Writing Thank You Notes

I was just inspired to share tips on how to write thank you notes! It's not about the etiquette but how to feel GOOD about your wedding thank you notes. You may still dread doing them, but hopefully your writers block will be lessed.

I'm still both happy, intrigued, and a little embarassed that both my mom and my mother-in-law were CALLED on the phone by their friends who shared how much they enjoyed my thank you notes. One woman even shared my note with my mother-in-law, she was that impressed.

I'm not positive what I did differently than others, but the article will hopefully give you some perspective on what went on in my head. I write for cash gifts, thank yous from gifts you registered for, gifts from strangers (friends of parents), and gifts you hate!

http://www.thefirstdance.com/weddingthankyounotes.php

Wedding Trends for 2009

Here is a short list of expected trends for 2009 from The Wedding Report which says the average wedding will be between $21,000-$25,000. The wedding budgets for 2009 have dropped and here is where the "drop" will be seen:

• Smaller weddings with fewer guests
• Destination weddings or destination type weddings closer to home
• Accent colors on dresses and cakes with the most popular being greens and blues
• Increased reliance on family and friends to help plan, pay, and provide some of the services
• Increased use of green and echo friendly products and services
• Simplified decorations, centerpieces and wedding invitations
• Increased use of on-line RSVP's vs. traditional mail-in RSVPs
• Off-peak weddings; Mornings, Afternoons, Fridays, Sundays, October becomes the new June
• Buffet meals, Hors d'oeuvre, and cocktail receptions
• Cheesecakes, cupcakes and miniature cakes
• All-inclusive packages

Wedding Vendor Quotes

Wedding Vendor Quotes

Wedding vendors and couples are in a fascinating co-dependent relationship. Without wedding vendors you don't have a wedding but without engaged couples, wedding vendors can't exist. Engaged couples are trying to maximize their savings while wedding vendors are trying to maximize their profit. Couples may or may not shop around, but wedding vendors know what people in their industry are charging and the games wedding vendors play. How do you know if your wedding vendor is trying to rip you off or is too good of a deal?

The number one complaint of wedding vendors is when engaged couples first ask, "how much do you cost?" They sometimes feel like you would feel if instead of being asked, "What do you do for a living?" you were asked, "how much do you make?" The notion that money is more important than their skills, background, or that they could even give you a fast number without knowing the details (when, where, how many people, what exactly you want from them.)

What To Know Before Getting Wedding Vendor Quotes

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Mini-moons are gaining popularity

Another moon is rising in the sky of romance - a mini-moon.

It's sort of a quickie honeymoon, taken when newlyweds put off their major honeymoon trip and go off on a short getaway instead.

Want to know our spin on this trend? Read on.

The article and movement seems to lack the recognition as a society that a honeymoon is the once-in-a-life-time, unique opportunity to escape post wedding. It is a time when everyone expects you to be gone - family, employers, friends. It is a time to reconnect, decompress, process the wedding, and is that final bridge that gets you from "single but dating" to "we have wedding rings! You are now my husband and I'm your wife! It is even magical for those you come into contact with on the honeymoon. Like pregnant women and new babies, honeymooners elicit a sort of happy sign from people who remember the glory of that newly married time or who see it as the most romantic of all times the couple will experience as a married couple. Honeymooners know they can get free upgrades on planes, hotels, free desserts, and get a lot of smiles from people on their honeymoon travels plus a lot of "how was the wedding" questions.

While a honeymoon a year later may be more practical, financially, I am not sure it would then be a honeymoon. In essence you have given up the honeymoon and are just taking a vacation as a married couple (a wonderful practice but not with the same decompression as the honeymoon right after the wedding.) Or perhaps not a vacation but an anniversary-trip, not something I'm dissing at all, but anniversary celebrations imply celebrating the time you've spent already married. A honeymoon is the fresh beginning of married life.

This movement also begs the question: what has happened in the wedding planning world that it is too hard to plan for your own couple getaway to celebrate, alone, the transition from single to married? When the message out there is that "It's your day, do what you want!" why would you take away from yourself the single time of the wedding that is truly about you - the honeymoon, where no guests are invited (or expect to be there), when your employer doesn't even schedule important meetings for those days or weeks after the wedding date and simply asks "how long" you will be gone rather than "if" you'll be gone.

So perhaps it's a financial strain. I get that, I really do. But even that argument makes me wonder, how many guests at your wedding would rather eat a fancy steak than see you and your spouse-to-be enjoy a really nice honeymoon? Are guests really hoping to get a super nice meal, a fancy wedding favor, and then see you back at work on Monday!? If given the choice, I think most wedding guests would prefer to see a more moderate wedding with a happy couple who can then enjoy themselves on a honeymoon, rather than a high-end wedding filled with stress and debt with no post-wedding, honeymoon bliss.