Guestbook

Thanks for all of your advice about our guestbook! We decided to go with an engravable tray from I do engravables. Fiance, who grew up in a house full of boys, said that if we ended up with boys, the coffee table book would not last long . . . so lets get the tray. I am excited about it. It will have our monogram in the middle and the date underneath.

Need to buy in bulk?

For the reception, we are doing candelabras as centerpieces and then having small bud vases arranged around the candelabras. I have been looking and we found these on the Dollar Tree website. My mom ordered them and the best part is, you don't have to pay shipping! They ship them to the Dollar Tree closest to you and then you can go and pick them up.

For the Reception

Its getting down to the wire friends, so I'm sorry if I am not stopping by your blogs as often as I usually do. Just know that I love you and I will try to catch up as much as I can. I ordered these for the cocktails at the wedding reception. I got them in ivory and had our new monogram put on them. What do you think? I love them.

Guestbook Dilemma

Blog friends, I need your help. I can't decide about a guestbook. I don't want to do a traditional guestbook because I don't know how often I would actually look through people's signatures.

(Traditional Guestbook)

I have a couple of things I like. I am posting pictures below. Here is where I need your help! Which do you like? What are you doing for your wedding or what did you do?

I like the book below. Its by Martha Stewart Crafts. This is similar to what my sister did at her wedding except she had glass hurricanes and guests could drop in a little note. I like the idea of people writing you a note. Its personal and therefore, more meaningful.

Another idea that I have seen lately is purchasing a coffee table book and then guests can sign it. I love this book below. If I went this route, I would purchase one book about Virginia and one about Missouri - to cover both of our home states!

I think this is my favorite idea. Its a tray that guests can sign. Its from "I do engraveables." Although its similar to a traditional guestbook because guests would just leave a signature, I would use it frequently and I would be reminded of our special day and the people who celebrated with us.

More Wedding Business

Before our reception, we are having a cocktail hour. The cocktail hour is scheduled to take place in an outdoor garden. Our reception site won't let our guests in until a certain time, so we need to have a cocktail hour. (Hopefully it won't rain). Here are some pictures of the garden:

I don't really want to do a whole lot in the garden. However, I have always loved the look of white lights. What do you all think about white lights on the trees? Or do you have any other suggestions (that might be less time consuming :-)?

Wedding Favor

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Fiance and I had a lot of fun just hanging out. I got my giant margarita on friday. We watched a lot of Lost and spent too much time in our sweats. It was fun and those are some of our favorite times together.



I also wanted to tell my readers, I'm sorry if my posts are becoming all about my wedding lately. I kind of just started this blog becuase I have enjoyed reading other people's blogs and I wanted my own. I have found that its also become a good place to post wedding pictures and ideas. All of you "Mrs.'s" give me great feedback. So, on to the wedding :)



As far as favors for my wedding, the only favors I wanted were ones that people could eat. I have been to wedidngs where they had other favors, haven't we all? But honestly, I thought it was cute at the time and then in attempts to de-clutter, I usually threw it away. I contemplated a candy bar, but I feel like everyone is doing this. So instead, I am having a home-made dessert bar. My family is big into baking. My Grandmommy used to make 15 different kinds of cookies at Christmas. My Mom used to bake with us a lot. I still remember pulling the kitchen chair over to the counter to "help." Its funny to watch my nephew do this now.



Those are fun memories for me and its part of who I am. My plan is to have around 5 or 6 different cookies from our families. Then have cellophane bags with our "label" (also known as a monogram) on them for the guests to help themselves. I am going to write little display cards that tell what the cookie is and "whose" it was. For example, "Mom's Everything Cookie." Yes, you've heard of the Everything Bagel? Well my Mom makes the Everything Cookie . . . out of this world



I know you all are thinking, when am I going to do all this? Well, I have thought that through. I won't be working the two weeks before the wedding. So one of those days, I am going to bake and then just freeze the cookies. They will all freeze well. Then the day of the wedding my "wedding coordinator" can take them to the site and set them up. Still getting used to that idea - the wedding coordinator.

Question for My Readers

(Photo from Happy Homemaker's Blog)

I really love this idea - having flip-flops available for your guests. I am thinking about this for the wedding. My questions for you all are 1) if you had this or have been to a wedding where they had this, did the guests wear them? 2) if you were at a wedding where they had these - would you use a pair? 3) about how many pairs would one need? and sorry lastly 4) do you think flip-flops are too hard to dance in?

Thanks for your input.

Happy Homemaker - if you see this, I hope you don't mind that I used your picture

Mom - I know we haven't talked about this - so feel free to chime in :)

How to Handle Seating Assignments

As a follow up to my earlier post, I have a plan for how to assign tables. My parents are hosting my wedding, so the replies will go to them. But I think a good plan is to set up little containers or envelopes and mark them Table 1, Table 2, etc. Then as the replies start to come in, think about where each person should go - just off the top of your head, nothing has to be finalized yet.

