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TAKE IT FROM DR. SEUSS…

How did it get so late so soon?
It’s night before it’s afternoon.
December is here before it’s June.
My goodness how the time has flewn.
How did it get so late so soon?

You may think that there are 24 hours in every day. But I assure you that there are not. As you prepare for an event like oh, say a wedding, you will notice that each day is a little shorter than the one before it. And as you get closer and closer to that momentous occasion, each day has fewer and fewer hours until…well, until there just isn’t any time left to do all those things you were going to do months and months ago!

As Big Kahuna Mama (aka Mother of the Bride), one of the things you did do months ago was order wedding invitations, right? Or maybe you ordered them weeks ago? After all, you don’t send them out until 6-8 weeks before the big day. And at the most, it takes the stationery department only a couple of weeks or so to receive the order. You knew, of course, that finding the wedding gown was far more important than looking for the invitations because the dress takes several months for the bridal shop to get, and that’s after your daughter has taken several months to decide which five are finalists. Then there were all those other decisions to make. The invitations may have easily dropped fifty checkboxes on the to-do list.

IF you haven’t ordered yet, and if you are still in the period of actual 24-hour days, I’d like to share a short game plan that could save you a bridalveilful of dollars. It begins by telling your daughter she’s grounded for the weekend. (Doesn’t that sound like a fun thing to say?) Suggest that she may obtain early release by doing a serious online search for that special wedding invitation. It shouldn’t take long before she’s bouncing from site to site, speed-scrolling the catalogues, and finding her frontrunners sooner than it would take to button up a satin gown. Once she shows you her selections, call the manufacturer of each card (not the online retailer), and ask the name of retail stores in your local area who sell their line. Then take your daughter to the nearest stores to see the actual invitations. With the field narrowed before you walk in the door, she’s prepared to make a final decision on the invitation and applicable options.

Now your real fun begins when you go home and start to comparison shop that same invitation online. You will be amazed at the difference in prices, discounts, and deals you will find among online retailers, as well as free shipping in many cases, and no tax if the company is outside of Texas. I saved enough on my daughter’s invitation to treat myself to one whole 24-hour day away from wedding planning. (Sigh!) When you come back from your own 24-hour break, let’s chat about those wedding gowns! But in the meantime, take it from Dr. Seuss:

Will you succeed?
Yes you will indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

Black, white, and a punch of color. Brides are replacing the previous color trend of chocolate against Tiffany blue, fuschia, lime green, (insert appropriate color here), etc. It’s all about the black, white, and unexpected drama. I’ve seen black and white gingham complemented by red roses, black and white toile tied with aqua ribbons, black and white paisley coupled with lemons. The interrupted monochrome is an exciting and bold statement. Formality is immediately brought to the event, pumping up the dressy factor easily. While guests used to shy away from wearing the faux pas black garments to a wedding, it is now a safe bet to wear a black cocktail dress (Note picture of me, Heather, and Liz at Becca’s wedding on July 26^th!) It is becoming an ever-more popular trend to have bridesmaids in black dresses, a striking contrast to the bride’s gown. This versatile and customized color scheme can be made appropriate for a wedding in any season. Think cranberry and orange for fall, midnight blue or hunter green in winter, any pink or green in spring and citrus colors for summer.

Hands down, the fun part of wedding-planning is deciding on colors, attire, music, and favors. However, I will never be able to stress enough how important wedding etiquette is during this time. Remember that etiquette is not a bunch of silly, out-dated “rules” that people used to comply for no reason. It is actually a considerate way to let others know what kind of behavior/response/action is appropriate for any occasion. For example, you send a thank you note upon receiving any gift or gesture not only to express gratitude, but to let the giver know you RECEIVED said gift! Wedding etiquette is not typically ingrained into most people’s lives until they or someone close to them gets married. Don’t be shy at this point. Go to the bookstore or library and load up on books! If you’re reading this blog, you’re probably somewhat internet search engine savvy, and so I recommend this site:

http://www.emilypost.com/weddings/weddings.htm

While you may want to cringe to discover that you’ve actually, unbeknownst to you, insulted the hosts of a wedding (“You mean I wasn’t supposed call up the bride and threaten to not attend a wedding because my 13-year old son wasn’t invited?!), don’t panic. The answer is, of course, no. The important thing is that it’s never too late to become a well-mannered, gracious person. Emily Post’s web site is particularly helpful because of the scope of information. Browse the site to find out the best way to write appropriate and thoughtful thank you notes or what to do if you’re a clueless bridesmaid. While that web site is my favorite, there are tons and tons out there. Google “parents of the groom wedding responsibilities” if that’s your function, and go from there!

Good luck and happy wedding planning!