One of my favorite details of every wedding days is the paper products. I am admittedly obsessed with all things pretty, especially when it comes to stationery. Some of the best details can come in the form of invitations, table numbers and escort cards. Here are a few VERY creative ideas for your escort cards.

Photo Credits: (Clockwise) White Lace Wedding, Kaboodle, Tickled Pink Brides, Kathy Blanchard Photography,  Teness Herman, Wedding Planning in the Bay Area.

(Some photos from Wedding Planning in the Bay Area did not have links attached. If these photos are yours, please let us know.)

I finally updated our “Preferred Vendor” page on the website today and thought it would be great to share with our readers. So head on over to our website to check it out!

To me, April means the beginning of spring. What color is better suited for spring than yellow? I am in love with the yellow and black color scheme and I think that it is the perfect contrast for a chic and elegant Spring wedding.

Photo credits: Clockwise: Mori Lee, Old Town Florist Weddings, Piperlime (Clutch), Toasts & Tables, Bridal Fashion by Millie, Plush Paper Creations, Zimbio, Pink Cake Box

I love Sundays. Have I mentioned that before? They are a day to relax, put my feet up, edit photos, blog weddings and get caught up on anything I may have missed during the week. Today is no different. Last night I had the BEST time coordinating Kelly & Bruce’s big day. I had so much fun, that I could barely even function when I woke up this morning. :) I have been working with Kelly, Bruce & their families for a little over 7 months and provided Month-of coordination & a more.

The gorgeous girls.

Their wedding day began with the girls getting their hair done at V Salon, makeup done by Clinique and some nice down time before the beautiful ceremony. This wedding was so great because everyone was extremely calm. On the day of the rehearsal, the girls all went out for mani’s and cocktails while I headed over to JoAnn’s to pick up some decor for the cocktail tables. I found some great ideas and headed to the rehearsal. The bridal party was laughing the entire time and Rev. Buck was keeping everything fun with his humor. The feeling must have rubbed off on me, because I left feeling calmer than I ever have the night before a wedding.

Saturday morning started off without a hitch. The flowers had been delivered, I met with their photographer and videographer and came up with a game plan that would work for all of us, and the weather was beautiful! Kelly and the bridesmaids all arrive with smiles on their faces and filled with excitement for the days events.

::Sigh:: The ceremony. In one word… romantic. Kelly and Bruce did not stop looking into each others’ eyes and sneaking in little grins. There was even an adorable moment during the ring ceremony that sent them into a little laughter. It was pure perfection from beginning to end.

Table set up.

As soon as the ceremony was over, I headed over to Fox Hills to begin set up for the reception. When I arrived, the cake was in the process of being set up, the chair covers had arrived and my two fabulous assistants were all ready to get started. The evening was shaping up to be as great as the morning.

To summarize the reception, the music was perfect, the food was phenomenal, the drinks were flowing, the dance floor was packed and there was not a sad face in the crowd. Bruce & Kelly did a great job speaking to all of their guests and enjoying every second of their special day.

I stayed all night (making it a 13 hour day) to help with clean up and I am so glad I did. The staff of Fox Hills is amazing. We had the entire place broken down and packed into cars in less than 30 minutes. That has to be some sort of record!

On the ride home, I couldn’t help but be a little sad that their wedding was over. I have had so much fun working with Kelly, Bruce, Kelly’s sister Jessica and her mom, Donna (and everyone else who helped out). I seriously wish I could bring them everywhere with me! Not only are the a genuinely happy family, but they are great for the ego! They must have come up to me at least 25 times that night to say “thank you”. No Smith family…. Thank YOU! Thank you for being so much fun to work with and for being the most calm and together family I have ever been around. I hope your honeymoon was fabulous and that you enjoyed every second of your perfect day.

XOXO, Amanda

Couple: Kelly & Bruce; Colors: Purple & Green; Venues: Fox Hills & FUMC Northville; Photographer: Bruce Szopo; DJ: Andrew from Mike Staff; Cake: Pastry Palace; Transportation: Entertainment Express; Linen Rental: All About Elegance; Flowers: The Little Flower Shoppe; Beauty: V Salon

Throughout the week, I do a lot of web surfing and always come across great websites and companies. I thought it would be great if I posted once or twice a week on some of the great finds. Here are a few to start the week. :)

Hanson Ellis is a great site for favors, invitations and tons of little details.

I came across My Wedding Favors today and they have all sorts of great items. I am half tempted to buy a terry cloth robe, which would be a great bridesmaid gift, for myself!

One of my top ten sites for wedding planning has to be Wedding Wire. On this site, you can find vendors, ideas, other brides-to-be, and tons of other information. This site also allows a vendor to create a page where they can display their information, but also allows client reviews that can not be deleted or faked. There is also an advice page, where you ask a question and a vendor or another nearlywed will get you an answer. I love, love, love this site!

I hope you find these sites as interesting as I did. :)

Are they necessary?

Wedding ceremony programs are not required by etiquette but can enhance your wedding for both you and your guests. You can make them as simple or elaborate as you want depending on your tastes and budget. They can be especially useful if you have guests unfamiliar with the type of wedding ceremony you’re having. They also add to your wedding memorabilia and look great in your wedding scrapbook!

While any wedding ceremony could have a program there are certain circumstances that make them more useful. If your wedding ceremony is religious or traditional and many of your guests are of another faith or culture and unfamiliar with what will happen a wedding program would be a good idea. If you are having a large wedding and many guests are unlikely to know the bridal part are program will help them figure out who is who. A wedding program is also a good idea if you are having a particularly long ceremony, this will give guests a way to plan their restroom breaks. Finally, if you have a long list of people you would like to thank putting those in a wedding ceremony program is ideal.

Those are just some of the reasons why a wedding ceremony program would be especially beneficial. You can however use one or not use one with any wedding ceremony. The choice is entirely up to you and your fiancée!

If you decide you want to have a wedding ceremony program there are a couple more choices for you to make. Do you want to have a reception program? If so will it be separate from the wedding ceremony program or will they be printed together? How should it be made (you could also ask “what fits in my budget?”)? And finally, what do I include in my wedding ceremony program?

*Article courtesy of onewed.com*