6 Essential Steps To Choosing the Perfect Wedding Gown

With so many designs to choose from, the search for the perfect wedding gown can be overwhelming!  Where do you begin when there are so many considerations ... shape, neckline, fabric, headpiece, jewelry?

Just start with the basics!



1. Consider the season of your nuptials.   If you have a summer wedding, you won't want to be fully covered and melt in the hear. Look for strapless or halter-style wedding gowns to keep your cool. For a winter wedding,  you may need a gown with sleeves, a higher neckline, or a shawl to keep you warm.

2. Consider the wedding venue.  Before shopping for your gown, be sure to find out if there are any restrictions at your ceremony venue. Some churches and synagogues don't allow bare shoulders or deep v-neck gowns. Some require the bride to wear a veil. It's important to know this prior to ordering and putting a deposit down on your gown.

3. Consider the formality of your ceremony.  The bride's attire sets the standard for the formality of the wedding. If you are planning a black tie affair, your gown will need to reflect that in length and style. If it's an outdoor casual wedding, a short gown or more casual style will be perfect.   A wedding on the beach may have you looking at a strapless or halter-style dress. 

4. Determine your  budget.  This is one of the the first questions you will be asked at the bridal salon when selecting gowns to try on.  Resist the temptation to try on a dress that is far above your budget ... you may set yourself up to overspend. Wedding gowns can range from just a few hundred dollars to several thousands of dollars. A great idea is to cut out photos from bridal magazines of gowns you like and take them with you when you shop. The bridal salon may be able to match features from those couture gowns and find something more affordable for you from their collection.

5. Know what flatters your body type.  In short, horizontal lines will make you look wider where vertical lines elongate your shape.  Diagonals cut the width of shoulders and hips. For a shorter brides, an empire waist elongates the lower part of the body.  Checkout one of our recent blog posts, "Choosing the Best Neckline for Your Wedding Gown."

6. Complete the look with embellishments.  Once you've selected your wedding gown you'll be able to embellish with a veil, bridal tiara, gloves, and bridal jewelry. The bridal salon will be able to assist you with the appropriate length veil for for the formality of your gown, as well as the length, style (or absence) of gloves.  The pieces you select will enhance the complete look you want to achieve.

Your wedding day will be one of the most photographed days of your life.  Take your time to ensure you find the absolute perfect gown. Look through the bridal magazines and the designer websites, then cut out or print the gowns that you just love. As you do this, you'll start notice a theme with those you've saved.

When you do head out to try gowns on, take the photos with you ... but be opened minded, as well. The consultants at the salons may have a hidden gem that you'll fall in love with!

~ The WhereBridesGo.com Team

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6 Great Ways to Keep Your Guests Entertained While They Await Your Arrival

The ceremony is complete and the reception is about to begin! You know the drill ... your guests head to the venue while you, your groom, and your wedding party take some time for photographs. The post ceremony photo shoot can easily take 45 minutes to an hour, so it's important to keep your wedding guests entertained while they await your arrival.

Here are 6 great ways to keep your guests not only occupied, but having a blast until your grand entrance!

1. Start with a Cocktail Hour ... but not just any old cocktail hour. Create a signature drink for the event, or have two signature cocktails ... one chosen by the bride and one chosen by the groom. Be creative with your selection.  If you are going to Maui for your honeymoon, serve something tropical. If your first date was at a winery, offer a wine and cheese pairing. The most important part is to let your guests know the story behind your selection. Create small post cards or table cards with your engagement photo and a short narrative to share. A personalized signature cocktail sign  adds a nice decorative touch, as well!

Personalized Signature Cocktail Sign

 

2. Place Advice Cards Around the Room ... this is a wonderful way to engage your guests. People love to share advice, especially when it comes to marriage. You and your groom will have a great time reading all the notes from your wedding guests after the event and there's no doubt the notes will become cherished keepsakes in the future.

