It's totally okay to say no to being a bridesmaid. There are lots of reasons that you either can't do it or don't want to do it. Whatever your reason, the bride should not give you a hard time for saying no. You'll want to choose the right way to say no and explain to her why you have said no.
I know some of you are reading this saying, "So you are telling me that if a girls best friend asks her to be a bridesmaid, it's okay for her to say no?" No, that's not at all what I'm saying. While it can happen, this is aimed towards bridesmaids, not maid of honor or matron of honor. Not that bridesmaids aren't important. Typically the maid/matron of honor is the brides best friend or sister. They are already there for everything in the brides life, not just the wedding. The maid/matron of honor is someone that the bride can trust 100% because she will be the brides right hand girl on the wedding day. She'll be in charge of the bridal shower and bachelorette party. I just wanted to clarify and make it clear what I am posting about. Before you decide whether or not you want to be a bridesmaid, I'll go over some things you should know what all is entailed in being a member of the wedding party and the cost. Most of the times girls have to say no because of financial reasons. Keep reading and you will know EXACTLY what I mean. Achieving The Look First let's start out with the average cost of being a bridesmaid. Remember where you live will cause the costs to vary. According to a recent study done by Wedding Wire the average cost of being a bridesmaid is $1,200. But it's possible for that number to reach $1800. If you have never been a bridesmaid or don't know anything about being a bridesmaid, you may be wondering how can it possibly cost that much. Actually it's really easy for everything to add up to that amount. The average cost of a bridesmaid dress is $150. That price can go up to $208. Now, factor in the alterations which can average $70. Shoes and accessories, $120. Then there is the cost to look the part for the day. The average cost for professional hair, makeup, and a manicure is $132. Sometimes if a bride is requesting one of the above items to be specific, she may pick up the check for it or gift one of the items such as the accessories. Travel Costs If you will need to travel and stay at a hotel then you will be spending an extra $300 for all of the travel expenses. Let's just hope you either live close, the couple can get hotel rooms at a group discount rate, or they have enough room for you to stay at their place. The Parties - Bridal Shower & Bachelorette Party A bridesmaid can look to spend between $50 and $100 for the bridal shower and $60 and up depending on where you go and what you do for the bachelorette party. The Gifts There is a wedding gift, bridal shower gift, and if their is an engagement party, a engagement gift. The average cost for a gift for the engagement party and the bridal shower are each $50. The average cost for the wedding gift is $100. Honestly, can't just one gift for the whole ordeal suffice?! Geez!! Other Reasons You May Have To Say No So if the cost isn't enough to make you hesitant to being a bridesmaid, there are other reasons you may have to think about saying yes or reasons you just can't.
If you have come to your final decision and you just can't do it, you will need to figure out a way to let the bride know that you won't be able to be a bridesmaid. Be honest and nice about it. More than likely you aren't doing it just to be mean. If she is a true friend she will understand. Have you ever ran into this problem? What did you do? Were you the bride and therefore on the receiving end? How did it go? Let me know in the comments.
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The point of a wedding is that you are marrying your soul mate, your best friend, your other half. You have asked your family and closest friends to witness the two of you professing your love for one another. It's one of the best and most special days of your life. You've been pronounced husband and wife. The bride has been kissed and now it's time to PARTY!!!! I am going to give you some ideas and tips on how to have a fun and enjoyable wedding reception.
Have Some Surprise Entertainment & Other Activities
Your guests come to your reception knowing that they will be entertained by a DJ and dancing. Give them some surprise entertainment to switch it up! There are so many different things you can do. Here is a short list of some great ideas:
Have Entertainment & Activities For The Kids Too
We can't forget about keeping the kids entertained. I know you're thinking who is going to watch the kids while they are being entertained. You could always hire professional childcare. Or a cheaper route may be to just suggest guests hire a sitter for the night. Here is a list of entertainment & activities:
Other Tips To Keep Your Guests Happy
Let me know in the comments if you did anything different and fun for your wedding reception or if you plan to. Did you make your own welcome bags for your guests? What did you put in them? I'd love to hear about anything related to what you did at your wedding reception!