Write their name on an index card and assign them to a table (by putting them in their respective container/envelope). Perhaps, write their name on the outside of the envelope so you can quickly see who else is at the table. When the reply date has arrived, you can lay out the index cards according to each table and see how they match up. You can make any necessary adjustments at the time. If you do it a little bit at a time, it will cut down on the size of your headache, hopefully.

PS Mom - I have a feeling you have figured out the comment thing. So come out, come out wherever you are! Chime in girl!

Assigned seating or no assigned seating?

(picture is from The Knot, I love the arrangement of escort cards)


I was inspired to write a post regarding assigned seating after reading a series of comments over at Elizabeth Anne Designs. (BTW, they are doing some truly fabulous inspiration boards). Yes, I did comment already, but I still have more to say. There seems to be a split down the middle as to whether you should have assigned seating at a wedding. I will preface this post by first saying that its your wedding and as most people will tell you, you should do what you want. After all, you and your future hubby know your guests better than anyone and of course know what they would be comfortable with. Furthermore, the reason for etiquette is to make your guests more comfortable, so starting with that premise, I think either would be fine, depending on your wedding.

That being said, my personal opinion is that assigned seating is the way to go. I think there are times when you don't need assigned seating. For example, a reception that is a cocktail reception or a very small reception. In those circumstances, seating is generally not a problem.


If you are having a traditional sit-down dinner and a medium to large reception, I think you should have assigned seating. There are several reasons for this, first, it is helpful to the servers at your reception. Guests usually indicate what they are having and assigned seating makes it easier to identify "who gets what." Second, guests will be seated more quickly thus dinner will be served more quickly and then you can party more quickly :) I consulted Peggy Post in her Wedding Etiquette book to see what she had to say on the subject. While she never says, "you must have assigned seating," she does say "at a traditional sit-down dinner or luncheon, guests are usually assigned places at dining tables and are served by waitstaff."



Now, on to assigned seating at a buffet or food station wedding . . . At our wedding, we will be having stations set up throughout the room, so it will be a buffet-type reception. Although I did not consult my general Emily Post Etiquette book (its at my parents house along with 100 other books - sorry Mom :), I did look this up in Wedding Etiquette. Again, Peggy doesn't say that you must do one or the other, instead she says "guests sit at dining tables, which may or may not have assigned places."


I know that old etiquette dictates that at a buffet-type reception, there shouldn't be assigned seating. However, I disagree with this. I personally feel that assigned seating saves your guests from a lot of akward "is this seat taken" or "may I sit here" or "can we move chairs over so our friends can join us." Isn't that the whole point of etiquette? To save your guests from those akward situations? I personally feel like "looking for a place to sit" is reminiscent of middle school lunch tables, at least for this bride.


I realize that some or many of you will disagree with me, so feel free to chime in! There's no view-point discrimination on this blog :)


P.S. Again, this is just my personal opinion. Whatever you did/will do at your wedding is/was up to you.

Grace Kelly meets Gone With the Wind

Okay, so I am pretty excited because I feel like my wedding plans are really starting to come together. I did a lot of brainstorming this weekend with my mom, my sisters, the caterer, the make-up artist, and the florist. It was really fun!

My style is very classic, elegant, Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, etc. However, I am also a southern girl. So my theme has kind of evolved into a classic, elegant affair with a hint of southern charm. The caterer had some awesome ideas about gourmet southern cuisine and I am loving it. (if ya'll have any ideas bring 'em on!)

One of the things I like about my plans so far is they seem different (to me at least) and it really reflects my personality. I have more ideas from this weekend, but I haven't really put them into words yet. They are still just images floating around in my head. I am working on verbalizing them :)

(shrimp and grits - not sure if we will be having this yet, but it was one of the ideas)

Beautiful Reception

(courtesty of the knot)

I love this wedding reception. My colors for the wedding are going to be pink, green, and brown. I think this reception is a lovely way to incorporate all of those colors. The reception site in this picture looks similar to where we will be having our reception. I haven't decided on how the room will be set up, but I like this one!

Centerpieces

(courtesy of The Bride's Guide)

After reading a post by Darcy (from Martha Stewart Weddings) on candelabras, I was inspired. I think they would make lovely centerpieces. I am going with a vintage/classic/elegant theme these seem to fit that, so I was intrigued.

Darcy, thinks this is an inexpensive centerpiece, however, I have heard otherwise from my married friends. Does anyone know how much they are to rent or have any alternative ideas? I am meeting with my caterering company in a few weeks, but I just want to start thinking about this. I have no other ideas for centerpieces and I haven't seen anything that just jumps off the page.

(courtesty of HBO)

The Reception

Here is where we will be having the reception. The ceremony is going to be at our church and then the reception will be at this art museum. The ceremony is at 4:00. I think we will have cocktails at 5 or 5:30. I haven't really finalized any details so far. I am still trying to decide on a color scheme and bridesmaid dresses (okay, so I have some planning to do). Once I have colors picked out, I will think about centerpieces and decorations.