Monthly Archives: March 2011

31Mar2011

Impress guests with fancy wedding napkin folds! Plus, a dab of napkin etiquette advice.

We’ve found an awesome website that shows you how to do several beautiful napkin folds. You can see a few of our favorites for wedding napkins below. Check it out at http://www.napkinfoldingguide.com/ and find more options to fit your wedding theme plus lots of other good information.

Bird of Paradise Napkin Fold Crown Napkin Fold

Bird of Paradise Fold Crown Napkin Fold

Shop Ann’s soft, 3-ply wedding napkins available in a variety of colors to coordinate beautifully with your wedding! They’ll work great for many of the folds shown at NapkinFoldingGuide.com since paper napkins tend to hold their shape better than cloth. Do be aware that rounded folds will look better with cloth napkins. So choose a fold with sharp corners for your wedding napkins from Ann’s.

NapkinFoldingGuide.com also reminds us of a few important napkin etiquette rules:

• Never let a napkin sit beside your plate. Always lay it on your lap.

• Traditionally, guests wait for the host to pick up and unfold his/her napkin first.

• Gently dab at your mouth when using your napkin. No large sweeping motions.

• Lay your napkin on your lap before dinner is served to create more room at the table.

• If you leave the table or are finished eating, lay the napkin to the left of your plate.

• Napkins should be placed in your lap, not tucked into your pants or shirt — unless you’re eating something especially messy, like spaghetti.

You May Also Like
Posted in Wedding Articles, Wedding Etiquette, Wedding Reception, Wedding Tips | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment
28Mar2011

Ann’s Bridal Bargains Presents: A Color Story in Lipstick and Pinks

It’s not just your favorite beauty product anymore — lipstick is a color, and a statement! It’s bold, fun and perfect for weddings. Here’s some affordable wedding invitations and accessories from Ann’s to help complete your wedding in lipstick and other shades of pink.

pink wedding invitations

 

1. Our Two Hearts Save the Date will introduce your wedding with vibrant color, charming design and a beautiful photo of the two of you!

2. If the two of you are romantics at heart, this Hearts and Flourishes wedding invitation in lipstick is the perfect, affordable wedding invitation for your big day.

3. Classic style and true romance come together to form our LOVE Photo Invitation, which really pops with color when you choose lipstick.

4. The Close at Heart wedding invitations will be dear to your hearts when you send them out to introduce your beautiful wedding day.

5. White Favor Cards that say “Thank You for making our day a happy one” in pink imprint will put smiles on your guests’ faces.

6. Artistic expression and sensual design create the Watercolor Roses Wedding Invitation — a sophisticated choice of affordable wedding invitation.

7. Simply adorable! These floral place settings are made of bear grass and pink gerbera daisies. They add eye-catching color and style to any table setting.

8. Imagine a bright pop of pink on every wedding reception table — now that sets a scene! You can pull it off with totally affordable, personalized wedding napkins.

9. Colorful flowers below your photo add a delightful touch of design on this Pair of Flowers Photo Invitation.

10. Brightly colored with a stylish flourish pattern, the What a Combo! Seal and Send Invitation is a top choice for affordable wedding invitations in lipstick.

11. If a touch of color is all you’re looking for on your wedding invitation, than the Initial Love Wedding Invitation is a great choice for you.

12. A variety of flowers in slightly varied shades of pink will add fantastic color and texture to your wedding bouquet.

You May Also Like
Posted in Wedding Articles, Wedding Invitations & Stationery, Wedding Themes | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment
24Mar2011

Checking it off the list! It’s time to plan for hair and beauty treatments.

Wedding Planning Checklist: Section 3: Part 7

 

What’s the next most important thing to the wedding gown? The perfect hairstyle to match! Your wedding is your time to shine, and your bridesmaids get to look fabulous as well. Now is the time to start thinking about what to do with hair, makeup and nails.

Hairstyle ideas
(Photography from GetMarried.com)

 

Six Months Prior

• Start browsing wedding and glamour catalogs and tear out pictures of hairstyles you’d like to experiment with before the wedding.

• Start chatting with bridesmaids about what they would like to do for hair and beauty. You may want to ask each bridesmaid the following questions:

Do you want to have your hair professionally done?

How about makeup?

Nails?

Do you have recommendations for beauty salons?

• Get stylish totes as bridal party gifts for the bridesmaids. Totes are great for carrying necessities on the big day.

• Start researching potential salons. Ask for recommendations from friends and family. (Look into cosmetology schools and training institutes for great beauty services at low prices.)

• Experiment with colors and cuts.

• Make sure you start a daily skin care routine to help you get that wedding day glow!

