Wedding Invitation News, Etiquette & Planning Blog » Rant or Rave

Rant or Rave: A Traveling Wedding

Katie — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:36:14 +0000

Recently one of our staffers hopped on a plane to travel three states away for a friend’s wedding—but her traveling didn’t stop there. She had to drive an hour outside of town to attend the ceremony in a rural location, and then another hour and a half in the other direction for the reception!

We found it odd to ask your wedding guests to drive all over the state in order to attend the different parts of your celebration, but if an engaged couple has a variety of locations that are important to them, maybe it would be warranted?

Is traveling long distances between the ceremony and the reception a hassle for guests, or just part of what makes a wedding unique? Rant or rave about it!

Rant or Rave: Planning a Long Distance Bridal Shower

Katie — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:06:40 +0000

A good friend of mine recently found out that an upcoming wedding she’s in has been moved from June to January! She’s in a whirlwind rush to help the bride finalize all of the details, but she is also facing an even bigger dilemma—although she’s the maid of honor, she lives in Connecticut and the bride lives in California.

Should she plan a last minute bachelorette party and bridal shower from Connecticut? Who else might step in to take over these roles? Is it possible to pull off a perfect last minute shower?

What do you think? Does long distance shower planning make you want to rant or rave?

Rant or Rave: Weekday Weddings

Katie — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:58:06 +0000

If you’re in the midst of planning a wedding, you know that Saturday is the most expensive day of the week for your ceremony and reception, followed by Sunday, Friday and then the rest of the days of the week.

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?

Rant or Rave: Disney Wedding Dresses, Rings & More

Katie — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:19:20 +0000

We love the Disney princesses as much as the next girl, but the whole idea of dressing up as one begs the question—how far is too far?

A few years ago, clothing designer Kirstie Kelly created a Disney-themed line of wedding dresses modeled after a few of your favorite Disney princesses. Then just last week she launched a line of Disney princess wedding rings to match!

Do you think this is Disney wedding overkill? Would you ever opt for a Disney-themed wedding? Is this idea cute and sweet or a bit too much? Do Disney weddings make you want to rant or rave?

Rant or Rave: Fake Wedding Mustaches

Katie — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:36:59 +0000

Faux wedding mustaches are everywhere right now, but it’s not a trend that has me feeling super excited. It’s not pretty! It’s not sweet! But is it fun and quirky? What do you think? Do fake wedding mustaches make you want to rant or rave?

Rant or Rave: Silk Wedding Flowers

Katie — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:38:42 +0000

It’s almost impossible to host a wedding without feeling a strain on your budget, and it’s particularly hard to order fresh wedding flowers without feeling the pinch. For example, a lovely bouquet of roses, orchids and gardenias runs upwards of $120!

As a result, some brides choose to order silk flowers instead of changing their flower choice or downgrading the size of their bouquet. Not only will they often save money with this option, they can also keep the bouquet long after the ceremony is over. Many silk or velvet bouquets even look quite realistic.

But, then again, they aren’t fresh flowers and they certainly aren’t traditional. What do you think? Do silk wedding flowers make you want to rant or rave?

Rant or Rave: Following Up on Declined Invites

Katie — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:00:50 +0000

In general, when you send out wedding invitations, you have a pretty good idea of who will be RSVPing “Yes” and who will be sending their regrets. Sometimes, however, those reception cards can be a bit of a shocker.

We’ve heard stories about close friends declining invitations with little to no excuse, leaving the engaged couple confused to say the least. This type of scenario has us wondering—if a declined invitation hurts your feelings or leaves you baffled, is it appropriate to speak up? Can you ask why a guest isn’t attending your celebration?

What’s the best way to handle such a tricky situation? Have you ever declined a wedding invitation from a close friend? Do confrontations over declined invitations make you want to rant or rave?

Rant or Rave: No Dinner at the Reception

Katie — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:14:06 +0000

In this tricky economic climate, engaged couples are becoming increasingly creative with their money-saving measures. Some are hosting smaller weddings, some have scaled back their dream venues and still others are opting for rented, borrowed or pre-worn wedding attire.

But there’s one cost-cutting measure that seems to leave everyone locked in a heated debate—is it ever okay not to serve a full meal at the reception?

If your ceremony is at 6pm and you plan to serve only cake and champagne, your guests are bound to be disappointed. It’s dinnertime! But what if your ceremony is at 4pm? 9pm?

When does it become appropriate? Does not serving a full meal at a wedding reception make you want to rant or rave?

Rant or Rave: Multiple Mandatory Wedding Events

Katie — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:03:51 +0000

This summer, one of my dear friends was dragged to an engagement party, a bridal shower, a bachelorette weekend (not just one night!), another bridal shower and, of course, the wedding. She was asked to bring gifts to every event, and to help pay for the parties more often than not.

The real kicker is, she wasn’t in the bridal party. She was the only non-bridal party guest who was expected to be at every event because she’s know the bride since they were kids.

What wedding events should be mandatory for non-bridal party members? Who should be expected to pay for extra events? What’s the proper protocol for close friends who aren’t bridesmaids or groomsmen? Rant or rave about it!

Rant or Rave: An REI Registry

Katie — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:51:52 +0000

Since so many engaged couples already have everything they need to set up a home together, there’s a growing trend in the wedding industry that has them registering for something other than flatware.

REI wedding registries are gaining popularity with engaged couples who register for everything from camping gear to skis and sports equipment. We’ve also seen honeymoon donation registries, home buying registries and even people who registered for DVDs and video games.

Do you think this is a creative way for couples to get the things they need to have fun together, or do you feel like it’s an abuse of traditional wedding registries? Where would you draw the line? Do alternative registries make you want to rant or rave?