Why hire a planner?

A lot of girls are so excited to begin planning their wedding but quickly realize they don't know where to start. From linens, flowers, catering, rentals, music and photographers there are so many things to think about. People don't realize how many different vendors come together for a wedding and it can get a little overwhelming. That is where your planner comes to the rescue. Your planner will be there to guide you in the right direction with the best vendors around and ensure that you do not overpay for anything. It takes all the stress away and you can just enjoy being engaged and your wedding day!

Sweet Treats

Lately we've spotted a lot of candy buffets at wedding receptions. This is a great way for the bride and groom to share some of their favorite treats with guests. Many websites allow you to customize candy with your colors or monogram, but you can always pick your classic favorites, or even throw some baked goods into the mix. You can also provide guests with bags or boxes for a fun and easy wedding favor. (image from Google)

Seating Cards

People usually confuse escort cards with place cards. Escort cards show guests table assignments and are usually placed near the entrance to the reception. Place cards are more specific and are placed directly on each table with seat assignments.

When purchasing escort cards, try using cards with envelopes, with the name of the couple on the front of the envelop and the table number on the card inside. This is a great way to save time and resources by easily being able to move couples around without having to make new cards.

The names on the cards should have titles for formal weddings, but for a more casual approach you can use first and last names only. Arrange the names by couple, and try to find the names of all "dates" that will be attending, this makes it a much more personal affair for the guests.

Get creative with the placement of the cards. If you are having an outdoor wedding, hang the cards from the lowest tree branches near the entry way to the reception area. You can always stick to your wedding colors by placing the cards on a bed of flowers or candy that match the color scheme. Look into customized M&M's as well as customizing candy wrappers, this way when the party's over the guests can enjoy the arrangement!

The updated versions of a guest book

Can you believe the old school guest books? They were almost as boring as the old 3 ring binder photo albums. Here's a few ways to update this tradition to make it your own:

1.River rocks~Have your guests sign rocks and display them in large glass jars.

2.Photo booth~Have a photo booth set up to take pictures for the HD hour and then let guests assemble them in a book and sign them.

3.Typewriter~Have a vintage typewriter with a long scroll of paper inserted and let guests type a sentiment.

4.Wish tree~Tall glass vase filled with tree branches that guests can tie their wish to...love this one!

5.Polaroid~ Set up a polaroid table and assign someone to take guests photos.......clincher is to have all the guests holding a chalkboard that they wrote a message on for the couple.

6.Blankie~Have the guests sign quilting squares that will later be made into a blanket or stitched for a wall hanging.

The possibilities are endless so get creative and make your "sign in" your own!!

Sign In table options

Forget the traditional sign in book.....blah! Here are some fresh new ideas to think about to spice up an old tradition!

Polaroid station ~ Take an old polaroid camera and alot of film (you can still find it at most Wal Marts or online), string a clothesline and let your guests have some fun! Take all the photos afterwards and make your own super fun scrapbook.

Photo Booth~ Just last weekend I did a wedding where we used a photo booth in lieu of a sign in table and the guests had a blast with it. The company is called Snaps Photo Booth, they are reasonably priced and the best part is all your guests leave with fun photos. Check out their website at http://www.snapsrental.com/.

Canvas Painting~ Start with a blank canvas, add fun bright colored strokes from all your guests and end up with a masterpiece for your house. The options are endless and you can pick paints that already match your decor.

Wish Tree~ Have your florist (or DIY) make a tree out of curly willow branches and place small pieces of decorative paper for guests to write a wish on for the happy couple. Hang the wishes on the tree and VOILA, you have a fabulous conversational piece! A couple that I did this for took all the small paper wishes and had them framed into a large glass frame that now acts as their headboard in their bedroom.