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Articles by Jaimie SchoenUpdated
What to Do With the Cash You Received as a Wedding Gift
Whether it’s better to receive a fabulous gift from your wedding registry , a check or cold-hard cash as a wedding gift is still up for debate (and all are very much appreciated!). But the one thing cash comes with that other gifts don't is possibilities. Once your wedding has come and gone, how do you decide what to do with the money you received as a wedding gift? Our experts have a few tips.
Do We Have to Have Assigned Seating at Our Wedding Reception?
You’ve chosen a venue, finalized your guest list, and drafted a floor plan for your reception . Now comes the bane of many a bride’s existence: seating assignments! When it comes to assigning (or not assigning!) seating at your wedding, the option that works best for you will play directly into the style of the event you’ve planned. Not sure which one is right for you?
What’s the Deal With Engagement Presents, Anyway?
Celebrating an engagement can often feel like a mystery. Do you even need to have an engagement party? Who’s supposed to host it ? Should people bring gifts? And should you send a gift when someone gets engaged, or wait until the wedding? The gifting part can be the most confusing, so we asked our experts: Should we expect engagement presents? An engagement is definitely a reason to celebrate, but there’s really no “right” way to do so.
4 Things You Can’t Forget When Choosing Your Maid of Honor
A maid of honor is more than just a bride’s best friend or sister. She’s a confidante, a support system, a planner of parties, and a voice of reason. So when you’re choosing who to ask to stand by your side at your wedding, choose wisely! Our experts have four things you can’t forget when you’re deciding who will be your MOH. When you’re deciding which friend you’ll tap as your maid of honor , start off by thinking about what you, as a bride, will need through the planning process.
2017’s Up and Coming Wedding Cake Trends
Intricate handmade details are what really set a cake apart. “This cake features over 1,200 individual sugar feathers, embossed with texture and artfully placed on each tier,” Bailey describes. Again, it proves that an all-white cake doesn’t have to be boring! “Dimension and movement keep cake designs visually captivating,” she says.
When Should We Send Our Save the Dates?
When it’s time to start spreading the word about your wedding, there’s no better place to start than with your save the dates! But as with every pre-wedding detail, timing is everything. So when’s the best time to send these ever-important cards? Here’s what our experts have to say. The timing for your save the dates depends on one very important factor: Whether or not you’re having a destination wedding .
We’re Planning on Having a Second Wedding Reception. Who Should We Invite?
A second wedding reception is a great way to continue the celebration and include guests who couldn’t make it to your wedding, especially if you tied the knot at a destination event. If you’re keeping the party going with a second reception, one of the biggest questions to answer is who you’ll invite! Should you include people who came to your wedding on the second-reception guest list? Here’s what our experts have to say.
These Luxury Hotel Engagement Packages Make Proposing Insanely Easy
Start your love story at this coastal chic paradise, where their staff will help you pop the question in style. The Engagement Package includes a romantic and secluded proposal on the beach, with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Rosé and canapés for you to toast the moment.
Your Definitive Guide to Wedding-Registry Etiquette
Your wedding registry can be anything you want it to be, from a curated list of items for your new home to a honeymoon fund to help with that trip of a lifetime. But no matter what you decide to register for, making sure your registry is well planned and organized will make the whole process that much easier for you and your guests.
Does the Ring Bearer Actually Carry the Rings Down the Aisle?
Whether your ring bearer is a nephew, cousin, godson, or one of your own sons, the role is a sweet way to honor and include the young men in your lives during your wedding ceremony . But the thought of sending a toddler on a walk with sentimental (and most likely expensive!) jewelry in tow is enough to make some brides shudder! Does your ring bearer actually need to carry the rings down the aisle? Our experts weigh in.
When Should the Bride and Groom Exchange Gifts on the Wedding Day?
One of our favorite wedding-day traditions is the gift exchange between the couple. Whether it’s a handwritten note, a quirky inside joke, or that watch or pair of earrings you’ve been eyeing for years, exchanging gifts or mementos marks the day a little more and is often the moment you realize This. Is. Happening. Just as important as deciding what to get your sweetheart is figuring out the logistics of how these gifts will be given.
