Save the Dates, Invitations, and Programs...

If you have a great printer, or access to one, you can save a lot of money on all the stationery for your wedding.

You could design Save the Date cards yourself, with your own wording and even wedding website information. The design of the card could have your engagement photo, or even a cool design that reflects the theme of your wedding.

There are inexpensive invitation kits that include everything from the invitations, to reply cards, and blank cards for directions and/or a map. The kits should include formatting information and invitation wording examples so that you can print everything from your own computer. Stores such as Wal-Mart, Target, Staples, and any craft store such as Michaels and AC Moore, carry these. Oh, and don't forget to check out these stores for any other wedding supplies you might need. Craft stores especially carry lots of wedding accessories such as favor bags (and even favors), thank you tags, ribbon, guest books, a decorative envelope box for your reception guest table, and flower girl baskets.

For our wedding programs, my husband and I found some beautiful program covers at the local Catholic store. They were like church bulletin covers with a wedding theme. The one in the picture is just one of the selections offered at the store, and we found a similar one that was just perfect!

Tiaras and Flower Girl Gifts

Claire's has an adorable collection of jewlery sets, called the Princess Collection. They make great little gifts if you're looking to give your flower girl jewlery to wear with her dress at the wedding.

This store also has a great selection of beautiful and elegant tiaras, especially around prom season, if you choose to wear a tiara with your veil. They also carry a great selection of jewelled bobby pins to decorate your hair, as well as many other beautiful hair accessories.

Kremp Florist

Kremp Florist is the local shop in Willow Grove, PA that did all the personal and church flowers for my wedding. I have to say that they did an exquisite job with all of the flowers! I absolutely loved my bouquet, and the bridesmaids' flowers were just gorgeous! They even created a beautiful arragement for our flower girl baskets (which we brought in to them), as the girls weren't allowed to drop petals in the church. Customer service was wonderful, and I couldn't have been happier with how all the flowers turned out. In addition to the flowers, they also have aisle runners, and offer ribbons to decorate the pews. The staff is knowledgeable in terms of flowers and arragements, and they provide useful suggestions for what is needed. Their checklist was very comprehensive, covering all the flower arrangements and personal flowers that we would be needing from boquets for the girls to boutonnieres for immediate family, clergy, and our readers. The invoice that was emailed to us included straightforward pricing, and everything was correctly done.

My husband and I found them at a local bridal show, and from our first meeting with them, we knew they were the ones we wanted to work with. I highly recommend them if you're looking for a florist in the Bucks County area.

Shopping Online for your Wedding

If you're looking to purchase anything online for your wedding, whether invitations or favors, it's a good idea to order a sample so that you see in person what you're getting before you commit to a large order of the product. This way, you can avoid the hassle and cost of returning something that you discover doesn't meet your needs.

Cool Wedding Tickers!

Are you on a wedding forum like Brides.com? Bridal chat forums offer a great place to talk with others planning their weddings, or have been through it all already, to get advice and share experiences.

To spruce up your signature, you might want to have a wedding ticker, which basically counts down to your special day. Here are a couple of good sites that offer a great selection of really pretty ones:

http://www.weddingcountdown.com/

http://www.whenismywedding.com/

Once you find one that you like and enter your wedding date, you'll get a code for your ticker that you can copy and paste into your forum signature. Enjoy!

Keep Your Feet Comfortable All Night Long!

Even a low, 2" heel can have your feet aching by the end of the night. I've experienced that for myself on my wedding day. Breaking in your shoes in advance by walking around the house in them several times can help the shoes feel more comfortable on your feet when it's time to wear them for the big day. Another way to make sure your feet aren't sore by the end of the night is to purchase comfort inserts to place on the shoes. David's Bridal carries them (you would probably find them near their registers in the store), though they aren't listed on their website. Last but not least, you can bring a pair of silver or white ballet style flats to change into if you need to get out of those heels. Enjoy, and have a wonderful time dancing the night away at your reception!

The Warrington Country Club

Anyone who is planning a wedding in the Warrington, PA area should definitely check out the Warrington Country Club. They have an absolutely gorgeous and elegant banquet center with two spacious reception rooms. The Wedgewood Room is a ballroom for receptions of up to 300 people. The Briar Rose Room is the smaller one for receptions of up to 165 people.

The country club now has an outdoor area for weddings as well.

They did an amazing job with our reception, and more than one said that it was the best reception they'd ever been to. The Briar Rose room is gorgeous, and has a spacious dance floor. Everything from the cocktail hour, to beverages, to delicious meals (the food is fantastic!) is taken care of. The country club works with a florist for the centerpieces, as well as two bakeries. I'd recommend meeting with the florist and the bakery you choose, especially if you have any specific ideas or requests. It's all included with the cost of the reception...and the cost is very reasonable.