A wedding invitation is the first thing that your guests see before attending your wedding, unless you send out Save the Dates. Your invitations give them a bit of a feel for your wedding. There are so many different options for wedding invitations. You can get really fancy or you can keep it simple. They can be professionally made or you can make them a DIY project. Wedding invitations can be overwhelming. There are a few reasons for this. One is, as I said above, there are so many options when choosing your invitations. And two, addressing them can be confusing. This post will cover the different addressing scenarios you may and more than likely will run into and hopefully help you to better understand the correct way to address your wedding invitations. It will also go over some tips to remember.
The Components of a Wedding Invitation
The Wedding Invitation itself -Outer Envelope The outer envelope is the envelope used to traditionally send the invitation using titles, first names, middles names, and last names. The outer envelope is used for mailing purposes. -Response Card This is for guests to reply whether they will be attending or not. On this you will include the RSVP deadline, accept and decline check boxes, a line for your guests to write in the names of guests attending or a line for them to write the number of people attending. Also, if you are giving your guests options for dinner, this is where they can also let you know which option they want. -Response Card Envelope On this you will write your return address. The inner envelope is the envelope in which the title and the last names of the specific people that are being invited. This is important in that it lets the couple be clear on who is invited to the wedding. And don’t forget postage! -Enclosure Cards These are used to put important information on regarding the wedding such as directions to the venue, hotel accommodations, registries, or wedding web site.
How To Properly Address Wedding Invitations
Addressing wedding invitations may seem easy until you sit down to actually do it. You have so many names and then there is the correct title to use and how to address it so that family is also on the invitation. It really can be tricky on how to appropriately address wedding invitations. A Married Couple with the Same Last Name On the outer envelope: Mr. John and Mrs. Jane Smith or Mr. and Mrs. John Smith On the inner envelope: Mr. and Mrs. Smith or John and Jane Smith A Married Couple with Different Last Names This would typically be where the woman kept her maiden name. In this case the woman’s name will come first. Mrs. Jane Doe and Mr. John Smith Another way you can do it is you can list the person you are closest with first. Or if you are equally acquainted with both guests, list them in alphabetical order. Mrs. Jane Doe and Mr. John Smith An Unmarried Couple Living Together Both names will be included on the envelope but each name gets their own line. Typically you would list your friend first, regardless of gender. Outer Envelope: Mr. John Smith Inner Envelope: Mr. Smith Ms. Jane Doe Ms. Doe Same-Sex Couple You will use the same rules for a married or unmarried couple. If the couple is married, put the names on the same line. Outer Envelope: Ms. Jane Doe and Ms. Mary Smith or Jane Doe and Mary Smith Inner Envelope: Ms. Doe and Ms. Smith or Jane and Mary. A Single Female Use her full formal name and the title Miss if she is under 18 and Ms. if she is over 18. Outer Envelope: Miss Jane Smith or Ms. Jane Smith Inner Envelope: Miss Smith, Ms. Smith, or Jane A Single Male Use his full formal name. Only use Mr. if he is over 18. Outer Envelope: Mr. John Smith Inner Envelope: Mr. Smith or John A Married Woman Doctor or Two Married Doctors If the woman uses her maiden name professionally and socially, the envelope should read: Dr. Jane Doe and Mr. John Smith. If she uses her husbands last name socially: Dr. Jane and Mr. John Smith If both guests are doctors: Outer Envelope: Doctors Jane and John Smith Inner Envelope: Dr. Doe and Mr. Smith or Doctors Smith Those With Other Distinguished Titles Follow the same rules you use for doctors for judges, military personnel, reverends, and so on. If both titles don't fit on one line, indent the second line. Outer Envelope: The Honorable Jane Smith and Lieutenant John Smith, US Navy Or if they are both captains in the military: Captains Jane and John Smith, US Navy Inner Envelope: Judge Jane and Lieutenant Smith, US Navy Or The Captains Smith Children and Families When inviting a family with children you will only list the parents names on the outer envelope. The children's names will be listed on the inner envelope. For girls under the age of 18 use the title Miss. Boys do not need the title Mr. until they are 18. Outer Envelope: Mr. and Mrs. John Smith, Mr. John Smith and Mrs. Jane Smith, or The Smith family. Inner Envelope: John, Jane, Bob, and Miss Mary And Guest You don't have to put "and guest" on the outer envelope. You only need to put "and guest" on the inner envelope. Outer Envelope: Mr. John Smith Inner Envelope: Mr. John Smith and Guest So are you totally confused? ? I know it all seems a little confusing. I guess you could always hire somebody to address your wedding invitations! When I did mine it really did become much easier as I went along. There may be other cases such as a divorced woman with her ex husbands last name or a widow, but you can look up any that you may be unsure about. I didn't want to list every possible scenario, just the most common ones.