Exactly How to Book a Hotel Room Block for Your Wedding (That Your Guests Will Appreciate to the Fullest!)
Whether you’re hosting a destination wedding or are just inviting a few guests from out of town, setting up a room block makes traveling for a wedding infinitely easier for everyone. We’ve asked our experts for a few tips that will make your room block helpful, comprehensive and totally appreciated by your guests. The key to successful room blocks is to offer an option (or options!) that are accessible to all of your guests.
The Definitive Guide to Wedding Speeches
Toasts can be the best part of a wedding reception , or they can be the worst part. The great wedding toasts are truly memorable, bring tears to guests’ eyes and are talked about for days after the event. The bad ones? Well, those go down in history, can be embarrassing and uncomfortable — or might just be downright boring. Want to make sure your wedding toasts fall in the former camp?
What If One of My 'Maids Doesn't Like the Bridesmaids' Dresses I Picked Out?
At least by definition, bridesmaids are supposed to be supportive, helpful, agreeable, and ultimately there to make your wedding-planning process a little bit easier. But they’re also human, which means they have opinions and preferences of their own, especially when it comes to what they’ll be wearing down the aisle. What if one of your bridesmaids decides she doesn’t like the dress you’ve chosen for her? Here are a few tips from our experts on how to handle the situation.
The Best Way to Introduce Your Future In-Laws to Your Family
Getting married is about more than just the two of you becoming a family. Your families are being joined together too! And if your parents haven’t met your fiancé’s parents yet, introducing the in-laws is a big pre-wedding “must do.” So what’s the best way to make this monumental occasion a little easier? We’ve got a few tips from our experts that will help you out. A successful first meeting is all about making sure everyone is comfortable.
5 Topics All Couples Have to Discuss Before the Wedding Planning Begins
Whether you start planning your wedding the second you get engaged or opt to wait a few weeks as you practice introducing your boyfriend as your fiancé, there really is a right way to kick off the process—and it’s not by heading to the bridal salon to try on gowns ! Instead, there are a few questions you’ll need to answer together before you get down to the wedding details that will help set you up for success. With more than a decade of weddings under her belt, Aimee Dominick, president of A.
Help, I’m ALREADY Getting Questions About When We’ll Have Kids!
First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes…well, you know how it goes! But we all know that sometimes those questions about when you’ll have kids can start before you’ve even walked down the aisle. That prying can be hard to handle, especially when you’ve got a lot on your plate, being in the midst of wedding planning , even before you've started thinking about the future and a possible pregnancy ! So what’s the best way to fend off these way-too-personal questions?
As a Bridesmaid, Do You Have to Bring a Gift to ALL Pre-Wedding Events?
Being a bridesmaid can be pricey, no matter how much the bride tries to keep costs down. One expense she can’t control? What you spend on any gifts you buy her and her spouse-to-be. While you could opt to stick with cheaper items so your budget goes a little farther, knowing exactly when you must bring a gift (thereby reducing the number of gifts you have to buy!) means you’ll be able to plan accordingly—and maybe spring for something you know your friend really, really wants.
Who Should Get an Invitation to the Bridal Shower?
Whether you’re opting for a traditional bridal shower , with games, tea, and gifts to turn a house into a home, or something more modern, (like a cooking class or a racier lingerie shower), a shower is a time-honored tradition where the women in your life come to celebrate you as you go from Miss to Mrs. But which women exactly? We asked our experts to fill us in on who gets an invitation.
5 Tips for Keeping Your Bridesmaids Organized, On-Board and On-Time While Wedding Planning
They’re your sisters, your best friends, your squad. And while every bride loves her bridesmaids , sometimes a whole gaggle of gals can be tough to manage. With a wedding planning to do list a mile long, keeping track of your bridesmaids (and making sure they’re still as pumped for your wedding day as you are!) involves some extra attention and organization. Our experts have a few tips that will help you and your ‘maids stay on top of the details.
