When to send your Wedding Invitations

I often get asked how far in advance wedding invitations should be sent out so I thought it might be helpful to share this information on my blog.

If you are sending Save the Dates you can send them out right away while the wedding invitations are typically sent out 8 weeks before the wedding. This allows guests sufficient time to make travel arrangements.

Ask for an RSVP date of 3 weeks before your wedding to allow plenty time for you to make a final head count, assign seats and prepare escort cards. In my experience you will have some late RSVPs that you will need to track down for an answer.

At the least you should send them out six weeks in advance, and set an RSVP date of 2 weeks prior to the wedding.

Head Table Special Touch

Hang icicle lights under the front tablecloth at the head table to create a soft glow adding a special touch of elegance.

Table Cards

Add a fun and personal touch to your wedding day with your table cards. We created ours based on places that were important to us (Chicago, Michigan State University, etc.). Other fun ideas:

• quotes
• song lyrics
• take pictures of numbers all over town
• pictures of the two of you in different situations with the numbers
• numbered rocks
• chalk boards
• numbers on bottles of wine

or you could carry over the design from your wedding invitations for a cohesive look. You can get as creative as you would like or keep them simple and elegant. Just remember to have fun with them!

Bridesmaids Gifts

Worried about getting your bridesmaids jewelry that will only see the light of day on your wedding day?

I recommend simple yet elegant jewelry from WAR International (Women At Risk). Through purchasing their jewelry you aid woman in Thailand that were sold into slavery. So you are not only purchasing beautiful jewelry for your friends and loved ones but you are also helping a cause. Check out their gallery: http://www.warinternational.com/store/auxpage_1/

I purchased the single pearl necklaces for my wedding and I still catch my bridesmaids wearing them 2+ years after my wedding.

Wedding Shoes

This one goes out to all the brides to be that love to dance. Sure you can spend a significant amount of money to get fancy, high heeled shoes for your wedding day, but unless your dress is short I have always wondered "what's the point?"

At 5'10" I am on the taller side and even though my husband is 6'2" I didn't want to tower over him on our wedding day. I also LOVE to dance and I am a big runner so a bit of my active and practical side partnered with my floor length dress led me to the puma store to purchase my wedding shoes.

They actually have a range of white, elegant yet still sporty shoes that are perfect for your special day! My feet were so comfortable and I was able to dance the night away. Not to mention I didn't run the risk of tripping or stumbling my way down the aisle.

So if you have a long dress and like to dance I would consider checking them out. I am certainly happy I did. These shoes have gotten more wear then any other pair of wedding shoes I was considering would have.

So slip on that glass slipper Cinderella and have a ball!

Wedding Favors

Instead of getting our guests some little cheesy knickknack we decided to do something more meaningful and made a donation to the National Stroke Association, a charity near to our hearts. Knowing that it is fun for guests to receive something we decided to make chocolates to include with the donation message.

As the wedding took place in October we were able to locate leaf molds online and purchase white and dark chocolate at Michaels. I would also suggest picking up a squirt bottle to easily fill the molds with the melted chocolate.

Directions
Simply melt the chocolate and use the bottle or a spoon to fill the molds. Once the molds are filled put them in the fridge for 10 minutes to allow time for the chocolate to harden. Pop them out and repeat.

We purchased little plastic bags online to place the chocolates in. They were a huge hit!

Chocolate: White and Dark at Michaels
Squirt bottle: Michaels
Molds: http://www.customchocolateshop.com
Plastic Bags: http://www.wrapwithus.com

Photo Booth Keepsake

Have a photo booth at your wedding? Pick up a scrapbook (we got ours at Michaels as it is easy to find a coupon for there), some colored pens and glue sticks and your wedding guests can leave you a message next to their photos. We had so much fun reading all of the messages and checking out all of the pictures!