Wedding Invitations

This winter has been a record in cold temperatures and snowfall around many parts of the world. While the snowfall is great for the areas that have been suffering from droughts the past few years, the weather is causing all kinds of challenges. In some parts of southern China the temperature has dropped far below what the homes were built for. For example, in Macau it’s normally warm or hot all year round. So their homes aren’t typically built with heaters like ours are in the US and Canada. With the recent temperatures in the high 30’s (F) they’re finding it very difficult to stay warm.
 
Now taking us further north in China, there have been many delays and other problems due to the frequency and amount of snowfall. With this come many stories, including one in southwest Sichuan where a couple got stranded by the snow on the way to their wedding ceremony. Instead, they were married on the road. I guess they didn’t want to wait. You can be sure that will be a story to tell for generations.

This story also opens up the opportunity to create a whole new set of wedding etiquette guidelines. “Roadside wedding etiquette”.  

The full story can be view at:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-02/04/content_7565591.htm

Being late is a big wedding etiquette no no mainly because of the disruptive factor. Often times when guests are late for the ceremony and attempt to find a seat during the ceremony, it can be very distracting, especially if there are doors being opened, closed, opened, closed, opened, closed, and so on.

Here are some tips for guests to make it on time:
• First and foremost, plan ahead.
• Have everything ready to go for the next day. Have clothes laid out, make up and hair stuff in one spot, etc.
• Even make a check list of things to do that day and follow it.
• Leave early. Better to be early than late.
• Check the weather forecast the day before. If it says rain or snow, you’ll want to give yourself some extra time. All too often people don’t give themselves the extra needed time, still drive fast in the hazardous weather conditions and end up in an accident. That defeats the purpose. 
• Check the traffic report before leaving and take the path of least resistance.
• Avoid getting lost. Look at the map and directions BEFORE the very last second. If feasible, drive to the location days prior to the wedding just so you know where it’s at. Mapquest.com is also a great tool for directions within the United States.

Now if you’re the bride, groom or part of the wedding party that’s a whole other discussion. We’ll discuss that tomorrow.

So you know the children are invited to the wedding ceremony, now the secret is how to keep them quite.

Each child and each age in unique, so what works for one child may not work for the next.  Hopefully these ideas will help with your child.

• Quite Books – These books are generally made of fabric and have little quite activities for them to do.
• Puzzles or Puzzle Books – Puzzle books are nice because it allows them to have multiple puzzles to do. Avoid the wood puzzles as they tend to make noise.

Introduce the activity to them just beforehand so they’re not already bored of it. Also, showing them how to use it just beforehand will help avoid the “mom-dad, how do I do this?” being shouted out during a time they need to be quite.

Sometimes ceremonies take a lot longer than expected and when it comes to children with hungry bellies, well…there’s very few things worse than trying to keep a cranky hungry child quite. You may want to bring a baggie of non-messy snacks like cheerios and drink boxes to tie them over. Be sure they eat lots before they come.

Have children use the restroom before the ceremony so you don’t interrupt anything.

If your child is at an age they understand your words, be sure to explain the expectations ahead of time. Even reward them for good behavior afterwards. Reward – not bribe ;0)

I hope some in this wedding etiquette blog helped you today. Make it a good one.

Another important aspect of good wedding etiquette to consider is; will there be any guests who have physical challenges that will need special seating arrangements or accommodations?

Will there be guests with wheelchairs? Walkers? Crutches? Is there a guest that will need two chairs vs one? Will there be vertically challenged guests that may need to sit up front to see?

Make special seating arrangements that are reserved specifically for these guests. Guests with apparatuses (crutches, walkers, oxygen tanks, etc.) would need to sit someplace they can have room to place those apparatuses, such as the ends of rows or at the front.

Typically the first few rows are for family members, but there’s no rule saying you can’t be creative at your own wedding and make special accommodations for guests not related to you.

Some guests may be embarrassed if a big deal is made about having specially reserved seating for them when they get there (depending on their situation). I wouldn’t be a bad idea to even talk to those guests before the wedding ceremony and give them a heads up that they will be assigned a seat to make their lives easier.  Even have an usher (a friend) assigned to help with seating and train them who to look for and where they will sit.

I’m sure there are many scenarios to consider, but I hope this will serve as a good reminder for now.  

