Guess what?? We will have the official PartyPOP blog up soon~ so you’ll just have to stay tuned ;)
Once you give your blessing—- the next question is—- What now??
What exactly is your role in the wedding planning process??
Are you just supposed to help pay the bills???
Traditionally, it is the bride’s parents that pay for the wedding, and the grooms parents who pay for the dress rehearsal dinner & the honeymoon. But boy oh boy have times changed : ) While it is still expected that the father of the bride help pay for the wedding, now and days the bride and groom are paying a significant chunk as well. So, you can take a breather.
While every father wants the best for his little girl, one key thing for fathers to talk about with their daughters is the wedding BUDGET!
If you want an easy way to plan, check out Wedding Wire’s free wedding budget program online
But more often than not, that look that you get from your daughter when you know she really wants something… still get’s you every time~
Remember this classic scene from Father of the Bride
Annie: What? What’s that face?
George: It’s nothing.
Annie: Oh, this is going cost you more money.
George: No. It’s just… I know I’ll remember this moment, for the rest of my life.
Dads while you can be involved as much as you want —or sometimes allowed :)— more than anything your daughter needs your moral support. Someone’s got to keep their calm during this process, and more often than not- it’s you.
It’s true… your daughter’s wedding day is a special moment and is meant to be embraced…
When that day arrives your nerves may heighten as you see friends and family arrive from all over. There is nothing wrong with getting a little teary eyed… you know, as you take her arm and walk her down the isle, or as you wisp her away for your father daughter dance.
And lastly, you get to stand before your friends and family, with that speech in your hand, or written on your heart— as you proudly boast about your baby being all grown up, with a new man in her life.
Pic Credits: Stuart Miles, Vichie81
And now for the Daddys out there~
From the moment you have a daughter—there is a possibility that one day, you’re going to have to give your little baby away at the altar. For some dads, that’s not something you even want to think about… until that day eventually roles around and reality sets in. “Mr. So & so, I would like to ask for your daughter’s hand in marriage…” Dun dun dun dun…
Recently one of our co-workers just had a baby girl. Sophia Love. (Ladies, this is your cue… “awwww…”) When asked how he felt about that day finally arriving he said~ “I think I’m going to be OK- as long as he’s a good guy… I don’t see it being a problem. As long as he makes her happy… he doesn’t have to be wealthy or well educated…these things are nice too, but they are secondary.”
Another co-worker, when asked about his little girl getting married someday answered, “ I don’t want to think about it…or I try not to… I want her to find someone she loves, and likes to be together with. Someone who will respect her, love her… and return the love that she gives”.
One father who recently was asked for his daughter’s hand in marriage—caught a little off guard responded—“You know marriage is forever right”? ; )
Pic Credits: photostock, photostock
Brides & Bridesmaids~ There is always something that you’ll be wishing you had~
You’ve got to check out this article from Swatchbook Weddings!! Take a look at their list of 21 essential items to take with you on your wedding day!!
http://swatchbookweddings.com/21-items-wedding-day-emergency-kit
Tissues~ a must. And they serve multiple purposes. I might add a cell phone charger~ for brides & bridesmaids. Phones are of course, quite essential these days!! Oh Yea… and SUNGLASSES/Flip-flops for those with summer weddings.
From what I’ve experienced, I’ve found this list to be really accurate!!
This blog is dedicated to all of the maids of honor out there that have to plan a bridal shower!!
It is that time isn’t it? :)
Where to begin…
Five or six months before the wedding, you and the bride should sit down and narrow down a day that works the best. Showers are usually a month or two before the wedding. You are typically the one that organizes the shower however the other bridesmaids are expected to contribute as well. Don’t be afraid to delegate jobs for food, invites and decorations. Anything that can be handed off will make your job that much easier. The location where you host the party should be determined by how many people you’re inviting (sounds obvious I realize~ but when planning a party it is critical).
Some fun ideas include:
*Going posh and organizing a high tea (traditional in England and other common wealth countries)
*Having a pamper party- you can either get the girls together for a day at the spa, or have the day spa come to you. Mobile spas are becoming quite the trend, bringing the luxury of a day spa to your own home.
*Having a cook book/potluck shower- each guest fills out an index card with their favorite recipe,and brings that dish to share. By the end of the shower the bride will have a complete cook book/scrapbook from her closest friends.
*Getting away for the weekend. For a more intimate shower, the girls can get adventurous~ and surprise the bride with a weekend getaway. You can arrange with mother of the bride to have guests meet at the location of choice- maybe it’s a location that means a lot to the bride, or maybe the location is at a fun spot central to where the bride’s family and childhood friends reside, and where she’s living now.