Wedding Invitation Tips
Did you do your wedding invitations? If you are planning your wedding, what do you plan to do about your wedding invitations? Do you have any other tips that you learned when addressing your wedding invitations?
I was looking at my old blog just to see if I had grown any in my writing and I happened to find this blog post of a questionnaire that I had posted back in February of 2017. It just so happens that this little baby will be 3 this Summer AND she will be a big sister in October! I only have one other clients session questionnaire (and I need to start doing these again) posted on my new blog so I thought I would post this one even though it is old.
I was ecstatic when I was asked to photograph the birth of a baby! Especially this baby because I had taken this Moms maternity pictures and had gotten to know the couple. Unfortunately Mom had to have an emergency C-Section so I wasn’t able to photograph it. I was able to photograph Mom and baby when they came out of surgery and was able to capture the newest moments with baby and the family. And more importantly Mom, Dad, and Baby bonding time.
Just a sweet little note to add, we continued to stay in touch after baby was born and nearly 3 years later we are best friends. All it took was her to book a maternity session with me for us to find each other. =)
What was your after birth photography session like?
Wonderful! Kirsten was very professional and was amazing! She somehow managed to get beautiful pictures while remaining “out of the way” so my family could meet my daughter. It is so great to have pictures of me with my daughter and family that I can cherish and look back on years from now. Did you have any fears about me being in the room? Absolutely none! You worked so smoothly “behind the scenes” that until my family left and it was just you in the room, there were times I honestly forgot you were there, which gave you the opportunity to get wonderful and genuine reactions. How do you feel about your photos? They are beautiful and stunning. These are memories that captured a very special moment in my life that I and my daughter can forever cherish. How was your overall photo session experience? Even though this was my first time getting a session like this, it was a lovely experience and I can’t wait to do it again. If you were to have another baby would you want it documented also? Yes! The moments during the birth and after are moments you cannot get back. I had such a wonderful experience getting this session and capturing these beautiful moments in my life. I will definitely be doing this again for my next child.
Just the other day I had someone message me about how much a family session was. I told her my price and her response was, “Wow, that’s expensive”. I really did not know what to say, I was rather offended. This inquiry was not the first time I had heard the response of prices being, “too expensive”. I used to think as a consumer that photography prices were outrageous too, until I saw the break down for myself on paper and REALLY understood once I was the second shooter for several weddings. And I was just the second shooter!
Now that I have started my photography business it is all crystal clear and I want others to understand the reasoning behind the pricing. I just simply want to show you a few different break downs and then you can develop your own opinion about the pricing, not just my prices but other photographers that you may think charge “too much”.
Photography Sessions Are Filled with “Hidden Hours.”
First I want to talk about some other things other than just my prices that should be taken into consideration. Most sessions are typically done on weekends, that is the only time I see my fiance because of our work schedules. So right there I am missing out on time spent with family. I do not get paid for holidays or overtime. I don’t get paid vacation days. Being a self-employed photographer does not provide insurance. It’s just me; I take care of every aspect alone, the advertising, setting up bookings, following up with clients and potential leads, editing, etc. Does it sound like I am complaining? It may sound that way but in NO WAY am I! I love photography! I love making people happy and giving them memories they can cherish forever. I give it 110%! My prices are A LOT lower than the photographers that I am going to post links to. They have written their on blog post about why photography costs so much, but it’s still the same concept. I felt it was best to direct you to some much more experienced photographers. I also don’t want to undermine any other photographers, or miss anything by explaining it myself.
Here are a few great links: Professional Child Photographer Stephanie Lynn Photos
If you still think my prices are too much, take a look at a few screenshots of other photographers prices. Note, I don't think there is anything wrong with these prices.
And the most simple explanation in my opinion:
Do you feel any different about photography pricing? Did you learn anything? Or did you always think the prices were reasonable? Let me know in the comments.
