Advice and Ideas | Ann's Bridal Bargains

New, Coordinating Reception Accessories Just Added

Robin - Style Expert — Mon, 14 May 2012 12:00:54 +0000

Are you planning a spring or summer wedding? We’ve added some beautiful, coordinating reception accessories to complete your wedding look. One design features whimsical butterflies, and the other features charming tulips. You’ll love the unique look of colorful, sculpted resin at a price you can afford.

Q&A: Ann’s Addresses Questions on Addressing Envelopes

Shanna – Etiquette Consultant — Thu, 10 May 2012 13:31:45 +0000

Question: What are the inner and outer envelopes for? Do I address both envelopes?

Answer: The majority of Ann’s invitations come with outer envelopes only, but we do offer invitations with inner envelopes as well. The inner envelope is still a common part of today’s wedding invitation ensemble, but has become a more traditional/formal element. Our Wedding Planning Guide article, Helpful tips for assembling/addressing your invitations, has a thorough explanation of the inner and outer envelopes. Check it out!

Question: I like the separate and send wedding invitations, but how do you address them? Is it the same as a regular invitation?

Answer: Yes. Sep and send invitations are addressed the same as traditional invitations. The only difference is that this value set comes with the invitation, reception card and respond card all on one sheet, which you separate before assembling. You still receive an outer envelope and an envelope for the respond card, both of which you’ll need to address.

Question: Are seal and send invitations truly just “seal and send,” or do I address it like any other invitation?

Answer: Seal and send invitations do not come with outer envelopes, but there is a place for you to write the recipient’s address on the front of the folded seal and send. Unlike traditional invitations, the price of a seal and send includes printing your return address on the outside and on the respond card. To learn more about seal and send invitations, read “What’s the deal on Seal and Sends?”.

Question: Do I have to handwrite guests’ addresses on the wedding invitations? Can I use address labels?

Answer: Wedding invitations should be hand addressed, but it is acceptable to have envelopes nicely printed with guests’ addresses. (Consider Ann’s addressing service to save yourself some time and effort.) According to etiquette, address labels are not acceptable for guests’ addresses. However, they are acceptable for the return address on the outer envelopes and the respond card envelopes, especially if they coordinate nicely with the invite’s design (like our Flowers and Flourishes Wedding Invitation and address label).

Before you start addressing, see the “Top 10 Things to Remember When Addressing Your Wedding Invitation Envelopes.”

Tie it all together! Decorating with Bulk Ribbon

Robin - Style Expert — Mon, 07 May 2012 13:21:32 +0000

Finding affordable wedding decorations can be difficult, but bulk ribbon is a money-saving trick we use ALL the time. You can prettify pretty much anything with a little ribbon.

Ann’s offers colorful satin ribbon in two sizes: 3/8” and 5/8”. Both sizes are sold in rolls of 100 yards. What does that mean for you? 100 yards of ribbon equals:

• 240, 2-inch favor boxes when knotted and wrapped around the box. We use 15-inch ribbon lengths.
• 180, 2-inch favor boxes when tied in a bow and wrapped around the box. We use 20-inch ribbon lengths.
• 100 dinning chairs, wrapped around the back. We use 36-inch ribbon lengths.
• 37, 8-foot tables as table runners from end to end.
• 30, 10-foot tables as table runners from end to end.

Try some of these great ideas for using ribbon.

You can buy ribbon at your local craft store, but be careful. Not all craft stores sell large rolls of bulk ribbon, which means you may need to order it in advance or hit up a couple different stores. Getting it from different stores means you might not get an exact color match.

May Day Giveaway Winners and Flower Girl Ideas

Jackie - Bargain Finder — Fri, 04 May 2012 20:13:51 +0000

Congratulation to our winners, Bekah, Tiffany and Amanda!

We asked brides to tell us about their flower girl and the role she’ll play in the wedding to be entered for a chance to win a $50, 1-800-FLOWERS gift card. Thank you for commenting! We got some really great feedback from all of you.

