Fantasy Sports Weddings

Fantasy Isn’t Just For Football.

Source: magnetstreet.com

Now that the Big Game is history, it’s time to turn our attention back to the second most popular contact sport in America: wedding planning.  Just kidding, but occasionally the stress can feel like a blindside hit from Ray Lewis.  So relax, and think about throwing an All-American wedding using your favorite sport as your theme.

It all begins with a proposal on a football field, with a couple in jerseys and tennis shoes. If you’re at a major stadium, you can even arrange to have that special moment displayed on the Jumbotron for all sixty thousand of your new best friends to see.

Then the planning starts. Are you going to schedule the wedding for a game day? Not unless you don’t mind having most of the guests hanging out in the bar, glued to the TV.

If you so choose, your ceremony can begin with the national anthem, and there should be a field nearby so your photographer can take pictures of your wedding party playing football.  I’ve seen it done more than once, but you have to make sure you have enough attendants to make a game of it.

And if you want to go the whole nine yards (sorry), you’ll need football inspired wedding attire. The officiant should be wearing black and white stripes, the bride’s shoes could be sequined cleats and the garter can sport your team’s logo.  The groom will be wearing his lucky game-day socks, the same pair he wears every Sunday afternoon in the fall.

What better way to enter your reception than with a bride and groom touchdown dance? When you hit the dance floor, the DJ will rock classic fight songs.

But there is one big difference.  As a famous NFL running back said when asked about the Super Bowl, “If this is the ultimate game, how come there’s another one next year?”  For you, there really is no next season, so just get out on the floor and dance!

Is a Destination Wedding Right For Me?

Local wedding vs. Destination wedding

In this day and age, the traditional “get married in a church” is almost out in space. Lately, couples have expanded their imaginations and choose to wed elsewhere. Some choose to have their ceremony in the park, at a hall, or on the beach. Some venues now include both a ceremony and reception as a package. The preference is all personal, and what you feel most comfortable in doing.

The bigger most popular choice is having a destination wedding. There are many pros and cons in choosing this. From having a sweet vacation w/ close family and friends and still sharing your special day, to saving money by combining everything in the package. Below is a quick summary of Pros and Cons as to deciding whether or not a destination is fit for you.

Pro: A Complete Package

Many resorts and tourism organizations offer great package deals.  This can include a complimentary on-site wedding consultant who will help you coordinate all of the ceremony essentials (cake, food, décor, obtaining a marriage license and officiant, etc.) At the end of the day, all you really have to do is show face! The consultant will do everything for you, while discussing with you of course. You may also add in some activities for you and your guests such as, sightseeing, zip lining, scuba diving or snorkeling excursions, sports, or shopping. If your resort has a spa onsite, schedule a spa day!

Con: Not physically being there to plan the wedding.

Planning long distance can be a very difficult task for many. Unless you have the money to keep the traveling, staying home, sitting back and watching it happen while depending on others can be stressful. If you are not getting married at a resort, you have to do everything yourself. From finding local vendors (there may even be language barriers) to handling the legal paperwork. Not seeing what your day will look like in front of you is like replacing a pro athlete in a game and hoping he is can be as good as them.

Pro: Avoiding confrontation with the invites.

Most destination weddings are usually a smaller, more intimate ceremony. With that being said, you don’t need to feel “forced” to invite a distant cousin/friend, their boyfriend, mother & father. You don’t have to invite your co-workers who you don’t socialize with outside of work. I suggest only including your closest family and friends. When I say that, make sure you include your parents, grandparents – and go from there. As far as friend, invite those closest to both you and your spouse.

Con: Family Members and Friends You Love May Not Be There

Particularly for far-away locations, some guests may not be able to attend due to the expense, or the difficulty of getting time off of work. Older guests may not be able to travel so far away from home. Talk to those who are truly essential before you book tickets and send invitations. On the plus side, you’ll have far more time to spend with the guests who come to a destination wedding than those who come to a more traditional wedding.