The wedding coordinator kept the events flowing smoothly throughout the night, and we couldn't have asked for a better place to have our reception.

Sandstone Invitations

Sandstone Invitations

This was the company I used for my invitations. Back then, they had a 40% discount. Unfortunately, the discount now is less (25%), but their prices are very reasonable.

The Pearlized Passion, shown in the picture, was the style invitation I went with. It's a simple, elegant, and beautiful design.

There are many different styles to choose from, and if you have an idea in mind, there's a search funtion so that you can easily find designs by keyword. If you do decide to order, the site provides assistance in choosing the wording for your invitations. I also must say that the customer service was excellent!

The Proposal

The Proposal story is the story a couple will remember all their lives. It can be as simply romantic or as creative as you wish. Once I heard of a proposal in which the man proposed by making a music box for his intended, and placing the wedding ring in that box for her. There are so many proposal ideas, from a romantic trip to a lovely dinner in a favorite restauraunt (particularly if it is the place where you first met!), to an afternoon at a local gardens. Here, Longwood Gardens is a popular engagement spot.

That special engagement ring can be presented in any number of different ways. There's, of course, the above mentioned music box. We've all heard of having it presented in a glass of champagne. It can be left somewhere she's sure to find, or simply given in its box. As far as the proposal itself, I won't give specific ideas here beyond kneeling and simply asking, "Will you marry me?" If you want to say more, it will come from the heart, and you'll find the right words to tell her how much your significant other means to you.

However you choose to make the proposal, I wish you both all the best!

After the Proposal

Congratulations! Once you're engaged, it's a time of celebration and sharing the great news with family and friends. One of the things you may want to plan is an enagement party, particularly if your families do not yet know each other. It's simply an opportunity for the families to meet and get to know each other and/or celebrate the engagement. One easy way to do this is simply to get the families together to share a meal at a favorite restaurant. Another thing that a lot of couples do is to get an engagement portrait. This can be done as part of a photography package, or even at at any mall portrait studio, or any store (e.g., Sears, JC Penney, Target, or Wal-Mart) that has a portrait studio.

Planning Tips, Checklists, Templates, and Timelines

Here are a few useful links that I wanted to pass on to you. The ones used when planning my own wedding aren't among them, but they'll be added here if I come across them again. Enjoy!

Some of the sites include checklists of what needs to be done when. Most online planning software will also have something similar. I've also included a link to a bridal wedding day emergency kit. It gives a good idea of the items you might want to have on hand the day of the wedding so you'll be prepared for anything you might need (such as stain spot removal supplies, tears in clothing, stocking runs). To the list I would add at least one small plastic bag in case a necklace happens to break, and you need somewhere safe to stash it so that the necklace stays safely together. Yes, that happened at my reception when I went to hug a family member. It really helps to be prepared for eventualities like this!

Anyway, here are the links:

http://www.a-weddingday.com/checklist.html
http://www.weddingcram.com/wcplanner/planning_timeline.htm
http://www.elegala.com/go/planning_tools/wedding_planning_timeline/
http://weddings.shanbritedesigns.com/templates.htm
http://with--this--ring.blogspot.com/2008/04/wedding-day-timeline.html
A Wedding Day Schedule
Wedding Day Emergency Kit
http://www.weddingdetails.com/planning/

Online Wedding Planning Software

Online you can find for free an endless variety of wedding planning tools that provide timelines, checklists, information about ettiquete, help you keep track of the budget, and much more. This will help you keep track of all the details of your wedding. A brief google search for wedding planning software will help you find what you're looking for. Bride chat forums also often include wedding planning tools like these.

http://ezweddingplanner.com/

This was the one I used when planning my wedding, and it was tremendously helpful. It was free to use and had everything from a page to record your budget and expenses to task lists, to keeping track of appointments and the timeline for planning everything.

The Basics

One of the wonderful things about engagement and wedding planning is that so much creativity can be brought into all aspects of it. It's a great opportunity to create an experience, for yourselves and for your loved ones, that is uniquely an expression of who you are as a couple. Whether you're into lots of DIY projects or keeping things as simple as possible, there are so many details to keep track of and pull together. This site covers all those details that go into your special day.

No matter if you're newly engaged or well into the planning process, there will be something useful for you on this site. This site will also be helpful for anyone even thinking about getting engaged. My aim is to provide lots of information, ideas, and inspiration for every stage of the engagement and wedding planning.

Wedding Topics

This site is just getting underway, but these are the topics that will eventually be covered here:

Getting Engaged
Planning to get engaged? Everything from finding the perfect engagement ring, to the proposal, and beyond will be here.

Marriage Preparation
Beyond planning that special day, marriage preparation is crucial because it's about preparing for a joyful life together!

