Winter 2 0 1 2 •
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GUIDE
A Special Supplement of The Montana Standard
Affordably Priced Gourmet Catering For All Occasions Just a sample of our delicious offerings. Ask to see our complete menu. APPETIZERS Crudites Shooters w/Garlic Dipping Sauce Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms Coconut Shrimp w/Orange Marmalade Sauce Prosciutto Gruyere Pasta Pinwheels Sirloin Gorgonzola Bacon on Skewers MEAT, FISH AND POULTRY SELECTIONS Prime Rib Seasoned Baron of Beef Montreal Grilled Tilapia Bourbon Salmon Adobe Apple-Cranberry Pork Loin Pork Loin w/Mushrooms and Onions Turkey (with all the trimmings) Ham w/Brown Sugar and Pineapple Chicken Cordon-Bleu Chicken Marsala Blackened Chicken w/Penne and Sauteed Vegetables Sauteed Chicken w/prociutto, Brandy and Pesto Sauce
OTHER MEAT SELECTIONS Crab Wontons w/Sweet and Sour Sauce Shrimp Rangoons w/Sweet Chili Sauce Mini Beef Wellingtons Smoked Salmon on Crustinis w/Dill Sauce Cold Cuts and Cubed Cheese Trays Smoked Salmon w/Cheese Log SIDE DISHES Potatoes (Bleu Cheese, Garlic Mashed) Roasted Baby Reds Alfredo w/Fettuccini Citrus Rice Pilaf Spaghetti w/Parmesan Pesto Sauce HOT VEGETABLES Asparagus Luciano Pan-Roasted Asparagus w/Shitake & Cherry Tomatoes Sauteed Asparagus w/Hollandaise Sauce Glazed Baby Carrots Sesame Green-Beans w/Toasted Almonds Broccoli w/Toasted Almonds & Sesame Seeds
HOT VEGETABLES (continued) Zucchini Fritters Beer-Batter Fried Veggies SALADS Strawberry Spinach Italian Pennette Tarragon Red Potato Caesar w/Shrimp or Chicken Dilled Broccoli Autumn Mache Santa Fe Broccoli Cranberry w/Walnuts DESSERTS Chocolate Covered Strawberries Brownies Mini Tiramisu Home-Made Carrot or Spice Cakes Cheesecakes w/Topping or Mini-Cheesecakes Canolis
We welcome the opportunity to serve you! 2•Wedding Guide
April Franke E-mail: April.Franke@sjh-mt.org Phone: 406-723-2432
Winter 2 0 1 2 •
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GUIDE
A Special Supplement of The Montana Standard
We h ave tthe he p erfect llocation ocation We have perfect for for bbridal ridal sshowers howers aand nd rehearsal dinners. rehearsal d inners. Mention this ad when inquiring about special group rates for your wedding guests.
Cover photograph by: Lisa Wareham Photography
4
What’s The Rush?
6
That Personal Touch?
12
Popping The Question?
13
Wedding Woes Be Gone!
16
Plan To Save Your Dress?
18
Getting Engaged Is Just The Beginning... Now What?
20
Wedding Checklist
Butte
2777 Harrison Ave. Exit 127; off I-90 & I-15
Bridal Guide is published by The Montana Standard 25 W. Granite • Butte, MT 59701 • 406-496-5500
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FOR RESERVATIONS CALL TOLL FREE Locally Owned and Operated
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Wedding Guide •3
What’s the rush?