Your groom should plan a guys’ day of golf, touch football, sports bar outing, or some other activity to do together with his groomsmen before the wedding, so they can have a chance to bond and hang out apart from the actual wedding ceremony. This is especially important even though the groom obviously already is well acquainted with his choices for groomsmen. It’ll help him to relax a bit and to get some physical exercise to help get his mind off any stress he might have otherwise been feeling.

When it comes to selecting your wedding party, It is okay to have a different number of bridesmaid and groomsmen. In the procession, you can pair up men and women or single out your maid of honor while doubling up the other bridesmaids. Feel free to be creative.

If you are particularly close to a male friend and your groom does not include him as one of his groomsmen, rest assured that its okay for women today to have members of the opposite sex as their attendants. Talk your plans over with your fiancé to be sure he is comfortable with this option. Also ask him whether he has female friends whom he would like to be in the party.

If you have a younger cousin or niece who is too old to be a flower girl but too young to be a bridesmaid, consider bestowing on her the honor of being a junior bridesmaid. She can walk in the procession in a dress that has the same color scheme as the apparel of the wedding party.

Have you ever thought about using your pet in your wedding ceremony? Believe it or not, one bride has her dog be the ring bearer. She dressed him in a little tuxedo and tied the ring pillow to his back. A friend walked the dog down the aisle.

When are wedding reception cards necessary?
Traditionally, a reception card is only used when a select number of guests invited to the ceremony are invited to the reception. Nowadays, a reception card is included with the invitation, even when everyone invited to the ceremony is invited to the reception. Sometimes they can be omitted if the reception is taking place at the same location as the wedding ceremony - if there is room to fit "Reception immediately following ceremony" on the wedding invitation. The most formal way still, however is to include a separate reception card.

Why is it proper to send a reception card?
The invitation says, "You are special." Mailed along with the wedding invitation, this card announces the time and location of the reception.

If you are a "do it yourselfer" and are on a tight
budget, you can follow our Free Bride’s guide with the help of your family and
friends be able to plan your wedding ceremony and reception without the help of
a wedding coordinator. All the tools you’ll need are found within this guide.

However, if you have the resources, and you are the type to get uptight and
stress or even overwhelmed by getting too many people involved, you might want
to consider hiring a professional to take the burden off your shoulders so you can enjoy making the decisions presented to you rather than being
involved in all the details of making sure that everything gets covered.

Time is also a major issue these days.
Everyone is so busy. Also you might just be overwhelmed with the idea of
coordinating such an extravagant event. If you have difficulty with
organization and /or maintaining focus, maybe hiring a professional would help
you to enjoy the process a lot more.

(When it comes to selecting your wedding invitations, you can count on our help
here at www.BeautifulWeddingInvitations.com)

To whom should I write thank you notes and what should I say? I’m really not very good with words.

Of course anyone who sent you a wedding gift, even a family member deserves
a thank you note and don’t forget the people who helped you in any way
with your wedding ceremony, reception, etc.

Receiving cards and notes these
days of quick phone calls and emails is actually very special. They
mean a lot and because they are permanent and static, they can be
reread over and over. However, don’t get writer’s block and put it off
because you think it has to be a masterpiece. Just write how you would
thank them in person. Your recipients really just want to assurance
that you received their gift and that you appreciate it.

If someone
spent time helping you, even though it may be something they really
wanted to do for you, it means an awful lot to even just a short note
of thanks.

Don’t let your thank you notes pile up if you can avoid it. Try to
keep up with them as the gifts arrive so you won’t be overwhelmed with
so many at once. That way it won’t seem so much like a chore. Don’t
worry if you can’t think of different creative ways of saying thanks.
They aren’t going to be comparing notes!

If your reception is to take place at your parent’s house and their
names are on the invitation, just enter their home address. Your guests
will be able to figure it out. If you are having your reception hosted
at a friend’s house, their name and address would be listed on the
reception card.

If your wedding ceremony is scheduled after six p.m. it is considered
formal. Some guests will be aware of that, but not all, so if you want
your reception to be “Black tie” you can indicate it on your reception
card in the lower right hand corner. It will appear in smaller type.

While not common, one question we sometimes hear is: "What if we are having our wedding reception a few weeks later, can we include the reception card with the wedding invitation?" To be correct, "No" they are separate events so should be mailed separately. More on this tomorrow.