The Wedding
This section is all about the wedding: finding the right venue, planning the cermony, and selecting officiants. You'll also find information on the marriage license and the marriage certificate.

The Reception
What you need to know about finding your reception site, planning your reception, and making it all look beautiful!

Coordinating it All
Ideas and inspiration for choosing the theme and colors for your wedding, and how to apply these to coordinate the elements of your wedding.

Wedding Attire
Everything from finding the dress, to dresses and tuxes for the wedding party. Also, you'll find information about shoes, accessories, and jewelry.

Accessiories
There will be posts dedicated to the little details you'll need for the wedding and reception, and where to shop for them.

Vendors
Choosing all of the vendors that you'll need for all the elements of your wedding from the cake to the music, flowers, photography and videography, the transportation, and lodging for your wedding night and out-of-town guests. You'll also find information on contracts and questions to ask when interviewing vendors.

Wedding Bands
Information about wedding band styles, jewlers, and finding your wedding bands!

Stationery
Everything you'll need to know about the Save the Date cards, Invitations, your wedding programs, and choosing thank you cards.

Beauty
Beauty tips to look your best for that special day.

Bridal Registry and Gifts
The Bridal Registry, ideas and resources for guest favors, and gifts for your wedding party and family.

The Honeymoon
Planning the honeymoon is fun, but it can be a challenge finding the trip of your dreams that's right for your budget! Here you'll find what you need to research trips and destinations, from cruises to bed and breakfasts to all-inclusive resorts.

The Budget
Budgeting information, saving, and online budgeting tools.

Ettiquette
Have questions about wedding ettiquette? This page will be your guide.

Traditions
An overview of traditions to consider in planning your wedding and reception.

Showers and Parties
All about the engagement and pre-wedding festivities.

Wedding Planning
The basics for planning your wedding, from hiring a wedding planner, to useful online planning tools. You'll also find tips, checklists, and timelines to assist you.

Bridal Shows
How to find a bridal show in your area.

Interactive
Bridal Chat Forums
Wedding Websites
Cool Wedding Countdown Tickers

MANAGING STRESS
Wedding planning can get stressful, so look here for tips on dealing with stress, difficult situations, and more. If you have a stress management tip, feel free to share it here!

Wedding Planners

Hiring a wedding planner can ease the burden of planning and coordinating everything for your wedding. If you want to leave all the details in someone else's hands, this is a good way to go. A really busy couple who has little time to devote to handling all the details themselves, or who are planning a wedding in another location would benefit from having a wedding planner. Typically, a new wedding planner would charge about 10 % of the total cost of the wedding and reception. A planner who has been working longer in the field may charge 15% or more.

Here are a few good articles and blogs about wedding planners and what is involved:

A general overview

More general info

What Wedding Planners/Coordinators do on the day of the wedding

An article on the Cost of Wedding Planners

The Honeymoon

Of all the decisions that went into planning my wedding, it was the honeymoon that probably took the most research. On this page, I'll have all the resources I can find for you to help you plan your honeymoon. Here's a couple of places to start out with:


RESOURCES

Liberty Travel - They were the travel agency my husband and I went with. The manager at the Liberty Travel at our local mall knew the best cabin to book for our cruise.
Sandals Resorts - If you're planning an all-inclusive vacation at a beautiful tropical resort.
AAA - They have a really good website for reasearching trips and destinations.


DISCOUNT TRAVEL WEBSITES
On these sites, you'll be able to research discounts on vacations, airfare, hotels, and cruises

Apple Vacations
Travelocity
Expedia
Orbitz



TIPS


- Do your research. It helps to have ideas ahead of time when going to a travel agency. Yes, they might also be able to offer assistance in choosing a vacation and comparing prices, but the meeting with the travel agent will be more helpful and go that much more smoothly if you've already looked around online and gotten a good sense of what trips and deals are out there.


-It's a great idea to give yourself at least a day between the wedding and honeymoon. You'll really appreciate the down time to relax and take care of all the post-wedding details before having to leave for the honeymoon.

Engagement Rings!

Thinking of getting engaged? It's a truly exciting and wonderful time. You'll probably get lots of advice from family and friends you've talked to about it, but here are some things to consider as you plan the next steps, finding the engagement ring and making the proposal.


Engagement Rings

Unless someone in the family has an engagement ring to pass down to you, the next step is shopping for the right ring! You might want the ring to be a complete surprise, or you might want to look together to get ideas as to what you both like, then let the particular ring chosen be a surprise until the proposal. Here's what you need to know before you buy:


THE SETTING

The ring's setting is how the stones are held in place, and it gives the ring its unique and beautiful style. Here are the basic setting styles:


Solitaire - A single diamond, the solitaire is a very elegant and traditional look.


