Save-The-Date...not mine!

To save-the-date or not?!

To me, save the dates are the fun part of the invitation! It gives the couple a chance to express themselves in a fun way no matter the theme of your wedding! The question is, who do I send save-the-dates to?

My answer is...everyone that is on your guest list. If you decide to send save-the-dates, which I always recommend, then why would you leave some people out?! It gives the guests a head's up to take off work, make travel arrangements, save money, look for a dress:) or find a babysitter. It is always better to plan ahead so why not let everyone know. Yes, of course you have told your best friends and family what the date will be but they HAVE to be there no matter what!

When do I send them? I would suggest about 6 months before the wedding. This will give out of town guests plenty of time to get on board!!

Always remember that you can't take back a Save-the-date. If there are a few guests that you are unsure if they will make the "cut" then don't send them one and if they get added to the list you can send them the formal invite later. You would rather add people on then have unwanted people invited!!

This can also up your budget by a couple hundred dollars so get creative!! There are many ways that you can make your own for pennies each...you just have to think really hard!

Rich Bride, Poor Bride...

Let me start by saying that there is no right or wrong answer to this madness! I am simply giving my opinion in the hopes that it will help in your decision making :)!

What does the bride pay for when it comes to her wedding party? Dresses, shoes, jewelry, hair, makeup, nails...and the list goes on! There are many different ways to look at this somewhat difficult decision.

Let's start with the dress and shoes. When you ask your bridesmaids to be a part of your big day some are thinking how exciting it is while others are thinking about all the money they have to spend...try to make it balanced! You should work within a price range that you know your bridesmaids can afford. For instance, if you are getting married and some of your BM's are still paying their way through college then don't choose a $300 BM dress and expect them to pay for it! If you have your heart set on an expensive dress then you should split the cost with them so that they don't try to ruin your wedding behind your back...

Now onto the beauty of it all! If you asked your ladies to join you for the day-of beauty routine don't expect them all to agree. Some of the ladies are not going to want to spend hundreds of dollars when they can do it themselves for much less. If you are suggesting (aka forcing) them to have their hair and/or makeup done with your stylists then I believe that it is your duty to pay for it or split the cost with them.

Think how you would feel in every situation!

What to do when you get engaged...

Don't forget about your blog!! I have been a little lazy over the past week and I will make sure to post something good today or tomorrow! Who knew that getting engaged makes you forget things?!?!

This amazing picture is from the very talented Sally Brewer. You can also check out her blog here.