In defense of a delayed honeymoon
My wedding was perfect: a miraculous, 52-degree day during an otherwise freezing Boston winter. Friends and family smiling. A gorgeous dress. A tasty cake. Blue-tinted hydrangeas flown in from Japan. And the storybook, love-at-first-sight romance at the center of it all. There isn’t a thing I would change about that day; it’s the honeymoon I’d do over. Specifically, I’d do it at another time. Couples planning a wedding face obvious pressure to go on a honeymoon immediately after the tying of the knot. They want to seize the moment and indulge in a romantic, intimate vacation while still riding the wave of wedding euphoria. They want, as we thought we did, to escape the obligations of family and friends by running off to a tropical island far, far away. To which I say: Reconsider. Delay that postnuptial vacation. A belated honeymoon is the No. 1 piece of advice that Carley Roney, editor in chief of TheKnot.com, offers engaged couples. 4•Bridal Guide
“You should never leave the morning after,” said Roney, who delayed her own honeymoon. “You want to have that time with your friends and family, because so often people are coming from far and wide, and then you disappear.” Couples should still plan the honeymoon in advance, Roney said, but book it for five or six months after the wedding. That gives them a chance to “double-dip”: They can be around friends, siblings and parents during the next-day playback, when everybody is still happy and willing to dissect the event as many times as you want. Then you get to relive the passion of your wedding day a few months later, when you go on your honeymoon. Also, following the joy of a wedding with a trip can diminish the excitement of being on vacation. “Sometimes after that total drama and excitement, the honeymoon can be like, ‘Do I really have the energy?’ It can be a bit of a downer in comparison,” Roney said. Continue on page 6
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Bridal Guide •5
According to a study by TheKnot.com and The Wedding Channel in 2010, 80 percent of marrying couples take a honeymoon, and eight out of 10 of them leave right away. For us, that felt too soon. Exhausted from the festivities on Jan. 1, our big day, my husband and I crashed at a Boston hotel, barely able to process the whirlwind we had just experienced. We passed on the champagne, passed on the chocolate-covered strawberries, passed on the yada yada yada and simply collapsed into a deep slumber, already feeling like an “old married couple.” Four hours later, we rose with the sun to jet off to Mexico, far from all the family and friends we had barely had enough time with the day before. We flew to Cancun, waded through customs for more than an hour, then hitched a ride with a car service to a port, where we waited for a ferry to take us to Isla Mujeres. Once there, we hailed a taxi to our not particularly luxurious B&B. All before lunch. Distant were the memories of the festivities just one day before. While many of our loved ones gathered at my parents’ house, we couldn’t even find Internet access to let them know we had arrived safely. I finally found a patch of shoddy wireless the next day that lasted just long enough for a quick view of the first wedding photos that friends had uploaded to Facebook. My husband and I huddled over my too-small iPhone, soaking up those first shots of our magical day. For most of the 19th century, the word “honeymoon,” or “honey-lunacy,” referred not to a trip, but to the period of time after the wedding when a couple was still swallowed up
by love. “The honeymoon was said to last one month, after which tenderness would wane like ‘the changing moon,”‘ according to scholar Barbara Penner, who wrote “Newlyweds on Tour: Honeymooning in Nineteenth-Century America” (University of New Hampshire Press, 2009). “A post-wedding trip was referred to as a wedding journey, bridal tour or nuptial tour, while a honeymoon denoted a generic period of newlywed bliss,” she said. As the tradition evolved, it began to be seen as the first opportunity for a new couple to be alone and to share sleeping quarters. But these days, many couples are less desperate for time alone. The rarer opportunity may be those few extra days with farflung cousins, grandparents and friends. And most couples have jobs with limited time off, and have already spent many a paycheck on the wedding itself. By returning to work for a few extra months, you could perhaps earn a more extravagant vacation, or take one with less guilt. Our honeymoon suffered from overzealous budgeting. Thinking about spending money on a trip in addition to the wedding, even though we didn’t pay for most of it, was almost too much for our frugal minds to bear. We cut costs everywhere we could, and it showed. I recommend the delayed honeymoon. By HILLARY SPEED For The Associated Press
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That personal touch? Say it with a cake topper The only part of a wedding cake that doesn’t get eaten, preserved in the freezer, or smudged across a bride or groom’s face is the cake topper. Why not make it something worth saving? From wooden figurines to monogrammed eggs in a nest to teacups from Grandma’s china cabinet, cake toppers at weddings have become more personalized. Increasingly, couples are working with artists to design the perfect cake topper, unique to them. “The cake topper is one of the few things that will be part of the wedding that the couple will take home afterward and maybe display in their house,” said Portland, Ore.-based artist Hilary Pfeifer, who designs customized cake toppers. “It’s not just a plastic topper that they use for that day; it becomes an icon in their house afterward,” she said. Pfeifer sells her cake toppers out of her online shop, Bunny with a Toolbelt (www.bunnywithatoolbelt.com). The figurines are made of reclaimed wood and painted with acrylic. They are typically animals, and often are customized to fit a couple’s taste and interest. Pfeifer’s creations have run the gamut from colorful elephants for a circus-themed wedding, to a pair of robots with a robot dog, to a duck bride and groom wearing Converse sneakers. She has made cake-topper alligators, deer, squirrels, giraffes, flamingos, turtles, penguins, monsters, space monkeys, flying pigs and more. Often they are turned into sports mascots. “Having customers bring you ideas is great,” Pfeifer said. “It takes me places I wouldn’t have gone on my own.” Another artist who has worked with brides and grooms to customize cake toppers is Heather Ward-Migner, based in Asheville, N.C. Through her online store, Star House (www. urastarhouse.com), Ward-Migner sells a variety of figurines made of local poplar wood that are then cut, burned and painted with watercolors to create specific images. Her cake toppers have included couples on double bicycles, pairs of love birds, and a bride and groom in a yellow canoe. Typically, her wooden characters are based on a photograph, and closely resemble the actual couple — a far cry from the standardized cake toppers of yore.
