Tips & Tools for Planning a Simple Wedding

Article Links:
Ten Tips for Planning a Simple Wedding by Erin Doland
13 Ideas to Keep Your Wedding as Simple as Possible
18 Tips for a Frugal (Not Cheap) Wedding
How to Plan a Simple Wedding by Kristi Patrice Carter
Simple Weddings: 10 Ways to Keep it Simple & Special

Article Links About Getting Over Post Wedding Blues

Listed in no particular order. 

1. Wedding Blues? Here's How to Deal With Post-Big Day Sadness (Huffington Post)

2. Five Ways to Overcome to Post-Wedding Blues by Francesca Di Meglio

3. Beat the Post-Wedding Blues by Michelle Bender

4. Postnuptial Depression: What Happens the Day After by Jeninne Lee-St. John

5. 5 Tips to Managing Your Bridal Blues by Karen Sherman

6. Suffering Post-Wedding Blues?  (Daily Mail)

7. "Is that it?": The brides with the blues after their dream wedding is over (Daily Mirror)

8. Post-wedding depression by Sandy Smith

9. Post-wedding blues (ABC News)

10. Wedding Bell Blues: Getting Over Post-Wedding Depression by Amie M. Gordon


Related Products: His & Hers Pillows 

A List of Wedding Planning Books

These books have been numbered in no particular order. 

1. The Knot Book of Wedding Lists

2. The Knot Ultimate Wedding Planning and Organizer

3. A Practical Wedding

4. The Wedding Book: The Big Book for Your Big Day

5. The Wedding Planner & Organizer

6. Wedding Planning for Dummies

7. Easy Wedding Planning

Wedding Photographers in the Dallas - Fort Worth Area (An Index)

Disclaimer: I have not personally used or worked with any of these photographers. The following photographers vary in experience and expertise. Always use discretion when choosing a photographer you do not know. 


Elisabeth Carol Photography

Fairy Tale Photography

Grant Daniels Photography

Jessica D'Onofrio Photography

Joseph Mark Photography

Joy Neville Photography

Larry Sengbush Photography

Lightly Photography

Shelley Foster Photography

Stacy Reeves Photography

Tracy Enoch Photography

Throwing a Sean Lowe and Catherine Giudici (The Bachelor) Wedding Watch Party!

Things you might need for tonight's wedding watch party:

1. Popcorn

2. M & M's

3. Hershey's nuggets

4. Kleenex tissues!

And, if Downton Abbey is rivaling for you attention - tonight's episode comes on half way through The Bachelor event - you might want to buy Downton Abbey Season 4 here. It comes out in the United States on January 28, so you can pre-order now! :)

Movies Where Couples Fall in Love After Getting Married

[Warning: This list may contain spoilers!]

1. Love Comes Softly

2. Rachel and the Stranger

3. The Magic of Ordinary Days

4. The Painted Veil

5. Loving Leah

6. Green Card

Creative Guestbook Idea: Puzzle Pieces!

In Justin Young's song Puzzle Pieces (featuring Colbie Caillat), Young sings, "I don't want to quit, I just want to fit back together like two puzzle pieces." Puzzle pieces are a great creative wedding guestbook idea - they can symbolize a perfect match, complementing each other, or finding your "other half."

Other decorations related to wedding guestbook tables:

Vintage mailbox
White eyelet card box

Letterpress recipe box set
White birdcage
Decorative wood treasure box

A Little List of Movies That End with a Wedding

[Warning: This list contains movie spoilers!]

1. 27 Dresses

2. Clueless

3. Dan in Real Life

4. Follow the Stars Home

5. Hitch

6. My Best Friend's Wedding

7. Napoleon Dynamite

8. Ramona and Beezus

9. Runaway Bride

10. The Parent Trap

11. The Wedding Date

12. The Wedding Singer

13. What a Girl Wants

14. When In Rome

15. Where The Heart Is

10 Cute Things with "Mr. and Mrs." Written on Them

These adorable products all have "Mr." and "Mrs." written on them:

1. Coffee mugs

2. Soda koozies

3. Mustache pillows

4. Mason jars

5. Chef aprons

6. Salt and pepper shakers

7. Photo booth signs

8. Wall decal

9. Wooden letters

10. Ring dish

Adorable His & Hers Pillows

Different His & Hers pillow designs, each a set of two:

1. Pillows with a Mustache and Lips!

2. Hello There Handsome, Good Morning Gorgeous

3. Mickey & Minnie Mouse

4. He Sleeps Here, She Sleeps Here, The Dog Sleep Here

5. Her Side & His Side

6. Telephone with Two Cans and a String

7. Mr. Right, Mrs. Always Right

8. My Side, Your Side

You can also get personalized pillow cases saying His & Hers along with your names.