Wedding Advice Coasters

Children's Wedding Activity Kit

3. Provide the children with a small bundle of crayons and wedding coloring books to keep them busy. Considering setting up a "kids" table at the reception venue that has everything on it awaiting their arrival.  Children will also stay entertained for hours with small bottles of wedding bubbles.

4. Show a video collage of you and your groom growing up, combined with photos from your various dates, trips, and engagement period. Include a photo collection displayed at the reception for guests to look at together. Many brides display wedding photos from grandparents and parents. This is always a favorite of friends and family.

5. Have a wedding photo booth. These have become very popular at wedding receptions and are fun for guests of any age.  Provide props and accessories that match your theme. Offer a personalized photo booth background and let your guests pose to create their OWN wedding favors! You'll love looking at all the photos after the wedding, as well. We also suggest you have wedding cameras at the reception.  Your guests will have fun taking pictures from their perspective. Suggest they start taking pictures when they arrive to occupy them.

Personalized Wedding Photo Booth Backdrop

6. Start the party the minute the guests arrive with an entertainer for the first hour.  Bring in a roving magician or have your DJ interact with your guests and MC a trivia game about your courtship.  What a great way to start the fun!

Your post ceremony photo shoot is an important part of capturing your wedding story, so relax and take your time with it. As long as your wedding guests have something to entertain them at the reception venue when they arrive, they will enjoy the evening and they won't be antsy for your arrival.

~ The WhereBridesGo.com Team

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Where brides go®  ... for what brides love! For a great selection of affordable wedding supplies,wedding accessories, and wedding cake tops, check out WhereBridesGo.com!  

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Rehearsal Dinner Basics

As if planning the wedding isn't enough, you have a rehearsal dinner to plan on top of it! Not to worry ... keeping a mind a few fundamentals about the rehearsal dinner (and it's purpose) will make this event fun to plan, fun to attend, and stress free.

Rehearsal Dinner Basics

Your rehearsal dinner can be formal or casual.  Even if your wedding is a black tie affair, it's perfectly acceptable to host a backyard  BBQ or choose a less formal restaurant for your rehearsal dinner. 

The Guest List
The guests may be limited to the wedding party and immediate family, but it's also acceptable to include extended family, especially those who come from out of town. Budget often dictates whether or not you'll want to include extended family.

If you do have family coming from out of town for the wedding, but you don't have the budget to invite them to the rehearsal dinner, it's a nice gesture to create welcome baskets or packets that are given to them when they arrive at their hotel and check in. The basket might include a personal note from you and the groom thanking them for traveling to the event and letting them know you are looking forward to seeing them at the wedding. Also include a couple bottles of water, a map to the wedding and reception venues, as well a list of  recommended restaurants and things to do in the area.

The Host
The rehearsal dinner is traditionally hosted by the groom's family, however more and more couples are paying for and hosting this event themselves. Whomever hosts the rehearsal dinner (i.e. pays for the event) should have input about the location, menu, and guest list. If you aren't hosting the event yourself, it's important to be respectful of the desires of the person picking up the tab. That said, it's equally important that the host coordinate the rehearsal dinner with the bride and groom, to ensure the style, theme, and sequence of events suits the couple.

The Invitations

The rehearsal dinner is typically held the evening (or afternoon) before the wedding, directly after the ceremony run-through. The rehearsal dinner is a separate event, so you should plan to send separate invitations for the rehearsal dinner. This is typically done shortly after the wedding invitations are sent. The style of the invitation should reflect the style of the event. WhereBridesGo.com offers a nice selection of affordable rehearsal dinner invitations.

The Menu
Be creative with your menu for the rehearsal dinner. Going to Greece for your honeymoon? Why not select Greek cuisine and tie in the theme? Was your first date at a pizza joint? Celebrate the rehearsal dinner with gourmet pizza selections! Share the story of the selected menu with your guests. What you want to avoid is repeating the menu selected for your wedding reception. It's okay to complement the reception menu, but the rehearsal dinner should not overshadow it.