Pro: Saving money with a smaller reception

Spending a luxurious wedding weekend in a dramatic location can often cost less than a seated dinner at a nice location. Destination Wedding Etiquette calls for the bride and groom to pay for the hotel rooms, food and most of the guests’ expenses. Guests pay for their own airfare. If money is an issue, look to domestic locations or countries with a favorable exchange rate, and consider keeping the guest list small.

Con: Some of your loved ones may not be able to afford to travel that far

Again, talk to those who are truly essential before you’ve made the final decision on your destination wedding location. Consider paying for some of your guests’ airfare, and look into group discounts through travel agents.

 

Those are just a few thoughts to consider. Also, if you are already going away, will you be getting a honey moon? If not, how will you and your spouse enjoy each other more intimately? With all your guests around, you both may not have the privacy you want.

 

If you are having a destination wedding, will it be n the beach in the Caribbean islands? Or in a European garden? Both are just beautiful! If you’re haviing it on the beach, think about the kind of attire you should wear. Don’t wear a traditional heavy dress, and suits. Wear something light but still keep it simple and elegant. Try something different, don’t go for what everyone else usually goes for. Go for what will make you smile!

So you think you’d like to take the risk of a destination wedding?

Is A New Year’s Eve Wedding A Good Idea?

We just started 2013, but that doesn’t mean someone out there is looking to plan a New Year’s Eve wedding for this year. But is it a good idea?

A New Year’s Eve wedding can be a blast. It’s hard to imagine anyone not having a good time with all that good cheer going around. Symbolically, what could be better than starting the year off with your new status? On the other hand, it’s not a wholly positive thing. If you’re thinking of having a New Year’s Eve wedding, make sure you consider some of these issues.

Vendors and venues may not be available, and those who are available will probably be more expensive. During most of the year you’re only competing with other brides and grooms for dates, but on New Year’s Eve there are many more opportunities for professionals. They need to charge a premium for their services.

Time of day If you’re getting married on New Year’s Eve your party has to last until after midnight. If you were already planning on having a nighttime wedding, that’s not a big deal. But, if you wanted a more casual, earlier event, you’re out of luck. If you want to start the wedding early enough for older relatives and those with kids to enjoy, then you’re talking about an extra long reception.

Anniversaries You will never in your life be able to celebrate your anniversary with something that’s both special and affordable. On the plus side, you will never forget your anniversary.

Guests This depends on who your friends are. Some may be psyched that you’ve saved them the cost of planning a big New Year’s Eve out. Some may be aggravated that you’ve decided how they should celebrate New Year’s Eve. Some people will already have the time off of work, others may find it impossible to get the time off.

Planning time Depending on your job, you may automatically have the week before your wedding off and not need to take vacation time. At the very least, you’ll have the day after your wedding off. Unless of course, you’re in the service industry, in which case, good luck with that. Keep in mind, too, that if you’re planning a normal sized wedding with the standard fixings it will take longer to plan. That’s because of our first point about vendors and venues. You’ll need to get the date locked in early.

What do you think? Are you a fan of New Year’s Eve weddings? Tell us in the comments.

 

(Reblooged from GroomsAdvice.com)

Planning Your Outdoor Wedding

Even though right now isn’t ideal to have a wedding outside since winter has just started, it’s still pretty popular to get married and party outside during the rest of the year.. Here’s some things to keep in mind if you are planning an outdoor wedding…

Wedding 101: 10 Things No One Tells You About Your Wedding Day

All right ladies.  Cupcakes and sparkles aside, you will most likely experience a bit of stress on your wedding day.  As I’ve mentioned multiple times, there is no such thing as “perfection” and your wedding day is no exception.  This post is intended to lessen the blow of wedding-day blunders.  I promise I’m not a cynic, just trying to keep it real.  Loosen up a little bit and laugh thru the stress.  After all, memories are created from the quirky, unplanned incidents in life.

