you money.

Author: Wes Waddell
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Wedding planning means working closely with your future spouse, having fun together, and making your love grow even deeper. This is a moment overflowing with romance and magic. However, this is not the feeling that you will always get when planning for your wedding. You need to make crucial decisions and consider tons of suggestions from your family and friends. You will also be dealing with different people that will become part of the wedding planning. It seems that you are likely to experience not just a magical feeling but also stress. It is difficult to make your wedding perfect so while planning, make sure that you do not lose your sanity over details.

In planning, you need to point every aspect of your wedding and think of the smartest way on how to come prepared in order to make your big day simply unforgettable. But where will you start? Before deciding, there are some significant facts you have to consider.

1. The date of your wedding is important. So you are the ones to decide about the things that you want. Be open for suggestions but remember that you and your partner are the only persons who will make the final decision.

2. Your wedding ceremony should not be tucked away by complicated festivities because the real reason why you are joined together will be gone. Bear in mind that your family and close friends are there to share that precious moment with you, so even without an elaborate gala, you and your guests can have fun during that magical time of your life.

3. Keep your wedding as simple as possible.

4. Cherish every moment. You will be able to do this if everything is kept simple and planned within your budget.

After considering the abovementioned factors, you can now start planning your wedding.

For almost any wedding, the target is to make this moment truly unforgettable. Hence, it is significant to adopt the right steps in order for your wedding to turn out smoothly and perfectly. Careful planning can also save you from losing your sanity over the wedding details.

o Delegate some of the tasks to somebody else. Involve your family members, hired professionals and close friends in making a wonderful wedding. Pass on some of your errands to them to avoid being stressed out when your precious day comes. Specify the tasks that you will delegate to a person plus all the deadlines. But do not bombard an individual with lots of responsibilities. For example, the fashion diva in your family can be the person in charge of the invitations and the wedding favors.

o Look for some wedding planning ideas through the Internet. There are lots of websites in the net that will give you helpful tips in planning your wedding.

o Get Organized. By organizing the things that you need, you surely wouldn’t end up wasting your money for the things that aren’t necessary. Organization lets you plan everything – from the major up to the smallest details – so the chance of having something done wrong is very small.

o Decide on Your Budget. Setting an amount of money to be spent for your big day is really important. Your wedding must be a happy and memorable event, but it shouldn’t put you or your family in debt.

o Choose your Wedding Theme – Pick the theme that reflects your personality and defines the kind of person you are.

o Decide who will be in the Bridal Entourage – After planning your wedding theme and your budget, choose the persons who will be involved in the wedding rites and the ones who be included in the entourage.

o Make a Guest List – talk about the number of persons that you want to be present during your wedding ceremony. Jot down the people that both of you want to invite. Narrow down your list by deleting those that are not in touch with you for years. Keep in mind that not all invited persons will be present at your wedding, so it is better to invite ten percent more.

In planning for your wedding, just keep this handful of tips in mind so you wouldn’t end up losing your sanity over the details of your matrimony.

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http://www.your-best-wedding.com/
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It is true that planning a wedding can be very stressful. However, with careful planning you can have a perfect wedding, no matter how big or how small. The magic word is ‘planning’. There are number of factors to consider when planning for the perfect wedding.

Setting the Date

Planning starts from the very beginning. There is no wedding without a wedding date. There are many factors consider when selecting a date. Of course the date you choose needs to be convenient for you and your fiancé. Unless you are planning to elope, the date also needs to be convenient for your friends and family as well. It is recommended to select a date that is at least three months away, in order to allow your relatives and friends to make themselves available for the special event.

Additionally, make sure that the date selected does not clash with any holidays or important working days that might affect attendance at the ceremony. As soon as you have a date, you can determine the time table for announcing your engagement and sending out invitations so that guests have sufficient advance notice to prepare.

Choosing a Type of Ceremony

The type of ceremony you select plays an important role in how enjoyable your wedding will be to you. Will you have a large and formal wedding, or will it be a small informal ceremony and only family and close friends wedding? Maybe you want a large wedding, but you would prefer a semi-formal event.

You need to know what type of ceremony you want as soon as you start planning. All of your plans are going to center around the type of ceremony, since the arrangements are going to differ greatly for each style.

Budget

Weddings can be very costly. Make sure that you know how much money you can afford to spend on your wedding and stick to your budget. Each expense must be considered systematically. There are many expenses associated with planning a wedding. Just a few of the expenses to consider include: wedding attire, food, decorations, wedding favors, honeymoon expenses, music, accommodations, location, and many more things.

Shopping Around

There are a number of vendors who specialize in providing wedding-related products and services. When you plan ahead of time, do some window shopping before you start singing contracts. It is in your best interest to do some research regarding what is available and to compare prices.

