Fantastic Engagement Announcement Idea

DIY Wedding Invitation Ideas

Creating your own wedding invitations can be fulfilling both in terms of expressing your creativity and saving money.

Check out Meridian Bride's Pinterest board for DIY wedding invitation ideas.

Having said that, managing invites, planning ahead, and the logistics involved in guest list management can be an entirely different and complex task. Let a Bride's BFF help you mange this aspect of your wedding. Contact me today for more information on my Guest List Management Services.

Save Big on Your Wedding Gown During The Holidays

Don't know what to put on your Christmas list? Well, turns out that the holiday season may be one of the best times of the year to buy a wedding dress, according to USA today.
 
"Since most ceremonies take place in May and June, things are much quieter in November, and stores are looking to move last season's gowns to make room for next year's styles. (You may be able to negotiate prices on wedding venues as well, since many halls are less busy this time of year.)"

-USA Weekend

via Pinterest

I'm swooning over this elegant wedding day inspiration for a Caribbean Destination Wedding.

Stylist Stacie Steensland, Photography Brilliant Studios, via Love My Dress

If these photos haven't swayed you to consider a destination wedding I don't know what will! But here's the good news:

1. You CAN have a very personalized wedding, even if you choose to have a destination wedding.
2. Now you can have A Bride's BFF help you plan a Grand Cayman destination wedding!

On a recent trip to Grand Cayman, I was able to personally meet and connect with a variety of great wedding vendors and suppliers on this lovely island. And I can't wait to start collaborating with them to make your island wedding dreams come true!

I will be featuring more on this beautiful Caribbean destination and offering introductory specials soon! For more information or to book your 2014 dates now contact me directly.

5 Ways To Serve Hot Cocktails At Your Wedding

Repost from The Knott Nov. 4, 2013

Wintertime may not be the most popular season to get married but there are a number of benefits to choosing a colder month. Namely, all of your wedding details will look decidedly different. One fun winter wedding detail we love? Serving warm drinks at cocktail hour. (Think mulled apple cider or hot chocolate with a splash of peppermint schnapps.)

Here, a few ways to personalize your favorite cold-weather cocktail.

Edible Cups

via The Knot

 

 

Custom Calligraphed Drink Sleeves

 

via The Knot

 

Add Edible Spoons

 

via The Knot

 

Hire A Barista

 

via The Knot

 

Add Heart-Shaped Sugar Cubes

 

via The Knot

 

 



Looking for more Winter Wedding Inspiration? Head on over to my Winter Weddings Pinterest board. 





More 2014 Wedding Trends

According to this article by loverly, event planner and lifestyle expert Mindy Weiss predicts that in 2014 one of the hot wedding trends will be (drumroll...):

Unique lighting

You know like the goth-looking candelabras and chandeliers? Yeah, that type. While your traditional uplighting and string lights are still widely used. In 2014 it will be all about cool fixtures and ambiance!

 

Pinterest via Wedd Book

 



Pinterest

 

Pinterest via Lace & Tea

 

Pinterest via Swooned

 

Pinterest

 

Head on over to my Lighting Pinterest Page to see more lighting inspiration for your wedding.

Veil or No Veil?

Ahhh, the bridal veil. Nothing can make you feel more like a bride than when you try on that veil for the first time. Right?

via +Luxurious Italian Wedding

Ever tried to speak to a bridal salesperson about veils? It's as if they were speaking another language. Check out this article for the lowdown of different veil lengths, styles and types. Happy veil shopping! 

7 Tips for Planning a Successful Bachelor Party

I don't do this often...but this one's for the fellas. Guys, take note. If you really want to bond with the hommies and have an unforgettable night, follow these steps or forever hold your peace!

 

via house of grafx

1. VIPs Only - Be selective about who you invite and how many people you invite. Restricting the number of guests to a few SPECIAL AND CLOSE FRIENDS will help you keep numbers low and enjoyment high. A bachelor party is a special event best enjoyed with your core circle of trustworthy friends, not jerks who will tag you all over facebook when the evening is over. 

 

2. Leave Some Time for R&R - Choose a date at least 2 days before the wedding. This allows ample recovery time after being wasted. I highly suggest doing it THE WEEKEND BEFORE the wedding. Do keep in mind that weddings are expensive (and often video taped). The bride will expect her groom and groomsmen to be attentive and alert during the ceremony.

 

3. Boundaries - If you're throwing this party for a friend of yours, make sure you know his boundaries. Not everybody is used or comfortable around strippers or strip club, etc... You also don't want to get the groom into hot water with his bride-to-be. So make sure you know what IS and IS NOT appropriate.
 

4. Logistics - The bachelor party will inevitably entail significant amounts of alcohol. Act responsibly and HIRE A DRIVER for everyone to get around safely. Even if there is no alcohol involved, you are all there collectively to have epic fun, why bother driving! 

 

5. Minimize the Tailgating - If daytime activities are planned before the big night, GO EASY ON THE BOOZE. This will ensure more guys, especially the bachelor, make it through the night's festivities.

 

6. Split Expenses - Plan out all the expected expenses and share amongst your troupe. To avoid an uncomfortable situation, figure out who is paying for what, and how much each person is willing to shell out BEFORE the final check arrives.  

 

7. Coat the Gut - This should be a no-brainer...but make sure to EAT something substantial before the revelry. A dinner is more than just the toast-off for the beginning of the night, it also gives your stomach a nice base for all of the evening's alcohol consumption. 

 

Source Yuna Weddings

 

Ladies, share this with a man you know and keep 'em out of trouble.

Wedding Planning Tip From a Real Bride

Here is real bride Lisa's tip for what to do before you start planning your wedding:

"For us we decided to make a list of details we’d like at our wedding before looking at Pinterest. That way the ideas were all personal and meaningful to us rather then just randomly picked from someone else’s dream wedding".