10 Great Wedding Songs Featured On Movie Soundtracks

1. 500 Days of Summer: "You Make My Dreams Come True"

2. Dan in Real Life: "Modern Nature"

3. Dear Frankie: "The Secret Sun"

4. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days: "Feels Like Home"

5. Jerry Maguire: "Shelter from the Storm"

6. Leap Year: "You Got Me"

7. Pride and Prejudice: "Dawn"

8. Safe Haven: "Hearts Content"

9. The Phantom of the Opera: "All I Ask of You"

10. Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part I:  "A Thousand Years"

Learning the Lingo: What Wedding Forum Abbreviations Mean

If you've ever been on a wedding forum, people use a lot of abbreviations. MOH for Maid of Honor, etc. Apparently you can even buy flashcards to help you learn the abbreviations!

I've compiled a handy list of wedding abbreviations and what they mean:

AHR - At home reception
B2B - Bride to be
BF - Boyfriend (or Best friend - it gets a little tricky!)
BIL - Brother in Law
BM - Bridesmaid (though it could also be Best man)
BP - Bridal party
DH - Darling husband
DW - Destination Wedding
FH - Future husband
FI - Fiance
FILs - Future in laws
FMIL - Future Mother in Law*
FNF - Friends and family
FOB - Father of the bride
FOG - Father of the groom
G2B - Groom to be
GF - Girlfriend
GM - Groomsman
H2B - Husband to be
HM - Honeymoon
IHO - In honor of
JP - Justice of the peace
MOB - Mother of the bride
MOH - Maid or matron of honor
NH - New husband
NW - New wife
OOT - Out of town
OTT - Over the top
SIL - Sister in law
SO - Significant other
STD - Save the Date
WP - Wedding planner
XH - Ex-husband
XW - Ex-wife

*Add an F before other family members of your fiance for the same effect (FSIL = Future Sister in Law, etc)

Now, for homework, let's translate a practice sentence!

Bride Speak: My FI and I had an OTT, OOT DW at Disney World with my FNF, FIL, MIL, SIL, BIL, MOH, BMs, GMs, and all of their BFs, GFs, and SOs. After DH and I returned from our HM, we realized we still had to pay the WP for our STDs.

English Translation: My fiance and I had an over the top, out of town destination wedding at Disney World with my family and friends, father in law, mother in law, sister in law, brother in law, maid of honor, bridesmaids, groomsmen, and all of their boyfriends, girlfriends, and significant others. After darling husband and I returned from our honeymoon, we realized we still had to pay the wedding planner for our Save the Dates.

An Index of Wedding Guestbooks

I wrote a post on creative guestbook ideas, but I also wanted to give you some ideas for specific wedding guestbook products. These are three more "traditional" guestbooks:

1. Precious Moments Wedding Guestbook

2. Seashell Beach Theme Wedding Guestbook & Pen Set

3. Purple Swirl Guestbook

Seven Movie Couples with Whirlwind Romances Leading to Marriage

[Warning: This list may contain movie spoilers!]

1. Cosette and Marius in Les Miserables

2. John and Joey in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

3. Jess and Marie in When Harry Met Sally

4. Annie and Bryan in Father of the Bride

5. Romeo and Juliet in the eponymous tale

6. Maria and Tony in West Side Story

7. Cinderella and Prince Charming in Cinderella

Favorite Married Couples in Movies

[Since this list describes movie characters that end up marrying each other, it may contain spoilers!]

In no particular order, my favorite married couple in movies include:

1. Carl and Ellie in Up. 

2. Ray and Livy in The Magic of Ordinary Days. 

3. Julia and Paul in Julie & Julia.

4. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice.

5. Anne and Gilbert in Anne of Green Gables. 

6. Marty and Clark in Love Comes Softly.

7. Tevye and Golda in Fiddler on the Roof. 

8. John and Olivia in The Waltons movies. 

9. Toula and Ian in My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

10. George and Nina in Father of the Bride.

Cute Wedding Cake Toppers

There are so many types of cake toppers - figurines, animals, and even Lego pieces representing the bride and groom!

