Thinking about opting for an elopement instead of a traditional ceremony? Our handy guide includes everything you need to know to start planning! Couples have been eloping for centuries — whether to assert their independence, circumvent societal pressures, save money, or just to keep their wedding as intimate as possible. When the pandemic hit and… Continue reading Everything You Need to Know About Eloping
Category: Wedding Planning/Ideas
Ask a Real Bride: How Involved Should I be in My Bridal Shower?
Your wedding year can feel like a crash course in event planning: suddenly, your to-do list is filled with finding vendors, building your budget, and creating your guest list. With endless event inspiration and ideas filling your social media feed, many brides are left wondering: where exactly do the planning responsibilities end? I’ve got some… Continue reading Ask a Real Bride: How Involved Should I be in My Bridal Shower?
Ask a Real Bride: How to Plan a Bachelorette Weekend, Not a Guilt Trip
If you’re a bride currently planning her bachelorette weekend, this is your sign to step back, take a deep breath, and honestly ask yourself: am I planning a girls’ trip or a guilt trip? Since I’ve been writing about weddings for nearly 8 years, people love to tell me their wedding stories–and I love hearing… Continue reading Ask a Real Bride: How to Plan a Bachelorette Weekend, Not a Guilt Trip
How to Write the Perfect Couple Story for Your Wedding Website
Your wedding website is a great place to direct your wedding guests for so much helpful information. From venue details to local recommendations for food and lodging, crafting your site can save you tons of time as you get closer to your big day. One element that every wedding website needs is a couple story… Continue reading How to Write the Perfect Couple Story for Your Wedding Website
11 Wedding Favors Your Guests Will Love
Wedding favors are usually small in size but can become a big part of your budget! I am a firm believer that wedding favors should be something that your guests can eat or actually use. If not, your favor will end up getting tossed by your guest! Favors show guests your appreciation for taking time… Continue reading 11 Wedding Favors Your Guests Will Love
Ask a Real Bride: Are Wedding Programs Worth It, or a Waste?
Is a wedding program worth the time and cost, or should couples save by skipping them? Our real brides help you decide! Wedding blogs, Instagram accounts, and Pinterest pages are filled with “must have” items to achieve the perfect wedding, but all of those great ideas can quickly become overwhelming for brides-to-be. It’s a challenge… Continue reading Ask a Real Bride: Are Wedding Programs Worth It, or a Waste?
8 Steps to Throwing Your First Bridal Shower
Hosting a bridal shower for the first time? Ace the celebration by following these eight easy steps! So, you’ve been tasked with throwing your very first bridal shower. While it might seem daunting, consider it a vote of confidence and accept the challenge. As the maid/matron of honor or a close family member/friend of the… Continue reading 8 Steps to Throwing Your First Bridal Shower
Ask a Real Bride: Should We Give a Speech at our Wedding?
When you think through your reception timeline, you’re probably carving out time for speeches by the father of the bride, the best man, and maid of honor. But recently, I’ve noticed that more and more couples seem to be hopping on the mic themselves! Is the bride and groom speech something you should consider for… Continue reading Ask a Real Bride: Should We Give a Speech at our Wedding?
7 Tips for Designing Your Save the Dates
With hundreds of customizable designs to choose from, VistaPrint is your one-stop-shop shop for all your wedding printing needs! Once you’ve decided on a wedding date and locked in your venue, it’s time to let your guests know what to expect with a save the date. A save the date isn’t an actual wedding invitation… Continue reading 7 Tips for Designing Your Save the Dates
9 At-Home Workout Moves to Get You Wedding-Ready (Plus a Bonus 30-Minute Full Body Workout!)
You’re engaged — congratulations! As brides, we tend to hone in on the details as we curate our perfect wedding. From the color scheme and cocktails to the first dance and table settings, there’s nothing we don’t obsess over (at least a little). If you’re like the majority of brides, your wedding planning checklist also… Continue reading 9 At-Home Workout Moves to Get You Wedding-Ready (Plus a Bonus 30-Minute Full Body Workout!)
Getting FIT for your Wedding
Your engagement was everything you dreamed of: the romantic proposal, the beautiful ring shining on your finger and the excitement your friends and family shared as you told them the good news. But now that the thrill has worn off, you’re starting to feel sheer panic. How will you be able to do everything that… Continue reading Getting FIT for your Wedding
AskCheryl: If Paying for the Wedding, Should Parents-of-the-Bride Have a Role in the Planning?
Today’s question is from a newly minted Mother-of-the-Bride. She and her husband are paying for their daughter’s wedding and want to know their role in wedding planning. Dear Cheryl,My husband and I are paying for our daughter’s wedding. We are trying to help them find a venue, but they don’t want us to be involved.… Continue reading AskCheryl: If Paying for the Wedding, Should Parents-of-the-Bride Have a Role in the Planning?
Ask a Real Bride: How to Avoid a Wedding Rehearsal Meltdown
The wedding countdown is down to one: your out-of-town guests have begun to arrive, you’ve finished the last-minute errands and pickups, and there’s just one thing left to do: rehearse! The wedding rehearsal is meant to ensure that your ceremony runs smoothly. But this practice session has become a notorious venue for meltdowns, misunderstandings, and… Continue reading Ask a Real Bride: How to Avoid a Wedding Rehearsal Meltdown
Ask a Real Bride: What Your Wedding Guests Wish You Knew
Each month, we ask real brides for their opinions on everything from wedding budgets to wedding blunders, but today, we’re turning the tables: a more appropriate title for this month’s edition might be “Tell a Real Bride,” because we’re gathering intel from guests! While there is no doubt the day belongs to the bride and… Continue reading Ask a Real Bride: What Your Wedding Guests Wish You Knew
Ask a Real Bride: Should I Do a First Look?
Is it just me, or have you noticed that weddings have recently tended to be less traditional? I don’t mean that negatively: I love how couples are personalizing their weddings to suit their style in everything from the ceremony to the dress code, resulting in unique, one-of-a-kind weddings! One of the most popular tradition-breakers I’ve… Continue reading Ask a Real Bride: Should I Do a First Look?
A Gorgeous, Unique Way to Ask Your Best Friends to be Your Bridesmaids
Hosting a bridal dinner is a not-so-common way to ask your favorite girls to be your bridesmaids, but my step-daughter’s turned out so beautifully that we now highly recommend it! Shortly after Meleah got engaged, she decided who was going to be in her wedding party and she couldn’t wait to ask each one of… Continue reading A Gorgeous, Unique Way to Ask Your Best Friends to be Your Bridesmaids