1. Keep a cash reserve and blank envelopes on your wedding day for vendor tips.  

You will most definitely incur unforeseen costs on your wedding day.  Whether you need to enlist a last minute harp player because your previously hired musician goes into labor or your rental company has to scramble to move your rain-soaked ceremony to an indoor spot, it is always important to keep cold hard cash on hand.  Tipping your vendors is extremely important and, as always, cash is king.  Save yourself the embarrassment of coming up short at the end of the night by preparing ahead of time.

2. Children will most definitely disobey your wedding wishes.

Your adorable niece and nephew are stepping in as flower girl and ring bearer.  Awesome.  Your ring bearer walks down the aisle picking his nose and your flower girl runs close behind, screaming and crying at the top of her lungs.  Double awesome.  The best advice with kids at weddings is to plan for the worst and hope for the best.  Mother-approved candy bribes never hurt either.

3. You can’t make a deal with higher powers to achieve  perfect weather.

Try as you might, a rain dance ain’t gonna cut it!  Embrace rain, sleet, snow, and wind and go with the flow.  Weather is completely out of your control, no matter what the price you try to pay to keep the weather sunny.  You can, however, create a contingency plan in the case of inclement weather.  Draped tents, anyone?

4. Going to the bathroom in your wedding dress will become a team sport.

Bustles and built-in bras and corsets, oh-my!  Modern wedding dresses can be as difficult to navigate as the ancient Greek labyrinth.  Use some common sense and enlist your buds to help make trips to the bathroom easier.  Your wedding day is the one day you shouldn’t feel guilty  about piling in to the handicapped stall.

5. You will most likely experience a sense of post-wedding depression. 

The past year of your engagement has been nothing short of pure bliss.  You are rocking some serious bling on your finger and had an opportunity to plan a lavish event centered around you and your fiancé.  The day after your wedcding can be compared to the depression that sets in after all of the presents have been opened on Christmas Day or the awful, sinking feeling that you have far exceeded your daily caloric limit on Thanksgiving Eve.  Buck up, buttercup!  This is only the beginning of a fun-filled adventure with your main squeeze.  Enjoy the ride!

6. Just because you’re having the best day of your life doesn’t mean that all of your guests will be sharing in the sentiment.

Whether it’s bitter single girlfriends who are having trouble being happy for you or cranky great-aunts who complain that the reception temperature is too cold, there will always be someone who appears to be having a less than stellar time at your soiree.  Don’t sweat it.  Enjoy your day and ignore the naysayers.

7. You’re going to feel the effects of alcohol much quicker than usual.

Let’s face it, ladies.  You’ve been working out like a maniac, dieting to fit into your gorgeous gown and running around like a chicken with your head cut off to tie up last minute loose ends with vendors.  Eating substantial meals is probably the last thing on your mind during the days leading up to your wedding.  Regardless of whether you’re a teetotaler or only enjoy a glass of champagne on special occasions, you will get drunk faster at your wedding than any other day.  It’s a proven scientific fact.

8. Keep a close eye on your wedding gift envelope table.

Although I hate having to give a warning that seems to be in such bad taste, when alcohol is involved there are times that goodnatured, honest people do shady things.  If the Father-of-the-Bride is not collecting all wedding gift envelopes, make sure you have a designated, secured spot to keep all envelopes and keep it monitored at all times.

9. Not everyone will want to participate in your wedding games and activities.  Let it go!

Yes, we know you spent months poring over Pinterest pins, wedding magazines and blogs to come up with the perfect wedding activities.  You’re a wedding diva, through-and-through.  If your girlfriends don’t want to dress up in funny accessories for your photo booth or your groomsmen don’t feel like blowing bubbles for your ceremony send off, don’t sweat it.  You still get an “A” for effort.

10. Guests are coming to your wedding ready to party.  Hard.

We’ve all seen “Wedding Crashers.”  Don’t feel guilty if you have to tell a guest to take a chill pill for inappropriate alcohol induced behavior or sneak a vodka soda sans vodka into a friend’s hand.  He or she will most likely thank you in their post-wedding haze (or when they see photos posted on Facebook from the wedding).  Party on, brides!

 

(Reblogged from WedInsider)

Wedding 101: 6 Things To Consider With Invitations

There is proper etiquette when it comes to sending out invitations and all sorts of fancy fonts… but you can Google that.  What’s really important, is how to make your life easier for you and your guests by remembering a few key additions:

1) Add a visual timeline

A timeline people can hang onto the day of or post on their fridge is much more beneficial than the invitation that is crowded with calligraphy and fancy words.  Either add this to the top on your formal invitation or include it as a separate card in the envelope… maybe even make it into a magnet.

2) Children or No Children

If you are inviting everyone and their kids, make sure to include a choice of a children’s meal on the reply card.  If you do not want guests to assume their children are invited or only certain children, make sure you DO NOT add a children’s meal choice on ALL the reply cards.  If you address the invite to “Mr. & Mrs. Turner” and not “Mr. & Mrs. Turner and Family”, you will almost certainly get a phone call from them asking, “I see a children’s meal on the reply card…are the kids invited too?”.  AHHHH O NO!  Then you have to explain to them how only certain kids are coming and not theirs…that’s added stress you don’t need.

Avoid most of those inquiries by only adding a children’s meal choice with the invites who have children who are invited.  It might seem like a lot of extra work, but it is well worth it.

3) Include postage on the reply card

Not only would it appear to be tacky, you might not get many replies back.  Make sure to budget for the extra couple hundred dollars in postage for the reply cards because you might be shocked after you spend all that money on your dream invitations.  Most people will assume postage is added and drop it in the mail without even checking.  This creates a chance for reply cards to be lost or returned and never re-sent…then you will have 50 extra people show up who RSVP’d, but you didn’t know.

4) Make meal choices clear, but not too clear

If you decide to offer plated meals, remember to have guests let you know which meal they would like so you can mark the place cards accordingly.  You do not need to tell them you are having “Seared Sirloin with a light demi-glaze and a side of asparagus and twice-baked garlic potatoes”…just tell your guests it is BEEF!  You will avoid endless phone calls asking what you mean by “demi-glaze” and if they can get chicken strips instead.

What you should do is allow for a place to:
-accept or decline your invitation
-initial or circle a meal choice for each guest invited

5) Number the back of your RSVP Cards. 

This is such a good idea and you’ll thank me later for it 😉 because some people write a no where they should put their name and you have no idea who it is! Once you get them back in the mail, go into your excel spreadsheet and mark them coming or not coming. Then you also don’t have to worry about losing the cards and you can easily tell who still owes you one.

6) Most importantly…  DO NOT include registry information with the formal invitations

As much as you would like people to know where they can buy you all sorts of goodies, it is rude.  Call me old fashion, but a wedding is a celebration of love, not gifts and money.  You should be happy to be blessed with your guests’ presence and you do not want them to think anything other.  Registry information should be common knowledge to your bridal party and they can spread the word, posted on your wedding website, or only spoken of if asked.  If people really want to know, they will ask.

 

 

Getting Back RSVP’s

No matter what you do, there will always be family members and friends who will never send back the RSVP…either it was lost, forgotten, or they just didn’t think it is necessary.  They are usually the people who show up without sending in the RSVP or calling the day before in a panic because they just remembered…. Classic!

The best way to avoid as many of those problems as possible is to give your guests more than one option to RSVP.

You do not need to list all the options on your invitations, but you should make if very clear an RSVP is mandatory (give a cut-off date).  You can provide multiple ways to RSVP and list them on your wedding website.  Some websites will allow you take RSVPs on their website. Here are a list of ways you might want to consider using:

*CAUTION* some ways of RSVPing might miss out on critical information like meal choice, so take that into consideration and choose appropriately based on the type of wedding you are having.

