Oh goodness! I always love a creative invitation, but this? This is just amazing!!! Who comes up with these things? Fabulous! Such an adorable video!

“Weddings are a “live” event where just about anything can and will happen to throw a wrench into the schedule. A professional wedding photographer knows this and can adapt to situations that arise with a transparency and skill that can only come from experience, skill, and training. “Uncle Bob” just doesn’t have anywhere near the experience, skill, and training of a professional wedding photographer.”

There is no do-over when it comes to your wedding day. If your photographs matter to you, invest in a photographer who is running a business photographing weddings. One that knows weddings and all the ins-and-outs that can happen on that day. One that can help you create the best images possible that your family can treasure for generations to come.

One of the biggest problems with having a friend or family member (or the college kid you found on Craigslist) photograph your wedding is that they do not have backup gear. If you talk to any wedding photographer they will tell you that sometimes gear fails when they least expect it. They drop a flash and it will no longer fire. Their camera suddenly has a weird error on it, and nothing will make it go away. They have to be able to think very fast to recover — and sometimes, they just have to set that piece of equipment down and pick up another flash or camera and move on. If someone isn’t a pro, they most likely will not have a bag full of backup gear.

If you truly value your wedding photography - the memories your family will cherish for generations - then make the most of it and hire a professional. Are you hiring someone with no experience to do everything else that goes into your wedding day?

I discovered these sweet cards over at Fluff Paper - what an adorable way to ask someone special if they will be your Maid of Honor or your Bridesmaid for your wedding day?

Hmmm… now I wonder if there are cards out there for giving to the Best Man or Groomsman?

Also found at Fluff, fabulously sweet or snarky anniversary cards! Perfect to get for your beloved! Or maybe you need birthday cards? How about some cool gifts? Oh, there are a lot of options to be found there - check it out!

UPDATE! Julia of Fluff Papers contacted me and offered a special discount code for WhollyMatrimony! readers! When you place your order, use the code WHOLLY20 to get 20% off your entire order through April 3, 2009!

As I was reading through old posts over on the WeddingBee, I came across a wedding recap from Mrs. Eggplant where she talked about her wedding day and shared a *fabulous* tip - give the guys an incentive beyond the garter itself to make them grab for it!

Photograph by Apertura.

They added a token gift card to the garter from Best Buy, and the result?

Photograph by Apertura.

The guys went for it! No garter falling to the floor, and it makes for much more interesting photographs for your photographer as an added bonus!

Image from Design Sponge

Remember back in the good old days when the decorations on the couple’s getaway car was so simple as a string of cans and maybe a sweet “Just Married!” note? I miss those days. Eventually, it seems that people took it to such an extreme that now people are told not to decorate the car at all. Wouldn’t it be cute though to have some adorable cans like these decorating the back of your car?

The above cans - along with a LOT of other fabulous finds - are for sale at Wedding So Sweet on Etsy (home of all things wonderful!), but thanks to Design Sponge’s DIY tips, you could make a set that is all your own! How fabulous would it be to coordinate them with your wedding colors? And the painted cans just seem to elevate it all to a whole new level. So fabulous!

Image from Green Wedding Shoes, found at Design Sponge

I love the bikes and other items decorated with these cute items - perfect for a romantic destination wedding where your retreat might not be in the usual car!

Here is to bringing back old traditions and seeing lots more cans announcing newlyweds in the future!

Any bride can tell you planning a wedding can be a very stressful undertaking. The folks at RealSimple have recently released their 2009 Weddings magazine planner edition. This is the second year for the planner and is designed for everyone whether you are panning a backyard DIY wedding or a black tie extravaganza. This book will give you step by step guidance in planning your day with the least amount of stress.

In true RealSimple style, everything is laid out, well, simple. The editors have broken down the major categories that are entailed in planning including elements such as checklists, FAQ’s and stunning inspirational photos from actual weddings. The blurbs from each featured wedding include descriptions of how each couple incorporated design elements to fit their personality to make it a truly special day.

Some of the categories and planning features which really stood out for us to make this not just any other wedding planning book was the dress section and the flower section. The dress section has a full descriptions for eight different body types and which style dresses are flattering for those body types. A bride can then narrow down her dress style choices by choosing a style more flattering for her, but also save time by not trying on lots of dresses which may not flatter her figure.

In the flower section is a two page layout chart of common wedding flowers. The chart contains information such as time of the year commonly available, colors available and also a “good to know” section. Not only does this help you pick the flowers according to the time of the year they would be the least expensive, it will also let you know information such as whether the flower bruises easily or would it be good for table arrangements.

The book also has a pullout guide to carry around with you and contains a few checklists (including a “day of” checklist), spaces for vendor info and songlists, and also a resource guide for online associations that pertain to the wedding industry.

Lastly, the greatest feature of this book (I mean aside from all the great pictures) has got to be the large resource index in the back. Lists of websites for everything imaginable for planning your wedding. They have also included a resource list from the RealSimple website which includes more checklists and even lists of questions to ask the different vendors.

All in all this is an excellent planning resource. It’s very easy to read and look at and provides a lot of stimulus for planning a wedding unique and outside the box for any budget. And for a price tag of around $14, a total steal for the wealth of information it includes.  A very small investment to help you make one of the most special days of your life RealSimple.