The Toasts

Personalized Wedding Party Glassware

The father of the groom traditionally starts the toasting and welcomes the bride to the family.  The subsequent toasts are informal and do not need to have a specific order. Spontaneity can be fun!  The toasts should begin at the start of dinner to avoid  lasting too late into the evening.  You want everyone to be well rested the day of the wedding and nursing hangovers.

The Photo Gallery / Slideshow
The rehearsal dinner is often the first time the two families come together and have an opportunity to get to know one another. A photo gallery or slideshow can be a great ice-breaker.  It's a fun way for people who may be meeting for the first time to begin a conversation.  It can also be a special surprise for out-of-town guests or extended family members.

The Thank Yous
The rehearsal dinner is the traditional time for the bride and groom to present gifts to the members of the wedding party. Being a part of your bridal party is definitely an honor, but it is also an expense for each member of your bridal party. It is important to thank them appropriately, not only for their support and friendship, but for the time and financial commitment they have made. Bridesmaids gifts and groomsman gifts can be unique to each individual ... you don't have to give everyone in the bridal party the same gift. Personalizing your wedding party gifts makes them more meaningful.  Many couples will also take this time to present thank you gifts to their parents.

Another nice touch you might include is to have the groom go around the room and introduce each member from his side of the "family", and you introduce each member from yours. Include a short anecdote or story about each person and their relationship with you. It's a very special touch for your guests, and it helps everyone get to know one another before the wedding.

Whether formal or casual, the rehearsal dinner is meant to bring the wedding party and those closest to the bride and groom together prior to the wedding. Take the time to help everyone get to know one another and to thank those who have helped with any aspect of your wedding. The wedding day is all about you ... your rehearsal dinner celebrates and thanks them.

~ The WhereBridesGo.com Team

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10 Essentials for Getting Ready on Your Big Day

It's Your Wedding Day ... Where to Begin?

Your mind will be racing when you wake up on your wedding day, but all of your preparation before today will make this day a piece of cake. Packing your bags for the honeymoon, confirming hotel reservations and airline reservations, having your license and documentation in order, and preparing payment/tip envelopes for your wedding vendors are tasks that can be completed in the days prior to your wedding. The more you can do in advance of the big day, the easier and less stressful this day will be.

10 Essentials for Getting Ready on THE Big Day

1. You’ll be excited, so be prepared to start the day early. Go to bed early the night before the wedding (and keep alcohol intake to a minimum). Have an organized plan ready for morning when you wake up. This will keep you from being stressed out right off the bat.
2. Do your normal work out routine. Don’t start one today if you haven’t been working out, though.  This isn’t the time for changes in your physical routine.
3. Eat small meals every few hours.  You don’t want to over-eat, but it's important that you DO eat. With the adrenaline of the big day, many brides forget to eat. This can lead to fainting at the altar. Be sure to go light on greasy and fatty foods, white carbs, and foods with potent ingredients like garlic.
4. If you are a coffee drinker, limit yourself to 1 or 2 cups. You'll get your caffeine fix from this but you won’t get EXTRA jitters.
5. Have an emergency kit prepared with items you may need throughout the day. This may include extra shoes, super glue (for heel breaks), handy-wipes, lip gloss, antacid, breath mints, extra make-up, hairspray, and water. Be sure a complete list of wedding vendors and their phone numbers are in this emergency kit.
6. Get ready with your bridesmaids.  This can help you relax, but will also ensure that THEY make it to the wedding one time.
7. Bring something from home that helps you relax ... a keepsake, a book, or family photo.
8. Have plenty of tissues with you for smudges or tears. 
9. Before you put the wedding dress on make sure you visit the ladies’ room.  It’s a much longer process after the dress is on and you don't want to risk getting your dress dirty before the wedding.
10. If anything unexpected arises delegate the task to another. There WILL be last minute unexpected issues, so just be prepared for it. Have someone you trust take care of these issues so you don’t have to worry about them. Most importantly, arrange this role with the person AHEAD of the big day, so they know they are the go to person and they are ready for it.