What You Can (and Can’t!) Discuss with Someone Who Isn't Invited to Your Wedding
As soon as you’ve got a ring on your finger, people will start asking about your wedding. Friends, family members, acquaintances, even the person working the register at your local supermarket. Unless you’re a master at keeping secrets, it’s hard to resist the urge to chat about what you have planned, especially if you’re talking to someone you know. But if that person isn’t invited to your wedding, you’ll want to tread lightly to make sure they don’t feel excluded.
Bachelorette Party Etiquette Your Besties Will Appreciate
While the bride isn’t always involved in the planning of her bachelorette party , there are still ways she can make sure her ladies are having a blast, from choosing a convenient weekend or location to making sure the options are budget-friendly.
Is Your Future Mother-in-Law Overwhelming You With Ideas and Opinions About Your Wedding?
Navigating a relationship with your future mother-in-law can be tricky. You want to stay on her good side, but you may still be getting to know each other, which means some of those limits a relationship forms might not exist yet. This can be especially challenging when you’re dealing with the details of your wedding day and your mother-in-law has a lot of opinions—but isn’t ponying up the cash for her ideas. So what’s a bride to do? Our experts have a few tips.
6 Little Things Your Wedding Photographer Will Totally Appreciate
There's a lot more to working with your wedding photographer than just signing the contract and telling them where they'll need to be.
How to Word Your Wedding Invitations If Your Parents Are Divorced, Remarried, or Deceased
The way you word your wedding invitations provides all sorts of clues to your guests, from who is hosting to how formal the event will be. Modern etiquette lets couples mix up the wording a little bit, but there are still tricky situations that have to be navigated carefully. When your parents are divorced or remarried, or if someone has passed away, that means you’ll need to choose wording that’s not quite standard. Our experts are here to help walk you through it.
Can We Have a Flower Girl and a Ring Bearer and Still Have an Adults-Only Wedding Reception?
Choosing to have an adults-only wedding reception can be great, but it does pose one little problem: Does keeping kids off the guest list mean you’ve got to nix the flower girl and ring bearer ? If you’ve got your heart set on sending a few tots down the aisle—but keeping them off the dance floor—our experts have some tips to help you walk that fine line. The short answer is, yes, you can definitely have a flower girl and a ring bearer without inviting kids to the reception.
What's the Best Way to Plan a Dry Wedding?
Weddings and open bars are nearly synonymous, and if you’re feeling generous (and enjoy a glass of wine or a beer, yourselves), they’re a great option. But what if alcohol isn’t your thing? No matter the reason, it’s enough to make a couple consider having a dry wedding . So is a booze-free reception acceptable, or is it totally taboo? Here’s what our experts have to say. Deciding whether or not to serve alcohol at your wedding is completely up to you.
So, Do We Have to Deal With Wedding DIY Projects?
It seems like every wedding these days is full of personal, hand-crafted details made by the bride and groom. And while these wedding DIY projects are great, what if you’re not the crafty type — or really don’t have time to bust out that glue gun when you’ve got a wedding to plan? We asked our experts if those DIY details are really necessary. Here’s what they had to say.
Royal London Honeymoon Ideas and Tips
Your honeymoon is the perfect opportunity to really indulge. Upgraded rooms, daily massages, and spontaneous glasses of champagne aren’t just acceptable, they’re highly recommended! After all, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience , and you should use this moment as a chance to live like royalty. Speaking of royalty, is there anywhere more impressive and highbrow than the home of the world’s most famous royal family , London?
4 Tips to Nailing Wedding Invitation Etiquette
Invitations are a key part of planning a wedding. After all, what’s the point of planning one if you don’t invite your guests to join you? Those little pieces of paper can be pretty tricky to navigate, and all the details tend to bring up lots of questions! So we’ve rounded up the basics of wedding invitation etiquette to get you started, stress-free.
The Top 10 American Cities for a Bachelorette Bash
The only thing that comes close to your wedding on the fun scale is your bachelorette party . A night (or weekend!) with your best friends, celebrating love and your "last fling before the ring"—what could be better? Sure, a few days on the beach sounds fabulous, but you don't have to go that far for an incredible bachelorette celebration.