Here’s what our winner, Bekah, said:

“My flower girl is a girl that I babysit and go to church with. She is 3 1/2. She has light brown hair with natural curls and highlights. She will be wearing a white tu-tu dress with a black bow in her hair. She will carry a basket made by a lady at our church. Instead of flowers she will be throwing out pretty sparkling butterflies. She is excited. She will be beautiful.”

Here’s what our winner, Tiffany, said:

“We are having three of our beautiful neices as our flower girls. Two 4 year old twins and 1 five year old to rein them in and get them to listen. We are hoping that between the three of them we get a few petals on the ground and atleast one of them makes it all the way down.

They are wearing light lilac dresses that sparkle so pretty in the light (JCP on sale $20 a peice) and we bought metal “Easter” baskets from Micheals. They are so simple with small flower detail and a perfect garden feel to go along with our wedding. They will also be barefoot with a nice pedicure and purple toe nails painted. They are so excited to go sit in the big chairs at the salon!!

For gifts we purchased tiaras for them, because every girl needs to feel like a princess, as well as monogrammed locket-necklaces. Something they can wear for a few years on special occassions and remember the day. We were going to get them personalized teddy bears but they have so many that we wanted them to have something extra special.

With a little over a month till the wedding, our Michigan weather finally starting to cooperate we are all very excited to have them start practicing the walk. (We bought seperate baskets so they don’t break the real ones!)”

Here’s what our winner, Amanda, said:

“I will have 2 flowers girls. My daughter who will be 13 months at the wedding will sit in a wagon with petals in it. My 5 year old cousin will be the second flower girl, she will pull my daughter in the wagon. I am hoping that my daughter will play with the petals and throw some of them out of the wagon. My colors are purple so I want a purple wagon. I am so excited to see how cute she looks in the little wagon!”

Thank you to all who entered!

We also wanted to share some of the creative ideas our brides posted. Nice work, ladies! There were so many great ideas. We decided to highlight just a few, but be sure to read through all of the comments for wonderful inspiration!

• The girls will carry wands instead of the typical basket.

• She will have a wooden hand painted sign that says, “Here Comes The Bride!”

• Our wedding theme is peacocks and she will be throwing out a mixture of flower petals and peacock feathers.

• She will carry a drawstring flower bag that is black with spider web material that will contain black and burgundy rose petals.

• Each Flower Girl will be holding a rustic, brown flower girl basket that has their name and wedding date painted on to a chalkboard heart.

• I am having a roaring 20′s inspired wedding so she will be wearing a little flapper dress and she will be escorted by her brother Adrain who will be wearing a little gangster/mobster suit.

• We have so many adorable kids in our families, so choosing was so impossible. Instead, our dogs are our flower girls. We got them matching harnesses and leashes that go with our circle theme!

• They will both carry ivory flower girl baskets & have butterflies & hearts that are stamped out in navy paper, yellow paper & sheets of music.

• She will carry a crepe paper flower pomander.

• I wanted the flower girl to have a flower ball hanging from a ribbon, but I didn’t want to pay $40 for a real one that could get damaged – I managed to find one at a craft store for $5.00! I’ll put one brooch on her flower ball to match the brooches in my bouquet.

10 Wedding Registry Tips

Shanna – Etiquette Consultant — Wed, 02 May 2012 14:03:19 +0000

Here are our top 10 wedding registry tips plus some bonus info we think you’ll like — enjoy!

1. Register early. Our wedding planning checklist says around 9 months before the wedding. If that seems early, remember that you’re registering for pre-wedding celebrations also, like engagements parties and wedding showers.

2. Register together. It might be tempting to let one person take care of registering due to busy schedules, but couples should register together for equal representation.

3. Vary the price points. Make sure you’re registering for gifts under $50, under $75, under $100, under $150 and so on. This allows guests to choose a gift they can afford.

4. Check return policies. It’s good to know the exchange/return policies at each place you plan to register. Some stores are more flexible than others.