Follow these 10 tips and we are certain you will minimize your stress on the big day.

What would you add to this list?  We'd love to hear your ideas!

~ The WhereBridesGo.com Team

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Where brides go®  ... for what brides love! For a great selection of affordable wedding supplies, wedding accessories, and wedding cake tops, check out WhereBridesGo.com!  

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7 Great Ways to Include Your Dog in Your Wedding

Okay... if you aren't a dog lover, you aren't going to drool over our tail wagging wedding ideas for pooches, BUT ... for those of us who LOVE our slobbering pooches, share our beds with these furry "babies", and wouldn't even THINK about getting married without our best canine friend by our side, READ ON!

At Where Brides Go (TM), we LOVE all dogs (but we're a little partial to Basset Hounds) and we have some fun ideas for including "Fido" in your festivities.

Seven Fun Ways to Include Your Pet In Your Wedding

1. Include "Fido" in your engagement photos and hand out wallet size copies during your reception as wedding favors.

2. Include your pet in your actual wedding photos. This is a great idea for couples whose Sanctuary or wedding venue will not allow the pet inside. Simply hire a "pet sitter" to wait with the pooch outside. After the ceremony, come outdoors for photos and include your little cutie pie in them. (Of course, you need to make sure he's in proper doggy wedding attire!)

3. If your wedding venue won't allow your pet inside, you can still include your pet as part of the ceremony. Have your officiate work in a cute story that illustrates how you two share a love of dogs.

4. Add a tribute to "Fido" in your wedding program.

5. If your venue allows, have "Fido" as a groomsman or "Fidette" as a bridesmaid. Do make sure you have a human bridal party member in charge of making sure your baby has piddled outside before walking down the aisle.

6. At an outdoor wedding ceremony, you can have Fido stand in as the ring bearer or flower dog! As always, appropriate wedding attire and doggy wedding accessories are a must!

7. For an outdoor wedding reception, just about anything goes. Invite "Fido" as a special guest and have his date be the hired dog walker (don't leave out this part ... you'll want to make sure someone else is attending to your pooch so you can enjoy the eve).
-----

While including your "baby" in the big day is a no-brainer to you, do keep in mind that not everyone is going to agree. You should check and double-check with your ceremony venue, reception venue, officiate, and bridal party to ensure no one has an issue with your canine participant.

Be mindful that some of your guests may have extreme pet allergies and may not even be able to attend if "Fido" is on hand. Consider announcing your plan to include your pet on your wedding website so your guests will know in advance.

You should also make an honest assessment of your dog's behavior and coping skills. If "Fido" isn't extremely well-behaved, well-trained, used to large crowds, and a relative non-barker, you should consider leaving him at home for the actual ceremony/reception and only involving him in engagement photos and pre-wedding festivities. After all, if your "baby" is stressed out and acting up, it won't be a pleasant experience for anyone.

No one loves dogs more that we do ... in the end, you want a happy and memorable day with your family and best friends by your side. If "Fido" fits the bill and is up to the challenge, go for it. Woof!

Shop for Pet Wedding Supplies at WhereBridesGo.com!

~ The WhereBridesGo.com Team

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Where brides go®  ... for what brides love! For a great selection of affordable wedding supplies,wedding accessories, and wedding cake tops, check out WhereBridesGo.com!  

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How to Cut the Cake at your Wedding

The Tradition of Cake Cutting

The tradition of cutting the wedding cake represents a special moment at your wedding. This ceremony is intended to show the commitment of your union. 