How to Arrange Your Wedding Reception Seating Chart When Your (or Your Groom's) Parents Are Divorced
You’ve made a guest list, sent out the invitations, and now it’s time to work on the wedding reception seating chart . It’s a dreaded task that’s often made harder by family politics, and having divorced and remarried parents falls right into that camp. So what’s the best way to seat your guests when it’s a little more complicated than just “his and her family”? Here are a few tips from our experts. Seating divorced and remarried parents at your wedding requires a little extra sensitivity.
The 5 Steps to Choosing Your Wedding Style
Long gone are the days when wedding design was standard, when you topped white tablecloths with soft pink centerpieces and called it a day. With a huge range of venues, nearly endless rental options, and inspiration running the gamut from soft and timeless to eclectic and edgy, deciding which style works for you might seem like a huge challenge.
How to (Politely) Respond to Prying Questions About Your Wedding
As soon as you get engaged, everyone will have questions. How did he ask? Where’s the wedding? What are you planning? And while some of the questions are good-natured (especially the ones making sure you’re handling the stress alright!), others can feel totally prying. We asked our experts for a few tips on addressing — and avoiding — those wedding questions you just don’t want to answer. While some questions are welcome (and expected), others can just rub a bride the wrong way.
What’s the Best Time for Wedding Speeches at the Reception?
Love them or hate them, speeches are a key part of a wedding reception. Those toasts ( not roasts — save those for the bachelor party or rehearsal dinner !) give guests an insight into who the bride and groom are, as well as their relationship, and are a chance for the hosts and the happy couple to speak to and thank their guests for attending. So what’s the best way to arrange these speeches — or just get them over with? Our experts weigh in.
Filing Jointly With Your Hubs? Don't Send In Your Taxes Without Reading This
A wedding-planning to-do list can seem a mile long sometimes, and the last thing a busy bride wants to do is add to it! But keeping on top of your finances as tax season approaches is incredibly important, for both your wedding budget and your post-wedding financial plans . So why should you add "Talk about our taxes" to all the other tasks you need to accomplish before your wedding day rolls around?
7 Tips for Easy (and Thoughtful!) Thank-You Notes
You’ve heard it your whole life: If you get a gift, send a thank-you note! And that advice is never more important than when it comes to your wedding. But sending thank-you notes doesn’t have to be a chore! Here are seven tips from our experts to make thank-you notes easy while still totally thoughtful. Be prepared. As soon as you get engaged , find thank-you cards you love, and order extras.
Turns Out You CAN Actually Afford Your Dream Wedding (and Honeymoon!)
We all know how expensive planning a wedding can be, but there's no need to go into debt over it! Instead, set yourselves up for success by considering your wedding budget early, planning strategically, and keeping an eye on your finances—all while making sure your biggest priorities are accounted for. And of course you'll want a little extra available when it's all said and done for your dream honeymoon ! To help keep you on budget, we sat down with a pro: Sara Margulis, CEO of Honeyfund .
4 Common Wedding Ceremony Snafus and Exactly How to Handle Them
While every bride hopes everything goes right on her wedding day, there’s only so much planning and preparation you can do. With so many moving parts, something is bound to happen! And even with a script, carefully selected readings, and an officiant to keep everything in order, there is always the potential for some little snafu to come up at the wedding ceremony . We asked our experts for tips to handle the most common of wedding-ceremony mishaps.
How to Make Sure Your Wedding Dress Code Is Understood By Your Guests
Being a wedding guest is easy, right? Show up, celebrate with your friends, have a few drinks…sounds great! Unless, of course, you’re staring into your closet and have no idea what you’re supposed to wear. To save your guests the stress and confusion, we’ve asked our experts for their tips to make sure your wedding dress code is totally clear. Read on! The key to making sure your guests understand (and follow) your dress code is repetition.
Here's How to Resize Your Engagement Ring If It's Too Small or Too Large
Your fiancé put a lot of time and effort into picking out the perfect engagement ring and probably did his best to figure out your size, from having a pal take you ring shopping to snooping in your jewelry drawer for a bauble you wear all the time to bring with him to the jeweler. But what if that ring he grabbed as an example fits your thumb or he seriously underestimated your size? It's time to head back to the jeweler to have your ring resized.