Well said Lisa! And two thumbs up for your AMAZING style! A black and white polka-dotted wedding dress? Who knew polka dots could look so fab on a wedding dress!



Via Snippet and Ink

Head on over to Snippet and Ink for more of Lisa's advice to other brides and fabulous wedding style.

3 Things To Consider Before Choosing A Photographer

Pinterest via bridalguide.com

When shopping for photographers, shop for QUALITY not price. It's better to have 10 great photos than 100 bad ones! As you shop for a wedding photographer, keep these 3 things in mind:

1. Equipment. Does your photographer use digital cameras or film? Ask about the quality and dependability of their equipment? A good photographer should also always bring backup equipment with them.

2. Skill. How long have they been photographing people and weddings? The only way to tell a photographer's skill is to look at their past work. Does he/she creatively pose his subjects? Good photographers are skilled in masking ugly backgrounds with creative posing and lighting. Ask to see as many photos as possible in different lighting conditions (indoors, outdoors at night, low-light, etc...). Tip: low-light photography is challenging and only the most experienced/skilled photographers will get this right.

3. Personality. Good communication with your photographer is key. The photographer you choose should be skilled at communicating with all types of people (think controlling a large crowd of unruly wedding guests and family members to all pose for a photo). Can they help ease your nerves and help you relax in front of the camera or are they intrusive and all in your face? Ask questions to try to get a good reading of their style and personality. You will spend a lot of time with this wedding vendor, make sure you like this person!

White Bridesmaids Dresses-A 2014 Wedding Trend

The old tradition of only the bride can wear white at a wedding is NO MORE. With many celebrities opting to have all of their bridesmaids dressed in white; the color traditionally reserved for the bride, may become the HOT new bridesmaids color of 2014.

Here are some tips for pulling this trend off:

Who can forget the fabulous 2nd wedding of Nene Leakes to her ex-husband Gregg? As the always glamorous Nene Leakes taught us, this trend can work fabulously when the bride is not the one dressed in all white!

via stuffflypeoplelike.com

If both the bride and bridesmaids dresses are close to the same hue then the bridesmaid dress should be a completely different style than the brides; as the lovely Kate and Pippa Middleton have done here:

via Dropout Postgrad

And let's not leave out the infamous Kardashians...be nice!

 

Pinterest

Short white bridesmaids dresses are always cute and stylish!

 

 Pinterest via Frosted Petticoat Blog

 

 

 

 Pinterest via Jordan McBride

 

Or add a bit of color...

 

Pinterest via Love It

 

A word of caution here... if you are a guest at the wedding or if you were not asked by the bride to wear white, showing up in a solid white outfit is still considered a faux pas. So don't do it!!

Want to get more on 2014 wedding trends? Subscribe to the blog or like me on Facebook.

5 Honeymoon Planning Tips

1. Honeymoon plans should be confirmed as soon as the ceremony and reception sites are booked. Depending on where you are going, getting all the right paperwork (passport, VISAS, etc...) and immunizations may take a while!                             
2. Honeymoon planning is a great project for the groom! It's a short, but important project with pre-defined parameters. AND it has nothing to do with the frilly business of picking out colors and fabrics and flowers and details, etc... All the things men love right?                                                              
3. Always book and pay using a credit card. This will protect you if your travel agent, hotel, etc…go out of business. Many credit card companies have some sort of travel protection benefits or dispute resolution process in case something you pay for goes terribly wrong. It's also a good idea to use or earn frequent flier miles with honeymoon travel.     
4. Take advantage of honeymoon upgrades. Bring a copy (not the original!) of your marriage certificate to reap the benefits of receiving gifts, amenities, upgrades and all sorts of goodies for being a honeymoon couple. This is one time where it's ok to hold your greedy little hand out for extra perks. Work it!                                                                 
5. Lastly, avoid traveling out on your wedding night. Weddings tend to run behind. As a result you'll be rushed and might even miss your flight. Not to mention, you will be EXHAUSTED and probably a little cranky from the long day’s events. That's no way to travel!

 

Have fun and enjoy you're honeymoon! Make memories that will last a lifetime. Also make sure to check out my Pinterest board of exotic and breathtaking honeymoon travel destinations.

Crowd-Pleasing Appetizers for Your Cocktail Hour

Hot dogs, french fries, mac and cheese…all foods more typical of what you would expect to find at a ballpark or a carnival rather than at a wedding. Right? Wrong! More and more couples are choosing to have less formal, comfort foods served during the cocktail hour. And the good news is, they are big hits!

When opting for these unconventional hors d’ouevres, it’s all about the presentation. You will be surprised what you can get away with serving at a formal event, IF you know how to present it in a fun, unique and artistic way. This is where having an experienced and creative caterer really pays off!

Mashed Potato Bar: Pinterest via Style Me Pretty, Cocktail Franks: Pinterest, Burger Potato Bites: Pinterest via BGH

Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup: Pinterest via Wedding Wire, Mac & Cheese Cups: Pinterest, Spaghetti & Meatballs: Pinterest via thedailymeal.com

Corn Dogs & Beer: Pinterest via thedailymeal.com, Pizza Heart Bites: Pinterest via scratchingcanvas.com, Fries & Gravy: Pinterest via Project Wedding

Friday Freebies-Love Quotes

There is nothing more uplifting than a word or two of great poetry and love. TIP: choose the right words for your love, frame them and use them as wedding décor. Here are some free ones to get you started...

Inspired By Charm

i do it yourself

 



 LDS Printables

 

 honeybearlane

 

Simple As That

 

 

Tattered & Inked

 

 

Do you like Friday Freebies? Let me know what kind of freebies you'd like to see more of!