Save-the-Dates have become almost an obligatory part of the wedding planning process. Shortly after one’s engagement, as key details of the wedding have come together, a bride and groom send word of their wedding and ask guests to mark their calendars. I generally encourage brides to keep the Save-the-Date consistent with the rest of the wedding stationery, as it is the first impression and taste guests will have of their event and it helps to set the tone for the wedding.
Recently, I have found that more and more brides are turning to electronic Save-the-Dates — something I used to cringe at. E-Save-the-Dates make sense for many brides for a lot of reasons:
E-Save-the-Dates can point guests seamlessly to your wedding website, if you have one.
They are a green alternative to mailing out paper Save-the-Dates.
If you are pressed for time, you can prepare and send out E-Save-the-Dates relatively quickly.
It saves on postage — particularly if you have a lot of international guests — and is more economical all-around.
It allows guests to more readily reach out to you with congratulations or questions.
New E-Save-the-Date companies are a radical departure in quality and aesthetics from E-vite and what we are used to seeing with respect to electronic invitations.
I am still an old-fashioned gal when it comes to wedding stationery and almost always prefer to send out paper Save-the-Dates, but with this laundry list of pros for the electronic version, I might be convinced that it could be appropriate in certain circumstances.
If you are doing an E-Save-the-Date for your wedding, PLEASE, PLEASE do not use E-vite. The ad-laden, clunky, outdated site is not the first impression you want to give your guests. Further, there are so many competitors to E-vite now — many with more modern template options and user-friendly features — that it is worth going with one of them over ubiquitous E-vite.
Two of my favorite E-invitation sites are Paperless Post and Cocodot. Both offer a great selection of modern, cleanly-designed options and are sure to impress guests as they click to open them given their significant departure to what they are used to seeing with E-vite.
Classic Save-the-Date from Paperless Post
Other alternatives for E-Save-the-Dates (some are definitely better than others…) are Socializr, anyvite, pingg, Purple Trail, and mypunchbowl. Yes, some of these sites charge, but in comparison to what you would spend on paper Save-the-Dates, it is worth it. Even if you don’t use these sites for your wedding Save-the-Dates, you may want to keep them in mind for invitations to informal parties you might be hosting.
Mark your calendar to check out some of these E-Save-the-Date sources!
I often work with Brides who wonder about the best way to extend hospitality to children attending their wedding. This is such an important question because, no matter their age, all guests should feel welcomed and cared for at special events such as weddings.
Once a Bride & Groom have determined to invite children to the wedding, the question then becomes how to ensure that the children and their parents alike have a wonderful time. First, a Bride must determine:
How old are the children?
How many children will there be of each age?
These questions will help a Bride determine what type of support will be needed to care for the children during the wedding and reception.
Also critical is speaking with each set of parents and asking them what would be most helpful for them.
Would they like to have a babysitter for the children the entire time?
Should that babysitter stay with the children at the hotel or should the children and the babysitter attend the events? Which events?
What is the child’s bedtime?
What are some of the child’s favorite toys, games, movies, learning activities and which of those favorites may still hold true by the time the wedding arrives?
Does the child have any food allergies or other special needs?
Will the child require a booster seat, a high chair, or a regular chair?
The answers to the above will help direct the Bride in her decision-making around how to entertain and care for the children. Perhaps a babysitter at the hotel is the right thing, or several babysitters in a room with games and activities, or more elaborate activities such as art projects or sports challenges set up with attendants.
Whatever a Bride ultimately decides to do, a custom bag of goodies for each child guest is always a nice gesture. The bags should be filled with age-appropriate activities for the child to enjoy, along with a welcome note sharing how delighted the Bride & Groom are that the child is there celebrating with them.
Here are a few ideas for some fun items to include in these custom bags:
Don’t get me wrong, I love cupcakes. And with so many bakeries focusing on cupcakes these days, it would be silly not to love them. There are some exceptional cupcake vendors in the DC area — from those like Georgetown Cupcake focusing exclusively on cupcakes to more off-the-beaten-track operations like Victoria’s Cakery in Fairfax that makes not only divine cupcake treats (not even featured on their website, but well worth the inquiry), but wonderful cakes, as well.
But, let’s face it, the cupcake craze is a little “yesterday.” We’ve been there and done that.
The latest trend that I encourage clients to consider is serving a sampling of artisan chocolates and confections. Artisan chocolatiers are not new, but have certainly been on the rise in recent years. By serving a variety of these bit-sized treats, guests can sample several different flavors and types. Here’s just a taste (pardon the pun) of some of the delicious treats you can procure for your next event:
Recchiuti’s work is amazing. (My husband and I savored their “make-your-own s’mores kit” that the Ritz Carlton at Half Moon Bay features on their room service menu for guests with terrace firepits off their suites. De-lish!) One of their best treats, in my opinion, is their Fleur de Sel Chocolates — the salty/sweet combo is a popular, en vogue combination offered by many chocolatiers these days.
Fleur de Sel Chocolates from Recchiuti
Jin Patisserie sells not only delicious chocolates but presents them in gorgeous silk boxes — a particularly beautiful gift for your guests.
Jin Patisserie 20 Piece Silk Box
Christopher Norman has a wonderful selection of handmade chocolates. Norman’s art background shines through in every beautiful piece he creates. I have long been a fan of their “domino set” — a perfect treat for your next Game Night party.
Christopher Norman Domino Box
Knipschildt is another incredible chocolatier. Included in their product offerings are “giant chocolates” — larger chocolate pieces that are more indulgent than more traditional bite-sized chocolates. Even more to love!
Giant Chocolate 9-piece set from Knipschildt
Artisan marshmallows are also very en vogue, often gracing the final “sweet treats” plates served at upscale restaurants these days. Vosges Chocolate features a divine twist on the traditional fluffy treat — the caramel marshmallow.
Caramel Marshmallows from Vosges Chocolate
Vosges also has a great selection of favors. A client used their Asian Takeout Box chocolate favors at a wedding and they looked (and tasted) lovely.
Tablescape from wedding of Sophia Mun and Matt Ko, photo by Baltazar Photography
These are just a few of the amazing chocolatiers out there. Future blog posts are bound to feature more. If you have a favorite, be sure to let us know by leaving a comment!
Ring Bearer Pillows can often be last on the list of priorities in light of all of the other details that go into a wedding. But with these beautiful choices, it’s easy to see how the rings could take center stage (but never over the Bride, of course!).
Gorgeous cashmere pillow from White+ Warren.
White and Warren Cashmere Pillow
This pillow from Tinarie21 on Etsy is similar in style to a lot of the Bridal Collections that recently came out — romantic, boasting rich fabric folds, with a floral motif.
Tinarie21 Cream on Cream Flower Blossom Pillow
A unique and beautiful customizable ring bearer dish from Rae Dunn — that can be kept and used in the newlywed’s home after the wedding.
