Wedding Trend: Make a Statement with Your Monogram

Monograms are traditionally viewed as the elite form of combining your letters into a single symbol. In different areas, monograms have been circulating for centuries. Customarily speaking, monograms were used to display an artisan’s signature on a creation. Through the years, monograms have become a unique way of personalizing one’s possessions, whether it is luggage, robes, or even socks.

For your wedding, why not add the elegant personal touch that monograms bring to any occasion? For subtle touches, you could include your monogram on the wedding stationery, wedding favor packaging, wedding program cover, or place cards. For a bolder look, buy or make a monogrammed aisle runner. In lieu of a traditional cake topper, have one that combines your and your groom’s initials. Wrap your bouquet with a monogrammed handkerchief. It’s your wedding, why not make it personal?

Outside of the ceremony, monogrammed items make great attendant gifts. No one will forget that you gave them that great keychain with their initials on it!

Monograms are a great way to make a statement, and are becoming more and more popular in today’s bridal industry. The inclusion of a monogram in the wedding accessories can add an exquisite and elegant touch to your wedding day.

Wedding Trend: Do-It-Yourself Invitations

The average couple spends over $650 on wedding invitations alone, which is quite an expense for crafty paper. Who wouldn’t rather spend some of that money on other things, like decorations, photography, or the honeymoon? With do-it-yourself invitations you can not only save money, but also create one-of-a-kind invitations that your guests will ogle over.

Do-it-yourself wedding invitations are significantly less costly than custom printed invitations, which can cost around $9 per invitation! DIY invitations cost around $1 each, a significant difference. Just imagine what you could use the extra money for…

In addition to being less expensive, DIY wedding invitations let you personalize the piece for a look that’s uniquely yours. Your custom invitations can include photos and wording that you choose, and you can print them with any font you want. For the scrapbooking bride, this can be a great opportunity to put your skills to use.

So you’re not crafty, you say? Do-it-yourself wedding invitation kits are easy to find, as well as easy-to use. Most come with or provide links to software that you can use to design your personalized invitations to your special day. These programs make creating beautiful designs simple, even for the artistically-challenged. These kits come complete with all the paper and envelopes you’ll need to print your very own wedding invitations and response cards.

Your invitations are a first-impression of sorts, and everyone knows the importance of first impressions. Your wedding invitations should accurately portray who you and your soon-to-be spouse are as individuals and as a couple. By creating your own invitations, you can use your own styles and preferences to send a message to your family and friends. DIY wedding invitations allow you to branch out from the strict regulations of many professional printers and express yourselves the way you want to be perceived. It’s your special day, and your invitations should be about you, not about what the stationery store says you have to print on them.

Blended Families Come Together in a Sand Unity Ceremony

In today’s world, divorce is unfortunately a rising statistic. In fact, nearly one-third of all Americans are currently part of a blended family. So, for most bride and groom pairs bringing their families together, there’s a unique obligation to make it special.

Naturally, you will want to include your children in the ceremony; so, that they will feel like a valuable part of the union right from the start. One great way to do this is with a sand unity ceremony.

Traditionally, the couple lights a central pillar candle from two taper candles, which are lit by representatives of each party’s family at the beginning of the ceremony. This lighting can be accompanied by a blessing, vows, or can be done on its own. As timeless and elegant as this tradition is, though, it leaves no room for members of a blended family.

The sand unity ceremony is a beautiful way to incorporate any children or other family members that you want to include in your ceremony. The concept is similar to that of the unity candle ceremony, but much more inclusive for blended families. Each party is given a small vase of different-colored sand, which is then poured into a larger vase, symbolizing the coming-together of your families. After the ceremony, the vase can be placed in the home as a reminder of your special day.

Not only is the sand unity ceremony a great way to bring together your blended family, it can also be a very personal part of your wedding day. Your unity vase can be engraved with your names, monogram, or other message. In addition, your choice of sand colors can reflect your wedding colors, home décor, or any other significant part of your life. Not only will you have a gorgeous keepsake from your wedding day, you’ll also have the pleasure of knowing that the important members of your family were all included in your special day.

Wedding Trend: Guest Book Alternatives Take Over

It is a sad fact that most wedding guest books end up shoved into closets, resigned to collecting dust for the rest of their days. Why not spice up your wedding with something different, something you’ll actually want to look at again after the wedding? With many modern guest book alternatives available, there’s no reason your guestbook has to be just a place where guests can write their name and address.

There are many alternative options for trendy guest books. Some clever choices available include signature mat frames, instant photo guest books, signature platters, and wedding wishes guest books. All of these provide unique ways for your guests to provide their own personal touch, and are keepsakes that you can enjoy for years to come.

Signature mat frames are plain photo mats that can contain either an engagement or wedding photo, which guests can sign their names and messages around. Later these can be hung on a wall or over a mantel, a great reminder of your special day and everyone who shared in it.

Instant photo guest books are another great way to capture the memories of your wedding day. Each page holds an instant photo, so that you’ll never forget who was there-or what they looked like! The remainder of the page is free for each guest to write their own personal message to you, something that you’ll be able to keep forever. Just think of how fun it would be for your guests to take each other’s pictures with a Polaroid camera, and they can write their message while it’s developing!

Another crafty guest book alternative is the signature platter. Guests can sign a porcelain platter, which you can then keep and use for years after the wedding.

Wedding wishes guest books are also a growing trend. These guest books feature small envelopes and note cards for guests to write their congratulations, advice, and stories. This guest book is something you’ll want to get out and read again and again.

No matter which type of guest book you choose, it should reflect your style and personality. These alternative guest books are keepsakes that are well worth keeping out of the closet.

Wedding Trend: Incorporating Photos into Your Wedding

Your wedding day is unique and special. Above all, it’s about you. So, what better way to personalize your reception than with photographs? Including photos in the décor of the reception can be a great way to add an even more personal touch to your special day.

A creative way to incorporate photos of you and your spouse into your reception is through the use of personalized glass photo vases. These glass photo vases are stylish and reusable. Most feature a slot in which you can easily slide an engagement or other photo, and then you can fill the vase itself with flowers or other décor items. They make great centerpieces or cake toppers at your reception, and after the wedding you can reuse them throughout your home to display your favorite photos.

Signature photo frames are another unique way to personalize your wedding. These photo mats are typically large enough to house a 5”x7” or 8”x10” photo of you and your new spouse. Your guests can then sign the photo mat, creating a classy guest book alternative. After the wedding this valuable keepsake can be displayed in your home, an intimate reminder of your extraordinary day.

Another fun way to incorporate photos into your reception is with the use of personalized photo guest books. These creative guest book alternatives feature pages which house single instant photos, and have plenty of space for your guests to write their own personalized messages. You can snap photos of your guests, which you can keep to treasure for years after your wedding.

Who can resist stopping to look at photographs? Whether they’re on a newspaper, a website, or even a refrigerator door, photographs are an intimate look into the lives of individuals. Incorporating photos into your reception is not only easy; it’s also fun and a great way to share your happiness with your wedding guests. After all, your reception should be a time for fun, not work.