It is already hard enough being a professional photographer but living in a small town and owning a photography business makes it even harder to get business at times. There are so many people that are becoming photographers these days and that does not help either. I live in a small town and when I say small I mean tiny. The latest population I found was 350 people! Yes, you read that right! I have lived here for 28 years but I am not originally from here and that does not help. The problem with this is that a lot of people that live in my town are related to what seems like half the people in the town. That means the photographers are related to a lot of people compared to myself who has no relation where I live. Typically family will go to the photographer who they are related to. Again, being a professional photographer isn't easy, no matter where you live.
There is already a lot of competition between photographers, as I said earlier a lot of people are becoming photographers these days, some good and some not so good. But regardless, there is still competition. Photographers can be compared to retail chain stores such as Wal-Mart and Target. They both pretty much sell the same thing but some things are different like the prices, sales, advertising, and one may offer a different type of incentive for being a customer. Regardless of the cost what matters is the quality. You know how the saying goes...quality over quantity.
Thankfully we have the internet which allows us to easily connect with people outside of our own towns and even out of state. It really can be hard sometimes not to get down on yourself when photographer x has so many clients because she has a lot of family near her. You just have to be a little more creative and really push yourself. Try to find something that all the other photographers aren't doing...learn it, master it, and kill it!
As always...let me know your thoughts!
You've been invited to a wedding. You go shopping and buy something nice to wear and your job is done. All that is left to do is attend the wedding and reception. But there is much more to it than just that. There are actually rules that you should read up on. It will determine whether you'll be remembered as a pleasant guest or THAT guest. Wedding Wire did a survey and asked 800 guests rules that they know they have broken at weddings. So I will add some of the percentages throughout the post. Read on to see the correct etiquette for attending a wedding and reception.
RSVPing
Simple enough, just RSVP. And RSVP on time. It may not seem important to you and you may think to yourself that one RSVP not returned won't make or break their wedding. Well, actually it is important. This helps the couple determine the amount of food they will need. It will also help the couple from having to track you down and ask if you are attending or not. It will also minimize their stress level of knowing how many guests to expect. Don't Assume You Can Bring A Date If you receive an invitation and it says your name but does not say "+1" or "and guest" then you'll have to attend solo. Also, don't contact the bride or groom asking if it's okay if you bring a guest. The couple isn't being rude by not allowing you to bring a guest, typically it's just not in their budget for anyone extra to attend. Wedding Wire found during their survey that 9% of people brought a guest even though it was not on the invitation. Wedding Attire The first thing to remember is not to one up the bride or groom or distract from them. But definitely don't look like you are making a casual trip to Wal-Mart. So unless the wedding invitation says jeans are okay, don't wear jeans. There are a few rules when deciding on something to wear to a wedding. First, don't wear white. Second, you can wear black to a wedding. I suggest dressing it up with some jewelry. Third, take into account where the wedding is taking place at. If it's in a Catholic church, dress appropriately.
Silence Your Phone
There are times when it's just plain obvious to silence your phone and when you're attending a wedding this should be one of those times. Crazy enough, guests don't. A few of the weddings I have been the photographer at, this has happened. And while it may give everyone a little laugh it still is a rude. Wedding Wire found out that 8% of guests have had their phone ring while attending a wedding. Don't Bring Your Gift To The Wedding It's actually common these days to not bring a gift to the wedding. And definitely don't bring a big gift. The main reason being that the last thing the couple wants to mess with after their reception is trying to figure out how to get a bunch of gifts home. The best idea is to send your wedding gift to the couple prior to their wedding. Most of the places if not all that the couple register at have the option to send the gift directly to the couple. Leave The Photography To The Professional Whether the couple lets you know their wedding is unplugged, meaning they do not want any phones, tablets, cameras, or any other digital devices being used during their wedding, you should assume they want the photographer that they hired and paid a good amount of money for to take their pictures. It can be distracting and you may get in the way of the photographer or if you have your flash on, it may interfere with the photographers photos. Over 50% of guests took photos during a ceremony, 27% posted the photos on social media while the ceremony was going on. Don't Overdo It On The Alcohol Drunk obnoxious people are annoying period but being a drunk obnoxious person at a wedding reception is just disrespectful. Even if it's your best friend getting married, which probably means you may be in the wedding, you are still a guest and should act as such. Wedding Wire's survey found that 17% of guests drank too much. If There Is Assigned Seating Then Follow It The couple took the time to make a seating chart so please follow it. Creating a seating arrangement is not an easy task. If there are a lot of people then designing a seating chart probably took quite a bit of time to plan out. You will be able to get up and mingle with everyone once the dinner is over. Have you broken any of these rules? Did any of these happen at a wedding you attended or even happen at you wedding? Let me know in the comments!