• If you want to tone up for the big day, now is the time to start exercising if you haven’t already.

One to Two Months Prior

• Choose a stylist and start experimenting with the hairstyle ideas you have. Remember to bring your veil.

• Choose a makeup artist and do a trial run, or do a department-store counter makeover. Then you can purchase what you need and practice for the big day.

• Make appointments. We recommend doing this at least two months prior to your wedding date.

• Get eyebrows waxed.

• Start moisturizing regularly.

• Cut back on tea and coffee and brush with a whitening toothpaste for an extra beautiful smile.

Two Weeks Prior

• Eat right, drink lots of water and exercise to feel good and look great.

• Get a final haircut, trim and/or color touch-up.

• Do a final wedding-day hair trial.

One Week Prior

• Avoid salty snacks and alcohol.

• Get a bikini wax and eyebrow shaping.

• Facial! So relaxing and gives you that final touch of natural beauty.

 

One Day Before

• Drink water!

• Deep-condition for silky, shiny hair.

• Get a professional manicure and pedicure.

You May Also Like
Posted in Wedding Planning Guide, Wedding Tips | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment
21Mar2011

4 Popular Wedding Invitations and 4 Table Centerpieces to Match

Create wedding reception centerpieces that coordinate with your wedding invitations. For about $5 to $10 per centerpiece, you can tie your look together easily with a little help from Ann’s Bridal Bargains!

wedding invitations and wedding reception centerpiece ideas

1. The Wedding Invitation: Best Buds. This white invitation is deeply embossed with two elegant roses alongside your wording.

 

The Centerpiece: Floating Flower. Continue your wedding invitation’s romantic theme with a single rose floating in a small, clear glass vase. Sprinkle silk rose petals around the outside for a delicate finishing touch.

 

2. The Wedding Invitation: Flowers and Flourishes. Charming flowers and trendy flourishes appear in bright, eye-catching color below your wording.

 

The Centerpiece: Azaleas and Satin. Place azalea plants at each table and add soft touches of satin by looping satin ribbon into the flowers. Tie ribbon around the base to complete your charming look.

 

3. The Wedding Invitation: Floral Shadow. Silhouettes spring up beside your wording, giving this wedding invitation a fresh, fun look.

 

The Centerpiece: Simply Green. Keep that fresh, vibrant look going with hydrangea and lots of greens arranged beautifully in a clear glass vase. Use hosta leaves to line the inside of the vase, creating a cool effect at the base while masking plant stems.

 

4. The Wedding Invitation: Watercolor Roses. With watercolor roses accompanying your wording, this wedding invitation becomes an artistic, sophisticated choice.

 

The Centerpiece: Mood Lighting. A sophisticated wedding invitation inspires refined style for your wedding, which is why a single rose with lit candle and silk rose petals sprinkled around is a beautiful choice.

 

You May Also Like
Posted in Wedding Invitations & Stationery, Wedding Reception, Wedding Tips | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment
17Mar2011

Save some green at Ann’s Bridal Bargains with these popular items under $10!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all of our beautiful brides!

Irish or not, a bargainista’s favorite color is green — here are five popular items under $10 to help you save some!

Envelope Moistener

Envelope Moistener – You’ll thank your lucky charms for these helpful tools. Not only do they save time, they help save your taste buds, too!

 

Square Heart Envelope Seals
Entwined Hearts Seals – You’ve struck gold — and silver! — with these inexpensive and beautiful envelope seals featuring your choice of gold- or silver-foil hearts.

 

Tissue Garland for wedding decorating
Tissue Garland – Our tissue garland comes in a rainbow of colors to coordinate with your wedding. And the price is just as magical!

 

 

Wedding Tissue Bells
Tissue Bells - The sweet sound of savings will be ringing in your ears when you see the price of these adorable tissue bells available in a variety of colors.

 

White Wedding Garter

Sweet Ties Garter - There’s nothin’ like a wee bit o’ satin and lace to make you feel oh-so-pretty at your wedding.

You May Also Like
Posted in Budget-Savvy Ideas and Tips, Wedding Bargains, Wedding Reception | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment
15Mar2011

Ann’s New Catalog Is Now Available

Request your FREE catalog today!

free wedding catalogs

You’ll find 32, full-color pages filled with:

• new discount wedding invitations

• new ceremony accessories

• new wedding reception decorations

• new napkins colors

• new wedding favor labels

 

You’ll even find a whole page dedicated to ways to save!

The new Ann’s catalog is a great way to start your wedding shopping — Bargainista-style!

You May Also Like
Posted in What's New | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment
14Mar2011

Congratulations, Amy! You’re the Shopping Spree Winner for February!