A few more things~
*Don’t forget to encourage the bride to register at her favorite stores
*Bridal shower games are always fun, if you want to add some extra flavor… and…..
Most importantly, feel out where the bride’s at~ is she more casual, or more formal? Does she get overwhelmed with a lot of people, or does she like being surrounded by her closest friends & family members.
You know her all too well- and what will bring a smile to her face. So don’t get so caught up in the hoop-la or what everyone else thinks a bridal shower should look like that you forget about the things that matter the most to the bride. And… HAVE FUN!!
… dun dun dun~ oh come on… it’s really not that bad.
Rather than moping, why not make the best out of it?
Introducing~ a Party within a Party~ gather around now, let me tell you more of what I mean :)
So you’ve received your friend’s wedding invitation in the mail~ and with that your RSVP card.
What exactly do you write in the “____ guests attending box” ?
Especially if it says that two seats have been reserved for you?
Think about it this way~
Let’s go back to High School Prom for a moment shall we?
While yes, it is traditional for a guy to ask a girl out as his date to prom… and for couples to go with other couples in a limousine, out to dinner etc. all in a little couple posse… leaving all the single people feeling miserable that they were not “Prom worthy”… (I realize this may be re-hashing some old wounds right now)… but hold on- there is an alternative!
These days it is not uncommon for ‘all the single ladies’, and all the single gents to get in a group… and go together as friends… not just as solo units.
Now let’s apply that to weddings…
Firstly, prior to the wedding, are there any other people that you know of that are also flying solo? Well, gather those ducks together and make a flying V… keep it classy (and eco-friendly), and go to the wedding as singles in style… together… and of course leave together in style as well. It’s like a progressive party. Or a Party within a Party.
It will most defiantly be less awkward this way.
So… you don’t know of anyone that you can ride with, and or you didn’t have time to get people together…. and now you’re at the wedding…alone. #awkward.
Oftentimes, there is what’s referred to as a “singles table”… pretty self explanatory—it’s the table where all of the people who RSVP’d as “ 1 guest attending” get placed.
Or, worst case scenario you’re the one that gets “#thatawkwardseatingassignment” at a table of couples… now that’s always fun :)
But hey… don’t let your seat bother you. In the end it’s not really that important. It’s all a matter of perspective.
Ask yourself these questions:
1) Am I here to celebrate my friend/family member that is getting married?
2) Do I want to have a good time?
3) Do I know anyone else in attendance that is also single?
4) What are they doing? Where are they sitting?
Now then—even if some of the answers are no… quit moping and get yourself up out of your seat! You are a valuable person and guest at this party… and you have something to offer.
Strike up a conversation… introduce yourself to someone… or zero in on others that are also flying solo … (NOTE: they’re probably the ones that are on their cell phones, sending a text, on facebook… or standing around the hors d’oeuvres/ fondue table rather awkwardly and most likely full…) Don’t ask me how I know this.
Make some friends… get them together… hit the dance floor… and you’d be surprised at how fast the tone of your wedding experience will change. Less awkwardness, and way more fun.
And… you never know… maybe the next wedding you attend you won’t be the one getting pulled onto the dance floor for the bouquet toss as ‘all the single ladies’ is being played… or maybe you won’t be that guy flying Nike-air style to grab the garter.
While I would not recommend making your primary goal for attending the wedding to change your relationship status on facebook… hey… it happens.
FAQ’s for Brides
1) Does this promotion cost me anything?
Nothing whatsoever- we’re covering all the costs.
2) How far in advance should I order my free wedding invitations?
Our policy requires that you submit your order at least 70 days prior to your wedding.
3) How far in advance do I need to send them out to my guests?
Ideally, invitations should go out six weeks before the wedding - that gives guests plenty of time to clear their schedules for the day and make travel arrangements if they are out-of-towners. It also lets you make the RSVP date a little earlier — say three weeks before the wedding date — so you can get a final head count and start making a seating chart.
*Our invitation system is automated. Please be sure that all of the correct information is filled in and the spelling double checked*
Our free wedding invitations are quite the hit! Today is print day, and I just went down to see what was happening~ orders continue to roll in.
Here’s a little bit of what brides have been saying~
“They are beautiful! I sent them out and everyone said they couldn’t believe they were free. Very good quality!”
Katie Welch
Statesville, North Carolina
“I like them, I just got them. They’re beautiful… everything was perfect.They arrived right on time. I’m super-excited!”
-Tomeka
Baltimore, M
“I was doing a lot of searches for linen table cloths, and somehow PartyPOP popped up. I was like, no.. they’re not free..
But when I signed up they didn’t ask for a debit card or for me to pay a dollar…. I didn’t even have to sign up for a membership . It really was free!
