DIY Wedding Invitations with Computer Software

Designing your own wedding invitations can be a great option for personalizing a wedding. There is a range of excellent invitation software currently available that makes creating wedding invitations well within the reach of virtually every budget and design preference. For those who prefer to make invitations with a personal touch–or to save money by avoiding the cost of pre-printed invitations–DIY wedding invitation software is an excellent way to go. With a little time and a few supplies, you will be on your way to creating the perfect invitations for the wedding of your dreams.

Step 1

Select the brand of software that you would like to use for the wedding invitations. Several invitation software companies offer packages that include wedding invitation software. The packages offer templates that are appropriate for wedding (and even wedding shower) invitations. Additionally, there are wedding invitation templates available through free online software, so if you are looking to save money, the free templates can be a great option.

Step 2

Choose a template for the wedding invitation, or design your own from scratch. Any software that you select will provide a range of templates, from romantic and traditional to playful and unconventional. The template for the wedding invitation should suit the couple or the overall theme of the wedding.

Step 3

Purchase the paper that you plan to use for the invitations. Wedding invitation paper can range from basic card paper to the costlier vellum paper. The style of the invitation will help you choose the most appropriate paper. Bear in mind that a more traditional invitation will require a finer paper, such as vellum, while a more contemporary invitation might only need a simple card paper.

Step 4

Purchase any accessories that will go with the invitations. Standard invitation accessories include ribbon, raffia, and transparent overlay paper. Some wedding invitations have no accessories, of course. The accessories will depend largely on the template that is used and on the style of the invitation.

Step 5

Design the invitations, and print them out. A laser printer is usually the best option because there is less danger of the ink smudging, but a standard printer will do as long as you give the invitations time to dry. Print off a few trial-run invitations before printing the full number. The samples will give you the opportunity to make sure the invitations look the way you want and have no errors in them.


Tips

Wedding invitations are typically white or ivory, but you are not limited to these shades. The invitation should reflect the couple and the event, so feel free to create an invitation in any color that is most appropriate. Just bear in mind that darker colors do not lend themselves to clear print, so consider a lighter overlay to ensure that guests can read the invitation details clearly.

Don’t forget the envelopes. Envelopes are usually included with pre-printed invitation packages, but if you are printing your own, be sure to purchase the envelopes and to calculate them into the overall cost.

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Wedding Venues or Honeymoon Accommodations: The Best Hotel Chains

For planning a wedding ceremony or reception or choosing a honeymoon destination, a chain hotel can be an excellent option. Granted, a chain might not offer quite the same local touch of a small boutique hotel, but the chains do represent brand consistency that can be appealing in unfamiliar locations. And hotel chains understand this, so they strive to provide guests exactly what they expect to find in the recognized hotel name. With the gradual expansion of chain hotels around the world, you are sure to find a name that you trust. So, whether you plan to visit Dallas or Dublin, Boston or Budapest, check out the hotel chains that are available for you there.

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts

The Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts owns more than fifty hotel properties that span twenty-two different countries, and the chain is constantly expanding in the U.S. and around the world. Additionally, the various Four Seasons hotels have been the recipient of numerous hotel awards, and the Las Vegas location was most recently a recipient of TripAdvisor’s 2010 Travelers’ Choice Awards. Beyond this, the Four Seasons location in San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Palm Beach, Kailua-Kona (Big Island, Hawaii), Maui, Chicago, Boston, New York, and Jackson Hole (Wyoming), among others, have all received the prestigious AAA Five-Diamond ranking for 2010. The Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts boasts more consistent AAA Five-Diamond rankings than any other hotel chain worldwide.

Marriott Family of Hotels

Marriott has more or less cornered every part of the hotel and resort market with its extensive family of hotels. The company offers its flagship Marriott (or sometimes J.W. Marriott) hotels for travelers who need luxury, but it also owns such familiar hotel chains as the Fairfield Inn & Suites, the Residence Inn & Suites, the Courtyard Hotel. What is more, the various segments of the Marriott company have received numerous awards for overall quality and customer service. In March of 2010, Marriott was a recipient of TripAdvisor’s 2010 Reader’s Choice Awards, and in January of 2010, Marriott was recognized as one of only thirteen companies to receive an “All Star” rating from Fortune magazine. Marriott has also received honors as one of the “Greenest” companies in the U.S. and has been awarded Elite Marketing Awards from the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International.