Amy Fuller will be receiving $500 to Ann’s Bridal Bargains, which she can spend on absolutely anything she wants site-wide! We’re super excited to take care of Amy’s wedding accessory necessities. From the wedding invitation to bridal party gifts, we’ve got everything you need for a price you can’t pass up.

Wedding in a Box with Guest Book Pillow Basket

 

 

One of our top recommendations for Amy — and all of our Bargainistas, of course — is the Wedding in a Box! You get lots of important necessities for a low price. Check it out.

 

Enjoy the shopping spree, Amy! We wish you and your future husband a wonderful wedding and a long and loving life together.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

The Ann’s Bridal Bargains Team

P.S. Sign up to be a member at Ann’s Bridal Bargains and you could be next month’s $500 Shopping Spree winner!

Anns Bridal Bargain Shopping Spree

You May Also Like
Posted in Ann's Shopping Spree | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
10Mar2011

Etiquette Aside: 5 Tricks for Saving on Your Wedding Invitations

Wedding traditions and proper etiquette are important to consider for any wedding, but sometimes breaking a few rules to save your budget is necessary. Here are 5 tricks for saving money on your wedding invitations that might break some minor rules, but stop you from breaking the bank.

money saving tips for weddings

In your corner.

Ann’s is always in your corner! We’ve got you covered when it comes to saving on wedding invitations, and one of the best-kept secrets we’ve got is corner copy. For a whole $6 more, we will print your choice of wording in the corner of your wedding invitation. You can use this spot for event notes, such as notes on attire, your wedding website or — if you’re bold about pushing the etiquette envelope — place reception information there and skip the cost of a reception card.

 

Dare to be different.

Inexpensive alternatives to the traditional wedding invitation ensemble are not only acceptable these days, they’re often preferred due to being unique and sometimes less expensive. Some great options here at Ann’s include seal-and-send wedding invitations and sep-and-send wedding invitations. To learn more about these alternative wedding invitations, read What’s the Deal on Seal-and-Sends and Sep-and-Sends: Let Unique Design Save You Money.

 

Try a different kind of postcard.

Respond postcards aren’t exactly the “proper” approach to wedding invitations, but they are practical, and we believe practical often outweighs proper for the budget-savvy bride. Besides, most guests simply don’t care if the respond card includes a nice crisp envelope or has full postage, and why should they? Respond postcards are inexpensive and require less postage. So, save a tree and a little cash. Check them out today!

 

Discover your inner tree-hugger.

Skip the inner envelopes – more for the sake of the environment than your pocketbook. Inner envelopes are more of a tradition than a necessity. They’re usually included with your wedding invitations for free, but you can specify that you would rather not receive inner envelopes with your order. It’s just a small thing you can do for the environment that doesn’t cost you a thing, plus it’s less addressing for you.

 

Be resourceful.

Use your wedding website to share important information instead of using extra enclosures. This works well for listing new address information rather than sending at-home cards. Also, if you include the full addresses of the ceremony and reception sites on your wedding invitations, guests can look up directions online. Then you don’t have to include a map card, but you can still use your wedding website to post some tips and recommendations for good places to eat, visit and so on. Contact older relatives, such as grandparents, to make sure they receive necessary information.

You May Also Like
Posted in Budget-Savvy Ideas and Tips, Wedding Invitations & Stationery, Wedding Tips | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment
07Mar2011

5 DIY Favors for 5 Wedding Themes

DIY wedding favor gift tags

 

1. Theme: A Flair for Floral

Description: A floral-themed wedding can be cute and charming or traditional and elegant. Depending on your preference of flowers, you’ll be able to create a wedding filled with beauty and originality.

 

Favor Idea: Find favors that coordinate with the look of your flowers. We’ve shown pink rock candy suckers with Personalized Favor Tags and colorful Favor Ribbon. These playful wedding favors create a charming accent to the pink rose arrangement in the background.

 

Verse Idea: Thank you for sharing in our love so sweet. Please enjoy this tasty treat. (If you’d like to create a favor tag with a custom verse like this one, click here and scroll down to choose “White Cards-Names/date.”)

 

2. Theme: Something for the Guys!

Description: Your fiancé may not admit it, but he would appreciate a clever favor geared toward the guys. Put something together for his bachelor party or for the rehearsal dinner. Any kind of hobby or interest can be turned into a favor.

 

Favor Idea: Candy comes in all kinds of wrapping and themes. Find some that fits your guy’s personality and wrap it up in clear favor bags with a Personalized Favor Tag and Favor Ribbon in your choice of color.

 

Verse Idea: In the game of love we play for keeps. (If you’d like to create a favor tag with a custom verse like this one, click here and scroll down to choose “White Cards-Names/date.”)