I've made a categorized list of the following cake toppers:

Cute cake toppers I've stumbled upon include this Roman Wedding Cake Topper Figurine, Mr. and Mrs. letters, a Scrabble cake topper, his & hers armchairs, silhouettes, penguins, and Bible verses.

Disney cake toppers include Mickey and Minnie figurines, the Minnie's Dream Wedding variation, Mickey and Minnie riding in a "Happily Ever After" car, and my personal favorite, the Precious Moments human figurines with Disney mouse ears.

Love bird cake toppers include Weddingstar Contemporary Love Birds Cake Topper, Hortense B. Hewitt Porcelain Love Birds, and birds in a love nest.

Willow tree brand cake toppers include Willow Tree Promise Cake Topper and Willow Tree Together Cake Topper.

Or if you want your photo inside a heart-shaped acrylic frame, check out this Heart Photo Cake Top.

Eight Great Books About "Bridezillas"

...actually, I'm not sure if these are "great," since I haven't read any of them...I guess it's up to you to decide!

1. Altared: Bridezillas, Big Love, Breakups, and What Women Really Think About Contemporary Weddings, by Colleen Curran

2. But It's My Day: A Handbook for Bridezillas by Teal Mitchell

3. Becoming Bridezilla: A Handbook for Achieving Nuptial Bliss Despite the Best Intentions of Family and Friends by Emma Upton

4. Bridezilla: True Tales from Etiquette Hell by Noe Spaemme and and Jeanne Hamilton

5. Accessory to Marriage: A Chronicle of Outrageousness from my Life as a Wedding Photographer by James D. Walters

6. Brides: From Blushing to Bawling (And Everything In Between)

7. Fifty Reasons to Elope: Tips from a Bridezilla by Siobhan Desmond

8. She's Gone Bridal! by Liz Razin

A Dozen Movies Relating to Weddings

There are a lot of movies about weddings, so I thought I would make a handy list!

1. Father of the Bride - both the original with Spencer Tracy and the Steve Martin remake.

2. My Best Friend's Wedding

3. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

4. Leap Year

5. My Big Fat Greek Wedding

6. The Wedding Date

7. The Wedding Planner

8. Monster-in-Law

9. Four Weddings and a Funeral

10. Come Dance at My Wedding

11. Our Family Wedding

12. The Big Wedding

My favorite from this list is probably My Big Fat Greek Wedding. I'm a Nia Vardalos fan - I also liked her movies My Life in Ruins and I Hate Valentine's Day, which I suppose are indirectly related to weddings by having to do with love! She's also written a book called Instant Mom which I've been meaning to read. (Maybe some of you wedding planners will also be planning motherhood eventually!)

Children's Books About Weddings

In my last post, I specifically talked about children's books dealing with mommy or daddy getting remarried, but there are also a lot of children's books that just have to do with weddings in general. Maybe you need a book for the little girl who is going to be the flower girl, or the little boy who is going to be the ring bearer! The author Linda Griffith wrote both The Best Ever Ring Bearer: All the Best Things About Being in a Wedding and The Most Special Flower Girl: All The Best Things About Being in a Wedding.

Other books about flower girls include:

1. Lilly's Big Day by Kevin Henkes

2. Karen's Wedding (Baby-Sitters Little Sister Series) by Ann M. Martin

3. Wedding Wings (The Disney Never Girls Series) by Kiki Thorpe

4. Wedding Cookies by George Edward Stanley. In this book, the little girl is a flower girl in her Grandma's wedding.

Or, for kids who are going to be bridemaids or junior bridesmaids in a relative's wedding, they might want to check out Wedding Flowers (the Cobble Street Cousins Series) by Cynthia Rylant.

Even more children's books related to weddings include:

1. A Wedding in Canterlot (My Little Pony)

2. The Wedding Cake Mystery by David A. Adler

3. The Wedding Cake Disaster (Nancy Drew Clue Crew)

Also, here is an index of children's wedding activity books or sets:

Coloring place mats: Children's Wedding Activity Place mats

Coloring book: Fit for a Princess / Wedding Bells Disney Princess Super Coloring Book

Twelve pack coloring book set: Wedding Activity Sets by Fun Express

Sticker book: Wedding Wishes Disney Princess Sticker Book

Do you have any favorite children's books related to weddings?

Children's Books Talking About Mommy or Daddy's New Marriage

If you're a bride (or groom) to be and have young children, you might be interested in one of the following children's books dealing with mom or dad's new marriage.

