HOW TO | REPURPOSING WEDDING DECOR

We all know that planning your wedding takes time and money and we’re here to help you make the most of it. Once the glitz and glam is over it’s hard to part with your delicately planned details and decorations so we’ve rallied up a few ideas to help you reuse your thoroughly thought out wedding decor in your home.

GREETING SIGN

The great thing about letter boards is how versatile they are! Not to mention they’re super cute. Whether you’re using it as a welcome sign or for your photo booth it can forever be updated and hung in your home to give you ultimate personalization.

photo by Natalie Broach Photography

Photo | Ro Birkley

VASES

The best way to dress up any space is…. yup, you guessed it! FLORALS. And we can’t have florals without a great vase to work with. A clear vase makes it easy to use anywhere, anytime no matter what your style may be. Bring those vases home and use them to dress up your favorite space.

Photo | Victoria Gold Photography

Photo | Knot & Living

GIFT BOX

Having a gift box is a must for your reception and afterwards it can easily be used in your home to either store your finest jewelry or your favorite tubes of lipstick.

Photo | Melanie Julian Photography

HOW TO | CHOOSE A SIGNATURE COCKTAIL

When planning for a wedding, it can be a daunting task to make final decisions on important items like location, dress, guest list, caterer, and drink menu. Ultimately the wedding day is for the couple and they should feel free to create the type of event that fits their unique style and taste. One way to show your personality is through a signature cocktail. Peep some of these recipes and be inspired!

Winter Cocktails

Since we are approaching the holidays, it seemed only right to focus on cocktails that highlight ingredients we associate with this time of year. You may LOVE cranberries and your partner may HATE them. Decide if you want to incorporate your favorite flavors or if you each need your own signature cocktail (opposites can attract, it's definitely true). 

Sparkling Pear and Cranberry Cocktail

Cranberry Cinnamon Whiskey Sour

Cardamom Winter Cocktail

Plum and Thyme Prosecco Smash

Vanilla Pear Margaritas

Earl Grey Infused Champagne Cocktail

TIPS | WEDDING REGISTRY

Creating the wedding registry seems like the best part of the wedding planning process - that and the food + cake tastings, but it can also be overwhelming if you don’t prepare in advance. Today, we are sharing 5 tips to enjoy creating your wedding registry.

1. Use a checklist. You can either download lists available online or you can create your own. Remember to only register for items you really need. Just because the list you downloaded included an ice cream maker, doesn’t mean you really need one. Having a registry checklist will help you keep track of your items in case you register at more than one store.

2. Give yourselves enough time. It can take a few hours to roam the entire store registering for items you need, especially if you two are getting a new place together and starting from scratch. You may spend several minutes discussing what color the bath towels should be and whether or not you really need a place setting for 10. Trying to do a whole registry in one day can be really exhausting so try breaking it into departments – kitchen, bedding, bath, etc.

3. Register for items in a variety of price points. Although it would be nice to have extremely fancy glassware, not everyone on your guest list will be able to afford luxury brands. You want to make sure your guests have a variety of different price ranges of items to choose from.

4. Register at 2-3 different stores. Yes, Bed Bath and Beyond is where everyone goes for their wedding registry, but there are also several different stores that offer nice perks to complete a registry. This also allows your guests to choose a store that is closest to them. Don’t forget to ask what their return policy is because I can guarantee you will receive more than 3 cutting boards.

5. Update your registry. Ensure that your registry is up-to-date. Depending on how far in advance you start the registry, some items may be discontinued or some are already purchased by guests. Maintaining your wedding registry also helps prevent receiving duplicate items.

Hopefully these tips help you have fun scanning your little hearts out. We’d love to hear what your favorite tips are to create a stress-free wedding registry!

Photos | Chelsea Kaye, Jeff Brummett, Decor Inventory

HOW TO (OR NOT TO) | KID-FRIENDLY WEDDING

Kids: they're adorable, cuddly, and super unpredictable.

When things are good, they're great! But a cranky infant, curious toddler, or eye-rolling pre-teen can really put a damper on your big day. If you aren't super jazzed about the idea of having to feed and/or be responsible for children during your wedding follow our fool-proof guide!

Kid-Friendly 101 | Bring on the adorable baby converses & tuxedos

1. Include Them: Time to break out the  infant bow-ties and toddler flower crowns! All the feels will immediately hit you as you watch a stumbling baby carry flowers, rings, or vows down the aisle. 

PHOTOGRAPHY | Amanda Sharp Photography

2. Let the Parents Know!: Whether you are or are not having a kid-friendly day, give parents a heads up. This rule is especially true if you have a lot of out-of-town guests attending. Be explicit on the invitation. Want to know how to address an invite to include kids? Check out our past post for a how-to.

