Manolo for the Brides

We’ve talked about weddingish regrets more than a few times here at MftB, and it truly is a bittersweet exercise. On one hand, it’s fun to keep looking at favors and frocks and flowers when one has no reason to buy them. On the other hand, it can make one question decisions already made…choices that can’t be taken back.

Now, when I start thinking “oh I wish I’d done/bought/used such-and-such a thing” I just plan a fabulous house party that incorporates all those products and ideas. Favors aren’t just for kiddie birthdays and weddings. Brides don’t have a monopoly on fresh blooms. And there’s no reason not to dress to the nines if you feel comfortable in a gown…the trick is learning to feel comfortable in a gown when everyone else is wearing slacks. Master that, and you’re golden!

The number one thing I wish I’d known about would have to be Bluefly. I didn’t start seriously thinking of this shop to end all shops as a source for reasonably priced, re-wearable bridesmaids’ garb until after I’d had a pickle of a time badgering my own ‘maids into picking something, anything, because we’re really getting down to the wire, here. Maybe telling them to go to Bluefly would have made everything easier for everyone…then again, probably not.

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I have it on good authority that the hot colors being adopted left and right by those planning weddings for later in the year are yellow and gunmetal gray. Gunmetal? Bring it on, especially in the dresses! Yellow in the frockular area? Um…I can’t say I’m a fan. A brief looksie reveals gowns that are playful to the point of being juvenile. Add to that the fact that yellow was associated at some point in history, according to Snopes, with lying, unfaithfulness, and oath breaking.

And lets not forget this little rhyme: “Married in yellow, ashamed of your fellow.” Now that’s how you condemn a color, folks, at least as far as bridalwear is concerned.

But all is not lost, for there are a thousand and one ways you can incorporate the happiest of all colors into your wedding palette. Flowers are an obvious choice, seeing as how Mother Nature saw fit to create oh so many lovely yellow blooms. A yellow cake…it’s a thought. How about some yellow stationery, done four different ways?

This lovely set from Crane’s includes invitation cards, inner and outer envelopes, reception cards, and response cards, and weighs in at $456.00 for just the invites.

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Save-the-dates are by no means necessary if your wedding will take place close to home. If, however, a large number of your guests will have to make travel or accommodation arrangements, your STD cards can help people plan. Those individuals may even save a little dough by reserving their spots on planes and in hotels early.

Pop ‘em in the mail about four to six months before your nuptials, and make sure you include your names, your wedding date, and the location of your nuptials. You should also add the URL of your personal wedding web site–especially if you’ve put up a page linking to local accommodations, airports, and directions.

If you don’t feel like putting anymore paper into an already bloated postal system, you can always warn your intended guests that they ought to save-the-date via telephone or e-mail. On that note, know that not everyone cares for cute STD magnets, postcards, and stickers. On Indie Bride’s Kvetch boards, joplin4 wrote:

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I’ve been burned before where thank you notes are concerned, and I can still rattle off the names of each and every bride and groom who didn’t make with the gratitude. So many nuptial etiquette rules were made to be broken, but the one about sending thank you notes in a timely fashion is not one of them. Being that you have to send them out anyway, why not make your thank yous as easy on the eye as possible by ordering from San Diego-based Ink Drop Design?

You’ll probably need a gel pen to write on the darker ones.

I’d never advocate charging admission to your nuptials, but I adore the idea of using tickets as save-the-dates and invitations. There’s a fun app at Says-It that lets you create a custom event ticket to put on your wedding web site. If you want a really professional looking ticket, buy ‘em from professionals like Admit One or Ticket Printing. As far as the price goes, it’s pretty darn reasonable!

This would work best for casual weddings or weddings taking place at sporty locations. You could also use these for shower invites, rehearsal invites, bachelor party invites, or favor tags.

So apparently it’s Cyber Monday, the online analog of Black Friday? I predict that in fifteen or so years every day of the year will have it’s own shopping name. Someone on Metafilter said, “Black Friday is for people who haven’t heard of pre-ordering or online shopping” and I agree completely. I always look for free shipping because shipping charges are the last online buying barrier.

Am I shopping for something today? Yes, but it’s not my fault! Somewhere along the line I apparently offered to bake Christmas cookies for family members. That’s a big oops. That’s why I’m getting ready to buy reusable gift bags right now. I hate wrapping paper…almost as much as I hate rolling out cookies.

I can say definitively that I’ve never been offered a menu at a wedding reception. I have been offered a choice of meals on my RSVP card, and I have been offered a choice of meals by a bored looking waiter, but I have not yet been lucky enough to have a menu card to peruse.

The reason for this may be that menu cards are one of those seriously optional items. Almost all wedding items–excluding the bride and the groom–are optional, really. Menu cards are doubly optional because you can pre-plan using your RSVPs or have your wait staff simply ask your guests what they want. If you’re working on a tight budget, menu cards should probably be one of the first things to go.

If the money is there, menu cards can add a touch of class to your reception meal. Plus, guests will likely be grateful to know what it is they’re eating. Including the hors d’ oeuvres selection is a kindness to vegetarians, who often shy away from proffered silver trays because inexperienced wait staff can’t say for sure what’s in this or that pastry puff.

Forever Forever offers these menu-writing guidelines:

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