5. Revisit your registry. As gifts are purchased, you will want to revisit and update your registry to make sure there’s a well-rounded list of options for guests to choose from.

6. Register for gift cards. Many stores allow you to register for gift cards, which is a much more etiquette-friendly way to ask for money.

7. Get what you want. As a bargainista, you’re fairly practical and will likely register for things you need, but this is your chance to ALSO register for the things you WANT.

8. Rule of thumb. Register for twice as many gifts as people giving gifts. One couple equals one gift giver. This will ensure a lot of options for your guests.

9. Spread the word. Word of mouth is the best way to spread registry information. It is not proper to put registry info on pre-wedding party invites or wedding invitations.

10. Make purchasing easy. Be sure to register at one or more places that take orders online or by phone so out-of-town guests can purchase a gift easily.

BONUS: We have a few favorite stores we like for wedding registries and we’re sharing them with you! We’d LOVE to hear what your favorites are. Leave us a comment below.

Bed Bath & Beyond is the nation’s top wedding registry. They have expert registry consultants and an excellent online catalog for couples. They also offer a registry incentive program worth checking out.

Kohls offers a wedding rewards program called Ever After Rewards where you earn 10% rewards on gifts purchased from your registry.

Target offers a great online wedding registry catalog with fun, interactive design! They also have a savings program where you pick a day to shop online and another to shop in store and you get 10% off everything left on your registry.

May Day Giveaway: Free flowers are just a comment away!

Jackie - Bargain Finder — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:00:13 +0000

Tell us about your flower girl! We’d like to know how many you’re having, what she’s holding, what she’ll be wearing for the big day, the gift you’ll be giving her, or whatever else you’d like to share. Not having a flower girl? What are you planning to do instead?

Comment below by Thursday night and you’ll be entered for a chance to win one of three, $50 gift cards to 1-800-FLOWERS. We’ll draw the winner on Friday, PLUS we’ll share our favorite comments and creative ideas!

Get extra chances to win by

• Liking Ann’s on Facebook

• Liking this post on Facebook

• Pinning this blog post

Leave a separate comment for each way you follow us to get your extra chance(s) to win.

Learn who to tip and when with Ann’s Tipping Guide

Shanna – Etiquette Consultant — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:00:15 +0000

Brides everywhere are asking, “Who do I tip for services and when do I give it to them?” So we created a tipping guide that you can download and print to keep handy while you are planning your special day. Enjoy!

Download Ann’s Printable Tipping Guide Now

Q&A: Properly Wording Your Wedding Invitation

Shanna – Etiquette Consultant — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 14:28:21 +0000

Question: How should we word our invitations if we’re paying for half of the wedding and his parents are paying for the other half?

Answer: Wording your wedding invitations can be tricky, especially with today’s couples who are often sharing financial responsibility with one or more sets of parents. Here are some wedding invitation wording examples for couples jointly paying/hosting with their parents.

Couple and One Set of Parents Hosting

FORMAL

Ms. Gloria Ann Manning
and
Mr. George Frederick Smith
together with her/his parents
Mr. and Mrs. John W. Manning/Smith
request the honor of your presence
at their wedding
Saturday, the twentieth of June
two thousand fifteen
at half past four in the afternoon

CASUAL

Gloria Ann Manning &
George Frederick Smith
together with her/his parents
invite you to their wedding
Saturday, June 20, 2015
at 4:30 in the afternoon

Couple and Both Sets of Parents Hosting

FORMAL

Ms. Gloria Ann Manning
and
Mr. George Frederick Smith
together with their parents
Mr. and Mrs. John W. Manning &
Mr. and Mrs. Frederick C. Smith
request the honor of your presence
at their wedding
Saturday, the twentieth of June
two thousand fifteen
at half past four in the afternoon

CASUAL

Gloria Ann Manning &
George Frederick Smith
together with their parents
invite you to their wedding
Saturday, June 20, 2015
at 4:30 in the afternoon

Sometimes You Need to Keep the Peace

If both parents contributed but the bride’s parents contributed more, you can still recognize the groom’s parents by wording your invitation as follows.

