I am a very visual learner. Everything I read goes in one ear and out the other but if I see a photo, chart, or illustration, that information is sticking with me for life! Funny that I am a blogger, right?? So last week I got a couple of emails from brides asking for help with their guest list and I've written many posts on this topic but for some reason, it clearly hasn't helped everyone out. And then I realized that maybe a lot of you are also visual learners, just like me!
So I sat down, and began thinking...What can I do to help those brides who prefer photos over reading? And that is how "Guest List in 30 Seconds" came to be. It is for all of my visual brides out there!
Here is how it is going to work: Write down your list of everyone you may want to invite, and with your fiance, take each person through the chart to see if they pass the test!
Now that's all of the words I will leave you with and I am leaving the rest of the work to the chart :)
Accessorizing Your Bridal Look
Written with love, by Maram Nassar
The most unique part of a wedding is always going to be the bride. The bride and what she’s wearing sets the tone for the entire affair. No matter how creative the decor is or how pretty the flowers are, all guests will be excited and waiting with bated breath just to see the bride, in all her glory, walking down the aisle. That’s why it’s VERY important for a bride to choose an ensemble that is unique to HER personal style and not just what’s in style at the time. Some brides are classic and others are modern – why not be both!? The best way to do that is by accessorizing your look. Here are some examples of how to keep it classic while adding a touch of modernity.
Veils & Headpieces
It seems that lately many brides have been debating to veil or not to veil. The fact is, the difference between you and your guests IS your veil…that’s what makes you the bride! So whether you’re debating, do yourself a favor and just get one. Not only will you be pleasing your mother, but you’ll be happy you got to wear a veil for at least one moment of your life. Besides, you’ll have tons of fun using it in your wedding photos :) However, if you’re not a big fan of the veil (especially those Cathedral veils, as pretty as they are…they’re hard to dance with!) a great idea would be to wear a veil for the ceremony and then wear a fab headpiece for the reception. That way you’d have 2 different looks (without having to fork out the money for two different dresses).
Eric James Photography
Avec L'amour Photography
Nerinna Valera Photography
Getting Ethnic
Nowadays there’s a plethora of mixed race couples. Love is found within different people, colors and countries. The hard part is balancing the needs of what your traditional family wants you to wear and what YOU want to wear. It’s a good thing Something Treasured can solve that problem for you! From our Something Exotic collection, we bring you various sashes that are made for the culturally aware bride. Inspired by brides from all over the world, these belts have unique touches from different nations. This is perfect for that modern bride who wants to keep her sense of culture and tradition. Your white wedding gown would satisfy your American tradition and your belt would be an accessory that would satisfy the traditions of your nationality (not to mention a unique element to your overall look that ultimately makes you look like a modern bride!) So really, everybody wins on that one!
Nezar Samara Photography
Adding a touch of color
We’ve all seen the oh-so-popular blush wedding gowns. Many designers like Vera Wang, Monique Lhuillier, Lazaro and Watters have featured blush dresses in their recent collections. While some brides are all about this new trend, others aren’t sure they want to take that much of a risk with their bridal look. To compromise…how about wearing your traditional white/ivory dress with a blush belt to add a touch of color? If you’re really bold, you could even match your bridesmaid’s dresses by wearing a non-traditional colored belt. BUT, if you’re not THAT bold, you could always make your bridesmaids wear all the color. You’re the bride, right?? What you say, goes!
Person + Killian
Bling it up!
It’s your wedding…get glam! (Then again, if you’re Beyonce or Jennifer Lopez you’re glam all the time; but both have been married so I doubt they’re reading this.) My point is, frost yourself with some serious crystals. Yes, crystals are oh-so traditional, but that doesn’t mean you can’t rock a modern look wearing them. The options are endless and blinged out belts accommodate brides and bridesmaids of different styles, and more importantly, the ones that come in all shapes and sizes! A crystal belt not only accentuates your waist but it dresses up all types of gowns. Don’t be afraid to shine!
Avec L'amour Photography
Just remember when you’re shopping for your bridal look – it’s all about YOU and your style. Yes, it’s hard to satisfy your entire bridal party and it’s especially hard to satisfy your mother and/or mother-in-law since you’re from different generations, but don’t fret – it can be done! Accessories can be your friend on both ends of the spectrum.Just remember, you don’t want to look back in 10 years and think to yourself “I looked SO 2014.” So I say, to the modern brides, don’t be afraid to have a bit of tradition in your look. And to the traditional brides, I say, live a little!
Bridal accessories where you can find your something old, new, borrowed and blue - we customize to fit your style! Based in Walnut Creek, CA but have production teams in the bay area and Los Angeles.
