I’ve been in the writing biz a long time–got in shortly before computers became mainstream, so I was using a typewriter. It wasn’t until the computer became part of my everyday life that something became crystal-clear to me:

Typing was, by far, the most valuable class I took in high school.

But it wasn’t just the greater speed at which I could put out an article or a script. As I learned to use all the software, I discovered so many things I could create myself with publishing software–greeting cards, brochures, flyers. I rarely buy birthday cards these days, because it’s more fun and more personal to craft them myself.

Now, as a professional “wedding” writer, I see so many things that brides and grooms can do on a computer to save money and navigate their entire wedding—if they’re computer-savvy. And really, who isn’t these days?

Ideas to Help Keep Your Savings Stationary!

I thought we’d explore a few of the things you can do on a computer to save both time and money on your wedding. Of course, shopping is a given–find your gown, find a venue, find a caterer, find a band, find unique wedding favors, find a limo service. It’s all there at your fingertips. I’m sure you’ve already discovered wedding-planning software and wedding blog sites where you can journal your wedding while keeping family and friends in the loop and excited about your upcoming nuptials. And of course, there are dozens of blogs like this one where you can get super tips from experts and other brides. The real money-saving part? That would be printing all your own wedding stationery. All of the items below are available in kits. All you have to do is decide what you want to say, pick your font style, your color, etc. and print as many as you need. For example:

Your engagement announcements:

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A Save-the Date CD or card:

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A Event Schedule and directions to your wedding venues in wedding welcome bags for out-of-town guests:

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Color-coordinated fans imprinted with your wedding program:

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Place Cards to insert in your place card holders:

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You can buy all of the above individually, or you can stick with a theme or color scheme with Wedding Stationery Kits, though some items—like the program fan—might have to be purchased individually:

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Check online for downloadable designs, too. Some sites offer freebies, so shop around. The money you save printing your own wedding stationery can be put toward your honeymoon, your new home or in the bank for the family you’ll soon be starting!

Leave it to the former Lizzie McGuire and Gossip Girl star to break all the rules for her special day on August 14th.  But, for her, it was just Hil being herself.  Reading all the details in OK Magazine, I’m amazed at her ability to step outside of the wedding box and create a fun atmosphere with understated elegance.  In her words, “We didn’t want it to scream ‘wedding.’ We wanted it to just take your breath away…with a rustic look and organic feel with soft colors, nothing too bright and shocking — very classic .”  In the process, she may have started some new trends for other brides to be.  Here are a few of them:

Unfrosted Cake:

With elaborate fondant designs being all the rage, she opted for a less-is-more approach, having only icing between the layers.  Perfect for those who scrape the icing off the cake before eating it, it was sweet without being overly so.  “I’m a little picky when things get too sweet, so the cake is more buttery and the frosting is a little sweeter,” she explained. “It has all these fresh flowers all over it.”

Junk Food:

In times past, people tried to serve something sophisticated at their wedding.  But lately, brides have gone “down home” with their tastes by serving comfort food, like mac and cheese and barbecue.  This time, Hilary was able to do both.  Feeling that she had been terribly good dieting before the wedding, she wanted to have fun at the wedding.  Serving pigs in a blanket, ice cream sandwiches, sliders and corn ravioli, if any of us regular, non-celebrity folks tried that we’d be laughed off the planet.  It all sounds a little strange until you discover that the pigs in a blanket were actually “really cute heart-shaped, puffed, fried things,” and the sliders were made with Wagyu beef and Gruyere cheese.  Definitely a step up, I’d say.  Her Mom even created a jalapeno pineapple martini as the couple’s signature drink, and the dessert station had warm, molten chocolate cake and profiterole ice cream sandwiches with hot fudge dipping sauce.  Just thinking about it might make you drool!

Shoe Applique:

With this little something blue from wedding coordinator Mindy Weiss, Hilary was able to say “I Do” with every step down the aisle. Her signature “Little Something Blue For Your Shoe” puts a glitzy rhinestone applique on the sole of your wedding shoes that says “I Do.” How cute, and totally Hil. Simple, elegant pizazz!

