It happens out of the blue. You come home from work, you pick up your mail and when you go to sort through it in the kitchen that evening, there they are: a stack of wedding invitations. Carefully addressed, carefully planned, carefully packaged and now sitting on your counter, clever and beautiful and oh-so inviting.
They’re calling your name with opportunities to celebrate with old friends and new friends and cousins and an acquaintance or two. And you want to go to all of them, but you don’t know if you can make it happen. Who knew that being a guest was so hard?
Last summer I was on the flip side of this particular coin. Shayne and I were planning our wedding and watching our guest list and collecting RSVP cards and then, as the day itself drew closer and closer, making phone calls and sending emails to…
While some favorite wedding movies of all time may include Father of the Bride or Sixteen Candles, these Hollywood love-story staples don’t have a lot of destination wedding inspiration. For the couple that is planning to tie the knot in an exotic location, you may want to take a break from the stress of planning and pop some popcorn for a movie night instead. For anyone not planning to get married in your parents’ backyard or in the church you grew up attending, here are some amazing wedding movies to inspire you to reach for the stars.
English Elegance: The Princess Bride
The Princess Bride is a cult classic that has been enticing men and women for decades to fall in love. From the first scene to the final fight, this Rob Reiner masterpiece has been adored by children and adults alike as an epic picture…
Making home feel like home can be a long, involved, process. It can take weeks, months (maybe longer – I haven’t gotten that far yet). The name came quickly for me: calling the place Shayne and I live “home” happened easily, a habit by the end of the first month. But making the inside of that place fit the name we were giving it has certainly taken considerably longer!
We’ve been collecting things slowly, accumulating a lamp here, a stack of teacups there, a bookshelf or two…an entertainment center.
And we’ve discovered along the way that one of the things we enjoy most about making home “home” is when we can fill it with things that we’ve built with our own two hands: a coat rack, another lamp and, this weekend with some elbow grease and a couple of basketball games on TV in the background, a headboard for…
Not to make any blatant stereotypes (but I guess I am going to anyway…), but guys don’t love the registry process as much as us gals. For us it marries our love of shopping with our love of planning, and we don’t even have to pay for it! We know that the men in our lives probably don’t care what type of pattern is on the flatware, but we want them to come along for the ride anyway. Here are a few ways to turn registering into a fun date night:
Take turns with the scanner. Really, ladies, don’t hog it! Who wants to watch someone else get all of that beeping fun? Make a deal ahead of time that you get scanner power over bedding and bath and he gets to go wild in the games and sporting goods section. By the way, straying from the basics is fun…
There are numerous ways to jazz up your Valentine’s Day with wine- and something sparkling or something red are the obvious go-to’s. But if you’re looking for more than just a wine recommendation, but rather, a wine-themed Valentine’s Day experience to enjoy with your fiancé, here are my favorite two. Most important, these wine evenings work on any budget- as I’ve offered “on a budget” and “big spender” wine recommendations for each. Happy cupid-ing!
1) Romance your special someone with a fondue dinner paired with sparkling wine
Sparkling wine is a great pairing for all fondue; could open just one bottle and enjoy it with your special someone as you prepare an all-fondue Valentine’s Day: cheese, meat/vegetable, and chocolate fondue.
Why Sparkling Wine and Cheese Fondue:
The bright acidity and fine bubbles of sparkling wine sweep fat from the palate, refreshing it for the next…
Has wedding planning turned you into a crazy person? Are your besties complaining that they never get to see you anymore? Take a break and grab a friend and find a fun class in your area. Chances are you will have a blast, and bring home some super memories (along with your newly acquired ability to mime or toss pizza dough). Here are a few classes around the country that I thought might inspire you:
Learn how to cook vegetarian and make whole grain bread. Good for the pre-wedding diet and also for long-term health.
Try your hand at a pottery class. Maybe it will turn out. Maybe not so much. Maybe Demi Moore just made it look really easy in Ghost.
Prepare a sexy striptease for your future hubby with a burlesque dance class.
Plan a camping trip, but first make…
Ooo, do we have a fun surprise for you today! Blame it on too much Sassy as a teen but there is nothing I like more than a quiz that tells me something about myself. A “Confidante” friend? Why yes, I am. A “Late Riser Who Hits Her Stride Mid-Afternoon”? I did not know that until you told me, Jane. And, let’s not even get started on what Cosmo has illuminated…
Well, today, in the name of our quiz-loving selves, we’ve put together a little ditty to help you determine what style of bride you are. Are you an eco-friendly gal who plans on doing her part for the environment with Green choices? Or a non-traditional bride who’s going to wow her guests with her avant garde choices? You get the idea.
Head on over to our Facebook page to take the…
If you are in the midst of wedding planning (or even if you are a newlywed), chances are that you may have completely forgotten what your friends look like. And to make matters worse, your bank account has probably seen better days. Solve these two problems at once with a group date night on the cheap.
- Host a game night. Break out the board games and a couple of decks of cards. Have everyone bring one ingredient for nachos and stock some ice-cold brewskies (yep, I’m bringing that word back) in the fridge.
- Enjoy a day at the park. Dig through the garage and unearth the kite and croquet set you have yet to use. Everyone can pack their own sack lunches (don’t forget the fruit rollups!) to enjoy the last days of summer.
- Be tourists together. Speaking of the end of summer, many tourist activities are now
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I don’t know about you all but I could do with a little mid-week break. And since Mexico probably isn’t going to happen today, how about we settle for putting mustaches on a very distinguished looking gentleman in a top hat?
So put down your budget and hide your guest list (just for a minute, I promise) because Lord Likely’s face needs some love. And, Strumpet’s Delight is calling (seriously, who comes up with these things?).
Plan a Group Date Night With Your Friends!
What's Your Wedding Style? Find Out With Our Facebook Quiz!
Newlywed Perspective: Anne Becomes a Wedding Guest
Sponsored Post: Ways to Romance Your Special Someone for Valentine's Day...At Any Budget
In a Rut? Take a Class!
Date Night: Registry Fun!
Mustaches Make Hump Day Fly By
Movie Night: Favorite Destination Wedding Movies!
Newlywed Perspective: Making a Home Feel Like Home
