Wedding and Dating

You’ve decided to get married – congratulations! Planning a wedding is an exciting time, even though it may seem overwhelming at first. If you cannot afford to hire a wedding organizer, or if you want to do it on your own, the most important item you will need is a list of all the important details of your wedding. Make up your list as soon as possible…the sooner you have a list of your plans, the less stressed you will feel!

A wedding planning list really can contain any and every detail of your special day. Start with the big items first: wedding date and location, budget, number of wedding guests, bridal gown, people in the wedding party, food for the reception, wedding rings, etc. You will notice that finding a bridal gown is near the beginning of the list; that’s because most bridal shops require at least six months to order in a dress to meet the needs of the bride. As soon as possible, begin planning where you will get your wedding gown – whether you will order it from a bridal shop, have one made for you, or have an antique or family gown altered to fit.

Your list can also include details about the various places you have to choose from for your wedding reception. Write down anything you want to remember, including what choices of food each place offers, how many guests can be accommodated, if there is a dance floor, and any other details you think are important for your reception. It will be easier to choose a location if you have all the information to compare them to each other.

Don’t forget about your bridal party: where will their suits/dresses come from, will they need alterations, where are their shoes and jewelry going to be purchased, what will the bouquets and corsages look like and who will be making them, and will suits need to be returned to the rental location at a specific time, among other details.

If you are having a difficult time finding just the right clothing/decorations/wedding favors for your wedding day, you may want to attend a bridal show. These events are helpful tools for people trying to planning a wedding, because there are representatives there from all kinds of businesses, often with some of their merchandise. This saves you having to visit all of these businesses, since you can talk with them at the bridal show and find out what they have to offer.

It doesn’t matter whether your wedding day is in six months or two years – start planning now! Even if your list changes after you first write it down, you will always have a great reference tool that will help you to remember the many details that you would otherwise forget.

Congratulations on your upcoming marriage. Your friends have thrown you a wonderful party. Maybe you even had one at work AND one from your maid of honor. It is time to show your supportive friends, co-workers, and loved ones, that you appreciate them.

However, with an entire wedding to plan, you may be pressed for time and feeling little overwhelmed. Here are some quick tips and wording ideas to make writing your bridal shower thank you cards and notes easy.

Etiquette and tips for Your Bridal Shower Thank You Notes

o Each guest gets a thank you for coming card regardless as to whether she brought a gift

o Ideally cards are sent within two weeks of the shower (but a late thank you is better than no thank you)

o Send them in the mail. No email thank yous.

o No combo cards. Even if a particular friend sent and engagement gift, brought a bridal shower gift, and then sent you your wedding gift early, each act of kindness and gift gets its own note. The only exception is the “thank you for coming” card can be combined with the gift.

Ex. Thank you for coming to the bridal shower and the lovely nightgown.

o Hand write your cards.

o Do not forget to thank the hostess for planning the shower in the note. Ideally, she would receive a small thank you gift such as an engraved compact, charm bracelet, picture frame or other small keepsake.

o Mention the specific gift and give it or the sender a specific compliment.

o Save the gift tags and write what the gift is on the back with a note. Then use these when you write the cards.

o Address your envelopes all at once or as gifts arrive. Then put them in the mail as you write them.

o Carry the cards, your notes and a roll of stamps with you in your purse. Write a note or card on your lunch break or while waiting for laundry.

o Write only four or five notes at a time maximum to keep your handwriting neat.

Bridal Shower Thank You Card Wording Ideas

o Say thank you with by pre-printing or hand writing a poem or verse in your card and then a few words of your own.

Example: “Celebrate the happiness that friends are always giving, make every day a holiday and celebrate just living!”~ Amanda Bradley

You write: Thank you for the lovely (insert specific gift such as silver, picture frame)and coming to the shower. With friends like you, every day is truly a celebration.

o Use this basic thank you bridal shower thank you wording template:

Dear (Insert name)

Thank you for coming to the bridal shower and the beautiful (insert name of gift). It was the/a (insert compliment such as perfect color). Your generosity (or kindness) is truly appreciated. Thanks again.”

Sincerely, (or Warm Regards, Love, Best)

Your Name

Your bridal shower thank you cards do not have to be long to be effective. Just a quick note to let your friends and family know their thoughts and well wishes are appreciated. Be as specific as possible and remember, it is the thought that counts.

Wedding consultants are really busy people. They are in charge of one of the most special events that a couple will ever have in their lifetime. As a wedding planner you’ll be in charge of almost everything you can image that relates to having a successful and memorable experience.

You’d be surprised at how much responsibility will rest on your shoulders and what the couple and families involved will expect of you. Today what I wanted to talk about were some of the skills and jobs that you are going to need to take care of in order to do a good job.

You are going to need to be in constant communication with wedding suppliers like caterers, decoration companies, invitation design companies, florists, etc. Make a list and build relationships with a good company in each area. Once you have compiled a solid list your job of planning each wedding will become easier since you’ll have a good network to go to.

You’ll also need to be a very well organized person. You definitely need to be the type of person who uses a notebook or digital day time organizer for all your appointments, phone numbers, and meetings. You can’t be missing small details and need to make sure everything is all on point. If you are not good at keeping organized and effective with time management then wedding consulting is probably not for you.

Also a successful wedding consultants will know the city that they are operating in well. That means understanding where the hot boutique hotels are, elegant lounges to throw after parties or even out of town guests cocktail events, and more. You need to have your finger on the pulse of the city and be a hip person “in the know”.

Also remember, each wedding will be a bit different and the level of involvement that the bride and groom, as well as the family will want you to play in the big event will vary. Sometimes it will be very “hands on” and other times your role will be a bit more of a coordinator. Either way you still will hold a lot of responsibilities in your hands to make sure the areas you do cover go smoothly.

So remember a wedding consultant wears many different hats and each event will tend to be a bit different. The key thing is to treat it all professionally, build up a big network of companies to work with, and the referrals and clients will just keep pouring in.