Planning a wedding is much harder than I’d anticipated. I tried to approach the whole thing from a relaxed point of view. “Hey, I don’t care. I just want to marry my man.” But eventually, I was sort of pushed into have more of an opinion, just to get things done. No one is going to decide your colors for you. Or pick out the flowers. Or tell you want to wear. Or what song to walk down the aisle to. Or what to give as favors. Or who is invited…the list could go on, believe me. So, despite my initial laissez faire attitude, as we near the culmination of the project—the wedding day—I’m invested in my choices and I care.

I’ve yet to scream at anybody but there have been some tears—privately. I do want things to be a certain way now that I’ve really had to envision and design this huge party. I have a timeline and things need to get done in a certain order to help alleviate a lot of work at the last minute. This has been the hardest part for me and my partner. He doesn’t think my stress about the timeline is warranted. And for the most part he is right. It’ll be what it will be and in the end we’ll be married. But as the project manger of this shindig, I’m trying to keep this boat afloat and that requires a certain management style.

There have been crucial moments where I could have lost it. For example, the invitations were cut slightly off. There is a little extra space at the top. I was irritated and considered re-trimming all 150 of them myself. Instead, I took a step back, and realized that they are beautiful the way they are and I’m probably the only person who will notice this slight flaw. I decided it wasn’t worth my sanity for it to be perfect.

And this is the perspective that keeps it all in balance. This idea, to let go of perfection, is the wonder tonic cure-all for Bridezilla. It’s the elixir of grace that can keep the monster at bay. I’m getting married to a man that is a perfect match for me—neither of us being perfect, but perfectly imperfect. Our wedding will be perfectly imperfect as well, and that’s the kind event everyone can really enjoy.

When I discovered today that Not Martha is getting married, I knew her wedding blog Planning to Elope would be full of unique and interesting wedding finds!

How awesome are these I Do Wedding Bands that I found over there? Japanese artist Sakurako Shimizu actually uses the audio pattern of you saying “I do” as the design for the ring. It is like you’re saying “I do” over and over again! (Also available are cuffs, cufflinks, earrings, and a variety of other jewelry options.)

I’m seeing a big trend with couples wanting practical or eco-friendly wedding favors. With the state of the economy right now brides want to make sure they are spending their money wisely. They don’t want to spend money on wedding favors that will get thrown away as soon as guests leave their reception. Many of our best sellers include place card holders that can be reused as photo frames, plantable favors, bookmakers, key chains, kitchen timers, bottle stoppers, and my personal favorite, measuring spoons which I seem to use on a daily basis. These favors can range in price so there is something for a bride with a limitless budget as well as stylish favors for a bride with a limited budget.

Even with wedding budgets tightening up a bit, couples still feel it is very important to give their guest a “thank you” gift as a token of appreciation for their attendance.

Ashley mentioned the measuring spoons in her post above, and they are definitely something your guests could use daily! They have measures of love on one side with traditional measurements on the other. A Pinch of Patience=¼ teaspoon, A Dash of Kindness=½ teaspoon, A Spoonful of Laughter=1 teaspoon, and A Heap of Love=1 tablespoon.

Want more favor ideas? Be sure the check out the Cherished Gifts and Favors blog!

Well this weekend, I get to attend my first official “working” bridal show at the George R. Brown Convention Center here in Houston.  As I was pondering fashion shows and cake samples, it occurred to me that a blog about national bridal show companies and some links on where to find some of these shows in your area would be fitting.

Great Bridal Expo’s lists their touring schedule through early May.  When you click on the venue for the show, a list of venders attending the show comes up.

Bridal Trade Show has their schedule out through April and although the majority of their show are in New Jersey, there are a few more in the upstate area. Details for each show are listed as well as the ability to purchase tickets online.

Bridal Show Producers International (BSPI) is a bridal show trade association and lists bridal shows all over the country.  Just roll your cursor over the shows listed to see where the show is and click to go to the shows own website.

Online Bridal Shows is a neat concept if you happen to live in an area where there are no bridal shows.  It’s a virtual 3D bridal show that happens every Thursday from 12pm-10pm local time.  There is a software download which is free to be able to view the shows but it only takes a few minutes to download and install.  We have super fast techie geek internet access and the program pages take a little time to load so if you have dialup, this may not be the best option for you.  Basically the whole thing runs like a first person video game, using the arrow keys to move through the “show”.  When you enter, there is a map sign that will give you the basic “booth” layout in a sidebar.  Rolling over the booths gives you the basic vendor info and clicking the booth brings you to the vendors virtual booth.  From there, you click on what looks like a tv to start a video presentation and the sidebar turns into full information page about the company compleate with websites.  Although, it lacks the excitement of actually being at a show, (not to mention no cake samples!!) it would be a great way for a bride who has no earthly clue where to begin to at least get some vendor ideas in her area.  Call it the video game geek in me but I like this site.  The more play with it, the more I like it. I mean, who could resist checking out a catering company called Popcorn Lady Productions (Atlanta) who specialized in carnival food and frozen drinks??  

A search for “bridal shows” preceded by your area of the country will also yield a wealth of info as I found out there is more than one bridal show in Houston.  Who knew?

Well this weekend I will be tasting cake samples, viewing fashion shows and interviewing brides-to-be, all in the name of bringing more info for you.  Mmmmm cake…

Happy Planning