Booking Facilities

Advance book any facilities you will need to have your perfect wedding. It is a bad idea to wait until the last minute to make facility reservations. If you put off this task, you will likely find that banquet hall, park, chapel that you want to reserve is unavailable when you need it. The same is true for photographers, florists, DJs, caterers, wedding cake artist, seamstress, and anyone else you may need to make your wedding perfect.

In addition, you might actually save some money for booking early. Many wedding industry vendors offer discounts to brides and grooms who make their reservations far ahead of time.

Delegating Chores and Errands

As soon as you start telling your friends and family members that you are getting married, they will likely ask what they can do to help. Take them up on their offers! Planning a wedding is a huge project. Don’t do it all by yourself if you have people who want to help you. By delegating some of the wedding planning tasks, you can reduce some of the preplanning stress.

As you can see, with the right planning you can have the perfect wedding you always dreamed about. Your wedding day is special day that you will cherish for life. Careful planning helps make sure that the day you end up remembering is just the way you always dreamed it would be.

The Perfect Wedding Guide offers tips on finding and booking your Toronto banquet halls as well as tips for buying the perfect wedding dress in Toronto.
http://www.theperfectweddingguide.com/wedding_reception.html

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Who says that the most beautiful weddings happen in the summer bloom? Winter wedding celebrations can bring a sense of fantasy and crystalline elegance to your wedding reception. What better way to experience the warmth of close friends and family than during the cold winter months when everyone needs something cheerful to celebrate? Winter wedding can be the perfect time to make the bride feel like a pristine white-clad princess in the midst of unique snowflakes and glittering accessories. Winter themed weddings can even be celebrated during any other season, just use favors and accessories that bring the season to your celebration.

Here are a few items that will seem to put a sparkling, frosty glow over your intimate gathering! These winter themed place card holders will certainly add a personal touch to your guests’ table and dining experience.

Snowflake Place Card Holders: These place card holders come in a set of 18 holders with a white base and chrome post. What really makes the season come to life are the tops of these dainty wedding favors. Each sports a large white snowflake with beautiful rhinestones pressed onto each place card holder. Try sprinkling some fake snow or confetti around each snowflake place card holder; the two will go perfectly together.

Snowflake Design Place Card Frames: This place card holder comes in the form of a a rectangular resin body which frames the perfect place card nook in the center. Each comes with a place card that you can personally fill out with the names of your guests to add your own flair to the favor. The top of the frame has an oval cut in which a silver snowflake suspends to bring the brilliance of freshly fallen snow to your wedding table. These practical favors have a certain look of sophistication and elegance that your guests will cherish.

Snowflake Design Table Place Card Holder: These favors are embellished with rhinestones on the top of each uniquely shaped snowflake. Each differently shaped snowflake will elicit a blizzard of praise and admiration from your awed guests. Try putting photos or messages in these holders along with the name cards that tell your guests exactly where to sit. Each comes in a set of 12 and each holder is approximately 5″ high.

Joe Palladino is the owner of Her Wedding Favors and offers fine wedding favors and unique bridal shower favors All of his products are discounted, high-quality cheap wedding favors You can find these wonderful winter wedding favors online for affordable prices.

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More and more couples are saying “I Do” in exotic and unusual places. This trend is called Destination Weddings. Definitely not your traditional wedding, but many couples are opting for jetting off to an overseas dream wedding and honeymoon combination at a much cheaper price. Is it for you?

Let’s objectively look at the pros and cons of having a Destination Wedding. But of course, if you’re both set on flying to Bora Bora and getting hitched on the glistening, white pearl sand in front of a crystal blue lagoon, then hey, don’t let me stop you! But I’m still going to share with you the cons of making that decision.

The Cons

1. Destination weddings may be less expensive for the betrothed couple, but very costly for everyone else. Paying for airline tickets, accommodations, food and then a wedding gift to boot, will prohibit many people from attending the wedding. Therefore, probably most of your close friends and family are not going to come.

2. Planning a wedding long distance can end up being a nightmare. Weddings in themselves wreak havoc with the couple as well as their families and their friends. Organizing a wedding over the phone and via emails can prove to be more than anyone bargained for. Unless you have someone that you know who lives nearby your destination that can check things for you, you may be biting off more than you can chew.

3. Many countries perform marriage ceremonies that are not recognized as being legal and binding in the United States or in other countries. This is a very important consideration when planning a Destination Wedding.

Okay, now that I’ve probably annihilated the thought of you having a Destination Wedding, let me share the other side of this coin. And there really is another side.

The Pros

1. A Destination Wedding combination honeymoon will save you money. Many exotic beach destinations are downright cheap with a good amount of European countries a close second. Then there are the multi-cultural countries of Asia. Two of the more popular destinations there are Thailand and Bali.