Your wedding is a big deal. Most girls have dreamed about it since they were little. TV, movies, and magazines have given us this picture in our head that weddings should be extravagant and over the top. But they also aren't paying for our weddings. In reality we have to be smart about spending money for our wedding. You may be one of the lucky ones who has their parents paying for it all. More and more though, we see that couples are doing it on their own.
I had wrote a blog the beginning of March called Forgotten Wedding Expenses. I wrote about the small details that are often forgotten about when budgeting for your wedding or the details that add up in the long run. The Cost of Wedding says “The average cost of a wedding is $25,764. Couples, on average, spend between $19,323 and $32,205, but most couples spend less than $10,000.” The Knot says that in 2016 the average was $35,329. They also stated, "This is actually the first time we've seen a dip in the average cost per wedding compared to the previous year with the cost being $33,391 in 2017.
1. Expensive Floral Arrangements
The cost of floral arrangements will vary based on the type of flower, the number you need, and whether or not they are in season. Caytlyn McCloskey, who ownsSea Lily Malibu in California, presented in an article by Brides the range that couples can expect certain floral arrangements used in a wedding to cost:
2. A Huge Guest List My previous blog post, Tips On Making Your Wedding Guest List, will help you minimize the number of guests you invite. You have to remember that everyone you invite is also a price tag. While you want to invite everyone, sometimes your budget just won't allow it, your venue also may not allow for it. The average cost of each guest varies state by state. A website called Value Penguin reported in 2017 the state with the lowest average cost per guest was Mississippi at $91 and the state with the highest average cost per guest was New York (Manhattan) at $630 ?, I understand New York is an expensive place but wow! I live in Indiana and the average cost per guest is $137. It's definitely not a crazy stupid high number like New York, but it still is up there for my liking! If you invite 140 (average number of guests nationwide) people and they all come, attend the reception, eat and drink you are looking at $19,129 just for guests! You haven't even seen the cost of a photographer, the dress, or anything else!! You also have to factor in the type of food you will be having and how much the caterer will cost. 3. The Wedding Gown After you have gotten engaged you start looking at the bridal magazines and there are so many gorgeous dresses, then you look at the price, that slight moment of telling yourself you have to have it suddenly is a thing of the past. Remember that you only wear your wedding gown for a short amount of time. The Knot did a study on wedding costs in 2016. The average price of a wedding gown in the US was $1,564. I'll be honest, I was expecting a higher number, but it's still a pretty high number. We can't forget the accessories either. The average cost for accessories, which include the veil, lingerie, and shoes is $301. There are so many other routes to go when purchasing your wedding gown. There are consignment shops, consignment bridal stores, and even Facebook where you can find women selling their gowns. Also, bridal stores will have big sales in the winter and summer to make room for the next seasons new wedding gowns. 4. Sub-Par Photographers and Videographers If you are going to pay a lot of money, this is where you want to spend it. The photographer and videographer are the ones that are going to capture all of the memories from your day. You do not want to hire a photographer or videographer that does not know what they are doing for this very critical task. Being a wedding photographer I hear it all the time, "that is crazy that is costs so much for a photographer". 7 years ago when I hired my photographer for my wedding I was a bit blown away by the price I was quoted for my photographer. After becoming a photographer and doing everything that is involved I now know why wedding photography is priced the way it is. The average cost of a wedding photographer is $2,814. Unbelievable, right? Actually no. I can speak for all wedding photographers when I say that we do more than just take pictures. There is so much behind the scenes work that no one sees. You are paying for our time for being at the wedding, our editing time, our equipment, the list goes on. But the $2,814 isn't even the highest. In San Francisco the cost is $3,931. And in Salt Lake City the lowest is $2,215. So...all those who think I'm too expensive, maybe you should rethink that...? .