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8•Wedding Guide
The effort that goes into creating such a personal memento contributes to its ultimate staying power. “I love thinking about how 100 years from now some bohemian college students might have their grandparents’ cake toppers displayed in their apartment,” Ward-Migner said. The customization of wedding cake toppers is still a niche trend, but one that has been growing, according to Anja Winikka, senior editor at TheKnot.com. “Your wedding cake as a whole is such a great way to add your own personality, and it’s a great way to make a statement at your wedding without going over the top,” Winikka said. “The cake topper falls into that category as well.” She has seen various handcrafted toppers recently. Love birds are a popular choice, she said, including options made out of felt, fabric, wood or other materials. Winikka has also seen the vintage craze enter the weddingcake-topper arena. Couples are repurposing their parents’ and grandparents’ cake toppers as their own. You can also creatively use trinkets from your grandparents or tiny teacups from their china cabinet as your cake topper, she suggested. In the case of a cake or cupcake tower that isn’t suited to having a topper, the bridal couple can turn the entire cake table into a sort of display area with mementos or figurines that add personality, Winikka said. “I’ve definitely noticed that when a normal person thinks of a wedding cake topper, they think of the plastic bride and groom,” said wedding planner Laura Auer, whose company is about to plan its 300th wedding. “But I’ve probably seen that only five out of the 300 times. People want different skin tones, or they aren’t male-female couples, or they just don’t want old-school traditional brideand-groom cake toppers.” Auer started her Brooklyn, N.Y.-based company, Blue Canary Events, in 2005, and has seen a trend toward unique cake toppers. In addition to art pieces custom-designed for the couple, she has noticed a lot of monogrammed cake toppers, sometimes
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very ornate — made of crystal or pretty much any other material. If the bride is taking her husband’s last name, it’s not proper etiquette to use that married name until after the couple has taken their vows, Auer said. So having it on the cake might be a fun way to introduce the new shared initial for the first time. Other popular options are edible or floral cake toppers — real decorative flowers, fruit or flowers made of frosting.
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10•Wedding Guide
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Popping the question? Simple tips so she’ll say ‘yes’
According to David Tutera(TM), wedding guru and party-planning expert, “Men should propose with personality, making it echo something meaningful to your relationship with one another and do it in a place that highlights your love story.” That certainly sounds like good advice. But while women seem to have the knack for conjuring up perfect wedding-related ideas, men tend to be a bit clueless on the subject. Naturally, the first element involved with a proposal is buying an engagement ring. “This is not just any ring ... it is ‘the’ ring that she’ll cherish for the rest of her life, and may possibly pass down to her children in the future,” says Tutera. Jewelry expert, Michael O’Connor offers, “There’s a very good chance the bride has a platinum engagement ring in mind. It’s possible that she’s even offered hints about it, leaving magazine photos on the table or admiring a ring in a jewelry store window.” Platinum is a great choice for engagement rings and wedding bands because it won’t change color or fade. It symbolizes a relationship that will endure. Also, platinum’s durability means that your engagement ring can become a family heirloom, passed down from generation to generation. When selecting a setting, experts including Tutera and O’Connor recommend putting some thought into a design that is classic because this will be a ring that she will cherish through the ages. “Choose a setting that truly reflects how you feel about your partner,” says Tutera. “Platinum lasts forever.” Although the ring is a very important component of the entire proposal, make it memorable. “How did he propose?” is often the first question her girlfriends will ask once she has gotten engaged. Whether taking place at the beach or a page right out of a fairytale, many women dream of a memorable proposal. In a recent contest on Glamour.com, contest entrant Briana D. from New York offers the following hint, “I have always dreamt of a fairy-tale proposal and what better way to drop the ball then to draw out the ring design that I have in mind, fold it up and stick it in an envelope with a love note and his name on it.” There are many other proposal ideas that can secure this special moment. Consider these tips, courtesy