Hampton Inn & Suites

Hampton Inn & Suites is officially a division of Hilton Hotels and features almost 1800 locations in all fifty states, as well as Puerto Rico, all of the Canadian provinces, and parts the U.K. The Travel Weekly Readers’ Choice Awards named Hampton Inn & Suites “the best mid-priced hotel” for five years running (and most recently in January of 2010), and the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International awarded Hampton Inn with a Gold, Silver, and Bronze Adrian Awards in February of 2010. Within the Hampton chain, the top 5% of Hampton Inn & Suites locations have received the Lighthouse Award for quality and guest satisfaction, and numerous locations have received the Hilton family of hotels Connie Award, given to locations that represent “the best of the best” for Hilton.

Decorations Ideas for a South Indian Wedding

If a bride or groom has South Indian roots, they may want this reflected in their wedding, whether it takes place in India or elsewhere. Traditional Indian decor is bold in color and design, with richness and elegance. If you’re throwing a South Indian wedding, you may be looking for ideas from which to draw inspiration.

Mandap

Traditionally, Indian ceremonies take place at a mandap, which is an important symbolic element you'll want to incorporate into a traditional South Indian ritual. Find deep gold and red fabric colors for more of a traditional look or coordinate fabric colors to match your overall wedding theme. Real or artificial flowers can adorn the canopy. Marigolds, roses, and jasmine are commonly used for this purpose. The pillars can be wrapped with floral garlands or silk drapes in coordinating colors. Usually there is a brightly colored carpet at the floor of the mandap, and strings of lights, lanterns or candles can be used for illumination. The mandap can also include wall hangings and decorative artifacts. Don't forget the ornate chairs that often resemble thrones for you and your groom to sit on under the mandap.

Kalash and Thali

Kalash and Thali are symbols of shagun, or luck. Kalash is a pot usually made of brass, but may be found in silver as well. The pot contains a coconut surrounded by fresh mango leaves. Painting is done in beautiful ethnic designs on the exterior of the pot; stickers with Indian designs can be used for the same purpose. A Thali is a plate made of silver or brass. Banana leaves cover the plate, with a diya (clay lamp) in the center. The diya is then surrounded with colorful flowers. Both the Kalash and the Thali can make gorgeous ethnic centerpieces.

Car

Like in America, the vehicle that will take the new couple away is often decorated for the Indian wedding. However, the decorations used for this purpose are much different. Typically flowers are using to adorn the car. Fresh, bright flowers are placed on the hood and artificial garlands drape over the car. Other accessories used to decorate the car can include: mirrors, bows, threads, artifacts, tissues and bandhani (dyed cotton or silk fabric).

Chicago Wedding Cruise Ideas

Chicago, Illinois borders the southwestern edge of Lake Michigan and includes the Chicago River and Calumet River. Known for the Great Fire of 1871, the starting point of Historic Route 66 and for its gangster bad guys such as Al Capone, Chicago is a multicultural and diverse city with a rich history. A variety of dinner cruises are available to enjoy the sights of the city while dining on board a yacht or boat and make great options for rehearsal dinner parties, wedding receptions or simply a wedding activity for fun.

Odyssey Chicago

The Odyssey Chicago dinner cruise was rated "the best skyline in America" by Travel and Leisure magazine. Dinner cruise guests are invited on board, loading at the Navy Pier, and are served appetizers, entrees and desserts that are prepared fresh daily by the on-board chef. Diners can view the skyline of Chicago while dining at their tables, dancing to the live music aboard the ship or sitting and relaxing on the outside deck. The boat cruises along the Chicago lakefront and offers guests views of the Museum Campus and Evanston. Individual and group tickets are sold, so you can dine aboard to celebrate a special occasion or just because. The boat holds up to 600 passengers.

Odyssey Chicago
Navy Pier
600 East Grand Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
866-305-2469
odysseycruises.com

Spirit of Chicago

Spirit of Chicago offers guests a buffet dinner aboard one of their ships. Guests can enjoy the downtown Chicago skyline as the boat skirts the lakefront area. Cabaret-style seating promotes mixing and mingling with the other guests aboard the ship. Individual tickets and group tickets are available. Along with appetizers, a grand buffet dinner, and beverages, guests are entertained with some of the top DJs in the greater Chicago area.

Spirit of Chicago
Navy Pier
Chicago, IL 60611
866-273-2469
spiritofchicago.com

Mystic Blue Full Moon Dinner Cruise

Private tables are assigned as guests board the Mystic Blue Full Moon Dinner Cruise. The cruise offers a full dinner buffet and live music entertainment as it sets sail. The cruise takes the guests along the lakefront for views of the Chicago city skyline and at time sets sail as far north as Evanston. The boat holds up to 500 passengers.

