Wedding Invitations

Don’t worry, we understand.  It’s definitely far too easy for many brides in the middle of a wedding-planning whirlwind to momentarily forget that the wedding guests are just as important a part of the day as most other parts of the wedding.  After all, the wedding is a celebration and you and your groom look forward to celebrating your marriage with close friends and family.  Taking your guests’ comfort and enjoyment into consideration when making arrangements for your wedding is a very thoughtful thing for any bride to do. Of course, this does not absolve the wedding guests from any responsibilities on your wedding day. 

While some of your guests (or even members of the wedding party) may want to rebel against etiquette, wedding or otherwise, the fact of the matter is that when the wedding guests are considerate, thoughtful, and happy for the newlyweds, the day is a joyful one for all involved.You will find that wedding etiquette asks a few but important things of the guests.  That guests respond promptly to the wedding invitation, that guests arrive a little early for the wedding ceremony (arriving after the bride is such a no-no!), and that guests enjoy themselves in moderation at the reception.  Single wedding guests should not assume, without first asking the bridal couple, that they ought to bring a date.  And while it’s often convenient for a guest to bring their wedding gift with them on the special day, it’s generally frowned upon as it creates more confusion and burdens on the wedding party.

So you can see and understand now just how much of the etiquette for wedding guests is really quite reasonable and actually very sensible, and makes the wedding day a memorable and enjoyable one for everyone.

Roses? Hydrangeas? Peonies?  You are certainly not alone if you are feeling overwhelmed by sorting out the flowers for your wedding.  If you are planning on honoring your mothers and grandmothers and other special women in your lives, definitely mark down corsages for these ladies.  It’s a good idea to add in a few extras for any you might have inadvertently overlooked).  Also think about what flowers to order for the reception site, the ceremony site, the rehearsal dinner site, and of course the flowers for the wedding party. 

Brides might wonder about the etiquette involved in selecting wedding flowers and we’d like to help clear up any confusion that might be out there.  Both tradition and wedding etiquette suggests that the groom himself give the bride her bouquet as a gift, as well as the flowers for the bridal couple’s mothers and grandmothers and the groomsmen’s boutonnieres.  Traditionally, the bride takes care of ceremony and reception flowers as well as the bridesmaids’ bouquets.  Another lovely gift of flowers you could make together would be to send flowers to family members who are unable to attend the wedding due to distance or poor health.

No matter how large or small a wedding is, one thing that is almost guaranteed to be a part of the day are the flowers.  Flowers adorning the church door, scattered by the flower girl, worn proudly as a corsage by the mother of the groom, and of course carried happily by the joyful bride, there’s no question that weddings and flowers go together and make a winning combination.

For other flower ideas when planning your wedding, check out these sites:

The Date Matters: Ways Save Money on your Wedding Flowers
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Tips On How To Plan Your Wedding Flowers
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Wedding Flowers…FAQ’s
- This will allow the florist to begin looking for any props or specialty items you might need. Wedding flowers can be highly specific and colors often have to be very precise, so florists need advance notice to place flower orders. …

5 Ways to DIY Wedding Flowers
- Many people don’t realize that they can have fresh cut flowers at their wedding without breaking the bank if they simply opt to create the floral arrangements themselves. Tons of floral wholesalers are willing to sell to the general …

Preserving Your Wedding Flowers
- Press It - Some companies, such as Pressed In Time Flowers, will take your wedding bouquet and turn it into a work of art as they press it beautifully into a flat frame that can be set alone or paired with a photo or wedding invitation. …

We all can agree that flowers are a beautiful and classic decoration for brides and weddings in general.  But did you know that brides have not always carried bouquets of flowers at their weddings?  History tells us that brides in ancient Egypt carried bouquets of sweet-smelling herbs at weddings, as this was believed to ward off evil spirits on such an important day.  Romans carried on this tradition for much the same reasons.  Many brides in ancient Rome carried handfuls of the herb rosemary that symbolized fidelity and fertility, two very highly-prized things.  Orange blossoms were also chosen, to symbolize happiness and fulfillment for the newlyweds.  

It was Queen Victoria (and then, of course, Victorian-era brides) who first selected roses for wedding bouquets, and even today roses are chosen by the majority of brides for their bouquets.  Why roses? Well, the Victorians felt that the rose symbolized deep and true love, so what better flower for a bride’s bouquet than a rose? Wedding flowers are scattered by a small girl preceding the English bride and her wedding party, who walk together to the wedding chapel or the wedding site. The flowered path and symbolic walk express hope for the bride’s path through life to be happy and lovely.