Typos and Chipped Teeth:

I threw this one in just for fun!  This would be a scary trend, but I couldn’t help notice on the wedding favors that the word “Compliments” is misspelled.  It’s a shame because the cards are really cute and turn the cigar and box of chocolates into a classy personalized wedding favor.  (Yikes! I wonder if anyone at the wedding noticed.)  But, that’s not the only boo-boo.  Hilary started her day with a chipped tooth and had to sneak out to the dentist on the morning of her wedding for a quick repair.  Can you imagine that?!  Just goes to show that celebrities are human, no matter how much we idolize them.

Best wishes Hilary and Mike!

October 10, 2010 is a Sunday, so this date is going to be a busy one for weddings! It’s a cool date for a wedding (especially since it’s in autumn), and the 10-10-10 date sequence won’t come around again for 100 years (when, I’m sure, another blogger will let brides know so they can make plans, though it might not hit on a weekend that year.)

The biggest advantage to getting married on a triple-10 date is knowing your husband will have a better chance of remembering your anniversary. (It does work. I got married on Valentine’s Day, and my sweetie has never forgotten our anniversary.)

If your wedding date happens to be 10-10-10, congratulations—and check out these personalized mint tin designs that celebrate the date! These date-specific designs are available for other select personalized favors, like playing cards, candy tins and lip balm. With a special day like this, it just makes sense to play it up! Super day! Super couple! And no doubt, on a scale of 1 to 10, your fabulous wedding will be a 10, too!

Well, I have to say that I am surprised and appropriately appalled that some women would do this, but here goes…After reading about a recent study done by Slim Fast, the trendy way to look slimmer on your wedding day is to (drum roll, please) have bridesmaids that are fatter than you!

Ouch!  It sounds terrible doesn’t it, but according to the study one in three engaged British women admitted that they would ask an overweight friend to be a bridesmaid simply to make themselves look slimmer in comparison, the Daily Telegraph reports.  When did size become a part of the selection criteria over love, support, friendship and all the things that I thought went into choosing a bridesmaid?  When you realize that, according to the study, two in five brides claimed that they felt insecure when standing next to slim wedding guests, it makes you wonder if brides have their priorities straight.  Such vanity!  Such insecurity!  On a day when all eyes are on the bride for the right reasons (it’s her special day and she’s marrying the man of her dreams), it’s a shame that all she can think about is whether her bridesmaids make her look fat.  Hasn’t it dawned on her that she’s surrounded by family and friends who love her no matter how she thinks she looks?

Brides aren’t the only ones!

It also seems that the guests are obsessed about their weight on wedding day, as well.  Nearly 50 percent diet before the big day, according to the paper, to make sure they look “good”…and they aren’t even in the wedding party!

If you ask me, all of this is just taking the whole “force the bridesmaids to wear ugly dresses so I look better” thing too far.  I just wonder if this is true for U.S. women also?  Would you really choose a bridesmaid simply because of her size?  If you did or know someone who did, please comment about it.

A Healthy Obsession

With all of this obsession about weight, it’s no wonder that more brides are choosing non-fattening, no-calorie, practical wedding favors for their big day.  No weight worries will ensue from giving guests an elegant Fleur de Lis bottle opener or scented soaps (now there’s a gift that anyone can use!)  There are all sorts of wedding favor ideas that don’t infringe on the waistline.  But, does this mean that if the brides gives a sweet treat, she’s trying to fatten you up before the pictures?!

Well,  she is just seventeen! You know what I mean! If she’s one of your bridesmaids, your friends who are planning the bachelorette party need to think twice about that bar-hopping bash typical of today’s bachelorette parties, or you might be bailing them out of jail the morning after.

If it’s likely one or more of your bridesmaids will be under the legal drinking age of 21, you might want to ask your bachelorette-party planners to consider options that don’t focus on the goal of drinking to the bride’s happiness as often as possible. Glamour.com just came out with a great list of BP (Bachelorette Party—not the oil company) ideas that should be fun for everyone, and I thought I’d share some of them with you–along with a few ideas for bachelorette party favors to match!

• Karaoke! Hokey? A little. Cheesy? Very! Fun? Absolutely! Lots of karaoke places “don’t insist that you be 21 to get on the mike” and make a fool of yourself. And sometimes, you might be pleasantly surprised or even blown away at musical talent hidden among your family and friends. The Japanese are huge fans of karaoke, so it’s possible some sushi restaurants in your locale also have a karaoke component. The ladies of legal age can slurp on sake while everyone in the group sings and scarfs down California rolls.  My choice for this BP favor? “East Meets West” Stainless-Steel Chopsticks!

