As an ex-graphic designer, my wedding invitations were extremely important to me.  I put a lot of time and love in to packaging, addressing and even stamping my invitations.  I wanted my guests to receive my beautiful envelope in exactly the shape that it left my hand.

Thanks to a knowledgeable wedding vendor, I was saved the trauma of having my invitations arrive at their destinations bent and smeared, which is what would have happened had I allowed my envelopes to be run through a post office canceling machine.

In a normal mailing situation, all envelopes are sent through a machine to cancel the stamp and show that it has been used, producing that little postmark with the city and date that shows when/where the mail was sent.  However, with delicate mail, you can actually have each piece hand canceled.  Some post offices will do this for you, but, being a control-freak, I asked for the stamp and did it myself at the post office counter, assuring that all of my invitations would arrive in pristine condition.

Don’t be afraid to walk up to the counter and ask to hand cancel your envelopes.  Most post offices are used to this, especially with wedding invitations, and shouldn’t even blink an eye.  It’s a small detail that doesn’t occur to everyone, but aren’t those the ones that matter most?

Even though there was more than a year before my wedding when I got engaged, one of my first orders of business was to try to get in the best shape that I could for my wedding day.  After all, I was spending tons of time and money on a gown, hair style, jewelry and shoes.  Who wouldn’t want to look their very best?

Living in San Diego at the time, there were plenty of options to choose from to get the buff bod I desired; running on the beach, biking, hiking, surfing and swimming were just a few of my many choices.  But, you have to be fairly disciplined to stick to a self-motivated plan, which I am not.  After doing some online research, I found an outdoor bridal bootcamp that took place on the shores of Mission Bay in San Diego.

What a great idea–a group of girls, all with a common goal, working out in ways we never imagined!  I saw amazing results from my bridal bootcamp, and built some great friendships, including with a girl that shared my wedding day.  Don’t let the title bootcamp scare you away from these amazing classes…everything is adjusted to your fitness and activity level, and everyone is respected no matter their size, shape, athleticism, age or marital status!

Find a bootcamp in your area with these links or through a search of your own:

-Nationwide:  Adventure Bootcamp

-Atlanta: Operation Bootcamp

-Boston:  Fit Boot

-Chicago:  Bulldog Bootcamp

-Las Vegas: Fitness Training for Life

-Los Angeles:  LA’s Bridalicious Bootcamp

-New York:  Boot Camp Fitness NYC

-San Francisco Bay Area:  A La Vie Fitness

-San Diego Area: Wired Fitness

An article on MSN.com caught my attention. Titled, “Biggest Wedding Regrets,” it reported various responses from newly married brides about the things they wished they had done differently. I’m listing a few of my own regrets with some from the article here. Hopefully, it’ll get those of you who are in the process of planning to realize the imperfection of all weddings, as well as help those who have already gotten married to accept your wedding’s little mistakes and dramas.

1) RECEPTION

One bride regretted having a chocolate fountain at her wedding because of the mess it caused with the flower girls and their dresses. She recommended either not having one or packing a kit filled with things like towelettes in case of this type of emergency. Another bride wished that she hadn’t relied on online maps as directions. To prevent your guests from getting lost, run through the directions at least once and then make sure to include direction cards with your invitations.

2) BRIDES

Brides regretted everything from wearing false eyelashes to not having a picture of the bustle before the actual wedding. The main theme here involves the importance of practicing beforehand. Make sure you try on everything prior to the big day.

3) WEDDING PLANNING

I wished I hired a wedding coordinator earlier in the process, and that I hired a videographer so my dad wouldn’t have felt like he was “working” during my reception. Think about whether you would rather spend a few thousand dollars for a more reputable company or for additional services.

Another bride said that she regretted doing her own invitations. Again, I think it’s important to weigh the cost of time versus money. Spending a little more money might be worth it if in return you’re getting better quality vendors and less stress from doing your own invitations. Also, I ordered my stationery online from Wedding Paper Divas (Wild Grass Save the Dates) to save money without having to sacrifice style or taste.

photo from: The Knot