Did you know that there is actually a method on how the cake cutting should be done?  During the cake cutting, the bride holds the cake cutting knife in her hands and the groom’s hand then holds the bride’s as they make the first cut together. The reason the bride's hands are placed on the knife first is because the cake is a symbol of fertility and prosperity and the direct connection with the bride should not be broken. 

This tradition started long ago with the bride actually serving the cake to the wedding guests.  It has since evolved into the bride and groom cutting the cake together, sharing the first piece with each other, and making a toast to their guests to thank them for sharing in the celebration.The reception venue or caterer generally cuts the remainder of the cake and serves it to the guests.

Capturing the Moment

You want to make sure the moment is perfectly captured when you cut the cake. When planning the setup of your reception venue, be sure the cake table is setup in a well lighted area or have your DJ enhance it with a spotlight. You also want to be certain your photographer and DJ know exactly when the ceremony will take place. Your DJ should announce to your reception crowd that the cake cutting ceremony is taking place and give your guests plenty of time to gather around the table.  Have your photographer take several "before" shots of the cake ... and then have them ready for the cutting, sharing, and toast portion of the ceremony!

Whether you politely eat the cake as a couple or mash it into each others mouths (don’t forget about the hard work your lovely bride did with her makeup), have fun with this long standing wedding tradition. We suggest you have a conversation before the wedding about your plans for the cake sharing ... this will help avoid unwelcome, messy surprises.

Wedding Cake Toppers

Cake Toppers add to the uniqueness of each couple’s commitment.  The traditional wedding cake topper often shows the couple in formal attire…but they can also represent hobbies, shared interests, humor or an unusual theme.   This is a perfect way to bring your personality to the cake for everyone to see. 

Pick a cake topper that is representative of who you are and have some fun with it! If you are using fresh flowers on the cake, you can still have a cake topper set off to the side of the cake.  It serves as decor at the cake table and still enables you to share some of your personality with the wedding cake.

Preserving the Top Tier

Preserving the top tier of the wedding cake has been part of the wedding tradition for centuries. Often couples will open the cake package on their first anniversary and enjoy another taste as part of their celebration. If this is something you plan to do, make sure to have an airtight plastic bag or box ready to store the top tier of the cake.  It helps if the top tier is frozen briefly before being wrapped with wax paper and placed into the airtight container. For best results, it should be placed in a freezer right away. 

~ The WhereBridesGo.com Team

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Where brides go®  ... for what brides love! For a great selection of affordable wedding supplies,wedding accessories, and wedding cake tops, check out WhereBridesGo.com!  

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Traditional Order of the Wedding Procession

There is a traditional order for the procession in Catholic and Protestant ceremonies. That said, don't be afraid to change things up for your own wedding to suit your needs and situation. This order is simply for your reference when planning your wedding ceremony.

• The officiate enters (usually enters from the side) when the music begins
• Groom's grandparents (walk down aisle, then take a seat)
• Bride's grandparents (walk down aisle, then take a seat)
• Groom's parents (walk down aisle, then take a seat)
• Bride's mother (walk down aisle, then take a seat)
• Best Man (usually enters from the side)
• Groom (usually enters from the side)
• Groomsmen and Bridesmaids (usually paired in twos)
• Maid/Matron of Honor
• Ring Bearer (walks down the aisle, then takes a seat)
• Flower Girl (walks down the aisle, then takes a seat)
• Bride (typically escorted by her Father)

Are you changing this up for your wedding ceremony? We'd love to hear about YOUR wedding procession plans and what you doing to make it unique!

~ The WhereBridesGo.com Team

Take 15% off your entire order at WhereBridesGo.com with coupon code WHATBRIDESLOVE, plus get FREE SHIPPING on orders over $100.

Where brides go®  ... for what brides love! For a great selection of affordable wedding supplies, wedding accessories, and wedding cake tops, check out WhereBridesGo.com!  
 
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10 Great Ways to Get the Groom Involved

Great gifts for your Groomsmen from WhereBridesGo.com!

