Monday, May 31, 2010

Guest List Mishaps

A collection of nightmares that real brides survived from The Knot.


"We accidentally sent out an invitation addressed to my cousin Steve and his ex-wife Beth. Needless to say, his new wife, Kim, wasn't very happy with the mix-up."


"We decided to make an A-list and a B-list of the guests we wanted to invite. Unfortunately, my fiance decided to keep track by marking A or B on the back corner of each invitation. It didn't take long before our guests caught on and the angry calls started streaming in."


"I organized all my guests on a spreadsheet. It took months and months to get it perfect. I asked my fiance to print it out one night and somehow he managed to erase the entire thing from my computer! We spent the whole night trying to remember who we wanted to invite and finding all their addresses."


"Several of my father-in-law's business executive guests had just been charged in a very high-profile fraud trial. I had no issue with them being invited … at least until the reception, when I found out that the judge who'd married us was the same one who'd sentenced several of our guests. Even a huge southern ballroom wasn't big enough for everyone to hide."


"At my bridal shower, my future mother-in-law said she needed additional invitations for the wedding, but I explained that we had no extras and had asked for her full guest list last year. The next week, my fiance and I returned from out of town to a mailbox full of xeroxed RSVP cards from people who weren't on the guest list. My mother-in-law had made copies of the invitations and mailed them to the extras she wanted to invite. We confronted her and found out she'd actually sent out 87 -- yes, 87 -- additional invites."

Friday, May 14, 2010

Helpful Hints for Table decor

If you’re looking for ideas for the table setting at your reception, consider these from Andrea Dannielle , owner of Sitting Pretty:

Traditional wedding:

• Candelabras or trumpet vases as centerpieces
• Ivory damask linen
• Traditional napkins with a fan fold
• Gold charger plates
• Traditional calligraphy place cards
• Silver photo frame or a wine stopper for favors
• Chair covers with ivory polyester covers and ivory satin sashes

Contemporary/modern wedding:

• Colorful centerpieces at different heights
• Organza or satin linen in bold colors that complement your color scheme
• Pocket or flat folded napkins with personalized menu cards
• Square charger plates
• Personalized place cards, corresponding with table “name" (such as the places you have traveled together or your favorite restaurants)
• Rather than favors, have a colorful candy table and give guests personalized bags to fill with candy
• Chair covers in a wide array of colors and materials (such as black and hot pink or chocolate brown and sage green)

“Green” wedding:

• Potted plants or potted flowers with beeswax candles for centerpieces or centerpieces incorporating whole fruit (such as lemons or apples)
• Linen and chair covers made from recycled materials (such as organic cotton or hemp)
• Simple place setting with a personal touch (such as a single flower on the napkin from your garden)
• Small potted herbs can double as place cards and favors (which results in less waste)

Thursday, May 13, 2010

10 WORST WEDDING TOASTS EVER

The wedding toast is a chance for the bride's and groom's closest family members and friends to express their joy for the couple, share a funny story or two, and impart words of wisdom. Sometimes, though, nerves, alcohol, or a not-so-secret disapproval of the matrimony leads to a speech that leaves everyone aghast. Here are real wedding toasts that made guests want to cower under their chairs rather than raise their glasses.


1. "At a friend's wedding a few years ago, the best man made it apparent that he wasn't such a fan of the bride. The speech went something like this: '(Groom's name), man I love ya, you know I do. I hope you thought about this and that this is what you really, really, really want.' Then he said the bride's name, hit his fist against his chest twice, and pointed at her."

2. "A friend of mine from college got married, and his best man said in his speech: 'Finally John has found someone with low enough self-esteem to marry him.'"

3. "The maid of honor (the bride's sister) not only talked about herself during the whole speech, she also mentioned the possibility of an affair between herself and her sister's new husband."

4. "At my cousin's wedding, the best man ended his toast by saying he wanted the groom to know that he'd be there for him at his next wedding when this one didn't work out."

5. "The best man at a wedding I was in said during his toast, 'Congratulations to the new parents!' No one except a select few knew the bride was pregnant -- not even her parents!"

6. "I was a bridesmaid in a wedding where the best man gave a toast about how cheap the groom was and how they'd been friends all their lives but the wedding was the first free meal he's ever been offered by the 'cheapskate.'"

7. "The father of the bride stood up and said, 'I'm Jill's dad. I just want to say that I met David before Jill did because of my other daughter.' And he sat down."

8. "My cousin gave a horrible toast at her younger sister's wedding a few years ago. She began by saying that she never liked her sister's new husband throughout high school and that 'today he's still at the level of slightly below the scum on the bottom of a dirty waste pond.'"

9. "I attended a wedding where the best man commented on how the bride used to work at Hooters (which her family didn't know about) and how he was jealous of the groom for 'bagging her.'"

10. "During the toast the groom's dad (after many drinks) said that he was so happy for his son and his beautiful wife Sara. But his wife's name wasn't Sara, his ex-girlfriend's was."

Thanks to our friend Miles Stiverson

4 FUN REHEARSAL DINNER IDEAS

1) Have a BBQ at a friends house where you can sit back, relax and enjoy family and friends. You then will provide a easy environment to introduce and meet each others family and have more time to visit with out of town relatives. You can have each member of the bridal party bring a side dish and have a great place for the kids to play while the grown folks visit.

2) Go Bowling! This sends a clear message of relaxing and letting your hair down before the big day. Some will have private rooms where you can have pizza or snacks and it gives the 'guys' something to do beside feel like everything is about the bride.

3) Take a dip! As long as the weather permits you can have a swim party and have a local food joint cater the affair or have a pitch in to keep it light.

4) Create a themed affair. If the wedding wasn't able to encompass all the styles that you fell in love with while planning the big event, then the Rehearsal Dinner can be a carryover and let your style soar. Whether it be a Hawaiin Event, Wine Themed Soiree or Sports Team Heaven, the rehearsal dinner can be a fun event where you can forget all your nervous chitters and enjoy those that helped you get to the big day.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Avoid Wedding Day Scams

People planning weddings spend a lot of money, and that of course, attracts a lot of scammers! Think about some of these basic tips for avoiding wedding day scams:


1. Avoid paying large fees up front. Often scammers will pose as legitimate businesses and disappear on your wedding day.

2. Talk to friends, family and trusted sources about what wedding vendors and wedding planners they used and their experiences.

3. Monitor your credit, get in the habit of getting credit reports.

4. You’ll be getting a lot of e-mails from new and unknown sources, consider anti-virus software.

5. Many people sign contracts with vendors without reading through them with a critical eye. Read everything and make sure you understand what you’re agreeing to before making it legal.

6. Pay with a credit card. Disputing a transaction is easier with a credit card than with a check. Just be careful not to let the credit card become a vehicle for spending more than you can afford.
Share