Mystic Blue Full Moon Dinner Cruise
Navy Pier
600 East Grand Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
312-321-7600
mysticbluecruises.com/Chicago

Etiquette for a Rehearsal Dinner at a Destination Wedding

A rehearsal dinner is an intimate meal for the immediate family members of the bride and groom and for members of the wedding party. A destination wedding, however, can add a layer of etiquette complexity. Usually small and relaxing, you may have to settle for a bigger-than-normal dining experience—to make guests who fly in, possibly from very long distances, feel welcome. Applying etiquette rules to a rehearsal dinner for a destination wedding requires thoughtful consideration of everyone involved.

The Facts

Traditional wedding etiquette makes the groom’s family responsible for the rehearsal dinner. Additionally, traditional wedding etiquette includes only the immediate family and the members of the wedding party. This means that the bride and her family should not add people outside of this group to this special dinner without first consulting the groom’s family. At the same time, the groom’s family should remember that a distant great-aunt of the bride who took the time to come to the wedding probably deserves a seat at the rehearsal dinner.

Geography

Geography plays an important part in rehearsal dinner etiquette for a destination wedding. If the destination for the wedding is outside the United States, or even in Hawaii, the bride and groom should “go the extra mile” for their guests. So, the groom’s family should consider including extra guests at the rehearsal dinner to make them feel welcome.

Size

Destination weddings tend to be smaller, for the simple reason that fewer people can travel to the location. If the wedding does not have more than 40 or 50 people attending, it might be possible to include everyone in the rehearsal dinner. In fact, for destination weddings, the rehearsal dinner can easily be a relaxing experience, a “night before” party, so that everyone is ready for the wedding the next day. No, the rehearsal dinner may not be traditional, but as the wedding itself is not necessarily traditional, there is no reason not to bend the rules a little.


Considerations

Because destination weddings are more challenging for everyone—from the bride and the groom to the guests that attend—the rules for the rehearsal dinner sometimes change. For instance, the bride and the groom might offer to host the dinner instead of the groom’s parents, as a way to thank everyone for coming to the wedding. At the same time, the bride and the groom should not assume this responsibility without first discussing it with the groom’s family to avoid unintentionally insulting anyone.

Expert Insights

Whatever the decision is about the rehearsal dinner, the primary focus should be on relaxation and on making everyone feel welcome. Traveling to a distant location for the wedding is already difficult; add to this challenge that guests might feel awkward not knowing what to do while they wait for the wedding (particularly if the wedding is outside the U.S.), and hospitality is the key. The best decision might be for the groom’s family to arrange a small pre-wedding party or invite every guest to the rehearsal dinner.

How to Start a Wedding Consultant Business

If you love planning magnificent events and enjoy the romance and flair of a wedding, becoming a bridal consultant may be a perfect career choice. A bridal consultant sees to the needs of a bride from the beginning of the planning process until the married couple rides off into the sunset. In order to start your own bridal consultant business, there are many things to learn.

Step One:
Become an expert. Many Bridal Consultants worked within the wedding industry (bridal shop, flowers, and reception venues) before becoming a consultant, so they already have first-hand knowledge. Whether you are seasoned in the wedding world or you are new to it, it is important to know all of the quality vendors in your area. Build relationships with them by visiting their businesses and asking questions. Establish a network of your most trusted suppliers. The more business you send to your favorite vendors, the better service (and prices) they are likely to provide. Develop a database full of all wedding-related providers so that you can offer multiple suggestions to your bridal clients.

Step Two:
Study up on wedding trends, etiquette, and creative ideas. Read magazines and websites and attend bridal shows to remain up-to-date on your advice. Attend other weddings to add to your file of ideas and record any mistakes or problems that you can avoid or overcome in your own business.

Step Three:
Develop your people skills. Bridal Consultants must deal with hundreds of details and thousands of emotions to carry off an impeccable wedding celebration. Therefore, they must be skilled in dealing with people, offering solutions to problems, and navigating potential pitfalls. Overall they must work well under pressure.

Step Four:
Become an adept money manager. With an average wedding costing $20,000 or more, it is highly important for a new businessperson to be skilled at managing, and stretching, the bride’s budget. Using your newfound people skills, you will negotiate for the best prices and make a low-budget wedding look like that of an heiress. As a business owner, the bridal consultant must also be able to manage one’s own business finances.

Step Five:
Set your rates and plan your income. Most wedding coordinators make 10 to 15 percent of the wedding budget, but some operate on an hourly rate. An average wedding would take about 35 hours of coordinating. The wedding business is seasonal, so your main income will be earned from May through October. Many bridal consultants offer other party-planning services during the slow wedding months.

Step Six:
Build your portfolio with clients from successful weddings. Add letters of reference, pictures, and include all of the vendors used and decisions made. This will aid you in developing future events, but it will also prove your abilities to future clients.