3. Don't Do Anything Special: Kids are their own entertainment. Shelling out a bunch of $$ isn't necessary. Kids will run, dance, get messy, make new friends they'll forget by morning, and probably fall asleep. 

4. Do Something Special: I know, I know, we just just said not to spend too much time creating kid-friendly spaces but, if your inner creative just can't resist,  do it.

EVENT PLANNING  | Amorology 

PHOTOGRAPHY | Josh Elliot Photography

STATIONARY | Be My Guest

EVENT PLANNING | Amorology 

STATIONARY | Lovely Paper Things

Include bubbles, hula hoops, or other low maintenance kid exciting games and toys. If you're really trying to wow your guests, create an entire experience like a mini carnival.

SOURCE | Style Unvieiled

SOURCE | Style Unvieiled 

5. Hire Someone: An agency can provide lots of insights, options, and insurance for children during wedding. Hiring professionals often also means there's a certain level of care and medical security attached. In short: Parents want to know their kids are safe. Leave them in good hands (that aren't yours).

6. Chicken Nuggets For All: One of my favorite memories from last season was overhearing a groomsmen request chicken nuggets and friends from the kid's menu. If you know you'll have kids in attendance, anticipate picky eaters as well. Talk with your caterer about different kid-friendly options for food.

7. Let the DJ know it's a kid-friendly wedding before "Pop, Lock, & Drop It" comes on: Everyone loves a good DJ but, not all songs or artists are appropriate for the tiny tots present on your big day. 

Not-So-Kid-Friendly 101 | Let's skip the spilled juice boxes and tantrums

8. Compromise: Don't feel compelled to include kids 100% of the time. Consider hosting children during the ceremony, especially if they're in the bridal party, and then excusing the into a separate child friendly area later in the night.

9. Hire Someone: I'm going to say it again because, it's just that simple. Hiring experts or a seasoned team to help supervise and care for children during the ceremony saves you the time and headache of wondering whether or not little Cindy Lou Who has her blessed hands in your dream wedding cake. There are loads of agencies and price points to chose from!

Will you be inviting kids to your wedding? 

HOW TO | RSVP ETIQUETTE

Taylor + Collin | Photo by A Sea of Love

It's a detail that's small but, mighty in the grand scheme of confetti and "I do's." We're talking about wedding invitations -- or really any invitation to any celebration ever. 

Sure, the ink, hand lettering, and envelopes are important. But, the content is what matters most. So grab your best stamps and hold that pinky high. We're diving into the world of RSVP etiquette. 

1. Guest: Respond

RSVP, the abbreviation for the French phrase “respondez s’il vous plait,” means please respond. Responding in a timely manner allows the host to ensure that the appropriate amount of food, beverages, and seating arrangements are all in order. If you don't want to get stuck at the kid's table, or worse, left out of the final count then respond by the date indicated on the invitation. 

PHOTOGRAPHY | Matthew Moore

2. Host: Build in 'grace'

Let's face it, responding to an RSVP is one of those things we all mean to do but, just seem to always forget. Make sure to mail invites in enough time so that guests can make appropriate arrangements to attend and you (as the host) have enough time to prepare accordingly.

“The Rule: wedding invites should be mailed six to eight weeks before the wedding — that gives guests plenty of time to clear their schedules and make travel arrangements. Check in on missing RSVPs about three weeks after invites are sent. ”

3. Avoid brining uninvited guests (or gifts)

PHOTOGRAPHY | Elizabeth Messinia

One of the most common wedding frustrations are unexpected/uninvited guests. Guests arriving unexpectedly could mean a shortage of seats, a super cramped dance floor, or (depending on capacity) a fine for the couple. The same can be said for gifts not on the registry. Unsure if you are allowed to bring a plus one? Ask! 

“The Rule: couples who are married, engaged, or living together must be invited together, even if you haven’t met your friend’s significant other. After that, it gets a little less clear-cut.”

4. Host: "We'd rather not have kids at our wedding." Thoughts?

Kids aren't for everyone and that's totally understandable. If you want a kid-free wedding consider addressing your invitations correctly -- to each guest by name, not “and guest." Also, think about adding in response lines for guests to write in their additional guests. If you notice a guest has responded with their child's name, reach out to them via phone or in person and calmly explain, "We have decided to host an adult-only wedding."  If there are a lot of kids in your family, you may want to consider hiring a babysitter. 

“The Rule: It’s your wedding! Have it your way. Let guests know that you’ve opted for an adult-only wedding using one of the tips above. ”

Remember: Good invitations excite guests, bringing in elements of the bash and all of its wonder. Great invitations, equally excite and inform guests about what is to come. They marvel at your creation, grow excitement for the big day and put down your invattion feeling knowledagble about what, how and where they need to be.