of O’Connor. * Make it personal. Propose at a place that has great meaning for your relationship -- where you first met, or the place where you first said “I love you.” Think about the romantic places you have visited together that can serve as the perfect backdrop for a proposal. * Think back to all of those chick flicks you were persuaded into watching. Was there a proposal scene that she gushed about or another movie moment that stood out? Consider recreating that feeling in the proposal. If need be, man up and rewatch her favorite movies for ideas. * Consider spontaneity. Simply scratch “Will you marry me” in the sand while walking on the beach and hand her the ring in a seashell. * Do it the old fashioned, and tried-and-true way. Bend down on one knee with a rose and ring in hand. “Remember, the proposal and engagement doesn’t have to be expensive to be memorable. Simply keep in mind the personality and likes of the bride-to-be and chances are she’ll jump to say,’yes,’” says O’Connor. He adds, “Almost every quality jewelry designer creates rings in platinum, some even starting at under $1,000, making it easy to find something that will work with her style and fit within almost every budget.” 12•Wedding Guide
Wedding Woes Be Gone!
How To Make Your Dream Wedding a Reality Brides and grooms often have an ideal of what their wedding will be -- a vision of their perfect day. While each couple’s vision is unique, they all share the same burden -- the ever-rising cost of weddings. Be it a lavish ceremony and celebration with hundreds of guests, or a more intimate affair attended by only close family and friends, weddings are never easy on the bottom line. Thankfully, cost-conscious couples can take some creative steps to ensure they still have the wedding and honeymoon of their dreams without breaking the bank to do so. * Calling all sponsors! With the economy still on the mend, couples can rest assured knowing there are deals to be had with regards to all aspects of their pending nuptials. One increasingly popular trend is to have the wedding “sponsored” by local vendors. In exchange for discounted services rendered, couples agree to mention contractors in their wedding program or display business cards at the reception table. For example, wedding photographers often make their money through word of mouth, so a reference in the wedding program might be enough to garner couples a discount on the photographer’s services. Such “sponsorships” will need to be agreed upon before the big day, but can save couples a significant amount of money. * Get help with the honeymoon. Unlike couples of yesteryear, today’s couples often live together before walking down the aisle. This has made traditional wedding registries somewhat obsolete, as couples often already have everything they need. “We already lived together and had all the kitchen gadgets, towels and bed sheets we could possibly need,” says Sarah, who lived with her now-husband Patrick prior to getting married. Thankfully, Sarah and Patrick discovered Honeyfund.com, a free online honeymoon registry catering to couples who could use some help planning and paying for their perfect honey-
moon. The ideal solution for couples without the need for a large traditional registry, Honeyfund enabled Sarah and Patrick to plan their dream honeymoon while allowing guests the satisfaction of giving a gift the newlyweds would truly enjoy. Wedding guests can conveniently choose from a host of activities listed by the newlyweds themselves. From dinners and hotels to ferry and gondola rides, even airline and train tickets, Honeyfund offers a wide selection of gifts for wedding guests while helping savvy and creative couples significantly reduce the cost of their first getaway as a married couple. * Save, save, save. Traditionally, the bride’s family foots the bill for the wedding. With that tradition fading and today’s couples now baring more of the burden of paying for their wedding, saving is critical. As bridal couples enter the biggest buying period of their lives, escalating costs of home down payments, furniture, appliances, and child rearing only amplify the need for savings. Couples can get some relief by directing their friends and family to gift registries like Honeyfund.com, where guests can contribute to a down payment for the young couple’s first home, or a general savings fund that can be used for projects, furnishings or anything the couple needs. Guests often love knowing how their financial contribution is being spent, be it for a home down payment, home improvement projects or other savings. “Wedding gift givers are flocking to cash registries because they are hassle-free and provide an opportunity to give something unique,” says Sara Margulis, CEO of Honeyfund.com. “A honeymoon experience or a contribution toward the couple’s first home are memories that last a lifetime.” To learn more about Honeyfund, visit www.Honeyfund.com.