Settings with Side Stones - usually have a single, larger stone in the center, with smaller stones along the sides of the ring.


Three Stone Rings - Represent the past, present, and future


Pave and Micro-Pave - In these settings, the ring's band is literally paved with diamonds. This is a really popular trend in engagement rings, and you can see pictures and further description here.


Matching Bridal Sets - include both the engagement ring with the matching wedding band.

To learn more about settings and specific setting techniques, most jewlery stores include this information online. For example, Helzberg Diamonds has a very clear, comprehensive page dedicated to ring settings and techniques here.



METALS
Gold and Platinum remain the most popular metals used in creating engagement rings.


Silver-This metal is not as strong as other metals and isn't recommended for engagement rings, or other jewlery worn every day.


Yellow, White, or Rose Gold- The color of the gold depends on how much alloy of other metals (e.g., copper, silver, zinc, nickel) is added to the gold to strengthen it. For an engagement ring, 18 Karat gold is a good choice because of its durability and lustrous color.


Platinum- A very durable metal that has a similar look to white gold. This metal may scratch, but will not chip or splinter. The ring can be buffed yearly to reduce scratches and maintain its brightness. Platinum is an expensive metal, but it has become a very popular choice for engagement rings.


Titanium- a very light and strong metal, 1/3 the weight of gold. This metal is gaining popularity in jewlery, and is good for people who work with their hands or who are bothered by the weight of jewlery. One consideration with buying titanium is that it cannot be resized later, and the prong setting styles seen with other metals cannot be made using titanium.


For a comprehensive review of metals, Gillett's Jewlers has a great page here.



THE DIAMOND

When selecting a diamond, you should know the four C's: Color, Cut, Clarity, and Carat. Most jewlery stores will provide a brochure with this information about diamonds, and you can read more about it here, among other websites. These factors influence the price of the diamond. I would suggest a good quality diamond in terms of color and clarity over a larger diamond of lesser quality, but these are factors to weigh.


Color - the amount of color in the diamond. This can range from colorless (diamonds with a rating of D, E, F, G, H, I) to light yellow (a rating of S through G). Some diamonds even have tinges of grey or brown. A good diamond is colorless or near colorless.


Cut- the proportions, finish, symmetry, and polish of the diamond. These factors are what determines the fire and brilliance of the diamond. Names of cuts you'll come across include: round, emerald, princess, oval, pear, heart, marquise, trilliant, and radiant. For pictures and more information, this site on about.com has a very informative and useful discussion of diamond cuts.


Clarity - How clear or pure the diamond is. This has to do with the number, nature, and locations of imperfections in the diamond, including inclusions (internal) and blemishes (external). This ranges from Flawless, to Very Slightly Included (a good diamond) to Included (which have imperfections visible to the unaided eye).


Carat- The weight of the diamond.


DESIGNING YOUR OWN


If you want to customize an engagement ring to create something unique and personal, many local jewlers and online stores offer this option. This allows you to choose from among loose diamonds and create the setting, select the metal, and choose the style you want.


TOP JEWLERS

Tiffany
Tacori
Cartier
Bulgari
David Yurman
Verragio


RING MAINTENENCE, CLEANING AND INSPECTION


When investing money in purchasing an engagement ring and wedding bands, it is a very good idea to purchase the maintenence package offered, which usually will include regular inspections for free, replacement of any missing gems, as well as free resizing at least once a year. For peace of mind, the ring should be added to your home insurance policy.


Getting your rings cleaned once a month is a good idea. Most jewelry stores will do this as a courtesy, even if you did not buy the ring at that particular store. So, if you do not purchase your engagement ring and wedding bands in the same place, you could both have your rings cleaned all at once at either place.


Regular inspection every six months is usually recommended. During the inspection, the prongs are checked to make certain that they are in good condition and are not loose. The inspector will also check the gems to ensure all are present and that they are secure.


Buffing can be done yearly to clean off scratches, smoothing and polishing the metal.

Welcome!

Just about this time a year ago, I was finishing up the plans on my own wedding. It had been a long but fun, exciting, and challenging process that taught me a great deal about just how much goes into planning and coordinating it all. The internet was an invaluable resource during the year and a half of my engagement and wedding planning, and I want to share in these pages the information, insights and resources I discovered during that time. It took a lot of organization, hard work, and research, but was well worth the effort! Everything turned out beautifully, and I wish the same for you on your special day!


On this site, you'll find hopefully everything you need as you plan your own wedding . The site is under construction, so check back often for updates! Every aspect of wedding planning will be covered here. For those living in the Warrington, Pennsylvania area, there will also be some local resources, and I'll try to provide ways to search for local vendors and bridal shows in whatever area you live.