2. Your honeymoon is at your back door! Perhaps the most amazing positive about Destination Weddings is that fact that you are tying the knot at your honeymoon location. And many hotels and resorts around the world offer wedding/honeymoon packages which can save you thousands of dollars compared to a wedding in the states.

3. Want to spare yourself the agony of seeing people that you never wanted to invite to the wedding in the first place? If that sounds about right, then this is the perfect wedding for you.

4. A Destination Wedding has a unique, magical quality to it.

Hopefully this will help you decide if a Destination Wedding is the right one for you. If you are non-traditionalists, you probably will find great joy and satisfaction in finding that one, unique destination that is perfect for the two of you. If you have always dreamed of the fairytale wedding in your home town surrounded by close friends and family, then it doesn’t matter how much you save, it just isn’t right for you. Either way, memories are being made.

Delora O’Brien is an expert in the area of wedding designs and products. She is the resident consultant at Designs to Remember. Designs to Remember is a unique online store that carries designer wedding favors, bridal gifts and accessories. Delora also oversees the extensive line of unique wedding favors, bridesmaid gifts, groomsmen gifts and wedding invitations. Many of the wedding gifts she has purchased for Designs to Remember, have been featured in well known bridal magazines.

Author: Delora O’Brien
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After setting the wedding date and tentative location, the next important decision is choosing your wedding invitations. With a such a wide variety of wedding invitation styles and price ranges, this decision can sometimes be overwhelming. Here are a few ideas to help you choose the perfect wedding invitation for your big day.

How many people to invite.
You may not have specific numbers yet, but you should be able to set a number range of guests you expect to invite, such as fewer than 100 or between 200 to 300. The bride and groom each may have different ideas of how they picture their wedding day so it is very important to communicate your wishes and ideas regarding a large wedding (with many guests) or small wedding (family and a few close friends). With this guest estimate in mind, you will be able to decide on a budget for your wedding invitations.

Budget.
When estimating the cost of wedding invitations, setting aside about 3% of your total wedding budget would be an adequate amount. This means if you have budgeted $20,000 for your wedding, you are able to spend up to $600 for your wedding invitations. Costs for wedding invitations can range anywhere from $1,000 and up per 100 invitations on the high end or as little as $70 per 100 invitations on the low end.

Plan ahead, order early.
It’s good to start early when choosing wedding invitations. You and your partner will need time to research and discuss the various choices available for your invitations. If you look early enough, you may even have time to request samples from various companies. Ordering your wedding invitations at least 6 months in advance will give you a cushion of time to allow for printing of the invitations and correction of any errors that may occur in printing. You also need to account for the time it takes to assemble your invitations and mailing them out to give sufficient time for a response. Plan on ordering 20 to 25 extra invitations in case they are needed because of mistakes in addressing the invitations or if you find you need to add additional guests to the list.

Wedding invitation types.
There are three or four different types of stationery that are popular with most couples choosing wedding invitations. Prices for these various types of stationery vary widely because of the way the invitations are made. The following are some common types of stationery used for wedding invitations:

Thermography. This type of wedding invitation is relatively inexpensive, popular and easy to find. This type of invitation can be used for a casual wedding. Thermography creates the illusion of raised text through a printing process that heats the ink and resin chemical in a combination that causes the printed text to appear raised while the paper beneath it looks smooth. Because of the heating process involved in creating this type of invitation, the proper combination of paper and ink must be used.

Offset Printing. This type of wedding invitation uses normal, everyday print. Although the print may seem common, this type of invitation will still announce your wedding in an elegant manner.

Engraved. This type of wedding invitation is usually very expensive and reserved for very formal weddings. Engraved invitations are usually used to announce a very traditional style of wedding. This type of invitation is costly because an engraver must first carve the image or message into a copper plate, ink the plate, and then push the plate down onto the paper. This creates the raised lettering on the paper. Because of all the steps needed to create this type of wedding invitation, this method is time consuming and you will need to wait weeks for your invitations to be ready.

Embossed. Embossed invitations are very classy but also very expensive. Similar to engraved invitations, the raised print on this type of wedding invitation looks impressive but may be hard on your budget because of the technique used to create this type of invitation.

Calligraphy. This handcrafted invitation is elegant and refined but needs to be done by a skilled calligrapher who may be difficult to find. You can also look for a printer who creates the look of calligraphy on printed invitations. Obviously, the printed calligraphy is more affordable than the hand-written calligraphy but may not be as elegant as the hand-written one.

Once you have decided on your wedding invitations, make sure you order all the wedding stationery you will need, such as response cards and thank you cards, together for uniformity.

Choosing your wedding invitations should be an exciting and fun task in preparation for your big day. Keep in mind some of the ideas discussed above and choosing your invitations will be a bit easier.

Author: Sandi H.
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