Children's books about mom's wedding:

My Mom's Wedding by Eve Bunting. Focuses on a seven-year-old girl. 

My Mommy's Getting Married by Pamela Chambers

My Mother Got Married and Other Disasters by Barbara Park

Children's books about dad's wedding: 

Daddy's Getting Married by Jennifer Moore-Mallinos. This book is also available in Spanish. (Este libro tambien esta en espanol.)

Martha's New Daddy by Danielle Steel

My Dad's Getting Married by Robert Zasimovitch

So Your Dad Got Married by Kelly A. Hart

Children's books about a new stepmother:

The Wicked Good Stepmother: When Daddy Remarries by William Bentrim

My Bonus Mom!: Taking the Step Out of Stepmom  by Tami Butcher

My Fairy Stepmother by Marni Prince

If you're looking for more wedding-themed children's books not directly related to Mom or Dad's wedding, I've compiled a list of books in this post.

A Sock Monkey Themed Wedding

Sock monkeys seem to be pretty popular right now; there's something related to sock monkeys for every occasion, from sock monkey umbrellas to a children's book called The Sock Monkey's Guide to the Alphabet. So I thought that for people who are planning a wedding and want something sock-monkey themed, there must be a lot of sock monkey things related to weddings! (In fact, this couple even had a sock monkey themed wedding!)

I have listed the following five items that you could either have at weddings or are wedding themed:

1. Stuffed animals. The Sock Monkey Family Wedding Limo Party is an adorable set of six sock monkeys dressed in wedding attire! It includes a bride, groom, flower girl, ring bearer, minister, and chauffeur. How cute! You can also buy the bride and groom separately; for sock monkey enthusiasts, you could set them on a decorated table at the wedding reception!

2. Something related to the ring bearer. This isn't the typical sock monkey, but while watching the television show Corner Gas (my current favorite), I heard a reference to a pillow monkey. So the ring bearer could hold a pillow monkey while carrying an engagement ring!

3. Sock monkey wedding art. This drawing of a bride and groom sock monkey could be framed or displayed at the wedding!

4. Sock monkey cake toppers. Or you could make the groom's cake sock-monkey themed if he's the sock monkey fanatic of the two.

5. General sock monkey party supplies. These can be used for an engagement party or bridal shower!

11 Great First Dance Wedding Songs

These are ten songs that would be great for a first dance - or just as a lovey-dovey song in your reception. I've linked them so that the song titles link to Youtube and the artist or band names link to where you can buy and download them on Amazon.

1. True Love Ways (Buddy Holly)

2. Then (Brad Paisley)

3. Forever and Ever, Amen (Randy Travis)

4. Could I Have This Dance (Anne Murray)

5. From This Moment On (Shania Twain)

6. The Way I Am (Ingrid Michaelson)

7. I'm Yours (Jason Mraz)

8. This Never Happened Before (Paul McCartney)

9. Hearts Content (Brandi Carlile)

10. Amazed (Lonestar)

11. Where I Land (JJ Heller)

Wedding Themed Cookie Cutters

If you're planning a wedding shower or engagement party, you might be thinking about baking cookies with a wedding theme. The following ten cookie shapes are some of my favorites. I've tried to match the pictures of cookies as closely to the links as I could.

1. The Engagement Ring cookie cutter is probably my favorite idea, and it's also great choice for engagement parties!

2. Hearts. You can write some words in frosting on the hearts, such "I Do" or "Forever." The cookie cutter can also be used later for Valentine's Parties! You can buy a Heart Cookie Cutter Favor at The Knot.

3. Save the Date Calendar Cookies (using square cookie cutters). Write your wedding date on the cookies!

4. Bridal Gown. This could be a fun cookie shape, especially if you decorate the "dress" with frosting and sprinkles.

5. Other cookie shape ideas include a wedding cake, X's and O's, a car that says "Just Married," something that says "Love," alphabet letters, ampersands, and bells. 

Creative Things to Put in a Wedding Bouquet

Though some brides prefer traditional wedding bouquets, there are a lot of creative ways to decorate bouquets! I've divided them into the following categories.

1. Flowers and nature. Daisies, white roses, (or both), baby's breath, pine cones, other plants, seashells, starfish, twigs, peacock or other feathers, leaves, and cotton.

2. Things made out of paper. Photographs, quotes, paper hearts, pinwheels, thumbprints of the bride and groom forming a heart, Scripture, Valentines, maps, bookmarks, paper flowers, origami swans, notes from your fiance. 

