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10 Ways to Guarantee Guests Will Love Your Wedding

Danielle — Mon, 23 Sep 2013 13:00:29 +0000

While planning a wedding, sometimes we can get swept up in the details that we love and we can forget about those who will be attending the wedding. While the wedding is for the bride and the groom, it's also a big party to celebrate with family as friends so keeping your guests in mind can help make the event enjoyable for all attending. By adding a few simple touches to your perfect day you can be assured that your guests will not only have a good time, but they'll remember your wedding for a lifetime to come! And who doesn't want that? Here are a few great ways to guarantee your guests will love your wedding.

10 Ways to Guarantee Guests Will Love Your Wedding

{photo by Jose Villa}

1. Tote Bags for Out of Town Guests - Hosting a destination wedding? Supplying guests with a welcome tote can be a wonderful surprise after a long journey! Fill it with goodies, water bottles, welcome brochures, and tips for fun local things to do during their stay. 2. RSVP Song Request Cards - When guests send in their RSVPs leave a little spot so that they can request their favorite song! Not only does that make them feel like they're already a part of the wedding, you can veto any songs you don't approve before it even gets to the DJ! 3. Fan Programs - Whether you're outdoors or inside a church, depending on the time of year your guests can get hot and uncomfortable. By choosing gorgeous fan programs you can create a way for your guests to know what's going on and stay nice and cool. 4. Edible or Usable Party Favors - If you're considering party favors for your guest try and think of things that your guests can use. Chocolates and other edibles are always nice especially if the cocktail hour and dinner hour aren't close together. As are gifts like seeds to plant, etc. Sometimes little trinkets that we love will just leave our guests wondering what they're going to do with them. Need ideas? Check out this great article.

{photo by Krista Mason}

5. Interactive guest book - Instead of having your guests simply leave their signatures make your guest book fun! Consider a photo booth or have each guest leave their thumb print. There are so many different ways you can allow your guests to interact at your wedding. 6. Flip Flops for the Dance Floor - the number one rule at a wedding is to have fun! So when guest want to get down and boogie they want to be comfy. By having a nice selection of flip flops available for them on the dance floor you can be assured that no one will be sitting out.

{photo by Teale Photography}

7. Vases for your bridesmaid's bouquets - no bridesmaid wants to have their bouquet tossed on it's side while she enjoys the reception! By placing vases at the bridesmaid's tables they can rest assured that their bouquets will be just as beautiful as when they were walking down the aisle. Plus they'll create beautiful centerpieces! 8. Keep the wine flowing - while it's not necessary to have a full bar, consider stocking up on wine and beer for your guests and perhaps one signature cocktail for your big day. That way guests won't feel pressured to purchase drinks at the bar unless they really want to.

{photo by Krista Mason}

9. Let them eat cake - we all know that sometimes the wedding festivities take some time, but try not to make the guests wait too long to cut the cake. Or consider having some cupcakes on hand to give to those who might not be able to stay all night to wait for that special moment. Everyone will be happy! 10. A safe ride home - Having the options for your guests to take a taxi or shuttle bus from your venue to their front door will assure everyone arrives at their homes safely. Plus it'll be one last thing you'll have to worry about!

What is one thing you love to see at weddings?

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What To DIY For Weddings – And What Not To

Danielle — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:25:46 +0000

We have a lot of brides tell us after they've ordered their invitations and wedding stationery and assembled them themselves that they would have much rather paid a little extra to have us assemble their stationery for them. Not only was it time consuming, but many enlisted the help of family and friends who didn't quite have the same vision of perfection like our brides. With this information we thought we'd compile a list of what we thought were great for what to DIY for weddings and what we should leave to the professionals!

What To DIY For Weddings - And What Not To

What to DIY - Wedding Planning/Coordination What NOT to DIY - Day of Wedding Coordination

Why? Planning your big day can be a huge task but if you don't have the budget for a wedding planner I highly suggest investing in a day-of planner. This will not only save you and your family unnecessary stress, it'll also cost you a fraction of what a full wedding planner costs. Plus what bride doesn't want full control of all of the details up until the last minute. Then you can give complete control to your day-of planner so you can relish in the fabulousness that is your day!

What to DIY - Cake Topper What NOT to DIY - Cake

Why? While you might be the best baker in your family or circle of friends, baking your own cake is a huge undertaking. Stick to the simpler construction of some cute DIY cake toppers! You can keep the personalized touch and tie the cake in to the theme of your wedding. Better yet, opt for cupcakes if you're looking to cut corners on the budget!

What to DIY - Cupcake Stand(s) What NOT to DIY - Cupcakes

Why? Just like the cake, please know that having you or a family member/friend baking the day before or days before the big day will not save anyone time or money and will lead to more frustration! Show your creative flair by creating a one of a kind cupcake stand to wow the guests and make your cupcakes shine.

What to DIY - Seating Charts and Guest Books What NOT to DIY - Invitations and Wedding Stationery

Why? Printing, assembling, and addressing invitations and creating your own wedding stationery can sometimes end up costing you more than you expected. Specialty cardstock can be pricey as can envelopes and if you don't have the right printer or cutting tools you can be left with a pile of smudged, misshapen paper. By investing in a stationery designer and printer and having everything assembled you can reduce the stress and enjoy gorgeous invitations for everyone to cherish. Still want to DIY some stationery? Put your time and effort into an awesome seating chart! There are so many amazing ideas out there and you're sure to have more time creating a great work of art if you don't have to take care of all of the stationery. And there are so many wonderful alternatives for guest books out there. Most are easily re-created by a DIY bride to fit their wedding.

What to DIY - Dance Lessons What NOT to DIY - DJ & Emcee

While I cherished my dance lessons with my husband, there are so many other ways to learn out there that'll save you a bit of money. YouTube video tutorials, friends, and family can help you out with that first dance. But one thing I couldn't skimp on or turn to an iPod or laptop for would be a DJ. Not only can the emcee make or break your wedding reception, a live person is really needed to feel the crowd and get your guests moving!

What did you DIY for your wedding?

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#1 Proofreading Tip {Ideas & Information}

Danielle — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 06:08:28 +0000

We've talked about proofreading before on the blog but there's one thing we've left out. I read a tip a few years ago, and was so surprised I hadn't known about it before. When proofing, to read the words backwards. It seems if you are reading a word right to left your brain will catch things, where when you read left to right it is easier to miss something. This totally works! You might have received fun emails over the years, where you read a paragraph which is missing many letters, but you can still read it because your brain just sees the word. I think this follows along those lines...when reading it backwards your brain is confused, and it can't substitute or add letters. I always proof backwards now and it's saved me more times then I want to admit. Do you have any great proofreading tips you've found? We'd love to hear them!

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