Courtesy of: SnapKnot
5. An Expensive Wedding Cake
I am actually guilty of this, but I'm also divorced, lol. It looks pretty for maybe a couple of hours and then it's demolished. That or the couple will have a ton of cake to take home. Depending on what you are wanting and how many guests you are looking to feed will determine the cost. So the cost, again, will vary. If you haven't seen the pattern yet, the more guests you have is going to make the cost go up. Bakers determine the cost of a wedding cake by the number of slices. Cost Helper says that the low price for a slice is $1.50, the medium price is $5-$6, and the highest price is $10 and up. According to the Bridal Association of America the average cost for a wedding cake is $543. That doesn't include the cost of delivering the cake. The delivery charges can be between $50 to $100 and up. And that still may not be all of the charges. Some venues charge a cake cutting fee. A cake cutting fee is a fee charged by the reception venue for using an outside establishment and not the reception venues in house pastry chef. The average cost is an additional $1.50 or higher per slice. 6. Programs & Invitations While it's nice to have a list of order of events for your wedding guests and the names of everyone involved in your wedding, it's simply just not necessary. Think about the last time you went to a wedding. Did you keep the program or throw it away after? You probably didn't save it and most people have no reason to. If you must have them, try going the DIY route. Invitations are another thing to not waste your money on. When I say this I don't mean you don't need them. I just mean you don't have to purchase the most extravagant looking ones. The Bridal Association of America says that the average cost is $659 for invitations. Because there are so many options when choosing invitations that number can be lowered drastically and it can also jump drastically. Wedding invitations per piece can range between $1 and $10. So if you are sending out a 100 invitations and you are on the low end you will be spending $100. If you are on the high end, you will be spending $1,000. And don't forget about the postage! With all that being said, you don't have to go without any of these at your wedding, you just need to do your research and take your time when putting money into any of these areas. How did you save money for your wedding? I would love to hear your tricks and tips on saving money for your wedding!
Planning a wedding is hard enough in itself. You have to choose the venue, photographer, cake, colors, etc. The list goes on and on. But deciding on who to invite to the wedding is the most personal daunting task. You don't want to hurt anyone's feelings but you can't possibly make everyone happy. When making the guest list for your wedding you have to take into consideration the size of the venue and your budget.
Make A Wish Dream List
Write down everyone you have ever thought of inviting to your wedding. It doesn't matter if they were your High School best friend and you haven't spoken to them for years. This is just a "dream list". Don't consider your budget or size of the venue. You will "trim" this list later. Co-Workers The best rule to follow for co-workers is to invite all or none. If there is a co-worker that is a a friend outside of your work place this would be an exception.
Make An A List and a B List
The people that will go under the A list are those who must be at the wedding, there are no doubts. These would be close friends and family. You will want to send this "round" of invitations first. Those that will be under the B list are people who you would like to be at your wedding. On the off chance that you begin getting RSVPs and it turns out you have sufficient "not able to attend," at that point you'll begin sending welcomes to your B-list (in arrange of significance). In the event that you send your B-list invitations as well near to the wedding (inside a week or two), you might as well tell those visitors they are second best. Do it without being self-evident. Send your A-list invitations 10 weeks in progress (a bit prior than regular), which will allow you time to send invitations to your B-list six to eight weeks prior to your wedding. Be careful on Save the Dates (sending RSVPs with a date that has passed is a dead giveaway that the beneficiaries were on your B-list). Plus Ones Hopefully if you allow guests to bring a guest of their own they will respectfully only allow their significant other. You don't want any of your guests to fill awkward and left out but you also don't want to accommodate strangers with a pricey meal and free booze. This is something you will have to think about and see if your budget can handle it.
Don't Let Your Parents or In-Laws Stress You Out
Your parents will have people that they want to invite. You may not even know some of these people. If there is someone such as your Mom's best friend, you could put them on the A list. Someone such as your Mom's friend she doesn't talk to much, put them on the B list. Be sure to talk face to face with your parents and in-laws and let them know the boundaries. Inviting Children You can have an adult only wedding. This is completely up to you. It is not rude so don't worry about that. It is actually pretty common. If you are paying for a very expensive venue and reception hall then the thought of having a bunch of small children running around may make you cringe. You can go the route of inviting only children in a certain age range or only children that are immediate family. Specify Names on Response Cards On the RSVP cards write in the names of those you are wanting to invite so that they know who is specifically invited. If you receive a card with a name written in don't hesitate to contact the guest and let them know the reasoning the written in name was not on the card. An easy and to the point response is that the budget and/or venue won't allow for extra guests and that you would like to have everyone but it just is not possible.