The invitations were nice, real nice. They even came with an envelope.
When you’re planning a wedding you’re already spending a lot of money.
I was going to go to Davids Bridal, but when I found out about the free wedding invitations that PartyPOP was giving away.. I decided to try them.
I’ve used the site for many things. I’m planning an out of town wedding, so it’s nice that I can look up vendors in different areas. You have all the major cities in the USA.. and it’s not only a wedding planning website, but you can also find vendors for birthday parties etc. You have lots of great ideas and tips… I’ve told a lot of people about it!”
Courtney Singleton
Dallas, TX
Getting married June 23rd
in Arkansas
In case you haven’t heard~ for the whole of 2012 we’ve been giving away FREE fully designed & printed wedding invitations… even shipping is on us. And every design has a matching wedding website where your guests can read your story, find out wedding details & RSVP.
Basically~ it’s an offer you can’t resist : )
Just because you’re getting married doesn’t mean you have to be a stressed out, hair pulling, catty Bridezilla. Wow, that sounds like fun. I don’t know about you, but growing up I didn’t imagine getting married being so awful. Fortunately~ it really doesn’t have to be~
A wedding.. is more than just the day.. it’s forever. Why is it so common to see stressed out brides? How can we regain focus, stay calm & enjoy our day?
Here are some tips from @theCalmBride on how to stay calm.
- 1. Ask for help! You have family~ you have bridesmaids~ & hey—your man may even want to take part in the planning process. What areas can you entrust to others to take care of? (Generally, it is way more fun when you plan with people). You may even want to think of getting a wedding planner to take a load off.
- 2. Pace yourself in the planning process- Use a Calendar- whether it’s on your iPhone, via gmail, or a tangible calendar (they still exist) pencil in deadlines- but don’t be hard on yourself if for some reason you have to make changes.
You can also check out online task list managers such as Trello to help you with this process.
- 3. BE FLEXIBLE. Flexibility will help you to roll with the punches. Things happen, and sometimes when our expectations are set really high, we can get really let down. That’s when we start to freak out… and what good does that do anyone?
Another word for Bridezilla is = Control freak. Learn to let go~ while details are important, weigh their importance.
- 4. Think about your color palette~ use Pinterest for inspiration and as a paperless way to compile your ideas—copy and paste the links to the websites where you found these ideas so you have them to refer back to.
- 5. Do you have ideas that you’ve never seen before~ Get your ideas out of your head and on paper— because either a) you’ll forget them or b) your brain will malfunction due to system overload.
- 7. With the BIG decisions (you know- the groom, the wedding venue, your dress, the bridal party…) GO WITH YOUR GUT!! Even if that means you have to wait a little longer to get married than you originally hoped, or if you have to pay a little more than expected. It’s great to get people’s opinions but — sometimes too much input from others can just be outright confusing.
AND don’t sweat the small stuff.
- 8. Remember~ it’s your wedding day. You’re marrying the man you love. And people are coming to celebrate with you. Don’t get so caught up in pleasing people that you forget to take care of yourself.
You’re not responsible for everyone else. Where guests are going to stay, how they’re going to get there, what they’re going to wear or how they get along.
- 9. Rest! Prior to getting engaged, what leisurely activities did you love to do with your spare time? Carve out time for them in your schedule :)
- 10. DON’T FORGET TO PRIORITIZE DATE NIGHTS/QUALITY TIME WITH YOUR FIANCÉ —PUTTING ALL WEDDING STUFF ASIDE. In the end, your relationship is more important than wedding planning.
While yes, your wedding is a monumental occasion that deserves attention~ your wedding is ~ a day, and your marriage is ~ forever.
by Kristen Vestal
So the big day is approaching, everything from linens to flowers are set in place. You’re fighting cold feet…The only thing missing is the father of the bride. Maybe your father can’t be there due to a divorce, death, or maybe because he simply isn’t in the picture. There are plenty of options available to you!
My first piece of advice is…don’t fill the part just to fill it. At this point many brides feel obligated to choose someone “appropriate” to fill the part. If you choose to have someone walk down the aisle with you – choose someone special. Many walk down with their husband to be, a brother, a close family friend, and others even choose a mother or grandmother.
And…also don’t be embarrassed to walk down the aisle alone. You shine bright girl! I heard about a wedding where the bride wanted to honor her deceased father so she placed a beautiful picture of them at the front of the church. I think that this is a great idea and will bring comfort to all who love and miss him. Lastly, I would recommend that the person that walks you down the aisle give a speech and in it honor your dad’s life!
No matter what your circumstance, or your decision, remember that you’re walking down to aisle to the man you’re going to spend the rest of your life with. So take a deep breath- and glide down that aisle like the princess you are!