3. Hobby-themed items. Chess pieces, dice, playing cards, puzzle pieces, stamps, Scrabble tiles, yo-yo, favorite recipes, 

4. Items related to sewing or craft projects. Tassels, twine, string, rope, ribbon, thread, sequins, veil material, thimbles, wire, yarn, zippers, lace, cork, doilies, beads, knitted things, buttons, floral butterflies, felt, or other fabric. 

5. Things that might be found in your house! Cloth napkins, combs, cookie cutters, denim, purse strap, socks, ties, tissue paper, wrapping paper, streamers, magazine pictures, headbands, hair clips, gift bows, earrings, key chains, keys, cupcake papers, money, newspaper, bubblegum, magnets, a tiara, and bells (with the clapper removed). 

6. Heirlooms or other jewelry. Brooches, a cameo, pins, quilt pieces, scarves, pearls, watches, clothing swatches, charms, jewelry, and crosses. 

7. Things to support the bouquet. Scepter, purse, ice cream cone, and a wand. 

8. Edible things. Berries, grapes, vegetables, candy, candy canes, lollipops, and mints.

How to sign up for a Knot.com Wedding Website

TheKnot.com. This site seems to cover a lot of aspects of wedding planning and is probably the best tool I've found. You can even shop for engagement rings, whether you're looking for or Neil Lane, Vera Wang, Kay Jewelers, or the dozens of other brands showcased on the site. But, probably my favorite feature of the site is that it is great for building a wedding website, and I've known dozens of people who have built their websites here. So today I am going to go through the steps of showing you how easy it is to build a Knot.com website!

Building a Wedding Website on TheKnot.com

1. After clicking this link, you'll be redirected to a page where you can choose from 100 designs for your wedding page. You can click to see a preview of any of them without logging in or having an account. You might as well look at the pages before signing up in case you decide to go with another site.

2. Once you know you're going to open a Knot.com site, you can sign up here. They will ask you for your name, email, your role in the wedding (such as bride), fiance's name, wedding date, address, and wedding location. (For the wedding date, the site lets you put up a wedding date as late as 2018 - so if you're planning a wedding in 4 years and 11 months from now, you're in luck!) You can also select colors and styles you're leaning towards (traditional, outdoor, DIY, etc), though you can also change this information later. After creating a username and password, the form is complete!

3. Now you can choose your website url from a few selections where they combine you and your fiance's last names (such as theknot.com/wedding/Carmichael-and-Davis). I did find that typing in the text they've given to prove you're not a spam robot was a little difficult (I couldn't quite read it the first two tries), but I guess that's not a bad thing. I was immediately taken to a web page editor after this, but I had to do something else at the time, so when I came back I just signed directly into TheKnot.com again.

4. This does not directly pertain to your wedding website, but if you're doing anything else on TheKnot involving planning, you might want to change your settings to private. I first went to my Settings (click on your name in the top right hand corner and you can get a drop-down menu with Settings) and I changed all Settings from Public to Private (there are boxes that you can check). Then I saved my settings.

5. To get back to your website, click My Knot (currently on the far left side of the homepage) and choose  My Website from the drop-down menu. It will redirect you to your web editor, where you can fill in the wedding information about you and your fiance, the proposal, ceremony, reception, wedding party, your registries, guest information, photo album, RSVP, honeymoon, map of events, and two bonus pages for extra information.

6. If you want to make your wedding page private, you can password-protect it so that the general public will only be able to view the home page of your site. On the left sidebar, underneath My Website, there will be an option called Password-Protect. Once you're on the Password-Protect page, just set up the guest password! You also have the option to set up a password hint if you choose.

The Point of Bachelorette Party T-shirts

I often see sites selling graphic tees for the bride, groom, and bridal party (saying things like "Team Bride"), and I used to see little point in the shirts. I thought, "When do people ever wear these shirts? One time at the Bachelorette Party? And what about the shirts that say "Ring Bearer"? When does the ring bearer wear his shirt?"

Now, however, I am not as pessimistic about the graphic tees, since shirts are fun, and weddings are fun, so it seems as if the shirts can sometimes make the wedding experience a little more fun! I realize that not everyone wants, needs, or remotely desires graphic tees for the Bachelorette Party. Some brides don't have Bachelorette Parties (or even bridesmaids in their weddings), and some brides have wedding parties or family members who just wouldn't appreciate graphic tees. However, if you are a bride who is into graphic tees, they can definitely be a lot of fun!

