In the last couple years, I’ve been invited to three weddings and five rehearsal dinners via email.  And I’ve lost count of how many electronic invitations I’ve received for bridal showers and engagement parties — I’m guessing it’s clocking in at 70%.

But then, I live in Los Angeles, where people are less formal and more into technology. And the three weddings I received online invites to were casual, budget, outdoor affairs in or right next to major cities.

My mother, on the other hand, lives in a small city in Tennessee. She throws and attends numerous bridal showers. They’re more formal events. Those invitations always arrive by mail.

What I’m wondering is this: Is what I’m experiencing with online invitations unusual, or are others experiencing this in different parts of the country as well? (Choose all the options that apply to you.)

Feel free to tell us more in the comments — like where you’re from and what you’ve experienced regarding print and online invitations.

If you are very much in favor of print invitations, check out our local vendors, as well as this short video on different types of invitations. Or if you want something less expensive but don’t want to go electronic, check out these printable options from EM Papers pictured above and below.

Have you seen white dresses popping up as the bride’s color of choice at pre- and post-wedding events as I have? I like it. I first noticed it at a bridal shower. I’ve also seen it a couple of times since at rehearsal dinners. It’s even made an appearance at the day-after brunch.

It makes sense to me on a practical level because everyone at these parties is there to honor the bride and the groom. If the bride is always in signature white, it makes her easy to spot.

Not to say you have to go out and buy white for every single event you attend, but it might be nice to feel a little bridal pre-wedding and wear a kicky white number, no?

To help, I’ve created a gallery of 10 white dresses I’ve spotted. They’re varying degrees of dressiness with varying price points — from $27.99 to $525. You should find one that suits everything from a dressy engagement party to a casual bridal shower. A few would even make fun reception dresses.

If you’re interested in them, follow the links in order of their appearance in the photo gallery: 1. The Mad Hatter 2. Paul & Joe Sister Sleeveless Floral Lace Sheath Dress 3. Principessa dress in lace and organza 4. Silk Petal Dress 5. Mossimo Women’s Shirred Dress 6. Stella Lace Dress  7. Coquille Dress 8. Crème Fraiche Dress  9. Erin Tonal Animal-Print Dress 10. Laundry by Design Beaded Waist Bloused Chiffon Dress.

If want to bypass wedding event dresses and go straight to wedding day dresses, check out dress shops local to you. And click through to check out a photo gallery of unusual wedding dresses with varying price points.

If you’re in the early stages of planning a wedding, you’re likely in the midst of hunting down that perfect venue. I’ve created a roundup of venue posts that will help you with the process. And we have a photo gallery of some of our favorite unusual wedding venues from real weddings we’ve featured.

• Before you find a venue, you have to know what you’re looking for, right? To help, I put together this photo gallery to help you figure out your venue personality.
• Professional wedding planner Marley Madjer gives you quick tips on Choosing a Ceremony Venue in this short video.
• Feeling overwhelmed in your hunt for a reception venue? Here’s a smart, organized way to tackle it.
• And now that you know how to approach looking for a venue, here are 20 questions to ask venue managers.
• If you like the idea of a historical locale for your wedding, here are some suggestions of local historical venues found in most cities that you may have overlooked.
• Ready to find a venue? Then take a look at wedding venues in your area.
• Check out the real wedding photo galleries of the above couples: Nate & Jess, Sam & Lacy, Julie & Joey, Amber & Josh, Tara & Joey, Jessica & Dan, Annette & Aaron, Nichole & Jordan, & Mike & Nicole.

Photos by Maile Lani, Daniel Finucane/River Rock Studio, Kate Benson/Republic Of Love, Mark Denman, The Becker Photography, Heather Parker Photography, Next Exit Photography & Devin Whetstone

Per usual, my claim to have spotted a forthcoming trend is dubious because the only reason I know about this brand is a friend pointed it out to me and thought it would make a good post. I agreed. (Thanks, Laura!)

Seriously, how awesome is this idea from Dawes Design? I see lovely rings all the time but am often surprised to discover that a brand’s engagement and wedding rings leave a gap between them — they aren’t really made to be worn together, strangely enough. So I’m totally on board with this idea of rings that are made to be stacked to create something unique to you — and something that can change over the years. For example, an engagement ring first, a wedding ring second, and, perhaps third, a birthstone ring to represent your newborn.

Have you seen rings stacked in this manner? Know of any other brands?

And if you get some stacking rings, be sure to get a stunning photo of them as well! (These local photographers can help with that.)

Photos courtesy of Dawes Designs

Today we have our favorite music correspondent, Ashley of Hi-Fi Weddings, who is giving us more music ideas like she did in our uber-popular posts “Non-Cheesy Father-Daughter Dance Wedding Reception Songs” and “Song Ideas for Your Wedding Reception Entrance.”

In honor of Valentine’s Day, she’s provided a list of unique love songs for the just-married couple’s first dance (with the addition of one song from a friend of mine). Some are quirky, some are quick, some will tug at your heartstrings. Enjoy!