Gone are the days when wedding planning was the sole responsibility of the bride and her mother. If your fiance is happily going about his life while you are out alone talking to the florist, caterer, baker, stationer, DJ, etc., it's time to get him involved in the planning of what will be the most special day of your lives together—your wedding day! After all, planning this day will probably be the first major project of your life together. It's important for both of you to feel connected to this process. Here are the top 10 ways to include your man in planning for the big day. Request His Help. This may sound like a "no-brainer," but often the groom doesn't get involved because he has been under the mistaken impression that his help wasn't desired. Sit down with your fiance and ask him what he would like to have at the wedding/reception. Tell him what you would like and develop a plan together. Give Him The Knowledge. The fact that almost every bridal magazine is directed at brides is not lost on your fiance. He may be hesitant to help with planning because he simply doesn't know what's expected of him. Give him a checklist with dates that tasks need to be accomplished. Offer suggestions for each area. Remember, he may not do things exactly the way you might, but that's okay. He's getting the job done. Enticements. Finding the most delicious wedding cake or most bubbly champagne can be a good way to have your fiance have input into the wedding plans. Spending a few afternoons or evenings eating delicious desserts and sipping on champagne isn't work; it's fun! Gift Registry. Remind your man that the gift registry isn't just for china and crystal. While he may genuinely care about those types of gifts, today's gift registries are much more diverse. If he's had his eye on a great barbecue set or barware, remind him that the wedding gift registry is the way to go. Entertainment. Choosing the entertainment for your reception may be just the ticket for getting your fiance involved. Chances are he has very definite opinions in this area. Put those tastes to good use. Have him "audition" the various bands or DJ's your considering. Spending a few evenings together going to clubs listening to music is a date not wedding planning! Invitations. Chances are you haven't met everyone in your fiance's family or group of friends, yet it is important that they be included in the guest list. Ask him to make a list of people he wants to invite. Better yet, ask him to address the envelopes of his guest list. Don't worry if his handwriting is illegible, there are many computer programs available for printing labels. Keeping Track. If your fiance is a natural organizer, ask him to keep track of receipts, schedules, contracts, and appointments. Not only will this lighten your load, but also he'll be involved in the planning process. Accommodations. Asking your fiance to arrange for accommodations for out-of-town guests can be a good way for him to stay involved. Just give him a list of acceptable hotels, and let him do the arranging. Rehearsal Dinner. Your fiance probably knows that this dinner has traditionally been the groom (or groom's family's) responsibility. If he doesn't already have ideas for this event, give him a few suggestions, and let him have at it. Don't worry if his ideas of fun for all differ from yours. It's his wedding, too! Honeymoon Planning. If your guy doesn't already have a plan for your honeymoon, give him a few suggestions. Let him know the type of hotel you would find acceptable and be prepared to be pleasantly surprised. Enjoy the wedding planning process .... together! Take 15% off your entire order at WhereBridesGo.com with coupon code LOVEMYGROOM, plus get FREE SHIPPING on orders over $100. ~ The WhereBridesGo.comTeam Where brides go®  ... for what brides love! For a great selection of affordable groomsmen gifts, wedding cuff links, and wedding cake tops, check out WhereBridesGo.com!     For more ideas, wedding favors and accessories, check out WhereBridesGo.com! Connect with WhereBridesGo.com online! Follow us on Twitter @wherebridesgo LIKE US on Facebook! LIKE US on Google+

7 Smart Wedding Flower Strategies

It's no secret that flowers add beauty to your wedding ... gorgeous draping floral canopies, floral wedding arches, pew arrangements, wreaths, centerpieces, and more. They set the stage for your walk down the aisle, dress up the ceremony venue, and adorn the reception tables.  By the time you add up all the bouquets and arrangements, you can quickly bust your wedding budget.