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• Eat Up! You don’t have to be 21 to get into most restaurants, and if the bride-to-be is a bona fide foodie, she’d love to spend an evening at her favorite spot for chowing down. Fabulous food, great conversation and something big, gooey and chocolate for dessert—sounds like a plan to me. Of course, pretty much anything that includes chocolate has my vote. And, of course, all the legal ladies can order a cocktail or two with dinner while the under-21 girls get stuffed and stay sober. If there’s even a remote chance the restaurant has no chocolate-laden desserts on the menu, I highly recommend bringing your own in the form of mouthwatering “Vintage Charm” Gourmet Brownie favors. You might decide to eat dessert first!

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• Relax at the Spa! Raise your hand if you love being pampered. Mine’s way up! A soothing facial, a stimulating massage, a manicure, a pedicure, aromatherapy, a steamy sauna, a half hour in the Jacuzzi—you’ll all walk out feeling like a million bucks. Though an evening at the spa can be a tad pricey, it’s worth it to celebrate the upcoming event of a lifetime. What bride who’s burned out on wedding planning wouldn’t love “a few hours of pure relaxation”? Wine for the women, water for the girls, it’s all good! And all the guests at the BP can keep the good vibe going with “The Little Black Purse” Five-Piece Manicure Set, unless, of course, the BP hosts can afford Jacuzzis for everyone.

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• Go Roller Skating, Bowling or Mini-Golfing. Be honest. You know you love this kind of stuff! To make it even more fun, deck yourselves out in raunchy, but tasteful, bachelorette gear and hit the lanes. If you really want to go wild, do all three in one night—bowl a game, enjoy a round of mini-golf and wrap it up on roller skates.  By the way, make sure someone brings a camera to the festivities, no matter which route you go. Every guest will want a few photos of that night to remember—assuming there are no shots that show something better left unseen. My suggestion for a picture-perfect BP favor is the “Natural Impressions” Photo Album, that lets you save the memories and the planet at the same time. Smile!

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• Take In a Show. Not a movie—a show. And not your typical Broadway show. Look for something like Tony & Tina’s Wedding, an interactive show in which the audience plays the wedding guests. If the cast knows there’s a bachelorette party in the audience, they’ll show you “an especially good time.” I’m happy to say I’ve been a guest at Tony & Tina’s Wedding, and I promise you’ll have the time of your lives!  The event is set up like a real wedding, where you attend the ceremony first and then the reception.  (The best part—you won’t even have to buy a gift!) Mystery dinner theaters are interactive fun, too.  Since Tony and Tina are Italian (and you know how jubilant Italian weddings are!), I would choose a distinctly Italian BP favor—the “Olive You” Olive Oil Dispenser.

To be honest, any one of these party plans would be fabulous even if all the guests are of legal drinking age. My thanks to Glamour.com for these great ideas!

Why do guys feel as though they have to be “naughty” at their bachelor party in order to have a good time?  Sure, it’s their last hoorah as a single man, but that doesn’t mean that they have to have a raunchy ruckus that most brides would consider to be in poor taste.  Instead of strippers and boozing the night away, consider one of these alternative bachelor party ideas:

Paintball

Get the adrenaline going with a super-charged game of paintball.  Reserve some time at a paintball venue, and have at it.  There’s nothing like playing commando for a few hours to shake off any wedding-day jitters.  After a day of running around with a paintball gun in hand, he’ll feel that he can conquer anything–especially a trip down the aisle.  Afterwards, head to a great restaurant for some good food or throw a barbecue at the house where you can present everyone with a grillmaster barbecue set as a groomsmen gift.

Fishing

Plan a day at the lake or a deep-sea fishing expedition for your favorite “fly” guys.  A camping weekend at your secret fishing hole is a great way for everyone to bond before the big day.  Even if the only thing he brings back is a great fish story, the groom will still have the best catch of all–his bride!

Poker

For card players, a night of poker can be a great way to celebrate the fact that the groom definitely has the winning hand…for life!  All you’ll need is a fresh deck of cards and some great comfort food, like burgers or ribs.