 

3. Theme: Loving the Local Life

Description: You and your fiancé are not only in love with each other, you can’t help but be in love with where you live. Your wedding will pull in special elements of local life that means something to both of you.

 

Favor Idea: Find a locally made product from a nearby co-op, farmer’s market or other local business. Tie Personalized Favor Tags to the items using Favor Ribbon in your choice of color.

 

Verse Idea: True love is just around the corner. (If you’d like to create a favor tag with a custom verse like this one, click here and scroll down to choose “White Cards-Names/date.”)

 

4. Theme: Destination Romance

Description: A sunny beach or tropical local is exactly where the two of you want to say your vows. Whether you’re wedding is lakeside or along the ocean, you’re destination theme is bound to be romantic.

 

Favor Idea: Find seashells, starfish or sand dollars from your local hobby store or online. We recommend www.qualityshells.com for great prices on starfish and sand dollars. Tie a Personalized Favor Tag around each starfish or sand dollar with a Favor Ribbon for a touch of color. You can use extras to decorate tables at your reception.

 

Verse Idea: Wishing on a star for lifelong love. (If you’d like to create a favor tag with a custom verse like this one, click here and scroll down to choose “White Cards-Names/date.”)

 

5. Theme: In Awe of Autumn

Description: For the couple that feels autumn is by far the best of the four seasons, an autumn theme is simple, inexpensive and beautiful. With so many natural decorative elements and such a variety of rich colors, autumn inspires creativity.

 

Favor Idea: Homemade caramels are definitely a fall favorite! Find Personalized Favor Boxes and fill them with homemade caramels. Tie a Favor Tag with Favor Ribbon around the box for perfect presentation. This idea also works well with s’more ingredients.

 

Verse Idea: The perfect season to fall in love. (If you’d like to create a favor tag with a custom verse like this one, click here and scroll down to choose “White Cards-Names/date.”)

You May Also Like
Posted in Budget-Savvy Ideas and Tips, DIY Wedding Ideas, Wedding Reception, Wedding Tips | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment
03Mar2011

Checking it off the list! Sending wedding thank you cards the “write” way.

Wedding Planning Checklist: Section 3: Part 7

 

Showing your appreciation is important, and we want to make sure you do it “write”! So we’ve compiled some pointers and etiquette advice on writing and sending wedding thank you cards.

Wedding Thank You Cards
6 Easy Steps to Writing Thank You Cards

 

1. Begin with a salutation. “Dear Mrs. Michaels,” “Dear Uncle John,” or “Dear Mr. and Mrs. Anderson” are all appropriate ways to begin a thank you card.

2. Start personally. Let them know who is thanking them. Example: “I would like to thank you…” or “Dan and I would like to thank you…”

3. Mention the gift. Be as specific about the gift as possible. Tell the person how much it is appreciated and why.

4. Mention how the gift will add to your life and how you plan to use it.

5. Sum it up. Include a personal thought about the relationship with the giver or a special memory of the wedding involving them.

6. In closing, give a heartfelt closing with something like “All our best,” “Sincerely” or “Love” and sign your name(s).

 

Dos and Don’ts of Writing Wedding Thank You Cards:

1. Do handwrite your thank you cards.

2. Don’t e-mail, type, text or call in place of thank you cards.

3. Do write sincere notes with a personal tone.

4. Don’t mention if a gift was a duplicate or if you plan to return it.

5. Do mention specifics about the gift and how you plan to use it.

6. Do fake it! Uncertain about what the gift is? Write a note that’s vague but heartfelt.

7. Don’t mention if the gift doesn’t match your style or décor.

8. Do mention how you plan to spend gifts of money.

9. Don’t mention dollar amounts or the form in which money was given.

10. Do send thank you cards to everyone involved in the wedding (bridal party, vendors, officiant, etc.)

 

Other Helpful Tips for Wedding Thank You Cards:

Brides Thank You Guide
• Buy a supply of thank you cards early and keep up with writing them as you receive shower and wedding gifts.

• Send all thank you cards out within four weeks after the wedding.

• Most thank you cards are available blank and preprinted. Thank you cards preprinted with a thank you message are used to quickly acknowledge the receipt of gifts for couples in a time crunch, but handwritten notes should always follow them.

• Order the thank you cards from the same stationer who supplied the invitations and other stationery for a consistent look in inks, paper colors and fonts.

• Check out The Bride’s Thank You Guide: Thank You Writing Made Easy for more awesome tips, ideas and examples.


 

You May Also Like
Posted in Wedding Etiquette, Wedding Invitations & Stationery, Wedding Planning Guide | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment