F is for Flowers

Perhaps one of the most important areas of planning your wedding is choosing your floral arrangements. The right arrangements and flower types chosen are key in expressing your wedding vision.

And what is the most important arrangement that a bride will choose? Her bouquet.

All the latest magazines are filled with beautiful bridal bouquets – but guess what? Most of them are a hand-tied style – where the flower stems are gathered and tied together with a lovely ribbon. Hand tied bouquets are gorgeous, but there are several different bouquet styles that you might want to consider.

The following glossary will show you some other beautiful bouquet styles.

Cascade:
A waterfall-like spill of blooms, often composed of ivy and long-stemmed flowers, that is wired to cascade gracefully over the bride's hands.

Crescent:
Composed of one full flower and a flowering stem, often orchids, wired together to form a slender handle that can be held in one hand. Designed as either a full crescent -- a half circle with a central flower and blossoms emanating from two sides -- or a semi-crescent, which has only one trailing stem.

Pomander:
A bloom-covered ball suspended from a ribbon. Ideal for child attendants.

Tussy mussy:
From the Victorian era, a tussy mussy is a posy carried in a small, metallic, hand-held vase. Today, the term is often used in reference to the holder itself.

Nosegay: Small, round bouquets, approximately 6 to 8 inches in diameter.

Biedermeier: A tightly arranged nosegay, consisting of concentric circles of various flowers, with one flower type per circle. Each circle of flowers is often a different color.

Presentation: Also known as the pageant bouquet, this is a bunch of long stemmed flowers cradled in the bride's arms.

E is for Enclosures

Your guest opens up her mailbox, and sees a lovely envelope addressed to her.

Inside is her invitation to your wedding! What a lovely way to tell her how much you want her to share in the joy and celebrate you and your fiancé’s exchange of wedding vows.

But wait! There’s more! What are all the other things that’s in the envelope?

One of the two most common types of enclosures is the Response card, also known as an RSVP card, (French for Respondez, s’il vous plait, or please respond). This card (with its pre-addressed and pre-stamped envelope), allows your guests to easily let you know if they will be coming.

The other most common enclosure is the Reception card. It gives them information on the time and location of the reception. If the ceremony and reception will be held at the same location, the Reception card can be omitted as long as reception information is also included on the invitation itself. Something along the lines of “Reception immediately following ceremony” will usually suffice – and save you money.

Maps and directions are also popular enclosures. The easier you can make it for your guest to attend your wedding the better. Even if your guests live locally, a map with good directions is thoughtful and much appreciated.

One other common enclosure is to share hotel information. If you have several out-of-town guests, an easy and inexpensive (doesn’t cost you a dime!) courtesy is to book a block of rooms at a nearby hotel. Include the name of the event (ex. Smith-Jones Wedding), the hotel’s reservation phone number and room rates (hotels will often give a discount) on coordinating cardstock. Whether your guests choose to stay at this location is up to them, but you’ve conveniently and thoughtfully put the information right at their fingertips.

A less common enclosure is the Within the Ribbon card. This card, which is about the size of a business card, is not sent to every guest, but only to those particularly special friends and family members. This card is to be brought to the ceremony by your guest so the ushers know that they are special guests are seated up front. These cards are not necessary for grandparents or siblings, who are traditionally seated up front, or for parents as they the traditional place of honor of sitting in the first row. Within the Ribbon cards are usually used for very large and very formal weddings where many guests are expected and reserving enough room for seating special friends and family members is a must.


The purpose of the invitation and its various enclosures is to provide all necessary information a guest will need to easily and comfortably attend your wedding and share in your celebration.

Beat the Heat of Your Outdoor Ceremony

Planning a lovely outdoor ceremony? Will your guests be sitting in the hot sun? Even if they’re in the shade it may get warm and humid. Keep your guests comfortable by providing something refreshing for them to sip on.

You don’t have to provide anything fancy or expensive. Glasses of flavored ice water, or pitchers of lemonade will do the trick.

Now is not the time for alcoholic beverages. Hot sun and alcohol don’t mix. You don’t want to make your guests woozy or sleepy. Save the more “spirited” beverages for the party later.

D is for Dress Shopping

What's probably one of the first things a bride does after she becomes engaged?

She goes dress shopping.

So if you're on your way to the nearest bridal salon to find your perfect dress, STOP!

There's a few things you'll need to do before you go dress shopping.

#1 - Determine the budget for your attire. This includes your dress, shoes, undergarments and other accessories. By knowing how much you have to spend, you'll avoid trying on (and falling in love with) a gown that costs way too much.

#2 - Sit down with your fiance and discuss they style of wedding you and he want to have. You may decide that you want a more formal event. On the other hand, you may prefer something more casual. If you don't even know the style of the event you'll be planning how can you choose an appropriate style gown?

#3 - Know where your ceremony and reception will take place, (or at least know your preferred style of locations). If your chosen location has a definite style or look about it, you'll want to make sure your gown style coordinates and doesn't look out of place.

#4 - Go out there and find the dress of your dreams!