WEDDING RESOURCES
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INVITATIONSThe purpose of engagement
rings and wedding bands is to convey deep emotions
of eternal love, eternal happiness, eternal
commitment, and eternal togetherness. In fact,
these rings signify eternity - between the giver
and the recipient. A ring, of course, is a
complete circle with no break and no end or
beginning, which means that it just goes on and on
- it is eternal.
And, since folklore has it that the fourth
finger of the left hand has a vein leading
directly to the heart, it is only natural that
both engagement and wedding rings would be worn on
this particular finger, which was once reputed to
be a direct route to the heart.
The giving of a ring in honor of a union,
betrothal, and marriage has been going on since
ancient times. |
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WEDDING INVITATION ETIQUETTEIf you don't already know,
there are plenty of etiquette rules related to wedding planning. And
wedding invitations are no exception. Below is a list of ten
etiquette rules you need to keep in mind as you are dealing with
your invitations.
1. All Wedding Invitations Should be Addressed by
Hand
Of course, addressing 50 to 100 envelopes by
hand may seem like a horrible chore, especially when you are trying
to be careful not to make a mistake and to practice your best
penmanship. Your hand will probably be aching for days, but doing
anything less seems too impersonal. For example, you don't want
envelopes addressed in multiple handwriting styles and you
absolutely don't want to use pre-printed labels.
Remember to
address the response cards, too.
2. Mail All of Your
Invitations at the Same Time
Even though you may be
tempted to divide your envelopes up into smaller batches and mail
them as you finish them, you shouldn't. Mailing them all at the same
time makes it less likely that someone is going to receive their
invitation before someone else you've invited. You don't want to
receive that hurt phone call from your friend or relative asking why
they weren't invited to the wedding.
3. List "And
Guest" If They Can Bring a Guest
When you are
inviting your single guests, you should specify that they can bring
a guest to the wedding. To do this, you simply write your guest's
name and the words "And Guest" on the invitation. If you prefer that
they don't bring guests, you should just leave off the "And Guest"
part. You can also address the invitation to both your guest and his
or her significant other if they are in a current
relationship.
4. Send Wedding Announcements to People
Who Did Not Receive Invitations
Don't send apologize
or explanations to people who did not make it on the guest list.
Most of those people either won't realize they've been passed over
or will understand why, so there's no reason to make a big deal
about it. However, you should send them a wedding announcement to
let them know you are now married.
5. Invite Everyone
Who Goes to the Ceremony to the Reception
Anyone who
attends the ceremony is going to assume they are invited to the
reception, so you shouldn't try to plan it any other way. If you
have some people you want to include in part of the wedding but not
in the other, then have a larger reception and a smaller
ceremony.
Make sure to include reception cards if the
reception is not located at the ceremony location.
6.
Avoid Saying "No Children, Please" on the
Invitation
Some couples don't mind having children
at their ceremony and reception; others do. The question is how to
handle the latter situation. The easiest way is to address the
invitation only to the adults. If they R. S. V. P. and include their
children, contact them immediately and explain the situation. Also,
be fair when it comes to children. Either all children are invited
or none (except for those in the wedding party) are. It isn't fair
to your guests to pick and choose which children are allowed to
attend.
7. Do Not Mention Your Wedding Registry in
Your Invitation
The invitation is not the
appropriate place to bring up the topic of gifts. That gives the
impression that your guests are only invited so they can give you a
present. Instead, allow word of mouth to spread your registry
information. Make sure to tell most of your relatives where you are
registered so they can pass on the information to family members or
friends who call them. Of course, if a guest contacts you and asks
where you are registered, you are free to answer
them.
8. Do Not Ask for Responses by Email or by
Phone
Guests should RSVP by sending the
pre-addressed, pre-stamped response card. You should not encourage
them to respond by email or by phone, both of which are
inappropriate. Although you may want to save money on stamps, you'll
find it easier to keep track of who has responded when you're
dealing with the printed response cards, not trying to remember who
called you last week while you were on your way out the
door.
9. Mail Invitations and Announcements At
Appropriate Times
Invitations should be mailed six
to eight weeks before your wedding day. This time frame gives your
guests plenty of time to receive and respond to the invitations. If
you are having a destination wedding, however, you may want to send
the invitations earlier since your guests will have to make travel
plans. Announcements should be mailed either the day of or the day
after the wedding so individuals will not receive the news after
they've already heard about the wedding.
10. Word
Your Invitations Appropriately
Depending on who is
covering the wedding costs and on your own marital situation, the
wording of your invitations is going to vary. You can find examples
of appropriate wording for almost any situation by browsing the
Internet.
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