1. She & Him – I Can Hear Music
2. The Honeycombs – Eyes
3. The Alabama Shakes – I Found You
4. Florence and the Machine – Dog Days Are Over
5. Sondre Lerche – Let My Love Open the Door
6. Peggy Lee – Fever
7. Arthur Alexander – Soldier of Love
8. Dr. Dog – Ain’t It Strange
9. Buddy Holly – Not Fade Away
10. Wanda Jackson – Breathless

As always, thank you Ashley!

Photo by White Rabbit Studios (This is also Ashley’s.)

Check out our DJ listings to find one in your area!

We’ve already viewed Nichole and Jordan’s playful wedding day portraits — now it’s time to check out the decor from their May wedding!

Nichole gives us the lowdown in this Q&A:

What was the main inspiration for the decor?

The venue itself was really the backdrop for the decor. It featured these amazing vertical succulent walls against concrete and industrial panels. The owners designed the space with vintage knick-knacks, upcycled furniture, statues, fountains — a wide range of features, really. They even display some of the old signs from when the building was an actual smog check place! We chose to play off of the existing elements for a mix of contemporary, eclectic, organic, quirky, and even homespun in parts. Most important, we wanted to have a wedding that was tasteful without being overwrought, and original without being fussy. We selected yellow and gray as our color palette, knowing that green would present strongly via the succulents, and the three colors would play off well together.

What are the flowers in your arrangement?

Girl, I wish I could tell you! I left it all to the florist (Bobbe Vagell at Bobbe Vagell Floral Design Studio). I described our personalities, colors and aesthetic, and showed him my dress. We knew we weren’t the roses and orchids type, and we didn’t want to dedicate much of our budget to florals, so we let him pick a unique combination of affordable flowers and arranged them aside grasses and candles to create dimension and different heights. I had seen the Craspedia (billy balls) in some pics, so that was the only suggestion I threw out. He did the rest! We also had him supply the small potted succulents, which we used as both escort card and favor. When the guests took their plant to their seat, it added more decor to the table and made our centerpiece budget more affordable! [Check the photo captions for a list of flower names, courtesy of Bobbe.]

Another cool thing we did with the flowers: Bobbe had access to these long flower boxes, which took up a lot of space on the tables — with the banquet-style seating, we didn’t want smaller centerpieces to be gobbled up. We actually used those long-box arrangements to flank the aisle at the ceremony, and just transferred the boxes to the tables for the reception. Double-duty, half-price.

Tell me about the food.

I can say confidently that the apps, dinners and desserts [from Chris & Jerry at The Food Matters] were the biggest hit of the entire night. They were a-m-a-z-i-n-g to work with.

How about the cake?

That was a last-minute (but very delicious) addition. We intended to skip a cake and stick to a variety of other desserts, but then we got a set of cake servers from a family member and wanted to use them. Our wedding coordinator got us a small cake from SusieCakes. No frills means no astronomical cake budget, and just as delicious. Didn’t even bother with a cake topper.

Can you talk a little about working with Smog Shoppe?

Working with Smog Shoppe was a complete breeze. The obvious benefit of selecting a venue like this is that you already have some of the design and charm built in. There was seating available (the mix-matched chairs and tables) for 96; as our wedding attendees approached 170, we rented the rest — and draped the rented tables with burlap.

The knick-knacks and books came with the joint, as did the awesome chaise lounge (great staging for photos). They also have theater-quality audiovisual already built in (movie screen, surround sound), so you had the flexibility of bringing in a DJ or simply plugging in an iPod. We ran a slideshow of pics throughout the reception and had a DJ work his magic.

Smog Shoppe works in tandem with TACT Event Management to consult with you before the wedding. I can not TELL you how easy it was to work with them. [TACT site manager] Steven Arnold was charming, easygoing, knowledgeable and made us feel comfortable about our decision to get hitched there.

Oh! Another cool thing about Smog Shoppe — well, two:

1. There’s an old supply closet that they gutted and painted to serve as a booth, which we used to take photos of our guests for the guestbook. (Tyler at Photo Box LA was very cool and rad to work with.)

2. There’s a lounge upstairs, which we used for the two of us to relax and have a cocktail together between the ceremony and reception. It also served as a place I could go to touch up makeup, fix my wardrobe, etc.

You also hired a day-of coordinator. Can you tell me about what she handled versus TACT?

So TACT Events is contracted as Smog Shoppe’s exclusive event manager. They met with us twice before the wedding just to discuss layout design (tables & ceremony space, along with furniture), AV equipment, kitchen logistics, staffing etc. It was pretty critical to have them, given that we selected a venue that was not all-inclusive. They provided a greeter and a staff member to be onsite day-of to ensure smooth logistics and troubleshoot problems if they arose.

Save the Date Events did the rest!  We selected Kathy as a “day-of” coordinator, but we also secured extra hours of consulting/research time from her. We bought a day-of-plus-eight-hours-of-her-time package. She referred the florist, got the cake, secured the photo booth, rented the linens, created and managed the itinerary, helped with a LOT of stuff behind the scenes. She was there with her assistant to coordinate vendors, set up tables, and do all of the fun day-of stuff.