Graphic tees can serve at least four purposes:

1. Graphic tees are fun to wear during the Bachelorette or Bachelor Party. Some t-shirts add to the festive experience by giving a description of each person wearing the shirt; the shirts might say things like Bride to Be, Groom's Sister, or "Bride's BFF." 

2. The tees don't expire once the wedding is over and can still be worn later. I have dozens of shirts from day camp or sports leagues that I wore for years after the camps and teams were finished...so why not wear your Maid of Honor shirt while shopping or at the gym?

3. The graphic tees sometimes make members of the wedding party feel special. It can be a nice gesture to give your Mom a tee that says Mother of the Bride or your future sister-in-law a shirt that says Groom's Sister. 

4. If you don't buy the graphic tees, they can be fun to make on your own. Make them during the Bachelorette Party, or if you're giving a graphic tee to the Flower Girl, have it be a fun activity weeks before the wedding; you could buy some solid-colored t-shirts and decorate them with Crayola Fabric Markers.

5. And, probably my favorite thing about graphic tees is that they can serve as a wedding memento! Members of your wedding party (or guests in general) can sign a graphic tee for you and your fiance to keep!

Creative Ideas for a Wedding Guestbook

Are you looking for a creative way to showcase your guestbook?

I've been to many weddings where guests sign a traditional wedding guestbook - sometimes they sign their names, and sometimes they give little messages or advice. While many brides favor the traditional guestbook, others want something with a creative flair. If you're a creative type, you might enjoy some of these ideas! For each idea, I've also included my personal favorite.

Creative Guestbook Ideas:

1. Something relating to hobbies. The guests can sign an item relating to the bride and groom's hobbies, such as an apron, baseball cap, home plate, softballs, chef's hat, a game board, guitar, flying disc, pieces of music, or a surfboard.
My Pick: Though I like the idea of a game board - especially since some couples use Scrabble tiles for engagement and wedding photos, it's hard to find a board game that has enough white space to write on (unless you purchase a blank game board like the Ashley Productions Game Board). So my personal pick would be the apron, since I enjoy baking. I found this all-white Aunt Martha's Cotton Kitchen Apron online, though it might not be fancy enough for most bride's liking.

2. Something made out of wood. Ideas for wooden decorations  include an anchor, a ship's wheel, a barrel, alphabet letters or an ampersand symbol, letters that spell out Mr. and Mrs., a tree-shaped plaque, or a corn hole game. You can also sign wooden furniture, such as a chair, bar stool, a bench, an oar, or a coffee table.

Another idea for wood decor: Guests can sign a wooden plaque that looks like your home state!

My Pick: Corn hole game, or as this brand is called, Original Tailgate Toss. What I like about a corn hole board is that it's large enough for guests to write on, but will make a really fun backyard game afterwards!

3. Something to drop notes into. Guests can write little notes, but slip them into a creative storage capacity, such as a birdcage, vintage mailbox or post office box, tip jar, a bottle (like messages in a bottle!), a recipe jar, or a tea pot.
My Pick: I like the birdcage idea, maybe because I think of love birds, or a white birdcage to match the bride. This White Birdcage Wedding Card Holder Wishing Well looks like a cute way to house your guests' messages.

4. Something artsy-craftsy. Guests can paint a board using paintbrushes, or sign quilt pieces or bandanas. Some artsy ideas are a little messy, but memorable, such as having guests dip their hands into paints to make hand prints, or pressing their thumbs into ink to create a thumbprint tree. If you're going for a different look, use black paper and gel pens for your guestbook. Or for another creative activity, cut out note paper in the shapes of tiny clothes, and after guests sign, they can hang them on the clothespins.
My Pick: Thumbprint tree. This Thumbprint Guest Book Wedding Tree is designed for 75 to 125 guests.

5. Something small. The guestbook doesn't have to be big - sometimes small items are the most special! This includes bookmarks, Jenga game pieces, building blocks, shells, stones, paper hearts, coasters, cork, imitation sand dollars, paper flowers or leaves, origami boats or swans, paper airplanes or balloons, playing cards, postcards, Pogs, puzzle pieces, or paper mustaches or lips. The guests can also sign blank stickers and stick them on a decorative board.
My Pick: The Jenga idea is my favorite, partly because it seems like the blocks would be easy to preserve and store afterwards.