Make Cutting Rules
Follow these rules and it will help cut down on your list if you feel you have too many guests. #1 If you or your partner have not spoken to, met, or heard their name before, don't invite them. #2 If you or your partner have not spoke to them in the past three years, don't invite them. #3 On the off chance that there's anybody who's on the list since you feel guilty about taking off them off the list (possibly since you were welcomed to their wedding or they're friends with a lot of individuals who are invited), don't invite them. Are there any helpful tips that you have that you used to create your wedding guest list? If so let me know!
Brides these days are opting to skip out on some wedding traditions. It’s not because they are in a hurry, they just choose to not take part in some traditions. It may just not be their thing. That’s totally fine because your day should be just that, YOUR day. The couple should do what they want and have it go as they want. Being different is what makes your day unique and memorable. Here are some things that are totally fine to skip...
Seeing Each Other Before the Ceremony
The superstition that it’s bad luck to see each other before the ceremony is well, just plain false. As a photographer I prefer the bride and groom to do a first look (the time where the bride and groom see each other before the ceremony) for 3 reasons. The first being it’s so much more special when a couple does their first look. When it is just the bride, groom, and photographer there seems to be so much emotion. They don’t have everyone watching them, which helps. They have time to take it all in and enjoy seeing each in their wedding attire. The second reason is it’s way easier on me as a photographer, which in turn there will be a better turn out of images for the couple. It’s harder to get the bride and grooms reaction at the same time when you’re one person. I mean everyone is standing, you don’t want to get in the grooms view of his bride and vice versa, and you usually don’t have a ton of space. The third reason is I can get so many of the pictures, like all of the family, bridal party, and the couple, done before the ceremony versus trying to get them all between the ceremony and the reception which leaves the guests waiting and possibly getting impatient.
The Receiving Line
It simply takes too long and it usually feels rushed. You can’t really talk with your guests in a receiving line, you are expected to say thank you for coming then hug and move on. I think doing table visits before dinner is served and/or after dinner. You can actually talk with your guests and also you’re able to get pictures. I guess it depends on how many guests you have. Regardless, I think table visits are just more intimate and easier.
Wedding Favors
Have you ever seen how many wedding favors are left behind? And if you’re the bride and groom you know how much money you are throwing in the trash. You can still thank your guests for coming by saying thank you when you do the table visits. It's just as meaningful in my opinion versus candy in a cute little box. Some ideas for giving them something to take home would be a box to take leftover dinner or cake in. Or if you have a photo booth the pictures are a good little memento from the wedding.
Matching Bridesmaid Dresses
I think as long as there is some aspect of the bridesmaid dresses that match it will look good but having the dress style, color, and accessories matching perfectly is not needed. Not all of your bridesmaids will have the exact same body type so not one style of dress or color will flatter every bridesmaid in your bridal party. I think as long as you do something like have the same color but different dress styles or same dress style in different tones of a color. And heck, if you want to do different styles and different colors then go for it! I would say if you do different styles and different colors tie it all together by matching their flowers and/or accessories.
Walking Down the Aisle to Wagner’s “Bridal Chorus”
I see a lot of brides walking down the aisle to a song they picked out. This is the perfect way to show your guests how unique you are. Choose a song that is meaningful to you and your groom, a song that has significance in your relationship, or one that really speaks of your personality. Whatever you choose is fine, remember it’s your day!
Wearing a White Gown
I personally like white gowns. Whether they have lace, pearls, or rhinestones, I think white wedding gowns look elegant. I have also seen wedding gowns that were not white and they still looked gorgeous. Whatever style and color you feel the most comfortable in or flatters you better than buy that dress and wear it proudly on your wedding day.
These are just some of the wedding traditions that you can skip. What are some that you didn't do at your wedding or what are some you plan to skip for you wedding?
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AuthorMom, Fiancee', & Photographer. Archives
September 2018
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