In terms of wedding etiquette and flowers, matters are really very simple.  A bride can select the flowers that she desires and stay on the good side of etiquette as long as she keeps her groom in mind as well as her wedding party.  Remember, etiquette has the groom paying for the bride’s wedding bouquet!

Did you just get engaged? The odds are good that you’re plenty overwhelmed at the thought of all there is to do to plan your wedding and you might not know where to begin. We thought we’d give a few pointers to get you started, as well as a reminder that it won’t go on forever and all that hard work will result in a beautiful day for you and your future spouse to remember for years to come.

Among the important things to decide early on would be the date of the wedding. You don’t necessarily have to have a firm date and time squared away within 72 hours of that engagement ring going on your finger, that’s definitely not in any wedding etiquette or planning guides, but a general idea of how much time you’ll have to plan this wedding is a handy thing to have, both for you and for your family and other members of your wedding party. Have you always dreamed of a spring wedding? Or perhaps the thought of a Christmas wedding gets your heart racing. These are the kinds of date-setting we’re talking about. From there, you can go on to pick locations for both ceremony and reception, wedding gowns, flowers, and bridesmaid dresses. But without the date, you can’t make very many firm plans.

Do also keep in mind that many wedding-related items must be ordered months in advance, such as the gowns and the wedding invitations. Factor in that wedding etiquette also advises that it’s best to send invitations out anywhere between one to two months before the wedding, and you’ll quickly see that there’s a lot more planning involved than you might have originally thought.

No matter how large or small a wedding is, one thing that is almost guaranteed to be a part of the day are the flowers. Flowers adorning the church door, scattered by the flower girl, worn proudly as a corsage by the mother of the groom, and of course carried happily by the joyful bride, there’s no question that weddings and flowers go together and make a winning combination.

Are you overwhelmed by sorting out the flowers for your wedding? You’re not alone! If you are planning on honoring your mothers and grandmothers and other special women in your lives, definitely mark down corsages or nosegays for these ladies (and add in a few extras for any you might have inadvertently overlooked). You might also want to think about flowers for the reception site, the ceremony site, the rehearsal dinner site, and of course the flowers for the wedding party.

Some brides in the early stages of wedding planning might wonder about the etiquette involved in selecting wedding flowers and we’d like to help clear up any confusion that might be out there. Wedding etiquette (or tradition) suggests that the groom himself give the bride her bouquet as a gift, as well as the flowers for the bridal couple’s mothers and grandmothers and the groomsmen’s boutinieres. Traditionally, the bride takes care of ceremony and reception flowers as well as the bridesmaids’ bouquets.

Another lovely gift of flowers you could make together would be to send flowers to family members who are unable to attend the wedding due to distance or poor health. Trust me, no one doesn’t like being remembered with a gift of flowers.

If your wedding reception has live music or dancing, you must note this important aspect of wedding etiquette. The bride and groom will start the dancing. This should be a romantic moment. Have the band or DJ play your favorite song. Turn down the lights and the volume. All eyes will be on you as you dance.

This will soon develop into a chance for the bride and groom’s parents to have a chance to join in. First, the bride’s father will cut in and dance with his daughter. The groom will ask the bride’s mother to dance.

Here’s where it gets funny, but stay with me…Next, the groom’s father cuts in and dances with the bride. The bride’s father then cuts in on the groom and dances with his wife. The groom is now without a partner, so he invites his mother to dance. Then the best man gets to dance with the bride, then the maid of honor.

Now it’s time for everyone to dance. Turn up the music and have a great time! Instead of romantic now the mood is fun and celebratory.

You’ve probably wondered what the best way to handle seating guests at the reception.  Here are 4 rules to follow for proper wedding etiquette.

1. Seating the bride and groom, close friends and family

The bride and groom should sit in the center of the main table with their parents, and wedding party. Your closest family and friends should be seated nearest the top table.

2. Seating Couples

If your tables are round seat couples next to each other. Otherwise for retangular tables, seat them facing each other. Don’t split up couples or children from their parents.

3. Alternate Sexes

It’s usually good form to alternate seats between men and women.

4. Think about how people will get along

Try to seat people next to each other who will most likely get along well. Avoid seating people next to each other who probably won’t get along. On round tables, this is even more important because it’s even more intimate.

Assign someone to give some thought to this matter. It can really affect the mood of your wedding reception and add to the atmosphere of the room.