Everyone knows you can save money by having your wedding on an off-day, but would you ever consider a mid-week wedding?

What are the pros and cons of a weekday wedding? Have you ever been invited to one or hosted one yourself? Do weekday weddings make you want to rant or rave?

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As a result, we instantly fell in love with these two ideas from Adrienne and Jake’s wedding on the Joel Flory Photography Blog. The first photo is an example of a beautiful way to display your place cards using vintage shutters or a folding screen, bright ribbon, contact paper and a few pins or clips.

In the next few photos, you can see how the couple used a Rolodex to encourage friends to leave them little notes, advice or inspiration. It’s like a portable wishing tree using colorful paper! We love it!

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Would you ever wear a short dress? What type of wedding can you craft around a look like this? What do you think about this whimsical style?

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White Doesn’t Have to Be Basic

January Jones and Olivia Wilde take classic wedding hues to a new level with intricate gowns that combine architecture, movement and grace.

Backs that Make a Splash

Kate Walsh and Jennifer Morrison had gorgeous gowns that looked just as stunning from the back as they did from the front. This is particularly important for a bride who will spend much of the ceremony with her back to the guests in attendance.

Jewel Tones Are Chic as Ever

We love the way Julia Louis Dreyfus and Mary Louise Parker let their jewel tones pop by keeping their silhouettes simple and timeless. Keep this in mind for bridesmaid’s dresses they will be willing to wear again!

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According to this interesting article on Divine Caroline, holding on to grudges isn’t just bad for your big day. The stress of staying mad at someone has the same negative effects on your health as the stress you encounter at your job, leading to problems like high blood pressure, a suppressed immune system and hair loss.

If the thought of losing your hair or feeling ill throughout your wedding planning doesn’t make you want to clear the air, consider the fact that it only takes one angry relative to set off a fight that could threaten the serenity of your entire event.

Don’t start your happily ever after with a cloud hanging over the day. If you’re holding on to a grudge, try some of these tips from Divine Caroline to begin to let go. If the angry party is someone you are close to, forward them this article with your heartfelt hope that they can clear the air and help you celebrate in peace.

• Figure out what’s making you dwell on the issue in the first place. Talking it out with an impartial third party or writing it down can help you sort through and understand your emotions.
• In whatever form forgiveness comes, remember that it’s not the same as forgetting, which is something that might never happen. The memory can last, but if you’ve truly forgiven someone, its ties to residual anger should be severed.
• Becoming cognizant of a grudge’s ill effects on your life makes holding on to one seem all the more pointless.

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One of the best ways to ensure that everyone has a great time at your engagement celebration is to encourage guests to mingle by setting up your event in one of these charming and casual atmospheres with engagement party invitations to match:

• The Wine Bar: Perfect for an adult-only affair, wine bars offer a range of appetizers and a wealth of libations for your guests to share. If that doesn’t get them chatting, nothing will!

• Your Backyard: Host an afternoon barbecue or string up lights for a sweet, starry celebration in your own backyard! Your guests will love the intimate setting.

• The Park: Let the kiddies run wild with a daytime soiree in a nearby park. The outdoor setting will encourage guests to sprawl on picnic blankets while they talk about what a great couple you make.

• A Champagne Brunch: Pick your favorite hotel or cafe and crowd your loved ones inside for a sweet little brunch to celebrate your love. You are sure to make lasting memories over eggs and mimosas!

• Your Favorite Restaurant: What better way to share your style as a couple than to host your event at your favorite restaurant or the location of your first date?

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1. They embrace the rustic appeal of the environment in a charming way.
2. A soft glow gives the entire celebration a subtle, golden look.
3. They never take the theme too literally.

Rustic weddings are often the most romantic. From cobblestones to earthy moss, bare branches and rich, dark wood, everything about a rustic wedding can invigorate the senses and make your guests feel like they are on a weekend getaway—even if they are only a few miles from home.

Part of creating this magical ambiance involves choosing the perfect lighting. Since a lot of wineries are dark and stacked high with old oak barrels, tea lights are a natural choice for brightening up the space and taking advantage of the rows and barrels. Hundreds of tea lights artfully arranged can make your guests feel like they are in a truly enchanted space. You can even opt for electric tea lights if you are concerned about fire hazards!

Finally, don’t feel tethered to a wine theme. Hosting the event at a winery makes certain design elements a natural choice, but this elegant Provincial Poetry wedding invitation is just as stylish, sophisticated and elegantly suited  for a winery wedding as this Wine Country wedding invitation. Allow yourself to be creative!

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You can filter the thousands and thousands of photos by category, and then use tags to narrow the selection down to exactly what you want. Or, if you are like me, you can click through every single one to find your favorites!

I love building little inspiration boards using different images in conjunction with one another. I love the rich jewel tones of these floral arrangements, the matching cake (from a completely different ceremony!), sleek dress and pretty, side swept hair.

By arranging photos together like this, you can form a better idea of the exact type of celebration you want to have. After all, a picture’s worth a thousand words!

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I love the idea of using your wedding planning process to build in romantic traditions that you can use to celebrate your love year after year. In addition to sending yourself letters, try some of these ideas to make sure your first (and fiftieth!) anniversary is bursting with romance and passion:

• Let Them Eat Cake! Many couples defrost a slice of their wedding cake to eat during their one-year anniversary, but why not carry the tradition over indefinitely? Choose a timeless cake flavor you can make yourself, so that you can celebrate each year of wedded bliss with the same sweet treat.
• Relive the Memories. Watch your wedding video, flip through your scrapbook and scan through photos to remember all of the good times. Some couples even arrange for the videographer to film wedding guests giving advice specifically for after the first year, and then they wait to watch the video until their first anniversary.
• Mini-Ceremonies. While you rehearse your wedding ceremony, think about little parts of the tradition that you could relive at each anniversary celebration. Even if it’s just you, your spouse, a bottle of wine and a box of Chinese takeout, you could both stand up and renew your vows, slipping your rings on each other’s fingers again and repeating your favorite part of your big day.
• Watch Your Love Grow. Immediately after your ceremony, plant a tree in the backyard. Take a photo with it each year on your anniversary so you can document how your love has grown since the day you said, “I do.” If you rent, use a houseplant or plant your wedding flowers at every place you live to keep the tradition going.

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Destination weddings are often accessible and affordable alternatives to a large-scale, hometown wedding.  However, just like traditional weddings there are still a few key “must-dos” to consider.

If you are considering a destination wedding, below is a destination wedding  checklist (courtesy of The Islands of the Bahamas) for your reference :

• Book Early: Before resorts and venues fill up on your wedding day, try to book the location at least one year in advance.  Consider seasons, as rates often fluctuate throughout the year depending on your location.

• Block Rooms: Secure a block of rooms for guests at your hotel of choice to help them make reservations well in advance.

• Notify Guests Early: Be sure to send save-the-date cards to potential guests at least 6 months in advance so that they have time to plan their travel.

• Ask for Help!: Most hotels have a wedding coordinator on staff to offer suggestions and help you secure key vendors.  Coordinators can also help with extraneous wedding related events, including the  rehearsal dinner.

• Visit Your Venue: If possible, visit the location at least 1 or 2 months in advance of the big day for a dry run and to finalize details with any external vendors.

• Get Licensed: Be sure to get a legal marriage license. Check with the country you are getting married in to make sure you have everything in order prior to the big day.

We hope these tips help you get everything in order for your big day. Happy planning!

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