Wedding Guide •13
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14•Wedding Guide
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Wedding Guide •15
Plan to save your dress? Take care of it now After Barbara Hart’s wedding in 1989, her mom took care of the dirty work. She had Hart’s 1950s lace gown repaired, cleaned and preserved, boxed up and ready for another bride in the family. It was late last year, though, when Hart’s niece, who was considering wearing the gown, opened the box, only to learn it held the wrong dress. “It was very upsetting to me. It’s all this connection to your younger life. A connection to my mother, to a moment in time,” said Hart, 50, of Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y., whose mother has since died. “You’re just losing the thread of this connection.” So much thought goes into selecting a wedding gown, but once the celebration is over, the dress begins to fade into the background. Experts say that right after the wedding, however, is precisely the time to make sure everything is in order so your dress is pristine if you want to wear it again for an anniversary, have it made into a christening gown, or hand it down to a daughter or other loved one. Hart doesn’t know what instructions her mother was given about opening or not opening the box, and the dry cleaner that worked on it has since changed hands. “My advice is that people should open the box and inspect it, and make sure they have the right dress and it’s properly done 16•Wedding Guide
at the time,” said Hart, a lawyer. Mix-ups are more common than you might think. Hart said an acquaintance of hers heard her story and opened her box to find a different dress too. “The problem of the wrong dress is endemic in the industry,” said Sally Conant, executive director of the Association of Wedding Gown Specialists. “Ask to inspect your dress.” A preservationist for 20 years, Conant said the wrong-dressin-the-box scenario happens less frequently now because most preservations are done in boxes that aren’t sealed, though some still are. Conant, of Orange, Conn., said she packs the dress in front of the bride. Many gown specialists now feel it’s OK for people to open the box later, she said; it won’t void the guarantee against yellowing. “It’s fun for them to see it again,” she said, “and they like to reassure themselves.” The association, which has members in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Ecuador, requires gowns to be preserved in acid-free boxes. Margaret’s Cleaners, a member in La Jolla, Calif., packs the gowns in chests with acid-free tissue and wraps the gowns in unbleached muslin. The box is put into a muslin bag to keep out environmental debris. The boxes aren’t sealed, and white
gloves are provided so oil from your hands won’t mar the fabric. “We want our brides to be able to open the box and examine it every couple of years” in case any yellow spots start to show, says bridal director Jan Bohn. Methods that involve shrink-wrapping or vacuum-sealing the boxes, which then must remain closed, are not recommended by Conant and Heather Levine, fashion editor of TheKnot.com. “Vacuum-packing your gown can cause permanent wrinkles, or trap moisture,” which can cause mildew, Levine said. Cleaning the dress soon after the wedding is key to preventing discoloration and fabric damage. At Margaret’s, each gown is evaluated to determine how it should be cleaned, Bohn said. Her business has seven methods. Cleaners remove blemishes that are visible (the most common is floor dirt) and invisible (usually perspiration, or sugar from Champagne, soda or frosting). “If you do nothing, they will oxidize in a couple years,” Bohn said. “You’ll start seeing small yellow or brown marks, and then they grow and get bigger and they can damage the material.” Conant estimates that 80 percent of gowns have invisible stains, which cleaners find with special lights. “A lot of times people will think they didn’t spill anything,” she said. “But a friend throws her arms around you and in her hand is a glass of wine ...” Levine urges brides who want to save their gown to use a gown specialist, or a local dry cleaner that handles at least 100 wedding gowns a year. “You can’t just go to the dry cleaner on the corner,” she said. “On a day-to-day basis, most dry cleaners aren’t working with
silk organza and heavy beading.” The Knot puts the national average cost of cleaning and preserving a wedding gown at $200 to $400; Conant at $250 to $300. Bohn says her services start at $325 and have reached $1,000. It depends on how much damage has been done, how the dress is constructed and what it’s made of, Bohn said. Conant estimates that 25 percent of brides preserve their gowns, while many resell them. Brides spent an average $1,099 on gowns last year, according to Levine. Wedding planner Barbara Wallace says one-third to one-half of her high-end clients have their gowns preserved. “By the time you’ve spent $5,000 or $10,000 or more, it seems silly not to spend that few extra dollars to keep it nice,” said Wallace, of Corona del Mar, Calif. Some dresses may be lost to the post-wedding trash-the-dress phenomenon, which has brides donning their gowns to wade into the ocean or frolic in the mud for the camera. But even with a trashing, most gowns can still be saved. “If it’s not silk, we can return it to almost like new,” Conant says. For many women, though, the sentimental attachment to the gown is strong. Hart recalls that her mother hoped Hart would have a daughter who would wear the now-missing lace dress. That daughter, now 9, was sad to learn the gown was gone. “My daughter’s face just fell,” Hart said. “It’s very sad to me because ... I’m not able to live out a dream my mother had for me.” By LISA FLAM For The Associated Press