6. Something technological. Have an audio or video guestbook where guests record messages. Or place a laptop on a table and have guests leave a comment. Or set up a photo booth, and after the guest gets doubles of his picture, he can slip on of the copies into a book along with a personal note. If you're looking for technology that's not so modern, you could set up a vintage typewriter where guests can write notes - or just use a vintage typewriter as a cute guestbook table centerpiece!
My Pick: Since modern greetings sometimes lack sentimentality, the typewriter is my favorite. I own a typewriter that is from the 1980s, so if I was using one for messages or as a centerpiece, I would probably go for something a little more vintage. Vintagetypewritershoppe.com seems to have a good collection.

7. Something inexpensive. Sometimes paper hearts, circular pieces of paper, or 3 x 5 index cards (colored or white) do the trick! Slipping the cards into a box that you decorative yourself could also be a nice touch.
My Pick: If you want to save money and time, I'd go for the note cards, since you don't have to cut them. I personally favor the look of white and non-lined, like these Pendaflex Oxford Blank Index Cards.

8. Other alternatives to the traditional guestbook. There are plenty of objects or items that guests can write messages on, including a ceramic plate, a globe, address cards, library cards, a calendar, decorative flags, a novel, necktie, shoes, or a map. Or they could write on a vase, vintage music record, waste basket, teddy bear, t-shirt with the & symbol, platter, pin board, or pillow slip! You can even choose an alternative guestbook that will later become a decoration in your home, such as a framed piece of art with a blank middle or a photo frame with matting on it - or maybe a "God Bless Our Home" sign. And if you want an alternative that is somewhat similar to a traditional guestbook, then a journal, sketchpad, or scrapbook might be the right choice for you.
My Pick: My favorite idea would probably be the framed photograph with matting, such as this Wedding Wishes Signature Guest Book Picture Frame. Or instead of framing a photograph, you could frame a drawing of the couple or their silhouettes, like you see below.

Where Should You Register for Wedding Gifts?

I've already done a post on what kinds of things to register for wedding gifts, so now I'll cover the where. Obviously I'm sure you have a good idea of the main stores that you'll pick, but in case there's one that's slipped your mind, I'll list my favorite selection of stores, along with an item for the house that seems appealing. I'll be focusing on bathroom sets so you can see what different stores have to offer. Just keep in mind that all of the bathroom sets linked don't exactly match; for example, my Macy's pick focuses on shower things (the curtain, hooks, mat, etc.) whereas my Bed, Bath, and Beyond pick focuses on the sink area (soap dispenser, toothbrush holder, tissue holder, trash can, etc.)  I do not personally own any of these items, but chose each because of their decorative appeal. My selection will hopefully give you a nice variety of bathroom ideas!

1. Macy's
My Registry Pick: Lenox Simply Fine Bath, Chirp Collection. Even if you're not a fan of birds like me who just watched The Big Year, this subtle avian design looks elegant.

2. Bed, Bath, and Beyond
My Pick: Croscill Mosaic Leaves Bath Ensemble. There's just something lovely about the mosaic leaves.

3. Sears
My Pick: Popular Bath Products Modern Line Bath Accessory Collection. What stood out to me about this burgundy set was that it seems a bit more gender-neutral than some patterns, which some couples might like.

4. Target
My Pick: Tree Bath Collection. This set almost reminds me of something I'd see in a story-book (but without looking like something in a kid's bathroom.) My favorite part is probably the trash can, which has a feel as if it was made from tree branches or twigs.

5. Crate and Barrel
My Pick: Sedona Bath Accessories. This is a great pick if you want to incorporate a wicker, handcrafted feel into your bathroom.

6. Pier 1 Imports
My Pick: Peacock Mosaic Bath Accessories. I like the blue tones and the archaic look that the mosaic gives; it seems good for a fancy bathroom.

7. Pottery Barn
My Pick: Hammered Nickel Bath Accessories. The monochromatic quality gives it a minimalistic feel, but the silver makes the accessories look ritzy!

Save the Date Sign Ideas

Often photos of engaged couples will roll through my Facebook news feed, showing the lucky couple holding up cute little signs that say things like, "He asked...She said yes." There are many different variations of these signs (explained in detail in Save the Date Sign Ideas on Kindle), but I think that my three favorite Save the Date photo-op signs are the following:

"I stole her heart...so I'm stealing his last name!"