BRIDE’S PARENTS

Mr. and Mrs. John W. Manning
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Heather Marie
to
George Frederick Smith
son of
Mr. and Mrs. Frederick C. Smith
Saturday, the twentieth of June
two thousand fifteen
at half past four in the afternoon

Unfortunately, if it’s the other way around there’s no easy way to add the bride’s parents’ names and keep the traditional wording format of the bride’s name first. You could shake it up and forego tradition all together by listing the groom’s name first. We, however, recommend doing something casual and family-oriented if both sets of parents agree.

GROOM’S PARENTS

Together with their families
Gloria Ann Manning
and George Frederick Smith
request the pleasure of your company
at the celebration of their wedding
Saturday, the twentieth of June
two thousand fifteen
at half after four in the afternoon

Let us know what other wording situations you would like us to address. For more tips on wording your wedding invitation, see our post on “Invitation Wording Etiquette.”

Shop, Save and Support! Check out favorite charities recommended by Ann’s brides.

Shanna – Etiquette Consultant — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:00:18 +0000

A few months ago we held a blog contest to see who had the best budget-savvy advice for planning a wedding. A few brides commented on charities they utilized for purchasing everything from gowns to dresses. This, of course, is awesome! So we thought we’d share our 5 favorites.

1. Brides Against Breast Cancer Gown Tour

Score a gorgeous dress for an awesome price! This gown sale offers name brand and designer gowns for tremendous prices. The nationwide tour might be coming your way. Check out the calendar for upcoming sales.

2. Bidding for Good

This website is filled with fundraising auctions across The United States. You can shop auctions for charities in your area or you can purchase from any auction. Shop around on the site for deals on spa packages, gift ideas, shoes, apparel and much more.

3. Goodwill

Every bargainista knows that thrift stores and Goodwills® are great places to find amazing deals, but did you know you can shop Goodwill online? Careful, it’s easy to get carried away with so much to browse!

4. Give Back

Give Back is an organization that allows you to set up a “charitable savings account.” You can put money in anytime and you can get cash back from online shopping at select stores. Just imagine how much money you could donate with all the purchases you’ll be making for your wedding. See the 400+ stores that have partnered with Give Back.

5. Like to shop locally? Like supporting artists in your area? Shop Etsy.com. Etsy has a “shop local” function on their homepage, which allows you to put in your city to find local sellers and artists.

Great job, ladies! There’s nothing better than checking tasks off the list and supporting great causes while doing so. Please tell us how you’ve supported a favorite charity as a bride.

Take your place! Check out these ideas for DIY wedding place cards.

Carynn - Party Planner — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:00:06 +0000

Help guests take the guesswork out of seating themselves! DIY place cards can be designed to fit your wedding reception style. See the super cute ideas below…

DIY place cards can be as simple as adding stick-on rhinestones or pearl embellishments, or even self-adhesive bows. Go that extra mile to add some color with unique fabrics, scrapbook paper, buttons and silk flowers — there is no limit to creativity.

Place cards aren’t the only things you can DIY! Embellish your escort cards, which direct your guests to their exact seat. Escort cards are placed at the reception entrance for guests to grab as they come in. If you’re using place cards and/or escort cards, you’ll also need table number cards. Feel free to get creative with those as well so you have a uniquely coordinated look from the moment guests walk in to when they sit down. Show everyone that you’ve thought of ALL the details!

You’ll want to decide exactly how you’re planning to seat people before making place cards, escort cards or table number cards. Check out our post from Monday, “10 Steps to Creating a Wedding Reception Seating Plan.”

TIP: Not ready to DIY all of your wedding guests place cards? Have place cards professionally printed and add special touches like the rhinestone and pearls we’ve shown above, or just DIY place cards for the head table and special family members.