Sporting Event

Whether it’s the Super Bowl or a college face-off, gathering for the love of the game is a great way to hang out with the team.  They’ve been your “#1 fans” throughout your life, so rent a Hummer limousine and travel in style to basketball game, football game or even NASCAR.  Don’t take on any riders, but be sure to give the guys a cool groomsmen gift like this picture of three collegiate jerseys hanging in the looker room with your groomsman’s name personalized on the back.

There are plenty of other themes that can be tasteful and fun.  But, regardless of whether you choose a party idea that’s fun, adventurous or even a little embarrassing for the groom, be sure that it’s something that fits with the groom’s personality and will be enjoyed by all.

When it came to decorating the wedding aisle, all the attention used to be given to the pews or chairs.  Draped with bows and maybe some ribbon, tulle, flowers or even candles, they were the center of attention–next to the bride of course.  But, now pew decorations might just have to take a back seat to the aisle runner as this once-overlooked decoration is taking center stage.

No longer a “bare necessity” at weddings, decorated and personalized wedding aisle runners allow you to steal the show before you even come down the aisle!  Much more than just a place to hold the flower petals that the little flower girl threw on the floor, they can help you make a grand first impression with your guests.

Your names, wedding date and even a personalized message really makes these white wedding runners pop with color and love.  Just look at a few of our brand new designs that can be customized just for you:

Each style has it’s own way of reflecting your personality.  But if you feel that you need to add a little bit more, check out this article I wrote about How To Decorate Your Aisle Runner.  It’s full of creative ways to enhance your runner.

If there was ever a unique wedding favor, this is it, and it’s going on right now in cities all across the country! I’m talking about bridal salons giving military brides free wedding gowns, thanks to Heidi Janson and Brides Across America!

From Chicago’s online Daily Herald:

“Heidi Janson is the founder of Brides Across America, a non-profit organization uniting military brides and bridal salons throughout the country for a common purpose to support our troops and families. After spending more than twenty five years in the bridal industry, it was time to take a stand and do her part. Military Brides don’t always get their dream wedding. Some brides have to give up their wedding due to their fiancees getting deployed quickly. In other cases, brides have a civil ceremony and then await years for their fiancee to return home to finally have their wedding day. Heidi wants to make a difference and help those troops that are fighting for our country.”

What a wonderful idea! Thanks, Heidi!

How You Can Help!

There are a couple of ways you can help:

1. Donate money at BridesAcrossAmerica.com
2. Donate your wedding gown to the program

Gown designers and bridal salons everywhere are stepping up to the plate to donate their gowns to this incredibly wonderful cause.  One more reason why America is a great country! If you know a military bride-to-be who might benefit from this program, send her to http://www.bridesacrossamerica.com/ to register.

To everyone who donates to Brides Across America, I salute you!

For better or for worse–when most couples stand at the altar and commit to those words, they might not envision that it would include a lifetime of working together in their own business, but that’s exactly what it meant for one Chicago couple.  Their love for each other and the lens has led them into the photography business.  Together, Matt and Stevi Savage are Avery House.  Co-Owner, Stevi Savage, shares some insight on their relationship and their business.

What inspired you to go into the wedding photography business?

In our minds, owning a wedding photography business is the best job in the world. We were inspired to make this our career after realizing how much we loved creating meaningful images for people. A wedding day is one of the biggest moments in peoples’ lives and we share a passion for documenting that special time in a unique way. Every couple deserves to have beautiful images that tell the story of their love and commitment to each other. Nothing brings us greater joy than doing just that.

Looking at your work, it’s easy to see that you have a very creative approach to photography, capturing the subject from unique angles with an attention to detail.  You both seem to have that in common.  How are your camera perspectives different?

During a wedding, Matt and I have very different and specific roles. After years of working together, this is something that just comes naturally to us. Matt is the lead photographer and takes care of most of the directing during group photos or romantics of the bride and groom. He also focuses on all of the details such as the bride’s jewelry and the reception decor. I am the queen of candids and focus on capturing the mingling, the laughter, the high fives and all of the other small in-between moments. I always keep my eye on Matt from a distance so that I can help out when he needs a reflector, a tripod, an extra battery, etc. We strongly believe in the importance of having two photographers at a wedding and are always excited to bring both of our perspectives to the table. Matt loves shooting the small details and is great at quickly finding the best light to shoot in. I am there to cover the big picture and capture things from a different angle. We make a great team!