Try these 7smart (and simple) floral tips to keep your floral budget in check while still enjoying the beauty, elegance, and fragrance of fresh flowers:

1. Keep your floral arrangements simple.  For your centerpieces, use hand tied bouquets. These require much less labor than complex arrangements that have to be pinned to foam boards or that require on-site assembly.
2. Concentrate your floral budget on the flowers that will show the most. This includes your bridal bouquet, flowers on the altar, and the centerpieces.
3. Use candles as centerpieces instead of fresh flowers. Then decorate the reception tables with small inexpensive wedding favors at each place setting. This also gives your guests a small memento from the wedding.
4. Use a fun cake topper instead of flowers on the wedding cake. The cake will be disassembled anyway ... why not choose a whimsical cake topper that reflects your personality or hobbies? It becomes a conversation piece for your guests and a keepsake for you after the wedding.
5. Choose a smaller wedding party. Ten bridesmaids can mean ten bouquets totaling $1000 or more on the high end.
6. Avoid having your wedding around dates where there is peak demand for flowers. This includes Mother's Day and Valentine's Day.  Not only will your florist be extremely busy, but the price of the flowers can almost double.
7. Choose a beautiful venue. If you select a venue with incredible beauty, either architecturally or interior decor, you won't have to spend as much on floral arrangements to decorate it.

Talk with your florist to see if he or she has done a wedding at your venue previously. It's likely that s/he will have some ideas on where you actually need fresh flowers versus where you don't. Florists understand weddings and will often provide great advice on how to how save money by selecting less expensive (but equally beautiful) flowers. They can also provide guidance on making flowers look incredibly lush, using a few of your favorite expensive buds as the focal point and combing them with less expensive fillers.  Take advantage of your florist's expertise and you are sure to have a gorgeous floral spread without busting your wedding budget.

Do you have any money saving tips for your wedding flowers?  We'd love to hear them!




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~ The WhereBridesGo.comTeam
 
Where brides go®  ... for what brides love!

For a great selection of affordable D.I.Y wedding favors, pre-packaged wedding favors, and wedding cake tops, check out WhereBridesGo.com!  
 

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3 Things To Never Say In Your Thank You Notes (and more!)

Do I REALLY have to send hand-written thank you notes?

Many people think that hand-written thank you notes are a long-forgotten tradition. In the age of Twitter, Facebook, text messages and all the rest,  we rarely sit down and craft hand-written notes and letters anymore.

Your wedding is not the time to blow off the hand-written thank you note, though. Each guest will put time, a lot of thought, and money into the gift they give you. It's important to take the time to thank them appropriately, not only for the gift but for attending the event, as well!

What do I say in my wedding thank you note?

Before we get to what you should never say, let's look quickly at what you should say. If you follow these simple guidelines, writing your thank you notes will be easy. You don't have to write a novel, but you want to make sure your thank you notes are personal and sincere.

Here's what TO say:

1. Say "thank you for ..." (fill in the blank with the gift). Start every note this way.
2. Be specific about how you plan to use the gift.  For example, if you received something for the kitchen, you might say, "I can't wait to use it to make our favorite lasagna!"
3. Let them know how nice it was to see them at the wedding.  If they couldn't make the wedding and they just sent a gift, let them know they were missed.
4. Close with a reference to a future visit or get together.

3 Thing to NEVER say in your thank you notes:

1. Never imply that the gift was less than you were expecting.
2. Never let them know if you received a duplicate of the gift from someone else.
3. Never let them know that you are returning or exchanging the gift.

Remember that thank you notes aren't for gifts alone.  Be sure to send thank you notes to your bridal party and any other person who helped you with your wedding day. Your wedding vendors appreciate thank you notes, too ... especially if you have someone who really goes above an beyond for you!

For a great selection of affordable wedding thank you notes, check out our Carlson Craft dealer site! You can personalize and design your thank you notes (and your invitations) online ... it's great!

~ The WhereBridesGo.comTeam
 
Where brides go®  ... for what brides love!

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