Skipping the Guest Book & Keeping the Love

Guest books are a staple of most weddings. Traditionally, they've been used as a way for guests to share their feelings of happiness and love with the bride and groom during their wedding day. The book is then kept as a keepsake for years to come.

While this is a great way for guests to wish the newlyweds well, guest books can be very expensive. Personalized ones can run more than $50.00 a piece! For a couple on a budget, this would be an easy way to save money. But, just because you don't have a guest book, doesn't mean your guests can't still share their love with you.

Try this idea, borrowed from my best friend's wedding in Holly Springs, North Carolina. She incorporated her version of a guest book directly into her place settings. Every place was set with silverware, a lined sheet of green paper, a wedding program, a pen, and a candy bar.

The candy bar and pen were favors, but the pen also allowed guests to fill in their green lined paper. The green sheet requested that each guest "please share your best wishes and advice for the couple as they start their life together". Guests used the sheet to wish the couple well, remember happy times spent together, and celebrate the couple's love.

Sheets were collected at the cake table throughout the reception. The bride's mother and aunt collected the sheets after the reception, and kept them safe for the couple during their honeymoon. After her honeymoon, the bride used the sheets and pictures from the wedding to create her own memory book. She matched the sheets with the pictures of the people who wrote them, then bound everything in a scrapbook. This way, when she and her husband look back at their wedding memories, they have more than just the words of love from their friends, but also a face to match with those words.

The bride was able to print all the guest sheets on her own computer, using paper that matched her wedding colors. Using sheets allowed her guests more room to express themselves while helping her stay in budget. Matching pens with the sheets added function to her favors, ensuring that all her guests could take part in the fun. This pocketbook-friendly idea creates a keepsake you'll treasure for years to come.

Stress Free is the Way to Be

Tips for Dress Shopping without Losing Your Sanity

Hey all you Brides-To-Be out there! We all know your dress is one of the focal points of your wedding. You want it to make you feel like a princess, and it'll be one of the most memorable elements of your big day. However, it can also be one of the most stressful parts of your wedding prep.

But - it doesn't have to be! I haven't been in the wedding business long, but I've picked up a few tips to de-stress your dress:

1. Do your research: I know, I know - that word "research" doesn't sound appealing at all. Actually, it sounds down right boring. But this research will be fun! I mean, you're looking at wedding gowns - how can that be boring? Purchase some wedding fashion magazines. This time of year, I recommend "The Knot" Fashion Issue. And don't let the price tag of this publication discourage you - the headaches you'll save yourself are well worth it. You can find it at most bookstores, and as well as at the link above. Flip through your new wedding fashion magazine with a pen and sticky notes handy. Mark all the dresses that catch your eye with a sticky, and write down what made it stick out. Write down all your initial thoughts: "like this bodice, hate the skirt"; "like the layers, maybe less frilly?"; etc. All these notes will help you narrow down your choices when you go shopping.


2. Find stores in your area: Everyone knows about the big chain and boutique bridal stores; I'm sure you can think of at least two or three right now. It's possible you pass them every day on your way to work. But, if you're a bride on a budget these may not be the best options for you. Look for local wedding consignment and bargain stores in your area. There are tons around; they just take a little hunting to find. These stores often take in dresses that have only been used once, and some that have never been worn at all. These stores often pride themselves on staying up to date with current fashions, so don't worry about only finding dresses that your great-grandmother would have worn.


3. Go hunting: Go to both the big chain stores and the consignment/bargain stores. Be sure to take your sticky-noted magazine along with you. Use it to remind yourself of things you do and don't like, and to narrow down your choices.


4. Take things slow: It's really unlikely that you'll find you're prefect dress on your first shopping adventure. If you do, CONGRATS - that's awesome!!! If not, that's ok. Don't go into your trip expecting to find a dress the first time you look. It'll only drive you crazy, and that's stress that could easily be avoided.


5. Remember that it's YOUR dress: Lots of people are going to want to help you buy your dress. After all, it's a centerpiece of the wedding. While I encourage you take people along who's opinions matter to you, remember that it's still your dress. Don't try to please the people you're shopping with, letting their ideas mean more than yours. If you don't love it, don't buy it because someone else does. It's your day - make yourself happy.

These are just a few tips I've picked up so far. Shopping for your dress should be an adventure, not a chore. Have fun and don't stress!

Fortune Cookies

I believe in getting the best value for your dollar when planning events, which oftentimes means doing things yourself. Now, I have to admit, I'm not a terribly crafty person. But I did find a really easy way to make cool favors with stuff I already had in my house. Inexpensive, fun, and cute - a perfect combination for any event!

I found this Fortune Cookie recipe on AllRecipes.com, and decided to try it out for a dinner party I was throwing. The first thing I did was to write the fortunes. Actually, my friend and I wrote them, putting silly messages like "You're jeans look very sassy today" and "You're AWESOME" on them. After finishing the fortunes (which took about 20 minutes because we were so amused with ourselves that half that time we spent laughing hysterically), we followed the recipe as posted. Everything came together pretty easily, though we did find out a few things that might be helpful.


The fortunes went into the cookies easily, but we found that the paper fortunes ended up sticking to the cookies when they dried. To avoid this, we used a spoon handle to create a center in the cookie. While the dough was still hot, we folded the dough in half around the spoon, then in half around the spoon in the opposite direction. This created enough space for us to slip the folded fortune into after the cookie had cooled. We also didn't have a muffin tin to put our cookies in while they cooled. Instead we used a tea cup. It worked just as well, and allowed us to stack the cookies on top of one another.

This Fortune Cookie recipe can easily be used to create simple, fun favors for a wedding. If you want your favors to match your wedding decor, simply drop a little food coloring to your dough to change the color of the cookies. It's safe to eat and will add that extra touch to your special day. For the fortunes inside, print slips of paper with your wedding date and a small thank you to your guests. Everyone will appreciate that you thought of them in such a unique way. Coating one side in chocolate is another interesting addition to your favors. Add some sprinkles to your chocolate coating to add extra color. Any of these ideas will give you an amazing favor with a personal touch, while helping you save some dough for other things.