1) Mail In

2) Add phone and email to invitations and/or wedding website for fast RSVP

3) Wedding Website – i.e. The Knot, eWedding, mywedding  (*might not accept meal choices)

4) RSVP Online manager (http://www.perfectweddings.sg/free-online-rsvp-and-guest-list-tool)

5) Twitter or Facebook page

6) Give incentive for RSVPing – i.e. every RSVP receives a drink ticket or a special gift

Hopefully this will help you avoid calling up your Aunt Betty and verifying that she will indeed be at your wedding (with her bird cage hat and all).

Reblogged from Wedding 101

Save The Date Etiquette

In today’s world, planning ahead has become a necessity. “Save The Dates” allow your guests to plan for your wedding day well in advance. This is especially important for out-of-town guests, destination weddings, or weddings taking place near a holiday. Remember, this is not an announcement, it’s just a heads up.

Guests
Save the date etiquette is vital. The most important thing to do before sending out a save the date card is to finalize your guest list. The save the date card is a pre-announcement that lets your guests know to expect an invitation to be a guest at your wedding.

Once you sent out a save the date card to a guest, you cannot un-invite them. And I stress CANNOT. If, by chance there is a wedding budget crisis, and you need to make guest cuts, it is good to know this before you send out the cards. You can trim a guest list easier when the guests are not yet pre-invited.

When you send out a save the date card, be sure to list if the person invited can include a guest. There are a couple of ways this can be done. If you know the name of the guest that will be invited, include them when addressing the card. If not, it is acceptable to include “and guest”. Also, if children are to be included, list them on the card as well.

When should save the dates be sent?
Send them as soon as you set your wedding date and have secured your ceremony and reception sites… This can be from 6 months to a year before the wedding. When planning your destination wedding, the more time you can give your guests the better, it can be a year or mom in advance.

Helpful info:
The only guests who will be invited to the wedding should receive a save the date. For wording, keep it shirt and sweet! Your names, wedding date and “Invitation with details to follow.” If it’s a destination wedding, it would be good to include travel agencies along with resort and hotel information.

Your save the dates can be anything from refrigerator magnets to photo postcards, the sky is the limit! Here are some of my favorite that I’ve found on Pinterest … you can find more on my pin board…. SAVE THE DATE.

Wedding 101: Addressing Wedding Invitations

Wedding invitation etiquette has been followed since the ancient times. While in the earlier times, before the use of commercial printers, weddings and events were announced right in the central part of the locality by a town crier. It was a common thing for nobility to give a token to monks for creating hand-crafted wedding invites to be delivered via courier. Today, there are so many beautiful wedding invitation ideas, affordable and formal, most perfect to invite guests.

Wedding invitation etiquette is very important for sending out invitations to guests. It is imperative to follow the golden rules of wedding invitations so that you do not miss out on anything. Because wedding is grand event, much respected in all parts of the world, wedding invitation should bear a semblance with the emotions attached to the event.

 

Source: Pinterest

Guests: What To Wear

Today’s quick attire tidbit comes from a fabulous Pinterest post provided by Wedding 101.  I often have friends reach out to me asking for advice on what to wear for a wedding.  Aside from a recent slip up when I forgot to pack a DRESS for an out of town wedding, my fashion cues are usually on point.  When in doubt, err on the side of conservative and dressier rather than casual.  It is more embarrassing to show up to a wedding under dressed than over dressed.  And, besides, you never know who you may meet so bring the wedding heat!  Whether a wedding is black tie, backyard casual, Wedding 101 has nailed down simple tips on how to dress for the big day.

When in doubt, a sleek, fitted  black dress with fabulous jewelry, shoes and a clutch never fails.

 

 

Reblogged from WedInsider