Note: Featured image provided by Caitlin Elizabeth Photography. Caitlin Elizabeth Photography has all the tips for creating a beautiful flat lay featuring your wedding invitation! If you’re not yet part of the Ask a Real Bride Instagram community, you have to join us: brides to be, mothers of the bride and groom, bridesmaids, and anyone… Continue reading Ask a Real Bride: Should My Parents’ Names Appear on My Wedding Invitations?
Category: Wedding
The Best Places to Create Your Wedding Gift Registry
You’re engaged — congratulations! As you venture into your next chapter of life (AKA marital bliss), you may feel overwhelmed with all the to-dos involved with getting married. In addition to planning your wedding and gathering the requisite paperwork, there’s the whole task of figuring out where to register, not to mention what to register… Continue reading The Best Places to Create Your Wedding Gift Registry
Ask Cheryl: Asking Wedding Guests to Pay for the Reception?
If a couple invites their wedding guests to dinner after the ceremony, should their guests be expected to pick up the tab? Hi Cheryl, A dear friend of mine is getting married for the third time and it’s the groom’s second marriage. They are having a ceremony at the beach with no reception. She said we would… Continue reading Ask Cheryl: Asking Wedding Guests to Pay for the Reception?
6 Do’s and Don’ts for Choosing Your Bridesmaids
Choosing your bridal party can feel like solidifying your inner circle: it’s a big decision that carries symbolic weight, as well as real-life responsibilities. Your bridesmaids are your best friends, but they’ll also be your advisors, party planners, personal assistants, and more in the months leading up to the wedding. So how’s a bride to… Continue reading 6 Do’s and Don’ts for Choosing Your Bridesmaids
Ask Cheryl: Appropriate Gifts for Wedding #2
What is an appropriate gift for a second or “encore” wedding? Read on for the answer. Dear Cheryl, My best friend’s son is getting married for the second time, but this is the bride’s first marriage. We are very close to these people, so what is appropriate for a gift? Thanks,-Rachel Dear Rachel, Being invited… Continue reading Ask Cheryl: Appropriate Gifts for Wedding #2
Ask a Real Bride: Is it Okay to Have a Wedding B-List?
For many engaged couples, the guest list is the first step in wedding planning: many factors, including the budget, overall vision, and venue capacity can make determining who gets the invite a difficult decision. One solution for trying to include as many of your loved ones as possible? Creating a “B-List.” What’s a “B-List?” A… Continue reading Ask a Real Bride: Is it Okay to Have a Wedding B-List?
How Much and How Many? Your Guide to Wedding Registry Amounts
Even if you feel that you and your fiance “have everything,” we always recommend registering for actual gifts (not just setting up a honeymoon fund, though we love those, too!). But where to begin? How many gifts are too many gifts? And how can you predict what your guests are likely to spend? Let’s dive… Continue reading How Much and How Many? Your Guide to Wedding Registry Amounts
How to Use ChatGPT to Throw a Budget-Friendly Bridal Shower
You don’t have to spend a ton of money to throw a memorable bridal shower on a budget — especially when you use AI tools to simplify the process! Being tasked with hosting a bridal shower can be equal parts exciting and scary. On the one hand, it’s your opportunity to show the bride-to-be just… Continue reading How to Use ChatGPT to Throw a Budget-Friendly Bridal Shower
Ask Cheryl: Is it Too Late to Celebrate Coworker’s Wedding?
The “workplace shower” is a somewhat modern practice that doesn’t always follow the traditional rules of wedding etiquette—and that’s okay! Dear Cheryl, My coworker got married two weeks ago. She didn’t invite me or anyone else from the office, and I completely understand given the high costs of weddings. Our coworkers never organized a shower… Continue reading Ask Cheryl: Is it Too Late to Celebrate Coworker’s Wedding?
Ask Cheryl: Do I Have to Invite the Crazy Relative to My Wedding?
Every family has its quirky members, but is it ever okay to exclude them from the wedding guest list? Today, Cheryl offers her tips for handling difficult guests. Dear Cheryl, We’re in a bit of a situation with our brother-in-law. At our daughter’s wedding, his behavior was so obnoxious that we decided to leave him… Continue reading Ask Cheryl: Do I Have to Invite the Crazy Relative to My Wedding?
Ask A Real Bride: Destination Wedding Etiquette FAQ’s
Destination weddings seem to become more popular every year. With the ease of planning online and snagging great travel deals, why not have your wedding weekend double as a vacation for family and friends? Yet a wedding that involves travel may also lead you into uncharted etiquette territory–and we’re here to help! Read on for… Continue reading Ask A Real Bride: Destination Wedding Etiquette FAQ’s
Ask Cheryl: How Much Should I Spend on a Second Bridal Shower Gift?
When your mailbox is filled with invitations for weddings and showers, gift-giving can seem overwhelming. Today, we’ve got good news for your budget if you’ve been invited to multiple showers for the same bride! Dear Cheryl, I was invited to two showers for the same bride. What amount should I spend on a second bridal… Continue reading Ask Cheryl: How Much Should I Spend on a Second Bridal Shower Gift?
5 Bridal Shower Themes Perfect for Wintertime
There’s no better time to celebrate the bride-to-be than the holiday season: your home is already decked out, family is in town, and cooling temperatures make everyone want to cozy up inside to enjoy a festive get-together. If “plan a bridal shower” has made its way onto your holiday to-do list, I’ve got you covered… Continue reading 5 Bridal Shower Themes Perfect for Wintertime
Wedding Registry Picks Inspired By Francesca Mariano’s Martha Vineyard Wedding
Influencer and podcaster Francesca Mariano said it best in her Instagram caption: ” It’s like raaaiiiiinnnnn on your wedding day ☔️” As seen in the Instagram recap, the rain might just be the unsung hero of this show-stopping wedding held on the Martha’s Vineyard Museum grounds. View this post on Instagram A post shared by… Continue reading Wedding Registry Picks Inspired By Francesca Mariano’s Martha Vineyard Wedding
Ask a Real Bride: Help! My In-Laws Keep Adding Wedding Guests!
The trickiest part of planning a wedding is often the guest list. Determining who gets an invitation is often a collaborative process between the couple and their parents, and when one set of parents is paying, that collaborative process becomes a very delicate dance. This month’s wedding etiquette question comes from a bride trying to… Continue reading Ask a Real Bride: Help! My In-Laws Keep Adding Wedding Guests!
12 Wedding Registry Items for the Couple Who Already Has “Everything”
I’m particularly reflective as I write this on my sixth wedding anniversary. I’m thinking back to the first days of being engaged and how totally smitten I was with the idea of planning a wedding. I was sure my husband and I wouldn’t be registering for anything — we had everything we wanted and took… Continue reading 12 Wedding Registry Items for the Couple Who Already Has “Everything”