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Wedding Guide •17
Getting Engaged Is Just the Beginning ... Now What? Are you one of the thousands of couples who got engaged over the holidays? This is the time for you and your soon-to-be to get everything you ever wanted -- whether you’re starting from scratch, upgrading, expanding or replacing. Turn a whole bunch of mismatched mine and yours into a lifetime of ours. “When it comes to registering, relax, take your time and have fun,” recommends Audrey Stavish, a Bridal and Gift Registry expert at Bed Bath & Beyond. “Most brides update their registries online and go into the stores many times. There aren’t any rules that you must follow. Choose items that are right for you and your soon-to-be. Go through the registry process together and have fun!” Here are some additional tips to make wedding planning a
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18•Wedding Guide
breeze: Plan Ahead: Start a bridal registry as soon as you say “yes.” That way guests will have lots of options for engagement gifts and showers. Periodically update your registry by adding more products if you need to, even after the wedding. Be kind to procrastinators. Do the Math: Experts advise registering for 2-3 items times the number of guests you plan to have. Close friends and family will rely on your registry for special events leading up to the wedding -- such as engagement parties, bridal showers, and holidays! Your guests will appreciate having lots of choices when they shop for you. Be sure to refresh your list regularly as gifts get purchased.
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Bridal Registry • Wedding Cakes Wedding Rings • Wedding Accessories Invitations and more!
Register Now, Because You Won’t Buy it Later: You may think you will ... but you won’t. Now is the time to let others get you the stuff you’d never buy yourself. Your friends and family might even get together to purchase a higher priced “group gift.” Dream Big: Register for gifts in a range of prices and categories. This will give guests and group givers lots of options to choose from. Remember the Rule of Three: When it comes to setting your table, if you choose bold patterns for your china and flatware, pick a more simple style of glassware. Prefer intricate stemware? Pair it with simpler patterns of china and flatware. So, it’s bold/bold/simple or simple/simple/bold. Visit a Store: It’s in YOUR best interest to visit a store and schedule an appointment with an expert consultant who can help you with your gift selections and share great tips like “The
Rule of Three,” what cookware you will need to prepare your favorite dish, what knife to use when and much more. When making your selections, it’s important to touch the towels, heft the flatware, see everything in person! C’mon Back: Most couples don’t make all their selections in a single spree. Plan on making multiple visits. Once you’ve set up your registry, take advantage of Bed Bath & Beyond’s Bridal Toolkit(R), the complimentary wedding planning tools available at bedbathandbeyond.com, including your own Personal Wedding Web site, budgeter, task manager, guest list manager, gift tracker and even a seating arranger. This way, all of your information can be stored in one convenient place. Congratulations and best wishes on your engagement. Now get registering and let the gift-giving begin.
For Your Wedding ATTENDANTS GIFTS GUEST BOOKS & ALBUMS CAKE KNIVES & TOPPERS WEDDING ACCESSORIES PERSONALIZED TOASTING GOBLETS
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1826 Harrison Ave. ~ 723.7307 ~ cherylleesbridal.com Wedding Guide •19
Wedding Checklist Upon Becoming Engaged:
1. Set the date and the time 2. Determine your budget and the type of wedding you want 3. Start your guest list 4. Select your attendants 5. Schedule your engagement photo 6. Announce your engagement (newspaper and/or engagement party) 7. Select your wedding consultant (if desired) 8. Select a place for the ceremony 9. Schedule premarital classes (if appropriate) 10. Select color scheme 11. Select a place for the reception 12. Select florist 13. Select photographer 14. Select videographer 15. Select music for the ceremony and reception 16. Select caterer 17. Select rentals needed (tents, chairs, tables, etc.) 18. Select wedding gown, headpiece, veil, accessories 19. Discuss honeymoon with fiancé
6-10 Months Before Wedding Day: 1. 2. 3. 4.