We’ll ship anywhere!
Rules of the Rehearsal Dinner
Your wedding day plans are almost complete and with only a couple of DIY items left to create. You feel a sigh of relief in knowing that you will never have to plan a wedding again...EVER AGAIN! Isn't that just the greatest feeling?
You are your maid of honor sit down for a quick celebratory drink and right then and there, it comes to you. You have yet another event to plan in addition to the wedding day. The rehearsal dinner!.
"Planning my rehearsal dinner is going to be the same thing all of again," you think to yourself. The guest list, the food choices, centerpieces, decor, venue, attire, timelines and you are ready to pull your hair out once again! No matter the size of the event, all of the same little details need to be meticulously chosen and planned. You immediately remember the disagreements you had with your fiance over choosing colors that aren't too girly, the shouting matches with your mom over which dress flatters your figure best, the back-and-forth emails with dad over who would be invited, and the almost-falling out with your best friend over something as small as what jewelry the bridesmaids would be wearing. And before you are even able to take a sip of your celebratory drink, that incredible overwhelming wedding planning feeling sinks in, yet again.
Oftentimes, brides don't realize that no matter how large or how small the event, all of the exact same details, vendors, and items go into planning. So when it comes to the rehearsal dinner, I understand why so many of you get stressed out! But what if I told you that the whole planning experience could be calm, affordable, and stress-free? Would you follow my advice? Well I think you should :)
This isn't a wedding the night before your wedding.
No matter what your wedding-day theme is, the price tag on your wedding day, or the formality of the day following, your rehearsal dinner is not meant to be a wedding the day before your wedding. You don't have to stick to the same theme, the event doesn't have to be up-scale and extravagant, and you absolutely don't need to invite everyone.
Your rehearsal dinner is a quick gathering after your ceremony rehearsal to not only thank those who have been by your side throughout planning, but a thank you for their participation in your wedding day and just a fun time for everyone to relax before the wedding-day craziness begins.
Just because they flew in for the wedding, doesn't mean they need to be there.
I hear bride after bride after bride telling me that they have a lot of guests who flew in for their wedding so they feel bad not inviting them to the rehearsal dinner. And this is what I say to you: When your guests booked their flight and hotel, did they even know about a rehearsal dinner? Most likely, the answer is no! Don't feel obligated to invite everyone. This is an event for your wedding party and just because a family is spending some money to attend your wedding day, doesn't mean you are obligated to invite them to every single activity and event that happens throughout the weekend. Are you going to feel bad not inviting them to your romantic breakfast with your husband the following morning??
This is a "thank you" to those involved.
I have a very simple formula for determining who should be invited to the rehearsal dinner and here it is:
Anyone who will be participating in the ceremony (aka whoever is at the rehearsal) should be invited.
This includes your bridesmaids, your groomsmen, your parents, your grandparents and great-grandparents, your officiant, your flower girl, and your ring bearer, and your coordinator.
Guest List Continued - Who gets a plus one?
Now this is where is always gets tricky. Again, we are trying to stick to a budget so adding a plus one for everyone involved is not always necessary.
Those who should ALWAYS get a plus one (or plus two):
- Flower Girl (yes, invite both of her parents)
- Ring Bearer (yes, both of his parents are invited)
- Officiant (let him or her invite their spouse/significant other)
Those who may or may not get a guest:
When it comes to your bridal party, this is where is gets the most tricky. If a majority of your bridesmaids have spouses/boyfriends who are groomsmen, then there really isn't any problem for you. However, if no spouses/significant others are in the bridal party, then this is something you are going to have to determine yourself. I wish I could give you a formula for this but unfortunately, it is always circumstance-based.
- If you have room in the budget, then it may be a nice to touch to invite them.
- If you are extremely tight on budget, don't even think about inviting spouses.
Remember, this is going to be one event and will last about an hour. I think everyone will survive without their boyfriend or wife for one hour...don't you agree?
This isn't a royal ball.
The rehearsal dinner in no way, shape, or form has to be an extravagant event. If you have time, are not stressed by the thought of planning a second wedding, and have plenty of budget remaining, then be my guest and host a wedding the day before your wedding! But in my eyes, this event should be relaxing and fun for everyone involved.
You don't need a 5-course meal and on that note, you don't need a meal at all! Serve appetizers at your favorite restaurant and allow your guests to purchase drinks if they would like! There is no rule that says you have to serve dinner. Start your rehearsal later in the evening and everyone will have eaten anyways. As long as your guests know what to expect and know what or what not to eat beforehand, your event will turn out exactly as it should be!
