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I’ve always loved the Alfred Angelo line for its beautiful styles and affordable prices. Whether romantic, classic, trendy or sassy, I truly believe this line has something that would make just about any bride happy.

Alfred Angelo came to the rescue at the last minute when I was on the fence about my original dress, and I quickly fell head over heels for a romantic mermaid silhouette with cascading tiers of lace, a gorgeous semi-cathedral train, and an elegant grape sash beneath the bust.

And earlier, while on the hunt for bridesmaid dresses that would flatter a variety of body types, my sister and I found the perfect formal and flattering grape gown, which featured white embroidery and crystal detailing on its sash.

(Photo Credits: Damien Smith Photography & Alex Neumann Photography)

Your save-the-dates and creative wedding announcements will bookend your wedding planning as the first and last mass, marriage-related, communication you will send.

Though the announcements and save-the-dates go out to different sets of people, both are more casual in purpose than wedding invitations, so there’s plenty of opportunity to get creative and enjoy the process of choosing a way to share your happy news. You can have fun with your recipients by incorporating a bit of trivia about your relationship or go beyond traditional paper notices to make a more memorable impression.

Save-the-Dates

Most couples send their save-the-dates as soon as they know their wedding date and the city where the ceremony will occur. While you want to give people as much notice as possible, it’s important to first finalize your guest list so that you are only sending save-the-dates to the people you definitely will invite to the wedding. Include the names of the bride & groom, the date and city. Consider noting on the bottom of the save-the-dates that a formal invitation will follow. Save-the-dates play a key role in getting people to mark their calendars to prevent scheduling conflicts.

Wedding Announcements

Wedding announcements inform colleagues and those who did not attend your ceremony that you recently married. The information conveyed is straightforward: the date of the ceremony, the name of the bride and groom, the location and any professional name changes. Prepare your wedding announcements before the wedding and send them just after, or have a close friend drop them in the mail while you’re both basking in the sun as newlyweds.

Once you’re clear on the recipient lists and the basic information for save-the-dates and creative wedding announcements, it’s time to explore fun ways to put your personal stamp on both. Here are a few ideas to consider.

Magnets

Save-the-date and announcement magnets are fun and functional. Print your date in a large, colorful font and it’s bound to catch that eye every time an invitee opens the fridge. A number of companies specialize in customizing magnets with photos or imagery of your choosing, or you can make the magnets yourself if you feel like getting crafty.

Book Marks

Book marks are double-sided so you can include a photo, trivia question or poem on one side and the information for the save-the-date of announcement on the other. You can have fun with your sweetie designing your book marks together, and print them yourselves or have a copy shop print and laminate them. Readers will appreciate the handy souvenir and non-readers can use it in a journal or cookbook. For extra pizzazz, punch a small hole at the top and tie a ribbon with your wedding colors to the top. This is an affordable option if you have a large list of recipients.

Vintage Postcards

Who doesn’t love visiting antique shops and second hand stores with a purpose?

Most shops will have boxes of used and unused vintage postcards for about a quarter each. The images will range the spectrum from exotic settings to photos of pop icons and reprints of art. Make sure the postcards are unused and keep your minds open – if you’re looking for postcards of Elvis to match your Vegas wedding, you’re better off targeting your search to newer postcards from stores that cater to your niche.

You can use postcards for either save-the-dates or wedding announcements. Every notice will be unique and have the personal touch of your handwriting and selection. Note that small postcards cost less to mail, but the price will quickly add up if you have a large number of recipients.

Stickers

Print your save-the-date on a sticker and your busy friends can add your notice right onto their planner or calendar. You can print them yourself or work with a paper company for a quality sticker with some thickness so it’s not likely to tear. If you feel like your design is too large to print on a sticker, you can always include a small heart with the bride and groom’s name & wedding date to achieve the same goal. Stickers are a fun, friendly way to convey that you really want your invitees to come to your wedding.

Your marriage is a happy occasion for the entire community to celebrate. Go with ideas that excite and inspire you without going over budget, and you’ll enjoy every step of your wedding planning.

By Aurora LaJambre

Are you ready to be inspired? I hope you so, because Erwin and Ed’s ceremony and reception recaps are here, and they’re heartfelt, touching and beautiful.

I’m thrilled to share these with you, first because of the wonderful job my fellow Wish Upon a Wedding DC board members and our wish granters did in making this a magical day, but even more so because it was a fabulous celebration of love and hope for the most deserving couple.