Any other funny/interesting/helpful stories you feel are relevant?

One decision we high-fived ourselves for was premixing our signature cocktail in a large plastic water container (my mom’s margaritas, which are semi-famous). We emptied it as needed into a fancy carafe at the bar to expedite the line so no one had to wait for a drink.

We kept the ceremony short and informal and wrote our vows. Guests were invited to grab a cocktail before the big show and gathered around in benches and on couches (some even standing!) when it was time for the ceremony. It was great to see folks smiling in the photos along with us with a beer or margarita already in hand. Lots of laughter and crowd participation.

The photo booth was a huge hit and a must-do. Most companies now bring their own props and provide you with electronic copies of the shots, which were so fun for us to see. The props made their way onto the dance floor and made for some of my favorite pictures of the whole night.

One of the best pieces of advice I took was from a dear friend who insisted that I plan for “Jordan & Nichole time” on our day-of itinerary. We budgeted for 15 minutes post-ceremony to relax and enjoy our first minutes of being married without any distraction or responsibility. It helped to keep the biggest day of our collective lives from speeding by!

Wedding Vendors
Photos: Ashlee Rene Photography
Day-of Coordinator: Kathy Recchia, Save the Date Events  (From Nichole: She was a LIFESAVER!)
Event Management: TACT Event Management
Venue: Smog Shoppe
Food: The Food Matters
Cake: SusieCakes
Flowers: BoVa Designs
Photo booth: Photo Box LA
Bride’s dress: BCBG
Bridesmaids’ dresses: Amsale
Groom’s suit: Hugo Boss from Nordstrom
Groomsmen’s suits: Their own — Nichole and Jordan gave them a gray color swatch to help.
Jordan’s ring, which was so interesting I asked about it specifically, is made of burled wood and titanium: Jewelry by Johan.

Find a local venue that’s perfect for you!

Psst, hey! We’ve got some news! Here it is: WE HAVE VENDOR PAGES! Are you as excited as we are? We thought so.

The blog has always been a sister site to the more extensive DexKnows Weddings site, which contains a slew of guides, videos and most important, contact information for vendors local to you. But we wanted to make it easier for you to get to those vendors, so we created a page on the blog to help.

And here’s a cute video telling you more about how Dex Knows can help brides!

How can you not smile when looking at this photo? It’s the cutest. (That said, two of our past photos with pups, an engagement shot and a behind-the-wedding-scenes photo, are pretty stinking adorable as well.)

The only thing about puppies, though, is they’re always on the verge of stealing the show.

This one is shamelessly pandering to photographer Jason Messick. Do you think Jason captured his good side?

I’d be more worried about the puppy hogging the limelight, except the bride was wearing this dress.

Stunning always trumps cute.

Find a venue that allows your pets!

Photo by Jason Messick

Engagement rings are subject to trends just like anything else. In fact, the trend of one stone flanked by side stones as well as the pavé band, which literally means “paved” (in this case you’re paving the way with diamonds!) has been popular for so long that lately I’ve been wondering when another style might emerge as the latest “it” engagement ring style.

Still, I was a little surprised when I saw how frequently Pinterest users pinned the simple engagement ring I featured in a recent engagement ring roundup. They wrote captions to their pins such as “classic,” “simple” and “beautiful.” But it makes sense — after a period of more elaborate rings being popular, of course we’d come back around to rings that are more simple, like the square solitaire diamond above and the emerald-cut one below.

While accent stones and pave bands certainly add oomph to the center diamond, there’s also something nice about these simpler styles where you can see just how lovely that diamond is. (Not to say an engagement ring has to be a diamond. We’re starting to see them with all sorts of stones in recent years.)

Stunning, no?

If you’re on the hunt for a ring, check out a local jeweler near you and our article on engagement ring terms.

Photos by Renai Photography

I’ve seen trash-the-dress shoots. I’ve even seen a group trash-the-dress shoot. But this is the first trash-the-suit shoot I’ve seen.

This paintball photo session was organized by the Australia-based Buck Show in conjunction with SaySo Weddings, who put together the group trash-the-dress session we ran here before.

When I first saw this, I thought to myself: What an interesting new idea! It’s always fun to see boys get in on the fun. (There’s some fun groom shots here in our best photos of 2010, though they’re far less messy.) But then I begin to wonder if it will really take off.  Part of the appeal of trashing the wedding dress is it’s rare that a bride finds an occasion to wear her dress again. But suits don’t have such limitations. They’re handy to have, in fact.

So I was happy when Kelly Hody of SaySo Weddings told me they bought cheap suits for the boys, so they wouldn’t ruin their nice ones from the wedding.

Wouldn’t it be fun to do this as a couple too? I predict we’re going to start seeing more suits bought at the Salvation Army followed by trash-the-outfit sessions with the bride and groom together. Or if you don’t want to totally trash your outfits, you can take the gentler route this couple did.

Check out our photographers to find one for your after-wedding photo session!

All photos by Hody Images, except where Ashkate Studios is indicated.