Are YOU Planning to Propose? Here's How to Buy Your Guy the Perfect Engagement Ring
In matters of the heart, when you know, you just know! For many couples, that realization that they've found the One leads to marriage. Traditionally, it's a man who proposes to a woman, often with a sparkling diamond ring in tow. But tradition is boring! We say, if you want to be the one to get down on one knee and propose to him , go for it! Of course, all the engagement-ring-shopping advice out there doesn't really apply when you're looking for the perfect band instead of a diamond solitaire.
Should We Send a Wedding Invitation to Someone We Know Can't Attend?
As you’re choosing a wedding date and making your guest list, there’s a good chance you’ll find out that someone you’d really hoped would be there won’t be able to make it to your wedding. When it comes time to send out your invitations , should you add them to the list anyway, even though you know they can’t come? Here’s what our experts have to say. Deciding whether or not to invite a guest you already know can’t attend your wedding all depends on the context.
For Our Engagement Party, Do We Have to Send Formal Invitations?
There’s all sorts of etiquette around wedding invitations , from how you should word them to when you should send them to what you should and shouldn’t include. (We see you, registry information!) But when it comes to pre-wedding events, the etiquette is a little less clear. Are formal, printed invitations a must-have for your engagement party ? We’ve got the facts for you, straight from our experts.
Congratulations on Getting Engaged! Now, Here Are 4 Key Faux Pas to Avoid
Getting engaged is crazy exciting. It’s a huge moment in your lives, as well as the start of a major project: planning your wedding ! Before you get carried away, make sure you’re starting everything off on the right foot. Here are four things to make sure you avoid doing right after that ring is slipped on your finger . Avoid posting on social media. It’s totally tempting to snap a ring pic and plaster “He asked, and I said Yes!” all over your social profiles, but make sure you time it right.
This Is the Right Way to Discuss Your Wedding Budget With Your Parents (and Your Fiancé)
Your wedding budget is the most important detail to figure out when you’re in the process of planning your big day. The downside? Talking about money is tough, which makes these key conversations a challenge. We’ve asked our experts to share a few tips that will help you discuss dollars, from asking your parents to contribute to allocating the funds with your fiancé. If your parents have always planned to pay for some (or all) of your wedding, this first conversation won’t be as hard as it could be.
So, Who Hosts the Engagement Party?
You’re engaged! Now it’s time to celebrate, and what better way to do that than with an engagement party? While other pre-wedding events have pretty standard etiquette around planning and hosting, from your maid of honor planning the bachelorette party to the parents of the groom hosting the rehearsal dinner , engagement parties are a little less clear. So who is supposed to host the engagement party? Here’s what our experts have to say.
Brides, This Is What You Need to Know About Booking a Room Block for Your Guests
Whether you’re hosting a wedding in your hometown with out-of-town guests or are inviting everyone to join you at your favorite destination , a room block is a great way to ensure your guests will have somewhere to stay—and to even get them a little bit of a deal! When you’re planning out your room block, there are a few things you’ll need to consider. Our experts are here to walk you through it. The most important thing to do when considering a room block is to book early.
The Definitive Guide to Tenting Your Wedding
Whether it’s part of your design scheme for an outdoor bash or a “just in case” rental while you cross your fingers that it doesn’t rain , there’s a whole lot more to tenting part (or all) of your wedding than just putting up a structure and proceeding with your plans. From styles and sizes to specifications for space, it turns out tents can actually be pretty intricate! But tenting your wedding doesn’t have to be a headache.
Jung Lee's 7 Do's for Creating the Ultimate Wedding Registry
There’s more to your wedding registry than just picking a few items for around your home and calling it a day. From timing to registering intentionally to being conscious of your guests’ budgets, it’s a lot to consider! Thankfully, the professionals are here to help make this process as easy for you as possible. Here are some of the top registry do’s (and don’ts), straight from the experts! Wedding planners’ experience extends way beyond planning weddings.
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