Mothers chose their dresses and accessories Select attendants’ dresses and accessories Register for bridal gifts Select limousine service or plan other transportation for the wedding day 5. Start looking for a home or apartment (if applicable)
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20•Wedding Guide
3-6 Months Before Wedding Day: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Finalize guest list Order invitations and accessories (napkins, stationery) Order or start making favors for the reception Select formal wear Choose wedding cake Choose wedding bands and schedule engraving Choose decorations for the reception and ceremony Plan rehearsal dinner Gather information for out-of-town guests (hotel, transportation, map and directions) to include with wedding invitations 10. Schedule appointments for hair, nails, facial and tanning 11. Choose furniture and/or appliances for your home 12. Bridal shower 13. Write thank you cards for bridal shower 14. Start addressing, stamping and stuffing wedding invitations
6-8 Weeks Before Wedding Day:
1. Mail invitations (6 weeks before wedding) 2. Apply for passports (if necessary) 3. Make moving plans 4. Plan bachelor and bachelorette parties 5. Schedule final fitting for the wedding gown 6. Obtain something old, new, borrowed, blue 7. Verify with bridesmaids final dress fittings 8. Have programs for the ceremony printed 9. Prepare arranged seating list for the reception if applicable
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10. Experiment with your hair and headpiece to find a style for your wedding 11. Schedule your final bridal portrait 12. Purchase cake top, cake knife, toasting glasses, ring bearer’s pillow, guest book, garter, aisle runner, unity candles 13. Shop for your honeymoon (clothing, lingerie, luggage, film, sunscreen) 14. Buy gifts for attendants and fiancé 15. Mail invitations for the rehearsal dinner 16. Acquire a marriage license (valid for 180 days) 17. Inform special guests of their duties (i.e., readings at ceremony)
1-2 Weeks Before Wedding Day:
1. Begin moving into your new home (if appropriate) 2. Get address and name change forms for Social Security card, driver’s license, etc. 3. Call guests who have not responded 4. Confirm all the above services 5. Prepare place cards for the reception and ceremony (if appropriate) 6. Give your caterer or reception site a final count of guests 7. Pack for your honeymoon, purchase Travelers Checks and pick up travel tickets 8. Confirm details with the attendants (rehearsal dinner and ceremony rehearsal)
9. Write thank-you notes for wedding gifts you have received and record them 10. Confirm rehearsal dinner details 11. Send wedding announcement to the newspaper 12. Prepare rice/bird seed/confetti to be thrown at bride and groom after the ceremony 13. Give band leader a list of must-play music, sheet music for special requests 14. Write out wedding announcements for mailing after the ceremony 15. Clock travel time to and from the ceremony site to determine departure time on the wedding day 16. Confirm reservations for the rehearsal dinner and out-of-town guests’ hotel rooms 17. Scuff soles and heels of new bridal shoes, practice walking in them
Day Before Wedding Day:
1. Pamper yourself (manicure, massage, tanning) 2. Lay out your wedding attire and accessories 3. Prepare an emergency sewing kit, make-up bag and overnight bag (extra stockings, tissues, aspirin, glasses, nail polish, spot remover) 4. Write out a day-of-wedding checklist/timetable; keep it handy 5. Show someone how to bustle your train 6. Check attendants’ outfits and accessories 7. Have going away outfits delivered to the reception site 8. Ask the best man to pick up honeymoon luggage and store it in his trunk 9. Put cash in envelopes for tips, officiant’s payments; give to the best man for distribution 10. Go to your rehearsal and rehearsal dinner 11. Go to bed early
Wedding Day:
Eat breakfast and enjoy yourself. If you have planned well in advance and have delegated tasks, you should be able to enjoy your wedding!
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Wedding Guide •21
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events@sacajaweahotel.com BU-20280989
22•Wedding Guide
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Wedding Guide •23