For this sign, the groom holds "I stole her heart," and the bride-to-be holds a sign that says "...so I'm stealing his last name." There's something that I just find so incredibly cute about this! There are a lot of other sweet things to write on signs as well, such as "He's my own...She's my only" or "I'm marrying him...I'm marrying her." If you don't already have chalkboard to write your photo-op message, you could check out this casual country tin hanging chalkboard. 

"Love, Laughter, and Happily Ever After"

This is my favorite sign idea if you're going for a fairy tale theme. Other similar ideas include "This Princess found her Prince," "Happily ever starts here," and "I found Cinderella...I found Prince Charming." 

Ampersands or Letters

For couples who find written signs a bit cheesy, holding a large wooden ampersand is a nice touch in the photo! Or you could hold block letters that say Mr. and Mrs. or block letters with the initials of your first or last names  - this model is available in all alphabet letters.

Are you marrying a man whose last name is Higgins? You might hold up a letter "H" in a Save the Date photos!

Practical Wedding Favors

Are you still figuring out what to give your guests as wedding favors? Here are five wedding favor ideas I'm fond of. I've listed "My Pick" underneath each, highlighting my favorite. 

1. Items that benefit both the guest and the wedded couple. Disposable cameras are fun for guests, and this way, the new couple will get additional photos from their wedding. Photo booth photos are a fun activity for guests, but give you another way to photograph who showed up at your wedding. Also, if you're having an outdoor summer wedding that might feel a little toasty, printing the event program on paper fans will let guests fan themselves during the wedding, while giving you a cute, creative way to display your wedding program! 
My Pick: Photo booth. You can also use photo booth prop sets like these to add a little more goofiness to your photos!

2. Things that guests may use during the wedding and can also enjoy later. Bells, bubbles, flags and ribbon wands might be used to send off the bride and groom at the end of the night, but they also are fun little items for the guests to hang onto afterwards. Sunglasses are a great gift for outdoor weddings. Flip-flops will benefit guests who came in heels but still want to hit the dancing floor, and they're a great gift to take home. Some items that guests could use after the wedding include address books, golf balls or golf tees, decorative boxes, picture frames, and mini photo albums. 
My Pick: Bells. I think these Mini Kissing Wedding Bell Favors are just darling!

3. Kid-friendly toys. These include wedding activity books, coloring books, pencils, building blocks, coin purses, chocolate coins, key chains, and flip-books. Fun items such as decks of cards and dice can be a keepsake for the whole family. 
My Pick: Children's activity books and/or coloring books. I found this 12 pack of individually packaged children's wedding activity sets on Amazon. I also came across a wedding-themed coloring book called At the Wedding, and this Disney Princess themed coloring book called Wedding Wishes seem like it would be a fun activity for little girls!

4. Something that helps the guests during their travel. This includes luggage tags, brochures of the city where the wedding takes place, postcards describing the city, umbrellas, tote bags, towels, book lights, book weights, and bookmarks. 
My Pick: Tote bags. The Gingham Tote on Knot.Com  looks cute and classy with its black exterior. At around fifteen dollars, it would be too pricey to give to all of my guests if I were planning a wedding, but would probably make nice gifts for bridesmaids. 

5. Things crafted by hand. If you're wanting to save some money and have quite a bit of extra time, you could create origami, ornaments, paper fortune tellers, or paper wheel fans. Inexpensive favors that aren't as time extensive include recipes, seashells, and rocks. 
My Pick: Origami. The book Wedding Origami by Florence Temko specifically focuses on wedding themed origami projects. 

6. Something unique and creative. While some favors are more traditional, others are a little "out there." If you're going for a creative wedding favor idea, you could give out pails, paint brushes, plant seeds, t-shirts, temporary tattoos, or watercolor sets. Or you could have part of your centerpieces also function as wedding favors. 

My Pick: Watercolors. The Loew Cornell Simply Watercolor Cakes set provides a variety of colors. 

5. And last, but not least, great wedding favors include snacks! Whether they're cake pops, baked chips, fortune cookies, or snacks of your choice, the gesture will be appreciated - and it may help your guests get through the wedding weekend without grumbling stomachs! You could also give guests a grocery-type item to take home with them, such as coffee or tea. Other snack ideas are chocolate bars, cotton candy, cookies and cupcakes, donuts and coffee, fruits and vegetables, frosted pretzel sticks, hot chocolate, milk and cookies, mints, pastries, soda, and s'mores kits. 
My Pick: Most definitely the s'mores kits! Though I'm not sure if this would suit most weddings, I did find this Hershey's S'mores Kit, and it looks scrumptious!