I hope you enjoy the video by Human Story Films, along with a few gorgeous images from Ed and Erwin’s “Wedding in White” celebration at D.C.’s historic Meridian on August 14, 2010.

There is simply something magical about a horse and carriage. It might be because it’s something that you don’t see everyday. It might be that is how relatives in your family got married and you’d like to continue the tradition. Maybe you love animals and horses as much as we do. Whatever your reason, adding a horse carriage rental to your wedding is classy and is always followed by a chorus of “Oh” and “Ah.”

Your wedding is a fantasy. It is a dream come true. You’ve found your soul mate and now you are announcing to the world that you will be together forever. It is a cause for celebration and this special day can be whatever you want it to be. Let your imagination take flight. Do you want to feel like royalty or maybe even a princess for the day? Why not arrive like Cinderella?

The pace of the carriage is slower than a car, of course. This is a good thing because it gives you time to savour the moment and really let it become a part of your memory. You want to look back on all the little things of the day and just smile happily at the thought. Why not, it’s your day.

We’ve worked on a lot of weddings and seen a hundred fabulous ideas. Let me share with you some of our favorites.

1. Surprise! This one is my favorite. I love when the bride or groom organizes to have the carriage incorporated into the wedding but keeps it a surprise for their future spouse. It’s amazing to watch their faces light up when they walk out and see a beautiful horse and carriage waiting patiently ready to escort them into their happily ever after.

2. Have the bride ride in with whoever is giving her away. After the ceremony, the bride and groom can ride away together afterward. Take a relaxing ride enjoying those special moments together before returning to the reception area to party the night away. This is the most popular idea.

3. Use the carriage to first transport the wedding party to the chapel. I like when the bridesmaids are taken first and the best man and ushers graciously help them down and walk them down the aisle. Then the bride arrives by herself and is helped out of the carriage by her father or grandfather to be given away down the aisle.

4. Make it a fairytale day by keeping the theme of Cinderella. Many carriages like ours have an option for a Pumpkin Top, just like Cinderella. Have the traditional white horse and carriage with the intricate twinings of the archwork of the pumpkin. It is out of the ordinary and draws a lot of attention. It’s also a great place to hang a lot of flowers.

5. A lot of people like to share the experience of the carriage ride with their guests after the wedding by offering rides at the reception. It gives guests an added activity to enjoy and is great fun.

6. Use it as a photo opportunity. It’s unique. It’s original and you’ll probably not get a better time to snap a few photos. A lot of times, I’ve seen a lot of people only think about the travel that they need and forget about the photographer. Sure, he can catch a couple pictures of you coming and going but why not incorporate a time to actually take some pictures in the carriage before your ride. Make the memory really last a lifetime with a beautiful photo. My favorite photo is when the bride stands by the horse and kisses his nose.

7. There’s a Jewish wedding tradition that the bride is to be led in on a white horse bedecked in flowers. I think that it’s very sweet and is actually how I myself got married. Arrive one way riding the horse and then I would think leaving together in the carriage would be phenomenal. You could even ride in on two seperate horses (bride and groom each have their own) and then ride away together on one horse signifying your unity.

8. Have a low budget for your wedding? There’s nothing wrong with that. If you’re cutting costs like having the wedding at home or at a park, you can really dress up the event by incorporating a carriage. Imagine being escorted around your own property just like kings and queens are. It’s an inexpensive way to add to your event.

9. It’s a big attention getter. Everytime, we travel down the street with a couple that’s just been hitched. They get tons of well-wishes, waves and smiles from the people that we pass by. This goes for strangers too. Seeing the carriage and the happy couple just puts everyone into a better mood.

10. This one is special. If you have the carriage as part of your wedding, have it again on your first anniversary. Make it a tradition. Pack a picnic and enjoy the ride. You can even be picked up at a fancy restaurant. It’s one year that you’ve been married, celebrate and recreate the day a little by enjoying a buggy ride once more.

Whatever it is that you decide to do. Remember that it’s your day.
Celebrate. Enjoy. Smile. Laugh.
Don’t let the little things get you down and then begin your happily ever after.

By Pinto Carriage Works, LLC
Horse-drawn Carriage Service for Special Occasions
www.PintoCarriageWorks.com

As a couple just starting to truly dress up our home with artwork and other splashes of personalization, Stephen and I knew all along that a signature frame would be the perfect guestbook alternative.

Featuring one of the engagement photos my sister snapped, plus wine-themed stickers we snagged at Michaels, our guests’ kind words – written in purple ink to match our color scheme, of course! – are the perfect reminder of how happy they were to share our day.

(Photo Credits: Personal Library)