You seem to work so well together.  What’s it really like to work with your husband every day?

Working as a husband-and-wife team is something we don’t take for granted. Of course there are challenges, but we feel that it has deepened our relationship with each other far more than we could have ever imagined. We make it a priority to take time to ourselves each week so that we also grow as individuals which allows us to bring fresh ideas to the table when are working as a team. There is not another person in the world that I would rather be in business with. My husband is constantly inspiring me to learn and grow as a business owner and photographer.

Being a part of so many couple’s special day must be very rewarding.  What is the most memorable wedding you have done?

One of the very first weddings we shot after starting our own business was at Badger Farms just outside of Madison, WI. It was one we will never forget. The weather was sunny and warm; a bit unseasonable for the middle of October and the bride and groom were so calm and so candid. When you get to see a couple’s love for each other up close like we do, you start to feel like you’ve known the couple for years. Jess and Andy saw each other before their ceremony, and Andy said he could remember the sound of the birds chirping and the leaves crunching on the ground as Jess walked up to him from behind to see him for the first time that day. As he turned to look at her he said he loved feeling the sun shining on his face and the coolness of the Fall breeze. It was after this wedding, that we started encouraging our couples to set aside a few minutes alone before their ceremony for pictures with each other before the guests arrive. There are so many sights, sounds and smells that can create an unforgettable experience when a couple sees each other for the first time in a setting where there are no other distractions.

Wow, that’s impressive.  It truly demonstrates that this husband-and-wife photography team has an eye for style and they’re in tune with their client’s needs.  They have been shooting weddings for six years and are still as passionate about them as the day they first got started.

One of the most widespread wedding trends continues to be online shopping for brides, and I must admit, all of us at My Wedding Favors couldn’t be happier about it. Besides our commitment to bring you the largest selection of unique wedding favors in cyberspace, we know online shopping saves you money, gasoline, travel, running from store to store, standing in lines, carrying heavy bags from place to place,  and your orders are delivered directly to your home,  work or even your destination wedding location.

Ultimately, it’s all about trust, and the first thing you need to ask yourself when you shop online is “Can I trust this site?”

HOW TO SHOP ONLINE MORE SAFELY

My Wedding Favors has done everything possible to ensure your online shopping safety, but how can you tell? And are you doing everything on your end to make sure you don’t become victim to an unscrupulous Internet retail site? With some help from our friends at Microsoft, I’ve listed a few tips to help you determine that you’re shopping at a secure and trustworthy Web site. Here they are:

• Find out what shoppers say. Sites like epinions.com and BizRate have customer evaluations which can help you determine a company’s legitimacy.
• Look for third-party seals of approval. Companies can put these seals on their sites only if they abide by a set of rigorous standards, such as how personal information can be used. Two seals to look for are from Better Business Bureau Online and McAfee Secure, which means the site is tested for safety daily:

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If you see the seals, always click them to make sure they link to the organization that created them. Unscrupulous merchants have been know to put these logos on their Web sites without permission. If you scroll down to the bottom of this page, you’ll find both of these seals. Put us to the test!A

• Look for signs that the Web site protects your data. On the Web page where you enter your credit card or other personal information, look for an s after http (https://) in the Web address of that page. Encryption is a security measure that scrambles data on its journey through the Internet.
• Make sure there is a small, closed padlock. Usually it’s in the address bar or on the lower right corner of the window, though sometimes the padlock may be somewhere else on the page. (Our padlock is at the bottom of the page to the left of the Better Business Bureau Online seal):

• Use a filter that warns you of suspicious Web sites. Set up browser filters to warn you about reported phishing sites and block you from visiting them. Browser filters include the SmartScreen filter and the Phishing Filter, both found in Internet Explorer.
• Keep your Web browser updated with additional layers of protection offered by your preferred browser.

I’m glad I wrote this post, because the research opened my eyes to a couple of things about safe online shopping I hadn’t known before. Let me know if you found it helpful, too! Have a fabulous week of wedding planning!